Alexander Henderson’s Sermons

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It is the Lord's gracious dealing in all the deliverances of his people, even because they are his people, he gives them matter of rejoicing; and yet he is so wise in his dispensation towards them, that he holds them still in a @@ -9,22 +7,22 @@ Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but "that the Lord has done great things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, "We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have still cause to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfyteperfect it; and we may be assured of this, if wewill continue earnest with God in our prayers, he shall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stirup themselves up by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad:" for so it is in the original, and not ◊it{whereof}. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tellssay that if he would do that, it would be as refreshing to them as the streams of water that comescome from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins an assurance that it shall be so, according to their prayer, "They that sawsowed in tears shall reap in joy." And so thesethose who dependsdepend continually upon God, and bearsbear affliction patiently, and doesdo the thing which he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all that shall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these "shall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There beare three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1.to: 1. The praise that they give to God for that which he has done, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 2. The prayer that God's people make to him, "Turn again our captivity, as the streams in the south." 3. The @@ -33,44 +31,44 @@ etc."

I. "The Lord has done great things for us." They acknowledge and confess, from their own experience, that the Lord has done great things for them, and this indeed was a good confession. This day's exercise, itexercise was begun with a confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, as it is in ◊ref{Ps.32.5}, "I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is in ◊ref{Rom.10.10}, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. And it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obleistobliged to confess that point before the world, and to promise to stand to it.◊footnote{ Weit.◊footnote{We discern here what may be called the first germ of the Westminster Standards. In the Assembly 1639, session 19, Mr. Alexander Henderson moved, Thatmoved that it was expedient that there were a positive Confession drawn up, and these errourserrors related therein, and expressly condemned by the Church, and the doctrines of the Church of Scotland cleared, that none hereafter pretend ignorance of them, and that this grave work were recommended to such and such men; the which motion the whole Assembly did approve. We find that the chief burden of this great work came to be laid on Henderson himself, with leave to cease his ordinary ministry when so occupied: and there can be no doubt that his labourslabors under this commission prepared him for the important part he afterwards took in the Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when anyone confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. These three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be an open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then thouyou will never confess that the Lord has done great things for thee,you, but when it is done, thouyou will say it is thyselfyourself who has done it. But if so be that thou sees thyyou see your sense of sin, and of Christ, and of redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then thouyou will say, "The Lord has done great things for us." And, therefore, since yeyou began this day's exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness, from our own experience, and say, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad." @@ -82,15 +80,15 @@ them---"The Lord." 3. That they are done not ◊it{against} us, but "◊it{for} us."

◊it{First}, "great things." What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things that were done for them from they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times doesdo the prophets and servants of God rememberremind them of these. But there were toreethree things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it was strange, and a thing they hardly looked for; and therefore in the beginning of this psalm they say, "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were as them who dreamed." When they heard of such a thing as to be relieved from their captivity, they thought they had been dreaming, to hear of such a sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And yeyou know that dreams are but vain things, and not to be looked to; so they could not believe this, it was so strange; this declares the greatness of it. 2. It was great also in respect of the extent of it. I mean it belonged to all sorts of persons, great @@ -99,24 +97,24 @@ one who apprehended the greatness of their captivity apprehended also the greatness of this. And, indeed, the deliverance that belongs both to kirk and country and to every member thereof, these are great deliverances; and this concerned their religion also, because they could not get stayed in Babel, but they were constrained to be idolaters. As yeyou see the three children, they were commanded to fall down before Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. 3. And it was great also, because it did concern their consciences, their liberties, their fortunes, their lives, and their posterity also; for their posterity had remained slaves also, if the Lord had not shewnshown this great mercy.

◊it{Secondly}. "The Lord has done." And yet it was a king who did set them free, even Cyrus; he was the instrument of returning their captivity. But what was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numbersome,numerous, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any more captives that year, whereas he had many more. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behovedbehooved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, heLord has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if these great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were @@ -125,30 +123,30 @@ Babylonians and they among the heathens said, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{them};" but they say, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}." The infidels wonder at that which was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that which was done for God's people; and God's people turnsturn it over again, and says, " Thesay, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}."

Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things which the Lord does for you; forif yefor if you only think them to be common things with the rest of the world, yeyou will not be thankful for them. God has made the world; that is a great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great work: and we are obleistobliged to be thankful for these. And moreover, he has sent his Son to the world to die for thyyour redemption, and his Spirit from heaven for thyyour sanctification: all this may be said to be done for theeyou in particular, for there is enough there for all mankind, if they have faith to believe. But I may say, moreover, since the last we met here at this occasion, the Lord has done great things for us, even for us in this land, and for us in this house in particular,◊footnote{The reference is to his own personal troubles in the matter of the Service book.} because then we had no expectation that it should have been thus; it was to us a dream. And indeed, I think the like of this has never been seen,---soseen---so soon and so great a change: surely it is wonderful in our eyes that the Lord has done this for us. It is also great because of the extent of it; for it concerns all in the land, from the highest to the lowest; and it concerns them also in everything they have to do with. For if the Lord had not been pleased to have dealt thus wonderfully with us, we had died in captivity, all ways, both in our consciences, for they had been chained; our bodies had been in slavery, our means in danger,◊footnote{ Thisdanger,◊footnote{This is true. It was not merely religious but civil liberty that was at stake---not merely the souls and consciences of men, but their very bodies and goods. Absolute supremacy in all things, civil and ecclesiastical, this, and nothing less, was what the king @@ -161,7 +159,7 @@ for the imposition of taxes; and that the divine laws required compliance with every demand, how irregular soever, which the prince should make upon his subjects." See Rushworth i. 585, 594.} our liberties taken away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also.◊footnote{The far-reaching mind of Henderson saw that the wellbeingwell-being of posterity, as well as of the then existing generation, was involved in the questions then at issue, and that had the slavish principles of the court been then established, the liberties of future generations would have been taken away. Looking back to that period, with the @@ -182,34 +180,34 @@ reason to say this. 3. These great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things ◊it{against us}, but he has done them ◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded which was once beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? andAnd then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils off us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of these things, 1I desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond)beyond all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for us. I know how men do calumniatslander these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that which we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.

Now what wrought this upon them? "We are glad." It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man,man when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself which they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free, we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater then. Only consider this,this: that rejoicing is only proper to some in the world, but it is common to all the godly; ay, I may say, it is proper to the godly also, for it is the prerogative of the children of God, that they may always rejoice. That yeyou may perceive the truth of this, yeyou must know the difference wherein it stands. 1. In the cause of their rejoicing. The godly man rejoices because he has the Lord to be his God, and he lifts up the light of his countenance upon him; but for theworldlythe worldly man, he is as the rich worldling, he rejoices only when his corn and his oil does abcund,abound, and when his barns are full; then he says, "Soul, take thee rest, for thou has enough laid up for many years." This is the great difference between the child of God and the worldling. The child of God has evermore his eye towards God, and his sorrow is @@ -220,48 +218,48 @@ joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it is so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a bidingan abiding joy; for the child of God, when he is once entered into the state of grace, he abides into it, and that indeed is matter of great joy. Then, beloved, since this is the joy of the godly, let us labourlabor for it---to have a divine joy, coming from divine grounds, and such a joy as in the quality thereof is heavenly and spiritual, in quantity full, and in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy shall abide,- not only so long as we are here, but it shall also be perfected hereafter.

II. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and there foretherefore he subjoins to this a prayer, "Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south." How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, "The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, which was the worship of God, they behovedbehooved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their own captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behovedbehooved to rejoice more than in their own. What then is it that makes them to pray thus? The reason was this,this: they acknowledge that there was also much wrought by God already,already in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was much wrought, so there was much to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyteperfect it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave off now till it be perfyted.perfected. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of thesethose who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their own land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but overa few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had alleyed (allied)allied themselves with thesethose people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their own. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should]they should be brought back, or that Cyrus' own heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back again.

And indeed, these same beare the same reasons that we have even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed,he is begun to return our captivity, and we have cause to rejoice and be glad of it. But we have also cause to be humbled before God, and to pray to him. First, because there be many who, albeit this deliverance be offered to them, yet they love it not. Many will @@ -271,32 +269,32 @@ they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king's mind should change, and he should become as one of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who hashave said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it beis true, for they would pass freer without a censure in the one nor in the other.◊footnote{It was but seldom that Henderson employed the weapon of irony; but we see here that when he did so, it was with effect. Another example is to be found in his altercation with the King's Commissioner, the Earl of Traquair, regarding the moderatorship in the opening meeting of the Assembly, 1639.} For they love idolatry, and affect it, and their hearts are going that gate (road);road; and so they rue from their hearts, that there is anything done to stop it. It might be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let thesethem see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for as far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the wyteguilt of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfyteperfect the work that he has begun.

"As the rivers in the south." What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts which makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comescome out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came these streams? forFor if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow off the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it is turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' @@ -306,35 +304,35 @@ mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the 'return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers' but) 'torrents', which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now 'flowed again' into it." Bishop Lowth.}Lowth}

1. We may see here that the souls of God's children, when they are in spiritual captivity,---whencaptivity---when they see that God is not honoured,honored, that religion is not rightly set up, that people's souls getsget not good food, they are like ground gaping to heaven for a shower, or like sandy deserts that are brunt up for want of rain, and looks mournful-likemournful till they get it. And indeed I put no question, but there hashave been many intoin this land these by-ganebygone years, who hashave been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send an answer to them.◊footnote{"I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation... are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedificationedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.} And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as an answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as the streams doesdo the dry gaping ground in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to do it. It were to be wished that our captivity here were returned, by turning our king's heart the right way, and that our deliverance should come that way. There be two ways of delivering God's people from their enemies. First, as the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians, by a terrible, strong, and mighty hand. The Lord forbid that ever we see that day here that we be put to that! And therefore, we should pray to the Lord that he would fall in upon (exertexert his influence on)on our king's heart, that so he may take such a course as may tend most for the honourhonor of God, the establishing of religion, and for the salvation of poor souls, and for establishing himself and his crown to his generation after him perpetually. These, indeed, should be our wishes, that our deliverance may come that way; and therefore let us supplicate his Majesty @@ -353,42 +351,42 @@ prayer. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to sawsow it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he shall have a shouting joy.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawingsowing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing yesowing you know there is great pains. The land must be first teiled (tilled)tilled and dressed before the seed be cast into it; and there is pains in casting the seed into it; and then it must be covered with ground. And then it takes a great dressing all the year, before it be set into the barn-yard.barnyard. There is none of you who are ignorant of this, but the sawingsowing of the seed requires great labourlabor and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it is called "precious seed." For yeyou know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it is very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his own belly, from his wife, children, and servants; and will take it to the ground, and sow it; and he will go out weeping with it. And so yeyou see that with the pains there is also great charges. 'Thirdly,Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so is it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, Theythey must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can yeyou look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that every step yeyou give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when yeyou bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever yeyou had. He can give a hundrethfoldhundredfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield much more. Thirdly, yeyou must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else yeyou have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord shall cast thyyour knot of time, so that either thouyou must quitequit the world, or quitequit the way of salvation, rather quitequit the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if yeyou either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so yeyou may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, in ◊ref{Ps.129}: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some are compared to the land that is teiledtilled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God, theyGod are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the children of God!

@@ -404,40 +402,40 @@ to be content to suffer for it. When the Lord works this in a soul, then he gives them a further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and that is a handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this land, who hashave been employed about this work, hashave found further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them an earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comescome sheaves, not singles◊footnote{◊it{Singles}. The small neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners. },gleaners.}, but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill,yield well, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, hethen gives testimony of a full deliverance to his own people, especially of the deliverance of Sion,Zion, and lets them taste of the sheaves which they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss, pleasure without pain; and then we have a full sight of the face of God. This is the outgaitway out that the children of God getsget from all their troubles,---eventroubles---even a plentiful harvest in the hinder-end.

Surely, beloved, we have no skill to make the right use of these favoursfavors that the Lord bestows upon us. What does man do when he is resisting any sin? He thinks it a grief to do so, because it mars him of some present honour,honor, pleasure, profit, ease, etc., and so he only compares his present pain with his present pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure [that]that shall be afrerwards;afterwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, which passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, which is to come, and then we shall be forced to say with the apostle, "That the light afllictionsafflictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted,shortsighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are sandblindhave poor eyesight cannot see far off; but in seedtimeseed-time let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we shall reap the fruits of our labours.labors. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we shall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we shall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our

a/src/0038.pm b/src/0038.pm index 324f4d2..afb3855 100644 --- a/src/0038.pm +++ b/src/0038.pm @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ It is the Lord's gracious dealing in all the deliverances of his people, even because they are his people, he gives them matter of rejoicing; and yet he is so wise in his dispensation towards them, that he holds them still in a dependence on him, that so still we may have something to pray for to him, whilkwhich we must have supplied by (over and above) all that we have gotten before. Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but "that the Lord has done great things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, "We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have still @@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be as refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins an assurance that it shall be so, according to their prayer, "They that saw in tears shall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilkwhich he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all that shall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these "shall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise that they give to God for that whilkwhich he has done, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 2. The prayer that God's people make to him, "Turn again our captivity, as the streams in the south." 3. The prophetical confidence they have that it shall be so: "They that sow in tears, @@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness, from our own experience, and say, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

"The Lord has done great things for us." In this acknowledgment and confession there be three points considerable of thankfulness, whilkwhich are all aimed at here. 1. That they were great things were done. 2. Who it was that did them---"The Lord." 3. That they are done not ◊it{against} us, but "◊it{for} us." @@ -123,13 +123,13 @@ great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{them};" but they say, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}." The infidels wonder at that whilkwhich was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that whilkwhich was done for God's people; and God's people turns it over again, and says, " The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}."

Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things whilkwhich the Lord does for you; forif ye only think them to be common things with the rest of the world, ye will not be thankful for them. God has made the world; that is a great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great @@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. "Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. These great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things ◊it{against us}, but he has done them ◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded whilkwhich was once beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very @@ -191,14 +191,14 @@ themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for us. I know how men do calumniat these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that whilkwhich we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.

Now what wrought this upon them? "We are glad." It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man, when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself whilkwhich they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free, we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater @@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ also great cause of supplicating, and there fore he subjoins to this a prayer, "Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south." How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, "The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, whilkwhich was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their own captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their own. What then is it makes @@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfyte the work that he has begun.

"As the rivers in the south." What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts whilkwhich makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came these streams? for if they @@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ deliverance may come that way; and therefore let us supplicate his Majesty continually for that end. And when he will not hear our supplications, (as the Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it shall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that whilkwhich is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for others.◊footnote{Now that the character of Henderson is known and established, it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but @@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ God!

2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; and it is not leaves whilkwhich they get, as in the spring, but it is fruits, such as are in harvest, at Michaelmas. There be three degrees of the happiness of God's children, in reaping of fruits. First, in the first-fruits. Even when they are enduring anything for the gospel of Christ, it carries contentment and @@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, he gives testimony of a full deliverance to his own people, especially of the deliverance of Sion, and lets them taste of the sheaves whilkwhich they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss, pleasure without pain; and then we have @@ -430,9 +430,9 @@ pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure [that] shall be afrerwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, whilkwhich passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, whilkwhich is to come, and then we shall be forced to say with the apostle, "That the light afllictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are @@ -441,4 +441,4 @@ that in due season we shall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we shall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we shall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, whilkwhich is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

a/src/0038.pm b/src/0038.pm index 5bc84d1..324f4d2 100644 --- a/src/0038.pm +++ b/src/0038.pm @@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ south; and withal subjoins an assurance that it shall be so, according to their prayer, "They that saw in tears shall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all that shall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these "shall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise that they give to God for that whilk he has done, "The Lord has done great @@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. These three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then @@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numbersome, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any more captives that year, whereas he had many more. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behoved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if these great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were @@ -239,26 +239,26 @@ yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their own captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their own. What then is it makes them to pray thus? The reason was this, they acknowledge that there was also much wrought by God already, in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was much wrought, so there was much to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyte it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave off now till it be perfyted. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of these who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their own land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but over few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had alleyed (allied) themselves with these people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their own. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should] be brought back, or that Cyrus' own heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back again.

And indeed, these same be the reasons that we have even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed, he is begun to return our captivity, @@ -296,12 +296,12 @@ perfyte the work that he has begun. toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came these streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow off the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it is turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see ◊ref{Job.6.17-Job.6.18}, and as constantly 'returned' after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the 'return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers' but) 'torrents', which @@ -349,11 +349,12 @@ this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.}

III. There is a prophetical confidence that it shall be so, according to their prayer. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to saw it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he shall have a shouting joy.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing ye know there @@ -372,23 +373,24 @@ also great charges. 'Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so is it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, They must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can ye look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that every step ye give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when ye bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever ye had. He can give a hundrethfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield much more. Thirdly, ye must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else ye have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord shall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or quite the way of salvation, rather quite the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if ye either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so ye may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, ◊ref{Ps.129}: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some are compared to the land that is teiled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God, they are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the children of God!

2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; @@ -425,18 +427,18 @@ the Lord bestows upon us. What does man when he is resisting any sin? He thinks it a grief to do so, because it mars him of some present honour, pleasure, profit, ease, etc., and so he only compares his present pain with his present pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure [that] shall be afrerwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, whilk passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, whilk is to come, and then we shall be forced to say with the apostle, "That the light afllictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are sandblind cannot see far off; but in seedtime let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we shall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we shall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we shall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

a/src/0038.pm b/src/0038.pm index 0e25a8b..5bc84d1 100644 --- a/src/0038.pm +++ b/src/0038.pm @@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir up themselves by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad:" for so it is in the original, and not ◊it{whereof}. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be ◊scottish{als#as|also}as refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins ◊scottish{ane#an|one}an assurance that it shall be so, according to their prayer, "They that saw in tears shall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all @@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. ◊scottish{Thir#These|those}These three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be ◊scottish{ane#an|one}an open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then thou will never confess that the Lord has done great things for thee, but when it is done, thou will say it is thyself who has done it. But if so be that thou sees thy sense of sin, and of Christ, and of @@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And ye know that dreams are but vain things, and not to be looked to; so they could not believe this, it was so strange; this declares the greatness of it. 2. It was great also in respect of the extent of it. I mean it belonged to all sorts of persons, great and small, rich and poor, men and women, and to ◊scottish{ilk#each|every}each person of all sorts; every one who apprehended the greatness of their captivity apprehended also the greatness of this. And, indeed, the deliverance that belongs both to kirk and country and to every member thereof, these are great deliverances; and this @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if ◊scottish{thir#these|those}these great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, "The Lord has done great things @@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. "Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. ◊scottish{Thir#These|those}These great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things ◊it{against us}, but he has done them ◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded whilk was once beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but @@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils off us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of ◊scottish{thir#these|those}these things, 1 desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them @@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ former liberty, whilk was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their own captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their own. What then is it makes them to pray thus? The reason was this, they acknowledge that there was ◊scottish{als#as|also} ◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great}also much wrought by God already, in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was ◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great}much wrought, so there was ◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great}much to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyte it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave off now @@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ be glad, and would accept of it with all their hearts; but since it is not so, they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king's mind should change, and he should become as ◊scottish{ane#an|one}one of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who has said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it be true, for they would @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let these see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for ◊scottish{als#as|also}as far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the wyte of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will @@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ perfyte the work that he has begun. toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came ◊scottish{thir#these|those}these streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow off the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it is turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the @@ -313,17 +313,17 @@ captivity,---when they see that God is not honoured, that religion is not rightly set up, that people's souls gets not good food, they are like ground gaping to heaven for a shower, or like sandy deserts that are brunt up for want of rain, and looks mournful-like till they get it. And indeed I put no question, but there has been many into this land ◊scottish{thir#these|those}these by-gane years, who has been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send ◊scottish{ane#an|one}an answer to them.◊footnote{"I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation... are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.} And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as ◊scottish{ane#an|one}an answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as the streams does the dry gaping ground in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to do it. It @@ -372,12 +372,12 @@ also great charges. 'Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so is it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, They must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can ye look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that ◊scottish{ilk#each|every}every step ye give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when ye bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever ye had. He can give a hundrethfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield ◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great}much more. Thirdly, ye must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else ye have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord shall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or @@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this land, who has been employed about this work, has found further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them ◊scottish{ane#an|one}an earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comes sheaves, not singles◊footnote{◊it{Singles}. The small

a/src/0038.pm b/src/0038.pm index 5e06472..0e25a8b 100644 --- a/src/0038.pm +++ b/src/0038.pm @@ -10,29 +10,29 @@ things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, "We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have still cause to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfyte it; and we may be assured of this, if we will continue earnest with God in our prayers, he sallshall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir up themselves by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad:" for so it is in the original, and not ◊it{whereof}. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be als◊scottish{als#as|also} refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} assurance that it sallshall be so, according to their prayer, "They that saw in tears sallshall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all that sallshall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these "sall"shall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise that they give to God for that whilk he has done, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 2. The prayer that God's people make to him, "Turn again our captivity, as the streams in the south." 3. The prophetical confidence they have that it sallshall be so: "They that sow in tears, etc."

I. "The Lord has done great things for us." They acknowledge and confess, from their awinown experience, that the Lord has done great things for them, and this indeed was a good confession. This day's exercise, it was begun with a confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. @@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. Thir◊scottish{Thir#These|those} three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then thou will never confess that the Lord has done great things for thee, but when it is done, thou will say it is thyself who has done it. But if so be that thou sees thy sense of sin, and of Christ, and of @@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then thou will say, "The Lord has done great things for us." And, therefore, since ye began this day's exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness, from our awinown experience, and say, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

"The Lord has done great things for us." In this acknowledgment and confession @@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ them---"The Lord." 3. That they are done not ◊it{against} us, but "◊it{for} us."

◊it{First}, "great things." What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things were done for them frafrom they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times does the prophets and servants of God remember them of these. But there were toree things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it @@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And ye know that dreams are but vain things, and not to be looked to; so they could not believe this, it was so strange; this declares the greatness of it. 2. It was great also in respect of the extent of it. I mean it belonged to all sorts of persons, great and small, rich and poor, men and women, and to ilk◊scottish{ilk#each|every} person of all sorts; every one who apprehended the greatness of their captivity apprehended also the greatness of this. And, indeed, the deliverance that belongs both to kirk and country and to every member thereof, these are great deliverances; and this @@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numbersome, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any moemore captives that year, whereas he had many moe.more. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behoved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if thir◊scottish{thir#these|those} great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, "The Lord has done great things @@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ the subject, yet, whenever any exigency required supply, all property was transferred to the sovereign; that the consent of Parliament was not necessary for the imposition of taxes; and that the divine laws required compliance with every demand, how irregular soever, which the prince should make upon his subjects." See Rushworth i. 585, 594.} our liberties tanetaken away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also.◊footnote{The far-reaching mind of Henderson saw that the wellbeing of posterity, as well as of the then existing generation, was involved in the questions then at issue, and that had the @@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ not warranted in saying that Henderson was right, and that to the determined stand made by him and others, at this time, against arbitrary and tyrannical power, we owe whatever of civil and religious liberty we now enjoy?} And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now sallshall we not say that it is the Lord who has done this? Surely it is the Lord only who has done it, and no other. It is true, indeed, he has called many worthy instruments to the doing of it; yet they themselves have been forced to acknowledge that it is only the Lord who is @@ -178,15 +178,15 @@ the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. "Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. Thir◊scottish{Thir#These|those} great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things ◊it{against us}, but he has done them ◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded whilk was anesonce beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils affoff us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of thir◊scottish{thir#these|those} things, 1 desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them @@ -221,13 +221,13 @@ only it is so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a biding joy; for the child of God, when he is anesonce entered into the state of grace, he abides into it, and that indeed is matter of great joy. Then, beloved, since this is the joy of the godly, let us labour for it---to have a divine joy, coming from divine grounds, and such a joy as in the quality thereof is heavenly and spiritual, in quantity full, and in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy sallshall abide, - not only so long as we are here, but it sallshall also be perfected hereafter.

II. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and there fore he subjoins to this a prayer, @@ -236,25 +236,25 @@ he returns to prayer again? For he has said, "The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, whilk was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their awinown captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their awin.own. What then is it makes them to pray thus? The reason was this, they acknowledge that there was als mickle◊scottish{als#as|also} ◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great} wrought by God already, in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was mickle◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great} wrought, so there was mickle◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great} to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyte it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave affoff now till it be perfyted. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of these who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their awinown land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but over few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had alleyed (allied) themselves with these people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their awin.own. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should] be brought back, or that Cyrus' awinown heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that @@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ be glad, and would accept of it with all their hearts; but since it is not so, they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king's mind should change, and he should become as ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who has said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it be true, for they would @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let these see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for als◊scottish{als#as|also} far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the wyte of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will @@ -296,9 +296,9 @@ perfyte the work that he has begun. toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came thir◊scottish{thir#these|those} streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow affoff the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it is turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see @@ -313,17 +313,17 @@ captivity,---when they see that God is not honoured, that religion is not rightly set up, that people's souls gets not good food, they are like ground gaping to heaven for a shower, or like sandy deserts that are brunt up for want of rain, and looks mournful-like till they get it. And indeed I put no question, but there has been many into this land thir◊scottish{thir#these|those} by-gane years, who has been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} answer to them.◊footnote{"I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation... are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.} And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as the streams does the dry gaping ground in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to do it. It @@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ of poor souls, and for establishing himself and his crown to his generation after him perpetually. These, indeed, should be our wishes, that our deliverance may come that way; and therefore let us supplicate his Majesty continually for that end. And when he will not hear our supplications, (as the Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it sallshall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that whilk is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for @@ -348,12 +348,12 @@ it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.}

III. There is a prophetical confidence that it sallshall be so, according to their prayer. "They that sow in tears sallshall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, sallshall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to saw it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he sallshall have a shouting joy.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing ye know there @@ -365,22 +365,22 @@ ignorant of this, but the sawing of the seed requires great labour and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it is called "precious seed." For ye know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it is very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his awinown belly, from his wife, children, and servants; and will take it to the ground, and sow it; and he will go out weeping with it. And so ye see that with the pains there is also great charges. 'Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so is it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, They must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can ye look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that ilk◊scottish{ilk#each|every} step ye give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when ye bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever ye had. He can give a hundrethfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield mickle◊scottish{mickle#large|much|great} more. Thirdly, ye must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else ye have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord sallshall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or quite the way of salvation, rather quite the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if ye either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so ye may do it @@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this land, who has been employed about this work, has found further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them ane◊scottish{ane#an|one} earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comes sheaves, not singles◊footnote{◊it{Singles}. The small @@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners. }, but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, he gives testimony of a full deliverance to his awinown people, especially of the deliverance of Sion, and lets them taste of the sheaves whilk they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, @@ -425,18 +425,18 @@ the Lord bestows upon us. What does man when he is resisting any sin? He thinks it a grief to do so, because it mars him of some present honour, pleasure, profit, ease, etc., and so he only compares his present pain with his present pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure [that] sallshall be afrerwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, whilk passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, whilk is to come, and then we sallshall be forced to say with the apostle, "That the light afllictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are sandblind cannot see far aff;off; but in seedtime let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we sallshall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we sallshall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we sallshall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

a/src/0038.pm b/src/0038.pm index 2820823..5e06472 100644 --- a/src/0038.pm +++ b/src/0038.pm @@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ when God withdraws himself, and he sees not his face; but he rejoices when he has the light of his countenance; but for the worldly man, he only rejoices in the things of the world. 2. The joy of the child of God is a full and perfect joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it 1sis so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a biding joy; for @@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came thir streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow aff the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it 1sis turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see @@ -362,14 +362,14 @@ seed be cast into it; and there is pains in casting the seed into it; and then it must be covered with ground. And then it takes a great dressing all the year, before it be set into the barn-yard. There is none of you who are ignorant of this, but the sawing of the seed requires great labour and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it 1sis called "precious seed." For ye know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it 1sis very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his awin belly, from his wife, children, and servants; and will take it to the ground, and sow it; and he will go out weeping with it. And so ye see that with the pains there is also great charges. 'Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so 1sis it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, They must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can ye look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that ilk step @@ -439,4 +439,4 @@ we sall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we sall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we sall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

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a/src/0038.poly.pm b/src/0038.poly.pm index 6b8ec90..2820823 100644 --- a/src/0038.poly.pm +++ b/src/0038.poly.pm @@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ doubt of thir things, 1 desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for #s.us. I know how men do calumniat these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that whilk we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.

a/src/0038.poly.pm b/src/0038.poly.pm index 2a32c47..6b8ec90 100644 --- a/src/0038.poly.pm +++ b/src/0038.poly.pm @@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, ◊ref{Ps.32.5}, "I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is ◊{Rom.10.10},◊ref{Rom.10.10}, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. And it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obleist to confess that

a/src/0038.poly.pm b/src/0038.poly.pm index 7dd3b72..2a32c47 100644 --- a/src/0038.poly.pm +++ b/src/0038.poly.pm @@ -8,22 +8,21 @@ whilk we must have supplied by (over and above) all that we have gotten before. Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but "that the Lord has done great things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, "We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have still cause to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfyte it; and we may be assured of this, if we will continue earnest with God in our prayers, he sall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir up themselves by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad:" for so it is in the original, and not ◊it{whereof}. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be als refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins ane assurance that it sall be so, according to their prayer, "They that saw in tears sall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, "and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;" all that sall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these "sall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise that they give to God for that whilk he has done, "The Lord has done great @@ -39,27 +38,27 @@ confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, ◊ref{Ps.32.5}, "I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is ◊{Rom.10.10}, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. And it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obleist to confess that point before the world, and to promise to stand to it.◊footnote{ We discern here what may be called the first germ of the Westminster Standards. In the Assembly 1639, session 19, Mr. Alexander Henderson moved, That it was expedient that there were a positive Confession drawn up, and these errours related therein, and expressly condemned by the Church, and the doctrines of the Church of Scotland cleared, that none hereafter pretend ignorance of them, and that this grave work were recommended to such and such men; the which motion the whole Assembly did approve. We find that the chief burden of this great work came to be laid on Henderson himself, with leave to cease his ordinary ministry when so occupied: and there can be no doubt that his labours under this commission prepared him for the important part he afterwards took in the Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. Thir three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to @@ -73,19 +72,19 @@ redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then thou will say, "The Lord has done great things for us." And, therefore, since ye began this day's exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness, from our awin experience, and say, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

"The Lord has done great things for us." In this acknowledgment and confession there be three points considerable of thankfulness, whilk are all aimed at here. 1. That they were great things were done. 2. Who it was that did them---"The Lord." 3. That they are done not ◊it{against} us, but "◊it{for} us."

◊it{First}, "great things." What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things were done for them fra they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times does the prophets and servants of God remember them of these. But there were toree things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it was strange, and a thing they hardly looked for; and therefore in the beginning of this psalm they say, "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we @@ -106,27 +105,28 @@ great also, because it did concern their consciences, their liberties, their fortunes, their lives, and their posterity also; for their posterity had remained slaves also, if the Lord had not shewn this great mercy.

◊it{Secondly}. "The Lord has done." And yet it was a king who did set them free, even Cyrus; he was the instrument of returning their captivity. But what was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numbersome, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any moe captives that year, whereas he had many moe. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behoved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if thir great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{them};" but they say, "The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}." The infidels wonder at that whilk was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that whilk was done for God's people; and God's people turns it over again, and says, " The Lord has done great things for ◊it{us}."

Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things whilk the Lord does @@ -135,163 +135,162 @@ world, ye will not be thankful for them. God has made the world; that is a great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great work: and we are obleist to be thankful for these. And moreover, he has sent his Son to the world to die for thy redemption, and his Spirit from heaven for thy sanctification: all this may be said to be done for thee in particular, for there is enough there for all mankind, if they have faith to believe. But I may say, moreover, since the last we met here at this occasion, the Lord has done great things for us, even for us in this land, and for us in this house in particular,◊footnote{The reference is to his own personal troubles in the matter of the Service book.} because then we had no expectation that it should have been thus; it was to us a dream. And indeed, I think the like of this has never been seen,---so soon and so great a change: surely it is wonderful in our eyes that the Lord has done this for us. It is also great because of the extent of it; for it concerns all in the land, from the highest to the lowest; and it concerns them also in everything they have to do with. For if the Lord had not been pleased to have dealt thus wonderfully with us, we had died in captivity, all ways, both in our consciences, for they had been chained; our bodies had been in slavery, our means in danger,◊footnote{ This is true. It was not merely religious but civil liberty that was at stake---not merely the souls and consciences of men, but their very bodies and goods. Absolute supremacy in all things, civil and ecclesiastical, this, and nothing less, was what the king aimed at, and what his flatterers taught him to believe he had a right to. In a sermon preached by Dr Manwaring some time before this, and printed by special command of the king, it is taught "that though property was commonly lodged in the subject, yet, whenever any exigency required supply, all property was transferred to the sovereign; that the consent of Parliament was not necessary for the imposition of taxes; and that the divine laws required compliance with every demand, how irregular soever, which the prince should make upon his subjects." See Rushworth i. 585, 594.} our liberties tane away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also.◊footnote{The far-reaching mind of Henderson saw that the wellbeing of posterity, as well as of the then existing generation, was involved in the questions then at issue, and that had the slavish principles of the court been then established, the liberties of future generations would have been taken away. Looking back to that period, with the help afforded by above two hundred years' observation and reflection, are we not warranted in saying that Henderson was right, and that to the determined stand made by him and others, at this time, against arbitrary and tyrannical power, we owe whatever of civil and religious liberty we now enjoy?} And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now sall we not say that it is the Lord who has done this? Surely it is the Lord only who has done it, and no other. It is true, indeed, he has called many worthy instruments to the doing of it; yet they themselves have been forced to acknowledge that it is only the Lord who is the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. "Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. Thir great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things ◊it{against us}, but he has done them ◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded whilk was anes beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils aff us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of thir things, 1 desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for #s. I know how men do calumniat these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that whilk we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.

Now what wrought this upon them? "We are glad." It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man, when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself whilk they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free, we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater then. Only consider this, that rejoicing is only proper to some in the world, but it is common to all the godly; ay, I may say, it is proper to the godly also, for it is the prerogative of the children of God, that they may always rejoice. That ye may perceive the truth of this, ye must know the difference wherein it stands. 1. In the cause of their rejoicing. The godly rejoices because he has the Lord to be his God, and he lifts up the light of his countenance upon him; but for theworldly man, he is as the rich worldling, he rejoices only when his corn and his oil does abcund, and when his barns are full; then he says, "Soul, take thee rest, for thou has enough laid up for many years." This is the great difference between the child of God and the worldling. The child of God has evermore his eye towards God, and his sorrow is when God withdraws himself, and he sees not his face; but he rejoices when he has the light of his countenance; but for the worldly man, he only rejoices in the things of the world. 2. The joy of the child of God is a full and perfect joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it 1s so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a biding joy; for the child of God, when he is anes entered into the state of grace, he abides into it, and that indeed is matter of great joy. Then, beloved, since this is the joy of the godly, let us labour for it---to have a divine joy, coming from divine grounds, and such a joy as in the quality thereof is heavenly and spiritual, in quantity full, and in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy sall abide, - not only so long as we are here, but it sall also be perfected hereafter.

II. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and there fore he subjoins to this a prayer, "Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south." How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, "The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, whilk was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their awin captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their awin. What then is it makes them to pray thus? The reason was this, they acknowledge that there was als mickle wrought by God already, in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was mickle wrought, so there was mickle to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyte it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave aff now till it be perfyted. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of these who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their awin land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but over few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had alleyed (allied) themselves with these people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their awin. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should] be brought back, or that Cyrus' awin heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back again.

And indeed, these same be the reasons that we have even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed, he is begun to return our captivity, and we have cause to rejoice and be glad of it. But we have also cause to be humbled before God, and to pray to him. First, because there be many who, albeit this deliverance be offered to them, yet they love it not. Many will allege that if the king would proclaim this liberty to them, O then they would be glad, and would accept of it with all their hearts; but since it is not so, they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king's mind should change, and he should become as ane of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who has said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it be true, for they would pass freer without a censure in the one nor in the other.◊footnote{It was but seldom that Henderson employed the weapon of irony; but we see here that when he did so, it was with effect. Another example is to be found in his altercation with the King's Commissioner, the Earl of Traquair, regarding the moderatorship in the opening meeting of the Assembly, 1639.} For they love idolatry, and affect it, and their hearts are going that gate (road); and so they rue from their hearts, that there is anything done to stop it. It might be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let these see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for als far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the wyte of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfyte the work that he has begun.

"As the rivers in the south." What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct @@ -300,14 +299,14 @@ When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came thir streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow aff the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it 1s turned as streams in the south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see ◊ref{Job.6.17-Job.6.18}, and as constantly 'returned' after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the 'return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers' but) 'torrents', which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now 'flowed again' into it." Bishop Lowth.}

1. We may see here that the souls of God's children, when they are in spiritual captivity,---when they see that God is not honoured, that religion is not @@ -318,15 +317,16 @@ question, but there has been many into this land thir by-gane years, who has been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send ane answer to them.◊footnote{"I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation... are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.} And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as ane answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as the streams does the dry gaping ground in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to do it. It were to be wished that our captivity here were returned, by turning our king's heart the right way, and that our deliverance should come that way. There be two ways of delivering God's people from their enemies. First, as the @@ -343,18 +343,17 @@ Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it sall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that whilk is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for others.◊footnote{Now that the character of Henderson is known and established, it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.}

III. There is a prophetical confidence that it sall be so, according to their prayer. "They that sow in tears sall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, sall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to saw it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he sall have a shouting joy.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing ye know there @@ -385,12 +384,11 @@ Lord sall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or quite the way of salvation, rather quite the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if ye either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so ye may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, ◊ref{Ps.129}: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some are compared to the land that is teiled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God, they are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the children of God!

2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; @@ -409,8 +407,8 @@ pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them ane earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comes sheaves, not singles◊footnote{◊it{Singles}. The small neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners. }, but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, he gives testimony of a full @@ -418,10 +416,9 @@ deliverance to his awin people, especially of the deliverance of Sion, and lets them taste of the sheaves whilk they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss, pleasure without pain; and then we have a full sight of the face of God. This is the outgait that the children of God gets from all their troubles,---even a plentiful harvest in the hinder-end.

Surely, beloved, we have no skill to make the right use of these favours that the Lord bestows upon us. What does man when he is resisting any sin? He thinks @@ -441,5 +438,5 @@ see far aff; but in seedtime let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we sall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we sall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we sall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

a/src/0038.poly.pm b/src/0038.poly.pm index 5b10908..7dd3b72 100644 --- a/src/0038.poly.pm +++ b/src/0038.poly.pm @@ -1,67 +1,28 @@ #lang pollen

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190 SERMON.

think these to be great things indeed. These are not great things, whilk the world counts great things; they are over great for us to receive, but thou counts them not great to bestow upon thy people: but these, O Lord, are the great things, whilk brings us to ane everlasting inheritance, and whereby we are made free from thy vengeance and curse. Lord, therefore give us grace, as we would be free of thy vengeance and curse, to walk in thy ways; and Lord, assist thou us by thy Spirit at this time, and let us know that thou has been with us, by helping us fordward some step or degree; that so from the sense of thy presence we may close this day's exercise, and so may go home with peace and joy into our souls, through Jesus Christ, In whose, etc.

FOR THANKSGIVING AFTERNOON. SERMON. PsALM CXXVIL 3, 4, 5,16.*

It is the Lord's gracious dealing in all the deliverances of his people, even because they are his people, he gives them matter of rejoicing; and yet he is so wise in his dispensation towards them, that he holds them still in a dependence on him, that so still we may have something to pray for to him, whilk we must have supplied by (over and above) all that we have gotten before. Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but ¢that"that the Lord has done great things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, " We"We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have'stillhave still cause

* «The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, Q Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him,"

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PSALM CXXVL 3, 4, §, 0. 191

to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfyte it; and we may be assured of this, if we will continue earnest with God in our prayers, he sall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir up themselves by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; ¢ The"The Lord has done great things for us; we areglad:"are glad:" for soitso it is in the original, and not wheregf.◊it{whereof}. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be als refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins ane assurance that it sall be so, according to their prayer, ¢ They"They that saw in tears sall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, ¢"and"and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed; "seed;" all that sall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these ¢sall"sall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise @@ -76,29 +37,26 @@ their awin experience, that the Lord has done great things for them, and this indeed was a good confession. This day's exercise, it was begun with a confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, Ps. xxxii.,* I◊ref{Ps.32.5}, "I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is Rom. x.,+ ¢ With◊{Rom.10.10}, "With the¥ erze 't t Verse 10,

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192 SERMON. heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. ~AndAnd it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obleist to confess that point before the world, and to promise to stand to it.*it.◊footnote} We discern here what may be called the first germ of the Westminster Standards. In the Assembly 1639, session 19, Mr. Alexander Henderson moved, That it was expedient that there were a positive Confession drawn up, and these errours related therein, and expressly condemned by the Church, and the doctrines of the Church of Scotland cleared, that none hereafter pretend ignorance of them, and that this grave work were recommended to such and such men; the which motion the whole Assembly did approve. We find that the chief burden of this great work came to be laid on Henderson himself, with leave to cease his ordinary ministry when so occupied: and there can be no doubt that his labours under this commission prepared him for the important part he afterwards took in the Westminster Assembly.---See M'Crie's Miscellaneous Works, p. 40.} And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has @@ -110,52 +68,27 @@ flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be ane open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then thou will never confess that the Lord has done great things for thee, but when it is done, thou will say it is thyself who has done it.- But if so be that thou sees thy sense of sin, and of Christ, and of redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then thou will say, ¢ The"The Lord has done great things for us." And, therefore, since ye began this day's exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness, * We discern here what may be called the first germ of the Westminster Standards. In the Assembly 1639, session 19, Mr. Alexander Henderson moved, That it was expedient that there were a positive Confession drawn up, and these errours related therein, and expressly condemned by the Church, and the doctrines of the Church of Scotland cleared, that none hereafter pretend ignorance of them, and that this grave work were recommended to such and such men; the which motion the whole Assembly did approve. - We find that the chief burden of this great work came to be laid on Henderson himself, with leave to cease his ordinary ministry when so occupied: and there can be no doubt that his labours under this commission prepared him for the important part he afterwards took in the Westminster Assembly.---See M*Crie's Miscellancous W orksy p. 40.

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PSALM CXXVE 3, 4, 5, 0. 103from our awin experience, and say, ‘The"The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

«The"The Lord has done great things for us." In this acknowledgment and confession there be three points considerable of thankfulness, whilk are all aimed at here. 1. That they were great things were done. 2. Who it was that did them---¢ Thethem---"The Lord." 3. That they are done not against◊it{against} us, but ¢ for"◊it{for} us."

First,◊it{First}, "great things." What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things were done for them fra they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times does the prophets and servants of God remember them of these. But there were toree things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it was strange, and a thing they hardly looked for; and therefore in the beginning of this psalm they say, ¢ When"When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were as them who dreamed." When they heard of such a thing as to be relieved from their captivity, they thought they had been dreaming, to hear of such a sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And ye know that dreams are @@ -173,20 +106,7 @@ great also, because it did concern their consciences, their liberties, their fortunes, their lives, and their posterity also; for their posterity had remained slaves also, if the Lord had not shewn this great mercy.

N

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194 SERMON.

Secondly. " The◊it{Secondly}. "The Lord has done." And yet it was a king who did set them {ree,free, even Cyrus; he was the instrument of returning their captivity. But what was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a @@ -199,14 +119,14 @@ be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

Thirdly.◊it{Thirdly}. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if thir great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, ‘" The"The Lord has done great things for zhem;"◊it{them};" but they say, ¢"The"The Lord has done great things for us."◊it{us}." The infidels wonder at that whilk was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that whilk was done for God's people; and God's people turns it over again, and says, ‘"" The Lord has done great things for us."◊it{us}."

Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things whilk the Lord does @@ -216,22 +136,11 @@ great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great work: and we are obleist to be thankful for these. And moreover, he has sent his Son to the world to die for thy redemption, and his Spirit from heaven for thy sanctification: all this may

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PSALM CXXVL 3, 4, 5, 6. 195

be said to be done for thee in particular, for there is enough there for all mankind, if they have faith to believe. But I may say, moreover, since the last we met here at this occasion, the Lord has done great things for us, even for us in this land, and for us in this house in particular,*particular,◊footnote{The reference is to his own personal troubles in the matter of the Service book.} because then we had no expectation that it should have been thus; it was to us a dream. And indeed, I think the like of this has never been seen,---so soon and so great a change: surely it is wonderful in our eyes that the Lord has done this for us. It is @@ -239,27 +148,19 @@ also great because of the extent of it; for it concerns all in the land, from the highest to the lowest; and it concerns them also in everything they have to do with. For if the Lord had not been pleased to have dealt thus wonderfully with us, we had died in captivity, all ways, both in our consciences, for they had been chained; our bodies had been in slavery, our means in danger,t our liberties tane away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also. } And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now

* The reference is to his own personal troubles in the matter of the Service-book.

+danger,◊footnote} This is true. It was not merely religious but civil liberty that was at stake---not merely the souls and consciences of men, but their very bodies and goods. Absolute supremacy in all things, civil and ecclesiastical, this, and nothing less, was what the king aimed at, and what his flatterers taught him to believe he had a right to. In a sermon preached by Dr Manwaring some time before this, and printed by special command of the king, it is taught ¢that"that though property was commonly lodged in the subject, yet, whenever any exigency required supply, all property was transferred to the sovereign; that the consent of Parliament was not necessary for the imposition of taxes; and that the divine laws required compliance with every demand, how irregular soever, which the prince should make upon his subjects." See Rushworth 1. §85, 594.

1 Thei. 585, 594.} our liberties tane away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also.◊footnote{The far-reaching mind of Henderson saw that the wellbeing of posterity, as well as of the then existing generation, was involved in the questions then at issue, and that had the slavish principles of the court been then established, the liberties of future generations would have been taken away. Looking back to @@ -267,32 +168,21 @@ that period, with the help afforded by above two hundred years' observation and reflection, are we not warranted in saying that Henderson was right, and that to the determined stand made by him and others, at this time, against arbitrary and tyrannical power, we owe whatever of civil and religious liberty we now enjoy?

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196 SERMON.enjoy?} And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now sall we not say that it is the Lord who has done this? Surely it is the Lord only who has done it, and no other. It is true, indeed, he has called many worthy instruments to the doing of it; yet they themselves have been forced to acknowledge that it is only the Lord who is the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. * Not"Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. Thir great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things against us,◊it{against us}, but he has done them for us.◊it{for us}. For if the course had proceeded whilk was anes beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry ¢idolatry? and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils aff us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of thir things, 1 desire no @@ -303,26 +193,14 @@ Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for #s. I know how men do calumniat these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that whilk we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.:it.

Now what wrought this upon them? ¢ We"We are glad." It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man, when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself whilk they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free,

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PSALM CXXVL 3, 4, §, 6. 197

we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater then. Only consider this, that rejoicing is only proper to some in the world, but it is @@ -333,14 +211,14 @@ stands. 1. In the cause of their rejoicing. The godly rejoices because he has the Lord to be his God, and he lifts up the light of his countenance upon him; but for theworldly man, he is as the rich worldling, he rejoices only when his corn and his oil does abcund, and when his barns are full; then he says, ""Soul,"Soul, take thee rest, for thou has enough laid up for many years." 'ThisThis is the great difference between the child of God and the worldling. The child of God has evermore his eye towards God, and his sorrow is when God withdraws himself, and he sees not his face; but he rejoices when he has the light of his countenance; but for the worldly man, he only rejoices in the things of the world. 2. The joy of the child of God is a full and perfect joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it 1s so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man, ---itman---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a biding joy; for the child of God, when he @@ -352,21 +230,11 @@ in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy sall abide, - not only so long as we are here, but it sall also be perfected hereafter.

IL.II. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and there - [ ] Completed?

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198 } SERMON.fore he subjoins to this a prayer, ¢ Turn"Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south." How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, " The"The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, whilk was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their awin captivity, and @@ -388,25 +256,13 @@ and so had no will to leave that land to return to their awin. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should] be brought back, or that Cyrus"Cyrus' awin heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back Zlg'clll].again.

And indeed, these same be the reasons that we have

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PSALM CXXVL#3s 4.0 5, 6 199

even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed, he is begun to return our captivity, and we have cause to rejoice and be glad of it. But we have also cause to be humbled before God, and to pray to him. First, because @@ -421,7 +277,10 @@ would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who has said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it be true, for they would pass freer without a censure in the one nor in the other.*other.◊footnote{It was but seldom that Henderson employed the weapon of irony; but we see here that when he did so, it was with effect. Another example is to be found in his altercation with the King's Commissioner, the Earl of Traquair, regarding the moderatorship in the opening meeting of the Assembly, 1639.} For they love idolatry, and affect it, and their hearts are going that gate (road); and so they rue from their hearts, that there is anything done to stop it. It might be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And @@ -434,30 +293,21 @@ we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfyte the work that he has begun.

* It was but seldom that Henderson employed the weapon of irony; but we see here that when he did so, it was with effect. Another example is to be found in his altercation with the King's Commissioner, the Earl of Traquair, regarding the moderatorship in the opening meeting of the Assembly, 1639.

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200 SERMON.

¢ As"As the rivers in the south." What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came thir streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow aff the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it 1s turned as streams in the south.*south.◊footnote{"I think the image is taken from the 'torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see ◊ref{Job.6.17-Job.6.18}, and as constantly 'returned' after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the 'return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers' but) 'torrents', which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now 'flowed again' into it." Bishop Lowth.}

1. We may see here that the souls of God's children, when they are in spiritual captivity,---when they see that God is not honoured, that religion is not @@ -468,38 +318,15 @@ question, but there has been many into this land thir by-gane years, who has been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send ane answer to them.§them.◊footnote{"I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation... are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.} And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as ane answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as * « ] think the image is taken from the ¢torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. "These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see Job vi. 17-18, and as constantly ¢ returned' after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the ¢return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers" but) ¢torrents, which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now ¢ flowed again' into it."> Bishop Lowth.

t «I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation . . . are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.

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PSALM CXXVL 3, 4, 5, 0. 201the streams does the dry gaping ground in'the "desert.in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to doit.do it. It were to be wished that our captivity here were returned, by turning our king's heart the right way, and that our deliverance should come that way. There be two ways of delivering God's people from their enemies. First, as the @@ -516,33 +343,19 @@ Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it sall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that whilk is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for others.*others.◊footnote{Now that the character of Henderson is known and established, it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.}

III. There is a prophetical confidence that it sall be so, according to their prayer. ¢ They"They that sow in tears sall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, sall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to saw it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he sall have a shouting joy.

* Now that the character of Henderson is known and established, it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but

this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.

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202 ' SERMON.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing ye know there is great pains. The land must be first teiled (tilled) and dressed before the @@ -550,7 +363,7 @@ seed be cast into it; and there is pains in casting the seed into it; and then it must be covered with ground. And then it takes a great dressing all the year, before it be set into the barn-yard. There is none of you who are ignorant of this, but the sawing of the seed requires great labour and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it 1s called *" precious"precious seed." For ye know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it 1s very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his awin belly, from @@ -572,20 +385,8 @@ Lord sall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or quite the way of salvation, rather quite the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if ye either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so ye may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, Ps. 129:◊ref{Ps.129}: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some

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PSALM CXEVAING, 4, 5, O. 203

are compared to the land that is teiled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God, they are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the @@ -593,13 +394,13 @@ children of God!

2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; and it 1sis not leaves whilk they get, as in the spring, but it is fruits, such as are in harvest, at Michaelmas. There be three degrees of the happiness of God's children, in reaping of fruits. First, in the first-fruits. Even when they are enduring anything for the gospel of Christ, it carries contentment and fruit with it: but chiefly it has contentment when we find the Lord working that in us, first to believe the gospel, then to do according to it, and then to be content to suffer for it. 'WhenWhen the Lord works this in a soul, then he gives them a further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and that is a handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this @@ -608,7 +409,8 @@ pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them ane earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comes sheaves, not singles,*singles◊footnote{◊it{Singles}. The small neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners. }, but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, he gives testimony of a full @@ -617,20 +419,6 @@ them taste of the sheaves whilk they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss,

* Singles. 'The small neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners.

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204 SERMON.

pleasure without pain; and then we have a full sight of the face of God. This is the outgait that the children of God gets from all their troubles,---even a plentiful harvest in the hinder-end. @@ -645,8 +433,8 @@ if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, whilk passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, whilk is to come, and then we sall be forced to say with the apostle, ¢ That"That the light afllictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are sandblind cannot see far aff; but in seedtime let us look to the harvest, and that in due season @@ -654,14 +442,4 @@ we sall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we sall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we sall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads,

whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

PRAYER.

Weels them (well is it with them), and blessed are they whom thou teaches to walk in thy ways, and with whom thou deals patiently, to bring them to thee, in whose bosom thou shows by thy Spirit that thou art working for them.

a/src/0038.poly.pm b/src/0038.poly.pm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b10908 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/0038.poly.pm @@ -0,0 +1,667 @@ #lang pollen

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190 SERMON.

think these to be great things indeed. These are not great things, whilk the world counts great things; they are over great for us to receive, but thou counts them not great to bestow upon thy people: but these, O Lord, are the great things, whilk brings us to ane everlasting inheritance, and whereby we are made free from thy vengeance and curse. Lord, therefore give us grace, as we would be free of thy vengeance and curse, to walk in thy ways; and Lord, assist thou us by thy Spirit at this time, and let us know that thou has been with us, by helping us fordward some step or degree; that so from the sense of thy presence we may close this day's exercise, and so may go home with peace and joy into our souls, through Jesus Christ, In whose, etc.

FOR THANKSGIVING AFTERNOON. SERMON. PsALM CXXVIL 3, 4, 5,16.*

It is the Lord's gracious dealing in all the deliverances of his people, even because they are his people, he gives them matter of rejoicing; and yet he is so wise in his dispensation towards them, that he holds them still in a dependence on him, that so still we may have something to pray for to him, whilk we must have supplied by (over and above) all that we have gotten before. Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but ¢that the Lord has done great things for us;" and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, " We are glad of them." And yet, for all that, we have'still cause

* «The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, Q Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him,"

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PSALM CXXVL 3, 4, §, 0. 191

to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfyte it; and we may be assured of this, if we will continue earnest with God in our prayers, he sall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir up themselves by a commemoration of God's former goodness towards them; ¢ The Lord has done great things for us; we areglad:" for soit is in the original, and not wheregf. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, "Turn again our captivity;" and tells that if he would do that, it would be als refreshing to them as the streams of water that comes from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins ane assurance that it sall be so, according to their prayer, ¢ They that saw in tears sall reap in joy." And so these who depends continually upon God, and bears affliction patiently, and does the thing whilk he commands them, ¢"and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed; " all that sall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these ¢sall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

There be three things here in the words to be taken heed to---1. The praise that they give to God for that whilk he has done, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 2. The prayer that God's people make to him, "Turn again our captivity, as the streams in the south." 3. The prophetical confidence they have that it sall be so: "They that sow in tears, etc."

I. "The Lord has done great things for us." They acknowledge and confess, from their awin experience, that the Lord has done great things for them, and this indeed was a good confession. This day's exercise, it was begun with a confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, Ps. xxxii.,* I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is Rom. x.,+ ¢ With the

¥ erze 't t Verse 10,

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192 SERMON.

heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. ~And it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obleist to confess that point before the world, and to promise to stand to it.* And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when any confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. Thir three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be ane open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then thou will never confess that the Lord has done great things for thee, but when it is done, thou will say it is thyself who has done it. - But if so be that thou sees thy sense of sin, and of Christ, and of redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then thou will say, ¢ The Lord has done great things for us." And, therefore, since ye began this day's exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day's exercise with a confession of thankfulness,

* We discern here what may be called the first germ of the Westminster Standards. In the Assembly 1639, session 19, Mr. Alexander Henderson moved, That it was expedient that there were a positive Confession drawn up, and these errours related therein, and expressly condemned by the Church, and the doctrines of the Church of Scotland cleared, that none hereafter pretend ignorance of them, and that this grave work were recommended to such and such men; the which motion the whole Assembly did approve. - We find that the chief burden of this great work came to be laid on Henderson himself, with leave to cease his ordinary ministry when so occupied: and there can be no doubt that his labours under this commission prepared him for the important part he afterwards took in the Westminster Assembly.---See M*Crie's Miscellancous W orksy p. 40.

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PSALM CXXVE 3, 4, 5, 0. 103

from our awin experience, and say, ‘The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

«The Lord has done great things for us." In this acknowledgment and confession there be three points considerable of thankfulness, whilk are all aimed at here. 1. That they were great things were done. 2. Who it was that did them---¢ The Lord." 3. That they are done not against us, but ¢ for us."

First, "great things." What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things were done for them fra they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times does the prophets and servants of God remember them of these. But there were toree things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it was strange, and a thing they hardly looked for; and therefore in the beginning of this psalm they say, ¢ When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were as them who dreamed." When they heard of such a thing as to be relieved from their captivity, they thought they had been dreaming, to hear of such a sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And ye know that dreams are but vain things, and not to be looked to; so they could not believe this, it was so strange; this declares the greatness of it. 2. It was great also in respect of the extent of it. I mean it belonged to all sorts of persons, great and small, rich and poor, men and women, and to ilk person of all sorts; every one who apprehended the greatness of their captivity apprehended also the greatness of this. And, indeed, the deliverance that belongs both to kirk and country and to every member thereof, these are great deliverances; and this concerned their religion also, because they could not get stayed in Babel, but they were constrained to be idolaters. As ye see the three children, they were commanded to fall down before Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. 3. And it was great also, because it did concern their consciences, their liberties, their fortunes, their lives, and their posterity also; for their posterity had remained slaves also, if the Lord had not shewn this great mercy.

N

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194 SERMON.

Secondly. " The Lord has done." And yet it was a king who did set them {ree, even Cyrus; he was the instrument of returning their captivity. But what was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numbersome, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any moe captives that year, whereas he had many moe. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behoved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king's intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king's heart. For the Lord, he has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.

Thirdly. "For us." They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if thir great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, ‘" The Lord has done great things for zhem;" but they say, ¢"The Lord has done great things for us." The infidels wonder at that whilk was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that whilk was done for God's people; and God's people turns it over again, and says, ‘" The Lord has done great things for us."

Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things whilk the Lord does for you; forif ye only think them to be common things with the rest of the world, ye will not be thankful for them. God has made the world; that is a great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great work: and we are obleist to be thankful for these. And moreover, he has sent his Son to the world to die for thy redemption, and his Spirit from heaven for thy sanctification: all this may

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be said to be done for thee in particular, for there is enough there for all mankind, if they have faith to believe. But I may say, moreover, since the last we met here at this occasion, the Lord has done great things for us, even for us in this land, and for us in this house in particular,* because then we had no expectation that it should have been thus; it was to us a dream. And indeed, I think the like of this has never been seen,---so soon and so great a change: surely it is wonderful in our eyes that the Lord has done this for us. It is also great because of the extent of it; for it concerns all in the land, from the highest to the lowest; and it concerns them also in everything they have to do with. For if the Lord had not been pleased to have dealt thus wonderfully with us, we had died in captivity, all ways, both in our consciences, for they had been chained; our bodies had been in slavery, our means in danger,t our liberties tane away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also. } And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now

* The reference is to his own personal troubles in the matter of the Service-book.

+ This is true. It was not merely religious but civil liberty that was at stake---not merely the souls and consciences of men, but their very bodies and goods. Absolute supremacy in all things, civil and ecclesiastical, this, and nothing less, was what the king aimed at, and what his flatterers taught him to believe he had a right to. In a sermon preached by Dr Manwaring some time before this, and printed by special command of the king, it is taught ¢that though property was commonly lodged in the subject, yet, whenever any exigency required supply, all property was transferred to the sovereign; that the consent of Parliament was not necessary for the imposition of taxes; and that the divine laws required compliance with every demand, how irregular soever, which the prince should make upon his subjects." See Rushworth 1. §85, 594.

1 The far-reaching mind of Henderson saw that the wellbeing of posterity, as well as of the then existing generation, was involved in the questions then at issue, and that had the slavish principles of the court been then established, the liberties of future generations would have been taken away. Looking back to that period, with the help afforded by above two hundred years' observation and reflection, are we not warranted in saying that Henderson was right, and that to the determined stand made by him and others, at this time, against arbitrary and tyrannical power, we owe whatever of civil and religious liberty we now enjoy?

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196 SERMON.

sall we not say that it is the Lord who has done this? Surely it is the Lord only who has done it, and no other. It is true, indeed, he has called many worthy instruments to the doing of it; yet they themselves have been forced to acknowledge that it is only the Lord who is the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. * Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory." Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. Thir great things are done also "for us." He might have done great things against us, but he has done them for us. For if the course had proceeded whilk was anes beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry ¢ and then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils aff us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of thir things, 1 desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because by (beyond) all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for #s. I know how men do calumniat these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that whilk we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.:

Now what wrought this upon them? ¢ We are glad." It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man, when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself whilk they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free,

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we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater then. Only consider this, that rejoicing is only proper to some in the world, but it is common to all the godly; ay, I may say, it is proper to the godly also, for it is the prerogative of the children of God, that they may always rejoice. That ye may perceive the truth of this, ye must know the difference wherein it stands. 1. In the cause of their rejoicing. The godly rejoices because he has the Lord to be his God, and he lifts up the light of his countenance upon him; but for theworldly man, he is as the rich worldling, he rejoices only when his corn and his oil does abcund, and when his barns are full; then he says, ""Soul, take thee rest, for thou has enough laid up for many years." 'This is the great difference between the child of God and the worldling. The child of God has evermore his eye towards God, and his sorrow is when God withdraws himself, and he sees not his face; but he rejoices when he has the light of his countenance; but for the worldly man, he only rejoices in the things of the world. 2. The joy of the child of God is a full and perfect joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it 1s so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man, ---it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is a biding joy; for the child of God, when he is anes entered into the state of grace, he abides into it, and that indeed is matter of great joy. Then, beloved, since this is the joy of the godly, let us labour for it---to have a divine joy, coming from divine grounds, and such a joy as in the quality thereof is heavenly and spiritual, in quantity full, and in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy sall abide, - not only so long as we are here, but it sall also be perfected hereafter.

IL. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and there

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198 } SERMON.

fore he subjoins to this a prayer, ¢ Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south." How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, " The Lord has brought back our captivity," even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, whilk was the worship of God, they behoved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their awin captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behoved to rejoice more than in their awin. What then is it makes them to pray thus? The reason was this, they acknowledge that there was als mickle wrought by God already, in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was mickle wrought, so there was mickle to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfyte it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave aff now till it be perfyted. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of these who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their awin land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but over few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had alleyed (allied) themselves with these people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their awin. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change [they should] be brought back, or that Cyrus" awin heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers "to turn again their captivity." That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back Zlg'clll].

And indeed, these same be the reasons that we have

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even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed, he is begun to return our captivity, and we have cause to rejoice and be glad of it. But we have also cause to be humbled before God, and to pray to him. First, because there be many who, albeit this deliverance be offered to them, yet they love it not. Many will allege that if the king would proclaim this liberty to them, O then they would be glad, and would accept of it with all their hearts; but since it is not so, they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king's mind should change, and he should become as ane of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who has said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it be true, for they would pass freer without a censure in the one nor in the other.* For they love idolatry, and affect it, and their hearts are going that gate (road); and so they rue from their hearts, that there is anything done to stop it. It might be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let these see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for als far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the wyte of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfyte the work that he has begun.

* It was but seldom that Henderson employed the weapon of irony; but we see here that when he did so, it was with effect. Another example is to be found in his altercation with the King's Commissioner, the Earl of Traquair, regarding the moderatorship in the opening meeting of the Assembly, 1639.

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200 SERMON.

¢ As the rivers in the south." What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts whilk makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers comes out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came thir streams? for if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow aff the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it 1s turned as streams in the south.*

1. We may see here that the souls of God's children, when they are in spiritual captivity,---when they see that God is not honoured, that religion is not rightly set up, that people's souls gets not good food, they are like ground gaping to heaven for a shower, or like sandy deserts that are brunt up for want of rain, and looks mournful-like till they get it. And indeed I put no question, but there has been many into this land thir by-gane years, who has been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send ane answer to them.§ And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as ane answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God's people to be glad, as

* « ] think the image is taken from the ¢torrents' in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia, Petraea, etc., a mountainous country. "These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; see Job vi. 17-18, and as constantly ¢ returned' after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the ¢return' and renewal of these (not ‘rivers" but) ¢torrents, which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now ¢ flowed again' into it."> Bishop Lowth.

t «I am sure the years 1637, 1638, etc., in this late blessed work of reformation . . . are the very return of those fervent prayers uttered and sent up to heaven at those most profitable aedification meetings, when the publick meetings were, for most part now, corrupted for not a few years." Row, p. 388.

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the streams does the dry gaping ground in'the "desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to doit. It were to be wished that our captivity here were returned, by turning our king's heart the right way, and that our deliverance should come that way. There be two ways of delivering God's people from their enemies. First, as the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians, by a terrible, strong, and mighty hand. The Lord forbid that ever we see that day here that we be put to that! And therefore, we should pray to the Lord that he would fall in upon (exert his influence on) our king's heart, that so he may take such a course as may tend most for the honour of God, the establishing of religion, and for the salvation of poor souls, and for establishing himself and his crown to his generation after him perpetually. These, indeed, should be our wishes, that our deliverance may come that way; and therefore let us supplicate his Majesty continually for that end. And when he will not hear our supplications, (as the Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it sall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that whilk is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for others.*

III. There is a prophetical confidence that it sall be so, according to their prayer. ¢ They that sow in tears sall reap in joy." And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, sall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to saw it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he sall have a shouting joy.

* Now that the character of Henderson is known and established, it were a needless task to vindicate him from the charge of disloyalty; but

this, and numerous other passages in this volume, disclose the real sentiments and affections which he never ceased to cherish toward his sovereign.

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202 ' SERMON.

Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God's people are as sawing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sawing ye know there is great pains. The land must be first teiled (tilled) and dressed before the seed be cast into it; and there is pains in casting the seed into it; and then it must be covered with ground. And then it takes a great dressing all the year, before it be set into the barn-yard. There is none of you who are ignorant of this, but the sawing of the seed requires great labour and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it 1s called *" precious seed." For ye know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it 1s very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his awin belly, from his wife, children, and servants; and will take it to the ground, and sow it; and he will go out weeping with it. And so ye see that with the pains there is also great charges. 'Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so 1s it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, They must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can ye look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that ilk step ye give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when ye bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever ye had. He can give a hundrethfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield mickle more. Thirdly, ye must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else ye have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord sall cast thy knot of time, so that either thou must quite the world, or quite the way of salvation, rather quite the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if ye either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so ye may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, Ps. 129: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some

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are compared to the land that is teiled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God, they are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the children of God!

2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; and it 1s not leaves whilk they get, as in the spring, but it is fruits, such as are in harvest, at Michaelmas. There be three degrees of the happiness of God's children, in reaping of fruits. First, in the first-fruits. Even when they are enduring anything for the gospel of Christ, it carries contentment and fruit with it: but chiefly it has contentment when we find the Lord working that in us, first to believe the gospel, then to do according to it, and then to be content to suffer for it. 'When the Lord works this in a soul, then he gives them a further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and that is a handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this land, who has been employed about this work, has found further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them ane earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then comes sheaves, not singles,* but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they bleid (yield) weill, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then, he gives testimony of a full deliverance to his awin people, especially of the deliverance of Sion, and lets them taste of the sheaves whilk they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss,

* Singles. 'The small neatly assorted bunches gathered by gleaners.

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204 SERMON.

pleasure without pain; and then we have a full sight of the face of God. This is the outgait that the children of God gets from all their troubles,---even a plentiful harvest in the hinder-end.

Surely, beloved, we have no skill to make the right use of these favours that the Lord bestows upon us. What does man when he is resisting any sin? He thinks it a grief to do so, because it mars him of some present honour, pleasure, profit, ease, etc., and so he only compares his present pain with his present pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure [that] sall be afrerwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, whilk passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, whilk is to come, and then we sall be forced to say with the apostle, ¢ That the light afllictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory." Therefore, beloved, be not short-sighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who are sandblind cannot see far aff; but in seedtime let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we sall reap the fruits of our labours. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we sall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we sall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads,

whilk is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.

PRAYER.

Weels them (well is it with them), and blessed are they whom thou teaches to walk in thy ways, and with whom thou deals patiently, to bring them to thee, in whose bosom thou shows by thy Spirit that thou art working for them.