Sermons on Psalm 119, Sermons · Sermon 118
SERMON CXVIII.
PSAL. CXIX. VER. 108.
Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will-offering of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.
IN this Verse two things are asked of God, God's Acceptance, then secondly Instruction.
First, He begs Acceptation. Therein take notice, (1) Of the matter, object or thing that he would have to be accepted, The free-will-offerings of my mouth. (2) The manner of asking this Acceptation, Accept, I beseech thee, O Lord. In the former you may observe the general nature of the thing, and then the particular kind, they were free-will-offerings, and yet more express, they were free-will-offerings of his hands, not legal sacrifices, but spiritual services, free-will-offerings of his mouth, implying praises; our praises of God are called the calves of our lips, Hos. 14. 2. rendred there by the Septuagint, the fruit of our lips, and accordingly translated by the Apostle, Heb. 13. 15. The fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name. He was in deep affliction, wandering up and down the Desart; he was disabled to offer up to God any other sacrifice, therefore he desires God would accept the free-will-offerings of his mouth, he had nothing else to bring him.
Secondly, He begs of God instruction in his way, Teach me thy judgments. By Misphalim judgments, are meant both God's Statutes and God's Providences. If you take them in the former sense, for God's Statutes, so he begs grace to excite, direct and assist him in a course of sincere obedience to God, practically to walk according to God's Will. If you understand it in the latter sense, only for the accomplishment of what God had spoken in his Word, for God's Providence, for his corrective dispensation, Teach me; he begs understanding and profiting by them.
I shall begin with his first Request, which offereth four Observations.
1. That God's people have their spiritual offerings.
2. That these spiritual offerings must be free-will-offerings.
3. That these free-will-offerings are graciously accepted by God.
4. That this gracious acceptance must be earnestly sought and valued as a great blessing, I beseech thee accept, &c.
Doct. 1. First, That God's People have their spiritual offerings. I shall give the sense of this Point in five Propositions.
(1) That all God's People are made Priests to God, for every offering supposeth a Priest, so it is said, Rev. 1. 6. That Christ Iesus hath made us Kings and Priests. All Christians they have a Communion with Christ in all his Offices; whatever Christ was, that certainly they are in some measure and degree. Now Christ was King, Priest and Prophet, and so is every Christian in a spiritual sense, a King, Priest, and Prophet; for they have their anointing, their unction from the Holy One, and he communicates with them in his Offices. So also they do resemble the Priesthood under the Law; in 1 Pet. 2. 5. they are called a holy Priesthood to offer sacrifices to God. And 1 Pet. 2. 9. they are called a royal Priesthood. They are a holy Priesthood, like the sons of Aaron, who were separated from the People, to minister before the Lord; and they are a Royal Priesthood in conformity to the Priesthood of Melchisedec, who was King of Salem, and also Priest of the Most High God. There is a mighty conformity between what is done by every Christian, and the Solemnities and Rites used by the Priests under the Law. The Priests of the Law were separated from the rest of the People, so are all God's People from the rest of the World. The Priests of the Law were to be anointed with holy oil, Exod. 28. 41. so all Christians they receive an unction from the holy one, 1 John 2. 20. By the holy oil was figured the holy Spirit, which was the Unction of the Holy One. by which they are made fit and ready to perform those duties which are acceptable to God. After the Priest was thus generally prepar'd by the anointing to their services, before they went to offer, they were to wash in the great Laver which stood in the Sanctuary door, Exod. 29. 4. Lev. 8. 4, 5. So every Christian is to be washed in the great Laver of Regeneration, Tit. 3. 5. And when they are regenerated, born again, purged and cleansed from their sins, then they are Priests to offer Sacrifices to God, for till this be done, none of their offerings are acceptable to him: For they that are in the flesh, …annot please God, Rom. 8. 8. And the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord, Prov. 15. 8. Thus you see in all these correspondences, (and in many more) Christians they are Priests. What the Priests of the Law were to God, that is every Christian now to God to offer spiritual Sacrifices to Christ Jesus our Lord.
(2) They have their Offerings. The great work of the Priest was to offer Sacrifice, and this is our employment to offer Sacrifices to God. What Sacrifices do we offer now in the time of the Gospel? not sin offerings, but thank-offerings. A sin-offering can be offer'd but once. Heb. 10. 14. By one offering Iesus Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. And there needs no more of that kind, that was but to be once offer'd, Heb. 7. 27. and therefore there remains nothing more to be done by us, but the offering of thank-offerings, and this is to be done continually. Heb. 13. 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name.
(3) These Offerings must be spiritual thank-offerings. Under the Law the thank offering was that of a Bea…t, but now under the Gospel we offer spiritual Sacrifices, therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. The Sacrifice must suit with the nature of the Priesthood. The Priesthood is spiritual, and not after the Law of a carnal Commandment, and not by an external Consecration, but the inward anointing of the Holy Ghost. And herein we differ from the Priests of the Law, because the very nature and substance of our Worship is more pleasing to God, than the nature of theirs; for Moral Worship is better, and more suited to the nature of God than ceremonial; God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit, Joh. 4. 24. And therefore when ceremonial Worship was in force, they that rested in external Ceremonies, and did not look to the spiritual intent and signification of them, were not accepted by God, though the Ceremony was perform'd with never so much pomp, though they came with their flocks and herds, yet praying to God, and praising God with a willing mind, which was the soul of their offering, was that alone which was acceptable to God, therefore it is said, Psal. 69. 30, 31. I will praise the Name of God with a song, and will magnifie him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. That is, which is perfect and exact according to the Institutions of the Law, for there was to be no blemish in the Sacrifice of the Law; yet calling upon the Name of God, and praising him, is better than the Service perform'd with the exactest conformity to Legal Rites. Psal. 50. 13, 14, 15. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most high, and call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. The Lord draws them off from Ceremonies, to the spiritual service; it is more becoming the nature of God, and it is more reasonable service. The offering of a Beast hath not so much of God's nature, nor of man's nature in it, only God would keep it up for awhile; therefore now these are the great Offerings.
(4) The two great Sacrifices requir'd of us, Prayer, and Praise; there are many other, but they are implied in these. To instance, under the Gospel there is this thank-offering, presenting our selves to the Lord, dedicating our selves to the Lord's use and service. Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 Cor. 8. 5. They first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. And then there's Alms, Heb. 13. 16. To do good and communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. And when the Philippians had made contribution to Paul's necessities, he saith it was a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor unto God, Phil. 4. 18. Ay, but now both these are included in the other two, namely, as they are Evidences of our thankfulness to God, and the sense of his love and favor which we have receiv'd by Christ. The great and usual offerings are the fruit of our lips, the calves of our lips, here call'd the free-will-offerings of our mouth, Prayer and Praise. That Prayer is a Sacrifice, see Psal. 141. 2. Let my prayer be set before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. The daily offering was accompanied with incense, and he mentions the evening sacrifice, because then was a more perfect atonement for the day, therefore when the Evening Sacrifice came, it was to …e understood they were perfectly reconcil'd to God. And then that Praise is a Sacrifice, see Psal. 54. 6. I will freely sacrice unto thee; I will praise thy Name, O Lord, for it is good. And in that o…her place, where the Lord rejects the flesh of Bulls, and blood of Goats, Praise is substituted, Will I eat the flesh of Bulls, and blood of Goats? No: Psal. 50. 14. Offer to me thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most high. So Psal. 116. 17, 18. So that Prayers and Praises are the Oblations which we offer unto God under the Gospel, either acknowledgments …or …ormer mercies, or petitions for future deliverances. These are the two duties which contain the substance of the Ceremonies under the Law, and are daily and constantly to be perform'd by us.
(5) Whatever was figur'd in the old Sacrifices, it must be spiritually perform'd in the duty of Prayer and Praise. In those legal Rites, there was an Evangelical Equity, or something that was moral and spiritual for us still to observe.
As first, in Prayer, Truth was the inward part of the Sacrifice, for the meer external oblation was of no significancy with God. There were three things wherein it symbolizeth with Prayer; in Prayer there is requir'd brokenness of Heart, owning of Christ, renewing Covenant with God.
1. One thing that was required in Sacrifices, was brokenness of Heart; for when a man came to present his Beast before the Lord, he was to consider, this Beast was to be slain and burnt with fire; and to consider, all this was my Case, I might have been consum'd with his wrath, and …e burnt with fire, and so come with a compunctionate spirit, with brokenness of heart, to bemoan his case before the Lord; therefore it is said, Psal. 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. This is requir'd in every one that comes to Prayer, brokenness of heart; that is, a sensibleness of his want of those good things for which he comes, and his unability to supply himself with any thing without God; nay, his ill deservings, how just he might be denied of God, and cursed by all manner of plagues; how he hath forfeited all manner of blessings; this must be at the bottom.
2. The Sacrifices implied an eying of the Redeemer, by vertue of whose oblation and intercession we are accepted with God; for every one that came with his Sacrifice, was to lay his hand upon the head of the Beast, to put his sins there, to shew, Christ bore the iniquity of us all; and in every Prayer we make, there is this Evangelical Equity, by vertue of the old Sacrifice, remaining upon us, that we should eye the Redeemer, even Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor, Eph. 5. 2. He is the Expiatory Sacrifice, and therefore in all our supplicatory or gratulatory offerings to God, we must still look to him. The word an offering, relates to things destitute of life that were dedicated to God, as Flour, Oil, Frankincense, that which was signified thereby was accomplish'd in Christ: And for the other word, Sacrifice, gave himself as an offering and sacrifice. The Beasts whose blood was shed, those things which had life in them were call'd a real Sacrifice offer'd to God to appease his justice. Thus Christ Jesus was given as a Sacrifice, to obtain all manner of blessings for us. We should look upon God as an Allsufficient Fountain of grace, and the Author of every good gift, depending upon him for his goodness and bounty for Christ's sake.
3. In Sacrifices there was implied a renewing of Covenant; so the Lord saith, Psal. 50. 5. Gather my Saints together that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. As they did dedicate the Beast offer'd to God, so was the Worshipper to dedicate himself to God. Now we must renew this dedication of our selves to the Lord's service; all this was morally in the Sacrifices, and is to be done every day in our future prayers, with brokenness of heart, eying our Redeemer, casting our whole dependance upon him, and in a sense of his love dedicating and devoting our selves to God.
Secondly, For the other duty, of Thanksgiving and Praise for mercies receiv'd. Every point and passage of his undeserv'd favor to be own'd, and praise thereof to be given to God, and still to look on all done not for our sakes, but for the sake of Christ Jesus. You read under the Law, Lev. 3. 3. when the thank-offering was brought to God, it was to be laid upon the top of the burnt-offering. First they were to bring the burnt-offering, and offer that to God, then to lay upon it the peace or thank-offering, to shew, that first we must be reconcil'd to God, and by vertue of that all mercies descend and come down upon us, and then upon this solemn occasion they were to give up themselves anew to the Lord. So the Apostle presseth this, Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you, Brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And this is one part of the offering of our lips, namely, when we come solemnly by vertue of every mercy receiv'd, and promise obedience anew and afresh to God. To apply this, (1) Are you Priests? (2) Do you offer Sacrifices of prayer and praise to God continually?
First, Are you Priests unto God? Are you Priests by separation? Hath God call'd you out from amongst men? Psal. 4. 3. The Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for himself. Hath God call'd you off from sin to holiness? from Self to Christ? from the Creature to God? For these are the three things wherein Conversion consists. From the Creature to God, as our last end; from Self to Christ, as the onelyonly means to come to God; and from sin to holiness, as the onelyonly way to get an interest in Christ. Are you call'd off from the common course of living, wherein most men are involv'd, that you may live and act for God? Are you Priests by Unction? Are you anointed by the Spirit as to gifts and graces, and qualifi'd and made meet for this holy ministration unto God? Christ hath purchas'd gifts in some measure for his people; For as we were maim'd in Adam, not only as to graces, but also as to gifts, so is our restitution by Christ, that the plaister may be as broad as the sore. We have necessary gifts given us by vertue of his Ascension, whereby we may lay open our state and case to God. Indeed all God's people have not a like measure of gifts, and carnal men may come behind in no gift, therefore have you the grace of prayer. Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon them the spirit of grace and supplication. Have you a heart qualifi'd by grace, made meet to converse with God? The tendency and disposition of your souls that carrieth you to God? Grace that seeks a vent and utterance in prayer and holy converses with God? And are you Priests by Purgation? Every Priest was to be washt in the great Laver; Are you washt and purg'd from sin, that you may serve God acceptably, Mal. 3. 3. first they must be purifi'd, then offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. God will not take a gift out of a carnal man's hand, and therefore you should look to this that you be purifi'd and purg'd.
Secondly, Do you offer spiritual Sacrifices to God, of Prayer and Praise?
1. Prayer, a duty very kindly to the Saints. It is natural to them, it is, as it were, the sphere of their activity, the Spirit discovers himself to men in Prayer; as soon as they are converted to God, they will fall a praying, and be dealing with God often in this kind, therefore the children of God are described by this, as a duty wherein they are most exercis'd. Zeph. 3. 10. My Suppliants. And Psal. 24. 6. This is a generation of them that seek thee. To shew this is a vital act, a usual and constant expressing of the new nature that is put into them: surely they that love God will be always seeking him, and a broken heart sensible of its condition, can never want an Errand to the Throne of Grace. You are to offer Sacrifices as they did under the Law, now under the Law there was a daily Sacrifice, every morning they were to offer a Lamb without spot, Num. 28. 3. to shew that every morning they should come and sue out their pardon by Christ, and every evening to look to the Messiah, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the World, that was the intent of the Type. Now I reason thus, certainly we have as much need as they, we are sinners as well as that people which liv'd under that dispensation, therefore every morning we must look to the Lamb of God: Nay, we have more reason, for they could not clearly discern the meaning of that Type; but now all things are open, we can behold the Lamb of God, therefore must be often with God, suing out our pardon in the Name of Christ.
2. The Sacrifice of Praise. It is notable when the Apostle had spoken of Christ as a sin-offering, he mentions this as the main thing in the Gospel. Heb. 13. 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Praise it ought continually, frequently, and upon all occasions to be offer'd to God, for this is a more noble duty than Prayer. Self-love may put us upon Prayer, but love to God puts us upon praise and thanksgiving; we pray because we need God, and we praise because we love him. In Prayer we become Beggars, that God would bestow something upon us; but in praise we come (according to poor creatures) to bestow something upon God, even to give him the glory due to his Name, and tell him what he hath done for our poor souls. This is the most noble among all the parts of Christian Worship. We have more cause to give thanks than to pray, for we have many things more to praise God for, than to pray to him for. There are many favors which go before all thought of desert, and many favors still bestow'd upon us beyond what we can either ask or think.
Doct. 2. Secondly, These spiritual offerings must be free-will offerings to God. This expression is often spoken of in the Law. Lev. 22. 18. Numb 29. 39. 2 Chron. 31. 14. Amos 4. 5. What are these free will-offerings? They are distinguish'd from God's stated Worship, and distinguish'd from that service which fell under a Vow. Besides the stated Peace offerings, there were certain Sacrifices perform'd upon certain occasions, to testifie God's general goodness, and upon receipts of some special mercy; and you will find these Sacrifices to be expresly distinguish'd from such services as men bound themselves …o …y vow, Lev. 7. 16. What is there that answers now to these free-will-offerings? Certainly this is not spoken to this use, that a man should devise any part of worship of his own …ad, whatever pretence of zeal he hath, but they serve to teach us two things.
(1.) They are to teach us how ready we should be to take all occasions of thankfulness and spiritual worship; for besides their vowed services, and instituted services, they had daily Sacrifices, and set Feasts commanded by God, they had their free-will offerings offer'd to God in thankfulness for some special blessing received, or deliverance from danger.
(2.) It shews with what voluntariness and chearfulness we should go about God's worship in the Gospel, and what a free disposition of heart there should be, and edge upon our affections in all things that we offer to God; and in this latter sense I shall speak, that our offerings to God, Prayer and Praise, should be free-will-offerings, come from us not like water out of a Still forc'd by the Fire, but like water out of a Fountain with native freeness, readily and freely.
1. God loves a chearful Giver, constrained service is of no value and respect with him. Under the Law, when Sacrifice of Beasts were in fashion, wherefore did God chuse the purest and fattest of every thing offer'd to him, but as a testimony of a willing mind? and still he looks to the affections rather than the action. God weighs the Spirit, Prov. 16. 2. When God comes to put them into the balance of the Sanctuary, what doth he weigh? External circumstances of duty, or the pomp and appearance wherein men go? No, but he considers with what kind of heart it is done, and the love of sin God takes notice of that, as well as the practice of sin. So in our duties, God takes notice of the love, the inclination of our souls, as well as the outward service, therefore our offerings must be free and voluntary.
2. God deserves it, he doth us good with all his heart, and all his givings come to us from his love. Why did he give Christ for us, and to us? He loved us. Why gave he him for us? God so loved the world, John 3. 16. Why doth he give Christ to us? Eph. 2. 4, 5. God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickned us together with Christ. That which moved God to bestow his saving grace upon us, was his great love, and all the good we receive from him; why mercy pleaseth him, and I will rejoice over them to do them good. If he deliver us out of any danger, he hath loved us from the grave, Isa. 38. 7. Now love should season all our services to God.
3. Where a day of grace hath past upon our hearts so it will be, the soul will come off readily and freely to the duties God hath requir'd of us. Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power. We are naturally backward, slow of heart to do any thing that is good, hang off from God, will not be subject to him; but when the day of his power passeth upon us, then we are a willing People, we are more delighted in communion with God, less averse from him, the bent of our hearts is altered, and the stream of our affections is turn…d another way, and our converses with God are more delightful, and we are as earnest in serving God, as before we were in serving sin.
Use. To press us to serve God with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, 1 Chron. 29. 9. Thus when we give God any spiritual Sacrifice, when we pray or praise him, we should do it willingly, not customarily, or by constraint, or for by-ends, nor by the compulsion of a natural Conscience; and when we feel (as we shall now and then) any tediousness and irksomness in Prayer, we should quicken our selves by this motive, Christ Jesus who was our sin offering, he willingly offer'd up himself upon the service of our salvation. I might urge other Arguments, as the nobleness of our service, the greatness of our reward, the many sweet Experiences we shall gain in our converse with God, but this should be as the Reason of Reasons, and instead of all, Christ Jesus did not grudgingly go about the work of our salvation, but willingly offer'd himself, Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy Law is within my heart. When God would have no more legal sin offerings, but the great sin-offering of the Gospel was to be produc'd and brought forth in the view of the world, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me. Now our thank-offering should be carried on with the same willingness. Christ will be served now out of gratitude, and therefore his love should constrain us. Surely if we believe this great mystery of Christ, that he did willingly offer himself upon the service of our souls, and if we have any faith in him, faith will work by love, Gal. 5. 6. The soul may reason and discourse thus with itself, Do I believe Christ Jesus did thus willingly give himself for my soul, how can I be backward in God's service, and hang off from him? O let me live to Christ, who loved me, and gave himself for me, Gal. 2. 20. What shall I be more backward to do for God, than Christ was to die for me? To go to the Throne of Grace, than Christ Jesus was to go the Cross? Can I hang off from such pleasing Noble Service, when Jesus Christ my Lord refus'd not the hard work of my Redemption? If his Will was in it, certainly so should be yours.
Doct. 3. The third Point, That these free-will-offerings are accepted with God. They shall come with Rams, (speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles, in terms proper to the old legal dispensation) and they shall come with acceptance, Isa. 6. 7. And Mal. 3. 4. Then shall the offering of Iudah and Ierusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. Upon what grounds, and what way our acceptance with God is brought about, our works in themselves cannot please God, they are accepted not as merits, but as testimonies of thankfulness.
1. Our persons are by Christ reconciled to God, and in worship he delights. This is the proper importance of laying the Peace-offering upon the top of the Burnt offering, Lev. 3. 10.
2. Our infirmities are cover'd with his Righteousness; for Christ is the Propitiation, the Mercy-seat that interposeth between the Law and God's gracious Audience. We come to the Throne of Grace, when we come to God in and by him, Heb. 4. 16.
3. By his intercession, our duties are commended to God: As Aaron was to stand before the Lord with his Plate upon his forehead, wherein was writ, Holiness to the Lord; why? That he might bear the iniquity of the people, that they might be accepted of the Lord. All our acceptance comes from Christ's intercession; and alas! our Prayers and Praises are unsavoury Eruptations, Belches of the Flesh, as they come from us, a great deal of infirmity we mingle with them, we mingle Brimstone with our Incense and Sweet Spices, therefore provoke the Lord to abhor and despise us, but there's an Angel stands by the Altar that perfumes all our Prayers and Praises. How should this encourage us against the slightings of the world, and discouragements of our own hearts, and look after the testimony of our acceptance with God.
Doct. 4. The fourth Point, That this gracious acceptance must be sought and valu'd as a great blessing. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord. And it must be valu'd as a great blessing, if we consider either who the Lord is, or what we are, or what it is we go to him for. If we consider who the Lord is, God all sufficient, that standeth in no need of what we can do, that cannot be profited by us, he is of so great a Majesty, that his honour is rather lessned than greatned by any thing we can do; the great-Author of all blessings, all our offerings come from himself first, of thine own have we given thee. And if we consider what we are, poor, impotent, sinful Creatures, will God take an offering at our hands? And if we consider what we do, nothing but imperfection, there is more of us in it of our fleshly part in any thing we do, yet that these things should be accepted with God.