Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 33
SERMON XXXIII.
Pſalm 130. Verſ. 7. Let Iſrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, &c.
I Am now entered (as ye heard) upon the ſecond part of the Pſalm, wherein the Pſalmiſt, who, juſt before was wreſtling with very humbling things in his caſe, is now triumphant and victorious; and though it be not expreſt, that he has gotten an outgate, yet he implyes it very legibly in the improvement of it, in his communicating the good that he had gotten to Iſrael the people of page missing duplicate page duplicate page an hour of temptation, may be lookt on as a very great folly, and a poor ſhift for a man to betake himſelf unto, and a man may then be tempted to caſt them away; but when men have tryed them well, they will ſee cauſe to revock all the miſconſtructions that they had of Faith and Hope, and to commend them from the rich advantage they have found in them, if ye will conſider David, an eminent example and pattern of believing, and hoping in God, ye will find theſe three in him; one is, that he was as much put to it as any, to live the life of faith; ye will find, that ſometimes there is nothing betwixt him and fainting, and over-giving, but believing; as Pſal. 27.13. I had fainted, unleſs I had believed, &c. Ye will find that he had nothing for a caſten-down ſoul, and diſquieted within, but hoping in God, Pſal. 42.43. Another is, that as ye find him often put to it, to live by faith and hope. So ye will find him now and then under a temptation, that he was at the next beſt under this ſhift, and tempted to quite it. How often is he put to that of the Church, Lam. 3.18, I ſaid, my hope and my ſtrength is periſhed from the Lord. So 1 Sam. 27.1. I ſhall one day periſh by the hand of Saul. And Pſal. 116.11. I ſaid in my haſte, all men are liars. Behold what a ſad conjunction is in this caſe, and what a low opinion he hath of faith and hope in an hour of temptation. But in the third place, take him again at the turn of the Tide (as ye uſe to ſpeak) ye will find him in another tune, Pſal. 116 10. I believed, therefore have I spoken: Not only eſteeming of faith for his own uſe, but a man that dare commend it to others, as Pſal. 27.14. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen thine heart; wait, I ſay, on the Lord.
All that I ſhall draw from this Head, ſhal be firſt, to recommend to the people of God, who have hard pulls in time, to aſſay this Trade of truſting in God, and hoping in him; it hath not an enemy but an ignorant, one that's a ſtranger to it, that knows not the worth that is in it, & the rich advantages that follow it; were it more tryed, it would have more to commend it, therefore let it be more your ſtudy; and thou that would ſet about the Trade of believing and hoping in God, muſt not take the report concerning faith and hope, from every fit of a temptation, thou muſt lay thy account to meet with many a fiery dart, and with many a reproach caſt upon thy confidence, and to have thy ſelf counted a fool for cleaving to that way, but hold at it, and the more thou do ſo, thou ſhalt like it the better; not only wilt thou not need any to commend it unto thee, but thou wilt commend it to all that will take thy advice and counſel.
And 2. They that have been eſſaying faith and hope, and have gotten good of it, they would be afraid in any after-aſſault they may be put to, to bring up an ill report upon the way of faith and hope; thou may let theſe that never got good of it, ſuſpect it; but thou that haſt been helped to believe and wait on God, and haſt ſeen an end of the Lord, and found the good of believing, that can with the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 28.7. ſay, My heart truſted in him, and I am helped. How guilty muſt thou be, if thy faith and hope be to ſeek in a new ſtrait? If after thou haſt found the good of believing, thou be put out concerning it in a new trial, when that Song is caſt up, Pſal. 107.1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: who-ever let that Note ly by the ſecond Verſe tells thee, Let the redeemed of the Lord ſay ſo, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Who ever have a ſlender opinion of faith and hope, it ill becomes thee to have it, who has tryed it, and has found the good of it, or to be to ſeek in eſteeming of it in a new trial.
But now I proceed to the 4th thing I propoſed to be ſpoken to from this Exhortation, that is, the conſideration of the perſons, who they are, to whom this hope in God is recommended, Let Iſrael hope in the Lord, ſaith he: Hope in God is not an Anchor that will be budded on every one. It's true, none are ſecluded from coming to ſeek a right to hope in the right method, and due order; but there is an hope of the hypocrite, that will periſh; that will be like the giving up of the Ghoſt, and that hope is only for fair weather, and for little to do, but this hope of the Saints is the peculiar allowance of the Saints at all times. Now for what is mean'd by Iſrael here, I ſhall not deny, but in the firſt place we are to underſtand, that Nation of Iſrael, a peculiar people to God, who in various Ages, while they continued a Church and Nation, were meeting with work for their hope, and with many rich advantages and proofs of the good of hoping in God; and in the latter days, when as it is Rom. 11.26 All Iſrael ſhall be ſaved; they ſhall find this made out to them, that they may hope in God. But it is not to be reſtricted to them only; ſince their off caſting, there is an Iſrael come in their place, as the Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 9.6. That they are not all Iſrael, which are of Iſrael, all that Nation were not true Iſraelits in Gods account: So Phil. 3.3. There is a circumciſion even among the Gentiles, who do worſhip God in the spirit, and rejoice in Jeſus Chriſt, and have no confidence in the fleſh. And Gal. 6.16. he tells, There is an Iſrael of God, Gods peculiar people, of whatſoever Nation, upon whom, walking according to the Rule of the new Creature given them, there ſhall be peace and mercy. Again we may conſider Iſrael either Collectively, or Diſtributively; Conſider Iſrael Collectively for the Church of God, correſpondent to the ancient Nation of Iſrael: Then by Iſrael we are to underſtand the inviſible Church, the ſociety of Gods converted Elect through the World, yet not excluding particular viſible Churches, who partake of the priviledges of the true Iſrael of God, according to their purity, and the number of true Iſraelites that are among them. Again, Iſrael taken Diſtributively, takes in every Child of God, who in his own place, according to the tenor of the promiſes made to Iſrael, hath no leſs ground to hope in God, than Iſrael taken Collectively hath.
In the proſecution of this Head, three things occurr to be ſpoken to,
1. That Iſrael is a Society that is allowed to hope in God.
2. That this hope is the common allowance of all and every one that is indeed an Iſraelite, as well as of the Body of Iſrael in general. And
3. That it concerns every one that would claim to hope in God in all exigencies, to make it ſure that they are true Iſraelites indeed, and may put their names in thoſe paſſages and promiſes, wherein Iſraels priviledges are contained.
For the firſt, Iſrael are a people, that however matters go, have ground to hope in God, however things fare in the world, or whatever may be ſaid of the deſperat caſe of others, Iſrael is a Society that may ſtill hope in God. Hence when Ezra, Chap. 9 is laid by with mourning for that generation that had mingled with the abominable Heathen, a godly man, Chap. 10.2. comes and tells him, It's true, we are guilty, yet there is hope in Iſrael concerning this thing: Had ſuch a thing fallen forth among others, it had been a preſage of dreadful news; but in Iſrael there is hope of pardon, hope of redreſs, hope of making up this breach, in Iſrael things otherwiſe deſperate, are not hopeleſs, Jer. 31.15, 17. Though in Iſrael there be a Rachel weeping for her children, and refuſing to be comforted, becauſe they are not. She looks upon it as needleſs to offer to comfort her, when her Children are gone; yet even when they are not, and ſhe thinks, that rationally ſhe refuſed to be comforted. Verſe 17. There is hope in thy end, ſaith the Lord, that thy children ſhall come again to their own border. It's Iſraels priviledge, that ſhe can ſay that none elſe can ſay: It's Iſraels Song Pſal. 129. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, may Iſrael now ſay: She might ſay it, when others might forbear it, yet have they not prevailed againſt me▪ Nebuchadnezar got me ſwallowed down quick, but I proved ſpending mea…, and he was forced to caſt up that ſweet morſel, The plowers plowed upon my back, and they made long their furrows, but the righteous Lord hath cut aſunder the cords of the wicked. It's Iſrael's priviledge, as it is Iſa. 51.22, 23. To have the cup of trembling taken out of her hand, and put into the hand of them that afflicted her &c. It's long ſince, if it had been preſtable or practicable, that Iſrael ſhould have been ſweept off the earth, Pſal. 83.4. There is a combination, Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Iſrael may be no more in remembrance; and yet Iſrael is to the ſore, hoping in God. It is true, it's dangerous to be peremptor in applying this to particular viſible Churches, for God has taken away his Candleſtick from many viſible Churches, for their provocations, yet there are two things that we may ſafely go upon in the application of this; one is, That where God in his glory is much concerned, as having ſignally interpoſed for a people, to make them his own; there is ground of hope that God will not caſt off that people for their provocations. For this conſider Exod. 32.12. and Numb. 14. v. 13, 14, 15, 16. When God is threatning to cut off his people for their provocations, Moſes interpoſes and interceeds with God, O let not that be, ſaith he, Why ſhould the Egyptians ſay, for miſchief he brought them out, to ſtay them, in the mountains, and to conſume them from the face of the earth, becauſe thou was not able to bring them into the land which thou promiſed them; as if he had ſaid, Lord, thou haſt been eminently ſeen in owning this people, and if thou ſhalt ruine them, it will eminently reflect upon thy Glory, as well as it will deſtroy them. And Joſhua Chap. 7. when Iſrael is ſmitten upon the account of the accurſed thing, …nd he hath ſtrong apprehenſions, that the Nations about will environ them, and cut them off; his great argument (v. 9.) is, What wilt thou do unto thy own great Name: Thou haſt been eminent in owning thy people, and if they ſhall be ruined, thy great Name will ſuffer. And Pſal. 74. Thoſe complaints of the deſolation of the Sanctuary, and the inſolency of the Enemy, are cloſed with that, How long ſhall the enemy reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever? This is one thing then that we may hold, that where God hath been eminently ſeen in working for a people, he will ſee to his great Name, that there be no ill report brought up upon his guiding …em, as if for miſchief he brought them out, to ſlay them upon the mountains. And another thing we may cloſe with, which is more general, that whatever God do with a particular viſible Church, he will never want a Church, though he ſhould take his leave of one Nation for their provocations, he will go to another. So long as he is a Head, he will not want Members; ſo long as he is a Huſband, he will not want a Spouſe; ſo long as he is a King, he will not want Subjects. There muſt be an Iſrael, who will have ground to hope in God.
There are many things which might be inferred from this, I might from it exhort all wiſely to conſider of the caſe of God's Iſrael, and that they would beware of concluding that there is no hope for them in God. Beware of looking upon them, with a look of rejoycing over them, and ſpeaking proudly in the day of their diſtreſs, Obadi…ah verſ. 12, 13 There is hope in Iſrael, though Iſrael were as dry bones, and as dead men, their dry bones ſhall live, they ſhall up again; and therefore take heed both what judgment thou paſſes on them, and what thy carriage is towards them; they may be laid low, as for their own ſins and provocations, ſo for a trial to thee, to bring out what was lurking in thy boſome before, and thou durſt not bring it out while thou got ſuch an opportunity; and when he hath done both, he will make it appear, that there is hope in Iſrael.
But to leave this, I would preſs upon the people of God, to improve this their priviledge and allowance of hope in God; tine not heart, caſt not away your confidence, which hath a great recompence of reward. I preſs not carnal confidence, or carnal hopes upon any, I pray the Lord, the troubles many are under, may cruſh theſe; but yet I would bid you cheriſh the hope of God's being great in Iſrael, cheriſh divine hope, that is bottomed on the Word; ye who have it, your hopes are better than other folks poſſeſſions, your Bible is better than any ſecurity ye could ſeek without it: And in deducing this Uſe, I would in the firſt place recommend to you that are Iſraelites, that ye would mind your work, Iſai. 43.21. This people have I formed for my ſelf, they ſhall ſhew forth my praiſe. Iſrael are ſet apart for celebrating Gods praiſe, and to celebrate his praiſe in that particular, by hoping in him, when their ſouls are caſt down and diſquieted in them. Thou art not at thy work in thy generation, who are not ſhewing forth Gods praiſe, by thy believing and hoping in him. 2. Ye would remember how peremptory, reſolute and inplicite Iſrael may be, and ſhould be, in hoping in God▪ Iſrael muſt believe, when ſhe cannot ſee, and when ſhe cannot give a diſtinct account of what ſhe believes, ſhe muſt believe, when ſhe cannot give the grounds of it. I ſhall give you an account of Iſraels Faith and Hope, in the words of Mordecai to Eſther, Chap. 4.14. If thou altogether hold thy peace at this time, then ſhall there deliverance and enlargement ariſe to the Jews from another place; But &c. It would have puzled his wit, and the wit of all the Iſraelits, to tell from what airt deliverance and enlargement ſhould come to the Jews; If Eſther ſhould hold her peace, how was it poſſible they ſhould be delivered; if God ſhould not make uſe of her, the Heathen in an hundred and twenty ſeven Provinces would ſoon cut them off, when a decree was paſt to do it. But though Eſther ſhould hold her peace, Mordecal believes enlargement will come to Iſrael, periſh they cannot; therefore delivered they muſt be, though he could not tell from whence it ſhould come. The not conſidering of this is a dreadful temptation to many; when Iſrael is low, not only to caſt away their confidence, but to betake themſelves to ſome ſinful ſhift for their ſecurity; but it were better for thee ſo long as thou haſt the Bible, for the ground of thy hope, to hold the concluſion, that Iſrael ſhal not periſh. 3. I recommend to Iſrael, to conſider how they may be called, to ſtoop ere they quit their hope of delivery, 2 Kings 6. Give wicked Jeboram a promiſe that Iſrael ſhall be delivered, and relieved of the famine, he will go in ſackcloth, in hopes of performance; but let it come to that, that one harlot contends with another about the eating of her ſon, have at Eliſha's head, he will not wait for the Lord any longer; but Iſrael in his hope muſt ſtoop low, his anchor of hope muſt have a long cable, (If I may ſo word it) to reach the bottomleſs Sea of hopeleſneſs, Iſrael muſt not loſe hope, when it comes to that, Ezek. 37. That ſhe is like dry bones in a valley; and the queſtion is, Let theſe bones li…e; yet they did live. And Pſal. 141.7. Our bones are ſcattered at the graves mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the Earth; we are like the Spales of Trees about the Hewer, hand; then Iſrael is low; yet verſe 8. Mine eyes are unto thee, ſays he, O God the Lord, in thee is my trust. Nay, Iſraels hope muſt not be quite, when natural hope is gon…. Abraham, Rom. 4.18. Againſt hope believed in hope; he had hope when his hope is contradicted by another hope. And Jon, 2.4. I ſaid, I am caſt out of thy ſight, yet will I look again towards thy holy temple. And I ſhall add but this one word, Iſrael muſt not quite hope for growing trouble, Mic. 4.10. When the Daughter of Zion is in pain, like a woman in travail, and thinks ſhe is low enough already within the City, ſhe muſt go forth of the City, and dwell in the field; yea, the Lord will not have her to quite hope, though ſhe go even to Babylon; for there ſhall ſhe be delivered, there the Lord ſhall redeem her from the hand of her enemies. Thus ye ſee how ye are called, what ever your condition be, to cheriſh hope, and to let your hope be ſeen in all the Goſpel fruits of hope, in repentance for ſin, in taking encouragement for duty, though ye ſhould have the ſtorm in your teeth, for ſo doing. God bleſs his word to you.