Sermons, Sermon 13
THE XIII. SERMON.
PSALME CXXX.
verse 5 I hauehave waited on the LORD: my ſoule hath waited, and I hauehave trusted in His word.
verse 6 My ſoule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning.
verse 7 Let Iſrael wait on the LORD: for with the LORD is merciemercy, and with Him is great redemption.
verse 8 And He ſhall redeeme Iſrael from all his iniquities.
WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS, The laſt day we diuided this Pſalme into theſe three partes. Firſt, the propoſition, whoſoeuer hee was that writ this Pſalme, hee maketh mention and rehearſall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger, and this hee doeth to the fift verſe: Then finding in experience a comfortable anſwere, and howe good a thing it was to pray to God, and to waite on Him, he profeſſeth▪ that as before, he had awaited on Him, ſo ſtill in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him, and this hee doeth to the ſeuenth verſe. In the third and laſt part, he turneth him to Iſrael, to the Church, and exhorteth them to await on God, as hee had done, promiſing them merciemercy and redemption from all their iniquities, if they would awaite on Him. The laſt day we ended the firſt part: ſo wee hauehave now to follow out the other two parts which remaine.
Then as for the ſecond, The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer, hee profeſſeth that hee will yet ſtill waite on the Lord: I hauehave waited on the Lord: my ſoule hath waited, and I hauehave trusted in His word: As though he would ſaye, I depend yet ſtill on His word, for the preſence of the Lord that wee hauehave in this life, is in His worde, and in His Holy Spirite, that accompanieth it: So all the dependance we hauehave on GOD, is in His worde and promiſe. Take that away, and then wee hauehave no ſight, no preſence, no faith here, till wee ſee Him face to face.
Yet the wordes are better to bee marked, hee ſaith, I hauehave waited on the Lord: Then hee ſaith▪ My ſoule hath waited on the Lord: as if he woulde ſaye, I hauehave not awaited on the Lord onelyonly with my bodily eyes, but with mine heart and ſecrete inward affections: I hauehave depended on Him from my verie heart. For, Brethren, marke it well, It is the heart of a man or woman, that draweth GOD downe from Heauen, & ſucketh in His preſence▪ Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it ſendeth vp ſighes and ſobbes to Heauen for grace, to pull down Gods preſence and grace: if there be no more but the eye, it will not doe the turne, but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart, it maketh it to …igh with ſobbes that cannot be expreſſed. It is not poſsible, but GOD, who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine, and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite, will grant that for which the Spirit maketh interceſsion. Paul (in the 8. chap. to the Rom.) ſetting downe the waiting on of the godly, how they wait on the Lord, he ſetteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts, as alſo the fruit of his operation, Wee ſigh in our ſelues, waiting for the adoption, euen the redemption of our bodies: there the vvaiting on of the godly, is conjoyned vvith ſighes and ſobbes. Then after, hee letteth vsus ſee what followeth vponupon that▪ What to ſeeke wee knowe not: but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vsus with ſighes and ſobbes vnſpeakeable then the Lord, who ſearcheth the heart, & knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit, granteth that thing, for the which the Spirite maketh interceſsion: for what els meaneth that vnſpeakeable joye, vvhichwhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they hauehave ended their prayers, but that their prayers are fauourably accepted? What meaneth that vnſpeakeable joy, when he ſaith, Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnſpeakeable and glorious? That joye witneſſeth, that the Lord giueth his preſence: for there is a ſure ground, There is no true joy, but in the preſence of God: and ſo the joy teſtifieth to thee, that thou ſigheſt not ſo ſoone, but the Lord giueth his preſence to thee. Now, when hee hath ſaide, My ſoule hath waited, then he ſubjoyneth, I will waite ſtill vponupon His word: I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen, as it were, and heare what He wil ſpeake vntounto me. There is no conſolation nor joy in this world, but in the hearing of His voyce: The friends of the bridegrome, ſaith S. Iohn, when they ſtand and heare the bridegrome ſpeake, they rejoyce exceedingly: So it is the joye of a Chriſtian to heare the Lord Ieſus ſpeake. The meaning is this, I hauehave waited on ſo long, & hauehave founde in experience how good a thing it is, and therefore that experience ſhall moue me to waite on ſtill, I am forced through the experience of mercy▪ to waite on ſtill without wearying. This prophet, whoſoeuer he was was in a great danger, and therefore in the beginning hee ſaide, Out of the deepe places hauehave I cryed vntounto thee, O IEHOVAH: ſo he was vnderunder great affliction, his affliction y• hee ſuffered wrought in him ſo y• he waiteth patientlie ye Lords deliuerāce: a waiting with patience, in end he finds experience & proof of the mercy of God, for hee was deliuered: finding experience of the Lords louelove through that deliuery, hee conceits an hope that Gods fauor ſhal neuer leaue him, & profeſſeth that he wil wait yet ſtil, & wait on cōtinually, becauſe of that experience of mercy. In the 5. chap. to the Romanes, yee hauehave the notable effectes that affliction worketh, linked together: and if there vvere no more but the effects y• wee finde to hauehave beene in this man, they teſtifie, that it is true that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh here: Oppreſſion (ſaith he) worketh patience, that is when affliction is ſanctified to him that is afflicted, through time it bringeth forth patience. Then after that a man hath waited patiently on the deliuerance of the Lord, then ſaith he, patience worketh experience, that is, a bodie that abideth patiently vnderunder the croſſe, in the end he findeth an experience and proofe of the Lords louelove, one way or other, either by deliuery, or by furniſhing ſtrength to beare it out, or by ſome ſpirituall grace. Then he ſaieth, experience worketh hope, that is, when anie one hath founde in experience the mercy of the Lord, hee conceaueth an hope, that the Lord ſhall euer deliuer him, and neuer forſake him: & he hopeth yt he ſhall get greater fauour, than euer he got before: for if the Lord giuegive the faithfull a temporall deliuerie, they hope Hee ſhall giuegive them eternall deliuerie: And this is ſure, thou canſt neuer hope for great enough things of the Lord, thine hope is farre inferiour to the things that ſhall be granted: for certainly, they that hope in the Lord, ſhall finde greater thinges than euer they hoped for: thou art not able to apprehend in thine hope the greatneſſe of them: the kingdome, the joye, and the glorie, is greater than thou canſt looke for: when thou ſhalt come there, thou ſhalt finde that all thinges are greater than thine hope.
Nowe when hee hath proponed that hee will hope in the Lord, hee beginneth in the next verſe to amplifie that propoſition, and declareth the earneſtneſſe of it by a compariſon taken from the watch-men, who watch all the night ouer without any reliefe, and ſaieth, My ſoule waiteth on the Lord more than the morning-watch watcheth for the morning. It is a worthie thing, to conſider how that after the heart is once preuented with a taſting of the ſweetneſſe of Gods fauour, howe that heart will hing and depend vponupon Him, and ſeeke and waite for grace at Him more and more. Alas! from whence commeth this, that men & women are ſo careleſſe to ſeeke the Lord, and to waite on Him? Alas! they hauehave not taſted of that gracious ſweetneſſe that is in God through Ieſus Chriſt, for if they had once taſted of it, there would bee a perpetuall thirſting & deſiring for that preſence: the heart would neuer hauehave reſt nor eaſe till it got that preſence. The Apoſtle Peter, when he deſireth them to ſeeke that ſincere milke of the worde, whereby they might grow, hee ſubjoyneth, If once yee hauehave tasted how ſweet and gracious the Lord is: meaning, that they that neuer hauehave taſted of the ſweetneſſe of the Lordes preſence and His graces, hauehave not a deſire of grace. Wee ſee heere what is the eſtate of the faithfull in this worlde, by this compariſon with the watch. The eſtate of eueryevery one of vsus. is this waking and watching from euening to morning. The watch, yee knowe, watcheth in the night, and there eſpecially where greateſt danger may fall out, and the watch that hath no reliefe in his watching, but muſt watch from the euening to the morning, hee muſt bee very weary, and being very weary, hee will bee very deſirous of the morning and the ſunne riſing: when it commeth, he is relieued of his painfull watching & goeth to take his reſt. To apply this to vsus: This world which wee liue in, till the comming again of the Lord Ieſus, is but a darkeſome night, in reſpect of that glorious day that ſhall appeare when He commeth againe. Indeed, the world ſince the firſt cōming of Chriſt, is called a day in the Scripture: but that is in reſpect of them that were before Chriſt, but in reſpect of that paſſing light that Ieſus Chriſt ſhall thē bring with Him: this is but paſſing darknes, and we ſhall thinke ſo, when that day ſhall come. Nowe next, the watch in this worlde was neuer more ſtraitelie bound to watch in the night, than eueryevery Chriſtian man is bound to watch till he come again: & this was the direction that Chriſt gaue His diſciples. Wait, for yee knowe not what houre thee good-man of the houſe ſhall come: and in watching, wee finde a great heauines: What faithfull man is in this world, that is not wearied with watching? The worlde that ſleepeth in this life, is not wearied, but the faithfull that watcheth is weary of this life, and faine would they hauehave that morning comming, whē the ſunne of righteouſnes, the Lord Ieſus, ſhall riſe vp, that they may be relieued: And when yt morning ſhall come, thou that haſt watched in this worlde, at the leaſt hath ſtriuen to watch, and looked for that glorious comming of the Lord Ieſus, thou ſhalt get reſt, ſo ſweet a reſt as neuer man found in this world: but thou that haſt ſlept here, & haſt not vvatched for Him, ſleepe on: when Hee commeth thou ſhalt get no reſt, thy ſleeping ſhall ende in a terrible wakening. There is no reſt to them that hath not a deſire to watch in this world: but they yt hauehave a deſire to watch, & to holde vp their heads, they ſhall get reſt, yea, endleſſe reſt, and quietnes.
Now, hauing ſpokē of the firſt & ſecond parts, I ſhall goe ſhortly forward to the third part of the Pſalme, wherein the Prophet turneth himſelfe to Iſrael, that is, the Church of God, and hee exhorteth Iſrael, the Church of God, to watch, & waite on the Lord: Let Iſrael waite on the Lord: finding in experience what hee had gotten for his waiting on, to vvit, merciemercy and deliuerance, he cannot be holden from glorifying Him, and cannot get Him glorified enough: Therefore, hee turneth him to the whole Church, and exhorteth them to vvaite on, that they may finde ſuch experience as he found, and that they may glorifie the Lord alſo. So the end he looketh to, is to glorifie the Lord, that He may bee glorified in manie belieuers, and waiters on him. The ende of the mercy of God tendeth to His own glory. There are many properties in God, he is infinite in wiſdom, in power, in trueth, infinit in glorie & Majeſtie. Now the Lord is glorified in all his properties, in his wiſdome, power & juſtice. But aboue all thinges, the LORD ſeeketh that the world ſhould glorifie Him in that deepe riches of merciemercy and gentleneſſe that is in Him, that wee ſhoulde praiſe Him euerlaſtingly in His merciemercy. And as this is His will, and as the mercy of GOD ſerueth to His glory, So the ſoule of a man that hath once taſted of the mercy of the Lord Ieſus, is caried away with ſuch a zeale to His glory, that it will cauſe am in forget himſelfe, and with Moſes and Paul wiſh to be a curſe and anathema, to hauehave God glorified. This man ye ſee, when he hath taſted or His mercy, hee turneth him to the whole Church, and willeth them to truſt in Him, that they might find His mercy, that ſo God may bee glorified. So it is hee onelyonly, who hath taſted of the mercy of God, who when he looketh thorow the miſerable world, can hauehave pity on any mā. He that neuer taſted of that mercy of God had neuer true pitic vponupon any mā Then y• thing which he craueth is this, that many ſhoulde taſte of His mercy, that God may be glorified by many. His heart is moued with pitie, and ſo all his endeuour is to ſee if once he can gette them win to God: for when hee looketh abroad vponupon miſerable ſinners, he is full of rueth and compaſsion. But marke againe, the zeale which hee hath to the glory of GOD, is the firſt cauſe that mooued him to ſeeke that all the world ſhould taſte of mercy and glorifie God. So firſt he beareth a louelove to Gods glory, and then he hath pitie towarde men: the one is the cauſe, the other the effect: the one preceedeth, the other followeth: the one is the roote, and the other the branch. All the louelove we cary to man, ſhould be for the louelove vve hauehave to GOD. And vvhere theſe two goe together, a zeale to the glory of God, (alas! vvhere is zeale to Gods glory now adayes? vvhichwhich is a true token, that His glory is departing away) and then a pitie of the miſery of man, a deſire of the ſaluation of man: then that man vvill forget himſelfe, that hee maye ſeeke the ſaluation of the vvorld, that ſo in it God may be glorified. And the man that hath this diſpoſition in his heart, is fit to be a Miniſter & Preacher of grace to the world, otherwiſe, if hee vvant this diſpoſition, it is but a colde preaching that he vvill make.
Now in the next vvords, vvhen he hath proponed the exhortation, and deſired them to vvaite on the Lord, to moue them the more, he pointeth out to the Church the nature of God, vvhat God is: for vvee muſt know vvhat God is, ere euer vvee put our truſt and confidence in Him: for why? ſaith he, with the Lord is merciemercy and gentleneſſe: as if hee would ſaye, The Lord is full of mercy. His mercies are incomprehenſible, yea, infinite, and neither man nor Angel can ſound out the deepneſſe therof: He is all merciemercy: and as S. Iohn ſaieth in his firſt Epiſt. chap. 4. verſ. 8. The Lord is louelove. Therefore, await on Him: for why? there is no want nor ſcant of mercy in Him. This is vvell to be marked, when hee exhorteth Iſrael to vvaite vponupon the Lord, hee ſaith not, becauſe He is omnipotent, and infinite in juſtice, onelie wiſe, &c. But hee giueth this reaſon, becauſe mercy is with Him, therefore waite vponupon Him. This would be well conſidered, What is the cauſe of this? Nowe I will aske another queſtion, What thing in God neede wee moſte into this worlde? There are manie thinges which wee hauehave much neede of: What is it that wee hauehave moſte neede of? Another queſtion: What is the eſtate that euerie one of vsus is borne in, in this worlde? Are wee not borne ſinners? conceiued and borne in ſinne and iniquitie? And ſo are wee not all miſerable? For there is nothing for ſinners, but miſerie, death, & damnation: and ſo all ſinners are miſerable. So, what thing is it that a ſinner wanteth moſt? vvhat is it that ſinne and miſerie craueth, but merciemercy? And if thou bee miſerable, the thing in this world that thou ſhouldeſt craue firſt, is mercy, that God woulde bee mercifull to thee: So merciemercy and forgiueneſſe of ſinne is the firſt thing whereto thou oughteſt to hauehave recourſe. And if thou wilt tell a miſerable bodie that feeleth himſelfe to bee miſerable and the childe of wrath, that God is omnipotent if thou point Him out in His wiſedome, in His juſtice, hee ſhall bee ſo farre from receiuing anie comfort, and conſolation, of anie of theſe things, that by the cōtrarie he ſhall be ſo terrified, that hee dare not preſume to ſeeke God, to looke to Him, to come to Him, &c: but hee will runne away from God: But tell him that God is mercifull, & full of grace in Ieſus Chriſt, that is the ſweeteſt ſpeach that euer he heard. But, alas! few of vsus feeleth that burthen of ſinne: Who is he that groneth vnderunder ſinne? Who feareth the terrors of that wrath? If thou find them, then tell thee of the mercies of Ieſus Chriſt, it would bee the ſweeteſt tale that euer thou heardeſt. And when a man is once ſenſible of the infinite mercies of GOD in Ieſus, then tell him of all the infinite properties of God, tell him of His power, wiſedome, and prouidence, they will all ſerue to his comfort: for why? he will thinke that all things that are in God appertaine to him, and ſerue to his weale, he will finde that all things will ſerue to his ſaluation. Otherwiſe, without this aſſurance of mercy, hee will neuer thinke them comfortable. So there is a ſure ground, The faith of a man or woman, firſt of all, is euer relatiue to the mercy of God: and that is the firſt object of faith. Indeed, hauing gottē a gripe of merciemercy, then it extendeth to all the reſt: but before that, there is nothing in God that it can reſt vponupon. Yee ſee by experience, when the law is preached, there is little allurance of the heart: but when the Euangell and Chriſt Ieſus is preached, the heart is drawne on and allured. What is the cauſe of this? The doctrine of the law is a doctrine of extreame juſtice, and His juſtice doeth nothing but terrifie the ſoule: but the doctrine of the Euangell is a doctrine of the mercy of God in Ieſus Chriſt, which draweth to it the hearts of men. Albeit thou heare the law preached an hundreth yeares, & heare no more, thou ſhalt be ſo far from being the better, that thou ſhalt ſtill be the worſe. So this teſtifieth, that the object of our faith is the ſurpaſſing mercy of God. Then, if thou wouldeſt ſearch ye nature of God (and ſearch Him a thouſand yeeres, thou ſhalt neuer come to the ground of His deepneſſe) ſearch out eſpecially His louelove & mercy: a man may faile & vaniſh away in curioſity, ſearching ye deepeneſſe of God: but in ſearching out His mercy, thou ſhalt neuer erre, it ſhall be with a joy & cōſolation of the heart. Paul prayeth for the Epheſians (chap. 3 verſ. 18.) that they might attaine to that infinite deepneſſe & breadth, length & height in God, for God is infinitly deepe in all things: but wherefore is it that he prayeth? Euen that they, ſearching in God, ſhould ſearch that infinit profoundity of the louelove of God. Surely, if wee would know that profoundity of God, & ſearch in to His nature▪ thē let vsus ſearch alwayes in to that louelove & mercy of God in IESVS Chriſt. And this ſearching hath euer a grouth and increaſe in faith, till wee get a ſight of Him euerlaſtingly.
To go forward. He is not cōtent to ſay, with Him is gentlenes, but he ſubjoynes, with Him is great redemption: the words grow in highneſſe, & theſe words comprehēd & ſet out a greater mercy in God than the former: now ye mercy of God in Ieſus Chriſt is not all told in a word: alas, for want of feeling we ſpeake ſlenderly & lightly of it: no, in very deed, all the words, and the greateſt words in the world, of the moſt holy, moſt wiſe, & moſt eloquent men, is not able to ſet out & point out that infinit greatneſſe & deepnes of it: and he & ſhe that once hauehave taſted of mercy, ſcarcely can they find words to expreſſe the thouſand part of it: whē they hauehave gotten a little taſte & apprehenſion of it, they are not able to get words to expreſſe that apprehenſion of the heart. Paul commonly calleth it the riches of mercy, God, who is rich in mercy, according to His infinit & great louelove, &c. Epheſ. 2. 4. Paul, Dauid, & the reſt of them cānot get words to expreſſe that apprehenſion of mercy that they hauehave in their heartes. No, there is no creature that is capable of that infinite mercy: for the worke that ye Spirite of Ieſus Chriſt doeth worke in the heart, whether it be a ſenſe of dolour, or a ſenſe of joy, the tongue of no creature can tell or expreſſe, Paul calleth it ſighes inexpreſſible: & Peter calleth it joy vnſpeakeable: So ye heart cannot expreſſe the greatneſſe of the worke of the Spirit. Men will thinke them hyperbolicall words, but that is a token that they hauehave not taſted that joy and mercy in their owne hearts.
Now in the laſt words he commeth neare hand, & makes a particular promiſe of His mercy to His Church, He will redeeme Iſrael, His Church, from all her iniquity, as hee would ſay, I hauehave told you, He is mercifull & full of redemption, but I come nearer hand: Thou ſhalt finde in experience, that Hee is mercifull, & full of redemptiō: So it is not enough to the Preachers of ye word, to preach Gods mercy and redemption generally to the world: no, they muſt come nearer hand, & in promiſing▪ they muſt make to the hearts of the people a particular application, and ſay not only, God is mercifull, but▪ He will be mercifull vntounto you, and He is full of redemption, and He ſhall redeeme you: and ſo ſay I, I hauehave not beene ſpeaking of mercy and redemption that appertaineth not to vsus, but the Lord ſhal be mercifull, and redeeme you, if ye belieue in Ieſus Chriſt: for there is no grace but in Him. If this particular application be not made, the cōſcience of ſinne is ſo great, that the ſinner dare not put foorth his hand to receiue mercy. Now to whom pertaineth mercy and redemption? He ſaith, Hee ſhall redeeme Iſrael, that is, the Church militant. The Church is militāt in this world, but redemption pertaineth to it in the ende. But where from ſhall the Lord redeeme ye Church? Not from perſecution and tribulation in this worlde, but from all her ſinnes. So this preſupponeth firſt, That the Church is full of ſin ſo long as it is in this world. This is but a vaine dreame to imagine that there ſhall bee a Church, or any member of the ſame, in this worlde, without ſpot: away with that vanitie. So next, the redemption of the Church ſtandeth nor ſo much in freeing it from perſecution or tribulation, although ſhe ſhall be redeemed from all theſe things alſo, as from redeeming her from ſin: the chieſe redemption ſhall be from ſin: for why? the greateſt enemy of the Church is her own ſins▪ & it is her own ſins that is the cauſe of all her perſecution and it is ſin that the Lord mortifieth and ſlayeth by perſecution and tribulation: for if there were no ſin, there would not bee ſuch a thing as a perſecuter or a tyrant againſt her: and the greateſt burthen that ye godly feele, is alwayes their owne ſins, & they were neuer vnderunder ſo great perfecution▪ no croſſe, no trouble comparable to the burthen of ſin. Paul ſaith, Rom. 7. 24, Miſerable man! who ſhall deliuer me? Where from? Not from perſecution, albeit he was ſubject to as great perſecution as anie man, but from this body of ſin, becauſe hee could not get that obedience to God, that hee would hauehave had. And wherfore died Chriſt? Was it to redeeme vsus from perſecution, or croſſes in this world? No, the Lord died that Hee might redeeme vsus from ſin with His precious blood. And Paul (to ye Corin) maketh mention of that triumph that the Church ſhall hauehave when the Lord Ieſus ſhall come, O death where is thy ſting? Then ſhe ſhall glory that ſhe is redeemed from ſinne, and from offending of GOD. And that ſhall be our chiefe felicity in that life to come, that our hearts & thoughtes ſhall be free of all ſinne, we shall offend God no more, but al ſhall be full of obedience to Ieſus Chriſt, and then shall we be fully ſanctified and glorified when wee get that bleſſed preſence of the Lord Ieſus, which wee long for: To whome bee praiſe and glory, for euer,
Amen.