Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1
You see then, it is a dangerous disposition to trust any too much; it is to Idolize them, and to wrong God, to take the honor from God; it is to hurt ourselves, and bring ourselves under a curse; and to wrong the things themselves, to bring an evil report upon the things. It is universally true, you shall never see a false, bitter heart, that will not stoop to God's plain truth, (they will have by-ways of their own) but in some measure or other they are barren of greater matters, and given up to some sensible bitterness, to self-conceitedness, and self-confidence; they are always punished in that kind with a spiritual kind of punishment.
We must take heed therefore of trusting too much eo anything, but God himself: God is jealous of our trust, he will have us trust in nothing but himself in matters of salvation; no not in matters of common life, not in matters Politick and Civil: we must not build our trust in any creature so much as to think ourselves happy by them, or to think they cannot deceive us: they are creatures, of nothing, therefore they are prone to deceive, they are prone to turn to nothing: therefore we must not build upon them over-much, no not in civil matters.
Indeed if we see the Image of God in any man, we may trust him; if we see him faithful, and loving, and good, yet trust him as a man always, that is, as such a one as may deceive, and yet he may be a man, and a good man. So in other creatures, in the use of Physic, and Wars, and Arms, &c. in danger we may in some subordinate consideration trust to them; but we must use them as means, that is, as such as God hath free liberty to use to good, to help us, and free liberty not to use: we must use them but not trust to them: Some trust in Chariots, and some in horses, but our trust is in the Lord. And, Trust not in Princes, as the Psalmist saith, trust not in anything.
If we trust in anything, it mst be subordinate to our trust in God, it must not be coordinate (as we say) that is not in the same rank, much less above God: as worldlings trust in their wealth, they trust in their friends above God: they trust not so much in heaven and happiness there, they think not themselves so happy for that, as they do for earthly things. Nay, they trust against God in confidence of their friends and of their purse. A carnal man makes riches his strong hold: he trusts them above God, and against God. We must neither trust them with God, in a coordinate proportion with him: nor above God, much less against God. What makes base flesh and blood devilish in that respect, to attempt cursed means, against the truth, and against good causes?
They bear themselves out with these things: perhaps the truth crosses them in their designs, and shames them, and frets them. What makes them undermine good causes, and go desperately to kick against the pricks, to dash themselves against wrath which is stronger then they? They think to bear themselves out with their greatness, with their friends, with some carnal support or other. This is to trust against God, which is worst of all.
And this makes that Harlot of Rome so confident against the Church of God, I sit as a Queen, saith Babylon: not only outward Babylon, that was the type; but spiritual Babylon, I sit as a Queen. I shall be hereafter as I am now: therefore saith God, Thy destruction shall come in one day: Thy destruction shall come unrecoverably, and suddenly, because she blest herself in an ill course; as now at this day, they think all is sure.
If we trust anything but God, we must trust them, as instruments, as helps in their rank, and place which God hath set them: so much and no more; Let a man esteem of us, as Ministers of Christ, saith St. Paul: if they esteem of us more, it is too much; if less, it is too little, just so much; as Ministers, but as Ministers of Christ. So there is a due to everything; no more, for then you wrong God; no less, for then you wrong the thing, and God too, just so much as God would have it, and then we shall have just the grace that God intends.
Seeing there is such a danger in false confidence, let us take heed of it by all means.
That we may not trust in ourselves, (that is, in any earthly thing in ourselves, or out of ourselves, wit, honor, riches, learning, or whatsoever, but God and his truth and promises.)
Let us labor to have a sanctified judgment in everything; to judge of things in their nature, and order, and rank as we should do, and be not carried with opinion of things. Judge of them as the Creator of things judgeth of them, as God judgeth, and the Scripture judgeth.
Now of all outward things (that we are prone to trust in) how doth the Scripture judge of them? how doth God judge of them? They are uncertain riches: Riches they have wings, They are nothing, as the Prophet saith, Wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is nothing? They are vanity; they are of nothing, and they tend to nothing.
When the hour of death comes, what will all these do good.? they are uncertain, and weak, and inefficacious for that for which we trust them; they will not make us happy, they commend us not a whit to God, he hates us no more if we want them; he loves us no more if we have them. They make us not the better in ourselves, but the worse, they make us more indisposed to good things.
We say of those that are intoxicate with any kind of frenzy, or lunacie, twice as much Physic will not serve their turn, as will serve another; because of the distemper of their brain, and the inflammation of their blood and spirits: certainly, it is true of those that are spiritually drunk with the conceit of the creature, with honor, with riches, &c. three times, many times so much means will not serve the turn to bring them to goodness, as will serve meaner men.
What is the reason the poor receive the Gospel?
Because there is a lesser distance between them and the blessed truths of God then in others (though perhaps they belong to God too,) for the things of this life will work a little.
We say of weak brains, that strong drink doth much weaken them, and so weak stomachs, hard meat will not digest in them, it will overcome them. And weak brains, though strong water overcome them not, yet it will weaken them: so in these things, great parts, and great place, set a man further off from the Gospel. A great deal of corruption cannot be overcome and digested without a great measure of grace: the proportion of grace it must be great, it must be treble to men that have great matters in this world, it must be greater then to poorer men, who in a less distance from heaven.
Hence, we may see the reasons of God's dispensation, why God doth seldom work by great means (I say seldom, sometimes he doth, to show that they are good means.) As it is said and observed by an ancient Father, that seldom he saw any good come by general counsels: why? they are good in themselves, but men trust too much upon them, and therefore God disappoints them of that they trust to. Because the naughty nature of man puts too much trust in these things, therefore God will not give that issue that we look for, but on the contrary a curse.
Why doth not God bless great preparations (many times) to war, &c? because we put too much trust in them: here are too many, saith God to Gideon; take away some, here are too many to go to war. What is the reason that God where the greatest excellencies are, adds some imperfection to balance them? Because they should not trust in themselves.
What is the reason that in the Church, God chooseth men of meaner parts, and sufficiencies, the Disciples, Fisher-men? If they had been great men, men would have said, place had carried it, if they had been Scholars, men would have said, that their learning had carried it: if they had been witty men, they would have said, their wit had carried it: it had been no marvel, if they should win the world: but when they saw they were mean men, fisher-men, sitters at the receipt of custom (and perhaps their parts were not great, then they might attribute it to the divinenesse of the Gospel, to the divinenesse of God's truth, and to God's blessing upon it.
What is the reason that God suffers excellent men to fall foully sometimes? St. Peter himself, and David, &c. because they should not trust in themselves, not trust in their grace, not trust in anything, no not in the best things in themselves.
What is the reason that God goes by contraries in all the carriage of our salvation? That we should not trust in ourselves. In our calling, he calls men out of nothing, He calls things that are not as if they were. In Justification, he justifies a sinner, he that despairs of his own righteousness; that no man should trust in anything he hath, or despair if he want any perfection: God justifies a sinner that despairs of himself. In sanctification, God sanctifies a man when he sees no goodness in himself: most of all then he is a vessel fit to receive grace: And he doth sanctify him sometimes by his falls; he makes him good by his slips, which is a strange course to make a man better by: Saith St. Austin, I dare say and stand to it, that it is profitable for some men to fall, they grow more holy by their slips. As Peter, he grew stronger by his infirmity: this strange course God takes. Why so? That we should not trust in ourselves: In our calling, in our justification from our sins, that we should not trust in ourselves, nor despair.
In Sanctification: nay, he takes a course that we shall grow better by our falls: that we may be ashamed of them, and be more cautelous, and humble, and more watchful for the time to come. In glorification he will glorify us but it shall be when we have been rotten in our graves before, we must come to nothing. So in every passage of salvation, he goes by contraries, and all to beat down confidence in ourselves, and that we should not distrust him in any extremity: for then is the time for God to work his work most of all.
To help us further against this self-confidence, let us labor to know ourselves well, what we are distinct from the new creature, distinct from grace and glory. Indeed in that respect we are something in God. If we go out of ourselves, and see what we are in Christ we are somebody: for we are heirs of heaven, we are Kings and Rulers over all, all things are subject to us, hell, and sin, and death, we are somebody there. But in that wherein our nature is prone to put overmuch confidence, what are we? what are we as we are strong, as we are rich, as we are noble, as we are in favor with great ones? alas, all is nothing, because ere long it will be nothing. What will all be in the hour of death, when we must receive the sentence of death? what will all favors do us good? they will be gone. What will all relations, that we are styled by this, and that title, what good will it do? alas! these end in death, all earthly relations shall be laid in the dust. All the honors in the earth, all riches, and contentments, all the friends that we have, what can they do? nothing, all shall leave us there. And for us to trust in that which will fail us ere long, and which being taken away, we receive a great foil, (for he that leans to a thing, if that be taken away, down he falls) what a shame will it be?
As the Heathen man said, that great Emperor, I have been all things, and nothing doth me good now, when he was to die, indeed nothing could do him good. Let not the rich man glory in his riches, nor the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, saith the Prophet, Jer. 9. 22. but let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord.
Consider what the best thing is that we have of inward things, our wisdom; wisdom if it be not spiritual, it is only a thing for the things of this life, and we are oft times deceived in it. It makes God to disappont us oft times, to make us go out of ourselves; an excellent place for this we have in Isa. 50. the last verse, Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, and compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your own fire, &c. (It is a kind of Ironia) and the sparks that you have kindled; this you shall have of my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. Walk in the light of your own fire, walk according to your own devises, and projects, this ye shall have at my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. God catcheth the wise in the imagination of their own hearts, he disappoints the counsel and the projects of Achitophel. God takes a glory in it, to shame the policies and projects of those, that will be witty in a distinct way against God, the best policy is to serve God, and to walk uprightly; That we should not trust in ourselves.
This is the other branch, what we should trust in, In God, all this humbling of the blessed Apostle even to deaths door, that he received the sentence of death; it was first to subdue carnal confidence in himself, he was prone to think himself stronger then he was, or that he should be upheld, that something or other should keep him from death, that he might subdue carnal confidence, and then that he might trust in God, it was all for these two ends: That we might not trust in ourselves, (or in any means) but in God that raiseth the dead.
Was St. Paul to learn to trust in God, that had been so long a Scholar in Christ's School, nay, a Master in Israel, was he to learn to trust in God?
Yes, doubtless he was: it is a lesson that is hardly learned: and it is a lesson that we shall be learning all our life, to go out of ourselves, and out of the creature, and to go further into God, to rely more and more upon him; it is a lesson that we can never learn as we ought. Therefore weak Christians ought not to be discouraged, when they find defects, and weakness in their trust: (our hearts are false and prone to trust outward things) but do they groan under their corruptions? do they complain of themselves? do they go out of themselves? their estate is good. The estate of a Christian it is a growing, it is a conflicting estate: he comes not to full trust and confidence in God, till he have gathered many experiments, till God have exercised him to the proof thoroughly: therefore let them not be discouraged. A Christian is not always like himself, he is in a growing estate. There is a weak faith, and a strong faith, Oh ye of little faith. The Disciples had a little faith, as well as Abraham, that was strong in faith. As long as we are on the complaining hand, and on thestriving hand, and growing hand, all is hopeful. St. Paul himself still strived against self-confidence, and still learned to trust in God more and more.
But mark the order; first, God doth all this, that we should not trust in ourselves: but that is not the thing he doth mainly aim at, but another thing, that we should trust in God who raiseth the dead: whence we may observe, that
His proper work is not to drive us out of ourselves, that is a work subordinate to a higher; but the furthest and last work is, that we should trust in him, as the Prophet saith, God doeth a strange work, he doth a work strange to himself, that he may do his own work: he doth a work that doth not concern him so properly, that he may do his own work, as he is God, that is, to confirm and settle us upon himself. But that he may do this, he must set us out of ourselves by crosses and afflictions; that is not his own proper work, to afflict us, and to bring us low: for he is the Father of mercies; but that he may do his own work, to bring us to him, and then do good to us, he must take this in his way, and do this first. To make it clear. A Carpenter, he pulls down a house; he takes it in pieces, his Art is not to pull down houses, but to build them up: but he doth that which doth not belong to him properly, that he may do that which doth belong to him: for he will not build upon a rotten foundation. So neither will God build upon a rotten foundation, he will not build upon carnal confidence, upon carnal trust, upon pride, and covetousness, but he will demolish that rotten foundation with afflictions and crosses; he will use such means that we shall have small joy to trust in sin, he will by crosses and afflictions force us to go from our sins, he will demolish that rotten foundation, that he may raise up an excellent edifice, and frame of the new creature, that shall endure to everlasting; the work of a Physician is to cure nature, and not to weaken it, it is not his work to make people sick, but to make them sound, if the body be distempered, it must be weakened, he must carry the burden of ill, and noisesome humors, before it be strengthened; to make people sound, he must give them strong purgations, that shall afflict them, and affect them, as much as the disease for a while, but all is to make them lighter and stronger after, when they are eased of the burden of noisome humors: and so it is in every other trade. So God shows his skill in this great matter in bringing us to Heaven this way; he doth that work which doth not properly concern him, to work at last his own blessed good work: he afflicts us to drive us out of ourselves, that we may come at last to trust in him, in whom is all our happiness and good.
The reason of it is clear; for in a succession of contraries, there must be a removing of one contrary, before another can be brought in. If a vessel be to be filled with a contrary liquor, the first must have a vent, it must be emptied of the worse that the better may come. So it is with us, we are full of self-confidence, as a vessel of naughty liquor, out must that go, that better things may come in. So it is in plowing and in everything else, this is taken as a principle in nature; the order generally is this: that we should not trust in ourselves, that we might be brought to trust in God; he brings us low, to receive the sentence of death, to drive us out of ourselves, that he may bring us to rely on him
The Use we should make of it, among many others is this, That we should not take offense at God, when he is about his strange work (as we think) when he is making us sick with Physic, with afflictions, and troubles. Let us not think that he hates us; doth the Physician hate the Patient when he makes him sick? perhaps he stays a good while from him, till his Physic have wrought thoroughly, but he doth not hate him, but gives it time, and suffers it to have its work, that so he may recover himself. Doth the gold-smith hate his precious metal, when he puts it into the fire, and suffers the fire to work upon it? what is lost? nothing but the dross: What is lost in the body by sickness? the ill humors that load the body, and distemper the actions, and functions of it, that it cannot work as it should, there is nothing lost, but that that may well be spared: so when God goes about his work, he afflicts thee, and follows thee with losses and crosses, he takes away friends and credit, this outward thing, and that: all this is to give thee a purge, he works a strange work, that he may work his own work, that he may bring thee to himself.
Therefore let us be far from murmuring at this blessed work of God: let us rather bless God for his care this way, that he will not suffer us to perish with the world God might have suffered us to rot upon our dregs, that we should have no changes, as the world hath not: but he hath more care of us then so. The Husbandman will not plow in the Wilderness, the heathy ground shall go unplowed long enough, he loves it not so well, as to sow good seed there: so when God takes pains, & is at cost with any man, when he purgeth him, and plows him, and hammers him, all this is to consume that which is naught, to plow up the weeds, to fit him for the blessed seed of grace, to fit him for comfort here, and glory in another world: why then should we murmur against God? let us rather be thankful, especially when we see the blessed issue of this, when we see our earthly mindedness abated, when we see ourselves more heavenly-minded, when we see ourselves weaned from the world, when we see ourselves take more delight in communion with God: then, Blessed be God for crosses and afflictions, that he hath taken the pains, and would be at the cost with us to exercise us. It is a ground not only of patience, but of thankfulness, when God humbles us: be not discontent man, grudge not, murmur not, God doth a work that seems strange to thee, and which is not his own proper work, that he may do his own work; that he may bring thee nearer to himself, why dost thou murmur at thy own good?
The Patient cries out of the Physician, that he torments him, he hears him well enough, but he will not be advised by his patient, he means to advise him, and to rule him: he would fain have comfort, he is in pain, and cries for ease: but his time is not yet come. So let us wait, and not murmur under crosses, God is doing one work, to bring to pass another: he brings us out of ourselves, that he may bring us nearer to himself.
And another Use that we may make of it, let us examine ourselves, whether our afflictions and crosses have had this effect in us, to bring us to trust in him more; if they have, all is well: but if they make us worse, that we fret and murmur, and feel no good by them, it is an ill sign: for God doth bring us low that we may not trust in ourselves, but in him; Quem praesentia mala non corrigunt, &c. Whom the presence of ill, and grievance amends not, they bring to eternal grievance. This is Ahaz, saith the Scripture: a strange man, a wicked King, that notwithstanding God followed him with judgments, yet he grew worse, and worse: This is Ahaz, he might well be branded. When a man belongs to God, everything brings him nearer to God: when a man is brought to be more humble, and more careful, and more watchful every way, to be more zealous, more heavenly minded: it is a blessed sign that God then is working a blessed work, to force him out of himself, and to bring him nearer himself, to trust in him. This we cannot too much consider of.
It should teach us likewise this, that we judge not amiss of the generation of the righteous, when we see God much humbling them, when we see him follow them with sickness, with troubles and disgraces in the world, perhaps with terror of consience, with descertions, be not discouraged: if he be thy friend censure him not, add not affliction to his affliction; is not his affliction enough? thou needest not to add thy unjust censure, as Job said to his friends. The more we are afflicted of God, the more good he intends to work to us, the end is to bring us from ourselves to trust in him.
It is a wicked disposition in men that know not the ways of God, they are ignorant of the ways that he takes with his children: when they see men that are Christians, that they are humbled and cast down and troubled, they think they are men forsaken of God, &c. alas, they do not know God's manner of dealing, he casts them down that he may raise them up: they receive the sentence of death against themselves that he may comfort them after, that he may do them good in their latter end. Let this therefore keep us from censuring of other men in our thoughts, for this hard course which God seems to take with them.
And let us make this Use of it, when we are in any grievance, and God follows us still, let us mourn and lament the stubbornsse of our hearts, that will not yield. God intends to draw us near to him, to trust in him: if we would do this, the affliction would cease, except it be for trial, and for the exercise of Grace, and for witness to the truth. When God afflicts sometime for trial, and for witness, there is a spirit of Glory in such a case, that a man is never afflicted in mind: but, I say, when God follows us with sickness, with crosses, with loss of friends, and we are not wrought upon, let us censure our hard hearts that force God to take this course.
And justice God in all this, Lord thou knowest I could not be good without this, thou knowest I would not be drawn without this: bring me near to thyself that thou mayest take away this heavy hand from me. The intemperate man that is sick makes the Physician seem cruel. It is because I set my affections too much on earthly things, that thou followest me with these troubles: we force God to do this. A Physician is forced to bring his Patient even to skin and bone; an intemperate Patienr sometimes, that hath surfeited upon a long distemper, he must bring him to Deaths door, even almost to death, because his distemper is so settled upon him, that he cannot otherwise cure him: So it is with God the Physician of our souls, he must bring us wondrous low, we are so prone, so desperately addicted to present things, to trust to them, and to be proud of them, and confident in them, that God must deal as a sharp Physician: he must bring us so low, or else we should never be recovered of our perfect health again, and all is that we might trust in God.
Observe we from hence another point, that
He takes liberty to take away health, and liberty, and friends, to take away comforts: but whatsoever he takes away, he intends the good of the soul in the first place. And all the ills that he inflicts upon us they are to cure a worse ill, the ill of the soul, to cure an unbelieving heart, a worldly, proud, carnal heart, which is too much addicted to earthly things. We see here how God dealt with St, Paul: all was to build up his soul in trust and confidence in God, all was for the soul.
The reason is, other things are vanishing, the soul is the better part, the eternal part: if all be well with the soul, all shall be well otherwise at last. If it be well with the soul, the body shall do well: though God take liberty to humble us with sickness, and with death itself: yet God will riase the body and make it glorious: a good soul will draw it after it at last, and move God to make the body glorious. But if the soul be naught, let us cherish and do what we will with the body, both will be naught at last.
This life is not a life to regard the body: we are dead in that while we live, the sentence of death is passed, we must die, we are dying every day, The body is dead because of sin, we are going to our grave; every day takes away a part of our life.
This is not a life for this body of ours, it is a respite to get assurance of an eternal estate in heaven. God takes our wealth, and liberty, and strength, &c. That he may help our souls, that he may work his own blessed work in our souls, that he may lay a foundation of eternal happiness in our souls.
Therefore hence we should learn to resign our bodies, and estates to God, Lord, do with me what thou wilt, only cure my soul, only strengthen my faith, I give thee liberty with all my heart to take what thou wilt, so thou save my soul, give me not up to an unbelieving heart, to an hypocritical, false heart, to false confidence, to trust in false grounds, and to perish eternally: for my estate and body, do what thou wilt. We should be brought to this, why? because indeed the state of the soul is the true state either in good or ill, if all be naught with that, all will be naught at last, we shall try it to our cost.
And therefore let us even rather thank God, and desire God to go on with his work; Lord, rather then thou shouldest give me up to a hard heart, to a stubborn heart, and perish and have no sound change, rather then suffer me to perish thus, use me as thou wilt.
And thank him when we find any degree of goodness or faith. Lord, thou mightest have followed me with outward blessings, and so have given me up in my soul to hypocrisy, and to pride, that I should never have felt the power of grace, that I should never have known thee, or myself thoroughly, or the vanity of outward things: but this thou hast not done, thou hast not given me liberty in outward things, that thou mightest do good to my soul, blessed be thy Name: Let us not only take it well, but thankfully at God's hands. To proceed,
The foundation must be laid: for the soul is a creature, and a dependant creature, somewhat it must have to rely on: as all weak dependant things have somewhat to depend on. The Vine is a weak plant, it must have the Elm or somewhat to rely on, it will sink else, it will become unfruitful, and unprofitable. All things that are weak, are supported by somewhat that is stronger. It is an inclination, and instinct in things that are weak to look for supply from things that are stronger then themselves to support them: and it is their happiness to be so. The creatures that are unreasonable are guided by those that have reason, by men; and the creatures that are reasonable are guided by Superiors, by God, and by Angels that are above them, and have the care and charge over them. It is the happiness of weaker things to be under the supportation of that which is stronger. And some support it will have, good or bad.
The soul, if it have not God, it will have pleasures, it will have profit. The worst of men that think there is little for them in heaven, by reason of their blasphemy, and filthy courses, they will have base pleasures to go to, that they will trust to, and carnal acquaintance to solace themselves withal. The worst of men will have some dirty thing or other, to give their souls to, to support themselves withal, something the soul will have.
God loves the soul, and hath made it for himself, and as he hath made it for himself, to join with himself, to solace himself in it (My son, give me thy heart:) so when he takes it from outward things, he will not have it empty, to rely upon nothing, but he takes it to himself. All this is to take our hearts from ourselves, and from felfconfidence, that we may trust in him. God is for the heart, and that is for him, as I said, he calls for it, My son, give me thy heart, give me thy affection of trust, of joy, of delight; all the affections they are made for God, and for heaven, and heavenly things. Our affections that we have, they are not made for riches. Our Souls are not made for them; the soul is larger then they, they will not content the soul. The soul is a spiritual substance, and they are outward things: the soul is large, they are scanty in their extent: they are uncertain, and momentary, the soul is an eternal thing, it out-lives those things: and thereupon the soul is not made for them, and they are not made for the soul.
They are to give contentment to the outward man for a while here, they are made for our pilgrimage, to comfort us in the way to heaven: but the soul is not for them.
The soul is the Chamber, and the Bed, and as it were the Cabinet for God himself, and Christ to rest in only.
All outward things must be kept out of the heart: we may use them: but we must keep them out of the heart, it is not for them. We must not joy in them, and solace ourselves, and delight in them over-much, further then we seek God in them, and enjoy God in them: but as they are sensible things, the heart is not for them: therefore God takes the heart from self-confidence, and from other things: he suffers it not to wander, but he takes it to himself, that we may trust in him.
The next thing then that we may observe is, that when we go out of ourselves, we must have somewhat to rely on, which is better then all things else; we lose not by the change, but when we are stripped of ourselves, and of all earthly things we have God to go to.
God is the proper object of trust of the Christian soul: he is the object of trust as well as the author of it, he is the cause and worker of it by his Spirit, and he is the object of it. If we trust to other things, it must be as they are God's Instruments, as they are God's means: but if we trust anything, either wealth, or friends, or anything, to neglect the worship of God or to please ourselves in it, to put our hands to ill courses in confidence of the creature, in confidence of men, or anything else, to take any false cause in hand, this is to trust them above their respect. We must trust to them as Instruments, as voluntary Instruments which God may use when he pleaseth, or not use when he pleaseth. When we use them otherwise, we forget their nature, then we use them not as Instruments, but as the chief, we forget the order.
God is the object of trust, we must rest on him for Grace, and glory: for the best things, and for the things of this life as far as they are good.
So far as we trust to anything else, to move us to security, to rest in them, or to sin for them, it is a sinful trust. Other things we may trust: but in the nature of vain Instruments, changeable Instruments, that God may alter and change: he that is rich today, may be poor tomorrow: he that hath a friend today, may have him taken away tomorrow: and so all outward things, they are changeable and mutable: but we may trust God all times alike, he is eternal, he is infinitely able, and infinitely wise to know all our grievances. We may trust him with our Souls, with our Hearts, he is faithful, and loving, and eter nall as our souls are. He gives eternity to the soul: Therefore at all times we may trust in him, in all places, everywhere, he knows our hearts, he knows our grievance everywhere, he hath all grounds of one that may be trusted to, he hath power, and goodness, and mercy, and wisdom, he is the object of trust.
But how considered is he the object of trust, God out of Christ Mediator?
Oh no, God in covenant with us in Christ, he is the object of trust: or else there is such a distance, and contrariety between man's nature, & God, that he'is a consuming fire. Since the fall from the covenant of works, we cannot be saved by that, but he hath vouchsafed to be ours in a better covenant in Christ, in whom all the promises are Yea, and Amen. This good comes from God to us by Christ, Christ first receives it, and he derives it to us, as our elder brother, and as our head. All the promises are made in him, and through him: he receives it for us, we receive it at the second hand. God hath filled him first, And of his fullness we receive Grace for Grace.
Without him we can do nothing: with him we can do all things. So we trust in God reconciled, God made ours in the Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ, who hath made our peace. Else God is a sealed fountain: he is a fountain of good, but a sealed fountain. Christ hath opened this fountain, his love is open to Christ, and derived to Christ, in whom our flesh is, he is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, that we might be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh by being united with him. So now we trust in him, as God the Father of Christ, reconciled. I believe in God the Father Almighty, as it is in the Creed, God thus considered is the object of trust. There are two objects of trust; God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and Christ Mediator.
If this be so that God reconciled now is the object of trust, for all things that are good, not only for salvation, but for Grace, and for all comforts, to bring us to heaven, then we see the vanity of all other confidence whatsoever, as I touched before.
And is it not a blessed thing that God will be trusted, that he hath made himself such a one as we may trust him? Now blessed be God for Christ, that he having received satisfaction to his justice by him he may be trusted, and desires that we should trust him: that now in Christ he hath made himself a Father, that we should not fear him, nor run away from him: It is a great favor that God will be trusted of us, that he will honor us so much.
He accounts it an honor when we trust him, but indeed it is an honor to us that we have a throne of grace through Christ to go to, that he hath devised a way that we might trust him, and not run from him: that we may go to him in Christ, who sits at his right hand, who is our intercessor, who hath redeemed us with his precious Blood. It is our happiness that he hath made himself a gracious, and loving Father, that he calls us to him, and thinks himself honored by our trusting in him.
He is the object of trust, and it is a main duty, it is a spring of duty out of which all comes: for we see here, all doth aim at this: afflictions they come to mortify our self-confidence: self-confidence is subdued that we may trust in God: our trust must be carried to him, he is the object of it: and this trust in God is a main duty which in this world we ought to labor for. It is that that God doth aim at, and it is that that we should aim at. God doth aim at it in exercising of us; and we should aim at it on our part, in our hearing, in our receiving the Sacrament, in everything, that our trust and affiance and confidence may be in God, and that we may grow more and more in it.
Well, since God is the object of trust, and trust is such a necessary grace, that God doth all to bring us to trust in him: Let us come to search ourselves, how shall we know whether we trust in God, or no. And then to direct us, how to come to trust in him, to give some means and helps.
He trusts in God reconciled in Jesus Christ that flies to him in extremity: that a man trusts unto, that when he is pinched he flies unto. How shall a man know that he is a covetous worldling? if he be in extremity, he goes to his purse, he makes a friend of that. How shall a man know that he trusts to the arm of flesh, that he trusts his friend too much? in extremity he runs to him, presently he goes to a friend he hath: what we run to, that our trust is in. A Christian he runs to his God: and happy is that Christian that is in Covenant, that he hath a God to run to in all extremities, in sickness, in death, at all times: he is happy that he hath a God when all fails to trust in.
Wilt thou know therefore whether thou trustest in God or no? whither goest thou? A carnal man he goes to one earthly prop or other: if God answer him not presently, then he goes with Saul to the witch, to the Devil himself perhaps: if God do not send him present help, he goes to one carnal help or other, to fetches of his wit, to policy, to crack his Conscience, to bear out things with Impudence: he hath not learned to trust in God, and he runs not to him, but to some wicked course or other.
All that go not to God in the use of good means (for we must put that in, we must go to God in the use of his means, in the use of good means only) they trust not God; for God will not be tempted, but trusted, we must go to him by prayer, and in the use of lawful means, and only of lawful means; or else if we trust him and do not use the means, we tempt him: we must serve God's providence in using the means.
Therefore secondly, he that trusts in God useth his means, he that trusts God for a harvest must plow, and sow, and do all that belongs to the providence of God.
So a Merchant that will increase hisestate, he must get a ship, and other provision to do it with: for we must serve God's providence as well as trust God's providence. When we neglect good and lawful means, and run into ill courses, and use ill means, we serve not God, nor trust him. Those that grow rich by calling Evil good, and good Evil, they have not learned to trust in God. Those that think except they leave their posterity great they shall not be happy, and therefore they will neglect the Sabbath, and neglect all to scrape an estate. Is this to trust in God? have they learned to trust in God, when sacrilegiously they take away the time dedicated for the salvation of their souls, and the service of God? Is this one means that God hath ordained to trust him in? They that flatter, and serve men's humors when they know them to be in a naughty and ill way, is this to trust God, when they go out of his means and way, and make an Idol of flesh and blood to serve their own turn?
Alas! we need not name these things, if men had learned what it is to trust in God, and depend upon him in the use of lawful means, and would rather be content to want in this world then to have anything with a cracked conscience.
I befeech you, let us examine our own hearts in this; there are many that think they trust in God when they do not: they trust their policy, they trust flesh and blood, and by consequence they trust the Devil, if they trust not in God.
In the next place he that trusts in God, his mind will be quieted in some comfortable measure when he hath used the means that are lawful, and cast himself upon God, he will be quiet, and let God work then. When he hath taken pains in his calling, lawfully, and desired God's blessing, if God send wealth, so it is: if not, he is not much troubled, he knows that all shall be for the best to them that trust in God; when he cannot have it in the use of lawful means, he is quiet. He that trusts a Physician, when he hath used the direction of the Physician he is quiet, he thinks he is a wise man, an experienced Physician, and now he will not trouble his mind any longer: if a man vex himself, and think all will not be well, he doth not trust his Physician. And so in other professions we trust to a man's Counsel, if we think him wise, and honest, we follow his direction, and then we will be quiet.
Now God is infinitely wise: when we have used lawful means, and commended the means to God (for as he will be trusted in, so he will be sought unto. I will be sought to by the house of Israel for this: for except we pray to him, he is not trusted: but when we have prayed to him, in the use of lawful means, let us be quiet, let us not be distracted with dividing cares obout this and that, as if there were not a God in heaven that had care of us, that had a providence over things below; certainly he hath, do thou do thy work, and let him alone with his work. The care of duty belongs to thee; when thou hast done thy duty, rest thou quiet, or else thou honourest him not as a God, thou trustest him not, thou dost not make a God of him: it is a great dishonor to God.
A man thinks himself dishonored, when he is not trusted, when we see he hath always been faithful to us, and is so reputed, and yet we call his credit in question, and will not be quiet. We should do as Children do, they follow their books, and let their Father take care for all provision, for meat and drink, and clothes and such things: they beat not their heads about it, they know they have a Father that will take care for that. If we were true Children of God, and have the disposition of heavenly Children, we will do so; if we trouble ourselves, and beat our heads, it is a sign, that we fear that God is not our Father: therefore I add that to other signs, a resting of ourselves quiet. When we are quiet, God will do more, then when we vex ourselves. Be still, and see the salvation of the Lord, saith Moses at the Red-Sea: so let us be still, and quiet, and see the Salvation of God: he will work wonders.
Again, it is a sign that we trust in God, when there are no means: yet notwithstanding we will not despair: but hope and trust in God: when we see nothing in the eye of flesh and blood, no means of recovery: yet we trust in God: he can work his way though we see not how, he can make a passage for us. When God is thus honored, he works wonders. This is to make a God of him, when there is no means, to believe that he can work against means. If my life shall be for his glory and my good, he can recover my life, though the Physician say I am a dead man: if he have employment for me in this world, he can do it: he can work with means, or against means, or without means. And so in desperate troubles: if God see it good for me, he can deliver me though there be no means: he is the Creator of means, do not tie him to his own creature; if all be taken away, he can make new.
Again, he trusts in God that labors to make God his friend continually: for he whom we trust unto we will not provoke: certainly we will not provoke a man whom we mean to make our friend. Those that live in swearing, in defiled courses, in contempt of God, and of holy things, of the ordinances of God, of the day appointed to holy and religious uses, those that wax stubborn against God, as the Scripture speaks; do we trust him against whom we walk stubbornly? Will a man trust him that he makes his enemy by wicked courses? Thou makest God thy enemy, and provokest him to his face, to try whether he will pour vengeance upon this or no. He tells thee thou shalt not be upunished if thou take his Name in vain; yet thou wilt be stubborn, and not make conscience of these things. Dost thou trust him? No, thou provokest him; thou mayest trust him, but it must be to damn thee, to give thee thy reward with rebels, thou mayest trust him for that: but for good things thou doest not, thou canst not trust him in wicked courses.
Who will trust his enemy, especially he that he hath made his enemy by his ill course of life? A man that goes on in an evil course, he cannot, he doth not trust in God.
He that trusts in God's promise, will trust in his threatening: where there is an Evangelical faith, there is a legal faith always. He that believes that God will save him if he trust in Christ, he believes that if he do not believe in Christ he will damn him, if he live in his natural course without repentance.
There is a legal faith of the curse as well as an Evangelical of the promise, they are both together: if thou do not believe God's curse in wicked courses, thou wilt never believe him for the other. Therefore I will add this to make up the evidences of trust in God: True trust looks to God's truth, and promise, and Word in one part of it as well as another. Thou trusts God for thy salvation, and the promises of that: but thou must trust him for the direction of thy life too. Faith doth not single out some objects, I will believe this, and not that: faith is carried to all the objects, it believes all God's truths: therefo if I believe not the threatenings, and the directions, to be ruled by them, I believe not the promises: in what measure thou believest the promise of mercy to save thy soul, in that measure thou believest the directions of God's Word to guide thy soul. He that receives Christ as a Priest to save him, he must receive him as a King to rule him.
All the directions, and all the threatenings, and all the promises must be received and believed.
A man hath no more faith, and trust in God then he hath care to follow God's direction: for faith is carried to all divine truths, all come from the same God. Thousands go to hell, and think, O, God is a merciful God, and I will trust in him, but how is thy life, is it carried by God's directions? thou art a rebel, thou livest in sins against conscience: thou wilt trust in God in one part of his Word, and not in another, thou must not be a chooser.
Again, the last that I will name at this time, if thou trust God for one thing, undoubtedly thou wilt trust him for all: if thou trust him with thy Soul, certainly thou wilt trust him with thy Children. Some men hope to be saved by Christ: O, he will be merciful to their souls, and yet even to their Death they use corrupt courses, to get an estate, and to make their Children rich, and except they have so much, they will not trust in God. If they have nothing to leave them, they think not that there is a God in heaven who is a better Father then they. Put cafe thou hast nothing, hast thou not God's blessing? canst thou trust thy soul with God, and canst thou not trust him with thy family? Is he not the God of thy seed? hath he not made the promise to thy posterity, as well as to thyself? If thou trust him for one thing thou wilt trust him for all. Wilt thou trust him for Heaven, and wilt thou not trust him for provision, for daily bread? Wilt thou not trust him for this or that: but thou must use unlawful means? He that trusts God, he trusts him for all truths, and for all things needful, with his Family, with his Body, with his Soul, with all. And so much for the trials, whether we trust in God or no.
Let us not deceive ourselves, it is a point of infinite consequence, as much as the salvation of our souls. What brings men to hell, in the Church? false confidence: they trust to false things, or they think they trust in God when indeed they do not.
The fault of a ship is seen in a tempest: and the fault of a house is seen when winter comes. Thy trust that is thy house that thou goest to, and restest in, the fault of that will be seen when thou comest to extremity; in the hour of death, then thou hast not a God to go to, then thy conscience upbraids thee, thou hast lived by thy shifts in carnal confidence, and rebellion against God, and how canst thou then willingly trust God whom thou hast made thine enemy all thy life-time?
To go then to some helps. If upon search we find that we do not so trust in God as we should: Let us lament our unbelieving hearts, complain to God of it: desire God, whatsoever he doth, that he would honor us so much as that we may honor him by trusting in him: for it is his glory, and our salvation.
But, because (I will not go out of the text;) the best way is (that which follows) to know God as he is.
How come we to trust a man? When we know his Honesty, his Fidelity, his Wisdom, and his sufficiency, then we trust him: therefore St. Paul adds here, that we should Trust in God that raiseth the dead, that is, in God Almighty. From whence I raise this general, that
We know his attributes by his principal works, we know his nature by his works, as here is one of the principal set down, he is God that raiseth the dead. A sound sanctified trust in God is by knowing of him, They that know thy Name, will trust in thee, Psal, 9.
There are three ways of the knowledge of God.
- His
-
- Nature.
- Promises.
- Works.
To know what he hath engaged himself in, in all the promises that concern us: and then to know his strength, how able he is to make good them promises
And then to know his works, how his nature hath enabled him to make good those promises: Especially his nature, as to consider his goodness, and his wisdom: every attribute indeed doth enforce trust: for he is good freely, he is good to us, of his own bowels. We may trust him that hath made himself a Father, out of hiw own mercy in Christ when we were enemies. His goodness and wisdom is infinite as himself, and his power and his truth. As the scripture saith ofttimes, Faithful is God that hath promised,
St. Bernard a good man in Evil times, saith he, I consider three things in which I pitch my hope and trust, Charitatem adoptionis, the love of God in making me his Child: and Veritatem promissionis, the truth of God in performing his promise: his Love is such to make me his Child: his truth is such to perform his promise.
Thirdly, I consider his power that is able to make good that, that he hath promised. This threefold cable is a strong one: his love in adoption, his truth in performing his promise, and his power in making good all this. This threefold cable will not easily be broken. Let my Sottish flesh murmur against me as long as it will: as the flesh will murmur, who art thou that thou darest trust in God? What is thy merit that thou hopest for such great glory? No, no, saith he, I know whom I have believed, as Saint Paul saith. I answer with great confidence against my Sottish murmuring flesh, I know whom I have trusted. He is able, he is good, he is true. This that Holy man had to exercise his faith.
I name it, because it is the temper, of all believing souls that are so in truth. The believing heart considers the nature of God, the promise of God, and though the murmuring rebellious flesh say, what art thou? how darest thou that art flesh and blood look to God? O, he is faithful he is good, and gracious in Christ, he hath made himself a Father, I know whom I have believed, God is all-sufficient.
Trust and confidence doth grow in the soul, in what measure and proportion the knowledge of him whom we trust in grows, and as his strength grows: the more rich and strong a man grows in whom I trust, and the more gracious and good he grows, and the more my knowledge of him is increased with it too, that I see he is so able, so true, so loving a man, a man so affected to me: the more he grows, and my knowledge of him, the more my trust is carried to him. So a Christian the more he considers the infiniteness of God's love, of his wisdom and goodness, the more he is carried in trust, and confidence to it.
Not to trouble you with many places, the 62. Psal. is an excellent Psal. for trust and confidence in God; the whole Psal. is to that purpose, to stir up himself to trust in God: for that follows knowledge, when upon knowledge we rouse up our hearts, God is my rock, and my salvation, and defense. Is he so? then, my soul, trust in God: he chargeth it upon his soul, Therefore I will trust in God. And then he blames his soul, Is God so? Why art thou so disquieted, O my soul?
This is the exercise of a Christian heart, when upon sound knowledge he can charge his soul to trust in God, and check his soul, Why art thou cast down? still trust in God. Why dost thou not trust in him? Is he not true? Is he not wise? He is The God of my salvation. And in verse 8. Trust in God at all times, in prosperity, in adversity: why? God is my refuge.
There he sets forth his nature. If our troubles be never so many, there is somewhat in God that is answerable: as in Psal. 18. He is a rock, and a shield: he hath somewhat in him that is opposite to every ill.
And withal, Pour out thy heart to God: for where there is trust, there is prayer. Trust in God at all times, and pour out thy heart before him; for he is our refuge.
And so, Trust not in oppresion, and Robbery: If-riches increase, set not your hearts upon them: for God hath spoken once, and twice, that power belongs to God. Trust not any other thing but God. Power and Mercy belong to him. This is a notable way to trust in God, to know that power and mercy belong to him. If another man love me, hath not God another man's heart in his hand? The Kings heart is in his hand: therefore trust in God for the favor of men. Hath he not all the power? that that another man hath that affects me, it is but a derived power from him: he hath inclined him to do good to me. All Mercy, and Love, it is from God, and he turns and disposeth it as it pleaseth him; as it is the Scripture-phrase, the language of Canaan, the heart is in God's hands, he inclined the heart of such a man. The knowledge of God, with prayer, and stirring up ourselves to trust in God, and checking our souls for the contrary, it is a notable means to trust in God.
And though we feel no present comfort from God, trust him for his word, trust him for his promise; though he seem now to be a God hidden. As a Child in the dark he holds his Father fast by the hand, he sees not his Father, but he knows his Fathers hand is strong: and though he see him not, yet he believes it is his Father, and holds him though it be in the dark.
Men they cast anchor in the dark, at midnight, though they cannot see, yet they know that the anchor will hold fast. Cast anchor upon God, in darkness and temptation, hold God fast in the dark night, although we see nothing: we shall always find this, that he is a God able to fulfill his promise, that he is a true, and faithful, and able God; cast anchor in him therefore, though thou feel, or see nothing, be sure in all extremities to trust in God.
Besides other things, trust in God is properly, and primarily wrought by the promises; trust in God so far as he hath discovered himself to be trusted. I can trust a man no further then I have a writing or a word of mouth from him, or a message from him.
Now what have we from God to trust him for? we have his Word written, and that is sealed by the Sacrament. The way to trust in God therefore is to know the promises.
The general promises that do concern all Christians, and all conditions, and estates of men. God will be a Sun and a Shield: a Sun for all good, and a Shield to keep away all evil: and no good thing shall be wanting to him that lives a godly life. Again, general promises for issue, All things shall work for good to them that love God, Romans 8. 28. And, he will give his Spirit to them that ask him. It is a general promise to all askers whatsoever, that they shall have the Spirit of God, which is a promise that hath all particular graces in it: for the Spirit is the Fountain of all grace, it is the Spirit of Love, of Faith, of Hope, all are in the promise of the Spirit, and God hath promised this. Let us trust in God for these general things.
And for particular promises, he hath made a promise to be a Husband to the Widow, and a Father to the Fatherless. He will regard the cause of the Widow, and he is a God that comforteth he Abject. He hath made promises to those that are afflicted, to all estates, and conditions of men; trust in God for these.
But how? he hath made these with conditions in regard of outward things: Let us trust him so far forth as he hath promised, that is, he will either protect us from dangers or give us patience in dangers: he will give us all outward things, or else contentment which is better: take him in that latitude: trust in him as he will be trusted to: for outward things' he will either give the things, or give the grace which is better; he will either remove the grievance, or he will plant the grace which is better. If he remove not the evil he will give patience to bear it, and what do I lose if he give me not the good thing; if he give me contentment? I have grace to supply it which makes me a better man.
If he give me the thing without the Grace what am I the better? a carnal Reprobate may have that.
So let us trust him, as he will be trusted: for Grace and spiritual things, all shall be for our good without fail; but for the things of this life, either he will give them, or else graces.
Let us trust God therefore, as he will be trusted in his word and promises.
Now this trusting of God, (to speak a little to the present purpose, because Saint Paul was now in great affliction, when he learned to trust in God: he was in fear of Death.) Let us see how we are to exercise this trust in great crosses, and in the hour of Death. St. Paul was in these two.
The point is very large, and I will take it only according to the present scope.
How doth a Christian exercise trust in extremity, in extreme crosses? for then he must go to God, he hath none else to go to: he is beaten, from the creature, and as I said before, the soul will have somewhat to go to. The poor creatures, the silly conies they have the rocks to go to, as Solomon saith: the Soul that hath greater understanding, it is necessitated to trust in God in afflictions. Then the soul must say to God, Lord, if thou help not, none can: as Jehoshaphat said in 2. Chron. 20. We know not what to do, but our eyes are to thee. In great afflictions we exercise trust, because we are forced.
And because then we are put to this, we put the promises in suit, the promises made to us for extremity. In Isaiah 43. 2. he hath promised to be with us in the fire, and in the water. There is a promise of God's presence: and the soul improves that: Lord, thou hast promised to be present in great perils and dangers, as there are two of the greatest specified, fire, and water. Thou hast promised thou wilt be present, with us in the fire, and in the water: now, Lord, make good thy promise, be thou present. And when God makes good this promise of presence, then the Soul triumphs, as in Psal. 23. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, because thou art with me, Lord. So in Psal, 27. he begins triumphantly: The Lord is my shield, whom shall I fear? of whom shall I be afraid. Let us exercise our trust this way in extremity. God is with us, and who can be against us, saith the Apostle? Thus the Christian soul lives by trusting in God, in all extremity of crosses whatsoever: the soul is forced to God, and claims the promises of presence.
And not only the promise of his presence, but the promise of support and comfort, and of mitigation. There is a promise in 1. Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength. Here faith is exercised, Lord, I am in a great cross now, I am in afflictions, thou hast promised that thou wilt not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able to bear.
Now make good this promise of thine, be present, and be present by way of mitigation, either pull down the cross, and make it less: or raise up my strength, and make that greater: for thou hast promised that thou wilt not suffer us to be tempted above our strength.
And then the soul lives by faith of the issue in great extremities; I am in great extremity, but I know all shall end well, Thus we trust in God in all extremity of afflictions whatsoever: in the hour of Death, when we receive the Sentence of Death, how do we then exercise trust in God?
In Psal, 16. My flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not suffer thy Holy one to see corruption: Because God did nor suffer Christ to see corruption (who is our head) therefore my flesh likewise shall rest in hope, when I die. Our head triumphed over Death, and is in Heaven, and I die in Faith, I trust in God that raised him from the Dead, who was my surety. I know my debts are paid, my surety is out of prison; Christ, who took upon him to discharge my debts, he is out of the prison of the grave, he is in heaven: therefore my flesh shall rest in hope.
If it were not for this, that Christ were risen: when we have the sentence of Death, we overlook the grave, we see ourselves in Heaven: as David saith, I should utterly have failed, but that I looked to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Then faith looks beyond Death, and beyond the grave, it looks up, and with Stephen it sees Christ at the right hand of God: we see Christ ready to receive our souls.
Then we trust in God that raiseth the dead: nay, we see ourselves as it were raised already.
Thus we see how we should trust in God, in great crosses, and in the sentence of Death. This in a word should be another ground of Patience, & not only of patience, but of contentment, in extrream crosses, in the hour of Death, that all that God doth is for this, that we may exercise trust in him. And if the Soul clasp to him, who is the Fountain of life, the chief good, it cannot be miserable: but this it doth by trust; our trust makes us one with him, it is that which brings us to God: and afflictions, and Death itself force us to exercise faith in the promises, and drive us to him. So God hath overpowered all crosses, extreme crosses, even Death itself, that he hath sanctified them to fit us to trust in him, and who can be miserable that trusts in God?
What construction should we make of crosses, and afflictions? Surely, this is to take away false confidence: this is to drive me to God: shall I be impatient and murmur at that which God hath ordained to bring me nearer to himself, to trust in him, to take away all false confidence in the creature?
No, this should cut the sinews of all carnal confidence, and make us patient, and thankful in all crosses: Because God now is seeking our good, he is drawing good out of these crosses: he labors by this to bring us nearer to himself. Blessed is that cross, blessed is that sickness, or loss of friends whatsoever, that brings us nearer to God. Why doth God take away our dear friends? that we might clinge nearer to him: because he will have us to see that he is all-sufficient.
What doth a man lose when he trusts in God, though he lose all the world? hath he not him that made the world at the first, and can make another if he please? If a man lose all, and have God (as he hath that trusts in him, and in his Word, for God will not deny his Word and truth: he that trusts in God, hath him, and if he have him) what if he be stripped of all? he can make another world with a Word of his mouth. Other things are but a beam to him: what need a man care for a beam that hath the Sun?
All the afflictions of this world are to draw or to drive us to God, whether we will or no. As the Messengers in the Gospel, to force the guests to the banquet with violence: so afflictions they are to force us to God, this blessed effect they have in all God's Children.
But those that do not belong to God, what do they in the hour of death, and in extremity? they are either blocks, as Nabal was, senseless creatures; or raging, as Cain, Achitophel, and Judas, either sots or desperate in extremity. Saul in extremity goes to the Witch, to ill means: David in all extremity he goes to prayer, he goes to his rock and shield; to God who was his all in all. He knew all this was done, to drive him to trust in God. Why art thou disquieted, O my soul? why art thou vexed in me? trust in God; all this is to make thee trust in God, he checks, and chides his own soul. A Child of God doth check himself, when his base heart would have him sink and fall down, and go to false means, then he raiseth himself up, trust in God, O my soul.
But such as Saul, proud confident hypocrites, when all outward things are taken away, they go to the Witch, to the Devil, to one unlawful means or other, and at the last to desperate conclusions, to the sword itself.
As we desire to have evidence of a good estate in grace, that we belong to God: so let us desire God that we may find him drawing us so near to him by all crosses whatsoever, that we may see in him a supply of whatsoever is taken from us. If we lose our friends, that we may trust God the more. As St. Paul speaks of the widow, 1 Tim. 5. when her Husband was alive, she trusted to him: but now she wants her former help to go to, she gives herself to prayer, she goes to God, she trusts in God. So it should be with all, when friends are taken away, we should go to God, he will supply that which is wanting. Those that are berest of any comfort, now they should go to God. What do we lose by that? we had the stream before, now we have the fountain, we shall have it in a more excellent manner in God then we had before.
And that makes a Christian at a point in this world, he is not much discouraged, whatsoever he lose, if he lose all to his life, he knows he shall have a better supply from God then he can lose in the world: therefore he is never much cast down, he knows that all shall drive him nearer to God, to trust in God. As St. Paul saith here, We received the sentence of Death, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead.
One means to settle our trust the better in God reconciled to us in the Covenant of grace through Christ, his beloved, and our beloved, is the blessed Sacrament: and therefore come to it as to a seal sanctified by God for that very purpose, to strengthen our trust in God. How many ways doth God condescend to strengthen our trust? because it is such an honor to him: for by trusting in him, we give him the honor of all his attributes, we make him a God, we set him in his throne, which we do not when we trust not in him: how many ways doth he condescend to strengthen our trust?
We have his promise, If we believe in him, we shall not perish, but have everlasting life. We have a seal of that promise, the Sacrament: and is not a broad seal a great confirmation? If a man have a grant from the King; if he have his broad seal, it is a great confirmation: though the other were good, yet the seal is stronger. So we have God's promise, and in regard of our weakness, there is a seal added to it.
If that be not enough we have more, we have his oath; he hath pawned his life, As I live, saith the Lord, &c. he hath pawned his being, as he is God, he will forgive us if we repent. We have his promise, seal, and oath; whatsoever among men may strengthen trust, and faith; God condescends unto, to strengthen our faith, because he would not have us perish in unbelief.
Besides that, he hath given us earnest: a man's trust is strengthened when he hath earnest. Every true Christian hath a blessed earnest, that is, the Comforter; he hath the Spirit in him, the first fruits; where God gives and an earnest, he will make good the bargain at the last; where he gives the first fruits, he will add the harvest. God never repents of his earnest, where he hath begun a good work, he will finish it to the day of the Lord. An earnest is not taken away, but the rest is added.
And the same Spirit that is an earnest, is also a pawn and pledge: we will trust any runagate, if we have a pawn sufficient; now God hath given us this pawn of his Spirit. Christ hath given us his Spirit, and hath taken our flesh to heaven; our flesh is there, and his Spirit is in our hearts; besides many evidences that we have in this life as pawns.
Indeed in extremity sometimes we must trust God without a pawn, upon his bare word, Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him, saith Job; but God ordinarily gives us many pawns of his love.
The Sacrament is not only a Seal of the promise, but likewise it hath another relation to strengthen our faith; it is a seizon, as a piece of earth that is given to assure possession of the whole: as a man saith, Take, here is a piece of earth, here is my land: here are the keys of my house: so in the promises sealed by the Sacrament, here is life, here is favor, here is forgiveness of sins, here is life everlasting: what can we have more to strengthen our faith? God hath condescended every way to strengthen us, if we will come in, and honor him so much as to trust him with our souls, and our salvation. Therefor let us come to the Sacrament with undoubted confidence, God will keep his credit, he will not deceive his credit, he will never forsake those that trust in him, Psal. 9. But to answer an Objection.
Oh! all these are confirmations indeed, if I did believe and trust in God, but my heart is full of unbelief: Indeed all these are made to some that believe already in some measure, they have this seal, and oath, and earnest, and pawns, and first fruits, and all, if they believe, but I cannot bring my heart to trust in God.
What hinders thee?
I am a wretched creature, a sinful creature.
Doest thou mean to be so still? It is no matter what thou hast been, but what thou wilt be. The greater the sickness, the more is the honor of the Physician in curing it: the greater thy sins, the more honor to God in forgiving such sins. Retort the temptation thus upon Satan: God works by contraries, and whom he will make righteous, he will make them to see their sins; and before he will raise us up, he will make us rotten in our graves; before he will make us glorious, he will make us miserable. I know that God by this intends that I should despair in myself: God intends that I should despair indeed, but it is that I should despair in myself, as the text saith here, that we should not trust in ourselves, when we have a sight of the vileness of our sins: but in God that raiseth the dead, that raiseth the dead soul, the despairing soul, that it should trust in him. Therefore retort the temptation upon Satan, because I see my sins, and despair in myself, therefore I trust in God. He that is in darkness and sees no light, let him trust in the Lord his God.
Mark for thy comfort, the Gospel calls men who in their own sense, and feeling think themselves furthest off: he that is poor, and sees his want, Blessed are the poor in Spirit. But I have no Grace, Oh that I had grace Blessed are they that hunger and thirst. If thou mourn for thy sins, Blessed are they that mourn.
Thou findest a heavy load of thy sins, Come unto me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will ease you. The Gospel takes away all the objections and misdoubtings of the unbelieving heart, God is so willing to come to him. Therefore stand not cavilling, interpret all to the best. God will have us to despair in ourselves, that we may trust in him; and then we are fittest to trust in God, when we despair in ourselves, then we make God all in all; he hath righteousness enough, holiness enough, satisfaction enough, he hath all enough for thee.
And for men that are not yet believers, how wondrously doth God labor to bring such men to a good hope? If they yield themselves and come in, there is an offer to everyone that will come in and take the water of life.
There is a command: he that hath commanded, Thou shalt not murder, Thou shalt not steal: he lays a charge on thee that thou believe, 1 John 3. This is his c •… mmand, that we believe in the Son of God. And think with thyself, thou committest a sin against the Gospel, which is worse then a sin against the law: for if a man sin against the law, he may have help in the Gospel: but if he sin against the Gospel, there is not another Gospel to help him. God offers thee comfor, the commands thee to trust in him, and thou rebellest, thou offendest him, if thou do not believe.
Is not here encouragement, if thou be not more wedded to thy sinful course, then to the good of thy soul? If thou wilt still live in thy sins, and wilt not trust in God, then thou shalt be damned, there is no help for thee if thou believe not, the wrath of God hangs over thy head. Thou art condemned already by nature: if thou believe not, thou needest no further condemnation, but only the execution of God's justice.
Naturally thou art born the Child of wrath, and God threateneth thee to stir thee up, and to make thee come in: he useth sweet allurements, (besides the commands and threatenings) Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you. And, Why will ye perish, O house of Israel? And, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft, &c? God complains of thee, he allures thee, he sends his Ambassadors. We are Ministers in Christ's Name to beseech you to be reconciled: to come in to cast down your weapons, your sins, to believe in God, and trust in his mercy, and to hope for all good from him. What should keep thee off, he is willing to have thee believe?
Trouble not thyself with dark scruples of his eternal decree, obey the command, obey the threaning, and put that out of doubt: if thou yield to the command, if thou obey the threatening, if thou be drawn by that, undoubtedly thou art the child of God. Put not in these doubts and janglings, things that are too high for thee till thou believe. Indeed when thou believest, then thou mayst comfort thyself, I believe, therefore I know I shall be saved: Whom he hath chosen, them he calls, and whom he calls, he justifies. I find myself freed from the sentence of condemnation in my heart, therefore I know I am called, I know I am elected: then with comfort thou mayest go to those disputes. But not before a man obeys: put those cavils out, and obey the Gospel, (when salvation is offered, when Satan puts these things to thee) when thou art threatened, and commanded.
How shall this justify God at the day of judgment against damned wretches, that have lived in the bosom of the Church, and yet would not believe? They will believe after their own fashion, if God will save them, and let them live in their sinful courses: but they will rather be damned then they will part with them. Are they not worthy to be damned? (judge thyself) that rather then they will alter their course, and receive mercy with it, rather then they will receive Christ, whole Christ, as a King and a Priest, to rule them as well as to satisfy for them: they will gild over their wicked courses and will have none of him at all: they will rather be damned then take another course, their damnation is just.
If thou take whole Christ, and yield to his government, he useth all means to strengthen thy faith after thou believest, and he useth all means to allure thee to believe. It is a point of much consequence, and all depends upon it, it is the sum of the Gospel, to trust in God, in Christ (therefore I have been a little the longer in it,) till we can bring our hearts to this we have nothing.
When we have this, then when all shall be taken from us, as it will ere long, all the friends we have, and all our comforts: yet our trust shall not be taken from us, nor our God in whom we trust shall be taken from us: we shall have God left, and a heart to trust in God that will stand us instead when all other things shall fail. That we might not trust in ourselves, but in God
These words have a double force in this place.
First, St. Paul might reason thus, I am brought to death, as low as I can be, even to receive the sentence of death, but I trust in God who will raise me when I am dead: therefore he can raise me out of sickness, though there be no means, no physic, he can do it himself. Or if it were persecution, he might reason, I am now persecuted: but God will raise me out of the grave: therefore he can raise me out of this trouble if it be for my good: It hath the force of a strong argument that way.
And it hath another force, that is, put case the worst, I received the sentence of death, that is, if I die, as I look for no other, yet I trust that God that raiseth the dead, he will raise me: the confidence of the resurrection makes me die comfortably. As we sleep quietly, because we hope to rise again, and we put our seed into the ground, with comfort, why? we hope to receive it in a more glorious manner in the harvest: so though my body be sown in the earth, it shall rise a glorious body; I trust in God, though I receive the sentence of death, yet I shall sleep in the Lord, as when I go to sleep, I hope to rise again: so I trust when the resurrection shall come, that my body shall waken, and arise. I trust in God that raiseth the dead; because he raiseth the dead, he can recover me if he will: if not, he will make this body, a glorious body afterward: so every way it was a strong argument with Saint Paul, I trust in God that raiseth the dead.
The Apostle draws an argument of comfort from God's power in raising the dead. And it is a true reason, a good argument: he that will raise the dead body out of the grave, he can raise out of misery, out of captivity: the argument is strong. Thus God comforts his people in Ezek. 37. in that parable of the dry bones, that he put life in. So the blessed Apostle St. Paul, he speaks of Abraham, Rom. 4. 17. He looked to God who quickeneth the dead, who calleth things that are not, as though they were. What made Abraham to trust in God, that he would give him Isaac again? he considered if God can raise Isaac from the dead, if he please he can give me Isaac back again: and though Isaac were the son of promise, yet he trusted God's Word, more then Isaac the son of his love. Why? he knew that God could raise him from the dead, though he had sacrificed him: he trusted in God, who quickeneth the dead.
It strengthens our faith before death, and in death. I will not enter into the common place of that point concerning the resurrection, it would be tedious and unjust, beause it is not intended here, but only it is used as a special argument. Therefore I will but touch that point.
Nature is more offended at this, then any other thing: But St. Paul makes it clear, that it is not against nature, that God should raise the dead, 1 Cor. 15. To speak a little of it, and then to speak of the use the Apostle made of it, and of the use that we may make of it. Saith the Apostle in that place, speaking to witty Atheists that thought to have cavilled out the resurrection from the dead: Thou fool, thou speakest against nature, if thou think it altogether impossible.
Look to the seed, do we not see that God every spring raiseth things that were dead? We see in the silk-worm, what an alteration there is from a fly to a worm, &c? We see what men can do by Art, they make glasses, of what? of Ashes. We see what nature can do, which is the ordinary providence of God, we see what it can do in the bowels of the earth: What is gold, and silver, and pearl? is it not water and earth, excellently digested, exquisitely concocted and digested? That there should be such excellent things of so base a creature. We see what Art and nature can do. If Art, and nature can do so great things, why do we call in question the power of God? if God have revealed his Will to do so, why do we doubt of this great point of God's raising the dead?
The Ancients had much ado with the Pagans about this point, they handled it excellently, as they were excellent in those points which they were forced to by the adversaries, and indeed they were especially sound in those points. I say they were excellent and large in the handling of this: but I will not stand upon that; it is an Article of our Creed, I believe the resurrection of the body: Indeed, he that believeth the first Article of the Creed, he will easily believe the last: he that believes in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth, he will easily believe the resurrection of the body.
But, I will rather come to show the Use of it. God will raise the dead; Therefore God's manner of working is, when there is no hope, in extremity, (as I touched before;) he raiseth us, but it is when we are dead: he doth his greatest works when there is least hope. So it is in the resurrection out of troubles, as in the resurrection of the body, when there is no hope at all, no ground in nature, but it must be his power altogether that must do it, then he falls to work to raise the dead.
Therefore our faith must follow his working, he raiseth the dead; he justifies a sinner: but it is when he is furthest from grace, a sinner despairing of all mercy: then he hath the most need of justification. He raiseth the dead, but it is then when they are nothing but dust, then it is time for him to work to raise the dead. He restores, but it is that which is lost. God never forgets his old work, this was his old manner of working at the first, (& still every day he useth it) he made all of nothing, order out of confusion, light out of darkness: This was in the creation, and the like he doth still, he never forgets his old work. This St. Paul being acquainted with he fasteneth his hope, and trust upon such a God as will raise the dead. Therefore make that use of it that the Apostle doth, when the Church is in any calamity, which is as it were a death, when it is as in that 37. of Ezekiel, dry bones, Comfort yourselves: God comforted the Church there, that he would raise the Church out of Babylon, as he raised those dead bones, the one is as easy as the other. So in the government of the Church continually he brings order out of confusion, light out of darkness, and life out of death, that is, out of extreme troubles, when men think themselves dead, when they think the Church dead, past all hope, then he will quicken, and raise it: so that he will never forget this course, till he have raised our dead bodies, and then he will finish that manner of dispensation. This is God's manner of working.
We must answer it with our faith, that is, in the greatest dejection that can be, to trust in God that raiseth the dead: Faith if it be true, it will answer the ground of it; but when it is carried to God, it is carried to him that raiseth the dead: therefore though it be desperate every way, yet notwithstanding I hope above hope, I hope in him whose course is to raise the dead; who at the last will raise the dead, and still delights in a proportion to raise men from death, out of all troubles and miseries.
Well, this God doth, and therefore carry it along in all miseries whatsoever, in soul, in body, or estate, or in the Church, &c.
God raiseth from the dead, therefore we must feel ourselves dead before we can be raised by his grace. What is the reason that a Papist cannot be a good Christian? he opposeth his own conversion; what is conversion? It is the first resurrection, the resurrection of the soul: but that which is raised must be dead first: they account not themselves dead, and therefore oppose this resurrection. And so when we are dead in grace, or comfort, let us trust in God that raiseth the dead; And so for outward condition in this life, and the estate of the Church.
The conversion of the Jews, which seems a thing so strange: when a man thinks how they are dispersed, and thinks of their poverty and disgrace, he thinks, Is this a likely matter? Remember what God hath said, he will raise the dead. And because this is a work that seems as hard as the raising of the dead, therefore their calling and conversion is called a kind of resurrection, Rom. 11. Let us hope for that: He that raiseth the body, will raise that people, (as despicable as they are,) to be a glorious people, and Church.
And so for the confusion of the man of sin, The revelation of the Gospel, when it came out of the grave of darkness, out of the Egyptian darkness of Popery, was it not a raising of the dead?
When Luther arose for the defense of the truth, a man might have said to him, What? doest thou set thyself against the whole World? go to thy cloister and say, Lord, have mercy upon us. Doest thou hope to reform the World against all the World? Alas, he trusted in God that raiseth the dead, that raiseth men to conversion when he pleaseth, and that raiseth the Church when he pleaseth, even from death. He raised the Church out of Babylon, And he will raise the Jews that now are in a dead state: why should we doubt of these things, when we believe, or profess to believe the main, the resurrection from the dead?
And every day in the Church, God is raising the dead spiritually: the dead hear the voice of Christ every day, when the Ministry is in power, when there is a blessing upon it, conveying it to the heart, then he is raising the dead. So, Wisdom is justified of her children; the Gospel is justified to be a powerful doctrine, having the Spirit of God clothing it, to raise people from the dead, those that are dead in sin.
There are none that ever are spiritually raised, but those that see themselves dead. And that is the reason why we are to abhor Popery, because it teacheth us that we are not dead in ourselves, and then there can be no resurrection to grace; for the resurrection is of the dead: the more we see a contrariety in Nature to Grace, the more fit objects we are for the divine power of God to raise, He raiseth the dead.
Thus we see how to go along with this, in all troubles, God will raise the dead, therefore he will bring me out of this trouble, if he see it good: Therefore in extremity, let us thus reason with ourselves: Now I know not which way to turn me; there is but a step between me and death: if God have any purpose to use my service furthet, he that raiseth the dead, will raise me from the grave, to him belong the issues of death, Psal. 67. he can give an evasion and escape if he will: if not if he will not deliver me, then I die in this faith that he will raise me from the dead.
This is that that upholds a Christian in extremity: This made the Martyrs so confident: this made those three young men so resolute that were cast into the fiery Furnace: what was their comfort? Surely this, God can deliver us if he will (say they) he is able to deliver us now: but if he will not do this for us, he will raise our bodies, if he will not deliver them here, there will be a final deliverance at the resurrection.
So in Heb. 11. those blessed men, they hoped for a better resurrection, and this made them confident.
This makes us confident to stand out against all the threatenings and all the crosses of the world, that we may hold our peace with God notwithstanding all the enticements, and allurements to the contrary, because we trust in God that raiseth the dead.
Again, let us learn to extract contrary principles to Satan, out of God's proceedings. What doth he reason, when we are dead, either in sin, or in misery? What hast thou to do with God? God hath forsaken thee: No, saith faith, God is a God raising the dead; the more dead I am in the eye of the world, and in my own sense, the nearer I am to God's help. I am a despairing sinner, a great sinner: but the more God will magnify his mercy, that where sin hath abounded, grace may abound much more. Retort home the argument, draw contrary principles to him, this is a divine Art which faith hath.
Oh, but then you may presume, and do what you list.
Not so, (retort the argument again upon him) if I do so, God will bring me to death, he will bring me to despair; and who is it that delights to have that course taken with him, to be brought so low? So every way we may retort temptations from this dealing of God. If I be careless, he will bring me as low as hell, I shall have little joy to try conclusions with him.
And if thou be low, despair not, thou art the fitter object, God raiseth the dead, therefore I will not add to my sins legal, I will not add this Evangelical sin, this destroying sin of despair, and unbelief; but I will cast myself upon the mercy of God, and believe in him that raiseth the dead; and desire him to speak to my dead soul, which is as rotten as Lazaru's body which had been so long in the grave; that he would say to it, Come forth of that cursed estate; it is but for him to speak the word, to bless his word, and then it will come out by faith. It is the Art of faith to draw contrary arguments to Satan, and those that belong to God do so in all temptations: but those that do not, they sink lower and lower, having nothing to uphold their souls: they have not learned to trust in God that raiseth the dead.
God is the God that raiseth the dead: Therefore let us oft think of this, think what God means to do with us, that we may carry out selves answerably, I trust in God that raiseth the dead: Therefore let us honor God while we live, with that body that he will raise: let us be fruitful in our place. Saint Paul draws this conclusion, 1 Cor. 15. from the resurrection, Finally, my brethren, be constant, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Especially considering that he will raise the dead bodies after a more glorious manner then they are now, he will make a more glorious body. For always God's second works are better then his first: he raiseth the dead, and will make our bodies, like the glorious body of Christ.
But the point of the resurrection is very large, and perhaps I shall have better occasion to speak of it afterward. I only apply it to the present purpose, how it strengthens faith in misery, and in the hour of death.
A man is strengthened in his faith when he thinks, now I am going the way of all flesh, I am to yield my soul to God, and death is to close up mine eyes: yet I have trusted in God, and do trust in God that will raise my body from the grave. This comforts the soul against the horror of the grave, against that confusion and darkness that is after death.
Faith seeth things to come as present, it sees the body (after it hath a long time been in the dust) clothed with flesh, and made like the glorious body of Christ: faith sees this, and so a Christian soul dies in faith, and sows the body as good seed in the ground in hope of a glorious resurrection.
And that comforts a Christian soul, in the loss of children, of wife, of friends, that have been dearest, and nearest to me, I trust in God that raiseth the dead, that he will raise them again, and then we shall all be forever with the Lord: it is a point of singular comfort: for the main Articles of our faith, they have a wondrous working upon us, in all the passages of our lives; it is good to think often upon the pillars of our faith, as this is one, That God will raise us from the dead. But I go on to the next verse.
VERS. 10.
S Aint Paul sets down his troubles to the life, that he might make himself and others more sensible of his comforts, and of God's grace, and goodness in his deliverance. These words contain his deliverance out of that trouble, his particular deliverance out of a particular trouble: And this deliverance is set down by a triple distinction of time, as time is either past, present, or to come; so God who is the deliverer for all times, he hath delivered us for the time past, he doth deliver us for the present, in whom we trust that he will deliver us for the time to come.
After St. Paul had learned to rrust in God, after he had taken forth that lesson, a hard lesson to learn, that must be learned by bringing a man to such extremity; I say, after he had learned to trust in God that raiseth the dead, God gave him this reward of his diligence in the blessed school of afflictions, he delivered him, who hath delivered us, and who doth deliver us continually, he will not take his hand from the work, and for the time to come I hope he will do so still.
St. Paul here calls his trouble a death. It was not a death properly, it is but his aggravation of the trouble that calls it a death: because God's mercy only hindered it from being a death, it was only not a death, it was some desperate trouble, some desperate sickness, the particular is not set down in the Scripture. We know what a tumult there was about Diana of Ephesus, Acts 19. and in 1. Cor. 15. He fought with beasts at Ephesus, (which is in Asia) after the manner of men. Whether it were that, or some other we know not; whatsoever it was, he calls it a death: he doth not call it an affliction, but a death, & a great death, to make himself the more sensible.
Wherefore have we souls, and understandings, but to exercise them in setting forth our dangers, and the deliverances of God? to consider of things, to affect us deeply? The Apostle here to affect himself deeply, he sets it down here by a death.
And ofttimes in the Psalms, the Psalmist in Psalm 18. and Psal. 11. he calls his afflictions death and hell, and so they had been indeed except God had delivered him. But to come to the points that are considerable hence. First of all we may observe this, that
Secondly, After God hath wrought his own work, then he delivers hischildren.
Thirdly, he continues the work still, he doth deliver me.
Fourthly, That upon experience of God's former deliverance, God's children have founded a blessed argument for the time to come, He hath, & he will deliver me. God is always like himself, he is never at a loss, what he hath done, he doth, and will do, reserving the limitations, as we shall see afterward.
He delivered St. Paul, but it was after he had brought him to receive the sentence of death, and after he had learned not to trust in himself, but in God that raiseth the dead. God defers his deliverance for many reasons: To name a few.
God doth defer his deliverance, when we are in dangers, partly (as you see here) to perfect the work of mortification, of self-confidence, to subdue trust in any earthly thing. St. Paul by this learned not to trust in himself.
And then to strengthen our faith and confidence in God, when we are drawn from all creatures to learn to trust in him.
And to sweeten his deliverance when it comes, to indear his favors, for then they are sweet indeed after God hath beat us out of ourselves. Summer and Spring are sweet after Winter: so it is in this vicissitude, and intercourse that God useth; favor after affliction and crosses, is favor indeed. That makes heaven so sweet to God's Children when they come there because they go to Heaven out of a great deal of misery in this world.
And partly likewise God defers it for his own glory, that it may be known for his mere work: for when we are at a loss, and the soul can reason thus, God must help or none can help, then God hath the glory: therefore in love to his own glory he defers it so long.
Again, he useth to defer long, that he might the more shame the enemies at length: for if the affliction be from the insolency and pride of the enemies, he defers deliverance, till they be come to the highest pitch, and then he ariseth as a Giant refreshed with wine, and smites his enemies in the hinder parts: he is as it were refreshed on the sudden. And as it is his greatest glory to raise his children when they are at the lowest: so it is his glory to confound the pride of the enemies when it is at the highest: if he should do it before, his glory would not shine so much in the confusion of them, and their enterprises against his children. One would think he should not have let Pharaoh alone so long; but he got him glory the more at the last, in confounding him in the Red-sea: So Haman came very far, almost to the execution of the decree; he had gotten by his policy and malice, and then God delivered his Church, and confounded Haman. These and the like reasons may be given to show that God in heavenly and deep wisdom doth not presently deliver his children.
The proper use of it is, that we should learn not to be hasty, and shortspirited in God's dealing, but learn to practice that which we are often enjoined, to wait on God, to wait his good leisure.
Especially considering that which is the second point, let that satisfy us, that
Let us wait, for he will deliver at length: perhaps his time is not yet that he will deliver; but usually when all is desperate, when he may have all the glory then he delivers. He delivered the three young men, but they were put into the fire first, and the Furnace was made seven times hotter, that he might have the glory in consuming their enemies: so he delivered Hezekiah in his time, but it was when the enemy was even ready to seize upon the City. He promised St. Paul that not one man should perish in the ship, but yet they suffered shipwreck, they went away only with their lives. God doth so deliver his, that he doth not suffer them to perish in the danger.
Therefore let us stay his time, and wait, it may be it is not God's time yet.
When shall we know that it is God's time to deliver? that we may wait with comfort.
God knows his own time best, but usually it is when we are brought very low, and when our spirits are low: when we are brought very low, both in regard of human support, and in regard of our spirits, when we are humble, when our souls cleave to the dust: help, Lord, for we are brought very low: Help Lord, for vain is the help of man.
When the Church can plead so, it is a good plea, when we are at the lowest, and the malice of the enemy is at the highest, when the waters swell, Help, Lord, for the waters are come into my very soul, when we are very low, and the enemies very high, as we see in Pharaoh. And so in Herod when he was in the height of his pride, when he was in all his glory, God takes him there.
Thus God delivers his, and confounds his enemies; I join them both together, for the one is not commonly without the other: the annoyance of God's Children is from their enemies: therefore when he delivers the one he confounds the other. When the malice of the one is at the highest, and the state of the other is at the lowest, and their spirits are afflicted and cast down with their estate, then is the time when God will deliver.
Again, when our hearts are enlarged to pray, when we can pray from a broken heart: as you see here, he joins them together, God will deliver me, but it must be by your prayers: when we have hearts to pray, and when others have hearts to pray for us, that is the time of deliverance. Usually there goes before deliverance an enlarged heart to pray to God; as we see in Daniel, Dan. 9. a little before they came out of Babylon, he had a large heart to pray to God. And when we can plead with God his promise, Remember, Lord, thy promise wherein thou hast caused us to trust: when we can cast ourselves upon God's mercy with prayer, and plead with God to remember his promise, it is a sign God means to deliver us. When the heart is shut and closed up, that it cannot speak to God: when there is some sin or other that doth stifle the spirit, that it cannot vent itself with that liberty to God, it is a sign that it is not the time yet of God's deliverance.
God will at the length deliver: therefore from both these (that he doth defer deliverance, and that he will deliver at length) let us infer this lesson of waiting, let us wait therefore, and wait with comfort. Let us remember these principles.
First, God hath a time (as for all things) so for our deliverance.
Secondly that God's time is the best time, he is the best discerner of opportunities.
Thirdly, remember that this shall be when he hath wrought his work upon our souls, specially when he hath made us to trust in him. As here, when Saint Paul had learned to trust in God, then he delivered him. And why should we desire to do our bodies good, or our estates good, till God hath wrought his cure on our souls? for God intends our souls in the first place: our souls they are the whole man in a manner. The welfare of the soul draws the welfare of the body, and the welfare of the estate after it; the body shall do well if the soul do well.
Therefore we should desire rather that the Lord would let the affliction stay, then that it should part without the message for which God sends it. Every affliction is God's messenger: we should desire the Lord to let it stay for the answer for which he hath sent it.
And indeed, it will never part without the answer for which God sends it, till it have humbled us, till it have brought us to trust in God, till we be such as we should be. And a Christian soul rather desires to be in the Furnace, to be under the affliction, to be purged better yet, then to have the cross, and affliction removed, and not to be a whit the better for it. Therefore considering that there will be a time, and that God's time is the best time: and that this time will be when he hath fitted us, we should learn to wait in any cross, and not to be over hasty.
Again, consider, though the time be long: yet he will deliver at length by death, death will end all miseries.
And consider, that how long soever we endure anything, yet what is that that we endure here, to that that we are freed from by Christ? We are freed from misery, from all misery, from the wrath of God, from damnation. And what is that that we can suffer here, to the glory and joy that remains for us in heaven? What is all that we can suffer here, to that that Christ hath endured for us? what is all that we can endure here, to that that we have deserved? Considering then what we are delivered from, what God hath reserved for us, what Christ hath endured, and what we deserve, it will make us wait, and wait with patience. Especially considering (as I said before) that God is working his good work for our good: though we at the first perhaps for a while do not see the meaning of the affliction, the meaning of the cross, we cannot read it perfectly; yet in general we may know, it is for our good: God of his infinite wisdom will not suffer a hair to fall from our heads without his providence, And all shall work together for the best to those that love him, Rom. 8.
It is long then we see ere God deliver, and why? and at the last he will deliver one way or other: and therefore let us wait quietly, and this the Saints of God have practiced in all ages, Psal. 62. Yet, my soul, keep silence to the Lord. He had a shrewd conflict with himself when he saw how good causes were trampled on, and he saw the insolence of wicked persons, how they lift up their heads, Yet, my soul, keep silence to the Lord. So he begins, Psal. 73. Yet God is good to Israel, for all this. And God chargeth it upon his people that they should wait, If I tarry, wait thou, Hab. 2. 2. And the blessing is promised to those that can wait and not murmur, as in Psal. 147. 11. It is a duty that we are much urged to, and very hardly brought to the practice of: therefore we are to hear it pressed the more, Psal. 147. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy: in those that trust in his mercy. The like you have in many places, Isaiah, 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious to you: therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: he is a God of judgment, Blessed are all that wait for him. So in Lament. 3. The Church still waits upon God.
How oft doth David charge himself, Wait, and trust in God, O my soul? Let us learn this upon these grounds, that God is long ere he deliver, but at last he will deliver, and that is sufficient to force this, to wait still upon God with patience and silence.
Well, thus we see God doth deliver, Who dilivered us, &c. What will he do for the time present? he hath delivered, and doth deliver, and he will deliver. From all jointly together you see, that
They have always troubles, when one is past another is present; deliverance supposeth dangers.
There have been dangers, there are dangers, and there will be dangers. Our life is a warfare, a temptation, we are absent from God, we are always exposed to dangers. We live in the midst of Devils, and of Divellish-minded men: we have corruptions in us that expose us to sin, and sin draws on judgments, we are always in danger one way or other while we live in this World. But our comfort is, that as there have been dangers, and are dangers, and will be dangers; so there hath been deliverance, there is deliverance, and there will be deliverance. It is a trade that God useth, it is his Art, God knoweth how to deliver his, as Saint Peter saith; he hath always exercised it, he is excellent at it: he hath delivered his Church, he doth deliver his Church, and he will deliver his Church: and so every particular member, he hath, and doth and will diliver them.
Wonderful is the intercourse that God useth with his people, and their estate. Even as in nature there is a change and intercourse of day and night, of light and darkness, of morning and evening, of summer and winter, of hot and cold: so in the life of a Christian there are changes, dangers, and deliverance. There is a sowing in tears, and a reaping in joy; there is a night of affliction, and a morning of joy and prosperity, Heavinesse may be in the evening, but joy cometh in the morning.
And thus we go on till we end our days, till we be taken to Heaven, where there shall be no Change, where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes.
If we had spiritual eyes, eyes to see our danger, to see how full the World is of Devils, & then to consider how many dangers this weak life is subject to, how many casualties: we cannot go out of doors, we cannot take a journey, but how many dangers are we subject to? we are environed with perpetual dangers, the snares of death compass us almost everywhere, abroad, and at home, in our greatest security.
But our comfort, is that God doth compass us with mercy, as it is, Psal. 32. As dangers are round about us, so God is a Wall of fire about us: we have dangers about us, Devils about us, we have a guard about us, we have God about us, we have his Angels about us, we have all his creatures about us, All things are yours, saith the Apostle, &c.
It is God that hath delivered us, that doth deliver us. Who restrains the devils from having their wills of us? they are enemies not only to our souls, and to our salvation, but to our bodies: they are enemies to our health, as we see in Job: we live in the midst of Lions, ofttimes, in the midst of enemies; who restrains their malice? we are preserved from dangers day and night: who shuts in the doors, who watcheth over us, but he that keeps Israel? It is God that delivereth us. Without his deliverance all deliverances were to little purpose: all shutting in were to little purpose, except he shut us in that shut Noah into the Ark: he must watch over us. It is God that delivereth us.
But doth he deliver us only outwardly?
No, he hath delivered, and he doth deliver us spiritually. He hath delivered us from the power of hell, and damnation, he doth deliver us from many sins that we should commit: and when we have sinned, he delivers us from despair, he delivers us from presuming, by touching our hearts with saving grief for sin; if we belong to him, one of the two ways he delivers, either from the sin or from the danger of the sin, either from the committing of the sin or from despairing for the sin, or presuming in a course of sin.
Who delivereth us from our inbred corruptions? Should we not run every day into the sins that we see others commit? Who cuts short our lusts, and suppresseth them, that we are not swearers, that we are not licentious persons, that we are not Godlesse persons? are we not hewn out of the same rock? Who keeps us from sin? Is it any inbred goodness? Are we not all a like tainted with original fin? Children of wrath? Who puts a difference between us and others? It is God that hath delivered us, and that doth deliver us.
It is his mercy that we do not commit sin, it is his preventing deliverance; and when we have committed sin, it is his mercy to pardon it, there is his preserving deliverance from despair after the committing of sin.
All are beholding to God for deliverance, those that have committed sin, that he delivers them from the wrath to come, from the damnation that they deserve; and those that have the grace not to commit sin, they are beholding to him, that he delivers them from that which their corruptions else would carry them to, if he should take his government from their hearts.
We have an inward guard as well as an outward, an invisible guard, We are kept by the Spirit of God through Faith to salvation. We have a guard that keeps us from despair, from sinking. God delivereth us from ourselves by this inward guard. There is not the vilest Atheist that lives, but let God open his conscience, and let loose himself upon himself, to see what he deserves, to see what he is ready to sink into, if he see not God's mercy to deliver him: if he see not an Intercessor, a Mediator to come between God & him, what would become of him? Therefore saith Saint Paul in Philip. 4. The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall (guard) your hearts and minds; for so the word is in the Original, shall guard your hearts and minds.
We have not only a guard outward, but we have a peace in us, the Spirit of God, the strengthening power of God, the sight of the love of God. God delivers us as from all others, so from ourselves. Judas had no enemies, God let him loose to himself, what became of him? Achitophel had no enemy, God let him loose to himself too, and then we see what a desperate conclusion he came to.
So, whosoever thou art that contemnest Religion, that makest anything of greater moment and respect then that, if thou hadst not an enemy in the world, but all were thy friends: as Judas had all to be his friends, the Pharisees were his friends, he had money of them: but God opened his conscience, and he could not endure the sight of it, it spake bitter things to him, when God opened an inward hell in his conscience. So God doth deliver us outwardly and inwardly, and the inward is double, partly from despair, partly from the rage of corruptions, (as I said before) Is it not God that tyes up our corruptions? There is such a world of sin in the heart of a man, as often he finds the experience of it, when he meets with a fit temptation to his disposition, that God's Children complain of themselves that the sins of their hearts have deceived them: so God delivers men from the rage of lusts, he tyes up their corruptions, and delivers them from them. And when we fall, and are ready to despair for them, he delivers us from despair. He doth deliver, he is perpetually delivering, it implies that we always stand in need of deliverance.
Therefore we should always look up to God, he is the breath of our nostrils, In him we live, and move, and have our being, in him we stand, and in him we are delivered in the midst of all our enemies, it should stir up our hearts thankfully to depend upon God; he that hath delivered us, he doth deliver us: if he should not continue his deliverance we should be continually in extreme danger.
A Christian is never in so great perplexity but God is delivering of him, even in trouble: So the Church saith Lamentations 3. It is God's mercy that we are not all consumed.
The Church was in a pitiful estate then, one would have thought they were as low as almost they might be: yet notwithstanding the Spirit of God in those blessed men that lived in those times, they saw that they might have been worse then they were: and they saw that there was some danger from which they were delivered, It is thy mercy that we are not all consumed. God delivered them from extremity.
Nay, in troubles God doth deliver so, as there may be a distinction for the most part between his and others. When I gather my Jewels it shall be known who serves me, and who serves me not. Mal. 3. God continually delivers, more especially at sometimes.
As we say of providence, providence is nothing but a continued act of creation. And it is true, the same power that created all things of nothing, the same power sustains all things. God upholds all things with his right hand.
For even as it is with a stone which is upheld by a man's hand, let him withdraw his hand, and down it falls: so naturally all things as they are raised out of nothing, so they will fall to their first principles, except they be sustained by that continual act of creation which we call providence, to maintain them in the order wherein they were set at the first. So there is a continual act of deliverance, till we be delivered out of all troubles, and set in a place where there shall be no more annoyance at all either from within us, or without us. God doth still deliver.
O, let this move us to a reverence of the eye and Majesty of the great God, of the presence of God. Who will willingly provoke him, of whom he stands in need to deliver him?
Let God withdraw his deliverance, his preventing deliverance, or his rescuing deliverance: for (as I said) there is a double deliverance: he prevents us from trouble, he delivers us that we do not fall into it: and when we are fallen into it, he rescues us. If God should not thus deliver us, there is no mischief that any others fall into, but we should fall into the like, were it not for his preventing deliverance.
As St. Austin saith well; A man that is freed from sin ought to thank God as well for the sins that he hath not committed, as for the sins that he hath had forgiven: for it is an equal mercy that a man fall not into sin as for his sin to be pardoned. And so for troubles too, it is God's mercy to prevent troubles as well as to deliver out of trouble when we are fallen into it.
Who would not reverence this great God? what miscreant wretches are they that inure their tongues to swearing to tear that Majesty, that if he should withdraw his deliverance and protection from them, what would become of them?
Where there is perpetual dependence upon any man, how doth it enforce reverence and respect even amongst men? Itis Atheism therefore for men to inure their tongues to speak cursed language, to inure their hearts to entertain profane thoughts of God, and to neglect the consideration of his Majesty. Holy men in Scripture are said to walk with God, that is, to have God in their eye, in all times, in all places, as he had them in his eye, to delight in them, to prevent troubles, and to deliver them from troubles when they were in them.
We should take notice of God's special providence in this kind, that God by deliverance often gives us our lives, and it should teach us to consecrate our lives to God. Who doth deliver us:
The holy Apostle doth take in trust here the time to come, he speaks as if he were assured of that as of anything past; and he doth found his hope for the time to come upon that which was past and present. As he saith in Romans 5. Experience breeds hope, so it doth here in the Blessed Apostle, He hath delivered, and he doth deliver, and why should I not trust in so good a God for the time to come, I hope he will deliver me? And surely so may we do.
Upon what ground, upon what Pillars is this confidence built of the holy Apostle?
Upon the Name of God, the Name of his nature, Jehovah, I am, which signifies a constant being, I was, I am, and am to come.
There was danger, there is danger, and there will come danger: there was a God, there is a God, and there will be a God, Jehovah, I am. If there be a flux, a perpetual succession of ill, there is a perpetual being, and living of the living Jehovah. So Christ is proved to be Jehovah, because he calls himself Revelations 1. he that was, and is, and is to come, Jehovah, always like himself.
Now if God be Jehovah, always like himself, then if he have delivered, if he doth deliver, he will deliver, he is I am in himself.
Now as his Name is, so is his nature and properties, he is I am in his love to his Church, he is always in the present tense: Whom he loves, he loves to the end: he is unchangeable. I the Lord your God change not, therefore you are not consumed, Mal. 3. The reason why notwithstanding our many provocations of him, that we are not consumed, it is because his love to us is unchangeable: though we are up and down, He cannot deny himself; and there is the foundation of our comfort, that though we change oft, yet he never changeth. There is no outward thing can change him, for then that were God, and not he; there is no inward thing can change him, for then he were not perfectly wise; so there is nothing either in himself or in the creatures that can change God, he is always like himself: therefore this is a ground of confidence for the time to come.
Likewise his Covenant and promise, the Covenant that he hath made with his Children is an everlasting Covenant, that he will be their God to death, and forever: and the gifts, and graces of God, his inward love, they are without repentance: and their union with Christ, is an everlasting union.
And also experience built upon these grounds, that God is Jehovah, what he hath done he will do, and his properties are answerable to his Name, he is unchangeable, and his promise and Covenant are unchangeable: therefore experience from the time past comes to be a good argument from these 3. grounds: because he is Jehovah, I am, and because he is unchangeable, being Jehovah, and because his Covenant is everlasting, because he is unchangeable.
For the foundation of all comfort is the Name and being of God Jehovah: from his being issue and flow his properties, and they are like him unchangeable, and eternal: and from his properties comes that to be unchangeable that comes from him, his Word and promise and Covenant; considering then that his Name & being is such, that his properties are such, that his Covenant is such, issuing from his nature and properties, experience then of trust in the love and mercy of God, is an unanswerable argument against all temptations: he hath loved, he doth love, and he will love: he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver, and will preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom.
It is a good argument, that God that is Jehovah, that God that is unchangeable, that God that is in Covenant with me, that is my God, and I his, that God of whom I have had experience for the time past, that he hath been my God, why should I doubt for the time to come? Unless I will call in question the very being of God, the very properties of God, and the truth of God in his Covenant, and overturn all, I may as well trust him for the time to come, as for the time present, He hath delivered me, he doth deliver me, and he will deliver me.
But it may be objected, God doth not deliver always, and therefore it seems not to be a current truth; how doth God deliver his Children, when we see how they miscarry in troubles, and persecutions, both the Church in general and particular Christians, as there be many instances, it seems God doth not deliver his, they die Martyrs, St. Paul himself died a bloody death: therefore how is this true that we may build a certain confidence upon it, he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver?
I answer, we must take it in the latitude, this deliverance. God delivers them so as stands with their desires to be delivered: for there may cases come wherein God's Children will not be delivered: as we see the three young men when they were cast into the fire, they would not be delivered out of the fire, but they were delivered in it. And so in Heb. 11. 35. there is a notable example: Tender women, received their dead again raised to life, and others likewise were tortured, and would not except of deliverance: they would have none upon ill terms. So sometimes God doth not deliver his Children, no, nor they will not be delivered, because perhaps their deliverance is promised upon ill terms, that they may redeem their lives if they will by denying God and Religion: an ill bargin.
Again, I answer that howsoever God doth not deliver his from trouble, yet he delivers them in trouble, as in Isaiah 43. he promiseth to be with them and to deliver them in the fire, and in the water.
God did not keep the Martyrs out of the fire, but God was with them in the fire, and in the water, to support them by the inward fire of his Spirit, that they might not be overcome of the outward fire and flame: so God delivers them in trouble, though not out of trouble.
There is, an open deliverance visible to the world, and a secret, inward invisible inward deliverance. There is an open glorious deliverance, as we see in the deliverance of the three young men, and many other examples. And there is an invisible, which is only felt of them, and of God who delivers them: he delivers them in the inward man, he delivers them from the ill of troubles, from sin and despair: that they put not their hands to sinful courses, he supports them inwardly with comfort, and supports them inwardly in a course of obedience: and that spiritual, inward deliverance is the best, and that which God's people more value then deliverance out of trouble: he doth not deliver them from fuffering ill, he delivers them from doing ill: as in that notable place 2 Tim. 4. 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work. He doth not say, God shall deliver me from death, and from suffering evil works of Tyrants, no, but he shall deliver me from carrying myself unseemly, and unbefitting such a man as I am, that I may not disgrace my profession, He shall deliver me from every evil work, and that is that which the Saints and Martyrs and all good people desire, that God would deliver them, that they may not sink in their minds, that they despair not, that they carry not themselves uncomely in troubles, but so as is meet for the credit of the truth which they seal with their blood, he hath delivered me, and he will deliver me from every evil work; and what saith he afterwards? He shall preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom.
He doth not say he shall preserve me from death, he knew he should die; but he shall preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom. So put the case that God do not deliver from death, yet he delivers by death.
There is a partial deliverance, and a total deliverance, there is a deliverance from this, and that trouble, and there is a deliverance from all troubles. God delivers us most when we think he delivers least: for we think how doth he deliver his Children when we see them taken away by death, and ofttimes are massacreed?
That is one way of delivering them, God by death takes them from all miseries, they are out of the reach of their enemies; death delivers them from all miseries of this life, both inward of sin, and outward of trouble, all are determined in death: therefore God when he doth not deliver them from death, he delivers them by death, and takes them to his heavenly Kingdom.
God ofttimes delivers his, by not delivering them out of trouble: for when he sees us in danger of some sin, he delivers us into trouble to deliver us from some corruption. Of all evils God's Children desire to avoid the delivering up to themselves, and to their own lusts, to their own base earthly hearts, to a dead heart: he delivers them into trouble therefore to deliver them from themselves.
God will deliver us for the time to come, so that we depend upon him, and humble ourselves, and be like ourselves. When God delivereth us, at the first it may be we are like ourselves, but perhaps afterward we grow prouder, and self-confident, and will not do that we formerly did: therefore God sometimes though he put us in hope of deliverance, yet he will not deliver us, because we are not prepared, we are not thoroughly humbled. As we see in Judges 20. there the Israelites were to set on the Benjamits: they go the first time, and had the foil: they go the second time, and are foiled: the third time they set on them with fasting and prayer, and then they had the victory.
What was the reason they had it not at the first time? they were not humbled enough, they did not flee to God, with fasting and prayer. It may be there is some sin, some affection unmortified, of revenge and anger, when God hath subdued that, and brought it under, and brought us to fasting and prayer, then God will deliver us; as at the third encounter they carried away the victory. When we have not made our peace with God, we may come the first and second time, and not be delivered: but when we are thoroughly humbled, and brought low, then God will deliver us.
And then, we must know, that always these outward promises have a reservation to God's glory, and our eternal good; God hath delivered me, and he doth, and will deliver me, if it may stand with his glory and my good; and therefore the soul saith to God (with that reserved speech of him in the Gospel) Lord, If thou wilt, thou canst heal me: if thou wilt, thou canst deliver me: if it be for thy glory and my eternal good, or for the Churches good, thou wilt do it, and neither the Church nor the particular members of the Church desire deliverance upon any other terms; but when it may be for the glory of God, and for the Churches good: when they may be instrumental by long life to serve God, and to serve the Church, and when it is for their own advantage to gather further assurance of their salvation, then he hath, and doth, and will deliver still. This is enough to build the confidence of God's children upon, for their deliverance for the time to come.
God will deliver his Church and Children, and he will deliver them out of all, he will deliver Israel out of all his troubles, he will not leave a horn or a hoof (as Moses said) he will not leave one trouble, he will deliver us at the last out of all, and advance us to his heavenly Kingdom. His bowels will melt over his Church and Children: he is a Father, and he hath the bowels of a Mother. This may serve to answer all objections that will arise in our hearts, as indeed we are ready to cavil against divine truths and comforts, especially in the time of trouble and temptation, our hearts are full of complaints, and disputes, therefore I thought good to answer this.
But what is the argument of the Apostle here? Especially experience: he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver me.
As God will deliver his Church for the time to come, so this is one main argument that he will do it, experience of former favors and deliverances.
This Saint Paul useth familiarly, 2 Tim. 4. 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom: A blessed arguing. So David argues, God delivered me from the Bear, and the Lyon, and therefore he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine.
So Jacob pleads, that God would deliver him from Esau: he had had experience of God's mercy till then, and therefore he trusted that God would deliver him from Esau.
It is a good argument, to plead experience to move God to care for us for the time to come.
It was used by the head, Psalm 22. which is a Psalm made of Christ, I was cast on thee from my Mothers womb, therefore be not far from me.
It was Tipycally true of David, and it was true of the Son of David.
So the Church pleads with God in diverse places, in Isaiah 51. 2. God calls to his people to make use of former experience: Look to Abraham your Father, and to Sarah that bare you, &c. Look to former times, to the rock whence you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you were digged: he that was your God then, is your God now; Look to Abraham your Father, and from thence reason till now. So in Isaiah 63. 7. I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord, and the praise of the Lord, according to the great goodness of the Lord bestowed upon us. In all their afflictions he was afflicted, &c he speaks of former experience; In love he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. So in Psalm 44. Our Fathers have told us this and this. So both the head of the Church, and the Church itself plead with God from former experience, and God calls them to former experience, Remember the rock whence you were hewn. And he upbraids them because they forgot the works done to their fathers, in Psal. 105. and diverse others, he objects to them that they did not make use of God's former favors, Psal. 106. 12. They forgot their Savior that had done great things in Egypt, &c. they forgot his former favors. And in the 13. verse of that Psal. They soon forgot his works, and waited not sor his counsel.
And so it is with every particular St. of God, they have reasoned from experience of God's favors from the time past to the time to come: the Psalms are full of it, among the rest Psal. 143. 5. I remembered the days of old, and meditated on all thy works, I mused on the works of thy hands. And in Psalm 116. 3. The sorrows of death (as the Apostle saith here, I was delivered from so great a Death) The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of Hell took hold on me. I found sorrow and trouble, I cried unto the Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee deliver my soul: The Lord preserveth the simple, I was brought low, and he helped me. What doth he build on that? Return unto thy rest, O my soul: the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. What will he do for the time to come? I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Thus we see how we may plead with God as the same Psalmist doth excellently in Psal 71. he goes along with God there from the beginning of his days, in verse 5. Thou hast been my hope, Lord, and my trust from my youth, by thee I have been held from the womb, thou tookest me out of my Mothers bowels, my praise shall be continually of thee. What doth he plead from this now when he was old? In verse nine, Cast me not off in the time of my old age, for sake me not when my strength faileth.
Why? Thou hast been my God from my youth, thou hast held me from the womb: therefore cast me not off in my old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth. So he pleads with God, verse 17. Lord, thou hast taught me from my youth, now when I am old and gray-headed for sake me not, till I have shown thy strength to this Generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come.
Thus we see how the Spirit of God in his Children makes a blessed use of former experience to reason with God for the time to come, and it will afford us arguments in all kinds. We may reason from former spiritual favors to spiritual favors: as for instance, God hath begun a good work in us, therefore He will finish it to the day of the Lord, Phil. 1. His gifts and graces are without repentance. And we may reason from spiritual favors past to all favors to come that are of a lower nature, Rom. 8. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things? It is a strong reason, he hath done the great, rtherefor •… he may well do the less. We may reason from one favor to another, thus, from temporal to temporal: he hath delivered me, therefore if it be for his glory and my good, he will deliver me. We may reason from once to all of the like, Psal. 23. God is my shepherd, &c. He hath been with me in the valley of death; he hath shown himself to be my shepherd in all my troubles: what doth he build on that for the time to come? Doubtless the loving kindness of the Lord shall follow me all the days of my life. This should teach us then this holy practice, to lay up observations of God's dealing, and to take them as so many pawns and pledges to move God for the time to come to regard us; it is wondrous pleasing to him. It is no argument to prevail if we come to men, to say, you have done this for me, therefore you will: because man hath a finite power which is soon drawn dry: but God is infinite, he is a spring, he can create new: what he hath done he can do, and more too: he is where he was at the fitst, and will be to the end of the world, he is never at a loss. Therefore it is a strong argument to go to God, and say, Lord, thou art my God from the womb, thou hast delivered me from such a danger, and such an exigence, when I knew not what to do, thou madest open a way. I see by evident signs it was thy goodness, thou art always like thyself, to be the same God now. Therefore we should treasure up observations of God's dealing with us. And consider with them the promises, and see how God hath made good his promise by experience, and then join both together, and we may wrestle with God: Lord, thou hast promised thus and thus, nay, I have had the performance of this promise in former times. And now I stand in need of the performance of that promise which before I have had experience of.
And desire God by his Spirit to sanctify our memories, that we may remember fit deliverances, & fit favors, that when the time shall come we may have arguments from experience. What is the reason that we sink in temptation? That we are to seek when troubles come? It is from baseness of Heart, that though God have manifested his Care and Love to us by thousands of experiments, yet we are ready upon every new trouble to call all into question, as if he had never been a good God to us: this is base in fidelity of heart, and our neglecting to treasure up blessed experiments of God's former favor.
It should be the wisdom of every Christian to be well read in the story of his own life, and to return back in his thoughts what God hath done for him, how God hath dealt with him for the time past, what he hath wrought in him by his holy Spirit. Let us make use of it both in outward, and in inward troubles, in disconsolations of spirit, and in inward desertions: let us call to mind what good soever hath been wrought in us, by such a means, by such an Ordinance, by such a Book, by such an occasion.
Let us call to mind how effectually God hath wrought in us in former times, and make use of this in the midst of the hour of darkness when God seems to hide his face from us.
I see not the Sun in a cloudy day, yet notwithstanding the Sun is in the sky still. At midnight we hope for the morning, the morning will undoubtedly come, though it be midnight for the present. So David comforted himself in Psal. 77. 11. I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate of all thy works, and talk of thy doings, &c. See his infirmity: when he was in trouble of mind, his sins began to upbraid him that God had left him: I said in my infirmity, God hath forgotten me, &c. and hath God forgotten to be gracioue? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? then saith he, this was my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high, &c. And the same he hath in many other places, as Psal. 143. 4, 5.
It argues the great weakness of our nature, which is ready to distrust God upon every temptation of Satan, as if God had never dealt graciously with us, as if God were changeable like ourselves. Let us labor to support ourselves in the time of temptation with the former experience of God's gracious goodness, and his blessed work upon our souls: he that delivered us from the power of Satan, & keeps us from him still that we sink not into despair, he will keep us for the time to come, so that Neither things present, nor things to come, as the Apostle saith, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. And let us as it were make diaries of God's dealing to us: this is to be acquainted with God, as Job speaks: this is to walk with God, to observe his steps to us, and ours to him: it is a thing that will wondrously strengthen our faith, especially in old years, in gray hairs. What a comfortable thing is it when an aged man can look back to the former part of his life, and can reckon how God hath given him his life again and again? how God hath comforted him in distress, how God hath raised him up in the midst of perplexity, when he knew not which way to turn him, how God comforted him when he was disconsolate? all these meeting together, in our last conflict, when all comfort will be little enough, what a comfort will it be?
And those that disfurnish themselves by their negligence, and carelessness of such blessed helps, what enemies are they to their own comfort?
Therefore consider God's dealing, remember it, observe it, think of it, and desire God's Spirit to help your minds and memories herein, that nothing may be lost: for, I say, all will be little enough, the comfort of others, our own experience, the promises of Scripture.
Our Hearts are so ready to sink, and to call in question God's truth, and Satan will ply us so in the time of temptation.
Especially those that are old and grow into years, they should be rich in these experiments, and able even to have a story of them: we should be able to make a book of experiments from our Child-hood. God's care to every man in particular, it is as if there were none but he: and there is no man that is a Christian, but he observes God's ways to him, that he can say, God cares for me as if he cared for none but me: let us therefore treasure up experiments. We see one notable example in David, how he pleads with God, Psalm 71. 3. from his former experience, Be thou my habitation wherein I may continually rest, thou hast given command to save me: for thou art my rock and my fortress. Whatsoever is comfortable in the creature, God hath taken the name of it to himself, that in all troubles we might fly to him as the grand deliverer; for it is he that delivers, whatsoever the means be, whether it be Angels or men, it is he that sets all on work: therefore he is called a rock, and a fortress, &c. Thou hast given command to save me, that is, God hath the command of all creatures: he can command the fish to give up Jonas; he can command the Devils to go out, Christ did it when he was on earth in the days of his flesh. Therefore much more now he is in heaven, he can command winds and storms, and devils and all troubles. He hath the command of all, as he saith to Elias, Behold, I have commanded a widow to feed thee: The hearts of Kings are in his hand, as the rivers of waters: he that commands the creatures, can command deliverance, Thou hast commanded to save me, for the time past. What doth he say for the time to come? Deliver me, oh God, from the wicked: thou art my hope and trust from my youth, &c. Cast me not off in mine old age, when my strength faileth me for sake me not. It is a good argument, Thou hast been my God from my Mothers womb, therefore cast me not off in my old age.
Well, we see here the practice of God's Children in all times: Let it be a pattern for our imitation, that we do not forsake our own mercy, as Jonas saith.
When God hath provided mercy, and provided promises to help us with experience, let us not betray all through unbelief, through base despair in the time of trouble. If we had but only God's promise that he will be our God, that he will forgive our sins, were not that enough? Is it not the promise of God, of Jehovah, that is truth itself? but when he hath sweetened his promise by experience, and every experience is a pledge and an earnest of a benefit to come, what a good God have we, that is content, not only to reserve the joys of heaven for us, but to give us a taste, to give us the assurance and earnest of the time to come, and besides his promise to give us comfortable experience, and all to support our weak faith?
But remember withal, that this belongs only to God's Children, and in a good cause: for wicked men to reason thus, He hath, and therefore he will, it is a dangerous argument, they must not trust former experience. We must hope that God will continue as he hath been, upon this ground that we are his; Or else the ground of the ruin of wicked men is presumption that God will bear with them as he hath done. The King of Sodom, and his People were rescued out of trouble by Abraham, and the army that he raised: yet they were pitifully consumed not long after by fire from Heaven. Pharaoh was delivered by Moses prayer, God delivered him from ten plagues, they made not a good use of it, and they perished after miserably in the Red-sea. Rabshakeh comes and tells of the former prosperity of Sennacherib, Where are the gods of Hamath, and Arpad, &c. Hath not my Lord overcome all? I but it was immediately before his reign. Herod, he prospered, and had good success in the beheading of James, and therefore he would set upon Peter; he thought to trust to his former success, he was flushed in the execution of James, he thought God hath given me success, and blessed me in this. He thought God was of his mind, as it is Psalm 50. Thou thinkest me to be like thyself, thou thinkest I hate those that thou hatest, that are my dear Children: therefore Herod presumed to go on and lay hold on Peter: but the Church falls a praying and God smites Herod with a fearful death, he was eaten up with lice, with worms bred in his body.
So I say, it is no good argument to say, I have prospered in wicked courses, I do prosper, and therefore I shall prosper. I have gotten a great deal of goods by ill means, and I have kept such ill company, and though some mislike my courses: yet I hope tomorrow shall be as today, &c. Take heed, bless not thyself, God's wrath will smoke against such; Treasure not up wrath unto thyself against the day of wrath; argue not so upon God's patience. It is an argument for God's Children, he hath been my God, he is my God, and he will be my God, it is a Sophism else for others, and as the Prophet Amos saith, He that hath escaped the Lyon, shall fall into the hands of the Bear, so the wicked that escape one danger shall fall into another at length; it is no good argument for them to hope for the like of that they have had.
Nay, rather it is the worst outward sign in this world of a man in the state of reprobation, of a man hated of God, to prosper and have security in ill courses; God blesseth him, and lets him go on in smooth courses, as the streams of Jordan go on smooth and still, and then enter into the dead sea: so many men live and go on in smooth, easy courses, and we see at length they either end in despair, as Judas, or in deadness of heart, as Nabal. So that of all estates it is the most miserable, when a man lives in a naughty course, and God interrupts him not in his course with some outward judgment. It is a reason only for the Children of God to support; themselves with in a good cause wherein they walk with a good conscience then they may say truly, God that hath been my God till now, will be my God to the end of my days.
Is God so constant to his Children in his love, and in his fatherly care & providence, that whom he hath delivered he doth deliver and will deliver, let us be constant in our service and love back again, let us return the echo back again, and say, I have served God, I do serve God, and I will serve God, because he hath loved me, he doth love me, and he will love me: he hath delivered me, he doth deliver me, and he will deliver me: as he is constant in love to me, so will I be constant in respect, in reverence and obedience to him.
Therefore we see the Saints of God, as God loves them from everlasting to everlasting, being Jehovah: as he never alters in his nature, so not in his love to them, so they never alter in their love to him: therefore it is a clause in Scripture expressed by holy men, To whom be praise forever; as they knew that he was their God forever and forever, so they purposed to be his people and to praise him forever and forever. And because they cannot live here always themselves, they desire that there may be a Generation to praise him forever and forever, and they lay a plot and ground so much as they can, that God's Name may be known, that Religion may be propagated forever: They know God is their God forever, they know he is constant in love to them, and they are constant in their love to him, and for his glory: To whom be glory forever.
See here the happiness of a true Christian that is in Covenant with God; he can say, I have had my happiness, and my portion, I have it, and I shall have it forever. Take a worldling, can he say so? he cannot, (God will confound his insolence if he should say so,) I have been rich, I have prospered in my course, I have attained to this and that means, I yet thrive and I shall thrive: I, is it so? No, thou buildest upon the sands, howsoever God hath done, and howsoever he doth, thou canst not secure thyself for the time to come. Only the Christian that makes God his rock, and his fortress, his shield and strong tower of defense, he may say he hath had that which is certain, he enjoys that which is immutable, and constant, God is his portion, his eternal portion, he hath been good, he is good, and he will be good to eternity; no man else that hath a severed happiness out of God can say so.
A sound Christian, take him in all references of time, he is a happy man: if he look back, God hath delivered him from Satan, from hell, and damnation, and many dangers. If he look to the present, he is compassed about with a guard of Angels, and with the providence of God, God doth deliver him; he hath a guard about him that cannot be seen but with the eye of faith. The Devil sees it well enough, as we see in Job, Thou hast hedged him about, how can I come to him? He looked about to see if he could come into Job, to see if the hedge had any breach, but there was none: God's providence compassed him about, God hath and doth deliver. And if he look to the time to come, he will deliver, he seeth that neither things present, nor things to come shall be able to separate him from the love of God.
And this is not only true of outward dangers, but especially in spiritual, God hath been gracious; he hath given Christ, How shall he not with him give us all things? A Christian is in the favor of God now, how shall he not be so forever? He hath eternity world without end to comfort himself in that God as long as he is God, he hath comfort: as long as he hath a soul, so long Jehovah, the living God will be his God, both of his body and soul: he is the God of Abraham, therefore he will raise his body: he is the God that raiseth the dead, and he will forever glorify both body and soul in heaven.
Look which way he will, a Christian hath cause of much comfort: why should he be dismayed with anything in the world? why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be, when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him? As for matter of deliverance and protection, it belongs not to us, but to him: let us do that that belongs to us, and he will do that belongs to him, if we commit our souls to him as to a faithful Creator in well-doing, he hath delivered us, he doth deliver us, and he will deliver us, and preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom.
VERS. 11.
I N these words the holy Apostle sets down the subordinate means that God hath sanctified to continue deliverance to his children: He hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver us for the time to come. Was this confidence of St, Paul a presumption without the use of means? he will deliver us, you also helping together by prayer for us. The chief cause doth not take away the subordinate, but doth establish it. And though God be the great deliverer, and salvation belong to the Lord (as the Scripture speaks,) salvation and deliverance it is his work, yet notwithstanding he hath (not for defect of power, but) for the multiplication and manifestation of his goodness, ordained the subordinate means of deliverance: and as he will deliver, so he will deliver in his own manner, and by his own means: He will deliver, but yet notwithstanding you must pray, you also helping together by prayer for us.
The words have no difficulty in them [you helping together] that is, you together joining in prayer with me: I pray for myself, and you together helping me by prayer, God will deliver me.
The points considerable in the words are these.
First of all, that in the time of peril, or in the want of any benefit, the means to be delivered from the one, and to convey the other, it is prayer; God will do this, you praying.
The second is this, that God's children can pray for themselves.
The third is, that notwithstanding, though they can pray for themselves, yet they require the joint help of others, and they need the help of others.
The fourth is, that our own prayers, and the prayers of others joining all together, is a mighty prevailing means, for the conveying of all good, and for the removing of any ill; God will deliver me, you helping by your prayers.
Because God hath stablished this order, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, Psal. 50. he joins deliverance to calling upon him. So in Psal. 91. 15. a notable place besides others: indeed the Psalms are wondrous full in this kind, He shall call upon me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honor him: mark it, He shall call upon me, and I will deliver him: and more then so, (for God's benefits are complete) he doth not only deliver, but he honors, I will deliver him, and advance him. God doth not only deliver his Children by prayer, but he delivers them from evil works, and preserves them to his heavenly Kingdom: he delivers them, and advanceth them together: he doth not do his work by halves, Psal. 34. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry: his eyes are upon them to see their miseries and wants: I, but though his eyes be open, his ears must be open too, to hear their cry; if his eyes were open to see their wants, if his ears be not open to hear their cry, his children might be miserable still.
Sometimes God delivers wicked men, he preserves them: but the preservation of a wicked man is but a reservation of him for future judgment, to feed him for the slaughter; and that deliverance is not worth the speaking of. But for his children, his eyes are open on them, and his ears to hear their cry: as they be in misery that he sees them, so they must cry that he may hear them. God hath stablished this order, he will deliver, but prayer is the means.
Now the reason that he hath established this order,
- It is for
-
- his Glory,
- our own good.
It is for his own glory: because prayer gives him the glory of all his attributes: for when we go to him, do we not give him the glory of his omniscience, that he knows our hearts, and knows our wants? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipotence, that he can help us? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipresence, that he is everywhere? do we not give him the glory of his truth, that he will make good his promise which we allege to him, and press him with? what a world of glory hath God by prayer?
And then for our sakes he hath established this order to convey all by prayer, to show our dependence on him: for we being in such a low distance under God, it is good that we should know from whom we have all; therefore he will have us to pray to him, he commands it. Prayer is an act of self-denial, it makes us to look out of ourselves higher: Prayer acknowledgeth that we have that which we have not of ourselves, but from him: Prayer argueth a necessary dependence upon him to whom we pray; for if we had it at home, we would not go abroad.
And then again it doth us good, because as it gives God all the glory, so likewise it exerciseth all the graces in a man: There is not a grace, but it is put into the fire, it is quickened and kindled by prayer. For it sets faith on work to believe the promise: it sets hope on work to expect the things prayed for: it sets love on work, because we pray for others that are members of the Church: it sets obedience on work, because we do it with respect to God's command: prayer sets humility on work, we prostrate ourselves before God, and acknowledge that there is no goodness or desert in us: there is not a grace in the heart but it is exercised in prayer.
The Devil knows it well enough, and therefore of all exercises he labors to hinder the exercise of prayer: for he thinks then we fetch help against him, and indeed so we do: for in one prayer God is honored, the Church is benefited, grace is exercised, the Devil is vanquished: what a world of good is by prayer? So that God hath established this order upon great reasons fetched from our own comfort and good, and from his glory.
Since God hath established this order, away with idle suggestions partly carnal, and partly devilish: God knows what we want, and God knew before all time what we have need of, and he may grant it if he will. I but that God that decreed, at the same time that he decreed to convey good, at the same time he decreed to convey it this way by prayer: therefore let us not disjoin that which God hath joined: Christ knew that God decreed all, and yet he spent whole nights in prayer; and who knew God's love more then he? Yet because as he was man he was a creature, because as he was man he received good from his Father, to show his dependence he continually prayed, he sanctified everything by prayer: And all holy men of God from the beginning, the more certain they were of anything by promise, the more eager, and earnest, and fervent they were in prayer: it was a ground of prayer, they knew that this was God's order: therefore if they had a promise, they turned it into prayer presently.
The means of the execution of God's decree, and the decree itself of the thing, they fall under the same decree; when God hath decreed to do anything, he hath decreed to do it by these means; so prayer comes as well within the decree, as the thing prayed for. In Ezek. 36. I will do this, but I will be inquired of by the house of Judah; I will do it, but they shall ask me, they shall seek to me first. So there is a notable place, Phil. 1. 19. I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers. We must not then so reason as to make the chief cause to take away the subordinate means; but let us serve God's purpose and providence; let us serve God's order: he hath stablished this order and course, let us serve it; this is the obedience of faith, the obedience of a Christian.
God's children are enabled to pray for themselves, I observe this the rather, because the vilest men that live when they are in trouble, as Pharaoh, O go to Moses, let him pray for me: he could not pray for himself, he was such a desperate wretched creature, he knew that God would not regard him, therefore he saith, Go to Moses. And so Simon Magus who was a wretch, yet when Peter denounced a judgment against him, Pray thou, that none of these things light upon me; you are accepted of God, my conscience is so full of terror and horror, and so full of sin, that I dare not pray. A wicked man may desire others to pray for him, but alas, his conscience is surprised with horror for his sins, and his purposes are so cruel, so earthly, and so base, that he knows he cannot pray with acceptance for himself. God's Children as they desire the prayers of others, so they can pray themselves; they do not desire that others should do all, but that they would help together with their prayers.
Now the reason of this, that God's Children can pray for themselves, and must pray for themselves, it is because they are children, and as soon as ever they are new born, they are known by their voice, by crying. A Child as soon as he is born he cries: a new born Child cries as soon as he is new born, he cries, Abba, Father: he goes to his Father presently. In Act. 9. as soon as Paul was converted, he cries, he goes to God by prayer: therefore God when he directs Ananias to him, saith he, Go to such a place, and there thou shalt find Paul, he is praying: as soon as he is converted he is praying.
God's children have the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of sons, God is their Father, and they exercise the prerogative, and privilege they have, they go to their Father, & cry to him. In Zech. 12. you have there a promise, that God would pour the spirit of supplication upon his children, they cannot pray of themselves, but God pours a Spirit of supplication into their hearts; and his Spirit being poured into them, they can pour forth their prayers to him again.
The use of this is, not to content ourselves to turn over this duty of prayer to the Minister, and to good people, O pray you for us: I, we do so, but pray for thyself. If thou wilt have another man's prayers do thee good, thou must help with thy own prayers, be good thyself.
Men turn it off with slight phrases, and speeches, You must pray for us, &c.
Alas, what will our prays do thee good, if thou be a graceless, blasphemous, carnal, brutish person, if thy conscience tell thee by the light of nature (for the Word of God it may be thou doest not care for) that thou art so, what can our prayers do thee good? If thou mean to be so: Though Noah, Daniel and Job, (saith God) should stand before me for this people, I would regard them for themselves, I would not hear them for this people. Let us be able and willing to help ourselves, and then we shall pray to some purpose.
God loves to hear the cries of his Children; the very broken cries of a Child are more pleasing then the eloquent speech of a Servant. Sometimes the Children of God have not the Spirit of prayer as at other times; and then they must do as Hezekiah did, they must mourn as a Dove, and chatter as a Swallow: and as Moses at the Red-sea, he cried, and the Lord heard his prayer, though he spake never a word: so in Romans 8. The Spirit teacheth us to sigh and groan.
When we cannot pray, we must strive with ourselves against unbelief, and deadness of heart, by all means possible. Sighs and groans are prayers to God, My groans and my sighs are not hid from thee, saith the Prophet David. And so in Lament. 3. 56. The Church being in distress, saith she, Thou hast heard my voice, hide not thine ear at my breathing. Sometime the Children of God can only sigh, and breath, and groan to God; for there is such a confusion in their thoughts, they are so amazed at their troubles, they are so surprised that they cannot utter a distinct prayer, and then they sigh, and breath, and groan, they help themselves one way or other. If thou be a Child of God, though thou be oppressed with grief, yet cry, and groan to God, strive against thy grief all thou canst: and though thou canst not cry distinctly, yet mourn as well as thou canst, and God knows the groans of his own Spirit, and those cries are eloquent in his ears, they pierce Heaven. But this being but supposed as a ground, The third Observation is,
So God's Children desire the prayers of others, and it is the duty of others to pray for them. You also helping by your prayer for us.
The holy and Blessed Apostle was sure of God's love to him, and of his care of him; yet notwithstanding he was as sure that God would use both the prayers of himself and others to continue this his goodness to him, and therefore the greater faith, the greater care of prayer; and where there is no care of prayer either of our own or of others for us, there is no faith at all.
There is an article of our faith which I think is little believed, thought it be said over-much, and heard often, yet it is little practiced, I believe the communion of Saints. Is there a Communion of Saints? wherein doth this Communion stand? among many other things in this, that one St. prays for another.
This is one branch of the Communion of Saints, as they communicate in privileges: for they are all the sons of God, they are all heirs of heaven, they are all members of Christ, they are all redeemed by the blood of Christ; and so all other privilege • belong to all alike: as there is a communion in privileges, so there is a communion in duties one to another, one prays for another, there is a mutual intercourse of duty: and those that truly believe the communion of Saints, do truly practice the duties belonging to that blessed society, that is, they one pray for another. I mean here on earth: here we have a command, here we have a promise, here we have mutual necessities, I have need of them, and they have need of me, we have need one of another.
In heaven there is no such necessity; yet there may be (as Divines grant) a general wish for the Church; because the Saints want their bodies, and because they want the accomplishment of the elect.
Where there is want of happiness, there will be a general desire that God would accomplish these days of sin; but for any particular necessities of ours, they cannot know them. Abraham hath forgotten us, and Israel knows us not. There is a communion of Saints, and this blessed communion and society trade this way in praying for one another. God commands that we should pray one for another.
Every Christian is a Priest, and a Prophet: now the Priests duty was to pray, and the Prophets duty was to pray. Now as the Priest carried the tribes on his breast, only to signify that he had them in his heart, and that he was a type of Christ who hath us in his heart always in heaven to make intercession for us; so in some sense every true Christian is a Priest, he must carry the Church and people of God in his heart, he must have a care of others, he must not only pray for himself, but for others, as he himself would have interest in the Common prayer, Our Father, as Christ teacheth us. Not that a Christian may not say, My Father, when we have particular ground and occasion to go to God; but Christ being to direct the Church of God, he teacheth us to say, Our Father: there is therefore a regard to be had by every true Christian of the estate of others.
The reason is, God's Children sometimes cannot so well pray, though they have always a spirit of prayer, that they can groan to God, yet in some cases they cannot so well pray for themselves; as in sickness. Affliction is a better time to pray in then sickness: for affliction gathers and unites the spirits together, it makes a man more strong to pray to God; but sickness distempers the powers of the soul: it distempers the instruments that the soul works by, it distempers the animal spirits which the understanding useth: they are inflamed, and distempered, and confused. Now the spirits that are the instruments of the soul being troubled with sickness, sickness is not so fit a time for a man to pray for himself (though God hear the groans of his Spirit, as David saith, My sighs are not hid from thee: yet notwithstanding it is good at this time to send for those that can make a more distinct prayer, (though it may be they be great Christians) therefore saith-Saint James James, 5. 13, 14. Is any man afflicted, let him pray: is any man sick, let him send for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray for him; not that he is not able to pray for himself, but let them help by joining together with him to God, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.
Nay, I add more, (for the illustration of the point) it is so true that God regards the prayers of one for another, that he regards the prayer of weak ones, for grand ones, great Christians are helped by mean ones: yea, Pastors are helped by the people, St. Paul a man eminent in grace and place, a grand Christian, and for place an Apostle, yet he was helped by the prayers of the weak Corinthians: so that a weak Christian in grace and place, may help a greater Christian then himself both in grace and in place. Parents are helped by the prayers of their Children: Magistrates by those that are under them, the rich are helped by those that are poor, the Ministers by the prayers of the people, You helping by your prayers. The prayers of the people prevail for the Ministers: for though there be a civil difference which shall all end in Death, yet notwithstanding in the Communion of Saints, there is no difference. A poor man may be rich in faith, as St James saith, and one may have as much credit in the Court of heaven as another. As St. Austin saith well, God hath made the rich for the poor, and the poor for the rich: the rich to relieve the poor, and the poor to pray for the rich: for herein one is accepted for another.
St. Paul stands much upon the virtue, and efficacy of the prayers of the Corinthians, for himself a great Apostle. And so in Rom. 15. I beseech you for the love of Christ, and for the blessed work of the Spirit, strive by Prayer together with us. As ever you felt Christ do good to you, and as ever you felt the efficacy of the Spirit, strive with God, wrestle by prayer for me; and so in every Epistle he begs their prayers.
And Ministers need the prayers of people to God, as well as any other, or rather more; for as God conveys much good to others by them, so Satan maligns them more then other men: Aime not at small nor great, but at the King of Israel, pick out him: so the Devil aims not at small nor great, but at the Guides of God's people, at the Leaders of his army. I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Therefore pray for them, that they may have abilities, that they may have parts and gifts, and that they may have a willing mind, a large heart to use them, that they may have success in using them, that they may have strength of the outward man, that they may have protection from unreasonable men; Pray for us, that we may be delivered from unreasonable, and absurd men, 2 Thessalonians 3. Absurd men; for none but absurd men will wrong those that God conveys so much good by, as he doth by the Ministry: it is their lot to be vexed with such men ofttimes, and therefore pray for us.
What is the reason of this, that mean Christians may help great Christians by their prayers?
God will have it thus: great Christians have not the Spirit of prayer alike at all times (though it be supposed they have it, yet) the more help there is, the more hands are put to the work, the sooner it is dispatched. As in the removing of a burden, the more join together, the sooner it is remoed; and so in the drawing of anything, the more hands, the speedier dispatch.
So when we would draw blessings from heaven, the more prayers there be that offer violence to God, the more we draw from him. If it be a judgment that hangs over our heads, the more there be that labor to put away the judgment by prayer, & to remove the cloud that hangs over our heads, the sooner it passeth by: many help much, as many brands make a great fire; and many little rivers running into a common channel, they make the river swell greater: so prayer is strong when it is carried by the spirits of many: yea, those that are not (perhaps) so well experienced.
But, as I said, sometimes men not only great in place, but great in grace, need the help of others; the Spirit of prayer is not in a like measure in them, sometime they are too secure, sometime they are too presumptious, sometime too negligent and careless in stirring up the Grace of God in them, sometime they are prone to be lifted up too much, sometime to be cast down too much.
If this be so, what a benefit is this then to have the help of others? when ofttimes a man meaner in gifts may have as great a measure of the Spirit of prayer as another.
Prayer it is not a work of gifts, but of grace: it is a work of a broken heart, of a believing heart.
And in prayer there be diverse gifts which are far more eminent in one then in another, yet all excellent good in their kind: some have the gift to be fluent, to be large in words, in explication of themselves: some men have not so much in that, but they have a broken heart: some again have it in zeal, and earnestness of affections: so that there is something in the very action of prayer which helps in many: one helps with his ability, with his large gift of Speech: another with his humble and broken spirit: another with his zeal and ardencie to wrestle, and strive with God to get a blessing.
Moses was a man of a stammering tongue, and yet Moses was a man for prayer: Aaron and Hur were silent, and were fain to hold up his hands, but Moses must pray, and yet Moses was no man of eloquence, and he pretends that for his excuse when he was to go to Pharaoh.
Therefore it is a matter of the heart, a matter of grace, of humility, of strong faith, and not a matter of words, though that be a special gift too.
God will have it thus in his wise dispensation, because he will have every man esteemed, and because he will have no man to be proud, he will humble his own to let them know that they stand in need of the prayers of the weakest. Every man in the Church of God hath some gifts, that none should be despised: and none have all gifts, that none should presume over-much and be proud. In the Church of God, in the Body of Christ there is no idle member: in the communion of Saints there is none unprofitable, everyone can do good in his kind.
God will have this, because he will have none despised. It was a fault in St. Jame's time, The brother of high degree did despise the brother of low degree, that is, the rich Christians despised the poor Christians: but saith Saint James, Hath not God chosen the poor in the World, rich in faith? Now faith is the ground of prayer. It is a fault in all times, men have swelling conceits against the meaner sort, and undervalue them. God will not have it so, he will have us see that we stand in need of the meanest Christians, and by this he will raise up the dejected spirit of weak Christians.
What a comfort is it then, that I should be able to help the greatest man in the World? that he should be beholding to me for that duty? So it abaseth the greatest, that they stand in need of the meanest and it raiseth the meanest, that the greatest are helped by them, and it knits all into a sweet communion. For when a great Christian shall think, yonder poor Christian, he is gracious in the Court of heaven, howsoever he be neglected in the world, he may do me good by his prayers; It will make him esteem and value him the more, and it will make him value his friendship; he will not disparage him, he will not grieve the spirit of such a one whose prayer may prevail with God, and draw down a blessing for him. We see here the Corinthians help the Apostle by their prayers.
You see the reason of it, that God will knit Christians together: and humble them that think themselves great, and that he might comfort every mean Christian.
Therefore let no Christian slight his own prayers, no not those that are young ones. That great divine Paulus Phagius, who was a great Hebrecian in his time, and one that helped to restore the Gospel in England: it was a good speech of him, he was wont to say: I wish the prayers of younger Scholars; for their souls are not tainted with sin, and God often hears the poor young ones (that are not tainted, and soiled with the sins of the World, as others are) sooner then others, a weak Christian that hath not a politick head, and a devilish spirit; meaner persons that are but young ones, they have more acquaintance (many times) with God then others; despise not the prayer of any. And let none despise his own prayer. Shall I pray to God (will some say?) I pray do you pray for me. Why dost thou not pray for thyself? I am unworthy. Unworthy? dost thou so basely esteem of it, when God is not only willing that thou shouldest pray for thyself, but requires thee to pray for others? hast thou so base an esteem of this incense? Let my prayers be directed in thy sight as incense, saith David. God esteems this as odour, and wilt thou say, I am not worthy? abase not that which he hath vouchsafed so to honor. God esteems so highly of it, that he will not only hear thy prayers for thyself, but for others.
Again, there is no pretence for any man to be idle in the profession of Religion. Thou hast not riches, thou canst not give, thou hast not place, thou canst not show countenance to others; but if thou be a Child of God, thou hast the Spirit of prayer, the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of a son in thee, which enables thee to pray for thyself and others: there is no Christian but he may do this; you also helping together by your prayers for me.
The fourth and last observation out of these words is, that
Prayer is a prevailing course with God.
It prevails for the removing of ill, or for the preventing of ill, or for the obtaining of good; I shall be delivered, I shall be continued in the state of deliverance, but yet you must pray, your prayers will obtain and beg this of God.
Prayer is a prevailing course, because, as I said, it is obedience to God's order: he bids us call upon him, and he will hear us; prayer binds him with his own promise: Lord, thou canst not deny thyself, thou canst not deny thy promise, thou hast promised to be near all those that call upon thee in truth: and though with much weakness, yet we call upon thee in truth, therefore we cannot but be persuaded of thy goodness that thou wilt be near us: so it is a prevailing course, because it is obedience to God's order.
And it is a prevailing course, because likewise it sets God on work. Faith, that is in the heart, and that sets prayer on work (for prayer is nothing but the voice of faith, the flame of faith, the fire is in the heart and spirit, but the voice, the flame, the expression of faith, is prayer, faith in the heart sets prayer on work) what doth prayer? that goes into heaven, it pierceth heaven, and that sets God on work: because it brings him his promise, it brings him his nature. Thy nature is to be Jehovah, good and gracious, and merciful to thine, thy promise is answerable to thy nature, and thou hast made rich and precious promises. As faith sets prayer on work, so prayer sets God on work, and when God is set on work by prayer (as prayer must needs bind him, bringing himself to himself, bringing his word to him: every man is as his work, and his word is as himself) God being set on work, he sets all on work, he sets heaven and earth on work, when he is set on work by prayer, therefore it is a prevailing course; he sets all his attributes on work for the deliverance and rescue of his Church from danger, and for the doing of any good, he sets his mercy and goodness on work, and his Love, and whatsoever is in him.
You see then why it is a prevailing course, because it is obedience to God, and because it sets God on work, it overcomes him which overcomes all, it overcomes him that is omnipotent. We see the woman of Canaan, she overcame Christ by the strength that she had from Christ. And Moses he overcame God, Let me alone, why dost thou press me? Let me alone. It offers violence to God, it prevails with him, and that which prevails with God, prevails with all things else: the prayer of faith hath the promise: The prayer of a righteous man (in faith) it prevails much, saith St. James. Consider now, if the prayer of one righteous man prevail much, what shall the prayer of many righteous men do? as St. Paul saith here, my prayers and your prayers being joined together must needs prevail.
For instances, the Scripture is full of them, how God hath vouchsafed deliverance by the help of prayer. I will give but a few instances of former time, and some considerations of later time.
For former times, in Exod. 17. you see when Amalek set upon the people, Moses did more good by prayer then all the army by fighting; as long as Moses hands were held up by Aaron and Hur, the people of God prevailed, a notable instance to show the power of prayer. In 2. Chron. 14. Asa prayed to God, and presseth God with arguments, and the people of God prevail. In 2. Chron. 20. there you have good King Jehoshaphat, he prays to God, and he brings to God his former experience, he presseth God with his covenant, with his nature, and the like arguments spoken of before: and then he complains of their necessity, Lord, we know not what to do, our eyes are towards thee. And God's opportunity is when we are at the worst, and at the lowest, then he is near to help, We know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee, saith that blessed King, and then he prevailed.
So the Prophet Isaiah and Hezekiah, they both join together in prayer to God, and God heard the Prophet, and the prayer of the King, they spread the letter before the Lord, and prayed to God when Rabshakeh railed against God, and they prevailed mightily.
Hester was but a woman, and a good woman she was, the Church was in extremity in her time, she takes this course, she fasted and prayed, she and her people, and we see what an excellent issue came of it the confusion of proud Haman, and the deliverance of the Church. In Act. 12. Herod having good success in the beheading of James, being flushed with the blood of James, he would needs set upon Peter too: the Church fearing the loss of so worthy a pillar, falls to praying; see the issue of it, God struck him presently. Woe be to the birds of prey, when God's Turtle mourns! when God's Turtle, the Church mourns, and prays to God, woe be to those birds that violently prey on the poor Church! Woe be to Herod, and all bloody persecuting Tyrants! woe be to all malignant despisers of the Church, when the Church begins to pray! For though she direct not her prayers against them in particular, yet it is enough that she prays for herself, and herself cannot be delivered without the confusion of her enemies: you see these instances of old.
I will name but some of later times, what hath not prayer done? Let us not be discouraged: prayer can scatter the enemies, & move God to command the winds, and the waters, and all against his enemies. What cannot prayer do, when the people of God have their hearts quickened, and raised to pray? Prayer can open heaven, prayer can open the womb; prayer can open the Prison, and strike off the fetters, it is a pick-lock. We see in Act. 16. when St. Paul was cast in Prison, he prayed to God at midnight, and God shakes the foundations of the Prison, and all flies open. So St. Peter was in Prison, he prays, and the Angel delivers him. What cannot prayer do? it is of an omnipotent power, because it prevails with an omnipotent and almighty God.
Oh that we were persuaded of this! but our hearts are so full of Atheism naturally, that we think not of it: we think not that there is such efficacy in prayer: but we cherish base conceits, God may if he will, &c. and put all upon him, and never serve his providence and command, who commands us to call upon him, and who will do things in his providence, but he will do them in this order; we must pray first to acknowledge our dependence upon him. If we were thoroughly convinced of the prevailing power of prayer, what good might be done by it, as there hath been in former times? certainly, we would beg of God above all things the spirit of supplication. And if we have the spirit of prayer, we can never be miserable: if a man have the spirit of prayer, whatsoever he want he causeth it from heaven, he can beg it by prayer: and if he want the thing he can beg contentation, he can beg patience, he can beg grace, and beg acquaintance with God: and acquaintance with God it will put a glory upon him.
It is such a thing as all the world cannot take from us, they cannot take God from us, they cannot take prayer from us: if we were convinced of this we would be much in prayer, in private prayer, in public prayer, for ourselves, for the Church of God.
The Church of God now abroad, you see, is in combustion: if the Spirit of God in any measure and degree be in our breasts, we will sympathize with the state of the Church. We wish them well it may be: but wishes are one thing, and prayer is another: doest thou pray for the Church? if we could pray for the Church it would be better: we should do more good with our prayers at home, then they shall do by fighting abroad: as Moses did more good in the mount by prayer, then they did in the valley by fighting: undoubtedly it would be so.
We may fear the less success the spirits of men are so flat and so dead this way. The time hath been not long since that we have been stirred up more to pray, upon the apprehension of some fears, to pray with earnestness and feeling, expressing some desire in wishing their welfare: but now a man can hardly converse with any that have so deep an apprehension as they have had in former times.
Now therefore, as we desire to have interest in the good of the Church, so let us remember to present the estate of the Church to God. And let us present the Church of God to him as his own, as his Turtle, as his Love.
You know when they would move Christ, they tell him, Him whom thou lovest, is sick: Lazarus whom thou lovest. So, Lord, her whom thou lovest, the Church, whom thou gavest thy Son to redeem with his blood; the Church to whom thou hast given thy Spirit to dwell in: the Church wherein thou hast thy habitation amongst men: the Church that only glorifieth thee, and in whom thou wilt be eternally glorified in heaven, that Church is sick, it is weak, it is in distress, it is in hazard.
Let us make conscience of this duty, let us help the Church with our prayers. Saint Paul saith, I shall be delivered, together with the help of your prayers. Without doubt the Church should be delivered, if we had the grace to help them with our prayers. And God will so glorify the blessed exercise of calling upon him, that we (I say) shall do more good at home, then they shall do abroad: let us believe this, it is God's manner of dealing.
In the book of Judges, in that story of the Benjamites, concerning the wrong done to the Priests concubine: the rest of the Tribes of Israel, when they set on the Benjamites, they asked counsel of God twice, and went against them, and were discomfited: but the third time they come to God, Judge. 20. 26. Then all the Children of Israel came to the house of the Lord, and wept, and sat there before the Lord: and fasted that day till the evening. They thought because they had a good cause, they might without fasting and prayer, and without seeking to the Lord prevail, and therefore they went against them twice, and were shamefully foiled to their great loss: but when at the last they came and humbled themselves before God, and fasted, end inquired of God the cause of that ill, after that they had a glorious victory.
Christ tells his Disciples, that there were some kind of Devils that will not be cast out but by fasting and prayer: so there are some kind of miseries, some kind of calamities, some kind of sins, that will not be overcome, and which God will not deliver the Church from but by fasting and prayer.
And so for private Christians, they have some sins that are master-sins, personal sins; it is not a slight prayer, and a wish that will mortify them, there must be fasting and prayer, and humiliation, and that way those devils are cast out. I would we were persuaded of it that it is such a prevailing thing, holy prayer, to help ourselves in sin; and to help us in misery, to help the Church of God.
Well, since the prayers even of the meanest Christians are so prevailing, let us learn to respect them; for, as they can pray, so their prayers will prevail. And take heed we grieve not the Spirit of God in any poor Saint, that so they may pray for us with willingness and cheerfulness. do but consider what a blessing it is to have a stock going, to have our part in the common stock, as there is a common stock of prayer in the Church, every Christian can pray, and pray prevailingly. What a blessing is it to be a good Christian, to have a portion in the prevailing prayers of others? That when a man is dead and dull, and unfit himself, this may comfort him that others have the spirit of zeal, and will supply his want, it is a blessed thing. Let us consider the excellency of this duty of prayer, from the prevalency of it, to whet us on to the exercise of it. It is a happiness to have a part in it, it is a blessing whereby we can do good to others, we can reach them that are many hundred miles off, those that be at the farthest end of the world: when we cannot reach them otherways we can reach them by prayer: we cannot speak to them, they are far off, but we can speak to God for them, and he can convey that good to them that we desire, what a blessed condition is this?
But some man may say, How shall I know that I can pray, that I am in a state to help the Church of God, and to prevail for it by my prayers?
I answer, First of all thou shalt know it if thou be as willing to help otherwise if thou canst, as well as by prayer. St. James speaks in his time of certain men that would feed the poor people of God with good words; Now good words are good cheap, but they will do nothing, they will buy nothing, they will not clothe, nor feed. So Saint James tells them, that that is but a dead faith.
So there are a company that will only pray for the Church when they are able to do otherways, when they have countenance, and estate, and riches, and friends, and place, and many things that they might improve for the good of others, and for the good of the Church. Some will be ready to say, I pray for the Church, and I will pray: I, but art thou not able to do somewhat else? St. Paul when he wishes them to pray for him, he means not only prayer, but that duty implies to do all that they pray for, to help their prayers, or else it is a mocking of God. If thou pray aright for the Church, thou art willing to relieve them; if thou pray for thy friend, thou art willing to help him, and succor him: if thou pray for any, thou art willing to countenance them. That is one trial; which discovers many to be hypocrites: if their prayers were worth anything, and the times stood in need of them, it is likely they should not have them, because they only give good words, and nothing else.
Again, he that is in a state of prayer, he must be such a one as must relinquish in his purpose all wicked, blasphemous, scandalous, unthrifty courses whatsoever, he that purposeth to please God, and to have his prayer accepted of God, he must leave all. For, as the Psalmist saith, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer. For a man to come with a petition to God, with a purpose to offend him, is to come to practice treason in the presence Chamber. To come into the presence of God, and to have a purpose to stab him with his sins. Doest thou purpose to live in thy filthy courses, in thy scandalous evil course of life, to be a blasphemer, a swearer, and yet dost thou think that God will hear and regard thy prayer? If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer. That is another thing that thou mayest know it by, whether thou be in such an estate as that thou mayest pray successfully for thyself, and for others.
In Prov. 28. there is a third discovery, He that turns his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abominable. Thou mayest know it by this, if thou be in such an estate as that God will regard thy prayers for thyself or for others, that they may be prevailing prayers; how standest thou affected to God's Truth, and Word? how art thou acquainted with the reading of the Scriptures, and with hearing the blessed Word of God unfolded and broken open by the blessed Ordinance of God? How doest thou attend upon God? Wouldest thou have him who is the great God of heaven and earth to hear thee, and to regard thee, when thou wilt not hear, and regard him? thou wouldest have him to regard thy prayers, and thou regardest not him speaking by the Ministry of his Word: thou despisest his ordinance which he hath left with thee: he hath left thee the mysteries of his Word, and thou regardest them not, but spendest thy time altogether either about thy calling, or about some trifling studies, and neglectest the main, the soul-saving truth: will he hear thy prayer? No, saith the Wise man, He that turns his ear from hearing the Law, that man's prayer shall be abominable.
Since prayer is so prevailing a thing, so pleasing to God, so helpful to the Church, and so helpful to ourselves, who would be in such a case that he cannot pray, or if he doth pray, that his prayer should be abominable, that God should turn his prayer into sin? It is a miserable case, that a man lives in that is in league with sin, that allows himself in any wicked course, in rebellion to God's Ordinance: such men are in such a state that God doth not regard their prayers for themselves or for others. Some do so exalt and lift up their pride against God, that they do not regard the very Ordinance of God: no not while they are hearing it, but set themselves to be otherwise disposed at that very time. How can such expect that God will regard them. This shall be sufficient to press that point: saith Saint Paul, I shall be delivered by your prayers.
God will be good to the Ministers for the prayers of the people. This concerns us that are Ministers; Prayer is prevailing even for us. And as it is our duty to give ourselves to Preaching and Prayer, so it is the people's duty to pray for us likewise, and for these particulars, as I named.
To pray for a willing mind to discharge that ability.
To pray for success of that discharge: for we must be able to Preach to the people of God, and we must be willing, and there must be success. It doth much discourage God's people, and those that are Ministers, when they find no success of their labors. Isai. 49. saith the Prophet, I have labored in vain: Elias was much discouraged in his time, and Isaiah and Elias were good men, yet they were much discouraged; they saw little fruit of their labor. Therefore let us help the Ministers with our prayers in this respect, that God would enable them: that God would enlarge their hearts with willingness. For there are many that are of ability, but they are so proud, and so idle, that they think themselves too good to Preach to them, whom God and the Church hath called them to bestow their labors on: they have ability, but they want a large heart. And those that have both ability and a large heart, they want success, they see little fruit: because the people pray not for them, and they perhaps are negligent in the duty themselves, their labors are not steeped in prayers.
Again, a fourth thing that we ought to pray for for them, is strength and ability of the outward man, and all that fear God, and have felt the benefit of the Ministry, they do this, and God doth answer it.
Likewise to pray for protection and deliverance from unreasonable men, to pray for strength of spirit, and likewise for protection: For, as St. Paul saith, 2 Thess. 3. All men have not faith. Pray for us, that we may be delivered from unreasonable, absurd men: All have not Faith. Men that believe not God's truth, that believe not God's Word, that are full of Atheism, full of contempt and scorn, they are absurd men; though they think themselves the witty men of the world, yet they are unreasonable, and absurd men; pray for us, that we may be delivered from unreasonable men.
Likewise from him that is the head of wicked men, the Devil. He sees that the Ministers they are the Standard-bearers, they are the Captains of God's Army, they stand not alone, and they fall not alone, many others fall with them. There is no calling under heaven by which God conveys so much good, as by the dispensation of his Ordinance in the Ministry, therefore we should help them by our prayers. There are no men better if they be good, nor none more hurtful if they be bad, none worse; As Christ saith, They are the salt of the earth, to season the unsavory world, and if the salt have lost the savor, it is good for nothing but to be cast on the dunghill. Therefore pray that God would deliver them from the Devil, who maligns them, they are the Butt of his malice, by his instruments.
There are many that come to hear the Word to carpe, and to cavil, and to sit as Judges to examine, but how few are there that pray for the Ministers? and surely, because they pray not, they profit not: If we could pray more, we should profit more: I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, put up your petitions to God, that God would teach us (that are inferior to you in other respects, setting aside our calling) that we may teach you, that we may instruct his people. As John the Baptist saith, The friends of the Bride learn of the Bridegroom, what to speak to the Spouse: so we learn from prayer, and from reading, we learn from Christ what to teach you. If you pray to God to teach us that we may teach you, you shall never go away without a blessing.
And therefore, as I said, we see how the Apostle desires the Romans to strive and contend with him in prayer: he useth all protestations, and obtestations, For the love of Christ and of his Spirit, &c. And, pray for us, that the Word may have a free passage, and be glorified. In every Epistle still he urgeth, pray for us. The blessed Apostle was so heavenly-minded, that he would neglect no help that might further him in the Ministry. So if we have Christian hearts, we will neglect no helps, not the help of the meanest Christian that we are acquainted with; when he that was a great Apostle saith, Pray for us, strive in prayer for us, he prays for the help of others prayer. So, the more gracious we are, and the nearer to God, the more we understand the things of God, the more careful we shall be of this Christian duty of prayer, for the Ministers, and for ourselves, and others. Upon this ground, that it is God's Ordinance, and there is nothing established by God that shall want a blessing. Therefore if we have faith, we will pray, the more faith, the more prayer: the greater faith, the greater prayer; Christ had the greatest faith, and he prayed whole nights together. St. Paul was mighty in faith, he was mighty in prayer: where there is little faith, there will be little prayer: and where there is no faith, there will be no prayer. You also helping together by prayer for us.
Mark the heavenly Art of the Apostle, he doth here insinuate, and enwrap an exhortation by taking it for granted that they would pray for him. It is the most cunning way to convey an exhortation, by way of taking it for granted, and by way of encouragement. The Lord will deliver me: he doth not say, therefore I pray help me by your prayers; but the Lord will deliver me if you help me, and I know I shall not want your prayers: he takes it for granted that they would pray for him: and granted truths are the strongest truths. It is the best way to encourage any man, if we know any good in him, to take it for granted that he will do so: and so I shall be delivered, you helping together by your prayers.
After he had set down the means that God would convey the blessing by (which was prayer) then he shows the end, why God would deliver him by prayer; For the gift of health and deliverance bestowed upon me, by the means of many prayers of many persons: Likewise thanks shall be given by many on our behalf: that is, on my behalf yea, as many shall be ready to thank God for my deliverance and health, as before many prayed to God for it: so that in this regard, God in love to his own praise and glory will deliver me by your prayers, because he shall gain praise, and praise of many.
And first, for the words somewhat.
(For the gift bestowed on us.) Deliverance and health is a gift, Charisma, a free gift. If health be a gift, what are greater things? they are much more a free gift, if daily bread be a gift, certainly eternal life is much more a gift, The gift of God is eternal life, Rom. 6. ult.
Away with conceit of merit: if we merit not daily bread, if we merit not outward deliverance, if we merit not health, what can we do for eternal life? It is a doting conceit, a mere foolish conceit then to think that the beggar merits his Alms by begging (prayer being the chief work we do) what doth the beggar merit by begging? begging it is a disavowing of merit. Health you see here it is a gift bestowed by prayer, that for the gift bestowed upon us, &c.
Things come to be ours, either by contract, or by gift; if it be by contract, then we know what we have to do: if it be by gift, the only way to get a thing by gift, is prayer: so that which is gotten here by prayer, it is called a gift, not only a gift for the freeness of it, but because health and deliverance out of trouble, is a great and special gift. For, as it seems, St Paul here was desperately sick, (I rather incline to that then any other deliverance) I received the sentence of death, &c.
Is not health a gift? Is it not the foundation of all the comforts of this life? what would riches comfort us? what would friends comfort us? bring all to a sick man, alas, he hath no relish in anything, because he wants the ground of all earthly comforts, he wants health. Therefore you know the Grecians accounted that a chief blessing; if they had health they were contented with any estate. A poor man in a mean estate with a little competency, is more happy, then the greatest Monarch in the world that is under sickness and pain of body.
Health it is comfort itself, and it sweetens all other comforts.
Therefore it is a matter that especially we should bless God for, both for preventing health, God keeps us out of sickness, and likewise for delivering us out of it: for both are like favors: & they that have a constant enjoyment of their health, should as well praise God as they that are delivered out of sickness. It is God's goodness that they do not fall into sickness. There is the ground of sickness in every man: though he had no outward enemy in the world, yet God can distemper the humors, and when there is a jar and disproportion in the humors, then follows a hurting of the powers, and a hindering of the actions, &c. We should bless God for the continuance of health, it is a special gift. For the gift bestowed.
(By the means of many persons.) God bestowed health on Saint Paul, but it was by the means of many prayers of many persons. Would not God have bestowed health upon Saint Paul, if he had not had their prayers? Yes doubtless: but yet notwithstanding when there are many prayers they prevail much more; many streams make a river run more strongly, and so many prayers prevail strongly. Health is such a blessing as may be begged by others.
Therefore it is a good thing in sickness, and in any trouble, to beg the the prayers of others, that they may beg health and deliverance of God for us. The good Corinthians here, they pray Saint Paul out of his trouble. And God so far honors his Children, even the meanest, that they are a means to beg health and deliverance for others, even to pray them out of this or that trouble.
And what a comfort and encouragement is this, that a Christian hath so many factors for him? he hath all the Saints in the world that say, Our Father, praying for him. He must needs be rich that hath a world of factors, that hath a stock going in every part of the world. A Christien hath factors all the world over, he is a member of the mystical body, and many prayers are made for him, it is a great comfort.
And it is a great encouragement for us to pray for one another, considering that God will so far honor us. St. Paul's health here it was a gift by the prayers of many.
But thou wilt object, I am a weak Christian, a sinful creature, what should God regard my prayers? Alas, my prayers will do you little good.
Yes, they will do much, not only for thyself, but for others: what are prayers? are they not incense kindled by the fire of the blessed Spirit of God? Are they not in themselves good motions, stirred up by the Spirit? themselves in their nature are good, though they be imperfect, and stained. The Spirir that stirs them up is good, the good Spirit of God. We know not how to pray, but the Spirit teacheth us. The Mediator through whom they are offered, who mingles his odour with them, Revel. 8. 3. He is the Angel, that mingleth odors with the prayers of the Saints, and makes them acceptable to God. The person likewise that offers them is good: what is he? 〈◊〉 ? is he not God's Child? do not parents love tohear the voice of their Children? if therefore the person be good (though weak) and the prayer be good, and the Spirit good, and the Mediator so good, then let no man be discouraged, not only to pray for himself, but to pray for others. God would hear the Corinthians, (though they were stained with Schism, and with other weaknesses,) they were none of the most refined Churches that Saint Paul wrote to, as we may see in the first Epistle, yet saith Saint Paul, my health and deliverance is a gift, and a gift, by the prayers of many, weak and strong joining together.
It is the subtlety of Satan, and our own hearts join with him in the temptation: What should I pray? my conscience tells me this and that.
Doest thou mean to be so still, then indeed, as it is, Psal. 66. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer: but if thou have repented thee of thy sins, and intenedst to lead a new life for the time to come, God will hear thy prayers, not only for thyself, but for others: God will bestow gifts upon others, by means of thy prayers.
To go on,
God's end in delivering St. Paul by prayer, was that he might have many thanks for many prayers, when they were heard once, that thanks may be given by many [on our behalf,] that is, because we are delivered, and restored to health, and strength again, to serve the Church as we did before: you see here how
Many prayers, and then many praises, these follow one another; Indeed this is God's order; and we see in nature, where there is a receiving there is a giving. We see, the earth, it receives fruit, it yields fruit, as Christ saith of the good ground, sixty-fold, many-fold. You see bodies that receive the Sun, they reflect their beams back to the Sun again.
The streams as they come from the Sea: so by an unwearied motion they return back again to the Sea. And men do eat the fruit of their own flocks, they reap the fruit of their own Orchards and Gardens. In nature, whatsoever receives, it returns it back again. The influence and light that those heavenly bodies, the stars, and the Planets, &c. have from the Sun, who is the chief light of all, they bestow it upon the inferior bodies: you see it in nature, much more is it in grace: what we receive from God by gift, obtained by prayer, he must have the praise for it, many prayers, many praises. As soon as ever a benefit is received, presently there is an obligation, a natural obligation, and a religious obligation, upon the receipt of a benefit, there must be some thought of returning something presently.
It teacheth us, what a horrible sin ingratitude is: It is the grave of all God's blessings, it receives all, and never returns anything back again. As those Lepers, they never came back again to thank Christ, but only the tenth, a poor Samaritan. Men are eager to sue to God, restless till they have that they would have, but then they are barren and unfruitful, they yield nothing back again. After prayer there must be praise and thanksgiving. It condemneth our backwardness, and untowardness in this kind; like little Children, they are ready to beg favors, but when they come to thanksgiving, they look another way, as if it were irksome to them: So it is with our nature, when we go about this heavenly duty, we give God a formal word or two, Thanks be to God, &c. But we never work our hearts to thankfulness. That thanks may be given
As the prayers of many are mighty with God to prevail, so likewise the praises of many are very grateful and acceptable to God. Even as it is with instruments; the sweetness of music ariseth from many instruments, and from the concord of all the strings in every instrument: when every instrument hath many strings, and all are in tune, it makes sweet harmony, it makes sweet concord. So when many give God thanks, and everyone hath a good heart set in tune, when they are good Christians all, it is wondrous acceptable music to God, it is sweet incense, more acceptable to God then any sweet favor, and odour can be to us. That is one reason why God will have many to pray to him, that he may have many praises.
God doth wondrously honor concord, especially when it is concord in praising of him. It is a comely thing for Brethren to live in unity, as it is, Psalm 131. If to praise God be a comely thing, and if concord be a comely thing, then when both meet together, it must needs be wondrous beautiful, and wondrous acceptable to God, when many brethren meet and join to praise God. Therefore it is said, Act. 2. in the Churches new conversion, they met all together as one man, they were of one heart and one soul, and they were given to prayer, and to praising of God; a blessed estate of that beginning Church, they were all as one man, of one heart, of one spirit, of one soul.
As the blessed Angels, and blessed spirits in heaven, they all join together, as it is in Revel. 14. The blessed man heard a voice in heaven as the voice of many waters, and of great thunder, and he heard the voice of harpers, and they sang a new song: there were many harps, but one song, one thanksgiving, one Heart, one spirit in all, wondrous acceptable to God.
This should make us in love with public meetings. Severed thanksgiving is not so acceptable a thanksgiving. God doth bestow all good upon us in the body, as we knit ourselves not only in thanksgiving to him, but in love to the Church, as all things are derived from God to us in the body, so let our praise return to God in the body as much as we may.
It shows what a hateful thing Schism and division is in the Church, besides many other inconveniences God wants glory by it. God loves to be praised by many joining together. As the Apostle saith here, Thanks shall be given by many, &c. Many, not as they are many persons, but as they are many godly persons that are led by the Spirit of God.
Therefore if the praise of many be so acceptable, it should first be an encouragement to union. In John 17. saith our Savior Christ there, I pray, that they may be one, as we are one. It was the sum of that heavenly prayer, the unity of the Church to the end of the world, That they may be one, as we are one: the Trinity should be the pattern of our unity. Because, I say, all good is in union, and all that comes from us that is accepted of God, it must be in peace and union.
God so loves peace, and a quiet disposition inclinable to peace, that he neglects his own service till we have made peace one with another, Mat. 5. If thou have any offense with thy brother, if thou have done him any wrong, or he thee, go and be reconciled to him, and then come and bring thy offering. God will stay for his own offering, he is content to stay for his own service till we be at peace one with another, whether it be prayer or praise, if we be not at peace it is not acceptable. Again, this should teach us to stir up others when we praise God, (and others have cause as well as we) that thanks may be given by many. When we are in trouble call upon others, and as it is the common and commendable fashion, desire others to pray for us, that prayer may be made by many: and when we receive any favor, any deliverance from any great danger, acquaint others with it, that thanks may be given by many. It was the practice of David in Psalm 66. Come, I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul. And in Psal. 34. and in Psal. 142. ult. Bring my soul out of trouble, that I may praise thy Name, and what shall others do? Then the righteous shall compass me about, for thou hast dealt bountifully with me. Showing that it is the fashion of righteous men, when God hath dealt graciously with any of his Children, they compass him about, to be acquainted with the passages of divine providence, and God's goodness towards them, The righteous shall compass me about, for thou hast dealt bountifully with me.
Holy David in Psalm 103. he stirs up every creature to praise God, even the creatures of hail, of storms, and winds, and everything, even the Blessed Angels, as we see in the latter end of that Psalm: as if thanksgiving were an employment fit for Angels (and indeed so it is,) and as if all his own praise were not enough except all the creatures in heaven and earth should join with him in that blessed Melody to praise God, the Angels, and all creatures praise God. Let us stir up one another to this exercise.
How do the creatures praise God? They do praise God by thy tongue: (although they have a kind of secret praise which God hears well enough, for they do their duty in their place willinglly and chearfuly, but) they praise God in our tongues: every creature gives us occasion of praising God.
Many give thanks here for one Saint Paul, for the Minister. We see here God's end, that many should praise God not only for themselves, but for others, especially for those by whom God conveys, and derives good unto them, whether outward or spiritual good. The Apostle exhorts us to pray for all men, 1 Tim. 2. For Kings, yea, though they were persecuting Kings at that time. And surely if we ought to pray to God for all mankind, we ought to praise God for all sorts of men, especially for Governors and Ministers, &c. because God by them bestows his greatest blessings. Obey the Magistrate: Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers: for the powers that are, are ordained of God, and he is the Minister of God for thy good; so the Governors and Ministers of God are for our good. We ought therefore (as to pray for them, that they may execute their office for our good, so) to praise God for the good we have by them. You know David stirred up the people to mourn for Saul (though a Tyrant:) He clothed you, and your Daughters (saith he) with scarlet. If they should praise God for a persecuting King, and mourn for him when he was gone, much more should we for those that are good.
And so likewise for Pastors, we ought to praise God for them, and all that have good by them will pray to God, and praise God for them. And undoubtedly it is a sign of a man that hath no good by them, that prays not for them, and that praiseth not God by them; we ought to praise God in that proportion, as well as to pray to God one for another.
And this should stir us up to be good to many, that many may praise God, not only for themselves, but for us. If it be our duty to pray for those that we derive good by, and to praise God for them, then let us labor to be such as may communicate to others. Good is diffusive, and good men are like the box in the Gospel, that when it was opened all the house smelled of it.
The heathen Philosopher said, that a just man, a good man is a common good, like a public stream, like a public Conduit, that every man hath a share in. Therefore as the Wise man saith, When good men are exalted, the City rejoiceth, many rejoice. Who would not therefore labor in this respect to be good, to have a public disposition, to have a large heart, to do all the good we can? That so we may not only have more prayers to God for us, but we may have more praise to God for us, that God may gain by it. That thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Let us take notice of our negligence in this kind, and be stirred up to this blessed duty. And therefore consider wherein it consists.
It consists in our taking notice of the favors of God to ourselves, and others, and in valuing the good things that we praise God for, to esteem them. The Children of Israel, they did not bless God for the mannah, they did not value it, This Manna, this Manna, in scorn. So in Psalm 106. They neglected God's pleasant things, they set light by them. Hosea 8. 12. He gave them the great things of his law, and they accounted them as slight, as strange things, not worthy to be regarded. Praise consists in taking notice; and not only in taking notice, but in remembering and minding them, as in Psal. 103. My soul, praise the Lord, and forget not all his benefits.
And likewise in an estimation of them, and likewise in expressing this thankfulness in words, Awake my glory, our tongues are our glory: especially as they are instruments to praise and glorify God: we cannot use our language better then to speak the language of Canaan in praising of God.
Likewise, praise consists in doing good, which is real praise, though we say nothing. Moses cried to God, though he spake not a word. Evil works have a cry, although they say nothing. Abel's blood cried against Cain: and as evil works, so good works have a cry: though a man praise not God with his tongue, his works praise God. Job saith, The sides of the poor blessed him. What could their sides speak? No, but there was a real thanksgiving to God, their sides blessed God: so our good works may praise God as well as our tongues and hearts. The heavens and the earth they praise God, though they say nothing, because they stir us up to say something. Let men see your good works, that they may take occasion from thence to bless God, saith Christ. Or else your praising of God is but a mere complementing with God: to give him thanks with the tongue, and after to dishonor him with your lives, Psal. 50. What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth, since thou hatest to be reformed? what hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth either in prayer or in praise, when thou hatest to be reformed? High words are unseemly for a fool saith the Wise man) and what higher words then praise? Therefore praise for a man that lives in a blasphemous course of life, in a filthy course of life, praise is too high a word for a fool: we must praise God in our lives, or else not at all: God will not accept of it. It consists in these things.
Now some directions how to perform it for ourselves and others.
If we would praise God for ourselves, or for any, then let us look about us, let us look above us, and beneath us, let us look backward, look to the present, look forward: everything puts songs of praise into our mouth. Have we not matter enough of our own to praise God for? let us look about us, to the prosperity of others: let us praise God for the Ministry, praise God for the Magistracy, praise God for the government wherein we live. There are many grievances in the best government, but a Christian heart considereth what good he hath by that government, what good he hath by that ordinance, and doth not only delight to feed on the blemishes, as flies do upon sores: it is a sign of a naughty heart to do so. Although a man should not be insensible of the ills of the times: (for else how should we pray against them?) yet he is not so sensible as to forget the good he hath by them. If we would praise God, let us look to the good, and not so much upon the ill.
Look up to heaven, look to the earth, to the sea. David occasions praise from every creature, every creature ministers matter of praise, from the stars to the dust, from heaven to earth, from the Cedar to the Hisop that grows by the wall. Is there not a beam of God's goodness in every creature? have we not use of every creature? we must praise God not only for the Majesty, and order that shines in them, but for the use of them in respect of us.
And so let us look to the works of Providence, as well as to the works of Creation. Look to God's work in his Church, his confounding of his enemies, his deliverance of his Church, the Churches abroad, our own Church, our own persons, our friends: thus we should feed ourselves, that we may have matter of praising God. God gives us matter every day; he renews his favors upon the place wherein we live, and upon us, as it is, Lam. 3. It is his mercy that we are not all consumed. Let us look back to the favors that we have enjoyed: let us look for the present, what doth he do for us? The Apostle saith here, God doth deliver us: doth he not give deliverance, and favor, and grace? inward grace for the time to come? hath he not reserved an inheritance, immortal, and undefiled in the heavens for us? Wherefore doth he bestow things present: and wherefore doth he reveal things laid up for us for the time to come, but that we should praise him, but that we should praise him for that which he means to do afterwards? Blessed be God the Father, who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortal, and undefiled, &c. saith St. Peter. God reveals good things that are to come, that we are heirs apparent to the Crown of glory; this is revealed, that we might praise him now, that we might begin the employment of heaven upon earth. Let us look upward and downward, let us look about us, look inward, look backward, look to the present, look forward, everything ministereth matter of praise to God.
Yea, our very crosses: happy is he whom God vouchsafeth to be angry with, that he doth not give him over to a Reprobate sense to fill up his sins, but that he will correct him to pull him from ill courses: happy is he that God vouchsafeth to be angry with in evil courses. There is a blessing hid in ill, in the Cross. In all things give thanks, saith the Apostle: what, in afflictions? I, not for the affliction itself, but for the issue of it. There is an effect in afflictions to draw us from the world, to draw us to God, to make us more heavenly-minded, to make us see better into these earthly things, to make us in love with heavenly things: In all things give thanks. When we want matter in ourselves, let us look abroad, and give thanks to God for the prosperity of others.
And with all (in the second place,) when we look about us, let us dwell in the meditation of the usefulness of these things, of the goodness of God in them, till our Hearts be warmed. It is not a slight God be thanked that will serve, but we must dwell upon it, let our hearts dwell so long on the favors and blessings of God till there be a blessed fire kindled in us. The best bone-fire of all is to have our hearts kindled with love to God in the consideration of his mercy. Let us dwell so long upon it till a flame be kindled in us. A slight praise is neither acceptable to God nor man.
And then let us consider our own unworthiness, let us dwell upon that; I am less then the least of all thy favors, saith good Jacob, Gen. 32. If we be less then the least, then we must be thankful for the least. Humility is always thankful, a humble man thinks himself unworthy of anything, and therefore he is thankful for anything.
A proud man praiseth himself above the common rate, he over-values, and over-prizeth himself, and therefore he thinks he never hath enough: when he hath a great deal, he thinks he hath less then he deserves, and therefore he is an unthankful person. And that makes a proud man so intolerable to God, he is always an unthankful person, a murmuring person. A humble man, because he undervalues himself, he thinks he hath more then he deserves, and he is thankful for everything; he knows he deserves nothing of himself, it is the mere goodness of God whatsoever he hath.
The best direction to thanksgiving is to have a humble and low heart, rherefore David, 1. Chron. 29. 14. when he would exercise his heart to thankfuluesse, when the people had given liberally, saith he, Who am I, or what is this people, that we should be able to offer willingly after this sort? all comes of thee, and all is thine own that we give. What am I, or what is this people, that we should have hearts to give liberally to the Temple? see how he abaseth himself. And Abraham, I am dust and ashes, shall I speak to my Lord? And Job, I abhor myself in dust and ashes, when he considered God's excellency, and his own baseness. A humble heart is always thankful, and the way to thankfulness is to consider our humility. What am I? saith David, he had a heart to be thankful, of thine own I give thee, not only the matter to be thankful for, but of thine own I give thee: when I give thee thanks, thou givest me a thankful heart.
As the Sacrifice that Abraham offered was found by God, so God must find the sacrifice that we offer, even a thankful heart: of thine own, Lord, I give thee, even when I give thee thanks.
Therefore you may make that a means to have a thankful heart, to pray for a thankful heart. And when we have it, bless God for it, that we may be more thankful. God must vouchsafe the portion of a thankful heart with other blessings: he that gives matter to be thankful, must give a heart to be thankful.
Again, to make us more thankful, do but consider the misery of ourselves if we wanted the blessings we are thankful for, and the misery of others that have them not. Thou that hast health, if thou wouldest be thankful for it, look abroad, look into hospitalls, look on thy sick friends that cannot come abroad. Thou that wouldest be thankful for the liberty of the Gospel, look beyond the seas, look into the Palatinate, and other Countries, and certainly this will make thee thankful, if anything will. If we would be thankful for spiritual blessings, consider the misery of those that are under the bondage of Satan, how there is but a little step between them and hell, that they are ready to sink into it, there is but the short thread of this life to be cut, and they are forever miserable. If we would be thankful for any blessing, let us consider the misery to be without it. If we would be thankful for our wits, let us consider distracted persons. What an excellent Engine to all things in this life, and the life to come, is this spark of reason? If we want reason what can we do in civil things? What can we do in matters of grace? Grace presupposeth nature: if we would be thankful for health, for strength, and for reason, if we would be thankful for common favors, consider the misery of those that want these things.
Would we be thankful for the blessed ordinance, consider but the misery of those that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, how they are led by Satan, and want the means of salvation. Those that would be thankful for the government we have, let them consider those that live in Anarchy, where every man lives as he lists, where a man cannot enjoy his own. The consideration of these things it should quicken us to thankfulness, the consideration of our own misery if we should want them, and the misery of those that do want them.
And let us keep a Catalogue of God's blessings, it will serve us, as in regard of God to bless him the more, so in regard of ourselves, to establish our faith the more: for God is Jehovah, always like himself: whom he hath done good unto, he will do good to: he is constant in his love, Whom he loves, he loves to the end: God shall have more thanks, and we shall have more comfort.
Again, to add some encouragements and motives to thankfulness, which may be a forcible means to make us thankful, do but consider it is God's tribute, it is God's custom; do but deny the King his custom, and what will come of it? deny him tribute, and you forfeit all; so you forfeit all for want of thankfulness.
What is the reason that God hath taken away the Gospel from countries abroad, (and may do from us if we be not more thankful?) because they were not thankful: it is all the tribute, all the impost he sets upon his blessings, I will give you this, but you shall glorify me with thanksgiving. It is all the honor he looks for, He that praiseth me honoreth me. And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord require of thee, for all his favors, but to serve him with a cheerful and good heart? to be thankful.
What is the reason that the earth denies her own to us, that sometimes we have unseasonable years? We deny God his own, he stops the due of the creature, because we stop his due.
When we are not thankful he is forced to make the heavens as Iron, and the Earth as Brasse; we force him to make the creature otherwise then it is, because we deny him thankfulness.
The running of favors from heaven ceaseth, when there is not a recourse back again of thankfulness to him. For unthankfulness is a drying wind, it dries up the fountain of God's favors; it binds God, it will not suffer him to be as good as his word. If ever God give us up to public judgments, it will be because we are not thankful to God for favors, and deliverances, as that in 88. by Sea, and from the Gunpowder treason by land. Was it not a sick State after Queen Mary, when Queen Elisabeth received the Crown? The Church and Common-wealth were sick. Now if we be to praise God for our particular persons, when we have recovered our health, much more should we praise God, when the State, when the Church is delivered, as it was at the coming in of Queen Elizabeth, and afterward in 88. and of late time, and continually he doth deliver us. And if we look that he should deliver us, not only our persons, but the State wherein we live: let us pray to God that he would do so, and praise God for his former deliverance.
Again, this is another motive, the praising of God for formet deliverances, it invites him to bestow new blessings. Upon what ground doth the Husbandman bestow more seed? upon that which hath yielded most in time past. Will any man sow in the barren wilderness where it is lost? No, but where he looks to reap most, and hath done formerly. Where he sees a soil that is fruitful, he will sow it the more; and where the heart is a barren wilderness, that it yields nothing back again, he takes that away that he gave before.