The Son of God Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God, Sermon 1
THE Firſt Sermon, On DAN. III. XXV.
He anſwered and ſaid▪ Lo I ſee four men looſe, walking in the midſt of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
THe School of Diſcipline, which God trains up his Children in; teemeth to have very ſevere Sta…utes, and ſtrict Orders that are not joyous to the fleſh but they are exceeding profitable for the Spirit: there is no School in the world, in which there is more to be learned; the Lord Jeſus himſelf is the head Maſter in this School, who learned obedience perfectly by the things that he ſufferd, and ſo he knew how to teach his School (…s I may ſay) the Lord Jeſus will teach his Scholars all kind of weapons, that they may be fit for all aſſaults; he will make them good at any exerciſe, before he leave them: In the 11. of Hebrews, you have a Role of the ſeveral exerciſes they were put upon, beginning at the 36. verſe, Others had tryals of cru…l mockings and ſcour…ings, yea moreover of bonds and impriſonments▪ th…y were ſtoned, they w…re ſawn aſunder, were tempted, were ſlain with the ſword, they wandred about in ſheeps skins, and goats skins, being deſtitute, affl…cted, tormented; and he teaches them how to conquer all theſe: The Apoſtle here doth ſpeak of theſe as Conquerors through faith, in the verſes foregoing, ſee what glo…ious Conqueſts they had: In the 33, 34. verſes Who through faith, ſubdued Kingdomes, wrought Rig…teouſneſs, ob…ained promiſes, ſtopped the mouths of Lyons, quench…d the violence of fire, eſcaped the …dge of the ſword; out of weakneſs were made ſtrong, w…xed valiant in fight, turned to flight the Armies of the Ali…ns: Here are glorious victories that the Saints had through faith; over all the evil that they met with in the world: you have an inſtance of this in the Text. In the Chapter where the Text is, you ſhall read there of three Schollars of Jeſus Chriſ…, …hat were put to hard exe…ciſes, they were put to it, to grapple with he flames of fire; and they had all manner of diſadvantage; and yet they went on Co…querors; they had to deal with the wrath of the King, He was exceeding wrath, and his count…c… c…nged: T…ey had to deal with the flames of f…re, and flames t…at were made ſeven times hotter, than ordinary: So the King gave commandm…nt (as you read in the 19. verſe,) th…t they ſhould heat the Furnace ſeven times hotter▪ than ordinary: Again. they w…re bound hand and foot; for ſo the King gave commandment in the 20, 21, verſ. And they took them and bound them, and caſt them bound into the Furnace; yet the Lord he made his ſervants Conquerors, notwithſtanding all their diſadvantages. You have in the Text, the confeſſion of the very enemies themſelves; t…e King ſaid, Did I not caſt three men b…nd into the Furnace: and Lo I ſee your men walking? I ſee four men walking in the mid… of the fire, and they have no hurt: So then in the Text you have witneſs given by the mouth of an enemy, unto that great deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants: Lo ſaid the King himſelf, I ſee four men looſe, &c. where, take notice of the ſeveral wonderful things, that God wrought for theſe three children: See how many wonders there were in this deliverance of theirs.
Firſt of all, there was this wonder, That the The firſt Wonder, i… the delivering of the three Children.light of the fire continued, and not the heat, …iz. ſo as to work upon them; this ſeems to be a great Miracle; that light and heat ſhould be ſeperated from the fire; there was light; the King ſaw them walking in the midſt of the fire, and yet that fire did not burn: I ſay▪ this could not be done without a great Miracle: 'Tis true they ſhall be ſeparated in Hell; light ſhall be ſeparated from the flames of Hell: When God will ſhew and teſtifie the greatneſs, the fierceneſs of his wrath upon the diſobedient; there will be heat, but no light, … flames there ſhall be burning, and yet there ſhall be nothing but utter darkneſs: Now when God will ſhew a Miracle of Mercy to his Servants here upon earth, God ſo diſpoſeth and orders it, that there ſhall be light and no heat.
Secondly, There was this Miracle▪ that their number was not diminiſhed, but increaſed: Lo I The Second Miracle.ſee four men▪ ſaith the King; Did we not caſt in three, and lo I ſee four? They had thought to cut off at once, all that were diſobedient to the ſinful command of the King; they had thought that the flames would have conſumed them all three, that there ſhould not have been one left: beho…d their number is increaſed; ſince they begun to ſuffer, their number is increaſed, they have a fellow Martyr, a fellow ſufferer, that is in the midſt of them.
Again Thirdly, Here was this Wonder, this Miracle, That the fire did burn their bones aſunder, …he Third Mira…le.but did not burt them: I ſee four men looſe, ſay's the King, …id we not caſt three men bound into the furnace, and lo I ſee four men looſe? And what a wonderful work of God was this, that the flames that were prepared to devour them, ſhould help them, that the flames ſhould burn their bonds, and not hurt them?
Again Fourthly, Here was yet another Miracle, The Fourth Mir…cle.that theſe men were ſeen walking in the midſt of the fire; The fire was prepared to be a Torment to them; but the Lord made it a ſweet walking fire: that which was pretended to torment them, it becomes a bleſſing to them; they were walking each with other, and lifting up the Name of the Lord; …n the midſt of the fire.
Fiftly, Here was this Miracle, That the fire ſhould remain fire, and yet it ſhould not burn t…em: The Fifth Miracle.I fee four men looſe walking in the midſt of the fire, ſay's the King; So that the fire was ſtill fire; it was not quenched; ſome conceive that the Angel did quench the heat of the fire, with ſome ſweet dew, or by ſome freſh gale; but the Text ſaith, they were in the midſt of the fire: now here is the wonder; that it ſhould be fire, and yet not burn; the heat of the fire was not abſent from the fire at this time; for the fire did burn their bonds after they were in the midſt of the fire, after they were fallen down: So then it was fire, and when they were in the midſt of the fire it burnt their bonds, and they had no hurt; ſo that the burning faculty of the fire was not taken away, but only the art of it was ſuſpended for the preſent, by the Mighty Power of God.
Sixtly, Here was another Miracle, that they The Sixth Miracle.ſhould be in the midſt of the fire, and have not the leaſt hurt, that the fire ſhould not reach to the hair of their head, or that the ſmell of the burning ſhould not be upon their clothes: I ſee them walking in the midſt of the fire, and they have no hurt: that fire that burnt the men that caſt them into the fire, did not them the leaſt hurt.
Seventhly and Laſtly, That one was among The Seventh Miracle.them that was like the Son of God: Now what doth Nebuchadnezzar mean by thſee words? Had this King any knowledge of the Son of God, of the Incarnation of Chriſt? it was likely he had not, he was ſtill an Hea…hen and ſtill he worſhipped his Idols; but only he was convinced thus far, that the fourth man that was among them, was was more then a man: there was ſome extraordinary glory and ſplendor; ſome Divine Majeſty did appear in his countenance, which did convince him that he was more than a man; and ſo he calls him the Son of God, but yet without all doubt this was the Son of God, that was among them; it was none other but Jeſu… Chriſt, …he came down to reſcue, he came down to deliver, he came down to walk with his Servants in the Furnace; here he fulfilled his promiſe, When thou goeſt through the fire, I will be with thee:
Object But you will ſa…, Jeſus Chriſt …as not yet come in the fl…ſh, C…riſt had not yet taken the nature of …an upon him; and ther…fore how could this be the Son o… God?
Anſw. I Anſwer 'Tis true, Chriſt was not then come in the fleſh, he had not taken a body: that body that he did appear in, it was not the body Jeſus Chriſt hath now in H…aven; it was not united Hypoſtatically unto his Perſon, it was not that fleſh he took afterward, and in which he now appears before his Father for us: But yet the Son of God did ſometime take up a body; yea many a time, in which he appeared oftentimes to the Patriarks in the old Teſtament; as to Abraham, and J…cob; and to Moſes, and many others.
Object But you will ſay What bodies were theſe th…t t…e Son o… God did aſſume and tak… up? Whether were they the bodies of men, or no?
Anſw. I Anſwer It is moſt probable they were bodies that were created: The Son of God when he appeared to the Patriarks, when he appeared to any of his Servants, he had power to create himſelf a body at any time, to make a body of nothing, and ſo to diſſolve it in a moment to nothing, as to make it in a moment, ſo to diſſolve it in a moment; and thus did the Son of God appear in the midſt of theſe three Children, that it might be a ſign unto them, and to the Church
Firſt, That the Son of God ſhould afterward come and take the nature of man: That he ſhould come in the fleſh to reſcue the ſouls of his people, from the flames of the wrath of God; that he ſhould come to deliver them from Hel & deſtruction.
Secondly, That he would be with his people in all Furnaces of Tribulations; that when they walk through the fire, and through the water, he will be in the midſt of them: And thus you ſee a great deal of Mercy, and a great deal of Miracle is in this Deliverance which God wrought for theſe his Sons: There are very many Obſervations that the words will afford us; but I ſhall not ſtand to name them, leaſt the time prevent me, but ſhall cloſe with one Point: And that is this,
That the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderfull Obſerv. ¶ What reſtraints God lays upon the creatures, that be might reſcue the lives of his Servants.manner, reſcue the lives of his Servants from death and deſtruction. I ſay the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner, reſcue the lives of his Servants from death and deſtruction: 'Tis very evident in the Text: I ſhall point you to ſome Inſtances out of the word of the Lord that ſhall clear up this truth to you, and confirm it: Therefore it is that the Lord ſhews his wonders in the deep, that he might reſcue the lives of his Servants from deſtruction: he hath diſcovered the foundations of the great Waters, and made a path in the midſt Firſt Water.of them, for the ranſomed of the Lord to go thorow: Thus did the Lord reſcue the lives of the Iſralites, when the Egyptiaens purſued them; as you read in the fourth of Exod. latter end
Secondly▪ Sometimes God hath laid a reſtraint Secondly, Fire.upon …re, as well as upon the water: He hath given command…ent to the flames not to harm his Servants; For this, you ſee it cleer in the Text, they wa…ked in the midſt of the fire, and they had no hurt; they were neither choaked with the ſmoak, nor their bodies confimed by the fire; for the Lord had laid a reſtraint upon the fire.
Thirdly, Sometimes God hath given command Thirdly, Bruit beaſts.to the ver… br…it …e…ſts, not to hurt his people: He hath re…cued the lives of his …ervants from the paw of the Bear and the mouth of the Lyon: you read in this Book of Daniel, the ſixt of Dan. what Comma…d God g…ve there, concerning Daniel when he was caſt into the Lyons Den, in Dan 6. 22. My God, ſaith he, hath ſent his Angel and h…h ſh…t up th… Lyons mouths, th…t they hav… not …urt me: what a wonderiu… wo…k was this, that the ravenous Lyons ſhould not eat the fleſh, that was ſet before them?
Again ſometime …e finde; That God hath Fourthly, Sea.laid a reſtraint upon the devouring S…a-Monſ…er; upon the great Levia…han; and God hath given commandment to that, not to hurt his Se…vants: This you have cleer in J…n…h; you read in Jonah, that the Lord prepared a Whale to ſwallow him up; God delivered him from two deaths at once; from the Sea and f…om he W…ale; and in the ſecond of Jonah, the laſt verſe, God gave commandement to ſet the Priſoner at libert…, God ſpake to the Whale, and the Whale ſet Jonah on dry land.
Again, You ſhall finde that Go… hath laid reſtraint upon vi…lent men, that the… have not been Fiftly, violent men.able to take away their lives; He rebuked even K…ngs for their ſakes; Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prop…ets no…arm: you know what command God gave to Laban, and what reſtraint he laid upon Eſau, concerning Jacob in Gen▪ 31, 33. though it was in the heart of Laban to deſtroy him, and though Eſ…u came out with an intention to take away his life; the Lord la…d a reſtraint upon them.
Again, Sometimes you ſhall finde that God Sixtly upon deadly Diſeaſes.hath laid a reſtraint upon dead…y Diſeaſes, upon violent ſickneſſes, ſuch as would have been deſtructive to the bodies of his Servants, God hath laid a reſtraint upon them; that though v…olent Diſeaſes and D…ſtempers, have pulled down his Servants from their ſtrength, to great weakneſs, to the grave; God hath given command that they ſhould not deſtroy them: And thus God dealt with David and with H…zekiah, and David doth acknowledge it in the 30. Pſalm. 3. ſaith he, O Lord tho… haſt brought up my ſoul from the nrave, thou haſt kept me alive, that I ſho…ld got go d…wn …o the pit: He was at the very grave, and he Lord delivered him; and then a remarkable inſtance you have of Hezekiah: at the 38. of I a… at the beginning of the Chapter, there is the very ſentence of death gone out againſt him, and a deadly Diſeaſe ſeizes upon H…zekian, he was gone and quite gone, by the courſe of nature; he could not have lived, and yet the Lord reſcues his life; as you ſhall read in that Chapter, at the fift verſe.
Again, Sometimes you ſhall finde that God Seventhly, upon the Divel.hath laid a reſtraint upon the very Devil himſelf: and hath given him a charge that he ſhould not meddle, nor touch the lives of his Servants; and thus God dealth with Job as you may ſee in the ſecond of Iob; there the Divel ſought after nothing more then the life of Iob, fain would he have had his life; but God would not grant it, in the 6. verſ. of that Chapter, in the 5. verſe, ſaith Satan, Put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his fleſh, and he will curſe thee t… thy face, verſ. 6. And the Lord Anſwered, Behold he is in thine hand, only ſave his life: There is nothing the Divel thirſts more after, then the taking away the precious life; and therefore he ſet upon Chriſt with this temptation, If thou beeſt the Son of God caſt thy ſelf down; and ſo the Devil doth ſet upon many of the poor Servants of God many times with this Temptation, Caſt thy ſelf down; make away thy ſelf; and take away thine own life: Yet the Lord is pleaſed to lay a reſtraint upon him, and keep up his people, notwithſtanding all thoſe ſtormes and temptations and they are yet in the land of the living; and thus you ſee what care God takes for the lives of his Servants; and in what a wonderful manner he doth ſometime reſcue them from death and deſtruction.
But you will ſay, What end hath God in this? Wherefore doth God do this?
Firſt of all, and above all, in reſpect of his own Name; He reſpects his own glory in it, therefore The firſt ground of the Point.he ſuffers his people to be brought into ſuch great ſtraits and low conditions, as none but God can deliver thence; He ſuffers them to be brought down ſometime, even to the very duſt; that it may appear that none can deliver but God, that doth raiſe from the dead, and call things that are not, as if they were: Now Gods name is glorified theſe 3. ways, by ſuch kind of deliverances as theſe.
F…rſt of all, God doth thereby draw forth great praiſes from his people: I ſay ſuch deliverances How Gods Name is glorified i… delivering of his Servants.draw forth great praiſes from his people: When God gives great mercies into the hands of his people, he is pleaſed to put high praiſes into the mouths of his Servants; in Pſ. 149. at the 5. and 6. v. L…t the Saints be …oyful in glory, let them ſing aloud upon their beds: Let the …igh praiſes of God be in their mouth: Now my brethren, know this; That there is nothing on earth, that God doth more delight in, then in the praiſe of his people; he is pleaſed to account it as a glory done to him; Who ſo offereth pr…iſe glorifieth me, and therefore it is that God is ſaid, to dw…ll in the praiſes of his people: See that expreſſion in the 22 Pſalm. it is an expreſſion of J…ſus Chriſt in his Agony, 22 3. v. Oh thou that inhabiteſt the praiſes of Iſrael! To inhabit the praiſes of Iſrael, 'tis one of the moſt glorious Titles that is given to God; O thou that inhabit…ſt the praiſes of Iſrael: The Lord delights more in the praiſes of Iſrael, then in all the world beſide; He delights there more then in Heaven, if it were not for the preſence of his Son; therefore it is one of the dwellings of God, the praiſes of his people: Great Princes and Nobles, have their ſeveral Palaces, ſo hath God; ſometime they leave the City, and go into the Country, and places of Recreation: Why, thy Lord he is ſaid ſometime to come down among his people, and he is pleaſed to dwell there, that he may refreſh himſelf in the praiſes of his people: 'Tis a houſe that God doth delight to dwell in for ever and for ever: when Faith ſhall ceaſe, and Prayers ſhall ceaſe, the Praiſes of the Saints, the Halelujahs ſhall never ceaſe, but the Saints ſhall compaſs the Throne round about with their Praiſes, with their Songs, with their Hallelujahs, and there ſhall God delight to dwell, there ſhall God delight to inhabit for ever; and therefore becauſe that God doth thus delight in the praiſes of his people, he works great deliverances, that ſo he may greatly draw forth the praiſes of his people; that their hearts may be abundantly inlarged to him: He will work ſuch deliverances, as there ſhall be a great deal of God in them, that ſo their hearts may be greatly drawn forth in praiſes to God.
2. Again, God gets himſelf the glory in the ſecond place, by confuting the blaſphemies of the enemies; and therefore 'tis that God doth carry on ſuch works of deliverance, that he may ſtop the mouth of enemies, and confute all their blaſphemies: When God brings his people into a low condition, many times enemies they riſe high in their blaſphemies againſt God and his people; ſometimes they cry out, where is now thy God? and ſometimes they condemn the generation of the righteous, and judge raſhly, as thoſe in Act. 28. did of Paul, when they ſaw the Viper on his hand they ſaid among themſelves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath eſcaped the Sea, yet vengeance ſuffereth him not to live: Now God many times he works great deliverance, that he may confute the enemies of the Saints, that they ſhall ſee if they will not willfully blinde their eyes: they ſhall ſee that God was in the generation of of the righteous; in the Pſalm. 126. v. 2. you may ſee there, God he made the very Heathen to confeſs, that God was with his people; and that he had done great things for them: Then ſaid they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them; The Lord hath done great things for them.
Thirdly, God brings glory to his Name, by ſuch kinde of Deliverances; for he makes it appear that he hath the ſole prerogative over the times of men, and over the lives of men; he will make it appear, that the times of his creatures, are in his hand, and not in their own hand, and not in the hand of enemies. Above all things in the world, God is ſaid to keep this in his hand, the times of men, and the lives of men: See what Dani…l ſays to Nebuchadnezzar, in Dan. 5. 23. And the God in whoſe hand thy breath is, and whoſe are all thy ways, haſt thou not glorified: See here, the breath that is in mans Noſtrils, it is in Gods hand, and he can withdraw it when he pleaſe; thy breath, 'tis in his hand, and he will diſpoſe of it, he keeps it in his hand, and he will not give it out of his hand: and therefore when any life is communicated to any creature, 'tis given him of God: Iob, he will acknowledg this, that his life was given out by way of favour, and free grace: Iob 10. 12. Thou haſt granted me life and favour: See here he doth acknowledge it, that the giving out of his life, 'tis Gods prerogative: 'Tis granted of God; Princes they grant ſuch and ſuch a favour: ſo life and favour is granted of God; He will keep it in his own hand; He will not make any Leaſe and Tearm to any man living, they ſhall have it from Moment to Moment; the creatures ſhall have their lives from Moment to Moment; but for any tearm, God will not, that ſhall be at his own diſpoſi…g: and therefore the Lord hath exerciſed wrath and anger, when the creature hath gone about to make this their prerogative, to promiſe life to themſelves, and grant life to themſelves; You know what is ſaid of the fool in the Goſpel, when he had been very prodigal, he would make many promiſes to himſelf: Soul, ſaith he, thou haſt goods laid up for many years: why how doth God take this? why he is called fool for his labour; he reckons without the Landford and therefore God he comes and turns him out of his Farm: Thou fool▪ ſaith God▪ th… night ſhall thy ſoul be taken from thee; 'tis Gods only prerogative; he makes it appear ſo, the giving out of life is in his hand: and therefore it is ſaid in the Scripture, that the Iſſues from death, belong to God: See that place in the 68. Pſal. v. 20. ▪Tis our God that is the God of ſalvation, and unto the Lord belongeth Iſſues from death: Iſſue that is the way that God leads to death and from death; The Door, the Gates of death▪ both to and fro, they belong to God, to the Son of God, he keepeth the door: Behold, ſaith he, I have the keys of Hell and death; ſo that the Iſſues to death belong to him; He ſhuts the door when he pleaſeth; and the Iſſues of death belong to him: he opens the door when he pleaſeth: Sometime a man hath this conceit of himſelf; well, I am brought lower and weaker, waſted and decayed in my ſtrength and in my body; but there is ſuch a means as will ſurely help me: ſuch a Friend; ſuch a Phyſician, they will certainly help me: if it were not for them I ſhould deſpair, there is my hope: why you are deceived, ſaith God, I will have you know that I keep thee door of life, and the Iſſues of life belong to me: if God ſhut the door of life, man cannot get back again, notwithſtanding all his friends; Again, ſometime a man is brought low, that friends give him over, and then we ſay he is gone; all means are uſed, and none effectual, and we ſay, ſurely there is no hope for him to come back again: You are miſtaken, ſaith God, I will have you to know that the Iſſues of life come from me: and I will open a door for life, and ſay, life come back again: and thus God makes it appear, that the Iſſues of life belong to him, and that is for his glory: That is the firſt ground of the Point.
Secondly, God doth work ſuch Deliverance Second Ground of the Point.for his Servants, that ſo he may afford great matter of rejoicing, both to themſelves and to others: I ſay, that he may afford great matters of rejoycing, great Mercies, and great Deliverances, they commonly bring along with them great joy; 'tis not only a Mercy, but a Duty: great Mercies, call for great joy: See it was their duty, in Pſal. 126. 1, 2, 3. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion, we were like them that dreamed, them was our mouth filled with laughter, and our Tongue with ſinging: Then ſaid they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad, or rejoyce. The Spirit of joy, 'tis the life of Heaven, 'tis the inheritance that the Saints ſhall have there: W…ll done good and faithful ſervant, enter into thy M…ſters joy: Now God, whileſt they are upon earth, he will cauſe part of that joy to enter into them: that they ſhall have ſome of that joy, now have a little taſte of the joy of Heaven whileſt they are here upon earth: therefore God he will will work ſuch deliverance for his people, that they may ſee much of the glory of God in the Mercy: much of the glory of God in the Deliverance, that ſo they may have their hearts lift up to rejoyce in God: Yea Again, God will have others to rejoice with them; and therefore ſome Mercies are ſpreading Mercies: ſuch a Mercy as God gave to Sara…; See Gen 21. 6. And Sarah ſaid, God hath made me to laugh, ſo that all that hear, will laugh with me, her own …ffection was too narrow to rejoyce in the goodneſs of God: and therefore I ſa…, God many times he gives out ſuch Mercies, ſuch Deliverance…, that they ſhall be ſpreading Mercies: the joy and the ſweetneſs of them ſhall ſpread abroad, and his people ſhall ſay, we rejoyce in the goodneſs of t…e Lord; and all the people that fear his Name, ſhall rejoyce with us: That's the ſecond Ground.
Thirdly, God he works …uch Deliverances for his people, that ſo he might ſtrengthen their confidence Thir… Ground of the Point.for the future, that he might encourage their hearts, and the hearts of many that truſt in the Lord, that whenſoever they are brought down into low conditions, they might look back and ſee what God did ſometime for them: See what the Pſalmiſt ſaith, in Pſalm. 77. ſee what a help this was, when he was in a low condition; the 77. Pſ. v. 10. Then ſaid I; ſo this is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt High. I will remember the years of the right hand, of the moſt High: I will remember thoſe days, thoſe years when God did by his Mighty Hand, ſave and deliver me: This is an encouragement for the future, to truſt in God; he ſaved me at ſuch a time, at ſuch a low condition: Oh he was there, the right hand of the Lord was ſtretched out to What God requires when he works ſuch mercies for his people? and how the Servants of the Lord ſhould expreſs their thankfulneſs for ſuch Mercies received.deliver; and why ſhould we ever diſtruſt the Lord again? ſurely that power of the Lord can never be nonpluſt, that hath wrought ſuch great things for me; Thus you ſee the Grounds: Here is no time for Application. I ſhall adde a fourth Particular, and that is this which will yet make the Point more uſeful, before I leave it: What doth God require of his people, when he works ſuch Deliverances for them? And how ſhould the Servants of the Lord expreſs their thankfulneſs for ſuch Mercies, when God doth ſo and ſo reſcue the lives of his people?
Firſt of all, Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy, nor the God of the Mercy. I ſay, forget not the Mercy, nor the God of the Mercy; we are very apt to look upon our mercies with a ſlight eye; we remember our wormwood and our gall, but we forget our mercies, and the goodneſs of the Lord that did ſhine in the Mercy: Now know, that there is a great provocation to the Lord: It was the ſin of Iſrael, that they forgot ſo ſoon what God had done for them: we read of this, how they provoked the Lord and they turned back, ſaith the Pſalmiſt; and you ſhall ſee …ow God did take it as a great provocation, and God threatens them for it: See how they forgot what God had done for them; Pſal. 106. 13. They ſoon forgat his works, they waited not for his Counſel, and verſe 21. They forgot God their Saviour which …ad done great things in Egypt; and therefore the Lord was wroth with them: Brethren, ſo ſhould we take heed that we do not forget our Mercies, and forget the God of the MercieMercy; forget not what God is, and forget not what God hath done for us: forget not what God requires of us: Did God remember us in low conditions, and ſhall we forget him? ſhall we forget him when he hath raiſed us up? will not this be horrible ingratitude? does the Lord remember us continually, and ſhall we forget him? Oh! we ſhould get a remembrance of God, and a ſenſe of God, and the goodneſs of the Lord, written in our hearts: Where doth God write the name of his people? Why he writes their names there, where he will not forget them: why ſee what the Lord ſays in Iſa. 49. verſ. 15, 16. Can a woman forget her ſucking child, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſon of her wombe? they may forget▪ yet will I not forget thee; Verſ 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palmes of my hands: See what care God takes, that he might not forget his people; and ſo he would have us not to forget his Mercies: Behold I have engraven thee upon the palmes …f my hands; When a man would not forget his friend, he will ingrave his name upon a Ring; but you will ſay, he will not forget, that doth not only write it upon a Ring, but upon his own fleſh: And thus the Lord deals with you, Behold I have engrav…n you upon the plames of my hands; and doth the Lord thus take care to remember us: Let not us forget him.
Secondly, we ſhould not look with a ſlight eye upon great Mercies: Oh view the Mercy, compaſs the Mercy, go round about it, tell the Towers, and ſee the Bulwarks, ſee what Mountains of goodneſs and merciemercy ſhine in them! Oh ſee how the Attributes of God do ſhine in them! God cannot indure that people ſhould deſpiſe affliction, his Chaſtiſements; My ſon deſpiſe not the chaſtening of the Lord, he cannot abide when men are careleſs, when they are ſleighty under affliction; and ſurely he will not endure that men ſhould look ſleightly upon mercies: My ſon deſpiſe not the goodneſs of the Lord, the mercies of the Lord, the deliverances of the Lord; Let not them be lookt upon with a ſleighty eye, look into the height of the Mercy, and the depth of the Mercy, and all the evil that would have befallen us, if we had not enjoyed the Mercy.
And Thirdly, Take heed that we give nothing to creatures, but all to the free grace of God; this God he requires in thankfulneſs, when he gives ſuch Deliverances; aſcribe nothing to man, nothing to our ſelves, nothing to our prayers, nothing to our faith: No, give all to God, give all to free grace; look upon Ieb, take him for an inſtance, in the 9. of Iob v. 16. If I had call'd and the Lord had Anſwered, if he had given me my Petition; given me what I deſired, yet I would not ſay he hath harkened to my voice: I would not ſay 'tis for my prayers, or for my faith: No, I am poor duſt and aſhes, what's my voice in Heaven? No, ſure I will give all to him: I will ſay, ſurely the Lord hath heard his own voice, the voice of his free grace, pleading for me, he hath heard the voice of his Spirit pleading in me, and the voice of his Son, making Interceſſion for me: I will not ſay the Lord hath heard me; but that the Lord may teach his people this; he gives Mercies before they have thoughts to ſeek them: as in Pſ. 21. 3. Yea, ſometime God, he hath exceeded the faith of his people, to let them ſee that it was not for the worthineſs of their faith, though when God would give Mercies: Many times he ſets his people a praying and beleeving, but he doth not give mercies for theſe. And therefore God he doth prevent their faith; as you may ſee in Pſal. 126. verſ. 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion, then were we like to them that dreamed; like to them that dream; as much as to ſay, When the Lord brought us back, we had not faith enough to believe it, we could not think that the Mercy was real; when as we came out of Babylon, we doubted whether we ſhould believe it or no, whether it was real or a dream: It was real, but it was not for their faith; and therefore aſcribe nothing to faith, nothing to means, nothing to prayer, but all to the free grace of God.
Again Fourthly; we ſhould give back again to God, what God lends us: That is the Fourth way to expreſs Thankfulneſs: Hath God given us life; let us give it back again to him: Hath God given us ſtrength? we ſhould give it back again to God: we ſhould lay out all our ſtrength for God: Improve it for God, and be willing to ſuffer for God,
Again Fiftly, in the fift place, We ſhould be willing to lay down our lives when God calls for them again: Thus ſhould we expreſs our thankfulneſs for life given us: I ſay, be willing to lay down life freely and voluntarily, the next time when God calls. When God hath reſcued any of our lives from the grave, why all thoſe days that are added, are freely given, and 'tis an addition of free grace, more then we thought of, more then was expected: And therefore we ſhould freely be willing to lay it down when God calls for it: we ſhould be willing to lay down our own lives and let them depart; and ſo friends ſhould be freely willing to let that life go, that was ſo freely redeemed: Thus we ſhould be Volunteers to death, we ſhould freely and willingly ſubmit to God, as well as dye in obedience, as in faith, and let it be our wiſdom, often to look to what Chriſt hath done for his people, in matter of death and the grave; and ſet faith on work every day; to ſee how the ſting is taken out by Chriſt; and the grave is made a ſweet reſting place: 'tis ſanctified, 'tis perfumed, 'tis ſanctified that it may be a ſweet reſting place to the Saints.
Again, in the Sixt place, When God hath wonderfully ſaved our lives, we ſhould ſeek to do ſomething extraordinary for God; we ſhould not content our ſelves with ordinary ſervice, ſaith Chriſt, What do you more then others? in the 5. of Mat. and the latter end; if you onelyonly love thoſe that love you, what do you more then others? or what ſingular thing do you? he would have his people do ſome ſingular thing for him: and eſpecially when God hath done ſome ſingular thing for them: and what ſays Hezekiah, when God had reſtored his life from the grave, in Iſa. 31. v. 19. The living, the living, he ſhall praiſe thee, as I do this day: The living, the living, he ſhall praiſe thee, he that hath life once given and he that hath life reſtored to him again; he that hath life given from the grave: The living the living, he ſhall praiſe thee: he ſhall ſpeak of thy glory▪ and teſtifie o… thy wonders: ſomething more then ordinary is implyed there; That the living, he ſhould live to God.
Seventhly, In the laſt place to conclude, Look upon all outward Mercies, in reference to ſome ſpiritual Mercy, and never take up in the outward Mercy, but let it lead you to the ſpiritual mercy: Alas what is life if it be not in reference to ſpiritual Mercies? if it be not in reference to get more of God, to get more glory to God: Life, what is it? a poor empty thing: 'tis true, life it ſelf is a mercy, a great Mercy; but yet though life be a bleſſing, a man may dye betimes and be bleſſed: Bleſſed are the dead that dye in the Lord: And on the contrary, though life be a bleſſing, a man may live long, and be a curſed creature …or all this: See what is ſaid in the Propheſie of Iſaiah the 65 ch. 20. v. 'tis ſpoken of the days of the Goſpel: There ſhall be no more thence an Infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; For the child ſhall dye a hundred years old; but the ſinner being a hundred years old, ſhall be accurſed: ▪Tis a prophecy of Goſpel bleſſings; ſhewing how it ſhould be in the latter days: a child dye a hundred years old: That is, the young men ſhall have abundance of the glory of God: thoſe that are children in years, ſhall be old in grace, they ſhall have as much grace as thoſe that were a hundred years old: and the ſinner a hundred years old ſhall be accurſed; a curſe, though he live a hundred years: See then, life is not deſireable, but in reference to ſpiritual Mercies: Oh then reſt not in outward Mercies: if God at any time hath give▪ any of your lives; for a prey, reſ… not in outw…rd Mercies, but labour to ſee further MercieMercy in it: that mercy is given in reference to further Mercy; and waite for the Communication of it: It was well when He…ekiah could ſay that God had done it in love to hi… ſoul, in Iſa. 38. 17. Th…u haſt in love to my ſoul, delivered it from the Pit of corruption, for thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy b…ck: He looked more to the ſpiritual Mercy then to the outward Mercy: Alas, it had been a poor ſmall thing for life to be given, and my ſins not pardoned; if God had given me life, and not given it out of love; Oh it had been a curſe to my ſoul: and t…is doth David bleſſe the Lord for, in Pſal. 23. 3. He reſtoreth my ſoul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteouſneſs, for his name ſake: It was after God delivered him from ſickneſs, he bleſſe God, he reſtored my ſoul and my life, he doth not take up there, but he leads me in the pathe… of righteouſnes for his name ſake: I have further mercy my life is given for further Mercy: God he will not reſtore that mercy of life only, but he will convey me to further Mercy, ſeeing he hath given me life, he will lead me in the paths of righteouſneſs, that I may life to the praiſe of his name. And this ſhould all our deſires be, when God doth ſuch great things for us.