8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea,
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THE EIGHTH
UPON PSAL . xl . 8. I delight to do thy will O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.
Casting ed and darkned with variety, yea, contrariety ofexpofitions. The Jews and Socinians generally refer all to David, denying Christ to bethe person here spoken of. Others refer the whole Psalm to Christ ; but the best expositors refer it partly to David, and partly to Christ, that this paragraph in which my text lies, refers to Christ, is plain from the apostle's allegation of it in Heb. x. 5, 6, 7. In this and the two former verses there lie three great points of truth, which you may take up in this order.
First, The infufficiency and rejection of all legal sacrifices, as things of no virtue in themselves to satisfy God, or save men, ver. 6.
These thou wouldst not ; i. e. thou never didst appoint them to be the means of salvation, farther than they signified and pointed at me, and now must vanishwhenIcome in abody of flesh ; according to that, Col. ii. 17.
Secondly, The introduction of a complete and sufficient means of redemption, ver. 7. Lo, I come.
/ Thirdly, The suitableness and agreeableness of this work of redemption to the heart and will of Jesus Christ, ver. 8. " I de- " light to do thy will, O my God ; yea, thy law is within my
"heart;" or, as it is in the Hebrew, in the midst of my bowels.
In the words we are to note two things ; viz . ist, The rise and spring of man's redemption.
2dly, The acceptablenefs and fuitableness of it to the heart of Christ .
{ 1st, The rife and first spring of man's redemption, the will and pleasure of God. So it pleased the Lord to appoint and order it, that a remnant of poor loft sinners should be saved.
The execution and accomplishment of this good pleasure of God, was that part which by agreement and consent was committed to the Son, and is here called a law, or command laid upon him ; and, answerably, the death of Christ is represented as an act of obedience, Phil. ii. 8. and respected God's com- . mand for it; John x..18. " This commandment have I receiv
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" ed from my Father;" referring to the covenant of redemption which was betwixt them from everlasting: And this was the rife and first spring of our redemption by Christ.
2dly, You have here the gratefulness and suitableness of this work to the heart of Christ I delight to do it ; it is in my heart : Lo, I come.
TheHebrew words note not simple consent or willingness, but the highest pleasure and complacency that can be ; a work which ravishes his soul with the delights of it, I delight to do thy will; and that other expression, Thy law is within my heart, or bowels, hath as deep a sense and fignification as the former ; it notes the greatest care, sollicitude, and intention of mind, in keeping the most precious treasure that was committed to him ! for so the phrase is used in Prov. iv. 21. and fodid our Redeemer esteem and reckon this work, which was by the Father demandated and committed to him. Hence the note is,
Doct. That the will of God to redeem sinners by the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, was most grateful and pleasing to the very heart of Christ.
It is said, Prov. viii. 31. When he was folacing himself in the sweetest enjoyment of his Father, whilst he lay in that blessed bosom of delights, yet the very prospect of this work gave him pleasure, Then were his delights with the sons of men.
And when he was come into the world, and had endured many abuses and injuries, and was even now come to the most difficult part of the work ; yet, how am Istraitned, or pained,
(faith he) till it be accomplished, Luke xii . 50 .
Two things call our thoughts to stay upon them in this point.
First, The decency of it, why it ought to be so.
Secondly, The reasons of it, whence it came to be fo.
First, Why it ought to be a pleasant and grateful thing to Christ to take a body of flesh, and lay it down by death again for the redemption of sinners .
1. It became Christ to go about this work with chearfulness and delight, that thereby he might give his death the nature and formality of a sacrifice.
In all sacrifices you shall find that God had still a regard, a special respect, to the will of the offerer.
See Exod. xxxv. 5 .
21. and Lev. i. 3. the voluntariness and chearfulness with which it is given, is of great regard with God.
2. It ought to be so, in regard of the unityofChrift's will, with the Father's.
The work of our redemption is called the
Sacramental Meditations. pleasure of the Lord, Ifa. liii. to. and what was the Father's pleasure, could not be displeasing to him who is one with the Father.
It is impossible their wills can clash, whose nature is one.
3. This was necessarytomagnifyandcommendthelove of Jesus Christ to us,for whom hegavehimself.
That he came intotheworld to die for us, is a mercy of the first magnitude, but that he came in love to our souls, and underwent all his sufferings with such willingness for our fakes, this heightens it above allapprehenfion. O, this is the most taking, the most ravishing, the most astonishing consideration of all: "He loved me, and gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20, " He loved us,
" and washed us from our fins in his own blood," Rev. i. 5.
Here love is in its highest exaltation.
4. It was necessary to be so, for the regulating of all ourobe dience to God according to this pattern,that seeing and setting this great example of obedience before us, we might never grudge nor grumble at anydutyor suffering thatGodshould call us to; " You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ;
" how, that though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became 66 poor," faith the apostle, when he would press the Corinthians to their duty, 2 Cor. viii. 9. And when he would effectuallyurge the Philippians to their duty,this is the argument,
" Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus,"
Phil. ii. 5. So that it became and behoved Chriftthus to undertake this great service.
Secondly, Next let us confider and examine whence it came to be so pleasant and acceptable to Jesus Christ, to come into the worldanddie for poor sinners.
And we shall find although the sufferings of Christ were exceeding sharp, and the cup of God's wrath unspeakably bitter, yet that which made it pleasant and desirable to Jesus Christ, was the prospect he had of the sweet results and issues of his sufferings, Ifa. liii 10, 11. " He shall fee of the travailof his
" foul and shall be satisfied," (i. e.)he shall havegreatcontent and pleasure from the issues and fruits of his sufferings, as Psal. cxxviii. 2. " Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands,"
(i. e.) the fruit of thy labours.
So here, " He shall fee the " travail of his soul," ( i. e,) the fruit and effects of his travail ; and to fee this thallbe to him the reward and recompence of all his sufferings. Now, among the sweet results of the sufferings of Christ there are especially these three, which he foresaw with fingularcontent and delectation.
First, That in his sufferings there would be made a glorious
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display and manifestation of the divine attributes ; yea, such a gloriousdisplayof them, as was never made before to angels or to men, nor ever shall be any more in this world.
For though, 1. The wisdom of God had made itself visible to men in the creation of the world, yet there itshonebut in a faint and languishing beam, compared with this. Here divine wisdom put itself as it were into a visible form, and represented itself to the life.
See 1 Cor. i. 24. and Eph. iii. 16. Behold, in the death of Christ, the wisdom of God in its highest exaltation and glory : O the manifold wisdom of God! O the depth of his unsearchable wisdom ! which I touched in some particulars before.
Behold herethewisdom of God, raising more glory to himselfbyoccasionof the breach of the law, than could ever have risen to him from the most punctual observation of its commands, or the most rigorous execution of its threatenings; from theoccafionof the fall, which was our undoing, raising us to a far better estate, and with a much better security to enjoy it, than that from which we fell.
Yea, behold and wonder, God by the death of Christ recovering his elect from all the danger and mischief of fin, and yet making the way and manner of their recovery the fairest glass to represent the horror and evil of finto them, that ever was shewn them in this world.
Oh, the triumph of divine wisdom.
2. Thought he love ofGodhadappearedbefore in our creation, protection, and provision, yet nothing to what it doth in our redemption by the death of Christ.
Lo, here is the love of God in its strength and glory, 1 John iv. 10. "Herein is "love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent
" his Son to be the propitiation for our fins."
Herein is love, i. e. Here is the highest expression of God's love to the creature; not only that ever was, but that ever can be made; for inloveonlyGod acted to the uttermost ; whatever his power hath done, it can do more; but for his love, it can go no higher, he hath no greater thing to give than his Christ. It is true, in giving us a being, andthatinthe noblest rank and order of creatures on earth, herein was love.
In feeding us all our life long by his affiduous tender providence,herein is love.
In protecting us under his wings from innumerable dangers and mifchiefs, herein is love : much love ; and yet set all this by his redeeming love in Christ, and it seems nothing. When we have said all, " herein is the love of God, that he sent his Son," &c.
VOL . VIHI.
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This was free love to undeserving, to ill-deserving sinners : preventing love ; not that we loved him, but that he loved us.
Just as an image in the glass, faith Ficinus, that is imprinted there by the face looking into it; the image does not look back upon the face, except the face look forward upon the image ; and in that the image does seem toseetheface, it is nothing else but that the face does see the image. O the inexpressibleglory of the love of God in Christ !
3. Though God hadgivenseveralfadmarks of his justice before, both upon the angels that fell, clapping upon them the chains of darkness ; in the overthrow of Sodom and the neighbouring cities, turning them to ashes, as you may read in Jude, ver. 6, 7. yet never was the exactness and severity of justice fo manifested before, nor ever shall be any more, as it was at the death of Christ.
Christ did not only satisfy it fully, but he also honouredithighly, making that attribute which was once a bar, now tobeabottom of our peace, Rom. iii. 25. Never did such a person as Christ standatthebar of justice before: the blood of God was poured out to appease and satisfy it. When Christ suffered, he did both give and take satisfaction ; he gave it to the justiceofGod in dying; he took it, in seeing justice so honoured in his death .
Secondly, Another delightful prospect Christ had of the fruit of his sufferings, was the recovery and salvation of all the elect by his death ; and though his sufferings were exceeding bitter, yet such fruit of them as this was exceeding sweet : upon this account he assumed his name Jesus, Matth. i. 21. yea, and his human nature also, Gal. iv. 4, 5.
Souls are of great value in his eyes ; one soul is of more worth in his account than all the world, Mark viii. 36. What a pleasure then must it be to him, to save so many fouls from the everlasting wrath of the great and terrible God ! Add to this, Thirdly, The glory which wouldredound to him from his redeemedones to all eternity; for it will be the everlasting pleasant employment of the saints in heaven, to be ascribing glory, praise, and honour, to the Redeemer : " To him that loved us,
" and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father ; to him be glory
"and dominion for ever and ever," Rev. i. 5, 6.
The im provement of all this will be in a word or two.
Use 1. for conviction.
This truth then, in the first place, may convince, shame, and humble the very best of Christians,who find so little delight in the most easy, sweet, and spiritual duties of obedience, when
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Christ undertook and went through the most difficult task for them with such chearfulness and readiness. " Lo, I come, thy
" law is in my heart, I delight to do thy will ; " and yet the work he so applied himself to, was a work full of difficulty, attended with reproach and shame, as well as anguish and pain.
Did Christ find pleasure in a basement and torment, in suffering and dying for me, and can I find no pleasure in praying, hearing, meditating, and enjoying the sweet duties of communion with him ? Did he come so chearfully to die for me, and do I go so dead-heartedly to prayers and sacraments, to enjoy
fellowship with him ?
Was it a pleasure to him to shed his blood, and is it none tome to apply it, and reap the benefits of it ?
Oh, Lord, what an heart have I? How unsuitable is this frame of heart to the nature of God, whose essential excellencies make him the supreme delight,the sweet repose, solace, and reft of fouls ! Psal. xvi. 11 .
How unsuitable to the principles of regeneration and holiness, purposely planted in the soul, to make spiritual performances a pleasure to it !
How unsuitable to the future expected state of glory, which brings the sanctified soul to a sweet complacential rest and satisfaction in God!
In a word, how unsuitable is this temper of spirit to the heart of Jesus Christ !
O, methinks I hear Christ thus expostulatingwith me this day :
Is this thy zeal and delight in the duties of obedience ? Is it rather the awe of conscience than the pleasure of communion that brings thee to this duty ?
Doth thy hard heart need fo many arguments to persuade it, even to the sweetest, easiest, and most pleasant duties in religion ?
Well, I did not love thee at that rate ; my heart readily echoed to the Father's call, to die for thee, to drink the verydregs of the cup of trembling for thee: " I come, I come, I delight to do thy will, thy law is in " the midst of my bowels."
2. Use, of exhortation.
If it be so, how great a motive have the people ofGodbefore them, to make them apply themselves with all chearfulness and readiness of mind to all the duties of active and passive obedience ! O, let there be no more grumblings, lazy excuses, thiftings of duty, or dead-hearted and listless performances of them, after such an example as this. Be ready to do the will of God; yea, be ye also ready to suffer it.
Let the same mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus.
The more pleasure and delight you find in doing or suffering the will of God, the :
Pp2
Sacramental Meditations. more of Christ's spirit is in you, and the more of his image is upon you. Are not all holy duties expressed in scripture by the saints walking with God ? Gen. xvii. 1. And is not this an angelical life ? Can it be a burden to the ear to hear sweet ravishing strains of melody; or to the eye, to behold variety of pleasant and livelycolours ; or to the palate, to relish the delicious sweetness of meats and drinks?
Oh, reader, were thy heart more spiritual, more deeply sanctified, and heavenly, it would be no more pain to thee to pray, hear, or meditate on the things of God, than it is to a bird to carryanduse his own wings ; or to a man, to eat the most pleasant food when he is an hungry; " I have rejoiced, (faithDavid)
" inthewayof thy commandments, as much as in all riches,"
Psal. cxix . 14.
And as to sufferings for Christ, they should not be grievous to Christians, that know how chearfully Christ came from the bosom of the Father to die for them.
What have we to leave or lose, in comparison with him ?
What are our sufferings to Christ's ? Alas, there is no compare; there was more bitterness in one drop of his sufferings, than in a sea of ours.
To conclude, Your delight and readiness in the paths of obedience, is the very measure of your sanctification.
THE NINTH
MEDITATION,
UPON زا ZECH. xii. part of ver. 10. And they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for bim, as one mourneth for his onlyfon ; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for bis first-born.
THIS promise is confessed to have a special respect to the Jews conversion to Christ : It was in part accomplished in the apostle'sdays, Acts ii. 37. yet that was but a specimen or handsel, of what shall be, when the body of that nation shall be called.
But yet it cannotbedenied, that all Christians find the same piercingforrows, and wounding sense off in,when God awakens them by convictions, andbringsthem to see the evil of fin, and1
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J. thegraceofChrist, that is here expressed concerning them at their conversion.
The words present us with three very remarkable particulars in evangelical repentance ; viz.
First, The spring and principle of it.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of it.
Thirdly, The depthandmeasure of it.
First, The spring and principle of repentance, expressed in these words, They shall look upon me, whom they have pierced.
This looking upon Christ, is an act of faith; for so it is described in scripture, John vi. 40. Ifa. xlv. 22. and it respects
Christ crucified, as its proper object : Yea, and that by them, not only as their progenitors involved them in that guilt, by entailing it on them, but as their own fins were the meritorious cause of his death and sufferings; theyshalllook upon me, whom theyhavepierced.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of such an aspect of faith uponChrift, is here also noted ; They shall mourn, and be in bitterness : i.e. it shall melt and thaw them into godly sorrow; it shall break their hard and stony hearts to pieces : The eye of faith shall affect their hearts. For indeed, evangelical sorrows are hearty and undissembled tears, dropping out of the eye of faith.
Thirdly, and lastly, The depth and measure of their sorrow is here likewise noted. And it is compared with the greatest and most piercing sorrows men are acquainted with in this world, even the sorrow of a tender-hearted Father, mourning over a dead son, yea, an only son, and his first-born; than which, no earthly sorrow is more penetrating and sharp; Jer. vi. 26.
Hence the note will be, Doct. That the sufferings of Chriftare exceeding powerful, to. melt believers hearts intogodly sorrow.
The eye of faith is a precious eye ; and according to its various aspects upon Christ, it produceth various effects upon the hearts of men.
Eying Christ as our complete righteousness ; so it pacifies and quiets the heart: Eying him as our pattern; so it directs and regulates our actions : Eying him as a sacrifice offered up to divine justice for our fins; so it powerfullythaws. the heart, and melts the affections.
By meltings, Ido not only understand tears ; as if they only were expressive of all spiritual sorrow : For it is possible, the waters of forrowmay rundeepinthe heart, when the eye cannotyieldadrop.
There be two things in repentance; trouble and tears. The
Sacramental Meditations. first is essential, the last contingent. The first flows from the influence of faith upon the soul; the last much depends upon the temper and constitution of the body.
It is a mercy, when our tears can flow from an heart filled with sorrow for fin, and love to Christ ; yet it often falls out, that there is an heavy heart, where the eyes are dry.
But that there is efficacy in faith to melt the heart, bylookinguponthe sufferings of Christ for fin, is undoubted: And how it becomes so powerful an instrument to this end, I will shew you in the following particulars.
First, Faith eyes the dignity of the person of Christ, who was pierced for us ; how excellent and glorious a person he is.
In the captivity, it was for a lamentation, that " princes were " hanged up by the hands, and the faces of elders were not " honoured," Lam. v.
12.
We read also the lamentation of David, 2 Sam. iii. 38. as he followedAbner's hearse, "A " prince, and a great man, is fallen in Israel to-day."
But what was Abner, and what were the princes of Israel to the Son of God ?
Lo, here, by faith, the believer sees the Prince of the kings of the earth, the only begotten of the Father, equal to God, in nature and dignity, He, whom all the angels worship, hanging dead upon the cursed tree.
Faith fees royal blood, the blood of God, poured out by the sword of justice, for satisfaction and reconciliation; and this cannot but deeply affect the believing foul .
Secondly, Faith represents the severity of divine justice to Jesus Christ, and the extremity of his sufferings ; and this sight is a melting fight.
The apostle tells us, Gal. iii. 13. he was made καθαρα, 2 curse and execration for us .
It relates to the kind and manner of his death upon the cross, which was the death of a slave ; fervilefupplicium : A freeman was privileged from that punishment.
It looks upon, and well confiders the sad plight and condition Christ was in, in the days of his humiliation for us.
It is faidof him, Matth. xxvi. 28. He was Περίλυπος, undequaque triftis, surrounded with griefs ; exactly answerable to his name,
Isa. liii. 3. a man offorrows.
Let him look which way he would, outward or inward, upward or downward, to friends or enemies ; he could behold nothing but sorrow, and what might increase his misery.
Another evangelist faith, he was fore amazed; Mark xiv. 33. Εκθαμβεισα, : It notes such a consternation, as makes the hair of the head standup right ; Horripilatio. A third tells us, his soul was troubled, John xii. 27. ψυχη με Τελαρακιαι, undetartarus, a word from whence hell is
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derived; anddenoting the anguish and troubles of them that are in that place of torments.
And the fourth tells us, he was in an agony ; Luke xxiii. 44. all expressing, in several emphatical notions and metaphors, the extremity of Christ's anguish and torment. This cannot but greatly affect and break the believer's heart.
Thirdly, But then that which most affects the heart, is Christ's undergoing all this, not only in love to us, but in our room and stead. He suffered not for any evil he had done, for there was noguile found in his mouth, Ifa. liii. 4, 5. But the just suffered for the unjust, Pet. iii. 18.
It was for me, a vile, wretched, worthless sinner.
It was my pride, my earthliness, the hardness of my heart, the corruption of my nature, the innumerable evils of my life, that brought him down to the dust of death : "He was made fin for us, who knew no fin,"
2Cor. v. 21 .
Who can believingly eye Christ, as suffering such pains, such wrath, such a curse, in the room of such a sinner, such a rebel, so undeserving, and so ill-deserving a creature, and not mourn as for anonlyfon, and be in bitterness as for a firstborn?
Fourthly, Faith melts the heart, by considering the effects and fruits of the sufferings of Christ, what great things he hath purchased by his stripes and blood for poor sinners ; a full and final pardon of fin, a well-settled peace with God, a sure title and right to the eternal inheritance ; and all this for thee, a law-condemned, as elf-condemned sinner.
Lord, what am I, that such mercies as these should be purchased by such a price for me? For me, when thousands and ten thousands of sweeter dispositions must burn in hell for ever !
Oh, what manner of love is this !
Fifthly, Faith melts the heart, by exerting a threefold act upon Christ crucified :
1st, A realizing act, representing all this in the greatest certainty and evidence that can be.
These are no devised fables, but the sure and infallible reports of the gospel.
2dly, An applying act ; " He loved me, and gave himself for " me," Gal. iii. 20. " He loved us, and washed us from our
" sins in his own blood," Rev. i. 5.
3dly, and lastly, By an inferring or reasoning act.
If Christ died for me, then I shall never die : If his blood were paid down for me, then my fins, which are many, are forgiven me :
If he was condemned in my room, I am acquitted, and hall A
Sacramental Meditations. besavedfromwrath to come, through him. O how weighty do these thoughts prove to believing fouls !
1. Use, for information.
Thenfure there is but little faith, because there is so much deadness and unaffectedness among professors. A believing fight
: of Christ will work upon a gracious heart, as a dead son, abelovedandonly son, uses todouponatender father's heart.
Reader, was it ever thy sad lot to look upon such anheartrending object ? Didstthouever feel the pangsandcommotions inthybowels that some have felt upon such a fight ? Why, fo will thy heart work towards Christ, if ever thou believingly lookest on him whom thou haft pierced.
Infer. 2. Then the acting and exercising offaithisthe best expedient to get a tender heart, and raise the dead affections.
We are generally full of complaints how hard, how dead and stupid our hearts are ; we are often putting such cases as these, how shall I get a broken heart for fin: How shall I raise mydeadheartin duty ? Why this is the way, no expedient in all the world like this; look upon him whom thou haft pierced; it is the melting argument.
2. Use, of examination.
But that which I especially aim at in this point, is for the trial and examination of thy heart, reader, in the point of true evangelical repentance, which is thy proper business at this time; and I will go no further than the text for rules to examine and try it by.
Rule 1. All evangelical repentancehathasupernatural spring, " I will pour out the Spirit of grace, and they shall mourn."
Till the Spirit be poured out upon us, it is as easy to press water out of a rock, as to make our hearts relent and mourn.
There are indeed natural meltings, the effects of an ingenuoustemper, but these differ in kind and nature from godly sorrow.
Rule2. Godly sorrows are real, sincere, andundissembled; " they shall mourn, as for an only son."
Parents need not any natural helps to draw tears on such accounts; O ! their very hearts are pierced, they could even die with them; sighs, groans, and tears, are not hanged out as false signs of what is not to be found in their hearts .
Rule 3. Evangelical sorrow isverydeep; so much the mourning for an only son, a first-born, must import. These waters, how still soever they be, run deep, very deep, in the bottom channel of the soul.
See Acts ii. 37. They were cut to the heart.