The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 6 · Query 2
2. Quere.
2. Wee come now to the ſecond thing. The Grounds and Reaſons.
1. The firſt is, Becauſe hee is a wonderful God. Wonderful things beſeem a Wonderful God. His Name is Wonderful, Iſa. 9.6. And therefore his works are Wonderful. This is the inference, Pſal. 86.10. Thou art great, and doſt wonderful things. Every one delights to do actions ſutable to themſelves; ſutable to their own greatneſs.
When Alexander met with a great difficulty, his ſpirit thus incounters it, Jam periculum par animo Alexandri: Now here is a danger, here is a difficulty fit for the ſpirit of Alexander to incounter withall: here is a work ſutable for Alexander to do. Great enterpriſes, great difficulties, great things befit Great ſpirits. Magnus magna decent. And wonderful things befit a wonderful God.
And upon this ground Gods reliefs come not in, until caſes are deſperate; becauſe then hee may diſcover his great Power. And ſuch deliverances are moſt ſutable to the great God. Hee could as well h…ve ſaved Lazarus from ſickneſs, as have raiſed him from the grave: but hee ſuffers him to dye, bee buried, and lye three dayes in the grave, that hee might magnifie his power, in the raiſing of him again. Hee lets the difficulty go beyond the help of man, that you might the better know what the Power of God is.
2. The ſecond Reaſon. God doth wonderful things for his people, to get himſelf a wonderful Name, that God might bee known in the World.
Therefore did God execute ſuch fearful Judgements on Pharaoh, and wrought ſo great deliverances for his people; that hee might get himſelf a Name, and publiſh himſelf to the World, Iſa. 63.12.
Special cures win more glory to the Phyſitian, than a thouſand ordinary cures: ſo ſpecial victories win more honour to a General, than a thouſand ordinary skirmiſhes: ſo here, ſpecial deliverances to God.
If God ſhould only walk in the ordinary wayes of his Providence in the World; his glory would not bee ſo much ſeen and advanced: And therefore God doth often ſtep out of his ordinary paths of Providence, and goes in Extraordinaries, that hee might diſcover his Glory and Power, and advance his own Name.
This know, that it is Gods great deſign in the World, to advance his own Name, and make it glorious to the ends of the Earth. This is one way God doth it by: even doing wonderful things for his Church. Hereby God wins a great deal of honour and praiſe from the Saints, and dread and terror from the wicked, as the Scriptures ſpeak.
You know how terrible was the Name of the God of Iſrael to all the Earth, by thoſe great wonders God had done for Iſrael in Egypt.
And therefore this was the argument which David uſed, why God ſhould deſtroy ſuch as were his enemies, and work deliverances for ſuch as were his people; That men might know, that thou, whoſe Name alone is Jehovah, art the moſt high over all the Earth, Pſal. 83.18.
Great Mercies and wonderful deliverances, publiſh and ſet forth God, when ſmaller cannot do it.
Great Deliverances publiſh great Power; great Mercy, great Wiſdome, and great Truth. God is loſt in ſmaller deliverances; but viſible in greater. They who are unwilling to acknowledge God in leſſer, are forced to acknowledge him in greater deliverances; and to ſay with them, who without doubt were loath enough to acknowledge it, Digitus Dei eſt hic; The finger of God is here.
None, but a God could have diſappointed ſuch Counſels.
None, but a God could have diſcovered ſuch Plots.
None, but a God could have removed ſuch Evils.
None, but a God could have wrought ſuch Deliverances.
3. The third Reaſon, why God doth wonderful things for his Church, is, as to get, ſo to uphold his great Name.
You have an excellent place for this in Deut. 32.27. God was highly diſpleaſed with Iſrael, for their provocations of him; and hee threatned to deſtroy them: yet after all this, hee ſaith, — I ſaid, I would ſcatter them into corners, and would make the remembrance of them to ceaſe from among men: were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy: leſt their adverſaries ſhould behave themſelves ſtrangely, and leſt they ſhould ſay, our high hand, and not the Lord, hath done all this.
The like you have in 2 King. 18.35. Who are there among the Gods of the Countries, that can deliver out of my hand? ſo hee vaunted, and God ſuffered him to ſoare ſo high, that hee might have the greater praiſe, and his Glory bee higher advanced by the greater downfal of ſuch a Lucifer.
And this was the Argument which Moſes urged God withal, when hee threatned to deſtroy the Children of Iſrael, Numb. 14.15. Now if thou kill this people, then the Nations which have heard the fame of thee, will ſpeak, ſaying: Becauſe the Lord was not able to bring this People into the Land, which hee ſware unto them, therefore hath hee ſlain them in the Wilderneſs. As if hee had ſaid, — Thou haſt gotten thy ſelf a Name, by the mighty wonders, which thou haſt done for thy people: but if thou ſhouldeſt leave now, and do no more, thou wouldeſt loſe thy glory, which thou haſt gotten, and the Nations would bee ready to charge thee with weakneſs and impotency, that thou waſt not able to do what thou haſt promiſed, and purpoſed to do for thy People.
The like you have in Deut. 9.28. And in Exod. 32.12. And the ſame Argument you have in Joſ. 8.9. When God went not forth with the armies of Iſrael, but ſuffered them to bee ſmitten by their enemies. O Lord, (ſaith Joſhua) what ſhall I ſay, when Iſrael turn their backs upon their enemies! If it bee thus, what will become of thy great Name!
Arguing by this, that there was a neceſsity for God to do great things for his People; ſtill to uphold that great Name hee had gotten, which otherwiſe would fall to the ground, Pſal. 79.9. Help us, for the glory of thy Name; and deliver us for thy Names ſake.
And an excellent place you have for this, in Iſa. 48.9, 10, 11. For my Names ſake will I defer my wrath, and for my Praiſe will I refrain it from thee, that I cut thee not off.
4. Reaſ. God doth wonderful things for his People, that hee might inherit wonderful praiſes from his People. Therefore doth God work wonderful deliverances for his Church, that his Church might return ſutable praiſes to God again,— Pſal. 111.4. Hee hath done his wonderful works, to bee remembred. As if hee had ſaid, it was for this end, that God did thoſe wonderful works, wrought thoſe great deliverances, that they might bee remembred, that they might bee kept upon the imagination of the thoughts of the heart for ever. As in 1 Chron. 29.18. That wee might bee ſo many living Monuments of thankfulneſs, ſo many Trumpets to ſound forth the praiſe of his Greatneſs and Goodneſs, from Generation to Generation. And hee that forgets Thankfulneſs, forgets the end of Gods beſtowing of Mercy, and robs himſelf of the fruit and effect of the preſent Mercy, and hinders himſelf of future.
5. Reaſ. God doth wonderful things for his Church, to adde torture to the Devil, and his Children.
Gods mercies and deliverances to the Saints, muſt needs inrage the Devil, and wicked men.
When Haman had prevailed ſo far as to get a bloody decree againſt the Jews, hee joyed exceedingly, as one that promiſed to himſelf the utter ruine of them all. Now God ſtepping in on a ſudden, and ſhewing a wonder to diſappoint him in his deſign; No man can conceive, much leſs expreſs how much this added to Hamans torture and vexation. Hee goeth home, and vexeth himſelf, and vexeth in his bed, and could have no reſt.
Achitophel was ſo tortured, that his deſign did not take, that hee was impatient of his Life. Hee could not eaſe himſelf, but by deſtroying himſelf.
The like you have of Balak God hath his wayes to make wicked men gnaſh their teeth before they come to Hell; and this is one way, to put them in a kinde of hope of having their will upon the godly, as they had in the verſe before the Text, I will purſue, I will deſtroy, I will divide the ſpoil. — And then on a ſudden over-turning all, blowing upon their projects, bringing all their enterprizes to nought: Oh! this doth make them vex, and torture their own ſouls.
6 Reaſon, God doth wonderfull things for his Church and People, That both our ſelves and the Generations to come might be quickned and ſtirred up to truſt in him, obey him.
1. That wee our ſelves might bee quickned to truſt in him. And this you ſee was the fruit of that great deliverance in the text, Exod. 14.31. And Iſrael ſaw that great work, which the Lord had done upon the Egyptians: And the People feared the Lord, and beleeved the Lord.
And this uſe David made. That God that hath delivered mee from the Lyon and the Bear, hee will alſo deliver mee from this uncircumciſed Philiſtine: So Pſal. 63.7. Becauſe thou haſt been my helper; therefore under the ſhaddow of thy wings I will rejoyce, That is, becauſe thou haſt been my Helpe: I have had experience of thy goodneſſe to me in ſuch and ſuch ſtraits. Therefore under the ſhadow of thy wings I will rejoyce, Not onelyonly; Truſt in thee, but Rejoyce, as being aſſured thou wilt help me in time to come.
Men unmindful of former experiences, are ſtill to ſeek in every freſh difficulty.
Where Experiences are the Premiſes,
Aſſurance may be the Concluſion.
David was a man of many choice experiences of Gods goodneſs to him; and hee was a man that was choice of them: hee laid them up, and made uſe of them at every need. Hee did not only make uſe of the Experiences themſelves, but of every thing, that came in to it, or was a Trophee of it.
It is a paſſage not to bee neglected, that when hee was forced to fly from Saul, comming to Ahimelech the Prieſt, hee deſired a weapon of him, for his defence and ſafeguard. Hee told him, that there was none, ſave onelyonly The Sword of Goliah, whom hee had ſlain, and David ſaid, there is none like that, give it mee, 1 Sam. 21.9. This was a Trophee of Gods goodneſſe to him: It was an Enſign of a former Experience of Gods love to him: And there was no better weapon for his defence, than ſuch a one, as was both an experience and a weapon. In carrying this, he carried an Experience with him, which might Comfort him, and incourage him too.
2 Corin. 1.10. Saith the Apoſtle: hee hath delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver: In whom we truſt he will yet deliver us.
Thus from the former Experiences of Gods goodneſs to him, hee makes out an argument of future deliverances.
And, if we were but thus wiſe, to treaſure up former Experiences; the former parts of our lives would come in to help the latter: And the longer wee live, the richer in faith we ſhould be.
Wee ought indeed to truſt God, though wee had never Tryed him: but, when hee helps our faith by former Experiences, this ſhould ſtrengthen our Confidence; and make us to go unto God, as unto a Tryed friend.
If wee were well read in the Hiſtory of our Lives, wee might have a Bible of our own, drawn out of the Experiences of Gods dealings with us, and wee ſhould be able to ſay, in any difficulty and diſtreſſe; I dare truſt God in this difficulty; I dare adventure on him, in this preſent diſtreſs: I have tryed him, and found him true; Hee never failed mee. And becauſe hee hath been my help, therefore under the ſhadow of his wings will I rejoyce. This is the firſt part of this Reaſon, God doth wonders, to quicken and incourage his Church and People, to truſt in him and obey him.
2 God doth it, that the very generations to come might be incouraged to truſt in the ſame God, in the like diſtreſſes.
This uſe the Church made of Former Experiences, Pſal. 22.4, 5. Our Fathers truſted in thee: they truſted, and thou didſt deliver them: they cryed unto thee, and were delivered: they truſted in thee, and were not confounded. And from hence the Church gathers an argument, that that God, that had delivered others, would alſo deliver them.
The like you have, Iſa. 51.9, 11. Awake, awake, Put on ſtrength, O arm of the Lord: Awake, as in the Ancient days, in the Generations of old. Art not thou hee, that wounded the Dragon? who dryed up the Sea, and made the depths a way for the ranſomed to paſs over? — As if he had ſaid, All thoſe Former Experiences of thy Gracious dealings, and wonderfull deliverances of thy Church, they are as ſo many incouragements to us, to beleeve thy goodneſſe to us. And therefore the Pſalmiſt tells us, Pſal. 9.10. They that know thy name will truſt in thee.— And hee gives the reaſon.— For thou Lord haſt not forſaken them that ſeek thee.— Hee doth not ſay, Thou Lord wilt not, but, thou Lord hast not. Gods hath-not, is his will-not too.
The Argument were not good, would not hold in men. They Have not, therefore they Will not; Men may change, men may alter.
1. Either they may repent of former curteſies.
2. Or they may reſolve to do no more. Men, wee ſee, ſhut their hands, becauſe they Have opened them, and their former curteſies are reaſons of future denials.
But the argument is good here. Hee hath-not: therefore hee will not forſake his people.
Hee will bee gracious, becauſe hee hath been gracious. Gods former dealings towards his Church and people, do but publiſh to the world, and inform us, what his future behaviour ſhall bee to his Church and people. Hee Hath not, therefore he will not.
God blames the Iſraelites, becauſe hee had done ſo great works for them, And yet they beleeved not.
7. Reaſ. God will do wonderfull things for his Church, becauſe His love and ingagements do move him unto it.
There are four loving ingagements of God, which move him to do wonderful things for his Church,
1. They are his.
2. He hath promiſed.
3. His people truſt in him.
4. They ſeek unto him.
1. God is ingaged to do wonderful things for us, Becauſe wee are his. We are his people, hee is our God: wee are his Spouſe, hee our husband: wee are his children, hee our father: wee his Members, hee our head: wee are his portion, his inheritance, &c.
And this is a great ingagement for God to do great things for us; what will not a loving father do for his child? what will not a loving Husband do for his wife? &c. wee ſtand in the ſame relations with God.
He thought nothing too great to ſuffer for us. Hee ſuffered great things, and hee ſuffered cheerfully: hee was in pain till the hour came. And do you think hee will think any thing too much to do for you?
God doth what ever is done in the world. And there is nothing that he doth, that I may ſay his heart is more in, that he doth with more Complacency and delight, than thoſe things he doth for his Church and People. His whole heart is in them; and therefore doth them cheerfully, and doth them fully. As you know, whatever your heart is in, that you do willingly, that you do thoroughly, &c.
Indeed, there was Nothing to ingage him, To make us his People; before hee made us his People, as Moſes ſaith, God choſe you, not becauſe of thy righteouſneſſe, the uprightneſs of thy heart; for thou art a ſtif-necked People. But becauſe the Lord Loved you, &c.
But there is ſomething to ingage him, To do for us now, hee hath made us his People, becauſe wee are his People, this is that, that Samuel did comfort the Iſraelites withall, 1 Sam. 12.22. The Lord will not forſake his people, for his great Names ſake, And why? what is the reaſon? what is the ingagement? why ſaith hee, Becauſe it hath pleaſed the Lord to make you his people.
2 A ſecond loving ingagement, which cauſeth God to do wonders for his People is,Fidelis Dominus, qui ſe nobis …ecit debitorem non aliquid a nobis accipiendo: ſed omnia nobis promittend…: Aug. becauſe he hath ingaged himſelf to us, by many great and precious Promiſes. Gods Promiſes are ingagements upon him. God hath made himſelf our Debter, Not by receiving any thing from us, but by promiſing all things to us. God hath made many precious promiſes to us.
1 Promiſes of Preſervation, Iſa. 33.16. Hee ſhall dwell on high: his place of defence ſhall bee the munition of rocks; bread ſhall bee given to him; his waters ſhall bee ſure.
A Promiſe, than which I know none more full in the Book of God, wherein all Objections, that a fearful heart might raiſe, are anſwered and taken away. Let us view it over.
1 Hee ſhall dwell on high] If hee were among his enemies, hee might bee in danger: But hee ſhall dwel on high; nay, on heights, as the Word is: many Aſcents, many Heights, above the reach of danger, out of Gun-ſhot.
2 But ſuppoſe they could raiſe up Mounts, and come as high as hee; yet they ſhall not hurt him. Hee is in a place of defence.
3 But what then? His defence is not ſo ſtrong, but it may bee broken thorough. No ſaith the Text, that is impoſſible▪ for his place of defence ſhall bee the Munitions of Rocks; many Rocks; and many Munitions of Rocks (and therefore impregnable) to guard him.
4 Why? but hee may bee starved out; his ſupply will not alway laſt. There is no plowing and ſowing upon Rocks; hee may bee famiſht out. No ſaith the Text. Bread ſhall bee given him; Hee ſhall bee provided for.
5 But what ſhall wee do for Water? There is no Water to be had out of Rocks. You ſee it was that which poſed the Faith of Moſes: to fetch Water out of a Rock. But ſaith the Text, hee ſhall have Water too.
6 Yea but his Water may be ſpent. It will not alway laſt. No ſaith the Text: His Waters ſhall be ſure; never failing Waters, ſure Waters.
Again, in the ſame Chapter, verſ. 21. The Lord will bee to us a place of broad Rivers and ſtreams, wherein ſhall go no Gallie with Oares, nor ſhall gallant ſhip paſs thereby. Shewing the defence God would bee to his People. Hee will bee a Stream, nay a River between us and our enemies. And a broad River, a River that cannot bee paſsed over. Why but they may uſe Oares. No ſaith the Lord, Hee will bee a River, wherein no Gally with Oares ſhall paſs. But a Ship may. No, nor gallant ſhip ſhall paſs thereby, for the Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our Law-giver; the Lord is our King; hee will ſave us. But what if any ſhip ſhould attempt? You ſhall ſee, verſ. 23. God will untackle them. Thy tacklings are looſed; they could not well ſtrengthen their Maſt; they could not ſpread the ſaile.
2. And as hee hath made promiſes of Preſervation from, So hee hath made promiſes of Deliverance out of trouble, Pſal. 34.19. Many are the troubles of the Righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. So Pſal. 50.15. Call upon mee in the time of trouble; I will deliver thee. So Pſal. 91.15. I will bee with him in trouble, and will deliver him. So Iſa. 54.17. No weapon formed againſt thee ſhall proſper. And an excellent promiſe wee have, Iſa. 43.3, 4. I gave Egypt for thy ranſome, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. God ſpeaks here as the Lord and Poſſeſſor of the whole Earth, Egypt was his, and Ethiopia was his; and both theſe hee gave for to redeem his Church.
The Church was in bondage and captivity, you know, in Egypt. And God gave Egypt for her ranſome. And how? becauſe ſhee could not bee ranſomed and delivered without the loſs of Egypt. Therefore God gave Egypt for her: That is, hee would rather loſe all the Land of Egypt, than his people ſhould not bee ranſomed: hee would ſink the whole Kingdome of Egypt, if it ſtood betwixt his People and Deliverance. And ſo it follows in the 4. verſ. I have loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. As if hee had ſaid. I love thee, thou art more dear to mee than all the World; and I do not ſtick to give the lives of thouſands to uphold thine. Multitudes ſhall bee deſtroyed, rather than thou ſhalt not bee preſerved. I love thee, and therefore I will give men for thee.
Thus you ſee God is ingaged to do wonderful things for his Church, becauſe of his Promiſe.
That love which hath moved him to make theſe precious promiſes to us, will never give him reſt, till it hath cauſed him to make good thoſe promiſes which hee hath made.
3. A third loving Ingagement, which cauſes God to do wonders for his People is, becauſe they truſt in him. Truſt is a kinde of Ingagement upon a man, although hee had made no promiſe. A man will not deceive another, who repoſeth his whole trust in him, though hee were not ingaged by Promiſe. There is a kinde of Ingagement in Truſt it ſelf: And ſhall wee then think that God will, when hee hath made ſo many precious promiſes to us? This were the greateſt deceit in the World, a Soul-deceit. If God ſhould call us off from all other ſuccours, from other ſhelters, and tell us, that if wee will truſt in him, hee will bee our ſuccour, our ſecurity. And ſhould God fail the ſoul; this were an undoing-deceit, the greatest deceit in the World.
No, my Brethren, there was never man who laid up his confidence in God, but hee found God to bee that to him, which hee expected.
Faith ingageth all the Power, all the Wiſdome, all the Mercy, and Truth of God to help us. And if the Power, Wiſdome, &c. of God can do wonders for thee: God will then do wonders for thee, if thou beleeve in him. Beleeve (ſaith Chriſt) and thou ſhalt ſee the wondrous works of God.
4. A fourth Ingagement, which cauſeth God to do wonders for his People is, becauſe they ſeeke him. Hee doth not ſay to the ſeed of Jacob, ſeek yee mee, in vain. Hee hath ſtiled himſelf — The God hearing prayers; and bids us call upon him in the day of trouble, and hee will hear. The Prayers of Gods People, they are as ſo many Ingagements upon God, to move him to do for them.
Faith and Prayer will ſet All-God awork. It will ſet the Power, Wiſdome, Mercy of God a work, for you. Faith and Prayer will remove Mountains. Nothing ſhall bee too hard for that people to do, whoſe hearts and ſpirits God holds up to beleeve, and to pray. Bee it to thee, even as thou wilt.
Luther having been in his ſtudy, and earneſt with the Lord about the buſineſs of the Church; receiving a gracious anſwer, hee comes down and cryes, Wee have overcome; the day is ours. And ſo it fell out, ſaith the ſtory: For the Church prevailed.
There is a kinde of Omnipotency in Faith and Prayer, becauſe theſe two ſet the Omnipotent God, and the Omnipotency of the Power of the Omnipotent God, to work for us.
And I beleeve, The great work of Reformation hath gone ſo ſlowly forward, becauſe Gods People are not ſo ſtrongly carried on in ſeeking.
3 The third thing wee have to do, is to ſhew you