and quiet submission to reflect upon our sins with an holy grief that provoke God to remove such an excellent Instrument of his Glory from us Let us pray to the Lord of the Harvest that he will send forth Faithful Labourers into it O that surviving Ministers might be animated with a Zeal more pure and fervent in their Divine Work And that People would be wise while a price is put into their hands to improve it for their eternal advantage The neglected Gospel will at last be a terrible Witness against the Disobedient to justifie and aggravate their Condemnation FINIS Dr. Manton's LAST SERMON ON 2 TIM 1.18 2 TIM 1.18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find Mercy of the Lord in that day THE Words are the Apostle's Prayer for Onesiphorus He prays for his Houshold v. 16 The Lord give mercy to the House of Onesiphorus His Family was probably now at Ephesus the ordinary place of his Abode where Timothy also was to whom he wrote but he himself was then at Rome Secondly He prays for his Person in the Text. That which put him upon these Prayers was the Kindness he had received of him at Ephesus and afterwards at Rome where he sought him and found him out and was not afraid to own him and relieve him nor ashamed of his Chain In requital he prayeth God to be his Paymaster and to return his Kindness into his bosom He shewed mercy to Paul and therefore Paul desired the Lord to shew him mercy He seeking Paul found him so he desireth God would let him find mercy Paul found mercy of him in a Prison let him find it in Paradise The Lord grant unto him that he may find Mercy of the Lord in that day In the Words three things are to be observed 1. The Person for whom he prays 2. The Matter for which he prays 3. The Time when this is to be accomplish'd 1. The Person for whom he prays Onesiphorus a good Man that God would grant to Him 2. The Matter for which he prays that he may find Mercy of the Lord. A necessary request for Mercy is the Original and Rise of all the Recompences we expect from God Mercy beginneth our Salvation and Mercy crowneth it Mercy entreth us into the Covenant of Grace and Mercy consummateth the Happiness we have thereby Jud. 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life We are not only pardoned out of Mercy but glorified out of Mercy A suitable Request for God loves to retaliate or pay us in kind Merciful Men shall obtain Mercy Mat. 5.7 On the contrary Jam. 2.13 They shall have Judgment without Mercy who have shewed no Mercy And as this is suitable so it is most kindly believed for we muse of God as we use our selves they that are not faithful to themselves and do not keep their own Promises can never be confident in God's Revengeful Men are most apt to distrust of God's pardoning Mercy Those that are hard and unmerciful and do not pity the misery of others do more difficultly believe God's tender Mercies and Compassions 3. The Time mentioned in the Prayer in that Day Some say when he also should be afflicted Others the Day of Death but rather the Day of Judgment that is often called a Day by way of excellency Acts 17.30 He hath appointed a Day c. 2 Thess 1.10 When God shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe In that Day that is the Day when Christ shall come to judg the Quick and the Dead and to distribute Punishments and Rewards That is the Day when Mercy shall stand us in most stead and if it go well with us then it will go well with us for ever Doct. That the best of God's Children will very much need Mercy in the Day of Judgment The Apostle prays for a good Man who was full of good Fruits that he might find Mercy Had Onesiphorus need of Mercy and have not we Surely the free Mercy of God is our best plea at that time I shall state this Point 1. The Mercy here spoken of doth not exclude and shut out the Satisfaction of Christ for God shews this Mercy as propitiated by Christ for that was the most convenient way to demonstrate his Justice and Holiness and to vindicate the Honour of his Government and Law and to be a warning to Sinners not to presume upon his Mercy Therefore this is called the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ Jud. 21. Our Eternal Blessedness is the Fruit of his Merit and Satisfaction 2. This Mercy must not be urged to exclude our Qualification for till we are qualified we have no right to the good things of the Covenant The Mercy and Favour of God is conditional but yet free not due by any Merit and Claim but that of his Promise and his Promise is made to them that are rightly qualified the sincere Believer the Holy the Humble and the Penitent others are uncapable of Mercy You must not think God will shew Mercy to Men though they have no inherent Holiness at all Faith and Repentance are requir'd before we can be pardoned 3. Though Mercy be our best Plea yet you must not take it so as if a Believer's Condition were doubtful and uncertain and a good Christian could not know how it will fare with him The Mercy of the Lord is the Ground of our Hope but in conjunction with other Evidences whereby they understand their Estate The most serious People do consider the weight of the Matter but Humility is not Uncertainty They are unworthy in the broken-hearted sense of their own Defects and Failings but God counteth them worthy because of their Diligence and Seriousness in the Heavenly Life Luk. 21.35 Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be counted worthy He accepteth them as worth They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy 4. God's Servants plead Sincerity though not a finless spotless State Perfect Righteousness according to the Covenant of Works they cannot plead but sincere Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace they may and do plead Isa 38.3 Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart Their Graces and Duties will endure the Touchstone though not the Ballance are of the right kind though not full weight There must be inherent Righteousness or you will never come to Glory 5. Though they may take Comfort in their Evidences yet they dare not plead the Merit of any thing in themselves They take comfort in their Evidences 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have had our Conversation in the World They are God's Psal 119.94 I am thine save me Yet they dare not challenge God's Reward as a a Debt If God should deal with them according to their Deservings their very Remnant of Sins
Qualifications are not easily to be interpreted till they evidence and manifest themselves by their powerful Influence and multiplied Acts therefore we must give diligence that we may be found in him of peace without spot and blameless 1 Pet. 3.4 Surely you should do all your Works order all your Actions as Men that shall be judged for them Jam. 2.12 Matth. 12.36 Consider what will be comfortable in the last Reckoning and how things will appear in that Day I know God's Mercy and Faith in the Blood of Christ will be the chiefest ground of your Comfort But you must make your Qualification more explicit A free Pardon through the Mercy of God and the Merit and Intercession of him that redeemed you is your great Encouragement but yet you must hold on in the way of Holiness that it may stead you in your greatest need All do not rise to the Judgment of Absolution but some to the Judgment of Condemnation therefore you must make it evident that you are of the former number Rom. 8.1 2. To be Humble by the knowledg and consideration of God and your selves 1. Humility becometh us with respect to God The Throne of Grace is a Throne still and though we have great liberty and boldness by Christ yet we must come humbly There is an everlasting distinction between the Creature and the Creator and you must accordingly address your selves Not as the Pharisee that came to challenge a Debt but as the Publican that came to emplore Mercy Luke 18.10 11. He that had a lowly Opinion of himself was most acceptable to God 2. With respect to your selves God's Children need to be spared in their best Actions Mal. 3.17 I will spare them as a Man spares his own Son that serves him Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy Mercy He speaks this when he had procured God's Ordinances to be duly observed He pleadeth no Merit before God but desires rather to be spared for he was conscious of his own many Failings 3. The strictness of your Rule Psal 19.12 Who can understand his Errors Cleanse thou me from secret Faults The Multitude of Errors that we know and the multitude of them we know not should keep us humble 3. It presseth you to Thankfulness From first to last Mercy supplies all our Needs The Throne of Grace was erected for this purpose that we might have Mercy when we need it most Heb. 4.10 Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in a time of need All our Qualifications come from Grace 1 Chron. 29.14 For all things come of thee Luke 19.16 Not my Industry but thy Pound not his own Industry but his Masters Talent Gal. 2.20 Not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God 1 Cor. 15.10 Not I but the Grace of God which was with me Cast your Crowns of Excellency at the Lambs Feet Rev. 4.10 Let him have all the honour for you have all from him and all should be to him All the Benefits we expect from God come not for our Righteousness Dan. 9.18 but for this great Mercy Deut. 9.4 5. Say not in thy Heart for thy Righteousness the Lord hath brought thee in to possess the Land It is the Mercy of God that sets the Crown upon your Heads at last FINIS Page 17 line 14 and 15 for they read we Page 34 line 4 after mixt read with Some Books printed for and sold by Brab Aylmer at the 3 Pigeons over against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhil THe Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ Or Discourses wherein is shewed how the wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness Power and Truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed Work By William Bates D. D. In Quarto Considerations of the Existence of God and of the Immortality of the Soul with the Recompences of the Future State To which is now added the Divinity of the Christian Religion proved by the Evidence of Reason and Divine Revelation For the Cure of Infidelity the Hectick Evil of the Times By William Bates D. D. In Octavo Sermons preached upon several Occasions by Isaac Barrow D. D. late Master of Trinity-Colledg in Cambridg and one of his Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary In Octavo The Reconcileableness of God's Prescience of the Sins of Men with the Wisdom and Sincerity of his Counsels Exhortations and whatsoever means he uses to prevent them In a Letter to the Honourable Rob. Boyl Esq To which is added a Postscript in Defence of the said Letter By John How M. A. sometime Fellow of Magdalen-Colledg Oxon. In Octavo
were enough to bring them to Damnation yea they would not be an hour out of Hell assoon as God should enter his Action against them 6. Though they are not perfect yet they are not wicked there is enough to difference the Godly from the Ungodly Job 10.7 Thou knowest I am not wicked Though all Men be Sinners yet some have escaped the Reign of Sin We must distinguish our selves 1 John 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Many Arguments will shew the Necessity of this First From the Nature of God who is a God of exact Purity glorious Majesty impartial Justice and infinite Knowledge All which shew the need of Mercy 1. The Holy Nature of God When he is upon his Judicial Process here in the World who is able to endure it The Men of Bethshemesh said 1 Sam. 6. Who is able to stand before this Holy Lord God That is because he shews himself so Zealous of his Institutions And Josh 24.19 Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is a Holy God He speaks not this to discourage them but that they might not have slight thoughts of God and his Service as if he did make little reckoning of Sin or that it were not so hateful to him and so great a Matter as usually it is made to be Slight Spirits wonder why Men make such ado about Sin What harm is it say they to take a little forbidden Pleasure or to indulge a wanton Thought or drop a vain Word These Men are ignorant of the Purity and Holiness of God therefore their Humiliation and Repentance is thought needless their Sense of the Necessity and Benefit of Pardon lessen'd their Awe and Watchfulness abated What thoughts they have of Sin the same they think God hath Psal 50.21 Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self They make light work of Sin either in repenting or watching and striving against it Certainly they that have slight thoughts of Sin never have great thoughts of God If we think seriously of the Purity and Holiness of God it would be another Matter and it would not so lightly go off the Conscience 2. There is the glorious Majesty of God He is a Sovereign and all his Recompences are Acts of Grace and not of Debt Job saith Job 19.15 Though I were righteous I would not answer but I would make Supplication to my Judge Whatever Sense we have of our own Integrity and the Good wrought in us yet Supplications for Mercy do become the Creature For God is our Sovereign and represented there as our Supreme Judge whose Tribunal none can decline whose Examination and Trial is most strict and accurate whose Doom and Sentence is decisive and absolute without power of appealing or repealing and the Execution and Punishment most dreadful Therefore nothing becomes us so much as a broken-hearted Imploring of Grace and Mercy God is so great and glorious that we can merit nothing at his hands all that is done to us must be meer Grace This is the Difference between Sin and Obedience the Heinousness of Sin is always aggravated by the greatness of the Object against whom it is committed but the Value of Obedience is still thereby lessened The Offence is aggravated To strike an Officer is more than to strike a private Man a King more than an ordinary Officer so the Infinite Majesty of God greatens the Offence But on the other side the greater God is and the more glorious the more it lessens the Value of that Good we perform We can never oblige him When we have done all that ever we can we are but unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 Mercy is the Fountain of all that we are and hope for That Grace which first accepted us with all our Faults doth at last crown us 3. The Impartial Justice of God That belongs to him as Governour of the World There is a threefold Justice in God 1. His general Justice That requires Vt bonis benè sit malis malè That it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do ill This is spoken of 2 Thess 1.6 7. It is a righteous thing with God to render Tribulation unto them that trouble you and unto you that are troubled Rest. 2. His strict Justice according to the Covenant of Works If God should deal with us according to our undeservings and ill-deservings not in a way of gracious Compassion what would become of the best of Men in the World Not one of us could appear in Court. For there is not a Man found that hath not some Fault and Failing which would render him uncapable of God's Favour If he should proceed in just Severity against us who could stand not only who among the wicked but who among the People of God Psal 130.14 Therefore that Judgment must be deprecated as David doth Psal 143.2 Enter â—â—t into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified It is impossible for such a frail sinful Creature as Man is to appear before God's exact Tribunal with any Comfort and Hope Now because this strict Justice of God leaves us in such a desperate and hopeless Condition there is another Court set up to which we may appeal even the Covenant of Grace which alloweth Pardon to penitent and sincere Believers 3. There is his merciful Justice according to Promise in the new Covenant Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget the Work and Labour of Love 1 John 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness Not that the Work deserveth his Grace but God having made himself a Debtor by his own Promise it is just that he should make it good Now this is the same we speak of in the Text The Lord grant that he may find Mercy in that Day 〈◊〉 It is his Grace to enable us to perform the Condition and it is his merciful Justice to accept of it when it is performed 4. His Infinite Knowledge by which he takes notice of all that we do We may be blinded with Partiality and Self-love but the Holy and All-seeing God knows many Faults which Men either cannot or will not see 1 Cor. 4.9 I know nothing of my self yet am I not hereby justified Some of God's People have attain'd to new Covenant-Righteousness yet they dare not venture their Eternal Estate upon that alone Suppose our Hearts condemn us in part we know somewhat by our selves yet God knoweth more 1 John 3.20 For if our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knows all thins Things appear otherwise to the Holy God than they do to us Luk. 16.15 And he said unto them Ye are they who justify your selves before Men but God knoweth their Hearts for that which is highly esteemed among Men is an Abomination in the sight of God God many
times detests that which is highly valued and cried up in the World So Prov. 16.2 All the ways of Man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weighs the Spirits We look to the Bulk and Matter of the Action but God looks to the Mind and Spirit with which it is performed We look to the Action slightly so as to overlook the Evil that is in it through partiality and indulgence to our selves but God exactly weighs things and puts them into the Ballance of the Sanctuary Therefore we see a necessity that when we come into the presence of the Righteous and Impartial Judg of Heaven and Earth we should make Mercy our Plea though we be conscious of no Defect and Disobedience saw nothing or knew nothing amiss by our selves yet God knows Failings sees Errors Job 9.22 If I were perfect yet do I not know my own Soul That is I would not go by the inward sense and feeling of my Conscience but give up the Cause to God that he might justly condemn me for no Man sees exactly the depth of his own Heart therefore I would not argue my Right but crave Mercy So that you see it is Mercy that must stand us in most stead 2. From the Condition and Disposition of the Saints 1. Their Condition they were once Sinners and still are imperfect Once Sinners liable to the Wrath of God And as they were once Sinners they are still to own the Merit of Sin though not to determine the Event for they are to judg themselves 1 Cor. 11.31 Though they are as Brands pluckt out of the Burning yet they deserv'd the Burning I do not tell you what God will do but what you have deserved not to weaken your confidence rejoycing in Christ but to humble your Hearts You had once the Sentence past upon you and had the Rope about your Necks you were at the Gates of Hell and might have entred in but for the Grace of your Redeemer A sense of it is still necessary to quicken your Thankfulness and Prayers for Mercy and Pardon and to promote your Humility You turn Grace into Wantonness and abuse it if it lessen any of these Acts for though God forgive we must not forget We were once as bad as the worst and Children of Wrath even as others Ephes 2.3 Therefore when God justifies us we must still condemn our selves We are still imperfect and the best feel and find in themselves great Infirmities and make but too much work for pardoning Mercy There are great mixtures of Sin that we are conscious unto notwithstanding the little good which we perform Job 9.2 3. How should Man be just with God If he should contend with him he cannot answer one of a thousand Our Righteousness is so imperfect and full of Defects that we do not make it our Plea but God's Mercy is our best and surest confidence There are many sins that we are conscious unto Psal 40.11 Innumerable Evils have compassed me about therefore what should we do but cry for mercy and forgiveness of them Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Luke 18.13 2. The Disposition of the Saints They have a greater apprehension of the Evil of Sin because of the increase of Light and Love As their Light and Love increases so doth their Trouble about Sin Rom. 7.9 24. Paul maketh more complaint about remaining Sins that cleave to the Best than the Wicked do about reigning Lusts They are ashamed of the folly and filthiness that is in Sin troubled and griev'd for their unkindness to God and therefore are more apprehensive of the need of Mercy than possibly others can be None see so many Sins none see so much hainousness in Sin In a clear Glass of Water the least Mote is espied and the most delicate and tender Complexions are most sensible of annoyance Therefore if God will shew mercy to them notwithstanding all their unkind dealings with him they apprehend it as a great and wonderful favour 2. They have a greater dread of God's Justice and Holiness and a more sincere respect to the Threatnings of his Word It is true they do not fear as before with a Tormenting Fear yet have a great reverence for the Sentence of his Law and a more firm belief of his eternal Recompenses than the blind and stupid World hath Therefore they more earnestly deprecate his Anger have a greater care to please him a more piercing grief because they have offended him and therefore if God will shew them mercy in the free and full forgiveness of all their Offences they are more apprehensive of the Benefit They know God's Word is true and observe his Providences as a Comment on it Rom. 1.18 None of them can or dare appear in the Judgment till they have sought his Favour and obtain'd his Pardon 3. They are more sollicitous in the Case than others who make a light business of Salvation and do the Work of an Age in a Breath We are all Sinners but God is merciful They know that a business of this weight must be carried on with all diligence imagiable Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling They see so many deceive themselves make a full account they shall be saved Rev. 3.17 Matth. 25. do well in the Judgment when there is no ground for it They know the sleightness that is incident to humane Nature the deceit and hypocrisie of their own Hearts therefore use diligent Cares constant Prayers continual Watchings and when they have done all dare not rest upon that but the Mercy of Jesus Christ as their best Refuge and Comfort 3dly With respect to the Purity and Strictness of his Law which is the Rule of Commerce between us and God The Law may be considered as it relateth to the Covenant of Works or as it relateth to the Covenant of Grace 1. With respect to the Covenant of Works where the least Failing lays us open to the Curse surely no Plea can be allowed but Mercy For that Covenant shuts up from all Hope of Escape unless Mercy opens the Door for us Rom. 11.32 He hath concluded all under Vnbelief that he may have Mercy upon all Gal. 3.11 The Scripture concluded all under Sin All are guilty of Disobedience unto God that all might be saved by Merey and Grace 'T is a Similitude taken from Malefactors who are shut up in Prison to be kept unto Punishment For who among us can perfectly keep the Law 2. With respect to the Covenant of Grace where God requireth Perfection but will accept of Sincerity The Law of God is still in force for it is adopted into the Frame of the Covenant as the Rule of our Duty The Rule is as strict as ever but the Covenant is not so strict The Rule is as strict for it still requireth Perfection but the Covenant is not so strict it is not so indispensibly required because Sincerity or Perfection of Parts is accepted instead of