needs be great it is sin that made the distance between God and us and that was so vast and wide that it did necessarily require a Mediator to come between and especially upon this ground because the Lord was resolved to have that wrong that was done unto him by the sin of man perfectly made up sin had wronged God and God was resolved upon it he was set upon it to have this wrong compleatly made up and that he himself would be perfectly righted and this Gods Justice cals for and thus stood the tearms between God and Man Man having wronged God and God and He are now at varience and God stands upon it and is resolved with himself thus though I be willing to be at peace with them yet I wil be at peace with them so as I wil have the wrong that is done made up my Justice shal be fully and compleatly satisfied I must be righted for I am God and there shal not be such a flaw remayning in my Justice to eternity as that such and such Creatures should sin against me and I pass it by without having any satisfaction for saith God this would be a flaw in my Justice for ever and that I will not have and therefore I will be righted in that wrong that is done me by the fal of Man It is true when one man comes to treat about peace and Reconciliation with another it is somtimes necessary for him to pass by an offence without any satisfaction at al especially when that poor Creature that hath offended is not able to make satisfaction but it is not so between God and Man though one Man being at variance with another when he sees that he that hath done him the wrong cannot make satisfaction he then is indeed to pass it by but Gods mercy did never work after that manner though the mercy in a man may work him to such a Reconciliation and though God be a God of infinite mercy infinitly more merciful than any Creature can be yet the way of the working of Gods mercy is a different way from the working of the Creatures mercy neither doth it argue that there is not as much mercy in God as there is in the Creature but that the way of the working of Gods mercy is different from that of the Creatures and this is the way of the working of Gods mercy not to pass by the wrong done but to provide some means or other himself to satisfie that wrong to the end that he may have his Justice satisfied and because that this was necessary hence it comes to pass of our being reconciled unto God through Jesus Christ The necessity of Christs being a Mediator is not so much this that we are grieveous sinners and so we have need of abundance of mercy from God if there were nothing but these two only that we are great sinners and so have need of great mercy there would not come a necessity of Christ But we are great sinners and we have need of the mercy of God and the wrong that sin hath done unto God must be made up and his Justice fully satisfied and here comes in the necessity of a Christ And thus God was Reconciling himself to the world in this regard And the truth is though some of you have heard the sound of this oftentimes yet you must know this is the great mistery of the Gospel and by our presenting this unto you again and again perhaps God wil give you a further insight into this truth It is this that the Angels desire so much to pry into they know this that Gods Justice must be satisfied but they know it not so and so as the Church knows it and as the Saints know it and therefore they pry more and more into it to see the further depths of it as indeed there is greater and greater depths in this mistery which we can never fathom and which is only reserved for the time of the Resurrection Most people think that when they are to seek for Reconciliation with God they have to do with God only as a merciful God But you must know when you have to do with God about Reconciliation you have to do with more than with the mercy of God ye have to do with God reconciling himself to the world in his Son and you can never seek Reconciliation with God in a right Evangelical way unless you seek it in his Son That briefly shal suffice for the first The necessity of Christs coming in to the work of Reconciliation CHAP. 14. How Christ comes to be a fit Reconciler Opened in seven Particulars 1. Because he is the second person in the Trinity 2. He hath taken our Nature on him 3. He knows fully the mind of the Father 4. He fully knows what wil satisfie the Father 5. God the Father doth infinitly Love him 6. He never offended the Father 7. What he doth hath infinite efficacy and worth THe second thing propounded in the twelfth Chapter is this How Christ comes to be a fit Reconciler it is he who is the great Peace-maker and therefore in the Scripture he is called the Prince of peace it is he that is Melchezedeck King of righteousness and King of peace But how comes he to be so by being a Mediator between the Father and us and so you shal find he is called in the Scripture Heb. 8 6. But he hath obtained a more Excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant that is of a Covenant of grace and not of that covenant of works Now Christ he is a fit mediator to come in and to mediate between God and us As amongst men when there is a Breach between two and they are at a Distance the Breach is such as requires one to come in and to mediate between them It is not alwayes necessary between man and man where there is a Breath that one should come and mediate but there being a Breath between God and us it was absolutely necessary that a mediator should come in to treat between God and us and there could never have been the least parly the least treaty between God and fallen man had not a mediator stept in between and this mediator is Jesus Christ and it is he that is only fit to be our Reconciler and Peace-Maker 1. Because he is the Second Person in Trinity and in that regard he is fit You wil Say How doth this make him fit Thus The Sin that was committed in the first transgression was more directly against the first Person God the Father Why wil you say was it against one Person rather than against another It was indeed against them al but it was more directly against the first Person and this is the reason of it because mans first sin was against that perfection which God gave him in his creation against that created righteousnes that was put into him which was especially the work
pleasure in the death of a sinner c. As I live saith the Lord God They were pineing away in their wickedness lying down in their sins now as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and therefore turn turn O! turn Why wil ye die As if a poor sinner should lie down and say the Lord is provoked against me and he wil not be reconciled to me No the wrath of God is out against me he wil revenge himself of me the Lord looks upon a sinner lying in this manner and he bids his servants go and say to him the Lord swears by his own life and saith to this sinner As I live I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner I swear by my self because I have no greater to swear by CHAP. 66. The Sixt Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother Argument is this wherein God doth manifest in his word that above al works that are pleasing to him and that he would have people most to respect in this world is the work of beleeving in his Son and laying hold upon him and so upon that mercy of his that he doth offer in his Son and that is the great work that he is more pleased withal then al the works they do and not doing that it is the greatest offence whereby they can offend God they cannot offend God more in doing any thing in the world And this shews the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners God being pleased with a sinner that doth come in to take hold of his mercy And that you have in John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye beleeve on him whâ—â—â—â—â—ch sent by way of excllency above all other therâ—â—â—â— as if God should say If you should do the 〈◊〉 famous work that ever man did in this world I would not delight in it I would not care for that in comparision of this work of comming in and beleeving in my Son Is there a man that should be the great Conqueror of the whole world a man that were famous in al the world Let a poor Soul a penitent heart come in and close with Gods grace in Jesus Christ and rowl it self upon mercy in Christ for Reconciliation this poor Soul though the meanest that were possible to be immagined in the whole Nation is a more glorious work in Gods Eye then the most glorious work of the greatest Conqueror of the earth If thou wert able to rule the Sea if thou wert able to govern al the world if thou wert able to command the Heavens it would not be such a glorious work in the Eyes of God as that is to come and lay hold upon his Son as he is tendred in the Gospel If you should give al your Almes to the poor and your body to be burnt yet it were nothing to the work of beleeving in his Son In John 3 God is most displeased with not beleeving in his Son As if God should say it 's true you are naturally enemies to me and you have lived in waies of enmity against me O! you have provoked me al your daies when you were yong a drunken unclean prophane Youth a Lyar a Swearer a Sabboth-breaker c. but yet you live to hear the voice of the Gospel sounding in your ears and to have the offer of Jesus Christ to your Souls for the pardon of your sins Now be it known to you al the Oaths that ever you swore al your Blasphemies al your Drunkenness al your Uncleaness al al your Sabboth-breaking put them altogether they wil not provoke me so much as rejecting of my Grace in Jesus Christ that I tender to you That is the condemnation of the world al the other iniquities wil not sink you down so deep in Hel as not comming to beleeve in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon the Grace of God that is tendred to you in the Gospel Now is not God very willing to be reconciled when he shal manifest himself thus unto sinful men CHAP. 67. The Seventh Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to Sinners YEt further God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this that when he sees that notwithstanding al these expressions that have been before that we have spoke of if sinners wil not come in God he wil seek them seeing they wil not seek to him God seeks himself to sinners First that is a point that you have heard before that God is aforehand with us God comes to us because we wil not seek to him If a man be fallen out with another he should come and seek to him but he wil not because he hath such a stout heart Wel saith he that I may convince him that I am not such an austeer man as he conceivs me to be I wil seek to him first and I wil not only seek to him but I wil go to him and beseech him and that you have in the Text Christ is said to come to save and to seek that which was lost we were al lost and we would not seek to him but he was fain to come yea he came from the bosom of his Father He came into the world and his great Errand was to seek those that were lost and when he had found them he beseeches them to be reconciled unto him CHAP. 68. The Eight Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FUrther God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this in the waies of his dealing with wretched sinful men in sending his Grace to allure the hearts of sinners the Lord sends his mercy to spread al the beauty and lustre thereof before the Sons of men al the excellency and Glory of it before the Soul that it may entice the Soul of the sinner to come in unto him he doth not meerly send and seek to him but that he might overcome the hearts of men with love and mercy this is Gods way to cause his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty and excellency of it that it move and entice and allure the hearts of men that so God as it were by coards of Love might draw the hearts of poor sinful men unto him If God did but scare men so come in to him it were somwhat but it is this which we have cause to bless God for if the Lord come in never such a terrible way to force us to come in that so there might be made up peace between God and us the Lord besides that way of terror and wrath though somtimes he wil use that way to stop men in the course of their sins and to force them to come in he goes forth and doth send his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty excellency and glory of it before the heart of
wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heat I have seen his waies and wil heal him c. Though he went on and was worth yet saith God I have seen his waies and wil heal him I wil not take advantage I wil be content after al their froward rejections of al the offers of Grace yet I wil heal them for al that The frowardness is that that hath reference not only to unprofitableness under afflictions but when one is dealt kindly withal and doth not answer according to his kindness but wil have his own wil such a one doth go on frowardly Now then if we could put al these together that have been named of Gods willingness towards sinners to bring them in to be reconciled to him Oh Lord how infinite would the Grace and goodness of God appeare How were God to be glorified in his Grace I see I cannot possibly come to these things that I have heretofore propounded As what needs al this and the like But that must be done or the reasons why God doth deal thus A word or too at this time for that why God doth do al this why doth God deal thus with sinners in such a manner First It is because mercy pleases him Micha 7.18 there God makes a large promise of pardon of sin because mercy pleaseth him Now that that is pleasing unto any creature that the creature loves to do it and loves to do it to the ful to the height as al pleasure you know to enjoye the creature to eate and drink and sport is very pleasing to a voluptuous man and therefore he doth desire to have this to the ful a large bag of Gold pleases a covetous man therefore he is never satisfied but would have it to the ful Honor pleaseth an ambitious man and therefore he never hath enough so mercy it pleases God and therefore as I may with Holy reverence speak God scarce thinks he hath ever done enough to shew the riches of his Grace Secondly God doth it because the blood of his Son doth cry continually in his eares for mercy and it is of such infinite worth and value and the obedience of his Son in shedding of his bloud it hath been so acceptable unto God and is that whosoever this blood is pleaded for the Lord must needs grant it to the utmost Now it is the blood of Jesus Christ that is shed for sinners that doth plead with God the Father that al this mercy might be shewed It is said in the scripture that the blood of Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel the blood of Abel cries loude for vengeance vengance Lord against sinners But the blood of Christ cries aloude merrcy mercy Lord for sinners and God heares the cry of his Sons blood What is this that recries The blood of my Son for mercy for sinners let them have mercy yea let them have mercy to the ful Then the fludgates of mercy come to be opened though if it were not for the blood of Christ the patience of God would let out some common favors but when God comes to satisfy the cries of the blood of Christ for mercy saith God open al the fludgates now and let in streams of mercy for sinners let mercy be shewed to the highest degree that can be if the blood of my Son cry for it it must be though it requires wonderful mercy it must be great rich glorious mercy it is not a drop but had need of a Sea of mercies to anwswer it I but saith God the blood of my son cryes for mercy and though there be need of an infinite Ocean of mercy for to clense the soul of such a sinner it must needs be granted because the blood of my son cryes for it When you finde God manifesting himselfe to your souls in waies of mercy it comes from the blood of Jesus Christ that cries to God the father for mercy to be bestowed on you and this is the sum and substance of al these expressions of Gods grace toward sinners We thinke that so be very strange that ever such an infinite God should condescend to sinners but when we come to examin the reason we need not wonder at it we see now from whence it al coms it springs al from the ever living fountaine of the unsearchable rich grace of God in Christ though at the very reading we may wonder that ever God should do so and perhaps some men may think these are but the straynes of ministers to make it so but when we come to understand the bottom the ground of al then we must acknowledge the reality of it no wonder God shews mercy to such souls so unworthy and so vild why Because the blood of his son cryes for mercy CHAP. 55. Christs willingness to be Reconciled to sinners further Opened NOW before we come to answer the Objections or to any application there is yet somthing more to be opened unto you as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in CHRIST'S stead as the heart of God is so set upon it to be reconciled unto sinners so is Jesus Christ it is true Christ is God but Christ and God are here spoken of severally Christ is the same God with the father but he is God and man God incarnate God the mediator between the father and us so that it wil be exceeding useful to shew how the heart of CHRIST is set upon Reconciliation of sinners to God for the Apostle doth come in the name of Christ as wel as of God the father now that the heart of Christ is in it that appears in the understanding of the great worke of Reconciliation That he hath undertaken it and that so willingly as he hath done Certainly if Christ had not been much set upon this work to bring sinners to be reconciled unto the Father he would never have undertaken such a work which he knew would prove so difficult to him and he knew what it would cost him but yet he took it willingly and delightfully and for that compare those two Scriptures the first in Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of thy book it is written of me It begins in ver 6. Sacrifice and offerring thou didst not desire mine ears thou didst open burnt offerring and sin offering thou didst not require then said I Lo I come in the Volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will Oh God It is a Psalm of Christ and a Prophecy of him and that it is of him it appears plainly if you compare the Scripture in Heb. 10. at the beginning and so on there you have the Apostle quoting this very Text only with a little difference in the word Now there are three or four things that are here to be observed of Christ in his willingness to come and undertake the great work of making Attonement between God and sinners Mine Ears hast
Gods rich grace even in this one branch of the Gospel his beginning the work of Reconciliation Vse 2. And then Another Use of it may be this To teach us not to think much but to begin to seek peace even with our inferiors learn we by the example of God that if there be falling out between one neighbor and another or between one friend and another not to think much to begin the work of peace We think it would be a dishonor for us to yeild so far we say what is he not my inferior shal I send to him Why it is Gods glory to do it God doth not only do it to us but he accounts it his glory so to do It is a great part of the glory of God that he is willing to yeild to us and to send to us about tearms of Reconciliation And shal that which makes God to be glorious be accounted a dishonor to thee shal it make thee unglorious when it makes God to be glorious If it be an excellency in God suerly it is no baseness no dishonour in thee What a proud heart hast thou that thou shouldest think that that doth debase thee too much which makes God to be a glorious God that that which doth set so much glory upon God should in thy thoughts put dishonor upon thee as if thy honor were to be higher than the honor of God himself Certainly those men that are of such implacable dispositions at least they wil never yeild to begin to make up their peace with others but they wil stand it out to the uttermost though their consciences tell them that they themselves have done a great deal of wrong and that they could be willing there were a peace only they wil not begin This proud and stout spirit in men is an argument that they have not been accquainted with Gods reconciling of himself unto them for Gods beginning to be reconciled unto thee wil make thee to begin reconciliation with thy inferior You wil say why should not he begin first It is true why should he not it is his duty indeed and so it is our duty to begin with God but suppose he doth not begin thou shouldest rather pitty him and look upon him in so much the more miserable Condition and know that though thou hast the advantage of him yet thou art to be like unto God in this particular USE 3. Thirdly A third Use of Gods beginning the work of Reconciliation with us is the Use that the Apostle himself makes in Rom. 5.10 If when we were enimies to God we were reconciled unto him by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life here you see the Apostles inference upon Gods gratiousness in himself he being willing to be reconciled when we were enimies much more being reconciled we shal be saved as if he should have said al the goodness of God towards poor wretched sinful Creatures when we were desperate enemes to him and never thought of coming in to be reconciled unto him yet the Lord himself finds out a way and begins the work of making peace between him and our souls surely then being reconciled unto him we shal be saved What shal God when we were a going on in a desperate way of enmity against him shal this God come then to us and have thoughts of peace and Love and mercy to us surely when we are reconciled when we have hearts in some measure to love this God and to serve and fear him he wil not cast us off certainly no it is better with us now than before When we were enemies unto him and desperate enemies it had been then no wonder if God had cast us off and sent us to our own places to lie for ever under the infinite burden of his wrath but the Lord had then thoughts of peace towards us it is therefore now far otherwise with us though it is true we have many corruptions in us but we can appeal unto God that our Souls love him and that the desire of our hearts are to fear and serve him we can in some measure be able to say Lord thou that knowest al things knowest that there is nothing in the world our Souls desire more than to overcome these Corruptions there is no burden in al the world like unto the burden of sin there is nothing so grievous to us as this that we have such vile hearts and natures that can serve him no better than we do and if God should ask us what we would have from him we can say in the sincerity of our souls Lord thou knowest we would not ask Riches or Honors to be Kings and Princes in the world but Oh that we might be delivered from the remayner of the corruption that is in our hearts from such and such distempers of our Souls whereby we dishonor thy name continually Certainly if the hearts of men be in this disposition they may gather a comfortable argument to themselves and conclude thus There was a time that I went on as a dsperate enemy unto God and I lived without God in the world and never minded the power and the majesty and the Dominion of God over me but as if I were born to nothing else but to sin against God I followed my own lusts with al manner of greediness but behold then even at that time the Lord had thoughts of mercy towards me and he took me perhaps when I came to the hearing of the word with a purpose to contemne and despise it and to ieer at it yet at that very time he took me and spake to my heart and shewed me Jesus Christ and his mercy and then he broke my heart now the Lord knows though when I come to the word I profit not as I should yet I come with a heart desiring to profit and I would fain know the mind of God in it and before I come I go to God and desire him to shew me some part of his wil Wil God now cast me off when being a disperate enemy to him he had thoughts of mercy towards me wil he cast me off for those infirmities that I have now I know I have not a heart opposite to that Grace though I have a heartful of distempers I am not an enemy unto God as I was before and an enemy to his people and ordinances No my heart is towards him my heart is towards his people and towards his Ordinances and was God reconciled to me then even whil'st I was an enemy and wil he now cast me off for weaknesses and infirmities Certainly it cannot be O make much of that place of the Apostle If when we were enemies unto God we were reconciled unto him much more saith he certainly now God wil not cast us off but we shal be saved That is a third use that we may make of Gods begining the work of Reconciliation USE 4. A Fourth is this
in case men beleeve he hath left it to them to beleeve or not beleeve and so al the great councels of God must depend upon mans wil No certainly Christ hath not left it so but those that he hath reconciled unto God he hath so reconciled them to him as that they shal beleeve and this is not al the world 3. Further If this were so that Christ hath payed a price and left it to mans free will to beleeve or not beleeve the truth is Judas would have been as much beholding to Christ for Salvation as Peter But you wil say Judas was never saved Peter was But according to these men Christ did as much for Judas as for Peter for he shed his blood for Judas as wel as for Peter only Peter by the act of his free wil beleeved and the other did not So that the truth is according to the doctrine of these men Peter shal be no more beholding to Christ at the day of judgment than Judas was Peter indeed must acknowledg that he was saved by Christ but if their doctrine be true he may wel say Lord thou hast done no more for me than for Judas and what was more I did that my selfe thou shedest thy blood a like for us but I beleeved and he did not if he had beleeved he might have been saved as wel as I so hereby the grace of God is exceedingly dishonored by these men that hold universal Redemption by Christ and make it to include al the world There are many arguments that might be used which because they are not so cleer to the ordinary capacities of people we shal leave further mentioning of them at this time and shal only ad that it is Arminian doctrine to teach that there is a price payed by Christ for al the world and it is left unto men to beleeve or not to beleeve And that is true evangelical doctrine That there is a price payed by Christ and God hath resolved upon such and such particular ones in the world that he wil be reconciled unto and that they shal beleeve and be everlastingly saved CHAP. 35. Why Gods Reconciling to himselfe is expressed in so large a terme as the World Six Reasons thereof BUt you wil say If this be so that God hath made such a difference that there are some that he hath been from al eternity reconcileing himself unto and not al what is the reason of this phrase why doth he say that he loved the world and that he was reconciling himself unto the world without any distinction One would think God should rather have expressed it thus That he Reconciling himself to some in the world and that he loved some in the world and not the world in general No God would rather express it in this general phrase upon these Six Reasons Reason 1. First He would say the World to exclude Angells that are not so properly of this world But this doth not come up so fully to the Reason why God would rather say the world than this or that man in the world And therefore Reason 2. In the Second place another Reason is this Because he would shew the sufficiency of the death of Christ and of the work of Redemption that there is enough in it if it were to save never so many worlds Reason 3. Thirdly Another Reason of it is this That God might shew that in the Ministery of the Gospel none shal be excluded No not the worst of sinners that are in the world and therefore God doth not say in the Ministery of the Gospel this or that particular man or woman Christ died for but generally he died for the world Because he would hereby shew that he hath not excluded the worst and vildest sinner in the world and that those that are the most notorious and the greatest sinners in the world may come in and be Reconciled If God had expressed it thus There are some in the world that I have been reconciling my self unto from al eternity Then may a sinner say surely if there be but some God never intended me that have been so wicked a wretch so notorious a sinner But therefore God would not express it so but in the most general tearmes to the end that there should not be any one sinner in the world have this plea Lord I was excluded No saith God I wil have the Ministery of my Gospel go in such generall tearmes as that every sinner shal have incouragement to come in and receive mercy Therefore you shal find in that last of Mark. 15. where Christ gives his Commission to his disciples to preach He saith go in to al the world and â—â—each the Gospel to every Ceature that is to man who is a little world an Epitome of every creature To the Gentiles also who had been denyed this favor of the Gospel as if they had been none of Gods creatures If thou beest a creature the Gospel is to be preached to thee There is to be a general tender of Grace and mercy to every Creature throughout the whole world to the greatest sinners that live upon the face of the Earth Great sinners and smal sinners al of them are to have the offer of Reconciliation with God And the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach in the name of God that the Lord doth tender unto every one this offer of mercy and Salvation This to be done ministerially to every Creature we shal come preach to not only great sinners but those that are of the meanest condition in the world For some may say If God wil shew mercy to some in the world sure it must be to some great ones in the world those that are eminent and may do him a great deal of service alas what service can God have from me a poor creature that lives al day long in a poor dark hole that can do him no work or service wil ever God have any thought of me Yes if thou be a creature of God and livest in the world thou art no more excluded from Reconciliation with God than the Kings and Emperors of the Earth and it may be God may think of thee in that poor hole of thine a thatched cottage when he neglecteth and passeth by the great Monarks of the world Therefore this expression is so large that those that are the poorest people in the world and the greatest sinners in the world may know they are not excluded from the offers of grace in the Gospel This is a third Reason And then Reason 4. A fourth Reason why it goes in such tearmes as these That herby the Lord may shew that those that shal actually come in to be reconciled unto him they must come in while they are in this world That those persons that are capable of Reconciliation are only such persons as live in the world If they be not reconciled before they are gone out of the world they are never to be reconciled
upon the offer of the freeness of my grace Indeed there can be no other incouragment but this for the first work whosoever doth beleeve at any time he is not to beleeve because any qualification of his gives him a right to it but upon these termes that God hath reconciled the world to himselfe and that he hath offered the promise of grace generally and that he hath Said whosoever wil come may come in and beleeve whosoever is a thirst may come and that word of his is my warrant that endifinit Promise that God hath made is a Sufficient encouragement and if I can rowl my soul upon this it is that which gives me right and interest in the grace of God and whosoever hath been saved hath been saved upon these terms The first worke hath been a kind of venturing work they have ventured their soules upon this grace of God thus generally and indefinitly offered and do you retire into your closets and do so too You whose consciences condemn you of great and notorius sinns when you hear of this genneral offer though you do not know whâ—◠〈…〉 be elected or no trouble not your selves with â—uâ—h thoughts but venture to cast your souls upon this free grâ—ce of God in Christ with resolution to give up your selves to the service of God for the time to come â—and though you have not abillity in your selves yet who knows but upon such a work as this Gods Spirit may come even at that instant to inable you to do it This is that which God requiers and if God perswade thy heart to this it is a good signe that mercy is intended to thee When at every time God shal make an offer and tender of the Gospel to thee it doth stirr up thy heart thus to conclude wel I wil adventure my soul upon this offer God hath not excepted me why then should I except my selfe God hath not cast me away why should I make my selfe a castaway do not dispair But beleeve CHAP. 37. VSE 2. SEcondly Hence then it concerns us al to look about us while we live in this world that there may be some work of God upon our hearts while we are here that while we live in this world we may be reconciled unto him for if the thrid of our life be once cut asunder and we be noe longer in this world but go out of it without being reconciled unto God we are undone creatures for ever We say of men when they are dying alas such a one is now no man for this world wel they had neede then to look to themselves that the work of Reconciliation be done before for when thou art no longer in this world then thou art gon for ever O then apply thy selfe to this work whilst thou hast time and tak hold of the means and oppertunities which God affords unto thee while thou art a man of this world loose it not and know it is a great mercy of God to thee to continue thee in this world because here thou art under the power of grace thou art under that genneral grace of God that is indefinitly tendred unto every man under that grace which hath fallen upon as great Sinners as thou art and therefore so long as there is life there is hope This point I have divers times made use of to shew that this time of our lives is the time of grace and salvation and it follows naturally and fully from the expression in the text therefore I shal leave it Only let me tel you thus much That though God expresseth this grace of Reconciliation here to the world yet if ever thou beest actually and indeede reconciled to God before thou dost leave the world God wil make thee to be a man no more of this world and though thou art in the world yet thou shalt not be of the world but above the world Therefore in john 17. you shal finde when Christ speaks of those that his father had given unto him and had beleeved on him he sayeth verse 14. and 16. I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the world I pray not that thou should'st take them out of the world but that should'st keep them from the evil It 's true when men have beleeved on Christ they are in the world and Christ doth not pray that God should take them out of the world but preserve them in the world It should teach us by the way to be content to live in the world though it be a dangerous and an evil world for it was as dangerouse and as evil a world wherein the disciples and Christ lived they were in danger of death for the profession of Religion and yet though Christ loved his disciples he would not pray they should be taken out of the world You have a great many discontented people that wil pray that God would take them out of the world No saith Christ keep them in this world And then he saith they are not of the world Indeed God is reconcileing himself to the world that is to those that are in the world but being reconciled to them they are no longer men of the world though in the world therefore if thou beest one that God the Father and the Son hath agreed upon from al eternity to be reconciled unto him in time thou shalt be brought to be one not of the world even whilest thou livest in the world Therefore you that are not only in the world but are worldly men and minde only the things of the world know that the worke of Reconciliation is not done with your Souls what God hath done concerning you in his eternal purpose from al eternity we know not but as yet the work is not done upon thy soul thou art not reconciled unto God that is thou art not brought into such a disposition in thine own heart as to be at peace with God and if ever thou shalt have any peace at al know it must be done here in this world the work of Reconciliation must be done here Thus much for that point That God was in Christ reconcileing the world to himself CAHP. 38. Not imputing their trespasses Opened And 3. Notes on the text NOw followes the Two other Expressions Not inputing their trespasses to them And hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation The first I may finnish in a few words not imputeing their trespasses meaning not reackoning not setting their sins upon their own score so the word is As a man that is in debt we say there is so much standing upon his Head so much upon his score Now when God is said not to impute your trespasses the meaning is your debt comes to be cancelled to be reckoned the debt of an other man he sets your sins no longer upon your score but upon the score of Christ this is the happiness of Beleevers
Apostle saith plainly in the 2 of Rom. That the patience of God calls us to Repentance in verse 4. whatsoever leades to Repentance hath something of the Gospel in it Patience and goodness though we never come to heare of the Ministery of the Gospel yet it is that that calls us to repentance and it is cleare in this because that is spoken of in the creature the loude voice in the creature in the 19 Psalm it is applied to the Gospel in Rom. 10. and except you understand it so we cannot tel you that the sound of the Gospel hath gon to the utmost parts of the earth We cannot understand in the Apostles time how the Gospel went to the utmost parts of the world for there are many places that are not found out yet but this kind of sound of the Gospel goes throughout the earth that by the voice of the creatures men ought to come to know thus much that surely there is some way for God to be pacified towards sinful men though they cannot tell which way or what way suerly there is some way and many of the Jewes knew no other way but this they knew there was a Messiah to come but what he was or who he was they know very little of him Now the Devills have no such work of God towards them nor such bounty and patience and goodness towards them whereby they can conclude that God hath any thoughts to be reconciled to them Though its true they are not yet fully under the torment that they shal be yet they are under so much torment as they are said to be reserved to the great day in chains of darkness whereas wicked and ungodly men are preserved by the bounty and patience of God and the cords of Gods bounty and mercy is towards them and therefore they are not reserved in chaines of darkness as the Devil and damned are So that by the bounty of God in the creature we may gather such a conclusion that surely God hath some way to shew mercy unto mankind But we can never have any thoughts by any works of God in his creature that God should send the second person in Trinity to take mans nature upon him to die to suffer for mans sin to tender up satisfaction to divine Justice and then al must be brought into this Covenant then he must be the head of the second Covenant and they must be made Members of his body now the Creature hath no such misttry as this and therefore in the 3 Eph. 8. verse saith the Apostle speaking what his ministery was unto me who am the least of al Saints is the grace given that I should preach amongst the gentils the unsearchable riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 investigabiles divitias not to be paced or traced out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestigium qui nullis vestigiis indagari potest It is used also Rom. 11.33 they are unsearchable speaking of the riches of Christ as they are of Christ they are unsearchable the word is there the Riches that are without footsteps there is no foot steps of the riches of Christ if we speak of the Doctrine of Christ the Mediator as it is indeed in the Gospel there are no foot steps of them in the Creature therefore though there be some kind of sound in the Creature that it is sure that God hath some kind of way to be reconciled but now the sound of the Gospel this is committed to Ministers to Preach therefore in the. 1 Cor. 1.21 the Apostle saith That in the Wisdome of God the World by Wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that beleeve Mark the world by Wisdome knew not God certainly the world did know there was a God and that he was infinite in power and goodness but the Text saith they know not God that is they knew not God savingly in Christ they might know that God had some kind of way to shew mercy to sinners but what way they knew not and by Wisdome that is by al the Wisdome that was revealed by God in the Creature and by al the Wisdome they received from God they knew not God by Wisdome true there is an abundance of the Wisdome of God in the Creature several acts are no other then several beames of Gods Wisdome shining in the Creature and the knowledg of these acts are no other but the several beames of Gods Wisdome shining into mens understandings take either of both them and by both these it could not know God in a saving way but by the Foolishness of preaching that is by the preaching that the Men of this world do account foolishness the Lord is pleased to save those that beleeve so that it is evident that the Ministery of Reconciliation is committed to the preachers of the Gospel CHAP. 40. Why God chose Men rather than Angels to dispence the Mystery of Reconciliation The Reasons thereof NOw it is to be enquired after First why God would choose men rather to be the dispencers of of the great Mystery of Reconciliation then the Angels God hath not committed unto them this word of Reconciliation though it is true the Angels they do go about and they somtimes witness to the Gospel as you may read afterwards But they are not chosen by way of office to the Ministery of the Gospel that is not the office they are appointed to so as the Ministers of the Gospel are God hath not chosen Angels in an ordinary way to come and dispence those great and glorious things unto the Children of Men. Object You wil say had it not been better that God should have chosen the Angels to come in and preach Jesus Christ than men for they are poor weak Creatures and like our selves and now when they come to stand up and Preach Jesus Christ the great things about reconciling men to God should we think that they know more then we ourselves Answ You must not think that there is no good to be done till one comes and tels you that you never heard of But you must know that it is by vertue of the ordinance of Christ because he hath appointed a Minister of the Gospel to come and in such a way to preach though the instrument be like your selves and perhaps may not have a deeper understanding then some of you yet you are to look upon it beyond the matter that he speaks you are to look upon it as the ordinance of Christ and so to expect and look at al means whatsoever But now the great standing ordinance in the Church of God is the Ministery of the Gospel It is this that is committed to us to Preach and this therefore is to be looked upon as the power of God to salvation in those that God intends Salvation to God hath not chosen the Angels but Men and upon this reason because we are
he clapt his chains upon them and reserves them in chains of darkness there is no such patience of God towards them as to be any argument to draw them to repentance therefore they cannot draw any encourageing conclusion from any work of Gods patience as to bring them towards God again But al sinners may do it that are the sons of men Hath God spared thy life at such and such a time know that in that work of his he doth manifest his willingness to be reconciled unto thy Soul as if a man hath an enemy at an advantage and he wil not take it Doth not this signifie that he is willing to be at peace with him And that is the first thing CHAP. 62. The Second Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners SEcondly God hath manifested himself very willing to be reconciled unto sinners in this that he hath made it to be the great Master-piece of al his works to provide a way for Reconciliation of thee unto him The Lord hath wrought so wonderfully for the children of men rather than for Angels in sending his Son making of him a curse for our sins In this the Lord proclaims a loud voice to al the world O! be it known to al you sinners that I am willing to be reconciled to you We need not name Scripture for this for the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is ful of this O! the heart of God is much in this work of Reconciliation al the arguments in the world al the expressions that possible could have been could never have held forth this so much as meerly this proclaimation that God hath sent his Son into the world to die for mans sin this holds it forth and proclaims it with the loudest voice that possible can be that God is infinitly willing to be reconciled unto sinners CHAP. 63. The third Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to sinners AND then thirdly after this work of God sending his Son mark how God doth express himselfe to the Children of men he doth profess that there is nothing wherein he doth more glory than he doth in this to shew mercy to sinners he doth make account that the chefest glory he hath in the world it is to shew mercy unto siners Certainly that that his soule is so wel pleased with that that he accounts himself most honored by is when sinners shal come in unto him to repent that he may be reconciled unto them If a man should do thus that hath an enemy and should manifest this to some of his friends that sit at his table as to say such an one is an enemy to me but O! how fain would I have him come in that there might be peace between him and I and I would count it as great an honor as ever I had in my life would not any one say this man were willing to be reconciled certainly God doth so and therefore in Exod. 30. the place you know about the 6. verse the Lord when he was proclamming his glory that Moses desired and the Lord promised he promised Moses in the Latter end of the 33. Chap. that his glory should passe by him and he caused his glory to passe by him as in Chap. 34 and what was that glory The Lord the Lord God merciful and pretious long sufering and abundant in goodness and mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrossion and sin as if God should say Moses wouldest thou see my glory this is it that I am merciful and forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here is the height of my glory in this is my magnificence made known And another most remarkable place we have in Esa 30 1â— I shal make use of the begining of the place And therefore wil the Lord wait that he may be gracious and therefore wil he be exalted How wil God be exhalted That he may have mercy upon you Therfore he wil be exsalted that he may have mercy upon you and so he goes on For the Lord is a God of Judgment Blessed are al they that wait for him so that God accounts himself an exalted God when he hath mercy upon a sinner Surely he is very willing to be reconciled to a sinner when he counts himself an exalted God when a sinner comes in and beleevs in his on Now am I exalted saith God this is that my soule glories in this I account to be a happiness to mee God is exalted in shewing mercy and that is the conclusion of this argument CHAP. 64. The fourth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconcilled to sinners FOurthly the Lord expresses this his willingness to be reconciled to sinners with a sigh as when he expresses his desire after sinners with a sigh which is a note of earnestness of desire and that you have in Deut. 5. and 24. verse O! that there were such a heart in them When we express our desires we say I would there were such a thing But when we express our most earnest desire then we express it with an O! O! that there were so saith God O! that they had such an heart that they would fear me and walke in my waies and why doth God expresse this It is that it might be wel with them and with their children for ever therefore O! that there were such an heart It is observable if you turne your eyes to the former part of the Chapter you shal find that this people did say that whatsoever God had spoken that they would do But the lord saw that there was not a through comming off of their hearts unto him to resigne up themselves wholly to him and therefore the Lord doth as it were fetch a sigh in the earnestness of his desire O! that there were such an heart in them If a man that were fallen out with another when he were in his Bed-chamber or at his Table he should fetch a sigh and say O! that such an one would come in and be Reconciled to me how glad would I be to be Reconciled to him how doth my soul long after him would not every one say that this man earnestly desiers Reconciliation with that person But thus doth God he sits as it were and saith O! that there were such an heart CHAP. 65. The Fift Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Fiftly the Lord doth not only express his desire by a sigh but by an Oath he takes a solemn Oath upon it how willing he is that sinners should come in be reconciled unto him and it is the greatest Oath that ever God took it is about sinners coming in to profess his willingness that sinners should not die but they should come in and be reconciled to him and that you have in the 33. Ezek. 11. Say to them As I live saith the Lord God I have no
between God and you no sin that is yet past that shal be your undoing and the eternal destruction of your souls But it wil be some sin that is yet to come somewhat that is yet to come wil be the eternal destruction of every sinner in this Congregation It s true if God smite thee now it wil be the sin that is past but if God let thee live this day it is rather for something that is yet to come than for any thing that is past for the continuance in the hardness of heart and your unbeleife from this time forward rather then for what is past If one had run in arrears and incurred a great deal of punishment enough to his undoing if this should come to be said unto him Thus far you have run But here is a proclamation there is nothing that is past that shal be charged upon you but look to it for the time to come I do not say that al the sinns that are past God wil never reckon but thus that he wil never reckon with any of you for what is past but for some cause of evil that you shal be guilty of for the future that must go along with it and that may cause God to bring that that is past over again but that that wil be your undoing and destruction wil be somthing that is to come and if you continue in your wicked waies then that wil bring al over again But now if you had a heart this day at this present to fal downe before the lord to seeke to make up your peace with him and to close with the grace of God in his son I can bouldly pronounce that al your sins that are past are done away O! remember this this gracious offer of God in Esa 1.18 whatsoever you have been before yet that needs be no discouragement unto you it is the continuance in your iniquity that wil undo you and now wil not this soul justifie God at the great day must not God needs be justified if any sinner in this congregation be awakened at last I say this argument shal rise up against them and shal justifie God against you Now God wil say you that lived a long time in sin you heard that after so many years sinning that whatsoever your sins were before yet some things that were then to come would be your destruction or els you should never be destroyed and yet you would venture for the time to come you would be bould to adde to that heape of your sins that have been so longe a making and thereby bring al your sins upon you that you had committed before And therefore righteous is God in the Condemnation of this sinner wee speak of the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners to that end that you might come in and be reconcilled or otherwise that the justice of God may be cleere at the great day and this is a special end of al the manifestation of Gods goodness unto sinners that he might cleer himselfe at the great day in those that shal perish There are a great many things yet more behind where in the willingness of God to be reconcilled unto sinners is further to be set forth yet I know there are Objections that ly in your mindes How can we come And if God be so willing he may bring our hearts to be willing to be reconciled to him we shal discourse these more at lardge only for the present I desire to present before you this the manifestation of the goodness of God towards sinners to gain upon their hearts that they might be reconciled unto him and I should be very sory to open al these things in such a congregation as this is if it were not to gain some souls for it 's like enough that some wil be hardened and now if some should be hardened and others should not be gained what a miserable thing were it I might make this as an evidence how willing God is to be reconciled unto siners that he would have the riches of his grace thus manifestd to gain siners to himself though he knows that it wil be a means to harden others he knows that it wil cost the eternal damnation of many souls and though he do know this yet for al this saith God let my wilingness to be reconcilled be opened unto poor sinners by the preaching of the gospel though it costs many souls very dear yet for the love I bear to poor souls let it be made known to the face of them al. Now if God were not strongly set to do good to souls suerly he would not venture the damnation of other souls so much But saith God let their souls go rather than my willingness to be Reconciled unto others should not be declared unto them CHAP. 71. The eleventh argument Manifesting the exceeding wilingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners THe next argument that shewes the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners is this The Lord in his word doth use very powerful and strong arguments to draw the heart to come in to be reconciled this is that evidence I say that the Lord is willing by the strong reasons that God doth use in his word to gain upon the hearts of sinners to bring them in to be reconciled he doth not meerly offer mercy he doth not meerly set before the soul his mercy But the Lord labors with strong reasons motives and arguments to perswade and gain the hearts of sinners unto himself to come in to be reconciled unto him as now when a man doth offer peace it is somewhat and when he doth it in a generous loving way of curtesie that is more but then when he doth send strong arguments to perswad wil not readily take a denial but sends such such arguments doth consider before hand what wil be most likely to perswade the heart of such a man What can I conceive wil gaine his heart most What can I think Suppose there should be a man between whom you there hath been a falling out you should know that when he is alone in his closset he is thinking thus with himself What arguments can I conceive may take the heart of such a man to perswade him to come in to be at peace with me what can I think may be the most prevalent That wil I certainly use to perswade him But undoubtedly it is so with God God looks upon the Children of men and doth consider what argumentt wil take their hearts most the scripture is exceeding ful of prevalent powerful arguments to perswade the hearts of men to come in to be reconciled unto God Arguments sometimes taken from the equity of Gods waies towards them and their unequal wayes towards him Are not my wayes equal saith God and your wayes unequal Is there any thing that I require of you but righteous do not I speak righteous Sometimes he uses arguments
from the absolute necessity that lies upon sinners to come and be reconciled unto God shewing them that certainly they wil be lost undone and eternally damned if they do not come in He that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him You are lost and undone creatures except you do come in And sometimes arguments taken from the excellency of the benefit and profit that there is in comming in to God and being reconciled unto al the Glorious promises of the Gospel are so many powerful arguments to draw the hearts of sinners to run in to be reconciled unto God I might be very large in this in shewing of the particular arguments that God doth use but take that one ful argument that we have to perswade sinners to come in In Prov. 1.23 Turne you at my reproof behold I wil pour my spirit upon you I wil make known my word unto you He speaks here to simple ones Scorners Fools Turne you at my reproofe behold I wil pour my spirit out upon you saith God as if God should say though you are Scorners yet the truth is my heart works towards you my heart doth yearn towards you and if you would but turne to me I would pour forth my heart to you you shal have my very spirit my very heart let out unto you if you wil turne unto me What an argument is here to prevail with the hardest hearts in the world For God himself to come and say unto a sinner to one that hath Scorned him and his wayes and to a Fool that hath gone on in waies of folly and wickedness for God to come and say unto him Oh wretched sinner come in come in turne to me turne to me for my heart is ful my heart is top ful turn to me I wil pour forth my heart to thee Al those promises of giving rest to thy soul of giving life eternal eternal salvation Glory Peace and Comfort and a Kingdom shal al be made good to thee The Lord therefore suites himself unto us in such arguments so close as may out-bid other comforts that we have in the word in any waies of sin and therefore tels them of Hony and Milk and Rayment and Gold and Silver and al such things as are precious in the eyes of men such as are of esteem with us and tenders his Son unto us upon such kind of notions that every one of them might be prevalent arguments to gaine the hearts of sinners to come in unto God this is the way of God that he comes into the hearts of his people with the most prevalent arguments such reasons as one would think were impossible to be gainsaid I appeal to the hearts of those who have been acquainted with the work of God upon them How did God come to your hearts did he not come with mighty strong arguments to you The Devil he tempted and he comes with strong arguments and God he comes and tempts with strong arguments the Devil draws and God draws Gods mercies draw stronger than the Devil can Oh! it was mercy to that soul and the truth is when the Lord pleases to work effectually upon the soul he can present stronger arguments to draw the heart of a sinner to him than it is possible for the Devil to prevaile against CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument Manifesting the exceâ—ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother way is this in answering al Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners whatsoever Objections lie in the hearts of sinners God hath waies to answer al those and he doth it in his word and by his Spirit As now What would a sinner object If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you and therefore it is unlikly that ever God wil bestow that mercy on you observe Esa 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection that it may never hinder any sinner from comming in unto him saith God Come ye to the waters and he that hath no monies come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price Note in one verse there is three times Come without Mony he that hath no Mony come and Eat and then buy without Mony and then without price What is the meaning of this here you are to know that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine Milk so by bread afterwards by those things that are most delightful most useful for the nature of man the Gospel is set out by such things and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of al. Somtimes by a Kingdom for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand there is the argument the Kingdom of God is at hand and somtimes by a marriage when God sends to people to be reconciled he sends to them with this Argument that it is to marry them to his Son And somtimes by a Supper that God the Father invites too a Supper wherein there is al kind of dainties the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son and there are powerful Arguments that God useth O but I am unworthy saith a poor soul What that such a one as I so vile so wretched and every way unworthy should have such things this was the policy of the Devil at the first the Devil labors to make sinners to slight the Gospel to set at naught the counsels of God so you have it in Prov. 1. to account the bloud of the Covenant a common thing that is the first way But if he cannot prevail that way but the Lord doth shine through al mists and il conceipts of the Gospel and shews unto the Soul the excellency and beuty of his Son and of the glorious things that are in the Gospel then the Devil comes the other way Indeed saith he there are glorious things but thou art unworthy thou art a wretched base vile Creature and canst thou think that God should grant such things as these to thee now the Lord answers this Objection What saith God Come without Money What is that that is though thou hast no worthiness in thy self though thou hast no a bilities to buy any thing that is good yet come come yet close with my Grace that shal make thee rich enough thou shalt have money enough that way Come without mony without price let never that Objection hinder thee that thou art unworthy unable to do any thing the Lord cals thee without Money offers freely to thee therefore in the latter end of the Book of the Revelation it is said in the last Chapter the 17. ver And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever wil let him take of the water of life freely How shal I ever think to have it It is free so that this
Objection cannot hinder Obj. O! but there may lie another Objection Thus it may be the Lord wil require though he requires nothing that I shal do before hand but wil grant his mercy freely but when I am come then perhaps things that are hard wil be required at my hands O! the waies of God they are hard waies and then I must live so strictly then I must make Conscience of my waies and so abandon al my sins and Lusts and whaâ— saith the Devil to a corrupt heart What wil you leave al such pleasant waies and be so streightly bound Then you must do nothing but according to the word of God and of Conscience farewel al the Comforts and Joyes of your life iâ— you come once to be religious and godly these are the tentations that do keep of the hearts of men I appeal to you have not some of your hearts been kept off from Jesus Christ and the waies of God meerly upon some such temptations as these and indeed perhaps at first it may be so til the nature of a man is changed But mark how this objection is taken away when sinners are called to Christ I suppose you know the place Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I wil give you rest But that concerns the former and then afterwards when Christ had said so come to me ye that are weary heavy laden and I wil give you rest take my yoak upon you my burthen c. It seems then we must be yoaked and burthened But marke what follows in vers 30. For my yoak is easy and my burthen is light as if Christ should say never harken to such a tentation of any difficulties in my wayes I assure you beforehand you wil find that the Devil doth but gul you deceive and cozen you I wil warrant you that beforehand that I wil lay no yoak upon you but you shal say when you come to beare it it is an easy yoak and though it be a burthen yet you shal acknowledg it is a light burthen This I dare say in the name of God unto al come in al you that stand off from the waies of God though the waies of God may seem hard to you at first yet I dare say from God unto you that you wil find the wayes of God more easy to you at last than ever you did in the waies of sin For certainly there is more trouble in the waies of sin than can be in the waies of God And when God cals upon you to come in to be reconciled he doth profess this to you that he wil require nothing of you but that which shal be more pleasant to you than any wayes of sin that you lived in before there be more comforts and joy and that for the present than ever you had in the waies of sin do but ask any one that hath made tryal of this and desire them to speak their consciences to thee I meane those that have had any apprehension of the love of Christ to them yea have you began to walk in wisdomes wayes which are pleasantness and to tread in those paths which are strowed with roses and paved with peace pray then speak plainly how do you find your self is it not better now than it was before do you not find more ease more comfort and joy in these waies of God than you did before in any way of Sin Oh such a one wil profess unto you that they find more comfort than ever they did before they find more sweetness in communion with God in his wayes in one day than they found in the waies of sin in al their lives before the Holy Spirit in pleading with the hearts of men saith the same Prov. 3.17 Her waies are waies of pleasantness and her paths are peace If you wil beleeve the spirit of God the waies of Godliness are waies of pleasantness and al her paths are paths of peace What should hinder you then It is neither your unworthiness that can be any hinderance nor the hardship of the way These are the two great blocks that lie in the way and God doth fully take away these in scripture and if there be any other objection I dare undertake bring what objections you can give me but a litle time to find out some manifest word or other in the scripture that shal meet with the very objection Then how doth this argue Gods exceeding willingness to be reconciled to sinners If a man send his messenger to such a one to offer peace and he thinks beforehand Oh! but he wil have this and this objection against me but saith he to his servant that is imployed in the business you shal answer this objection thus and the other objection thus CHAP. 73. The thirtenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother evidence of Gods willingness to be reconciled is this that God is so importunate with sinners he uses such strong arguments that he first takes away objections and then he is so importunate he doth not meerly satisfy himself with offering of mercy but he is very importunate in the work and the importunity of God appeares First in this that the scripture expresses God crying out after sinners not only seeking out after sinners but calling and crying so the words in the Original are of Gods beseeching to be reconciled of God calling to sinners in Prov. 1. It is said of wisdom that it cries the Lord cryes out and that in Isa 55. When he makes a proclamation he begins first with Oh! yes Oh! every one that thirsteth come to the waters and he that hath no mony and there is the offer of Christ with a proclamation Further Gods importunity is manifest in this that he comes over again with a thing and is not content with the expressing of himself But he doth it again and again and again he is at it as in Isa 55. vers the first Se how many times there is crying in one verse Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye and he that hath no mony come and come the third time three times in one verse saith God come to sinners and then in the third verse Incline your eare and come unto mee saith God and hear and your souls shal live and I wil make an everlasting Covenant with you there is another promise Even the sure mercies of David so hear in one short scripture four times come saith God O! how importunate is God with sinners God doth not do with us as commonly wee do with him God seeks after sinners more earnestly than sinners seek after God thus we seek to God for mercy we pray to God for mercy we content our selves with praying once and seldome looke after our prayers what becoms of them but God he cries to us to come and if we do not come the first time then he crys come come come four times together we are ready to think
when he comes by his stroaks Now because the Lord sees that this is such a way to engage the hearts of sinners to come in unto him therfore he doth not only put forth such an almighty power but comes in such a way as this when the sinner cannot be able to perceive the hand of God that is the almighty power that doth the work yet the sinner can perceive the shining of Gods Grace and his goodness and the expressons of his love and the like this is apparently before the Eyes of the sinner to admire and works upon the heart when the other is more secret Obj. Thirdly If God and Christ be so willing to be reconciled unto sinners then you wil say what is the reason that there are no more reconciled One would think that al sinners in the World should be reconciled to him hee may reconcile al Is it not as easie for God to reconcil one as wel as another God many times tels us that few shal be saved Yea Christ himself tels us so Now this that you have preached about Gods and Christs willingness to be reconciled One would think that al the world should come in to be reconciled otherwise how wil it appear that they are so willing Ans For the answer to that the heart of God Christ are much set uppon Reconciliation with sinners but so as may be suitable to other ends that God hath God wil not have the work of his mercy manifested so as it shal crosse any other work that he hath to do so farr as the Glory of his mercy may be manifested without crossing of some other work that God hath to do so farr it is let out not to al. Why Because it wil not be suitable to some other ends that God hath to bring about that he should be reconciled unto al sinners Object You wil say to other ends Why Do Gods ends crosse one another If Gods Heart be for Reconciliation with sinners how should this Cross any other thing that God hath to do Answ For answer though things may seem to us one to be cross to the other yet there is a blessed concord in Gods ends and his waies and it wil appear plainly one day before the Children of men and Angels and it wil be the great work of God hereafter to manifest that those things that seem most to be cross one to another yet wil be very Advantagious and assisting to the Promoting and Coronation of this blessed work As it is in the Heavens there is the motion of the Heavens they have one motion by which they are carryed one way and there are the Starres they have another particular motion of their own and yet there is a concord in the motions of the Heavens In any work that a man doth as in a Clock there is one wheel that runs one way so farr and another meets with it they seem to run quite contrary waies and yet take them altogether and they do al run to the end that the work is intended for and yet seem to go contrary the Cross going of the wheels is the right going of the Clock So God seems to work in the works of his Grace one way and in the works of his justice another way and they seem to go quite contrary one to the other But the truth is they worke al to the end that the workman makes it for here is the Grace and mercy of God thus manifested in entreating and beseeching sinners to be reconciled It goes thus far and then when it hath had its ends then comes the stroak of Gods justice and that striks another way and al makes to the beauty of the work of God that he might have glory in al So though God be thus earnest yet it is no Argument that al sinnners should be reconciled because it appeares to be the beauty of Gods work which shal appear another day the work of mercy thus farr and the work of justice so farr this we are not able to understand throughly now but it is left to the great day to be understood Further It may be answered that these expressions are cheifly intended towards those that belong to his eternal election but revealed in such a general way as none should exclude himself therefore the charge of the Ministers of the Gospel is to preach to every creature because we do not know who they be that do belong to the election but it is for the sake of Gods elect ones that these things are reconciled in such a ful way as they are such things should be taught in a Congregation where there are many thousands but if there be but a few that beloâ—g to the election of Grace God aimes at them most though he may aime at the other too for to lessen their sins and somtimes to aggravate them Yet know if there be but a few that it is for you and for your sake that these things are preacht and these may serve to answer to those objections CHAP. 79. Use 1. Admire Gods infinite Grace in enterating to be reconciled to sinners Considering 1. What it is God intreats for 2. Who are intreated 3. By whom you are intreated 4. What need hath God of you USE IN the first place upon al what hath been said of the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners that they thus do entreate sinners we are taught First to stand and admire at the infinite riches of the â—â—ace of God and espeically you who have felt this work of God effectually upon your Hearts You who have found God wooing and suing to your hearts give God the glory of his Grace and admire at it It were mercy for the Lord once to offer upon any terms to be reconciled unto sinners or to shew them any favor Meerly to offer it that is grace that is to be admired and that is more than God hath done to the Angels he would not do so much to them But now that God should not only offer but send to feek after thee to cry after you again and again to be importunate with you to entreate and beseech not only by his Ministers but by this own spirit for there is the work of that the spirit of God comes and woos and beseeches sinners to come in and be reconciled Oh stand and admire at this forever Let it take up your hearts to give glory to him and the rather if you consider these four things First What it is that God doth entreate and beseech for What is it that you are entreated to do That that shal deliver you from the greatest evil that any creature is capable of and that whereby you would receive the greatest good that any creature is capable of you are entreated not to be miserable but to be happy and not only that you should serve God and not sin against God and do the works that God requires of you for his glory but you
are entreated to be reconciled to deliver your Souls from that depth of misery and to be brought unto happiness and glory Secondly Consider who you are that are intreated Were there any great worth in you Then you might expect to be entreated as men that are of great estates they must be entreated But who are you wretched Caitiffes in your selves damned Dust and Ashes fire-brands of hel such as have made your selves fuel for the everlasting wrath of the eternal God to burne upon such as deserve to be cast out as an everlasting curse enemies to God you are intreated And by whom are you intreated Even by God himself and Christ that is God blessed for ever Even that infinite glory before whom Angels adore before whom they cover their faces even him who by one word of his mouth is able to send you al presently down to Hell even this God commeth to entreat and that Christ whom Angels do Adore even that Christ comes to entreate For the Servant to entreate his Master for the subject to entreate the prince is not so much but for the Maister to entreate the Servant for the prince to entreate the subject this is that that should fil our Souls with a spirit of admiration at the unspeakable condescentions of the most blessed Majesty Thirdly what need hath God of you though you should perish and die eternally it is no great matter to him God might have his glory out of your eternal ruine But to that end that he might break your Hearts therefore he doth entreate and beseech Oh admire at the riches of his Grace and give him the glory that is due unto him begin to do that here that you must do to al eternities when you come into his glorious presence in Heaven CHAP. 80. VSE 2. And 3. SEcondly The more God doth manifest this his grace the more desperatly wicked is the heart of man to stand out against God Oh! wretched cursed heart that can stand out against God that can stand out against the the offer of grace in the Gospel I say this is a cursed heart to stand out against the offer of grace though it were no more If this should be but declared that Christ is come into the world to save sinners God expects that al those to whom Christ is so revealed that they should come flocking unto him and cry mightily unto God for mercy in Christ but when God doth not only offer his son but comes by the Ministry of his word and by the work of his spirit to draw your hearts unto him and ye thou dost stand out against God against al these gracious beginings drawings and melting expressions of God thou dost stand out Oh! Cursed stubborn hard heart that should stand out against al these Thou canst not now pleade Oh! tentation was strong to draw my heart from God to such and such sinful waies Was tentation strong Why did ever tentation draw more alluringly than God hath drawn alluringly by his gospel It is impossible that the Devil and al the world should draw more alluringly to any sin than God doth draw unto him Oh! these entreatings of God this gratious way toward sinners is that that wil be the greatest aggravation of the sins of men that ever was or can be imagined Only for the present know thus much that the mercies of God that shal be the subject of the Saints rejoycing and blessing of his name to al eternity that mercy wil be thy greatest misery and that is a sad thing for any sinner to think on that that mercy that the Saints shal be eternally admiring and blessing God for that that should be my misery and secret wound and my greatest terror and that is the second thing VSE 3. Oh! rebuke thine own wretched heart that hath stood out so long against God as thou hast done al thy daies Certainly the consideration of this of standing out against any command of God when God comes to enlighten a mans Conscience and the Soul doth come to understand with whom he hath to deal it hath a mighty power to break the heart of man That when I come to see that I have stood out against al those loving drawings al those woings of the Gospel it is that that wil rent your hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments for the Lord is merciful that is not only a breaking of the heart but a rending of the heart when the Grace of God doth appear to it CHAP. 81. Use 4. To strengthen our Faith if God were reconciled when we were enemies he wil not cast us off for every infirmity Objections Answered FOurthly The Consideration of this may be a mighty strength to the Faith of those sinners that have in some measure been wrought upon by the Grace of God Thus if the Lord hath manifested such abundance of strength of Spirit in seeking to sinners to be reconciled then certainly when sinners are reconciled the heart of God wil forever be with them he wil not lose the fruit of such Grace as this if once he hath brought in and that in such a way of mercy Christ having brought it it cannot be any easie thing that shal take off Gods heart from thee there was the goodness of God towards Adam in Paradice I but it was not so much goodness of God unto him as could not admit of any breach beween God and him But the heart of God is so much in this work in bringing sinners to be reconciled unto him as it is impossible that ever there should be such a breach between them and him again that ever they should prove to be enemies Therefore let this strengthen thy heart when at any time thou begin'st to have jelous thoughts of God have recourse to thy first calling to God I went on not many years ago in a wreatched sinful way but God came to me and shewed me my evil way and shewed me his Grace Yea when I stood out against his Grace he followed me and would not let me be at quiet but manifested it more and more and hath overcome my heart unto himself How can I think that God that hath done so before that now he should take advantage upon every infirmity that now every sin that he sees in me should make such breaches between him and my soul that he should cast me from him Can I think it Certainly it is a wrong to the Grace of God in the Gospel Object I but you wil say here is the evil That upon my loose walking I cannot think that ever things were in truth that I was truly converted Answ To that I answer but these two things First that if thou canst but be able to say thus in the presence of God the Lord knows that there is no weapon of enmity in my heart that is against God that God reveals unto me to be a sin but I know my heart is against it I can appeal to God so and
there is no duty that God requires of me but I know my heart is with it if the Lord wil but reveal to me Now in this case having before felt the work of God drawing thee to Christ and if thy heart be thus kept to God this is one good Argument that certainly God and thou are not enemies Secondly if thou canst but say thus there is no Argument that is so prevalent with me to make me not sin as this for fear of breaking peace between God and me this is the thing that makes my sin sting my Soul indeed because by that I come to lose some of that sweeness of the assurance of my peace with God Canst thou say so keep thy heart but in such a frame though thou hast many weaknesses that thou canst say whatsoever sin the Lord reveals to me yet my heart is against it and whatsoever duty the Lord requires of me yet I know my heart is with it and if there be any thing that I do not know Oh! that I knew it more and more and there is nothing that I fear sin for so much as this because that I see it breaks the peace between God and my Soul Is it so with thy poor soul I pronounce in the name of God Peace be unto thee Though thy heart be not as thou would'st have it thou maist conclude this certainly God that hath manifested such Grace in drawing thy heart unto himself at the first wil not cast thee off Certainly God had some greater end in working so wonderfully towards thee than to throw thee off except the Lord had some great thoughts of heart in glorifying himself in thee and to do thee good he would never have wrought so upon thy heart as he hath done There are others that live under the light of the Gospel but the Lord doth never come to their hearts to speak to them as inwardly to draw their hearts and that by his own Spirit as he hath done to thee the Lord hath not had so great thoughts of heart to glorifie his name upon them in the day of his Grace as towards thee in the working of his Grace So certainly to thee the Lord is about to do great things that grace of his that hath been so strong upon thee as it hath been it wil carry thee through al difficulties Certainly the Grace of God hath been strong and it wil be strong and therefore build upon it If thou hast an hard heart do not say thou hast an hard heart and therefore Gods heart is not towards thee No but rather say thou hast an hard heart and therefore thou wilt look towards God to break thy hard heart and bring thy frozen and cold heart to these Beams of Gods Grace and stand under these Heavenly influences If thou beest sensible of the hardness of thy heart and then to sit down sullenly and heavily and think because of this God wil reject thee this is not the way to get thy heart softened but rather cal to mind what the grace of God hath been towards thee and how the heart of God is towards sinners to be reconciled unto them and what he hath done for the like such sinners as thou art and so keep thy heart under the warme beams of the Gospel and thereby thou wilt gain a great deal more than sitting down in a sullen way Those kind of Herbs that grow under the warm Sun grow the better and the Fruit ripens better than those that grow out of the Sunne So the Heart that can keep it self continually in the Sunne of this mercy and goodness of God thus expressing himself in the Gospel willing to be reconciled to sinners this heart wil thrive more abundantly than those that shal ly down sullenly and discontentedly This is a mighty encouragement for al sinners to come to be reconciled a mighty strong encouragement to them the Lord invites and beseeches in the Gospel and sends his ministers to do it and requires them that they should do it in his name What should hinder them but that any sinner none excepted should come and be reconciled We cannot tel who they are that shal not be reconciled and therefore we may say concerning any particular sinner What should hinder thee but that thou shouldest come in to be reconciled And if God entreates and Christ entreates and Ministers entreate and thou entreatest What letts thee but that thou maist be reconciled As the Eunuch said Here is Water enough why may I not be baptised So here is mercy enough why maist thou not be reconciled Hast thou such thoughts as these are See that God is willing to be reconciled to sinners wel when I get home I am resolved to throw my self before the Lord Christ and I am able to cry to him for reconciliation for I am damned and undone for ever else and and I heare that there is a way to be reconciled to him wel this shal be my work now I wil set upon it presently I wil never leave crying to God til I have found Gods Grace comming to me Art thou resolved upon this Wel go on and fal down in thy crying to God for mercy make this point part of thy petition Lord I have heard that thou art willing to be reconciled now Lord here is a wretched sinner comes in to be reconciled to thee what hinders now when both shal entreate Suppose two were fallen out one with the other but now when both sides are wrought upon and one he professes himself not only willing but earnestly desirous to be reconciled and the other he comes and expresses himself so too surely both these wil agree Now it is true many times between man and man their expressions are but very slight and there is not that at the bottom of their hearts that they express with their mouthes When two are fallen out and one comes to them and saith why wil you not be at peace with such a man Oh! yes saith he I am willing So come to the other and he saies the same he is willing and yet their hearts are not right perhapps one to the other But now in this case between God and thy poor soul be confident that on Gods side it is most real and do thou but make it out that thy heart is real in desiring after peace with God and fully understand what thou dost when thou dost desire peace with God So that thou wilt not be at peace with any sin and desire it fully and then when thou shalt get it then thy heart shal be praising God and say I shal live to the praise of God for ever and that shal be my endeavor I would faine have at but wil God be at peace Yes God shal get as much as thou shalt by it he shal thereby get that that he did especially intend and aime at in making the world The great designe that God had in making the world was to magnify the
the sinner that so it might allure the sinner to come in so God speaks of his people in the 2 Hosea the 14. There was a great breach between Israel and God at the time and God to make up the breach when he would be pacified towards Israel he expresses it in this manner Therefore behold I wil allure her and in the 11. of Hos 4. mark I draw them with the cords of a man and with the coards of love I delt with them in a suitable way because that mans Nature had rather be drawn than driven and cannot so wel bear to be driven with violence as to be drawn by love Therefore saith God I wil deal with them according to their own Nature and in a suiteable way I draw them with the coards of a man and with bonds of Love here are the gracious expressions of God unto wretched sinners to break their hearts that they may come in and be reconciled to him God takes away the terror of his greatness and comes in loving and sweet waies to draw the hearts of sinners I appeal unto your consciences have not you that know what it is to be reconciled unto God had the Lord setting the riches of his Grace before your Soules have not you seen the alluring attributes of God presented before you to gain your hearts unto himself CHAP. 69. The Ninth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother is this that the Lord is willing to yeild unto his creatures as farr as may be to yeild to the creature I say as farr as he can with honor for such is the way of the Gospel in bringing sinners to God that God hath yeilded to his creatureâ— as farr as can be conceived to be done with honor he cannot deny himself and his Glory But take it thus farr that God must have his Glory it is impossible that God should yeild further to the creature than he hath done Whereas God might have required satisfaction in our own persons he hath yeilded to this I wil take it in another this is the condition of the Covenant of Grace from that of the Covenant of works the covenant of works required perfect obedience in our own persons so that if we did not obey it required saitsfaction of us Now in the covenant of Grace there is a high consideration as it were God is content to take it in a suerty He wil be content for our parts if there be uprightness if there be but endeavors if there be but willingness of heart though he sees that we do provoake him day by day wel saith God whereas I stood upon perfect obedience in the Covenant of works now saith God I wil he satisfied with the wil for the deed if there be but uprightness of heart though there be many weaknesses yet I wil be willing and content with that Now doth not a man shew himself willing to be reconciled unto another when he shal say wel let there be any terms propounded that can be I wil yeild to any tearms so far as I can with honor I must not dishonor my self but so farr as can be I yeild God hath done thus he professes to the world that so far as he can he hath yielded to us Now if we should not except of the termes that he requires for they are such tearms so reasonoble so equal that cannot be imagined less there cannot be less required of the Creature then is by the Creator Object You say beleeving is a great matter But consider it in its selfe it is not such a great matter but only in relation unto Christ in its own nature it is but as a poor begger that puts forth his hand to take the almes and it is God that gives it to us two Now if we do any thing what can we do less then receive espeâ—ially when we have a hand given us by God wherewith to receive as if a begger had an alms promised him if he would come and take it Oh! but saith the begger I am lame I cannot go and my hand is withered I cannot stretch it forth Wel he that would give the alms saith he wil help the beggar thither he wil help him to legs to go and he wil heal his hand and give it strength whereby he shal put it forth to receive the alms only do not strugle against me do not resist me I wil be with you you shal leane upon mee I wil give you stilts Is not here as much consideration as can be and so it is in the work of reconciliation of sinners unto God he gives alms and he gives the hand wherewith to receive it CHAP. 70. The tenth argument Manifesting the exceeding wilingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners And then the Lord manifests his willingness to be reconciled unto sinners in this he doth profess unto sinners that the greatest sins that ever they have committed shal not be a hinderance to bear of this work of reconciliation The Lord I say professes this to sinners he sends his messengers to tel them that though perhaps they may be conscious to themselves of some vile thing that they have committed whereby they may think that God wil never pass by that sin But God to take away the objection that they shal never be able to say so he doth make that as cleer as any thing in this world that there is not the greatest sin that ever thou hast committed except that one against the Holy Spirit no other sin shal barre or hinder the work of thy reconciliation and certainly where that sin is committed the heart wil never desire to come in to be reconciled to God but flies in the face of God to revenge himself upon God But if thou hast a heart that desires to come in to God that is an infallible argument that thou hast not committed that sin I might give you a great many Scriptures for this to shew that God professes that there is not any sin that shal make the bar in the way between him and thee in Isa 1 18. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord c. Yea come now let us reason together Thus God deals in a familiar way with sinners as if a Malefactor were before the Prince shaking quivering and trembling fearing that the Prince would have his life being conscious to himself of abundance of evil that he hath been guilty of and the Prince should go and take him by the hand and say Come let us rise up let us reason together though your offences be great yet that shal not be a bar between you and me This is that we have authority to proclaime even in the name of the Lord God of Heaven and to every poor soul and to the worst of sinners and to the greatest of sinners that are here or can be heer now before the Lord in his name this we say there is nothing past