if our petitions be repeated twice in prayer it is atautology this shews the earnestness of the spirit of God in it and he is exceeding willing CHAP. 74. The Fourteenth Argument manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother evidence is this when yet siners do not come yet the lord leaves them not but he doth then appeal to the very conscinces of sinners and deales with them that way and that is very powerful he deals with sinners that way to breake their hearts when after al his arguments they com not in then the lord appeals to their own consciences then wil plead with them in a way of appealing to their consciences why they should not come in and yeild unto him and this way is verry powerful to prevail with sinners If you would go and prevail with any one for a thing that you have a desire to accomplish what course do you take either you send to them or go to them and then you open the case to them and yet they are not moved then you bring powerful arguments to perswad them and yet they do not move them then you take away al their objections and yet that doth not prevail upon them then you do importune them and if that do not overcome them what is the next way you take then you appeal to their owne consciences then say you nay I appeal to your own conscience whether I have said it or no I wil even leave it to your conscience and judg of it in the presence of God let your own conscience be your judg and somtimes this prevailes more than al the arguments in the world When you appeal to a mans one conscience that he doth deal unequally and very il that he doth not yeild but God doth thus he doth apeal unto mens consciences I wil give yo suome scripture for it in the 43. Esa 26. Put me in rememberance let us plead together declare thou that thou must be justified come saith God let us hear what you can say let us plead together Declare thou that thou mayest be justified declare it say what thou canst try whether you or I be in the right way I wil even be contented to leave it to you only let us plead and declare what we can But that place seemes yet to be more ful that you have in Jerem. 2 3 you have often expressions of Gods pleading with his people in the ninth verse and then you have it again at least three times in this Chapter that the lord saith he wil plead in v. 23. you have it again wherefore wil you plead with me c. and then in the 35. vers Behold I wil plead with thee saith God but now God pleads thus in his pleading he wil leave it he wil appeal to the very consciences of men and that you have in Exek 18.25 vers yet you say the way of the lord is not equal hear O! house of Israel as if he should say conscience answer Is not my way equal wil not your owne consciences answer you thus that his waies are equal the lord is content to plead with his people the conclusion of his pleading is a leaving it to their consciences to the people as if God should say thus as he doth often God comes by his spirit in the ministry of his word I appeal to you hath he not often done so and saith do you think in your very consciences that these waies that you walk in are right my waies are they good is it any way equal that wretched sinful creatures should take their liberty to go on al their daies and please themselves in the lusts of their own vaine hearts and now when they can sin no more nor longer that then they should cry to God for mercy and that then he should pardon them and accept them unto his favour Is this equal is not the lord infinitly more worthy of al the strength thou hast if it were ten thousand times more than it is than that thou shouldest have given it up to thy lusts and vanities Conscience speak whether God be not most worthy of al and what wert thou made for no other end but meerly to eat and drink and satisfie thy flesh and have thy lusts heere for a while dost thou thinke in thy concience that God did intend no other end for thee when he sent thee into the world you have been upon your sick bedds and cried to God and have promised to God better obedience now are your waies equal to take your liberty to sin after God hath thus delivered you and after God hath preserved your life when you were at the very brinke of death and that death was ready to deliver you up into the hands of eternal misery and do you think that this was Gods end in preserving your life that you might have more time to sin against him and might spend the latter part of your strength in bringing dishonor to his Name was this Gods end in preserving your life God might have struck you one blow more and sent you down to eternal misery and then God should have had no more dishonor of you but should have had the Glory of his Justice upon you Now do you think that this is the end why God did preserve you that you should have more years added to your life that you should have more time to sin against him This argues Gods willingness to be reconciled that the Lord is thus pleasing with you and let me speak to every one in this place that hath felt God pleading thus with them know that the Lord by this work of his doth strive with thee to bring thee to be reconciled unto him This is no other thing than the striving of the Spirit of God himself with you though perhaps you think this is troublesom to you Many men and women when they have their consciences pleading thus they think it is troublesom Oh wretched man or woman that thou art this work of Conscience is nothing but God pleading with thee to save thy Soul Thou hast stood against his Word that hath been preached to thee and now God seeks to thee the other way by his Spirit to strive in thy Conscience he appeals to thy own Conscience that so thou mayest be brought in to be reconciled unto him But when God hath no mind to be reconciled then saith God to Conscience let him alone and then the sinner goes on with a hard heart and blesses himself that his Conscience is quiet Oh no no Conscience is quiet but God hath left laboring any more with thee CHAP. 75. The Fifteenth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners BUt further the Lord shews his willingess to be reconciled to sinners in this that when this way wil not prevail you wil think there were never another way to be found yet there is another way when God
let me tel you that in Scripture Strength is often used for Gods goodness and mercy his power to do good as wel as his power to inflict misery and judgment I wil give you but a scripture or two for that Num. 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is of long Suffering of great mercy forgiving iniquity and trangression c. And in vers 19. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy When Moses is pleading with God for a pacification between him and his people he makes use of Gods power O Lord saith he according to the greatness of thy power or according to the greatness of thy strength for it is all one do this So Psal 27. The Lord is the strength of my life where Gods power and strength are tearmes used to set out the way of God towards David And here the word doth signifie such a kind of strength as is to help a thing that is very weak that as the Vine being very weak and being left to itself fals down and therefore you use to put props under your Vines which have more strength in them than the Vines have in themselves to keep them up and that is the very word in the Original which is translated Strength as if God should have said wil he take hold on me as on a prop And that this is the meaning of it appeares by the dependence of the words for the Prophet in that Chapter was speaking of the goodness of God to his Vinyard vers 2. In that day Sing you unto her a Vinyard of Red wine I the Lord do keep it I wil water it every moment least any hurt it I wil keep it night and day what a sweet promise is this of God to his Church Are there a great many enemies abroad that are strong and powerful and of swift feet ready to shed blood mark in one verse you shal read three I's I I I saith God I oppose my self to al the enemies of my Church I do keep it I wil water it every moment I wil keep it but what shal become of it in the night I wil keep it saith he night and day We have here a promise to help us to sleep quietly Wel he goes on verse 4. Fury is not in me though it is true I may come against you in such waies that you may think I am provoked but saith he fuiry is not in me I am not provoked in a revenging way towards my people Who would set the Briers and Thorns against me in Battail there are a Company of wicked and ungodly men that may set themselves against me like Briers and Thorns But saith he I wil go through them if they come in my way I wil consume them I wil burn them together But my people they are my Vinyard I wil deal gently with them I wil be a prop and a support to them And then he comes in with this let them take hold of my strength that they may make peace with me as if he should say you are pore weak creatures you are indeed my Vinyard and my Vine but you are weak and when a storm comes you are ready to bow down and ly quash upon the ground yea but saith God though you think that my wrath is abroad in the world yet my power and my wrath is against mine enemies and al my power and my strength are for you it is no otherwise but as the seting of a prop under a Vine in a time of tempest when a storme would beat the Vine to the ground my power shal be set under to keep it up Now you should saith he take hold of this my strength as the Vine claspeth about the prop and so make peace with me This is an excellent text to put you on in these dangerous times to be sure to make peace with God You that are godly and have some hopes that God is at peace with you it may be you are troubled with fears of danger know that God puts under his power and his strength and he would have you take hold of it take hold of my strength saith he even as the Vine takes hold of the prop and so by renewing the act of Faith upon my power and goodness thereby you shal renew your peace with me that whatsoever fury is abroad to burn the Briers and Thorns yet you shal have peace with me and that power of mine that is put forth to destroy them shal be a prop to uphold you So that this Scripture as it makes much for the openning of what I said before so it seems to put you on to a laboring and indeavouring to make your peace with God in troublesome times Set therefore before your eyes the power of God the greatness of God That is one interpretation Then set before your eyes the goodness and the mercy of God that your hearts may come and twist themselves about this God as the Vine doth about the prop or the hop about the pole Help 3. In your making your peace with God observe this rule To resolve with your own hearts that you wil never be at peace with your selves til you be at peace with God that you wil never have any peace in your own hearts til you have gotten true peace with God I do not say that you should resolve never to have peace with others but I say resolve never to be at peace with your selves and it is a good controversy when men are at contention with their evil hearts Say within your selves shal I be at peace with this wretched heart that is an enemy unto God God forbid this heart of mine shal be brought down and be at peace with God before ever I wil be at peace with it It is that which destroyes many a soul that they are so indulgent to their own hearts they are loth to fal out with them And the truth is many keep on in waies of enmity against God because they are loth to fal out with their own hearts we should be willing our hearts should be troubled al our dayes that the foundation of our peace and quiet might by this be layd and accomplished Help 4. And then another way is this Come in before God even with a Rope about thy neck and with Sackcloath upon thy loynes cast thy self down before the Lord and beseech him to write his own tearms give up thy heart unto God as it were a Blanck and pray the Lord to write his own Conditions only that God might be at peace with thee And if thou do'st so indeed then manifest the truth of it thus That if afterwards any temptation to any sin comes or if thou beest cast upon any duty and findest thy heart backward thereto make use then of the disposition of thy heart think thus Was there not a time when I
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
of al these things was before God from al eternity As a work man when he goes to build an House or to build a ship he hath the platform thereof in his head before he strikes a strook So the great work of our Election of our Vocation Justification Reconciliation adoption sanctification and glorification the Lord had the platforme of al before him it was all in his Head as it were and he was exercised about it before the world began so that if thou art a Beleiver it now comes to be knowen that the Lord from al eternity was exercised about thee and thy good and about the Contrivance of thy Salvation and fore saw how thou wouldest fal from him and be made a child of wrath and an Heir of Hel. And then he saw a way how to recover thee out of that condition and how to bring this to pass how he would cast thy lot to live in such a place and in such an age of the world wherein the Gospel and the misteries thereof should be preached and that thou shouldest come under such a ministery and that just at the preaching of such a sermon such a truth should be darted into thy heart and applied unto thee and that then he would send his holy spirit to fasten that truth upon thy heart the Lord plotted al this from eternity and this is that which the Lord was busied about as we may speak with reverence before the world began Vse 3. Another Use is this It is a good establishment for us to help us to beleeve that eternal happiness that is to come that part of eternity that is a parte post Becaâ—se we have God revealeing his love to us in that part of eternity that is a parte ante God hath shewed that from eternity he hath been plotting our good Surely then it is no more for God to make us happy on the other side of eternity then it was for him to be plotting our happiness in the former part of eternity So that a Beleever may see his happy condition in this He is now injoying that peece of Gods love that is between two Oceans of eternity of love As if there were a little River and on each side there wer a mighty Ocean of Water now the streame of Gods love and mercy runs towards thee thou now dost receive abundance of good from God the Lord sweetneth thy life and now comforts and refresheth thy heart with his grace art thou glad of this and is this peece of the mercy of God sweet unto thee poor soul look on this side and look on the other side and see those Oceans of Eternal Love on both sides towards thee Alas this is a little that thou hast now but if thou lookest on one side there thou shalt see that eternal love of God that was toward thee before the world was made And if thou lookest on the other side thou shalt see eternal life in al that glory which shal never have an end which thou shalt actually be possessed of and that which thou art for the present in the possession of is a little stream in comparison of these two great Oceans of love that are from eternity to eternity And when thou hearest that God intends to make thee happy for ever and that thou shalt continue a glorious and blessed creature as long as God himself shal live and that thou shalt be happy as long as God shal be happy Perhaps thou thinkest how is this possible is it possible for such a poor fraile creature as I am to live to be happy as long as God himself shal be happy Yes do not doubt of it though it be a great thing for God hath had a love to thee from al eternity therefore though it is true there be many frailties and many sins of thine yet that cannot hinder thee of that eternal mercy that God hath been plotting for thee Methinks the Apostle argues after this manner Galla. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect Observe the Apostles argument the Law saith he cannot disanul the promise of Grace Why Because it was four hundered and thirty yeares after the promise was made and that which came so long after cannot disanul that which was before We may make use of the argument thus Surely if thou beest one that belongest to this transaction of God with his Son the sins that now thou fallest into cannot take away Gods love from thee cannot hinder thee from being happy for ever VVhy Because the Covenant of God with his Son for thy happiness was not four hundred and thirty years ago but hundred of millions of thousands years ago therefore that which is now done cannot disanul that which was from al eternity â—â—mfort thy self with this when thou hearest that God was reconciling himself to the world even before the world it self was yea from al Eternity VSE 4. Again It should stir al to begin betimes to get grace and Reconciliation with God You that are yong ones and are now in the flower of your youth crowned with rose buds Consider this God he was working for your good before the world be you working for his glory as soon as you can Shal not I give the begining of my years my first fruits to God who loved me and was working for me before ever I was borne therefore it is fit he should have as much of my time as can be VSE 5. Yea this should also be a mighty argument to put us al on to be constant in holy walking with God because the lord hath been working from Eternity and wil be working to eternity for our good and therfore that time which we have we should serve and glorifie God in it For suppose we should live ten thousand yeares or ten thousand millions of years in this world Suppose God should require us to live and serve him in the way we do now Eternally we should not think much of it for we serve God but one peece of eternity that is that part of eternity which is comming But God is merciful to us in both peeces of Eternity his mercy is to us on both sides from everlasting to everlasting God is before hand with us in his mercy and in his love his love was from eternity and shal Continue to eternity and therefore we should not think much to serve God and to glorifie him in waies of holiness al the time that we are appointed to live and when we have don al we cannot com neer to those workings which he hath been at for us But I shal leaâ— his point the Lord seal it with his bleessing upon our spirits CHAP. 33. Of Gods Reconciling the world to himselfe THE next point being the seventh propounded in the first chapter is That God was Reconcileng the World to himselfe So the
when he comes by his stroaks Now because the Lord sees that this is such a way to engage the hearts of sinners to come in unto him therfore he doth not only put forth such an almighty power but comes in such a way as this when the sinner cannot be able to perceive the hand of God that is the almighty power that doth the work yet the sinner can perceive the shining of Gods Grace and his goodness and the expressons of his love and the like this is apparently before the Eyes of the sinner to admire and works upon the heart when the other is more secret Obj. Thirdly If God and Christ be so willing to be reconciled unto sinners then you wil say what is the reason that there are no more reconciled One would think that al sinners in the World should be reconciled to him hee may reconcile al Is it not as easie for God to reconcil one as wel as another God many times tels us that few shal be saved Yea Christ himself tels us so Now this that you have preached about Gods and Christs willingness to be reconciled One would think that al the world should come in to be reconciled otherwise how wil it appear that they are so willing Ans For the answer to that the heart of God Christ are much set uppon Reconciliation with sinners but so as may be suitable to other ends that God hath God wil not have the work of his mercy manifested so as it shal crosse any other work that he hath to do so farr as the Glory of his mercy may be manifested without crossing of some other work that God hath to do so farr it is let out not to al. Why Because it wil not be suitable to some other ends that God hath to bring about that he should be reconciled unto al sinners Object You wil say to other ends Why Do Gods ends crosse one another If Gods Heart be for Reconciliation with sinners how should this Cross any other thing that God hath to do Answ For answer though things may seem to us one to be cross to the other yet there is a blessed concord in Gods ends and his waies and it wil appear plainly one day before the Children of men and Angels and it wil be the great work of God hereafter to manifest that those things that seem most to be cross one to another yet wil be very Advantagious and assisting to the Promoting and Coronation of this blessed work As it is in the Heavens there is the motion of the Heavens they have one motion by which they are carryed one way and there are the Starres they have another particular motion of their own and yet there is a concord in the motions of the Heavens In any work that a man doth as in a Clock there is one wheel that runs one way so farr and another meets with it they seem to run quite contrary waies and yet take them altogether and they do al run to the end that the work is intended for and yet seem to go contrary the Cross going of the wheels is the right going of the Clock So God seems to work in the works of his Grace one way and in the works of his justice another way and they seem to go quite contrary one to the other But the truth is they worke al to the end that the workman makes it for here is the Grace and mercy of God thus manifested in entreating and beseeching sinners to be reconciled It goes thus far and then when it hath had its ends then comes the stroak of Gods justice and that striks another way and al makes to the beauty of the work of God that he might have glory in al So though God be thus earnest yet it is no Argument that al sinnners should be reconciled because it appeares to be the beauty of Gods work which shal appear another day the work of mercy thus farr and the work of justice so farr this we are not able to understand throughly now but it is left to the great day to be understood Further It may be answered that these expressions are cheifly intended towards those that belong to his eternal election but revealed in such a general way as none should exclude himself therefore the charge of the Ministers of the Gospel is to preach to every creature because we do not know who they be that do belong to the election but it is for the sake of Gods elect ones that these things are reconciled in such a ful way as they are such things should be taught in a Congregation where there are many thousands but if there be but a few that beloâ—g to the election of Grace God aimes at them most though he may aime at the other too for to lessen their sins and somtimes to aggravate them Yet know if there be but a few that it is for you and for your sake that these things are preacht and these may serve to answer to those objections CHAP. 79. Use 1. Admire Gods infinite Grace in enterating to be reconciled to sinners Considering 1. What it is God intreats for 2. Who are intreated 3. By whom you are intreated 4. What need hath God of you USE IN the first place upon al what hath been said of the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners that they thus do entreate sinners we are taught First to stand and admire at the infinite riches of the â—â—ace of God and espeically you who have felt this work of God effectually upon your Hearts You who have found God wooing and suing to your hearts give God the glory of his Grace and admire at it It were mercy for the Lord once to offer upon any terms to be reconciled unto sinners or to shew them any favor Meerly to offer it that is grace that is to be admired and that is more than God hath done to the Angels he would not do so much to them But now that God should not only offer but send to feek after thee to cry after you again and again to be importunate with you to entreate and beseech not only by his Ministers but by this own spirit for there is the work of that the spirit of God comes and woos and beseeches sinners to come in and be reconciled Oh stand and admire at this forever Let it take up your hearts to give glory to him and the rather if you consider these four things First What it is that God doth entreate and beseech for What is it that you are entreated to do That that shal deliver you from the greatest evil that any creature is capable of and that whereby you would receive the greatest good that any creature is capable of you are entreated not to be miserable but to be happy and not only that you should serve God and not sin against God and do the works that God requires of you for his glory but you
of Achor as the enterance at the door of Hope unto that Mercy that they should injoy from him in the Land of Canaan That this Valley of Achor was a delightful fruitful Valley it appears evidently from that Text in Esa 65.10 And Sharon shal be a Field of flocks and the Valley of Achor a place for the Heards to lie down in for my people that have sought me Here God promises the Valley of Achor as a blessing to the people that did seek him and the Heards should lie down in it it was a very fruitful place and therefore God maketh such a promise Now though it hath the name of trouble yet we find that God promiseth it to his people as a token of his Mercy and so it is to be understood in these words therefore having the meaning of it now we come to the Doctrinal Conclusion that is to be grounded upon this Scripture thus opened unto you the Doctrine then is this Doct. That the Mercies that God bestows upon his Church and his people are doors of hope to future Mercies Present Mercies that God grants unto his people are doors of hope to future Mercies Al Gods Mercies to his Saints are inlets unto further Mercies This is the high priviledge of the Saints of God it belongs not to every one The wicked indeed when they receive any thing from God they may write their Ne plus ultra upon it this is like to be their PORTION and they may wonder that they have any thing at al but the Mercies of God unto his people may be al called doors of hope the name of Joseph may be written upon them as we may read in Genesis 30.24 When Rachel had once conceived and did bear a Son shee called his name Joseph and said The Lord shal add another when she had one she made it a pledge of another the Lord shal another So it is with Gods mercies to his people they are Josephs may conclude that God shal add another when God delivered his people out of Egypt Exod. 13.15 saith Moses Thou hast guided them unto thy holy habitation thou hast guided them that deliverance Moses tooke as a certain Argument of Gods further Mercy toward them thou hast guided them When God did but begin with David in 2 Sam. 5.12 to shew but a little Mercy an outward Mercy to him David did conclude that God had established him in the Kingdome How so God had shewed a great favor outwardly unto David and David could conclude that that favor he did receive was bur an inlet unto more an argument of establishment of him in his Kingdome God hath delivered and he wil deliver saith the Apostle As God maketh way in his wrath by lesser judgements upon the wicked in Psal 78.45 so God maketh way for his Mercy by present lesser Mercies unto his Children But now in the prosecution of this point we shal discover to you 1. The Reasons of it how this cometh to pass 2. We shal answer a question about Gods interuption of his Mercies 3 Discover unto you how we shal come to know when Gods present Mercies are but preparations unto future Mercies what kinds of Mercies those are and how to be known that are but inlets unto other Mercies And then 4. Come to the Uses of the Doctrine that Gods Mercies to his pâ—ople are but in-lets unto greater Reason 1. That cometh hence because of the fulness of mercy that is in God there is such an infinite Ocean and stream and treasure of Mercy in the Lord that hence it is that when it cometh and beginneth to run unto the Saints to the people of God that the beginnings of it are but preparations to let out more the Scripture saith that God doth delight in mercy in Micah 7.18 now that that a man delighteth in if he once begin that that he doth is but to draw on more Gods Mercies are called his Riches God is rich in Mercy the Wisdome of God the Power of God and the Justice of God are not called Gods Riches they are called his Glory I wil make my Glory to passe by and God proclaims his Mercy now then because the Mercies of God are his delight his Riches his Glory when he hath fit subjects to let out these upon when he beginneth once to let them out these beginnings are Testimonies of a Fountain that is to be communicated Reason 2. Al Gods Mercies to his people they come out of love Amor nescit nimium Love knows not too much it knows not any such expression as too much there is nothing too much for Love Love it must not be limited if Love begin to be shewn that that cometh out of Love wâ—l have no bounds Now al the goodnesse that God shews to his people it cometh out of Love out of infinite Love and therefore one Fruit of goodness is but a drawing on of another Indeed when Gods goodness cometh out of general bounty then it is in another manner it stops soon but when it comerh out of intire Love the infinite Love of God it stoppeth not But Thirdly There is another Argument that added to these two maketh it strong indeed and that is Reason 3. That the goodness of God unto his peopel is a fruit of the covenant it cometh not only out of love but it cometh unto them as the fruit of an everlasting covenant that God hath made with them a sure covenant now in the covenant of grace that God hath made with his people there is a connection of al mercies a concatination of al the goodness of God there the treasure of mercy is in the covenant and an exceeding strength of mercy in the covenant to bear down al hindrances and oppositions there mercy is tied unto them by truth and as we read of the covenant between Jonathan and david in 1 Sam 20 15. That David made a covenant with Johnathan that he would never cut off his loving kindness from him nor from his house after him such a covenant hath God made with al his people that he wil never cut off his loving kindness from them he hath made no such covenant with the wicked no God may shew them some favour for the present yet he hath not made a covenant that he wil never cut off his mercy from them you may have abundance of favours this day but you may have them eternally cut off from you but the saints of God are in such a blessed condition as God doth not only shew them mercy for the present but he hath made a covenant with them never to cut off his loving kindness from them and upon this covenant though there he many weaknesses and many distempers in them frailties and infirmities yet God wil never cut off his loving kindness from them Reason 4. Because that the Goodness of God to his people as it cometh from an eternal fountain so it is let out for the accomplishments of eternal ends
God in a Mercy As in his Mercy to Abraham Isaak Jacob Solomon David c. There were glorious discoveries of Gods presence when as Jacob was delivered form Esau saith Jacob I have seen thee as the face of God it may be read thus I have seen thee after the face of God after I have seen the face of God I have seen thee I that is sweet and comfortable indeed when we can see a mercy after we have seen the face of God we can se the face of God in the way of his Mercy and after we see the face of God then look upon the Mercy and then gather this argument If thou hast an eye that in a Mercy thou canst see the face of God there and after the sight of the face of God in the mercy then it is somewhat Thus in Isay 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us thou wilt for thou also hast wrought al our works in us mark the argument Lord thou wilt ordain peace Why For thou hast wrought al our works in us This scripture is spoken concerning the deliverance of the people of Israel from their captivity God did begin to deliver them and those that were Godly were sure to have deliverance complate Thou wilt ordain we are sure of that say they why for thou hast wrought al our works for us for it is not Cyrus But it is a remarkable hand of God upon the spirit of Cyrus and al that is done in our deliverance it is done through a mighty hand of God Thou hast wrought al our works in us The work it is a work above Nature it is a wonderful work of God and therefore we are sure that thou wilt ordain peace for us When God appeares wonderful remarkably in a Mercy to his people then they conclude of further Mercies A most excellent place for that likewise in Psal 75.5 Vnto thee Oh God do we give thanks for that thy name is neare thy wonderous works declare mark for that thy name is near thy wonderous works declare Oh Lord as if they should have said we se thy wonderful works we see thy face thy Power thy Glory thy Mercy and thy Goodness we se thy Mercy a creating Mercy and therefore thy name is near O! thou art good yet more and more for that thy wondrous works declare Brethren when Gods mercies are creating mercies then we may expect that they wil be perfect mercies for though in generation there may be a defect yet in creation there is never a defect many times there may want a Limb a member in generation but al that God creates he creates perfect Now when the mercies of God are as it were created mercies not generated out of second causes but we see a kind of created power then surely it wil be perfect Now Brethren before we come to Application to our own hearts we cannot but apply this as a strong argument to raise up our thoughts to make account of the mercies this day we enjoy to be a door of Hope unto us for if ever people have created mercies we have if ever a people could see the face of God in a way of mercy then we may at this day if ever a people could say Thou Oh Lord hast wrought al our works for us we may wel say it and therefore we may draw that coclusion that the Church did Thou wilt ordain peace for thou hast wrought al our works for us Surely Brethren Gods name is nigh God hath seemed to be afar off from England for a long time God is coming nigh his name is nigh for his wondrous works that he hath done of late declare it But that is the first The Second discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future Mercies When Gods Mercies are Spiritual Mercies then they are certain in-lets to further Mercies a Spiritual Mercie never come alone but make way for further I wil give you but one Text for that because I see time outruns me in Ezek. 39.29 Neither wil I hide my face any more from them saith God Why For I have powred out my Spirit upon the House of Israel saitth the Lord God Mark I wil hide my face no more from them Why for I have poured out my Spirit upon the House of Israel saith the Lord God Brethren if ever any Nation had the Spirit of God poured out upon them certainly we have God poureth out his Spirit unto his people upon private Christians and upon Ministers in a wonderful abundant manner and how hath he poured out his Spirit upon our Worthies assembled in Parliament Now let this be a good Argument neither wil I hide my face any more from them for I have poured out my spirit upon them then it is an Argument for us this day that God wil not hide his face from us because he hath poured out his Spirit upon us If there be any people under Heaven that have the Spirit of God upon them certainly the people of England have it at this day and this is Gods own promise and Argument you may plead it with God in prayer that he wil never hide his face from them that he hath poured out his Spirit upon not only in general may you make use of it but for your selves in particular Hath God poured out his Spirit upon any of your Souls you may make this conclusion it is Gods own conclusion he wil never hide his face from you because he hath poured his Spirit upon you that is the Second The Third discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future Mercies Then is a Mercy a fore-runner of further Mercy when it is obtained by Faith and prayer in the Covenant of Grace That Mercy that prayer and the exercise of Faith doth obtain is certainly and infallibly a fore-runner of further Mercy God hath not done with that people and that Soul in a way of Mercy where he bestows a Mercy as a fruit of prayer an exercise of Faith in the Covenant If prayer be the Key to open Heaven when it is shut to us much more then wil it keep Heaven open when it is once open but that we know to be the excellency of prayer it is the great Key of Heaven that golden Key of Heaven that opens it when it is shut then surely prayer can keep Heaven open If ever a Mercy were obtained by prayer certainly that Mercy that we have now for the present here in Edgland is a Mercy obtained by prayer if ever there were a Parliment obtained by prayer since England was a Nation certainly this Parliment was we may cal the name of this Parliament Samuel asked of God and what have been the earnest cries of Gods people of many that are dead and gone but for these times Now that that is a fruit not only of prayer of Gods people for the present but is the Harvest of so many prayers of the Saints of God and Worthies of God in former
upon their death beds when Gods justice is out against them and Gods wrath upon them and they see themselves plunging into the bottomless gulfe then they wil pray and cry for mercy Oh! thou shewest thy selfe to be a stranger to the waies of God and to the minde of God and to the covenant of God if thou wert one of Gods people then thou wouldest know that when God is in a way of Mercy then is the best time of praying for one Mercy lets in another and then is the best time of praying I would argue thus Is it more likely that God when the day of his patience and longe sufering continues to thee that then he should deny thee mercy I say is it like he should deny thee mercy then and yet when the day of his wrath and justice cometh then he should bestow Mercy upon thee what an absurd apprehension of things is here Thou criest God wil deny thee Mercy and grace now now is the day of his long-suffering patience and wil he deny it now and yet is he like to give it thee when the day of his wrath and justice cometh upon thy sick bed and death bed that may be the day of vengance of wrath If thou hast wisdome to thy soul seeke God whilst Mercy is coming and while he is in a way of Mercy that is the fittest time to pray and therefore take it this day and be convinced you carnal hearts that have no minde to pray but when they are in their afflictions but those hearts are most spiritual that can pray most when God is coming most in mercy to them but the time of affliction is the most unlikly time of getting any thing from God I had thought to have spoken divers things about that USE 2. If this be so when God is in a way of mercy one mercy wil let out another hence al the Saints of God are taught and admonished to observe and take diligent notice of the connexion of Gods mercies towards them for certainly this is Gods way to them one mercy maketh way for another and if thou belongest to God that hath been his way to thee all thy life time even from his Electing thee only now it is thy duty to be observant how God hath made one mercy a door of hope to another mercy and it is a special work to observe Gods waies towards a Christian a special work of the Sabbath many of you especially you that are not book-learned you say you know not how to spend the Sabbath after the publique exercise is done but must walk up and down the streets c. here is a work for them that are not book-learned to spend the Sabbath in If thou beest godly then sometimes every Sabbath recollect all the waies of Gods merciful providence towards thee ever since thy Youth and Childhood and how one hath had a connexion to another how one mercy hath let in another mercy and that lets in a third and that third a fourth and you shal see how the track of Gods goodness hath been towards you al your daies and that wil be a most sweet meditation for you wherein God shal have a great deal of Glory the 92. Psalme is a Psalme appointed for the Saâ—â—ath and you shal find that it is a Psalme of contemplation of the works of God and the waies of Gods mercies trwards his people it is a special way to understand the connexion of things and the connexion of causes how one cause hath dependance upon another cause and that upon another and that upon another and this is the difference between Sence and Reason the bruit Beasts that have only sence they taste the sweetness of a thing but they never enquire after the cause but now the more rational any man is the more desires kindle in him to find out the connexion of causes If this be a sweet thing to a soul in a natural way to find out the connexion of causes O! how sweet is it to a gracious soul to find out the connexion and concatination of al the mercies and goodnesses of the Lord towards him in al the passages of his life and do it the rather because that the truth is Brethren this that I am speaking of now it is that wherein a principal part of the glorious inheritance of the Saints consisteth in the glory of Heaven wherein the happiness of the glorified souls there shal consist it wil be this that eternal Sabbath that shal be spent in Heaven wil amongst other things be spent in this work that I am speaking of in a contemplation of al the connexion and concatination of Gods merces towards those that are now in Heaven Now they have been connected and concatinated ever since they have had a being and so brought up to that height of glory Oh! what an infinite content the Saints shal have when God shal reveal al when they shal see into the councels of God and the wil of God so freely and into al his waies how they were chosen from al eternity and so to eternity and there they shal see every passage of Providence that they did not understand the meaning of before how it made way to such a mercy and that to another and that to another and so til they were brought to that fulness of glory they shal I say be eternally contemplating thus of the connexion of Gods mercies and praising and blessing of God that did thus work and coennex things together for their good If thou hopest to come to Heaven to be thus excercised to give God glory there Oh! begin this work here for we pray Gods wil may be done on earth now as it is done in Heaven As on the contrary it wil be a great part of the torment of the damned that they shal there see how one work of Justice made way for another how one passage of Gods Providence made way to one Judgment and that to another and that to another and so til they were plunged into the bottomless pit for ever and the very sight how God wrought from one to another wil be torment enough to them Wel that is the Second to consider of the connexion of Gods mercies A Third Use of the Point is this USE 3. If this be so hence we are taught to entertain every mercy of God kindly and to make much of al Gods mercies if we belong to God every mercy comes but as a Messenger of further mercy Oh! entertain it wel entertain it kindly imbrace it make good use of it Indeed when the Prophet Elisha knew the Messenger of the King came to do mischief to him he bids them entertain him roughly at the door hardly at the door but Brethren every mercy that cometh to us if we be godly it cometh as a Messenger of good tidings it cometh to bring more mercy with it and therefore let us entertain it kindly at the door let us
Gods rich grace even in this one branch of the Gospel his beginning the work of Reconciliation Vse 2. And then Another Use of it may be this To teach us not to think much but to begin to seek peace even with our inferiors learn we by the example of God that if there be falling out between one neighbor and another or between one friend and another not to think much to begin the work of peace We think it would be a dishonor for us to yeild so far we say what is he not my inferior shal I send to him Why it is Gods glory to do it God doth not only do it to us but he accounts it his glory so to do It is a great part of the glory of God that he is willing to yeild to us and to send to us about tearms of Reconciliation And shal that which makes God to be glorious be accounted a dishonor to thee shal it make thee unglorious when it makes God to be glorious If it be an excellency in God suerly it is no baseness no dishonour in thee What a proud heart hast thou that thou shouldest think that that doth debase thee too much which makes God to be a glorious God that that which doth set so much glory upon God should in thy thoughts put dishonor upon thee as if thy honor were to be higher than the honor of God himself Certainly those men that are of such implacable dispositions at least they wil never yeild to begin to make up their peace with others but they wil stand it out to the uttermost though their consciences tell them that they themselves have done a great deal of wrong and that they could be willing there were a peace only they wil not begin This proud and stout spirit in men is an argument that they have not been accquainted with Gods reconciling of himself unto them for Gods beginning to be reconciled unto thee wil make thee to begin reconciliation with thy inferior You wil say why should not he begin first It is true why should he not it is his duty indeed and so it is our duty to begin with God but suppose he doth not begin thou shouldest rather pitty him and look upon him in so much the more miserable Condition and know that though thou hast the advantage of him yet thou art to be like unto God in this particular USE 3. Thirdly A third Use of Gods beginning the work of Reconciliation with us is the Use that the Apostle himself makes in Rom. 5.10 If when we were enimies to God we were reconciled unto him by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life here you see the Apostles inference upon Gods gratiousness in himself he being willing to be reconciled when we were enimies much more being reconciled we shal be saved as if he should have said al the goodness of God towards poor wretched sinful Creatures when we were desperate enemes to him and never thought of coming in to be reconciled unto him yet the Lord himself finds out a way and begins the work of making peace between him and our souls surely then being reconciled unto him we shal be saved What shal God when we were a going on in a desperate way of enmity against him shal this God come then to us and have thoughts of peace and Love and mercy to us surely when we are reconciled when we have hearts in some measure to love this God and to serve and fear him he wil not cast us off certainly no it is better with us now than before When we were enemies unto him and desperate enemies it had been then no wonder if God had cast us off and sent us to our own places to lie for ever under the infinite burden of his wrath but the Lord had then thoughts of peace towards us it is therefore now far otherwise with us though it is true we have many corruptions in us but we can appeal unto God that our Souls love him and that the desire of our hearts are to fear and serve him we can in some measure be able to say Lord thou that knowest al things knowest that there is nothing in the world our Souls desire more than to overcome these Corruptions there is no burden in al the world like unto the burden of sin there is nothing so grievous to us as this that we have such vile hearts and natures that can serve him no better than we do and if God should ask us what we would have from him we can say in the sincerity of our souls Lord thou knowest we would not ask Riches or Honors to be Kings and Princes in the world but Oh that we might be delivered from the remayner of the corruption that is in our hearts from such and such distempers of our Souls whereby we dishonor thy name continually Certainly if the hearts of men be in this disposition they may gather a comfortable argument to themselves and conclude thus There was a time that I went on as a dsperate enemy unto God and I lived without God in the world and never minded the power and the majesty and the Dominion of God over me but as if I were born to nothing else but to sin against God I followed my own lusts with al manner of greediness but behold then even at that time the Lord had thoughts of mercy towards me and he took me perhaps when I came to the hearing of the word with a purpose to contemne and despise it and to ieer at it yet at that very time he took me and spake to my heart and shewed me Jesus Christ and his mercy and then he broke my heart now the Lord knows though when I come to the word I profit not as I should yet I come with a heart desiring to profit and I would fain know the mind of God in it and before I come I go to God and desire him to shew me some part of his wil Wil God now cast me off when being a disperate enemy to him he had thoughts of mercy towards me wil he cast me off for those infirmities that I have now I know I have not a heart opposite to that Grace though I have a heartful of distempers I am not an enemy unto God as I was before and an enemy to his people and ordinances No my heart is towards him my heart is towards his people and towards his Ordinances and was God reconciled to me then even whil'st I was an enemy and wil he now cast me off for weaknesses and infirmities Certainly it cannot be O make much of that place of the Apostle If when we were enemies unto God we were reconciled unto him much more saith he certainly now God wil not cast us off but we shal be saved That is a third use that we may make of Gods begining the work of Reconciliation USE 4. A Fourth is this
going of the miles is as necessary as the other and though that be not required yet it is implyed in the act that is required and it is to be looked upon as necessary as that which is required as a Condition So it is true humiliation is not the Condition of the second Covenant it is not the thing that intersteth us in Jesus Christ but it is that which the nature of faith doth necessarily imply for faith is an understanding Grace and indeed it is the most gloriouse worke of the soul that ever was for a soul to beleeve in God through Christ to beleeve that God is Reconciled to him in Christ it is the most glorious work under heaven Now when I beleeve in Christ as a Savior what is he a Savior from a Savior from my sin a Savior from the wrath of God and this the Soul must necesarily be senssible of how else can it put forth such an act of Faith and I know no faithful preacher in the world that ever pressed humiliation further then this that when men beleeve in Christ they must know and be sensible of what they do you must know Christ is a Mediator and if he be a Mediator what is he a Mediator for why to make up a Breach between God and you And then you must know what that breach is that is the breach that your sin hath made And then you must know what sin that is Namely that your sin hath provoked the Justice of God and put you under the Curse of the Law So that you see the necessity of opening the law though it be not a thing which interesteth us in Christ yet it follows of it self as a necessary Consequence without which you cannot understand Christ as a reconciler This is therefore the first use If God wil never be reconciled to any Soul but only in Christ then that Soul that comes to be Saved must come to see it self in a most woful Condition for such a Creature as hath need of such a Mediator must needs be in a most Wretched Damnable Misserable Cursed condition in it self for else it could never requier such a Mediator And certainly there is no such way to honor Christ as this When men speake of Christ and of free Grace except rhey instruct people in this Namely the breach that is made between God and them through sin how can any of their Avditory understand what Christ is Christ is a Mediator what to do to save from fin What from what sin from sin What is that sin must be made known if Christ be the reconciler between God and us because Reconciliation implies a breach and a breach that is made by sin and if you know not what breach is that is made how can you honor Christ as Mediator So that you must know what that breach is that breach is the enmity that is in your hearts by Nature you must know what that enmity is and be sensible of it or else you can never give glory to God in Christ And though many have so much in their mouthes of Christ and of free Grace yet it is apparent in their Course that they do not give glory to Christ Christ hath little cause to thank them for any glory that he hath from them in their Conversation they rather blott and staine the name of Christ and what is the reason The truth is they never rightly understood Christ as a Mediator they never knew what it was to have need of a Mediator between God and them and so they having but a superficial knowledg of Christ Christ hath but a superficial glory from them That is the first Use CHAP. 31. Use 2. Discovering of Mistakes about Reconciliation 2 IF God hath reconciled himself to the world in Christ Hence we are to take notice of the great mistakes there are in the world in the point of Reconciliation with God Certainly if this be a truth that the only way of making up our peace with God is in Christ then the world doth gennerally mistake in the great matter of Reconciliation with God and a mistake in this is an undoing mistake a damning mistake a Soul may perish eternally meerly thorugh a mistake in the matter of Reconciliation A man may be troubled for sin and cry out of his sin and may break off the practice of his sin and cry unto God in Prayer that he would pardon him and be reconciled unto him and yet mistaking here and not understanding that it must be God in and through Christ that reconcileth himself the mistake in this may prove an undoing mistake to that Soul and although they should be Crying out of their sins al their daies they may perish at last if they do not know and rightly understand how to close with Gods mercy as it is in Christ if they do not understand that it is God in Christ that reconcileth himself to the world We know the greatest part of people look for their Reconciliation with God meerly in a natural way they have sinned against him and they wil cry unto him for mercy and for pardon and so they think al may be made up between God and them I remember Luther hath a notable speech concering this in his meditation about the way which God hath appointed for reconciling of man to himself that it is in Christ It is intollerahle and horrible blasphâ—my saith he to faigne any worke by which thou mayest presume to please God and he gives the reason of it It is therefore intollerable and horrible blasphemy for any to faigne any worke by which they shal presume to pacifie God when they shal see and hear that God cannot be pacified any other way but by such a way as the blood of his Son one drop where of is more preciouse then the whole Creation And upon this ground being meditating of Gods reconciling the world to himself and that it was by such a way as the blood of his Son and that one drop of his blood is of more value then al the Creatures in Heaven and Earth hence it was that he affirmes is to be horrible and intolerable blasphemy for any man to think to pacifie God any other way Nay when God by such a way hath appointed Reconciliation for a man to neglect this and to think that any work of his own shal pacify God especially those that heare the Gospel preached to them when they shal think of any other way of their own and so neglect the way that God hath appointed this is indeed a most intollerable and horrible blasphemy and Certainly it is that which provoketh the Lord exceedingly that when a sinner shal be made apprehensive and sensible of the Breach that is made between God and him for that sinner to think the Breach to be no greater then may be made up with any work of Repentance or good meaning or good works the Lord disclaineth to look upon that sinner in this
set one against another there should be a Reconciliation But God hath waies in his infinite Wisdom that we are not able to comprehend the spirits of any of our Adversaries are not so desperately bent against us but there was as much enmity between us and God as there can be betwixt us and any of our adversaries in the world and we have no such exasperated enimes against us as we were by nature against God If therefore God could find a way when we were such enimies unto him to make peace betwixt us and him then hath God likewise a way to make a true setled and constant peace between our Adversaries and us And we should desire that as God hath made our peace with him firme and sure so that what peace God makes in this land it may be somwhat like unto that peace that he hath made between Heaven and Earth There is a firme peace made between God and us a peace that we may rest upon and confide in A peace betwen our adversaries and us as things now stand we cannot count it sure you cannot be sure of your lives one night after it is done as things now stand But we must desire such a peace might be made as there is made between God and us sure and firme and stable Therefore pray much and beleeve much as you are able and though things be brought to such a straite as there is no likelyhood in the thoughts of men how it should be done yet they are not brought to such a straite as things were between God and us before he reconciled himself unto us And there was more required to make up that Reconciliation betwixt God and us then there can be between us and our adversaries And what was it that made our peace first with God God was in Christ reconciling the world it was the blood of his Son that saved our blood and therefore let al those that are godly go to this God of peace and not only cry to him by Prayer for the making of a true and firme peace amongst us but present unto him the blood of his Son to that end and say O Lord thou that sentest thy Son into the world to make peace between our Souls and thee look upon that blood and let that blood prevail with thee to make peace in England that there may be no more of the precious blood of thy Saints spilt and shed amongst us Here is the way to get peace And Certainly if the blood of Christ were able to make such a peace between us and God as is firme and lasting it wil be able also to make peace in this poor Nation and such a peace as shal be firme and lasting too Thus we are incouraged in regard of external condition in regard of the peace of our land that seeing God hath done the greater he is able much more to do the lesser That seeing God hath reconciled mercy and Justice together and made peace betwixt Heaven and Earth when the Breach was so great as al the men in the world and the Angels in Heaven could not find out a way to compose the difference and make up that breach yet he hath done it He can certainly also compose the differences and make up the breach that is amongst us CHAp 24. Use 5. Those that have assurance of their peace with God highly to prise it HEnce then if our Reconciliation with God be such as hath been opened and if it be wrought after that way Then an other Use we may make of it is this Namely That al those that have any comfortable assurance that their peace is made with God they are to prise it highly and not easily and lightly to loose the assurance of it Why Because it hath cost so much as it hath done and it hath been wrought for them after such a strange manner as it hath been the greatest work that ever God made and wherein his wisdome and goodness and power hath been seen now that which God hath set himselfe to worke so powerfully in to the end that he might acomplish it and that which hath cost so dear as it hath done that wherein so much of the mistery of Godliness is contained suerly then if we have obtained the assurance of it in our selves we should highly prise it and we should seeke to preserve it and not loose it we know not how I remember when we opened the excellency of our Reconciliation with God and what admirable fruits did flow fom it we had there a Use like unto this that because it is so excellent we should preserve it and not let it go lightly But now this Use is drawn from the way of Reconciliation that it is a Reconciliation in Christ and in indeed the argument fals more strongly upon us here then it did formerly before the argument was that we should prise it because we have such comfort in our Reconciliation because such admirable fruits doe flow from it because it is able to carry us through al troubles in the world But now we must seek to preserve it because we have it in Christ because it is that which cost more then ten thousand worldes are worth because God hath wrought so wonderfully to bring it ahout Hath God therefore spoken peace to any of your souls take heed that you turn not again to folly Psalm 85.8 I wil hear what the Lord wil say for he wil speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let not them return again to folly Hast thou gotten any comfortable perswasion that the Lord is reconciled unto them Christ and God hath made thee to know that Reconciliation with him was a difficult work it may be it cost you many tears and prayers and much trouble before you could get it and a long time you were seeking of it in a Legal way and crying unto God for his mercy to pardon your sins and Seeking to him in that natural way but then you could not have peace spoken to your hearts but in time the Lord opened the mistery of Christ unto your souls and then you sought Reconciliation with him in Christ and you saw how that it was in his blood that your peace was made Have you got peace in an Evangelical way through Christ O! Make much of it it is a precious Jewel in that it comes to you in such a way as this is it cost God dear and it may cost you dear but whether it cost you dear or no you may be sure it cost God dear therfore make much of it do not loose it to loose it fully so as God should again beâ—ome your enemy that indeed you cannot do but you may loose it in your apprehensions you may loose the comfortable assurance of it There are Two waies that Christians may loose the comfortable assurance of their peace with God First through the weaknes of their faith secondly through the sinfulnes of their lives CHAP.
more then so but that thou castest of the comfort of it that thou mightest give liberty to thy loosnes and negligence and to have the flesh have satisfaction And so Christ himself may abraid the what shal I come from the bosom of my father and take upon me the form of a servant and be made a curse that I might make peace between my father and thee and is it worth no more but this that thou castest away the Comfort of thy assurance for such a sinful distemper of heart to give thy liberty to live after the flesh Yea the Holy spirit may come and a braid thee and say What shal I come and reveal the deep councells of God towards thee and shew thee what those things were that God from all eternity hath done for thee shal I open the misteries of Christ unto thee and draw thy heart unto him and shal I speak peace unto thee and yet when al is done thou shouldest regard this so little as for the sattisfaction of some base distemper of heart loose that which I have thus brought to thee loose the comfort of al that I have done for thee both Father Son and Holy Spirit may abraid thy negligence and the loosness of thy heart and life Yea and thine own Conscience may tell thee and say did not I often hint unto thee that if thou didst give liberty to thy selfe to walk thus and thus loosely thou shalt loose thy comfort and thou shouldst ' come to apprehend God to be a terror to thee and wilt thou even in these dayes of troble when men crie out of feares and dangers take such a foolish course to loose thy peace with God Is there any thing in the base distemper of thy heart that can countervail this loss Look upon those that walk holylie and closs with God and let their Conversations abraid thee they keep their hearts cleane and maintaine their peace with God and when they lie down they lie down in peace and they awake in the comfortable assurance of their peace and when thy heare of warrs and rumors of warrs yet so long as they can look up to God as their reconciled Father their hearts are fixed and stable and though they suffer the spoyleing of their goods and â—he loss of all that is deare unto them yet they know that within their bosom there is that which wil afford comfort enough unto them And yet thou through the giveing sattisfaction to some base and sinful distemper or lust canst not think upon God without terror can'st not apprehend him but as an enemy O! unworthy soul how shouldest thou be confounded in thy own thoughts for the loosness and negligence of heart in preserving that peace which Christ hath wrought between the Father and thee so strangly and so wonderfully Work these things my Brethren upon your hearts any ground all upon this that we are reconciled to God in Christ our Reconciliation was wrought by such a strang way as by Christ and it cost his blood to work it therefore if we have any hope of our peace with God we had need looke to it to preserve it CHAP. 27. Use 6. Give God the glory of our Reconciliation Againe we have yet a further Use here If God be reconciled to us in Christ it teacheth us to give God the glory of this great worke adore the infinite wisdome and mercy and goodnes of God in this work of his towards us reconciling us to himselfe in Jesus Christ When Christ was born the Angels Sang glory to God on high peace on earth and it was upon that ground that they Sang it as if they should have said O Lord what a way is here for thee to make peace upon earth that thou shouldest send thy Son here we looke upon a poore Infant in a manger and this Infant is the eternal God the second person in Trinity that hath thus taken mans nature upon him and here he lyes in the cratch even the same person that made the world What a strang work of God is this to bring peace upon Earth peace after such a way as this glory be to God on high And this is the thing we should spend our dayes in to adore the infinite wisdom and goodnes of God in this way of his in reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ God expects that al the children of men to whom Christ comes to be made known to should even fal upon their faces and spend their days in adoring and praysing and magnifying this great work of God God expects that we should have mighty high thoughts of this work and if our thoughts be not high of this work and be nor lift up above al Creatures we do but take the name of God in vaine God doth not care for any other glory we give him except we give him the glory of this work It is true when we see the works of God in the Earth and in the Seas we should glorifie Gods power and Gods wisdom c. But except your heart be taken with this master peece as I may so terme it with this great work of God of Reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ God wil rject al your other gloryfyings of him I mean so reject them as he wil not accept of them in comparison therefore this is the thing that God accepteth above al and this is the comandement of God that we should beleeve in his son and that we should give the Father the glory due unto him for reconciling himselfe to the world in his Son This is the worke that shal be done in Heaven to al eternity This is the thing that God himselfe delights in above al that ever he hath done that takes up his heart above al. And if it do not take up your hearts but you look upon it as an ordinary thing and so indeed count the blood of Christ as a comon thing O! know it is a high indignity in that thing in which he doth expect most glory from And let me say this Hath God revealed this work of his Son unto thee and is thy heart taken with this great work that God hath done and art thou continualy adoring of the greatness of that work of God peace be unto thee for this is as Good an evidence that thou art reconciled unto God in Christ as any I know But I must hasten CHAP. 28. Use 7. To love Christ And do or suffer for him AGain Is it in Christ that we are reconciled unto God O! let Christ be beloved by us Let us say with the blessed Martyr Lambert None but Christ None but Christ which he spake too when he came to the stake to be burnt for Christ a good Lessen for us by the way to take out that may come to suffer very hard things for that which we have undertaken to do in obedience to God yet for us to rejoyce when we come to suffer banishment or loss of goods or
Apostle saith plainly in the 2 of Rom. That the patience of God calls us to Repentance in verse 4. whatsoever leades to Repentance hath something of the Gospel in it Patience and goodness though we never come to heare of the Ministery of the Gospel yet it is that that calls us to repentance and it is cleare in this because that is spoken of in the creature the loude voice in the creature in the 19 Psalm it is applied to the Gospel in Rom. 10. and except you understand it so we cannot tel you that the sound of the Gospel hath gon to the utmost parts of the earth We cannot understand in the Apostles time how the Gospel went to the utmost parts of the world for there are many places that are not found out yet but this kind of sound of the Gospel goes throughout the earth that by the voice of the creatures men ought to come to know thus much that surely there is some way for God to be pacified towards sinful men though they cannot tell which way or what way suerly there is some way and many of the Jewes knew no other way but this they knew there was a Messiah to come but what he was or who he was they know very little of him Now the Devills have no such work of God towards them nor such bounty and patience and goodness towards them whereby they can conclude that God hath any thoughts to be reconciled to them Though its true they are not yet fully under the torment that they shal be yet they are under so much torment as they are said to be reserved to the great day in chains of darkness whereas wicked and ungodly men are preserved by the bounty and patience of God and the cords of Gods bounty and mercy is towards them and therefore they are not reserved in chaines of darkness as the Devil and damned are So that by the bounty of God in the creature we may gather such a conclusion that surely God hath some way to shew mercy unto mankind But we can never have any thoughts by any works of God in his creature that God should send the second person in Trinity to take mans nature upon him to die to suffer for mans sin to tender up satisfaction to divine Justice and then al must be brought into this Covenant then he must be the head of the second Covenant and they must be made Members of his body now the Creature hath no such misttry as this and therefore in the 3 Eph. 8. verse saith the Apostle speaking what his ministery was unto me who am the least of al Saints is the grace given that I should preach amongst the gentils the unsearchable riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 investigabiles divitias not to be paced or traced out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestigium qui nullis vestigiis indagari potest It is used also Rom. 11.33 they are unsearchable speaking of the riches of Christ as they are of Christ they are unsearchable the word is there the Riches that are without footsteps there is no foot steps of the riches of Christ if we speak of the Doctrine of Christ the Mediator as it is indeed in the Gospel there are no foot steps of them in the Creature therefore though there be some kind of sound in the Creature that it is sure that God hath some kind of way to be reconciled but now the sound of the Gospel this is committed to Ministers to Preach therefore in the. 1 Cor. 1.21 the Apostle saith That in the Wisdome of God the World by Wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that beleeve Mark the world by Wisdome knew not God certainly the world did know there was a God and that he was infinite in power and goodness but the Text saith they know not God that is they knew not God savingly in Christ they might know that God had some kind of way to shew mercy to sinners but what way they knew not and by Wisdome that is by al the Wisdome that was revealed by God in the Creature and by al the Wisdome they received from God they knew not God by Wisdome true there is an abundance of the Wisdome of God in the Creature several acts are no other then several beames of Gods Wisdome shining in the Creature and the knowledg of these acts are no other but the several beames of Gods Wisdome shining into mens understandings take either of both them and by both these it could not know God in a saving way but by the Foolishness of preaching that is by the preaching that the Men of this world do account foolishness the Lord is pleased to save those that beleeve so that it is evident that the Ministery of Reconciliation is committed to the preachers of the Gospel CHAP. 40. Why God chose Men rather than Angels to dispence the Mystery of Reconciliation The Reasons thereof NOw it is to be enquired after First why God would choose men rather to be the dispencers of of the great Mystery of Reconciliation then the Angels God hath not committed unto them this word of Reconciliation though it is true the Angels they do go about and they somtimes witness to the Gospel as you may read afterwards But they are not chosen by way of office to the Ministery of the Gospel that is not the office they are appointed to so as the Ministers of the Gospel are God hath not chosen Angels in an ordinary way to come and dispence those great and glorious things unto the Children of Men. Object You wil say had it not been better that God should have chosen the Angels to come in and preach Jesus Christ than men for they are poor weak Creatures and like our selves and now when they come to stand up and Preach Jesus Christ the great things about reconciling men to God should we think that they know more then we ourselves Answ You must not think that there is no good to be done till one comes and tels you that you never heard of But you must know that it is by vertue of the ordinance of Christ because he hath appointed a Minister of the Gospel to come and in such a way to preach though the instrument be like your selves and perhaps may not have a deeper understanding then some of you yet you are to look upon it beyond the matter that he speaks you are to look upon it as the ordinance of Christ and so to expect and look at al means whatsoever But now the great standing ordinance in the Church of God is the Ministery of the Gospel It is this that is committed to us to Preach and this therefore is to be looked upon as the power of God to salvation in those that God intends Salvation to God hath not chosen the Angels but Men and upon this reason because we are
41. Why God wil not himself immediatly dispute this Gospel Reconciliation BUT further it may be said why wil not God immediately himself preach this Doctrine of the Gospel The Mistery of Reconciliation we see many infirmities in men Men are ready enough to stumble at al infirmities of the Ministers of the Gospel which by the way should teach Ministers of the Gospel to have a care how they walk but because there are so many things to be excepted against men we would be ready to think if God would himself preach the gospel from heaven men would regard it more No but God wil not do so though God wil assist the Ministery to make it effectual in the hearts of those that shal be saved yet he wil not speak himself from Heaven but he wil send men like themselves and let men hear or not and howsoever though men think if God should speak himself they would hear him yet if they heare not men they would not hear God God spake himself from heaven in the delivering of the Law but men did not keep the Law but now God wil rather speak by men because he doth delight to make use of every creature according to the capacity of it The Lord takes a wonderful delight in the use of almeans that is suiteable to a creature And therefore you shal find which is very observeable that though God did begin to speak from Heaven to Saul that he did convert who afterwards was called Paul Christ spake at first from Heaven but mark he would not do the whol work himself immediately but before the work should be accomplished there should be meanes used in Acts 9.4 There Christ speaks from Heaven but I beseech you observe it what doth Christ speak from Heaven he doth not preach the gospel it is only the word of conviction Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me This was enough to strike Saul with astonishment so that he fell upon the earth and said Lord what wilt thou have me to do But mark what answer is given him Go into the Citty and it shal be told thee You must not think though I begin to speak from Heaven to you but that you must be content to set upon means and so he did with Saul he arose from the Earth in verse 8. God made him stay a good while before he would tel him what he should do he was three dayes and nights and eate nothing and was praying al the while unto the Lord and then in vers 10. Saith the Lord to Ananias a Minister of his Go to such a place and there thou shalt open to Saul my Mercy this Doctrine of Reconciliation It is true I begin to think upon him but I wil not go on in the work you shal do it and he shal attend upon your Ministery to let him know what my mercy in Christ to his Soul is and I wil bless your Ministery unto his Soul And thus you see how God stands upon the making use of the meanes I make no question but it is something like to Gods dealing with many of you though God at first begins himself and strikes some terror into your hearts A man when he is going about his business he hath some suddaine thought dents into his heart Lord where am I What if I should now die how can I answer for such and such things before God And thus perhaps he comes to be troubled in his Conscience by some immediate work of God but he wil not go on in this work immediately but he sends him to the Ministers of his word and there he shews him what he must do concerning his good I wil give you a notable text to shew you how God stands upon means in Act. 10.2 He had some kind of the fear of God but understood little of Christ he was a souldier a Centurion of the band called the Italian band he had a greate many souldiers that were wicked but yet he had some that were godly But though he was in that place yet he was a devout man and ful of prayer as it is commendable for Souldiers to be much in prayer because carrying his life in his hands he had need carry Grace in his heart and then in the 3. verse it is a very observable Scripture first God accepts of his prayers and appeares in a Vision to him and sends an Angel to him and tels him that his prayers were accepted wel but God had revealed so much of Christ to him which he was very ignorant of Object You wil say seing God did send an Angel to him why did not God reveal Christ by the Angel No he would not he sends an Angel to Cornelius to this end to bid him send for Peter that was a Minister of the Gospel This should be the message of the Angels to tel him that God regarded his prayers and almes I but as if the Angel should say God hath other things to tel you but the truth is I have no commission to tel you my commission is to tel you that you should send for a Minister he sent for Peter and Peter came and Preacht Christ unto him as you may see in verse 34. so that you may see that God doth use to work upon men by means and surely herein God wil honor humane nature in taking it upon himself and for Gods honoring of the Minister of his word take this one note which is likewise very observable that Christ himself when he Preacht upon the Earth we never read that his preaching was so efficatious to convert so many Souls as the Ministers of the Gospel did Peter when he came to preach the Gospel Converted three thousand Souls at one Sermon and you never read that Christ converted so many at a Sermon Christ himself preaching immediatly the Gospel did never convert so many as Peter did The reason is to shew that we must not expect so much the immediate preaching of God unto us as God and Christ preaching to us by the Ministery of Man that is the meaning of it so that now you have had the point opened unto you that God committs unto us the Ministery of Reconciliation I shal endeavour to apply it CHAP. 42. Use 1. The sending of the Ministers of the Gospel is to be accounted a glorious blessing FIrst If this be the great work of the Ministers that are sent amongst you to dispence the Ministery of Reconciliation to you O! then certainly the sending of any of the ministers of the gospel among you you are to account a glorious and a wonderful blessing of God upon you at any time why what is their errand They come to treat with your souls about Reconciliation with God and God hath appointed this the greate means of bringing souls unto himselfe to be reconciled unto himselfe and therefore it is one of the greatest blessings in the world to have the minestry of the gospel in any congregation Blessed be your eyes saith
he clapt his chains upon them and reserves them in chains of darkness there is no such patience of God towards them as to be any argument to draw them to repentance therefore they cannot draw any encourageing conclusion from any work of Gods patience as to bring them towards God again But al sinners may do it that are the sons of men Hath God spared thy life at such and such a time know that in that work of his he doth manifest his willingness to be reconciled unto thy Soul as if a man hath an enemy at an advantage and he wil not take it Doth not this signifie that he is willing to be at peace with him And that is the first thing CHAP. 62. The Second Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners SEcondly God hath manifested himself very willing to be reconciled unto sinners in this that he hath made it to be the great Master-piece of al his works to provide a way for Reconciliation of thee unto him The Lord hath wrought so wonderfully for the children of men rather than for Angels in sending his Son making of him a curse for our sins In this the Lord proclaims a loud voice to al the world O! be it known to al you sinners that I am willing to be reconciled to you We need not name Scripture for this for the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is ful of this O! the heart of God is much in this work of Reconciliation al the arguments in the world al the expressions that possible could have been could never have held forth this so much as meerly this proclaimation that God hath sent his Son into the world to die for mans sin this holds it forth and proclaims it with the loudest voice that possible can be that God is infinitly willing to be reconciled unto sinners CHAP. 63. The third Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to sinners AND then thirdly after this work of God sending his Son mark how God doth express himselfe to the Children of men he doth profess that there is nothing wherein he doth more glory than he doth in this to shew mercy to sinners he doth make account that the chefest glory he hath in the world it is to shew mercy unto siners Certainly that that his soule is so wel pleased with that that he accounts himself most honored by is when sinners shal come in unto him to repent that he may be reconciled unto them If a man should do thus that hath an enemy and should manifest this to some of his friends that sit at his table as to say such an one is an enemy to me but O! how fain would I have him come in that there might be peace between him and I and I would count it as great an honor as ever I had in my life would not any one say this man were willing to be reconciled certainly God doth so and therefore in Exod. 30. the place you know about the 6. verse the Lord when he was proclamming his glory that Moses desired and the Lord promised he promised Moses in the Latter end of the 33. Chap. that his glory should passe by him and he caused his glory to passe by him as in Chap. 34 and what was that glory The Lord the Lord God merciful and pretious long sufering and abundant in goodness and mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrossion and sin as if God should say Moses wouldest thou see my glory this is it that I am merciful and forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here is the height of my glory in this is my magnificence made known And another most remarkable place we have in Esa 30 1â— I shal make use of the begining of the place And therefore wil the Lord wait that he may be gracious and therefore wil he be exalted How wil God be exhalted That he may have mercy upon you Therfore he wil be exsalted that he may have mercy upon you and so he goes on For the Lord is a God of Judgment Blessed are al they that wait for him so that God accounts himself an exalted God when he hath mercy upon a sinner Surely he is very willing to be reconciled to a sinner when he counts himself an exalted God when a sinner comes in and beleevs in his on Now am I exalted saith God this is that my soule glories in this I account to be a happiness to mee God is exalted in shewing mercy and that is the conclusion of this argument CHAP. 64. The fourth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconcilled to sinners FOurthly the Lord expresses this his willingness to be reconciled to sinners with a sigh as when he expresses his desire after sinners with a sigh which is a note of earnestness of desire and that you have in Deut. 5. and 24. verse O! that there were such a heart in them When we express our desires we say I would there were such a thing But when we express our most earnest desire then we express it with an O! O! that there were so saith God O! that they had such an heart that they would fear me and walke in my waies and why doth God expresse this It is that it might be wel with them and with their children for ever therefore O! that there were such an heart It is observable if you turne your eyes to the former part of the Chapter you shal find that this people did say that whatsoever God had spoken that they would do But the lord saw that there was not a through comming off of their hearts unto him to resigne up themselves wholly to him and therefore the Lord doth as it were fetch a sigh in the earnestness of his desire O! that there were such an heart in them If a man that were fallen out with another when he were in his Bed-chamber or at his Table he should fetch a sigh and say O! that such an one would come in and be Reconciled to me how glad would I be to be Reconciled to him how doth my soul long after him would not every one say that this man earnestly desiers Reconciliation with that person But thus doth God he sits as it were and saith O! that there were such an heart CHAP. 65. The Fift Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Fiftly the Lord doth not only express his desire by a sigh but by an Oath he takes a solemn Oath upon it how willing he is that sinners should come in be reconciled unto him and it is the greatest Oath that ever God took it is about sinners coming in to profess his willingness that sinners should not die but they should come in and be reconciled to him and that you have in the 33. Ezek. 11. Say to them As I live saith the Lord God I have no
between God and you no sin that is yet past that shal be your undoing and the eternal destruction of your souls But it wil be some sin that is yet to come somewhat that is yet to come wil be the eternal destruction of every sinner in this Congregation It s true if God smite thee now it wil be the sin that is past but if God let thee live this day it is rather for something that is yet to come than for any thing that is past for the continuance in the hardness of heart and your unbeleife from this time forward rather then for what is past If one had run in arrears and incurred a great deal of punishment enough to his undoing if this should come to be said unto him Thus far you have run But here is a proclamation there is nothing that is past that shal be charged upon you but look to it for the time to come I do not say that al the sinns that are past God wil never reckon but thus that he wil never reckon with any of you for what is past but for some cause of evil that you shal be guilty of for the future that must go along with it and that may cause God to bring that that is past over again but that that wil be your undoing and destruction wil be somthing that is to come and if you continue in your wicked waies then that wil bring al over again But now if you had a heart this day at this present to fal downe before the lord to seeke to make up your peace with him and to close with the grace of God in his son I can bouldly pronounce that al your sins that are past are done away O! remember this this gracious offer of God in Esa 1.18 whatsoever you have been before yet that needs be no discouragement unto you it is the continuance in your iniquity that wil undo you and now wil not this soul justifie God at the great day must not God needs be justified if any sinner in this congregation be awakened at last I say this argument shal rise up against them and shal justifie God against you Now God wil say you that lived a long time in sin you heard that after so many years sinning that whatsoever your sins were before yet some things that were then to come would be your destruction or els you should never be destroyed and yet you would venture for the time to come you would be bould to adde to that heape of your sins that have been so longe a making and thereby bring al your sins upon you that you had committed before And therefore righteous is God in the Condemnation of this sinner wee speak of the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners to that end that you might come in and be reconcilled or otherwise that the justice of God may be cleere at the great day and this is a special end of al the manifestation of Gods goodness unto sinners that he might cleer himselfe at the great day in those that shal perish There are a great many things yet more behind where in the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners is further to be set forth yet I know there are Objections that ly in your mindes How can we come And if God be so willing he may bring our hearts to be willing to be reconciled to him we shal discourse these more at lardge only for the present I desire to present before you this the manifestation of the goodness of God towards sinners to gain upon their hearts that they might be reconciled unto him and I should be very sory to open al these things in such a congregation as this is if it were not to gain some souls for it 's like enough that some wil be hardened and now if some should be hardened and others should not be gained what a miserable thing were it I might make this as an evidence how willing God is to be reconciled unto siners that he would have the riches of his grace thus manifestd to gain siners to himself though he knows that it wil be a means to harden others he knows that it wil cost the eternal damnation of many souls and though he do know this yet for al this saith God let my wilingness to be reconcilled be opened unto poor sinners by the preaching of the gospel though it costs many souls very dear yet for the love I bear to poor souls let it be made known to the face of them al. Now if God were not strongly set to do good to souls suerly he would not venture the damnation of other souls so much But saith God let their souls go rather than my willingness to be Reconciled unto others should not be declared unto them CHAP. 71. The eleventh argument Manifesting the exceeding wilingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners THe next argument that shewes the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners is this The Lord in his word doth use very powerful and strong arguments to draw the heart to come in to be reconciled this is that evidence I say that the Lord is willing by the strong reasons that God doth use in his word to gain upon the hearts of sinners to bring them in to be reconciled he doth not meerly offer mercy he doth not meerly set before the soul his mercy But the Lord labors with strong reasons motives and arguments to perswade and gain the hearts of sinners unto himself to come in to be reconciled unto him as now when a man doth offer peace it is somewhat and when he doth it in a generous loving way of curtesie that is more but then when he doth send strong arguments to perswad wil not readily take a denial but sends such such arguments doth consider before hand what wil be most likely to perswade the heart of such a man What can I conceive wil gaine his heart most What can I think Suppose there should be a man between whom you there hath been a falling out you should know that when he is alone in his closset he is thinking thus with himself What arguments can I conceive may take the heart of such a man to perswade him to come in to be at peace with me what can I think may be the most prevalent That wil I certainly use to perswade him But undoubtedly it is so with God God looks upon the Children of men and doth consider what argumentt wil take their hearts most the scripture is exceeding ful of prevalent powerful arguments to perswade the hearts of men to come in to be reconciled unto God Arguments sometimes taken from the equity of Gods waies towards them and their unequal wayes towards him Are not my wayes equal saith God and your wayes unequal Is there any thing that I require of you but righteous do not I speak righteous Sometimes he uses arguments
from the absolute necessity that lies upon sinners to come and be reconciled unto God shewing them that certainly they wil be lost undone and eternally damned if they do not come in He that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him You are lost and undone creatures except you do come in And sometimes arguments taken from the excellency of the benefit and profit that there is in comming in to God and being reconciled unto al the Glorious promises of the Gospel are so many powerful arguments to draw the hearts of sinners to run in to be reconciled unto God I might be very large in this in shewing of the particular arguments that God doth use but take that one ful argument that we have to perswade sinners to come in In Prov. 1.23 Turne you at my reproof behold I wil pour my spirit upon you I wil make known my word unto you He speaks here to simple ones Scorners Fools Turne you at my reproofe behold I wil pour my spirit out upon you saith God as if God should say though you are Scorners yet the truth is my heart works towards you my heart doth yearn towards you and if you would but turne to me I would pour forth my heart to you you shal have my very spirit my very heart let out unto you if you wil turne unto me What an argument is here to prevail with the hardest hearts in the world For God himself to come and say unto a sinner to one that hath Scorned him and his wayes and to a Fool that hath gone on in waies of folly and wickedness for God to come and say unto him Oh wretched sinner come in come in turne to me turne to me for my heart is ful my heart is top ful turn to me I wil pour forth my heart to thee Al those promises of giving rest to thy soul of giving life eternal eternal salvation Glory Peace and Comfort and a Kingdom shal al be made good to thee The Lord therefore suites himself unto us in such arguments so close as may out-bid other comforts that we have in the word in any waies of sin and therefore tels them of Hony and Milk and Rayment and Gold and Silver and al such things as are precious in the eyes of men such as are of esteem with us and tenders his Son unto us upon such kind of notions that every one of them might be prevalent arguments to gaine the hearts of sinners to come in unto God this is the way of God that he comes into the hearts of his people with the most prevalent arguments such reasons as one would think were impossible to be gainsaid I appeal to the hearts of those who have been acquainted with the work of God upon them How did God come to your hearts did he not come with mighty strong arguments to you The Devil he tempted and he comes with strong arguments and God he comes and tempts with strong arguments the Devil draws and God draws Gods mercies draw stronger than the Devil can Oh! it was mercy to that soul and the truth is when the Lord pleases to work effectually upon the soul he can present stronger arguments to draw the heart of a sinner to him than it is possible for the Devil to prevaile against CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument Manifesting the exceâ—ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother way is this in answering al Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners whatsoever Objections lie in the hearts of sinners God hath waies to answer al those and he doth it in his word and by his Spirit As now What would a sinner object If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you and therefore it is unlikly that ever God wil bestow that mercy on you observe Esa 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection that it may never hinder any sinner from comming in unto him saith God Come ye to the waters and he that hath no monies come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price Note in one verse there is three times Come without Mony he that hath no Mony come and Eat and then buy without Mony and then without price What is the meaning of this here you are to know that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine Milk so by bread afterwards by those things that are most delightful most useful for the nature of man the Gospel is set out by such things and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of al. Somtimes by a Kingdom for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand there is the argument the Kingdom of God is at hand and somtimes by a marriage when God sends to people to be reconciled he sends to them with this Argument that it is to marry them to his Son And somtimes by a Supper that God the Father invites too a Supper wherein there is al kind of dainties the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son and there are powerful Arguments that God useth O but I am unworthy saith a poor soul What that such a one as I so vile so wretched and every way unworthy should have such things this was the policy of the Devil at the first the Devil labors to make sinners to slight the Gospel to set at naught the counsels of God so you have it in Prov. 1. to account the bloud of the Covenant a common thing that is the first way But if he cannot prevail that way but the Lord doth shine through al mists and il conceipts of the Gospel and shews unto the Soul the excellency and beuty of his Son and of the glorious things that are in the Gospel then the Devil comes the other way Indeed saith he there are glorious things but thou art unworthy thou art a wretched base vile Creature and canst thou think that God should grant such things as these to thee now the Lord answers this Objection What saith God Come without Money What is that that is though thou hast no worthiness in thy self though thou hast no a bilities to buy any thing that is good yet come come yet close with my Grace that shal make thee rich enough thou shalt have money enough that way Come without mony without price let never that Objection hinder thee that thou art unworthy unable to do any thing the Lord cals thee without Money offers freely to thee therefore in the latter end of the Book of the Revelation it is said in the last Chapter the 17. ver And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever wil let him take of the water of life freely How shal I ever think to have it It is free so that this
wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heat I have seen his waies and wil heal him c. Though he went on and was worth yet saith God I have seen his waies and wil heal him I wil not take advantage I wil be content after al their froward rejections of al the offers of Grace yet I wil heal them for al that The frowardness is that that hath reference not only to unprofitableness under afflictions but when one is dealt kindly withal and doth not answer according to his kindness but wil have his own wil such a one doth go on frowardly Now then if we could put al these together that have been named of Gods willingness towards sinners to bring them in to be reconciled to him Oh Lord how infinite would the Grace and goodness of God appeare How were God to be glorified in his Grace I see I cannot possibly come to these things that I have heretofore propounded As what needs al this and the like But that must be done or the reasons why God doth deal thus A word or too at this time for that why God doth do al this why doth God deal thus with sinners in such a manner First It is because mercy pleases him Micha 7.18 there God makes a large promise of pardon of sin because mercy pleaseth him Now that that is pleasing unto any creature that the creature loves to do it and loves to do it to the ful to the height as al pleasure you know to enjoye the creature to eate and drink and sport is very pleasing to a voluptuous man and therefore he doth desire to have this to the ful a large bag of Gold pleases a covetous man therefore he is never satisfied but would have it to the ful Honor pleaseth an ambitious man and therefore he never hath enough so mercy it pleases God and therefore as I may with Holy reverence speak God scarce thinks he hath ever done enough to shew the riches of his Grace Secondly God doth it because the blood of his Son doth cry continually in his eares for mercy and it is of such infinite worth and value and the obedience of his Son in shedding of his bloud it hath been so acceptable unto God and is that whosoever this blood is pleaded for the Lord must needs grant it to the utmost Now it is the blood of Jesus Christ that is shed for sinners that doth plead with God the Father that al this mercy might be shewed It is said in the scripture that the blood of Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel the blood of Abel cries loude for vengeance vengance Lord against sinners But the blood of Christ cries aloude merrcy mercy Lord for sinners and God heares the cry of his Sons blood What is this that recries The blood of my Son for mercy for sinners let them have mercy yea let them have mercy to the ful Then the fludgates of mercy come to be opened though if it were not for the blood of Christ the patience of God would let out some common favors but when God comes to satisfy the cries of the blood of Christ for mercy saith God open al the fludgates now and let in streams of mercy for sinners let mercy be shewed to the highest degree that can be if the blood of my Son cry for it it must be though it requires wonderful mercy it must be great rich glorious mercy it is not a drop but had need of a Sea of mercies to anwswer it I but saith God the blood of my son cryes for mercy and though there be need of an infinite Ocean of mercy for to clense the soul of such a sinner it must needs be granted because the blood of my son cryes for it When you finde God manifesting himselfe to your souls in waies of mercy it comes from the blood of Jesus Christ that cries to God the father for mercy to be bestowed on you and this is the sum and substance of al these expressions of Gods grace toward sinners We thinke that so be very strange that ever such an infinite God should condescend to sinners but when we come to examin the reason we need not wonder at it we see now from whence it al coms it springs al from the ever living fountaine of the unsearchable rich grace of God in Christ though at the very reading we may wonder that ever God should do so and perhaps some men may think these are but the straynes of ministers to make it so but when we come to understand the bottom the ground of al then we must acknowledge the reality of it no wonder God shews mercy to such souls so unworthy and so vild why Because the blood of his son cryes for mercy CHAP. 55. Christs willingness to be Reconciled to sinners further Opened NOW before we come to answer the Objections or to any application there is yet somthing more to be opened unto you as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in CHRIST'S stead as the heart of God is so set upon it to be reconciled unto sinners so is Jesus Christ it is true Christ is God but Christ and God are here spoken of severally Christ is the same God with the father but he is God and man God incarnate God the mediator between the father and us so that it wil be exceeding useful to shew how the heart of CHRIST is set upon Reconciliation of sinners to God for the Apostle doth come in the name of Christ as wel as of God the father now that the heart of Christ is in it that appears in the understanding of the great worke of Reconciliation That he hath undertaken it and that so willingly as he hath done Certainly if Christ had not been much set upon this work to bring sinners to be reconciled unto the Father he would never have undertaken such a work which he knew would prove so difficult to him and he knew what it would cost him but yet he took it willingly and delightfully and for that compare those two Scriptures the first in Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of thy book it is written of me It begins in ver 6. Sacrifice and offerring thou didst not desire mine ears thou didst open burnt offerring and sin offering thou didst not require then said I Lo I come in the Volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will Oh God It is a Psalm of Christ and a Prophecy of him and that it is of him it appears plainly if you compare the Scripture in Heb. 10. at the beginning and so on there you have the Apostle quoting this very Text only with a little difference in the word Now there are three or four things that are here to be observed of Christ in his willingness to come and undertake the great work of making Attonement between God and sinners Mine Ears hast
that that is the best way to conveigh true saving Grace unto them a spirit of life into them it is by this means rather than by others the Lord chooses this way rather than others You have received the Spirit saith Paul to the Galatians And how have you received it by the preaching of the Law or by the preaching of the Gospel Which way was the conveighance of the spirit of God to you Was it by the preaching of the Law or the preaching of the Gospel not by the one but by the other Though there be a great deal of use of preaching the Law yet that which doth conveigh the Spirit and grace into the Conscience it is the opening the riches of the treasure of the Grace of God in the Gospel therefore this Objection hath no strength in it to say we have no power in our selves God doth entreat and beseech because by this meanes he puts forth a power into the hearts of those he doth intend to save everlastingly If we should entreat dead men to rise it were a folly for us because we cannot conveigh any power into them but it is not in vain for God because he is able while he is entreating and beseeching to conveigh a power into them Obj. But you say in the second place what need the Lord do al this God might work it by a word from himselfe God might presently shew forth his almighty power to bring in sinners to himselfe he need not stand praying and intreating and answering Objections bringing of arguments and the like because he can by his almighty power bring in sinners he can breake the stoutest heart that lives upon the earth and pul downe the proudest spirit and therefore what need God do al this Ans I Answere who aâ—t thou O man that reasonest against God but if you wil have reasons there are many to be given First because God having to work with a rational creature he wil work suitable to the nature of that creature that he is working upon If God were to work meerly uppon stones to raise out of the stones children unto Abraham then God would but only speak the word and say let it be done it should be done but the Lord loves to do it in a way sutiable to a rational creature now that way is this First that the understanding should be inlightened and the heart should be gained and wrought upon they knowing what it doth it should come to do what it doth freely and wilingly though we have no free wil at the first yet when wee do embrace the gospel then the Lord doth cause the hearts of men to embrace it wilingly and this is a great part of the gospel of God to shew himselfe to his creature he wil work his own work but such a way as shal be suitable to his creature Again if the Lord should bring in sinners to himself by his almighty power then there would not so much of the beauty and riches of his grace appear as there doth this way If God should effectually work it by his own hand I say the glory of his grace would not so gloriously shine sorth Now it is the special designe that God hath in al his workes about redemption that the glory of the riches of his grace might appear to men and Angel's that they might magnify it Now what can be more to magnify grace then when a sinner shal come to vieu the several workings of Gods mercy towards him how the lord hath provided a way of Reconciliation and that though the soul were backward and hung of yet the Lord stil followed on and put on the soul and would not suffer the soul to die and perrish in the sins of it What wil magnifie Grace more than this the way of bringing in sinners to be reconciled unto himself wil be a principal subject for the Saints to be blessing of God to al eternity And therefore you Christians that have found the work of God bringing in your hearts to himself observe what Gods work is marke the several waies of Gods working with your souls For know that those several waies of Gods working with your souls now wil be the subject of your eternal praises in Heaven And hence it is that God doth go on in such several expressions that the riches of his Grace might appear the more fully Yea and further that by this means he might gain the hearts of sinners everlastingly to himself there is nothing wil gain them so unto God as this declaration of the riches of his Grace in the Gospel And when the sinner shal see not only that God is reconciled but how God hath set his heart upon it how earnest God hath bin in it this wil engage the heart of a sinner for ever unto God and hence it is that those sinners that have felt most of the Grace of God bringing them in to be reconciled are those that keep closest unto God As for such as are only stopt in the way of their sins by the terrors of the Law and are not acquainted with the mistery of the Grace of God in the Gospel they seldom hold out though for a while out of slavery to their consciences they do not commit such and such sins This I make no question one may be brought to do that hath no true saving Grace that they may not dare to commit a sin in secret for a while meerly our of terror of conscience But now these men they are only wrought upon by the terrors of the Law they seldom hold out but though conscience bear a strong hand to keep them from sin for a long time yet at length they break those bonds But now those that have not only conscience enlightned and do not see the danger of sin only but come to have these beames of the Grace and goodness of God let out into their hearts and their hearts are so gained unto God by this that they wil never depart from him but their hearts wil follow to the bountifulness of God The difference of these two may be exprest by this similitude Look how it is in frosty wether when the water is frozen there are two waies to come by the water the Husbandman goes in the morning and sees the water frozen and beates it to pieces and breaks the yce but though he doth so the next morning he comes and sees it frozen as much as before but when there comes warm weather and dissolves the yce then it quite goes away in flakes so hence the hearts of al sinners are frozen and God comes with the terror of the Law and beats them in pieces and breaks them that way I but at last they freeze again and grow as hard again as ever But now when the Lord comes with the beams of his Grace and shines upon them then their Hearts thaw and the yce goes away and their hearts come in flowing to God in another manner than
there is no duty that God requires of me but I know my heart is with it if the Lord wil but reveal to me Now in this case having before felt the work of God drawing thee to Christ and if thy heart be thus kept to God this is one good Argument that certainly God and thou are not enemies Secondly if thou canst but say thus there is no Argument that is so prevalent with me to make me not sin as this for fear of breaking peace between God and me this is the thing that makes my sin sting my Soul indeed because by that I come to lose some of that sweeness of the assurance of my peace with God Canst thou say so keep thy heart but in such a frame though thou hast many weaknesses that thou canst say whatsoever sin the Lord reveals to me yet my heart is against it and whatsoever duty the Lord requires of me yet I know my heart is with it and if there be any thing that I do not know Oh! that I knew it more and more and there is nothing that I fear sin for so much as this because that I see it breaks the peace between God and my Soul Is it so with thy poor soul I pronounce in the name of God Peace be unto thee Though thy heart be not as thou would'st have it thou maist conclude this certainly God that hath manifested such Grace in drawing thy heart unto himself at the first wil not cast thee off Certainly God had some greater end in working so wonderfully towards thee than to throw thee off except the Lord had some great thoughts of heart in glorifying himself in thee and to do thee good he would never have wrought so upon thy heart as he hath done There are others that live under the light of the Gospel but the Lord doth never come to their hearts to speak to them as inwardly to draw their hearts and that by his own Spirit as he hath done to thee the Lord hath not had so great thoughts of heart to glorifie his name upon them in the day of his Grace as towards thee in the working of his Grace So certainly to thee the Lord is about to do great things that grace of his that hath been so strong upon thee as it hath been it wil carry thee through al difficulties Certainly the Grace of God hath been strong and it wil be strong and therefore build upon it If thou hast an hard heart do not say thou hast an hard heart and therefore Gods heart is not towards thee No but rather say thou hast an hard heart and therefore thou wilt look towards God to break thy hard heart and bring thy frozen and cold heart to these Beams of Gods Grace and stand under these Heavenly influences If thou beest sensible of the hardness of thy heart and then to sit down sullenly and heavily and think because of this God wil reject thee this is not the way to get thy heart softened but rather cal to mind what the grace of God hath been towards thee and how the heart of God is towards sinners to be reconciled unto them and what he hath done for the like such sinners as thou art and so keep thy heart under the warme beams of the Gospel and thereby thou wilt gain a great deal more than sitting down in a sullen way Those kind of Herbs that grow under the warm Sun grow the better and the Fruit ripens better than those that grow out of the Sunne So the Heart that can keep it self continually in the Sunne of this mercy and goodness of God thus expressing himself in the Gospel willing to be reconciled to sinners this heart wil thrive more abundantly than those that shal ly down sullenly and discontentedly This is a mighty encouragement for al sinners to come to be reconciled a mighty strong encouragement to them the Lord invites and beseeches in the Gospel and sends his ministers to do it and requires them that they should do it in his name What should hinder them but that any sinner none excepted should come and be reconciled We cannot tel who they are that shal not be reconciled and therefore we may say concerning any particular sinner What should hinder thee but that thou shouldest come in to be reconciled And if God entreates and Christ entreates and Ministers entreate and thou entreatest What letts thee but that thou maist be reconciled As the Eunuch said Here is Water enough why may I not be baptised So here is mercy enough why maist thou not be reconciled Hast thou such thoughts as these are See that God is willing to be reconciled to sinners wel when I get home I am resolved to throw my self before the Lord Christ and I am able to cry to him for reconciliation for I am damned and undone for ever else and and I heare that there is a way to be reconciled to him wel this shal be my work now I wil set upon it presently I wil never leave crying to God til I have found Gods Grace comming to me Art thou resolved upon this Wel go on and fal down in thy crying to God for mercy make this point part of thy petition Lord I have heard that thou art willing to be reconciled now Lord here is a wretched sinner comes in to be reconciled to thee what hinders now when both shal entreate Suppose two were fallen out one with the other but now when both sides are wrought upon and one he professes himself not only willing but earnestly desirous to be reconciled and the other he comes and expresses himself so too surely both these wil agree Now it is true many times between man and man their expressions are but very slight and there is not that at the bottom of their hearts that they express with their mouthes When two are fallen out and one comes to them and saith why wil you not be at peace with such a man Oh! yes saith he I am willing So come to the other and he saies the same he is willing and yet their hearts are not right perhapps one to the other But now in this case between God and thy poor soul be confident that on Gods side it is most real and do thou but make it out that thy heart is real in desiring after peace with God and fully understand what thou dost when thou dost desire peace with God So that thou wilt not be at peace with any sin and desire it fully and then when thou shalt get it then thy heart shal be praising God and say I shal live to the praise of God for ever and that shal be my endeavor I would faine have at but wil God be at peace Yes God shal get as much as thou shalt by it he shal thereby get that that he did especially intend and aime at in making the world The great designe that God had in making the world was to magnify the
God in a way of mercy to thy family to thy body to thy soul at any time now take heed to thy selfe that thy iniquity be not discovered for now wil the devil come and tempt thee to break out in some notorious sin that he might cut off the way of Gods Grace that he might shut that door of mercy that God is now opening to thee in Zacharie 8 15.16 Saith God there So again have I thought in these daies to do wel unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah feare you not mark you what follows and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour and love no false oathes for al these things are the things that I hate saith the Lord mark the expression of God it doth very nearly concerne us now we may wel apply that 15. verse unto the condition of England at this time I thought in these daies to do wel unto this people and to the house of Judah but in these things that I should do saith God look to your selves you must not think that when I am going on in a way of mercy you may do what you list but these things I wil do but it is upon this condition that you follow God on in that way if God doth open a door to us if we would not have it shut he expects that we should come and enter in at that door that is close with him in that way of mercy he is doing wel but then seeing that our sins have made the interruption and it is not alwaies that Gods present mercies are certain arguments of further mercies How shal we know when we may draw an argument to assure our selves from that mercy we have now that there is further mercies intended for us This you may remember in the beginning of the point I told you it was a priviledg of Gods saints and yet every one wil be ready to snatch at it to conclude to themselves wel God is a God ful of mercy and therefore because he beginneth to shew mercy to me he wil go on surely I shal find favor it hath been his way and course to deal thus with his people and therefore seeing he hath delivered me from one evil he wil deliver me from another Bretheren it is the usual way of wicked men to catch at the priviledges of the Saints as if they were their own we have a notable example for this in the prophesie of Jeremiah that is worthy of our observation in Jer. 21.2 It is an example there of Zedekiah Zedekiah was a wicked man and yet he flattered himself in this and promised to himself that what priviledges the people of God had in former times he must needs have the like mark what he saith now Inquire I pray thee of the Lord for us Nebuchad-nezar King of Babilon maketh war against us if so be the Lord wil deal with us according to al his wonderous works that he may go up from us Mark saith Zedekiah to Jeremiah Oh! inquire Oh! let us know the mind of God whether he wil deal with us according to al his wonderous works God had dealt with his people according to his worderful works had dealt wonderfully for his people and Zedekiah a wicked man and the wicked people that were with him they were ready to flatter themselves with hope that God would deal with them as he had done with his people heretofore worderfully but they were deceived And so people when they heare of a priviledg of the Saints for them to promise to themselves that they shal have the like from God that his peopl have I say they wil be mistaken for the promises that are made in Scripture of Mercy they are the inheritance of Gods Saints Isa 54.17 This is the inheritance of my servants Saith God When God made a promise to his people of Mercy there I but saith he this is the inheritance of my Sarvants it belongs not to al it is their inheritance their portion what have others to do with the inheritance of Gods people When a Saint of God looks into the word of God and reads the word he may see every promise every expression of Gods goodness as a part of his inheritance and take it it is thy inheritance though thou inheritest not worldly riches thou mayest have short or little comings in yet know thou art an heir of al the glorious promises that are written in the Book of God they are thy inheritance A wicked man when he reades in the Scripture he can take no such delight in it for indeed he may reade many promises but they are none of his inheritance they are the inheritance of Gods people There is a great deal of difference between an heire riding through his Fathers ground and a strangers riding through it just the like difference there is between a carnal man reading the scriptures a Saint An heir rideth through his ground and seeth fruitful fields and pleasant meadows and saiâ—h he this is my ground and a stranger rideth through them and commends them I but they belong not to me So a Saint reades the scripture and the expressions of Gods goodness there and saith they are my inheritance and a carnal heart saith no such matter and therefore Gods Mercies to his people are inlets to further if they are not so to thee thou canst not conclude and say Oh! I was in such a danger and in such an extremity and God delivered me from that extremity and therefore if I come into the like he wil deliver me again no thou canst not say so It was a notable expression of Hezekiah Isa 38. When God there delivered him from the sickness as its thought by Divines it was the Plague and God delivered him he concludes In love to my soul hast thou delivered me from the pit of corruption this is an excellent couclusion that a child of God may make if ever he were delivered from the danger of the Plague in love to my soul Lord thou hast delivered me and I shal go to the house of the Lord I shal yet have further mercy It may be some of you have had the the Plague in your houses it may be upon your selves and God hath delivered you and you wil take it as an argument that God wil diliver you again because he delivered you from that yea but unless thou be a Hezekiah a Gracious man or woman thou canst not conclude that God hath delivered thee from that pit of corruption for Gods preservations of wicked men are many times reservations for greater evils as I might shew you but that I see that I must hasten Wel but then stil how may we know when we may draw an argument from Gods present mercies to future The first discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future When in a mercy there is some special discovery of God unto his people I say some special and glorious discovery of
ages that are now gone and their Souls are triumphing in Heaven I say that that is the Harvest of al their prayers surely cannot be one single Mercy but is a Mercy to let in others it is a Mercy that is a door of hope to further Mercies and that is the Third Note Again Fourthly a Fourth Note of a Mercy that is a making way to further Mercies is this The Fourth Discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future Mercies That Mercy that leads us to the God of Mercy is certainly an inlet to further Mercies whatsoever it is that leads our Souls to the God of Mercy we may conclude that this Mercy wil bring abundant good with it I must not build upon divers Sccriptures only read that of David in 2 Sam. 7. the whole Chapter you may read at your leisure how Gods Mercy to him lead him to the God of Mercy upon which there was such a promise of continuance of Mercy for so long a time The fift Discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets of future Mercies That Mercy I beseech you observe it that is to a Soul to a people an ingagement to duty is certainly a door of more Mercy whatsoever Mercy God bestows upon you in particular or upon a Nation if the Mercy be made an engagement to Duty certaitnly it is a door to more Mercy take it thus As so we may when we do account our duties to be Mercies then our duties wil hold so when Gods Mercies are turned into duties then Gods Mercies wil hold it is a most infallible sign of one that wil persevere in duty that wil never fail If thou wouldest know whether thou art like to persevere in duty or no O! I am afraid I shal fall off saysome O! if I were sure that I should persevere to the end it would comfort me Would you have an infalliable sign that your duties wil hold to the end take this for one If thy Soul looke upon every duty as a Mercy to thee every command to a duty as Gods Mercy to thee every day thus I dare pawn my soul that soul wil persevere so far as any soul shal account a duty to be a Mercy so far that soul shal persevere As it is a certain Evidence of perseverance in duty when a duty is accounted a Mercy so I say it is a cerain Evidence that there wil be a perseverance in Mercy when Mercy is turned into duty when Mercy shal be an engagement to duty and turns into duty then it is a certain sign there wil be a perseverance in mercy as when duty is accounted mercy there wil be a persevernce in duty Again another may be this The Sixt discovery whether Gods present mercyes be in-lets to future mercies That mercy that humbleth the heart that mercy is an in-let to further mercy And it is very observable that place in Sam. 2 7. you may read that Chapter in two or three several places when God had promised to David great things marke you Davids spirit was as low then never lower what am I saith David and David cries out Thou art great O Lord he crieth not out thou hast made me great but thou art great O Lord and in the 26. verse Let thy name be magnified for ever he was low in his own spirit What am I but let thy name be magnified for ever Davids heart was not taken up about this Oh! God hath promised to me a perpetual Kingdome unto my posterity and now I am great and God hath magnified me no but what am I and let thy name be magnified and be thou great O Lord. When this shal be the frame of a soule of a people when God advanceth them in a way of Mercy and they cry out Oh! let me be low and be any thing so Gods name be magnified certainly this Mercy is a fore-runner of further mercy As it is a great argument of the strength of faith and acceptable to God when as in one adversity when God seems to come out against him that a guilty heart can beleeve and the heart can be raised and not sinke in the depth of adversity I beseech you observe it as when the heart can rise in the depth of adversity it is a stronge argument that there is an enduring faith and a pretious faith so when the heart can fal in the height of prosperity and be low there is abundance of grace in that soul acceptable to God and God intendeth much good to it The seventh discovery Whether Gods present mercies be in-lets to future mercies When as we are careful to consecrate the first fruits of our Mercies to God when the first fruits of the good we do receive are ever consecrated to God then it is but an inlet of further Mercies for so it was here This vally of Achon you know it was by Jerico as an evidence unto them that they should have al the Land of Canan now what did they at Jericho they did devote al to God the whole City to God with the suburbs of it were devoted to God they consecrated the first fruites of Canan at their entering into Canan where Jericho was and this valey of Acon was just by it when God did begin to give them possession of that good land they did devote the first fruits to God and so it became an evidence to them that they should possesse the Good land afterwards So when God beginneth in a way of mercy and goodness then if a people or family or particular man or woman begineth to devote that first fruit of mercy to God it is evident it is a doore of hope of further Mercy Thus I have done with the explication I am sory I have no more time for the application I wil passe over things as briefly as I can it is the last of al I most intend for the First therefore USE 1. If this be so that Gods Mercies and even present Mercies are inlets to future when God is in a way of Mercy then his people may expect greater to follow hence folows this consequence upon it that therefore those men and women that are only careful to seeke God in time of affliction are much mistaken and it is a vile wretched folly for any to thinke that that is the only time to seeke God the time of affliction that is confuted from this point thus for if when God is in a way of mercy then Gods people they argue that more mercy is coming then this follows that when God is in a way of mercy then it is a fit time to pray to him that is the fittest time to pray to him when God is in a way of goodness and Mercy to them when Mercy is comming then it is a time for thee to be praying But now the case is quite cross in the world they wil pray to God indeed when when God hath them at the advantage in a time of sickness and affliction and
entertain it kindly for certainly it wil make way for further mercy that shal be the Third And then the fourth is this USE 4 The consideration of this point may cause abundance of humiliation to our hearts cause exceeding sad thoughts if this be so that one mercy of God makes way to another one mercy if it be sanctified and have the blessing of God with it it is a door of hope to another hence when we look backwards to these waies of Gods mercies that have been heretofore towards us and look to the oppertunities that we have had of obtaining further mercy from God and consider how we have lost them when God was in a way with us Oh! that should draw tears of blood from us look back to thy life I suppose there is never one in this congregation but in looking back to the waies of Gods providence to them they cannot but cry Oh! the Lord was once in a way of mercy to me there was a time that certainly God was merciful to me Nay not only in outwad mercies such and such deliverances I had at such a time Oh! had I followed those mercies What might I have gotten when I was crying to God for deliverance God heard me God hath delivered me delivered my family now God as it were was in a way of mercy to me O! had I followed that then what might I have gotten but I neglected the opportunity I lost it and now God is in another way with me but especially when you look back to the opportunities that you have had for the good of your souls hath not God many times bin in a way of mercy to your souls Oh! was not there such a time when you began to have frequent workings of Gods spirit in you you began to have light darted into your Consciences to have the spirit of God drawing your hearts that when you came to the word you found the word coming with power and the spirit of God sealing it and your hearts did begin to yeild and to melt before God Oh! what might you have gotten if you had gone on if you had followed God in those convictions of conscience and in those beginnings of troubles you had and workings of Gods spirit what might you have come to now There was a door of hope but fooles and wretched men to stick in the birth and come not forth and alas May not many say Oh! that I had a door of hope there was such a mercy of God towards me but wo to me the door is shut I find my heart shut up and my conscience shut up and my heart now is hard but it was beginning to be softened but Oh! how hard it is now God was opening my heart but now it is otherwise with me and for ought I know God is gone and Christ is gone I had a day if I had knowen it Oh! it had been happy for many in this place if they had at such a time followed God when he was in a way of Mercy If it may be when God was in a way of mercy to thee thou haddest had a heart to go into thy closet and there cried to God to follow on that Good work that he had begun and to make it effectual to thee this had been a gracious work to thy soul but thou wentest away into thy shop into thy calling perhaps into the Tavern or Alehouse to thy gaming to thy company and so nâ—glectedest the day of Grace there was a door of hope but there was another door thou haddest a mind rather to follow than to follow God in the way of mercy I wil not say that there is no door of hope for thee for there may be a door of hope but this I wil say that thy condition is a lamentable and most greivous condition and thou haddest need look to it for this consideration sinketh the hearts of men and women afterwards If thou shouldest come to thy sick bed or death bed perhaps thy conscience wil preach that to thee that now I am preaching to thee and then thy conscience wil give ananswer it is true there was a door of hope opened to me and then if any Minister come to offer Mercy I you wil say it is for those that have a time of Mercy but God did open my heart and I did shut my heart against him and these thoughts and conclusions are the despairing and sinking thoughts of men and women upon their sick beds and if God never had been coming towards me there might have been some hope but what hope is there now for me Oh! take heed for time to come any of you if God be coming in a way of Mercy if this day by the word at this time he begin to open any of your hearts labor to follow him to go in at this door of hope Wel that is the fourth again fiftly from this point learn this USE 5. If one Mercy be but an inlet to another Mercy then this should teach al the people of God to be content to beare one affliction though it be but a way making for another affliction the argument runs thus It is true there cometh an affliction and by and by another and that makes way for another and so the cloudes rise after the raine and how many poor weak hearts are plunged and dejected they can bear one affliction I but when another cometh and another cometh at length they fal down under the weight of their afflictions but if thou be one that belongest to God and hast the assurance of this point that I have this day been preaching to thee then use it as an argument to uphold thy heart It is true one affliction cometh after another and one affliction maketh way for another and hath not one mercy come after another too and hath not one mercy made way for another too I am sure I have had mercies thick and three fold and one hath made way for another and though I have new afflictions making way one for another yet let me beare them considereing how long a time I have had mercies making way one for another yet further in the sixt place the sixt Use of this may be of great conscequence too VSE 6. That if this be the way of God towards his people that one mercy shal make way for another then it should be the way of the people of God towards him again that one duty should make way for another duty there is a great deal of reason for it If God be thus gratious to us that one mercy maketh way for another then we should be so thankful to him that one duty of ours should make way for another duty and this brethren is a most excellent thing that one duty maketh way for another duty as I told you before when a duty is accounted a mercy then it wil certainly persevere and so take this second note of persevering comeing in here when one duty
it not only litteral but Tipical to tipify Gods waies of dealings with other Churches to the end of the world and it is very observable that he maketh the Church of Sardis to answer to the Church of Germany just according to his opening of Gods dealing with the Church of Sardis he prophecies what God should do to the Church of Germany and so it came to pass and this Church of Pihladelphia he did interpret it thirty or fourty years agoe so long it is since he wrote it of the Church of Scotland and see how far God hath made it good God hath opened a door to them and certainly such a door as shal never be shut that which is opened to them and they not only wil have it themselves but God wil make them instrumental for others and mark how they are described for thou hast the Ministery every one looked upon that Church with contempt a very poor beggerly nation and an ignorant people had little knowledg of any thing at al had but little time but yet thou hast kept my word though they have little knowledg yet they wil keep his word yea marke and consider how far he goes on behold I wil make them of the Synagoge of Satan which say they are Jewes and say they are the Church of God I wil make them to say they are not Jwes they are not the church of God but they do lie behold I wil make them to come and worship before this people to know that I am God even to worship before their feet to know that I have loved them do not those that cryed out of them before and rayled upon them do they not now begin to be convinced that God was with them and therfore now we know how they are called by others what titles now they have different from their former thus God hath fulfilled it in part upon them and beleeve it we shal have a share in that mercy even that door that is opened to us in that way is so opened as it shal not be shut againe wherefore then to conclude al. 1. Let every one take heed let the fear of God be upon every soul especially any of you that are more eminent than others in any place take heed as from God this day take warning that thou be not the least interruption in the great work that God is about certainly if you be if you wil stand in this door to hinder the good that God is letting in you wil certainly be overcome you wil certainly be vanquished you can never hinder the work God is about and therefore those men that are superstitous Antichristian and would uphold that work I say those men are in some respects more unhappy than the superstitious and Antichristian men in former times because that those that before did seek to maintain superstition popery the like then it was a time that God was peacable and suffering towards the enemies of his people and was content it should come in then I mean content by way of permission not by way of approbation and did suffer it but now is the very time that God is quite rooting it out it is the very time that God is seting himself against it and therefore they that shal now seek to uphold it they are men that are most unhappy because at that time they stand in the doore just when God is comming with his power and with his stength O! take heed you have no hand in interupting the great work God is about and my brethren that we may give God the honor of this door of hope 2. Let us consider with our selves what we would have given heretofore that we might have had such a door of hope I am perswaded many of us would have laid down our lives O! Lord if we might have purchased so much good as now is come to England we would have counted our dearest heart blood wel spent Now seeing we would have given so much heretofore O! what shal we render now that strength that we should have spent under the cruel rage of our adversaries O! Let that strength be now spent to the praise and honor of our God under his mercies there is a notable place of scripture for that in the 119. Psalme 134. God had delivered him from his oppressours and therefore he would keep his statures Thou hast O Lord delivered me from my oppressors therefore wil I keepe thy statutes So that strength that we should have spent under the cruelty of our oppressors now should be spent in the keeping of Gods statutes and following the waies of God 3. Let our hopes now rise higher God would have our hopes raised higher seeing he hath opened a door let us stand in the door and let us not be discouraged though we think perfect reformation a difficult thing yet brethren perfect reformation now is not more difficult than that we have now was difficult a year or two agoe a year or two agoe that we now have was as unlikely as perfect reformation now is and therefore we are to raise up our hopes to higher greater things and therefore the King when he smote the ground twice or thrice he should have smote seven or eight times And brethren we have to deale with a great God and his designe is to magnifie his great name in the good of his Church in the 17. Psalme Thou hast shewed thy marvailous loving kindness The word as is is taken by some may be read Lord make thy loving kindness wonderful miraculous God loveth to make his loving kindness to his Church miraculous Now brethren we may hope to have that from God that shal make God appear a wonder-working God that shal set up God in his glory now this reformation in our land it shal set up God in his glory that we hope for our hope is at the lowest except we hope for such great things as may set out God to be an infinite and great God An ordinary reformation in deliverance from the oppression of the state it is not enough to set out the infinite pardoning and loving kindness of God wherfore then for the conclusion of al O! let every one therefore now goe on in the name of God and stand in the door and look how God is comming and close with him and meete God in every way of his mercy in Reve. 4.1 the text saith There was a door opened in heaven brethren certainly there is a door opened in heaven let us incourage our hearts and do what we can in our places and with the strength that we have let us open our hearts and open our desires to him let him know that we are willing to venture our estates our liberties our lives and al that we are or have to maintain a good cause God hath done much he wil do much in Psalmes I have brought you out of the Land of Egypt open your mouth wide that I may fil
his folly that a man should think that the Breach between God and him is a matter of no greater moment No my Brethren you must know that the Breach between God and you by sin is a matter of another manner of Consequence then can be made up by prayers or feares or any thing else that you can do al this is untempred Morter It is true when there is Repennance and turning unto God it is a good signe that God is at work with your hearts but that cannot do the deed it is in Christ it is the blood of the Son of God that must make Satisfaction for sin it is that which must make the Reconciliation This is that which is indeed the great doctrine of the Gospel and til you receive this into your understandings into your hearts al other things that we preach are to no purpose at al it wil never do you good till you have imbraced this you wil never Sanctify Gods name nor gloryfy God in your Conversations nor have any true peace within your doores til you come to receive this point into your hearts that God is in Christ Reconciling the world to himselfe Take heed therefore of any mistakes in this point That is the second Use CHAP. 22. Use 3. To encourage sinners to come to God for Reconciliation And discouragements removed The Third is a Use of incouragement to sinners to come for Reconciliation with God You may remember that one Reason why God did on purpose appoint this way to Reconcile himself to the world was that he might break the hearts of sinners and that it might be an encouragement to sinners to come in Is this Gods End O! that then God might have this end in your souls This hath bin our endeavor to open what we could this Doctrine of the Gospel namely of Gods Reconciling of himself in Christ and we have not done this only from this Text but from others and though divers other things have been spoken yet you cannot but know that the drift of al hath bin to this purpose that God may have this glory of gaining our hearts to himself and that it might be an incouragement unto you to come in to be reconciled unto God Are there any that are apprehensive of the Breach that sin hath made between God and their souls I suppose there are many You put up papers of complaints of the hardness of your hearts and that you cannot be sensible of sin as you desire it is a sign that there is some sensibleness therefore of the breach between God and you Now the Lord in opening of this Doctrine propounds the way of Reconciliation and he would fain draw your hearts to come in and to be reconciled unto him what is it that hinders These two things are the Only hinderance First The great distance that is between God and a Creature I am a poor vile worm and the Lord is an infinite glorious dreadful God O! but that I might take off this dreadfulness from you that that might not skare and hinder you therefore he propounds himself to you in his Son If God should indeed speak from Heaven by thundring and lightening and call in sinners to come in and humble your selves and seek to make your peace with him that might skare you and upon the sight of the distance between God and you you might not dare to come in But saith God I call you now in my Son my Son that came to be like one of you and to be made sensible of your infirmites it is in him that I offer you Reconciliation This takes away the dreadfulness of God from sinners and therefore a mighty incouragement And though there be such a distance between God and us yet there is a Christ between God the Father and us Though we be the poorest worms in the world though we are mean and vile Creatures yet if we were ten thousand times meaner then we are seeing there is such a Mediator between God and us this makes up the distance Christ is such a Mediator as there is enough in him to make up all the distance that can be between God and man Another hinderance or discouragement is sin either the greatness of our sin or the multitude of our sins or the long continuance in our sins is that which hinders us from comming O! saith the soul I have been so vile a sinner and I have continued so long and I have multiplied sin one after another and is it possible for such a one as I am to be Reconciled It is true had'st thou to deal only with God as he is in himself thou mightest despaire But know O! sinner that it is God Reconciling of himself in Christ therefore though thou beest a great sinner a sinner of a long continuance yet there being a Reconciliation with God in his Son seeing that Christ hath undertaken such a work as to make up a peace between God and sinners and to mediate for them thou may'st be encouraged to come in and to lay hold upon this grace of God in Christ If thou sayest thou art unworthy and that there is no worthines in thee for God to regard the for Al this is stil answered with this It is God that is reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ Indeed were it so that there were nothing but God and thee to deal together and if thou wert to deal only with God himselfe thou mightest be afraid but thou hast to deal with God not in himself win his Son for so he hath Set forth himselfe the to world he is reconciled to the world in his son and herefore that may incorage thee notwithstanding al thy unworthines And what Further hast thou to discorage thee O! thou wilt say God is infinitly Just to punish sin Stil this point wil be Sufficient to remove al discoragements that he is Reconciling the world to himselfe Though he is Holy his Holines is pleased in Christ Though he is Just his Justice is satisfied in Christ So that there is enough in this point to take away al objections to remove al discouragments that any Sinner in the world hath And therefore as God doth propound this on purpose to draw sinners to himselfe that they may be reconciled unto him So let them know that the more grace here is received for the taking away of al objections and discoragments the more wil sinners be left without excuse another day if they do not come in and lay hold upon this grace of God in Christ God wil have his glory that way if he cannot have it the other God primarily intends his glory in reconciling the world to himselfe and therefore takes away al discouragments from siners that they may come in and venture their souls upon his rich grace and mercy in Christ But if God cannot have his glory from that point then the more this is preached in any congregation the more wil God have his glory