condition in the Scripture denotes every thing of disconsolation and trouble To be then in darkness where yet there is some light some relief though darkness be predominant is sad and disconsolate but now not only to be but also to walk that is to continue a course in darkness and that with no light no discovery of help or relief this seems an overwhelming condition yet sinners in this estate are called to trust in the name of the Lord. I have shewed before that nothing but forgiveness or that which influenceth it and encourageth to an Expectation of it is of any use unto a sinner much more one in so great distress upon the account of sin yet is such an one here sent only to the NAME of the Lord wherein his gracious heart and nature is revealed That then is the very Fountain and Spring of forgiveness And this is that which John would work a sense of upon our souls where he tells us that God is Love 1 Ep. Chap. 4. 8. or one of an infinitely Gracious Tender Good Compassionate Loving Nature Infinite Goodness and Grace is the soyl wherein forgiveness grows It is impossible this flower should spring from any other root Unless this be revealed to the soul forgiveness is not revealed To consider pardon meerly as it is terminated on our selves not as it flows from God will bring neither profit to us nor Glory to God And this also which is our design in hand will make it appear That this discovery of forgiveness whereof we speak is indeed no common thing is a great discovery Let men come with a sense of the guilt of sin to have deep and serious thoughts of God they will find it no such easie and light matter to have their hearts truly and throughly apprehensive of this loving and gracious nature of God in reference unto pardon It is an easie matter to say so in common but the soul will not find it so easie to believe it for it self What hath been spoken before concerning the ingrafted notions that are in the minds of men about the Justice Holiness and severity of God will here take place Though men profess that God is Gracious yet that Aversation which they have unto him and communion with him doth abundantly manifest that they do not believe what they say and profess if they did they could not but delight and trust in him which they do not for they that know his name will put their trust in him So said the slothful servant in the Gospel I knew that thou wast austere and not for me to deal withal it may be he professed otherwise before but that lay in his heart when it came to the tryal But this I say is necessary to them unto whom this discovery is to be made even a spiritual apprehension of the gracious loving heart and nature of God This is the spring of all that follows And the fountain must needs be infinitely sweet from whence such streams do flow He that considers the glorious fabrick of Heaven and Earth with the things in them contained must needs conclude that they were the product of infinite Wisdom and Power nothing less or under them could have brought forth such an effect And he that really considereth forgiveness and looks on it with a spiritual eye must conclude that it comes from infinite Goodness and Grace And this is that which the Hearts of sinners are exercised about when they come to deal for pardon Psal. 86. 5. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness And Micah 7. 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity because he delighteth in Mercy And God encourageth them hereunto whereever he says that he forgives sins and blots out iniquities for his own sake or his names sake that is he will deal with sinners according to the Goodness of his own Gracious Nature So Hos. 11. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not Man Were there no more Mercy Grace Compassion to be shewed in this case than it is possible should be treasured up in the heart of a man it would be impossible that Ephraim should be spared But saith he I am God and not Man Consider the infinite largeness bounty and goodness of the heart of God and there is yet hope When a sinner is in good earnest seeking after forgiveness there is nothing he is more solicitous about than the heart of God towards him nothing that he more labours to have a discovery of There is nothing that Sin and Satan labour more to hide from him This he rolls in his mind and exercises his thoughts about and if ever that voyce of God Isa. 27. 4. Fury is not in me sound in his heart he is relieved from his great distresses And the fear of our hearts in this matter our Saviour seems to intend the prevention or a removal of John 16. 26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you They had good thoughts of the tender heart and care of Christ himself the Mediator towards them but what is the heart of the Father what acceptance shall they find with him Will Christ pray that they may find favour with him Why saith he as to the Love of his heart there is no need of it for the Father himself loveth you If this then belongeth to forgiveness as who ever hath sought for it knoweth that it doth it is certainly no common discovery to have it revealed unto us To have all the clouds and darkness that are raised by sin between us and the Throne of God dispelled to have the fire and storms and tempests that are kindled and stirred up about him by the Law removed to have his glorious face unvailed and his holy heart laid open and a view given of those infinite treasures and stores of Goodness Mercy Love and Kindness which have had an unchangeable habitation therein from all Eternity to have a discovery of these eternal springs of sorbearance and forgiveness is that which none but Christ can accomplish and bring about John 17. 6. Secondly This is not all This eternal Ocean that is infinitely satisfied with its own fulness and perfection doth not naturally yield forth streams for our refreshment Mercy and pardon do not come forth from God as Light doth from the Sun or Water from the Sea by a necessary consequence of their natures whether they will or no. It doth not necessarily follow that any one must be made partaker of forgiveness because God is infinitely Gracious For may he not do what he will with his own Who hath given first unto him that it should be recompenced unto him again Rom. 11. 35. All the fruits of Gods Goodness and Grace are in the sole keeping of
if it did not deserve the name of faith Now as hath been made to appear this discovery of forgiveness is the souls perswasion on Gospel grounds that however it be with him and whatever his state and condition be or is like to be yet that God in his own Nature is infinitely gracious and that he hath determined in a Soveraign Act of his Will from Eternity to be gracious to sinners and that he hath made way for the Administration of forgiveness by the Blood of his Son according as he hath abundantly manisested and declared in the Promises of the Gospel However it be with me yet thus it is with God There is forgiveness with him This is the first thing that a soul in its depths riseth up unto And it is a supportment for it enabling it unto all present duties until consolation come from above Thus hath it been to and with the Saints of old Hos. 14. 3. Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy A solemn Renunciation we have of all other helps Reliefs or Assistances Civil or Religious that are not Gods Therein a solemn Resolution in their great distress of cleaving unto God alone Both which are great and blessed effects of faith What is the bottom and foundation of this blessed Resolution namely that Proposition in thee the fatherless findeth mercy that is there is forgiveness with thee for helpless sinners This listed up their hearts in their depths and supported them in waiting unto the receiving of the blessed Promises of Mercy Pardon Grace and Holiness which ensue in the next Verses Until they came home unto them in their Efficacy and Effects they made a Life on this in thee the fatherless findeth mercy The state and condition of things seems to lye yet lower in that proposal we have Joel 2. 13 14. Rend your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing That which is proposed to the faith of those here spoken unto is that the Lord is gracious and merciful that there is forgiveness in him The Duty they are provoked unto hereupon is Gospel Repentance The Assent unto the Proposition demanded as to their own interest amounts but unto this who knowes but that the Lord may return and leave a blessing or deal with us according to the manifestation he hath made of himself that he is merciful and gracious This is far enough from any comfortable perswasion of a particular interest in that Grace mercy or Pardon But yet saith the Prophet come but thus far and here is a firm foundation of dealing with God about further discoveries of himself in a way of Grace and Mercy When a soul sees but so much in God as to conclude well Who knoweth but that he may return and have mercy upon me also it will support him and give him an entrance into further light The Church in the Lamentations gives a sad account of her state and condition in this matter For she maketh that hard conclusion against her self Chap. 3. 8. My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. And when I cry and shout he shuts out my prayer v. 18. So far is she from a comfortable perswasion of a particular interest in Mercy and Acceptance that under her Pressures and in her Temptations she is ready positively to determine on the other side namely that she is rejected and cast off for ever What course then shall she take Shall she give over waiting on God and say there is no hope no saith she I will not take that way for v. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God But yet there seems small encouragement for her so to do if things be with her as was expressed Things indeed saith she are very sad with me My soul hath them still in remembrance and is bowed down in me v. 20. but yet somewhat I recall to mind and therefore have I hope v. 21. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not There is mercy and never failing compassion in God so that though my own present condition be full of darkness and I see no deliverance Yet I purpose still to abide waiting on him who knows what those infinite stores and treasures of mercy and relief that are with him may at length afford unto me and many instances of the like kind might be added We may observe by the way how far this Relief extends it self and what it enables the soul unto As 1. The soul is enabled thereby to resign it self unto the disposal of Soveraign Grace in self-abhorrency and a Renunciation of all other wayes of Relief Lam. 3. 29. He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope What God will is his Language Here he lyes at his disposal humble broken but abiding his pleasure Though he slay me saith Job yet I will trust in him Chap. 13. 15. It is all one how he deals with me whatever be the event I will abide cleaving unto him I will not think of any other way of extricating my self from my distress I will neither fly like Jonah nor bide like Adam nor take any other course for deliverance Saith the soul God is a God that hideth himself from me Isa. 45. 15. I walk in darkness and have no light Chap. 50. 10. My flesh faileth and my heart faileth Psal. 73. 26. So that I am overwhelmed with trouble Mine Iniquities have taken such hold on me that I cannot look up Psal. 40. 12. The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Every day am I in dread and terror and am ready utterly to saint and no relief can I obtain What then shall I do Shall I curse God and dye or cry this evil is of the Lord why should I wait for him any longer Shall I take the course of the world and seeing it will be no better be wholly regardless of my latter end No I know what ever my lot and portion be that there is forgiveness with God This and that poor man trusted in him they cryed unto him and were delivered So did David in his greatest distress he encouraged his heart in the Lord his God 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. It is good for me to cast my self into his arms it may be he will frown it may be he is wroth still but all is one this way I will go as it seems good unto him to deal with me so let it be And unspeakable are the Advantages which a soul obtains by this self Resignation which the faith treated of will infallibly produce 2. It extends it self
was made in his first dealing with our Parents after their shameful sin and fall Now to make it appear that this is an evidence that carryes along a great conviction with it and is such as faith may securely rest upon and close withall the ensuing Observations are to be considered The first sin in the world was on many accounts the greatest sin that ever was in the world It was the sin as it were of Humane Nature wherein there was a conspiracy of all Individuals omnes eramus unus ille homo in that one man or that one sin we all sinned Rom. 5. 12. It left not God one subject as to moral obedicnce on the earth nor the least ground for any such to be unto Eternity When the Angels sinned the whole race or kind did not prevaricate Thousand thousands of them and ten thousand times ten thousands continued in their obedience Dan. 7. 10. But here all and every individual of mankind he only excepted which was not then in Adam were imbarked in the same crime and guilt Besides it disturbed the Government of God in and over the whole Creation God had made all things in number weight and measure in order and beauty pronouncing himself concerning his whole work that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding beautiful and good Gen. 1. 31. Much of this beauty lay in the subordination of one thing to another and of all to himself by the mediation and interposition of man through whose Prayses and Obedience the rest of the Creation being made subject unto him was to return their tribute of Honor and Glory unto God But all this Order was destroyed by this sin and the very creation made subject to vanity Rom. 8. 20. On which and the like accounts it might be easily made to appear that it was the greatest sin that ever was in the world 2. Man who had sinned subscribed in his heart and consctence unto the righteous sentence of the Law He knew what he had deserved and looked for nothing but the immediate Execution of the sentence of death upon him Hence he meditates not a defence expects no pardon stayes not for a tryal but flyes and hides and attempts an escape Gen. 3. 10. I was afraid saith he and hid my self than which never were there words of greater horror in the world nor shall be until the day of Judgement Poor Creature he was full of expectation of the vengeance due for a broken Covenant 3. God had newly declared in the sinning Angels what his Justice required and how he could deal with sinning man without the least impeachment of his Government Holiness or Goodness See 2 Pet. 2. 4. 4. There was nothing without God himself that should move him in the least so much as to suspend the execution of his wrath for one moment he had not done so with the Angels All things lay now under wrath curse confusion and disorder nothing was left good lovely or desirable in his eye As in the first Creation that which was first brought forth from nothing was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without form and void empty of all order and beauty nothing was in it to induce or move God to bring forth all things in the glory that ensued but the whole design of it proceeded from his own infinite Goodness and Wisdom so was it now again There was an Emptiness and Vanity brought by sin upon the whole creation Nothing remained that might be a motive unto a merciful Restoration but all is again devolved on his Soveraignty All things being in this state and condition wherein all doors stood open to the Glory of Gods Justice in the punishing of sin nothing remaining without him to hold his hand in the least the whole creation and especially the sinner himself lying trembling in Expectation of a dreadful doom what now cometh forth from him the blessed word which we have Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head It is full well known that the whole mysterie of forgiveness is wrapt up in this one word of promise And the great way of its coming forth from God by the blood of the Messiah whose heel was to be bruised is also intimated And this was the first discovery that ever was made of forgiveness in God By a word of pure Revelation it was made and so faith must take it up and receive it Now this Revelation of forgiveness with God in this one Promise was the bottom of all that Worship that was yielded unto him by sinners for many Ages For we have shewed before that without this no sinner can have the least encouragement to approach unto him and this will continue to the end of the world as a notable evidence of the truth in hand a firm foundation for faith to rest and build upon Let a sinner seriously consider the state of things as they were then in the world laid down before and then view God coming forth with a word of pardon and forgiveness meerly from his own Love and those counsells of peace that were between the Father and the Son and he cannot but conclude under his greatest difficulties that yet there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared Let now the Law and Conscience let Sin and Satan stand forth and except against this Evidence enough may be spoken from it whatever the particular case be about which the soul hath a contest with them to put them all to silence II. God revealed this Sacred Truth by his Institution of Sacrifices Sacrifices by blood do all of them respect Attonement Expiation and consequentially forgiveness It is true indeed they could not themselves take away sin nor make them perfect who came unto God by them Heb. 10. 1. but yet they undeniably evince the taking away of sin or the forgiveness of it by what they did denote and typisie I shall therefore look a little back into their Rise and Intendment 1. The Original and first spring of Sacrifices is not in the Scripture expresly mentioned only the practice of the Saints is recorded But it is certain from infallible Scripture Evidences that they were of Gods immediate Institution and Appointment God never allowed that the Will or Wisdom of man should be the spring and Rule of his Worship That solemn word where with he Fronts the command that is the Rule of his Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not make to thy self which is the life of the command that which follows being an explanation and confirmation of the Law it self by Instances cuts off all such pretences and is as a flaming sword turning every way to prevent mens arbitrary approaches to Gods Institutions God will not part with his glory of being the only Law-giver as to the whole concernment of his Worship or any part of it unto any of the sons of men 2. Neither is the time of their Institution mentioned Some of the Papists dispute as there
proceed at all in the farther opening of the words they having all of them respect unto the Proposition first laid down I shall explain and confirm the truth contained in it that so it may be understood what we say and whereof we do affirm in the whole process of our Discourse It is a sad Truth that we have proposed unto consideration He that hears it ought to tremble in himself that he may rest in the day of trouble It speaks out the Apostles advice Rom. 11. 20. Be not high minded but fear and that also 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall When Peter had learned this truth by woful experience after all his boldness and forwardness he gives this Councel to all Saints that they would pass the time of their sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 14. Knowing how near in our greatest peace and serenity evil and danger may lye at the door Some few instances of the many that are left on record wherein this Truth is exemplified may be mentioned Gen. 6. 9. Noah was a just man perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God He did so a long season and that in an evil time amidst all sorts of Temptations When all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth ver 12. This put an eminency upon his obedience and doubtless rendred the Communion which he had with God in walking before him most sweet and precious to him He was a gracious soul upon the redoubled Testimony of God himself But we know what befell this holy Person He that shall read the story that is recorded of him Gen. 9. 21. will easily grant that he was brought into inextricable distress on the account of sin His own drunkenness ver 21. with the consequent of it gives scandal unto and provokes the unnatural lust of his Son v. 22. and this leads him to the devoting of that Son and his Posterity unto Destruction v. 24 25. all which joyned with the sense of Gods just indignation from whom he had newly received that tremendously miraculous deliverance must needs overwhelm him with sorrow and anxiety of Spirit The matter is more clear in David Under the Old Testament none loved God more than he none was loved of God more than he The Paths of Faith and Love wherein he walked are unto the most of us like the way of an Eagle in the Air too high and hard for us Yet to this very day do the cryes of this Man after Gods own heart sound in our Ears Sometimes he complains of broken bones sometimes of drowning depths sometimes of waves and water-spouts sometimes of wounds and diseases sometimes of Wrath and the sorrows of Hell every where of his sins the burden and trouble of them Some of the occasions of his Depths Darkness Intanglements and Distresses we all know As no man had more Grace than he so none is a greater instance of the power of sin and the effects of its guilt upon the conscience than he But Instances of this kind are obvious and occurr to the thoughts of all so that they need not be repeated I shall then shew First What in particular is intended by the depths and intanglements on the account of sin whereinto gracious souls after much Communion with God may be cast Secondly Whence it comes to pass that so they may be and that oftentimes so they are First For the First some or all of these things following do concurr to the Depths here complained of First Loss of the wonted sense of the Love of God which the soul did formerly enjoy There is a twofold sense of the Love of God whereof Believers in this world may be made partakers There is the transient affecting of the heart by the Holy Ghost with ravishing unspeakable joyes in apprehension of Gods Love and our Relation unto him in Christ. This or the immediate effect of it is called joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. The Holy Ghost shining into the heart with a clear evidence of the souls interest in all Gospel Mercies causeth it to leap for joy to exult and triumph in the Lord as being for a season carried above all sense and thought of sin self temptation or trouble But as God gives the bread of his House unto all his Children so these dainties and high Cordials he reserveth only for the seasons and Persons wherein and to whom he knows them to be needful and useful Believers may be without this sense of Love and yet be in no depths A man may be strong and healthy who hath wholsom food though he never drink Spirits and Cordials Again There is an abiding dwelling sense of Gods Love upon the hearts of the most of those of whom we speak who have had long communion with God consisting in a prevailing Gospel perswasion that they are accepted with God in Christ. Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God I call it a prevailing perswasion denoting both the opposition that is made unto it by Satan and unbelief and its efficacy in the conquest thereof This is the root from whence all that peace and ordinary consolation which Believers in this world are made partakers of do spring and grow This is that which quickens and enlivens them unto Duty Psal. 116. 12 13. and is the salt that renders their Sacrifices and Performances savoury to God and refreshing to themselves This supports them under their tryals gives them peace hope and comfort in Life and Death Psal. 23. 4. Though I walk in the valley of the shaddow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me A sense of Gods Presence in Love is sufficient to rebuke all anxiety and fears in the worst and most dreadful condition And not only so but to give in the midst of them solid Consolation and Joy So the Prophet expresseth it Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blessom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And this is that sense of Love which the choicest Believers may lose on the account of sin This is one step into their depths They shall not retain any such Gospel apprehension of it as that it should give them rest peace or consolation that it should influence their souls with delight in Duty or supportment in tryal And the Nature hereof will be afterwards more fully explained Secondly Perplexed thoughtfulness about their great and wretched unkindness towards God are another part of the Depths of sin-intangled souls So David complains Psal. 77. 3. I remembred God saith he and was troubled How comes the Remembrance of God to be unto him a matter of trouble in other Places he
they taught to value all the fruits of the blood of Jesus Christ of the enjoyment of many whereof they are at present cut short and deprived All which with other things of the like nature and importance make them very sensible of their concernments Secondly They remember what it cost them formerly to deal with God about sin and hence they know it is no ordinary matter they have in hand They must again to their old work take the old cup into their hands again A recovery from depths is as a new conversion Oft-times in it the whole work as to the souls apprehension is gone over afresh This the soul knows to have been a work of dread terror and trouble and trembles in it self at its new tryals And Thirdly The Holy Ghost gives unto such poor souls a fresh sense of their deep concernments on purpose that it may be a means to stir them up unto these earnest Applications unto God The whole work is his and he carries it on by means suited to the compassing of the end he aimeth at And by these means is a gracious soul brought into the frame mentioned Now there are sundry things that concur in and unto this frame First There is a continual thoughtfulness about the sad condition wherein the soul is in its depths Being deeply affected with their condition they are continually ruminating upon it and pondering it in their minds So David declares the case to have been with him Psal. 38. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sins for mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down I go mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared for the disquietness of my heart Restlestness deep-thoughtfulness disquietness of heart continual heaviness of soul sorrow and anxiety of mind lye at the bottom of the Applications we speak of From these Principles their prayers flow out as David adds v. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee This way all his trouble wrought He prayed out of the abundance of his meditation and grief Thoughts of their state and condition lye down with such Persons and rise with them and accompany them all the day long As Reuben cryed The child is not and I whither shall I go So doth such a soul the Love of God is not Christ is not and I whither shall I cause my sorrow to go God is provoked death is nigh at hand relief is far away darkness is about me I have lost my peace my joy my Song in the night what do I think of duties Can two walk together unless they be agreed Can I walk with God in them whilst I have thus made him mine enemy What do I think of Ordinances Will it do me any good to be at Jerusalem and not see the face of the King to live under Ordinances and not to meet in them with the King of Saints May I not justly fear that the Lord will take his holy Spirit from me until I be left without remedy With such thoughts as these are sin-entangled souls exercised and they lye rolling in their minds in all their applications unto God Secondly We see the Application it self consists in and is made by the prayer of Faith or crying unto God now this is done with intenseness of mind which hath a twofold fruit or property 1. Importunity and 2. Constancy It is said of our blessed Saviour that when he was in his depths about our sins that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears Heb. 5. 7. Strong cryes and tears express the utmost intension of Spirit And David expresseth it by roaring as we have seen before as also by sighing groaning and panting A soul in such a condition lyes down before the Lord with sighs groans mourning cryes tears and roaring according to the various working of his heart and its being affected with the things that it hath to do and this produceth First Importunity The power of the importunity of Faith our Saviour hath marvelously set out Luke 11. 8 9 10. as also Chap. 18. 1. Importunate prayer is certainly prevailing And importunity is as it were made up of these two things frequency of interposition and variety of arguings You shall have a man that is importunate come unto you seven times a day about the same business and after all if any new thought come into his mind though he had resolved to the contrary he will come again And there is nothing that can be imagined to relate unto the business he hath in hand but he will make use of it and turn it to the furtherance of his plea. So is it in this case Men will use both frequency of interposition and variety of arguings Psal. 86. 1. I cry unto thee daily or rather all the day He had but that one business and he attended it to the purpose By this means we give God no rest Isa. 62. 7. which is the very character of importunity Such souls go to God and they are not satisfied with what they have done and they go again and somewhat abideth still with them and they go to him again and the heart is not yet emptied they 'l go again to him that he may have no rest What variety of arguments are pleaded with God in this case I could also manifest in the same David But it is known to all there is not any thing almost that he makes not a plea of the Faithfulness Righteousness Name Mercy Goodness and kindness of God in Jesus Christ the concernment of others in him both the friends and foes of God his own weakness and helplesness yea the greatness of sin it self Be merciful to my sin saith he for it is great Sometimes he begins with some Arguments of this kind and then being a little diverted by other considerations some new plea is suggested unto him by the Spirit ane he returns immediately to his first employment and design all arguing great intension of mind and spirit Secondly Constancy also flows from intenseness Such a soul will not give over untill it obtain what it aims at and looks for as we shall see in our process in opening this Psalm And this is in general the deportment of a gracious soul in the condition here represented unto us As poor creatures love their peace as they love their souls as they tender the glory of God they are not to be wanting in this duty What is the reason that controversies hang so long between God and your souls that it may be you scarce see a good day all your lives Is it not for the most part
this silence did My bones waxed old nor yet was it a sullen stubborn and contumacious frame that was upon him but he notes saith Calvin and he sayes well affectum qui medius est inter tolerantiam contumaciam vitio vertuti affinis An affection between patience and stubborness bordering on the one and other That is he had a deep sense of sin this disquieted and perplexed him all the day long which he calls his roaring It weakned and wearied him making his bones wax old or his strength decay yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingenious gracious acknowledgement which like the launcing of a festered wound would have given at least some ease to his soul. Gods children are oft-times in this matter like ours Though they are convinced of a fault and are really troubled at it yet they will hardly acknowledge it So do they They will go up and down sigh and mourn roar all the day long but an evil and untoward frame of spirit under the power of unbelief and fear keeps them from this duty Now that this acknowledgement may be acceptable unto God it is required First that it be free then that it be full First It must be free and spiritually ingenious Cain Pharaoh Ahab Judas came all to an acknowledgement of sin but it was whether they would or no. It was pressed out of them it did not flow from them The confession of a person under the convincing terrors of the Law or dread of imminent Judgements is like that of Malefactors on the rack who speak out that for which themselves and friends must dye What they say though it be the truth is a fruit of force and torture not of any ingenuity of mind So is it with meerly convinced persons They come not to the acknowledgment of sin with any more freedom And the Reason is because all sin hath shame and for men to be free unto shame is naturally impossible shame being natures shrinking from it self and the posture it would appear in But now the returning soul hath never more freedom liberty and amplitude of spirit than when he is in the acknowledgement of those things whereof he is most ashamed And this is no small evidence that it proceeds from that spirit which is attended with liberty for where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. When David was delivered from his silence he expresseth this frame in the performance of this Duty Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin and mine iniquities I have not hid I said I will confess my transgression His mouth is now open and his heart inlarged And he multiplies one expression upon another to manifest his enlargement So doth a soul rising out of its depths in this beginning of his address unto God Having the sense of sin before described wrought in him by the Holy Ghost his heart is made free and inlarged unto an ingenious acknowledgement of his sin before the Lord. Herein he pours out his soul unto God and hath not more freedom in any thing than in dealing about that whereof he is most ashamed Secondly Full also it must be Reserves ruine confession If the soul have any secret thought of rolling a sweet morsel under its tongue of a bow in the house of Rimmon it is like part of the price kept back which makes the whole robbery instead of an offering If there be remaining a bitter root of favouring any one lust or sin of any occasion of or temptation unto sin let a man be as open free and earnest as can be imagined in the acknowledgement of all other sins and evils the whole duty is rendered abominable Some persons when they are brought into depths and anguish about any sin and are thereon forced to the acknowledgement of it at the same time they are little concerned with their other follies and iniquities that it may be are no less provoking unto God than that is from whence their present trouble doth arise Let not as James speaks in another case such a man think that he shall receive any thing from God It must be full and comprehensive as well as free and ingenious And of such importance is the right performance of this duty that the promise of pardon is oft-times peculiarly annexed unto it as that which certainly carries along with it the other duties which make up a full returnal unto God Prov. 28. 13. 1 John 1. 9. and that place in Job is remarkable Chap. 33. 27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light He shall not only be made partaker of pardon but of consolation also and joy in the light of Gods countenance Thirdly There yet remains self-condemnation with the Justification of God which lyes expresly in the words of the Verse under consideration and hereof are two parts First Self-abhorrency or dislike The soul is now wholly displeased with it self and reflects upon it self with all affections of regret and trouble So the Apostle declares it to have been with the Corinthians when their godly sorrow was working in them 2 Cor. 7. 11. among other things it wrought in them indignation and revenge or a reflection on themselves with all manner of dislike and abhorrency In the winding up of the Controversie between God and Job this is the point he rests in As he had come in general to a free full ingenious acknowledgement of sin Chap. 40. 4 5. So in particular he gives up his whole contest in this abhorrency of himself Chap. 42. 6. I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes What a vile wretched creature have I been saith the soul I blush and am ashamed to think of my folly baseness and ingratitude is it possible that I should deal thus with the Lord I abhorr I loath my self I would fly any where from my self I am so vile and loathsome a thing to be despised of God Angels and Men and Secondly There is self-judging in it also This the Apostle invites the Corinthians unto 1 Ep. Chap. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged This is a persons pronouncing sentence on himself according to the tenor of the Law The soul brings not only its sin but it self also to the Law It puts it self as to merit and desert under the stroke and severity of it Hence ariseth a full justification of God in what sentence soever he shall be pleased to pronounce in the case before him And these three things which we have passed through compose the frame and first actings of a gracious soul rising from its depths They are all of them signally expressed in that place where we have a signal recovery exemplified Hos. 14. 1 2 3 4. And this makes way for the exaltation of grace the great thing
his own Soveraign Will and pleasure This is his great Glory Exod. 33. 18 19. Shew me thy glory saith Moses And he said I will make all my Goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and I will be Gracious to whom I will be Gracious Upon that proclamation of the name of God that he is merciful gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness some might conclude that it could not be otherwise with any but well he is such a one as that men need scarce be beholding to him for Mercy Nay saith he but this is my great glory that I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious There must be an interposition of a free Act of the Will of God to deal with us according to this his abundant goodness or we can have no interest therein This I call the purpose of his Grace or the good pleasure that he hath purposed in himself Ephes. 1. 9. or as it is termed v. 5 6. The good pleasure of his Will that he hath purposed to the praise of his glorious grace This free and gracious pleasure of God or purpose of his Will to act towards sinners according to his own abundant goodness is another thing that influences the forgiveness of which we treat Pardon flows immediately from a Soveraign Act of free Grace This free purpose of Gods will and Grace for the pardoning of sinners is indeed that which is principally intended when we say there is forgiveness with him That is he is pleased to forgive and so to do is agreeable unto his nature Now the Mysterie of this Grace is deep It is eternal and therefore incomprehensible Few there are whose hearts are raised to a contemplation of it Men rest and content themselves in a general notion of mercy which will not be advantagious to their souls freed they would be from punishment but what it is to be forgiven they enquire not So what they know of it they come easily by but will find in the issue it will stand them in little stead But these fountains of Gods actings are revealed that they may be the fountains of our comforts Now of this purpose of Gods Grace there are several Acts all of them relating unto Gospel forgiveness First There is his purpose of sending his Son to be the great means of procuring of purchasing forgiveness Though God be infinitely and incomprehensibly gracious though he purpose to exert his Grace and Goodness toward sinners yet he will so do it do it in such a way as shall not be prejudicial to his own Holiness and Righteousness His Justice must be satisfied and his holy indignation against sin made known Wherefore he purposeth to send his Son and hath sent him to make way for the exercise of Mercy so as no way to eclipse the glory of his Justice Holiness and hatred of sin Better we should all eternally come short of forgiveness than that God should lose any thing of his glory This we have Rom. 3. 25. God set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past The Remission of sins is the thing aimed at but this must be so brought about as that therein not only the mercy but the Righteousness of God may be declared and therefore must it be brought forth by a propitiation or making of an Attonement in the blood of Christ. So John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 9. Rom. 5. 8. This I say also lyes in the mysterie of that forgiveness that is administred in the Gospel It comes forth from this eternal purpose of making way by the blood of Christ to the dispensation of pardon And this greatly heightens the excellency of this discovery Men who have slight thoughts of God whose hearts were never awed with his dread or greatness who never seriously considered his purity and holiness may think it no great matter that God should pardon sin But do they consider the way whereby it was to be brought about even by the sending of his only Son and that to dye as we shall see afterwards Neither was there any other way whereby it might be done Let us now lay aside common thoughts Assent upon reports and tradition and rightly weigh this matter Doubtless we shall find it to be a great thing that forgiveness should be so with God as to be made out unto us we know somewhat what we are by sending his only Son to dye Oh how little is this really believed even by them who make a profession of it and what mean thoughts are entertained about it when men seek for pardon Immunity from Punishment is the utmost that lyes in the aims and desires of most and is all that they are exercised in the consideration of when they deal with God about sin Such men think and will do so that we have an easie task in hand namely to prove that there is forgiveness in God but this ease lyes in their own ignorance and darkness If ever they come to search after it indeed to enquire into the Nature Reasons Causes fountain and springs of it they will be able to give another account of these things Christ is the center of the mysterie of the Gospel and forgiveness is laid up in the heart of Christ from the love of the Father in him are all the Treasures of it hid And surely it is no small thing to have the heart of Christ revealed unto us When Believers deal about pardon their faith exercises it self about this that God with whom the soul hath to do hath sent the Lord Christ to dye for this end that it may be freely given out General notions of impunity they dwell not on they pass not for They have a closer converse with God than to be satisfied with such thoughts They enquire into the graciousness of his Nature and the good pleasure of his Will the purpose of his Grace they ponder and look into the mysterie of his Wisdom and Love in sending his Son If these springs be not clear unto them the streams will yield them but little refreshment It is not enough that we seek after salvation but we are to enquire and search diligently into the nature and manner of it These are the things that the Angels desire to bow down and look into 1 Pet. 1. 11 12 13. And some think if they have got a form of words about them they have gotten a sufficient comprehension of them It is doubtless one Reason why many who truly believe do yet so fluctuate about forgiveness all their dayes that they never exercised saith to look into the springs of it its eternal fountains but have meerly dwelt on actual condonation However I say these things lye utterly out of the consideration of the common pretenders to an acquaintance with the truth we have in hand Secondly There is another Soveraign Act of Gods Will to be considered in
as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the Attonement It flourisheth not without his sealing witnessing establishing and shedding abroad the Love of God in our hearts See Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. And what Believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things Nay to read of these things in the Gospel not experiencing them in our own hearts and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them without continual pressing after them is to despise the blood of Christ the Spirit of Grace and the whole work of Gods Love If there are no such things the Gospel is not true if there are and we press not after them we are despisers of the Gospel Surely he hath not the Spirit who would not have more of him all of him that is promised by Christ. These things are the hundred fold that Christ hath left us in this world to counterpoise our sorrows troubles and losses And shall we be so foolish as to neglect our only abiding riches and treasures In particular it is the product of an exercised vigorous active faith That our faith should be such alwayes in every state and condition I suppose it our duty to endeavour Not only our comforts but our Obedience also depends upon it The more faith that is true and of the right kind the more obedience For all our obedience is the obedience of faith 2. For its own fruit and what it produceth they are the choicest actings of our souls towards God as Love delight rejoycing in the Lord Peace Joy and Consolation in our selves readiness to do or suffer chearfulness in so doing If they grow not from this root yet their flourishing wholly depends upon it So that surely it is the duty of every Believer to break through all difficulties in pressing after this particular Assurance The Objections that persons raise against themselves in this case may afterwards be considered 2. In ordinary dispensations of God towards us and dealings with us it is mostly our own negligence and sloth that we come short of this Assurance It is true it depends in a peculiar manner on the Soveraignty of God He is as absolute in giving Peace to believers as in giving Grace to sinners This takes place and may be proposed as a relief in times of tryals and distress He createth light and causeth darkness as he pleaseth But yet considering what Promises are made unto us What encouragements are given us what love and tenderness there is in God to receive us I cannot but conclude that ordinarily the cause of our coming short of this Assurance is where I have fixed it And this is the first thing that is supposed in the foregoing Assertion Secondly It is supposed that there is or may be a saving perswasion or discovery of forgiveness in God Where there is no Assurance of any particular interest therein or that our own sins in particular are pardoned This is that which hath a Promise of gracious Acceptance with God and is therefore saving Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is the fear of the Lord and Obedience with a blessed encouragement to rest in God and his Alsufficiency yet no Assurance nor light but darkness and that walked in or continued in for a long season For he cannot walk in darkness meet with nothing but darkness without any beam or ray of Light as the words signifie who is perswaded of the Love of God in the pardon of his sins And yet the faith of such an one and his Obedience springing from it have this Gracious Promise of Acceptance with God And innumerable testimonies to this purpose might be produced and instances in great plenty I shall only tender a little Evidence unto it in one Observation concerning the nature of faith and one more about the proposal of the thing to be believed or forgiveness And 1. Faith is called and is a cleaving unto the Lord Deut. 4. 4. Ye that did cleave or adhere unto the Lord that is who did believe Josh. 23. 8. cleave or adhere unto the Lord your God The same word is used also in the New Testament Acts 11. 23. He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord or continue stedfast in believing It is also often expressed by trusting in the Lord rolling our burden or casting our care upon him by committing our selves or our wayes unto him Now all this goes no further than the souls Resignation of it self unto God to be dealt withall by him according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace ratified in the blood of Christ. This a soul cannot do without a discovery of forgiveness in God But this a soul may do without a special Assurance of his own interest therein This faith that thus adheres to God that cleaves to him will carry men to conclude that it is their Duty and their Wisdom to give up the disposal of their souls unto God and to cleave and adhere unto him as revealed in Christ waiting the pleasure of his Will It enables them to make Christ their choice and will carry men to Heaven safely though it may be at some seasons not very comfortably 2. The Revelation and discovery of forgiveness that is made in the Gospel evidenceth the same truth The first proposal of it or concerning it is not to any man that his sins are forgiven No but it is only that there is Redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the Apostle layes it down Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses All this may be believed without a mans Assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned Now where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires that faith is saving and the root of Gospel acceptable Obedience The Ransome I say the Attonement by Christ the fulness of the Redemption that is in him and so Forgiveness in his blood for Believers from the Good Will Grace and Love of the Father is the first Gospel discovery that a sinner in a saving manner closeth withal Particular Assurance ariseth or may arise afterwards and this also is supposed in the Assertion 2. That which is affirmed in it is That a discovery of forgiveness in God without any particular Assurance of personal interest therein is a great supportment to a sin entangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing small in the eyes of some and those good men also as
are said to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 21. It is in Jesus originally and from really and from him it is communicated unto us by the Word We are thereby taught and do learn it for thereby as the Apostle proceeds we are renued in the Spirit of our mind and do put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness ver 23 24. First the Truth is in Jesus then it is expressed in the Word this Word learned and believed becomes Grace in the heart every way answering unto the Lord Christ his Image from whom this transforming Truth did thus proceed Nay this is carried by the Apostle yet higher namely unto God the Father himself whose Image Christ is and Believers his through the Word 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord whereunto add Chap. 4. 6. God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The first pattern or example of all Truth and Holiness is God himself hereof Christ is the Image ver 4. Christ is the Image of God The brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1. 3. The Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. Hence we are said to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ because he being his Image the Love Grace and Truth of the Father are represented and made conspicuous in him For we are said to behold it in his face because of the open and illustrious manifestation of the glory of God in him And how do we behold this glory in a Glass as in a glass that is in the Gospel which hath the Image and likeness of Christ who is the Image of God reflected upon it and communicated unto it So have we traced Truth and Grace from the Person of the Father unto the Son as Mediator and thence transfused into the Word In the Father it is Essentially in Jesus Christ originally and exemplarily and in the Word as in a transcript or Copy But doth it abide there No God by the Word of the Gospel shines into our hearts Chap. 4 6. He irradiates our minds with a saving light into it and apprehension of it And what thence ensues the soul of a believer is changed into the same Image by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost Chap. 3. 18. that is the likeness of Christ implanted on the Word is impressed on the soul it self whereby it is renewed into the Image of God whereunto it was at first created This brings all into a perfect Harmony There is not where Gospel Truth is effectually received and experienced in the soul only a consonancy meerly between the soul and the Word but between the soul and Christ by the Word and the soul and God by Christ. And this gives assured establishment unto the soul in the things that it doth believe Divine Truth so conveyed unto us is firm stable and immoveable And we can say of it in a spiritual sense that which we have heard that which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life we know to be true Yea a Believer is a Testimony to the certainty of truth in what he is much beyond what he is in all that he saith Words may be pretended Real effects have their Testimony inseparably annexed unto them 3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received and believed For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines from an inward experience of what is so good and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary and this obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of an habit or an habitual frame of heart there is strength there is stedfasiness and Assurance This is the teaching of the Unction which will not which cannot deceive Hence many of old and of late that could not dispute could yet dye for the truth He that came to another and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion had only this return from him who either was not able to answer his cavilling or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophystrie It is so in this case when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God of the Pardon of sins of the Vertue and Efficacy of the death of Christ of Justification by his blood and peace with God by believing let men or Devils or Angels from Heaven oppose these things if it cannot answer their Sophisms yet he can rise up and walk he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying experience unto all their arguings and suggestions A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels And a Believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense as any man can by his natural This is the meaning of that Prayer of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. That your hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ. Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel they had but he prayes that by a farther experience of it they might come to the Assurance of understanding To be true is the property of the Doctrine it self to be certain or assured is the property of our minds Now this experience doth so unite the mind and truth that we say such a Truth is most certain whereas certainty is indeed the property of our minds or their knowledge and not of the truth known It is certain unto us that is we have an assured knowledge of it by the Experience we have of it This is the Assurance of Understanding here mentioned And he further prayes that we may come to the Riches of this Assurance that is to an abundant plentiful Assurance And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God owning it from a sense and experience of its excellency and worth And this is in the Nature of all Gospel Truths they are fitted and suited to be experienced by a believing soul. There is nothing in them so sublime and high nothing so mysterious nothing so seemingly low and outwardly contemptible but that a gracious soul hath experience of an Excellency Reality Power and Efficacy in it all For instance look on that which concerns the Order and Worship of the Gospel This seems to many to be a meer
in those other fundamental duties of the Gospel in self-denyal readiness for the Cross and forsaking the world is an Evidence if not how little sincerity there is in the World Yet at least it is of how little growing and thriving there is amongst Professors 3. That there is no Grace Vertue or Perfection in any man but what is as an Emanation from the Divine Goodness and Bounty so expressive of some Divine Excellencies or perfection somewhat that is in God in a way and manner Infinitely more Excellent We were created in the Image of God Whatever was good or comely in us was a part of that Image Especially the Ornaments of our Minds the perfections of our souls These things had in them a resemblance of and a correspondency unto some excellencies in God whereunto by the way of Analogie they may be reduced This being for the most part lost by sin a shadow of it only remaining in the faculties of our souls and that Dominion over the Creatures which is permitted unto men in the patience of God The recovery that we have by Grace is nothing but an initial Renovation of the Image of God in us Ephes. 4. 22. It is the implanting upon our natures those Graces which may render us again like unto him And nothing is Grace or Vertue but what so answers to somewhat in God So then whatever is in us of this kind is in God absolutely perfectly in a way and manner infinitely more excellent Let us now therefore put these things together God requires of us that there should be forgiveness in us for those that do offend us forgiveness without limitation and bounds The Grace hereof he bestoweth on his Saints sets an high price upon it and manifests many wayes that he accounts it among the most excellent of our endowments one of the most lovely and praise worthy qualifications of any person What then shall we now say Is there forgiveness with him or no He that made the Eye shall he not see He that planted the Ear shall he not hear He that thus prescribes forgiveness to us that bestows the Grace of it upon us is there not forgiveness with him It is all one as to say though we are good yet God is not though we are Benign and Bountiful yet he is not He that finds this Grace wrought in him in any measure and yet fears that he shall not find it in God for himself doth therein and so far prefer himself above God which is the natural Effect of cursed unbelief But the Truth is were there not forgiveness with God forgiveness in man would be no vertue with all those qualities that encline thereto such are meekness pity patience compassion and the like Which what were it but to set loose Humane Nature to rage and madness For as every Truth consists in its answerableness to the Prime and Eternal Verity So vertue consists not absolutely nor primarily in a conformity to a rule of Command but in a Correspondency unto the first absolute perfect Being and its perfections Properties of Forgiveness The Greatness and Freedom of it The Arguments and Demonstrations foregoing have we hope undeniably evinced the great Truth we have insisted on which is the life and soul of all our Hope Profession Religion and Worship The end of all this Discourse is to lay a firm foundation for faith to rest upon in its addresses unto God for the forgiveness of sins as also to give encouragements unto all sorts of persons so to do This End remains now to be explained and pressed which work yet before we directly close withall two things are further to be premised And the first is to propose some of those Adjuncts of and Considerations about this forgiveness as may both encourage and necessitate us to seek out after it and to mix the Testimonies given unto it and the Promises of it with faith unto our Benefit and Advantage The other is to shew how needfull all this endeavour is upon the account of that great Unbelief which is in the most in this matter As to the first of these then we may consider First That this forgiveness that is with God is such as becomes him such as is suitable to his Greatness Goodness and all other Excellencies of his Nature such as that therein he will be known to be God What he sayes concerning some of the works of his Providence be still and know that I am God may be much more said concerning this great Effect of his Grace Still your souls and know that he is God It is not like that narrow difficult halving and manacled forgiveness that is found amongst men when any such thing is found amongst them But it is full free boundless bottomless absolute such as becomes his Nature and Excellencies It is in a word forgiveness that is with God and by the exercise whereofhe will be known so to be And hence 1. God himself doth really separate and distinguish his forgiveness from any thing that our thoughts and imaginations can reach unto and that because it is his and like himself It is an object for faith alone which can rest in that which it cannot comprehend It is never safer than when it is as it were overwhelmed with infiniteness But set meer rational thoughts or the imaginations of our minds at work about such things and they fall unconceivably short of them They can neither conceive of them aright nor use them unto their proper end and purpose Were not forgiveness in God somewhat beyond what men could imagine no flesh could be saved This himself expresseth Isa. 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts They are as is plain in the context thoughts of forgiveness and wayes of Pardon whereof he speaks These our Apprehensions come short of we know little or nothing of the infinite largeness of his heart in this matter He that he speaks of is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an impiously wicked man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of deceit and perverse wickedness He whose design and course is nothing but a lye sin and iniquity Such an one as we would have little or no hopes of that we would scarce think it worth our while to deal withal about a hopeless Conversion or can scarce find in our hearts to pray for him but are ready to give him up as one profligate and desperate But let him turn to the Lord and he shall obtain forgiveness But how can this be Is it possible there should be mercy for such an one Yes For the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
into Eternity leads to the Glory of God the honour of Christ in the Gospel and your own comfortable account at the last day This encourageth the soul to labour to Trade to endeavour all things now looking forward and unto his advantage 4. Find you not in your selves an impotency a disability unto the dutyes of Obedience as to their performance unto God in an acceptable manner It may be you are not so sensible hereof as you ought to be For respecting only or principally the outward part and performance of dutyes you have not Experience of your own Weakness How to enliven and fill up Duties with Faith Love and Delight you know not and are therefore unacquainted with your own insufficiency in this matter yet if you have any Light any Convictions and to such I speak at present you cannot but perceive and understand that you are not able in your Obedience to answer what you aim at you have not strength or power for it Now it is this faith of Forgiveness alone that will furnish you with the Ability whereof you stand in need Pardon comes not to the Soul alone or rather Christ comes not to the Soul with pardon only It is that which he opens the door and enters by but he comes with a Spirit of life and Power And as without him we can do nothing so through his enabling us we may do all things Receiving of Gospel Forgiveness engageth all the grace of the Gospel unto our assistance This is the summe of what hath been spoken the obedience that you perform under your convictions is burdensome and unpleasant unto you it is altogether unacceptable to God You lose all you do and all that you hope to do hereafter if the foundation be not layd in the receiving of pardon in the blood of Christ. It is high time to cast down all that vain and Imaginary fabrick which you have been erecting and to go about the laying of a new Foundation which you may safely and chearfully build upon a building that will abide for ever Again It is such a way so excellent so pretious so neer the heart of God so relating to the blood of Christ that the neglect of it will assuredly be sorely revenged of the Lord. Let not men think that they shall despise the Wisdom and Love of the Father the blood of the Son and the Promises of the Gospel at an easie rate Let us in a very few words take a view of what the Holy Ghost speaks to this purpose There are Three wayes whereby the Vengeance due to the neglect of closing with forgiveness or Gospel Grace is expressed 1. That is done Positively He that believeth not shall be DAMNED Mark 16. 16. That 's a hard word many men cannot endure to hear of it They would not have it named by their good wills and are ready to fly in the face of him from whose mouth it proceeds But let not men deceive themselves this is the softest word that Mercy and Love it self that Christ that the Gospel speaks to despisers of forgiveness It is Christ who is this legal terrifying Preacher it is he that cryes out if you believe not you shall be Damned and will come himself in flaming fire to take vengeance of them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thess. 2. 8. This is the end of the disobedient if God if Christ if the Gospel may be believed 2. Comparatively in reference unto the Vengeance due to the breach of the Law 2 Cor. 2. 16. We are in the preaching of forgiveness by Christ unto them that perish a savour of death unto death a deep death a sore Condemnation so Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye he shall be thought worthy Sorer than ever was threatned by the Law or inflicted for the breach of it not as to the Kind of punishment but as to the degrees of it Hence ariseth the addition of many stripes 3. By the way of Admiration at the unexpressibleness and unavoidableness of the punishment due unto such sinners Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Surely there is no way for men to escape they shall unavoidably perish who neglect so great salvation So the Holy Ghost sayes 1 Pet. 4. 11. What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel What understanding can reach to an apprehension of their miserable and wofull condition None can saith the Holy Ghost nor can it be spoken to their capacity ah what shall their end be There remains nothing but a certain fearfull looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation that shall consume the Adversaries Heb. 10. 27. A certain fearfull expectation of astonishable things that cannot be comprehended And these are the Enforcements of the Exhortation in hand which I shall insist upon On these foundations on the consideration of these Principles let us now a little conferre together with the words of Truth and Sobriety I speak to such poor souls as having deceived themselves or neglected utterly their Eternal Condition are not as yet really and in Truth made partakers of this forgiveness Your present state is sad and deplorable There is nothing but the wofull uncertainty of a dying life between you and Eternal ruine That perswasion you have of forgiveness is Good for nothing but to harden you and destroy you It is not the Forgiveness that is with God Nor have you taken it up on Gospel grounds or Evidences You have stollen painted beads and take your selves to be lawfull possessors of Pearls and Jewels As you are then any way concerned in your own Eternal Condition which you are entring into and how soon you shall be ingaged in it you know not prevail with your selves to attend a little unto the Exhortation that lyes before you it is your own business that you are entreated to have regard unto 1. Consider seriously what it is you bottom your hopes and expectation upon as to Eternity Great men and in other things wise are here very apt to deceive themselves They suppose they think and believe much otherwise than indeed they think and believe as their cry at the last day will manifest Put your souls a little unto it Do you at all seriously think of these things Or are you so under the power of your Lusts Ignorance and Darkness that you neglect and despise them Or do you rise up and lye down and perform some duties or neglect them with a great Coldness Remisness and Indifferency of Spirit like Gallio not much caring for these things Or do you relieve your selves with hopes of future amendment purposing that if you live you will be other persons than you are when such and such things are brought about and accomplished Or do you not hope well in Generall upon the account of what you have done and will doe If any of these express your condition it is unspeakably miserable You lye down and rise up under the
this spiritual sense which you must learn to distinguish faith from and to know that true faith interesting the soul in forgiveness may be without it that so you may not conclude unto a real want of pardon from the want of the refreshing sense of it Grace in general may be referred unto two heads 1. Our Acceptation with God through Christ the same upon the matter with the forgiveness of sin that we are treating of And 2. Grace of Sanctification from God in Christ Of each of these there is a spiritual sense or Experience to be obtained in both distinguished from faith that gives us a real Interest in forgiveness Of the first or the spiritual sense that we have of Acceptance with God there are sundry parts or degrees As first hereunto belongs peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God This peace is the Rest and composure of the soul emerging out of troubles upon the account of the Reconciliation and friendship made for it by the blood of Christ. And it hath as all peace hath two parts First a freedom from war trouble and distress and Secondly Rest Satisfaction and Contentment in the condition attained And this at least the second part of it belongs unto the spiritual sense that we enquire after Again there is in it Joy in the holy Ghost called joy unspeakeable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. as also glorying in the Lord upon the account of his Grace Esa. 45. 26. with many the like Effects preceding from a shedding abroad of the Love of God in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. Yea you say these are the things you aim at these are the things you would attain and be filled withall It is this Peace this Joy this glorying in the Lord that you would alwaies be in the possession of I say you do well to desire them to seek and labour after them They are purchased by Christ for Believers but you will do well to consider under what notion you do desire them If you look on these things as belonging to the Essence of Faith without which you can have no real interest in forgiveness or acceptance with God you greatly deceive your own souls and put your selves out of the way of obtaining of them These these things are not believing nor adequate effects of it so as immediately to be produced where ever faith is But they are such consequents of it as may or may not ensue upon it according to the Will of God Faith is a seed that contains them virtually and out of which they may be in due time educed by the working of the Word and Spirit And the way for any soul to be made partaker of them is to wait on the Soveraignty of God's Grace who createth peace in the exercise of faith upon the promises He then that would place believing in these things and will not be perswaded that he doth believe until he is possessed of them he doth both lose the benefit advantage and comfort of what he hath and neglecting the due acting of faith puts himself out of the way of attaining what he aimeth at These things therefore are not needfull to give you a real saving interest in forgiveness as it is tendered in the promise of the Gospel by the blood of Christ. And it may be it is not the Will of God that ever you should be entrusted with them It may be it would not be for your good and advantage so to be Some servants that are ill husbands must have their wages kept for them to the years end or it will do them no good It may be some would be such spendthrifts of satisfying peace and joy and be so diverted by them from attending unto some necessary duties as of humiliation mortification and self-abasament without which their souls cannot live that it would not be much to their advantage to be entrusted with them It is from the same Care and Love that Peace and Joy are detained from some Believers and granted unto others You are therefore to receive forgiveness by a pure Act of believing in the way and manner before at large described And do not think that it is not in you unless you have constantly a spiritual sense of it in your hearts See in the mean time that your Faith bringeth forth Obedience and God in due time will cause it to bring forth Peace The like may be said concerning the other head of Grace though it be not so direct unto our purpose yet tending also to the relief of the soul in its depths This is the Grace that we have from God in Christ for our sanctification When the soul cannot find this in himself when he hath not a spiritual sense and experience of its in being and power when it cannot evidently distinguish it from that which is not right or genuine It is filled with fears and perplexities and thinks it is yet in its sin He is so indeed who hath no Grace in him but not he alwaies who can find none in him But these are different things A man may have Grace and yet not have it at some times much acting he may have Grace for life when he hath it not for fruitfulness and comfort though it be his duty so to have it Rev. 3. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 6. And a man may have Grace acting in him and yet not know not be sensible that he hath acting Grace We see persons frequently under great temptations of apprehension that they have no Grace at all and yet at the same time to the clearest conviction of all who are able to discern spiritual things sweetly and genuinely to act Faith Love Submission unto God and that in an high and eminent manner Psa. 88. Heman complains that he was free among the dead a man of no strength vers 4 5. as one that had no spiritual life no Grace This afflicted his mind and almost distracted him vers 15. and yet there can be no greater expressions of Faith and Love to God than are mixed with his complaints These things I say then are not to be judged of by spiritual sense but we are to live by faith about them And no soul ought to conclude that because it hath not the one it hath not the other that because it hath not Joy and Peace it hath no interest in pardon and forgiveness RULE VII The seventh Rule Mix not foundation and building work together The eighth spend no time in heartless complaints c. Mix not too much foundation and building work together Our foundation in dealing with God is Christ alone meer Grace and Pardon in him Our Building is in and by Holiness and Obedience as the fruits of that faith by which we have received the Attonemont And great mistakes there are in this matter which bring great intanglements on the souls of men Some are all their daies laying of the foundation and are never able to
the soul. 1. Because they are unexpected The soul looks not for them upon the first great conquest made of sin and universal engagement of the heart unto God When it first sayes I have sworn and amstedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements commonly there is peace at least for a season from the disturbing vigorous actings of sin There are many Reasons why so it should be Old things are then passed away all things are become new and the soul under the power of that universal change is utterly turned away from those things that should foment stir up provoke or cherish any lust or temptation Now when some of these Advantages are past and sin begins to stir and act again the soul is surprized and thinks the work that he hath passed through was not true and effectual but temporary only Yea he thinks perhaps that sin hath more strength than it had before because he is more sensible than he was before As one that hath a dead arm or limb whilst it is mortified endures deep cuts and launcings and feels them not when spirits and sense are brought into the place again he feels the least cut and may think the instruments sharper than they were before when all the difference is that he hath got a quickness of sense which before he had not It may be so with a person in this case he may think lust more powerfull than it was before because he is more sensible than he was before Yea sin in the heart is like a Snake or Serpent you may pull out the sting of it and cut it into many pieces though it can sting mortally no more nor move his whole body at once yet it will move in all its parts and make an appearance of a greater motion than formerly So it is with lust when it hath received its deaths wound and is cut in pieces yet it moves in so many parts as it were in the soul that it amazes him that hath to do with it and thus coming unexpectedly fills the spirit oftentimes with disconsolation 2. It hath also in its actings an Universality This also surprizeth there is an universality in the actings of sin even in Believers There is no evil that it will not move to there is no good that it will not attempt to hinder no duty that it will not defile And the reason of this is because we are sanctified but in part not in any part wholly though savingly and truly in every part There is sin remaining in every faculty in all the Affections and so may be acting in and towards any sin that the nature of man is liable unto Degrees of sin there are that all Regenerate persons are exempted from but unto solicitations to all kinds of sin they are exposed and this helps on the Temptation 3. It is endless and restless never quiet conquering nor conquered it gives not over but rebels being overcome or assaults afresh having prevailed Oft-times after a victory obtained and an opposition subdued the soul is in expectation of Rest and Peace from its enemies But this holds not It works and rebels again and again and will do so whilst we live in this world so that no issue will be put to our conflict but by death This is at large handled elsewhere in a Treatise lately published on this peculiar subject These and the like Considerations attending the actings of indwelling sin do oftentimes intangle the soul in making a Judgement of it self and leave it in the dark as to its state and condition A few things shall be offered unto this Objection also 1. The sensible powerfull actings of indwelling sin are not inconsistent with a state of Grace Gal. 5. 17. There are in the same person contrary principles the flesh and the spirit these are contrary And there are contrary actings from these principles The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these actings are described to be great vigorous in other places Lust wars against our souls Jam. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 1 l. Now to war is not to make faint or gentle Opposition to be flighted and contemned but it is to go out with great strength to use craft subtlety and force so as to put the whole issue to a hazard So these lusts war such are their actings in and against the soul. And therefore saith the Apostle You cannot do the things that you would see Rom. 7. 14 15 16 17. In this conflict indeed the understanding is left unconquered it condemns and disapproves of the evil led unto and the will is not subdued it would not do the evil that is pressed upon it and there is an hatred or aversation remaining in the Affections unto sin but yet notwithstanding sin rebels fights tumultuates and leads captive This Objection then may receive this speedy Answer Powerfull actings and workings universal endless struglings of ind welling sin seducing to all that is evil putting it self forth to the disturbance and dissettlement of all that is good is no sufficient ground to conclude a state of Alienation from God see for this the other Treatise before mentioned at large 2. Your state is not at all to be measured by the opposition that sin makes to you but by the opposition you make to it be that never so great if this be good be that never so restless and powerfull if this be sincere you may be disquieted you can have no reason to despond I have mentioned these things only to give a specimen of the Objections which men usually raise up against an actual closing with the Truth insisted on to their consolation And we have also given in upon them some Rules of Truth for their relief not intending in them absolute satisfaction as to the whole of the cases mentioned but only to remove the darkness raised by them so out of the way as that it might not hinder any from mixing the Word with Faith that hath been dispensed from this blessed testimony that there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared Verse 5 6. PRoceed we now to the second part of this Psalm which contains the deportment of a sin-perplexed soul when by Faith it hath discovered where its Rest doth lye and from whom its relief is to be expected even from the forgiveness which is with God whereof we have spoken There are two things in general as was before mentioned that the soul in that condition applies it self unto whereof the first respects its self and the other the whole Israel of God That which respects its self is the description of that frame of heart and spirit that he was brought into upon faiths discovery of forgiveness in God with the duties that he applied himself unto the grounds of it and the manner of its performance v. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
are is known Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing of the Word Dispensation of the Sacraments they are all appointed to this purpose they are all means of communicating Love and Grace to the soul. Be not then heartless or slothfull up and be doing attend with diligence to the Word of Grace be fervent in prayer assiduous in the use of all Ordinances of the Church in one or other of thern at one time or other thou wilt meet with him whom thy soul loveth and God through him will speak peace unto thee Thirdly There is Expectation in it which lyes in a direct opposition to all the actings of unbelief in this matter and is the very life and soul of the duty under consideration So the Psalmist declares it Psal. 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is only from him The soul will not cannot in a due manner wait on God unless it hath Expectations from him unless as James speaks he looks to receive somewhat from him chap. 1. 7. The soul in this condition regards forgiveness not only as by its self it is desired but principally as it is by God promised Thence they expect it This is expressed in the fourth Proposition before laid down namely that sin-distressed souls wait for God with earnestness intention of mind and expectation As this ariseth from the redoubling of the Expression so principally from the nature of the Comparison that he makes of himself in his waiting with them that watch for the morning Those that watch for the morning do not only desire it and prepare for it but they expect it and know assuredly that it will come Though darkness may for a time be troublesome and continue longer than they would desire yet they know that the morning hath its appointed time of return beyond which it will not tarry and therefore they look out for its Appearance on all occasions so it is with the soul in this matter So sayes David Psal. 5. 3. I will direct my prayer unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look up So we the words before are defective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the morning or rather every morning I will order unto thee We restrain this unto prayer I will direct my peayer unto thee But this was expressed directly in the words foregoing In the morning thou shalt hear my voice that is the voice of my prayer and supplications as it is often supplied And although the Psalmist doth sometime repeat the same thing in different Expressions yet here he seemeth not so to do but rather proceeds to declare the general frame of his spirit in walking with God I will saith he order all things towards God so as that I may wait upon him in the waies of his appoinment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will look up It seems in our Translation to express his posture in his prayer But the Word is of another importance It is diligently to look out after that which is coming towards us a looking out after the Accomplishment of our Expectation This is a part of our waiting for God yea as was said the life of it that which is principally intended in it The Prophet calls it his standing upon his watch tower and watching to see what God would speak unto him Hab. 2. 3. namely in answer unto that prayer which he put up in his trouble He is now waiting in Expectation of an answer from God And this is that which poor weak trembling sinners are so encouraged unto Isa. 53. 3 4. Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say unto them that are of a fearfull heart be strong fear not behold your God will come Weakness and discouragements are the effects of Unbelief These he would have removed with an Expectation of the coming of God unto the soul according to the Promise And this I say belongs unto the waiting of the soul in the condition described Such a one doth expect and hope that God will in his season manifest himself and his Love unto him and give him an experimental sense of a blessed interest in forgiveness And the accomplishment of this purpose and promise of God it looks out after continually It will not despond and be heartless but stir up and strengthen it self unto a full expectation to have the desires of his soul satisfied in due time as we find David doing in places almost innumerable This is the duty that in the first place is recommended unto the soul who is perswaded that there is forgiveness with God but sees not its own interest therein Wait on or for the Lord. And it hath two properties when it is performed in a due manner namely patience and perseverance By the one men are kept to the length of Gods time by the other they are preserved in a due length of their own duty And this is that which was laid down in the first Proposition drawn from the words namely that continuance in watching until God appears unto the soul is necessary as that without which we cannot attain what we look after and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail God is not to be limited nor his times prescribed unto him We know our way and the end of our Journey but our stations of especial rest we must wait for at his mouth as the people did in the wilderness When David comes to deal with God in his great distress he sayes unto him O Lord thou art my God my times are in thine hand Psal. 31. 14 15. His times of trouble and of peace of darkness and of light he acknowledged to be in the hand and at the disposal of God so that it was his duty to wait his time and season for his share and portion in them During this state the soul meets with many Oppositions difficulties and perplexities especially if its darkness be of long continuance as with some it abides many years with some all the daies of their lives Their hope being hereby deferred makes their hearts sick and their spirit oftentimes to faint and this fainting is a defect in waiting for want of perseverance and continuance which frustrates the End of it So David Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord. Had I not received supportment by faith I had fainted And wherein doth that consist what was the fainting which he had been overtaken withall without the supportment mentioned it was a relinquishment of waiting on God as he manifests by the Exhortation which he gives to himself and others v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Wait with courage and resolution that thou faint not And the Apostle puts the blessed Event of Faith and Obedience upon the avoidance of this evil Gal. 6. 9. We shall reap if we faint not Hence we have both encouragements given against it and promises that in the
end Psalm 39. 6. surely man walketh in ajvain shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an Image full of false representations of things in the midst of vain appearances that he knows not what to choose or do aright and therefore spends the most of his time and strength about things that are of no use or purpose unto him Surely they are disquieted in vain And hereof he gives one especial Instance he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather which is but one Example of the manifold frustrations that men meet withall in the whole course of their lives as not knowing what is good for them We all profess to aym at one chief and principal end namely the enjoyment of God in Christ as our eternal reward and in order thereunto to be carryed on in the use of the means of faith and obedience tending to that end Now if this be so the suitableness or unsuitableness of all other things being good or evil unto us is to be measured by their tendency unto this end And what know we hereof As unto the things of this life do we know whether it will be best for us to be rich or poor to have houses or to be harbourless to abound or to want to leave wealth and inheritances unto our Children or to leave them naked unto the providence of God do we know what state what condition will most further our Obedience best obviate our temptations or call most on us to mortifie our Corruptions and if we know nothing at all of these things as indeed we do not were it not best for us to leave them quietly unto Gods disposal I doubt not but it will appear at the last day that a world of evil in the hearts of men was stifled by the destruction of their outward concernments more by their inward troubles That many were delivered from tèmptations by it who otherwise would have been overtaken to their ruine and scandal of the Gospel that many a secret Imposthume hath been lanced and cured by a stroke for God doth not send Judgements on his own for Judgements sake for punishment sake but alwayes to accomplish some blessed design of Grace towards them And there is no one soul in particular which shall rightly search it self and Consider its state and Condition but will be able to see wisdom grace and care towards it self in all dispensations of God And if I would here enter upon the benefits that through the sanctifying hand of God do redound unto believers by Afflictions Calamities troubles distresses temptations and the like Effects of Gods visitations it would be of use unto the souls of men in this Case But this subject hath been so often and so well spoken unto that I shall not insist upon it I desire only that we would seriously consider how utterly Ignorant we are of what is good for us or usefull unto us in these outward things and so leave them quietly unto Gods disposal 4. We may Consider that all these things about which we are troubled fall directly within the compass of that good word of Gods grace that he will make all things work together for the good of them that love him Rom. 8. 28. All things that we enjoy all things that we are deprived of all that we do all that we suffer our losses troubles miseries distresses in which the Apostle instanceth in the following verses they shall all work together for good together with one another and all with and in subordination unto the power grace and wisdom of God It may be we see not how or by what means it may be Effected but he is infinitely wise and powerful who hath undertaken it and we know little or nothing of his ways There is nothing that we have or enjoy or desire but it hath turned unto some unto their hurt Riches have been kept for men unto their hurt Wisdom and high places have been the ruine of many Liberty and plenty are to most a snare Prosperity slayes the foolish And we are not of our selves in any measure able to secure our selves from the hurt and poison that is in any of these things but that they may be our ruine also as they have already been and every day are unto multitudes of the Children of men It is enough to fill the soul of any man with horrour and amazement to consider the wayes and ends of most of them that are entrusted with this worlds goods Is it not evident that all their lives they seem industriously to take care that they may perish eternally Luxury riot oppression Intemperance and of late especially blasphemy and Atheism they usually give up themselves unto And this is the fruit of their abundance and security What now if God should deprive us of all these things Can any one certainly say that he is worsted thereby might they not have turned unto his everlasting perdition as well as they do so of thousands as good by nature and who have had advantages to be as wise as we and shall we complain of Gods dispensations about them And what shall we say when he himself hath undertaken to make all things that he guides unto us to work together for our good Anxieties of mind and perplexities of heart about our losses is not that which we are called unto in our troubles but this is that which is our duty let us Consider whether we Love God or no whether we are called according to his purpose if so all things are well in his hand who can order them for our good and advantage I hope many a poor foul will from hence under all their trouble be able to say with him that was banished from his Countrey and found better entertainment elsewhere My Friends I had perished if I had not perished had I not been undone by Fire it may be I had been ruined in Eternal Fire God hath made all to work for my good The end of all these discourses is to evince the reasonableness of the duty of waiting on God which we are pressing from the Psalmist Ignorance of God and our selves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments And this ariseth mostly not from want of light and instruction but for want of Consideration and Application The notions insisted on concerning God are obvious and known unto all so are these concerning our selves but by whom almost are they employed and improved as they ought the frame of our spirits is as though we stood upon equal terms with God and did think with Jonah that we might do well to be angry with what he doth did we rightly consider him did we stand in awe of him as we ought It had certainly been otherwise with us Influence of the Promises into the souls waiting in time of trouble The nature of them Having therefore laid down these Considerations from the second Observation taken from the Words namely That Jehovah himself is the proper object of the