Seven Sermons, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Psalm 112.7.
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
A Word fitly spoken, saith Solomon, is like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver. In which respect I have chosen this Scripture to treat on at this time. When the Winds begin to rise, and a Storm threatens, it is time then to get our spiritual Tackling ready, and to cast Anchor. The Mariner casts his Anchor downward; the Christian casts his Anchor upward, within the Veil; he doth in the deepest danger cast out the Sheet Anchor of Faith, and is not afraid: So saith the Text; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
In this Psalm you have described the character of a righteous man; v. 1. He delighteth greatly in Gods Commands: he doth not only keep Gods Commands, but he loves them; they are the joy of his heart; he delighteth greatly in Gods Commands.
Secondly, In this Psalm is set down the righteous mans happiness, several ways.
First, His Children shall be blessed; verse 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth. Righteousness entails mercy upon posterity.
Secondly, His Estate shall be blessed; verse 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house. A man is no loser by being righteous; it makes his Estate flourish.
Thirdly, His Soul shall be blessed; verse 9. It is righteousness shall endure for ever; that is, the joy and comfort of it endures for ever: his grace shall be crowned with glory: This Flower of Paradice doth not wither.
Fourthly, The righteous mans name shall be blessed; verse 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance; that is, his name shall be honoured; it shall live when he is dead. The righteous man, he carries a good Conscience with him when he dies, and leaves a good name behind him: He shall be in everlasting remembrance. And so I come to the Text. This righteous man shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
The Text consists of these two general parts.
First, The righteous mans priviledge; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.
Secondly, The ground or reason of it; His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. I begin with the
First of these briefly: The righteous mans priviledge; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings. When there are rumours of evils approaching, the godly man he shall not be discomposed in his mind; he shall not be in a pannick fear: Yet let me insert this for the right understanding of it.
First, Not but that the righteous man is sensible of danger; or else how can he humble himself under Gods mighty hand?
Secondly, Not but that some clouds of natural fear may arise in his mind. Grace, tho' it doth subdue, it doth not expel nature. But the meaning of the Text is this; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; that is, first, A righteous man, he shall not be afraid with a distracting fear; such a fear as takes him off from duty, untunes him quite for Gods service.
Secondly, He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, with a fainting fear, so as to have his heart die within him; as it was with Saul, 1 Sam. 28.20. Saul fell straightway all along upon the Earth, and was sore afraid; he fainted away in his fear.
Thirdly, A righteous man shall not be afraid of evil tidings with a despairing fear; he shall not so fear, but that still the heart doth sweetly rest upon Gods promises. It is with a godly man in time of danger, as it is with a Ship as it lies at Anchor: A Ship at Anchor, it shakes a little upon the Water, but it is fixt, being at Anchor. So tho' there may be some shakings and tremblings in the flesh; yet a Christian is not so tossed with fear, but he is like a Ship at Anchor; His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
Use briefly.
See the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked: the godly man he is not afraid of evil rumours; he doth not fear with a distracting or desponding fear; still hope is preserved and kept alive in the Soul: But the wicked, when danger approaches, are surprized with heart-killing fears, Isa. 33.14. The sinners in Sion are afraid: Fearfulness hath surprized hypocrites. Guilt is the bladder of fear. When Adam had stole the fruit, then he began to tremble: I was afraid, saith he to God, and hid my self. Sinners fall into Convulsions of Conscience. Cains mark was a shaking in the flesh: And a wicked man, he hath a trembling in his heart, Isa. 13.8. They shall be afraid: their faces shall be ashamed. They shall be afraid: The Hebrew word for fear, signifies such a fright as casts Women into travail, and makes them miscarry. So sinners▪ they shall be cast as it were into such a fright, as their faces shall be ashamed: What is that? that is, when troubles do arise, their faces do wax pale. So much for the first thing in the Text; the righteous mans priviledge; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings with a distracting or desponding fear.
Secondly, Here is the ground or reason why a godly person shall not be afraid or amazed at evil tidings, in these words, His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; there is the ground. This makes him as the Leviathan, without fear; His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord.
So the Observation is this;
Doct. It is the genius and temper of a true Saint, in times of imminent danger, to have his heart fixed, by trusting in the Lord Iehovah.
His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. For the illustration of this Proposition, I shall answer these three Questions.
First, What it is to trust in God in times of danger?
Secondly, Why we ought to trust in God?
Thirdly How faith doth fix the heart, and makes us to trust in God?
I begin with the first of these.
I answer, It is called in Scripture our casting our burden upon God; the burden of our care, the burden of our fear, the burden of our wants, the burden of our sins, Psal. 55.22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.
Secondly, Trusting in God in Scripture is called a staying our selves upon God, as a man that is ready to fall, he stays himself upon some prop or pillow. Thus a Christian, he stays himself upon God, Isa. 50▪10. I shall describe trusting in God thus; It is an Heroick act of Faith, whereby we roll all our care, and lay the stress of our Salvation only upon God.
Now there is required in this trusting in God, an absolute necessary,
1. Knowledge.
2. Acquaintance with him.
First, Knowledge of God, Psal. 9.10. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.
Secondly, In this trusting in God is required acquaintance with him through Christ: without acquaintance there can be no trust. One cannot well trust a stranger; there must be some acquaintance with God, Iob 22. v. 21. Acquaint thy self now with him, and be at peace. That's the first; What this trusting in God is:
Secondly, Why we must repose our trust in God?
I will give you but these two Reasons.
First, Because God doth call for this trust, Isa. 26.4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; Psal. 62.8. Trust in him at all times. Tho' you are in never such straits and fears, yet remember to cast Anchor upwards: Trust in God at all times: The Lord would take off our confidence and trusting in all other things besides, Ier. 17.5. Cursed be that man that trusts in man, and maketh flesh his arm. We break our Crutches, because we lean too hard upon them. God would have us make him our trust: And the truth is, trust and affiance is the chief part of the Worship we ascribe to God.
Secondly, We must trust in God in all our straits and dangers: He is the proper object of our trust. My Brethren, the Creature is not a fit object of our trust; as it appears thus: It hath two ill qualities that we cannot repose our trust in.
First, The Creature it deceives.
Secondly, It fails.
First, It deceives; it is but a sugared Lie: Where we think to suck Honey, we only tast Wormwood. And as it deceives, so it fades and withers; like a Rose, the fuller it is blown, the sooner it sheds. So that we cannot make the Creature the object of our trust: But God he deserves our trust; he is called in Scripture a strong Tower, where you may have safety, Prov. 18.10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower; he is Elshaddi, God Almighty, Gen. 17.1. There is no condition we can be in, no exigence, but he can relieve; he is God Almighty. In particular; there are two glorious Attributes in God, in which we may safely repose our trust:
The one is his Mercy.
The other his Truth.
They are both joyned in one verse: Thou wilt perform thy Truth and thy Mercy to Abraham.
First, We may rest and stay our Souls upon Gods Mercy, Psal. 13.5. I have trusted in thy mercy. Though I have sinned, mercy can pardon me▪ Though I am in want, mercy can relieve me. Gods mercy it is infinite: it is a Honey-comb for sweetness, and it is a Rock for safety.
Secondly, We may safely relie on Gods Truth or Faithfulness. Remember this; Truth is the object of Trust. Heaven and Earth may sooner fail than Gods Veracity, Psal. 89.33. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail. Good reason then we should trust in God. Where can we pitch our Faith but upon Gods Faithfulness?
Thirdly, The third thing is to shew you, that trusting in God is the way to have the heart fixed: His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
Note two things, first, That it is an excellent thing to have the heart fixed.
Secondly, It is only Faith doth fix the heart.
First, It is a rare thing: It is excellent to have the heart fixed; as appears two ways.
First, Fixing of the heart shews solid efficacy of spirit. A heart unfixt, it is just like a Ship without Ballast, blown up and down in the water.
Secondly, Fixing the heart fits it for holy duties. He whose heart is fixed upon God, he serves God with delight, with chearfulness. Indeed, a heart unfixt is a heart unfitted for duty. A shaking hand is not fit to write. An unfixed heart is unfit to pray or meditate; it runs after other vanities. Sure then a fixed frame of heart is an excellent frame of heart. You know when the Milk is settled, then it turns to Cream: So when the heart is settled and fixed on God, it is ever in the best frame. That's the first.
Secondly, That trusting in God doth fix the heart: The heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; that is, 'tis fixed by trusting. Faith, it frees the heart from those commotions which cause trembling and quivering; it fixes the heart upon God; as a Star is fixt in its Orb, so is a Believers Soul fixt on God. Faith makes the heart cleave to God, as the Needle doth cleave to the Loadstone. Faith fixes the heart. Such a fixed Star was Athanasius. Tertullian called him an invincible Adamant; he could not be stirr'd or moved away from the Truth: Faith had fixed his heart on God.
To make some Use of this.
Vse.
First, Here you see the misery of wicked men; they are unfixed; they know not where to rest when troubles come; they have no God to go to trust to. Sinners, they are like a Ship without Anchor, tossed with the Storms, that hath no where to put in for harbour; they are like the Old World; when the Flood came, they had no Ark to trust to. The wicked are like King Saul in an hour of danger, 1 Sam. 28.15. I am sorely distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me. A flagitious sinner is like a Souldier in Battel, where the Bullets flie about, and he is without Armour, and hath no Garrison to trust unto. Beloved, it is Faith makes the heart fixt in troublesom times. Faith doth ingarrison the Soul in Gods Attributes, and makes it like a Tower walled in with Rocks, that is impregnable.
Use 2. Of Exhortation.
Oh! Let us above all things labour for this heart-fixing grace of Faith. Trusting in God doth corroborate and animate, and bear up the heart in death-threatning dangers: Oh get this heart-fixing grace of Faith! But alas! who will not say, that he is resolved, and he is fixt? If a Storm doth arise, he for his part trusts in God: who will not say, he trusts in God? Therefore we must bring our hearts to a Scriptural Touchstone: it is worth while: Let us try whether our trusting in God be right or no. You shall know it thus.
First, If our Trust be right, then we commit our chief Treasure to God: our Soul is the Jewel, the chief Treasure, and we commit this to Gods care and custody, Psal. 31.5. Into thy hand I commit my Spirit; we lay up all our hope in God, Psal. 39.7. What wait I for? Lord, my hope is in thee. As in time of war, a man puts all his Money and Plate in a safe strong place, so must we lay up all our hopes in God as a strong Tower.
Secondly, If we trust in God aright, why then we do in all our danger flie to God. There are some, when troubles arise, they flie to their shifts; O! but do we flie to God? Psal. 143.9. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I will flie to thee to hide me. When Satan shoots his fiery Darts of Temptation, then we flie under Christs wing to shelter us; even as the Dove when the Hawk pursues it; it casts it self into the clefts of the Rock, and there it hides: So when Satan pursues us with Temptation, we get into the bleeding wounds of Christ, these clefts of the Rock, there we rest and are safe. Saith Austin, I lay my self softly, and rest▪ upon my Saviours bleeding wounds.
Thirdly, If we trust in God aright, then we can repose our trust in God when all creature Refuges fail us, Hab. 17. Though the Fig-tree should not blossom, can we relie upon God, upon his Promises, upon his Attributes? Can we trust in God in the deficiency of second causes? Can we trust God without a Pawn? Can we go to Heaven without Crutches? then our trust is genuine; a true trust. When the Pipes are cut that use to bring us in comfort, can we say still, Yet all our fresh springs are in God? Psal. 87.7.
Fourthly, We may know if our trusting in God be right, by having a spirit of courage infused into us. Unbelief breeds fear. Faith breeds courage, Prov. 28.1. The righteous man is bold as a Lion. Faith enables a man to appear in a good cause, and to withstand all opposition, Dan. 3.18. Be it known to thee, O King, we will not serve thy Gods, nor worship thy golden Images, Heb. 10.34. Such an invincible Christian was Basil the Great, who feared not the threats of the Emperour; he was like a Rock which no water could shake.
Fifthly, We may know our trust is right, when we obey God in all things he calls for. There are two things in holy trust; there is Affiance, and Obedience, Rom. 16.26. Observe, they who expect what God promises, they will perform what God commands, Psal. 26.1. They have trusted in the Lord. Where was the tryal of this trust? Psal. 119.66. I have kept thy Commandments. They deceive themselves that say, they trust in God, and yet they will not serve him; they deny to give God the kiss of Obedience.
Sixthly, True trusting in God is purifying; having purified their hearts by faith. Faith purges out the love of sin, as Physick purges out the noxious humours, 1 Tim. 3.9. holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. Faith is the wedding grace, that marries Christ; and Holiness is the Child that Faith brings forth. The Woman in the Gospel who touched Christ by faith, felt a healing virtue coming from him. Let not that man say his heart is fixed, trusting in God, who allows himself in any sin; what, trust in God, and yet swear, and be drunk, and unclean! this is not trust, it is presumption. Just like those Jews, Ier. 3.4, 5. Wilt thou not cry unto me, My Father? what follows? behold thou hast done evil things as thou couldst. Those Hypocrites would call God Father, yet sinned as fast as they could.
Seventhly, True trusting in God, it is a patient waiting, a waiting trust, Psal. 37.7. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Though a Believer hath not what he desires presently upon the return of prayer, those smiles and love-tokens from God as he desires; yet he is resolved he will be in a waiting posture; he will wait till mercy comes. That's a fine Scripture, Psal. 123.2. Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us. That man that hath not patience to wait, he hath no faith to trust. Remember that, Isa. 28.16. He that believeth maketh not haste. A Believer knows full well, the longer he stays for a mercy, the richer it will be when it comes. As the longest Voyages have the greatest Returns. Thus you see what this trusting in God is, that fixes the heart in evil times.
Now let me in a few words reassume the Exhortation. O! let us labour for this true Faith and trust, to have our hearts fixt on God in evil times. When all is done, faith is the heart establishing grace, Psal. 112.8. his heart is established. The Hebrew word there for establish, signifies thus much; the heart is shored up; it is a metaphor that alludes to an house that is shored up by pieces of Timber. Thus faith shores up the heart when it is like to sink. Oh! get this heart-fixing grace of faith; thus you come to be resolved and undaunted, even in the worst of times and dangers.
Now that we may labour thus, consider but these two or three things.
First, There is nothing but God we can fix our trust in. Alas! whatever else we trust to besides God, it will prove an Ark of Bulrushes; it will never shelter us in an hour of danger: there is no trusting in Riches, Prov. 23.5. Riches take themselves wings and flie. There is no trusting in Friends, they may die; or, which is worse, they may deceive, Micah 7.5. Our Lord Jesus was betrayed by a friend. There is no trusting in Great men; who can trust them that are not true to God? Psal. 118.9. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in Princes. There is no trusting in your own hearts; why, alas! the heart is full of lust, full of deceit; it is a bosom Traitor, Prov. 28.26. He that trusts in his own heart is a fool. Oh! but my Brethren, trust in God, he is a never failing Refuge. A little Boat or Pinnace, while it is tied fast to a Rock, it is very safe: So when the Soul is tied by faith fast to Christ Jesus the Rock of Ages, then it is safe, Psal. 46.11. My God is the Rock of my Refuge.
Secondly, Fixing our trust in God brings sweet peace with it. Peace is the Olive branch that faith brings in its mouth. Turn to that excellent Scripture, Isa. 26.3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. Pray observe; perfect trust is blessed with perfect peace. The word trust in God comes from the Hebrew, which signifies to nourish; why so? because our trusting in God, it doth nourish, it doth cherish peace in the Soul. Faith represents God as reconciled; this gives peace: he that trusts in God, he hath peace in the midst of storms and tempests; he is like Noah in the Ark, when the Deluge came, he could sit and sing in the Ark.
Thirdly and lastly, Fixing our trust on God, it is that which brings in mercy, and comfort, and deliverance to us, Psal. 32.2. He that trusts in God, mercy shall compass him about. Were it not a fine thing, in the midst of a fight, to be compast about with a golden Shield, that no Arrow or Bullet could pierce? It is true, Gods mercy, like a golden Shield, shall compass him about. O therefore get this heart-fixing grace of faith. To encourage your faith, remember these two things, you that Travel for the Churches deliverance; Faith and Prayer are the two Midwives that deliver Gods Church when she is in Travel. I will give you a clear Scripture, 2 Chron. 14.11. Help us, O Lord, there was prayer; for we rest on thee, there was faith. When we build our Affiance and Confidence on God, he of himself is obliged in point of honour, to defend and save us, Isa. 28.7. My heart trusted in thee, and I am helped.
To shut up all; Let us above all things labour to have our hearts fixt on God by holy trust. Trust him where you cannot trace him. Trust God for protection in this life, and Salvation in the other life.
My Beloved, trusting in God, it is a Receit for all diseases: Faith it is the cure. Doth the Orphan trust himself and his Estate in the hands of his Guardian? Doth the Patient trust his life in the hands of his Physician? And shall not we trust our Souls in Gods hand? 2 Sam. 22.31. He is a Buckler to all them that trust in him. If ever we would get mastery of our fears and disquiets, let us captivate carnal reason, and advance faith: So then you shall not be afraid of e…il tydings, for the heart will be fixed, trusting in the Lord.