Sermons Experimental, Sermon 1 · Verse 4
VERSE. IV.
Then called I upon the Name of the Lord: O Lord, I beſeech thee, deliver my ſoul.
IN the former Verſe, is declared Davids ſtate, and condition, full of deadly and inextricable perils, here in this Verſe, we have his behaviour; his iſſue ye ſhall ſee anon; Verſ. 5, 6. In his behaviour, we have two things. Firſt, An Act I called. Secondly, The form of Prayer he uſed. To call upon the Name of the Lord, is to pray unto God, 1 Cor. 1.2. as ſinging unto the Lord, and ſinging unto his Name are the ſame; ſee Pſa. 135.3. Of this Act hath been ſpoken above already; therefore I ſhall here treat of it ſhortly, and onelyonly as it is here inferred immediatly upon the mention of his troubles, and perplexities; and ſo from thence we have commended to our notice thus much; That no extremity of affliction can drive Gods children from him, they quench not devotions, inflame them rather;*See Pſal. 44.17. to the 22. Doctrinally we have it, Hoſ. 5.15. and Practically, Iob 13.15. though he kill me, yet will I truſt in him, ſaith Iob. *See Pſal. 44.17. to the 22.Three things onelyonly I finde in this kinde, wherein they have been defective. Firſt, Prepoſterouſneſſe in ſeeking, as in*2 Chron. 16.12. Aſa, preferring the Phyſitian in the firſt place before God. Secondly, Over-fearfulneſſe,*Ezra 9.6. diſmaying to approach unto the Throne of Grace, yet approaching alſo as Ezra bluſhes in Gods preſence. Thirdly, Outward feebleneſſe in particulars, as in Primative Chriſtians. But of any one, whom it wholly drave from God, I never finde mention; But with the wicked it is not ſo; The*Ier. 44.17. Queen of Heaven ſhall be God, if ſhe will give Victuals; the Lord of Hoſtes ſhall be forſaken, if he bring to exigent: that's a curſed ſpeech, whether of a curſed man, I know not, at leaſt I ſay not,*2 Kings 6.33. This evill is of the Lord, and why ſhall we wait on him any longer?
The forme of Prayer it ſelf next is to be noticed; it is ſhort, but pithy; full of earneſt, and moſt paſſionate Devotion.
Senſe, Maitah, Erue, Reſcue; My ſoul, that is, my life, or my perſon, as verſ. 8. Now though I doubt not but David in ſome of his afflictions uſed larger forme of words, yet to this ſumme amounted all; O Lord, I beſeech thee, reſcue my ſoul; wherein are almoſt all things required to acceptable prayer. Firſt, The Perſon, or objectum cui. Secondly, Faith of Audience. Thirdly, Earneſtneſſe of Affection; Annah. Fourthly, The matter, Reſcue my ſoul, That Regular.
I would not be miſtaken in what I deliver Doctrinally from hence; but ſure it is true, rightly taken. It is not multitude of words, but muchneſſe of affection that formes our prayers to acceptability: Two faults our Saviour found in the Phariſees devotion. Firſt,*Matth. 6.7. foreign, Vaine babling, or needleſſe repetitions, as that of Battus in the Poët,—& erant in montibus illis, & erant in montibus illis. Secondly, foreign, Much talking, many words:*Eccles. 5.2. Solomon gives Item againſt it, eſpecially in all ſpeech paſſing twixt God and us; Let thy words be few, pithy as thou wilt, but few, fit for the matter thou prayeſt for, and ſuch as befits the Majeſty of that God whom thou prayeſt unto. And if a man conſider the uſe that ſpeech hath in prayer, I meane private prayer, it is not to*Matth. 6.32. informe the Lord of our wants; for he knows what we need, before we aske, and profeſſeth his audience of*Rom. 8.26. Exod. 14.15. ſighes, and groans: But firſt to expreſſe our affections, by that inſtrument, which God hath given us for that end, to wit, our Tongue, Pſal. 35.28. See Pſal. 5.1, 2, 3. Secondly, Then to kindle our affections, that when we hear from our ſelves the ſound of our miſery, or wants, or bleſſing, by the redounding thereof upon our minds, our affections may be doubled; whereto if few, as well as many words ſuffice, quorſum foreign; to what purpoſe is the uſe of many? The point in hand is tender, and muſt warily be dealt withall; yet give leave to minde you what I obſerve in peruſing the Pſalmes; the chief pattern I know extant for Devotion is, Pſal. 5.1, 2, 3. there are, Firſt, Words. Secondly, Meditation, to guide them. Thirdly, Crying, to ſhew the Earneſtneſſe of Affection; one tearm he there uſeth is borrowed from Warr; I will direct, order my prayer, as Curiouſly as men do their battell, where no man muſt be out of rank, nor hear a word out of his order: Truely*Aug. ep. 121. Auſtine, Aliud eſt ſermo multus, aliud diuturnus affectus, there is difference between much ſpeech, and much affection; our Saviour ſpent whole nights in prayer; and we muſt never think our prayer long, while our affection keeps up in vigour; Multum loqui, eſt in orando rem neceſſariam ſuperfluis agere verbis, multum autem precari, eſt ad eum quem precamur diuturna & piacordis excitatione pulſare: In a word, as a man may not beat upon, and blunt his affection with babling, when he feels it languiſh, ſo while he feels it in vigour, he may not over-ſoon break off his prayer.
Vſe. 1 They have a kinde of devotion in the Church of Rome, which they number amongſt their moſt meritorious and ſatisfactory works; It is this, to pray by the Bead, by the Tale, ſo many Ave-Maries, Pater-noſters, in a ſtrange tongue which they underſtand not; and he is counted the devouteſt man, who ſpends moſt houres in prayer; in the interim, neglecting all other offices of Religion; or ſpeciall calling; for my part, rumpatur, pereat, let him burſt, and periſh, that oppoſeth Devotion, eſpecially this part of it that is ſpent in prayer: But firſt, Is there no place for Meditation, for*Eccles 5.1. Hearing? Secondly, Is this to pray, to blatter we know not what in a ſtrange tongue? How do they in praying attain the end of ends, which is, ſaith Auſtin, not to inform God, but Firſt, To minde our ſelves of what we ask. Secondly, To excite affection. Thirdly, And why ſo many words, ſo much babling? As if the Lord we ſerve were aſleep, as Elias ſpeaks of Baal; or as if fewer words with more affection did not better pleaſe him, Eccleſ. 5.2.
Secondly, It ſhews us the great grace of God, Vſe. 2 and his propenſe favour to us, who with ſo little ado is ready at a call, when he ſees the ſeaſon fit to hear us. I deny not, but he ſometimes deferres, but it is, Firſt, To prove our faith. Secondly, To humble us the more under conſcience of our own indignity. Thirdly, To ſet better price of the bleſſing asked. Fourthly, That he may whet affection. Fiftly, He means to double the bleſſing, as we do our devotion; but certainly, when he ſees us fitted to receive, preſently he grants what we pray for.
Thirdly, If I ſhould preſcribe a form of private Vſe. 3 devotion, I ſhould preferre the cuſtome of Aegyptian Churches, mentioned by Auſtin; Let them be frequent, pithy, paſſionate; but yet conſider whom you have to deal withall; few words, but pithy, and affectionate, ſuch as beſeem ſuch a Majeſtie to be called upon withall.
The iſſue remains, He helped me. But before he comes to expreſſe the iſſue, he ſeems a little to interrupt himſelf, and to breathe out into celebration of the grace, and mercy of God, which he had experimented in his deliverance.
As touching the ſenſe of the words; by Graciouſneſſe of God, we conceive, that property of his nature, inclining him above our merits, without our merits, againſt our merits, to do good unto us; ſee Pſal. 111.4. and 86.15. Exod. 33.19. Righteouſneſſe or Juſtice, that inclines him to give to every one what belongs unto him. If any ask how juſtice appeared in his deliverance, this is the anſwer; Firſt, There is Iuſtitia dicti, as well as facti, Juſtice of word, and promiſe, as well as of fact, and deed, 1 Ioh. 1.9. Heb. 6.10. Secondly, They put upon God a threefold Juſtice, according to a fourfold perſon he ſuſtains. Firſt, That whereby he doth what is meet for him that is good; that is, naturally good, to do for his creatures, from this Juſtice iſſues his loving kindneſſe, ſee Pſal. 36.6, 7. and 40.10. Secondly, Paternum, Fatherly juſtice, ſo it is equall, and juſt he ſhould protect his children, Pſal. 103.13. hear their prayers, Matth. 7.11, &c. Thirdly, Judiciary if you think here meant, It is juſt; Juſtice requires it of God himſelf, to vindicate the innocent from their oppreſſours, and to give them teſtimony of innocencie.
Object But who is ſo innocent?
Anſw None indeed ſimply ſo, and in reſpect of God, yet in reſpect of men, for particular faults; ſee Pſa. 7.3, 4. and 18.19, 20, 21. Our God, that is, the God whom we ſerve, taking it contradiſtinct to idols, as Pſal. 115.3. Is mercifull; the word ſignifies tenderly mercifull, ſuch an one as whoſe bowels yern upon our miſeries; ſo propenſe is he to releeve them; by old Zacharie they are called*Luke 1.78. Bowels of mercy.
But in this paſſion of devotion, two things he commends to every devout ſoul, in any experiment he hath had of any attribute of God. The firſt is, Obſervation, noticing and obſerving thoſe attributes of God, which have manifeſted themſelves in the bleſſings reached unto us; or in any his operations towards the ſonnes of men; ſee Pſal. 107.43. who ſo is wiſe will obſerve theſe things. Iehu no great good man, yet had his obſervation of the truth of God ſpoken by his Prophets, 2 Kings 10.10. Know now that no word of the Lord ſhall fall to the ground, confer. 2 Kings 9.36. Saint Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. he is in a long commemoration of Gods grace towards him in his converſion; in the midſt of it, he breaks out to this point of obſervation; Certainly it is a truth, Jeſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners. Saint Peter to Cornelius, Act. 10.34. I perceive of a truth that God is no reſpecter of perſons. David, Pſal. 147. He bindeth up the broken in heart, he tells the number of the ſtarres. Why goes he not on in his numeration? Devotion wills him to notice this obſervation, Great is our Lord, and of great power, his underſtanding is infinite.
The benefits thence accruing to us, are ſpecially two. Firſt, It is an excellent ſtrengthening of faith, concerning all truths God hath revealed touching his Nature and Will: ye may obſerve Gods owne ſervants ſometimes overtaken with doubtings of the Attributes of God; of his Mercy, and Grace, the Prophet, Pſal. 77.7, 8. of his Truth, Ieremiah, Ierem. 15.18. Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a Lyar, and as waters that faile? Of his Power, Zechariah, Luke 1. and Sarah, Gen. 18. yea, Moſes, who had ſo often ſeen the power of God, yet at a time doubted, Num. 20.12. Here now hath Obſervation place, as a potent means to ſtrengthen our Faith.
The Nature of God, and Concluſions touching it, we have delivered in the Scriptures, and had we no experiment, are bound to beleeve them: the evidence of all, and arguments demonſtrating them, we have in his works of Creation, and Providence; ſpecially in the things that we ſee wrought before our eyes: To this end tends the Hiſtory of Scripture, and had we wiſedom, we ſhould obſerve in the daily proceedings of providence towards others, towards our ſelvs, what would ſilence the godleſſe thoughts of Infidelity. Juſtice, Trueth, Power, Mercy, Goodneſſe, &c. we daily experiment, and yet, fools as we are, obſerve not; No marvell then, if in time of Temptation our Faith grows ſo languiſhing.
A ſecond benefit thence iſſuing, is hope of obtaining what ever good thing we experiment, according to the promiſe of God, See 1. Sam. 17.36, 37. in David, and Paul, 2. Cor. 1.10. and 2. Tim 4.17, 18. David goes farther, to time of forefathers, Pſal. 22.4, 5. And the reaſon is good, ſuch as the Lord hath been to others, to us, ſo will he be to us, if we reſemble in behaviour.
I ſay as Moſes, Oh that this people were wiſe; Ʋse that we had all this wiſedome, to obſerve the Lords Actions, of Juſtice, Mercy, Providence, Truth, Goodneſſe, to others, to our ſelves!
There lives not the man on earth, but taſtes all theſe in his own perſon; yet how few are they that obſerve them: So of Threatnings, Sundry precious Promiſes are given unto us, faith*2 Pet. 1.3. Peter; Not one, I dare ſay, but his Children rightly qualified have ſeen, or may ſee exemplified; That he will be a God to the righteous Parents, and to their ſeed, who can but obſerve? certainely, it raviſheth me to conſider; and though weak in Faith, and much conflicting with doubtings, yet it ſtrengthens my Faith, to ſee Gods Grace towards others: So of Comminations for Drunkards, Whoremongers, &c. I ſee it daily exemplified, Why doubt I? But ſurely if in our own particulars we would be obſervant, we ſhould much more be fortified; David fetcheth it ab ovo, from his Birth, from the Wombe of his mother,*Pſal. 139.13. On thee was I caſt from my mothers wombe, thou haſt been my God from the wombe. I beſeech you be exhorted to this point of Prudence, beleeve me no more, if you ſee not Athiſme, Infidelity, Diſtruſt, Unthankfulneſſe, Diſobedience, all evills die in you. Two things there are that hinder it. Firſt, Opinion of fortune in all theſe Accidents of common life, as if there were no providence guiding them; yet to a Sparrow our Saviour extends*Mat. 10.29.it, yea, even to*Pro. 16.33. Lots, the things moſt chanceable. Secondly, The ſecond hinderance, is the aſcribing the good or ill ſucceſſe of our lives to the means; if evil, to our imprudence or wilfulnes; if good, to our own wiſdome & induſtry; whereas alas, What is our All, except the Lord give the*Pſal. 127.1. bleſſing?
The ſecond thing obſervable in this paſſion of devotion is, the paſſionate, and devout expreſſion, and celebrating with due praiſe the attributes of God, wch he had experimented; ſo filled he is with raviſhment in the contemplation, that interrupts his ſpeech, he cannot expreſſe the benefit, but firſt he celebrates the praiſe of the attribute: like paſſages you may obſerve many in reading the Pſalmes, ſpeeches broken, and ſeemingly interrupting the ſentence, and making a kinde of ſoleciſme, when yet if you truly did underſtand the affection of a ſoul truly devout, you will finde them moſt pertinent. Epheſ. 2.4, 5. The Apoſtle intends to remembrance the people of their bleſſed change of eſtate, from being dead in treſpaſſes, and ſinnes, to ſpirituall life; the ſpeech would have paſſed full enough for the ſenſe, in the ſimpleſt commemoration; but mark how devotion interpoſeth, God which is rich in mercy, of his great love wherewith he loved us, hath quickened; like ſee, 1 Tim. 1. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in faith and love. Do you ask me a reaſon of it? and I ask you, Why doth the Sunne ſhine? Why doth fire burn? No man can give reaſon of it: It is the nature of the creature, and this is the nature of devotion. Marry, if you would ask me a reaſon why he ſhould ſo do, I could give many, but it is impertinent to the point in hand: we handle not now matter of duty to urge obedience, but matter of property, that tends rather to triall: And ſo make uſe of this point, ſee how thou art affected, when thou meditateſt the many benefits God hath done to thy ſoul feeleſt thou ſuch motions as theſe; thy belly, as*Iob 32.19. Elihu ſpeaks, is full as bottles of new wine, thou muſt ſpeak to the praiſe of God, elſe thou breakeſt, as Ieremie, I cannot hold, it is well, and I bleſſe thy ſoul; my belly, ſaith David, Eructabit, ſhall belch out thy praiſe. But on the deadneſſe of our indevout hearts in this behalfe! We can ſometimes ſpeak of the bleſſings we enjoy from God, and perhaps we ſometimes expreſſe our noticing the hand of God teaching theſe favours to us▪ but ſhew me the man of Davids ſpirit, that breaks out into the magnifying of the grace, or mercy, or power, or goodneſſe of God: In a word, two faults I obſerve in this kinde in us. Firſt, That either we languiſh in the praiſe of the God that hath done ſo great things for us, and with a little bare lip-thanks paſſe over his benefits. Secondly, Elſe are not diſtinct, or particular in noticing the ſpeciall attributes we have experimented; me thinks, I would have a Chriſtian ſo skilfull in this kinde, that he ſhould know to what property of God he ſhould aſcribe every benefit he enjoys, every work, or operation of God to his creatures; in ſome ſhine wiſdome, in ſome goodneſſe, in ſome long-ſuffering, in ſome patience, in ſome grace, and mercy, in ſome juſtice, &c. But the wiſdome of a Chriſtian ſhould be this, to be ſo diſtinct in knowledge, and obſervation, as to know, to whether attribute to aſcribe whether bleſſing: As in a body perfectly mixt, there are all elements, yet ſtill one predominant, ſo in all the works of God towards the ſonnes of men, Mercy and Truth, Righteouſneſſe and Peace, Wiſdome and Power, have their concourſe, yet ſo, as ſome one or other have their predominance: Let our wiſdome be ſuch in obſerving, that we may not let paſſe that ſpeciall attribute, without ſpeciall celebration▪ ſo doth David here, and Saint Paul alſo in like ſort, 2 Cor. 1.3. ſtileth the Lord, on like obſervation, Father of mercies, and God of all comfort; As for example, In pardon of ſinne, there is Wiſdome, there is Juſtice, &c. but the predominant is Mercy. Secondly, In crowning of our ſervices, there is eminent Grace and Bounty. Thirdly, In ſupporting in temptations, there is, Power, &c.