noss in the fear of God; increasing with all the increase of God till I come to a perfect man. Alas, how much do I yet want of perfection! I would still be singing the song of degrees, and going from strength to strength till I appear before God in Zion. 19. Lord, thou knowest how much I am concerned for thy church, which gives me some ground to hope I am a lively member in that mystical body: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." It raiseth my heart to see the gospel propagated, sinners converted, saints edified, and united: and it runs to my heart to see Christ's interest laid low, the preaching of the gospel obstructed, few converts, scandals breaking out, and contentions breaking in: then I say, "Woe is me! the good man is perished out of the earth." When wickedness abounds, and love decays,* I make that lamentation, Isa. lix. 11-15. 20. Lord, thou knowest notwithstanding all this, what a mean opinion I have of myself and my poor doings: alas, my doings are but dregs and rags! I am still an unprofitable servant, I despair of myself and abhor myself in dust and ashes: I am vile in mine own eyes. God may justly condemn me notwithstanding all I have done, yea, and for all I have done, for if the Lord mark iniquity, O Lord, who shall stand? I fly to my advocate Jesus Christ, and desire the New Testament Aaron to take away the iniquity of my holy things. I shall subjoin a few words of application.—1. For instruction. If God's children thus appeal, then, (1.) Others do not know their hearts, for God's children do not appeal to men but God. No man knows another's heart, and should not pretend to it. Dost thou say: "it is a wild, groundless censure, from such as *Terras Astrea reliquit. + Horreo quicquid de meo est. carry fair, but whose hearts are bad?" How knowest thou? Dost thou usurp God's throne? The best men have been deceived with the professions of others; as the church on earth with Simon Magus, Acts viii. 13, 23.* The church judgeth of overt acts, not secret thoughts. (2.) The most observant persons have much ado to know their own hearts, and are glad to appeal to God. The prophet saith, who knows it? It is a deep fathomless pit. Hazael said, "Is thy servant a dog, that I should do such a thing?" Peter was confident he should never deny his Master, but both failed. The inward thought of every one is deep, and the heart gives deceitful answers like the heathen oracles. He that trusteth to his own heart is a fool, for it will certainly deceive him. (3.) Yet it is possible men may know their spiritual state God-wards, or else Job would not have appealed to God. The expression speaks some confidence:† Job doth not doubt, but assert his integrity; yea he saith "My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live," Job xxvii. 6. It is possible men may know whether they be in a state of grace or not, for God hath given conscience for this end. "The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly," Prov. xx. 27. If men were faithful and would light their candle at the word of God and make diligent search they might know more. (4.) The whole world is distributed into two sorts of persons, the godly and the wicked. "Two loves," saith St. Augustine, "built two cities; the love of God built mount Zion, and worldly love built Babylon: and * De secretis non judicat Ecclesia. the whole race of mankind are inhabitants of these two cities." Though carnal men do not believe this, and think men differ only partially and not specifically, some worse and others better, not in kind; yet a time is coming, "when men shall discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked, betwixt him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not: for the sheep shall be set on the right hand, and the goats on the left, and receive their different sentences from the impartial judge of the world. At this day discriminating grace makes a difference, and discriminating preaching shows a difference among men: for ministers must teach the people the difference betwixt the holy and profane, and divide the word of God aright, for it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Men may see a vast difference, if they are not wilfully or judicially blind. 2. Another use is, of admonition, (1.) To all sorts of persons, to be and behave themselves as those who may make their appeal to God. Oh that all Christians could say as the church of old: "all this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.Shall not God search this out, for he knoweth the secrets of the heart?" Psal. xliv. 17 and 21. O friends, on what side are you? God knows, and it is fit you should know. "I know my sheep, and am known of mine." "He needed not that any should testify of men; for he knew what was in man," John x. 14, and ii. 25. Look to it, if you be of a holy and pious character, God will own you as his: if not, be sure your sin will find you out. Ask yourselves, what am I? a sheep or a goat? Whose am I? God's servant or the devil's slave? What am I doing? God's work or the devil's drudgery? Whither am I going, to heaven or hell? What say you to the various appeals we have mentioned? Will your hearts ingenuously echo to them? If you say yes; compare your hearts with scripture and go on safe grounds: if not, tremble under the sentence of condemnation. Be strict in this case, for you must be tried another day. (2.) If you find you are wicked, then woe to you, whether you be openly profane or secret hypocrites: "The light of the wicked shall be put out: a hypocrite shall not come before God: the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. The wicked must be silent in darkness and turned into hell. He will rain upon them snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest." Upon your doors you may have written, Lord, have mercy upon us, but God will not own you nor hear your prayer, but say to the wicked: "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth ?” Psal. 1. 16. All you do is sinful, whether called natural, civil, or religious acts. The very ploughing of the wicked is sin; their sacrifice or prayer is an abomination to the Lord. It will be bitterness to them in the end. "Say ye to the wicked, it shall be ill with him." The longer you live, the more mischief you do and the more misery you heap up to fit you for destruction. Therefore bethink yourselves, repent, and forsake your ways and thoughts, that God may have mercy on you. 3. A further use concerns God's children especially by way of comfort. You that dare and do thus appeal to God in sincerity, whose hearts do not upbraid you, thank God for it: this very appeal is a good evidence of your sincerity, and will fortify you against the censures of men. God knows you better than men, and will clear you when men condemn you. How often doth David cheer up himself with this? Your names may be under a cloud for a season, but "God will bring forth your righteousness as the light," Psal. xxxvii. 6. Thus he did with holy Job. It will fortify you against Satan's sore temptations. When he accuseth you to God you may say, "the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan." When he accuseth you to yourselves, and conscience condemns, God is greater than your hearts and will supersede all pleas. In the hour of sad desertion, when God hides his face or withdraws his grace, this will cheer you, that you can go to God and say, I am not wicked. Let God carry himself as he pleaseth to me, his favours are his own, he doeth me no wrong, I will cling to him still: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." If he carry himself strangely towards me, yet he is good and worthy to be followed in the dark, and I will stay myself on him. In a dying hour it will be a blessed reflection, to say, with good Hezekiah under sentence of death: "Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight," Isa. xxxviii. 3. Happy soul! that can look death in the face, and with confidence approach the tremendous tribunal under the comfortable sense of this upright and scriptural appeal. Yet take a caution or two. (1.) Beware of ostentation. Pride not yourselves in your integrity, for this is contrary to the nature and ends of this appeal. "If I justify myself my own mouth shall condemn me." Alas! I am far from perfection: "I am vile what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth, and repent in dust and ashes." (2.) The Lord Jesus is to be our surety and answer for us. Where is boasting? It is excluded. By |