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TO THE READER.

GOOD READER,

:

THE following Sermons on Psalm xlii. I have perused, and find that they are the same which I preached divers years since, being then taken by a good pen as they fell in preaching. They have been long buried in silence, and should have rested in their grave, had not the importunity of some, who heard them preached, raised them from that death. Mine own notes were not legible enough for the press in answer therefore to their desires, I have corrected these: some things I have altered, some things added, and some repetitions (fit enough for the pulpit) I have filed off; what is wanting let thy goodness supply. I have also joined with them, some other Sermons, of more doctrinal concernment, these being mostly practical, that so thy mind and heart may be at once exercised; wherein I have rather applied myself to the instructive part of preaching, than to scholastical disputation. For I know the Universities have able and faithful men, more fit for that work. Neither have I undertaken any English adversary; and if I have trodden upon any man's toes, I hope he will excuse me, for I can say truly, Sir, I saw you not. And if any man shall say to me, as David's brother Eliab spake to him, 1 Sam. xvii. 29, “I know thy pride, and malice of thine heart, that thou art come down to see the battle:" I might answer, as David did, "Is there not a cause?" When strange opinions and errors are daily published, is there not a cause, that every man, who loves the truth, should bear his testimony for it? In performance therefore of mine own duty, and for thine establishment, I have spoken something to many truths, which are now questioned. Hold fast what thou hast, lest another take thy crown. "And the Lord Jesus Christ and our God, even the Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort thine heart, and stablish thee in every word, and good work." Thine in the service of the gospel,

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SERMON I.

THE GOOD MAN'S PEACE.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God."-PSALM XLII. 11.

In these words ye read of the sad discouragements of a gracious spirit, with those remedies that be applied and used against them. The discouragements are expressed in two words, under two similitudes: cast-down, disquieted. As a man is bowed or cast down under the weight of some heavy burden, so art thou cast down, O my soul, says David: and as the sea in the time of a storm is much disquieted, so art thou also disquieted within me, O my soul. The remedies that he useth against these discouragements are two: selfreprehension and self-admonition. First, He doth chide himself for his diffidence and distrust in God: " Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why art thou disquieted within me?" He chides and rebukes himself for it. Secondly, He doth admonish and call upon himself for to wait upon and hope in God: "Hope thou in God." Why? I. Because I shall yet be delivered: "For I shall yet praise him." Because salvation belongs unto him alone: "He is the health of my countenance," or, "the salvation of my countenance." III. Because he is in covenant with me, and I with him; he is my God: "The health of my countenance, and my God."

II.

I begin with the former part of this verse, wherein you may observe these three things:

First, That there is an inward peace and quietude of soul, which the saints and people of God ordinarily are endued with. This is implied.

Secondly, It is possible that this peace may be interrupted,

so far as God's people may be much discouraged, cast down

and disquieted.

Thirdly, That the saints and people of God have no reason. for their discouragements whatever their condition be. Why art thou cast down, and why art thou thus disquieted within me? Thou hast no reason for it.

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The latter of these being the main, is that indeed which I specially aim at; but because the two former will give the better rise unto this last, and they are also profitable for us to consider, I shall take them in their order, and speak only unto the first at this time, which is this:

There is an inward peace and quietude of soul which the saints and people of God ordinarily are endued with.

Therefore David says here, "Why art thou cast down, and why art thou disquieted within me?" It seems, then, that this was not his ordinary temper, his pulse did not always beat thus high in this way of discouragement; but ordinarily he had peace and quiet within. So that I say, there is an inward peace and quietness of soul, which the saints and people of God ordinarily are endued withal. Ordinarily they are arrayed in white, so they are brought in Rev. vii. 13, 14. What are these which are arrayed in white robes? At the 13th verse, "They are such as have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," verse 14. This book of the Revelation doth attend much unto the Jewish customs, and among the Jews they had their mourning and their rejoicing garment. The mourning garment was a black garment; and therefore when a man is brought in, in a mourning way, he is brought in in a black garment, as ye find in the next Psalm, the xliiird, and the 2nd verse, "Why go ye in mourning? The word 77p signifies black. “ Why go ye in black, because of the oppression of the enemy?" So that the mourning garment was a black garment; the black garment was the mourning garment. And the white garment was the rejoicing garment; therefore, Eccles. ix. 8, it is said, "Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment." Upon which account the nobles amongst the Hebrews were called, because they were clothed with white raiment.* Eccles. x. 17, Eccles. x. 17, "Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles;" Hebrew, * Martinus de Roa sing. S. Script. Lib. ii. cap. 1.

- the son of princes, or of those that are in white. I confess this phrase doth sometimes note the purity and holiness of the person, so Rev. iii. 4, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." But ordinarily it notes the joyfulness and comfortableness of our state; so in Rev. vii., the saints are brought in, in white, not only because of their purity and cleanness, but because of their rejoicing. I say then ordinarily the saints and people of God go in white, they have a peace and a rest within. "Great peace have they that love thy law (says the Psalmist), and nothing shall offend them." Rom. ii. 10, "But glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the gentile." Let him be what he will be, if he be godly, if he work that which is good, glory, honour and peace shall be upon him; not only an outward, but an inward peace he shall have.

And, indeed, how can it be otherwise? For the saints and people of God do walk with God, they converse with God, they do acquaint themselves with God. Now if ye look into Job xxii. 21, ye shall find that this acquaintance bringeth rest and peace: 66 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace." The saints and people of God are, as I may so speak, of God's special acquaintance, and so they have peace, for they do walk with God, and have communion with him. They have communion with the Father, and he is the God of all consolation; they have communion and fellowship with the Son, and he is the Prince of Peace; they have communion and fellowship with the Spirit, and he is the Comforter: they have communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, in and by the gospel; and that is the word of peace, the gospel of peace. How can it therefore be, but that the saints and people of God ordinarily should have peace within?

But to make out this more fully unto you. Consider, I pray, how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with whom the saints and people of God have communion and fellowship, are engaged for their peace.

1. The Father is engaged to give peace unto them. He is engaged by his prerogative, by his commandment, by his promise, by Christ's purchase and by the saints' chastisements.

peace.

He is engaged by his prerogative. Kings and princes will stand, ye know, for their prerogatives. And this is the great prerogative of God the Father, to give peace, inward "I create the fruits of the lips, peace, peace," Isa. lvii. 19. And he is called, the God of peace; the God of consolation: not the God of indignation, not the God of war, but the God of peace. This is the great prerogative of God the Father, to give peace unto his people.

He is engaged also, by virtue of his commandment. And therefore if ye look into Isa. xl. 1, 2, ye shall find, that he commands the prophets and ministers, to preach comfort, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God (verse 1); Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Suppose a man's affliction, or temptation, be very great or much he hath commanded us to comfort, and comfort twice; "Comfort ye, comfort ye :" not once, but twice, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord." But there are divers comforters, that are indeed like Job's comforters, like Job's friends, they speak hard words unto poor distressed souls. Well, says he, therefore, in verse 2, Speak ye comfortably, so ye read it; but in the Hebrew, speak ye to the heart, b-by speak soft and sweet words, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Oh, but my temptation is so great, that I am not able to hear those that come to comfort me. Mark what follows: speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, lift up thy voice and cry, if a poor soul be distressed, tempted and cannot hear easily; you that are ministers, lift up your voice and cry: not only speak to the heart, but cry; lift up your voice and cry unto her. Well, but what are they to speak and cry? There are three things which will comfort a poor distressed soul, and they are to be spoken. Say, first, "that her warfare is accomplished;" affliction and temptation is at an end, it shall be no more. Secondly, "That her iniquity is pardoned." Her sin is forgiven fully and freely. Thirdly, "That she hath received at the Lord's hands double for all her sins," God hath no more against her, no quarrel, no controversy, no further punishment to inflict upon her, she hath sufficiently born the punishment of her iniquity: thus the Lord hath commanded

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