it must be no ordinary mercy It is true Gods mercy is no ordinary thing of all Attributes he will triumph in that the glory of his mercy and goodnesse is that he seekes to have of men by the Incarnation and Redemption wrought by Christ above all things whatsoever Thou wouldt have infinite mercy Thou hast it in Christ. Thy sins have abounded Gods grace abounds much more Thy sinnes are mountaines Gods mercy is as the Ocean to cover those mountaines But is it possible for God to forgive such a wretched sinner that hath beene a blasphemer c It were not with men but saith God My thoughts are not as your thoughts you are vindictive in your dispositions and will not pardon but my thoughts are as farre above yours as the heavens are above the earth therefore bound not the infinite mercy of God wherein he will triumph with thy narrow thoughts but let it have its scope especially in plunges and assaults and at such times as the best of us may be brought unto In Hosea 11. I am God and not man implying that if he were man we might have meane thoughts of him confined thoughts but I am God and not man therefore comfort your selves in this consider how God sets himselfe to be glorious in his love and mercy to poore miserable wretched man in Iesus Christ. You see the mercy of God in Christ even in the Sacrament he doth not onely give Christ to us So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to be borne and to dye for us but his mercy is a boundlesse mercy we see hee labours to strengthen our faith by these pledges that we make us of this What if God be mercifull in Christ and what if Christ be gracious and there is nothing but grace and mercy if there be not an application if there be not an interest what benefit have we by it we must interest our selves in this glorious Person interest our selves in Christ for it is founded upon Christ all the glorious mercy of God is grounded upon satisfaction of justice that is in Christ but this is nothing except wee interest our selves in Christ and in the mercy of God for our appropriation is the ground of all comfort God out of Christ is a fountaine sealed he is a fountaine of mercy but he is sealed up he is a consuming fire but in Christ he is a chearing comforting fire but this is nothing to us unlesse we be in Christ we must have interest in Christ we must be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh he hath marryed our nature that we might have marryed to him we have no benefit by his Incarnation else Now all our comfort is by this union and Communion with Christ by marrying our selves to Christ by strengthening our faith in this Union and Communion that so we may make use of the boundlesse mercy of God in Christ therefore how should we be encouraged to come to the Sacrament to enjoy this comfort You have heard Beloved of the joy of the Angels of their manner of celebrating the birth of Christ and if the Angels should leave heaven and come downe upon earth and take upon them bodies how would they celebrate the Incarnation of Christ You see here Glory to God on high this would be the course wherein they would carry themselves to glorifie God answerable to their Song so should we doe if we will be like the blessed Angels we see how to celebrate the Nativity of Christ we need not goe to fetch joy from hell to celebrate it if the Devill should be incarnate and come to live among men how would hee celebrate the Incarnation of Christ otherwise then in many places it is if we do not love to have our portion with Devils surely we should not imitate those whose state and condition we are afraid of The Angels saw matter enough in the thing it selfe to make them sing Glory to God on high on earth peace good will towards men What hath God heene so rich in love to us in Christ so wondrous in mercy as to take our miserable nature not at the best but at the worst and to take onr condition upon him here is matter of joy and shall we be beholding to the Devill for joy when we should rejoyce for Christ will not the thing it selfe yeeld matter of rejoycing oh base dispositions that we should â—ot content our selves with homogencall uniforme joy to the thing it selfe I desire repentance and reformation of what hath beene amisse if there be any that have beene guilty in this kind that intend to come neare God in these holy mysteries let them know that God will be honoured of all that come neere him let them take it to heart As Tertullian said in his time What shall wee celebrate that which is a publicke matter of joy to all the Church for a publike shame in a disgracefull way I beseech you consider of these things Repent for the Kingdome of God is neare saith the Baptist. What shall wee therefore give carnall liberty to all loosenesse as if Christ came to bring Christians liberty to licenciousnesse shall we insteed of repenting runne further and further into guilt and indispose our selves to all goodnesse is that the reasoning of the Scriptures No repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand change your lives for Christ and the fruites of the Gospell are at hand The grace of God hath appeared in Christ what to teach us to live as we list and to be more disordered then at other times oh no to live soberly and justly not to wrong any body and holy and godly in this present world this is the Scriptures reasoning and thus if ever we looke for comfort from God and Christ we must reason too Let none thinke it too late to speake of these things now but those that have not had the grace of God to keepe them innocent let them make use of the grace of God to repent and as the phrase of some of the Ancients is repentance is a boord to escape to the shore after wee have made shipwrack and done things amisse therefore as I said those that have not had the grace before to be innocent let them make use of the grace of God that now invites them to repentance or not presume to come to these holy things I speake it not onely to free mine owne soule but to free you from contracting further guilt for doe you thinke to make amends by comming to the Sacrament without repentance of what you have done before What hast thou to doe saith God to take my name into thy mouth to take my Sacrament into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed God accounted his owne Service as the cutting off a dogges head when they came indisposed and unprepared The Sacrament is bane and poyson to us if wee
cannot see the nature of God in any thing in the world so much as in Christ in Christ we see as in a glasse his infinitie sweet Wisedome his Justice and Holinesse in hating and loathing of sinne But the maine of all is his Mercy and Goodnesse which set him on worke to contrive this great worke of Redemption by the Incarnation and death of Christ the infinite rich glorious aboundant mercy that is the maine thing wherein God is glorious now in Christ therefore every where you have these and the like titles put to his goodnesse and mercy The bounty of God appeared and the riches of his mercy and the exceeding great height and breadth and depth of his love There are no words large enough to set out the goodnesse and mercy of God in Iesus Christ. Therefore I will onely speake of this Attribute because this beares the mastery among all the other Attributes though God be equally powerfull and just and yet he expresseth his mercy and grace most of all in Iesus Christ towards poore wretched man For after the fall man being miserable and sinfull what Attribute can exalt it selfe but Mercy to misery and grace to sinfull man in pardoning his sinne considering in what termes man stood there was no other Attribute could exalt it selfe but grace and mercy to triumph over misery and sinne As it is in a City those that are otherwise equall in honour yet sometimes one beares rule above another and he that is now Magistrate and chiefe take him at another time he is inferiour to others so since the fall the mercy of God beares office and is chiefe Governour and Commander over all the Attributes of God For as I said what moved God to set his Wisedome on worke to contrive such a thing as the salvation of man-kinde to reconcile God and man in one person his Mercy moved him What moved him to satisfie his Justice It was that an excellent way might be made without prejudice to any other of his Attributes for his free grace and Mercy that is it that set all the other on worke that is the maine triumphing Attribute considering man now standing in that exigence of Mercy therefore Glory to God in the highest heavens especially for his free grace and Mercy in Christ. Now that you may understand this sweet point which is very comfortable and indeed the grand comfort to a Christian doe but compare the glory of God that is the excellency and eminency of Gods mercy and goodnesse and greatnesse of this work of Redemption by Christ with other things God is glorious in the worke of Creation The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth manifests the glory of God every creature indeed hath a beame of the glory of God especially those celestiall bodies in the heavens they praise God in their kinds but with our mouthes they give us matter of praise and if we have gracious hearts we take notice of it and magnifie him for his goodnesse his goodnesse appeares in the use of the creatures and his greatnesse in the bulke of the creatures his wisedome in ordering and ranking of them so that his mercy shines in all things in heaven and earth marvelously oh but beloved heaven and earth shall come to nothing ere long and what is all this glory of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God to us if we be sent to hell after this short life is ended what comfort is it that we goe on the earth and enjoy the comforts that God gives us in this world and then to perish for ever therefore the glory and goodnesse of God doth not so gloriously appeare in the creation of the world Nay the glory of Gods love and mercy shined not to us so when we were in Adam not to Adam for there God did good to a good man he created him good and shewed goodnesse to him that was not so much wonder but for God to shew mercy to an enemy to a creature that was in opposition to him that was in a state of rebellion against him it is a greater wonder and more glory It was a marvelous mercy for God to make man out of the earth but here God was made man he became man himselfe there all was done with one word Let us make man it was easily done But in this for Christ to become man for us and to suffer many things to be made a curse for us it was not so easie a matter therefore herein there is a great manifestation of the glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy to us for God hath set himselfe to bee glorious in his mercy and goodnesse and grace in Christ hee hath set himselfe to triumph over the greatest ill in man which is sinne in the glorious worke of Redemption So that you see here is the greatest glory and mercy of God appeares in our Redemption by Iesus Christ the foundation of which is his incarnation In Exod. 34.6 God doth make an answer to Moses who desired to see the glory of God that he might have it manifested to him not out of curiosity but that he might love God the more how doth God manifest his glory to him Iehovah strong mercifull glorious pardoning sinne and Iniquity when God would set himselfe to shew his glory in answering Moses petition he doth it in setting out his glorious mercy and grace and loving kindnesse in pardoning sin and iniquity to shew that he will now have his glory most appeare in the sweet Attribute of mercy and compassion in the forgivenesse of sinnes c. In Titus 2. 12. The grace of God hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. The grace of God hath appeared Grace hath not a body to appeare visibly I but Christ appeared and when he appeared it was as if grace and love had beene incarnate and tooke a body so that grace and mercy most of all shines in the Incarnation of Christ. I need not cleere the point further but onely make a little use of it and so end Doth the grace and love and mercy of God those sweet Attributes now appeare and shew themselves in Iesus Christ. I beseech you let us remember it there is no point of Divinitie of more use and comfort especially in the greatest plunges and extremities for it answereth all objections the greatest and strongest that can be made The sinner will object my sinnes are great of long continuance and standing they are of a deepe dye Looke then upon God in Christ and consider his end in the Incarnation of Christ it was that his mercy and goodnesse and grace should be exalted and triumph over all mans unworthinesse the greater thy sinnes are the greater will be the glory of his mercy and that is it God seekes for now to be glorious in his mercy Againe thy heart tells thee that if there be any mercy shewed to such a wretch as thou art
preached that the Devill hath a kind of reigne and God is not honoured at all because the Devill is the Prince of darkenesse and rules in darknesse that is one cause Ignorance So likewise Unbeleefe when we heare and see and know the notion of mercy and of Christ and can dispute of these things like men that talke of that they never tasted of the Devils know all these things better then any man yet they doe not glorifie God because they doe not beleeve that these things pertaine to them men want a light sutable to the truth of the things themselves a man may see them with a naturall light or with the light of education or by bookes or the like but not in a spirituall and proper light he sees not spirituall heavenly things in a spirituall light and that is the reason hee beleeves them not these two vayles are the cause why we see not the light of God shining in the Gospell and why wee doe not glorifie him Light is a glorious creature it was the first creature it is not onely glorious in it selfe but it shewes the glory of all other things too if we had all the sights in the world presented to us if there were no light to discover them or no sight in our eyes if either be wanting all the glory of them would be lost So it is in the Gospell though there be wondrous admirable things there if we want either light or sight if the light shine round about us and the God of this world have blinded our eyes and infidelity have blinded us how can we glorifie God wanting a heavenly proper peculiar spirituall light sutable to the things for a naturall man by the light that he hath cannot judge of them these are the maine hindrances the vayle of ignorance and unbeleefe And on the contrary there is another hindrance that is too much light either want of light altogether or too much light when by the preaching of the word of God awaking our conscience and shewing our sinnes so enormous so transcendent so odious that we forget mercy in Christ and so dishonour Christ to set the sinnes of the creature above the infinite mercy of the Creator as those that doubt and from doubting proceed to despaire of the mercy of God seeing the vilenesse of their sinnes in the true colours of them and seeing and feeling Gods anger and wrath together with their sinnes in the conscience here is too much light one way and not looking to the other light this excellent glorious infinite light of Gods mercy shining in the Gospell they looke not on God in the face of Christ out of some stubbornesse and pride they flatter themselves they will not beleeve they will not receive the consolations due to them but dwell upon the consideration of their unworthinesse and sinnes and Satan holds them in that slavery and bondage This is a great hinderance of glorifying of God when we lift up our sinnes above the mercy of God in Iesus Christ this is to take away God and Christ altogether for if the mercy and rich and bountifull goodnesse of God wherein he will be infinitely glorious were not greater then our sinnes it were not the mercy and bounty of a God God should not be glorious in it be there are but few of these that miscarry God usually shines upon them at the last There are three rankes of men some are in the first prophane dead loose Christians that were never under the Law that never understood the corruption of nature nor themselves some are brought from that to understand themselves a little too much that are under the Law and feele the flashes of Gods wrath and some in the third place are brought from hence to be under grace that is the onely happy condition to be under the grace of God in Christ some men never come to the second step they never understand what sinne is and what the anger and wrath of God is they will give their conscience no leisure to tell them what their condition is there is hope of the second that they will come to the third rancke but for a company of prophane persons opposers of goodnesse to talke of the mercy of God in Christ they are not in the next steppe to it a man must be sensible of his sinnes and of his misery before he can have grace therefore for those that have too much light though it be a great fault in some and hinders God of much glory and themselves of much comfort out of this peevish stubbornesse of theirs yet there are not many of them and as I said few of them miscarry Now from these two vayles that hinder the glory of God there come other hindrances for the soule of man will wonder and admire at some-what it will have some-what in the eye of it hereupon not seeing or not beleeving the mercy and goodnesse and love of God and the excellent prerogatives of a Christian issuing from the goodnesse of God and the fruits of it they dote upon some worldly excellency either they are proud of their parts and so God is robbed of his honour or on creatures meaner then themselves for the base nature of man since the fall it dotes upon earth upon gold and silver meane and base things not to be compared to the excellency of man or else upon some duties they performe upon their owne workes as if God should be beholding to them for not knowing themselves well and the infinite glory of God in Christ that God must have all the glory not onely of happinesse but of grace that brings us to happinesse they glory in that they have done as in Popery they thinke they merit much by their performance In the night time a Torch seemes a goodly thing and sometimes rotten wood will shine but in the day time when the Sunne appeares the very starres shine not wee care not for meaner lights for what good doe they then so the soule when it wants a sight of the greatest excellency it dotes upon rotten wood upon every Torch light many vaine things seeme to be great a man may see by the dispositions of many what they admire and stand upon most their carryages shewes it well enough it argues a corrupt and weake judgement you see what are the mayne hindranceâ— Now the way to attaine to this glorious duty to glorifie God the next thing shall be to give some directions because it is a most necessary duty is it not that we pray for in the Lords prayer Hallowed be thy name and what is the end that we were created and redeemed for but that God may have some glory by us therefore being a necessary absolute duty let us hearken to some directions that may helpe us that way First therefore if we would glorifie God we must redeeme some time to think of these things and bestow the strength of our thoughts this way
this Spirit that worketh this in us and assures us of Gods good pleasure it alters and changeth our dispositions that wee shall have a good pleasure in God for there is a mutuall good pleasure God hath a good pleasure in us as his and we have a good pleasure in God wrought by the Spirit the Spirit not onely witnesseth but worketh this sweet and gracious disposition to God God delights in us and we in God God delights in the Church above all things the Church is his wife and Spouse his body his friends his children and those that have the Spirit of God delight in them too Psal. 16 All my delight is in the excellent and Pro. 8. My delight is in the Sonnes of men saith Christ which he shewed by taking the base nature of man upon him so all that have the Spirit of Christ delight in the Church and people of God All my delight is in the Saints on earth God saith his delight is in his Church Hos. 2. So all that have the Spirit of God they delight in the people of God God delights in obedience more then Sacrifice Gods people that he delights in they yeeld their bodies and soules a Sacrifice to God Rom. 12. They will seeke out what is well pleasing and acceptable to God God accepts them in Christ and he is acceptable to them in Christ Iesus and they seeke out what pleaseth him and is acceptable to him as the sonnes of Isaac sought out what might please their old father what he could relish so Gods children seeke out what duties God relisheth best Thanksgiving is a Sacrifice with which God is well pleased is it so then they will seeke out that that may please him God by his Spirit will worke in them a disposition to please him in all things therefore the people of God are said to bee a voluntary free people zealous of good workes being set at liberty the Spirit infusing and conveying the love and good pleasure of God in Christ to them it sets their wils at liberty to devise to please God in all things they have as David prayes Psal. 51. A free Spirit As God not out of any respect from us but freely from his owne bowels loved us and gave Christ to us and delighted in us so the soule freely without any base respects loves God againe Those therefore that doe duties for base aymes and forced as fire out of a flint not as water out of a spring that duty comes not naturally and sweetly from them God hath no pleasure in them because they have none in God but the good they doe is extorted and drawne from them Let us try our selves therefore if wee have tasted Gods good will towards us we will have a good pleasure to him againe whatsoever is Gods pleasure shall be our pleasure what pleaseth him shall please us If it please him to exercise us with crosses and afflictions and losses what pleaseth God shall please me for when he hath once loved me freely in Christ every thing that comes from him tastes of that free love if hee correct me it is out of free love and mercie all the wayes of God are mercy and truth his way of correction and sharp dealing it is a way of love and free mercy therefore if it please him it shall please me my will shall be his will Againe if wee finde the free love of God to us in Christ it will quicken us to all duties and strengthen us in all conditions but these evidences shall suffice let us search our hearts how we stand affected to God and to the best things wee delight in them if God delight in us And if wee doe not find our selves yet to be the people of Gods delight towards whom God hath thoughts of love as the Prophet speaks what shall we doe Attend upon the meanes of salvation the Gospell of peace and reconciliation and wayte the good time and doe not stand disputing this is that that hinders many their disputing and cavilling that perhaps God hath not a purpose to save me and that the greatest part of mankind goe the broad way c. Leave disputing and fall to obeying God hath a gracious purpose to save all that repent of their sinnes and believe in Christ this is Gospell I will leave secret things they belong to God revealed things belong to me I will desire of God his Spirit to repent of my sinnes and to believe and cast my selfe in the armes of his mercy in Christ and then let God doe as hee please if I perish I will perish in the armes of Christ let us labour to bring our hearts to waite in the use of the means for Gods good Spirit to inable me to see my state by nature and to get out of it by casting my selfe upon Gods love in Christ. And object not the greatnesse of any sinne to hinder the comfort of Gods mercy it is a free mercy the ground of it is from himselfe and not from thee It was free to Manasses that had sinned no man more being a King and being the sonne of a good father his sinnes spread further then ours can doe answerable to the greatnesse of his person being an infinite and free mercy it extends to the greatest sinners let no man pretend any sinne or unworthinesse if he seriously repent if any sinne or unworthinesse could keepe it backe it were something but it is a free mercy and love from Gods owne bowels in Christ. And consider how God offers this in the Gospel and layes a command it is thy duty to have a good conceit of God in Christ We ought not to suspect a man that is an honest man and will God take it wel at our hands to suspect him that he is so and so he maks a shew of his love mercy in Christ but perhaps he intends it not put it out of question by believing if thou have grace to believe the mercy of God in Christ thou makest thy selfe a member of Christ and an heire of heaven thou questionist whether thou bee one that Christ dyed for or no believe in him and obey him and thou puttest that question out of question thou doubtest whether God love thee or no cast thy self upon the love of God in Christ and then it is out of question whosoever hath grace to cast himselfe upon the free love of God he fulfils the covenant of grace stand not disputing and wrangling but desire grace to obey and thâ—n all questions concerning thy eternall estate are resolved all is cleare If these things will not move you then let all men know that live in a sinfull condition that they had better have lived in any part of the world then in these glorious times and places of light for when they heare the love of God in Christ laid open to them if they will come in and receive Christ and cast themselves
consideration of this till we feele our hearts warmed If one passe through the Sunne shine it doth not much heat but if the Sunne beat upon a thing there will be a reflection of heat so let us stay upon this consideration of the infinite love and mercy of Christ to us wretches and this warming the heart it will transforme us to the likenesse of Christ as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.18 We all as in mirrour beholding the Glory of God he meanes the glory of Gods mercy in Christ We are transformed and changed from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another The serious consideration of the love and mercy of God in Christ it is a wondrous sweet thing and it hath a transforming power with it And that is the reason why the Gospell converts men and not the Law The Law never converts a man but together with the Spirit it will cast him downe but the Gospell which is the promulgation of grace and mercy to penitent sinners that confesse their sinnes and forsake them and come under a new government of grace the publishing of this hath the spirit of grace with it to worke conversion therefore it is called the ministery of the Spirit because the Spirit goes with the doctrine of grace to change us and make us gracious to perswade us that God loves us and to stir us up to performe all duties in that sweet affection that God requires in the Gospell the affection of love Therefore if we bee or ever were converted it is this way our hearts are wrought on by the consideration of the love and mercy of God in Christ so that love begets love and mercy begets a sweetnesse in us to God againe In the nature of the thing it cannot be otherwise when the soule stands convinced of the sweet mercy of God in Christ and of the sweet love of Christ who being God became man to take our nature and suffer the punishment that was due to us and is now in Heaven appearing and making intercession for us it cannot bee but the soule will be stirred up to a desire of conformity to this blessed Saviour Therefore let us let goe all disputing of election concerning Gods decree and let us doe our duty and depend upon God in the use of the meanes Let us labour to see the love of God in Christ and that will put all questions out of question though in some cases we must labour to know how to vindicate the truth but when it comes to our owne particular lay other things aside let us doe our duty in the use of meanes and thinke of the end of the Gospell of the end of Christs incarnation and death namely to reveale the bowels of Gods mercy to sinners and then we shall finde the intendment of all working upon us that God had an eternall purpose to save us Againe if we would make good use of the example of Christ we must converse with those that have the Spirit of Christ in them as Christ is in every good Christian and see what lovely things the Spirit of Christ discovers in them that will have a transforming power likewise And certainly next to the meditation of Christ and the excellencies that are in him I know no way more effectuall then holy communion with those that are led with the Spirit of Christ when we see the sweet fruit of it in others It hath beene a meanes sanctified to do a great deale of good to many those that delight not in it they never knew what the likenesse of Christ meant for those that desire to be like to Christ they love the shining of Christ in any In these carelesse times all companies are alike one with another indeed when mens callings thrust them upon it they must be allowed to converse with all men but in familiar and intimate society those that doe not make choise of those that finde some worke of grace on their hearts by the Spirit of God they may well doubt of their condition for grace it will make us love the like As we see creatures of the same kind they love and company one with another Doves with Doves and Lambes with Lambes so it must bee with the children of God or else we doe not know what the Communion of Saints meanes which indeed is a thing little understood in the world These times of security are times of confusion affliction will make us know one another better Againe if we would make use of the example of Christ let us put cases some times to our selves what Christ would doe or not doe in such a case I professe my selfe to be a member of Christ to bee one with him and hee one with mee Would CHRIST bee cruell if hee were on earth would he sweare and looke scornefully upon others would he undermine others and cover all with a pretence of justice Oh no it is the Devils worke to doe so If we be not members of Christ woe unto us and if we be doe such courses suit with such a neerenesse to Christ Either let us be religious to purpose or else disclame all for it is better a great deale never to owne religion then to owne it and to live gracelesse lives under the profession of Christ. Now to stir us up to expresse Christ in our lives and conversations Let us consider The more like we are to Christ the more he delights in us for every one delights in those that are like them and what a sweet state is it for God and Christ to delight in us â—od the Father will delight in us because we are like the Son of his delight whom doth God delight most in In his owne blessed Sonne and who come neerest in his delight to his Sonne Those that expresse him in their lives and conversations The more like we are to Christ the more like we shall be one to another As if there be one Statue or Picture or Effigies that is set for the first sample the neerer the rest come to that the more like they are one to another so I say the neerer Christians come to the first paterne of goodnesse Christ himselfe who is Gods master-piece as it were that which he glories in the more we come to be like one another and love and joy one in another What is the sweet communion that we shall have one with another for ever in Heaven Is it not that the Spirit shall be all in all in every one and each shall looke upon another as perfect in grace and love and so shall solace and delight themselves first in God and Christ and then in one another admiring and reverencing the graces and sweetnesse one of another This is the very joy of Heaven it selfe and it is the Heaven upon Earth when we can joy and solace our selves one in another as we are good Now the neerer wee come to Christ who is the Image of God
for God to be included in the Wombe of a Virgin for happinesse it selfe to become a Curse for him that hath the Riches of all in him to become poore for our sakes for him that ever enjoyed his Fathers presence to want the beames of it for a time that he might satisfie his Fathers justice and undergoe his wrath for our sinnes here is a matter of wonderment indeed And shall we thinke so great a Mysterie as this was for small purpose That the great God should take upon him a Piece of Earth That he should become a poore and weake man The immortall God to take upon him our flesh and to dye That he whom Heaven and Earth cannot comprehend should be inclosed in the Wombe of a Virgin For him to be so abased as there was never any abasement like unto Christs because of the greatnesse of his Person If Angels had done so alas they were inferiour creatures they were servants to God but for the Sonne of God to take our nature when it was so low for so excellent a Person to be abased so low There was none ever suffered that that God in our flesh suffered For as communion with his Father was sweeter to him then to all men besides so for him to want communion with his Father upon the Crosse when he cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It was the greatest abasement to him being the most sensible of it therefore there was no suffering like that of Christs And shall we thinke so great a matter was for small purpose for little sinnes or for few sinnes onely Oh no it was to give a foundation to our Faith in all extremitie of temptations to stay our Conscience in the guilt of great and crying sinnes Oh despaire not despaire not this Great Mysterie the Apostle speakes of for the great God to become man it was for great sinnes that where Sinne hath abounded Grace might super-abound God intended in this to set downe the accusing Conscience to quiet and still it God is offended it is true but God manifest in the flesh hath made reconciliation and satisfaction Hee was a Sacrifice for sinne and God will answer God God the Sonne will answer the displeasure of God the Father because he is appointed to this Office by him He is set forth as it is Rom. 3. to be the propitiation Therefore in all risings of Conscience in the time of trouble in the houre of death let us remember this Great Mysterie God manifest in the flesh Gods purpose in this was to triumph as it were over all the clamours of Conscience whatsoever over all things that Satan object what he will here is a shield put into the hand of Faith to beat back all his fierie darts God in the Covenant of Grace which is founded in Christ in God in our nature doth intend to be gracious to sinners It is a greater Mysterie then that of the Creation For God there did good to a good man he made Adam good and continued him good while he stood but after the fall God intended to rayse up the doubting unbeleeving soule against the greatest ills of sin and despaire and against all objections for sinne whatsoever from the greatnesse of sin either naturall or actuall It is the glory of God in the Gospel to glorifie his mercy and goodnesse in prevailing and triumphing over the greatest ills that can be Now he is good to sinners and to great sinners so that if there be Faith wrought by the Spirit of God raysing up our soules to lay hold of this God manifest in the flesh let us not be discouraged with any sin our sinnes are but the sinnes of men but God manifest in the flesh was made a Sacrifice for our sinnes and hath given a price answerable What temptation will not vanish as a cloud before the wind when we see Gods love in sending his Sonne and Christs love in taking our nature on him to reconcile us by the Sacrifice of his bloud Therefore let us treasure up this comfort it is a Spring of comfort a Well of consolation as the Scripture speaks therefore let us such comâ—ort out of this Brest of consolation We may turne over things now in the time of peace with ease but in the time of temptation when the soule is touched with guilt and Satan plyes us with temptations the soule will have no rest but in an infinite ground of comfort The soule is prone naturally to mis-give and to forecast the worst and to conceive hardly of God in the time of temptation as an enemie and Satan is then busie about nothing so much as that we should have hard conceits of God and to make us forget the maine end of the great worke of our Redemption which is to undermine our unbeleefe by all meanes by setting before the soule such grounds as the most unbeleeving heart in the world if it did consider of would fasten and lay it selfe upon Therefore let us labour to cherish at such times especially large thoughts of the infinite goodnesse and mercie of God and of the love of Christ condescending so low as to be manifest in the flesh for our sakes It is a point of wondrous comfort that now in CHRIST JESUS God becomming man we can in him break through the justice of God For as I said when Conscience is awaked there are other manner of conceits of God then when it is sleepie and drowsie A sleepie Christian hath a sleight conceit of God as if he as little thought of his sinnes as he doth himselfe Oh but when Conscience is awaked and when we are drawne from the pleasures of sinne and they from us and Conscience hath nothing to doe but to looke upon God and upon the time to come which is eternity then if there be not somewhat for Conscience to oppose that is equall to the justice of God if there be not somewhat about us to cloath us and arme us to passe thorow the justice what will become of us Therefore it is a fruitfull consideration that God was manifest in our flesh and that to give satisfaction to God that so Conscience might have full satisfaction This teacheth us what we should doe when we find any trouble rise in our Conscience for sins and unworthinesse Cast our selves upon God in our flesh God that became flesh for us and dyed for us let us stay our selves there I am unworthy a lumpe of sinne there is nothing in me that is good Oh but I have all in Christ he is righteousnesse for me he hath abundance for me his fulnesse is for me Therefore you have it Coloss. 2.16 The fulnesse of the God-head dwells in him bodily To what purpose is this fulnesse in him He shewes in the words following In him wee are compleate Suppose in our selves we be sinners and weake that we are as ill as sinne or the Devill
happie for his former happinesse makes his present unhappinesse more sensible When God had prepared him thorowly then he raised him up with the promised seed God deales as he dealt with Eliah first hee casts him downe with earthquakes and stormes and then he comes in a stiller voice It is for that end that Iohn Baptist comes before Christ to levell all to cast downe the Mountaines and fill up the valleyes for all must bee laid flat to Christ we must lay our selves at his feet and be content to be disposed of by him before we know what belongs to being in Christ there must be poverty of spirit antecedent therefore We see this lively set out in the Prodigall sonne that while he had any thing in the world to content him he never lookes homeward but when he saw such an emptinesse in all things he met with that he could not be satisfied with husks then he began to think of going home and that there was some hope he had a father that would receive him I will be short in this because the other is mainely intended If we would know and discerne by some evidences whether we have beene poore in spirit in this preparative poverty or no. Let us consider what we have judged of our condition by nature whether ever we have beene convinced of the ill condition we are in for if there be not conviction of sinne there will not be conviction of righteousnesse as you have it Iohn 16. There are three workes of the Spirit to convince of sin of righteousnesse and of judgment of spirituall government The Spirit before it convinceth us that we have the righteousnesse of Christ and convinceth us of the necessity of government and holy life in Christ which is called there Iudgement he convinceth of sin which is an antecedent worke Let us examine our selves whether the Spirit have had such a worke or no. Where this conviction and poverty is a man sees an emptinesse and vanity in all things in the world whatsoever but in Christ. And there is a desire of the grace and favour of God above all things Aske a poore man what he would have he would haue that that may supply his poverty and want Aske a man that is spiritually poore before he be in Christ what would you have Oh mercy and pardon offer him any thing else in the world it contents him not but that will content him the sense and perswasion of Gods love and mercy in Christ Iesus Where this poverty of spirit is there will be a wondrous earnestnesse after pardon and mercy and after grace to be in an other condition a man will labour even as for life If you come to a poore man that labours for his living and aske him why doe you labour so he will wonder at your idle question I may starve else he will say A man that is spiritually poore and sees what a state he is in he labours in the use of meanes to have an inward sense of Gods love to finde some beginnings of the new creature to finde a change to be otherwise then he is he sees he must perish else there is a prizing and estimation in him of mercy and pardon above all things in the world and a making after it It is alway joyned likewise with a wondrous abasing of himselfe he thinks himselfe not worth the ground he goes on till God hath mercy on him in Iesus Christ. This is not so sensible in those that are brought up in the Church or that have religious thoughts put into them continually in both kindes both concerning their owne estate by nature and withall concerning grace and mercy in Christ. Therefore grace is instilled into them by little and little and the change is not so sensible But where the conversion is anything sudden from an ill course of life to a better God workes such a poverty of spirit before he bring a man to Christ. In Mat. 5. it is the beginning of all happinesse the blessednesse that leads to the rest Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven And indeed those that are poore in spirit are blessed though they have not yet the sense of Gods love so much as they desire for this drawes on all the rest as I shall shew afterwards To be poore in spirit therefore is to see that we have no good in our selves that we are beggers and bankrupts and have no meanes to pay or satisfie and this stirs up desire and the use of meanes and all the qualifications that follow there Hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse and mourning and meeknesse For this will follow a man that is poore in spirit say what you will to him he is so tractable and meeke let God doe what he will with him so he give him grace if he will cast him downe so be it What shall we doe to be saved Implying a plyablenesse to take any course he is willing to do or to suffer anything And indeed there must be such a poverty of spirit before we can beleeve in Christ whereby we may be convinced of our debts and of our unability to pay those debts and our misery that we are in danger to be cast into eternall bondage for them there must be this before for else we will never repaire to Christ nor Gods mercy in him The full stomack despiseth an hony combe we will not relish Christ nor value him as we should Then againe without this we will not be thankfull to God as we should be who is thankfull to God but he that sees before what need he stands in of mercy and of every drop of the blood of Christ And then we will not be fruitfull for who is so fruitfull a Christian as hee that is thankfull and this depends upon the other A Christian that was never truly cast downe and laid low by the spirit of bondage he is a barren Christian the other having tasted of the love of God in Christ the very love of Christ constraines him and he studies to be abundant in the worke of the Lord as S. Paul saith and every way to shew forth the vertues of him that hath caâ—led him out of darkenesse into marvellous light Againe this is the ground when men are not sufficiently humbled before that they fal away dangerously it is the ground of apostacy because they did not feele the smart of sin He that hath smarted for his estate before knowes what it is to be in such a condition he will be loth ever to come into the prison againe Therefore the ground of carefull walking is a sense of our unworthinesse and misery the more we are donvinced of this the more carefull and watchfull wee will bee that we never come into that cursed condition againe And indeed it is an errour in the foundation which is not mended in the