Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
Pſalm 130.
Verſ. 3. If thou, LORD, ſhouldeſt mark iniquities, O LORD, who ſhall ſtand?
I Am (as ye may remember) from this Verſe, making out a very weighty and ſad point o… truth, that there is no ſtanding before God, marking iniquities in ſtrict Juſtice, according to the Covenant of Works; and for finding out what is ſaid in this Text, for bottoming and clearing of this point, I propoſed to remark ſix particulars from the Text, two of which I have ſpoken to in the Forenoon, to wit, that which is ſupponed here, that God is a marker of iniquity, and what it imports: And ſecondly, that which is propoſed on this ſuppoſition, That if God ſhould mark iniquity, as was explained, men, even the moſt godly men, could not ſtand, where ſomewhat was ſaid to the importance of that Phraſe.
Now I proceed in Explication of the Point from the Text, (for to that I confine my ſelf) in other four particulars; The firſt, and third in order ſhall be this: That this aſſertion, that men cannot ſtand before God marking iniquity, is of infallible verity, a moſt certain and infallible truth, it is not a Bug-Bear to afright Children, but the infallible truth of God. This is hinted at in the Text, partly in the Pſalmiſt his propoſing the matter to God, If thou, Lord, ſhouldſt mark iniquity, O Lord, who ſhall ſtand? He propoſes it to God, who knows this matter better than any other, and who is Supream Judge in the matter, without whoſe determination, a Decreet in our own favours will ſignifie nothing at all; it imports, O Lord, let men dream what they will of their ſtanding, thou knoweſt, that none can ſtand, if thou ſhalt mark iniquity, to puniſh it; and particularly, the infallible verity of this aſſertion, may be gathered from the way of propoſing it, and that is, by way of Queſtion, Who ſhall ſtand? Which Queſtion, is a very peremptory denyal of the thing queſtioned, for ſo the like Queſtion is reſolved, Job 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Yea, the propoſing of it by way of Queſtion, Who ſhall ſtand? Doth import a defyance to any to attempt it, or to ſucceed in their attempt, and indignation at the preſumption of any, that ſhould dream of ſtanding before God, marking iniquity.
But in the fourth place, as this aſſertion is of infallible verity, ſo it is of univerſal verity. This is held out in the Queſtion, for the Queſtion is, Who ſhall ſtand? That is as the parallel Queſtion is anſwered, Job 14.4. None at all, good or bad, If thou, Lord, ſhouldſt mark iniquity, none ſhould ſtand; for the Pſalmiſt here, a godly man, is taking in himſelf with others, as a man that could not ſtand himſelf, without pardon. And ſo the Phraſe is, Pſal. 143.2. Enter not into judgment with thy ſervant, for in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified. The beſt of men that are come of Adam by ordinary generation, ſhall not be juſtified, if thou mark iniquity. Hence in Scripture it is clear, that Saintſhip conſiſts not in ſinleſsneſs, but in ſincerity, for, for Original guilt in that, Job 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one; and for a mans endeavours after he is brought in to God, and is wreſtling with corruptions to have theſe purged out, ſays Solomon, Prov. 20.9. Who can ſay, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my ſin? Eccleſ. 7.20. There is not a juſt man upon earth, that doth good and ſinneth not; but as it is, Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all. Thus ye ſee that Saintſhip doth not conſiſt in ſinleſsneſs, but in ſincerity; neither doth Saintſhip conſiſt, in the Saints their ſins not deſerving condemnation, or in their being able to ſtand, though they have ſinned, but in their ſins being pardoned; hence ye will find them ſadly exerciſed in wreſtling under the burden of guilt, upon their groſs out-breakings, as David, Pſal. 51. ye have them praying for the pardon of great iniquity, Pſal. 25.11. For thy Names ſake pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. Ye have them pleading for mercy upon the account of innumerable evils compaſſing them, and their iniquities take hold of them, and being more than the hairs of their head, Pſal. 40.11, 12. And when they are delivered from groſs out-breakings, ye have them with Paul, Rom. 7. groaning under a body of ſin and death, till they attain to a ſong of thanksgiving thorow Jeſus; ſo that not only doth the Text hold out the infallible verity of this truth, but the univerſal verity of it, that if God mark iniquity, none can ſtand.
The 5th thing I gather from the Text is, that the infallible and univerſal verity of this aſſertion, that if God mark iniquity none can ſtand, might be gathered and cloſed with, if men were eying God much; this I gather from the Text, where the Pſalmiſt repeats the Name of God twice, If thou, Lord, ſhouldſt mark iniquity: And then again, O Lord, who, &c. Wherefore is this twice repeated in this aſſertion? Certainly not by way of idle repetition, condemned Mat. 7.21. in many that ſay Lord, Lord; nor meerly, becauſe the Pſalmiſt is affected with that which he is ſpeaking of, for ſo the expreſſion of affections, or mens being affected with a thing, is expreſſed by a doubled Exclamation, which may come in in the own place, when I ſpeak of the pardon of ſin; but here, it is to make this truth out, that ſerious and frequent repeated thoughts of God, is a mean to give folk a right ſenſe of the deſert of ſin: And to make out this, conſider, partly that when we ſeriouſly think of God, we know that he is Omniſcient, to find out that which is hid from the world; Omniſcient, to find them guilty that are innocent to others; Omniſcient, to know more of us, than we know of our ſelves; A conſideration that John would have us marking, 1 Joh. 3.20. If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. If we know ſo much naughtineſs of our ſelves, by our ſelves, what muſt God know, who knoweth all things? And Paul makes uſe of this conſideration, 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by my ſelf, (to wit in the adminiſtration of his Office) yet I am not hereby juſtified, but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Partly, if we will conſider what is imported in the Names of God, here made uſe of by the Pſalmiſt. We will find it further clear; the firſt Name JAH, is a diminutive from JEHOVAH, that imports a Supream Independent Beeing. The ſecond name ADONAI, ſignifies his Dominion and Lordſhip: Ponder theſe well, and what a dreadful ſight will it afford of the unſpeakable deſert of ſin? A ſinner in ſinning rebels againſt a Supream Beeing, from whom he hath his beeing. This is made a great aggravation of ſin, to Belteſhazzar the greateſt Monarch on earth, Dan. 5.23. Thou haſt lifted up thy ſelf againſt the Lord of heaven, the God in whoſe hands thy breath is; thou haſt renounced thy dependence on him, from whom thou haſt thy beeing. Sin is alſo the caſting off of the Yoke of his Dominion and Lordſhip, it ſays upon the matter, that which ye have aſſerted of wicked men, Pſal. 12.4. They ſay, with our tongues we will prevail, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? That's the Language of every ſinner in ſinning, and not only doth the ſinner by ſinning caſt off the yoke of God's Dominion, but he denys his Power and Juſtice, to exerciſe that Dominion to do him skaith; therefore when the Lord would move men to fear him, he gives an account of his Dominion over the Creatures, and inſtanceth it, in his bounding of the Sea, Jer. 5.22. Fear ye not me? ſaith the Lord, will ye not tremble at my preſence, which have placed the ſand for the bound of the ſea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot paſs it, &c. A conſideration that a ſinner in ſinning, minds not, or he does defy it. Thus it is not unfitly determined that though ſin be not infinitly ill in its kind, for then no diſtinction ſhould be among ſins, nor an infinite ill in its beeing, for then all ſins ſhould be one, or equal, and a finite Creature cannot act that which is infinite, yet ſafely it may be ſaid, that in reſpect of the perſon againſt whom it is committed, it hath an infinite ill in it objectively, as being againſt an infinite Majeſty, in Beeing and Dignity, and conſequently there is no ſtanding if he mark it.
But 6ly, for further proof of this aſſertion, and for proof that the Saints do ſo ſee God, as to give them a right ſenſe and ſight of the deſert of ſin, I ſhall add this in the Text, that when the Saints are in a right frame, they are great Students of the exceeding ſinfulneſs and hainouſneſs of their ſin; therefore a Saint ſees that none can ſtand before God, marking iniquity, becauſe when a Saint ſees God to be his Party, and is in a right frame, he paſſes no ſin, as inſignificant or little, but he is an aggravater of his ſin; and this I gather from the name that the Pſalmiſt gives ſin in the Text, If thou, Lord, ſhould mark iniquities, he calls them not only many iniquities in the Plural Number, (of which I ſhall not now ſpeak) but iniquities groſs in their nature, and if thou, Lord, ſaith he, ſhould mark ſins, as ſuch, who could ſtand? If I thought that I would not be cut ſhort by the time, I would here obſerve, that the name of Iniquity and Tranſgreſſion, is frequently given to ſins of a groſſer nature, not ordinary, that are contradiſtinguiſhed to the ordinary infirmities of the Saints. To theſe ſins Deut. 32.5. of which it may be ſaid, They are not the ſpots of his children; To theſe ſins, of which David ſays, Pſal. 18.21, 23. I have not wickedly departed from my God, and I have kept my ſelf from mine iniquity: And of theſe ſins which Daniel (9.5) confeſſeth, We have ſinned, and committed iniquity, and done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments. But yet I find the Saints, even in ſpeaking of their ordinary infirmities, not ſparing to give them the name of Iniquities and Tranſgreſſions, as Pſal. 65.3. Iniquities prevail againſt me, O Lord, as for our tranſgreſſions thou wilt purge them away: where ſins get the name of iniquities, and iniquities prevailing againſt Saints, and the name of tranſgreſſions, Pſal. 40.12. The ſins that were innumerable, and moe than the hairs of David's head, were his ordinary failings, yet they are ſaid to compaſs him about, and are called iniquities that had taken hold of him, ſo that he was not able to look up. And if it be enquired upon what account the Saints do look on all their ſins as iniquities, and tranſgreſſions? I might obſerve from that Pſal. 32.5. I ſaid, I will confeſs my tranſgreſſions to the Lord, and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin. That every ſin, as well as groſs ſins, hath an iniquity, a perverſneſs in it, that muſt be pardoned; but ye ſhall particularly take notice of theſe three; 1. That the tender and ſenſible frame of Saints, leads them not to extenuat, but to aggravat their ſin, they dare not minch their ſin; their tender frame leads them to lay it out in all the aggravating circumſtances thereof; and it's a fruit of their tenderneſs ſo to do. And 2ly, A fight of God, (which is here ſupponed in the Pſalmiſt) is a magnifying Glaſs, wherein a Saint will be made to ſee and look upon ſin, even the leaſt ſin, as moſt hainous. It made Job 42.6. to abhor himſelf; and Iſai. 6.5. to cry out, Wo is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips. A ſight of God will repreſent a very ordinary infirmity, as very hainous to him that ſees God. But 3ly, and laſtly, Every ſin, even the meaneſt infirmity in a man, it proves an iniquity, if he think lightly of it, or thinks he may paſs it lightly, without running to the remedy of pardoning mercy; the leaſt ſin he is guilty of, will on that account be an iniquity.
Now having taken ſome time to lay open this weighty Point, anent the deſert of ſin, before you, That which I have ſaid in Explication of it to you, might eaſily be made Practical by you, if ye were attentive, and applying it to your ſelves; yet for your help herein, I ſhall add ſomewhat for Uſe.
The general Uſe is, to intreat you, as ye love the eternal happineſs of your ſouls, to learn to ſay over this Text ſenſibly, with Application to your ſelves. If thou, Lord, ſhouldſt mark iniquity, O Lord, I cannot ſtand. It were a bleſſed part of a very lawful Liturgy, for a man once a day, to ſay this over, Lord, if thou mark iniquity, I cannot ſtand. Let me exhort you to mind this more, to make it your daily ſtudy to be ſenſible of the ſinfulneſs of ſin, and of the dreadful deſert of ſin, that ye be loſt folk in your own eyes; this is a matter that is but dallied with by the moſt part, and ſo is ſeen on it. Ye are ſuch ſtrangers to the Law, and Sinai, that the Goſpel and Sion have but little imployment among you, it doth not reliſh with you as it ought; There are none that can ſay, But forgivenneſs is with thee, that thou mayeſt be feared; but they that can ſay, If thou, Lord, ſhould mark iniquity, who can ſtand? Pardoning mercy may well get complements, it will be ſweet news to none elſe, but ſuch as have ſeen, and are ſenſible of the dreadful deſert of ſin; nay none other have right to the remedy of pardoning mercy.
And to help both good and bad to be more ſenſible, I would offer a five-fold conſideration, to drive home the truth of this aſſertion, That if God mark iniquity, none can ſtand.
1. Will thou take a look of God, thy Party, in ſinning; conſider him in his Supream Dominion over thee, to impoſe what duty he pleaſes, and that his will is the Law of Righteouſneſs. Conſider him in his Omniſcience, to know how thou obſerves theſe duties he enjoyns, and comes up to that Law which is thy rule, thou may cheat the world and thy ſelf, but God thou cannot cheat; will thou conſider him further in his Holineſs and Purity, abhorring ſin in all, and in thee. O how loathſome and abominable is the pollution of ſin to him, a holy Lord God? Which makes him ſay, Iſai. 1.13. Bring no more vain oblations, incenſe is an abomination unto me, the new Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of aſsemblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even the ſolemn meeting. And laſtly, conſider God in his Power and Juſtice, that if he put forth his Dominion, to call thee to account, thou being conſidered in thy ſelf, what will the iſſue be but that Heb. 10.31? It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, where there is not a Cautioner to interpoſe betwixt Juſtice and thee; conſider God thus, if thou would be ſenſible of the deſert of ſin.
2. When thou haſt taken a right look of God thy Party, in his Supream Dominion, Omniſcience, Holineſs, Purity, Power and Juſtice, caſt up the Sum of thy Debt, which thou art owing to this Party, and thou wilt be like that man, Mat. 18.24. that was owing ten thouſand Talents. Conſider the Law in its ſpiritual ſenſe and meaning, and thou wilt find that Paul found himſelf guilty upon the account of his concupiſcence, before it came to the conſent of the will, and ſo art thou. Conſider that the Law condemns evil thoughts, unripe and indeliberat motions, and how many of theſe art thou guilty of? Again conſider the Goſpel, what a Maſs of Duties it commands, or recommends, upon the account of Goſpel-encouragements, and what a vaſt count or reckoning wilt thou find over thine head? Sins of commiſſion, and ſins of omiſſion; ſins in the ſeed and root, and ſins in the fruit, againſt the Law, againſt the Goſpel, in thy particular ſtation, and in thy general Calling. O! what a dreadful count will there be, if a man caſt up the rate of his duty, and in how many things he hath offended? There will be ſuch a Count, that as Job ſays, Chap. 9.3. That if God contend with him, he cannot anſwer one of a thouſand. There is not one of a thouſand challenges, that a righteous man can put off, but he muſt ſay as David, Pſal. 40.12. Innumerable evils compaſs me, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, ſo that I cannot look up, they are moe than the hairs of my head.
But 3ly, When thou haſt conſidered thy Party, and the Debt which may be charged upon thee, and the number of thy ſins, take another look of the nature of them, and their aggravations, from the times wherein thou haſt ſinned, as if they have been times of light, and it may be alſo thou haſt been ſinning with Zimri and Cozbi, when the Congregation was weeping, Num 25. When ſad affliction hath been lying upon the people of God, it may be thy ſin hath been againſt as clear light, as Abſalom's ſin was, when he committed inceſt with his fathers concubines, upon the top of his fathers houſe. 2 Sam. 16.22. It may be when thou was under puniſhment and judgment, for former ſins, to deterr thee from future. It may be it was when thou was ſurrounded with mercies, when God was drawing thee with cords of love, with the bonds of a man, and was to thee as they that take off the yoke from thy jaws, and laid meat unto thee, Hoſ. 11.4. It may be thou haſt been a perſon much obliged to God, who haſt often been refreſhed with pardoning mercy, he hath ſpoken peace to thee, upon condition thou would not return to folly, and yet thou haſt returned to it. It may be thou art one, whoſe example hath had influence to harden many others in ſin, &c. I cannot enumerat the aggravations of ſin, that Profeſſors of the Goſpel have been, or are lying under, but when the Account is caſten, it will not be found an Account of Cyphers, or inſignificant petty Nothings, but an Account of iniquities and tranſgreſſions, very hainous and dreadful, all circumſtances being conſidered.
I ſhall (in the 4th place) when you have conſidered your Party, the Sum of your Debt, the number of your ſins in their nature, and aggravating circumſtances, exhort you to ponder how juſt God is? The truth of his threatnings againſt ſin, and the curſe. Think on that place, Gal. 3.10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them; and it were to good purpoſe, that theſe Chapters, Deut. 28. and Lev. 16. were more frequently read and thought upon. It were to good purpoſe that we heard Moſes from Mount Sinai thundering oftner, not to drive us from Chriſt, but to him. It's a woful trick in our hearts, that leads us to look over threatnings with a light eye. We would conſider that the threatnings will be accompliſhed, as well as the promiſes, and the leaſt farthing of the ſinners debt will be exacted off the ſinner, or off his Cautioner. Thou muſt either do, or get one to do for thee, and when thou reads the threatnings, think on the poſture wherein thou ſtands.
And 5ly, That ye may ſenſibly ſay over this aſſertion, If thou, Lord, mark iniquity, who ſhall stand? I recommend to you to conſider the ſufferings of our bleſſed Lord. Conſider if ſuch things were done to the green tree, what will be done to the dry? And there a man that hath any ſenſe of ſin, will read the dreadful deſert of ſin, when he conſiders that wrath for ſin made him cry out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? And how his Holy Nature abhorred that Cup, and put him to pray, that it might paſs from him; and how it made him in his agony ſweat drops like blood, when thou judges of the deſert of ſin by that, thou wilt ſtand then, and more ſenſibly think, that, thou wilt not be able to ſtand before God marking iniquity, for if ſuch things were done to the green tree, when his Holy Humane Nature ſuffered ſo much, being ſupported by his Divine Nature, what will be done to thee, who art a dry Tree out of him. If God would ſpeak home theſe things to your hearts, ye would Subſcribe to that Verdict Solomon hath, Prov. 14.9. that they are fools that make a mock at ſin, nay that they are diſtracted, that are lying under the guilt of ſin, and can take reſt in themſelves, till they ſee if a remedy can be had, till they come to that which follows in the Text, But there is forgivenneſs with thee, that thou mayeſt be feared. There are ſome particular inferences that I intended to have ſpoken to from this point, but the time being paſt, I quite them. Only remember that which I have been upon, what hath been ſpoken to you of the dreadful deſert of ſin, a Doctrine that is very neceſſary, but little laid to heart by many of you. Ye have got the Goſpel-knack among you, and have learned to talk of ſin, and of making Chriſt a refuge againſt it. But I dare not account all Gold that gliſters, nor look upon all them as real Converts, that can talk in a Goſpel-Dialect in Irwine. I would drive none of you from Chriſt, if any of you find your need of a Saviour, come away, he waits to receive you, but lay a ſolid foundation, acquaint your ſelves more with the ſinfulneſs of ſin, with the deſert of ſin, and with the impoſſibility of ſtanding before God marking ſin, in ſtrict Juſtice, that ye may cloſe with Chriſt in earneſt. God bleſs what ye have heard for Chriſt's ſake.