New England's True Interest

An Advertisement to the Reader.

Christian Reader,

COncerning this Sermon which is now offering it self to thy hand and heart, I must say what I am fully perswaded of, viz. That it containeth words of uprightness and truth, and such as to many Auditors present at the publick Preaching of it, were very acceptable: when they came warm from the mouth and spirit of the speaker, I doubt not, but they carried with them sweetness through the ear to the heart of each rightly prepared hearer. To receive with affection, is good, but not all the entertainment we owe to messages, sent by the God of Salvations to his Covenant-people. Words of wisdome must be as Nails fastened, Eccl. 12.11. the word of Christ must abide, Joh▪ 15.7. and dwell richly in us, Col. 3.16. The helping forward of so good a work, hath occasioned a Person of Worth, eminently affected to thine, and this poor Countries best good, in subserviency to the glory of the blessed God of Truth, to adventure the publishing, of what the pious Author was well-nigh invincibly unwilling should ever have come forth. In hearing, the attention minde must hold pace with the speaker, following him through all particulars from the beginning to the end of his Message: but in reading we have this advantage, that we may stay and dwell upon what we have first a minde to, and by serious thoughts and humble prayer, improve it to our good, without depriving our selves of opportunity of doing the like, with any other part of it afterward. Thou hast now a help to reminde thee of many useful (but possibly forgotten) passages. God, whose Providence hath brought this to thy hands, expecteth a sutable improvement: an awakening, humbling quickening, is the best use we can make of it. Visible benefit and fruit, is l◊ke to prove the best expedient to ease the spirit of the too-unwilling Author, of that 〈…〉 which an excess of modesty may have made him capable of, for being by a friendly violence thus thrust out upon the Stage. Some persons, not born, but cut out of their Mothers Wombs, have proved considerable for Action, if Histories may be credited. That Heavens blessing may make this seasonable Sermon 〈…〉, is the hope and shall be the humble prayer of him who is unfeignedly

p. 4New-Englands True Interest; NOT TO LIE.

For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

IN this Chapter (to give you onely a very short view of the Context) you may take notice of these three parts.

1. An Interlocution or Dialogue between Christ and his Church, contained in the first six Verses. The unexpected appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his glorious works of Vengeance upon his peoples enemies, and of Salvation to his Church, it draws forth the Churches earnest Enquiries; and these her Enquiries they draw forth Christs distinct Answers, even as it is ◊romised Jer. 33.3. Call upon me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knewest not. Christ loves to be questioned with concerning his great works of Providence, because he desires to be known unto his people in them; and to acquaint them with the great designs he hath in hand, as here he is graciously pleased to do.

2. An Acknowledgement of Praise from the Church, in the recounting, and calling to minde of eminent passages of former mercy and kindness extended to her, from ver. 7. to ver. 15.

3. The Churches earnest Prayer and pleading with God hereupon, from v. 15. to the end: Look down from heaven, &c.

The Verse read, comes under the second of these Heads. Christ having declared, not only his Person, but also his present design and work to be the wonderful destruction of his and his peoples enemies, and the salvation of his Redeemed ones; The Church is presently striking upon the same string of Mercy, and that her faith and hope might be further confirmed, and her heart enlarged, she presently ecchoes unto Christ, by telling o◊er the former stories of his loving kindness, ver. 7. I will mention p. 5the loving kindnesses of the Lord, &c. Now (as one aptly notes upon the place) As good Historians do not only relate meer naked matters of fact, but the persons also, and considerations moving so or so, with the effects and resultances; so the Church, surveying here the loving kindnesses of the Lord from an ancient date, suggests in the words read, the Considerations upon which the Lord proceeded to be the Saviour of this people; For he said, &c.

p. 5The words of the Text may be thus divided. We have in them

1. The Lords just expectations of his people, and that promise which he makes to himself of great things from them. He said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie.

2. The influence of these things upon the Lords Saviourly undertakings with and for his people: So he was their Saviour.

Or a little more largely the words hold forth to us

1. The best Relation wherein any people can stand, and that is to be the Lords people.

2. That eminent Qualification which suits with such a Relation; To be children that will not lie.

3. The Lords solemn Assertion and Consideration of such a Relation and Qualification in the people spoken of; For he said, Surely they are my people, &c. He affirms such a Relation, and he solemnly expects and promiseth to himself such an answerable Qualification.

4. The Lords Engagements and Actings as a Saviour towards this his peop◊e hereupon, or as influenced by these things. Having such an expe◊◊◊tion, and conceiving such hopes of this people, as to promise 〈…〉 himself such things from them, The Lord resolves to undertake, and doth actually engage himself, in the whole work of their Salvation: Proving them and trying them under a singular dispensation, and long continued series of mercy, which began with their Redemption out of Egypt, and so was carried on through the Wilderness unto Canaan, as in the Verses following the Text is more fully declared.

God is here spoken of after the manner of men, as giving to himself the grounds and reasons of his own great undertaking; And therefore the expressions of the Text do no whit impeach the fore-knowledge of God, whereby he knew from the beginning what the rebellions and backslidings of this people would p. 6be, even as in v. 10. we find it; but the Lord speaks as 〈…〉 judging of matters, and taking up his hopes, according to the visible and apparent just grounds and reasons of things, even as a prudent and wise man would in the like case have done: for who is there that would not have promised to himself great things from a people so engaged and circumstanced, in case so great mercy and salvation were shewn to them? Now that which the Lord promiseth to himself and expects from them, is, That they would prove Children that would not lie.

p. 6To lie, in the sense of the Text, takes in deeds as well as words, yea matters of fact more especially. The Spirit of God means hereby all Vnsoundness, Perfidiousness, Prevarication with the Lord, whereby we go contrary to our Engagements, and prove unfaithful to him. The word is translated in other places to deal falsly, as Gen. 21.23. and to fail, Psal. 89.33. It is to be referred unto the matters of the Lords Covenant with his people. God expects and promiseth to himself that in these things his people will keep touch with him, and not shrink. Thus the Church asserts her uprightness, by removing the Lie far from her self, Psal. 44.17. All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant: the word is the same with that in the Text; We have not lied unto thee in thy Covenant. This is the plain meani◊g of the words: They will be perfect, upright, faithful to me and with me in all the concernments of my Covenant with them; I have this good perswasion of them, and I will try them with mercy and salvation, to see how they will answer and make good my expectations of them.