The Lord Shall Rejoice in His Works
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Logan West
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www.puritansearch.org
Dr. Colman 's SERMON BEFORE THE GENERAL COURT, August 27. 1741.
The LORD shall rejoice in his Works.
A SERMON Preach'd at the LECTURE in BOSTON, August 27. 1741. BEFORE His EXCELLENCY William Shirley, Esq Captain-General and Commander in Chief, And in the Audience OF THE General Court.
By Benjamin Colman, D.D
PSAL. cxi. 3. His Work is honorable and glorious, and his Righteousness endureth forever.
BOSTON: Printed by J. DRAPER, Printer to His Excellency the GOVERNOUR and COUNCIL. MDCCXLI.
At a Council held at the Council Chamber in Boston, upon Thursday the 27th of August 1741.
THAT Jacob Wendell, Richard Bill and John Read, Esqrs be desired to give the Reverend Dr. Benjamin Colman the Thanks of this Board for his Sermon preached this Day at the public Lecture in Boston, and to request of him a Copy thereof for the Press.
J. Willard, Secr.
THE LORD shall rejoice IN HIS WORKS
PSALM CIV. 31.
THE Glory of the LORD shall endure forever, the LORD shall rejoice in his Works.
T HE Glory of the LORD in his Works of Creation and Providence, but more especially the latter, is the Subject of this high and lofty Psalm. The Style and Strain of it perfectly agrees to the stately Subject. "It is a noble Poem, esteemed by very competent Judges, far to excel all that the Wit and Devotion of Man has ever wrote upon the Dominion of GOD manifest in the Works of Nature; if we only consider it in the Brightness of Ideas and Ornaments of Diction." It begins with giving Glory in the highest; O LORD my GOD, thou art very Great, thou art clothed with Honor and Majesty; who coverest thyself with Light as with a Garment! And it draws to a close with my Text, " The Glory of the LORD shall endure forever, the LORD shall rejoice in his Works.
Or it may be read as a Prayer, the Hebrew being in the Imperative Mood, Let the Glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the Lord rejoice in his Works. q. d. " Amen, O LORD most great and gracious! It is so, it will be so, and ever may it be! Let the whole Earth ever give thee Glory.
Every way the Words breathe a most fervent Doxology, upon the Contemplation and Recitation of the glorious Work of GOD thro' the Universe, and express a raptrous Thanksgiving to Him thereon; "O may the LORD have Glory from us, and Joy in all his Creatures; and never more be grieved, as He once was, that he had made Man upon the Earth.
But the Words are more than a Prayer: They are an Affirmation of what ever was, is and shall be: "Thy Glory shall endure to Eternity, and thy Joy in all thy Works, in thy own unchangeable Complacency in them, which is infinitely more than all the Adorations of Angels and Saints on the Account of 'em, forever and ever.
It is only the latter Part of the Text I shall discourse of, and to be sure in a poor and low manner, on so high a Subject, The LORD shall rejoice in his Works.
The Blessedness and Glory here ascribed to GOD, is Joy. Glory and Blessedness, cannot be without Joy. They are essential to and inseparable from each other: And GOD is the blessed and only Potentate in this, because his Joy is perfect in all his Works. Never did King or Saint come near to this, no not Solomon in all his Glory. He wrote Vanity of Vanities on his great Works, for he erred and sin'd in his doing and using them. GOD's Works are all perfect; "They are Verity and Judgment, and are done in Truth and Uprightness"; and the King of Glory has a perfect Joy in the Perfection of them all; his Works of Creation, Providence and Grace. A perfect Wisdom, Holiness, Goodness, Munificence, Benediction shines forth in them; so that ineffable, perfect, infinite Joy must be the constant Result. It can be no otherwise forever and ever. It must be without Variableness or Shadow of Change. The invariable Cause and Reason must have an invariable Effect. Perfectness is the Cause, Blessedness and Fulness of Joy is the Result. There can be neither Addition or Diminution.
Altho' my Text leads me more particularly to the Consideration of GOD's Works of Providence, yet I will say something also of the Work of Creation and Redemption.
I. GOD ever had, hath and will have a Divine ineffable Joy in his Work of Creation; in all and every Part of it.
How manifold these are, we may see thro' the Psalm, which instances in GOD's making the Angels, stretching forth the Heavens, laying the Foundation of the Earth, covering it with the Deep, filling it with Springs of Water, clothing it with Grass and Trees, the Food of the Cattle, and the Dwelling of the Fowl.
At the Creation of all these, Moses tells us how GOD expressed his divine Joyes; He saw 'em all to be very good, perfect in their Kind, and he blessed them, rested and instituted the weekly Sabbath; a holy perpetual Rest to Man: —How could Complacency and Joy be more expressed? No wonder that all his Angels sang together, and all the Sons of GOD in one World and other shouted for Joy. Job. xxxviii. 7. They saw the Joy of GOD in every Thing that was made, and far into the Reasons of it. But GOD only comprehends his own Work, and his Joy transcends theirs infinitely, as does his Knowledge and Goodness.
Man was the Joy of his GOD, in the Day of his Creation: Let us make Man in our Image, after our Likeness, and let him have Dominion. GOD made an Eden for him, put him into the Garden of Pleasure, and filled him with Joys in his holy and happy State. To give such a Being, must be an unknown Joy to to him that gave it.
When we see but a little into the Works of GOD, O what a Joy does it give us? When we consider his Heavens, the Work of his Fingers, the Moon and Stars which He has created! When we look down on the springing Wegetables in our Fields and Gardens, — " If GOD so clothe the Grass! When we soar after the Fowl of Heaven, as on the strong Wings of Eagles, or view the goodly Wings of the Peacock at our Door! When we go down to the Sea in Ships, and the Dolphin or the Whale play about us; — There is that Leviathan! Or be it the more terrible Crocodile near the Shore, with the Things creeping innumerable both small and great Beasts, whereof our Context sings: How do the Silver Shoals glitter on the Hook or in the Net as we draw them up!
When we survey the Animals upon the dry Land, both tame and wild, meek and fierce, from the Horse and Elephant, to the Mouse and Worm; what surprising Pleasures do the Varieties of wondrous Use and Beauty give to our Contemplative and devout Minds!—But yet when we raise our Eye upon ourselves, and look in one another's Faces, and see each others Souls in our Eyes and Speech; how GOD has made the Dust into Organs of Sight and Hearing, our Hands to work, and Tongues our Glory! How he has made our Minds and Souls to think and know, to admire, love and joy! to pray and praise and serve and be happy! to give Glory and Honor and Thanks to the Fountain of 〈◊〉 , Perfection and Blessedness! — Above all, when we find our Selves capable of a Spiritual and Divine Joy, in casting ourselves before the Throne, and uttering the Songs of Heaven, from which the Celestial Spirits never rest; Revel. iv. 8, 9.
I say, when we may at any time feel within ourselves, any part of their Pleasure and Delight, in our Meditations on, and searching into the Things that GOD has made; what must we then conceive of the Joy of GOD in his creating them?
II. I proceed to contemplate, in a like, low and brief manner, the infinite and incessant Joy of GOD in his upholding, preserving, supplying and governing all his Creatures. The Joy must be the same in GOD's Work of Providence, as of Creation; for the same Wisdom, Power and Goodness is glorious forever in the one and other; and therefore the like Blessedness and Joy results from both.
Has a Father Joy (O low Comparison) in feeding, instructing, clothing and ruling his Family, with Prudence and Tenderness? Or to rise higher, Has a a good King Joy in blessing, and protecting his Kingdom? in being as the Light and Rain to them, and as the Breath of their Nostrils: which are the high and most elegant Representation of the Oracles of GOD to us! Yea, has every earthly Benefactor, even in the lowest Rank of Life, a superior Joy, akin to that of benevolent Angels, in showing the Kindnesses of GOD to their Fellow Worms; in distributing to their Wants and Needs, and making their Hearts to sing? — Then think of the Immense Joyes of GOD in his vast Benefits to all his Creatures thro' every Moment of their Existance! To fill them with Good and Happiness, according to their various Capacities of receiving from Him! As the Psalmist sings of the Blessedness of GOD a few Verses before my Text; 'These all wait upon Thee, that thou mayest give them their Meat in due Season; that thou givest them they gather; thou openest thy Hand, they are filled with Good.
I might go into particulars, if there were any End of them, and speak of the perpetual Joyes which the LORD most High must necessarily have in the daily and annual Course of the Sun, or of the Planets in their Revolutions and Circles about it; whereby Heat and Life, Light, Food and Joy, is preserved in them all; and all our precious Things are put forth, Grass for the Cattle, and Herbs for the service of Man, and Corn and Wine and Oil to make glad his Heart and his Face to shine. Nor does the LORD of all overlook the Life that is most below ours: "He knows all the Beasts of the Mountains, and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills, are His! and almost all for Us, O we of little Observation and Gratitude! — But how vast must His Satisfaction be, in his vast Provisions for us Daily? " His Thoughts are very deep, while the brutish Man knows not, nor the Fool understands any of them. It's very well there is here and there found a Soul of high Devotion, " made glad thro' His Work, and triumphing in them; as in Psalm xcii; "Upon an Instrument of ten Strings, upon the Harp with a solemn Sound; to show forth his Loving-kindness in the Morning, and his Faithfulness every Night. — But whether we will call on our Souls or no, or awake up our Glory to sing and give Praise; yet GOD has his Joyes every Moment of Time, as our Context teaches us,
But what then in the Joy of GOD in the Nations of Men! ver. 23. " Man goeth forth to his Work, and to his Labor until the Evening.
Man is his great Family, whom the LORD daily feeds; and the Nations and their Food is but as the Drop of a Bucket, and the small Dust of the Ballance.
His Delights were from everlasting in the Sons of Men; and he makes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon the Just and Unjust; and under such Feet he yet puts "all Sheep and Oxen, the Beasts of the "Field, the Fowl of the Air, and the Fish of the Sea. For out of the Inhabitants of this our Globe He has an Election of his Grace, foreknown and predestinated to be His Joy to eternal Ages. These HE has given to his only-begotten and eternal SON, before all Worlds, to be by Him brought out of a State of Sin and Misery, the woeful Fruit of their wicked Fall from Him, to heavenly Holiness and everlasting Blessedness. — These therefore He seeds and keeps on Earth, with a peculiar Love and Delight, as he did his Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job and others, preserving them to his heavenly Kingdom.
These are his chosen and called, adopted and sanctified, his Children , his Jewels and Treasure; and all this of his own Heart only and freest Grace; for before he formed them in the Belly, he knew them, and had writ their Names in the Book of Life, having loved them with an Everlasting Love: They are even as the Espoused of his Soul, and as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over his Bride, so the LORD their GOD over them! — This is his own Word , and what can be more expressive of his Joy in them?
He feeds them with a Fathers Heart and Hand, with a Covenant Love and Care: "He giveth Meat to them that fear him, ever mindful of his Covenant. They are his Portion and Inheritance, and the LORD is theirs. They have Bread to eat, which others know not of, they taste and see that the LORD is good; and the Joy of the LORD is their strength: His secret is with them, and he shows them his Covenant. He takes them into a blessed and high Fellowship and Communion, and manifests himself so to them as not to the World: He makes a Hedge about them, and neither Satan nor Sabean can break in upon them: He speaks of 'em with Joy, as he did of Job to his Adversary the Devil; "Hast thou considered my Servant? And if he break the Hedge, and suffer Men or Devils to break in with Rage and Fury, yet in the End the LORD and his Servant have Joy; and indeed he enters into the Joy of his LORD; he does so here in this Life by Faith and Love, he shall do so in Vision and Fruition to all Eternity. —The Psalm ends with this Distinction between the Godly and the Wicked; the Pleasure of GOD in the one, and their Triumph in Him; while the others perish by the Fire of his Wrath:
But this special Joy of the LORD in some of His Works above others, and in some of the Children of Men above others, naturally leads me into the Contemplation of the LORDs rejoicing in his Work of Redemption. I come therefore
III. To speak of GOD's Joy in our Redemption, his wondrous Work of Grace and Mercy, relating to our precious and immortal Souls, their present Sanctification and eternal Glorification. The most distinguishing Blessings of Providence do only minister unto 〈◊〉 of Grace, and hereby become spiritual and saving to us.
The Joy of GOD is in recovering sinful Man to his original Holiness and Blessedness: " Have I any Pleasure at all that the Sinner should die? saith the Lord GOD: And not that be turn and live. GOD and his Angels rejoice in this; for there is Joy among the Angels over one Sinner that repenteth: But the Joy of the immense Father of Spirits must of necessity excel infinitely the Joys of all his holy Angels on this Account: Even to them also it might be said, altho' these elder Brethren know no Displicency and Envy, as we read in the Parable, Luke xv. Son thou art ever with me, and all I have is thine; but this thy Brother was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found: It is meet that we make merry and be glad.
Known unto GOD are all his Works from Eternity, before the Being of any Angel or Spirit! Conscious to his own everlasting Love to some who should never Sin, and to others whom He would bring to Repentance, he had the Joy of it before all Worlds. This his ineffable incomprehensible Joy in his eternal Purpose of Mercy to an elect Number of the Race of sallen Adam, is represented to us thro' the lively Oracles; from the first Promise of a SAVIOUR, Gen. iii. to the Transports of Heaven on the Consummation of the Marriage of the Lamb, Rev. xix. 7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give Honor to Him.
All Things 〈◊〉 existed in the Eternal Mind, and were seen and enjoyed by Him in his perfect Idea. The Eternal FATHER possessed all Things in his Eternal SON; the Heir of all, by whom He made the Worlds:
The Joy of GOD is first in the Person of the REDEEMER, and for his sake in his redeemed saved Ones,
1. In the Person of the Redeemer, the Divine Joy is from everlasting, ineffable, infinite, Heb. i. 3. Who being the brightness of his Glory, and the express Image of his Person, and upholding all Things by the Word of his Power; when he had by Himself purged our Sins, sat down on the right Hand of the Majesty on High.
It is in his Office of a Redeemer to us, that the Father teaches us to behold the Glory of the Son, and speaks his Joy in Him, Psal. ii. 6.
Look thro' the whole Revelation of JESUS to us, from the Beginning of the Bible to the End of it, and see if the Joy of GOD in the REDEEMER be not the Harmony of Scripture. So the Revelation begins to Adam after his Sin and Condemnation: A blessed Seed of the Woman to break the Serpent's Head. A SEED the Joy of GOD and of Souls, the Terror and Judge of Devils. Enoch prophesied of Him with Joy and Terror; Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all; first in a Flood of Water and then of Fire. Abraham heard of his Day with Joy, and great Reason had he for it in the Promise made to him, " In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed. In the Blessing of Judah, CHRIST is declared to be the Joy of GOD and of his Israel; "Judah, Thou art he whom thy Brethren shall praise. So the GOD of Israel spake of his CHRIST to Moses as his highest Joy, "A Prophet will I raise up like unto thee, unto HIM they shall hearken. And so to David at large, in the lxxxix Psalm, "I have laid Help upon One that is Mighty, with my holy Oil have I anointed Him.
In his Incarnation he was the Joy of Heaven and Earth: Isai. ix. 6.
The REDEEMER in all his Offices is the Joy of GOD and Man; "Thou art a PRIEST forever, after the Order of Melchizedek: In his Ministry, "He shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles: In his Miracles, "The Lame shall leap as a Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb shall sing: In his Sufferings, "I have glorified thee; and will glorify: In his Resurrection, "O Death I will be thy Plague, O Grave I will be thy Destruction! In his Ascension, "GOD is gone up with a Shout, the LORD with the Voice of a Trumpet; sing Praises to our King, sing Praises: In his Exaltation, "Sit thou at my right Hand until I make thy Enemies thy Footstool: In his Intercession, "I know that thou hearest me always: And finally, GOD's Joy in CHRIST is at his Second Coming in Glory; "For the Father loveth the Son, and hath committed all Judgment to Him; that all Men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father.—Such is the Joy of GOD in the Person of the REDEEMER, thro' his Accomplishment of the whole and every Part of our Redemption and Salvation.
2. I have only to add, the Joy of GOD in his Redeemed and saved, for CHRIST's sake.
They are his Elect and therefore his Joy: He chose 'em before the Foundation of the World, to be made holy, having loved them with an everlasting Love, and he draws them with Loving-Kindness. He has espoused them, and joys over them as a Bridegroom. GOD has adopted them in CHRIST, put his Spirit into them, his Image on 'em.— He joys in his Grace in them; in all the Exercise and Fruit of it to his own Glory. His Gifts and Calling are without Repentance.— He joys in their Prayers and Praises, their spiritual Sacrifices, they are a sweet Savour of Rest to him. He joys in their Pardon and Justification; "I —, even I am He, that blotteth out thy Sins for my own sake. He joys in their Access to Him, Communion with him, and Joy in him, "Let me hear thy Voice, for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely. He joys in their Obedience to Him, of every kind, active and passive, as in Abel and Job, the First-Fruit and the none-such from the Earth. He joys in all his Dispensations to his sanctified, in all their Comforts and Crosses, when they receive Good, and when Evil; his Love and Joy is the same in all, and theirs ought to be so; "I will chasten him, with the Rod of Men, but my Loving-kindness will I not take away, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail —. He sends out his black Horses, his dark Dispensations, and they quiet his Spirit, Zech, vi. 8. He purifies his People in the Furnace, and sees 'em with Joy come forth as Gold: He burns up the Wicked as Dross, "Ah! I will ease me of my Enemies! Pharaoh and Antichrist are alike raised up for his own and his Churches Triumph. The Song of Moses and the Lamb are one: " Great and marvelous are thy Works, Lord God Almighty! just and true thy Ways, O King of Saints! who shall not glorify Thee! — And to conclude, The Consummation of all Things, when the Mystery of GOD is finished, will be consummate Joy. both on the part of the FATHER and of CHRIST and of the Church: Revel. xvi. 2. And I saw the New Jerusalem coming down from GOD out of Heaven, as a Bride adorned for her Husband.
So I have meditated in the easiest, plainest, most Scriptural and Evangelical manner, and in the most general and comprehensive I could, " The LORD's rejoicing in his Works.
The Use remains, and first, See the Blessedness, Perfection, and Glory of the LORD OUR GOD, and how He is to be admired, blessed and magnified by us, for what He is in Himself. He is the Blessed GOD! how Grand and glorious is this Ascription! His JOY in all his Works is infinite. This is worthy of the CREATOR and Governor of all Worlds, and the Redeemer and Sanctifier of the Saved out of ours. How happy must HE be, who is the Fountain of Being and Felicity in all Worlds! Psal. lxxii. 19. And blessed be his glorious Name forever, and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory! Amen and Amen.
2. The Perfection of all the Works of GOD is a necessary Inference from his rejoicing in them. If his whole Work were not perfect, how should HE that is perfect rejoice in it? They must be all done in perfect Truth, Wisdom, Goodness, Holiness. They must be as He Himself is. If He were not absolutely perfect, he could have no Joy in Himself; if his Works were not all so, he could have none in them. " He covers himself with Light as with a Garment, and lays the Beams of his mighty Building,—and a Universe appears. " His Work is honorable and glorious, and his Righteousness endureth forever. They are Verity and Judgment and stand fast forever and ever. He has made 'em to be remember'd, he has ordained everlasting Memorials of them to us, in his Sabbath and the Holy Supper. He sent Redemption to his People, he has commanded his Covenant forever; holy and reverend is his Name.
3. Let us learn our Duty, in Conformity to the Blessed GOD, and for his Glory from us, and for our own Joy and Blessedness here and forever; to rejoice in GOD and in the Knowledge we have of his Works of Nature, Providence and Grace.
We have Minds and Eyes to observe 'em, and Memories to retain 'em. " Sought out they are by all that have Pleasure in them; and he that has it not, is worse than blind and brutish " Understand ye brutish among the People, and ye Fools when will ye be wise? To whom shall I send them for Instruction and Correction! let it be to a holy Woman, an inspired Mother in Israel, to Hannah the Mother of Samuel, 1. Sam. ii, r. And Hannah prayed and said, "My Heart rejoiceth in the LORD, my Horn is exalted in the LORD. I rejoice in his Salvation; there is none holy as the LORD, there is none beside him.
A religious Joy in GOD is a most high and important Thing in his holy Law to us, but how hard is it to attain this Divine Life. Phil. iv. 4. Rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say rejoice. Man was made for this Joy and in it, and had he preserved his Innocence and Holiness, this had been the Light and Life of his Spirit: As it is the Image of GOD on the Spirits in Glory, that they are holy and joyful like him. It is the most natural Resolve in the World, that the Psalmist comes into, upon uttering the Words of my Text; " The LORD shall rejoice in his Works; and
But as the Joy of GOD is more especially in the great Work of our Redemption and in his Redeemed; so let our Joy be in CHRIST JESUS, the Joy of his Redeemed; and in them that are so, the excellent Ones of the Earth, in whom should be all our Delight. Let us rejoice in his holy Law and holy Worship and Worshippers; in holy Devotedness and Obedience to Him who has died for us and rose again; in the Exercise of Faith and Love, Repentance, Prayer and Praise. Let CHRIST be our Glory and Joy; He and his Righteousness, He and his People, He and his Cross, He and his Salvation.
4. Let the Use be of Shame and Confusion to us, of Humiliation, Repentance and holy Mourning, that we know no more of this sacred Pleasure, a holy Joy in GOD and his Works; that we have no more contemplated and seen GOD in 'em! that GOD and his Works are not in all our Thoughts! that we are so lost in Sense, and though'tless of GOD in every Thing we see and feel and hear and taste! that our Philosophy and Theology are so poor and low! that we are sunk so much below Men as well as Christians! stupid and mindless of these Works of Providence and Grace, which should exceedingly affect us and excite our Gratitude and Praise! and again at times (it may be) grieved at his Works, discontented, offended and fretful at them, like Jonah! or envious as Asaph, "I was as a Beast before Thee! and worse, for the Beasts envy not.
Let us remember our Faults this Day;—that under some of GOD's holy and righteous Works Usward we have been dejected, cast down and ready to despond! that we have been unresigned and impatient, or no more submissive to the Will of our Heavenly Father! or that we have been no more obedient and fruitful under Divine Corrections and Rebukes! that we have despised the LORD's Chastning, or fainted! that we have been no more humbled, purged, purified and refined by them! — So GOD has not the Joy of his Work, but has been grieved and justly provoked by us! as he was by the Sinners of the old World, and it repented him that he had made Man upon the Earth, and it grieved him at the Heart, and he destroyed the Work of his Hand. Gen. vi. 6.
But to close with a more pleasurable Direction and Exhortation, which yet may seem somewhat strange too; that we should need to be so exhorted.
5. Let GOD have Joy in Us among his other Works. He will have none in us without our own Consent and Will, he will joy in the Triumphs of his Justice on us, if we will not be to the Triumph of his Grace and Mercy. If thou be righteous what givest thou to Him? And if thou sinnest what dost thou against him? — We are a Part of the Work of his Hands, and he expects Joy from us, and has made us for a voluntary yielding it to him. This is the Prerogative of Man above the inseriour Creatures; He must joy in GOD, that GOD may joy in Him.— With Joy also has GOD redeemed us, that he might rejoice in us, as renewed, sanctified, justified and glorified. O let him have this Joy in our Regeneration, Adoption, Justification and eternal Salvation. Let Him have Joy in our Love, Adoration, Service and Obedience; in our Submissions, Prayers and Thanksgivings forever and ever. — Let us devote ourselves to Him as living Sacrifices, holy and acceptable thro' JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Let us walk before Him in all holy Obedience, that He may dwell with us and in us, and be our GOD. Let his Name be hallow'd by us, and his Kingdom come in us, and his Will be done by us, as it is done in Heaven. Why should not GOD have Joy in Us, as he has in his holy Ones above, thro' the Ages of Eternity! Let us yield Him the Obedience of Faith here, and of Love and Joy forever. The Kingdom of GOD here in us, and that to come hereafter, is Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the HOLY GHOST. This is approved of GOD and accepted by him; this is the Joy of the LORD — But then we must deprecate Sinners and their Ways, and imprecate against them, for GOD can have no Joy in them, nor in his Earth because of them. So therefore the Psalm concludes; " Let the Sinners be consumed out of the Earth, and let the Wicked be no more; bless thou the LORD O my Soul, praise ye the LORD. The Meaning is, The holy GOD can never rejoice in Us, nor in his Works on Earth, while we and they are involved in Sin; but were Sin once consumed out of the Earth which is the very End and Effect of our Redemption by CHRIST; then GOD has Pleasure in beholding this his Earth and dwelling in it, and then we with holy Joyes and Exultation can laud and praise and bless him. Else " He looks on the Earth, and it trembles, he touches the Hills and they smoke: His fiery Presence sets it in a Flame; which are the very Words following my Text
Let this therefore be our holy Ambition, our humble Prayer and solicitous Care, that GOD and his Earth may have Joy in us and from us in our respective Places.
Let MAGISTRATES therefore rule for GOD, as they do by Him and under Him; and say unto the Fools, deal not so foolishly, and unto the Wicked, lift not up the Horn on high, speak not with a stiff Neck. Let 'em resolve by the Grace of GOD and say with David,
Then if the Vine be advanced to rule over the Trees, it shall be so far from losing it's Sweetness, that it will but the more abundantly diffuse it's generous Spirit, and cheer the Heart both of GOD and Man: As Jotham spake in his Parable by the Wisdom of GOD. But wise was the Vine to refuse the Rule, if it must thereby lose it's Sweetness, turn sour and grieve both GOD and Man; as Saul did, and the LORD said to Samuel, "It repenteth me that I made him King.
But as this Matter pertaineth to Rulers, that the LORD may rejoice in his Work; so also does it to the whole Body of a People, Ministers and private Christians, in a reverend and delightful Concurrence with Them; as Aaron and Hur held up the Hands of Moses in the Mount; and as Shechaniah answered and said unto Ezra; — "We also will be with Thee; be of good Courage and do it.
How beauteous, healthy and Athletic then is the Body? the Head and all the Members together having the same Regard to GOD and Care one for another; that the LORD (whose we are, and whom we serve together) may take Pleasure in us all and beautify the Meek with Salvation, his Israel rejoicing in Him that made him, and the Children of Zion being joyful in their King.
I will give you here an Instance, the most general and comprehensive, singular and proper, in the religious Observation of the LORD's-DAY among a People; it being the One primitive and perpetual Memorial of the LORD's rejoicing in his whole Work of Creation, Providence and Redemption; and the weekly sacred Season of our joyful remembering GOD in his Works, to give Him the enduring Glory of them.
Let Rulers and People only unite in the Sanctification of the SABBATH, Ministers leading in the holy public Solemnities of Worship, and People assembling with Reverence and godly Fear; Parents and Heads of Families commanding their Children and Housholds to call it the Holy of the LORD and honorable, and to honor Him thereon, not finding their own Pleasure, nor taking their own Way and Walk, nor speaking their own Words on GOD's holy Day; (Isai. lviii. 13, 14.) — How would the Glory of the LORD endure forever among us by this Means, and our GOD rejoice over us to bless us, as He has promised; Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high Places of the Earth, and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father; for the Mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Men, Brethren & Fathers hearken! If we in our respective Places religiously consult the Glory of GOD and it's enduring among us, there is no doubt at all to be made of GOD's rejoicing over us to do us good:
But while we are zealous for the Ordinances of our GOD, relating to his Worship, shall we forget or neglect the Duties that respect our civil Life and moral Conduct one toward another; a sober, a righteous and peaceable Life, in all Godliness and Honesty? GOD forbid! — Shall we not willingly and gladly
So we are taught of GOD, and commanded by Him to teach you,
So let the Beauty of the LORD our GOD be upon us! So may He establish the Work of our Hands! So may He satisfy us early with his Mercy, that we may rejoice all our Days! So may He make us glad, according to the Days wherein He has afflicted us, and the Years wherein we have seen evil.
So may Your EXCELLENCY, and We together, have Reason to rejoice forever in the particular Work of GOD, which has brought you to worship with us at this Time; Your Accession to the GOVERNMENT over us.
May there be much Glory to GOD, and Joy to YOUR SELF and Us, in the Wisdom, Righteousness and Goodness of your Administration.
May your EXCELLENCY ever have Peace and Satisfaction in your Reflections thereon from Day to Day, and Joy in the Day of CHRIST.
May you daily prove your own Work (as the Apostle speaks) and have Rejoicing in yourself alone! in the Conscience of your own Uprightness; for (as it follows) Every Man shall bear his own Burden.
GOVERNMENT is in itself Burden eno' for any Shoulder, and only a good Conscience before GOD can make it lightsome and easy to a good Christian. Some are filled with their own Ways, which are bitter enough; but as the wise King has taught us, " The good Man shall be satisfied from himself: In the Sincerity of his Heart, and Integrity of his Life, the Recompence of his Hands shall be rendered him.
May David's humble Resolution be this Day taken up by your EXCELLENCY, and strictly kept to; " When I receive the Congregation, I will judge uprightly. So " Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the Stability of your Times, and Strength of Salvation.
And so the Glory of the LORD shall endure with us, in the flourishing of pure Religion, and of a righteous Commerce, and of holy Sabbaths, under your wise Counsels and Influence.
Happy the RULER and People together in such a Case, for the LORD will be their GOD. And though' the Ruler must die like other Men, accountable to his GOD and ours; yet will be living and dying be justly owned an earthly kind of God in this, "That like the GREAT LORD his Righteous SOVEREIGN, he shall rejoice in hill own Works of Righteousness and Goodness, forever and ever.
Which GOD of his infinite Mercy grant to YOUR EXCELLENCY, and to all our Honorable RULERS, both in the Legislative and Executive Trust; thro' JESUS CHRIST, to whom be Glory, forever and ever. AMEN.
APPENDIX. FROM THE New-England Weekly-Journal. BOSTON, August 17.
THIS Morning the associated Pasters of the Churches in this Town waited on His Excellency the Governor, and the Rev. Dr. COLMAN presented to Him the following Address.
To His EXCELLENCY William Shirley, Esq Captain-General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England.
SIR,
W E the associated Pastors in the Town of Boston, wait on your Excellency to congratulate You upon your Advancement to the Chair over us, to acknowledge the sovereign governing Providence of GOD herein, and to assure your Excellency of our humble and earnest Prayers to GOD that the SPIRIT of Wisdom and Grace may rest upon You, for your discharging the Duties of so great a Trust, and the Improvement of your excellent Talents to the Glory of GOD, the Honor of the KING, the Weal of your People, and your own good Account in the Day of CHRIST.
Your Excellency well knows the Loyalty and zealous Affection of our Churches to the Protestant Succession in the Royal House of King GEORGE the Second, our rightful Sovereign; and you have also seen the dutiful Regards of our Ministers thro' the Province to His Majesty's Governor: Which give us an humble Confidence in recommending our Churches, and the College in Cambridge, with all their Rights and Privileges, to your Excellency's Favor and Protection.
And, whereas these Churches have been happily distinguished from the Beginning, for their strict Observation of the Lord's-Day, on which the Religion and good Order of a People so greatly depend; We humbly beseech your Excellency's tender Regard to us in this important Matter.
And we trust, Sir, by the Help of GOD, that neither we nor any of the Brethren of our Denomination, will ever be wanting in that Reverence and Duty to your Excellency which a righteous Administration must always command from us.
To which Address His Excellency was pleased to give the following Answer,
GENTLEMEN,
I AM well persuaded of your Loyalty and zealous Affection to the Protestant Succession in His Majesty's Royal House, and am obliged to you for this Mark of your Respect and Esteem for Me; and you may depend upon my best Endeavors for the Maintenance of all the Rights and Privileges of the Churches of New-England within this Province, and of the Ministers of them, and to promote the Interest of the College in Cambridge, during my Administration of His Majesty's Government among you; and you may depend upon my peculiar Care for the Preservation and Advancement of Religion among the People in every Instance, and especially by encouraging and enjoining a strict Observation of the Lord's-Day.
The Ministers then waited on Governor BELCHER, to thank Him for all his Goodness and Favor to the Churches thro' the Province, and to the Pastors of them, during the Course of his Administration, and to express their good Wishes of the gracious Presence of GOD with Him in his Recess.