Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
Pſalm 130.
Verſ. 1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my ſupplications.
HAving a purpoſe (if the Lord will) to go through this Pſalm, I ſhall ſpeak ſomewhat in a brief word to the Title of it. It's called A Song of Degrees, a Title that is common to fifteen Pſalms in this Book, from the 120 to the 134 incluſivè, and the importance of this Title is not eaſily condeſcended upon. Popiſh Writers would from this make up fifteen Degrees of Vertues, each of them ſtill above another, whereby a Sinner breathes for Redemption by Chriſt, from a ſtare of Sin and Miſery, and aſcendeth to Heaven; but this neceſſitates them to ſtrain their Wits, and to put theſe Pſalms on a Rack, to find out the diſtinction of theſe Vertues, and therefore we ſhall leave it. The Hebrew word rendred Degrees, leads us to ſomewhat more certain, yet not demonſtrative: That theſe Pſalms may be called Songs of Degrees, 1. Upon the account of the way of ſinging them, the Voice in ſinging them being raiſed to an high Key, as 2 Chron. 20. where it is ſaid, the Levites ſtood up to praiſe the Lord God of Iſrael, with a loud voice on high. It's the ſame word uſed here for Degrees. 2. There is a reaſon why theſe Pſalms were to be ſung with a loud Voice, a Song of Degrees may ſignifie a moſt excellent Song, or a Song which in excellency ſurmounts other Songs, and ſo the word is rendred when it is applyed to a man of excellency, 1 Chron. 17.17. Thou haſt regarded me according to a man of high degree, or a man of excellency, O Lord; and ſo theſe Pſalms may be called Songs of Degrees, becauſe they are moſt excellent, for the ſweet, grave, and pithy Sentences they contain. 3. They may be called Songs of Degrees, upon the account of the place where theſe excellent Songs were to be ſung with an high voice. The Chaldee Paraphraſt ſays, upon the Degrees, or Stairs, whereby they went up to the Temple, or rather, whereby they went up to Mount Sion, the City of David; one of which fifteen Pſalms were to be ſung on every ſtep of theſe Stairs. And others will have them to be ſung in the ſeveral Manſions of the People that came from the Babyloniſh Captivity, for ſo we find the word rendred Ezra 7.9. Theſe things I only name, and paſs them; and I might add one Conjecture more, when I conſider the affinity that is betwixt the word Degrees rendred, and the Original that ſignifies Burnt-offering or Sacrifice. I incline to think, that theſe Songs were ſung by the Prieſts and Levites about the Altar, while they offered theſe Burnt-offerings, or Sacrifices.
Having thus briefly ſpoken to the Title, there are other general Notes common to this with other Pſalms that might be inſiſted on, which I alſo paſs.
For the Pen-man of the Pſalm, he is not deſign'd, nor is it needful to enquire who he was, ſince the Pſalm hath its authority from the Spirit of God, and not from Man. It is moſt like to be a Pſalm of David, or that David was the Pen-man, for theſe doubled Expreſſions, verſ. 2. of this Pſalm, are uſed by him, Pſalms 54, 55, and 61. and many others.
For the particular difficulty, to which this Pſalm relates, it is not needful to determine what it was. It may ſuffice us for taking up the ſcope of the Pſalm in general, that the Pſalmiſt is in a Diſtreſs, and being in a Diſtreſs, ye will find him firſt Wreſtling, and then ſecondly, Victorious.
For the firſt, His Wreſtling; ye ſhall take it up in three Branches, 1. Ye will find him wreſtling with plunging Difficulties and Perplexities, and theſe he expreſſeth under the name of Depths, and the way he takes to win out of them, is wreſtling by Prayer, verſ. 1, 2.
2. Ye will find him wreſtling with the Senſe, and Conſcience of Guilt, putting back his Prayer, and Offering to cruſh his Hopes; and this he wreſtleth with by claiming to Pardon, verſ. 3, 4.
3. Ye will find him wreſtling with Delays to his Anſwer of Prayers, or Delays of the Outgate prayed for; and this he wreſtles with by Patience and Hope, verſ. 5, 6.
Again, in the laſt two Verſes, ye have him Victorious; for having gotten an Iſſue, he hoords it not up, he does not conceal it, but, he brings it forth and improves it for the uſe of the People of God, whom he encourageth to hope in God, upon the account of Mercy, and Pardon, and plenteous Redemption; and on the account of his redeeming Iſrael from all his Iniquities.
So much for the Scope and Partition of the Pſalm.
To return to the firſt two Verſes, upon which I may be the more brief, that I had occaſion to ſpeak to you before of the Troubles and Trials of Gods People, of Prayer, and Gods Anſwering Prayer; yet we ſhall not paſs this part, but we ſhall endeavour to gather ſome things uſeful from it.
In this his Wreſtling then, take notice of theſe four things.
1. Ye have that that the Pſalmiſt is put to wreſtle with, which is expreſſed under the name of Depths.
2. The way of his wreſtling therewith, out of the depths he cryed, Out of the depths have I cried.
3. Ye have him reflecting on this his Practice, he takes a back-look of it, and he avows it before God, Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.
4. Ye have the proſecution of this his Wreſtling, or his pleading for Audience in a new and doubled Suit, verſ. 2. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my ſupplications.
For the firſt of theſe, the Depths out of which he cried: I cannot accord to underſtand it thus, that he prayed from the depths, or bottom of his Heart. So the Commentators I ſpoke of before, underſtand it of that degree of Vertue which is profound Prayer, from the inward parts or bottom of the Heart. There is a truth in that I confeſs, that Prayer ſhould come from the bottom of the Heart, and in Prayer we ſhould write our Hearts on our Tongues; but I find it not a Scripture Phraſe, that People are ſaid to pray from the Heart, when they cry out of the Depths. Neither can I underſtand it of the Conſcience of Sin only, that (as ſome would underſtand it) he is under a deep of Deſpair, upon the account of Guilt that he ſpeaks of, verſ. 3, 4. and hath a promiſe of Redemption from verſ. 8. The word is Depths in the Plural Number, and therefore it is ſafeſt to underſtand it, more generally of plunging and ſinking Difficulties, both outward Trouble and inward Perplexity reſulting thereon, and of the Conſcience of Guilt wakened up in Trouble that may come in under theſe Depths; and this interpretation agrees beſt with the current of Scripture, where we find the horrible Pit, the Miry Clay, Depths, Deep Waters, Water Floods, made uſe of to hold out great Troubles, as Pſal. 40.2. Pſal. 42.7. Pſal. 69.2, 14, 15.
I ſhall here touch upon one Obſervation, That not only the viſible Church, but even the truly Godly, may be brought under plunging Difficulties and Perplexities, both inward and outward, to their great ſinking, or at leaſt their apparent ſinking. They may be, and are very often in the Depths, and put to their Prayers in the Depths, ſo it was with the Pſalmiſt here, and in theſe Pſalms formerly cited. And in proſecution of this point,
1. I ſhall firſt ſpeak a little to the Metaphor of Deep or Depths.
2. How it comes to paſs that the Lords People are brought to theſe Depths.
3. To a word of Uſe.
Firſt, For the Metaphor of Deep or Depths, I ſhall ſhortly offer what I conceive is the Import thereof in theſe four.
1. That which is a deep is a thing very dark, dig a Pit, and make it deep, the light of the day cannot penetrate into it; Thus the unintelligible myſteries of Seducers are called Depths, as Rev. 2.24. the depths of Satan ſpoken of. Thus alſo the wiſe counſel of God that men cannot indagate, are called Depths, Pſal. 92.5. Thy thoughts are very deep, and 1 Cor. 2.10. The Spirit ſearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God: and thus alſo Ezek. 3.6. a people of a ſtrange ſpeech, and of a hard language, whoſe whoſe words the people could not underſtand, are ſpoken of; in the Original it's a people of a deep Lip. Deepneſs then imports Darkneſs, Unintelligibleneſs, that which is Myſterious. And that this Notion is not ſtrained even in this caſe of Trouble, is clear from Hemans lament, Pſal. 88.6. Thou haſt laid me (ſaith he) in the loweſt pit, in darkneſs, in the deeps; where to be in Darkneſs, and in the Deeps, are expreſt as Synonymous, or one and the ſame: And truly, this is ordinarily incident to the People of God, their deep Trials are in themſelves ſo dark, and in their effects ſo aſtoniſhing, that they are often at a ſtand, either to know what God ſays to them by them, and hence are theſe Wherefores, and Whys, as to this or that which is come upon them; as alſo in reference to their Duty, as Jehoſhaphat expreſſeth his Diſtreſs, 2 Chr. 20.12. Lord, we know not what to do.
But 2ly. This Metaphor of a Deep or Depths, as it imports that which is Dark and Unintelligible, ſo it imports that, out of which it is not eaſie to get up; caſt a Man upon the Ground he may eaſily get up, but caſt him in a deep Pit he can hardly get up out of it without help. Some Emblem we have of this in Jeremiah, chap. 38. where he is put into the Dungeon, where there was no Water, but Myre, and he ſunk in the Myre; Ebedmelech had a hard task to get him up: and the People of God their Troubles may be Depths upon that account, Refuge may fail them, no man caring for their Soul, Pſal. 142.4. All hope that they ſhall be ſaved taken away, (as it is ſaid by Paul in that Voyage, Acts 27.20.) all their expectations of an outgate may be cruſhed, as Jer. 14.19. Why haſt thou ſmitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble; yea, all their endeavours to extricate themſelves out of Trouble may be fruſtrate, Jer. 8.18. When I would comfort my ſelf againſt ſorrow, my heart is faint in me: and Job 9.27, 28. If I ſay, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heavineſs, and comfort my ſelf: I am afraid of all my ſorrows.
But 3ly. This Metaphor of a Deep or Depths, Imports not only that which is dark and hard to get out of, but that which appears ruining; put a man into a deep Pit, if he get none to help him out of it, he muſt Starve and Ruine, as Ebedmelech ſaid to the King, they have put Jeremiah in the Dungeon, and he will die for hunger in the place where he is, Jer. 38.9. Put a man in a Pit where there is deep Water, he will drown, if he be not taken out. So the People of God, their Trouble may be ſuch, as not only all ground of hope of Out-gate may be taken away, but all hope of Iſſue may be accompanied with apparent preſent Ruine. David is put to a humbling poſture, when he is put to that, Pſal. 69.15. Let not the water floud overflow me, neither let the deep ſwallow me up, and let not the pit ſhut her mouth upon me.
But 4ly. The Metaphor of Depths in the Plural number, imports a plurality of them, a multitude of theſe depths, dark, hard, hopeleſs, ruining preſſures, tryſting all together on a Child of God, that his ſad lot may be like that of the Church, Lam. 2.22. Thou haſt called as in a ſolemn day, my terrors round about; There is a Convocation of them, one trouble ſeldom comes it alone upon the People of God; as one Wave uſes not to come its alone to beat upon the Shore, but Tryal upon Tryal, Wave upon Wave, one Depth calling upon another Depth, till their Tryal be perfected.
More particularly, the plurality of theſe Depths, may be taken up in theſe ſteps, 1. Their outward Trouble may be attended with other viſible diſadvantages; for when a man is under trouble, then ordinarly he is in contempt, Job 12.5. He that is ready to ſlip with his feet, is as a lamp deſpiſed, as a dying out ſnuff in the thought of him that is at eaſe: Hence, Heb. 12.2. It is ſaid, Chriſt endured the croſs, deſpiſing the ſhame; The Croſs and Shame, the Croſs and Ignominy go hand in hand. It is not enough to be in Affliction, but thou muſt be content to be reproached, and counted a fool: yea, not only doth outward trouble and contempt go ordinarly together, but outward affliction and ſlighting from neareſt relations, which is a load above a burden, Pſal. 31.11. My lovers and friends ſtood aloof from my ſore, and my kinſmen ſtood afar off. Pſal. 88.8, and 18. Lover and friend haſt thou put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkneſs.
2ly. It comes to the Depths with the people of God upon this account. That great outward trouble readily w…akens the Conſcience of Guilt, as we ſee of Joſeph's Brethren, when they were put into priſon, Gen. 42.41. They ſaid one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoul, when he beſought us, and we would not hear. Therefore is this diſtreſs come upon us. Yea, outward trouble, and Conſcience of guilt under it wakened, may break the peace of the mind, and that adds to theſe depths. The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtain his infirmity, but a wounded ſpirit who can bear? That is deep upon deep, trouble and guilt, trouble and broken mind turns to be the greateſt burden.
And 3ly. It may come to Depths with the people of God on this account, that when once the mind is broken, there is no need of many real Croſſes; The imagination can no ſooner hatch an apprehenſion, but the broken Minde will make it a Croſs; and then ſo many apprehenſions, ſo many depths are created. And thus ye have ſome ſort of account of the Importance of this Metaphor, a Depth, or Depths.
I proceed to the ſecond thing, being to name a few Conſiderations for clearing how it comes to be thus with the people of God, That they are brought into theſe Depths, I ſhall name but a few, having been long in breaking in upon this purpoſe, which will ſave me a labour afterward.
And 1. Take this Conſideration in general, The folly of the people of God puts them to this poſture, That is one, Pſal. 38.3. There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh, becauſe of thine anger; neither is there any reſt in my bones, becauſe of my ſin. And v. 5. My wounds ſtink and are corrupt, becauſe of my fooliſhneſs. Whatſoever there may be of a Tryal of Faith in their Trouble, Sin is the door at which their troubles, particularly their overwhelming Troubles, enter in.
But 2ly. Becauſe the people of God may ſometime through Mercy, be keeped from groſs outbreakings; therefore conſider that even the ordinary and habitual Faults of the people of God, will provoke him to put them in theſe Depths; I ſhall inſtance but in theſe two Faults. 1. The ordinary Fault of negligence in doing Duty, I do not ſay of neglecting Duty, cuſtom and Conſcience may keep them at Duty, but ordinary negligence in doing Duty hath need of a rouſing Douk in a Depth, to ſet them to their feet: If the Pſalmiſt cryed out of the Depths, and the poor ſpeaks Supplications as he doth, v. 2. It intimats there is little crying, little humiliation in ordinary diligence, therefore he ſends to the Depths to put an edge upon folks diligence, and to teach them to ſay their Prayers in earneſt.
A 2d. Fault in ordinar is, the neglect of ordinar needy dependence upon God in all things; the neglect of going through the Wilderneſs leaning on the beloved, a ſmall fault as ye would think, but ſad in a Chriſtian life, to live in this neglect. Hence the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 1.8, 9. Saith, We were preſſed out of meaſure above ſtrength, inſomuch that we deſpaired even of life, we had the ſentence of death in our ſelves. And for what end? To learn us dependence that we ſhould not truſt in our ſelves, but in God, who raiſeth the dead.
And 3. Whereas it might be thought that ſuch faults as theſe and groſſer, are paſſed in many others, I ſhall add, that the Lords near relation with his People, will not let them win away with their faults, win away who will, Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the Families of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities: Or as it is in the Original, I will viſit upon you your ſins. His people will not want the Rod when their faults call for it, want who will.
4. Conſider there is this to be looked upon, as a cauſe of his putting his people in the Depths, to wit, his purpoſes of love to his people, and his allowances upon his people are ſo rich, that there is need of preparations by Tryal, and Afflictions to make them capable of them; for were they not put into the Depths, they could not be capable of them. Hence it is Paul's remark in the forecited place, 1 Cor. 1.4, 5. God comforts us in all our Tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them, who are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our ſelves are comforted of God; For as the ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us, ſo our conſolation alſo aboundeth by Chriſt; we might not want theſe depths of tribulation, becauſe without them, we could not be capable of the conſolations we receive from Chriſt.
And 5. To add no more, we may take notice of ſomewhat in the Saints tenderneſs above others, that occaſions theſe Depths: many folks may be under as great outward trouble, that are not ſo plunged and perplexed with it as they are: Many a man has been toſſed as David was by Saul, who have not ſo expreſt their reſentments as he did; How is this? The tender ſpiritedneſſe that is in the people of God, occaſions their trouble of mind, they ſee God in their afflictions, and they would fain ſee more of him, and of his mind, as to their duty, and this makes affliction take a deeper ſtamp, and impreſſion on them, and to draw Blood of them more than it doth on an unſubdued Spirit, who hath no mind of God, or Providence, but hath only the outward trouble to graple with. Thus we ſee how it comes to paſſe, that the people of God are put in the Depths.
For the 3d. thing I propoſed to be ſpoken to, That is, the Uſe of the Doctrine, the whole Obſervations to be gathered from the two following Verſes, are Inſtructions how to improve ſuch a lot, and conſequently Uſes of the Point in hand. Therefore I ſhall content my ſelf to hint briefly at three general words here.
And 1. From what hath been ſaid, ye would learn to be more jealous of a croſſeleſſe life, of a life without trouble and exerciſe; Why? It ſpeaks little of a ſoul thriving in the life of God: Take notice of that word, Pſal. 55.19. Spoken of the wicked, becauſe they have no changes, therefore they fear not God: And that ſpoken of Moab, Jer. 48.11. Moab hath been at eaſe from his youth, and hath ſettled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from veſſel to veſſel, neither hath he gone into captivity, therefore his taſte remained in him, and his ſent is not changed, and he rots on his lees. And as a croſſeſs life ſpeaks little thriving in the life of Grace, ſo it ſpeaks to very many, little of Gods love and care: There is a ſort of indignation kythed againſt ſinners, that they little notice, and wherein there is a ſnare, when they get leave to go on in ſin, and meet not with a Croſs, when a perſon will not deinze one that is going wrong with a reproof, it ſpeaks hatred: ſo that is a ſad word from God, Ezek. 3.26. Thou ſhalt not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious houſe: and that word▪ Hoſ. 4.17. Ephraim is joyned to idols, let him alone: That is a ſad diſpenſation; a douk to the hazard of drowning in the Depths is better company.
And 2. From this ye would be Cautioned not to miſtake the ſad exerciſes of the people of God, whoſe lot in ordinar is outward troubles; they get ordinarly the ſtakes to keep, (and to mark it in the by) I wonder what a miſtake is befallen us, or rather a diſtraction is come upon us, that we ſhould ſtumble at the people of God their want of proſperity; look to the frame of the people of God, they are in ordinary broken folk. Others can bear their afflictions with a ſort of gallantry, they can drink them down, rant them down. But they are broken with their affliction, as if they had no ſpirit at all to bear them; but I ſay, ye would not miſtake, for it is a token of Gods love and care who donks them in the Depths, to put them out of the Depths to cry unto him; and it is a more bleſſed poſture to be put out of the Depths to cry, than to be in a Palace with neglect of Prayer: and therefore I can call it no better than a diſtraction to ſtumble at their want of proſperity, they are the folk that faint, and have no might, and yet they will lay by the young men, and the youths for all their ranting, becauſe they wait upon the Lord, they ſhall renew their ſtrength, Iſai. 40.29. This I ſpeak, not to foſter diſcouragement in any, but to caution them that are ready to ſtumble at the people of God their being in trouble, and broken in that condition.
And a 3d. word of Ʋſe ſhall be, that every one that is in the Depths would try how they improve that lot, and this Ʋſe is the Key to open the Door to the following purpoſe, which I ſhall not now break in upon, only remember, The Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, to cruſh under his feet all the priſoners of the earth. Therefore there muſt be ſomething that in affliction, when we are in the Depths, he is calling us to, and which we would ply to in earneſt; and therefore we would take heed that the Bellows be not burnt, that the Founder do not melt in vain, and that we provoke not God to call us reprobat ſilver, whom he hath rejected, Jer. 6.29, 30.