obey the present voice of Christ yet thou shalt obey the other voice at that day I must wind up this point with a word of Exhortation CHAP. 43. How we ought to have the word Vse 1. SEEing God and Christ doth speak to us in the Ministery of the word Let us come with other manner of thoughts to hear the word than hertofore we have done I remember I spake before that the word cannot be effectual til we come to know the voice of Christ in it as in that of Samuel I wil give you another text to shew what an admirable effect it wil work upon the hearts of men and women if they come to hear the preachings of the word as the voice of God and Christ and that is in Acts 10.33 You shal find there that Cornelius had sent for Peter to come to him imediately Therefore I sent to thee and thou hast wel done that thou art come Now therefore are we al here present before God to hear althings that are commanded thee of God Here is a gracious disposition of heart in Cornelius a souldier and other Souldiers and friends that he had Presently when Peter came now saith he are we here al present before God to hear al things that are commanded thee of God and we al here entertaine whatsoever thou shalt reveal to us from God as the word of God then Peter indeed preached with a courage and when people shal by their behavior with that reverence and affection attend as if they did attend to know something of the mind of God this encourages a preacher and then assoon as ever Peter had done his Sermon nay before he had done his Sermon the text saith in verse 44. That while Peter yet spake these words the holy spirit fel upon al them which heard the word No marvil they came with such a disposition of heart We are here al of us to know and heare what is commanded of God comming with such a frame of spirit Now while Peter was yet speaking the holy spirit fel on them which were to heare the word and so it wil be with you when you are alone before you come say Oh Lord that thou wouldest speak to my heart even so as you have it in Isa 2. Come let us go up to the house of the Lord. An excellent speech for those that are comming to hear in Isa 2.2 There is a prophesie of the times of the Gospel there is an excellent resolution an excellent temper of heart for people that are going to hear sermons come ye let us go up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he wil teach us of his waies and we wil walk in his paths We are al here to hear what God wil say to us when at any time there is any truth made known to you you should receive it with such an affection God this day hath revealed some part of his mind that I did not find to be so before and when you hear of any sin revealed you should bless God and say the Lord hath met with my heart this day Oh! think it not an evil but bless God that Christ wil think of thee And so thou shouldest behave thy selfe Is there an exhortation to any duty God and Jesus Christ hath exhorted thee this day thou shouldest look upon it as if God and Christ hath been a perswading and exhorting thee and is there any word of comfort and promise applied unto thee thou shouldest look upon it as if God and Jesus Christ had spoken a word of comfort to thy heart this day Oh! if you would come with such a disposition as to receive al from God and Jesus Christ then you may expect that the Holy Spirit should fal upon you No marvail though when people come through custom and meerly because others come or through some other vaine respect that then they come and go away and never feel any work of the Holy Spirit But such as come with teachable hearts they may expect that the holy Spirit should come and fal upon them When the very people of Niniveh did repent they beleeved God so then the stoutest and proudest heart yea and the hardest heart in the world if it comes to beleeve God then it wil repent I am the willinger to be the more large in this because this Sermon may make profitable many other Sermons and for want of that true work of this point upon your hearts it is that so many Sermons do so little good CHAP. 56. The third Doctrine propounded in the 45. Chapter prosecuted Viz. The excellency of the Gospel make the Ministers earnest in their Ministration THe former part of this verse treated of several Conclusions in it A third Doctrine propounded in the 45 Chapter is That the consideration of the excellency of the Gospel that is committed to the Ministers of it to preach makes them that are faithful to be very earnest in their Ministration Now unto us is committed the word of Reconciliation Now then we are Embossadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ stead c. Now then upon this that the word of Reconciliation is committed to us and we pray you in Christ stead O! it is this that puts us on to the earnestness that you see in us First that the consideration of the excellency of the Gospel that is committed to the Ministers of it is that that should make them earnest in their ministration and to labor with al their might to draw people to that love of the Gospel The same that you have heard in this Chapter you have it again in the beginning of the next Chapter The Apostle having the word again and again that it is the Ministry of Reconciliation that is committed to them After that he tels them that he beseeches and prayes in Christs stead then he comes over it again in the beginning of the next Chapter as if he had not done enough O this Ministry of Reconciliation it is the Garce of God unto people O we beseech you saith the Apostle Do not recive this Grace of God in vain the Apostles so other faithful Ministers satisfie not themselves meerly in performing a task yet they can come speak an hour and speak to people such things as may please their Ears but they look after what they do to be solicitous and earnest for fear it should be in vain O! then we as Embassadors c. And I wil shew you another Text that is very remarkable in the 1. Col. 25. I am made a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God and then he fals a commending of this Ministry of his in the Mystery that hath bin hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to the Saints It may be carnal hearts look upon it as a mad and
GOSPEL-RECONCILIATION OR CHRISTS TRVMPET OF Peace to the World Wherein is shewed besides many other Gospel Truth 1. That there was a Breach made between God and Man 2. That there is away to make up this Breach 3 Reconciliation opened in eight Particulars Twelve blessed Consequences thereof How to know whether a Mans peace be made with God Five Helps to make our peace with God 4. God begins the Work of Reconciliation with man 5 Our Reconciliation with God is by Christ How Christ is a fit Reconciler Christ hath undertaken 1. To satisfie Gods Justice 2. To bring our hearts and subdue them to God 6 Gods reconciling the World to himself 7 Why God will not himself immediately dispence this Gospel Reconciliation 8 The Ministers of the Gospel are Embassadors of Christ What kind of Ministry God speaks most in How we ought to hear the Word The horrible wickedness of those that are idle in the Ministry 9 The exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Sixteen Arguments manifesting Gods exceeding willingness to be reconciled to sinners 10 Christs willingness to be reconciled to sinners further opened 11 Objections Answered concerning the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners To which is added two Sermons By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS Published with a Testimony By Thomas Goodwin William Bridge William Greenhil Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley London Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller at the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1657. A Testimony to the World concerning several Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs that are Printing and wil shortly be Published WHat we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now to give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on the 2 Corinthians the 5. chapter the 18. 19. and 20. verses Hos 2.14 Prov. 16.31 Math. 11.28.29.30 Which are or wil shortly be Printed We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author and published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil William Bridge Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderly The Names of Books printed by Peter Cole Printer and Bookseller of London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there is also shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before it can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is while this Life last and the Gospel continue 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the Word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin before the heart can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to sight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terible to a guilty conscience 10 Gross and scandalous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the heart of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prise and covet deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Six Books more of Mr. Hookers in two Volums in Quarto are printing Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3 Impressions with and without Word 4 Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8.
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners This is the sum of the ministery of reconciliation when we come to bring this unto you we do not expect al acceptation to open your hearts and hands to receive in this work of reconciliation into you as we read of Noah when he was tossed up and down the Sea after many dayes he put forth a dove and she brought in an Olive branch Now this you know is an Embleme of peace Noah opened the window of the Arke and took in the Dove with the Olive branch and al those that come to preach the Gospel unto you they come with the Olive branch in their mouths and the truth is you are as it were upon the Sea floting up and down and we come unto you with an Olive branch in our mouthes like Noahs Dove Oh then open your windows and receive it saith the prophet Oh how beautiful are the feet of them that bring good tidings of peace and as you read in Rom. 10.15 Their very feet should be beautiful unto you It is so prophecied of among the Prophets and it is made use of in the new Testament and if you find your hearts opened and accepting of it and rejoyce and bless God for it then you fulfil that prophesie and then the feet of those messengers are beautiful in your eyes that is the work that you should come for when you come to hear a Sermon You should think this day am I comming to hear somewhat of the work of reconciliation between God and my soul and when people come to the word to expect somthing concerning this peace with God and when they heare any such thing Oh then they should bless the name of God Some come to the word to hear some witty sentences and for discourse though the maine thing is that you should come to hear somthing about the reconciliation of God to your souls and you should watch for such a word al the while the minister is opening the point Oh! but when wil the word of peace be opened from God to my soul And when you hear that word Oh! you should embrace it and receive it as in Psal 58. I wil hearken what the Lord wil say for he wil speak peace unto my soul so should every poor afflicted conscience say I wil hearken this day when Christ wil speak peace to my soul The Lord by his word speak peace unto you and make that which we preach in opening the things of the Gospel to bee a powerful ministery of reconciliation unto your souls CHAP. 44. I have treated about what commission is given unto the Ministers of the Gospel and there is one great thing that I would have you observe that we take no notice of how the Apostle again again speaks of this as making account that it is one of the greatest things that concerns the world that ever was for saith he in v. 18. Al things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ hath given unto us the Ministery of reconciliation But he had not enough of that but he comes over it again to wit that God was in Christ reconcileing the world that God reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ hath given unto us the Ministery of reconciliation that is in the 18. v. that is God is reconciling himself unto the world in Jesus Christ again the same is in the 19. verse And hath Committed unto us the word of reconciliation shewing that it is a matter of great consequence it is a great trust that is commited to the Ministers of the Gospel the word of Reconciliation and there I shewed you how you were therefore to enertain the Ministers of the Gospel beautiful should the Feet be of those that bring glad tidings c. That comes from God with this Commission this Doctrine of Reconciliation in their mouths as Noah put forth his hand and took in the Dove with the Olive branch So when a Minister comes with this Olive leafe in his Mouth the Ministry of Reconciliation you must open your hearts and take it in A word or two more about this This you have heard at large is the great work of the ministers of the Gospel to bring unto you the Doctrine of Reconciliation howsoever it may be folishness before the world yet it is the great Ordinance whereby God wil bring men to be reconciled unto himself those that he hath a purpose to save Here is now a work to treat with you about reconciling your Souls to God to open to you the Counsels of God about bringing you to be at peace with him Use 1. See what a wicked wretched world this is that cannot bear the Ministers of the Gospel Hence then see what a wicked and wretched world is this that cannot bear the Ministers of the Gospel When this is al the work that they come about this errand unto them in the name of God to treat with them only to make peace between God and their Souls here is al the Errand and yet the world cannot bear this If they came as the Messengers of Gods wrath against them then indeed the world might look sourly upon them and seek to avoid them but when they come about no other Errand but meerly to treat with their Souls about terms of peace that the world should not recceive them but reject the Gospel and despise it and look upon the Ministers of the Gospel as if they were their greatest enemies This is a most wretched wicked world and there is nothing in the world that can aggravate the sins of menmore then this that they should reject the Ministry of the Gospel Saith God What when I shal send the Minsters of the Gospel my servants to treat with these wretched Creatures about making peace between me and them and they shal reject this certainly God expects that wheresoever he sends the Ministry of the Gospel generally al people should admire at the grace of God that is made known to them in Christ and they should al come in and even cry to God Lord What is it thou dost require what Is there any Messenger from Heaven come Now let us give up our hearts as a blank paper let God write in them whatsoever he pleaseth he doth not expect that men should rise in a rage against the word and cast it of as that that brings trouble upon them how infinitely are men mtstaken in this to think that the preaching of the Gospel is a trouble to the world to whom it is the greatest happiness that can be in this world And if you knew it you would bless God for it even with your faces groveling upon the ground that such a commission was given to your brethren to come from God to treat in his name about termes of Reconciliation with you the Sons of men What hurt is it the Ministers of the Gospel do unto men that they should be
effectually work that makes the effectual working upon the heart when the people receive the word as the word of God And the 4 Gal. 14. Mark how the Galatians received the Apostle saith he there And my tentation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Here he speaks in way of commendation of the Galatians you receive me as an Angel of God even as Jesus Christ as if you had received Christ Jesus and mark the Apostle was in a poor mean condition in respect of his outward estate My tentation that was in my flesh In my outward man I was very low and this might have been a tentation to you for to have caused you to have rejected me when I spake Oh! this hath been a tentation to many men because the preacher is an Earthen Vessel though he hath brought the right treasure of the Gospel yet this hath been a tentation But saith he it was not so with you you received me though poor weak a mean man that had scarce bread to eate yet you received me as an Angel of God yea beyond that as Christ Jesus himself But yet you shal observe in the next words that it seems their hearts began to be drawn aside iâ— the 15. vers There was a time when I came first amongst you when you wer ready to have pluct out your very eyes for me and you cryed out O! this blessed doctrine of the gospel that we now hear but where is the blessedness It seems that some fals teachers had come and inveigled them and had taken them off from the Apostle Oh! Where is the blessedness you spake of as if that were now gone but that is the Duty of people and then and only then it is like that the Ministry of the word can do any great good When the people look upon it as if God spake and Jesus Christ spake unto them I wil only conclude with this one thing that til you do come to apprehend this it is not like that ever any great good to any purpose wil be done It s like it wil be with you as it was with Samuel you know God called to Samuel Samuel Samuel saith God he runs to Ely saith he my Son I did not cal thee wel he went again and slept and God calls again He did not know it was Gods voice he runs to Ely again but then the text faith that Ely perceived that God called the Child Ely gave him this instruction that if he called again he should say Lord speak for thy servant heareth And then he went and slept again and the Lord came and called to him and then he said speak Lord thy Servant heareth And then God opened his heart unto him Oh! God called the first time and he thought it had been Ely and looked no further God said no more to him but left him and so again the second time But when he came to understand that it was Gods voice then you shal observe that God opened himself wonderfully to him and shewed him then his minde to the ful So just thus it is with people they come now to hear the Ministry of the word they hear a sound in their ears and what they hear is very good but they look only at a man the man speak and they may perhaps commend the man and commend his Sermon al this whil God speaks not to their hearts And then they wil go the second time and it is true God doth speak to them but they do not know it is Gods Voice and because they do not know it is Gods voice God doth not make known himself unto them But when the time of Gods Love comes this is the great Embassage that is sent to the Children of men And when he pleads with you you should think that it is Christ that is pleading with you when he is opening of any Scripturre to you you should think that it is Christ that is pleading with you when he is opening of any scripture to you you should think that Jesus Christ is opening that Scripture to you and when you com with such a heart then God opens al his mind to you I appeal to you whether it hath not been just thus the dealings of God with you as it it was with Samuel you have come once and again to a sermon but have looked no further then Ely to the minister but when you have come to the word with the disposition and said Lord speake for thy servant hears Lord reveal what thou wilt I se it is thine one ordinance and the minister though he be but a poor weak man yet he comes and stands in thy stead and speaks in thy name and I say when you come thus you shal find more in one sermon let out to you then in a thousand before and here is the ground that many have lived thirty or forty years under a powerful ministry and it hath sounded in their eares but they never have heard the mind of God savingly revealed unto them Because they never have fallen down and said lord speak for thy servant hears O! do this and thou shalt hear the great messuage from God then you shal have God oppening himselfe unto you to the ful CHAP. 49. The Second Doctrin propounded in the 45 chapter further prosecuted I Have made some enterance into this second point Doct. That God and Christ doth speake in the ministers of his word What the minesters of God do acrding to their rule and Word it is to be looked upon as if God and Christ did it This is Cleere in the text As though God did beseech you we pray you in Christs steed saith the Apostle For this I gave you divers scriptures I might ad many more ct thought to have added some more cleer scriptures to shew you that what the ministers do it is as if God Christ did it I might name forty places that are cleer in this point but shal not that I may proceed What the minister of God speak according to the ruls I say it is as if God and Christ spake and it must needs be sure if we consider of the power that there is of Christ in the ministry we have had experience of it that there is such a power of the ministry of the word that it coâ—ld not be but only by the speaking of God God and Christ in It the which hath power to inlighten to awaken conscience to terrefie the conscience to humble to bring down the stoutest proud heart in the world yea and to convert souls in John 5.25 the text saith of the word of the son of God that brings life Verily I say unto you that the houre is comming and now is when the dead shal hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shal live 〈◊〉 certainly this is spoken not only of the voice of the son of
upon them to set upon such duties we cal upon them to beleeve and to repent They say it is in vain to cal upon them to beleeve and repent But that way that God hath to work Faith Repentance in the heart of man it is to conveigh a power through his own voice in the ministry of his word and therefore we speak to them to beleeve repent as if they had power because we know that those which belong unto Gods election the Lord wil conveigh power to them through this word of his It is not our voice but it is the voice of God and of Jesus Christ We would have you to carry this meditation along with you at any time when we speak unto you and exhort you that you would come in repent and beleeve Carry this meditation with you and then you shal understand us aright We would not have you to think that we conceive you have power to beleeve and repent because we cal upon you but this we expect that while we are speaking to you that God Christ wil speak to your hearts so that there wil be power conveighed through that word of ours and though it be not conveighed this Sermon yet it may be the next or the next and hoping in the end that wil give repentance unto life CHAP. 51. Use 2. Ministers ought to speak as the Oracles of God The maner of their preaching Opened THe next use that arises from hence is that the Apostle Peter makes in 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God mark it here is an exhortation to those that have to deal in the ministery of the word that they must when they speak the word speak it as the Oracles of God so that that is delivered in the word you see it to be as the Oracles of God whatsoever a minister speaks according to scripture it is to be looked upon as the oracles of God Now therefore if this be so that the word that is spoken according to the rule is the Oracles of God then it is the duty of al that do speak the word of God to speak it in such a manner as it may appear to be the Oracles of God I have not now to speak to many ministers and therfore I shal not enlarge my self in this as I should have done Oh! with what a reverance should ministers speak for they come to speak as in Christ stead and therefore they should speak in such a manner as becomes the voice of God and of Jesus Christ as the Oracles of God and not think to speak according to their own fancies and their own humors and in their own waies but to speak as those that are sent in Gods place to speak to the people as if Christ were speaking to them and therefore to consider they are in the place of Christ so to speak with all authority as from Christ as in Math. 7. verse the last It is said of Christ That he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes for a minister of God he is to preach in Christs stead for so the Apostle saith therefore he is to labor what he can to express the very authority of Jesus Christ in his Ministery and there is a ministery that doth carry authority with it in the very consciences of men I have known of some that have come proudly into a Congregation to scorne at the word Prophane Russians that have come on purpose to outface the Ministery and to out face the word and yet they have met with that authority in the word that their hearts have been danted and they have fallen under the power of the word and there is a great deal of difference in the manner and way of preaching the word some have authority and others have no authority at al in it That kind of preaching that is to please the humors of men you shal have some kind of preachers to dandle mens fancies as it were that have some fine quaint words that there sentences shal be very smooth and as they say come off bravely and this is a dainty preacher and he shal have many fine latine sentences and witty speeches and come into a pulpit and acts as if he were to act a part upon the stage these are the fine quaint preachers the Court preachers as they cal them But this is not to preach as in Christs stead It is very like that this was the preaching of the Scribes and Pharises But when Christ came to speak he spake as one that God had authority and not as the Scribes There was a great deal of difference between his preaching and that of the Scribes he came with the authority of God he came to preach to the consciences of men and not to the fancies of men and the difference as there was in him so there is in some measure and degree now There are some that preach to this very day just as the scribes but there are others that preach as Christ did that preacht to the conscience and to the hearts of people and their words do stick in the consciences of men though they fret and vex and go away in a rage yet there is somwhat that sticks to their consciences so that they are either forced to yeild to it or fly from it And here is the reason that many a man wil cry out and say I wil never heare such a minister Why What is the reason his corrupt heart cannot bear that ministers preaching the word comes with power to his heart and his guilty conscience cannot beare it now watch but whether there be not some vile guiltiness in their spirits that say of such men they wil never hear them any more because their corrupt hearts cannot bear the authority of the word that preaching that is as if God and Christ speak it is with authority and not with fine quaint words To this purpose you have an expression in 1 Cor. 1.17 for Christ sent me he was to go in the name of Christ not with wisdom of men Christ did never send me to preach with the wisdom of men What a text is here How wil many men be able to answer this one text that make it their great study to get Wisdom of words But mark the danger of this Least the Cross of Christ be made of no effect There is a most hiddeous wickedness in this that a man should regard more to be commended for a fine Witty neat smooth preacher than he should have regard to the Cross of Christ to take effect to have Christ to be honor'd We find by experience that such preaching scarce ever stirs the Soul seldome or never works upon the heart It was a speech that once even a Prelate that was not the best but one ill enough and known to many I suppose here I heard it with my own Ears he said That he was convinced so farr that
the Lord loved this creature and took delight in him therefore it is observable in that 1. Gen the last that though when he beheld all his other works he only said that they were good yet when the sixt day came wherein man was made the text saith that he saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Every particular Creature was good taken by it self good as from God good in their qualities effects wthout any either guilt or hurt But now taken altogether are very good especially seeing man was made who is the most excellent of all Gods visible works in the morning of his creation observe it it is never said very good till the last day till man is made there is not this Commendation of the works of God mentioned till he had made man and the reason is indeed because the Lord did not take so much delight in all the works he had made in this world untill he had made man man was the very complement of all the excellencies of Gods works for indeed he was the End of all his works he made all the other for man and man for himself God hath not his glory I meane not immediatly from al his other works in the world but only through man and had it not been for man he had lost the greatest part of his glory in the rest of his works his glory passeth from all the works that he made unto him through man Now therefore though the works that God made the Heaven the Earth and the Seas and the like were good in themselves yet what glory could God have had in all these he could have no Communion with these Creatures after they were made and these Creatures could have no communion with him none of them could know God or take any notice of God or praise God actively God is a pure act and he is not content with having his glory passively but he must have his glory actively It is true al his Creatures were made as an instrument in tune but there was none to play upon it and though there be never so much of the glory of God in all the Creatures in the world yet if man had not been made none could have sounded forth this glory of God those Creatures had been Dumb in that respect like an instrument that cannot of it self sound forth any musick unlesse there were some to play upon it and so it is here God had made all other Creatures very good and there was in them matter of Gods praise but now to the end that this praise and glory of God may be sounded forth he brings in man and he gives him skil to praise the name of God in all these Creatures and in this God delighted very much Thus there was a most blessed union and a wonderful delight between God and Man at first but the truth is this union was soone broken and man in a smal time did come to be next to the Devills the most deadly enemy that God had though there was a most blessed union between God and man at first so that Adam could walk and Converse with God as he did for a while yet Adam sins against God and turns a most disperate enemy against God even he himself and all his posterity therefore you shal observe in the story where the fall of man is set forth that as soon as Adam had sinned the voice of God which he did but hear in the Garden became terrible to him and he presently seekes to hide himself he was Conscious to himself that hâ— had made God his enemy and he lookes upon God as his enemy and so flies from him as from his enemy O what a change was here of mans condition what a sad thing was this that God who had no Creature in al the world to know him and feare him and serve him and love him and in whom he could delight and have Communion but only man and that that man should presently turn rebel and enemy unto God such an enimy as God looks upon him as one having a most opposite nature unto him and man looks upon God as an enemy to him and flies from him as from an enemy so that God was sain as it were to call after him Adam where art thou This is the woeful fruit of sin even of the first sin of the fal of our first Parents and since the world began since that very time this man this Adam hath begotten none but enemies unto God and if there be any truth in the word of God this is certaine That there was never any Child of Adam but was born an enemy unto God the Scripture is as Cleere in this as in any thing I might name abundance of texts for it which for brevity sake I shal omit Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were Reconciled unto God Certainly if any men in the world were not enemies unto God they are those that are Reconciled afterward but the Apostle speakes of himself and of all other Christians that are Reconciled unto God he saith that they were enemies unto him this may be said of every man child in the world that he is an enemy unto God and such enemies are every one of us unto God naturally as that there is an antipathy between our hearts and him and the enmity of antipathy is the greatest it is not an enmity occasioned by some il carriage in one act as for example Two men though they were great freinds before yet there may be some miscarriage between them that they may be as enemies for a while but that is not al the enmity that is on mans part against God is in his very nature It is true there was a sinful act brought it in first and made a breach between God and man but that is not al it went further there was by this sin begoten in the heart of man an antipathy a natural antipathy between him and God so that the poyson of a Toad in the Body of a man is not more opposite and there is not a greater enmity to the nature of man than the nature of man is opposite and an enemy unto God himself Two sheep may fight one against another by occasion and be as enimies one with another but two sheep can never be at enmity one with another as the Wolfe and the Lamb are for their enmity is natural their natures are opposite one to another So the heart of man is opposite unto God even naturally And know this that there is in mans nature not only a hatred of God but a deadly hatred Perhaps you may think you are free from this but Certainly this is in every one of your hearts naturally even in those that have the best natures in the world as you call them there is in their hearts a hatred nay a deadly hatred against God But you wil say God forbid what hate God Se that Scripture
in Rom. 1. Where when the Apostle reckons up the evil of those that were in their natural Condition verse 13. he saith that they were haters of God and what the Apostle there speaks of them he intendeth of all for that is his scope in that place to shew our natural condition and that therfore we cannot be justified by any works of our own but it must be by faith in Christ because we are by nature haters of of God And in the second Commandment ye have that expressed even of those that seem to be the greatest lovers of God that would be thought to love God more than any people that wil devise pictures to worship God by and bestow much cost upon them and they saie it is for the honour of God and who would not think but that these men loved God exceedingly yet though these men may be thought to be Lovers of God there is no Commandment in which the breakers of it are said to be haters of God but in that Commandment he wil vissit the inniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto third and fourth genneration of them that hate him that is upon those that howsoever they pretend love unto him in their false worship yet they hate him So that certainely there is a hatred yea deadly hatered in the heart of man by nature against God But you will say how doth that appeare or wherein doth the deadly hatred of God consist In this When one man hates another so as he would wish him dead he would wish him out of the way he would wish him that he were not such a kind of hatred is therein every mans heart naturally which I make plaine thus The very nature of God is holyness it self and if God should be less holy than he is he should loose his very Being or if God should be less just than he is he would loose his life and cease to be Now I put this question to you to you that are wicked men that are unconverted have you not somtimes a secret wish in your hearts that God were not so holy as he is could you not wish in your hearts that God were not so just as he is that he did not hate Sin as he doth and why would you not have God so holy and so just as he is even because you might have the more liberty in your way of sin that you might have more freedom in fulfilling the lust of the flesh is not this in your hearts oftentimes see then what it comes to it is as much as if he should say my heart is so set upon such and such a last that I had rather God should cease to be God than I should not have liberty to injoy that lust this is the very plaine english of it though you do not come to that height to say so in so many words for I suppose none of you to be so abominably wicked or that ever came to that height of impiety as to say plainly with your mouths I love such a lust so dearely that I would rather God should not be God than I loose my lust But you are to know that there is a language in your actions as wel as in your words God can understand the language of your actions as wel as the expressions of your mouths Now it is apparent that when a man loves his lust so wel as that to the end he may have the more liberty for the injoyment of it he could secretly wish that God were not so infinitly holy and just as he is certainly there is this in it that he doth in effect desire and wish that God might rather cease to bee then that he might not have his lust and is not this a deadly hatred thou dost so far love thy lust as that thou hast a deadly hatred against God whose holyness and justice thou knowest to be so infinite as that they are both set against it and therefore for the better injoyment of thy lust thou couldest wish that God were neither so holy nor so just as he is which is in effect to wish that he were not God For if he should cease to be holy or less holy less just than he is he should cease to be God And truly if we rightly understood our own natures in this particular there is nothing wil break the heart of a man more than it what can break the heart of a man more than to sit down and consider I am an enemy unto God and I have been in enmity against God al my dayes and therefore what can I expect but that God should be an enemy unto me everlastingly This is that which wil strike down the proudest heart in the world And let me tel you till you come to see sin thus you do not see it to any purpose But though this argument may take up my treatise yet because I mention it to make way to that which remaines and which I principally ayme at in the doctrine of Reconciliation I shal therefore pass it over CHAP. 3. That there is a way to make up a Peace between God and Sinful Man II. Would it not now be joyful news to you to hear of a possibility for God to be Reconciled to you You see there is an enmity in your hearts to God and not only an enmity but a most deadly and desperate one I could shew you abundance of particulars of this enmity but the maine thing that I ayme at is only to open the Doctrine of Reconciliation therefore if thou apprehendest this truth of God and if God hath darted it into thy Conscience wil not the Doctrine of Reconciliation be acceptable to thee O! it would and it is unto those that feare God and rightly apprehend themselves as enemies unto him But I fear least while I am treating of the Doctrine of Reconciliation between God you you should not apprehend the excellency of it and not rellish it in the sweetness of it And therefore if I have said any thing that seems to be terrible to you in my other treatises If I have shewed to you what an evil and dangerous Condition you are in naturally and how liable to the wrath of God and to the torments of Hel where the worme dies not the fier goes not out it is al to this end that you might the better relish the blessed and sweet doctrine of Reconciliation between God and your Souls This is that then which we shall begin withal as the first sound of the blessed Silver Trumpet of the Gospel namely Doct. That there is a way to make up a peace between God and sinful man God hath not left mankind who hath Sunk himself into such a depth of misery I say God hath not left them irrecoverable irreconcilable the Lord doth here professe unto you that he is willing to be reconciled unto you yea we shal see afterward that he doth intreat you to be reconciled But
This may serve to be some prop to support and keep up any troubled Conscience from dispair even the very reading of this though still they are afraid of Gods willingnesse to make up the peace but it is possible thou may'st have it No Angel in Heaven Nor man in the world do or can know to the contrary but that it is possible for thee and thee for such a sinner as thou art or such as thou art to come to be reconciled And doth this begin a little to stir thy heart but to read that the Condition of man is not desperate but there is a possibility of his being Reconciled do'st thou believe because of this then as Christ said unto Nathaniel thou shalt see greater things than these So if thy heart begin to be affected by this thou shalt before we have done with this subject read greater things of the councel of God about his willingness to be reconciled unto the Children of men Only before I pass let me speak this one Word about this point Let us take heed that we do not turne this grace of God that we hear of this day to the increase of our more fearful condemnation or make our condemnation far more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils is because we have more means afforded us for our delivery than ever they had for if we look not to it it may prove so that our condemnation may be more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils and therefore you had need when you hear anything of this Decoctine of Reconciliation or of a possibillity of being reconciled unto God to lift up your hearts unto God and desire that the reading of this blessed Doctrine may not prove to the increase of your condemnation There is not such a thing preached to the Devils therefore if I come not in and accept of the terms of Reconciliation I shal be in worse case than the Devils It can never be charged upon them that God was willing to be reconciled and they would not but it may be thus said of al wicked and ungodly men that live under the sound of the Gospel and so Continue in their wickedness and die in it this wil be the charge that wil lie upon them another day and God wil saie unto them you did indeed hear that you were naturally enemies to me yet I manifestd in my Gospell that I would enter into terms of peace with you but you refused it and slighted it and scorned it What can possibly provoke the heart of a man so much as this that when he hath his enemy who hath deeply offended him at an advantage should yet offer tearms of peace to him and yet his enemy goes away scorning slighting and contemning him Truly thus do wicked men that live under the light of the Gospel when the Ministers of the Gospel come and preach peace and Reconciliation to them tel them that God is willing to be at peace with them that he is willing to treat and to parly with them about the business of salvation they go away and the language of their actions is this wel we wil shift as wel as we can for our selves we are resolved to have our waies of sin and to have our Satisfaction in this and the other lust Now God forbid that this should be in the heart of any one that casts his eyes on this book CHAP. 4. Reconciliation Opened 1 By it Gods enmity is taken away 2 The enmity on the souls part is taken away 3 God taketh into intire Love 4 By it thou comest to be in League and Covenant with God 5. The soul is perfectly Reconciled 6. This Reconciliation its everlasting 7 It continues notwithstanding all thy sins 8. The Devills Accusations shall never make God thy Enemy again III. Therefore I am in the third place to open a little further this grace of God the doctrine of Reconciliation and it is a most blessed and sweet doctrine especially in these times wherein there are so many Cumbustions abroad in the world wherein we heare of Warrs and rumors of Wars yea of Wars neer to us even in our own land our bowels what can be more acceptable in such times as these than to hearof Reconciliation Now when things are growen to such a height when there is such a deadly hatred for let me tel you there was never such a deadly hatred in a Nation between one party and another as there is now it is boyled up to the highest as poyson may be boyled up to such a height as that it may be death to touch it so the poyson and rage of our adversaries is boyled up to the greatest height But though we are not able to Conceive that there can be a Reconciliation between them and us yet there may be a possibility of a Reconciliation between God and us and the hearing of the Doctrine of Reconciliation may quiet and support our hearts against the feare and truoble that we have in these times wherein we have nothing but rumors of wars round about us yea in the midest of al these miseries which we hear of as the effect of these unnatural broyles that are amongst us Now the Doctrine it may be opened in these several particulars The first is this That enmity which we have heard of before when once God comes to be Reconciled to a soul is al done away al that enmity is then so removed as that the wayes of the Lord to a man are turned quite contrary to that they have formerly been which I shal afterwards discover in the effect of this Reconciliation more fully But this is the first thing the doing away of all that wrath and displeasure that was in the heart of God against the sinner so that if it were possible that you could but look into the heart of God you should not see any remainder of that wrath and displeasure that was in him because of sin It is true if we do consider of God in al his workings together from Election to glorification it wil be hard to affirme that ever God should be in a way of enmity against his Elect ones because he did alwaies love them for the truth is though we conceive Gods works by peeces yet they are al one in him but if we would understand God aright we must understand him in releation to his Creature and in releation unto himself for as God is in himself it is impossible for us to understand him but we must understand him in reference to his Creatures there we find that one excellency of God is cut into several peeces and parts and that one act of God which is his own being is discovered in several waies of acting There are a great many mistakes about God when as men do draw Consequences from what God is in himself to bring them to what God is in relation to his Creature and because they cannot reconcile these two namely what God is
hearts this Angel shall pass away from us This is another fruit of our Peace with God namely protection from the wrath of God when it spreads abroad as Lightning in the world The twelfth Consequence 12. Again Hence all that is in Gods word speaks Peace to us both the Law and the Gospel the very Law it self comes to speak Peace to us because it is now fully satisfied there is nothing in the word of God but is at Peace with those that are at Peace with him The threats that are in the word of God bring no evill at all to him that is reconciled to God every part of Gods word doth do good to them that walk uprightly according to that in Mic. 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly When thou readest any part of the word of God though never so terrible if thou art Reconciled to God thou mayest read it with comfort Many people dare not read somwhat of Gods word they scarce dare come to hear somwhat of Gods word but if thou beest at peace with God thou needest not fear the reading or the hearing of any part of Gods word What is the Reason that many people when there is an argument preached that hath any terror in it they will come no more to hear it It is whatsoevever their pretences be a sign that there is some guilt in their hearts they look upon the word of God as if it were their enemy and it is a sad thing for a man to look upon any part of Gods word as his enemy Certainly if any part of Gods word be thy enemy God is thy enemy for there is no part of the word of God but there is Gods mind and Gods heart in it and therefore if thou beest at peace with God there is nothing in that word of God which is thine enemy Indeed a man that is on the Sea if storms and Tempests arise he may peradventure be afraid to look out he may not dare to stir out of his Cabbin But if he be on shore he can stand and look upon all the waves of the Sea and upon all the boysterousnesse of it without any trouble to him So when men are in their natural Condition when they are not converted unto God then when they come to hear of the terrors of the Law alas they cannot enter into Consideration of that wrath of God which the Law threatneth and which they apprehend is due unto them because of sin but their very hearts shake they do even shut their eyes against those truths But when they are once got upon the shore when there is a Peace made between God and them then they may look upon al the terrors of the Law and upon al that wrath that is threatned therein with joy and Comfort and bless the name of God for ever that they are freed and delivered from them These are the blessed and happy fruits of our Peace and Reconciliation with God And now before we go any further we must abide a while in the Application of what hath been thus far opened unto you concerning the excellencies and glorious fruits of this Peace and Reconciliation CAHP. 6. VSE 1. Wherefore in the first Place From hence it must needs follow that if there be such a blessed peace between God and a true Christian as hath been opened Then he must needs be very peaceable in the world he must needs be of a very peaceable disposition before men You wil say How doth this follow Thus. There is so much sweeteness in this Peace with God that it must needs so quiet the spirit of that man in whom it is that whatsoever is without shal never be able to make any great disturbance in his Spirit so great and so excellent is the sweetness of this Peace A Merchant that hath al his estate in one Bottom he is upon every stirring of the winds or upon the hearing of any storme afraid that all is cast away But if he hear news that the Ship is safe and that al is come securely into the Haven his Spirit that was afraid before wil be now so quieted and sattisfied with this newes that it wil not be a very easie matter at such a time to anger such a man There is nothing that is more able to keep the heart of a man from passion and frowardness and disturbance than a ful sattisfaction within ones own spirit Now if there be any thing in the world that is able to sattisfy the spirit of a man surely it is the Peace with God it is Reconciliation which is made between a man and God The Scripture saith that a good man shal be satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Ex sese at Mercerus expresseth it i. e. from himself Although he meeteth with those without that are troublesome and wil not sattisfy him that he hath so much within that he sattisfies and quieteth his own spirit Therefore a Christian needs not be beholding to the world for Peace for he hath Peace enough within his own bosome That which is the greatest Jewel in the world a Christian hath the ful pofession of within his own heart Al the Storms and tempests that are abroad in the world can never make an Earthquake if there be not some vapors within to do it So that which doth shake the hearts of men and make a Combustion in their Spirits it is more the inward disturbances that are there than any thing from without We may Complaine of outward things and of this matter and of this occasion and the like But the truth is if al be examined and the true ground of our disquietness searched into we shal find that the Cause of al our disturbance is rather from within than from without and if al were wel within we should never be troubled with any thing which doth befal us from without Now then if any thing in the world wil make al quiet within if any thing in the world wil beget a serenity and Calmness in the spirits of men it is this Reconciliation with God No marvel then that the Gospel speakes so much of the peaceable disposition of those that entertaine it that it tells us of the Wolses dwelling with the Lamb of the Lyons eating straw with the Oxe that is though men were formerly of such Wolfish and Lyon-like natures yet having received the Gospel and accepted of the tearmes of Reconciliation with God they shal be as Lambs they shal agree one with another And the reason is because there is so much in the Peace of the Gospel as wil quiet the heart so that a man may wonder when he Considers of the excellency of the Peace that is between God and man how it is possible for a Christian to be put into a passion You Complaine of the troubles you meet withal in your world that your Husband is froward or that the Wife is froward that you have perverse Neighbours but
comest and cast it out This is a sign that thou art at peace with God if thou hast laid down thy weapons of warfare against God and art at enmity with every sin If thou entertainest in thy bosom no known sin though never so secret And this is the most eminent sign that can be so that the weakest Christian may be able to apply it to himself and come to know somewhat about this peace with God 2 Secondly If thou wouldst know whether God and thee be reconciled then let me put this to thee What Treaties have there been made between God and thy Soul for this you must know that though there may be a Peace indeed made between God and thee in some kind even from eternity as I shall afterwards shew you yet before it come into thy heart before thou can'st come to know it there must a Treaty pass between God and thee Reonciliation that is from eternity comes from Treaties between God the father and God the Son and that Reconciliation that in time comes into the Conscience is a fruit of some Treaty that hath been between God and thy self As for example When God would be at peace with a Soul he summons that Soul to come in he tels it that it is an enemy to him and that he is going on in contrary waies to him As usually you know when enemies come to a Town they will first summon the Town before they storm it So the Lord summons thee to come in When did God ever summon thy heart Hast thou felt the power of Gods summons in thy soul Then again Hast thou felt much intercourse between God and thy Soul Hath God been speaking to thy heart and thy heart speaking unto God Hath God been working towards thee and hath thy heart been working towards God Hath the Lord sent unto thee by his word and hast thou sent up unto him by prayer and as the Lord waits upon thee to know what thy answer is when he speaks to thee So do'st thou wait upon him to know his answer when thou prayest What have been the Treaties that have passed secretly in thy closet between God and thy Soul Thou dost not go on in a dul way and come and hear the word of God but never hear the voice of God but when thou comest to hear Gods word thou hearest Gods voyce thou hearest him speak unto thee Treating with thee about matters of Peace and thou feelest Gods Spirit drawing thy heart and telling somewhat of Gods mind unto thee perhaps at this time and for the present whilest thou art hearing thou tellest God secretly by ejaculations Lord I am willing to accept of those tearms of Peace and Reconciliation I am willing to accept of the Conditions of the Covenant Or perhaps when thou doest not this when thou art hearing yet when thou art got alone then thou openest thy self more unto God and sendest a ful answer unto God This is the way of treating that when thou comest to hear Gods word offering tearms of peace and requireing such and such tearmes thou at the very hearing sendest up by ejaculations secretly in answer to God Lord I accept of the tearms and when thou art gone sendest up a ful answer and then how doest thou bless his name that ever he was pleased to offer such tearms unto thee though they were a thousand times harder Hath there ever been any such doings in thy heart hath it been one of the greatest works that ever thy heart hath been set upon hath thy heart been set more upon this work of the treaty with God about peace than about any thing that ever concerned thee in al thy life Then it is a good evidence unto thee that thou art in a way of Peace and if thy Conscience speaks peace unto thee from this it wil be a comfortable evidence indeed But the truth is I cannot give you the ful and through evidence so as fully to sattisfy your heart til I come to the next point To shew you how the heart is brought to Christ and reconciled to God in him But somewhat may be done to help the soul that way 3 Thirdly the Third Signe therefore is this If thou beest at peace with God then upon Gods being pacified towards thee and upon thy apprehension of it it wil make thee looke back to thy former wretched dealings with God and be confounded in thy own thoughts and cause thee even to abhor thy self for that cursed carriage of thy heart towards him and dealings with him when thou wert in away of opposition and when thou wert walking Contrary to him I wil give you a most excellent scripture for that it is in the 16. of Ezek. the latter end That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more Why Because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done that is the time you see when the soul comes to be ashamed of its wretched dealings with God and be confounded in the thought thereof even when the Lord is pacified towards it for al the evil that it hath done towards him Lay this therefore when you lay aside this Book and are got alone warm to hearts A man would think if God should aske the question that this should rather be answered when God comes and reveales the fruits of this wrath towards a soul no but when I am pacified saith God towards thee then thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more So that if thou hast any evidence any found evidence to thy soul that the Lord is pacified towards thee for al the evil that thou hast done against him it wil make thee look back to thy former actings and when thou dost remember them thou wilt be Confounded in thy own thoughts and whatsoever God doth do with thee thou wilt never open thy mouth any more but be ashamed of thy self for al thy wicked dealings towards God Many of your Consciences may tel you that there hath been divers horrible things acted by you against the Lord what sins have not many of you lived in do you hope that God is reconciled to you and pacified towards you for al those horrible things that you have done If he be you wil upon this grace of God towards you look back upon what you have done formerly and be confounded in your own souls and the mroe you apprehend your peace to be made with God the more wil you be ashamed and the more wil you be troubled for what you have done Many a wretched sinner that hath lived in waies of sin when the fear of death comes upon him wil be confounded ashamed of what he hath done then he wil complain cry out to others and desire them to pray for him but that is not the thing that God here speaks of for let God but set such a one upon his feet again and free him from his
sickness and fears he is no longer confounded and ashamed but wil be as jolly and as merry as before But if God indeed be pacified towards thy soul thou wilt then be confounded and ashamed for all the evils that thou hast done against him This is as comfortable an argument that peace is made betwixt God and us and that he is reconciled towards us as any I know when upon the apprehension of that peace and Reconciliation we come to be confounded in our own Souls 4 Fourthly One that is at peace with God wil evermore be on Gods side he wil go which way the cause of God goes and he wil be content though it be never so dangerous to venture himself on Gods side As such a one by a secret instinct from God himself is able to know and distinguish which is Gods side and he is not so full of questions as others are So being once reconciled to God and at friendship with him he will alwaies be on that side Many wil say indeed if we knew which were Gods side we would be of it friends the reason why you find it so hard to find and discern the side of God and to know it it is because you are not friends to God if God were thy friend his secrets would be made known unto thee try now whether it be so with thee or no where ever thou art if there be sideing against God though there be but few that stand up for him and his Cause thou wilt be sure to joyn with them that stand for God though they be the fewest and though they be meanest in the Town where thou livest this is a true argument that thou art one that art at peace with God 5 Fifthly If thou beest at peace with God this peace hath a great deal of power to preserve thee from evill Phil. 4.7 The Peace of God shall keep your hearts saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep as with aguard or as in a garison Solomons Bed was not so wel guarded Cant. 3.7 8. as a Saint is by the power of God without him and the Peace of God within him shall guard your hearts So the word is it wil guard as a House is guarded with a Troop of Horse or Band of Souldiers if temptations come the peace of God will guard your hearts and keep you in a gracious frame it wil be of a mighty power to keep the soul from evil I do not know a stronger guard in the world to keep a man from the evil of sin than the peace of God made known unto the Soul is 6 Again if thou beest at peace with God As one that is wel booted or buskin'd can walk unhurt amidst briers and brambles So may he amidst Satans snares that is fortified with Gospel comforts whereby God creates Peace this peace wil enable thee to suffer much in Gods cause Eph. 6.15 Being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace that is the Peace that the Gospel doth bring will enable thee to tread upon sharp stones for from thence the phrase is taken and signifies as much In those places they use to go with Sandals under their feet it being grievous and hurtfull to them to go barefoot upon sharp stones So saith the Apostle you may meet with rough and sharp waies in your Christian course but the Peace which the Gospel doth bring wil be as shooes to enable you to go upon those sharp stones Doth the peace of God enable you to suffer much for God it is a sign then that you are at Peace with him 7 Lastly He that is at Peace with God doth set a mighty high esteme upon that peace he wil not easily part with it he wil not easily lose it that is the Bird in the bosom that he desires to keep singing whatsoever becomes of him so long as he can keep that Bird singing in his brest he thinks himself wel enough though he should meet with never so many difficulties and hardships in the waies of God One that hath got this peace with God knows how to prise it for the truth is ordinarily it is gotten with a great deal of difficulty it cost them somewhat and it cost Jesus Christ somwhat before they could get it Hast thou got peace with God if it be of the right stamp know it cost thee dear and it cost Jesus Christ dear and surely now thou hast it it wil be dear likewise to thy soul So that if Sin should present it self to thee and goe about to withdraw thy heart from God unto that which is evil this wil be the very thought of thy heart though perhaps there may be pleasure and profit in the way which sin presents to thee this wil be the very thought of thy heart Wil it not hinder my peace with God If there be the least suspition of that away with it saith the soul I wil not buy the pleasure or the profit of sin at so dear a rate It saith unto sin as the Figg Tree and Olive Tree said unto the other Trees when they would come and perswade them to rule over them Shal I lose my sweetness saith the Figg Tree and my fattness saith the Olive Tree to come and be King over you So saith the heart that is reconciled unto God when sin and the world presents themselves to it shal I lose my sweetenss and my fatness shal I lose that blessed quietude that is between God and me to come and close with you O God forbid surely I wil never buy the sweet of Sin at such a dear rate It is true indeed the men of the world who have a false peace wil venture that peace upon any light occasion If a man have a Jewel that is but a false Jewel such a thing as a Bristoll stone is that it may be is not worth two pence he wil not be much careful of it But if he have a Jewel that is a true Diamond or that is a right Pearl he wil not venture that upon a little matter The Peace that most men have is a counterfeit false Peace and they wil soon venture it upon any tearms These men that can so readily yield to the Temptations of sin it is an evident argument that the Peace they have is but a false peace and that is the reason they can part with it upon such easie conditions But the soul that hath true peace with God looks upon it as a Jewel of an inestimable value as a precious Pearl Here is my happiness saith he you shall not have this away from me with a whistle with a light matter I will not part with this so which cost me so dear and which cost Jesus Christ himself so dear no less than his own blood Most people in the world think they have peace with God but let me ask what did your peace cost you It cost little and so lightly come lightly go that is the reason
of al your loose professors that walk so carelesly in their waies the peace they have had comes lightly to them and so goes lightly away from them they have patched to themselves a peace but they have not the right understanding of the mystery of the souls Reconciliation to God and that is the very ground of the looseness of their conversations Thus I have endeavoured to help you to examine your peace whether it be true or no. If you can upon these signes or notes conclude your peace to be right Blessed are you go your waies rejoycing and joyn with the Angels in their song Glory be to God in Heaven and peace on Earth glory be to the great God that is on high that hath not only made peace on Earth but made peace in my bosom and therefore O my soul returne unto thy rest Thy soul may now even take its ease You have a notable expression concerning this in Psal 25.12 where speaking of the happiness of the godly he saith What man is he that feareth the Lord his soul shal dwel at ease O! it is a blessed thing to have a soul dwel at ease You would fain have comfortable Habitations for your bodies where you may live at ease and not be disturbed or be troubled either with il neighbors or with fear of enemies O! but to have your Souls dwel at ease that is your happiness and therefore though in many places of the nation our Brethren abroad can have no houses wherein they may live at ease but are alwaies in great streights and dangers yet by this peace with God if it be made sure unto thee though thou wert in the midst of thy enemies thy soul may come to dwel at ease Remember that place therefore it is a blessed and a sweet promise and you should make much of it in such troublesome times as these are that he that fears the Lord his soul shal dwel at ease CHAP. 9. Use 3. To seek to make our Peace with God five helps thereunto 1. Keep from the outward Acts of sin 2. Labor to set God continully before you 3. Resolve not to be at Peace with your selves till you be at Peace with God 4. Seek Peace with God on his own Conditions 5. Prize Peace with God now as you wil value it at the day of Judgment THat we may conclude this particular of the excellency of our Reconciliation with God there is yet another Use which we may make of it And that is this Use 3. If it be of such a great excellency to be at peace with God O that you would al be in love with it that you would al seek to make your peace with him who is the great Reconciler You wil say Can we make our peace with God No you cannot do it but it is in a great part done to your hands if you have but hearts to seek after it It is true there is another point but that wil fal in afterward to shew how it is done to the hand of some already But for the present you must know that you can have no evidence to your own Conscience til you seek after this peace and the truth is if we either knew the need of it or the excellency of the injoyment of it we would never be at rest in any thing til we come to be assured that it is ours You wil say What shal we do I Answer though we know that it is the great work of Christ to make our peace with God yet God requires this and in requiring it if you belong to him he wil convey some secret influences of his grace into you to inable you to do it be wil give you a heart to labor for it which indeed is one signe of our peace Help 1. And therefore let me perswade you to do what you can do but keep for the present from the outward acts of sin and do not willfully give way to the inward or outward acts of sin labor to get your hearts to this that may you say the Lord knows I do not wilfully yield to any known sin convince your hearts possess your hearts throughly with this that it is the great work that you have to do in the world that this is that one thing that is necessary for your souls and you shal find that even this wil be a mighty thing to help you on Help 2. Again Labor to set God Continually before you the greatness of God the Majesty of God the power of God the goodness of God labor to set these before you thereby to draw your hearts to seek after your making your peace with God There is an excellent Scripture in Isa 27.5 That hath some difficulty for the understanding of it but it is very sweet if rightly understood Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shal make Peace with me it is a strange kind of Phrase and I find a great deal of difference amongst Interpreters about this text I find Mr. Calvin that usually hits as right as most carrying of it by way of interogation and so he saith you may read it thus Wil he take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me as if he should have said what wil he do wil he stay so long till he come to be made sensible of my power upon him and of my strength to bring him down and then it may be he wil make peace with me Thus many do they stay til God comes to make them sensible of his power and of his strength and then they wil make their peace with God But I can hardly think this to be the scope only it is a very good meditation to set God before you in his power in his strength in his glory and to meditate with your selves thus O if the Lord should come now and make me apprehensive and sensible of that power and strength of his indeed this wil stir up my heart to seek to make my peace with him What is the reason that there comes so many shreiks and cryings from souls when they are sensible of Gods power and strength O! they well know what a mighty God they have to do withal the truth is the reason why men do not make it their work now to seek Reconciliation and peace with God it is because they are not apprehensive of the power and majesty and glory that is in God how God is above them and can bring them under and make them vile and base when he pleaseth Therefore it is a good interpretation of the words Wil he take hold or apprehend my strength so the word signifies that he may make peace with me But to me the meaning is rather this wil he rather make use of my goodness and my mercy and so make peace with me For that is the strength that is here meant and that I shal shew you from the dependance only first
Gods rich grace even in this one branch of the Gospel his beginning the work of Reconciliation Vse 2. And then Another Use of it may be this To teach us not to think much but to begin to seek peace even with our inferiors learn we by the example of God that if there be falling out between one neighbor and another or between one friend and another not to think much to begin the work of peace We think it would be a dishonor for us to yeild so far we say what is he not my inferior shal I send to him Why it is Gods glory to do it God doth not only do it to us but he accounts it his glory so to do It is a great part of the glory of God that he is willing to yeild to us and to send to us about tearms of Reconciliation And shal that which makes God to be glorious be accounted a dishonor to thee shal it make thee unglorious when it makes God to be glorious If it be an excellency in God suerly it is no baseness no dishonour in thee What a proud heart hast thou that thou shouldest think that that doth debase thee too much which makes God to be a glorious God that that which doth set so much glory upon God should in thy thoughts put dishonor upon thee as if thy honor were to be higher than the honor of God himself Certainly those men that are of such implacable dispositions at least they wil never yeild to begin to make up their peace with others but they wil stand it out to the uttermost though their consciences tell them that they themselves have done a great deal of wrong and that they could be willing there were a peace only they wil not begin This proud and stout spirit in men is an argument that they have not been accquainted with Gods reconciling of himself unto them for Gods beginning to be reconciled unto thee wil make thee to begin reconciliation with thy inferior You wil say why should not he begin first It is true why should he not it is his duty indeed and so it is our duty to begin with God but suppose he doth not begin thou shouldest rather pitty him and look upon him in so much the more miserable Condition and know that though thou hast the advantage of him yet thou art to be like unto God in this particular USE 3. Thirdly A third Use of Gods beginning the work of Reconciliation with us is the Use that the Apostle himself makes in Rom. 5.10 If when we were enimies to God we were reconciled unto him by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life here you see the Apostles inference upon Gods gratiousness in himself he being willing to be reconciled when we were enimies much more being reconciled we shal be saved as if he should have said al the goodness of God towards poor wretched sinful Creatures when we were desperate enemes to him and never thought of coming in to be reconciled unto him yet the Lord himself finds out a way and begins the work of making peace between him and our souls surely then being reconciled unto him we shal be saved What shal God when we were a going on in a desperate way of enmity against him shal this God come then to us and have thoughts of peace and Love and mercy to us surely when we are reconciled when we have hearts in some measure to love this God and to serve and fear him he wil not cast us off certainly no it is better with us now than before When we were enemies unto him and desperate enemies it had been then no wonder if God had cast us off and sent us to our own places to lie for ever under the infinite burden of his wrath but the Lord had then thoughts of peace towards us it is therefore now far otherwise with us though it is true we have many corruptions in us but we can appeal unto God that our Souls love him and that the desire of our hearts are to fear and serve him we can in some measure be able to say Lord thou that knowest al things knowest that there is nothing in the world our Souls desire more than to overcome these Corruptions there is no burden in al the world like unto the burden of sin there is nothing so grievous to us as this that we have such vile hearts and natures that can serve him no better than we do and if God should ask us what we would have from him we can say in the sincerity of our souls Lord thou knowest we would not ask Riches or Honors to be Kings and Princes in the world but Oh that we might be delivered from the remayner of the corruption that is in our hearts from such and such distempers of our Souls whereby we dishonor thy name continually Certainly if the hearts of men be in this disposition they may gather a comfortable argument to themselves and conclude thus There was a time that I went on as a dsperate enemy unto God and I lived without God in the world and never minded the power and the majesty and the Dominion of God over me but as if I were born to nothing else but to sin against God I followed my own lusts with al manner of greediness but behold then even at that time the Lord had thoughts of mercy towards me and he took me perhaps when I came to the hearing of the word with a purpose to contemne and despise it and to ieer at it yet at that very time he took me and spake to my heart and shewed me Jesus Christ and his mercy and then he broke my heart now the Lord knows though when I come to the word I profit not as I should yet I come with a heart desiring to profit and I would fain know the mind of God in it and before I come I go to God and desire him to shew me some part of his wil Wil God now cast me off when being a disperate enemy to him he had thoughts of mercy towards me wil he cast me off for those infirmities that I have now I know I have not a heart opposite to that Grace though I have a heartful of distempers I am not an enemy unto God as I was before and an enemy to his people and ordinances No my heart is towards him my heart is towards his people and towards his Ordinances and was God reconciled to me then even whil'st I was an enemy and wil he now cast me off for weaknesses and infirmities Certainly it cannot be O make much of that place of the Apostle If when we were enemies unto God we were reconciled unto him much more saith he certainly now God wil not cast us off but we shal be saved That is a third use that we may make of Gods begining the work of Reconciliation USE 4. A Fourth is this
satisfie you for what they have done This is appearent for in the Scripture where ever there is any speaking of Reconciliation you have mention of our being reconciled to God as wel as Gods being reconciled to us and indeed the Scripture doth make more mention of our Reconciling being enemies to God than of any thing of Gods working Reconciliation for us And that place that I quoted before in the Collosians is exceedging cleer for this namely that Christ hath undertaken for our Reconciliation for you heard before in Collo 1.20 That he had made peace through the blood of his Cross He hath undertaken to satisfie and the undertaking of it cost him his blood our Reconciliation cost Christs death But then in verse 21. He saith further You that were somtimes alinated and enemies in your minds by wicked works so it is in your Books but in the Original it is Enemies in your minds in wicked works not that you came to be enemies by your works for that is the advantage indeede that the adversaries have and say it is not a sinful Nature in us but we come by action to act wicked habits but it is you are enemees in your minds in works that is you did lay out al the enmity of your minds against God you have natural enmity in your minds against God and in your minds you do lay out and improve this strength of your enmity in your wicked works against God But saith he you that were thus allienated and enemies in your minds in wicked works he hath reconciled to present you holy and unblameable and inreprovable in his sight Here are two waies by which Christ reconciles us unto God he hath reconciled us by the blood of his Cross and then in the Body of his flesh through death to present us holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight he hath undertaken this latter as wel as that other and he hath undertaken that we shal not remain enemies unto God eternally but that there shal be a time when we shal be brought in to God and have gracious dispositions put into us so as we shal become frieâ—ds unto God and friends unto al that are Gods There are many that speak much of Christ in regard of his satisfaction and what the transaction was between God and him and they think that because Christ hath undertaken to satisfie Gods wrath what need we care for any thing what is it though we live as we list it is to no purpose what we do whether we do il or whether we do wel for Christ hath done al in the work of Reconciliation But my Brethren see the mistake Christ hath not only undertaken satisfaction and to reconcile God unto us but he hath undertaken with God the Father likewise to reconcile us unto him not to satisfie God alone but to bring us into a gracious fram and disposition of heart likewise and therefore except Christ do both the truth is he doth neither It is true the one may be done from al eternity Christ may undertake the one and undertake that he wil do the other also but until Christ hath actually done the other thou canst not conclude that he hath done the former That man that perswades himself that Jesus Christ hath done the former when as he hath not done the latter deceivs himself and therefore to beleeve in Christ as a Reconciler is to beleeve in Christ as undertaking these two things First undertaking with God the Father to make satisfaction unto him And then Secondly undertaking for us to bring us in to the Father likewise and as Christ must do the one as well as the other so he wil be as faithfull in the performing the Second as he was in the undertaking and dischargeing the First Few people think of this they think much of Christs undertaking to satisfie Gods Justice and so to Reconcile them unto God but they have seldome thoughts of this that Christ hath also undertaken to chang their hearts and to make them friends unto God But you that go on in wicked works being enemies to God in your minds in wicked works perhaps you think God wil be Reconciled unto you through Christ and when you die you shal be saved through him Remember this point That Christ the Reconciler hath undertaken with God the Father both to satisfie his Justice and to subdue your hearts so that you shal no longer be enemies unto him and therefore if Christ have not done the other in your hearts it is an evident argument that for ought that yet appears he never undertook to satisfie the Justice of God for you O! what an argument is here for men to be restless and unquiet in their natural condition You that go on in a sinful and ungodly way you may certainly know that there is for the present no evidence that Jesus Christ hath undertaken with the Father to make any Reonciliation for you for if he had he hath also undertaken on your parts to bring in your hearts to the Father and to make you friends with him as wel as him friends with you On the other side any of you that find the work of the Spirit in your hearts that begin to find Christ subduing your hearts unto God that whereas heretofore you did live in waies of enmity unto God but now you begin to find the power of Christ in his word beating down those proud hearts of yours you find Christ changing of your minds and so bringing of your hearts into subjection unto God Bless God for this and know that this is part of Chists undertaking with God the Father and in that he doth this in your hearts it is an Evidence that he hath undertaken to satisfie Gods Justice for all your sins Thus you see how Christ is a Recâ—â—â—â—â—er and Mediator CHAP. 16. How what Christ hath done for Our Reâ—oncilition come to be made Ours 1. Christ the head of the second Covenant There is a fourth thing which I propounded in the twelfe Chapter and that is How we come to be reconciled to God in Christ It is true Chist hath done it you see But how do we come to have what Christ hath done made ours that so we may be reconciled unto God In a word thus Christ is looked upon by God the Father as the Head of the Second Covenant and so we are looked upon in him as Covenanters and as joyned together in one body in him this is the way of Christs Reconciling God us the way of the Conveyance of al the fruits of that Reconciliation unto us This is the Councel of God concerning the Children of men that they may come to be reconciled and saved As his Son hath undertaken the thing so it is not only that he should stand between the Father and us It s remarkable there must be a Union between him and us and he must present us to God the the Father as one Body with
he rejoyced in it exceedingly Psal 40.6 Sacrifices and Offerings thou didest not desire mine eares hast thou opened burnt Offerings and Sin Offerings thou hast not required then said I Lo I come mine eares saith he hast thou opened what is that which God spak to him unto which his eare was opened That which God the Father spake to him was this Son the work of Reconciliation between my selfe and sinful man I have appointed and designed you to it I have appointed you to go to be a Mediator between us and to undertake to make Satisfaction and such satisfaction as that sinful man and I may be at peace as that Mercy and Justice may be Reconciled together For let me tel you as I have hinted before God and we could never have been reconciled except Mercy and Justice had been reconciled Now God the Father tells Jesus Christ that he hath appointed him to this work And saith Christ my eare hast thou opened O I do entertaine this worke and entertaine this gladly yea though I know that I must be made a Sacrifice for the sin of man And observe what follows in vers 7. then said I Lo I come I am ready and willing to do this work for in the volum of the Book it is written that I should do thy wil that is in the Scriptures it was written before ever Christ came into the world that he should come to perfect this great work And verse 8. I delight to do thy wil O Lord yea thy Law is in my heart What was this wil of God Certainly this wil of God here spoken of was that Christ should be a Mediator between God and man and to make up this Reconciliation and O saith he I do even delight to do this wil of thine though it be a wil which wil cost me deare And saith he thy Law this Law that requires of me to come thus to be a Sacrifice and to shed my blood to the end that I may be a Mediator between man and God even this Law it is with in my heart This is one Reason why God Chose this way of Reconciling himself to the world because it tended to the glorifying of his Son and his Son acknowledgeth it that it was his glory and therefore just when he was going to die he breaketh out into thâ—se words with desire have I desired to eate this Passover because that was to make way for his death which was the accomplishment of this work of Reconciliation Reason 2. A second Reason why God would have this way of Reconciling man to himself is Because in this way the Father himself is most glorified the Attributes of God do shine in a greater luster in this way of Reconciliation then if so be God had been reconciled unto man only in passing by the offence and so no more to do for now shines forth the glory of his Wisdom of his power and of his Justice as wel as of his mercy not only mercy but the other divine Attributes of God shine in this way of Reconciliation exceedingly bright and there is no such Glass to behold the glory of God in as the glory of the Gospel in the Mistery of Reconciliation We indeed behold and see the glory of God in the Glass of the Creatures But in the Gospel in the work of Reconciliation in Christ there is the bright Glass wherein al the beams of the glory of Gods Attributes are vnited together and shine with a Transcendent luster Yea there is not only a luster and a shining forth of them but a heat and a warmth that is reflected in the beholding of them In this way of Reconciliation God himself is glorified and therefore that Text which I named John 13.31 You have this likewise said that as Christ acknowledged himself to be glorified by this work so saith he my Father is glorified in me and therefore in Chapter 17. About the beginning Father saith Christ the hour is come glorifie thy Son that the Son may glorifie thee And verse 4. I have glorified thee on Earth how hath he glorified God I have finnished the work that thou gavest me to do that work of Mediation that work of Reconciliation between thy self and sinful man that work I have finnished and in that work I have gâ—orified thee upon Earth And the truth is this is the glory that God expecteth from the Children of men even to be admired and magnified in this great work of Reconciling the world to himself in his Son And that is the second Reason Reason 3. A third Reason is this Because the Lord saw that there was no such way to melt the heart of sinful Creatures and to draw them to come and close with himself as this way no such way to incorrage the hearts of poor sinners to come in to be reconciled unto God as this even the Consideration of the great things that the Lord hath done to make peace and Reconciliation between himself and sinners God I say foresaw this and because he would have a way to break the hardest heart in the world and to draw the most stout and stubbarne sinner unto himself therefore he hath chosen this way above al others of Reconciliation This the Gospel tels us in that parrable wherein you have the letting out of the Vineyard unto Husbandmen and it tels you when the Master sent one servant and they beat him and he sent an other and they beate him and at length he said within himself I wil send my Son surely they wil reverence him as if he should have said Here are a company of hard hearted stubbarn stout wicked creatures in this world and they have had this argument and the other argument to work upon theire hearts to perswade them to come unto me but so hard are their hearts as that they give a rebound to al the arguments that they have and there is nothing strikes into their hard hearts there is nothing melts them nothing perswades them to come unto me But I have one argument more and that shal break the stoutest and hardest heart that is and that argument shal be a prevailing argument if they be those that are appointed to life if they be such as are not lost Creatures for ever and what is that argument even this that I am reconciling my self to the world in my son I wil send my Son into the world to work out this reconciliation and there I wil reveale so much of my glory that when they come to see this O their hearts shal be fil'd with admiration they shal stand and wonder at the goodnes and riches of my grace and their hearts shal melt before me and shal at length be gained unto me when they come to heare thereof Certaynly it is the most Dangerous thing in the world for the hearts of men not to be melted not to be gained upon with this Doctrin of our Reconciliation with God in Christ And remember it if
your hearts when you come to hear of this Doctine be not gained upon be not drawn unto God it is a shrew'd argument that you are lost Creatures for God himselfe looks upon this way of reconciliation as the most gaining and prevaling argument that posibly he can use to gaine the heart of any man And except you finde your hearts gained upon by this you may take it as an argument of a most dangerous Condition in which you are I dare appeal to those whose harts God hath gained to himselfe let them Say what was it that gained their hearts what was it that broke their hearts most kindly at first and Caused them to fly unto God was it not the opening of this mistery of Reconciliation in Christ was it not Gods tender of his mercy to the souls of poore sinful creatures in Christ And woe to those Persons that shal Sit under the ministry of the Gospel the droppings of heaven and here the blesed tidings of Reconciliation in Christ and yet not find their hearts gained by this argument for this was one special end why God those this way of Reconciling himself to the world that he might by this gaine the hearts of the Children of men to himselfe for ever So that now you have had al these things opened in the point besides the proof of it in Scripture first you have had shewed unto you that there cold be no Reconciliation but in Christ secondly That Christ was a fit mediator to reconcile God and us together and in what particular thirdly what Christ hath undertook to do for the Reconciliation of us to God and what he doth to this very day Fourthly how we com to have Interest in what he hath done for our Reconciliation fiftly the several properties or consequences of this Reconciliation which doth discover to us what a kinde of Reconciliation it is And then the Reasons why God would reconcile the world to himself in this way rather then in any other way CHAP. 20. APPLICATION Vse 1. See the woful misery sin hath brought us unto humiliation for sin us ful THis improvment of al by application to our selves folows Indeed a great part of what hath been insisted on though it hath been by way of Explication yet it hath been Applicatory But there are yet further things by way of Application to be presented to you al flowing naturally from what hath been taught neither shal I need to be long in it because it is but only a working upon your hearts the same things which I have inlarged upon in the opening of the Point VSE 1 1. then from this point that God was in Christ Reconciling the world to himselfe Hence is presented before us the woful misery that sin hath brought us into There is nothing that sets out the Breach between God and man so much as this That the making up of that Breach must be in Christ There is a great question now on foot Whether humiliation be necessary or no whether men must be made senssible of their natural condition and so be humbled and that way be brought unto Jesus Christ There are a great many that Catch hold upon the abuse of this Humiliation so as wholly to exclude it but exceeding ignorantly because that some would make humiliation as if it were a Condition of the Covenant which indeed it is not and when they heare us say that it is not a Condition they presently Conclude that there is no need at al of it because say they Humiliation doth not at al interest us in Jesus Christ And because some perhaps wil trust two much in their Humiliation and rely upon it therefore others wil wholly take it away and exclude it But though humiliation is not the Condition of the Covenant though it is not that which doth give us an interest in Jesus Christ though it is not that which we are to rely upon yet there is very much need of humiliation and that we be made sensible of our lost Condition by sin and by that which hath been delivered you may see a necessity of it for Consider I suppose if you beleive that God wil pardon your sins and that he wil be Reconciled unto you you beleive it is in Christ Yea you wil say that is Certaine and therefore seeing Christ hath wrought our Reconciliation what need we be humbled for sin Certainly my Bretheren in that which you say if you understand what you say there is implied the deepest work of humiliation and the strongest argument thereunto that it is possible for any Creature to be Capable of in this world How is that you wil say Thus. I beleeve that God is reconciled to me in Christ what hath God wrought my reconciliation in his Son hath he brought it about by Jesus Christ and chosen that way above all other wayes to do it Then certainly such was the Breach between God and me through my sin that al the Angels in Heaven and al the men in the world could never make it up Such was the Breach that my sin had made between God and my soul as it is required so great a mistery of Godliness to make it up as the very Angels themselves are not able to comprehend And indeed it is the greatest work that ever God did do or that â—ver God wil do to al Eternity Consider what it cost to make up the Breach that sin had made between God and thy soul And againe If you beleive that you are reconciled to God in Christ you do not only see and are Convinced of the greatness of that Breach but you must be sensible of it too for can I go out of my self and exercise such a gloriouse act of Faith upon Christ as Mediator and yet not be sensible of what Christ hath done Certainly the work of faith can never be raised in the heart But it is raised so as the sinner knows what he doth when he doth beleive and is sensible of what he doth And if this be so take but these two things That when a man beleeves in Christ as Mediator that he knows what he doth when he beleeves and is sensible of what he doth take but these two things for granted and I wil warrant that foul wil be humbled it follows of it self and of its own nature it need not be required as a Condition it is as necessary to the work of faith as light in the Sun when it shines or as heate of the fire and indeed it is implyed As for example When I am to go to such a place or about such a business it is true going is not the condition required it is not required that I should travil so many stepps by way of Condition but that such an act should be performed that I should be at such a place at such a day to do such a business now though this be not expressed in a condition that I must go so many miles and the
seeking Reconciliation to eye Christ and carry him in our armes If there be any of you that now begin to have your consciences stirred and to be made sensible of the breach that is between God and you do not rest in seeking peace in a natural way but eye Jesus Christ and when you look up unto God for peace look unto him in Christ Look upon Christ as the second person in Trinity takeing our nature upon him Look upon Christ as the head of the Covenant of Grace Look upon Christ as the Lamb slayn from the begiâ—â—â—f the world and having made peace with his blooâ— Look upon Christ as sitting at the right hand of the Father makeing intercession Thus you should act your faith upon God in Christ when you are seeking peace with God The reason why many people ly under the spirit of bondage for many years together is this Because they look upon God meerly as he is in himselfe and do not look upon God through Christ and so do not sanctifie the name of God in this great work of Reconciliation CHAP. 30 God was reconciling the world to himself from all eternity opened ANd thus we have gone through that point of Gods being reconciled to us in Christ There is another Namely The Sixt thing propounded in the first Chapter viz. That God was reconcileing the world to himself in his son The work of our Reconciliation is not a work of yesterday it is a work that God was doing from all eternity for the point is from that particle he was this work for God to reconcile us to himself in his son hath taken up the heart of God from al eternity That place in Titus 1.2 Is most remarkable for this In hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began he not onely promised it now but he promised it before the world began who was there before the world began to whom God made this promise There was his Son Jesus Christ So then that is the meaning when he saith God was reconcileing himself to the world that there was from al eternity a transaction as it were between God the Father and God the son about our Reconciliation there was not only a purpose in 〈◊〉 â—â—om al eternity that he would reconcile the world to â—elf but there was a real and actual transaction between the Father and Son about it an agreement between God the Father and God the Son about it Gods Wisdom from al eternity was exercised to find out a way Secondly Gods purpose was from al eternity to do it And Thirdly There was a transaction between God the Father and God the Son from al Eternity for to do it they did covenant one with the other God the Father told his Son what he required of him and God the Son promised to the Father to do it there was such a transaction as this and therefore the scripture saith it was promised before the world began God the Father did promise to his Son before the world began what he would do for those that he would dy for as if he should have said Thou art content to lay down thy life and to shed thy blood Yea saith the Son I am wel saith the Father I wil be reconciled unto them and I wil save their souls they shal have eternal life for their portion this I promise thee and so it was promised to Christ first It is true the promises of the Gospel are sweet and they should rejoyce our hearts I had perished in my affliction saith David had I not had ragard unto thy word nothing more sweet to a soul then the promises are but though the promises that are made to us in the Gospel are sweet yet the promise that was made to the Son of God is infinitly more sweet And this is the thing that I should have shewed you not only how this was promised unto Christ but the excellent comfort that this is unto the Saints that they are now to look upon al that is done unto them and upon all the works of Gods grace to them not as a new thing not as an accidental thing that comes As if we should have peace here in the Commonwealth it would be pretiouse to us if it should be upon these tearms and we would al rejoyce much in what should befall us in a way of a safe peace But our peace with God is not wrought with God so as if we were perishing and then Gods providence came and turned all about againe No our peace with God is a thing plotted from al eternity God did as it were contrive it in Heaven before any world was made God thought of this work of Reconcileing himselfe unto the world yea unto thee in particular if thou beest a Beleever a broken hearted sinner before even the Havens or the Earth were made God had actual thoughts of thee stil and there was a Covenant between God the Father and the Son for thy soul in particular and though God foresaw thou wouldest sin against him and turne enemy to him yet there was a consultation between the Father and the Son from al eternity to bring thy soul home unto God and to pardon thy sin So that thou art to look upon al the works of Gods grace towards thee here in bringing thee to his Son and upon all the comforts thou hast from his Son as the fruit of Gods eternal plot of Gods eternal councel with his Son and that although it doth but now break forth yet it was that which was in the bosom of the Father and the Son from al eternity and this indeed wil sweeten our Reconciliation with God and al means tending thereunto As doth God send but the word of Reconciliation to bring you home unto Christ this was that which there was a Contrivance of in the heart of God from al eternity That in such a time such a man should live in such a place and such a Minister should be sent amongst them and such a text of scripture should be opened and such truths should be preached and if thou findest God bringing of these truths home to thy soul know it is a fruit of that eternal counsel that was between the Father and the Son before the world began and a branch of the promise that God made to his Son from al eternity Do'st thou when thou comest to the word begin to feel thy mind inlightned to know Jesus Christ doth thy heart begin to be melted is thy soul drawing after Christ do not look upon this as a meer accidental thing do not say only What a providence of God is it that called me to such a Sermon at such time I went for company sake to such a place but when I came I felt the Spirit of God stirring in my Soul yea I find a beginning of that which I hope I shal have cause to bless God for for ever Do not look upon this as a
if thou thinkest that this is an argument of Reconciliation No the bottom of Reconciliation is non imputation Hast thou an evidence to thy Soul that God hath revealed Christ to thee and that in his Son he hath imputed thy sin to thee and do'st thou build thy peace upon that This wil hold Many build their peace upon this that their sins are not so and so great as others are What of that if it be but one sin that thou art guilty of though it be of the least nature yet if it be imputed to thee it is enough to make thy Soul and God eternally enemies Others there are whose sins were committed a great while ago and they have worne out the trouble of them now they are quiet and at peace But O! let them know there is stil the debt remaining upon the score it is not taken of And as a man that may stay a long while before he cals for his debt may cal for it when he pleaseth and first or last wil do it So thou hast gotten thy selfe into a kind of peace and worne out the trouble of thy conscience yet know that so long as thy sins are upon the score and are not wiped off God wil cal for payment sooner or latter therefore pleace not thy self in any things in the world as the ground of thy peace but thy being reconciled unto God in Christ he not imputing thy sins unto thee CHAP. 39 The Ministers Commission to Preach Reconciliation to the World We now pass on to the next thing And that is the Commission for declaration of this Doctine of Reconciliation with God in Chrst in the last words of the 19. verse And hath committed unto us the word of Reconcilation God hath committed unto us I find the words in the Original different from that they are read in your English Bibles the word Committed is and put into us so the words are put in this word of Reconciliation so if you read it word for word according to the Original Text it is thus And he hath put in us the word of Reconciliation But because this kind of reading would seem to be somthing harsh in our English phrase therefore the Translators have translated it thus And hath committed to us but the Original exprsses it in this manner to shew what it is that is needful to a Minister of the Gospel that he should have the Doctrine of Reconciliation to sink deep into his own heart first that so when he comes to speak to the hearts of other men he may speak from the heart and so to the heart the word that comes from heart we say goes to the heart therefore it is of great use that one that is a Minister of the Gospel should have the word of Reconciliation the mysteries of the Gospel deeply rooted in his heart that when he comes to speak to the people he may speak it not meerly from his tongue and head but from his heart eâ—perimentally that his heart may be in his ministry that so it may be more effectuall to go to the heart of the people to whom he speaks and that expression is somwhat like to this 1. Gal. 16. verse in the 15. verse it is said But when it pleased God who seperated me from my Mothers Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me To reveal his Son in me he doth not say to reveal his Son to me but in me so the words are so that indeed it doth befit a Minister of the Gospel to be a profitable Minister when Jesus Christ comes to be revealed in him And so much for the expression hath committed unto us that is put in us the word of reconciliation As if the Apastle should say whereas the Lord hath been from al eternity plotting as it were the great work of reconciling the world unto himself in that great mistery of godliness doing of it in Christ and this is the work that above al things concerns the glory of God and the good of Soules and the Lord hath been pleased to appoint some select messengers for to carry this his name about the world and to shew unto the world what those glorious counsels of his wil hath been from al eternity concerning the Children of men this great Doctrine of reconciling the world unto himself in Christ is the very buisness that we are sent about the world for and are as the Embassadors of Christ to come and in his name to treat with the world about Reconciliation with God about making up their peace with God so that here you have the work of the Ministers of the Gospel what great things are committed to the Ministers of the Gospel He hath committed unto us the ministery of Reconciliation that is the work so that from hence the point is this according to the words of the text Doct That the Ministery of Reconciliation with God is committed unto the Ministers of God to preach unto the World The Ministers of God have a comission both from the Father Son and Holy Spirit to preach the Doctrine of Reconciliation to the people for here we have it in the very words which follow We are Embassadors of Christ as if God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you Reconciled to God for Father Son and Holy Spirit is likewise in the commission of Gods Ministers when they come to preach in the name of God and that you have in Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest thy good spirit It was the Prophet that came to instruct them it was the Spirit of God in the Prophet that did instruct them So that the Ministers of God have their commission from the Father from the Son and from the Holy Spirit to come to the people and to reveale the great counsels of God unto them they are sent by the whole Trinity unto the people here is their commission you have it clearly But the commission is more imediately from Christ though there is the Father Son and Holy Spirit in it yet it is more imediatly from Christ because Christ is the great Prophet of the Church it is part of the prophetical office of Christ to have the great counsel of God his Father in the mistery of our Reconcilliation to be opened to the people Christ was first annointed and then he doth as it were annoint other officers to this great work in Isa 61. There you shal find the great Prophet he is first annointed The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me To what To Preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken heart to proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the day of Vengence of our God to comfort all that mourne to appoint unto them that mourne in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes
not so capable of conversing with Angels as men we are not able to stand before them when an Angel hath somtimes appeared to a gratious Servant of God he hath not been able to bear the glory of it but to fal down and when the Angels came in the 2 of Luk. and said Glory to God on high c. The Angels struck the Shephards with amazment And in the second place the Ministrey of the Angels could not be so effectual Angels do not so fully understand the windings turnings of the hearts of men so as men do A Man is more conscious to the turnings and windings of his own heart then any Angel can be he may know his own heart more then Angels can and by knowing his own heart he may be able to speak more suitable we do not in read the word that Angels knew the thoughts of the heart of men any further then they are some way exprest nor the Devils That is made to be the property of God to be the searcher of the heart but a Man may search his own heart in a great measure furthen the Angels and so they may the better speak unto the hearts of others and so God in Wisdome rather commits the Ministery of Reconciliation to men then Angels But a third is this and that is a special one that the power of God may the more appeare in the conversion of souls unto Jesus Christ and in this one thing the power of God doth appear a great deal more then in making Heaven and Earth First The Doctrine of Reconciliation is the most high supernatural thing that is in the world it is above the reach of a creature Secondly It is that that doth beat down mans nature as much as can be But now that a few poor fisher men at first to whom was committed the word of Reconciliation and a few of the Apostles that were in a poore meane contemptible condition that sometimes had scarce raggs to hang upon them were whipt up down put in the stocks as if they had been the vilest Rogues that had been in all the world and yet that God should subdue so many nations upon the face of the earth and in time should bring the whole world in general to receive this Doctrine by such poor and weak meanes O! the infinite power and glory of God that doth appeare In this God uses weak meanes to shew the greatness of his power and for that you have a cleare text in 2 Cor. 4 7. But we have this treasure in Earthen Vessels that is the Ministery of Reconciliation O! it is a treasure indeed in earthen vessels the word is in the greek in vessels of shells there were some rich shells that had on the outside a plaine shel that when you came to the Sea-shore you should look upon them and they looked meanly as if they had not been worth a farthing but within the shel there was a pretious Pearle that was worth many thousands of pounds so saith he we have this treasure in a shel that is in a poor weak fraile vessel man a contemptible vessel we have this pearle And why so the Apostle gives the reason that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us There is a mighty power of God that goes together with the Ministery of Reconciliation Whensoever any soul is brought home to be reconciled unto God certainly there goes a mighty power yea there goes an hyperbolical power together with it Object But how wil this appeare that there is such a mighty power of God that goes with the Ministery of Reconciliation It appeares in this that there is such mighty things done by such poor weak and contemptible means that men should be willing to part with any thing in the world yea their very lives and beare the greatest torments of the most cruel Tyrants and that for the witness of this truth Now this appeares to be the mighty power of God and this seemes to be a secret answer to any objection in 3 Cor. Is it so that the Ministers of the Gospel are far more Glorious then the Ministers of the Law What is the reason that the Ministers of the Gospel are in such a meane condition so much meaner then the Ministers of the Law There was an high Priest and he had glorious Robes and had pretious stones upon his brest and shoulders now we have no such things Here is a company of poor Fisher-men weak meane men that the world regards not suerly the Ministers of the Law were more Glorious then these Ministers of the Gospel No saith the Apostle for al this we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power of God might appeare and not of man and we are willing as if the Apostle should say that the power of God may appeare more that the glory of God may shine bright we are willing to be Earthen Vessels Another Reason may be this why God committs this Ministery to poor Men rather than to Angels surely God hath a further end then wee imagine it is in just judgment to be a stumbling block to wicked and ungodly men whose hearts are opposite unto the Glorious Gospel that as we know Christ said he preached in parables that in seeing they might not see and in hearing they might not understand as a just judgment of God against the Pharisees and others whose hearts were wicked and unclean and opposite unto Christ that the glorious things of the Gospel might be hid under those parables So I make no question but the means of the Ministery of the Gospel which the world counts Foolishness and the mean condition of the professors of the Gospel is made by God as a stumbling block to ungodly men who God intends should perish eternally because their hearts are wicked and perverse I hate them saith God therefore wil hide this rich treasure from them But those that I love I wil open the inside unto them but others shal have nothing but the outside they shal only have the visible part But now there are others whom God intends to save and they come and the Lord together with their outward Ministery speaks to their hearts and opens the inward treasure to them and they se the Glory of it and admire at it and they come to tast the sweet promises of the Gospel and they adore God in receiving such things as these are so that God fetches about his ends this way but in his just judgment hides his Gospel from some and reveales it to others and therefore saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost the ministery of the Gospel it is hid to some but it is to those that are lost he hides it from them by this outward meanes the outside Thus you see why God doth commit the Ministery of Reconciliation unto men rather then unto Angells CAP.
God at the general resurrection but saith he it is now the hower is comming and now is when the dead shal hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shal live It was at the time and is continually in the ministry of the word There is the voice of the son of God that makes the dead to hear and to live And further the word of the Ministery must be looked upon as Gods in this regard because otherwise there could not be any ground or bottom for faith by any thing that is delivered in the Ministery of the word Now we know that the ministery of the word is the special ordinance that is appointed for the begetting of faith faith comes by hearing hearing by the word preached It doth not come so much by reading no not by reading of the book of God by reading of the scripture but by hearing and hearing the word preached Now then you wil say indeed The word in the Bible that is the word of God God speaks there and Christ speaks and we may bottom our faith upon what we read there but we must have somthing to bottom our faith upon when we hear it preacht by man as wel as when we read it and it is cleer by scripture that God doth rather work by the hearing of it preacht than by the reading of it Except we look upon it as the word of God and Christ we have nothing to bottom our Faith upon for nothing that is humane can be the bottom and ground of any ones faith It is not what is the judgment of such a man though he be never so learned never so holy a man that can bottom or ground my faith But when I come to heare him so as I can heare God and Christ speaking in him then have I somthing to ground my faith upon what he saith therefore here is the reason why so many go away and are only taken at the present hearing but their hearts are not grounded and bottomed in the truth because they hear man only and do not heare God But when people can say as those men that came forth from Samaria to the woman in John 4. about the middle of the Chap. sayd that when the woman came and told them Here is a man that hath tould me al that ever I did is not he Chyist And they went out to him But at length say they to her when they had spoken to him Now we do beleeve not because thou hast told us but because we have heard him our selves So may many a soul say I have been often hearing of sermons and I have been taken with the preaching of such a man and I did beleeve what he said and it went into my heart in some measure Oh! but now saith a soul I do not beleeve because he tells me this but I have heard in his preaching God and Christ himself it hath not been he but it hath been Jesus Christ that hath spoken to my heart There could be no grounding of our faith except that which is delivered in the Ministery of the word be looked upon as God and Christ speaking in them Object You wil say must we bleeve every thing that the Preacher speaks as if God and Christ spake it men may err Therefore you must compare what you hear with what you read and as those noble men of Berea did search the Scripture to see what Paul himself preacht they were not to take Pauls preaching but to compare it with other Scriptures and they were commended for it and God forbid that we should think it much that people should examine any thing we speak Try all things and then keep that which is good search the Scriptures and compare what is delivered by Scripture and then so far as that is according to the rule of Scripture that is spoken though it be not directly the words of the Scripture yet when it is spoken in the name of God according to Scripture it should be received as if God and Christ spoke it We challenge no such infallibility as the Papists say the Pope hath but we give unto al people liberty to examine our Doctrine by Scripture and then God expects and Christ expects that it should be received as if God and Christ spake CHAP. 59. Use 1. Answering the Objections of the Arminians And the Wantons of our Age. NOW then briefly Hence we have a Use of instruction where we have an answer to the Objection both of the Arminians of our late Wantons Arminians they make this Objection when we preach somtimes that al men naturally are dead in sins and trespasses and there is no free wil in man but man is as void of Grace as the dead Carkass that lies in the grave is void of natural life Now they say If men be so dead in sins Why do you preach to them Were it not a vain thing to go and preach in the Church-yard Would they regard what you say you preach that al are dead and that there is no life at al in men to do any good Why do you speak to them This point answers that Objection Though it is a truth that al men naturally are dead in sins and are before the Lord as a dead Carrion there is no dead Carrion more loathsome in the eyes of us than every natural Soul is in the Eyes of God but yet we come and preach to them Why because that in our preaching it is God God and Christ speaks though our voice have no power to raise from the dead yet the voice of God hath power to raise from the dead If Christ wil speak to one that is dead he shal come forth as you know in the 11. of John when Christ came to Lazarus saith Christ I say to thee Lazarus arise It were a vain thing for any of us to go to the grave and say arise but if Christ come he can raise them presently So we preach to a congregation that are mixt some that have lain in the grave of sin forty years perhaps together yet when we speak in the name of Christ and Christ speaks together with us we may speak to dead Souls for together with the word that is spoken there doth go a power and a life for it is the word of God and not the word of man that breaths forth life And again it is an answer to the Objection of our late Wantons they cry out against Ministers calling to men for duties and account them duty-mongers Say they What do you cal to men to do you tel them that they must do thus and thus and they must perform duties and humble themselves They think they have got a great Objection in this that because men have no power naturally therefore it is a vain thing to cal upon them to perform duties This answers them We cal upon them so as the voice of Christ though they have no power themselves yet we cal
when he came to present one to such a town he asked whether there were not some in the place that desired some others Yes said they there are some that desire a university man to come to them but saith he the preaching that is there wil not humble a Soul doth not tend to humiliation I heard this even from one that I know was not a freind to powerful preaching and yet his conscience was so farr convinced from it because the wisdom of words and learning is there shewed but that kind of way of preaching the Gospel it makes the Crosse of Christ to be of no effect Your flaunting preachers when do they convert a Soul therefore saith the Apostle if we preach so as to do good it must be such a preaching as is in the 18. vers It must be foolishness to wicked men but to these that are saved it is the power of God and the Wisdom of God wicked carnal men wil say here is no Schollership no learning in such a Sermon Wel it is foolishness to them but to them that are saved it is the power of God to Salvation but such a poor man sayth I know not what they say But I find a power in it my Eyes were never awakened til now my heart was never wrought upon til now to those that are saved it is the power of God If you find a power in it that which wicked men cal foolishness it is a good argument that you are one that shal be saved when it quickens you And again in the 19. vers For it is written I wil destroy the Wisdom of the wise and wil bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Al their bravery shal come to nothing and then in the 23. vers But we preach Christ Crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness And then again the 2. Chap. vers 1. And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of mans wisdom You wil say it was because Paul could not No Paul was an admirable Scholler a most Eloquent man he was brought up under the feet of Gamaliel And yet this man came not with excellency of speech or Wisdom of words declaring to them the excellencies of God for saith he in the 2. vers I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified c. This makes the word powerful when it comes in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and not with entising words of mans Wisdom that your faith should not stand in the Wisdom of man but in the power of God howbeit we speak Wisdom amongst those that are perfect There is Wisdom in preaching You wil say why should preachers be fool No God forbid there should be the greatest Wisdom that can be and this is no warrant for one to come into the Pulpet and to speak extempore we do not come to justifie a raw and empty discourse that hath nothing in it but meer words and a noise but hath no solildity No let Ministers study and Labor to be as sollid as they can search into the misteries of the Gospel open the secrets of God so it wil prevail with the consciences of men if Ministers have any parts there is matter enough to express the parts of those that are most able and that which requires their study and so the Apostle would have Timothy to study and therefore it is no justifying of those that do not study But we must remember we come to speak in Christs steed Christ certainly did not come with empty words but he came to open the counsels of his Father and he did reveal the great Misteries of the Gospel it was in a sollid way so the Apostle that which they spake was weighty and sollid though it was not with vain words and phrases as I spake before But this I name the rather not that I direct my speech so much to Ministers as to you people seeing you hear that this is our point that God Christ speaks in the Ministry of the word that therefore you should desire and affect such a kind of Ministry wherein God speaks most wherein Christ speaks most wherein you can hear the voice of God and of Christ And I know no one argument that doth more fully evidence the difference between a carnal heart and a gratious spiritual heart than this What Ministry doth thy heart most savour and rellish â—hereby you may know the temper of your hearts One may know the temper of the body by knowing what food one doth most savour so we may know the temper of the heart by knowing what food it doth most rellish if thou dost rellish frothy food thy heart is according to it but if thou dost rellish and Savour a spiritual Ministry that comes in the power and authority of God and Christ that speaks to thy heart and conscience this is an evidence and sign of a gracious disposition in thy heart And the truth is in one that is fallen or in a great measure from God if there be any sparks of grace remayning they wil appear in this as much as in any thing that though his heart be grown more loose than it was yet stil he cannot but acknowledg he doth find more power in such a spiritual Ministry than in another But your carnal hearts they wil savour and relish of a Ministry that is a meer word ministry that hath least of God and Christ where there is but little of God and Christ in the heart there the Ministry that hath least of God and Christ is most rellished Some Women and some that are ignorant if they hear a Sermon that hath a great deal of Greek latin in it that they cannot understand they go away and commend his Sermon though they understand not any one thing of it I have heard of an excellent story of a poor begger in Queen Blizabeths time who heard a Sermon at the Court and heard a great many Latine Sentences and Eloquent speeches and the poor beggar he follows the Minister when he was going away and blesses God and says Oh! Master Doctor I bless God and thank God at my heart The Minister turns about and asks him what the matter is Oh! Master Doctor saies he I hope the old Religion is comming in again But have not the Prelates Silenced those men that wrought most upon the heart and conscience If any did preach so as that their Ministry came to be powerful end to prevail upon the hearts and consciences of men the Prelates would not let them stand CAHP. 52. How to know what kind of Ministry God speaks most in NOw you wil say How shal I know what kind of Ministry it is wherein God did speak most For the Answer to that I appeal to your consciences what kind of preaching do you think in your consciences there would be if Christ himself were
preaching to you How do you think that Christ himself would preach if he were here upon the Earth That which comes neerest to what Christ would preach that you must favor cerrainly Christ would not preach to defend superstitious vanities for Christ when he came to preach preached so as the people many times derided him and scorned him One time when he had done his Sermon they carryed him to the brow of the hil of the City and would presently have broken his Neck Do but read that Sermon of Christ in the 5 6 7. Math. What preachers would you think your Courtiers to be if Christ were preaching to you that that comes nearest to that that Christ would preach that you must most favor and affect Secondly That kind of preaching you think in your consciences doth most prevaile in the authority of the word hath humbled most hearts and converted most souls that Christ hath set his seal unto I appeal unto you what kind of preaching hath humbled most souls and done most good Hath not some poor country preacher that hath preached in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit converted more souls unto God than an hundered Bishops so that he may be able to say at the great day of judgment according to his measure as our blessed Savior said Here am I and those whom thou hast given me Thirdly Examine of what side you be those that be of Gods side they know his voice my sheep hear my voice but a stranger they wil not follow take any town and divide the people and see how the Minister is liked some are for and some against him But now look into the difference of their lives of both these kinds of men of those that are for and those that are against the Minister see their different walkings come into such a place as this Because they say there is a thousand ale-houses belonging to this place of Stepny I think there be hardly five that do savor the Ministery of the word and al your prophane ones generally they speak against the Ministers Now I appeal to your consciences if you were to stand before God at the day of judgment of which side would you be either of the side of those that are drunkards swearers uncleane persons and raylers at the Ministery of the word or of the side of those that are willing to take paines to heare the word of God and bless God for the Ministery of his word Certainly that preaching hath most of Christ in it that those that have most of the Spirit of Christ do most savour fot they know the voice of Christ and a stranger they wil not hear they can understand it though wicked and ungodly ones cannot That is the Second use CHAP. 53. USE 3. We should delight in the Word A Third Use of the point is this Is the ministry of the word such as hath God and Christ speaking in it Oh then How should we delight in it How should we bless God for it With what greediness should we come to hear at any time What is not the voice of Jesus Christ sweet unto us We have Christ wooing of us Christ exhorting of us and Christ comforting of us When we come to the Word O! with what readiness and cheerfulness should we come to hear the voice of Christ If you be Godly Christ doth delight in your voice when you are gotten alone in your Closets and can speak but brokenly O then your voice is delightful to him Therefore the voice of Christ should be very delightful unto you I wil give you a Text or two for proof of this Cant. 2.14 It is a speech of Christ to the Church O my dove that are in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly O! let me hear thy voice my dove O! thou that art in the secret places of the stairs Art thou got alone into a hole to prayer got alone behind the dore in the secret places for it is spoken here of the estate of the Church in times of persecution that they dare not come together openly howsoever wicked men wil raile at them and say they get into corners to do thus and thus but saith Christ thou that art in the clefts of the rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me hear thy voice for thy voice is sweet and thy countenance is comely Against in the 4. Cant. 11. Thy lips drop as the hony-combe O my Spouse When the Saints speak of Christ or speak to Christ their lips do drop before Christ as the hony-comb Now what an argument is this Shal thy lips be so sweet to Christ and shal not Christs lips be as sweet to thee the Ministry of the word is as if Christ did entreat thee and beseech thee O! how sweet should it be to thee if thou hast the Spirit of Christ the Church of Christ doth answer what Christ said of her lips and of her Voice and of her Mouth so the Church doth answer to Christ in the 5. Cant. mark what the Church saith of his Mouth what an Eccho is here and an answer to prayer saith Christ to the Church Thy lips O my Spouse are as the hony-comb And thy mouth O my Saviour is most sweet In John 3.29 he saith there That the friend of the Bridegroom which stands and hears the Bridegroomes voice rejoiceth greatly If thou be the spouse of Christ thou wilt rejoice to hear the voice of the Brdegroom and every time thou comest to hear a conscionable Sermon thou do'st come to hear the very Voyce of the Bridegroom and thou canst not but rejoyce in it O! how sweet is one word of Christ to a gracious heart and the spiritual communion with Christ here upon earth it is in his ordinances we shal hereafter be alwaies in his presence and see his face But if he would have any evidence that we shal have communion with him in heaven we must Rejoyce in the hearing of his word CHAP. 54 VES 4. If God and Christ speak in the word how dreadful ought it to be to the Neglectors Disobayers and Contemners of the word IF God and Christ do speak in the ministry of his word Then O! what a dreadful point is this to al the neglecters disobeyers and contemners of the ministry of the word Thou neglectest the word O! what dost thou do when thou neglectest the word thou turnest thy backe upon Jesus Christ and wilt not hear him and therefore I suppose you know the place He that turns away his ear from hearing the law his prayers shal be abominable what dost thou turn away thine ear from hearing the word God professes that he wil turn away his ear from hearing thy prayers and thy prayers shal be abominable for thou turnest away thine eare from hearing of Christ speake to thy soul For
it is in Christs stead saith the Appostle There wil be a time when thou wouldst fain have the eare of God to hear thee As you would have God to hear you then so do you hear him now marke that text in the 1. Prov. 24. against those that turn away their eare from hearing God speak Because I have called and ye refused I have streetched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at naught al my councels and you would have none of my reproofe howsoever you thought it was but the word of such and such a man yet you have set at naught al my councels and you would have none of my reproofe your hearts fretted and vext that such a man reproved you no it is my reproofe saith God and mark what a doom follows in the 26. vers you you shal cal Saith God and I wil not hear There was a time friend when I cald to you by such a sermon and you know that I spak to your hearts and you turnd a deaf ear to me you shal cal your hearts out and I wil not hear you and there wil come a time that you shal cal to Gods ministers to pray for you What would you have God to hear his ministers for you and wil not you hear his ministers from God It was a speech of Ambrose to Theodosius the Emperor saith he wil not you hear me seeing you desire that I should be heard for you you desire saith he that I should be heard for you and therefore be you willing to heare me now that was the speech to Theodosious after he hade fallen to a great sin comming to reprove him for his sin what saith he wil not you hear me you would be willing that I should be heard for you therefore be you willing to hear me so say I to al men that live in any way of sin Hear Gods ministers now for a day wil come when you wil be glad that God should hear his ministers for you O! hear us when we come in the name of God we would not have you to heare us if we speake our owne fancies This concerns those that neglect the word Now a word or two to those that disobey the word they wil set their judgments against the judgments of the ministers let him say what he wil it is but his opinion Do you know what you say this rebellion is against God against Christ as if there were this language in your hearts Christ saith I wil have this done thy lusts say they wil have this done O! this wil be charged upon thee one day that the voice of the divel was more strong with thee than the voice of Christ but specially it is to contemne the word to set at naught Gods councels to go away contemn the word Dost thou know what thou dost let me apply but these two scriptures to thee thou that Despisest and Scornest the word that canst go to company and there talke of what thou dost heare in a contemnning manner consider but of these two texts I pray first Consider of the text out of which the Point is Raised of Gods Speaking to thee thou dost despise and dost thou so Consisider what the text in Isa 39.23 Saith when thou gettest into company and there art warme with wine Oh! then thou liftest up the voice and laughest against whom hast thou lift up thy voice thou thinkest it is against Hezekiah No it is against the Holy one of Israel thou thinkest it is against such a man that preacheth such a day no it is against the Holy God and Jesus Christ and this is upon thy score written in Heaven here is one that hath reproached the Holy one and Jesus Christ In Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me c. That is true not only of the desciples that were there for the present upon the earth but of al the faithful ministers to the end of the world for Christ saith when he sends them out I wil be with you to the end of the world They were dead more than a thousand years agoe and Christ yet had promised to be with them that is those that should succeed them he would be with them to the end of the world And this Text concerns every faithful minister as wel as the disciples of Christ al that time you despise Jesus Christ and God his Father when you despise the ministery of his word for the Lords sake take heed what you do when you have to deal with the word you have to deal with an edge tool it is that that wil either save you or destroy you for ever You that have been guilty of neglecting the word the Lord strike and humble your hearts and for a Cordial for time to come I wil apply but one scripture further to you and that is that in Heb. 12.25 What is that that in the faithful ministery of the word God and Christ speaks unto people Then take this exhortation So that yee refuse not him that speaketh If they escaped not who refused him that spak on Earth much more shal not we escape if we turne away him that speaketh from Heaven The Ministery of the gospel and the Ministery of the Law are compared One speaking from Earth the other from Heaven though the truth is they were both from Heaven But now in the Ministery of the Gospel God hath sent his own Son to you In the latter daies he hath spoken by his Son saith the Apostle in 1. Heb. the begining God who at sundery times spak in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last times spoken to us by his Son c. In former times God spake by his Prophets there was the voice of God but it is not so cleer that there was the voice of God though it is true Christ did speak then by the prophets but in comparison Christ is not said to speak by them But now in these daies God hath spoken by his Son and God hath reserved the Ministery of his Grace and his eternal counsels concerning the Children of men God hath reserved this for his Son and not only his Son personally but his Son in the Ministery of his word Now you wil say If Christ did preach as you say he doth there would be more power We find that when Christ did preach that the Pharises derided him in the original it is they blew their noses at him and marke they that were covetous they derided him they even derided Jesus Christ himself A worldly heart that is growen rich that hath gotten from a low estate to a far greater he wil deride the most excellent preaching in the world Take heed that you do not despise the Ministery for certainly the voice of Christ wil prevaile one day If it doth not prevaile here in the word it shal prevail one day when Christ shal say depart from me yee cursed though thou dost not
the great Bishop of their souls He wil come with his visitations one day and when that is come then they shal not have encouragement that have read Service and wore Suâ—plices every day But they shal be able to look upon his face with joy that have been faithful in the work of the Ministery of the Gospel and those that they have done good unto shal be their joy and their Crown at that day In 2. Phil. 16. Saith the Apostle to the Philipians amongst other exhortations he exhorts them that they should hold forth the word the word of life do thus and thus saith he Oh! manifest the power of the Gospel in your lives that I may rejoyce in the day of Jesus Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain It is an argument to prevail with people to embrace the Gospel that they may recompence those that labor amongst them with this recompence that they may have joy in the day of Jesus Christ that they may be able to come to Christ and say blessed Savior here am I and those whom thou hast given me here are reasons enough I wil pass therfore bretheren from the point only thus much CHAP. 58 Use 1. The horrible wickednss of those that are idle in the Ministery FIrst you may see what an horrible wickedness it is for any that take upon them to be the Ministers of the Gospel and yet be idle to be an idle shepheard to be unfaithful in this it is a most detestable wickedness of all men in the world those men have given up their spirits to wickedness that have the weight of the Ministery of the Gospel to lie upon their charge and yet they are idle Oh! it is woful that ever that man was borne that should take upon him such a glorious Ministery as the Ministery of the Gospel and therein be negligent of preaching or by a scandalous life do mischif unto others It had been better that he had never been born saith the Apostle Woe to me if I preach not So may they say wo to us if we be negligent in it and wo to us if we by our scandalous lives hinder the fruit of our own preaching and of other mens preaching also But we shal let that pass CHAP. 59. Vse 2 IN the second place labor you to inform your selves in this when you see any faithful Minister earnest in this work of his ministration know what the ground is perhaps some of you wonder at it why he cannot content himself as some others know where the ground lies In this from whence it comes it is the Ministery of the Gospel that is committed to him and he knows it is a Glorious Ministery and he sees much of Jesus Christ in it and the Glory of God shines in it and if he be faithful and hath any love to Christ and Saints and their souls it is impossible but that he must needs be earnest in it Paul was so earnest that the people thought him mad and that in this very Chapter where my text is verse 13. You may think we are besides our selves wel it is for your cause and it is the love of Christ constrains us we cannot but do that we do as the Apostle Peter saith in another pleace So saith any faithful Minister think of it what you wil we cannot but speak what the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is what it is that we have seen and what it is that we have heard out of the Ministery of the Gosple our selves and the love of Christ constrains us and then in verse 11. knowing therefore the terror of the Lord then much more the grace of the Lord we perswade men If so be that God would but convince you of this that when you heare any thing of the mistery of the Gospel opened to you and any earnestness of spirit manifested in it I say if you were convinced that the ground and principle of it is this the apprehension of the glory of this ministration as it is such in an excellent Ministery Therefore it is that all faithful Ministers of God are so earnest in the ministration of it It would prevaile more with your hearts to receive what is delivered in such a way But we let that pass and come to that which is the maiâ—e in the text CHAP. 60. The fourth Doctrine propounded in the 45. Chapter viz. That God and Christ are exceeding wiling and desirous to be reconciled to sinners As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God You have not in any scripture that I know more fully set out a more earnest desire of Jesus Christ to be reconciled unto sinners than here is this expression is after the manner of men to express the earnestness of Gods heart in his desires to be reconcilced to sinners and that is our point of doctrine our doctrine shal be the scope of these expressions not the very words but the scope and the ground of it It is this Doct. 4. That God and Jesus Christ is exceeding willing and very desirous to be reconciled unto sinners Now the thing that I am to open to you is to shew this in the several manifestations of it several demonstrations of the willingness and desire that is in God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners and then answer a question about it why they are not reconciled to God if God be so willing and the like and then for application of it The next point wil come in stead of the Uses That therefore the Ministers of God they should intreat likewise and beseech you and by al means labor to draw your Souls to be reconciled unto God CHAP. 61. The First Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FOr the First The willingness of God for Reconciliation with sinners Why God manifests this To begin a little low and then to rise higher God ministers this first by his patience towards sinners in that the Lord is long suffering toward sinners he doth manifest thereby that he is willing to be reconciled the Scripture draws an argument from thence in Rom. 2.4 as if the Apostle should say the patience of God holds this forth unto you that you should come in and repent that so you might obtain mercy from God or otherwise it doth lead you to repentance Except it should hold forth Gods willingness to be reconciled it could not draw the heart to repentance but it leads and this hath a great deal of force to draw the heart of man to repentance Because it holds forth the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners If God were not willing to be reconciled to you he would take you off and there were an end of you or at least he would excercise such patience that should not lead you to repentance as he did with the Devils as soon as they had sinned
between God and you no sin that is yet past that shal be your undoing and the eternal destruction of your souls But it wil be some sin that is yet to come somewhat that is yet to come wil be the eternal destruction of every sinner in this Congregation It s true if God smite thee now it wil be the sin that is past but if God let thee live this day it is rather for something that is yet to come than for any thing that is past for the continuance in the hardness of heart and your unbeleife from this time forward rather then for what is past If one had run in arrears and incurred a great deal of punishment enough to his undoing if this should come to be said unto him Thus far you have run But here is a proclamation there is nothing that is past that shal be charged upon you but look to it for the time to come I do not say that al the sinns that are past God wil never reckon but thus that he wil never reckon with any of you for what is past but for some cause of evil that you shal be guilty of for the future that must go along with it and that may cause God to bring that that is past over again but that that wil be your undoing and destruction wil be somthing that is to come and if you continue in your wicked waies then that wil bring al over again But now if you had a heart this day at this present to fal downe before the lord to seeke to make up your peace with him and to close with the grace of God in his son I can bouldly pronounce that al your sins that are past are done away O! remember this this gracious offer of God in Esa 1.18 whatsoever you have been before yet that needs be no discouragement unto you it is the continuance in your iniquity that wil undo you and now wil not this soul justifie God at the great day must not God needs be justified if any sinner in this congregation be awakened at last I say this argument shal rise up against them and shal justifie God against you Now God wil say you that lived a long time in sin you heard that after so many years sinning that whatsoever your sins were before yet some things that were then to come would be your destruction or els you should never be destroyed and yet you would venture for the time to come you would be bould to adde to that heape of your sins that have been so longe a making and thereby bring al your sins upon you that you had committed before And therefore righteous is God in the Condemnation of this sinner wee speak of the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners to that end that you might come in and be reconcilled or otherwise that the justice of God may be cleere at the great day and this is a special end of al the manifestation of Gods goodness unto sinners that he might cleer himselfe at the great day in those that shal perish There are a great many things yet more behind where in the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners is further to be set forth yet I know there are Objections that ly in your mindes How can we come And if God be so willing he may bring our hearts to be willing to be reconciled to him we shal discourse these more at lardge only for the present I desire to present before you this the manifestation of the goodness of God towards sinners to gain upon their hearts that they might be reconciled unto him and I should be very sory to open al these things in such a congregation as this is if it were not to gain some souls for it 's like enough that some wil be hardened and now if some should be hardened and others should not be gained what a miserable thing were it I might make this as an evidence how willing God is to be reconciled unto siners that he would have the riches of his grace thus manifestd to gain siners to himself though he knows that it wil be a means to harden others he knows that it wil cost the eternal damnation of many souls and though he do know this yet for al this saith God let my wilingness to be reconcilled be opened unto poor sinners by the preaching of the gospel though it costs many souls very dear yet for the love I bear to poor souls let it be made known to the face of them al. Now if God were not strongly set to do good to souls suerly he would not venture the damnation of other souls so much But saith God let their souls go rather than my willingness to be Reconciled unto others should not be declared unto them CHAP. 71. The eleventh argument Manifesting the exceeding wilingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners THe next argument that shewes the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners is this The Lord in his word doth use very powerful and strong arguments to draw the heart to come in to be reconciled this is that evidence I say that the Lord is willing by the strong reasons that God doth use in his word to gain upon the hearts of sinners to bring them in to be reconciled he doth not meerly offer mercy he doth not meerly set before the soul his mercy But the Lord labors with strong reasons motives and arguments to perswade and gain the hearts of sinners unto himself to come in to be reconciled unto him as now when a man doth offer peace it is somewhat and when he doth it in a generous loving way of curtesie that is more but then when he doth send strong arguments to perswad wil not readily take a denial but sends such such arguments doth consider before hand what wil be most likely to perswade the heart of such a man What can I conceive wil gaine his heart most What can I think Suppose there should be a man between whom you there hath been a falling out you should know that when he is alone in his closset he is thinking thus with himself What arguments can I conceive may take the heart of such a man to perswade him to come in to be at peace with me what can I think may be the most prevalent That wil I certainly use to perswade him But undoubtedly it is so with God God looks upon the Children of men and doth consider what argumentt wil take their hearts most the scripture is exceeding ful of prevalent powerful arguments to perswade the hearts of men to come in to be reconciled unto God Arguments sometimes taken from the equity of Gods waies towards them and their unequal wayes towards him Are not my wayes equal saith God and your wayes unequal Is there any thing that I require of you but righteous do not I speak righteous Sometimes he uses arguments
from the absolute necessity that lies upon sinners to come and be reconciled unto God shewing them that certainly they wil be lost undone and eternally damned if they do not come in He that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him You are lost and undone creatures except you do come in And sometimes arguments taken from the excellency of the benefit and profit that there is in comming in to God and being reconciled unto al the Glorious promises of the Gospel are so many powerful arguments to draw the hearts of sinners to run in to be reconciled unto God I might be very large in this in shewing of the particular arguments that God doth use but take that one ful argument that we have to perswade sinners to come in In Prov. 1.23 Turne you at my reproof behold I wil pour my spirit upon you I wil make known my word unto you He speaks here to simple ones Scorners Fools Turne you at my reproofe behold I wil pour my spirit out upon you saith God as if God should say though you are Scorners yet the truth is my heart works towards you my heart doth yearn towards you and if you would but turne to me I would pour forth my heart to you you shal have my very spirit my very heart let out unto you if you wil turne unto me What an argument is here to prevail with the hardest hearts in the world For God himself to come and say unto a sinner to one that hath Scorned him and his wayes and to a Fool that hath gone on in waies of folly and wickedness for God to come and say unto him Oh wretched sinner come in come in turne to me turne to me for my heart is ful my heart is top ful turn to me I wil pour forth my heart to thee Al those promises of giving rest to thy soul of giving life eternal eternal salvation Glory Peace and Comfort and a Kingdom shal al be made good to thee The Lord therefore suites himself unto us in such arguments so close as may out-bid other comforts that we have in the word in any waies of sin and therefore tels them of Hony and Milk and Rayment and Gold and Silver and al such things as are precious in the eyes of men such as are of esteem with us and tenders his Son unto us upon such kind of notions that every one of them might be prevalent arguments to gaine the hearts of sinners to come in unto God this is the way of God that he comes into the hearts of his people with the most prevalent arguments such reasons as one would think were impossible to be gainsaid I appeal to the hearts of those who have been acquainted with the work of God upon them How did God come to your hearts did he not come with mighty strong arguments to you The Devil he tempted and he comes with strong arguments and God he comes and tempts with strong arguments the Devil draws and God draws Gods mercies draw stronger than the Devil can Oh! it was mercy to that soul and the truth is when the Lord pleases to work effectually upon the soul he can present stronger arguments to draw the heart of a sinner to him than it is possible for the Devil to prevaile against CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument Manifesting the exceâ—ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother way is this in answering al Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners whatsoever Objections lie in the hearts of sinners God hath waies to answer al those and he doth it in his word and by his Spirit As now What would a sinner object If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you and therefore it is unlikly that ever God wil bestow that mercy on you observe Esa 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection that it may never hinder any sinner from comming in unto him saith God Come ye to the waters and he that hath no monies come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price Note in one verse there is three times Come without Mony he that hath no Mony come and Eat and then buy without Mony and then without price What is the meaning of this here you are to know that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine Milk so by bread afterwards by those things that are most delightful most useful for the nature of man the Gospel is set out by such things and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of al. Somtimes by a Kingdom for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand there is the argument the Kingdom of God is at hand and somtimes by a marriage when God sends to people to be reconciled he sends to them with this Argument that it is to marry them to his Son And somtimes by a Supper that God the Father invites too a Supper wherein there is al kind of dainties the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son and there are powerful Arguments that God useth O but I am unworthy saith a poor soul What that such a one as I so vile so wretched and every way unworthy should have such things this was the policy of the Devil at the first the Devil labors to make sinners to slight the Gospel to set at naught the counsels of God so you have it in Prov. 1. to account the bloud of the Covenant a common thing that is the first way But if he cannot prevail that way but the Lord doth shine through al mists and il conceipts of the Gospel and shews unto the Soul the excellency and beuty of his Son and of the glorious things that are in the Gospel then the Devil comes the other way Indeed saith he there are glorious things but thou art unworthy thou art a wretched base vile Creature and canst thou think that God should grant such things as these to thee now the Lord answers this Objection What saith God Come without Money What is that that is though thou hast no worthiness in thy self though thou hast no a bilities to buy any thing that is good yet come come yet close with my Grace that shal make thee rich enough thou shalt have money enough that way Come without mony without price let never that Objection hinder thee that thou art unworthy unable to do any thing the Lord cals thee without Money offers freely to thee therefore in the latter end of the Book of the Revelation it is said in the last Chapter the 17. ver And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever wil let him take of the water of life freely How shal I ever think to have it It is free so that this
Objection cannot hinder Obj. O! but there may lie another Objection Thus it may be the Lord wil require though he requires nothing that I shal do before hand but wil grant his mercy freely but when I am come then perhaps things that are hard wil be required at my hands O! the waies of God they are hard waies and then I must live so strictly then I must make Conscience of my waies and so abandon al my sins and Lusts and whaâ— saith the Devil to a corrupt heart What wil you leave al such pleasant waies and be so streightly bound Then you must do nothing but according to the word of God and of Conscience farewel al the Comforts and Joyes of your life iâ— you come once to be religious and godly these are the tentations that do keep of the hearts of men I appeal to you have not some of your hearts been kept off from Jesus Christ and the waies of God meerly upon some such temptations as these and indeed perhaps at first it may be so til the nature of a man is changed But mark how this objection is taken away when sinners are called to Christ I suppose you know the place Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I wil give you rest But that concerns the former and then afterwards when Christ had said so come to me ye that are weary heavy laden and I wil give you rest take my yoak upon you my burthen c. It seems then we must be yoaked and burthened But marke what follows in vers 30. For my yoak is easy and my burthen is light as if Christ should say never harken to such a tentation of any difficulties in my wayes I assure you beforehand you wil find that the Devil doth but gul you deceive and cozen you I wil warrant you that beforehand that I wil lay no yoak upon you but you shal say when you come to beare it it is an easy yoak and though it be a burthen yet you shal acknowledg it is a light burthen This I dare say in the name of God unto al come in al you that stand off from the waies of God though the waies of God may seem hard to you at first yet I dare say from God unto you that you wil find the wayes of God more easy to you at last than ever you did in the waies of sin For certainly there is more trouble in the waies of sin than can be in the waies of God And when God cals upon you to come in to be reconciled he doth profess this to you that he wil require nothing of you but that which shal be more pleasant to you than any wayes of sin that you lived in before there be more comforts and joy and that for the present than ever you had in the waies of sin do but ask any one that hath made tryal of this and desire them to speak their consciences to thee I meane those that have had any apprehension of the love of Christ to them yea have you began to walk in wisdomes wayes which are pleasantness and to tread in those paths which are strowed with roses and paved with peace pray then speak plainly how do you find your self is it not better now than it was before do you not find more ease more comfort and joy in these waies of God than you did before in any way of Sin Oh such a one wil profess unto you that they find more comfort than ever they did before they find more sweetness in communion with God in his wayes in one day than they found in the waies of sin in al their lives before the Holy Spirit in pleading with the hearts of men saith the same Prov. 3.17 Her waies are waies of pleasantness and her paths are peace If you wil beleeve the spirit of God the waies of Godliness are waies of pleasantness and al her paths are paths of peace What should hinder you then It is neither your unworthiness that can be any hinderance nor the hardship of the way These are the two great blocks that lie in the way and God doth fully take away these in scripture and if there be any other objection I dare undertake bring what objections you can give me but a litle time to find out some manifest word or other in the scripture that shal meet with the very objection Then how doth this argue Gods exceeding willingness to be reconciled to sinners If a man send his messenger to such a one to offer peace and he thinks beforehand Oh! but he wil have this and this objection against me but saith he to his servant that is imployed in the business you shal answer this objection thus and the other objection thus CHAP. 73. The thirtenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother evidence of Gods willingness to be reconciled is this that God is so importunate with sinners he uses such strong arguments that he first takes away objections and then he is so importunate he doth not meerly satisfy himself with offering of mercy but he is very importunate in the work and the importunity of God appeares First in this that the scripture expresses God crying out after sinners not only seeking out after sinners but calling and crying so the words in the Original are of Gods beseeching to be reconciled of God calling to sinners in Prov. 1. It is said of wisdom that it cries the Lord cryes out and that in Isa 55. When he makes a proclamation he begins first with Oh! yes Oh! every one that thirsteth come to the waters and he that hath no mony and there is the offer of Christ with a proclamation Further Gods importunity is manifest in this that he comes over again with a thing and is not content with the expressing of himself But he doth it again and again and again he is at it as in Isa 55. vers the first Se how many times there is crying in one verse Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye and he that hath no mony come and come the third time three times in one verse saith God come to sinners and then in the third verse Incline your eare and come unto mee saith God and hear and your souls shal live and I wil make an everlasting Covenant with you there is another promise Even the sure mercies of David so hear in one short scripture four times come saith God O! how importunate is God with sinners God doth not do with us as commonly wee do with him God seeks after sinners more earnestly than sinners seek after God thus we seek to God for mercy we pray to God for mercy we content our selves with praying once and seldome looke after our prayers what becoms of them but God he cries to us to come and if we do not come the first time then he crys come come come four times together we are ready to think
thou opened that is one Lo I come and then I delight to do thy will and thy Law is within my heart There are these four Lo I come saith Christ to do it It appears plainly that there was a Covenant between the Father and the Son from al eternity that Christ should come in due time into the world and take our natures upon him Now the time was for Christ to come There is many that wil agree to do such a thing beforehand but when it comes to be done if they see there wil be any difficulty in it and that they shal endure some hardship they hang back But Christ had agreed from al eternity with his Father that at such a time he would come into the world and take the nature of man upon him and be in the form of a servant and be made a curse for mans sins and al that he might reconcile sinners unto himself This was the agreement Now the time approaches for him to come and undertake this great work when the time came Observe now how Christs heart was in it He did not hang back he did not repent him of the Covenant But I come I come saith Christ as we use to express our selves when we are called to do a thing that we love to do we say I come I come now the time is come for you to do that which you undertook to do to go into the world to take the nature of man be made in form of a Servant and to bear my wrath and to satisfie my Justice for the sin of man I come I come saith Christ and he doth not only come but come with delight to do thy Will and what was this wil It was that Christ should be humbled to the death of the Cross Though I knew it would cost my life yet I delight to do it because my heart is so much set upon reconciling Sinners unto thy self and not only so but thy Law is in my heart it hath gotten a deep impression in my heart thy Law that iâ— that Law of thine whereby I am tyed to this that I have undertaken for it is within my heart in the very midst of my bowels that I should do it And then Fourthly Mine ears hast thou opened the words are mine ears hast thou boared The meaning of that Phrase must be understood by comparing it that way which was of God in the time of the Law commanding that if a servant would not goe out of his service in the years of Jubilee that his master should take an awle and boar his ear and so he should be a servant forever This Phrase hath allusion to that as if Christ should say thus I am content that I might do this work to be as a servant whose ear is boared who must be a servant for ever so saith Christ that I might accomplish the work of reconciling sinners to thy self I am content to be as a servant whose ear is boared thereby signifieing that he would be willing to listen to any thing that should be commanded him His masters commandements are not grievous but it is his meat and drink to do the wil of his Lord. Wel might the Apostle say As in Christs stead we beseech you as if he should say Christs heart is much towards sinners that he might bring them to be reconciled unto God and we in his name come to prevail with sinners no get them in unto God Secondly Observe what was the first Sermon that ever Christ preached For the the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is the first Sermon calling sinners to repent because the Kingdome of grace wherein the Gospel of God should reign that is at hand saith Christ and then Christ would preach so as to gain most when he had the greatest Auditors What was it that he preacht when he was amongst the Jews at the Feast of dedication In the great day of the Feast saith the Scripture Christ lift up his voice and cryed Hoe every one that is a thirst A Minister when he is to preach to a great Congregation and he is not like to come to them again he should speak on such a subject that his heart is most in Now Christ at the Feast of dedicaton he was not like to come to them sodainly again to use such an argument to them he cryed Hoe every one that is a thirst come and Christ further doth profess that it is the end why he came into the World To save to seek that which was lost Not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance That is the great end that he came into the world about it was the great subejct of his preaching the great errand that he came into the world about And further observe with what lovingness gentleness and sweetness he doth it what a gratious invitation we have in Math. 11. Come unto me al you that are weary and heavy leaden and I wil give you rest and he professes in John 6.37 None that comes to me wil I cast of I wil not cast of any that do come to me Yea he tells us that he wil not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reede to encourage sinners he tells them if there be but any stirrings of the heart unto him but as the smoaking flax and as the bruised reed yet he wil not break one nor quench the other but he wil encourage new beginnings though never so smal in sinners coming unto him These are the expressions of Christ towards sinners to shew them how tender he is over them and when the time drew neer for Christ to suffer then if ever one would think if the heart of Christ were not much in it Christ would draw back not only when he was to come into the world but in the work of his Mediation when he was to suffer the violence of the wrath of his father to be poured out upon him But mark how he doth express himself in Luk 22. verse 15. And he said unto them with desire I have desired to eate this passover with you before I suffer Why did Christ desire he desired that is strongly desired to eat this passover why because he knew that assoon as ever he had eaten it he should be called to suffer for mans sin and to accomplish the great work of redemption for sinful men Then it was to be done Why Was there any such cause that Christ should be so strongly upon it to desire this passover One would have thought that above al passovers Christ should have been afraide of this because this was to put a period to his life for then Christ was himself to be made the passover to suffer when this passover came once he knew that he was to be made the paschal Lamb and yet he doth desire above al to eate this passover thereby shewing what a minde he had to finish the work whereby sinners might come to be reconciled unto God And
entertain it kindly for certainly it wil make way for further mercy that shal be the Third And then the fourth is this USE 4 The consideration of this point may cause abundance of humiliation to our hearts cause exceeding sad thoughts if this be so that one mercy of God makes way to another one mercy if it be sanctified and have the blessing of God with it it is a door of hope to another hence when we look backwards to these waies of Gods mercies that have been heretofore towards us and look to the oppertunities that we have had of obtaining further mercy from God and consider how we have lost them when God was in a way with us Oh! that should draw tears of blood from us look back to thy life I suppose there is never one in this congregation but in looking back to the waies of Gods providence to them they cannot but cry Oh! the Lord was once in a way of mercy to me there was a time that certainly God was merciful to me Nay not only in outwad mercies such and such deliverances I had at such a time Oh! had I followed those mercies What might I have gotten when I was crying to God for deliverance God heard me God hath delivered me delivered my family now God as it were was in a way of mercy to me O! had I followed that then what might I have gotten but I neglected the opportunity I lost it and now God is in another way with me but especially when you look back to the opportunities that you have had for the good of your souls hath not God many times bin in a way of mercy to your souls Oh! was not there such a time when you began to have frequent workings of Gods spirit in you you began to have light darted into your Consciences to have the spirit of God drawing your hearts that when you came to the word you found the word coming with power and the spirit of God sealing it and your hearts did begin to yeild and to melt before God Oh! what might you have gotten if you had gone on if you had followed God in those convictions of conscience and in those beginnings of troubles you had and workings of Gods spirit what might you have come to now There was a door of hope but fooles and wretched men to stick in the birth and come not forth and alas May not many say Oh! that I had a door of hope there was such a mercy of God towards me but wo to me the door is shut I find my heart shut up and my conscience shut up and my heart now is hard but it was beginning to be softened but Oh! how hard it is now God was opening my heart but now it is otherwise with me and for ought I know God is gone and Christ is gone I had a day if I had knowen it Oh! it had been happy for many in this place if they had at such a time followed God when he was in a way of Mercy If it may be when God was in a way of mercy to thee thou haddest had a heart to go into thy closet and there cried to God to follow on that Good work that he had begun and to make it effectual to thee this had been a gracious work to thy soul but thou wentest away into thy shop into thy calling perhaps into the Tavern or Alehouse to thy gaming to thy company and so nâ—glectedest the day of Grace there was a door of hope but there was another door thou haddest a mind rather to follow than to follow God in the way of mercy I wil not say that there is no door of hope for thee for there may be a door of hope but this I wil say that thy condition is a lamentable and most greivous condition and thou haddest need look to it for this consideration sinketh the hearts of men and women afterwards If thou shouldest come to thy sick bed or death bed perhaps thy conscience wil preach that to thee that now I am preaching to thee and then thy conscience wil give ananswer it is true there was a door of hope opened to me and then if any Minister come to offer Mercy I you wil say it is for those that have a time of Mercy but God did open my heart and I did shut my heart against him and these thoughts and conclusions are the despairing and sinking thoughts of men and women upon their sick beds and if God never had been coming towards me there might have been some hope but what hope is there now for me Oh! take heed for time to come any of you if God be coming in a way of Mercy if this day by the word at this time he begin to open any of your hearts labor to follow him to go in at this door of hope Wel that is the fourth again fiftly from this point learn this USE 5. If one Mercy be but an inlet to another Mercy then this should teach al the people of God to be content to beare one affliction though it be but a way making for another affliction the argument runs thus It is true there cometh an affliction and by and by another and that makes way for another and so the cloudes rise after the raine and how many poor weak hearts are plunged and dejected they can bear one affliction I but when another cometh and another cometh at length they fal down under the weight of their afflictions but if thou be one that belongest to God and hast the assurance of this point that I have this day been preaching to thee then use it as an argument to uphold thy heart It is true one affliction cometh after another and one affliction maketh way for another and hath not one mercy come after another too and hath not one mercy made way for another too I am sure I have had mercies thick and three fold and one hath made way for another and though I have new afflictions making way one for another yet let me beare them considereing how long a time I have had mercies making way one for another yet further in the sixt place the sixt Use of this may be of great conscequence too VSE 6. That if this be the way of God towards his people that one mercy shal make way for another then it should be the way of the people of God towards him again that one duty should make way for another duty there is a great deal of reason for it If God be thus gratious to us that one mercy maketh way for another then we should be so thankful to him that one duty of ours should make way for another duty and this brethren is a most excellent thing that one duty maketh way for another duty as I told you before when a duty is accounted a mercy then it wil certainly persevere and so take this second note of persevering comeing in here when one duty