I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

Yet further; it is observed, that though the Lord did ordinarily call David his servant, yet when David had sinned that great sin, he sent the prophet to him saying, Go say to David, he had lost the title of servant, now bare David, now single David, now David without the title my servant. And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people, yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calf, the Lord doth not call them his people, but he saith to Moses, The people, not My people, but The people, and Thy people Moses, now they had lost their old title. Thus, I say, the sins of Gods own people do deprive them, and divest them of their spiritual privileges, and can a gracious heart look upon this, and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual privileges, and not mourn under it? Can one friend grieve another friend, and not be grieved himself? The Saints by their sins they grieve God, who is their best friend, and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved, they must needs be humbled, or there is no Grace, not grieved, not humbled, not Gracious. But now because they are grieved, and humbled for sin committed, therefore they are not discouraged, I say, because they are grieved, and because they are humbled for sin committed, therefore they are not discouraged, for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation, and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed, the less he is discouraged, and the more a man is discouraged, the less he is truly humbled.

Yet further; it is observed, that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant, yet when David had sinned that great sin, he sent the prophet to him saying, Go say to David, he had lost the title of servant, now bare David, now single David, now David without the title my servant. And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people, yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe, the Lord doth not cal them his people, but he saith to Moses, The people, not My people, but The people, and Thy people Moses, now they had lost their old title. Thus, I say, the sins of Gods own people do deprive them, and divest them of their spiritual priviledges, and can a gracious heart look upon this, and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges, and not mourn under it? Can one friend grieve another friend, and not be grieved himself? The Saints by their sins they grieve God, who is their best friend, and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved, they must needs be humbled, or there is no Grace, not grieved, not humbled, not Gracious. But now because they are grieved, and humbled for sin committed, therefore they are not discouraged, I say, because they are grieved, and because they are humbled for sin committed, therefore they are not discouraged, for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation, and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed, the less he is discouraged, and the more a man is discouraged, the less he is truly humbled.