Gods Great Care of His Good People in Bad Times, Sermon 1
GODS great care of his good People in bad Times.
Jeremiah Chap. 24. Verſe 5.
Thus ſaith the Lord, the God of Iſrael, Like theſe good Figs, ſo will Lacknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have ſent out of this place into the Land of the Caldeans for their good.
THeſe words are part of a Viſion which the Prophet ſaw, concerning Judah and Jeruſalem. The time when the Prophet ſaw this Viſion, appears in the firſt Verſe of this Chapter, to be after Nebuchadnezzar had carried away Jeconiah King of Judah, and the Princes, and a great multitude with them into Babylon. The occaſion of this Viſion was this, namely to comfort and ſupport the fainting drooping ſpirits of theſe poor captives, who becauſe they ſaw many of their brethren left in the Land of Judah, enjoying their liberty and their inheritances, when themſelves were now under captivity, diſinherited, ſtript of all their enjoyments, and caſt into a ſtrange Land, were hereupon exceedingly diſcouraged, and began to have their hearts ſink in deſpondency and deſpair: God now by this Viſion of two Baskets, one of good Figs, and another of bad Figs, would let them ſee, that however in the eye of ſenſe, thoſe that were left in the Land of Judah ſeemed to be more happy, and thoſe that were carried captive into Babylon ſeemed to be more miſerable; yet thoſe that were left in the Land of Judah were bad Figs, and therefore God would ſend the ſword, the famine, and the peſtilence amongst them, that ſhould conſume them from off the good Land; their end would be very miſerable, as it is in the laſt Verſe of the Chapter. And on the contrary, though they that were carried away captive ſeemed to be very miſerable for the preſent, yet they were the good Figs, and therefore their end would be very bleſſed, according to the words that I have now read unto you; Thus ſaith the Lord, the God of Iſrael, Like theſe good Figs, ſo will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have ſent out of this place into the Land of the Caldeans for their good.
In this Text then there are theſe two branches obſervable;
Firſt, We have the Author of a comfortable Meſſage.
And ſecondly, We have the Meſſage it ſelf.
The Author of the comfortable Meſſage is the Lord; who is deſcribed here by the intereſt he had in, and the relation he had unto his people; he is called the God of Iſrael.
Secondly, We have the Meſſage it ſelf. And herein take notice of two particulars;
Firſt, The explication of a Type.
Secondly, The application of it to theſe poor captives.
The explication of a Type in theſe words, Like theſe good Figs; by which the Lord ſhews the Prophet Jeremiah, what was meant by the Basket of good Figs.
And then we have the application of this Type to theſe poor captives; and the application is wholly comfortable, and the comfort it yeelds conſiſts in three particulars.
Firſt, God doth here promiſe them, that he would acknowledge them, and own them in a ſtrange Land.
Secondly, The Lord tells them that he himſelf did ſend them into the Land of the Caldeans.
And thirdly, He doth aſſure them that this tranſportation or carrying into Captivity, ſhould be for their profit and advantage: I have ſent them out of this place into the Land of the Caldeans for their good.
We will begin with the firſt branch of the Text, and that is the Author of this comfortable Meſſage, the Lord; deſcribed here by his relation unto his people, he is called the God of Iſrael.
But here it may be demanded, Why doth God ſtile himſelf by the name of the God of Iſrael, in this comfortable Meſſage that he ſends to theſe poor captives?
I anſwer, He doth it for this end, namely, to let them know, that though he ſeemed to caſt them off from being his people, becauſe he had now ſuffered them to be carried captive into a ſtrange Land, yet he was the God of Iſrael ſtill, and that they were even then under his fatherly care, and he had a tender regard unto them.
The Obſervation then which I would commend to you from hence, (that God calls himſelf the God of Iſrael, even at this time when Iſrael was carried into captivity) is this;
That God doth not caſt off his people, Doct. even then when he ſeems to caſt them off.—God is not regardleſs of his people, when he ſeems to be regardleſs of them.
To prove this Doctrine to you, there are theſe two branches that I muſt make plain:
Firſt, That God doth ſometimes ſeemingly caſt off his people.
But then ſecondly, That God doth not, will not, cannot, really caſt them off.
Firſt, I muſt prove that God doth ſometimes ſeemingly caſt off his people. He ſometimes ſeems to be ſo regardleſs of them, and of their condition, as if he had ſet them at a ſad diſtance from his love. Thus it was with theſe poor captives here in the Text, that were carried away into Babylon with King Jeconiah, and the Princes. And thus you ſhall ſee the Church complains, Pſal. 10.1. Why ſtandeſt thou afar off O Lord, why hideſt thou thy ſelf in times of trouble? And thus David complains, Pſal. 13.1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever, how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? And thus Job complains, Job 13.24. Wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and holdeſt me for thy enemy. And thus the Prophet Jeremiah complains, Lam. 3. v. 8, and 44. Alſo when I cry and ſhout he ſhutteth out my prayer, and thou haſt covered thy ſelf with a cloud that our prayer ſhould not paſs through.
But you may ſay, Why doth God ſometimes ſeem to caſt off his own people?
I anſwer: He doth it for theſe reaſons:
Firſt, Reaſ. 1 God would hereby teach us to live by faith, and not by fight and ſence onelyonly: if there were no tryals, if there were no deſertions nor temptations, there would be no exerciſe of faith at all: but now when a people can againſt hope believe in hope, that is, againſt hope of ſence, can believe in hope of the Promiſes, and can depend upon God at that time when he ſeems to caſt them off, and can hang upon the Promiſes as the earth is ſaid to hang upon nothing, this is the life,Job 26.7. this is the efficacie of faith indeed.
Secondly, God doth it, Reaſ. 2 to teach his people to reflect upon and be ſenſible of their unkindneſs in turning their backs upon him, and that therefore it were juſt with him to turn his back upon them for ever.
Thirdly, Reaſ. 3 God doth it for this end, to teach his people how to prize his preſence at a higher rate, that he may indeer the mercy of his perpetual abode: impriſonment makes liberty ſo much the ſweeter, and war (we know) makes peace ſo much the ſweeter; and health is moſt wellcome when it brings with it recommendation from ſickneſs. If it were with us as it is in Greenland, or with thoſe that live farre Northward, that we ſhould enjoy the light of the Sunne but onelyonly for five or ſix moneths in the year, how welcome would the Sunne be to us then: ſo Gods hiding away his face ſometimes, makes his preſence the ſweeter and the more welcome to us.
And then fourthly, Reaſ. 4 God ſometimes ſeems to deſert his people, that they may not deſert him; for ſhould we alwayes enjoy the ſmiles of his face, we ſhould quickly grow proud and wanton, and ſhould ceaſe to ſeek him ſo early as otherwiſe we would do; and therefore God deals with us as the Nurſe doth that hideth her ſelf from her Childe, to make the Childe cry after her; ſo God ſometimes leaves us, that we may ſeek him the more earneſtly, and follow him the more cloſely. Hoſ. 5.15. I will goe and return to my place (ſaies God) till they acknowledge their offences and ſeek my face, in their affliction they will ſeek me early. 'Tis true indeed, our comfort conſiſts in communion with God; for if he hide his face from us the ſteps of our ſtrength are ſtreightned; but yet this is as true, that while we live here upon earth, we can never enjoy a full and conſtant communion with our God, becauſe there is a mixture of corruption with grace. We are in a mixt condition here below, it is neither night nor day with us,Zech. 14.6. but partly night and partly day, and as long as we are in a mixt condition, ſo long we have need of a mixt manifeſtation.
Fifthly and laſtly, Reaſ. 5 God doth ſometimes ſeemingly caſt off his people, and doth deſert us that he may not deſert us; I mean God doth ſometimes deſert us in our temporal comforts, that he may not deſert us in our ſpiritual comforts; and God ſometimes deſerts us in our ſpiritual comforts, that he may not deſert us in our ſpiritual graces; and he deſerts us ſometimes in one grace, that he may not deſert us in another grace; as for example, God ſometimes deſerts us in prayer, that he may ſtrengthen the grace of humility: in a word, God deſerts us for a while, that he may not deſert us for ever; God deſerts us in a little wrath, that he may not deſert us in everlaſting wrath, that wrath that burns in hell to all eternity. Thus you have the firſt branch of the Doctrine opened to you, That God doth ſometimes ſeemingly caſt off his people.
But now ſecondly, God doth not, will not really caſt off his people; though they may be ſometimes caſt down, yet they are never caſt off; and though they may be dejected, yet they ſhall never be rejected; and though they may be left for a while, yet they ſhall never be caſt away. Iſa. 41.8, 9. But thou art Iſrael my ſervant, Jacob whom I have choſen, I have choſen thee and not caſt thee away. And Iſa. 44.21. Remember theſe O Jacob and Iſrael, for thou art my ſervant I have formed thee, thou art my ſervant O Iſrael thou ſhalt not be forgotten of me. True indeed, the righteous, that is Gods own people may ſometimes ſay, the Lord hath forſaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me, as it is Iſa 49.14. But ſee what God anſwers, v. 15, 16. Can a woman forget her ſucking Childe, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſon of her womb, yea they may forget, yet will not I forget thee; behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. Take but one Scripture more, and it is a full Scripture, Jer. 31.36, 37. If thoſe ordinances (of the Sun, Moon, and Stars) can depart from before me ſaith the Lord, then the ſeed of Iſrael alſo ſhall ceaſe from being a nation before me for ever: Thus ſaith the Lord, if heaven above can be meaſured, and the foundations of the earth be ſearched out beneath, I will alſo caſt off all the ſeed of Iſrael for all that they have done ſaith the Lord: But that can never be, the ordinances can never be changed, (ſaith God) therefore I will never caſt off my People. And would you know the reaſons of this ſecond branch of the doctrine, I ſhall give you theſe four briefly.
The firſt is drawn from the immutability of Gods Councel, Reaſ. 1 the foundation of God ſtandeth ſure, having this ſeal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. 2 Tim. 2.19. Gods great deſign, the councel he had in his boſom before the world began, it was to ſave his Elect. Now ſaith God, my councel ſhall ſtand.
The ſecond may be drawn from the unchangeableneſs of his love; Reaſ. 2 I have loved thee (ſaith God) with an everlaſting love, Jerem. 31.3. and the gifts, and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. 11.29. He ſpeaks of thoſe gifts that flow from election and from effectual calling, theſe gifts God never repents of, though he may repent of the common gifts he beſtows upon hypocrites.
But here it may be objected; May not the ſins of Gods own people cauſe him ſometimes to repent?
I anſwer, No. True indeed the ſins of Gods people may hinder the manifeſtation and the diſcoveries of his love, and may cauſe a fatherly diſpleaſure in him towards them, but they cannot utterly take away his love: as the undutifullneſs of a ſon to his father, may cauſe his father to hide his face from him, but yet he doth not diſinherit him or caſt him off: as all our ſins when they were laid upon Chriſts back, could not take away Gods love from him then, ſo neither ſhall they take away his love from us now, eſpecially when by the blood of his ſon they are purged away.
The third Reaſon may be drawn from the ſtedfaſtneſs of Gods Covenant, Reaſ. 3 and the Promiſes wrapt up in it. 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my houſe be not ſo with God: though my family hath not been rightly ordered, and though my politicall government hath had many failings in it as I have been a King and a Magiſtrate, yet (ſaith David) he hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant ordered in all things, and ſure, for this is all my ſalvation, and all my deſire, although he make it not to grow: though I ſhould break Covenant with God, God will not break Covenant with me:Hebr. 10.23. God (you muſt know) is free in promiſing and faithfull in performing, and if we believe not, yet he abideth faithfull, he cannot deny himſelf, 2 Tim. 2.13. God can as ſoon ceaſe to be God as ceaſe to be a faithfull God; it is an act of mercy in God to promiſe, but having promiſed, 'tis then an act of juſtice for God to performe what he hath promiſed.
Fourthly, God works the heart of his people ſo that they ſhall adhere and cleave to him, and not forſake him: now where God ſees a poor ſinner unwilling to forſake him, God is as unwilling to forſake the ſinner: What (ſaith God) wilt thou keep cloſe to me, and cleave to me ſtill, and hang upon me though I ſeem to caſt thee off, why then if thou doeſt thus cleave to me I will cleave to thee, I will never leave thee nor forſake thee, Heb. 13.5. In which place, it is well obſerved, there are no leſs than five negatives,foreign. I will not, I will not, I will not, I will never, never leave thee nor forſake thee. So you ſee now the Point proved to you in both the branches of it; Firſt, That God doth ſometimes ſeemingly caſt off his people. But ſecondly, He never doth, he never can really caſt them off.
For the Uſe of this Point:
Firſt, Ʋſe 1 By way of Inſtruction or Admonition it ſhould teach us this leſſon, namely, to learn to be acquainted with, and not to be ſtrangers to the manner of Gods dealings towards his own Children; take heed of entertaining hard thoughts of God, though thou maiſt be under ſtreights and preſſures, inward, outward, inward temptations and deſertions, or outward afflictions and miſeries, yet take heed of murmuring againſt God, yea though he ſeem for a while, to hide his face from thee, it is true indeed we ſhould be very ſenſible of the leaſt frown of our fathers face, and of the leaſt of his withdrawings from us, as David in the like caſe Pſalm. 30.7. Thou didſt hide thy face (ſaith he) and I was troubled look as it is with a little Child that hath loſt its Mother in the fields, it cryes, and lifts up its note, my Mother, my Mother, ſo much more when God is gone, ſhould we cry out, alas, where is my God, O! where is my Lord, how ſhall I meet with him, whom my ſoul loveth, for if God be gone, light is gone, life is gone; yea, hope, joy, peace and all is gone; therefore we ſhould be ſenſible (I ſay) of Gods withdrawings from us: I but yet not ſo ſenſible as to deſpair, and to ſink down in deſpondency, for God will come, and mercy will come, Peace and joy will come, yea Chriſt and comfort will come; as Mr Glover the Martyr, he found no comfort, till he came to the Stake, and then he cryed out, O he is come, he is come, meaning the Holy Ghoſt was come: the longeſt night will have its day, and though ſorrow may be for a night, yet joy will come in the morning, therefore believe and wait, ſaith David, Pſal. 40.1. In waiting I have waited, and mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, Pſal. 69.3. And pray and wait, and lie at the feet of mercy and wait, and be humble and wait, for certainly they that wait upon God ſhall never be aſhamed of their waiting. That is the firſt Uſe for Information.
Secondly, Uſe 2 Here is matter for Humiliation to all or moſt of Gods ſervants, I may ſpeak (I am afraid) not only my own heart, but the hearts of many of you here preſent; what cauſe have we to be humbled for our unbelief, and our diſtruſt of Gods power, and providence, and promiſes? if we are in any ſtreights, O how ready are we to cry out, the Lord hath forſaken me, & my Lord hath forgotten me; and 'tis in vain to wait upon God any longer: Iſa. 49.14.truely theſe are the murmurings and complainings of our hearts: we are very apt to be ſuſpitious of God, and to have hard thoughts of our Father, to be jealous that God will not be as good as his word: we queſtion his truth and faithfullneſs; we can truſt him for our eternal, but not for our temporal deliverance: the truth is we are ſhort ſpirited and loath to wait; he that believes makes not haſte, but we have ſo little faith, that we make haſte, and are ready to limit the holy One of Iſrael; we are very unwilling to truſt God, unleſs we can trace him; for this we ſhould be humbled and aſhamed in the ſight of our God.
But thirdly (and the Uſe which I principally aim at) for Exhortation: Uſe 3 two Exhortations of great importance I have to commend to you, (and then I ſhall cloſe up this Point onelyonly with a word of Comfort.)
The firſt is this; If it be thus, that though God may ſometimes ſeem to caſt off his people, yet he doth never really caſt them off: Then I beſeech you make this ſure to your own ſouls, that you are of the number of Gods people, elſe you can have no comfort from this Doctrine, for you ſee he is call'd here in the Text the God of Iſrael: be ſure you are Gods Iſrael, and then this Doctrine will afford you abundance of comfort.
But you will ſay to me, How ſhall we know and be aſſured that we are Gods people, and that God is our God, and will be our God whereever we are, and in what condition ſoever we are.
To this I anſwer, Content not your ſelves with generals, that you are profeſſors of Religion, that you have the ſtile of Chriſtians, and the bare naked name of Chriſtianity, for you know what is ſaid of the Church of Sardis, Rev. 3.1. Thou haſt a name that thou liveſt, and art dead.
As now firſt, do not content your ſelves that you are profeſſors of the Goſpel, when others are oppoſers of the Goſpel, for believe it, profeſſors of the Goſpel may periſh everlaſtingly. Matth. 7.22.23. Many will ſay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not propheſied in thy name, and in thy name have caſt out Devils, and in thy name done many wonderfull works? have we not fat at thy Table, been admitted to the Sacrament, &c? yet our bleſſed Saviour will ſay, Depart from me, I know you not, though you have been profeſſors.
And ſecondly, Content not your ſelves with this, that you frequent Ordinances, when others it may be deſpiſe them (and ſo from Scepticiſme turn to Atheiſme, as many do at this day) for you ſhall read of ſome Ezek. 33.31, 32. that did ſit before God like his people, and delighted in hearing the Prophet Ezekiel, and his Doctrine was to them as ſweet as muſick, they heard thee with delight (ſaith God to his Prophet) and with their mouth they ſhew much love, but though they hear my words yet they will not do them, for their heart goeth after their covetouſneſs. It is not enough to frequent Ordinances, content not your ſelves therefore with that.
Thirly, Content not your ſelves with this, that you are free from groſs and ſcandalous ſins: the Phariſee Luk. 18.11. could ſay, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjuſt, adulterers, or even as this Publican.
Fourthly, Content not your ſelves with this, that you have better parts than other men; it may be thou haſt excellent gifts in prayer, thou haſt a voluble tongue, a fluent expreſſion of thy ſelf, and art enriched with knowledge, and canſt diſpute for the truth, O do not reſt fatisfied with this, for Chriſtianity is a matter of grace rather than of gifts, gifts are but the common work of Gods Spirit, and are many times, nay for the moſt part beſtowed upon caſtawayes; gifts are for others good more than for our own good, whereas grace proceeds from Gods peculiar love, and grace is beſtowed for our own good more than for the good of others; remember this therefore, a man may go to hell notwithſtanding all his gifts.
And fifthly, Do not content your ſelves that you are joyned with Gods people, and have the approbation of them that are godly, alas godly men may be deceived, they may think a great deal better of you than there is cauſe; conſider what the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 10.18. Not he that commendeth himſelf is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth; ſo may I ſay, not he that man commendeth is approved of God, but he whom God commendeth: there are not any of all theſe outward priviledges of Gods people but an hypocrite may have them, and may go as farre in them as the moſt ſincere profeſſour in the world.
But you may ſay, What ſhall I do that I may be aſſured that God is my God, and that I am one of his people whom he will not caſt off?
Brethren, you muſt know that the enquiry muſt be made from within, from your own boſoms. Gal. 6.4. Let every man prove his own work, and then ſhall he have rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another. That is, as One comments well upon the Text, that a mans rejoycing may be in the teſtimony of his own conſcience, and not in the applauſe of another mans tongue: you muſt look I ſay from within, that this your rejoycing be the teſtimony of a good conſcience; that you may have, as St John ſaith, 1 Joh. 5.10 the witneſs in your ſelves: Conſider therefore what are the actings of your ſouls towards God, and then you may know what Gods actings are towards you. Now the actings of your ſouls towards God, may be diſcerned and diſcovered by theſe ſix or ſeaven evidences, I beſeech you mark them.
Firſt, Tell me, can you chooſe God for your God, for your Lord and Maſter? can you chooſe to ſerve him, as well as to be juſtified and ſaved by him? Chriſts generation are call'd a ſeed that will ſerve him, Pſa. 22.30. a ſeed ſhall ſerve him, it ſhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation: a ſeed ſhall ſerve him: it is a good obſervation of St Auſtin, Ʋtuntur Deo ut ſtuantur mundo.The carnal man (ſaith he) doth but make uſe of God that he may enjoy the world; I but on the contrary, a godly ſincere Chriſtian doth but make uſe of the world that he may enjoy God.
Again ſecondly, Ask your own ſouls this queſtion; who is your Counſellor, or who do you conſult withall in the times of your doubts, and fears, and ſtreights, and dangers; do you conſult with God, or do you conſult with fleſh and blood? This is the Churches argument, Pſal. 48.14. For this God is our God for ever and ever, he will be our guid even unto death. Now do you do thus, do you conſult with God, are you guided by his Spirit, or are you guided by the ſpirit of the world:Gal. 1.16. St Paul would not conſul with fleſh and blood, do you conſult altogether with the world? thus and thus ſaith the world, thus and thus do I eſteem the world, why let the world and all the world be liars, and God onelyonly true, he is to be conſulted with and not the world.
Thirdly, Ask your ſouls this queſtion, What is your refuge, what is your ſupport in the day of your dangers and diſtreſſes, what do you moſt of all truſt to in the day of your calamity? Some truſt in chareots, and ſome in horſes, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God, Pſal. 20.7. Some truſt in their wits, that is in their carnal policies, and in the ſhifts and fetches of their own brains; and ſome again truſt in their wealth, The rich mans wealth is his ſtrong City, Prov. 18.11. and ſome truſt in the favour of great men, whom Jeremiah ſaies,Jer. 17.5. Curſed be the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arme: and ſome truſt in one thing, and ſome in another, I but canſt thou ſay with David, Pſal. 71.3. Be thou my ſtrong habitation, whereunto I may continually reſort: let others truſt in this and truſt in that, I but I will not truſt in my ſword, nor in my bow, neither in my wealth, nor wit, nor friends, nor in my carnal refuges, I regard none of theſe,Pſ. 73.28. but it is good for me to draw nigh to God, it is good for me to keep cloſe to God in wayes of righteouſneſs, if I keep my integrity, my integrity will keep me; canſt thou thus make God thy refuge? That is a third evidence whereby thou maiſt know thou art one of thoſe whom God will not caſt off.
And then fourthly, Ask thy ſoul this queſtion, Who art thou willing ſhall be thy reward at the great day? canſt thou ſay my record is in Heaven, and my reward alſo is in Heaven,Pſal. 109.5. that though men render me evil for good, and hatred for my love, yet ſurely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God, Iſa. 49.4. for it is obſerved, that the ſame Hebrew word that ſignifies work, foreignſignifies alſo a reward; and it is a good obſervation, that Gods work is our wages, it is reward enough for us to do ſervice for God: Now-canſt thou ſay, what reward ſoever I have here on earth, or what injury ſoever I meet with from men, yet notwithſtanding I have my reward in Heaven; therefore if my enemy hunger I can feed him, if he thirſt I can give him drink, I can overcome evil with goodneſs, and all becauſe I have my reward in Heaven: But on the contrary, moſt miſerable is the condition of that man that hath his reward here on earth, and his portion here below: It is ſaid Mat. 6.2. The Phariſees have their reward, that is,foreign. all that ever they can look for, as the word ſignifies.
But then fifthly, Ask thy ſoul this queſtion, Hath God the ſupremacy in thy heart, hath he the higheſt room, hath he the beſt room in thy ſoul? haſt thou ſet up a Throne for God in thy heart, whereas heretofore ſelf-love and the creature have been ſet up above God, I but now whatever thou affecteſt or eſteemeſt, thou affecteſt and eſteemeſt it onelyonly in order to God, and in him and for him; canſt thou ſay, I am reſolved I will not hinder nor break my peace with God to keep peace with men, O God forbid I ſhould do ſo: as a common ſouldier doth not break the command of his Captain though he do not obey his Captain, if the Generall command the contrary, for the Generall muſt be obeyed though all the inferiour Officers be diſpleaſed: ſo here, God muſt be obeyed, his voice muſt be hearkned to, though all the world, and all the Princes of the world ſhould command the contrary, Gods command muſt ſtand, it is a good rule— It is no prejudice to any humane authority, to prefer Gods authority before it, for if to preſerve the deareſt enjoyment we have in the world, we break our peace with God, the Lord is able to daſh all the comfort, we expect from that enjoyment, and to make it either a dead contentment, or elſe a torment to us, that we ſhall have (as he ſaid) the gifts of God without God himſelf,Bona Dei ſine boxo Deo. we may have the ſhell of the mercy, but ſhall never have the kernell of the mercy: But on the contrary, if we keep our peace with God, we ſhall be ſure to find in him, whatever we deny for him, riches, honours, friends, liberty, comforts, or any thing, we ſhall have all in him, and all will be ſo much the ſweeter to us, as they ſpring from the Fountain, and are not conveyed to us by the Ciſtern, as they were before. This is a fifth queſtion I propound to you, or an evidence whereby you may know whether you are Gods people: Can you thus ſet up a Throne for God in your hearts, that he ſhall have the ſupremacy, and his authority ſhall be obeyed, whoever be diſpleaſed, or diſobeyed.
Sixthly, Can you be contented with God for your portion? (that is another evidence I would propound to you) that if you were to chooſe a thouſand times, you would chooſe no other God but him. Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee, nothing but thy ſelf O bleſſed God, can give ſatisfaction to my immortall ſoul; if I have but thee, though I be as poor as Job upon the dunghill, yet I am rich enough, I will ſay with David, Pſa. 16.6.the lines are fallen unto me in pleaſant places, yea I have a goodly heritage, becauſe the Lord himſelf is my portion. Now if you can thus chooſe God; you may conclude that God hath choſen you; if you can thus love God, you may certainly conclude, tha God loves you; and if you are his people, you may be aſſured he is your God, and will ever continue to be your God, that is the ſixth evidence.
In the ſeventh and laſt place, Call your ſelves to an account, and ſee whether ye be Gods Iſrael, yea, or no, for you ſee God is the God of Iſrael, God will not caſt off his people,Iſa. 44.21. his Iſrael, thou art Iſrael, my ſervant, I will not caſt thee away; the place I named before,Pſa. 73.1. and truly God is good to Iſrael, even to ſuch as are of a clean heart, Gal. 6.16.and peace ſhall be upon the Iſrael of God. Tell me therefore are you true Iſraelites, are you Nathanaels in whom there is no guile, can you turn the inſides of your Spirits out unto God, and ſay,Pſal. 139.23, 24. ſearch me O Lord, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and ſee if there be any way of wickedneſs in me. I cannot deny but there is wickedneſs in me, but ſee if there be any way of wickedneſs, any courſe of ſin in me, ſo that I make a trade of ſin, he that is born of God doth not practiſe ſin,foreign. John 1.3, 9. he doth not ſay he doth not ſin at all, but he doth not make a Trade of ſin as the word ſignifies. Canſt thou ſay, Lord thou knoweſt, in the uprightneſs of my heart I ſpeak it, there is not one Duty, but I would ſubmit to it, and would willingly practiſe it; there is not one ſin that I allow in me, I would abhor, I would deteſt and reform every ſin: And can you ſtrive more to be religious, than to ſeem to be religious, and do you endeavour to exceed the beſt opinion that ever any had of you? and do you love a faithfull, ſoul ſearching Miniſtry? that is a great ſign of ſincerity, when a man can ſay, let the word pierce me, let it ſmite me, let it wound and cut me, ſo it may cure me, let it wound my ſin, ſo it may ſave my ſoul: do you love that Miniſtry, that comes moſt to the quick, and that diſcovers moſt of your ſecret corruptions to you? If it be thus with you, it is a ſign you are Gods Iſrael, and therefore a people, whom he will never caſt off: the Lord will be your God now, and at death, and after death, and to all eternity.
But now on the contrary (and pray mark it) if you be ſuch as chooſe the World for your Portion, rather than God for your Portion, if the world have the cream of your affections, if it have the higheſt ſeat and room in your hearts, if you be ſuch as ſeek the world, more than God, earth more than heaven (for as I have ſometimes told you he that ſeeks earth, more than heaven, may well get earth, but he ſhall never get heaven) if you ſerve the world more than God, and if you be ſuch who truſt in men more than you truſt in God; if you be as the Apoſtle ſpeaks,foreign. 2 Tim. 3.4. lovers of pleaſures more than lovers of God; in a word, if you be hypocrites having onelyonly a form of godlyneſs without the power of it; if you be Apoſtates, falling from your principles, and from your own profeſſion, and draw back (O!Heb. 10.38. ſaith God, That man that draws back, my ſoul ſhall have no pleaſure in him.) If you be ſuch as are impenitent, and ſtubborn, and unreformed under all corrections, and under all inſtructions, that The lead is conſumed, and the bellowes burnt, Jer. 6.29.and all to no purpoſe; if all means uſed for your reformation are ineffectuall, that no good hath been wrought upon you, after ſo many Sermons, after ſo many warnings, after ſo many corrections, after ſo many checks of conſcience, after ſo many knockings at the doors of your hearts by the ſpirit of God; if it be thus with you, then you may fear you are in the number of thoſe that God will caſt off, and caſtaway, Jer. 6.30. Reprobate ſilver ſhall men call them, becauſe the Lord hath rejected them; The Lord hath caſt them off for ever: O! that the Lord would make ſome of you, your own judges, by theſe ſeaven interrogatories, I have now propounded to you; by theſe and the like diſcoveries you may know whether you are in the number of thoſe this Doctrine here ſpeaks of, that God will never caſt off; this is the firſt exhortation, If you would have the comfort of this Doctrine make this ſure to your ſelves, that you are Gods Iſrael.
My ſecond exhortation is this, If God will never caſt off his people, his Iſrael, as it is here in the Text, he is the God of Iſrael, when Iſrael is in captivity. Then I beſeech you, let it be a powerfull perſwaſion to every one of us, that ſeeing God is unwilling to caſt us off, that we would be unwilling to caſt God off; will not God caſt off his people, then let us who are his people, reſolve never to caſt off him: how ſweet and ſavoury,Joſh. 3.8. is that councel of Joſhua to the Iſraelites, but cleave unto the Lord your God as ye have done unto this day. O! cleave to this God: we live in times of Apoſtacy, wherein ſome fall from their Principles, others fall from their profeſſion, and others fall from the practiſe of a Godly life. O! the wofull Apoſtacy, defection, and backſliding of theſe times of ours! that which Eliphaz falſely charged upon Job, may be truly charged upon many Profeſſors in theſe days, thou caſteſt off fear, Job 15.4.and reſtraineſt prayer before God. There are many in theſe dayes that caſt off the fear of God, and walk in wayes of libertiniſm, and looſneſs, and that caſt off duty towards God, and duty towards their Superiours; and there are ſome that caſt off love to Chriſt, his truth and ſervants, and that caſt off his Ordinances too. O! the Lord open their eyes, that they may ſee what a Wilderneſs they have brought their poor ſouls into, being without Gods great mercy, at the very gates of death and everlaſting ruine; but I beſeech you my brethren, be not you of this number, but as God ſpeaks in the like caſe,Hoſ. 4.15. though Iſrael play the Harlot, yet let not Judah offend, ſo may I ſay, though many Apoſtate and backſlide in theſe daies, yet be not you in the number of them, be not you Apoſtates and backſliders. I beſeech you tell me what hath God done, that you ſhould caſt him off? come and teſtifie againſt him this day wherein hath he done you hurt? what iniquity have you found in God, that you are weary of him? as our Saviour faith, John 10.32. many good works, have I ſhewed you, from my Father, for which of thoſe works do you ſtone mee? So may I ſay to you, many mercies hath God beſtowed upon you, mercy upon mercy, mercies of his right hand, and mercies of his left hand, mercies poſitive, and mercies privative, mercies in hand, and mercies in hope, now for which of all theſe mercies have you caſt him off? O hearken to that counſell 2. Chron. 15.2. The Lord is with you while ye be with him, and if ye ſeek him he will be found of you, but if ye forſake him he will forſake you; if you caſt him off here, he will caſt you off at that great day, when you would give all the world for one ſmilē of his face.
The laſt Uſe of this Doctrine is this, Ʋſe 4 Doth not God really caſt off his people when be doth it ſeemingly? is he Iſraels God when Iſrael is in captivity? this then is matter of unſpeakable comfort to all Gods people, to all true Nathanaels whoſe hearts are ſincere and upright; in the midſt of all their ſtreights, and doubts, and fears, in the midſt of all their troubles, and tryals, and dangers, and diſtreſſes whatſoever: what though God caſt thee upon thy bed of ſickneſs, where thou maiſt meet with ſtrong pains, yet he will not caſt thee off: and what though God caſt thee into priſon, yet he will not caſt thee off: & what though God caſt thee into captivity, and into a Land of ſtrangers and bondage, yet he will not caſt thee off: Nay what though God caſt thee into ſuch a condition, that thou art out of the reach of humane help, as in the caſe of diſtraction and deſertion; in the caſe of diſtraction, none can reſtore the uſe of reaſon but he that gave us reaſon; and in the caſe of deſertion, none can take off wrath from the conſcience but he that ſet it on. What though God caſt thee into ſuch a condition, that thou walkeſt in darkneſs and ſeeſt no light, yet God will not caſt thee off: Nay what though God ſhould let looſe Sathan upon thee for a while to buffet thee, as you know St Paul had an Angel of Sathan to buffet him; ſo Sathan may be let looſe upon thee to buffet thee, to tempt thee with the batteries of hell, why yet he will not caſt thee off, nay God will ſo order it, that although his temptation may wound thy ſoul, yet it ſhall not hurt thy ſoul; Thou haſt thruſt ſore at me that I might fall (ſaith David ſpeaking of Saul) Pſal. 18.13. but the Lord helped me: ſo Sathan thruſts ſore at us, O many a bitter ſtroak, and many a poiſoned arrow, and many a fiery dart Sathan ſeeks to wound us with at one time or other; I but God is our help, God will not caſt us off for all that: True indeed we are troubled on every ſide yet not diſtreſſed, 2 Cor. 4.9.we are perplexed but not in despair: It is an elegant expreſſion in the Greek tongue,foreign, &c. perplexed but not in deſpair, perſecuted but not forſaken, caſt down but not deſtroyed: Caſt down, I but not caſt off: we may be caſt into adverſity, and be caſt off by men, and yet not be caſt off by God for all that: O what a conſolation may this be to every one of Gods children! That is an excellent Scripture, Iſa. 54.10. For the mountains ſhall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindneſs ſhall not depart from thee, neither ſhall the Covenaxt of my peace be removed, ſaith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O comfort your ſelves with that Text of Scripture: therefore as the Apoſtle ſaith triumphingly, Rom. 8.35, to the end; Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of Chriſt? ſhall tribulation, or diſtreſs, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſs, or peril, or ſword? nay, ſaith he, in all theſe things we are more than conquerers. We conquer when kil'd, kil'd and not deſtroyed; death may make a ſeparation between body and ſoul, but it can never make a ſeparation between the ſoul and Chriſt; Neither things preſent, nor things to come, nor bonds, nor impriſonment, nor ſickneſs, nor baniſhment nor fiery Furnace, nor Lionsden, nor Principalities, nor powers, nor life, nor death, nor Devils, nor any thing ſhall ever make a ſeparation between God and his people, he will never caſt them off in any of theſe conditions: O that we could but ſuck the ſweetneſs of this conſolation, and lay it up as a Cordiall for a fainting day. And thus I have done with the firſt Point of Doctrine, gathered from the firſt branch of the Text, the Author of this comfortable meſſage, it is the Lord, the God of Iſrael, he is Iſraels God when Iſrael is carried captive; therefore though God may caſt off his people ſeemingly, yet he doth not caſt them off when he ſeems to caſt them off.
It remains I ſhould come to the ſecond branch of the Text, and that is the meſſage it ſelf, I will own them and acknowledge them (ſaith God) like theſe good figgs. But of that I ſhall ſpeak ſomething by Gods aſſiſtance in the further proſecution of the Text.