est longitudo sed honestum The measure of life is not the length of it but Godliness is the great honor we are to measure our life by I suppose you have heard the speech of him that said I have been long but I have not lived long Old men except they be righteous they are long but they can scarce be said to live long If it be found in the way of righteousness that is supposing that you have been Godly from your youth and so grow up to be Godly while you are then that honors indeed for though it be good for men to begin to come into the waies of Godliness at any time and it is never to late to come in yet to be Elementarius Senex that is rather a dishonor to be a beginner when you are Old in the great work you should be treading in al your daies rather a dishonor I mean that you do but then begin therefore surely the text means this If it be found that is if you have gone on in the course of your life in righteousness and so your Old Age doth not begin righteousness in you but findeth you in the way of righteousness you are in the way of righteousness then it honors It is spoken to the honor of that disciple Manason in Acts 21.16 There went with us also certaine of the Disciples of Cesaria and brought with them one Manason of Cyprus an Old Disciple with whom we should lodg An Old Disciple it is a mark of honor unto him that he was an Old Desciple and so Obadiah 1 Kings 18.12 I have feared God from my youth saith Obadiah and he speaketh of it and the Holy Ghost records it as a great honor unto him I have feared God from my youth If any of you for at that time Obadiah was growen ancient if any of you can say so with Obadiah The Lord hath now given me length of daies and I bless his name that though in weakness yet I have feared God from my youth Oh! this is honorable As it is reported of Policarpus Policarpus when he was about to die by Martyrdome they would have him to renounce the truth Oh! saith he these eighty six years I have served Christ and found him a good master shal I leave him now What an honorable speech was this for him to be able to say these eighty six yeares have I served Christ and found him a good Master Wil you appeale whether you can say these sixty these seventy years or forty years I have served Christ and found him a good Master if you can this is honorable if you be found in the way of righteousness 1. This is a great evidence of the deep rooting of your Grace and so puts a greater honor upon you it is an argument Grace had a very deep root in that it hath held out al this while and flourished al this while You know the seed that was sown in the stony ground it came up a little for the present but vanished away but that that was sowen in the good ground it came up and flourished though in the heate of the Sun Many have a good beginning as Nero â—hough he were an abominable wretch afterwards yet his first five years were very eminent for forwardness in Godliness but afterwards fel off But now if you shal go on and hold out til you be aged Oh! it is a blessed evidence of the deepness of the root of Grace in your hearts That is the first 2. Those that are Old in the waies of righteousness they cannot but be supposed to be very eminent in Grace and Godliness they have gotten much in the waies of Godliness they have growen to some excellency in holy waies John he began young and continued Old in Godliness for so he was he was neare a hundered years Old he could not be less for his banishment was in Domitians time which was eighty years after Christ that he was banished into the Isle of Pathmos and then he could not be less than above a hundred years Old and then he had divine revealations revealed unto him Those that have continued long in Godliness grow to a great eminency in Godliness Obadiah as some think was that prophet Obadiah afterwards that had continued long in the waies of Godliness It is not with Grace as with nature nature cometh to a period and then decayes but Grace groweth and flourisheth though the body grow downward yet Grace wil grow upward It is the promise of God in Psal 92.14 That those that are planted in the house of God they shal flourish in the courts of God Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shal flourish in the courts of God they shal stil bring forth fruit in Old Age they shal be fat and flourishing that is the promise of God and therefore it cannot but be imagined that there is a great deal of eminency in such and therefore to be honored haveing a crown of Glory upon them And thirdly 3. Those that have continued long in the waies of righteousness they have had many experiences of God wonderful experiences of the waies of God the faithfulness of God the mercies of God the truth of God in the course of his providence unto his Churches and this is an honorable thing David in Psal 25.6 he speakes of Gods mercies of Old and in Psal 74.12 there you have been speaking of God he was a King of Old and in Psal 44. And the begning there our Fathers have told us things of Old what thou hast done Psal 119.152 I have knowen thy testimonies of Old To have the experiences of Gods wil and of Gods waies in the passages of his providence of Old is a glorious thing and so they that are Old in the waies of righteousness they come to know exceeding much of Gods minde in that regard and this is a crown of Glory And Fourthly 4. They that are Old in the waies of righteousness that they give a good testimony to the waies of righteousness that they are good An Old Servant that wil not leave his master gives a good testimony of the goodness of his Master The Bee that sticks long at the flower and wil not go away gives a testimony that there is a great deal of honor to be sucked out there As Apostates that fal from Gods service disgrace it and as much as in them lies tel to the world that there is not that good in the service of God as others beare them in hand there is but those that are Old and can say as Policarpus I have found him a good master al this while they honor Gods waies 5. It is honorable because there are so few that continue til they be Old in the waies of Godliness If we set many plants and most of them vanish and come to nothing but there is one or two that flourish and come to be trees and so prosper we love them the better and
by the stopping of mens mouthes that they shal not be able to say another day O the Lord was terrible and he was a hard master and I durst not goe unto him Indeede my Conscience told me I had sinned against him but I durst not goe to him for mercy for I was afraid of him The mouthes of men shal be stopped another day that have heard this doctrine or God reconciling the world in Christ opened unto them and have not come in and layd hold upon it Indeed it is the plea of many a servant that hath offended his master when one comes to him and Saith why do not you goe and humble your self before your master O Saith he I dare not he is such a furiouse man that he wil fly upon me presently I had rather suffer very much then go to him and this they think excuse enough and many poor Servants wil rather wander up and down the Contry and perish then go backe to their master But noe sinner can say so of God let him be never so vild a siner that is departing from God if one should come unto him and say you wreched sinner whether are you going you are departing from God you are going away from him but behold God calls you to come in O goe and humble yor soules and lament your sin and lay downe al those weapons of enmity against God which you have taken up This sinner now cannot say how shal I dare to look upon God I that have been such a vild and wretched Sinner Surely God wil distroy me and consume me No the Lord propounds himselfe to you a God or mercy in his Son and tels you that he hath provided a meanes in his Son to be reconciled unto you and that his heart hath been so much upon reconciling himselfe to the chrildren of men as that he hath sent his son to do this worke and though it cost the very blood of his son yet he wil do it and therefore sinner if thou dost not come in but wilt go on in wandring from God and Continuing in wayes of enmity against him thy blood be upon thine own head Thou hast read this blessed doctrine of the Gospel opened that God was reconciling himselfe to the world and that he was reconciling himelfe to the world in his Son and that God excepted that when this message was brought to a Congregation the whole Congregation should come and fly unto him and that the world should be fill'd with Cries O! that we might be Reconciled unto him Our Lotd expects this day from some of you to heare you reflect this upon your selves by crying unto him for Reconciliation in his Son that should be the issue of such sermons as these are God ever after such preaching looks to heare some soul repeate in prayer to God and tel him what it hath heard in the Ministery of the word and upon that make a prayer unto him according to what it hath heard As in this manner The Lord expects that this day some sinner or other should get alone and be crying unto God in prayer Lord I have heard not only that there is a possibility for sinners to be Reconciled but there is such a glorious way of Reconciliation that thou hast done it in thy Son Such an honorable way and such a certaine way of Reconciliation and that thy heart is much in that way And Lord I have heard that this is a way that takes away all objections in the world al the discouragments that can be immagined and thou hast revealed it to that end that is that thou mightest break the hearts of sinners and draw them to come in and accept of that blessed covenant that thou hast tendred to them in Christ and to be reconciled unto thee Now Lord I desire to cast my soul upon this free grace of thine in thy Son O! that I might feel thy spirit inableing me to such a gloriouse work as this and O! that the Lord might heare such things as these from some of your Closets this day it wil be that which wil even cause the heart of God to rejoyce that ever he opened the doctrine of Reconciliation to you otherwise it wil turne to the quite contrary end it wil only serve to stop your mouthes at the great day That is another Use CHAP. 23. Use 4. Dispaire not of Gods making peace in this Nation YEt once more If there be such a way of Reconciliation between God and us if God hath wrought it so that it is in Christ Truly from hence we have no Cause to dispaire in Gods power and wisdome and goodness to make peace in this Nation God hath done the greater work You see that God is a God of peace and loves peace and to the end that he might be at peace with the wretched Children of men he hath wrought so wonderfully as to send his own Son into the world and provide such a way that he may be sure that peace may be made and by that way he hath done it He hath made peace between Mercy and Justice there is peace made between an infinite provoked God and wreatched sinful vild Creatures I told you before that this was a mighty difficult work yea the most difficult that ever was or can be in the world If God hath therefore wrought such a work so difficult in a way so gloriouse Then from hence learne not to dispaire but that God may worke even peace for us in this Nation and an honorable peace and a good peace too We are not only hereby incouraged to cry unto God for peace between him and our Souls but we are by this incouraged to cry unto him for peace in the Nation and that he would put an end to these woful times of destruction and misery and war which many of our Brethren have suffered and bled under And indeed those that do understand or have ever felt the work of God in working peace between his maiesty and their Souls they are those that have such intrest in God as if any people shal prevail with him for peace in the land it must be these they wil prove to be our peace makers in the conclusion howsoever people at present cry out of them as if they were the means and instruments of making the gratest debate and as if they were the enimies of peace No my Brethren they that have experience of this great work of God of making peace between himself and their Souls they are they that he at the Throne of grace continually crying unto him that is the prince of of peace to make peace in the Land We desire peace But you wil say How can it be done that way Why should we say how when God himself hath made peace between Heaven and Earth We see things so intricate that we know not how it should be done and we wonder it should ever be brought about that the Spirits of men being so
are entreated to be reconciled to deliver your Souls from that depth of misery and to be brought unto happiness and glory Secondly Consider who you are that are intreated Were there any great worth in you Then you might expect to be entreated as men that are of great estates they must be entreated But who are you wretched Caitiffes in your selves damned Dust and Ashes fire-brands of hel such as have made your selves fuel for the everlasting wrath of the eternal God to burne upon such as deserve to be cast out as an everlasting curse enemies to God you are intreated And by whom are you intreated Even by God himself and Christ that is God blessed for ever Even that infinite glory before whom Angels adore before whom they cover their faces even him who by one word of his mouth is able to send you al presently down to Hell even this God commeth to entreat and that Christ whom Angels do Adore even that Christ comes to entreate For the Servant to entreate his Master for the subject to entreate the prince is not so much but for the Maister to entreate the Servant for the prince to entreate the subject this is that that should fil our Souls with a spirit of admiration at the unspeakable condescentions of the most blessed Majesty Thirdly what need hath God of you though you should perish and die eternally it is no great matter to him God might have his glory out of your eternal ruine But to that end that he might break your Hearts therefore he doth entreate and beseech Oh admire at the riches of his Grace and give him the glory that is due unto him begin to do that here that you must do to al eternities when you come into his glorious presence in Heaven CHAP. 80. VSE 2. And 3. SEcondly The more God doth manifest this his grace the more desperatly wicked is the heart of man to stand out against God Oh! wretched cursed heart that can stand out against God that can stand out against the the offer of grace in the Gospel I say this is a cursed heart to stand out against the offer of grace though it were no more If this should be but declared that Christ is come into the world to save sinners God expects that al those to whom Christ is so revealed that they should come flocking unto him and cry mightily unto God for mercy in Christ but when God doth not only offer his son but comes by the Ministry of his word and by the work of his spirit to draw your hearts unto him and ye thou dost stand out against God against al these gracious beginings drawings and melting expressions of God thou dost stand out Oh! Cursed stubborn hard heart that should stand out against al these Thou canst not now pleade Oh! tentation was strong to draw my heart from God to such and such sinful waies Was tentation strong Why did ever tentation draw more alluringly than God hath drawn alluringly by his gospel It is impossible that the Devil and al the world should draw more alluringly to any sin than God doth draw unto him Oh! these entreatings of God this gratious way toward sinners is that that wil be the greatest aggravation of the sins of men that ever was or can be imagined Only for the present know thus much that the mercies of God that shal be the subject of the Saints rejoycing and blessing of his name to al eternity that mercy wil be thy greatest misery and that is a sad thing for any sinner to think on that that mercy that the Saints shal be eternally admiring and blessing God for that that should be my misery and secret wound and my greatest terror and that is the second thing VSE 3. Oh! rebuke thine own wretched heart that hath stood out so long against God as thou hast done al thy daies Certainly the consideration of this of standing out against any command of God when God comes to enlighten a mans Conscience and the Soul doth come to understand with whom he hath to deal it hath a mighty power to break the heart of man That when I come to see that I have stood out against al those loving drawings al those woings of the Gospel it is that that wil rent your hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments for the Lord is merciful that is not only a breaking of the heart but a rending of the heart when the Grace of God doth appear to it CHAP. 81. Use 4. To strengthen our Faith if God were reconciled when we were enemies he wil not cast us off for every infirmity Objections Answered FOurthly The Consideration of this may be a mighty strength to the Faith of those sinners that have in some measure been wrought upon by the Grace of God Thus if the Lord hath manifested such abundance of strength of Spirit in seeking to sinners to be reconciled then certainly when sinners are reconciled the heart of God wil forever be with them he wil not lose the fruit of such Grace as this if once he hath brought in and that in such a way of mercy Christ having brought it it cannot be any easie thing that shal take off Gods heart from thee there was the goodness of God towards Adam in Paradice I but it was not so much goodness of God unto him as could not admit of any breach beween God and him But the heart of God is so much in this work in bringing sinners to be reconciled unto him as it is impossible that ever there should be such a breach between them and him again that ever they should prove to be enemies Therefore let this strengthen thy heart when at any time thou begin'st to have jelous thoughts of God have recourse to thy first calling to God I went on not many years ago in a wreatched sinful way but God came to me and shewed me my evil way and shewed me his Grace Yea when I stood out against his Grace he followed me and would not let me be at quiet but manifested it more and more and hath overcome my heart unto himself How can I think that God that hath done so before that now he should take advantage upon every infirmity that now every sin that he sees in me should make such breaches between him and my soul that he should cast me from him Can I think it Certainly it is a wrong to the Grace of God in the Gospel Object I but you wil say here is the evil That upon my loose walking I cannot think that ever things were in truth that I was truly converted Answ To that I answer but these two things First that if thou canst but be able to say thus in the presence of God the Lord knows that there is no weapon of enmity in my heart that is against God that God reveals unto me to be a sin but I know my heart is against it I can appeal to God so and