himself Forgive us like a God not according to our Knowledge but His own And as He is greater than our Hearts to know much more against us than we can remember against our selves so He is greater than our Hearts to forgive even those Faults which our Hearts and Consciences do not Recollect He knows the Value of Christ's Blood and Merits to Forgive all our Sins And by unfeigned Faith we are interested in the Virtue of it God hath more Thoughts of Mercy in him than we have had of Rebellion against him Psal XL. 5. Thy Thoughts to us-ward speaking of his Thoughts of Mercy are more than can be numbred They have been from Everlasting and reach to Everlasting whereas 't is but as of yesterday that the oldest Sinner began to rebel against God There is no Comparison And this leads to the Last Observation from those Words He will abundantly Pardon Last Obs That God will not only show Mercy to Returning Sinners so as to Forgive them but He will abundantly Pardon He will Multiply Forgivenesses The Apostle speaks of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that it was exceeding abundant towards him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. I. 14. superlative superabundant Grace not only sufficient for the Pardon of his Sins but of multitudes more besides And accordingly in other places we read not only of the Grace of God in Forgiveness but of his abounding Grace of the Riches of his Grace Yea of the Exceeding Riches of his Grace Ephes I. 6 7. and this joyn'd with tender Mercies with Loving Kindness and with Multitudes of Mercies And here I may show First In what Respects God will abundantly Pardon Returning Sinners Secondly Consider what Reason we have to believe it and be firmly perswaded of it Thirdly What is the Abuse of this Blessed Doctrine Fourthly I shall assist you to make a Right Improvement of it First In what respects God promiseth Abundantly to Pardon or to Multiply Forgivenesses And this I might show as to Persons and as to Things First If we Consider the Extent of Forgiveness as to Sins With Reference to Time and Place and Persons c. As to Time from the first Promise of the Seed of the Woman made soon after the Fall to the End of the World this door of Mercy is open for Returning Sinners As to Places The Gospel is appointed to be Preach'd to every Creature in every part of the World Neither Jew nor Gentile Bond nor Free Barbarian or Scythian are excepted The Gospel of Grace by Christ Jesus is every where the Power of God to Pardon and Salvation unto all that believe As to Persons none shall Perish for want of a sufficient Price for their Ransom for want of a sufficient Satisfaction to the Justice of God But where-ever the Everlasting Gospel is preached He that Believeth shall be saved Whoever will may come and take of the Waters of Life freely Whoever will Accept of the Mercy of Christ upon the holy Terms of the Gospel shall receive Remission of Sins Joh. III. 10. God hath so Loved the lost World that Whosoever Believeth on Christ shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. XII 46 47. I am come saith our Lord a Light into the World that Whosoever Believeth in me should not abide in darkness If any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to Judge the World but to save the World 1 Joh. II. 2. He is a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but for the Sins of the whole World And when we Consider what sort of Persons even the chiefest and vilest of Sinners many of those have been who have been Pardon'd and received to Mercy We must needs say there is no Respect of Persons with God as to this Matter And there are a great Multitude of these considered in themselves For even of Martyrs and Confessors that came out of great Tribulation and had washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb there is a Vast Multitude such as none could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues Rev. VII 9 14. Secondly He doth abundantly Pardon considering the Sins forgiven He is a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin i.e. Sins of all sorts Let the Kinds Numbers Repetitions Aggravations be what they will There is a Multitude of tender Mercies to forgive and abundant Vertue in the Blood of Christ to cleanse from all Sin If the multitude of Transgressions could make a Pile as high as from Earth to Heaven God's pardoning Mercy is above the Heavens His Thoughts are above ours in this matter of Forgiveness as far as the Heavens are above the Earth No Sin but final Impenitence Ungodliness and Unbelief is shut out from Pardon for the Sin against the Holy Ghost is attended with that and therfore never to be forgiven And as to Sins after Repentance and Pardon God hath promised to multiply Forgivenesses to heal Backslidings and therfore invites Men to return with a Promise of Pardon Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your Backslidings In some early Days of the Christian Church the Novatian Doctrine spread that denies Repentance and Pardon to Sins after Baptism upon which Account 't is thought many good Men delay'd their Baptism as long as they could that they might not defile their Garments after they were washed It seem'd to have taken its Rise from the Misunderstanding of Heb. 6. the Beginning But any such Doctrine as would discourage Men's Repentance and return to God after they have sinned must needs be of very dangerous Consequence to the Souls of Men. I confess it is a dismal Symptom to fall often into wilful Sin to repent and then sin again to repent and sin in a Circle This rather argues an Intention of sinning again than a Design of leaving it But for such as have return'd to God and been forgiven and yet by the Power of Temptation have afterwards fallen there is great Encouragement for their Return and Ground to hope for Forgiveness For if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the Righteous who was a Propitiation for our Sins If any Man sin 't is not to encourage to sin but to prevent Despair after the Commission of it And since we are to forgive one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us it would never have been made our Duty to forgive our Offending Brother once and again Yea unto seventy times seven if there were no Mercy with God for Returning Backsliders You are allowed and commanded in such a Case to return to God and to sue out your Pardon and you ought to believe you shall find Welcome and that your Backslidings shall be healed There is need of urging this because Sins after Repentance and after Vows and Resolutions and Sacraments c. not only defile but disturb the
and sticks like an Arrow in his flesh Whereas Pardoning Mercy is as Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones and a Cordial to his Heart yea even as Life from the Dead And dead he is in Law as under a Sentence of Condemnation 'till he be interested in Forgiveness by Faith in the Blood of Jesus Then may he lift up his Head as one Alive from the Dead and admit Consolation when he can hope his Sins are forgiven and that God is reconciled Comfort ye Comfort ye my People say unto Jerusalem her Warfare is Accomplished her Iniquity is forgiven Isa XL. 1 2. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and Sin covered Psal XXXII 1. 'Till then they are under the Curse of God on Record A Curse that cuts off from God and all gracious Communications from him a Curse which pierceth deep and spreadeth far and makes the whole Creation at Enmity with us And this Curse is intolerable in the Effects of it and unavoidable too There is no Relief or Remedy against it but by the New Covenant and Faith in Jesus Christ 'T is only by the Redemption we have in Jesus Christ through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins In which Forgiveness we can never be interested without Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ There is no Rest in my Bones because of my Sin saith the Psalmist Psal XXXVIII 3. My Sins are an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me v. 4. 'Till this Burden be removed by Forgiveness what Ease or Rest can a Sinner enjoy 'T is true the Deceit of sensual Pleasures or the Hurry and Clatter of Worldly Business may hinder the Sense of this for a while and keep all quiet Yet sooner or later the sinful Soul will have Torment Conscience will awake Men may laugh and be merry for a Time make a shift to be confident and secure under the Wrath and Curse of God they may take their Poyson for their Antidote their Wound for their Plaister their Plague for their Cure their Disease for their Remedy and so make a hard shift to preserve a little false Peace But the End will be the most horrid Despair And the more Jovial and Airy Careless and Presumptuous they have been in Health and Prosperity under the Guilt of great Transgressions the more disconsolate will such be when Conscience awakes to set their Sins in order before them Is there then any Message like that of Forgiveness that will suit the Case of such They can relish nothing else think of nothing else this is what they aim at This is the Subject of their great Enquiry How they may be forgiven They may try in vain what Company Mirth Sports Business or Superstition will do They must come to God for Pardon or they cannot find Rest Hos V. 13. When Ephrahim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assvrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound Did you know the Misery and Danger of a sinful Soul unreconciled to God bound over to his Eternal Wrath every Moment expos'd as a Guilty Wretch to his fiery Vengeance Did you consider the Case of such a One who hath all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God in force against him and nothing but a little Breath between him and Endless Ruine that can't tell but the next Day or Minute Death may open the Door and let him fall into Damnation Did any one rightly understand this believe it consider it and apply it as his own Case what Mercy will suit such a One but Pardoning Mercy What is all the Pomp and Glory of this World to such a Man without the Forgiveness of Sin How can he eat drink or sleep or trade or do any thing without some Hope of Pardon without seeking after it without endeavouring it without using means in Order to it Secondly Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed as 't is the Fruit of Covenant Love an Effect of the special distinguishing Love of God This is the great Priviledge of such whose God is the Lord. This is a Covenant Blessing that 's never given in Anger This is never bestow'd but as a Favour peculiar to God's People This is always accompany'd with Regeneration and Adoption Jer. XXXI 33. I will be their God and will forgive their Iniquity Happy is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven Happy is the People whose God is the Lord. Thirdly This Mercy is the most Comprehensive Blessing and the Foundation of many other Mercies This secures our State sweetens our other Blessings lays the Foundation for Peace of Conscience gives Freedom of Access to the Throne of Grace and makes way for Communion with God in all Ordinances This clears us from the Accusation of Satan the Condemnation of the Law and of our own Hearts for who shall lay any thing to his Charge whom God forgives We can have no Right and Title to Eternal Life without this For the Legal Bar must be removed by the Pardon of Sin as well as the Moral Incapacity by the Sanctifying Spirit The great Blessings of the Gospel such as the Spirit of Holiness Communion with God c. they are promised to Accompany this of Forgiveness Heb. VIII latter End I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Iniquities I will remember no more By this we not only escape the Punishment due to Sin which would render us deeply miserable but are restored to the Favour of God and accepted in the Beloved and have Grace to overcome the World Flesh and Devil The sanctifying Spirit to purge us from all Filthiness is joyn'd with this Pardon which delivers from the Condemning Guilt of Sin We are translated into the Kingdom and Family of Christ as well as deliver'd from the Kingdom of Satan and the Power of Darkness In a Word the Acceptation of our Persons Sanctification of our Natures the Answer of our Prayers and a Title to Heaven and Eternal Life are connected with and consequent to this Forgiveness of Sin Psal XXXII 1 2 3. Zac. I. 4. Isa LIX 2 3. Psal CIII 2 3. Job VII 21. This also hath respect to all the Comforts and Afflictions of this present Life You ought to Consider that if Sin be forgiven all things shall work for good Take away all Iniquity saith the Church and receive us graciously or do us good Hos XIV 2. Every Providence shall be sanctified if Sin be forgiven For peace I had great bitterness saith Hezekiah but in love to my Soul thou hast deliver'd it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy Back Isa XXXVIII 17. You have a like Instance Jer. XXXIII 6 8. But if you had all the Plenty Peace Health Riches and Grandeur of this World yet the Guilt of one Sin on the Consclence under the Apprehension of God's deserved Wrath will spoil the Relish of all Where Sin
Conscience and you can't presently approach to God with Comfort What then should you do Give up all for lost Run into Excess of Riot and say There is no Hope therfore let us walk after the Imagination of our own Hearts No by no Means But by renewed Acts of Repentance towards God and of Faith in the Blood of Jesus return to God and seek Forgiveness I grant in such Cases it is hard to do this with any Encouragement and Hope Our Hearts misgive us and well they may we shall have a thousand Jealousies and Fears And it can't be otherwise However God's Thoughts are not as ours He will abundantly pardon Returning Sinners tho' you have abus'd his Grace tho' you have dishonour'd his Name revolted after Forgiveness slighted the Redeemer Christ griev'd his Spirit given Advantage to the Devil deserv'd to be cast out of his sight tho' you have broken your solemn Vows and broken your Peace thereby yet let such remember that God will show Mercy to Returning Sinners and he will abundantly pardon ' em He will heal their Backslidings and make them loath themselves and be confounded for all their Abominations even After he is pacify'd towards them Ezek. XVI the last You know the kind Language God us'd to Ephraim Jer. XXXI 18 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself he is my dear Son he is a pleasant Child or rather is he not so though I spake aginst him I remember him still my Bowels are moved for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Read with Thankfulness Mic. VII 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of his Remnant and retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again and have compassion on us and will subdue our Iniquities and cast our Sins into the Depths of the Sea And how sweet is the Repentance of such a Returning Backslider that is kindly melted humbled and broken and brought to the Foot of God with Hope of Mercy through Christ The Contrition of such a Soul is made up like that of Mary Magdalen of Tears and of Kisses of Sorrow and of Love of Humility and Hope of Confusion and Confidence of Shame and Joy And how will such a Soul love much to whom much is thus forgiven In short God doth abundantly pardon and multiply Pardons as to the Forgiveness of many Sins in that never any one Sin was forgiven to any Man to whom this was not made good Numberless Sins are forgiven wherever one is They are more than the Hairs of our Head or the Sands on the Sea-shore Well might the Psalmist say Have mercy on me O Lord according to thy loving Kindnesses and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies Psal LI. 1. I will abundantly pardon saith God here and in another place I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinn'd against me whereby they have trespass'd against me saith the Lord Jer. XXXII 8. Who can understand his Errors before Conversion and since by Omission and Commission in Thought in Word and Act How long did God wait on some of us What various Methods did he use to bring us home How graciously did he receive us at first and after many Provocations receive us again Surely if we find Mercy with God any of us he must abundantly pardon us and multiply Forgivenesses And because 't is not so easie a thing to believe this I proceed to the Second Particular to Consider what Reason we have to be perswaded of this Secondly Upon what Grounds may we be firmly perswaded of this Truth That God will thus multiply Pardons 'T is certain to an humbl'd awaken'd convinced penitent Sinner it must be glad Tydings of great Joy that his Case will admit of Hope That he ought not to despair that there is a possibility he may find Mercy with God if no more But to have the Riches of God's Grace display'd to have a free and general Invitation made to all the Hungry and Thirsty the Weary and Heavy laden to have a Promise of Mercy and of Forgiveness whatever thy Sins have been What matter of Rejoycing is this This will answer a thousand Objections which otherwise you could not tell what to say to This is proper to revive the most drooping Spirits to make them adore God and admire his glorious Grace This may cause them to think honourably of him seek earnestly to him and thankfully accept his offered Mercy as poor wretched perishing condemn'd undone Creatures toward whom the God of all Grace will magnifie his Rich and Undeserved Mercy Therfore be perswaded to believe it considering such things as these First That there are large and express Promises and most astonishing Instances in the Holy Scriptures to Encourage your Faith He that best understands his own kind Thoughts to the Children of Men to the chiefest of Sinners hath assured you he will not only have Mercy but abundantly pardon and that where Sin hath abounded Grace shall much more abound toward all of them who will accept of Mercy by Jesus Christ so as God may not lose the Glory of it You think it very hard to be perswaded of this but hath not God told you that as far as the Heavens are above the Earth so are his Thoughts and Ways above yours And tho' your Sins be as Crimson and Scarlet that they shall be as Snow and Wool and that To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness tho' we have rebell'd against him Have we not Instances of this as to others of the worst of Men and Women that have been washed and justify'd through the Blood of Christ and Spirit of Christ of Sinks of Sin that have been made Vessels of Mercy Many Examples in the Old Testament and in the New of Jews and Gentiles What Folly and what aggravated Sin was David guilty of after the Knowledge of God and what great Sins before Conversion was the Apostle Paul charg'd with You have been sometimes told that 't is an Instance of God's Wisdom and Kindness to record the the Example of David's Fall Some it may be think it were better left out lest it should encourage Sinners but doubtless many a Man would have perished in Despair and made away himself if it had not been for the Example of David's Repentance and God's Forgiveness of him after such hainous Transgressions Secondly God hath declared this to be his Nature and Delight He proclaims it as part of his Name Exod. XXXIV 5 6. to be The Lord God Gracious and Merciful Slow to Anger and Abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin He is pleas'd in the Exercise of his Mercy he delights to be Gracious and takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy And therfore what pleaseth him and he delights to do he will do abundantly There is an Inexhausted Treasure of Grace in God Exceeding
is able to forgive our greatest Provocations and show Mercy to the vilest Sinners that will return We are prone to revenge we are hardly reconciled we are apt to return Evil for Evil we are not easily brought to Forgiveness But My thoughts are not as yours saith God You know not how far my Mercy can reach I am God and not Man The distance between God and Man between the Creature and Creator is infinitely more than between Heaven and Earth What if you can't imagine that ever I should have such Thoughts of Mercy for poor Sinners Do you consider how high the Heavens are above the Earth so are my Thoughts and Ways higher than yours They are like my self infinite And how many by their own Experience of God's kind and gracious Dealing with them who with holy Wonder and Thankfulness have acknowledg'd and attested the Truth of this Many a time have I called my self a Prodigal to use the Words of an * Mr. Baxter of Conversing with God in Solitude 4â—â— pag. 363 364. Excellent Person a Companion of Swine a miserable hard-hearted Sinner unworthy to be called his Son when he hath called me Child and chid me for my questioning his Love he hath readily forgiven the Sins which I thought would have made my Soul the fuel of Hell he hath entertain'd me with Joy with Musick and a Feast when I better deserv'd to have been among the Dogs without his Doors He hath embrac'd me in his sustaining Consolatory Arms when he might have spurned my guilty Soul to Hell and said Depart from me thou Worker of Iniquity I know thee not O little did I think that he could ever have forgotten the Vanity and Villany of my Youth yea so easily have forgotten my most aggravated Sins When I had sinned against Light when I had resisted Conscience when I had frequently and wilfully injured Love I thought he would never have forgotten it But the greatness of his Love and Mercy and the Blood and Intercession of his Son hath cancelled all O how many Mercies have I tasted since I thought I had sinned away all Mercies How patiently hath he born with me since I thought he would never have put up more Tho' I injure and dishonour him by loving him no more tho' I oft forget him and have been out of the Way when he hath come or called me tho' I have disobediently turned away mine Ears and unkindly refus'd the Entertainments of his Love and unfaithfully play'd with those whose Company he forbad me yet he hath not divorc'd me or turn'd me out of Doors O wonderful that Heaven will be familiar with Earth and God with Man the Highest with a Worm and the most Holy with an unconstant Sinner Man refuseth me when God will entertain me Those whom I never wrong'd reject me with Reproach and God whom I have unspeakably injured doth invite me entreat me and condescendeth to me as if he were beholden to me to be saved Men that I have deserved well of abhor me and God that I have deserved Hell of doth accept me I upbraid my self with my sins but he doth not upbraid me with them I condemn my self for them but he condemns me not I have Peace with him before I can have Peace with my Conscience Object But after all these endearing Expressions of the Grace of God may some say we can't tell how to believe 't is hard to be fully perswaded of this Consider therefore the Verses following the Text where there 's this Objection obviated You say you can't have your Hearts duely affected with these Declarations of God's Grace you can't be brought to accept this Mercy to close with this Offer to be encouraged by such a Promise and trust in it It is therefore added as directly suitable to such a Case Verses 10 11. As the Rain cometh down and the Snow from Heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the Earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my Mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it That is As the Heavens do not give Light and Heat and Snow in vain but cause a promising Spring and a fruitful Harvest So saith God my Thoughts of Grace manifested by my Declarations of Mercy and Promises of Forgiveness shall have Efficacy and Influence to make you believe to enable you to hope and trust in my Mercy and so to be quiet and satisfy'd that your great and hainous Sins shall be forgiven The very Publication of this Grace shall be attended with a Power to bring Souls to believe it I know my Thoughts toward you are Thoughts of Peace and not of Evil to give you a gracious End and raise your Expectations of it and they shall accordingly be fulfilled The Declarations of this Mercy shall be credited my Word of Grace shall not be in vain it shall take hold of dejected despairing Souls and raise them to Faith and Hope 'T is with this Encouragement we publish the glad Tydings of Salvation and invite Sinners to return to God by Jesus Christ with an Assurance of finding Mercy I say 't is with this Encouragement that we beseech them to be reconcil'd to God and assure 'em that he 's ready to forgive 'T is in Hope that by the Spirit accompanying the Declaration of the Word concerning this Forgiveness with God many Souls might be attracted and won perswaded and overcome and so prevail'd with to return to God and believe the glorious Riches Freeness and Abundance of his Mercy God grant we may find more and more such fruits of preaching the Gospel On the other hand I beseech you take heed how you turn your Backs on this Mercy of God and the Offer of it Beware how you shut your Ears against his gracious Invitation when he thus proclaims and publishes his Readiness to forgive Take heed how you go on in Sin after God freely tenders you the Forgiveness of all your Sins if you will return With the greatest Seriousness I must tell you that one such Sermon of God's forgiving Grace and Mercy rejected slighted and misimprov'd may be of more dreadful Consequence to the Souls of those that hear it and make light of it than I am able to express APPLICATION VSE 1. Let this Mercy Love and Grace overcome your Hearts Consider it again and again Apply it seriously to your selves Is the Lord thus Gracious to me after so long a Rejection of him Will he yet receive me after so many Refusals Doth he invite and call me again after so much Contempt of his Mercy and Grace Will he yet show Mercy to me What strange astonishing Grace what endearing Kindness is this What manner of Love is this How true is it that God's Thoughts and Ways are not as ours That God
them The Power of Conscience is weakned after so many Struglings and Combates that they must needs have had with their own Consciences after so many Contests between Corruption and Conviction between Truth in the Mind and Corrupt Inclinations in the Heart Especially if they have formerly been awakned and there have been some Fears and Hopes with good Desires and other Affections formerly stirr'd if by the Common Operations of the Holy Spirit they have had some serious Concern about their Salvation and all this is worn off and gone the Case of such is very bad and their Recovery the less hopeful because their Repentance is the more unlikely And if they persist their Doom will be intolerable But it is to prevent this as to those who may be in such a dangerous Case that I thus speak And therefore I most earnestly invite beseech and entreat them however Wicked and Unrighteous they have been not to make light of this further Offer of the Grace of the Gospel And that by no means they would despair of finding Mercy with God even Now if they will Return to him with all their Hearts whatever their past Sins have been If Now they will return God will abundantly pardon For his Thoughts are not as ours c. THE Third Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7 8. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. IN Two former Discourses I have consider'd this double Precept or Injunction of Duty which concerns Sinners of all sorts under the two Names of Wicked and Vnrighteous that they must forsake their Evil Ways and Thoughts and return to the Lord which are the two parts of unfeigned Repentance I have also consider'd the encouraging Promise that thereupon God will have Mercy and will abundantly Pardon And I have now to consider what Ground we have to believe this Because God's Thoughts are not as ours nor his Ways as ours c. But there remains something of the Application of the Second General That if the Wicked forsake their evil Ways and Thoughts and return to God he will not only forgive but He will abundantly pardon 1. VSE Be thankful to Heaven for this good News that God will thus mercifully treat returning Sinners He might have insisted on the Terms of the violated first Covenant to the Ruine of all Mankind He might have left us as the fallen Angels without the Proposal Promise or Offer of a Redeemer But God so loved the World that he gave his Son that whoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life When we think of the Case of the fallen Angels who are reserv'd in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the Great Day and compare it with our own who have a Proclamation of Mercy and Grace by the Gospel we have Reason to adore the distinguishing Goodness of God to us If a few poor inconsiderable People in a Kingdom of the meanest sort should be found guilty of Treason against a Prince when there are Multitudes of the Nobility and Gentry who have likewise rebell'd against him and a Pardon should be offer'd to those of the poorer meaner sort while the Nobles and Great Men are all Executed and not a Man of them receiv'd to Mercy would not this be Astonishing Goodness to the others Especially if those Great Men the Principal Subjects of the Kingdom were Condemn'd for one Offence for one Act of Treason and the others forgiven many Transgressions and receiv'd to Favour and Honour after many Years of Rebellion You easily know how to apply it How thankful ought we to be that we are not left in the remediless Condition of Devils that there is a Sacrifice offer'd for Sin a full Attonement made a sufficient Price paid a Fountain open'd a new and living Way for God to be glorify'd in the Forgiveness and Salvation of Returning Sinners that believe on his Son It is matter of Continual Admiration and Thankful Praise that we have Forgiveness this way Can we have a fuller Evidence of the Evil and Malignity of Sin or of God's Displeasure against it and consequently of the Worth and Value of a Pardon than by the Sufferings Blood and Sacrifice of Christ And what stronger Proof or clearer Evidence of God's Readiness to forgive Sin than the giving of his Son to dye for our Sins to cleanse us from all Sin even the most hainous grievous Offences Because his Mercy through the Mediator is greater than the Sins of the whole World Let us with Hearty Thankfulness adore him for this glorious Mystery of his Love and Grace And that we may be Thankful indeed let us apply it to our selves in particular Let us think of our own miserable Case under the Guilt of Sin and the Curse of God Let us think of the many thousand Talents we owe without being able to pay one Farthing of the Innumerable Crimes we are guilty of and that the Wages of every one is Death And that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not procure the Forgiveness of one sinful Thought If you think you have or ever had any serious sense of the Evil of Sin and your lost undone Condition as Sinners how thankfully should you receive these glad Tydings of Mercy by Jesus Christ But if you have gone further and have actually receiv'd the Attonement if you are brought under the Bond of the Covenant if you are united to Christ by Faith and so interested in the sure Mercies of David and by Forgiveness deliver'd from Condemnation what Special Thankfulness is due from such When there are comparatively so Few to whom the Gospel is preached but do receive this Grace of God in vain Lord Who and what am I that I should have good hope through Grace of the Forgiveness of my Sins of mine that have been more aggravated than the Sins of Others When Others not greater Sinners it may be not so bad shall perish for ever and never be forgiven When it may be some of my Companions and Accomplices in Sin are cut off by Death without Repentance and Pardon Were not Others call'd and invited as well as I But he hath open'd mine Ears and Heart to receive him and so hath pardon'd me while others are condemned O Admirable and Astonishing Grace Secondly Take heed of abusing this Declaration of Grace to the worst of Sinners I. First As any Countenance to Sin or Encouragement to continue in it Shall we sin because God is ready to forgive Sin that his Grace may abound God forbid Rom. VI. 1. Far be it from us let it be an abhorred Thought 'T is needful to mention this because in many Instances the most pure and holy Doctrine may be perverted to patronize Sin We read that the Continuance of the Course
wisest and most knowing Men come of the infinite Knowledge of God Tho' we are certain of the Truth of his Being how little do we know of his Nature and Perfections How far above our Apprehensions is the Divine Eternity How all Successions of Time are ever present to him and subject to his View His self Existence Immensity Omnipresence and Prescience of the most contingent Events c. How far above us AND since we have not a perfect Knowledge of the Subject we must hearken to what GOD himself saith of his own Nature who knows it best And we ought in Reason to enquire whether the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity be contained in that Revelation which we receive and can prove to be Divine if we find it there let the Doctrine be never so Incredible and Unintelligible GOD is so far above us and his Ways and Thoughts above ours that we ought not to reject it upon that Account As the Heavens are higher than the Earth His Wisdom is as the Heavens the highest and top of all Wisdom Man's as the Earth beneath which there is no Degree but that of Hell and Darkness so that the Things are two Great and Sublime for us to determine about WERE this duly consider'd we should find that we cannot have so much Evidence of a Doctrine's being False because 't is Vnconceivable as there is Evidence of its being True by being contain'd in Scripture Revelation As to the Truth of things concerning Finite Nature we may judge by our Reason But where the Object is Infinite 't is no Argument against the Truth of a Thing that we cannot comprehend it unless a Contradiction be proved which there is none here IT hath often been proved that God might justly require of us in general the Belief of what we cannot comprehend and that they who reject the Misteries of Christianity run into greater Difficulties than those who assert them What is Incomprehensible as to the Manner may be a necessary Article of Faith as far as it is Reveal'd * See Bishop of Worster's Sermon on 1 Tim. I. 15. Serm. VI. Vol. III. Octavo and Orig. Sac. Book II. Chap. VIII 5 6 7. We don't assert Three Gods and yet but One God Three Persons and yet but One Person That would be contradictory but the Scripture saith that these Three Father Word and Spirit are One God And we ought to distinguish between Numbers and the Natures of Things For Three to be One is a Contradiction in Numbers but whether an infinite Nature can communicate it self to three different Subsistances without such a Division as is among created Beings must not be determined by bare Number but by the absolute Perfections of the Divine Nature Which mast be owned to be above our Comprehension Therfore for any to assert that there cannot be a Plurality of Persons without a Plurality of Natures or that there cannot be a Communication of Nature without an Indentity of Persons is to pretend to know more of the Infinite Nature of God then any modest Man ought to pretend to 'T IS certain the Objections from the Vnconceivableness of this Doctrine are not so great as the Evidence we have that such a Doctrine is contained in the Holy Scriptures and that that this Scripture is of God And let me add that to pay Adoration and Divine Worship to Christ as the Christian Church hath done in all Ages and to Trust in him for Pardon and Eternal Life and yet believe him to be only a Man destroys all the Reasons and Arguments of giving Divine Worship to God only For to do this and not own him to be Omnipresent Omniscient and Almighty not own him to be the True and Eternal God is a greater Absurdity and Contradiction then all that can be objected against the Doctrine of the Sacred Trinity While they pay him Divine Honour they must needs consider him as the GOD whom all the Angels worship and yet at the same time they deny him to be so And that because they cannot conceive how Father Son and Spirit should be One God But let us remember what GOD is and what we are and how his Ways and Thoughts are above ours Let no Man therfore deceive himself If any Man among you seem to be Wise in this World let him be a Fool that he may be Wise for the Things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God who revealeth them unto us Secondly GOD's Ways are above ours in the Dispensations of his Providence 'T were easy to show this in a Multitude of Particulars In his sparing and forbearing us In restraining and preventing us In keeping and preserving us and disappointing our Enemies Overuling our Affairs directing our Conditions and governing all that befalls us Good or Evil Accidental or Premeditated and turning all to Wise and gracious Purposes beyond our Thoughts With what perfect Wisdom is every Thing managed in the Government of this World That even the Wickedness of Men is made to serve the purposes of his Glory How wonderfully hath God Honour'd his Mercy and Power Holiness Justice and Truth in redeeming and saving Sinners by Jesus Christ with greater Advantage then if our first Parents had continued Innocent HIS Ways are not as Ours but above them in governing the Minds of Men turning their Hearts influencing their Counsels and changing their Thoughts to bring about and fulfil his Own His Ways are above ours in makeing Use of very unlikely Instruments weak Means yea such as in Appearance are Contrary to effect his own Purposes in the Government of Nations of particular Families and Persons AND the Ways of his Providence on less above ours In his disposing Crosses and Afflictions Temptations and Hardships unto those he loves best and permitting others to live in Peace and Quiet HIS Ways are not as ours but above them in that the very Falls and Faults Crimes and Follies of good Men are overul'd for much Good and great Transgressions before Conversion made servicable to excellent Purposes afterward What was Poyson in Nature becomes Medicinal by Divine Grace He that stumbles in the way gets ground by it if it help him to mend his Pace to walk faster and more warily How many can say if it had not been for such and such Fails I had never known so much of my own VVeakness and Frailty I had never had such Experience of Temptation and how unable of my self to resist it I should never have had so hearty a Detestation of Sin such a Tenderness of Conscience such an Awe of offending God so fervent a Zeal to please him so sweet a Sense of his Mercy so Thankful an Acknowledgment of his Grace in delivering and recovering me The very Remainders of Corruption in the Hearts of Men which they bewail and pray and strive against I shall serve to convince them of their necessary Dependance on Gods Grace shall cause them to walk humbly with God shall make them more circumspect