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the hearts of men, but utterly in another fenfe, Pfal. Ixiv. 6. The heart is deep.

But the obvious fenfe of the place, and the conftant ufe of the word in the Hebrew will not admit of this interpretation: e profundis from the depths, from profundus fuit, is in the plural number profunditates, or depths. It is commonly used for vallies, or any deep place whatever, but especially of waters. Vallies and deep places, because of their darkness and folitariness, are accounted places of horror, helplefnefs and trouble, Pial. xxiii. 4. When I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, that is, in the extremity of danger and trouble.

The moral ufe of the word, as expreffing the flate and condition of the fouls of men, is metaphorical. Thefe depths then are difficulties, or preffures, attended with fear, horror, danger, and trouble.

And they are of two forts,

1. Providential; in refpect of outward diftreffes, calamities, and afflictions, Pfal. Ixix. 1. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my foul; (I flick in the mire of the deep, and there is no ftanding; I am come, (in the Heb.) into the depths of waters, and the flood overflows me.) It is trouble, and the extremity of it, that the pfalmift complains of, and which he thus expreffeth. He was brought by it into a condition like untó a man ready to be drowned; being caft into the bottom of deep and miry waters; where he had no firm foundation to ftand upon, nor ability to come out; as he farther explains himself, ver. 15.

2. There are internal depths; depths of confcience upon the account of fin, Pfal. lxxxviii. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. What he intends by this expreffion, the pfalmift declares in the next words, ver. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me. Senfe of God's wrath upon his confcience, upon the account of fin, was the deep he was caft into; fo, ver. 15. fpeaking of the fame matter, faith he, I fuffer thy terrors, and ver. 16. thy fierce wrath goeth over me. Which he calls

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water, waves, and deeps: according to the metaphor before opened.

And these are the deeps that are here principally intended, clamat fub molibus & fluctibus iniquitatem fuarum fays Auftin on the place." He cries out under the "weight and waves of his fins."

This the enfuing pfalm makes evident, defiring to be delivered from thefe depths out of which he cried, he deals with God wholly about mercy and forgiveness; and it is fin alone from which forgivenefs is a deliverance. The doctrine allo that he preacheth upon his delivery, is that of mercy, grace, and redemption, as is manifeft from the clofe of the pfalm; and what we have deliverance by, is most upon our hearts when we are delivered.

It is true, indeed, that these deeps do oftentimes concur; as David speaks, Deep calleth upon deep, Pfal. xlii. 7. The deeps of affliction awaken the confcience to a deep fense of fin. But fin is the difeafe, affliction only a fymptom of it; and in attending a cure, the difcafe itfelf is principally to be heeded, the symptom will follow, or depart of itself.

Many interpreters think that this was now David's condition; by great trouble and distress, he was greatly minded of fin; and we must not therefore wholly pafs over that intendment of the word, though we are chiefly to respect that, which he himfelf, in this addrefs unto God, did principally regard.

This in general is the flate and condition of the foul managed in this pfalm, and is as the key to the enfuing difcourfe, or the hinge on which it turns. As to my intendment from the pfalm, that which arifeth from hence, may be comprized in these two propofitions.

1. Gracious fouls, after much communion with God, may be brought into inextricable depths and intanglements on the account of fin. For fuch the pfalmift here expreffeth his own condition to have been, and fuch he was.

2. The inward root of outward diftreffes, is principally

pally to be attended to in all preffing trials, fin, in afflictions.

Gracious fouls may be brought into depths on the account of fin. What thofe depths are..

Before I proceed at all in the further opening of the words, they have all of them refpect unto the propofition firft laid down, 1 fhall explain and confirm the truth obtained in it; that fo it may be understood, what we fay, and whereof we do affirm, in the whole process of our difcourfe.

It is a fad truth that we have propofed unto confideration: He that hears it ought to tremble in himself, that he may reft in the day of trouble; it fpeaks out the apoftles advice, Rom. ix. 20. Be not high-minded, but fear; and that alfo, 1 Cor. x. 12. Let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall. When Peter had learned this truth by woful experience, after all his boldness and forwardness, he gives this counfel to all faints, that they would pass the time of their fojourning here in fear, 1 Pet. i. 14. Knowing how near, in our greatest peace and ferenity, evil and danger may ly at the door.

Some few inftances of the many that are left on record, wherein this truth is exemplified, may be mentioned, Gen. vi. 9. Noah was a juft man, perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God. He did fo a long feafon, and that in an evil time, amidst all forts of temptations, When all flesh had corrupted their way upon earth, ver. 12. This put an eminency upon his obedience; and doubtlefs rendered the communion which he had with God, in walking before him, most sweet and precious to him. He was a gracious foul upon the redoubled teftimony of God himself. But we know what befel this holy perfon. He that shall read the story that is recorded of him, Gen. ix. 21. will eafily grant, that he was brought into inextricable diftrefs on the account of fin. His own drunkennefs, ver. 21. with the confequence of it, gives fcandal unto, and provokes the unna

tural

tural luft of his fon, ver. 22. and this leads him to the devoting of that fon, and his pofterity, unto deftruction, ver. 24, 25. all which, joined with the fenfe of God's juft indignation, from whom he had newly received that tremendously miraculous deliverance, muft needs overwhelm him with forrow and anxiety of spirit.

The matter is more clear in David. Under the Old Teftament none loved God more than he, none was loved of God more than he. The paths of faith and love wherein he walked, are unto the most of us, like the way of an eagle in the air, too high and hard for us; yet to this very day, do the cries of this man after God's own heart, found in our ears. Sometimes he complains of broken bones, fometimes of drowning depths, fometimes of waves and water-fpouts, fometimes of wounds and difeafes, fometimes of wrath and the forrows of hell, every where of his fins, the burden and trouble of them. Some of the occafion of his depths, darkness, intanglements, and diftreffes we all know. As no man had more grace than he, fo none is a greater inftance of the power of fin, and the effects of its guilt upon the confcience than he. But inftances of this kind are obvious, and occur to the thoughts of all, fo that they need not be repeated. I fhall then fhew,

FIRST, What in particular is intended by the depths and intanglements, on the account of fin, whereunto gracious fouls, after much communion with God, may

be caft.

SECONDLY, Whence it comes to pafs, that fo they may be, and that oftentimes fo they are.

FIRST, For the firft, fome or all of thefe things following do concur to the depths complained of.

First, Lofs of the wonted fenfe of the love of God, which the foul did formerly enjoy. There is a twofold fenfe of the love of God, whereof believers in this world may be made partakers; there is the tranfient acting of the heart by the Holy Ghoft, with ravishing un

fpeakable

fpeakable joys, in apprehenfion of God's love, and our relation unto him in Chrift. This, or the immediate effect of it, is called, joy unfpeakable, and full of glory, 1Pet. i. 8. The Holy Ghost shining into the heart, with a clear evidence of the fouls intereft in all gofpel mercies, caufeth it to leap for joy, to exult and triumph in the Lord; as being for a feafon carried above all fenfe and thought of fin, felf, temptation, or trouble. But as God gives the bread of his houfe to all his children, fo thefe dainties, and high cordials, he referveth only for the feafons and perfons, wherein, and to whom, he knows them to be needful and ufeful. Believers may be without this fenfe of love, and yet be in no depths. A man may be strong and healthy, who hath wholesome food tho' he never drink fpirits and cordials.

Again, There is an abiding, dwelling fenfe of God's love upon the hearts of thofe of whom we fpeak, who have had long communion with God, confifting in a prevailing gospel perfuafion, denoting both the oppofition that is made unto it, by Satan and unbelief, and its efficacy in the conqueft thereof. This is the root from whence all that peace, and ordinary confolation which believers in this world are made partakers of, do fpring and grow. This is that which quickens and enlivens them unto duty, Pfal. cxvi. 12, 13. and is the falt that renders their facrifices and performances favoury to God, and refreshing to themfelves; this fupports them under their trials, gives them peace, hope, and comfort, in life and death, Pfal. xxiii. 4. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. A fenfe of God's prefence in love, is fufficient to rebuke all anxiety and fears in the worst and moft dreadful condition, and not only fo, but to give in the midst of them, folid confolation and joy. So the prophet expreffeth it, Hab. iii. 17, 18. Although the figtree fhould not bloffom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive fhall fail, and the fields fhall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there hall be no herd in the ftalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

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