To perswade you that God will abundantly pardon Consider how valuable a Price was paid for your Redemption that you might have Forgiveness When you think of the Freeness of this Mercy to you think also that it cost the precious Blood of Jesus to Procure it And by the great Propitiation for Sin which he hath made God hath glorify'd his Holiness and Justice and may now glorifie his Mercy and Grace in pardoning and saving Sinners without lessening the Honour of his Authority and Government or impeaching any of his Attributes and Perfections You may come and beg Mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ saying Lord save me for thy Mercy 's sake I am a Vile Sinner a Rebellious Creature not only an unprofitable Servant but a hainous Criminal I have nothing in my self but Matter of Shame and Humiliation nothing of any good but what thou hast given me There 's nothing in any of my Services but need the Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus to make them accepted But there is Redemption even the Forgiveness of Sin through the Blood of Jesus Lord Here is the Blood shed for Expiation of my Sins Lord Here 's the Price paid for my Reconciliation here 's a perfect Righteousness to cover me here 's a compleat Attoning Sacrifice Christ's Merit Righteousness and Intercession and Grace can save me O let me be found in him accepted in him Did I dishonour God formerly by my aggravated Sins Christ my Redeemer hath honour'd him more by his Death than ever I dishonour'd him by my wicked Life Is it not a Trouble to you to think with what Affection and Delight you sinned with what Deliberation you committed such and such Sins Oh! remember that Christ delighted to do the Mediatorial Will of his Father He was straitned 'till he drank of the bitter Cup and was baptized with his own Blood He knew before hand all that he was to do and suffer for our Redemption and yet willingly undertook it Did you sin with much intenseness of Spirit so that your Heart was in it Have your Crimes been many of them Mental Spiritual Inward Sins like those of the Devil which are worse than Sensual Carnal Ones Remember Christ's Sufferings lay much in his Soul also His Spirit his Soul was heavy unto Death c. And whatever Unworthiness you may apprehend of the Mercy offer'd you remember 't is Free Mercy You are call'd and invited to receive it without Money and without Price If you are weary and heavy laden and sensible of your Unworthiness if you see your need of his help are desirous of it and willing to yield your selves to his Conduct to be saved in a way of Free-grace so as to give him the entire Glory of your Salvation you ought to believe that God will show you Mercy and abundantly pardon you He hath glorify'd his Mercy in the purchase of Forgiveness by Christ in the Publication of it in the Gospel and in the Application of it to particular Sinners upon Faith and Repentance or Repentance and Faith I scruple not to put either first since they are inseperable and are never parted And both are absolutely needful Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that at once we may give God the Honour of his Authority and violated Law by our Repentance and of his rich Grace in the Gospel by our Faith in Christ And can any thing be more free to us than to be forgiven in this Method on these Terms to have all our Transgressions blotted out for his Name 's sake and to be washed and cleans'd in the Fountain of Christ's Blood when we have nothing but our own miserable and wretched Case to move his Pity He justisies us freely by his Grace and found a way to do it with Honour to his own Name What a strange Passage is that of the Prophet Isa XLIII 22 23 24. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small Cattle of thy burnt Offerings neither hast thou honour'd me with thy Sacrifice thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities What might now be expected but that God should say Therfore I will not hear thee when thou callest I 'le make thee a Sacrifice to my Wrath I 'le punish thee according to thy Desert But 't is quite otherwise for it follows in Verse 25. I even I am he that blotteh out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins When the God whom we had offended by Sin is become a God of Forgiveness in such a way and method of rich and glorious Grace we need not doubt but his Heart is in it and therfore that he will abundantly pardon He might have exacted the Punishment of Sin when he gave his only begotten Son to be a Propitiation for our Sin and accepted his Suffering instead of ours There could be nothing move him to this but his own Grace and Love And therfore we ought to believe that he 's ready to receive returning Sinners unto Mercy for Christ's sake Sixthly As consequent to this Consider that by believing that God will abundantly pardon returning Sinners we give Honour and Glory to God He is pleas'd and honour'd by our giving Credit to his Word and hoping in his Mercy Whereas if we distrust his Promises and Declarations of Grace we not only disobey his Order but refuse that which he delights in and whereby he 's glorify'd By not believing his Promises of Pardon we do what we can to frustrate the Command of Faith in Jesus Christ and the Promse of Salvation by him Yea to disappoint the great Design of Christ's Coming into the World which was to save Sinners We undervalue the rich Provision he hath made for our Encouragement we gratifie the Devil in keeping off from the only Remedy which Christ hath procured We do in effect make God a Liar by disbelieving the Record he hath given of his Son not setting to our Seal that God is true 1 John V. 10. John III. 33. If we honour and please God by our Faith and Hope more than by any thing else we do as much dishonour and displease him by our Unbelieving Despondency and Dispair Yea all the Sins of your past Life that make you fear God will never forgive you are not cloathed with higher Aggravations of Guilt than your doubting of the pardon of them in Case you unfeignedly return to God and believe in Christ Lastly You ought to believe it for the Reason added Ver. 7. because God's Thoughts are not as ours but as far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. We can't think so kindly of any who have injur'd us as God thinks of us who have offended him Nor can we think to what degree God
GOD's Thoughts and Ways Above Ours especially in the Forgiveness of Sins IN SEVERAL SERMONS UPON ISAIAH LV. 7 8 9. By John Shower LONDON Printed by the Widow Astwood Iohn Lawrence at the Angel in Poultry MDCXCIX THE PREFACE I Am Encouraged to think that the following Sermons did Good in the Preaching and with the Hope they may be of some further Use they are now Published It hath been desir'd that I would Transcribe them in the Words wherein they were deliver'd which with very little Variation I have consented to as to the First Four It may be the peculiar Turn of Expression tho' popular and less exact in the Pulpit which renders the plain Truths of Christianity Acceptable to most Hearers may be more Useful and more Affecting to several Readers than what is more Concise and in more studied Words I can never reckon it a Fault in a Sermon to a Numerous Auditory that the Stile is different from what is expected in a close and just Discourse Or that what might be said in two Words or Sentences is exprest in three or four Perhaps the greatest Part of the Hearers need such Enlargement and Repetition and their Capacity could not otherwise be reached so as to Profit them any more then that Game may be taken by a Net Unspread Very Wise Men have Thought that it is a Mistake in a Consciencious Preacher to endeavour to please only a few of the more Knowing and Judicious Hearers But that which is suited to do Good to the Generality of those we Preach to will ordinarily be best Thought of by Wise Men whose Capacity and Judgment could reach what was more Accurate For they must needs know that it would not be Proper here They themselves have Sins to be forgiven and Corruptions to be mortify'd and Immortal Souls to be sav'd and so have their Inferiours And there is but one Way for the Learned and Unlearned to get to Heaven that I know of 'T is True the Things treated of will be despis'd by Many who do not Relish what 's contained in such Discourses The Matter is out of their Way They are not Sensible of Sin nor Solicitous about Forgiveness And so think not themselves concerned And it is to be fear'd there are Many Others who hear and read Sermons only to Judge of them without any Desire of Advantage to their Souls They are not better'd for the Sermons they Commend any more than by those they Condemn They may say perhaps it was an Excellent Discouse He 's a Good Orator or a Judicious Preacher and This Sermon exceeded even his Last But their Consciences are not touch'd they feel nothing that doth them any real Good However there are Many I hope in this City and Nation who will be thankfull for any such Assistance to prevent their Despair when convinced of Sin as the Doctrine of God's Free Grace in Forgiveness that is display'd in the First Four Sermons And Others who meet with Objections in Conversation and in Pamphlets against the Christian Doctrine of the Sacred Trinity the Incarnation of Christ and God's Wise Government of the World from the Unaccountable Passages of Providence which are apt to stumble them may be willing to consider and improve this Argument of God's Thoughts not being as Ours but far above our Reach which is the Subject of the Fifth Sermon Let me only add that many Younger Ministers as well as Elder have Dyed of Late And tho' Few of us will be miss'd when we Dye there being such Numbers to Supply our Places yet Every One should endeavour to be as Useful as he can while he lives for the Night is hastening wherein no Work can be done If Any Reader get Good let him give God the Glory I most earnestly beg His Blessing to that End J. S. THE First Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7 8 9. 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. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are My Ways higher than your Ways and My Thoughts than your Thoughts THere are Three Things Considerable in this Passage First A Call to Repentance by a Double Precept or Injunction of Duty The Persons concerned in it are set forth under two Names to take in all sorts of Sinners The Wicked and the Vnrighteous And the Duty is doubly exprest to forsake their evil Wayes and Thoughts and to Return to the Lord Which are the Two Parts of true Repentance Turning from Sin and Returning to God Secondly Here 's an Encouraging Promise that God will have Mercy on such Penitents and will abundantly Pardon 'em That He will Interest them in the sure Mercies of David Ver. 3. or in all the Blessings of the Everlasting Covenant by Christ 'T is of him you must understand Ver. 4 5 6. of whom David was only a Type Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People c. Thirdly The Ground and Reason why we may believe this Promise shall be made good For my Thoughts are not as your Thoughts saith the Lord God but as high as the Heavens are above the Earth c. i. e. There is a vast Disparity between my Thoughts and yours and mine are Transcendently above yours as far as Heaven is above the Earth And so are My Ways above your Ways This is true as to God's Thoughts and Purposes of Grace in Pardoning Sinners and as to the Effects of those kind Purposes in his Ways and Works And the Highest Assurance of the Truth of all this is added from a Divine Testimony annex'd Thus saith the Lord. He who best knows his own Gracious Designs hath told us this and by our believing it we set to our Seals that God is true Several things might be Observ'd as proper to be Discours'd of from these Words First That if ever Sinners find Mercy with God they must forsake their former Evil Ways and Course of Life Secondly That 't is not enough for such to to reform their outward Practice and forsake their Evil Ways but they must be chang'd and sanctify'd in Heart their Evil Thoughts must be forsaken Thirdly That 't is not sufficient to turn from Sin and Wickedness in Heart and Life without returning unto God Fourthly That the worst of Sinners be they wicked as to Sins against God or unrighteous as to Iniquity against Men yet if they turn from their Evil Wayes and return to the Lord they shall find Mercy Tho' you have sinned as you think so as never any did before and condemn your selves as the chiefest of Sinners and have refus'd the pardoning Mercy of God formerly offer'd c. All this may be forgiven And it is implied that it shall be upon every New Invitation
is forgiven other Mercies will be sweet and the Burden of Affliction tolerable But without this and under the Apprehensions of the contrary every Temporal Calamity is double For this is the Wormwood and the Gall in every bitter Cup. We shall not under the Troubles and Disappointments of this World cry out we are undone if we can think that God hath forgiven us No more than a Man who has just receiv'd his Prince's Pardon when he lay under a Sentence of Condemnation to Death can be thought if he lose his Glove or Handkerchief in the way home that he will wring his Hands and weep and take on for such a Loss when he had so lately his Life graciously given him Besides Hereby is a Foundation laid for a Life of Thankful Love and Obedience to God Conscience being purg'd from dead Works we serve the Living God without fear in hope of his Acceptance with the Promise of his hearing our Prayers and that he will be well pleased with our Services and overlook our Infirmities c. We may therefore well bear the Tryals of this Life with Patience and Resignation and in a dying Hour shall be able to commend our Souls with Faith and Hope into the Hands of Christ who will take Care of us as his own when we leave the World and at last publickly acknowledge and absolve us in the great Day Oh how many Mercies accompany this one of the Forgiveness of Sin Fourthly This is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner Peculiar Mercy as it it Irrevocable Where Sin is forgiven and Iniquity blotted out it shall be remember'd no more You are freely justify'd from all things and shall never come into Condemnation This my Covenant of Peace shall never be removed saith the Lord who hath mercy on thee Isa LIV. 10. This is not only true of the first Settlement of it but is the Priviledge of every one who is under the Bond and Blessing of the New Covenant Tho' I visit his Transgression with a Rod and his Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips God may remember the Sins of Pardoned Believers so as to afflict them in this World and exercise the Discipline of his Family Their share in National Sins may involve them in present Sufferings with others And for particular Transgressions God may testifie his Fatherly Displeasure against good Men by remarkable Afflictions but will not reverse their Pardon so as to punish them Eternally Ely David Jonah and others are Instances Your Peace with Heaven shall never be so broken none of your Afflictions will prove it The Reconciliation between God and Sinners that is once accepted by a Real Active Unfeigned Obedient Faith is Perpetual It is promis'd that our Iniquities shall be blotted out and remember'd no more that God will cast 'em behind his Back Cast 'em into the bottom of the Sea Scatter 'em as a thick Cloud c. Isa XLIII 25. Psal LI. 9. Isa XXXVIII 17. Mic. VII 19. Isa XLIV 22. And yet more expresly to assure us that God will not enter into Judgment with us for the Sins he hath once forgiven we read Jer. L. 20. In that day shall the Iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the Sins of Judah and they shall not be found Where God bestows Forgiveness he communicates the Spirit of Grace for the Mortification of Sin And tho' that Work be not perfect it shall be progressive and the Remainders of Corruption in the Soul will not prove that your Sin is not forgiven The Flesh will war against the Spirit and the Spirit will strive against the Flesh but you can't conclude that you are not forgiven from the Opposition that Sin makes against the Grace of God in the Soul Would you judge of your selves consider what Opposition you make against Sin Would you have Relief Apply to the Fountain open to the Blood and Spirit of Christ for new Strength from Day to Day to Crucifie the Flesh to Continue the Warfare and Maintain the Conflict That Sin yet remains in the Soul is consistent with your Reconciliation to God and your Sence of this with his Acceptance of you Yea I am perswaded there 's never such a Discovery of Corruption as after Forgiveness when the Grace of God hath enlightned the Soul But which part do you side with Do you Condemn Bewail Oppose Resist Strive Watch Pray Fight and Endeavour the Mortification of Corruption that yet remains after the Hopes of Pardon You shall then by the Grace of Christ hold on and be more than Conquerors You should Apply to him and Exalt his Power as able to destroy the Works of the Devil He has promised and undertaken it that no Iniquity shall be charged to your Condemnation No old Stories shall be repeated no latent Displeasure harboured no former Quarrel revived If thou return to God with all thy Heart he will never upbraid thee with thy former Sins tho' Men may But if you can hope that God forgives you you 'll easily bear that and little mind it Can you doubt of this Fulness of Pardon when God hath said he will hide and blot out our Sins so as When sought for they shall not be found And that he will put them as far from us as the East is from the West that None of them shall be mentioned again unto us Psal CIII 10. Jer. XXXI 34. Fifthly This Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner because all his unknown and forgotten Sins shall be pardoned as well as those he hath particularly confess'd agravated and repented of As he that breaks the Law in one Point is guilty of all by the wilful Contempt of Divine Authority so he that is absolved in one Point is forgiven in all It were otherwise in vain to be forgiven and absolved as to some Sins that might damn us if there 's any one left that would do it He that is under Condemnation for one Sin is liable to Eternal Death But Divine Forgiveness is entire and full There are Sins of Good Men that arise from Humane Frailty and not from any evil Purpose of Heart as Sins of Ignorance which if we had known we would not have committed or of sudden Surprize that we did not Observe or fell into by the violent hurry of Temptation before we had time to think what we were doing of such Sins we shall be often guilty while we are in the World and we are bid to ask daily Pardon for 'em and then they shall not break Covenant between God and Us. But there are Many Sins that we have forgotten for which we were never Humbled in Particular And yet if we truly Repent of those we do know and call to mind our forgotten Sins shall be forgiven For God will Pardon us like
it the daily Burden of your Hearts that you inwardly sanctifie God no more and glorifie him so little in the World Are your Thoughts Desires Opinions and and Designs chang'd The Bent of your Souls and the Course of your Lives altered Can you say My Heart is inclin'd to keep thy Statutes always even to the end Psal CXIX 112. I esteem all his Commandments concerning all things to be right and am desirous to know the whole Will of God that I may do it And if in particular Instances by Temptation you turn out of the Way and contract Guilt are you restless and uneasie 'till you return to God Can you say with the Psalmist I have kept the Way of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from him for all his Judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine Iniquity Psal XVIII 21 22 23. I confess as to Sins that by the Temperament and Constitution of the Body we are more inclin'd and tempted to than to other Sins a Total Victory is not to be expected so as in no Degrees to fall into such Sins after Repentance Take heed in such Cases that you rise again speedily by Repentance that you walk softly and humbly and that the principal Tendency of your Repentance and Prayer be against those Sins And you will gradually get Strength against 'em So as to say that no Iniquity hath Dominion over you that you are not the willing Servants of Sin so as to love it and deliberately to allow it but the Desire of your Soul is to be freed from it to have Sin subdu'd as well as forgiven III. What can you say as to the Receiving Loving and Prizing of Christ by whom we have Forgiveness Have you heartily Accepted of him in all his Offices as offered in the Gospel Assenting to his Doctrine as a Teacher sent from God and our great Prophet Relying on his Sacrifice and Mediation as our great High-Priest And subjecting to him as Lord and Ruler This is Receiving him as Christ Jesus the Lord. This is an Honour due to him for the Pardon and Salvation he hath procured for us And God hath made it necessary to our Interest in the Benesits of his Death Do we assent to the Doctrine of Salvation reveal'd and publish'd by Christ and attested from Heaven as certainly true That Jesus is the Christ of God and Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Hereupon are we brought to trust to the Mercy of God in Christ in Hopes of his Salvation which is freely tendred unto Sinners in the Gospel Do we subject our selves entirely to him as one whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins Resolving to be sway'd by his Authority and rul'd by his Direction and follow him as our Captain and Commander Guide and Saviour as long as we live Endeavouring in Heart and Life to be well pleasing in his Sight that whether we live or dye we may be His If your Sins are forgiven 't is for Christ's sake Consider what Application have you ever made to him for the cleansing Virtue of his Blood Since if you are washed if you are pardoned it must be through the Blood of the Lamb have you look'd to him whom you have pierced and mourn'd and been in Bitterness for him as one that is in Bitterness for his first born Zac. XII 10. Have you lookt upon a Crucify'd Saviour Bleeding Groaning Dying for Sin to reconcile us to God and turn us from our Iniquities Have you been answerably affected with the Sufferings of Christ and improv'd thereby in your Hatred of Sin IV. What Thankfulness to God and what Love to Jesus Christ the Redeemer doth the Hope of Forgiveness excite in you You read how the Penitent in the Gospel Loved much because much was forgiven Luke VII 47. How did St. Peter appeal to Christ after the Forgiveness of his Sin Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee Your Love to Christ and every thing that relates to him will be a good Argument of the Forgiveness of Sin For having Peace with God the Love of Christ is shed abroad in our Hearts How have your Hearts been affected with Thankfulness to God for the Riches of his Grace in this Forgiveness For the Purchase of it for the Offer of it and for any good Hope of your special Interest in it What admiring Thoughts have you of the Height and Depth Length and Breadth of the Love of God in Christ to lost Sinners With what Thoughts do you Consider the Curse of the Law the Terrors of Death the Power of Satan and the Wrath of God From all which you are deliver'd by Christ With what Affection do you Contemplate the Innumerable Glorious Priviledges Benefits and Blessings that accompany this Forgiveness With what Admiring Love to the Redeemer do you from time to time review his Condescension and Humiliation How low he stoopt and how readily How great things he suffered and how willingly Even to drink the Dregs of that bitter Cup which but to taste of would have made Men and Angels stagger into Hell With what Frame of Spirit can you consider Christ offer'd upon the Cross for you making his Soul a Ransom for you When you Consider with particular Application to your selves He gave himself for me shed his precious Blood for me O my Soul 't was that I might escape Condemnation that I might be reconcil'd to God that my Crimson and Scarlet Sins might be pardoned that my Guilty Polluted Miserable Soul might be restor'd to the Image of God and Communion with him What Affections what Joy have you from such Thoughts Especially at the Lord's-Table when you consider his Body broken for you his Blood shed for the Remission of your Sins wounded for your Transgressions bruised for your Iniquities that by his Stripes you might be healed V. Moreover How are you affected with the Sins that you hope God hath pardon'd Do your Souls melt with a Godly Sorrow for those Crimes that you hope are forgiven What penitent Mourning doth the Psalmist express in Psal 51. which was penn'd after God assur'd him that his Adultery and Murder should be forgiven and after the Prophet had told him The Lord hath put away thy Sin O Lord have Mercy upon me and wash me and cleanse me and blot out my Transgression Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy Sight c. What Influence hath God's free Mercy in pardoning Sin upon you as to Shame and Sorrow for it Doth the Thoughts that after all thy Provocations God will be reconciled humble and shame thee the more To this purpose you know the Holy Spirit is promised in the Times of the Gospel Ezek. XVI 63. That thou may'st remember and be confounded and never open thy Mouth any more
with more Particular Relation to God's pardoning Mercy I. First They are Different and Unlike My Thoughts are not as your Thoughts There 's an Expression to this purpose in the Book of Proverbs to set out this Difference in General Prov. XIX 21. There are many Devices in the Heart of Man but the Counsel of the Lord shall stand What is said by the Prophet of God's Thoughts is affirmed by the Wise Man of God's Purposes that they are not as ours Ours are vain and uncertain his are certain fixt and stable He makes a Threefold Difference First In the Name Ours are but Devices God's are Counsel Secondly He expresses them in a different Number ours are in the Plural Number with an Expression of Multiplicity there are many Devices in the Heart of Man but God's Purposes are One Regular Vniform Council Thirdly A different manner of Existing is implyed our Purposes are conceiv'd in the Heart we can't bring them forth nor give them a Being out of our own Minds We may contrive and plot design and resolve but still the Devices are in our own Hearts 'T is not in our Power to accomplish and bring them to pass to make them firm and fast against Opposition But the Counsel of the Lord and every part of it shall stand So great is the Difference between God's Purposes and ours God's Thoughts and Ours But that which the Text refers to is the Dispensation of God's Grace and Mercy to Returning Sinners We must not measure God's Thoughts and Purposes by our own The Holy Scriptures represent them to be beyond our Fathom such as cannot enter into our Hearts to conceive 2 Cor. XI 9. And here I shall show the Difference be-between God's Thoughts and Ours as to two remarkable Instances among others 1. As to other Mens Sins and Offences against us and ours against God 2. As to our Afflictions and Sufferings from the Hand of God In both respects our Thoughts are very Vnlike God's very Different from his I. First We must not judge of God's Pardoning Mercy to us by our Thoughts and Carriage towards Others who have offended us For First We are easily suddenly quickly incens'd and provok'd to Anger Upon every little Affront and Injury Thoughts of Revenge are apt to rise in our Hearts We can bear very little with one another We must have other Thoughts of the Patience Forbearance and Long-suffering of God When the Disciples would have called for Fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans Luke IX 54. Our Lord told them Ye know not what Spirit ye are of 'T is not a Divine Spirit 't is not the Spirit of God that appears being so easily and presently provok'd Tho' God be offended and affronted by the Wicked every day and hath always Power to execute his Vengeance yet he bears with much Long-suffering and Patience even the Vessels of Wrath fitted for Destruction His Thoughts are not as ours in this Respect He hath reveal'd himself to be slow to Anger and of great Long-suffering and Patience Let us not Conclude that he cannot will not bear with us because we cannot bear with one another Secondly When we are injur'd and offended by Others we are not easily reconcil'd not ready to forgive don't seek after Peace Whereas the Blessed God whom we despise and provoke by multiply'd Crimes he waits to be Gracious and invites us to Return beseecheth us to be reconcil'd He freely offers to forgive us and assures us he will abundantly pardon 'T is true the Divine Spirit so far as it obtains and is communicated to any makes them easie to be entreated forward to forgive willing to be at peace with those that have injur'd 'em and not to return Evil or refuse Terms of Reconciliation But ordinarily it is manifest that our Temper and Carriage to other Men is quite Different And we should have very wrong Thoughts of God if we apprehend him to be as unwilling to forgive us as we often are to pardon those that have offended us Let us think of it with shame as to those that may have trespass'd against us What though they did begin the Quarrel and gave us just Occasion of Anger what though they have been unthankful and we have obliged them and deserv'd to be otherwise treated Shall we yet retain Anger let the Sun go down on our Wrath and discover an implacable Spirit How Different is this from the Divine Spirit and how unlike are our Thoughts to God's Thoughts You are not to think of God in this Particular according to what you find in your selves Thirdly Our Thoughts towards Others who have injur'd us are straitned and limited Possibly we may pardon once or twice pass by two or three Offences but if the same Person trespass again and again several times we think he hath no Right to be forgiven nor are we oblig'd to pardon him even tho' he should repent But our Lord hath told us otherwise Mat. XVIII 21. that if we will be like our Heavenly Father we must not only forgive seven times but seventy times seven We have but a little Pity our Bowels are straitned we can pardon but a few Offences but God doth abundantly pardon and show Mercy to a Thousand Generations and forgive Ten thousand Sins He hath a multitude of Mercies Psal V. 7. A multitude of Loving Kindnesses Isa LXIII 7. He is Rich in Mercy and Abundant in Goodness He can and doth forgive not only Sins before Repentance but Backslidings afterward His Compassions do not fail his Mercy endureth for ever therefore we are not consum'd You must not measure God by your selves nor his Thoughts by your Thoughts in this Particular Fourthly If we forgive those that Injure us we are backward to do them Good to treat them with Kindness and shew them Favour It may be we won't revenge our selves we 'll do them no Harm But we avoid them are shy toward them we will not be kind to them But God's Thoughts are not as ours in this Respect He follows us Rebels with continued Tokens of his Favour loads us with his Benefits every day of our Lives tho' we load him with our Sins He heaps Coals of Fire upon our Heads takes care of us supports supplies provides for us and is constantly kind to us even while we affront him And after he has forgiven us he takes us to be his Friends and Favourites and Children All the Mercies of thy past Life all thy present Enjoyments are from him against whom thou hast sinned Thou hast depended on his Providence ever since thou hadst a Being for daily Breath and daily Bread He saves thee from a thousand Deaths and Dangers thy Estate thy Health thy Credit thy Liberty thy Usefulness thy Comfort in Relations and whatever good thou hast he gave thee And he hath offer'd to give thee his Son his Spirit his Grace his Glory Himself to be thy All-sufficient Portion and God in Covenant And all this while thou hast been
Two Volumes The Works of the Reverend Mr. Stephen Charnock B. D. in Two Volumes The Life of the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter with the History of the Times he lived in Written by Himself and Published by Mr. Sylvester Quarto Mr. Shower's Winter Meditations or a Sermon concerning Frost and Snow and Winds c. and the Wonders of God therein His Thanksgiving Sermon April the 16. 1696. Mr. Nathaniel Vincents Funeral Sermon Preached by Mr. N. Taylor Mr. Lorimer's Apology for the Ministers who Subscribed only unto the stating of the Truths and Errors in Mr. William's Book in Answer to Mr. Trail's Letter to a Minister in the Countrey His Remarks on Mr. Goodwin's Discourse of the Gospel proving that the Gospel-Covenant is a Law of Grace and Answering the Objections to the Contrary Mr. Stephen's Sermon before the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of London at St. Mary-Le-Bow Jan. 30. 1693. His Thanksgiving Sermon April 16th 1696. Mr. Slater's Thanksgiving Sermon Octob. 27. 1692. His Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Reynolds and Mr. Fincher Ministers of the Gospel His Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. George Day Minister of the Gospel at Ratcliff 1697. The Jesuites Catechism A Sermon Preached at a Publick Ordination in a Country Congregation by Mr. S. Clark Mr. Gibbons Sermon of Justification Comfort in Death a Funeral Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Timothy Cruso late Pastor of a Church in London who Died Novemb. 36. 1697. by Matthew Mead. Mr. John Howard's Assize Sermon at Buckingham July 5. 1692. The Evil of our Days with the Remedy of it A Sermon Preached at a Visitation at Rothwel in Northamptonshire Octob. 12. 1697. by the same Author An Effort against Bigottry And for Christian Catholicism by Henry Chandler Octavo Dr. Burtons Discourses of Purity Charity Repentance and seeking first the Kingdom of God Published with a Preface by Dr. John Tillotson late Arch-bishop of Canterbury Remarks on a late Discourse of VVilliam Lord-bishop of Derry concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God Also a Defence of the said Remarks against his Lorships Admonition by J. Boyse Bishop VVilkins Discourses of the Gift of Prayer and Preaching the latter much inlarged by the bishop of Norwich and bishop VVilliams Mr. Samuel Slater's Earnest Call to Family Religion being the Substance of Eighteen Sermons Mr. Addy's Stenographia Or the Art of Short Writing compleated in a far more Compendious Way then any yet Extant Cambridge Phrases by A. Robinson History of the Conquest of Florida Mr. VVilliam Scoffin's Help to true Spelling and Reading Or A very easie Method for the Teaching Children or elder Persons rightly to Spell and exactly to read English A Preservative against Deism Sewing the great Advantage of Revelation above Reason in the Two Great Points Pardon of Sin and a Future State of Happiness With an Appendix in Answer to a Letter of A. VV. against Revealed Religion in the Oracles of Reason by Mr. Nath. Taylor A Practical Discourse concerning Vows With a special Reference to Baptism and the Lords Supper by Mr. Edmund Calamy Monro's Institutio Grammaticae Dr. Pack's Praxis Catholica Or the Country man's Universal Remedy wherein is plainly and briefly laid down the Nature Matter and Manner place and Cure of most Diseases incident to the body of Men. English Military Discipline or The way and method of exercising Horse and Foot according to the practice of this present Time with a Treatise of all Sorts of Arms and Engines of War Orbis Imperantis Tabellae Geographico Historico Genealogico Chronoiogicae Curiously engraven on Copper-Plates Clavis Grammatica Or the ready way to the Latine Tongue containing most plain demostrations for the regular translating English into Latine Mr. Alsop's Faithful Rebuke to a False Report His Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke c. Mr. Shower's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Nat. Oldfield who departed this Life Decmb 31. 1696. Mr. Hamond's Sermon at Mr. Steel's Funeral Mr. Alkin's English Grammar Or the English Tongue reduced to Grammatical Rules composed for the use of the English Schools Mr. John Mason's little Catechism with little Verses and little Sayings for little Children Mr. Addy's Short-Hand Bible A Free Discourse wherein the Doctrines that make for Tyranny are Display'd the Title of our Rightful and Lawful King William Vindicated And the Unreasonableness and Mischievous Tendency of the Odious Distinction of a King de Facto and de Jure Discovered by the Honourable Sir Robert Howard Mr. Woodhouses's Sermon preach'd to the Societies for Reformation of Manners in the City of London Mr. Shower's Sermon to the same Societies Mr. VVilliams's Sermon to the same Societies Mr. Alsop's Sermon to the same Societies Mr. Calamy's Sermon to the same Societies Mr. Shower's Mourners Companion being Funeral Discourses on many Occasions In Two Volumes A plea for the late Accurate and Excellent Mr. Baxter and those that speak of the Sufferings of Christ as he does In Answer to Mr. Lobb's insinuated Charge of Socinianism against 'em in his late Appeal to the Bishop of VVorcester and Dr. Edwards With a Preface directed to Persons of all Perswasions to call 'em from Frivolous and Over-eager Coutentions obout Words on all sides A Funeral Sermon occasion'd by the Death of Mrs. Jane Papillon late Wife of Thomas Papillon Esq Preached July 24. 1698. and now publish'd at his Request by John VVoodhouse Twelves A Brief Concordance to the Holy Bible of the most Useful and Usual Places which one may have Occasion to seek for In a new Method by Samuel Clark M. A. London-Dispensatory reduc'd to the Practice of the London Physicians Wherein are contained the Medicines both Galenical and Chymical that are now in use Those out of use omitted and those in use and not in the Latin Copy here added By John Peachy of the Colledge of Physicians in London Mr. John Shower's Discourse of Tempting Christ His Discourse of Family Religion in 3 Letters His Life of Mr. Henry Gearing Mr. Dan. Burgess's Discourse of the Death Rest Resurrection and blessed Portion of the Saints His Man 's whole Duty and God's wonderful Entreaty of him thereunto His Advice to Parents and Children Mr. George Hamond's and Mr. Matthew Barker's Discourses of Family Worship Written at the Request of the United Ministers of London FINIS