The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 6 · Application 1
Uſes
Firſt of Information, and that of diverſe particulars.1 Information touching the greatneſs of God.
1 It informs us of the greatneſs of our God.
1. Of his Power.
2. Of his Wiſdome.
3. Of his Mercy.
4. Of his faithfulneſs, toward his people.
For all theſe Attributes are viſibly declared in every wonder God doth for his Church.
1 His Power.1 God diſcovers the greatneſs of his Power in every wonder hee doth for them. If a man were able to do it, it were no wonder. Hence hee is ſaid to make bare his arm, to reveal his Power. And it is attributed to his right hand, to his out-ſtretched arm, &c.
2 His Wiſdome.2. God diſcovers the greatneſs of his Wiſdome.
1. Wiſdome in the Manner, In relieving in ſuch a way as could not bee conceived.
2. Wiſdome in the Time, In helping in ſuch a time, when things are deſperate; or in ſuch a time, when hee gets himſelf moſt glory, and doth us moſt good.
3. Wiſdome in the means, by relieving of us.
1. By ſuch means as wee never thought of, or
2. By ſuch, as if wee had thought of, would have been judged too ſmall to have wrought ſo great a deliverance.
3. Or by ſuch, which wee ſhould rather have judged a means of ruine, than of raiſing us: yet Gods wiſdome ſeeth more than wee can.
3 Gods Mercy.3 God diſcovers abundance of Mercy; yea and Free Mercy. Every deliverance of his Church being wrought out of his own bowels and compaſſion, Pſal. 136. (which is a Pſalm of praiſes for wonders.) You ſee at the foot of every verſe, a declaration of Mercy — Hee brought his People out of Egypt; for his Mercy indureth for ever. Hee divided the Red-Sea; for his Mercy indureth for ever. Hee overthrew Pharaoh and his Host; for his Mercy indureth for ever.
4 Gods Truth.4. God diſcovers his Truth and Faithfulneſs to his Church. God hath ingaged himſelf by many precious promiſes to do wonders for them. And all the deliverances of God, they are performances of promiſes. They may bee all ſubſcribed at the foot of the promiſe, as ſo many particular inſtances and experiences to prove the truth of the promiſe, and to diſcover the faithfulneſs of the Promiſer to us. They are ſo many witneſſes to both. By the mouth of two or three witneſſes every word ſhall bee eſtabliſhed, ſaith the Apoſtle. It is true, it is ſpoken of the word or man, not of the Word of God. God is Truth it ſelf. You may beleeve him without a witneſs. But yet God hath not left himſelf without witneſs; As the Apoſtle ſaith. Nor hath God left any word without witneſs.
There is never a truth, never a promiſe in the Word, but it hath been made good by a thouſand experiences; wee have a Book of Experiences, to annex to the book of Promiſes, of the many wonders, which God hath in all ages wrought for his people: all which doth diſcover the faithfulneſſe and truth of God, and the Promiſe to us.
2. Information.2 Information This may inform us of the bleſſed and happy Condition of the Saints, who have intereſt in ſuch a God; as can do wonders for them: Propriety in all-ſufficiency doth make the injoyer happy. And what a bleſſed Condition is this, to have intereſt in ſuch a God, who can do wonders, for the relieving of us.
Though your troubles may bee too big for man, yet not for God; your miſeries and extremities may bee above the ſupply of creatures: but they cannot bee above the Power of God; Hee can do wonders: hee can do that, which man cannot do.
Though you have no ordinary means of help, yet you have intereſt in a God, who can do extraordinary things: yea, and Extraordinary things in an ordinary way: nay, by Ordinary means, if hee undertake the work. I may ſay concerning ſuch, as the Pſalmiſt — Bleſsed are the people that are in ſuch a caſe. Bleſſed are the people, whoſe God is the Lord, Pſal. 144.15.
3. Information. This may inform us,3 Information How precious the Saints are in the eſteem of God, what love hee bears to his Church, that hee will do wonders for them. Wonders for their preſervation from trouble, and wonders for their deliverance out of trouble.
Men may do ſmaller curteſies for ordinary and common friends: and they may give their dole to them, they do not care for. But, if they will lay out the utmost of their power, of their ſtrength, and eſtates, to hold up, or to do good to, or to relieve one: we muſt needs conclude, they love ſuch intirely.
Gods Dole, his common bleſſings of this life,Rex honores dignis congiarium et indignis Senec. will not bee enough to evidence his love: Hee cauſeth his Sunne to ſhine, and his rain to fall upon the good and bad promiſcuouſly. But when God doth exerciſe the greatneſs of his Power, Wiſdome, Truth, Mercy, as he doth in the wonders hee doth for his Church: this is an evident ſign of that love he bears thereto.
Wicked men may bee ſubjects on whom he doth exerciſe the Wonders of his Juſtice, and of his Power. As Pharaoh. But the Saints are they, for whom hee doth exerciſe the wonders of his mercy, in mercy. Gods wonders are for the good, or for them in a good way.
4. Information. This may inform us,4 Information that the Condition of the Church is oftentimes, very ſad, very dark, very evil: becauſe a wonder muſt bee expreſſed for relieving of them.
Ordinary reliefs may help ordinary diſtempers. But when extraordinary muſt bee uſed; it declares the conditions are exceeding ſad.
The very doing of a wonder for relief, implyes a condition to bee ſuch, as is beyond the helps and ſuccours of humane and created Power. If men could help, if means could relieve, it were no wonder to help. Therefore this implies, that the Condition of the Church, in reſpect of things below; may be oftentimes very ſad, very miſerable; yet
5 Information5. This informs us again, that the Conditions of Gods People, Come never to bee ſo ſad and uncomfortable, as thereby to deſpair of help and relief: ſeeing wee have a God who doth wonders for us. Our Condition is not ſo low, but a Wonder may raiſe us up again.
Wee may bee hopeleſs and helpleſs, in reſpect of Creature ſupplyes and reliefs: but wee can never be Hopeleſs, never helpleſs in reſpect of Gods; when Creature-helps fail, God doth but turn us from ſenſe, to Faith; from reaſoning, to beleeving, from Creatures, to himſelf. Hee bids us ſhut our eyes, to the things below, and look altogether above, as Jehoſhaphat did — Lord, wee know not what to do; but our eyes are up unto thee. And David too, when hee incouraged himſelf in the Lord his God. In the moſt hopeleſſe condition there is a door of hope: becauſe deliverance is neereſt, when help ſeemes furtheſt off.
And Oh! that wee could learn, at ſuch a time as this, to live by Faith, and not by ſenſe; to ſhut our eyes to works, and look upon the word of God: we ſhould then bee ſtrong in God, and find incouragement from him, when we ſee nothing, but diſcouragements from below.
Wee are too apt to live by ſenſe, and not by faith; and therefore accordingly as God doth let out, or reſtrain himſelf, in the wayes of his providence; ſo our faith doth wane, or increaſe.
We are too like Hagar; when the Bottle is dry, ſit down and Cry. Whereas, on the Contrary; wee ſhould truſt in God.
1. In the weakneſs of means. Though there bee weakneſs below, there's ſtrength above, weakneſs and ſtrength are all one with God. Nay
2. In the want of means. Though means bee wanting, yet God can create means: nay, do his work without means. Nay
3. In the Oppoſition of means. When the Word ſaith, Yea; though works ſay, Nay: when the Promiſe ſaith, It ſhall be. Though all Secondary means, whereby this Promiſe ſhould bee effected, ſaith, It ſhall not bee: yet are wee to reſt upon God, and the Promiſe.
God doth often ſpeak one thing to ſenſe; and another thing to Faith. Hee is not ever that in Appearance, which hee is in Truth. Hee may ſpeak death to ſenſe, as you ſee hee did to the Children of Iſrael, at the Red ſea. Had they conſulted with ſenſe and Reaſon, they could ſee nothings but death: when yet hee ſpeaks life and deliverance to faith. As you ſee Moſes ſaith — Fear ye not: ſtand ſtill, and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord. God may, in outward appearance ſpeak evill, when yet, in the purpoſes of his heart, he ſpeaks good.
As God may ſeem to heal, when he means to deſtroy: to ſpeak Peace in his Providence, when hee ſpeaks terror in his word: ſo God may ſeem to kill, when he intends to cure: to deſtroy, when hee intends to ſave, Jer. 29.11.— I know the thoughts, I have thought toward you, ſaith the Lord, the thoughts of Peace, and not of trouble: even to give you a deſired end. Though my proceedings ſem to bee evil, yet my thoughts are good; though my wayes are war, yet my purpoſes are peace, to give you at the laſt, an expected end.
6. Information. This may inform us,6 Information That there is no ground for wicked men, to inſult and glory, in any probable advantages, which they may have againſt the Church and People of God; God can work wonders for his Church and People.
You ſee in the verſe before the Text, the Egyptians had many advantages againſt the People of God: and they promiſed to themſelves certain and infallible ſucceſs. They ſaid, they would — Purſue, they would overtake, they would divide the ſpoil, their Luſt ſhould bee ſatisfied on them, &c. But God ſhews a Wonder, and layes all their Pride, and all their hopes in the duſt; what began in pride, did end in ſhame.
It was the beſt ſpeech, that Ahab ever ſpake; when Benhadad made ſuch a vain boaſt, that the duſt of Samaria ſhould not ſerve for handfuls of them, who followed him. — Tell him, (ſaith Ahab) Let not him that girdeth on his harneſs, boaſt himſelf, as hee that putteth it off. — God ſhews a wonder, and all is turned about, 1 King. 20.11. And forward Benhadad, and his thirty two Kings, who came to help him, fled before the face of ſeven thouſand of Iſrael, as there you may read.
7. Information. This may inform us,7 Information What ingagements of duty and obedience do lye upon ſuch a People, for whom God ſhall do wonders.
1 What ingagements of Love. Love is the Loadſtone to beget Love. And God having expreſt his love to us, how ſhould this ingage us to love him again.
2. What ingagements of thankfulneſs, Pſal. 111.4. Hee hath done his wonderfull works to be remembred. As if hee had ſaid. This is the end, I did theſe wondrous works for, that you ſhould remember them. If you would not have remembred them, I would not have done them.
It is the ſpeech of Seneca. This is the rule of good turns,Haec eſt lex beneficiorum. that the giver muſt ſoon forget hee gave: but the receiver muſt never forget, he hath received.
Indeed God hath done wonders for this Nation; many wonders, wherein hee hath expreſt his Wiſdome, his Power, his mercy, his Juſtice; And yet God hath forgotten he hath given; he goes on as freely in mercy, as if every mercy were the firſt mercy he hath beſtowed.
But have not we forgotten that we have received? if ſo, God will Remember, that he hath given.
God doth remember hee hath given, when his People forget they have received. As you ſee hee did to David: I have done this and this, and if that had been too little; I would have given thee ſuch and ſuch things more: ſo upbraiding him with his forgetfullneſſe.
If you would not have God remember againſt you, what he hath given: do you then remember what you have received from God. This will quicken you to thankfulneſs.
8 Information8. Information. If God do wonders for his Church; then let this diſcover unto us, What ground, and what incouragement there is for us at this time,
1. To truſt in God.
2. To pray to him.
3. To hope in him.
4. To wait upon him, that he would do wonders for us. You have incouragements,
1 From the experience of God: he hath done wonders, read the 78. Pſalm, and the 9th of Nehemiah; and you ſhall ſee a little Chronicle of the great Wonders, which God hath done for his Church and People. And this is a mighty incouragement, the experience of what God hath done for his People heretofore.
As wee may ſay of the Experience of Gods Judgements on the wicked. Lege exemplum, ne exemplum fias: read the example, leſt thou thy ſelf bee made an Example: read the example of Sodom, of Pharaoh, of Jeruſalem. All theſe were ſet up, to deter you from their ſins: As the judgements of God upon the wicked men, are ſet down to deter us from ſin: ſo the mercyes and deliverances of the Church are recorded, To incourage us to beleeve, to truſt in him, in the like difficulties.
Can our condition bee ſadder than Iſraels was at the Red-ſea? than Davids was? than Jehoſhaphats? than the Churches in Hamans time? And God did then deliver them, that wee might be Incouraged to truſt in him, in the like ſtraits and difficulties.
And as wee have incouragement from the experience of Gods wonderfull deliverance of others: ſo we have incouragement from the wonderful deliverance of our ſelves.
Revolve in your thoughts thoſe great deliverances in Eighty-Eight, in the Powder-Treaſon: and that late deliverance which ſwallows up all the reſt: when the Heavens were black, the Clouds were gathered, and threatned to come down in a ſtorm of bloud: when two Armies were in the field, and ready to make our Land an Aceldema, a field of bloud; yet how wonderfully God did then ſtep in, to compoſe the differences, and to ſettle a peace, when there was nothing but expectations of war and ruine?
This our God hath done, and beſides this many freſh and later experiences of his goodneſſe: All which ſhould now come in to incourage us to beleeve, and truſt in the ſame God, to do great things for us.
Indeed, wee ought to truſt God, though wee had never tryed him; though wee had never experience from him. But when hee helps our Faith, by former experiences; this ſhould ſtrengthen our confidence, and make us to go unto God, as to a tryed friend.
Were wee but well read in the ſtory of our lives, wee might have a Bible of our own, drawn out of the experiences of Gods dealings with our ſelves; and wee ſhould bee able to ſay in any difficulty and diſtreſſe; I dare trust God in this difficulty; I dare venture on him in this preſent diſtreſſe. I have tryed him, and have found him true, hee never failed mee. And becauſe hee hath been my help, therefore under the ſhadow of his wings will I rejoyce; as ſaith the Prophet.
2. A ſecond incouragement is, From the Power of God. 2. Incouragement.Hee can do wonders. Hee not only hath, but hee can do wonders ſtill. — The Arm of the Lord is not ſhortned, that hee cannot ſave. What hee hath done, hee can do. Hee is ſtill as wiſe, as powerful, as faithful, as merciful as ever hee was. There is no ſhadow of change in him. There is nothing above his skill, nor above his power; if not above your Faith to beleeve.
It is our ſin only, which hinders the current of Mercy, that ſtops the ſtream of Mercy: our unbeleef, our neglect of duty, our unthankfulneſs, our pride, &c. Let us remove theſe, and Mercy comes amain. You have a full place for it, Judg. 10.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, &c. You ſee there, that God had oftentimes delivered them; hee had wrought many wonders for them, as hee tells them there. And they were now again in a new diſtreſſe, and therefore cry to God. But God tells them they had walked unworthy of former deliverances, and therefore hee would deliver them no more; whereupon they go and confeſſe their ſins before God, they humble themſelves, and reform their evil wayes. And (ſaith the Text) His ſoul was then grieved for the miſery of Iſrael. — God delivers them.
Well. this may bee our condition. God hath wrought many deliverances for us: wee are now in new ſtraits; but wee have walked unworthy, and our ſins may ſtand as an obſtacle to hinder Gods proceedings of mercy. Let us now then humble our ſelves, and reform, and God will bee grieved for our miſery, as hee was for theirs.
3 A third incouragement that wee have to theſe duties, is, from the conſideration of Gods love to his Church, and many precious ingagements to them in promiſes. The Church is dear to him; wee are his Spouſe, his Members, ſuch as hee dyed for, &c.
Wee are his,
1. By Choice.
2. By Purchaſe.
3. By Gift.
4. By Covenant.
And being his, hee will do great things for us alſo.
Gods love to his Church is that, into which wee may reſolve all the mercies hee doth for his Church; and is the only ground of our Faith and hope, to expect mercies from him. It is the Sea, the ſpring. Well then, having ſo ſtrong incouragements to theſe duties, I would now have ſpent a little time to have preſſed theſe duties on you; but I forbear.
9 Information.9. Information. This may inform us, what is the reaſon that God ſuffers wicked men to conceive, and to hatch miſchief againſt the Church: Nay, and to bring up their deſignes to ripeneſs, that they are ready for execution: why God doth not disturb them all their way. Here is the Reaſon. Becauſe hee can do wonders. Though hee let them go on, yet they can never get the advantage of God, nor can they make it paſt Gods help. It is but ſhewing a wonder at laſt, and all is daſht.
Men, when they ſee an adverſary, whom they can eaſily Maſter, when they pleaſe, they will let them go on, counſel, adviſe, lay their heads and power together, and ſeem to take no notice of them. They know, the further they let them go, the fuller and compleater will bee their overthrow at laſt.
So doth God here. Hee ſuffers wicked men to go on, but is, becauſe hee knoweth hee can overtake them, though they think they have got the ſtart, before they come to the goal, or get the prize.
When men ſee, there would bee ſome hazard at laſt, when they had brought their deſign to ripeneſs, or did fear, that the adverſary would bee too ſtrong for them: then they will labour to hinder the beginnings and gatherings; they will indeavour to cruſh the birth of their counſels, or they will ſet themſelves againſt their power, as ſoon as they can. And this is the wiſeſt way among men.
But now God, hee can let them go on; hee can let them bring their deſignes to ripeneſſe; they can never ſwell ſo big, as to bee too great for his power to conquer them; can never make their deſign ſo ſtrong, as to non-plus his wiſdome, and skill to help.
And therefore hee will let them go on, becauſe hee can daſh them in their Man-hood, as well as in their infancy, in their ſtrength, as well as in their weakneſſe. It is but ſhewing a wonder, and all is done.
And this was the Reaſon why God ſuffered the five Kings of Canaan to lay all their ſtrength together, that they might bee able to do that joyntly, which they were never able to do ſingly. Yet it is ſaid, — The Lord hardened their hearts to joyn together, to come againſt Iſrael. Though they thought by this means to overthrow Iſrael: yet Gods end was to make the quicker diſpatch, the fuller overthrow of them.
And therefore hee let Pharaoh alſo to go on; did not ſtop him in his preparations, nor hinder him in his ſetting forth, but let him follow them to the utmoſt. God knew hee could have him at the laſt; hee could ſhew a wonder, and break all in peeces.
The like of Haman. God could, if hee would, have daſht his bloody counſel in the beginning; hee could have ſet the King againſt it. But hee lets him go on, and bring his deſign to ripeneſſe; and then declares a wonder, and ruines him and his counſel too.
And this is the reaſon why God ſuffers wicked men to go on, gather themſelves together, bring their deſigns to the utmoſt: Becauſe hee can break them in the end, as well as in the beginning. It is but doing a wonder at laſt, which is familiar with God; and all is broken in peeces. And therefore Melancthon ſaith, Non est judicandum de operibus dei ante quartum actum.