APPENDIX, No. VII. On those occasions the records of inspired truth were the basis of communications, as interesting as they were conducive to edification. A manuscript of Mr. Henry's, commencing July 1, 1656, ending August 7, 1660, and embracing observations on the first forty-four psalms, affords a satisfactory illustration of the plan adopted during the period referred to. From that source of information it appears, that, after a brief exposition of the psalm, a question was "propounded for conference.'" A brief selection of the topicks, with Mr. Henry's remarks, are as follow: Thus; on the 10th psalm, the inquiry, from the fourth verse;— The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God, was;-What is it that keeps men from seeking after God? from seeking after friendship with God, from seeking after the glory of God? To this Mr. Henry replied;-Pride, Luke, xix. 14; Ignorance, Romans, iii. 11; Psalm, lxxix. 6; John, iv. 10; Solomon's Songs, v. 9, compare vi. 1; strong inclinations after something else; things of the world possessed, or laboured after; credit with men of the world; and a reproach feared, Mark, x. 22; Luke, xiv. 16, &c. ; presumption; evil company. Hence, see the apostle's counsel to young converts, Acts, ii. 40. On the first verse of the 18th psalm;-I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the question was;-What are the fruits of the true love of God? It will appear in reference to sin. Where the true love of God is, there is hatred of sin, Psalm, xcvii. 10; universal, without exception; constant, without intermission; implacable, without reconciliation. There is also sorrow for sin, Zechariah, xii. 10; xiii. 6. In reference to duty. Where love is, there is willingness to it, 2 Corinthians, v. 14; delight in it, Psalm lxxxiv. ; 1 John, v. 3. Where love is, it causes the heart to run out after God, Psalm, lxiii. 8; he is highest in the thoughts, oftenest, dearest ; sincerity, Canticles, i. 4; Ephesians, vi. 24. Love is boundless; it never thinks it hath done enough. In reference to suffering, it is ready for it; it is patient under it, Romans, v. 3, 5; Canticles, viii. 6, 7. To these may be added,-Love is tender of God's honour; it loves all that belong to God; see 1 John, iii. 20. That love to the brethren, which will evidence love to God, 1 John, iii. 14, must be, to all; poor, as well as rich; strangers, as well as acquaintance; to those that differ in opinion from us, as well as those that agree with us; wheresoever we see the image of God; it will shew itself when the brethren are persecuted; it will be willing to cover their infirmities; the more godly, the more we love them. It eats up the love of the world, 1 John, ii. 15; Romans, viii. 7. There is no looking upon heaven with one eye, and earth with the other, It longs for the appearance of Jesus Christ, Canticles, viii. 14. From the drift and scope of the twenty-second psalm, the inquiry was;-What may, and ought a Christian to learn from the sufferings of Jesus Christ? We learn the great love of God to mankind, John, iii. 16; Romans, v. 8. We learn how just he is; we learn the great evil that is in sin; a lesson of godly sorrow, Zechariah, xii. 10; humility, Philippians, ii. 5, 6, &c.; holiness, 2 Corinthians, v. 15; hatred of sin, 1 Corinthians, v. 7; 1 Peter, iv. 1, 2. Patience in afflictions, Hebrews, xii. 1, 2, 3; 1 Peter, ü. 20, 21. &c. Consolation against accusations, Romans, viii. 33, 34; John, i. 29. Courage against the fear of death, 1 Corinthians, xv. 55, &c. Hebrews, ii. 14. Love to our brethren, Ephesians, ii. 13, 14, Thankfulness. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. Upon Psalm xxix. it was inquired;-How many ways may we become guilty of other men's sins? By command, 2 Samuel, xi.; 2 Samuel, xxiv. By counsel, 2 Chronicles, xxii. 2,3; Numbers, xxxi. 16. By consent, Psalm, 1. 17; Acts, xxii. 20; 1 Kings, xxi. 16, 19. By provocation, Ephesians, vi. 4; Habakkuk, ii. 15. By example, Jeremiah, xxxii. 19. By neglect to warn, Ezekiel, xxxiii. 7, 8; to restrain, 1 Samuel, iii. 11; to punish, 1 Kings, xx. 42; to reprove, Leviticus, xix. 17; to mourn, 1 Corinthians, v. 2. On Psalm xxxi. the question was,-What are the common sins of professors in these days? Empty, vain discourse, James, iii. 2; Lukewarmness, Revelations, iii. 15, 16.* Hypocrisy, formality, Matthew, xv. 7, 8. Want of lovet one towards another, John, xiii. 35. Debates, quarrellings; want of meekness to bear injuries; neglect to watch over one another, to reprove, exhort; easiness of belief of slanderous reports; abatement in first love to Jesus Christ, Revelations, ii. 4. Worldliness, pride, sensuality, fleshpleasing, Luke, xvii. 26, &c. Itching ears, 2 Timothy, iv. 3, 4. And, on Psalm, xxxv. it was proposed;-Wherein consists the power of godliness? See Psalm, cxix. 104;—I hate every false way. * See a sermon by Mr. P. Henry, on this passage. Evan. Mag. v. xxix. p. 55. + When Cardinal Campeggio presented the letters of his legation at the Diet of Augsburgh, he made an oration in Latin; the substance whereof was, that the cause of so many sects, which then reigned, was want of charity and love. The History of the Council of Trent, p. 53, fol. 1620. A hypocrite doth not hate every false way. Naaman, 2 Kings, v.; Matthew, viii. 19, &c. He has a Rimmon to bow to, a father to bury, some secret lust. But the true Christian can let all go. See Philippians, iii. 20. Our conversation is in heaven. A hypocrite hath not his conversation in heaven; but, either in hell, or, earth, at best; it may be, now and then, he may take a turn in heaven; whereas, the heart, thoughts, affections, desires, trading, discourse, are all heavenly, where there is the power of godliness. See Habakkuk, iii. 17, 18. A hypocrite cannot rejoice in God in the want of creature-comforts; his form withers in winter, Job, xx. 20. He is in straits in the fulness of his sufficiency, whereas, a child of God hath a fulness of sufficiency in his straits. See Proverbs, iv. 23. The power of godliness consists in keeping the heart; not the eyes, feet, hands, only, but the heart. See Psalm, i. 2;-His delight is in the law of the Lord. He can call the sabbath_a_delight. Romans, vii. 24;-O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The Christian has complaints about, and combats with, the whole body of sin. He looks on his heart as his worst part. A hypocrite counts it his best. Where the power of godliness is, there will be endeavours to promote it in others, especially in such as are under our charge, Genesis, xviii. 19; Joshua, xxiv. 15. There will be willingness to part with any thing if God calls for it, Genesis, xxii. Also, willingness to be tried, Psalm, cxxxix. 20. Tenderness of God's honour, Psalm, cxv. 1. Care in second-table duties, even as in first; and, in all we do, to do it with an upright heart. Here the true Christian and the hypocrite part. Both do duties; they pray, hear, &c.; but, in the manner, they differ. The one does all from love to God, with an eye to his will and glory; the other, from form. Evennesss of conversation is a part of the power of godliness. APPENDIX, No. VIII. THE following is a specimen: That there is one God, 1 Timothy, ii. 5. That there is a mutual enmity between God and man, by reason of sin, Zechariah, xi. 8; that Christ is the Mediator, 1 Timothy, ii. 5; that he was made man, being in the form of God, Philippians, ii. 5, 6; that, being made man, he became obedient to the law, Matthew, iii. 15; was, The Lord our Righteousness, Jeremiah, xxiii. 6. Therefore, put on Christ, Romans, xiii. 14, who has left us an example, 1 Peter, ii. 21; he gave himself to die the death for us, Acts, ii. 23. The particulars of his sufferings, at large, from several scriptures. He was buried, Acts, xiii. 29. His resurrection, 1 Corinthians, xv. 4. The benefits flowing from his death;-God well-pleased; Matthew, iii. 17; for he died as a Sacrifice, 1 Corinthians, v. 7. Believers are justified, Romans, v. 9; i. e. their sins pardoned, Isaiah, xliii. 25, 26. Christ's ascension, Acts, i. 9; sitting at God's right hand, Psalm, cx. 1; his intercession, Romans viii. 34; as a Priest, Psalm, cx. 4; and, in all this, our hope, 1 Timothy, i. 1. The work was thus wrought for us to reconcile God to us. There is a work to be wrought in us, which is to reconcile us to God, Colossians, i 21; the Author of it, the Spirit, John, xv. 26. The work of the Spirit in reference to sin;-he worketh. 1. Conviction of sin, John, xvi. 8; for which, the means used are, the preaching of the word, Isaiah, lviii. 1; which is a lamp, and a light, Proverbs, vi. 23; private personal reproof, Proverbs, vi. 23; afflictions, Psalm, cxix. 67; the conversation of those that are godly, 1 Corinthians, vii. 16. 2. Contrition for sin, Zechariah, xii. 10. (Digression,-of the Spirit, as a spirit of supplication, from several other texts.) This contrition is giving a heart of flesh, Ezekiel, xxxvi. 26; breaking up fallow ground, Jeremiah, iv. 3; rending the heart, Joel, ii. 13. 3. Conversion from sin, Acts, iii. 26.; from all sins; from beloved sins; and, to a course of godliness, Hebrews, xii. 1. In reference to grace. Sanctification in general, 1 Thessalonians, v. 23; 2 Corinthians, vii. 1. Particulars: * 1. The sanctification of the mind, or understanding, Ephesians, iv. 23; in respect of knowledge, Colossians, iii. 10; motives to get knowledge, Colossians, i. 9; directions, Hosea, vi. 3; 2 Timothy, i. 13; Luke, viii. 18; in respect of wisdom, Ephesians, i. 7,8; exhortations to get wisdom, Proverbs, xvi. 16; in respect of thoughts; vain thoughts hated, Psalm, cxix. 113; good thoughts loved, Psalm, civ. 34. 2. The sanctification of the memory, John, xiv. 26. 3. Of the conscience, Hebrews, ix. 14. 4. Of the will, Psalm, cx. 3; willing to submit to the will of God, Acts, xxi. 14; willing to die, 2 Corinthians, v. 8; unwilling to sin, Genesis, xxxix. 9. 5. Of the affections, Colossians, iii. 2. The affection of love;love to God, 1 John, iv. 19; Mark, xii. 30; Revelations, ii. 4; love to ourselves and to our neighbour; Mark, xii. 31. Of hatred, Psalm, cxxxix, 21, 22; Job, xlii. 6. Of desire after God, Isaiah, xxvi. 8, 9; after righteousness, Matthew, v. 6; against inordinate desires, Genesis, xxx. 1. Of joy, Hosea, ix. 1; Philippians, iv. 4. Of grief; not to grieve at the good of others, Acts, xiii. 45; not to grieve inordinately at any thing, Psalm, xlii. 11; sorrow according to God, Matthew, v. 4; for the sins of sinners, Psalm, cxix. 136; for the sufferings of saints, Amos, vi. 6. Of hope in God, Psalm, cxlvi. 5; for heaven, Romans, v. ii. ; against presumption, Job, xxvii. 8. Despair,† Ezekiel, xxxiii. 10, 11. Of fear, Luke, xii. 4, 5; Ecclesiastes, viii. 12, 13. Of anger, Ephesians, iv. 26, 27; its opposite, meekness, 1 Peter, iii. 4. Of zeal, Galatians, iv. 18. 6. The sanctification of the body, Romans, xii. 1; sensual appetite subdued, Hebrews, xi. 25; the eye sanctified, Psalm, cxix. 37; the hands, Psalm, xxiv. 3, 4; the tongue, Psalm, xxxix 1; against lying, Psalm, cxix. 163; swearing, Jeremiah, xxiii. 10; slandering, Psalm, 1. 20; of good discourse, Colossians, iv. 6. The summary of these sermons about sanctification, he gave in two sermons from 2 Corinthians, v. 17; and observed, that, while he was upon that subject, about three years, there were more than forty of that little parish that were removed into eternity, who, when he began, were alive, and in health, &c. So divine a thing is wisdom, and so excellent is knowledge, (how much soever it be despised by carnal hearts,) that innocency itself was so ambitious of it, as to choose rather to incur the highest displeasure of an offended God, than want of it; nay, than want greater degrees of it. P. Henry. From Matthew Henry's MS. You must despair before you can have a good hope;-despair of being saved in yourselves. He that is out of his way, must despair of reaching his journey's end, except he turn. P. Henry. From Matthew Henry's MS. |