GODS Great care of his GOOD PEOPLE IN BAD TIMES.
Diſcovered in ſeveral SERMONS Preached by Mr JAMES NALTON (Late Miniſter of St Leonards Foſter-Lane) immediately upon his return out of Holland about Twelve years ſince.
Publiſhed by J. F. Teacher of Short-Writing, who took them in Characters from the ſaid Mr J. Nalton.
LONDON, Printed by A. M. for Nathanael Webb at the Royal Oake near the Little North-Door of St Pauls. M.DC.LXV.
I Shall give thee onely this brief account of theſe Sermons and of their Authour. Mr James Nalton, who was whileſt he lived a painfull labourer in the Lords vineyard, and now (I doubt not) a bleſſed Saint in Heaven, there reaping the fruits of his labours: Being about twelve years ſince lookt upon with an evil eye by ſome then in power, did (by advice of friends) prudently withdraw himſelf for a time into Holland, to avoid impending dangers. Immediately upon his return unto London he preached theſe Sermons, being as 'tis very probable ſome of the fruits of his ſtudies whileſt in another Country: his chief ſcope and deſign in them is, to ſet forth Gods ſingular care of his own people in ſad and ſinfull times. How well this hath been performed by him, and how pious and practical, and in many reſpects very uſefull theſe Sermons are, I had much rather the Reader ſhould finde by his own peruſal, than be informed by any thing that I can ſay of them. And let me adde this for his encouragement; that I have not here publiſhed onely ſome ſhreds and fragments of Sermons, as hath been the too common (though not commendable) practiſe of ſome (and thoſe alſo ſo moulded and model'd by them, that very little either of the method or ſtile of thoſe whoſe Works they have pretended to publiſh could be diſcerned in them) theſe Sermons being here preſented to the view of the Reader ſo as delivered by the Authour, excepting onely a paring off of ſome repetitions, which though they may have their good uſe in preaching, yet not ſo in printing, preaching and printing very much differing; not but that the Reader may poſsibly eſpy ſome faults in theſe Sermons (though I preſume none very material) which if he ſhould, I have onely this juſt requeſt to make to him, that he would (as there is great reaſon he ſhould) impute them to the Tranſcriber or Printer, but not to the Authour.
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 the2 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, the3 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;
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.
4Secondly, We have the Meſſage it ſelf. And herein take notice of two particulars;
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.
5We 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 his6 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, and7 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:
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,11 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:12 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. 1the 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. 2I 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,13 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. 3and the Promiſes wrapt up in it. 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my houſe be not ſo with God: though my14 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) wilt15 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 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 1By 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 of16 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, meaning17 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 2Here 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 apt18 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 3two Exhortations of great importance I have to commend to you, (and then I ſhall cloſe up this Point onely 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 number19 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,20 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 Phariſee21 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, alas22 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 from23 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 your24 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 onely 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,25 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 willing26 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ſignifies 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. all that ever they can look for, as the word ſignifies.
27But 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 onely 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 authority28 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.
29Sixthly, 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, or30 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 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 one31 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, if32 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 2 Tim. 3.4. lovers of pleaſures more than lovers of God; in a word, if you be hypocrites having onely 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,33 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 ſeeing34 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! the35 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,36 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 4Doth 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 not37 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 ſpeaking38 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,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &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,39 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 when40 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.
YOu know what entrance I made into this Text; two parts I ſhewed are conſiderable in it, The Author of a comfortable Meſſage, and the Meſſage
ſelf: The Author of the comfortable Meſſage is the Lord, deſcribed here by his relation to his people, the God of Iſrael, and this firſt branch I have diſpatched.
42I come now to the ſecond branch of the Text, and that is the Meſſage it ſelf: Wherein we have firſt the explication of a Type, and then the application of it.
The explication of a Type in theſe words, Like theſe good Figs: where the Lord informs the Prophet Jeremiah, what is the meaning of the Viſion of the two baskets of Figs, the one of good Figs, the other of bad Figs; Like theſe good Figs (ſaith God) ſo are all thoſe good or godly perſons whom I have ſent away captive into Babylon; ſo that God here compares the ſmall number of godly ones that were yet carried captive to Babylon, to Figs; and he compares them to good Figs.
But here it may be demanded firſt, Why are theſe godly perſons compared to Figs?
I anſwer, For theſe three Reaſons briefly:
But then ſecondly, it may be demanded, How theſe could be called good Figs, when our bleſſed Saviour ſaith expreſly, Matth. 19.17. There is none good but One, that is God?
To this I anſwer, It is true there is none good but onely God, that is, there is none good ſo as God is good, none good in that manner of goodneſs, none good in that meaſure of goodneſs that God is.
Firſt, God alone is originally good, men are good only by participation,46 as they partake of the goodneſs of God, but God hath his goodneſs from none, he is the fountain of his own goodneſs, all the goodneſs that is in us, is a derivative goodneſs, it is but a drop of that ocean of goodneſs that is in God: look as the beams of the Sun they proceed from the Sun, but the Sun is the fountain of its own light; ſo all the goodneſs that is in the creature, it proceeds from God, but God (I ſay) is the fountain of his own goodneſs, therefore none is originally good but God, that is the meaning of our Saviour when he faith, There is none good but One, namely God.
And ſecondly, None is eſſentially good but God, the goodneſs of God it is his very nature, it is his very eſſence; for that is a true rule amongſt Divines,Quicquid in Deo, Deus eſt. Whatſoever is in God i•God himſelf: the goodneſs of God is God himſelf, and ſo the mercy of God is God himſelf, and the love of God is God himſelf; if there be any goodneſs in the ſons of men, it is but a quality a property that is ſeparable47 from the eſſence; for a man may be a man and yet not a good man, but God cannot be God unleſs he be good; God can as ſoon ceaſe to be God, as ceaſe to be good, goodneſs being eſſentially in him.
And then thirdly, There is none abſolutely and perfectly good but onely God, God is every way good, and he is ſo perfectly good that nothing can be added to him, and nothing can be detracted from him: now it cannot be ſaid of any man living upon the earth, that he is perfectly good, for alas our goodneſs is mixt with a great deal of ſinfullneſs and infirmity, our gold is mingled with a great deal of droſs, but God is abſolutely good.
And fourthly, God is unchangeably good, there is in him no variableneſs nor ſhadow of turning, Jam. 1.17. but now it is not ſo with us, our goodneſs for the moſt part is very fickle and unconſtant.
And then laſtly, God cals theſe godly perſons that were ſent into captivity good Figs, not ſo much in reference to their inherent ſanctification,48 as in reſpect of his own gracious acceptation, he accepted them in Jeſus Chriſt the Saviour of the world, whoſe blood was ſhed from the foundation of the world, and ſo beholding them in Chriſt, he lookt upon them as good, as righteous, as godly perſons. Now obſerve (and it is worth our obſervation) that at this time when the land of Judah was filled with abominations from one end thereof unto the other, at this time when the iniquity of the land of Judah was boyled up to that height that it ſpued out the inhabitants of the land, at this time when the multitude of ſinners provoked the Lord ſo to anger, that he ſtretched upon them the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the houſe of Ahab, that is, gave the ſame Cup into their bands to drink that he did to the ten Tribes; at this time when God threatned to wipe Jeruſalem as a man wipes a diſh when he turns it upſide down, as we have it 2 King, 21.13. yet obſerve there were ſome good even at this time, here was a basket of good Figs, that49 yet notwithſtanding were carried captive into Babylon. The Doctrine then that I would commend to you from hence is this,
That in the worst of times and amongſt the worſt of men,Doct. God will ſtill have a remnant of thoſe that are good, and that ſhall retain their goodneſs.
In Noahs time when there was ſuch a deluge of ſin that it brought a deluge of water to drown the world, when all fleſh had corrupted their wayes upon earth, and God repentted that he had made man, and it grieved him at his very heart, yet it is ſaid, that Noah was upright in that generation;Gen. 6.10. and it was a greater honour to him to be upright in that generation, than to have been upright in a godly generation: Elijah lived in as corrupt an age I think as ever any man lived in, for he complains he had no man to ſtand by him; O ſaies he, the children of Iſrael have forſaken thy Covenant,1 King 19.10. thrown down thine Altars, and ſlain thy Prophets with the ſword, and I even I only am left. There was not ſo much as a face of Religion appearing,50 and he thought there had not been one godly man left in all the land of Iſrael beſides himſelf, and yet at that very time God had ſome that were good,v. 18. I have ſeven thouſand (ſaies God) that have not bowed their knees to Baal. In the declining times of Iſrael, God yet Judah that was faithfull to him. Hoſea 11.12. Ephrain compaſſeth me about with lies, and the houſe of Iſrael with deceit, but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the Saints. In the declining times of Judah, when there was a very great defection and apoſtacy; as you may read Iſa. 6.9, 10. In hearing you ſhall hear and not underſtand, and in ſeeing you ſhall ſee but not perceive: when their hearts were hardened to their deſtruction, yet notwithſtanding God had Jeremiah and Baruch, and a basket of good Figs, that is, thoſe that were very good, even in the worſt times of Judah, in the times of their captivity. In the Prophet Iſaiahs time there was a very ſinfull and ſhamefull apoſtacy, Iſa. 1.21, 22, 23. ſaies the Lord (complaining51 of them) How is the faithfull City (ſpeaking of Jeruſalem) become an harlot? it was full of judgment, righteouſneſs lodged in it, but now murtherers: thy ſilver is become droſs, thy wine mixt with water, thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves, every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherleſs, neither doth the cauſe of the widow come unto them. But yet even in Iſaiahs time there was a remnant like a Teyl tree, and as an Oak whoſe ſubſtance is in them when they have caſt their leaves;Iſa. 6.13. there ſhall be a little remnant like an Oak that hath the ſap in it; ſo ſaies God, the holy ſeed ſhall be the ſtability of it. The Church of Sardis was for the moſt part hypocriticall and corrupt,Rev. 1.3, 4. they had a name to live when they were dead: (a juſt Picture of our Times:) yet ſaies God, thou haſt a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they ſhall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. In the times of Arius that deſparate heretick that denied the Divinity of52 Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that the whole world groaned as St Jerom obſerves,Ingemuit orbis ſe factum Arrianum. that it was turned Arian, yet notwithſtanding there was an Athanaſius that did help to bear up the truth with courage and confidence againſt all oppoſition: and you know in Queen Maries dayes, when Popery was here ſet up by a Law, yet there were then many faithfull ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt that ſealed the truth with their blood, and were more willing to lay down their lives for Chriſt, than many now adayes are to part with a little of their eſtates for Chriſt and for the Goſpell; ſo that you ſee, in the worſt of times, and amongſt the worſt of men, the Lord will have ſome that are good, and that retain their goodneſs.
And if you would know the Reaſons of it, they are theſe;
Firſt,Reaſ. 1Becauſe the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt is an everlaſting Kingdom, of his Kingdome there ſhall be no end, Luk. 1.33. Jeſus Chriſt will have a Church here upon earth maugre the might and malice, the rage and fury, the plots and projects,53 the craft and ſubtiltie of Sathan and all his inſtruments: All the enemies of the Church, may as well think to turn the earth off its hinges, or pluck the Stars out of the Firmament, or blow out the Sun with a pair of Bellows, or ſhake the pillars of Heaven, as to root out the number of the godly from off the face of the earth, The gates of Hell,Mat. 16.18. ſhall not prevail againſt the Church. It is true indeed the Church of Chriſt is not tied to any particular place, nor to a ſtinted number, but yet like the ſea, though it loſe in one place, it gains ſtill in another place, and the Church of Chriſt being his ſpouſe, he will never loſe his ſpouſe, he will alwayes have ſome even in the worſt of times, and in the worſt of places, that ſhall own him and his truth; therefore (you know) he had a Church in Neroes Houſe, though Nero was one of the bloodieſt Monſters that ever lived amongſt men, Phil. 4.22. All the Saints ſalute you, chiefly they that are of Caeſars houſhold: And he had ſome that did bear up54 his Name when Antipas his faithfull Martyr was ſlain, and where the Devil had his Synagogue, Rev. 2.13. That's one Reaſon.
Secondly,Reaſ. 22 Tim. 2.19.The Foundation of God ſtands ſure, and therefore it is not poſſible that the Elect ſhould be totally ſeduced: our Saviour ſaies indeed there ſhall be ſuch cunning ſeducers and impoſtors,Mat. 24.24. that if it were poſſible they ſhould deceive the very Elect; I but that is impoſſible, Gods Elect it is true may ſometimes be hurried into ways of errour and ſin by a Croud, but then their hearts will ſtill be God-ward, juſt as the Needle of the Seamans Compaſs may jog this way, and that way, but the bent of the Needle will ſtill be North-ward; ſo their hearts will be God-ward, and they will recover themſelves, the Spirit is in them like a ſpringing water,Joh. 4.14. that ſprings up to eternal life, it is an immortal ſeed ſo that they cannot ſin unto death,1 Joh. 3.9. and the fear of God is the aw-back of the ſoul, it is ſuch an awe upon their ſpirits, that they ſhall55 never totally and finally depart from God. Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me.
And thirdly,Reaſ. 3The interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt is very prevalent for all his Elect,Luke 22.32. I have prayed for thee (faies Chriſt to Peter) that thy faith fail not, and this prayer he made not for Peter onely, but for all that ſhall believe in his Name to the end of the world, as appears by John 17.20. Neither pray I for theſe alone, but for them alſo which ſhall believe on me through their word.
And then fourthly and laſtly,Reaſ. 4God will alwaies have a remnant of good ones of Godly Perſons, that ſhall retain their goodneſs even for this very end, to convince gainſayers, to ſtop the mouthes of wicked & ungodly men that are ever blattering againſt the truth; he will have ſome that ſhall bear witneſs againſt them, that they ſhall not plead ignorance, of that truth they ſo much ſcorn and contemn, and of the ways of holineſs, which they ſo56 much abhor: as God would have the Goſpel preached, if not for converſion, yet for conviction, to be a teſtimony againſt them that received it not. Mat. 24.14, ſaies Chriſt, this Goſpel of the Kingdom, ſhall be preached in all the world for a witneſs unto all Nations; ſo likewiſe God will have ſome faithfull ones to be his Martyrs, to lift up his name, and to bear witneſs ſtill unto his truth, againſt them that oppoſe it, and to riſe up in judgement againſt thoſe that are the deſperate and implacable enemies of it,Heb. 11.7. as it is ſaid of Noah, by building the Ark he condemned the world, that is his righteouſneſs condemned their unrighteouſneſs, his faithfulneſs condemned their infidelity, his ſincerity condemned their hypocriſie, and his ſteadfaſtneſs condemned their apoſtacy, ſo God (I ſay) will ſtill have ſome to bear witneſs, and to judge the wicked of the world, when he ſhall have a little number that will own him, when others do diſown him, and deſpiſe him.
Now for the uſe of this Point,57 If it be ſo that God will ſtill have ſome in bad times that are good and retain their goodneſs,Ʋſe 1then I beſeech you tell me, are you good in bad times, are you the better, the the worſs the times are? my brethren I need not tell you that we live in ſad and ſinfull times, for certainly iniquity, atheiſme and hereſie are boyled up to a greater heighth in theſe three or four years laſt paſt, than they were in forty years before: now doubtleſs in ſuch diſtinguiſhing and trying times as theſe are, you will either be very good or elſe very bad; you will be like one of theſe two baskets of Figs, the good Figs were very good, and the bad were very bad; tell me then whether you be good Figs, or whether you be bad Figs? Jer. 24.2.
Now to help you in this ſcrutiny, there are but theſe three queſtions I would propound to you, and I wiſh you would propound them to your own ſouls: Firſt, Are you impartially good? Secondly, Are you ſincerely good? Thirdly, Are you conſtantly good? Let me ſpeak to every58 one of theſe heads a little.
Firſt tell me, Are you impartially good? have you reſpect to all the Commandments of God? Pſal. 119.6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed when I have reſpect to all thy Commandments. Do you reſpect every command without partiality and without hypocriſie? as the Apoſtle hath it 1 Tim. 5.25. Do you provide things honeſt in the ſight of God, and in the ſight of men? in the fight of God in the duties of the firſt Table, and in the ſight of men in the duties of the ſecond Table? do you ſtudy to be righteous in reference to the ſecond Table, as well as to be religious in reference to the firſt Table? This is to be truly good, if you be thus impartially good without halfing it in the waies of Gods Commandements. I beſeech you conſider and remember this, he that makes no conſcience of the Duties of the ſecond Table, God abhors all the Duties that he performs in reference to the firſt Table; as now if you be unjuſt in your trading, if you be injurious in59 your dealing, if you rob the poor, becauſe he is poor, and oppreſs the needy in the gate; if you ſell the needy for a piece of ſilver, and the poor for a pair of ſhooes, if you take advantage of the poors neceſſities, if you withhold from him that which is his right, if you detain the hire of the labourer, and of him that takes pains for you, as the Apoſtle St James ſaies, Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your Corn, which is detained of you by frand cryeth, and the cries of them which have reaped, are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, James 5.4. (whereby the way you may obſerve, that if the detaining the labourers wages, that did reap down their Corn, was ſuch a crying ſin, what is it think you then to detain their right that take pains in the Lords vineyard, and labour in the Lords harveſt? I pray God it be not laid to the charge of many in this City) if you be unrighteous I ſay in detaining that which is due to the labourer, if you be unmercifull, if you be uncharitable, in your cenſures60 of others, know thus much, that there is no goodneſs at all in you; though you make never ſo much ſhew of Religion: if you do not make conſcience of duties in the ſhop, God regards not all the duties you perform in the Church and on the Lords dayes; if you do not make conſcience of the ninth commandment, Thou ſhalt bear no falſe witneſs againſt thy neighbour, thou ſhalt not flander thy neighbour, thou ſhalt not reproach thy neighbour, God regards not your obſeraation of the fourth Commandment, for keeping of the Lords day: and this appears by what St James ſaies, If any man among you ſeem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that mans religion is vain, James 1.26. And indeed it is a thing very obſervable, that the Spirit of God makes the duties of the ſecond Table to be a touch-ſtone to try the truth of our duties to the firſt Table: pray remember it, I will give you but two inſtances for it. Firſt, that in James 1.27. Pure religion and undefiled61 before God and the Father is this, to viſit the Fatherleſs, and Widows in their affliction, and to keep himſelf unſpotted from the world: as if he ſhould ſay, Would you know whether you be truly religious or no, then ſee whether you be truly righteous, yea or no. And the other Scripture is 1 John 4.20. If a man ſay he loves God, and hateth his brother, he is a lyar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath ſeen, how can he love God, whom he hath not ſeen? As if he ſhould ſay, Would you know whether you love God yea or no, (which is the duty of the firſt Table) then ſee whether you love your brother yea or no, which is the duty of the ſecond Table. Some men are all for holineſs but nothing for righteouſneſs; ſome on the contrary are all for righteouſneſs but nothing for holineſs: But I beſeech you my brethren remember this, God hates an unrighteous holy man as much as he hates an unholy righteous man: Righteouſneſs and holineſs the duties of the two Tables muſt go both together. He62 hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies,Luke 1.74, 75. that we might ſerve him without fear in holineſs and righteouſneſs before him all the dayes of our life. And therefore know thus much, that although thou beeſt a man of never ſo excellent parts, and canſt talk never ſo much of Religion and Scripture, and haſt excellent and admirable gifts in prayer, ſo that thou canſt pray like an Angel; yet if thou doſt not make conſcience of the duties of the ſecond Table, God abhors all thy parts and gifts, and holy language, and profeſſion whatſoever. This is the firſt queſtion, Are you righteous as well as religious, and religious as well as righteous? Do you walk with an even foot towards the duties of both Tables?
But ſecondly, Let me ask you this queſtion, Are you ſincerely good? Are you inwardly good? There are many that are ſeemingly good, but few that are really good; many that are outwardly good, but few that are inwardly good. You know what the Scripture ſaith, Rom. 632.28, 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that Circumciſion which is outward in the fleſh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and Circumciſion is that of the heart, whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God. 1 Sam. 16.7.God ſees not as man ſees; man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks to the heart:Pſal. 51.6. Thou loveſt truth in the inward parts. Give me an inward Chriſtian; give me a Chriſtian that is ever communing with his own heart, that is ever turning his eyes inwards and his heart outwards to God, this is a good Chriſtian indeed. Hypocrites can perform outward holy duties, and many times outſtrip thoſe that are ſincere, and yet in the mean time they are but painted ſepulchres, fair without, but within full of corruption; they are but as a dunghill covered over with ſnow, that appears very white without, but within there is nothing but filthineſs; they are but as apples of Sodom, fair without and rotten within. There are many that are ſeemingly Saints, outwardly64 Saints, but inwardly they are no better than Devils. But now tell me, Are you the ſame within that you are without? Are your ſpirits not only free from guilt, but free from guile:Pſal. 32.2 O bleſſed is the man in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile. Are you good towards the Lord God of Iſrael, which was the commendation of Abijah the ſon of Jeroboam, 1 King. 14.13. There was found ſome good thing in him toward the Lord God of Iſrael. Indeed unſound and rotten-hearted Chriſtians may be good towards men, I but they are not good towards the Lord God of Iſrael: But if you be inwardly good, if you be ſincerely good, then are you good indeed. Luther relates a Story of a man that had led a very righteous, innocent, and unblameable life; but when he came upon his ſick bed, he felt his heart full of doubts, and fears, and diſquietments, and was much troubled about his ſpiritual eſtate; ſome of his friends came to him, and ſaid to him, O Sir why are you troubled about your ſpiritual eſtate, you have lived a65 moſt righteous, a moſt innocent, and unblameable life. I (ſaies he) it is true, I have led ſuch a life in your eyes, but the eye of man, and the eye of God, doe exceedingly differ. The judgement of man is one thing, (ſaies he) but the judgment of God is another thing. And therefore notwithſtanding all my innocent life, which you ſo much applaud, I am afraid to die. I would apply it thus: If the godly, the righteous, thoſe that are ſincere, are ſo much troubled at the dregs of Guile, and Hppocriſie, that are in their own hearts, O! what cauſe then have they to tremble, that have no ſincerity at all in them. And when that great day comes, wherein the ſecrets of all hearts ſhall be made manifeſt; wherein God will diſcloſe the counſels of the heart, and all thoſe ſecret rottenneſſes, and uncleaneſſes, that are in mens ſpirits, when that day ſhall come,1 Cor. 4.5. which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, that will be a day of diſcovery, of all that inward filthineſs, that is now diſguiſed, and cloakt,66 under a fair pretence of holineſs, and the like, O! where then will ſuch ungodly ones, where will ſuch rotten hearted ſinners be able to appear? Let this therefore be the ſecond queſtion, Are you ſincerely good, or are you rotten at heart yea or no?
And then thirdly, Anſwer to this queſtion (and then I will tell you whether you are good, or no.) Are you conſtantly good? are you ſtedfaſtly good? God complains of Ephraim, Hoſea 6.4. O Ephraim, what ſhall I doe unto thee? O Judah, what ſhall I doe unto thee? (as if he ſhould ſay, I know not what courſe to take with you) for your goodneſs is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away, that is, their goodneſs was of no continuance at all; many ſuch there are in theſe dayes, they are not conſtant in that which is good, they begin in the ſpirit, but end in the fleſh, they are good for a while, but afterwards they ſhamefully fall away, either from the truth, or from the love, or from the Obedience of67 the Goſpell; Juſt like your young Scholars, that begin newly to write, it may be they write two or three letters very handſomely, but by and by they blur all their copy. O! take heed you be not ſuch; but if you be ſtedfaſt, unmoveable, abounding in the work of the Lord; if you hold out to the end; if you retain your integrity in the worſt of times; if you be faithfull to God, his cauſe and truth; if you be eſtabliſhed in the truth; and doe not ſtart aſide, and are not led away with the error of the wicked, to fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs; if you be ſtedfaſt Chriſtians, than are you good Chriſtians. Anſwer but theſe three queſtions, and then I can tell whether you are good or no. This is the firſt Uſe, I ſhould have call'd it a Uſe of examination; you ſhould call your ſelves to an account, whether you be good Figs, or bad Figs: Alas this is a time wherein many grow worſe and worſe;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 2 Tim. 3.13. Evill men and ſeducers wax worſe and worſe, (ſaies the Apoſtle) every day: juſt like a round ſtone upon the68 top of a hill, when once it begins to tumble, it tumbles, and tumbles, and tumbles till it comes to the bottome. O! this is the caſe of many at this day, they run from errour to errour, from ſin to ſin, and from one wickedneſs to another, till they plunge themſelves irrecoverably into the pit of deſtruction; but ſee whether you grow better and better, and retain your own goodneſs, whether you be impartially good, ſincerely good, and conſtantly good, yea or no?
My ſecond Uſe, is for exhortation, Let me beſeech, and exhort you this day in the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, (whoſepoor Meſſenger I am) That every one of you would ſtrive to be good in bad Times; that you would endeavour to be like Lot in Sodom, and to be like Lights in the world, in the mideſt of a Crooked,Phil. 2.16. and Preverſe Generation; holding forth the word of life, and holding faſt the word of truth: There is a holding forth the word of truth, that is by an undaunted profeſſion, and a holding faſt the69 word of truth, that is by an undaunted reſolution, that you would be like to Fiſhes, that retain their freſhneſs in the ſalt-water. O! that I could perſwade you to doe as Peter ſaid, (not onely to ſay ſo but do ſo) Mat. 26.33. Though all men ſhall be offended becauſe of thee yet will I never be offended. How many motives might I uſe to preſs you to this?
Firſt, Conſider by doing this, you ſhall be like unto your God, for it is ſaid of God, Pſal. 119.68. Thou art good, and doeſt good. You all hope to be like unto God in glory, labour then to be like unto God in grace; It is ſaid of our bleſſed Saviour,Act. 10.38. That he went about doing good, and healing thoſe that were oppreſſed of the devil. O! that we could labour to be good, and to be doing good continually. But ſome may ſay, how hard a matter is it to be good in bad Times? Alas it is an extream hard matter for a man to retain his integrity then, and to ſwim againſt the ſtream, when there are ſo many ſnares, and ſo many temptations. I anſwer (and I beſeech you remember70 it) the beſt Chriſtians are ſtill bred up in the worſt times; like as the ſoundeſt ſheep are bred up in the ſhorteſt commons. It is very obſervable, that the Church and Religion, have ever loſt ground in times of Proſperity, and have ever gained ground in times of perſecution, and therefore when Conſtantine had endowed the Church with large revenews,Religio peperit divitias & filia devoravit matr••n. it was ſaid, Religion like a kind mother hath brought forth plenty, but plenty like an unkind daughter hath devoured her mother. And it is obſerved, that in Diacleſians time; which was the Tenth, and laſt perſecution; the more Religion was oppoſed, the more a thouſand times it proſpered, inſomuch that that bloody Emperour, when he ſaw that the more he ſtrove againſt Chriſt, the leſſe he prevailed, and the more he thought to ſuppreſs Religion, the more it thrived, he went in a pet, and ſaid down his Empire, and betook himſelf to a ſolitary life, he ſaw there was no good to be done that way: And St Hilary that lived in the times of71 that perſecutor, did profeſſe, that he was more afraid of Toleration, than of perſecution; and he gives this reaſon, For (ſaies he) the Toleration of Religion will make men Appoſtates, but the perſecution of Religion uſually makes men Martyrs. So that the Church gains by Perſecutions, and by troubles, and God looks you ſhould be the beſt Chriſtians in the worſt times; and it will be a great token of your ſincerity, if you can hold your own at that time, when others are warping and declining.
But then ſecondly, take another motive, and 'tis this, conſider if you be good amongſt thoſe that are bad, good in bad, Times, this is that which will bring moſt honour to God, whoſe honour ſhould be dearer to us than our own lives: It is obſervable that Chriſt teacheth us to pray for Gods glory before our own ſalvation; Hollowed be thy name, before thy Kingdome come, The honour of God was ſo wonderfully dear to him: Now this brings moſt honour to God, when you as his faithfull ſervants can own his truth, when72 moſt diſown it. As that Souldier doth moſt honour his Captain, who ſtands his ground, when all his fellow Souldiers turn their backs; ſo this is that which will honour God indeed, if you ſtick to him when others fall off, and fall away.
Nay thirdly Conſider, this is that which will bring moſt honour to your ſelves, and your profeſſion; for look, as for a man to be evill in the beſt of times; to be evill amongſt thoſe that are good; this is the height of impiety: So on the contrary, for a man to be good amongſt thoſe that are evill, this is the height of Piety: 'tis a very eaſie matter to be good amongſt thoſe that are good, to be good in good times, when it is a credit, and an honour to profeſſe Religion; hypocrites you know when they come amongſt theſe that are godly, they will appear to be godly; Judas when he was in the School of Chriſt, carryed himſelf ſo fairly and inoffencively, that all the Diſciples ſuſpected themſelves, rather than Judas, and ſaid Maſter is it I? But now when a man can73 own the truth, when others oppoſe it, and deſpiſeit; when a man fears God at that time when others caſt off fear, and ſticks to truth when others are aſhamed of truth: When a man likewiſe keeps his warmth amongſt frozen Chriſtians, and his Spirituall life amongſt dead and drowſie Chriſtians; and his Spirituall groweth amongſt decaying, and declining Chriſtians: This is the Honour, this is the Crown of Chriſtianity.
And then fourthly, Conſider this, If you be good in the worſt of times, certainly God will take care of you, and the leſs encouragement you have from men, the more encouragement you ſhall have from God; and the leſs you are owned by men, the more you ſhall be owned by God. God had a care of theſe poor Captives, this basket of good Figs, were carryed Captive into the Land of B•bylon, I but God was with them, he ſtood by them (as I ſhould have ſpoken to that point, if time would have given me leave,) and God did own and acknowledge them, ſo God will74 own, and honour you, and ſtand by you, and ſtrengthen and ſupport you, and cauſe all your afflictions to work for your good; he will but prove you, that he may doe you good in the latter end; this is the ſecond Uſe, a Uſe of exhortation.
Thirdly and laſtly,Ʋſe 3It may ſerve greatly for the encouragement, and conſolation of the godly in the worſt of times; let the times be never ſo deſparate, you ſee God will have a Number, ſome that will be faithfull to him, that will own him. and his cauſe, that will help, to bear up his truth and Name, that will hold faſt their profeſſion without wavering; 'tis true indeed, the Church of Chriſt may be like a Ship toſſed, but it can never be overturned, it may be toſſed becauſe it is upon the Sea, but it can never be overturned becauſe Jeſus Chriſt is in it. The Church may be drenched in ſorrow, but it cannot be drowned in miſery. Therefore we ſhould bear up our hearts in the very worſt of times; and we ſhould ſtill cleave unto God,75 that he may cleave unto us; let us lift up thoſe hands that hang down, and thoſe feeble knees, there are more with us than againſt us; if one God be with us, it is more than if ten thouſand worlds were againſt us. And know this, we ſhall never have cauſe to repent of our cleaving to God though in the worſt of times. And ſo much ſhall ſuffice to have ſpoken of this ſecond Doctrine, which is drawn from the firſt particular of the ſecond branch of the Text, the explication of the Type.
I had thought to have ſpoken to the other particular; namely the application of it to theſe poor Captives; So will I acknowledge them, I will own them, I will take ſpeciall notice of them that are carryed away Captive of Judah. The Doctrine I ſhould have ſpoken to from hence is this:
That God doth own his people,Doct. and acknowledge them in the day of their dangers and diſtreſſes. He owns them by being preſent with them, and he owns them by ſupporting of them, and he owns them by delivering76 of them, and he owns them becauſe he bears a love to them, no change of condition can change his affections towards them. O! the faithfullneſs of our God; you ſee freinds ſtand aloof off many times in the day of adverſity; but God is a faithfull friend, he is ever neareſt when trouble is near; and when he brings us into the worſt condition, he is uſually the beſt God unto us. The Pſalmiſt hath a ſweet paſſage Pſal. 22.24. For he hath not abhorred nor deſpiſed the affliction of the afflicted: neither hath he bid his face from him, but when he cryed unto him he heard him. God doth not deſpiſe the affliction of his people, as the manner of ſome is; in the day of their diſtreſs, then they hide away their faces, and will not own nor know thoſe that are afflicted. It is a great comfort and encouragement that God will own his people when the world will not own them, and that God will be with them, and ſtand by them, and ſtick to them when the world rejects them, caſts them off, and77 ſtands at a diſtance from them: I will acknowledge them ſaith God. But I ſee the time is too far ſpent, and I will not further intrench, either upon your patience or my own ſtrength. So much ſhall ſuffice for this time.
YOu may remember how far I proceeded in opening this Text, unto you in two Sermons the the laſt Lords day. I have done with the Explication of the Type, like theſe good Figs; being the firſt particular of the ſecond branch of the Text, namely the Meſſage it ſelf.
I come now unto the Application79 of this Type of the good Figs, unto theſe poor Captives, and the Application of it (if you look upon the Text) is wholly comfortable, and the comfort God reacheth out unto them under the Type of theſe good Figs, is three fold.
We will begin with the Application of this Meſſage, in the firſt way of comfort, ſaies God, So will I acknowledge them that are carryed away Captive of Judah. So will I acknowledge them; that is I will own them, I will take ſpeciall notice80 of them; Mine eyes and my heart ſhall be toward them, although I have ſent them away Captive into Bahylon; yet notwithſtanding they ſhall know that I am their freind, and I am their father ſtill, and that I have not caſt them off. The point of Doctrine then that I would commend to you from hence is this,
That God doth graciouſly acknowledge,Doct. and own his ſervants in the day of their dangers and diſtreſſes. Pſal. 31.7. Thou haſt conſidered my trouble, thou haſt known my ſoul in adverſity. And that is a comfortable Scripture, Pſ 22.24. he hath not deſpiſed, nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cryed unto him he heard him. God doth not abhor, nor deſpiſe the affliction of his poor afflicted ſervants, he doth not hide away his face from them; he doth no look aſide as if he regarded them not in the day of their diſtreſſes. God owned his people Iſrael in Egypt, when they were among the Brickilns; when they81 were making their Pots, when they were poor Bondſlaves, Exod. 4.22. ſaies God there to Moſes Go to Pharaoh and ſay, Thus ſaith the Lord, Iſrael is my ſon even my firſt born, and therefore let him go. As if the Lord ſhould ſay, although Iſrael be amongſt the Pots, yet he is my ſon ſtill, and although he be under Bondage, yet he is my firſt born ſtill. How paſſionately and affectionately doth God ſpeak, Act. 7.34. I have ſeen, I have ſeen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, the ingemination of the word ſhewes the earſtneſs of Gods affections, as I may call them, (not that God hath affections, but it is ſpoken after the manner of men becauſe he doth that which men doe, when their affections and bowels yearn toward thoſe that are in miſery) and his ſoul was grieved for the miſery of Iſrael.
But for the explication of the Point; It may be demanded.
Firſt, How doth God own and acknowledge his people in the day of their dangers and diſtreſſes.
82And then ſecondly, why doth he own them?
Firſt, How doth God own them.
I anſwer, God owns them three waies.
Firſt, God owns his people, in the day of their diſtreſſes, by being preſent with them. Pſal. 91.15. He ſhall call upon me, and I will anſwer him, I will be with him in trouble. And Iſa. 43.2. When thou paſſeſts through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the Rivers they ſhall not overflow thee, when thou walkeſt through the fire, thou ſhalt not be burned, neither ſhall the flame kindle upon thee. So in Iſa. 63.9. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his preſence ſaved them. If Joſeph be in Priſon, God will be with him there. If Job be on the dunghil, God will be with him there. If Jeremiah be in the dungeon, God83 will be with him there. If Daniel be in the Lions-den, God will be with him there. Nay when his Children paſs through the valley of the ſhadow of death, when they paſs as it were by the gates of hell, yet notwithſtanding his rod and his ſtaff do then comfort them; as he once ſaid, thy preſence O Lord it can ſweeten Lawrence his Gridiron; the preſence of God, it can turn a Priſon into a Pallace, it can turn a very hell into a heaven; what makes heaven to be heaven but Gods preſence, and what makes hell to be hell but Gods abſence? Now for God to be preſent thus with his people, in their trouble, this is one way of his owning them.
Secondly, God doth own his people in their diſtreſſes, by ſupporting them, by upholding them with the right hand of his righteouſneſs, that their burthens ſhall not be too heavy for them, but either he will proportion their burthens to their ſhoulders, or their ſhoulders to their burthens, that they ſhall ſtand84 under them. Iſa. 41.10. Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not diſmayed for I am thy God, I will ſtrengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteouſneſs. And this is that which David found in his own experience, Pſal. 94.17, 18, 19. Ʋnleſs the Lord had been my help, my ſoul had almoſt dwel•in ſilence; when I ſaid my foot ſlippeth, thy mercy O Lord held me up: In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts refreſh my ſoul. It is ſtoried of one Theodorus whom Julian the Apoſtate cauſed to be rackt ànd tortureed, and put to extream torments, that in the midſt of his torments there was an Angel (as Theodoret tels the ſtory) in the likeneſs of a young man that ſtood by him, and with a linnen cloath did wipe the ſweat from off him, and powred cool water upon his vexed and tortured limbs, and by that means did refreſh and comfort him: and our bleſſed Saviour (you know) in that agony when he ſweat drops of blood, had an Angel with him to85 comfort him; God knows how to comfort and ſupport his Children, and to ſtand by them in the greateſt of their diſtreſſes, and ſo he owns them.
And then thirdly, God owns his Children by delivering them out of all their diſtreſſes, Pſal. 34.19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. And that is a very remarkeable Scripture Jeremiah 50.33.34. Thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, the Children of Iſrael, and the Children of Judah were oppreſſed together, and all that took them Captives held them jaſt, they refuſed to let them go, but their redemer is ſtrong, the Lord of hoſts is his Name he ſhall thorowly plead their cauſe, that he may give reſt unto the Land, and diſquiet the in habitants of Babylon. God will not alwaies let the rod of the wicked reſt upon the lot of the righteous. And thus you ſee that God owns his people in their diſtreſſes.
But then why doth he own them? The reaſon is this briefly, becauſe his children are very dear unto him,86 he looks upon them as his jewelt, Mal. 3.17. (a text you know I have heretofore opened unto you) he looks upon them as his precious ones, as the dearly beloved of his ſoul, he looks upon them as the apple of his own eye, and therefore no change of condition in his children can make God change his love and affections towards them, and though God may ſometimes caſt them into the furnace of affliction, it is onely to purge away their droſs, and he loves them when in the fire as well as when they are out of it, and he is with them and ſtands by them all the while. The uſe of this point is,
Firſt, By way of Inſtruction. We ſhould take notice of the faithfulneſs of God, and admire it, and bleſs him for it. God is a faithful God, he is a never changing friend; alas we ſee amongſt men friends are falſe and fickle, and unfaithfull, they deal with us many times as Job complains his friends did. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook. Job 6.15. a Brook that in the winter time hath rain enough, yet in the87 ſummer time, when the cattle ſtand in moſt need of water, then all the Brook is dried up; ſo ſaies he, my friends deal deceitfully with me, in the times of my diſtreſs and danger, and are then the furtheſt of all from me; and ſo David complains, Pſal. 38.11. My lovers and my friends ſtand a loof from my ſore, and my kinſmen ſtand afar off. But God is not ſuch a friend, God is never nearer to us, than when trouble is near; God never ſpeaks ſo kindly ſo comfortably, to the hearts of his children, as he doth when he brings them into a Wilderneſs, Hoſ. 2.14. Therefore behold I will allure her, and bring her into the Wilderneſs, and ſpeak comfortably unto her. When God brings us into the worſt condition, he is then the beſt God unto us; when we are in the ſaddeſt condition, we have many times the ſweeteſt communion with our God. Pſal. 73.26. ſaies David, My fleſh and my heart faileth, but God is the ſtrength of my heart and my partion for ever. And that is a very comfortable paſſage of88 the Pſalmiſt, Pſalm 142.3, 4, 5. When my Spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou kneweſt my paths: When I was almoſt at my wits end ready to ſink down in ſorrow, then thou tookeſt notice of me: And I looked (ſaies he) on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me, no man cared for my ſoul, then I cryed unto thee O Lord and ſaid, thou art my refuge and my portion in the Land of the living. A wonderfull comfortable paſſage, and O! why do not we break out into admiration and ſay? O! God who, is like unto thee? who ſo loving a God, who ſo faithfull a God, who ſo tender hearted and compaſſionate a Father as thou art, that ever owneſt thy children when they have moſt need of thee!
But then ſecondly,Uſe 2Another Uſe I would make of this Point is this, Doth God own us in the day of our fears, and ſtreights, and in the day of our dangers and diſtreſſes; and doth God own us before our enemies, then it ſhould teach us to89 own God before his enemies, to acknow ledge him before the worſt of men, and in the worſt of times.
Firſt, We ſhould acknowledge God before the worſt of men, before Papiſts, or Atheifts, or Hereticks, or Seducers, or Hypocrites, or Apoſtates, or ſcorners of Religion; for theſe are the worſt of his enemies. To own God before his freinds, this is no great matter, there is no ttryall in that, becauſe there is no oppoſition; but ſee what our Saviour ſaies, Mar. 8.38. Whoſoever therefore ſhall be aſhamed of me, and of my words in this adulterous and ſinfull generaton, of him alſo ſhall the Son of man be aſhamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels. Our Saviour doth not ſay, whoſoever ſhall be aſhamed of me before a gracious generation, for none will be aſhamed of Chriſt then; but whoſoever ſhall be aſh amed of me before an adulterous generation. Though the men with whom we converſe, and amongſt whom we live, be never ſo baſe, and vile, though they be never90 ſuch backſliding, provoking, ſcandalous, prophane wretches, and ſuch as are oppoſers of God, his truth and Goſpel; yet our Saviour looks we ſhould own him before theſe men, even before an adulterous generation, elſe he will not own us at the great and dreadfull day of his appearing. Thus you ſhall ſee Paul owned Jeſus Chriſt before Nero, that bloody Monſter of men, 2 Tim. 4.16. At my firſt anſwer no man ſtood with me. I hat is, when he appeared before Nero; yet notwithſtanding Paul ſtood for God then; and God ſtood by Paul. Thus Peter & John owned Jeſus Chriſt before Annas, and Caiphas, and before the Prieſt, and Rulers, and all thoſe that were the deſparate enimies, of the Goſpel, though they threatned, and impriſoned them. We cannot but ſpeak the things which we have ſeen and heard. Act. 4.20.
And then God looks that we ſhould own him, not onely before the worſt of men, but in the worſt of times; to own God in good times it is no great matter; Hypocrites91 can own God in good times, but God looks we ſhould own him in times of apoſtacy, when Religion growes out of credit; when it is lookt upon as madneſs, as Moroſitie, as Hypocriſie, and I know not what. God owns us when others forſake us, and therefore God looks that we ſhould own him when others forſake him. Thus you ſhall ſee Elijah did, 1 Kin. 19.10. when there was ſuch a generall apoſtacy, that he thought there had not been a godly man left in Iſrael beſides himſelf; ſaies he, I onely am left, yet notwithſtanding I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hoſts. 1 Kin. 18.40.And very jealous indeed he was, for at one time he ſlew, and cauſed to be ſlain, no leſſe than four hundred of Jeſebels falſe Prophets. I confeſs that act of Elijahs was an extraordinary act, and much like that of Phinehas, one of the High Prieſts, that ſlew Zimry, and Cozby in his zeal for God, Numb. 25.8. Doubtleſs this act of Phinehas, was alſo an extraordinary act, and by Divine inſtinct,92 as judicious Calvin well obſerves; but though their actions be not to be imitated, yet their zeal is worthy imitation: for Elijah owned God when none ſtood by him.
And as we ſhould own God in times of apoſtacy, ſo in times of oppoſition. When there is a deſperate contention againſt the truth, we ſhould earneſtly contend, contend as in an agony,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. for the truth; as I once opened that Text to you, the Epiſtle of St Jude verſ. 3. The more violent men are againſt the truth, the more valiant we ſhould be for it; and the more outragious, others are in wayes of ſin, the more couragious ſhould we be in wayes of holineſs; the more others oppoſe Religion, and Reformation, and the power of godlineſs, the more ſhould we hold forth the word of truth; and hold faſt the word of life, by an undaunted reſolution. Thus the Prophet Jeremiah did, Jeremi. 6.10, 11. The word of the Lord is to them a reproach (ſaies he) They have no delight in it, therefore93 I am full of the fury of the Lord, I am weary with holding in, and Act. 17.16. St Pauls Spirit was ſtirred, it waxed hot within him, when he ſaw the Athenians, wholly given to Idolatry.
And God looks we ſhould own him and his cauſe, not onely in times of apoſtacy, and in times of contention, and oppoſition againſt the truth, but in times of danger and perſecution, if he ſhould call us to ſuffer for it. Thus did the Martyrs, and O! that ſome of that holy fire, and zeal of love to God; that burnt in their breſts, were kindled in the hearts of every one of us. The godly Martyrs in the Primitive times, and in Queen Maries daies, carried the truth as it were in their armes, in the midſt of accuſations, perſecutions, ſlanders, reproaches; and in the defence of the truth, they were contented to paſſe through honour, and diſhonour, through evil report, and good report; Nay through bonds, and impriſonments, through racks and whips, through fire, and flames; and all the malice94 and miſchief that earth, and hell could invent, and all the power that the devil, and darkneſs could raiſe againſt them could not quench, but rather kindled their zeal, O! that we had (I ſay) ſome of thoſe ſparks that burnt in their breaſts. Many there are that ſe em to own God and Religion, and his cauſe, and truth in calme and quiet times, when their profeſſion coſts them nothing: but as thoſe Jews that one day cryed Hoſanna, bleſſed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, the next day cryed, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, away with him, away with him. So likwiſe the very ſame profeſſors, if they be not ſound in the faith, that cry up Religion in times of proſperity, will cry down Religion in times of adverſity. Many there are that will be contented to follow Chriſt to Mount Olivet; I but they will not follow him to Mount Calvariſt, to ſuffer any thing with him, or indure any thing for him; no, Chriſt ſhall ſuffer, and his cauſe, and truth ſhall ſuffer, and Religion, and reformation,95 and all ſhall ſuffer rather than they will ſuffer with him. As the King of Navarre, once ſaid to Beza; In matters of Religion, and Reformation, I will lanch no farther into the Sea, than I may be ſure to return ſafe back again to Land. O! this is the temper of many men, but let it not be ours, let us be rowing though it be againſt wind, and tide; let us reſolve with David, Pſal. 119.31. I will ſtick unto thy teſtimonies. I am glewed unto thy truth; ſo the Hebrew word ſignifies, ſo glewed that nothing ſhall draw me off,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or drive me from it, David was one that did indeed ſtick unto the word of God admirably; ſometimes he was derided, and ſcorned for the truth, Pſal. 119.51. The proud have had me greatly in deriſion, yet have I not declined from thy Law; and Pſal. 69.12. The drunkards made a ſong of him, yet did he not decline from the Law of God; ſometimes again he was plundered and ſpoiled, and loſt much of his eſtate for ſticking to the truth, Pſal. 119.61. The bands of the wicked have96 robbed me, yet have I not forgotten thy Law. And he was not onely derided, and ſcorned, and plundered, but he was perſecuted too; ver. 161. Princes have perſecuted me without a cauſe, but my heart stands in awe of thy word: here was a man that ſtuck to God and his truth whatſoever he ſuffered. And O that the ſame reſolution were fixed in our hearts that was in the heart of holy Paul, 2 Cor. 13.8. We can do nothing againſt the truth but for the truth. As if he ſhould ſay, though all the world ſpeak againſt the truth; though they ſhould band and binde themſelves againſt it, yet we cannot ſpeak againſt the truth, but muſt ſpeak for it, and plead for it, and die for it, if we be called to it. This is to own God when he owns us; and if we can thus own God, and his cauſe and truth, certainly we ſhall never be loſers by him, though for the preſent we may be loſers for him, for we ſerve a Maſter that will make up all our loſſes. And this is the ſecond Uſe.
And thirdly, (to ſhut up this97 Point with a word of Conſolation) Doth God acknowledge and own his people in the day of their dangers and diſtreſſes? then here is a word of unſpeakable comfort to all that are true Iſraelites, true profeſſors, thoſe that ſtick to God, and his truth and teſtimonies; for if God do own and acknowledge us here on earth,