and Call to Repentance that Where Sin hath abounded Grave shall much more abound Fifthly He will have Mercy and will abundantly pardon let him consider the Certainty of this and thereupon Return We may here Observe That the great Motive and Encouragement which puts Sinners on forsaking their Evil Wayes and turning to God is a sensible Apprehension that there is Mercy and Forgiveness to be had There could be no Repentance without it nor would it be required of us as a Duty to repent and return if there were no Forgiveness with God Sixthly Besides the General Encouragement of finding Mercy with God here is the special kind of Mercy which the Sinner needs and that is Pardon I may here Observe That pardoning Mercy to returning Sinners is Mercy indeed of all others the most suitable and most welcome Seventhly That God will not only show Mercy to Returning Sinners but he will abundantly pardon 'em he will multiply Pardons I. First That if ever Sinners find Mercy with God they must forsake their Evil Ways The ordinary Course of any Man's Life is very fitly called his Way that which is his ordinary Practice his daily Walk Accordingly we read of the Way of a Sinner and the Path of the Wicked and the Way of Evil Men This is often call'd our own Way in Opposition to the Way of Truth and Righteousness which is called the Way of the Lord or God's Way Because he directs and approves it and enables us to walk in it and rewards us for so doing And this is the great difference between the Righteous and the Wicked Their Course and Way is different A good Man may make a false Step he may stumble or step out of the way in a particular Instance but he doth not work Iniquity doth not walk in the way of the Ungodly his Course and Conversation for the main of it is otherwise And 't is not for one or two particular Actions good or bad that a Man 's to be denominated a good or wicked Man but from his ordinary Course of Life If that be wicked he must forsake it or never find Mercy with God And this must be done heartily and unfeignedly speedily and without delay impartially and universally with full purpose of Heart to persevere and never again return to Folly Without this there can be no Converse with God nor Communion with him Wash ye make ye clean put away the Evil of your Doings then come and let us reason together Isa I. 16 17. 'Till this be resolv'd upon and begun you are Impenitent and so abominable in the sight of God For certainly God wil lnto dishonour his Perfections contradict his Word and prostitute his Grace to justifie the Ungodly while they continue such without desiring resolving and endeavouring to forsake their Evil Ways Where-ever Christ is a Saviour to give Remission of Sin he does also give them Repentance Acts V. 31. II. Secondly That 't is not enough for one who expects to find Mercy with God to reform his Practices and forsake his Evil Wayes but he must be inwardly sanctify'd his Heat renewed his very Thoughts changed Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts c. His Thoughts especially his False Unjust Unrighteous Thoughts of God whereof Sinners have very many Here the Change must be because the Heart is the principal Seat of Sin or Grace of Sincerity or Hypocrisie It is in the inward Thoughts and Affections of the Heart that Sanctification or Carnality doth principally discover it self 'Till the Fountain be cleansed the Streams will be polluted The unsanctify'd Heart is the Source of Evil Thoughts Words and Actions Wash thy Heart O Jerusalem how long shall vain Thoughts lodge in thee As a man thinketh in his heart so is he Prov. XXIII 7. The Thoughts of the wicked or wicked Thoughts they are Abomination in the sight of God Prov. XV. 26. And 't is the Design of the Gospel and the Glory of it beyond all the Philosophy in the World to bring our Thoughts into Obedience to Christ While any Wickedness is indulged and allowed in the Heart and Thoughts no outward Reformation as to our Behaviour before the World no Abstinence from gross Pollutions and Disorders in the Life will denominate us truly Penitent or give us Hopes of finding Mercy with God While we regard Iniquity in our Hearts while the Heart goes after Covetousness Filthiness or any allowed Lust Uunless the Thoughts be chang'd as well as the outward Course unless the Heart be sanctify'd as well as the Conversation reform'd there is no Forgiveness You know the Woe which our Saviour denounc'd against the Pharises on this Account Mat. XXIII 25. whom he characteriz'd as Hypocrites because they made clean the outside of the Cup and Platter but within were full of Extortion and Excess that like whited Sepulchers they appear'd Beautiful outward but were within full of dead Mens Bones and all Uncleanness III. Thirdly Observe further That 't is not enough to turn from Sin and Wickedness in Heart and Life but if you would find Mercy with God you must return unto the Lord. To clear this Consider That we are departed and gone off from God by Sin both as he is our Chief Good and Sovereign Lord We have abandon'd and forsaken him as our Portion and Felicity and as he is our Lord and Ruler 'T is necessary therefore that we return to him so as to value his Favour as our very Life place all our Happiness in his Love and Likeness observe his Orders and endeavour to please him that we design his Honour and make it our Business to glorifie him and be entirely devoted to him as our Ultimate End Without resolving on this there 's no ground to expect Mercy in the Pardon of the least Sin and upon this we may hope for Forgiveness of the greatest Men may break off a Course of Notorious Open Wickedness upon various and different Motives and then take up with a Negative Religion without returning to God They may satisfie themselves that now they don't commit the like Crimes as formerly they may think it enough that they are not as bad as others are or as once they were themselves But this is not sufficient if they are destitute of Love to God if they are not careful to please him if his Glory be not their End if they do not eye his Authority if they are not chiefly conconcern'd to be accepted with him if they do not choose him as the Portion of their Soul and by an entire Resignation of themselves make him Lord of all to govern their Actions by the Counsels of his Word and to dispose and order their Conditions by his most Wise and Holy Providence Such a turning to the Lord must be joyn'd with forsaking of Sin IV. Fourthly Let the Wicked and Unrighteous forsake the Evil of his Heart and Wayes and turn to the Lord and he shall find Mercy I Observe That
the Vilest and most Hainous Transgressors let their Sins be what they will if they penitently return to God they may be assur'd of Pardon Whatever Wickedness against God or Unrighteousness against Men whatever Iniquity or Sin in Heart or Life Open or Secret they are charged with yet is there Mercy with God upon true Repentance The Holy Scriptures are full of this Doctrine How large and general are the Invitations and Calls of God to all sorts of Sinners How Express and Positive are the Declarations of his Word that even Scarlet and Crimson Sins shall be as Snow and Wool that All Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven except that against the Holy Ghost which is joyn'd with Obstinate Impenitence that our Lord Jesus Christ came to save the chiefest of Sinners and that his Blood cleanseth from all Sin What a large and black Catalogue is there of such as shall not enter into the Kingdom of God Fornicators Adulterers Idolaters Sodomites Drunkards Revilers and Extortioners and yet 't is added Such were some of you but ye are washed 1 Cor. VI. 9 10 11. He is a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin Mic. VII 18. How affectionately doth God expostulate with Sinners even the Vilest of them and urge them to cast away their Transgressions and assure them that he hath no pleasure in their Ruine How earnestly doth he beseech them to be reconcil'd and hearken to the Voice of his Mercy With what Variety of Arguments doth he plead with them from the Greatness of his Mercy offer'd from the Freeness and Riches of his Grace from the Absolute Necessity of it and from the Hazard they run of being undone for ever if they refuse it What Instances are there of the blackest Crimes forgiven and the most Hainous Offenders received to Favour with an Assurance that Others may be so too if they will return Cease to do Evil Learn to do Well Come now and let us reason together Isa I. 16. that is there is nothing past shall be a Bar to your Reconciliation if you will Now return no Sin that you have ever committed shall be your undoing if you will Now accept of Mercy I may safely say this to every Man and Woman in this Assembly And should there be any that think that they have sinned with such peculiar Aggravations as never any did who were forgiven which I believe is not true Yet suppose it true the Free-grace and Mercy of God hath never yet been try'd to the utmost It can out-do all it hath ever done The Aggravations of thy Guilt can never be such as to condemn thee but the Vertue of the Blood of Christ is greater to pardon thee if thou return to God by Jesus Christ As far as Heaven is above Earth God's Thoughts are above ours in this Matter There is an Instance of this in the beginning of the Bible how different God's Thoughts are from ours and how much above them I will not Curse the ground any more for Man's sake saith God Gen. VIII because the imagination of the Heart of Man is only evil and continually evil One would rather think that God for that reason should do nothing but Curse it but it seems to intimate as if the kind Thoughts of God were to this purpose If I should never leave Cursing 'till Man leaves Sinning I should do nothing but Curse but I will not c. I cann't hope to find Mercy my Sin is so great saith a Convinced Sinner not considering that 't is the Glory of God to forgive a multitude of Sins and that where Sin hath abounded there is an Opportunity for Grace much more to abound The Psalmist useth it as an Argument in Prayer Lord forgive mine Iniquity for it is great Psal XXV 11. An Argument fit to be us'd no where else The greatness of his Sin made him fly to God for Pardon but did not keep him from Returning This is the Scope and Tenour of the whole Gospel To this do all the Prophets and Apostles witness That through the Name of Christ whoever believes on him without distinction shall receive the Forgiveness of Sin If you are weary and heavy laden sensible of Sin and desirous to forsake it if you see your need of Christ and flee to the Refuge of Hope set before you you may you ought to believe that you shall find Mercy Rest and Forgiveness And for the Encouragement of the worst of Sinners to Repent it is Observed in all Ages that many wicked People who find Mercy with God and are forgiven have been much more Vile than several of those that are left to perish in their Sins and shall never be forgiven How many that have been kept from gross Polutions and made a longer and fairer Profession of Religion than others who have abounded in outward Duties who have been of more useful Parts Endowments and Qualifications more considerable for their Wit Learning and other Accomplishments more capable one would think of doing Service in the World and the Church and for the Glory of God if Converted how many such are yet left to perish in their Impenitence and Unbelief while Others have been call'd and turn'd justify'd sanctify'd and sav'd who have labour'd under many contrary Discouragements and Disadvantages as to all these c. especially by the Hainousness of their former Guilt and Rebellion Therfore consider it seriously if thou hast been a great Sinner God is a gracious God and Christ is a mighty Saviour able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him He can as easily forgive five Hundred Talents as fifty Pence though the Debtors are very different in the Parable Luke VII 41. He frankly forgave them both Not only such who have sinned in some lesser Degrees may hope to find Mercy but they who have run out into the grossest Wickedness Impiety Unrighteousness and Iniquity not only such who have neglected one or two or ten Calls to Repentance by the Gospel but if they have done so for many Years to this Hour they may yet find Mercy Now if forsaking their Evil Ways they return to God by Jesus Christ Let your Sins past be what they will say as bad as you will or can of your selves and of the dreadful Aggravations of your Guilt Cloath it with all the Horrour and Darkness possible Yet As high as the Heavens are above the Earth so is the Mercy of God and the Merit and Vertue of the Blood of Christ above your Guilt Object But I have stood out so long will some say persisted in my Wickedness so many years stifled the Motions of God's Spirit so often and been deaf to the Voice of God's Word and my own Conscience that I fear he will never accept of me nor ever shew Mercy to me for he call'd and I would not come he knock'd and I would not open and therefore if I call I may expect to find the Door shut But in Answer to this Consider That
is able to forgive our greatest Provocations and show Mercy to the vilest Sinners that will return We are prone to revenge we are hardly reconciled we are apt to return Evil for Evil we are not easily brought to Forgiveness But My thoughts are not as yours saith God You know not how far my Mercy can reach I am God and not Man The distance between God and Man between the Creature and Creator is infinitely more than between Heaven and Earth What if you can't imagine that ever I should have such Thoughts of Mercy for poor Sinners Do you consider how high the Heavens are above the Earth so are my Thoughts and Ways higher than yours They are like my self infinite And how many by their own Experience of God's kind and gracious Dealing with them who with holy Wonder and Thankfulness have acknowledg'd and attested the Truth of this Many a time have I called my self a Prodigal to use the Words of an * Mr. Baxter of Conversing with God in Solitude 4â—â— pag. 363 364. Excellent Person a Companion of Swine a miserable hard-hearted Sinner unworthy to be called his Son when he hath called me Child and chid me for my questioning his Love he hath readily forgiven the Sins which I thought would have made my Soul the fuel of Hell he hath entertain'd me with Joy with Musick and a Feast when I better deserv'd to have been among the Dogs without his Doors He hath embrac'd me in his sustaining Consolatory Arms when he might have spurned my guilty Soul to Hell and said Depart from me thou Worker of Iniquity I know thee not O little did I think that he could ever have forgotten the Vanity and Villany of my Youth yea so easily have forgotten my most aggravated Sins When I had sinned against Light when I had resisted Conscience when I had frequently and wilfully injured Love I thought he would never have forgotten it But the greatness of his Love and Mercy and the Blood and Intercession of his Son hath cancelled all O how many Mercies have I tasted since I thought I had sinned away all Mercies How patiently hath he born with me since I thought he would never have put up more Tho' I injure and dishonour him by loving him no more tho' I oft forget him and have been out of the Way when he hath come or called me tho' I have disobediently turned away mine Ears and unkindly refus'd the Entertainments of his Love and unfaithfully play'd with those whose Company he forbad me yet he hath not divorc'd me or turn'd me out of Doors O wonderful that Heaven will be familiar with Earth and God with Man the Highest with a Worm and the most Holy with an unconstant Sinner Man refuseth me when God will entertain me Those whom I never wrong'd reject me with Reproach and God whom I have unspeakably injured doth invite me entreat me and condescendeth to me as if he were beholden to me to be saved Men that I have deserved well of abhor me and God that I have deserved Hell of doth accept me I upbraid my self with my sins but he doth not upbraid me with them I condemn my self for them but he condemns me not I have Peace with him before I can have Peace with my Conscience Object But after all these endearing Expressions of the Grace of God may some say we can't tell how to believe 't is hard to be fully perswaded of this Consider therefore the Verses following the Text where there 's this Objection obviated You say you can't have your Hearts duely affected with these Declarations of God's Grace you can't be brought to accept this Mercy to close with this Offer to be encouraged by such a Promise and trust in it It is therefore added as directly suitable to such a Case Verses 10 11. As the Rain cometh down and the Snow from Heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the Earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my Mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it That is As the Heavens do not give Light and Heat and Snow in vain but cause a promising Spring and a fruitful Harvest So saith God my Thoughts of Grace manifested by my Declarations of Mercy and Promises of Forgiveness shall have Efficacy and Influence to make you believe to enable you to hope and trust in my Mercy and so to be quiet and satisfy'd that your great and hainous Sins shall be forgiven The very Publication of this Grace shall be attended with a Power to bring Souls to believe it I know my Thoughts toward you are Thoughts of Peace and not of Evil to give you a gracious End and raise your Expectations of it and they shall accordingly be fulfilled The Declarations of this Mercy shall be credited my Word of Grace shall not be in vain it shall take hold of dejected despairing Souls and raise them to Faith and Hope 'T is with this Encouragement we publish the glad Tydings of Salvation and invite Sinners to return to God by Jesus Christ with an Assurance of finding Mercy I say 't is with this Encouragement that we beseech them to be reconcil'd to God and assure 'em that he 's ready to forgive 'T is in Hope that by the Spirit accompanying the Declaration of the Word concerning this Forgiveness with God many Souls might be attracted and won perswaded and overcome and so prevail'd with to return to God and believe the glorious Riches Freeness and Abundance of his Mercy God grant we may find more and more such fruits of preaching the Gospel On the other hand I beseech you take heed how you turn your Backs on this Mercy of God and the Offer of it Beware how you shut your Ears against his gracious Invitation when he thus proclaims and publishes his Readiness to forgive Take heed how you go on in Sin after God freely tenders you the Forgiveness of all your Sins if you will return With the greatest Seriousness I must tell you that one such Sermon of God's forgiving Grace and Mercy rejected slighted and misimprov'd may be of more dreadful Consequence to the Souls of those that hear it and make light of it than I am able to express APPLICATION VSE 1. Let this Mercy Love and Grace overcome your Hearts Consider it again and again Apply it seriously to your selves Is the Lord thus Gracious to me after so long a Rejection of him Will he yet receive me after so many Refusals Doth he invite and call me again after so much Contempt of his Mercy and Grace Will he yet show Mercy to me What strange astonishing Grace what endearing Kindness is this What manner of Love is this How true is it that God's Thoughts and Ways are not as ours That God
should speak such Language to me as this Tho' for lying Vanities thou hast forsaken thine own Mercies yet return to me Tho' thou hast play'd the Harlot with many Lovers yet return Tho' thou hast turned a deaf Ear to many Reproofs yet thy Case is not desperate Tho' I offer my Son and Life by him He that hath the Son hath Life and ye would not This Offer was repeated Sabbath after Sabbath for many Years yet you would not hear it you would not stoop to the Terms yet return unto me I will pity and pardon you I will abundantly pardon Long since I might have sworn in my Wrath you shall never enter into my Rest I might have said Let them alone to be undone by their own Obstinate Foolish Choice I might have resolv'd never such an Offer should be made to you more Never any Sermon about it shall ever do you good more But I am God and not Man my Thoughts and Ways are not as yours I invite you again I beseech you turn and live do not go on and dye God speaks this Language to every one of you the worst of you who hear me this Day Let none therfore think or say 't is too late for him or her there 's now no more Mercy for me For Christ yet stands at the Door and knocks tho' you have refus'd formerly and shut the Door formerly yet now if you will open the Door he will come in and sup with you and you with him Rev. III. 20. Nay tho' he has not taken Possession of thy Heart he knocks at thy Door by his Spirit and is ready to enter tho' you refuse him he does not abandon you Tho' his Kindness and Love hath been slighted yet his Mercy is tendered still and his Patience prolonged And will you resolve to go on thus Will ye not return Are you content to perish rather than come to Christ for Life rather than give him the Glory of your Salvation Will you rather dye in your Sins than be beholden to him for your Forgiveness rather than apply to God for it when he hath provided an All-sufficient Saviour and offer'd you that Salvation freely which cost so dear to purchase After this for a poor proud Sinner to turn his Back upon this Grace of God to scorn this Saviour and disdain to be saved by him saying in Effect I will have none of your Christ none of his Grace none of his Mercy I had rather enjoy my Lusts continue in my Sin and put it to the Venture how provoking is such Guilt and how righteous will be the Condemnation of such obstinate Sinners Secondly Apply your self therfore to God in Christ by Earnest Prayer He hath the Words of Eternal Life he is a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance as well as Pardon The Spirit of Faith is the Spirit of Jesus Christ he can open thy blind Eyes and soften thy hard Heart he that commanded the Cripple to take up his Bed and walk at the same time gave him Power to obey There is a Divine Spirit and Power even the Spirit of Life and Power in Christ Jesus that accompanies the Preaching of the Gospel this may be hoped for this ought to be valu'd desir'd and begg'd You ought never to despair of God's Grace to enable you to believe when it continues to be your Duty to believe on Christ and it cannot but continue to be so unless the Gospel be repeal'd Therefore beg with all your Hearts that you may be enabled to look to him and be saved to come to him and find Rest to your Souls to believe on him and receive Remission of Sins For by beholding the Glory of God in the Face of Christ you may be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Beg an Understanding to know him that is true and with all your Hearts to believe on him that you may assent to his Word consent to his Covenant resign to his Will and trust in his Promise depending on his Readiness Willingness Power and Faithfulness to save you Saying Lord draw me and I will run after thee Lord thou art willing to receive Sinners make me willing to receive thee Lord thou hast received Gifts for Men even for the Rebellious O communicate of those Gifts of Grace to me I see my need of Christ and what Reason I have to come to him O lead me to him and work in me to will and to do of thine own good Pleasure Thirdly If you begin to find the Spirit of Christ breathing on your Souls that have been yet unperswaded if you have any Motions of the good Spirit of God by the preaching the Word or by any other means take heed you thankfully cherish and entertain them When you find your Souls begin to turn towards Christ if you find any Beams of Heavenly Light break in upon you any Inclinations started of applying to him besure to obey the Voice of his Spirit Open every Door of your Souls to receive his Light When he works any Conviction of Sin any sence of your need of a Saviour any Desires after him or Purposes of Heart to leave your Sins and give up your selves to God to be saved by Christ according to the Gospel for your Souls sake encourage such Thoughts cherish such Suggestions Beware how you turn them off but presently and thankfully strike in saying Lord I yield I am overcome I have long enough and too long refus'd thy Grace disobey'd thy Will and resisted thy Spirit Thou hast often knockt and I would not open O now enter thou Blessed of the Lord and take Possession of my Soul Let Christ dwell in my Heart by Faith and his Spirit form a Temple there and reside there as in his own Dwelling for ever Lord art thou yet willing after all my Provocations to show Mercy and abundantly to pardon Willing to be my God and my Saviour Blessed be God I am now willing to be thy Servant Thy powerful Grace hath made me willing Thy Spirit open'd my Eyes to see my self undone to see that Christ is able and willing to save me I hope I am now ready to receive him willing to embrace him as Christ Jesus my Lord. I come to thee O God as to the Fountain of Life to be quickned and cleans'd to be wash'd justify'd sanctify'd and sav'd from Sin and Hell by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus through the Free Mercy and Grace of God But to Conclude If after all there be any Such here as are not will not be perswaded to forsake their Evil Ways and turn to God in Christ Let them consider that the longer they continue in their Obstinacy and Unbelief under the preaching of the glorious Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners so much the more Danger they are in of being lost for ever For their Minds must needs be more blinded by sinning against the Light Their Hearts more hardned by misimproving that which should have softned
GOD's Thoughts and Ways Above Ours especially in the Forgiveness of Sins IN SEVERAL SERMONS UPON ISAIAH LV. 7 8 9. By John Shower LONDON Printed by the Widow Astwood Iohn Lawrence at the Angel in Poultry MDCXCIX THE PREFACE I Am Encouraged to think that the following Sermons did Good in the Preaching and with the Hope they may be of some further Use they are now Published It hath been desir'd that I would Transcribe them in the Words wherein they were deliver'd which with very little Variation I have consented to as to the First Four It may be the peculiar Turn of Expression tho' popular and less exact in the Pulpit which renders the plain Truths of Christianity Acceptable to most Hearers may be more Useful and more Affecting to several Readers than what is more Concise and in more studied Words I can never reckon it a Fault in a Sermon to a Numerous Auditory that the Stile is different from what is expected in a close and just Discourse Or that what might be said in two Words or Sentences is exprest in three or four Perhaps the greatest Part of the Hearers need such Enlargement and Repetition and their Capacity could not otherwise be reached so as to Profit them any more then that Game may be taken by a Net Unspread Very Wise Men have Thought that it is a Mistake in a Consciencious Preacher to endeavour to please only a few of the more Knowing and Judicious Hearers But that which is suited to do Good to the Generality of those we Preach to will ordinarily be best Thought of by Wise Men whose Capacity and Judgment could reach what was more Accurate For they must needs know that it would not be Proper here They themselves have Sins to be forgiven and Corruptions to be mortify'd and Immortal Souls to be sav'd and so have their Inferiours And there is but one Way for the Learned and Unlearned to get to Heaven that I know of 'T is True the Things treated of will be despis'd by Many who do not Relish what 's contained in such Discourses The Matter is out of their Way They are not Sensible of Sin nor Solicitous about Forgiveness And so think not themselves concerned And it is to be fear'd there are Many Others who hear and read Sermons only to Judge of them without any Desire of Advantage to their Souls They are not better'd for the Sermons they Commend any more than by those they Condemn They may say perhaps it was an Excellent Discouse He 's a Good Orator or a Judicious Preacher and This Sermon exceeded even his Last But their Consciences are not touch'd they feel nothing that doth them any real Good However there are Many I hope in this City and Nation who will be thankfull for any such Assistance to prevent their Despair when convinced of Sin as the Doctrine of God's Free Grace in Forgiveness that is display'd in the First Four Sermons And Others who meet with Objections in Conversation and in Pamphlets against the Christian Doctrine of the Sacred Trinity the Incarnation of Christ and God's Wise Government of the World from the Unaccountable Passages of Providence which are apt to stumble them may be willing to consider and improve this Argument of God's Thoughts not being as Ours but far above our Reach which is the Subject of the Fifth Sermon Let me only add that many Younger Ministers as well as Elder have Dyed of Late And tho' Few of us will be miss'd when we Dye there being such Numbers to Supply our Places yet Every One should endeavour to be as Useful as he can while he lives for the Night is hastening wherein no Work can be done If Any Reader get Good let him give God the Glory I most earnestly beg His Blessing to that End J. S. THE First Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7 8 9. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are My Ways higher than your Ways and My Thoughts than your Thoughts THere are Three Things Considerable in this Passage First A Call to Repentance by a Double Precept or Injunction of Duty The Persons concerned in it are set forth under two Names to take in all sorts of Sinners The Wicked and the Vnrighteous And the Duty is doubly exprest to forsake their evil Wayes and Thoughts and to Return to the Lord Which are the Two Parts of true Repentance Turning from Sin and Returning to God Secondly Here 's an Encouraging Promise that God will have Mercy on such Penitents and will abundantly Pardon 'em That He will Interest them in the sure Mercies of David Ver. 3. or in all the Blessings of the Everlasting Covenant by Christ 'T is of him you must understand Ver. 4 5 6. of whom David was only a Type Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People c. Thirdly The Ground and Reason why we may believe this Promise shall be made good For my Thoughts are not as your Thoughts saith the Lord God but as high as the Heavens are above the Earth c. i. e. There is a vast Disparity between my Thoughts and yours and mine are Transcendently above yours as far as Heaven is above the Earth And so are My Ways above your Ways This is true as to God's Thoughts and Purposes of Grace in Pardoning Sinners and as to the Effects of those kind Purposes in his Ways and Works And the Highest Assurance of the Truth of all this is added from a Divine Testimony annex'd Thus saith the Lord. He who best knows his own Gracious Designs hath told us this and by our believing it we set to our Seals that God is true Several things might be Observ'd as proper to be Discours'd of from these Words First That if ever Sinners find Mercy with God they must forsake their former Evil Ways and Course of Life Secondly That 't is not enough for such to to reform their outward Practice and forsake their Evil Ways but they must be chang'd and sanctify'd in Heart their Evil Thoughts must be forsaken Thirdly That 't is not sufficient to turn from Sin and Wickedness in Heart and Life without returning unto God Fourthly That the worst of Sinners be they wicked as to Sins against God or unrighteous as to Iniquity against Men yet if they turn from their Evil Wayes and return to the Lord they shall find Mercy Tho' you have sinned as you think so as never any did before and condemn your selves as the chiefest of Sinners and have refus'd the pardoning Mercy of God formerly offer'd c. All this may be forgiven And it is implied that it shall be upon every New Invitation
such a Load of Guilt and so many hainous Crimes to acknowledge In this sense we find the Expression of standing us'd Rom. XIV 4. To his own Master he standeth or falleth that is shall either be acquitted or condemned of God 'T is of the same Import with Psal CXLIII 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight no flesh living shall be justified Consider a little with what a Frame of Spirit doth David use such Language he seems to cry out in the View of his Hainous Sins as ready to Despair if not reliev'd by the Hope that there is Forgiveness with God Lord who can stand that is how justly may I be Condemn'd if I am try'd at thy Bar According to strict Justice I must be cast I cannot answer thee for one much less for all my Abominations I cannot stand in the Judgment This will be and is the Case of all Convinced Sinners of every one of us when we View our Sins and the Majesty of Heaven whom we have offended When we consider how we have affronted God and despised him and how easily he can crush us into Hell and how justly he might When we think how we have preferr'd a Lust a Trifle a Passion an Humour before him How we have slighted his Authority abus'd his Goodness defi'd his Power weari'd his Patience rejected his Grace and by numberless aggravated Transgressions incurr'd the Vengeance he hath threaten'd and made our selves lyable to his intolerable and everlasting Wrath. Under such a Sight and Sense of Sin what can relieve but the Consideration that there 's Mercy and Forgiveness with God and that He 'll abundantly Pardon returning Sinners This I say we are backward to believe There 's so much Ignorance and Blindness in the Minds of Sinners there 's such a proneness in Men to Judge of God by themselves and of his Thoughts and Ways by their own that because they could not Pardon such and such hainous Provocations so often repeated they imagine that God will not And there are so many Fears and Jealousies in our guilty Souls concerning God that without the Encouragement of such a Declaration of Grace as in this Text there could be no Repentance there would be no Returning to God You know what Benhadad's Servants told him 1 Kings XX. 31. We have heard that the Kings of Israel are Merciful Kings let us put Sack-cloath on our Loyns and Ropes about our Necks and go to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy Life This gracious Method God us'd toward Israel Jer. III. 12. Go and proclaim these words toward the North saying Return O back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am Merciful saith the Lord and will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast Transgressed against the Lord thy God that is Let them not cherish any such hard Thoughts of me as if there were no Forgiveness let them not despair of my Mercy as if I would not receive them when they return This gives the greatest Encouragement to Convinced Sinners that here is a Plank to save them from Shipwrack a Remedy against Despair Here 's a ground for 'em to return to God with Hopes Here 's a Motive to seek Mercy that God hath proclaim'd his Readiness to forgive and abundantly to pardon And methinks 't is very plain that the Doctrine of Repentance would never have been preached if there were no Hope of Forgiveness The fallen Angels having no Mercy offer'd were never call'd to repent for let there be never so deep Conviction of Sin and Sorrow for it there could be no Repenting and Returning to God without believing that Mercy might be had All would end in Death and Desparation Repentance would never be commanded as a Duty nor urg'd upon Sinners as a Duty it could not if we believe the Wisdom Goodness and Faithfulness of God were it not for this Truth that If the wicked forsake his way c. But upon the Consideration of this Sinners begin to have good Thoughts of God many of their Scruples are remov'd many of their Objections answer'd and they are now encourag'd to seek the Mercy of God and prepare to receive it VSE To Conclude therefore Let the vilest and worst of Sinners receive these glad Tydings of God's Grace and not abuse them Don't despise this Message don't neglect it but consider how much you need this Mercy and go home and earnestly beg it Endeavour to welcome it as it is offer'd in the Gospel and then plead it and urge it for Christ's sake according to the Promise as it is Free-Mercy And stir up your Souls to hope in it as knowing that God takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy May I not therfore say that 't is from the Devil for whom there is no Mercy if there be any of you to whom this Doctrine is preached who will yet Conclude There 's no Mercy for you Since God hath told us that If the Wicked forsake his Evil Ways and Thoughts and turn to the Lord they may and ought in that Case most firmly believe that He will have Mercy and that He will abundantly pardon THE Second Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon 'T IS of the Sixth Observation from these Words that I would now speak without so much as repeating the other five viz. That Pardoning Mercy to Penitent Sinners is Mercy indeed the most valuable and seasonable Mercy This I shall endeavour to manifest by several Considerations and then Apply it First There 's nothing more suitable to the Case of a Guilty Sinner who hath any Thoughts of returning to God Consider the Perplexities of one that is awakened to a Sense of Sin and is under a Spirit of Conviction His bitter Complaints and loud Cryes tell us that he knows not what to do nor how to be rid of his Burden He apprehends his Danger from unpardoned Sin and feels the want of this Forgiveness He is wounded and nothing but the Voice of Pardoning Mercy can heal him I have greatly sinn'd said David and his Heart smote him 2 Sam. XXIV 10. And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the Iniquity of thy Servant Nothing else could give him Ease and Quiet from an Accusing troubled Conscience The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Isa XXXIII 24. The meer Patience and Forbearance of God without Forgiveness will not answer the Exigence of his Case Tho' he be yet out of Hell he knows not how long it shall be so or how soon he may there have a Miserable Portion 'T is the Sense of Unpardon'd Sin that breaks his Bones and dryeth up his Marrow
himself Forgive us like a God not according to our Knowledge but His own And as He is greater than our Hearts to know much more against us than we can remember against our selves so He is greater than our Hearts to forgive even those Faults which our Hearts and Consciences do not Recollect He knows the Value of Christ's Blood and Merits to Forgive all our Sins And by unfeigned Faith we are interested in the Virtue of it God hath more Thoughts of Mercy in him than we have had of Rebellion against him Psal XL. 5. Thy Thoughts to us-ward speaking of his Thoughts of Mercy are more than can be numbred They have been from Everlasting and reach to Everlasting whereas 't is but as of yesterday that the oldest Sinner began to rebel against God There is no Comparison And this leads to the Last Observation from those Words He will abundantly Pardon Last Obs That God will not only show Mercy to Returning Sinners so as to Forgive them but He will abundantly Pardon He will Multiply Forgivenesses The Apostle speaks of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that it was exceeding abundant towards him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. I. 14. superlative superabundant Grace not only sufficient for the Pardon of his Sins but of multitudes more besides And accordingly in other places we read not only of the Grace of God in Forgiveness but of his abounding Grace of the Riches of his Grace Yea of the Exceeding Riches of his Grace Ephes I. 6 7. and this joyn'd with tender Mercies with Loving Kindness and with Multitudes of Mercies And here I may show First In what Respects God will abundantly Pardon Returning Sinners Secondly Consider what Reason we have to believe it and be firmly perswaded of it Thirdly What is the Abuse of this Blessed Doctrine Fourthly I shall assist you to make a Right Improvement of it First In what respects God promiseth Abundantly to Pardon or to Multiply Forgivenesses And this I might show as to Persons and as to Things First If we Consider the Extent of Forgiveness as to Sins With Reference to Time and Place and Persons c. As to Time from the first Promise of the Seed of the Woman made soon after the Fall to the End of the World this door of Mercy is open for Returning Sinners As to Places The Gospel is appointed to be Preach'd to every Creature in every part of the World Neither Jew nor Gentile Bond nor Free Barbarian or Scythian are excepted The Gospel of Grace by Christ Jesus is every where the Power of God to Pardon and Salvation unto all that believe As to Persons none shall Perish for want of a sufficient Price for their Ransom for want of a sufficient Satisfaction to the Justice of God But where-ever the Everlasting Gospel is preached He that Believeth shall be saved Whoever will may come and take of the Waters of Life freely Whoever will Accept of the Mercy of Christ upon the holy Terms of the Gospel shall receive Remission of Sins Joh. III. 10. God hath so Loved the lost World that Whosoever Believeth on Christ shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. XII 46 47. I am come saith our Lord a Light into the World that Whosoever Believeth in me should not abide in darkness If any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to Judge the World but to save the World 1 Joh. II. 2. He is a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but for the Sins of the whole World And when we Consider what sort of Persons even the chiefest and vilest of Sinners many of those have been who have been Pardon'd and received to Mercy We must needs say there is no Respect of Persons with God as to this Matter And there are a great Multitude of these considered in themselves For even of Martyrs and Confessors that came out of great Tribulation and had washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb there is a Vast Multitude such as none could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues Rev. VII 9 14. Secondly He doth abundantly Pardon considering the Sins forgiven He is a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin i.e. Sins of all sorts Let the Kinds Numbers Repetitions Aggravations be what they will There is a Multitude of tender Mercies to forgive and abundant Vertue in the Blood of Christ to cleanse from all Sin If the multitude of Transgressions could make a Pile as high as from Earth to Heaven God's pardoning Mercy is above the Heavens His Thoughts are above ours in this matter of Forgiveness as far as the Heavens are above the Earth No Sin but final Impenitence Ungodliness and Unbelief is shut out from Pardon for the Sin against the Holy Ghost is attended with that and therfore never to be forgiven And as to Sins after Repentance and Pardon God hath promised to multiply Forgivenesses to heal Backslidings and therfore invites Men to return with a Promise of Pardon Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your Backslidings In some early Days of the Christian Church the Novatian Doctrine spread that denies Repentance and Pardon to Sins after Baptism upon which Account 't is thought many good Men delay'd their Baptism as long as they could that they might not defile their Garments after they were washed It seem'd to have taken its Rise from the Misunderstanding of Heb. 6. the Beginning But any such Doctrine as would discourage Men's Repentance and return to God after they have sinned must needs be of very dangerous Consequence to the Souls of Men. I confess it is a dismal Symptom to fall often into wilful Sin to repent and then sin again to repent and sin in a Circle This rather argues an Intention of sinning again than a Design of leaving it But for such as have return'd to God and been forgiven and yet by the Power of Temptation have afterwards fallen there is great Encouragement for their Return and Ground to hope for Forgiveness For if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the Righteous who was a Propitiation for our Sins If any Man sin 't is not to encourage to sin but to prevent Despair after the Commission of it And since we are to forgive one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us it would never have been made our Duty to forgive our Offending Brother once and again Yea unto seventy times seven if there were no Mercy with God for Returning Backsliders You are allowed and commanded in such a Case to return to God and to sue out your Pardon and you ought to believe you shall find Welcome and that your Backslidings shall be healed There is need of urging this because Sins after Repentance and after Vows and Resolutions and Sacraments c. not only defile but disturb the
in Rebellion against him a Wretched Criminal against the Lord of thy Life and the God of thy Mercies O how unlike are God's Thoughts to ours in this Respect Considering what our Thoughts are to those who have injur'd and offended us II. Secondly Consider your selves under Affliction and Suffering from the Hand of God and how different God's Thoughts and yours are in that Respect also First We presently conclude that 't is all from Anger and Wrath whereas God says Whom he loves he chastens and that 't is for our good and that we are dealt with as Sons and not as Bastards Heb. XII 5 6. Psal CXIX 75. Secondly We are pettish and froward peevish and perverse under the Rod of Affliction while God's Thoughts are Thoughts of Peace toward us When For the Iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth because he had no Heart to do good with what I lent him saith God concerning Ephraim and I sote him he went on frowardly in the way of his own Heart Nevertheless I have seen his ways I will heal him I will lead him and restore Comfort to him Isa LVII 17 18. Thirdly We often under Affliction take every hiding of God's Face for an utter Rejection of us whereas God hath no such Thoughts He hath us still in his Eye and bears us on his Heart hath our Names graven on the Palmes of his Hand loves us still tho' he rebuke us and will convince us of it by seasonable Comforts and Deliverance Jer. XXXI 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son I have heard him bemoaning himself saith God thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Is he my dear Son or rather is he not so is he a pleasant Child is he not so still to me For since I spake against him I do remember him still therefore my Bowels are turned for him I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. Fourthly God's Thoughts are not as ours in respect of Affliciton as t othe Continuance of the Rod. We are often ready to sink and be dispirited and overwhelm'd in a Time of Darkness as if it would never be Light We are ready to give up all for lost and conclude that God is gone for ever and will be Merciful no more Saying Our Bones are dryed up our Hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Ezek. XXXVII 11. Whereas God's thoughts are otherwise he 'll make those dry Bones live and fetch them out of the Grave of Affliction His Thoughts are Thoughts of Peace to give us a Desired End Jer. XXIX 11. How many have thought and said in their Despair that God's Mercy was gone for ever concerning whom he hath manifested that his Thoughts are not as theirs Fifthly God's Thoughts are not as ours as to the End and Design which he aims at in our Affliction We think he intends not to refine but ruine not to purifie but destroy Whereas in Faithfulness he afflicts where he knows we need it to purge away our Dross and take away our Tin and to produce the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness By this shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged and this shall be the fruit of all to take away sin Isa XXVII 9. Do but wait a little and you 'l see how you have been mistaken in your Apprehensions of God and how his Thoughts have been unlike to yours II. Let us consider in the Second Place that God's Thoughts are not only different from ours but Transcendently above them as far and as high as the Heavens are above the Earth First as to the Kind and Nature of them First His THoughts of Grace and Kindness are of an unsearchable Depth O the Depth of the Riches of the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God! whose Ways of Mercy as well as Judgment are unsearchable and past our finding out Rom. XI 33. There is a Depth in them beyond the Line of Men and Angels to measure Psal XCII 5. O Lord how great are thy Works and thy Thoughts are very deep In the Revelation of God's Grace and Mercy to Sinners by the Gospel we read of the deep thigns of God such as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred in t othe Heart of Man to conceive 1 Cor. XI 1 Such Depths that amaze the very Angels to look into 1 Pet. I. 12. Secondly God's Thoughts of Love and Mercy are Absolute Soveraign and Independent 'T is all after the Counsel of his own Will and from the meer Good Pleasure of his Will This is the Source and Spring of all his Mercy and Forgiveness Thirdly God's Thoughts of Mercy are Faithful and Effectual ALl the Declarations of his Mercy shall be made good All the Promives of Grace shall be fulfilled All the Thoughts of his Love shall have their Effects O Lord I will exalt thee for thy Counsels of Old are Faithfulness and Truth Isa XXV 1. All his Ways are Mercy and Truth he keepeth Covenant and Mercy for ever Psal LXXXIX 28 29. Tho' he visit their Iniquities with the Rod yet his Loving Kindness will he not take from them nor suffer his Faithfulness to fail Therfore Fourthly It may be added that God's Thoughts are Vnchangeable but ours are Variable The Strength of Israel will not lye or repent He is not a Man that he should lye nor the Son of Man that he should repent 1 Sam. XV. 29. The Medicator of the New Covenant lives for ever to make Intercession for Sinners Fifthly His Thoughts of Mercy are infinitely Pure and infinitely Righteous We shall never fully understand the infinite Righteousness of God's Thoughts and Ways 'till the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God He is Righteous in all his Counsels and in all his Works all his Ways are equal Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee The Psalmist tells us that God will carry on his Thoughts of Mercy and perfect his Grace and make it thrive and grow To show that he is upright and there 's no Vnrighteousness in him Psal XCII last Secondly God's Thoughts of Grace and Mercy are transcendently above ours in the Way and Manner of his dispensing his Grace and Mercy The Dispensation of his Love and Grace to Sinners is that which passeth Knowledge as to the Manner of it And when this Love is shed abroad in the Heart there is a Peace resulting from it which is better felt than exprest Something may be conceived and spoken but there 's a great deal which is above the reach of Words for we have no Line to measure it by no Scale in all the World to weigh it in We have nothing to compare it unto but falls unspeakably short No Kindness no Love no Charity or Affection of one Creature to another by which we can set it forth The nearest and dearest among Men is as much below this as Earth is
Instance Object 1. Some may be ready to say notwithstanding all this I have such a sight of my own past Crimes and their Aggravations that none can judge of my Case as I can or know the worst of it as I do I knew the Will of God and yet disobey'd him I have sinn'd when I knew God did forbid it and threaten'd with Eternal Death what I was doing I have hearkned to Temptation tho' I had vow'd and promis'd and resolv'd and engag'd against that very Sin I was tempted to And which was worse I had some Thoughts of God's seeing me some Apprehensions that he would judge me for it and yet I went on and sinned Surely God will never forgive me If any of my Fellow Creatures had wilfully deliberately ungratefully frequently and perfidiously despised and affronted injured and offended me I that am but a Worm could have no Patience with such a One Much more may the Blessed God resent remember and punish such Vile Iniquities as I have been guilty of Answ Consider in Answer to this how high the Heavens are above the Earth and which is more the difference between the Creature and the Creator That his Thoughts are not as ours not like our misgiving despairing Thoughts He doth and will pardon like himself like a God Not after the Measures of a finite passionate weak Man All that you have said or can say shall be no Impediment if you return to God and seek him in Christ for Forgiveness He will Abundantly pardon beyond what you are able to think or suppose in the like Case God complains of Israel as prone and enclin'd to backslide yet he cannot find in his Heart to destroy 'em but expresses a kind of Conflict between Justice and Mercy and at last resolves I am God and not Man therfore I will not execute the Fierceness of mine Anger but I will cause 'em to walk after the Lord Hosea XI 7 10. He doth all things like himself as one Observes If he build he makes a World If he be angry with the World he sends a Flood over the Face of all the Earth If he goes out with the Armies of his People he makes the Sun stand still the Stars to fight the Seas to swallow up the most dreadful Armadoes If he love the precious Hearts Blood of his Beloved Son is not too dear If any become his Friend and Favourite thro' the Mediation of Christ he will make him a King give him a Paradise and set a Crown of Eternal Glory on his Head Let us not consider so much what is fit or likely for us to receive as for so Great a God to give and bestow If we are contrite humble penitent and fly to Jesus Christ as our Refuge of Hope He will think all the meritorious Sufferings of his Son all the Promises in his Book all the Comforts of his Holy Spirit all the Pleasures and Blessedness of his Kingdom little enough for us Object 2. But some will say further I did once hope that God had given me true Repentance and unfeigned Faith and that I was hearty and sincere in my Covenant with God I had some good Hopes that I was reconcil'd and that I was accepted And I seal'd my Covenant and set my Name to it and renew'd it also at the Lord's Table And I thank God I had some Quickning and Comfort as I thought but Wretch as I am I have revolted since I have burst those Bonds asunder I have gone back with such abominable Backslidings that I can't think God will ever pardon me who after I have known the Way of Righteousness have turn'd from the Holy Commandment After having been wash'd I have return'd with the Dog to his Vomit and the Swine to her wallowing in the Mire I fear I am among those who draw back to Perdition of whom God may say that his Soul shall have no Pleasure in them Answ Consider that God's Thoughts are not as yours as to Returning Backsliders He calls you to return O Israel thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity return unto the Lord thy God He tells you his Grace and Mercy can outdo all that you can think If you never heard of any that have sinn'd as you have or with such aggravated Backslidings he may yet forgive thee Though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow tho' red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Isa I. 18. If he give you Grace to repent and return he will forgive Sins after Baptism Sins after unworthy receiving the Lord's Supper may be pardon'd There is a Fountain open'd there is a Ransom found there is a Propitiation made there 's an Advocate with the Father You must forgive an offending Brother if he repent even unto seventy times seven And will not God forgive Returning Backsliders and multiply Forgivenesses This Text is the most proper Scripture that can be for such to consider that they may not think that no Mercy shall be extended to them They are invited to return with a Promise that God will heal their Backslidings Hos XIV 3 4. Jer. III. beginning and afterward Verse the 21st Go and proclaim these Words saying return ye backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and will not keep Anger for ever You ought therfore to add the following Words Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Return to him with all your Hearts he will receive you graciously and love you freely The Prodigal is entertain'd upon his Return more than the First-born assoon as he repents and saith I am unworthy to be called thy Son He will heal your Backslidings and take away all Iniquity the Guilt the Stain the Power the Punishment and the Anguish of Conscience He will not impute thy Sin he will purge thy Conscience from dead works and enable thee to serve and obey him The Sun of Righteousness shall arise on thee with healing in his Wings the Influence of his Holy Spirit shall by Grace and Comfort be restored to thee And all this from his Free Love and Mercy Nothing is too hard for Love Divine Love It is I confess a real Difficulty when one is made sensible of great Sins after Repentance and I know of no Relief like that which is offer'd from this Scripture I am unworthy may such a Soul say but the Lord is Gracious I have misimprov'd his Mercy and abus'd his Goodness and his Patience what shall relieve me in this Case Why his Infinite Love Condescension and Grace Well but I have revolted and gone back by many aggravated Back-slidings that stare me in the Face Yet God is Vnchangeable he 's not only Merciful but Faithful to his Covenant And his Faithfulness was never engaged to the Angels that fell But here 's the great Objection that will be made to all this This is true but I am unfaithful and the
I give to be at peace with God and to have an Encouraging Sense of it c. Fourthly Are you sensible of your past Unkindness to this Merciful God and Gracious Saviour so as to bewail it Is it now the ground of your Fear and Trouble not only that you have sinn'd against the Light of Nature tho' it may be you were first awaken'd by the sense of some such Transgression but now you are troubl'd for the Contempt of the Gospel for your Neglect of Christ the Saviour of Sinners for refusing him when he hath call'd and invited you And are ready to say within your selves O with what Earnestness did he call me to accept his Mercy How freely did he offer to forgive me He would have been my Saviour but I would not receive him with what Folly and Obstinacy did I harden my Heart and stop my Ears and turn my Back upon him and resisted him both in his Word and Spirit Doth this greive and trouble you as well as the gross Pollutions of the World which Natural Light will condemn Fifthly Your Case is hopeful notwithstanding the sense of your Vileness and Fears on that Account if you yet resolve to follow on in seeking Mercy and Forgiveness of God by Jesus Christ 'till you obtain it Do you resolve you will wait and pray and wrestle and persevere therein 'till it shall please God to cast an Eye of Pity and Compassion on your miserable Souls That you will continue in the Use of God's appointed Means where he communicates his Spirit and conveys Grace and where he is wont to vouchsafe his Presence That you will enquire of every Body that may assist you how you may be one of those Happy Souls whom God will abundantly pardon Can you say this That tho' I fear and doubt yet I seek and strive and will not give over I will not desist I will not depart from his Door I am undone if he refuse me and if I perish and dye in my Sins and be damned for them it shall be in seeking Mercy and begging Mercy for Christ's sake And if you can say this truly you may be assur'd you shall not perish but find Mercy Can you say and is it the real Language of your Heart Nothing in all the Word shall content and satisfie you or is ever like to do so 'till you have some good hope through Grace of finding Mercy with God You search the Scriptures and search your Hearts and go to Ministers consult Friends and attend Ordinances with this Desire and Design and you pray before you come to hear that some seasonable powerful Word may drop and reach your Case Alas I use to hear formerly after another manner and with other Thoughts judging the Minister passing Sentence on the Sermon or considering only how it concern'd others of my Acquaintance But now I apply all to my self now I look for my own Portion and watch for that which principally concerns me And by the Grace of God I will thus attend and wait and watch at the Posts of Wisdoms Door that I may find Life Prov. VIII 34. Though I I have but a very little Hope and a great many Fears considering what a Vile Sinner I have been yet I do not utterly despair I am told I must not despair and that Despair is a Sin and Hope a Duty And therfore I will yet hold on and wait upon the Lord and seek his Mercy Tho' I can't pray with Confidence I will yet look up tho' I can't say I believe yet I 'le not utterly despair tho' I have sinned against the Grace of the Gospel and the Blood and Spirit of Christ yet I hope not above and beyond the Help and Benefit of his Grace and Gospel and Blood and Spirit I 'le therfore hold on and wait in Hope in the diligent use of all the Means of Salvation V. Fifthly I proceed to another thing observable from these Words Let him return and he will have Mercy and abundantly pardon Let him think of that and return believe that be encouraged to return I Observe That the great Motive and Encouragement to put a Sinner on forsaking his Evil Ways and returning to God is the sensible Apprehension that there 's Mercy to be had viz. that God will forgive and abundantly pardon the Penitent Returning Sinner I confess 't is not an easie matter to be perswaded of the Doctrine of the Forgiveness of Sin Whatever Guess and Conjecture Men may have about it from the Divine Patience and Forbearance to a sinful World in the Continuance of his Forfeited Mercy Yet * See Mr. Nathanael Taylor 's Preservative against Deism Octavo Lately printed without the Gospel Revelation we are at no Certainty about this The Gentiles had some Imaginations and Hopes that their Gods were placable and inclin'd to pardon and that was the Rise of their Expiations and Sacrifices but they had no assured Promise or Covenant to build upon They knew not the Mediator between God and Man by his own Sacrifice of himself to make Attonement 'T is the Language of the Law written on our Hearts that The Soul that sinneth shall dye 'T is the Voice of Natural Conscience that Guilt and Punishment are inseperable And were there not somewhat known of the Doctrine of Forgiveness by the Revelation of it which God hath made this would be the common Sentiment of Mankind I need not consider what particular Ways and Methods God may have to reveal this Pardoning Mercy unto any who are Strangers to the Written Word or whether he hath done so It belongs not to us to be Curious in enquiring about other Men who shall be judged by a Righteous God according to the Law they were under and the Light they had 'T is certain that even among those to whom the Gospel is preached whoever they are that are deeply convinc'd of Sin and Conscience awakened to apprehend the Holiness and Justice of God 't is one of the most difficult things in the World to perswade them that God will have Mercy and abundantly pardon It is one great Work of the Holy Spirit to satisfie the Soul of this There 's no serious Minister of Christ but hath abundant Experience of this in those that are awakened to any Concern for their Souls Salvation There 's Evidence sufficient of this in David's Frame Psal CXXX 3 4. If thou Lord should'st mark Iniquities O Lord who should stand but there is forgiveness with thee c. If God should mark Sin so as to proceed to punish it according to his Righteous Law who could stand who would escape Condemnation or when accused stand in the Judgment so as to be acquitted i.e. 'T is not my own Case alone that if God should be strict and severe with me I am an undone and lost Creature But 't is true of all the World The Holiest Saint on Earth can't be justify'd in his Sight and what then would become of me who have
and sticks like an Arrow in his flesh Whereas Pardoning Mercy is as Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones and a Cordial to his Heart yea even as Life from the Dead And dead he is in Law as under a Sentence of Condemnation 'till he be interested in Forgiveness by Faith in the Blood of Jesus Then may he lift up his Head as one Alive from the Dead and admit Consolation when he can hope his Sins are forgiven and that God is reconciled Comfort ye Comfort ye my People say unto Jerusalem her Warfare is Accomplished her Iniquity is forgiven Isa XL. 1 2. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and Sin covered Psal XXXII 1. 'Till then they are under the Curse of God on Record A Curse that cuts off from God and all gracious Communications from him a Curse which pierceth deep and spreadeth far and makes the whole Creation at Enmity with us And this Curse is intolerable in the Effects of it and unavoidable too There is no Relief or Remedy against it but by the New Covenant and Faith in Jesus Christ 'T is only by the Redemption we have in Jesus Christ through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins In which Forgiveness we can never be interested without Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ There is no Rest in my Bones because of my Sin saith the Psalmist Psal XXXVIII 3. My Sins are an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me v. 4. 'Till this Burden be removed by Forgiveness what Ease or Rest can a Sinner enjoy 'T is true the Deceit of sensual Pleasures or the Hurry and Clatter of Worldly Business may hinder the Sense of this for a while and keep all quiet Yet sooner or later the sinful Soul will have Torment Conscience will awake Men may laugh and be merry for a Time make a shift to be confident and secure under the Wrath and Curse of God they may take their Poyson for their Antidote their Wound for their Plaister their Plague for their Cure their Disease for their Remedy and so make a hard shift to preserve a little false Peace But the End will be the most horrid Despair And the more Jovial and Airy Careless and Presumptuous they have been in Health and Prosperity under the Guilt of great Transgressions the more disconsolate will such be when Conscience awakes to set their Sins in order before them Is there then any Message like that of Forgiveness that will suit the Case of such They can relish nothing else think of nothing else this is what they aim at This is the Subject of their great Enquiry How they may be forgiven They may try in vain what Company Mirth Sports Business or Superstition will do They must come to God for Pardon or they cannot find Rest Hos V. 13. When Ephrahim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assvrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound Did you know the Misery and Danger of a sinful Soul unreconciled to God bound over to his Eternal Wrath every Moment expos'd as a Guilty Wretch to his fiery Vengeance Did you consider the Case of such a One who hath all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God in force against him and nothing but a little Breath between him and Endless Ruine that can't tell but the next Day or Minute Death may open the Door and let him fall into Damnation Did any one rightly understand this believe it consider it and apply it as his own Case what Mercy will suit such a One but Pardoning Mercy What is all the Pomp and Glory of this World to such a Man without the Forgiveness of Sin How can he eat drink or sleep or trade or do any thing without some Hope of Pardon without seeking after it without endeavouring it without using means in Order to it Secondly Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed as 't is the Fruit of Covenant Love an Effect of the special distinguishing Love of God This is the great Priviledge of such whose God is the Lord. This is a Covenant Blessing that 's never given in Anger This is never bestow'd but as a Favour peculiar to God's People This is always accompany'd with Regeneration and Adoption Jer. XXXI 33. I will be their God and will forgive their Iniquity Happy is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven Happy is the People whose God is the Lord. Thirdly This Mercy is the most Comprehensive Blessing and the Foundation of many other Mercies This secures our State sweetens our other Blessings lays the Foundation for Peace of Conscience gives Freedom of Access to the Throne of Grace and makes way for Communion with God in all Ordinances This clears us from the Accusation of Satan the Condemnation of the Law and of our own Hearts for who shall lay any thing to his Charge whom God forgives We can have no Right and Title to Eternal Life without this For the Legal Bar must be removed by the Pardon of Sin as well as the Moral Incapacity by the Sanctifying Spirit The great Blessings of the Gospel such as the Spirit of Holiness Communion with God c. they are promised to Accompany this of Forgiveness Heb. VIII latter End I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Iniquities I will remember no more By this we not only escape the Punishment due to Sin which would render us deeply miserable but are restored to the Favour of God and accepted in the Beloved and have Grace to overcome the World Flesh and Devil The sanctifying Spirit to purge us from all Filthiness is joyn'd with this Pardon which delivers from the Condemning Guilt of Sin We are translated into the Kingdom and Family of Christ as well as deliver'd from the Kingdom of Satan and the Power of Darkness In a Word the Acceptation of our Persons Sanctification of our Natures the Answer of our Prayers and a Title to Heaven and Eternal Life are connected with and consequent to this Forgiveness of Sin Psal XXXII 1 2 3. Zac. I. 4. Isa LIX 2 3. Psal CIII 2 3. Job VII 21. This also hath respect to all the Comforts and Afflictions of this present Life You ought to Consider that if Sin be forgiven all things shall work for good Take away all Iniquity saith the Church and receive us graciously or do us good Hos XIV 2. Every Providence shall be sanctified if Sin be forgiven For peace I had great bitterness saith Hezekiah but in love to my Soul thou hast deliver'd it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy Back Isa XXXVIII 17. You have a like Instance Jer. XXXIII 6 8. But if you had all the Plenty Peace Health Riches and Grandeur of this World yet the Guilt of one Sin on the Consclence under the Apprehension of God's deserved Wrath will spoil the Relish of all Where Sin
is forgiven other Mercies will be sweet and the Burden of Affliction tolerable But without this and under the Apprehensions of the contrary every Temporal Calamity is double For this is the Wormwood and the Gall in every bitter Cup. We shall not under the Troubles and Disappointments of this World cry out we are undone if we can think that God hath forgiven us No more than a Man who has just receiv'd his Prince's Pardon when he lay under a Sentence of Condemnation to Death can be thought if he lose his Glove or Handkerchief in the way home that he will wring his Hands and weep and take on for such a Loss when he had so lately his Life graciously given him Besides Hereby is a Foundation laid for a Life of Thankful Love and Obedience to God Conscience being purg'd from dead Works we serve the Living God without fear in hope of his Acceptance with the Promise of his hearing our Prayers and that he will be well pleased with our Services and overlook our Infirmities c. We may therefore well bear the Tryals of this Life with Patience and Resignation and in a dying Hour shall be able to commend our Souls with Faith and Hope into the Hands of Christ who will take Care of us as his own when we leave the World and at last publickly acknowledge and absolve us in the great Day Oh how many Mercies accompany this one of the Forgiveness of Sin Fourthly This is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner Peculiar Mercy as it it Irrevocable Where Sin is forgiven and Iniquity blotted out it shall be remember'd no more You are freely justify'd from all things and shall never come into Condemnation This my Covenant of Peace shall never be removed saith the Lord who hath mercy on thee Isa LIV. 10. This is not only true of the first Settlement of it but is the Priviledge of every one who is under the Bond and Blessing of the New Covenant Tho' I visit his Transgression with a Rod and his Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips God may remember the Sins of Pardoned Believers so as to afflict them in this World and exercise the Discipline of his Family Their share in National Sins may involve them in present Sufferings with others And for particular Transgressions God may testifie his Fatherly Displeasure against good Men by remarkable Afflictions but will not reverse their Pardon so as to punish them Eternally Ely David Jonah and others are Instances Your Peace with Heaven shall never be so broken none of your Afflictions will prove it The Reconciliation between God and Sinners that is once accepted by a Real Active Unfeigned Obedient Faith is Perpetual It is promis'd that our Iniquities shall be blotted out and remember'd no more that God will cast 'em behind his Back Cast 'em into the bottom of the Sea Scatter 'em as a thick Cloud c. Isa XLIII 25. Psal LI. 9. Isa XXXVIII 17. Mic. VII 19. Isa XLIV 22. And yet more expresly to assure us that God will not enter into Judgment with us for the Sins he hath once forgiven we read Jer. L. 20. In that day shall the Iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the Sins of Judah and they shall not be found Where God bestows Forgiveness he communicates the Spirit of Grace for the Mortification of Sin And tho' that Work be not perfect it shall be progressive and the Remainders of Corruption in the Soul will not prove that your Sin is not forgiven The Flesh will war against the Spirit and the Spirit will strive against the Flesh but you can't conclude that you are not forgiven from the Opposition that Sin makes against the Grace of God in the Soul Would you judge of your selves consider what Opposition you make against Sin Would you have Relief Apply to the Fountain open to the Blood and Spirit of Christ for new Strength from Day to Day to Crucifie the Flesh to Continue the Warfare and Maintain the Conflict That Sin yet remains in the Soul is consistent with your Reconciliation to God and your Sence of this with his Acceptance of you Yea I am perswaded there 's never such a Discovery of Corruption as after Forgiveness when the Grace of God hath enlightned the Soul But which part do you side with Do you Condemn Bewail Oppose Resist Strive Watch Pray Fight and Endeavour the Mortification of Corruption that yet remains after the Hopes of Pardon You shall then by the Grace of Christ hold on and be more than Conquerors You should Apply to him and Exalt his Power as able to destroy the Works of the Devil He has promised and undertaken it that no Iniquity shall be charged to your Condemnation No old Stories shall be repeated no latent Displeasure harboured no former Quarrel revived If thou return to God with all thy Heart he will never upbraid thee with thy former Sins tho' Men may But if you can hope that God forgives you you 'll easily bear that and little mind it Can you doubt of this Fulness of Pardon when God hath said he will hide and blot out our Sins so as When sought for they shall not be found And that he will put them as far from us as the East is from the West that None of them shall be mentioned again unto us Psal CIII 10. Jer. XXXI 34. Fifthly This Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner because all his unknown and forgotten Sins shall be pardoned as well as those he hath particularly confess'd agravated and repented of As he that breaks the Law in one Point is guilty of all by the wilful Contempt of Divine Authority so he that is absolved in one Point is forgiven in all It were otherwise in vain to be forgiven and absolved as to some Sins that might damn us if there 's any one left that would do it He that is under Condemnation for one Sin is liable to Eternal Death But Divine Forgiveness is entire and full There are Sins of Good Men that arise from Humane Frailty and not from any evil Purpose of Heart as Sins of Ignorance which if we had known we would not have committed or of sudden Surprize that we did not Observe or fell into by the violent hurry of Temptation before we had time to think what we were doing of such Sins we shall be often guilty while we are in the World and we are bid to ask daily Pardon for 'em and then they shall not break Covenant between God and Us. But there are Many Sins that we have forgotten for which we were never Humbled in Particular And yet if we truly Repent of those we do know and call to mind our forgotten Sins shall be forgiven For God will Pardon us like
Conscience and you can't presently approach to God with Comfort What then should you do Give up all for lost Run into Excess of Riot and say There is no Hope therfore let us walk after the Imagination of our own Hearts No by no Means But by renewed Acts of Repentance towards God and of Faith in the Blood of Jesus return to God and seek Forgiveness I grant in such Cases it is hard to do this with any Encouragement and Hope Our Hearts misgive us and well they may we shall have a thousand Jealousies and Fears And it can't be otherwise However God's Thoughts are not as ours He will abundantly pardon Returning Sinners tho' you have abus'd his Grace tho' you have dishonour'd his Name revolted after Forgiveness slighted the Redeemer Christ griev'd his Spirit given Advantage to the Devil deserv'd to be cast out of his sight tho' you have broken your solemn Vows and broken your Peace thereby yet let such remember that God will show Mercy to Returning Sinners and he will abundantly pardon ' em He will heal their Backslidings and make them loath themselves and be confounded for all their Abominations even After he is pacify'd towards them Ezek. XVI the last You know the kind Language God us'd to Ephraim Jer. XXXI 18 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself he is my dear Son he is a pleasant Child or rather is he not so though I spake aginst him I remember him still my Bowels are moved for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Read with Thankfulness Mic. VII 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of his Remnant and retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again and have compassion on us and will subdue our Iniquities and cast our Sins into the Depths of the Sea And how sweet is the Repentance of such a Returning Backslider that is kindly melted humbled and broken and brought to the Foot of God with Hope of Mercy through Christ The Contrition of such a Soul is made up like that of Mary Magdalen of Tears and of Kisses of Sorrow and of Love of Humility and Hope of Confusion and Confidence of Shame and Joy And how will such a Soul love much to whom much is thus forgiven In short God doth abundantly pardon and multiply Pardons as to the Forgiveness of many Sins in that never any one Sin was forgiven to any Man to whom this was not made good Numberless Sins are forgiven wherever one is They are more than the Hairs of our Head or the Sands on the Sea-shore Well might the Psalmist say Have mercy on me O Lord according to thy loving Kindnesses and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies Psal LI. 1. I will abundantly pardon saith God here and in another place I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinn'd against me whereby they have trespass'd against me saith the Lord Jer. XXXII 8. Who can understand his Errors before Conversion and since by Omission and Commission in Thought in Word and Act How long did God wait on some of us What various Methods did he use to bring us home How graciously did he receive us at first and after many Provocations receive us again Surely if we find Mercy with God any of us he must abundantly pardon us and multiply Forgivenesses And because 't is not so easie a thing to believe this I proceed to the Second Particular to Consider what Reason we have to be perswaded of this Secondly Upon what Grounds may we be firmly perswaded of this Truth That God will thus multiply Pardons 'T is certain to an humbl'd awaken'd convinced penitent Sinner it must be glad Tydings of great Joy that his Case will admit of Hope That he ought not to despair that there is a possibility he may find Mercy with God if no more But to have the Riches of God's Grace display'd to have a free and general Invitation made to all the Hungry and Thirsty the Weary and Heavy laden to have a Promise of Mercy and of Forgiveness whatever thy Sins have been What matter of Rejoycing is this This will answer a thousand Objections which otherwise you could not tell what to say to This is proper to revive the most drooping Spirits to make them adore God and admire his glorious Grace This may cause them to think honourably of him seek earnestly to him and thankfully accept his offered Mercy as poor wretched perishing condemn'd undone Creatures toward whom the God of all Grace will magnifie his Rich and Undeserved Mercy Therfore be perswaded to believe it considering such things as these First That there are large and express Promises and most astonishing Instances in the Holy Scriptures to Encourage your Faith He that best understands his own kind Thoughts to the Children of Men to the chiefest of Sinners hath assured you he will not only have Mercy but abundantly pardon and that where Sin hath abounded Grace shall much more abound toward all of them who will accept of Mercy by Jesus Christ so as God may not lose the Glory of it You think it very hard to be perswaded of this but hath not God told you that as far as the Heavens are above the Earth so are his Thoughts and Ways above yours And tho' your Sins be as Crimson and Scarlet that they shall be as Snow and Wool and that To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness tho' we have rebell'd against him Have we not Instances of this as to others of the worst of Men and Women that have been washed and justify'd through the Blood of Christ and Spirit of Christ of Sinks of Sin that have been made Vessels of Mercy Many Examples in the Old Testament and in the New of Jews and Gentiles What Folly and what aggravated Sin was David guilty of after the Knowledge of God and what great Sins before Conversion was the Apostle Paul charg'd with You have been sometimes told that 't is an Instance of God's Wisdom and Kindness to record the the Example of David's Fall Some it may be think it were better left out lest it should encourage Sinners but doubtless many a Man would have perished in Despair and made away himself if it had not been for the Example of David's Repentance and God's Forgiveness of him after such hainous Transgressions Secondly God hath declared this to be his Nature and Delight He proclaims it as part of his Name Exod. XXXIV 5 6. to be The Lord God Gracious and Merciful Slow to Anger and Abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin He is pleas'd in the Exercise of his Mercy he delights to be Gracious and takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy And therfore what pleaseth him and he delights to do he will do abundantly There is an Inexhausted Treasure of Grace in God Exceeding
Riches of Grace and unsearchable Depths of Mercy and Grace God who is rich in mercy saith the Apostle for the great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ Ephes II. 4 5. And all the Saints are set forth as studious and thoughtful about the Glorious Dimensions of God's Grace as endeavouring to comprehend the Breadth Length Height and Depth of this Grace that passeth Knowledge Eph. I. 8. The Breadth of his Love in covering such a multitude of Sins and pardoning such a multitude of Sinners The Depth of it reaching us in the Depth of our Sin and Misery The Length of it from Everlasting to Everlasting The Height of it in raising us from a deserved Hell to an infinitely Glorious Heaven Love Grace and Mercy are his Nature and Delight 'T is above our Thoughts and past our Comprehension We read that his Judgments are unsearchable and his Ways past finding out 't is as true of his Ways of Mercy as of any By that Name Judgments sometimes his Mercies are call'd Psal XXXVI 5 6. Thy Judgments are a great deep to show the Meaning whereof the Psalmist breaks out O Lord how excellent is thy Loving Kindness to the Sons of Men that put their trust in thee All the Merits of Christ are call'd the Mercies of God the sure Mercies of David God is said to be Rich in Mercy and no other Attribute of God is call'd his Riches but his Goodness Grace and Love Thirdly God useth variety of Arguments throughout the Scriptures to perswade us to believe this He not only urgeth us from his own Example and obliges us to forgive our Trespassing Brother if he repent unto seventy times seven but with the greatest Kindness he bespeaks us to believe his Compassion to be perswaded of his Tenderness and Love He employs a great deal of Rhetorick to that purpose Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa XL. 7 8. He appeals to Heaven and Earth to the Dumb and Insensible Creatures that his Ways are equal that ours are unequal he offers he invites he calls and expostulates and complains of our Backwardness to believe him he pleads and promiseth and adds his Oath to his Word As I live saith the Lord i. e. As I am a Living God I take no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth but rather that he return and live than go on and dye Turn ye turn ye why will ye dye O House of Israel He 's represented as with Sighs and Groans bewailing the Obstinacy of Sinners to their own Destruction O that they were wise and would consider this O that there were such a Heart in them O that they knew the things that belong to their peace before they are hid from their Eyes How kind and encouraging are such Passages Fourthly Consider this is one great End of God's Patience and Forbearance and of his continuing the Preaching of the Word and the Ordinances of the Gospel that Sinners might be led to Repentance by the Hopes of Forgiveness How many Years hath God waited on some of you Should not the Long-suffering of God that hath a Tendency to Salvation encourage you to believe that there is Mercy and Forgiveness with him What quick Dispatch hath he made with others while he hath spared you He hath taken some in the Act of their Vile Abominations many in the very height of their Wickedness and hath refus'd to give them further time and space to repent He hath call'd some to Judgment in their Youth soon after they had broken the Fetters of their Education cast off the God of their Fathers and begun to indulge themselves in youthful Lusts Many besure not greater Sinners than you are gone to their place while he yet waits to be gracious to you He offers you Pardon and Life when he might have condemn'd you to Remediless Wrath and put it in Execution long ago He continues to exercise great Patience and Power in forbearing you Is it not with this kind Design that it might lead you to Repentance that you might turn to him seek after him and intreat his Pity before it be too late May you not infer thus much from his Long-suffering Did he bear with thee when thy Heart was hard as a Rock and thou would'st not hearken to any Treaty of Peace and will he not accept thee now thy Heart begins to be contrite and broken with Sence of Sin and Sorrow for it Did he bear with thee while Sin was thy Delight and will he not be gracious if thou seek him now Sin is become thy Burthen Doth he continue to call thee by his Word and Commission his Ministers to tell thee in his Name that if thou return he will abundantly pardon Doth he order them to beseech thee for Christ's sake and in his stead that thou would'st be reconciled to God and can you suppose he is inexorable If a King should send one of his Attendants to a Condemned Prisoner saying Go tell such a one let him come to me for his Pardon and he shall have it my Son hath interceeded for him and made his Peace tho' he hath forfeited his Life and deserv'd to dye and I might put the Sentence in Execution to Morrow yet let him come and confess his Sin and ask Forgiveness and I will pardon him Yea tell him I desire I entreat that he would come I beg that he would have pity on himself and not refuse me I earnestly pray and beseech him I must take no Denial he must come What Kindness and Condescention were this You know how to apply it 'T is as certain unto all of you by the Preaching of the Gospel as if you were spoken to by Name But if you reject the kind Offer of the Grace of the Gospel and will not return from your Evil Ways but go on and put it to the venture after such a Merciful Invitation and that so often repeated consider then what a Hazard you run and if you hold on how dreadful your Doom will be All the Ministers of Christ instead of Blessing you in the Name of the Lord must pronounce against you all the Curses of the Law and all the additional Curses denounced against the Despisers of the Gospel And must say unto you Anathema Maranatha Cursed in this World 'till the Coming of Christ and when he comes Accursed from his blessed Presence into Everlasting Destruction Yea all the Angels of God all the Churches of Christ all the Saints on Earth and in Heaven will adore Divine Justice and can have no Compassion on you if you go on to despise the Grace of God and will not be drawn with the Cords of his Love Fifthly
To perswade you that God will abundantly pardon Consider how valuable a Price was paid for your Redemption that you might have Forgiveness When you think of the Freeness of this Mercy to you think also that it cost the precious Blood of Jesus to Procure it And by the great Propitiation for Sin which he hath made God hath glorify'd his Holiness and Justice and may now glorifie his Mercy and Grace in pardoning and saving Sinners without lessening the Honour of his Authority and Government or impeaching any of his Attributes and Perfections You may come and beg Mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ saying Lord save me for thy Mercy 's sake I am a Vile Sinner a Rebellious Creature not only an unprofitable Servant but a hainous Criminal I have nothing in my self but Matter of Shame and Humiliation nothing of any good but what thou hast given me There 's nothing in any of my Services but need the Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus to make them accepted But there is Redemption even the Forgiveness of Sin through the Blood of Jesus Lord Here is the Blood shed for Expiation of my Sins Lord Here 's the Price paid for my Reconciliation here 's a perfect Righteousness to cover me here 's a compleat Attoning Sacrifice Christ's Merit Righteousness and Intercession and Grace can save me O let me be found in him accepted in him Did I dishonour God formerly by my aggravated Sins Christ my Redeemer hath honour'd him more by his Death than ever I dishonour'd him by my wicked Life Is it not a Trouble to you to think with what Affection and Delight you sinned with what Deliberation you committed such and such Sins Oh! remember that Christ delighted to do the Mediatorial Will of his Father He was straitned 'till he drank of the bitter Cup and was baptized with his own Blood He knew before hand all that he was to do and suffer for our Redemption and yet willingly undertook it Did you sin with much intenseness of Spirit so that your Heart was in it Have your Crimes been many of them Mental Spiritual Inward Sins like those of the Devil which are worse than Sensual Carnal Ones Remember Christ's Sufferings lay much in his Soul also His Spirit his Soul was heavy unto Death c. And whatever Unworthiness you may apprehend of the Mercy offer'd you remember 't is Free Mercy You are call'd and invited to receive it without Money and without Price If you are weary and heavy laden and sensible of your Unworthiness if you see your need of his help are desirous of it and willing to yield your selves to his Conduct to be saved in a way of Free-grace so as to give him the entire Glory of your Salvation you ought to believe that God will show you Mercy and abundantly pardon you He hath glorify'd his Mercy in the purchase of Forgiveness by Christ in the Publication of it in the Gospel and in the Application of it to particular Sinners upon Faith and Repentance or Repentance and Faith I scruple not to put either first since they are inseperable and are never parted And both are absolutely needful Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that at once we may give God the Honour of his Authority and violated Law by our Repentance and of his rich Grace in the Gospel by our Faith in Christ And can any thing be more free to us than to be forgiven in this Method on these Terms to have all our Transgressions blotted out for his Name 's sake and to be washed and cleans'd in the Fountain of Christ's Blood when we have nothing but our own miserable and wretched Case to move his Pity He justisies us freely by his Grace and found a way to do it with Honour to his own Name What a strange Passage is that of the Prophet Isa XLIII 22 23 24. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small Cattle of thy burnt Offerings neither hast thou honour'd me with thy Sacrifice thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities What might now be expected but that God should say Therfore I will not hear thee when thou callest I 'le make thee a Sacrifice to my Wrath I 'le punish thee according to thy Desert But 't is quite otherwise for it follows in Verse 25. I even I am he that blotteh out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins When the God whom we had offended by Sin is become a God of Forgiveness in such a way and method of rich and glorious Grace we need not doubt but his Heart is in it and therfore that he will abundantly pardon He might have exacted the Punishment of Sin when he gave his only begotten Son to be a Propitiation for our Sin and accepted his Suffering instead of ours There could be nothing move him to this but his own Grace and Love And therfore we ought to believe that he 's ready to receive returning Sinners unto Mercy for Christ's sake Sixthly As consequent to this Consider that by believing that God will abundantly pardon returning Sinners we give Honour and Glory to God He is pleas'd and honour'd by our giving Credit to his Word and hoping in his Mercy Whereas if we distrust his Promises and Declarations of Grace we not only disobey his Order but refuse that which he delights in and whereby he 's glorify'd By not believing his Promises of Pardon we do what we can to frustrate the Command of Faith in Jesus Christ and the Promse of Salvation by him Yea to disappoint the great Design of Christ's Coming into the World which was to save Sinners We undervalue the rich Provision he hath made for our Encouragement we gratifie the Devil in keeping off from the only Remedy which Christ hath procured We do in effect make God a Liar by disbelieving the Record he hath given of his Son not setting to our Seal that God is true 1 John V. 10. John III. 33. If we honour and please God by our Faith and Hope more than by any thing else we do as much dishonour and displease him by our Unbelieving Despondency and Dispair Yea all the Sins of your past Life that make you fear God will never forgive you are not cloathed with higher Aggravations of Guilt than your doubting of the pardon of them in Case you unfeignedly return to God and believe in Christ Lastly You ought to believe it for the Reason added Ver. 7. because God's Thoughts are not as ours but as far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. We can't think so kindly of any who have injur'd us as God thinks of us who have offended him Nor can we think to what degree God
them The Power of Conscience is weakned after so many Struglings and Combates that they must needs have had with their own Consciences after so many Contests between Corruption and Conviction between Truth in the Mind and Corrupt Inclinations in the Heart Especially if they have formerly been awakned and there have been some Fears and Hopes with good Desires and other Affections formerly stirr'd if by the Common Operations of the Holy Spirit they have had some serious Concern about their Salvation and all this is worn off and gone the Case of such is very bad and their Recovery the less hopeful because their Repentance is the more unlikely And if they persist their Doom will be intolerable But it is to prevent this as to those who may be in such a dangerous Case that I thus speak And therefore I most earnestly invite beseech and entreat them however Wicked and Unrighteous they have been not to make light of this further Offer of the Grace of the Gospel And that by no means they would despair of finding Mercy with God even Now if they will Return to him with all their Hearts whatever their past Sins have been If Now they will return God will abundantly pardon For his Thoughts are not as ours c. THE Third Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7 8. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. IN Two former Discourses I have consider'd this double Precept or Injunction of Duty which concerns Sinners of all sorts under the two Names of Wicked and Vnrighteous that they must forsake their Evil Ways and Thoughts and return to the Lord which are the two parts of unfeigned Repentance I have also consider'd the encouraging Promise that thereupon God will have Mercy and will abundantly Pardon And I have now to consider what Ground we have to believe this Because God's Thoughts are not as ours nor his Ways as ours c. But there remains something of the Application of the Second General That if the Wicked forsake their evil Ways and Thoughts and return to God he will not only forgive but He will abundantly pardon 1. VSE Be thankful to Heaven for this good News that God will thus mercifully treat returning Sinners He might have insisted on the Terms of the violated first Covenant to the Ruine of all Mankind He might have left us as the fallen Angels without the Proposal Promise or Offer of a Redeemer But God so loved the World that he gave his Son that whoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life When we think of the Case of the fallen Angels who are reserv'd in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the Great Day and compare it with our own who have a Proclamation of Mercy and Grace by the Gospel we have Reason to adore the distinguishing Goodness of God to us If a few poor inconsiderable People in a Kingdom of the meanest sort should be found guilty of Treason against a Prince when there are Multitudes of the Nobility and Gentry who have likewise rebell'd against him and a Pardon should be offer'd to those of the poorer meaner sort while the Nobles and Great Men are all Executed and not a Man of them receiv'd to Mercy would not this be Astonishing Goodness to the others Especially if those Great Men the Principal Subjects of the Kingdom were Condemn'd for one Offence for one Act of Treason and the others forgiven many Transgressions and receiv'd to Favour and Honour after many Years of Rebellion You easily know how to apply it How thankful ought we to be that we are not left in the remediless Condition of Devils that there is a Sacrifice offer'd for Sin a full Attonement made a sufficient Price paid a Fountain open'd a new and living Way for God to be glorify'd in the Forgiveness and Salvation of Returning Sinners that believe on his Son It is matter of Continual Admiration and Thankful Praise that we have Forgiveness this way Can we have a fuller Evidence of the Evil and Malignity of Sin or of God's Displeasure against it and consequently of the Worth and Value of a Pardon than by the Sufferings Blood and Sacrifice of Christ And what stronger Proof or clearer Evidence of God's Readiness to forgive Sin than the giving of his Son to dye for our Sins to cleanse us from all Sin even the most hainous grievous Offences Because his Mercy through the Mediator is greater than the Sins of the whole World Let us with Hearty Thankfulness adore him for this glorious Mystery of his Love and Grace And that we may be Thankful indeed let us apply it to our selves in particular Let us think of our own miserable Case under the Guilt of Sin and the Curse of God Let us think of the many thousand Talents we owe without being able to pay one Farthing of the Innumerable Crimes we are guilty of and that the Wages of every one is Death And that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not procure the Forgiveness of one sinful Thought If you think you have or ever had any serious sense of the Evil of Sin and your lost undone Condition as Sinners how thankfully should you receive these glad Tydings of Mercy by Jesus Christ But if you have gone further and have actually receiv'd the Attonement if you are brought under the Bond of the Covenant if you are united to Christ by Faith and so interested in the sure Mercies of David and by Forgiveness deliver'd from Condemnation what Special Thankfulness is due from such When there are comparatively so Few to whom the Gospel is preached but do receive this Grace of God in vain Lord Who and what am I that I should have good hope through Grace of the Forgiveness of my Sins of mine that have been more aggravated than the Sins of Others When Others not greater Sinners it may be not so bad shall perish for ever and never be forgiven When it may be some of my Companions and Accomplices in Sin are cut off by Death without Repentance and Pardon Were not Others call'd and invited as well as I But he hath open'd mine Ears and Heart to receive him and so hath pardon'd me while others are condemned O Admirable and Astonishing Grace Secondly Take heed of abusing this Declaration of Grace to the worst of Sinners I. First As any Countenance to Sin or Encouragement to continue in it Shall we sin because God is ready to forgive Sin that his Grace may abound God forbid Rom. VI. 1. Far be it from us let it be an abhorred Thought 'T is needful to mention this because in many Instances the most pure and holy Doctrine may be perverted to patronize Sin We read that the Continuance of the Course
of Nature was made a ground of Trust by the Psalmist as an Adorable Evidence and Instance of his Faithfulness and Truth Psalm CXIX 89. Thy Word is settled in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness to all Generations And yet some Atheistically abus'd it 2 Pet. III. 4. saying All things continue as they were Where is the Promise of his Coming The Apostle says The Time is short and the Fashion of the World passeth away therfore let them that have such and such Relations Possessions and Employments in the World carry it as if they had none Whil'st others abuse this and say the Time is short Let us cat and drink for to morrow we may dye So here God is ready to show Mercy to returning Sinners therefore Let the wicked forsake his way c. Others turn this Grace of God into Wantonness and will venture the more boldly upon Sin because God is ready to forgive These things saith the Apostle John I write unto you that ye sin not But if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father There 's a vast difference between the Remission of Sins past and an Allowance of Sin for the future We may take Comfort in the abounding Grace of God and his Readiness to forgive though we must dread the Thought of venturing on Sin that his Grace may abound in the Forgiveness of it This is contrary to all Gratitude and Ingenuity and to the true Nature of Faith and Repentance And there can hardly be a more dangerous Symptom of damnable Ungodliness than for any to presume to sin upon this Consideration That they hope they shall be forgiven The Apostle Jude ver 4. speaks of some such Who turn the Grace of God into Wantonness denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ and he saith of them that They were ordain'd of old to Condemnation For the Grace of God that brings Salvation ought to teach us to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts c. This sinning against God because he will abundantly pardon is in some respects more Aggravated than the Sin of Devils who will curse God and fly in his Face because there 's no hope of Pardon But God offers Pardon to you and declares that he is ready to forgive And will you dare to sin the more If ever you are awakened to a Sense of Sin this of all others will be most likely to sink you into Despair that you ventur'd to sin in hopes of Pardon For what can relieve a convinced awakned Soul but the Free-grace of God in the Forgiveness of Sin Whereas such a One may say Lord this very Mercy I have abus'd I have sinn'd the more because of this Grace And if we should mention to such a one the Instances of Manasseh Paul c. who after great Sins were pardoned he will be ready to reply that they never sinned in hope of Forgiveness or turn'd the Grace of God into Wantonness as I have done There 's Forgiveness with God that he may be fear'd served loved and obey'd But will any say there 's Forgiveness with God that he may be slighted and neglected rebell'd against and disobey'd His abused Goodness will turn to the more intollerable Wrath against all such as presume on his Mercy apprehending that they shall find an Easie Pardon tho' they continue in their Sins 'T is to sin against the very Nature and End of God's Grace to cut off their own Plea for it and the general Ground of their Hope in it 'T is without a Promise and against a Threatning for any to expect Forgiveness if they wilfully continue in sin 'T is to pervert the whole Gospel to imagine that God will justifie the Ungodly while they remain in their Vnbelief and Vngodliness Is not Unbelief a part of Vngodliness as contrary to the most express Command of God to believe on his Son If ever God show Mercy unto any and abundantly pardon them he always gives them Repentance unto Life and Faith unfeigned And let such remember that as God promiseth Mercy and Forgiveness to Returning Sinners and that his Thoughts are far above ours as Heaven above the Earth in this Matter so his Thoughts of Anger Wrath and Fury against Obstinate Wilful Presumptuous Impenitent Sinners are also above our Thoughts as far as the Heavens are above the Earth He will tear in pieces and none shall deliver he that made them will show them no mercy and who knows the power of his Anger he will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their fear cometh He will wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy Scalp of such a one that goes on still in his Trespasses Psal LXVIII 21. Prov. I. latter end II. Secondly Take heed of abusing this Doctrine of God's Grace by admitting slight Thoughts of Sin so as to encourage you to delay seeking after Forgiveness or to seek and expect it any other way but only through Faith in Jesus Christ As to the Matter of Delay the Uncertainty of Life and the Uncertainty of God's giving Grace hereafter to them that refuse it now is sufficient to be said here if duly consider'd That which I now aim at is to discourage any Hopes of obtaining Forgiveness with God but only through the Blood Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ There is no other Saviour no other Mediator between God and Man If ever you are reconcil'd to God and find Mercy with him it must be through Jesus Christ The Way and Method is fixt and publish'd and declar'd to be unalterable There is no other Name under Heaven but his by which any Man can be saved If God be gracious to any and deliver them from going down to the Pit 't is because he hath found a Ransom Job XXXIII 24. The Absolute Mercy of God is not to be rested in for he hath told us in what Way and Method he will dispence his Mercy and how we shall partake of it That we must honour the Son as we honour the Father receive him as Christ Jesus the Lord the only Mediator between God and Man and that If we believe not that Jesus is he we must dye in our Sins 'T is not enough to cease to do Evil and make Restitution where you have injur'd and wrong'd any which yet is a necessary Fruit of Repentance 'T is not a little outward Reformation or the Performance of some Duties of Religious Worship that before were neglected that will be sufficient if you overlook Jesus Christ and lay the stress of your Hope for Acceptance with God on any thing else If you should fast and pray and weep and mourn and wear Sackcloath and give all you have to the Poor and continue a Life of Austerity and Mortification for many Years this will not avail if you think to pacifie God herewith and substitute this in the room of the Blood and Righteousness of Christ in order to Forgiveness You will but provoke God and dishonour the Redeemer and deceive
with what Bowels of Pity and Compassion should we consider the Case of such And treat them with the Spirit of Meekness and Gentleness Christ is the Saviour of Sinners but He is none of mine they say for I heard his Gospel Grace declared but did not accept it I outstood my Day of Grace and the Things of my Peace are hid from mine Eyes He call'd me but I would not come and 't is now too late O 't is now too late He knock'd and I would not open and now the Door is shut against me I am given up to a Hard Heart c. The very Thought of Heaven and the Happiness of the Saints doth but terrifie them because they think they have lost it and shall never come there As well as the Thoughts of Hell which they reckon their Deserved Portion and that e're long it will be so And that Word Everlasting Everlasting Destruction cuts them to the Heart And well it may if they believe it belongs to them and that they shall fall under the condemning Sentence of the Judge to pass into Everlasting Fire And in several such Cases the Devil strikes in and aggravates their Distress He insults over them What think ye now of Sin Where 's the Pleasure and Advantage of it now To what purpose hath been all your Praying Hearing attending on Ordinances Coming to the Lord's Table c. You are fit indeed to come to the Lord's Table you have come Vnworthily you have seal'd your Damnation by it you have eat and drank Judgment to your selves by it again and again And such is their Darkness and Perplexity they know not what to Answer but conclude They are lost and the Gospel hid from them that Christ is not their Freind and will not be their Saviour Some of them will tell you they are as sure of it as if they were in Hell already 'T is as true they say as if they had heard his Condemning Sentence He hath shut up his Bowels and his Tender Mercy for ever from them And there 's nothing remains but a fearful Looking for of Wrath and Judgment Tribulation and Anguish And that all their present Darkness is but the Forerunner of Eternal Darkness And what they feel now is nothing to what they fear And if they be in such Agonies now O what will it be to lye in the Flames of Hell Wretched Miserable Creatures they know not how to live and they dare not dye lest Death should open the Door to Eternal Damnation And these Fears are heighten'd when ever they meet with those Christians who have any Hopes of Heaven because they say Christ saveth Others but will not save them Do not such as these deserve our Compassion And there be many such in this City Though Natural Melancholy and Bodily Indisposition give some Occasion at least to heighten such Terrors and Distress in several yet the sense of past Guilt and the Temptations of Satan must not be overlookt What I have to say on the Third General of God's Thoughts not being as ours will be suitable to their Case But before I proceed to that let me mention something for the Tryal and Examination of our selves whether we are interested in this Forgiveness or no Would you know whether your Sins are forgiven whether you are interested in this Promise of multiply'd Pardon Consider in the General and Examine your Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Acts II. 21. * See the Sermons of the Forgiveness of Sin by the Reverend Dr. Bates 8vo Where the whole Doctrine of Pardon is more accurately laid down The Essential Acts of Repentance are Godly Sorrow for all our known Sins and a sincere Purpose of Heart to turn from all Sin to God with Answerable Endeavours of Universal Holiness The three Acts of saving Faith in Christ are 1. An Assent of the Mind to Scripture-Revelation concerning Christ 2. The Consent of the Soul embracing and receiving him upon his own Terms 3. A Relyance and Trust on him for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life More particularly I. You may Consider your Repentance and enquire how you stand affected to Sin Have you been under any deep Conviction of the Evil of Sin as to cause not only some Sorrow but Hatred and Detestation of it Have you seen your selves lost and undone by reason of Guilt so as absolutely to need pardoning Mercy Is the Heart of Stone taken away and a Heart of Flesh given What Humiliation for Sin and Self-abasement in the Apprehension of your Vileness have you ever had Have you been disquieted and burden'd under the Sense of Sin so as to condemn your selves and see that you are lost without the free-Free-Mercy of God in Christ Owning the Righteousness of God if he should cast you off and yet looking up to God through Jesus Christ with Hope 'T is true there is a great Difference in the Expressions of Sorrow and Humiliation for Sin which some make beyond others but all are made to see the Evil of Sin so as to be cur'd of the Love of it to humble themselves and acknowledge their Vileness Have you thereupon been brought to an Ingenuous Confession of Sin Psal XXXVIII 18. with Earnest Prayers to God for Forgiveness when you remember the peculiar Aggravations of many of your Crimes How long continued in against how many Helps and Warnings Calls and Counsels and Obligations to the contrary How small the Temptation how frequent the Repetition and yet how much Wilfulness notwithstanding the various Methods of God's Grace and Providence to reclaim you Such a Conviction cannot long be conceal'd and hid Enquire therfore what Effects it hath had to bring you into the Presence of God there to confess and bewail your Folly O what a Beast what a Fool what a Wretch have I been thus and thus have I sinn'd against Heaven How low should I abase my self in the Presence of God How unworthy am I to lift up mine Eyes to the Throne of his Glory How wonderful is his Patience that I am yet alive If you have a serious Sense of Sin you will not be able to keep Silence for that is contrary to the Confession of Sin mentioned Psal XXXII 5. I acknowledg'd my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid While he kept silence or did not confess his Sin his Bones were vex'd his Heart was disquieted But upon a free and full Confession to God his Spirit was calm'd and he could look through his Penitential Tears with Hope to God's Mercy-Seat God requires this Confession in order to Forgiveness Jer. III. 12 13. Return O backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord only acknowledge thine Iniquity c. And if we confess our sin the Apostle tells us God is faithful and just to forgive them 1 John I. 9. And the more free and particular we are in our
because of thy shame when I am pacify'd toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. Is this the Language of your Hearts He might have condemn'd me to Hell long agoe but through the Precious Blood of Jesus I have Hopes of Forgiveness O what an Ungrateful Wretch have I been What Love have I despised Against whom have I sinned How have I rebell'd against the God of Love and Grace and griev'd his good Spirit Against what Bowels of Mercy have I spurn'd I am astonished at the Mercy of God in Christ offer'd to such a Rebel as I am I am confounded at my own Vileness that such Hainous Iniquities should be blotted out that such numberless Iniquities should be forgiven that after I had so often and so long and so wilfully turn'd my Back upon him he should yet call after me and say I am he behold I am he that bletteth out thy Transgression for my own Name sake and will remember thy sins no more That when God saw me and might have punished me might have made me an Example of his Justice here or might have sent me quick to Hell or might have left me unto Hardness of Heart to treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath that he should freely forgive me all and be graciously reconcil'd to me and speak Pardon and Peace to my Soul O Wretch that I have been O Abominable Sinner I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes We find this Exemplify'd in the Temper and Spirit of those to whom the Mercy and Grace of God is discovered especially in the Apostle Paul He aggravates his Sin and owns himself the Chiefest of Sinners and never more so than when he is thinking and speaking of Christ's Coming into the World to save Sinners and how wonderfully he called him and show'd Mercy to him Read this at large 1 Tim. I. 14 15 16 17. And the sight of God's Mercy and Sense of his Pardon is in it self proper to raise an Admiration of Free Grace and to humble the Soul before God It is proper to encrease our Detestation of Sin and make us loath our selves That which raiseth our Love to God must needs raise our Hatred of Sin and Sorrow for it Now Faith will make us Love much in the Sence of having much Forgiven Besides the Inseperable Connection between Faith and Repentance will evidence this We shall never adore the Love of Christ as a Redeemer delivering us from the Curse if we are not burden'd with the Weight of our Sins Nor shall we ever give God the Glory of his Justice without judging and condemning our selves by true Repentance Yet the more we see and apprehend of his Grace and Love in Forgiveness the more broken and contrite the more humbled and ashamed shall we be of our Sins against him VI. Lastly What can you say as to the Love of your Enemies and forgiving those who have injured and wronged you There is no better Evidence of God's forgiveness of your Trespasses than that he hath given you an Heart to forgive Others who have trespassed against you If it be upon a right Principle because God for Christ's sake hath pardon'd you and obliged you to forgive Others Lord Was there ever such a Distance between my Brother and me as my Sins have made between God and me Were the Injuries I resented from Others comparable to the Affronts I have offer'd to God and hath he freely for Christ's sake forgiven me What Influence hath such a Thought to cure and overcome the Ruggedness and Roughness of your Temper and Spirit towards Others If God hath pardon'd thee go and do likewise as to thy Brother For if you forgive not Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father hath not and will not forgive you yours Mat. VI. 14. If you have a Rancorous Bitter Malicious Revengeful Spirit and will not forgive those that have wronged you how can you expect Forgiveness from God Do you then forgive those that have injured you as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Heartily and without Dissembling Speedily and without Delay Frequently and Often without Limitation Even unto seventy times seven if our Brother offend that is so often as he doth And this Throughly and without Reserve without Exception or Equivocation without Remembring past Offences so as to bear them a Grudge This I grant is hard and difficult Work but the Spirit of Christ can enable us to do this 'T is the manifest Duty of such as are forgiven and it is a Sign and Evidence that they are so Hath God forgiven me my Scarlet and Crimson Sins and shall not I put up an Injury bear a Wrong endure a Reproach or an ill Turn from my Fellow Creature Shall I not in Obedience to Christ forgive him and pass it by By these things if Conscience be faithful you may be assisted to make a Judgment of your selves whether you are interested in this Forgiveness or no. And if your Sins have been many and great whether you may on good Grounds hope and say that God hath Abundantly Pardon'd THE Fourth Sermon ISAIAH LV. 9. For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. III. I Proceed to the Third General in this Passage viz. The annex'd Reason Verse the 9th why we ought to be fully satisfy'd and perswaded that God will thus receive Returning Sinners and abundantly pardon them because His Thoughts are not as ours nor his Ways as ours c. And here you may Consider First How this is Discover'd and Express'd by a Double Comparison of God's Thoughts with ours and his Ways with ours Secondly How 't is strongly argu'd by a most significant Similitude As far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. Thirdly The express Assurance of the Truth of all this from the Divine Testimony that is added Thus saith the Lord. That no Doubt may be made about it The whole of this may be compriz'd in these Three Particulars First That the Thoughts of God especially in the Dispensation of his Grace and Mercy to Returning Sinners are very different from our Thoughts and Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth Secondly That the Ways of God are unlike our Ways and Transcendently above them Thirdly That God's Testimony concerning his Thoughts and Ways of Grace and Mercy to Sinners ought to be credited and depended upon and is a sufficient Ground of Faith Thus saith the Lord being added 'T is the first I principally design that the Thoughts of God are not as ours but very unlike them and Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth This I shall Endeavour to Prove Confirm and Apply And here are two Things will need a little Explication First How the Thoughts of God are Different from ours not like them Secondly How they are Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth The First I shall consider more Generally The Second
below Heaven The Riches of his Grace in Christ to Sinners 't is call'd the unsearchable Riches of Christ HOw admirable are the Dimensions of Divine Grace and Love mention'd by the Apostle Eph. III. 19. where he speaks of the Length Breadeth Heigth and Depth of the Love of God in Christ which passeth Knowledge First It 's Breadth reaching unto Jew and Gentile Circumcision and Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond and Free Poor and Rich. The Vilest and Chiefest of Sinners are not exempted Mercy is extended to all sorts of Persons and Cases 'T is Grace and Love wider than all our Necessities and Miseries Sins and Wants Secondly The Length of it from Everlasting to Everlasting reaching to Sinners that were at the greatest Distance bringing those nigh that are afar off and calling those home who are wandering and gone off so as one might have thought they should never return Thirdly The Depth of that Love and Grace is unsearchable Unless we understood the Depth of that Misery and Ruine into which we were sunk by our Rebellion against God and are deliver'd from by his pardoning Mercy unless we understood the Horror of that Hell of Wrath which our Sins deserve and the Extremity of those Agonies and Torments which our Blessed Redeemer underwent for our Deliverance unless we knew the Power of God's Wrath and the Intollerable Endless Misery of lost Souls we cannot fully understand the Depth of this Love Fourthly The Height of it is also unsearchable 'T is as high as Heaven to which it will bring us And beyond our reach to understand unless we knew the infinite Blessedness of the Heavenly Glory which it cannot now enter into our Hearts to conceive as well as the Infinite Misery of Condemned Sinners in the Bottomless Pit We can no more tell the Height than the Depth of this Grace of God in thus pardoning Sinners But to help you a little to some more distinct Considerations of this let me name a few Things First That none doth or can so freely pardon and forgive as God doth Secondly None so continually Thirdly So fully FOurthly So indifferently and without respect of Persons Fifthly None so tenderly and affectionately and with such Bowels of Compassion and Tender Kindness as God doth First None so freely If we are brought to forgive those that have wrong'd us 't is commonly on the Entreaty and Intercession of some Friends who have Interest in us and Power over us and this after great Submissions of the Offender So that 't is rather from some External Motives and Inducements than from our own Kind and Generous Inclinations But 't is otherwise when we are pardon'd by God Isa XLIII 23. I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake I 'le not remember thy Sins any more Hos XIV 4. I will heal their Backslidings and love them freely Nothing of our Prayers and Tears Submissions and Humiliations nothing we can do or suffer can make the least Compensation to the Justice of God for the Contempt and Dishonour we have cast on him by Sin There 's nothing but the Free-Grace of God in Christ to be ey'd to be pleaded to be trusted to and depended upon In this Case there is no Difference between such as are forgiven and such as are left under Damning Guilt but what is made by the Free-Grace of God Secondly None so continually He encourages and commands us to beg daily Forgiveness as well as daily Bread He renews his pardoning Mercy every Day and every Hour We soon come to the End of our Pity and are quickly tyr'd in forgiving Injuries against our selves But while we live we shall stand in need of Forgiveness from God And this is our Comfort that if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father who maketh continual Intercession for us and so we hope for continual daily renewed Pardon Thirdly None doth or can pardon so compleatly and fully He blotteth out our Transgressions so as to remember them no more he casts them behind his Back throws them into the Depths of the Sea Many other Blessings he bestows and lends us for a time and then calls for them again but this Forgiveness of Sin is one of those Mercies that are Irrevocable and without Repentance We may be without the Knowledge of an Interest in his pardoning Mercy we may lose the Sense of it and forfeit the Comfort of it but if we are reconciled to God united to Christ and brought under the Bond of the Everlasting Covenant tho' he may chasten us as a Father and visit our Iniquities with Stripes he will not disinherit us or cast us out of his Family His Covenant Favour and Kindness shall never depart his Covenant of Peace shall never be removed Isa LIV. 9. This is as the Waters of Noah which shall never return to overflow the Earth Fatherly Love may be angry but will not turn to Hatred Fourthly None doth or can pardon so Indifferently without respect of Persons Not only lesser Sinners who repent but the Vilest not only of such a Nation but of any Nation not only such as have sinned thus long unto such a Degree but if beyond all ordinary Bounds and Measures Let the Wickedness and Unrighteousness Vileness and Filthiness and Aggravations of Sin be what they will If you return to God by Christ he will abundantly pardon This should magnifie the Riches of his Grace to some of you who are interested in this Forgiveness Lord How is it that my Sins are pardon'd when others not greater Sinners than I have dyed in their Sins and are undone for ever How is it that I am pardon'd and others that have not been so Vile shall never be forgiven How is it that I have been forgiven and Others that were my Companions in Sin were left to Impenitence and Hardness of Heart That many of better Parts of more Wit of more Learning of larger Capacities and bettter accomplishd'd for Usefulness and Service are left to go on in Sin to their own Destruction and thy Grace has open'd my Eyes and soften'd my Heart and made me sensible of Sin and so to value a Redeemer to seek him receive him accept him c. Fifthly None with such Tenderness and Compassion All the Bowels of Parents are Stone and Adamant in comparison with his We read of his Delighting in Mercy and of his Tender Mercies and Loving Kindnesses of his Rejoycing over us to do us good with his whole Heart and whole Soul Jer. XXXII 41. Goodness and Love is his very Nature for God is Love He pities us more than any the most Tender Parent ever did a Miserable Child Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sin and passeth by the Transgression of his Remnant because he delighteth in Mercy Micah VII 19. All the Application I shall make of this shall be to endeavour to bring it home to the Case of particular Persons in Answer to some Objections For
Unfaithfulness of one Party in all Covenants disobliges the other Party In Answer to this I say He 's God and not Man His Thoughts are not as ours Among Men in all Covenants this is true but God's Thoughts and Ways are above ours Therfore if I yet return and take hold of his Covenant I may argue I am within the Bond of it and he will not utterly cast me off but forgive me upon Repentance I have read of one in Despair whom the Devil perswaded it was in vain to pray to God or serve him for he must perish he should be damned and go to Hell when he dy'd who yet went to Prayer and begg'd of God that if he must go to Hell when he dyed yet that it would please him to let him serve him while he liv'd Upon which his Terrors vanish'd being clearly convinc'd none could pray that Prayer or make such a Request who was guilty of the Unpardonable Sin or had sinn'd the Sin against the Holy Ghost Object 3. Some may say further But I have had many Fears and some Hopes for a time and I thought I was in Favour with God and had an Interest in this Forgiveneis But I have often heard it and I believe it that God never pardons Sin where he doth not subdue it Justification and Sanctification go together If the Guilt of Sin be forgiven the Power of it is broken But I find Corruption is strong evil Inclinations are still stirring and raging I never imagin'd there was such a Hell of Wickedness in my Heart as I now find There 's so much Impurity Carnality Pride Worldliness c. yet remaining in my Soul that I can't think my Sins are forgiven and that God will abundantly pardon me or hath done it because Sin is not mortified and subdued Answ God's Thoughts and yours are very different in this Matter For he attains Wise and Holy Ends by suffering us to feel Corruption and obliging us to continual Conflicts with it by sanctifying us gradually and not all at once by letting us see and feel more of Corruption stirring and striving after Conversion than ever we knew before Hereby he ingages us in constant Warfare all our days and makes it needful that we may apply to Christ continually as the great Physitian of Souls And I beseech you remember and believe this That No Sin no Corruption that is your Burden that you would rather be rid of than keep shall ever be damning to you It may be a Sign of more Grace that you sensibly complain of Corruption more than formerly If you faithfully oppose it 't is an Evidence your Hearts are softer Conscience more tender and you understand the Holy Law of God better Object 4. But after all some will say All this is good News to several but not to me I have nothing of the Spirit of Life and Power that accompanies Forgiveness I am dead in all my Duties I can't pray I have no such Liberty and Freedom and Liveliness in Prayer as others have I come to the Lord's-Table but I have no such Sealing no such Comfort no such Assurance no such Joy no such Foretasts of Heaven as I believe others have I keep on in a round of Duty but 't is not with me as with the Living Members of Christ Therfore I can't apply all this to my self with Comfort Answ God's Thoughts are not as yours in this Matter You object that you can't pray with such Life and Enlargement as others and as formerly But is it not your Burden Are you not dissatisfied with your selves about it Do you not beg the Spirit of Prayer and to have this ill Frame cur'd Do you not look up to Heaven with daily Sighs and Groans and beg Relief from Christ as weary and heavy laden under this Indisposition Let Conscience in the first place be faithful Is there not some great Guilt lately conctracted some Sin you have not repented of whereby you have griev'd the Holy Spirit of Christ and this stops your Mouths in Prayer and shames your Faces Or have you not rested too much in the Outward Performance of Duty and Attendance on the Ordinances of the Gospel You come to the Table of the Lord look upon it it may be as a Charm as too many make it on a Death-bed you expect it shall work like Physick in a Natural not in a Moral Way And by meer Coming whatever you have been or done before or however negligent you have been in your Preparatory Work you expect that it should be all one with you If you can charge your selves with any thing of this you must renew your Repentance If Conscience doth not accuse you in this Matter Consider God's Thoughts are not as yours He knows what is from the Weakness of the Flesh and what from the Willfulness of the Spirit He knows what Deadness and Distraction may arise from the Infirmity of the Body and what is the Sin of the Soul If upon all these Accounts you lose the Evidence of your Acceptance with God and fear the worst Yet when a Man hath lost his Acquittance for a Debt paid 't is a Comfort to him to consider that the Man he deals with is a merciful good Man tho' he cannot find his Discharge God is infinitely Gracious and is ready to restore what you complain you have lost It was David's Case Psalm 51. Yea if thou fearest thy Grace was never true thy Heart never right with God thy State never good there is Mercy enough in God to pardon all thy former Hypocrisie If now thou return and seek him with thy whole Heart There are Promises of Grace in such a Case to be pleaded that God will give an Heart of Flesh give a Spirit of Mourning put his Fear within thee and cause thee to walk in his Statutes Therfore do not fruitlessly bemoan thy self and sit down in Despondency but consult the Word of God and seek to the Throne of Grace with Hope whatever thy Objections and Temptations be Whatever you do take heed of dishonourable Thoughts of the Grace and Mercy of God and of the Security he hath given to perform every Word of Promise wherein he hath commanded us to hope To Conclude Since we are so near the End of this Year and many design and hope to renew their Covenant the next Lord's-day at his Table I beg you to consider and remember it for your Encouragement that God's Thoughts are not as yours Whatever Sins you have been guilty of the last Year whatever you can charge your selves with as to Unworthy Receiving the Lord's Supper for the time past yet if now you will seriously Examine your selves and humble your Souls and return to the Lord and apply to Christ and stir up your selves to be dispos'd as Penitent Believers to renew your Covenant-Vow and Engagement to be the Lord's this next time he will forgive the Sins of all your former Sacraments all the Sins of the last Year and
of your past Lives and Seal to you the Forgiveness of all Sin through the Blood of Jesus You need not you ought not to doubt it for As high as the Heavens are above the Earth so are God's Thoughts of Mercy above ours and his Ways above ours THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH LV. 8 9. For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are My Ways higher than your Ways and My Thoughts than your Thoughts THE Disparity between the Thoughts and Ways of God and Ours here mention'd hath special Reference to the Dispensation of his Grace and Mercy in Pardoning the Worst of Sinners who forsake their Evil Ways and return to God by unfeigned Repentance But in this Discourse I Design to Consider these Words in a larger and more General Sense and show that The Ways of God are not as Ours but as far above 'em as Heaven is above the Earth By the Ways of God we may either understand First Those he would direct us to Walk in what he would have us to Believe and Do. Or Secondly His Ways and Works towards us in the Conduct and Management of Things by his Providence In the First Sense we read of the Way of Truth the Way of his Commandments and of walking in the Way of the Lord c. that is receiving as true the Doctrines he hath Revealed and Observing the Orders and Obeying the Commands which he hath given us In the latter Sense by the Ways of God I Mean his Works of Providence according to his Word In both these in the Declarations of his Word as to what we are to Believe and Do and in the Works of his Providence what he doth with us there are many things far above us His Ways are not as Ours as to Either BOTH may here be very well Comprehended The Revelations of the Will of God by his Word as to Faith Worship and Practice And also his Providences and Dealings with the Children of Men according to Scripture Revelation Our Ways are not as His as to either There is a vast Disparity between them In this Sense His Ways are very unlike to Ours and transcendently above them both as to Matters of Revelation and Providence I. First In what Sense are God's Ways not like Ours but vastly Different 1. THEY are Different as to the Nature of ' em All his Ways and Works are Perfect done with Infinite Wisdom and Judgment And therfore when Moses publishes the Name of God he begins with this Deut. XXXI 4. He is a Rock His Work is perfect all his Ways are Judgment They are the Fruit of Infinite Unerring Councel But what Weakness and Imperfection what Defect and Folly do we discover in our Ways All his Ways are Righteous and Holy Psal CXLV 17. He is Holy in all his Ways and Righteous in all his Works But what Impurity and Obliquity is there in ours All His Ways are Just and Equal He Challengeth all the World to prove the Contrary in any one Particular What doth he require of us but in the strictest Justice is Due whereas how Unequal is our Carriage towards Him and one another There is an Admirable Harmony and Agreement in the Ways of God as to all the parts of them connected one with another His Word is constant and abiding steddy and consistent not Yea and Nay 2 Cor. I. 19 20. All his Promises are Yea and Amen The Strength of Israel is not a Man that he should lye nor the Son of Man that he should repent But we are Mutable and often cross and contradict our Selves in our Ways And the Best Men do too often discover this Inconstancy in Principle and Practice 2. THERE is a further Difference between the Ways of God and Ours in the Methods and Means used and taken and the Manner of his Proceeding to effect an End His Way is to make Weak things confound the Mighty and things base and despised and which are not to bring to Nought things that are 1 Cor. I. 27. We cannot do so God would not use the Wisdom and Power of the World for the spreading of the Gospel but by the Foolishness of Preaching it pleased God to bring Men to believe and make the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ the Power of God to their Eternal Salvation The Instrument he employ'd and the Methods he used to give Success to the Gospel did plainly evidence this AND that Instance may serve instead of many other Was it not an unlikely Attempt for a few Mean and Obscure Persons such as Publicans and Fisher-men and Tent-makers without the Improvements of Education or the Advantages of Learning Eloquence Experience and Conversation in the World without the Assistance of Civil Power and Authority or any Considerable Interest and Reputation to require all Mankind to believe in one Jesus whom they own was Crucified that he was alive and was Lord and King and must be receiv'd and obeyed as the Christ of God To tell all the World that all the establish'd Rights and Religion of their several Countries must be laid aside and their wicked Customs and Courses forsaken and this new Religion of Jesus be embrac'd that requires the Belief and Practice of so many things they must need account very hard considering the Prejudices and the Lusts of Men. Could they hope that Kingdoms and Empires Schools and Universities would easily submit to this Change that they should be too hard for the Devil and all the Powers of Darkness by preaching the Doctrine of a Crucified Saviour And yet in the Space of about thirty Years this new Doctrine and Religion was not only diffused thro' the greatest part of the Roman Empire but had reach'd as far as Parthia and India Even before the Destruction of Jerusalem as our Lord foretold Mat. XXIV 14. This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all Nations and then shall the End come This Success was represented by an Angel flying thro' the midst of Heaven and preaching the Everlasting Gospel to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Rev. XIV 6. And this was done without Force of Arms and against all Opposition imaginable Their Message was entertain'd their Doctrine credited and Christ believed on in the World Many thousands were converted presently and many more afterward Tho' the Messengers employed could not be sure of Success any further than certain of the Truth of their Doctrine and of the Divine Presence and Power to accompany them But they might be almost sure of enduring Torments and losing their Lives for publishing such a Doctrine and persisting in it in the manner they did But the Wisdom of God and the Power of God is glorified in succeeding such Weak Instruments to such Excellent Purposes IN all the Methods of his Providence we find that by weak things he confounds the Mighty and by Foolish