I beseech you, therefore, let us take heed how we break or walk loosely with God, seeing we can have no further comfort of any good thing we enjoy, than we are careful to keep and maintain our peace and communion with him at all times. And when we run into arrearages with God, then be sure we he not in sin, but say, ' Take away all iniquity, and do good to us,' labouring to be in such an estate as God may give us his Holy Spirit, both to make us good and to sanctify unto us all other good. There be good things which are good of themselves, and which make all other things good. Thus, by communion with God, we ourselves are made good, and all other things likewise are made good to us, all his ways being mercy and truth unto those who fear him. Therefore resign we ourselves and all that we have unto his wisdom and disposing, because ofttimes there is good where we imagine the worst of evils to be, as it is sometimes good to have a vein opened to be purged. The physician thinks so, when yet the patient, impatient of reason's issue, thinks not so. But as the physician is wiser than the patient, to know what is best for him, so God is wiser than man, to know what is good for him, who intends us no hurt when he purgeth us by affliction.
All our care, therefore, should be to annihilate ourselves, to come with empty, poor souls to God, ' Do good tons.' In which case it is no matter what our ill be, if he do us good, who hath both pardon and rich grace to remove the evil of sin, and convey all gi-ace unto us out of his rich treasury.
' So will we render the calves of our lips.'
Here is the re- stipulation or promise. They return back again to God, for there is no friendship maintained without rendering. When God hath
268 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON II.
entered into covenant witli us, then there is a kind of friendship knit up betwixt him and us, he becoming our friend. We must not, therefore, be like graves, to swallow up all, and return nothing, for then the intercourse betwixt God and us is cut off. Therefore the same Spuit which teacheth them to pray, and to ' take to them words,' teacheth them likewise to take unto them words of praise, that there may be a rendering according to receiving, without which we are worse than the poorest creature that is, which rendereth according to its receipt. The earth, when it is ploughed and sowed, it yields us fruit. Trees being set, yield increase. Beasts be- ing fed, render in their kind. Yea, the fiercest, untamed beasts, as we read of the lion, have been thankful in their kind. The heavens, saith the psalmist, declare the glory of God, and the firmament shews forth his praise, Ps. xix. 1. So there must be a return, if we be not worse than beasts. Therefore the church here promiseth a return by the same Spii'it which stirred her up to pray. ' So will we render the calves of our lips.'
Now, this promise which the church makes here of praise, is a kind of vow, ' So will we render,' &c. To bind one's-self is a kind of vow. The church therefore binds herself, that she may bind God ; for binding herself by vow to thankfulness, she thereby binds God ; who is moved with no- thing we can do so much as with setting forth of his praise, which was his end in all the creation, the setting forth of his glory. The end of the new creature is the end of all things both in nature and grace ; the end whereof is God's glory, from whence all things come and wherein all things end : as we say of a circle, all things begin and end in it. All other things are for man, and man for God's glory. When the soul can say, ' Lord, this shall be for thy honour, to set foi'th thy praise,' it binds God. Hence, that they might move God to yield to their prayers, they bind themselves by a kind of vow. Do thus, 0 Lord, and thou shalt not lose by it, thou shalt have praise ; ' so will we render thee the calves of our lips.'
So promises and vows of praise are alleged as an argument to prevail with God, for the obtaining of that the chm'ch begs for : ' So will we render,' &c. Not to enter into the commonplace of vows, only thus much I say, that there is a good use of them, to vow and promise thankfulness when we would obtain blessings from God. That which a promise is to men, that a vow is to God ; and usually they go together in Scripture, as it is said of David, that ' he vowed unto God, and sware unto the mighty God of Jacob,' Ps. cxxxii. 2. So we have all in baptism vowed a vow. So that it is good to renew our vows often, especially that of new obe- dience ; and in this particular to vow unto him that we will praise him, and strive that his glory be no loser by us.