Heart Humiliation, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
Deut. 32. 4, 5, 6, 7.
He is the Rock, his Work is perfect: for all his wayes are judgement: &c.
THere are two things may comprehend all Religion, the knowledge of God and of our ſelves: theſe are the principles of Religion, and are ſo nearly conjoyned together, that the one cannot be truely without the other, much leſſe ſavingly; It is no wonder that Moſes crave attention, and to the end he may attain it from an hard hearted deaf People, that he turns to the Heavens and to the Earth, as it were to make them the more inexcuſeable. The matter of his Song is both divine and neceſſary, throughout it all he inſiſts upon theſe two, to diſcover what they were to themſelves, and what God was to them; he paralels their way with his way, that they finding the infinite diſtance, might have other thoughts of themſelves and of him both. It is a Song it is true, but a ſad Song: The people of Gods mourning ſhould be of this nature, mixed, not pure ſorrow. Its hard to determine, whither there be more matter of Conſolation or Lamentation, when ſuch a compariſon is made to the life: when God's goodneſs and our evils are ſet before our eyes, which may moſt work the heart to ſuch affections. Nay, I think it is poſſible they may both contribute to both theſe. Is there any more abaſing and humbling principle then Love? How ſhall the ſinner loath it ſelf in his glorious preſence? will not ſo much kindneſſe and mercy ſo often repeated, as oft as it is mentioned, wound the heart in which there is any tenderneſſe? And again, when a ſoul beholds its own ingratitude and evil requital of the Lords kindneſs, how vile and how perverſe it is, how muſt it loath it ſelf in duſt and aſhes? yet is not all ground of hope removed, ſuch a ſad fight may make mixed affections: if we be ſo perverſe and evil, then he is infinitely good, and his mercy and goodneſſe is above our evils; if we have dealt ſo with him, yet is he the Rock that changes not, he is a God of Truth and will not fail in his Promiſe. Nay, though it be ſad to be ſo evil, void of all goodneſs, yet may the ſoul bleſſe him for evermore, that hath choſen this way to glorifie his Name, to build up his praiſe upon our ruine; May not a ſoul thus glory in ſad infirmities, becauſe his ſtrength is perfected i… them and made manifeſt? May not a ſou… chooſe emptineſſe in it ſelf, that it may be behold en to his Fulneſſe? How refreſhing a view might the ſadeſt look on our miſery and emptineſs be, if we did behold his purpoſe of manifeſting his Glory in it? Ye ſee here a compariſ… inſtituted between two very unequal partie… God and Man, there is no likeneſſe, let be equality in it, yet there is almoſt an equality in unlikneſſe. The one is infinitely good and perfect; well, what ſhall we compare to him, who is like thee O God among the gods? Angels goodneſſe, their perfection and innocency, hath not ſuch a name and appearance in his ſight; ſo then, there can be no compariſon made this way, let no fleſh glory in his ſight in any thing, but, let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord, for in the ſight of the glorious Lord, all things do diſappear and evaniſh. But ſurely nothing, though moſt perfect, can once come within termes of reckoning beſide him for any worth: Moſes ſees nothing to ſet beſide God, that will appear in its own greatneſſe and native colours, but the Creatures evil and ſin, and if this be not infinite abſolutely, or equal to his goodneſſe, yet it comes neareſt the borders of infiniteneſſe: ſo then, is God moſt perfect? is he infinite in Goodneſs, in Truth, in Righteouſneſſe, &c? And ſo infinite, that before him nothing appeares good? none good ſave one, that is God. Yet we may find another infinite, and it is in evil ſinful man; and theſe two contraries ſet beſide other, do much illuſtrate each other. Its true that his Grace ſuper-abounds, and his goodneſſe is more then the creatures ſinfulneſs; yet I ſay you ſhall not find any thing that cometh nearer the infinitneſſe and degrees of his goodneſſe, then the ſinfulneſs of men; How much the more glorious he appeares, ſo much the more vile and baſe doth it appear.
If ye did indeed ponder and weigh theſe two Verſes in the ballance of the Sanctuary, would not your heart ſecretly ask this queſtion within you, do I thus require the Lord, O fooliſh and unwiſe? yea, would ye not account your ſelves mad to forſake the fountain of living waters and dig broken ciſternes to your ſelves. O! of how great moment were this to humble your ſouls to day? This day ye are called to mourning and afflicting your ſouls. Now I know not a more ſutable exerciſe for a day of humiliation, or a principle that may more humble and abaſe your ſouls, then the ſerious and deep conſideration of theſe two, what God is, and hath been to us, and what we are and have proved to him; what hath made ſo many formal humiliations that have provoked him to anger? certainly we do not either ſeriouſly think on any of theſe, or if on one of them, yet not on both; the moſt part of you know no more in ſuch a day, but a name and ceremony of a little abſtinence. Is this to ſanctifie a day to the Lord? when ye do not ſo much as the people, who bowed down rheir head for a day and ſpread ſackloth under them. I wonder how ye think to pacifie his Wrath, and are not rather afraid of adding fewel and oyl to the flame of his indignation. Ye come here and ſit as in former times, and what do ye more either here or at home? There is no ſoul-affliction, no not for a day; the moſt part of you are no more affected with your ſins and his judgements, then if none of theſe things were. Now I pray you, what ſhall the Lord ſay to us, when he ſpeaks to the Jews in ſuch termes Iſai. 58. 5. Is it ſuch a faſt that I have choſen, a man for a day to afflict his ſoul? And do ye ſo much as afflict it for a day, or at all? Is this then the Faſt tha… he will choſe, to abſtain from your breakfaſt i… the morning, and at night to compenſe the want of it and no more? Is this an acceptable day to the Lord? the Lord upbraides the Jews, will thou call this a faſt? and what reaſon have we to aſk you, is it poſſible ye think ye do indeed faſt to the Lord? I cannot think that the moſt part of you dare ſay, that ever ye faſted or afflicted your ſouls.
Always here is the way, if we conſider it, to ſpend a day acceptably to the Lord, enter in a ſerious conſideration of his Majeſty, and your ſelves; ſtudy on theſe two, till ye find your hearts bear the ſtamp of them, enlarge your hearts in the thoughts of them; both are infinite, his goodneſſe and power and mercy, and your ſin and miſery, no end of them; what ever ye find good in God, write up anſwerably to it, ſo much evil and ſin in your ſelves and the land: and what evil ye find in your ſelves and the land, write up ſo much goodneſſe and mercy in his account. All the names of his praiſe would be ſo many grounds of your confuſion in your ſelves, and would imprint ſo many notes of reproach and diſgrace upon the Creature, found ſo contrary to Him. This is even the exerciſe God calls us to this day, to conſider his wayes to us, and our wayes to him, how he hath walked, and how we have walked; becauſe ye loſe the ſight of theſe two, he ſends affliction, becauſe in our proſperity and peace we forget God, and ſo our ſelves; as ye find this people did, when ihey waxed fat they kicked againſt him, and forgat that he was their rock; we are ſo much taken up with our own eaſe and peace, that we do not obſerve him in his dealings; therefore doth the Lord trouble our Peace, removes theſe things we are taken up with, makes a publick proclamation of affliction, and bleſſed be his Name whoſe end is gracious, he means this, it is the proclamation of all his Judgments, turn your eyes off your preſent eaſe here, conſider what I am, and what your ſelves are. No Nation ſo ſoon buries the memory of his Mercies, O how ſoon are they drowned in oblivion, and we forget our own provocations, as ſuddenly, therefore muſt he write our iniquities upon a rod, that we may read them in great Letters, and he writes his former goodneſs in the change of his Diſpenſations, when his way to us changes, that we may know what is paſt. This is the great deſign that God hath in the World, to declare himſelf and his own Name, that it may be wondered and admired at by men, and this cannot be but by our ruine, a baſing us in the duſt; He therefore uſes to ſtain the pride of all glory, that his alone may appear without ſpot. This is then the great controverſie of God with men and nations in all generations, they will not ſee him alone exalted, and will not bow before him, and ſee their own vileneſſe. Why doth he overturn Kingdomes and Thrones? why doth he ſhake Nationes ſo often? here it is, Gods controverſie will never ceaſe, till all men acknowledge him in his highneſſe and holineſſe, as the ſole Fountain of all Life, and find themſelves vile, leſſe then nothing, nay worſe then nothing and emptineſſe. If ye would then have God at peace with the land and your ſelves; here is the compendious way, ſet him up a Throne of eminency in your hearts, and put your ſelves in the duſt, take with your own guiltineſs and naughtineſſe, and impoſſibility to help your ſelves, in your ſelves; hold theſe two ſtill in your eyes, that he may be alone exalted.
Look how unequal a match, Ver. 4. 5. He is the Rock, a Rock indeed, if we ſpeak of ſtrength, lo, he is ſtrong; if of ſtability, he is the Lord and changes not, the ancient of dayes. Hath not thou heard and conſidered this, that the Almighty faints not, and wearies not. He holds forth himſelf in ſuch a name to his people, a ready, all-ſufficient, perpetual and enduring refuge to all that truſt in him, and flie unto him as a Rock higher then they; and this is the foundation that the Church is builded on, againſt which the gates of hell ſhall not prevail. Gods Omnipotency for defence, his eternity, faithfulneſſe and unchangeableneſſe to make that ſure, his mercy and goodneſſe makes a hole in that Rock to enter in, a ready acceſſe for poor ſhipwrakt and broken men, who have no other refuge. This is our Rock on which the Church is builded, Jeſus Chriſt, I Cor. 10. 4. Matth. 16. 18. God were inacceſſible in himſelf, an impregnable Rock; how would ſinners overcome him, and enter into him, to be ſaved from Wrath? Nay, but Jeſus Chriſt hath made a plain way and path, out of the waves of ſin and miſery, into this Rock higher then we; and ſo the poor ſoul that is loſt in its own eyes, and ſees no refuge, is forced to quite the broken ſhip of created confidence, for fear of periſhing; how doth it find a door in this Rock to enter? and there is water to drink of, a fountain of living waters comes out of it, and that is Chriſt.
Now all theſe Names of his praiſe rub ſo many marks of ſhame on his people; O how ſad is the ſecret reproof and expoſtulation contained in this commendation of God, he hath been a Rock to us, our refuge that we fled unto, and found ſure; for as in our ſtraits, we mounted upon his power and were ſupported, when the floods lifted up their waves, yet have we left our Rock, gone out from our ſtrength; He offers himſelf a Rock unto us, his fulneſs and all ſufficiency for us, and yet we leave the fountain of living waters and digs broken Ciſterns, had rather chooſe our own broken ſhip to toſs up and down into. He abides for ever the ſame; though we change, he changes not. How may it reprove our back-ſlidings, that we depart from our Rock, and where ſhall we find a refuge in the day of indignation? Is there any created mountain but ſome floods of the time will cover; therefore it is folly and madneſs to forſake this Rock that is ſtill above the floods, be is mightier then the noiſe of many waters. It may reprove our unbelief, we change our Faith according to his Diſpenſation, our Faith ebbs and flows as the Tide of his Providence, and thus we are as ſticks fleeting in the water, toſſed up and down; but would ye be eſtabliſhed as Mount Sion? would ye be unmoveable in the midſt of great waters, that they ſhall not come near unto you? then by all means get upon this Rock, that abides unmoved in the midſt of the waves, though they ſhould beat on it, and the wind blow, yet it is proof of all tempeſt; all things might be driven up and down about you with the Lords diſpenſation, but ye ſhould abide the ſame, and might look round about you on the troubled ſea of mens minds, of lands and eſtates. If you come here, ye may make ſhip-wrack, but ye ſhall not drown, though ye loſs the creatures comfort and defence, yet ye are on your Rock, which is eſtabliſhed before the rocks and mountains: you may be ſure of ſalvation, he that made the rocks and winds and ſeas, is your Rock.
His VVork is perfect] As he doth not trouble himſelf when all is troubled about him; ſo he keeps him alſo in perfect peace whoſe mind is ſtayed on him, ſo alſo what he doth among men, though it cannot paſs without mans cenſure, yet it is in it ſelf perfect, compleat, without ſpot or defect. What is the ſubject of all mens queſtions, doubts, complaints, cenſures, expoſtulations and ſuch like, of which the World is full? Its ſome one Work of God or other; there is no Work of his Providence, but ſome man finds a fault in it, and would be at the mending of it. ne que Deus cum pluit, omnibus placet, if he give rain he diſpleaſes many, if he withhold it again, we are as little pleaſed. The reaſon of all this miſconſtruction is, we look on his Work by parcels, and takes it not whole and intire, ſo it is perfect and cannot be made better. His VVorks are perfect in relation to the beginning and original of them, his own everlaſting purpoſe; men often bring forth works by gueſſe, by their purpoſe, ſo no wonder it anſwer not their deſire; but known to him are all his works from the beginning, and ſo he doth nothing in time, but what was his everlaſting pleaſure; often we purpoſe well, and reſolve perfectly, but our practice is a criple, execution of it is maimed and imperfect; but all his Works are carved out, and done juſt as he deſigned them, without the leaſt alteration; and if it had not been well, would he have thought on it ſo, and reſolved it before hand? His Works are perfect in relation to the end to which he appointed them. It may be it is not perfect in it ſelf, a blind eye is not ſo perfect as a ſeing eye, nay, but in relation to the glory of his Name, who hath a purpoſe to declare his power by reſtoring that ſight, it is as perfect. And in this ſenſe, all the imperfection of the Creatures and Creation, all of them are perfect Works, for they accompliſh the end wherefore they were ſent; and ſo the night declares his Name and utters a ſpeech as well as the day, the winter as the ſummer, the wilderneſs as the fruitful field, for what is the perfection of the Creature, but in as far as it accompliſhes his purpoſe and end, as the maker of it ſerves himſelf with it, and therefore all his Work is perfect, for it is all framed in Wiſdome, to his own ends, in number, meaſure and weight; it is ſo exactly agreeing to that, that you could not imagine it better. Again, his Work is perfect, if we take it all together, and do not cut it in parcels, and look on it ſo. Is there any workmanſhip beautiful, if ye look upon it in the doing, while the Timber lies in one part, and the Stones in another? is that a perfect building when ye ſee one arm here, another there, & a leg ſcattered beſide them? hath that image any comlineſs? certainly no; but look upon theſe united, and then they are perfect; Letters and ſyllables make no ſenſe, till ye conjoyn them in words, and words in ſentences. Even ſo is it here, if ye look on the day alone; the light of it being perpetual would weary us, the night alone would be more ſo; but the interchange of them is pleaſant, day and night together make a diſtinct language of Gods praiſe; So God hath ſet proſperity and adverſity the one over againſt the other, one of them it may be, ſeems imperfect, nay, but it is a perfect Work that is made up of both; Spots in the face commend the beauty of the reſt of it.
If ye would then look upon Gods Work aright, look one it in the Sanctuaries Light, and ye ſhall ſay, He hath done all well. Joyn the end with the beginning, and behold, they agree very well; Many things among us ſeem out of order, many things uncompleat; The reformation of England, how great obſtruction was in the way of it? Is that now a perfect work? Yes certainly; for if we knew his end and purpoſe, it is very well, and could not be bettered by the Art of all men; His thoughts are far above our thoughts. The proſperous and uninterrupted ſucceſſe of that party in England, is it a perfect work? yes certainly, for if ye could behold their end ye would ſay ſo, they are ſet in ſlippery places, their foot ſhall ſlide in due time.
Entertain in this thought in your heart, that he hath done all well, let not your ſecret thoughts ſo much as call them in queſtion, if once ye queſtion, ye will quickly cenſure them; hold this perſwaſion, that nothing can be better then what he doth, nothing can be added and nothing diminiſhed from them, he doth all in number, weight and meaſure, its ſo exactly correſpondent to his purpoſe and deſigne, as if it were weighed out and meaſured out for that end.
Let this ſecretly reprove your hearts, the perfection of his Works ſtains our works, O how imperfect are they? And which is worſe, how impudent and bold are we to cenſure his, and abſolve our own? If he have a hand in our work, yet theſe imperfect works, are perfect in regard of him, as we have a hand in his perfect Works, yet his perfect Works are imperfect in regard of us.