Sermons on Psalm 119, Sermons · Sermon 181
SERMON CLXXXI.
PSALM CXIX. VER. 166.
Lord, I have hoped for thy Salvation, and done thy Commandments.
THE Man of God had said, Verse 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law, and nothing shall offend them; now he particularly applyeth to himself, what he had generally spoken before: 'Tis sweet when we can thus comfortably apply Promises, and make out our own Title and Interest; this is Davids work in this, and the following Verses: Here he maketh profession of two things, his Hope and Obedience; which indeed are the two great things that belong to a Christian; Graces, much praised, and little practised: Quarum multa sunt Elogia, pauca Exempla. They are fitly coupled together in his Plea; I have hoped, I have done: For our Confidence in Gods Mercy, is no greater than our Fidelity in his Precepts; and they are both professed before God, who searcheth the heart and tryeth the Reins. Lord, I have hoped for thy Salvation, and done thy Commandments.
Doctrine. Sound hope of Salvation is, and must be joyned with a care of keeping Gods Commandments.
First, I shall speak of the several branches of this Profession apart.
Secondly, Then of their Conjunction.
First, Separately; and there,
I. Of the Profession of his Hope; Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation.
1. The Object and thing hoped for, is Salvation; Salvation is Temporal, or Eternal; of the Body, or of the Soul. Rabbi David Kimchi understandeth it of the latter, but it seemeth rather to imply help and deliverance out of dangers and distresses. Indeed neither can be well excluded; not Eternal Salvation, for without that, Temporal Deliverance is but a reprieve for a time, not a total exemption from Evil: not Temporal Salvation, because before we come to look for our full and final deliverance, God will try us by the way, and train us up in the expectation of other things: As men learn to swim in the Rivers and shallow Waters, that afterwards they may swim in the Ocean and deep Waters. So by expecting lesser things, we learn to wait for greater; both must be hoped for, but with a difference; Eternal Salvation absolutely, but Temporal with submission to Gods Will. We have not temporal things alwayes in specie, in kind; but sometimes in value; for these things may be recompensed and made up another way, but no recompense can be given us for Eternal Life: The Apostle speaketh with submission as to his Temporal Case, but is peremptory as to his Eternal State: 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthned me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom. Again, though we are not to neglect the meanest Promise, yet our hearts should run more upon the things of another World. A Christian honoureth God by his Faith about Temporal things, when he will not cast away his Hope in the deepest Calamities; but much more when the concernments of the World to come are of the greatest force with him, and his Heart is wholly taken up about them: Looking for the blessed hope, Titus 2. 13. there is the Character of a Christian. Peace and freedom from Trouble in the World, is not the main thing that we should look after; but perfect Conformity to God, and full Fruition of him. God is the Chief Good; and the fruition of him as Promised, is the utmost happiness of the Creature: a true Christian hath a greater indifferency to the things of this life, all his business is to get an assurance of a better; he can look through the troubles of the World, and see sun-shine behind the back of the storm; Psal. 42. 11. Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my Countenance, and my God: But chiefly his Hope is layed up for him in Heaven, Col. 1. 5. his portion is layed up for him, and kept safe for his use, in a sure place: Here he knoweth he must be exercised with temptations and crosses. In short, Temporal things are desired for the sake of Spiritual and Eternal; but Eternal for themselves: a Traveller desireth an horse not for himself, as for the conveniency of his journey; so he expecteth temporal things as helps in his way and passage to Heaven. Well then, Salvation is the object of this hope, temporal Salvation in order to eternal; that we may have opportunities to glorifie God here, and may not faint and be overwhelmed with incident Crosses. This sentence is borrow'd from good old Iacob, Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord. 'Tis notable, Iacob speaketh this when prophetically blessing his Children; and when he cometh to Dan, the good old man seemed to be carried beside his Purpose, breaking out this of a sudden, but in Spirit foreseeing the Miseries and Calamities which his Posterity should fall into for their Idolatry: for Dan was the first Tribe that made defection, therefore he opposeth his Hopes to his Fears. We are told in the General, Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of God; that is, for deliverance out of Troubles; 'twill be of great use to us in our Troubles, to look to the issue of them. The Lord doth not wholly cast off his People, when he seemeth to break down the Hedge and Fence of his Providence, and leave them in their Enemies hands, he hath Salvation for a hoping People. But mark, 'tis thy Salvation; 'tis good to come out of trouble upon Gods terms, in Gods way, and in Gods time; others break Prison, Psal. 62. 1. My soul hopeth in God, from him cometh my Salvation. Expect it from God, and him alone.
2. The Act of Grace, I have hoped; Hope in the general, is the expectation of some future good, as 'tis a grace, 'tis some good thing promised by God; Psal. 130. 5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in thy word do I hope. I am judged for the hope of the promise, saith Paul, Acts 26. 6. So that Hope is the expectation of Good things promised; Faith and Hope do both work upon the Promise, but yet they are distinct Graces, they differ in their Object: The object of Faith is larger, the whole Word of God is the object of Faith. We believe things past, present, and to come; but hope for things to come only; among things to come, we believe both Promises and Threatnings; but the object of hope, is only things desireable. We believe the torments of Hell, but do not hope for them; in the Promises, Faith believeth the promise, and hope looketh for the thing promised: Faith looketh to the Authority of the Promiser, and Hope to the goodness of the thing promised: Faith begets Hope, and then Hope strengthens Faith: Faith holdeth the Candle to the Soul, whereby we see things invisible, and to come; and Hope maketh this light comfortable and ravishing to us. We have comfort in Believing, because hopes of Injoying; to believe Eternal Life, if we had not hopes to attain it, were a comfortless thing. Faith is before hope, and leadeth us to the object; and Hope followeth as Faith leadeth. Faith assents to, and applyeth the promise; and Hope waiteth for the Accomplishment. There are several sorts of Hope.
1. There is a Vain and Groundless Hope, the dream of a waking Man; As if a Beggar should hope for the Succession of a Crown; so there are some that dream of peace and safety, and sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; 1 Thess. 5. 3. This is an irrational thing.
2. There is rational and probable hope, but yet not so firm and certain, it is likely it will be so, but we have no absolute certainty, 2 Cor. 9. 10. He that ploweth, ploweth in hope, and he that thresheth, is partaker of his hope: This is necessary for the carrying on of all humane Actions, that a man should have probable hope of success, for without it there is no labour or rational attempt.
3. There is a firm and certain hope, when we have assurance of the things hoped for; so in the Commerce between us and God, he giveth us assurance in his Promises by his Word and Oath, that our Consolation might be the more strong, when we fly for refuge to the hope that is set before us, Heb. 6. 17. 18. There is a blessed and glorious Estate reserved to be injoyed in the Heavens, this is set before us; propounded as a prize in the view of the World: Now when we take hold of this, gain a right and title to it; God would have our Consolation the more strong, by the Assurance he hath given us in the Covenant made with us in Christ. Well then, Christian hope is not a Conjecture, or Probability, but an Assurance; many times all kind of Probability is contrary to Gods Assurance: Rom. 4. 18. Abraham believed in hope, against hope: Credidit in spe gratiae, contra spem naturae; Gods Assurance prevailed above natural difficulties; there rational and humane hope, and divine Hope are opposed.
4. This Assurance admits of Degrees, for it may be full, or not full; Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope to the end. The full Assurance is that which removeth all Doubts and Fears; and this it may do at some time, and not at another; it may be interrupted, or continue to the end: now we must give all diligence that it may do so. By slothfulness and negligence, it will be lost: Presumption and carnal Hope costs a man nothing to keep it, it groweth upon us we know not how, but this certain hope is not kept lively and upon the wing without great Zeal and Diligence in the Spiritual Life. Oh but it concerneth us much so to do; This Hope is necessary for us;
1. To Quicken and Enliven our Duties: Hope of Reward is one of the bands of a man, the weight that inclineth us to all Actions; much more doth this great Reward which the Christian Faith propounds. Acts 26. 6, 7. And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers: Unto which promise our twelve Tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come; for which hopes sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iews. And Acts 24. 15, 16. And have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise my self, to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. I run not as one that is uncertain, 1 Cor. 9. 26. not by guess, but sure grounds, Phil 3. 14. I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. 'Tis great and sure, here's excellency and certainty; a man that hopeth for any thing, will be ingaged in the thorough pursuit of it.
2. It sharpeneth our Affections after heavenly things; when we look for them, we will also long for them: Rom. 8. 23. And not only they, but our selves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit, even we our selves groan within our selves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. Hope stirreth up serious thoughts of Heaven and Blessedness to come, and hearty Groans after it; and so sets both mind and heart a-work. It sets the mind a-work, a man cannot hope for a thing, but he will be thinking of it: as the Scripture speaketh of the Labourer, that he lifts up his Soul to the hire, which he expects; Thoughts will be sent as spies into the Land of Promise, to bring us tydings thence. And it sets the heart a longing and groaning, that we were at home; Rom. 8. 19. For the earnest expectation of the Creature, foreign, stretcheth out the head, to see if it can spy it a-coming: as when Sisera's Mother expected him, she looked through the Lattice; there will be strong desires, as well as serious thoughts: not glances and hasty wishes, such as Worldly Persons may have in their serious Moods and sober Fits; these vanish and leave the heart never the better: but earnest longings, such as settle into an heavenly Frame; that taste which they have already, maketh them groan for what is behind.
3. It sets the heart at rest, and allayeth our Disquiets, and Fears, and Cares, and Sorrows, that so we may go on cheerfully in Gods service: 'tis the pleasure of God that the heirs of promise should for a while shine as lights in a corrupt World, and be exercised with all kind of Temptations, that his power may be manifested in their weakness: Now that we may ride out the storm, he gave us hope: not only veniam sperandi, leave to hope for his Mercy, but virtutem sperandi, the Grace of hope, strength so to do: and what is the use of it, but to Calm the heart under all distempers? therefore 'tis compared to an Helmet, and an Anchor. To an Helmet, 1 Thes. 4. 8. Take to you the helmet of salvation which is hope. An Helmet is to cover the head; this maketh a Believer hold up head in all his streights and troubles: The policy of the Devil is to weaken or darken the hopes of Eternal Life, and then he knoweth he shall the sooner overcome us: therefore the life of a Christian should be to keep on his Helmet, to keep his hopes of heaven lively and fresh, and then he will not be dejected. Again, 'tis compared to an Anchor, Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have, as an Anchor, both sure and stedfast, which entereth into that which is within the vail. As the Anchor holdeth the Ship in a Tempest, so doth hope keep the Mind in a constant temper in the midst of the stormy gusts of Temptation, that we dash not against the Rocks; that would break our Confidence and Profession: It strengthens, and quiets the floating heart of Man, Things will end well at last, how blustering and stormy soever the weather be at the present. The floods of Temptation, and the Tribulations of this present Life are permitted to invade us, but that God hath given us an Anchor, that they shall not drive us from the haven of eternal happiness. Whatever our Cross be, Immoderate Grief for the Death of near and dear Relations; 1 Thes. 4. 13. Mourn not as those without hope. Cur enim doleas si periisse non credis? Cur impatienter ferres subductum, quem iterum credis reversurum esse? pro festo est quam put…s mortem; saith Tertullian: de patientia. If for loss of Goods and Estate, Heb. 10. 34. And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in your selves that in heaven ye have a better and enduring substance. If a Poor Man that had all his Wealth about him, should fall into the hands of Thieves and Robbers, and be rifled by them, he must needs cry and take on pitifully; for alas he is altogether undone, and hath nothing left him wherewithal to succour himself and his Family. But a Rich Man that hath store of Money at home, and sure locked up in his Chest, will never complain and be much disquieted, when he hath twenty or forty Shillings taken from him: for Worldlings to rage, and take on, when they must lose their Estates, 'tis no Marvel; those whose portion is in this Life, and know no better; alas! for when these things are gone, they have nothing left, and are quite undone! But those that are heirs according to the hope of eternal Life, they know they have a better and a more induring substance; they consider what they are born to, what they shall enjoy, when they come home to God, therefore their hearts are calmed and quieted. So if it be the oppression of wicked Men, and hard Sufferings and Persecutions for the Gospel; 2 Cor. 4. 17, 18. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen, are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal. He that hopeth for nothing from God, will soon fall off from him, and yield to fainting discouragements, their hearts are turned off and perverted; but when we hope, we do with Patience submit to the Cross: What troubles will not they undergo that expect undoubtedly their speedy ending in everlasting and endless Bliss and Happiness? If God hideth his Face, that raiseth a storm; Psal. 43. 5. Why art thou so disquieted, O my Soul? still hope in God. Casting Anchor upon the Rock, as the crying Child falls asleep with the Teat in his mouth; or when God delayeth the performance of what is promised, Prov. 13. 12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. Expectation is a tedious thing, as smoak to the eyes, and vinegar to the teeth, an ordinary messenger sent on a trifling Errand. Now Rom. 8. 15. If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 1 Thes. 1. 3. And patience of hope in our Lord Iesus Christ. Is a Title nothing before Possession? 'Tis not a matter of debt. Or is it the fear of approaching death, which is the King of Terrors? Prov. 14. 32. The wicked shall be driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death. The Wicked being arrested by Death, is hurried away into Hell: but the Righteous dismisseth his Soul into his Redeemers hands. Never more chearful, than when our confidence in Gods Mercy is most put to Trial.
Secondly, Here is the Profession of his Obedience, I have done thy Commandments.
Here is,
I. The Object, [thy Commandments.]
II. The Act of Duty, [done.]
I. The Object, thy Commandments, quia tua; therefore kept them, because they are thine; things thou hast given in charge: Men were ready to perswade, or threaten him out of his Duty.
II. The Act of Duty, done thy Commandements: The Act of Duty, to Do, noteth, the substance of the Act, or Omission: The doing things Commanded, by eschewing things Fordidden.
3. The Manner of doing, out of knowledge of Gods Command, and Conscience of obeying it, to his Glory and our Salvation. Now, saith David, I have done it; Implyeth, I have not only Care and Conscience, but Strength and Ability, in some measure to do thy Will.
But is not this Plea a proud Word for a Creature, to say, I have done thy Commandments? Who can thus say, and aver it to the face of God?
Ans. There is a Twofold keeping or doing of the Commandments; Legal and Evangelical.
(1.) Legal, When we do them so exactly, as is answerable to the Rigor of the Law, and the Rule of strict Justice doth require; which exactness is, when our Obedience is Universal in every Point; when every thing Commanded by God, is done by us, without failing in one point: Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, written in the book of the law to do them.
1. In all things; and that,
2. Continually, in respect of time; from the first minute of our birth till our dissoution; one failing in thought at any time casteth off our Plea.
3. Full and Compleat in respect of the degrees and measure of Obedience, with the utmost Intention and Affection of the heart, which the Scripture expresseth by all the Heart, and all the Soul. In this sense, never man was able to keep the Law, save only the first Adam in innocency, and the second Adam Jesus Christ; and therefore according to this Rigor, there is no hope for us, one sin once committed, would undo us for ever, as it did the Apostate Angels.
(2.) Evangelical, according to the foreign and moderation of the Gospel, that is, when we do the Commandments according to those terms of Grace, which God offereth to us in Christ; that doth, as to Obedience mitigate the Rigor of the Law in two things.
1. It granteth a Pardon of Course, to some kind of sins.
2. Accepteth of Repentance, after any the most hainous sin committed.
1. It granteth a Pardon of Course to some kind of sins, as sins of infirmity, either of Ignorance, which if we had known we would not have committed; or sins of suddain surreption, which escape without our observing of them; or sins of violent Temptation, which by sudden assault, sway against the right Rule before we have time to weigh both it and our selves, or in cool Bloud to think what we are a-doing. Such as do not arise out of any evil purpose of the Mind, but out of humane Frailty, and from which we shall never be free as long as we live in this Body of Corruption: Rom. 7. 24. Paul groaneth under these relicks; when what we have done is not out of deliberate consent, giving way to the growth and reign of Sin. Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you; non dixit, non sit, sed non regnet; inest peccatum cum perpetras, regnat cum consenseris; saith Austin. When we give Obedience to it, freely, willingly yield up our selves to be Servants of it, then Sin Reigns: Therefore he doth not say, let not Sin be in you, or Tempt you, or please you; but let it not Reign in you. 'Tis a misery to be Tempted, a snare to be delighted, and a forfeiture or renouncing the Grace of the Covenant, to give up our selves to the full sway of it.
2. The Gospel doth herein moderate the Rigor of the Law, because it leaveth a Sinner a way and means of Recovery; Namely, by Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ; and upon Repentance giveth him a Pardon. Matth. 9. 13. Remission or Forgiveness, is a Priviledge of the New Covenant; the Law knoweth no such matter. Ezekiel 18. 21. 22. But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right; he shall sur…ly …ive, and not die: all his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him. Well then, this is to be understood in the Gospel sense, 'tis the Plea of a Man Justified freely by Gods Grace, and one that is Sincere and Upright for the Main: One that had received Grace to be Faithful, though not without his Infirmities, and did not make a practice to live in any known sin against Conscience.
Secondly, We now come to shew the Connexion between these two.
I. None can and do rightly hope for Salvation, but they that keep the Commandments.
II. None do and can keep the Commandments, but they that hope for Salvation.
I. None can and do rightly hope for Salvation, but they that keep the Commandments: that will appear to you,
1. Partly, Because God hath by a wise Ordination, conjoined Means and End, and offered the Promises with a qualification; Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honour, and immortality, eternal life. God hath not simply promised Blessedness, but the Promise requireth a qualification, and a performance of Duty, in the Person to whom the Promise is made: and therefore before we can have a certainty of Hope, we must not only look upon the Assurance on Gods part, but make out our qualification. So Psal. 1. 1, 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. So Psal. 119. 1, 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with the whole heart; and many such places, which intimate that blessedness belongeth to such as are of an holy Heart, and intirely give up themselves to an holy Course; that doing the Commandments uprightly, and in a Gospel Sense, is a necessary Condition to qualifie those Persons which shall be saved. And therefore they that live in any sin against Conscience, may take notice how fearful their Estate is for the present, and how needful it is to begin a good course, before they can have any hope toward God.
2. And Partly, Because true hope is operative, and hath an influence this way; There are two parts in Sanctification; Mortification, and Vivification: and true Hope hath an influence upon both. Mortification, 1 Ioh. 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him, purisieth himself, as he is pure; that when we see God, we shall be like him; he that hopeth for such a pure and sinless Estate, either to see God, will he appear before him in his filthy Rags? Ioseph washed himself when he was to come before Pharaoh; so when to appear before God, what! with this wanton, vain, unclean heart? We are to be like him; is this to be like Christ, where there is such a disproportion between Head and Members? And if this hope be fixed in our hearts, it will set us a purifying more and more. So for Vivification, it urgeth and incourageth to Obedience; Tit. 2. 12, 13. For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. Look backward or forward it urgeth the heart to Obedience. Why backward to the duties of Holiness? shall we be Lazy in his work, when we expect such a great Reward?
3. Because there is no such thing to damp Hope, and weaken our Confidence as Sin. We cannot trust him whom we have offended freely, and without restraint: and therefore while we please the flesh, we break our Confidence: Sin will breed shame and fear, and 'tis impossible to hope in God, unless we serve him in love, and seek to please him: if we feel it not presently, we shall feel it: sin that now weakeneth the Faith which we have in the Commandments, will in time weaken the Faith that we have in the Promises. Every part of Gods revealed Will, cometh to be tried one time or another: our Confidence in Gods Mercy, is not earnestly and directly assaulted till the hour of Death, or the time of extraordinary Trial: When the evil day cometh, then the Consciousness of my own sin, whereunto we have been indulgent, will be of like force to withdraw our assent from Gods Mercies: as the delight and pleasure we took, was to cause us to Transgress his Commandments: 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
4. Because our hope is increased by our diligence in the holy life. This fostereth and augments it, Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you doth shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. It must needs be so, for since there is a qualification, the more clear our qualification is, the more full is our assurance of hope; and so far as a man neglects his duty, and abateth in his Qualification, so far doth his Assurance abate. To look on one side of the Covenant is a groundless presumption.
2. None do and can keep the Commandments, but they that hope for Salvation. This is plain from the order of the words in the Text; first, I hoped for thy Salvation, therefore done the Commandments; implying, that thereby he kept the Commandments: without this, none can have an heart nor hand to do any thing for God. Peccator (saith Bernard) nihil expectat indique peccator est quod bonis presentibus. Non modo delectus, sed etiam contentus, nihil in futurum expectat. He that looketh for nothing from God, can never be diligent in his service, nor faithful and true to him. Hope, 'tis our strength; Lam. 3. 18. And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: we first begin, continue, and go on with God, upon the hope he offereth to us.
Use. I. It reproveth those that hope well, but take no care to do any thing for God: Every one will say, they must hope in God, but none looketh after this lively and operative hope: their hope is barren and unfruitful, who are they that can make Application of the Promises, 2 Tim. 4. 8.
Use. II. Is to perswade us to the coupling of these two; when this Conjunction is founded, then are we in a right frame: if we would keep the Commandments, we must hope for the Salvation of God; if we would hope for the Salvation of God, we must keep the Commandments. This is most acceptable to the Lord; Psal. 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and hope in his mercy. Such as believe, and fear to offend him, they have acceptable Communion with him. 'Tis for your Comfort, Acts 9. 31. 'tis for the honour of Religion; on the one side to avoid the carnal Confidence of Papists, on the other the cold Profession of Protestants; if you hope for temporal Deliverance. They that make no Conscience of obeying God, cannot hope for Deliverance from him; for his Salvation must be expected in the way of his Precepts. Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do Good; so shalt thou dwell in the land. So Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Then we may commend our selves and all our Affairs to Gods care and trust: it becometh them that look for Salvation, and to be helped out of their troubles, to be more earnest than others in keeping his Law. If you would enjoy the comfortable Assurance that you shall be saved at length, live so, as you may never mar your Confidence: 1 Pet. 1. 13. Be sober, and hope to the end. Live answerable to your hope; 1 Thes. 2. 12. On the other side, Hope; study Promises, Rom. 15. 4. The God of hope fill you with joy in believing; he is not only the Object, but the Author of it.