GODS GRACIOUS THOUGHTS TOVVARDS GREAT SINNERS JER 29.11 But I know the thoughts I thinke towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end EPHES. 3.19 The love of Christ passeth knowledge LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons dwelling in Aldersgate-street 1647. NATHANAEL HOMES TO THE CHURCH IN FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM DEare Brethren and Sisters as my compassions to some bleeding hearts among you did put me upon this discourse in our more private weekly meeting so their unexpected importunitie for Copies have necessitated me to print it so as it was suddainly compiled and ruggedly delivered unpolished and untrimmed for publike view of all abroad But being willing you should have it I would rather deny mine own honour then you of any spirituall comfort I might hold forth to you who am yours in the Lord by many strong obligations N. H. From my study in Mary Staynings Decem. 2. 1646. GODS GRACIOUS THOUGHTS TOWARDS GREAT SINNERS ISAIAH 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts THe former part of this Chapter is a most glorious invitation of poore sinners to free mercy vers 1. to the end of the 7th verse in which 7th verse the Lord tells all commers to him that he hath mercy for them and mercy with eminency namely that He will have mercy on them And he will abundantly pardon Or as it is neerer to the Hebrew and is so expressed in the Margin of your Bibles He will multiply to pardon or Multiply pardons The freenesse fulnesse and faithfulnesse of this glorious grace and favour the Lord most strongly demonstrates to confute all doubtings and chase away all feares that are in the hearts of drooping sinners in the verses of the Text. The Catastrophe and upshot of all is this That the Lord having removed their sinnes he will remove their judgements and change their sorrowes into joyes vers 12 13. The substance of the verses of the Text in the sense of them are the matter of the Demonstration The coherence or inference of them in the severall FO RS are the forme that forme them into arguments to remove their doubts and feareâ— As if the Lord should say When I say I will have mercy and abounding or multiplyed pardoning mercy you ought not to doubt of it or feare FOR my thoughts are not your thoughts c. FOR as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my thoughts higher then your thoughts FOR as the raine comes down from heaven c. So that one FOR backs another And then saith the Lord Your sins being done away your judgements shall be removed Ver. 12 13. FOR you shall goe out with joy c. You shall by the effect of removing of your sorrowes discerne the cause viz. the pardoning of your sinnes Doctrine Out of all for the designe in hand I picke and cull this one Doctrine That the incomparablenesse of Gods gracious thoughts towards poore sinners above and beyond their thoughts is sufficient to stop the mouth of all objections and still the cryes of all dejections in all their miseries 1. Note for explanation of this rich Doctrine that our miseries are twofold Afflictions Transgressions Those the threed these the needle For these are they that prick and sting to the quick These the sting in the mouth or tayle of afflictions The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. A confluence of all afflictions of themselves cannot sting so as the single essence of the sinne when God will set it on the conscience Pauls concupiscence stings him more Rom. 7. then his being killed all the day long Rom. â— Afflictions whip the body sinne the soule The spirit of a man saith Solomon may sustaine his infirmities But a wounded spirit who can heare That is of himselfe without Gods grace Now secondly observe that in all these afflictions and sinnes Gods thoughts towards us poore sinners are such as are incomparable and transcendent above and beyond that wee can thinke 1. Father with simple cogitation That is we cannot thinke towards others in the like case of misery as God thinkes towards us in the same case 2. Or with reflexive comprehension or apprehension that in to conceive what those thoughts of God are towards us in our misery just as he thinkes them Both these seeme to be cleerly in the Text. For the first I can saith the Lord shew mercy wheresoever there is a sence of misery though that misery did as well provoke me by the sin of it as it did grieve man with the affliction of it For my thoughts are not your thoughts For the second If there be abundance of sinnes bringing abundance of iudgements I can saith the Lord abundantly pardon For my thoughts are above your thoughts As if the Lord should say of the first thus Can you have such thoughts of mercy on misery as I can especially where you are provoked Doe not you usually repell violence with violence Doe you not use to render evill for evill Are you not usually for the punitive way Or if you passe by a few wrongs can you passe by abundance Doe you not cry against multiplying of offences Immedicabile vulnus c. cut the putrifying limbe off Doe you not after once or twice warning fall to harming Do not your Magistrates burne in the hand then hang up the neck And you admonish then punish But I can thinke thoughts of mercy contrary to all these as hath been shewed in the Text. For the second You as if the Lord should say can hardly thinke that I can thus thinke but I can For my thoughts are above yours You are men I a God you corrupt I pure I prove it thus Doe you see the disproportion of creatures of the Heavens above the earth Much more between an infinit Creator the creature Can you take the just altitude of the Heavens above the Earth Then note how high my thoughts are above yours Therefore these my thoughts I propound and presse to hush and stop the mouth of all objections and still your sorrowing fearing complaining-dejections If you object any crooked unworthy thing to disparage my thoughts and so to prejudice your selves in laying hold on my thoughts let the answer be my thoughts not as yours Mine in substance are all good right c. As my words are Psal 19. so are my thoughts No evill no iniquitie no crueltie in my thoughts If you thinke any you bring it with you you can finde none in me you goe about to pervert the straight wayes and thoughts of the Lord Act. 13.10 But the Lords thoughts are like himselfe The Lords thoughts and wayes are equall they are yours that are unequall Ezek. 18.25 As if the Lord should say take it for a generall rule What ever your thoughts are if
is designed in Gods thoughts to be the platforme of our condition Wee are apt to thinke that the Devill sinne world and our own hearts conspire our ruine But Gods thoughâ—â— are that all even all shall work together shall cooperate and combine together to worke for our good Whatsoever the evills of hell and heart and world may intend yet Gods thoughts have plotted to bend all to this and to further this method and event That whom God did foreknow them he predestinated whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justifies than be glorifies Nothing must intervene invert or subvert this order Third use is to performe our dutie to this mercy 1. To forsake our own thoughts ver 7. before the Text. That is not to believe our own thoughts opposing in the least Gods thoughts 2. To be sure to thinke high enough large enough of Gods thoughts of favour If thou canst tell or canst not tell what thy sinnes are be sure to thinke that thy sinnes are but finite Gods thoughts of mercy infinite So in the Text. 3. To draw neere to to invocate and seek to the God of mercy in the time of his offer of mercy vers 6. Compare 2 Cor. 6.2 4. To waite for the dispensations and manifestations of the acts of Gods thought of mercy so as the earth 〈◊〉 on the heavens for raine vers 10. 5. To look to God to make the expressions of the thoughts 〈◊〉 take your hearts and make impressions upon them as God 〈◊〉 makes the raine 〈◊〉 to the earth In this 〈◊〉 10. vers 6. And lastly to take heed the mean while of 〈◊〉 against and abusing mercy vers 7. GODS GRACIOUS EXPRESSIONS Engaging himselfe to them that accept of his GRACE 2 COR. 1.3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all Comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God THese words were spoken to them that not long before had been bad enough 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know YEE not saith the Apostle to these that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor reviles nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God AND SVCH WERE SOME OF YOV But since they were washed They are SUCH 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle â—ee are WASHED They were such as had accepted of Gods gracious favor offered in Christ though many of them very weakly 1 Cor. 3. and so now the Apostle speaks to them as to Saints and members of the Church at Corinth ver 1. And the Apostle includes himselfe as ver 3. Peace from God OVR Father And in the Text OVR Lord Jesus Christ The God of all comfort who comforteth VS to the end to advance thâ—… converted Corinthians up into the same predicament and degree with him and Timothy Though Paul Timothy be the primipiâ—…es the Captains and chief sharers in that of the Text and laid as a pattern afore the Corinthians So that the Apostle means by VS in the Text at least such as had received grace and favour v. 2. were true â—…ints ver 1. And sutable he cuts out such large portions as were 〈◊〉 for Kings children viz. peace flowing from grace And doth not onely bequeath great things to them there But here in the Text shews them a large firme deed of gift of what God through Christ â—â—d bestowed upon them Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord â—â—sus Christ c. Who comforteth us c. as it is in the Text. Doct. God is here ingaged to his people by many engagements to be unto them all comfort Here are two generalls to be explained 1. The comfort that God is to his 2. The engagements upon God to be this comfort Two things must be explained to open the first 1. That comfort is of God 2. What that comfort is from God 1. That comfort is from God He is said in the Text to be the â—…d of Comfort As Satan is said to be the God of this world And â—â—he Prince of the power of the ayre and the Prince of darknesse And is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Accuser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Temptor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Wicked One As being the cause at least in part of all mischiefe and misery So in a way of contrarietie and remedy God is said â—ere to be The God of comfort Againe as the world is said by John to be a world of wickednesse and by Solomons to be vanitie and vexation of spirit And by the Saints a wildernesse Cant. 3.6 in which is nothing but want and desolatenesse and disconsolatenesse so in contrarietie and for remedy against all this God is said here to be the God of comfort Againe as death is said to be Job 18.14 The King of Terrours which is that which oft casts a â—â—ddain shadow a thick darknesse upon all the glory of meer-mens worldly injoyments so in contrarietie and for remedy of all it is said here God is the God of comfort On the other side As a King is called by great titles is invested with great power clothed with great honour compassed with great wealth and all manner of prosperitie in importing how able he is to make his Queene Children Allies favourites c. outwardly happie So in opposition to and transcendencie above all God is here said to be the God of comfort who elsewhere is called the King of Kings And because Dan. 2.37 Hos 10 8. some earthly kings have proudly taken or received that title of King of kings therefore God in Christ is said to be the King of kings and Lord of lords the onely Potentate Importing that what ever comforts Kings and Princes may seem to have or hold forth to men they had them from this King of kings who hath infinite more to bestow then all the kings of the earth put together and to give them more effectually and blessedly For God is not onely the Administerer and Dispencer of comfort but the Author and maker of comfort He creates peace He creates joy Yea less the matter of our comfort Yea so that a glympse of his face one beam of his Countenance is for the time heaven upon earth even as his presence is the form of the glory of heaven Secondly To tell you what comfort is of God two things must be explained 1. The Quantitie 2. The Quality of that comfort that is from God 1. The Quantity of this comfort 1. In number the comforts from God are plural many It is not said onely in the Text mercie in the abstract whereas Exod. 34. it is in the concrete God is mercifull but mercy is in the
they be not most just good holy c. they are not mine But you may object you think your thoughts are so Therefore take this for another generall rule That whatsoever thoughts doe not tend to your salvation tend to bring you towards mee according to the designe of this Text and word of mine those thoughts are not my thoughts Ezek. 18. Ezek. 33. If you object secondly that yee cannot imagine how I can have such thoughts of mercy to such sinners as you are The answer is As the Heavens are distant and different from the Earth so are my thoughts above yours The Heavens are so above the Earth that the Earth with all its Cedars mists clouds fiery meteors cannot reach it so nor can your thoughts in a rationall way reach mine And as the Heavens are greater so my thoughts Ephes 3.17 And as the Heavens are bigger then the Earth so my thoughts are like my selfe infinite And as the Heavens are more glorious then the Earth so are my thoughts then yours And as the Heavens give light so doe my thoughts to yours And as the Heavens shine on the bad as well as good Mat. 5.45 so doe my thoughts on sinners as well as on Saints If you object thirdly that though these are effectuall expressions in themselves able to doe much yet they do not take affect your soules The answer is that as the operations of the Heavens in drawing up mists and powring them downe in raine doe the worke the raine returnes not in vaine so shall my word be that expresseth my thoughts If the heavens do not shine raine rowle raise the Sunne c. in vaine but cause spring harvest c. then sure my thoughts shining and dropping in my words shall not be in vaine If as the earth waites on the heavens so you waite seed-time spring-time harvest-time will come My thoughts shall take hold of your thoughts and overcome them and transforme them into mine your thoughts shall trust in my thoughts of truth your thoughts shall hope in my thoughts of mercy your thoughts shall rejoyce in my thoughts of love your thoughts shall rest quietly in my thoughts of peace that all your sins are pardoned and so your judgements shall be done away at least as judgements Vsefull is this 1. To put us upon the consideration of Gods thoughts so farre as we are able by enlightened reason 1. How different in kinde our thoughts are from Gods thoughts 2. How distant and short in degree our thoughts are below Gods thoughts when we set about to apprehend them Both these are in the Text and Doctrine as we said compare Jerem. 29.11 1. For the difference in kinde 1. Our thoughts cannot be first towards God in the businesse of our salvation our thoughts cannot be the first-mover For naturally our thoughts and imaginations are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 Wee are borne wild Asses Colis Job 11.12 Wee goe astray as soone as wee are borne but Gods thoughts are first in our salvation He saith the Psalmist understandeth our thoughts afarre off or long before Therefore his thoughts are precedent to ours He here in the 6 and 7th verses before the Text makes the first motion about our salvation and as it is in 1 Job 4.19 We love him because he loved us first and therefore his thoughts first move ours His love first sounds forth then our love is as the Eccho He first allureth then we are drawn A mighty Comfort that his thoughts being first towards us their graciousnesse must needs be free Though wee cannot glory in our thoughts as preventing or perswasive of Gods thoughts yet we may glory in this greater thing that Gods thoughts anticipate prevent and perswade our thoughts Acti agimus wee in every thought and deed act not but as we are acted by God Gods thoughts are the Originall ours but the Copy 2. Our thoughts are not kinde thoughts sweet thoughts to others we are selfe-lovers the originall sin of the world See Adam Doe wee thinke thoughts of love to our enemies Especially unsought unto Much lesse would we prompt them to seeke unto us that we might shew them kindnesse Would their misery be our pitie Would it not be our joy rather So uncharitable is nature that we rejoyce in iniquitie But God hath all the contrary thoughts to these 3. Our thoughts are limited thoughts we cannot pitie or pardon if we doe either much or many Wee say how oft Mat. 18.21 Wee are ready to study an end afore wee begin But Gods thoughts of mercy are abounding thoughts and multiplying thoughts thoughts of abounding mercy and multiplying mercies and pardons He shews mercy to thousands of generations Exod. 20. and therefore to thousands of sinnes of one soule He heales backslidings Hos 14. Observe the indefinite expression And the Psalmist speaks of a multitude of mercies Psal 5.7 Psal 100.7 Isaiah speakes of multitudes of loving kindnesses Isa 63.7 And Jeremy saith There is no failing of his mercy so we are not confirmed How much and how many evills did he pardon in Manasseh Magdalen Saul How many backslidings in Peter and much more in Solomon I may say to a true beleever as he doth not make an end of sinning so God cannot make an end of pardoning But then as his pardoning takes off our feare of sinne so it takes off our love of sinne His good will takes off our ill wills Rom. 7. 4. Our thoughts at best have much reluctation against good and ordinarily much evill in them Rom. 7. But Gods thoughts are all good altogether good purely and perfectly good and concerning our good to cure us of our evill and to fill us with good Jer. 29.11 So it is said Psal 119. God is good and doth good 5. Our thoughts when not vile are vaine Jer. 4.14 But Gods thoughts are great and maine thoughts touching the great things of our salvation 6. Our thoughts are of contentions with men and of transgression against God Isa 55.7 But Gods are of peace and reconciliation So argued in Text and Jer. 29.11 He is the God of all peace and sutable are his thoughts 7. Our thoughts are craving begging thoughts we are all upon the getting hand of man by intreating of God by praying wee are more in prayer then in praise But Gods thoughts are giving thoughts bountifull thoughts thoughts of giving afore our asking and more then many times we dare aske so before and in the Text. And Jer. 29.11 when they are despairing he would be giving I am found of them that sought me not Isai 65.1 God gave more to Paul then he thought on Acts 9. and compare 1 Tim. 1. Yea Solomon had more then he asked So the promise is Seeke first the kingdome of God We aske oft to beleeve he gives more Phil. 1.29 We aske oft to overcome such or such a thing such a sinne but in that God gives us to overcome many other sinnes Thus is it most true that it is a more blessed
be father of mercyes Hee had not suffered his to have been miserable but to the intent to bee more glorious in his mercy Hee concluded all saith the Apostle in unbeleife that he might have mercy upon all And then it s presently added O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledg of God! Rom. 11.32.33 And hee is the God of all consolation therefore of some to some And he comforteth us It is his antient wont to comfort and hee will not loose his wont With God is no shadow of change no eclipsing of his beames and he so inlightens beleevers as starres that they shine upon things below He will give comfort to them and for a witnesse of it they shall be able to comfort others They shall see their own comfort was good in that it takes with others Yea so comforted that they shall indite a praise to God for it Blessed be God that comforteth us Therefore O ye that have seen your claime to this comfort take it to you grasp it doe not let every distemper melancholy c. baffle you of your comfort Doe as David Psal 42. ult Psal 43. ult Why the soule and Wherefore the soule examine it upon interrogatories convince it with Quaeries Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God As long as we have God the God of all comfort to be ours by as good interest as others had him on earth that are now in heaven why should we be cast down What can ill us wherein God cannot or will not comfort us who is the God of all comfort that comforteth in all tribulation The consideration of this Text and Doctrine and our interest in it is enough to resolve and cleare all doubts As whether we may cry to him in prayer in times of misery Answ He is the Father of mercies Whether we may approach near him after reciduations and backslidings into sin Answ He is the Father of mercies Whether we shall not sinck in any condition for want of comfort enough Answ He is the God of all comfort that comâ—orteth in all tribulation If we fear this affliction or that affliction as one cryes O I do not know how I should indure poverty another moanes O how shall I encounter with the feare of death The answer here is full to all cases God is the God of all comfort Father of mercies in the plurall and comforteth his in all tribulation Ob. But God is just too Answ And this is a comfort to a beleever that layes hold on his free mercy 1. Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse And 2 Thess 1.6 It is a RIGHTEOUS or just thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us c. So that Gods Justice is a friend to beleevers against sins and afflictions Ob. But God is a God of purity that cannot indure iniquity and of power to crush us for it in our afflictions Answ Gods goodnesse is the Complexion of his nature and the perfection of all his Attributes and therefore as he is prone to comfort so by reason of his purity he is pure in his comfort and by reason of his power he is powerfull in his comforts Yea and he hints to us that it is more sutable to his nature and more answerable to his direct designe to save and comfort then to condemn and destroy his creature Joh. 3.16 17. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved And Jam. 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against judgement Say thou then as Psal 77.16 My flesh faileth and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For surely Gods design is to make his child like himself in as much as he is willing to communicate himselfe to make him full of comfort Joh. 15.11 Therefore he bids us so oft to rejoyce Phil. 4 4. 1 Thess 5. c. Therefore whereas we cry out for want of comfort we have just cause rather to cry out against our selves that wee receive not in that comfort God holds out unto us For what by passion and what by indiscretion wee are like Rachel that wept and would not be comforted In quietnesse and confidence is our vest and safety And the joy of the Lord shall be our strength If our faith of adherence doth but work kindly in cleaving to Christ that 's comfort Every thing is in a good estate in its own center If the Lord keeps us from despaire and puts us in hope of comfort that is also a comfort Ob. We say we have no comfort because we feele it not within see it not work outwardly Answ But we may be rich though wee doe not alwayes â—ight or poyse the bagges or make them jingle or see the money powred forth To have them in possession is the richnesse of our condition We have life and reason when we are as we lay dead asleep To misse comfort is a sign we had comfort And Christ saith our joy shall remain Joh. 15.11 though our sight and sense of it doth not alwaies appeare It is a signe there 〈◊〉 some water of joy in the pumpe of our desires while wee â—â—mpe for more Ob But you will say you have no joy and therefore you doubt whether you have Christ Answ But we say a wife is a wife by vertue of her Covenant in marriage even then when she is melancholy And joy may glorifie and beautifie our spirits more but to beleeve in God through Christ when we have no actuall joy doth more glorifie and honour God This shews more pure faith Isa 〈◊〉 .10 to trust God without the pawne of sense and feeling Ob. Thou sayest thou goest mourning from day to day for comfort and canst not attain unto it Answ Wee tell thee such desires of comfort they argue grace as mysts doe quick fountaines where they are thickest Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourn blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse It 's more actuall comfort to be desirous of a mercy and think we have it not then to know we have it and to be glutted with it or carelesse of it Ob. But thou wilt say thou hast waited long for comfort and yet hast it not to thy content Answ We tell thee it will be double in measure and sweetnesse when it comes A desire fulfilled after a long deferring is saith Solomon a tree of life Qu. But thou queriest what shalt thou doe the while An. Wee tell thee 1 God supports thee the while and that is great comfort 2 Thou shalt have communion with God in sâ—…king and waiting and that also is a great comfort 3 Thou shalt â—ave so much of the oyle of gladnesse as to glib the wheels of thy soule to carry thee on to any heavenly journey till thou arâ—… at glory Amen FINIS