breeds Contempt Condescensions from Superiours oft make Inferiours forget their place The Lord deals so graciously with his People hears their Prayers readily stoops low to them in his Love and Pity that unless they watch and keep a Guard on their Spirits they may soon fall into the Sin of being too saucy and peremptory with God The first Prayer in the Bible made by the greatest Believer in the World Abraham is upon a most condescending appearance of God to him The Son of God in humane shape becomes Abraham's Guest at Meat Gen. 18. Some think that Christ respects this appearance in John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad He gives him the last Promise of a Son with a determination of the precise time of its accomplishment ver 10. He deals with him as a Friend and so Abraham is called 2 Chron. 20.7 Isa 41.8 and Jam. 2.23 But all Believers are called Friends by Christ John 15.14,15 and after a great Commendation of Abraham the Lord tells him his purpose of wrath against Sodom ver 17. to ver 22. The Angels are sent to execute the Vengeance and Abraham stands before the Lord to plead for Mercy With what Boldness and Reverence doth he plead The more the Lord stoops in condescending to his Petitions the more low doth Abraham lye before him He neither forgot the Lord's Majesty nor his own Meanness and expresseth again and again a holy Fear of offending by his renewed Suits ver 27 30 31 32. I would have you considering this Instance of Prayer because it is the first recorded in the Word and because it was excellently managed by the Father of the Faithful So Gideon prays in Judg. 6.39 And Gideon said unto God Let not thine anger be hot against me and will speak but this once I am afraid that many sincere Christians are guilty of this Peremptoriness The Lord hath been so condescending to them that they become too peremptory about some Particulars Beware of it and see how the Lord hath dealt with his People and the best of them Psal 99.6,7,8 See Moses's Lot in this Matter He had often sought of God and prevailed Psal 106.23 Therefore the Lord said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his Wrath lest he should destroy them A Man to whom God spake Face to Face a Man to whom God spake so amazing Words Let me alone that my Wrath may wax hot against them Exod. 32.10 and Numb 14.20 I have pardoned according to thy word Yet even this Moses in a small matter for Life to cross Jordan and to see the promised Land hath this Answer Deut. 3.26 Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter Samuel is check'd also in a small matter that had prevailed for far greater 1 Sam. 16.1 How long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him A Case may be such that though Moses and Samuel stood before the Lord they should not prevail Jer. 15.1 It is the only Priviledge of Jesus Christ to be always heard John 11.42 Yet he in his Agony pray'd so as to teach us to beware of this sinful Boldness Matth. 26.39 If it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Believers must remember that in all Cases they must deal humbly and in some Cases they must take Denyals Patiently 3. There is the boldness of presumption Presumption is like Faith in appearance but in reality it is very unlike it Presumption works this way the Presumer may have the mercy in his eye but he hath no promise in his eye Take heed to this If there be strong desires after a mercy and that mercy not pleaded for as in the promise there is a spice of presumption in that pleading The reason why Believers ask so great things of God is because God hath promised so great things to them 2 Sam. 7.27 Hence it is that presumption acts ordinarily in pleading with God not for the main spiritual blessings but for some outward mercy that their hearts may be too much set upon It is about such that Believers should watch against this presumptuous boldness But if the pleading at the Throne of Grace be about Salvation and spiritual Blessings the difference betwixt Faith and Presumption appears in this Presumption can never plead with God neither in deep distress nor in the view of sin But it is the excellent property of Faith that it can plead with God in both cases Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me but as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Spoken like a Believer and Psal 130.3,4 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But can David stand Yes and he stands on this ground But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared There is just cause to suspect that there is presumption in that Mans heart when his Boldness is only kept up when sin is out of sight and disappears A Believer believes most humbly and often most strongly when his Sinfulness and Unworthiness is best seen For true Boldness of Faith is not supported by any good and worth in us but by what is in Christ The boldness of Faith cannot be entertained with regarding of iniquity in the heart Psal 66.18 1 John 3.20 Yet it can with the being and seeing of Iniquity in both heart and life Rom. 7.24,25 1 Tim. 1.15 But of this furder from the next head of the Boldness of Faith I now touch it only as it differs from the presumptuous Boldness that is allowed to none Again Faith can stand under that distress that breaks the back of Presumption Job 13.15,16 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him but I will maintain mine own ways before him He also shall be my Salvation for an Hypocrite shall not come before him He hath taken away my Children all at once my Estate in one day hath taken away my health and made me miserable to a Proverb in all Ages although he should proceed and slay me with his own hand my slayer is my Saviour my death shall be my Salvation Great words and hard to be spoken in the day of heavy tryal God slaying Job is Job's Salvation God slays Job trusts and maintains his confidence under the stroke No Hypocrite can do this and many Believers do but bungle at the doing of it There is an extremity a coming on every man that will try and discover what mettle there is in his Faith Prepare for it What then is the Boldness allowed in coming to the throne of grace It must not be an ignorant peremptory or presumptuous boldness What must it then be Answ It is only the Boldness of Faith Eph. 3.12 Heb. 10.19 The Boldness of Faith hath this in general in it that it is grounded and bottomed on somewhat without a man and on nothing
a Divine eternal Person I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen They that saw him dead could hardly believe he should ever live again and they that saw him alive had need of Faith to believe he had ever been dead He asserts both and we should believe both Since death entered into the World by Sin never was there a Man more truly really and fully dead than the Man Christ was who died for our Sins And there is no Man on Earth more truly alive than the Man Christ is now a living Man in Heaven He in his rising gave proof of his Divine Power He was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Cor. 13.4 There was never such an appearance of Weakness in the Man Jesus as when he expired and lay cold dead in his Grave Never did sin reign so unto death nor the Law 's Power more appear than in slaying the second Adam As great and greater was the appearance of his Divine Power in his rising again John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again Christ died that he might rise again He went amongst the dead that he might rise from the dead ver 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This commandment have I received of my Father Christ was bid both die and rise again Blessed be the Commander and blessed be the Obeyer for our everlasting life is in this Commandment John 12.50 Never any but Christ had this power of his own Life We must yield our Life when God calls for it and till then we must keep it and when that Call comes we must obey We die because we can live no longer and because our times are in God's hand And when it shall please the Lord to raise up our bodies at the Resurrection we receave our life again but have no power to take it up again till the powerful Word of Christ come Arise from your Graves And that Word gives us our life again None but Christ had power of his own life both to lay it down and to take it again We dare we can we should do neither but only obey and submit to the Sovereign Will of our High Landlord at whose Pleasure we are Tennants in these clay cottages 2. Christ's Resurrection was a Demonstration of the Acceptance of the Sacrifice of himself That the Blood he shed and Sacrifice he offered was savoury and acceptable with God that the Debt was fully paid and the Payment accepted when the Surety was discharged of his Prison Therefore we find it so often written that God raised him from the dead Acts 2.24 and 32. even when it 's said that it was not possible he should be holden of death Death and the Grave are strong and cruel Song 8.6 They have taken or will take all Mankind Prisoners and are able to keep them Only they took one Prisoner Jesus Christ who was too hard too strong for them Death had dominion over him but for a little while and by his own consent Rom. 6.9 but it hath no more dominion over him But he hath dominion over it I have the Keys of hell and of death Rev. 1.18 Courage Believers in and Heart-Lovers of Jesus Christ Death and Hell are indeed dreadful Jayls but as long as Christ keeps the Keys and that will be till he cast them both into the Lake of fire Rev. 20.14 no Believer shall ever be locked up in them If Hell were searched never so narrowly amongst all the condemned Prisoners there no Man or Woman could be found in it in whose Heart there was never one spark of true Faith in or Love to the Lord Jesus Heb. 13.20 God brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant Christ also is often said to rise by his own power Christ put forth his Divine Power in his Resurrection the Father declared his full satisfaction with his Undertaking of the Work and Payment of the Price of Redemption by discharging of him in and by his Resurrection The Angels Work was only to roll away the Stone but by his own divine Power his blessed Soul did take possession of his dead Body and he did rise up immediately a truly living Man And this he did by his Father's Leave and Will and the Angels served only as Sergeants and Officers to unlock the Prison-doors of the Grave For Christ could easily have removed that Stone by his own power as he did greater things in his Resurrection No wonder the Apostle Paul made it one of his great aims in Christianity to know the power of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 It is not to know the History of his Resurrection nor is it to know the Mystery of his Resurrection but it is to know the Power of it the same Power that Christ raised himself from the dead by is put forth and no less is needful for the raising of a dead Sinner The same Power that raised the Saviour dead for Sin is needful for raising a Sinner dead in Sin Rom. 4.5 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we should also walk in newness of life Eph. 1.19 There is an exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead c. How loath are Men to admit this that the saving quickening of a Sinner requires the same divine Power that quickened the dead Saviour All saving Conversions are the Fruits of Christ's Resurrection and of Almighty Power 3. Christ's Resurrection is the Pledge and Earnest of our Resurrection and of eternal Life How great things doth Paul build upon it 1 Cor. 15. He proves our Resurrection from Christ's Resurrection He argues for Christ's Resurrection by enumerating of Absurdities that must follow on the contrary As ver 14. If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain ver 15. We the Apostles are found false Witnesses of God ver 17. Then you are yet in your sins ver 18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished ver 19. Then we are of all men most miserable But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept ver 20. For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead The first Adam was made a living soul ver 45. but when he became a sinner he became a killing Head to all his Posterity Rom. 5.12 The second Adam is a quickening spirit and gives eternal Life to all his Seed And he took possession of this eternal Life in
the Grave than to be raised for Damnation their Sentence of Condemnation and their vain Pleas and Pleadings for mercy But O that Men would come in at God's time and cry for mercy as they will do out of time How much better would it be for them God's time is now to day the present time 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation If Men refuse God's mercy in his time he will deny his mercy when sought in their time and out of his Isa 30.18 He waits to be gracious and willing to be exalted in having mercy Notwithstanding all the mercy with the Lord all the mercy that is offered in the Promise the Lord never promised a Sinner his mercy to morrow If you will beg his mercy to day you may have it and it shall endure for ever But God never gave an Allowance and Liberty to any Man to spend one Day or Hour in consulting whether he should beg God's mercy or not David had indeed a sad choice of Judgments laid before him 2 Sam. 24.13 and is bid by the Prophet Advise now and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me But for a perishing Sinner that hath an Offer of God's mercy in Jesus Christ there is no delay allowed but only he is bid ask it presently 2. Receave God's mercy Receaving is easier than asking Asking requires some pains Receaving is but a consent of the Heart to take what is offered Asking supposeth a great and needful Blessing that he that wants it would fain have and therefore he begs it Receaving implies that this great Blessing is in his Offer fully and freely and therefore he must accept it Here is the State of things betwixt God and Men in the Gospel The Lord brings his mercy near to them offers it to them bids them take and receave it but many will not God offers Quarter to Rebels in Arms against him but they stand upon their Sword and will not take Quarter Ministers Work is to entreat and beseech in Christ's stead 2 Cor. 5.20 God only can perswade and prevail with Men. Mercy comes prepared and ready for Men. It is prepared in the Purchase of Christ it is prepared in the well-ordered Covenant and as prepared and ready it is tendered freely to Sinners All things are ready Come to the Marriage Matth. 22.4 All things are ready God himself is ready to give mercy Christ is ready he is slain for us let us come and keep the Feast 1 Cor. 5.7,8 The Holy Spirit is ready to seal you to the Day of Redemption if you will accept of God's mercy in the Redeemer Heaven is ready the Way is plain and all hinderances of Law and Justice removed Heb. 10.19,20 The City of Refuge is ready and its Gates are open continually to receave and give entrance to all that flee for safety Heb. 6.18 Alas all things are ready but Men are not willing there is not a moments time needed to ripen God's mercy for Men. No perishing Sinner that seeth his need of God's Mercy and is willing to receave it needs stay a moment till mercy be ready for him or he more ready for it Rom. 10.6 The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise how very few have Ears to hear such a Speaker and such a Speech Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ dowu from above Or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead Christ is come down already from Heaven and is gone back again to Heaven ver 7. But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which we preach Mercy and Salvation for lost Sinners is prepared by Christ's coming down and going up again and he hath lodg'd the Power and Vertue of his Undertaking in the Gospel suck at that Well with Faith and thy Soul shall be saved There thou wilt find Christ and all his fulness There was never such a Treaty made in the World We can fetch no Similitude fully like this amongst Men. Thus the Lord pleads with Men in the Gospel You are already undone with sin and misery lying on you and you are every hour sinking into greater Let but my mercy in my Son enter in and it will cure all that is past and present and prevent all the misery that is coming on you And will not miserable Sinners receave God's mercy Are you afraid of saving mercy Will it hurt you Why do ye not give it entrance It is one of the greatest demonstrations what Monsters sin hath made Men that they are unwilling to be saved by free mercy in Jesus Christ Open a Door for God's mercy by a free receaving of it or else you will find the Door of his mercy shut against you when you need it most Your giving way to his mercy is your receaving of it Say with the Heart Let God's mercy enter in upon me and save me its own way A yielding and giving and putting of a lost Soul into the hand of Christ is the nature of saving Faith in him Will ye not trust in his mercy Is it not able to save you Your want of a sense of your need of his mercy is a giving the lie to all the Threatenings and Curse of the Law Your doubting of the Ability of his mercy to save you is to give the lie to all the Faithfulness and Truth of God declared and sworn in the Gospel 3. Plead mercy When you beg it use no other Plea for mercy but mercy When you beg mercy you must beg mercy only for Mercy 's sake That that moves God to shew mercy must be our Argument in pleading for mercy Wherefore doth God show mercy because he will show mercy and delights in it Micah 7.18 and therefore should we plead it Mercy in his Heart is the only spring of mercy from his Hand David who knew God's mercy well had tasted of it often and needed it greatly when fallen into a foul Pit Psal 51.1 thus pleads for mercy Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Have a care of making any other Plea for mercy from the Lord but that of mercy with him And stick to this Plea and it will prevail If the Lord for trying of your Faith or Satan for shaking it should say How dare such a vile sinner as thou art beg so great a Gift as saving mercy from so holy a God The poor Pleader hath a ready answer I want mercy as much as my Soul is worth in vain do I seek it of any Creature nothing but his mercy can save me I beg mercy only for mercy's sake I bring nothing but a starving Soul and an empty hand I beg his mercy as an Alms which will eternally enrich the Receaver
complained of Some Professors spend all the little Religion they have upon their Afflictions Take heed to your Hearts under Afflictions It is to be bewailed that many Christians their Afflictions come on them they know not whence they lye on them they know not not wherefore and they go off they know not how that if I may allude to such sacred Words and apply the Phrase to such a sinful Frame Afflictions come on many and they feel the smart of them but know not whence they come nor whither they go They come on them when they are sent and go off when they are called but they neither knew what God meant by them nor did by them No Christian can ever make a spiritual and hearty Song of Praise for Afflictions unless there be some Sense or Hope of Profit thereby If the Profit be seen the Wisdom and Love of God in afflicting will be heartily acknowledged 5. Time of special need of the grace of God is a time of special Duty and Service to God called for All the course of our Life is to be constant Service we ought to live to his Praise we are made as Creatures and as new Creatures for this end Isa 43.21 1 Pet. 2.9 But there are some Seasons in which special Work is called for and then there is great need of grace to help in that Hour It is a mighty Word of the Preacher Eccl. 8.6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him And it is only the wise man's heart that discerneth time and Judgment ver 5. I would name four of those times 1. The time that Men are called to believe on Jesus Christ and to secure their eternal Salvation by a full closing with him This is a now a day an accepted time a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 All that hear the Gospel are bound by the Call of God in it and warranted by the Promise of it to receave by Faith Jesus Christ and eternal Life every time they hear the Gospel But sometimes this Duty is specially called for which if neglected may be of fatal consequence to Men. Hence that Exhortation Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near When Christ is knocking at the Door of the Heart then it is special Duty to open to him Rev. 3.20 This was the day Jerusalem had and neglected and that that Christ mourned over them for Luke 19.41,42 Unspeakable is Mens need of the prevailing help of grace when their Hearts and Consciences are warmed with the Calls of grace in the Gospel In such Seasons the everlasting Bargain is either fixed by the power of grace working Faith in the Heart or people are left to themselves and are further from Heaven than ever 2. Some special Call to Men to give their Testimony to Christ and his Gospel by suffering The Lord comes and craves Mens Testimony to his Truth and chargeth them thus If thou hast any love to me and my Honour I demand thy Witness venture thy all take up thy Cross Many Christians have neglected such trying Seasons which in vain and sorrowfully they have wished for again There is much of God's Grace needful to discern these Seasons and wisely to improve them 3. There is another remarkable Season of Mens need of God's Grace to help them in and that is The Season of the Lord 's calling them to a Duty-Tryal A Duty called to by way of Tryal The Lord gives the Call to try Men and very great are the Consequences of obeying or disobeying of such a Call Many instances are of this in the Word One is in Numb 14. The Passage is plain and awful When Israel had been above a Year in the Wilderness twelve Spies are sent to view the Land they all bring back an evil Report save Joshua and Caleb the People murmur God threatens them with Judgments They seem to be sensible of their Sin it 's like by the Plague that slew the ten false Spies ver 37. and by what Moses spake to them They acknowledge their Sin and resolve to go up next Morning ver 40. Moses tells them they now sinned again and that the Lord was not among them ver 41 42. What severe dealing is this The Lord was among them vesterday not this morning They were bid go up yesterday they are forbid next morning Because they did not what the Lord bid them do in his time he will not protect them when they do the same thing in their time Thus Saul was tryed twice 1 Sam. 3. Samuel bid him tarry for him seven days at Gilgal Saul tarried six days and part of the seventh and then offered Sacrifice not as I think that he did invade the Priest's Office himself but commanded some Priest to do it Profane Princes never want profane Chaplains What a severe Sentence doth Samuel pronounce against him ver 13.14 Again the same Man is tryed with another Duty 1. Sam. 15. and fails therein and is punished therefore This sort of trying Men by Duty is like that in 2 Kings 13.14.20 which Elisha did put Joash unto How may of the people of God through the want of the present help of Grace in some Duty-Trials have stepped into such Paths and have fallen into such Pits and Snares as they have never got well and clearly out of as long as they lived 4. It is a Season of great need of Grace to help us in when the Lord by his Providence puts several things in a persons choice and leaves them to choose The fullest of this kind was that offer made to David about Judgments 2 Sam. 24.12,13 A hard choice but David did choose wisely His Son Solomon had another Offer but it was of Blessings and not of Judgments 2 Chron. 1.7 Ask what I shall give thee And he chose wisely and by his choice proved that he had already receaved a good measure of Wisdom Moses had a great Offer and things of vast difference were in his Choice and he chose like a Man taught of God Heb. 11.24,25,26 Moses in his last Sermon to Israel Deut. 30.15,19 puts them on choosing I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of thy days So did his Successor Joshua when he had setled Israel in the promised Land a little before his death Josh 24.15 Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve Elijah did so with Apostate Israel 1 Kings 18.21 Somewhat like this is laid before Men in the daily Ministry of the Word The Curse of the Law or the Blessing of the Gospel is in Mens Offer And Men get as they
Person and Righteousness and Priesthood have more room in the Religion of the Gentiles Christianity is not like to leaven the Jews This Doctrine of Christ's Priesthood and of the Sacrifice of himself he offered in that Office the Apostle doth often intermix with suitable Exhortations from it as in the context ver 14. Seeing then we have a great highpriest all the Old Testament Highpriests were but types and shadows of Him and were but little highpriests that is passed into the heavens no highpriest but Christ went further than the Holy of Holies for the peoples advantage Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The dignity of Christ in his advanced State as well as his Grace in his humbled State lays Christians under a strong engagement to cleave to him with steadfast confidence Yet for as great as this person is and for all that he is in Heaven and in unspeakable Dignity and Glory there you must not think that he in Heaven and we on Earth can have no communion ver 15. for we have not an highpriest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities though now he hath none of his own yet can he feel these of his people and his feeling engageth speedy relief The reason the Apostle gives for this sympathy of Christ with his people is from Christ's experience when on earth But was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Apostle delivers the mind of the Holy Ghost about Christ's sympathy negatively we have not an high-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities in which manner of exhortation he reflects on the meanness of the Levitical Priests to whom it was impossible to know and feel all the infirmities of the people for whom yet they appeard before God and he implys the affirmative strongly we have an high priest which can be and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities How a sinless man as Christ ever was can be touched with the feeling of the infirmities of sinners and many of these infirmities sinful ones How a glorified man as Christ now is exalted to and possessed of the highest Glory and Bliss can be and is touched with the feeling of all the infirmities of all his people is what the word plainly reveals to be believed but it s not to be fully known till we come to Heaven But he is the Head and all his people are his Body his members of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 a marvellous word Can the flesh be torn and the bones be broken and the head not feel it Though he be glorified above what we can conceave he is a living sensible and compassionate Head and as nearly and closely united to all his Members now as when they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears and with their hands handled the word of life 1 John 1.1 There is nothing ails a poor Believer in Christ there is no groan riseth from his distressed Heart but it is immediately felt at the tender Heart of the Lord Jesus at the Fathers right hand We would groan and sing with the same breath if we believed this firmly In my Text there is a most blessed exhortation from this same ground of Christ's sympathy in Heaven unto a bold approaching to the Throne of Grace The nativeness and strength of the Inference is obvious to the most ordinary attention The exhortation is unto the improving of the greatest priviledge an erected and revealed Throne of Grace and that in the practice of the greatest Duty believing approaching unto this Throne or unto God sitting on this Throne of Grace What I would take up in and handle in speaking to these words shall be the resolution of four weighty Questions which should be in the hearts of all worshippers of God 1. The first great Question is Where may I find God This was Job's question and wish Job 23.3 O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat and that this seat was a Throne of Grace to Job is evident from ver 6. This Text tells you God is on a Throne of Grace A fit place for God to be sought in and where only he can be found graciously by a sinner 2. Question is How should we come to God on this Throne Let us come boldly saith the Apostle The original word signifieth coming freely with free open bold speaking pouring out all our hearts and minds to him Let us come without making use of Saint or Angel to introduce us to this Throne Any poor sinner may come himself alone to this Court and that boldy without fear of being repulsed The 3 Question is the hardest what ground hath a sinner for this boldness The ground the Apostle gives for it is hinted in the word therefore which relates to ver 14 15. Because of Jesus the Son of God our great high-priest in heaven If we had not such a high-priest ministring in glory at the high Altar above no sinner could come boldly to the Throne of Grace on earth So he argues chap. 10.19,20,21,22 4. The last question is What shall we get and for what may we come to this Throne of Grace The Apostle speaks fully to this in the Text let us come that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need These precious things Mercy and Grace are scattered round this Throne any poor needy creature should come for a saving Alms from this Throne and may have it for the coming The first of these I would begin with Where is God to be found The Apostle tells us on a Throne of Grace This word is only here no where else in the Scriptures is the word to be found but what is signified by it is frequently in the Old and New Testament as we shall hear But though the phrase the Throne of Grace be only once named in this Heb. 4.16 yet the thing signified is so precious and the expression of it is so savory significant and suitable that this form of speaking the Throne of Grace is become famous known and used amongst Christians and will doubtless be till the end of Time As long as God hath a mind to give Mercy and Grace as long as any of the Children of men are sensibly needy of Grace and Mercy and askers and receivers thereof from the Lord and that will be till the Heavens be no more this Throne of Grace will be plyed and praised I would first consider the proper meaning of this word a Throne of Grace It 's obvious that the Apostle in this Epistle doth every where if I may use a much abused word Christen the Old Testament Types and gives them New Testament names and applys them to the Doctrine of Christ he is teaching the Christian Jews he writes to The Old Testament Church knew what a high-priest was what his Institution Office and performance were in the Tabernacle in
implyed in this Call to come That there is a gracious provision made and revealed by God for the removal and making up of this Distance and getting of a gracious nearness to God This is in the Constitution and Revelation of this Throne of Grace 3. That the improving of this Provision is Mens Duty and should be their exercise in order to possess and enjoy the Priviledge and Advantage of this Provision What then is this Coming to the Throne of Grace 1. It is in Believing on Jesus Christ This is the first approach to the Throne of Grace He is the propitiation and Mercy-Seat and Throne of Grace 1 John 4.10 Believing on him is coming to him John 6.35 It is coming to the Father by him John 14.6 It is believing on God by him 1 Pet. 1.21 It is believing on him and on him that sent him John 12.44 Believing on Jesus Christ is an imploying of Christ in way of Trust as to all his fulness of Grace and our utter indigence thereof Whatever a man do whatever Exercises of Religion he be taken up in he never comes to the Throne of Grace till his heart and Soul go forth towards Jesus Christ for Righteousness and Life The first right step heaven-ward is saving faith in Christ. Nothing savingly good can preceed it and all saving good follows it for faith unites the man to Christ and all the fruits of Holiness and Righteousness spring from the virtue of the Vine Christ with whom the Believer hath first union by Grace and then communion of Christs grace by which he lives and works and grows 2. Coming to this Throne is acted in all acts of Gospel-worship and in the use of all Gospel-ordinances They all belong to the Throne of Grace are the Institutions of this Throne and appointed as means wherein we should approach to it and which when blessed by the appointer of them do convey to us the Blessings of this Throne Of them there are several 1. Prayer This is coming to to the Throne of Grace if rightly managed Though asking is not expressed in this ver yet it is strongly implyed both in the commanded Coming and in the expressed obtaining of Mercy and finding of grace to help in time of need All that make a fashion of Prayer do not come to the Throne of Grace yet all that pray rightly do come to it And because this approaching to the Throne of Grace by and in Prayer is plainly hinted in the Text and is so commonly understood by Christians I would have my eye principally upon it in handling this Scripture 2. There is the word Read Preached and Meditated on that is another principal means in which men should approach to the Throne of Grace In Prayer we pour out our heart before this Throne and express our Desires to him that siteth on it In the Word the King on this Throne delivers his Will and Mind to us And we should come to hear it and receive the Law from his Mouth Cornelius expressed an excellent frame for this Ordinance Acts 10.33 We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God This word is the word of his Grace Acts 20.32 It is the Proclamation of his Grace to Men. 3. Praising of God is a coming to the Throne of Grace This is the Sacrifice we should offer by our high Priest Heb. 13.15 Who minds this as they ought If we want we ask and so we should But where is the Christian that can say though I had nothing to ask I would yet go to the Throne of Grace that I might praise him that sits on it 4. Receabing of the Lord's Supper is a coming to the Throne of of Grace to feast on the King of Grace to feed on that Body broken for us and that Blood shed for us that is given to us in the Word for food to our Souls and is given to us by his Command in Bread and Wine at his Table that in eating and drinking of them we may remember him and show forth his Death till he come glorying and avowing and boasting that we have our salvation and all our hopes of it built and fixed on that man Jesus Christ that was rejected by the Builders in his Time and hath had little better entertaiment since because they knew him not Application Is there a Throne of Grace and doth God sitting on it invite and call men to come to it or to him on it We are called to admire adore and praise the Grace that shines in this Constitution of God and call to men That person is sadly out in his praises and such are never right in their Prayers that doth not deeply admire and heartily praise for this Mercy of a Throne of Grace We count a man ill imployed in prayer that asks many things of God but forgets to ask the One thing needful Is he any better imployed in praise who gives thanks for many Mercies but neglects or forgets to praise for the Greatest of all Mercies the Throne of Grace Before which all Prayer and Praise must come if accepted and for which highest praises should be given In order to the raising of more Sense of this Highest Favour that God now deals with us on a Throne of Grace Consider 1. The Deep condescendence of Grace that appears in this Dispensation There is a Glorious and Stately stooping in it The Lord had resolved in his own Heart from Eternity to have the company of many of Adam's Off-spring for ever with him in Heaven He seeth them fallen into a deep Pit out of which they can never get out by themselves God and Man by sin are at a vast distance Sinners cannot remove it nor make so much as one step towards God Saved they cannot be unless the Distance be removed Saved they must be because of his unalterable purpose In this case saith the Lord of Meer Grace if men cannot ascend up to me I will descend down to them and draw them up again to me This condescendence of Grace we should admire and praise When David had got a gracious Message and promise from God and Christ and the Throne of Grace was in it 2 Sam. 7. he sits down as a man amazed before the Lord and most significantly expresseth his Admiration and Praise Who am I O Lord God and what is my house and is this the manner of men and what can David say more and what can David say better to be swallowed up of Wonder is the best and highest praising who can forbear wondering at Grace that considers duly whose Grace it is where it finds us and whither it brings us When Paul speaks of it and it was his usual Theme how sweetly doth he discourse of it Eph. 2. Where did this Grace find him and the Ephesians what was their case and qualification for Grace They were dead in sin walking after the course of this world according to the prince of
Grace Usually beginners in Christianity have greater light and sense as to their necessity of saving Grace and Mercy then about the Lords willingness to give them And this is the season wherein Satan doth usually come in if permitted and often he is with his Temptations and fiery darts that they felt nothing of while they were in his Kingdom and power of darkness To such I would propose 3 things 1. What is the ground of thy discouragement Hereto I know they will say a great deal and it may be more than is true I grant all can be said to be true But the sum of all is I am a great sinner and exceeding miserable Be humbled as low as Hell in the sense thereof yet be not discouraged What is in thy case but what is common only thou sees and feels for thy self and so did others 2. What is the tendency of it doth it tend to keep thee aloof from the Throne of Grace it is then of Satan 3. What can be the cure of it You would not be always in this heartless frame how think you to get it removed By keeping still from the Throne of Grace Will or can any spiritual plagues be cured but by Christ the Physician Or any spiritual Blessing be got but at his door Can you expect it without coming and begging David took the right course with his fainting heart Psal 42.5 He challengeth his Soul for its disquietment He chargeth it to trust in God and because he had not prevailed with his Soul he brings it to God by Faith ver 6. O my God my Soul is cast down within me Do ye so and call upon him by that name God that comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 I shall name no more of the ways this sin is acted then these three despising delaying and refusing Several other Expressions there are of this sin in the Word but if you be kept from these three you are innocent from the great Transgression 2. What is the Wrath revealed from Heaven for this Great sin of not coming to the Throne of Grace 1. God testifies his Displeasure against this sin by taking away of his Gospel nothing is more just with God then that when his Grace is slighted the means of Grace should be removed If the Lord argue so as to correction Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more much more may he argue thus Why should I keep up a Throne of Grace any longer You will but despise it more and more Christ teacheth a sad parable Matth. 21.33 c. and makes a just but dreadful application of it to the hearers ver 43. Therefore I say unto you the Kingdom of God another name of the Throne of Grace shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof They were cut off for their unbelief Rom. 11.20 With what face can an unbeliever beg of God the continuance of the means of Grace who hath no mind to enjoy the end and blessinâ—… of those means A general contempt of the Grace of God enfeebleth the Spirit of Ministers and Christians in standing before the Lord for the continuance of the Gospel with a people that use it not This dreadful Judgment hath been often threatned in the Word and inflicted in the severe Providence of God on many once famous Churches and Nations As the Lord saith But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Jer. 7.12 So may I say go to Jerusalem and the Seven Churches in Asia go to Greece and Africa where many a famous Church was planted and learn to fear for your selves Not to speak of later desolations in ours and our Fathers days The Lords removing of his Gospel is a judgment that is very deep As the Apostle speaks of the same subject Rom. 11.33 We may take notice of this judgment as brought on by prevailing errors in and about the foundation Jesus Christ or by gradual Apostasie and Impurity of Conversation in Professors or by the rage of persecution wearing out the Saints of the most High Dan. 7.25 But yet we have good grounds from the word of God to believe and hope that the Gospel may be secured to a Generation ordinarily if they be careful to get the blessing thereof and to walk worthy of it If the grace of God its self be prized the means of grace will be continued 2. The Lord witnesseth his displeasure against slighters of his grace by fearful outward Judgments So far'd it with Jerusalem according to our Lords prediction Luke 19.42,43,44 It hath been a Remark of wise Observers of the Providence of God towards Nations since the Reformation from Popery that in those places where the greatest light of the Gospel hath shined there the greatest judgments have been inflicted As in Germany France and amongst our selves in Brittain 3. The Lord visits for this sin with spiritual judgments the most wrathful dispensations of God on this side Hell As hardness of heart blindness of mind searedness of Conscience vileness of affections Judgments which they that are under never feel nor complain of nor will be convinced of though they are sometimes visible to others If the Lord inflict them on the Heathen for their abuse of the dim light of Nature Rom. 1.21,24,26,28 How much greater are such that are sent for the abuse of the light of the Gospel That dreadful Commission given to the most eminent Prophet Isaiah ch 6.9,10 is often applyed and fulfilled in the New Testament Matth. 13.14 and John 12.39,40 Therefore they could not believe their sin was v. 37. they believed not on him here is their plague they could not believe because that Esaias said again he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them Paul applies it to some of his unbelieving Hearers with a strange Preface Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias to our Fathers saying Acts 28.25 The Interest and Influence of God in such spiritual Judgments is a great depth They are always just and always deep and dreadful are their effects They on whom they fall feel nothing see nothing fear nothing So that truly we may say as Psal 68 35. O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places But such as have a Heart to the Grace of God and would fain be blessed thereby need not fear those Judgments and shall never feel them 4. Lastly The Wrath of God against such as come not to the throne of grace is engraven in the singular vengeance of eternal Ruine There is something singular in their Hell The Law sends all unpardoned Sinners to a Law-Hell The Lord send Despisers of saving grace to a special Hell Heb. 2.3 and 10.29 A much
had said I am sure to be heard for I pray for them that are partakers of thine everlasting Love They are thine by Election and giving to me they are mine by receaving and redeeming of them We are bid give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 They are sure in themselves and sure to God but we should make them sure to our selves and many Christians smart sadly by neglecting this Diligence 2. The gift of Christ for us is a great priviledge that gives boldness at the throne of grace So the Apostle argues Ro. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all you may see who this all are ver 28 29 30. How shall he not with him freely give us all things As if he said it is a small thing to God to give us all other things when he hath given his Son We receave now many Blessings blessed be the giver we have greater things in the Promise than we yet receave or can yet receave but shall surely receave in his time yet all we get and shall to Eternity receave is far less than the gift of Christ. It is like our Lord had respect to this in that Word to the Woman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water If she had known Christ as the Well of Salvation to Sinners she would have employed him and should have been accepted of him But here many Christians stick they doubt not but Christ was given for his Church and People but they know not how to apply this to themselves If I knew say many that Christ was given for me I would then come boldly to the throne of grace and ask any thing confidently I answer None can know that Christ was given for them till they come unto him And all that come to him may know that he was given for them and should believe it He was given by the Will of the Father and his own for his Elect. This is a Secret hid with God He comes to Men in the Gospel offering himself and all his Purchase and Fulness to all that hear of it He that hath his Heart drawn forth to like this Bargain and accepts by Faith of the Saviour and his great Salvation hath possession thereof immediately and by that may come to know that it was designed for him in God's purpose of Love So Paul Gal. 1.14,15,16 He was one of the Holiest and most Religious Jews in their Church and yet was at the same time one of the most wicked young Men in all the Country a very Hypocrite a proud self Justiciary and a bloody Persecutor of Christ and his Church Yet of this wicked Creature it is here said That God had separated him from his Mother's Womb and Acts 9.15 He is a chosen Vessel unto me I will pour out of my grace on him and will do much for him and by him When did all this break out When he called me by his Grace and revealed his Son in me Then he can say Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me And again 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sirners All say so but had he any mind of thee and hast thou any share in his coming to save Sinners Yes saith he of whom I am chief He came to save me the chief of Sinners Any Sinner may come after me and expect Mercy at Christs hand when Paul hath sped so well ver 16. He hath made me a Pattern of his Mercy for the encouragement of all Sinners that have a mind for a good turn from Jesus Christ 3. The Priviledge of Actual Reconciliation and of being brought into a State of Grace is a ground of Boldness in coming to the throne of grace Rom. 5.9,10 where the Apostle having shewn God's Love in giving Christ to the death for us ver 8. he adds the Blessings that flow from this Gift Justification by his blood and therefore much more Salvation from Wrath through him ver 9. And Reconciliation to God by his death and therefore much more Salvation by his life ver 10. The Improvement he makes thereof is in ver 11. And not only so but we also joy in God the Original is we glory and boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now receaved the Attonement A State of grace is a State of boldness all that are in it should and all that know they are in it will use boldness of Faith at this throne of grace Rom. 5.1 to ver 6. 6. The Experiences of Believers are a great ground of boldness Experience works Hope Rom. 5.4 The Experience of others as well as our own are of great use herein Sometimes we find David improving the Experience of others for the strengthning his own Faith sometimes he offers his own Experience for the comfort of others Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul Because David was in distress of Conscience and got Peace and Pardon Psal 32.1,6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Psal 119.74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word There is no Christian that hath not Experience As he hath a Soul that needs much to be done for it so the Lord doth much for all he saves And because the Lord dealeth variously with his People therefore there is much difference in their Experiences Yet because all Believers are Members of the same Body and receave all from the same Head Jesus Christ there is some Skill and Capacity in every Christian to understand and to be profited by the Experience of any Christian Hence it is that communicating of Experiences is a Christian Duty and a good part of the Communion of Saints But there is much Christian Prudence requisite in the discharge of it Let no Man boast of a false gift and pretend to that he hath no sense of Nor talk vainly and proudly of what God hath done for him All true Experiences are Acts of Grace from God felt on the Soul And Grace is humbling 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receave Now if thou didst receave it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receaved it Three Questions confounding the Pride of Men and Christians Of these Experiences that should give boldness in coming to the throne of grace I shall name three 1 The Experience of the first visit of Grace is a good ground of Confidence in asking any blessing of God Can you remember when you were dead in sin and had no thought
and the Question then is Is this or that or the other Action pleasing or displeasing to God And this is to be determined by the light of Conscience acting according to God's Holy Law For God is the only Lord of Conscience and his Will the only Rale and Law of Conscience Conscience therefore may be three ways defiled 1. By the unpardoned Guilt of a natural State as it is in all Unbelievers Nothing can purge the Conscience but the Blood of Christ Heb. 9.14 An Unbeliever doth not apply to it nor apply it to himself and God applys it to none but by Faith Therefore all such Unbelievers have all the loathsome filth of their natural State lying on their Consciences defiling it The answer of a good Conscience towards God is by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 All Unbelievers Consciences can speak nothing towards God by any thing Christ hath done or suffered for they know him not and are not in him They would give an Answer or make their Plea from their good Works and honest Meanings but all such answers and pleas are rejected by God in his judging of a Man's State For all God's Judgment of Mens State proceeds on these two in Christ or out of Christ And as it is with them with respect to one or other of these two so do Men stand or fall before God's Judgment whatever the Judgment of their Consciences be 2. Conscience is defiled by Sinful Actions known to be such Now if these be loved and delighted in they do justly marr Confidence neither can any Man in this Case draw near to God but with the Mouth and hypocritically Isa 2.9,13 This is a Frame not to be found in a Believer He may be guilty of known Sin but it is not delighted in To this David's Words refer Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me It is not If there be iniquity in my heart for who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9 It is not If I see iniquity in my heart For where there is least sin it is best seen Paul saw enough Rom. 7.23,24,25 and groaned under it and yet blesseth God through Jesus Christ for the hope of Victory But it is only If I regard iniquity in my heart if I look kindly on it God will not hear me and indeed the Man in this Case cannot pray It is as impossible that a person approving and loving Sin can make a real approach to God as it is for a Man to depart from and approach to one at the same time and with the same motion 3. The Conscience is defiled by doubtful practice Of this the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 8.7 And their conscience being weak is defiled To this belongs also the Words in Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind and ver 22 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin In deliberate Actions especially of Worship to God to act without a clear Warrant from the Word of God defileth the Conscience 2. Sin disturbs the Conscience And Conscience is disturbed by Sin two ways 1. When the evil and filth of Sin is seen a man loaths himself therefore No defilement on the Conscience disturbs it till it be seen Men like Swine wallow in the puddle and see no filth therein till God open the Eyes of their Consciences 2. When the danger of sin is seen and the Wrath it deserves is perceaved then perplexing Fears and sensible Sorrow works in the Soul Now what is the course such a poor Creature should take The Sin is committed the Guilt is contracted the Conscience is defiled the Defilement is seen Disturbance and Trouble is felt in the Conscience What should such a sick Soul do Will any say to him wash thy self where thou canst and cast away the burthen of thy sin the best way thou canst and then come to the throne of Grace This would be strange Gospel indeed We know no other course a Man should take in this Case but coming to the Throne of Grace to have the Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Christ the only Cordial for a disturbed Conscience and the only Purger of a defiled Conscience Therefore Peter was quite out in his Prayer he prayed backward when he said Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Luke 5.8 Were ever worse Words uttered at the Knees of Jesus Christ He had said better if he had prayed Lord come near to me and abide with me and let me ever abide with thee for I am a sinful Man Where can a sinful Man be better than with the Saviour of Sinners But Peter's Prayer is the natural Prayer of every Man that seeth his Sinfulness and is ignorant of Jesus Christ The Publican understood Prayer and plyed it better Luke 18.13 when he said God be merciful to me a Sinner I feel my sinfulness I see thy Mercy Lord let them meet and thy Mercy shall be glorified and I saved Whoever therefore are distressed with the guilt of Sin in their Consciences or with the power of it in their Hearts and Lives must seek all their relief at this Throne of Grace It is only the power of that Grace revealed and dispensed at this Throne of Grace that is too hard for Sin and all its powers And for any Man to think to subdue Sin except by the power of this Grace or to think that he shall have this powerful Grace without coming for it to the Throne of Grace is to dream to his own destruction Object 2. I am in the dark about my Interest in God and Christ and therefore I cannot come boldly to this Throne If I did know that God was at peace with me and I reconciled to him and justified then I might come boldly Answ 1. Whose fault is it that thy Interest in Christ is not put out of question Were Christians more in self-examination more close in walking with God and if they had more near Communion with God and were more in acting of Faith this shameful darkness and doubting would quickly vanish It is a thing to be heavily bewailed that many Christians have lived twenty or forty years since Christ called them by his Grace yet doubting is their life they doubted when they began they go on doubting and many die doubting when the blame is justly to be laid on themselves There is an assurance of Faith that is a Duty as well as a Blessing Heb. 10.22 And were it more minded as a Duty it would be more often attained as a Mercy That assurance of Faith I press you to have stands in firm and strong Believing The faithful Promise of Christ in the Gospel is the Foundation of it And the Ground will bear all the weight we can lay on it This Assurance is not only a Blessing that comes down from Heaven but it may by his blessing of Means spring up out of the
Intercession stands in presenting his People and their Desires and Wants to the Father for acceptance and answers of Peace Both our Persons and our Prayers must be presented by this great High-priest set over the House of God Heb. 10.21 or no Welcome no Acceptance An Israelite though he brought might not offer the Sacrifice on the Altar only the Priest and the High-priest only must offer the great Sacrifice for all Israel in the day of Attonement Christians must bring themselves Rom. 12.1 and all their spiritual Sacrifices but Christ must present them and we only by him Heb. 13.15 What a mighty encouragement is there in this for Faith Our High-priest makes another thing of our Sacrifices than we can Believers often know not rightly their own Case Christ knows it exactly Many of our Prayers are meer mistakes we complain when we should praise we ask what would do us hurt and are unwilling to receave what would do us much good Our Lord Jesus puts all to rights he can say over our Prayers rightly he can make good sense of them can purge them of their Faults can spy out any thing of his own Spirit in them and lastly add his own Incense to them Rev. 8.3 And thus are they accepted We may best understand Christ's Heart and Work in Intercession by John 17. Wherein we find three 1. Christ conceals all the Faults and Weakness of his people Not a Word of these in all that Prayer and they were guilty of a great many 2. He tells all their good and makes much of it ver 6 7 8. I have given to them the Words which thou gavest me and they have receaved them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me He knew and reproved them for the weakness and staggering of their Faith he foretold an approaching tryal and their fainting in it John â—6 31,32 Yet he knew they were true Believers and he makes much of it in his Prayer aâ— again ver 14,25 3. Chrise declares fully â—…ir necessity and begs supply for them No Christian needs any more than a full answer of this Prayer of Christ And it was put up for all his Body and will be answered as to every Member of it Whenever you are on your Knees at the Footstool remember who is at the Throne above and what his business is there Footstool-supplications of Believers would be all quite lost if it were not for the Saviour's Intercession at the Throne Heb. 8.1 Our High-Priest is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens And he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 This is the end of his living in Heaven to make Intercession for us Take heed and mind Christ much in your Prayers and never fear his forgetting you Shall Christ live for ever to make Intercession for you And will you live all your days without making use of him as an Intercessor Alas that Christ in Heaven gets so little employment from Believers on Earth He seeks your employment he loves it and loves them best that give him most of it He undertakes for every thing put in his hand and in due time will give you a good account of all you entrust him with and make you say He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 Appl. Is all the ground of Confidence at the Throne of Grace laid in Jesus Christ our High-Priest Build then your Confidence on this safe and sure Ground Not only may you lawfully make use of Christ's Mediation but you must do it It is not only a Priviledge the Lord allows you to make use of but it is his Command and your Duty to use it You are commanded to come to the Throne of Grace and commanded also to come in Christ's Name and to come boldly in this Name The neglect of either of these is sin Not to come to the Throne of Grace when he calls is a great sin To come to it or rather to pretend to come in any other Name but Christ's is a great Sin too And to come in this Name diffidently is to reflect unworthily on Jesus Christ and the Power and Virtue of his mighty Name John 14.13,14 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it Can a Man desire a larger Promise than this Can one desire a stronger Plea than Christ's Name and a better Hand than his to have our Answers from Be ye Askers and Askers in my Name I will be the Doer The Father's Glory in the Son and the Sons Glory is concerned in giving good answers to all Prayers put up in Christ's Name You cannot Honour and please Christ more than in using his Name confidently All Bills with Christ's Name at them will be accepted at the Throne of Grace and will surely be answered But Coming to the Throne of Grace in Christ's Name is another thing than commonly people take it to be Some think it enough that they conclude their Prayers with the Words Christ taught Matth. 6.9 but never for that use it is oft formally and superstitiously put to Some think that it is only to say in their Prayers for Christ's sake To ask in his Name is a higher business than to be reached by Unbelievers and Men void of the Spirit of God If no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 If Praying be required to be in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. If praying always with all Prayer and Supplication should be in the Spirit Eph. 6.18 How shall Men call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10.14 But can you take the searcher of Hearts to Witness that you build all your hopes of Acceptance at the Throne of Grace in this Name and Mediation of Jesus That you durst no more rush into God's awful Presence without the Protection of this great Name than you durst leap into a devouring Flame Can ye say I have no Name to come to God in but Christ's my own Name is abominable to my self and deservedly hateful in Heaven No other Name is given under Heaven but that of Jesus Christ in which a Sinner may safely approach to God Since the Father is well pleased in this Name and the Son commands me to use it and the Holy Ghost hath broke this Name to me and made it as an Ointment poured forth Song 1.3 And since its savour hath reached my Soul I will try to lift it up as Incense to perfume the Altar and Throne above Since all that ever came in this Name were made welcome I will come also Having no Plea but Christ's Name no covering but his-borrowed and gifted Robe of Righteousness I need nothing I will ask nothing but what his Blood hath bought and all that I will ask I will expect answers of
and before he came to you Woful is that Cure and worse than the Wound Many poor Creatures are wounded by the Law and to the Law they go for Healing But God never appointed the Law to heal a wounded Conscience and it never did nor can nor will to the end of the World nor to Eternity It is Christ's name and property and glory to be the only Physician of Souls and all must die of the Disease of Sin that are not his happy Patients 3. There is common restraining grace An Act of God's grace and wisdom which he often puts forth in his ruling of this wicked World How quickly would this Earth become a Hell were it not for this restraining grace If all unrenewed Men were permitted by God to commit all the Sin Satan tempts to and their Natures incline them to there would be no living in this World for the golly This restraining grace we find a Heathen â—ad Gen. 20.6 I with-held thee from sinning against me faith the Lord to Abimelech And which is more we find a great Saint praying for it Ps 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have Dominion over me That is lay a powerful restraint on me by thy grace that when I am tempted my way may be hedged up and I may be kept from complying with the Temptation But yet bare restraining grace is not desired by a Christian in good case without sanctifying grace He desires not only the restraining of the outward Acts of Sin but the removing of inward Inclinations to Sin he begs the renewing and changing of the Heart So David when he had fallen foully by the strength of inward Corruption and God's leaving him to himself when recovered by Grace and renewed unto Repentance prays like a wise Believer Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right spirit within me 4. There is common assisting grace Many a bad Man hath had good Assistance from God in a good Work The Spirit of God hath cloathed many and enabled them to great and good Works which God gets Service by and the World good by though the Doers thereof be not accepted Matth. 7.22 Many shall say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works All great things and all done in Christ's Name and done by his Assistance In their casting out of Devils and in working of Miracles there was an exerting of Omnipotency with and by their Faith which is the greatest divine Assistance we can imagine And no doubt they were assisted by Christ's Spirit in their prophecying in his Name Now such things they thus did Christ in his Reply denies not their doing of them finds no fault with the Works in themselves but all his Quarrel is with the Workers I never knew you you are workers of iniquity 5. To common Grace belongs some Comfort and Joy reaching the Heart in hearing the Word Our Lord expresly explains the Stony ground this way Matth. 13.20 He that receaved the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receaveth it Lastly There is reforming grace that belongs to common grace The power of the Word may come so on natural Mens Consciences that they may reform many things As Mark 6.20 Herod when he heard John Baptist did many things and heard him gladly So 2 Pet. 2.20 If any say What should we come to the Throne of Grace for common Grace I answer Not for it alone but for it and better It is a mercy to have common grace it is grace that is undeserved but it is a woful Snare to him that rests in it If the Lord restrain your Corruptions if he enlighten your Minds and awaken your Consciences if he assist you with Gifts for good Works if he help you to mend any thing that is amiss in your Conversation bless him for all but rest not on any of these things It is a higher and better Grace that is Saving and that you must seek after Saving grace as distinct from and beyond all that is common respects three things 1. It respects and works a change in a Man's State which common grace never performs Saving grace changeth a Person 's State by this grace an Enemy is reconciled to God a guilty sinner is justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus a Stranger receaves Sonship by Christ Common Grace never alters the State of a Man's Person but it leaves him where it found him it never doth nor can take him out of the old Stock of fallen Adam he still lyes in that Pit and is never by it translated into Christ and engraffed in him as a new Head But saving grace when it comes doth all Eph. 2.4,18 2. Saving grace respects Man's sinful nature and changeth it And this grace thus working is called Regenerating Sanctifying and renewing of Men. Christ calls it being born again John 3.3 If any man be in Christ through this grace he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 This the Apostle calls Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Natural Men are apter to look to their Conversation than to their Nature They may see many things amiss in their way who are loath to look into their Heart and if Light shine in to discover inward Heart-faults they are still backward to own that all is naught and that there is no good in their Hearts If the Light pursuâ— them yet closer and make them see that all is stark naught within they are still more backward to own the true Spring of their Disease and the true Remedy for it That all this Dominion of Sin over them flows from the natural State of their Persons as standing still in and under the first sinful Adam and can never be altered and mended but by Grace putting them into Christ as the Root of their New Life 3. Saving grace respects and works on the new Nature Special grace not only changeth a Man's State nor his old corrupt Nature only but it works on this new Nature wrought by Grace The special Operation of the grace of God in and from the Fountain is upon his own new Creation in the Hearts of his Children We cannot conceave it fully our Minds are not able take in these depths of God We hear from and read in the Word of the intimate Correspondence the Lord entertains with them in whom he dwells Christ dwells in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 His Spirit dwells in his people Rom. 5 9,10,11 But what is it in their Hearts that he dwells in He dwells in his own Workmanship in their Hearts in his own new Creation in his own Garden he hath planted in them There his Presence is and there his Eye is on that his hand is this is
to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men. Acts 24.16 It is usually seen that times of great Tryals do dart in some Light into Mens Consciences and do make Men look into their Hearts and Ways more narrowly and spy small Faults that they could not see at other times For they are days of darkness in one sense and days of light in another Study therefore to keep thy Conscience clean and pure by holy and tender walking and by daily believing For it is the Blood of Christ that only can purge the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And let me assure you of this and if you will not believe it I dare say you will feel it and feel it the more then if you believe it not now that such as make all their care about their Consciences to stand in watchfulness about their Hearts and Ways and are utterly estranged from believing Applications to the Blood of Jesus when an evil Day and an evil Conscience meet together and meet they will that they will be in a sad and dreadful Confusion And no better will their Condition be who upon a false Pretence and in this case it is always false of trusting in Christ have no care either of their Conscience or Conversation The Mystery of the Faith is to be held and kept in a pure Conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 We should hold Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 they cannot be got nor kept but together Whoever suffers Shipwrack of the one loseth the other Christ is the Saviour of Sinners but he is no Minister of Sin Gal. 2.17 He came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Not to save Saints for there are none in it but of his making and his making Sinners to be Saints is a notable part of his saving 2 Tim. 1.9 The Inheritance is for them that obtain forgiveness of Sins and who are sanctified by Faith in him Acts 26.28 None are saved but the Sanctified and none are sanctified but by Faith in Christ Jesus There may be in an Unbeliever a Picture and shadow of Holiness but it is an Abomination in the sight of God whatever the Man that hath it or they that see it may think of it A holy Vnbeliever or an unholy Believer never was since the World began nor will be while it lasts 5. Multiply your Addresses to the Throne of Grace before the time of need come Happy were that Christian that could cry as earnestly for that Grace that can help him before the time of need come as he will see it needful to have it when that time doth come But it is the weakness of our Minds as Men and of our Grace as Christians that we cannot take up so clear a Prospect of things to come and that they are not so big in our Eyes at a distance as when present Yet by Faith we may foresee times of need and should pray much for Grace to help us when that time comes Suppose you should for twenty years together beg that Grace and Mercy that you should not have occasion for till those years were expired would there be any hurt in it 6. In any special Prospect of an approaching time of need make special Addresses to the Throne of Grace for Grace to help in that time There are two things in these Addresses I recommend to you 1. Let them be Personal Partticular and Secret Our Lord's Direction Matth. 6.6 Many Christians find it an easier thing to keep a day of Prayer with others than to spend an hour in Prayer in secret by themselves It were far easier to know a Man's Frame and State by his secret dealings with God if we were acquainted with them than by all his Professions and Duties besides 2. Let these Addresses be sometimes solemn and long There are some Mercies not to be got as some sort of Devils not to be cast out but by fasting and prayer Matth. 17.21 Secret personal Fasts I am afraid are very rare amongst Christians in our Days Christ commands and directs us about them Matth. 6.16.17,18 as well as about secret Prayer Matth. 6.6,7 Ministers should not load Christians with work above the Strength of their Bodies or Minds or Grace But surely it is but reasonable Service required of you that you should make Addresses to the Throne of Grace in some suitableness to your need of that Grace that is dispensed from it There are four things which if they were the Fruit of my speaking and of your hearing so often from this Text we should both have cause to bless the Lord who teacheth his people to profit Isa 48.17 1. If you learn to pray better and to ply Prayer more David gave himself to Prayer Psal 109.4 The Apostles those extraordinary Officers of the Primitive Church gave themselves continually to Prayer and to the Ministery of the Word Acts 6.4 There are times in which private Christians should give themselves to fasting and prayer 1. Cor. 7.5 If you belong to God he will make you pray and reach you with Briars and Thorns if you will not yield to more gentle Methods How sad is the Reflection that riseth in the Heart under some heavy Tryal This is brought on me for my indulged distance and estrangement from God 2. If you learn to mind Christ more and make more use of him in your Praying He is the King on this Throne of Grace As much as Christ is out of your Minds in Praying so much are you out in Praying and your Praying out of that it ought to be That which we beg is out of Christ's Store In whose Name do we beg it but in his for whose sake but for his Out of whose hand do we receave what we ask and get but out of his It is marvellous that People should pretend to Prayer and think they pray who yet forget Jesus Christ who is all in all in all right Prayer 3. If you learn to mind and plead more God's Free-Grace in Jesus Christ in your praying Free-Grace is the sensible humble Min's Plea he is a proud ignorant Person that seeks or useth any other Plea at God's Throne of Grace Free-Grace is the only thing that Faith can first lay hold on it 's a Plea that any Man may use it is the constant and powerful Plea of a wise Besiever It answers every case and suits every Prayer and the lowest Case and the highest Prayer best 4. If you learn never to leave off improving of christ and pleading for Grace at this Throne of Grace till ye have no more need of Grace And that will never be as long as you live If any Man fall into such a Dream that he is got beyond the need of Grace and so of Praying he is one that never rightly knew himself nor Grace nor Christ nor Praying The Believer knows he stands in need of Christ and Grace and therefore prays as long as he liveth