Small Offers Towards the Service of the Tabernacle, Discourse 4
LIFE DESIRED. VponUpon the Death of a Relation.
Psal. CXIX. 175.
Let my Soul live, and it shall praise thee, and let thy Iudgements help me.
SWeeter Words than these could not come from the Sweet Singer of Israel himself. The Hundred and Nineteenth, is the longest, and yet, if the Comparison be not odious, the sweetest, of all the Psalms; and perhaps the Psalm, like the Grace wherewith it was Composed, has a growing Sweetness, towards the Conclusion of it. The one and twentieth Octonary in this excellent Psalm, is a Bundle of Heavenly Affections; this two and twentieth Octonary is an Heap of Holy Petitions. There are especially Six Petitions in this last part of the Psalm. The fourth and fifth of them are in the words now before us. He begs, First, for his Life, then for God's Help. The Life petition`d for, may be understood as Two-fold: it is called, The life of the Soul; both Natural Life, and Spiritual Life may be intended in that Expression. But cheefly the former. Let my soul live; it is q. d. Let my Self live. Tis an usual Hebraism. In that signification it was the Choice of Sampson, Let me dy, in the Hebrew it is, Let my Soul dy with the Philistines. The Help petition'd for, has Two Things declared concerning it. We have the For-What of this Help; this is, That he might attend the Business for which he desired to live; namely, To praise God. And we also have the From-Whence, of this Help; this is, From the Iudgments of God. Thy Iudgments▪ this is one of the Ten various Phrases used here, to signify, the Wayes and Means whereby God, reveals Himself unto the world.
In short, the Doctrine before us, is, That
While we pray to live, we should account the Praises of God to be the Cheef End of our Life, in which the Judgments of God are to be sought and used as our Help.
The Propositions which may shape this Truth unto our minds are these.
Prop. I.
The Praise of God is to be accounted the cheef end of our Life on Earth. If our Souls do live in our Bodies, if we enjoy that Life which is an Union between Soul and Body, this is to be the End of it; That we may praise the God of our lives. It was the pious Expectation of the Psalmist, in Psal. 118. 17. I shal not dy but live, and declare the works of the Lord. This is to be the Resolution of every man. Can we say, I do not dy but live? We should add, I will then declare the Praises of the Lord. The first Question that the Thoughts of men should be employed upon is, What is the Cheef End of Man? The true and Just answer To that Question is, The Cheef End of man is to glorifie God. Well, put the Question so, What is the Cheef End of Life? The Answer to that Question too will be the same; It is to glorifie God.
To praise God, What is that? To praise God, is to Render and Procure, a due Acknowlement of His Excellencies. Indeed all the Duties of Religion are Contained in this Comprehensive thing. When we own, when we serve, when we Adore the Great God in any or all the waies of His Worship, Then we praise Him; and we further praise Him, when we provoke others to join with us in doing so. This, This Praise of the LORD is the End of our Life in the World.
This is the End of our Being. We are told that We have our Being in God. Of all things whatever this is then most Reasonable, that We should have our Being for God; and our Being for Him, is not expressed without our praising of Him. The blessed God looks from on high upon mankind, and saith, as in Isa. 43. 21. This people have I formed for my self, they should show forth my Praise. Now that which is the End of our Being, is the End of our Living too. Two things are to be affirmed of it,
First, The Law of God doth Appoint this as as the End of our Lives. Unto every man living, this is the Voice of God, I spare thy life, that so thou mayst live my praise. It is said in Rom. 14. 7. If we live, we are to live unto the Lord. What the Apostle saith of Eating and Drinking, may much more be said of Living; as in 1. Cor. 10. 30. It must be unto the Glory of God. God gives our Lives, God keeps our Lives, and this is His reveled, His Preceptive Will concerning our Lives; Man, I suffer thy life, yea, I support thy life, that I may be praised, loved, admired by thee as long as thou livest. It was an heavy dismal Charge against Belshazzer, in Dan. 5. 23. God in whose Hand thy breath is, thou hast not glorified. The Almighty God gives us notice of this, Thy Breath is in my hand; at the same time He also requires this of us, Let thy life be to my pr…ise. That man makes a sacrilegious Incroachment and Invasion upon Gods Right, who makes not God…s Praise, the End of his living upon God`s Earth.
There is therefore, Secondly this to be added thereunto.
The Heart of man should Embrace this as the End of our lives. It becomes every man to say, I live that God who is worthy to be praised, may have the praises of my Obedience to Him. It was the godly purpose of the Psalmist, in Psal. 147. 2. While I live I will praise the Lord. And a kin to this is the Right Thought, which every man should entertain, I do live, that I may praise the Lord. Hence this is one of the principal Pleas which the Saints have used in their Sup…lications for their Lives. Good Hezekiah pray'd in his Distress, Lord, let me live. And what was his Argument? It was that in Isa. 38. 17. 18. The Grave cannot praise thee; the living, the living, he shall praise thee. The heart of man should readily close with such an End for the life of man. Satan saies, Thou livest only to Enjoy the delights of the Flesh in the world; thou livest only to seek, to get, and to tast the saecular pleasures provided for thee. The soul of man should rise with unspeakable Indignation at this wild proposal. On the other side, our God saies, The Business of thy life is to magnifie Mee, to make my Praise glorious. Here now, Here the Soul of every man should fall in, and Reply, This is all my Salvation, and all my Desire.
But this leads to
PROP. II.
Prayers for life are then, and only then rightly qualified, when they have Respect unto the Praises of God.
To clear this matter, there are these things to be conceived.
One Conclusion is, That the Living on Earth have many peculiar Opportunities to be Praising of God. Indeed, Blessed are the dead who dy in the Lord, for they too are alwaies praising of Him. But yet they rest from some Praises, when they rest from their Labours here. The departed Saints are continually shouting, H…llelujah, Hallelujah, before the Throne of God. The Saints, they are joyful in glory; and the High Praises of God are perpetually Proceeding from those blessed Souls. But Christians in this world have their peculiar Opportunities, to be Glorifying of Him that made them. This did the Psalmist speak in Ps 88. 11. Shall the dead praise thee? To instance in some particulars:
The Living here may be praising of God by the Discharge of many Relations, which the dead Saints are strangers unto. We may now praise God as Parents, as Masters, as Officers in the the Church or Common-Wealth. All those Capacities will dy with us, when we shall go hence and be-no more.
Again, The Living here may be Praising of God, by Bearing many a Witness to the Truths and Wayes of the Lord Jesus Christ. We may now bestow many Rebukes upon the Errors and the Evils of a sinful World. We may part with and esteem, an Estate, with our Ease, and our Life it self, out of Respect unto the Name of God. But our Testimonies expire with our Lives.
Once more, The Living may be Praising of God by Advancing His Kingdom here below. In this Life we may be instrumental to Convince and Convert Vnregenerate Sinners, to build up the Church of the Lord Jesus, and to Do good among the ignorant by an Exemplary Conversation. But this is to be done only below the stars.
Furthermore, There are Graces proper to this Life which God is praised by the Exercising of. The Tears of Sorrow for Sin will be dry`d up, when we come to the State in which all Sorrow shall flee away. Charity in Giving and Forgiving to them that need it,—there is no occasion for that Charity among them that are above; they are all perfect and happy there. Patience under Tryals belongs to our present Condition only; there are no Afflictions to trouble us, when our few dayes full of trouble are passed away. In a Word. Our Spiritual Warfare is to be attended only in this Valley of the Shadow of Death. We cannot fight the Battles of the Lord, and therein we cannot shew the praises of the Lord, when we are arrived at the End of our Faith the Salvation of our Souls. Our Fight is done, our Crown is come when we have been Faithful to the Death.
A Second Conclusion is, That Opportunities for the Praising of God are the things for which we should desire to be living on Earth. There is a Three-fold Desire of Life which the Living have. There is a Natural Desire of Life. This is common both to good men and bad men. Nature it self startles at the Approach of Death; Innocent Nature shivers and recoyls, when this King of Terrors is ready to lay his cold l…y hand upon us. This was Ioab's Desire: that valiant Souldier, The Lord-General of Israel himself, in 1. King. 2. 28. being in cold blood under Apprehensions of Death, fled unto the Horns of the Altar, as a Sanctuary to save his Life. There is also a Sensual Desire of Life. This is that which Bad men are under the power of. Many are loth to dye because they would not leave the Pleasures and Profits and Honours which did surround them here. They are like the Miser who on his Death-Bed, hugg'd his Baggs of Gold, and cry'd out, Must I leave you? Must I leave you? Their Love of their Life, comes from their love of their Flesh. This was the Rich Fools Desire, in Luc 12. 20. He wished for many Years, that he might eat and drink, and be merry here.
There is likewise a gracious Desire of Life. And this is that which good men are affected with: They desire to live, because they desire to praise. They would live, because they would honour God in those matters & those manners for which their Lives do afford them blessed Opportunities and Advantages. Now this gracious Desire of of Life is a Regular Desire. A Desire of Life for the Praise of God, is the only Desire of Life, that will have praise of God. This was David's Desire when he was visited with Sickness, when he was weak, and his Bones were pained, then said he in Psal. 6. 5. O save me, for in Death there is no Remembrance of thee, in the Grave who shall give thee thanks? Such Desires are the only right and chast Desires. It is not fit for a Christian to say, I desire to live, because I am afraid to dy. Much less is it fit for him to say, I desire my life in the world, that I may turn and wind still the Affairs of the World. But This is that which Leg…timates the Desire of Life: As every thing is to be i…roved for God, so every thing should be desired for God. And thus Life it self. We are daily Praying, as he in Psal. 102. 24. O my God, take me not away in the midst of my dayes. Well, Our God enquires of us, Why art thou unwilling to be taken away in the midst of thy dayes? We should have this to be our true Account of it, Because, O Lord, I am loth to be taken away in the midst of my Praise.
PROP. III.
The Judgments of God are to be sought and used by us as our Help in those Praises of God which are the End of our life.
There are blessed Helps, which God hath provided for us, by which we may be both Assisted in and Excited to, the work of our lives.
Behold a double Help, both implyed in the Iudgments of God. And he that shall consult other passages in this Hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm, will find both under this Notion insisted on. The Scriptures of Truth, and the Troubles of Life.
First, The Word of God is to be sought as the Help, of our Praising Him. The Prophet of old could say as in Mich. 6. 8. The Lord hath shewed thee, O man, the thing that good is. Thus, the Lord hath shewed us how to be praising of Him, by living to Him. But Where has he shewed it? Truly in the sacred Bible. The Bible is the Directory given to us. Every Child is well taught to say, The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Rule which God hath given to instruct us how we are to glorify Him. To order a Life in a dark world, is as hard as to manage a Ship in a dark night, we are in the Dark about the Practises which our lives are to be employed in. What shall we then do that we may leave no part of our due Homage to God unperformed? The Apostle speaks fully to this Case in 2. Pet. 1. 18. We have a sure word of Prophecy, whereto ye do well to take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place. There, There it is: our Bible is our Pole-Star: keep an eye to That and we shall shape a course Right. All the Directions, all the Promises, all the Threatnings of God, will be so many Helps, of our Obedience. If any man ask, How do the Scriptures of God help men in the Praises of God? Know, The Scriptures themselves give an Answer thereunto, in Psal. 19. 7, 8. The law of the Lord converts the soul, the testimonies of the Lord make wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart; the commandments of the Lord enlighten the eyes. That Conversion, that Instruction, that Ioy and that Ligh… which the Word of God affords unto us, will be no little Help in the Praise of God.
Secondly, The Rod of God is to be used as the Help of our Praising Him. The Lord sends many Afflictions upon us. An H…man, is afflicted in his mind: a Iob is Afflicted in his Estate; a Gaius is afflicted in his Body, a Paul in his Credit, and a David in his Children, they live ill and they dy worse before him. What is the Use we are now to make of these things? Truly our Afflictions are to be the Help of our Devotions. It is the Call of God in Mic 6. 9. Hear the Rod. As we should hear the Voice of the Rod, so we should use the Help of the Rod. By our Afflictions we should be helped unto more Seriousness, more Watchfulness, more Fruitfulness. Now those things are to the Praise of the glory of the grace of God. Our Afflictions are the purgings & the prunings bestow'd by our God upon us. What are they for? but, That we may bring forth more Fruit: and we are told in Ioh. 15. 8. Herein is my father glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit. Observe it: a Learning the Statutes of God, is a Rendring of Praises to God; those two things are one. Now see what the Psalmist saith, in Psal 119. 97. Tis good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy Statutes. This then is incumbent on us under every Affliction; Our study should be, What Advantage, what Engagement to be more holy, is now put into my hands! Every Afflicted man should ask, How may the Sorrowes of my life promote the praises of my God?
But for the Vse of these things.
USE. I.
Some Evil Desires are hence Rebuked and Condemned. Especially two sorts of Desires.
First, Impatient Desires of Death, are to be Reproved.
Something is to be said by way of Concession; and something by way of Correction about such Desires.
First by way of Concession, I would say; There are some Desires of Death well-becoming a Child of God. Such were the Desires of Paul, in Phil. 1. 22. I desire to be d…ssolved and be with Christ. When we think of the day, in which we shall go to the the Spirits of just men made perfect; and to Iesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant; When we think of the day in which the Lord will deliver us from the hand of all our enemies, and from the hand of SIN; O the thoughts of it should fill our Souls with Raptures of Joy! they should cause our hearts to leap and spring within us. In is an allowable thing to be almost angry with Time, to call upon slow Time, and say, Fly apaces Fly away, O Time; Come, O Eternity, come and fetch me into the presence of the Lord. The Visions of the Lord Jesus may cause us to say humbly with aged, faithful Simeon, Lord, let thy servant depart in peace. The Chariots of Death, sent by the Lord Jesus to fetch us unto Himself should be as welcom to us, as the Waggons of Ioseph were to Iacob of old. It should cause us to Rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, when we think of the unspeakable joy and the full glory which we are going unto. There are holy longings and lookings of Soul, with which we may cry out, Why, why are His Churiots so long i'coming? Why tarry the Wheels thereof?
But yet,
Secondly, By way of Correction.
If these Desires are with Impatience, much more if they are thro' Impatience, they become sinful before the Lord. The embittered spirits of Christians, have been sometimes too prone unto such Desires. It was an inordinate passion in Moses, when a froward people under his charge provoked him to say, in Numb. 17. 14. Kill me, I pray thee out of hand. Had God granted his Desire, he had lost Thirty years of eminent Service in the World. It was an irregular passion in Elias, when the persecutions of wicked men so tired him, as to make him say, in 1. King. 19. 4. O Lord, take away my life. It hath been an Observation, that Many good and, great men sit under Elias's Iuniper tree. As culpable was the Passion of Ionah, when the Withering of a Guord had that Effect upon him in Cap. 4. 8. He wished to dy. The like pang of Impatience, did that Pattern of Patience, Iob, fall into be spake as if he could hardly for bear laying violent hands upon himself. Even so far do the distempered, unbridled Wishes of many run. Their Desire of Death is a sort of Revenge on God; they would as it were deprive God of the glory which He might have of them. Compose these desires, O ye raging Souls; compose these Desires. Allay this Fever, this phrensy. Its not only an irreligious but an unnatural passion which you are carried away withal. You desire to dye▪ Well, are you sure that the Death which you desire now, will not prove a Death which you shall Deplore throughout eternal Ages. It is said of the Believer in Psal. 91. 19. With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my Salvation. It is a very disordered heart that will be dissatisfied with so great a mercy.
Secondly, Vnsanctified Desires of Life are to be Reproved also. Of these Desires there are Three Sorts to be Reprehended.
There are, first. Carnal Desires of Life to be blamed. Some desire to live, and wherefore is it? It is because they desire to eat and drink and be merry. They cann't part with such Relations and Possessions as are here to be enjoyed. The Comforts of Life are the things that cause their Desires of Life. One once beholding his fine Accommodations made this Reflection thereupon, Haec faciunt invitos mori▪, these are the things that make us unwilling to dy. Unmortified Corruptions are the causes of these desires. Remember what the Lord hath said in Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother, or Son or DAUGHTER more than me, is not worthy of me. Thus may the Lord well say to the Subject of these Desires, If you had rather be with your friends on earth, than with your Father in Heaven, you are not worthy to be with me at all. And this by the way is to be said of them that desire the life of their Friends as well as of them selves. It is for the Interest of the Lord Jesus Christ that the dead Children which you lament, are dead; or else they had not dyed at all. Now sais the Lord Jesus, If thou lovest those CHILDREN, those Relations more than me, and hadst rather have them with thy self, to my Prejudice, than to have them with me, to thy own Bereavement, thou art not worthy to have them with me at all.
Secondly. There are Careful Desires of Life to be likewise blamed. Many desire to live only upon this account, Some Child, or some Charge they are concerned for. They have this or that Child which they cannot believe will be well provided for, when they are dead; or they suspect what will become of such or such a Charge. There is indeed a Desire of Life on such a Score, which is not alwaies very severely to be found fault withal. But oftentimes there is too much Distrust in such a desire. Why cannot we venture our Families and the Concernments thereof, in the Hands of the faithful God? The Lord has said in Jer. 49. 11. Leave thy fatherless Children, I will preserve them alive. And he still saies, I will be a better Father, and a better Friend unto them, than thou thy self canst be.
Thirdly. There are Fearful Desires of Life which are blame-worthy too. When Death comes with that message, Set thy Soul in order, for thou shalt dy and not live, many persons are so terrified as to be even at their wits ends. O how they groan. I cannot dy! Indeed Sinners that have not been born twice, may well tremble to dy once; no body can blame them; there is a Second Death, ready to sieze upon the forlorn souls that are not Regenerate. But such as have been truly turn'd to God in Christ, should not entertain Death with such Reluctancies. Can you not uprightly say, That if you were sure to be freed from Sin, you could be content to be struck by Death? O then, be cheerfully willing to Dy. Thy soul will no sooner pass into Eternity but it shall experience that thing in Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead is freed from Sin. It is often pretended by men, I would live because, I would be more holy before I dy. Tis well; but there is not seldom a Deceit in the Pretence; often something else is in the Bottom; A Rebellion against the Will of God. Wouldst thou really and earnestly be holy? Be willing then to dy as well as to live. Death is the way to Holiness in the Perfection of it. In short: Good was the Temper of that sick person who being asked, Which do you desire, to live, or to dy? answered, I refer it to God; and when it was again said, But suppose God should refer it to you? reply'd, I would then refer it to him again.
USE. II.
Let us all be now Exhorted, that the Praise of Ged, may be duly accounted by us, as the End of our Life, in our Prayers for it. Let us not shoot beside our Mark, or live beside our End. Let us pray that we may live, and let us live that we may praise. It is the most lamentable plight in the world, that a man should spend his Life in Sinning against God, rather than in Praising of Him. But alas, This is the case of Multitudes, Multitudes among us. How few of us [Consider of in seriously] How sew of you that are now before the Lord, ever seriously thought with your selves, What is the Errand that I am come into the world upon? Hast thou not lived above a Score of years in the world, and never yet seriously thought, What is it that God sent me hither for? Every man here, I suppose, desires to live; let your Prayers express those Desires; and say after the Psalmist, Ps. 32. 8. My Prayer is to the God of my life. But more than so, Let those Desires be for the sake of your Praises; and say after the Psalmist again, in Ps. 119. 17. Deal bountifully with thy Servant that I may live and keep thy Word.
Three things are you to be advised unto; yea Four things are to be impo…tunately prest upon you.
First, Mark and Prize your Opportunities to be Pr…ing of God. Every man has his Opport… nities. Some have an Instrument of a Thousand Strings; but the meanest of us all has an Instrument of Ten strings, for our God to be praised with. Let every man often enquire, What are my Opportunities to glorify God? And let every man alwaies conclude, My Opportunities are my Treasures.
Secondly. Let the Word of God Direct you in His Praises. Be often Consulting of that: Peace will be on al…, and Praise will be from all, that walk according to this Rule. A Bible,—Christians, let That be your Counsellour on all Occasions. The Psalmist could say in Ps. 119. 164. Seven times a day will I praise thee O Lord; because of thy Righteous Judgements.
Thirdly. Let the Rod of God provoke you to His Praises. If you cannot Bless God for your Afflictions, which yet, I think, is a thing attainable; nevertheless, I'm sure you should praise God in your Afflictions. Let God gain some Glory, and we shall gain some Good, by all our Sufferings. Take the counsil in Isa. 34. 15. Glorifie the Lord in the Fires.
To Enforce these Three Things;
Consider that Thing wich is intimated in the Text. The Lives of your Souls are enwrapped in the praises of God. Saies the Psalmist, Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee. So I may say, Let thy Soul praise, and it shall live. A praising Soul, is a Thriving Soul. In this consisteth Life Eternal it self, The Life of thy Soul in the Third Heaven, will be the praise of thy God for evermore. Praise God for thy Life; it is a mercy well worth praise. Praise God by thy life; so thou wilt begin Heaven upon Earth.
But there is a Fourth Counsil which more immediately concerns that part of the Congregation which are of my own Age, and have therefore a more peculiar interest in my Loves and Cares.
Tis to Young People here, that I take leave to say,
Fourthly, Begin You now Betimes to live unto the Praise of the everliving God. My Brethren, you have not yet begun to live at all, if you have not begun to praise the Lord. You are Dead in Trespasses and Sins; you are stark dead in the rotten, hideous, loathsome Graves of your Unregeneracy, if you have not yet begun to order your Conversation aright, and to ponder, How may I so offer praise as to Glorify God? But is not this the deplorable Condition of many, many Young people here? Conscience do thine Office! Is not the Hour yet to come, is not the Day yet to dawn, when that young person (whom thou art the Officer of God unto) did by an hearty Covenant bind himselfe unto the Serving and the Praising of the Lord?
But what mean you, O ye inconsiderate Youths, to delay the Remembring of your Creator so? In the Language of the young Prophet, whom God sent unto the Iews of old, let me say, thus saith the Lord, Consider your waies.
Consider the Vncertainty of your Life which you have to be praising of God withal. As young as you are, you may dy before the most aged person here. It hath been truly noted, That The old man has Death before his face, but the young man has Death behind his back. The stroak of Death may sooner lay you in the Dust, than some whose Heads old Time hath snow'd upon. O look, and see, and let thy heart shake at the Apprehension of it. Thy Death stands, just behin… thee there with an Horrible Pole-Ax ready lifted up, saying as the Prince of old, Shall I smite them? shall I smite them? If the great God utter the word, Smite, smite, thou art gone beyond all Recovery. The Blessed God hath newly caused me to look into the Coffins of two very near and sweet Relations, neither of which had ever seen Twenty Winters in the World; and with a strong hand He then said unto me, Go, Go tell the young people of Boston, and Charlestown, that this is that which they are all expos`d unto. Behold I am now come in Bitterness and in the heat of my spirit, I am come to Warn you of it, That You may dy before you are aware of such a dismal Change at hand. O do not procrastinate the praises and the Vertues which the God of Heaven Expects from you; put not off until, Tomorrow; For tis the admonition to be now set before you, in Prov. 2. 7. B…ast not thy self of Tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
But Consider also, the Dreadfulness, of a Death, ensuing upon a Life not spent in the praising of God. O this Dying! tis a solemn thing, 'tis, A thing by it self: What followes it? But that in Heb. 9. 27. After Death Iudgement. That Iudgment will be Eternal; and if it come upon thee before thy turning and living unto God, it will be very Terrible.
Hearken to this awful Truth and Voice of the Almighty God, and let thy heart quiver as under the loudest claps of Thunder at it; If thou Dy before thy peace be made with God, and thy praise be given to Him, tis impossible thou shouldst escape the Vengeance of Eternal Fire; Small Chip… as well as great Logs are horribly burn… … there must thou too undergo most exquisite Anguishes, for infinitely more than as many Millions of Ages, as the Huge Ocean has Drops of Water in it.
O Consider, these Terrors of the Lord, and immediately set upon His Praises.
Now that you would come to these Resolutions, before you go from the present Exercise! Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn from following after you; but give me leave to press upon you at least this one Consideration more.
Consider seriously, How exceeding Acceptable it will be to the great God, for such Young persons as you, to set upon praising of Him! Your Praises, they are very much desired by the Lord, and not a little delightful to Him. He declares My soul desires the first ripe Fruit; and He seem'd to express as it were some Hast, for the First Fruits under the Law of Old. The Lord in a sort longs to see you serving of Him with the First Fruits of your Age, and of your Praise. He saies as in Cant. 2. 14. Let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice. The Voice of your Praises makes a matchless melody in the ears of the God that has call'd for them. The very Chatterings of our infants are pleasant unto us; the Praises and the Devotions of young persons are so unto Our Father which is in Heaven; and he asketh for them with ungainsayable Importunities. 'Twas said unto a young man in 1. Chron. 28. 9. If thou seek the Lord, He will be found of thee, Even so. If thou (that art a young person) praise the Lord he will be pleased with thee. One that owns an Orchard full of many fruitful Trees, will take a most particular and affectionate Notice of a young Tree beginning to have some little Fruit upon it: Our Father is such an Husband man. Young Iohns, are they that prove the Disciples whom Iesus loves. Young Iosiahs will have special Comforts in this, and special Honours in another world▪ And, yee Hearts of Adamant, are you not yet overcome to resolve, I will now praise and serve the great God! O let not your Answer be, I am almost perswaded; but become Altogether so. As twas said of him, Behold he prayes! thus let it be said of you, Behold he praises! How, How can you be deaf Adders before the Charms of these Considerations?
Lord visit the hitherto-unperswaded young people here; O make it the Day of thy power with them; and keep these things in the Imagination of the thoughts of their hearts for Evermore.
FINIS.
End of the text · Cotton Mather, Small Offers Towards the Service of the Tabernacle (1689)