more Answ. 1. If all the Premises are true yet the Inference and Conclusion is wrong and false for we are not to measure our Duty by the success but Gods injunction God may do what he pleaseth but we must do what he commandeth Abraham obeyed God not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Peter obeyed Christs word Luke 5.5 We have toiled all the night and caught nothing howbeit at thy command we will let down the net 2. Though the first attempt succeed not yet afterwards sin may be subdued and broken In natural things we do not sit down with one tryal or one endeavour A man that will be rich pierceth himself thorough with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 And after many miscarriages and disappointments men pursue their designs till they compleat them and shall we give over our Conflict with fleshly and woâ—ldly Lusts because we cannot presently subdue them That sheweth our Will is not fixedly bent against them Therefore let no man excuse himself and sit down in despair and say I am not able to master these Temptations or Corruptions this is like those Jer. 18.12 They said There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart Do not throw up all thy condition is not hopeless 3. Gods Grace is free and his holy leisure must be waited for it was long ere God got us at this pass to be sensible and anxiously solicitous about ouâ— Soul-distempers Grace is not at our beck The Spirit bloweth when and where he lifteth Joh. 3â—7 We must still lye at the Pool for Cure nor pettishly free against the Lord or cast off our Duty because he blesseth not our first Essay 4. Grace is ready as it is free He that begun this work to make us serious and sensible will carry it on to a farther degree if we be not impatient Surely the bruised reed will be not break and smoaking flix will be not quench Mat. 12.20 Bemoan thy self to God as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim beâ—oaning himself thuo Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bâ—dlock unaccustomed to the yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God He is not woâ—t to forsake the Soul that waiteth on him and referreth all to the power and good pleasure of his Grace Isa. 40.30 31. Even the youths shall saint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall 〈◊〉 up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint 5. Examine whether you seek the Lord with your whole heart and you have done your endeavour You say you purpose you strive you pray but yet sin increases there is a defect usually in these Purposes in these Strivings in these Prayers 1. Let us examine these Purposes 1. These Purposes are not hearty and real and then no wonder they do not prevail There is a slight wavering purpose and there is a full purpose of heart Acts 11.23 If thy Purposes were more full and strong and thorowly bent against sin they would sooner succeed Is it the fixed Decree and Determination of thy Will When you are firmly resolved your affections will be sincere and stedfast you will pursue this work close not be off and on hot and cold and unstable in all your ways If the habitual bent of your hearts doth appear by the constant drift of your lives then is it a full Purpose 2. This Purpose may be extorted not the effect of thy Judgment and Will as inclined to God but only of thy present fear awakened in thee on some special occasion Many are frightned into a little Religiousness but the humor lasts not long Psal. 78.36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Ahab in his fears had some relentings so had Pharaoh the Israelites turned to the Lord in their distress but they turned as fast from him afterwards they were resolved not from love but fear so these resolutions are wrested from you by some present terrors which when they cease no wonder that you are where you were before Violent things will never hold long they will hold as long as the Principle of their violence lasteth 3. It may be thou restest in the strength of thine own resolutions now God will be owned as the Author of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 11. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ stablish strengthen settle you To him be glory for ever and ever Amen Still we must have a sense of our own insufficiency and resolve more in the strength and power of God the grace of Jesus Christ you must rely upon both for confirming and performing your resolutions as knowing that without him you can do nothing men â—ll again as often as they think to rise and stand by their own power there is such guile and falshood in our hearts that we cannot trust them The Saints still resolve God assisting Psal. 119.8 I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly and vers 32. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart 2. As to Striving let us examine that a little if it be so serious so diligent so circumspect as it should be 1. That is no effectual striving when you are disheartened with every difficulty for difficulties do but inflame a resolved Spirit as stirring doth the fire No question but it will be hard to enter in at the strait gate or to walk in the narrow way God hath made the way to Heaven so narrow and strait that we may the more strive to enter in thereat Luke 13.24 Now shall we sit down and complain when we succeed not upon every faint attempt Who then can be saved This is to cry out with the sluggard There is a lion in the way Should a Mariner assoon as the waves arise and strong gusts of wind blow give over all guiding of the Ship No this is against all the Experience and the wont of Mankind 2. This striving and opposing is but slight if not accompanied with that watchfulness and resolution which is necessary Many pretend to strive against sin yet abstain not from all occasions of sin If we play about the Cockatrices hole no wonder we are bitten never think to turn from thy sins if thou dost not turn from the occasion of them if thou hast not strength to avoid the occasion which is less how canst thou avoid the sin which is greater He that resolveth not to be burnt in the fire must not come near the flames Job made a covenant with his eyes that he would not look upon a maid Job 31.1 Enter not into the path
career of Sin 1 Cor. 11.32 For when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World How many Disappointments did we meet with in a carnal Course As David said to Abigail 1 Sam. 25.32 33. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which seâ—â— thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy Advice and blessed be thou which hast kept â—â— this day from coming to shed Blood and from avenging my self with mine own Hand O how sweet is it to see Eternal Love in all that befalleth us It will be our speculation in Heaven we shall know as we are known and be able to interpret all the Windings and Circuits of Providence Vse 3. It shameth us that we adjourn and put off our Love to God till old Age when we have spent our strength in the World and wasted our selves in Satan's Work we dream of a devout Retirement O consider God's Love to us is as ancient as his Being and are not we ashamed that we should put off God till the latter and none decrepid part of our Lives It is a commendation to be an old Disciple and God loveth an early Love Jer. 2.2 Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the Kindness of thy Youth the Love of thine Espousals before our Affections are prostituted to other Objects Under the Law the first-Fruits were the Lord's he should have the First God's Children are wont to return Love for Love and like Love therefore let it be as Ancient as you can Do not say Art thou come no torment me before my time and dream of a more convenient Season Vse 4. It teacheth us to disclaim Merit 1. God's Love was before our Being and Acting Paul out of a less Circumstance concludeth Election not to be of Works Rom. 9.11 For the Children being yet â—â—-born neither having done Good or Evil that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth it was said The Elder shall serve the Younger God's Election is before all Acts of ours therefore we deserve nothing but all is from God It is not a thing of Yesterday our Love is not the cause of God's neither is it a fit Reward and Satisfaction Object But doth not God foresee our good Works or at least Faith and final Perseverance He knew who would believe the Gospel who would live Holy and who would remain in their Sins I Answer If this were true there were not such a gracious Freedom in Grace It is true God foreseeth all things that shall be but first he fore-ordaineth them Prescience includeth and supposeth Preordination things are not because they are foreseen but they are foreseen because they shall be From Predestination issueth Faith Sanctification Perseverance So that we are not chosen because we are Holy but to be Holy Ephes. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love And to be rich in death James 2.5 Hearken my beloved Brethren Hath not God chosen the Poor of this World Rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him As Paul saith of himself 1 Cor. 7.25 I give my Judgment as one that hath obtained Mercy of the Lord to be faithful not that God foresaw that he was so Our Ordination to Life is the Cause of Faith Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed 2. When we were we were not lovely there was nothing to excite God to shew us Mercy Our natural Condition is described Titus 3.3 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers Lusts and Pleasures living in 〈◊〉 and Envy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hateful and hating one another All are abominable and worthy of hatred yet one hateth another as if he were lovely and the other only abominable There are two Causes of Self-conceit we have not a Spiritual Discerning and are partial in our our own Cause and guilty of Self-love 1. We have not a Spiritual Discerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are filthy deformed hateful in the Eyes of God stink in the Nostrils of God If we see a deformed Creature overgrown with Scurf and Sores or a stinking Carkass we turn away the Head in great abomination and cry O filthy yet we are all so before God A Toad a stinking Carkass cannot be so loathsome to us as a Sinner is to God If a Man had but a Glass to see his own natural Face he would wonder that God should love him Indeed we have a Glass but we have not Eyes What could God see in us to excite him to shew Mercy God is not blinded with the vehemence of any Passion yea the Object is uncomely uncomely to a Spiritual Eye much more to the Father of Spirits 2. Self-love blindeth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Men would hold together and like one another all would be well but now we cannot love one another and live with one another in safety we seem such odd Creatures Fratrum concordia rara est We are hateful Creatures to God to Angels to Devils to our Selves Object But some are more civil and refined Answ. It is true Natural Corruption doth not break out in all with a like Violence but a benummed Snake is a Snake a Sow washed is not changed As when the Liver groweth other parts languish one great Lust intercepteth the nourishment of other Corruptions Object But do not some use Free-Will better than others Sure God loveth them more Answ. No not according to the Works which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Tit. 3.5 God's Original Motives to do good are from himself Vse 5. We are not to measure God's Love by Temporal Accidents that which cometh from Eternity and tendeth to Eternity that is an evidence of his special Love Eccles. 9.1 No Man knoweth either Love or Hatred by all that is before him The Pleasures of Sin are for a Season Heb. 11.25 and Afflictions are for a season but Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places which come from Heaven and tend to Heaven which have no dependance upon this World whether it stand or no these evidence the best Love God's special Mercy Why they were devised before ever the Foundations of the World were laid and it is most of all shewed when the World is at an end Therefore moderate your desires of Earthly Things which the Apostle calls this World's Goods 1 John 3.17 they are of no use in Eternity And bear Afflictions with more Patience you do but lose a little for the present that you may be safe for ever Hic ure hic seca ut in aeternum parcas Vse 6. It presseth us to get an Interest in this Eternal Love How shall we discern it 1. By the Scope and Aim of your Lives and Actions Do you labour for another World 2 Cor. 4.18
have some kind of remorse and trouble but they cannot help or free themselves 2. Observe that the Gospel looketh forward to the time to come It respecteth not what Believers have been before Conversion and turning to God but thenceforward they must forsake their sinful lusts and turn to God So 1 Pet. 4.2 That he no more should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Time is short work is great since it is not enough for a Christian to cut off one member but the whole body of sin must be destroyed and they have been too long dishonouring God and destroying their own Souls and cherishing divers lusts in themselves Therefore now they should more earnestly set about the mortifying of sin Now as this is an encouragement to those that have long been serving their base lusts and vile affections and been eminent in wickedness so it is an ingagement to them to double their diligence for the future to serve God by virtue of their deliverance by Christ Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life If the Gospel doth not look backward surely it looketh forward it obligeth us to be more assiduous and serious in the study of Holiness after Conversion that if it be possible they may restore the Lord to his honour reclaim those whom they have hardened in sin and get their own hearts more loosened from it since custom hath deeply rooted it in them 3. Observe the Apostle saith That we should not serve sin It is one thing to sin another thing to serve sin Though sin doth remain in the godly it doth not reign in them to serve sin is to yield willing obedience to it This may be done two ways First When men slavishly lye down in any habit and course of sin There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way of sinning as David Psal. 139.24 See if there be any way of wickedness in me David would not be corrupt in any of his ways And again Psal. 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying Some are given to one sin some to another some covetous others sensual some proud others brutish there is some iniquity they regard in their hearts and make much of and indulge in themselves and so grow slaves to that imperious lust Now whatever good properties we have otherwise we must take heed of any one perverse habit or evil frame of spirit lest it hamper us and make fools of us and make us liable to be caught again after some shew of escape A beast escaped with an halter is easily caught again so this lust indulged will bring us into our old bondage Secondly When we willingly indulge any presumptuous acts For Joh. 8.34 He that committeth sin is the servant of sin If we allow our selves to commit any one gross sin we serve it Other sins steal into the Soul by degrees but these at once therefore we must take heed that we run not wilfully into these inordinacies and yet hope to escape the danger Secondly How all this must be improved by us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing this The word signifies 1. Knowledge 2. Consideration 3. Assent 1. Knowledge understand this This is of use here for ignorance of Christ and his Gospel is a great cause of sin whereas a sound knowledge produceth mortification Ignorance causeth men to become brutish 1 Pet. 1.14 Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame On the other side knowledge is an help to mortification provided it be found and such a knowledge both for matter and manner as it ought to be For matter that it be a thorough knowledge Eph. 4.20 21 22. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts If men were thorougly instructed in the Christian Doctrine they could not so easily sin against God but a partial knowledge incourages our boldness in sinning For manner it must be lively 2 Pet. 2.20 If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Joh. 8.32 And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make ye free Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote on my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth It is but a form of knowledge not the lively light of the Spirit which doth not break the power of our lusts 2. It may import Consideration and so knowing this is seriously considering this Many Truths lye by neglected unimproved for want of consideration and that is the cause of mens sins they consider not Gods benefits Isa. 1.3 The ox knows his owner and the ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider nor his Judgments Job 34.27 They turned back from him and would not consider his ways that is made the reason of their sin they consider not his ways that is the ways of his Providence towards them and others If men did consider and ponder with themselves how hateful sin is to God with what severity he will punish it what obligations they have to the contrary it would much check the fervour of their lusts and they could not go on so quietly in a course of disobedience against God but they do not seriously consider what they are a doing Above all the Death of Christ should be considered by us as 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot If men would know that is ponder these things in their hearts and discourse with themselves Why was so great a price given for our Reconciliation but that sin might be destroyed and the great Make-bate between God and us removed out of the way 3. Knowing is often put for Assent For Faith is not a Doubting but a certain Knowledge And this enliveneth every Truth If you do believe that Christ came to take away every sin you have no reason to cherish it The Word worketh not till it be believed Heb. 4.2 To us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it But then it worketh
more in the Scriptures than others do the secure and fortunate read them as they do Ovids verses Certainly when the soul is humble and we are refined and purified from the dregs of sense we are more tractable and teachable our understandings are clearer and our affections more melting Now spiritual learning is a blessing that cannot be valued enough if God write his Law on our hearts by his stripes on our backs we have no reason to complain 4 'T is a repenting-time to stir up the hatred of sin by the bitter effects of it Jer. 2.19 Now know what an evil and bitter thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee Weigh with thy self what hath brought all these evils upon thee experience teacheth fools So Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin He hath no reason to murmur against God when he considereth his own deserts and that he suffereth nothing but what he hath produced to himself by his sins And therefore we ought to have deep shame and sorrow for our former miscarriages it conduceth to breed true remorse to consider our folly and the misery brought upon us thereby Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed â—ea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth 5. 'T is a weaning time from the pleasures and conveniencies of the present world First the pleasures of the world pleasure is the great Sorceress that hath inchanted all mankind they all court pleasure though in different shapes 'T is deeply ingrained in our nature and the cause of our many miscarriages Tit. 3.3 Serving divers lusts and pleasures and because we have divers pleasures God sendeth divers afflictions The soul is almost so sunk in flesh that it ceaseth to be spirit John 3.6 Pleasure is that which draweth us off from God and ingageth us in the Creature Jam. 1.14 But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Now among the divers afflictions diseases are natural penances which God hath put upon us to reclaim us from vain pleasures The gust of the flesh would be too strong if God did not check it by imbittering our portion in the world Secondly The conveniencies of the present life riches honours friendships afflictions are sent to cure our carnal complacency and increase the heavenly mind Riches Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Relations pâ—ssessions 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. The time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not And they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not And they that buy as though they possessed not And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Friendship John 16 32. Doating on the Creature is spiritual adultery James 4.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God who ever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God If an image of jealousie be set up God will blast it he turneth the world loose upon us so that friends prove as broken reeds 'T is easie for God to prosper his people in the world and suit all things to their own desires but he knoweth our proneness to carnal love and how easily our heart is inticed from himself Our temptations would be too strong if the world did appear in an over-amiable tempting dress therefore he doth exercise us sometimes with the malicous envious world sometimes with the cares griefs pains disappointments which are incident to the present life and will shew us what a restless empty world we have here that we may the more earnestly look after those peaceful Regions which are above 6. 'T is a time of increasing our love to God upon a twofold account 1. Affliction sheweth us that nothing is worthy of our love but God whatsoever robbeth God of it soon proveth matter of trouble and distress to us our hearts are the more averse from God because they are inclined to the Creature Jer. 2.13 For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that will hold no water Men bâ—stow their hearts on something beneath the chief good which becometh an idol and false god to them and which they respect and love more than God now the love of God cannot reign in that soul where the love of the world and fleshly lusts reigneth 1 John 2.15 If any man loveth the world how dwelleth the love of the Father in him 'T is not in him Now the great work of grace is to cast out the usurper and to give God the possession of what is his own and therefore the heart must be circumcised before it be true to God Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live First the foreskin and fleshliness that sticketh so close to us must be taken off before we can adhere to God as our proper and chief happiness Now this is Gods own work by his internal grace but yet he useth external means and amongst the rest sharp afflictions to wean us from the Creature and to shew us that we do but court our own trouble and infelicity when we bestow our affections elsewhere for hereby God plainly demonstrateth that he is our All-sufficient and Indeficient God All sufficient as answering all our necessities and desires Indeficienâ— our never failing good when all things fail about us Habbak 3.18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation And thus by desolating the Creature doth he drive our foolish hearts to himself that we may have the solid delights of his love 2. This love of God is the comfort by which we are supported in all our distresses The servants of God have never so much of the joy in the Holy Ghost as in their great sufferings their delight in God is then purest and unmixed God comforteth them when they have nothing else to take comfort in Job 16.20 My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears to God When all friends forsake us but one that one is sweeter to us than ever Humble moans to God giveth us ease and comfort notwithstanding the neglect and contempt of man and when the world undervalueth 't is enough
then have we conâ—idence towards God 3. This external and internal calling may be ineffectual or effectual 1. The ineffectual call consists in the bare tender and offer of grace but is not entertained God may knock at the door of the heart that doth not open to him knock by the word knock by the motions of the Spirit and checks of conscience so many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22.14 There is not the fruit of election nor are these the called according to purpose 2. The effectual call is when God changeth the heart and bringeth it home to himself by Jesus Christ we are not only invited to Christ but come to him by the strength and power of his own grace John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him When we yeild to the call as Paul who was extraordinarily called saith Acts 26.19 I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision we have his consent and resignation recorded Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do He yeildeth up the keys of his heart that Christ may come and take possession In an ordinary call 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave themselves to the Lord 'T is in other places expressed by our receiving or imbracing Christ John 1.12 both are implyed our thankful accepting of Christ and our giving up our selves to him they both go together and where the one is the other is also In every Covenant there is ratio dati accepti something given and something required Christ and his benefits and what we have are and do both are an answer to Gods call 2. The properties of effectual calling 1. 'T is an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath called us with an holy calling And 't is also an Heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Partakers of the heavenly calling because we are called to duties and priviledges these must not be severed some are forward to the priviledges of the calling but backward to the duties thereof A good Christian must mind both the priviledges to take him off from the false happiness and the duties that he may return to his obedience to God the one is the way and means to come to the other for 't is said he hath called us to glory and virtue 2 Pet. 1.3 Meaning by glory eternal life and by virtue grace and holiness in the way that God offereth it we embrace it we heartily consent to seek after eternal glory in the way of faith and holiness and so by it the heart is turned by Christ from the creature to God from sin to holiness 3. The ends of effectual calling both on Gods part and the creatures 1. On Gods part That God may shew his wisdom power and goodness 1. His wisdom is seen partly in the way and means that God taketh to convert sinners to himself There is a sweet contemperation and mixture of wisdom and power there is no violence offered to the will of the creatures nor the liberty of second causes taken away and yet the effect is obtained The proposal of good to the understanding and will by the secret power of the Lords grace is made effectual and at the same time we are taught and drawn John 6.44 45. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall all be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me There is opening blind eyes and turning an hard heart Acts 26.18 He worketh strongly like himself sweetly with respect to us that he may not oppress the liberty of our faculties and the Convert at the same time is made willing by his own choice and effectually cured by Gods grace so that Christ cometh conqueringly into the heart and yet not by force but by consent We are transformed but so as we prove what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is Rom. 12.2 The power of God and the liberty of man do sweetly consist together and we have at the same time a new heart and a free spirit and the powerful efficacy of his grace doth not destroy the consent and good liking of the sinner The will is moved and also changed and renewed In the perswasive and moral way of working God taketh the most likely course to gain the heart of man discovering himself to us as a God of kindness and mercy ready to pardon and forgive Psal. 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared For guilty creatures would stand aloof off from a condemning God no God hath laid the foundation of the offer of his grace in the highest demonstration of his love and goodness that ever could come into the ears of man to hear or could enter into the heart of man to conceive viz. in giving his Son to dye for a sinful world 2 Cor. 5.19 20. To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God And not only in the offers of pardon but eternal life and blessedness so infinitely beyond the false happiness that our carnal self-love inclineth us unto that 't is a shame and disgrace to our reason to think that these things are worthy to be compared in any serious debate or that all the pleasures and honours and profits we dote upon should come in competition with that blessed immortality and life which is brought to light in the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 And powerful grace goeth along with all this to make it effectual partly in the time of conversion taking us in our month and that season which is fittest for the glory of his grace some are called in the morning some at noon some in the evening of their age as Matth. 20.3 4 5 6. c. some were hired to go into the vineyard at the third some the ninth some the eleventh hour That any believe in Christ at all is mercy that some believe in him sooner some later is the Lords wise ordering He that is called betimes may consider Gods goodness which broke out so early before he longer provoked him and contracted an habit of evil customs and that God instructed him betimes to take heed of sin and spending his fresh and flowry youth in the service of the Devil whereas otherwise lost days and months and years would have been a perpetual grief to him He that is called at the latter end of his days having so many sins upon him may be quickned to glorifie God that he would not refuse him at last nor despise him for all his rebellions nor remember against him the sins of his youth That a long and an old enemy should be taken into favour God knoweth how best to gain upon every heart