he rejoyced in it exceedingly Psal 40.6 Sacrifices and Offerings thou didest not desire mine eares hast thou opened burnt Offerings and Sin Offerings thou hast not required then said I Lo I come mine eares saith he hast thou opened what is that which God spak to him unto which his eare was opened That which God the Father spake to him was this Son the work of Reconciliation between my selfe and sinful man I have appointed and designed you to it I have appointed you to go to be a Mediator between us and to undertake to make Satisfaction and such satisfaction as that sinful man and I may be at peace as that Mercy and Justice may be Reconciled together For let me tel you as I have hinted before God and we could never have been reconciled except Mercy and Justice had been reconciled Now God the Father tells Jesus Christ that he hath appointed him to this work And saith Christ my eare hast thou opened O I do entertaine this worke and entertaine this gladly yea though I know that I must be made a Sacrifice for the sin of man And observe what follows in vers 7. then said I Lo I come I am ready and willing to do this work for in the volum of the Book it is written that I should do thy wil that is in the Scriptures it was written before ever Christ came into the world that he should come to perfect this great work And verse 8. I delight to do thy wil O Lord yea thy Law is in my heart What was this wil of God Certainly this wil of God here spoken of was that Christ should be a Mediator between God and man and to make up this Reconciliation and O saith he I do even delight to do this wil of thine though it be a wil which wil cost me deare And saith he thy Law this Law that requires of me to come thus to be a Sacrifice and to shed my blood to the end that I may be a Mediator between man and God even this Law it is with in my heart This is one Reason why God Chose this way of Reconciling himself to the world because it tended to the glorifying of his Son and his Son acknowledgeth it that it was his glory and therefore just when he was going to die he breaketh out into thâ—se words with desire have I desired to eate this Passover because that was to make way for his death which was the accomplishment of this work of Reconciliation Reason 2. A second Reason why God would have this way of Reconciling man to himself is Because in this way the Father himself is most glorified the Attributes of God do shine in a greater luster in this way of Reconciliation then if so be God had been reconciled unto man only in passing by the offence and so no more to do for now shines forth the glory of his Wisdom of his power and of his Justice as wel as of his mercy not only mercy but the other divine Attributes of God shine in this way of Reconciliation exceedingly bright and there is no such Glass to behold the glory of God in as the glory of the Gospel in the Mistery of Reconciliation We indeed behold and see the glory of God in the Glass of the Creatures But in the Gospel in the work of Reconciliation in Christ there is the bright Glass wherein al the beams of the glory of Gods Attributes are vnited together and shine with a Transcendent luster Yea there is not only a luster and a shining forth of them but a heat and a warmth that is reflected in the beholding of them In this way of Reconciliation God himself is glorified and therefore that Text which I named John 13.31 You have this likewise said that as Christ acknowledged himself to be glorified by this work so saith he my Father is glorified in me and therefore in Chapter 17. About the beginning Father saith Christ the hour is come glorifie thy Son that the Son may glorifie thee And verse 4. I have glorified thee on Earth how hath he glorified God I have finnished the work that thou gavest me to do that work of Mediation that work of Reconciliation between thy self and sinful man that work I have finnished and in that work I have gâ—orified thee upon Earth And the truth is this is the glory that God expecteth from the Children of men even to be admired and magnified in this great work of Reconciling the world to himself in his Son And that is the second Reason Reason 3. A third Reason is this Because the Lord saw that there was no such way to melt the heart of sinful Creatures and to draw them to come and close with himself as this way no such way to incorrage the hearts of poor sinners to come in to be reconciled unto God as this even the Consideration of the great things that the Lord hath done to make peace and Reconciliation between himself and sinners God I say foresaw this and because he would have a way to break the hardest heart in the world and to draw the most stout and stubbarne sinner unto himself therefore he hath chosen this way above al others of Reconciliation This the Gospel tels us in that parrable wherein you have the letting out of the Vineyard unto Husbandmen and it tels you when the Master sent one servant and they beat him and he sent an other and they beate him and at length he said within himself I wil send my Son surely they wil reverence him as if he should have said Here are a company of hard hearted stubbarn stout wicked creatures in this world and they have had this argument and the other argument to work upon theire hearts to perswade them to come unto me but so hard are their hearts as that they give a rebound to al the arguments that they have and there is nothing strikes into their hard hearts there is nothing melts them nothing perswades them to come unto me But I have one argument more and that shal break the stoutest and hardest heart that is and that argument shal be a prevailing argument if they be those that are appointed to life if they be such as are not lost Creatures for ever and what is that argument even this that I am reconciling my self to the world in my son I wil send my Son into the world to work out this reconciliation and there I wil reveale so much of my glory that when they come to see this O their hearts shal be fil'd with admiration they shal stand and wonder at the goodnes and riches of my grace and their hearts shal melt before me and shal at length be gained unto me when they come to heare thereof Certaynly it is the most Dangerous thing in the world for the hearts of men not to be melted not to be gained upon with this Doctrin of our Reconciliation with God in Christ And remember it if
if thou thinkest that this is an argument of Reconciliation No the bottom of Reconciliation is non imputation Hast thou an evidence to thy Soul that God hath revealed Christ to thee and that in his Son he hath imputed thy sin to thee and do'st thou build thy peace upon that This wil hold Many build their peace upon this that their sins are not so and so great as others are What of that if it be but one sin that thou art guilty of though it be of the least nature yet if it be imputed to thee it is enough to make thy Soul and God eternally enemies Others there are whose sins were committed a great while ago and they have worne out the trouble of them now they are quiet and at peace But O! let them know there is stil the debt remaining upon the score it is not taken of And as a man that may stay a long while before he cals for his debt may cal for it when he pleaseth and first or last wil do it So thou hast gotten thy selfe into a kind of peace and worne out the trouble of thy conscience yet know that so long as thy sins are upon the score and are not wiped off God wil cal for payment sooner or latter therefore pleace not thy self in any things in the world as the ground of thy peace but thy being reconciled unto God in Christ he not imputing thy sins unto thee CHAP. 39 The Ministers Commission to Preach Reconciliation to the World We now pass on to the next thing And that is the Commission for declaration of this Doctine of Reconciliation with God in Chrst in the last words of the 19. verse And hath committed unto us the word of Reconcilation God hath committed unto us I find the words in the Original different from that they are read in your English Bibles the word Committed is and put into us so the words are put in this word of Reconciliation so if you read it word for word according to the Original Text it is thus And he hath put in us the word of Reconciliation But because this kind of reading would seem to be somthing harsh in our English phrase therefore the Translators have translated it thus And hath committed to us but the Original exprsses it in this manner to shew what it is that is needful to a Minister of the Gospel that he should have the Doctrine of Reconciliation to sink deep into his own heart first that so when he comes to speak to the hearts of other men he may speak from the heart and so to the heart the word that comes from heart we say goes to the heart therefore it is of great use that one that is a Minister of the Gospel should have the word of Reconciliation the mysteries of the Gospel deeply rooted in his heart that when he comes to speak to the people he may speak it not meerly from his tongue and head but from his heart eâ—perimentally that his heart may be in his ministry that so it may be more effectuall to go to the heart of the people to whom he speaks and that expression is somwhat like to this 1. Gal. 16. verse in the 15. verse it is said But when it pleased God who seperated me from my Mothers Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me To reveal his Son in me he doth not say to reveal his Son to me but in me so the words are so that indeed it doth befit a Minister of the Gospel to be a profitable Minister when Jesus Christ comes to be revealed in him And so much for the expression hath committed unto us that is put in us the word of reconciliation As if the Apastle should say whereas the Lord hath been from al eternity plotting as it were the great work of reconciling the world unto himself in that great mistery of godliness doing of it in Christ and this is the work that above al things concerns the glory of God and the good of Soules and the Lord hath been pleased to appoint some select messengers for to carry this his name about the world and to shew unto the world what those glorious counsels of his wil hath been from al eternity concerning the Children of men this great Doctrine of reconciling the world unto himself in Christ is the very buisness that we are sent about the world for and are as the Embassadors of Christ to come and in his name to treat with the world about Reconciliation with God about making up their peace with God so that here you have the work of the Ministers of the Gospel what great things are committed to the Ministers of the Gospel He hath committed unto us the ministery of Reconciliation that is the work so that from hence the point is this according to the words of the text Doct That the Ministery of Reconciliation with God is committed unto the Ministers of God to preach unto the World The Ministers of God have a comission both from the Father Son and Holy Spirit to preach the Doctrine of Reconciliation to the people for here we have it in the very words which follow We are Embassadors of Christ as if God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you Reconciled to God for Father Son and Holy Spirit is likewise in the commission of Gods Ministers when they come to preach in the name of God and that you have in Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest thy good spirit It was the Prophet that came to instruct them it was the Spirit of God in the Prophet that did instruct them So that the Ministers of God have their commission from the Father from the Son and from the Holy Spirit to come to the people and to reveale the great counsels of God unto them they are sent by the whole Trinity unto the people here is their commission you have it clearly But the commission is more imediately from Christ though there is the Father Son and Holy Spirit in it yet it is more imediatly from Christ because Christ is the great Prophet of the Church it is part of the prophetical office of Christ to have the great counsel of God his Father in the mistery of our Reconcilliation to be opened to the people Christ was first annointed and then he doth as it were annoint other officers to this great work in Isa 61. There you shal find the great Prophet he is first annointed The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me To what To Preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken heart to proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the day of Vengence of our God to comfort all that mourne to appoint unto them that mourne in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes
GOSPEL-RECONCILIATION OR CHRISTS TRVMPET OF Peace to the World Wherein is shewed besides many other Gospel Truth 1. That there was a Breach made between God and Man 2. That there is away to make up this Breach 3 Reconciliation opened in eight Particulars Twelve blessed Consequences thereof How to know whether a Mans peace be made with God Five Helps to make our peace with God 4. God begins the Work of Reconciliation with man 5 Our Reconciliation with God is by Christ How Christ is a fit Reconciler Christ hath undertaken 1. To satisfie Gods Justice 2. To bring our hearts and subdue them to God 6 Gods reconciling the World to himself 7 Why God will not himself immediately dispence this Gospel Reconciliation 8 The Ministers of the Gospel are Embassadors of Christ What kind of Ministry God speaks most in How we ought to hear the Word The horrible wickedness of those that are idle in the Ministry 9 The exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Sixteen Arguments manifesting Gods exceeding willingness to be reconciled to sinners 10 Christs willingness to be reconciled to sinners further opened 11 Objections Answered concerning the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners To which is added two Sermons By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS Published with a Testimony By Thomas Goodwin William Bridge William Greenhil Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley London Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller at the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1657. A Testimony to the World concerning several Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs that are Printing and wil shortly be Published WHat we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now to give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on the 2 Corinthians the 5. chapter the 18. 19. and 20. verses Hos 2.14 Prov. 16.31 Math. 11.28.29.30 Which are or wil shortly be Printed We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author and published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil William Bridge Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderly The Names of Books printed by Peter Cole Printer and Bookseller of London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there is also shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before it can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is while this Life last and the Gospel continue 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the Word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin before the heart can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to sight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terible to a guilty conscience 10 Gross and scandalous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the heart of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prise and covet deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Six Books more of Mr. Hookers in two Volums in Quarto are printing Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3 Impressions with and without Word 4 Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8.
the Lord loved this creature and took delight in him therefore it is observable in that 1. Gen the last that though when he beheld all his other works he only said that they were good yet when the sixt day came wherein man was made the text saith that he saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Every particular Creature was good taken by it self good as from God good in their qualities effects wthout any either guilt or hurt But now taken altogether are very good especially seeing man was made who is the most excellent of all Gods visible works in the morning of his creation observe it it is never said very good till the last day till man is made there is not this Commendation of the works of God mentioned till he had made man and the reason is indeed because the Lord did not take so much delight in all the works he had made in this world untill he had made man man was the very complement of all the excellencies of Gods works for indeed he was the End of all his works he made all the other for man and man for himself God hath not his glory I meane not immediatly from al his other works in the world but only through man and had it not been for man he had lost the greatest part of his glory in the rest of his works his glory passeth from all the works that he made unto him through man Now therefore though the works that God made the Heaven the Earth and the Seas and the like were good in themselves yet what glory could God have had in all these he could have no Communion with these Creatures after they were made and these Creatures could have no communion with him none of them could know God or take any notice of God or praise God actively God is a pure act and he is not content with having his glory passively but he must have his glory actively It is true al his Creatures were made as an instrument in tune but there was none to play upon it and though there be never so much of the glory of God in all the Creatures in the world yet if man had not been made none could have sounded forth this glory of God those Creatures had been Dumb in that respect like an instrument that cannot of it self sound forth any musick unlesse there were some to play upon it and so it is here God had made all other Creatures very good and there was in them matter of Gods praise but now to the end that this praise and glory of God may be sounded forth he brings in man and he gives him skil to praise the name of God in all these Creatures and in this God delighted very much Thus there was a most blessed union and a wonderful delight between God and Man at first but the truth is this union was soone broken and man in a smal time did come to be next to the Devills the most deadly enemy that God had though there was a most blessed union between God and man at first so that Adam could walk and Converse with God as he did for a while yet Adam sins against God and turns a most disperate enemy against God even he himself and all his posterity therefore you shal observe in the story where the fall of man is set forth that as soon as Adam had sinned the voice of God which he did but hear in the Garden became terrible to him and he presently seekes to hide himself he was Conscious to himself that hâ— had made God his enemy and he lookes upon God as his enemy and so flies from him as from his enemy O what a change was here of mans condition what a sad thing was this that God who had no Creature in al the world to know him and feare him and serve him and love him and in whom he could delight and have Communion but only man and that that man should presently turn rebel and enemy unto God such an enimy as God looks upon him as one having a most opposite nature unto him and man looks upon God as an enemy to him and flies from him as from an enemy so that God was sain as it were to call after him Adam where art thou This is the woeful fruit of sin even of the first sin of the fal of our first Parents and since the world began since that very time this man this Adam hath begotten none but enemies unto God and if there be any truth in the word of God this is certaine That there was never any Child of Adam but was born an enemy unto God the Scripture is as Cleere in this as in any thing I might name abundance of texts for it which for brevity sake I shal omit Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were Reconciled unto God Certainly if any men in the world were not enemies unto God they are those that are Reconciled afterward but the Apostle speakes of himself and of all other Christians that are Reconciled unto God he saith that they were enemies unto him this may be said of every man child in the world that he is an enemy unto God and such enemies are every one of us unto God naturally as that there is an antipathy between our hearts and him and the enmity of antipathy is the greatest it is not an enmity occasioned by some il carriage in one act as for example Two men though they were great freinds before yet there may be some miscarriage between them that they may be as enemies for a while but that is not al the enmity that is on mans part against God is in his very nature It is true there was a sinful act brought it in first and made a breach between God and man but that is not al it went further there was by this sin begoten in the heart of man an antipathy a natural antipathy between him and God so that the poyson of a Toad in the Body of a man is not more opposite and there is not a greater enmity to the nature of man than the nature of man is opposite and an enemy unto God himself Two sheep may fight one against another by occasion and be as enimies one with another but two sheep can never be at enmity one with another as the Wolfe and the Lamb are for their enmity is natural their natures are opposite one to another So the heart of man is opposite unto God even naturally And know this that there is in mans nature not only a hatred of God but a deadly hatred Perhaps you may think you are free from this but Certainly this is in every one of your hearts naturally even in those that have the best natures in the world as you call them there is in their hearts a hatred nay a deadly hatred against God But you wil say God forbid what hate God Se that Scripture
did seek to make my peace with God was there not a time when I did cast my self before the Lord and did then give up my self as a blank to God and intreated him to write his own conditions and now God requires this duty of me and I am loth to come to it O I do not do now so as I said I would do when I was seeking for peace Here is such a temptation to sin O how opposite is this to that which I promised to God when I gave up my heart unto him My Bretheren I put this to you either you have come into Gods presence and as poor humbled souls have given up your hearts to God as Blanks for him to write his own tearms upon or you have not If you have not then you are not at peace with God and so you may go away assured that you have nor done that great work which concerns you ten thousand times more than your breathing in the Ayre But you wil say I hope I have done this I have been in my Closet giving up my heart as a Blank to God to write what Conditions he pleaseth and I have professed to yield unto any tearms Have you done so Examine then the course of your lives how answerable your actions are to such a thing You should do this at every fast for every fast is either to make peace or to renew your peace Now this is one work of a day of Attonement to come in before the Lord and to yield your selves up unto him and at the latter end of a day of fasting to enter into Covenant with God to give up your hearts unto God as a blank to write what he pleaseth Either this must be done or else you take Gods name in vaine Now if you do this or have done this in the uprightness of your hearts then make use of this when any temptation comes and say within your selves O! this is suitable for one that hath given up his heart to God Help 5. O that we could now prize and make as present before us what this peace wil be to us at the day of Judgment when the glorious appearing of the great God shal be then you think it will be worth somwhat labor now to make it to your hearts of as much worth as it wil be then endevour to realize it now as it will be then Certainly that is the reason there is no more stirrings of the hearts of meâ— after their making up of peace with God because they do not apprehend really what that peace wil be worth another day You have a precious Scripture in the 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore Beloved seeing we look for such things be diligent that you be found of him in Peace Do you not beleeve that there wil be a manifesting of the glorious God one day in another manner than ever he was manifested here in the world Do you not look for such things If you do certainly you will be glad to be at peace with God Seeing you look for such things saith the Apostle be diligent that you may be found of him in Peace let this take up your thoughts as the greatest business that your hearts can be set upon that you may be found of him in peace Woe be to you if you be then found enemies to God what wil become of you if you be not found of him in peace it had been better for you that you had never been born But how found of him in peace mark what follows without spot and blameless this is the way to be at peace with God But you will say O Lord if this be required as a way to be found of him in peace that we should be without spot and blameless then we are undone for who can be found of God without spot and blameless Yet you see this is the word of God and this is the truth of God and truth must stand it is a certain truth that whosoever shal be found of God in peace when that glorious appearance of his shal be he must be without spot blameless If God find any one spot upon you he wil proceed against you as an enemy But you will say How is that First in Christ there the soul stands before the Lord without spot cleer in the point of Justification and likewise Evangelically it may be found so in Gods esteem for God cals the uprightness of a mans heart perfection in other Scriptures Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect and let us perfect holiness in the fear of God God looks so upon it because God pardoneth al in Christ accepteth of beleevers in Christ so they are pesented before him spotless and blameless and he gives them a heart too to endeavor to wash away their spot and blame and so to walk blameless before the Lord and before men This is the way of coming to make your peace with God And O! that the reading this Book might be a means that some soul might be reconciled unto God that was an enemy to him before O! that this scripture might be fulfilled in the bosomes of some souls And thus though but very briefly I have passed over the opening of this point of Reconciliation with the excellencies and the blessed fruits of it CHAP. 10. God begins the work of Reconciliation with man Now the thing which I thought to have finished in this Chapter but shal not until the following Chapter is this That God is aforehand with his people in Reconciling himself he begins the work To wit saith the text that God was in Christ Reconciling the world c. It is God that begins the work of Reconciliation and if God did not begin it certainly we should never be reconciled unto him It is God first that begins to have any thoughts about Reconciliation and if he should not have done it we would never have thought on it but have gone on desperate enemies to him al our lives Secondly It is God that finds the way of Reconcilation we could never think of a way or if we did we could never have found out a way Thirdly It is God that begins to offer tearms of Reconciliation we would never go unto God except God came unto us such is the stoutness of our hearts Fourthly It is God that must not only come once but againe and againe after we have refused God must begin again Indeed a mong'st men when an Inferior hath offended one that is above him he wil say let him come to me if he wil. God doth not stand upon such tearms God doth not say let man come unto me first No saith God I wil go unto him A man wil say if he be the superior I wil never trouble my thoughts about it it shal come from him first But God doth not say so his thoughts hath been towards us that from eternity the Lord from eternity hath had thoughts of peace towards us and he
needs be great it is sin that made the distance between God and us and that was so vast and wide that it did necessarily require a Mediator to come between and especially upon this ground because the Lord was resolved to have that wrong that was done unto him by the sin of man perfectly made up sin had wronged God and God was resolved upon it he was set upon it to have this wrong compleatly made up and that he himself would be perfectly righted and this Gods Justice cals for and thus stood the tearms between God and Man Man having wronged God and God and He are now at varience and God stands upon it and is resolved with himself thus though I be willing to be at peace with them yet I wil be at peace with them so as I wil have the wrong that is done made up my Justice shal be fully and compleatly satisfied I must be righted for I am God and there shal not be such a flaw remayning in my Justice to eternity as that such and such Creatures should sin against me and I pass it by without having any satisfaction for saith God this would be a flaw in my Justice for ever and that I will not have and therefore I will be righted in that wrong that is done me by the fal of Man It is true when one man comes to treat about peace and Reconciliation with another it is somtimes necessary for him to pass by an offence without any satisfaction at al especially when that poor Creature that hath offended is not able to make satisfaction but it is not so between God and Man though one Man being at variance with another when he sees that he that hath done him the wrong cannot make satisfaction he then is indeed to pass it by but Gods mercy did never work after that manner though the mercy in a man may work him to such a Reconciliation and though God be a God of infinite mercy infinitly more merciful than any Creature can be yet the way of the working of Gods mercy is a different way from the working of the Creatures mercy neither doth it argue that there is not as much mercy in God as there is in the Creature but that the way of the working of Gods mercy is different from that of the Creatures and this is the way of the working of Gods mercy not to pass by the wrong done but to provide some means or other himself to satisfie that wrong to the end that he may have his Justice satisfied and because that this was necessary hence it comes to pass of our being reconciled unto God through Jesus Christ The necessity of Christs being a Mediator is not so much this that we are grieveous sinners and so we have need of abundance of mercy from God if there were nothing but these two only that we are great sinners and so have need of great mercy there would not come a necessity of Christ But we are great sinners and we have need of the mercy of God and the wrong that sin hath done unto God must be made up and his Justice fully satisfied and here comes in the necessity of a Christ And thus God was Reconciling himself to the world in this regard And the truth is though some of you have heard the sound of this oftentimes yet you must know this is the great mistery of the Gospel and by our presenting this unto you again and again perhaps God wil give you a further insight into this truth It is this that the Angels desire so much to pry into they know this that Gods Justice must be satisfied but they know it not so and so as the Church knows it and as the Saints know it and therefore they pry more and more into it to see the further depths of it as indeed there is greater and greater depths in this mistery which we can never fathom and which is only reserved for the time of the Resurrection Most people think that when they are to seek for Reconciliation with God they have to do with God only as a merciful God But you must know when you have to do with God about Reconciliation you have to do with more than with the mercy of God ye have to do with God reconciling himself to the world in his Son and you can never seek Reconciliation with God in a right Evangelical way unless you seek it in his Son That briefly shal suffice for the first The necessity of Christs coming in to the work of Reconciliation CHAP. 14. How Christ comes to be a fit Reconciler Opened in seven Particulars 1. Because he is the second person in the Trinity 2. He hath taken our Nature on him 3. He knows fully the mind of the Father 4. He fully knows what wil satisfie the Father 5. God the Father doth infinitly Love him 6. He never offended the Father 7. What he doth hath infinite efficacy and worth THe second thing propounded in the twelfth Chapter is this How Christ comes to be a fit Reconciler it is he who is the great Peace-maker and therefore in the Scripture he is called the Prince of peace it is he that is Melchezedeck King of righteousness and King of peace But how comes he to be so by being a Mediator between the Father and us and so you shal find he is called in the Scripture Heb. 8 6. But he hath obtained a more Excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant that is of a Covenant of grace and not of that covenant of works Now Christ he is a fit mediator to come in and to mediate between God and us As amongst men when there is a Breach between two and they are at a Distance the Breach is such as requires one to come in and to mediate between them It is not alwayes necessary between man and man where there is a Breath that one should come and mediate but there being a Breath between God and us it was absolutely necessary that a mediator should come in to treat between God and us and there could never have been the least parly the least treaty between God and fallen man had not a mediator stept in between and this mediator is Jesus Christ and it is he that is only fit to be our Reconciler and Peace-Maker 1. Because he is the Second Person in Trinity and in that regard he is fit You wil Say How doth this make him fit Thus The Sin that was committed in the first transgression was more directly against the first Person God the Father Why wil you say was it against one Person rather than against another It was indeed against them al but it was more directly against the first Person and this is the reason of it because mans first sin was against that perfection which God gave him in his creation against that created righteousnes that was put into him which was especially the work
himself and the Father must look upon him as the Head of a Covenant to which we belong likwise So that his obedience and sufferring is to be looked upon now not as done by a private person But looked upon as the obedience and suffering of a publick Person of one that Bears our Names before God the Father And herein there is a further mistery of godlines The reconciliation between man and man is only when one that is a stranger comes and stands between and mediateth there is not required such a union between him that he mediateth for and himselfe But Christ comes not in meerly as a third person between God and us but he comes to take our very natures upon him and we are made one in the covenant of grace he as the Head and we as the members That look as Adam stood before God as the Head of the first Covenant of works and so we were al looked upon at first in him and dyed in him So Christ who is called the Second Adam stands before the Lord as the Head of the Second Covenant and al those that he doth mediate for and whom he doth seek to reconcile to the father stand al before the father in him so that his work is imputed to be theirs and the Lord looketh upon them in their Head fulfiling that Second Covenant of life and peace that he hath made with poor creatures in him So that you must not only look upon Christ to be a Saviour as the Son of God in Heaven but if you would look upon him with comfort you must look upon him as the head of a second Covenant and upon your selves joyned with him as members of him and so presented unto the father through him Thus God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world God looking upon Christ and through Christ as the head of the Covenant of grace upon al those that Christ did undertake for as Covenanters Joyned together with him comes to be reconciled to al those which shal be everlastingly Saved This is the mistery of the Gospel God in Christ reconciling the world to himself What Christ was hath been opened And what Christ hath undertaken and how God looks upon us through this mediator These things you must search into and cry unto God that by his Spirit he whuld open these misteries of the Gospel unto you and then you shal see much of the mistery of grace and of the minde of god and so come to have abundance of peace with God notwithstanding al the present remainders of uncleannes that are in your hearts CHAP. 17. How we come to have intrest in what Christ hath done is further opened WE have shewed in the former chapter what Christ doth for the Continuance of this peace between God and us that he is at the right hand of God there making intercession for the Saints continualy so that if ther be any thing that might in its own nature break the peace between God and us this our mediator sits at the right hand of the Father and there by his intercession he continually presents himself for the removing of it and for the continuance of the peace between God and us that there may no Breach fal out for the time to come this I say Christ undertakes to do and this is a special work of his Mediation namly his being Continually at the right hand of the Father and there presenting himselfe unto God for the keping and mantaining of this peace which he hath made between the Father and us Again if it be demanded how we come to have an Intrest in this that Christ doth which was the fourth thing propounded in the twelfth chapter in his Satisfaction in al that he undertakes The Answeer was this That Christ is made the Head of a second Covenant for as the foundation of the Breach that was between God and us at the first came by the first man Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant in whom we al Sinned and so turned enimies unto God So Jesus Christ is made a Second Adam and the head of a Second Covenant and al those that are looked upon as the posterity of the Second Adam for so it must be they are looked upon as one in him As al that were of the posterity of the first Adam were looked upon as one man in him and so the Breach was made and enmity came between God and al that one mans posterity so al that are to be of the Posterity of the Second Adam that are either actually of him or are to be born of him by a Spiritual generation which in the Scripture is tearmed Regeneration al those are looked upon as one with him and hence it is that in the 1. Cor. 15.47 the Apostle speakes of the first and second Adam as if there were no more but two men in the world for indeed ther are no more in that sense nor ever were The first man saith the apostle is of the Earth Earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly here is the first man and the Second man Why you wil say are there but two men in the world No not in that sense that is there were never but two men that did represent al others and under those two men are al other men in the world represented before God Al the children of men that fel from God the are represented in the first Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant and they stand under that covenant And al those that God intends to be reconciled unto and to glorifie they are represented before God in the second Adam who is the Head of the Second Covenant It is true if we speake properly Caine was in order the second man in the world but Christ is the Second man that is the Head of a second Covenant the Second man that God did enter into the Covenant withal for other men and in that sense he alone was the second man As in the same sense Adam is Called the first man so that God is Reconciled to the world in Christ that is as in the first Adam the Breach was made between God and man so in the second Adam Reconciliation is made between God and man And as God imputeth that which the first Adam did to his Posterity for Condemnation so that which the Second Adam did he doth impute to the Posterity of that Second Adam for life and Reconciliation And that you have more largly discussed in the most part of the fift Chapter of the Rom. especially from the middle of the Chapter to the end CHAP. 18. Eight Consequences of Our Reconciliation being made in Christ 1. It is a deep Mystery 2. It is very free 3. It is sure and certain 4. It is full 5. It is an honorable way 6. Yet in such a way as doth debase man 7. It is firm and everlasting 8. This Reconciliation was a very difficult work THere are yet
the Fift and Sixt particulars mentioned in the Twelfth Chapter that follow in the Explication of this point of Reconciliation with God in Christ and when we have done them we shal come to the Application of all the six thiings And the Fift is some Consequences that follow from what hath been spoken for if we be Reconciled to God in Christ we may from thence draw diverse Cosequences I shall not now do it by way of Application but only shew you how such Consequences as I shal name do naturally flow from what hath been said For if the Reconconciliation between God and us be in Christ then there are these particulars of it and these things may be said concerning it Consequence 1. First Hence it followeth that the Reconciliation of the Children of men with God is a very great and deep mystery it is not a thing that can ordinarily be undestood it is not a thing that is wrought in a natural way But to reconcile any soul unto God is done in a way that is most deep and hidden and is of it self a most glorious Mystery And therefore when the Scripture speaks of our Reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ it tels us that it is the hidden Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 2.7 We speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdome which God ordeined before the World to our glory It speaks of the very same thing that my Text speaks of viz. That God was Reconciling the world to hemself in Jesus Christ and this he saith was the Wisdom of God in a Mystery the hidden Wisdom which God ordeined before the world to our glory And then again verse 10. God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit the particle them is not in the Greek but only thus God hath revealed to us by his Spirit that is This Mystery for the Spirit seacrheth all things yea the deep things of God That is the first thing that followeth It is a Mystery Consequence 2. The Second is this Hence our Reconciliation with God is very free it is a work of free grace it is reconciling himself in Christ it is not reconciling himself to us for what we do our selves or for what we can do No there is nothing that we do or can do nothing that Angels do or can do for us that can reconcile us unto God but we are reconciled unto God in Christ therefore the work of Reconciliation of us is nothing but free grace we do not contribute any thing at al unto this great work it is al done in Christ it is altogether free If there be anything required of us yet it must be God and Christ that must work it all every thing of our Reconciliation whatsoever particular there is in it it is al in Christ and therefore altogether free Grace towards us Christ is the guift of God and every thing that is indeed in him and by him is a free guift to us That is the Second thing that may be said of this Reconciliation that it is free Consequence 3 The third thing that may be said of it is this That it is sure and certain there is a certainty a sureness of this Reconciliation Why Because God hath wrought so strangly about the work and he would never work so strangely about such a work but he would have it come to somwhat he would not have this work after he hath done all to vanish Those indeed that hold the Doctrine of free wil and say that indeed there is a price payd upon condition if we do beleeve but we are left to our selves either to beleeve or not beleeve and God onely propouds the means What do they teach but thus much That after al the Councels of God that are wrought for our Reconciliation and after those great things which God hath done for us in Christ it is in the power of man to make al to be void and of none effect and that there should not be any one man in the world reconciled at last for ir must needs follow that if it be left to man to beleeve or not to beleeve and that it is in his power whether he wil or not then it is in his power likewise to make al the Councels of God and the great works of God in Christ to be of none effect at al that after God hath from al eternity plotted the work and sent his own Son into the world to be made a Curse for the sin of man to die to make al that ado al that work about the matter of Reconciliation Atonement yet if that Doctrine were true which is a Belzebub error a false Doctrine of the greatest magnitude it had been possible hat notwithstanding the doing of al this all had een lost and Christ might have dyed in vain and not one soul in the world saved I say this must needs follow upon that Doctrine But now if that we hear that there is so much done as there is for the making up of our peace Reconciliation with God then on the other side this must necessarily follow certainly be concluded on that there are some that are to be reconciled to God and that this work shal never be lost God wil never plot so great a work and send his Son into the world to do so much as he did for the sin of man and at last suffer it al to be lost but he wil certainly bring some unto salvation I confesse when a poor sinner that is made sensible of what sin is and of the Breach that sin hath made between him and God when he thinks of the greatness of the work what it is to be reconciled unto God he trembles and shaketh in hmself fearing it were to good news to be true and least it were not certain and sure Yea but when he comes to understand what God hath done for the accomplishment of that work how God not only hath promised it but we can say now that it is done that the Lord hath indeed sent his Son into the world and that he is made man and that he hath been under the Curse of God for mans sin and he hath been Câ—ucified dead and buried and is ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the father and al those glorious Mysteries of the Gospel spoken of in the Old Testament are now fulfilled and accomplished when a sinner comes to understand this O! then he thinks surely there is a certainty a sureness in this work of Reconciliation with God And as when Jacob heard that Joseph his Son whom he loved was yet alive the Text saith the heart of the old man failed he did not beleeve it he thought it was two good to be true But when his other Somes came and shewed him the Charriots that Joseph had sent and gave him such real demonstration of the thing not only that he was a live but that he was the greatest man
going of the miles is as necessary as the other and though that be not required yet it is implyed in the act that is required and it is to be looked upon as necessary as that which is required as a Condition So it is true humiliation is not the Condition of the second Covenant it is not the thing that intersteth us in Jesus Christ but it is that which the nature of faith doth necessarily imply for faith is an understanding Grace and indeed it is the most gloriouse worke of the soul that ever was for a soul to beleeve in God through Christ to beleeve that God is Reconciled to him in Christ it is the most glorious work under heaven Now when I beleeve in Christ as a Savior what is he a Savior from a Savior from my sin a Savior from the wrath of God and this the Soul must necesarily be senssible of how else can it put forth such an act of Faith and I know no faithful preacher in the world that ever pressed humiliation further then this that when men beleeve in Christ they must know and be sensible of what they do you must know Christ is a Mediator and if he be a Mediator what is he a Mediator for why to make up a Breach between God and you And then you must know what that breach is that is the breach that your sin hath made And then you must know what sin that is Namely that your sin hath provoked the Justice of God and put you under the Curse of the Law So that you see the necessity of opening the law though it be not a thing which interesteth us in Christ yet it follows of it self as a necessary Consequence without which you cannot understand Christ as a reconciler This is therefore the first use If God wil never be reconciled to any Soul but only in Christ then that Soul that comes to be Saved must come to see it self in a most woful Condition for such a Creature as hath need of such a Mediator must needs be in a most Wretched Damnable Misserable Cursed condition in it self for else it could never requier such a Mediator And certainly there is no such way to honor Christ as this When men speake of Christ and of free Grace except rhey instruct people in this Namely the breach that is made between God and them through sin how can any of their Avditory understand what Christ is Christ is a Mediator what to do to save from fin What from what sin from sin What is that sin must be made known if Christ be the reconciler between God and us because Reconciliation implies a breach and a breach that is made by sin and if you know not what breach is that is made how can you honor Christ as Mediator So that you must know what that breach is that breach is the enmity that is in your hearts by Nature you must know what that enmity is and be sensible of it or else you can never give glory to God in Christ And though many have so much in their mouthes of Christ and of free Grace yet it is apparent in their Course that they do not give glory to Christ Christ hath little cause to thank them for any glory that he hath from them in their Conversation they rather blott and staine the name of Christ and what is the reason The truth is they never rightly understood Christ as a Mediator they never knew what it was to have need of a Mediator between God and them and so they having but a superficial knowledg of Christ Christ hath but a superficial glory from them That is the first Use CHAP. 31. Use 2. Discovering of Mistakes about Reconciliation 2 IF God hath reconciled himself to the world in Christ Hence we are to take notice of the great mistakes there are in the world in the point of Reconciliation with God Certainly if this be a truth that the only way of making up our peace with God is in Christ then the world doth gennerally mistake in the great matter of Reconciliation with God and a mistake in this is an undoing mistake a damning mistake a Soul may perish eternally meerly thorugh a mistake in the matter of Reconciliation A man may be troubled for sin and cry out of his sin and may break off the practice of his sin and cry unto God in Prayer that he would pardon him and be reconciled unto him and yet mistaking here and not understanding that it must be God in and through Christ that reconcileth himself the mistake in this may prove an undoing mistake to that Soul and although they should be Crying out of their sins al their daies they may perish at last if they do not know and rightly understand how to close with Gods mercy as it is in Christ if they do not understand that it is God in Christ that reconcileth himself to the world We know the greatest part of people look for their Reconciliation with God meerly in a natural way they have sinned against him and they wil cry unto him for mercy and for pardon and so they think al may be made up between God and them I remember Luther hath a notable speech concering this in his meditation about the way which God hath appointed for reconciling of man to himself that it is in Christ It is intollerahle and horrible blasphâ—my saith he to faigne any worke by which thou mayest presume to please God and he gives the reason of it It is therefore intollerable and horrible blasphemy for any to faigne any worke by which they shal presume to pacifie God when they shal see and hear that God cannot be pacified any other way but by such a way as the blood of his Son one drop where of is more preciouse then the whole Creation And upon this ground being meditating of Gods reconciling the world to himself and that it was by such a way as the blood of his Son and that one drop of his blood is of more value then al the Creatures in Heaven and Earth hence it was that he affirmes is to be horrible and intolerable blasphemy for any man to think to pacifie God any other way Nay when God by such a way hath appointed Reconciliation for a man to neglect this and to think that any work of his own shal pacify God especially those that heare the Gospel preached to them when they shal think of any other way of their own and so neglect the way that God hath appointed this is indeed a most intollerable and horrible blasphemy and Certainly it is that which provoketh the Lord exceedingly that when a sinner shal be made apprehensive and sensible of the Breach that is made between God and him for that sinner to think the Breach to be no greater then may be made up with any work of Repentance or good meaning or good works the Lord disclaineth to look upon that sinner in this
by the stopping of mens mouthes that they shal not be able to say another day O the Lord was terrible and he was a hard master and I durst not goe unto him Indeede my Conscience told me I had sinned against him but I durst not goe to him for mercy for I was afraid of him The mouthes of men shal be stopped another day that have heard this doctrine or God reconciling the world in Christ opened unto them and have not come in and layd hold upon it Indeed it is the plea of many a servant that hath offended his master when one comes to him and Saith why do not you goe and humble your self before your master O Saith he I dare not he is such a furiouse man that he wil fly upon me presently I had rather suffer very much then go to him and this they think excuse enough and many poor Servants wil rather wander up and down the Contry and perish then go backe to their master But noe sinner can say so of God let him be never so vild a siner that is departing from God if one should come unto him and say you wreched sinner whether are you going you are departing from God you are going away from him but behold God calls you to come in O goe and humble yor soules and lament your sin and lay downe al those weapons of enmity against God which you have taken up This sinner now cannot say how shal I dare to look upon God I that have been such a vild and wretched Sinner Surely God wil distroy me and consume me No the Lord propounds himselfe to you a God or mercy in his Son and tels you that he hath provided a meanes in his Son to be reconciled unto you and that his heart hath been so much upon reconciling himselfe to the chrildren of men as that he hath sent his son to do this worke and though it cost the very blood of his son yet he wil do it and therefore sinner if thou dost not come in but wilt go on in wandring from God and Continuing in wayes of enmity against him thy blood be upon thine own head Thou hast read this blessed doctrine of the Gospel opened that God was reconciling himselfe to the world and that he was reconciling himelfe to the world in his Son and that God excepted that when this message was brought to a Congregation the whole Congregation should come and fly unto him and that the world should be fill'd with Cries O! that we might be Reconciled unto him Our Lotd expects this day from some of you to heare you reflect this upon your selves by crying unto him for Reconciliation in his Son that should be the issue of such sermons as these are God ever after such preaching looks to heare some soul repeate in prayer to God and tel him what it hath heard in the Ministery of the word and upon that make a prayer unto him according to what it hath heard As in this manner The Lord expects that this day some sinner or other should get alone and be crying unto God in prayer Lord I have heard not only that there is a possibility for sinners to be Reconciled but there is such a glorious way of Reconciliation that thou hast done it in thy Son Such an honorable way and such a certaine way of Reconciliation and that thy heart is much in that way And Lord I have heard that this is a way that takes away all objections in the world al the discouragments that can be immagined and thou hast revealed it to that end that is that thou mightest break the hearts of sinners and draw them to come in and accept of that blessed covenant that thou hast tendred to them in Christ and to be reconciled unto thee Now Lord I desire to cast my soul upon this free grace of thine in thy Son O! that I might feel thy spirit inableing me to such a gloriouse work as this and O! that the Lord might heare such things as these from some of your Closets this day it wil be that which wil even cause the heart of God to rejoyce that ever he opened the doctrine of Reconciliation to you otherwise it wil turne to the quite contrary end it wil only serve to stop your mouthes at the great day That is another Use CHAP. 23. Use 4. Dispaire not of Gods making peace in this Nation YEt once more If there be such a way of Reconciliation between God and us if God hath wrought it so that it is in Christ Truly from hence we have no Cause to dispaire in Gods power and wisdome and goodness to make peace in this Nation God hath done the greater work You see that God is a God of peace and loves peace and to the end that he might be at peace with the wretched Children of men he hath wrought so wonderfully as to send his own Son into the world and provide such a way that he may be sure that peace may be made and by that way he hath done it He hath made peace between Mercy and Justice there is peace made between an infinite provoked God and wreatched sinful vild Creatures I told you before that this was a mighty difficult work yea the most difficult that ever was or can be in the world If God hath therefore wrought such a work so difficult in a way so gloriouse Then from hence learne not to dispaire but that God may worke even peace for us in this Nation and an honorable peace and a good peace too We are not only hereby incouraged to cry unto God for peace between him and our Souls but we are by this incouraged to cry unto him for peace in the Nation and that he would put an end to these woful times of destruction and misery and war which many of our Brethren have suffered and bled under And indeed those that do understand or have ever felt the work of God in working peace between his maiesty and their Souls they are those that have such intrest in God as if any people shal prevail with him for peace in the land it must be these they wil prove to be our peace makers in the conclusion howsoever people at present cry out of them as if they were the means and instruments of making the gratest debate and as if they were the enimies of peace No my Brethren they that have experience of this great work of God of making peace between himself and their Souls they are they that he at the Throne of grace continually crying unto him that is the prince of of peace to make peace in the Land We desire peace But you wil say How can it be done that way Why should we say how when God himself hath made peace between Heaven and Earth We see things so intricate that we know not how it should be done and we wonder it should ever be brought about that the Spirits of men being so
more then so but that thou castest of the comfort of it that thou mightest give liberty to thy loosnes and negligence and to have the flesh have satisfaction And so Christ himself may abraid the what shal I come from the bosom of my father and take upon me the form of a servant and be made a curse that I might make peace between my father and thee and is it worth no more but this that thou castest away the Comfort of thy assurance for such a sinful distemper of heart to give thy liberty to live after the flesh Yea the Holy spirit may come and a braid thee and say What shal I come and reveal the deep councells of God towards thee and shew thee what those things were that God from all eternity hath done for thee shal I open the misteries of Christ unto thee and draw thy heart unto him and shal I speak peace unto thee and yet when al is done thou shouldest regard this so little as for the sattisfaction of some base distemper of heart loose that which I have thus brought to thee loose the comfort of al that I have done for thee both Father Son and Holy Spirit may abraid thy negligence and the loosness of thy heart and life Yea and thine own Conscience may tell thee and say did not I often hint unto thee that if thou didst give liberty to thy selfe to walk thus and thus loosely thou shalt loose thy comfort and thou shouldst ' come to apprehend God to be a terror to thee and wilt thou even in these dayes of troble when men crie out of feares and dangers take such a foolish course to loose thy peace with God Is there any thing in the base distemper of thy heart that can countervail this loss Look upon those that walk holylie and closs with God and let their Conversations abraid thee they keep their hearts cleane and maintaine their peace with God and when they lie down they lie down in peace and they awake in the comfortable assurance of their peace and when thy heare of warrs and rumors of warrs yet so long as they can look up to God as their reconciled Father their hearts are fixed and stable and though they suffer the spoyleing of their goods and â—he loss of all that is deare unto them yet they know that within their bosom there is that which wil afford comfort enough unto them And yet thou through the giveing sattisfaction to some base and sinful distemper or lust canst not think upon God without terror can'st not apprehend him but as an enemy O! unworthy soul how shouldest thou be confounded in thy own thoughts for the loosness and negligence of heart in preserving that peace which Christ hath wrought between the Father and thee so strangly and so wonderfully Work these things my Brethren upon your hearts any ground all upon this that we are reconciled to God in Christ our Reconciliation was wrought by such a strang way as by Christ and it cost his blood to work it therefore if we have any hope of our peace with God we had need looke to it to preserve it CHAP. 27. Use 6. Give God the glory of our Reconciliation Againe we have yet a further Use here If God be reconciled to us in Christ it teacheth us to give God the glory of this great worke adore the infinite wisdome and mercy and goodnes of God in this work of his towards us reconciling us to himselfe in Jesus Christ When Christ was born the Angels Sang glory to God on high peace on earth and it was upon that ground that they Sang it as if they should have said O Lord what a way is here for thee to make peace upon earth that thou shouldest send thy Son here we looke upon a poore Infant in a manger and this Infant is the eternal God the second person in Trinity that hath thus taken mans nature upon him and here he lyes in the cratch even the same person that made the world What a strang work of God is this to bring peace upon Earth peace after such a way as this glory be to God on high And this is the thing we should spend our dayes in to adore the infinite wisdom and goodnes of God in this way of his in reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ God expects that al the children of men to whom Christ comes to be made known to should even fal upon their faces and spend their days in adoring and praysing and magnifying this great work of God God expects that we should have mighty high thoughts of this work and if our thoughts be not high of this work and be nor lift up above al Creatures we do but take the name of God in vaine God doth not care for any other glory we give him except we give him the glory of this work It is true when we see the works of God in the Earth and in the Seas we should glorifie Gods power and Gods wisdom c. But except your heart be taken with this master peece as I may so terme it with this great work of God of Reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ God wil rject al your other gloryfyings of him I mean so reject them as he wil not accept of them in comparison therefore this is the thing that God accepteth above al and this is the comandement of God that we should beleeve in his son and that we should give the Father the glory due unto him for reconciling himselfe to the world in his Son This is the worke that shal be done in Heaven to al eternity This is the thing that God himselfe delights in above al that ever he hath done that takes up his heart above al. And if it do not take up your hearts but you look upon it as an ordinary thing and so indeed count the blood of Christ as a comon thing O! know it is a high indignity in that thing in which he doth expect most glory from And let me say this Hath God revealed this work of his Son unto thee and is thy heart taken with this great work that God hath done and art thou continualy adoring of the greatness of that work of God peace be unto thee for this is as Good an evidence that thou art reconciled unto God in Christ as any I know But I must hasten CHAP. 28. Use 7. To love Christ And do or suffer for him AGain Is it in Christ that we are reconciled unto God O! let Christ be beloved by us Let us say with the blessed Martyr Lambert None but Christ None but Christ which he spake too when he came to the stake to be burnt for Christ a good Lessen for us by the way to take out that may come to suffer very hard things for that which we have undertaken to do in obedience to God yet for us to rejoyce when we come to suffer banishment or loss of goods or
of al these things was before God from al eternity As a work man when he goes to build an House or to build a ship he hath the platform thereof in his head before he strikes a strook So the great work of our Election of our Vocation Justification Reconciliation adoption sanctification and glorification the Lord had the platforme of al before him it was all in his Head as it were and he was exercised about it before the world began so that if thou art a Beleiver it now comes to be knowen that the Lord from al eternity was exercised about thee and thy good and about the Contrivance of thy Salvation and fore saw how thou wouldest fal from him and be made a child of wrath and an Heir of Hel. And then he saw a way how to recover thee out of that condition and how to bring this to pass how he would cast thy lot to live in such a place and in such an age of the world wherein the Gospel and the misteries thereof should be preached and that thou shouldest come under such a ministery and that just at the preaching of such a sermon such a truth should be darted into thy heart and applied unto thee and that then he would send his holy spirit to fasten that truth upon thy heart the Lord plotted al this from eternity and this is that which the Lord was busied about as we may speak with reverence before the world began Vse 3. Another Use is this It is a good establishment for us to help us to beleeve that eternal happiness that is to come that part of eternity that is a parte post Becaâ—se we have God revealeing his love to us in that part of eternity that is a parte ante God hath shewed that from eternity he hath been plotting our good Surely then it is no more for God to make us happy on the other side of eternity then it was for him to be plotting our happiness in the former part of eternity So that a Beleever may see his happy condition in this He is now injoying that peece of Gods love that is between two Oceans of eternity of love As if there were a little River and on each side there wer a mighty Ocean of Water now the streame of Gods love and mercy runs towards thee thou now dost receive abundance of good from God the Lord sweetneth thy life and now comforts and refresheth thy heart with his grace art thou glad of this and is this peece of the mercy of God sweet unto thee poor soul look on this side and look on the other side and see those Oceans of Eternal Love on both sides towards thee Alas this is a little that thou hast now but if thou lookest on one side there thou shalt see that eternal love of God that was toward thee before the world was made And if thou lookest on the other side thou shalt see eternal life in al that glory which shal never have an end which thou shalt actually be possessed of and that which thou art for the present in the possession of is a little stream in comparison of these two great Oceans of love that are from eternity to eternity And when thou hearest that God intends to make thee happy for ever and that thou shalt continue a glorious and blessed creature as long as God himself shal live and that thou shalt be happy as long as God shal be happy Perhaps thou thinkest how is this possible is it possible for such a poor fraile creature as I am to live to be happy as long as God himself shal be happy Yes do not doubt of it though it be a great thing for God hath had a love to thee from al eternity therefore though it is true there be many frailties and many sins of thine yet that cannot hinder thee of that eternal mercy that God hath been plotting for thee Methinks the Apostle argues after this manner Galla. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect Observe the Apostles argument the Law saith he cannot disanul the promise of Grace Why Because it was four hundered and thirty yeares after the promise was made and that which came so long after cannot disanul that which was before We may make use of the argument thus Surely if thou beest one that belongest to this transaction of God with his Son the sins that now thou fallest into cannot take away Gods love from thee cannot hinder thee from being happy for ever VVhy Because the Covenant of God with his Son for thy happiness was not four hundred and thirty years ago but hundred of millions of thousands years ago therefore that which is now done cannot disanul that which was from al eternity â—â—mfort thy self with this when thou hearest that God was reconciling himself to the world even before the world it self was yea from al Eternity VSE 4. Again It should stir al to begin betimes to get grace and Reconciliation with God You that are yong ones and are now in the flower of your youth crowned with rose buds Consider this God he was working for your good before the world be you working for his glory as soon as you can Shal not I give the begining of my years my first fruits to God who loved me and was working for me before ever I was borne therefore it is fit he should have as much of my time as can be VSE 5. Yea this should also be a mighty argument to put us al on to be constant in holy walking with God because the lord hath been working from Eternity and wil be working to eternity for our good and therfore that time which we have we should serve and glorifie God in it For suppose we should live ten thousand yeares or ten thousand millions of years in this world Suppose God should require us to live and serve him in the way we do now Eternally we should not think much of it for we serve God but one peece of eternity that is that part of eternity which is comming But God is merciful to us in both peeces of Eternity his mercy is to us on both sides from everlasting to everlasting God is before hand with us in his mercy and in his love his love was from eternity and shal Continue to eternity and therefore we should not think much to serve God and to glorifie him in waies of holiness al the time that we are appointed to live and when we have don al we cannot com neer to those workings which he hath been at for us But I shal leaâ— his point the Lord seal it with his bleessing upon our spirits CHAP. 33. Of Gods Reconciling the world to himselfe THE next point being the seventh propounded in the first chapter is That God was Reconcileng the World to himselfe So the
unsavory thing But it is made manifest to the Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery amongst the Gentiles Now then mark how our point comes in in the 28. ver the Apostle would fain gain every man he is loth to lose any one of his Auditors every man every man every man three times in one verse Whereunto also I labor striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily What Phrases are here heapt one upon another I do not make the work of the ministry an idle work as if I went about al the day from one company to another from Tavern to Tavern al the week and then think to come and preach upon the Lords day to you and so make it an idle business but it is my labor and not only so but I strive and how doth he strive not meerly according to humane strength he strives beyond that I labor striving according to his working It is the word of God I confess and my labor and striving it is according to his working Yet stil this is not enough according to his working which worketh in me Which worketh in me mightily The work of God that worketh in me mightily according to that I labor so again writing to the Thessalonians in the first Epistle 2.2.4 O! this is the trust that is committed unto us we are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God we are upright in that we dare not be but faithful in so great a trust which is committed to us and then upon this he tels them in verse 8. we were willing to impart our own souls because this Gospel we knew it would be to excellent We might be very large in this I wil give you the ground of it in a very few words CHAP. 57. Reasons of Faithful Ministers earnestness 1 their love to God 2 their love to Jesus Christ 3 their love to their souls to whom they Preach 4 a kind of love to themselves FIrst those that have committed to them the Ministry of Reconciliation as it is of the Appostles having it put into us the Ministry of Reconciliation Reason 1. First that that makes them so earnest it is the love they have to God for they know that this is the great glory of God this that shines in the Ministry of Reconcilliation in that that they go to declare to the world except that the Lord have his glory in that the truth is he hath his glory in nothing in Comparison and theâ—eâ—ore that they might testifie their love to God that the God whom their Souls love may have his glory in that which is indeed his glory and his Master-piece of al his works O! this it is that makes them earnest they thinke if the lord hath not his glory here where shal he have his glory O! it is infinite pitty that so great a work wherein so much of the glory of God doth appear that the Lord should have no glory in that work Reason 2. And again their dear love to Jesus Christ every faithful Minister of Christ doth bear a deer affection towards Jesus Christ and their soules would faine that Jesus Christ might be lift up in the world now there is nothing that lifts up Jesus Christ in the world so much as the Ministry of the Gospel those that have any love to Christ that know what Christ hath done for them they desire to lift up his name and besides the honor the work puts them upon it is the Ministry of Reconciliation and an honorable worke it is and therefore the Apostle Paul Rom. 15. hath a notable expression for that purpose honor of the work it is the Ministry of the gospel in verse 20. the word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to love the honor of it those that understand the language it is a word that signifies to love the honor of a thing I was ambitious to preach the gospel that is the phrase and so it may be translated I was ambitious to preach the gospel So that Paul was not ambitious for a great living or to be brave or in power or a Justice of peace or a Lord and the like as many ministers of late have been but his ambition was to preach the gospel looking upon that as the greatest preferment that any of the sons of men were capable of or that he could desire in the world Reason 3 And then again besides the Consideration of the Ministry of the Gospel makes them earnest in love unto their Bretheren and to the souls of the people to whom they preâ—ch for they know that souls are utterly undon except they come to know God in Jesus Christ except they come to have the mistery of the Gospel revealed whatsoever excellencys they have in this world what parts of nature they have yet they are lost undone miserable creatures for ever and better they had never been born better they had never breathed in the aire except Jesus Christ be revealed unto them Now it is impossible for any man that knows the necessity of the Revelation of Christ but that if the Ministry of the gospel be committed to him he must needs be earnest and faithful in the work of the ministry Reason 4. And there may be some argument from love to themselves those that have the Ministry of the gospel Committed to them some way God gives them leave to love themselves they cannot love themselves any way so as to be earnest in the Ministry First If they be faithful in the Ministery of the Gospel and God go along with them as he wil if they be faithful then Oh! how many souls should bless them if at any one Sermon if perhaps they go into a strange place and work upon a few souls they shal hear their souls blessing God for them every time they go into Gods presence Now what a wonderful encouragement is it for a Minister to be painful in the work of the Ministery of the Gospel This is a greater matter than to have a Bishopprick to have but one soul bless God for one that God hath been pleased to work upon and this is no other than we challenge to be our due if we by any means may be poor instruments of God to reveal Christ to any of your souls This is due in justice that you should ever mention us before the throne of Grace and that the blessing of your prayers should be upon us and this is a mighty encouragement to make them earnest not only to make a Sermon but to be striving to reveal the misteries of Christ to their souls and as they wil be blessing of Christ here so by this meanes those that are faithful they should give a good account at the day of Jesus Christ and they shal be able to behold the face of Christ when he shal appear who is
he clapt his chains upon them and reserves them in chains of darkness there is no such patience of God towards them as to be any argument to draw them to repentance therefore they cannot draw any encourageing conclusion from any work of Gods patience as to bring them towards God again But al sinners may do it that are the sons of men Hath God spared thy life at such and such a time know that in that work of his he doth manifest his willingness to be reconciled unto thy Soul as if a man hath an enemy at an advantage and he wil not take it Doth not this signifie that he is willing to be at peace with him And that is the first thing CHAP. 62. The Second Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners SEcondly God hath manifested himself very willing to be reconciled unto sinners in this that he hath made it to be the great Master-piece of al his works to provide a way for Reconciliation of thee unto him The Lord hath wrought so wonderfully for the children of men rather than for Angels in sending his Son making of him a curse for our sins In this the Lord proclaims a loud voice to al the world O! be it known to al you sinners that I am willing to be reconciled to you We need not name Scripture for this for the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is ful of this O! the heart of God is much in this work of Reconciliation al the arguments in the world al the expressions that possible could have been could never have held forth this so much as meerly this proclaimation that God hath sent his Son into the world to die for mans sin this holds it forth and proclaims it with the loudest voice that possible can be that God is infinitly willing to be reconciled unto sinners CHAP. 63. The third Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to sinners AND then thirdly after this work of God sending his Son mark how God doth express himselfe to the Children of men he doth profess that there is nothing wherein he doth more glory than he doth in this to shew mercy to sinners he doth make account that the chefest glory he hath in the world it is to shew mercy unto siners Certainly that that his soule is so wel pleased with that that he accounts himself most honored by is when sinners shal come in unto him to repent that he may be reconciled unto them If a man should do thus that hath an enemy and should manifest this to some of his friends that sit at his table as to say such an one is an enemy to me but O! how fain would I have him come in that there might be peace between him and I and I would count it as great an honor as ever I had in my life would not any one say this man were willing to be reconciled certainly God doth so and therefore in Exod. 30. the place you know about the 6. verse the Lord when he was proclamming his glory that Moses desired and the Lord promised he promised Moses in the Latter end of the 33. Chap. that his glory should passe by him and he caused his glory to passe by him as in Chap. 34 and what was that glory The Lord the Lord God merciful and pretious long sufering and abundant in goodness and mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrossion and sin as if God should say Moses wouldest thou see my glory this is it that I am merciful and forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here is the height of my glory in this is my magnificence made known And another most remarkable place we have in Esa 30 1â— I shal make use of the begining of the place And therefore wil the Lord wait that he may be gracious and therefore wil he be exalted How wil God be exhalted That he may have mercy upon you Therfore he wil be exsalted that he may have mercy upon you and so he goes on For the Lord is a God of Judgment Blessed are al they that wait for him so that God accounts himself an exalted God when he hath mercy upon a sinner Surely he is very willing to be reconciled to a sinner when he counts himself an exalted God when a sinner comes in and beleevs in his on Now am I exalted saith God this is that my soule glories in this I account to be a happiness to mee God is exalted in shewing mercy and that is the conclusion of this argument CHAP. 64. The fourth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconcilled to sinners FOurthly the Lord expresses this his willingness to be reconciled to sinners with a sigh as when he expresses his desire after sinners with a sigh which is a note of earnestness of desire and that you have in Deut. 5. and 24. verse O! that there were such a heart in them When we express our desires we say I would there were such a thing But when we express our most earnest desire then we express it with an O! O! that there were so saith God O! that they had such an heart that they would fear me and walke in my waies and why doth God expresse this It is that it might be wel with them and with their children for ever therefore O! that there were such an heart It is observable if you turne your eyes to the former part of the Chapter you shal find that this people did say that whatsoever God had spoken that they would do But the lord saw that there was not a through comming off of their hearts unto him to resigne up themselves wholly to him and therefore the Lord doth as it were fetch a sigh in the earnestness of his desire O! that there were such an heart in them If a man that were fallen out with another when he were in his Bed-chamber or at his Table he should fetch a sigh and say O! that such an one would come in and be Reconciled to me how glad would I be to be Reconciled to him how doth my soul long after him would not every one say that this man earnestly desiers Reconciliation with that person But thus doth God he sits as it were and saith O! that there were such an heart CHAP. 65. The Fift Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Fiftly the Lord doth not only express his desire by a sigh but by an Oath he takes a solemn Oath upon it how willing he is that sinners should come in be reconciled unto him and it is the greatest Oath that ever God took it is about sinners coming in to profess his willingness that sinners should not die but they should come in and be reconciled to him and that you have in the 33. Ezek. 11. Say to them As I live saith the Lord God I have no
the sinner that so it might allure the sinner to come in so God speaks of his people in the 2 Hosea the 14. There was a great breach between Israel and God at the time and God to make up the breach when he would be pacified towards Israel he expresses it in this manner Therefore behold I wil allure her and in the 11. of Hos 4. mark I draw them with the cords of a man and with the coards of love I delt with them in a suitable way because that mans Nature had rather be drawn than driven and cannot so wel bear to be driven with violence as to be drawn by love Therefore saith God I wil deal with them according to their own Nature and in a suiteable way I draw them with the coards of a man and with bonds of Love here are the gracious expressions of God unto wretched sinners to break their hearts that they may come in and be reconciled to him God takes away the terror of his greatness and comes in loving and sweet waies to draw the hearts of sinners I appeal unto your consciences have not you that know what it is to be reconciled unto God had the Lord setting the riches of his Grace before your Soules have not you seen the alluring attributes of God presented before you to gain your hearts unto himself CHAP. 69. The Ninth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother is this that the Lord is willing to yeild unto his creatures as farr as may be to yeild to the creature I say as farr as he can with honor for such is the way of the Gospel in bringing sinners to God that God hath yeilded to his creatureâ— as farr as can be conceived to be done with honor he cannot deny himself and his Glory But take it thus farr that God must have his Glory it is impossible that God should yeild further to the creature than he hath done Whereas God might have required satisfaction in our own persons he hath yeilded to this I wil take it in another this is the condition of the Covenant of Grace from that of the Covenant of works the covenant of works required perfect obedience in our own persons so that if we did not obey it required saitsfaction of us Now in the covenant of Grace there is a high consideration as it were God is content to take it in a suerty He wil be content for our parts if there be uprightness if there be but endeavors if there be but willingness of heart though he sees that we do provoake him day by day wel saith God whereas I stood upon perfect obedience in the Covenant of works now saith God I wil he satisfied with the wil for the deed if there be but uprightness of heart though there be many weaknesses yet I wil be willing and content with that Now doth not a man shew himself willing to be reconciled unto another when he shal say wel let there be any terms propounded that can be I wil yeild to any tearms so far as I can with honor I must not dishonor my self but so farr as can be I yeild God hath done thus he professes to the world that so far as he can he hath yielded to us Now if we should not except of the termes that he requires for they are such tearms so reasonoble so equal that cannot be imagined less there cannot be less required of the Creature then is by the Creator Object You say beleeving is a great matter But consider it in its selfe it is not such a great matter but only in relation unto Christ in its own nature it is but as a poor begger that puts forth his hand to take the almes and it is God that gives it to us two Now if we do any thing what can we do less then receive espeâ—ially when we have a hand given us by God wherewith to receive as if a begger had an alms promised him if he would come and take it Oh! but saith the begger I am lame I cannot go and my hand is withered I cannot stretch it forth Wel he that would give the alms saith he wil help the beggar thither he wil help him to legs to go and he wil heal his hand and give it strength whereby he shal put it forth to receive the alms only do not strugle against me do not resist me I wil be with you you shal leane upon mee I wil give you stilts Is not here as much consideration as can be and so it is in the work of reconciliation of sinners unto God he gives alms and he gives the hand wherewith to receive it CHAP. 70. The tenth argument Manifesting the exceeding wilingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners And then the Lord manifests his willingness to be reconciled unto sinners in this he doth profess unto sinners that the greatest sins that ever they have committed shal not be a hinderance to bear of this work of reconciliation The Lord I say professes this to sinners he sends his messengers to tel them that though perhaps they may be conscious to themselves of some vile thing that they have committed whereby they may think that God wil never pass by that sin But God to take away the objection that they shal never be able to say so he doth make that as cleer as any thing in this world that there is not the greatest sin that ever thou hast committed except that one against the Holy Spirit no other sin shal barre or hinder the work of thy reconciliation and certainly where that sin is committed the heart wil never desire to come in to be reconciled to God but flies in the face of God to revenge himself upon God But if thou hast a heart that desires to come in to God that is an infallible argument that thou hast not committed that sin I might give you a great many Scriptures for this to shew that God professes that there is not any sin that shal make the bar in the way between him and thee in Isa 1 18. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord c. Yea come now let us reason together Thus God deals in a familiar way with sinners as if a Malefactor were before the Prince shaking quivering and trembling fearing that the Prince would have his life being conscious to himself of abundance of evil that he hath been guilty of and the Prince should go and take him by the hand and say Come let us rise up let us reason together though your offences be great yet that shal not be a bar between you and me This is that we have authority to proclaime even in the name of the Lord God of Heaven and to every poor soul and to the worst of sinners and to the greatest of sinners that are here or can be heer now before the Lord in his name this we say there is nothing past
doth deal in a familiar way as man to man when he hath brought his Arguments and answered Objections and been importunate and pleaded then truly sometimes if it be a tender hearted man perhaps his heart doth even break within him and he is ready to burst out with tears because of the stoutness and frowardness of such a one that wil ruine himself and stand out against so much reason and that prevailing more than al the other arguments especially when he is to speak to one that he hath any reference to as a Father the Father perhaps perswades the Child and answers what the Child hath to say is importunate appeals to the conscience of the Child yet he stands out stubbornly and at length the Father or Mother can hold no longer but burst out in tears lamenting the hardness of heart of such a one Now if a Child that is stubborn should look in at a key-hole and see his Father or Mother shedding of tears because of his hardness of heart then the Child wil certainly be convinced of this Now certainly my Father loves me and al he doth it is but for my good certainly thus did Christ when he came to Hjerusalem he wept over it Upon what ground O! that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy peace O! that thou hadst known Christ fel a weeping Now we are to know this that the tears of Christ at that time concern sinners now as verily truly as they did concern sinners at that very instant and we are to look upon Christs cariadge of himself to sinners in former times as at this instant concerning us and amongst us Now I would appeal to you suppose Christ were born in this world in the flesh again as he was and should come and look towards this commonwealth and should come hither and say O! England England O! that thou hadst known the things that concern thy peace and should weep over London or weep over Westminster as he did over that Citty of Hjerusalem Would not this break our hearts Would not we take this as a great Argument that Christ was very dersirous of the peace of this Citty or place Now concerning every particular Soul it is true and every one should make use of that Scripture and apply it to themselves as if Christ stood weeping over it and say Oh that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that concern thy peace Would not this break your hearts this Town that Christ sends his Gospel amongst And suppose you could see him bodily Jesus Christ standing here and one tear trickling down after another saying O! that this people did but know the things that concern their peace at least in this their day when they have a price put into their hands before the Gospel Sun goes down or is eclipsed surely we should say that Christs tears argue the rowling of his bowels towards them it may be their time wil not continue long O! that they knew it now If you did see Christ thus weeping I suppose this would be a mighty argument to you that Christ were willing to be reconciled to you We are I say to make use of that Scripture as if it were now And though Christ doth not shed tears now in Heaven yet there is as much compassion in the heart of Christ now as ever there was here upon earth he hath lost no compassion by going to Heaven and therefore know that Jesus Christ doth look at this day upon this Congregation and many particular Souls it is propable Christ more specially eyes and saith in his very heart Oh! that such a Soul such a Servant such a Youth Oh that they did but know the things that concerns their peace for now the Gospel is opened to them and a day of salvation is made known to them and they are labored to be drawn from their evil waies to embrace me and Oh that they did know these things that concern their peace And thus it appears how willing God is to be reconciled I shal afterwards shew somwhat about Christ in a more special manner that sinners should come and be reconciled unto God CHAP. 76. The sixteenth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FUrther there is an other evidence of the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners and that is this The Lord doth foresee that after he hath done al to be reconciled unto sinners let him do what he can the Lord foresees what a little honor he shal have for the present at least in this world by them he sees that after they are brought in that yet stil there wil be abundance of corruption and they wil dishonor God extreamely now and wil grieve the Holy spirit that doth thus draw them he sees that they wil walk more offensively and it may be Scandalously towards their bretheren and dishonor the profession of religion God sees what a deal of do and stir he shal have with those that he doth bring in to himself and yet for al this he goes on with his work and labor with the hearts of sinners notwithstanding al that he doth foresee And then the last of al is this that after the Lord hath used al these meanes to bring sinners to come in and break their hearts that they might be reconciled to him though they that stand out against him and plead and weep over them and mourn yet the Lord is content to waite and yet a long time upon sinners and not to take advantage against them for their rejecting of this Grace of his that he tenders to them That scripture I named before is sufficient for that Isa 30.18 And therefore wil the Lord wait that he may be gratious Oh! how many yeares hath the Lord waited upon som of you We have cause to stand and admire at the Grace of God that ever he would once offer mercy to us that after so many offers and such importunities to prevail with our hearts and we frowardly have rejected this Grace that now God should waite upon us to heal our souls and at length to overcome us Oh! this manifests the goodness of God and the tenderness of his heart to be willing to be reconciled unto sinners and therefore in Jer. 13. Mark what God saith unto sinners in the last verse I have seen thy Adulteries and thy Neighings and the Lewdness of thy Whordomes and thy abominations Wo unto thee Oh Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean When shal it once be Saith God Oh! that once it might be I am content to stay again and again Oh! when shal it once be Let not al my labor be in vaine Oh! here is the fullness of the expressions of God and that place likewise in Isa 57. Is observable for this purpose the 17. and 18. verses For the iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth and Smote him I hid me and was
that that is the best way to conveigh true saving Grace unto them a spirit of life into them it is by this means rather than by others the Lord chooses this way rather than others You have received the Spirit saith Paul to the Galatians And how have you received it by the preaching of the Law or by the preaching of the Gospel Which way was the conveighance of the spirit of God to you Was it by the preaching of the Law or the preaching of the Gospel not by the one but by the other Though there be a great deal of use of preaching the Law yet that which doth conveigh the Spirit and grace into the Conscience it is the opening the riches of the treasure of the Grace of God in the Gospel therefore this Objection hath no strength in it to say we have no power in our selves God doth entreat and beseech because by this meanes he puts forth a power into the hearts of those he doth intend to save everlastingly If we should entreat dead men to rise it were a folly for us because we cannot conveigh any power into them but it is not in vain for God because he is able while he is entreating and beseeching to conveigh a power into them Obj. But you say in the second place what need the Lord do al this God might work it by a word from himselfe God might presently shew forth his almighty power to bring in sinners to himselfe he need not stand praying and intreating and answering Objections bringing of arguments and the like because he can by his almighty power bring in sinners he can breake the stoutest heart that lives upon the earth and pul downe the proudest spirit and therefore what need God do al this Ans I Answere who aâ—t thou O man that reasonest against God but if you wil have reasons there are many to be given First because God having to work with a rational creature he wil work suitable to the nature of that creature that he is working upon If God were to work meerly uppon stones to raise out of the stones children unto Abraham then God would but only speak the word and say let it be done it should be done but the Lord loves to do it in a way sutiable to a rational creature now that way is this First that the understanding should be inlightened and the heart should be gained and wrought upon they knowing what it doth it should come to do what it doth freely and wilingly though we have no free wil at the first yet when wee do embrace the gospel then the Lord doth cause the hearts of men to embrace it wilingly and this is a great part of the gospel of God to shew himselfe to his creature he wil work his own work but such a way as shal be suitable to his creature Again if the Lord should bring in sinners to himself by his almighty power then there would not so much of the beauty and riches of his grace appear as there doth this way If God should effectually work it by his own hand I say the glory of his grace would not so gloriously shine sorth Now it is the special designe that God hath in al his workes about redemption that the glory of the riches of his grace might appear to men and Angel's that they might magnify it Now what can be more to magnify grace then when a sinner shal come to vieu the several workings of Gods mercy towards him how the lord hath provided a way of Reconciliation and that though the soul were backward and hung of yet the Lord stil followed on and put on the soul and would not suffer the soul to die and perrish in the sins of it What wil magnifie Grace more than this the way of bringing in sinners to be reconciled unto himself wil be a principal subject for the Saints to be blessing of God to al eternity And therefore you Christians that have found the work of God bringing in your hearts to himself observe what Gods work is marke the several waies of Gods working with your souls For know that those several waies of Gods working with your souls now wil be the subject of your eternal praises in Heaven And hence it is that God doth go on in such several expressions that the riches of his Grace might appear the more fully Yea and further that by this means he might gain the hearts of sinners everlastingly to himself there is nothing wil gain them so unto God as this declaration of the riches of his Grace in the Gospel And when the sinner shal see not only that God is reconciled but how God hath set his heart upon it how earnest God hath bin in it this wil engage the heart of a sinner for ever unto God and hence it is that those sinners that have felt most of the Grace of God bringing them in to be reconciled are those that keep closest unto God As for such as are only stopt in the way of their sins by the terrors of the Law and are not acquainted with the mistery of the Grace of God in the Gospel they seldom hold out though for a while out of slavery to their consciences they do not commit such and such sins This I make no question one may be brought to do that hath no true saving Grace that they may not dare to commit a sin in secret for a while meerly our of terror of conscience But now these men they are only wrought upon by the terrors of the Law they seldom hold out but though conscience bear a strong hand to keep them from sin for a long time yet at length they break those bonds But now those that have not only conscience enlightned and do not see the danger of sin only but come to have these beames of the Grace and goodness of God let out into their hearts and their hearts are so gained unto God by this that they wil never depart from him but their hearts wil follow to the bountifulness of God The difference of these two may be exprest by this similitude Look how it is in frosty wether when the water is frozen there are two waies to come by the water the Husbandman goes in the morning and sees the water frozen and beates it to pieces and breaks the yce but though he doth so the next morning he comes and sees it frozen as much as before but when there comes warm weather and dissolves the yce then it quite goes away in flakes so hence the hearts of al sinners are frozen and God comes with the terror of the Law and beats them in pieces and breaks them that way I but at last they freeze again and grow as hard again as ever But now when the Lord comes with the beams of his Grace and shines upon them then their Hearts thaw and the yce goes away and their hearts come in flowing to God in another manner than
when he comes by his stroaks Now because the Lord sees that this is such a way to engage the hearts of sinners to come in unto him therfore he doth not only put forth such an almighty power but comes in such a way as this when the sinner cannot be able to perceive the hand of God that is the almighty power that doth the work yet the sinner can perceive the shining of Gods Grace and his goodness and the expressons of his love and the like this is apparently before the Eyes of the sinner to admire and works upon the heart when the other is more secret Obj. Thirdly If God and Christ be so willing to be reconciled unto sinners then you wil say what is the reason that there are no more reconciled One would think that al sinners in the World should be reconciled to him hee may reconcile al Is it not as easie for God to reconcil one as wel as another God many times tels us that few shal be saved Yea Christ himself tels us so Now this that you have preached about Gods and Christs willingness to be reconciled One would think that al the world should come in to be reconciled otherwise how wil it appear that they are so willing Ans For the answer to that the heart of God Christ are much set uppon Reconciliation with sinners but so as may be suitable to other ends that God hath God wil not have the work of his mercy manifested so as it shal crosse any other work that he hath to do so farr as the Glory of his mercy may be manifested without crossing of some other work that God hath to do so farr it is let out not to al. Why Because it wil not be suitable to some other ends that God hath to bring about that he should be reconciled unto al sinners Object You wil say to other ends Why Do Gods ends crosse one another If Gods Heart be for Reconciliation with sinners how should this Cross any other thing that God hath to do Answ For answer though things may seem to us one to be cross to the other yet there is a blessed concord in Gods ends and his waies and it wil appear plainly one day before the Children of men and Angels and it wil be the great work of God hereafter to manifest that those things that seem most to be cross one to another yet wil be very Advantagious and assisting to the Promoting and Coronation of this blessed work As it is in the Heavens there is the motion of the Heavens they have one motion by which they are carryed one way and there are the Starres they have another particular motion of their own and yet there is a concord in the motions of the Heavens In any work that a man doth as in a Clock there is one wheel that runs one way so farr and another meets with it they seem to run quite contrary waies and yet take them altogether and they do al run to the end that the work is intended for and yet seem to go contrary the Cross going of the wheels is the right going of the Clock So God seems to work in the works of his Grace one way and in the works of his justice another way and they seem to go quite contrary one to the other But the truth is they worke al to the end that the workman makes it for here is the Grace and mercy of God thus manifested in entreating and beseeching sinners to be reconciled It goes thus far and then when it hath had its ends then comes the stroak of Gods justice and that striks another way and al makes to the beauty of the work of God that he might have glory in al So though God be thus earnest yet it is no Argument that al sinnners should be reconciled because it appeares to be the beauty of Gods work which shal appear another day the work of mercy thus farr and the work of justice so farr this we are not able to understand throughly now but it is left to the great day to be understood Further It may be answered that these expressions are cheifly intended towards those that belong to his eternal election but revealed in such a general way as none should exclude himself therefore the charge of the Ministers of the Gospel is to preach to every creature because we do not know who they be that do belong to the election but it is for the sake of Gods elect ones that these things are reconciled in such a ful way as they are such things should be taught in a Congregation where there are many thousands but if there be but a few that beloâ—g to the election of Grace God aimes at them most though he may aime at the other too for to lessen their sins and somtimes to aggravate them Yet know if there be but a few that it is for you and for your sake that these things are preacht and these may serve to answer to those objections CHAP. 79. Use 1. Admire Gods infinite Grace in enterating to be reconciled to sinners Considering 1. What it is God intreats for 2. Who are intreated 3. By whom you are intreated 4. What need hath God of you USE IN the first place upon al what hath been said of the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners that they thus do entreate sinners we are taught First to stand and admire at the infinite riches of the â—â—ace of God and espeically you who have felt this work of God effectually upon your Hearts You who have found God wooing and suing to your hearts give God the glory of his Grace and admire at it It were mercy for the Lord once to offer upon any terms to be reconciled unto sinners or to shew them any favor Meerly to offer it that is grace that is to be admired and that is more than God hath done to the Angels he would not do so much to them But now that God should not only offer but send to feek after thee to cry after you again and again to be importunate with you to entreate and beseech not only by his Ministers but by this own spirit for there is the work of that the spirit of God comes and woos and beseeches sinners to come in and be reconciled Oh stand and admire at this forever Let it take up your hearts to give glory to him and the rather if you consider these four things First What it is that God doth entreate and beseech for What is it that you are entreated to do That that shal deliver you from the greatest evil that any creature is capable of and that whereby you would receive the greatest good that any creature is capable of you are entreated not to be miserable but to be happy and not only that you should serve God and not sin against God and do the works that God requires of you for his glory but you
there is no duty that God requires of me but I know my heart is with it if the Lord wil but reveal to me Now in this case having before felt the work of God drawing thee to Christ and if thy heart be thus kept to God this is one good Argument that certainly God and thou are not enemies Secondly if thou canst but say thus there is no Argument that is so prevalent with me to make me not sin as this for fear of breaking peace between God and me this is the thing that makes my sin sting my Soul indeed because by that I come to lose some of that sweeness of the assurance of my peace with God Canst thou say so keep thy heart but in such a frame though thou hast many weaknesses that thou canst say whatsoever sin the Lord reveals to me yet my heart is against it and whatsoever duty the Lord requires of me yet I know my heart is with it and if there be any thing that I do not know Oh! that I knew it more and more and there is nothing that I fear sin for so much as this because that I see it breaks the peace between God and my Soul Is it so with thy poor soul I pronounce in the name of God Peace be unto thee Though thy heart be not as thou would'st have it thou maist conclude this certainly God that hath manifested such Grace in drawing thy heart unto himself at the first wil not cast thee off Certainly God had some greater end in working so wonderfully towards thee than to throw thee off except the Lord had some great thoughts of heart in glorifying himself in thee and to do thee good he would never have wrought so upon thy heart as he hath done There are others that live under the light of the Gospel but the Lord doth never come to their hearts to speak to them as inwardly to draw their hearts and that by his own Spirit as he hath done to thee the Lord hath not had so great thoughts of heart to glorifie his name upon them in the day of his Grace as towards thee in the working of his Grace So certainly to thee the Lord is about to do great things that grace of his that hath been so strong upon thee as it hath been it wil carry thee through al difficulties Certainly the Grace of God hath been strong and it wil be strong and therefore build upon it If thou hast an hard heart do not say thou hast an hard heart and therefore Gods heart is not towards thee No but rather say thou hast an hard heart and therefore thou wilt look towards God to break thy hard heart and bring thy frozen and cold heart to these Beams of Gods Grace and stand under these Heavenly influences If thou beest sensible of the hardness of thy heart and then to sit down sullenly and heavily and think because of this God wil reject thee this is not the way to get thy heart softened but rather cal to mind what the grace of God hath been towards thee and how the heart of God is towards sinners to be reconciled unto them and what he hath done for the like such sinners as thou art and so keep thy heart under the warme beams of the Gospel and thereby thou wilt gain a great deal more than sitting down in a sullen way Those kind of Herbs that grow under the warm Sun grow the better and the Fruit ripens better than those that grow out of the Sunne So the Heart that can keep it self continually in the Sunne of this mercy and goodness of God thus expressing himself in the Gospel willing to be reconciled to sinners this heart wil thrive more abundantly than those that shal ly down sullenly and discontentedly This is a mighty encouragement for al sinners to come to be reconciled a mighty strong encouragement to them the Lord invites and beseeches in the Gospel and sends his ministers to do it and requires them that they should do it in his name What should hinder them but that any sinner none excepted should come and be reconciled We cannot tel who they are that shal not be reconciled and therefore we may say concerning any particular sinner What should hinder thee but that thou shouldest come in to be reconciled And if God entreates and Christ entreates and Ministers entreate and thou entreatest What letts thee but that thou maist be reconciled As the Eunuch said Here is Water enough why may I not be baptised So here is mercy enough why maist thou not be reconciled Hast thou such thoughts as these are See that God is willing to be reconciled to sinners wel when I get home I am resolved to throw my self before the Lord Christ and I am able to cry to him for reconciliation for I am damned and undone for ever else and and I heare that there is a way to be reconciled to him wel this shal be my work now I wil set upon it presently I wil never leave crying to God til I have found Gods Grace comming to me Art thou resolved upon this Wel go on and fal down in thy crying to God for mercy make this point part of thy petition Lord I have heard that thou art willing to be reconciled now Lord here is a wretched sinner comes in to be reconciled to thee what hinders now when both shal entreate Suppose two were fallen out one with the other but now when both sides are wrought upon and one he professes himself not only willing but earnestly desirous to be reconciled and the other he comes and expresses himself so too surely both these wil agree Now it is true many times between man and man their expressions are but very slight and there is not that at the bottom of their hearts that they express with their mouthes When two are fallen out and one comes to them and saith why wil you not be at peace with such a man Oh! yes saith he I am willing So come to the other and he saies the same he is willing and yet their hearts are not right perhapps one to the other But now in this case between God and thy poor soul be confident that on Gods side it is most real and do thou but make it out that thy heart is real in desiring after peace with God and fully understand what thou dost when thou dost desire peace with God So that thou wilt not be at peace with any sin and desire it fully and then when thou shalt get it then thy heart shal be praising God and say I shal live to the praise of God for ever and that shal be my endeavor I would faine have at but wil God be at peace Yes God shal get as much as thou shalt by it he shal thereby get that that he did especially intend and aime at in making the world The great designe that God had in making the world was to magnify the
God in a Mercy As in his Mercy to Abraham Isaak Jacob Solomon David c. There were glorious discoveries of Gods presence when as Jacob was delivered form Esau saith Jacob I have seen thee as the face of God it may be read thus I have seen thee after the face of God after I have seen the face of God I have seen thee I that is sweet and comfortable indeed when we can see a mercy after we have seen the face of God we can se the face of God in the way of his Mercy and after we see the face of God then look upon the Mercy and then gather this argument If thou hast an eye that in a Mercy thou canst see the face of God there and after the sight of the face of God in the mercy then it is somewhat Thus in Isay 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us thou wilt for thou also hast wrought al our works in us mark the argument Lord thou wilt ordain peace Why For thou hast wrought al our works in us This scripture is spoken concerning the deliverance of the people of Israel from their captivity God did begin to deliver them and those that were Godly were sure to have deliverance complate Thou wilt ordain we are sure of that say they why for thou hast wrought al our works for us for it is not Cyrus But it is a remarkable hand of God upon the spirit of Cyrus and al that is done in our deliverance it is done through a mighty hand of God Thou hast wrought al our works in us The work it is a work above Nature it is a wonderful work of God and therefore we are sure that thou wilt ordain peace for us When God appeares wonderful remarkably in a Mercy to his people then they conclude of further Mercies A most excellent place for that likewise in Psal 75.5 Vnto thee Oh God do we give thanks for that thy name is neare thy wonderous works declare mark for that thy name is near thy wonderous works declare Oh Lord as if they should have said we se thy wonderful works we see thy face thy Power thy Glory thy Mercy and thy Goodness we se thy Mercy a creating Mercy and therefore thy name is near O! thou art good yet more and more for that thy wondrous works declare Brethren when Gods mercies are creating mercies then we may expect that they wil be perfect mercies for though in generation there may be a defect yet in creation there is never a defect many times there may want a Limb a member in generation but al that God creates he creates perfect Now when the mercies of God are as it were created mercies not generated out of second causes but we see a kind of created power then surely it wil be perfect Now Brethren before we come to Application to our own hearts we cannot but apply this as a strong argument to raise up our thoughts to make account of the mercies this day we enjoy to be a door of Hope unto us for if ever people have created mercies we have if ever a people could see the face of God in a way of mercy then we may at this day if ever a people could say Thou Oh Lord hast wrought al our works for us we may wel say it and therefore we may draw that coclusion that the Church did Thou wilt ordain peace for thou hast wrought al our works for us Surely Brethren Gods name is nigh God hath seemed to be afar off from England for a long time God is coming nigh his name is nigh for his wondrous works that he hath done of late declare it But that is the first The Second discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future Mercies When Gods Mercies are Spiritual Mercies then they are certain in-lets to further Mercies a Spiritual Mercie never come alone but make way for further I wil give you but one Text for that because I see time outruns me in Ezek. 39.29 Neither wil I hide my face any more from them saith God Why For I have powred out my Spirit upon the House of Israel saitth the Lord God Mark I wil hide my face no more from them Why for I have poured out my Spirit upon the House of Israel saith the Lord God Brethren if ever any Nation had the Spirit of God poured out upon them certainly we have God poureth out his Spirit unto his people upon private Christians and upon Ministers in a wonderful abundant manner and how hath he poured out his Spirit upon our Worthies assembled in Parliament Now let this be a good Argument neither wil I hide my face any more from them for I have poured out my spirit upon them then it is an Argument for us this day that God wil not hide his face from us because he hath poured out his Spirit upon us If there be any people under Heaven that have the Spirit of God upon them certainly the people of England have it at this day and this is Gods own promise and Argument you may plead it with God in prayer that he wil never hide his face from them that he hath poured out his Spirit upon not only in general may you make use of it but for your selves in particular Hath God poured out his Spirit upon any of your Souls you may make this conclusion it is Gods own conclusion he wil never hide his face from you because he hath poured his Spirit upon you that is the Second The Third discovery whether Gods present Mercies be in-lets to future Mercies Then is a Mercy a fore-runner of further Mercy when it is obtained by Faith and prayer in the Covenant of Grace That Mercy that prayer and the exercise of Faith doth obtain is certainly and infallibly a fore-runner of further Mercy God hath not done with that people and that Soul in a way of Mercy where he bestows a Mercy as a fruit of prayer an exercise of Faith in the Covenant If prayer be the Key to open Heaven when it is shut to us much more then wil it keep Heaven open when it is once open but that we know to be the excellency of prayer it is the great Key of Heaven that golden Key of Heaven that opens it when it is shut then surely prayer can keep Heaven open If ever a Mercy were obtained by prayer certainly that Mercy that we have now for the present here in Edgland is a Mercy obtained by prayer if ever there were a Parliment obtained by prayer since England was a Nation certainly this Parliment was we may cal the name of this Parliament Samuel asked of God and what have been the earnest cries of Gods people of many that are dead and gone but for these times Now that that is a fruit not only of prayer of Gods people for the present but is the Harvest of so many prayers of the Saints of God and Worthies of God in former
shal make way for another duty certainly that soul wil persevere in Duty But here is the difference between that which is done by the strength of a natural conscience and that which is done out of a principle of true sanctifying Grace I beseech you observe it There are many I suppose are much troubled in this case of conscience they say that one that hath but the strength of a natural conscience he may performe duty out of this strength of a natural conscience how can I know then when I performe duty out of a gracious principle a principle of sanctifying Grace and that my duties are not out of the strength oâ— natural conscience If I would give but one note and were to study never so long of it I would give this note rather than any one and that is this use I am now upon If one duty that thou performest give strength to another duty and make thee fitter for it and inableâ—h thee to another duty this is a sign that it is not meerly out of a natural conscience for a natural conscience though it puts me upon the doing of it yet it puts not strength in me to do it but a Gracious principle puts me upon the doing of it and puts strength in me to do it therefore when I am put upon a duty upon conscience and I find that one duty doth fit me for another this is surely a gracious principle not only fitteth me in the same kind for so you may say meerly through use I come to be more perfect but when it fits in another kind in another way by excercise we come to be more fit for that habit but here now in spiritual duties one maketh way for another though it be in another kind in another way this certainly comes from Grace therefore if you mark this argument that Gods mercies but makes way for another therefore you wil have one duty make way for another this is a certaine signe of continuance of mercy to thy soul Again seventhly VSE 7. It should be a use of reprehension of our unbeleeving hearts thus It is the way of God when he comes in one mercy that we should look upon it as a door of hope for further but yet mark ye our unbeleeving hearts wil usually draw consequences from Gods mercies to nourish unbelief quite contrary to the raising hope and faith not to make Gods mercies a door of hope to let in mercy but make it a door of unbeleif to shut out mercy as you shal find an unbeleeving heart working from mercies thus I they are mercies indeed but they wil never hold they are mercies but they are to prepare me for greater Judgments and thus an unbeleeving heart wil work out arguments of unbeleef from the very mercies of God themselves This is a great sin for God bestows mercys to raise up hope and to help thy faith to work not to helpe thy unbeleef to work and yet bretheren there are many christians that make no other use of Gods mercies but meerly to nourish their unbeleefe and to strengthen their unbeleefe whereas they should make them a doore of hope Again an eight Use should be this USE 8. Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful doth one mercy of God make way for anorher let one good action I mean of Mercy to your brother make way for another do not say I have done so much already and therefore I may now go on in my covetousness no if so be thou hast gracious principles one action of Mercy must make way for another one forgivness of thy brother in one thing must make way for another one action of liberality must make way for another thus God dealeth with thee and do thou so with thy brother for so is the command Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful Now the last Use which I intended most of al and is the cheife Use of the point is this USE 9. A Use of Exhortation to us al to follow God on in the way of his Mercies when God hath opened a doore of hope to us let us follow on after God 63. Psalme 8. the Psalmest there speakes of God unto them but marke what use he makes of it my soule saith he follows hard after God O! this should be our course doth God come at any time particularly to us in any way of Mercy Let our soule follow hard after God when Jacob was wrastling with the Angel and day began to dawne the Angel would have been gone O! strive and wrastle the more What! doth the day dawn many times thou art wrastling a longe time with God stil there is nothing but darkness in thy soul but thou doest hold on through Gods Grace to thee at length the day beginneth to dawne God beginneth to let in some light to thy Soul and yet it may be even at that time God seemeth as if he would be gon O! stir up thy self then and wrastle indeed when the day beginneth to dawn O! that thou mightest have more might then as you know that place that God bids David and his people when you hear the noise saith he in the mulbery trees bestir your selves for God is going out before you then So I may say when you feel God stirring in your hearts and have some impressions of God upon your spirits O! bestir your selves follow on the good work of the Lord. I remember we read in the gospel of the poore blind man crying after Christ O! Son of David have Mercy upon me some would have had him hold his peace but at length Christ pittying of him asketh who it is that cryed after him and those that were by came â—o the bâ—ind man and saied thus to him be of good comfort for he cals thee I have observed that he went as fast as he coâ—ld then and â—eared no danger of stumbling at any place So I may say to many of your souls it may be your case at this present thou hast bin crying for the sight of thy eyes O! that he would shew me his truth and open the gospel and the misteries of it O! that he would open my heart and give me a soft heart and a beleeving heart whereas I have an unbeleeving heart wel be of good comfort he cals thee now he works by his spirit and calls thee O! now bestir thy selfe and go on after God in this way It is a special part of the wisdome and duty of Christians to observe what are the waies of Gods mercy towards them as I told you before the connections of them so I mean the beginings of them and therefore take this one note It is a great reason why many Christians are so long time in darkness and under the spirit of bondage because they do not observe the beginnings of Gods mercy how God beginneth with them because they have not al the mercy they would have therefore they neglect the observation of the beginnings
it I have done great things brought you out of the land of Egypt open your mouth wide that I may fil it Certainly God he hath dilivered us from the Egyptian bondage let us open our mouths and our hearts and our Arms and our hands wide and the Lord wil fil them and now the Lord grant to every one of you as he did to Lidia the text saith the Lord opened her heart and so the Lord open your hearts And as ye read there was an effectual door of faith opened to the Gentiles so let this be the conclusion of al I pray that at the last there may be a door of faith opened to this Congriation to receive these truths that have bin delivered by faith OLD AGE IS A Crown of Glory Especially When found in waies OF RIGHTEOVSNESS Preached before the Company of Mercers at their Chappel May 20. 1641 Proverbs 16 31. The hoary Head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the Way of Righteousness I Have lately in this City Preached unto Young men and at this time supposing this auditory to be intended chiefly for grave Citizens though others come in I have prepared to speak suitable unto them Psal 148.12 Young men and Old men are called to praise the name of the Lord as it was a blessed time when the children cried Hosannah upon Christs comming to purge the Temple for that was the occasion so it shal be and is a blessed time when Old men are coming into God in the praise of his great works when God shal reign Gloriously before the ancients of Israel we have such a prophesie in Isa 24. verse the last When the Lord of Hosts shal reign in mount Zion in Jerusalem before the antients Gloriously A blessed time when the ancients shal behold the Glorious reign of Christ and be joyful in it and in Revela 4. It is prophecied again of the Elders in the latter end of the chapter that the Elders fel down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and cast down their crownes before him This text of mine it is a proverbial sentence setting out of the Glory of Old men in the waies of righteousness we may spare dependance for the proverbs are not as jewels linked in a Bracelet together but as so many several Diamonds lying one by another and some of them several Diamonds lying as it were in a box together Now this proverb hath in it two Diamonds set upon the crown of Old men one below it and the other a top of it that below it is the Hoary Head and a top of it is found in the way of righteousness The hoarie head is a crown to Old men if it be found in the way of righteousness Two doctrinal points we have in the words the First is Doct. 1. That Old Age is an honorable thing it is a Crown of Glory Doct. 2. But then especially honorable when it is found in the way of righteousness For it is not wholly limmited to the way of righteousness the word IF is not in the original it is honorable howsoever but then most honorable when found in the way of rigoteousness I shal first prosecute the first Doctrine It is a high expression of the Holy Ghost here The Hoary head is Glory and it is a Crown of Glory Corona ornatissima saith one Interpreter a Glorious Crown Corona exaltationis a Crown of exaltation saith another Corona pulchritudinis a crowne of beauty saith another The hoary head is a glorious crown a crown of exaltation a crown of beauty 1. God honors Old Age as by speaking honorably of it in Proverbs 20.29 Gray hairs are the beauty of Old men 2. God honors it by promising Old Age to the keeping of the commandements in Deut. 4.40 And you know that first commandement with promise the fift Commandement honor thy Father and thy Mother that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 3. God honors it by preferring it before al riches and before al other kindes of honors Proverbs 3.16 It is said that in the right hand of wisdom is length of daies in her left hand is riches and honors riches and honor is but in the left hand of wisdom and length of daies is in the right hand thus God honors Old Age. 4. God honors it by giveing a charge unto others to honor it in Leviti 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the Old man and feare thy God I am the Lord It is one of the most solemnest charges that we have in the scripture mark with what gravity and solemnity the charge goes thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the Old man and fare thy God I am the Lord your feare of God is layed upon this And because I see many young ones here I shal somewhat direct my speech to you to you that make any profession of Religion you must manifest it in this would you make it appear that you fear the Lord Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the Old man and feare the Lord this is one worke of fearing of God to do this in obedience to God and if you be bold and impudent before the Aged know this is an argument that the feare of God is not upon you The beauty and glory of religion is to be shewen in the duties of our relations as between Father and Child Servant and Master inferior and superior young and old except religion doth manifest it self in our relations it is al in vain Thou shalt honor the face of the Old man and feare the Lord God laies the feare of his name upon this and this is a great honor that God putts upon Old Age. Secondly It is honored by all good men Job 32.5.6 And so Elihu there honors the Aged in diverse verses and when Paul writ to Phylemon in verse 9. of that Epistle he maketh it as an argument and Paul the aged knowing it was a powerful argument indeed with Phylemon Thirdly Old Age is honored by the heathen themselves I remember I have read of the Lacedemonians when their Embassadors were at Athens upon a time they were in a Theatre where abundance of people were gathered together there cometh a grave Old man in and presently the Lacedemonian Embassadors in reverance to the Aged man they rose up to make the Aged man roome and place upon this al the Athenians gave a great shoute in applauding this their work that they being strangers would shew such respect to age and this was when they came into a Theater This is a good rule when they come not into Theaters but into places of Gods assemblies when Aged men come not into Theaters to see plaies but when they come to worship God and hear his word that young men should rise up before them and reverance their Age and shew reverance and respect to