sense of his own great misery at least at sometimes 2 To come for mercy in Faith is to believe the Fitness and Sutableness of God's mercy to our misery Here many stumble wofully Their Question is Am I fit for mercy when it should rather be Is his mercy fit for me And this Question every sensible Soul can answer the other none in Heaven or Earth can answer If any man think himself fit for mercy of all men that man is most unfit for it and farthest from receaving of it But every sensible Soul will say Though I be unfit for and unworthy of mercy yet mercy is very fit for me Is there pardoning mercy with God who is it so fit for as a guilty vile sinner Is there saving mercy with him Who is it so fit for as for a lost man as I am Come to the Throne of Grace for mercy in Faith of this mercy is fit for me exactly though I be utterly unworthy of it They that think they are fit for mercy will never get it nor indeed can ask it But they that think they are needy of it and that it is fit for them will both ask it and get it 3. To come to the Throne of Grace in Faith for mercy is to believe that there is all good will in him that sits on this Throne to give and shew mercy It is implyed in the Text Let us come to obtain mercy But what if when we come he will not shew mercy That is an ungodly Supposition mischievous to our selves and reflecting upon God He hath mercy in abundance to give he delights in giving he never refused mercy to any that came for it he hath promised he never will and why should men harbour such a suspicion that we may come and not obtain Benhadad could adventure on a report that the Kings of Israel were merciful Kings and yet Ahab was one of the worst of them 1 Kings 20.31 And shall not sinners come upon a more sure Report of the mercifulness of the King on this Throne of Grace It is on this Truth of the Lord 's good will to shew mercy that our Faith so readily halts Many think they ought not to believe this good will to shew mercy I would have you consider some instances of Christ's dealing with Sinners John 4.10 Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Where we are to regard 1. To whom these Words were spoke by our Lord to a Samaritan a vile Creature as to the former course of her life a blind ignorant sottish Sinner that was guilty of refusing Christ a Cup of Water the greatest Sin she ever committed in her Life 2. What our Lord saith to her If thou knewest me thou wouldest have asked if thou hadst asked I would have given thee living Water And before he had done he made her know him made her ask and gave her of his living Water But that I mainly observe from the Word of Christ is a Truth which few will believe when they hear it even few Believers themselves will believe it as they ought That Christ is more ready to give begging Sinners eternal Life than they can be to give Christ himself a Cup of cold Water Our Lord saith it but men will not believe it Another of Christ's Words is in Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Christ makes the comparison favourably ver 11 12. Of a Child's asking Necessaries will a Parent refuse that desire and give what is hurtful But consider our Lord's design in this saying It is plainly to encourage to seeking and the Argument he useth is from the greater Love and readiness in God to give the best things than earthly Parents have to give their Children the Necessaries of this life The preference is not here given to God's greater Riches and fulness than that of parents who may have their Children beg of them what they have not to give as in Lam. 4.4 But it is a preference given to God's greater willingness to give Now who believes this and makes the just Application to their own Case and say confidently The Lord is much more willing to give me saving mercy if I ask it than I am to give a bit of bread to maintain the life of the nearest and dearest Relation I have in the World Appl. I shall only add a few Words of Application 1. There is no principle of natural Religion engraven more deeply on the Hearts of men than that there is misery in men and mercy in God and that God's mercy only can relieve men under this misery This runs through the whole World in all Ages and will continue as long as sense of misery is in men and any Notions of God are preserved in the minds of men And these Sentiments are not to be defaced Attempts of Atheists are damnable to themselves but vain Efforts against the Rock of Ages 2. Notwithstanding of this God's true mercy in Jesus Christ is the greatest Riddle Offence and Stumbling-block to all natural men God's mercy they like well enough and would have applied to their own relief under misery But God's only and true mercy in Christ they cannot away with That there is no mercy with God for Sinners but what flows through the Blood of Jesus Christ That God's Love should appear in sending his own Son under the charge of mens Sin and under the smart and feeling of their miseries That as God shews mercy only this way so men that would have it must only seek it this way the World never did never can never will understand nor relish it nor betake themselves to it They would have mercy to come to them another way and so seek it and look for it in vain and perish by the miss of it 3. There is no Address made to God more honourable to God more acceptable to him and more becoming a miserable Sinner than an Address to God for his mercy It is his Glory to be the Sovereign Lord of mercy it is his Honour to be attended with the Addresses of miserable men it is his delight to dispense mercy to the Addressors What is more becoming God than to shew mercy and what can be more fit than that a miserable Sinner should beg his mercy 4. There is no Provocation more common than sinful ways of begging God's mercy I shall briefly instance in a few Many profane careless Creatures have this Word frequently in their mouths God be merciful to me who yet have no more sense either of God or of themselves of his mercy or of their misery than the Ground they go on This is a gross taking of God's Name in vain Undue Addresses to God
all in the Gospel It s true that the Lord means and designs it to some particular persons but that design is secret and utterly unknown to all till the promise it self be apprehended by Faith or finally rejected by unbelief See Jer. 38.7,14 Ebed-mclech let down a Rope to draw Jeremiah out of the dungeon by The cords could never have pulled him up unless the Prophet had put them under him and unless his friend had drawn him up He did so and ventures on this mean of escape He ventures on the strength of the cold and on the trustiness of his friend if either of them had failed him he might have fallen down and broke his neck or stuck still in the mire and starved in the Pit The case is so here The promise of Salvation is a great security but it is so only to them that cast themselves on it and trust to it Whoever will trust Gods promise in Christ will find that it is able to bear all their weight if it were never so great Therefore lay this warm promise to thy cold heart and by the Lords blessing life and warmth will come in Try the strength of the promise by casting all thy burden on it and it will never sink under thee nor thou perish by its failing Christians think that the promises of God are a blessed Charter and so indeed they are but few mind the promises as Gods tendered and offered security to men whereby as means he works faith in his chosen and by the offer of them to all in the Gospel leaves unbelievers unexcusable Sinners perish under the Gospel not because there is no cord of salvation cast out to them but because they either love the pit they are in or cannot trust Gods faithful promise of salvation by Christ for their delivery So much of the first thing the proving that all ought to come to the Throne of Grace or to God in Christ sitting on it God is not otherwise approachable universal need of this Throne and of the blessings given at it an universal call and command of God to come an universal promise to all that do come all prove that all men should come 2. But though it be the Duty of all to come yet but few do come we would therefore see who they he that will come to the Throne of Grace Of such we have two words 1. Such as are given of the Father to the Son all they and they only will come to this Throne of Grace All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me saith Christ John 6.37 Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep John 10.26 The high spring of all the effectual calling and coming of men to Christ is this they that are ordained to eternal life believe and none but they It would be very unfit that the Book of Life should be opened to and read by any preacher of the Gospel I think not that ever any Apostle had it opened to them with respect to others So that they should be able when looking on the multitude they preached to to say these are appointed for Eternal Life and these past by But they being happily in the dark as to this secret purpose of God did offer salvation through Jesus Christ to all that heard them So Paul Acts 13.38,39,40 Be it known unto you 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 you could not be justified by the Law of Moses Having told them this good news he ver 40.41 warns them Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish after his repeated pains on them it s said ver 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed It was a severe application of this word that a very worthy Divine made of it that all the elect of God in this place were gathered in by Faul's ministry in it at this time The grace of election is the spring of Faith 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 But this grace of Election is not seen but in the gift and light of faith 2. All such and only they will come to the throne of grace that are drawn by the Father John 6.44,45 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Observe here the two Universals No man can come unless drawn every man that is drawn doth come The first decries the power of Nature the latter advanceth the power of God's grace The utter Impotence of Nature and Omnipotence of grace in the business of Mans Salvation are stumbling blocks to all the ungodly but are foundations in Christian Doctrine The one lays Man in the dust the other raiseth him on a new bottom of the grace of God When God hath a mind to draw a sinner to Christ and to make him a Believer on him to Salvation He teacheth him secretly and by a strong hand He whispers into his Heart the excellency of the Saviour and greatness of his Salvation so that surely the perishing sinner comes to Christ and as surely is welcomed and saved by him 3. But who shall be welcome Surely all that come shall be welcome as the word every-where winesseth and all that ever tryed it have found and testifie it by their experience For as the Son refused none that were given him of the Father in their eternal Counsel but took every one of them as his charge to redeem them so all they and only they being drawn by the Father and made willing to come to Christ are made welcome by him John 6.37 He knows his sheep when wandering on the Mountains John 10.16,27.28 and accordingly receives them when the Father drives home the lost Sheep to their great Shepherd Christ knows them before he opens the fold to them and because he knows them he lets them in that they may find pasture and feed on him and his grace to Eternal Life But there are some that are specially welcome to Christ and speed well at this throne of grace As. 1. They that come when they can do nothing else they that come to the Throne of grace as their last shift We know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee said Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 Sincerest believing and strongest believing is acted when a man hath no prop at all to lean upon but God alone Believing is called fleing We have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us Heb. 6.18 Now who flees Only he that can stand no longer that is not able to deal with his Adversary and Danger that hath no hope of prevailing by his strength and
your Consciences well resolved in this main Case that you may be able to give a peremptory answer The Importance of this Question is very obvious Can a Man retire within and look up to God and consider this I am a miserable Sinner in my self as all are nothing but God's special mercy can relieve me And not think it a matter of vast consequence to know whether he hath obtained this mercy or no Wo to them that never asked the Question and they are but in a sorry case that cannot answer it I would propose a few things to enforce the Duty of trying your selves in this matter 1. It is mercy you have been seeking If ever you made any fashion of Prayer surely it was mercy you sought most of you if not all pray at least sometimes Now whenever you pray unless you be wofully formal and stupid your Consciences must tell you it is mercy you seek Have you long and often begged God's mercy and will ye never enquire whether or not you have got it None ask in earnest but they will try how they speed There is no surer and plainer Argument of trifling in Prayer than when men are careless what they get by Prayer We would be called of the Generation of them that seek God's Face and shall we not enquire if we have found him Our Lord bids us ask that we may receave and shall we ask and not think of receaving nor try if we have receaved 2. A great many round you have obtained mercy therefore it becomes you to enquire whether you have obtained it If the mercy of God were so very rarely dispensed that none if any in an Age did partake of it this neglect would be a little more excusable But when mercy falls round about thee when one on thy Right Hand obtains Mercy and another on thy Left Hand obtains Mercy when this Mercy falls on some of the Family thou lives in on some of the Congregation thou hears in when this mercy falls on one that hath the same natural Parents that thou hast Will none of these things make you ask Have I also obtained mercy We find our Lord aggravating the misery of the damned by their seeing of the blessedness of the saved Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out A most dreadful Passage Christ is telling Men that were to be excluded from Heaven what they would think say and do in that dismal Case Prevent this Misery in time by enquiring whether you have obtained mercy And do so the rather that ye may see others partaking of this Mercy When you see the saving mercy of God sought and obtained by others it should provoke you greatly not to envy them their share but to desire a share of your own for there is enough and to spare And the Lord doth shew mercy to some on purpose that he may encourage others to come and ask and obtain So Paul tells wherefore he got his Mercy 1 Tim. 1.16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first or the chief Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting There were other ends Christ had in shewing mercy to Paul The Lord shewed him mercy that he might be saved eternally he shewed him mercy that he might be an able Minister of the new Testament 2 Cor. 3.6 and a successful Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 and the Church of Christ hath good Cause now for many Ages to bless our Lord Jesus for that rich mercy which that chosen Vessel obtained and was filled with But the Apostle in that place takes notice of another design of Christ's in his mercy to him and that was to set up Paul as a Pattern and Copy of the Freedom Riches and Power of saving mercy And Christ can when he will write another Copy like Paul and somewhat like it he doth in all that he calls savingly Eph. 2.4 Take in this Argument many obtain mercy and why not I none deserve it yet many have it None deserve it less and need it more than I Why then not I If you see the Lord shewing mercy to others and you care not for mercy to your selves how can you expect it or think you have got it 3. Inquire whether you have receaved God's saving mercy because this mercy is brought so near you that it must either be receaved or refused there is no midst No Man doth neither no man doth both All that have the offer of God's saving mercy in the Gospel do and must necessarily either receave or reject it This should make people inquire the more narrowly whether they have obtained mercy If ye have not obtained it ye have refused it Acts 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles This last is a strange Phrase I am perswaded in the Lord that no man shall ever get everlasting life that thinks himself worthy of it It is always to be sought by us always given by the Lord and always taken by the Receavers of it as an Alms of Grace for Christ's sake Nothing surely was further from Paul's mind than to have these foolish Jews to count themselves deserving of eternal life or that on the account either of their Priviledges or Works they did or could deserve Salvation at the hand of God But all the Apostle meant was this Everlasting Life is brought near to you in this Word of the Gospel you put the Word from you thereby you declare you are unwilling to receave everlasting life and God counts you unworthy of the Offer of it and we will carry it to others as he tells other Unbelieving Jews at Rome Acts 28.28 Be it known to you that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it Now for resolving of this Question whether you have obtained special saving mercy or not This seems easily determinable There is so great a difference betwixt that State of sin and misery that mercy finds Men in when it first visits them and that State that mercy brings them to That we are apt to think the change may be easily known See Eph. 2.1,18 Yet there are so many things that obstruct both them that have obtained mercy from owning it and them that have not obtained it from acknowledging their want of it of which I shall not now speak that searching is needful and for your help in that work I offer these few plain Marks 1. A high value of special saving mercy above common mercy is a good sign of one that hath obtained saving mercy There is a special mercy of God and there is a common mercy Special mercy
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
On a Throne of Grace Seek him no where else for no where else is he to be graciously found 2. How should we come to this Throne Boldly with confidence 3. What is the ground of this boldness It had need be a great and solid ground on which a sinner may build Boldness in his approaching to God This ground is hinted by the Apostle in the word therefore wherefore Because of our great High-priest the Son of God in Heaven ver 14 15. Though there be nothing more commonly said and owned then that all men are sinners and that all the acceptance of a sinner with God is through Jesus Christ yet I can assure you that when a person seeth and knows what it is to be a sinner and knows what God is it is a wonderful difficulty to believe that it is possible that such a sinner and such a God should ever meet in Peace Peoples dry Notions and Opinions of Jesus Christ if there be no more will soon be blown away with a deen sight of the sinfulness of sin and of the Majesty of God provoked thereby 4. The last Question is What shall we get by coming and what should we come for The greatest blessings Mercy and Grace These blessings are comprehensive of all things needful to make a sinner happy To the first of these I began to speak last day That God hath erected a Throne of Grace in the Gospel to which men are invited to come What this Throne of Grace is is spoke to and that this Throne of Grace is to be distinguished from all other Thrones of God spoke of in the word The Throne of his essential glory is unapproachable by all Creatures The Throne of his Justiâ—… dreadful to all sinners we should pray against our coming before this Throne Psal 143.2 He must be a proud ignorant fool that would offer to come and plead at its Bar for here all Acts and Sentences pass according to strict Law and Justice and the Law is an everlasting condemner of all sinners There is also the Throne of the Judge at the last day But this Throne is not yet set though it will surely be and we know not how soon and should prepare for our appearing before it 2 Cor. 5.9,10 But this Throne of Grace is the Gracious manifestation of God in Christ reconciling the World to himself This is the light of the Glory of Gods Grace shining in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 ch 5.18,19 And to coming to this Throne of Grace and to God in Christ dispensing his grace from it we are here exhorted and encouraged In pursuing of this exhortation I would 1. Prove that all should come 2. Show whâ— will come 3. and who shall be specially welcomâ— 1. That all ought to come to the Thronâ— of Grace All sinners that hear of it shoulâ— improve this great priviledge and seek thâ— enjoyment of Gods Grace and Mercy in Jâ—sus Christ 1. Because God is not otherwise approachâ—… by men in accepted worship No man comâ—… to the Father but by me saith Christ Joâ—… 14.6 The light of Nature teacheth all 〈◊〉 in some measure that there is a God 〈◊〉 somewhat of his eternal power and God 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.20 And that this God should be wâ—…shiped Therefore 〈◊〉 some sort of worshâ—… is performed by all sorts of Heathens 〈◊〉 are yet without God and that because withâ—… Christ and therefore without hope in the world Eph. 2.12 Never was there nor will there be nor can there be any gracious approach unto God nor any address recieved favourably by God but at this Throne of Grace Therefore whatever may be said of the zealous devotion and of the Moral Principles and Practices of the Heathens yet never any of them did nor could offer up an acceptable prayer unto God nor obtain a gracious answer from him not only because they worshiped an unknown God Acts 17.23 Gal. 4.8 but mainly because they worshiped not at this Throne of Grace for there can be no Communion with God there can be nothing graciously given by God to Men nothing done by Men that can be accepted of God but at this Throne of Grace 2. All should come to this Throne because all men have need of the blessings dispensed at this Throne of Grace Where there is an universal urgent necessity and only one place of supply discovered Men are called to betake themselves thither The blessings dispenced at the Throne of Grace are equally needed by all Every Man every Woman young or old rich or poor are equally needy because all are unpeakably needy of the Mercy and Grace of God Some indeed have a greater sight and sense of their wants than others and that is Mercy but the real necessity is common to all every unpardoned man needs a pardon at this Throne of Grace but few if any value a pardon till they get it or value the Grace of God till they feel it Do you feel your need of what is given and got at this Throne Come then The Law thunders and roars against you that you may see your need of coming hither for what the Law cannot give nor hinder you from receiving nor rob you of when recieved Do you think in your heart that you are the most needy person in all the World that you need all the Grace and Mercy or more than ever any sinner recieved Then come the rather come the sooner The neediest soul the hungriest sinner the person most greedy of the Grace of God should come first to Christ's door and beg lowdest Is there any not needy Alas many think so but none is so Will you come for hunger and want A sensible hunger a sense and sight of need an appetite after Grace and Mercy is an Alms that Christ can give and many Professors want it sadly 3. The Command is Vniversal to all that hear it As the Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 These things saith the Law to them that are under the Law So I may say This saith the Gospel to all under the sound of it come to the Throne of Grace It is no indifferent thing God commands all men to come Believing that is coming is commanded 1 John 3.23 Are you afraid to come have not I commanded you Joshua 1.9 as God spake to the Captain of Israel Will Men own Gods authority in the Law and deny it in the Gospel Is he not the same God in both He that commands you to have no other Gods besides him doth command you to believe on his Son Jesus who is the true God and eternal Life 1 John 5.20 If coming to the Throne of Grace were not commanded not coming to it were no sin and who dare say so Not believing on Jesus Christ is the great Gopel sin because believing on him is the great Gospel-Duty and work John 6.29 Object But I am afraid he commands not me others he may command but not such a vile dead Creature as I am Answ
as if there was no Throne of Grace at all They that never hear of Christ must perish It is an idle dream that the efficacy of Christ's Death may be apply'd and profitable to the saving of adult persons that never heard of him There is no Salvation for Men but by Jesus Christ there is no knowing of it or partaking of it but by the word of Truth the Gospel of our Salvation Eph. 1.13 Christ and his name go together Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other No Saviour but he For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved No other way of getting good by him but by hearing of his Name and believing on his Name How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 It is a wonderful Mercy to hear of Him But Wo to them that hear and do not believe None can believe without hearing Rom. 10.17 But alas many hear and believe not Isa 53.1 2. Consider the great advantages of this priviledge of having a Throne of Grace erected for us and revealed to us All blessings may be had here by coming for them If there was such a Throne in this world for Silver and Gold and Health and outward Mercies what strange crowding would there be to it The Blessings to be had here are innumerable for multitude All spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.3 Blessings invaluable for their worth Eternal in their duration most free in their Tenure and all given in Love Every act of favour from the throne of grace is more worth than all God's common Mercies Lord lift up upon us the light of thy countenance Psal 4.6,7 that will put joy into the soul Every thing given at the throne of grace is a blessing of Grace It s very name should teach people how to come and how to call what they get at it If it be a throne of Grace we should come to it as empty needy Beggars and when we recieve any thing there we should call and count it Grace Ask all Saints on Earth and they will witness that great and good things are to be had at the throne of grace Try it your selves and you will find it is not invain to beg here Nay the damned in Hell do bear sad witness that great are the blessings that are to be had at the throne of grace which they feel and know by their woful and eternal loss of them The glorified in Heaven know what a rich throne of grace this is Only sinners on earth will not believe this nor use this throne as they should 3. Consider that this Court and Throne is of short continuance It will not be kept up always There is a limitation of the time of its lasting As Heb. 4.7 He limiteth a certain day The day of the continuance of the throne of grace is bounded and limited with four days The day of a mans life the Gospel day the Worlds day and the Spirits day 1. The day of every mans life This hath bounds set to it by God Job 14.5 The throne of Grace continues unto men no longer than they live When men die they go not to the throne of grace but of Glory and Judgment If we have sped well at the throne of grace we shall be welcome to the throne of glory The uncertainty and shortness of life with the certainty of the expiring of all Treaties betwixt God and us about Salvation at the end of Life should make people careful to secure the main matter in Gods time 2. There is the Gospel day this is also set and limited by the Lord. He hath determined how many offers you shall have of Christ and when they come to an end there will not be one more And then the throne of grace is taken down as to you Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes saith our Lord to Jerusalem This was the ending determining day to Jerusalem as a City and to its Inhabitants as a Body though many particular persons had another day of grace Yet the slipping of that day hangs on that poor people and their Posterity to this very day 3. There is the Worlds day and then the day of grace will end as to all when the Bridegroom cometh they that are ready enter with him to the marriage and the door was shut Matth. 25.10 There was no more grace to be dispensed to men and we know not when that day will come Miserable is their case who shall see Christ coming in the Clouds of Heaven before they have seen him by Faith in the Gospel who heart the voice of the Archangel and the Trump of God before they have heard the quickning voyce of the Son of God from the throne of grace who have neglected calling on him in time and begin out of time Luke 13.25 When the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us Is it not just that they should be kept at the shut door that would not enter at an open door in Christ's time and when he called When Christ comes and hath shut the door no man will be let in knock as he will Now while the throne of grace is patent no man will be kept out be what he will that hath a mind to enter and knocks for entrance 4. There is the Spirits day Here is a great depth of Gods Soveraignty and Wisdom a great depth of his Severity an unaccountable and awful Judgment how the Spirit of God strives with men in the Gospel how near he comes to them sometimes how close he besiegeth them that they seem to be on the point of yielding and are not far from the kingdom of God and yet he draws back his hand and leaves them I believe that many ungodly men many reprobates have been sometimes in their life nearer to Heaven if such may be said to be near to Heaven that never come there then many an Elect person was half an hour before his Conversion Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with man What kind of striving this was and what became of them striven with we have 1 Pet. 3.19,20 Nothing will more bitterly aggravate the eternal misery of the Damned than the remembrance of this that they had a day and in that day grace offered to them and that they did reject the offer Mens carnal hearts are now full of cavils against the unsearchable methods and ways of God towards the Sons of Men but the last days Judgment will determine and declare That in the perdition of the Ungodly there was and is most pure and unspotted Justice and Righteousness and in the salvation of all the Elect pure perfect and predominant grace that
reigned in them and over them and through them till it brought them to Heaven Wherefore seeing the having of a throne of grace is a priviledge of so great importance and of so uncertain continuance there should be the greater care to make diligent and present improvement of it Why should any man let this throne of Grace stand empty Will men provoke the Lord to say in vain have I set up a throne of grace for sinners that come not at it Again consider the Wrath that will follow on the neglect and not improving of this great priviledge The Sin is many ways committed and the judgments of many sorts that are inflicted But I leave this to the next occasion Except you in your personal exercise and experience do know what this throne of grace is and what is got there you may be Christians hereafter but as yet you are none unless you experience what this throne of grace is by frequent repairing to it and by frequent receiving good at it That Man or Woman whatever his or her name be in the world or the Church of Christ that never found any need for or use of or benefit by this throne of grace is surely a dead sinner People may safely and surely judge of both the State and Frame of their Souls by their business at the throne of grace Never got any Soul life but by an act of grace and power from this throne No Soul can be kept in life but by daily entercourse with it It s as impossible that these Bodies of ours should be maintained in life and strength without Meat and Drink and Air as it is for the Soul of a Believer to prosper without daily plying the throne of grace Let therefore the Exhortation in the Text be complyed with come to this throne Say therefore Lord I am invited to come to the throne of thy grace and none have more need of that grace than I and there is enough of grace there for me and therefore I will come and beg and get and abide and bless the Giver and become happy by Recieving SERMON III. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need I Have spoke of the first thing that this Text contains That God in Jesus Christ in the Gospel is on a throne of grace inviting men to come to him What this throne of grace is why all should come who they be that will come and who will be specially welcome you have heard I was pressing this Exhortation of coming to this throne You see the Apostle in delivering this takes in himself with them he exhorts Let us come He had oft come before and had been bountifully dealt with at this Court 1 Tim. 1.14 And the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant towards him This made him commend this Throne so highly and entreat others and stir up himself to frequent addresses to it I did use three Arguments to back this Exhortation and shall add a fourth 1. Was the greatness of the priviledge of having a throne of grace to come unto A priviledge denyed to fallen Angels and the knowledge of it denyed to the far greater part of Mankinde 2. This throne of grace is a priviledge full of rich advantages All Believers know somewhat of them All their acceptance with God all their access to God all their communications from him and fellowship with him all their Blessings in time and their hopes for Eternity are all owing to this that God is on a Throne of Grace 3. This priviledge is of uncertain duration and short The Lord the King is for ever but the Throne of Grace is not for ever it is but a Time dispensation and limited unto certain seasons The Gospel day is uncertain our life time is uncertain the Worlds day is uncertain to us though all determined by God But above all the Spirits day is uncertain How long he will strive when he will forbear who can tell Some godly men have thought that there are few if any that live under a powerful Ministry but at some time of their life the Spirit of God comes close to them so that there is not only a witness given for the Lord in the offers of the Gospel but there is a further addition to that witness by some special approaches of Gods Spirit to their hearts But whatever there be in that observation this is undoubted that where the Holy Ghost makes the strongest assaults on men if he be resisted and withdraws the most prodigious hardness is left behind Therefore extraordinary bold hardned sinners cruel Persecutors Apostates and Mockers of godliness are usually such as sometimes were under special Conviction not to speak of the sin against the Holy Ghost which consists in some high Rebellion against special workings of the Spirit of God on mens Consciences under the Gospel This dreadful sin Satan perplexeth many Believers with fears of it But its certain that a disturbing fear of this guilt is a proof of a persons innocency as to it For whosoever have fallen into this Abyss of wickedness are so far from fearing the sin though they may have a hopeless fear of wrath Heb. 10.26 that they glory in it therefore they are said to do despite to the Spirit of Grace Let all that find the Spirit striving with them take good heed to themselves comply with his motions and secure their state speedily by believing on the Lord Jesus for the season of his striving is the most critical part of our life and as it issues of greatest consequence to Salvation or Damnation 4. A fourth Argument I would conclude this point with is the greatness of the sin of not coming to the Throne of Grace and the dreadful wrath it draws on This sin is many â—ays committed and many ways avenged A â—…ttle of both It is committed 1. By mens despising and â—ontemning the Throne of Grace making light 〈◊〉 it Matth. 22.5 Neglecting so great Salvaâ—…on Heb. 2.3 There are many things from whence this contempt springs Either no sense â—f their need of what is to be had at the Throne of Grace or else a Dream that they â—ay be supplyed elsewhere or Gross Unbeâ—…ef that men think in their hearts that all â—his account of the Throne of Grace is but a cunâ—ingly devised Fable Or the nature of the Blesâ—ings Spiritual and Eternal unsuitable to and â—ot taking with their carnal Hearts who â—…ind earthly things If the Exhortation had â—un thus Let us come that we may get Silver and obtain Gold to render us rich in this World what leaping and striving would there be to obey it Whilst Grace and Mercy that men have no sense nor experience of are despised and therefore the Throne of Grace where only they are to be had is despised also The Spirit of God in the Scripture is at much pains to commend the Worth and Value
in him It is grounded on Jesus Christ as we shall hear further It is a great mistake in Christians to think that they cannot come to the throne of grace with Boldness because of the many Infirmities in their Hearts and in their Addresses Your complaint may be just and true but the Inference is not good Do you never in your counting your Infirmities put in this great one amongst them in your Confessions the want of Boldness of Faith For this Boldness stands not in any thing in us and done by us We must not come boldly because we can pray well and plead hard we must not think to be heard in Heaven neither because of our much speaking nor well speaking Matth. 6.7 as the Pharisees did The boldness of Faith hath a higher and more noble and firm Foundation even Jesus Christ I shall conclude this Discourse with these three Acts of this allowed and commanded Boldness of Faith 1. Believe firmly that the Throne of Grace is erected for poor empty sinful Creatures just such as you be As Paul saith of the Law 1 Tim. 1.9 It is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient so may we say of the throne of grace it is not made framed and revealed for the holy and happy but for miserable Creatures that want Mercy and sinful helpless Creatures that want Grace By what is dispensed here we may know for whom and for what sort of Folks it was design'd and erected 2. Believe firmly that coming to the Throne of Grace by you is allowed and commanded by the Lord. Say confidently while I am coming to the throne of grace for Mercy and Grace I am in the Work that the Lord would have me to be in Take in all Discoveries you have made unto you or that you can find out by searching of the Weakness and Infirmities that are in your way of addressing to it own them humbly but maintain this stedfastly that though you cannot do as you would as others do nor as you are bid that yet you are doing what ye are bid They are called Luke 14.21 Who are the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind See a Promise looking that way Jer. 31.8.9 Now may not the halt and maimed be confident that they are coming when called although they cannot go so fast and straight as others do Every Believer walks in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 though not his Pace When you draw near to the throne of grace assure your Hearts you are in your Duty though many do it better than you do 3. Believe firmly that upon coming you shall speed This is coming with the boldness of Faith We should not come with a may be the Lord will be gracious It 's true that in some particulars not absolutely promised nor simply needful to Salvation this may be is all we can have or should seek But in addressing for Saving Mercy and Grace people should come expecting Success It had been a cold Word if it had been said Let us come to the Throne of Grace it may be we shall obtain Mercy and find Grace No the Apostle speaks in another Dialect Let us come that we may obtain Never doubt of obtaining if you come I say not that the confidence of good Entertainment at this Throne is common to all comers to it But only that it is the Duty of all that come for God's Mercy and Grace in Jesus Christ to perswade their Hearts that they shall obtain and find it and good grounds there are for it as we shall hear How is it with you Christians you often come to this Throne What are the Thoughts of your Hearts as to the issue of your Addresses It may be you think it is well if you can reach so far as this It may be the Lord will receave and welcome me and therefore I will try Though there is often Faith lurking under such doubtings and though a may be should stir up Men to come yet this is far from the boldness of Faith which glorifies this Throne and him that sitteth on it and which is so becoming and profitable to all that approach it See how an Old Testament-Saint speaks Job 23.3,6 O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his Seat that is this Throne I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with Arguments But cannot God easily stop this Man's Mouth and bring Arguments against Job that he could not answer Yes surely he can but he will not Will he plead against me with his great power No but he will put strength in me He that I plead with will help me to plead and prevail Few Christians know how much Glory is given to God by an enlarged Heart filled with believing expectations of good from him and how a Heart thus enlarged by Faith is fitted and disposed for receaving a large Blessing We easily conceave how sharp Hunger and Thirst strong Desires deep sense of Need and mighty Pleadings and Importunity do prepare the way for great Receavings but we little think how much force is in the bare-like Argument of Faith Psal 16.1 Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust Psal 33.22 Let thy merey O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psal 57.1 Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee There is a mighty force in such Pleadings of Faith I know no help but in and with thee I expect it from thee and therefore beg it of thee Faith in a Believer never rose so high but the Lord 's gracious Answer went higher Eph. 3.20 Look well to your Faith Believers raise it high use it well and plead by it and plead upon it Blessed Jesus will never cast that Soul into Hell that cannot forbear to entertain in his Heart an expectation of eternal Life from him in the Virtue of his precious Blood and on the Warrant of his gracious Promise He that believeth on him shall never be confounded Never was any neither shall you if you believe It was a great Word of Faith spoke by a dying Man who had been converted in a singular way betwixt his Condemnation and Execution of whom Mr. Fleming speaks in the Fulfilling of the Scriptures his last Words were these spoke with a mighty shout Never Man perished with his Face towards sweet Christ Jesus SERMON IV. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need IT is one of the Names given to the Godly in the Word that they are the Generation of them that seek the Lord that seek his Face Psal 24.6 And they must be bold and arrogant Pretendâ—…ers to this Name that are guilty of the utter neglect of this Duty Since it is a Duty of so great importance it is needful to know how
in the Promises There is more of Grace in the Promise than there can be of Sin and Misery in the Man that pleads it Take heed how you compare your Necessities with the fulness of the Promises Nothing you can need but a Supply is promised Study your Hearts and God's Covenant and you will quickly find it to be so We may ask any thing for God hath promised every thing Psal 84.11 2. The Freeness of the Promises gives Boldness at the Throne of Grace That they are Promises of a Covenant of Grace proves they must be free A free Promise is a Bond given meerly from the Heart and proper motion of the Promiser without any motion or motive from the Party to whom it is made except it be that of his Misery that Grace works on If the Promises were not purely free to us there could be no Boldness in pleading of them See how the Shunamite pleads with the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 4.28 Did I desire a Son of my Lord Did I not say do not deceave me As if she had said It was not at my desire but of thine own motion thou didst promise me a Son and I did not fully believe it at first but now the Son promised is dead So may the Believer plead Lord I did not ask of thee a promise of Grace and Glory I was sinfully contented in and with my natural lost Estate and thou didst call me and quicken me with thy Promise wilt thou not make out thy Promise The freeness of the Promise is the firmest Foundation of Boldness in pleading its performance No other Promises but free ones are in the Covenant of Grace and no other pleading of them but as free is allowed to them that come to the Throne of Grace If thou be for Merit and Worth in thy self go elsewhere there is no place for such proud rich Folks at this Court 3. The Sureness of the Promises of the Covenant of Grace is another ground of Boldness at the Throne of Grace They are the sure Mercies of David Isa 55.3 Sure because of grace Rom. 4.16 Therefore it the Promise or the Inheritance promised is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the Seed A promise is made for Faith would ever God or Man promise but to be believed Faith is given for and acts on the Promise believing without a Promise is dreaming A Promise made by the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 to Sinners void of all Grace to give all Grace to them must be a Promise of Grace the Believer of this Promise must and can have nothing in his Eye but the Grace of the Promiser Now saith Paul it is this Grace of the Promise and Promiser that makes the Blessing promised sure to all the Seed Again the Promises of God are sure because they are his Heb. 6.17,18 Promises sworn for putting an end to the strife of Unbelief Balaam was a bad Man and therefore called a mad Prophet 2 Pet. 2.16 Yet by the over-ruling Spirit of God upon him spoke truly and highly Numb 23.19 Godâ— is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good All God's Promises are sure because they are his Promises that cannot lie And they are yet further confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3.17 So that the Believer in his pleading of God's Promises may lay down this Conclusion I want indeed great and many Blessings but I want nothing I ask nothing but what he hath promised who cannot lie and what is confirmed in Jesus Christ the Amen the true and faithful Witness Believers fail greatly in their neglect to quicken and strengthen their Faith by taking up the Promises in their full extent Fulness Freeness and Certainty It is always found that Faith is weak when the Promises are mean in our Eyes But if the Promise appear and shine in its Glory as God's faithful Word then Faith is aloft and acts strongly Hence it is that all strong believing gives Glory to the Promiser Rom. 4.20 and weak Faith reflects on him Psal 77.9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious doth his promise fail for evermore Alas it was the good Man's Infirmity to say and think so ver 10. but from his arguing I observe that where Faith is feeble a Man thinks the Promise fails as a giddy Man thinks the Rock he stands on shakes and reels when all the shaking is in his Head or Legs and when he thinks the Promise fails he thinks the Promiser is chang'd from what he was when he made it And it borders on Blasphemy to rob God by our Unbelief of his glorious Attribute of Vnchangeableness If you have a mind to believe keep still the Promise in your Eye if you would believe strongly view the Promise narrowly and steddily The Promise is both the Father and Mother of Faith it both begets Faith and feeds it Your first believing is from the power of the Promise and the continued and growing life of Faith is by sucking and drawing Nourishment from the Breasts of the Promise 5. Another ground of the boldness of Believers in their Approaches to the throne of grace is Their Priviledges that they are possessed of So the Apostle argues Heb. 10.19,20,21 to drawing near with full assurance of Faith ver 22. Some of those I shall name with this Caution that though all Believers have them yet all do not know they have them and therefore all do not use them as they ought and would if they knew them to be theirs But all should therefore labour to know them that they may use them to the glory of the Giver and to the Comfort and Edification of the Receavers 1. The first of these Priviledges is Election And justly its called the first for nothing can be before it for it self is before time and all that they afterwards receave flows from it Election is that eternal and adorable Act of Free-grace wherein God the Father passed over his Love to a select Company of Mankind that were to come into the World appointing them to Salvation appointing a Saviour for them and all means fit to accomplish his design of Love on them to the praise of his grace Eph. 1.4,5,6 This Blessing is revealed in believing When God gives Faith he makes known his electing Love and when we act Faith we may see it Faith is the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.1 This when seen is a great ground of boldness at the throne of grace Luke 18.7 Shall not God avenge his own Elect that cry unto him day and night This our Lord prays upon in John 17.9,10 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them As if our Lord
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
of this Mercy of God We do not reckon a man miserable only on the account of what he feels but also on that of his just Fears And generally the smart of misery is raised from fear rather and more than from feeling If any thing renders a man's present State miserable the apprehension of the duration or increase of what he feels adds greatly to his misery Many things would be little complained of as great Evils were a man sure that in a moment they shall be removed But in a Sinner's Case for as bad as it is at present it will surely be worse with him shortly if mercy prevent not There is certainty of its coming and an eternal duration of it when it comes It is called the Wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 Nothing like it ever came on them Present Wrath though dreadful is but a trifle to that that is to come It is Wrath to come for it will surely come As surely as God lives as surely as God is true in his word of Threatning this Wrath will come on the World of the Ungodly No putting of this evil Day far away but in vain Thoughts no diverting or keeping it back a moment All the united Force of the rebellious part of the Creation will not be able to stem or stop this fearful Tide of Wrath. It is Wrath to come for it is still coming and approaching As many Days and Years as an ungodly sinner counts in his life as many Days and Years Journeys hath God's Wrath made towards him Think on this Old Sinners God's Wrath and you are near to meet except mercy interpose You think you run from it but it runs after you it will come upon you and pursue you and overtake you as Deut. 28.45 It 's Wrath to come because it is always a coming and never past The Tide of God's Wrath on the Damned is an eternal Flood there will never be an ebbing Look down to Hell and see how they fare there Alas Men will not believe and fear and fly and therefore must feel How many daily hear of this Wrath to come and yet never have any fear of it till they be irrecoverably plunged into it Who never awaken out of the sleep of security till awakened by the Flashes of Hell fire Who will never believe God's Wrath till they feel it No true Believer goes to Hell all Unbelievers are sent thither but as soon they come there they become woful Believers because eternal feelers of this Wrath to come Mens danger of this dreadful State should make them cry mightily for God's Mercy as it renders them unspeakably needy of it But your own serious Thoughts about it would do you more good than many Words can The second thing proposed is What is the obtaining of mercy A frequent manner of Speech in Scripture 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy This Phrase of obtaining mercy speaks forth 1. That the mercy is God's Gift Our obtaining is the fruit of his giving I obtained mercy saith Paul and may every Believer say How so he gave it he showed he demonstrated it as 1 Tim. 1.16 It is the Lord 's shewing it tendering and giving of it that is the only spring of our obtaining it We do not buy it we do not work it out we are no way meet for it but by misery God's mercy springs not out of the Earth but comes down from Heaven It is the Gift of God And as such must all seek it that would obtain it and as such will all eternally own it that do obtain it 2. This Phrase speaks forth a particular application of mercy to the Receaver by the Giver of it I obtained mercy saith Paul general mercy would not do my business another man's mercy would not save me I must have it of my own for my self and so I got it Mercy came to me made me a Visit and applyed it self to me in particular So must it be with you You will never be saved you shall never see God's Face in Glory unless his mercy deal with you and apply it self as particularly to you as if there were no other Person in the World to be saved by Mercy besides thy self There is indeed a blessed multitude of the Vessels of Mercy and the Captain of our Salvation brings many Sons to Glory Heb. 2.10 But yet there is a personal particular Application of saving mercy to every saved sinner And for this Application of mercy we should come to the Throne of Grace Though there be infinite mercy at this Throne and though many receave of this Mercy yet you must have of this Mercy for your selves or you cannot be saved Your Soul is your own and no man's else your danger sin and misery is your own and no man's else and the mercy that saves you must be as much your own and not another body's mercy That deep Discourse of of the Apostle looks this way Rom. 11.30,31,32 For as ye in times past have not believed God yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all It is a great mystery of Judgment and Mercy the Apostle is speaking of the rejecting of the Jews and calling in of the Gentiles Mercy took occasion from the just casting off of the Jews to visit the Gentiles and will in due time bestow it self again upon the Jews But both of them must have mercy of their own Mercy to the Jews will not save the Gentiles mercy to the Gentiles will not save the Jews both must have their own mercy The Fountain is the same the Streams are the same but the Vessels are not the same and every Vessel of mercy must have its own measure of its own particular mercy So must it be with you if you be saved by mercy it must be your own and no man's else 3. Obtaining of mercy speaks forth the Receavers possessing of it Obtained mercy is not only bestowed and applyed mercy but it is possessed mercy Such things as cannot be possessed and kept are worth little pains in seeking But God's mercy is well worth the seeking because it may be both had by seeking and kept when obtained and is unspeakably beneficial when enjoyed Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him As if the Psalmist said Man is but a Flower his Life is a Wind and Vapour that quickly and surely passeth away but it is not so with God's mercy it eternally abides on all it falls upon O that Men would think on this As God lives and is true in his Word God's
come again Obs 2. Christians should pray before the time of need come for that grace that may help them when it comes The Prophet speaks of bearing for the time to come Isa 42.23 The Apostle 1 Tim. 6.19 of laying up in store a good foundation for the time to come So here Men must pray for the time to come Is any man afflicted let him pray Jam. 5.13 And because any Man may be afflicted he should pray before-hand 1. Because we know not but we may be surprized by a time of need Our Lord's Argument Mark 13.33 Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is The Lord rarely gives particular warning of the time when special need is coming It ordinarily comes by surprize to us Death may but Sickness Losses and Affliction usually come on suddenly And surprizing Tryals are sore and searching ones 2. We should pray before a time of need come for often when that time comes we are thereby disabled for Prayer The distress may be such that even a Believer can do nothing The night may come when no man can work John 9.4 Pray much before it come 3. Because many Prayers have their answers delayed till a time of need comes Christians think that every day and hour of their Life is a time of need and so it is in some sense but there are some special Seasons of great need of which the Lord is the only Disposer and he fits such times with dispensings of that Grace that his People have many a day begged before There may be worse reasoning than this It may be there are some Blessings of Grace that I have oft sought and have not yet got that are reserved for me by the Lord against a time when I shall need them more than now I do Thus you see in the Scope of the Apostle in these Words that there is strong arguing for constant seeking of God's Grace You are either at present in a time of special need or if it be not present it may come Whatever case a Believer is in his Obligation is in a manner equal to this great Duty of coming to the Throne of Grace for Grace to help him as his Matters do require SERMON X. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need YOU have heard that the gracious Exhortation in the Text to coming to the Throne of Grace is directed with respect to the getting of two great Blessings or of one under two Names God's Mercy and Grace Concerning this Grace I have spoken to 3 things 1. What this Grace is 2. What the finding of this Grace is 3. What is the Helpfulness of this Grace so found I also entered upon the fourth and last thing the Seasonableness of this helping Grace The Truth I am to speak to is this The Grace of God is specially helpful in times of special need My Work then is to shew What are those times of need 2. What the helpfulness of grace in them is Only I would usher in this Discourse with a general Consideration of the constant need that all stand in of God's Mercy and Grace And that I would branch into four We need God's Mercy and Grace as Creatures as Men as Sinners and as Christians and that always 1. As Creatures The native Notion of a Creature is that it is a contingent necessitous Being For his pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4.11 The Lord did not make all or any Creature because he needed them but he made them that they might need him He did not build this glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth as a House to dwell in or to contain him 1 Kings 8.27 But he made this World as a Stage on which to display his glorious Wisdom and Power and he made some of its Inhabitants Angels in the upper Rooms and Men in the lower to be Spectators and Praisers of his Glory It is not proper to say that Creatures needed their Being before the Creator gave it For when there was nothing but God there could be no need Need and Want is essential to a Creature and springs up with their Being As soon as the Creation receaved its Being by the word of his power it needs upholding by the same power Heb. 1.3 Our Lord Jesus upholds all things by the word of his power The whole Creation would fall back immediately into its Mother Nothing if the same power that gave it a Being did not every moment preserve it Would you have a joyful view of Heaven and Earth Look on all as in our Lord's Hand Why do the Heavens keep their Course Why doth the Sun shine so gloriously move so regularly and influence the Earth so virtuously with his light and heat It is because Christ upholds all things by the Word of his Power He is before all things and by him all things consist All things were created by him and for him Col. 1.16,17 Many are without Christ in the World Eph. 2.12 Man see daily the Works of Creation and Providence and never think on Christ as the Head of all But it is no wonder that Men that have no Eyes to see Christ in the new Creation of Grace cannot see him in the old Creation of Nature We as Creatures are needy of God's helping Grace and Favour for in him we live and move and have our Being Acts 17.28 In his hand our breath is and his all our ways are Dan. 5.23 2. Our need of God's Grace appears yet more as we are such Creatures Men. We are through the Bounty of God the most considerable part of this lower Creation Of Man some understand that elegant Phrase Prov. 8.26 the highest part of the Dust of the world But there is no earthly Creature needy of God's Grace but Man even in his natural Frame abstract from his sinful State The great Former of all things hath given to all a Being and to many of his Creatures no more To some of his Creatures he hath given Life a nobler sort of Being But to all living Creatures but Man he gives no more and they need no more they have not they need not eternal life When the Breath of the other living Creatures goes downward in the Word is Eccl. 3.21 there is an end of them But Man is created in that state that he must be for ever and therefore be eternally happy or miserable This State he is made in makes him vastly needy of God's Grace and Mercy 3. We grow yet more needy as Sinners Sinners are Creatures with this great blemish of Guilt Sin and Corruption A Sinner is needy of a Mediator to deal for him with God for he cannot deal with God for himself A Sinner is needy of the Righteousness of another to recommend him to God's Acceptance for he hath none of his own The Righteousness of a Sinner is a plain Contradiction And
need and none can stand with Peace before that Throne but they that have been acquainted with this Throne of Grace in my Text. Christ on the Throne of Grace and Christ on the Judgment-seat is the same Christ Christ in the Gospel and Christ on the Clouds is the same Christ Yet we must distinguish Christ on the Throne of Grace is no Judge and Christ on the Judgment-Seat hath no Grace to dispense Now is his time of dispensing Grace then will be the day of his punishing the Despisers of Grace and of giving the Crown of Glory to the Receavers of his Grace In the last place I would give a few Directions unto real Christians in order to your providing of Grace to help in time of need 1. Lay the Foundation sure a time of need will try it 1 Cor. 3.11 Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ The Father hath laid Christ for a Foundation Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation He that believeth shall not make haste Applyed to Christ 1 Pet. 2.6 The faithful Ministers of the Gospel lay Christ for a Foundation 1 Cor. 3.10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation But how can a poor Sinner lay Christ for a Foundation to himself Turn but the Words and the Question is answered Thy laying of Christ for a Foundation is thy laying thy self upon Christ as a Foundation and it is neither more nor less nor any thing else Cast your selves and all your Concerns about Salvation on Christ alone Let him bear all He only can and calls for this from you One of the first Questions that riseth in the mind of a Christian in a time of need is this Is the Foundation right laid Am I founded on Christ The Storm will try the Foundation It were great wisdom to secure that before the Storm come 2. Clear up your Evidences against a time of need The Evidences of a Christian are not his Charters for Heaven the Covenant of Grace contains them but they are as Light by which a Christian reads his Charters Evidences are of great use in a time of need They stand in Gods Work in us Our Faith stands on God's word of Promise to us and on Christ's Work for us the Evidences of Believers stand in God's gracious working in and on and by them These four Words I would give about your Evidence 1. When you cannot perceave them search for them 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates or disapproved The Exhortation is so delivered as to perswade us that very narrow and exact searching is called for in this Work May not that Christian's Heart condemn him who is daily complaining of his Ignorance of his State when he knows that serious self-examination is neglected by him 2. If upon searching you cannot yet find beg the help of the Spirit of God to discover his own work in you 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have receaved not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God The Illumination of the Holy Ghost is not only simply needful to give us a saving knowledge of the Mystery of the Gospel but is so also to give us a right knowledge of the my story of his Grace in us Eph. 1.17,18,19 where the Apostle prays for the Spirit for both these ends David prays for the Lord's help in his examining of himself Psal 139,23,24 A Heart laid open to God's search a Heart willing to have all in it viewed and discovered by the Lord is an upright sincere Heart Whoever is willing to know his worst is not stark naught Yet he that seeth but the least half of his badness will judge himself to be very bad 3. If you cannot yet find your Evidences make them presently Many Christians need this advice They formerly had Evidences of their Interest in Christ they had a clear fight of the Truth and Fruits of their Faith and Love and Repentance this refreshing Sight is gone and they mourn as without the Sun as Job speaks chap 30.28 Let such take this course Act afresh that Grace when you are doubtful whether you ever acted it before See you at present no clear Evidences of your former believing Act Faith presently There are few things more evident than strong believing is in the very acting of it And if the acting of Faith on Jesus Christ as speaking in righteousness and mighty to saue Isa 63.1 be evident to thee thou hast the best Evidence for eternal Life that is in all the Bible Most of the Promises run this way Whoever believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life John 3.15,16,17 It is the gracious and wise Constitution of the Lord that no Grace can be ordinarily evident to a Man in whom it is so as in and by the exercise and acting of it 4. When you find Evidences of God's Work in you Bless the Worker and Discoverer of them and believe more and more Say with David Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more It is just with God and merciful too that darkness should come upon that Man's Evidences who sits down upon them and blesseth himself in them more than he doth God for them and pleaseth himself in a life of Sense with neglecting the life of Faith 3. Make good use of your former Experiences of the Mercy and Grace of God helping you in former times of need The Lord's kindness is not shown to us for the present time only but for the time to come It is not given to us to play or please our selves with at present but for good and needful uses for strengthening of our Faith exciting of Praise and directing and encouraging us to come to the same Door we were formerly relieved at It is a part of the work of Faith to look back on formerly-bestowed Mercy and Grace as well as to look forward to the greater and better things to come It is a great Sin but very common that a Believer who hath many Years Experience of the Mercy of God if there be a stop put to the Stream of Mercy he is often as much shaken in his Faith as if he had never tasted that the Lord is gracious 4. In preparing for a time of need be careful to keep your Conscience's clean There is no worse Company in an evil day than an evil Conscience It is worse Company than the Devil 's His Company is that of a Tempter and Accuser but an evil Conscience is a Judge condemning and an Executioner tormenting a Man Therefore herein exercise your selves