any wisdom or valour, any useful endowments?-let us cast them all down at the feet of Jesus Christ. If we look on them, if we keep them as our own, God withers all their beauty and their glory. Thus do the elders who worship the Lamb for ever, Rev. iv. 10, 11, say to him, Lord Jesus, thine is the glory,-thine are all the mighty works which have been wrought in our days;-thine are all the means whereby they have been accomplished:-we are nothing, we can do nothing; thou art all, and in all. And this is the second. [3.] He aims at the shaking of all these things here below. He is taking down the rate and price of all things here below; on that which was worth a thousand pounds, he takes his bill and writes down scarce the thousandth part. He hath laid his hand upon the nests of the nation, and hath fitted wings unto all their treasures, and so eminently written vanity and uncertainty on them all as must needs lessen their esteem, were not men blinded by the god of this world. In this also are we to meet the Lord,— 1st. By getting a low esteem of the things that God is thus shaking, and that upon this account, that he shakes them for this very end and purpose, that we should find neither rest nor peace in them. Perhaps thou hast had a desire to be somebody in the world;-thou seest thyself come short of what thou aimest at; say now, with Mephibosheth upon the return of David, Not only half, but let all go, seeing that the Lord Jesus shall reign with glory. A man may sometimes beat a servant for the instruction of his son; God hath shaken the enjoyments of his enemies to lead his friends to disesteem them. God forbid the quite contrary should be found upon any of us. 2dly. By labouring to find all riches and treasures in the Lord Christ. The earth staggers like a drunken man;-the princes of it are reduced to a morsel of bread;-all that is seen is of no value: doth not God direct us to the hidden paths,-to the treasures that cannot be destroyed? Many say, "Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." . (2.) We are to meet the Lord in the way of his ordinances,—in the way of gospel worship. The exalting of the Lord Christ herein is the issue of all the mighty works of God: this is given in as the end of all, Rev. xxi. 3, “The tabernacle of God," &c. After great shakings, the promise still is of a new heaven and earth, Isa. lxv. 17; Rev. xxi. 1; and this is that the people of God put themselves upon in the days wherein Babylon is to be destroyed, Jer. i. 4-8; that is the work they then take in hand. The end of all is the building of the temple, Ezek. xlvii.; and this is the conclusion that the people of God do make, Isa. ii. 3, 4; and if this be neglected, the Lord will say of us, as David of Nabal, "Surely in vain have I kept these men, and all that they have." To meet the Lord in this also, VOL. VIII. 22 [1.] Inquire diligently into his mind and will, that you may know his paths, and be acquainted with his statutes. I dare say, no temptation in the world presses with more colour and violence upon men under mercies, than that [temptation] to a neglect of walking and holding communion with God in his ordinances. The devil thinks thus to revenge himself of the Lord Jesus;-his own yoke being broken, he thinks to prevail to the casting away of his. Christ hath a yoke, though it be gentle and easy. [2] You that do enjoy holy ordinances, labour to have holy hearts answerable thereunto. You have heavenly institutions, labour to have heavenly conversations. If we be like the world in our walking, it is no great matter if we be like the world in our worship. It is sad, walking contrary to God in his own paths. Show out the power and efficacy of all gospel institutions in a frame of spirit, course of life, and equability of spiritual temper, all your days. [3] Keep up the power of private worship, both personal and family. I have seen many good laws for the Sabbath, and hope I shall see some good examples! Look what the roots are in the family; such will the fruit be in the church and commonwealth. If your spirits are not well manured there, you will be utterly barren elsewhere. That is done most clearly to God which is done within doors. (3.) Meet him in the way of his holiness. In the cry of the saints. unto the Lord for the execution of his judgments and vengeance, they in an especial manner invocate his holiness, Rev. vi. 10, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" And in their rendering praises to him, they still make mention of his holiness and righteousness in all his ways. Though the ways of God are commonly traduced as unequal and unholy ways, yet in the close there is no property of his that he will more vindicate in all his works than that of his holiness; in this, then, we are also to meet the Lord in this day of our deliverance, the day wherein he hath wrought such great and wonderful alterations. This use the Holy Ghost maketh upon such like dispensations, 2 Pet. iii. 11, "Seeing that all these things," &c.; and so also, Heb. xii. 27, 28, " And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." All things opposing removed, a freedom established, therefore let us have grace. God is the thrice holy one,-holy in his nature, holy in his word, and holy in all his works; and he requires that his people be a holy people. To this he still urged his ancient people, from the argument of his presence amongst them. Oh, that the Spirit of the Lord would bring forth this one fruit of all his dealing with us, that we might be a holy people! If we put God's pure and clean mercies into impure and unclean vessels, they will to us be defiled. Let us take heed of prostituting the mighty works of God to the service of our lusts. Should we now make such conclusions to ourselves as the rich fool in the gospel, and say, Well, we have now peace and prosperity laid up for some years;-soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry; grow rich and great; follow after vanity, pride, folly, uncleanness; enjoy with delight the things which we have, and heap up thereto :—why, as this is to labour to draw the Lord God into a partnership with our abominations, and to enforce his mighty works to bear witness to our lusts, so certainly it is such a frame as he will surely and speedily revenge. The end why God delivers us from all our enemies is, not that we may serve our lusts and ourselves without fear; but that we may serve him without fear, in righteousness and holiness, all the days of our lives. Let, then, this be the issue upon our hearts of all the victories, and successes, and returns of prayers that we have received, that we give up ourselves to the Lord in all manner of holiness: this is that which the Lord's voice calls us unto. Let not now him that is filthy be filthy still; let not him that is worldly be worldly still; let not him that is loose, and hath cast off the yoke of Christ, be so still; let not him that hath sought himself do so still; let not him who hath contemned the institutions of Christ do so still; let not him that hath been lifted up above his brethren be so still;-but let every one forsake his evil way, and the iniquity that is in his hand, that we who were not a people at all may be a people to the praise of the God of all; that you who rule over men may be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord, that you may be as the light of the morning when the sun is risen, even as a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain;-that we who are under rule may sit under our vines and fig-trees, speaking well of the name of God, and labouring to carry on the kingdom of the Prince of Peace, even every one as we are called, and abiding therein with God;-that as, when you sought this mercy of God which we rejoice in, in solemn humbling of yourselves before the Lord, I made it appear unto you that it was the remnant of Jacob, God's secret and holy ones, lying in the bowels of the nation, that must be the rise of all our deliverances, so we would now every one strive to be of that number, for they alone enjoy the sweetness of this and every mercy. |