transvolantes reperiunt naturâ quae sunt usui c. Theodoret know not the judgment of the Lord. The brute creatures do by a natural instinct know and betake themselves to what is for their good and safety but my people for so they will needs be called know not the judgment of the Lord that is they heed it not at least so as to practice what the Lord out of his Word hath prescribed them for their good and safety or they do not perceive though by all marks and tokens they might what the Lord intends to bring upon them or atleast not so as by repentance to prevent it Those brute creatures indeed the Stork and the Turtle c. they when sharp weather is coming avoid it by flying where it is warmer but my people they will persist and go on as they did and rather dye and perish than alter their course and get into a better state get under the warm and comfortable beams of my favour so that this people act in a Sphere and at a rate below Brutes they were made above them but they make themselves inferiour to them God hath put them under their feet and they set them as judges above their heads O how wofully is man degenerate how wonderfully even reasonless creatures act more reasonably than they for they when the season grows ☞ sharp and the weather cold and stormy knowing if they abide where they are they are like to starve and perish with cold and hunger they change their quarters and fly to some milder and warmer Region but this people are so sottish and senseless that whatever storms of wrath and divine vengeance hang over them as ready to fall upon them and overwhelm them yet will not they change their minds nor manners nor mend their ways nor works but continue the same they were and go on to do as they did say I or do I what I will And hence says the Lord how do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Piscator reads it how dare you as if the Lord had said with Quomodo dicere audetis Sapientes sumus c. what face can ye say we are wise you wise away for shame say not so do not you talk of wisdom who act below Storks and Turtles c. that have not so much wit nor forecast as they but are more unreasonable and senseless than those reasonless creatures you wise when the very fowls of the air are wiser than you and you talk of the law of God that act below the dictates of the law of nature O with what shame and confusion of face for ever will this fill the faces of sinners another day when they shall see and be forced to acknowledg that though reasonable creatures yet they acted not with that reason and equity as the reasonless creatures did yea the Stork c. We all apostatized and ran away from God in Adam but in Baptism we gave up our selves to God again we sware as it were fidelity to him and yet we have gone again away from him fled from our colours and run into his and our enemies camp and as nothing is more requisite so is any thing more reasonable or equal than that we should turn back again unto him our true Lord and Master It was well said of her not onely in point of commodity but in Hos 2. 7. point of equity not onely as being profitable Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectitudinem ejus i. e. resipiscentiam Rectum enim est ut homo de peccatis suis admonitus praesertim à Deo resipiscat Pisc but as being right and reasonable I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me than now So of the Prodigal Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my father c. O we can never do what is just and right and equal and reasonable unless we do this turn unto God again Hence this is called man's uprightness or man's equity To shew unto man his uprightness The Hebrew is his rectitude or Job 3◠2◠rightness which Piscator retains as that he judges best understanding by this rightness of man his repentance it being most right just and equal that man being admonished and that by God himself of his sins should repent and turn to him 2. The excellency and honourableness thereof 1. In its own nature it being a grace a Gospel-saving grace and all grace is excellent 2. In its Author it being of God his work his gift 3. In its rise and root which is that precious grace of faith 4. In regard of the object and that both turn'd from and turn'd to for in repentance we turn from darkness and turn to sight from sin and Satan and turn to God Conversionem ad Deum Beza Acts 20. 21 Psal 95. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 15. hence call'd repentance towards God or as Beza renders it conversion to God and such a God a great God and a great King above all Gods the living and true God the blessed and onely potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the Earth upon whose head are many Crowns the most high God possessour Gen. 14. 19 20. of heaven and earth the God of glory who is clothed with honour and majesty whose name alone is excellent and is to be praised from Ps 113. 3. the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same yea whose glorious name is exalted above Neh. 9. 5. all blessing and praise Thousand thousands minister unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him Behold the Nations are Dan. 7. 10. as a drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance yea they are all before him as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity And Lebanon is not sufficient Is 40. 15 16 17. to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering And to such a God it is that we 10. 21. turn when we do indeed turn again the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob to the mighty God O Israel return to the Lord Hos 14. 1. Zach. 1. 3. thy God c. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts turn Acts 14. 15. ye unto me c. And we preach unto you says the Apostle that ye should turn from these vanities to the living God who made heaven and earth c. And it is said of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1. 9. that they turned from Idols to serve the living and true God And I will arise says the Prodigal and go to my father and what a noble generous and excellent thing is that whereby we do this Turn from sin and Satan to God and such a God and our God and heavenly father turn from misery to our felicity from the great and onely true evil to the chief good
men that they may speedily recover themselves by repentance lest iniquity be their ruin This is the design of the religious Author in this useful and savoury Treatise which is now put into thy hands as much of it as my occasions would give me leave to peruse seemed to be woven with such a constant texture of solidity and piety that I could not but recommend it to thy acceptance and the Lords Blessing Tho. Manton The Contents CHAP. I. THE general scope and summe of the words CHAP. II. The explication of the words p. 5. CHAP. III. 1. Doctr. in general When miseries abide the people of God spiritual mercies are especially to be sought p. 10 Reas 1. This the Lord prescribes 2. thus others have done 3. of the not doing thereof the Lord complains 4. to this the promise is made 5. else miseries cannot be remov'd in mercy 6 these will support under them 11. 12 Use 1. of Reproof 2. Exhortation 15. 16 CHAP. IV. 2. Doctr. in general Spiritual mercies are to be sought with all earnestness 18 R. 1. God's precept 2. others practice 3. their nature requires it 4. this it shews we are in earnest 5. in a fit capacity to receive them 6. because so unworthy of them 7. because of the dear price paid for them 8. this is all that is required for the obtaining of them 9. the way to have them 10. the more to value them p. 20. to 37 Use 1. How sad not to seek them at all 1. It is the badg of wicked men 2. such are practical Atheists 3. as Heathens 4. have not the Spirit 5. are dead 6. lye open to God's fury p. 37. c. Use 2. To be humbled we have sought them no more 2. to seek them more earnestly for the future 1. For our selves 2. for ours 3. for others especially for Sion p. 40 to 49 CHAP. V. The more particular points observable 1. Doctr. We are all by nature turn'd away from God Use 1. It speaks our sin 2. misery 3. necessity of being turn'd again if saved c. p. 49 to 57 2. Doctr. Such as are brought home to God are very ready to turn again aside 1. How this appears 2. whence it is p. 57 58. Use 1. to bewail it 2. not to be high-minded 3. to carry it meekly 4. the more to indeavour to cleave to God several helps propounded p. 59. to 66 3. Doctr. The Lord is the God of hosts Use 1. to fear him 2. not to provoke him 3. to trust in him 4. to be incouraged in our addresses to him 5. to move us to turn to him c. p. 66 67 4. Doctr. The Lord onely can turn us again to himself Use 1. It shews the folly of delaying to turn 2. we should the more fear turning aside 3. apply our selves to him to turn us 4. give him the glory when turn'd 68 69 5. Doctr. When the Lord turns a people again he causes his face to shine 1. He does cause it to shine 2. he will it being 1. his promise 2. sin which interpos'd being remov'd Use 1. Such then are blessed 2. It should move the more to get turn'd p. 70 to 77 CHAP. VI. The principal point p. 78 Doctr. 6. The onely way for a people to be saved it is for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine 77. This illustrated as being 1. the right way 2. a sure way 3. a try'd way 4. the way to be sav'd in mercy 5. universally and that in three respects 6. the onely way p. 78. to 88 CHAP. VII What manner of turn this must be answered 1. more generally 2. more particularly 1. Such as is of God 2. joyn'd with humiliation 3. arising from faith 4. accompanied with shame for sin 5. confession 6. hatred of sin 7. such as is even to the Lord 8. with all the heart 9. universal 1. as to the subject turning 2. object turn'd from 3. object turn'd to 10. Constant and continued p. 92. to 114 CHAP. VIII The Reasons of the point R. 1. Because this is the way these here take 2. that others have taken 3. that the Lord prescribes 4. which as so he hath promised 5. thâ—t Christ took 6. that his Ministers take 7 because it presupposes faith 8. because of what follows 1. upon conversion people being then turn'd 1. from what is destructive 2. to God 1. the chief 2. the ultimate good 3. they being then towards salvation 4. they walk 5. hold on in the ways of salvation 6. such in some sense are sav'd already 2. because of what follows upon God's favour which 1. is salvation 2. that which will accomplish all requisite to salvation 3. it is it self all 1. light 2. life 3. felicity 4. safety 5. health 6. strength 7. joy 8. glory 4. It silences all God hath against his people p. 114. to 139 CHAP. IX Use 1. of information or inference if this be the onely way for a people to be sav'd 1. There is then a way for a people to be sav'd p. 139 2. England then is in a very unlikely way to be sav'd 143 3. The contrary then is the onely way to be destroy'd 148 4. Few then are like to be sav'd 153 5. It gives us to see the reason why the Lord is so intent upon this 155 6. Why his Ministers so much press this 157 7. Why his people have been so earnest for this 159 8. Why such joy in heaven for this Ib. 9. What a choice mercy then the Ministry is 161 10. It speaks highly of conversion and divine favour 167 11. Commends solemn days of fasting and humiliation 166 12. Speaks well of afflictions 168 CHAP. X. Use of Exhortation 1. earnestly to pray for these Motives 1. the Lord invites to it 2. it is great kindness that he does so 3. it is not for any need he has of us 4. yea he indents with us to do it 5. he onely can effect and vouchsafe these 6. he is able to do it and 7. willing to do it 8. does it of free frace 9. by his effectual grace 10. hath done it for the greatest of sinners P. 171. to 196 CHAP. XI The second branch of Exhortation to adde to our Prayers our endeavours in general more particularly 1. to attend constantly on the ministry of the word 2. when the spirit moves to cherish such motions 3. to break off from evil company 4. to get into good 5. to consider our ways 6. to occasion our hearts that way 7. to remember God of his promises 8. to labour to believe 9. to cease the practice of gross sins 10. what we do to dospeedily Twelve Considerations to excite thereto P. 196. to 233 Though we cannot convert our selves yet not in vain to be exhorted thereto shewed in several particulars 234 CHAP. XII Motives to turn to God 1. The equity thereof 2. the excellency 3. the utility 4. the necessity 5. the acceptableness of it to God
Psalm 14. 3. 58. 3. Rom. 3. 12. Isa 53. 6. where holds forth and hence by nature we are said to be without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. and Christ is said to suffer for sins upon this account to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. yea and this the Scripture holds forth as the great Luke 1. 17. Acts 26. 18 19 20. work of his Ministers to turn people to him And now briefly by way of Application Use 1. This it speaks our sin that we are and do still turn aside and go away from God forsake him thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backward c. they have Jr. 15. 16. 2. 27. Is 1. 4. turn'd their back unto me and not their face And what a slighting is this of God and what scorn and contempt does it put upon him for it is an action of scorn and disdain among men to turn the back upon one and to offer scorn and contempt to God for a poor vile creature to turn the back upon him whom the Angels adore Daniel 7. 10. Matth. 18. 10. and to behold whose face it is their highest honour and felicity Our sinfulness and great iniquity herein will the better appear if we do but consider these three things 1. What a God it is that we have and do thus forsake and turn aside and go away from As 1. the living God Jer. 10. 10. c. yea the fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 13. the very spring and sole and soveraign Author and original of all true happiness help comfort and support here and of eternal life and felicity hereafter and this is such an evil as the Lord calls the very Heavens to be astonish'd at Jerem. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horrere horrescere horâ—â—re Be agonish'd O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid properly let the hair stand straight up that is be horribly afraid or terribly afrighted with horrour and great fear because in extremity of horrour the hair does shew it by standing as it were straight up through great fear And if the heavens are called upon to be thus horribly affrighted because of this how much more should sinners be so who have done and do this it follows and be ye desolate saith the Lord that is by withdrawing or by the loss of your Heavenly light and why all this v. 13. for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water 2. A great God yea and a great King above Psalm 95. 3. 145. 3. all Gods whose greatness is unsearchable and for him to be turn'd aside from and to turn our backs upon and so to be despised how sad must this needs be I am small says David and despised Psalm 119. 141. and Matth. 18. 10. Take heed says our Saviour ye despise not one of these little ones but for such as we to despise a God so infinitely great O how sinful is it 3. A glorious God yea the God of Glory the father of glory one who is cloathed with Majesty and glory Psal 104. 1. he whom the Angels adore and before whom the Devils are forced to tremble and such a God to be forsaken 4. A good God abundant yea infinite in goodness for how great is his goodness and how great is his beauty Zach. 9. 17. Yea goodness it self and good to all having made them preserving them and continually providing for them and so the God to whom they are so infinirely and so many wayes ingaged and obliged 5. The blessed God yea blessed for ever Rom. 1. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shaddai is as much as who is sufficient or all-sufficient having in himself and for others an abundant sufficiency 6. An all sufficient God as he told Abraham Gen. 17. 1. The Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God or God All-sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect that is upright sincere The word in the Hebrew which we render Almighty signifies not onely one that hath great power yea all power but also one that hath an all-sufficiency in himself and that both for himself Qui sibi suffici nullius indigens omnibus creaturis omnis boni existens fons sufficientia Pareus and others and thus the Lord is such a God as does everlastingly independently and unchangeably possess an infinite all-sufficiency in himself and for himself and a full and overflowing all-sufficiency for the creature So that there is no need nor any cause to go from him for any good no there is more need to go from the Sea for water from the Sun for light from the Sea shore for sand from the fire for heat Psalm 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all-suffficiency in all things may abound to every good work 2 Cor. 9. 8. Some derive the Hebrew Shaddai from Shad a dug or breast it being he indeed that suckles feeds and provides for all creatures c. And O how easily and quickly can that full Ocean fill such poor empty scanty vessels as we are and now to forsake and turn aside and depart from such a God how evil a thing is it and how sad must it needs be Paul complains of the turning away of some from him and forsaking him 2 Tim. 1. 15. 4. 10 16. but what is it then to turn away and forsake God and such a God we may well cry out with the Prophet Jeremy 17. 13. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters 2. The sinfulness of this will the more appear if we do but consider that this forsaking of God and turning aside and going away from him is without cause and without all colour of true reason or ground as the Scripture does most pathetically express it as Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity says the Lord have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain As if the Lord had said What cause or ground have I given you or what colour of reason can ye pretend that you should thus go away from me if you have any alledg it produce it And v. 31. Have I says the Lord been a wilderness to Israel a land of Darkness c. No what he was to them and did for them he tels them v. 6 7. so Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me c. Surely darkness may sooner proceed
from the Sun than any iniquity or obliquity proceed from God a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32. 4. 3. The sin and great iniquity of this yet further appears if we do but consider while we have and do forsake and turn aside and go away from God who or what it is that we have and do turn aside to and go away after And Ephes 2. 2. 2 Pet. 2. 10. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Jude 18. Jonah 2. 8. this is that which heaven and earth may be astonished at for it is after sin after the flesh after our vile lusts and leasing and lying vanities yea after Satan after the Devil 1 Tim. 1. 15. For some are already turned aside after Satan and so after hell death perdition and destruction and at best it is but after the creature after 1 Sam. 12. 21. Prov. 25. 4 5. vain things which cannot profit nor deliver things that are not that are vanity yea vanity of vanities i. e. vainest vanity as Solomon long since Quid ost impemtentis vita quam periculosa à Deo alienatio Angelorum offensio servitus Diabolica c. upon the utmost proof and experiment of them hath left upon record and that again and again Eccles. 1. 2. 14. 2. 17. 12. 8. c. And what an evil and bitter thing is this and what iniquity and sin is there in it that God and such a God God blessed for ever a God of all and infinite perfections should be turned aside and gone away from and the back turn'd upon Quid magis horrendum posset excogitari quà m praeponererem adeò vilem Deo creatori Granatensis and i th' mean time sin and the flesh and the vile lusts thereof yea the Devil himself and death and hell turn'd to and gone after what for God to be left for the creature All-sufficiency it self forsaken for vanity Fulness for emptiness and indigency Yea sin and Satan and a man's vile lusts preferred before the Lord of life and glory O well may the heavens be astonished at this and be horribly afraid yea be very desolate and so shall the sinner too such despisers shall behold another day and wonder and perish Vse 2. This it speaks our misery that we are all by nature turn'd aside and gone away from God and such a God as you have heard but now describ'd yea that God whose face and Psal 73. â—5 presence makes heaven and is the heaven of heaven for heaven is not God's happiness but God is heavens happiness whom have I in heaven but 30. 5. 63. 3. thee that God with whom is the fountain of life in whose favour is life yea whose favour is better than life and who is alone the sole soveraign suitable all-sufficient and eternal good of the soul And that which further advances and adds to this misery is this that we being turn'd aside and gone away from God he also is departed and gone away from us so that now by nature we are said to be without God in the world and to be estranged and far from him I mean in regard of his special and gracious presence and what inspeakable yea unconceivable misery does this speak there is a woe with an Emphasis put upon this yea woe also to Hosea 9. 11. 12. them when I depart from them this is last brought in as the sorest and heaviest evil and even perfection of their miseries and which indeed in the perfect completion thereof will be the very hell of hell that there must be a departure from God and a being punished with everlasting Matth. 25. 41. 2 Thes 1. 9. Ps 73. 28. destruction from the presence of the Lord c. for loe they that are far from thee shall perish c. Certainly the world is not so sad without the Sun the earth without rain the body without the soul as the soul without God who is more the life of the soul than the Soul is the life of the body Saul spake truely as to that when he said I am sore distressed the Philistins making war against him and God being departed from him 1 Sam. 28. 15. Job 34. 29. When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him c. And when God goes away all good must needs also go away with him and all evils break in as the Lord threatens that people upon their forsaking him and breaking that covenant he had made with them Deut. 31. 17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them and what then and ther shall be devoured and many evils and troubles shall befall them c. And how can it be otherwise when their defence is departed from them Use 3. This shews the absolute indispensable necessity of being turn'd again if ever we be saved if ever we enter into heaven and enjoy God for ever Why because by nature we are all turn'd aside and turn'd away from these and have our backs upon them and how can we unless we be turn'd again ever come to partake of them Can a man unless he turn ever come to a place that he hath his back upon and is going away from as can he come to a place in the East that has his back upon it and is going a quite contrary way to a place in the West And can a man unless he turn again and be converted ever come to heaven that has his back upon heaven is going as fast as he can in the ways that lead to hell in a quite opposite and contrary way and course it cannot be And therefore this shews the absolute and indispensable necessity of being turn'd again of being converted if ever we go to heaven if ever we be saved and come to enjoy God for ever and hence says our Saviour Matth. 18. 3. Except you be converted and become as little children for it is a change not of place but of disposition that is required here ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven and indeed ye cannot for till ye are converted your backs are upon it and ye are going on in a quite opposite way to it Can any go to heaven with their backs upon heaven No except ye repent says Christ ye shall all likewise perish and turn ye turn ye says the Lord Luke 13. 3 5. Ezek. 33. 11. from your evill ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel As if the Lord should have said How can ye live unless ye turn that have your backs upon life and are going on in the ways that lead unto death And therefore this being our condition by nature that we are all turn'd aside and turn'd away from God and our sin and misery being so great by reason thereof O let us never rest 'till we come to be turn'd again there
Ephraim Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote on my thigh c. Jer. 31. 19. So Lam. 5. 21. Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned c. Use 1. See what folly then it is to procrastinate and put off repentance as if it was in our own power to repent and turn when we pleased whereas it is in God's power alone and therefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if you Heb. â— 7 8. will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. Vse 2. Let this make us the more careful how we turn aside from God because though we of our selves can turn away from him he onely can turn us again to him Use 3. As ever then we would that our selves or ours should be turn'd again let us apply our selves to him as these do here turn us again O Lord God of Hosts I have gone astray says Ps 119. 176. David like a lost sheep seek thy servant c. We can lose our selves but we must have recourse to God to reduce us and fetch us home O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself it is not Jer. 10. 23. in man that walketh to direct his steps and therefore let us cry with Ephraim Turn thou me O Jer. 3. 18. Lord and I shall be turned c. Vse 4. Then when we are turned again see here to whom to ascribe it and to whom to give the praise and glory of it even to the Lord God of hosts It is his work he has done it and none else but he could do it and therefore let him have the glory of it alone Doctr. 5. When the Lord turns a people again to himself he causes his face to shine He manifests his favour and shews himself gracious and propitious for these two are here joyned together Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine And this latter may be considered either as the efficient or as that which as an effect follows upon the former or as both So that when the Lord turns a people or a person to himself 1. he does cause his face to shine and 2. when he has turn'd a people again to himself he will cause his face to shine that is he will more and more cause it to shine more and more manifest his favour and to both these I shall speak something briefly 1. He then does cause his face to shine when he turns them again to himself he then remembers them with the favour that he bears Cùm convertit faciem suam Deus ad nos nos respiciâ— tum ad eum convertimur to his people and lifts up upon them the light of his countenance saving conversion being a blessed effect and happy fruit thereof and it being his special favour and grace that puts him upon it I will heal saith the Lord their back-slidings Hosea 14. 4. and whence will he do it what puts him Poenitentia est effectus gratiae fluentis à dilectione Dei in filio Dei fundatâ Pareus in locum upon it his love I will love them freely for his anger is turned away from him We are bid to seek God's face to seek his favour and such have found it and the Lord hath dealt very graciously with them but it is not thus as to the things of the world they in their very quintessence and though in their greatest confluence do not simply of themselves speak God's love and favour no but for all them though in never so great abundance men may be under God's frowns and have none of his favour but hatred and abhorrence for God's heart here does not always go along with his hand God's giving hand and his gracious favourable accepting hand are two distinct things and so is his permissive and his promissive approving Providence Men Ex largitate non ex promisso may have Quails and wrath the daintiest viands and vengeance coin and the curse heap Num. 11. 33. Psalm 33. 7. up wealth and worldly treasures have more than heart could wish and yet be under God's sorest Zach. 1. 15. displeasure I am very sore displeased with the Irâ magnâ irascor heathen that are at ease God's bringing these things abundantly into mens hands is no argument nor intimation of the love of his heart The tabernacles of Robbers prosper and they that Job 12. 6. provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly Ps 73. 12. Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches c. and yet such whom God hates and abhors Psalm 12. 5. But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth and Psalm 5. 5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity and God is angry with the wicked every day Ps 7. 11. So that these things are no sign of God's favour neither in any or all of them does his face shine or is the light of his countenance lift up but now saving conversion and God's turning of a man again to himself this ever speaks God's favour and the shine of his face and the lifting up upon him the light of his countenance and though such a one may have but little of these things in his hand this is a sure intimation to him of the love of God's heart and this makes the little though it be never so little that such a one hath better than Boni nunquam in statu malo nam illis vel ipsa mala vertuntur in bonum mali contra nunquam in statu bono quia iis vel ipsa bona vertuntur in malum Gryâ—â—ous the riches of many wicked Ps 37. 16. for better says Solomon is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith Prov. 15. 17. And this makes it that it can never be ill with a godly man how little soever he have of these things because he has still God's love and that it can never be well with a wikced man how much soever he has of these things because he has ever God's hatred therewith and the evil things of the one being turn'd into good and the good things of the other being turn'd into evil Ps 25. 10. Rom. 8. 28. Ps 69. 22. Pro. 1. 32. 2. The Lord will cause his face to shine yea more and more to shine on a people or person that he turns again to himself For 1. it is his promise so to do to be gracious and to manifest his favour to such Job 33. 23. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness the Hebrew his rectitude that is what is right and straight viz. to repent and turn to God Dutch read it to declare unto man his right duty as indeed conversion and true turning to God it is our duty and it is a right
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
7. 21. 6. of joy I hou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their corn and wine increased for thou hast made him most blessed for ever thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance it makes exceeding happy and exceeding glad It is the greatest cheerer the choicest cordial for thy love is better and we Cant. 1. 2 4. will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more than wine 8. It is glory it is our honour and exaltaion For thou art the glory of their strength and Psalm 89. 17. 148. 14. in thy favour our horn shall be exalted he also exalteth the horn of his people he and his favour whose name alone is excellent and whose v. 13. glory is above the earth and heaven And who should or what should exalt his people if not God and his favour It is a crowning mercy who crowneth thee with loving kindness and Psalm 103. 4. tender mercies the favour of God the loving kindness of God and those special peculiar tender mercies which flow from his very bowels as it were from his tender intimate and affectionate love these crown these are our honour and ornament With favour wilt thou compass 5. 12. him as with a shield the Hebrew is crown him And so the Dutch and others read it thou shalt crown him with thy favourableness or well Ut scuto voluntate coronabis eum pleasing complacency as with a target as with a buckler with favourable acceptation thou wilt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coronabis crown him Not only does glory life and immortality crown hereafter but the love and favour of God crowns here yea all the Gold and Gems and Rubies and richest and preciousest stones in the world set and compos'd together can never make such a Crown for the head as the favour of God puts upon the soul With favour wilt thou crown him In the 2 Sam. 12. 30. we read there of a Crown the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones which according to the weight of the Sanctuary weighed above an hundred pound but according to the ordinary talent above fifty four pound but the Crown of Gods favour exceeds it and excels it Thus the favour of God is not only Shield and Buckler but Crown also yea 't is any thing every thing that is truly excellent comfortable and commodious and that his people stand in need for it to be unto them But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory Psalm 3. 3. Isa 28. 5. and the lifter up of my head In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people c. As he said to Paul his grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 12. 9. Favor Dei auxilium spiritus sancti á favore isto proveniens for us or enough for us and is all in all to us his accepting grace and his helping and sustaining grace his favour and what flows therefrom 4. It covers and silences all that God has against his people So that though his people may have many failings which oppose their weal and might be matter of plea against them yet God shining on them with his face he passes them by and silences all in his love for love even in us covers multitudes of sins how much more 1 Pet. 4. 8. Prov. 10. 12. Zeph. 3. 17. God's love The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoice over thee with joy he will rest in his love that is as some render it he will take satisfaction and contentment in loving thee in the affection he bears to thee But the Hebrew is as is noted in the Silebit propter dilectionem suam obmutescet in amore suo Margent he will be silent in his love or because of his love that is he will bear with thy infirmities and pass them by without manifesting any displeasure for them his love shall answer all objections against thee so that thy frailties shall not be charged upon thee but born with The Hebrew signifies also to be dumb or deaf and some render it he shall be dumb in his love or deaf that is to speak after the manner of men his ear shall not hear nor his mouth utter any accusations against thee so as to reject thee though he may humble thee he will quiet himself in his love when his anger is ready to be stirr'd he will pass over many things and as it were wink at them because he loves thee as the tender-hearted loving husband does as to his dear wife the loving father or mother as to her dear child So Hosea 14. 4. I will heal their back-sliding and whence I will love them freely for my anger is turn'd away from him and Micah 7. 19. He will turn again i. e. in mercy and loving kindness he will manifest his love he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea drown them in the ocean of his love Psalm 85. 1 Thou hast been favourable unto thy Land and then v. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin CHAP. IX The Application of the point and first in general by way of Information or inference IS it the onely way for a people to be saved for Use 1. of Information or inference God to turn them again and cause his face to shine as hath been abundantly made good then there are several truths that this point doth inform us of and instruct us in and several things from hence are deducible and may be inferr'd As 1. That then there is a way for a people to be saved and that let their present state and condition be what it will be it never so sad though as sad as this peoples was here whose prayer God had seemed to be angry with a great while v. 4 5 6 12 13 yea and had fed them with bred of tears and given them tears to drink in great measure made them a strife unto their neighbours and their enemies laught among themselves yea though God had planted them as his vine yet now he had broken down her hedges so that all they who passed by the way did pluck her The bore out of the wood did wast it and the wild beast out of the field devoured it yea all God's former mercies were now turned into judgments and yet were a peoples condition as sad as theirs here yea sadder yet there is a way for them to be saved yea let God but turn them again and cause his face to shine and they shall be saved Thus whatever are a peoples sicknesses or sores there is a salve whatever their maladies there is a remedy whatever is their case there is a way of
such a wasting pestilence and such devouring flames and many other judgments and yet such of us as have been spar'd and were pull'd as fire-brands out of the burning how few of us have repented and are turned to the Lord. May not the Lord justly take up the same complaint against England as he did against Israel I have sent among you the pestilence after Amos 4. 10 11. the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses c. yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. Strangers Hos 7. 9 10. have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth it not And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face and they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek him for all this and Is 1. 5. why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more c. The bellows are burnt the Jer. 6. 29. lead is consumed of the fire the founder melteth in vain c. I gave them space to repent but they Revel 2. 21. 9. 20. did not repent And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands c. How have we despised the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the Rom. 2. 4. goodness of God leadeth us to repentance that is not onely affords us time and space to repent but gives us reason to repent but after the hardness and impenitency of our hearts we have gone on to treasure up unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God The Lord hath been hearkning and hearing and may he not justly complain of us as of the Jews of old but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness Jerem. 8. 6. saying what have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel When the hand of the Lord hath been lifted up we have refused to see it and though his judgments are in the earth yet learn we not righteousness We have not said what have we done but have not some in the pride and stoutness of their hearts been ready to say what they would do even as those in Isaiah The bricks are fallen Isa 9. 9 10 down say they but we will build with hewen stones the Sycamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars i. e. as if they had said our houses indeed are down but what then we value it not we will build fairer and better and will have our streets now broader Thus this is all that they made then that many make now of what the Lord hath done not to be be brought thereby to consider what they have done thus to undo so famous a City but to resolve what they will do as to rearing and bertering their houses but not as to reforming their hearts and lives and therefore the Lord threatens he will set up their enemies and joyn Isa 9. 11 12. them against them both before and behind to devour them with open mouth and yet his anger is not turned away but his hand stretched out still If indeed not to turn again to God but rather more and more away from God and to turn still unto sin and every one to his course as the horse rushes into the battel yea to wax worse and worse and to have our tongues and doings more and more against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory If Atheism profaneness licentiousness superstition idolatry strange doctrines errours heresres schisms apostacies hypocrisies infidelity pride headiness high mindedness hardness of heart carnal security presumption incorrigibleness under judgments unthankfulness for mercies unfruitfulness under means hatred of God and the power of godliness contempt of his word and ways slighting and despising his ordinances resisting and grieving and doing despite unto his Spirit treading under foot his Son crucifying of him as it were afresh and putting him to open shame if shamelesness in sin declaring it as Sodom and hiding it not if swearing cursing blaspheming prophaning God's Name and Sabbaths if murder bloud touching bloud adulteries fornications wantonness lasciviousness and all manner of filthiness and uncleanness if drunkenness gluttony luxury peoples making their belly their God and being lovers of pleasures more than of him glorying in their shame if cruelty unmercifulness maliciousness despightfulness bitterness unrigteousness oppression fraudulent and unjust dealing lying slandering censuring reviling variance strife debate differences divisions emulations selfishness covetousness earthly-mindedness c. In a word if an inundation of all manner of wickedness and debauchery imaginable and the Nation becoming a very sink of vice or at best to have but onely a form of Godliness but to deny the power thereof and if for God in stead of causing his face to shine upon us to hide it from us and to turn his back upon us and to manifest his sore displeasure against us as he hath done alate in regard of those heavy judgments he hath sent among us dealing with us as he threatned to deal with Jerusalem And I will set my face against Exek 15. 7. them they shall go out from one fire and another fire shall devour them And has not God dealt so with us We were scarce got out of one fire which devoured our bodies which from above the Lord sent into our bones into our strongest parts that is sore plagues and pains which like a fire did pierce deep into and consume the most solid and strongest parts of the body as Jerusalem complains Lam. 1. 13. From above hath he sent fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them and against how many thousands of families and persons did that fierce and furious fire of the pestilence prevaile And scarce as I said were we got out of that fire but another fire brake forth which devoured our houses and estates and are there not still many sad symptoms of his displeasure upon us and for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still And if these now were the way for a people to be saved we were a Nation in as likely a way and posture to be saved as ever Nation was under heaven but if for a people to turn again unto God from their sins and for God to cause his face to shine be the way for a people to be saved and the onely way as indeed it is then the Lord have mercy upon us for we are a Nation in as unlikely a way and posture to be saved as ever Nation was and if we go on
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
onely asleep but dead and yet quickened and not onely dark but darkness it self in the abstract and yet made light in the Lord. If sinners indeed had never heard of any great sinners that God had turned again from their sins to himself or that it was not better with them then than before when they served their lusts they might have the more plea but there are many presidents in sacred Writ and if with mourning and humiliation thou turnest with them thou shalt be happy with them We find in the 15. of Luke that the Prodigal there went a great way off from his father he took his journey not into some neer adjacent parts but into a far countrey and there he spends all makes himself a meer bankrupt so that he falls to feed Swine and feeds on the husks that the Swine did eat and yet could not have his belly full of them neither and yet this Prodigal he is brought to himself and brought home again to his father and there he is kist and embrac'd and has the best his fathers house can afford How exceeding far had Manasseh turn'd away from God yea how exceedingly had he turn'd against him we scarce read of any that ever did worse read 2 Chron. 33. from the 1. v. to the 10. 2 Kings 21. from the 1. v. to the 17. It is said he used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards and wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger he made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom c. and yet Manasseh is made a Convert and turn'd again to the Lord the Lord he turns to Manasseh and turns Manasseh again to himself So what a persecutor was Paul he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord c. Acts 9. 1 2. yea as himself says he was exceedingly mad against them Acts 26. 11. and yet this persecutor is turned to be a Preacher and to prosecute what he formerly sought to destroy Mary Magdalene had seven Devils lodging Numerus certus pro incerto in her that is many and yet Jesus Christ casts them all out and makes that heart where so many Devils had lodged fit for himself to lodg in who had the seven Spirits of God and she who had been so vile and miserable he appears Mark 16. 9. first to and makes the first witness of his resurrection And such were some of you what 1 Cor. 6. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haeceratis quilibet such kind of things he does not say such men or women but such kind of things as if the Apostle knew not how to stile them nor what to call them and therefore he puts it in the Neuter Gender such kind of things O they were sad and strange kind of things indeed and yet of such kind of things God makes something of yea makes blessed things of but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God It matters not much whither or from whence we are fallen if the Lord undertake but to raise us nor whither we are wandered or Junius before his conversion is said to be an Atheist but afterward became very pious stiled the Glory of Leyden where we are wilder'd if he undertake but to reduce us nor how far we are turned aside or turned away if he undertake but to turn us again no matter what is the sickness if he be but the Physician and undertakes the cure he can do good of any one be it who it will that is very encouraging to poor sinners which he said to Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. My grace is sufficient for thee it is sufficient for the greatest of sinners his accepting grace is sufficient and his sanctifying renewing grace is sufficient one is sufficient against all our unworthiness and the other is sufficient against all our uncapableness and unfitness one is sufficient to put God upon doing what is to be done and the other is sufficient for to do it one as to motive the other as to efficacy he can make dry bones live and is Ezek. 37. 5 6 7. Matth. 3. 9. able of stones to raise children to Abraham he can change condition and disposition pardon and purge justifie and sanctifie yea do every thing and perform all things And therefore let all even such as have turn'd farthest aside from God be encouraged to go unto God and to call upon him and cry unto him to perform all things for them for all things are of him and to Psal 57. 2. perform this for them to turn them again and cause his face to shine Say Lord thou commandest us to turn O do thou make us to turn it is thy precept that we should turn Lord according to thy promise give us grace for to turn Turn us and we shall be turned convert us and we shall be converted we have turned aside after the world and vanity and sin yea after Satan but O turn us again to thy self we have turned aside to our own ways and after our own lusts but O turn us again to thee and thy ways thou sayest Return ye back-sliding children and I Jerem. 3. 22. will heal your back slidings and Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God that thou mayest cause us and inable us to return for the way of man is not in himself it is not in man Jer. 10. 23. that walketh to direct his steps turn us therefore and we shall be turned and thou who givest us space to repent give us grace to repent and to turn to thee and that with a true hearty real and universal turn Lord every thing within us is turned from thee and is averse to thee yea is turned against thee and therefore do thou by thy grace cause all to turn again to thee mind will heart affections all within us and all without us that so we may not be half but whole Converts and our conversion may not be partial but total and universal of the whole man and from all evill and to all that is good Salvation is said to belong unto the Lord and his blessing Psal 3. 8. to be upon his people and let us beg that the Lord would thus save us and not onely us our selves but others also ours his people and that this blessing may be upon us all the blessing of turning us all again to himself and of causing his face to shine the blessing of saving conversion and of Divine favour and affection that the Lord would thus save and bless the Nation this Kingdom Church State Cities Towns Families houses hearts even with the great Gospel-blessing of Jesus Christ raised from the Acts 3. 26. dead in turning us all from our sins and iniquities to himself Lord thus bless the house of
the world especially if they be of consequence and must there onely be delays here were a mans house on fire would he delay to seek to quench it or was his estate much more his life in danger to be lost would he delay to seek to save it But is not the loss of the Soul ten thousand times sadder If ever you mean to turn from your sins to the Lord are there not the same reasons for it now as hereafter Is not sin evil bitter and destructive now as well as afterward and does it not now dishonour God thwart oppose provoke offend burden yea weary him and debase defile and wrong your own souls and threaten your ruine and hinder your own happiness comfort and peace separate between you and Is 59. 2. God the chief good and his favour which is better than life and is not God you should turn to as full lovely desireable soveraign excellent and all-sufficient a Good now as he will be afterward or what other reasons are there for turning from your sins to God that are not now and the reasons being the same now as hereafter why should you defer and go on still to adde further to your own shame trouble and grief O how much more peace and comfort Castigemus igitur mores moras nostras might sinners have did they sooner break off from their sins and turn to God and were they but betimes converted and brought home to him in their younger days how much more honour might they bring to him and how much more service might they do for him which they are not capable of till they come to be converted for till then they are in the flesh that is in Rom. 8. 8. the state of corrupt nature and so cannot please God nor serve nor honour him and yet what is our end or what were we made for but this or what is it worth the while to live for but in reference to this which makes our life to be life indeed without which it is no better than death that being the very end and business of our living and though we be we do not properly Fuit non vixit live 'till then For she that liveth in pleasure 1 Tim. 5. 6. is dead while she liveth And what an honour is it to please honour and serve the great God which is the honour of Angels and of those blessed Heroes above Thousand thousands Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 22. 3. ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him c. And his servants shall serve him c. But 'till you are turned again you neither do nor can serve God but serve sin Satan your lusts instead of the Lord of life and glory And who would not hasten out of such an estate O how good is it to bear the yoke in our youth and feel the bitterness of sin and abandon it betimes and not defer what is so infinitely for our own happiness and good and yet this is that people are exceeding prone unto still to put off and procrastinate their turning to God They deny not but it is to be done and they say they purpose and resolve to do it but not yet all in good time and so never set upon it and this is occasioned partly from their sloath and idleness partly from their excessive love of their lusts and sins and vanities as also from their hearts being so much glued to the world and the cares and incumbrances they have about the same and their still continuing in a prosperous estate in health and strength and not being in those troubles as Psal 73. 5. Jer. 22. 21. others are I spake to thee in thy prosperity but thou saidst I will not hear c. But what contempt do these delays cast upon God and his favour and so upon the soul and upon heaven and salvation as if these were not worthy the minding and regarding presently But the vain things of the world which cannot profit nor deliver were to be preferred before them and therefore the more to put you upon speed and expedition herein I shall leave with you these following considerations 1. Consider Repentance is not in your power nor at your command to repent when you please no it is God that gives it and the Spirit that works it which is a free agent and Qui poenitentiae indulgentiam promisit secure in peccatis pergenti poenitentiam non promittit works when and where he pleases and is not at thy beck and God who promises pardon to such as repent does not promise repentance to the secure thou mayest have time but want power have space but want grace to repent If God peradventure will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. c. and therefore put it not off 2. It is a great work even the work of thy whole man and thy whole life and thy whole strength and will you still put it off when as so much of thy time and life and strength is spent already does it need all and shall it yet have less 3. The longer it is deferr'd the greater it will be It may be as yet thou hast some meltings some relentings but sin the longer it is liv'd in the more it hardens and the hardlier it is left lest any of you be heardened through the deceitfulness Heb. 3. 13. of sin There is an inbred natural hardness Ezek. 36. 26. that is in all by nature we have all stony hearts but sinners by going on still in sin and refusing to turn adde acquired hardness and the heart becomes more stony and less capable of the impressions of God's Spirit and so the sinners condition less hopeful continuance in sin taking away the sense and feeling of it and becomes as a milstone about the sinners neck He Qui non est hodie cras minùs aptus erit that is not fit to repent and turn to God to day will be more unfit to morrow and the less time he will have to do it in and the less strength to do it with there will be one day more to repent of and one day less to repent in The further any go on in the ways of sin the further off still they go from God and so their turning again is the more difficult and therefore it is good to stop betimes else it will be the harder task and seldom is it seen that such as have been long in travel from God in the ways of sin do bethink themselves of returning Can the Jer. 13. 23. Principiis obsta c. Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Wounds are presently to be healed else their cure will be harder and how much easier might this work be would sinners but set upon it betimes 4. The time is short It is as the Apostle expresses 1 Cor. 7.
step further in those dangerous ways in which while you go on hell is gaping for you and utter destruction is ready to come upon you yea and which unless you turn from you cannot escape O seek ye the Lord while he Is 55. 6. may be found and call ye upon him while he is near and Give glory to the Lord before he Jer. 13 16. 2 Cor. 6. 2. cause darkness c. Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Remember the watchman's answer when he was enquired of as concerning the night Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night The Is 21. 11 12. watchman said the morning cometh and also the night yea it hastens and it will quickly come upon you and therefore says he if ye will enquire enquire ye return come that is do it speedily least the night surprize you O to day and while it is called to day as the holy Ghost saith hearken to his voice else know if you shall still despise the grace and mercy of God inviting you to repent you will be sure to find and feel too his power in punishing you for refusing to repent Thus though you cannot convert your selves nor of your selves turn again to God yet there are several things you see which you may yea and ought for to do as in reference to this turn and which if you do not do you will be found wholly without excuse and self-destroyers and your bloud will be upon your own heads because you did not do what you might For you must not think God should do all and you do nothing hence in Scripture conversion is spoken of not onely as Acts 11. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 25. c. God's work as most truly and properly it is but in some sense as man's he really indeavouring it and making use of all ways and means Ezek. 33. 18. Zach 1. 3. c. prescribed to further it not that we can turn our selves but that we to our utmost use the best means and take the most effectual course for to do that in some sense we may be said to do And thus though the work of conversion be properly God's work yet as one well observes it is sometimes ascribed to our selves that we should not be negligent sometimes to Ministers and instruments to shew we must not contemn their help and sometimes to God that we may not be self-confident or unthankful And the great reason indeed why sinners do not repent nor turn from their sins to God is not because they cannot though they cannot but because they will not for they think they can and yet will not nay they will not try whither they can or no nor use the power which God hath given them they can do more than they do but will not do it they are slothful and negligent and will not set themselves to use all the means they might and besides they are content with their Cannots and therefore they may thank themselves that they perish and do not repent nor turn to God But for farther satisfaction as to this great point I shall refer the Reader to that excellent Tract of Mr. William Fenner called Wilful impenitency the greatest self-murder and shall here answer an objection that may arise in our way viz. this that if we cannot convert our selves nor turn again to the Lord why are we then so often called upon and exhorted to this as if it was in our power To this I answer 1. It is true indeed we cannot turn our selves no we may as soon create a world as do it the work of Conversion is a greater work than the work of Creation and man that cannot so much as make one hair of his head black or white nor adde one cubit to his stature nor do the less how should he do the greater And therefore for any to interpret those Texts that call upon man to turn to God as if it was in man's power to convert himself as the Papists Arminians and some others do it is to misinterpret and pervert the true sense and meaning of them But 2. though we cannot convert our selves yet that we are so often exhorted and called upon to do that which is not in our power to do viz. to turn to God it is not in vain For 1. these mind us and shew us our duty not our ability what we are and ought to do A praecepto ad posse non valet consequentia sed docet quid fieri debeat c. not what we are able to do what must be done not what we can do they are a measure not of our power but point out to us our duty which we once had ability to but wilfully depriv'd our selves of but that does not hinder but that God may yet require his own 2. They are to convince us of our impotency Si in manu nostra positum esset quicquid Deus requirit supervacua esset gratia Spiritûs sancti and inability that so in and under the sense thereof we might be humbled and laid low and look out for ability and help elsewhere which had we of our selves the grace of the Spirit would be in vain and of no use 3. Though we cannot convert our selves yet these exhortations calls and commands are not in vain for God many times works in them and by them and makes them effectual as to the work as to turn sinners again they are ways and instruments in and by which the Spirit putteth forth his power and comes into the heart As when God at first said Let there be light there was light and when Christ said to Lazarus come forth he came forth thus God many times by his Spirit and grace and the secret virtue and power thereof is pleased so effectually to operate in and by those means as to make them effectual as to that great work so that while a man speaks to the ear he many times speaks to the heart and does so accompany what is spoken with his own power as to make it the power of God to conversion and salvation as while Peter spake the holy Ghost Acts 10. 44. 16. 14. fell on them which heard the word and as Paul was preaching and Lydia hearing the Lord opened her heart Thus such as are dead attending on the means of life come to be quickened and live according to that Hear and your Is 55. 3. soul shall live c. and God in speaking does at once both direct what to do as also inable for to do it calls and converts counsels and makes to obey and comply c. says turn and he turns and be converted and converts 4. Though we cannot convert our selves yet Deus jubet quae non possumus ut noverimus quid ab eo petere debeamus Aug. there are several things as you have heard that we may do as in reference to conversion for God does not exhort
their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will Is 41. 17. 1 King 8. 38 39. hear them c. and what prayer or supplication soever be made though never so weak though but a sigh and by any man that shall know the the plague of his own heart then hear thou in Ps 34. 6. Heaven c. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him c. And this is as I said a choice mercy a singular priviledg and in this God much favours and honours a poor creature and thus the Lord promises it and thus the Saints speak of it I will set him on high and how 91. 14 15. he shall call upon me and I will answer him and The Lord will hear when I call unto him and 4. 3. 116. 1. 102. 18. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice c. And hence it is said This shall be written for the generation to come that God shall hear the prayer of the destitute it shall be set down in a book and recorded and so published 5. Upon this follows a fitness and aptness to receive the Word and the impressions thereof for upon Ezek. 36. 26. true conversion the stony heart is taken away and there is given a heart of flesh that is a soft or tender heart easily admitting or receiving the Word it being like Wax to the Seal and like Gideon's fleece drinking in the dew thereof or like soft earth to the rain whereas the hearts of such as are impenitent and unconverted are as rocks and steep stony places which shoot off all without any impression Josiah humbling himself and his heart being tender what an impression had the words of the Law upon his 2 Chr. 34. 27. heart the hearts of such open and the Word goes in and there it comes to be ingraffed which is a choice mercy whereas the contrary is the greatest judgment as a stony heart an hard heart and such is every impenitent heart it receives no impression of God's Word nor works it yeilds neither to precepts nor promises nor threatnings nor admonitions nor reprehensions nor perswasions neither to judgments nor mercies But they refused to hearken c. Let favour Zach. 7. 11. Is 26. 10. 1. 5. be shewn to the wicked yet will not he learn righteousness and why should ye be stricken any more c. The natural man receives not the things of God he neither believes them nor yeilds to them There may be some slight superficial Non credit nec cedit reception for a little while as is said of the stony ground but it is not solid nor deep so as to enter root and abide The Word may have place among them but it has not as Christ told the Scribes and Pharisees place within them and therefore they sought to kill him Joh. 8. 37. That which is observ'd in Printing is very appliable and considerable here viz that the Paper which is to be printed upon is not of it self as it is dry and stiff and stubborn fit to receive impression and therefore to render it fit it is several times drawn through the water and so being throughly moisten'd mellowed and made soft it becomes fit and truely so it is with our hearts as they are by nature and of themselves and much more by custom in sin they are hard and stiff and stubborn very unfit to receive any impression of God's truth but being drawn as it were through the waters of repentance and so mellowed and made soft and tender they become fit Thus the repenting Corinthians became 2 Cor. 3. 3. Christ's Epistle for their hearts being made tender the Gospel was wrot upon them with ease and so the hearts of the Romans Rom. 6. 17. were cast into the Word as into a Mould bearing the stamp and figure of it Solomon says A reproof Prov. 17. 10. enters more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool his heart opens and yeilds to reproof Salt enters not into a Stone but it does into flesh and seasons it and makes it savoury and so do reproofs which are as Salt unto hearts of flesh such sit down as it were at God's feet and hear his words and they are willing and pliable and their language is Lord what wilt thou have me to do and Speak Lord for thy servant heareth c. 6. Upon this follows inheritance among them which are sanctified To open Acts 26. 18. their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance c. What an excellent thing is repentance here describ'd to be an opening of the eyes and a turning as you have heard the sinner from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God and then what inestimable benefits do follow thereupon not onely forgiveness of sin as you have heard but inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ that is a lot in the heavenly inheritance in that inheritance of the Saints in light which now they are made meet for being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into Col. 1. 12 13. the Kingdom of God's dear son an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away reserv'd in heaven of which such glorious things are spoken which is of God's own preparing Christ's purchasing and that by no less price than his bloud which has the glory of God and where not onely Angels but God himself dwels and resides for ever and into this all true converts have entrance ministred unto them but no other shall or can but are without Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who Psal 24. 3 4. shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. The wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of Prov. 3. 35. fools And thus some interpret that in the Acts 3. 19. That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord that is that your sins being blotted Ut remissis peccatis vestris recipiamini in coelum ad fruendum aeternis gaudiis c. Pisc out or forgiven you may be received into heaven to partake of those eternal joys c. And hence true repentance is said to be repentance unto life and repentance unto salvation and therefore not to be repented of not as if it was the cause or did in the least merit life or salvation Acts 11. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 10. for ipsae lachrymae lachrymabiles sunt our very tears need washing and our repentance pardon Non agit de causa salutis sed eventu poenitentiae ordinem ostendit quòd nimirum conversis donetur remissio non securis impoenitentibus Tossan but as the end of it and the way and means
God hath appointed to lead to it This is that Rainbow which if God sees shining in our hearts he will never drown our souls Thus you see what a profitable and gainful thing repentance is and I have the longer stood upon this because we are all for gain and profit Who will shew us any good and shall we not then be for that which tends to so much Psal 4. 6. and so great gain and good yea to all good even the greatest Art thou enquiring after good O he hath shewed thee here O man what is good Micah 7. 8. indeed even that which the Lord requires of Job 22. 21. thee viz. for to repent and turn to him for thereby good shall certainly come unto thee David prays that God would shew him a token for Psal 86. 17. good and here 's a token for Good indeed when God turns thee again to himself for all good for spiritual and temporal and eternal for good every where here and hereafter on earth and in heaven below and above in our way and at our journeys end in our exile and in our own countrey while we are abroad and when we come home to our fathers house for godliness which is the very essence of repentance is profitable unto all things having promise of the life 1 Tim. 4. 8 that now is and of that which is to come What man is he that desireth life and loveth many Psal 34. 12 13 14. days that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile Depart from evil and do good c. And O that God would vouchsafe this token for good to England to this Nation and to the whole of the Nation to Court and City and Countrey to every town and fellowship and family yea to every house and heart how would the Lord then give that which is good and glory should Ps 85. 9 12. dwell in our Land and we should be exalted and brought into an happy state indeed but never let any expect good or talk of gain or profit that still persist and go on in their sins for such find no good he that hath a froward heart findeth Pro. 17. 20. no good or a perverse heart and that goes on Perversus animo non consequetur bonum still to pervert his ways he finds no good he shall be sure to find and feel evil enough be filled Pro. 12. 21. with mischief but finds no good he may goods but no good no true good nor gain but such are all upon the losing hand yea are all the greatest losers imaginable for such lose all true joy peace and comfort here and Heaven and happiness and God himself for ever hereafter yea their own souls and what is a man profited should he gain a whole world if he lose his own soul Certainly then the sinners way and course that yet persists and goes on in his sins is the most unprofitable way and course under Heaven The way of transgressours is hard or Pro. 13. 15. sharp harsh grievous it may seem easie at present Via praevaricatorum aspera duriter ◠Deo excipiuntur c. Cart. but it will be sure to be found hard at last in the event not onely not profitable but pernicious such shall be us'd hardly 4. The absolute and indispensable necessity thereof Our turning again to God is not a thing arbitrary or indifferent but indispensably necessary Is to be blest by Christ necessary is pardon is the favour of God the shines of his face the light of his countenance necessary is to be happy in a word is heaven is salvation is eternal life and inheritance among them that are sanctified necessary is not to perish everlastingly necessary and if these be not what is certainly and undoubtedly they are most necessary and if so then is it to repent and turn to God indispensably necessary for without the one there is no attaining the other There is a double necessity 1. a necessity in regard of God's 1. Necessitas praecepti command the great God injoyns it and calls for it and that frequently and earnestly it may seem needless to mention places there are so many every where obvious and therefore there is onely one which I shall press and urge at present and that is Acts 17. 30 31. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the Dei praecipientis majestas world in righteousness c. Here 's that which shews it indispensably necessary God's command Bonum est poenitere an non quid revolvis Deus praecipit c. Tertull. and the majesty and greatness of that God who commands it Is it good says an Ancient to repent or not why doubtest thou God commands it it is his will c. Such was the state of those former times that God is said to wink at them which may have a double interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pati sinere and both are well worthy our weighing and considering 1. as denoting God's indulgence he did not deal so severely with them sinning but did patiently bear with them as though he had known nothing or was not angry c. because they had not those means and helps to keep them from sin as others now in these knowing times there being then much blindness darkness and ignorance yet not as if there were any such times as God wholly winked at in point of justice so as not to call them to account but comparatively he not so severely dealing with them as with knowing times but never so as to let them wholly go unpunished or not at all to call them to an account for that was inconsistent with his providence and justice for though ignorance and darkness may indeed abate and lessen the measure and degree of sin yet not totally excuse it And what then are the sins of these knowing times and days of so much clear light as we live in how shall God wink at our sins or how is it that he hath winked at them so long O the infiniteness of his patience that he should bear with us so long and not utterly consume us who sin against more light and love than ever Nation did O when shall the riches of such goodness forbearance and long suffering lead us to repentance But there is another sense and interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 negligere LXX usurpant pro indignari c. of these words which some rather imbrace as more fully laying open the meaning of the holy Ghost and as most consonant to what follows And the times of this ignorance God winked at that is he regarded not he had little respect to them of those times but let them go on in their sins as it were without check or controle that is he sent
aside after Satan and their own lusts Some are turn'd 1 Tim. 5. 15. Atheists others Papists Antinomists Anabaptists Quakers Ranters Arminians Socinians c. and how many Apostates they are turn'd indeed but it is with the dog to the vomit and with the sow to wallowing in the mire 2 Per. 2. 22. Yea how many turn any thing every thing but what they should and any way but the right and now so many turning with evil turns let us turn with an holy good and gracious turn and so many turning out of the way let us turn into the way shall others turn after Satan and not we to God they to hell and not we to heaven they after vanity and not we to our felicity they after their lusts and not we to the Lord of life and glory 2. Of judicial turnings in regard of God for how many strange turnings and changes hath he made alate amongst us turning many out of their places imployments livelihoods How did he turn our peace into war and our health into sickness Did he not in one year in and about this City turn above an hundred thousand to destruction turn'd them into their Craves out of their short homes into their long ones turn'd them from the living to the dead from living wights to be dead corps and companions of the worms How many families did he lay wast and make desolate all their company changed their countenance Job 14. 20. and turned the beauty of their visage into grisly deformedness and sent them away as Job speaks yea hath he not turned our City into an heap our famous City into ruines We were as I said scarce got out of one fire which devoured our persons but another devours our estates and habitations as if God was resolved to consume all and to leave nothing of us standing or remaining And shall not both these fires refine us if not what fire may we expect next I leave that to you to judg O how many did God on a sudden and unexpectedly and at once turn out of all out of their beds out of their houses out of their shops out of their estates out of their tradings out of their ease out of their enjoyments and shall we not yet be turn'd from our sins How did he bring down them that dwelt on high yea the lofty city laid it low he layed it low even to the ground If. 25 2. 26. 5 6. and brought it even to the dust so that the foot might tread it down even the feet of the poor and steps of the needy How did he turn that City Lam. 1. 1. into solitariness that was full of people and made her sit as a widow that was great among the Nations and Princess among the Provinces yea stain'd all her glory and chang'd her beauty and bravery into deformity And London once the glory of the world is turn'd and hurl'd into confufed heaps of dirt and rubbish And after so many turnings shall we not yet turn to God and turn from sin to holiness from our security to godly fear O after so many turns let there follow one turn more and that as the happy fruit and effect of all the former and as that which God designed in them and intended by them even a turn unto the Lord and out of those paths the end of which will certainly be hell and damnation Surely the time past may suffice as to what tends so much not onely to God's dishonour but is so contrary to our own weal and works our own woe that grieves our best friend and gratifies our worst enemy c. But as if it was not enough shall we go on still as if we were resolved not to turn from sin 'till God tâ—rn us into hell O turn at last and the longer thou hast gone on in evil ways see that the higher time it is to turn now He goes far we say that never turneth and why then dost thou not now turn after so many turns that God hath made and all to further this turn Let me say to you as sometimes Pharaohs servants said Exod. 10. 7. to him in another case How long shall your sins be a snare to you and to the Nation let them go before England be utterly destroyed or care you not though all England be destroyed so your sins may live or as if thou hadst not treasured up unto thy self wrath enough against that day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God wilt thou still through the hardness and impenitency of thy heart go on to treasure up more God forbid 4. Consider nothing less than this can speak you sound Christians indeed and so such as shall be saved 1. Not parts nor gifts though never so eminent no it must be what is more 1 Cor. 12. 31. excellent c. 2. Not outward priviledges as having been baptiz'd and often admitted to the Lord's Table and having been constant hearers of such and such able Ministers and it may be entertainers of them into your houses and at your tables and having had frequent converse with them and it may be of good esteem with them this may be and yet you never be sound Christians no it must be true conversion that speaks you such The Apostle speaking of the Jews tels us they were all under the cloud and 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. passed through the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink c. and yet with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness You may have vision whiles it fails from others and have bread whiles others starve your fleece may be wet whiles others is dry and may be as Goshen whiles others are as Egypt and yet be far from being good Christians How great were the priviledges of the Jews yet all were not Israel Rom. 9. 4 5. Gal. 6. 15. which were of Israel for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature that is in Christ's Kingdom so as to speak us such as are true Christians and intitled to the Kingdom neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision i. e. no outward priviledges whatsoever for under these two Synechdochically are comprehended all by circumcision all those of the Jews who stood much upon circumcision and by uncircumcision all those of the Gentiles as Baptism the Lord's Supper c. but a new creature or a new creation that is regeneration saving conversion Our Saviour tells us that the children of the Kingdom should be cast into utter darkness c i. e. they who were within the Matth. 8. 12. external Covenant and seemed to be of the Kingdom partook of the priviledges and made account they were the children of the Kingdom they bore themselves up high but
harlot with many Lovers yet return again to me says the Lord. A man will hardly entertain a servant that seeks to him in his old age that refus'd his service all his life before and Nulla poenitentia seria est unquam nimis sera Ambr. how should God and yet he will if sincere and true But though true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldom true for mens sins then rather leave them than they their Pecoata ipsos deserunt non ipsi peccata c. Ambros sins and such a cessation from sin is not repentance for sin and therefore take we heed of delays whereby we do more strengthen sin harden our own hearts and give Satan stronger hold and fuller possession Had we a thorn in our foot or a mote in our eye would we delay to get them out and is not the guilt of sin worse in the soul Certainly a man had better lie under the weight of all the mountains in the world than under the guilt of one sin we are bid not to withold good from the owners thereof Say not to thy neighbour go and come again Prov. 3. 27 28. and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee And shall we still withdraw or withhold our selves from God whose own we are in many respects and who when he comes to us comes but for his own and shall we detain still from him what is his own which we do while we still refuse to turn to God and lock up our selves as it were in the Devil's hold But let us remember we are the Lords we are bought with a price and he is not onely our owner but our Creatour and Benefactour and 't is well for us we have so good an owner and so kind a Lord and let us not then withhold our selves a moment longer from him but yeild our selves to him for is there any safety but under his wings any happiness but in his presence any peace without his pardon c or can we be holy and happy too soon blessed too soon pardoned too soon in the love in the heart of God too soon under the shines of his face in the light of his countenance too soon free Libertas bonum inestimabile Nulli benè venditur auro and from under the vassalage of sin and Satan too soon especially freedom being so desireable and such an inestimable good Who would not be sui juris free The Rabbins have a saying that if the heavens were parchment and the Sea ink it could not sufficiently contain the praises of liberty how much less of spiritual liberty of being made free from sin so as to become servants to God and have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life to be freed Nec beliua saevior ulla quà m servi rabies c. from his slavery who is a slave himself and no slavery to the service of a slave It was Canaan's curse that he should be a servant of servants Gen. 9. 25. and are not our sins the very gangrenes and plague-sores of our souls the utter enemies of our peace safety and felicity which still distemper and disquiet us and shall these be retain'd still or can they too soon be abandoned 9. Let it be daily constant and continual for we daily sin continually transgress and therefore are still to be daily acting repentance and there being still sin and corruption in us we are still daily and continually to be turning from it to the contrary good we daily wash our hands Quia semper peccamus semper poenitentiam agere dehemus Hier. and clense our houses and so let us by repentance our hearts of those daily infirmities we fall into We are still letting in sin and therefore by repentance should be still pumping it out This might occasion that saying of Tertullian that he was born to nothing else but repentancè for we having brought upon our selves a miserable necessity of sinning daily and continually what can we be more born to than to Dominus dicendo poenitentiam agite omnem vitam fidelium poenitentiam esse voluit Luther be repenting daily and continually 10. Let it be more and more increasing and persevering to the end not onely our daily course but 'till we have finished our course not resting in this that we were once turn'd but still daily more and more turning from all iniquity and practising the contrary duties of Christianity If conversion be good certainly the more the better and the fullest is best we should get more and more chang'd and turn'd into the Lord's image from glory to glory c. and every day get 2 Cor. 3. 18. nearer heaven and salvation then other It is said of Julius Caesar whose warlick exploits were so Nilque putans factum dum quod super esset agendum famous that he still went forward thinking nothing done as it were while any thing was yet to be done So let us with Paul forgetting Phil. 3. 13. those things behind reach forth to what is yet before take we heed of Apostacy from God and 2 Pet. 2. 22. his ways and having known the way of righteousness of turning from the holy commandement to the crooked ways of sin for what was this but to bring as it were an evil report upon God and his ways and to make as if his ways were not such as the Scripture declares them to be yea and as if the ways of sin were better and to be preferr'd before them for having try'd both such as more eligible turn to the other again what a dreadful thing is it to bring as it were an evil report upon God and his ways It is said of those that brought but an evil report up on the Numb 14. 37. land that they died by the plague before the Lord but what will become of those who bring as it were an evil report upon the Lord himself and his ways and make as if there was iniquity in him and hence says the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me c. and O my Jer. 2. 5. people what I have done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee testify against me As if the Micah 6. 3. c. Lord had said you make as if I had done so and so unto you but what have I done plead the cause with me what have you to lay to my charge or object speak and I will answer I am willing to submit my ways to scanning and to bring my proceedings with you to a tryal For your better conviction put in your Bill of complaint against me c. O the wonderful condescension of the great God to poor sinners as if he had said Your own consciences which I appeal to cannot but say that I never dealt ill with you but on the contrary well with you for I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed
noble and ignoble for are we not all turn'd away from God and is it not every ones concern to live and be happy and be sav'd or is it onely poor and mean ones concern and besides with God there is no respect of persons but Rom. 2. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 17. he being the absolute and soveraign Lord over all all are alike bound to own his authority and obey his commands of which this is one of the chief but now commandeth all men every where to repent and such by reason of God's bounty Act. 17. 30. have greater obligation to this duty than others so as to be exemplary else the greater is their sin and the greater will be their punishment and Majora beneficia majora flagitia majora supplicia death will shortly level all so that though now there be difference of men as to these things here as there is as one well expresses it of Counters while the Merchants account lasteth some standing for pence some pounds some hundreds some thousands and so of Players while on the Stage some going for rich some for poor some for Princes some for Peasants c. and so of Trees while growing in the Forrest some being Oaks some Elms some Brambles c. yet when the account is over the play ended the trees cut down especially burnt to ashes there will be no difference at all no more will there be after death and when all shall appear before God c. And therefore how should all attend this and apply themselves to it to their utmost Christ says be zealous and repent and surely Rev. 3. 19. had we any zeal for our own and the Nation 's good we would repent and O that England unfeignedly repenting and turning to God might at length become an example and monument of God's goodness to all such as shall do so both to the Nations abroad to the generations yet to come at home that so all in England might see how gracious the Lord is to such and we might have cause to make our boast of him Lo this is our God we have return'd to him and he hath sav'd us and we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation and let others come and do as we have done and they shall prove God to be the same in his goodness as we have that whereas it Jer. 7. 12. was said before Go to London as sometimes to Shiloh and see what I did for the wickedness thereof what a sweeping plague and after that a dreadful fire I sent among them so it may be said now God and see upon their turning again unto me what my goodness hath been to them and what blessings I have multiplied upon them and how graciously I have turn'd to them And truly but in such a way to expect God's goodness it is but to tempt him yea to provoke him and how dreadfully does the Lord express himself against such when a sinner shall bless himself Deut. 29. 18 19 20 c. in his heart and say he shall have peace though he walk in the imagination of his heart to adde drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare such a one but his anger shall smoak against him and all the curses in God's book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven c. And if we in stead of turning to God shall by going on in our sins still provoke him what can we expect but that his soul should loath us and that he should even utterly forsake us and cast us out of his presence which Jer. 23 33. c. he threatens as the sorest burden and though we build statelier and fairer houses that he should say of us as sometimes of Edom They shall build but I will throw down c. and they Mal. 1. 4. shall labour but for the fire as some render that Hab. 2. 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire or for the fire so that what they build shall be consumed Pro igne Iun. Pisc c. by the fire and hath it not been so as concerning some houses already and was it not of the Lord of hosts by his determinate counsel and as an act of his righteous judgment that when so famous a City was on fire they who laboured to quench it laboured in that sense but as it were in the fire that is to no purpose and wearied themselves for very vanity And if we shall still persist in our sins how justly may we fear that all that is reedified may be but for the fire again or that some heavier judgment may yet befall us which may reach not onely to our houses and estates but our very limbs and lives But if we shall indeed turn again to God and he be pleased but to cause his face to shine what a famous renowned City may we not yet then expect to see even a City sought out or sought to or after that is exceeding desirable and Isa 62. 12. not forsaken and not only a safe but a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down c. when it shall become a City of truth and righteousness a faithful City and righteousness lodge in the midst thereof and holiness written upon it to the Lord then shall that song be sung indeed we have a strong City Salvation 26. 1. will God appoint for walls and bulwarks c yea then will he own it as his rest and his rest shall be glorious and upon all the glory shall be a 11. 10. Psal 46. 4. defence and there is a river the streams whereof shall then make it glad even the special gracious protecting presence of the most High and whereas it was said before this is the City to be visited that is with woes and plagues now it shall be said this is the City to be blessed to be honoured to be visited but with loving 85. 9. c. kindness and tender mercies and then shall glory dwell in our land and the Lord shall give that which is good and mercy and truth shall meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other yea mercy shall surely then as the Psalmist expresses it be built up forever that is 89. 2. remain and abide upon us and ours forever one pile of mercy as it were upon another till the building be compleated till it reach to heaven to that building of God that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Thus the work of mercy being begun shall be carried on as when the foundation of some famous structure is laid by some able skilful artificer to which it seems an illusion so will God not leave this blessed pile half finnished but perfect and compleat the same Thus we have built up houses but then God himself will build up mercy and that shall uphold us and our
can God withhold from those he loves Surely those his heart is set upon his hand cannot but be open to Ps 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly and why not from them why is his hand so open to them because they have his heart the Lord loves them his countenance beholds them Ps 85. 1. Lord thou hast been favourable to thy land says the Psalmist and what then thou hast brought back their captivity forgiven their iniquity covered their sin taken away thy wrath c. The father loveth the Son and hath given Joh. 3. 35. Is 43. 4. all things into his hands I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life c. Moses had asked very much of Exod. 33. 16. God and yet goes on to ask more And what says the Lord I will says he do this thing v. 17. also that thou hast spoken As if the Lord had said I can indeed deny thee nothing I have done it is true much already but I will do this also why for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name that is I have taken special and particular notice of thee and thy name as one whom I singularly favour and I will v. 19. make all my goodness pass before thee c. O what will not God do for such Hence Moses Exod. 33. 13. 34. 9. often makes use of this argument if I have found grace in thy sight c. The favour of God is all good every mercy radically as the displeasure of God is every judgment that is it is productive of all good of each mercy when a soul has this good which is the chief good it has that good from which all others spring and therefore may write under it and cut out from it any other whatsoever all particular mercies and goods being but the favour of God as it were specificated and brought as it were into this or that particular mercy or good so that such a soul may say of all its other mercies and goods this and that and the other is the favour of God So that the Soul that has it has all good all mercies in the fountain and root and well-spring of them it has that which produces and procures all good and remedies all evils Hence says the Angel to Mary Fear not Mary for Luk. 1. 30. thou hast found favour with God there is no cause why such a soul should fear either the want of any good or the feeling of any evil the favour of God being as a Sun in reference to the one so as a shield in reference to the other and so every way sufficient 5. How necessary it is indeed the one thing needful is life necessary this is life yea better than life and all true life is so much in it that a Soul is but dead without it it being more the life of the soul than the soul is of the body The Sun is not so necessary to the world rain to the earth as the favour of God to the soul the displays whereof are as the morning and as the rain the former and the latter rain unto the Hos 6. 3. earth Is to be happy necessary the favour of God is our happiness and look as we cannot but be happy with it whatever our state otherwise is so we cannot but be miserable without it As it cannot but be day when the Sun ariseth though the Stars disappear but it cannot but be night though they do appear if the Sun be set so it is as to the displayings or withdrawings of God's face and favour Thine absence was my hell And now thou art returned I am well Herbert And hence for this cause the Angel salutes Mary as being blessed because highly favoured Luk. 1. 28. Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women In a word if to be truly happy so far as we are capable here and to be fully happy hereafter be necessary then this is so as that wherein consists both happiness in its initiation here and in its full consummation in heaven CHAP. XVIII To endeavour the Conversion of others THere is onely one thing further I have to adde and then I shall conclude viz. that this turning again being of such infinite concern unto all that being turn'd again our selves we would indeavour our utmost to be instrumental therein to others and the rather that thereby we may shew our gratitude for God's vouchsafing so great a favour to us And truly next to the conversion and salvation of our own souls we cannot busie our selves to better purpose not onely as to their and our own comfort and benefit but the good of the whole so that this is every ones concern for as one sinner still going Eccl. 9. 18. on in his sins may much hinder so one sinner being turn'd again may much further the Gen. 13. 32. good of the whole And who knows whether one or a few sinners more being turn'd again may not help to make up that number which being found God may be pleas'd for their sakes to spare the whole But the great argument I shall chiefly make use of at present is that of the Apostle James which is somewhat the same indeed with that in the Text but more amplified Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth Jam. 5. 19 20. i. e. in opinion or practice in faith or manners and one convert him that is prove instrumental therein making use of all ways and means subservient thereunto and here that is ascrib'd to the instrument and means which is properly God's work because God in and by those means Verbum servandi ad homines transfertur non quod authores sint salutis sed Ministri Calvin works and conveys a blessing And any one c. for this work is not limited to Ministers onely but belongs to others in their places and stations yea to all who some way or other may be helpful therein The Apostle Peter speaks of husbands being won by the conversation of their wives 1 Pet. â— â— now here 's the duty and then follows the dignity and commodity v. 20. Let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins What weight is there here in every word even such as may quicken our desires and raise our endeavours to the highest pitch and it is observable that with this golden sentence the Apostle shuts up his whole Epistle there being no work as more excellent in it self so more acceptable to God nor profitable to our selves nor others for whoever is instrumental therein 1. He shall save and that 's a Animam per Synecdochen