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
against another there may be a peace made and they may lay down reasons on both sides but al this while they may not come in to a league of friendship and amity one with another But God is so Reconciled to a soul as that he entereth into a League with the soul entereth into Covenant Fiftly The Lord when he is Reconciled to a soul he is perfectly Reconciled we may give it that word for the truth is it is such a Reconciliation so perfect as that there shal not remain the least grudg in the heart of God towards a man Reconciled It is true on our side it is not so perfect but on Gods side it is so perfect a Reconciliation as that there shal not remaine the least grudg in the heart of God against the Creature for any hurt to the Creature Sixtly Yea such is the Reconciliation as that it is everlasting such a Reconciliation as there shal never be breach made more such a Reconciliation as there shal never be a falling out more And where was there ever such a peace made between one man and another when was ever one man so Reconciled unto another as that a man may say wel these two are thus and thus Reconciled who were at deadly enmity before yea they are so Reconciled as that there wil never more be any breach between them so Reconciled as that all that ever can be done in the world shal never break the bond of friendship that is between them Here is a Reconcilement to purpose and this Reconcilement there is between God and every Beleeving Soul at the first moment when thou first comest to Jesus Christ God shakes hands with thee entereth into League with thee become a friend to thee is so Reconciled unto thee as that there shal be nothing in the world shal ever break the Atonement that is made between God thy Soul You shal see how God himself expresseth it in that 54. Isa 10. speaking to his Church about this very word of Recâ—nciliation he saith The mountaines shall depart and the Hils be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee This Scripture though spoken to the Church is true of every beleeving soul Do you think that Mountains are firm many stormes and tempests may be abroad but all the stormes in the world cannot remove the mountaines Look saith God how firm and steady the mountains are So firm shall my mercy be to thee and the Covenant of my peace Hath God had mercy upon thy soul and hath he been reconciled unto thee know then it is such a Reconciliation as is more stable and firm than the very mountains themselves O! this is the Complement the top of Reconciliation that it is a perpetual Reconciliation So that notwithstanding though some of Gods waies may perhaps be towards you as if you were an enemy God may so appear to you sometimes yet peace is to thee God intends no hurt at all howsoever he may look somtimes as an enemy yet at that time he means thee not the least hurt All the afflictions that befall thee they do not come from God as from an enemy though perhaps through thy weaknesse thou maâ—'st think so for though God be Reconciled to thee in so gracious a way yet if he correct thee thou art apt to look upon him as an enemy No it is thy mistake Gods Reconciliation is a through Reconciliation and may stand with all those Corrections that he useth towards thee 7 Yea this Reconciliation wil continue constant notwithstanding all those sins of thine which indeed of their own nature make breaches between God and man Take heed of abusing such a doctrine as this is Thy sins cannot overcome Gods goodness O! let Gods goodness overcome thy wickednesse for that is certain the Lord when he was first reconciled to thee he did know that there would be many failings and fallings out as it were but yet he was resolved to be reconciled and that that receconciliation should continue notwithstanding all those failings and thy sins though they may change some administrations of God towards thee so that he may severely Correct thee yet they shall not take away this Reconcilation but the Lord will continue thy friend stil But yet if indeed thou beest Reconciled God wil put this into thy heart that when there is any failing in thee thou wilt never be at quiet till thou comest to renue thy peace again Thou mayest lose the sence of thy peace but thou shalt never lose thy peace indeed And though we cannot speak such a truth as this is without fear and trembling because it may cost the hardening of many a soul yet so willing is God that his people shal be Comforted as that he will have this doctrine of Reconciliation published though it cost the damnation of many sinners 8 Yea the Accusations of the Devil against thee shal never provoke God so as to turn enemy to thee again There may be peace made between friend and friend but it may be there may be some whisperers some tale-bearers and make-bates by a spirit of Jealousie that may goe between them and do abundance of mischeif by their suggestions but this cannot be between God and us It is true the Devil would be continually a make-bate between God and thy soul and doth continually go before God to accuse the soul and therefore he is called the Accuser of the Brethren But the peace that is made up between God and a soul through his Son is so firme and the friendship is so stable as that the Lord shuts his Ears aganist all the accusations that can be made against his friends One intire friend cannot indure to hear ill of another It is a signe that freindship begins to grow cold when they are willing to hear of any evill against their freind The Lord will not listen to the least accusation that is made by Satan against his friend he will not so much as be willing to hear of any thing spoken against his people such a perfect and through and firm peace is there made between the soul and God CHAP. 5. Twelve Blessed Consequencs of our Reconciliation But now that which I specially intended should have been to have shewed you some Consequences of this peace And therein I should have shewed you the excellency of the Reconciliation I will give you the particulars thereof very briefly The first Consequence First hence followeth peace with al the Creatures in the world whereas before not only God was an enemy but all the Creatures were enemies the good Creatures the ill Creatures thy Companions whom thou thoughtest to be thy friends the Heavens the earth the Beasts in the field the Stones in thy House they were all thy enemies not the least Creature in the world but was one of the Host of God ready pressed to avenge the quarrell of
of al your loose professors that walk so carelesly in their waies the peace they have had comes lightly to them and so goes lightly away from them they have patched to themselves a peace but they have not the right understanding of the mystery of the souls Reconciliation to God and that is the very ground of the looseness of their conversations Thus I have endeavoured to help you to examine your peace whether it be true or no. If you can upon these signes or notes conclude your peace to be right Blessed are you go your waies rejoycing and joyn with the Angels in their song Glory be to God in Heaven and peace on Earth glory be to the great God that is on high that hath not only made peace on Earth but made peace in my bosom and therefore O my soul returne unto thy rest Thy soul may now even take its ease You have a notable expression concerning this in Psal 25.12 where speaking of the happiness of the godly he saith What man is he that feareth the Lord his soul shal dwel at ease O! it is a blessed thing to have a soul dwel at ease You would fain have comfortable Habitations for your bodies where you may live at ease and not be disturbed or be troubled either with il neighbors or with fear of enemies O! but to have your Souls dwel at ease that is your happiness and therefore though in many places of the nation our Brethren abroad can have no houses wherein they may live at ease but are alwaies in great streights and dangers yet by this peace with God if it be made sure unto thee though thou wert in the midst of thy enemies thy soul may come to dwel at ease Remember that place therefore it is a blessed and a sweet promise and you should make much of it in such troublesome times as these are that he that fears the Lord his soul shal dwel at ease CHAP. 9. Use 3. To seek to make our Peace with God five helps thereunto 1. Keep from the outward Acts of sin 2. Labor to set God continully before you 3. Resolve not to be at Peace with your selves till you be at Peace with God 4. Seek Peace with God on his own Conditions 5. Prize Peace with God now as you wil value it at the day of Judgment THat we may conclude this particular of the excellency of our Reconciliation with God there is yet another Use which we may make of it And that is this Use 3. If it be of such a great excellency to be at peace with God O that you would al be in love with it that you would al seek to make your peace with him who is the great Reconciler You wil say Can we make our peace with God No you cannot do it but it is in a great part done to your hands if you have but hearts to seek after it It is true there is another point but that wil fal in afterward to shew how it is done to the hand of some already But for the present you must know that you can have no evidence to your own Conscience til you seek after this peace and the truth is if we either knew the need of it or the excellency of the injoyment of it we would never be at rest in any thing til we come to be assured that it is ours You wil say What shal we do I Answer though we know that it is the great work of Christ to make our peace with God yet God requires this and in requiring it if you belong to him he wil convey some secret influences of his grace into you to inable you to do it be wil give you a heart to labor for it which indeed is one signe of our peace Help 1. And therefore let me perswade you to do what you can do but keep for the present from the outward acts of sin and do not willfully give way to the inward or outward acts of sin labor to get your hearts to this that may you say the Lord knows I do not wilfully yield to any known sin convince your hearts possess your hearts throughly with this that it is the great work that you have to do in the world that this is that one thing that is necessary for your souls and you shal find that even this wil be a mighty thing to help you on Help 2. Again Labor to set God Continually before you the greatness of God the Majesty of God the power of God the goodness of God labor to set these before you thereby to draw your hearts to seek after your making your peace with God There is an excellent Scripture in Isa 27.5 That hath some difficulty for the understanding of it but it is very sweet if rightly understood Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shal make Peace with me it is a strange kind of Phrase and I find a great deal of difference amongst Interpreters about this text I find Mr. Calvin that usually hits as right as most carrying of it by way of interogation and so he saith you may read it thus Wil he take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me as if he should have said what wil he do wil he stay so long till he come to be made sensible of my power upon him and of my strength to bring him down and then it may be he wil make peace with me Thus many do they stay til God comes to make them sensible of his power and of his strength and then they wil make their peace with God But I can hardly think this to be the scope only it is a very good meditation to set God before you in his power in his strength in his glory and to meditate with your selves thus O if the Lord should come now and make me apprehensive and sensible of that power and strength of his indeed this wil stir up my heart to seek to make my peace with him What is the reason that there comes so many shreiks and cryings from souls when they are sensible of Gods power and strength O! they well know what a mighty God they have to do withal the truth is the reason why men do not make it their work now to seek Reconciliation and peace with God it is because they are not apprehensive of the power and majesty and glory that is in God how God is above them and can bring them under and make them vile and base when he pleaseth Therefore it is a good interpretation of the words Wil he take hold or apprehend my strength so the word signifies that he may make peace with me But to me the meaning is rather this wil he rather make use of my goodness and my mercy and so make peace with me For that is the strength that is here meant and that I shal shew you from the dependance only first
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
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
riches of his mercy and if thou beest one that God hath fastned upon to shew the riches of his mercy and Grace he shal get that Glory thereby to his name that he did most intend when he made the world Therefore though thy soul be pretious unto thee know that Gods Glory is more pretious unto him than thy soul can be to thee therefore God is more desirous of thy life with those that shal be saved hereafter than they can be desirous to be saved themselves this is a certaine truth because that God shal get more by the salvation of that soul than the soul shal get You get something but God gets much more now then if God be seeking after that that doth so much concern you and you know this day that Gods heart is more strongly set uppn it than yours one would think that this should be a mighty encouragement for any sinner to come in to be rconciled And therefore go on in thy way let not tentation come take off thy heart though yet God seems as an enemy to you We know that Josephs heart was as much towards his bretheren as his bretherens hearts were towards him Joseph dealt in a rugged way as if he had been their enemy yet then was his heart towards them And so go on in thy way of seeking the Lord and though God seeme to be as an enemy yet know that the heart of God is as much towards thee as thy heart can be towards him and Christ looks upon thee as one that he shal get glory to himself by for ever The good Lord say Amen It shal be so FINIS GODS PRESENT MERCIES TO HIS PEOPLE Are Arguments of FUTURE MERCIES Preashed at Saviors Southwark May 2. 1641. Hosea 2.14 And so on Behold I wil allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her and I wil give her Vinyards from thence and the vally of Achor for a door of hope she shal sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt and it shal be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt cal me Yshi and shalt cal me no more Baali THis Prophet was sent to the ten Tribes to apostate Israel God threatened dreadful evills against them and yet from the begining of this 14. verse to the end of the Chapter maketh Gratious promises unto them I shal only thus premise that the scope of the Holy Ghost here is to shew mercy to discover the Mercy of God to Apostatizing Israel in a way of conjugal union that though she had gone a whoring from God in regard of her idolatrous worship yet God was contented upon her repentance to take her again and to marry her unto himself and therefore al along the Prophet suits himself with such expressions that signify Gods willingness to marry himself unto her again in that way as they did use to manifest their conjugal love unto their Spouses and that being premised wil help us to understand many expressions both in the words read and in the succeeding part of the Chapter that otherwise would be very obscure to us and especially that in verse 14. I wil allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her this may be taken for bringing her into affliction and then speaking comfortably to her but that is not the scope of the Holy Ghost here it was only taken from the way of Marriage to carry the spouse out of the City into the field that was a heath and a common and so had the terme of a wilderness and there rejoycing and so bringing of her into the City and carrying of her to his Fathers house and that I might shew out of diverse places of scripture especially out of the Canticles who is this that cometh from the Wilderness The Holy Ghost taking this allusion from thence so that the meaning of this expression is nothing else but I wil deal gratiously with her as one that Marries a spouse and carries her out of the City into the field and there rejoyceth with her and speakes comfortably to her The main doctrinal conclusion which I intend to go through shal be raised from these words I wil give her the vally of Achor for a door of hope for I â—hall speak to no more then one point of Doctrine raised from those words I wil give her the vally of Achor for a door of hope It wil be necessary therefore before I tell you the doctrinal point to open these words unto you The vally of Achor It was that vally where Achan was stoned the story of which you may read in the 7 Chapter of the Book of Joshua and upon that occasion of the troubles that the people of Israel had by Achan this vally was called the vally of Achor for the vally of Achor is nothing else but the vally of trouble valla tribulationis the vally of trouble so alluding to that name Achan Now it is true that generally or by very many these words are carried thus That God wil so work things about as to cause the troubles of his people to be but doors of hope to let in Mercies to them and there is a truth in that doctrinal point but not a truth in the grounding of it upon this text for the meaning of the text is otherwise The vally of Achor Though the name signify trouble yet the truth is that this vally of Achor was a delightful vally a very fruitful vally it was just after the enterance into the Land of Canan that God gave it and God here doth allude stil to the way of marriage expressing his love to the ten tribes that he would receive them again and marry them unto himself in that way that they did use to marry amongst the Jews and the way was this amongst them when they did marry any according to the state of the husband he used to give her gifts commonly some field or piece of Ground and if he were a rich man then a larger piece of ground or a more fruitful peece of ground and so according to the height of his condition was his guift So saith God I wil give you a vally of Achor for a door of hope as you when you take a spouse to your selves then you use to indow her with some piece of land or ground according to your estate and that you give to her as a testification of that Love she is to expect from you for the future So I wil give you a vally of Achor I wil bestow fresh and choyce mercies upon you for the present and these mercies shal be in a way of dowrie as a testification of abundance of future good you shal receive from me this is the scope and sence of the Holy Ghost in these words As when God gave the people of Israel the land of Canaan he gave them this Valley
of Achor as the enterance at the door of Hope unto that Mercy that they should injoy from him in the Land of Canaan That this Valley of Achor was a delightful fruitful Valley it appears evidently from that Text in Esa 65.10 And Sharon shal be a Field of flocks and the Valley of Achor a place for the Heards to lie down in for my people that have sought me Here God promises the Valley of Achor as a blessing to the people that did seek him and the Heards should lie down in it it was a very fruitful place and therefore God maketh such a promise Now though it hath the name of trouble yet we find that God promiseth it to his people as a token of his Mercy and so it is to be understood in these words therefore having the meaning of it now we come to the Doctrinal Conclusion that is to be grounded upon this Scripture thus opened unto you the Doctrine then is this Doct. That the Mercies that God bestows upon his Church and his people are doors of hope to future Mercies Present Mercies that God grants unto his people are doors of hope to future Mercies Al Gods Mercies to his Saints are inlets unto further Mercies This is the high priviledge of the Saints of God it belongs not to every one The wicked indeed when they receive any thing from God they may write their Ne plus ultra upon it this is like to be their PORTION and they may wonder that they have any thing at al but the Mercies of God unto his people may be al called doors of hope the name of Joseph may be written upon them as we may read in Genesis 30.24 When Rachel had once conceived and did bear a Son shee called his name Joseph and said The Lord shal add another when she had one she made it a pledge of another the Lord shal another So it is with Gods mercies to his people they are Josephs may conclude that God shal add another when God delivered his people out of Egypt Exod. 13.15 saith Moses Thou hast guided them unto thy holy habitation thou hast guided them that deliverance Moses tooke as a certain Argument of Gods further Mercy toward them thou hast guided them When God did but begin with David in 2 Sam. 5.12 to shew but a little Mercy an outward Mercy to him David did conclude that God had established him in the Kingdome How so God had shewed a great favor outwardly unto David and David could conclude that that favor he did receive was bur an inlet unto more an argument of establishment of him in his Kingdome God hath delivered and he wil deliver saith the Apostle As God maketh way in his wrath by lesser judgements upon the wicked in Psal 78.45 so God maketh way for his Mercy by present lesser Mercies unto his Children But now in the prosecution of this point we shal discover to you 1. The Reasons of it how this cometh to pass 2. We shal answer a question about Gods interuption of his Mercies 3 Discover unto you how we shal come to know when Gods present Mercies are but preparations unto future Mercies what kinds of Mercies those are and how to be known that are but inlets unto other Mercies And then 4. Come to the Uses of the Doctrine that Gods Mercies to his pâ—ople are but in-lets unto greater Reason 1. That cometh hence because of the fulness of mercy that is in God there is such an infinite Ocean and stream and treasure of Mercy in the Lord that hence it is that when it cometh and beginneth to run unto the Saints to the people of God that the beginnings of it are but preparations to let out more the Scripture saith that God doth delight in mercy in Micah 7.18 now that that a man delighteth in if he once begin that that he doth is but to draw on more Gods Mercies are called his Riches God is rich in Mercy the Wisdome of God the Power of God and the Justice of God are not called Gods Riches they are called his Glory I wil make my Glory to passe by and God proclaims his Mercy now then because the Mercies of God are his delight his Riches his Glory when he hath fit subjects to let out these upon when he beginneth once to let them out these beginnings are Testimonies of a Fountain that is to be communicated Reason 2. Al Gods Mercies to his people they come out of love Amor nescit nimium Love knows not too much it knows not any such expression as too much there is nothing too much for Love Love it must not be limited if Love begin to be shewn that that cometh out of Love wâ—l have no bounds Now al the goodnesse that God shews to his people it cometh out of Love out of infinite Love and therefore one Fruit of goodness is but a drawing on of another Indeed when Gods goodness cometh out of general bounty then it is in another manner it stops soon but when it comerh out of intire Love the infinite Love of God it stoppeth not But Thirdly There is another Argument that added to these two maketh it strong indeed and that is Reason 3. That the goodness of God unto his peopel is a fruit of the covenant it cometh not only out of love but it cometh unto them as the fruit of an everlasting covenant that God hath made with them a sure covenant now in the covenant of grace that God hath made with his people there is a connection of al mercies a concatination of al the goodness of God there the treasure of mercy is in the covenant and an exceeding strength of mercy in the covenant to bear down al hindrances and oppositions there mercy is tied unto them by truth and as we read of the covenant between Jonathan and david in 1 Sam 20 15. That David made a covenant with Johnathan that he would never cut off his loving kindness from him nor from his house after him such a covenant hath God made with al his people that he wil never cut off his loving kindness from them he hath made no such covenant with the wicked no God may shew them some favour for the present yet he hath not made a covenant that he wil never cut off his mercy from them you may have abundance of favours this day but you may have them eternally cut off from you but the saints of God are in such a blessed condition as God doth not only shew them mercy for the present but he hath made a covenant with them never to cut off his loving kindness from them and upon this covenant though there he many weaknesses and many distempers in them frailties and infirmities yet God wil never cut off his loving kindness from them Reason 4. Because that the Goodness of God to his people as it cometh from an eternal fountain so it is let out for the accomplishments of eternal ends
entertain it kindly for certainly it wil make way for further mercy that shal be the Third And then the fourth is this USE 4 The consideration of this point may cause abundance of humiliation to our hearts cause exceeding sad thoughts if this be so that one mercy of God makes way to another one mercy if it be sanctified and have the blessing of God with it it is a door of hope to another hence when we look backwards to these waies of Gods mercies that have been heretofore towards us and look to the oppertunities that we have had of obtaining further mercy from God and consider how we have lost them when God was in a way with us Oh! that should draw tears of blood from us look back to thy life I suppose there is never one in this congregation but in looking back to the waies of Gods providence to them they cannot but cry Oh! the Lord was once in a way of mercy to me there was a time that certainly God was merciful to me Nay not only in outwad mercies such and such deliverances I had at such a time Oh! had I followed those mercies What might I have gotten when I was crying to God for deliverance God heard me God hath delivered me delivered my family now God as it were was in a way of mercy to me O! had I followed that then what might I have gotten but I neglected the opportunity I lost it and now God is in another way with me but especially when you look back to the opportunities that you have had for the good of your souls hath not God many times bin in a way of mercy to your souls Oh! was not there such a time when you began to have frequent workings of Gods spirit in you you began to have light darted into your Consciences to have the spirit of God drawing your hearts that when you came to the word you found the word coming with power and the spirit of God sealing it and your hearts did begin to yeild and to melt before God Oh! what might you have gotten if you had gone on if you had followed God in those convictions of conscience and in those beginnings of troubles you had and workings of Gods spirit what might you have come to now There was a door of hope but fooles and wretched men to stick in the birth and come not forth and alas May not many say Oh! that I had a door of hope there was such a mercy of God towards me but wo to me the door is shut I find my heart shut up and my conscience shut up and my heart now is hard but it was beginning to be softened but Oh! how hard it is now God was opening my heart but now it is otherwise with me and for ought I know God is gone and Christ is gone I had a day if I had knowen it Oh! it had been happy for many in this place if they had at such a time followed God when he was in a way of Mercy If it may be when God was in a way of mercy to thee thou haddest had a heart to go into thy closet and there cried to God to follow on that Good work that he had begun and to make it effectual to thee this had been a gracious work to thy soul but thou wentest away into thy shop into thy calling perhaps into the Tavern or Alehouse to thy gaming to thy company and so nâ—glectedest the day of Grace there was a door of hope but there was another door thou haddest a mind rather to follow than to follow God in the way of mercy I wil not say that there is no door of hope for thee for there may be a door of hope but this I wil say that thy condition is a lamentable and most greivous condition and thou haddest need look to it for this consideration sinketh the hearts of men and women afterwards If thou shouldest come to thy sick bed or death bed perhaps thy conscience wil preach that to thee that now I am preaching to thee and then thy conscience wil give ananswer it is true there was a door of hope opened to me and then if any Minister come to offer Mercy I you wil say it is for those that have a time of Mercy but God did open my heart and I did shut my heart against him and these thoughts and conclusions are the despairing and sinking thoughts of men and women upon their sick beds and if God never had been coming towards me there might have been some hope but what hope is there now for me Oh! take heed for time to come any of you if God be coming in a way of Mercy if this day by the word at this time he begin to open any of your hearts labor to follow him to go in at this door of hope Wel that is the fourth again fiftly from this point learn this USE 5. If one Mercy be but an inlet to another Mercy then this should teach al the people of God to be content to beare one affliction though it be but a way making for another affliction the argument runs thus It is true there cometh an affliction and by and by another and that makes way for another and so the cloudes rise after the raine and how many poor weak hearts are plunged and dejected they can bear one affliction I but when another cometh and another cometh at length they fal down under the weight of their afflictions but if thou be one that belongest to God and hast the assurance of this point that I have this day been preaching to thee then use it as an argument to uphold thy heart It is true one affliction cometh after another and one affliction maketh way for another and hath not one mercy come after another too and hath not one mercy made way for another too I am sure I have had mercies thick and three fold and one hath made way for another and though I have new afflictions making way one for another yet let me beare them considereing how long a time I have had mercies making way one for another yet further in the sixt place the sixt Use of this may be of great conscequence too VSE 6. That if this be the way of God towards his people that one mercy shal make way for another then it should be the way of the people of God towards him again that one duty should make way for another duty there is a great deal of reason for it If God be thus gratious to us that one mercy maketh way for another then we should be so thankful to him that one duty of ours should make way for another duty and this brethren is a most excellent thing that one duty maketh way for another duty as I told you before when a duty is accounted a mercy then it wil certainly persevere and so take this second note of persevering comeing in here when one duty
surely now God is gone peace is gone Christ is gone hope of God for posterity is even gone we are made a prey to their teeth and even swallowed up and now after that we gave up al for gone and did conclude that God had shut the door for ever against us yet now for God to open a door of hope this may work upon our conscences to sanctify the Lords name and to follow the Lord with all our might in this way of mercy Yea shal I say further in the fift place 5. Consider with what a mighty hand this door of hope was opened to you I remember I have read that Josephus speaking concerning the destruction of the Temple he saith that at the time a little before the Temple was destroyed that the Temple door that refused to be opened by thirty men it was so great that it required the service of thirty men every mornning to open the door and every night to shut it yet a little before the destruction of the Temple that door flew open alone of its own accord and they took it as a mighty ominous thing as the hand of God Surely this door of hope could not have been opened by al the skil and power of men they could not conceive the way God came by his immediate hand and opened it a mighty hand an out stretched arme of God hath taken the barrs away and opened this door of hope now to abuse it or not to thank the name of God in that in which Gods hand hath feemed remarkable Oh! this is a greivious sin and a mighty provoking of God since this is the door that Gods mighty hand hath opened Again further 6. It is a door that many adversaries have laboured to shut a long time Oh! what devices councels plotts al the waies that possibly could be devised to shut this door but God hath kept it open and put in a bar to keep it open notwithstanding our adversaries We may say of this as Saint Paul in another case speaking of another door in 1 Cor. 16.9 There was an effectual door opened and there were many adversaries for it so we may say that here is a door opened and many adversaties there be Yea further in the next place 7. This door Oh! it is a door of mercy by mercy and therefore be thankful I say it is a door of mercy by mercy Bretheren had God opened a door of hope though it had been the vally of Achor in the other sence though God had given us the vally of Achor for a door of hope in the other sence that the words are ordinarily taken in that is the vally of trouble if God had brought never such troubles upon England and we had been in never such trouble and confusion for the present yet if God had made this a door of hope to bring in mercy we had infinite cause of thankfulness But yet this is his goodness that we have a door of hope of mercy by mercy we may say of this door as the scripture saith of that door in 1 Kings 6.31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of Olive trees two doors also of Olive trees and carved The doors of the Temple they were made of the Olive trees and the Olive you know is a symbole of peace our door of hope it is made of Olive trees Oh! we might have had iron doors and gates to rend our flesh and we might have passed through fire and water to have come at mercy but beloved we have a door of Olive trees of abundance of mercies yea such a door in the enterance of which we find abundance of mercies at the very threshold of the door Oh! what mercies have been found already I say in the beginning of the indeavors of those that have been our door keepers or rather our doors of hope what abundance of Mercies have been found already so that I may say of the indeavors of those assembled now in Parliament as it is said there in the book of the Canticles of the Churches indeavors in the time of reformation for so that place is by many understood in 5 Canti 5. I rose up to open to my beloved what then And my hand dropped with Myrrh and my Fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the â—andles of the Lock what is the meaning of this The Church of God when Christ had called by his spirit afterwards stirred by his Grace began to indeavor reformation and the very first indeavoring of reformation when they were but entered upon the door of reformation Oh! it was very sweet in the Nostrills of God very savory my hands dropped with Myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the handles of the lock when I was but indeavoring to open and to reform then my indeavors were very savory to the Nostrills of Christ So the very fingers of our worthies do they not smel of sweet Myrrh Are they not savory in the Nostrills of God and in the Nostrills of his Saints They are savory when their hands are but upon the very handles of the lock therefore seeing we have such a precious door as this is we are bound to seek God for the opening of it and the continuing of it open but yet further Considering bretheren the wideness and the largness of it every one that doth but know how the constellation of things are abroad in the affairs in Germany in France and Spaine and the Low-cuntries and every where they see that God is as it were conspiring together to make this door of our hope wider and wider to us and to enlarge our opportunities God in this bids us come and aske what we wil and we shal have it such a wide door that our fore fathers never knew Oh! how would they have rejoyced to see this wide door of hope opened Oh! how unthankful unworthy wretches should we be if such a wide door of hope as this should be neglected Nay Consider not only bretheren the wideness of this door but the treasures into which this door opens to what doth this door open if it open to that that hath no great treasure in it there needs not so much striving to get in but if it open to rich and invaluable treasures then there is need of striving to get in surely bretheren this door of our hopâ— opens into unvaluable and Glorious treasures what treasures the liberty of our estates is a great feavor deliverance from oppression of wicked and unreasonable men is a great feavor Oh! much more is our liberty of conscience Is our liberty of conscience oppressed That is the oppression that cyeth in Gods eares The oppression of the poor the oppression of bread that cryeth but when the children of God shal cry to their Father Father these proude prelatical men are those that take away our bread they have cryed up to God and God hath heard their crie and now hath opened a door to deliver us