Sermons on Isaiah 11:1-10, Sermon · Verse 2

Sermons on Isaiah 11:1-10 · Sermon · Verse 2

p. 79VERSE V.

And righteouſneſs ſhall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulneſs the girdle of his reins.

IN theſe words is ſet down that great and neceſſary qualification, required for right governing of people, to wit, righteouſneſs and faithfulneſs; this breeds and entertains great reſpect and confidence in the hearts of the Subjects toward their Governour. The righteouſneſs and faithfulneſs of Chriſt in governing his Church and people, is evident, eſpecially in theſe four, 1. His veracity and faithfulneſs in all his aſſertions; for he is the faithful witneſs, Rev. 1.5. and a faithful witneſs will not lye, Prov. 14.5. 2. His diligence in doing faithfully, whatſoever was commanded him of God: it is ſaid, Heb. 3.2. Moſes was faithful in all the houſe of God, making all things according to the pattern ſhown in the mount. In like manner, our bleſſed Lord was diligent and faithful in p. 80doing all things for the good of his Church, according to the eternal counſel and decree of the Father, Joh. 17.26. And I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it. 3. His carefulneſs in keeping all theſe who by ſaith and well-doing commit their ſouls to him: Jacob was faithful and careful in keeping the ſheep of Laban: Our bleſſed Lord, the great ſhepherd of our ſouls, keepeth all his ſheep who hear his voice, and follow him by obedience, Joh. 6.40. Joh. 10 27, 28. 4. It comprehends alſo the righteouſneſs and faithfulneſs, in keeping and performing lawful promiſes; Rahab was righteous and faithful in performing her promiſe made unto the ſpies: our bleſſed Lord is righteous and faithful in performing all his promiſes in his own due time, Heb. 10.23. 1 Joh. 1 9.

By the girdle of his loins and reins, we underſtand, 1. The delight which Chriſt hath in his faithfulneſs: he looks upon his own faithfulneſs as a ſpecial point of his honour and glory; as the golden and embroidered girdle, was an ornament of Kings, Job 12.18. 2. His readineſs and forwardneſs to perform all his promiſes, as one girded and prepared for his journey: therefore he is ſaid to wait, that he may be gracious, Iſa. 30 18. and to ſtand at the door ready to enter in, when it is opened, Rev. 3.20. 3. It ſignifieth the firmneſs and immutability of his promiſes; his faithfulneſs cleaveth faſt p. 81to him, as a girdle to the loins or reins; not like Ezekiel his girdle, that by time was marred and ſpoiled; but all the promiſes in Chriſt, are yea, and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20.

Concluſ. 1. Seing our bleſſed Lord is righteous and faithful in all his aſſertions, though ſome of them may ſeem ſtrange and incredible to ſenſe and humane reaſon, not yet purified and elevated by the light of ſaith; it is our duty to captivat ſenſe and humane reaſon unto all his aſſertions, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5, as to believe the unity of his eſſence with the Father, becauſe he, who is the faithful witneſs, hath aſſerted it, Joh. 10.31. I and my Father are one: To believe his eternal exiſtence before all time, even his perſonal pre-exiſtence with the Father, before his coming forth in his Incarnation and aſſuming of the Humane Nature, becauſe he himſelf, who is the truth hath aſſerted it, Pro. 8.30. I was by him, as one brought up with him. He was co-eternal with the Father, and yet in the fulneſs of time came forth from the Father, into this inferiour world, to take on him the vail of fleſh, and thereby conſecrat an entry for us into the moſt holy place, Joh. 16.28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world, Heb. 10.19, 20. It is our duty to believe his individual operation with the Father in the works of Creation and Providence, not as a cauſe ſocial with the Father, but as one prime cauſe with him, becauſe he himſelf p. 82who is righteous and faithful, hath aſſerted it, Joh. 5.17, 19, 20. My Father worketh hitherto and I work, &c. To believe the reſurrection of the dead upon his own teſtimony full of veracity, Joh. 5.28. The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves ſhall hear his voice, and ſhall come forth. But we are not too curiouſly to enquire about the manner how he will quicken and raiſe the body out of the duſt; we leave that to the unſearchable wiſdom and infinit power of our Lord, who will do it according to the working, whereby he is able, even to ſubdue all things unto himſelf, Philip. 3.21. Though we cannot conceive the ſpecial manner, how Original ſin is propagat, yet we aſſent to the truth of the thing it ſelf, upon his teſtimony, Joh. 3.6. That which is born of the fleſh, is fleſh. And, Rom. 5.17, 18. By the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation, &c. Auguſtine ſaith well, We ſhould not ſo much enquire about the manner how Original concupiſcence hath entred into us, which we feel in our ſelves, by daily experience, as about the manner how it may be extinguiſhed. And, Lib. 2. de Nup. & Concupiſ. Cap. 21. Why ask ye (did he anſwer to Julian the Pelagian who ſtifly denied any Original ſin, becauſe he could not by human reaſon comprehend the manner of tranſmitting it to the poſterity) by what ſecret gap or crevice it hath entred into man, ſeing p. 83ye have an open gate, By one man (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſin entred. And Lib. 5. de Morib. Eccleſ. Cap. 21. Nothing is more notour, than that ſin is propagat from the parents to the children: but nothing is more obſcure, than the manner how it is propagat: Therefore ſaith he elſewhere, In humane truths, intelligam ut credam, let me underſtand the matter that I may believe: but in divine truths, credam ut intelligam, let me believe that God hath ſpoken it, and then I ſhall underſtand it to be a moſt certain and irrefragable truth. That ye may be the more confirmed in this Doctrine, which giveth glory to the truth and faithfulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt againſt unreaſonable men (though they call themſelves moſt rational) pleading from humane reaſon to the weakening of the teſtimony of God, which is the ſupreme reaſon. Conſider, 1. It is againſt all ſound reaſon to meaſure the infinit Being, and his operations with the ſame rule of humane reaſon and Philoſophy, by which we meaſure finit beings and their operations: Were it not an abſurd ſolly to meaſure a tall man with the ſame meaſure we meaſure an infant; this were as the binding of Samſon with cords of flax. 2. Yea it is moſt agreeable to ſound reaſon, that moſt credit and faith ſhould be given unto the ſupreme reaſon, to wit, the teſtimony of God, who is the prime verity: for the more famous the perſon teſtifying be, we eſteem the p. 84more of his teſtimony. 3. We believe ſome natural truths, from our own ſenſe and experience, though we cannot give a natural and evident reaſon of our knowledge of ſuch things; as of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea; of the influence of the Planets upon the inferiour and ſublunary Bodies; of the attractive vertue of the Adamant or Load-ſtone, &c. And is not the teſtimony of God a more ſure ground for faith to reſt on, than our own experience and ſenſe, which many times may be, and oftentimes is ſubject to miſtakes? That one paſſage (Eccleſ. 11.5.) is ſufficient to ſtop our curioſity, and to make us acquieſce without gainſaying, to the teſtimony of God, As thou knoweſt not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even ſo thou knoweſt not the works of God, who maketh all.

Concluſ 2. From our bleſſed Lord his faithfulneſs and diligence in doing the duties of his Mediatory-office, whereunto he was called by the Father, we have a fair pattern and copy for our inſtruction and imitation to be faithful and diligent in our lawful Callings: His mind and his time was all taken up in his faithful and diligent diſcharge of the Office of Mediator, committed to him by the Father, Luk. 2.49. Wiſt ye not that I muſt be about my Fathers buſineſs? And for the better up ſtirring of you to follow his example in your lawful Callings p. 85and Employments, Conſider, 1. God bleſſeth the diligent and faithful, Prov. 28.20. but he that is diligent, or rather fool-haſty in uſing unlawful means, and ſo having no calling to that effect from God, cannot expect a bleſſing, Prov. 22.29. But he that maketh haſte to to be rich, ſhall not be innocent. 2. Zeal in Religion and ſpiritual duties, doth well conſiſt with diligence in our lawful employments, Rom. 12.11. Not ſlothful in buſineſs, fervent in ſpirit, ſerving the Lord. Yea this fidelity and diligence in our particular Callings, doth adorn our Chriſtian profeſſion, but unfaithfulneſs and negligence is the reproach of it, Tit. 2.9, 10. 3. Idleneſs is a breach of the eighth Command, Thou ſhalt not ſteal, as is evident, Eph. 4.28. Becauſe the ſluggard ſtealeth away much precious time from the right uſe of it. As theft is an uſurpation of that which belongs to another; ſo the ſlothful man eats his bread without any allowance or bleſſing from God, 2 Theſ. 3.10. 4. The ſlothful man is a waſter of much precious time, and a great impediment to himſelf in what he might have had, if he had been diligent, Prov. 18.9. He alſo that is ſlothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waſter. 5. Idleneſs and ſlothfulneſs is a great in-let to that evil one, and to many temptations with him: The unclean ſpirit entred into the empty houſe with a train of other evil ſpirits, Mat. 12.42. Cato ſaid truly, Men by doing p. 86nothing, learn to do evil: And the Heathen Poet could ſay, Otia ſi tollas, &c. Take away idleneſs, ſo ſhall you take away the fewel of many noiſome luſts.

Concluſ. 3. From his faithfulneſs and care in keeping what is committed to his truſt, is inferred our duty: 1. Every one to be faithful in their truſt, in imitation of him, who was faithful in keeping all who were committed to his truſt by the Father: eſpecially men in publick places, as Magiſtrates, to whoſe truſt God hath committed his people, as Pupils to their Tutors; and there is a day coming, wherein the ſupreme Lord, and everlaſting Father, will call them to make their Tutors-accounts: therefore they ſhould be faithful, careful, and tender Nurſing-fathers, to protect them by their power: but no wayes by oppreſſion or ſubtilty to prey upon the ſimplicity and weakneſs of their Pupils: Likewiſe the Spiritual Guides in the Church, ſhould learn from him, who was faithful in all the houſe of God, to diſpenſe the bread of life faithfully to the children of God, as theſe who are Stewards of the myſteries of God▪ 1 Cor. 4.1. and muſt give an account to God for the ſouls committed to their truſt, Heb. 13.17. And as men in publick places would be faithful, they ſhould labour for a deep impreſſion of the fear of God upon their ſpirits, 2 Chr. 19.9. Neh. 5.15. 2. Let us take comfort from his faithfulneſs and care to keep what is p. 87committed to him; let us caſt all our care on him, who careth for us, 1 Pet. 5.7. Joh. 10.28.

Our ſpiritual enemies can never get advantage from any negligence in him; for he is the watchman of Iſrael that neither ſleeps nor ſlumbers; nor from any weakneſs in him, for he is the ſtronger one, and the Almighty one, Rev. 1.8. he is both able to keep that which is committed to him, Jude Epiſt. 24. and alſo willing, John 6.37. It is the will of God and our duty to uſe all means and endeavours for keeping our ſelves in the love and fear of God, 1 John 5.18. Jude Epiſt. 20. but let us not truſt to our own keeping, but pray to the Lord that he would keep us in the hour of temptation, Pſ. 16.1. Mat. 26.41. remembering alwayes, that we are kept by his power through faith, 1 Pet. 1.5.

Concluſ. 4. From the faithfulneſs of our bleſſed Lord, in keeping and performing all his precious and gracious promiſes, let us learn, 1. for our imitation, to be faithful in that ſolemn promiſe made to God in our baptiſm; becauſe in baptiſm we were conſecrate to God, and by profeſſion put on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Gal. 3.27. Therefore, when we call to mind that ſolemn engagement, we ſhould be faithfull to keep that promiſe; and ſhould not make proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts thereof, Rom. 13.14. As it is ſacriledge to impropriat that which has been dedicat unto pious p. 88uſes; So it is moſt deteſtable ſacriledge to with-draw our ſelves from ſerving God in holineſs and righteouſneſs, unto the fulfilling of our own ſinful luſts. How many promiſes of amendment of life have we made unto God in the day of our affliction? Let us be faithful, and pay the vows which our lips have uttered, when we were in trouble, Pſ. 66.13, 14. Let us be faithful in performing our lawful promiſes made by one to another; and truly a man fearing God will make conſcience of ſincerity in making a lawful promiſe, and of honeſt endeavours in performing, unleſs God in his providence render it impoſſible, Gen. 42.18. This do and live, for I fear God. But the deceitful and unfaithful man, that in promiſing has no purpoſe to perform, is like unto Antigonus King of Macedon, who made many large promiſes to give this and that to ſome men, but gave it not; therefore in reproach he was called foreign, one that was ever to give, but never gave what he had promiſed.

From our bleſſed Lord his faithfulneſs for performing all his gracious promiſes, we have a ſolid ground for concluding aſſurance of comfort unto all Expectants of glory, and eternal reſt in heaven, who are now in a ſtate of grace and ſanctification. As our bleſſed Lord is faithful in revealing the will of the Father, ſo is he likewayes in performing all the promiſes of God, which in him are yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. p. 89He will give in his own good time that reſt and ſatisfaction promiſed to all who are preſſed and wearied with the burden of their ſins, Mat. 11.28 He will cleanſe the true penitents, who confeſs their ſins with a ſerious purpoſe and endeavour to forſake them, 1 John 1.9. he will give ſtrength to all who are humbled under the ſenſe of their own weakneſs, and truſt to him for help, according to his faithful promiſe, Job 23.6. Iſ. 42.2. and he will give the promiſed outgate unto all who are patient and long-ſuffering under great and continued tryals, 1 Cor. 10.13.

Object. 1. It is true, he is faithful in all his promiſes, but I doubt the promiſes are made to me; for there is no mention made of me in all the gracious promiſes. Anſ. 1. In ſpeaking thus, thou ſpeakeſt againſt the generation of the juſt, as if there were not a gracious promiſe made to any living in thy generation, for there is no mention of them in particular, more than of thy ſelf. 2. If thou be weary of ſin, the promiſe of reſt is made unto thee; for it is made to all who are weary of ſin, and by faith come to Chriſt, the precious corner-ſtone laid in Zion, for reſt and ſupport to wearied ſinners, Iſ. 28.16. If thou mourn for ſin, and by faith in Chriſt come unto God for comfort, thou mayeſt be aſſured, the promiſe of comfort is made unto thee. If thou thirſt after Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, the promiſe of ſatisfaction and refreſhment is made to thee: Therefore, although thou acknowledge p. 90thine own unworthineſs, as juſtly thou mayeſt, yet acknowledge alſo his faithful promiſe, Pſ. 69.32. Your heart ſhall live that ſeek God. Iſa. 45.19. I ſaid not unto the ſeed of Jacob, ſeek ye me in vain; I the Lord ſpeak righteouſneſs. In this caſe do thou as wiſe Abigail, who acknowledged her ſelf unworthy of Davids gracious offer and meſſage ſent unto her; yet ſhe went after the meſſengers of David, and became his wife, 1 Sam. 25.41, 42. In like manner, obey thou his gracious meſſage and offer of reſt and ſatisfaction, proponed to thee by his Miniſters in the preaching of the Goſpel, and let thy heart co-habit with him.

Object. 2. But the Lord delayeth to give that promiſed reſt and peace to my wearied ſoul. Anſ. His delayes are not denyals; in his great wiſdom he delayeth, that thereby thou may be humbled for thy delaying and ſhifting in former times to do commanded duties; and alſo that by his delay of comfort, thy heart may be enlarged the more with ſtrong and vehement deſires, and then thy comfort ſhall be the more full and ſenſible, Pſ. 81.10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Conſider, that aſſoon as thou repents, and by faith cleaveſt to the promiſe made in Chriſt the Mediator, thou gets the peace of reconciliation, Act. 13.39. wait on in faith and patience, and thy bleſſed Lord will give, in his own good time, the peace of aſſurance: as the Judge doth firſt pronounce p. 91the ſentence of abſolution, and thereafter gives an extract of the ſentence by his Secretary unto the party abſolved, which he layeth up in his Charter-cheſt, and is in much peace and quietneſs of mind: In like-manner, our bleſſed Lord, by his holy Spirit according to his promiſe in the Word, ſhall ſeal the mourning believers, Epheſ. 1.13. and aſſure them of pardon, and of eternal life; from which aſſurance, ſhall ariſe peace in their conſcience, and joy unſpeakable and glorious, Rom. 8.34. 1 Pet. 1.8.

Object. 3. Our bleſſed Lord has promiſed deliverance out of troubles, yet my troubles continue; yea, are increaſed. Anſ. All temporal promiſes are to be underſtood, with a ſecret clauſe of proviſion; if the performance of them ſhall be for the glory of God, and the ſpiritual benefit of his own children, Pſal. 34.10. They that ſeek the Lord, ſhall not want any good thing. Pſal. 84.11. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Therefore be thou patient, and in the time of continued and increaſing afflictions, look to his faithful promiſe, Joh. 16.20. In this world ye ſhall be ſorrowful, but your ſorrow ſhall be turned into joy. Our faithful Lord, in his own good time, can eaſily recompenſe all our temporal loſſes even in this world, if it ſeem good in his eyes, Iſ. 61.7. For your ſhame you ſhall have double, and for confuſion they ſhall rejoice in their portion; therefore in their land they ſhall poſſeſs the double. But certainly in p. 92that day of reſtoring all things, all loſſes ſhall be recompenced though not in ſpecie, yet in value exceeding them very far: therefore reckon with thy ſelf, that all the ſufferings of this preſent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which ſhall be revealed in us, Rom. 8.18.

Object. 4. The faithful Lord hath promiſed to deliver out of temptation, 1 Cor. 10.13. yet I am daily infeſted with ſinful thoughts, and ſometime brought into bondage with my own conſent. Anſ. Yet it is the better that ſuch thoughts are a grief to thy ſpirit, as Hagar was to Sarah; be of good courage, the Lord in his own good time will caſt out the bond-woman and her child, even thy in-dwelling corruption, and all the off-ſpring of it; reverence the wiſdom of God in ſuffering thy ſoul to be moleſted with theſe incurſions and bickerings of that impure ſpirit; he permits it, that the grace of humility and prayer m…y be the more exerciſed by thee: all the Canaanites were not driven out of the land of Canaan, by the wiſe providence of God, permitting and ordering it for good▪ that the wilde beaſts ſhould not multiply in the land: So the Lord, in his wiſdom, permits the in-dwelling and ſtirrings of corruption within thy ſoul, to preveen the encreaſe of pride, and to keep thee humble and watchful, and to ſtir thee up unto daily prayer for encreaſe of ſtrength in the inner man. Therefore give p. 93it not over, but reſiſt daily, truſting to that promiſe, Rom. 16.20. The God of peace ſhall bruiſe Satan under your feet ſhortly. Thou art engaged into a good cauſe, to fight againſt thy luſts; although through the wiles of Satan at a time, thou mayeſt be brought into bondage, yet deſpair not of victory in end; mourn as Peter did after his denyal in the high Prieſts Hall; and if thou mourneſt bitterly for thy bondage, it is not altogether voluntary; when thou mourns for it, there is ſome reſiſtance to it from grace in thy will; and he that gives grace to reſiſt, ſhall give victory in end, Rom. 7.24, 25. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. The father of the poſſeſſed child brought his ſon, who had been infeſted and moleſted from his childhood; and when the child was acoming to Chriſt, the unclean ſpirit did vex him and rent him; but he went forward to our bleſſed Lord, who charged that ſoul ſpirit to come out of him and enter no more into him, Mark 9.17, &c. So it may be thou art never more infeſted, than when thou haſt a reſolution to go to Chriſt and walk after his Commandments, yet riſe up by repentance and reſolution of new obedience; who knows but thy mighty Lord will rebuke that unclean motion, and ſay as he did to that unclean ſpirit, I charge thee to come out of him, and enter no more into him?

p. 94Object. 5. But in the mean time my ſoul faints within me, under great afflictions and deſertions; becauſe there is neither appearance of comfort nor out-gate. Anſw. As faithfulneſs cleaveth to his loins as a girdle; ſo let faith in thine heart cleave to him and his promiſes: for as the lungs, like bellows, do cool and refreſh the heart that it faint not through much heat and labour; ſo faith, breathing the faithful and gracious promiſes of God into the fainting ſoul, doth revive the ſame, Pſal. 27.14. Pſal. 42.5. Pſal. 119.81. When the Mariners in the Ship with Paul, (Acts 27.) ſaw no light outward, for directing their courſe, they did caſt out their Anchors, and waited for the day: ſo when thou who fears the Lord walkeſt in darkneſs, and hath no light, truſt in the Name of thy faithful Lord, and ſtay thy ſelf upon thy God, Iſai. 50.10. Remember for thy encouragement, thy bleſſed Lord is faithful and compaſſionat, Mat. 15.32. he had pity on the multitude who had continued with him three days without any bodily refreſhment, and would not ſend them away faſting, leſt they ſhould faint in the way: much more thy Lord, full of compaſſion, will not ſuffer a poor humble ſoul, that hath been waiting on him by ſincere obedience, and for him by a lively hope purifying the heart, and thirſting more and more for righteouſneſs, to depart out of this life, without ſome refreſhment in the inner man, but as he did to p. 95that old expectant Simeon, Luk. 2. he will give him Chriſt his Saviour into the arms of his faith, that he may depart in peace in the hope of ſalvation.