mens Projects are cast beyond that time that is measured out in Gods Counsel And what a ridiculous thing must that be to him if it be not done with submissive and humble dependence on him In a word Time is with Child of innumerable things conceived by the Eternal Counsel of God Infinite and inconceiveably Various are these Conceptions which the Womb of Time shall at length bring forth to Light Every Day every Hour every Minute is travelling in pain as it were and is delivered of some one Birth or another and no Creature can open its Womb sooner or shut it longer then the appointed and prefixed Season There is no miscarying as to him whose Decrees do properly conceive them tâ—ough to us they seem often Abortive Now joyn unto this to make the Allusion full as long as they are carried in the Womb of Time they are hid from all the World The Womb is a dark Lodging and no Understanding nor Eye can pierce into it to tell what is in it till it break forth And therefore Children born are said to come to the Light for till then they are to us in a Cloud of darknesse that we cannot tell what they are So then every Day every Hour every Moment is about to bring forth that which all the World is ignorant of till they see it And Oh that then they understood it We know not whether the Morrows or next Hours Birth may be a proportioned Child or a Monster whether it will answer the Figure and Mould that is in our mind or be mishapen and deformed to our Sense Mans desires and designes may be said to conceive for they form an inward Image and Idea within themselves to which they labour to make the Product and Birth of Time conformable And when it answers our preconceived form then we rejoyce as for a Man-child But for the most part it is a Monster as to our Conception it is an Aberration from our Rule It is either mutilate and defective of what we desire or superfluous or deformed which turns our expectation into vexation and our boasting into lamentation But the truth is Time brings forth no Monsters as to the Lords Decrees which are the only just measures of all things It may be said of every thing under the Sun as David speaks of himself in the Womb My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously formed in the lowest parts of the Earth c. Psal 139. 15. His Eyes see all their substance Yet being imperfect and in his everlasting Book all their Members are written The Portraicture of every thing is drawn there to the Life and these in continuance are fashioned just as they were written and drawn and so they exactly correspond to his pre-conception of them whatever deformity they may have as to us yet they are perfect Works and beautiful to him SERMON VIII Isaiah 1. 10 11. c. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give ear unto the Word of the Lord ye People of Gomorrah IT is strange to think what Mercy is mixed with the most Wrath-like Stroaks and Threatnings There is no Prophet whose Office and Commission is only for Judgment Nay to speak the truth it is Mercy that premises Threatnings The entering of the Law both in the Commands and Curses is to make sin abound that Grace may superabound So that both Rods and Threatnings are the Messengers of Jesus Christ to bring sinners to him for Salvation Every thing should be measured and named by its end So call Threatnings Promises call Rods and Judgements Mercies Name all good and good to you if so be ye understand the purpose of God in these The shortest Preaching in the Bible useth to expresse it self what it means though it be never so terrible This is a sad and lamentable beginning of a Prophets Ministery The first word is to the Heavens and to the Earth A weighty and horrible regrate of this People as if none of them were to hear as if the Earth could be more easily affected then they The Creatures are taken witnesses by God of their ingratitude and then who shall speak for them If Heaven and Earth be against them who shall speak good of them Will their own Conscience No certainly it will in the day of Witnessing and Judging precipitate its sentence and spare the Judge the labour of probation A mans enemy shall be within his own house though now your Consciences agree with you Nay why doth the Lord speak to them Because the People consider not because Consciences have given over speaking to them Therefore the Lord directs his Word to the dumb Earth Yet how gracious is he as to direct a second word even to the People though a sad word Iâ— is a complaint of iniquity and backsliding and such as cannot be uttered Yet it is Mercy to challenge them yea to chasten them If the Lord would threaten a man with pure and unmixed Judgements if he would frame a threatning of a Rod of pure Justice I think it should be this I will no more reprove thee nor chasten thee And he is not far from it when he sayes why shall ye be stricken any more c. vers 5. As if he would say it is in vain now to send a Rod ye receive no correction I sent the Rod that it might open your hearts and eares to the Word and seal your instruction but to what purpose is it Ye grow worse and worse Well the Prophet campares here Sin and Judgement and the one far surmounts the other Ye would think a desolate Countrey burnt Cities Desolation made by Strangers a sufficient recompense of their corruption and misorders of their forsaking and backsliding Ye would think now if your present condition and the Lands pressed you to utter Jeremiahs Lamentation a sadder then which is not almost imaginable ye would think I say that you had received double for all your sins And yet alas how are your iniquities of infinite more desert All that were Mercy which is behind infinite and eternal punishment that there is room left for complaint it is Mercy that there is a remnant left it is Mercy Now to proclaim unto this People and to convince them that their Judgement was not severe He gives them one word from God And indeed it is strange that when the Rod is sent because of the despising of the Word that after the despising of both Word and Rod another word should come Alwayes this word is a Convincing Word a Directing Word and a Comforting Word These use to be conjoyned and if they be not alwayes expressed we may lawfully understand them We may joyn a Consolation to a Conviction and close a Threatning with a Promise if we take with a Threatning Jonahs Preaching expressed no more but a Threatning and Denounciation of Judgement but the people undeâ—stood it according to Gods meaning and made it a Rule of
shining into the Soul that hath cleared them but their perpetual darknesse that blindeth them I say then in the Name of Jesus Christ that ye never knew the peace of God who knew not warr with God Ye know not love who have not known anger But this is the Souls true peace and tranquillity when it is once awakened to see its misery and danger How many Clouds overspread it what Tempests blow what Waves of Displeasure go over its head But when that peace which is made in the High Places breaketh thorow the Cloud with a Voice Son be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee when that Voice of the Spirit is uttered presently at its command the Wind and Waves obey the Soul is calmed as the Sea after a Storm It is not only untroubled but it is peaceable upon solid grounds because of the word which speaks peace in Christ The peace of the most of you is such as ye were born and Educated withal It is not a created peace a spoken peace the fruit of the lips and so no true peace Ye had not your peace from the word but ye brought it to the word Yâ— have no peace after trouble and so it is not the Lords peace The Christian may have peace in regard of his own Salvation and eternal things and in regard of all things that befalleth in â—ime The first is when the Conscience is sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ and getteth a good answer to all the challenges and accusations of Conscience and of the Law and Justice 1 Pet. 3. 21. when the Spirit of God shines into the Soul with a new Light to discover these things that are freely given 1 Cor. 2. 12. And this is the Sealing of the Spirit after believing Eph. 1. 13. When a Soul hath put to its Seal by believing Gods word and hath acknowledged Gods Truth and Faithfulnesse in his word the Spirit Sealeth mutually the Believers Faith both by more Holinesse and the knowledge of it And how great peace is this when a Soul can look upon all its iniquities when they compasse about a man and outward trouble sharpeneth and setteth on edge inward challenges and yet the Soul will not fear it hath answers to them all in Christs Blood Psal 49. 5. This is a greater word then all the world can say Many mens fearlesnesse proceedeth from ignorance of sin their iniquities were never set in order before them but if once they compassed them about and wrath like a fiery wall compasse them about also so that there were no escaping Oh it would be more terrible then all the Armies of the world Ye would account little of a Kingdom ye would exchange it for such a word as David hath upon good grounds Now I say again the Soul that hath thus committed it self to him as a faithful keeper may have peace in all Estates and Conditions And this peace floweth from that other peace There is a peace which guards the heart and mind Phil. 4. 6 7. Opposed to carefulnesse and anxiety and this Paul is Examplar for I have learned in every estate therewith to be content to want and abound c. vers 11. The Soul of a Believer may be in an equal even Tenur and Disposition in all conditions It may possesse it self in patience Impatience and Anxiety makes a man not his own man he is not himself he injoys not himself he is a burden to himself and is his own tormenter But if Souls were stayed upon God certainly they would possesse themselves dwell securely within their own breasts We may find that the most part of men are exposed to all the floods and waves of the times They move inwardly as things are troubled outwardly Every thing addeth moment to their grief or joy Any Dispensation casteth the Ballance and either weights them down with discouragement or lifteth them up with vanity and lightnesse of mind But the Believers priviledge is to be unmoved in the midst of all the Tossings and Confusions of the times Psal 128. 1 2. Ye would be as Mount Zion if ye trusted in God No Dispensation should enter into the Soul to cast the Ballance upon you Ye might stand upon your Rock Jesus Christ and look about the Estates Persons Affairs and Minds of men as a troubled Sea fleeting tossed up and down and ye stand and not be moved or not greatly moved Ps 62. 2. And this is to be wise indeed If I would describe a wise man I would say he is one man beside him no man is one with himself but various inconstant changeable He is unwise who is unlike himself who changeth Persons according to Dispensations Wisdom is the stability of thy times and Faith is Wisdom it Establisheth as Mount Zion so as a man cometh out still one in prosperity not exalted in adversity not cast down in every Estate content and this is the man who is blessed indeed This werâ— wisdom to will the same thing and nill the same thing Semper idem velle atque idem nolle I need not saith Seneca add that exception that it be right which you desire for no one thing can universally and always please if it be not good and right So I say he were both wise and happy who had but one grief and one joy Should not a Believers mind be calm and â—erene seing the true Light hath shined it should be as the upper world where no blasts no storms or clouds are to ecclips the Sun or cloud it while our peace and tranquillity is borrowed from outward things certainly it must change But a Belâ—evers peace and tranquillity of mind having its rise from above from the unchangeable word of the Lord it needeth not to change according to the vicissitudes of Providence He needeth not to care before hand because there is one who careth for him And what needeth both to care He needeth not be disquieted or troubled after because it shall turn about to his good All things shall do so Rom. 8. 28. He needeth not be Anxious about future Events because he hath all his burden cast upon another by prayer and supplication VVhat needeth he then take a needlesse burden Prayer will do that which Care pretends and cannot do and that without trouble He needeth not be troubled when things are present for he cannot by his thought either add or diminish take away or prevent There is one good and necessary thing that his heart is upon and that cannot be taken from him And therefore all things else are indifferent and of small concernment to him Now what wanteth such a man of perfect peace who is reconciled to God and at peace within himself VVhen peace guardeth the Heart and Mind within compasseth it as a Castle or Garison to hold out all the vain Alarms of External things May not all the world be troubled about him VVhat though the Floods lift up their Voice if they come not into the
unto them this ground of their slacknesse and negligence in all spiritual Duties None stirreth up himself to take bold one thee Here is the want of the exercise of Faith Faith is the Souls hand and grip Jo. 1. 12. Heb. 6. 18. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Isai 27. 5. No body a waketh themselves out of their deadnesse and security to lay hold on thee Lord thou art going away and taking goodnight of the Land and no body is like to hold thee by the Garment No Jacobs here who will not let thee go till thou bless them None to prevail with thy Majesty every one is like to give Christ a free Pasport and Testimonial to go abroad and are almost Gadarens to pray him to depart out of their Coasts There is a strange lousnesse and indifferency in mens spirits concerning the one thing necessary Men ly by and dream over their days and never putteth the Souls Estate out of question None will give so much pains as to clear their interest in thee to lay hold on thee so as they may make peace with thee Now can there be a more ample and lively Description of our Estate both of the Land and of particular persons of it Since this must not be limited to the Nation of the Jews though the Prophet spake of the generality of them Yet no doubt all mankind is included in the first six-Verses And any secure people may be included in the seventh Verse for Paul applyeth even-such like speeches Rom. 13. that were spoken as you would think of Davids enemies only Yet the Spirit of God knowing the mind of the Spirit maketh a more general use of their condition to hold out the Natural Estate of all men out of Christ Jesus But there are in these two Verses other two things beside the acknowledgment of sin First the acknowledgment of Gods Righteousness in punishing them for now they need not quarrel God they find the cause of their sading in their own bosome they now joyn sin and punishment together wheras in the time of their prosperity they separated punishment from sin and in the time of their security in adversity they separated sin from punishment at one time making bare confession of sin without fear of Gods Justice at another time fretting and murmuring at his Judgments without the sense of their sin But now they joyn both these and the sight and sense of Gods displeasure maketh sin more bitter and to abound more and to appear in the loathsome and provocking nature of it so that their acknowledgement hath an edge upon it And again the sight and sense of sin maketh the Judgment appear most righteous and stoppeth their mouth from murmuring In the time of their impenitency under the Rod their language was very indifferent Ezek. 18. 2. The fathers have eaten sour graps and the childrens teeth are set on edge They have sinned and we suffer they have done the wrong and we pay for it But it is not so now verse 5. The Fathers have done righteousness in respect of us and thou was good unto them but we are all unclean and have sinned and so we are punished Secondly they find some cause and ground in God of their general defection not that he is the cause of their sin but in a righteous way he punished sin with sin God hid his Face denyed special Grace and Influence and so they ly still in their security and their sin became a spiritual plague Or this may be so read none calleth on thy Name when thou hid thy Face from us and when thou consumed us because of our iniquities And so it serveth to aggravat their deep security that though the Lord was departing from them yet none would keep him and hold him Though he did strike yet they prayed not Affliction did not awake them out of security and so the last words Thou hast consumed us c. Are differently exponed and read Some make it thus as it is in the Translation Thou hast hid thy face and left us in a spiritual deadness that so there might be no impediment to bring on deserved Judgment If we had called on thee and laid hold on thee it might have been prevented we might have prevailed with God but now our defence is removed thou hast given us up to a spirit of slumber and so we have no shield to hold of the stroak thou hast now good leave to consume us for our sins Another sense may be Thou hast suffered us to consume in our iniquity thou hast given us up to the hand of our sins And this is also a consequent of his hiding his Face because thou hid thy Face thou letteth us perish in our sins There needeth no more for our Consumption but only help us not out of them for we can soon destroy our selves First sin is in its own nature Ioathsome and maketh one unclean before God Sins nature is filthiness vileness so doth Isaiah speak of himself Chap. 6. 5. when he saw Gods Holiness So doth Job abhore himself which is the Affection which turneth a mans face off â— loathsome object when he saw God Job 40. 4. and 42 6. Look how loathsome our natural condition is holden out by God himself Ezek. 16. You cannot imagine any deformity in the Creature any filthiness but it is there The filthiness and vileness of sin shall appear if we consider first Sin is a transgression of the holy and spiritual Command and so a vile thing The Command is holy and good Rom. 7. And sin violateth and goeth flat contrary to the Command 1 Job 3 When so just and so equitable a Law is given God might have exacted other rigorous duties from us but when it is so framed that the Conscience must cry out all is equity all is righteous and more then righteous thou might command more and reward none It is Justice to Command but it is Mercy to Promise Life to obedience which I owe What then must the offence be against such a Just Command and so Holy If Holiness be the Beauty of the Creation sin must be the Deformity of it the only spot in its Face Secondly look upon sin in the sight of Gods Holiness and Infinit Majesty and O how hainous will it appear And therefore no man hath seen sin in the vileness of it but in the Light of Gods Countenance As Isai 6. 5. Job 40. and 42. God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity he cannot look on it Hab. 1. 13. All other things beside sin God looketh on them as bearing some mark of his own Image all was very good and God saw it Gen. 1. and 2. Even the basest Creatures God looketh on them and seeth himself in them But sin is only Gods Eye-sore that his Holiness cannot away with it is most contrary unto him And as to his Soveraignty it is an high contempt and rebellion done to Gods Majesty it putteth God off the Throne will take no
and a resolution of amending this then is all your covering and ornament something done by you as many will make the wings of two good works stretch themselves out so far as to cover and hide a multitude of offences between them Therefore I declare in the Lord Jesus his Name unto you whose Conscience must go alongs in the acknowledgment and owning of your case that you have covered your selves with your own righteousnesse that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakednesse and sin with as your sins are and so you have made an addition to your uncleanness you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance then before And so God is of more pure eyes then to look graciously on such as you are You have gone about to establish your own righteousnesse and hath not known the righteousnesse of God and so you have come short of it you are yet persons in a state of enmity God is your Judge you are rebels It concerns you much to heed this well to judge of your own actions and persons as God judgeth of them for if God shall judge one way and you judge another way you may be far mistaken in the end If you have so good an opinion of your selves and your duties that you can plead interest in God for them and absolve your selves from such grounds And if God have not the same judgement but rather think as evil of your prayers as of your cursing and abhor the thing that satisfieth you will it not be dreadful in the end For his judgement shall stand and you will succumb in judgement since you crossed Gods mind Therefore we would have you solidly drink in this principle of Religion That man is so unclean and God so abhorreth him that whatever he doth or can do it cannot make him righteous that no good action can make him acceptable and take away the uncleanness of the evil actions and that any sinful action taketh away all the cleanness of the good actions Once believe this If I should sweat out my life in serving God and never rise off my knees If I should give my body to the fire for the truth If I should melt away in tears for sin all this is but filthy raggs and I can never be accepted of God for all that but the matter of my condemnation groweth If I justifie my self my own mouth proves me perverse God needeth no more but my good deeds to condemn me for in all justice And therefore it is a thing impossible I will never put forth a hand or open a mouth upon that account any more I will serve God because it is my duty but life I will not expect by my service when I have done all it is wholly mercy that I am accepted my good works shall never come in remembrance I resolve to be found not having my own righteousnesse I will appear among the ungodly sinners as one that hath no righteousnesse that I may be justified only by faith in Jesus Christ I say drink in this truth and let it settle in your hearts and then we would hear numbers cry O what shall I do to be saved Now as for you who have fled unto Christs righteousnesse only have cast away your own as dung and dross as filthy raggs as you have done right in the point of Justification judge so likewise after it We would exhort you to judge so of your best actions that are the fruits of the Spirit judge so of them as you have a hand in them All our righteousness Mark Isaiah a holy Prophet joyneth himself in with the multitude And the truth is the more holiness the more humility and self-abasing for what is holiness I pray you but self-denial the abasing of the creature and exalting of Christ Jesus This is the Cross that the Saints must all bear Deny your self and follow me Grace doth not swell men above others it is gifts such as Knowledge that puffeth up Charity or Love puffeth not up Men are naturally high-minded for pride was the first sin of Adam and grace cometh to level men to make the high mountains valleys for Christs Chariot It maketh men stoop low to enter the door of the Kingdome Therefore if you have attained any measure beyond others if you would prove it real grace and holinesse do not exalt your selves above others be not high minded come down and sit among the ungodly among the unclean and let not grace given diminish the low estimation of your self in your self There is a growing that is but a fancy and mens conceit when men grow above Ordinances above other Christians and can see none or few Christians but themselves such a growth is not real it s but fancy it s but swelling and wind and must be pricked to let it out A holy Prophet came in among an unclean people he did not say Stand by I am bolier then thou Such a man as can find no Christian about him even though to the judgement of all others they seek God more then he such a man hath not real solid grace his holiness is profane holiness and proud holiness for true holiness is humble holiness and in honour prâ—ferreth others There is a great fault among those who have fled to Christs righteousness in Justification that they use to come full from duties as a stomach from a honey comb Oft times we make our liberty and access to God the ground of our acceptation and according to the ebbings and flowings of our inherent righteousness so doth the faith and confidence of Justification ebb and flow Christians this ought not to be In so doing you make your own righteousness your righteousness before God for when the unsatisfaction in the point of duty maketh you question your interest so often is not the satisfaction of your minds in duties made the ground of your pleading interest Give you liberty and access you can believe any thing remove it and you can believe nothing Certainly this is a sandy foundation you ought to build nothing on performances you should be as vile in your own eyes and think your nakedness as open when you come nearest God when you have most liveliness as when he hideth his face duty withereth will filthy raggs be your ornament No Christians be more acquaint with the unspotted righteousness of the Immaculat Lamb of God and find as great necessity of covering your cleanest duties with it as your foulest faults and thus shall you be kept still humble and vile in your own eyes and have continual imployment for Christ Jesus your best estate should not puff you up and your worst estate should not cast you down Therefore be much in the search of the filthiness of your holy actions This were a spiritual study a noble discovery to unbowel your duties to divide them and give unto God what is Gods and take unto your selves what is your own The discovery of filthiness in them
outward Dispensation can fall on that can affect this generation We know not what the Lord can have behind that can work on us Judgement hath had as much terror Mercies as much sweetness and as much of God in the one and the other as readily hath been since the beginning of the world Only this we know all things are possible to him which are impossible to us And if the Spirit work to sanctifie the Rod a more gentle Rod shall work more effectually his Word shall do as much as his Rod. The case we are now into is just this None calleth on thee It is a terrible one whither our condition be good or bad outwardly our peace hath put us asleep and the Word cannot put men to prayers Now the Lord hath begun to threaten as you have been still in fear of new troubles and a revolution of affairs again yet I challenge your own Consciences and appeal to them whom hath the Word prevailed with to put to prayer Whom hath the rumour of approaching trouble put to their prayers Whose spirit hath been affected with Goâ— fâ—ouning on the Land And this yet more aâ— gravateth your laziness In the time that Goâ— doth shew terrible things to his people in Irelaâ— giveth them a cup of wormwood and to drink â— wine of astonishment Are not you yet at eâ—â— when your brethren and fellow saints are scaâ—tered among you as strangers yet your heaâ— bleed not Well behold the end of it you case is a sad prognostick of the Lords hideing hiâ— Face and consuming us Nay it is a sure token that his Face is hid already When Jâ— friends would aggravate his misery they sumâ— it up in this thou restrainest prayer from God Iâ— is more wrath to be kept from much praying nor to be scattered from your own house Therefore if you would have the cloud of Godâ— anger that covereth the Land with blackneâ— go over you and pour out it self on others you would prevent the Rod hearken to thâ— Word and stirr up your selves to much prayeâ— that you may be called his remembrancers Oâ— how long shall prayer be banished this Kingdom The Lords controversie must be greaâ— with us for since the days of our first love therâ— hath been great decay of the spirit of prayer The Children of God should be so much in it as they might be one with it David was so much in prayer as he in a manner defined himself by it Psal 109. 4. I gave my self unto prayer In the original there is no more but â— prayer I was all prayer It was my Work my Element my Affection my Action Nay to speak the truth it is the decay of prayer that hath made all this defection in the Land Would you know the original of many a publick mans Apostacy and backsliding in the cause of God what maketh them so soon forget their solemn ingagements and grow particular seeking their own things untender in seeking the things of God Would you trace back the Desertion up to the Fountain head Then come and see Look upon such a mans walking with God in private such a mans praying and you shall find matters have been first wrong there Alienation and estrangement from God himself in immediat Duties and secret approaches hath made mâ—ns Affections cooll to his interest in publick Duties And believe it the reason why so few great men or none are so cordial constant and through in Gods Matters is this they pray not in secret They come to Parliament or Council where publick Matters concerning the Honour of God are to be debated as any Stas-man of Venice would come to the Senate They have no dependence on God to be guided in these Matters They are much in publick Duties but little in secret with God Believe it any mans private walking with God shall be read upon his publick carriage whither he be Minister or Ruler There is yet another thing we would have you consider to endear this Duty unto you and bind upon your Consciences an absolute necessity of being much in it and it is this Prayer and calling on his Name is often put for all immediat Worship of God especially the more substantial and moral part of Service This people was much in Ceremonials and they made these their righteousness Nay but there was little secret conversing with God walking humbly with him loving him believing in him Well then prayer is as it were a compend and summ of all Duties It contains in it Faith Love Repentance all these should breath out in prayer In a word if we say to you be much in prayer we have said all and it is more then all the rest because it is a more near and immediat approach to God having more solid Religion in it If you be lively in this you are thriving Christians if you wither here all must decay for prayer sappeth and watereth all othes Duties with the influence of Heaven That stirreth up himself to take hold on thee This expresseth more of their condition under the Rod and while God was threatning to depart and leave them none took so much notice of it as to awake out of his dream to take a fast hold of God It was but like the grip a man taketh in his slumbering that he soon quiteth in his sleep None awaketh himself as a bird stirreth up it self with its wings to flight None do so spread out their sails to meet the wind This importeth a great security and negligence a careless stupidity To take hold to grip strongly and violently importeth both Faith acted on God and Communion with God so that the sense is no body careth whither thou go there is none that stirreth up himself to take violent hold of thee Men ly louse in their interest and indifferent in the one thing necessary do not strongly grip to it No body keepeth thee by prayer and intercession so that there is no diligence added to diligence there is no stirring up of our selves in security First when the Lord seemeth to withdraw and when he is angry it is our duty to take hold the more on him and not only to act Faith and call on him by prayer but to add to ordinary diligence it should be extraordinary First then I say when the Lord is withdrawing and seemeth angry we ought not to withdraw from him by unbelief but to draw near and take hold on him And the Lord giveth a reason of this himself Isai 26. 4 5. because fury is not in me It is but a moments anger it is not hatred of your persons but sins it is not fury that hath no discretion in it to difference between a friend and an enemy It is but at least a fathers anger that is not for destruction but correction The Lord is not implacable come to him and win him let bim take hold of me and let him make peace with me if he will make peace He is a God whose