Choice and Practical Expositions on Four Select Psalms

SERMON I.

IN this present Verse before us we have two general Parts considerable of us: First David 's Prayer for mercy desired. Secondly, David 's acknowledgment of mercy received. His Prayer for mercy desired, is propounded and delivered to us under a double expression, in the beginning of the Verse, and in the end of it: Hear me when I call, O God of my Righteousness, that's the first. And have mercy upon me, and hear my Prayer, that's the second. His acknowledgment of mercy received, that stands in the middle betwixt them both, that so both may be so much the more effectual: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. These are the parts of the verse.

We begin with the first, where (for method sake) we'l join the two ends of the Text both together, and so handle the whole Prayer and Petition in each expression as one and the same. Hear me when I call, &c. Have mercy upon me, &c. And here there are divers things considerable of us: First, The Title which David here puts upon God; and that is the God of his Righteousness. Secondly, The Request which he puts up to him; and that is, that he would hear him when he called, or hear his Prayer. Thirdly, The Terms upon which he deals with God in this Petition; and that is upon the account of mercy, and favor, and grace, and indulgence to him: Have mercy upon me, &c.

The first thing here considerable of us, is the Title which David here puts and fastens upon God, O God of my Righteousness. This God is said to be to those which are his Servants according to a twofold explication. First, As the Author of it: The God of my Righteousness; that is, the God that makes me to be righteous. Secondly, As the Owner of it: The God of my Righteousness; that is, the God that shows me to be righteous, that maintains my righteous cause. Now although the first be a Truth, that God is the God of our Righteousness, as the Author of it, both inherent and imputed; yet it is not the truth of this place, and therefore I will not now at this time insist upon it: but rather confine myself to the second, which seems to be here principally intended, and that is, the God that owns my Righteousness; which we may here again look upon two manner of ways: First, Directly in itself. Secondly, Reflexively, as coming from David.

First, Directly in itself: David does here justly call God the God of his Righteousness, as being such a God indeed, a God that does own the righteousness of those which are his Servants; And so does the Scripture also else-where represent him, as Psal. 140.12. I know that the Lord will maintain the Cause of the Afflicted, and the Right of the Poor. So Prov. 22.23. Speaking concerning the innocent Poor: The Lord will plead their Cause, and spoil the Soul of them that spoiled them. And 1 Sam. 25.39. Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from Nabal. It is the speech of David himself.

This is grounded first of all upon his Nature. He is himself, a righteous God; therefore he must needs be a God of Righteousness. The reason why any neglect to maintain righteousness in others, is, because they want righteousness in themselves. Those which want a Principle of Righteousness, they will not own a righteous Cause; but it is otherwise with the Gread God and Lord of Heaven and Earth. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright, Psal. 11.7. He is righteous himself, and therefore he loves righteousness in others; and his countenance beholds the upright; that is, he approves and accepts them. And all because himself has a just and most righteous Nature.

Secondly, There's his Affection and his Relation which carries him to it likewise: It is my God, and therefore the God of my righteousness. Love it will make a man to favor a good cause out of respect to the person: Now this is that which is considerable in God towards his people; He loves them, and therefore he maintains them: He bears a regard to their Persons, and therefore he respects their Cause, and is an Owner of that.

Thirdly, His Covenant and Interest; God must needs be the God of the righteous cause of his people, because he is retained for them. They have engaged him, and forestall'd him for themselves. The cause of God's people, it is the cause of God himself; there's an involusion of one in the other: And he has bound himself to them, namely, so far forth as they walk in his ways, and do that which is well pleasing in his sight, and walk answerably to Religion itself.

This (for the Use of it) is matter of great comfort and encouragement. A good Abettor is a good help to a good Cause: Now this is that which God's Servants partake of, whiles they have God himself to plead for them, as they are implied here to have. And it is comfortable in all the wrongs and injuries, and neglects which they suffer from men. What though men may now and then disregard them, and it may be shamefully abuse them; yet their Redeemer is mighty, and he shall plead their Cause with them, as Solomon speaks of the Fatherless, Prov. 23.11. This is that which will carry them out in the midst of all, and that which they are very much to content and satisfy themselves withal, when they consider upon it.

There are two ways especially wherein God owns the Righteousness of his Servants: The one is in clearing it, and making it known to those that question it: And the other is in avenging it, and punishing those that oppose it, and set themselves against it. Those that wrong the Innocent, they shall be sure to smart for it; God will sooner or later visit all their wrongfulness and miscarriage upon their heads. And so much for the Title directly, as considered in itself.

Now further secondly, We may look upon it reflexively, as coming from David; who having righteousness and equity on his side, does now with a great deal of boldness and confidence betake himself to God for redress: Whence we see what is accordingly to be practice'd by everyone else. As we desire to have God to own us, and to stand by us in the evil day, so to be sure to apply ourselves to Righteousness, and to do that which is just and equal. Otherwise we cannot with that freedom and liberty repair unto him, as the Psalmist expresses it to us, in Psal. 5.4, 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of Iniquity. Look by how much any do allow themselves in that which is wicked, by so much do they consequently discharge themselves of God's Protection: He is the God of our Righteousness, but he is not the God of our Unjustice.

Therefore these words here of David are to be taken by way of appeal, and they have a kind of force and argument with them, why God should hear him, because he desired no more then what was right, and agreeable to justice and equity itself; namely, whiles he had to deal with men, and those which are Adversaries against him. When men plead with God, there Righteousness must be silent, there's no mention to be made of it there: If we once begin to stand upon that, we are utterly lost and undone: Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer, but would make supplication to my Judge, as Job speaks, Job 9.15. The reason of it is this, because our best righteousness it has sinfulness mingled with it. There's a defectiveness and imperfection in it; But when one man pleads with another, here we may well enough stand upon it. My righteousness shall answer for me in time to come, says Jacob to Laban, Gen. 30.33. So Samuel, Whose Ox have I taken? or whose Ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? &c. 1 Sam. 12.3. And Paul, Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man, &c. 2 Cor. 7.2. We may stand upon our righteousness with man, and with God in reference to man. And so does David here in this Text, whiles he betakes himself to God under this Title and Appellation: The God of his Righteousness, that's the first particular.

The second is the Request itself, which he puts up to him; that we have in a double expression: First, Hear me when I call. And secondly, Hear my Prayer. I make mention of these two as distinct, forasmuch as they have some difference in them, and the one implying more then the other: Hear me when I call, that has respect to David 's Complaint in the case of Injury. Hear my Prayer, that has respect to David 's Necessity, in the case of distress.

First, Hear me when I call, that has respect (I say) to David 's Complaint, in case of injury: This holy man he was wrongfully and unjustly dealt withal, and now he desires an hearing of his Cause, what he had to say for himself, and what he had also to say against those which were Adversaries and Enemies against him. Hear me when I call, that is, when I call for Justice and for Right to be done unto me. It is the advantage of the Servants of God, that they have liberty to do so: when men regard them not, yet that they may put up their Complaint to Him, and be heard in them. As for men, they may go to them often enough and complain, and to little purpose; but it is not so with God, He will hear the Complaints of the Oppressed, and they do with confidence repair to him for that purpose.

Secondly, Hear my Prayer; that is, Grant me that particular Request which I desire of thee: Do not turn away the Prayer of thy Servant, but give ear unto it. This is distinct from the other, and has a distinct ground for it, which we may here take notice of in the Text. The former, that he urges from the Justice of God; this latter he urges from his Mercy, Hear me when I call, O God of my Righteousness. It is but righteous with God (says the Apostle) to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you: And to you that are troubled, rest, 2 Thess. 1.6, 7. But have mercy upon me, and hear my Prayer. For God to hear us in our Supplications to him, is an act of his Grace and Favor; as we shall hear more anon, when we come to that particular itself, which in its place is to be handled by us.

But yet if we please, we may (for brevities sake) contract them, and join these two Expressions both together in one and the same sense; Hear me when I call, and hear my Prayer; as signifying David 's great desire of being heard in those several Requests and Petitions which he did upon any occasion put up unto the Lord; and the doubling of the expression does signify the ardency of his affection, and vehemency and earnestness in it. Thus I find them to be taken by most Interpreters, although (as I said before) they seem to carry some distinct sense in them. But we'l take them as they are usually taken, and so handle them; namely, as a different and various expression of one and the same Petition; David desires of God, that he would hear him when he should pray unto him. And there are two things which we may conceive as here hinted unto us: The one, as referring to the thing prayed for; Hear my Prayer, i. e. Grant my Request; Do that for me which I desire of thee. The other, as referring to the performance or time of praying; Hear me when I call, that is, hear me in my very putting up of my Request unto thee. For each of these are such things as are regarded by the Servants of God in their approaches to him: They look not only to the hearing of their Prayers, that is, to the obtaining of those things which they pray for; but likewise to their acceptance in praying, and the answering of their prayers in the heart, before the answering of them in the thing itself; according to that in Psal. 6.9. The Lord hath heard my Supplication, the Lord will receive my Prayer.

We'l begin with that first which stands in order, which I named last unto you: His desire of being heard in his performance; Hear me when I call: Where we may take notice that such a thing there is, and such also as is desirable of us; to be heard in our very Prayers themselves, and the presenting of our Supplications to the Lord. It is that which we find mention made of in other places of Scripture, as Isaiah 58.9. Then thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer thee; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. And Isaiah 65.24. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear. This is done, when God (as sometimes he is pleased to do) does signify to the heart of a Believer his acceptance of him in Prayer, and his readiness to grant him that which he desires of him. This is to hear him when he calls, or in calling, as the words properly import, In clamando me ausculta, &c. There is a secret whisper which God does vouchsafe to the Soul of a Christian, whereby he manifests his good will to him in this behalf; As who should say, Thy Request is granted, trouble thyself no more about it, I will be sure to do it for thee. It is that which we cannot express and make known what it is, as being a part of that hidden Manna which no man knows, saving he that receives it; and is made good to spiritual sense, rather than demonstrated by common and natural reason: But where-ever it is, it is very comfortable and satisfactory to the minds of those which are made partakers of it.

We may take it with these qualifications briefly considerable in it: First, It is a matter of very great Grace and Favor; It is an high piece of Dignity which God is pleased to put upon his Servants, when he deals thus with them; so as to signify his acceptance of them in Prayer, and his readiness to grant their Requests. It argues a special familiarity, wherein he condescends unto them, and so it has been still reckoned and accounted of: It was that which God vouchsafed to Daniel, whiles he was yet speaking in prayer, O Daniel, thou art greatly beloved, &c. Dan. 9.23. It was that which God vouchsafed to Cornelius, Acts 10.4. Thy prayers are come up for a Memorial before God. And it was that also which he vouchsafed to Paul, when he prayed so often as he did to him; My Grace is sufficient for thee, &c. 2 Cor. 12.9.

Secondly, As it is matter of very great Favor and Privilege, so it is also of some uncertainty likewise: It is that which God does not always think himself engaged to do for them. God does always hear the prayers of his Servants, but he does not always manifest or signify his hearing of them, but does oftentimes hear them in the dark in this particular, that so he may the more exercise Faith, and draw them out in more dependence upon himself. And now and then likewise correct them for some neglect which they are guilty of before him, and miscarriage towards him: Therefore they have sometimes also complained of his strangeness to them in this respect, and of his hiding of his face from them.

Thirdly, It is very comfortable, and such as has a great deal of heartening and encouraging in it, making the Servants of God to go on with a great deal of cheerfulness in their Christian course; to which end accordingly it should be improved. It is not to make any the more secure, or careless, or presumptuous, or neglectful of endeavor; but to wait upon God in the use of means with so much the more alacrity, as not solicitous concerning success. That's the first thing here implied, Hear me when I call, as it refers to the very performance or time of praying.

The second is, as it refers to the thing prayed for; Hear my Prayer, i. e. Grant my Request. David desires of God that he would yield to him that which he asked and desired at his hands. For the matter of his Petition; it is a phrase which we often meet withal in the Psalms, and a Point which we have also often occasion to speak unto, the Doctrine of Prayer; for which cause I will not now at this time insist upon it, only somewhat must be said of it, because it lies in our way; which I shall dispatch in a word or two, and so proceed to that which is behind.

That which is here principally to be observed and taken notice of by us, is the holy confidence, and boldness, and freedom which a true Believer hath with God in his accesses to him. He may come to him as both desiring and expecting to be heard by him: He may pray, and when he has done praying, he may say, Lord hear my prayer, as David does here in this Text. This he may be able to do especially upon these considerations: First, According to his ordering of his Prayers and Petitions themselves; Hearing, or being heard in prayer, does much depend upon prayer itself for the managing of it. Now this is that which the Servants of God are for the most part very careful of, in order hereunto: As,

First, For the matter of their prayer, that it be such as is according to God 's will. Those that pray for those things which are unlawful, they cannot say to God, Hear my prayer; unless they should think they might persuade him to deny Himself, which he will never do. This therefore is that which good Christians do in the first place look after: Thus, 1 John 5.14, 15. This is the confidence that we have of him, that if we ask anything according to his Will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him.

Secondly, For the manner of their prayer, that it be with zeal, and fervency, and intention. It was a good Question of Cyprians, How canst thou think that God should hear thee, when thou dost not hear thyself? Quomodo te audiri a Deo, postulas cum teipsum in audit? Those that pray carelessly and slightly, without attending to that which comes from them, they cannot expect that God should hear them: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James 5.16.

Thirdly, For the principle of their prayer, that it be done in Faith; that's another thing requisite hereunto. Let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering, &c. Jam. 1.6. And that's the first ground of God's Servants confidence in their audience, which is taken from the ordering of their Prayers and Petitions themselves, for the Matter, Manner, and Principle.

The second is the ordering of themselves in other things suitable hereunto: As first, Their hearing of God Himself; Then may we with confidence say to God, Hear my prayer; When God may with confidence say to us, Hear my Word. But if we will not hearken to his Injunctions, neither will he hearken to our Petitions. He that turneth away his Ear from hearing of the Law, even his prayer shall be abominable, says Solomon, Prov. 28.9. And 1 John 3.22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him; because we keep his Commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Secondly, Hearing of others in their necessities: Whoso stoppeth his Ears at the cry of the Poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard, Prov. 21.13. And Isaiah 1.15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers I will not hear, your hands are full of blood. We are no surer of audience with God, then our Brethren have audience with us: Judgment shall be without mercy to him that shows no mercy, &c. James 2.13.

And finally, The abstaining from all kind of sin whatsoever, as to the allowance of it in ourselves: If I regard iniquity (says David) in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer, Psal. 66.18. And John 9.31. We know that God heareth not Sinners, &c. As therefore we desire to partake in this confidence of the Faithful, let us be careful thus to order ourselves. And so I have done with the second Particular in this first General; which is the Request itself which David puts up to God, Hear my prayer.

The third is, the Termes whereupon he deals with him in it: And that is upon the account of Mercy, and Grace, and Favor; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer: Where we see, That the best that are, they have need to stand upon this Plea in their dealings with God, to have recourse still to his Mercy, and to urge him upon this consideration above anything else, to be gracious to them. This we gather, not only from this place, but also from divers others besides, as Psal. 5.7. I will come to thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: Psal. 6.2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. And verse 4. O save me for thy mercies sake. And Psal. 25.6, 7. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies. According to thy mercy remember me.

The ground hereof is twofold; First, Because the best that are, they do merit nothing at the hands of God, for which he should be persuaded to do anything for them: Those which cannot plead Merit, they must plead Mercy; now for the former, there is none which can do it whosoever they be. The best that are, they can challenge nothing from God upon any desert in themselves; Luke 17.10. When we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable servants; we have done no more then what was our duty to do. Those which do no more then what they ought to do, they are far enough from merit or desert; and thus is it with the best men that are, even with the Apostles and Disciples of Christ: Much more with other men.

Secondly, As the best that are, are void of any merit; so they be under much de -merit, and contrary guilt which is upon them. Malefactors had need still stand upon mercy, and have recourse unto that. And thus is it with the best of us all, we are liable to God's Judgment and Tribunal, if he should call us to a strict reckoning and account: And therefore, Have mercy upon me. Thus Psal. 130.3. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand. And Psal. 143.2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, &c. Isaiah 64.6.

Let us therefore from hence learn to make much of this Attribute in God, and to improve it to our own comfort and advantage, the mercy of God, as being that which is our best security and refuge which we can fly unto. It is that which all the Saints and Servants of God have made use of upon all occasions; and we should imitate them, and conform unto them in this particular: And the rather also, because it is that which God himself is so much pleased withal. He delights in mercy, Micah 7.18. He delights in showing of it, and he delights in hearing of it, and in being urged and pressed with it. We cannot use any argument to him, which is more likely to prevail with him, then an argument taken from his mercy. Therefore does the Prophet David here make it to be an ushering in of all his prayers, and the hearing of them; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. Take away God 's mercy, and our very prayers themselves are odious and abominable, and harsh and unpleasing to him. There's a double need of God's mercy in reference to our prayers: The one is for the accepting of them, and the other is for the granting of them; for the accepting of the performance, and for the granting of the thing itself.

First, For the accepting of the performance, Have mercy upon me, and hear me; that is, and suffer me to speak unto thee. It's mercy that must give us entrance and admission into the presence of God, without which such Wretches as we are could not dare to come before him: As Queen Esther, she could not offer her Petition to King Ahasuerus, till he held out to her his Golden Scepter, as a Testimony of his grace and favor; no more can we our Petitions to God, till he makes way for us, by his mercy towards us: This he has done in the Son of his Love, Jesus Christ; God's mercy in him encourages us to come before him, and to present our suits unto him; as we have it in Heb. 10.19, 20, 21, 22. Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the Vail, that is to say, his Flesh: And having an High Priest over the house of God: Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of Faith, &c. So again, Heb. 4.15, 16. Seeing then that we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities, &c. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, &c. Through God's mercy in Christ we may come boldly to the throne of Grace. Now this is that which we have need of, mercy to admit us to praying; yea, and so also (which is pertinent thereunto) to accept of us in praying, and to pardon and pass by our many failings and defects in it: Mercy for the accepting of the performance, that's the first.

Secondly, Mercy, for the granting of the thing itself; Have mercy upon me, and hear me; that is, and give my desires to me. It's mercy that must make God to do anything for us, which we wish he should do. It is not the dignity of our Persons; It is not the excellency of our Prayers; It is not anything without Himself which we can imagine, as moving him hereunto, but only his mercy. And therefore have the Servants of God still stood much hereupon in their addresses to him: Not only David here, but also else-where, Jer. 14.7. O Lord, though our Iniquities testify against us, yet do it for thy Names sake, &c. They have urged him with his mercy, and they have then especially urged him with it, when there has been the least likelihood and probability from anything else. In the greatest misery, there is the most opportunity for mercy to work, and to discover itself; which has therefore made the Servants of God upon this account to be so urgent with him. And so now I have done with the first general part of the Text, which is David 's prayer for mercy desired, Hear me, &c.

The second is, his acknowledgment of mercy received; Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Where there are some things considerable in general, besides that particular Doctrine which is deducible from the words themselves: As first, we see, That when we beg new mercies, we must thankfully remember old. When we would obtain more from God, we must acknowledge what we have obtained already. Thus does David here; And for the more eminent Observation of it, he puts it in the middle of his Petition; Hear me when I call, thou hast enlarged; and thou hast enlarged, Hear my Prayer.

Secondly, There is this also considerable, That the Lord is easier persuaded to the showing of mercy again, where he has showed it already; This we gather from David 's manner of dealing with God, and the ordering of his Petitions to him: These words, Thou hast enlarged, &c. They have not only the force of an acknowledgment, but also of an argument; not only as declaring what God had done for him already, but likewise as pleading, why he should still do more for him: Thou hast done it formerly, therefore do it still likewise.

But to come more closely to the words themselves, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. There are two things in this passage pertinently observable: First, David 's condition, and that was distress. Secondly, God's relief and supply of him in this his condition, and that was Inlargement; Thou hast enlarged me.

For the first, David 's condition; we see here what is likewise the lot of other of the Servants of God, namely, to be in distress; to be in such a case as that they know not almost what to do. Thus was it here with this holy man. Indeed if we speak of it strictly, so they are not: We are troubled on every side (says the Apostle) yet not distressed, 2 Cor. 4.8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . It's never so with God's Servants, but that if we speak of them in reference to Himself; so there is always some way which is made open unto them. But if we speak of them in reference to the World, and the carriage of outward things here below, so they are in distress. It was thus with David at Ziklag, 1 Sam. 30.6. It is said, That he was greatly distressed. And it was so with him likewise at another time, when he had numbered the people; David said unto God, I am in a great strait, 2 Sam. 24.14. The Lord sometimes is pleased in his Providence to suffer his people to fall into very great straits and distress.

And, we cannot wonder at it, if we consider all: For first of all, they do all they can to straiten him, and to bring him into distress with himself, by their trespasses and provocations of him; they offer injury to his Bowels, and make him so to be, as if he knew not what he should do with them. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee, &c? Hos. 6.4. And those which put God to his straits, they cannot marvel that He should put them to theirs: It is no more then suits unto them. Thus did David sometimes himself; and therefore this condition of distress was such as might very well befall him.

Secondly, God loves to manifest his Power in the deliverance of them; He therefore brings them into distress, that so from thence he may take occasion to enlarge them; as follows afterwards in the next particular, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. God's Mercy is manifested in our Misery; his Power in Weakness, his Inlargement in Distress.

Therefore such passages as these should be no strange thing to us; neither should we think strangely of them, when either the Church of God in general, or else our own Persons in particular are at any time brought into such conditions as these are, we should not be offended with it, as though some strange thing had happened unto us, as the Apostle speaks of the fiery trial, (1 Pet. 4.12.) No, 'tis usual for God's people to be in distress, that's the first thing, David's condition.

The second is, God's relieving and supplying of him in this distress'd condition; Thou hast enlarged me. For the better opening of this unto us, we must know that there is a double Inlargement: The one is of state and condition, and the other is of heart and affection; Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, that is, when I was in straits thou didst expedite and free me from them; Or, thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; that is, when I was in straits thou didst support and uphold me in them, and thereby draw me nearer to thyself.

First, For the Inlargement of Condition; Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, that is, when I was in straits thou didst expedite and free me from them: This is one thing which the Servants of God can, many, yea most, yea all of them declare and profess concerning God upon their own experience, how he hath done thus much for them. There's none, but some time or other, they have had this truth and proof of God's goodness sealed unto them.

It's true both in Spirituals and Temporals: First, Take it for Spirituals, and ye shall see it most evidently there cleared unto you, how God has there enlarged us in distress, when we were all of us in bondage to Satan, and to our own lusts, and so straiten'd with the chains of our own sins. God was then pleased to break the bonds of our distress for us, to open the prison doors for us to let us loose, and to set us free in a most eminent and conspicuous manner, as we have it signified to us in Col. 2.15. He hath redeemed us from sin and wrath.

This is a great engagement to us on our part, as to thankfulness to Him who hath done so much for us; so to an answerable walking hereunto. Seeing God through Christ hath enlarged us, let not us now from hence forth anymore straiten ourselves, and bring ourselves into distress again: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, as it is in Gal. 5.1. To be entangled in bondage after freedom and delivery from it, carries a great disparagement with it, and makes the Person which is so to be more entangled then ever before. There's none which are so much in distress, as those which are so after Inlargement. This the Apostle Peter tells us, and assures us of expressly, 2 Pet. 2.20. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the World, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. And our Savior, Matth. 12.44. The last state of that man is worse then the first.

But, secondly, Take it in Temporals, and it has a truth likewise here, that God does enlarge his people in distress, and that as to their state and condition, by freeing them, and delivering them from it. It is that which the Saints have frequently acknowledged in Scripture; we shall not need to instance in examples, experience does also daily confirm it.

This is founded in God's bowels and affection; the pitifulness and tenderness of his Nature. Suppose that any of us should see a poor man chained and fettered, would we not do all we could to enlarge him, and set him free as were fitting for us: What do I speak of a Man? nay, a Beast? It is the argument of our blessed Savior himself to the Ruler of the Synagogue, for the healing of the Woman that had a Spirit of Infirmity for eighteen years, and was bowed together; Doth not each of you loose his Ox and his Ass? how much more this Daughter of Abraham? The Lord pitieth his Servants in distress: and his Compassions towards them provoke him to the enlargement of them.

This must be looked upon by us not only as a story, and a Narration of what was done to David, and happened to him for his particular; but we must carefully improve it to ourselves for our own encouragement: Whatever is written aforehand, it is written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, as the Apostle Paul has told us, Rom. 15.4. And accordingly we should make use of it: And of this instance and example amongst the rest; He that enlarged David in his distress, will be ready to enlarge us also in ours, if we betake ourselves to him.

And he that hath enlarged one person will also enlarge an whole Church or Nation, if they be careful accordingly to improve him, to humble themselves before him, and in sincerity to seek unto him. We have need of such points as these are at this time amongst ourselves, considering the condition we are in. We see how the case is with us, in what distress we are fallen into (which we may thank ourselves for.) Now we see also who it is must expedite us, and enlarge us, and bring us out; Thou hast enlarged me, when I was in distress: Our destruction is of ourselves, but our help is of Him. And it is well for us that it is so, that we have such a mighty one as this is, for the rescue and delivery of us, if we make use of him so as we should do. Let us but do that which concerns us, and let not the straitness of our condition discourage us, forasmuch as the Lord is able abundantly to enlarge us in it. And this now for the first explication, the enlargement of condition.

The second is, the enlargement of Affection, and Heart, and Mind: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, that is, thou hast enlarged my soul. A straitened Condition has for the most part a straitened Spirit attending upon it. But this is that which God here qualified to David in that distress which at present he was in, to give breathing and enlargement thereunto.

There's a double enlargement of Spirit which is considerable in the Servants of God in case of distress. The one is in order to duty, and the other is in order to comfort; and each of these (if we please) we may understand as vouchsafed here to David.

First, In order to Duty, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress: So this signifies to us that holy boldness, and freedom, and familiarity which he had with God in Prayer and Supplication to him in this distressed condition; which is that also which others of the Servants of God do partake of. The Lord does oftentimes occasionally from the straits and troubles in which they are, stir up gracious desires in them, whereby they come to close so much the more earnestly and willingly with himself.

Secondly, In order to Comfort, so thou hast enlarged me, &c. It signifies that abundance of satisfaction, and cheerfulness, and lightness of spirit, which God is pleased to impart to his Servants in such conditions. This is a Point which we have occasion to speak of more particularly upon another Scripture, and therefore I will not herein prevent mine own meditations.

Upon the whole matter, Here is that which may very much satisfy the Saints and Children of God in what ever condition befalls them, That he enlarges them when they are in distress. Sometimes in the thing itself, with an enlargement of state and condition: Finds a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it, as it is, 1 Cor. 10.13. If not so, yet at least with an enlargement of heart and affection. Inlarging their Spirits, even when he straitens their outward man, which is more then all the world besides. He is freest indeed, who is freest here: All others are no better then Prisoners in their greatest freedom.

This was the privilege of many of the Martyrs, who were many of them bound and in Prison, till they were in Prison, their Spirits being straiten'd in themselves; when they were once shut up and enclosed, they were in this respect more enlarged and set free then ever before: which signifies thus much to us, that our Comfort depends not simply upon our state and condition itself, but rather upon God's gracious impartment and communication of himself unto us. When he will be pleased to enlarge us, we shall be enlarged, though it be in distress itself.

Nay further, so much the more from it: There is this also implied in it, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, that is, my distress did in some respects confer to my enlargement: As the Palm-tree, the more it is deprest, the more it grows. Thus it is noted of the Israelites in Egpyt, that the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew, Exod. 1.12. And we know what is usually taken notice of, That the blood of the Martyrs, it proves the seed of the Church; more being drawn on to Religion occasionally from the distresses of those which suffer for it, as St. Paul observes it of himself, Phil. 1.14.

All comes to this, to make us ourselves so much the more fitted and provided for such conditions, and not to faint, if by the Providence of God, we should ever at any time fall into them.

And so much also of the second general in the Text, which is the acknowledgment of mercy received, Thou hast enlarged; And so also of the whole verse itself.

SERMON II.

IN this present Verse before us we have two general Parts Observable of us: First, The Persons spoken to, O ye Sons of Men. Secondly, The Speech itself, which is directed unto them; How long will ye turn my Glory into? &c.

We begin in order with the first, viz. The compellation, or Persons spoken to; O ye sons of men. The sons of men in Scripture are taken for the most part under a double notion, either first of all in a way of Disparagement, for mean, and base, and inferior men: Men of low degree, as we find them called, Psal. 62.9. They are Bene Adham; Filii hominis. Or secondly, In a way of Advancement, for great, and high, and mighty men: Men of high degree, as they are there also interpreted, Bene Ish; Filii viri: Now it is not the former, but the latter which are here spoken to. The words in the Original Text here in this place are the latter of these two Denominations; O ye sons of men, i. e. Ye great men, and noble men, and rich men: Men of Rank, and Quality, and Eminency. These are those whom the Prophet David does here direct his speech unto in this Text, and does here especially argue withal. It is not my purpose at this time to insist hereupon, only because it lies in our way, we cannot but say somewhat of it; and in brief, it shall be this, That great men, they are such as do especially stand in need of Caution and Admonition to be administered unto them; To be dealt withal as concerning those sins and miscarriages whereof they are guilty. This we gather here from David s example and practice in this present Scripture, who applies himself especially to these of any other: No doubt but there were others besides whom these words did concern likewise, but the holy Prophet fastens upon these, rather then any other now at this time; O ye sons of men, (i. e.) as we have explained it, Great and Eminent Persons. And so does the Spirit of God also elsewhere in Scripture, as Isaiah 1.10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom, Hos. 5.1. Give Ear O house of the King. And Amos 4.1. Hear this Word, ye kine of Bashan, that inhabit the Mountains of Samaria; that is, ye rich and mighty Ones, as the words are usually expounded; still there's Caution given to great Ones.

And surely it is not without need, and very good cause: For first, Great Persons have for the most part great Lusts and Corruptions abiding in them, and prevailing over them; therefore they have need of all the Counsel and Exhortation that may be upon occasion to be bestowed upon them; that so by this means those Corruptions may be subdued and restrained. Those Bodies which are full of Humors, have need of a great deal of Physic to purge them, and work them out. And so had those Souls likewise, which is the case and condition most commonly of these sons of men: There's usually the gathering of much corrupt matter in them; Pride, and Luxury, and Oppression, and Injustice, and Security. These are such Sins and Vanities as do principally reign in such Persons as we shall see afterwards, therefore they stand in need of these helps.

Secondly, As they are such who have many Corruptions within them, so many Temptations from without. As they have many Lusts in themselves, so they have many things which feed these Lusts, and serve to nourish them more and more, if they be not the better prevented. And that is all those outward comforts and Privileges which at any time they enjoy; whether Ease, or Wealth, or Honor, or Strength, or what ever it be. What ever is in it self a Comfort, it is a Temptation to a carnal heart, which knows not how to use it, and to be the better for it, and from hence becomes so much the worse. It is the misery of all sinful Persons, which have more of the Blessings of God then they have Grace to use them withal; that those very Blessings prove Curses to them, and hindrances in the way to Heaven, and eternal Salvation.

Thirdly, Great Persons had need of seasonable Intimations and Admonitions to be given unto them, not only in reference to themselves, but also in reference to others. Forasmuch as their miscarriages are for the most part of greater influence then others are: For first, They are more armed and fitted for mischief then others: Poor and meaner men, though perhaps they may now and then have as much malice as others, yet they have not always those opportunities and abilities afforded unto them as greater men have; and so in the event are not likely to do so much harm. This was that which made David especially so to look after these, amongst those which set themselves against him, Achitophel a deep Counselor, and Amasa a skillful Warrior, and Absalom of the Blood-Royal. He was afraid of such as these, more then of many others besides; for which cause he applies himself to them as most fitted and enabled for doing evil. And then again, such as these are more exemplary: Everyone observes what these do, and are ready to do the like themselves, and to conform unto them. These had therefore need of all other to be chiefly admonished, as we see here they are.

This (for the Use of it) serves both as a warrant for the Prophets to give it, and for such persons also to receive it, and to take it well there where it is given; to suffer the words of Exhortation, as the Apostle speaks; Charge them that are rich, says Paul to Timothy, who though sometimes they think themselves above it, yet do indeed stand much in need of it; yea (to speak truth) most of all, upon the fore-mentioned Considerations. And so much briefly of the first General, which is the Compellation, or Persons spoken to, Ye sons of men, Filii viri.

The second is the Speech itself, which is directed to them: And this is an Expostulation consisting of two Branches; First, In reference to himself; How long will ye turn my glory into shame? And secondly, In reference to themselves; How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? We'l consider of them both.

First, To begin with that part of the Expostulation which concerned David himself; How long will ye turn my glory into shame? David takes up these persons for their scornful and unworthy carriages in his own particular, as not using him in that manner as it became them to do. The phrase is somewhat ambiguous, and accordingly may admit of a various interpretation; but such as may be best determined by a consideration of what it was which David reckoned for his glory. Now this, it may be reduced especially to three Heads: First, His Innocency, his Glory; that is, his integrity and freedom from any gross miscarriage which they might tax him withal. Secondly, His Piety, his Glory; that is, his Religion; yea, the God Himself, whom he worshipped and served, Psal. 3.3. Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine Head. Thirdly, His Authority, his Glory; that is, his Government, and that place of Rule and Magistracy which by God Himself was committed unto him. Each of these were the glory of David, which did put an Honor and Dignity upon him, and wherein he did rejoice. Now these they were all (possibly) but at least, one or two of them, turned into shame, by those which were enemies to him: His Innocency and Integrity, by slander, or temptation to evil; His Piety and Religion, by Reproach, and Blasphemy, and Derision; His Government and Authority, by Opposition and Rebellion against it, and undervaluing and contemning of him in it. And whiles David does here expostulate with these Persons about it, he does consequently condemn them for it: For defiling his Innocency, for reproaching his Religion, and for rejecting his Scepter and Rule over them. Each of these were great sins in them, and such as deserved most justly to be censured in them, and in any other besides.

First, The defiling of his Innocency; How long will ye turn my glory into shame: This is a phrase which carries thus much in it as comes hereunto. There are two ways whereby any ones Innocency is defiled: The one is by corrupting it, and the other is by detracting from it; and both of them (accordingly) a turning of their glory into their shame; corrupting it, that is, by temptation; when those which are at present innocent, shall be at any time by evil persuasion drawn into guilt. Detracting from it, that is, by slander; when those which are really innocent shall be represented as guilty.

First, Take it in the first sense; The defiling of Innocency by corruption, and evil persuasion: Whosoever they be that draw any Persons into sin and ungodly courses, they turn their glory into shame, and are so to be thought of; why? upon what account? because there is nothing which is more a man's glory then his integrity; nothing more a man's reproach, and disgrace, and dishonor, then his sin. This is that which robs men of their glory, and takes their honor from them; let them be in civil and worldly respects never so honorable, when they once do degenerate into wickedness, and ungodliness, and impiety, their glory is departed from them. Therefore it was a very good and prudent Resolution of Jobs, to hold this whatsoever became of him in anything else, Job 27.5, 6. Till I die, I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. So it should be with everyone of us.

And we should answerably turn this Expostulation here of David 's, upon those which would at any time move us and persuade us hereunto; when either Satan, our Spiritual Enemy within us, or his Instruments, evil Persons without us, shall at any time tempt and provoke us to anything which is amiss; put them off with this quetion, How long will ye turn my glory into shame? whiles ye go about to corrupt mine Innocency, ye diminish my glory; ye wound me in mine honor, ye take away my greatest Excellency and Dignity from me: For so indeed they do, and nothing more. When they bring any into guilt, they bring them consequently into disgrace: A wound and a dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away, Prov. 6.33. What is said of Adultery, is true likewise of any other sin.

This were well to be thought of by such as those, who stand so much now and then upon their Honor and Reputation, and make it sometimes an argument to them for the committing of sin itself; Which glory in their shame, as the Apostle Paul speaks of them; they do hereby do themselves the greatest disparagement that may be, and those also which draw them thereunto; that's one way of defiling Innocency, to wit, by Corruption. Another is, by detraction and slander, which is more pertinent to the case here of David; whom his enemies, though they could not draw into evil, together with themselves, and turn his glory into shame in that way, yet they did many times traduce as evil, and so turn his glory into shame in that way as much as they could. And he did very well to call them to an account in this respect, as being such as is justly taxable and reprovable in any, and such as God Himself is ready to deal with them for. Calumny, and slander, and detraction, and evil speaking, they are such as all must answer for, which are any way guilty of them: But I cannot stand upon these things; that's the first Explication, How long will ye turn my glory into shame? that is, defile mine Innocency.

Secondly, It may refer also to David 's Piety and Religion, by taking his Glory for his God. This was that which he did very much stand upon, and which they also did disturb him in, saying, Where is now thy God? That which David made to be his Confidence, that did his Enemies make to be his Reproach, and despised him for: Now accordingly does he here tax them for it, How long? &c. There's nothing which goes more to the heart of those which are godly, then when Religion, and the Worship of God suffers Reproach; or themselves in reference thereunto. This is as a Sword in their very bones, as David professes of himself in another place, Psal. 42.10. As with a Sword, or killing, as some render the words.

Thirdly, It may relate to his Government, and Royal Authority; How long will ye turn my glory into shame? that is, How long will ye refuse me to be your King and Ruler over you; because they now adhered to Absalom, and cast off his Government of them: And here now it is to be taken not only in the letter, but in the mystery; Not only of David in his Person, but in his Representation, who was an eminent Type of Christ, the King of his Church; and so did not only here challenge those which opposed his own Temporal Government, but speaking in the Spirit also, those which refused Christ 's Spiritual Government; in which respect it will come home to ourselves for our own particulars: Here's for those, which (as it is in the Gospel) will not have Christ to reign over them, Luke 19.27. The Spirit of God does here argue with them for it, How long will ye turn my glory? &c. that is, How long will ye stand out in opposition against my Government. God has set his King upon his holy hill of Zion, as it is in a Psalm or two before, Psal. 2.6. And now he expects Obedience to be yielded to him, and that all men should honor the Son, as they honor the Father, John 5.23. Those that refuse to do so, he here expostulates with them, and in a manner convinces them of their Obstinacy and Rebellion against him.

Yea further, he restrains them in it, and takes them off from it; How long will ye? &c. As who should say, It is now time for you, after so many standings out, to come in and close with me, to preserve both your own Lives, and mine Honor; which by your stubbornness, and willfulness, and contradiction, is much impaired by you. That which David (who is the Type) says to those which are his Enemies in the letter; that does Christ (who is the Anti-type ) say to those also which are his Enemies in the Spirit, and proportionable resemblance. But I am not yet come to that which I desire most to dwell upon; so much therefore for that, viz. The first branch of the Expostulation, as it concerned David himself; How long will ye turn my glory into shame?

The second is in reference to themselves, in the words that follow; How long will ye love vanity, and seek after lies? In which passage there are three things briefly considerable, as censured by the Prophet David in these Persons with whom he had to deal, The sons of men. First, The corrupt object or evil itself, Vanity and lies. Secondly, The corrupt affection or propensity towards this object, Loving and seeking. Thirdly, The deep rooting and fixedness of this corruption in them, as to continuance and perseverance in it; How long will ye? and how long?

We begin with the first, the corrupt object or evil itself, Vanity and lies. That which Agur desired, That God would remove from him vanity and lies, (Prov. 30.8.) The same is that which David does here censure in these Persons, as prosecuted by them: Under which manner of phrase and expression, we have signified and exhibited unto us the nature of all these things here below, which the World and sons of men do for the most part please themselves in, and give themselves to, as being such as are very empty and deceitful: The Hebrew word signifies an empty thing. They are vanity, that is, they are such things as are slight and unsatisfactory: And they are a lie, that is, they are such things as do not prove answerable to the opinion and expectation which is had of them, Vanity and lies.

That we may keep our discourse within bounds, I shall reduce this vanity and falsehood to three Heads especially, as those which are chiefly intended here in the Text: First, Of Persons. Secondly, Of Counsels. Thirdly, Of Estates and Conditions. There's an emptiness and deceitfulness which is considerable in each of these, which David does seem to strike at here in this place.

First, For Persons, They are vanity and lies, and so does the Scripture also else-where represent them unto us, both in the General, and in the Particular: First, In the general, and at large, Psal. 39.11. Surely every man is vanity. Then in the Particular, and more distinctly, Psal. 62.9. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: being laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter then vanity. He takes in all sorts, that so none might be excluded, but might come under this just censure of vanity and falsehood which is in them, and belonging unto them. David here in this place speaks it more particularly of Absalom and his Abettors; but it holds good even of all other Persons. There's a vanity and uncertainty in them: They are empty and insufficient, and they are transitory and passing away. There's each of these in them.

First, Empty and insufficient: They are such as are unable to support and to sustain one another, even the best that are. If we speak of those which are evil, they are nothing else but vanity; their very Principles which are in them are vain, and rotten, and corrupt; as it is with those which are in their natural condition, and not yet brought home to Christ. If we speak of those which are good, they have much vanity adherent to them, which is mingled with those better Principles whereof they partake, and so indeed upon conclusion they are vanity all. Though some be better then others, yet there are none which are absolute and complete, but have their weaknesses and infirmities in them which do render them liable to and capable of this expression which is here fastened upon them. As Rabshakeh to Hezekiah of Egypt, The staff of a broken reed, whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it, Isaiah 36.6. Thus are the sons of men: There's an emptiness and insufficiency in them.

Again, Secondly, They are also transitory and fading; They are vanity and lies. It proved so here with Absalom; we know what became of him, and how soon: And it is so with others also, upon which account the Scripture does take us off from confidence in them, Psal. 146.3, 4. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Isaiah 2. ult. Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Thus is there a vanity and falsehood of Persons; that's the first.

Secondly, Of Counsels and Designs; this is another thing which David here aims at, and perhaps at this especially; How long will ye love vanity, and seek after lies? that is, How long will ye frame deceitful Plots and Conspiracies, whereby to withstand me, and undermine me in my Government of you? And so it serves to give us a discovery of the nature of all those Contrivances and Devices which are in the heart of man, for the advancing and setting up of themselves in a way of the World, especially against Christ and his Scepter: They are all vain and fruitless, and unprofitable, and which will come to naught: He travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth a lie, Psal. 7.14. They are all ungodly Contrivances: Whence we read, That the Adversaries of the Lord shall be found liars, as not effecting that which they promise and undertake.

Thirdly, For Estates and Conditions, there's vanity and falsehood in them also; Honors, and Pleasures, and Riches, they are all empty and void: Verily, says David, every man in his best state is altogether vanity, Psal. 39.5. Col Hevel, Col Adham, Whole man is whole vanity; and that Nitsab to, when he is settled and confirmed, as much as the condition of this world will suffer him to be; when he is at his best, he is but vain then: Best according a • the world judges of betterness, which is from the abundance and confluence of these things which I have now named; he is even then but in a vain estate: He walks in a vain show, and disquiets himself in vain, as it is again there in that place, Psal. 39.6. There's nothing which we can speak of or think of here below, but God has written vanity upon it, as that which is much observable in it: And accordingly would have us to judge of it, and to apprehend it.

Therefore it is that the Spirit of God does make choice of such kind of phrases and expressions as these are before us: He could if he had pleased named the things themselves in their proper Titles, and those Names whereby they are ordinarily known, Riches and Honors, &c. but he calls them rather Vanity and lies, that so he may hereby give us an account of the true nature of them, and cause us to think of what they are rightly considered: And all little enough to persuade us, and to work us hereunto, as we shall see anon by that which follows. Though they be so, yet we do not think them so, till it pleases God to open our eyes, and then we shall see them so indeed; we shall judge of them, and call them so, as God himself does judge and call them, whose Judgment is according to truth, Rom. 2.2.

It is true, it cannot be denied, but there is a natural good in them, which God has fitted to desires in us, thereby to make our passage through this world so much the more comfortable to us, which we must always acknowledge in thankfulness and respect to him, that has bestowed them upon us; but yet they have not absolute happiness, and satisfaction, and contentment in them, which is able to fill the Soul; neither do they always afford that to us, which we do many times look for or expect from them. In which regard this denomination is very justly fastened upon them, as most suitable and agreeable to them, Vanity and lies. And that's the first thing here considerable, the corrupt object, or evil itself, which is here propounded.

The second is, the corrupt Affection or Propensity towards this Object, and that is in two expressions likewise. Loving and seeking, which may be considered as referring to each; Wherefore do ye love vanity, and seek after lies? whereas the latter expression rises above the former in regard of the Object, so it does also in regard of the affection; seeking is beyond loving, as vanity is less then lies.

We may, if ye will, look upon them both: And first, of the former, Wherefore do ye love vanity? This is that which the Spirit of God, in the mouth and pen of the Prophet David, does find fault withal here in these persons; their loving of vanity. And it is that which is justly taxable in any other besides: It is not, Why have you vanity in you? that's bad enough, and too bad to, to be guilty of no more but that; the inherence of vanity in our Natures, as cleaving unto them. But to love it, this is intolerable; forasmuch as this doth show that desperate wickedness which is in the heart; yet this is the temper and disposition of all carnal and worldly persons, they are not only vain, but love vanity; it is very pleasing and delightful unto them: As it is said of those which are evil, They love darkness more then light.

The reason of it (if we would know it) is briefly this, because there is so much vanity in themselves, and in their own hearts; Men's affections are according to their principles: And everyone loves that most without him which is most suitable to somewhat within him: Liking it is founded in likeness, and has therefore that word put upon it. It is so in whatsoever we can imagine; whether in Temporals or in Spirituals, as to the things of this life, or of a better: Men's love is according to some working and impression upon their own spirits. And so it is here in the point of vanity; those which are vain persons, they delight in vain things; as Children, they love such matters as are most agreeable to their childish dispositions, and as do suit them in that particular: Out of the heart comes all kind of evil.

This may serve to call us to an account concerning ourselves, to see how it is with us. There's vanity even in the best that are, more or less, and it cannot be avoided so long as they live here below in these houses of vanity. But do they love it? and affect it? and delight in it? Oh by no means. It is very irksome and grievous to them, and they abhor it with their whole heart: They cannot endure it; let us therefore consider how ourselves stand affected in this respect. And for this purpose, consider, that God judges of us by our affections, and by them most of all, as the pulses and discoveries of the soul what it is; we are indeed that which we love and most delight in. And therefore let us now upon this point make trial of ourselves, and return into our own breasts. Let us observe the proper bias, and bent, and inclination of our spirits, how it is set in us.

And if we find any hankerings in us to such things as these are, let us as soon as may be discharge ourselves of them, as considering the great hazard and danger which is in them. It is a perilous thing for any to be in love with vanity; forasmuch as it is that which is exclusive of the love of God, whether ye take it in a passive sense, or in an active sense: In a passive sense, of God's loving of us; Or in an active sense, of our loving of God: Our loving of vanity it is exclusive of either of these loves.

First, By taking it passively, of God's loving of us, 1 John 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: That is, The Father does not love him. Look by how much these things do at any time grow in our love, by so much do we ourselves grow out of the love of God: And his heart is from hence set against us, that's one inconvenience.

Again, secondly, By taking it passively; It is exclusive of our love to God, and hinders us of that due affection which we owe unto him. Thus, Rom. 8.7. The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. And so James 4.4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God; that is, He sets himself in opposition and contradiction to him.

This is the mischief which does insue upon the loving of vanity; which should therefore make us to avoid it, and by all means take heed of it, that we do not nourish and harbor such evils and corrupt affections in ourselves of such dangerous consequence. So much for that, viz. The loving of vanity.

The second is, The seeking after lies; This is another thing censured in these persons, as an enlargement and amplification of the former, and as justly taxable in them. It does argue a further setledness of this vain and corrupt affection in those Parties in whom it is, when they do not only take objects as they are occasionally presented to them, but also search and look out for them. This is the temper and humor of abundance of people in the world, which study and meditate vanity: Make provision for the lusts of the Flesh, and seek after Lyes, as it is here expressed; Which go after vain things which will not profit, 1 Sam. 12.21.

This implies first of all invention, when men are witty in evil devices. It was one of the sins of the Gentiles, which the Apostle taxes in them, Rom. 1.30. Inventers of evil things, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . There are abundance of them in the world, such seekers as these are, which make it their trade and business to find out vanities and lies; such things as may feed the lusts and corruptions both of themselves and others. There is a great deal of naughtiness in the heart of man to this purpose, which does put him upon evil contrivances, and designs, and imaginations: This is that which is very sordid and unworthy. If we will imply our wits about anything, let it be about that which is good, for the benefit and advantage of our own and others Souls; but to study how to corrupt and ensnare them (as many do) this is a thing very odious and abominable, and such as by all means we should be careful to withdraw ourselves from. We should take off seeking after vanity and lies in this respect, so as to devise and invent them.

Of this sort are all such persons as make it their chiefest business to invent vain and new-fangled Apparel, and Fashions, and Dresses, and the like. They seek after vanity and lies, and so come under this censure of the Prophet David 's here in this Text; such as have nothing which they can find time for to busy and employ themselves in, but only such matters as may suit to their luxuriant fancies, and the satisfying of their vain imaginations. A great account have they to give to God for such expense both of thoughts and time; And all such as profess Christianity, should especially keep themselves from it: They that observe such lying vanities, they forsake their own mercies, as it is Jonah 2.8.

Secondly, As there is invention in this seeking, so likewise earnestness of persecution. Those that seek after vanity and lies, they pursue it, and cannot be without it; and they sleep not until they enjoy it. It is the case and condition of divers and sundry persons, which accordingly David does here judge and reckon with them for: He does not so much blame them, in that lies had a little deceived them, as that they themselves should follow them, and be so eager in the pursuit of them as they seemed to be. Sin is still the more heinous, as it is the more voluntary, and as there is anything of willfulness and perverseness mingled with it: So it was here, Ye love vanity, and seek after leasing. And so much of the second particular considerable in this Expostulation, viz. The loving and seeking corrupt affection.

The third and last is, The deep rooting and fixedness of this corruption in them, as to continuance and perseverance in it; Quousque? How long? This carries it still higher then before. There is sometimes vanity which men fall into, but it's full sore against their wills; they take no pleasure or delight at all in it: Yea, but these in the Text they loved it, and affected it, that's somewhat more. There are others which have some affection to it, but they will not trouble themselves to seek it: These did not only love, but pursue it. Others there are, which go so far as to seek it, and pursue it, and follow after it; but then they set bounds, and limits, and restraints to themselves; in this pursuit they find time to give over. These before us, they never have done; They do not only love vanity, and pursue it, but they also abide and continue in it, and will never be taken off from it. And this is that in the last place which the Spirit of God does censure in them, as the greatest and highest of all: How long will ye do it? How long will ye love vanity? and how long will ye seek after leasing? That is, Put no bounds or limits to your loose and extravagant affections.

This is that which God much stands upon in Scripture, as an aggravation of wickedness, the continuance and perseverance in it, without turning from it, as Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee. So again, Jer. 13.27. O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be? And Psal. 62.3. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. The Lord is as it were tired and wearied out by men's continuance in vanity and sinful courses, and thinks it long till they discharge themselves of them.

And this delay and deferring of theirs, and continuance in evil, it seems so much the worse and more tedious, according to several circumstances of aggravation which are considerable in them. As,

First, The many and daily Warnings and Admonitions which have been given unto them, and Perswasions taking them off. There are some persons whom God is constantly knocking at the doors of their hearts, and driving them from their vanities, and lies: Now to these it may be very well said, How long will ye love and seek after them. Continuance in sin is very grievous, but especially after many provocations and excitements of God's Spirit in our hearts, whereby he calls upon us to leave and forsake it. Here to go on, is so much the less excusable in any, whosoever they may be.

Secondly, The many Mercies and Allurements which God follows them withal; when the Lord shall not only entreat them, but as it were hire them to break off their sins, and to have no more to do with them; for them still to go on in them is very obstinate, and an argument of an heart much bewitched. God's mercies they should put a check upon us in any evil course whatsoever, and take us off from it: So that although we have been in it formerly, yet now henceforth we should follow it no more: When we shall pursue it and prosecute it notwithstanding, this is a great aggration of sinfulness.

Thirdly, The many Miscarriages and Disappointments which they have met withal in it: There are some which perchance may be ready to do some evil for a while, because they know no great harm in it, nor as yet find no inconvenience by it, for which they should be persuaded to leave it. But now when men have tasted the bitterness of it, by the wrath of God in their Consciences, by some mischief happening to their Estates, by some afflictions in their Bodies and outward Man, notwithstanding all this to persist, this still makes it to be so much the worse. When men shall endeavor, and attempt, and undertake, and still be frustrated, as it was here with these persons in the Text, here it may be well said to them indeed, as here it is, How long will ye love vanity? &c.

Let all this teach us to prevent God from saying as much to ourselves: Or if he does say it, let it be a restraint unto us, that he say it not again: When he shall say, How long? as he does sometimes in his Word, and in our Consciences; let this his how long prevail upon us. Especially considering, that the time may come when we ourselves may say as much to Him, when we would be glad he should hearken to us. As we would have him to refrain us, when we say to Him, How long? in regard of punishing. So let us ourselves refrain, when he says to us, How long? in regard of sinning. And that's the third thing censured: the continuance and perseverance in will.

We may here (for a close) take notice of the manner of the Prophet David 's expressing of himself to them, which is not in a way of positive censure, You are to blame for your love of vanity, &c. but in a way rather of sharp Expostulation, hereby to quicken them, and to make it more effectual. As also in a way of argument, as appealing to their own Understandings for the foolishness and unreasonableness of such courses: Why do you spend your money? &c. Isaiah 55.2. To signify that the ways of sin are such as men, when they are in their right wits, will be ready to condemn of themselves, and will be ashamed of them, especially such as they may be, Sons of Men. There's a secret argument in that also, taken from the Persons; How long will such as you are do so and so. So much for that and for this whole verse.

SERMON III.

IN the Text itself we have three general Parts considerable of us: First, The word of Discovery or Information, Know ye. Secondly, The thing itself, which is discovered by it, That the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. Thirdly, The Inference from it, and that is, That therefore the Lord would hear when he called unto him.

First, I say, Here's the word of Discovery or Information, Know ye: I call it in our expression, The word of Discovery, as being that which is uppermost in it; but indeed it has a three-fold force or emphasis with it: First, Of Instruction, to those which are ignorant; Know ye, that is, be ye informed and advised about it. Secondly, Of Conviction, to those which are willful; Know ye, that is, Believe ye, be assured of it, and thoroughly persuade yourselves of it. Thirdly, Of Remembrance, to those which are forgetful, or inconsiderative of it; Know ye, that is, actually think of it, and consider of it, and lay it to heart. There are all these notions in this Expression.

First, It is a word of Instruction to those which are ignorant: Such was the case of many of those whom David at this time had to deal with. It is said of them, That they followed Absalom in the simplicity of their heart, and knew not anything, 2 Sam. 15.11. Now such as these he does here instruct, and tells them how the case stood, which was very requisite and commendable in him. It is not enough to reprove others, but we must likewise inform them; not only tell them of what is amiss and blame-worthy in them, but also acquaint them with that which is their duty, and what is to be done by them. Thus does David with these here in the Text; as he censures them in the verse before, as we have heard out of that, How long will ye? &c. So he instructs them here in this, Know ye. Therefore Solomon tells us, That Reproofs of Instruction are the way of life; when we teach as well as reprove. This is that which lies upon us, especially in the work of our Ministry; Reprove, rebuke, exhort, &c. 2 Tim. 4.2.

And the reason of it is this, because a great part of many people's miscarriage, it does lie in their simple ignorance, and not understanding of that duty which is required of them. Therefore they do no better, because they know no better, and are no better informed: My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge, Hos. 4.6. Now because of this, they had need to be taught, and their Judgments to be well informed, that so from thence their practice may be regulated and better disposed: The light of the body is the eye: (says our Savior) if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. And if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness, Matth. 6.22, 23. By the Eye we are to understand the Judgment and Mind, which must be enlighten'd by God's Spirit, before the whole man can be enabled to walk in ways of piety and goodness: Without knowledge the mind is not good, Prov. 19.2.

This directs therefore Teachers and others what to apply themselves to: There are many, sometimes, which are very sharp and harsh in the reproving of others for what is blameable in them, but never go about to inform them, and instruct them better. This is very hard and tyrannical, and a severe kind of dealing with them: We should be tender of the Spirits of our Brethren in this behalf, and not exercise too much rigor on them, but as we reprove their miscarriages, so likewise rectify their judgments, as David seems to do here in this present passage; Know ye: It is a word of instruction to those which are ignorant. That's the first.

Secondly, It is a word of Conviction to those which are obstinate: As there were some amongst these people which were ignorant, and so did not know their duty; so there were others also amongst them which were obstinate and willful, and would not know it, or at least did not altogether give so much credit and assent to those truths which did concern them in this particular; but thought they might do as they list, and should escape well enough for all that. Now for these, says David here to them, Know ye; that is, be assured of it, and take it for granted. And so it is not only a word of Discovery, but also a word of Authority: It is (as it were) a threatening, or a Triumphing word, whereby the holy Prophet does in a manner insult over them, from the Call which he had from God, to that place in which he was, and the certainty of his owning of him in it; Know ye, that is as much as if he should have said unto them; I would have ye to know this, for all your obstinacy and presumption, that this is a business which God Himself is interested in, and which you shall find to be so at last by experience.

Thirdly, It is a word of Remembrance to those which are forgetful: There are many which do absolutely know such and such things to be so as they are, and are really persuaded of them; but yet they do not always think of them, and reflect so effectually upon them, as from whence to have their practice framed and ordered accordingly. Now therefore this is another thing which David does here for these persons, whosoever they were, to admonish them, and put them in mind of that which they knew, so as to consider it, and to ponder upon it; as that which would be of use unto them: whereby he does signify unto us, what is the duty of everyone besides; namely, to take all things in with them, and to be well advised before they do anything which they undertake, or are ready to do; that so in conclusion they may have so much the more comfort in it, and not repent of it afterwards when they have done it. It is the weakness of some kind of people, that afterwards they inquire; they venture sometimes upon unjustifiable and unwarrantable courses, and then when by the event they find the inconveniences of them, all that they have to say for themselves is this, That they did not know it; yea, but whose fault is that? It is that which they should have done, they should have considered what became them, and was their duty in such and such circumstances. This does David here suggest to these sons of men, Know ye, i. e. Consider ye. And so much for the first general in the Text, viz. The word of Discovery.

The second is the thing itself, which is discovered by it, That the Lord hath set apart, &c Where there are three several & distinct arguments used by David to this people, to take them off from an Opposition of him, and Rebellion against him in his Government: First, His personal Qualification, He was godly. Secondly, His Call to the Place, He was chosen and set apart for it. Thirdly, The derivation of his Authority, together with the improvement; from whom, and for when it was; from the Lord, for the Lord Himself.

First, One argument which David here uses to these people to qualify them, and to keep them in order from all extravagancy, is the qualification of his own Person; A godly man, Chasidh; as it is here in the Text, He stands upon this. Where we will take notice again of two things more: First, Of the manner of Expression. And secondly, Of the Thing itself.

For the manner of the Expression, it is here worth our Observation; that David all this while speaks this of himself, whom he means by this godly man: He hath set apart him that is godly; that is, He hath set apart Me, who now speak and write these things to you: He means and intends himself by it. And there are two things here still considerable: The one is his Faith, for the owning of that work of Grace which was in truth in him, in his implicit Intimation. And the other is his Modesty, in his expression of it in a third Person.

First, I say, here is his Faith, in owning of the work of Grace in himself: This is that which it becomes Christians, as they have occasion for it, to do; where there is true godliness in them indeed, not to disclaim it, or to deny it in themselves; but with all sobriety and thankfulness to acknowledge the work of God upon their hearts, and to give him the glory of it: Thus does David here in this place, Him that is godly, thereby aiming at his own person; and so are any others to do besides. There are three things which are pertinent hereunto: There's the having of Grace, the discerning of Grace, and the acknowledging of it. The first lays ground for the second, and the second for the third; and all must go together. We must have it, that we may discern it; And where we do discern it, we must own it, and acknowledge it in ourselves. It is a great piece of sullenness in any, that they will rather yield to the false suggestions of the evil Spirit questioning Grace in them, then to the testimony of the Holy Spirit of God witnessing it to them, as it is the disposition and practice of many people in the World to do.

Let us therefore remember this, to look upon both sides in us; to see, not only what is evil, but also as well what is good: The one to humble us, and the other to comfort us, and to encourage us, and provoke us in goodness: That having more Grace in us, we may accordingly walk answerable to it, and be so much the more fruitful in it.

Yea, let us learn from hence likewise, not to be ashamed of the profession of godliness, or the Service of Christ, but to stand to it as much as we can, and to rejoice and glory in it: As David here seems to do in this expression before us, The Lord hath set apart him that is godly to himself: This good man was not shy of appearing to be a godly person, as thinking that that might any way stand in his light; But he professes it, and reckons himself in the number of the rest of God's Servants, whatsoever might possibly come on it. There are many which are no further for Religion, then as they conceive it may be profitable and advantageous; where they think there is any shame or reproach mingled with it, they are ready almost to disown the principles of it. But we should learn to do otherwise from this Example here before us, considering that he that's ashamed of Christ and his words, of him will Christ himself be ashamed before his Father and his holy Angels, Mark 8.38. That's one thing here considerable, David 's faith and courage in owning of the work of Grace in himself, and the profession of godliness.

The second is also his modesty, in the manner of expression; In that he gives it in a third person: It is not me that am godly, but him that is godly; though (as I said before) he meant himself by it. This shows in what sort our Graces are to be owned by us, namely, with all the meekness and humility that possibly may, and with freedom from any vanity of spirit which may adhere unto us: This is to be join'd to the other both in our affection and also in our practice, as it was here with this godly man; that we may walk in the middle, betwixt discouragement and ostentation: The more godly any have been, the less forward have they been also to boast or glory in it. Though they have gloried in God himself and their Profession, yet not in any Virtues or Qualifications as considerable in themselves; here they have been a little more restrained, and have suffered rather another then their own mouth to praise them, when at any time they have been in a manner compel'd and forced thereunto; yet they have not done it without some kind of restriction, and concealment, and reservation, whereby they might qualify and mollify such expressions. As Paul, though he spake it of himself, as being caught up into the third Heaven, and partaking of those extraordinary Revelations; yet he does not directly name himself in it, but expresses it rather in a third person: I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, &c. Not myself, but a man in Christ, 2 Cor. 12.2. So here, Him that is godly. So much for that, the manner of expression; that's the first thing considerable.

The second is the thing itself, and that which is here chiefly intended and driven at by David in this Speech, which is this; That upon the consideration of that piety and godliness which was in him, it concerned these persons to take heed how they opposed him; yea rather all they could to close and to comply with him. And this it was an argument to them, howsoever we consider them; whether we look upon them as those who were (some of them) godly themselves; or whether we look upon them as those which had no principles of godliness in them. If we look upon them as those which were goldly, so it was an argument of Perswasion. If we look upon them as those which were otherwise, so it was an argument of Caution.

First, I say, if we look upon them as godly, so it was an argument of persuasion, that therefore they should own a godly man. The more godliness that any have in themselves, the more it becomes them to close with godliness in others, and to embrace them upon that account, as like to like; suitableness of Principles, it calls for correspondency of Affection. And those which profess Christianity, should very easily incline to those which are partakers of the same precious Faith together with themselves: Certainly it is a very great argument to the discharge of that duty and respect which we owe to such and such persons, in what ever Relation to us; when we shall consider that they are such as have the truth of Grace in them. It is that which the Apostle urges upon Servants for obedience to their Masters, 1 Tim. 6.2. That they that have believing Masters, should not despise them, because they are brethren: but rather do them service, because they are faithful, and beloved, partakers of the benefit. Of the benefit, that is, of the benefit of the Gospel, and of the Grace of God in Christ. Those who have such Masters as these are, if they be godly Servants, they should be quickened in their duty to them upon this consideration. And so it will likewise hold in any other relation besides; which is not so to be taken, as if the contrary did discharge them from duty: As if those which had ungodly Masters, or Governors, or Parents, or whatsoever they be, might therefore be disobedient to them: No, that 's not consequent from it. But that those which have godly ones, should be so much the more provoked to observe them; especially if they be such as are godly and religious themselves.

Indeed there are many sometimes who are ready to make use of this argument, which have least interest in it; who, under the pretence of godliness, carry on their own naughty and wicked designs, and thereby endeavor to engage others to themselves: Which serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Rom. 16.18. But this is no reason why therefore those which are really good, and have the principles of Piety in them, should not therefore upon this account be regarded. David 's case in this Text was otherwise, and therefore he prefixes a word of certainty and assurance before it, Know ye that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly; as if he had said, I do not herein go about to delude or deceive ye, the case is thus with me, and let it therefore be an argument to you: An argument of persuasion to you which are godly yourselves; that's the first.

Secondly, An argument of Caution to those which want these Principles in them; That they might take heed how they opposed such an one as he was, a Godly and Religious person. It's very dangerous and hazardous to do so, and carries a great deal of evil and inconvenience with it: For those which oppose the godly, they do oppose God Himself, whose they are, and who has interest in them, as Gamaliel sometime concluded, Acts 5.39. And their Redeemer is mighty: The Lord of Hosts is his Name, Prov. 23.11. and Isaiah 47.4. Which is also intimated in the latter part of this Text, as we shall see when we come unto it; The Lord will hear when I call unto him. And so much of the first argument which David here uses to this people, to take them off from their opposition against him, and to work them to a friendly compliance. And that is the qualification of his Person, a Godly man; Him that is godly.

The second is, the remarkableness of his Call and Designation to the place; The Lord hath set apart, &c. The words in our English Translation express it but by halves; there's somewhat more according to the Original implied in them, then is here expressed, and that is, He hath set me apart wonderfully. The Hebrew word is Hislah, which signifies Mirabiliter Segregavit, from Pele, which signifies Mirabile: And therefore the Septuagint renders it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And St. Jerome and the Vulgar Latin Mirificavit. And indeed there are both Notions in it, which are considerable of us: First, The Designation itself, He hath set me apart. And secondly, The manner of doing it, Wonderfully, in a miraculous manner. We l speak a little to either of them, that we may give the fuller account of the Text.

First, Here's his Designation itself, Everyone that is a godly man, is not presently fit to be a King, or to be a Prophet, to be a Governor and Ruler of others, and to sustain any Public Place of Trust, and Service, and Employment, whether in the Church or State. Therefore if David have no more to say for himself but only that, That he is a godly person, he is short of the mark, and is not likely to prevail anything upon those with whom he has to deal: And so himself does make account of it; for which reason he adds this to it, His Commission and Call to the Work, The Lord hath set me apart. This is that which is requisite in everyone else besides; whosoever undertakes any business, especially of Public Interest, and expects to be accepted in it, he must make good his Designation unto it: That he is no Incroacher nor Usurper, nor Intermedler; but has Ground, and Warrant, and Authority for that which is undertaken by him, as appointed to it by God Himself. Whiles it is said here, That the Lord had set him apart; This expression does contain divers things in it, and it is performed three manner of ways especially: First, In God's eternal Counsel, and Purpose, and Decree concerning him. God had set him apart so. And so is everyone else set apart, who is set apart by him to any Work or Employment: God 's Decree does pass upon us, not only as to our eternal Salvation, but also as to all those Offices and Services which he requires of us in reference to this present life: Hence it is said of Paul, That God had separated him from his mothers womb, that he might Preach Christ amongst the Gentiles, Gal. 1.15. Not that he was then put into that Service as soon as he was born, which he was not in many years after; but that then the Lord did look upon him, as who (in his Purpose and Counsel) was designed and set apart by him for the work of the Ministry. And so Jeremy to the like effect, Jer. 1.5. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations. So John the Baptist also, and divers others.

Secondly, By way of Qualification, God does then set men apart for any Office or Service, as he does enable them for it: And they are herein said to be set apart, as hereby there is a distinction made of them from other persons. All men are not originally qualified for such and such Employments; there must be a particular qualifying of them, which is a segregation of them on God's behalf: He does thus set them apart, as he does give them qualities and abilities for such and such Performances. This is now under the Gospel a more especial fruit and consequent of Christ 's Ascension, as it is signified to us in Ephes. 4.8. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave Gifts unto men. These Gifts so far forth as he does disperse among such and such persons, so far forth does he by them distinguish and set them apart. Thus he sets apart for the Magistracy, by giving the Spirit of Government: And thus he sets apart for the Ministry, by giving the Spirit of Instruction: And thus he sets apart for the Soldiery, by giving the Spirit of Valour, &c. And so for any other Callings which are considerable, either in Church, or State, or Common-wealth; men are then in one respect designed, and set apart unto them, when they are gifted and qualified for them.

But thirdly, That's not all; there is a further setting apart in Providence, and actual disposition of such Persons in such and such places; which is done by God himself, in the use and improvement of men, as Means and Instruments hereunto: Thus David was set apart to the Kingdom by the hands of Samuel, who anointed him King of Israel, 1 Sam. 16.13. And afterwards by all the Tribes of Israel, 2 Sam. 4.3. Who are said to have anointed him also; that is, to have signified their consent, and allowance, and approbation of that anointing, which was performed by the Ministry of the Prophet: And thus Paul was set apart to the Ministry; Who enabled me, counted me faithful, putting me into the Ministry, 1 Tim. 1.1 • . Separated unto the Gospel of God, as he says of himself, Rom. 1.1. To wit, by the Election of the other Disciples, Acts 13.2. Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them; So far forth as the Disciples separated him by the Command and Injunction of God himself; so far forth was he set apart by the Lord, which is also considerable in any other Ministers besides.

Now this setting apart to any Work or Service whatsoever, is that which everyone should look to for themselves, in reference to their acceptance of it. There are many which now and then take upon them the performance of those kind of Works which they are no way appointed unto; and especially in the work of the Ministry, as thinking that it is enough for them to have such and such Principles in them, and that these do authorize them for it: No, but it will not serve the turn, so as hereby to approve themselves to the judgments of any rational persons. David contented not himself in this, to allege his godliness, but instances also in his setting apart, and Designation, and Call to the Employment. And so must we, godliness considered at large, does not give us ability for any performance simply, but gives us faithfulness in the use of that ability which God has otherwise bestowed upon us. It does not make men Merchants, nor Physicians, nor Magistrates, no nor Ministers themselves; but makes them faithful in the execution of these several Offices which God has put them into: To Trade with Conscience, to Relieve with Chearfulness, to Rule with Diligence, to Preach as the Oracles of God; and every way to Minister, as of the ability which God Himself gives, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God, 1 Pet. 4.10, 11. And so much for the Designation of David, considered simply in itself; The Lord, He hath set me apart.

The second is the Modification of it, or manner of performance; He hath done it miraculously, He hath wonderfully set me apart. There's an argument also in that which was very observable; God's Designation of David to this Place of Government, which he did now sustain, was after a strange and eminent manner, as himself sometimes does signify in Scripture, as Psal. 78.70, 71. He chose David his Servant, and took him from the sheep-folds: From following the Ews great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his People, and Israel his Inheritance. He chose David his Servant; there the Lord set him apart: He took him from the sheep-folds, and from following the Ews, &c. there he set him apart miraculously. Both together were a special argument for these people's acceptation of him, and closing and complying with him.

This (for the use of it) is appliable to any others besides; not only in the Magistracy, but in the Ministry; that those whom God hath more apparently designed, and set apart, and appointed to this Work, they be not rejected or refused by us; but that accordingly we give all due regard and attendance to them in that Employment. The Lord (says David) hath set apart him that is godly; He is not only godly, but set apart: Besides the qualification of his Person, there was also his Call to the Place, as proper unto him. And that's the second Argument.

The third is the improvement of his Authority, together with the derivation of it; The Lord, for himself: By which expression we see the usefulness of such Persons as those are whom God Himself is pleased to lay claim to. Magistrates and Ministers, and all such public Persons as those are, they are ex officio in regard of their Place, serviceable to the Lord, and do in a manner that work which is his. As they are from the Lord, for the derivation of their Authority, so they are for the Lord also, for the improvement. For Magistrates (to instance in them as most pertinent to the present Text) ye shall see it made good unto you in Scripture; as Jehoshaphat speaks to the Judges, Ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the Judgment, 2 Chron. 19.6. And speaking of the Magistrate twice in one verse, Rom. 13.4. He is called The Minister of God; not that he is so always for his Person, but that he is so for his Office: His Place is to be the Minister of God for the public good, as is there also signified, and here in the Text, The Lord hath set him apart to Himself.

This is true according to a twofold manner of explication: First, To Himself, in a general Consideration. And secondly, To Himself in a Particular: To Himself, as to do all those things which may any way within his sphere and compass promote the glory of God. And to Himself, that is, more particularly for the advancement of God 's Worship and Service.

First, To himself in a general Consideration; that is, for the glory of God at large in his opportunities for it: The Lord has instituted and ordained Magistrates and Rulers as his Deputies and Vice-gerents, which might be serviceable to his own Majesty in the ordering and governing of the World, and the keeping up of his Sovereignty in it. Not that he does any way need the help of any men in the World, who are all nothing to Him, as being All-sufficient in Himself; but that he is pleased voluntarily to employ them, and to make use of them for such a purpose as this is. He that is altogether Absolute and Independent, yet is pleased to make use of his Creatures as subservient to Himself, and so far forth to honor them, as to accept of Service from them, and to make choice of them in order hereunto.

This has a double engagement upon two sorts of Persons: First, Upon the Persons themselves which are in any such Place as this is, Magistrates and Governors, and the like: To teach them, that as they are appointed and set apart for the Service of God in regard of his Intendment; so, that they would be careful to apply themselves thereto, as for their own Improvement; and bend all their studies, and labors, and endeavors possibly to this business. The more that God is pleased any way to make use of us, the more should we for our parts take care that we may be useful to him; and the more that He for his part does set us apart to himself, the more should we set ourselves apart to him. And as we are Ministers of God by Designation, so to be Ministers of God also by our Employment; considering this, that the Lord has set us apart not for ourselves, but for Himself and his Glory.

Secondly, (which is the scope of the Text) Here is an Use also for those which are Inferiors, and under the Government of others; that they would from hence submit unto them, and do that which by lawful Authority (and in lawful things) is required of them, as considering that herein they are subject to no other then God Himself. As it is an argument to the others to do nothing but what is just and lawful, considering what Person they serve for; So it is an argument also to these to yield Obedience to all regular Commands imposed by them, as considering whom they serve in them. This is the argument which is so much pressed by St. Paul in that famous place of his, Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers: for there is no Power but of God. (And) The Powers that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God, &c. And again, verse 4. For he is the Minister of God to thee for good, &c. And verse 5. Ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake. For conscience, namely, to God, whose Commandment is obeyed in it. That of the first Explication, God sets apart Magistrates to Himself: That is, in the general, (in whatsoever improvement) for his own Honor and Glory.

But secondly, We may also take it Restrictively (which will be a very seasonable Observation for these present times) to himself; that is, for his own Worship and Service, and the advancement of Piety and Religion. God has set apart him that is godly to Himself, for the promoting of Godliness, and the setting up of Christianity in the World. According to which Explication, there are two points which will follow herefrom: First, That matters of Religion are the Magistrate 's Interest, such things as which he is concerned in. Secondly, That matters of Religion are the Magistrate 's Duty, such things as which he is engaged in. They are such as in which he may meddle without pragmaticalness; and they are such as in which he ought to meddle, and cannot avoid, with the discharge of his Office: Each of these Points are here included.

There are each of these Points in it, but the latter includes the former, which therefore we will keep ourselves to. If Magistrates be engaged in Religion, as a part of their Duty; they are then also concerned in Religion as a part of their Interest; and it is no pragmaticalness in them, or intermeddling, to take care of that, which it were sinfulness for them to neglect, and not to take care of. Now this is that which is here considerable of us, because it is that whereunto they are ordained, and set apart: They are keepers of both Tables of the Law, as God has appointed them. Indeed as to the Ministerial performances, preaching, and administration of the Sacraments, and such matters as these, these do not belong to the Magistrate in his own person: It pertaineth not to thee, says Azariah the Priest, to King Uzziah, when he took upon him to burn incense, 2 Chron. 26.18. But though the performances themselves do not, yet the care that others do perform them, this does appertain unto them. Magistrates are to see that the Word of God be soundly preached, and the Sacraments rightly administered in those places which are under their Government. And the Lord has set them up and set them apart, that so it should be with them: Not only to look after the State, and to provide for the welfare of that; but also to look after the Church, and to provide for the good of that likewise, as upon which the other does much depend. Hence do we find in the story of the Kings, how accordingly as they have either been diligent, or failed in this particular, so they have been also either praised or discommended by God Himself. But this point is not that which is so mainly intended here in this Text, and therefore I will not now at this time so much insist upon it. That's the third Argument used here by David, for his acceptance and entertainment; not only that he was godly and set apart, but set apart for God. And so much of the second general in the Text, which is the thing itself discovered; The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself.

The third and last is the Inference from it; The Lord will hear when I call unto him, which has a force with it dependent from all that went before. Because I am one that is godly, chosen by God, and for his Service, therefore he will hear me in those Complaints which I put up unto him, against those that oppose me. Here's David 's good persuasion which he had of God, as to the hearing of his Prayers; which makes also as an argument to the people for their hearing of him, inclining to him, and complying with him: And so accordingly we may take it either in its simple proposition or scope.

First, For the simple Proposition of it; The Lord will hear (me) when I call unto him. In the first verse of this Psalm, there David had prayed that he would then hear him; here in this he affirms as much of him: This is the confidence which we have of him, says St. John, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know he heareth us, we know we have also the things which we have desired of him.

But how did David come to know this? Or how may any other know it with him? By divers considerations.

First, By the Promise of God; I know that when I call, God will hear me, because he has promised me to hear me in such a case as this is. And there are many Promises which are made to that purpose, which we meet withal everywhere almost in Scripture, of God's readiness to hear the prayers of his people: And where God has at any time made a promise, we may there safely expect the accomplishment and performance of it.

Secondly, From Trial and Experience; He has heard me formerly, and in the like cases; therefore he will hear me also still, he will not be worse then himself, no more then he will be worse then his word; what he has done, that he is ready to do again also at another time.

Thirdly, From Reason and Discourse, I know he will hear me; because, first, of the justness of my cause, He is a righteous God, and therefore loveth righteousness: He is impartial, whose Eyes cannot be blinded, nor his Ears stopped. Men, they may be deaf, because corrupted: But not so with God. Secondly, For the holiness of my Person, as accepted by him in Christ: Him that is godly, he will hear him; We know that God heareth not sinners (said the blind man, John 9.31.) but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth: I am careful to hear him, and therefore will he also hear me. Thirdly, His own interest in the business; He hath set me apart, and that in a wonderful manner, and that also for Himself; He is much concerned and engaged in it: My Cause and Condition is His own; and therefore I know, when I call to him, he will hear me: These, and the like, were grounds of his confidence.

Now accordingly may we also take courage to ourselves upon the like occasions, and be persuaded of the like goodness of God to us, when we stand in need of anything from him; that the Lord will either grant the thing itself, which we beg and desire of him, or else somewhat else which is equivalent to it, and as good as that for us. He will not be wanting to those which are his in anything, which may be expedient for them; but will be a God near unto them in all things that they shall call unto him for, as it is, Deut. 4.7. And thus much for the thing itself in the simple Proposition.

Now secondly, For the scope and drift of these words; that is, to persuade these people to obedience and compliance with him: This he does from this Argument and Motive, because God will be sure to hear him. And there's two things again in this: First, He will hear me, to relieve me. And secondly, He will hear me, to avenge me. He will hear me, to relieve me; therefore do not you oppose me for fear ye be frustrated and disappointed: It is not good for you to loose your labor, and to take pains to so little purpose: Then he will hear me to avenge me; therefore do not you oppose me neither, for fear you be punished and broken in pieces. It is not good for you to incur the displeasure of that God that takes the part of his Servants, and of those whom he is pleased to employ in any work for Himself. And this agrees well with that which follows in the next verse, which (God willing) in its place we shall come to. Stand in awe, and sin not; where he scares them from miscarriages, in consideration of the danger of them. And thus much of the words of the Text, as they relate to David himself, considered in Person.

Now further, we may, if we please, over and above (as we did a little in the verse before) look upon them in reference to Christ, prefigur'd and represented by David: Here's all this true of him, both as concerning God 's setting of him apart, as to matter of designation: As also for his hearing of him, as to matter of acceptance in prayer, and in the cries which he put up unto him: It holds good of each.

First, As to the matter of designation; we may truly say here, That the Lord hath set apart him that is godly to Himself: He is godly, and set apart; and set apart by God Himself, to Himself. First, He is Godly, or Holy, or Kind, as the word also signifies: This is most true of Christ of any other besides, and so the Scripture exhibits him to us, Heb. 7.26. He is called Holy, Harmless, and Undefiled: Heb. 2.17. A merciful and faithful High Priest: Heb. 4.15. In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Secondly, He is set apart in the place now mentioned, Heb. 7.26. Separate from Sinners. So he is also said to be sanctified, which comes to the same effect: And consecrated, Heb. 7. ult. The same which is consecrated for evermore. He is the Lamb without blemish, which is chosen out for the pacification and expiation of the sins of the people. And this again by God Himself to Himself; It is the Lord that hath set him apart: Heb. 5.5. Christ glorified not himself, but He that said unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. As also he saith in another place, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And verse 10. Called of God an High Priest, &c.

The use of this Point to ourselves, is that which David makes it in this Text to these people in regard of himself; to wit, the receiving and entertaining of him: Here's that now which may persuade us to yield to the Scepter of Christ, and to suffer him to reign over us; not to rebel against him, or to oppose his Government of us, upon all these considerations: Because he is godly; and he is set apart, and that by the Lord. Yea, and he is kind too; He is godly, and so we cannot have a better to Rule and Govern us in regard of his Person; Why then should we choose rather to yield to Satan, that wicked one, and Tyrant, and suffer him to have Dominion over us, neglecting the godly and gentle. Again, He is set apart; He is no Usurper, no Incroacher upon us: He has Commission for that he undertakes, a good Title and Claim to this Crown: He is set apart and designed unto it; yea, and that by One too who has Right and Authority to do it: He is chosen and approved of God Himself, as it is in Acts 2.22. All these are arguments to work with us, and to persuade us to this yielding to him, and entertainment of him; As being One who has the Preeminence of Designation to this threefold Office which he sustains for us, of King, Priest, and Prophet.

Secondly, (which we must also take in with it, in the close of the verse.) He has the advantage also of Audience and Acceptance with God Himself, who has thus designed him, and set him apart. This it follows from the other, The Lord will hear when I call unto him. This we have also signified of him in that eminent Scripture, Heb. 5.7. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers, &c. was heard, in that, &c. And Himself bears witness of as much to us, John 11.41, 42. Father, I thank thee, that thou hast heard me: and I know that thou hearest me always. This was the privilege which Christ had with God, to be always heard of him. What a comfort is this (for the use of it) to those which are Christ's, &c. But so much for this verse.

SERMON IV.

IN this present verse before us we have two general Parts considerable of us: First, The Psalmist's direction, as to the ordering and regulating of our affections, Stand in awe and sin not. Secondly, The same Persons direction, as to the ordering and disposing of our Meditations; Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

We begin with the first, viz. His direction for our affections; Stand in awe and sin not, i. e. Stand in awe, that ye may not sin. The Point which from hence arises is (briefly) this, That awfulness is a good remedy against sinning: The keeping of ourselves in a due frame of fear and trembling, is an happy means to us for the prevention of any miscarriage in us: Prov. 28.14. Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief: Philip. 2.12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And 1 Pet. 1.17. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. And Heb. 12.28. With reverence and godly fear. There's a double fear or awfulness which Christians are to maintain in themselves, as a means to keep them from sinning: The one is, The fear of God Himself, who is the Lord and Creator. And the other is, The fear also of the Creature.

First, For God Himself; We must fear Him in order hereunto: My son be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. 23.17. And Acts 9.31. Walking in the fear of the Lord. And 2 Cor. 7.1. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This, it is a special help for the restraining of sin; It was so, as we may observe in Joseph, when he was tempted by his Mistress to Uncleanness; How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39.9. The fear of God restrained him, and kept him in, from that great miscarriage. And he persuades his Brethren afterwards that he would do nothing to them which was unfit or unequal, because he feared God, Gen. 45.18. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: It is the conclusion both of David the Father first, Psal. 111.10. And afterwards of Solomon the son, Prov. 1.7. on the other side. The want of this fear is made the ground of all sin and wickedness, as Rom. 3.18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. This was the ground of all the other mischief, which we find there to be mentioned. And Abraham he was afraid they would kill him, because of his wife; because he thought surely, The fear of God is not in this place, Gen. 20.11.

For the opening of this further to us, there's a manifold consideration of God, as the Object of fear, in which respect we may be kept from sin: First, In his Omniscience and Omnipresence; Stand in awe of this, and sin not. The more that any are indeed persuaded, that God beholds them, and takes notice of them in all that they do, the more are they held from transgressing against him; and whiles they do not so, they are more free in the contrary, as they in the Psal. 94.7. Tush, the Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob regard it, &c. And they in the Prophet, Ezek. 8.12. The Lord hath forsaken the Earth: the Lord seeth us not. This made them to commit those abominations there spoken of in them; whereas on the other side, David was much awe'd and kept in from this, Psal. 139.7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whether shall I flee from thy presence? &c. And Psal. 16.8. I have set the Lord always before me, &c. therefore I shall not be moved. And so Job 31.4. Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? This made him to have a care of himself how he walked. Thus, if men would be careful to do, to make God Himself present to them in their thoughts, as he is indeed in the thing itself, it would wonderfully awe them, and restrain them, and keep them in from a great deal of wickedness, whereto they are exposed.

The second is, God's Holiness and Justice; This must be taken into the other: If men look upon God as present, but withal as one as had as themselves, of the same mind with them, that does allow and approve of their evil courses, this will nothing restrain them in them; but when they shall consider that he is a God of pure eyes, that cannot behold iniquity, as it is, Heb. 1.13. That cannot but behold it, in regard of Observation; and yet that cannot at all behold it, in regard of Approbation, (as indeed he cannot) this will somewhat more work upon them. A great cause of licentiousness is want of attention to God 's Justice; when men think him not to be such an hater of Sin as indeed he is, but that he is more tender and favorable to it; as the Lord Himself intimates as much unto us, Psal. 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I held my peace: and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, (or convince thee of the contrary) and will set thy sins in order before thine eyes.

Thirdly, The Goodness and Mercy of God; There's a great matter in that, at least to an ingenuous spirit; and when we speak of a fear of Reverence and Respect, as Psal. 130.4. There is mercy with thee, that thou mayst be feared. And Hos. 3.5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days. There's a great matter in God's goodness to work fear in the heart of a good Christian, and such a fear as may withhold him from sin. The more love and affection that men bear to any ones person, and courtesy which they have received from him, the more tender are they of offending him. Why thus now is it with a good Christian towards God; The love of Christ constrains him to duty, and the fear of Christ restrains him from sin; as thinking it a shame for him there to offend, where he has been partaker of so much mercy and loving-kindness. And thus we have seen how the Point holds in regard of God; Stand in awe, and sin not, i. e. Keep yourselves in an holy fear of the Lord.

We may carry it likewise further to the Creatures, in regard of which it does hold good likewise for such a fear to be maintained in us, as may awe us, and withhold us from sin: As first of all, Of the holy Angels, there's an awe to be had of them, as to restrain us in this particular: As the Apostle Paul (in 1 Cor. 11.10.) requires of women to be modestly attired in their public Assemblies, because of the Angels; that is, those blessed and glorious Spirits, which are especially present in such Dispensations as those are; that they do nothing which may be offensive to them: For though we have not converse with them, yet we are present before them; and because we are so, we should therefore look to ourselves. There are three Considerations in the blessed Angels, which should much awe us, and prohibit us from sinning, whiles we are before them.

First, The holiness and purity of their Persons; Do not sin before them, as that which is most contrary to their Nature: Sin, it is very odious and abominable; not only as it is against God Himself, whose Law is transgressed by it, (though that chiefly) but also as any other which are good are offended by it; and amongst the rest the Angels themselves, who are offended with nothing more, then with that dishonor which is cast upon their Lord and ours both by sin and miscarriage.

Secondly, Their custody of us, as our Protectors and Guardians; for so they are: He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, &c. Psal. 91.11. Now we should be afraid of grieving those, whom we do receive so much benefit from: It is a piece of very great ingratitude and unthankfulness to them, whereof we should be ashamed in ourselves.

Thirdly, Their Power and Readiness for execution of God's Wrath upon Offenders, Matth. 18.10. There Angels always behold, as being ready to be commanded by him to such a purpose. And Psal. 103.20. Bless the Lord, ye his Angels, that excel in strength, that do his Commandments: hearkening to the voice of his Word, &c. Thus should we stand in awe; first of Angels.

Then secondly, also of Men; Good men, that we do not grieve them, Evil men, that we do not rejoice them, and give occasions to them of evil against us; and Great men, or those which are in any place of Superiority over us in any Relation: Magistrates, Rom. 13.4. If thou doest that which is evil, be afraid: for he beareth not the Sword in vain. And Ministers, it is said of Herod, That he feared John the Baptist, knowing that he was a just man, and holy, and observed him: Feared him, namely, with a fear of reverence, and awfulness, and regard unto him. So Parents, and Masters, and Governors; there's the like fear which is due unto them; If I be a Master, where's my fear? Those which are in place of Subjection, they should be obedient with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ, Eph. 6.5.

Yea further, (which we may here take in likewise) a man should here also stand in awe of himself, and his own Conscience. Do nothing which may be unworthy of that. Above all, reverence thyself. It will be so with us, if we be that which we should be; and we are never so as we should be, till it be thus with us.

Lastly, For all other Creatures besides; Stand in awe of them too: Do not dare to sin against God, least they be avenged upon thee for it, as they are all forward to be; That thou mayst be at league with the stones of the Earth, and the beasts of the field may be at peace with thee, as Eliphaz there speaks in Job 5.22, 23. Thus we have seen how far this awfulness is to reach and extend itself, in regard of the persons and the things we stand in awe of.

Now further, it is considerable of us also in regard of the conditions and things themselves, which we are to maintain this awe and fear about. The whole life of a Christian is to be full of an holy fear, which is to be exercised in it, in respect of the manifold snares and temptations whereunto it is exposed. But there are some parts and moments of it which do call for this fear more especially to be had in him above any other.

First, In the Judgments of God, either threatened or inflicted; Stand in awe, and sin not here: Shall the Lyon roar, and the beasts of the Forest not tremble? shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? And so, shall God's Judgments be abroad in the World, and shall we not here be affected with them? It is an ill thing in us, not to keep from sin out of respect, if it be but to the Commandment, when we do not avoid it for the thing itself: But when punishment and wrath does not restrain us, it's here so much the worse: That when God's hand is lifted up, we will not see; nor whiles his Judgments are in the Earth, learn righteousness: This is very much. As he charges it upon his people in Amos, that though he had smitten them so and so, as he there mentions, yet for all that they had not returned unto him; this was a great aggravation of their wickedness. Surely, if ever it concerns us to stand in awe, and to take heed of sinning, it does then more especially, when God shakes his Rod over us, and when his Judgments hang over our heads; which not to do, is great senslessnesse in us. This was the temper of David himself, My flesh trembleth because of thee: and I am afraid of thy Judgments, Psal. 119.120. That which he found here in himself, the same does he upon the like occasion commend also to others.

Secondly, As in case of Judgments, so also in times of Temptation and Corruption generally spreading in the World; when sin does much abound abroad in others, it's wisdom and prudence in everyone to be here jealous of himself, lest he should be lead away with the Error of the wicked also, as St. Peter speaks. David, when the Lord had smitten Uzzah for his irreverent handling of the Ark; he had from hence an awe struck into himself, How shall the Ark of God come to me? 2 Sam. 6.9. It is said, He was afraid of the Lord that day, as being jealous of his own weakness and infirmity, lest he might likewise fall into some such error as that was, which was there committed: In like manner does it become everyone else to be, upon the like occasions; as the Apostle Paul, when he had made mention of the Unbelief and Infidelity of the Jews, he gives this caution to the Gentiles; Be not high-minded, but fear, Rom. 11.20. And again, when he had spoken of God's Judgments upon them, for the many sins which had been committed by them, he further adds, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall, 1 Cor. 10.12. The falls and slips of others, they should breed fear and caution in us; as those who without the special Grace of God might be guilty of the like miscarriage.

Thirdly, In prosperous Estates, and Conditions of special Inlargement, whether Temporal or Spiritual; here stand in awe, and sin not. Those which have most of the World, and of these Comforts here below, they had need to be so much the more jealous of their own hearts; in their Mirth, and Recreations, and Pleasures, and worldly Injoyments. Those, who are wise Christians, see they have cause to be never more wary, and cautelous, and circumspect, and watchful over themselves, then they have to be in such Cases and Times as these; because that then they are in greatest danger from their own Corruption, and Satan joining with it: Strike him when he is merry, says Absalom of Amnon. Deut. 8.10, 11. When thou hast eaten, and art full: Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Commandments, &c. What ever outward Mercy and Comfort which God does at any time cast upon us; whether Health, or Wealth, or Honor, or what ever it be; it will concern us still to partake of it, with a restrained spirit, and an heart still afraid of sin in the enjoyment of it.

And so, as in Temporal Inlargements, so in Spiritual; there's good use of this remembrance here also, Stand in awe, and sin not: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him with trembling, Psal. 2.10. Take heed of surfeiting of the Comforts of God, and of growing secure by them, because that Satan still stands at our hand to mischief us; in such cases as those are, we are never more in danger of Him, then after some special good duty performed by us, or Consolation vouchsafed unto us; which should make us in all such Cases and Conditions fearful and awful. Thus we have seen this Point opened unto us, how and when it is to be practice'd by us, whom our fear should be carried to; and in what Cases and Conditions it should be also exercised and drawn out in us.

Now the Application of this Point to ourselves comes to this; namely, to stir us up, and to provoke us to put this in practice: To keep ourselves from sin, be careful to keep ourselves in fear; which is a good help and remedy against it. The want of this is the cause of so much wickedness and mischief in the World; Men have not the fear of God in them; nor of men neither, but cast off all kind of thoughts which might any way breed or nourish, and preserve such affections in them. For us, it concerns us to be awakened by this Admonition, and Counsel, and Direction of the Prophet David here in this place; considering this with ourselves, that we are never secure from Sin, and the temptations and allurements of it, till we are once come to this. Till we come once to fear sin, we shall be ever and anon in danger of falling into it; therefore especially look to that: This fear, it is the awe-band of the soul, which keeps it right, and free from miscarriage.

For this purpose, let us observe these Directions: First, Be in a continual remembrance of the bitterness which is in sin, and the evils which come by it. The burnt Child (we use to say) dreads the fire; and why so? because he remembers the smart which he suffered by it. Even so is it also, or at least should be so (as I may so express it) with the burnt Conscience: That Soul which has felt the scalding wrath of God's Anger in itself for sin, will have little heart to meddle with it again, if it do but reflect upon that sad condition in which sometimes it was; which therefore all such persons should do in temptation to it, that so thereby they may refrain from it; that they may tremble and sin no more, let them consider what sin has cost them, call to mind the broken bones, and the anguish and horror of mind which it hath bred unto them; and this will be a means to restrain them, if anything in the world will do it: There's nothing so effectual as this to keep them in awe. As the Child, when he thinks upon the Rod, it then makes him to take heed to himself.

Secondly, Look upon God's dealing with others; that's a means to keep them in awe too, when they shall observe the sad effects of sin in their Neighbors or Brethren, and in the examples which they have set before them; as St. Paul in the place before cited does with the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10.11. All these things happened to them for Ensamples.

Thirdly, Have the Word of God both in his Commands, and also in his Threatenings, still present with us: I have hid thy Word in my heart, (says David) that I might not sin against thee, Psal. 119.11. How did God's Word restrain him from sin? namely, by keeping him in awe; as acquainting him with God's will and good pleasure concerning sin, as that he would have it to be avoided, and punished for the commission of it. These, and the like directions are observable in order and reference hereunto, that we may be in awe, and sin not.

Stand in awe, and sin not.] Observe here further thus much by the way, That all restraint of sin, it must have a ground and foundation in the mind and spirit of the Sinner: Till some work be first wrought upon that, there's no good here to be done. This is still the Doctrine of the Scripture, Rent your heart, and not your garment, and turn unto the Lord your God, Joel 2.13. And so James 4.8. Cleanse your hands ye Sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded. And so here now, Stand in awe, and tremble: It is an inward work, this which the Prophet David requires of them.

And the reason of it is this, because that there indeed sin begins, and takes its rise; Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, even from within, &c. Mark 7.21. Now as sin begins there, so mortification must begin there also. As from hence we come to fall into sin, because our hearts are more loose and extravagant; so we must restrain it by binding them up.

This then serves to direct us how to do in such cases as these are; and meets with the contrary conceits. There are many which think to keep themselves from such and such sins; only by making such and such vows against them, or by laying some outward curbs and restraints upon themselves: This may be well with somewhat else; but alas, it is not enough of itself, nor will never do the deed. Till a man's heart be once changed, his course will not be changed at all; or if it be, it will not be to any purpose, so as to hold: No, there must be somewhat done within; there must be a work of God wrought upon the spirit, or else all will be in vain; Stand in awe, and sin not.

This is the true account of it, why many fall back again (after some respite) to their former old courses; like the Dog to the vomit, and like the Sow to the mire, because their hearts were never thoroughly wrought upon to an hatred of the sin itself, which they have abstained from; only had some temporary, and occasional restraints upon them.

This is not so to be taken, as if that outward restraints also were not good, which are also requisite to be used; which therefore those who are in Place and Authority over others are to improve to keep them in awe; Parents and Governors, and the like, and to assert their authority to them. But these things must not be rested in alone; there must be a desire likewise that God would alter and change their hearts; without which, outward Discipline will be in vain, and to no purpose. And so now I have done with the first general part of the Text, which is the Psalmist's direction for our affections, as to the ordering and regulating of them, for the avoiding of sin; Stand in awe, and sin not.

The second is for the ordering of our Meditations, in these words, Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still; which words may again be considered of us two manner of ways: Either first of all simply and directly, as they lie in themselves; or else secondly, reflexively and respectively, in their scope and connection.

First, To take them as they are here absolutely propounded; And here we have these three particulars: First, The Duty required, and that is communing with our own hearts. Secondly, The Place for the performance of it, and that is upon our beds. Thirdly, The Issue and Consequent of it, or the Duty which is required with it, and be still.

For the first, The duty here required; It is communing with our own hearts: This is a thing necessary to be performed by every Christian, even to talk and discourse with himself, and to hold conference in his own self. It is that which may do sometimes in an ill sense, as to the thoughts of vanity, and sin, and mischief: It is required of us here in a good sense, and in reference to Godliness and Religion: A Christian must to this purpose maintain his self-communion.

This is done, and ought to be done by us in sundry particular ways: First, By way of Inquiry and Examination; we must commune with our hearts, i. e. we must search into our hearts, and consider how the case stands with them. It is the advantage of a man above other Creatures, that he has the power of returning into himself, and upon what he does, which the Beasts cannot do. Now this is that which is to be done especially by a Christian; I communed with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search, says David, Psal. 77.6. This is that which we should everyone of us do, Ask and demand of ourselves, whether we do or no that which we should not do; or whether we omit not that which we should do; cite ourselves as it were to ourselves, and consider how it is with us: And that for this purpose, that so we may order ourselves so much the better; Let a man examine himself, 1 Cor. 11.28. As we must do so upon such solemn occasions, so very frequently at other times besides: It is an ill thing for any man to be a stranger (as it were) at home in his own breast, which he will be, without this self-inquiry. It is that which (as I have sometime shewn you out of another Scripture) has a great stroke in the work of Repentance and Humiliation, to ask what have we done, and to ask ourselves also; and the neglect of it is there censured by the Prophet as a very great omission, Jer. 8.7. No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? That is, in the words of this present Text, No man communed with his own heart, which he is required in special manner to do to this purpose; namely, by way of self-searching, and inquiry, and self-examination; How the case at any time stands with us: That's the first.

Secondly, Sometimes by way of Expostulation and Censure: We must commune with our hearts now and then, so as to check ourselves for that which is amiss in us. This is called a judging of ourselves, 1 Cor. 11.31. Reason out the case in our own minds, as David sometime does, Psal. 42.5. Why art thou cast down O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? He chides himself for that distrustfulness which was in him, and inordinate perplexity of spirit. So should we do likewise upon anything which is amiss in us; take up ourselves soundly for it, and rebuke ourselves in an impartial manner; as we would think fitting to do with any other that had offended us, and that belonged unto us: So let us in this case do with ourselves.

Thirdly, By way of settlement and confirmation: There's a talking to ourselves also thus, by setting home such and such Duties to be done by us, or Truths which are to be believed by strong and convincing Reasons and Arguments. We are to present such and such things to our minds, and fasten them and imprint them upon them, all that we can: Thus as we are to speak to others, so likewise to ourselves.

This is a work of some difficulty, but yet withal it's a work of much profit, there's a great deal of benefit which comes by it in a spiritual way: For first, By this means we shall better know our own hearts, and the frame and temper of them. How do we come to know what's in another? it is by communing and conversing with them; we do thereby discern their Natures and Dispositions what they are; (Loquere, ut te videam:) Even so hereby do we also know ourselves. Now therefore one would be frequent in it, if it were but for this; that a man by this means might know himself, and his own disposition; which one would not willingly be ignorant of, nor cannot be, without great disparagement.

Secondly, We shall be better able to deal with others to their Comfort and Edification; Meditation it fits for Conference: Those which are much in the one, will be more expedite in the other. As Physicians which study their own bodies, they know from hence so much the better to apply themselves to the recovery of their Patients. So Christians which study their own hearts, they are from hence so much the abler to apply themselves to the counseling of their Brethren. They will be from hence able to speak more experimentally about the nature of Sin, about the corruption of Nature, about the work of Grace, about the comforts of the Spirit, and such Points as these are: Their own experience will help them in this particular.

Thirdly, We shall hereby prevent a great trouble and vexation to ourselves at another time: The more we search, and examine, and judge, and discourse with our own hearts, the less advantage will Satan have against us when time serves; Our Consciences will from hence be more silent and quiet in the hour of Affliction, and Trial, and Death, and Judgment. What's the reason that many have their Consciences flying in their faces then? why it is because they never took time to call them to a reckoning before; whereas if that had been done heretofore, there would have been the less to do now. For this is a certain truth, which must be laid for a ground; That there must be an Examination of us some where, either here in this life, or hereafter in the life to come; every Heart and Soul must be ransacked sooner or later. Now therefore to prevent the doing of it hereafter, to our greater molestation, it is wisdom for us to do it ourselves now. And this for the Duty itself here required, which is Solilo quie, or self-conference, and discourse; Commune with your own hearts.

The second particular is, the place for the performance of it; And that is expressed here to be the bed, Upon your beds: The bed as it speaks the place, so it speaks the time with it, which is to be taken into it; for it is the bed of repose which David often in the Psalms makes mention of, for the opportunity of meditation; forasmuch as then there is an intermission and cessation of the troubles of the day, and those distractions which at other times we are subject unto. Our thoughts here should be much employ'd in spiritual things: And there are three special moments of this time; The one is at our down-lying, when we first compose ourselves to rest; The other is at our night-wakings; And the other is at our uprising. All of these seasons are made mention of in the Scripture, and especially the Psalms, for this purpose.

First, At our down-lying, when we first compose ourselves to rest, or thereabout, though not just it may be at that time; that is, on the evening and close of the day; we should commune with our hearts especially then by calling ourselves to an account. It was a practice which some of the very Heathen Philosophers were wont to do, and advise others to do, with a great deal of success; Utor hac potestate, & quotidie apud me causam dico, says Seneca, (de ira, lib. 3. c. 36.) I use (says he) this authority, and daily plead my cause with myself; I examine with myself the whole day past, and review all that I have said or done; I hide nothing from mine own scrutiny: I pass by nothing, for why should I fear anything by reason of my Errors? when as I can say, See that thou dost it no more, and for this time I will pardon thee. And the same counsel he likewise gives to his friend Lucitius, Quantum potes teipsum Cargur; Convince thyself as much as thou canst, search into thyself. And he records it of one Sextius, that used always at the end of the day, when he retired himself to rest, to examine his mind; Quod hodie malum tuum sanasti? Cui vitio obstitisti? Qua parte meliores? What Evil of thine this day hast thou cured? What Vice hast thou withstood? In what respect art thou anything better? And it is a noted, saying that of Tullius, (De Senectuto) Quid quoque die, dixeris, audiveris, feceris, vespere commemorandum est. Thus far went the Heathens themselves, and how then does it concern Christians especially?

Secondly, In the night itself; Upon the bed, then also; the Scripture is much for this likewise: At our waking, Psal. 139.18. When I awake, I am still with thee.

Thus the Church, Isaiah 26.9. With my Soul have I desired thee in the night, &c.

And the Spouse, Cant. 3.1. By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth.

And David, Psal. 119.55. I have remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy Law.

This is to be done by us especially upon this account: First, Because this part of Time, as well as any other is God's, and does belong to Him, Psal. 74.16. The Day is thine, and the Night also is thine.

Secondly, It is most accommodate for the performance; from the stillness, and quietness, and solemnness of it: Therefore fit for repair to God, especially upon any solemn and extraordinary occasion. As,

Either, 1. For Complaint, in any great Misery, Lam. 2.18, 19. Arise, cry out in the Night, in the beginning of the Watches.

Or, 2. For solemn Prayer, as our Savior Himself, when he was to send abroad his Disciples, He spent the night in prayer before it, Luke 6.12, 13.

And in His bitter Agony made choice of the night, as the fittest time for those prayers which he made to his Father for himself and his Church, Luke 22.44.

Or, 3. For some special Thanksgiving, Psal. 119.62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks, &c. And so, Psal. 92.2. To show forth God 's loving-kindness in the Morning, and his faithfulness in the night, &c.

Or, 4. Some special Meditation on the Law of God, Psal. 1.2. On the Attributes of God, God's Mercy and Goodness, Psal. 63.6. On our own Sins, or the Promises, &c.

Thirdly, In the Morning, and at our up-rising; Commune with ourselves now about God's Goodness to us in our nights-preservation.

2. The Works which are to be done by us the day following.

3. The dangers which we are in, Sins, and Lusts, and Temptations to be resisted by us. And thus much also of the second particular, which is the place of performance; The bed.

The third is, The Duty annexed, or the consequent of it; And be still. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by Aquila; but the Septuagint 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And the Vulgar Latin Compuagimim.

I conceive it refers to David 's purpose; Be still, that is, forbear your plottings and commotions against myself: And so it will bring in the handling of these words in their respective Consideration and Connection; which affords this Observation:

That self-conference is a good remedy against all miscarriage and exorbitancy.

The more men advise with themselves, the less will they sin: As, stand in awe, and sin not: So commune with yourselves, and sin not.

This will appear to be so, because sin does usually proceed from incogitancy; Men do not consider all circumstances with it, therefore the Remedy must answer the Disease: Consideration must restrain that which incogitancy produced.

Let this then teach us more to abound in this particular, in reference hereunto, Take heed to ourselves, and consider what we do, and examine our hearts, &c.

Again further, Take in one note more from these words of David in this place; they may be also taken by way of appeal to themselves and their own Consciences. He was so well persuaded of the justice of his Cause, as that he durst, when they were in their sober wits, refer the business in a manner to themselves to be judged by them. This is the advantage which Innocency and a good Cause always has, that as it can appeal to God Himself, who is the God of its Righteousness, as before; so also even to the Consciences of its Enemies and Opposites, who so far forth as the relics of common equity, and modesty, and civility are not extinct in them, are ready to close with it. Thus does David here, He appeals from them in their rage, and fury, and lust, to the same persons in their more retired thoughts and meditations, and reflections upon themselves.

There's one word here more in the Text, which (because we have said nothing of it formerly) we will speak a little here. Selah. It is that which we often meet withal in the Psalms; What should be the meaning of it?

There are divers senses about it; some referring it to the meeter, as a Musical distinction; others referring it to the matter, as a provocation to special attention: We may take it either way, but (if ye please) rather the latter, hereby to quicken our attention to that which is said. Intimating this in it, that those Speeches which are of special consequence and concernment, they do require the more heed from us, to be given by us. This we should do in our reading of Books and in our hearing of Sermons, &c.

But I will not prosecute these things now; so much also for the fourth verse of this Psalm.

SERMON V.

IN the Text we have two general Parts considerable of us; namely, two several Precepts and Directions which are here given by David to those which were about him, and in them to all of us: The first Precept that we have in the first words, Offer the sacrifices of Righteousness. The second we have in the latter, And put your trust, &c.

We begin in order with the first, Offer, &c. For the better opening of this present passage to you, it will be worth our inquiry what we are to understand by this Expression, The Sacrifices of Righteousness, Zivke tsedhek. Now these may be taken two manner of ways; Either first of all, by way of specification, for the matter and kind of the Sacrifices. Or secondly, By way of modification, for the manner and carriage of them; According to the first sense, So the sacrifices of Righteousness are as much as righteous Sacrifices. According to the second, So they are Sacrifices righteously offered.

First, To take them in their first sense, viz. By way of specification, The Sacrifices of Righteousness, i. e. Righteous Sacrifices. These, they are of several kinds, as they are mentioned and propounded in Scripture: First, If ye take them literally, so the Sacrifices of Righteousness are those Sacrifices and Oblations under the Law, which were then in use amongst the people of God, and were in duty to be performed by them. It was righteousness in them, and such as was required of them under those legal Dispensations, to offer up such Sacrifices as these, as types of the Sacrifice of Christ, who was to come. But these being now by the coming of Christ abolished, there is no use of them to us, neither will they so well agree with our condition. Besides, they were not those neither which the Prophet David did chiefly intend here in this place, in the counsel which he gives to this people, whom he desired to carry a little further then those Jewish Sacrifices, to some other Sacrifices which were to be offered both by them and us; and these now come to be considered of by us, what they are; which we may reduce to these following Particulars more especially.

First, The Sacrifice of Contrition and Humiliation; That's one Sacrifice of Righteousness which is to be offered by us: It is that which we find called so expressly by the Spirit of God Himself, and David in another place, Psal. 51.17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. So Isaiah 57.15. With him will I dwell, who is of a contrite and humble spirit: to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart, &c. So Isaiah 66.2, 3. To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my Word. He that kills an Ox, is as if he slew a man: he that sacrificeth a Lamb, &c. That is, who does thus in the want of such a spirit? That which God requires of us now especially under the Times of the Gospel, it is not the sacrificing of Beasts, but the sacrificing of Lusts; The sacrificing of our own carnal, and vile, and beastly affections, the killing of them in God's presence, and offering them up in sacrifice to him: Our malice, and envy, and pride, and worldliness, and such corrupt dispositions as these; when we once rid these out of the way, we then offer the sacrifices of Righteousness, and such as the Lord does accept, and is well satisfied and pleased withal, above any other Sacrifices besides. This is that which the Scripture calls for in sundry places, as Col. 3.5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: Fornication, Uncleanness, Evil concupiscence, and Covetousness, which is Idolatry. For which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. So again, Rom. 6.12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. And Ephes. 5.11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And that again also of our Savior's, Matth. 5.29, 30. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. By which expressions are signified the mortifying and sacrificing of our corrupt affections; though they stick never so near and close unto us, as the very skin to the flesh of those beasts which were offered up in Sacrifice. This is that which is made to be the property of true Christians, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's, they have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. They have crucified them already in part, and in the beginnings of Mortification; and they are crucifying them daily, more and more in the progress and proceedings of it. They are such as do by no means allow of any sinful dispositions in them, but do resist them, and suppress them, and nullify them day by day; and do desire God, by his Spirit, to enable them to do so more and more. They do not voluntarily permit or suffer any wickedness whatsoever it be, to abide or remain in them, but do dispatch it, and make an end of it as soon as may be.

This kind of Sacrifice it refers to two parts of us, which is all we are or have, Our Body and our Soul: They must be both offered up to God in this way whereof we now speak: First, For our Bodies; I will begin with that first, though it be not the chiefest; we must sacrifice them: The Scripture requires it of us, in Rom. 12.1. I beseech ye brethren, &c. that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And so Rom. 6.19. Yield your members servants to Righteousness unto holiness: That is, your Eyes, and Ears, and Lips, and every part of your Body: It is such as is to be dedicated and consecrated in Sacrifice to God. Secondly, Our Souls too, and they especially; The Apostle joins them both together, 1 Cor. 6.20. Glorify God in your Body, and in your Spirit, which are God's. And accordingly he prays for both, 1 Thess. 5.23. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body be preserved blameless unto, &c. More expressly and particularly God calls for the Soul itself, My Son give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. Take both together, for so we must, and they do jointly make up this Sacrifice of Righteousness now spoken of; when both the whole man, and the whole of man is given up, and appropriated to God, as belonging herein to Him.

There were two things eminent and observable, as pertinent to our purpose in the Sacrifices of the Law, which accordingly we may bring hereunto: First, There was a transferring of the right and property of the thing which was possessed to God Himself. Secondly, There was a deputing of the thing sacrificed to pains and sufferings: Now each of these do concur, and are considerable in our sacrificing of ourselves. We must first give up ourselves to God, to be his, and to have the rule and use of us; we must from henceforth be no more our own, or the Devil's, or the Fleshes, or the World's; but His alone: We are from henceforth no more debtors to the flesh, but to the spirit, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 8.12. We are to be the Lord's, and at his disposing.

And then secondly, There must be some pain in it: There's shedding of blood in sacrificing, so there must be here; not in a literal sense, but in a moral. Our Bodies a living Sacrifice, sacrificed, and yet still alive; alive as to the life of Nature, but dead as to the life of Sin: That must be killed and crucified in us, and the very heart-blood, and life-blood of our lusts taken away from us. We must take some pains with ourselves in this work of Mortification, as a thing contrary to Flesh and Blood in us.

Yea, we must herein also cheerfully submit to whatsoever God shall be pleased in his Providence to impose upon us: This makes up to us the first kind, viz. The Sacrifice of Contrition and Humiliation; And that's one kind of Sacrifice of Righteousness which is here intended; to wit, Of a broken and contrite spirit: The Sacrifice of Mortification, that's the first.

The second is, the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: That's another Sacrifice of the like nature, which we find mentioned in Scripture, as Psal. 50.14. Offer unto God Thanksgiving, and pay thy Vows to the most High. So Psal. 50.23. Whoso offereth Praise, glorifieth me, &c. And Hos. 1.2. Take away all iniquity, so will we render the calves of our lips: That is, so will we give thanks. The calves of our lips, that is, Thanksgiving; As it is also Heb. 13.15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; i. e. The fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name: where the one is explicated and expressed by the other. This is so far a Sacrifice, as we find it to be preferred before many other Sacrifices besides, which were of legal Observation, as Psal. 69.30, 31. I will praise the Name of God with a Song, and will magnify him with Thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better then an Ox, or Bullock, that hath horns or hoofs.

This is that which we should be so much the rather frequent in, as it is that which is all we can render in way of any seeming compensation, for all the mercies which we receive at God's hands: If we cannot be thankful for them, what can we be at all? It is the whole sum of our returns unto him, which therefore this Prophet David does in some manner satisfy himself withal, Psal. 116.12, 13. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the Cup of Thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will not now enter into this large and spacious field, which I have had occasion to speak of heretofore at other times upon special occasions; we may only now take Notice of it briefly, as one of the Sacrifices here intended, which a Christian is to offer up to God as a Sacrifice of Righteousness, which accordingly is to be practice'd by us. We do not want occasions for it, neither public nor private, neither general nor particular; and therefore are not to be wanting or defective in it.

The third is, The sacrifice of Alms and charitable Contribution; That is also a Sacrifice of Righteousness to be offered up by us. As we have it signified to us, in Heb. 13.16. To do good, and communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: Doing of good, and communicating to the Necessities of those which are in want, is by the Holy Ghost here termed a Sacrifice, and such as God Himself is much taken and delighted withal. The like expression with this we shall find in Phil. 4.18. where speaking of their great Bounty and Liberality towards himself, he says this of it,