Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 36
SERMON XXXVI.
Pſalm 130. Verſ. 7, 8. Let Iſrael hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And, &c.
HOpe in God being of conſtant uſe, and a duty for which there is a conſtant ground and warrand, it is not ill employed time that is ſpent in enquiring who they be that (go the world as it will) hope in God. They are indeed the Iſrael of God, to whom the warrand of hope is appropriated; and though theſe may be diſcerned by all the marks of regeneration, yet none do give a more clear encouragement to hope in God, than their wreſtling with God as a Prince in Prayer, and their endeavour to purge their hearts of ſinful pollutions, that God may have a Throne and Dominion there, and to exerciſe you to ſtudy to be Iſraelites indeed (for though ye be of Iſrael, that is Chriſtians by profeſſion, yet they are not all Iſrael, who are of Iſrael,) I was laying before you ſome conſiderations, of the goodneſs of God to Iſrael; ye remember it was told you in general, that the goodneſs of God was ſuch to his people, as might rationally perſwade folk to ſeek to ſhare in it with his Iſrael. 2. That this goodneſs of God is better known by experience, than it can be talked of, even by them that have taſted of it; for it is a raviſhing and overcoming goodneſs, Zech. 9.17. For how great is his goodneſs, and how great is his beauty! And yet 3. I was minting to lay it before you from ſome hints the Scripture gives of it; and in the firſt place was telling, that if the common goodneſs of God to all be ſo rich, how rich muſt his peculiar goodneſs to his people be? And in Explication of this, I was hinting at the various names and notions o… this goodneſs of God, held out in the Word, how it keeps all temptations that they hurt not the true Iſraelites, but makes them work for their good; how it is love and tenderneſs, how it is grace and free grace to the unworthy, mercy to them in miſery, patience and long-ſuffering to the way-ward, clemency and moderation to them that wring ſtroaks out of his hand.
I ſhall now add a word or two further, that will help to give an account what this goodneſs of God is to Iſrael; and that is in the 3d place, to take a look of it in reference to the various caſes of the Saints; though the conſiderations we had of it in the morning do look here-away, yet I ſhall now deduce this conſideration of it more diſtinctly.
And 1. That God is good to Iſrael, it may encourage Iſrael under weakneſs; for why? It's one of the Lord's deſignations, that he is called, the ſtrength of Iſrael, 1 Sam. 15.29. Alſo, the ſtrength of Iſrael will not lie. The word ſtrength (as it is in the Margin) ſignifies not only ſtrength, but eternity and victory, and all may very well go together here, in this goodneſs of God to them; he is ſtrength to Iſrael out of weakneſs, to make them ſtrong, when they faint, to give them power, 2 Cor. 12.10. Heb. 11.34. When they have no might, to increaſe ſtrength to them, Iſai. 40.29. He hath ſtrength to make the weak ſay, I am strong, Joel 3.10. And he hath ſtreng…h to Iſrael, not for a fit, but to eternity; Iſrael cannot be continued ſo long weak, that everlaſting arms will not give him ſtrength, for in the Lord Jehovah is, everlaſting ſtrength, and he is ſtr…ngth to Iſrael; not ſimply to bear them through difficu…ties, and to keep them from total ſinking, but he is ſo the ſtrength of Iſrael, as he is the victory of Iſrael, in due time to make them Conquerours, and more than Conquerours, through him that hath loved them.
2. That God is good to Iſrael, it may encourage them (as I was hinting in the morning) againſt unworthineſs in themſelves, For (as ye will hear in the progreſs) with the Lord there is mercy, for Iſrael, ſaith the Text; Seek all Chriſts Court, there is not a worthy perſon of all he hath, but himſelf; and if there be any addition, any competition amongſt Chriſt's train and followers, it lies in this, who ſhall be the greateſt dyvors and debters to free Grace, who ſhall be the moſt unworthy, leſs than the leaſt of his mercies; who ſhall be the Mephiboſheth, theſe whom David will allow to ſit at his Table; but worthleſneſs is a noble claim in Iſrael, a dyvor bill is a noble paſport…s dittay is a claim, For with the Lord there is mercy.
3. That God is good to Iſrael, it may encourage all true Iſraelites, under the multitude of their frequent recurring neceſſities, accompanied with the ſenſe of the ill improvement of what good things he hath done for them, and to them. I ſuppoſe amongſt the many humbling conſiderations that the Iſraelites have of their caſe, this is not the leaſt, that they are daily needing, daily getting, and dayly miſguiding proofs of love; they are like that man, Prov. 19.19. That when he is delivered, muſt be delivered again; How often do they think with themſelves, What ſhould they do looking again to God for relief? they have ſo often needed, ſo often gotten, and as often proven dyvors, miſguiding all they got, ſelling themſelves without money, and without price, which makes them bluſh to look to God again for new ſupply, and new delivery; but the goodneſs of God may encourage them to look again, For with the Lord (ſaith the Text) is plenteous redemption; that is, not only delivery, but delivery in great plenty, ſo oft as they need.
4. That God is good to Iſrael, it may encourage Iſrael under the Conſcience of guilt in particular, for ſo the Pſalmiſt ſaith here in particular, He will redeem Iſrael from all his iniqui…ies, theſe things I but name now, becauſe (if the Lord will) I will have occaſion in the progreſs to ſpeak more amply.
5. The goodneſs of God to Iſrael may encourage them againſt the contempt they meet with, and the mean and low condition, wherein they are put in the world, many a time our hearts think it a wonder, that the Blood-Royal of Heaven, the excellent Ones in the Earth ſhould be no more eſteemed of in the World, while we little mind that word, 1 Joh. 3.1. Therefore the world knoweth us not, becauſe it knew him not. Otherwayes we would think it a wonder that the Iſrael of God, are not made the filth and off-ſcourings of all things; yea, but the goodneſs of God is a cordial to Iſrael in this caſe, let the world count them the filth and off-ſcourings of all things, yet the Lord hath choſen Jacob for himſelf, and Iſrael for his peculiar treaſure, Pſal. 135.4. Let their neareſt relations caſt them off, he will not caſt off any of his Iſrael; Hence David could ſing, Pſal. 27.10. when my father and my mother forſake me, then the Lord will take me up; and Iſai. 44.21. O Iſrael, thou ſhalt not be forgotten of me, ſaith the Lord, that is Iſrael's priviledge; and verſe 23. The Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himſelf in Iſrael. The world may leave the Iſrael of God, to ſend for themſelves, but in that caſe Iſrael may ſing, as Pſal. 121.4. He that keepeth Iſrael ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleep, the Lord is his keeper, the Lord is a ſhade upon his right hand, the Sun ſhall not ſmite them by day, nor the Moon by night; the Lord ſhall preſerve them from evil, he ſhall preſerve their ſoul, he ſhall preſerve their going out, and their coming in, from this time forth and even for evermore; So that in all caſes Iſrael hath ground of encouragement in the goodneſs of God, and who would look upon theſe things and believe them, and not think themſelves engaged to make it ſure, that they are of the Iſrael of God, that ſhare in theſe mercies, and priviledges.
And this leads me to the 4th word, that I propoſed to be ſpoken to, for preſſing you to ſtudy to be Iſraelites in Spirit, and that is, that this goodneſs of God to Iſrael, that I have been minting to lay before you (though I have been but ſpilling it in the ſpeaking to it) it is not cunningly deviſed fables, it is not to trapane you in a courſe, wherein your expectations will be defeat; but all that is ſaid of it, are the true and faithful ſayings of God. I ſhall only offer to illuſtrat this in three words, and I have done with the Point. 1. What is the language of all the common goodneſs of God to your ſelves, to you who are profane, to you who are rebels, to you who are mockers at all Religion, that think it an evidence of a ſilly Spirit, to fall in love with holineſs; What means all this common goodneſs of God to you? (I ſay) that he makes not the Earth open and ſwallow you up quick into the pit, as he did Core, Dathan, and Abiram, that he puts not forth his hand to ſweep you off the Earth, or makes you not monuments of his Juſtice and Judgment upon it? Know ye (I ſay again) What all this means? I ſhall give it you in that word, Rom. 2.4. The riches of his goodneſs and forbearance, leads, or ſhould lead you to repentance, that ſo ye may come in to know, what his ſpecial and ſingular goodneſs to Iſrael means, he is laying invitations at thy door, who art traverſing thy wayes, whom the wind has bound up in its wings, and who art as light as the wind in following thy follies, inviting thee to come in and be an Iſraelite indeed, that thou may ſhare in his peculiar goodneſs, and put him to it, as he bids you. Hag. 2. See if he will prove a wilderneſs, or a land of drought to you; He gives you a bill of defyance, if ye will turn in to him, and be his Iſrael indeed, that ye ſhall turn your back upon him, and ſay, he diſappointed you. 2. The Scripture intimats the reality of his goodneſs to all his Creatures, his kindneſs is palpable to all creatures beſide man, Job 36.41. He provideth for the ravens their food, when their young ones cry unto him, the young lyons roar after their prey, and ſeek their meat from God, Pſal. 104.21. He feeds the fouls of the air, he cloaths the lillies and the graſſe in the field, which to day is, and to morrow is caſt into the oven, Mat. 6.20. And from all this, our bleſſed Lord gathers, verſe 30. If God provide for fowls, and ſo clothe the graſs, will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? If God be good to all his creatures, and will he not be good to his own children? And a 3. word to illuſtrat it, Chriſt gives you, Mat. 7.9. from Parents goodneſs to their Children, who if they ask bread, will not give them a ſtone, or if they ask a fiſh, will not give them a ſerpent; and then infers, if ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more ſhall your father which is in heaven give good gifts to them that ask him; So God's common goodneſs to your ſelves, his common goodneſs to all the creatures, and the natural affection of parents to their children, all of theſe concur to demonſtrat, that the goodneſs of God towards his people, is real and no complement; and therefore to ſhut up this purpoſe with this word of Exhortation, that ye would ſeek to be Iſraelites indeed, and to leave it at every ones door, that do not ſtudy to be Iſraelites indeed, that they forſake their own mercy; in ſlighting this peculiar goodneſs of God, and ſuch as do ſo, let them ſtand to their own hazard; ſo I have done with the Exhortation, Let Iſrael hope in the Lord.
I proceed now to conſider the encouragements, arguments, or grounds on which the Pſalmiſt preſſes, that Iſrael ſhould hope in God; For with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, and he ſhall redeem Iſrael from all his troubles and iniquities; ye ſee the Arguments are taken partly from what is with God, or in God, and his power, for the good of his people, mercy and Redemption, and that in great plenty, that is, authority and power to give a proof of his mercy to Iſrael, and to rid them from all ſervitude and bondage; and partly the Arguments are taken from that which God will let out for the good of Iſrael, if mercy and plenteous redemption be with him, then he will redeem Iſrael from all his iniquities.
I ſhall not here fall in upon a general Remark, That folks hopes would be well and diſtinctly grounded, for the Pſalmiſt doth not ſatisfie himſelf to exhort Iſrael to hope in God, but he layes down grounds of hope, on which they are to go in the exerciſe of that Grace; This Point, if I were to ſtand upon it, would give a check, both to the blind gueſſes of the wicked, who have hope enough alway, and all that men can ſay, cannot drive them from their carnal confidence, when they cannot tell what their confident hope is, or wherein it is grounded, only they have a blind gueſs, which they take for hope; and partly it would give a check to the children of God, for their …ndiſtinctneſs in their hope, and the grounds of it, while they are hanging on God: I do not deny, but when they are oppreſt, they muſt look unto God, to undertake for them; and when they are blind, and cannot ſee through the cloud in the dark day, they muſt grip unto him, who muſt hold them by the right hand, and when they are in a miſt of confuſion, they muſt grip after God. But confuſion and undiſtinctneſs in ordinary, makes much uncomfortable work; whereas if folk ſtudied to be diſtinct and clear in the grounds of their hope, they would not lean ſo little weight on hope, as tentation often perſwades them to do.
But to leave this, what I would ſay from theſe Arguments, I ſhall draw it to theſe two general Heads; I Ye ſee there is ſomewhat ſupponed here anent them that are put to hope, and who are warranted to hope in God, they are in ſuch a condition, that they are put to need mercy, and plenteous redemption, and that from many iniquities. 2. There is ſomewhat propoſed anent ſuch perſons, that there is hope of mercy and plenteous redemption, for them, with, and in God; and there is Gods power and willingneſs to redeem them from all iniquities, and this they are to look to, and hope for.
For the firſt, That which is ſuppoſed, I ſhall take it up in three Notes; 1. That the man called to hope in God, is miſerable in himſelf, and put out of himſelf, to ſee what is in God that makes for him. 2. That he is not only ſimply miſerable, but under a bondage that needs redemption, and plenteous redemption. 3. That he is a man that above all preſſures he is lying under, finds the preſſure of ſin and guilt to be the greateſt, for he muſt have a peculiar Redemption for all his iniquities.
1. The man put to hope, and warranted to hope in God, is a man miſerable in himſelf, and put to look for mercy, he is not a man that is conceity, preſumptuous, dreaming on the account of any good he finds in himſelf; but he is a man put out of himſelf, to conſider what is in God, That with God there is mercy. If I ſhould offer to prove this, by adducing Scripture teſtimony, I ſhould triffle by your time needleſly; it is ſo clear through the tenor of the Scripture, that the rejoicer in Jeſus Chriſt preſuppoſes no confidence in the fleſh, that it is in God, and God alone, that an Iſraelite finds ground of hope; and therefore I rather chooſe to deduce the Point into a twofold inference.
And 1. From this, be directed to try upon the one hand, your confidence and hope, by your humility, as on the other hand, your humility by your hope, theſe two are inſeparably connected, that the one cannot be found without the other: Upon the one hand, any encouragement that is gotten by Faith and hope, muſt not highten our eſtimation of our ſelves; a puffed up hope is a very great Soleciſm; for though thou be helped by hope to glory in God, yet diſcovered infirmity in thy ſelf, will keep thee low; though thou be lifted up by him, thou will be keeped in the duſt in thy ſelf, not to ſee more in thy ſelf, but to ſee more in him to make up thy beggars wants; and therefore thou muſt beware that thy confidence and hope leſſen thy humility. And on the other hand, thou would try thy humility, if it be of the right ſtamp, and not a lazy, proud, carnal diſcouragement; thy humility if it be of the right ſtamp, will not tempt thee to caſt away thy confidence and hope, though thou be ſtill kept low, when thou art diſcovered to be a dyvour and a rebel, thou will not refuſe a pardon, a thing wherein gracious ſouls are much defective, that if they be not kept up in the wind of their attainment, they are broken in their hopes, but a humble man muſt be a hoping man, and muſt reckon that all that he ſees and finds in himſelf, muſt not put him from his hopes; but if he wanted theſe things he finds in himſelf, he ſhould have no work for his hope, and bleſſed are they that find humility and hope, encouragement and abaſement to worke to one anothers hands; when the byaſs of one of theſe graces lyes towards the furtherance of the other, it is an evidence of a bleſt frame; otherwiſe a proud hope, or a hopeleſs humility, will be found to be of little worth.
A 2d Inference from the Point is, if Iſrael be called to hope, on the account of what is in God, and with God, if he be called to hope, upon the account of mercy, in relation to his miſery, then Iſrael cannot be undone ſo long as there is enough in God to do his turn, but is ſtill to hope; O! may Iſrael ſay, what have I to hope in? Hope ſaith the Pſalmiſt, for there is infinite fulneſs in God, For with God there is mercy; Iſrael, ye need not caſt away your hope & confidence, ſo long as there is any thing in God to bottom it. And might I break in here on it, O! what a bleſt communion and ſtocking together (to ſpeak ſo) is there betwixt God and his people; ye know that God the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt, did always ſhare with his people in all their lots, Iſai. 63.9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. Zech. 2.8. He that touches them, touches the apple of his eye. Jer. 32.41. He rejoyceth over them to do them good, with his whole heart and ſoul: Ye know our bleſt Cautioner took on our nature, to ſhare with us in all our ſinleſs miſeries, He was tempted in all things, like as we are, but without ſin. Heb. 4.15. Now he that ſhared once with us in ſuffering, and always in ſympathy, makes a common good of all the fulneſs that is in him for his people, that what he hath, is forthcoming for them; and, O! the rich Promiſes that we have of this; Hath the Father appointed him a Kingdom, it will do him no good, if they ſhare not in it, Luke 22.29. I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my father hath appointed to me, Joh. 14.19. Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo, becauſe I live, I will not leave you dead, Joh. 17.24. Father, I will that theſe whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou haſt given me, Rev. 3.21. To him that overcomes, will I grant to ſit with me on my throne, even as I overcame, and am ſet …own with my Father on his Throne; ſee what delight he hath to communicat in lo…s with his people, and ſo it is in exigencies that befal them, if they ſit in darkneſs, he will be l…ght to them; if they be fooliſh, he will be their wiſdom; if weak, he will be their ſtrength; if in captivity and bondage, he will be their Redeemer. In a word, if he have, they ſhall not want; and if it be in God and promiſed, it ſhall not fail; if it be in the houſe among them, it ſhall be forthcoming to Believers, and hopers in God; I pray you learn to reckon this gate, ye cannot tell, what may be your work and exerciſe ere ye go from off the ſtage: and I have no commiſſion to recommend carnal confidence to you; but the Iſrael of God may ſpeak bigg in him, and boaſt their enemies, that ſeing their Head is above the water, though they be doucked they cannot drown; that all the attempts of enemies come now too late to fruſtrat Chriſt's deſigns, unleſs they can bring him back again, and ſet him before their bar. He has anſwered all challenges and charge againſt his people, and therefore none can be heard to plead againſt them; they may ſay, Shall tribulation, diſtreſs, perſecution famine, n…edneſs, pe…l, or ſword, ſhall any of theſe ſeparat us from the love of Christ? Nay in all theſe we are more than conquerors. They come too late to harm the Saints, for he has ſpilt their ſport and game, who was dead, and is alive for evermore, and hath the keys of hell and death, he hath du…g the teeth out of their heads, he hath drunk the poyſon out of all cups can be propined to them. And for duties and undergoing difficulties, I ſhall give you that bleſſed directory of the Apoſtle's, who 2 Cor, 3.5. ſayes, We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves; and yet Phil. 4.13. ſayes, I can do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengthens me; I cannot think a good thought of my ſelf, and yet through Chriſt ſtrengthning me, I can do all things; and this condeſcendence of the Apoſtle to his inſufficiency to think a good thought, gives a ſad check to many that never put Chriſt in their undertakings, but at a dead lift, and therefore in ſuch exigents, provock him to deſert them, in ordinary miſkenning him; but were we left on him in ordinary, and employing him in all things, whether duties or difficulties, it were a door of hope in more than ordinary exigence, we might ſay, through Chriſt ſtrengthning us, we can do all things. Lord bleſs his word unto you.