Sermon 16

Isaiah 53:1 — And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

It's much to walk evenly and steadfastly under the pure doctrine of grace, and neither from it to take occasion to give way to looseness and carnal liberty, nor to become faint and discouraged, and fearful at the way of God; corrupt nature is ready to abuse the best things. That word which we have (2 Peter 3:16) that there are many that wrest and pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction, holds true, not only of doctrinal heresies, but it holds also true in respect of men's practice, or practical errors; for some hearing of the impotency of nature, and of the power and perfection of grace in bringing about its designed effect, are ready to think that they need to do nothing, alleging, that if grace undertake the work it will be wrought, and if not, it will not be wrought; and thus atheism and profanity steal in secretly upon the heart, and the sweet doctrine of grace is abused and perverted by such, to their own destruction. There are others again, who it may be will not dare so to top with God, who yet have their own fainting and discouragement when they hear of this doctrine, and think it hard that they themselves can do nothing, and fear that they will never win to believe, because they cannot do it of themselves, these also fail, and make not the right use of grace.

You remember the question which we proposed to speak a little to on the last doctrine, to wit, that seeing both these branches of it are true, that except grace concur, the most powerful preaching of the Gospel will not beget faith; and that wherever the work of grace goes along with the Gospel, there faith is begotten; what is called for from the hearers of the Gospel as the use of this doctrine?

Before we come to answer this question more particularly, we would 1. Premit this word in general, that none would account the preaching or hearing of the Word of God to be useless or fruitless, albeit that without the work of grace, men cannot yield the fruit which it calls for from them; for our blessed Lord Jesus, Isaiah and Paul, preached this doctrine of grace, and the necessity of the Lord's Arm to be revealed in the conversion of souls, and yet they taught the Word in season and out of season, and were gathering in some, and to some this doctrine was made the savour of life to life, though to others (through their enmity and corruption) it became the savour of death to death. To conclude therefore, the inconsistency, or to deny the consistency of these two, to wit, of the necessity of preaching the doctrine of grace, and of the pressing in preaching the practice of holy duties, and the use of ordinary appointed means, would reach this dreadful length, even to condemn the prophets of old, indeed, and our blessed Lord Jesus Himself who says (John 6:44), after He had preached long, No man can come to me except the Father who has sent me draw him and verse 65 — Therefore I said to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him of my Father. And will any think that His hearers, who accounted this with some others, Hard sayings, and from that time went back, and walked no more with him, were excusable in their doing so? Or that His preaching was useless, needless, or impertinent, as having a tendency to tempt men to abandon all use of means, because He preached this doctrine of the impossibility of believing in Him, without this pull and draught of His Father's Arm?

But secondly, we shall a little more particularly in answer to the question, speak First, to what uses folk would not make of this doctrine, or what things they would abstain from, as tending to a wrong use of it. Secondly, to some considerations for pressing this doctrine, and removing from it the construction of hardness that we are ready to put upon it. Thirdly, to what is the native use it calls for; and lastly, to some considerations to press this.

For the first, when we say to all that hears this Gospel that there is a necessity of a powerful work of grace before this Word can be profitable, you should 1. Abstain from, and lay aside curiosity in seeking satisfying answers to all these objections that are moved against it, and absurdities that it's loaded with by the Devil and man's proud nature, and learn to stoop to, and reverence the sovereign dominion of God, and His deep and unsearchable wisdom and knowledge, in this sovereign way of His grace, as the Apostle does (Romans 11:33): O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out? You should also consider that other word (Romans 9:20): Who are you that reply against God? or expostulates with Him, Shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it, why have you made me thus? It's good to inquire and to seek to know the use the Lord calls for of this doctrine with sobriety; but there is an inquiring to satisfy curiosity which the Lord abhors, as we may gather from (Exodus 19:21), where the Lord being to deliver His [reconstructed: Israel] says to Moses, Go down, charge the people (a word of peremptory command) lest they break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish: The Lord is not displeased that His people should endeavor to behold, and take Him up aright, but when their end is not good, but to satisfy an itch of curiosity, it displeases Him. This may be useful in many cases, and particularly in this we have in hand, to teach us sobriety in seeking to know the way of God's grace, as the Lord would have His people, in Exodus 19, waiting for as much of His mind as He thought fit to acquaint them with, and to write on the two Tables of Stone, but He would not have them breaking in over the boundary or march which He did set to them, lest He should break through on them, and they should be made to perish. So would He have men in their studying the knowledge of His ways, and particularly of the way of His grace, to keep His measures, and to contain themselves within the limits that He pleases to set to them. 2. Abstain from carnal fretting at, and expostulating with the way of God, whether in the highest degree of upbraiding grace and snarling at it, that you should not have the stock in your own hand; or in an inferior degree, having a heart inwardly discontent, that you are not more able of yourselves than you are, to believe, which is the thing that the Apostle opposes (Romans 9:20-21): Should the thing formed say to him that formed it, why have you made me thus? Has not the potter power over the clay, etc., especially since none can answer that question with any just reflection upon God; who is to be blamed for that defect or inability? Or from where did that inability or defect in man's nature proceed? God was gracious, free and liberal in making man perfect, and whose fault is it that it is otherwise? 3. Abstain from, and beware of drawing desperate conclusions as to the giving over the use of the means, or of becoming more lazy and secure in the duties of holiness, and in the practice of piety, because of the necessity of this grace; but on the contrary, be the more diligent and serious, that you have so much need of grace, and that of yourselves you can do so little, or rather nothing that is truly good without it.

I know that profane hearts are very fertile and broody of arguments to plead this point of neglect of means, and will readily say, what is the fruit of diligence, and the prejudice of laziness? The one will do us no good, and the other can do us no ill, seeing it's grace that does all the work. But 1. By your laziness you mar your own fruitfulness, and that through your own fault, and make this addition to your guilt, that you not only continue graceless, but do so through your sin wilfully. 2. You may draw on to your natural impotency, habitual and judicial hardness of heart, and blindness of mind; it's on this very ground that many ears are made heavy, many eyes made blind, and many hearts made fat, and is that a little or light matter? 3. Though you may think this little, yet that which will bear the weight of your sentence at the Day of Judgment, will not be your natural impotency, or that [reconstructed: grace] was not made efficacious to your conversion, but this will be it, that when God sent out His Word to win you, and offered His grace for enabling you to yield, you did maliciously and deliberately reject it. So that it will never be suffered to come to this, I was unable; because the Word was wilfully rejected before it came to this.

But secondly, because there are some others possibly that have more seriousness in the use of means, who, though they dare not quarrel with grace, yet it weighs and discourages them because they can do so little, and they are made heartless to attempt, and hopeless to succeed, and it may be, that this is in some whom the Lord allows not to draw any such conclusion, but would rather have encouraged; we would say to such, that they would beware of fainting or being discouraged, as if that were impossible to God and His grace which is impossible to them; they would by all means beware of sitting up, and [reconstructed: slackening] their hand in duty, because they can do so little. We know there are some that need not much to be spoken to for satisfying of them in this point, but there are others who are burdened with this doctrine, to whom the Lord allows more tender usage, and would not have them to faint nor be discouraged; you that are such (if any be) may know that there is ground for us to press this, and that we may remove the construction of hardness from this sovereign way of God's grace, wherein He has thought fit to draw men to an absolute dependance on Himself. In the dispensing of it, we shall propose these few considerations. 1. That (which was hinted at before) never a man that has heard this gospel when he comes to count with God, shall have it to say, that the reason why he did not receive and embrace it, was his impotency and inability, but the real reason shall be found to be his willful rejecting of it; and upon the contrary it shall be found, that there was never one that would in earnest have had strength to run the way of God's commandments, and faith to grip to, and embrace Jesus Christ offered in this gospel, that for want of ability came short; and if so, what reason is there to complain? If none want faith but such as would not have Him, and if none that would have Him can complain of their want of Him, upon these two we have great ground of encouragement to them that have a sincere affection to be at Him, and there is no ground for people to sit up or fall lazy in pursuing after union and communion with Him in the use of means. None shall have cause to complain of their want of Him, but such as with their own consent gave Him over; and any that would fain have had Him, shall not miss Him; for this real willingness to close with Christ, being a work of the grace of God, and it being no less power that works this will, than the power which does effectuate the work of conversion, and bring it to perfection; He that begins the work will perfect it according to His promise, seeing there is nothing that He does begin but He does perfect it; and therefore in this case, people had more need to reflect upon their willingness to have Christ, and to close with Him on His own terms, than to dispute their impotency and inability. 2. Consider what they have been whom the Lord has brought through, were they not such as had as much need of grace as you have? Had they not the same corrupt nature that you have? Were they not as impotent and unable to do for themselves? Could any of themselves do more than you can? Consider them all that are before the throne, was it not this same grace of God and not their good nature nor their free will that did the work? And they were not expressly or by name included in the promises more than you are; and you are not expressly excluded more than they were; the Lord brought forward the work of grace in them that same way that He deals with you; by the preaching of His word He brought them first to know their sinfulness, impotency, and weakness, to know that there was need of a Saviour, that their salvation was not of themselves, neither was it in them to make right use of the Saviour and salvation offered, but in the power of His grace, and what if He be doing so to you? And if that condition be hard and hopeless now, it had been a hopeless and hard condition to these many that are now before the throne. 3. Consider, that there is no question but grace is effectual to carry on the work, and to make it go through; all the difficulty and dissatisfaction is, because God keeps the application in His own hand, which the man's heart would have in its hand, and which of them do you think is most sure and encouraging? All your fainting and discouragement resolves in this, because you can do so little; if you be in good earnest desirous to have grace carrying through the work of faith and conversion, would you possibly make choice of another or better hand than God's to put it in? Is it not as suitable and sure, that His wisdom should contrive and lay down the way, as it is to His power to set it forward, and to the freedom of His grace to make application of it, and all more suitable and sure than if it were in your own hand? May you not think shame to be discouraged on this ground, because anything you do you must needs get it from God, and that that should be an obstruction in the way of godliness, which is a main encouragement to it? Is the Lord an upbraider? Is there any that can quarrel Him as niggardly in dispensing of His grace? Does he not give to all men liberally and upbraids no man? And does it not become Him well to have the conduct and guiding of His own grace? 4. Consider how many the Lord has given grace to already, and how He has given it freely, surprisingly, and unexpectedly; if you could bring forth any proof that never one got good of God, you might have a pretext for your discouragement and scaring, but when as many as are before the throne are proofs of His being gracious to sinners, when so many have gotten good of God before you; and when there are several who to your own certain knowledge, are daily getting good of Him sensibly, freely, and unexpectedly, who were as indisposed to believe as you are, and as much fainted and discouraged as you are; and when He says that He is found of them that sought him not; is it not as likely that a poor body that is longing for His grace shall be satisfied as well now as ever? According to that word (Matthew 5:6), Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled; the soul that would fain have holiness shall get it. I know there will be a business made here, and a new objection started, whether this longing or hunger be real or not? But if your longing and hunger be not real, it will not trouble you much to want; and it is not to encourage or comfort such that have no real longing, that all this is spoken; we know there is more need to make some vomit up the conceit of their ability, than to encourage them against any seen and felt inability. There are many, alas! that think little of the grace of God, with whom the error about universal grace would agree well, they having a presumptuous conceit of faith, and that it is not so difficult a thing to believe as is alleged; we must profess that we have not much to say to such for their encouragement, only we would let them know, that there is a time coming when God will refute and silence them. But as for such as see their inability, and are put to any measure of suitable seriousness and longing in earnest after believing, the Lord allows that they be strengthened and encouraged, and to such we would say this, if their missing of Jesus Christ weighs on them, if it be their burden that they cannot believe, and if their longing, hunger, and thirst be some pain and piece of exercise to them, so as other things relish not with them, they are so taken up with that; and if they had their soul's choice, it would be this, even a satisfying sight of union and communion with Him; their longing and hunger is real, and we may turn over that just now cited word to them, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. This hunger and thirst was never begotten without some spiritual physic from Christ the great Physician, who has provision for satisfying it, and as we use to say, of the natural life, He sent never the mouth but He sent the meat with it, so we may say of this hunger, He that gives this spiritual mouth, gives always the meat with it. Would to God there were many enlarged appetites to receive, our Lord would no doubt be found ready to satisfy them all; if the mouth were wide opened, the affections enlarged, and the soul sick under hunger and thirst for Christ and holiness, that sickness should not be found to be to death, but to the glory of the grace of Him who is the great Healer.

For the third thing that we proposed, to wit, that seeing there are many ways how folk may go wrong, and yet none should give over hope, what is the native use and exercise that this doctrine calls for? I shall speak to this, first in general, and secondly, in some few steps or particular directions. 1. Then in general, you would consider that place, (Philippians 2:12-13): Work out the work of your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure; where it is clear, that the exhortation given to them to work out their salvation is drawn from this same doctrine of the efficacious work of God's grace, working in them to will and to do as the great motive; God says he works in you to will and to do, therefore work you out the work of your own salvation. There are in this general exhortation four things implied: the first is the very entry or beginning of the work of salvation, that is, the exercising of faith in Jesus Christ; it is of God, therefore work at that work, as if he said, Believe to the saving of your souls, as the word is (Hebrews 10, final verse), for it's God that works the will in you. The second is the work of repentance; this is also taken in here, for his bidding them work in fear and trembling respects their sinfulness, and necessarily implies repentance. The third is their aiming at perfection in holiness, the putting forth themselves in improving of all means, and in the exercising of all duties for that end — work out, says he. And fourthly, it looks to the manner, that it be not carnally or in carnal confidence, but with fear and trembling. And if it should be asked, how does that conclusion flow from this doctrine — it's God's work, or he works in you to will and to do, therefore work you out your salvation? Folk would rather think that the conclusion should be, since God does all this, do you nothing. No, but the just contrary conclusion is drawn and it hangs on these two. 1. On the efficacy of grace: it's God that works to will and to do, it's his grace that strengthens you, and where he works the will, he works the deed; where he begins a work, he will also bring through and effectuate it — therefore take you encouragement to work; as if he had said, fight well, for you have a brave second, though it be not proper to call grace a second; set yourselves to the exercise of holiness in earnest, and God will make it go with you. 2. On the consideration of sinfulness and weakness in them, which should make them work in fear and trembling, as if he had said, seeing it is God, and the efficacy of his grace that does the work, be not you vain and presumptuous; the first part says, it's God that works and not you, therefore be you the more holily confident; the second part says, it's not you but God, and therefore do the work with fear and trembling; and both tend to this, that folk would be serious in minding and prosecuting the work of their salvation from the first step to the last, in fear and trembling, on this ground, that though they have nothing in themselves, yet there is enough in God and in his grace to do their turn. How is it then, or what can be the reason, that we in our hearts do draw the just contrary conclusion to that which the Spirit of God draws here from this ground? When we have the offer of grace, and hear of the power and efficacy of it, it should as to our part provoke us to be more busy, reasoning thus with ourselves, that though our corruption will soon overcome us, yet it will not, it cannot overcome grace; and though the exercise of faith be above our reach, yet it is not above the reach of grace, though we be weak, yet grace is strong, and therefore we will work it out. And upon the other side, we ought to continue humble, and in fear and trembling work it out, because it's not we but grace that does the work. If grace were well considered, there is nothing that would more strengthen folk's hands to work; and upon the other hand, there is nothing that would make folk more watchful, and to walk in holy fear, considering that we are poor beggars, and through our unwatchfulness, or conceit and presumption, may mar the outlettings of his grace, especially if we grow secure, and ungratefully forget what we receive from him.

2. I come now to some steps or particular directions implied in this use, because it will be asked, What then should folk do? And before I touch on particulars, take these two caveats in the entry to them. 1. That we can propose nothing to be done by you, neither can you do anything of yourselves that is a gracious act or deed. 2. That we understand not that anything can be done by men in their natural state, that does infer or procure, and far less deserve the giving of grace to any; but seeing God has given direction to us how to walk in order to the working out of our salvation, we say: 1. That it's safe for us to walk in the way he has directed us to walk in, and in the use of the means he has prescribed, and much more safe than to lay them aside. 2. That there is greater suitableness between the use of the means, and the finding of grace, than there is between the neglect of means and the finding of it. 3. That it agrees well with God's way in bringing about the conversion of sinners, to bring them piece by piece forward; sometimes bringing them to the use of external means, and to the performance of outward duties, sometimes convincing them of sin, and letting them see their need of Christ; sometimes discovering the worth that is in Christ, and bringing them to fall in love with him, before they actually close with him; and making them in their practice to follow any peep or glimmering of light that is let out to them, and to go the length that light discovers the way and makes it plain as to their duty.

Now for particular directions, we would first bid you study to be fixed and established in the faith of these general truths that relate to man's sinfulness and misery, and insufficiency in himself, that in us, that is, in our flesh dwells no good thing; that naturally we are dead in sins and trespasses, and cannot quicken ourselves; and in the faith of the necessity and powerfulness of grace, and that it's Christ that must give and work faith, and that grace can do the turn, and prevail where it is put on work. You should also consider, and believe the great hazard of missing grace, and the advantage that comes by it; you should meditate on these things, and on the Scriptures that hold them out; and on the experiences of the saints that confirm them, that you may not only have a glance and transient view of them, but may be confirmed in the faith of the truth of them. Second, content not yourselves with a general faith of the truth of this doctrine, but labor to be suitably affected with these things that you believe; and though every affectedness be not special grace, yet I speak to them that are ready to lay the blame and fault on the grace of God, and yet were never affected with their own gracelessness: you should study to be affected with the gracelessness of your nature, and let it put you to some sanctified disquiet and trouble, till with Ephraim, you be made to smite upon your thigh, and till you be put to a holy deliberation and consultation about your own condition. A man that is under the hazard of a civil penalty, will think on it again and again, it will affect him, and he will not be at rest till he be without the reach of it; much more should you be with the hazard that your souls are in through sin; you are not excusable, so long as you come not this length. Third, add to this, diligence in the use of all outward means and duties, whereby, and wherein the Lord uses to communicate His grace, abounding always in the work of the Lord, as the Apostle exhorts (1 Corinthians 15:58). Be diligent in secret prayer, reading, meditation, conference, self-examination, hearing, keeping good company, and the like, which indeed hypocrites may do, yet they cease not for that to be duties. Fourth, be sincere and serious in the use and performance of these means and duties, that which I mean, is a moral sincerity and seriousness, such as a man will readily have in a civil cause that he has depending before a civil judge, or in hearing of news, or the like, which is a thing that may be, and is often found in men that are void of a principle of grace, and yet people are very often defective in this, and make themselves exceeding guilty before God, because they come not this length. Fifth, take heed and beware of entertaining anything that holds and bars out grace, or of doing anything that may mar or quench the working or moving of grace; if you cannot get Christ entertained in your heart as you should, be sure to give it to no other; if you cannot get corruption thrust out, nor mortified, watch against the rising or harboring of that which you know to be corruption; and against the incoming or rising of such evils, as you know will keep or put away the Beloved; guard also against the neglecting of such means, as by the neglect of which you may grieve His Spirit. Sixth, study and seek after a composed frame of spirit in your ordinary walk, and especially in duties of worship: carnal mirth and jollity, loose company, and suffering the heart to go a whoring after the things of the world, do not only provoke Christ as they are sins, but indispose us for duty, and mar the exercise of grace where it is, and keep it back where it is not, therefore the wise man says (Ecclesiastes 7:3) that sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. Carnal sorrow is not to be commended, but sober sadness, or a grave and composed frame of spirit, is better than a light and unsettled frame, it being very hard, if not impossible to keep the heart right even where there is grace, but where there is some counterpoise or wither-weight; and it must be far more impossible to keep it right where the work of grace is not, or but in the very first beginnings of it; and though I do not call this composedness of frame, grace, yet it keeps people in some capacity, as it were, to receive grace. It's said (Lamentations 3:27-28) that it's good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth, he sits alone and keeps silence, because he has born it upon him, he puts his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; for though crosses are not always blessed to conversion, yet we may see now and then that sad times are the beginnings of better times, and even in hypocrites their sad times ordinarily are their best times. I neither desire nor allow any to bring crosses upon themselves, yet I would desire all to make the best use of any cross they are under, and to be acquainting themselves with their sin and infirmities, and with their hazard, and with such other things as may weight and compose them without fostering discouragement and anxiety; and to love as well to speak and hear such things spoken of, as may provoke to sighing and sadness, as these that may provoke to laughter. I said of laughter (says Solomon, Ecclesiastes 2:2) it is mad, and of mirth what does it? And (Proverbs 14:13) even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness: though often times our laughter may not be so sinful, yet it readily more indisposes us for any spiritual duty, than sorrow does; the heart is like a clock, whereof, when the inner wheels are set a reeling, it is not soon righted and settled. Seventh, I would propose Ephraim's example to you (Jeremiah 31:18-19) and desire that you would in the fight and sense you have of your sinfulness, weakness, and fecklessness, be bemoaning yourselves and your sad condition to God, putting up that prayer to Him, Turn me and I shall be turned. These words flowing from suitable sense are good; and then follows, after that I was turned, I repented. It's notable, that in the very entry he is graciously taken notice of by the Lord, Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; so it is with God's people when they consider how great strangers they have been to God, how sinful and stubborn, and how impossible it is for them to mend themselves of themselves, they retire themselves into some corner, and there bemoan their case, and cry out, O! what a sinful nature is this, and when will it be got amended? I am as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, says Ephraim, and the Lord tells, He heard and observed it; when possibly he thought he was scarcely, if at all praying, but rather sighing out as it were a short ejaculation to God, O! that I were amended. The last word of his prayer is, Turn me and I shall be turned, or convert me, and I shall be converted; he sees that when all is done, he must cleanse his hands and leave the matter to God, I cannot, but you can work the work, and it ends sweetly in words of faith, for you are the Lord my God, and where words of faith are after serious exercise, that exercise has often times faith going along with it. Hence are these words (Lamentations 3:20) if so be there may be hope: (Psalm 119) Incline my heart, open my eyes, etc. and (Luke 9:13) how much more will your heavenly Father give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? It's good to pray for the efficacy of grace, and to offer ourselves subjects to be wrought upon, and objects to receive what grace offers to us.

As we began these directions with a word of caution, so we would close them; Do not think that these things in a natural man, following this sinful course, will bring forth grace; neither conclude, that where these things only are discerned and no more in some persons, that there grace is wanting, it being to help such forward that we mainly speak to them. Only in sum, 1. Keep clean and clear the light you have. 2. Improve the strength bestowed. And 3. What you have not, put it over on God, and seek from Him, who has grace to give for working that in you; and it would seem that in reason you should refuse none of these three. 1. We say, Keep clean and clear your light, for if you detain the truth of God in unrighteousness, and make as it were a prisoner of it, by setting a guard of corrupt affections about it, you may bring on blindness. 2. Improve what strength you have, for if you improve not your strength, were it but in natural parts and endowments, that makes you inexcusable when spiritual and gracious qualifications are denied to you, for you have procured this to yourselves; are there not many things that you thought yourselves able for, that you never seriously once essayed, much more might have been done as to repentance, love to God, charity to others, and the like; and when you have not stretched yourselves to the utmost in these, there are sure many things left undone that you might have done. 3. What you [reconstructed: do] not do, or find yourselves unable to do, put it on God to do for you, seriously, humbly, singly, and self-deniedly; for if you come not to God with that which you are unequal and unable for, you are still on this side your duty and without excuse. Take these then together, Improve any strength you have according to any measure of light God has given you, and coming to God through Jesus Christ, seek that you want from him, and leave the acceptation of your persons and of your performances on Him. This is the result of all that we have spoken of this doctrine of grace, that you may not take occasion from the way of God's dispensing grace, to continue graceless, which if you do, it will be ground of a most grievous challenge against you; but that you may see an excellent consistency between the sovereignty of grace, and your going about the means appointed of God in order to faith and conversion, and the study of holiness; and that you may go on in the use of these means, with an eye to grace, in the sense of your own insufficiency to think as of yourselves, so much as a good thought, leaving all your duties at Christ's feet, walking before him with a stopped mouth; when anything is wanting, standing at his door and begging it from him, and when anything is received, cleansing, to say so, your own hands of it, and giving him all the thanks, praise, and glory of it. To him be praise forever.