sensual Tentation he ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to stir up his rational power to defend its proper Dignity and to secure the exercise of its Faculties according to their proper nature and so to keep the Reason of his mind from being enslav'd Who knows not that the Irascible Faculty which is in us will tempt us when occasion is offered to answer Reviling with Reproach and Wrong with Revenge but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is able as Simplicius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to suffer the Dog which is in us to bark much less to bite and to return Good for Evil both in Words and Actions Entreating for Rudeness and for Cursing Prayers And for the Concupiscible part it can deny what it craves it can reduce the sensual Appetite to that order which Nature requires and bring it into a less compass than the just measure of Nature if it please and to show its full Authority over all sensual Inclinations and Impressions it can appoint what is contrary to their Tendence and having resolved against it can put what it hath decreed in Execution and so though the Inferior part rebel it shows its power being enabled by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to restrain it and maintain its own Superiority I'ts true bodily Objects presented by the Senses will enter into the imagination and by sudden Phantasms make some impression upon the soul but the mind can cast them out again can withdraw it self from the consideration of them can presently think upon other things and as it pleaseth deliberate whether that which the flesh desires be fit to be granted or no and if it be not can reject it and not only refuse to do that which would gratifie the sensual part but the quite contrary St. Iames says that Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Tentations to sin are presented if the Will embrace them Lust conceives and if it goes on to action it brings forth death but if a man reject the Allurement and deny the consent of his Will and refuse to act according to the incitations of fleshly Appetites the Cockatrice is killed in the shell and so cannot live to bite and hurt Thus we are secure in the Observation of God's Order which if we neglect the mischief of our disregard will soon appear in the ill Consequences which attend it For God hath so framed the Nature of our Souls and so ordered our most important Concerns that we can never break his Order but we shall suffer for it What we neglect at present will meet us in bad effects afterward When a man hath slighted the Government of himself and laid the Rains upon the neck of the Beast he shall soon find himself serv'd by his unruly Passions as Hippolytus was by his Horses thrown and torn Philosophers called inordinate Appetite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Beast with many Heads It is bad enough to contest with one Beast but it is much more hazardous when a man must scuffle with many To this dangerous Combat a sinner condemns himself When he hath parted with his Reason he hath subjected his mind to the command of every insulting Appetite and must comply with every foolish Phansie Being made the slave of sin he must as the Apostle says serve divers Lusts and so must needs be in a brave condition being under the Arbitrary Command not of one Tyrannical Patron but many having indeed as many Lords as Lusts and how basely they use their vitious slaves commanding by turns the poor wretches feel to their grief by the perpetual disturbance which they receive from them being sometimes more then half drowned with Wine sometimes set on fire with Wrath at other times swelled till they are ready to break with Pride and often thrown into all dirty pleasures I am not ignorant that some hardned sinners say That they feel not the pains of sin which are so talked of neither are they much concerned though they break that precise order which is forementioned They are well pleased with the life of Sense and are willing to go as their Appetites lead them they esteem that order good enough which some call Hurry though they be censured yet they think themselves well paid for what they do with sleshly Divertisements and whatever Divines or Philosophers say to the contrary they see no cause to repent of their course To these men I shall only say two things 1. That it is no sign of health in a man to want feeling 2. That there are Monsters in the World but no Argument can be made from them against Nature 1. It is no sign of health in a man to want feeling Is a man to be acounted well because he is in an Apoplexie and so not sensible of what you say or do to him Doth any man reckon it a perfection in his body to want feeling or any other sense The soul hath its Apoplexie too A man may so debauch his Nature with vitious practises that at last he shall be past feeling and commit all filthiness with greediness as the Apostle saith He sins and pleaseth himself that he feels no remorse Is glad that he is listed in the number of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He become a whining Penitent No he is one of the Fortes Esprites He makes a mock of sin Tell him of Repentance tell them that are weary of their lives he is well enough Let the sick send for the Physician out of his Bed He may sleep long enough for him he needs him not It s ridiculous talk to speak to him of a spiritual Guide he can govern himself This seems to be well but the Friends of a sick person are much troubled when they perceive that he is not sensible of pain or danger and they take it for a sign of approaching death neither do they entertain any hope of life till they have brought him to a sense of his sickness weakness The Scripture tells us of a seared Conscience of such whose minds are darkned and of a reprobate mind an undiscerning soul and of a hardned heart as callous as a Labourer's hand and of a heart waxen gross that is a soul which hath no more sense of God than the fat heart of an Ox which in other places is called the spirit of slumber nothing can awake such a person to mind his most important concerns A wicked life benums a sinner and we are no more to regard his judgment of things than what a blind man says of colours A reprobate mind is that sad punishment which God doth often inflict upon wilful sinners Since we know this we need not wonder that they do not repent though their Condition be most dangerous for they understand it not 2. There are Monsters in the World but no Argument can be taken from them against Nature Will any body say
be performed but when the Case is otherwise we shall forfeit our sincerity and for not preparing our selves to do our Master's Will be beaten with many stripes God is so gracious that he hath mercy upon our Ignorance and pities our invincible infirmities and forgives that sin which we could not possibly or probably avoid and he helps our weaknesses but still requires that we should always stand upon our guard watch always against surprises as well as abhor voluntary Transgression desiring and endeavouring nothing so much as to please God and so much the rather because we perceive that the Master whom vve serve is so gracious that he acaccepts vvhat vve have done heartily and sincerely though it vvas not the most vve could have done nor done in the best manner that possibly vve could 4. Sincerity also supposeth that vvhich Christ vvill require in every true Disciple of his a good attainment a competent proficiency in the state of Vertue It vvere a mean business if the sincerity of Christian Religion should be contracted into a few cold Wishes and the attainment of its Professors should not exceed the faint Wouldings of Hypocrites especially since the Christian Religion is the most Noble in its Design and vvorks vvith the highest Principles and yet improve the progress of its Disciples but into such a motion as a Door hath upon the Hinges and so leave them in the sad condition of those Hypocrites vvhom the Apostle reproacheth who were always learning but never came to the knowledge of the Truth vvho vvere alvvays learning came to those places vvhere the Gospel vvas taught but vvere never able to come to experience the Truth of it in themselves What vvas the Reason Because they gave heed to the Heretical Doctrine of some seducing Teachers and so nourished their Hypocrisie in Errour but if they had received the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it and resign'd themselves to the government of it vvith sincerity it would have made them another kind of people For this hear our Saviour You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free If you receive my Gospel vvith sincere Faith it vvill shovv it self in its effects upon you it vvill make you free From vvhat from the slavery of sin from all habitual sin and also from the acts of gross sins every one of vvhich is damnable which as Tertullian said a Child of God cannot do or must cease to be the Child of God if he do them as Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry c. And if the true Penitent have been formerly given to any sin he vvill forsake that too So David I kept me from mine Iniquity yes vvhen he had repented and if he had not he could not have had any testimony of sincerity The attainment of a sincere Christian is to have goodness habitual to the soul to be pleased vvith doing his Duty For this see 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even our Faith The sincere Christian shovvs his Love in Obedience and not only so but delights to do his Duty God's Commands are not grievous i. e. as our Saviour said before his yoke is easie and his burden is light and being born of God he overcometh the World by the Spirit of Faith vvhich is in him vvhich is stronger than the Spirit that is in the World This our Saviour expects as vve see in the promise vvhich he made after his Ascension to him that overcometh not to him vvhich fights only no but to him that overcometh and this he might vvell do because he gave povver not only to fight but to overcome and said long before that to whom much is given of them more shall be required that is such improvement as may ansvver the bestovving When our Saviour compared himself to a Vine and his Servants to the Branches of it supposing that he gave them sufficient vital Juyce for the purpose he told them that they vvere to glorifie his Father by bringing forth much fruit and then they should be and appear plainly to be his Disciples By which it is manifest that our great Shepherd would have his Flock to be such Sheep as those which Epictetus mentions who were not to bring their Hay and Grass and lay it before their Shepherds to let them see how much they had eaten but having well digested their Food were to bring it forth in Milk and Wool and so to approve themselves to him who sed them So sincere Christians are not to declare what they are in words or profession much less in vain ostentation or to make excuses for what they are not but having concocted our Saviour's Doctrine in their souls do as St. Iames teacheth Shew out of a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdome Here I think it not unfit to admonish every one who would have the Testimony of their Conscience concerning their sincerity that they should take heed of excusing themselves to God when they are not such as they should be no though they may seem to have some places of Scripture on their side And for this I think it may not be amiss to relate to you what St. Chrysostome told his Church at Constantinople upon this occasion he had often reproved them for going to the Heathen shows which by their immodesty were offensive to the chaste and also odious by their cruel effusion of Humane blood After this some of his wandering Sheep had gone to them again and when he still continued his Reproof they answered That truly they did what they would not but thought that was no great matter since St. Paul made the same Defence for himself and so they were not more to be blamed than he since they disliked what they did This hypocritical pretext put the holy man into a fit of passionate Zeal and he fell thus upon them What says he do you not only serve sin but abuse the holy Scripture Do you satisfie your lusts and then reproach the honour of an Apostle I I every one that loves to sin desires to find out some excuse which might maintain his practise and now you fall foul upon an Apostle though I know it is not with an intent to reproach him but to make an Apology for your selves Then that they might not think that St. Paul spake those words in that Chapter of himself but in the person of one in conflict with sin but at present overcome by it and being sensible of his Danger cries out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and that St. Paul himself was not now carnal sold under sin to obey what it commanded he adds Was St. Paul carnal in whom Christ lived who was governed by the Holy Ghost who had Christ always
of the sad Condition in which Adam was after he had eaten the forbidden Fruit and upon the sense of his Fault had hidden himself from God hoping at least wishing he had done so when God enquiring after him though knowing well enough where he was asked him this Question Adam where art thou He makes this Answer for him proper enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I am where they are who are not able to look upon God where they are who obey not God I am where they are who hide themselves from their Maker where they are who are fled from vertue and are destitute of wisdom I am where they are who tremble by reason of guilt and cowardise This being the melancholick condition of wretched sinners after they come to consider how things are with them in the cool of the day when the heats of their Wine and Lust are over their ranting mirth ended their Passions becalm'd and they begin to bethink themselves and to reflect upon their Extravagancies and are made to hear that still voice which call'd to Adam after his prevarication Wise men having compared the sprightly erect chearful temper of good men with this Law justly pronounced that vertuous persons do not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Not only exceed a vitious man in that which is honest but also overcome him in pleasure for which only the sinner seems to betake himself to wickedness And this pleasure is so considerable that Aristotle could say that it did exceed that of the wicked those Fugitives from Vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that it is more pure and more solid and so is as another calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a pleasure as one shall never have cause to repent of But those pains which I forementioned are more considerable because they are both more pungent and more lasting than those of the Body which made Simplicius say of them That they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that they are more grievous stay longer and are harder to be cured A bodily Distemper is more easily relieved than an evil Conscience take away the present pain and the Body returns to its health but the soul is pain'd with the remembrance of what is past and the sear of what is to come which is so great an affliction that many times it makes the present state intolerable Therefore Holy Scripture and Ancient Philosophers called the state of Sin the Death of the Soul So our Saviour said of the vitious Prodigal that he was dead and the Apostle of the wicked world that they were dead in sins and trespasses and the Heathen Philosopher the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. The death of the soul is the deprivation of God and Reason which are accompanied with a turbulent conflict of inordinate passions And that none might think that he dully supposed that an Immortal Being can dy he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Not that they cease to be but that they fall from the happiness of life And in another place he says that wickedness is the corruption of an Immortal Being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it corrupts it as much as is possible For this reason when any of Pythagoras's Sholars abandoned the practise of Vertue and lest his Society they hung up a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an empty Coffin for him looking upon him as one dead And they might very well do so for is it not the destruction of a reasonable Being to be corrupted in those Principles which are essential to it to be spoiled in its best Faculties to be hindred from the free exercise of its Natural Powers to be bereav'd of that joy which a man hath when he acts according to that which is best in him to be deadned to a vital sense of his chief good and to be deprived of the love of God which is the very life of good men Whatsoever intercepts the favourable Influences of God's Benignity doth as much contribute to the death of the soul as he would promote the bodie 's life who by some fatal obstruction of the inward passages should hinder the communication of vital Spirits to all the parts of the body What joy can a man have when the indwelling God is grieved and the Fool lives in contradiction to the connate Principles of his soul 2. This brings me to the second Demonstration of the Reasonableness of Repentance because sin is an insolent contempt of that excellent order which God hath planted in Humane Nature which is his Law upon it and is the ornament and preservation of it There are few who have so little use of their soul bestoweds upon them but that they know they are better than their Bodies and that the Faculties of it do transcend those of the sensual Part and that the mind doth not only understand what is best but hath Authority bestowed upon it to govern the bodily Appetites which being inferiour in Nature and needing a Guide ought to receive Law from it The soul doth discover being it self taught of God by its natural light and super-added Revelation what is the happiness to which it was made the best good of which it is capable and shows the means by which it may be attained directs assists in the use of them propounds rational Arguments to persuade to use and persist in the use of them can baffle such Objections as are raised either by the homebred Enemy or Forreign Tentations to hinder the soul in its chearful progress towards its Felicity The soul tells us what satisfaction is allowable to the bodily appetites disting uisheth between lawful and unlawful utterly forbids the latter and commands that there be no excess in the former shows what Moderation is and the benefit of it and represents the mischief as well as the sin of excess threatens death upon the eating of all forbidden Fruit. Order is then observed as it ought to be when all the Faculties do obey this Superior upon whom God hath bestow'd power to discern Freedom of choice and authority to command For which reason ancient Philosophers have call'd it by very agreable Names as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the part to which is committed the guidance of all the rest It was called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which rides and governs the lower Faculties as the Charioteer doth his Horses with Rains because it was placed in man to guide the Affections and conduct the Faculties of soul and body in what way they should go and what pace and to teach them when to rest and when they went astray to curb their Extravagancies and to reduce them into the right Path. It is worthy of all reasonable Beings to maintain this Dignity and it is their Duty to see that it be not trampled upon This made a great Philosopher say that when a man is assaulted by any
be hanged but the hope of Pardon which he obtained and by the Nobleness of Caesar the money too Sure the Report which we have heard of God that he is rich in Mercy should encourage us to bring the Penitent Rebel into his presence and throw him prostrate before his Footstool The Throne is a Seat of Grace and the King who sits upon it is the Father of Mercies If we repent we may come boldly and have a good hope to find favour Princes do invite rebellious Subjects many times to lay down their Arms by offering Acts of Oblivion and it usually prevails but however it may be the Wisdom as well as Clemency of Princes to offer pardon because they know no better way to overcome sturdy Rebels But the Argument is more cogent to make sinners repent when God offers pardon because he is Almighty so needs no Arts to reduce the Obstinate he can destroy them when he pleaseth what he offers is mere Grace he would not have them perish through their foolish wilfulness would he not O then Rebel Heart wilt thou not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clem. Alexandr Says wilt thou not run away from thy disobedient Party If thou hadst been shut up in Despair as the Devils are imprison'd and made to know that thou wert reserved in Chains without hope till the Judgment of the great Day thou mightest have some colour for the hardness of thy heart but now when Grace is not denied if thou repentest not thou wilt have nothing to say for thy self 2. Especially since God hath assured thee by an Oath That he delights not in the death of sinners nor is pleased with the ruin of such as have rebelled against him As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live According to that of St. Peter He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance And that of St. Paul He would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth It 's true the Heathens painted the Godhead after a wild sort making their Pagods in dismal shapes of grim Monsters armed with Claws and Teeth Pictures not unfit to represent those Devils whom they worshipped Who having shown their Enmity to God in making his Creatures Idolaters declared also their Malice to Men by making Cruelty a great part of their Worship not only whilst they forced them to tear their Skin with their Nails and cut their Flesh with Knives as the Worshippers of Baal did of whom wa read 1 Kings 18. 28. and as other Idolaters did of whom we read in Heathen Authors but made them sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to Devils or as in the next Verse to the Idols of Canaan in whom they were worshipped and whose bloody Rites they appointed They made their Children pass through the Fire to Moloch whether they made them perish miserably in the hollow breast of a burning Image or drew them so long between two Fires that they died the Cruelty was so great that they were fain to stifle the sound of their dreadful Shrieks with the noise of Drums This was the sense and practise of the Eastern World and the West was not unlike to it for to one Idol of America Vitzliputsli they offered in some solemn Sacrifices many thousands of Men and Women flay'd alive their breasts being cut open and their warm hearts taken out and presented to the bloody Idol How far our God is from that temper he hath sufficiently declared since instead of making us all dreadful Examples of just Vengeance in our own persons he gave his own dear Son to die for us That blessed Son was of the same temper too as you may see in that part of his Story which is recorded Luke 18. 41. in which we are told of his approach to Ierusalem not long before his death where foreseeing that great Change which for their sins their then flourishing Estate should in a short time suffer it is said he wept over it Wept over it They had given him cause to insult over them they were as bad as sinners could be They had rejected him the Messiah the great promise of God to their Nation who came to them according to all the prefigurations and predictions which were given to their Fathers they acknowledged Miracles to be a sufficient Testimony of God's mind and yet disbelieved him who gave them that proof they scorned the Doctrine of perfect Goodness which he taught and yet confessed that never man spake as he spake they despised the unparalleld Example of all Vertues which he gave in his life and put him to death who had done them all the good he could whilst he lived yet knowing that for these things in a while they should be punished with inexpressible Miseries the foresight made his tears fall from his eyes and to these he added his blood for he died for those who killed him and joyned his Prayers to it for the pardon of such as had made him as miserable as they could After this how can any sinner be afraid of God if he repent 3. The third Enconragement is That God hath by all manner of Invitations called sinners to Repentance The Scripture abounds with frequent Exhortations to this Duty and Declarations of God's desire of mens Return sometimes it records his Expostulations with the Obstinate whom he also beseecheth by his Servants and Sometimes bad them in his Name to command sinners to save themselves this way Exhortations we find often in the Sermons of the Prophets whom he sent of old rising early and sitting up late to warn sinners of their danger and charged the blood of such as perished upon them if they did not do it This was the first Sermon of our Saviour's Forerunner and his own Repent and believe the Gospel How desirous God was always of this in his Creatures these among many other Expressions give witness Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me that it might be well with them O that they were wise that they would understand O that my people had hearkened to me O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace He expostulates with them Why will ye die and by his Servants beseecheth them We are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God And he commands all men every where to repent 4. To perfect this Encouragement he hath assured pardon to the Penitent by many plain Promises in which God's goodness is obliged by his Truth which being made the Apostle said well that now God is faithful and just to forgive sinners The Benignity of the Divine Nature is a good encouragement but when that hath declared it self in
particular promises ensured by God's Veracity we have firm grounds of Hope plain measures of Expectation and he which doth not give credit unto them makes God a lyar as St. Iohn says puts the same contempt upon God which men do upon the words of vain persons who never mean what they say or are unable to perform what they promise Without this Revelation a Heathen could say Qui desperat Deum exasperat nec bonum credit i. e. He which despairs makes God angry and doth not believe him to be good After all this wilt thou not repent 5. Especially when God hath given a mighty Demonstration of his full purpose to fulfil what he hath promised to penitent sinners not only declaring these Promises by his dear son but by making him 1. A Sacrifice of Expiation for sinners in his Death and 2. Also an Advocate for them since his Resurrection 1. God hath made him a Sacrifice of Expiation in his Death An Expiatory Sacrifice is when one suffers for another and so saves the other from suffering when Body is given for Body Life for Life Such was our Saviour's Passion for sinners And therefore the Apostle said He gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom for all men Or as our Saviour said himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom for many He gave his Life as such a price by which Captives or Slaves are set at Liberty and therefore he is said to have redeemed us from the Curse being made a Curse for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He bought us off with a great price from the Curse due to our sins being himself content to be used for our sakes as one who is accursed What worse things could happen to any mortal man than those which Christ suffered His Death was esteemed by all men as the most infamous and most painful and was looked upon by the Eternal Father as the common Penance of Mankind for whom he suffered it Thus our Saviour became our ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gave his life for ours and we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our sins Yes through his blood For he nail'd our Bond to his Cross and so cancel'd it and freed us from our Debt Thus hath God been willing to let us know how unwilling he is to punish us if we repent Though it be of the nature of punishment that it be inflicted for sin yet it is not necessary that it should be upon the person offending if the offended will accept of another to suffer for him and so free him This is our Case for God was pleased to accept of the Temporal Death of his dear Son to free all penitent sinners from Death Eternal 2. I need not prosecute this comfortable Argument any further God hath by it abundantly signified his mind to relieve trembling sinners having made his Son a Propitiation for them in his Death and declared also that he is an Advocate for them since his Resurrection If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place signifies one who deprecates Anger mitigates Wrath begs pardon for such as have offended The Design of the Gospel is to preserve us from sin but if one chance to fall into sin left he sin also into Despair it gives this encouragement to rise by Repentance because we have an Advocate with the Father the Son of God who intercedes for us pleads our cause in Heaven This Encouragement is great upon many accounts 1. Because long before his Incarnation he was designed to that merciful Office by the Eternal Father So we read in Isaiah which the Evangelist Mark applies to our Saviour He shall make Intercession for Transgressors deprecate the Divine Anger for them appear in the presence of God for them It is a great satisfaction to all thoughtful minds that they are assured of the truth of his Commission We are ignorant upon what grounds some have bestowed this part of his Mediation upon Saints or Angels The Scripture hath told us that Abraham knows us not and that Israel is ignorant of us and that no man taketh to him the honour of mediating for others with God but he that is called of God But we have great hope in this one Mediator because God hath given him the honour to stand at his Right Hand and plead for sinners He is the great Angelus Orationis as I think Tertullian called him who when the prayers of Saints goes up to Heaven puts in his Merits to make them acceptable As for others alas poor Souls they have no merits to make their own Prayers sweet and how then shall they perfume those of others 2. This our Advocate was always and is the most beloved Son of God He dwelt eternally in the Bosom of the Father a phrase which signifies Intimacy and Love He is one to whom the Father never denied any thing so he said himself I know that thou hearest me always 3. It is a great Encouragement that we have such an Advocate who by his Death merited a just Right to intercede with God for sinners He might well pray for pardon who offered himself a Sacrifice of Expiation and demand the Release of Captives for whom he had paid the Ransom We are not to think that in Heaven our Saviour prays for sinners offering up cries with tears for them but intercedes with the Authority of Mediation which he obtained by his Death He appears in the presence of God for us offering great Reasons for our pardon 4. To this add that he hath whilst he doth this strong desires in himself to have us made partakers of it We are told that he is a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God and that he is willing to make Reconciliation for us not like the Masters of Requests in this World who many times are so hard to come at that it is easier to get a Petition granted by the King than presented by his Servant No he is so merciful that he hath bid us come boldly to the Throne of Grace and to be confident that we shall obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need we may come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely declare our case to God have free access to him for that purpose and we shall not be turned away with shame as people are when their Petitions are slighted This goodness of our Saviour's Temper is an inward Advocate for us always dwelling in his Breast making him willing to receive the Petitions which we offer to him and also to present them to the Eternal Father and to add to them what may make them acceptable He show'd his benign Disposition before he left this World in that kind Excuse which he made for the neglect of his Friends who failed him in a time when he much needed their Service For though he reproved them for
their fault What could you not watch with me one hour in this my great Agony yet he mercifully both told them their Danger and how to avoid it and made some Excuse for them saying The Spirit is willing but the Flesh weak Besides this he plainly showed his good Temper when upon the Cross he deprecated the Vengeance of the Eternal Father and prayed it might not fall upon such as had sufficiently deserved it These Considerations do give vast encouragement to sinners to repent since by them they see how easily they may come to Mercy To which I shall only add one more which is That God hath declared himself highly pleased when sinners do repent and accept of his pardon For this take our Saviour's word I say unto you that there is great joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth This our Saviour further expresseth in the Parable of the Prodigal which follows in the same Chapter for when he came back from his vicious Course it is said there that his Father when he was afar off had compassion on him ran to meet him fell on his Neck and kissed him that is gave him all signs of Reconciliation expressed all decent Joy for his Return in killing the fatted Calf to make him a Feast and adding Musick and Dancing to make it pleasant Though these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet we think worthily and rightly of God when by such Expressions we understand how acceptable our Repentance is to him and by that are moved to repent And now upon the forementioned Considerations how can the sinner but fall upon his knees and say O Lord I am sensible of my folly I am pain'd with my guilt I am so obnoxious to thy wrath that if thou shouldst mark my sin in order to punishment I know I should not be able to abide it but I see there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared thy goodness leads me to Repentance and I will follow its gentle conduct and return to thee And thus I make my Prayer O Lord though I most justly deserve to be condemned yet I beseech thee not to condemn me What profit is there in my Blood Behold I offer thee for my Ransom a better Life than my own that of thy dear Son and since thou didst commend thy Love to mankind that he should die for sinners O grant me part in that Love Since thou wast pleased to make to meet upon him the Iniquities of us all lay mine upon him I beseech thee It is easier for thee to pardon my sins than to have given thy dear Son to be a Sacrifice for them He hath more pleased thee by his Obedience than I have grieved thee by my Disobedience The voice of his Blood cries lowder for pardon than my sins for vengeance Since thy beloved Son died for our sins and rose again for our justification since thou hast reconciled me to thee by his death now much more let me be saved by his life And O blessed Jesus since thou didst not refuse to die for my sins I pray thee that I may not die for them too After thy Incarnation thou didst declare that thou camest not to be ministred unto but to serve others and O unexpressible kindness to give thy life a Ransom for many it is sufficient for the sins of all the World leave not mine out I beseech thee but let me be one of the Redeemed made happy by thee because thou madest thy Soul an Offering for their sins Thou wast pleased among thy Titles of Glory to take this of a Saviour and as thou didst not then despise that merciful Office so neither art thou yet weary of it Save me even me also I pray thee and say unto my Soul that thou art my salvation It is long ago that thou didst call to thee all such as are weary and heavy laden I am one of those O Lord my sins ly heavy upon me like a load of Sand and without thy help the Burden will grow intolerable I beseech thee according to thy gracious promise to take it off and give me ease O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World Thou wast pleased in the days of thy Flesh to pity the miseries of sinners Thy Compassion is not withered thy pity is not dried up it extends it self from Generation to Generation thou shewest mercy to thousands and savest to the utmost of all times all that come unto God by thee I come unto the Eternal Father hoping in thy mediation save me I beseech thee O Prince of pity Thou didst command thy Servants to preach Repentance and Remision of sins in thy Name and didst pray for such as should believe in thee through their Word I am one of those most merciful Jesus let the benefit of thy prayer reach me also Thou undertookest to make Intercession for sinners and didst beg their Release as well thou mightest for thou didst pay their Debt O pray for me also most merciful Advocate When thou wentest into thy Glory thou didst not leave the Remembrance of poor Souls behind thee but didst let them know before thy departure hence that thou wast going to appear in the presence of God for them remember me too now thou art in thy Kingdom O Lover of Souls who ever livest to make Intercession Before I proceed to the last Motive lest the former should miss their desired Effect I will stay here and briefly answer two Objections which without any just ground some have made to their own hinderance in this Affair 1. One saith That notwithstanding all which hath been discoursed concerning the goodnefs of God yet I do not know whether he intends any kindness towards me in his Declarations because he may be some secret will have debarred me from having any benefit by them 2. Another saith It may be God would pardon me if I did repent but what am I better for that since I find in my self no Power to repent 1. To the first After all that full Declaration which God hath made of his goodness dost thou doubt his Reality And though he hath affirmed his readiness to save doft thou think that by some hidden Will he hath resolved thy Damnation Let me then say to thee in the words of a late Divine of this Church O thou Hypocrite because thou hast two wills one in thy Words and another in thy mind dost thou think that God hath so too that he speaks one thing and means another That he hath a secret will contradictory to his revealed If it be secret how camest thou to know it No thou art wicked in making God a lyar and dissembler like thy self So he I will add That such blasphemous words without Repentance will be severely accounted for one day and that God will reprove thee and set this among thy other sins in order before thee Leave of these vile Imaginations and never let