Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 7 · Lecture 112
Lecture CXII. On Psalme 51.6. March 3. 1628.
THe second sort of uses that this Doctrine serveth unto hath relation unto the judgements of God executed upon others specially upon his owne Church and people.Vse 2. The Doctrine which we have heard, teacheth us how to judge and how to be affected with the strange severity the Lord hath shewed for these sundry yeares, and doth yet shew towards all the Churches almost upon earth, that professe his Gospell. And it serveth to reprove two great faults that we are all too much enclined to in this case. The first is an over heavie & rigorous censure we are apt to passe, upon the persons of such as we see the Lord afflicteth, in an extraordinary manner. The second is an over-light esteeme of the judgement it selfe, that God inflicteth upon any in an extraordinary manner. For that we are not apt so to be affected with it, nor make that use of it as we ought to doe.
For the first, We are all apt to judge them greater sinners then other men, whom we see the Lord doth afflict and plague more then other men; we are apt to thinke that rare and extraordinary judgements doe alwaies argue rare and extraordinary sinnes in them, on whom God inflicteth them. Naturall and wicked men have beene wont alwaies to judge so. When Shimei saw the strange judgement that fell upon David how his owne sonne sought both his kingdome and life, he cryeth out, 2 Sam. 16.7, 8. Come out, thou bloudy man, thou man of Belial; the Lord hath delivered thy kingdome into the hand of Absolom thy sonne, and behold thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloudy man. And this hee complaineth was the common cry of all his enemies, Psal. 71.11. when they saw him in any great affliction they were wont to say, God hath forsaken him, persecute and take him, for there is none to dliver him. Thus the Pharisees argued against the poore man, Iohn 9 34. that he was altogether borne in sinnes (that is, a greater sinner even by nature, then any other) because he was borne blind. And the Barbarians, Acts 28.4. when they saw the Viper hang on Pauls hand concluded no doubt this man is a murderer. And it is no marvell though wicked men judge thus of the poore members of Christ, whom God is pleased in any strange manner to humble, either by inward or outward afflictions; for thus the Prophet Esay saith, Esa. 53.12. our Saviour himself was numbred with the transgressours; was accounted a most wicked man; and that by reason of the strange afflictions he endured above others. We esteemed him (saith the Prophet, Esa 53.4. our whole nation esteemed him) stricken, smi… ten of God, and afflicted. They esteemed him to be hated and abhorred of God, for his owne iniquities, when they saw the extreame misery that he did endure. But this is not the censure and verdict of naturall and wicked men only; Gods own children are too apt also to judge so. The Disciples themselves when they saw the man that was borne blind say unto Christ, Ioh. 9.3. Master who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was borne blind? Either himselfe or his parents they were perswaded were guilty of some extraordinary sinne, or els such a judgement sure would never have befallen him. And Iobs three friends (though they were not holy men only, but wise & learned men too, yet) had they all too much of this humour in them; They judged him to have been a most lewd and vile man. Is not thy wickednes great, (saith Eliphaz to him, Iob 22.5.) and thine iniquities infinite? Yea though they (being his inward and speciall friends as they are called, Iob 2.11.) had been (doubtlesse) witnesses of the piety and integrity he had shewed in his whole conversation; yet now they thought all that had been but in hypocrisie. And so Eliphaz twitteth him with it, Iob 4.6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, the uprightnesse of thy waies, and thy hope? As if he should say, We may see now what all that goodnesse was thou madest such a shew of. And mark in the next verse, Iob 4▪ 7. the premises whereupon they inferre this conclusion against him. Remember I pray thee (saith Eliphaz) who ever perished being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? He saith not who ever was afflicted being innocent, but who ever perished and was cut off? Who ever died so miserably, who ever was so strangely plagued of God, as thou art, if he had any goodnesse in him in truth, if he were not notoriously wicked? And I nothing doubt but this sentence hath beene passed by many against Gods poore Churches in Germany and Rochel. The strange hand of God that hath beene upon them all this while, that we have enjoyed such peace & plenty; hath made us apt to thinke that they have beene greater sinners then we; that the Lord loveth and liketh much better of us then he did of them, or els he would not have kept us so free from all the miseries that have been upon them. So that the examples of Gods severity we have seene upon them which should have humbled us and made us afraid, have had a quite contrary effect in us, they have made us more secure, they have puffed us up, and made us think better of our selves then we did before.
Quest.You will aske me then, Is it unlawfull for us to take notice of the sins of men in the judgement we see God executeth upon them? May we give no judgements of the sins of men, by the judgements of God that we see upon them, as Physitians doe by seeing the Vrine, and feeling the pulse of their patients? May we not say sometimes, that for these and these sins, God hath thus and thus plagued them?
My answer to this question, must consist of two parts. For I will shew you, 1. How farre forth this is lawfull to be done. 2. How farre forth it is unlawfull.
It is lawfull for us (first) to judge every man to be a sinner whom wee see to be in any affliction.Answ. 1. For we may be sure God afflicteth not any, who hath not by his sins deserved it; sin is the first cause of all judgements, And we may safely say with the Church, Lamenta. 3.39. Man suffereth for his sinne. A man may safely conclude with the Apostle, Rom, 5.14. that infants are sinners, because they do dye, and are (besides) subject to so many paines and miseries. And of Iob himselfe, a man may be bold to say he was a sinner, because hee was so grievously afflicted; yea of him (as good a man as he was, and consequently of the holiest man that liveth upon earth) we may safely say as Zophar said to him, Iob 11.6. (how extreame soever their afflictions be) know thou that God exacteth lesse of thee, then thine iniquity deserveth. The holiest man that is, hath by his sins deserved much more affliction and misery, then he doth endure. Secondly. Where the grosse sins of any have bin notorious, and manifest unto us, before ever we saw Gods judgements upon them (such as the Apostle speaketh of, 1 Tim. 5.24. Some mens sins are open before-hand, going before unto judgement) specially such sins as God hath threatned to punish with such judgements. In this case, it is not unlawfull for us to judge, surely for these and these sins, God hath thus and thus plagued them. Thus David saith, Psalme 52.6, 7. that when the righteous should see the strange judgements of God that should fall upon Doeg and his posterity, they should say, Lo…, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himselfe in his wickednes. As if they should say, He thought that so long as he was in such place and authority, and favour with Saul, he need not care what he did against David, or against the Lords Priests, but see now the end of this persecuting wretch. The judgement of God that followed him, kept his sin in their remembrance, and made them oft to talke of it. And doubtlesse, so should the judgements of God, that we see upon such as have bin notoriously wicked, for whoredome, for oppression, for hatred of religion, the judgements (I say) that we see upon them and their families, should keepe their sins in our remembrance, and cause us oft to thinke and speake of them. Nay, for as much as those poore Churches of Christ in the Palatinate, and Germany, and Rochel, have bin notoriously knowne, to offend generally in the ordinary profanation of the Sabbath; the sin that God saith was a chiefe cause of the Iewes captivity, Ezekiel 20.13. In the contempt of the ministery, of whom the Lord hath said, Deut. 12.19. Take heed to thy selfe, that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon the earth. Forasmuch as I say, they have bin notoriously knowne to offend generally this way (besides the loosenesse of their lives in drunkennesse, and lasciviousnesse, professing outwardly religion, having a forme of godlinesse (as the Apostle spreaketh, 1 Tim. 3.5.) but denying the power thereof) it is not unlawfull for us to impute all this marvailous severity of God towards them unto these their sins.
But then I answer secondly,Answ. 2. that there be two wayes whereby wee may offend greatly in this case.
First. When only for the afflictions that they endure, and the judgements of God that we see upon any, we judge them guilty of some great sin, though we know no sin by them, nor can justly taxe their conversation any way. As it was in Iobs case. This I say is a great sin. For it is evident by the scripture, that the holiest of all Gods servants have bin most sharpely afflicted. Such, as of whom the world was not worthy (as the Apostle speaketh, Hebr. 11 37, 38.) were stoned, and sawne asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword, they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented. And God doth not alwayes in afflicting his children, correct them for sin, but he doth it sometimes only to try their faith & patience; and to make them examples of faith and patience unto others. You are in heavinesse (saith the Apostle, 1 Peter 1.6, 7.) through manifold temptations; that the tryall of your faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth, though it be tryed with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Iesus Christ. And sometimes he doth it for other causes, which he keepeth secret unto himselfe, and which the wisest, and holiest men under heaven have not beene able to conceive; yea this maketh much for his glory that he doth so, as we read, Prov. 25.2. That the Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his workes, every faithfull man hath ever beene ready to acknowledge, Psalme 145.17. Ieremy 12.1. But the wisest and holiest of Gods servants have oft beene astonished at the beholding of his judgements, and unable to discerne his meaning in them; but have beene constrained in a holy reverence, and admiration, to cry out, as Esa. 45.15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe. And Romanes 11.33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome, and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgements, and his wayes past finding out! As if he had said, His judgements are so deepe and unsearchable, that no man is able to found them, to find out the ground and reason of them.
The second way wherby we may much offend in this case, is, when (though we know sins, and great sins too, in them whom God thus afflicteth) we do by reason of the greatnesse, and strangenesse of their afflictions, judge them to be no better then hypocrites, or greater sinners then our selves, or other men whom the Lord doth not so plague, as he hath done them. For we have heard in the Doctrine, God doth use to affli…t his owne deare children for sin more sharply in this life, then he doth any other. It was a strange judgement that fell upon old Ely, that he should with a fall breake his necke, and dye, 1 Sam. 4.18. and (doubtlesse) his sin in bearing too much with his children in their profanesse, was the cause of it; yet he were a mad-man that would doubt whether he were a good man, and dyed in Gods favour for all that; or that would thinke he was a greater sinner then any other in Israel, because of that. So it was a strange judgement that befell the young Prophet, 1 Kings 13 24. and certainely his sin was the cause of it. And yet the old Prophet (by his mourning for him, and charging his sons verse …9—31. that when he dyed, they should bury him in his grave) declared that he was undoubtedly assured that he was Gods deare child, & dyed in his favour for all that. O take heed therfore of judging of those poore Churches that have so strangely perished, or of any other persons to have beene hypocrites, and void of true grace; or to have bin greater sinners, either then our selves, because of the miseries that they have endured. Take heed of despising, or thinking the worse of any for their afflictions and miseries. This is a corruption too strong in all men by nature, Prov. 14.20. and 19.17. Eccles. 9.15, 16. This is the first sin that is taxed and reproved by the Doctrine that we have heard.
And there be three things that may discover to us both the folly and the wickednesse, and danger also of this humour. First. That God hath expresly said in his word, that we may not judge them the greatest sinners, that are most afflicted. No man (saith the holy Ghost. Eccl. 9.1.) knoweth either love or hatred, by all that is before him; that is, by any outward thing that doth befall men, as he expresseth himselfe, verse 2. Suppose ye (saith our Saviour, Luk. 13.2, 3. and to shew the certainty and necessity of this truth, he repeateth it againe, and giveth another instance of it, verse 4, ….) Suppose yee that those Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they endured such things? They were murdered by Pilate, even while they were sacrificing, and serving God (a strange judgement) and yet heare what Christ saith, I tell you Nay. As if he should say, you may not judge so, you sin if you judge them the worst men, upon whom Gods hand lighteth most heavily in this kind. Secondly. See what promises the Lord hath made and appropriated, to such as judge wisely, and charitably, of such as God hath humbled by his judgements, which they shall never taste of, that are thus censorious against them. Psal. 41.1—3. Blessed is the man that judgeth wisely of the poore. And he mentioneth sixe speciall blessings, wherewith God will blesse that man. The summe of all is this, that it is a singular grace of God, and shall never go unrewarded, to be able to judge wisely of them that are most afflicted, to be so farre from despising, or thinking the worse of any for his afflicted estate, as that we can pity and love him the more, esteeme the better of him, and shew the more respect unto him even for this. Certainly, it is our duty so to doe; not the magistrates duty only (whose speciall care must be to doe so, as we see, Psalm 82 3, 4.) but every Christian mans also, as is plaine by many places of scripture, Iob 6.14. Prov. 29 7. and 31.9, And in this we shall resemble our heavenly father, Hee doth not … nor abhorre the affliction of the afflicted, nor hide his face from him, as David speaketh, Psal. 22.…4. no more ought we to doe, nay no more will we do, if we be his children indeed. And consequently it must needs be a great sin in any man, and such as God will surely punish, to judge rashly and uncharitably of such persons. Thirdly. See how God was offended with Iobs three friends, for the censure they passed upon him. My wrath is kindled against th…e (saith the Lord to Eliphaz. Iob 42.7, 8.) and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Iob hath, therefore goe and offer up for your selves a burnt offering, and my servant Iob shall pray for you, lest I deale with you after your folly. Observe in the words two things. 1. That God was highly offended with, and threatneth to take vengeance on these three good holy men, even for judging so hardly of Iob, by reason of his afflictions, though they were strange and wonderfull, greater then ever we read any other meere man did indure. 2. That the Lord chargeth them, they had not spoken of him, the thing that was right. Why? what did they speake against God? All that they spake was for God, for the clearing of his justice, and out of zeale to his glory, and so Iob chargeth them, 13.7. Will yee speake wickedly for God? and talke deceitfully for him? All the bitter censures they passed against Iob, was out of their zeale to God. But yet the Lord saith, that misinterpreting his judgements, and thinking he alwayes hated them most, whom he doth most afflict they spake against him, and dishonoured him.
The second sin that we are by this Doctrine to be reproved for, in this case, is this, That as we are apt to judge too hardly of the people of God, whom he is pleased to scourge and afflict, so are we on the other side, as apt to esteeme too lightly of the judgement it selfe, and be much lesse affected with it then we ought to be. None of us do so consider of, nor are affected with the miseries of the Church, as we ought to be. But we may well take up now that old complaint of the Prophet, Esa. 57.1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart. Observe two things in the Prophets phrase. 1. The people of God are not onelyonly taken away, but they perish▪ (Abad, is the word he useth, even the very same that Eliphaz useth, Iob 4.7.) they are cut off by most violent kinds of death, by most strange and extraordinay judgments, and yet no man layeth it to heart. 2. He saith not, the righteous have perished, but in the present tense, he perisheth still, still the enemy prevaileth against Gods people. The Lord hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them (as the Prophet speaketh, Esa. 5.25.) and the hills did tremble, and their carkasses were torne in the midst of the streetes (great and unspeakable miseries have for a long time befallen them) and for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still, the righteous perisheth still, and yet no man layeth it to heart. The heinousnesse and danger of our sin in this our senslesnesse, will the better appeare by discovering to us foure duties that the Lord looketh for at our hands in this case.
First. We should by the best meanes we can, informe our selves how it fareth with the Churches of God. We are too inquisitive after newes, behold, this is the newes we should enquire after. When Gods people were in battell against the Philistins, and had the Arke of God with them in the camp, it is said, 1 Sam. 4.14. that old Ely sat upon a seat by the way side, watching, and hearkning how Gods people sped; and the reason is given. For his heart trembled for the Arke of God; and therefore he sat in that place, watching, that he might heare with the first, what became of it. So when there came one to David out of the campe of Israel, 2 Sam. 1.3.5. see how inquisitive David was to know how it fared with the Lords hoast. How went the matter? (saith he) I pray thee tell me? And when he had told him that Saul and Ionathan was slaine, see how desirous he was to know the certainty of it. How knowest thou (saith he) that Saul and Ionathan be dead? The same spirit you shall see in Nehemiah 1.2. so soone as Hanani was come to him, the first question hee asked, was concerning the state of the people of God that were at Ierusalem. And yet was he then in the palace, as it is said verse 1. a Courtier, in great place and favour with a mighty King. And yet Moses did more then this, for when he was in the height of his honour and greatnes in Pharaohs court, he did not content himselfe to inquire, but it is said, Exod. 2.11. that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens, that he might be the more affected with their estate. And though we cannot doe as Moses did, we cannot go out unto our brethren, and behold with our owne eyes their miseries, as he did. Yet may all these examples teach us that it is our duty by the best means we can to informe our selves of the estate of the Church; and certainly if our hearts trembled for the Arke of God, if we had any care of the cause of religion, we could not choose but doe so. Nay wee would looke on their burdens, thinke oftner and more seriously of their miseries then we doe. Come and see the workes of God (saith the Psalmist. Psalme 66.5) he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men. But alas we doe not so, but we are like to those the Prophet complaineth of, Esa. 5.12. The Harpe, and the viole, the Tabret, and the Pipe, and wine are in our feasts, but we regard not the worke of the Lord (in this his marvellous severity towards his people) neither doe we consider the operation of his hands. While wee enjoy our delights in all fulnesse, wee care not a rush what becommeth of the Church of God. But marke how wee provoke God against us by our profane stupidity. Because they regard not the workes of the Lord (saith David, Psalme 28.5.) nor the operation of his hands, hee shall destroy them, and not build them up. We cannot take a readier way for the hastning of our owne ruine, then to be thus carelesse, and senslesse of the judgements of God upon his people.