or their ambition; which, if they attain, does Jeremiah long after, in this very point, Jer. not quit the cost and the pains! Besides xlii. 2. And so they go on to take their own that, their hopes often mock them; and after course: No, but we will flee upon horses. long pursuit, they embrace a shadow. Thus And this is the nature of carnal hearts, men woo their own vexation, and take a generally inclined to rebel, and take a way of great deal more pains to be miserable than their own, casting the counsels of God, as they would be put to, to make them happy. not suiting with the state, wit, or points of What a pity to pay so dear for nothing, to honour. They find more feeling and real give their riches and treasures, and to be at substance in sensual things than in the propains too, to carry them to a people that mises of God; these seem airy, unsure things shall not profit them; both their expense to them, therefore they would still see apand travel laid out to no purpose! The vo- parent means, and where these fail, think it luptuous, or covetous, or ambitious, how do but a fancy to rest on God, dare not trust they project and drudge, and serve their him so but as withal to do for themselves, wretched lusts-that when they have done although nothing can be done but what he one piece of service, are still to begin an- forbids, which, therefore, cannot be done, other! And what is the profit of all, but without giving up with him, and departing shame and sorrow at last ? The humble, from their trust on him. All this cleaves sober-minded Christian saves all that pains, to us, and much cause have we to suspect and hath his heart's desire in quietness and confidence. His great desire and delight is God; by desiring and delighting, he hath him: Psalm xxxvii. 4, "Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy heart's desire himself;" and then, sure, thou shalt have all any other thing, "commit to him, and he shall bring it to pass."+

Strange! Men might have God at an easier rate than the poorest vanities they are hunting after, and yet they will not: a full fountain of living waters ready provided, yet they will be at pains to hew out scurvy cisterns, that, after all their pains, are but "broken cisterns, and can hold no water,"

I know not what men are doing, still at work, and might better sit still; troubling themselves, and all about them, and cannot well tell for what. Oh! the sweet peace of believing and obeying God! They truly conquer sitting still :§ in all times they are safe under the shadow of the Almighty, and strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."

ourselves, when it is but doubtful that there appears little or no evidence of God's counsel or good-will to a business, but rather clear characters of his dislike, and much of our own will, a stout uncontroulable bent to it; conscious to ourselves of this, that either we have not asked advice of God at all, or very slightly, not being much upon our knees with it; or, possibly, in asking his advice, have brought our answer with us, in our own breasts, the lying oracle, that making an. swer, and we consenting to delude ourselves, not hearkening to any thing that does not clink and sound to our purpose.

Our hearts are exceedingly deceitful, and particularly in this point of withdrawing our trust from God, and following him in his ways, to trust on the arm of flesh, on policy and strength, and self-resolved undertakings, rather than on him without these. Evil men think those that advise them to trust on God, are silly fellows who know not what belongs to policy and reasons of state: a fancied wisdom it is, that men are enamoured with, and look not to a higher wisdom, consider not God, that he also is wise, Isa. xxxi. 2. There is, I think, in that word, a tart scorn of the folly of their seeming wisdom. Be it you are wits, yet you will not deny some wisdom to God; yet he also is wise. So they think not on his power neither; therefore he puts them in mind that the Egyptians are men, &c. ver. 3.

And ye would not, but said, No. Thus men sometimes flatly reject his counsels; and when they are not so gross as plainly to speak it out, yet say so, in doing so, and for good manners' sake, will blanch it with reproaching the messengers; will not have it to be God's mind, but men's own fancy, a false vision; will own nothing for truth but what suits their humour and designs. First, they resolve on their course without acquaint- Well, if you be resolved on that course, ing God, ask not his advice: then when he says God, then know mine too, that I am reis pleased to give it by his messengers, they solved upon therefore ye shall flee, shall reject it, not under that name, as God's have fleeing enough; and if you be swift, advice, but will not have it pass for this, be- they that pursue you shall be swifter, and cause it croses their already-determined course; one shall serve to chase a thousand; the reif it favoured that, then no question, wel-buke, the very terror of one. This is the come enough as his word. That is meant by these words, ver. 10. And so they used * Et oleum et operam. † Vacat temperantia. SEN. Sed non habebunt requiem, qui bestiam adorant.

IBID.

Varro de Romanis consilio cuncta agentibus. Bedendo vincebant.

condition of the mightiest people and best appointed armies, when forsaken of God. There is no strength nor courage, nor any thing of worth in any of the creatures, but as it is derived from God; it is dependent on him in the continuance and use of it. Why

are the valiant men swept away? Jer. xlvi. | Observe, 1. The strong inclination of 15, They stood not, because the Lord did God to shew mercy. He would willingly drive them. We have seen this, and the have his people to find nothing but ease; turn of it on both sides, how men become a he delights in the prosperity of his servants; prey to any party, when the terror from God would have them constantly have a sweet, is upon them. peaceful, yea, cheerful life, by constant walkTherefore learn we to fear him, to beware ing in his ways; but they are often the eneof all ways, wherein we may justly appre-mies of their own peace, grieve his Spirit, hend him to be against us; cleave to him and turn him to be their enemy. But he and to his truth, when it is lowest, and when cannot persist in that to his own; he longs no human means of help appear; then think to be at his way of mercy and loving-kindyou hear him saying to you, Stand still and ness again; he retains not his anger for ever, se the salvation of the Lord. because mercy pleases him; he inflicts Ver. 18, Therefore will the Lord wait, judgment for sin, but that he delights in is &c. There is no language of men nor angels mercy: therefore says the prophet, Lam. fit to express the graciousness of God's pu- iii. 32, 33, "Though he cause grief, nishments, and the threatenings of them, as yet he will have compassion, according if it were violently drawn and forced from to the multitude of his mercies; for he doth him; but mercy, and the sweet promises not willingly afflict, nor grieve the children thereof, naturally flowing from him. Thus, of men." Though he doth grieve them, here he is forced to "give up his people to yet not willingly; they themselves procure their own counsels," because they will not and draw on that, by grieving his Spirit; follow his advices; and entreats but to be but he willingly shews mercy, for that quiet, and let him do for them: but seeing abounds. There is such a multitude and they will not sit still, and be safe at his di- plenty of it, that, as to full breasts, it is a rection, they must run their own course, and pleasure to him to let it forth. The two fall in it. But it cannot pass so; they must words, gracious and merciful, that stand not be quite given over; the Lord hath an first in the name of God, Exod. xxxiv. 6, ir.terest in them that he will not lose. They the one signifies free grace, the other tender must indeed for a time eat the fruit of their bowels of mercy. This is no emboldment own ways, and that is not a season to shew to continue in sin; yea, it is of all things the them favour; but the Lord will wait a better hour, he is resolved to shew them mercy, and will find his own time for it; therefore will he wait that he may be gracious.

most fit encouragement and inducement to a sinner to return from his sin; and so it is used and urged throughout the Scriptures, Isa. xxxi. 5, 6, and lv. 7; Jer. iii. 12. In And this is he moved to, according to his public calamities, where a people charging gracious nature, by the greatness of their dis- the cause thereof upon themselves, searching tress and desolation, though procured by their hearts and their ways, and turning unto themselves, their great, their inflexible stub- God, humbly acknowledging their iniquity bornness; yet he pities to see them so left and entreating pardon-Oh! this is the as a beacon on the top of a mountain, &c. thing he would not despise; yea, it is that Therefore, &c. Thus we have the proper he looks and longs for, and upon that would arguings of free mercy, which otherwise, to readily forget all past disloyalties, Jer. iii. our narrow thoughts, may seem strange, and 1. Yea, at the sound of their repentings, somewhat inconsequent; such a therefore as his bowels would resound with compassion this, so unexpectedly changing the strain, by a secret sympathy and harmony, as one coth genuinely and sweetly follow upon the string well tuned to another, stirs when it is premises, when free love is the medium; touched. Thus, Jer. xxxi. 18—20. that intervening in the midst, makes the This a sinner shall find in his returning sweet turn, "Your iniquities prevail to bring unto God, more than we express or promise you low, and lengthen out your calamities; in his name. Oh, He waits to be gracious, therefore I will let that have its course, and meets thee graciously, yea, hath first touchvill stay till my fit time come to do you ed thine heart secretly, first drawn it towards good. Mean while I will lie hid, and be as himself, before it stirred, or had a thought sitting still; but when that time comes, I that way. Now, no more upbraidings, or will get up and shew myself." He will be remembrance of all thy wanderings; an act exalted, that he may have mercy on you; of perfect oblivion is past, Jer. xxxi. 34. for the Lord is a God of judgment, he is Is thy heart any little softened, and relents 'rise, and just, and good, and knows his it towards him? Then the controversy is 1aeasures of afflicting his people, his times ended, and his thoughts are now, how to nd ways of delivering them, and bringing comfort thee. Art thou busy indicating lestruction on his enemies, and will not let accusations against thyself? Then makes lip this season; and it being so, this cer- he it his part, to wipe away and blot out. ainly follows, that they are blessed that wait Comest thou home with a heart full of holy "'n him. shame and grief, and thy mouth full of hum

ble confessions of thy disobedience? Then | Thus here," He waits to be gracious," and know it is thy tender-hearted Father meets will be exalted, will cheerfully and gladly thee, most ready to forgive thee; yea, to in-raise up himself, and appear to shew mercy terrupt thy confessions in the middle with to his people, and bring his enemies low; embraces and kisses of love.

But, alas! we preclude ourselves from the sweet experiences of these tender-mercies, by the hardness of our hearts, and by the lightness and vanity of them. Oh that indignity! Our God still waiting to be gracious, to heap up more of his love on us; but we are busied in other things, and not at leisure to wait on them! Oh, what are they, these things that take us up? Great matters? Alas! sorry trifles, all day long. And when we are at leisure, yet are not at leisure; for then we must take our ease, must go to sleep; and so still he is put off and forced to retire, after he has stayed till "his head be filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night."

coming forth, as it were, to judgment, and sitting down on his throne, in which posture he was not seen while they prevailed and triumphed, and his church was under their oppression; but when the time of their restoring and consolation comes, he then is to sit on his throne, and so is exalted to shew them mercy. Hence the Psalmist so often desires, that the Lord would arise, (Ps. lxxvi. 10, xiv. 22,) and utters predictions, assuring that he will arise; and exciting his people to rejoice in that, Ps. ix. 7, 8, and Ps. xcvi., xcvii., xcviii.

Thus the church in her saddest condition ought hopefully to remember and rest on it, that the day is determined and cannot fail. Our salvation is in God; he laughs at his Obser. 2. The Lord doth most exactly enemies, when they are at the top of prospeand wisely measure both the degree and the rity and pride-sees that their day is coming. time of his people's afflictions, though they Now certainly the firm persuasion of this have brought them upon themselves; and would much stay our minds; but either we justly he might leave them so. This he do not believe, or do not improve, and use will not do; he is a God of judgment. This these truths, and draw that comfort from is largely and sweetly expressed, in a resem- them, that abounds in them. Our God loses blance of husbandry, Isa. xxviii. 24-29. no time; "He is waiting, till his appointed He knows how much and how long outward time;" and if he wait, it becomes us so to er inward trouble is fit for every one; and, do: that is our duty here, to wait on him; this where the less will serve, will not use the faith does, and so makes not haste, neither more; knows what need some spirits have goes out to any undue means, nor frets impato be bruised and broken beyond others, tiently within, at the deferring of deliverance, either under disgrace and poverty, or the but quietly rests on God, and waits for him. proper pressures of the Spirit within, appre- This, as it is our duty, so our happiness, hensions of wrath, or withdrawments at and so it is here expressed. Upon considerleast of comforts, and hath set his days for ation, that the Lord waits to be gracious, deliverance of his church, and of every be- and will be exalted to shew mercy, the proliever under affliction. So the style of the phet is carried to that acclamation, to the prophet, In that day, speaking as of a cer- happiness of believers: O! blessed they tain prefixed day, and which no power or wit that wait for him! Their thoughts fall in, of man can disappoint. And it is so chosen and meet with his for he is waiting for as it shall be evident to be the fittest, that it the same day they wait for; and if he be could not so well either have been sooner or not disappointed, they shall not. We are later all things concurring to make it most naturally irregular in our affections and seasonable to his people, and honourable to notions; and the only ordering of them, his own name. "The vision for the appoint- is by reducing them to a conformity with ed time, (Hab. ii. 3,) though it tarry, wait the ways and thoughts of God, that keep an for it, it shall come, and shall not tarry." unalterable, fixed course, as the heavens. That is strange, though it tarry, it shall The way, I say, to rectify our thoughts is, not tarry. But in the original there are two to set them by his; as clocks and watches, words, the one importing an undue slowness, that so readily go wrong, too slow or too or constrained retardment, that cannot be so. fast, are ordered by the sun, that keeps its "It shall not tarry, though it tarry," that course. Oh! that we were more careful to is, though it stay itself, and come not till set and keep our hearts in attendance on God, the appointed time: so the other word sig-winding them up in meditation of him, and nifies. Thus Ps. cii. 13. "He will arise, conforming them in their motions and deand have mercy upon Zion; for the set time sires to his disposal in all; for all that conis come." Now, for this the Lord waits: cerns us, and for the times of all, being it is not want of love, but abundance of wis- quiet, yea, glad in this, that the Psalmist dom, that he delivers not sooner: hath makes his joy, My times are in thy hands, chosen the fittest time, in his all-discerning O Lord; and sure that is the best. Were wisdom; yet there is in his love an earnest I to choose, they should be in no other hands, kind of longing that the time were come. neither mine own, nor any others'. Alas!

:

what silly poor creatures are we! How am, the strain of something following is too little do we know what is fit for us in any high for that, and cannot but have an aspect kind; and still less what time is fit for any to the days of the gospel, as that, ver. 26. mercy to be bestowed upon us! When he Now, the Lord hath set his time, that fulwithholds mercies or comforts for a season, ness of time for the coming of the blessed it is but the due season; it is but to ripen Son in the flesh, and till that time come, them for us, which we in childish haste the Lord was waiting to be gracious, to would pluck green, when they would neither open up his treasures more fully than ever be so sweet nor so wholesome. Therefore it before; which when he did, then was he exis our wisdom and our peace to resign all alted to shew mercy, and exalted in shewing things into his hands, to have no will nor mercy. Christ himself was lifted up upon desires, but only of this, that we may still the cross, there to shew that rich mercy that wait for him; all shall be well enough, if is for ever to be admired; lifted up, to shew we be but rid of the vain hopes and expecta- his bowels, as the word is here. Did he tions of this world. None who indulge them not let us see into his heart, there to read are so well, but they are still waiting for that love which can no otherwise be uttered? somewhat further. Now, amidst all that, And in that the Lord was most eminently maour soul may say with David, and speak it nifested a God of judgment; wisdom, and justo God, as known to him, that it is so in- tice, and mercy, all shining brightest in that deed: "And now, Lord, what wait I for? contrivance. There He was lifted up, and then My hope is in thee." My expectation, or after that lifted up into glory, who is the waiting, the same word that is here, is all desire of the nations, the salvation and joy placed upon thee. Is it so, my brethren? Are of all ages, both before and after. Before our hearts gathered in from other things, to he came, they were from one age to another this attendance, while the most about us are waiting, and more particularly at the time gaping for the wind? Have we laid all up in of his coming; God stirred up the expectaGod, to desire and wait for him, and pretend tion of believers to welcome him; being so to nothing besides him? near. Luke ii. 25, 38. And in all times,

I would do so (may a soul think); but before and after that, he is the happiness of can I hope that he will look on me, and be- souls, and they only are blessed that wait for stow himself on such a one as I am? To him. Whether you do or do not believe it that I say nothing but, look on his word: now, the day is coming, when all the world if thou thinkest that warrant good enough, shall know it to be so.

here it is for thee, that they are certainly blessed who wait for him. This is assurance enough. Never was any that waited for him miserable with disappointment. Whosoever thou art that dost indeed desire him, and desirest to wait for him, sure thou resolvest to do it in his ways, wherein he is to be found, and wilt not willingly depart from these; that were foolishly to deceive thyself, and not be true to thine own end; therefore look to that; do not keep company with any sin; it may surprise thee sometimes as an enemy, but let it not lodge with thee as a friend.

SERMON VIII.

JEREMIAH xiv. 7-9.

O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man, that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

And mind this other thing-prescribe nothing to God. If thou hast begun to wait, faint not, give not up, wait on still. It were good reason, were it but upon little hope, at length to find him; but since it is upon unfailing assurance, that in the end thou shalt obtain, what folly were it, to lose all, for want of waiting a little longer! See Ps. xl. 1. "In waiting, I waited, waited and better waited," but all was overpaid; he did hear me : so Ps. cxxx. : "I wait If we look backwards and forwards in and wait, until the morning." These two this chapter, we find the three great execujoined are all, and may well go together-tioners of God's anger in the world foretold, earnest desire, and patient attendance. as having received commission against this

These words, as others of the prophet's people.

we call consolations, I conceive, look beyond | In all troubles felt or feared, this is still the deliverances from outward troubles, to the great recourse of them that are acquainted the great promise of the Messias. Sure I with it, and can use it, PRAYER. And

"You

their labour in it is not altogether lost, even let slip that thought! When we have any where the judgment is determined and un- thing of it, how soon are we out of it, and alterable, as here it was; for some mitigations multiplying vain words; for so are all those of time and measure are desirable, and by we utter to Him without this. Oh! pray to prayer attainable: and whatsoever there is be taught this point of prayer, and watch of that kind, the prayers that have been made over your hearts in prayer, to set them thus, long before, have had a concurrence and in- when you enter to him, and to call them in fluence in it, and always at the least, prayer when they wander, and pluck them up when carries the personal good of them that present they slumber, to think where they are, and it; if it return unto their bosom, as David what they are doing. speaks, without effect for others, it returns Our iniquities testify against us. Connot thither empty, brings peace and safety fession fitly begins. All the difference bethither with it: they save their own souls. twixt God and us, lies in this, our iniquities. The mourners, if they turn not away the Now, humble confession is one great article of destroyers' weapons from the city, yet they pacification; it is a thing judgment certainly procure one sent along with them, with an aims at, Hosea v. 15, a thing mercy is mainly inkhorn for their own marking and sparing. moved with, Psalm xxxii. 5, Jer. xxxi. 18. And were there nothing in this, nor any When we are to encounter any enemy or following effect, prayer hath within itself its difficulty, it is sin weakens us. Now, conown reward: did we know it, we should fession weakens it, takes away the power of think so. The very dignity and delight of accusations, anticipates the great accuser, so near access to God, to speak with him so leaves him nothing to say, takes off the stroke freely, this in itself is the most blessed and of sins testifying against us—says, honourable privilege that the creature is ca- need not, I confess all, and more than you pable of; it is a pledge of heaven, something can say.' of it beforehand, a standing in pretension to For this, a right knowledge of God's law the life of angels (to be but a little lower, is requisite, and then a diligent use of it; as the word is, Ps. viii. 5). Many practise laying it to our ways, as a straight rule to a form: few know the vital sweetness of it. shew our unevenness, which, without it, we Oh, my brethren, be aspiring to more discern not. Set that glass before you; but, heavenliness, and a higher bent of the soul withal, beg light from heaven to see by, in it than yet you know, and use it more that otherwise our applications to this work of way; use it for yourselves and others, this searching our hearts, and comparing them whole land, these kingdoms, the church of with the law, is but poring in the dark, where God through the whole earth. We have nothing is to be seen of our spots, though we seen no times wherein it hath been more need-set the glass before us, and open the leaves ful, and none wherein less plentiful; there is of it. "The spirit of a man is the candle of none that stirs up himself to lay hold on the Lord;" but it is so when he lights it, God. Some, no doubt, there are in these and directs a man by it into himself, to see times; yet so few, so general a decay and the secret corners and pollutions that lie hid negligence in the zeal and frequency of prayer, within him. Sin discovered by this light, that, to speak of, there is none. And is it appears in its native vileness, and that makes not so now with us? Many discourse one to lively resentments and confessions. another, and yet, most to little or no purpose: Their confession of sin is varied here in but little is spoken where nothing would be three several expressions, none of them empty; lost in humble supplication to God: and this the adding one to another, testifying a deep is the saddest sign of that long-lasting trouble. sense, and each of them having much under Oh! pity the kingdom and yourselves, and it, when issuing from an awakened, sensible learn to pray. mind.

This prayer of the prophet is made up of the two usual ingredients, confession and petition.

Our iniquities testify against us. This expresses a deep and clear conviction. Our iniquities are undeniable; they stand up and give in witness against us, and we cannot except against them, nor deny the charge they lay.

O Lord, Jehovah. A chief point of prayer is, the presenting of the soul before God, remembering to whom we speak, that it is to the great King, the holy God; which this And thus it shall be with all transgressors expresses, where it is indeed, when we say, in their day, and with each of us. It is not O LORD, or should remind us of, when we far off; our particular day, it is coming, when forget it, to have such apprehensions as we the most ignorant shall be forced to know, can reach, of his glorious Majesty. Consider, and the most obstinate and impudent shall if we find our hearts filled with Him when be forced to acknowledge, their iniquities. we are before him. Oh, how seldom think Such as now will not be warned and conwe that He is God, even while we speak to vinced, that hide their sin as men, as Adam, Him, and how quickly do we forget it, and that shew themselves in that his children, • Angelorum candidati. TERTULL. they (as he) shall be called for, and forced