SECT. 1.

By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us.

THis whole Psalm breathes forth nothing but grace and goodness unto the people of God, from the beginning of it to the end; yea, in the verse of my Text where God speaks most terribly and righteously in the Judgements and Destru∣ctions which he bringeth upon their Enemies, yet he is called the God of their Salvation, and those terrible things by which God speaks, are not on∣ly a righteous answer unto their Enemies sins, but also a gracious answer unto his peoples prayers. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us.

I shall not speak of terrible things in the re∣strained sense, as they befall the Enemies only of Gods people, and the wicked, whilst the righteous do escape, and it may be hereby are preserved; but as they may befall any people, not excluding Gods people, whom the Lord may answer by terrible things in righteousness.

Two Doctrines we may observe.

Page  3 Doct. 1. That God doth sometimes speak unto a People by terrible things.

Doct. 2. That when God doth speak most terri∣bly, he doth answer most righteously.

First, That God doth sometimes speak unto a People by terrible things.

Here I shall show:

• 1. How God may be said to speak.
• 2. What those terrible things are by which God doth sometimes speak.
• 3. Why God doth sometimes speak unto a People by terrible things; and then apply.

1. How God may be said to speak.

God being a Spirit, hath no Mouth nor Tongue properly as men have, who have bodies, and therefore his way of speaking is not like ours (though sometimes he hath created a Voice in as articulate sound as if it had proceeded from the mouth of man to declare his will) but there are several wayes in which God hath spoken and doth speak unto the Children of men, by which he doth as really and effectually make known his mind, as if he spake with mans voice.

1. God hath spoken formerly unto men im∣mediately, in extraordinary wayes, and that some∣times more terribly; as when he gave the Law upon Mount Sinai, when the Mount burned with fire, and there was blackness, and darkness, and tempest, thundrings and lightnings, and the sound of the Trumpet exceeding loud, and the voice of words so exceeding terrible, that it made the whole Camp to tremble; and Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake, Exod. 19. 16. Heb. 12. 18, 19, 20, 21.

Page  4 This way of Gods speaking the Children of Israel were not able to bear, therefore they desi∣red that Moses might speak unto them, but that God would not speak unto them thus any more, least they should die, Exod. 20. 19.

At other times God spake with a more still and gentle voice, and in a more milde way, as when he spake to Samuel in the night, he thought at first that it had been the voice of Eli, 1 Sam. 3. 4, 5. Thus God spake unto Abraham, unto Ia∣cob, unto Moses, to whom it is said, he spake face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend, Exod. 33. 11.

God spake also in an extraordinary way to his Prophets of old, when he made known unto them his counsel, that they might declare it un∣to the people: Sometimes he spake unto them with an audible voice, which he created when no Shape was seen; sometimes by Angels, who appeared in bodies, which they laid down again when they had delivered their message; some∣times by Dreams and Visions in the night; some∣times by Urim and Thummim; sometimes by more secret Inspirations of the Spirit.

In the last daies of Gods extraordinary speak∣ing, he spake by the most extraordinary person, namely, by his own most dearly beloved and only begotten Son, Heb. 1. 1, 2. whom he sent out of his bosom to declare himself, Ioh. 1. 18. and re∣veal what he had heard of the Father, Ioh. 15. 15. who brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel, and made known Gods purpose and Grace in mans Salvation, 2 Tim. 1. 9, 10. and ut∣tered such things as were kept secret from the Page  5 foundations of the world, Mat. 13. 35. The Gospel began to be spoken of by the Lord Iesus himself, and was continued and confirmed by his Apostles, who were his Witnesses, to whom God also did bear witness with signs and wonders, and divers Miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his will, Heb. 2. 3, 4.

2. And now, though not so immediately, and in such extraordinary wayes, yet still God doth speak unto the Children of men. There are two wayes of Gods speaking now unto men; name∣ly, his Word and his Works.

1. His Word contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which holy men wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1. 21. And thus God speaketh either externally by his Word alone, or internally with his Word by his Spirit.

1. God speaketh now unto men externally by his Word alone, to some more silently, unto whom he gives his Scriptures only to be read, and brings to their view his written Word alone, without the advantage of other Ordinances, which might more powerfully declare unto them his will.

Unto others he speaks more audibly, where the Gospel doth sound in their ears, and wi•h the Scriptures God sendeth his Ministers to preach unto them.

God speaketh by his Ministers, who are his Watchmen, in his Name to warn the people of his Judgements temporal and eternal, which in the Scriptures he hath threatned, Ezek. 3, 17 18, &c. Isa. 63. 6. who are the Lords Embassadors, 2 Cor. Page  6 5. 20. from whom they have a Commission to preach the Gospel, and declare the glad tidings of Salvation unto all such as repent, and believe, and yield up themselves unto the obedience of the Word.

Ministers stand in the room of Christ; and it is well for us that God speaks unto us by Mini∣sters, because we should not be able to endure, should he speak unto us immediately by himself; should he speak unto us with an audible voice, as he did to the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai, when he gave the Law, this would be so terri∣ble, that with them we should desire to heat Mo∣ses, and chuse Ministers rather to speak unto us; yea, if Christ Jesus himself should come down from heaven, however he might have been heard in his state of Humiliation, when his Deity was so much vailed; yet if he should now appear in the glory he hath with the Father; or as he ap∣peared unto Iohn his Beloved Disciple, when his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his countenance like the Sun when it shineth in its full strength, and his voice like the sound of many waters: I say, if Christ should thus appear and preach unto us, such a dread and amazement would fall upon us, that we should fall down dead at his feet, as his Disciple Iohn did, Rev. 1. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Therefore it is better for us in this state of weak∣ness, that God speaketh to us by Ministers, men of like passions and infirmities with our selves, whom we may be able to bear, and whose words notwithstanding our weakness, we may be able to hear.

2. God doth now also speak unto men inter∣nally Page  7 with his Word by his Spirit, when God sends his Spirit with his Word for Conviction only, or some Common work: thus God calls upon the wicked, who sit under the preaching of the Word, moves and strives with them by his Spirit, but they resist the spirit, stifle Convictions, & wil not heark∣en to his calls and motions, Gen. 6. 3. Act. 7. 51.

But especially God speaks with his Word by his Spirit, when he sendeth his Spirit for Conver∣sion, and to effect a saving change: thus God speaks when he calleth blind sinners out of dark∣ness into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2. 9. quick∣neth dead sinners, putting into them a new Prin∣ciple of spiritual life, Eph. 2. 1. rescueth enslaved sinners out of Satans snare, 2 Tim. 2. 26. deliver∣ing them from the power of the Devil, and tran∣slating them into the Kingdome of his dear Son, Col. 1. 13. when by his Spirit he draweth sinners, Ioh. 6. 44. and joyns them unto Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 6. 17. God speaketh unto men with his Word by his Spirit, when he doth thus effectually call them; and he speaketh unto men also by his Spirit, when he graciously visiteth them which are called, when he teacheth, melteth, warmeth, quickneth, strengtheneth, and refresheth them by his Spirit, as they sit under the influence of his Ordinances, when he speaketh peace unto their Consciences, sheweth them his reconciled Face, sheddeth abroad his love in their hearts, and gi∣veth such sweet comforts and ravishing joy as is unspeakable, and full of Glory, Ioh. 6. 45. Ioh. 14. 26. Luk. 24. 32. Psal. 143. 11. Eph. 3. 16. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 85. 8. Rom. 5. 5. Psa. 94. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 8.

2. God speaketh unto men by his Works; and Page  8 that either by his works of Creation, or by his works of Providence.

1. God speaketh by his works of Creation; the Heavens have a voice and declare Gods glory, Psa. 19. 1. and the Earth hath not only an ear to hear, Isa. 1. 2. but also a tongue, as it were, to speak Gods praise. We read of the Seas roaring, and the Floods clapping their hands; of the Mountains singing, and the Trees of the wood sounding forth their joyful acclamations; yea, beasts and all cattel, creeping things and flying fowl, Dragons and all Deeps, Fire, Hail, Snow, Rain, and stormy winde, as they fulfill his Word, so they speak, and in their way declare what their Maker is, or rather in them, and by them, God doth speak, and make known something of himself, Psa. 148. 7, 8, 10. &c.

We read of the Voice of the Lord in Power, the Voice of the Lord in Majesty, the Voice of the Lord upon the waters, the Voice of the Lord dividing the flames of fire, the Voice of the Lord shaking the Wilderness of Cadesh, breaking the Cedars of Leba∣non, and the like, which is the Voice of the Lord in the terrible noise of Thunder, Psa. 29. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

And there is no one work of the Lord (though not with such a noise) which doth not with a loud voice, as it were, in the Name of the Lord pro∣claim unto the Children of men, how great and glorious the Lord is, who hath given it its being, and use, and place in the world: especially the work of God in the Make of man, his body the members and senses, his Soul the powers and fa∣culties, doth without a tongue speak the praise of Page  9 that God, who curiously framed the body in the womb, and immediately infused the living soul, Psa. 139. 14, 15. Zach. 12. 1.

2. God speaketh by his Works of Providence, and that both merciful and afflictive.

1. God speaketh by his Merciful Providen∣ces, by his patience, and bounty, and goodness, he calleth men unto repentance, Rom. 2. 4. He gi∣veth witness of himself, in giving rain and fruit∣ful seasons, Act. 14. 17.

Gods providing mercies, Gods preventing mer∣cies, Gods preserving mercies, Gods delivering mercies, the number of Gods mercies which can∣not be reckoned, the order and strange method of Gods mercies, which cannot be declared, the greatness of Gods mercies in the kinds and strange circumstances, which cannot be expressed, do all with open mouth call upon men from the Lord to repent of their sins which they have committed against him, and to yeild all love, thankfulness, and obedience unto him.

2. God speaketh by his afflictive Providences: There is a voice of God in his Rod, as well as in his Word, Mic. 6. 9. Hear the Rod, and who hath ap∣pointed it; when God chasteneth, he teacheth, Psal. 94. 12. When God lifteth up his hand and strikes, he openeth his mouth also and speaks; and some∣times openeth mens ears too, and sealeth their instruction, Iob 33. 16.

Sometimes God speaks by Rods more mildly, by lesser afflictions; sometimes God speaks by Scorpions more terribly, by greater Judgements, which leads to the second particular.