Sermons Experimental, Sermon 1 · Verse 8
VERSE. VIII.
For thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
IN this Verſe, David gives us the evidence of Gods bounty to him, in the enumeration of particular favours conferred on him; wherein are, Firſt, The ſeverall favours. Secondly, The reſult, or iſſue of them, Verſ. 9.
The favour in generall is deliverance; From what if you will know. Firſt, From miſery painfull, from death, yea from tears; for the ſentence riſeth foreign. Secondly, From miſery ſinfull; My feet from falling.
For the ſenſe; Thou haſt delivered, that is, reſcued, as Pſal. 6.4. even when he was at the pits brink he reſcued; My ſoul; That Tropically put ſometimes for the Perſon, as Exod. 1.5. Act. 27.37. ſometimes for life, as Heſt. 7.3. Gen. 9.5. Iob 2.4, 6. whether ſenſe you take, you erre not, they are co-incident, Me or my life: Elſe thus; The ſoul hath a twofold conſideration. Firſt, As a naturall form of a body ſo organized, ſo it lives in the body. Secondly, As a ſpirituall ſubſtance, or ſubſiſtence, having in it a power to ſubſiſt, and exiſt in it ſelf without the body; Death for the time, deprives it of the life that it hath in the body, not of that life, or being it hath in it ſelf: But this not all the benefit; Not onelyonly ſo ſet me out of deadly perill, but which yet more amplifies his bounty; Mine eyes from tears; The meaning is, From all ſorrow, or evidence of ſorrow, or cauſe of ſorrow, in reſpect of outward perill, as Apoc. 21.4. When God is ſaid to wipe all tears from the eyes of his Saints; The meaning is, He takes from them all ſorrow, and crying, and pain, as the Spirit explicates himſelf. And my feet from falling; That is, Me from falling, Synechdoche Metaleptica.
But ſo ſee we the nature of a heart truly thankful to God, there is not a bleſſing, nor degree of a bleſſing, nor circumſtance of a bleſſing, but it takes notice of, and publiſheth, My ſoul from death, my feet from falling; Reſcued me when falling, that the circumſtance; Mine eyes from tears, the degree. Pſal. 103.2. Forget not all, that is, not any one of his benefits; ſo alſo, Ephe. 1. From Verſe the third to the fourteenth; Paul for his own particular, 1 Tim. 1.12, 13, 14. generally for us all, Rom. 5. from verſ. 6. to the 11. ſee alſo Pſal. 107.8. To praiſe is not ſimply to ſay him a thank, but to commend, and amplifie the riches of his grace, and mercy, towards us.
Lord that we had Davids ſpirit, Ʋse that our mouthes might thus be filled with the praiſe of the Lord; How ſhould the Lord rejoyce over us, and delight to do us good? Wonderfull hath the Lord been in his mercy towards us, in the many deliverances of our Nation from forraigne violence, in our peace, plenty, liberty of the Goſpel, and plenty of his word purely preached; whether we conſider the bleſſings in themſelves, or meaſures of the bleſſings, or circumſtances of time, perſons, behaviour, &c. And yet, I know not how, whether through continuance, and long enjoying, or whether through opinion that they come to us by ordinary courſe, the greateſt bleſſings have loſt much of their price, that it is to be feared, the Lord means by lack of them to let us ſee their worth, and learn better to eſteem them.
The better to enlarge our hearts to the duty, and to teach you how in meditating Gods favours to be holily Rhetoricall: Let me minde you, Firſt, of the miſery that is in the want, ſuppoſe it be in remiſſion of ſinnes, in knowledge of God, in peace of conſcience, in miniſtery of the word, &c. Secondly, Our unworthineſſe to obtain ſuch bleſſings, Gen. 32.10. I am leſſe, ſaith Iacob, then all thy goodneſſe, and the good Centurio…, Mat. 8.8. Lord I am not worthy; which and much more we ſhall eaſily force our ſelves to confeſſe, if we conſider our behaviour before God unconverted, full of obſtinacie, and of diſobedience, Tit. 3.3. 1 Tim. 1.13. and with all our unthankfulneſſe, and neglect, and abuſe of his favours, ſince our calling, enjoyed, ſee Ezra 9.8, 13. Thirdly, Our impotencie, without grace of God, to acquire, or retain them, Rom. 5.8. Fourthly, The preferment God hath given us, either in the bleſſings, or in the meaſure of the bleſſings, or in the circumſtances, ſee Pſal. 147.19, 20. Fiftly, Comparing our ſelves with others, perhaps more righteous then our ſelves, more carefull to ſeek God, in likelihood, ſuch as would have made better uſe of his mercies, as Matth. 11.21. Theſe are grounds of this holy Rhetorique, which if by your ſelves you will work upon by meditation; Truſt me no more, if ye finde them not ſuch as will ſweeten Gods favours towards you.
Reaſons preſſing the performance, meditate theſe. Firſt, Nothing ſooner ſtops the fountain, and current of Gods bounty, then doth unthankfulnes; this hazards to an utter deprivall, as Rom. 1.21. Secondly, Or elſe, the bleſſing ſhall be ſcanted in the meaſure, as to the Jews, Amos 8.11. Thirdly, or elſe the bleſſing continued, ſhall turn to a curſe, and ſnare unto thee, as riches reſerved for hurt, Eccleſ. 5.13. The word to harden, Iſa. 6.10. knowledge to aggravate ſinne, and puniſhment, Ioh. 9.41. Secondly, according to the meaſure of bounty, and favour contemned, or ſlighted, ſo uſually is the meaſure of wrath in the day of viſitation, Matth. 11.23. Jews highlieſt advanced in Gods favours. Never did Nation under the ſunne drink deeper of his wrath, ſee Deuter. 28. Levit. 26.
And my feet from falling: Whether means he into penall miſery, and miſchief, or into ſinne? There is Lapſus moralis, as 1 Cor. 10.12. Erre I? or would David here be underſtood of ſinning? ſo Pſal. 73.2. My feet were almoſt gone, my ſteps had wel-nigh ſlipt. And if I be not deceived, the cariage of the Text ſwayeth to ſuch underſtanding, riſing ſtill from the leſſe to the greater. Firſt, It is more bounty to be kept from grief then from death, for there is a greater enlargement from miſery; but it is not more bounty to be kept from the ſenſe of affliction, then to be kept from death, which is the greateſt of temporall evills; but it is more bounty in a gracious eye to be kept from ſinne, then from death. Secondly, How his eyes from tears? If not kept from ſinne? That had ſure coſt him many a tear, as Peter, Matth. 26.75. But underſtand it De lapſu morali, ſo ſtill riſeth the gradation to enlarge Gods bounty; yea, which I count the greateſt bleſſing, in theſe afflictions he kept me ſteady in my courſe of piety, and ſuffered not afflictions to ſway my heart from him: ſtill in a gracious eye, the benefit ſeems greater to be delivered from ſinning, then from greateſt outward affliction; that is the reaſon Saint Paul, Rom. 8.37. triumphs over all afflictions, 2 Cor. 11. and 12. He counts them his glory, his crown; but ſpeaking of the prevailing of corruption in particulars, he bemoans himſelf as the miſerableſt man alive, Rom. 7.24.
The reaſon of this is, for that rectitude of judgement is ſo farre vouchſafed, that ſuch men ſanctified, can diſcern twixt good and evill, twixt evill and evill; and in their eye Malum culpae, is greater then Malum poenae, The evill of ſinne, then the evill of pain; For, Firſt, That makes evill, not this; Puniri non eſt malum, comparative ſcilicet, ſed fieri poena dignum. Secondly, In afflictions they know they may retain favour of God, not ſo in ſinning. Thirdly, That oppoſite to increated, this to created goodneſſe; And beſides this, hahaving taſted the ſmart of ſinne in the ſoul (as who hath not that is Gods?) What affliction is comparable to that of an accuſing conſcience?
When may we hope to faſten this opinion in our multitude, to think ſinne greater then povertie, then death, then bonds? &c. The ſource of all ſinnes is this in the people, that in their ſenſuallity, and Epicuriſme, they will redeem the leaſt affliction with the greateſt ſinne; Rather then want, ſteal, kill, what not? rather then looſe life, countrey, liberty, commit idolatry, deny Chriſt; rather then be counted odde, or ſingular, runne into any ſinne of good-fellowſhip, ſwear, ſwagger, drink, and be drunken, &c. rather then feel a little ſickneſſe, runne, to ſorcerer; rather then a little loſſe in their goods, to a Cunning-man, a Witch, that is, ſaith Iſa. 8. from the living to the dead, from God to the devill: Oh that Chriſtians had learned but what ſome heathens thought! that to be vertuous is more happineſſe, then to have the wealth of Xerxes, the pleaſure of the Epicure, the Dominions of Alexander, the honour of the great Cyrus, or Darius; That it is more miſerable to be vitiouſly inclined, then to endure the poverty of Irus. Learn, I beſeech you, learn herein to reform, and rectifie your judgements; ſee Ioſeph, Gen. 39.9. How ſhall I commit this great wickedneſſe, and ſinne againſt God? To this end meditate. Firſt, The unavailableneſſe of all outward benefits, to ſtead us in the day of Gods wrath; What then can be like to this? Iſa. 38.3. I have walked before thee in the truth, and uprightneſſe of my heart. Secondly, What hazard thou makeſt of ſoul for fulfilling the luſt of the body, thou wilt be enclined to make Moſes his choice, Heb. 11.25. To ſuffer afflictions, then to enjoy pleaſures of ſinne. Thirdly, How do we forget, That for all theſe things the Lord ſhall bring us to judgement? Eccleſ. 11.9. Fourthly, Fear him that can caſt body and ſoul into hell, Luke 12.5, &c.
Secondly, Try we our ſelves by this; I do not ſay all grace ſtands in this; for I know a naturall mans judgement may be ſo farre cleared, as to confeſſe, it is greater evill to ſinne, then to be afflicted; and yet it is ſomething, as Paul ſpeaks,*Phil. 1.10. To diſ…ern the things that differ; And ſurely, He is not farre from the kingdome of God, who hath his judgement thus farre rectified: But, Firſt, In whom judgement ſo farre works, that when the leaſt ſinne is offered, or a great affliction, chuſeth rather to be afflicted, then to ſinne againſt God, he hath in him ſomething ſupernaturall. Secondly, He that can more heartily thank God for this, that he hath delivered from the power of ſinne, then from bodily calamities; he hath in him ſomething ſupernaturall.
Thirdly, He, whom this meditation calms in his preſſure; Well, though God ſuffer me thus to be afflicted, yet he hath delivered from the power of darkneſſe, he hath kept me from ſinning againſt him, and in that meditation findes contentment▪ that man hath in him ſomething ſupernaturall. And tell me, thou that art ſo much diſcontented at the courſe of Gods providence, in diſpenſing outward bleſſings; To whether of the two, thinkeſt thou, is he moſt bountifull? To thee, whom he hath made rich in faith, though poor in this world, or to thoſe Epicures, and worldlings, whoſe bellies he fils with his hid treaſure, yet ſuffers to live in dominion of the*2 Tim. 2.26. Devill, Lazarus or the Glutton? Say not therefore, Gods wayes are not equall; even now thou mayeſt diſcern betwixt the righteous, & the unrighteous, if thou knoweſt how to value bleſſing with bleſſing, and to give the ſpirituall preheminence above the temporall.
My feet from falling: Yet warily underſtand, Not as if David had not at all ſinned under his afflictions; for ſee verſ. 11. his extravagancie in his paſſionate cenſures; and ſtory teſtifies what more then Simulationem cautelae, his affliction drave him unto, before Achiſh King of Gath: But there is ſlipping, Pſa. 73.2.94.18. ſuppoſe in thoſe paſſionate murmurings, and diſcontentments Gods children feel riſing under the Croſſe. Secondly, There is falling perhaps into groſſer ſinne, as impatience, blaſphemy, abnegation, as Peter, Matth. 26.75. Iob 3. Ier. 10.14. And thirdly, There is Prolaepſio, or Ruina, Pſal. 44.17, 18. In one of theſe at leaſt the Lord is gracious to ſupport his children, ſee Iob 1. and 2. Pſal. 44.17, 18. Hebr. 11.35. Fourthly, Stumbling at, Rom. 14, &c.
Comfort your ſelves with theſe things; Ʋse either all divine preſages are falſe, elſe certainly evill times will come; ſome God is ſo mercifull unto, to take away from the evill to come, as*2 Kings 22.20 Ioſiah was taken, and*Gen. 5.24. Enoch, Ne malitia mutaret intellectum, and many other righteous, Iſa. 57.1. Yet queſtionleſſe there are ſome, whom God reſerves to trialls, perhaps ſharp, and bitter; ſurely the tenderneſſe we ſhew towards verball perſecutions, may give us cauſe to fear, in reſpect of our ſelves, we ſhall be more delicate, and timorous in the fiery triall: yet here is our comfort, God hath been mighty in mans weakneſſe, enabled many a weak Chriſtian to endure great fights of affliction, and to reſiſt in ſtriving againſt ſinne, to the ſhedding of blood; that cloud of witneſſes, Heb. 12. are ſo many evidences of Gods goodneſſe, and power to ſupport us, ſee Rom. 15.4. This reſt aſſured of, either he will not ſuffer us to be tempted, or elſe will give iſſue with the temptation, 1 Cor. 10.13. Nothing ſhall ſeparate finally from Gods favour, Rom. 8.38.