The Godly Mans Ark, Sermon 3 – Note to the reader
THE Excellency and Usefulness OF THE WORD. SERMON III.
PSAL. 119. 92.
Unless thy Law had been my Delights, I should then have perished in mine Afflictions.
NOw I come to speak of the Proposition that is clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 3. That the VVord of God delighted in, is the Afflicted Saints Antidote against ruine and destruction. Unless thy Law had been my delights, I should, &c. The Word of God is the sick Saints salve, the dying Saints cordial; a most precious medicine to keep Gods people from perishing in time of affliction: This upheld Iacob from sinking when his brother Esau came furiously marching to destroy him, Gen. 32. 12. And thou saidst I will surely do thee good, &c. The promise of God supported him. This also upheld Ioshua, and inabled him couragiously to fight the Lords battels, because God had said, Hee would never leave him, nor for sake him, Josh. 1. 5. Melancthon saith, that the Lantgrave of Hessen told him at Dresda, that it had been impossible for him to have born up under the manifold miseries of so long an imprisonment, Nisi habuisset consolationem ex Verbo divino in sua corde, but for the comforts of the Scriptures in his heart.
There are eight things may bee said (amongst many other) in commendation of the Word of God.
1 It is the Magazin and Store-house of all comfort and consolation. There is no condition (but one) that a man can be in, but hee may finde soul-supporting comfort for it out of the Word. Indeed if thou resolvest to go on in sin, the Word cannot comfort thee; it threatneth Hell and Damnation to all such. If the God of Heaven can make such miserable, they shall be miserable; But excepting this one, there is no condition so miserable, but a man may fetch a Cordial out of the Word, to support him under it. Art thou as empty of riches, and as full of Diseases, as Iob under the Old Testament, and Lazarus under the New Testament? are the (sins-with which thou art willing to part) many and great? Is thy Conscience exceedingly wounded and disquieted? Doth the Devil roar upon thee with hideous temptations? let thy condition be never so sad, the Word of God is able to afford thee comfort under it. For it is the Word of that God, who is the God of all consolation. There is no kinde of true comfort, but here it is to bee had, here are Cordials of all sorts. Comforts under bodily troubles, and comforts under soul-troubles. There is no Monarch can furnish his table with such variety of delicates, as God hath furnished his Word with variety of comforts.
2 The Word of God is not only the Magazine of all true comfort, but the Fountain from whence it is derived. All the comfort that you receive by reading of good books, is fetched out of this Book. All the refreshings that the Ambassadors of Christ administer to you, are borrowed from this Fountain. As the King of Israel answered the woman (that cried out, saying,2 King. 6 26, 27. Help my Lord, O King) If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? So will all the true Ministers of Christ say to any distressed soul that cries out for comfort: How can wee comfort you, if the Word of God doth not comfort you? All our comforts must bee fetcht from thence.
3 It will comfort us at such a time, when no outward thing can comfort us. And that is, when wee are under soul-agonies, and when our soul sits upon our lips; ready to depart, when wee are sailing into the Ocean of Eternity; then, even then, the promises of the Word will comfort us: When gold and silver, Father and Mother, Friends, and Physitians are miserable comforters, then will one promise out of the Word fill us full of joy unspeakable, and glorious.
4 The Comforts of the Word exceed all other Comforts, for they are pure, and purifying, sure, and satisfying; they are soul-supporting, soul-comforting, and soul-ravishing, they are durable and everlasting. The comforts of the world are not worthy to bee named that day, in which wee speak of the comforts of the Word. They are not consolationes, but consolatiunculae. At best they are but bodily, unsatisfying, and transitory. Many times they are sinful, and soul-damning.
5 The Word of God is not onelyonly a Magazine, and a Fountain of comfort, but also a touchstone, by which wee must try all our comforts whether they bee true and real, or no. All joyes, hopes, and assurances, must bee tryed by the Word, and if not rightly grounded thereupon, are false, and soul-delusions.
6 It is as an Apothecaries shop, or a Physitians dispensatory, out of which wee may fetch all manner of Medicines, to cure all the diseases of our souls. Art thou spiritually lame, blinde, or dumb? &c. The Word will open blinde eyes, make the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. If dead in sins and trespasses, the Word, when it is the sword of the Spirit, will quicken thee. It is as a corrasive to eat sin out of thy heart; therefore David saith, I have hid thy Word in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
7 It is a spiritual Armory, out of which wee may fetch all manner of Weapons, to conquer the Devil, and his temptations, 2 Corint. 10. 4. It is that little Brook, out of which every David may fetch five smooth stones to destroy the Devil. These five smooth stones, are five texts of Scripture, three of these Christ took out of the brook of the Word, by which he subdued the Devil, Mat. 4. 4. 7, 10.
8 It is the Sun of the Christian VVorld. As the Sun is the light of the Natural VVorld, and without it, the World is but a Chaos, and a Dungeon full of darkness. So is the VVord of God, the light of the spiritual world, without which a Christian is under an eternal night. Therefore David saith, Thy VVord is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, Psal. 119. 105. What would all the World avail, if no Sun to illighten it, and what comfort would all the wealth of it afford us, if no word to instruct, and counsel us? For this is the Christians compass to sail to Heaven by, his staffe to walk withall to Heaven, his spiritual bladders to keep his soul from drowning. The Cork, to keep up the net of his soul from sinking. Afflictions are like the lead of the Net, which weigheth it down, but the Word is as the Cork, which keeps it up, that it sinks not. So saith David in the Text, Unless thy Law had been my delights, &c.
Vse. If the Word of God bee of such invaluable excellency, absolute necessity, and of such admirable use.2 Vse.
1 Let us bless God exceedingly for revealing his will unto us in the Word. It was a great honour, and priviledge to the Iews, that to them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 2. And it is our great happiness that wee have not only the same Oracles of God which they have, but an addition of the New Testament, for the clearer discoverie of the mysteries of salvation unto us. If God be to bee praised for every crum of bread we eat, much more for giving us his VVord, which is the bread of life, and the only food of our souls. Blessed bee God, who hath not only given us the book of the Creatures, and the book of Nature to know himself, and his will by, but also, and especially the Book of the Scriptures, whereby wee come to know those things of God, and of Christ, which neither the Book of Nature, nor of the creatures can reveal unto us.
Let us bless God, not only for revealing his will in his VVord, but for revealing it by writing. Before the time of Moses, God discovered his Will by immediate revelations from Heaven. But wee have a surer word of Prophecy, a Pet. 1. 19. surer (to us) than a voyce from Heaven; For the Devil (saith the Apostle) transforms himself into an Angel of light. 2 Cor. 11. 14.Hee hath his apparitions, and revelations, hee is Gods ape, and in imitation of God, he appears to his Disciples, and makes them beleeve it is God that appears, and not the Devil. Thus hee appeared to Saul in the likenesse of Samuel. And if God should now at this day discover his way of worship, and his Divine Will by Revelations, how easily would men bee deceived, and mistake Diabolical delusions, for Divine Revelations; and therefore let us blesse God for the written word, which is surer and safer (as to us) than an immediate Revelation. There are some that are apt to think, that if an Angel should come from Heaven, and reveal Gods Will to them, it would work more upon them than the written word; but I would have these men study the conference between Abraham and Dives, Luke 16. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Habent Mosen & Prophetas, &c. They have Moses and the Prophets, if they will not profit by them, neither would they profit by any that should come out of Hell, or down from Heaven to them. For it is the same God that speaks by his written Word, and by a voyce from Heaven. The difference is only in the outward cloathing; and therefore if Gods speaking by writing will not amend us. No more will Gods speaking by a voyce. O bless God exceedingly for the written Word! Let us cleave close to it, and not expect any Revelations from Heaven of new truths, but say with the Apostle, Gal. 1. 8, 9.
Use 2. Let us prize the word of God above gold, yea above fine gold: Let us read it, diligently, reverently, praying to God to give us the same spirit, that wrote it, to inable us to understand it, and conscientiously to practise it. Let us make it the joy and rejoycing of our heart, and as it is in the Text; Let us make it our Delights, but of this I spake in the former point. The onelyonly motive I shall now use to perswade you to make the Word your Delights, shall bee this in the Text. Because it will keep you from perishing in the time of your greatest affliction. It will comfort you when you have most need of it (that is, under heart-sinking-afflictions, and at the hour of death) and it will comfort you when all outward comforts and creatures fail. It wil bee food to strengthen your weake Faith; Physick to cure the remainders of corruptions, it will bee a Cordial to revive your drooping spirits, and fainting souls. It will make you more than Conquerors over all temptations and distresses.
Quest. But now the great Question is, How a childe of God ought to manage and make use of the word of God, so as to make it a Conduit of support and comfort, in the day of his greatest Afflictions?
Answ. To bee able to do this, there is a great deal of spiritual wisdom and understanding required. For the word to many people is like Sauls Armour to David, which was so cumbersome to him, that hee could not wear it.
There are many know not how to use the Word, so as to bee comforted by it. As the woman of Samaria told Christ, Ioh. 4. 11. The Well is deep, and thou hast nothing to draw with. So may …I say, The word of God is a deep Well, it is a Well of salvation, Isa. 4.but it is deep, and the deeper the sweeter, but most people want Buckets to draw with, they want a spiritual Art to fetch out of these Wells of salvation, divine supportation and consolation; and therefore to help you in this great work you must know,
That the word of God may bee divided into three parts;The word of God divided into the commanding, threatning and promising Word. Into Commandements, Threatnings, and Promises: And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding, and threatning word, yet if ever hee would make the word a Channel of Divine comfort, hee must study the promising-word, for the Promises are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven. All comfort must bee built upon a Scripture promise, else it is presumption, not true comfort. The Promises are pabulum fidei, & anima fidei, the food of faith, and the soul of faith. As faith is the life of a Christian, so the promises are the life of Faith: Faith is a dead Faith, if it hath no promise to quicken it; As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them, so Faith is of no use without a Promise to lay hold on. And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions, is, because they do not chew the Promises; they are rare Cordials, but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a Cordial, unless hee chew it, no more can wee receive any spiritual refreshment from the Promises, unless wee meditate on them. The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure, but as Mines, unless wee digge deep into them, wee can never get the gold and silver hid in them: no more can wee injoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises, unlesse we digge into them by a serious consideration of them. They are as a garden full of rare flowers, able to sweeten any condition. But because wee doe not walk in this garden, and pick out these flowers; hence it is that wee live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions. There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distresse. Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in Conscience, by reason of the great …n hee committed, in subscribing to the Popish errors, but hee was much comforted by reading those words, 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Iesus Christ came into the VVorld to save sinners, of which I am the chief. Beza was supported under his troubles, by the words of Christ, Iohn 10. 27, 28, 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one, that was upheld under great affliction, and comforted from Isa. 26. 3. Of another, from Isa. 57. 15. I knew a young maid that went triumphantly to Heaven, by the refreshing shee found in that well known Text, Matth. 11. 28. and many that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eight Chapter of the Romans, and by that Text, 1 Ioh. 3. 14. VVee know that wee have passed from death unto life, because wee love the Brethren. The truth is, there is no promise, but if God bee pleased to illighten it, and shew us our interest in it, will afford a Harvest of joy. It is with Promises, as it is with Sermons: That Sermon which once heard, did not at all work upon us, the same Sermon heard at another time may exceedingly affect us. And the same Text of Scripture, which sometimes doth not at all comfort us, may at another time convey much comfort to us. Two men troubled in conscience may both of them read the same chapter, and hear the same Sermon, and one of them may have his troubled minde pacified, and the other continue troubled, and the reason is, because the Spirit of God makes the Word effectual to one, and not to the other. How often hath a distressed Saint, read Mat. 11. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Ioh. 10. 27, 28. Isa. 26. 3. Isa. 57, 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and found no comfort in reading of them; But if the Spirit of God did come in, and open his eyes to behold the rich mercies wrapt up in these promises, and his interest in them, they would fill him with comfort above expression. And therefore if ever you would make the Word of God, Gods instrument to conveigh support and comfort to you in the time of soul-sinking afflictions, you must study the promises, and pray unto God that his Spirit may irradiate them, and shew you the fulness of them, and your interest in them.
Quest. How must wee improve the promises, so as to make them spiritual bladders, to keep us from being drowned in the deep waters of Affliction?
Ans. You must doe three things.
1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises.Three things to bee done by those that would improve the promises.
2 You must seriously ponder and meditate on them.
3 You must apply them to your own souls, as belonging to you in particular.
1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises, you must gather them up, as they lye scattered in the Word, into a spiritual Nose-gay, and binde them together: You must doe as they that gather up ends of Gold and Silver, you must lose none. Every promise is as a ray of gold, as a Star in the firmament. And though there are starrs of divers magnitudes, differing from one another in glory, yet every star hath its beauty and benefit: So though some Promises are more glorious than others, (like the Sun, in comparison of the Moon) yet every promise hath its beauty, and lustre, and as star-light in a dark night is very comfortable; so in the dark night of affliction, every little promise will afford unspeakable comfort to a troubled soul.
To help you in making this Catalogue, give mee leave to suggest three things.
1 Bee sure to make it in time of health. Woe bee to those that have their promises to gather, when they should make use of them! You that sleight the promises in prosperity, shall receive no comfort from them in adversity.
2 Forget not to treasure up all those promises which God hath made to his children, in the day of their adversity. As for example, God hath promised in all our afflictions to bee with us, Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters, I will bee with thee, and through the Rivers, they shall not overflow thee, &c. hee will bee with you to protect and direct you, to support and comfort you. If three Saints bee put into the fiery Furnace, the Son of God will make the fourth, Dan. 3. 25.
2 God will be afflicted in all our afflictions, Isa. 63. 9. he suffers in all our sufferings, Act. 9. 4.
3 Hee will make our beds in our sicknesses, Psal. 41. 3. hee will condescend to the lowest office for our ease and refreshment.
4 Hee will know our souls in adversity, Psal. 31. 7. hee will know us to pitty us, and to succour, and to help us.
5 Hee will keep us from the evill of all afflictions, Job 5. 19. God hath not promised to keep his people from afflictions, but to keep them from the hurt of them. Though they are not good in themselves, yet hee will turne them to our good, Heb. 12. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Ier. 24. 5. The good Figs were carried into Captivity for their good. God hath promised that all things shall worke together for our good, Rom. 8. 28. not only all Ordinances, &c. but all Afflictions, &c.
6 God hath promised to lay no more upon us, than wee are able to bear, but either to give us less pain, or greater patience, 1 Cor. 10. 13. And though in a little wrath hee hide his face from us for a moment, yet with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on us, &c. Isa. 54. 7, 8. These, and many such like Promises, will bee as so many spiritual Cordials to revive our fainting spirits, and as so many Pillars to uphold us under the greatest Affliction.
3 For the compleating of this Catalogue, Mr. Lee on the Promises▪ Mr. B…ll, Mr. Bulkley.you may make use of many excellent Books written for this purpose, wherein you shall have Promises of all kindes, both spiritual and temporal, gathered together: Yet let mee advise you not to rest satisfied with the Collections of others; but when you read the Bible, and meet with a suitable promise, with which God is pleased to affect your hearts, take the pains to write it down, and one such promise of your own writing, will work more powerfully upon your souls, than many others of anothers gathering. So much for the first, viz. Make a Catalogue of the Promises.
The End of the third Sermon.
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
Reader,
THis and the following Sermon contains a large Discourse about the Promises, which because it may bee thought by some to bee impertinent to the Text, and rather a Digression from it, than an explication of it; I crave leave to informe thee of two things.
1 That the Promises are the Principal grounds of Comfort to a Childe of God, in the day of his Adversity. They are his chiefe City of Refuge, when all Creature-comforts faile; when hee suffers Ship-wrack of all humane props, these are his Planks upon which hee swims safe to the shoar of Heaven. All Comfort that is not founded upon a Promise, is Delusion, not true Consolation. And therefore a Discourse about them, cannot rationally bee interpreted Eccentrical to the Text.
2 That there are diverse particulars added to these Sermons, concerning the Nature, Necessity, Excellency, and Vsefulness of the Promises, which were not mentioned in the preaching of them. And if any of them shall appeare to bee Heterogenial to the Text, yet if they prove serviceable to heighten thy esteeme of the Promises, and to quicken thee to a more serious and frequent Meditation on them, and Application of them. I hope thou art not at all injured; And I may justly desire, that thou wouldest not bee offended.
It is reported of Saint Austin (in his life written by Possidius) that by a digression (in one of his Sermons) from his Text, hee converted an Hereticke from his erroneous Opinions. If any passage in these two Sermons prove usefull to turne thee from thy sinfull Negligence, and to awaken thee to a more diligent study of the precious Promises, I shall account it a happy and blessed Digression; For herein especially consisteth the difference betweene a Religious Christian, and a Moral Man▪ A Mor…l Man will abstaine from the outward acts of sinne; But hee knowes not what it is to live upon Promises; Hee never tasted any sweetnesse in a Promise. Hee lives upon Creatures, not upon Promises, and therefore when Creatures faile, his heart sinkes like a stone, and hee is at his Wits end, and Faiths end. But a Religious Christian lives upon Promises, and not upon Creatures, and therefore when Creatures faile, hee hath the Promises to live on; Hee labours to taste the sweetnesse that is in them. Hee lives upon Promises, when Providence seemes to run crosse to Promises. They are his fiery Chariot, to carry him up to Heaven. If then these ensuing Sermons, inflame thy affections with a greater love to the Promises, and a greater care to meditate on them, and to get an interest in them, thou hast cause to bless God, and to pray for
Thy unworthy Servant in Christ, ED. CALAMY.