procured by dying Lord I will seek it and seek it to purpose intreat it as he says elsewhere with my whole heart Ps 119. 58. And truly we had never had them for seeking if Jesus had not purchased them by suffering never for begging if he had not purchased them by bleeding nor for crying if he had not purchased them by dying R. 9. Because this is the way to have them thus to seek them I mean with all earnestness with all our might with our whole hearts Thus Jacob obtained the blessing Gen. 32. 29. and he blessed him there Moses pardon and God's presence David clensing and the recovery of God's face and favour thus the woman of Canaan obtained the casting of the Devil out of her daughter thus Monica obtain'd the conversion of her son Austin c. The ears of the Lord are open to the cry of the righteous Psalm 34. 15. and James 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much That 's the prayer that prevails that carries it the effectual fervent prayer There 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but one word in the Original but it is so sublime and Emphatical that Translations cannot reach the height of it The Greek properly signifies the working prayer and it signifies such a working as notes the earnestest and liveliest activity that can be the greatest force and vehemency of an earnest spirit and affection Excusso stupore torpore ardenter instanter cum fiducia câ—elum pulsemus compleamus clamoribus tum certò confidemus descensuram ad nos domini miserationem Winckelman in Luc. 11. Such a prayer that sets the whole man a work and all the graces a work heart a work and affections a work and faith a work repentance a work love a work c. that strongly presses and enforces as it were upon God and is not so much the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart These are the prayers that prevail when there is an heat and warmth in our spirits and our affections are fired by the holy Ghost and with gracious ascents flame up towards God when we pray a prayer not onely say a prayer and the holy Ghost makes intercession for Rom. 8. 26. us with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered The promise is made to such prayer Jerem. 29. 13. And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord c. Prov. 2. 3. Yea if thou cryest after knowledg and liftest up thy voice for understanding v. 4. If thou seek her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures v. 5. Then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God Psalm 81. 10. open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Thus it is wrestling in prayer that prevailes when there is such an holy impudency as it were as to take no denial this is a token for good indeed and to such God hath not said seek ye me in vain Luk 11. 8. I say unto you though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth That which we translate Importunity is in the Original Impudence and so the Dutch read it nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his impudence sake because of his immodest persistance taking no denial It seems to be a Metaphor taken from a sort of Beggars that when they come to your doors will not be said without an Almes you can't get them gone do what you can speak them fair or foul all is one they will weary you out but they will have it and so at length get it and if an importunate impudent beggar gets from man how much more shall an humble daily importunate petitioner obtain from God to whom importunity is so acceptable and at no time unseasonable as yet it is to man v. 7. And he from within shall answer and say trouble me not the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed c. as if he should say Is there no time to come but now or is this a time to come Luther was exceeding frequent and fervenâ— in prayer one writes of him No day passes wherein Luther spendeth not three hours at leasâ— in prayer and once it fell out saith he that â— heard him good God what a spirit what a confidence was in his very expressions c. And would to God says Luther I could alway Utinam eodem ardore orare possem c. pray with a like ardour for then I had alwayâ— this answer Be it unto thee as thou wilt Thus to prevail in prayer the way is to be earnest and Fiat quod velis ardent in prayer it is ardency not eloquencâ— that carries it here Matth. 11. 12. and the violent take it by force i. e. they who with greaâ— earnestness and zeal seek after salvation they obtain it and onely they R. 10. Because when we thus seek them and obtain them we shall the more value them and with the more carefulness retain them by how much the more wrestlings we acquired them but lightly come lightly go When the Spouse Cant. 3. was at a loss for her beloved and she after earnest pursuits found him O how did she prize him and value him and how carefully retain him and would not let him go c. v. 4. I held him and would not let him go and so Mary her Master John 20. 16. O this is a mercy says the Soul that cost me many a sigh and many a groan and many a tear and much tugging and wrestling and therefore how singularly dear and precious is it to me and I can by no means part with it c. Vse 1. Are spiritual mercies thus to be sought with such earnestness fervently and frequently what shall we think of those then that in stead of seeking them thus scarce seek them at all O how many prayerless families and persons are there who call not on the name of the Lord and how sad is the state of such it cannot be exprest For 1. This is made the very badg and character of wicked men yea and of the very worst of wicked men Psalm 10. 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts Psalm 14. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledg who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord Thus it was said of her that was filthy and polluted the oppressing city Zeph. 3. 1â— she drew not near to her God 2. Such are practical Atheists they live without God in the world yea they say in effect Psalm 14. 1. there is no God for if there be a God why do they not
the joy and comfort of them more than countervail the other there being no comparison between them but the one exceedingly transcending the other As the sufferings of this present Rom. 8. 18. time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed hereafter so neither are they to be compared with spiritual mercies here as for God to turn us again to himself to pardon our sins to cause his face to shine to vouchsafe us his favour and his comforts and consolations What sufferings or afflictions will not these comfort and support under or what other wants will they not more than countervail what are the world's frowns to God's smiles the world's troubles to God's peace the world's sorrows to God's joyes the world's afflictions to God's consolations the world's pressures to the pleasures of God's presence or its burdens to the rest which that affords what are its Bitters to God's Sweets its Gall and Wormwood to the Wine of his Love Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine and v. 4. we will remember thy love more than wine yea 't is better than life and in it even in death it self there is life And hence is it that the Apostle speaks what is a Paradox to the men of the world troubled but not distressed as sorrowful yet always rejoycing as having nothing and yet possessing all things as dying and yet behold we live live in the light of God's countenance in his sight as Hosea 6. 2. and we shall live in his sight where indeed only the Soul truly lives and there it may live even in death and have light arise to it even in darkness and see light in the greatest obscurity and this light I mean the light of God's countenance it giveth Songs even in the night as it did to Paul and Silas when thrust into the inner prison and their feet made fast in the Stocks yet God's gracious presence did so cheer their spirits and put such joy into their hearts that even at midnight they brake forth in praises to God Acts 16. 25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them they did not onely pray but sing prayses and sung so loud that others heard them the prisoners heard them they were awaken'd by them And what did they think of them surely they thought they were not well in their wits to sing at such a time and in such a place and in such a condition who having been beaten and many stripes laid upon them were cast into prison yea thrust into the inner prison and their feet made fast in the stocks and yet now to sing O if God cause but his face to shine if he lift but up the light of his countenance it will make a man sing at any time in any place in any condition it will turn a prison into a Pallace and a dungeon into a Paradise This made David to have his Psalms yea Michtams i. his golden Psalms or as the Dutch render it his golden Jewels Aureum ornamentum aut insigne exputissimo auro factum it signifies what is made of the best and finest gold so called because of their singular preciousness and excellency in the saddest places and in the saddest outward condition as when the Philistins took him in Gath when he fled from Saul in the Cave when Saul sent and they watcht the house to kill him c. See Psalm 56 57 59 the Titles Moses Psalm 90. 14. prays O satisfie us early with thy mercy i. e. with thy loving kindness vouchsafe us thy favour that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes This is enough to make the people of God rejoice and be glad all their dayes be they never so dark and gloomy evil and perillous As we have received mercy sayes the Apostle we faint not 2 Cor. 4. 1. The Lord tels Moses Exod. 33. 14. My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest Though Moses was to go through a wearisome wilderness and amidst a wearisom people yet the Lord's presence should give him rest We may go any where with him he will be an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Isa 32. 2. Vse 1. Of Reproof to those who when miseries and calamities are upon themselves or the Nation look after the removal of them but not after Spiritual mereies they are very earnest and sollicitous that God would take away their ourward plagues remove his judgments but not that God would take away their sins and turn them again to himself and cause his face to shine But so God will but do the other free them of their miseries let the latter do what they will Psalm 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good i. e. any outward good how to compasse any earthly worldly gain or advantage O that we might have peace and plenty or how shall we once get out of these troubles and afflictions but few say with David lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and then all shall be well if thou do but this Many when they are in pain and sick and weak they cry out indeed but for what for ease and health and recovery not that they may be turned from their sins and recover God's favour as Pharaoh he calls to have other plagues taken away but never begs to have the plague of his own heart taken away which was the greatest of all and far worse than all the other but this is the voice onely of nature and argues a graceless heart and that which the Lord as I said complains of Hos 6. 14. Vse 2. Of Exhortation Then when miseries and calamities do abide us let this be our Prayer let us with the Church and people of God here more especially and most earnestly beg and implore spiritual mercies that God would turn us again and cause his face to shine lift up upon us the light of his countenance vouchsafe us his grace and favour bless us in turning us from our iniquities let us be importunate for these ask them again and again and whatever outward evils or distresses may abide us these as you have heard will not only comfort and support us under them but more than countervail them When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble c if God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8. 31. You know what Philip said to our Saviour John 14. 8. Lord shew us the father and it sufficeth us So let but the Father shew us himself shine on us with his face vouchsafe us his favour and it sufficeth As the Lord said unto Paul and says to all his people 2 Corinth 12. 9. my grace is sufficient for thee though then Paul was in
tender affection and earnest desire of her son's welfare more than she could utter or express and therefore she several times repeats the same thing O he was her Son her most dear Son and therefore the Son of her vows the son of many prayers and probably tears * Cùm filium votorum nominet oftendit se non tantùm cum filio de piâ ejus educatione egisse sed Deo sine cujus auxilio irritus fuisset reliquus labor in precibus commendâsse c. Cartwritus in locum O let us pray for ours as Abraham did for his son Ishmael Gen. 17. 18. And Abraham said unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee not onely live but live before thee or live in thy sight live in thy face so it is in the Hebrew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in conspectu tuo vel in facie tua is in the shinings of thy face in the light of thy countenance i. e. live and enjoy thy love thy favour find grace in thy eyes O that his soul may live that he may live not onely a natural a temporal but a spiritual and eternal life a blessed and happy life the life of grace and a life in thy favour here and then the life of glory hereafter And Abraham was very earnest and sollicitous for this O says he or O if i. e. I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Utinam Quaeso vocula optantis earnestly wish or I beseech thee I earnestly pray and intreat thee it is the voice of one wishing and earnestly desiring a thing O that Ishmael might live before thee And this Abraham speaks 1. not as slighting or rejecting Gods Videtur Abraham risu intercessione suâ pro Ismaele in quem valdè fuit intentus quasi abrupisse Dei orationem quam igitur v. 19. continuat c. promise concerning a son of Sarah as if he had said Having Ishmael I desire no more nor 2. as despairing of the promise as if he had said I should have but little hope if I had not more hope in Ishmael already born than the promised son yet to be born or how is it possible we should have a son at this age and therefore O that Ishmael might live c. It was not I say from hence nor upon these grounds that Abraham thus speaks for when the Lord had made that promise to him it is said v. 17. that Abraham fell upon his face he bowed himself and this he did not onely as expressing reverence Abraham audiens promissionem de semine ex Sarâ orituro eámque firmissimâ fide amplectens toto pectore laetatur haec non esse dubitantis sed certissimae fidei verba Paulus clarè testatur Rom. 4. Chytraeus in Gen. 17. 17. but shewing his thankfulness which was an evidence that he believed and highly valued and heartily embraced what God had promised and whereas it is said he laughed it was not from doubting or staggering at the promise through unbelief Rom. 4. 20. but as admiring the goodness of God in it not as judging it impossible or thinking it a fable but as overjoyed and even amazed at such welcom tidings it was not from distrust in God's power but out of admiration at God's favour And therefore this earnest wish of Abraham as concerning his son Ishmael that he might live in his sight it proceeded from Abraham's dear and fatherly affection toward Ishmael and his earnest desire of his weal so that his affections being suddenly moved with the thought of Ishmael they make him as it were forget other things to beg for him or as if he had said though I cannot well conceive how this should be that at this age I Bonus pater auditâ promissione de filio novo sollicitus est etiam de Ismaelis salute metuens fortè ne totus abjiciatur vitam ei precatur non modò naturalem sed potiùs felicem c. Pareus in locum should have a son yet I believe and gladly embrace the promise but however O that Ishmael might live before thee let not him O Lord be cast off nor be abandoned by thee but let him live in thy favour though I have a promise indeed of another Son yet I pray thee let it be well with this son also bind up his soul in the bundle of life let him live in thy love let him be an heir of grace here and an heir of glory hereafter Thus though Abraham did yeild to the promise yet he thus speaks as being very sollicitous for Ishmael that God would set his eyes In promislâ felicitate fratri conjungatur Junius and his heart upon him for good for the chief good for spiritual good eternal good for thus Interpreters generally carry it Though God promised more seed to him yea that his seed should be as the stars of heaven for number ch 15. 5. yet this does not remove nor take off his affection from one he had already but still his heart and endeared affections are towards him Quasi dicat peto et ejus haberi rationem ne abjiciatur vel pereat Pareus he knew not how to have any one of his abandoned of God but as if he had said Lord take care of him also that he be not cast off or perish Thus the affections and desires of this holy Patriarch were carried forth not in gathering riches or heaping up treasures for his son Affectus hic pii parentis in filium docet praecipuam parentum curam hanc esse debere pro liberis non ut colligant eis thesauros sed ut conservent commendent eos Deo püs precibus c. Pareus but in earnest prayers to God for his eternal good And this blessed example of his we should follow we should imitate so as to be very earnest and importunately sollicitous for the great concerns of our children for spiritual blessings for them special peculiar favours tender mercies bowels of mercy the blessings of the covenant the sure mercies of David that their souls may live that they may live in his sight in his face in the light of his countenance that as he hath granted them life so he would vouchsafe them his favour which is the life of our lives as Job speaks Job 10. 12. that he would turn them again and cause his face to shine on them and so they may be saved we should wrestle with the Lord that he would thus bless them and resolve with Jacob not to let him go till he so bless them and bless them all every one both small and great that so while some are taken Luke 17. 34 35. others may not be left but that those whom one house hath held one heaven may hold and that being all heirs of grace together here they may come to be all heirs of glory together hereafter that so hell may never be the fuller for any of ours for which of ours can we endure to
just and equal duty and it brings us into a right state into a right frame sets us at rights and till then our state is wretched crooked and wrong nothing is at rights for how should things be right with us whiles our hearts and ways are not right with God but when that which is so right is shewn to man and shewn powerfully and effectually so as to embrace and do what is made known and shewn Then it follows v. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy c. The Lord is very gracious and of a very kind nature and disposition he has always in himself a rich storehouse of kindness and mercy and then he gives it forth Come and let us return unto the Lord Hosea 6. 1. and then v. 2. we shall live in his fight or in or before his face live and enjoy his love and favour the life of our lives He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was Job 23. 27 28. right and it profited me not that is if any truely repent what then his life shall see the light he shall live in the light of God's countenance Thus the Lord waits to be gracious he waits for our repentings and turnings to him that he may be gracious and while we retard our repentings and turnings to him we retard his grace and favour from our selves There is indeed a previous preventing grace and favour of God a first shining of God's face and breaking forth of Gratiam qui invenit apud Deum ab eâ primum inventus est quia eam nemo quaerit quem ea prius non quaesierit admiserit Rivet Conditio ad gratiam recipiendam requisita nonponitur in nobis nisi per gratiā praevenientem Pareus the light of his countenance as in the conversion of a sinner which I hinted before when God puts a stop to a poor sinner and gives him to repent and turn to him then is a time of love and then God causes his face to shine when he says to the sinner even in his bloud live but then after this previous preventing favour and grace there is more grace second Acts as it were and renewed manifestations we upon our repenting and turning to God being put into such an estate as in which he owns us and delights in us and is gracious to us How gracious was the Lord to Peter upon his repenting and turning again he was gracious to him before Luke 22. 61. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter c. and how gracious after Mark 16. 7. tell his disciples and Peter c. And so to Ephraim upon repenting and turning how abundantly did God manifest his grace and favour how lovingly and meltingly and tenderly does he speak of him Jer. 31. 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear son c. My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him And so the Prodigal upon his returning how does the father meet him and falls on his neck and kisses him 2. Then that is removed which interposes between us and God's favour and hinders the Luke 15. 17 18 19 20 c. shinings of his face I mean our sins for they and onely they do this Is 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you therefore when we are turned again from our sins to God his face must needs shine What should hinder when the clouds are dispell'd and scattered the Sun appears and its light breaks forth Vse 1. Blessed and thrice happy are they then whom the Lord hath turned again to himself for unto them he hath and will more and more be gracious and manifest his favour and cause his face to shine Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causelt to approach to thee c. Ps 65. 4. For he shares in that and partakes of that which is man's happiness and renders him blessed as appears in that form which the Lord prescribes of blessing the children of Israel Numb 6. 22 23 c. and this makes his present state and condition so comfortable one day of a repenting sinner and so of a sinner that is reconciled to God and to whom he vouchsases his favour being more comfortable than a thousand years of another man that is in continual fear of death and judgment Vse 2. As ever then we would make it out indeed to our own souls that we have any clear evidence or comfortable demonstration of God's favour of his love and the light of his countenance let us never rest 'till we find our selves to be indeed such that the Lord hath turn'd again to himself and then he hath and will cause his face to shine David prays Ps 86. 17. Shew me a token for good and here 's a token for good indeed for the chief good the greatest good God's favour which is life yea better than life Saving conversion is ever a sure sign of divine affection and of a work of grace upon the heart of a souls having found favour in God's eyes our being turned unto God clearly evidences his Si conversi fuerimus per poenitentiam ille omnium placatissimus benignissimus convertentes ad se recipiet Musc having in favour turn'd to us and that he will more and more so turn to us And therefore how earnest and sollicitous should we be for that which gives us so clear an evidence and sure demonstration of so great a good even of the favour of God but never let any bear themselves up with what is consistent with God's hatred and with wrath and eternal death as the honours and profits and pleasures of the world are which men may wallow in the fulness of and yet be under divine frowns and which for the most part are cast upon the worst and vilest of men and upon those whom God's soul abhors which made the very heathens contemn them In hoc coenum in has sordes Seneca being cast upon such dunghils But saving conversion is ever an effect of and followed with divine smiles and on such the Lord God of hosts hath and will more and more cause his face to shine CHAP. V. The main chief and principal point of Doctrine observable from the words DOctr 6. The onely way for a people to be saved it is for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine That is as hath been open'd and explain'd for God to convert them from their sins to himself and his ways and to vouchsafe them his favour to be gracious and propitious to them in his son this is the onely way of a peoples weal it consists in their sound conversion to God and in their finding grace and favour with God in their being turn'd again unto him and in his turning unto them as the Lord expresses it Thus saith
a turning from sin as is Vera conversio est ad Deum reditio Pareus even unto the Lord not onely towards him or half way to him but quite unto him nor to something else beside him or below him but to himself The Lord complains of Ephraim Hos 7. 16. They return but not to the most high he called upon them to return and they were ready to say so they did but not to the most high but turn'd and tackt about to something else besides him or below him it may be from one sin to another or from more gross and open sins to more secret or it may be from prophaneness to some outward shews and semblances of piety or formal duties and performances and outward exercises of repentance as some were much in fastings and outward humiliations and exercises of religion or they return'd to their former sins again but not to the most high he himself was not the end nor center of their motion but though they seem'd to make towards him yet came they short of him Jehu he seem'd to reform indeed and to reduce the people to the true worship of God in taking away Baal but he still retained the Calves They are like says the Lord a deceitful bow which seems to direct the arrow to such a mark but through its obliquity turns it aside another way So they promised and made shews of amendment and of returning to God as their onely scope but Fingunt se velle redire volare ad Deum sed mox animus ipsorum retro agitur per flexuosas ambages vagantur nunquam ad Deum accedunt Arcus obliquus est cor c. Zanch. through the crookedness and deceitfulness of their hearts they were carried aside to something else Here as a Learned Interpreter observes the deceitful Bow is the Heart the Arrows the thoughts and seeming desires of repentance And this is all the change and turn of many they seem to return but not to the most high but take up in something else as in being meerly moral or civil or in some outward forms and superstitious ways of worship or it may be they are not now prophane but what are they meer Scepticks in Religion and wholly taken up in disputations about the same they run roving here and there sometimes of this opinion ☞ and sometimes of that but never fix on God nor Religion indeed And truly this is too too much the guise of the turns of these times but that turn which the Lord calls for is even unto him Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me and not to other things Usque ad me besides me or below me or a this side me but altogether as far and quite through unto me So the Lord again bespeaks Israel If thou wilt return O Israel return unto me c. as if the Jer. 4. 1. Lord had said Thou makest shews and dost pretend as if thou wouldest return thou makest offers of returning but if thou art minded and resolved to return indeed and to purpose let it be unto me do this or it is nothing all thou doest and this is the right turning indeed when we give God the whole turn and not the half onely so as to be half-converts or almost Christians but altogether so as to go through with the work and not to set onely a little upon repenting and turning and then to give over as many who came out of Egypt but never quite came into Canaan 8. It much be such a turning as is with all the heart and so true and sincere Joel 2. 12. Turn ye even to me with all your heart with the heart and with all the heart in opposition to a divided heart and a double heart a heart and an heart there must be here no halting nor halving with God he will have all or none as Samuel told 1 Sam. 7. 3. Israel if ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts c. And for the want of this the Lord taxes Judah And yet for all this her treacherous Jer. 3. 10. sister Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord that is deceitfully hypocritically and therefore feignedly because not with her whole heart So we read Psalm 78. 34. of the Israelites that when he slew them then they sought him and they returned but it was all but flattering of him and v. 37. lying to him why because their heart was not right with him as Peter told Simon Thy Acts 8. 21. heart is not right in the sight of God and this turning can never be right and sincere where Pro. 23. 26. the heart is not right My son says God give me thy heart the heart in conversion must be given up to God and then our eyes observe his Psalm 95. 10. ways It is a people that do erre in their hearts their hearts were still straying and wandering it may be they pretended fair with their lips but God had not their hearts and therefore he sware in his wrath they should not enter into his rest 9. It must be universal total I as to the Subject turning or turn'd all must be turn'd the whole man Old things must passe away and all things become new 1 Thes 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Look as the whole man every part and faculty of body and soul is by nature and much more by sinful practice averse to God and turn'd away from God so all in conversion must be turn'd again to God both in body and soul every part of one and faculty of the other mind will affections and else it is but partial conversion half-conversion and so not true nor sincere because not universal In true conversion there is not onely a conversion of the mind from errour and heresy to assent to the true faith and doctrine of Christ but also of the will heart and affections to submit to and willingly obey the holy laws and commands of Christ That 's no true conversion when men assent to the truth and yet love the world and their lusts still and are ungodly in their lives but in true conversion there is a turning here also and this is the main and chief and all in all and this is hard and rare but the other which is partial is frequent and often in Scripture condemned Ezek. 33. 31. with their mouth says God they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness and Math. 15. 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me that 's not turned but in true conversion all is turned Hence James 1. 26. If any man among you says the Apostle seems to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's religion is vain For if he was truly religious
Religion would manifest it self in and from his tongue also though not onely as well as be in his heart that also would be turned from the evils thereof as railing reviling foolish and idle and much speaking censuring which many that seem to be religious are very free in and make no great matter of but however such may seem to others or themselves to be religious by the practise of some outward duties and by attending on God's worship c. They do but deceive their own souls and pretend Religion to no purpose for where conversion is true it is so operative and effectual as that it turns all mind will heart affections eyes ears hands feet lips life the mind that is turned from its vanity ignorance and blindness vain thoughts and unbelieving imaginations the will from its obstinacy rebellion and disobedience the heart from its hardness and both it and the affections from those unlawful objects they were placed upon and that excess and violence and immoderacy that they formerly ran out into and so the members of the body from the evils of them as from being any longer instruments and tools for the execution of sin Ro. 6. 13. c. 2. As to the object turn'd from viz. every sin all evill the least as well as the greatest yea and the most beloved at least as to approving of it or lying or living any longer in it and as to the dominion of it Thus all must be turn'd from as none in confession are to be dissembled so none in conversion are to be reserved that Vera penitentia est animi morum ab omni impietate ad pietatem mutatio man can never turn to God in truth that holds fast any known sin There are some indeed darling sins that may more properly be call'd our own we being by nature more especially inclin'd to them and these men would fain have spared but all must be abandoned if ever we would have our conversion sincere As we would have all taken away as to the guilt of them so all must be turn'd from as to the love of them and going on in them as all as to their being remitted so as to their being mortified We could be willing indeed to have all pardon'd that none might hurt us but we are unwilling to part withall especially such as are Mat. 5. 29 30. as our right eye or our right hand but those must be cast from us here or we must be cast into hell hereafter one sin lov'd and lien in undoes for at that our breach death and damnation will enter and that very sin as one expresses it will be as a milstone about the neck and sink the soul forever The Prophet David expresses thus his uprightness I hate every 119 Psal 128. 113. 18. 23. 101. 3. false way and I kept my self from mine iniquity and I have refrained my feet from every evil way and I will set no evil thing before mine eyes c. Such as still go on in any known sin with allowance be it never so close are yet but in a state of nature and never were yet effectually turn'd to God But that sin is in the room of God whatever it be whether Covetousness or Luxury or Pride c. And Coloss 3. 5. Philip. 3. 19. Covetousness which is Idolatry Whos 's God is their Belly People may do much as pray and hear the Word yea with some joy receive it and do many things as Herod did go far in the Profession of Religion and yet having still some Herodias some secret beloved sin that they hug in their bosom and will not part with be still in the very gall of bitterness and in the Acts 8. 23. bond of iniquity And Jesus Christ will never lodg in any such heart where ever any such enemy is yet harboured It is treason to entertain and harbour any one Traytor as well as many and the grounds and reasons for turning from sin if they be spiritual and sincere they hold in every sin as its contrariety to an holy God its crossing his will and opposing his holy just and righteous Law dishonouring his Majesty and grieving his Spirit crucifying his son defacing his Image defiling the Soul and stripping it of its beauty and excellency c. And this now more or less is in every sin and therefore to leave and part with some sins and to spare and hold fast others is but hypocrisy and no sound conversion And besides are not all our Jer. 16. 17. Psal 119. 168. 139. 3. c. ways before the Lord in his view and if therefore we take heed to any of our ways why not to all and does not one sin being indulg'd separate from God as well as many and expose to ruine As one leak in a Ship may sink it one breach in a Castle betray it one knife at the heart peirce it as well as many And therefore there must be here a turning away and an utterly breaking off from all sin be it never so sweet or bring it in never so much pleasure or profit yet it must be abandoned and forsaken if we would approve our conversion sincere 3. As to the object turn'd to viz unto God and all that is good and holy and just and righteous to all God's commandements for there must be no bawking of any but an universal sincere respect to all to one as well as another the least as well as the greatest the difficultest as well as the easiest As God says of David Who shall fulfil all my will and all his judgments Acts 13. 22. Psalm 18. 22. 119. 128. v. 6. were before me and I esteem all his precepts concerning all things to be right and then says he shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandements Thus as there must be an abstaining from all evill so a doing of all the contrary good a fulfilling all righteousness Matth. 3. 15. a sincere purpose desire and endeavour at least to conform to all God hath instituted Col. 4. 12. and commanded and to stand compleat in his whole will as it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameless 10. It must be a constant continued turning as there must be a forsaking of all evil and a practising of all the contrary good so this must be constantly continually and for ever It must be such a turning as is without returning to our sins again Hence some have defin'd it the constant turning of a man in his whole life from all sin unto God c. For as it is the work of the whole man so of the whole life and we are more and more to turn none being so far turn'd from sin to God but have need still to turn more There is an initial or first repentance which is at our
affectu and entirest affection of your hearts Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously vouchsafe the removal of our sin and favourable and gracious acceptance with thy self that sins guilt may be pardoned its power subdued its pollution purged and thy grace obtained that is in effect that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine So that what his people seek elsewhere that the Lord prescribes here and prescribes it as the onely way of their weal. And so in many other places as Jer. 4. 14. that Jerusalem there might be sav'd from those evils and miseries which else would certainly and unavoidably come upon her to her utter ruine he prescribes and invites her seriously and unfeignedly to repent of her wickedness O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Those vain thoughts of help and succour by other ways and means with neglect of the main And how often that poor sinners might live does the Lord who swears he had no pleasure in their death invite them to turn from their way Turn ye turn ye Ezek. 33. 11. 18. 3. from your evil ways and repent and turn from all your transgressions cast them away from you and Jer. 3. 22. 4. 1. c. put your abominations out of my sight c. and so much does our happiness and good our being blest depend upon and consist in the face and favour of God that when God would have his people blest this he prescribes and directs as the very way and means and platform thereof And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak Numb 6. 22 23 24 25 26. unto Aaron and unto his sons saying on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace What goodness and kindness is it in God that as he is most blessed himself so he will have his people blessed also and not be blessed alone and that they may be so he prescribes this as the very form thereof and in these phrases the Priests and Levites were to bless Israel that is to wish them all good all happiness and salvation all being Benedicere est fausta et salutaria precari To pray for and wish all happiness and good summ'd up in the love of God in the manifestations of his favour and therefore because this and onely this was their blessedness therefore in different phrases it is prescrib'd again and again to be supplicated for them R. 4. Because when the Lord hath purposed to make a people happy and to have it well with them indeed this he hath still promised as the onely effectual way and means thereof As to Israel I will heal their back-sliding I will love Hosea 14. 4 5. them freely for mine anger is turn'd away from them It is very observable that what the Lord had before prescrib'd as the onely way of their weal v. 2. that he here promises v. 4. for to Sâ—nare defectiones idem est quod et omnem tollere iniquitatem siâ—ut saepâ—ùs precati sunt Israelitae Zanch in locum heal their back-sliding and love them freely and turn away from them his anger it is to take away all iniquity and receive them graciously Their sins were their sicknesses and the Lord the great Physician that they might recover promises to heal them that is not onely not to impute but pardon what was past so by his grace to prevent the same for the future And I will be as the dew to Israel c. My favour and grace shall be to them as dew to the grass c. Thus when the Lord promises happiness and welfare to those that were carried captive he tells them he will acknowledg them and set his Jer. 24. 5 6 7. eyes on them for good that is manifest to them his favour and they shall says he return unto me with their whole heart See also Ezek. 36. 25 26. c. Micah 7. 19. Zâ—char 12. 10. c. R. 5. Because Jesus Christ himself the eternal Son of God was sent and came into the world to procure our happiness and weal and our being sav'd this way by calling us to repentance and saving us from our sins and by bringing us to God and procuring for us his favour and gracious acceptance As he himself who best knew what was his errand and what he had in commission hath told us I am come to call sinners to repentance and this the Angel witnessed of him that his name should be called Jesus for he should save Matth 9 13. his people from their sins and so his Apostles Acts 3. 26. after Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you but how in what way and by what means in turning away every one of you from his iniquities and for this purpose was the son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil and he is 1 John 3. 8. 4. 10. said to send his Son to be the propitiation for our Rom. 5. 2. sins and by him we have access into the grace wherein we stand And the Apostle Peter gives us this account of Christ's sufferings that they were to bring us to God to recover us into his favour 1 Pet. 3. 18. and friendship again as our onely happiness and felicity R. 6. Because the Lord hath and doth still send his Ministers to be instrumental of peoples happiness and weal this way as by opening their eyes and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they Acts 26. 18. may receive forgiveness of sins and so be reconciled to God and brought again into his favour and hence their ministery is called the ministery of reconciliation And hence that great Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 18 20 knowing no better nor more effectual way of peoples weal it is said Acts 26. 20. that he shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God c. yea he makes preaching repentance towards God and faith towards our 2 Cor. 5. 18 20 Lord Jesus Christ the very summe of his preaching and that in preaching these he had kept Acts 20. 20 21 27. nothing back that was profitable to them but had declar'd to them all the counsel of God And what way were the Prophets of old sent to prevent peoples ruine and to bring it to be well with them was it not by calling and inviting them to return to the Lord to turn from their evil ways unto him I might give you multitudes of places to this purpose but that it is needless they
the onely way for people to be saved to be blessed and happy and have it well with them and because else they perish and are ruined and undone and it will certainly be ill with them for ever And hence it is that the Lord makes use of such pathetical and affectionate expressions Say unto them as I live saith the Lord I have Ezek. 33. 11. no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel How vehemently does the Lord here expostulate and press this upon them Turn ye turn ye which denotes the height and vehemency of his affection and desire how much his heart was upon it and is there not good reason for all this why they dye and are undone and perish else for why will ye dye life and death are in these things in turning or not turning to God as life is the happy effect of the one so death and damnation is the fruit of the other And is it any wonder the Lord is then so earnest and importunate when our weal or our woe when it being well or ill with us when our happiness or our misery our being saved or eternally destroyed depends upon this And hence the Lord is not content to speak it once but speaks it again calls for it twice because it was of such absolute and indispensable necessity and not a small matter nor a business of indifferency And what infinite cause have we then to bless the Lord that he should be so intent upon this so frequently and earnestly invite us to this again and again wherein our own good is so much concerned and which is of such indispensable necessity that we cannot otherwise but perish and what can we indeed do better or wherein can we be more happy than in turning to him 6. This informs us and gives us to see whence it is that God's Prophets formerly and his Ministers alate have been and still are so frequent and earnest in preaching and pressing of this why is it because so much depends on this because they know it cannot else be well with them neither can they be saved or be happy nay they know it cannot else but be ill with them and they must else perish and be undone for ever and therefore have they and do they still so much urge and press this not onely speak but cry Be ye not as your fathers unto whom Zach. 1. 4. the former Prophets have cried thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings c. They do not onely call but cry yea cry out proclaim so as the rather to be heard and more to be heeded they were zealous and earnest therein why because the matter was of such importance and the danger was so great if they did not hearken And hence is it that Ministers still are so pressing and importunate as to this they pray and beseech yea and if ye will not hear saith the Prophet Jeremy Jerem. 13. 7. My soul shall mourn in secret for you and mine eyes weep sore and run down with tears c. The voice of one crying in the wilderness c. Luke 3. 4. Thus the Prophets and the Apostles cryed and Jesus Christ himself he cryed John 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O for poor sinners to come to Christ to believe on him and repent and turn to the Lord is a matter of great consequence of infinite importance not a thing of indifferency but of absolute necessity and hence Jesus Christ is so earnest and intent upon this as appears by his posture he stood up by his vehement speaking he cried he spake with a lowd voice which shewed the fervour and ardency of his Spirit So it is said of Paul that great Apostle that he shewed first unto them of Damascus and Acts 26. 20. at Jerusalem and through all the Coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God c. It was Paul's great work and main business to have it well with all he came among his hearts desire was that they might be saved and therefore was he so intent upon this where ever he came that they might repent and turn to God as the onely soveraign way of it and as knowing it could not else be well with them Hence it was that that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford when he came to the stake cryed out so earnestly and affectionately O England England repent of thy sins repent of thy sins he knew it was the onely way of Englands weal then as it is now and therefore whatever is the zeal and fervency of God's Ministers herein so as that some it may be may think them besides themselves as some did Paul 2 Cor. 5. 13. yet this being the onely way of their being sav'd and they being else und one this gives sufficient reason and ground thereof 7. This lets us see the reason why the Church and People of God have been so fervent and frequent in their Prayers for this that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine as here in one Psalm they instance it no less than thrice v. 3. v. 7. and v. 19. and can ye blame them or was there not good reason for it when as this was the only way for them to be saved to be happy and to have it well with them and how earnest have others also been as to these as David how often and how exceeding earnestly does he beg that Psalm 119. 58. God would make his face to shine upon him and I entreated thy favour or I have earnestly besought thy face so the Dutch with my whole heart or with all my heart and good cause his very happiness and felicity consisting thereon and flowing therefrom c. Poenitentia Angelorū delectatio hilacritas gaudent societati suae restitutos esse quos in tenebris inferni ac Satanae potestate constitutos viderant Gerhard 8. This lets us see whence it is that there hath been and is still such great joy when a sinner turns to God and that both in heaven and earth as the Scripture declares Luk. 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth c. and v. 10. Likewise I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth c. the repenting and turning though but of one sinner makes all heaven merry as it Heus tu peccator bono animo sis vides ubi de tuo gaudetur c. Tertull were it causes joy all heaven over it puts harps as it were into the Angels hands and songs into their mouths c.
onely asleep but dead and yet quickened and not onely dark but darkness it self in the abstract and yet made light in the Lord. If sinners indeed had never heard of any great sinners that God had turned again from their sins to himself or that it was not better with them then than before when they served their lusts they might have the more plea but there are many presidents in sacred Writ and if with mourning and humiliation thou turnest with them thou shalt be happy with them We find in the 15. of Luke that the Prodigal there went a great way off from his father he took his journey not into some neer adjacent parts but into a far countrey and there he spends all makes himself a meer bankrupt so that he falls to feed Swine and feeds on the husks that the Swine did eat and yet could not have his belly full of them neither and yet this Prodigal he is brought to himself and brought home again to his father and there he is kist and embrac'd and has the best his fathers house can afford How exceeding far had Manasseh turn'd away from God yea how exceedingly had he turn'd against him we scarce read of any that ever did worse read 2 Chron. 33. from the 1. v. to the 10. 2 Kings 21. from the 1. v. to the 17. It is said he used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards and wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger he made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom c. and yet Manasseh is made a Convert and turn'd again to the Lord the Lord he turns to Manasseh and turns Manasseh again to himself So what a persecutor was Paul he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord c. Acts 9. 1 2. yea as himself says he was exceedingly mad against them Acts 26. 11. and yet this persecutor is turned to be a Preacher and to prosecute what he formerly sought to destroy Mary Magdalene had seven Devils lodging Numerus certus pro incerto in her that is many and yet Jesus Christ casts them all out and makes that heart where so many Devils had lodged fit for himself to lodg in who had the seven Spirits of God and she who had been so vile and miserable he appears Mark 16. 9. first to and makes the first witness of his resurrection And such were some of you what 1 Cor. 6. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haeceratis quilibet such kind of things he does not say such men or women but such kind of things as if the Apostle knew not how to stile them nor what to call them and therefore he puts it in the Neuter Gender such kind of things O they were sad and strange kind of things indeed and yet of such kind of things God makes something of yea makes blessed things of but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God It matters not much whither or from whence we are fallen if the Lord undertake but to raise us nor whither we are wandered or Junius before his conversion is said to be an Atheist but afterward became very pious stiled the Glory of Leyden where we are wilder'd if he undertake but to reduce us nor how far we are turned aside or turned away if he undertake but to turn us again no matter what is the sickness if he be but the Physician and undertakes the cure he can do good of any one be it who it will that is very encouraging to poor sinners which he said to Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. My grace is sufficient for thee it is sufficient for the greatest of sinners his accepting grace is sufficient and his sanctifying renewing grace is sufficient one is sufficient against all our unworthiness and the other is sufficient against all our uncapableness and unfitness one is sufficient to put God upon doing what is to be done and the other is sufficient for to do it one as to motive the other as to efficacy he can make dry bones live and is Ezek. 37. 5 6 7. Matth. 3. 9. able of stones to raise children to Abraham he can change condition and disposition pardon and purge justifie and sanctifie yea do every thing and perform all things And therefore let all even such as have turn'd farthest aside from God be encouraged to go unto God and to call upon him and cry unto him to perform all things for them for all things are of him and to Psal 57. 2. perform this for them to turn them again and cause his face to shine Say Lord thou commandest us to turn O do thou make us to turn it is thy precept that we should turn Lord according to thy promise give us grace for to turn Turn us and we shall be turned convert us and we shall be converted we have turned aside after the world and vanity and sin yea after Satan but O turn us again to thy self we have turned aside to our own ways and after our own lusts but O turn us again to thee and thy ways thou sayest Return ye back-sliding children and I Jerem. 3. 22. will heal your back slidings and Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God that thou mayest cause us and inable us to return for the way of man is not in himself it is not in man Jer. 10. 23. that walketh to direct his steps turn us therefore and we shall be turned and thou who givest us space to repent give us grace to repent and to turn to thee and that with a true hearty real and universal turn Lord every thing within us is turned from thee and is averse to thee yea is turned against thee and therefore do thou by thy grace cause all to turn again to thee mind will heart affections all within us and all without us that so we may not be half but whole Converts and our conversion may not be partial but total and universal of the whole man and from all evill and to all that is good Salvation is said to belong unto the Lord and his blessing Psal 3. 8. to be upon his people and let us beg that the Lord would thus save us and not onely us our selves but others also ours his people and that this blessing may be upon us all the blessing of turning us all again to himself and of causing his face to shine the blessing of saving conversion and of Divine favour and affection that the Lord would thus save and bless the Nation this Kingdom Church State Cities Towns Families houses hearts even with the great Gospel-blessing of Jesus Christ raised from the Acts 3. 26. dead in turning us all from our sins and iniquities to himself Lord thus bless the house of
Story converted of his Atheism so though repentance seem never so difficult at first to corrupt nature yet frequently occasioning your hearts that way might much help you if you would but be still haunting your hearts with what might further it as with precepts promises threatnings judgments mercies Law Gospel c. and never giving over 'till something comes of it for occasions are to be prest and urg'd to the utmost and throughly to be improv'd as it is said of those Jews I do but allude to it that they said unto Nehemiah and the Premenda est occâsio rest that were building ten times that is very often in all ways that ye passe to and again the Nehem. 4. 12. enemy will be upon you and thus still haunting them with warnings at length they looked about and set guards in every place And so deal with your hearts and warn them often again and again tell them O! if you do not repent the enemy will be upon you the wrath and curse of God will be upon you hardness of heart will be upon you all those judgments threatened will be upon you but if you repent the blessing and favour of God will be upon you grace and mercy and peace will be upon you all the good promised will be upon you yea God himself will dwell in you and his Angels will guard you and minister unto you c. and tell your hearts such and such things often yea never give over 'till you have brought it to some good issue Thus as others occasion their hearts sin-ward hell-ward vanity-ward world-ward so do you grace-ward heaven-ward repentanceward conversion-ward and so salvation-ward 7. Remember God of his promises and in your prayers plead and press and urge the same Lord hast thou not in thy Word of free grace made promises not only to grace but of grace and do Lord as thou hast said be as good as thy word O remember thy promise Thus turn promises into prayers as these and the like Turn you at my reproof behold I Prov. 1. 23. Is 44. 3. will pour out my Spirit unto you c. and I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and not onely so but floods upon the dry ground that is my Spirit upon barren and fruitless hearts that have neither saving knowledg nor are able to perform any good work I will pour my Spirit upon thy Is 35. 5 6 7. seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened c. and in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desart that is the Spirit shall be abundantly poured out upon all sorts even upon such as were as a wilderness and as a dry and barren heath And the parched ground shall become Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. a poole and the thirstly land springs of water in the habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be grass with reeds and rushes Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I clense you A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments Jer. 3. 19. and do them But I said how shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land c. that is being spoken of God after the manner of men I thus thought and considered with my self how shall I put thee among the children c. How shall I make such as you my people who are so vile and unworthy and adopt you to be my children and so make you heirs of that heavenly and glorious Canaan of which the other was but a type Now to this God himself makes answer within himself and the more to express the greatness of his mercy and the riches of his free grace against their unworthiness he says Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me that is I will by my Spirit being a Spirit of conversion and adoption cause thee to return and to cry unto me in faith Abba father and thou shalt not depart from me Now remember God of these and the like promises and press them and plead them and urge them turn them into prayers 'till God turn them into performances So I might mention others I will heal their back-sliding I will love them freely and they shall return to me with their whole heart and Hos 14. 4. Jer. 24. 7. Psalm 22. 27. all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord c. And because knowledg and understanding is as I said initial and so influential as to conversion urge the promises thereof as these and the like For the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters Is 11. 9. cover the Sea and They shall all know me from Jer. 31. 34. the least of them to the greatest c. and they shall be all taught of God Is 54. 13. Joh. 6. 45. c. 8. Follow after faith labour to believe for Non rectè possit agere poenitentiam nsi qui speraverit indulgentiam true kindly Evangelical repentance and saving conversion does as I said arise and flow from faith and is an happy effect and fruit thereof and faith at least in some measure must go before it as the ground and root thereof A true repenting sinner is a believing sinner that hath had some apprehensions and perswasions of the mercy of God in Christ and of forgiveness of sin in and through him to such as are penitent And without the root how should you partake of the fruit or without the cause of the effect it is said A great number believed and turned to Acts 11. 21. the Lord if ever we would turn to the Lord indeed we must first believe which should make us therefore the more to study and endeavour by all possible ways and means to obtain that precious grace of faith as the Apostle Peter calls 2 Pet. 1. 1. it precious indeed for what is there that is precious but faith brings us to obtain it and this we must in some measure have if ever we repent and turn to God to purpose for an unbelieving Conversio ad Deum complectitur praecipuè fidem quâ homo in solo vero Deo fiduciam collocat c. Winckelm heart is ever an hard evil and impenitent heart Paul speaking of such as live godly and so are true converts he speaks of them as being in Christ Jesus that is interested in him united to him by faith as branches into the Vine members to the head and such must all be that Joh. 15. 5. live godly for
people of God so a time of cooling and refreshing and who would not long for it in such a dry scorching place and weary land as this world is It is a figurative speech and a fit Metaphor especially as to the condition of those Regions which were so exceeding hot and where workmen being even spent with heat did retire into the cool shades for refreshing and this refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord that is from his special gracious presence or from his face that is the shines of his face the bright beams of his favour the light of his countenance and whence else indeed should it come that being the very spring and fountain of all refreshings there they are and thence they flow In his presence is Psalm 16. 11. fulness of joy c. And this refers to the last day for that day which shall be a day of such heat and scorching unto others shall be a day of cooling and refreshing to all such as repent and are converted and that of far greater than of the coolest shade to the weariest workman that is even spent and ready to faint for heat But how is it said that your sins may be blotted out then are they not blotted out before yes the meaning thereof is that then ye may find and feel and experience the comfort of their being blotted out and while others sins stand still upon record and therefore to be accounted for the red lines of Christ's bloud may then as it were be seen drawn over yours the comfort of which at that day will be more than the possession of many worlds and however it will be the heat of the day to others who yet persist and go on in their sins this will make it the cool of the day to all such and as the most refreshing shadow after heat yea much more refreshing And thus Diodate interprets it not says he that the remission of sins is put off till then but because it shall then be publickly declar'd and bring forth its full effect of life and glory and they shall then be openly acquitted Ut non veniat Deus vobiscum in judicium sed eum tunc propitium habeatis Toss before Angels and men and God shall not enter into judgment with them but shew himself gracious and propitions to them Many indeed read this latter clause otherwise viz. and the times of refreshing shall come or that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venient vel ut veniant So the Syriack and Arabick and others as Luther Camerarius Illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipiunt c. may come and so make it another motive to conversion and when sinners do indeed repent and turn to God then and not till then is it that times of refreshing do come to them from the presence of the Lord their sins which alone did interpose being now remov'd Others think it a defective kind of speech and that something should be supplied viz. that when those times of refreshing come you also Elliptica oratio c. ut cùm venerint tempora refrigerii vos sentiatis refrigerium c. Arcular may be refreshed you may share in them as all that truly repent and are converted are sure to do 3. Upon this follows divine favour which is better than life then he is gracious to him and he will be favourable unto him and he shall Job 33. 24 26 28. see his face and his life shall see the light and we shall live in his sight But I do but mention Hos 6. 2. this because I have spoken of it before 4. Audience of prayer a great priviledg a choice mercy It is one of God's Attributes that he is a God hearing prayer O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65. 2. 66. 18. and such experience him as so If saith David I regard iniquity in my heart then indeed the Lord will not hear my prayer no he will never be a prayer-regarding God to a sin-regarding sinner but when a sinner comes to hate sin in his heart and abandon it in his life then he will hear him and accept him and his prayers Now we know said that man that was born Joh. 9. 31. blind God heareth not sinners Why in some sense we are all sinners we have sin and are subject to sin and so God should hear no man but we are to understand it of such as are in a state of sin as love live and lie in sin and make a trade of sin and go on in sin without remorse and turning to God and such God heareth not but their very prayer is an abomination And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine Prov. 15. 8. 28. 9. Is 1. 15 Prov. 1. 28. eyes from you yea when you make many payers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud they shall call upon me but I will not answer c. But repenting sinners God hears Manasseh was a great sinner yet being greatly humbled and becoming a convert he prayed and God was intreated 2 Chron. 33. 12. and heard his supplication c. So when Ephraim bemoaned himself I have surely says Jer. 31. 18. the Lord heard him c. and Then shalt thou Is 58. 9. call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am What wonderful condescension of the great God is here as if he should say what wouldst thou have or what should I do whatever it be I am here ready to do it for thee or to communicate it to thee The Lord is nigh to such as are of a broken heart Ps 34. 1â— c. and If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven c. yea such shall have audience and acceptance though never so mean and contemptible in the eyes of the world He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer That Ps â—02 17. which we render destitute others read desolate the Dutch wholly stripped Piscator and Junius of the most naked or of the poor shrub the Nudatissimi Jun. Pisc Hebrew word signifies such a shrub as stands alone in the wilderness worthless and unregarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liable to every blast and to be troden Of the much afflicted or altogether destitute and made naked of all help so the word imports down by every beast it comes of a word which signifies he was naked and the doubling of the two radical Letters imports the intension of the signification as most naked and most destitute and stript quite bare of all help and Eorum qui sunt veluti myricae humilésque myricae Virg. comfort and yet the prayers of such are not despised but heard and regarded of God When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and
robs us of our joy peace safety separates from God the chief good and brings horrors of conscience here and to eternal Is 59. 1 2. perdition hereafter which may have a moments pleasure but an eternities torment And can we do better than to incourage one another here to come up to so great a good and to come off from so great an evil Do others incourage one another in evil matters and not we in what is so good to quit sins and the Devil 's Psal 64 5. and hell's quarters murderers quarters our deadly enemie's quarters which seek our bloud and the destruction of our precious souls and to come into heaven's quarters into God's and our friends quarters O who would not incourage here and say come and let us return unto the Lord and so betake our selves to the onely way of our own and the Nations weal And O that it was once come to this that so both our own and the Nations utter ruine might be prevented which God professedly declares yea swears he has no pleasure in We read of those indeed who were ready to cast such a calumny upon God as if he took pleasure in their death for they said if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and Ezek 33 â—â— we pine away in them how then should we live c. as if they had said What do you tell us of living or prophesie of life when we find the quite contrary that we are dying Now as to this God vindicates himself asserting the clean v. 11. contrary by an Oath Say unto them as I live says the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live c. As death is indeed an act of justice punishing the impenitent so it hath the nature of good in it and so it is pleasing to God who is just as well as merciful but as it is meerly the creatures ruine and misery so he delights not in it and to this he swears Indeed God cannot lye and so his word might be enough O beatos noâ— quorum causâ Deus jurat O miseri nos si non juranti Domino credimus Tertull. but the more to confirm what he says he is pleased to swear and happy we for whose sake God swears if we believe but miserable we if he shall swear and we yet not believe him and further to shew his unwillingness that we should dye he doubles his invitation to turn Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel And this ingemination as it shews our dulness and love to our sins and loathness to leave them so a vehemency and intention of spirit in God there being much life spirit and affectionateness in sueh expressions and it shews also a necessity of compliance for that cannot but be a matter of great weight that we are so often invited to such Scripture ingeminations not being vain but the more words from God the more weight and what is doubly prest must needs be doubly our duty and that which we are doubly ingag'd to Surely as it shews God desires it much so that it concerns us much and what indeed can concern us more than that which unless we do we as certainly perish as the Lord lives And what goodness and condescension is it in the great God that he should so earnestly and so often invite us to that which is so much for our own good and that though he cannot be better'd nor made happier by us yet that our salvation should be so dear to him and therefore let us set to it our selves and incourage one another all we can looking up to God for help for though we can turn away Ps 119. 176. Hos 13. 9. we cannot of our selves turn again we can wound but not heal our selves throw our selves down but not raise our selves up loose our selves but not reduce our selves CHAP. XV. To see to it that our turning to God be true and real AND let us not onely incourage one another to turn to God but be sure our conversion be sincere 1. Let there be a sound conviction of sin and a kindly compunction for it with a thorow aversion from it to the Lord both in heart and life in inward principles and outward practises there being a change both of the disposition and affection and love to sin within and of the conversation without and these depend one upon another For 'till the conscience be throughly convinct of sin how should the heart be kindly contrite for sin and 'till the heart be contrite for sin how should it forsake or turn from sin and 'till it do turn from sin how should it turn to God And 2. let this turn be such as is of God as also unto God quite Jer. 4. 1. through unto him and not to any thing below him or on this side him O how sad is it to suffer shipwrack neer the haven to turn towards God and yet never to reach nor take up in God as our true and proper center to come up out of Egypt and yet never to come into Canaan not to be far from the Kingdom of God from heaven and yet to fall short of it and to be turned into hell 3. Let it be such as arises from faith 4. Let it be hearty with all or the whole heart no part of the heart here being reserved for sin but the whole heart inclin'd one way and that to God as it is said of good King Josiah 2 King 23. 25. that like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might c. Indeed the heart is the main and what is done Quod cor non facit non fit here unless it be with the heart it is not done And in what should we be hearty indeed if not in what we do to God and in what tends so infinitely to our own good 5. Let it be universal 1. As to the subject turning the whole man body and soul and all the faculties of the one and members of the other compleat as to parts though not degrees as to extension though not perfection in every part though but in part As the Air in the dawning is light in e-every part though but in part else if any one part be unturn'd we shall as one expresses it with our whole go to hell and therefore as all of us and in us is turn'd away from God never let us rest till all be turn'd again to God 2. As to the object turn'd from and turn'd to from all sin to all that is holy and righteous from every false and crooked way to every true and right way for as there 's no Brook so small no River Ps 119. 101 128. so little but if a man follow it it will bring him
love to others it must be by endeavouring by all possible ways and means their conversion and so their salvation Thus Paul made appear the sincerity of his love to Israel his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel being this that they Rom. 10. 1. might be saved And so David to his son Solomon he tells us he was his father's son so were Prov. 4. 3 4 5 c. others but he in a special manner was so being singularly loved and of such a one we use to say he is his father's son and how did he manifest the truth of his love why he taught me also and said unto me let thy heart retain my words c. Get wisdom get understanding c. And we can never approve our selves sincerely to love others but in this way for if to love be to desire and endeavour the good of those we love how can it consist with the neglect of their chiefest good And that this is to love a very Heathen saw To love says he is to desire good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist things for those whom we love and according to our utmost ability to endeavour to accomplish them and what good things to conversion and salvation and therefore while we neglect these we do but indeed hate whom we may pretend to love Many Parents they think they love their children why because they cocker their children and provide well for them as to the world and allow them high fare and fine cloaths and it may be can tumble in silver and gold but such in the mean while neglecting their souls and the means appointed by God for their conversion and salvation they shew plainly Peremptores potiús quám parentes they do not in truth love them but rather hate them and so will be found and accounted of at the last day And how well may such Jud. 16. 15. children say to their Parents what Delilah sometimes said to Sampson in another case How can ye say ye love us when your hearts desires and prayers are no more to God for us that we may be converted and sav'd when you neglect our souls our jewel our darling our principal one and take no more care of our chief good our spiritual and eternal good of that which if we should fall short of it would avail us nothing though you should all your days gather Pearls for us or could procure the gain of a whole world for us The Lord commands Thou shalt Levit. 19. 17. not hate thy brother in thy heart and how is this prevented Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him so that not to rebuke not to use those ways and means appointed by God for to reclaim and reduce thy brother when he sinneth is to hate him for thereby the guilt of his sin is still suffer'd to be upon him to his soul's ruine which to suffer as it is hatred in thee so the sorest judgement upon thy brother 7. Consider others unserviceableness till they be converted they are altogether unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. Ezek. 15. 4 5. like that Vine branch in Ezekiel that was meet for no work and that girdle hid in Euphrates that was good for nothing and like Salt Jer. 13. 10. Matth. 5. 13. which has lost its savour and is fit for nothing but to be cast out and troden under foot And should we not do our utmost to get others out of such an estate that is so unprofitable wherein they neither can please God nor truly profit themselves or others wherein all their works even their best are but dead works and their Omnis vita infidelium peccatum whole life sin and is this an estate to let them lie in to let them alone in God forbid That 's very observable to this purpose which Paul says of Onesimus viz. that in time past i. e. all the Philem. 10. 11. while before his conversion he was unprofitable but after his conversion then profitable profitato Philemon yea to Paul himself before profitable to none neither to himself nor others but now to all to master and Minister and now he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicit nunc taâ—â—messe planc qualis vocatur answers his name which he never did before to which the Apostle seems to allude 8. Beasts if fallen or strayed and so in danger Exod. 23. 4. Deut. 22. 4. to perish were to be help'd and reduc'd and not men not souls does God take care of beasts would he have us keep them from perishing and not much more men souls but shall we let them alone in the errours of their minds and in the corrupt practices of their lives to stand or fall sink or swim live or dye no matter what what uncharitableness cruelty and hard-heartedness would this argue c. and therefore upon all these considerations let us lay out our selves to the utmost as to so good and blessed a work making use of all possible ways and means as may further the same as instructions exhortations admonitions reprehensions exemplary conversations c. and with and to all let us be sure to joyn our fervent prayers and earnest supplications for unless the Lord comes in with his help and makes successful what we do what can it avail if the 2 Kings 6. 27. Gen. 9. 27. Lord help not as that King said to the woman how should we help God shall perswade Japhet c. It is of God that sheweth mercy and Rom. 9. 16. as God gave to every man else had we the wisdom of Angels what would it avail without God and therefore we must address our selves to the most High and cry unto him who as he hath performed this for us can also for others but of this I have occasionally spoken something before and therefore shall not enlarge here and as we should endeavour this unto all as occasion serves so more especially to our relations and those whose good we have stronger obligations upon us than ordinary for to seek as we who are Ministers whose proper work in a more special manner it is in reference to our people and so Parents in reference to their children and all relations in reference to each other yea if children be converted themselves and their Parents as yet unconverted they should in a special manner indeavour their conversion onely what they do they are to do in an humble way and to mannage it after a reverent manner as beseems that honour that is due to Parents from their children It is controverted by some whether children may not be instrumental of greater benefit to their Parents than they have receiv'd from them and certainly if they prove instrumental as to their conversion they may for to be instrumental of regeneration and a spiritual birth is far better than of generation and a natural birth and to be instrumental to an happy glorious and eternal life than to a
miserable mortal and momentany life and therefore all should do their utmost herein and what the Church of the Jews said of the Church of the Gentiles before their calling that should we say of our relations we have such and such relations Cant. 8. 8. as are not as yet turn'd to God nor brought home to him what shall we do for them it grieves us much for their sakes because of the state they are as yet in what shall we do to get them out of it let us contribute even all we can to our utmost as to their conversion The Israelites were Paul's brethren and kinsmen according to Rom. 9. 1 2 3. the flesh and what great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart had he for them and how earnest was he for the conversion of them My hearts desire says he and prayer to God for Israel 10. 1. is that they might be saved that his natural Salutem eorum mirum in modum expetere testatur pro eâ sedulò ad Deum vota facit relations might become spiritual and those so neer in nature and bonds of consanguinity might be so in grace and bonds of sanctity that they might be happy as well as himself it was not that Israel might become great in the world or have plenty and prosperity in their streets or have the Kingdom restor'd to them from the Romans but that they might be converted and saved for this it is his soul travels and is so exceeding sollicitous The word we render desire is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very emphatical and notes a marvelous strong intention of spirit and solicitude of soul together with a complacency therein and an earnest study for the accomplishment thereof His soul as he elsewhere expresses it did greatly even long after Phil. 1. 8. them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ and so should ours after the conversion and salvation of others especially our relations and what the Apostle says of husbands and wives that we may say of others And what knowst thou O 1 Cor. 7. 16. wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how know'st thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife So what know'st thou O father or mother whether thou shalt save thy child c. There 's hope thereof if we be not wanting therein and what we do here to relations or others we should take care to do it wisely having respect to the different state of those with whom we have to deal and accordingly dealing with them as the Apostle Jude exhorts And of some have Jude 22. 23. compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire As if the Apostle had said you have to deal with several sorts some are weak others wilful some pliable others refractory and accordingly deal as each ones temper requires either with mildness or Commiseramini i. e. ex misericordia reprehendite officii admonete humaniter c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est terrendo eos per denunciationem judicii Dei nisi resipiverint Pisc more sharpness so as any way to win them with gentler means or more severe and others save with fear that is say some lest their precious souls should everlastingly miscarry more worth than whole worlds or rather this fear may respect the way and manner of saving them as if the Apostle had said save them any ways though never so severe get them to heaven though by the gates of hell O souls are so precious and hell so terrible that no way or course here that God or man can take can be too severe so that to save here with fear is as much as by fears that is by frighting them by making them afraid by setting before them the terrours of the Lord and telling them of the 2 Cor. 5. 11. Matth. 3. 7. wrath to come by denouncing God's fearful iudgments against them if still they go on in their sins and shewing them how that there is but a step between them and hell c. pulling them out of the fire Sinners who still persist impenitently in their sins are as it were in the Jam. 3. 6. fire being set on fire of hell and as it were in the suburbs of eternal fire and therefore says the Apostle Asperitatem necessitas exousat quod aliter servari nequeant pull or snatch them out Such are not easily or gently to be dealt with but hastily and violently to be pull'd out as a man would do one that is in the fire and what does he do in such a case does he stand to becken to him with his finger or leisurely to hold forth to him his hand no his present danger calls to him to act at another rate and after a more speedy and forcible manner even with that violence as it may be to pluck an arm or other limb out of joynt Why it is to save life and the person will be burn'd else and therefore he uses in such a case the greatest violence and so should we with those who will not otherwise be won so that pulling out of the fire may be understood Eleganti utitur Metaphorâ nam ubi est incendii periculum violenter capere non dubitamus Calv. in loc here as men use to pull out of the fire And thus the Apostle James laboured to save wicked and refractory rich men Jam. 5. 1 2. c. and John the Baptist the Scribes and Pharisees that generation of Vipers Matth. 3. 7. and the Cretians being fierce and refractory sinners thus Paul Titus 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 severè acrite◠vel praecisè Gall. Vivement bids Titus to indeavour to save them Rebuke them says he sharply or severely the Greek is cuttingly or to the quick it seems an allusion to Chirurgeons who to cure the wound cut to the quick Thus considering the disposition of the offender and the quality of the offence some offending of weakness others of wilfulness we are accordingly with wisdom and discretion for to deal more gently with some and more roundly and roughly with others still in all making God's glory and their conversion and salvation our main end and drift And though we should meet with many discouragements it may be with mocks and scoffs in the faithful discharge of this our duty yet let us not matter it but remember we work for souls and for their conversion and salvation and the gaining of one soul is more and better than the gaining of whole Kingdoms and Empires and though we should not see that fruit we so much desire and endeavour for yet doing our duty let this comfort us that our judgment is with the Lord and our work with our God Is 49. 4. The Conclusion of the whole AND thus I have now through the good assisting hand of God upon me to whom for ever be the praise finished my Discourse of these words words of as great weight and importance as possibly can be imagined words as I said at first so seasonable and so soveraign for they do contain in them the very platform of a peoples or a person's weal and their onely true and right way of being saved And O that now the Lord would bring us into this way which if yet he hath any delight in us he will and which that he may I have onely two things to request and I have done 1. That what is here so seasonably though not so accurately held forth may not onely be heedfully read but seriously weighed and carefully and conscientiously improv'd that having searcht and found that so it is that this is England's and so any other Nation 's or people's or person's sole and soveraign way of being saved we would hear it and practically know it for our good and as that than Job 5. 27. which nothing is more our own nor the Nations interest or concern And 2. that as what is here dictated I have my self sent and followed with prayers and I with I could say with my tears into the world so it may be accompanied also with others prayers even the prayers of all into whose hands it shall come That the Lord may be pleas'd to bless and succeed the same so as to accomplish that good work and to effect that great and blessed cure it tends to and is design'd for even to turn us again to the Lord God of Hosts repentingly that so he may turn to us graciously and cause his face to shine And let us now and so I shall conclude pray and pray again yea and again as the Church and people of God do here v. 3. Turn us again O God and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved v. 7. Turn us again O God of hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved v. 19. Turn us again O Lord God of hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved and let all that love and desire their own or the Nation 's weal say Amen and Amen O Lord the God of Hosts do thou Turn us again to thee Cause thou thy face to shine on us And saved we shall be FINIS