And it extends its limits likewise to outward prosperity, this desire of doing good. Let us have happy days ! Sweeten our pilgrimage here ! Let our profession of reUgion be comfortable ! Do not lay more crosses upon us than thou wilt give us strength to bear ! Do good to us every way ! But mark the wisdom of the Holy Ghost in dictating of this prayer to them. He speaks in general, ' Do good to us ;' not to do this or that good, but he leaves it to the wisdom of God, as they here frame their hearts imto the will of God. ' Do good to us,' spiritual. That needs no limita- tion, because we cannot more honour God than to depend upon him for all spiritual good things. Thou art wiser, and knowest what is good for us better than we ourselves. Beggars ought to be no choosers. Therefore ' do good to us,' for the particulars we leave them to thy wisdom. Oh, beloved, it is a happy and blessed privilege to be under the conduct of so ■wise and all-sufficient a God, who is good, and as he is good, knows best what is good for us. We would have riches, liberty, and health ; aye, but it may be it is not good for us. ' Do good to us.' Thou, Lord, knowest what is best. Do in thine own wisdom what is best.
Use. Which should teach us not to limit the Holy One of Israel in our desires of any outward thing whatsoever. Especially desire forgive- ness and spiritual good things, leaving the rest to his wise disposing. Yet notwithstanding, out of the sense of pain and grief, we may pray either for the mitigation or removing of a cross, if God be so pleased. Because he hath put in us self-love, not sinful, but love of preserving our nature, there- fore he permits us, if it may stand with his good pleasure, to desire the good of our outward man, as. Lord, give us bodily health, for we cannot else be instruments of serving thee. With reservation of God's good plea- sure, we may desire such and such things, conditionally, that when we see God will have it otherwise, we rest contented, sit down quietly, knowing that whatsoever health, sickness, or crosses he sends, it comes from his goodness and love, and shall turn to our good at length. If we love God, all shall work for good.
' Take away our iniquity, and do us good.' We should make this peti- tion for the church and ourselves. Pardon our sins, and do good to us, to our persons, to the state, to the times wherein we hve, to the church at home and abroad, do good to all.
And we may observe this from the order, and know what good we have. It comes from God in love, when it comes after forgiveness of sins. How then, may we take comfort of all the good things we have enjoyed, having seen many good days, enjoyed many good blessings, in health, wealth, good magistracy, ministry, peace, plenty, and the like ! If all this goodness of God lead us to God, and draw us nearer to him, ' after forgiveness of sins,'
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grounded on the former evidences I spake of, tlien they come in love. But never let us think to have true comfort with a blessing, or any good thing we enjoy, till we have assurance of God's love and mercy in the forgiveness of sins, lest God strip us naked of all the good things we have, and make us as naked as Dives in hell, who had not anything that was good to refresh his body or soul. So that all good things we enjoy here without this, will only aggravate our condemnation. Let us observe, therefore, how all our good things are joined with spiritual good (whether we ourselves are made better by them or not), having our sins pardoned. I beseech you, let us renew our requests for forgiveness of sins every day, making our accounts even with God, desiring grace to set our souls in a holy and sanctified frame with God, that ourselves may be good, our conversation good, and that then he would ' do good to us ' all other ways, and sanctify all other things. This is the method of God's Spirit in setting us right onwards in our hea- venly jom-ney, first to have forgiveness of sins, then sanctification, to be better ourselves, and then to look for peaceable and comfortable days in this world, if God see it good. What can be more ? ' Take away all iniquity, and do us good,' all manner of good.
Therefore, since all good comes from God, the first and chief good, let us labour to have communion with him by all sanctified means, that so he may take away our ill, and do us every way good to our souls, bodies, conditions. Oh, what a blessed thing is it for a Christian to keep a strict and near communion with the fountain of goodness, who can do more for us than all the world besides ! When we are sick on our deathbeds, or when conscience is thoroughly awaked, then to speak peace comfortably to us in this great extremity, is more worth than all this world. Therefore let us labour to keep communion with God, that he may speak peace to our souls when nothing else can.