Remains of Joseph Alleine, Treatise 9
Psalm 144. 3.
Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
THe Psalmist in the foregoing words, had eminently set forth the strange goodness and Grace of God towards him, upon which he breaks out into admirat…n of him, that ever God should look upon him. What is man, &c.
Hence observe.
Doct. That it is a wonder above all wonders, that ever the great God should make such account of such a thing as man.
This I shall open to you in these three generals.
1. It will appear if you consider what a great God the Lord is.
2. What a poor thing Man is.
3. What a great account the great God hath of this poor thing Man.
First, If you consider what a great God the Lord is. And here I may be confounded, to think that I can speak no more of his greatness. When I am studying to speak to you of his greatness, that comes to my mind, canst thou by searching find out God? Alas, we may all complain as Jobs friends did, Job 8. 9. We are but of yesterday and know nothing, yet notwithstanding, though we are not able to comprehend, much less to express the greatness of God; yet some thing we may see, and accordingly should conceive of it, and should labour to set it out to others.
It is seen in his Works, and Word.
1. In his Works. Herein God doth discover to us his wonderful greatness, Job 36. 24. 25. Remember that thou Magnisie his work which men behold. Every man may see it, man may behold it afar off. Man may see afar off if he d… but cast his eye as he runs, what a great God that is that made all the world. If we doe but cast our eyes upon the Fabrick of the world that he hath made; if we look down-ward, and see how every creature serveth its end that it was made for: if we see how the earth hangs upon nothing; if we are in our wits what should we do but praise whatever we are doing? whether plowing, or eating, &c. this Hymn is to be sung to him, It was he that gave me strength to work, and appetite to eat, Psal. 19. 1, 2. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work; day unto day uttereth speech, &c. Every day cloth preach to us this Doctrine, what a great, wise, good, glorious God he is, who doth order every season, and their occurrences, Rom. 1. 20. Dost thou find thy heart begin to be listed up with pride? Do…t thou begin to forget thy maker? Do but behold his Works; see if thou canst do any such thing: say, let there be light, and see whether there will be light. Try whether thou canst bring sorth such a thing as this. This doth God demand of Iob, Chap. 38. But if man cannot come near any of these works of God, then let him adore his power and greatness, and subject himself to him.
2. In his word. What glorious descriptions doe we find made of him in the Scriptures? Psal. 104. 1. O Lord thou art very great, &c. Iob. 25. 4, 5, 6. Man, in comparison of God, is but a worm, a vile worm, as the word signifies; such a thing is man. A worm that is bred in flesh, which is the wor…t of all. Now is it not a wonder of all wonders that God should look upon such a one as man? That God that humbles himself to behold the things that are done in heaven, that this great God should look upon us? or take any pleasure or delight in us? O how should we admire this Grace!
Secondly. If you consider what man is. What a Vain, what a Vile thing he is.
1. What a vain thing he is. His vanity appears,
1. By Gods testimony of him. 2. By mans own hand subscribing to it.
(1.) By Gods testimony of him, Isa 40. 15, 16, 17. All natious before him are as vanity. They are as the drop of a …, and as the small dust of the ballance, &c.
(2) You shall see mans own hand subscribing to it. If you will but look into other places of Scripture, you shall see man setting his own hand to it, Psal. 39. 11. Surely, every man is vanity, mark, every man. Men of all Ranks and conditions, Psal. 62. 9. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are alye: to be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. The Psalmist doth not speak it rashly, but as one that had tryal of what man was; and yet he g…ves this as the result of his experience and tryal, that if man were put into one ballance, and vanity in the other, it would weigh… him down. So Psal. 39. 5. Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity: Not vain, but vanity it self: yea every, yea altogether, yea at his best state, he is altogether vanity. Job 11. 11. For he knoweth vain men. That is the proper Epethite that belongs to man. Man is a vain thing, and that in two particulars. He is Worthless, and Useless.
1. He is a worthless thing, Iob 11. 12. For vain man would be wise. In the original 'tis Empty man. Man is by Nature empty of every good thing. So the Apostle, in me, that is in my slesh dwelleth no good thing. There is nothing that is spiritually good left; all is lost by mans Apostacy from God. Yea, man is not onelyonly nothing worth, but worse than nothing. We use to say that a man that is over head and ears in debt, is many thousands (it may be) worse than nothing: so is man, he is insinitely in his makers debt, and cannot come out, as we acknowledge in that petition forgive our debts; where we acknowledge two things. (1) That we are in debt to God. (2) That we cannot pay him. This is the condition of man, he is infinitely in God's debt, & he cannot pay any thing: he hath nothing to pay.
2. He is a useless thing. Able to doe the Lord no service, Eph. 2. 1. Yea when he is recovered by grace, 'tis very poor service, that he can doe for his maker. And therefore our Saviour teacheth his disciples to say they are unprofitable servants when they have done their duty. Yea we are so far from doing him any acceptable service, that we cannot but sin against him, and offend him. Now put these things together, and doth it not appear to be a wonder that God should make such account of man? Is he a vain thing, Worthless and Useless, and yet will God set his heart upon him? what a wonder is this!
2. Man is a vile thing. If he were onelyonly empty of good, this were something; but now he is not onelyonly empty of all that is good, but he is full of all that is displeasing to God, Job 15. ver. 16. Man drinketh in iniquity like water. This is the condition of man, he drinketh in sin as the fish drinks in water: Sin is his proper Element. The filthy carcase lying before us is not more loathsome to us than we are to God in our sins. Man, before God in himself is like a carcase lying in its crawling worms. Now is it not strange that so vain, yea, so vile a thing as man have any room in Gods heart? How should we cry out with the Psamist here in the text, Lord what is man, &c.
Thirdly. This will appear by considering What great account this great God hath of this poor thing man.
What great account God hath of him, will appear (1) In what he hath laid out upon him. (2) In what he hath laid up for him. (3) By the near union he hath taken him into, with himself. (4.) By his near relation to him. (5) By his entertaining such familiar communion with man.
First. If you consider what God hath laid out upon him. The care, and the cost.
1. The care. Ah brethren, this is strange grace, that the infinite God should lay out his care, his thoughts upon such a thing as man is, yet thus he doth, 1 Pet. 5. 7. For he careth for you. Now this will appear worthy of your admiration, if you consider what this care is. 'Tis a Paternal care, a Personal care, a Perpetual care.
1. It is a Paternal care. A Fatherly care. As a father pittieth his children, so the Lord pittieth them that fear him. So Mal. 3. 17. God calls them his Iewels. Now if a mans house be on fire, he will be sure to save his Jewels. But if a mans children be in the house, he will rather loose his Jewels than his children. And if he saveth any Child, then that that is the dutifull child. So God will spare them as a son that serveth him.
Now this Paternal care is, upon that account, Natural, Constant, Vigorous.
(1) It is a natural care which is in fathers, and this is in God. This the Apostle commend ed Timothy for, Phil. 2. 20. That he … rally cared for their state. That which is n… tural is delightful: so is Gods care of his people; he takes pleasure in it, in his projects and designs to bring his people to glory. Yea God is so Ambitious (as we may so speak,) that he is angry when we will not cast our cares upon him. He would have us be carefull for nothing.
(2) Upon this account, it is also constant and uninterupted. That whis is Natural is constant. As the fire doth naturally give heat, therefore it alwaies doth so. But that which is contrary to Nature is quickly gone: As if you heat water over the fire, the heat is quickly gone again; because it is against nature. Now Gods care is Natural, and therefore Constant.
(3) That which is Natural is vigorous. That which is done against Nature is done slowly. As when you cast a stone upward. Now Gods care is a Natural care, and therefore a vigorous care.
2. It is a Personal care. God will look to us himself, Isa. 66. 2. It is true God doth put others to look to us, but he will not trust us with these, but he will look to us himself.
3. It is a perpetual care. As when Daniel was to be cast into the Lions Den, Dan. 6. 14. The king set his heart upon Daniel to deliver him, &c. So Gods heart is set upon us. He is bent for our good, he is still designing for us, Psal. 40. 5. Many O Lord — are thy thoughts to us ward, &c.
2. As it appears by the care, so by the cost that God hath laid out upon man. (1) The Riches of his love. (2) The gold of his grace.
1. The riches of his love. The free grace, favour and love of God is called Riches in Scripture, Ephes. 1. 7. The Apostle speaking of the Riches of Christ shews how unsearchable they are, Ephes. 3. 8. So Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. Now all these were laid out to determine mans deliverance. They are glorious Riches that God doth lay out upon his sons and servants, Rom. 2. 7. And well may these be called Riches. There must be two things to make Riches, there must be (1) Plenty. (2) Preciousness.
First. There must be Plenty. For a little of never so good, will never make a man Rich.
Secondly, There must be Preciousness, for abundance of that which is worthless will never make a man Rich. Now both of these are in Gods Mercy, there is plenty, and 'tis precious. The Mercy and Grace of God is very precious. David sought most for this, when others set their hearts upon other things, Psal. 4. And as 'tis of great worth, so 'tis of great plenty. It is abundance of grace that God doth put forth in repairing mans Nature, and making him a New Creature.
But this great cost of God upon us will further appear, in that he hath laid out upon us. (1) His Creatures. (2) His Christ.
1. His Creatures upon us. That he should lay out all these Creatures upon us, These Heavens, and this Earth to be for the comfort of man, Oh how doth this discover Gods goodness to man! This made David admire him, Psal. 8. 5, 6, 7, 8. Here you may see what an account God doth make of man, in that he should make him a little god among the Creatures; that their sheaf should bow to his sheaf; that they must spend and be spent for man: yea, the invisible Creatures, the Angels, they must be ministring spirits, for them who are the heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1. ult.
2. In that he hath laid out his Christ upon us. This was a costly gift indeed. It is much that God should give his Creatures to dye for us, to give us food: but oh that he should give us his Christ to dye for us, Oh how incredibly hath the Lord advanced man in this! In this he hath abundantly shewed how man was esteemed by him. This shews that he had a great regard to us. We were redeemed by the blood of Christ, which was the blood of God himself, Act. 20. 28. Now is it not an admirable thing, that so mean a purchase should be made with so great a price? This was that which God did commend his strange love with, (1 Joh. 3. 16.) that he laid down his life for us. Look into thy self man, what hast thou that thou shouldest have this great purchase to be laid out for thee? Oh How should man be continually in the prais… of God!
2. In the gold of his grace, that God hath la…d out upon m…n. Grace is call'd the true Riches, and this hath been laid out upon man, Rev. 3. 18. It is called gold, yea 'tis much more precious than gold. When you see the Qu…n attired in Gold, Psal. 45. all this is to set forth the Grace that is upon the Saints of God. I tell thee Christian, thou that hast but one dram of Grace, he hath give… thee more than if he had given thee a whole world. In the Creation there were some footsteps of God upon other Creatures; but upon man there was his Image. And now that God should distinguish thee from others by one dram of Grace, this is admirable!
Secondly. It appears what great account this great God hath of this poor thing, Man, in what he hath laid up for him. This makes the Psalmist to cry out as one overcome with admiration, Psal. 31. 19. O How great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! It is much that God hath laid out for us, but more that he hath laid up …or us. The Psalmist could not express it, he could but … it onelyonly, 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor … heard, neither have entred into the h…rt of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Eye hath no… seen. The eye of man hath seen much; especially those that have travailed in other Countries. But the eye of man hath not seen any thing that may be compared with this that God hath prepared. Nor ear heard. We have heard o… more than we have seen; We have heard of gold Mines and the like, that are in other parts o… the world; but the ear hath not heard of any thing like this. And though the eye hath seen much, and the ear hath heard more; yet the heart of man can conceive of more again; yet the heart of man cannot conceive of what God hath laid up for them that love him.
Now lay these two together, what God hath laid out upon man, and what he hath laid up for him, and will it not appear that the great God makes a great account of man? How can you chuse but cry out in the words of the Psalmist, What is man, &c. But,
Thirdly. This will appear by that near union that he hath taken him up into, with himself. Oh how wonderfully hath God dignified man in this? By uniting his Nature to the nature of man, as 'tis in the second person of the Trinity, Joh. 1. 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, or, in us. That God should take up the nature of man into personal union with himself, what an unspeakable dignity is this! So the Apostle, he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2. 16. Herein is man dignified above the Angels of glory, in the near union between God and man in the Godhead. This is that which the Angels do desire to pry into: well may the Apostle say, great is the mystery of godliness: and this is the top of it, God manifest in the flesh. Greatly hath God dignified man in these two things, that Man should be partaker of the Divine Nature; and that God should partake of the Humane Nature.
1. That Man should partake of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Oh this is a great priviledge that we should bear the Image of God. Let the world scorn at holiness; yet I tell thee, Man, that hast one dram of grace, he hath done more for thee, than he hath done for all the world. How ever this is out of fashion in world, I am sure 'tis not in heaven. O glory in this, you that are made partakers of Gods Nature.
2. In his taking upon him our Humane Nature. In this, mans Nature is more exalted yet. The Nature of Man in Christ is lifted up far above all Principalities and Powers, 1 Pet. 3. ult. Angels, and Authorities, and Powers being made subject unto him. This is spoken of Christ, not onelyonly in his Divine Nature, but his Humane Nature, for his Divine Nature was there before: therefore it must be understood of his Humane Nature. And he hath all power of Angels and Authorities, and he sends them forth to Minister at his peoples need, Heb. 1. …, Ephes. 1, 20, 21, 22. Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him a… his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all Principality, and power, and might, and dominion- And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church. Mark, the Man Jesus Christ is head and Lord over all things: for it is spoken of Christ as to his Humane Nature (as I told you before) for 'tis spoken of him as raised from the dead, which was his Humane Nature. So that you see how wonderfully mans Nature is exalted in Christ.
Fourthly. It appears by his near Relation to him. This is another way by which God hath signified what a great account he hath of man, that he will take him near to himself. You know 'tis a great honour to be next to the King. Now what a great honour is it for a man to be next to God? now he hath taken man near to him. (1) As a husband. (2) As a father. (3) As a friend.
1. As a Husband. They twain shall be one flesh. God hath owned man in this Relation, Isa. 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of hosts is his name. O what a thing is this that he should not be ashamed to own us in that Relation! Jer. 3. 14. I am married unto you, Eph. 5. 30. We are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever. 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have …spoused you unto one husband. O what a great exaltation is this, that we should become the bride of Christ, the wife and spouse of Christ! what honour hath the Bride, the Lambs wife! A believer is espoused to Christ: and therefore the Apostle propounds the example of Christ to his Church, unto men towards their wives, to imitate his example in the performance of their duties to them. Now what a wonder is this that such beggars as we are …hould be taken from the dunghil & be made a bride prepared for him!
2. As a Father. So he is nearly related to us. This is an astonishing consideration, 1 Joh. 3. 1. O what a wonder is this, that he should take such a thing as man, so near to himself as to make him become his son! That he should take him from the dunghil of sin, From the dungeon of darkness, The family of Satan, The furnace of hell.
There be two dignities confer'd upon man here. (1) He is taken into his family. (2) Admitted to sit at his Table.
(1) He is taken into his family, Ephes. 3. 15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Mark, the Lord is a great house-keeper, and all believers are his family. And though these be in different degrees and orders, some glorified in heaven, and some here on carth; yet we are all but one family; so that we are taken into the same family and houshold that the Saints in glory be in. And what a dignity is this! Ephes. 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God. We that were sometimes strangers, are now by our Adoption become of Gods houshold. You may think they shall not want good keeping, 1 Tim. 5. 8. He that provides not for those of his own house, is worse than an infidel. God will be sure to provide for those that be of his own house. Now we that are his children, shall thus be provided for. O how doth David commend their state that shall be admitted to dwell in Gods house? He prefers it above all the honour of Princes dignity, Psal. 84. This is our priviledge. We are in Gods house, of his family. If the Queen of Sheba did think the servants of Solomon blessed, how much more blessed are they that are the servants of Jesus Christ? Happy (said she) are those thy servants, &c. but how much more may this be said of Gods children.
(2) We are admitted to sit at his Table. God doth admit his children to his own Table. This is the childrens portion; and when he hath fed them a while at his table here, he will translate them to an upper-table in the other world, Luk. 23. 28, 29, 30. Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my Table. This is the priviledge of Gods children, O what a dignity is this, to sit and eat and drink with Christ at his Table! This is in part given us here, and shall be perfected upon us hereafter. God sayes to believers as David said to Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 9. 7. I will surely shew thee kindness, &c. and thou shalt eat bread at my Table continually. And therefore sith we are admitted to this priviledge to eat and drink at God's Table, let us do as he, and say with him, vers. 8. And he bowed himself and said, what is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? When Nathan would express the tenderness of the poor man to his …, he doth it by this, (2 Sam. 12. 3.) That it did eat of his own meat, and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosom: This is the priviledge that Christ vouchsases us, to eat of his own bread, and drink of his own cup, and be as his children.
3. The Relation of a friend. This you know is a very familiar and loving relation. Among…t others there may be some strangeness, but this is a most familiar relation. Abraham was called the friend of God. It is the Epithite that Christ gives his Disciples, I call you friends. Friends, you know, do unbo some their secrets one to another. Thus it is with God and believers. The Lord opens his secrets to them; and they rip op…n their hearts to God. The secrets of the Lord are with them that sear him.
Fiftly. It appears that God makes a great account of man, in that he doth ente…tain such …amiliar communion with man. O how wonderfully doth Go! condescend to man on this account! How familiarly doth he treat with us? He doth open all his mi…d to us. Joh. 14. 2. In my fathers house are many Mansions, if it were … so, I would have told you. Intimating that he would keep back nothing from them that would be sor their good. He tells all his heart and mind to believers. And this account he gives to his father when he leaves the world; he shews his father that he had taught them, and opened his mind to them, Joh. 17. 6 8, 14. Christ doth open and reveal the fathers mind and will to believers. And as he is pleased to converse familiarly with us, so he doth let us converse with him. My Brethren it is an unspeakable dignity that God doth admit man to, in that he will speak with him. Herein Moses did commend the people of Isr…l, in that there was no Nation like to them, that God should speak to them, and they spea… unto God. This is a glorious priviledge that God will speak to man; especially that he will speak to him by his Son, Heb. 1. 1. This is more than for God to speak to him out of the fire. This is a great condes…ention on Gods part, and exaltation on mans part. And then not onelyonly that God should speak to man, but that man should speak to God. Ah brethren, this is that should make us stand amazed, that we should be admitted to speak to the great God. This did astonish Abraham, Gen. 18. 27. Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and Ashes. He wondered at this great dignity …hat the great God should let him converse with him. That his ear should be open to us, and we should come and knock at his door, and have admission, O what a priviledge is this! what an honour is this, that we should have the honour to speak with the King, let him be in what company he w…ll, and be carried into his bed-chamber! And yet thus it is. Oh admire this rich grace of God, and cry out with the Psalmist in the text, Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man that thou makest account of him?