Softness or tenderness of heart is a special means of upright walking

Obadiah Sedgwick

Truly the hardness of mans heart is wonderful, which will not bow after so many gracious dealings of God, and the patience of God is more wonderful, who will bear so many, and so long affronts from a proud and hard heart.

~Obadiah Sedgwick

If we would compass soft and tenderness of heart, we must then get hearts to love the Lord; Did we love him, we would be tender of his glory, and tender of his love; tender to please him, tender not to displease him, tender to obey him, and tender to honour him.

~Obadiah Sedgwick

Now softness or tenderness of heart is a special means of this upright walking: For

1. It raiseth in the heart an universal regard to all the Commandments of God, Psal. 119.6. And ver. 10. would not wander from the commandments, and to walk in all Well-pleasing before him.

2. It fills the heart with a hatred and fear of all sin, that it may not offend the Lord in any thing, nor at any time, nor in any place: Still seeing him who is invisible: Job 31.4. Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps! Prov. 5.21. The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

3. It lifts up the glory of God; that is the great end, and aim, and scope, and motive to a tender heart; he doth all to the glory of God, and so that Christ may be magnified.

4. It would be a means of promoting the knowledge of Christ, and the power of godliness, and of casting down whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine, and unto the ways of godliness; for it would fill the hearts of men with spiritual compassion to souls with zeal, and it would draw out their graces, and gifts, and powers in a right way for God, and for the good and salvation of others.

If Magistrates had but as much tenderness of heart in relation to the interest of God, as to their own interest, they would be more quick and active for God than for themselves; they would justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked; they would countance the faithful in the Land, and contemn the profane; they would honour and exalt the truth of God and disgrace and repress the errors and blasphemies against God and his truths, they would encourage every godly person, and they would appear against all open ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

If Ministers had more tenderness of heart, they would (in their places also) give all diligence to make Christ known, and the truths of Christ, and contend for them, and oppose men of corrupt minds, and that which is Antichrist indeed, and they would exceedingly persuade, and encourage even to the knowledge of the truth, and to the love of the truth, and to walk in all manner of holiness and godliness: and they would reprove, threaten, warn, and declare the wrath of God against all sorts of wickedness in all sorts of men.

If Parents, and Masters of Families had this tender heart, they would not suffer ignorance and looseness in their dwellings; but on the contrary would study and take pains to instruct and teach their children and servants, and would reprove and correct, &c. How would they pray, and strive on the behalf of knowledge, and faith, and holiness, and fear of God, and of Walking with God! Verily the whole Land would in a short time, be made an habitation of holiness, a Land flowing with knowledge, and fear of the Lord, had we more of this tenderness of heart, which would undoubtedly make us more zealous, and industrious for the glory of God. 

~Obadiah Sedgwick

Reconciliation with God the fruit and effect of the blood and death of Christ

Obadiah Sedgwick

How powerful and efficacious the blood of Christ is! It hath done that which all the righteous men on earth, and which all the Angels in heaven could never do. If all the righteous men on earth should have come forth and offered their lives, their souls and bodies unto God, and have said, Lord, take all these at our hands, so that thou wilt be reconciled and at peace with such a sinner; they could not have made his peace: Yea if all the angels in heaven had offered themselves to God, and said, Lord, we are content to be put out of Heaven, so that this may satisfy thy justice, and so that this may make peace for sinners, neither would this have took up the difference and made peace: There cannot be found in any creature sufficiency enough to be a Peace-maker, to be a Daysman between God and sinners, to take off the wrath of God due to a sinner: No, no, it is not our tears, nor our confessions, nor our repentance, which can make reconciliation; it is Jesus Christ only: He was only able to open the book, and he only is able to shut the book: None but Christ, and nothing but the blood of Christ is able to satisfy and to pacify God: His blood was the blood of atonement or reconciliation, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him: The debt was so great, and the provocation by sin was so high, and the wrath of God against sin was so infinite, that nothing could discharge that debt and pacify that wrath, but the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How much are we beholden to Jesus Christ, who by his blood reconciled God to us, and us to God, and hath made peace. "Oh," said Luther concerning the 118th Psalm, "I am more beholden to this Psalm, than to all the potentates of the world. This Psalm hath done more for me in my distress, than all the world could do for me." We may much more say that of Jesus Christ. We are more bound to Him than all the world besides, for Christ has done more for us, why? because He hath reconciled us to God; we had lain under his wrath for ever, had it not been for Christ: and we should never have seen the face of God, had it not been for Christ: He hath pacified his wrath, and brought us into favor and friendship again: O sirs, ponder it well what I am about to speak unto you, that you may know how much you are beholding to Christ. What a miserable unhappy creature is the sinner who is separated from God, and at variance with him, and whiles he is separated from God! God only is happiness, and nothing can be our happiness but the enjoyment of him; and therefore the falling away from God, and the separation from him is an infinite loss, and misery, and infelicity: Cain thought it a peculiar curse, I shall be hid from thy face! And the Church cries out, he hides his face from us: Why I cannot express the darkness, the loss, the curse, the death, the hell of this, that the sinner is fallen out with God, he hath forsaken God, and God hath forsaken him; he is none of God's, and God is none of his, he is an enemy to God and opposeth him, and God is an enemy to the sinner, and doth abhor and will curse him: but besides this, consider also how terrible the wrath of God is and how dreadful it is for a poor sinner to be a child of wrath, and to live under the wrath of God. Or the wrath of God it is a consuming fire; and who can stand before his wrath! If his wrath be kindled but a little, saith David. How doth the conscience tormented with the apprehension and sense of God's wrath make men cry out and roar and tremble and quake, and be restless, and easeless, and hopeless! But now Jesus Christ by his blood hath reconciled us and God; he hath quenched this devouring flame of fire, he hath slain enmity, he hath saved us from wrath, from that wrath which is so infinitely dreadful, and which otherwise would have burned and consumed us for ever, and ever, and ever, And besides that he hath made us nigh, and hath made us one again; we may now with the Prodigal come back again unto our Father's house and be kindly accepted and received, Well! If you know the Scriptures, and if you know what a just and wrathful God is, and if you know what a sinning creature is, or what sin is! Then bless God for Christ, and bless Christ for himself, and for his love, and for his blood, and for his death, who hath taken up the greatest controversy that ever was; as he took up the nature of the different parties into his own Person, so he took off the differences twixt them by his own blood. O love this reconciling Christ!

By all means strive to get into Jesus Christ, to receive him, to make him yours, and to become his: why so? because if he be not your Christ, he cannot be your peace; and if he be your Christ, assuredly he is your Peace-maker. Is there anything in the world which can concern you more than this? what! To have the justice of God satisfied, to have all your sins pardoned, to have God reconciled! If a great man and you fell out, and were at deadly variance, as he has you in his power, and might every moment of the day seize on you, and take away your life, and cut you in pieces, would you be quiet and contented? especially when you your self were the just cause of all the difference and danger, would you not seek peace? would you not be glad to be reconciled, especially if he should offer it? why, you and the great God are fallen out, and you are the cause of it, you sinned against him, and did that which his soul did hate, and did him wrong, and provoked him to wrath, and his wrath is revealed against you, and he can (when he will) at any time, in any place lay hold on you by the hand of his power, and execute his righteous judgments on you, and destroy and damn you for ever! And yet will you neglect to make peace with him? will you dally in this case, especially seeing he is thus far indulgent as to shew you the way how to take hold of him, and make peace with him! There is no way in the world for this, but by coming in to Christ, and receiving of him by faith; I say on Christ, who only is our peace, and who only can make our peace: In whom the Father is well pleased, and by whom he is well pleased with us.

~Obadiah Sedgwick, The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting covenant

The City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.

A SERMON Preach'd before THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The LORD MAYOR and Aldermer AND Citizens of LONDON

AT St. LAWRENCE JEWRY, on Saturday September the 28th, 1700. 

At the Election of the Lord Mayor, for the Year Ensuing. 

By SAMUEL BRADFORD, Rector of St. Mary le Bow and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty. LONDON.

Printed for Matt. Wotton at the Three Daggers near the Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet. 1700. 

ISAIAH I. 26. I will restore, thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.

THESE Words contain in them a Promise of God's special Favour to the City of Jerusalem, the Metropolis of Judea, and were spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, for the comfort and support of the Pious and Good Men therein, whilst they heard of the Judgments which were at that time denounced against the Impious and Wicked.

It was, as appears by the preceding part of this Chapter, a time of very great Corruption and Degeneracy among that Peoples for which they had already suffer'd many and great Calamities, as a just Punishment for their Transgressions; but were hitherto far from being reclaim'd. They did indeed keep up a pretence and show of Religion; but were at the same time very faulty in their Morals. Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings they did not spare; the New Moons and the anointed Festivals they constantly observed; but they were notoriously guilty of Falsehood, Injustice, Unmercifulness and Oppression. A little before the Text, their Character is given in very Emphatical Terms. How is the Faithful City become an Harlot? It was full of Judgment, Righteousness lodged in it; but now Murderers. Thy Silver is become dross, thy Wine mixt with Water. That is, They were become false to God, and unjust one towards another, and were Corrupted to that degree, that there was hardly any thing sincere and genuine, any thing true and honest among them.

Nor was this Corruption only among the Common People; but it had tainted Men of higher Rank also, even their Governors and Magistrates, as we find in the next Words.

Ver.23. 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. 

Now this being their Case, it pleas'd God once again severely to Rebuke and Threaten them, letting them know, that he would yet make one Trial more of them, using greater Severity than hitherto he had done, but not wholly abandoning them, designing by his Judgments to cut off the Incorrigible, but to preserve to himself a Remnant, who should be prevail'd upon by what they should see and feel, to amend what was amiss. So it follows; Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine Adversaries, and avenge me of mine Enemies. And I will turn my Hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy Dross, and take away all thy Tin. And in order to the bringing about this thorough Reformation, God promiseth to bless them with good Governors, who should be his Instruments in accomplishing what he intended. So we read in the Words of our Text; And I will restore thy Judges as at the first.

It is indeed observable by Experience, that Governors do commonly partake of the Virtues or Vices of the People over whom they are placed. If a general Corruption have overspread any Community or Body of Men, their Rulers also are usually tainted; and God in his Providence justly punisheth the Transgressions of the People, by permitting them to fall into bad Hands; and 'tis part of their Punishment, and a terrible Effect of the Divine Displeasure toward them, that these Governors still increase and propagate the Corruption of which they partake. As on the other hand, both by the Inclination of a Virtuous People, and the Blessing of God upon them, the management of their Affairs is usually committed to Wise and Just Rulers; and when God out of his Infinite Goodness and Mercy, designs either to reward a Virtuous Body of Men, or to amend a Vicious, He doth by his over-ruling Providence raise up such to Govern them, as shall be careful to promote his Honour, and their Welfare. But to come to the Words themselves.

By Judges, may be understood properly, those who have the Authority and Power to make, or to execute Laws; and by Counselors, those whom they call in to their advice and assistance: Or, without nicely distinguishing, we may comprehend under these two Words, all that are in Authority, or have the Management of Public Affairs, whether Supreme Governors, or Subordinate Magistrates. By restoring to them such as were at the first, or at the beginnings is meant, the raising up for them such as that People were blest with, when they were brought out of Egypt, and conducted into the Land of Canaan, who were acknowledged to have been Worthy Men, every way qualified for their Trust, and to have discharged it faithfully to the Honour of God, and the Public Good, encouraging and promoting Piety and Virtue, and keeping the Community in Peace and good Order. And after this should come to pass, Jerusalem should then be called, that is, should be fitly or properly called, forasmuch as it should really be, The City of Righteousness, the Faithful City; that is, it should become thence-forward, eminent for its Virtue and Piety, it should be Remarkably, and by way of Emphasis, so as to be taken notice of, and esteem'd as such, The City Faithful to God, and Righteous toward Men.

If it be asked, When this Prophecy, was to be fulfill'd; Some make answer; At their return from Babylon. And those who are of this Opinion, suppose the Threatening denounced in the preceding Words, to relate to the Babylonish Captivity, and consequently, that the Promise in the Text was to be made good, when they should be restor'd to their own Country, and the City of Jerusalem should be new Built. And if so; it was actually fulfill'd, when Joshua and Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah had the Direction of their Public Affairs, concerning whom, we have in the Sacred Story a very good Character, as of Wise and Good Men, and Excellent Governors. But others, (and I think, with greater probability) carry the matter farther, referring this Prophecy to the Times of the Gospel. These reckon, That the Judgment here threatn'd, was the great desolation of Judea and Jerusalem by the Romans; and that the Promise of purging away their Dross, and taking away all their Tin, was to be fulfill'd under the Reign of the Messiah, and that, as Jerusalem which then was, was a Type and Figure of the Christian Church; so the Promise which was made to that City, and in some measure fulfill'd at the end of the Babylonish Captivity, was yet to have a more complete accomplishment in the Anti-type. And if so, then by restoring Judges as at the first, and Counselors as at the beginning, must be understood, That as the Christian Church should abound with Men of reformed Tempers and Practices, so there should be Christian Governors and Magistrates, who should prove eminent Instruments in this Reformation. And such, no doubt, there have been in most Ages of Christianity. Tho', I think, whosoever takes a view of the Christian World, and well considers, what the state of Things has been, and still is therein, will judge it reasonable to hope, that this Promise is yet to have a more eminent Accomplishment, than it has had hitherto. But to let that pass; I proceed to consider the Words so as may be most proper, with respect to the present Occasion, and this I shall do in the following Method.

First, I shall inquire into the Character of those Governors with which the People of Israel were blest at the beginning, who are here made the Patterns of those which should be restored to them.

Secondly, I shall shew, how such Governors are a Public Blessing to the People over whom they are placed, insomuch that a City in which they Rule, may from them be called, The City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.

Thirdly, I shall briefly apply what shall be delivered on this Argument, to our own Use.

First, To inquire into the Character of those Governors, with which the People of Israel were blest at the beginning, who are here made the Patterns of those which should be restored to them.

By those which they had at the beginning, I have already observed, is to be understood, those who rul'd over them, in the beginning of their Common-wealth, when they were brought out of Egypt and conducted into Canaan. Such were a great part of the Judges whom God gave them, as St. Paul speaks, from the time of their being settled in Canaan, unto the days of Samuel, for about the space of four hundred and fifty years; these being Men rais'd up by Providence from time to time, as there was occasion, for delivering them from their Enemies, and preserving Peace and good Order amongst them at Home. But more especially, Moses himself, who was their Conductor from Egypt thro' the Wilderness; and after him Joshua, who led them into the Land of Rest; and at the conclusion of their Common-wealth, Samuel the Prophet; may be suppos'd to be referr'd to in this passage of our Text. These were Persons, who, by all the account which we have of them, appear to have had a sincere and awful regard to God and to his Laws, with a fervent desire to promote his Honor, and do his Will. They were Men likewise of a Public Spirit, possess'd with an hearty Love to their Country, and a great Zeal for asserting its Liberties, and promoting its Welfare. They made it the business of their Lives, that to which they devoted themselves, and which they preferr'd muchbefore any of their Private Concernments or Interests, to guard and defend their People from their Enemies, and to propagate Piety and Virtue, Truth and Righteousness and Peace amongst them. 

And as this was the just Character of those who were under God, their Chief Governors, (for such all those whom I have now mention'd were) so their inferior Magistrates also were, at the first Persons of the same Stamp, as we may be assur'd by reflecting upon two Passages, in the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy,very full and plain to our present purpose, where we have an account how those Persons were qualified, who were by Moses first appointed to rule the People under him. The former Passage is that which contains the Advice of Jethro, Moses's Father-in-law, when he observ'd, how much too heavy a burden it was for one Man to Judge all that People by himself. Upon this he Counsels Moses to appoint others,who would be subordinate to him, and assist him in that great Work; and what sort of Persons they should be, he tells him in those remarkable Words, Thou shalt provide, says he, out of all the People, able Men, such as fear God, Men of Truth, hating Covetousness, and place such over them. And we find, that Moses did accordingly, in the other Passage which I am to produce, viz. where he thus declares to the People, I spake unto you, says he, at that time, (namely, when he put Jethro's Advice in execution) saying, Take ye wise Men and understanding, and known among your Tribes, and I wilt make them Rulers over you, And ye answered me and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. So I took, the chief of your Tribes, wise Men and known, and made them Heads over you. Now by reflecting upon these two Passages, we may clearly discern the Character of those Magistrates, with which that People were blest at the beginning.

They were able men. The word in the Original, like that in our English Tongue, is of a large signification, denoting the several kinds of Abilities, which are proper in this case. So that by able men may be understood, either men endued with a competency of bodily Health and Strength; or men of Substance, Wealthy men; or Men of Natural Courage and Fortitude; or lastly, Men of Judgment and Prudence. There is no question, but that each of these may be esteem'd able men, in some degree qualified for the discharge of Public Offices. A competent measure of Health and Strength enables Men to undergo the fatigue of Public Business, and to dispatch it with ease and pleasure to themselves and others. A plentiful Estate qualifies the Owner of it to bear the Charges which usually attend Honor and Public Employments, and to maintain the Post, which is highly expedient, if not necessary for such Persons. Besides that where an Estate is either descended from Ancestors, or acquir'd by honest Ingenuity and Industry, it usually procures regard; and which is yet more, puts the Possessor of it into a capacity of laying more Obligations upon others, and consequently of procuring greater Respect from them. And above all, it does, or should, raise Men above the temptation of doing an ill, an unjust, an unfair, or so much as a mean Action. Riches are the Materials and Instruments of Virtue, where those who have them know how to use them aright. So again, Natural Courage or Fortitude of Mind qualifies him that is endued with it, to encounter Difficulties, to bear up against Contradiction, to do that which is fit, in spite of all Discouragement, and to maintain a just Authority against all Opposition; all which are excellent Dispositions in a Magistrate. And for Judgment and Prudence, it will, I take it for granted, be readily allow'd, that these are at least as necessary and useful Qualifications, as any of the former, and therefore these seem more particularly to be meant by the word able, according to the exposition of Moses himself, where instead of able men, he orders the People to present to him wise men and understanding. And this is the first part of the Character of those Magistrates, which they had at the beginning: but this is not all; there is a more considerable part or their Character yet behind.

They fill up the Character which St. Paul gives of a good Ruler, that he is not a terror to good works, but to the evil, so that those who do that which is good shall have praise (not only verbal, but real praise, that is reward) of the same. For he is the Minister of God for good, and he  beareth not the sword in vain, but is a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. And this is his constant business; he is God's minister, attending continually upon this very thing.

Thus the Magistrate who fears God, remembers that he is deputed by Him, that he derives his Authority from Him, and that he must be accountable to Him for the exercise of that Power wherewith he is entrusted, and therefore will from a principle of Conscience, which is the only sure tie and bond of a reasonable Creature, discharge his whole Duty, to the best of his skill and power. And forasmuch as he is sensible, that the Happiness of the Public depends upon the Blessing of the Almighty, and that the way so secure his favour, is to have his Precepts observ'd, he will not suffer any of those Laws to be openly violated, which relate immediately to his Service and Honor, any more then those which relate to Justice among men. He cannot indeed change the Hearts of men; but he can in a great measure- restrain and regulate their Words and Actions:, and therefore will think himself obliged to see, that no public affront be offer'd to the Divine Majesty, in word or deed, without executing the Sentence which the Law passes upon the Offender.

In like manner a Magistrate who is a Man of Truth, will make it his constant care to maintain Truth and Justice,those great Bands of Human Society; he will according to the Precept of Moses, hear the cause between his brethren, and judgeth righteously between every man and his brother, he will not respect persons in judgment: but hear the small as well as the great, and not be afraid of the face of man, as considering that the judgment is God's. He will not be bias'd by Flattery or Fear, by Interest or Favor, by Party or Faction, but will ever, be on that side, on which Truth and Justice are to be found.

And lastly a Magistrate who hates Covetousness, will not be drawn into any unworthy Action, by the hope of Gain; nor decline the doing a just or an handsome thing, for fear of the Charge of it. He will need no Gift to encourage him to do right; much less will he accept of any, to prevail with him to do wrong. He will upon all occasions testify his detestation of Corruption and Bribery, that bane of Human Society, that source of all manner of Unrighteousness, so that no man of sense will dare to attempt him that way, for fear of being not only disappointed, but expos'd. He will not for his own private advantage dispense his Favours, or dispose of any Places of public Trust, to unfit & unworthy men. He will not think it fair, to increase his own Estate by injuring the Public: so far from that, that looking upon himself as design'd for a Public Benefactor, he will lay out his Time, his Strength, and his Estate, if occasion be, to the Public Benefit; he will be always ready to every good work, whetherof Piety,Charity,or true Generosity,whereby God may be honour'd, and the Society to which he is related may receive advantage. He will rejoice in an opportunity of being useful to his Country or City, as much as the covetous man can do in increasing his private Estate. In fine, he will think himself abundantly recompens'd for all his pains and trouble and charge, in the Execution of his Offices having serv'd his Generation faithfully in his place, and kept a good Conscience in the discharge of his Duty, he may leave a good Name behind him, and die with the expectation of a future Reward.

And certainly where any number of such Men as these bear rule, their City may well be call'd the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.

All that now remains is in the third and last place, to apply what has been said to our own Use, with respect to the occasion of our present assembling, and this I shall do in a few words.

I have with all sincerity and plainness laid before you in short the Character of good Magistrates, and such as God in our Text promis'd, as a Blessing to the City of Jerusalem, probably meaning thereby, as I before observ'd, that there should be such Magistrates in the time of the Gospel. I am sure the Precepts of the Gospel would make all Christian Magistrates such, if duly attended to; nay we have the concurrence of Reason as well as Revelation in this case. For, as you have heard, it was the advice of Jethro, a Prince and Priest of Midian, not an Israelite, that such should then be chosen; which advice as he gave by the light of Natural Reason, so it was approv'd and confirm'd by God, and lest upon Record by Moses in Holy Writ, as a standing Character of a good Magistrate, and consequently it always was and will be so to the end of the World. All therefore that we have to infer is in these two Particulars.

First, That those who have the right of Electing Magistrates, or Investing them with their Authority, should as near as may be choose Persons to whom this Character agrees. So Moses and the People of Israel did, the latter by electing and presenting such Men, and the former by accepting them, and conferring Authority upon them; and these Magistrates are by our Text made Precedents for future Times.

I hope I need not urge this with many words. It is the happiness of this City to be always furnish'd with a considerable number of Men, to whom all the parts of this Character may be justly ascribed; and 'tis to be charitably presum'd, that since it is your Custom, upon such Occasions as these, first to come to the House of God, and make your Acknowledgments of him, you also come with Minds dispos'd to follow the Directions of his Word.

Nor would I have what I have said applied merely to the Business of this Day; but more especially to those Elections, by which you fill up the Vacancies of the Magistracy in this City. Your particular Business on this Day is only to take One out of that Honorable Court, to every Member of which you have already given a reasonable expectation of the Chief Magistracy, by your first Electing them into that Body. And I believe you will allow me to say without offence, That nothing but a very great, and weighty, and plain Reason should at any time move you to break through that Order, which is most regular and natural in such Cases. And I cannot forbear wishing, that for Order and Peace sake, and the restoring of Love and Union among the Inhabitants of this City, we might in this respect, as well as in others, have Judges again as at the first, and Counselors as at the beginning; I mean Men chosen for their Abilities and their Virtues, without any regard to those Parties which have been form'd, and those Names of Distinction which have been invented of late years.

Suffer me therefore, I beseech you, seriously to admonish you, that you would lay aside all Prejudice and Passion, all Animosities and unreasonable Jealousies; that you would exercise your Charity, by forgetting all former Provocations and Resentments; and that you would shew your Wisdom, both by rectifying whatever has been amiss on any side for the time past, and by resolving to join henceforward unanimously in promoting the Common Good.

I make no doubt to affirm, what is certainly true, both in Reason and by Experience, That in Times of Division and Contention in any Society, they are usually the best Men, who are least engaged in any Party; and as the Zealots of all Parties are seldom good Friends to the whole Body, so they very often fail that very Party which most of all confides in them: whereas an able and an honest Man, one who fears God, is a Man of Truth, and, a hater of Covetousness, can never be really injurious to any side, and will always prove a true and a sure Friend to the whole.

In a word; In this and all other your Elections, you may safely trust a Man of Virtue, a Lover of God and his Country, and a hearty Friend to the Establishment of this Kingdom both in Church and State, whatever other Denomination may be given him by the contending Parties.

Secondly, That which I would close with is, an earnest Exhortation to all those who are or shall be honour'd with any Public Trust, to approve themselves such as I have described, that so they may be a Public Blessing to their Country.

It is undoubtedly the Duty of every private Man, to fear God, to be a Man of Truth, and to hate Covetousness: but when you are called from a private to a public Station, your Obligation is still greater. You are set in open view; and as your demeanor will be more observ'd, so it will have its influence much farther, than before. Your Reputation is highly concern'd in the matter; but what is more considerable, your Interest, I mean your Spiritual and Eternal interest is concern'd likewise. What might pass for a Virtue in a private Man, may not always be worthy of that name in a Magistrate and what was a Fault in the former, may be a Crime in the latter. Your Country, and those who have thought you worthy of advancement among them, have a right in you, and a just and reasonable expectation From you; and Almighty God, who expects an account of all the Talents which he hath given to Men, will reckon with you very strictly for the use of your Authority and Power. He expects, that those who represent him, should do it becomingly, and he will either reward them more liberally, or punish them more severely in proportion to their behaviour, at the great Day of Account.

You who are Magistrates Of this City have an opportunity put into your hands of bringing great Glory to Almighty God, by doing much good to the Whole Nation, which is apt to take Example, and to receive Influence from hence. You 'may at the same time establish to yourselves a just and lasting fame in this World, and lay Up a very glorious Reward in the World to come.

To conclude all; You may according to the declaration of the Text, to be both a Blessing and a Glory to the City to which you are patrons, rendering it truly honourable by your good management. For if you are Judges as at the first, and Counselors as at the beginning, after that your City also shall be call'd the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.

FINIS

Old Shoes Clouted

"And old shoes and clouted upon their feet." JOSH. ix. 5.

If we had seen these men of Gibeon, with these old mended shoes on their feet, we should have said, "They have come so far that they have worn out their shoes on the road, and had to mend — clout — them!" And that is just the impression they wanted to make on Joshua and his people. The story is a very funny one.

Joshua had just begun his march into the Promised Land. He had taken two large cities and been most victorious. When the kings beyond Jordan heard of Joshua's successes, they gathered themselves together to fight. There were six kings with their armies. But the men of Gibeon thought they would try another plan. Rather than fight, they would get Joshua to make a covenant with them. To do this they must make him believe that they lived a long way off. And so they put old sacks on their asses, took wine-skins old and rent, old clothes, dry and mouldy bread, and old shoes and clouted.

Joshua was very suspicious of them, and said, But perhaps you dwell among us; how shall we make a covenant with you?

And then they said all kinds of plausible things, and, pointing to their condition, said that they had taken their bread hot, and now it was dry and mouldy; their wine-skins were new, but now rent; and "our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey."

Joshua said nothing to God about it, and made a covenant with them. Then at the end of three days he discovered the deception, and made them slaves for ever, to hew wood and to draw water for the house of God.

Boys and girls, never wear old shoes and clouted, to make believe.

All the lies do not come from the tongue: we may act a lie just as surely and easily as tell one, and we are as really liars when we do.

I knew a wood-seller who always carried two bundles of sticks, and said when he came to the door, " These are the last I have." But all the time he had a big sackful at the end of the street. That was "old shoes and clouted."

A boy asked a friend of mine for a penny, the exact sum he needed to buy a bat. So it was when he left home, but he asked twenty people for that penny, and got it.

A boy smoking sees his father coming: out comes the pipe, and into his pocket, and he meets his father as if he loved him, and were really the boy the father thinks him to be.

All this is like old shoes and clouted on our feet. Whenever we are pretending to be what we are not, or to be doing what we are not really doing, we are acting like these men of Gibeon.

Let me give four reasons why we should not make believe.

1. It is mean.

The schoolboy does not like to be called a sneak. He would far rather suffer a thrashing, or bear false blame. To make believe is sneaking. It is degrading both to ourselves and in the sight of others, and very unfair. If we are once found out, no one will trust us.

Aristotle, one of the great philosophers, was once asked what a man could gain by telling a lie, and he replied, "Never to be credited when he speaks the truth."

You may be sure that Joshua and his people would be pretty wary about the men of Gibeon, after their trick.

One of the saddest things that can befall us is to get the character of a deceiver, and therefore not to be trusted.

2. It will out.

Only three days, and their deception was discovered. Just a chance report came to Joshua that they had not come from a long distance, but were his neighbours and dwelt near to him. They had managed everything cleverly thus far, and then some person, unknown and unsuspected, "tells."

Yes, we can't hide much. In most strange and unexpected ways people find out when our old shoes are not genuine. Remember Gehazi. The wealthy Syrian captain was cured of his leprosy through Elisha, and pressed the man of God to receive a present. This he stoutly declined. Gehazi saw the Syrian go away with his treasures and chariots, and was greatly disappointed.

So, on the pretense that two young men had unexpectedly come from the hills, and his master would be glad of something for them, he ran after the "rich stranger" and asked for a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.

Naaman gave him one talent more than he asked, and sent two servants to carry the present. This very much increased Gehazi's difficulty, lest his master should see these servants. So when they got to the hill, just before the house came into view he let them go, and he hid the present in some secret place; then he went over the brow of the hill, into the house, and stood before his master as if nothing had happened. How great his surprise when he found that all was known! Even the hill and his cleverness had not prevented the master knowing. "And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."

We shall be found out sooner or later.

3. We know, if no one else does.

A little girl in her Sunday school repeated the 23rd Psalm. A visitor who was present was so pleased with the way in which she did it, that he gave her a shilling. Great was the child's joy over the shilling, all her own. The visitor noticed this, and, guessing that she would spend it as soon as she could, said to her, " I see a great many shops open, though it is God's day. You must on no account spend that coin in any of them to-day, but keep it till to-morrow. You understand, I won't be present to see you, but there is One who will see you, and find out at once if you break the Sabbath day." The child was silent, her dark, thoughtful eye was turned up to the speaker's face as if she knew what he meant, and had taken it all in.

"Who will see you?" he asked, thinking he knew quite well what she would answer. "Myself Will See Me," was her unexpected, but splendid reply. "Myself will see me." Do you think that would matter? Yes, very much indeed. It is terrible to hate oneself, to despise oneself, because—though no one else knows —we know that we have done mean and wicked things.

And, boys and girls, it comes to that sooner or later. We can bear the hate of others, if we know that we have done right, but the very love of our friends becomes a burden to us when we know that we have done wrong. The good opinion other people form of us is like a poisoned arrow when we know that we have deceived them. Don't make an enemy of yourself by wearing old shoes and clouted to make believe.

4. God knows.

When these men were getting together their old clothes, their rent bottles, their mouldy bread, and their old shoes, hoping, thinking, saying, "No one will know,"—someone knew.

When they inspected one another in their strange guise, and felt pleased with the effective display (for they looked just like men who had come off a very long journey), they did not remember that other eyes were there.

When they thought within themselves, "Surely we shall succeed; Joshua and his people won't find out," they forgot there was One who is "not mocked."

Brother and sister were carrying a basket of cakes to their grandmother. Nearly all children love cakes, and these two did. Presently they peeped through the half-open lid, to see what they were like. Then they opened it wide. Then they wondered what they would taste like, and they counted them carefully. "So many, we might eat one, just one, and no one will know. Perhaps mother didn't count them, and surely grandmother won't."

I rather think they would have eaten one, had not the sister asked a very awkward question—"Can't God count?" Down went the lid, and away the little folk ran to grandmother's.

Yes, that is it. God counts, and though no one else may know, and we "don't care," God knows, and to Him "lying lips are abomination," and so are lying feet.

When, then, you are tempted to act like these men with their old shoes, remember them and their fate, and be straight.

~Frederick B. Cowl, Digging Ditches: And Other Sermons to Boys and Girls

Thomas Manton on False Christians

Whole, pure Christianity is not loved by false Christians; therefore, when religion crosseth their interests and the bent of their lusts, they seek to bring religion to their hearts, not their hearts to religion.

~Thomas Manton

Temptations from the world should the less prevail with us, because it is the whole drift of religion to call us off from the world; so that if we be baptized into the spirit of our religion, we should be quite of another temper, not apt to be wrought upon by temptations of this kind. Do we profess to believe in our crucified Lord? and what is the great effect his death hath upon us? Gal i. 4. 'he gave himself', that he might deliver us from the present evil world.' Who have interest in him? 'They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof,' Gal. v. 24. He doth not say they are Christ's that believe he was crucified, or that he died for sinners, but they that feel the power and efficacy of his death in mortifying their sins. What! a christian, and so worldly? a christian, and so vain and frothy? It is a contradiction. You that are carried out after the pomp and vanities of the world, do you believe in Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world? False christians are branded: 1 John iv. 5, 'They are of the world, and speak of the world, and the world heareth them;' they are engulfed in the world, and they would fain draw others to be as bad as themselves.

~Thomas Manton

We are bound to a profession, not in word only, but in deed; to a suitable walking or to glorify Christ. He is not a professor whose life is not a hymn to God. Actions are the best image of our thoughts. A man may destroy his profession by his conversation: Titus i. 16, 'They profess they know God, but in their works they deny him.' Experience teacheth us that a man may profess a religion which he doth abhor; though they know God, they do not love him, and live to him, and they are not really and seriously what they nominally profess to be. An unclean person is a votary to Priapus; a drunkard to Bacchus; not a disciple of Christ. An earthly sensual worldling cloth in his life say that the alcoran is better than the gospel; a merciless man is worse than an infidel, and hath denied the faith, 1 Tim. v. 8. Interpretative circumcision is turned into uncircumcision, Rom. ii. 25 ; and Jer. ix. 25, 26, 'I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised, &c. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.' Uncircumcised in heart have a pagan heart. Certainly a man that is obliged to the profession is obliged to the duties which the profession calleth for. What! profess yourselves to be christians, and live loosely? This is to be called christians in opprobrium Christi, to the reproach of Christ. A christian and a worldling! a christian and a sensualist! it is as great a contradiction as to say a christian and an infidel. Profession includeth holy practice as well as verbal acknowledgment. There is a practical blasphemy: Rev. ii. 9, '-I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not.' You blaspheme when you worship, and you make Christ a patron of your sin: Ps. 1. 10, 17, 'But to the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee?' Every sacrament is an aggravation of your unfaithfulness, and so doth not profit, but hurt you. Baptism, though not renounced, is forgotten, when we live as if we were in league with the devil, the world, and the flesh: 2 Peter i. 9, 'Hath forgotten that he was purged-from his old sins.' Better that scalding lead and oil had been poured upon them than the water of baptism. So for the Lord's supper: 1 Cor. xi. 27, 'Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord;' and Heb. x. 29, 'Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing?' Well, then, they are as bad as infidels, yea, worse than infidels, 1 Tim. v. viii. To be brought up in princes courts, and yet to be of clownish behaviour, aggravates the crime.

~Thomas Manton

Though they profess Christianity, carnal, worldly hypocrites, which never conquered the fleshly mind and interest, have the spirit of Antichrist; these obscure the light, and obstruct the life and love of the gospel—they that wholly affect a life of pomp and ease in the church. Now, this hath always been in all the ages. The false Christians forget their hopes are built upon a crucified Christ, and are to be derived to them from a glorified Christ in the other world—crucified in this world and glorified in the next,—which indeed are the two considerations that keep Christianity pure and lively; that all was purchased by a crucified Christ, and all is dispensed by a glorified Christ; and I wish you would oftener think of it.

~Thomas Manton 

'The king's daughter is glorious within,' rich in gifts and graces, Ps. xlv. 13; Ps. xciii. 5, 'Holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, for ever;' but the false church is known by pomp and external splendour. It is easy to discern the true ministers of Christ from the false; the true are known by being much in labours, much in afflictions: 2 Cor. vi. 4-6, 'In all things approving ourselves the ministers of God, in much patience, afflictions, necessities, distresses, in labours and watchings, and fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,' &c.; whereas the false ministers are known by the life of pomp and ease. The rule is plain, because self-denial is one of the great lessons of Christianity, and self-seeking the bane of it: therefore where men professedly seek the greatness of the world, they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies.

~Thomas Manton 

"Regeneration is absolutely necessary to salvation."

Conversion is necessary to keep thee out of Hell, to keep thy Soul out of the hands of the Devil; this is more necessary than to have a being: Better thou hadst never been born, than at last to be damned.

~Thomas Gouge

 

Regeneration is absolutely necessary to salvation. It had been better for thee never to have been born, than not to be born again. It is as necessary, as heaven and happiness. For, saith our Saviour himself, Except a man be born again, he cannot see, much less enter into the kingdom of heaven. So that there is no hope of the salvation of any unregenerate man, or woman: but, if they live and die in that estate, their portion will be death and damnation with the devils and damned to all eternity. And, in regard of the uncertainty of their lives, they are not sure to be out of hell one day longer.

~Thomas Gouge 

 

A man is not really a Christian, because he hath been baptized, beareth the name, and frequenteth the ordinances of Christ; but, because he is regenerated by the Spirit of Christ, and thereby translated out of a state of sin and death, into a state of life and peace. For, as under the law, he was not a Jew, who was one outwardly, being circumcised in the flesh: but he was a Jew, who was one inwardly, being circumcised in his heart and spirit; in like manner, he is no true Christian, who is only outwardly baptized; but, he who is inwardly baptized by the Spirit, and whose heart is changed and renewed.

~Thomas Gouge

The danger we expose our selves to by not living answerably to our profession of Christianity.

Let us consider the danger we expose our selves to by not living answerably to our Religion. And this, I hope, may prevail upon such as are not moved by the former considerations. Hypocrites are instanced in Scripture, as a sort of sinners that shall have the sharpest torments and the fiercest damnation. When our Saviour would set forth the great severity of the Lord towards the evil servant he expresseth it thus, he shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with Hypocrites. So that the punishment of Hypocrites seems to be made in the measure and standard of the highest punishment. Thou professest to believe in Christ and to hope in him for salvation, but in the mean time thou livest a wicked and unholy life, thou dost not believe but presume on him, and wilt find at the great day that this thy confidence will be thy confusion, and he whom thou hopest will be thy Advocate and Saviour will prove thy Accuser and thy Judge. What our Saviour says to the Jews, 'There is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom ye trust,' may very well be applied to false Christians, there is one that accuseth you and will condemn you, even Jesus in whom ye trust.

The profession of Christianity and mens having the name of Christ named upon them will be so, far from securing them from Hell, that it will sink them the deeper into it. Many are apt to pity the poor Heathens who never heard of the name of Christ, and sadly to condole their case, but as our Saviour said upon another occasion, 'Weep not for them, weep for yourselves.' There is no such miserable person in the world as a degenerate Christian, because he falls into the greatest misery from the greatest advantages and opportunities of being happy. Dost thou lament the condition of Socrates, and Cato, and Aristides, and doubt what shall become of them at the day of Judgment? and canst thou who art an impious and prophane Christian, think that thou shalt escape the damnation of Hell?

Dost thou believe that the moral Heathen shall be cast out? and canst thou who hast led a wicked life under the profession of Christianity have the impudence to hope that thou shalt sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God? No: those sins which are committed by Christians under the enjoyment of the Gospel are of deeper dye and cloathed with blacker aggravations than the sins of Heathens are capable of. A Pagan may live without God in the World, and be unjust towards men, at a cheaper rate and upon easier terms than thou who art a Christian. Better had it been thou hadst never known one syllable of the Gospel, never heard of the name of Christ, than that having taken it upon thee thou shouldest not depart from iniquity. Happy had it been for thee, that thou hadst been born a Jew, or a Turk, or a poor Indian, rather than that being bred among Christians, and professing thy self of that number, thou shouldst lead a vicious and unholy life.

I have insisted the longer upon these arguments, that I might, if possible, awaken men to a serious consideration of their lives, and persuade them to a real reformation of them; that I may oblige all those who call themselves Christians to live up to the essential and fundamental Laws of our Religion; to love God, and to love our Neighbour; to do to every man as we would have him to do to us; to mortify our lusts, and subdue our passions, and sincerely endeavour to grow in every grace and virtue, and to abound in all the fruits of, righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God.

This indeed would become our profession and be honourable to our Religion, and would remove one of the greatest obstacles to the progress of the Gospel. For how can we expect that the Doctrine of God our Saviour should gain any considerable ground in the world; so long as by the unworthy lives of so many Christians 'tis represented to the world at so great disadvantage? If ever we would have Christian Religion effectually recommended, it must be by the holy and unblameable lives of those who make profession of it. Then indeed it would look with so amiable a countenance as to invite many to it and carry so much majesty and authority in it as to command reverence from its greatest enemies, and make men to acknowledge that God is in us of a truth, and to glorify our Father which is in Heaven.

The good God grant that as we have taken upon us the profession of Christianity, so we may be careful so to live that we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; that the grace of God which bringeth salvation may teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, &c.

~Isaac Barrow, a selection from his sermon Of the Obligation of Christians to a Holy Life

"He that did not spare his Son will spare no other."

When any man sins, he denies the holiness of God's law. When a man swears, or breaks the Sabbath, or dishonours his parents, or lies, or steals, he says in his heart: God will not see—God will not take notice—God will not cast me into hell for this. He does not believe the threatenings of God. He does not believe that the law is holy and just. If those of you who live in sin really believed that every sin you committed was to bring down another stripe for eternity, another wave of fire to roll over your bodies and souls in hell for ever, you could not sin as you do; and therefore you dishonour the law— you make it small and contemptible—you persuade yourselves that God's law will never be put in force. Thus every sin is done against God—"against thee, thee only." Now God sent his Son into the world to magnify the law, by dying under its curse. He took upon him the curse due to sinners, and bore it in his body on the tree, and thereby proved that God's law cannot be mocked.

When God cast the devil and his angels into hell, this showed in a very dreadful manner the truth of his threatenings—the awful strictness of his law. If God had cast all men into hell, it would have shown the same thing. But much more when Christ bowed his head under the stroke of the law's curse. He was a person of infinite dignity and glory: "God over all, blessed for ever." He thought it no robbery to be equal with God. He was far exalted above all blessing and. praise. God-man—the only being who ever stood on this earth who was God and man. He was one who had no personal sin. He was perfect—knew no sin—did no sin—was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He was infinitely dear to God. His own Son—his only begotten Son; one who was in the beginning with God, and was God; into whose bosom the love of the uncreated God had flowed from all eternity. It was he who came and bowed his neck to the stroke of the law. He was seen of angels. Angels desired to look into the awful scene. The eyes of millions of worlds were turned towards Calvary. When Jesus died, he redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; and now all worlds saw that God could not be mocked. He added lustre to the holy law. Angels and archangels saw, and trembled as they saw. He that did not spare his Son will spare no other.

Learn the certainty of hell for the Christless. Which of you that are Christless can hope to escape the curse of the law, since God did not spare his Son? If you have made up your mind to refuse Christ, then you must bear hell. You say you are a person of great mind—of great power—of great wealth; but, ah! you are not equal to the Son of God, and even he was not spared. You say your sins are not many—not gross—not so bad as those of other men; ah! but Christ knew no sin: he had no personal sin—all was imputed sin. How surely will you suffer! You say God has been kind to you—has given you many mercies; ah! remember, Christ was the Son of his love, and yet, when the law demanded it, God spared not his own Son. Though you were the signet on his right hand, yet would he pluck you thence—though you were a right eye, yet would he pluck you out.

Learn to fee from sin. Every sin will have its eternal punishment. The sin you are committing has either been suffered for in Christ, or will be suffered for by you in hell.

~Robert Murray M'Cheyne

The Severity of God's Justice to Jesus Christ

John Flavel

The Severity of God's Justice to Jesus Christ, informs us what a dreadful evil sin is, which so incenses the Wrath of God, even against his own Son, when he bare our sins, and stood before the Bar of God as our Surety.

Come hither hard hearts, (hard indeed, if this cannot break them) you complain you cannot see the evil of sin, so as to be deeply humbled for it; fix your eyes a while here, and intently consider the point in hand: Suppose you saw a tender and pitiful Father come into open Court with fury in his face, to charge his own, his only, and his most beloved Son; and prosecute him to death, and nothing able to satisfie him, but his blood; and be well pleased when he sees it shed: Would you not say, O, what horrid evil hath he done! it must be some deep wrong, some heinous crime that he is guilty of, else it could never be that his own Father could forget his bowels of pity and mercy; yet thus did the Wrath of God break forth against his dear Son, when he stood before the Bar charged as our Surety with the guilt of our sins.

Secondly: Learn hence what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Well might Luther cry out, Nolo Deum absolutum, Let me have nothing to do with an absolute God. Woe to them that stand before God in their own persons, without Christ; how will Justice handle them! For if these things were done in the green Tree, what shall be done in the dry Tree? Luke 23.31. Did the Son of God fear, tremble, sweat clods of Blood? Did he stand amaz'd, and fall into such an Agony of soul when he drank that Cup, which he knew in a few hours he should drink up, and then never taste the bitterness of it more: How sad is their case, that must drink of that Cup for ever, a Cup that hath Eternity to the bottom!

Thirdly: How incomprehensible and ravishing is the love of God to men, that would rather be so severe to Jesus Christ, the darling of his soul, than make us the objects of his Wrath for ever! Which of you (though there be infinitely less tenderness in your hearts than in God's) would lay your hands upon a Child, the worst Child you have, and put him to death, for the sake of the best Friend you have in the world! But God, with his own hand, delivered his Son, his only Son, that from everlasting was the delight of his soul, who never offended him, to death, the most cursed and cruel death, and all this for Enemies; how unspeakable is this love, and past finding out!

Fourthly: Did not God spare his own Son? then let none of us spare our own sins. Sin was that Sword which pierced Christ: O let sorrow for sin pierce your hearts! if you spare sin, God will not spare you, Deut. 29. 20. We spare sin, when we faintly oppose it, when we excuse, cover, and defend it; when we are impatient under just rebukes and reproofs for it; but all kindness to sin, is cruelty to our own souls.

Fifthly and lastly: If God did not spare Christ, certainly he intends to spare Believers for his sake.

The Surety could not be spar'd, that the Principal might be spar'd for ever. If God had spared him, he could not have spared us; if he afflicts his People, it is not for satisfaction to himself, but profit to us, Heb. 12.10. Should God spare the Rod of Affliction, it would not be for our advantage. So many sanctified Afflictions as are spar'd or abated, so many mercies and spiritual advantages are with-held from us. But as for those strokes of Justice that are the effects of God's Vindictive Wrath, they shall never be felt by Believers for ever. All the Wrath, all the Curse, all the Gall and Wormwood was squeez'd into Christ's Cup, and not one dropt left to imbitter ours.

~John Flavel

"He that does ungod God, does unman himself."

He that does ungod God, does unman himself.

—Thomas Case (1598 - 1682)

Whilest we go about to ungod God, we do but unman ourselves: Nay worse, an Atheist is not only a Beast, but a Devil; Christ called Judas Devil, John 6:17. Nay Worse then Devils; the Devils are under the dread of this truth; we are stupid, insensible of Providence, careless of Judgments, when the Devils believe and tremble: The Lord might well expostulate thus; Fear ye not me, O foolish people, that have no understanding? Jeremiah 5:21, 22.

—Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

God never wrought a miracle to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it: moreover, the notion of a Deity is so deeply impressed on the tables of all men's hearts, that to deny God, is to kill the soul in the eye, to quench the very principles of common nature, to leave never a vital spark or seed of humanity behind; it is as if an ungracious soul should deny he ever had a father. he that does ungod God, does unman himself.

—William Bates (1625–1699)

4. In having debasing notions of the holy nature of God. We invert the creation contrary to God's order in it; God made man according to his own image, and we make God according to ours. We fashion God like ourselves, and fasten our own humours upon him, as the Lacedemonians were wont to dress their gods after the fashion of their cities, Psal. 40. 21. Though men are enemies to the holy majesty of God, yet they can please themselves well enough with him as represented by that idea their corrupt minds have framed of him. We cannot comprehend God; if we could, we should be infinite, not finite; and because we cannot comprehend him, we set up in our fancies strange images of him, and so ungod God in our heart and affections.

1. This is a higher affront to God than we imagine. Vulgi opinionis diis applicare prophanum est. Epicurus. De Deo male sentire quam deum esse negare pejus duco. It is worse to degrade the nature of God in our conceits, and to make him a vicious God, than if in our thoughts we did quite discard any such being; for it is not so gross a crime to deny his being, as to fancy him otherwise than he is; such imaginations strip him of his perfections, and reduce him to a mere vanity. Plutarch saith, he should account himself less wronged by that man that should deny there ever was such a man as Plutarch, than that he should affirm, there was such a man indeed, but he was a choleric clown, a decrepid fellow, a debauched man, and an ignorant fool. This was the general censure of the heathen, that superstition was far worse than atheism, by how much the less evil it was to have no opinion of God, than such as is vile, wicked, derogatory to the pure and holy nature of the divine majesty.

2. Carnal imaginations of God, as well as corporeal images, are idolatry. It is a question, which idolatry is the greatest, to worship an image of wood or stone, or to entertain monstrous imaginations of God. It provokes a man when we liken him to some inferior creature, and call him a dog, or toad; it is not such an affront to a man to call him a creature of such a low rank and classis, as to square and model the perfections of the great God, according to our limited capacities. We do worse than the heathen (of whom the apostle proclaimed) did in their images, they likened the glory of God to such creatures as were of the lowest form in the creation. We liken God not to corruptible man, but to corrupt man, and worse yet, to the very corruptions of men, and worship a God dressed up according to our own foolish fancies; And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things, Rom. 1. 23. If all those several conceptions and ideas men have of God, were uncased, and discovered, what a monstrous thing would God appear to be, according to the modes the imaginative faculty frames them in?

—Stephen Charnock (1628–1680)

If you ungod God, you must unman yourselves; yea, not only make yourselves less than Men, but worse than Devils.

—John Flavel (1628-1691)

He that will Love God, and keep himself in the Love of God, must not be a Self-lover: there is no greater Enemy to the Love of God than to Love our selves. Mark the place for it is a remarkable place (2 Tim. 3:2): He tells you of perilous times a coming, and there gives nineteen marks of such men as make the times perilous: Of all which Lovers of themselves leads the van; for where once this Principle prevails, it opens a Floodgate to all Sin, and shuts the door upon all Holy Motions: If Self be beloved, admired and idolized, it is the worst idol in the World; this is an Idol in a secret place, continually adored; this is Dagon set above the Ark, and a Man above God, and provokes to Jealousie; this perverts the course of Nature, and God's order, who is one God, and uppermost, and only to be adored: and men set up themselves in God's Throne, and Ungod him by deifying themselves: and for one God, they set up millions of gods; as many gods as Creatures. This is man's many Inventions. And when the Lord Christ came into the World, he bespeaks our Love, and wooes us for it, and commands self denyal as the first Lesson to be learned in his School, Mat. 16:24, 25. Mat. 10:37. whereby the great stubmbling-block to God's Love is taken away.

—William Cooper

"Turn, or burn."

Nicholas Ridley (martyr)

I trust the day of our delivery out of all miseries, and of our entrance into perpetual rest, and into perpetual joy and felicity, draweth nigh: the Lord strengthen us with his mighty Spirit of grace!

If you have not to write with, you must make your man your friend. And this bearer deserveth to be rewarded; so he may, and will do you pleasure. My man is trusty, but it grieveth both him and me, that when I send him with any thing to you, your man will not let him come up to see you, as he may to master Latimer, and yours to me. I have a promise to see how my answers were written in the schools, but as yet I cannot come by it. Pray for me, I pray for you, and so shall I for you. The Lord have mercy of his church, and lighten the eyes of the magistrates, that God's extreme plagues light not on this realm of England!—Turn, or burn.

Matthew Henry

The king is resolved, if they persist in their refusal, that they shall immediately be cast into the fiery furnace, and shall not have so much as an hour's reprieve. Thus does the matter lie in a little compass - Turn, or burn; and, because he knew they buoyed themselves up in their refusal with a confidence in their God, he insolently set him a defiance: “And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Let him, if he can.” Now he forgot what he himself once owned, that their God was a God of gods and a Lord of kings, Dan. 2:47.

William Gurnall

It is a great honour to a Christian, yea, to religion itself when all their enemies can say, is, They are precise, and will not do as we do. Now in such a case as this, when the Christian must turn or burn; leave praying, or become a prey to the cruel teeth of bloody men; how many politic retreats and self-preserving distinctions would a cowardly unresolved heart invent! The Christian, that hath so great opposition, had need be well locked into the saddle of his profession, or else he will be soon dismounted.

Charles Spurgeon

“If he turn not, he will whet his sword.” What blows are those which will be dealt by that long uplifted arm! God's sword has been sharpening upon the revolving stone of our daily wickedness, and if we will not repent, it will speedily cut us in pieces. Turn or burn is the sinner's only alternative. “He hath bent his bow and made it ready.” Even now the thirsty arrow longs to wet itself with the blood of the persecutor. The bow is bent, the aim is taken, the arrow is fitted to the string, and what, O sinner, if the arrow should be let fly at thee even now! Remember, God's arrows never miss the mark, and are, every one of them, “instruments of death.” Judgment may tarry, but it will not come too late. The Greek proverb saith, “The mill of God grinds late, but grinds to powder.”

Charles Spurgeon

We assert, then, that there is a Necessity that God should whet his sword and punish men, if they will not turn. Earnest Baxter used to say: "Sinner! turn, or burn; it is thine only alternative; Turn, or Burn!" And it is so. We think we can show you why men must turn, or else they burn.

Richard Baxter

O willful wretched sinners! It is not God that is cruel to you, it is you that are cruel to yourselves; you are told you must turn or burn, and yet you turn not. You are told that if you will needs keep your sins, you shall keep the curse of God with them; and yet you will keep them. You are told that there is no way to happiness but by holiness, and yet you will not be holy. What would you have God to say more to you? What would you have him do with his mercy? He offereth it you, and you will not have it.

John Trapp

Job 22:20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

Ver. 20. Whereas our substance is not cut down] That is, while life lasteth, and while it is called today; before death cometh: and after death, judgment; when the remnant of the wicked fire shall consume. Where we have a forcible motive to repent, because we must either turn or burn,  Aut poenitendum, aut pereundum. See Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10-11; Heb. 12:28-29. Eliphaz seemeth here on purpose to have mentioned that fire wherewith wicked men shall be tormented at the last day (and before, for every man’s death day is his doomsday), and to have changed the person.

The remnant (or excellence) of them the fire consumeth] That it might the more effectually move men to repent, that they might be delivered from the wrath to come. And here I could willingly take up Chrysostom’s wish,  Utinam ubique de Gehenna dissereretur! Oh that men would talk more everywhere of hell fire unquenchable, intolerable, and the fuel thereof made of the most tormenting temper, Isa. 30:33. It was a speech of Gregory Nyssen, He that does but hear of hell is, without any further labour or study, taken off from sin filled pleasures, and set upon the practice of mortification. But men’s hearts are grown harder today, and he that shall observe their impiety and impenitence may well say to them, as Cato once did to Caesar,  Credo quae de inferis dicuntur falsa existimas, I believe thou thinkest all but a fable that is said concerning hell (Juven. Sat. 2.). 

Esse aliquos Manes, &c.
Nec pueri credunt nisi qui nondum aere lavantur.

John Trapp

Thou hast run away from him by thine iniquity; and turned upon him the back, and not the face: return therefore. He is the author of thy being and well-being. He is God, to whom thou must either turn or burn for ever: aut poenitendum, aut pereundum; he can fetch in his rebels.

John Trapp

The Lord, as he is Father of mercies, so he is God of recompences: and it is a fearful thing to fall into his punishing hands, Heb_10:31. If his wrath be kindled, yea, but a little, woe be to all those upon whom it lights, Psa. 2:12 : how much more when he is sore displeased with a people or person, as here! For "who knoweth the power of thine anger?" saith Moses; "even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath," Psa. 90:11; that is, let a man fear thee never so much, he is sure to feel thee much more, if once he fall into thy fingers. And this is here urged by the prophet as a motive to true repentance; since by their fathers’ example they might see there was no way to escape the dint of the Divine displeasure but to submit to God’s justice, and to implore his mercy: men must either turn or burn, "For even our God is a consuming fire," Heb. 12:29.

John Bunyan

Yea, although they now begin to see that they must either turn or burn,* yet oftentimes even then they will study to wave a present conversion: they object, they are too young to turn yet; seven years hence time enough, when they are old, or come upon a sick-bed. O what an enemy is man to his own salvation! I am persuaded that God hath visited some of you often with his Word, even twice and thrice, and you have thrown water as fast as he hath by the Word cast fire upon your conscience. Christian, what had become of thee if God had taken thy denial for an answer, and said, Then will I carry the word of salvation to another, and he will hear it? Sinner, turn, says God. Lord, I cannot tend it, says the sinner. Turn or burn, says God. I will venture that says the sinner. Turn, and be saved, says God. I cannot leave my pleasures, says the sinner: sweet sins, sweet pleasures, sweet delights, says the sinner. But what grace is it in God thus to parley with the sinner! O the patience of God to a poor sinner! What if God should now say, Then get thee to thy sins, get thee to thy delights, get thee to thy pleasures, take them for thy portion, they shall be all thy heaven, all thy happiness, and all thy portion? But God comes again, and shows the sinner the necessity of turning now; now or not at all; yea, and giveth the sinner this conviction so strongly, that he cannot put it off.

*These terms are taken from Foxe's Martyrology. It was frequently the brutal remark of the Judges, You must turn or burn. Bunyan here applies it to turning from sin or burning in hell.-ED.

William Greenhill

We must do what we can, else we are slothful and unfaithful, and our damnation will be just. One thing is necessary; namely, to turn unto God, that our souls may be saved. Here it will hold good, "Turn or burn." If it be necessary to prevent burning in everlasting flames, it is necessary to turn, and so to do the utmost we can towards the same.

Thomas Gouge

Stand in the presence of God, and in his fear reason thus with thy self. Why should I not now become a sincere Convert to God?

1. Is there not a necessity laid upon me? Must I not either turn or burn? Is it not necessary for me to look to the Salvation of my Soul? And is there any way for that by turning from my Sin? My Flesh pretends necessity for my serving of it; I must have Bread, I must have Clothes, I must have Money; I am sure these things are necessary for me, for I must not starve. I but is there not a higher necessity here? whether I have Bread or no, whether I starve or no, I must look to it, that I be not damned for ever. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2:4. I but Skin and Flesh, and Bone and Life, and all must go, rather than lose my Soul. If I can live and maintain my self here in an honest way, it must be done. If I can be a rich Man, and a good Christian, a Wealthy Man and a Godly Man, 'tis well enough. But whether I be Rich or Poor, I must have Christ, and Life, and Christ I cannot have without turning from my Sin to him.

What O my Soul, art thou such an Enemy to Godliness, that thou wilt rather die, than become a Godly Man? Art thou so in love with thy carnal and earthly Life, that thou wilt sell thy self to the Devil rather than change thy Course? Will thy Necessity prevail nothing with thee? Thou art in necessity, O my Soul, in necessity of Christ, in necessity of Pardon, in necessity of Grace and Holiness. Thou art ready to perish a slave to Lust, a slave to the Devil; these Tyrants are thrusting thee down to the eternal Prison, thou art in necessity of Christ; there's no hope of escaping but by getting thee into Christ.

2. Would it not be for my profit to turn? How can I spend my time to better advantage, than by making the everlasting Kingdom sure to me? Whom dost thou, O my Soul, account to have been wise Men, and the best Husbands in the World? Whose care, and whose labor have best turned to account? Either those who have gotten Oil into their Lamps, that have been sowing to themselves in Righteousness, that have been laying up for themselves Treasure in Heaven; or they that have had their Occupation wholly upon this Earth, or else loitered their Time in Mirth and Idleness? Which of these two sorts dost thou think are best provided for? Whose Harvest or Vintage is like to be most plentiful or blessed? However thou judgest now in this sowing-day, yet when the reaping-day comes, then in which of the two cases would'st thou be? Either of those who have sown in Righteousness, and reap in Mercy, or else in the case of those, which have sown to the Flesh and reap Corruption, which have sown in iniquity, and must reap in Wrath and Fire? Would it not be more to thy profit to reap with the Righteous and the Godly, than with the Wicked and Ungodly? Why does the case stand thus? Is it both necessary and profitable for me to be a sincere Convert to the Lord? Come my Soul, away with all excuses, away with all delays, come in this day and yield thy self to the Lord; come give thy self, come join thy self to him in a perpetual Covenant, that shall never be forgotten.

Thomas Doolittle

Have not God's Ministers preached to you, and warned you from God of the wrath to come, and charged you in the Name of God, to repent, believe, and turn, and told you, you must turn from sin, or burn in Hell? And will you go from hearing on Earth, to howlings in Hell? from the Light of the Gospel to utter Darkness? with the sound of the voice of Mercy in your Ears? After a thousand calls to mind your Souls, to accept of Christ, and remedying Grace? Do you mean to have the hottest place in that Infernal Lake? the heaviest load of Wrath in that Eternal Furnace? Read, and tremble when you read. Matthew 11:20-25

James Janeway

Well, then see what is like to befall the enemies of God: you hear what is like to be the condition of all them that will not be acquainted with God, first or last: You likewise may behold what a case you yourself shall be in ere it be long, except you do speedily repent of your folly, and meet your adversary in the way, and humble yourself before the mighty Jehovah: Speak quickly; What will you do? Turn, or burn? Repent or die? Yet you do but hear, you do not feel; but thousands and millions feel what the displeasure of God is, what the breach of his covenant is, and what the effects of a war with the Lord of Hosts is. O be wise by their falls; let their destruction be your instruction; take heed what you do, lest you be the next that God shall deal with as an enemy: As yet God offers to be Friends with you; but whether God will do as much to-morrow as he doth to-day, I do not know. I tell you so, it is hard putting it to the venture. Remember you had large proffers of grace and pardon made to you, God hath sent us to let you know his will and pleasure, and we demand of you from him to give us your answer speedily. And what cannot you yet resolve? Is it so difficult a business to determine what to fix upon; O foolish people and unwise! O unspeakable madness! How just must their condemnation needs be, who are offered salvation so often, and refuse it? who are so oft told of damnation, and yet run into it? in a word, who might have God for their Friend, and had rather have him for their Enemy.

Psalm Singing a Gospel Ordinance

Thomas Manton, D.D.

SERMON XXIV.

Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.—Eph. v. 19.

This is rendered as a reason why they should be filled with the Spirit, as drunkards are with wine, because it breedeth a spiritual joy, which discovereth itself by two effects—singing psalms and giving thanks. In the one we praise God, in the other we bless God: Heb. xiii. 15,  'Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' Praise relateth to his excellency, giving thanks to his benefits.

I begin with 'singing psalms.' As the drunkards had their drunken, wanton, obscene, and filthy songs, by which they tainted each others' minds, so they that were filled with the Spirit had their spiritual songs, by which they edified one another and glorified God: 'Speaking to one another,' &c. In the words there is—

1. A duty prescribed, and that is, 'singing of psalms.'

2. It is amplified, and set forth in its parts or necessary branches, outward and inward.

[1.] The outward part; there we have—(1.) The subject matter, 'psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.' (2.) The actions conversant about it—(1st.) Speaking; (2d.) Singing.

[2.] The inward part, 'Making melody in your hearts to the Lord.' Doct. That singing of psalms is an ordinance of God's worship under the gospel.

I. Before I come to prove it, let me observe something out of the words, to fix and state the duty.
First, Observe that singing of psalms is made to be a fruit of being filled with the Spirit. This I gather from the context, 'Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;' and in the parallel place, Col. iii. 16, 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.'

You will say, What need was there to exhort the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit, or to have the word of God dwell richly in them for such a service? Any small measure of the Spirit is sufficient, since the matter is provided to our hands, and we have nothing to do but to read it and repeat it . I answer—

(1.) It may refer to the extraordinary gift, when any blessed God in a psalm, to which they were moved by the special operation of the Holy Ghost, inspiring them with matter and words. As Luke i. 41, 42, 'And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb;' that is, she was transported and inspired with a prophetic spirit, and therefore brake out into that benediction. And ver. 67, 68, 'And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people,' &c. By the special motion of the Spirit of God coming upon him he sung this hymn. So it is said, Acts x. 44-46, ' While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost; for they heard them speak with tongues, and; magnify God.'

(2.) Though the faithful be not moved by the Spirit to indite new songs, yet we need the help of the Spirit to sing to the praise of the Lord, and our own edification and consolation. A rich and full portion of the Spirit is needful to perform these duties after a right manner. Look, as there was heretofore a singing by the Spirit, so a praying by the Spirit: 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 'I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.' They did use an extraordinary gift in prayer as well as in singing of psalms. What shall we then conclude? that there should be no praying unless by such an extraordinary impulse or gift? or else that his help is not now necessary for prayer? No such thing. It requireth a rich and full portion of the Spirit, and knowledge of the word, to pray in a right manner; so also to sing psalms. So that as we are still to pray in the spirit, we are still required to sing in the spirit, that our spiritual fervency be not abated, nor our delight in God quenched, and that our hearts be not stolen away in the duty. Surely they are strangers to the life and power of this ordinance that see not a need of his help, or that the word of God should dwell in them richly. To show you this I will examine—(1.) What need of being filled with the Spirit; (2.) That the word of God should dwell in. us richly; and—

1. What need of the help of the Spirit? It signifieth the Holy Ghost or his graces.

[1.] The Holy Ghost. We need the help of the Spirit—

(1.) To purify and cleanse our hearts from vain thoughts and carnal affections. This is a work of the Spirit: 1 Peter i. 22, 'Seeing you have purified your souls, in obeying the truth, through the Spirit.' And this is needful for this duty; for till our souls be purified and clarified from the dregs of sense, the sweetest things will become loathsome to us: Rom. viii. 5, 'For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.'

(2.) To be excited and quickened by the Spirit, which is another of his operations, for it is the Spirit that quickeneth and giveth life. We are of ourselves dull and backward even in inspired songs; as Deborah seeth a need of exciting herself: Judges v. 12, 'Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song.' That fourfold ingemination showeth there is a deep drowsiness of spirit naturally in us, and therefore she stirreth up herself and others to praise and thanksgiving.

(3.) To direct the intention to a spiritual end, that we may not rest in the works wrought, nor in the carnal delight of the action. That also is God's work: 2 Thes. iii. 5, 'The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.' This showeth our need of his grace, so that there is great need of the Spirit to sing psalms with such a frame of heart as such a heavenly piece of worship requireth.

[2.] The graces of the Spirit, faith, hope, and love.

(1.) Faith, without which this duty will be but a cold dead service, performed without any delight or spiritual refreshment. Believers' hearts are soon filled with pleasure; every excellency and every act of God findeth them a delightful work whether in creation or providence; as a son taketh delight in a book wherein his father's royal acts or gests are recorded. Especially in his redemption by Christ: 1 Peter i. 8, 'Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.' They know whatsoever is sung or said of God is true, and it is of their God; and therefore upon all these occasions they vent their joy in God.

(2.) Love: Ps. v. 11, 'But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.' Every mention of God is pleasing to the soul that loveth him. There is somewhat said or sung concerning their best friend, and therefore it doth affect their hearts.

(3.) Hope also contributeth to this joy that is vented in singing: Rom. xv. 13, 'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.' Spiritual delights prepare the soul for heaven. They have so much of God and glory in them that they must needs be excellent helps for our salvation. Carnal pleasures tire unwholesome, like luscious fruits that make us sick; but these delights of faith, hope, and love are safe and healthful.

2. Let the word of God dwell richly in you. This is the Spirit's instrument, which he maketh use of to produce all his great effects in the souls of men; his great business is to stamp it on the heart: Rom. vi. 17, 'But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you;' and thereby to beget the divine and heavenly nature in us: 2 Peter i . 4, 'Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.' And so suiteth us to all the duties that tend to the support or comfort of the new creature. Now the more richly it dwelleth in us, the more we profit by every act of worship, be it prayer, or singing, or hearing. A right disposed mind will not want holy thoughts; a little thing sets it a-work, because there is something akin in their hearts to all that is represented from without. There is a double advantage when the word dwelleth richly in us—(1.) We understand better what is said or sung: Ps. xlvii. 7, 'Sing ye praises with understanding.' We cannot praise God or Christ sincerely unless we understand the reasons why we should praise him, or wherein his praise consists. (2.) We praise God more affectionately, for unknown things neither stir our desires nor delight; but the more we are versed in the scriptures, the more our minds and hearts are apt to be wrought upon, for there occur to us such pregnant and pressing thoughts that the duty cannot pass unprofitably.

Secondly, Observe, that which is to be sung is 'psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.' This is put in opposition to those carnal and wanton songs wherewith vain persons feed the oblectation of their minds. There are certain songs which God threateneth to turn into lamentation: Amos viii. 10, 'I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.' And there are holy songs which are not corruptive, but perfective, and must needs end well.

Some raise a scruple, whether we may or must only sing scripture psalms, as the psalms of David and other prophets.

I answer—We do not forbid other songs, if grave and godly, to be received into the church. Tertullian showeth that in the primitive times they used this liberty, either scripture psalms, or such as were of a private composure. Post aquam manualem et lumina, ut quisque de scripturis vel proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere. For scripture psalms, that they only should be used, it may be argued that it is more safe to give that honour to the word of God and the psalms there recorded, for the whole christian world consents to the bible, and that the faithful should be accustomed to the songs therein contained, lest some secret error creep into other composures, which the present age is not aware of, and afterwards is hardly gotten out of the minds of the people, who are accustomed to repeat these things in their worship. And yet, on the other side, it would seem to make more for profit if the shadows of the law were more interpreted in some holy hymns, that do more expressly concern Jesus Christ our mediator. You see, upon special occasions in the old testament, they had some new psalms; as all the prophets, Moses, David, Isaiah, Habakkuk, not contented with the old psalms, added new of their own suitable to the present occasion. Now we are acquainted with greater and more wonderful grace by Christ, some new hymns seem necessary in the praise of our Redeemer.

If you reply that the state of the church is different from what it was when God revealed his mind by divinely inspired prophets, I answer—They should not be sung as infallible scripture, but as helps to gospel devotion contained in the scripture; as ordinary gifts succeeded in the place of extraordinary. And as we are not tied to the words of scripture in preaching and praying, so not in singing. Yet upon the whole I shall prove two things—(1.) That scriptural psalms may be sung; (2.) In many respects they are fittest to be sung.

1. That they may be sung. The word of God limiteth not, and we have no reason to make any restraint. Paul saith, 'Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs,' not naming any; therefore why not these? Besides, the learned observe, these are the express titles of David's psalms, [Heb.], which the Septuagint translate, [Gk.], 'psalms, hymns, and songs,' seem to recommend to us the book of David's psalms. These afford matter of instruction, comfort, and glory to God; and why should these be passed by, since these are the ends of singing? Besides, Christ himself sung scripture psalms (whose example is our instruction), for it is said, Mat. xxvi. 30, 'And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives,' which probably was one or more of David's psalms; possibly their great hallelujah, began at Ps. cxi., with some following: and seeing in all other things Christ usually observed their passover rites, when it is only said he sung a hymn, what shall we understand by this, but such a hymn as was usual in that age? The evangelists specify no new hymn made for this purpose, who are wont to mention matters of far less moment and concernment. So Acts xvi. 25, 'And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sung praises unto God.' It must be such a hymn as they were both acquainted with, or else how could they sing it together?

2. Scripture psalms in most respects are fittest to be used in the church, as being indited by an unerring Spirit, and of a more diffusive concernment than any private composure of a particular person; for it is improbable that any should have such a large heart as the penmen of scripture, who were so powerfully assisted by the Holy Ghost. Nor can it be easily presumed that others can devise better addresses to God by way of praise and thanksgiving than these did. Suppose men of known holiness and integrity should do this, yet a common gift will not command such reverence and affection as an extraordinary and infallible gift. Therefore, since here we are safe, we need the less to seek further. Certainly we should not cavil at the present practice of many of the churches of Christ, who only content themselves with these forms, being instructed out of the gospel how to apply them to our redemption and deliverance by Christ. Austin saith, Scripturæ tuce sunt castæ delicice meæ—The holy scriptures are my chaste delights, especially the psalms, which seem to be composed for the use of all persons.

Thirdly, I observe, that it is a duty to be managed both with the inward and outward man. Both parts are mentioned in the text, for here is 'speaking' and 'singing,' and also 'making melody in the heart.' We are not to speak to God only, but to one another, which cannot be done without the voice. The heart is the principal thing indeed, but the voice is also included.

1. There is the outward part, 'singing,' which is a lawful pleasure, sanctified to a holy use, as helping the soul in spiritual worship. As our bodies are united to our souls, so they act together; and while the sensible part is subordinated to the rational, it is not an impediment, but an help. The outward singing is fitted to elevate the mind and affections to God.

2. There is the inward part, without which the outward singing is but a clamorous noise. Voice without the spirit is but lip labour and lost labour: Isa. xxix. 13, 'Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me.' At least it profiteth but a little, as all bodily exercise doth: 1 Tim. iv. 8, 'For bodily exercise profiteth little.' Therefore the soul must be looked to: Luke i. 46, 47, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.' So Ps. lvii. 7, 'My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise;' Ps. xcviii. 4, 'Rejoice and sing praise.' Unless the heart and inward affections be stirring in this duty, the outward act serveth for no purpose. It is heart work, expressed by 'making melody in the heart;' by a holy delight we find in God, more than being taken with outward singing. So it is expressed, Col. iii. 16, by 'singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.' A spiritual gracious frame of heart is required to sing in a right manner.

Fourthly, I observe, that it is a duty required not only to be performed by us alone, but in the assemblies of the faithful. We may sing by ourselves with great comfort: James v. 13, 'Is any merry? let him sing psalms.' As Jerome saith, The christian weaver at his loom may sing David's psalms. We may sing to ourselves for our solace and edification. But the duty pressed here is singing in company and consort with others; singing [Gk.], to ourselves, is in whole congregations. In the Colossians, chap. iii. 16, it is, 'Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.' We are often pressed to this: Ps. cxlix. 1,2, 'Praise ye the Lord; sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of his saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Sion be joyful in their king;' Ps. xxix. 9, 'And in his temple doth every one speak of his glory;' Ps. xcv. 1-3, 'Oh, come let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.' Which place is the more to be regarded, because it describeth the whole gospel worship, as the apostle himself interpreteth it, Heb. iii.; and there it is put among the ordinary duties of the sabbath; solemn prayer, ver. 6, 7; hearing of the word, ver. 8. But first he mentioneth thanksgiving in singing psalms to God with a loud voice; so that you have an account of the usual Christian sabbath, hearing and preaching the word, solemn prayer and thanksgiving. Now to join with a humble and faithful people in the holy communion and in worship and praise, how pleasant is it! All the pleasures of the carnal life are not comparable to it. Surely, if there be anything pleasant in the world to a gracious heart, it is the praises of God that flow from a believing and loving soul, that is full of the sense of the mercy and goodness and excellencies of the Lord. The unanimous conjunction of such souls in praising God in their assemblies is the heaven that we have upon earth.

Fifthly, I observe, it is such a duty here pressed, the great end of which is the glory of God, and the subordinate end our mutual edification; for we are 'to make melody to the Lord,' and 'to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord;' and we are also 'to speak to one another;' which in the parallel place is explained to be 'teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns,' &c. It is not meant of teaching from the psalms, but teaching in the psalms; while we are singing, we are teaching one another the tenor of the doctrine of godliness. Therefore if we would judge of the performance of this duty, all means must be measured by their respect unto the end, which is the glory of God. The more of the Spirit we have, the more we are excited to set forth his praises, and thereby quicken our delight and heighten our esteem of God: Ps. civ. 33, 34, 'I will sing unto the Lord as long I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have a being. My meditation of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.' Joy beginneth and terminateth the duty. It is from delight in God that singing of psalms is so pleasant to us; and the more we sing, the more we delight in God. So for the other end, spiritual instruction; for we learn thereby to love, fear, and trust in God, and to humble ourselves if we be defective in any of these graces, and cannot speak to God with that confidence which his holy ones have done before us, especially now grace is more liberally dispensed in the new testament.

II. Having thus stated the duty as it is here recommended to us, I shall here prove—(1.) That it is a clear and unquestionable duty; (2.) That it is a delectable duty; (3.) That it is a very profitable duty.

1. It is a clear and unquestionable duty; for the heathens look upon it as a fit worship for their gods to sing hymns of praise to them. If you think that this kind of arguing will not hold concerning the true God, who valueth not compliments, but loveth what is like him, I answer—

[1.] That God will not only be objectively praised, but actively praised, by ascriptions of honour to him: Ps. 1. 23, 'He that offereth praise glorifieth me.' God counteth it a glory when his people speak good of his name. And it is a means to make us like him, for the impression of what we esteem and love is soon left upon the heart.

[2.] In the old testament it is often called for, and sorted with duties that are of perpetual and immutable obligation. When sacrifice is rejected, prayer and praise is still reserved as the worship which God will still keep up in the church: Ps. l. 13-15, 'Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee;' Ps. c. 2, 'Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing.' Now delighting in God is an essential fundamental duty.

[3.] In the new testament we are bidden again to sing psalms, as in the text, and Colossians iii. 16. And we are confirmed therein by the practice of Christ and his apostles: Mat. xxvi. 30, 'And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.' So of Paul and Silas: Acts xvi. 25, 'And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises to God.' And the consent of the churches of Christ. Pliny in his letter to Trajan mentioneth the christians' hymnos antelucanos, their morning songs, which they sung to Christ as God, as an usual practice in their solemn worship; and Justin Martyr, [Gk.], that they did send up hymns and prayers to God; all which proveth it a clear and unquestionable duty.

2. It is a delectable ordinance, that rather tendeth to cheering and refreshing than to toil: Ps. cxlvii. 1, 'Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.' There is no part of God's worship that carrieth more motives with it in its own bosom; so no part to which we are more indisposed, or want stirring up. All the motives and encouragements to any work do there concur; it is 'good,' it is 'pleasant,' it is 'comely.' It is good or profitable; for all God's praises are the believer's advantage, and the grounds of his hope and joy. It is pleasant, full of sweet comfort and refreshing. And it is comely, or honourable, to be heralds to proclaim the Lord's glory, or be employed in the work of angels. The angels, according to the opinion of the ancient Hebrews, do every day sing praises to God, and that in the morning, which they gather thence, because the angel said to Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 26, ' Let me go, for the day breaketh;' which the Targum of Jerusalem thus explaineth, Let me go, for the pillar of the morning ascendeth, and behold the hour approacheth when the angels are to sing. However that be, we are sure that the angels bless God, and do always laud his holy name. Usually when they are sent down to us, they come upon that errand: Luke ii. 13, 14, 'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.' And upon other occasions we find them blessing God and lauding his holy name; they apprehend more of God's excellency and perfection in himself and in his works than we do, and are more sensible of his benefits than we are. Now if this be the work of angels, the highest and greatest of them, surely it should be more prized by us, or made not such a cold business as usually we make it, but a pleasant work; for the object of it is God, our exceeding joy; and we praise him by a redeemer, 'through whom we have received the atonement,' Rom. v. 11. And the very external act is by singing, the usual vent of our joy.

3. It is a profitable ordinance.

[1.] It subdueth the lusts and passions of the flesh by diversion, or directing us to a purer and safer delight. Much of the strength of the sin lieth in the sensual inclination, or the inordinate love of pleasure. Now if we can find sublime and chaste delight elsewhere, it taketh us off from the unlawful pleasures of the flesh. The context intimateth this, 'Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit,' &c.; James v. 13, 'Is any among you afflicted? let him pray: is any merry? let him sing psalms.' Spiritual joy is the best cure of carnal, for we keep our joy pure, and our delights are safe and healthful.

[2.] It inspireth us with fortitude, courage, and constancy in wrestling for the truth; for singing of psalms is our exultation in God, or our making our boast of him in defiance of all worldly powers that can hurt us; as Paul and Silas when whipped and imprisoned, and many of the martyrs, raised their courage by singing of psalms.

[3.] It is profitable, as the psalm not only holdeth forth what the word read doth, but it stayeth and fixeth the heart upon the sweet and lively meditation of what we sing.

Use 1. Let us make conscience of this duty, not only of the matter, but the manner of it, that it may not be carried on in a dead-hearted fashion, or as a cursory exercise. To this end I shall press two things —(1.) Keep up a delight in God; (2.) Be filled with the Spirit .

1. Keep up a holy delight in God, for singing is the vent of our joy; and therefore, unless delight be always kept up, thoughts of God and of the life to come will be unwelcome and unpleasant thoughts. They that joy in the Lord delight most in singing, because everything that bringeth God to remembrance is sweet and acceptable to them; to others the service is but cold and heartless.

2. Be filled with the Spirit. Take heed you do not give the Comforter occasion to remove from you, for then all is uncomfortable: 'I remembered God, and I was troubled,' Ps. Ixxvii. 3. But especially look after these standing effects of the Spirit, 'faith, hope, and love.' Faith; till we believe God's being and providence, and our redemption by Jesus Christ, they are not delightful matters to us, whatever they be in themselves. Carnal delight is the joy of sense, but spiritual delight is the joy of faith. The joy of sense is in the creature, but the joy of faith is in God; the joy of sense is in present things, the joy of faith in future things; the joy of sense is in the good of the body, the joy of faith in the soul's good, that it be renewed and reconciled to God; the joy of sense is in the blessings that flow in the channel of common providence, increase of estate, and provisions for the flesh; the joy of faith is in the covenant and promises of God: Ps. cxix. 111, 'Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.' So also for love; when we love God, we love everything that is related to him. Love is nothing else but the complacency and well-pleasedness of our mind in God as our chiefest good: Ps. xvi. 5, 6, 'The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.' We value and esteem him above all worldly things, therefore we are affected with what is spoken or sung of God himself or his ways, how to enter into his peace with joy, how to please and obey him, or promote his glory. Lastly, for nope; we fetch our great solaces from the world to come. As heaven is the place of our full delight, so the foresight and foretaste of it is the highest delight that is here on earth to be attained; therefore we must often go to heaven for renewed matter of delight: Rom. v. 2, 'By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' If you come prepared with such a spirit, it will be a cheerful, a profitable thing to sing psalms.

Use 2. To show us what a good God we serve, who hath made our delight a great part of our work. God is much for his people's pleasure and holy joy. Many think it is against the will of God that they should rejoice; you are not only at liberty that you may, but under a necessity of duty that you must ever rejoice in God. To this end consider what matter he hath provided for our joy in himself and our redemption by Christ; and one of the Spirit's offices is to be our comforter, and one of the duties of religion is singing of psalms, which is appointed as a help to this purpose.

Use 3. To show how much we overlook our profit when we deal slightly in this ordinance. It is a means, as other duties are, not a task; and a means to make our lives both holy and comfortable; therefore let us not contemn it. The same graces which are necessary for other parts of worship, which we make greater reckoning of, are necessary here also.