his countenance that he lifts it up It is not that he hath any need of us or any motive from us except our misery and this the Scripture every where holds forth Of his own will that is of his meer good pleasure James 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia voluit becanse he would and free grace begat he us with the word of truth this alone is the spring and original both of our regeneration and salvation For by grace ye are saved but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we Eph. 2. 8. v. 4. 5. were dead in sins hath qu savâ—d us c. But according to his mercy he 〈◊〉 us by the washing Titus 3. 5. of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost c. I will heal their back-sliding I will love Hos 14. 4. them freely c. He will turn again and whence he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities c. Since thou wast precious in my sight that is since thou becamest dear to me Is 43. 4. and I vouchsafed thee grace and favour thou Iter ad gratiam est per gratiam per quae ipsam venitur ad ipsam Prosper hast been honourable and I have loved thee I have manifested my love several ways to thee and all from love and meer grace and good will So that it is of free grace meerly that God exhibits and shews grace it is of love that he manifests love and how much may this encourage poor creatures to seek unto the Lord that he would turn them again and cause his face to shine it being nothing but free grace and meer mercy that hath put him upon doing this for others and though they be so unworthy yet why may not free and rich grace put God upon doing that for them which it hath put him upon doing for others God never turned any again to himself or caused his face to shine on them because they were worthy but because he was gracious not because they deserv'd it but because it was his good pleasure so to do it not because of any merit in them but because of that mercy that is in himself not because of works which they had done but because of what he was pleas'd of meer mercy and free grace for to do Thus the Lord tells Israel that because Deut. 7. 7 8. he loved them he set his love upon them here 's the spring and rise of all the good will and pleasure of God the natural bent purpose and Rom. 9. 15. Phil. 2. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro gratuitâ suâ benevolentiâ Pise inclination of God's heart to do the creature good I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion whom I will have compassion and he worketh both to will and to do of his good pleasure 9. Let us consider that as it is from free grace that any are turned again so it is by grace that they are turned as from favouring accepting grace so by sanctifying renewing grace as from the freeness of the one so by the effectual operation of the other it is free grace alone that puts God upon doing and then sanctifying grace that does it Look what ever any have been or are as to any saving work of conversion upon the soul and turning them again unto the Lord as it has been wholly upon the account of free accepting grace so it has been wholly by the powerful operation of sanctifying renewing grace as meerly from grace so wholly by grace and whatever any have been or are as to any saving work it is by the grace of God that they are what are and what that grace hath done for others that sometimes were what thou now art the same can it effect for thee We all says the Apostle with 2 Cor. 3. 18. open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory But how by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord is free not only as making free or being freely given but as acting freely The wind bloweth Joh. 3. 8. where it listeth c. and so does the Spirit breath freely where he pleases and can cause the same gales of grace to breath upon thee as he hath done upon others as God vouchsafeth his favour so he also gives grace and works by his grace where when and on whom he pleases and all that any are or have it is by that grace as the Apostle expresseth it as concerning himself that they are what they are and have what they have And last of all he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time For I am the 1. Cor. 15. 8 9 10. least of the Apostles that am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God but by the grace of God I am what I am what I am as to that change that is now wrought in me as to any saving work of conversion Quicquid est non sibi aut meritis suis sed soli gratiae Dei tribuit Pareus upon my soul as to being a true convert a true Christian and believer as to being an Apostle and a preacher who before was a persecutor as to what I thus am as it is meerly from grace so it is wholly by grace that I am what I am and others whatever they are being by grace what they are as to any saving work of grace why by the same grace mayest not thou be the same they are Is not grace as free and as effectual for thee as for another can it not do and effect that for thee that it hath done for others Take grace away and others are what thou art let grace work upon thee and thou shalt be the same as others are O what may not free grace put God upon and what will not effectual 2 Cor. 9. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace do And God is able as the Apostle speaks to make all grace to abound towards you that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work What cause have we to adore the fulness of this Scripture here are five all 's 1. All grace and not some onely 2. All ways and not now and then onely 3. All-sufficiency and not some sufficiency onely 4. In all things and not in some onely 5. To every or all good works and all grace abound as to all these what wants can exceed such supplies what indigencies such sufficiency and what cannot such grace do 10. Consider how far soever thou mayest have turned away or turned aside from God yet God has turned again as great sinners and turners aside as thou hast been or art Ephes 2. 1. And you hath he quickened which were dead in sins and trespasses not
Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and return and I will heal your back-slidings So Turn to the Lord your Joel 2. 13 14. God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him c. And Let the wicked forsake his way Isaiah 55. 7 8. and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on Nemo se curandum praebeat qui contemptui non compassioni se medico suo putat futurum him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts c. And so in many places besides and also in the New Testament the promise of grace and pardon and salvation is propounded as the great motive and means and cause of Repentance i. e. as apprehended and received and how can that be but by faith Repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and Repent ye and be converted Matth. 3. 2. 4. 17. that your sins may be blotted out c. And hence true repentance may be thus described that it is An Evangelical or Gospel-saving grace whereby a believing sinner or a sinner upon the apprehension and perswasion of the mercy of Acts 3. 19. God in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves and humbles himself for his sins as that he turns from them to the Lord for where there are nothing but apprehensions of wrath and displeasure there can be no true saving Evangelical conversion 4. It must be such a turning as hath joyn'd with it shame and even confusion of face for what the sinner turns from for what he hath been and done for the sins he hath committed And thus it was with Ephraim when he repented and turn'd to God indeed as himself acknowledges Surely after that I was turned I repented that Jer. 31. 19. is God working in me by a spirit of conversion I also cooperated by and with his grace having a lively sorrow for my sin and a striving after newness of life and now my heart was in another frame and my life in another way then before And after I was instructed saw and understood and consider'd how it was with me what I had been and what I had done I smote upon my thigh I was much moov'd troubled and griev'd and not onely so but I was ashamed yea confounded Thus it was when he was turn'd and repented indeed because says he I did bear the reproach of my youth of those sins and excesses and miscarriages of my youth these much dear'd me and exceedingly sham'd me as they will do others when they come to repent indeed O that sin and Satan and the world and vanity should have the prime and flower of their age and the best and first of their days and that in their very strength and vigour when they were best able to do him service they should do him least nay be unserviceable and serve the Devil and their lusts And what a shameful thing is this and how can the sinner but blush when he comes to be sensible of it Pudor est affectus qui nascitur ob aliquam turpitudinem c. P. Martyr Shame and confusion of face is that which arises from doing shameful things from doing what is unworthy unseemly vile even against common principles so from doing that of which comes no fruit or benefit but hurt rather as also from having hopes frustrated c. and all these fall in with sin What a vile and unworthy thing is it that God should be left for the creature the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns that can hold no water that happiness it self should be forsaken for misery all sufficiency for indigency and vanity and the Lord of life and glory for vile lusts and leasing c. There is a natural affection of shame which appears in the countenance by blushing when any thing is done amiss and is to be cherisht especially in young ones so as to be as a bridle to keep off from what is matter of shame so it grow not to excess but then there is a holy and gracious shame which is a concomitant of Repentance and conversion causing trouble and grief and debasing of the soul before God and this hath been still found among true Converts Thus Ezra 9. 6. Ezra I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God c. So the Lord tells Jerusalem Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed Ezek. 16. 61. 36. 31. c. And ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities c. And this Sancti viri semper dolent erubescunt de admissis peccatis Pet. Martyr hath such an affinity with repentance that it is sometimes put for Repentance What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed that is whereof ye now repent and from which ye are converted for the end of those things is death and therefore well might they be ashamed of such things in which not onely there was no profit but which tended to so much hurt even to their own ruine and destruction And thus it is with all true converts however before they bore themselves up and set a good face on their sins yet now being enlightned and come to themselves and their right minds they are ashamed And if this be to repent and be converted how few Converts are there in these days and how far are such from it who go on in their sins without shame which is an heavy aggravation of them It is best not to do what is matter of shame but having done it not to be ashamed doubles it and it is that the Lord much complains of Thou had'st a whores forehead thou refusedst to he ashamed And Jerem. 3. 3. 6. 15. were they ashamed when they had committed abominatoon nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush they would not blush and at length they were so hardened they could not blush This the Lord complains of again Jer. 8. 12. and again in Isaiah 3. 9. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them and they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not they are bold brazen-fac'd impudent Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor Salust they care not who sees or knows their sin they glory even in their shame And this is too too much the guise of England this day which does so much aggravate our sin and augment our guilt and is exceeding sad and bodes exceeding ill Our filthiness as was said of Jerusalem Lament 1. 9. is in our skirts it is not hid but open obvious apparent and I have not found it says the Jerem. 2. 34. Lord by secret search or by digging
deem them why because Singulare beneficium cruce quasi spinis occludi viam peccandi God makes use of them many times to further and help forward this blessed turn and this being the onely way for sinners to be saved and to have it well with them this speaks well of afflictions Thus Manasseh who was so grievous a 2 Chron. 33. 12. sinner yet being in affliction he sought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly c. and Luk. 15. â—7 18. when the prodigal suffered hardship and was ready to perish with hunger then he resolv'd to arise and go to his father and when God hedged up Israel's way with thorns sent troubles and Hosea 2. 6 7. distresses upon them then she resolves to go and return to her first husband not as if they effected this of themselves but by the Spirits working in them and by them But whiles sinners live in jollity and prosperity and have no troubles nor changes they never think of changing their way nor returning to God and thus the prosperity of fools destroys them whereas adversity might be Prov. 1. 32. a means to save them but by the other they are hardened and encouraged to go on still in a course of sin without returning Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed Eccles 8. 11. Psalm 73. 5 6. 50 21. therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil They are not in trouble as other men therefore pride compasses them about c. These things hast thou done and I kept silence Psal â—0 21. thou thoughtest I was such a one altogether as thy self So Thou art wearied in the Is 57. 10. See also Ps 55. 19. Jer. 5. 28. 22. 21. c. greatness of thy way yet saidst thou not there is no hope and why thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved that is thou hast found comfort by the Assyrians and they promise to strengthen thy hand with help and therefore thou art incouraged to go on still in thy way and therefore 't is a great mercy to such for God to afflict them and give them trouble and grief that so the ways of sin may be wearisome and troublesome and so they may think of returning from them when in some measure they feel the weight and burden of them and happy affliction that works to conversion happy troubles that further a sinner's peace by furthering his turning to God and putting a stop to him in his sins that cause sinners to seek the Lord whom before they forgot and lived without And how may this help to sweeten and alleviate the bitterness of afflictions and though bitter yet render them better than the sweetest pleasures of sin Blessed is the man whom thou châ—stenest O Lord and Ps 94. 12. teachest him out of thy Law c. Blessed blacks that are a means to turn us white and happy darks that are a means to turn us to light But 2 Chron. 15. 4 Is 26. 16. when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord c. Lord in trouble have they visited thee c. In their affliction they will seek â—e verly c. Hos 5. 15. But while sinners go in 〈◊〉 their greatest affliction and punishment is not to 〈◊〉 afflicted their greatest crosâ— and 〈…〉 crost for such are like to go on still in their sins And thus that which many sinners count their greatest felicity to prosper and be without trouble and affliction in their evil ways they go on in it is their greatest misery and that which they count their greatest priviledg is their greatest plague and proves their greatest detriment there being nothing sadder than a sinner prospering in an evil course and God not afflicting him and thus the Lord threatens it I will not punish your daughters when they commit Hos 4. 14. whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery c. And this is the greatest punishment the forest wrath the highest displeasure the furnace is heated here seven times hotter than ordinary for such are like to go on to commit whoredome and adultery still God withholding those punishments whereby they might be restrain'd and letting them go on without controule to their own utter confusion and destruction not taking any more pains with them by corrections to restrain their courses in sin but letting them go on still in the full career of their lusts and be as vile as they will and this is the heaviest judgment and argues the hottest displeasure it is next door to hell and such are within one step of being as miserable as they Vis indignantis Dèi terribilem vocem audire c. Orig. can be Wilt thou says one hear the terrible voice of a provoked God hear it here I will not punish c. So v. 17. and Matth. 15. 15. Bernard calls it a mercy more cruel than all Misericordia omni indignatione crudelior indignation a killing courtesie a cut-throat kindness yet how many are ready to bless themselves and think it a fine world to go on in their own ways without trouble whereas there cannot a greater plague befall them which made Luther cry strike Lord strike spare not and Feri Domine feri c. Jeremiah 10. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgment c. And this makes afflictions a great priviledge a choice mercy when they further our repentance and make us change our purpose and resolve to turn to God CHAP. X. The second Vse of the point in general by way of Exhortation and first to seek this by Prayer THE onely way for a people to be saved Use 2. of Exhortation is it for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine O as ever then we would be saved saved our selves or have others saved ours saved the Kingdom saved Church saved City countrey towns families friends relations little ones bodies souls religion lives liberties estates Gospel or whatever else is near or dear to us and as ever we would be sav'd indeed sav'd to purpose sav'd in mercy so as to be blessed and happy in being sav'd and have it well with us and all happily succeed to us here and be everlastingly saved hereafter let us all in the name and fear of God be exhorted excited and stirred up to seek this beseech this earnestly to intreat and importune this O that the Lord God of hosts would turn us again and cause his face to shine let this be our frequent and our fervent our often and our earnest prayer unto him and let us continue thus praying asking seeking begging beseeching intreating importuning knocking 'till the Lord is pleased to give us a gracious answer let us resolve with Jacob not to let him go except he thus bless us for nothing can avail us as to our happiness as to our weal as to the having
without hurt and though six and seven troubles throng us not any the least evil toucheth Job 5. 19. Ps 25. 10. us but all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth Thus when we turn to God with a holy turn God turns to us with a gracious turn and when God turns to us all good is afloat towards us and all evil is ebbing and hastening from us all in heaven and earth will become turned for our good Deut. 30. 3. The Lord tells Israel that if they shall return to the Lord their God then the Lord their God will turn their captivity and have compassion on them and will return c. But let me a little more particularly and distinctly hold forth some of the benefits of this turn 1. This is the great blessing of the Gospel even the blessing that Jesus Christ himself being raised up and exalted by his father is sent to bless with in the preaching and dispensing thereof Vnto you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every Acts â— 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si vos converteritis c. So Syriack and Arabick c. one of you from his iniquities Some indeed read it if you turn or every one of you turning c. and so make being blest an argument and motive to turn And this is a true and a good sense that when we turn away from our iniquities though not by any strength of our own that then Jesus Christ will bless us But first Jesus Christ must bless us in turning us before he bless us being turn'd and therefore others render it as here in turning you as declaring the way and manner how Christ blesses and this agrees well with the word bless for iniquity being that alone which brings the curse the onely way to be blest must needs be to be turned from it and while people are not turned from their sins but still go on impenitently in them they cannot be blest Thus conversion is the great Gospel-blessing and the way to be further yea for ever blest and it prevents the curse which else we cannot evade And he shall turn the heart of the fathers c. Least I come and smite the earth with a curse Mas 4. 6. 2. Upon this follows that great and glorious and inestimable mercy and priviledg of pardon that mercy of mercies which makes 〈◊〉 and the want of which makes hell yea which if not enjoy'd every thing else as one expresses it even our very boards and beds and fields and houses are but as an hell to us David having been for a while under the sense of God's cispleasure for his sins but feeling at length the Sun-shine of God's favour breaking forth through the clouds upon him in this mercy O how jowfully does he break out and how admiringly does he speak of the blessedness of those who partake of so great a mercy of so glorious a priviledg Blessed is he whose transgression Ps 32. 1 2. is forgiven whose sin is covered that is by the Lord for man must not cover it but acknowledg it Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity c. Blessed or as others O blessed O happy or O the blessednesses or O welfares the man it is a joyful acclamation for such a man's felicity Dutch read it right happy or happy indeed he is so indeed whose transgression is forgiven c. We have here in several words the same benefit repeated because of the greatness of it and though here is Autology yet not Tautology for these several Metaphorical expressions are wonderfully comfortable 1. Sin is a burden and the first word signifies an easing or taking away and blessed is he that is eased of such a burden 2. Sin is most loathsome and filthy in the sight of God and he is of purer eyes that he can behold or look on it but with utter detestation and abhorrence and the second word notes a covering of it and aâ—â—â—tting it out of his sight contrary to that Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance To set us our selves there is our happiness but to set our sins there is our wo and misery and there cannot be a greater And cover not their Neh. 4. 5. iniquity c. 3. Sin is a debt and the third notes a not imputing or reckoning it and what a blessed thing is pardon that does all this does sin trouble as a burden pardon eases and takes it off as loathsom pardon covers it as a debt pardon does not impute it and this follows upon repentance this priviledg of remission upon the grace of conversion not as the cause of it but as the way and order in which God will have it to behad And hence we find them joyned together Luke 24. 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name c. Acts 5. 3. To give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin c. And be Joh. 12. 40. converted and I should heal them Mark has it c. 4. v. 12. And their sins should be forgiven them which is the souls healing That 's a full place Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. The former of these words repent seems to import conviction and contrition the latter conversion and amendment one repentance of sin or for sin the other repentance from sin And this is to repent indeed to do both to bewaile what we have committed and not go on still to commit what we have bewail'd and what follows upon this the Deleta non ut non sint sed ut non imputentur propter imputatam sponsoris nostri obedientiam Tossan blotting out of our sins that your sins may be blotted out that is pardoned our sins are in Scripture compared unto debts and these are registred as it were in God's book and there stand upon record and now the Apostle tells them that if they did repent and were converted these debts should be blotted out God's Metaphora sumpta à creditoribus qui debita vel interveniente satisfactione vel gratis remissa delent book cross'd all scores quit and that hand-writing which was against them should be cancell'd which is so choice a priviledg and mercy of mercies that this if there was no more might seem motive enough to put people upon repenting and turning to God that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall come from the presence of the Lord. There are by the way times of refreshing or cooling as the Greek hath it to come to the people of God after the heat of their afflictions and persecutions here compar'd to fire As there 1 Pet. 4. 12. remains a rest for the
none among them to call and invite them to better but suffer'd them to walk in their own ways and to go to hell in their Acts 14. 16. Idolatries God did not manifest his will to to them as he did to the Jews and thus the old Translation has it God regarded not Dutch reads it overlooked or disrespected lightly and slightly past them by his eye was not upon them for good so as to provide for them and send amongst them those that should call and invite them to repentance as he does now The word is the same that is used Acts 6. 1. and it signifies to despise neglect look over or besides because their widows were neglected So that to have an eye upon a place or person it being to manifest kindness and respect this winking seems to be Psal 33. 18. 34. 15. opposed to favour rather than justice viz. that God disregarded them overlooking them or besides them and not at them in mercy And de Dieu upon the place shews that it signifies God's anger and displeasure against them and therefore hid the means of salvation from them so that here not onely is God's command of repentance made known but the goodness of God in pressing the same c. And truly it is very sad in this sense for God to look over or look besides a place or people not so to regard times and shew that care of them and respect towards them as to send those among them that should call and invite them to repentance But England has nothing to charge God with as to this if this be to manifest respect to a people never had Nation clearer nor fuller demonstrations thereof then we have had And this sense and interpretation of the words does best agree with the sequel but now commandeth all men every where to repent and therein manifests more grace and favour he does not now leave nor let men alone to go on in their sins and walk in their own ways as formerly but many are now sent forth to call and invite them to repentance to reclaim sinners and to reduce wandering prodigals crying Turn ye turn ye and return return Repentance and remission of sins is now preached in Christ's name and many shew here and there and where ever they come that men should repent and turn to God c. So that now the great God does not onely command all men every where to repent but the holy Ghost specifies it here as a choice mercy and singular favour and priviledg that he does so and that beyond what he vouchsafed to former ages and the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent and truly next to true repentance and saving conversion it self this is the choicest mercy and greatest and highest priviledg that God can betrust a place or people with and this is the clearest and amplest demonstration of God's regard and respect to times that he can give for God to send his messengers up and down here and there in his name to command and invite and call upon people to repent and turn to God to cry as those Prophets of old Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye now from your evil ways Zach 1. 4. and from your evil doings c. and Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dy and as that blessed Martyr Repent O England repent repent this is the fruit of God's compassion 2 Chr. 36. 15. on a people and in this the tender mercy of Luk. 1. 77 78 79 God yea the very bowels of his mercy do break forth and display themselves and to despise and reject such mercy to kick against such bowels causes the wrath of the Lord to arise against a people till there is no remedy for if says 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. Christ I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is in comparison their sin Joh. 15. 22. had not been so grievous as now it is but they might have had some excuse because of their ignorance but now they have no cloak or pretence for their sin Thus that the great and most high God commands us to repent not only should his soveraign authority therein awe us and have a strong influence upon us to obey but the regard and respect also which therein he manifests to us and the care which he shews he has therein of our souls and this is here subjoyned as one reason why he now commands all men every where to repent v. 31. because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead There is a day of judgment set a great and terrible day in which God will judg the world and he hath given assurance thereof to all men and now God would have it well with men at that day that they might be found then in peace and that it might be a day of refreshing to them and to that end he now commands them all every where to repent and to turn to him without which he knows it will be a sad day to them a day of perdition and destruction and therefore is he still long-suffering towards us not from slackness but from a willingness that none of us should perish but that we should all come to repentance and so be saved And what a great mercy and singular kindness is it that God has put us into a capacity of finding good by repentance by giving his Son to shed his bloud and to lay down his life for our sins without which all our repentance could have avail'd us nothing And shall not now God's authority nor clemency his soveraignty nor sweetness in commanding us to repent prevail with us but shall we despise both his greatness and his goodness his Majesty and his mercy what will this be but after our hardness and impenitent Rom. 2. 5. hearts to treasure up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God 2. There is a necessity as a way and means of our happiness and 2. Necessitas medii Nisi agnitis peccatis seriâ cordis contritione pungamini verâ fide á deo irato ad eum propitium in filio placatum conversi fueritis vitamque emendáveritis omnes simul peribitis Winckel weal as that without which it cannot be but we must perish and this Jesus Christ himself who is the Amen the faithful and true witness yea truth it self hath twice averred Luk. 13. 3 5. I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And again I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish I tell you who know full well who shall be saved and came to save that except you repent
you shall not be saved but perish none indeed are saved for it but for me and my merits sake nor can any be saved without it Had Jesus Christ shed Seas of bloud he would never yet save a sinner that he does not bring to repent of his sins The Father and Son never agreed nor resolv'd upon saving man in an absolute illimited way but in such a way and order as in a way of repenting and believing not as if there was Quamvis Christus millies mortem obiisset nullus tamen impoenitens peccatorum condonationem ex illius morte consequetur nec quemvis alium fructum percipiet Deutus any merit or causality in repentance but as the way and condition without which though not the cause for which remission of sins and salvation cannot be obtained Thus Repentance is necessary not onely as God's command but also as a way means and order that God has ordained for remission and salvation so that though there is no causality dignity or merit in our repentance yet it is of that nature that the holy Ghost must necessarily work it in all those who are partakers of them so as to qualifie for them so that either we must repent or Aut poenitendum aut pereundum perish turn or dye be converted or destroyed either this must be done or we undone for ever Ezek. 18. 30. If indeed we repent and turn from our transgressions then the Lord hath told us iniquity 33. 11. shall not be our ruine though it tends to our ruine but unless we repent and turn it will inevitably be so If we still persist and live and lie Si divinae miserationes nequeunt nos allectare tum judica Dei nos terreant in our sins we shall then certainly dye in our sins and perish in our sins Hence says the Lord Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel implying that 'till we do turn from our evil ways we say in effect we will dye For the turning away of the simple shall Prov. 1. 31. 11. 19. slay them and he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness he shall dye in Ezek. 3. 19. his iniquity Either we must be turned to God here or separated from him for ever hereafter either be converted or for ever excluded the Kingdom of Heaven and turn'd into hell Verily I say unto you except ye be converted c. ye Matth. 18. 2. shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven If Tertullian therefore thou be backward in thoughts of repentance be forward in thoughts of hell c. for we must turn or for ever burn in hell Thus conversion is necessary as a means to life and happiness so that as life is a necessary consequent of conversion so death is an inevitable fruit and effect of the neglect of it so that I may say to you as Moses sometimes said to that people See I here set before you this day life and good death and evil life and all manner of good if you obey and repent and turn to the Lord but death and all manner of evil if ye refuse and I call Deut. 30. 15. heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that ye may live Why life and death are the greatest and forciblest arguments in the world what will not a man give or do for life Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life And death is the most formidable of evils call'd the King of terrours we use to say such a man is as earnest and intent upon a thing as if life and death depended upon it Why truly life or death depend upon our turning or not turning to God life and death are in these things and accordingly such should our prayers and cares and indeavours be in and about the same 5. The gratefulness and acceptableness of it unto God how pleasing welcom and delightful it is to him when a sinner does indeed repent and turn to God! O with what joy and singular complacency does the Lord speak of Ephraim as turning from his Idolatries and not going on as he had done to provoke him and wrong himself Ephraim shall say what have I any more to Hos 14. 8. do with Idols I have heard him and observ'd him and that with a great deal of joy and delight as that I am glad of and rejoyce in So I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 18 19. c. that is bewailing his sins the Hebrew is hearing I have heard him that is attentively pleasingly delightfully so as to take special notice of him and to have a singular regard to him and now his bowels are troubled for him and he will surely have mercy on him As God has a singular hatred and abhorrence of sin so Quemadmodum Deus summo odio habet peccatum ita quoque summe hominis poenirentia delectatur per quam à summo malo ad summum bonum convertitur Gerh. he cannot but be much pleased with repentance by which the sinner turns from it to himself from the chief evil to the chief good and it being that wherein his own glory and the sinners good is so much concern'd For thereby God is honoured Jesus Christ sees of the travel of his soul and is satisfied the Spirit ceases to be grieved as formerly sin is pardoned God's favour recover'd Satan defeated and the soul saved how well was God pleased with Josiah his heart being tender and he humbling himself before 2 Chr. 34. 27. God which he twice mentions as being much taken therewith And so Manasseh though so great a sinner yet repenting what respect had God to him yea so acceptable is this to God that he had respect to it even in Ahab so far as temporally to reward it though hypocritical the more to encourage to that which is true And the acceptableness of this to God does further appear by his earnest invitings to it longings after it waitings for it bearing so long with sinners as in reference to it his readiness to receive sinners upon the first discoveries of it and pardoning the hainousest sins upon it Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise and what is a broken heart but a penitent heart an heart kindly melted humbled and in bitterness for sin and this now is the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificia Dei God 1. Of God to denote its singular excellency it being usual in the Hebrew to set out the excellency of a thing by the addition of the name of God as the mountains and Cedars of God c. 2. It is called the
sacrifices of God in the plural number as denoting the peculiar gratefulness and singular acceptableness of this above all other There were many sacrifices under the Law but none of them all so pleasing as this nor any without this this is the sacrifice of sacrifices and this God will not despise But is that all no there is more intended than spoken the meaning is Thou wilt highly esteem and account thereof it is the most acceptable It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endearedst frame under heaven not onely above all sacrifices but above all meer moral performances and Pharisaical duties and perfections this made the poor Publican accepted when the proud Pharisee was rejected The spirit is the best of man and a kindly broken spirit is the best of spirits for such a spirit is ever a believing spirit they shall look upon Christ c. Zach. 12. 10. there 's faith and mourn for him there 's repentance and faith wonderfully pleases God as highly honouring his Son whom he so delights in for it makes to him and leans upon him and clasps fast to him as its peculiar object it goes into the presence of God with him and presents and urges him and him alone and his righteousness and satisfaction for acceptation and propitiation of its sins counting all but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of him and this exceedingly pleases the father that his Son so dear to him should be thus honoured in the Souls having recourse to him and relying on him and such a soul seals to the truth of what the Word says as concerning the greatness of God the vileness of sin and the excellency usefulness and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the Lord cannot but have choice thoughts and an high esteem of such a frame The heaven he says is his throne and the earth is his footstool c. but Is 66. 1 2. to him will he look that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at his Word that is not only with a look of bare intuition but dear affection and gracious acceptation yea such a one is the very home and habitation of God himself though so high and holy For thus says 57. 15. the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place there 's one of his dwellings with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones there 's his other It is not said the Angels shall dwell with him or grace and peace and joy onely though these are sweet companions but God himself and where God dwels all good dwells there dwels light life joy peace comfort happiness yea heaven it self and how acceptable must he needs be to God whom he thus honours 6. The comfortableness of it to our selves not onely to others but to our own souls It is very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquitas molestia quae laborem afflictionem parit observable that as the same word that signifies iniquity signifies also pain and sorrow as occasioning the same and as being that whereof comes trouble grief misery and at last confusion and hence some render it painful iniquity or sorrowful sin so the same word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit consolationem invenit that signifies to repent and mourn for sin signifies also to comfort and the reason may be this because such repenting and mourning is the way to comfort and true comfort arises out of Verus poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet it and follows upon it Worldly sorrow indeed and joy are contraries but not godly for these effect and help one the other or 2. the reason may be because there is joy even in such sorrow and not onely does comfort follow it but accompany it The true penitent grieves for his sins and rejoyceth for his grief certainly there is an hundred times more true comfort in the sorrow of a truly repenting sinner than there is in all the mirth of a sinner who yet goes on in his sins how refreshing are April showers to the earth and so and much more are true penitential tears to the soul they do not only moisten and mellow the soul as it were for the reception of the word but occasion mirth Musick sounds sweetest upon the waters and sweetest is that joy that accompanies such mourning All true mirth is from a rectitude and right frame of the soul from a being well set and dispos'd as that word implies made use of by the Apostle James for being merry Is any merry the Greek is is any of a good or James 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aequo animo est aliquis right mind or well dispos'd is he right set or hung as we say implying that all true mirth ariseth thence and now then and only then that we repent and turn to God are our minds and hearts right and in a right frame or rightly hung or dispos'd And therefore this must needs render our state comfortable indeed when hearts are at rights and ways at rights and besides we are then turn'd to the God of all comfort to the Sun of all refreshings and the fountain of all consolations and therefore can no more want comfort than such as turn to the Sun light or to the fountain water or to the fire heat and as such sorrow is accompanied with joy so shall it be turn'd and end in joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall Matth. 5. 4. be comforted that is with a godly sorrow for sin they that sow in such tears shall be sure to Psal 126. 5 6. reap in joy and they who so go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing their sheaves with them And then such have infinite cause matter and ground of joy as being blest as having Gods favour pardon of sin audience of prayer inheritance among them that are sanctified c. yea over such God himself rejoiceth with joy Zeph. 3. 17. Psal 71. 21. lia 61. 2 3. â—â—b 38. 26. c. Yea rests in his love and joyes over them with singing and shall comfort them on every side Such Jesus Christ himself was anointed to comfort and to them belong the promises of comfort â—sa 65. 13. and what cause and ground then have such to rejoice and again to rejoice Yea to shout for joy but till sinners repent and turn to God they have nothing to do with joy neither have they any true cause or ground for it but we may well say of their laughter it is mad and â—celes 2. 2. of their mirth what doth it such rejoice as are in a state of perdition and in the very gall of bitterness and whose portion in the state they are in is nothing but wrath and death and