Gospel Holiness, Part 1 · Sermon 7
SERMON 7.
Iſaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have ſeen the King, the Lord of Hoſts.
YOU remember the laſt doctrine that we had from theſe words, that
A true and ſaving ſight of God in Jeſus Chriſt is a principall meanes to humble a ſoule.
This I did open, and proove fully to you, out of the Scriptures. And ſo as God led us we went along. And came in the laſt place to examine our ſelves: (for that we were upon) whether the Lord had truely humbled us by diſcovering himſelfe to us: For there is no ſoul that is truly humbled, but he that hath ſeen God in Chriſt. I ſpeak not, as I told you, of a day of humiliation, or of the dutie of humiliation, or of a preparatory humiliation, but of the Goſpel-grace of humiliation, of that frame of heart that is, or ought to be in a Saint at all times. For the diſcovery of it, I told you, we ſhould find much of it.
Firſt, by our carriage towards God.
Secondly, by our carriage towards man.
Towards God; I told you firſt in reſpect of his righteouſneſſe. And indeed therein cheifly is diſcovered the pride of our hearts, or the humility of our hearts by our receiving, or not receiving the righteouſneſſe of God by faith.
Secondly, by our carriage to the truths of God, therein we may ſee how much of this grace God hath beſtowed upon us.
Thirdly by the commands of God.
Fourthly, and laſtly, by the corrections of God. And therein I ſhewed you what the poſture of the heart of a Chriſtian is, that is truly and ſavingly humbled by his carriage in afflictions. For if there be pride in the ſoule, uſually affliction will bring it out. I ſhall not repeat any thing but goe on a little further to that which remaines.
There is one thing more, and but one thing 5. A humble hearts carriage towards God for mercies.that I ſhall ſpeake of in reſpect of our carriage towards God, wherein you ſhall diſcover how much God hath given you of this grace; and that is by your carriage towards God in the way of his mercies. Truly mercies, and afflictions are much like Summer, and winter; and ſometimes our ſickneſſe will breake out in Winter that is concealed in Summer, and ſometimes it is diſcovered in Summer that is hid in Winter. So in ſome ſoules the evills of the heart will breake out in afflictions more then in mercies, and in ſome it is more diſcovered in a ſtate of proſperitie, in a way of merciemercy then in the way of afflictions. As on the other ſide in ſome ſoules grace is more cleare, and ſhining in afflictions then in proſperitie; and truely I think that in ſome ſoules grace will ſhine more in the way of mercy. And if God will come and have merciemercy upon poore England, my hope is, and it is my prayer, and requeſt to God that we may diſcover more godlineſſe, and more grace, then in all this time. We have diſcovered a great deale of pettiſhneſſe, and frowardneſſe, and pride, and ambition, and covetouſneſſe, and cruelty, and raſhneſſe: but I hope (there being diverſe Saints among us) that God will give us another frame of heart, if he have mercy on us, and turne away his wrath. But that by the by. But I was ſaying that the pride of the heart, and other corruptions alſo, are Corruptions diſcovered by Gods mercies.ſometimes diſcovered in a way of merciemercy that are not diſcovered in a way of affliction. I will give you but one Scripture for it, in Hoſea 7. 1. VVhen I would have healed Iſrael, then the iniquity of Ephraim was diſcovered, and the wickedneſſe of Samaria: for they commit falſhood, &c. Ephraim and Iſrael are two names almoſt of the ſame thing: though Ephraim were but one tribe yet becauſe it was a great tribe (as York is a great Countie in England) all Iſraell is often called by the name of Ephraim, Now when God would heale Ephraim, or Iſraell, then their iniquity appeared. So it is to be feared that if God come to heal England as he ſeemeth to ſmile on us ſometimes, and according to that word in Acts 7. Where he ſayth, I have ſeen, I have ſeen, the afflictions of my people in Aegypt. So I hope God hath ſeen, how the bread is done, and the proviſion is gone, and the people are ready to goe away themſelves, by reaſon of their miſeries. I hope God hath ſeen, and will put an end to our miſeries, and I much feare, that when merciemercy comes, and when peace comes, there will then be a diſcovery of rotten hearts then much more then in theſe times, yet in theſe times there are abundance of rotten hearts diſcovered that were not knowne before. The Lord comes near the quick of our profeſſion in theſe times: there are abundance that have been profeſſors that now jeere the Saints and diſhonour God, and imbrace the VVorld: but in times of merciemercy there will be more: the ſun makes the Traveller put off his cloake when the wind cannot. But to open it to you as I did the former: that which I ſhall doe ſhall be to diſcover to you what the carriage of a humble heart is, and what our carriage ſhould be when God ſhewes merciemercy to us, when the Lord deales kindly with us in the way of his mercy. What is the poſture of a humble heart, then?
I anſwer, Firſt of all, a humble heart he can be 1. A humble heart content to be denyed any mercy.content that the Lord ſhould denie him any merciemercy, let it be never ſo deare or pretious to him; though he prize it high, and pray earneſtly for it, and wayt long for it, yet if God come at laſt and ſay thou ſhalt not have it; he can be content patiently, and meekly to take a denyall from God and goe away contented if it muſt be ſo.
Indeed there is a kind of earneſtneſſe that ſhould be in us, and in a ſence we ſhould take no deniall from God, we ſhould not be eaſily put off. As we ſee in Mat. 15. That Woman of Canaan when Chriſt put her off, ſhee comes again, and again, and again. But if God ſay, ſay no more, it ſhall not be ſo; rhen a man ſhould quietly ſubmit himſelfe to God: though like Hannah, he deſire Children and pray earneſtly and ſeek God againe, and againe, and ſeeme to be near towards it ſometimes, but at laſt if God come, and ſay thou ſhalt never have a child, then ſayth a proud heart Give me children, or I die. I will give you an inſtance or two of this, in 2 Sam 15. 25. David there was in a poore condition, he was purſued by his enemy, by Abſalom his owne ſon; and David David.had the Arke, and Zadock the Preiſt. But ſayth the King to Zadock carry back the Arke of God into the City, if I ſhall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again, and ſhew me both it, and his habitation. But if he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee; behold here I am, let him doe to me as ſeemeth good unto him. As if he had ſaid. I am in a miſerable condition; but I will not trouble thee, or indanger the Arke, if I have found favour in the eyes of God, he will bring me again to my houſe, and to his, but ſayth he, if he thus ſay, I have no delight in him; Behold here I am let him doe to me as ſeemeth good in his eyes. God will bring me back to Jeruſalem, if I have found favour with him: but if God ſay, David, I have no delight in thee, thou ſhalt never ſee my houſe more. Loe here I am, let him doe as ſeemeth beſt to him. This is the poſture of a humble ſoule that deſireth this, and that, and the other mercy, yet if God ſay, I have no delight in thee. I will doe none of theſe things; he can ſay, here I am doe as it ſeemeth good in thine eyes.
I will give you one inſtance more, in Deut. 3. 24. You have Moſes there praying; and he deſires a great requeſt; and that earneſtly of God. Moſes.O Lord thou haſt begun to ſhew thy ſeruant thy greatneſſe, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in Heaven, or in Earth, that can doe according to thy might: I pray thee, I pray thee Lord (ſee how familiar he is with him) Let me goe over, and ſee that good land that is beyond Jordan, and that goodly Mountaine, and Lebanon. Moſes was going towards Canaan that was a type of the Kingdome of grace under the Goſpell, and a type of Heaven, and they had travelled forty yeares in the VVilderneſſe. I pray thee (ſayth he) let me goe over, and ſee that good land, and ſee Lebanon that goodly forreſt. But ſayth he, the Lord was wroth with me for your ſakes, and would not heare me, and the Lord ſaid unto me let it ſuffice thee, ſpeak no more unto me of this matter. Let it ſuffice, I will heare no more concerning this thing. Get thee up into the top of Piſgah. I will give thee leave to looke on it, but thou ſhalt not goe over. Now in the Chapter following, Deut. 4. 21. Sayth he. The Lord was angrie with me for your ſakes. It was for their ſakes, that God denyed him. And he ſware that I ſhould not goe over Jordan, and that I ſhould not goe in unto that good land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee for an inheritance: but I muſt die in this Land. It is a broken ſpeech, I muſt die: he doth not ſay it in paſſion; muſt I die? muſt I lead this people forty yeares, and when there is any good to be had, I muſt be cut off? he ſpake it not on that faſhion; but ſayth he I muſt not goe over, but you ſhall goe over, and poſſeſſe it. He ſubmits to Gods will, and rejoyceth that they ſhould goe over, though it was for their ſakes that he was croſſed. And he ſhewes them how they ſhould carry themſelves there. A proud heart would have ſayd, you may get you over if you will; and if it had not been for you I might have gone too, but I may thanke you, that I muſt ſtay and die here. But ſayth he, God hath ſayd I ſhall ſpeake no more of that matter, it is my lot, I ſubmit. So in all the mercies of God to thee, if thou canſt quietly as Moſes, and David, ſubmit in ſilence when he denies thee any mercy, though it be never ſo deare, it is a ſigne thou haſt a humble heart.
Truely ſome godly men are of opinion that a Saint can come to this to be content that God ſhould deny him everlaſting Salvation for his ſoul. I have read of one, and I have ſpoken with another, I have knowne two godly men in that poſture, the one was ſo; and the other ſeemed to be ſo by his writing; that if after all the meanes uſed, he cannot come to beleive as others doe, that he can have no aſſurance, or hope of life from God; but that God almoſt in every Ordinance doth as much as tell him, thou ſhalt be damned, yet he can be content to goe to Hell it ſelfe. I have ſeen a glorious Saint, that hath ſaid, that if God ſhould tell him he ſhould be damned, yet he could ſubmit without murmuring. Such a thing may be, but I think it is not ordinary: neyther Grace croſſeth not principles of nature.doth God expect it becauſe grace never croſſeth the ground principles of nature; and of all, this is the cheife principle that the creature ſhould deſire its owne preſervation. It is ſo in all creatures. Grace ſcrews up, and makes nature ſpirituall, but grace goes not contrary to the mayne, and ſolid principles of pure nature. Now therefore I ſay, that a man by grace ſhould be brought to wiſh his owne deſtruction, it is very harſh. For beſides that it is contrary to the principle of nature, Ground of true ſubmiſſion to God.it is contrary to the ſpirit of adoption; for what is it that makes me ſubmit to God? It is becauſe I have loving thoughts of him, and I conceive of his love to me, and the like: if I ſhould looke upon God as an enemie, I ſhould love him no more then the Devill himſelfe doth; it is ordinarily ſo. But what may be in one ſoul, or two, or a few, I know not. But that which I meane is in ordinarie mercies, eſpecially in temporall mercies, it is the frame of a humble heart to ſit ſtill, and be quyet if God denie the merciemercy. That is one thing.
Another thing is this, that as a humble heart 2. He is content that God ſhould take away any mercy.will be content that God ſhould denie him any merciemercy: So Secondly he is contented if it pleaſe God to take away any merciemercy that he hath. God ſhall pick and chooſe; and if he will take away all, yet he is contented, and quiet. It is juſt with a humble heart towards God, as you read of an honeſt hearted man in the Book of God that was humble towards David, you ſhall read of him in 2 Sam. 19. 24. It was one Mephiboſheth, David had given Mephiboſheth.him a great deale of land for his father Jonathans ſake; and being a lame man; for his Nurſe let him fall when he was a child; he had a wicked ſervant one Ziba, and when David came home, he ſadled aſſes, and brought preſents, and told David Mephiboſheth would not come to 2 Sam. 16. 1.meet the King, which was a groſſe lie, ſaith David, if he be ſo ſturdie, take thou the land. At the laſt Mephiboſheth finds a way to come to David, and David asked him why he did not come to 2 Sam. 19. 24.him, ſayth he, My Lord O King, my ſervant deceived me: for he ſadled an aſſe and went away, and hath ſlandered thy ſervant unto my Lord the King, &c. Sayth the King, Verſ. 29. Thou, and Ziba divide the land, honeſt hearted Mephiboſheth, once I gave him all: but now, the more was the pitty, he ſhall have one halfe, and thou the other; ſaith Mephiboſheth, yea let him take all, for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his owne houſe. I care little for the land though I be a lame man, and cannot get any thing for my ſelfe: and Ziba though he were a wicked man, and deſerved it not, yet ſayth he, I am ſo taken with the Kings perſon, that he is come home, that let him take all. So a humble heart carries himſelfe thus towards God, that when the Lord ſeems to be as it were in a holy chafe, and anger, that he takes away his mercies, he takes away a child, or a husband, or a mans eſtate, or the like; if thou have a humble heart, thou wilt not be in a rage, and ſay let him take all, in a deſperate humour: but he ſayth meekly, let him take this, or that, or all, if he will, ſo I may injoy him, and his love, I will bleſſe God.
I ſay when thou canſt bleſſe God notwithſtanding all be gone. This was Jobs condition, God tooke all from Job one after another in a little while; as we ſee in Job 1. Sayth Job notwithſtanding God hath taken all from me, Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe, and the Lord gives, and the Lord takes, bleſſed be the name of the Lord. Or as it is in ſome old Greek coppies. As it pleaſeth the Lord ſo commeth things to paſſe, bleſſed be the name of the Lord. He bleſſed the Lord that had taken away his children, and thrown downe his houſe, yet he could bleſſe him.
Now looke a little upon your hearts, how you finde your ſpirits when God hath denied you mercies; when God hath taken away mercies. As I could give you many inſtances, but to name one or two, it may be when thou wert a carnall man that thou wert a very honourable man in thy Countrie; thou wert the onelyonly Stateſ-man, the man that did doe all the buſineſſes but now ſince thou art Religious, thou art deſpiſed, and there are none that make uſe of thee; thy honour is gone. Thou wert accounted a wiſe man, but now thou art accounted a mope, and a ſot. Thou wert once accounted a fine young man or woman, and now thy eſteeme is gone, canſt thou be content that God hath rubbed off theſe mercies, that one while he takes away thine honour, another while thy wealth, another while thy friends, and yet thou canſt bleſſe the name of God: this a humble heart can doe.
Another thing, in reſpect of the mercies of 3. A humble heart will wait for mercies.God is this, that a humble heart can be content to wait upon the Lord though he ſtay never ſo long for the leaſt merciemercy. Proud hearts unleſſe you feed them in haſt they will be gone. A proud heart will not waite on God, but a humble heart will ſtay Gods leaſure till he give him what he pleaſeth, and how he pleaſeth. Hab. 2 3. The viſion is for an appointed time, but at the end it ſhall ſpeak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; becauſe it will ſurely come, it will not tarry. Behold his ſoul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the juſt ſhall live by his faith. The proud heart, and the juſt man living by faith are put oppoſite one to the other: the juſt ſhall live by faith, that is, though he deſire mercies, yet he ſhall be content to waite on God; but he that hath his ſoul lifted up he will be gone, he will not ſtay for God; juſt like that wicked King that you read of in the Book of God. This evill ſayth he, comes of the Lord, what ſhould I ſtay for him any longer? a wretched man. So an unhumbled heart ſayth, what ſhould I ſtay for God any longer in this? and ſo he takes baſe courſes to helpe himſelfe, and will not waite upon God, and goe in Gods wayes.
It is a thing highly commended in the Saints throughout all the Scriptures, when they had a frame of heart to waite on God. As Abraham the father of the faithfull; we read of him in Acts 7. VVhen God brought him from his fathers houſe, and from his whole eſtate, and led him abroad from one place to another, and had brought him at the laſt to the Land of Canaan, where he had not one foot of land, and his poſterity was not to poſſeſſe it of foure hundred yeares after, yet he bleſſeth God, and rayſeth Altars notwithſtanding God did all this. Examine your hearts by this.
Againe, as a humble heart can be content that 4. A humble heart content with the leaſt mercies.God ſhould denie him any mercy, and ſecondly, be content that God ſhould take away any mercy; and thirdly, be content to waite upon God for mercies. So in the fourth place after all his waiting he can be content with the leaſt pittance of merciemercy. A proud heart will not doe ſo; take a proud beggar and make him waite an houre or two, and then after give him but a farthing, and he will grumble that he ſhould ſtay ſo long, and looſe other cuſtomers, others that might have releeved, and helped him: but a humble heart is content to waite long, and after all is content with a little. I will give you but one inſtance. Mat. 15. 26. There was a bleſſed woman that followed Chriſt for a merciemercy; Chriſt was ſilent a while, and ſaid nothing, and though ſhee cried out, yet he ſayth nothing. At laſt he calls her dog, ſayth ſhee, am I a dog, I take it well, but the dogs (ſayth ſhee) eat the crums that fall from their Maſters table. What is the meaning of that? You know the dog ſtayes till his Maſter have dined; and when his Maſter hath dined he is content with a bone, or with the leaſt cruſt that falls. The dog is not ſerved preſently, as ſoone as his Maſter ſits downe; but he ſtayes till all have dined, and if a bone or a bit fall, he is content with that. A humble heart is like a dog in that, he will ſtay his maſters time; as that woman, ſhee could ſtay Jeſus Chriſts leaſure, and ſee him carve mercies upon other mens trenchers, and ſhe have but a bone, or a cruſt, or a bit of bread when all was done, and yet be well content.
The Fifth thing is this, that a humble heart in 5. He is thankfor a heart to receive mercies.reſpect of Gods mercies he will be content, and thankfull to God to give him a hand, and a heart, to receive mercies. That is a great meaſure of this grace of Goſpell humiliation, when God gives a man a little merciemercy after all his waiting; he ſees his owne weakneſſe, though the Lord be rich in merciemercy, yet he cannot take it, though it be layd downe upon the naile, yet he cannot take it up, without God give him a heart. It is not ſo with the poore beggers of the World; if you give them money they have a purſe to lay it up in; if you give them meat they have a budget to put it in: but the ſoul is not able to receive any merciemercy, I mean not any ſpirituall merciemercy; temporall mercies it may, but not ſpirituall, unleſſe God give a hand, and a heart to receive it.
I have ſeen poore women in the Mountaines of VVales (and I have oft thought of it) they have been ſo poor that when they have come to a houſe to beg a little whey or butter-milke, they have been fain to beg the loane of a pot, or a diſh to put it in. So we, when we come to beg merciemercy of God; we muſt deſire the Lord when we have done our beſt, to give us eyes to ſee it, and a heart to lay it up, and a hand to receive it: for the naturall man receives not the things of God. And beleiving is called receiving; and it is the gift of God to beleive. We cannot believe, that is, we cannot receive the leaſt merciemercy of God, unleſſe he give us hands, and hearts. This is the diſpoſition of a humble heart; when I pray for merciemercy of God, I ſee God is full of merciemercy, and Chriſt is a Fountaine full of grace; but I have not eyes to behold it; I have not a hand to receive it. We cannot carrie one graine of grace home, unleſſe God give us ſpirituall buckets. As that woman ſaid, John 4. Here is water, but where is the bucket to draw? So God may ſay, thou wanteſt grace, but where is thy bucket? ſayth the humble ſoul, Lord I have none, thou muſt both give the water, and lend the bucket to carry it home.
And then Sixtly, a humble heart is diſcovered by this, that when the Lord ſhall give him any 6. He is content that God give lawes how to uſe his mercies.merciemercy, he will be content that God ſhall give him as many laws as he will to uſe theſe mercies, a humble heart will doe ſo. A proud begger if you give him a couple of ſhillings and ſay be ſure you buy you ſome cloaths with this, or get ſome good thing for your wife, and children; he will be ready to ſay you need not tell me how I ſhall uſe it, I know what to doe with it. Now give a humble begger foure or five ſhillings, and ſay carrie one to your wife, and with two ſhillings buy you a paire of ſhooes, and doe this, and this: he will be content to doe all you tell him, make as many lawes as you will, if you give him any thing. It is juſt ſo with the ſoul of a humbled Chriſtian, when the Lord gives a mercy to a proud heart, he is ready to ſay I know what to doe with it well enough; but when he gives any thing to a humble Saint, he is content that the Lord ſhould teach him. And thence it is that when the Lord offers merciemercy, and Salvation, and offers Chriſt to a proud heart, he is content to take the merciemercy, but he would goe on in his ſins ſtill: but hold ſayth Chriſt, now thou receiveſt Salvation, and grace, thou muſt not live in thy old wayes, thou muſt ſhake off thy old companie, and be a new man. No, the proud heart will have none of all thoſe, he would take the merciemercy, but he will goe on in his owne way. But a humble man is as Abraham, we ſee he ſtayed long for a child, and then God gave him a ſon; and when he had his ſon Iſaac, God gave him a law for Iſaac. Abraham ſayth he, there is a ſon, and a great merciemercy, and all Nations ſhall be bleſſed in him: but thou muſt take thy ſon, and carry him to ſuch a place, and with thine owne hands upon ſuch a hill, thou muſt cut his throat: and ſome of the old Rabbins ſay, that he was to take a pole, and to ſtir his bowells in the fire; and according as the Lord, ſo Abraham handled his merciemercy. Thus it is with an humble heart.
But laſtly, and ſo I ſhall conclude; a humble heart towards God in the way of his merciemercy, is New mercies added, add to his thankfulneſſe.diſcovered by this, that every addition of merciemercy that God beſtowes upon him, obligeth his heart more, and more, to a holy thankfullneſſe and obedience. And truely (as I have ſayd) we oft break our communion with God by our unthankfullneſſe, and our unthankfulneſſe ariſeth from the pride of our hearts. A proud heart thinks that Proud hearts unthankfull.he hath alwayes too little; therefore he is praying for more, but he forgets to pray with thankſgiving, to make his requests known with thankſgiving. Now let a humble heart be in never ſo much diſtreſſe, and miſery, the man can ſee abundance of cauſe to prayſe God; if he have but water that the beaſts drink, and if he have but ſtrength to dig, he can ſay, Lord I owne this as a merciemercy, and whatſoever is on this ſide Hell is merciemercy. So in Rom. 12. 1. I beſeech you by the mercies of God, that you give up your ſelves, a living, and holy, and acceptable ſacrifice to God. He would have the mercies of God to bring them to obedience, to give up themſelves to obey God. So in Rom. 2. Sayth he, Doeſt thou deſpiſe his riches, and goodneſſe, and forbearance, and long ſuffering; not knowing that the goodneſſe of God ſhould lead thee to repentance. The goodneſſe of God, and the patience of God, and the merciemercy of God; ſhould lead all humble hearts to a holy thankfullneſſe, and obedience, and ſo it doth. And the more the Lord doth multiplie mercies upon him, the more obedient, and thankfull he is.
Now in all this that I have ſaid, I would deſire you to examine your ſoules, and if you find that in any of theſe, or in any of the reſt that I am yet to ſpeake of, you are faultie, and come ſhort; yet I would not have you conclude, therefore I am not the humbled ſoul that the Miniſter ſpake off, there is none of this grace in me: for though it be not ſo with thee in every poynt, though thou come ſhort of perfect humiliation that ſhould be in thee, it followes not that therefore there is none at all. The end why I put theſe things before you, is not ſo much to trie your ſelves, as that you might labour with the Lord to bring up your hearts to theſe things. And I have the rather choſen to ſpeake of this at this time, becauſe me thinks the Lord is preparing to come towards us in a way of merciemercy; and that I would have you to think of, and pray for, that the Lord may ſtill come in a way of merciemercy, that he may turne from the evill he hath intended, or elſe he may eaſily bring us againe to the red ſea if we provoke him as we have done. But ſo much for this time.