we come to the throne of grace for grace in this Consideration we come for the manifestation and communication of grace from the Fountain according to his Will and our Need for the carrying on of our Salvation to the Praise of his grace It is to be observed in that Apostolick Wish which by a good Custom is made the concluding Blessing in Christian Assemblies 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen That there is grace in the Fathers love and grace in the Communion of the Holy Ghost as well as there is Love and Communion in the Grace of our Lord Jesus For grace is in all divine Favour and in all its Fruits freely bestowed on the undeserving Sons of Men. 2. Grace may be considered as it is in the Channel in which it runs in the Way and Means of its conveyance usually called the means of grace and this is the Gospel It 's true that this form of speech means of grace is not a Scriptural Phrase though it be usual with us But by it we mean nothing but such means as are hallowed by Divine Institution and backed with a gracious Promise of bestowing grace on the right Users thereof the main of which means is the Gospel it self called by Paul in Acts 20.24 the Gospel of the grace of God and ver 32. the word of his grace And in Tit. 2.11 the Gospel is called simply the grace of God If you take away the Doctrine of Free grace you take away the Gospel It is but an empty Shadow a false Name to call that Doctrine Gospel that is not the Word of his grace The grace of God in the means is universally offered to all that heaâ— the Gospel but the Blessing it self is sovereignly dispensed like grace There is ground sufficient in the Promise for Faith in waiting on the Lord in the use of his Appointments But yet the Lord never used any outward mean that was always effectual to all them that had it The greatest of any outward means that ever Men were under was the personal ministry of Christ yet all his Hearers did not believe yea but a few did John 6.26 c. What a heavenly Discourse doth Christ deliver but what was the effect of it ver 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him The Lord hath wisely ordered it thus that the means the Channel his grace runs in are at some times and to some Persons filled with his grace and at other times are but empty Pipes that the means themselves may not be doated on and that the Fountain may still be depended on When then we come to the throne of grace for Grace as in the means we come begging that the Lord who hath appointed the means and keeps the Blessing of them in his own Hand would fill the means with his Grace and fill our Souls with the communication of that grace in our use of these means 3. Grace is considered as it is in the Vessels that receave it in Men that partake of it And here it will be needful to distinguish The grace of God as receaved comes under a very notable distinction of common grace and saving grace or special Somewhat hath been hinted of the same distinction betwixt common and special saving mercy But of this distinction as to grace receaved I would speak more fully Common Grace is so called not because it is ordinary and usual for in bad times it is rare enough but because it is not saving It 's most likely that in such happy times which we cannot now boast of but only hope for when saving grace is bestowed on many common grace is dispensed more frequently also That there is such a thing as common Grace is as certain as it is that there is such a Creature if I may so call him as a Hypocrite in the Church or in the World For an Hypocrite is nothing else but an unrenewed sinner painted over with more or less common Grace And to Men that see the out-side of others only he may appear like a true Christian I would give some particular Instances of this common grace 1. There is a common enlightening grace a common Illumination Heb. 6.4 and 10.26 the Apostle supposeth that there is an enlightening and a receaving a knowledge of the truth that may be where a fatal Apostacy may follow The Lord may give the Light of his Word and in and by that Light may dart in some clear Beams of Gospel-Truth on such that are led no further It is far from being true that all knowing Heads have sound Hearts There may be and often is much clear Light in the mind about points of saving Truth when there is no Sense no Savor no Faith in the Heart Acts 26. We find Paul speaking in the most noble Assembly that it 's like he ever spoke in A King and Queen and a Roman Governour greater than both In this August Assembly Paul though a Prisoner in Bonds remembers his being an Apostle and preacheth Christ and takes Christ's grace in converting him for his Text. ver 24. When he is thus speaking Festus said with a loud voice Paul thou art beside thy self much learning hath made thee mad At the same time ver 28. Agrippa said unto Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian This was a great deal better then Festus's Word yet a poor Word in it self It spoke some glancing of ineffectual Light on his mind An Almost Christian and no more is but a Sinner almost saved and no more or one that is no Christian and never saved at all 2. There is common awakening grace The Lord sometimes alarms the Consciences of the Ungodly and may raise a great Sense of Sin in such as are never forgiven and fears of Hell yea a fore-tast of Hell in some that never escape it I have sinned saith Pharaoh I have sinned saith Saul I have sinned saith Judas in betraying innocent blood Alas poor wretch it had been better to have confess'd his Sin against his Master to his Master than to his Murderers Felix trembled when Paul preached It was grace in God to come so near to him and great Power was put forth What else could make such a great Prince as Felix was to tremble at the Words of a poor Prisoner standing before him in his Chains Awakening grace is but common grace The Law wounds many a Conscience that the Gospel doth not heal because not applyed to No Wound can the Law make which the Gospel cannot heal Boast not of your Wounds by the Law unless you can tell how you were healed There is no cure for a Conscience wounded by Sin and the Law but the Blood of Jesus shed for Sin Did ye come to it Heb. 12.24 Did he apply it to you Were you cured of your Wounds before ye went to him
THE THRONE OF GRACE Discoursed of from HEB. IV. 16. By Robert Trail M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. Orme for Nathanael Hiller at the Prince's Arms in Leaden-hall-Street over against St. Mary Ax Church 1696. PREFACE WHat is in this Book offered to your Reading was some years since preached in the ordinary Couse of my Ministry on a Week day with no more thought that is none at all of Printing it than I had of Publishing this way anything I have preached these Seven and twenty years wherein I have been exercised in the Ministry of the Word save one single Sermon extorted from me about fourteen years ago The Publishing of such plain Discourses is singly owing to the Importunity of some of the Hearers and to the Assistance they gave me by getting what I spake transcribed from two Short-hand Writers without which I could not have Published it My own Notes being only little Scraps of Heads of Doctrine and Scriptures confirming them In the same way I had brought to me what I spoke from Heb. 10.23,24 and have it lying by me which may also see the Light if the Lord will that I live and if this be accepted of such whose Testimony I only value I mean such as are sound in the Faith and exercised in the life of Faith I know no true Religion but Christianity No true Christianity but the Doctrine of Christ of his Divine Person the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 of his Divine Office the Mediator betwixt God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 of his Divine Righteousness He is the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 Which Name is also called upon his Church Jer. 33.16 and of his Divine Spirit which all that are his receave Rom. 8 9. I know no true Ministers of Christ but such as make it their Business in their Calling to commend Jesus Christ in his Saving fulness of Grace and Glory to the faith and love of Men. No true Christian but one united to Christ by Faith and abiding in him by Faith and Love unto the glorifying of the Name of Jesus Christ in the Beauties of Gospel-Holiness Ministers and Christians of this Spirit have for many years been my Brethren and Companions and I hope shall ever be whithersoever the Hand of God shall lead me Through the Lord's Mercy to me as to many in London I have often heard what is far more worthy of the Press than any thing I can publish I have not been negligent in desiring such able Ministers of the New Testament to let their Light shine this way but have little prevailed It may be this mean Essay may provoke them more to that good Work Whatever you may think of my way of managing this Subject and indeed there is nothing in that either as designed or expected by me or that in it self deserveth any great Regard Yet the Theme it self all must judge who have spiritual Senses is of great Importance and always seasonable It is concerning the Throne of God's Saving Grace reared up in Jesus Christ and revealed unto Men in the Gospel with the Application all should make to that Throne The great Blessings to be reaped by that Application and Men's great need of those Blessings This greatest of Subjects is meanly but honestly handled in the same Order in which it was Preached and mostly in the same Words Some few Passages out of History are inserted which were not spoken May the Lord of the Harvest who ministred this Seed to the Sower make it Bread to the Eater and accompany it with his Blessing on some that are called to inherit a Blessing and I have my End and Desire the Reader shall have the Benefit and the Lord the Glory For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen London March 25. 1696. Ro. Trail ERRATA PAge 2. line 3. read Acts 9.22 and 17.2,3 and l. 18. for held r. hold p. 3. l. 3. for exhortation r. expression p. 20. l. 24. r. receaving p. 26. l. ult r. Righteousness p. 47. l. 5. for 4. r. 3. p. 78. l. 10. for considering r. consider and l. 16. r. I will p. 97. l. 23. r. God p. 127. l. 4. a. f. for better r. bitter p. 128. l. 5. for a r. as p. 135. l. 3. for Lord r. God p. 138. l. 25. for never r. ever p. 141. l. 9. a f. dele is p. 162 for Creations r. Creation p. 177. l. 6. for 73. r. 78. p. 189. l. 7. for it is r. is it p. 213. l. 15. r. able to take and l. 20. r. Rom. 8. p. 222. l. 11. r. for sa r. as p. 239. l. 9. r. inverting p. 249. l. 13. for Man r. Men or Many p. 250. l. 4. for in r. as p. 253. for on r. one ADVERTISEMENTS THE Righteousness of God through Faith upon all without difference who believe in two Sermons on Rom. 3.22 By Nathanael Mather Preacher of the Gospel 1694. The Conquests and Triumphs of Grace Being a Brief Narrative of the Success which the Gospel hath had among the Indians in New England By Matthew Mayheu 1695. Batteries upon the Kingdom of the Devil By Mr. Cotton Mather Author of the late memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions and of early Piety exemplified 1695. A Learned and accurate Discourse concerning the Guilt of Sin Pardon of that Guilt and Prayer for that Pardon Written many Years ago By the Reverend Mr. Thomas Gilbert Minister of the Gospel lately deceased at Oxford 1695. A Letter to Dr. Bates concerning a Vindication of the Doctor and my self necessitated by Mr. W's his Answer to Mr. Humfrey By S. L. 1695. All Printed for Nath. Hiller at the Prince's-Arms in Leaden-hall-street over-against St. Mary-axe 1695. 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 THE main drift of the blessed Apostle the Holy Ghosts Penman in this Excellent Epistle is to set forth the preheminence of our Lord Jesus Christ first in his Divine Person far above all Angels who are bid Worship him even when dwelling in Man's Nature If the God-head of our Lord Jesus Christ be hid from the readers of this Epistle it must be by a special Power of the God of this world on their unbelieving minds 2 Cor. 4.3,4 Will blinded men forbear to call the Son God when the Father speaks so Chap. 1.8 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Then the Apostle speaks of his Incarnation chap. 2.11 c. and therewith speaks of his Priesthood chap. 3 The Apostle compares Christ with and prefers him above Moses chap. 3. then above Aaron as a Priest chap. 7. and compares him with Melchisedech an eminent Type of Christ By this Epistle we may know what Paul's reasonings with the Jews were Acts 9.23 and what is the right way of dealling with the Jews at this day till Christs Divine
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
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
us Aaron and his Successors in the Office of High Priest were appointed to offer the great Sacrifice of yearly Attonement at the Altar and with the Blood thereof to enter into the Holy of Holies and to sprinkle the Mercy-Seat their Throne of Grace with that Blood Lev. 16.14 Our Lord Jesus the Anti-type offered the Sacrifice of himself in his death and in and with the virtue of that Sacrifice he entred Heaven to sprinkle the highest Altar therewith It is but a fond Popish fancy to think that there do remain visible Marks and Signatures of his humbled State on the glorified body of our Lord Jesus that is indeed to know Christ after the Flesh in a bad sense 2 Cor. 5.16 But his entring with his own blood is spiritually to be understood that Christ's Appearance in Heaven is to bring up a Memorial continually before God of the virtue and savour of that Sacrifice he offered without the Gates of Jerusalem Eph. 5.2 Christ loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour This savour never spends or wears out The Blood of Jesus in the Virtue of it in the Merit of it and in the Power of it is as fresh this day as in the day it was shed on the Cross He is still the â—ew-slain way to the holiest of all Heb. 10.20 â—s fresh and fragrant as ever If Men by their â—nbelief count it old or stale and to have lost â—ts savour and virtue to themselves and if they will seek for somewhat else to procure them â—cceptance in Heaven let them try and peâ—ish for none can help them that reject Christ â—ut our Lord presents nothing for the Salvation of his Body the Church but his own Blood and nothing else is accepted in Heaven for this End but that precious Blood And all they to whose Consciences this Blood is applyed and who come unto it and feel its virtue and power will abhor all vain and dangerous mixtures of any thing with this Sovereign Balsom It is always savoury in Heaven and it is always savoury to all them that are in the right way to Heaven Our Lord in his Intercession fills Heaven with the Almighty and Eternal savour of his Blood and Heaven is filled with the Praises of it and of the shedder of it Rev. 5.9,12 If its savour do not fill the parts of the Earth where it is preached it is because Men have lost or rather never had the spiritual sense that only can take in this savour and not because this Blood is impaired in its virtue But this is the sin and misery of this condemned World that what is most savoury in Heaven is least savoured on Earth and what is most sought after prized and doted on in Earth is vanity and abomination in Heaven Luke 16.15 3. In Christ's Intercession there is his knowledge of and sympathy with the Ails and Distresses of his people This the Apostle takes notice of in ver 15. His knowledge of their Distresses we can more easily account for than for his Sympathy His Omniscience as God we believe Peter sweetly owned it John 21.15,16,17 O that Christ would with power ask the same Question at all of you and that you could give the same Answer Christ's Question is lovest thou me more than these Not long since thou said'st so what saist thou now Peter's Answer is Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee And on the repeating of the Question Peter gives the same Answer ver 16. When Christ a third time ask'd the same Question Peter was grieved ver 17. and answers thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee As if he said I dare not compare my Love to thee with that of others to thee thou hast reason to question my love to thee because of my late woful denyal of thee but yet I dare call thee to Witness who knowest all things that I do love thee Though all my Brethren love thee better than I do or can though I be more unworthy than any to be loved by thee yet I am sure I love thee If the love of Christ were as a hot Fire within and its Coals were casting out a vehement Flame as Song 8.6 Believers would more often call Christ by that sweet Name sweet to us to speak and sweet to him to hear O thou whom my Soul loveth Song 1.7 Miserable Souls are they who love not Christ And dull unobservant people are they that know not what or whom their Souls love Is the love of Christ a meer Notion Is it not a most sensible holy and spiritual Passion or rather a heavenly Grace Can Men love Christ and not feel it Should they feel it and not avow it Is there any thing we should be ashamed of in the love of Christ but the shameful smalness of it That our highest and hottest love is so unsutable a Return to his incomparable Loveliness and his Wonderful Love to us and the dear Demonstrations of it All ye that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity look on him and love him more love him with all your Souls and blush with shame that you love him no better Blow the coals of Love by Faith and let the Flame mount up to Heaven and ascend ye in the Flame of the Altar as Manoah's Angel did Judg. 13.20 You that doubt of your Love to Christ go to him fall down before him answer Peter's Question according to the true sense of your Souls and it will be Lord thou knowest that I love thee Love Christ and ye will quickly feel ye love him A sight of Christ will beget Love and Love will quickly speak for it self 2 Cor. 5.14,15 But for Christ's Sympathy with his people this is harder to conceave than his knowledge of their Distresses It is a Sympathy different from what he had in the days of his own Infirmity it is as tender but not disturbing as real but not afflicting It is inconsistent with his glorifieâ— State to have any trouble His Sympathy it self is to be believed the manner how it acts is unsearchable Heb. 2.17 In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 4.15 He is touched with the feeling of our Infirmities and was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin About this deep point of Christ's Sympathy we may soberly conceave 1. Our Lord's Remembrance of his own Infirmities Temptations and Afflictions in the days of his Flesh This is plain and certain 2. His sure and distinct particular Knowledge and Remembrance of his people and of all that concerns them within and without 3. His Interest in them and Care of them and Concern for them as his Members 4. His Power and Wisdom as their Head to send down vital Influences upon them as their Case requires Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.19 Lastly Christ's
Bones a Consumption is coming on upon his Soul and the holy flesh is passed from him as Jer. 11.15 The Savour and Relish the Soul finds in approaching to the throne of grace is the surest Test of Soul-prospering In this I appeal to the Consciences of all that ever knew Communion with God Is it not best with you every way when you are most with him Do not your Burdens grow light when you cast them on the Lord Is not your Path plain when his Candle shineth upon you And doth it not shine when you are much in his Company Difficulties evanish and hard Work grows easie when the Lord is with you and you with him See how the Apostle joyns things together Jude 20,21 But ye beloved building up your selves upon your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Your Faith your Love your Hope are all to be acted in Prayer and are cherished by Prayer and strengthened by the Answers of Prayer Would you have plenty of the Grace of God Here is a plain and sure way taught you by the Apostle and he joyns himself with them he exhorts Let us come to the Throne of Grace that we may find Grace SERMON IX HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help intime of need THE Gracious Call and Invitation contained in this Text hath been often spoke to An Invitation frequently deliver'd in the preaching of the Gospel and as frequently flighted by most of the hearers of the Gospel It is such an Invitation as if it were delivered in the last day to the miserable Company on Christ's left hand we may think what complying with it would there be if there were a Throne of Grace set up then for but one hour where mercy and grace might be had in that time of need Think ye not that there would be coming and crouding and crying and roaring for mercy and grace but that day will afford no such Priviledge Now you have it and the Lord knows and next to him your Consciences know how this is entertained What this Throne of Grace is what coming to it is what Boldness in coming is allowed what ground there is for this Boldness have been spoke to The last thing in this verse what Blessings may be had by coming hath been spoke to also Of the mercy to be obtained and of the grace to be found Of this last I have handled two things 1. What is the grace that is to be found 2. What the Phrase of finding grace imports There are two things more that remain in the Text. 1. The Helpfulness of this grace We are called to come to find grace to help 2. The Seasonableness of this help of grace It is grace to help in time of need So our Translation carries it and pretty well The Original runs in fewer Words grace unto seasonable help or Help in due season Of these two I would speak at this time 1. Of the helpfulness of Grace God's grace is a most helpful blessing 1. It is promised by him that gives it as help Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee Be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Alas who hath Faith enough to draw at this deep Well of Salvation Every Word hath rich Food for Faith Whenever God would engage the Heart of a poor Creature to a dependance on him he doth it by promising to be that to them and to do that for them that none besides himself can be or do No Man can truly act Faith on God for that he thinks a Creature can do for him You never believe soundly but when you look to and wait on God for that that is impossible utterly to the whole Creation to give to you or to do for you 2. Again we find the Saints beg God's help Whenever they come to God in earnest they come to this Lord help for all other help is vain There is no more common Prayer in the Old and New Testament and to this day than Prayer for the Lord's helping grace All our Prayers in their greatest variety center in this help us by thy grace The great Believer Matth. 15.25 Came and worshipped him saying Lord help me A short Prayer but mighty and full of Faith A weaker Man in Faith than this Woman Mark 9.22 Have compassion on us and help us praying for himself and his Son ver 24. He prays for himself alone Lord help my Vnbelief There is no Believer on Earth who may not daily pray this Prayer 3. All the People of God find the helpfulness of his grace All that seek it find it and all that find it find the helpfulness of his Grace I would in a few things shew the helpfulness of Grace 1. The Grace of God helps always to purpose and effectually This grace helped Paul to labour more abundantly than all the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 I say not that this is always sensible to the Receaver but only that grace given is always really effectual for the end for which it is given It is not given in vain 2. The grace of God helps universally there is no case wherein it is not helpful As without Christ we can do nothing John 15.5 So through him strengthening we may do all things or any thing Phil. 4.13 A Christian can imagine can foresee no Condition no Tryal no Difficulty wherein the Lord's grace cannot help him So the Text runs that we may find grace to help in time of need Let the time be what it will and the need what it will grace can help in it It were a sad weakness of Faith for any Christian to say I am in that condition that the grace of God cannot help me in His grace is Omnipotent 3. Grace helps sweetly I mean that it doth not help as an External help but as an Internal As for a familiar Similitude A weak and weary or lame Person may be helped by the strength of another or by being carried but this is but external help This weak or lame person is helped far better when his Infirmity is removed and new strength given to him so that he can pleasantly walk and run Psal 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strenth in my Soul It s true the grace of God wherein our strength consists is without us and in him but it is inwardly applyed to us when strength is found and felt Therefore is it that Believers not only find by the dispensings of of his helping grace an effectual strength for their Work and Duty but a great deal of sweetness and easiness in the exerting of that gracious help So Psal 119.32 I will run in the
saved by grace Eph. 2.5 Nothing but grace can save a sinner and if it were not the grace of God and therefore Omnipotent it could not save Is not it a great help to be helped to Salvation Is not that a great lift to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son Col. 1.13 Who would not prize and desire a saving lift of God's grace All that have found it value it and they that never found it should but will not beg it earnestly The grace of God brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 It brings it near to Men in the Gospel This is all that it doth to many But to some this grace brings Salvation and gives it plants it in their Hearts and waters it and makes it grow with the increases of God till it be ripe full-grown Salvation Would you be helped to Heaven Imploy amd implore the grace of God it only can do it And must not they perish and do they not perish justly that will not accept of saving grace nor beg it when they must perish without it 2. Grace helps to grace All the grace that is given to us is but a drop from the great Fountain of grace that we make our Application to The first grace that is in us is a Gift and Stream of that grace that is with him That gracious change that is wrought on a Sinner by which of a graceless he is made a graoious Person How do you think it is brought about There is a mystery in it that a Master in Israel did not know John 3.9,10 No Similitude from the old Creation can fully declare it yet some of them are used in the Word and give some light This Work of Grace on the Ungodly whom this Grace falls on is like a Sun-beam darted from the body of the Sun of Righteousness upon a Sinner dead in Sins that doth immediately quicken him and enliven him It is both Light and Life It is all originally in Christ and out of his fulness given to all that partake of it John 1.4 In him was life and the life was the light of men Joh 8.12 I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life saith our Lord Jesus Christ is such a Sun that all on whom his gracious Beams light are saved he quickens all he shines upon Men perish under the Gospel indeed but it is because the Light of it shines only about them and without them 2 Cor. 4.4,6 but not into their Hearts All the grace whereby any and all the redeemed of the Lord are converted beautified and saved is from the highest Spring grace in Christ 1 Tim. 1.14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus How came Paul by all the Faith and Love his blessed Soul was filled with All came from the grace of the Lord Jesus And every partaker of true grace will own the same Original 3. This helping grace which we should ask not only helps to Salvation and Grace but also helps grace it self The grace receaved must be refreshed and watered and made to grow by influences from the same Fountain from whence it first flowed or else it will wither quickly Therefore we have the grace of God in the Fountain to betake our selves unto for the helping of his grace in us For tho' grace as in Christ needs no help yet his grace given to and dwelling in us needs a great deal The Father of the Lunatick Mark 9.22,24 came to throne of grace but sorrily What a marvellous change was wrought in him and that suddenly In his first Address he acted Unbelief grosly in the next he acts Faith professeth Faith and prays Christ's help against his Unbelief Many did cast out Devils in Christ's Name but none could help other folks Unbelief nor their own His begging help against his Unbelief was the same Prayer with that of the Apostles Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And it gave more Honour to Christ in his Office of a Saviour and did signifie more both of true Faith in Christ and of an honest heart in the Man than if he had addressed with the highest Confidence to the Lord to cast the Devil out of his Son The Youth is lying wallowing and foaming and torn by the evil Spirit in the sight of his tender Father Yet no sooner doth the light of Faith shine in his Heart but he seeth a Devil of Vnbelief there also and he first begs that Christ would cast out that and help his Faith for helping of Vnbelief and helping of Faith is the same thing He that seeks the helping of his Vnbelief seeks the removing of it and he that seeks the helping of hie Faith seeks the increase and strengthening of it And both are done by the same Hand by the same Act of Grace and at the same time whenever and where-ever they are done And as it is with Faith so is it with all the graces of the Spirit in Believers they do need help of his grace And it must be sought at the throne of grace Can you say I repent add Lord help my Impenitence I love say Lord help its coldness and blow it up to a flame Where the true grace of God is there is still some sense of its weakness and inclination after an encrease therein and some dependance acted on the Lord who began the good work for performing it to the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 4. The grace of God helps our Infirmities Rom. 8.26 If it were not written we should think it hard to use the expression If the Spirit of God plant grace in the Heart is not that fair if he water his own Plants is not that fair Nay but saith the Apostle he helps our Infirmities also Might not the Holy Spirit disdain to have any dealing with the Infirmities of his People Yes but he will not If he take no care of our Infirmities we may and must be lost thereby A Criminal pardoned by an Act of Grace may die of a Disease if not cured may starve of hunger and cold if not provided with necessaries may be slain by his Enemies if not protected Sense of Infirmities should make us beg helping Grace 5. Grace helps in all the Work and Duty we are called to Without assisting grace the least piece of Work cannot be rightly done and by its help any Work may be done 2 Cor. 9.8 God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work There is Grace all grace and its abounding in God toward his people From this given to them there is sufficiency and all sufficiency and that always and in all things and thence flows good work every good work and abounding to every good work Like to this is his Prayer Heb. 13.21 The
God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ We need Grace's help in every good Work no Work is truly good but what grace helps us to Grace and Works agree sweetly in this Order Grace begins and Works follow Grace works on the Man and makes him a Worker Grace passeth on the Person and his Works and makes them accepted and the accepted Worker gives grace all the glory both of his Works and of his own and their Acceptance Whence his help comes thither his Praises go Lastly Grace helps in Extremities But of this in the last thing in the Text. This then is the first Exhortation Come to the throne of grace seeking helping grace Enlarge and heighten the sense of your Need and Weakness as much as you will the Supply to be had at the Throne of grace is sufficient Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus And in Paul's Stile Glory and Grace change Names frequently Eph. 1.6,12,14 and 3.16 2 Cor. 3.18 Exhort 2. You must not only seek grace to help but when you seek it you must expect it The Text runs plainly this way The Apostle implies asking but expresseth finding and coming that we may find therefore we should come with expectation of finding The Spirit and Life of Prayer in Faith lyeth more in Expectation then in asking Unwise Christians let out the Life-Blood and vital Spirits of Prayer when they let their Expectations languish Here is a common but unregarded Error in Christians exercise When they set their Face to pray they make some Conscience of searching out their Wants they labour to improve that sight to the raising of fervent desires of a supply of them if they yet go higher to take in a sense of the fulness and freeness of that grace where their help is yet how rarely are they careful to raise up Expectations of that helping grace few can say as Psal 55.16 As for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me ver 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice Few can charge their Souls as he did Psal 62.5 My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him See how the Prophet's Faith rose Micah 7.7 I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me Looking is a needy Act of Faith waiting is an expecting Act and assurance is the highest If you look to the Lord you may quickly know he is the God of your Salvation if you know him as the God of your Salvation and your God you will ask earnestly wait patiently and by the same Faith Prophecy a gracious answer What do you take Praying in Faith to be Jam. 1.6 It is not only to pray believing that we call upon the true God in the Name of Christ and for things agreeable to his Will it is not only that we believe that he is able to give what we ask but that he will give what is good But because his grace to help is not only good and always good but nothing is good without it Christians should beg grace with confident Expectations What means Christ's frequent answer to Men Matth. 8.13 As thou hast believed so be it done unto thee and Matth. 9.29 According to your Faith be it unto you Is it not to tell us that he measures out his Bounty to Men according to their believing Expectations from him John 11.40 Jesus saith unto Martha Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God Our way is if we could see the glory of God then we would believe Christ's way is just contrary we must first believe and then we shall see the glory of God We say if the Lord would glorifie himself in performing his Promises and in hearing our Prayers then we would believe strongly But this is interverting of Christ's Order Martha was a Believer in Christ and expresseth Faith several ways in this Chapter It appears in the joynt Message they sent to Christ ver 3. Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick ver 5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her Sister and Lazarus A blessed Family and few like it all loved of Christ and doubtless lovers of Christ but they built more on his love to them than on their love to him like humble and wise Believers ver 21 22. Martha said unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died Her Sister Mary said the same ver 32. It is likely that none ever died in Christ's Presence when he was on earth he cured all that imployed him But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Here was some Faith When Christ promiseth ver 23. that her brother should rise again she acts Faith as to the Doctrine of the Resurrection ver 24. I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day When Christ goes on in preaching himself ver 25.26 and asks her of her Faith she answered bravely Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into to the world ver 27. A Confession like Peter's Matth. 16.16 What then was wanting in this good Woman why doth our Lord put such an if thou wouldest believe to one that did believe so much and so well Because notwithstanding her Faith in Christ's Person as the Christ the Son of God the Saviour of the world notwithstanding her Faith of his power yet in this instance of raising Lazarus she expected nothing When Christ ver 39. bids take away the stone she said Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days She that believed Lazarus should rise at the last day could not believe that he should rise after death had held him but four days Such is the very nature of Unbelief or of weak Faith in true Believers they can or rather think they do believe greater and harder things when not much tryed about them better and more easily than smaller and easier things that their Faith is called to a present exercise about Let all Christians in all their approaches to the throne of grace behold this as written on the open Gates to this Throne and hear it proclaimed by him that sitteth on it Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God Some Believers are apt to think that a trembling fearing frame is fitter for them and that raising of expectation of good from God will prevent or hinder Humility and lying low before the Lord. But they are quite mistaken that think Faith and Humility are inconsistent They not only agree well together but they cannot be parted Hab. 2.4 Behold his Soul which is
as David resolved Psal 116.2 And when he comes to die and hath prayed his last Prayer with Stephen Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receave my Spirit and gets it answered Praying Believing and the Throne of Grace it self as to him is at an end and everlasting Praises before the Throne of Glory of God and of the Lamb begin never to have an end Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Finish thy Work fulfil all thy Promises answer fully all the Prayers of all thy People Put an end to Sin and Time and Trouble and Temptation And hasten the Marriage Day that thy people may be glad and rejoyce and give honour to thee Rev. 19.7 Let the Bride be made ready and let the Bridegoom appear in his Wedding Garments of Glory O how blessed will the Meeting and the Marriage be He married his Bride when on Earth in Garments dyed in his own precious Blood and the Bride receaves him as Glorious even in 〈◊〉 bloody Raiment This most precious Blood was shed in love to his Bride and for her Salvation and therefore he is amiable to her in that Dress Believers in Christ are contracted to a slain Husband but shall be married to him in a far other Manifestation of himself How great is the difference betwixt our dearest Lord Jesus under his Cross and under his Crown And yet under his Cross he is infinitely amiable to a Believer's Heart and Eye If it were not that the Light of that glorious day of his Appearance will prevent all Mistakes the Nations of them which are saved as they are called for their Multitude out of all Nations Rev. 21.24 might doubt but doubt they cannot but wonder they will both at him and at themselves 2 Thess 1.10 and say Is this that blessed Saviour I believed on so feebly whom I trusted with my Soul and its Salvation with so much fainting and with so many Fears is this he whom I loved so little and so coldly Is this he whom all the time I liv'd on Earth after he had revealed himself to me I depended and lived on by Faith and that with so many Staggerings through Unbelief because I knew not so well as now I do whom I then believed And until this blessed Day come and come it will for it is promised and sworn by him who cannot lie it is not far off for it is above 1600 years since he testified Surely I come quickly Rev. 22.20 It is his last Promise to his Bride Let his most excellent Name be poured out as Oyntment and let the Savour of his Knowledge be made manifest in every place Let his Saving blessed Death be remembered gloryed in and fed upon by all Believers the greatest Token of his Love to us the only Price of our Redemption 1 Pet. 1.19 and the only Food of our Souls Let his justifying Righteousness be only mentioned before God on Earth by believing Sinners as it will be only mentioned by glorified praising Saints in Heaven Let the Throne of Grace reared up by the Father in his Son and consecrated by the Blood of this Son God manifest in the Flesh be revealed to the darkened World and set up amongst the blinded Nations And let Grace from thence be dispensed to many thousands of perishing Sinners Let the glory of God's free most free every way free Grace in Jesus Christ shine so in the Nations as it may and when that Glory shines it will darken confound and put to shame all the Antichristian Darkness and Dreams of false Christs of men's making and of Works Hire and Merit under all their Names and Pretences and make it all hateful in Sinners Eyes as it is hurtful to their Souls and as it is hateful in God's sight Let the Praises of my Lord and my God as recovered Thomas calls him John 20.28 fill Heaven and Earth and fill the Hearts and fill the Mouths and shine in the Lives of all Believers on his Name and let his Praise fill all the Gospel Worship in all the Churches till the Day of the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 And unto these Wishes let every Believer on and sincere Lover of Jesus Christ say and every one that is such will say Amen So let it be so will it be FINIS
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
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
have of misery is this that it stands in a deprivation of good and the greater that deprivation be and the more good things a Man is deprived and destitute of the more miserable we count the person to be He is a miserable Man that is blind because the light of the World is so pleasant and useful and the Eye simply needful to behold and use it It is a great addition to this Man's misery if he be dumb also because the Tongue is a Man's Glory and the Organ of expressing our Thoughts and of Communion with our own kind The misery is yet further heightned if a Man be also deaf for the Ear is the Door of Knowledge both of things Natural and Divine If you go to the inward Senses or Powers if a Man be deprived of those his misery is yet greater As it is a greater misery to be void of Understanding and Memory to be an Ideot an Innocent as we call them than it is to be deprived of any of the bodily Senses Now if one wanted all the Senses of the Body and Powers of the Soul if such a Creature should be called a Man would we not account this a most miserable Creature But if there be yet somewhat better than all these surely then he that is altogether void of that must be more miserable still That there is somewhat better than all these good Gifts of Body and Mind and that every Man by nature is without it is most manifest in the Word To be without God without Christ without Hope Eph. 2.12 is more and worse than to be without any or all outward good things This destitute State is expressed by our Lord Rev. 3.17 Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked What a great difference is there betwixt Christ's and their opinion of their State And must not Christ's be right and true and theirs false if it contradict his Were they any thing the less miserable were they not rather much more so that they so mis-judged Our Lord aggravates both their sin and misery from their ignorance because thou knowest not Spiritual Blessings are of that nature that all are miserable indeed that are without them but no Man is sensibly miserable till he seeth that he is without them It is the knowledge of this Want that brings in the sense of misery As every unpardoned Sinner is a miserable man but he never counts himself miserable till he feel the weight of Sin and see the want of Pardon 2. Every natural Man is needy of God's Mercy because he is a condemned Man A condemned Man is a dead Man in Law As there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 so there is nothing but condemnation to all that are not in him John 3.18,36 He that believeth not is condemned already and the wrath of God abideth on him You may have seen and heard how Malefactors will cry for Mercy from the Judge when he cannot and ought not to pity them so as to spare them When they are bid hold up their hand at the Bar to receave their Doom how earnestly on their Knees with Tears they will cry Mercy my Lord mercy for God's sake Every natural man is condemned But how few of their Consciences can witness for them that they ever sought God's Mercy so as convict Criminals an earthly Judge's Mercy The Mercy they beg is small in regard of what Sinners stand in need of from God An earthly Judge may reprieve or pardon to day and the pardoned Man may die to morrow But if the great Judge condemn you and you are not pardoned you are sentenced to a never-dying misery Prisoners beg Mercy of a Man who may be is bound up by Law and Conscience of his Oath to shew none but to execute Justice Here the Case is just contrary the Lord bids Men beg his Mercy and condemns them only that despise it We have his Command and Promise and many acts of Pardon for our encouragement What pleading for Pardon would there be at earthly Bars if they had the Judge's Command to ask his Promise to grant it and his Hand and Seal to that Promise Such is our Case yet few beg it in good earnest Be ashamed and convinced of your sin when you see Men begging a frail short life of a Judge and say Alas I never begg'd the mercy of eternal Life so earnestly at the Throne of Grace as these Wretches do a frail short uncertain life 3. The natural Man hath all the Creation against him and therefore is needy of God's mercy The whole Creation groans under him he is a burden to God's Earth a plague to the Creations Rom. 8.20,21,22 What a noise do Men make and what pains do they take to heap up Dust If God prosper their endeavours they think he blesseth them and count themselves happy in their Enjoyment But what is all this for to a natural unrenewed Man All these Creature-comforts will but be as so many Witnesses against them in the day of the Lord. Jam. 5.1,4 Men seek the Creatures to satisfie their carnal desires and supply their outward Wants but they do not remember that unless the special saving Mercy of God come along with them the Creatures are abused and in their way witness and groan to God against them They groan to be put in God's room in Men's Hearts and to be made Fewel for Mens Lusts They all wait but for God's call to execute Vengeance on his Enemies Is not such a man needy of God's mercy that hath the whole Creation of God at War with him 4. But there is worse than all these The man himself and all he is hath and doth is under the Curse of God Gal. 3.10 What is the Curse It is the malediction of God on a man It is God's devoting him to ruin He is cursed in his Body cursed in his Soul cursed in his Family cursed in his Trade and Estate cursed in his Crosses cursed in his Mercies cursed in his Life and cursed in his Death cursed in Time and cursed to Eternity Ah how long and broad is this Curse Zech. 5.2,3,4 O what need is there of God's mercy for it is this mercy only that can take away the Curse There is no evil we are in danger of from an angry God but must be removed or prevented by the opposite Good from a reconciled God If God's Anger be our Plague nothing can remove it but his Love If his Curse be our Burden only his Blessing can take it away The whole Creation cannot make up the loss of God's Favour And this they know well that ever saw the Face of an angry God So much of the necessity of God's Mercy from the present misery of natural men 2. I might proceed to speak of that which is coming on them without the intervening
unless the power of Sin had blinded Men in the right knowledge of God and of themselves and unless it had pussed up their Hearts in this darkness there had never been any pretence made by fallen Men to Self-Righteousness but now nothing is more common more groundless and yet more rooted in Mens Hearts than that a Sinner can and may if he will bring or do somewhat that may have some interest in and influence on his Acceptance with God A Sinner is needy of a Right to eternal life and this must be bought by another for he can never purchase it for himself He is needy of Safety from the Wrath to come which is so wofully well deserved by him and the Man can do nothing of himself but what deserves it more and further 4. We are needy of the help of Grace as Christians as new Creatures A Christian is a Creature by nature a humane Creature a sinful Creature but made a new Creature by grace Yet there are some springs of constant need of Grace in this new Creature the Christian 1. The necessary and constant dependance of the new Creature on its Fountain and Author makes a Christian to be a very needy Creature The dependance of the Beams on the Sun is not more necessary than the dependance of a Christian on Christ Without me or separate from me ye can do nothing John 15.5 The Christians life is by a continual Eflux from Christ and is to be sought and maintained by a constant dependance on him as Light is from the Sun Never was there nor can there be a Room so full of Light from the Sun-beams but if either the Sun withdraw his Light or if you exclude its light by closing Doors and Windows it immediately becomes dark and that necessarily It is so with all Christians If it were not that the new Covenant hath assured us that there shall be no final and total separating of the Fountain from the Stream there would soon be an expiring of all that Good that is in the best of Saints 2. A Christian is always a needy Creature because he hath much work to do and most necessary Work and all above his strength He that bath most Work and least Strength is most needy of help Phil. 2.12,13 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both â—o will and to do of his good pleasure If the Exhortation or Command had been without the Argument it had been discouraging What can a Man do about his own Salvation It is God that begun a good work in them and will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Put hand to your Work for help is near As the Exhortation Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling hath the height of Duty in it So the Argument for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure doth deeply debase Man's Sufficiency and highly advance both the Sovereignty and Efficacy of his assisting Grace And happy is that Christian who can lay the weight of the Command on his Conscience and can at the same time improve the Encouragement for believing obeying Whoever is void of a sense of his need of God's assisting Grace looks not rightly on the great Work lying before him and seeth not the great weakness that is in him 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 3. In this great work above his strength the Christian meets with much Opposition both from within and from without Not always in the same measure but some always Special measures of opposition make times of special need of which I shall speak But there is somewhat of opposition that is constant Gal 5.17 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would This Flesh and this Spirit is in all Christians if a Man were all Flesh he were no Christian if he were all Spirit he would be perfect as the Saints glorified be This Flesh and Spirit lust and strive on against the other And so they must do for they are contrary one to the other The effect of this lusting and contrariety is that the Christian cannot do the things that he would He cannot do all the Flesh lusts to because of the Spirit 's opposition he cannot do all the Spirit lusts after because of the opposition of the Flesh Of this Combate the Apostle speaks largely from his own Experience Rom. 7. And the more opposition a Christian meets with and I have named but one Head of it the more needy is he of helping Grace 4. The Christians State of absence from the Lord renders him a needy Creature He is made for the Lord fram'd so that as a Christian nothing short of being for ever and immediately with the Lord reigns in his Heart as his Prize and Mark. 2. Cor. 5.2,4 In this we groan earnestly desining to be cloathed with our House which is from Heaven We that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life What ails a Believer to groan so oft and so deeply It is to be in Heaven with the Lord. And the more heavenly and holy a Christian be the more frequent and earnest are these groanings He hath the most healthy Soul who is sick of Love whose Heart is sick with desires of being present with the Lord. The Believer that is most assured of Heaven groans deepest Unbelievers run on in Sin and sing to Hell while Hell groans for them and sad will the meeting be We find Paul groaning for himself only for two things The body of sin and death its dwelling in him Rom. 7.24 and his dwelling in the body We do not nor can we know the vast difference that is betwixt the happy State of the Saints in Heaven and the best State of Believers on Earth We do but guess in the dark and our guesses are but Negative that they are removed from all the Evils we find here No Sin no Clouds no Death no Crying or any thing to complain of But these Negatives taken in by Faith and Experience with the foretaste and first fruits of that good Land make Believers groan to be possessed of it though they go as Abraham did Heb. 11.8 not knowing whither Heaven will be a blessed surprize to all the Possessors of it They will find it a far better State than their highest thoughts and largest desires could point forth But besides these Spirings of constant need there are special Seasons of Christians need of God's Grace And they are easily known by this general Rule That time that comes on a Believer wherein he is in great and special danger from which only
over them at sometimes more than at other times When it is well with the new Creation within Christians can keep the Devil at a Bay and Stand when it is otherwise he prevails immediately we are disarmed and his Darts pierce and enter There is some ground to suspect that David's Heart was not in so good a frame as usually sometime before his foul Fall 2 Sam. 11. As to Peter it is plain his vain-self-confidence gave Satan an opportunity to sift him as he did 3. How doth the Grace of God help in a decayed state 1. Grace helps in preserving Life at the Root There is some witness for God kept up I sleep but my heart waketh saith the Bride Song 5.2 It is well all was not asleep The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak saith meek Jesus in his Agony in the Garden to the three distempered Disciples Matth. 26.41 These same three sleep in the Mount of Transfiguration Luke 9.32 and in the Garden of Agony Paul found this Witness preserv'd in his Captivity to the Law in his Members Rom. 7.23 2. Grace helps under a decayed State by making a secret growth downward A growth that the Believer cannot feel in himself and that others cannot quickly perceave yet it is a real growth and will in God's due time appear We commonly value most that growth in Grace that hath fair Blossoms and Fruit appearing to our comfort and to the Lord's Praise before others And it is indeed desirable and to be studied Matth. 5.16 John 15.8 But there is a growth that may be carried on in the Root only in the rooting Grace of a Christian As in clearer Discoveries of in-dwelling sin in the Heart and in more self-diffidence and self-distrust Paul had this Fruit. 2 Cor. 1.8,9 It is a sad thing that many Christians are so fond of themselves of the good that is in them that the Lord seeth that nothing is so fit to cure them of this as leaving them to themselves And when this leaving of them to themselves hath brought them to a discovery of themselves and that discovery hath wrought a distrust of themselves and that distrust hath taught them Faith in God then the Lord hath reached his end on them and will change his way with them 3. Grace can revive the decayed state of a Believer Psal 23.3 He restoreth my Soul He reneweth their strength Isa 40.31 Psal 103.5 Thy youth is renewed like the Eagles This is impossible in Nature and as to our Bodies but as to our Souls and the work of God in them it is what is promised and often done Old people may and do often in their Folly and Vanity counterfeit Youth but all their Arts cannot make themselves one hour younger But the Lord can renew the youth of the new Creature and make it better with him than ever it was David prays for it Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Peter got a new Conversion Luke 22.32 They both had been converted and renewed before but they fell under a sad decay and needed this restoring Grace and got it So much of the second time of need I proceed to a third not so common 3. A time of special Enjoyments is a time of special need of God's helping Grace You may think it strange but it is true that they that receave most of the Lord 's gracious bounty stand in most need of Grace to guide it well Concerning this season I would speak in five Particulars 1. Mast Christians know what those Enjoyments are by experience although it various measures It is very suspicious that that Person is an Hypocrite that is always in the same frame let them pretend it to be never so good The true Christians Sky is never long clear and without Clouds change of weather and ways is usually found by Travellers to Heaven It is to be suspected that he is not right who hath no changes Psal 55.19 These special Enjoyments are of several sorts 1. There is some special nearness to God enjoyed by Christians at some times We are not at all to be offended at but rather confirmed by the Reproaches of the Ungodly that are utter strangers to such Enjoyments and cannot endure nor understand the Scripture Names of such Blessings that they themselves are unacquainted with What is more frequent in the Word than this nearness to God What is better known in the Experience of Saints than this nearness He makes gracious Approaches to Mens Spirits and causeth them to approach to him Psal 65.4 they find it good for them Psal 73.28 The first gracious change wrought in a Soul is by bringing a distant sinner near to God Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Whenever the Virtue of that Blood came upon you by the Spirit of Christ God came near to you and you were brought near to God But besides this nearness that is begun in the first Application of Grace and changeth their State there is more nearness given by the Lord and enjoyed by his people for the cheering of their Hearts and bettering of their Frame Exercised Christians are able to give a distinct account of their having of this nearness at some times and of their want of it at othe times How much of both are in the Psalm of David And such as can understand the nearness to and distance from God so frequently mentioned there as only the Psalmists sense of God's favourable or cross Providence towards him in outward things are to be pitied for their ungodly lgnorance and despised for their expounding the Words of a man after God's heart according to the carnal Sentiments of their own 2. There are Effusions of the Spirit spoke of in the Word and found by Christians which are special Enjoyments Sometimes they are found in the performance of spiritual Duties of Worship sometimes in the exercise of grace Grace should be acted in all Duties of Worship but it may be and should be acted out of any formal Duty You should never pray but there should be acting of Faith and Love on Christ But God be thanked you may act Faith and Love when ye do not pray when you are about no setled spiritual Duty of Worship there is a being in the 〈◊〉 of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23.17 A walking up and down in the name of the Lord. Zech. 10.12 A doing of every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 Every Believer hath the Spirit of Christ If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 But there are some singular Powrings out of this Spirit promised and bestowed and well known by Believers and they are precious Enjoyments This spirit the world cannot receave because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you as
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
is saving it comes from the Heart and Love of God Eph. 2.4 and is treasured up for and laid out only upon his chosen It is the favour he bears to his people Psal 106.4 Common mercies are thrown about with a large and indifferent hand He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5.45 Now these two sorts of mercies are as far different as Heaven and Earth The excellency of the one is far beyond that of the other though we be unworthy of either I am less than the least of all thy mercies said a great Saint Gen. 32.10 And so should all say But few do perceave this great difference and many give the preference to common outward mercy Who but a Christian doth count it a greater mercy to have the Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus than to have a large and prosperous Estate in the World That the light of God's Countenance and an hour spent in his Courts when the King's presence is in them is better than all the Enjoyments of this World Moses was a Man that obtained singular mercy from the Lord it appeared in this that he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11.26 He had excellent Balances and true Weights He put in the one Scale Egypt's Honours Treasures and Pleasures and how weighty are such things in the Worldlings Balances and in the other the reproach of Christ and affliction with the people of God His Judgment on this weighing is That this Reproach because of Christ's concern in it and this Affliction because it is of and with God's people is better than all the other things The true Test of Mens Spirit is justly taken from their setled inward Apprehension of the worth and value of spiritual saving mercy above all outward mercy Psal 4.6,7 There be many that say Who will shew us any good Most Men are for any good they know not well what and from any hand that can show it and give it But David knew what good he would have and who could show it Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Why is he so earnest for this Blessing Thou hast put gladness in my heart Carnal Men seek Gladness and make it and take it to themselves as well as they can But Gladness of God's putting in their Heart they know not more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased David doth not here compare though he doth discover the holiness of his Heart with the earthliness of that of others he compares not the tenderness of his Conversation with theirs But he compares the Joy God gave him by the Light of his Countenance not with the Joy he had but with that the Ungodly have in their sensual Satisfactions Try your selves by this Where is your Esteem lodged What sort of things are they that relish with your Spirits Common outward Mercies carry away the Hearts of the most part of Men and this shews that few Men have obtained special mercy 2. He that hath obtained special mercy hath a love to it and to the Giver of it and to the way God gives it and in which he receaves it He that is a lover of God's mercy in Christ is an Obtainer of it A natural Man may have a liking of God's mercy in general But mercy as from God through Jesus Christ mercy shown on the account of a full Satisfaction made to Justice in and by his Blood mercy given freely to glorious Ends and Purposes every natural Man seeth no Glory no Goodness no Beauty in it But every Obtainer of it doth admire every thing in it It is rich mercy saith he it flows from a blessed Fountain Free-love runs in a blessed Channel the Redemption of Jesus comes to me in a well-ordered Covenant and was shown me for his Praise in my Salvation from sin and misery 3. An Obtainer of mercy is a daily Beggar for more mercy Whenever God's special mercy is tasted hunger and thirst after more is raised No sooner did Paul obtain mercy but behold he prays Acts 9.11 There is more of mercy yet to be had mercy quickens the Soul's Desires and enlargeth them The greatest Receivers are the greatest Beggars 1 Pet. 2.2,3 Desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious This Mark is plain and will never fail They that drive not a Trade of Prayer for special mercy have not yet obtained it 4. An Obtainer of mercy from the Lord is a shower of mercy to others He is a merciful Man to others Matth. 5.7 Col. 3.12,13 Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness c. forbearing forgiving as Christ forgave you And Eph. 4.32 even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you How unbecoming it is that such should have Bowels of Brass on whom God's Bowels of mercy have been poured out This is a Mark that will never fail but in a high fit of Temptation All that have obtained God's mercy will be disposed to shew their mercy Forgiving one another is an easie thing it costs nothing but to think a kind thought Yet how hard is this to many through the power of Corruption There are some acts of mercy as Bounty and Charity that poor Christians have no ability for But the principal Act of mercy is in every Christians Power and that is mercy to Mens Souls We cannot give them that mercy we have obtained but we can and should wish the like to them Never did a Man obtain mercy from the Lord for himself but he wisheth that others should partake of it also The Woman of Samaria John 4. of whose Conversion we have the largest account of any Convert in the Bible as soon as she obtained mercy she forgot what she came to the Well for she had got somewhat better than the Water of Jacob's Well she met with Jacob's God and had got Jacob's Blessing she goes to the City and turns a sort of a Preacher to them Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ ver 29. She obtained mercy and would have all the City come and get mercy also And a great many came and obtained mercy Christ caught that Woman by his Grace and made her as a Bait to catch many more No Believer can deny his sense of such a Frame as this There are some Persons thou dost love and shouldst love thou prayest for them What dost thou mainly ask for Wife Children Brothers Sisters and all or any thou lovest heartily Is it not O that they might share in God's saving mercy If thou ask it for others as the greatest mercy thou thy self art an Obtainer of mercy Paul obtained mercy He loved his Countrymen the Jews dearly and on good grounds Rom.