may he not do what he will with his own Shall we call him unto an account Is not what he doth good and holy because he doth it do any repining thoughts against the works of God arise in our hearts are any Complaints ready to break out of our mouths let us lay our hands on our hearts and our mouths in the dust with thoughts of his Greatness and absolute Soveraignty and it will work our whole souls into a better frame And this extends it self unto the manners Times and seasons of all things whatever As in earthly things If God will bring a dreadful Judgement of fire upon a people a Nation ah why must it be London If on London why so terrible raging and unconquerable Why the City not the Suburbs Why my house not my neighbours Why had such one help and I none all these things are wholly to be referred to Gods Soveraign pleasure There alone can the soul of Man find rest and peace It is so in spiritual dispensations also Thus Aaron upon the suddain death of his two eldest Sons being minded by Moses of Gods Soverainty and Holiness immediatly held his peace or quietly humbled himself under his mighty hand Levit. 10. 3 4. And David when things were brought into extream confusion by the Rebellion of Absolom followed by the Ungodly multitude of the whole Nation relinquisheth all other Arguments and Pleas and le ts goe complaints in a resignation of himself and all his Concernments unto the absolute pleasure of God 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. And this in all our extremities must we bring our souls unto before we can attain any rest or peace or the least comfortable perswasion that we may not yet fall under greater severities in the just Indignation of God against us 2. The Wisdom of God is also to be Considered and submitted unto Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart who hath hardened himself against him and prospered This the Prophet joyns with his Greatness and Soveraignty Isa. 40. 12 13 14. There is no searching of his understanding v. 28. And the Apostle winds up all his Considerations of the works of God in an holy Admiration of his Knowledge and Wisdom whence his Judgement becomes unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. 33 34. He seeth and knoweth all things in all their Causes Effects consequences and circumstances in their utmost reach and tendency in their correspondencies one unto another and suitableness unto his own Glory and so alone judgeth aright of all things The wisest of men as David speaks walk in a shade We see little we know little and that but of a very few things and in an imperfect manner and that of their present appearances abstracted from their Issues Successes Ends and Relations unto other things And if we would be further wise in the works of God we shall be found to be like the wild Asses Colt What is good for us or the Church of God what is evil to it or us we know not at all but all things are open and naked unto God The day will come indeed wherein we shall have such a prospect of the works of God see one thing so set against another as to find Goodness Beauty and Order in them all that they were all done in number weight and measure that nothing could have been otherwise without an abridgement of his glory and disadvantage of them that believe in him But for the present all our wisdom consists in referring all unto him He who doth these things is infinitely wise he knows what he doth and why and what will be the end of all We are apt it may be to think that at such seasons all things will go to wrack with our selves with the Church or with the whole world how can this breach be repaired this loss made up this ruine recovered peace is gone trade is gone our substance is gone the Church is gone all is gone confusion and utter desolation lye at the door But if a man who is unskilled and unexperienced should be at Sea it may be every time the vessel wherein he is seems to decline on either side he would be apt to conceive they should be all cast away but yet if he be not childishly timerous when the Master shall tell him that there is no danger bid him trust to his skill and it shall be well with him it will yield quietness and satisfaction We are indeed in a storm the whole earth seems to reel and stagger like à drunken man but yet our souls may rest in the infinite skill and wisdom of the great Pilot of the whole Creation who stears all things according to the Counsel of his Will His works are manifold in Wisdom hath he made all these things Psal. 104. 24. And in the same wisdom doth he dispose of them All these things come forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderfully in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 28. 29. What is good meet usefull for us for ours for the Churches for the City for the Land of our Nativity he knows and of Creatures not one This infinite Wisdom of God also are we therefore to resign and submit our selves unto His hand in all his works is guided by Infinite Wisdom In thoughts thereof in humbling our selves thereunto shall we find rest and peace and this in all our pressures will work us to a waiting for him 3. The Righteousness of God is also to be considered in this matter That name in the Scripture is used to denote many Excellencies of God all which are reducible unto the infinite Rectitude of his Nature I intend that at present which is called Justitia Regiminis his Righteousness in Rule or Government This is remembred by Abraham Gen. 18. 25. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right And by the Apostle Is God unjust who taketh vengeance God forbid This our souls are to own in all the works of God They are all righteous all his who will do no iniquity whose Throne is established in Judgement However they may be dreadfull grievous and seem severe yet they are all righteous It is true he will sometimes rise up and do strange acts strange works Isa. 28. 21. Such as he will not do often nor ordinarily such as shall fill the world with dread and amazement He will answer his people in terrible things But yet all shall be in Righteousness And to complain of that which is righteous to repine against it is the highest unrighteousness that may be Faith then fixing the soul on the Righteousness of God is an effectual means to humble it under his mighty hand And to help us herein we may consider 1. That God judgeth not as man judgeth We judge by the seeing of the Eye and hearing of the Ear according to outward appearances and evidences But God searcheth the heart We judge upon what is between man and man God principally upon what is between
Son in this manner to testifie it And he did it because it could no other way be brought about as hath been declared Do we doubt whether there be forgiveness with God or no or whether we shall obtain it if we address our selves unto him for to be made partakers of it Consider the Condition of his Son in the world review his Afflictions Poverty Temptation Sorrows Sufferings Then ask our souls To what end was all this And if we can find any other design in it any other Reason Cause or Necessity of it but only and meerly to testifie and declare that there is forgiveness with God and to purchase and procure the Communication of it unto us let us abide in and perish under our fears But if this be so we have sufficient warranty to assure our souls in the expectation of it 4. Besides all this there ensues upon what went before that great and wonderfull Issue in the death of the Son of God This thing was great and marvellous and we may a little enquire into what it was that was designed therein And hereof the Scripture gives us a full account As 1. That he dyed to make Attonement for Sin or Reconciliation for Iniquity Dan. 9. 24. He gave his life a ransom for the sins of many Matth. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 2. 6. He was in it made sin that others might become the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 20. Rom. 8. 3. Therein he bare our sins in his body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. This was the state of this matter Notwithstanding all the Love Grace and condescention before mentioned yet our sins were of that nature and so directly opposite unto the Justice and Holiness of God that unless Attonement were made and a Price of Redemption paid there could be no Pardon no forgiveness obtained This therefore he undertook to do and that by the Sacrifice of himself answering all that was prefigured by and represented in the Sacrifices of old as the Apostle largely declares Heb. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. And herein is the forgiveness that is in God copied out and exemplified so clearly and evidently that he that cannot read it will be cursed unto Eternity Yea and let him be accursed for what can be more required to justifie God in his eternal destruction He that will not believe his Grace as testified and exemplified in the Blood of his Son let him perish without remedy Yea but 2. The Curse and Sentence of the Law lyes on record against sinners It puts in its Demands against our acquittance and layes an obligation upon us unto punishment And God will not reject nor destroy his Law unless it be answered there is no acceptance for sinners This therefore in the next place his death was designed unto As he satisfied and made Attonement by it unto Justice that was the fountain spring and cause of the Law so he fulfilled and answered the demands of the Law as it was an Effect of the Justice of God So Rom. 8. 13. He suffered in the likeness of sinful flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled and answered He answered the Curse of the Law when he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. And so became as to the Obedience of the Law the end of the Law for Righteousness unto them that do believe Rom. 10. 3 4. And as to the penalty that it threatned he bore it removed it and took it out of the way So hath he made way for forgiveness through the very heart of the Law it hath not one word to speak against the pardon of them that do believe But 3. Sinners are under the power of Satan he layes a claim unto them and by what means shall they be rescued from his interest and dominion This also his death was designed to accomplish For as he was manifest to destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. So by death he destroyed him that had the power of death Heb. 2. 14. That is to despoil him of his Power to destroy his Dominion to take away his plea unto sinners that believe as we have at large elsewhere declared And by all these things with many other concernments of his death that might be instanced in we are abundantly secured of the forgiveness that is with God And of his willingness that we should be made partakers thereof 5. Is this all Did his Work cease in his death Did he no more for the securing of the forgiveness of sins unto us but only that he dyed for them Yes he lives also after death for the same end and purpose This Son of God in that nature which he assumed to expiate sin by death lives again after death to secure unto us and to compleat the forgiveness of sins And this he doth two wayes 1. Being raised from that death which he underwent to make Attonement for sin by the Power and Good Will of God he evidenceth and testifieth unto us that he hath fully performed the work he undertook and that in our behalf and for us he hath received a discharge Had he not answered the guilt of sin by his death he had never been raised from it 2. He lives after death a Mediatory Life to make intercession for us that we may receive the forgiveness of sin as also himself to give it out unto us which things are frequently made use of to encourage the souls of men to believe and therefore shall not at present be further insisted on Thus then stands this matter that Mercy might have a way to exercise it self in forgiveness with a consistency unto the Honour of the Righteousness and Law of God was the Son of God so sent for the ends and purposes mentioned Now herein consisteth the greatest Work that God did ever perform or ever will It was the most eminent product of Infinite Wisdom Goodness Grace and Power And herein do all the Excellencies of God shine forth more gloriously than in all the works of his hands Let us then wisely ponder and consider this matter let us bring our own souls with their Objections unto this Evidence and see what exception we have to lay against it I know nothing will satisfie unbelief the design of it is to make the soul find that to be Iso hereafter which it would perswade it of here namely that there is no forgiveness in God And Satan who makes use of this Engine knows full well that there is none for them who believe there is none or rather will not believe that there is any For it will at the last day be unto men according unto their faith or unbelief He that believeth aright and he that believeth not that forgiveness is with God as to their own particulars shall neither of them be deceived But what is it that can be reasonably excepted against this evidence this foundation of our faith in this matter God hath not sent his Son in vain which
and anxiety about them This made him fear lest God was his enemy and would continue to deal with him in all feverity So was it with Josephs Brethren in their distresses Gen. 42. 21. They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us And vers 22. Behold his blood is required Their distress revives a deep perplexing sense of the guilt of sin many years past before and that under all its aggravating circumstances which spoiled them of all their reliefs and comforts filling them with Confusion and Trouble though absolutely innocent as to what was come on them And the like appeared in the Widdow of Zareptha with whom Elijah sojourned during the famine Upon the death of her Son which it seems was some what extraordinary she cryed out unto the Prophet What have I to do with thee thou Man of God Art thou come to call my sins to remembrance and to slay my Son 1 King 17 18. It seems some great sin she had formerly contracted the guilt of and now upon her sore Affliction in the death of her only child the Remembrance of it was recalled and revived upon her soul. Thus deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Gods water spouts and then all his waves and billows go over a person Psal. 42. 7. The deep of Afflictions calleth up the deep of the guilt of sin and both in conjunction become as billows and waves passing over the soul. We see only the outside of mens afflictions they usually complain only of what doth appear And an easie thing it is supposed to be to apply relief and comfort unto those that are distressed The Rule in this matter is so clear so often repeated and inculcated the promises annexed unto this condition so many and precious that every one hath in readiness what to apply unto them who are so exercised But oftentimes we know nothing of the Gall and Wormwood that is in mens Affliction they keep that to themselves and their souls feed upon them in secret Lam. 3. 12. God hath stirred up the Remembrance of some great sin or sins and they look upon their Afflictions as that wherein he is come or beginning to enter into Judgement with them And is it any wonder if they be in darkness and filled with disconsolation 2. There is in many Afflictions something that seems New and peculiar wherewith the soul is surprised and cannot readily reduce its condition unto what is taught about Afflictions in General This perplexeth and intangleth it It is not Affliction it is troubled withall but some one thing or other in it that appears with an Especial dread unto the soul so that he questioneth whether ever it were so with any other or no and is thereby deprived of the supportment which from former Examples it might receive And indeed when God intendeth that which shall be a deep Affliction he will put an Edge upon it in matter or manner or circumstances that shall make the soul feel its sharpness He will not take up with our bounds and measures and with which we think we could be contented But he will put the impress of his own greatness and terrour upon it that he may be acknowledged and submitted unto Such was the State with Naomi When from a full and plentiful condition she went into a strange Countrey with an Husband and two Sons where they all dyed leaving her destitute and poor Hence in her account of Gods dealing with her she sayes call me not Naomi that is pleasant but call me mara that is bitter for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me I went out Full and the Lord brought me again Empty why then call ye me Naomi since the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Ruth 1. 20 21. So was it with Job with the Widdow of Zareptha and with her at Naim who was burying her only Child And still in many Afflictions God is pleased to put in an entangling specialty which perplexeth the soul and darkens it in all its Reasonings about the Love of God towards it and its interest in Pardon and Grace 3. In some Affections are very strong and Importunate as fixed on lawful things whereby their Nature is made sensible and tender and apt to receive very deep impressions from urgent Afflictions Now although this in its self be a good natural frame and helps to preserve the soul from that stout hardness which God abhors yet if it be not watched over it is apt to perplex the soul with many intangling Temptations The Apostle intimates a double evil that we are obnoxious unto under tryals and Afflictions Heb. 12. 5. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Men may either through a natural stoutness despise and contemn their sufferings and be obstinate under them or faint and despond and so come short of the end which God aimes at for them to be attained in a way of duty Now though the frame spoken of be not obnoxious unto the first extream yet it is greatly to the latter which if not watched against is no less pernitious than the former Affections in such persons being greatly moved they cloud and darken the mind and fill it with strange Apprehensions concerning God and themselves Every thing is presented unto them through a Glass composed of Fear Dread Terrour Sorrow and all sorts of disconsolations This makes them faint and despond unto very sad apprehensions of themselves and their Conditions 4. Afflictions find some entangled with very strong corruptions as Love of the World or the pleasure of it of Name or Reputation of great contrivances for posterity and the like or it may be in things carnal or sensual Now when these unexpectedly meet together great Afflictions and strong Corruptions it is not conconceivable what a combustion they will make in the soul. As a strong medicine or potion meeting with a strong or tough distemper in the body there is a violent contention in nature between them and about them so that oftentimes the very life of the patient is endangered So it is where a great tryal a smart stroke of the hand of God falls upon a person in the midst of his pursuit of the Effects of some corruptions the soul is amazed even to distraction and can scarce have any thought but that God is come to cut the person off in the midst of his sin Every unmortified corruption fills the very fear and expectation of Affliction with horrour And there is good Reason that so it should do for although God should be merciful unto mens Iniquities yet if he should come to take Vengeance of their Inventions their condition would be dark and sorrowful 5. Satan is never wanting in such Occasions to attempt the compassing of his Ends upon