Ans. Wlien we are, by our afflictions, conformed to Christ : namely, when we have learned obedience ; Heb. \. 8., " Yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered ;" that is, he learned sweet sub- mission to his Father's will. Luke xxii. 42., " Not my will but thine be done." When we have thus learned obedience by our sufferings, we are willing to do what God would have us to do, and be what God would have us be. Now we are conformed to Christ, and are fitted for deliverance.
Use 3d. If God hath brought you at any time out of the house of bondage, out of great and eminent troubles, be much in doxology and praise. Deliverance calls for
OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
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praise, Ps. xxx. 11, 12., "Thou bast put off my sackloth : and girded me with glad- ness : to the end tliat my gh)ry may sing praise to thee." " My glory," that is, my tongue, which is the instrument of glorify- ing thee. The saints are temples of tlie Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. iii. 16. Where should God's praises be sounded but in his temple ? Benejicium poatulat (fichim^ — the deepest springs yield the sweetest water, and hearts deeply sensible of God's deliverances yield the sweetest praises. Moses tells Pharoah, when he was going out of Egypt, " We will go Avith our sheep and our cattle," Exod. X. 9. : why so, because he might liave sacrifices of thanksgiving ready to of- fer to God for their deliverance. To have a thankful heart for deliverance is a greater blessing than the deliverance itself, Luke xvii. 15., one of the lepers, " when he saw he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God." The leper's thankful heart was a greater blessing than to be healed of his leprosy. Have any of you here been brought out of the house of bon- dage,— out of prison, sickness, or aity death-threatening danger ? do not forget to be thankful ; be not graves, but temples. And, that you may be the more thankful, observe every emphasis and circumstance in your deliverance ; as to be brought out of trouble when you were in articulo mortis^ there was but an hair's breadth between you arid death ; or to be brought out of af- fliction, without sin, you did not purchase your deliA'erance by the ensnaring of your consciences ; or, to be brought out of trou- ble upon the wings of prayer; or, that those who were the occasions of bringing you in- to trouble, should be the instruments of bringing you out ; these circumstances, be-
ing well weighed, do heighten a deliverance, and should heighten our thankfulness. The cutting of a stone may be of more value than the stone itself; and the circumstanc- ing of a deliverance may be greater tlian the deliverance itself.
Quest. 2. But how shall we praise God in a right manner for deliverance ?
Ans. 1. Be holy persons. In the sacrifice of thanksgiving, whosoever did eat there- of, with their uncleanness upon them, were to be cut off. Lev. vii. 20.; to typify how unpleasing their praises and thank-olferings are who live in sin.
A. 2. Praise God with humble hearts, ac- knowledge how unworthy you were of de- liverance. God's mercies are not debts, but legacies ; and that you should have a legacy given you, be humble. Rev. xi. 16., " The elders fell upon their faces (an ex- pression of humility) and worshipped and praised God."
A. 3. Praise God for deliverances cordi- ally, Ps. cxi. 1., " I will praise the Lord with my whole heart." In religion there is no music but in concert, when heart and tongue join.
A. 4. Praise God for deliverances con- stantly, Ps. cxlvi. 2., " AVliile I live will I bless the Lord ;" some will be thankful while the memory of a deliverance is fresh, and then they leave off, like the Carthaginians, who used at first to send the tenth of their yearly revenue to Hercules ; but by degrees they grew weary, and left off sending. But we must be constant in our eucharistical sacrifice or thank-offering ; the motion of our praise must be like the motion of our pulse, which beats as long as life lasts, Ps. cxlvi. 2., " I will sing praises to my God while I have a being."
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Exod. xx. 2. Out of the home of bondage.
Secondly, THESE words are to be un- derstood mystically and spiritually. By Israel's deliverance from the house of bon- dage, is typified their spiritual deliverance from sin, Satan, and hell.
I. From sin. The house of bondage was a tyne of Israel's deliverance from sin. Sin
is the true bondage, it enslaves the soul. XihU durius servitute, Cicero. " Of all con- ditions, servitude is the worst." " I was held before conversicm (saith Austin) not with an iron chain, but with the obstinacy of mine own will." Sin is the enslaver ; sin is called a law, Rom. vii. 23., because it
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OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.