to God at the time and in the work of Conversion when there is a sanctifying change wrought in a person when he is of a Sinner made a Saint and of an Enemy a Friend of God This is evident from that speech of our Saviour to Saul Acts 26. 17 18. I do now senâ—… thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God from ignorance to knowledge from Idolatry and wickedness to the owning acknowledging worshipping anâ—… serving of God Converting Grace is the begetting of a Soul to God thâ—… bringing of the Prodigal Son to his Father the reducting of the lost anâ—… wandering Sheep home to its fold and this is the first return this is thâ—… first step until this be taken the Soul is not only far from God but whicâ—… is both its sin and misery it is going further and further from him Foâ—… every act of sin is a step from God and a continued course of sin is a constant departure from him As men sin against God more and more so they do revolt from God more and more while they add to sin they add tâ—… backslide But in Conversion there is a returning to him this sets facâ—… and heart God-ward and now the feet are guided into the way of peace Thrice happy you that have thus returned this is the beginning of youâ—… life As the Father said with joy concerning his returning Prodigal This mâ—… Son was dead but he is alive and this is the beginning of your blessedness Therefore Peter Preaching to the Jews told them Acts 3 26. That unto theâ—… first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless them in turninâ—… away every one of them from their iniquities Yea my Friends whatsoeveâ—… cheats are put upon you by the Father of Lies and your own self-deceivinâ—… hearts you will never be a blessed people till you are turned from youâ—… iniquities till then you are under guilt and wrath and a curse but a turnâ—… ing from iniquity is a returning unto God The turning you from sin iâ—… the breaking down of that middle wall of partition which did before staâ—… between God and you Let me therefore speak to you O sinners in thâ—… same words that Pâ—…ter used Acts 3. 19. Repent ye and be converted thâ—… your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from tâ—… presence of the Lord. Secondly There is a further return unto God in the actings exercisâ—… and increases of grace for though there be a turning to God in the firâ—… Conversion yet we must not stop there returning to him ought to be thâ—… â—…earer to morrow and â—…o nearer and nearer every day Now as every â—…ct of sin is a step from God so every act of grace is a step to God Faith â—…aiseth the Soul above the things that are seen and mounts it up as upon â—…he wings of an Eagle Love carrieth the Soul up as in a fiery Chariot a pure and holy flame so that it dwelleth in God and God in it Ardent and importunate desires are the feet upon which the Soul runs out to God and followeth hard after him and the more the Soul tramples upon the things that are below and by acts of self-denial goeth out of it self the more doth it find it self in God And so it is with reference to the happy additions which it makes to the grace it hath the more it grows in grace the more doth it grow up unto God All the improvements it makes in grace are blessed progressâ—…s in its way to God that is indeed going from strength to strength till it appear before God in Sion Psal. 84. Oh who is there that considers this that would be retrograde in his motions and languishing and decaying in spirituals who would be content to stand at a â—…ay who would not be possessed with and acted by a spirit of holy covetousness always receiving out of the â—…lness of Christ and yet always begging and while he draws up one Bucket-full letting down another for more Remember it O Christians the more you are as by the Spirit of the Lord changed from grace to grace the more considerable advances you make from lower to higher degrees of holiness the more will you be transformed in the spirit of your mind and changed from glory to glory the more will you have in you of a Divine Nature and the more of the Divine Image upon you In a word by this means you will come to have a greater conformity and likeness unto God and so a sweeter communion and intimacy with him So then this is a further return unto God this is a getting nearer and nearer to him and truly this should be the work of every day This is that which we should have in our designs and aims in all the holy duties that we perform and in all the precious Ordinances upon which we do attend that by every one of them we may have a lift given us and he brought more over and more close to God than we as yet are Thirdly There is a return to God at death So the Royal Preacher tells us Eccles. 12. 7. The dust shall return to the Earth as it was of that it was made and into that it shall be resolved When once the Soul leaves it the body drops into the grave and there first it putrifies and at length it crumbles but the Spirit shall return unto God that gave it All the Souls of Men and Women one and other both the good and the bad shall at death be upon their return whether with their will or against it this must be done They did at first come from God when they were formed he created them he infused them he united them to the body and when that union shall be dissolved when Death shall uâ—…ie the knot and snap the hand asunder then doth the spirit return to God The polluted and regenerate Souls of wicked men shall in all their guilt filth and deformity â—…eturn to God that they may from him receive their final and irreversible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malefactors carried into a dungeon of darkness the bottomless Pit where there is unquenchable fire to torment them but not the least beam of ligâ—… to comfort and refresh them and so they shall be punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes. 1. And the Souls of Saints which have been washed from theâ—… filthiness in the blood of the Lamb and had their nature changed theâ—… principles made holy and their beauty perfect through Christs comelineâ—… put upon them shall also then return unto God as their reconciled Friend and everlasting Father to be by him received gratiously heartily welcom'd and put into those glorious Mansionâ—… which have been designed and prepared for them in which they shall enjoy
endear him to us and higâ—… ly commend him and accordingly draw us to him and inflame our desiâ—… and longings after an immediate communion more and more If men wâ—… but give themselves leave to consider and wâ—…igh all things in a just ballanâ—… they will find and be constrained to acknowledge that there is no solid 〈◊〉 sufficient reason nay not so much as the shadow of a reason in all Goâ—… carriages to his people why any one should go away from him Therefoâ—… when upon the subducting of many of his common hearers our Savioâ—… propounded to his Disciples this Question Will ye also go away Peter 〈◊〉 the name of the rest made this reply Lord to whom shall we go We are well as we are find such Love and Sweetness and good entertainment wâ—… thee that we do not know in all the world where we can mend our selvâ—… where we shall be better nay where we may be so well for with thee alâ—… are the words of eternal life And as there is no reason why any should go 〈◊〉 way from him so in case any have been so foolish and imprudent and enâ—… mies to themselves as to go away there is no reason at all why they shâ—… stay away Indeed if such deserters do return it must be with shame aâ—… blushing And that they may thank their former folly for they had 〈◊〉 thousand times better come to shame than not come to God But as was saâ—… there is no reason for their staying away altogether Ier. 2. 31. O Geneâ—… tion see the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel or a Lâ—… of darkness wherefore say my people VVe are Lords we will come no more unâ—… thee How now Israel what is the meaning of this language why have yâ—… taken up such an hasty resolution What is it that doth displease yoâ—… Wherein have I offended you charge me if you can what have I 〈◊〉 or what have I done what cause I have given you What will you coâ—… ter In this case sinners must be speechless or they will not be able to say any thing to purpose Whereas on the other side there is a great deal of reason why those that have gone from him should return to him Assoon as ever the Prodigal came to himself he thought it his best and wisest course to go to his Father And there is also highest reason why those that live here in his love and fear should desire to go from hence that they may live with him in his Kingdom and Glory In the remainder of this discourse I shall speak only concerning the Souls return to God at death and its willing and chearful readiness so to do Christians let me suppose you standing upon the Worlds higher ground having the Sun of prosperity shining upon your Tabernacle with waters of a full Cup wrung out unto you Let your conditions here be never so full and pleasant your life never so sweet not made up of nights of trouble and months of vanity but all good and halcyon let your enjoyments be never so abounding and your Communion with God never so close and intimate though your peace be as a River and your righteousness in the delightful fruits thereof as the Waves of the Sea yet this should not glue and fasten you to the World in the midst of all this your heart should be weaned and willing to be gone as knowing this is not your rest Peter is looked upon as forgetting himself when upon the transfiguration of Christ he said Lord it is good to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles c. Where saith one there are plura absurda quam verba more absurdities than there are words Paul that had been in the third Heaven was not for building but for the pulling down and dissolving of the Tabernacle Nay the comfortable enjoyments which you have now and Gods dealing bountifully with you at present both in temporals andSpirituals should make you willing and desirous to be gone that you may know what the best will be whensoever God is pleased to call for you and by that grim Messenger Death saith come up hither you should with gladness and rejoycing say Go my Soul make no tarrying shew no lothness but with a smile and holy transport take thy last farewel of all these Earthly Friends and Enjoyments of all these sublunary drossie delights and welcom the Messenger that is sent for thee though he should handle thy body roughly yet let patience have its perfect work and take it kindly because thou shalt return to thy rest and quickly be with that God from whom thou didst first come whose face thou shalt behold in righteousness Now that gracious and bountiful dealing which you have found at his hand all the time that you have spent in the world notwithstanding your ill deservings and unanswerable walkings may very well contribute greatly to this willingness and be a mighty encouragement as they do strongly oblige you to duty here so they should do more than reconcile you to a departure hence That I hope will appear evidently to you upon a threefold account First This bountiful dealing of God with you is a plain and evident demonstration of that fulness which is in him by the liberality of his hand you may judge something of the greatness of his stock Who is a God like what a blessed exchange do you make when you come to die You leave a company of broken Cisterns that are little and leaking can hold no water but frequently fail your expectations and leave you at that loss they find you in and then you go to a living Fountain that is ever full and overflowing You go out of an earthly Clay Cottage which is crazy and tottering and the keeping of it in repair puts you to a great deal of trouble and charge and when you have done your utmost it must tumble and then you take possession of an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens whose builder and maker is God and which was by him made for the place of his everlasting residence the habitation of his holiness and glory so that by all you part with here you will be no losers but change unspeakably to your advantage Are there any of you that have got good hope through grace that have had your Faith of Adherence crowned with that of Assurance one would rationally conclude you as willing to go to Heaven as Israel was to see Egypt upon their backs which had been to them an house of bondage and great servitude or to make haste through an howling and inhospitable Wilderness that they might come to a Canaan a Land of desire flowing with Milk and Honey I beseech you Christians seriously to reflect upon things that are past and consider what doth now come from God what you have received since you did accept and embrace an offered Iesus and what you are still receiving How
many common mercies than the least of which you are less and how many special mercies upon which you may read Love you are not able to number them being more than the hairs upon your heads How many messages of peace have been brought to you by his Ministers and Spirit How many comfortable Answers hath he given so that you have been constrained to say He hath not turned away your prayer nor his mercy from you How many rich tokens hath he blest you with every one of greater value than an Orient Pearl or glistering Diamond How many marks of Covenant-favour hath he set upon you In short how often and how greatly hath he made your Souls to rejoyce and your Hearts to leap within you and then how well may you argue thus with your selves If there be so much coming from God what is there in God If there be such conveyances made by the Pipes of Ordinances and Duties what is there in him in whom are all my Springs If messages be so delicious what are the closest embraces If there be such beams at a distance such comfortable beams and vital influences communicated in this state of absence what light and life what beauty and glory is there in the Eternal Sun Secondly From this bountiful dealing of God with you you may argue to his liberality and the singular pleasure which he takes in giving forth of that his fulness to his People which is infinitely beyond the delight of the most affectionate Mother in drawing her full and pained Breast to her sucking and smiling Infant Death it is true will carry you from all your enjoyments in this World it will strip you to your skins and not so much you do now taste the greatest sweetness and from which you fetch your greatest comfort You must shake hands with faithful Friends dearest Relations and Possessions your places and preferments your worldly honours and preheminences will know you no more If a man die saith Iob shall he live again Yes he shall but not in the same place not in the same state not to the same ends and purposes that he did before But what of all that if you be such as you ought to be and mind that for which you were sent hither you shall at death go directly to him who is able to do for you far more abundantly than all these things could do and to supply all your needs according to his riches in glory and since he is able you may by the sufficient warrant both of his Promise and your own Experiences say I am sure also that he will do it That God who hath been so good so exceeding good to you here you have no reason to question but he will be as good to you there You have seen how mindful he is of his Covenant and faithful to his Promises how much his heart is set upon your good his name is I am though the Heavens wax old like a garment and shall be chang'd as a Vesture yet he is always the same without any variableness or shadow of turning as great as ever as full as ever yea and as good as ever It is not strange that good old Iacob and all his family were forward to go into Egypt when Ioseph who had already been so kind to them sent this encouraging invitation Come to me for I will give you the good of the Land of Egypt and you shall eat the fat of the Land regard not your stuff for the good of all the Land of Egypt is before you Oh! saith the Text when they had told him all the words of Joseph and when he saw the Waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him his spirit revived and he said It is enough Joseph is yet alive I will go and see him Gen. 45. 27 28. How much more may you be of the same mind how much more readily may you set up your Sail for the other World when God saith Come my Son my Daughter come away come to me regard not your stuff all the good of Heaven is before you And when you see the Messenger that must carry you hence you may take Heart this may be as they are wont to say a lightning before death my God is still alive and my Saviour still alive and he lives for evermore I will go and see him and live with him I can tell what he is I am sure he hath been a loving God to me and that he delighteth in mercy I have many and many a time tasted that he is gracious and therefore I will not fear him now Since mercy and goodness have followed me all the days of my life I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever What though I am going to another world yet I shall be with the same God and blessed are they that dwell in his house for they are still praising Heaven whither I am to go is filled with glory and admiration and rings with Allelujahs And then which follows hereupon Thirdly These bountiful dealings of God with his people are a very firm and solid foundation upon which they may without fear build their comfortable hopes and expectations for Eternity Mercies to such are like pay the debts she owed and upon the rest she was to live So in mercies which you receive from God there is the mercy it self to answer the present occasion to discharge the present expence and then there is the experience to live upon for the future Thus the Saints have argued from Gods former dealings with them to his further dealings with them So David did 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me from the paw of the Lion and out of the Paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And such were the noble and heroick actings of Pauls faith he having received the same Spirit of Faith and being at that time under the like influence 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. We had the Sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver And the like we meet with in Psal. 23. 5 6. Thou preparest a Table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest mine head with Oyl my Cup runneth over But possibly David this will not last God hath done all for thee that he intends he will now stay his hand nay but saith he I am certain that he will not Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life Thus they have argued unto further mercies in time and you may take a further reach and argue from your present experiences to mercies for Eternity Psal. 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield That our sense speaks him to be We are now refreshed with his beams and secured by his shadow but what will he be and