Office and in the same Iniquity said Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 2. Affliction-Duties are only practicable by the help of the Grace of God Every Cross hath its Work as well as its Tryal There is that required and called for in Affliction that craves a special Assistance of the grace of God for the doing of it It is remarkable that the great Duty of the afflicted is expressed by two Negatives Heb. 12.5 from Prov. 3.11 My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him What then is the positive Duty It is that which is neither of these two if the Affliction be light we are apt to despise it and if it heavy we are as apt to faint under it But saith the Holy Ghost see that ye do neither if it be never so light do not despise it if it be never so heavy faint not under it And there is no small need of Grace to preserve us from those Extreams and to keep us in the right midst 3. The Consolations of an afflicted State are very needful and Grace only can furnish us with them Be ye assured of it that never did a Christian bear up patiently under God's heavy hand but by the strong secret Working of some Consolation It is true we value and seek most that Consolation that comes in as a great Flood of Sense and that doth swallow up the bitterness of Affliction This the Lord can and sometimes doth give to his People But there is a secret silent spring of Consolation that is as profitable and more common in the Lord's way with his Children Of this the Apostle speaks in 2 Cor. 1.3,4,5 Everlasting consolation and good hope through grace are his Blessings 2 Thess 2.16,17 2. Wherein the helpfulness of grace doth consist in an afflicted state 1. God's grace helps with Light to know God's mind in affliction It is dreadful to be struck in the dark when a Man neither seeth the Path he walks in nor the Hand that smiteth him nor the Weapon he is smote with The great Blessing that grace can help us to is to know what the Rod means what its voice is who hath appointed it and what of God's Name is written on the Rod. Micah 6.9 Job was very earnest for this Light Job 10.2 I will say unto God do not condemn me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Elihu adviseth him well Job 34.31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Many a poor Believer have been put to this that if they had all the World they would have parted with it to have known God's Mind in their Afflictions Sometimes by the Light of the Furnace we come to know our Hearts and Corruptions and thereby what God smites for and calls to The Lord can by the teachings of his Word and Spirit and by the Wisdom of his providential Dispensations engrave that particular Meaning that is in his Heart on the Rod that is in his Hand that Men may know it And happy is that person that is so dealt with But it is indeed harder to be sincerely willing to know and admit of God's Mind in Affliction than it is to find it out But his grace can help to both and the Throne of Grace should be much plyed for both 2. Grace can give in strength and support under Affliction 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day It is a wonderful thing to see how much Pain Sickness and Torment a poor frail body is able to bear we think how close and sticking a thing is Life that is not squeezed out by such a stress Yet the frailty of the Flesh in bearing the distress of the Flesh is a small thing in regard of the frailty of the Heart in bearing of God's Rebukes Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will bear his Infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear Yet many have born it but surely by divine Support It is the common Sense of distressed Christians that they have been put to bear such burdens that they thought at first they would surely have crushed them The reason of their Wonder is because the weight of the burden upon them was sensible but the everlasting arms underneath them and their burden were not seen Deut. 33.27 3. Grace helps in Affliction by enabling the afflicted to believe that there is Love in the Afflicter He saith it Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten And he can make us believe it Nothing but his mighty Grace can do it Nothing is liker Anger than Affliction especially when severe nothing is more difficult to believe than that which to all our Sense and Reason is ruining to us should be in love in him that doth it Who can believe this without the help of Grace and how great must that help be that enableth a Man to believe so unlikely a thing 4. Grace helps in Affliction by teaching to profit thereby Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby The fruit of sanctified Affliction is a great Mystery as all spiritual Fruit is You cannot tell how you profit by the Word I am afraid that there is but little profiting at all but they that do profit cannot tell how they profit They may see the Seed sown they may find it sown in their Hearts they may perceave its Fruits in their Worship and Walk but how the grace of God works with the Word in making them profit is too deep for the most discerning Christians It is some way more mysterious how the Lord works out profit by Afflictions It is indeed often found blessed be his Name Many can say with David Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word ver 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes But none can tell how the grace of God makes the bitter feed of Affliction bring forth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness And where is that Saint who when the Lord is writing bitter things against him and multiplying his wounds can say in Faith Now at this time and in this manner the Lord is sowing that Seed in me that shall spring up in Fruits of Righteousness to his Praise and my certain Profit and that the day will come wherein I shall bless his Name from my Heart for all the Sorrows I now feel and mourn under I shall say no more of this Head of Affliction but only would give you this warning Afflictions are very common and much
THE THRONE OF GRACE Discoursed of from HEB. IV. 16. By Robert Trail M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. Orme for Nathanael Hiller at the Prince's Arms in Leaden-hall-Street over against St. Mary Ax Church 1696. PREFACE WHat is in this Book offered to your Reading was some years since preached in the ordinary Couse of my Ministry on a Week day with no more thought that is none at all of Printing it than I had of Publishing this way anything I have preached these Seven and twenty years wherein I have been exercised in the Ministry of the Word save one single Sermon extorted from me about fourteen years ago The Publishing of such plain Discourses is singly owing to the Importunity of some of the Hearers and to the Assistance they gave me by getting what I spake transcribed from two Short-hand Writers without which I could not have Published it My own Notes being only little Scraps of Heads of Doctrine and Scriptures confirming them In the same way I had brought to me what I spoke from Heb. 10.23,24 and have it lying by me which may also see the Light if the Lord will that I live and if this be accepted of such whose Testimony I only value I mean such as are sound in the Faith and exercised in the life of Faith I know no true Religion but Christianity No true Christianity but the Doctrine of Christ of his Divine Person the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 of his Divine Office the Mediator betwixt God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 of his Divine Righteousness He is the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 Which Name is also called upon his Church Jer. 33.16 and of his Divine Spirit which all that are his receave Rom. 8 9. I know no true Ministers of Christ but such as make it their Business in their Calling to commend Jesus Christ in his Saving fulness of Grace and Glory to the faith and love of Men. No true Christian but one united to Christ by Faith and abiding in him by Faith and Love unto the glorifying of the Name of Jesus Christ in the Beauties of Gospel-Holiness Ministers and Christians of this Spirit have for many years been my Brethren and Companions and I hope shall ever be whithersoever the Hand of God shall lead me Through the Lord's Mercy to me as to many in London I have often heard what is far more worthy of the Press than any thing I can publish I have not been negligent in desiring such able Ministers of the New Testament to let their Light shine this way but have little prevailed It may be this mean Essay may provoke them more to that good Work Whatever you may think of my way of managing this Subject and indeed there is nothing in that either as designed or expected by me or that in it self deserveth any great Regard Yet the Theme it self all must judge who have spiritual Senses is of great Importance and always seasonable It is concerning the Throne of God's Saving Grace reared up in Jesus Christ and revealed unto Men in the Gospel with the Application all should make to that Throne The great Blessings to be reaped by that Application and Men's great need of those Blessings This greatest of Subjects is meanly but honestly handled in the same Order in which it was Preached and mostly in the same Words Some few Passages out of History are inserted which were not spoken May the Lord of the Harvest who ministred this Seed to the Sower make it Bread to the Eater and accompany it with his Blessing on some that are called to inherit a Blessing and I have my End and Desire the Reader shall have the Benefit and the Lord the Glory For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen London March 25. 1696. Ro. Trail ERRATA PAge 2. line 3. read Acts 9.22 and 17.2,3 and l. 18. for held r. hold p. 3. l. 3. for exhortation r. expression p. 20. l. 24. r. receaving p. 26. l. ult r. Righteousness p. 47. l. 5. for 4. r. 3. p. 78. l. 10. for considering r. consider and l. 16. r. I will p. 97. l. 23. r. God p. 127. l. 4. a. f. for better r. bitter p. 128. l. 5. for a r. as p. 135. l. 3. for Lord r. God p. 138. l. 25. for never r. ever p. 141. l. 9. a f. dele is p. 162 for Creations r. Creation p. 177. l. 6. for 73. r. 78. p. 189. l. 7. for it is r. is it p. 213. l. 15. r. able to take and l. 20. r. Rom. 8. p. 222. l. 11. r. for sa r. as p. 239. l. 9. r. inverting p. 249. l. 13. for Man r. Men or Many p. 250. l. 4. for in r. as p. 253. for on r. one ADVERTISEMENTS THE Righteousness of God through Faith upon all without difference who believe in two Sermons on Rom. 3.22 By Nathanael Mather Preacher of the Gospel 1694. The Conquests and Triumphs of Grace Being a Brief Narrative of the Success which the Gospel hath had among the Indians in New England By Matthew Mayheu 1695. Batteries upon the Kingdom of the Devil By Mr. Cotton Mather Author of the late memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions and of early Piety exemplified 1695. A Learned and accurate Discourse concerning the Guilt of Sin Pardon of that Guilt and Prayer for that Pardon Written many Years ago By the Reverend Mr. Thomas Gilbert Minister of the Gospel lately deceased at Oxford 1695. A Letter to Dr. Bates concerning a Vindication of the Doctor and my self necessitated by Mr. W's his Answer to Mr. Humfrey By S. L. 1695. All Printed for Nath. Hiller at the Prince's-Arms in Leaden-hall-street over-against St. Mary-axe 1695. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need THE main drift of the blessed Apostle the Holy Ghosts Penman in this Excellent Epistle is to set forth the preheminence of our Lord Jesus Christ first in his Divine Person far above all Angels who are bid Worship him even when dwelling in Man's Nature If the God-head of our Lord Jesus Christ be hid from the readers of this Epistle it must be by a special Power of the God of this world on their unbelieving minds 2 Cor. 4.3,4 Will blinded men forbear to call the Son God when the Father speaks so Chap. 1.8 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Then the Apostle speaks of his Incarnation chap. 2.11 c. and therewith speaks of his Priesthood chap. 3 The Apostle compares Christ with and prefers him above Moses chap. 3. then above Aaron as a Priest chap. 7. and compares him with Melchisedech an eminent Type of Christ By this Epistle we may know what Paul's reasonings with the Jews were Acts 9.23 and what is the right way of dealling with the Jews at this day till Christs Divine
Person and Righteousness and Priesthood have more room in the Religion of the Gentiles Christianity is not like to leaven the Jews This Doctrine of Christ's Priesthood and of the Sacrifice of himself he offered in that Office the Apostle doth often intermix with suitable Exhortations from it as in the context ver 14. Seeing then we have a great highpriest all the Old Testament Highpriests were but types and shadows of Him and were but little highpriests that is passed into the heavens no highpriest but Christ went further than the Holy of Holies for the peoples advantage Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The dignity of Christ in his advanced State as well as his Grace in his humbled State lays Christians under a strong engagement to cleave to him with steadfast confidence Yet for as great as this person is and for all that he is in Heaven and in unspeakable Dignity and Glory there you must not think that he in Heaven and we on Earth can have no communion ver 15. for we have not an highpriest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities though now he hath none of his own yet can he feel these of his people and his feeling engageth speedy relief The reason the Apostle gives for this sympathy of Christ with his people is from Christ's experience when on earth But was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Apostle delivers the mind of the Holy Ghost about Christ's sympathy negatively we have not an high-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities in which manner of exhortation he reflects on the meanness of the Levitical Priests to whom it was impossible to know and feel all the infirmities of the people for whom yet they appeard before God and he implys the affirmative strongly we have an high priest which can be and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities How a sinless man as Christ ever was can be touched with the feeling of the infirmities of sinners and many of these infirmities sinful ones How a glorified man as Christ now is exalted to and possessed of the highest Glory and Bliss can be and is touched with the feeling of all the infirmities of all his people is what the word plainly reveals to be believed but it s not to be fully known till we come to Heaven But he is the Head and all his people are his Body his members of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 a marvellous word Can the flesh be torn and the bones be broken and the head not feel it Though he be glorified above what we can conceave he is a living sensible and compassionate Head and as nearly and closely united to all his Members now as when they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears and with their hands handled the word of life 1 John 1.1 There is nothing ails a poor Believer in Christ there is no groan riseth from his distressed Heart but it is immediately felt at the tender Heart of the Lord Jesus at the Fathers right hand We would groan and sing with the same breath if we believed this firmly In my Text there is a most blessed exhortation from this same ground of Christ's sympathy in Heaven unto a bold approaching to the Throne of Grace The nativeness and strength of the Inference is obvious to the most ordinary attention The exhortation is unto the improving of the greatest priviledge an erected and revealed Throne of Grace and that in the practice of the greatest Duty believing approaching unto this Throne or unto God sitting on this Throne of Grace What I would take up in and handle in speaking to these words shall be the resolution of four weighty Questions which should be in the hearts of all worshippers of God 1. The first great Question is Where may I find God This was Job's question and wish Job 23.3 O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat and that this seat was a Throne of Grace to Job is evident from ver 6. This Text tells you God is on a Throne of Grace A fit place for God to be sought in and where only he can be found graciously by a sinner 2. Question is How should we come to God on this Throne Let us come boldly saith the Apostle The original word signifieth coming freely with free open bold speaking pouring out all our hearts and minds to him Let us come without making use of Saint or Angel to introduce us to this Throne Any poor sinner may come himself alone to this Court and that boldy without fear of being repulsed The 3 Question is the hardest what ground hath a sinner for this boldness The ground the Apostle gives for it is hinted in the word therefore which relates to ver 14 15. Because of Jesus the Son of God our great high-priest in heaven If we had not such a high-priest ministring in glory at the high Altar above no sinner could come boldly to the Throne of Grace on earth So he argues chap. 10.19,20,21,22 4. The last question is What shall we get and for what may we come to this Throne of Grace The Apostle speaks fully to this in the Text let us come that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need These precious things Mercy and Grace are scattered round this Throne any poor needy creature should come for a saving Alms from this Throne and may have it for the coming The first of these I would begin with Where is God to be found The Apostle tells us on a Throne of Grace This word is only here no where else in the Scriptures is the word to be found but what is signified by it is frequently in the Old and New Testament as we shall hear But though the phrase the Throne of Grace be only once named in this Heb. 4.16 yet the thing signified is so precious and the expression of it is so savory significant and suitable that this form of speaking the Throne of Grace is become famous known and used amongst Christians and will doubtless be till the end of Time As long as God hath a mind to give Mercy and Grace as long as any of the Children of men are sensibly needy of Grace and Mercy and askers and receivers thereof from the Lord and that will be till the Heavens be no more this Throne of Grace will be plyed and praised I would first consider the proper meaning of this word a Throne of Grace It 's obvious that the Apostle in this Epistle doth every where if I may use a much abused word Christen the Old Testament Types and gives them New Testament names and applys them to the Doctrine of Christ he is teaching the Christian Jews he writes to The Old Testament Church knew what a high-priest was what his Institution Office and performance were in the Tabernacle in
Grace Usually beginners in Christianity have greater light and sense as to their necessity of saving Grace and Mercy then about the Lords willingness to give them And this is the season wherein Satan doth usually come in if permitted and often he is with his Temptations and fiery darts that they felt nothing of while they were in his Kingdom and power of darkness To such I would propose 3 things 1. What is the ground of thy discouragement Hereto I know they will say a great deal and it may be more than is true I grant all can be said to be true But the sum of all is I am a great sinner and exceeding miserable Be humbled as low as Hell in the sense thereof yet be not discouraged What is in thy case but what is common only thou sees and feels for thy self and so did others 2. What is the tendency of it doth it tend to keep thee aloof from the Throne of Grace it is then of Satan 3. What can be the cure of it You would not be always in this heartless frame how think you to get it removed By keeping still from the Throne of Grace Will or can any spiritual plagues be cured but by Christ the Physician Or any spiritual Blessing be got but at his door Can you expect it without coming and begging David took the right course with his fainting heart Psal 42.5 He challengeth his Soul for its disquietment He chargeth it to trust in God and because he had not prevailed with his Soul he brings it to God by Faith ver 6. O my God my Soul is cast down within me Do ye so and call upon him by that name God that comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 I shall name no more of the ways this sin is acted then these three despising delaying and refusing Several other Expressions there are of this sin in the Word but if you be kept from these three you are innocent from the great Transgression 2. What is the Wrath revealed from Heaven for this Great sin of not coming to the Throne of Grace 1. God testifies his Displeasure against this sin by taking away of his Gospel nothing is more just with God then that when his Grace is slighted the means of Grace should be removed If the Lord argue so as to correction Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more much more may he argue thus Why should I keep up a Throne of Grace any longer You will but despise it more and more Christ teacheth a sad parable Matth. 21.33 c. and makes a just but dreadful application of it to the hearers ver 43. Therefore I say unto you the Kingdom of God another name of the Throne of Grace shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof They were cut off for their unbelief Rom. 11.20 With what face can an unbeliever beg of God the continuance of the means of Grace who hath no mind to enjoy the end and blessinâ—… of those means A general contempt of the Grace of God enfeebleth the Spirit of Ministers and Christians in standing before the Lord for the continuance of the Gospel with a people that use it not This dreadful Judgment hath been often threatned in the Word and inflicted in the severe Providence of God on many once famous Churches and Nations As the Lord saith But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Jer. 7.12 So may I say go to Jerusalem and the Seven Churches in Asia go to Greece and Africa where many a famous Church was planted and learn to fear for your selves Not to speak of later desolations in ours and our Fathers days The Lords removing of his Gospel is a judgment that is very deep As the Apostle speaks of the same subject Rom. 11.33 We may take notice of this judgment as brought on by prevailing errors in and about the foundation Jesus Christ or by gradual Apostasie and Impurity of Conversation in Professors or by the rage of persecution wearing out the Saints of the most High Dan. 7.25 But yet we have good grounds from the word of God to believe and hope that the Gospel may be secured to a Generation ordinarily if they be careful to get the blessing thereof and to walk worthy of it If the grace of God its self be prized the means of grace will be continued 2. The Lord witnesseth his displeasure against slighters of his grace by fearful outward Judgments So far'd it with Jerusalem according to our Lords prediction Luke 19.42,43,44 It hath been a Remark of wise Observers of the Providence of God towards Nations since the Reformation from Popery that in those places where the greatest light of the Gospel hath shined there the greatest judgments have been inflicted As in Germany France and amongst our selves in Brittain 3. The Lord visits for this sin with spiritual judgments the most wrathful dispensations of God on this side Hell As hardness of heart blindness of mind searedness of Conscience vileness of affections Judgments which they that are under never feel nor complain of nor will be convinced of though they are sometimes visible to others If the Lord inflict them on the Heathen for their abuse of the dim light of Nature Rom. 1.21,24,26,28 How much greater are such that are sent for the abuse of the light of the Gospel That dreadful Commission given to the most eminent Prophet Isaiah ch 6.9,10 is often applyed and fulfilled in the New Testament Matth. 13.14 and John 12.39,40 Therefore they could not believe their sin was v. 37. they believed not on him here is their plague they could not believe because that Esaias said again he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them Paul applies it to some of his unbelieving Hearers with a strange Preface Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias to our Fathers saying Acts 28.25 The Interest and Influence of God in such spiritual Judgments is a great depth They are always just and always deep and dreadful are their effects They on whom they fall feel nothing see nothing fear nothing So that truly we may say as Psal 68 35. O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places But such as have a Heart to the Grace of God and would fain be blessed thereby need not fear those Judgments and shall never feel them 4. Lastly The Wrath of God against such as come not to the throne of grace is engraven in the singular vengeance of eternal Ruine There is something singular in their Hell The Law sends all unpardoned Sinners to a Law-Hell The Lord send Despisers of saving grace to a special Hell Heb. 2.3 and 10.29 A much
sorer punishment No Quarters in Hell are tolerable yet our Lord saith Matth. 11.22,24 That it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah then for the Cities where he preaehed and wrought mighty works We should be thankful for this fair warning I am afraid that there are very few that do truly believe this That the Condition of a Sinner under the Gospel thaâ— is of a blameless Conversation and makes a faiâ— Profession only he is an Unbeliever in Jesuâ— Christ and one that hath no business at thâ— throne of grace he hath no other fault but thaâ— and he needs no more to ruin him that thiâ— Man's Case is worse now and will be worse aâ— the last day than that of the Inhabitants of Sodom on whom the Lord rained down Hell from Heaven Many of our gay Professors and civil moral Men would think themselves highly affronted and undervalued to be put in the Balances with filthy Sodomites If it were possible that thou had no fault but only Unbelief thy Sin is greater thy Judgment will be more dreadful thy State worse for Eternity than that of the vilest of the Nations to whom the throne of grace was never revealed John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin And to the same purpose our Lord spake to them ver 24. They were Sinners before but the Contempt of that Dispensation of grace that Christ brought to them rendered them singular Transgressors So John 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Are then all saved and none condemned No ver 18. Of the World that hear of God's Son some believe on him and they are not condemned but saved and others believe not on him and therefore are condemned ver 19. What is the Condemnation Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil The Law condemns them because their Deeds are evil The despised Gospel condemns them because they refuse the only Remedy Law-Sin is poyson to the Soul and kills as such Unbelief is rejecting the only Antidote and kills as such Look to one Scripture more Luke 19.27 But those mine Enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me It is not usual for Kings and Princes to have Criminals executed in their presence but command it to be done by mean hands in some remoter place But Christ will have his Enemies slain before him To be slain in Christs presence is double destruction 2 Thess 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction ever a destroying never destroyed the Destroyer punisheth eternally and the Destroyed suffer eternally from the presence of the Lord The meaning is not only that a great part of this Punishment stands in being deprived for eternity of the gracious presence of Jesus Christ as in Matth. 25.41 The first and saddest Word in the last Sentence is Depart from me Just for they said to him Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 Let all trembling Believers and Lovers of Christ perswade themselves that they shall never hear it pronounced against them All that make it their business to come to Christ that make it their daily suit that he would come to them shall not hear depart from me but come to me ye blessed ye often came for a Blessing and got many by coming now come to receave the Blessing of the Kingdom But this Word from the presence of the Lord saith further that this Destruction flows from Christ's angry and glorious Presence and that it shall also be in his Presence as Rev. 14.10 It is in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb they are tormented for ever Thus having opened the first Head in the Text That there is a throne of grace erected and revealed in the Gospel to which Men are invited to come I shall only apply it in two Questions and the Lord apply them to your Consciences and make them give a right and true Answer They are two short plain ones 1. Have you come 2. Will ye come 1. Have you come to the throne of grace Do you know and are sure that you have come As Peter said John 6.68,69 The Apostle speaks of such comers Heb. 12.24 But ye are come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel You are all Hearers of the throne of grace many are Talkers of it and some Disputers and Contenders about this throne but are you Comers to it Is your Heart on it your Business at it and your daily exercise about it You are in the outward Court Doth that satisfie you Alas many poor Souls die and perish there To help to some Conviction how is it with you as to this I would ask 1. Have you come to the throne of grace Then you have seen the King He is a poor sorry Courtier that goes to Court every day and never seeth the King's Face As Absolom 2 Sam. 14.24,28 Alas many live in Jerusalem all their days and never see the King that dwells in Zion When Paul was brought to the throne of grace Christ was revealed in him and to him Gal. 1.15,16 When Men are brought and come to the throne of grace they receave the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 There is a seeing of him joined with believing on him John 6.40 All that see Jesus Christ must have Eyes from him to see him with The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him that enlightens the Eyes of mens Vnderstanding Eph. 1.17,18 His Eye-Salve can only make blind Sinners to see Rev. 3.18 Are Men in doubt whether they have seen Christ or not Whence doth it proceed Is Christ so mean and dark and ordinary an Object that Men may see him and not know that they see him A Man may doubt whether his Eyes take up a dim cloudy Star in a dark night But the Sun doth not shine or the Man is blind if he lift up his Face and doubt whether he see the Sun at noon day There is a Manifestation of Christ promised John 14.21,23 which when made by him and perceaved by his people removeth all Doubtings so that the Soul must say as Isa 25.9 This is our God this is the Lord. But this measure is not ordinary nor constantly to be expected Is there any like unto Jesus Christ Are any of his Companions as they are called Song 1.7 so like to him that a Believer cannot discern the difference Never did a Man see Jesus Christ by the Eye of Faith but he is by that sight of him perswaded that there is none to be compared with
him No Man is converted and made a believer but by a Revelation of Jesus Christ A Man may be awakened with a view of God's Glory he may be alarmed by a sight of Sin and Hell and may be roused out of his sleep of security by the thunders of Sinai but he is never converted and made a Christian but by a Revelation of Jesus Christ as glorious in his Robes of Salvation Whence then is it that all Believers on him do not own his manifesting himself to them and their seeing of him It is in part from the weakness of their sight the greatness of the glory of him they see and their strong desire to see him better But for such as have spent their days about the throne of grace and yet never saw Jesus Christ and the Glory of God in his Face as a Saviour so as to disgrace all things in comparison with him so as to raise desires after more of him and so as to fill their Hearts with Love Wonder and Praise such have been at the Court but have not seen the King on his Throne 2. Are you come to the throne of grace What made you come what Errand did you come upon No Man comes without an Errand We need not make and seek one we have enow at hand if we would but use them What Wants felt you at home And what of his Fulness was taking with you Can you say I have a naked filthy Soul and I am ashamed to look on it but how well would the Robe of his Righteousness fit and adorn it I am empty of all Good and he is full of all Grace on purpose to fill perishing Souls and I come for a share thereof The Blessing of many ready to perish hath come upon him and I come for his rich Salvation and would leave my poor but eternal Blessing on him They that have no particular pressing business about their Soul's Salvation may talk of the Throne of Grace but do not indeed come to it 3. What got ye If you come indeed you receave If you receave not you come not Say not you have receaved nothing because you have not got all you would have It is necessary that such as come get somewhat but it is not fit that they should receave all that they want A life of Faith must be lived and dependance and begging still kept on foot But somewhat is still given and got though the Gift be not always seen and owned But tell me Christians indeed have you not sometimes got that at the throne of grace that ye would not take a World for Did you ever apply to this throne in earnest and found it in vain Have you not sometimes got a Glance of Christ through the Lattess Song 2.9 that hath made you forget your Poverty and remember your Misery no more Know ye not what it is to have a smile of his Countenance and a token that you have found favour in his Eyes Have you not got at this throne a word of Promise that hath fed and feasted thy Faith Jer. 15.16 Thy Words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of mine heart for I am called by thy Name O Lord God of Hosts Have you not sometimes got the Door of Faith opened and the Eye of Faith sharpened that ye could see within the Vail and behold the good Land and the blessed Lord of it and thy happy Interest in both Let not this Throne be disparaged both by the true emptiness of Hypocrites that are about it rather than at it and by the peevishness of real Believers There are no poor Courtiers at this Court they are all rich Rev. 2.9 They are only poor in Spirit but not so poor as they think for a Kingdom is theirs that is better than all Kingdoms under Heaven Matth. 5.3 The World count Believers poor because they see they often have not outward Riches and they are blind and cannot see their spiritual Riches in Possession and Reversion The Believer thinks himself poor because he seeth not all he hath in Possession 1 Cor. 3.21,23 and because he would so fain have all he hath a right to Phil. 3.12.14 and the hope of Or because his Charters are hid or his Eyes are dim that he cannot read them 2. Q. Will ye come All is ready Come to this Throne Matth. 22.4 If ye have never come begin just now If ye have come often come more often and come better come nearer and closer still Is there any thing wanting in you Come for all supply is here Are you guilty Come for Pardon Many drawn Pardons are at this Court drawn up sweetly by free Grace sealed with the Blood of Jesus Come to this Throne and add your Seal of Faith to one for your self and it shall be a Charter for Glory to you lying warm at your Heart as long as you live and will be your Pass-port at death But because the following Words of the Apostle in this verse contain Arguments for coming I say the less now So much for the first Head of Doctrine in the Text. The second Head is How we should come to this throne of grace Come boldly saith the Holy Ghost by Paul's Pen. The Point I would speak to from it is this That there is a Boldness in Mens approaching to the Throne of Grace that is allowed and commanded For the Apostle doth not only mention it as a Priviledge allowed but as a Duty or Frame injoined and commanded So that he that comes not with this Boldness not only sits down short of his Allowance but sins in disobeying a plain Command The Priviledge is spoke of in Eph. 3.12 In whom ouâ— Lord Jesus Christ as ver 11. we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him In Heb. 10.19.22 both the Priviledge is asserted and the Improvement of it commanded in drawing near with full assurance of Faith and that to the holiest of all On this Point I would shew 1. What this Boldness is that is allowed in approaching to the throne of grace 2. What are the Grounds of this Boldness 1. What is the Boldness allowed in coming to the throne of grace There is a Boldness that is not allowed and that I would warn you of 1. There is a Boldness of Ignorance and Irreverence When Men come into God's Presence and neither know him nor themselves nor the Matters they think they come about such are Fools that consider not that they do evil nor remember that he is in Heaven and they upon Earth Eccles 5.1,2 God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are about him Psal 89.7 This Boldness is forbidden Psal 2.11 2. There is a Boldness of Peremptoriness that is not allowed to any Man not to a Believer himself People may and do often forget themselves as we use to say too much Familiarity
breeds Contempt Condescensions from Superiours oft make Inferiours forget their place The Lord deals so graciously with his People hears their Prayers readily stoops low to them in his Love and Pity that unless they watch and keep a Guard on their Spirits they may soon fall into the Sin of being too saucy and peremptory with God The first Prayer in the Bible made by the greatest Believer in the World Abraham is upon a most condescending appearance of God to him The Son of God in humane shape becomes Abraham's Guest at Meat Gen. 18. Some think that Christ respects this appearance in John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad He gives him the last Promise of a Son with a determination of the precise time of its accomplishment ver 10. He deals with him as a Friend and so Abraham is called 2 Chron. 20.7 Isa 41.8 and Jam. 2.23 But all Believers are called Friends by Christ John 15.14,15 and after a great Commendation of Abraham the Lord tells him his purpose of wrath against Sodom ver 17. to ver 22. The Angels are sent to execute the Vengeance and Abraham stands before the Lord to plead for Mercy With what Boldness and Reverence doth he plead The more the Lord stoops in condescending to his Petitions the more low doth Abraham lye before him He neither forgot the Lord's Majesty nor his own Meanness and expresseth again and again a holy Fear of offending by his renewed Suits ver 27 30 31 32. I would have you considering this Instance of Prayer because it is the first recorded in the Word and because it was excellently managed by the Father of the Faithful So Gideon prays in Judg. 6.39 And Gideon said unto God Let not thine anger be hot against me and will speak but this once I am afraid that many sincere Christians are guilty of this Peremptoriness The Lord hath been so condescending to them that they become too peremptory about some Particulars Beware of it and see how the Lord hath dealt with his People and the best of them Psal 99.6,7,8 See Moses's Lot in this Matter He had often sought of God and prevailed Psal 106.23 Therefore the Lord said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his Wrath lest he should destroy them A Man to whom God spake Face to Face a Man to whom God spake so amazing Words Let me alone that my Wrath may wax hot against them Exod. 32.10 and Numb 14.20 I have pardoned according to thy word Yet even this Moses in a small matter for Life to cross Jordan and to see the promised Land hath this Answer Deut. 3.26 Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter Samuel is check'd also in a small matter that had prevailed for far greater 1 Sam. 16.1 How long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him A Case may be such that though Moses and Samuel stood before the Lord they should not prevail Jer. 15.1 It is the only Priviledge of Jesus Christ to be always heard John 11.42 Yet he in his Agony pray'd so as to teach us to beware of this sinful Boldness Matth. 26.39 If it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Believers must remember that in all Cases they must deal humbly and in some Cases they must take Denyals Patiently 3. There is the boldness of presumption Presumption is like Faith in appearance but in reality it is very unlike it Presumption works this way the Presumer may have the mercy in his eye but he hath no promise in his eye Take heed to this If there be strong desires after a mercy and that mercy not pleaded for as in the promise there is a spice of presumption in that pleading The reason why Believers ask so great things of God is because God hath promised so great things to them 2 Sam. 7.27 Hence it is that presumption acts ordinarily in pleading with God not for the main spiritual blessings but for some outward mercy that their hearts may be too much set upon It is about such that Believers should watch against this presumptuous boldness But if the pleading at the Throne of Grace be about Salvation and spiritual Blessings the difference betwixt Faith and Presumption appears in this Presumption can never plead with God neither in deep distress nor in the view of sin But it is the excellent property of Faith that it can plead with God in both cases Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me but as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Spoken like a Believer and Psal 130.3,4 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But can David stand Yes and he stands on this ground But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared There is just cause to suspect that there is presumption in that Mans heart when his Boldness is only kept up when sin is out of sight and disappears A Believer believes most humbly and often most strongly when his Sinfulness and Unworthiness is best seen For true Boldness of Faith is not supported by any good and worth in us but by what is in Christ The boldness of Faith cannot be entertained with regarding of iniquity in the heart Psal 66.18 1 John 3.20 Yet it can with the being and seeing of Iniquity in both heart and life Rom. 7.24,25 1 Tim. 1.15 But of this furder from the next head of the Boldness of Faith I now touch it only as it differs from the presumptuous Boldness that is allowed to none Again Faith can stand under that distress that breaks the back of Presumption Job 13.15,16 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him but I will maintain mine own ways before him He also shall be my Salvation for an Hypocrite shall not come before him He hath taken away my Children all at once my Estate in one day hath taken away my health and made me miserable to a Proverb in all Ages although he should proceed and slay me with his own hand my slayer is my Saviour my death shall be my Salvation Great words and hard to be spoken in the day of heavy tryal God slaying Job is Job's Salvation God slays Job trusts and maintains his confidence under the stroke No Hypocrite can do this and many Believers do but bungle at the doing of it There is an extremity a coming on every man that will try and discover what mettle there is in his Faith Prepare for it What then is the Boldness allowed in coming to the throne of grace It must not be an ignorant peremptory or presumptuous boldness What must it then be Answ It is only the Boldness of Faith Eph. 3.12 Heb. 10.19 The Boldness of Faith hath this in general in it that it is grounded and bottomed on somewhat without a man and on nothing
in him It is grounded on Jesus Christ as we shall hear further It is a great mistake in Christians to think that they cannot come to the throne of grace with Boldness because of the many Infirmities in their Hearts and in their Addresses Your complaint may be just and true but the Inference is not good Do you never in your counting your Infirmities put in this great one amongst them in your Confessions the want of Boldness of Faith For this Boldness stands not in any thing in us and done by us We must not come boldly because we can pray well and plead hard we must not think to be heard in Heaven neither because of our much speaking nor well speaking Matth. 6.7 as the Pharisees did The boldness of Faith hath a higher and more noble and firm Foundation even Jesus Christ I shall conclude this Discourse with these three Acts of this allowed and commanded Boldness of Faith 1. Believe firmly that the Throne of Grace is erected for poor empty sinful Creatures just such as you be As Paul saith of the Law 1 Tim. 1.9 It is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient so may we say of the throne of grace it is not made framed and revealed for the holy and happy but for miserable Creatures that want Mercy and sinful helpless Creatures that want Grace By what is dispensed here we may know for whom and for what sort of Folks it was design'd and erected 2. Believe firmly that coming to the Throne of Grace by you is allowed and commanded by the Lord. Say confidently while I am coming to the throne of grace for Mercy and Grace I am in the Work that the Lord would have me to be in Take in all Discoveries you have made unto you or that you can find out by searching of the Weakness and Infirmities that are in your way of addressing to it own them humbly but maintain this stedfastly that though you cannot do as you would as others do nor as you are bid that yet you are doing what ye are bid They are called Luke 14.21 Who are the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind See a Promise looking that way Jer. 31.8.9 Now may not the halt and maimed be confident that they are coming when called although they cannot go so fast and straight as others do Every Believer walks in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 though not his Pace When you draw near to the throne of grace assure your Hearts you are in your Duty though many do it better than you do 3. Believe firmly that upon coming you shall speed This is coming with the boldness of Faith We should not come with a may be the Lord will be gracious It 's true that in some particulars not absolutely promised nor simply needful to Salvation this may be is all we can have or should seek But in addressing for Saving Mercy and Grace people should come expecting Success It had been a cold Word if it had been said Let us come to the Throne of Grace it may be we shall obtain Mercy and find Grace No the Apostle speaks in another Dialect Let us come that we may obtain Never doubt of obtaining if you come I say not that the confidence of good Entertainment at this Throne is common to all comers to it But only that it is the Duty of all that come for God's Mercy and Grace in Jesus Christ to perswade their Hearts that they shall obtain and find it and good grounds there are for it as we shall hear How is it with you Christians you often come to this Throne What are the Thoughts of your Hearts as to the issue of your Addresses It may be you think it is well if you can reach so far as this It may be the Lord will receave and welcome me and therefore I will try Though there is often Faith lurking under such doubtings and though a may be should stir up Men to come yet this is far from the boldness of Faith which glorifies this Throne and him that sitteth on it and which is so becoming and profitable to all that approach it See how an Old Testament-Saint speaks Job 23.3,6 O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his Seat that is this Throne I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with Arguments But cannot God easily stop this Man's Mouth and bring Arguments against Job that he could not answer Yes surely he can but he will not Will he plead against me with his great power No but he will put strength in me He that I plead with will help me to plead and prevail Few Christians know how much Glory is given to God by an enlarged Heart filled with believing expectations of good from him and how a Heart thus enlarged by Faith is fitted and disposed for receaving a large Blessing We easily conceave how sharp Hunger and Thirst strong Desires deep sense of Need and mighty Pleadings and Importunity do prepare the way for great Receavings but we little think how much force is in the bare-like Argument of Faith Psal 16.1 Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust Psal 33.22 Let thy merey O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psal 57.1 Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee There is a mighty force in such Pleadings of Faith I know no help but in and with thee I expect it from thee and therefore beg it of thee Faith in a Believer never rose so high but the Lord 's gracious Answer went higher Eph. 3.20 Look well to your Faith Believers raise it high use it well and plead by it and plead upon it Blessed Jesus will never cast that Soul into Hell that cannot forbear to entertain in his Heart an expectation of eternal Life from him in the Virtue of his precious Blood and on the Warrant of his gracious Promise He that believeth on him shall never be confounded Never was any neither shall you if you believe It was a great Word of Faith spoke by a dying Man who had been converted in a singular way betwixt his Condemnation and Execution of whom Mr. Fleming speaks in the Fulfilling of the Scriptures his last Words were these spoke with a mighty shout Never Man perished with his Face towards sweet Christ Jesus SERMON IV. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need IT is one of the Names given to the Godly in the Word that they are the Generation of them that seek the Lord that seek his Face Psal 24.6 And they must be bold and arrogant Pretendâ—…ers to this Name that are guilty of the utter neglect of this Duty Since it is a Duty of so great importance it is needful to know how
to manage it aright This verse gives us a great Directory how to perform in a right manner this great Duty 1. It tells us whether to come To a Throne of Grace 2. How we should come With boldness Addresses to God may many ways miscarry if not made to the true God God in Christ if not in the right manner We have here one thing about the right manner Coming with boldness On this I proposed two things to be handled 1. What is the Nature of this allowed Boldness 2. What Grounds are for it 1. On the Nature of this Boldness I began to speak last day and did mainly insist on the Negative Now it follows to speak of the Positive It is the boldness of Faith that is allowed and commanded here Eph. 3.12 Faith is a marvellous Grace both in its Original in its Foundation and in its Actings and Exercise It is the meanest and lowest of all Graces every Grace brings somewhat considerable Love brings a flaming Heart Repentance bring a bleeding Heart Obedience brings a working Hand Patience brings a broad Back for the Smiter but Faith brings only an empty Heart and Hand to be filled with borrowed and gifted Blessings And yet Faith is the highest and loftiest Grace it cannot rest till it be in at the Heart and Love of God in Christ Faith if I may so speak can both be in Heaven and Hell at the same time The Believer looking on himself as in himself the Apostle's distinction 2. Cor. 3.5 our selves as of our selves judgeth himself to the Pit of Hell as his deserved Lot but when he looks on himself as in Christ he sits high Eph. 2.5,6 and makes bold to enter into the Holiest of all Heb. 10.19 How many contrary Sentiments of himself doth a Believer express only salved from being Contradictions by this distinction that the Word reveals and Faith improves I know that in me dwells no good thing Rom. 7.18 How no good thing in a Man full of the Holy Ghost a Man rich in the Grace of Christ A Man that had laboured more abundantly than all the twelve Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 Yea saith he in me that is in my Flesh dwells no good thing A Believer as in himself and a Believer as in Christ are in a manner two different distinct contrary persons A Believer as in Christ is a new Creature as in himself and the remainders of Corruption in him is an old Man still or rather hath much of the old Man in him A Christian hath two different opposite◠〈◊〉 in him as the Apostle elegantly and deeply discourseth Rom. 7.19 end This Genius of Faith is much to be heeded in its bold Addresses to the throne of grace This boldness of Faith in this Court of Grace acts in four 1. In a free access at all times and in all Cases It is a Priviledge allowed by the Lord to his People and embraced and improved by their Faith There is no forbidden time in which we may not come No such command as in that King's Court Esther 3.11 Here it is proclaimed Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God There cannot be a more large and comprehensive account of the Matter of allowed Addresses to the throne of grace than this The Apostle prescribes Prayer as a cure of perplexing Care he hints that every thing that is or may be the matter of Care may lawfully be made the matter of Holy Prayer Turn your Care into Prayer and the Care will evaporate and vanish and your Cure will be felt Blessed be the Lord that hath made this good in the Experience of many who have gone before him with Hearts filled and oppressed with many Cares and have returned light and free and their countenance no more sad as Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 2. The boldness of Faith acts in free speaking of all the mind to God This the Greek Word in the Text particularly points at Let us come with Boldness free speaking of all our mind pouring out the heart to him Psal 62.8 I poured out my complaint to him I shewed before him my trouble Psal 142.2 The Tongue is not to be tied at this Throne but all that is on the Heart is to be told to him He knows it before we tell it and better than we do but it is his Will that we should make all our Minds known to him A Believer the better Case his Faith is in he is the more open and free in dealing with God It is recorded of a Man that we should hardly have counted a Believer had not the Holy Ghost numbered him amongst them in Heb. 11.32 he utter'd all his words or matters before the Lord in Mizpah Judg. 11.11 So Samuel did 1 Sam. 8.21 And Samuel heard all the wordt of the people and he rehearsed them in the Ears of the Lord. It is a great favour that the Lord allows us so to do This is not after the manner of Men. It would be counted a troublesome Impertinence to vent all our Thoughts and Cases and Concerns to a Creature but we may do so to the Lord. When David refrained his speech and kept silence it went badly with him Psal 32.3 3. This boldness of Faith acts and should act in Familiarity with God Believers should come to the Throne of Grace not as Strangers and Foreigners but as fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Eph. 2.19 Our Lord in his directing us to pray bids us begin with Our Father which art in Heaven The Spirit of Adoption helps to cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 When Faith speaks rightly this Word and fixeth on it all other desires will sweetly follow Abba and Amen uttered in Faith are the might of Prayer Strangers know not what Familiarity the Lord expresseth to his People nor how much Familiarity he allows them to use with him It was a great Word of a great Saint many Years ago in this Land when dying in a bright shining of the Sun of Righteousness on his Soul Tell it to the People preach it at my Funeral that God dealeth familiarly with Men. 4. This boldness of Faith acts in Importunity at the Throne of Grace This Importunity is nothing but the stiffness and tenaciousness of Faith Faith sometimes and then it is best will neither be beat back by delays from God nor by inward Challenges but when it hath got hold of God it will keep its hold Our Lord spoke several Parables to direct and encourage to this Importunity Luke 18.1 that of the unjust Judge and oppressed Widow And Luke 11.5,8 We must understand Parables warily No Importunity did ever or can ever prevail with God to do that for us or give that to us that he hath no mind to do or give All he doth and gives is in Love Yet he puts his people on
had said I am sure to be heard for I pray for them that are partakers of thine everlasting Love They are thine by Election and giving to me they are mine by receaving and redeeming of them We are bid give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 They are sure in themselves and sure to God but we should make them sure to our selves and many Christians smart sadly by neglecting this Diligence 2. The gift of Christ for us is a great priviledge that gives boldness at the throne of grace So the Apostle argues Ro. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all you may see who this all are ver 28 29 30. How shall he not with him freely give us all things As if he said it is a small thing to God to give us all other things when he hath given his Son We receave now many Blessings blessed be the giver we have greater things in the Promise than we yet receave or can yet receave but shall surely receave in his time yet all we get and shall to Eternity receave is far less than the gift of Christ. It is like our Lord had respect to this in that Word to the Woman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water If she had known Christ as the Well of Salvation to Sinners she would have employed him and should have been accepted of him But here many Christians stick they doubt not but Christ was given for his Church and People but they know not how to apply this to themselves If I knew say many that Christ was given for me I would then come boldly to the throne of grace and ask any thing confidently I answer None can know that Christ was given for them till they come unto him And all that come to him may know that he was given for them and should believe it He was given by the Will of the Father and his own for his Elect. This is a Secret hid with God He comes to Men in the Gospel offering himself and all his Purchase and Fulness to all that hear of it He that hath his Heart drawn forth to like this Bargain and accepts by Faith of the Saviour and his great Salvation hath possession thereof immediately and by that may come to know that it was designed for him in God's purpose of Love So Paul Gal. 1.14,15,16 He was one of the Holiest and most Religious Jews in their Church and yet was at the same time one of the most wicked young Men in all the Country a very Hypocrite a proud self Justiciary and a bloody Persecutor of Christ and his Church Yet of this wicked Creature it is here said That God had separated him from his Mother's Womb and Acts 9.15 He is a chosen Vessel unto me I will pour out of my grace on him and will do much for him and by him When did all this break out When he called me by his Grace and revealed his Son in me Then he can say Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me And again 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sirners All say so but had he any mind of thee and hast thou any share in his coming to save Sinners Yes saith he of whom I am chief He came to save me the chief of Sinners Any Sinner may come after me and expect Mercy at Christs hand when Paul hath sped so well ver 16. He hath made me a Pattern of his Mercy for the encouragement of all Sinners that have a mind for a good turn from Jesus Christ 3. The Priviledge of Actual Reconciliation and of being brought into a State of Grace is a ground of Boldness in coming to the throne of grace Rom. 5.9,10 where the Apostle having shewn God's Love in giving Christ to the death for us ver 8. he adds the Blessings that flow from this Gift Justification by his blood and therefore much more Salvation from Wrath through him ver 9. And Reconciliation to God by his death and therefore much more Salvation by his life ver 10. The Improvement he makes thereof is in ver 11. And not only so but we also joy in God the Original is we glory and boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now receaved the Attonement A State of grace is a State of boldness all that are in it should and all that know they are in it will use boldness of Faith at this throne of grace Rom. 5.1 to ver 6. 6. The Experiences of Believers are a great ground of boldness Experience works Hope Rom. 5.4 The Experience of others as well as our own are of great use herein Sometimes we find David improving the Experience of others for the strengthning his own Faith sometimes he offers his own Experience for the comfort of others Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul Because David was in distress of Conscience and got Peace and Pardon Psal 32.1,6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Psal 119.74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word There is no Christian that hath not Experience As he hath a Soul that needs much to be done for it so the Lord doth much for all he saves And because the Lord dealeth variously with his People therefore there is much difference in their Experiences Yet because all Believers are Members of the same Body and receave all from the same Head Jesus Christ there is some Skill and Capacity in every Christian to understand and to be profited by the Experience of any Christian Hence it is that communicating of Experiences is a Christian Duty and a good part of the Communion of Saints But there is much Christian Prudence requisite in the discharge of it Let no Man boast of a false gift and pretend to that he hath no sense of Nor talk vainly and proudly of what God hath done for him All true Experiences are Acts of Grace from God felt on the Soul And Grace is humbling 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receave Now if thou didst receave it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receaved it Three Questions confounding the Pride of Men and Christians Of these Experiences that should give boldness in coming to the throne of grace I shall name three 1 The Experience of the first visit of Grace is a good ground of Confidence in asking any blessing of God Can you remember when you were dead in sin and had no thought
and the Question then is Is this or that or the other Action pleasing or displeasing to God And this is to be determined by the light of Conscience acting according to God's Holy Law For God is the only Lord of Conscience and his Will the only Rale and Law of Conscience Conscience therefore may be three ways defiled 1. By the unpardoned Guilt of a natural State as it is in all Unbelievers Nothing can purge the Conscience but the Blood of Christ Heb. 9.14 An Unbeliever doth not apply to it nor apply it to himself and God applys it to none but by Faith Therefore all such Unbelievers have all the loathsome filth of their natural State lying on their Consciences defiling it The answer of a good Conscience towards God is by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 All Unbelievers Consciences can speak nothing towards God by any thing Christ hath done or suffered for they know him not and are not in him They would give an Answer or make their Plea from their good Works and honest Meanings but all such answers and pleas are rejected by God in his judging of a Man's State For all God's Judgment of Mens State proceeds on these two in Christ or out of Christ And as it is with them with respect to one or other of these two so do Men stand or fall before God's Judgment whatever the Judgment of their Consciences be 2. Conscience is defiled by Sinful Actions known to be such Now if these be loved and delighted in they do justly marr Confidence neither can any Man in this Case draw near to God but with the Mouth and hypocritically Isa 2.9,13 This is a Frame not to be found in a Believer He may be guilty of known Sin but it is not delighted in To this David's Words refer Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me It is not If there be iniquity in my heart for who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9 It is not If I see iniquity in my heart For where there is least sin it is best seen Paul saw enough Rom. 7.23,24,25 and groaned under it and yet blesseth God through Jesus Christ for the hope of Victory But it is only If I regard iniquity in my heart if I look kindly on it God will not hear me and indeed the Man in this Case cannot pray It is as impossible that a person approving and loving Sin can make a real approach to God as it is for a Man to depart from and approach to one at the same time and with the same motion 3. The Conscience is defiled by doubtful practice Of this the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 8.7 And their conscience being weak is defiled To this belongs also the Words in Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind and ver 22 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin In deliberate Actions especially of Worship to God to act without a clear Warrant from the Word of God defileth the Conscience 2. Sin disturbs the Conscience And Conscience is disturbed by Sin two ways 1. When the evil and filth of Sin is seen a man loaths himself therefore No defilement on the Conscience disturbs it till it be seen Men like Swine wallow in the puddle and see no filth therein till God open the Eyes of their Consciences 2. When the danger of sin is seen and the Wrath it deserves is perceaved then perplexing Fears and sensible Sorrow works in the Soul Now what is the course such a poor Creature should take The Sin is committed the Guilt is contracted the Conscience is defiled the Defilement is seen Disturbance and Trouble is felt in the Conscience What should such a sick Soul do Will any say to him wash thy self where thou canst and cast away the burthen of thy sin the best way thou canst and then come to the throne of Grace This would be strange Gospel indeed We know no other course a Man should take in this Case but coming to the Throne of Grace to have the Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Christ the only Cordial for a disturbed Conscience and the only Purger of a defiled Conscience Therefore Peter was quite out in his Prayer he prayed backward when he said Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Luke 5.8 Were ever worse Words uttered at the Knees of Jesus Christ He had said better if he had prayed Lord come near to me and abide with me and let me ever abide with thee for I am a sinful Man Where can a sinful Man be better than with the Saviour of Sinners But Peter's Prayer is the natural Prayer of every Man that seeth his Sinfulness and is ignorant of Jesus Christ The Publican understood Prayer and plyed it better Luke 18.13 when he said God be merciful to me a Sinner I feel my sinfulness I see thy Mercy Lord let them meet and thy Mercy shall be glorified and I saved Whoever therefore are distressed with the guilt of Sin in their Consciences or with the power of it in their Hearts and Lives must seek all their relief at this Throne of Grace It is only the power of that Grace revealed and dispensed at this Throne of Grace that is too hard for Sin and all its powers And for any Man to think to subdue Sin except by the power of this Grace or to think that he shall have this powerful Grace without coming for it to the Throne of Grace is to dream to his own destruction Object 2. I am in the dark about my Interest in God and Christ and therefore I cannot come boldly to this Throne If I did know that God was at peace with me and I reconciled to him and justified then I might come boldly Answ 1. Whose fault is it that thy Interest in Christ is not put out of question Were Christians more in self-examination more close in walking with God and if they had more near Communion with God and were more in acting of Faith this shameful darkness and doubting would quickly vanish It is a thing to be heavily bewailed that many Christians have lived twenty or forty years since Christ called them by his Grace yet doubting is their life they doubted when they began they go on doubting and many die doubting when the blame is justly to be laid on themselves There is an assurance of Faith that is a Duty as well as a Blessing Heb. 10.22 And were it more minded as a Duty it would be more often attained as a Mercy That assurance of Faith I press you to have stands in firm and strong Believing The faithful Promise of Christ in the Gospel is the Foundation of it And the Ground will bear all the weight we can lay on it This Assurance is not only a Blessing that comes down from Heaven but it may by his blessing of Means spring up out of the
Soul I mean it may spring out of the lively vigorous Actings of Faith The great Believers we read of in the Word the confidence of their Faith rose up to that height and strength that we admire from a clear perswasion of the truth of the Promises and of the Faithfulness of the Maker of them So it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20,21 He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform And lest any should think that because the Man was singular and the Case singular therefore ordinary Believers may only wonder at it and not atttempt to imitate it the Apostle adds ver 23 24. Now it was not written in Gen. 15.6 for his sake alone but for us also c. As if the Apostle said You see what ground Abraham had for his Faith how strongly he built upon it and how pleasing that was to God you have the same ground build ye also upon it by Faith and that Faith in you will be as pleasing to God Abraham had God's Promise to build upon In this Promise there was its outward part and external And this was an Off-spring of his Body by Sarah and the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance The spiritual and main thing in the Promise was Jesus Christ the Saviour and the Blessing of eternal Salvation in him This was Abraham's Gospel Gal. 3.8,9 And the Scripture foreseeing that is the Author of the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached the Gospel before unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham His Gospel and Promise was of Christ to come and of Salvation by him Ours is the promise of Solvation in Christ come already delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 that is imprisoned for our Debt and set at liberty for our Discharge Now consider how Abraham improved this Promise He had nothing else in his Eye he would consider nothing but the Promise and the faithful and mighty Promiser So must we when we give place to considering of our selves our sinfulness and unworthiness when we consider the greatness of the Blessings in the Promise how far they are beyond our deserving how many things there be that do make it incredible to Reason that we should ever receave or that God should ever give such great things to us Faith must be at a stand It is as incredible to to an awakened Conscience that God should justifie a Sinner as it was to Reason that Abraham should have a Son by Sarah Our only way is to consider the Promise God hath said it and he will perform it and I will believe it If all the Angels in Heaven or Faithful Men on Earth had said that God will save me from Sin and Wrath by Jesus Christ that such a vile Creature as I am in my self shall be accepted in that Beloved I durst not believe it But when God himself hath said so why should I doubt it God's Promise in the Gospel deserves our highest Trust and Confidence and such as view it in all its Grace Truth and Power will pay it that due 2. Answ Suppose thy want of clearness as to thy Interest in Christ and that it is thine own fault May you not come boldly to the Throne of Grace for satisfaction therein If you know not who is your Father may you not come to him to know it There are many worse Prayers made than this That the Lord would make manifest his own Work in you Lord help my unbelief was a Believer's Prayer complaining of Doubtings and Darkness and praying for Light and Clearness hath often dispelled the Clouds and brought the Soul under a bright Sun-shine Answ 3. Direct trusting on God when Saints have been in darkness as to their Interest in him is required and commanded in the Word Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God What had the Woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22,28 but direct trusting Christ was silent to her first crying unto him when the Disciples crave an Answer for her Christ tells her and them that he was not sent for such as she When she comes and worships him saying Lord help me He answers her humble believing Prayer with reproach Yet all shakes her not but by Faith she replies upon Christ and makes an Argument from this very Reproach And blessed was the issue Obj. 3. What should a Man do that never came to the Throne of Grace before I can understand how a Believer may and should come boldly It s no wonder that a poor Beggar go boldly to that Door that he hath been often at and was never sent empty from But can or may a poor Sinner come boldly the first time he comes Answ 1. It is granted that usually first Approaches to the Throne of Grace are feeble and weak and not with that confidence of Faith that Believers do grow unto by experience and exercise of Faith 2. Yet a Man may come boldly at the first time There is good ground for it First consider the Text Let us come boldly that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace Who can or should put in for these Blessings more than he that never yet got any Do Receavers come to receave daily more Grace and Mercy and may not one utterly destitute and needy beg somewhat of this Mercy and Grace 2. Consider the ground of this Boldness lies fair and equal to all that will use it in coming To name only now the Promise of God This is laid before all Men in the Gospel Have you a hand of Faith to lay hold on it that makes it yours God's Promise is as sure and true before we believe it as after Believing adds nothing to the sureness of the Promise Our Believing is like a drowning Man's catching and laying hold on a Rope thrown out to him his laying hold on it makes not the Rope stronger yet it makes the Rope his defence The Promise is equally true before believing and after Believing But it is no Man 's known property till it be believed The Cords of Salvation are cast out in the Gospel to multitudes yet most perish because they do not lay hold on them No Man can sink into Hell that holds the promise of Salvation by the Arm of Faith 3. Consider how the Lord directs Jer. 3.19 But I said How shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant Land a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations That is dreadful indeed when God makes such a question Who can answer the Lord's Questions but himself And I said thou shalt call me my Father and shall
not turn away from me A most blessed Answer to a dreadful Question ver 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth An Interest in God by Christ is offered and promised to all in the Gospel plead it by Faith and it is yours 3. We find Instances in the Word and the like the Lord can make again of great Confidence in some at their first coming to the Throne of Grace As the blind man Mark 10.46 end He only heard of Christ's passing by He staid not for Christ's calling him but began to cry out Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me When many charged him to hold his Peace he cried the more a great deal Thou Son of David have mercy on me Christ was never in my way before and he shall not pass now without shewing mercy on me if crying may prevail And that his crying was in Faith Christ witnesseth ver 52. In all appearance the Woman of Candan was never at the Throne of Grace before Matth. 15.22,28 at least never at Christ's Feet before yet she managed her first Address with that confidence that she not only got her desire but that high Commendation with it O woman great is thy Faith So the Centurion Matth. 8.5,10 But above all Instances is that of the believing Thief on the Cross Luke 23.40,43 Never had the Throne of Grace so little to encourage an Address to it as when the King of Grace was dying on the Cross Never had a Sinner less encouragement to come to the Throne of Grace than when the Saviour was nailed to one Tree and the Sinner to another Marvellous Faith a dying Sinner dying for his Sins imploys a dying Saviour for Salvation Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom How little did Christ nailed to and dying on the Cross look like a King How strong was the Man's Faith to believe that Christ through death was going to his Kingdom And that Christ's gracious thought of him would save him And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise As if our Lord had said this is thy first and thy last Address to me verily it shall be heard Believers do not think how pleasing to the Lord large and high thoughts of the Sufficiency Fulness and Freedom of the Grace that is in Jesus Christ be Believers should devise liberal things and by liberal things they shall stand Isa 32.8 Let a Believer ask and think on the Warrant of the Promise as much as he can the Lord is able to do exceeeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages world without end Amen Eph. 3.20,21 SERMON V. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need IT is God's great and wonderful Mercy that ever there was a Throne of Grace erected and revealed and that he makes such a Proclamation as this in his Word Let all Men come boldly to it I have spoke unto two things in the Text. 1. Of the Throne of Grace to which we are invited to come 2. Of the Boldness allowed in coming to it The third thing follows to be spoke to the Ground of this Boldness implyed in this Therefore And we must look back to ver 14.15 for the finding the force of this Therefore The Words are Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly The Doctrine I am to handle from this Inference of the Apostle is this That the main ground of all the boldness allowed in coming to the Throne of Grace is in our Lord Jesus Christ The Interest and Room and Place that Christ hath in this Throne of Grace is the ground of all allowed boldness in coming to it When people are secure nothing is more commonly practised by them than fearless rushing into God's Presence Any carnal careless Sinner can when he will bow the Knee and make that he calls a Prayer to God But when Conscience is awakened and Light darts in to make them know somewhat of God and of themselves it is then found a matter of wonderful Mystery and difficulty to perceave any thing that can justly and sufficiently support the confidence of a self-condemned Sinner in his Approaches to God for Mercy Hence it is so often seen that this is the common way of all the ungodly and of such as are ignorant of God in Christ while they are secure and blind and hardened they feel nothing and fear nothing But when Death and Judgment approach and stare them near in the Face and when they begin to think in earnest that they must stand before God and receave their eternal Doom being ignorant of a Mediator and quite estranged from any believing imploying of him they sink in discouragement and Despair And alas How many miserable Sinners are there that are never awakened out of the sleep of security until they are plunged in the very Pit of Despair The Resolution therefore of this Question How a Sinner may draw near to the Throne of Grace with confidence so as he may be welcomed by him that sitteth on it and may receive good things thence is only in this that this Boldness is all in and by Jesus Christ My Work therefore at this time and it is indeed the main Work of Ministers at all times is to declare and shew you how our Lord Jesus Christ is the Ground and Foundation of true confidence in coming to God And herein I would lead you to such things that concern the Lord Jesus as are commonly known usually talked of but rarely duly pondered and improv'd 1. Let us consider the Person of this Mediator by whom we may have access with boldness Eph. 3.12 A wonderful Person The Son of God made Man a marvellous Man by whom all Men may be accepted with God when there is not a Man in the World that can be accepted of God in his own Name Yet all that come in Christ's Name are accepted Our Lord Jesus Christ is God's own Son the Son of God tabernacling in the Flesh God manifest in the Flesh The brightness of the Father's Glory and the express image of his Person Heb. 1.3 There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2.6,7 In due time it will be seen what this Ransom was paid for and for whom for every one of the Ransomed shall get
have of misery is this that it stands in a deprivation of good and the greater that deprivation be and the more good things a Man is deprived and destitute of the more miserable we count the person to be He is a miserable Man that is blind because the light of the World is so pleasant and useful and the Eye simply needful to behold and use it It is a great addition to this Man's misery if he be dumb also because the Tongue is a Man's Glory and the Organ of expressing our Thoughts and of Communion with our own kind The misery is yet further heightned if a Man be also deaf for the Ear is the Door of Knowledge both of things Natural and Divine If you go to the inward Senses or Powers if a Man be deprived of those his misery is yet greater As it is a greater misery to be void of Understanding and Memory to be an Ideot an Innocent as we call them than it is to be deprived of any of the bodily Senses Now if one wanted all the Senses of the Body and Powers of the Soul if such a Creature should be called a Man would we not account this a most miserable Creature But if there be yet somewhat better than all these surely then he that is altogether void of that must be more miserable still That there is somewhat better than all these good Gifts of Body and Mind and that every Man by nature is without it is most manifest in the Word To be without God without Christ without Hope Eph. 2.12 is more and worse than to be without any or all outward good things This destitute State is expressed by our Lord Rev. 3.17 Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked What a great difference is there betwixt Christ's and their opinion of their State And must not Christ's be right and true and theirs false if it contradict his Were they any thing the less miserable were they not rather much more so that they so mis-judged Our Lord aggravates both their sin and misery from their ignorance because thou knowest not Spiritual Blessings are of that nature that all are miserable indeed that are without them but no Man is sensibly miserable till he seeth that he is without them It is the knowledge of this Want that brings in the sense of misery As every unpardoned Sinner is a miserable man but he never counts himself miserable till he feel the weight of Sin and see the want of Pardon 2. Every natural Man is needy of God's Mercy because he is a condemned Man A condemned Man is a dead Man in Law As there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 so there is nothing but condemnation to all that are not in him John 3.18,36 He that believeth not is condemned already and the wrath of God abideth on him You may have seen and heard how Malefactors will cry for Mercy from the Judge when he cannot and ought not to pity them so as to spare them When they are bid hold up their hand at the Bar to receave their Doom how earnestly on their Knees with Tears they will cry Mercy my Lord mercy for God's sake Every natural man is condemned But how few of their Consciences can witness for them that they ever sought God's Mercy so as convict Criminals an earthly Judge's Mercy The Mercy they beg is small in regard of what Sinners stand in need of from God An earthly Judge may reprieve or pardon to day and the pardoned Man may die to morrow But if the great Judge condemn you and you are not pardoned you are sentenced to a never-dying misery Prisoners beg Mercy of a Man who may be is bound up by Law and Conscience of his Oath to shew none but to execute Justice Here the Case is just contrary the Lord bids Men beg his Mercy and condemns them only that despise it We have his Command and Promise and many acts of Pardon for our encouragement What pleading for Pardon would there be at earthly Bars if they had the Judge's Command to ask his Promise to grant it and his Hand and Seal to that Promise Such is our Case yet few beg it in good earnest Be ashamed and convinced of your sin when you see Men begging a frail short life of a Judge and say Alas I never begg'd the mercy of eternal Life so earnestly at the Throne of Grace as these Wretches do a frail short uncertain life 3. The natural Man hath all the Creation against him and therefore is needy of God's mercy The whole Creation groans under him he is a burden to God's Earth a plague to the Creations Rom. 8.20,21,22 What a noise do Men make and what pains do they take to heap up Dust If God prosper their endeavours they think he blesseth them and count themselves happy in their Enjoyment But what is all this for to a natural unrenewed Man All these Creature-comforts will but be as so many Witnesses against them in the day of the Lord. Jam. 5.1,4 Men seek the Creatures to satisfie their carnal desires and supply their outward Wants but they do not remember that unless the special saving Mercy of God come along with them the Creatures are abused and in their way witness and groan to God against them They groan to be put in God's room in Men's Hearts and to be made Fewel for Mens Lusts They all wait but for God's call to execute Vengeance on his Enemies Is not such a man needy of God's mercy that hath the whole Creation of God at War with him 4. But there is worse than all these The man himself and all he is hath and doth is under the Curse of God Gal. 3.10 What is the Curse It is the malediction of God on a man It is God's devoting him to ruin He is cursed in his Body cursed in his Soul cursed in his Family cursed in his Trade and Estate cursed in his Crosses cursed in his Mercies cursed in his Life and cursed in his Death cursed in Time and cursed to Eternity Ah how long and broad is this Curse Zech. 5.2,3,4 O what need is there of God's mercy for it is this mercy only that can take away the Curse There is no evil we are in danger of from an angry God but must be removed or prevented by the opposite Good from a reconciled God If God's Anger be our Plague nothing can remove it but his Love If his Curse be our Burden only his Blessing can take it away The whole Creation cannot make up the loss of God's Favour And this they know well that ever saw the Face of an angry God So much of the necessity of God's Mercy from the present misery of natural men 2. I might proceed to speak of that which is coming on them without the intervening
everlasting mercy or God's everlasting wrath will eternally lye upon every one of you And what an amazing difference is there betwixt these two and yet how many behave as if indifferent which of these two shall be upon them God's faving mercy is such a Jewel that though the Lord give it but to few yet he will never take it away from any he hath given it to Psal 89.28,33 Believers God may take any thing from you but his mercy and you may spare any thing but his mercy If God come to take away your Children give them if he come to take away your Estate let him have it If he come to take away your Health and Lives yield them strive not with him bless a giving and bless a taking God If he crave thy Right Eye or Right Hand and what is dearest to you give yield all to him But say Let me only keep thy mercy I cannot part with that it is the only thing I cannot spare The blessed Canaanite's striving with Christ was about his mercy Be silent disown reproach me I care not but thy mercy I must have It were a Cruelty that only Unbelief can charge God sinfully with to take away so precious a Gift as saving mercy is Let but this mercy follow me as Psal 23.6 and it s no great matter where I go If I be in the lowest Hell mercy will bring me out Psal 86.13 For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell There is no time-Hell that a Vessel of mercy can be in but mercy will bring him out again and this Mercy will secure him from the eternal Hell This mercy is God's mercy therefore soveraignly free therefore Almighty therefore eternal You sin Believers when you fear his taking away his mercy He gave it at first that you might be eternally possessed of it Mercy gave mercy and mercy will keep mercy and mercy will stay with you and keep you for ever The third thing to be spoke to is the end and design of coming to the Throne of Grace and that is that we may obtain mercy Not only that this mercy is to be got at the Throne of Grace and there only nor that this Throne of Grace is erected on purpose to dispense this mercy nor is it only that we should come to the Throne of Grace to ask and beg this mercy but that we should come to obtain it This is the Duty exhorted to in the Text. And in setting about this Duty two things are required 1. Come as sensible of your need of mercy No man can come truly without this sense He that hath no sense of misery complements God in asking mercy and takes this saving Name of God in vain It is dreadful to provoke God to Wrath in our way of asking his mercy And all such contract this Guilt and expose themselves to his Wrath that have no Heart-sense of their need of this mercy It is an amazing stupidity that the power of sin hath brought on men that in a world of sinners sinking into everlasting misery so few are really sensible of their need of saving mercy and no man is sensible till God by Grace make him so 2. Come in Faith of his mercy you cannot come at all without this Faith Faith is coming to God Heb. 11.6 Unbelief is departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 No man can come but he that is sensible of misery for coming is the act of a man drawn and moved by the Cords of a man No man can come but in Faith for there is no other coming for a Christian These three things should be in this Faith 1. A believing that there is abundance of mercy with the Lord which if shewed and put forth to you and on you would save you abundantly So argues the Prodigal Luke 15.17,18 And when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my Father's have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my Father and say c. Psal 130.6 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption The highest working of Unbelief is when men judge their misery greater than his mercy The great work of Faith is to get these two to meet fairly and mercy will surely prevail His tender mercy is over all his Works much more is his abundant mercy above a sinner's misery Cain's words should be left for himself and used by none else Gen. 4.13 And Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear Or My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Words sounding like the Language of Hell and not to be spoken by any that would escape it I know many secure people find no difficulty in that they count believing of this that there is mercy enough with the Lord. But yet the matter is far otherwise It is mighty difficult to believe the abundance of his mercy when men are in great pressures of misery The best of Saints have sometimes stumbled here When Moses is pleading with the Lord for mercy to Israel Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken and pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy As if Moses had said Lord thou hast proclaimed thy Name and I heard it and believed it but I did not think that their wickedness would have been so great as now I find it to be Was not Moses a great Believer yet he stumbled in this point of the power of God's Mercy Numb 11.18,23 Israel murmureth for flesh God promiseth a whole months diet of it What saith Moses ver 21 22 How doth the Lord answer him ver 23. And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord's hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass to thee or not This great man's Unbelief was greatly aggravated in that he saw the Lord bring that people out of Egypt with Signs and Wonders and with a mighty Hand he saw them daily fed cloathed and led and protected with Miracles of divine power and mercy yet one new difficulty shakes his Faith When Paul gives us his last account of his Faith for that Epistle was his last Writing he lodgeth his Faith on divine Power 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day If I be perswaded that he is able I shall not doubt of his being willing to keep that charge safe I have committed to him Let the eye of Faith take up clearly the power of mercy and the Faith of its application to thy benefit will be the more easie But he is a rare Believer whose view of the power of mercy is not darkened by a clear sight and deep
sense of his own great misery at least at sometimes 2 To come for mercy in Faith is to believe the Fitness and Sutableness of God's mercy to our misery Here many stumble wofully Their Question is Am I fit for mercy when it should rather be Is his mercy fit for me And this Question every sensible Soul can answer the other none in Heaven or Earth can answer If any man think himself fit for mercy of all men that man is most unfit for it and farthest from receaving of it But every sensible Soul will say Though I be unfit for and unworthy of mercy yet mercy is very fit for me Is there pardoning mercy with God who is it so fit for as a guilty vile sinner Is there saving mercy with him Who is it so fit for as for a lost man as I am Come to the Throne of Grace for mercy in Faith of this mercy is fit for me exactly though I be utterly unworthy of it They that think they are fit for mercy will never get it nor indeed can ask it But they that think they are needy of it and that it is fit for them will both ask it and get it 3. To come to the Throne of Grace in Faith for mercy is to believe that there is all good will in him that sits on this Throne to give and shew mercy It is implyed in the Text Let us come to obtain mercy But what if when we come he will not shew mercy That is an ungodly Supposition mischievous to our selves and reflecting upon God He hath mercy in abundance to give he delights in giving he never refused mercy to any that came for it he hath promised he never will and why should men harbour such a suspicion that we may come and not obtain Benhadad could adventure on a report that the Kings of Israel were merciful Kings and yet Ahab was one of the worst of them 1 Kings 20.31 And shall not sinners come upon a more sure Report of the mercifulness of the King on this Throne of Grace It is on this Truth of the Lord 's good will to shew mercy that our Faith so readily halts Many think they ought not to believe this good will to shew mercy I would have you consider some instances of Christ's dealing with Sinners John 4.10 Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Where we are to regard 1. To whom these Words were spoke by our Lord to a Samaritan a vile Creature as to the former course of her life a blind ignorant sottish Sinner that was guilty of refusing Christ a Cup of Water the greatest Sin she ever committed in her Life 2. What our Lord saith to her If thou knewest me thou wouldest have asked if thou hadst asked I would have given thee living Water And before he had done he made her know him made her ask and gave her of his living Water But that I mainly observe from the Word of Christ is a Truth which few will believe when they hear it even few Believers themselves will believe it as they ought That Christ is more ready to give begging Sinners eternal Life than they can be to give Christ himself a Cup of cold Water Our Lord saith it but men will not believe it Another of Christ's Words is in Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Christ makes the comparison favourably ver 11 12. Of a Child's asking Necessaries will a Parent refuse that desire and give what is hurtful But consider our Lord's design in this saying It is plainly to encourage to seeking and the Argument he useth is from the greater Love and readiness in God to give the best things than earthly Parents have to give their Children the Necessaries of this life The preference is not here given to God's greater Riches and fulness than that of parents who may have their Children beg of them what they have not to give as in Lam. 4.4 But it is a preference given to God's greater willingness to give Now who believes this and makes the just Application to their own Case and say confidently The Lord is much more willing to give me saving mercy if I ask it than I am to give a bit of bread to maintain the life of the nearest and dearest Relation I have in the World Appl. I shall only add a few Words of Application 1. There is no principle of natural Religion engraven more deeply on the Hearts of men than that there is misery in men and mercy in God and that God's mercy only can relieve men under this misery This runs through the whole World in all Ages and will continue as long as sense of misery is in men and any Notions of God are preserved in the minds of men And these Sentiments are not to be defaced Attempts of Atheists are damnable to themselves but vain Efforts against the Rock of Ages 2. Notwithstanding of this God's true mercy in Jesus Christ is the greatest Riddle Offence and Stumbling-block to all natural men God's mercy they like well enough and would have applied to their own relief under misery But God's only and true mercy in Christ they cannot away with That there is no mercy with God for Sinners but what flows through the Blood of Jesus Christ That God's Love should appear in sending his own Son under the charge of mens Sin and under the smart and feeling of their miseries That as God shews mercy only this way so men that would have it must only seek it this way the World never did never can never will understand nor relish it nor betake themselves to it They would have mercy to come to them another way and so seek it and look for it in vain and perish by the miss of it 3. There is no Address made to God more honourable to God more acceptable to him and more becoming a miserable Sinner than an Address to God for his mercy It is his Glory to be the Sovereign Lord of mercy it is his Honour to be attended with the Addresses of miserable men it is his delight to dispense mercy to the Addressors What is more becoming God than to shew mercy and what can be more fit than that a miserable Sinner should beg his mercy 4. There is no Provocation more common than sinful ways of begging God's mercy I shall briefly instance in a few Many profane careless Creatures have this Word frequently in their mouths God be merciful to me who yet have no more sense either of God or of themselves of his mercy or of their misery than the Ground they go on This is a gross taking of God's Name in vain Undue Addresses to God
for mercy are great Provocations Some beg only outward mercies Such people would like this Text well if it had been Let us come that we may obtain Gold and Silver and Health and long Life If Prayer was ordained by God for such mercies the Throne of Grace would be crouded with Supplicants But you will never ply Prayer rightly till you understand that there is something to be got at the Throne of Grace that is better in it self more needful for you and that will do you more good than all that the World hath to give Some beg mercy only when they are under God's afflicting hand Psal 73.34 When he slew them then they sought him Some beg God's mercy limitedly they only beg one mercy and desire no more His mercy is of a large extent and we should beg it all We may beg a particular mercy according to our present felt necessities yet we must not make an exception against any act of mercy We must not beg the mercy of Pardon with a Heart-quarrel against the mercy of Sanctification The Lord be merciful to thy servant in this thing 2 Kings 5.18 was a faulty Prayer if there was any sincerity in Naaman Though we may ask any particular mercy yet we must lay open our Hearts to the whole flood of mercy Psal 119.132 Look thou upon me and be merciful to me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name So Psal 106.4,5 Lastly Some beg mercy for themselves and for their Idols in the same Address One part of their Prayer is for mercy to themselves and another part of it is for mercy to their Idols Is not that a woful ill-made Prayer and yet how frequently is it done Idols are such things as have a greater nearer room in the Heart than God hath Whatever is more loved feared trusted and delighted in more than God that is an Idol be it the best or basest thing we can name or think on These Idols are of two sorts Lawful and Vnlawful Not that it is lawful to have any Idol but many make Idols of lawful things Such things I mean that in their proper place may be sought and lawfully used but are wofully abused when put in God's room These are the most dangerous because least perceaved Idols Christian it is lawful to love thy Relations to pray for Wife and Children to beg God's Blessing on thy lawful diligence in thy Calling but watch well that none of these lawful things come in betwixt thy Heart and God if they do thou will fall into this Snare of begging God's mercy to thy self and Idols in the same Prayer Vnlawful Idols or Idols in unlawful things are Sins Lusts and Heart-plagues Wo to him that begs God's mercy to them We should daily beg God's mercy against them The more mercy that is forbearance God sheweth to such Idols the more Wrath and the less mercy he showeth to the man himself God's mercy cannot be shown both to a man and his Idols The purest mercy is then shewn â—o a Man when the Lord dealeth severely with his Idols Kill my sinful Idols and save me is a fit Prayer at the Throne of Grace and he is a happy man that gets it answered 5. Sinful Addresses for God's mercy are great Provocations of his Wrath. His mercy is so Sacred a Name of God that he will hold no man guiltless that taketh it in vain In this matter the best contract much Guilt All have many sins in their holy things and in their Approaches to the Holiest of all the Throne of Grace and do stand in need of Attonement And we should all come to the Throne of Grace for mercy to pardon the Sins that are in our seeking of mercy But where then shall the Ungodly and Sinner appear He perisheth for want of mercy he should come for it and he cannot come for mercy while he is what he is but he provokes the Lord to more Wrath against him This is one of the inextricable Straits that every Unbeliever is in that nothing but Sovereign Grace and mercy can bring one out of Look to him for this deliverance and he will shew you mercy SERMON VII HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need THE last thing in this verse is What is to be had at the Throne of Grace and what we should come for And that is Mercy and Grace and we need no more and we should come that we may obtain and find them and we should in our coming design no less Of the first I began to speak last day and did open these three things 1. What is this mercy we should come for It 's God's saving mercy in Christ sutable unto and for relieving of that misery that every natural man is perishing under Mercy in God and misery in man are Relatives and happy is that person that hath them well married and matched together 2. What is in this Phrase Obtaining of mercy I told you that it implied three things 1. That mercy is God's free Gift We only come by it because he gives it 2. That there is a personal particular Application of this mercy to the Obtainer of it 3. That it is given as a Possession not as a Gift that may be recalled and retaken but is given for an everlasting Possession Whoever is made Partaker of God's special saving mercy it shall never be taken from him it shall never waste nor spend nor wear out but shall stay with him follow him and grow up with him to eternity The Burden of that heaven-like Song Psal 136. is 26 times repeated for his mercy endureth for ever How sweetly will it be sung from all the Mansions in Heaven and by all the blessed Dwellers in them O Give thanks to our God for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Can you learn this Song as the Word is Rev. 14.3 Only the Redeemed of the Lord can say so but all they should say so Psal 107.1,2 His mercy is most sweet a Crumb of it will save a starving Soul as Matth. 15.27 A large measure of it on Earth is a Heaven But the eternity of this mercy is the mercy of this mercy Time-mercies in regard of this are no mercies 3. I spoke of the Design and End we should have before us in coming to the Throne of Grace Come that we may obtain mercy That which I would do at this Exercise is to apply this Truth And the Lord apply both Doctrine and Application And 1. I would put this Question to your Consciences and let them speak as in God's sight Whether have ye obtained mercy or not Can you say with Paul but I obtained mercy You must have it as well as he and may know it as really as he did though ye receave not so much nor know it so clearly as so great a Believer as Paul did See to get
your Consciences well resolved in this main Case that you may be able to give a peremptory answer The Importance of this Question is very obvious Can a Man retire within and look up to God and consider this I am a miserable Sinner in my self as all are nothing but God's special mercy can relieve me And not think it a matter of vast consequence to know whether he hath obtained this mercy or no Wo to them that never asked the Question and they are but in a sorry case that cannot answer it I would propose a few things to enforce the Duty of trying your selves in this matter 1. It is mercy you have been seeking If ever you made any fashion of Prayer surely it was mercy you sought most of you if not all pray at least sometimes Now whenever you pray unless you be wofully formal and stupid your Consciences must tell you it is mercy you seek Have you long and often begged God's mercy and will ye never enquire whether or not you have got it None ask in earnest but they will try how they speed There is no surer and plainer Argument of trifling in Prayer than when men are careless what they get by Prayer We would be called of the Generation of them that seek God's Face and shall we not enquire if we have found him Our Lord bids us ask that we may receave and shall we ask and not think of receaving nor try if we have receaved 2. A great many round you have obtained mercy therefore it becomes you to enquire whether you have obtained it If the mercy of God were so very rarely dispensed that none if any in an Age did partake of it this neglect would be a little more excusable But when mercy falls round about thee when one on thy Right Hand obtains Mercy and another on thy Left Hand obtains Mercy when this Mercy falls on some of the Family thou lives in on some of the Congregation thou hears in when this mercy falls on one that hath the same natural Parents that thou hast Will none of these things make you ask Have I also obtained mercy We find our Lord aggravating the misery of the damned by their seeing of the blessedness of the saved Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out A most dreadful Passage Christ is telling Men that were to be excluded from Heaven what they would think say and do in that dismal Case Prevent this Misery in time by enquiring whether you have obtained mercy And do so the rather that ye may see others partaking of this Mercy When you see the saving mercy of God sought and obtained by others it should provoke you greatly not to envy them their share but to desire a share of your own for there is enough and to spare And the Lord doth shew mercy to some on purpose that he may encourage others to come and ask and obtain So Paul tells wherefore he got his Mercy 1 Tim. 1.16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first or the chief Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting There were other ends Christ had in shewing mercy to Paul The Lord shewed him mercy that he might be saved eternally he shewed him mercy that he might be an able Minister of the new Testament 2 Cor. 3.6 and a successful Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 and the Church of Christ hath good Cause now for many Ages to bless our Lord Jesus for that rich mercy which that chosen Vessel obtained and was filled with But the Apostle in that place takes notice of another design of Christ's in his mercy to him and that was to set up Paul as a Pattern and Copy of the Freedom Riches and Power of saving mercy And Christ can when he will write another Copy like Paul and somewhat like it he doth in all that he calls savingly Eph. 2.4 Take in this Argument many obtain mercy and why not I none deserve it yet many have it None deserve it less and need it more than I Why then not I If you see the Lord shewing mercy to others and you care not for mercy to your selves how can you expect it or think you have got it 3. Inquire whether you have receaved God's saving mercy because this mercy is brought so near you that it must either be receaved or refused there is no midst No Man doth neither no man doth both All that have the offer of God's saving mercy in the Gospel do and must necessarily either receave or reject it This should make people inquire the more narrowly whether they have obtained mercy If ye have not obtained it ye have refused it Acts 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles This last is a strange Phrase I am perswaded in the Lord that no man shall ever get everlasting life that thinks himself worthy of it It is always to be sought by us always given by the Lord and always taken by the Receavers of it as an Alms of Grace for Christ's sake Nothing surely was further from Paul's mind than to have these foolish Jews to count themselves deserving of eternal life or that on the account either of their Priviledges or Works they did or could deserve Salvation at the hand of God But all the Apostle meant was this Everlasting Life is brought near to you in this Word of the Gospel you put the Word from you thereby you declare you are unwilling to receave everlasting life and God counts you unworthy of the Offer of it and we will carry it to others as he tells other Unbelieving Jews at Rome Acts 28.28 Be it known to you that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it Now for resolving of this Question whether you have obtained special saving mercy or not This seems easily determinable There is so great a difference betwixt that State of sin and misery that mercy finds Men in when it first visits them and that State that mercy brings them to That we are apt to think the change may be easily known See Eph. 2.1,18 Yet there are so many things that obstruct both them that have obtained mercy from owning it and them that have not obtained it from acknowledging their want of it of which I shall not now speak that searching is needful and for your help in that work I offer these few plain Marks 1. A high value of special saving mercy above common mercy is a good sign of one that hath obtained saving mercy There is a special mercy of God and there is a common mercy Special mercy
is saving it comes from the Heart and Love of God Eph. 2.4 and is treasured up for and laid out only upon his chosen It is the favour he bears to his people Psal 106.4 Common mercies are thrown about with a large and indifferent hand He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5.45 Now these two sorts of mercies are as far different as Heaven and Earth The excellency of the one is far beyond that of the other though we be unworthy of either I am less than the least of all thy mercies said a great Saint Gen. 32.10 And so should all say But few do perceave this great difference and many give the preference to common outward mercy Who but a Christian doth count it a greater mercy to have the Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus than to have a large and prosperous Estate in the World That the light of God's Countenance and an hour spent in his Courts when the King's presence is in them is better than all the Enjoyments of this World Moses was a Man that obtained singular mercy from the Lord it appeared in this that he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11.26 He had excellent Balances and true Weights He put in the one Scale Egypt's Honours Treasures and Pleasures and how weighty are such things in the Worldlings Balances and in the other the reproach of Christ and affliction with the people of God His Judgment on this weighing is That this Reproach because of Christ's concern in it and this Affliction because it is of and with God's people is better than all the other things The true Test of Mens Spirit is justly taken from their setled inward Apprehension of the worth and value of spiritual saving mercy above all outward mercy Psal 4.6,7 There be many that say Who will shew us any good Most Men are for any good they know not well what and from any hand that can show it and give it But David knew what good he would have and who could show it Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Why is he so earnest for this Blessing Thou hast put gladness in my heart Carnal Men seek Gladness and make it and take it to themselves as well as they can But Gladness of God's putting in their Heart they know not more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased David doth not here compare though he doth discover the holiness of his Heart with the earthliness of that of others he compares not the tenderness of his Conversation with theirs But he compares the Joy God gave him by the Light of his Countenance not with the Joy he had but with that the Ungodly have in their sensual Satisfactions Try your selves by this Where is your Esteem lodged What sort of things are they that relish with your Spirits Common outward Mercies carry away the Hearts of the most part of Men and this shews that few Men have obtained special mercy 2. He that hath obtained special mercy hath a love to it and to the Giver of it and to the way God gives it and in which he receaves it He that is a lover of God's mercy in Christ is an Obtainer of it A natural Man may have a liking of God's mercy in general But mercy as from God through Jesus Christ mercy shown on the account of a full Satisfaction made to Justice in and by his Blood mercy given freely to glorious Ends and Purposes every natural Man seeth no Glory no Goodness no Beauty in it But every Obtainer of it doth admire every thing in it It is rich mercy saith he it flows from a blessed Fountain Free-love runs in a blessed Channel the Redemption of Jesus comes to me in a well-ordered Covenant and was shown me for his Praise in my Salvation from sin and misery 3. An Obtainer of mercy is a daily Beggar for more mercy Whenever God's special mercy is tasted hunger and thirst after more is raised No sooner did Paul obtain mercy but behold he prays Acts 9.11 There is more of mercy yet to be had mercy quickens the Soul's Desires and enlargeth them The greatest Receivers are the greatest Beggars 1 Pet. 2.2,3 Desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious This Mark is plain and will never fail They that drive not a Trade of Prayer for special mercy have not yet obtained it 4. An Obtainer of mercy from the Lord is a shower of mercy to others He is a merciful Man to others Matth. 5.7 Col. 3.12,13 Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness c. forbearing forgiving as Christ forgave you And Eph. 4.32 even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you How unbecoming it is that such should have Bowels of Brass on whom God's Bowels of mercy have been poured out This is a Mark that will never fail but in a high fit of Temptation All that have obtained God's mercy will be disposed to shew their mercy Forgiving one another is an easie thing it costs nothing but to think a kind thought Yet how hard is this to many through the power of Corruption There are some acts of mercy as Bounty and Charity that poor Christians have no ability for But the principal Act of mercy is in every Christians Power and that is mercy to Mens Souls We cannot give them that mercy we have obtained but we can and should wish the like to them Never did a Man obtain mercy from the Lord for himself but he wisheth that others should partake of it also The Woman of Samaria John 4. of whose Conversion we have the largest account of any Convert in the Bible as soon as she obtained mercy she forgot what she came to the Well for she had got somewhat better than the Water of Jacob's Well she met with Jacob's God and had got Jacob's Blessing she goes to the City and turns a sort of a Preacher to them Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ ver 29. She obtained mercy and would have all the City come and get mercy also And a great many came and obtained mercy Christ caught that Woman by his Grace and made her as a Bait to catch many more No Believer can deny his sense of such a Frame as this There are some Persons thou dost love and shouldst love thou prayest for them What dost thou mainly ask for Wife Children Brothers Sisters and all or any thou lovest heartily Is it not O that they might share in God's saving mercy If thou ask it for others as the greatest mercy thou thy self art an Obtainer of mercy Paul obtained mercy He loved his Countrymen the Jews dearly and on good grounds Rom.
9.1.5 What prays he for them Roin 10.1 My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved All right Prayer should be the Hearts desire Salvation is the best thing we can pray for to our selves or to them we love And no Man can heartily pray for Salvation to others who hath not got it himself 2. I would now direct some Words to them that have obtained mercy and know it Blessed be the Lord that there are not a few in the World not a few in this City and I hope not a few in this Meeting that have obtained mercy of the Lord and know it also Who can remember when their misery was great and when the mercy of the Lord made a visit to them and what great things it brought to them and wrought in them 1. Let such be very thankful for special saving mercy Praise is a great Debt as well as a great Blessing Let none take this as an ordinary Duty but let all Christians know that the main point of the Life and Practice of Christianity lies in the performance of it 1 Pet. 2.9 Praise should rise according to the worth of what we praise for Greatest Favours call for highest Praises and special mercy from the Lord is the highest favour It is a good Custom and a Duty also that people when they receave their daily bread from God do give him thanks for it as well as beg his Blessing on it Pray then how do you think the Lord will take unthankfulness for his special mercy How many hath the Lord to give in this Charge against I never gave thee a nights rest but thou gave me thanks for it in the morning but I have by my mercy raised thee up to newness of Life and I was never thanked for it I never fed thy Body but thou blessed me for my Bounty but I have given thee my Son for the bread of thy Soul but no praise for this Gift When thou wast near death I did in mercy restore thee and was praised for it but special mercy hath delivered thy Soul from eternal destruction but when didst thou praise for that Have a care this Charge be not given against you Live to his Praise and let Praise be the main Work of your Life 2. Walk tenderly under God's special mercy The more special the mercy be the more carefully it should be improved God's saving mercy is a Load a Burthen not indeed hard to be born but it is hard to bear it aright A Burden that will not break the Back but will weigh heavy on the Shoulders of the Bearers and such as are under it are in no small danger of stumbling Isa 38.15 What shall I say he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And that there was special mercy in his Eye see ver 17. Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back Here is a right sense of mercy and a good Resolution about the guiding of it I will walk softly all the Years fifteen of them that God hath added to my Life But what performance was there 2 Chron. 32.25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done to him for his heart was lifted up 3. Obtainers of mercy should ask grace to guide mercy and ask it the more earnestly and confidently because they have obtained mercy Be not discouraged in asking more mercy because you have made so poor improvements of what you have received Every mercy lays us under an Obligation for more service and Grace to enable for that Service must be given and therefore should be asked We need mercy God gives it when we get it we should guide it well and in order to that we must beg more New mercy to enable us to guide the old No mercy from the Lord but it may be ill guided but the last eternal Life Jude 21. A Christian is not out of all danger of abusing any mercy of the Lord till he receave perfecting mercy in Heaven To them that have not obtained mercy or at least do not know that they have only four things I would say to such Ask mercy Receave mercy Plead mercy Hope in his mercy 1. Ask mercy The Lord hath two designs in offering and dispensing his mercy to Men To be honoured by the Prayers of them that want it and to be glorified by the Praises of them that get it This Duty of asking mercy is frequently commanded by the Lord commonly practis'd by his people and never in vain 1. Ask mercy like it self Ask some way according to your Need and its Worth If our begging bore any tolerable proportion to the great Blessing of God's saving mercy what mighty praying would there be Let not mercy be sought as a small thing it 's the one thing needful and it 's the one thing we should seek of the Lord. God's mercy Saving mercy Free mercy Mercy great vastly above all our misery O how would it be asked if asked like it self 2. Ask mercy at the right Door There is not a Crumb of saving mercy that comes to any perishing Sinner but by Jesus Christ. There is no Corn in Egypt but what comes through this Joseph's Hand He is a mad Beggar of mercy that forgets Christ 3. Ask mercy in God's time He that commands us to ask and tells us at what Door to beg and promiseth to give tells us also when we should ask Men have their times as in great distress when dying and at Judgment Beware of putting off asking till God's time of giving be past It is an awful Word of Christ Luke 13.25 When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying c. There are two sad beginnings here Beginning to stand without when the door is shut such will eternally stand without Beginning to knock at the door Such as begin to knock at God's shut Door will never get in There is no good answer to be given by God to such for eternity Is not that a very unhappy beginning So our Lord tells us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins Matth. 25.10 The foolish came when the Door was shut They were foolish that they came no sooner and miserable that they came too late I believe the Damned will see more of the Blessedness of the Saved than the Saved will see of the Misery of the Damned Christ expresly aggravates the misery of the Damned by what they shall see of the Bliss of the Saved Luke 13.28 But all we see in the Word that the Saved shall see or hear of the misery of the Damned is their Resurrection to Damnation John 5.29 which is a most miserable one better were it for them to have their Bodies lye eternally in
we come to the throne of grace for grace in this Consideration we come for the manifestation and communication of grace from the Fountain according to his Will and our Need for the carrying on of our Salvation to the Praise of his grace It is to be observed in that Apostolick Wish which by a good Custom is made the concluding Blessing in Christian Assemblies 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen That there is grace in the Fathers love and grace in the Communion of the Holy Ghost as well as there is Love and Communion in the Grace of our Lord Jesus For grace is in all divine Favour and in all its Fruits freely bestowed on the undeserving Sons of Men. 2. Grace may be considered as it is in the Channel in which it runs in the Way and Means of its conveyance usually called the means of grace and this is the Gospel It 's true that this form of speech means of grace is not a Scriptural Phrase though it be usual with us But by it we mean nothing but such means as are hallowed by Divine Institution and backed with a gracious Promise of bestowing grace on the right Users thereof the main of which means is the Gospel it self called by Paul in Acts 20.24 the Gospel of the grace of God and ver 32. the word of his grace And in Tit. 2.11 the Gospel is called simply the grace of God If you take away the Doctrine of Free grace you take away the Gospel It is but an empty Shadow a false Name to call that Doctrine Gospel that is not the Word of his grace The grace of God in the means is universally offered to all that heaâ— the Gospel but the Blessing it self is sovereignly dispensed like grace There is ground sufficient in the Promise for Faith in waiting on the Lord in the use of his Appointments But yet the Lord never used any outward mean that was always effectual to all them that had it The greatest of any outward means that ever Men were under was the personal ministry of Christ yet all his Hearers did not believe yea but a few did John 6.26 c. What a heavenly Discourse doth Christ deliver but what was the effect of it ver 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him The Lord hath wisely ordered it thus that the means the Channel his grace runs in are at some times and to some Persons filled with his grace and at other times are but empty Pipes that the means themselves may not be doated on and that the Fountain may still be depended on When then we come to the throne of grace for Grace as in the means we come begging that the Lord who hath appointed the means and keeps the Blessing of them in his own Hand would fill the means with his Grace and fill our Souls with the communication of that grace in our use of these means 3. Grace is considered as it is in the Vessels that receave it in Men that partake of it And here it will be needful to distinguish The grace of God as receaved comes under a very notable distinction of common grace and saving grace or special Somewhat hath been hinted of the same distinction betwixt common and special saving mercy But of this distinction as to grace receaved I would speak more fully Common Grace is so called not because it is ordinary and usual for in bad times it is rare enough but because it is not saving It 's most likely that in such happy times which we cannot now boast of but only hope for when saving grace is bestowed on many common grace is dispensed more frequently also That there is such a thing as common Grace is as certain as it is that there is such a Creature if I may so call him as a Hypocrite in the Church or in the World For an Hypocrite is nothing else but an unrenewed sinner painted over with more or less common Grace And to Men that see the out-side of others only he may appear like a true Christian I would give some particular Instances of this common grace 1. There is a common enlightening grace a common Illumination Heb. 6.4 and 10.26 the Apostle supposeth that there is an enlightening and a receaving a knowledge of the truth that may be where a fatal Apostacy may follow The Lord may give the Light of his Word and in and by that Light may dart in some clear Beams of Gospel-Truth on such that are led no further It is far from being true that all knowing Heads have sound Hearts There may be and often is much clear Light in the mind about points of saving Truth when there is no Sense no Savor no Faith in the Heart Acts 26. We find Paul speaking in the most noble Assembly that it 's like he ever spoke in A King and Queen and a Roman Governour greater than both In this August Assembly Paul though a Prisoner in Bonds remembers his being an Apostle and preacheth Christ and takes Christ's grace in converting him for his Text. ver 24. When he is thus speaking Festus said with a loud voice Paul thou art beside thy self much learning hath made thee mad At the same time ver 28. Agrippa said unto Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian This was a great deal better then Festus's Word yet a poor Word in it self It spoke some glancing of ineffectual Light on his mind An Almost Christian and no more is but a Sinner almost saved and no more or one that is no Christian and never saved at all 2. There is common awakening grace The Lord sometimes alarms the Consciences of the Ungodly and may raise a great Sense of Sin in such as are never forgiven and fears of Hell yea a fore-tast of Hell in some that never escape it I have sinned saith Pharaoh I have sinned saith Saul I have sinned saith Judas in betraying innocent blood Alas poor wretch it had been better to have confess'd his Sin against his Master to his Master than to his Murderers Felix trembled when Paul preached It was grace in God to come so near to him and great Power was put forth What else could make such a great Prince as Felix was to tremble at the Words of a poor Prisoner standing before him in his Chains Awakening grace is but common grace The Law wounds many a Conscience that the Gospel doth not heal because not applyed to No Wound can the Law make which the Gospel cannot heal Boast not of your Wounds by the Law unless you can tell how you were healed There is no cure for a Conscience wounded by Sin and the Law but the Blood of Jesus shed for Sin Did ye come to it Heb. 12.24 Did he apply it to you Were you cured of your Wounds before ye went to him
and before he came to you Woful is that Cure and worse than the Wound Many poor Creatures are wounded by the Law and to the Law they go for Healing But God never appointed the Law to heal a wounded Conscience and it never did nor can nor will to the end of the World nor to Eternity It is Christ's name and property and glory to be the only Physician of Souls and all must die of the Disease of Sin that are not his happy Patients 3. There is common restraining grace An Act of God's grace and wisdom which he often puts forth in his ruling of this wicked World How quickly would this Earth become a Hell were it not for this restraining grace If all unrenewed Men were permitted by God to commit all the Sin Satan tempts to and their Natures incline them to there would be no living in this World for the golly This restraining grace we find a Heathen â—ad Gen. 20.6 I with-held thee from sinning against me faith the Lord to Abimelech And which is more we find a great Saint praying for it Ps 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have Dominion over me That is lay a powerful restraint on me by thy grace that when I am tempted my way may be hedged up and I may be kept from complying with the Temptation But yet bare restraining grace is not desired by a Christian in good case without sanctifying grace He desires not only the restraining of the outward Acts of Sin but the removing of inward Inclinations to Sin he begs the renewing and changing of the Heart So David when he had fallen foully by the strength of inward Corruption and God's leaving him to himself when recovered by Grace and renewed unto Repentance prays like a wise Believer Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right spirit within me 4. There is common assisting grace Many a bad Man hath had good Assistance from God in a good Work The Spirit of God hath cloathed many and enabled them to great and good Works which God gets Service by and the World good by though the Doers thereof be not accepted Matth. 7.22 Many shall say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works All great things and all done in Christ's Name and done by his Assistance In their casting out of Devils and in working of Miracles there was an exerting of Omnipotency with and by their Faith which is the greatest divine Assistance we can imagine And no doubt they were assisted by Christ's Spirit in their prophecying in his Name Now such things they thus did Christ in his Reply denies not their doing of them finds no fault with the Works in themselves but all his Quarrel is with the Workers I never knew you you are workers of iniquity 5. To common Grace belongs some Comfort and Joy reaching the Heart in hearing the Word Our Lord expresly explains the Stony ground this way Matth. 13.20 He that receaved the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receaveth it Lastly There is reforming grace that belongs to common grace The power of the Word may come so on natural Mens Consciences that they may reform many things As Mark 6.20 Herod when he heard John Baptist did many things and heard him gladly So 2 Pet. 2.20 If any say What should we come to the Throne of Grace for common Grace I answer Not for it alone but for it and better It is a mercy to have common grace it is grace that is undeserved but it is a woful Snare to him that rests in it If the Lord restrain your Corruptions if he enlighten your Minds and awaken your Consciences if he assist you with Gifts for good Works if he help you to mend any thing that is amiss in your Conversation bless him for all but rest not on any of these things It is a higher and better Grace that is Saving and that you must seek after Saving grace as distinct from and beyond all that is common respects three things 1. It respects and works a change in a Man's State which common grace never performs Saving grace changeth a Person 's State by this grace an Enemy is reconciled to God a guilty sinner is justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus a Stranger receaves Sonship by Christ Common Grace never alters the State of a Man's Person but it leaves him where it found him it never doth nor can take him out of the old Stock of fallen Adam he still lyes in that Pit and is never by it translated into Christ and engraffed in him as a new Head But saving grace when it comes doth all Eph. 2.4,18 2. Saving grace respects Man's sinful nature and changeth it And this grace thus working is called Regenerating Sanctifying and renewing of Men. Christ calls it being born again John 3.3 If any man be in Christ through this grace he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 This the Apostle calls Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Natural Men are apter to look to their Conversation than to their Nature They may see many things amiss in their way who are loath to look into their Heart and if Light shine in to discover inward Heart-faults they are still backward to own that all is naught and that there is no good in their Hearts If the Light pursuâ— them yet closer and make them see that all is stark naught within they are still more backward to own the true Spring of their Disease and the true Remedy for it That all this Dominion of Sin over them flows from the natural State of their Persons as standing still in and under the first sinful Adam and can never be altered and mended but by Grace putting them into Christ as the Root of their New Life 3. Saving grace respects and works on the new Nature Special grace not only changeth a Man's State nor his old corrupt Nature only but it works on this new Nature wrought by Grace The special Operation of the grace of God in and from the Fountain is upon his own new Creation in the Hearts of his Children We cannot conceave it fully our Minds are not able take in these depths of God We hear from and read in the Word of the intimate Correspondence the Lord entertains with them in whom he dwells Christ dwells in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 His Spirit dwells in his people Rom. 5 9,10,11 But what is it in their Hearts that he dwells in He dwells in his own Workmanship in their Hearts in his own new Creation in his own Garden he hath planted in them There his Presence is and there his Eye is on that his hand is this is
that he waters and carefully looks after When a Believer comes to the Throne of grace for this grace he comes to beg that the new Creation in him may be visited refreshed and strengthened and brought to Perfection They that have no planting of Christ in them want this Errand to the Throne of Grace that Believers daily come upon So much for the first thing What this grace is 2. What is the finding of this grace why the Apostle useth this Phrase different from the former about mercy That was obtaining of mercy this is finding of grace Mercy and Grace are near a-kin and so is obtaining and finding Besides the Hebrew Phrase remarked already these things I would note in it 1. I conceave that this Phrase of finding grace doth imply the Duty of seeking it According to our Lord 's own direction Matth. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you Seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Where and in ver 8. our Lord gives three Commands to one Duty of Prayer under three several Names and six Promises for Encouragement under three different Names also redoubled 2. This form of speaking points forth the giving and bestowing of Grace His Grace and Favour is what is given to bestowed on and enjoyed by them that come to the throne of grace When the old World was exceeding bad all stark naught and but one good Man in it you must needs think that it was a bad World then and that was Noah Gen. 6.8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This Word we should regard the more that it is the first place where the grace of God is mentioned in Scripture Thee have ' I seen righteous before me in this generation saith the Lord to him Gen. 7.1 And how this Man came by his Righteousness see in Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noe being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his house by the which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Who but the Spirit of God by Paul who I think was the Pen-man of this Epistle would have found the Righteousness of Faith in Noah's building of the Ark Many nay most of Men called Christians cannot see this Righteousness that is by Faith in the Gospel it self There was a brave inheritance and Estate in this Righteousness of Faith secured and revealed in the first Gospel Gen. 3.15 Of this Estate Abel and Enoch were possessed and Noah became that is declared himself an Heir of it by his Faith and the Fruits of it The whole World had the Warning Noah from God the World by Noah all were equally concerned in the danger Noah preached it to them and God's Spirit was with him striving with them 120 Years But not one Man found grace but he alone A prodigious depth of Judgment and Mercy Such a Man aâ— Noah preached so long to a world of the ungodly as 2 Pet. 2.5 and not one single Man or Woman believed He only found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Jer. 31.2 Thus saith the Lord the people that were left of the Sword found grace in the wilderness even Israel when I went to cause him to rest It is a great blessing to find grace any where but to find grace in the Wilderness to find grace where and when the Sword of God's Anger and Justice is destroying multitudes is heightened grace Grace falls still on Remuants Justice and Wrath seizeth on the Bulk and whole Piece Rom. 11.5 A Remnant according to the election of grace ver 7. The election obtained it that is grace and the rest were blinded and hardened The more be left and the fewer be savingly taken the greater is the grace shewed to those sew and the more happy are they that find it 3. In this Phrase of finding grace there may this be conceaved if you will understand it rightly the Casualty of the getting of grace There is no such thing as Casualty to God He always knows when and where and on whom to bestow his grace But the bestowing of his grace is a meer Casualty to all Men both to them that receave it and to others that look on My meaning is grace comes unlooked for undeserved undestred unexpected in its first visit especially So that all Receavers of it may say as Hagar the only good Word we have of that Bond-woman Gen 16.13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake to her Thou God seest me happy are they that can name God from his grace and mercy to them David calls him the God of my mercy Psal 59.10,17 for she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me The Lord hath had his Eye on me for good when I was not thinking on him Grace always comes at first by surprize How many are there that attend diligently on all the means of grace and never find grace When some that come but by accident as we think grace finds them and they find it This is the Treasure hid in the Field of the Gospel blessed is he that finds it Matth. 13.44 Many dig in this Field and never find the Treasure in it Men should use means Prov. 8.33,34 Ministers should design wisely to catch Souls and labour painfully in it but the Lord in his Application of his grace passeth by many that we would fainest have saved and lights on others we never thought on And let him do with his own grace as seemeth him good Little thought little Zacheus of Salvation when he climb'd the Tree to see Jesus pass by Luke 19. If Christ had not call'd him down the poor rich Publican was as like as any in the Company to have let Christ pass on in his Journey When Saul was going his wicked Journey Acts 9. who would have thought that grace would have fallen on him as it did All Partakers of grace that can remember its first Visit can witness that their finding of grace was a meer Casualty to them they thought not of it they sought it not yet it found them and was found by them Isa 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not Seeking is our Duty and finding is our Mercy but both right seeking and gracious finding are singly owing to his grace The Apostle after a deep Discourse of the Sovereignty of God in dispensing his grace saith Rom. 9.30,31 What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness The cause of Israel's missing Righteousness he gives ver 32. Because they have sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they did not build and believe on Christ as a Foundation but
saved by grace Eph. 2.5 Nothing but grace can save a sinner and if it were not the grace of God and therefore Omnipotent it could not save Is not it a great help to be helped to Salvation Is not that a great lift to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son Col. 1.13 Who would not prize and desire a saving lift of God's grace All that have found it value it and they that never found it should but will not beg it earnestly The grace of God brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 It brings it near to Men in the Gospel This is all that it doth to many But to some this grace brings Salvation and gives it plants it in their Hearts and waters it and makes it grow with the increases of God till it be ripe full-grown Salvation Would you be helped to Heaven Imploy amd implore the grace of God it only can do it And must not they perish and do they not perish justly that will not accept of saving grace nor beg it when they must perish without it 2. Grace helps to grace All the grace that is given to us is but a drop from the great Fountain of grace that we make our Application to The first grace that is in us is a Gift and Stream of that grace that is with him That gracious change that is wrought on a Sinner by which of a graceless he is made a graoious Person How do you think it is brought about There is a mystery in it that a Master in Israel did not know John 3.9,10 No Similitude from the old Creation can fully declare it yet some of them are used in the Word and give some light This Work of Grace on the Ungodly whom this Grace falls on is like a Sun-beam darted from the body of the Sun of Righteousness upon a Sinner dead in Sins that doth immediately quicken him and enliven him It is both Light and Life It is all originally in Christ and out of his fulness given to all that partake of it John 1.4 In him was life and the life was the light of men Joh 8.12 I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life saith our Lord Jesus Christ is such a Sun that all on whom his gracious Beams light are saved he quickens all he shines upon Men perish under the Gospel indeed but it is because the Light of it shines only about them and without them 2 Cor. 4.4,6 but not into their Hearts All the grace whereby any and all the redeemed of the Lord are converted beautified and saved is from the highest Spring grace in Christ 1 Tim. 1.14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus How came Paul by all the Faith and Love his blessed Soul was filled with All came from the grace of the Lord Jesus And every partaker of true grace will own the same Original 3. This helping grace which we should ask not only helps to Salvation and Grace but also helps grace it self The grace receaved must be refreshed and watered and made to grow by influences from the same Fountain from whence it first flowed or else it will wither quickly Therefore we have the grace of God in the Fountain to betake our selves unto for the helping of his grace in us For tho' grace as in Christ needs no help yet his grace given to and dwelling in us needs a great deal The Father of the Lunatick Mark 9.22,24 came to throne of grace but sorrily What a marvellous change was wrought in him and that suddenly In his first Address he acted Unbelief grosly in the next he acts Faith professeth Faith and prays Christ's help against his Unbelief Many did cast out Devils in Christ's Name but none could help other folks Unbelief nor their own His begging help against his Unbelief was the same Prayer with that of the Apostles Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And it gave more Honour to Christ in his Office of a Saviour and did signifie more both of true Faith in Christ and of an honest heart in the Man than if he had addressed with the highest Confidence to the Lord to cast the Devil out of his Son The Youth is lying wallowing and foaming and torn by the evil Spirit in the sight of his tender Father Yet no sooner doth the light of Faith shine in his Heart but he seeth a Devil of Vnbelief there also and he first begs that Christ would cast out that and help his Faith for helping of Vnbelief and helping of Faith is the same thing He that seeks the helping of his Vnbelief seeks the removing of it and he that seeks the helping of hie Faith seeks the increase and strengthening of it And both are done by the same Hand by the same Act of Grace and at the same time whenever and where-ever they are done And as it is with Faith so is it with all the graces of the Spirit in Believers they do need help of his grace And it must be sought at the throne of grace Can you say I repent add Lord help my Impenitence I love say Lord help its coldness and blow it up to a flame Where the true grace of God is there is still some sense of its weakness and inclination after an encrease therein and some dependance acted on the Lord who began the good work for performing it to the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 4. The grace of God helps our Infirmities Rom. 8.26 If it were not written we should think it hard to use the expression If the Spirit of God plant grace in the Heart is not that fair if he water his own Plants is not that fair Nay but saith the Apostle he helps our Infirmities also Might not the Holy Spirit disdain to have any dealing with the Infirmities of his People Yes but he will not If he take no care of our Infirmities we may and must be lost thereby A Criminal pardoned by an Act of Grace may die of a Disease if not cured may starve of hunger and cold if not provided with necessaries may be slain by his Enemies if not protected Sense of Infirmities should make us beg helping Grace 5. Grace helps in all the Work and Duty we are called to Without assisting grace the least piece of Work cannot be rightly done and by its help any Work may be done 2 Cor. 9.8 God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work There is Grace all grace and its abounding in God toward his people From this given to them there is sufficiency and all sufficiency and that always and in all things and thence flows good work every good work and abounding to every good work Like to this is his Prayer Heb. 13.21 The
come again Obs 2. Christians should pray before the time of need come for that grace that may help them when it comes The Prophet speaks of bearing for the time to come Isa 42.23 The Apostle 1 Tim. 6.19 of laying up in store a good foundation for the time to come So here Men must pray for the time to come Is any man afflicted let him pray Jam. 5.13 And because any Man may be afflicted he should pray before-hand 1. Because we know not but we may be surprized by a time of need Our Lord's Argument Mark 13.33 Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is The Lord rarely gives particular warning of the time when special need is coming It ordinarily comes by surprize to us Death may but Sickness Losses and Affliction usually come on suddenly And surprizing Tryals are sore and searching ones 2. We should pray before a time of need come for often when that time comes we are thereby disabled for Prayer The distress may be such that even a Believer can do nothing The night may come when no man can work John 9.4 Pray much before it come 3. Because many Prayers have their answers delayed till a time of need comes Christians think that every day and hour of their Life is a time of need and so it is in some sense but there are some special Seasons of great need of which the Lord is the only Disposer and he fits such times with dispensings of that Grace that his People have many a day begged before There may be worse reasoning than this It may be there are some Blessings of Grace that I have oft sought and have not yet got that are reserved for me by the Lord against a time when I shall need them more than now I do Thus you see in the Scope of the Apostle in these Words that there is strong arguing for constant seeking of God's Grace You are either at present in a time of special need or if it be not present it may come Whatever case a Believer is in his Obligation is in a manner equal to this great Duty of coming to the Throne of Grace for Grace to help him as his Matters do require SERMON X. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need YOU have heard that the gracious Exhortation in the Text to coming to the Throne of Grace is directed with respect to the getting of two great Blessings or of one under two Names God's Mercy and Grace Concerning this Grace I have spoken to 3 things 1. What this Grace is 2. What the finding of this Grace is 3. What is the Helpfulness of this Grace so found I also entered upon the fourth and last thing the Seasonableness of this helping Grace The Truth I am to speak to is this The Grace of God is specially helpful in times of special need My Work then is to shew What are those times of need 2. What the helpfulness of grace in them is Only I would usher in this Discourse with a general Consideration of the constant need that all stand in of God's Mercy and Grace And that I would branch into four We need God's Mercy and Grace as Creatures as Men as Sinners and as Christians and that always 1. As Creatures The native Notion of a Creature is that it is a contingent necessitous Being For his pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4.11 The Lord did not make all or any Creature because he needed them but he made them that they might need him He did not build this glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth as a House to dwell in or to contain him 1 Kings 8.27 But he made this World as a Stage on which to display his glorious Wisdom and Power and he made some of its Inhabitants Angels in the upper Rooms and Men in the lower to be Spectators and Praisers of his Glory It is not proper to say that Creatures needed their Being before the Creator gave it For when there was nothing but God there could be no need Need and Want is essential to a Creature and springs up with their Being As soon as the Creation receaved its Being by the word of his power it needs upholding by the same power Heb. 1.3 Our Lord Jesus upholds all things by the word of his power The whole Creation would fall back immediately into its Mother Nothing if the same power that gave it a Being did not every moment preserve it Would you have a joyful view of Heaven and Earth Look on all as in our Lord's Hand Why do the Heavens keep their Course Why doth the Sun shine so gloriously move so regularly and influence the Earth so virtuously with his light and heat It is because Christ upholds all things by the Word of his Power He is before all things and by him all things consist All things were created by him and for him Col. 1.16,17 Many are without Christ in the World Eph. 2.12 Man see daily the Works of Creation and Providence and never think on Christ as the Head of all But it is no wonder that Men that have no Eyes to see Christ in the new Creation of Grace cannot see him in the old Creation of Nature We as Creatures are needy of God's helping Grace and Favour for in him we live and move and have our Being Acts 17.28 In his hand our breath is and his all our ways are Dan. 5.23 2. Our need of God's Grace appears yet more as we are such Creatures Men. We are through the Bounty of God the most considerable part of this lower Creation Of Man some understand that elegant Phrase Prov. 8.26 the highest part of the Dust of the world But there is no earthly Creature needy of God's Grace but Man even in his natural Frame abstract from his sinful State The great Former of all things hath given to all a Being and to many of his Creatures no more To some of his Creatures he hath given Life a nobler sort of Being But to all living Creatures but Man he gives no more and they need no more they have not they need not eternal life When the Breath of the other living Creatures goes downward in the Word is Eccl. 3.21 there is an end of them But Man is created in that state that he must be for ever and therefore be eternally happy or miserable This State he is made in makes him vastly needy of God's Grace and Mercy 3. We grow yet more needy as Sinners Sinners are Creatures with this great blemish of Guilt Sin and Corruption A Sinner is needy of a Mediator to deal for him with God for he cannot deal with God for himself A Sinner is needy of the Righteousness of another to recommend him to God's Acceptance for he hath none of his own The Righteousness of a Sinner is a plain Contradiction And
Christ's Grace and in which his Grace is specially helpful I have spoke to the first of these times of need A time of Temptation Though all Believers be not always tempted yet there is no Saint on Earth who is out the Devils Gun-shot No Saint on Earth hath reason to expect that if I may so speak God should serve the Devil with a Noli prosequi God gives 〈◊〉 in this life an utter discharge to the Devil from medling with or molesting of any Saint Till we come to Heaven this Adversary must be expected and prepared for This World is his Dominion he is the wicked God of it 2 Cor. 4.4 And all the wicked in it are his people Subjects and Children And all the remaining Corruption in the Saints is of the Devil 2. The second time of special need of God's Grace is the time of a spiritual decay a decay in the New Creature a decay in the Work of God in the Heart This passeth under many Names in the Word and well known in the Sense and Experience of Believers Sometimes it 's called darkness Isa 50.10 It is the misery of a natural State that they that are in it are darkness it is the blessedness of a renewed State that the partakers of it are light in the Lord their Duty is to walk as Children of light Eph. 5.8 Though they that are made light in the Lord are never suffered to become darkness again yet they may walk in darkness and have no light and the days of that darkness may be many as the wise Man saith Eccl. 11.8 We all know what natural darkness is All the natural light of the World is from the Sun and therefore natural Light and Darkness Day and Night have their Vicissitudes and Revolutions according to the shining or not shining of the Sun All the spiritual light Believers have is from the Light of God's Countenance as the Sun of Righteousness ariseth on them Mal. 4.2 or withdraws from them so is their spiritual Day or Night so do they walk in darkness or in the Light of the Lord. Sometimes this Decay is called Death and Deadness A State of Inability and Unactivity for working and doing what they are called to Hence so many Prayers for quickening especially in Psal 119. Natural Death we know not but Sickness Weakness and Fainting we do know Spiritual Death is known and felt by none that are under its total power but a Weakness in spiritual Life Saints do know Of this Decay I would speak in handling three things 1. Whence it comes 2. How needy such are of God's Grace 3. How Grace doth help in it 1. Whence comes this Decay on Christians It is a State too common to be questioned and too plain to need to be proved that true Christians are and may be in it I would name some of its Springs and Causes 1. It flows from the Infant infirm State of the new Creature in its first forming It is a new-born babe 1 Pet. 2.2 When the first Man was made he was as perfect and strong a Man the first hour he was made as ever he was in all his Life He came out of his Maker's hands a perfect Man But the new Creature is born a weak thing and is to grow up to the stature of a perfect man in Christ Eph. 4.13 and will never come to its full growth till it come to Heaven None on Earth knows what a perfect Christian is There are degrees of Perfection on Earth in respect whereof some are less some more perfect but the most perfect labour greatly under Imperfection Phil. 3.12,13,14 and press most after Perfection I will not speak of the wise design of God in framing the new Creature thus Only the glory of its preservation and of its Perfection is not due to the new Nature in Believers but to the Original of it God the Father to the blessed Root thereof Jesus Christ his Son to the Inhabitation of the Spirit and to the great Security of the new Covenant 2. The new Creature is not only in an Infant weak state but it is planted in bad and unfit Soil for it It is planted out of its Element Heaven is the proper Element and Country whence the new Creature came whence it is maintained and whether it natively tends But it is planted here in the Heart of a sinner Now the Heart of a Man though mended by Grace in part is a very unfit and unsuitable Soil for such a Foreign Heavenly Plant as the new Creation is And hence it is that the Grace of God in us is endangered by the place of its Residence 3. There is also much Corruption remaining in the Heart of a Believer as noisome Weeds growing near this precious planting of the Lord. The Lord never designed to root all Corruption out of the Hearts of his people in this life by the first planting of his Grace in them but only to give that Grace that shall break the dominion of sin and that shall maintain a War with in-dwelling sin and at last shall prevail compleatly So that it 's plain that on the account of those three if there were no more Christians are very lyable to spiritual decays And it 's sadly confirmed from frequent Experience It may be in some the work of Grace was in best case when it was first begun and that from the day of their Conversion to the day of their being Glorified they never had much of any remarkable growth But this is their Sin and their Shame 2. Hence you may see how needy such persons are of the help of the grace of God An inward decay in the work of his Grace in us makes us very needy of help from the Fountain of Grace in him For this decay gives great advantages to our spiritual Enemies to attack us and lays us under great disadvantages in resisting them I am apt to think I cannot now give the reasons of it that the Devil knows the frame of our Hearts though he do not know the Heart immediately that is God's Property Acts 1.24 and the Condition of the Work of God in us a great deal better than we our selves ordinarily do Great is the Intimacy he hath with our Spirits especially with the remaining Corruption in them Great is his Craft acquired by Observation Practice and Experience as well as by his malicious Sagacity And when he seeth a Believer in a bad Case if he have permission he will improve that desired opportunity to make their bad Case worse Psal 71.11,12 David prays for hasty help from God on this Argument his Enemies saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him Caleb and Joshua encourage Israel to go in and possess the Land Numb 14.9 by this Their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not It is from this bad case that Believers are in that Satan hath so easie and speedy Victory
choose If Men refuse the Blessing the Curse belongs to them If they receave the Blessing they are delivered from the Curse But the chusing I mean is that the Lord puts Men often to in the several Turns of his Providence towards them Psal 25.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose Many gracious Promises are in the Word of God's guiding of his people many Prayers put up by Saints in the Word for this gracious guiding and many Praises rendered to the Lord for their blessed experience of his guiding Who can walk safely through this Wilderness without the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night How many of Mens Sorrows may be laid on their being left of God in choosing for themselves and how many of our Mercies are owing to the Lord 's gracious guiding of us in doubtful Cases But it is a very hard thing to ask Direction from God Three faults are common in this practice 1. Pre-engagement of Heart As it is a great sin after Vows to make inquiry Prov. 20.25 So is it to ask Direction from God when Men are resolved on the way they will take An eminent instance of this sinful Frame we have in Jer. 42. and 43. They sought Counsel of God by the Prophet in a great straight they promised to follow it whatever it was God gives his Mind they reject it because it suited not their Inclinations It is no easie thing to ask Direction of God with an undetermined Frame 2. Pride of Vnderstanding Men think they are wise enough to choose their own way Therefore that Command should be much minded Prov. 3.5,6,7 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own Vnderstanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Be not wise in thine own eyes And that other Word Prov. 20.24 Man's goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way Prov. 16.9 A man's heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps 3 Hastey Men wait not for God's Counsel Psal 106.13 and therefore go without it and stumble in dark Paths He that believeth maketh not haste Isa 28.16 A little more patient waiting on the Lord as Psal 40.1 hath often brought in determining Light in doubtful Cases So much for the fifth Season of need of Grace 6. The last time of need of Grace is the time of dying It is indeed the last for he that is helped by Grace in that Time will need no more help of Grace to eternity This time of dying is what we should all think on and if you think aright on it it will not be unwelcome to hear of it On this I would show 1. The need of Grace 2. And the help of Grace in this last and greatest time of need 1. Of the need of Grace to help in this Season Though all Men have some Conviction of it yet to strengthen that Conviction I would speak to a few things about it 1. This time of need is unavoidable it is a time that must come Other times of need may come and may not come We may be tempted we may be afflicted we may be tryed we may be cast down and we may be lifted up again but die we must It is appointed for men once to die Heb. 9.27 As sure as we live we must die We live our appointed time and we die at our appointed time Job 14.5,14 and all our times are in his hand Psal 31.15 Eccles 3.2 There is a time to be born and a time to die ver 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time That Man must have better Eyes than those of Flesh that can see any Beauty in Death If there had been but two or three of Mankind that had lived from Noah to this day and had been priviledged with an Exemption from this general Appointment every Fool on Earth would have dreamt that it may be he shall partake of the same Priviledge also But when all that ever breathed from Adam to this day are dead save the present Generation whom a few more years will sweep away as it hath done their Predecessors what Folly is there in Mens thoughtlesness of this unavoidable Fate But if you say all shall not die but be changed as 1 Cor. 15.51 1 Thes 4.17 Consider that this change is to them as death is to us and it may be will be as terrible to the Saints alive then as Death now is As Believers now dread not death and to be dead so much as they fear to die the State of the dead in Christ is not terrible but the Passage to it is So they that are changed at Christ's coming may have the same Sentiments till the change be wrought on them It is though none knows the particular manner of it a putting off of Mortality and Corruption and a putting on the Robes of Immortality and Incorruption The same is done as to every Saint at Death and the Resurrection Both are done to every Believer in an instant who are found alive at Christ's second coming Elijab's Translation 2 Kings 2. and Enoch's Heb. 11.5 were Emblems of the change on Believers at Christ's second appearance as the raising of Lazarus and others both in the Old Testament and New were of the general Resurrection And in special manner they spoke of Matth. 27.52,53 And the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many But whatever the change on Saints at Christ's coming be to them and if it may be thought a more easie Tryal than natural death is It is certain that the change that shall then pass on the Ungodly will be far more dreadful than bare dying is now This is then the only Exception from the general Appointment on all Men once to die How amazing then is the Stupidity of Men that so few seriously think on it and prepare for it That so many Men and Women that are under the Sentence of Death that have the Seeds of Death in them that live in a World wherein all things that have life are dying before their Eyes that live on Creatures that lose their Lives to support theirs that have so many Warnings of Death's sure and speedy Approach are yet after all surprized by it when it comes as if they had never heard of it This stupidity is a sad both Sign and Effect of the Plague of Unbelief Judgment and Eternity that follow at Death's Heels are matters of pure Faith But Death is obvious to Sense Reason and Universal Experience Yet Men only think they may die and do not entertain the Perswasion with Assurance into their Hearts and serious daily Thoughts that they must die 2. Dying is not only unavoidable but it is a new Tryal None can tell what dying is Many
know what is to be sick to be in great pain to faint and fall into a swoun which is a little Image of death as also the Heathen Poet called Sleep Death 's elder Brother But none knows what dying is It was a very sensible Word a dying Christian in this City spoke to my self when visiting him a few Hours before his Death No Man can tell another what dying is I feel I am dying but I cannot tell you what it is Death is a Path that you never trode before you never walked in it hitherto you may have thought your selves to have gone a good way in the Valley of the Shadow of Death but you never walked through it Paul died daily 1 Cor. 15.31 he was in deaths often 2 Cor. 11.23 Yet he was a living Man then when he said so and he dyed but once All new Tryals require new supplies of Grace And the Tryal of Death is quite new When we are tempted one day we may know what Temptation is thereby and be thereby fitted for the next but no past Experience can teach us fully what dying is 3. Dying is not only a necessary and new Tryal but it is such a Tryal in which a Man 's All is concerned for Eternity Immediately on Death follows Judgment Heb. 9.27 Death is the dark Trance betwixt Time and Eternity While we live we are in time when we are a dying we are leaving time and passing into eternity When we are dead we are quite and for ever out of time and are in eternity for ever If a Man miscarry in this Passage if a Man stumble in the dark Valley of death if he fall here he falls for ever I would not have people to imagine that the stress of their Salvation depends on their Frame when a dying For some Christians when near to death have neither the use and exercise of Sense or Reason much less of Grace But surely when the case of Mens Bodies permits Acts of a Man or of a Christian there is great need of grace to enable us to die well 4. Dying is a great Tryal of Faith Tho' we know not fully what dying is yet we may know so much of it as to be convinced that it is much harder to die in Faith than to live by Faith and yet living by Faith is the hardest thing we have to do in this World To trust in an unseen God to believe his unchangeable Love when we feel his Anger to trust his bare Word when we see no appearance of Performance but many to the contrary are no easie things to the hest Our frequent Experience of the difficulty and of our many failings in this daily Exercise of living by Faith may justly make us sensible of our need of great help of Grace when we shall be called to the new and more hard Work of dying by Faith To enforce this a little consider 1. Usually when death draws near to Men and they draw near to it the Eye of the Mind is clearer and the Conscience more tender and sharp-sighted in the review of their Life and Actions Many never saw their Lives well till they are just at the end of them And many Believers walk so as a spiritual review of their ways breeds no small Storm in their Consciences and Tryal and shaking to their Faith Though Death be a dark Valley yet great light of Convictions and Challenges springs up in it Wo to them that never knew till they are a dying what an awakened Conscience is Ways that are pleasing to Men when the evil day is put far away look frightfully on them when that day approacheth and is very nigh 2. A dying time is a time wherein the Devil is very busie He fetcheth then his last stroke on Saints and on Sinners He doth his utmost to secure the Damnation of Sinners that he may not lose them at last The Devil 's Deathhold of a dying Sinner is a strong one He also doth his utmost against Believers if not to marr their Salvation yet to hinder their Consolation The Devil 's parting Blow hath been dreadful to many a Saint It is a weighty Word Heb. 2.14 Where he is said to have the power of death It is true there it is said also that Christ overcame him and through death Death is properly and strictly in the Devil's Dominions Sin and Death are properly the Devil 's though the Lord hath the wise ordering of both he permits Sin and inflicts Death and Death lyes near the Devil 's great Prison Hell Through the Valley of death there are two Passages one leading to Hell and another to Heaven Most fall into the Pit others are brought through safe and sound by the Skill and Mercy of their blessed Guide Christ It fares here with Believers as with Israel and with Vnbelievers as with the Egyptians Heb. 11.29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians essaying to do were drowned 3. Judgment and Eternity when near and seen at hand are awful things And a near view of them will try Faith greatly This view blows away the Presumption and Hope of the Hypocrite Job 27.8 What is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost His Hope lived as long as he lived and when he dies it dies also Wo to them that have a dying hope a hope that cannot out live Death Christians are begotten to a living or lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 The Man's body dies but the Christian's Hope and Faith lives He lyes down in the Grave in hope Psal 16.9 He dies in that Faith he lived by Heb. 11.13 2. What is the helpfulness of Grace in this time of great need a time of dying I am speaking to living Men but to such as must die and know not how soon I shall only insist on one thing at this time The Grace of God helps Believers by strengthening of their Faith That is the help they mainly need in that hour And this help stands in these 1. When a dying Believer is helped by Grace to see death in Christ's hand There is a vast difference betwixt Death in the Devil's hand who hath the power of it and Death in Christ's hand who is Master both of Death and the Devil Betwixt a Man's seeing Death approaching and the Devil behind it and with it and a Man's seeing Death coming on him and Christ with it Paul's Triumph rose on this ground 1 Cor. 15.55,56,57 O death where is thy sting O grave or Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That by which Death stings Men is Sin unpardoned and God's Holy Law binding Sin and Wrath on their Persons Victory over both Sin
better School for Men to learn weigh and duly to understand the things of God in than a frequent and near view of death What an edge would this put upon our Praying Hearing Worship and Walking Every thing that is done by Men as dying Persons is usually well done I shall only add this that there are some sorts of dying that are very desirable in which the Grace of God is very useful and needful 1. Patient dying Dying is not properly a Duty but a Suffering It is not our Act but there is a manifold Exercise of Grace called for in dying Never did any Man act in dying but Jesus Christ he could lay down his life and take it again John 10.17,18 We cannot lay down our Lives they are not our own We are bid keep them as long as we lawfully can and when the great Command comes Return we are to yield obedience to it It is a great Blessing to have Patience for dying and Patience in dying Heb. 10.36 You have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receave the Promise And we often need Patience most when just upon the receaving of the Promise We should run with patience the Race set before us Heb. 12.1 And must of Patience is usually most needful in the last Stage of this Race Patience should have her perfect work Jam. 1.4 And the perfect and perfecting Work of Patience is the last act of it We all know that usually death comes on by such steps as are grievous to the Flesh There are Pains Sickness and Languishings that are no small Tryals of Patience but these are in a manner but Tryals of the Patience of the Flesh There are other things about dying that Patience is tryed by as time and place and many Circumstances that it is no small or easie thing to be quietly submitted to Javob the Heir of the Promise goes down to Egypt to Joseph for Bread after he is starv'd our of the Land of Promise and must die in Egypt and leave his Family there where they were to be long and heavily oppressed as the Lord told his Grandfather Abraham Gen. 15.13 Moses must die on the other side of Jordan David must not see a Stone laid in the Temple Josiah must die in Battel and that by not hearkening to the words of Necho from the mouth of God 2 Chron. 35.22 But what of such sad Circumstances of dying did not our Lord himself die under a dark Cloud on his dear Father's Face and on his own blessed Soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me were sad Words from the sad Soul of our dying blessed Lord. His Disciples forsook him the Sun forsook him Earth and Hell bandyed against him yet all was nothing to his Father's forsaking him How bitter was this to our Lord and yet how sweet is it to the Faith of Believers If you be called to die under a Cloud remember the Lord the Heir the Purchaser of Heaven went to Heaven in the greatest Storm that ever blew from Earth and Hell and Heaven on any man's Face at death Men are ashamed to express any quarrel against dying but there are many things about it that make us needy of much Grace to help to quiet submitting unto it both in substance and all circumstances attending it 2. Safe dying This is very needful and it is Grace's doing Many die Patiently as Men think that die not safely There are no bands in the death of the wicked sometimes Psal 73.4 Some go out of this Life to Hell more calmly than some of the Heirs of Glory pass to their blessed home Safe dying is to die without any hurt to the Soul that when the Cage of the Body is broken by death the Soul the Bird may take Wing and fly straight and safe to Heaven Death is the Believers 1 Cor. 3.22 as well as Life But what have we to do with death or death with us It is a black Boat that we must sail out of time to Heaven in And Christ steers the Boat and lands all Believers safely on Heaven's Shore This is all we have to do with death And when all the Passengers are brought over Christ will burn this ugly Boat Rev. 20.14,15 And death and hell or the Grave were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death And whosoever was not found written in the book of Life was cast into the lake of fire And then in the New Jerusalem there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Rev. 21.4 Who would not venture to pass out of this bad World to that blessed Land under Christ's Conduct though sailing through the Gulf of death be unpleasant in it self to us Men for Gain will sail from one end of the Earth to the other through heat and cold and stormy Seas and Winds and manifold Perils in the probable hope of advantage But Balievers may be assured that they shall arrive at their Port. Never did a Believer in Jesus Christ die or drown in his Voyage to Heaven They will be all found safe and sound with the Lamb on Mount Zion Christ loseth none of them nay nothing of them John 6.39 Not a Bone of a Believer is to be seen in the Field of Battel They are all more than conquerors through him that loved them Rom. 8.37 3. It is very desirable to have an honourable dying It is a part of the Vanity of this World that many dote upon an honourable Burial Some respect indeed should be paid to the dead Bodies of Believers but honourable dying is a great deal more considerable than that Men call an honourable Burial Our Lord told Peter of his dying John 21.19 This spake Jesus signifying by what death Peter should glorifie God That is honourable dying that brings Glory to God Paul is confident of this as to himself Phil. 1.20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death The most honourable dying is dying for the Lord this Honour is not given to all his Saints All Saints die in the Lord and blessed are they Rev. 14.13 Our desire should be to be enabled by his Grace to hear our dying Testimony to Christ and his Gospel There have been strong Convictions given to the Consciences of Sinners wonderful Supports to the Hearts of surviving Saints by the honourable dying of some Believers Their example their words their very looks and Behaviour in the Shadow of death have been of great use to them that have seen and heard them 4. It is also desirable to have the Mercy of comfortable dying To have an entrance ministred to us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.11 The Lord's
of this Mercy of God We do not reckon a man miserable only on the account of what he feels but also on that of his just Fears And generally the smart of misery is raised from fear rather and more than from feeling If any thing renders a man's present State miserable the apprehension of the duration or increase of what he feels adds greatly to his misery Many things would be little complained of as great Evils were a man sure that in a moment they shall be removed But in a Sinner's Case for as bad as it is at present it will surely be worse with him shortly if mercy prevent not There is certainty of its coming and an eternal duration of it when it comes It is called the Wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 Nothing like it ever came on them Present Wrath though dreadful is but a trifle to that that is to come It is Wrath to come for it will surely come As surely as God lives as surely as God is true in his word of Threatning this Wrath will come on the World of the Ungodly No putting of this evil Day far away but in vain Thoughts no diverting or keeping it back a moment All the united Force of the rebellious part of the Creation will not be able to stem or stop this fearful Tide of Wrath. It is Wrath to come for it is still coming and approaching As many Days and Years as an ungodly sinner counts in his life as many Days and Years Journeys hath God's Wrath made towards him Think on this Old Sinners God's Wrath and you are near to meet except mercy interpose You think you run from it but it runs after you it will come upon you and pursue you and overtake you as Deut. 28.45 It 's Wrath to come because it is always a coming and never past The Tide of God's Wrath on the Damned is an eternal Flood there will never be an ebbing Look down to Hell and see how they fare there Alas Men will not believe and fear and fly and therefore must feel How many daily hear of this Wrath to come and yet never have any fear of it till they be irrecoverably plunged into it Who never awaken out of the sleep of security till awakened by the Flashes of Hell fire Who will never believe God's Wrath till they feel it No true Believer goes to Hell all Unbelievers are sent thither but as soon they come there they become woful Believers because eternal feelers of this Wrath to come Mens danger of this dreadful State should make them cry mightily for God's Mercy as it renders them unspeakably needy of it But your own serious Thoughts about it would do you more good than many Words can The second thing proposed is What is the obtaining of mercy A frequent manner of Speech in Scripture 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy This Phrase of obtaining mercy speaks forth 1. That the mercy is God's Gift Our obtaining is the fruit of his giving I obtained mercy saith Paul and may every Believer say How so he gave it he showed he demonstrated it as 1 Tim. 1.16 It is the Lord 's shewing it tendering and giving of it that is the only spring of our obtaining it We do not buy it we do not work it out we are no way meet for it but by misery God's mercy springs not out of the Earth but comes down from Heaven It is the Gift of God And as such must all seek it that would obtain it and as such will all eternally own it that do obtain it 2. This Phrase speaks forth a particular application of mercy to the Receaver by the Giver of it I obtained mercy saith Paul general mercy would not do my business another man's mercy would not save me I must have it of my own for my self and so I got it Mercy came to me made me a Visit and applyed it self to me in particular So must it be with you You will never be saved you shall never see God's Face in Glory unless his mercy deal with you and apply it self as particularly to you as if there were no other Person in the World to be saved by Mercy besides thy self There is indeed a blessed multitude of the Vessels of Mercy and the Captain of our Salvation brings many Sons to Glory Heb. 2.10 But yet there is a personal particular Application of saving mercy to every saved sinner And for this Application of mercy we should come to the Throne of Grace Though there be infinite mercy at this Throne and though many receave of this Mercy yet you must have of this Mercy for your selves or you cannot be saved Your Soul is your own and no man's else your danger sin and misery is your own and no man's else and the mercy that saves you must be as much your own and not another body's mercy That deep Discourse of of the Apostle looks this way Rom. 11.30,31,32 For as ye in times past have not believed God yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all It is a great mystery of Judgment and Mercy the Apostle is speaking of the rejecting of the Jews and calling in of the Gentiles Mercy took occasion from the just casting off of the Jews to visit the Gentiles and will in due time bestow it self again upon the Jews But both of them must have mercy of their own Mercy to the Jews will not save the Gentiles mercy to the Gentiles will not save the Jews both must have their own mercy The Fountain is the same the Streams are the same but the Vessels are not the same and every Vessel of mercy must have its own measure of its own particular mercy So must it be with you if you be saved by mercy it must be your own and no man's else 3. Obtaining of mercy speaks forth the Receavers possessing of it Obtained mercy is not only bestowed and applyed mercy but it is possessed mercy Such things as cannot be possessed and kept are worth little pains in seeking But God's mercy is well worth the seeking because it may be both had by seeking and kept when obtained and is unspeakably beneficial when enjoyed Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him As if the Psalmist said Man is but a Flower his Life is a Wind and Vapour that quickly and surely passeth away but it is not so with God's mercy it eternally abides on all it falls upon O that Men would think on this As God lives and is true in his Word God's
complained of Some Professors spend all the little Religion they have upon their Afflictions Take heed to your Hearts under Afflictions It is to be bewailed that many Christians their Afflictions come on them they know not whence they lye on them they know not not wherefore and they go off they know not how that if I may allude to such sacred Words and apply the Phrase to such a sinful Frame Afflictions come on many and they feel the smart of them but know not whence they come nor whither they go They come on them when they are sent and go off when they are called but they neither knew what God meant by them nor did by them No Christian can ever make a spiritual and hearty Song of Praise for Afflictions unless there be some Sense or Hope of Profit thereby If the Profit be seen the Wisdom and Love of God in afflicting will be heartily acknowledged 5. Time of special need of the grace of God is a time of special Duty and Service to God called for All the course of our Life is to be constant Service we ought to live to his Praise we are made as Creatures and as new Creatures for this end Isa 43.21 1 Pet. 2.9 But there are some Seasons in which special Work is called for and then there is great need of grace to help in that Hour It is a mighty Word of the Preacher Eccl. 8.6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him And it is only the wise man's heart that discerneth time and Judgment ver 5. I would name four of those times 1. The time that Men are called to believe on Jesus Christ and to secure their eternal Salvation by a full closing with him This is a now a day an accepted time a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 All that hear the Gospel are bound by the Call of God in it and warranted by the Promise of it to receave by Faith Jesus Christ and eternal Life every time they hear the Gospel But sometimes this Duty is specially called for which if neglected may be of fatal consequence to Men. Hence that Exhortation Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near When Christ is knocking at the Door of the Heart then it is special Duty to open to him Rev. 3.20 This was the day Jerusalem had and neglected and that that Christ mourned over them for Luke 19.41,42 Unspeakable is Mens need of the prevailing help of grace when their Hearts and Consciences are warmed with the Calls of grace in the Gospel In such Seasons the everlasting Bargain is either fixed by the power of grace working Faith in the Heart or people are left to themselves and are further from Heaven than ever 2. Some special Call to Men to give their Testimony to Christ and his Gospel by suffering The Lord comes and craves Mens Testimony to his Truth and chargeth them thus If thou hast any love to me and my Honour I demand thy Witness venture thy all take up thy Cross Many Christians have neglected such trying Seasons which in vain and sorrowfully they have wished for again There is much of God's Grace needful to discern these Seasons and wisely to improve them 3. There is another remarkable Season of Mens need of God's Grace to help them in and that is The Season of the Lord 's calling them to a Duty-Tryal A Duty called to by way of Tryal The Lord gives the Call to try Men and very great are the Consequences of obeying or disobeying of such a Call Many instances are of this in the Word One is in Numb 14. The Passage is plain and awful When Israel had been above a Year in the Wilderness twelve Spies are sent to view the Land they all bring back an evil Report save Joshua and Caleb the People murmur God threatens them with Judgments They seem to be sensible of their Sin it 's like by the Plague that slew the ten false Spies ver 37. and by what Moses spake to them They acknowledge their Sin and resolve to go up next Morning ver 40. Moses tells them they now sinned again and that the Lord was not among them ver 41 42. What severe dealing is this The Lord was among them vesterday not this morning They were bid go up yesterday they are forbid next morning Because they did not what the Lord bid them do in his time he will not protect them when they do the same thing in their time Thus Saul was tryed twice 1 Sam. 3. Samuel bid him tarry for him seven days at Gilgal Saul tarried six days and part of the seventh and then offered Sacrifice not as I think that he did invade the Priest's Office himself but commanded some Priest to do it Profane Princes never want profane Chaplains What a severe Sentence doth Samuel pronounce against him ver 13.14 Again the same Man is tryed with another Duty 1. Sam. 15. and fails therein and is punished therefore This sort of trying Men by Duty is like that in 2 Kings 13.14.20 which Elisha did put Joash unto How may of the people of God through the want of the present help of Grace in some Duty-Trials have stepped into such Paths and have fallen into such Pits and Snares as they have never got well and clearly out of as long as they lived 4. It is a Season of great need of Grace to help us in when the Lord by his Providence puts several things in a persons choice and leaves them to choose The fullest of this kind was that offer made to David about Judgments 2 Sam. 24.12,13 A hard choice but David did choose wisely His Son Solomon had another Offer but it was of Blessings and not of Judgments 2 Chron. 1.7 Ask what I shall give thee And he chose wisely and by his choice proved that he had already receaved a good measure of Wisdom Moses had a great Offer and things of vast difference were in his Choice and he chose like a Man taught of God Heb. 11.24,25,26 Moses in his last Sermon to Israel Deut. 30.15,19 puts them on choosing I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of thy days So did his Successor Joshua when he had setled Israel in the promised Land a little before his death Josh 24.15 Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve Elijah did so with Apostate Israel 1 Kings 18.21 Somewhat like this is laid before Men in the daily Ministry of the Word The Curse of the Law or the Blessing of the Gospel is in Mens Offer And Men get as they