born with for a long time Rom. 9. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He endured with much long-suffering c. All may bless God for patience they owe an heavy debt to divine Justice yet 't is a long time ere God putteth the Bond in suit though they dare him to his face yet they walk up and down without the arrest of Vengeance He beareth with them years and years after a thousand and a thousand affronts from their cradles to their graves When they were green wood they were fuel fit enough for divine wrath Oh consider there can be no cause of this but his mercy to his worst creatures 'T is not out of any delight in sin for he is holy and cannot endure to look upon it Hab. 2. 13. Of purer eyes c. 't is not out of any stupid neglect He is just and will not clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. 't is not out of any ignorance He telleth man his thoughts nor for want of power so men forbear The sons of Zerviah may be too hard for them but 1 Sam. 24. 19. If a man findeth his enemy will he let him go well away When they are in our power we satisfie our wrath and revenge to the full But now God upholdeth all things by the word of his Power He can in a minute speak us into nothing As the impression of a Seal upon the water dependeth upon the Seal if the Seal be taken away the impression vanisheth So do our beings depend upon Providential influence and supportation If God should withdraw the word of his Power we should soon vanish and disappear Therefore 't is not for want of Power but meerly out of Mercy that we are forborn How may we wonder at this We are of eager and tart spirits sharp-set upon revenge Could we have put up so many refusals of Love such despights done to Mercy such wrongs such grievings of Spirit and yet have contained The Disciples themselves though holy men when they were sensible of being slighted in the Village of Samaria called for fire from Heaven Luk. 9. 54. Certainly we could not endure such a contradiction of sinners If thunderbolts were in our power we should soon kindle a burning and turn the World into smoak and desolation 7. 'T is not only the aim of the Word but of Providence and of all the Dispensations of God to the Creature to represent him merciful The whole World is a great Volume written within and without with characters and lines of Mercy Psal 145. 7. His mercy is over all his works Every creature beareth the marks and prints of divine Goodness and Bounty Once more The World is a great Theatre and Stage whereon Mercy hath been acting its part for these six thousand years Justice is to have a solemn triumph at the last day Now and then God hath kept a petty Sessions and given us occasion to say Verily there is a God that judgeth the world as well as preserveth the world But the greatest part that hath been acted upon the Theatre of the World is Mercy as you will easily see if you consider 1. The black lines of Providence If God threaten 't is that he may not punish if he punish 't is that he may not punish for ever In the sadder Providences though there be misery at the top yet there is mercy at the bottom Many times God threateneth but 't is to reclaim though he doth not change his counsel yet he doth often change his sentence Jer. 18. 7 8. When the message is nothing but plucking up and pulling down Free-grace cometh in with a sudden rescue and prevents the execution Mercy you see is forced to use all methods and to speak in the language of Justice that men may be more capable to receive it Sometimes God punisheth but with vvhat aim that he may not for ever punish 'T is vve that make punishment to be a pledg of eternal damnation it its ovvn aim 't is a prevention and so it proveth to the Elect We are judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned of the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. So Hosea 2. 6. I will hedg up her way with thorns c. We should soon grovv vvorldly and drovvned in carnal businesses and projects if God did not come novv and then and blast our enterprizes and make us see our folly We are puffed up and God pricketh the bladder 2 Cor 12. 7. Hovv svveet is this vvhen in the midst of Judgment God remembereth Mercy Yea the very executions of Justice are found to be one of the methods of Mercy In the middle of the first Curse God dropped out a promise of the blessed Seed So often Mercy overtaketh a Judgment and maketh it cease in the mid way Look as there vvas a conflict betvveen the tvvins in Tamars Womb Zarah did put out the hand but Pharez broke out first So is there betvveen Gods Mercy and Justice Justice puts out the hand in a threatening or some beginnings of a Judgment but Mercy gets the start and breaketh out first 2. Consider the white lines of Providence He intreateth that he may do us good and doth us good that he may do us good for ever For his intreaties 'T is not duty so much that is in the bottom of the Exhortation as Mercy To glorifie Mercy is the last aim of God and his eternal Purpose He hath accepted us in the Beloved to the praise of his glorious grace Ephes 1. 6. God receiveth no profit he intreateth us not that he may be happy but that he may be liberal See Prov. 9. 12. If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it God dealeth vvith us as earnestly as effectually as if the profit vvere his own but it vvholly redoundeth to us Again He doth us good that he may do us good for ever He trusteth us vvith Mammon to prepare us for the true riches and vvith the riches of grace to prepare us for glory Look as men vvhen they vvould put precious liquor into a vessel first try it vvith water to see vvhether it leaketh or no so doth God try us vvith common mercies he giveth us an estate in the world that being moved vvith his goodness vve may look after an estate in the Covenant and an interest in Christ and so fit us for Heaven 'T is our vvretchedness to make our table a snare and our welfare a trap As the Sea turneth all that it receiveth into salt water the fresh streams the influences of the Heavens c. so do carnal men assimulate and corrupt their comforts and by little and little all their blessings are cursed for Mercy can bear any thing but a constant abuse and neglect of it self Certainly Gods revealed Will is othervvise that vvhich cometh from God should lead us to God see Rom. 2. 4 5. 8. Consider in how many notions Mercy is represented to us Gods Mercy
that he doth approve your Doings 4. Christ may be denyed though there be a stricter Profession of his Name and some faint love and relish of his sweetness Besides the loose National Profession of Christianity which God in a wise Providence ordaineth for the greater safety and preservation of his Church there may be a strict personal profession taken up from inward conviction and some tast and feeling and yet Christ may be denyed for all this as some that had tasted the good Word turned aside to the world and so are said to crucifie him rather then to profess him Heb. 6. 4 5 6. The Apostle intendeth some Hebrews that did mix Moses with Christ and Judaism to save their goods So elsewhere he speaketh of some that had a form of godliness but denyed the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 5. By the Form meaning the strictest garb of Religion then in fashion this is to deny Christ when we deny the Virtue and Power of that Religion which he hath established and will not suffer it to enter upon our hearts 5. The means to discover false Profession is to observe how we take it up and how we carry it on whether we embrace it upon undue grounds or match it with unconsonant practises 1. We embrace it upon undue grounds if we take it up meerly upon Tradition without a â—ight of that distinct worth and excellency which is in our Religion for then our Religion is but an happy mistake the stumbling of blind zeal upon a good object and all the difference between you and Pagans is but the advantage of your Birth and Education standing upon an higher ground doth not make a man taller then another of the same growth and stature that standeth lower their stature is the same though their standing be not the same So you are no better then Pagans only you have the advantage of being born within the pale and in such a Country where the Christian Religion is professed You do according to the Trade of Israel and live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the fashion of your Country will carry it and as Beasts follow the Track so you take up that Religion which is entayled upon you 2. If we match it with unsutable practises These may be known if we do consider what is most excellent in the Christian Religion Elsewhere I have shewed that the glory of the Christian Religion lyeth in three things In excellency of Rewards and purity of Precepts and sureness of Principles of Trust â— In the Fulness of the Reward which is the eternal enjoyment of God in Christ therefore they that do not make it their first and chief care to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Matth. 6. 33. that are like Swine in preferring the will of carnal pleasures before communion with God or in the Scripture expression Love pleasures more then God or prefers the profers of the world before everlasting happiness they whose lives are full of Epicurism Atheism Worldlyness 't is not a pin to those whether they be Pagans or Christians for acting thus heathenishly thus brutishly they do but polute that Sacred and Worthy Name 2. The perfection of the Percepts which require a full conformity of the whole man to the Will of God More particularly Christian precepts are remarkable for Purity and Charity for Purity and therefore revellings and banquettings and chambering are made to be customs of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4. 3. things abhorrent from the Christian Religion they that are yokeless and live according to the swinge of their own lusts or else that only fashion the outward man make no conscience of thoughts lusts c. they do not live as Christians for Charity nothing is more pressed then giving 't was Christs maximé It is better to give then to receive Acts 20. 35. and also forgiving one great strain of his Sermon is Love to enemies Matth. 5. 43 44 45 46 47 48. Christ when he brought from heaven the discovery of such a strange love from God to man would settle a wonderful love on earth between man and man 3. For sureness of Principles of Trust the whole Scripture aimeth at this to settle a trust in God and therefore it discovereth so much of Gods mercy of his particular providence of the contrivance of salvation in and by Christ so that to be without hope is to be like a gentile for they are described to be men without hope 1 Thes 4. 13. and carking and distrustful care is made the sin of the Gentiles Matth 6. 31 32. this kind of solicitude is for them that know not God or deny his providence over particular things Well then Take heed of denying Christ 't is an heavie sin it cost Peter bitter sorrow Matth. 26. 75. Will you deny Christ that bought you 2 Pet. 2. 2. Now they deny Christ whose hopes and comforts are only in this world Christ is not their God but their Belly Phil. 3. 19. Libertines are not Disciples of Christ but Votaries of Priapus Merciless and revengeful men do condâ—mn that Religion which they do profess in short they do not only deny Christ that question his Natures or make void his Offices but they that despise his Laws when they do not walk answerably or walk contrary VERSE 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance though ye once knew this how that the Lord having saved the People out of the Land of Aegypt afterwards destroyed them that believed not WE have done with the Preâ—ace I come now to the examples by which the Apostle proveth the danger of defection from the Faith the first is taken from the murmuring Israelites The second from the Apostate Angel the third from the beâ—stly Sodomites Tâ—at you may see how apposite and apt for the Apostle's purpose these instances are I shall first insist upon some general Observations First Observe That Gods ancient Judgements were ordained to be our warnings and examples The Bible is nothing but a Book of Presidents wherein the Lord would give the world a Document or Copie of his Providence All these things are hapned to them for examples 1 Cor. 10. 11. When we blow off the dust from these old experiences we may read much of the counsel of God in them their destruction should be our caution His Justice is the same that ever it was and his Power is the same his vigour is not abated with yeers God is but one Gal. 3. 20. that is always the same without change and variation as ready to take vengeance of the Transgressors of the Law as of old for that 's the point there discussed So 2 Tim. 2. 13. He abideth â—aithful he cannot deny himself In all the changes of the World God is not changed but is where he was at first Surely we should tremble more when we consider the examples of those that have felt his Justice for God keepeth a proportion in all his dispensations If he were strict and
as others do example doth not lessen sin but encrease iâ— partly because their own Act is an approbation of the Act of others immitation is a postconstat and so besides your own guilt you are guilty of their sins that sinned before you partly because 't is hard to sin against example but we sin against conscience we allowing that in our selves which we formerly condemned in another partly because 't is a sin against warning to stumble at the stone at which we see others stumble is an errot and without excuse Say not then 't is the fashion and guise how can we do otherwise be not conformed to the fashions of this world you should be like Lot chast in Sodom or like those Christians that were godly in Nero's Court. Again it doth not keep off wrath multitudes and single persons are all one to avenging Justice the devouring burning of Gods wrath can break through Bryars and Thorns 'T is said Prov. 11. 21. Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished Consederations and societies in evil are as nothing to the power of God though sometimes the Sons of Zerviah powerful oppressors with their combined interests may be too hard for men Well then learn to live by rule and not by example and propose the sins of others to your griefe not imitation have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness bâ—t reprove them rather Eph. 5. their practice will never afford you excuse nor exemption Your duty is to be good in a wicked age sresh like fish in the salt water follow not a multitude to do evil wickedness is never the less odious because 't is more common 't is not safe alwayes to keep the road the bad way is known by the breadth of it and the much company in it Matth. 7. 13. to walk with God is praise worthy though none do it besides thy self and to walk with men in the way of sin is dangerous though millions do it besides thee Again from that And the Cities about them in like manner the lesser Cities imitated the greater Admah and Zeboim followed the example of Sodom and Gomorrah An error in the first concoction is seldome mended in the second if sin passe the heads and chiefes of the people 't is taken up by others under their command when the first sheet is done off others are printed by the same stamps Majestrates are publike fountains of good or evil to the people over whom they are set if they be cold and carelesse in the worship of God given to contempt of the Ministery enemies to Reformation 't will be generally taken up as a fashion by others When the head is sick the whole heart is faint Isa 1. 5. Diodorus Sieulus telleth us of a people in Ethiopia that if their Kings halted they would maim themselves that they might halt likewise if they wanted an eye in a foolish imitation they would make themselves blind that they might comply even with the defects and Diseases of their Princes the vices of them in place and power are authorized by their example and pass for virtues if they be slight in the use of Ordinances 't will be taken up as a piece of Religion by inferiors to be so too From the first crime here specified giving themselves over to Fornication That Adulterous uncleanness doth much displease God When they were given over to fornication they were given over to judgement 1. This is a sin that doth not onely defile the Soul but the Body 1 Cor. 6. 18. Every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth Adultery sinneth against his own body most other sins imply an injury done to others to God or our Neighbour this more directly an injury to our selves to our own bodies 't is a wrong to the body considered either as our vessel or as the Temple of the holy Ghost if you consider it as our vessel or instrument for natural uses you wrong it by uncleannesse namely as it destroyeth the health of the body quencheth the vigour of it and blasteth the beauty and so 't is selfe-murder if you consider it as Temple of the Holy Ghost 't is a dishonour to the body to make it a channel for lust to passe through shall we make a sty of a Temple abuse that to so vile a purpose which the Holy Ghost hath chosen to dwell in to plant it into Christ as a part of his mystical body to use it as an instrument in Gods service and finally to raise it out of the grave and conform it to Christs glorious body The dignity of the body well considered is a great preservative against lust 2. It brawneth the soul the softnesse of all sensual pleasures hardneth the heart but this sin as being the consummate act of sensuality much more Hosea 4. 11. Whoredom and Wine take away the heart these two are mentioned because usually they go together and both take away the heart besot the conscience take away the tenderness of the affections so that men are not ashamed of sin insensible of danger and unfit for duty and so grow saplesse carelesse senselesse 3. Next to the Body and Soul there is the name now it blotteth the name Prov. 6. 33. a wound and a dishonour shall â—e get and a reproach that shall not be wiped off Sensual wickednesse is most disgraceful as having turpitude in it and being sooner discerned then spiritual 4. It blasteth the estate Heb. 13. 4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge he will â—udge others but surely these and that remarkably in this life 5 This doth exceedingly pervert the order of humane societies Solomon maketh it worse then theft Prov. 6. 29 30 31. 32. A Thiefe stealeth out of necessity but here is no â—â—gent necessity the losse here is not repairable as that which is made by theft it bringeth in great confusion in families c. therefore Adultery under the Law was punished by death which theft was not 6. It is a sinne usually accompanied with impenitency namely as it weareth out remorse and every spark of good consciences read those cutting places Prov 22. 14. The moâ—th of a strange woman is a deep pit and he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein so Prov. 2. 19. none that go unto her return again do they take hold of the ways of life So see Eccles 7. 26 27 28. verses It is sin into which God useth to give over Reprobates Solomon saith he knew but one returning Well then be not drunk with the Wine of Sodom and do not scruze out the clusters of Gomorrah Whoredom is a deep ditch or gulf wherein those that are abhorred of the Lord are suffered to fall beware of all tendings that way do not soak and steep the soule in pleasures take heed of effeminaâ—y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soft or effeminate shall not enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6 9.
that he should act freely and entertain us as a King not as an Host Merit taketh off something of his Royalty and supream Majesty Touching the Mercy of God give me leave to give you a few Observations 1. 'T is the aim of the whole Scripture to represent God merciful 'T is true God is infinitely just as well as infinitely merciful but he delighteth in gracious discoveries of himself to the creature he counteth it his glory Moses was earnest with God to shew him his Glory and then God proclaimeth his Name Exod. 34. 5 6. The Lord the Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. In this description there is more spoken of his Mercy then of his Justice and first his Mercy is described and then his Justice for Justice is only added to invite men to take hold of his Mercy and to shew that Justice is never exercised but in avenging the quarrel of abused Mercy So he is called a God of pardon Nehem. 9. 17. as if wholly made up of sweetness So 2 Cor. 1. 3. he is called Father of mercies and God of all consolations He is a just God but he is not called the Father of Justice Mercy is natural to him he counteth it as the proper fruit and product of the divine Essence 2. Mercy is represented as his delight and pleasure So Micah 7. 18. Mercy pleaseth him 'T is an act exercised with complacency Judgment is called his strange work Isai 28. 21. God loveth to bless and protect to destroy is not suitable to his disposition 't is a thing that he is forced to Punitive acts in the representations of the Word are more against his bowels drawn and extorted from him as Jer. 44. 22. The Lord could no longer bear because of your doings their sins were so clamorous that they would not let God be quiet he would bear no longer unless they would make an Idol of him But now all acts of grace and favour are exercised with delight I will rejoyce over them to do them good Jer. 32. 41. 'T is as pleasing to God to do it as 't is to us to receive it The Scripture after the manner of men doth often represent a Conflict in the Attributes about sinners and if Mercy get the upper-hand 't is always with joy and triumph Jam. 2. 13. Mercy rejoyceth over Judgment but if he be compelled to strike and Justice must be exercised the Scriptures represent a reluctation in his bowels Lam. 3. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men in the original from his heart but is like a Father with a rod in his hand and tears in his eyes 3. The Scripture representeth God as exercising mercy though with some present disadvantage to his Glory As mercy to the Ninivites though the credit of his Message lay at stake Niniveh shall be destroyed in forty days yet God spared it and therefore Jonah in a pet challengeth him for it Jon. 4. 2. Lord was not this my saying when I was in my Country â—or I knew that thou wert a gracious God As if he said I knew 't would come to this that the Prophets of Israel should be disgraced before the men of Niniveh and to threaten Judgments in his Name is to expose our selves to derision when we have done our errand free-grace will make us all lyars To this effect did he expostulate with God God might easily destroy sinners with much honour to himself but he is long-suffering even then when his patience for a while seemeth to impair the revenues of Heaven The World suspects his Being the Saints quarrel his Justice and question his Love and all because the wicked are prosperous and God keepeth silence The great stumbling block at which most have dashed the foot of their faith is the suspension of due Judgments What was the effects of his patience to them of Aslyria and Babylon The Lord himself telleth you Isai 52. 5. My Name every day is blasphemed that was all he got by it his people suffered in person and God himself in his reputation all that he got was blasphemies and reproaches and injuries So Psal 50. 21. I kept silence and thou thoughtst that I was every way like thy self that was the effect gross conceits of his Glory and Essence When Judgments are quick and speedy the World is under greater awe the confidence of the Saints is strengthened and supported and Gods honour is more clear and unstained yet with all these disadvantages to his Glory if we may speak so God forbeareth Certainly his heart is much set upon the honour of his Mercy that God will glorifie it though other Attributes seem to suffer loss 4. The Scriptures speak much of his readiness to receive returning sinners Though they have done infinite wrong to his Holiness yet upon repentance and as soon as they begin to submit Mercy embraceth and huggeth them as if there had been no breach Luk. 15. 20. I will go to my Father and the Father ran to meet him So Isai 56. 20. Before they call c. So Psal 32. 5. I said and thou forgavest c. So Jer. 31. 17 with 20. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. and presently Oh my dear and pleasant child The first relentings of the creature work upon the bowels of Mercy Love's pace is very swift it runneth to meet a returning sinner Christ cometh skipping over the Mountains Cant. 2. 8. He thinketh that he can never be soon enough with us He would fain have the company of sinners and therefore meeteth them more then half way When we but conceive a purpose we presently receive the fruit of his early mercies 5. God doth not only admit them to come but of his own accord inviteth them that are slack and backward The Scriptures do every where record the intreaties of God he draweth us with coards of Love coards that are woven and spun out of Christs heart and bowels In one place thus Cant. 4. 8. Come away from Lebanon my Sister my Spouse from the Lions dens from the mountains of Leopards Christs love is hot and burning he thinketh we tarry too long from his embraces So Cant. 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Spouse c. Christ stands begging for entrance Lost man do but suffer me to save thee poor sinner suffer me to love thee These are the charms of Gospel Rhetorick So Isai 49. Harken to me and attend to the words of my mouth c. Oh sinners you will not harken to me for the good of your Souls You see none singeth so sweetly as the Bird of Paradise the Turtle that chirpeth upon the Churches hedges that he may cluck sinners to himself The Scripture is full of such an holy witchcraft such passionate charms to entise Souls to their happiness 6. They that constantly refuse the offers of his grace are
should come out from his Fathers bosom and dye for us Therefore herein is love that is this is the highest expression of Gods Love to the creature not only that ever was but can be For in love only God acteth to the uttermost he never shewed so much of his Power and Wisdom but he can shew more of his Wrath but he can shew more but he hath no greater thing to give then himself then his Christ At what a dear rate hath the Lord bought our hearts He needed not he might have made nobler creatures then the present race of men and dealt with us as he did with the sinning Angels he would not enter into treaty with them but the execution was as quick as the sin so the Lord might utterly have cast us off and made a new race of men to glorifie his Grace leaving Adam to propagate the World to glorifie his Justice Or at least he might have redeemed us in another way for I suppose 't is a free dispensation opus liberi consilij But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son He took this way that we might love Christ as well as beleeve in him God might have redeemed us so much in another way but he could not oblige us so much in another way He would not only satisfie his Justice but shew his Love 'T was the Lords design by his Love to deserve ours and so for ever to shame the creature if they should not now love him Oh think much of this glorious Instance the love of God in giving Christ and the love of Christ in giving himself When the Sea wrought and was tempestuous and Jonah saw the storm he said Cast me into the Sea and it shall be calm to you but the storm was raised for his own sake Now Christ when he saw the misery of mankind he said Let it come on me We raised the storm but Christ would be cast in to allay it If a Prince passing by an execution should take the Malefactors chains and suffer in his stead this would be a wonderful instance indeed Why Christ hath born our sorrows and carryed our griefs Isai 53. 4. the very same griefs that we should have suffered so far as his holy Person was capable of them his desertion was equivalent to our loss his agonies to our curse and punishment of sense and all this very willingly for the sake of sinners 'T is notable he doth with like indignation rebuke Peter disswading him from sufferings as he doth the Devil tempting him to Idolatry Get thee behind me Satan compare Mat. 16. 22. with Mat. 4. 10. He is well pleased with all his sorrows and sufferings so he may gain the Church and espouse her to himself in a firm League and Covenant Isai 53. 11. He shall see the travel of his Soul and be satisfied as if he said Welcome agonies welcome death welcome curse so poor Souls be saved As Jacob counted the days of his labour nothing so he might obtain Rachel and yet there is a vast difference between the love of Christ and the love of Jacob Rachel was lovely but we are vile and unworthy creatures and Christs love is infinite even beyond his sufferings and the outward expressions of it as the windows of the Temple were more large and open within then without Well then every one of Christs wounds is a mouth open to plead for love He made himself so vile that he might be more dear and precious to us Certainly if Love brought Christ out of Heaven to the Cross to the grave should it not carry us to Heaven to God to Christ who hath been thus gracious to us Thus God hath deserved our love The third and next Argument is God hath desired it What doth the Lord see in our hearts that he should desire them If a Prince should not only make love to a vile and abject creature but seek all means to gain her affection you would count her very froward and unthankeful to give him the denyal Christ doth not only oblige us but woo us If man were such as he should be he would not need enforcements because of the multitude of his obligations and if the Lord did deal with us as we deserve he would slight us and scorn us rather then woo us He doth not want lovers there are Angels enough in Heaven whose wills and affections cleave to him perfectly yea God doth not need the love of any creature all this wooing is for our sakes Wherein can frail men be beneficial to God What increase of happiness hath he if all men should love him 'T is his happiness to love himself and he would have us to share in this happiness therefore he threateneth and promiseth and beseecheth As one that would gladly open a door tryeth key after key till he hath tryed every key in the bunch so doth God try one method after another to work upon mans heart He threateneth eternal torments if we do not love him 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha The form of speech implyeth the most dreadful curse that may be 'T is not arbitrary whether you will love him or no you are either to love him or to perish eternally Among men if love doth not come kindly we neglect it that which is forced is nothing worth yet the Lord is so earnest after the love of the creature that he would have it by any means He promiseth We have not only mercies in hand but mercies in hope not only obligations but promises 'T is our duty to love God if there were no Heaven our obligations might suffice yet what great things hath God provided for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. If a man should sell his love he cannot have a better Chapman then God who is most rich and most liberal If an earthly Potentate should promise to them that love him half his Kingdom he would find lovers enough God hath promised glory the Kingdom of Heaven and shall we not take him at his word The Lord will give a gift for a gift because he hath given us to love him therefore he will give us Heaven as the reward of love Who ever heard that an hungry man was hired to eat and rewarded for tasting dainty food or a thirsty man for drinking The Love of God is so excellent a priviledg that we should endure all torments to obtain it and yet God hath promised a reward yea he is pleased to bargain with us as if he were our equal and we were altogether free before the Contract Again He beseecheth We are cold and backward therefore he useth intreaty upon intreaty as if he were impatient of a denyal Out of what rock was man hewn God himself cometh a wooing and we have the face to give him a repulse and what doth he woo for but our hearts which are his already
and ruine so Rev. 13. 11. The dwellers on earth did worship the whore whose names were not written in the Book of life that is they turned aside to Antichristian defilements and pollutions 7. Gods Decree concerning such persons is immutable it is not rescinded and disannuled but is fully executed and accomplished in the damnation of the sinner the Lords Counsels are all unchangeable both as to Election 2 Tim. 2. 18. Heb. 6. 17. and as to Reprobation no Reprobate can be an Elect person nor an Elect person a Reprobate Job 12. 14. He shutteth up a man and there can be no opening and Job 22. 13. He is in one minde who can turne him In Gods Books there is no putting in and crosing out of names but as the number of the Elect is definite and certain they cannot be more and they cannot be less so also of the Reprobate 8. This Eternal Irrevocable purpose of God of leaving sinners to themselves that by their sins they may come to judgement is for Gods glory Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to shew his warth and to makd his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels fitted to destruction All Gods Decrees Works Providences tend to the further discovery of himself in the eye of the creatures 2ly Let me prove that there is such a Decree by Scriptures for reason here hath no place take here three that are most full the first is 1 Thes 5. 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ which plainly implyeth that some are appointed unto wrath The second is 1 Pet. 2. 8. where the Apostle speaketh of some that were disobedient and refused Christ whereunto also they were appointed The third place is Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for himself and the wicked for the day of evil the drift of that place is to shew that both Creation and Predestination were for Gods glory and he instanceth in that part of predestination which concerneth the wicked because it is hardest to be digested and beleeved But now for the Reasons why God hath chosen some and appointed others by sin to come unto judgement I can onely tell you that Gods judgements are past finding out Rom. 11. 33. We must admire we cannot search them to the bottom so far as God hath revealed his Will we may clearly judge that 't is for the discovery of his Justice and Mercy neither of which could have been discovered to the world with that advantage had it not been for his double Decree of God to save some and leave others to their own ruin if grace were given to all how should the word know that God were free again if all were pardoned how should the world know that God were just in Election God discovereth the freeness of his grace Eph. 1. 6. 't is love that we injoy grace elective love that we enjoy it alone In Reprobation God discovereth his Soveraignty and by it the security of his justice and power of his wrath Rom. 9. 22. in chusing one and leaving another there God discovereth his Liberty and that he doth not act out of servile necessity and his severity in the eternal pains of them that perish in their sins 3. Let me vindicate this Doctrine which in the eyes of some seemeth to blemish the Justice of God to infringe the comfort of man Yea to abolish the duty of man therefore it needeth a little cleering reason cannot easily digest this strong meat partly because we are apt to reprehend what cannot comprehend partly because this Doctrine checketh carnal ease and security which is usually fed with a general hope and presumption That the God that made us will save us that he will not damne his creatures but is merciful to all c. now this awakeneth us when we hear that grace floweth in a narrower Channel partly because aspiring man is loath to submit to this absolute Lordship and Soveraignity of God that he should dispose of his creatures according to his own pleasure our ambition is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords of our selves Man that would be as God taketh it ill to be as a beast made to be taken and destroyed Upon all these prejudices man is loath to receive this Doctrine therefore it needeth to be cleered 1. In regard of God that you may not pollute and stain his excellency with impure and prejudicial thoughts you will say is God just that onely upon his will and pleasure ordaineth his creatures to condemnation hath not the Reprobates cause to complain if he hath passed a Decree upon which their condemnation doth infallibly follow I answer 1. our understandings are not the measure of Gods Justice but his own will things may be just though the reasons of them do not appear to us humane reason groweth giddy by peeping into the deep of Gods Decrees our worke is not to dispute but wonder Gods freedom is a riddle to reason because though we will not be bound to Laws yet we are willing God should be bound Gods Actions must not be measured by any external rule things are good because God willeth them for his Will is Justice it self 2. The Electing of some and passing by of others is not an Act of Justice but dominion for he doth not act here as a Judge but as a Lord 't is a matter of favour not of right and wrong condemnation of a man for sin or punishing a man for sin is act of Justice but to have mercy or not to have mercy that dependeth meerly upon Gods will otherwise it would follow that God were a debtor unto man Justice supposeth debt or something due no wrong is done them in not giving grace the Elect can speak of undeserved grace and the Reprobate of deserved punishment when we are not bound to do good if we act according to pleasure there is no injury as in invitations preferments and all acts of favour we cannot endure that a right should be challenged the good man in the Parable pleaded I may do with mine own as it pleaseth me Mat. 20. 15. The Lord may justly challenge grace as his own and therefore leave him to his pleasure in the distribution for he is bound to none 3. Gods not giving grace to the Reprobate is not their sin but their misery Preterition made them miserable but not sinful it doth not infer a Coaction and compulsion to sin sin followeth upon it not as an effect but a consequent as upon the absent of the Sun darkness doth necessarily follow and yet the Sun is not the cause of darkness In grace God purposeth God worketh in sin God ordereth the sin and maketh use of it to the glory of his Justice but man sinneth freely the water while it runneth its own course serveth the end of the Lord of the Soyl in driving Mils and bringing fish into his Ponds and overflowing his Meadows c. So God causeth not sin