crosse is Gods Anger and wrath this being remooved nothing hurts all crosses then are gentle milde tractable and medicinall when God hath once said For mine Anger is turned away from him After that 's gone whatsoever remaineth is good for us when we feele no Anger in it What is that which blowes the coles of Hell and makes Hell Hell but the Anger of God ceazing upon the conscience Isa 30.33 this kindles Tophet and sets it a fire like a river of Brimstone Therefore this is a wondrous sweet comfort and incouragement when he saith For mine Anger is turned away from him Whence in the next place wee may observe Observ That God will turne away his Anger upon Repentance When there is this course taken formerly mentioned to turne unto the Lord to sue for pardon to vow Reformation Ashur shall not save us and a through reformation of the particular sinne and when there is wrought in the heart faith to rely on Gods mercy as the Father of the Fatherlesse in whom they finde mercy then Gods Anger is turned away God upon Repentance will turne away his Anger The point is cleere wee see when the Lord hath threatned many grievous judgements and plagues for for sinne one upon the neck of another denounced with all variety of expressions in the most terrible manner yet after all that thundering Deut. 28. 29. It followes And it shall come to passe when all these things are come upon thee Deut 30.1 2 3 the Blessings and the Curses which I have set before thee and thou shalt call them to minde among all the nations whether the Lord thy God hath driven thee and shalt returne unto the Lord thy God c. That then the Lord thy God will turne thy Captivity and have compassion upon thee c. After Repentance you see the promise comes presently after not that the one is the meritorious cause of the other but there is an order of things God will have the one come with the other where there is not sence of sinne and humiliation and thence prayer to God for pardon with reformation and trusting in his Mercy there the anger of God abides still But where these are His anger is turned away God hath established his order that the one of these must still follow the other Another excellent place to the fore-named wee have in the Chronicles If my people that are called by my Name 2 Chro. 7.14 shall humble themselves and pray as they did here in this Chapter Take words vnto your selves and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes As they did here Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses c. We will no more rely on the barren false helps of forraine strength what then I will heare from Heaven and will forgive their sinne and will heale their land Here is the promise whereof this text is a proofe so in all the Prophets there is a multiplication of the like instances and promises which wee will not stand upon now as not being controversiall It is Gods name so to doe as wee may see in that well-knowne place of Exodus Iehovah Iehovah God Mercifull and Gratious Long suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and Truth Exo. 34.6.7 keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne c. And so it is said At what time so ever a sinner repents himselfe of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his sinnes out of my remembrance saith the Lord God The Scripture is plentifull in nothing more especially it is the burthen of EZe 18 and .33 forgivenesse of sinnes and remoovall of wrath upon repentance And for Examples see one for all the rest let the greater include the lesser Manasseth was a greater sinner then any of us all can bee because hee was inabled with a greater authority to doe mischeefe all which no private man or ordinarie great man is capable of not having the like power which he exercised to the full in all manner of cruelty joyned with other grosse and deadly sinnes and yet the Scripture shewes 2 Chr. 33.12.13 that upon his humiliation and praying hee found mercie God turned away his anger That of the Prodigall is a parable also fitted for this purpose who had no sooner a Resolution to returne to his Father Filius timet convitium Luk. 15. c. The sonne feares chiding the father provides a banquet So God doth transcend our thoughts in that kinde wee can no sooner humble ourselves to pray to him heartily resolving to amend our wayes and come to him but hee layes his anger a side to entertaine tearmes of love and friendship with us As wee see in David who was a good man Psa 32.3 4. though he slubbered over the matter of Repentance all which while Gods hand was so heavie upon him that his moysture was turned into the drought of Summer hee roaring all the day long But when once hee dealt throughly in the businesse and resolved I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Let our humiliation be reall and through with prayer for pardon and purpose to reforme and presently God will shew mercy Reason The Reason is cleere Because it is his Nature so to doe his Nature is more inclined to mercy then anger For him to be angrie it is still upon supposition of our sinnes But to be mercifull and gratious it alwayes proceedes from his owne bowels whether wee be sinners or not without all supposition God is still mercifull unto whom he will shew mercy Who is a God like unto thee saith the Prophet that pardoneth iniquity Micah 7.18 and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Things naturall come easily without paine as beames from the Sunne water from the Spring and as heate from fire all which come easily because they are naturall So mercy and love from God come easily and willingly it is his nature to bee gratious and mercifull Though we be sinners If wee take this course heere as the Church doth to pray and be humbled then it will follow Mine anger is turned away from him The Vse is Vse First to observe Gods Truth in the performance of his gratious promise who as he makes gratious promises to us so he makes them good His Promise is if wee confesse our sinnes hee will forgive them and be mercifull Pro 28.13 so heere he sayes mine Anger is turned away As they confesse so hee is mercifull to forgive them It is good to observe the experiments of Gods truth Every word of God is a shield Pro. 30.5 that is wee may take it as a shield It is an experimentall truth whereby we may arme our soules This is an experimentall truth that when wee are humbled for our sinnes God hee will bee
RIC SIBBS S THEOL D AVL KATHARINAE CANTAB MAG NEC NON HOSPITIO GRAI A S CONCIONIBVS Aetat Suae 58. THE RETVRNING BACKSLIDER OR A COMMENTARIE upon the whole XIIII Chapter of the Prophecy of the Prophet HOSEA Wherein is shewed the large extent of GODS free Mercy even unto the most miserable forlorne and wretched sinners that may be upon their Humiliation and Repentance Preached by that Learned and Judicious Divine Dr. SIBBS late Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes Inne and Master of Katherine Hall in CAMBRIDGE Published by his owne Permission before his Death JEREM. 3. 10 11. Goe and Proclaime these words towards the North and say Returne thou Backsliding Israel saith the LORD and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the LORD and I will not keepe Anger for ever Onely acknowledge thine Iniquity c. LONDON Printed by G. M for George Edwards in the Old Baily in Greene-Arbour at the signe of the Angell MDCXXXIX To the Reader GOod Reader this Treatise begs the favour of those concerning whom especially it is said Christ came for poore trembling siners the blind the prisoners of hope such who by the assiduity iteration and multitude of Satans discouragements temptations sit as it were in darknes in the valley of death to whom every sowre thing is sweet Because these most of all relish and stand in need of mercy for when the least flame of that unsupportable wrath breakes forth in shew which is powred out like fire and kindled by the breath of the Lord of Hostes like a river of brimstone which can make the mountaines quake the hils melt burne up the earth and all that is therein the poore soule for the time thinking on nothing but blackenesse and darkenesse of tempest whilst by past sinnes without sight of the Mediator stares them in the face with millions of unconceiveable horrors and astonishments then to see light in darknesse Mercy in wrath the Sun-shine of righteousnesse a gratious God appeased by a Mediator with some sight and sense of its interest therin this must needs overjoy the troubled soule which is the maine subject of this booke how gratious God is to encourage miserable sinners to returne what incouragements and helps hee gives them what effects his gratious working hath in them and how sweetly they close with him againe Wherefore though this messe comes not unto thee set forth in a Lordly dish not having passed since the preaching thereof under the exquisite hand of the most worthy Author yet despise it not for many times though things of greater judgement affect the understanding most yet things of lesser concisenesse worke more upon the affections in a plaine flowing way which happinesse with all other felicities he wisheth thee who is ever Thine in the best bonds J H. THE SVMME OF THIS TREATISE THE time when Hosea prophesied pag. 2. The people of God are exhorted to repentance by many motives pag. 3. Gods answer to their petitions pag. 4. God comes not suddenly upon his children but gives them warning pag. 6. Which ariseth from the goodnesse of his nature pag. 7. Spirituall meanes best for preventing judgments pag. 7. In returning to God there must be a stop pag. 8. Humiliation what it is pag. 9. Resolution what it is pag. 9. How to know the truth of our Humiliation pag. 10. Where there is a falling into sinne there will be a falling into misery pag 12 c. God is willing to be at peace with us pag. 16. In all our distresses we must come to God in praier pag. 17 18 c. Why we must bring words with us though God knowes our mind pag. 22. That words and purposes must concurre in prayer pag. 23. Confession how it is to be made pag. 24. Why all iniquity is to be praid against pag. 25. The tryall of a sound desire pag. 26. Mercy begged above all pag. 27. Whether we ought not to thinke of our former sins pag. 28. How we may know our sinnes are forgiven pag. 29 c. The misery of those that have not their sinnes forgiven pag. 32. Gods favours are compleate to his children pag. 33. The loadstone of the soule is good pag. 34 c. How we may know blessings come from the love of God pag. 37 38 c. The use of vowes pag. 42 c. of a broken heart pag. 45 c What the sacrifice of praise is pag. 48 49. Why lips are mentioned for praise pag. 50. Helps to praise God pag. 51 52 Doubting kils thankefulnesse pag. 53. Assurance is the nurse of thanksgiving pag. 54. We should take advantage of our dispositions pa. 59. Incouragements to praise God pag 60 c. How to know when praise is accepted pag. 63. Reformation must be joyned with prayer pag. 66. True repentance is of the particular sin pag. 67 68 c. The creature cannot helpe of it selfe pag. 71 c. We are not to place our confidence in forces at home or abroad pag. 77. Warre is lawfull pag. 78 79. How we shall know when we exceed in confidence in the creature pag. 80 81. Boasting is Idolatry pag. 82 83. The danger of carnall confidence pag. 84. The emptinesse of the creature pag 85 c Men naturally prone to Idolatry pag. 92 93 c. Bitternesse of sinne causeth repentance pag. 99 100 101. Our affiance ought not to be upon the creature but upon God pag. 102. What Religion is pag. 103 104. Why the world hates Christians pag. 105. Mercy a most sweet object pag. 106 107 c. Why God shewes mercy to the distressed pag. 110 111 c. Worldlinesse to be hated pag. 115 116 c. How to retort Satans pollicy in our extreamity pag. 119. Where God gives a spirit of prayer he will answer pag. 126 127. Why we should come before God in prayer pag. 128 129. That Gods Church and Children are prone to backesliding pag. 131 c. How shall we know we are sicke of this pag. 134 c. Repentance not to be delayed pag. 139. Want of conviction makes us carelesse pag. 150 151 152. God is willing to save us pag 143 c. The scope of the new Covenant pag. 149. The greatest sinne is to deny God the glory of his Mercy pag. 150. An incouragement to search our sins deepely pag. 151 c. How to know God hath pardoned our sins pag. 156 157 158. Why carnall men are so quiet pag. 159. How to know the pardon of sin pag. 160. Why God suffers infirmities pag. 161 c. Why the soule must be humbled pag. 165. How God loves freely pag. 172 173 c. Gods anger against sinne pag. 183 184 c. Repentance turnes away Gods anger pag. 188 189. c. How anger felt may be remooved pag. 193. How to know afflictions are not in wrath though continued pag 195 196 197. That God hath a salve for every sore pag. 202. Gods love is
nothing but a matter of opinion of canvasing an argument c. But it is another manner of matter Religion what A divine Power exercised upon the soule whereby it is transformed into the obedience of divine truth and molded into it So that there must be a Positive as well as a Negative Religion a cleaving to God as well as a forsaking of Idols Againe in the severing of these Idols from God we must know and observe hence Observ That there is no Communion betweene God and Idols Neither will wee say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods for in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy There must be a renouncing of false worship Religion and confidence before we can trust in God Mat 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ We cannot serve Christ and Antichrist together wee may as well bring North and South East and West together and mingle light and darkenesse as mixe two opposite Religions You see here one of them is disclaimed ere affiance be placed in the other Therfore the halters betwixt two Religions are heere condemned It was excellent well said by Ioshua Iosh 24.19 They had there some mixture of false worship and thought therewith to serve also Iehovah no saith he you cannot serve Iehovah What is Ioshuahs meaning when he saith they could not not onely that they had no power of themselves but you are a naughty false people you thinke to jumble Gods worship and that of Heathens together you cannot serve God thus So a man may say to those who looke Rome-wards for worldly ends and yet will be Protestants you cannot serve God you cannot bee sound Christians halting thus betwixt both These are not compatible they cannot stand together you must disclaime the one if you will cleave to the other we see the ground heere Neither will wee say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods for in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Againe whereas upon disclaiming of false confidence in the creatures and Idols they name this as a ground For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy observe Observ In what measure and degree wee apprehend God aright to bee the All-sufficient true God in that measure wee cast away all false confidence whatsoever The right apprehending of God shakes off all false trust The more or lesse we conceive of God as we should doe so the more or lesse wee disclaime confidence in the creature Those who in their affections of joy love affiance and delight are taken up too much with the creature say what they will professe to all the world by their practise that they know not God By the contrary those who know and apprehend him in his greatnesse and goodnesse as hee should bee apprehended in that proportion they withdraw their affections from the creature and all things else It is with the soule in this case as with a ballance Simile if the one skale bee drawne downe by a waight put in it the other is lifted up So where God weighs downe in the soule all other things are light and where other things prevaile there God is set light Ashur shall not save us for hee can doe us no good nor Horses because they are vaine helps How attained they to this light esteeme of Ashur and Horses For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy That which is taken from the creature they find in God Why the world hates Christians escaped from them And this is the Reason why the world so maligne good and sound Christians they thinke when God gets that they loose a feather as wee say some of their strength surely so it is for when a Christian turnes to God and becomes sound he comes to have a meane esteeme of that which formerly was great in his sight his judgement is otherwise as we see here Ashur Horses Idols and all they esteeme nothing of them Horses and the like are good usefull and necessary to serve Gods providence in the use of meanes not to trust in or make coordinate with God In the world especially great persons would be gods in the hearts of people therefore when they see any make conscience of their waies they thinke they loose them because now they will doe nothing but what may stand with the favour of God Thus farre from the Connexion Now to the words themselves For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Wherein we have set forth unto us for our consideration of Gods rich goodnesse towards poore miserable sinners 1. The Attribute of God Mercy 2. The fit Object thereof The Fatherlesse Mercy is that sweet Attribute that makes us partake of all the rest Mercy is Gods sweetest Attribute which sweetneth all his other Attributes for but for Mercy whatsoever else is in God were matter of terror to us His Justice would affright us His Holinesse likewise considering our impurity would drive us from him Luke 5.8 Depart from mee saith Peter to our Saviour for I am a sinnefull man Isa 6 5. and when the Prophet Isay saw God in his excellencie a little Then he said woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips c. His Power is terrible it would confound us His Majesty astonish us O but Mercy mitigates all he that is great in Majesty is abounding in mercy he that hath beames of Majesty hath bowels of mercy O this draweth especially miserable persons In thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy And now in the Covenant of Grace this mercy sets all a worke For it is the mercy of God by which wee triumph now in the Covenant of Grace in that mercy which stirr'd up his wisedome to finde out a way for mercy by satisfying his Iustice So that the first mooving Attribute of God that set him a worke about that great worke of our salvation by Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Grace was mercy his tender mercy his bowels of mercy Therefore of all others that Attribute is here named For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Mercy in God supposeth misery in the creature either present or possible for there is 1. A Preventing and 2. A rescuing mercy A Preventing mercy whereby the creature is freed from possible misery that it might fall into as it is his mercy that we are not such sinners in that degree as others are and every man that hath understanding is beholding to God for their Preventing as well as for their Rescuing mercy We thinke God is mercifull onely to those unto whom hee forgives great sins O he is mercifull to thee that standeth thou mightest have fallen fowly else Mercy supposeth misery either that wee are in or may fall into So that mercy in God may admit of a threefold consideration 1. It supposeth Sinne so there is a Pardoning mercy for that Or 2. Misery that is a Delivering mercy Or 3. Defect or want in the Creature which is Supplying mercy Whersoever
because they feele peace So here those that feele mercy will bee mercifull those that have felt love will be loving to others Pro 12.10 A good man is mercifull to his beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruell Those therefore that are hard-hearted and unmercifull hardening themselves against the complaints of the miserable there is for the present no comfort for them that the Spirit of God hath wrought any change in their hearts for then it would stampe the image of God upon them they would be mercifull to the fatherlesse widow and distressed persons What shall wee thinke then of a generation of men who by griping usury and the like courses have made many widowes miserable Let such professe what they will whilest they are thus hard-hearted they have not the bowels of Christ God is so mercifull that you see as the Jewes call them hee hath hedges of the commandements that is he hath some remote commands which are not of the maine and all to hedge from cruelty as Thou shalt not kill the Dam upon thâ— west Exod. 23.19 Thou shalt not seeth a kid in his mothers milke What tends this too nothing but to shew the mercy and bowels of God and that hee would have us to abstaine from cruelty He that would not have us Murther would have us keepe aloofe of and not be mercilesse to the very dumbe creatures birds and beasts therefore let us labour to expresse the image of our heavenly Father in this Vse 5 Againe we should use this as a plea against dejectednesse at the houre of death in regard of those we leave behind us not to bee troubled what shall become of them when wee are to yeeld up our soules to God but know that hee hath undertaken to be the Father of the Fatherlesse and of the Widow Therefore for shame for shame learne as to live so to die by faith and as to die by faith in other things so to die in this faith that God as he will receive thy soule so he will receive the care of thy posterity Canst thou with affiance yeeld up thy soule unto God and wilt thou not with the same confidence yeeld thy posterity Thou art an Hypocrite if this distract and vexe thee when yet thou pretendest to die in the faith of Christ Canst thou yeeld thy soule and yet art grieved for thy posterity no leave it to God he is All-sufficient Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof We need not feare to put our portion in his hands he is rich enough The earth and all is his Therefore when we are in any extreamitie whatsoever relie on this mercy of so rich and powerfull a God improove it for it is our portion especially in a distressed condition Were it not for Faith wrought by the blessed Spirit of God he would loose the glory of this Attribute of mercy Now Faith is a wise power of the soule that sees in God what is fit for it singling out in God what is fit for the present occasion of distresse Is a man in any extremity of misery let him looke to mercy Is a man oppressed let him looke to mercy to be revenged of his enemies is a man in any perplexity let him looke to mercy joyned with wisedome which is able to deliver him Religion is nothing else but an application of the soule to God and a fetching out of him somewhat as he hath discovered himselfe in the Covenant fit for all our exigents as there is somewhat in God and in the Promises for all estates of the soule Faith therefore is wittie to looke to that in God which is fit for its turne Satans pollicie in our extremity how to retort it Let us therefore take heed of Satans policie herein who in our extreamity useth this as a weapon to shake our Faith Tush as it is in the Psalme God hath forsaken and forgotten him Hath he so nay because I am in extremity and deferted above others rather God now regards me more then before because Heb. 12.6 hee scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth So retort Satans fierie darts backe againe For indeed that is the time wherin God exalts and shewes himselfe most glorious and triumphant in mercy where misery is greatest Where sinne abounds Rom. 5.20 there grace abounds much more so where misery abounds mercy superabounds much more Therefore let us be as wise for our soules as Satan can be malicious against them what hee useth for a weapon to wound the soule use the same as a weapon against him To end all let Faith in Gods mercy answer this his description and let it be a description ingrafted into us at such a time Doth God care for the fatherlesse meane persons who are cast down afflicted why then I will trust that God who doth so being in this case my self If he wil help in Extremitie trust him in Extremitie Habak 3.17 If hee will helpe in distresse trust him in distresse if he will helpe when all forsake trust him when we are forsaken of all What if a streame bee taken away yet none can take away God from thee what if a beame be taken away thou hast the Sun it selfe what if a particular comfort be taken away so long as God who comforteth the abject and is mercifull to the distressed Fatherlesse and Widowes continues with thee thou needs not feare A man cannot want comfort and mercy so long as the Father of mercies is in covenant with him If he sinne he hath Pardoning mercy for him if weake he hath Strengthening mercy if in darknesse he hath Quickning mercy if we be dull dead and in danger there is Rescuing mercy and if subject to dangers wee may fall in Psal 32.10 there is for that Preventing mercy Therefore there is mercy ready to compasse Gods children about in all conditions when they are invironed with dangers yet God is neerer to guard their soules then the danger is to hurt them Therefore let us take the counsell of the blessed Apostle Phil. 4.6 7. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and supplication with thankesgi-let your requests be knowne to God and what then will God grant that I pray for perhaps hee will not But yet The Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus As if he should say in nothing be overcarefull let your care bee when ye have used the meanes to depend upon God for support in the event and issue of all If God denie you what you pray for he will grant you that which is better he will set up an excellent inward peace there whereby he will stablish the soule in assurance of his love pardon of sinnes and reconciliation whereby their soules shall be guarded and their hearts and mindes preserved in Christ so they become impregnable in all miseries whatsoever when they have the Peace
he desires or would have As the observing carefull tender mother many times knowes what the child would have though it cannot speake so God he knowes the desires sighs and groanes of the heart when we cannot speake For sometimes there may be such a confusion upon the soule by reason of divers disturbances that it cannot expresse nor vent it selfe in wordes therefore the Spirit vents it selfe then in sighs and groanes which are heard and accepted because they are the desires of his owne Spirit This much the Prophet David excellently sheweth Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare God he first prepares the heart to pray then his eare to heare their prayers and desires If this will not incourage us to be much in suit to God and put up our petitions to him A strong motive to draw us before God in Prayer to labour for a spirit of prayer I know not what will prevaile when we know that no petition shall be turned backe againe unanswered When we are to deale with Princes upon earth they oftentimes regard neither the persons nor their petitions but turne their backes upon both O! but a Christian hath the care of God and Heaven open unto him such credit in Heaven that his desires and groanes are respected and heard And undoubtedly a man may know that he shall be heard when he hath a spirit of prayer in one kind or other though not in the particulars or kindes we aske heare he will for our good God will not loose the incense of his owne Spirit of a spirit of prayer which he stirs up it is so precious Therefore let us labour to have a spirit of prayer which God regards so much Seeing for a certaine wheresoever he gives a spirit of prayer he meanes to give that we pray for but according to his heavenly wisedome as here his answer is I will heale their Backesliding I will love them freely c. God answers them exactly unto all they praid for beginning first with the ground of all our comfort forgivenesse of sinnes According to their petition Take away all iniquity hee answers I will heale their backesliding or their rebellion Backesliding is an aggravation of sin every sinne is not a rebellion Apostasie or backsliding for their be also sinnes of infirmities we usually rancke sinnes thus in 1. Sinnes of Ignorance 2. Sinnes of Infirmitie 3. Sinnes against knowledge with a higher hand And 4. The Sinnes against the Holy Ghost Now this is more then to cure sinnes of Ignorance and of Infirmitie when he saith I will heale their backesliding Quest But why doth he answer the higher pitch of an aggravation when their petition was in a lower straine onely Take away all iniquity Answ To shew that he would answer them fully that is that he would heale all sinnes whatsoever not onely of Ignorance and of Infirmity but also sinnes willingly committed their rebellions and backeslidings For indeed they were backesliding from the time of Ieroboam that made the rent the ten tribes grew worse and worse continually so that they had beene utterly extinguished but that God was wondrous gratious to send them Prophets to preserve many that they should not bow the knee to Baall being mercifull to them to beare with their backesliding so long for besides their calves they had false gods they did not onely worship the true God in a false manner by the calves but they had Baals also So that we see God when he will comfort will comfort to purpose and take away all objections that the soule can make a guilty soule being full of objections Oh my sinnes are many great rebellions and Apostacies But be they what they will Gods mercy in Christ is greater and more I will heale their backesliding or their rebellion God is above conscience let Sathan terrifie the conscience as he will and let conscience speake the worst it can against it selfe yet God is greater Therfore let the sinne be what it will God will pardon all manner of sinnes as they pray to pardon all so he will take away all iniquity heale their backesliding but to come neerer the words I will heale c. The healing meant here is especially in the pardon of their sinnes answerable to their desires in justification And there is a healing also in sanctification by the Spirit when God takes away the venome from the wound then God cures in sanctification both are meant but especially the first In a wound we know there is 1. The malignity and venome of it and then 2. The wound it selfe so festered and rankled Now pardoning grace in justification takes away the anguish and malice of the wound so that it ceaseth to be so malignant and deadly as to kill or infect And then sanctification purgeth and cleanseth the wound and heales it up Now God through Christ doth both The blood of Christ doth heale the guilt of sinne which is the anger and malignity of it And by the Spirit of Christ he heales the wound it selfe and purgeth out the sicke and peccant humor by little and little through sanctification God is a perfect healer I will heale their backesliding See here the state of the Church and Children of God they are prone to backesliding and turning away That the state of the Church and Gods children is prone to backsliding we are naturally prone to decline further and further from God So the Church of God planted in a family in the beginning of the world how soone was it prone to backesliding this is one weakenesse since the fall it is incident to our nature to be unsetled and unsteady in our holy resolutions And whilst we live in the midst of temptations the world together with the sicklenesse of our own nature evill examples and Sathans perpetuall malice against God and the poore Church are ill Pilots to lead us out of the way This is spoken to make us carefull how to shunne Backesliding for we see how many opinions are foisted in amongst us and have got some head that durst not before once be named amongst us Popery spreads it selfe amaine even Churches are prone to backsliding Therefore S. Paules advice is Bee not high minded but feare Rom. 11.20.21 for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee What is become of Rome so the same will become of us if wee stop not our backeslidings Now in that Gods promise is I will heale their backeslidings observe in the first place That sinne is a wound and a disease Observ That sinne is a wound disease Now as in sicknesse there is 1. Griefe troubling and vexing the partie who feeles it and 2. Deformitie of the place affected which comes by wounds and weakenesses So in all sinne when wee are sensible of it there is first griefe vexation and torment of conscience and then
degree of sinne to another then there is Gods judgement and wrath revealed from Heaven against this Now when God heales he heales perfectly but in some regards slowly as wee shall see hereafter In regard of Forgivenesse of sinnes he healeth perfectly but by little and little in regard of the other of Sanctification he stops up the issues of our corruption by little and little For other things and judgements in this world he remooves the malice and takes away the sting of them which is the venome as he saith afterwards For mine Anger is turned away which being remooved and turned from things then they are no more judgements What cared Paul for imprisonment Acts 16. when hee knew Gods wrath accompanied not the stocks let wrath be taken from the suffering that the soule be sound then it is no matter what condition a man be in he carries Heaven and Paradice with him Therefore so farre God remooves those diseases and sicknesses of condition as they carrie venome in them so changing the condition that whatsoever we suffer it hath the nature of an exercise medicine or correction onely But that which invenomes all and makes the least crosse a curse Psal 89.46 and sinkes deepe is the anger of God joyned with things The least crosse when it carrieth with it the anger and vengeance of God and reports that to the soule I have offended God and it is just with him thus to inflict wrath upon me this is terrible and it puts a sting to the crosse Now God here promiseth to remoove that I will heale their backsliding This principally in the first place is meant of healing in regard of Iustification taking away that guilt from the soule which inthralls it and binds it over to condemnation and judgement God will set the soule at a spirituall liberty and so heale it Thus you see the point cleere That God is the great Physitian of the soule Reason 1 For God who made the soule knowes all the diseases windings and turnings of it he is an excellent Anatomist Heb 4.13 all things are naked and open before his eyes he knowes the inward part of the soule the seate of all sinne We know not our selves as he knowes us there is a mistery of selfe-deceit in the heart which he knowes who can search all the hidden corners of the heart which is the Reason why he is so good a Physitian and so excellent because he is a discerner and searcher of the heart who can see all and so can cure all being above the sting of conscience he hath a remedy above the malidy he is greater then our conscience therefore hee can cure our conscience Reason 2 And in the next place as hee can heale our soules so hee is willing to doe it which his willingnesse we may know by the medicine he doth it by his owne deare Sonne hee hath provided a plaister of his Sonnes blood to heale us And besides his owne inward willingnesse being now a gratious Father to us in Christ Jesus 2 Cor 5. â—0 he sends his Ambassadors to heale and cure us in his Name to apply his medicines and to beseech and intreate us to be reconciled God by them intreats us to intreat him for pardon and mercy and is so willing to be intreated that ere we shall sit out hee teacheth us words as we heard Take unto you words c. as he is an able so hee is a willing Physitian Christ the great Physitian together with his Father expects not that we should first come to him but he comes first and sends to us 1 Ioh. 4 9 10. The Physitian came to the sick though for the most part the sicke if able goe to the Physitian But here is the contrary hee came from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein died by which his blood-shedding he satisfied the wrath of God justly offended with us Isa 53.10 So he heales our soules that way having undergone the anger and wrath of God that his blood might quench and appease that anger Isa 53.11 12. by a plaister thereof made and applied to our soules Doe we doubt of his willingnesse Gods willingnes to save us Mat. 11.28 when hee comes to us and calls us Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest It is his Office which he hath assumed to heale our soules The many cures he hath done sheweth the ability and willingnesse of the Physitian cures whereof we are uncapable of by reason of our meane condition A King as his place is greater so sometimes his sinnes are greater then others are 2 King 33.12 yet he cured Manasseth that sinnefull King together with Mary Magdalen Paul Peter and the rest who were a company healed by this Physitian Therefore all this is for the glory of our Physitian we may see what he can doe by what he hath done as amongst us Physitians are sought after according to their skill and cures done Consider in the Sacrament how ready God is to cure and to heale us how gratious he is in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein he ingageth us to beleeve Psal 119.49 admitting us into the Covenant and preventing us with mercy before we knew what a Covenant or Seale was And so to perswade us of his willingnesse to forgive our sinnes and heale our Rebellions hee hath ordained the Sacrament not for his sake but to strengthen our weake faith and help us The point is easie for matter of our understanding but hard in regard of use and Application especially when it should be made use of in time of temptation then let us lay it up as a comfortable point this gratious Promise of God I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. Lay this up against the houre of temptation make use of it then alleadging unto God his owne Promise and nature as David did Lord remember the Promise wherein thou hast caused me to trust Ezek. 16.6 Thou hast promised pardoning and healing of all our transgressions c. Remember thy free Promises made in Jesus Christ God cannot denie himselfe nor his Word but loves to have his bonds sued remember this And when conscience is surprised with any sinne though it be never so great looke not on the disease so much as who is the phisitian and what his plaister and medicine is God is the Phisitian and the blood of Christ is the Plaister What if our sinnes be mountaines Mic. 7.18 19. there is an ocean and a sea of mercie to swell above and cover these mountaines of our sinnes Our sinnes in this case are like fire which falling into the sea is by and by quenched What if our sinns bee of never so long standing as these their backeslidings heere had continued hundreds of yeares wherein they were a backesliding generation yet it is no matter of what standing or continuance the disease is
unworthinesse whatsoever For all there is for the glory of his Mercy For in the Covenant of grace mercy doth triumph against judgment and justice Rom. 5.21 which mercy of God in Christ is said by the Apostle to raigne unto life everlasting by Iesus Christ our Lord. It reignes and hath a regiment above and over all For mercy in God stirred up his Wisedome to devise a way by shedding of the blood of Christ Jesus God-man to satisfie divine Justice and rejoyce against it But whence comes this that justice should be so satisfied because a way is found out how none of Gods Attributes are loosers by mercy That the greatest sin which is pardonable is to denie God the glory of his mercy Wherefore in any temptation when we are prone to doubt of Gods love say what shall we wrong God more by calling in question his mercy and the excellency of his loving kindnesse which is more then any other sinne we have committed This is a sin superadded against his Mercy Power Goodnesse Gratiousnesse and Love in healing of sinne which takes away the glory of God in that Attribute wherein he labours to triumph reigne and glorifie himselfe most Psal 145.9 and which is over all his workes Therefore he that offends herein in denying God the glory of his great tender unspeakeable mercy whereby he would glorifie himselfe most in the Covenant of grace he offends God most That we honour God most of all by giving him the glory of his mercy Therefore let us at such times as God awakens conscience be so farre from thinking that God is unwilling to cure and helpe us as to thinke that hereby we shall Honour God more by beleeving then we dishonoured him by our sinne For the faith of an humble contrite sinner it glorifies God more then our better obedience in other things doth because it gives him the glory of that wherein he delights and will be most glorified the glory of his mercy and truth of his rich abundant mercy that hath no bounds There is no comparison betweene the mercy of God in the Covenant of grace and that to Adam in the state of nature for in the first he did good to a good man first hee made him good and then did him good but when man did degenerate and was fallen into such a cursed estate as we are for God then to be good to a sinner and freely to doe good heere is goodnesse indeed triumphant goodnesse Cain was a cursed person who said Gen. 4.13 my punishment is greater then can bee borne wee know who spake it no God is a Physitian for all diseases if they be Crimson sinnes he can make them white as wooll Isa 1.18 Who would not be carefull therefore to search his wounds his sinnes to the bottome An incouragement to search our sins deeply let the search be as deepe as we can considering that there is more mercy in God then there can be sinne in us Who would favour his soule especially considering if he neglect searching of it sinnes will grow deadly and incurable upon that neglect Let this therefore incourage us not to spare our selves in opening the wounds of our soules to God that hee may spare all Thus we saw formerly The Church here is brought in dealing plainely with God and confessing all for she had an excellent Teacher and God answers all beginning with this I will heale their backsliding They were Idolaters and guilty of the sinnes of the second Table in a high measure no pettie sinnes yet God saith I will heale their backsliding c. Which being healed then an open high-way is made for all other mercies whatsoever which is the next point we Observe hence Observ That the cheefe mercy of all which leades unto all the rest is the pardon and forgivenesse of sinnes Healing of the guilt of sinne we see is set in the front of these Petitions formerly shewed which as it is the first thing in the Churches desires Take away all iniquity c. So it is the first thing yeelded to in Gods Promise I will heale their backsliding c. Pardon of sin and cure of sinne whereby the conscience ceaseth to be bound over to condemnation is the first and chiefest blessing of God and is that for which the Church falls out in a triumph Who is a God like unto thee Micah 7.18 19 20. that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage because hee delighteth in mercy c. And this is that excellent and sweet conclusion of the new Covenant also whereupon all the rest of those former foregoing mercies there are grounded Ier. 31.34 for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more Yea this is the effect of that grand Promise made to his Church after the returne of their captivity Jer. 50.20 In those daies and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Iudah and they shall not bee found for I will pardon them whom I reserve The point is plaine and cleere enough it needs no following The Reason is Reason Because it takes away the interposing cloud God is gratious in himselfe pardon of sinne remooves the cloud betwixt Gods gratious face and the soule Naturally God is a spring of mercy but our sinnes stop the spring but when sinne is pardoned the stop is taken away and the spring runs amaine God is not mercifull as a flint yeelds fire by force but as a spring whence water naturally issues Quest Seeing forgivenesse of sinnes unstops this spring why doe we not feele this mercy Answ Surely Why we want the sense of the forgivenesse of sinnes because some sin or other is upon the file uncancelled perhaps unconfessed or because we are stuft with Pride that wee beleeve not or are so troubled or trouble our selves that we apprehend not or beleeve not the pardon of sinnes confessed and hated But sure it is Forgivenesse of sinnes unstops the spring of mercy and unvailes Gods gratious face in Iesus Christ unto us Sinne being not pardoned this stops as the Prophet speakes our iniquity is that which keepes good things from us Therfore the cheefe mercy is that which remooves that which unstops the current of all mercy I will heale their backsliding c. Looke as a condemned Prisoner in the Tower let him have all contentment as long as he is in the displeasure of the Prince stands condemned and the sentence unreversed what true contentment can he have none at all So it is with a sinner that hath not his pardon and quietus est from heaven yeeld him all contentment which the world can affoord all the satisfaction that can issue from the creature yet what is this to him as long as he hath not mercy and that his conscience is not pacified because it is not cleansed
he will regard us or not The spirit it is said makes requests for the Saints and God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit Rom. 8.27 because it makes request according to the will of God The same Spirit that stirrs us up to amend our lives and fly Idolatrous courses the same Spirit stirs us up to pray to God according to the will of God and then God heares the desires of his owne Spirit Of all judgements in the world this is the greatest to pray and not to be heard for when wee are in misery our remedy is prayer now when that which should be our remedy is not regarded what a pittifull thing is that Now here is an excellent blessing set downe to pray and for God to heare I will heare him and observe him Because then God and Ephraim were of one minde and joyne in one therefore God cannot but heare and regard Ephraim being of his minde to love and to hate what hee loves and hates Luk. 16. As soone as ever the Prodigall began to hate his former courses the Father came out to meete him Psal 32.3 and so of David I said I will confesse my sinnes to God I said that is in my heart I resolved to confesse to God and thou forgavest mine iniquity God heard his resolution We cannot else entertaine a full purpose to goe to God unlesse there be a cessation from sinne the Prodigall for all his contrition was afraid to bee shaken of his Father for his dissolute life O! but the Father provides a banquet so it is when we turne to God and resolve a new life to cast away our Idolatries and former abhominations presently God heares us and observes us and is ready to meet us There is an excellent place even touching Ephraim himselfe Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake turne me to thee and I shall bee turned thou art the Lord my God c. Is Ephraim a deare sonne is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will have mercy upon him If Ephraim beginne to bemoane himselfe for his folly presently followes that Gods bowels are turned to him so it is said of Ephraim here after hee had renounced Jdols Gods bowels are turned towards him I have heard him and observed him Which yeelds us a sweet and comfortable consideration to turne to God from all our sinfull courses because God is so ready to forgive and to forgive great sinnes What if our sinne be Jdolatry the grand sinne of the first Table yet if Ephraim say what have I to doe with Idols though it be spirituall adultery yet if Ephraim beginne to renounce Idolatry God will say I have heard him and observed him Jf your sinnes were as red as crimson saith God I will make them white as wooll c Crimson sinnes double dyed sins Isa 1 1â— it is no matter what they are if wee come to God there is more mercy in him then sin in us Jf Ephraim say what have I to doe with my former evill courses God will heare him and observe him It is never better with a Christian then when he hath renounced all wicked courses though he thinkes himselfe undone if he leave his former Dalilah delights but there is no such matter for we shall finde a hundred fold more in God Mat. 19.29 as Christ speakes Whosoever leaves father or mother brother or sister house or kindred for me shall have a hundred fold in this world that is they shall have it in contentment and grace in peace of conscience and perhaps in the things of this life in another kinde What lost Abraham when he obeyed God and forsooke his fathers house God was all-sufficient for him he grew a rich man And what lost hee by giving Isaake to God he received his sonne againe of whom there came an innumerable seed And what lost holy David in waiting for the time that he should come unto the Kingdome without making haste he came quietly to the possession of the crowne whereas Ieroboam who made more haste after God had told him he should raigne hee was cursed in his government and none of his posterity came to good There is nothing lost by depending and waiting upon God and renouncing of carnall confidence We think naturally we are undone O! there is no such matter as David speakes When my father and mother forsaketh me Psal 27.10 yet the Lord taketh me up Iohn 9. As we know in the Gospell when the blinde poore man was excommunicated and cast out after he had spoke somewhat stoutely to the Pharisees will ye also be his Disciples yet then Christ takes him presently into his company being expelled by them what lost he by this So when Jsraell had lost all their flesh-pots in Aegypt they had no losse for God provided them Manna from Heaven and what lost they by that they had Angels food instead of their garlicke and onyons I have observed him That is I will have a speciall eye to him I will looke to him in all conditions and states whatsoever God never slumbers nor sleepes like the Master of the house in the Parable Luk. 11.5 who when the poore man came for bread all the rest being asleepe is awake and raised up by the importunity of the poore man So the great Master of the family of Heaven and Earth that governes all hee wakes day and night and never sleepes herein going beyond the care of the dearest friends we have in the world for they must have a time to sleepe the mother though she love the childe as her owne bowells yet notwithstanding shee must have a resting time and perhaps in that time the childe may miscarry but God alwayes observes his eye is alwayes upon his children they are before him written in the palmes of his hands Isa 49.16 he hath them in his eye as in Exodus you have there God brought in observing the children of Israell I have seene Exo. 3.7 I have seene the affliction of my people Israell they thought themselves neglected of God but he tells Moses I have seene I have seene I know it very well hee adds knowledge to sight So there is no affliction in this world to Gods children but God in seeing sees as before he heares the groanes and sighs so he sees the most intimate inward affliction whatsoever that afflicts the soule as they were grieved in very soule at the tyranny of Pharoah Oh but God in seeing hee sees whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne This is a consolation when one thinks that no man sees and regards alas what shall become of me Why should any man say so that hath God to go too who is all eye and all eare God heares and sees his eares
bring mee forth in the light and I shall see his Righteousnesse If Adam sinne hee shall find a Hell in a Paradice if Paul returne and returne to God hee shall finde a Heaven in a Dungeon It should move us therefore to seeke unto God Vse 2 by unfained Repentance to have our sinnes taken away and pardoned or else howsoever wee may change our plagues yet they shall not bee taken away nay wee shall still like Pharoah change for the worst who though hee had his judgements changed yet sinne the cause remaining hee was never a whit the better but the worse for changing untill his finall ruine came Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is Death Sinne will crie till it hath its wages Where Iniquitie is there cannot but be falling into judgement Therefore they are cruell to their owne soules that walke in evill wayes for undoubtedly God will turne their owne waies upon their owne heads Wee should not therefore envie any man be hee what hee will who goeth on in ill courses seeing some judgement is owning him first on last unlesse he stop the current of Gods wrath by Repentance God in much mercie hath set up a Court in our hearts to this end that if wee judge our selves in this Inferiour Court wee may escape and not be brought up into the higher if first they be judged rightly in the Inferiour Court then there needs no review But otherwise if wee by Repentance take not up the matter sinne must be judged some where either in the Tribunall of the heart and conscience or else afterwards there must be a reckoning for it Vse 3 Thirdly hence wee learne since the cause of every mans miserie is his owne sinne that therefore all the power of the world and of Hell cannot keepe a man in miserie nor hinder him from comfort and happinesse if hee will part with his sinnes by true and unfained Repentance as we know Manasses 2 Chro. 33.12 13. as soone as he put away sin the Lord had mercie upon him and turned his captivity So the people of Israel in the Iudges looke how often they were humbled and returned to God still he forgave them all their sins as soone as they put away sinne God and they met againe Psal 106.43 44. Psal 107.19 So that if we come to Christ by true Repentance neither sinne nor punishment can cleave to us Thou hast fallen c. Fallen blindly as it were thou couldest not see which way thou wentest or to what end thy courses did tend therefore thou art come into misery before thou knowest where thou art A sinner is blind 1 Cor. 4. the god of this world hath put out his eyes they see not their way nor foresee their successe The Divell is ever for our falling that we fall into sinne and then fall into misery and so fall into despaire and into hell this pleaseth him Cast thy selfe downe saith he to Christ downe with it downe with it saith Edom Hell is beneath the Divell drives all that way Take heed of sinne take heede of blindnesse ponder the path of your feet Vse keepe your thoughts heaven-ward stop the beginnings the first stumblings pray to God to make our way plaine before us and not to lead us into temptation Verse 2. Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him c. These Israelites were but a rude people and had not so good meanes to thrive in grace as Iudah had Therefore hee prompts them here with such words as they might use to God in their returning Take with you words whereby we see how gratious God is unto us in using such helps for our recovery and pittying us more then we pitty our selves Is not this a sufficient warrant and invitation to returne when the party offended who is the superiour 2 Cor. 5. desires intreates and sues unto the offending guilty inferiour to be reconciled God is willing to be at peace with us But this is not all he further sheweth his willingnesse in teaching us who are ignorant of the way in what manner and with what expressions we should returne to the Lord. He giveth us not onely words and tells us what we shall say but also giveth his Spirit so effectually therwith as that they shall not be livelesse and dead wordes but as Rom 8.26 with unexpressible sighes and groanes unto God who heareth the requests of his owne Spirit Christ likewise teacheth us how to pray wee have words dictated and a spirit of Prayer powred upon us As if a great Person should dictate and frame a Petition for one who were affraid to speake unto him Such is Gods gratiousnesse and so ready is he in Jesus Christ to receive sinners unto mercy Take unto you wordes None were to appeare empty before the Lord at Ierusalem but were to bring something So it is with us we must not appeare empty before our God If we can bring nothing else let us bring wordes yea though broken wordes yet if out of a broken and contrite heart it will be a sacrifice acceptable This same taking of words or petitions in all our troubles and afflictions must needs be a speciall remedie it being of Gods owne prescription who is so infinite in knowledge and skill whence wee observe That They who would have helpe and comfort against all sinnes and sorrowes Observ must come to God with words of Prayer As wee see in Ionahs case in a matchlesse distresse words were inforcive and did him more good then all the world besides could for after that hee had bin humbled and praied out of the whales belly the whale was forced to cast him out againe Luke 15.18 So the Prodigall sonne beeing undone having neither credit nor coyne but all in a manner against him yet hee had words left him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired servants After which his father had compassion on him And good Hezekiah Isa 38.2 being desperately sicke of a desperate disease yet when hee set his faith a worke and tooke with him words which comfort onely now was left unto him wee know how after hee had turned his face towards the wall and prayed with words God not only healed him of that dangerous disease but also wrought a great miracle for his sake causing the Sunne to come backe ten degrees Thus when life seemed impossible yet words prayers and teares prevailed with God Iehoshaphat also going to warre with Ahab 2 Chron. 18.31 against Gods commandement and in the battell being encompassed with enemies yet had words with him readie and after prayer found deliverance James 5. Eliah likewise after a great drowth and famine when raine had bin three yeares wanting and all in a manner out of frame for a long time Tooke with him words and God sent raine aboundantly upon the earth againe The Reason
is because Prayer sets God on worke Hos 2.21 22. and God who is able and willing to go through with his works sets all the creatures on worke 1 King 18.45 As we heard of Eliah when hee prayed for raine the creatures were set a worke to effect it Object Where it may be Objected O but raine might come to late in that hot Countrie where all the Rootes and Herbes might bee withered and dried up in three yeares space Yet all was well againe Answ the land brought forth her increase as formerly for faithfull Prayer never comes too late because God can never come too late if our prayers come to him 2 Chron. 15.2 we shall find him come to us Iehoshaphat we read was in great distresse when three Kings came against him yet when hee went to God by unfained and hearty fasting and prayer God heard him fought for him and destroyed all his enemies The Scripture sheweth also how after Hezekiahs Prayer 2 Chron. 19.6 14. against Senacheribs Blasphemies and threatnings the Lord sent forth his Angell and destroyed in one night of them 2 King 19.20.35 a hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians This is first for Reproofe of those who in Vse 1 their distresses set their wit wealth friends and all a worke but never set God a worke as Hezekiah did in Senacheribs case The first time hee turned him off to his cost with enduring a heavie taxation 2 King 18.14 and yet was never a whit the better for it for Senacherib came shortly after and besieged Hierusalem untill Hezekiah had humbled himselfe and prayed and then God chased all away and destroied them he had better have done so at first and so have saved his monie and paines too 2 Chron. 14.11 The like weakenesse we have a proofe of in Asa who when a greater Armie came against him of ten hundred thousand men laid about him Prayed and Trusted in God and so was delivered with the destruction of his enemies yet in a lesser danger 2 Chron. 16.2 against Baasha King of Israel distrusted God and sent out the Treasures of the house of God and out of his owne house unto Benhadad King of Syria to have helpe of him by a diverting warre against Baasha King of Israel which his plot though it prospered yet was hee reproved by the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.7 and warres thenceforth denounced against him This Asa notwithstanding this experiment afterwards sought unto the Phisitian before hee sought unto God Secondly This blameth that barrennesse and Vse 2 want of words to go unto God which for want of hearts wee often find in our selves It were a strange thing to see a wife have have words enough for her maids and servants and yet not to bee able to speake to her husband Wee all professe to bee the Spouse of Christ what a strange thing then is it to bee full when wee speake to men yet be so emptie and want words to speake to him A begger wee know wants no words nay he aboundeth with variety of expressions and what makes him thus fruitfull in words What makes a bold begger his necessity and in part his hope of obtaining These two make beggers so earnest So would it be with us if we found sufficiently our great need of Christ and therewith had hope it would embolden us so to go to God in Christ that we should not want words but wee want this hope and the feeling of our necessities which makes us so barren in prayer Prepare thy selfe therfore to prayer by getting unto thee a true sense of thy need acquaintance with God and hope to obtaine and it will make thee fervent in prayer and copious in thy requests Vse 3 Thirdly this is for Consolation though one should want all other meanes yet whatsoever their misery be if they can take words and can pray well Isa 38.3 they shall speed well If the misery be for sin confesse it and ask pardon for it and they shall have it and be cleansed from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1.9 Words fetch the comfort to us though it be the blood of Christ onely that hath paid the debt Isa 53.5 The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON Hos. 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously so will we render the Calves of our lips AS wee lost our selves in the first Adam so the mercie of God in the Covenant of Grace found out a way to restore us againe by the second Adam Jesus Christ in whom all the Promises are yea and Amen yesterday and to day and the same for ever And as the wisedome of God did freely find out this way at first comforting our first Parents with it in Paradice so this bowells of incomprehensible love of his hath so gon on from time in all ages of the Church comforting and raising up the dejected spirits of his Church from time to time and awakening them out of their drowsinesse and sleepie condition And many times the greater sinners he dealt with the greater mercies and tender bowells of compassion were opened unto them in many sweet and gratious promises tendering forgivenesse and inviting to Repentance as here in this Chapter and whole Prophecie is shewed what Tribe so wicked so full of Idolatry and Rebellion as Ephraim and yet here Ephraim and Israel are taught a lesson of Repentance as the tender Nurse feeds her childe and puts meate in its mouth so here the Lord puts words in the mouth of this Rebellious people Take with you words and turne unto the Lord. Object What needs God words hee knowes our hearts before we speake unto him Answ Why wee must bring words with us though God knowes our minde It s true God needs no words but we doe to stirre up our hearts and affections and because he will have us take shame unto our selves having given us our tongues as an instrument of glorifying him he will have our glory used in our Petitions and Thankesgivings and therefore in regard of our selves he will as was said have us take words unto our selves for exciting of the graces of God in us by words blowing up of the affections and for manifestation of the hidden man of the heart God will be glorified by the outward as well as by the inward man And Turne to the Lord. He repeats the exhortation of Returning That words and purposes must concurre in Prayer to shew that words must not bee empty but such as are joyned with a purpose of turning to God for otherwise to turne to him with a purpose to live in any sin is the extremity of prophane impudence to come to aske a pardon of the King with a resolution to live still in Rebellion against him what is this but mockerie as if one should come with a dagg to shoote him Such is our
mercy is conversant it is usually about one of these three either Sinne or Misery or Defects and wants that is to Persons in misery for indeed the word is more generall then Fatherlesse Deserted persons that are forsaken of others and have no strength of their owne they are heere meant by the Fatherlesse Who have no meanes wisedome power or ability of their owne but are deserted and forsaken of others whence the chiefe truth that offers it selfe to be considered of us is this Observ That God is especially mercifull to those Persons who stand most in need of mercy Why God is so ready to shew mercy to the Fatherlesse First because these doe relish mercy most and give him the glory of it applying themselves most to his mercy being beaten out of the creature and the more we have communion with God being driven out of the creature and other comforts the more he discovers himselfe to us as the neerer we are to the fire the hotter it is so the neerer wee are to God the more good and gratious hee every way shewes himselfe unto us Now what makes us neere him but extremity of misery whereby we are beaten from all other holds whatsoever Hos 5 15. It is acknowledged to be his worke when hee doth it for these that are deserted of all others then he hath the chiefe glory of it This is one end why God suffers his children to fall into extreamity of great sorrowes and perplexities to fall very low in depths of miseries as the Scripture speakes Psal 131.1 that hee might discover a depth of his mercy beyond the depth of their misery to shew that there is a depth deeper then that depth for their misery is sinne O but the bowels of his compassions are infinite both in measure and time His mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. Againe God is jealous of their affiance and confidence knowing that naturally unlesse we fall into some straites and weaning extremities we shall place our affiance upon the creature therefore he deales thus with us He knowes our sicknesse well enough that we are desperatly addicted to present things therefore to cure this sicknesse in us he drawes us by extremities from the creature to himselfe which when it failes we goe to him Helpe Lord why Psal 60.11 Psal 12.1 for vaine is the helpe of man it is time then to helpe Helpe Lord for the godly are perished from the earth It is time to helpe Lord for if thou doe not none will whereby they come to have their confidence upon the rocke which is worth all Other men they run from creature to creature from helpe to helpe as sicke bodies doe to this and to that drug and to this and that potion they seeke to many things to beg comfort from but a Christian hath a sure foundation that he may stay upon In thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy To come now to speake of the words as they lie in the whole they carry another instruction Observ That God is very gratious and mercifull to fatherlesse and distressed persons As we have it Psal 10.18 That God will judge the fatherlesse and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppresse So Psal 146.9 It is said The Lord preserveth the strangers hee releeveth the fatherlesse and widdow c. And for the generall we have it Psal 145.14 The Lord releeveth all that fall and raiseth up all that be bowed downe God he opens his eare to heare their crie to judge the fatherlesse and the oppressed the like we have in Exodus Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppresse a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing yee were strangers in the land of Egypt and Exod. 22.23 saith he Thou shalt not afflict any widdow or fatherlesse childe if thou asslict them in any wise and they cry at all unto me I will surely heare their crie These among many are direct places to shew the truth of this that God is mercifull not only in generall but to those persons set downe by a Synechdoche a figure where one is set downe for all of the same kinde God is mercifull to all persons in any kind of misery or distresse whatsoever 2 Cor. 7.6 Psul 46.1 Isa 41.17 Isa 59.16 Jsa 63.5 Isa 48.9 as the Apostle speakes God is he who comforted the abject person the forlorne the castaway persons of the world and he is a very present helpe in trouble So as when there are none to helpe then he awaketh and rouseth up himselfe to lay hold for us His owne arme brings salvation for his owne sake So when there is misery and none to helpe God will finde cause and ground from his owne bowells to shew mercy to take pitty and compassion upon his poore Church and Children which should teach us Vse 1 First of all To take notice of this most excellent Attribute of God and to make use of it upon all occasions at our most need then to present to our soules God thus described and set out by his owne Spirit to be Hee that comforteth the Abject and sheweth mercy to the fatherlesse and oppressed this we should make use of for the Church in generall and for every one of our selves in particular The Church hath beene a long time like a forlorne widdow as it were God hath promised that he will have a care of the widdow and the fatherlesse and so he will of his poore Church We see in the parable Luk 18.5 the widdow with her importunitie prevailed with an unrighteous Judge the Church now being like a widdow what is wanting but a spirit of supplication and Prayer which spirit if the Church had to wrastle with God and lay hold upon him as Iaakob did Hos 12.4 Isa 62.7 and not suffer God to rest till he had mercy on his poore Church Certainely it would be better with it then it is for God comforteth the widdow if one what will he doe for the whole Spouse which hath so long beene a despecable and forlorne widdow And for the time to come It ought to minister matter of comfort for the Church certainely God that is mercifull to the Fatherlesse he will be mercifull to the poore Church We see in the Revelation though the woeman was persecuted by the Dragon Rev. 12.14 yet there were given two wings of a great Eagle to her that she might flie unto the wildernesse where she had a place provided of God It alludes to the story of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt God provided for them in the wildernesse they had Manna from Heaven and water out of the rocke and till they came to Canaan God provided every way for them in a marvellous manner So God will be sure to provide for his in the wildernesse of this world he will have a harbour still for the Church and a hiding place from the stormy tempests of her adversaries
Lebanon IT was a good speech of S. Austin those that are to petition great persons they will obtaine some who are skilfull to frame their Petitions least by their unskillfullnesse they provoke Anger insteed of carrying away the benefit desired So it is here with Gods people being to deale with the great God and not being able to frame their owne petitions God as we heard before doth it for them and answers them gratiously with the same mercies which he had suggested them to aske his answer being exact to their petitions I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. wherein God exceeds all Physitians in the world whatsoever for they have nature to helpe them Physicke is the mid-wife of Nature helping it to doe that which it cannot doe of it selfe Physick can doe nothing to a dead man but God is so great a Physitian that hee first gives life and after that spirituall Life is in some degrees begun by little and little he heales more and more I will heale their backslidings We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people who thinke that God sees no sinne when he hath once pardoned men in Justification who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensuall conceit thinke they can commit no sinne offensive to God as though God should frame such a Justification for men to blindfold him and cast dust as it were in his eyes or justifie men to make them loose and idle No it is false as appeareth by this place for how can God heale that he sees not He sees it not to be revenged on them for it but hee sees sinne to correct it and to heale it He sees it not after a revengefull wrathfull justice to cast us into Hell and damne us for it but he sees it after a sort to make us smart and lament for it and to have many times a bitter sense of his wrath and forsaking as men undone without a new supply of comfort and peace from Heaven Let a man neglect Sanctification daily sorrow and confession of sinne and now and then even craving new pardon for sinnes past casting all upon a fantasticke conceit of faith in their justification what followes but Pride Hardnesse of heart Contempt of others and neglect of better then themselves and pronenesse out of Gods judgement to fall from ill to worse from one error to another In this case the heart is false and deceitfull for whilst it pretends a glorious faith to looke back to Christ to live by faith and lay all on him by justification it windes it selfe out of all taskes of Religion sets the heart at liberty neglects Sanctification and Mortification of lusts and beautifying the image of God in them giving too much way to the flesh Therefore away with this false and selfe-conceited opinion which drawes poyson out of that which God speakes to confirme and stablish us That hee sees no iniquity in Iaakob c. Whence from these Hyperbolicall speeches they thinke that God seeth not that which we our selves see But hee heales our backslidings therefore hee sees them for how can he heale a wound if he see it not He sees it but not to their destruction who are freely justified by his grace But we will leave this point it being too much honour to them to spend time in confutation of it and will rather say unto it as Isay speakes of a menstruous cloth get thee hence Isa 30.22 Now as God is a most gratious God never weary of well doing and comforting his people because it is his nature to be mercifull So hee hath suteable expressions of it hee goes on with mercy upon mercy loving kindnesse upon loving kindnesse Hee had promised before I will heale their Backeslidings take in summe all their Apostacie all shall bee healed But this is not all hee answers all the accusations and doubts of Satan who is still objecting against us our unworthinesse miserie wretchednesse to have such favours conferred on such filthy creatures Therefore hee takes of all with this which followeth as they had prayed Receive us gratiously So the answer is full and suitable to their request I will love them freely Put case they out of conscience of their own guilt should see no worth in themselves or cause why they should bee respected yet I see reason in mine owne love I will love them freely Quest But may some say How can God love freely Answ Aske thy selfe doth not a father and a mother love their child freely what doth the child deserve of the father and mother a great while Nothing but the mother hath many a weary night and foule hand with it Hath God planted an affection in us to love our children freely and shall not God much more who gives this love and plants it in us bee admitted to love freely But indeed there is absurdity and infidelity in distrust For it is against reason to deny the mighty God that which wee have in our selves If hee did not love freely how could hee love at all what could hee fore-see in us to love us for before hand the very manhood of Christ deserved not the grace of union it was freely given I will love them freely That which first of al we observe hence is this much Observ That God loves his people freely So Rom. 5.8 9. Saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The like wee have in Ezekiell saith God Ezek. 36.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israell thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israell but for mine holy Names sake which ye have profaned among the heathen whether ye went Adam when hee had sinned that maine great sinne what did hee fly from God run away Gen. 3.12 13. and when God called to him and debated the matter with him he accused God and excused himselfe Yet for all this God pittied him and cloathed him and made him that promise of the blessed seed What desert was there here in Adam nay rather the quite contary yet God loved him freely The same may bee said of Saint Paul for the time past a persecuter what deserving was therein him none at all yet hee found Gods free love in his conversion Act. 9.15 for saith God to Ananias Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles Heere was no deserving in Saint Paul Act. 9.5 but Gods free election which in time tooke place and so wee may say of the Prodigall having spent all Luk. 15.20 his Father pardoned all and loved him freely Reason 1 The Reason hereof is 1. Because it is his name and nature to bee gratious Exo. 34.6 and to loue freely and whatsoever is Gods nature that hath a freedome in the working
Law and Gospell the whole Word of God which he calleth right not onely because 1. They are Righteous in themselves but 2. Because they reforme whatsoever is amisse in us and rectifie us and 3. VVorke whatsoever is needfull for our good and salvation Now more particularly Gods wayes are 1. Those wayes wherein he walks to us or 2. The wayes that he prescribes us to walk in and 3. Our wayes as they are conformable to his Any of these are the wayes of God of all which more heereafter The wayes wherein he walkes to us Gods wayes to us because many of them are untraceable as unsearchable to us are not here meant As those of Election Predestination and Reprobation the reasons whereof if we take them comparatively cannot be searched out why God should take one and not another it is an unsearchable way But take a man single out of comparison the wayes of God will appeare to be right even in that harsh decree which many men stumble so much at for none are ever brought in the execution of that decree to be damned but you shall see the wayes of the Lord right who a long time together offers them a great deale of mercy which they refusing and resisting the Holy Ghost taking wilfully contrary courses worke out their owne damnation So that at length the issue of those unsearchable wayes will appeare to be right in every particular howsoever the comparative reason at the first why God singles out one man and not another will not appeare As for the wayes of his Providence in governing the world and ruling of his Church The wayes of his Providence c. this is the way of God which is right all which wayes though we cannot in all particulars see in this world yet in Heaven in the light of glory we shall see what cannot now be seene in the light of grace and nature For there be misteries in Providence who can tell the reason why of men equally good one should bee sorely afflicted and the other should goe to Heaven without any affliction in a smooth way none can give a reason of it but we must subscribe to the hidden wisdome of God whose wayes are unsearchable in his Providence yet are they most right though they be above our conceit If wee could conceive all Gods wayes then they were not Gods wayes for in his wayes to us he will so carry them as he will shew himselfe to bee above and beyond our shallow conceits But the wayes especially here meant are the wayes which he prescribes us to walke in and they are 1. What we must beleeve and then 2. VVhat we must doe there is First Obedience of Faith and then Obedience of life These are Gods wayes prescribed in the word and only in the word Now our wayes when they joyne with Gods wayes that is when our life Our wayes joyning with Gods wayes purposes and desires of the inner man in our speeches carriage and conversation agree with Gods wayes then in some sort they are Gods wayes the just shall walke in them They shall walke in these wayes that is in those wayes which God prescribeth As for those wayes wherein God walkes to us we have not so much to doe here to consider them But by walking in the wayes which he prescribes we shall feele that his wayes to us will be nothing but mercy and truth Psal 25.16 The wayes of the Lord are right those wayes that he prescribes to men to be beleeved and done they are right and streight that is they are agreeable to the first rule of all Right is the judgement and will of God He is the first truth and the first good the prime truth and good which must rule all others Mensura mensurans as they use to speake in Schooles the measure that measures all other things for all other things are onely so farre right as they agree to the highest measure of all which is Gods appointment and will So the wayes of God are said to be right because they agree to his word and will they are holy and pure as himselfe is just pure and holy The wayes of the Lord are right Right as they agree to that which is right and streight and right likewise because they lead directly to a right end We know a right line is that which is the shortest betweene two tearmes that which leads from point to point is the shortest of all other lines So Gods wayes are right and streight there are no other wayes which tend directly to happinesse without error but Gods wayes all other wayes are crooked wayes So Gods wayes are right as they looke to God and as they looke unto all other inferiour courses they are right to examine all our wayes by being the rule of them And they are right as they looke to Gods will and are ruled by him The wayes of the Lord are right Hence observe we in the first place that the first thing wee should looke too in our conversation must be to know this for a ground Observ That man is not a prescriber of his owne way and that no creatures will is a rule We must imbrace therefore no opinion of any man or any course injoyned or prescribed by any man further then it agrees with the first truth and the first right Gods wayes are right right as a standard that is a measure to measure all other measures by So Gods will and truth revealed is a right rule and the measure of all other rules whatsoever Directions therefore which we have of things to be beleeved and done from men must be no further regarded then as they agree with the first standard Therfore they are mistaken and desperately mistaken that make any mans will a rule unlesse it be subordinate to that which is higher at which time it becometh all one with the higher rule When a man subordinates his directions to Gods then Gods and his are all one Otherwise without this subordination wee make men gods when we make their will a rule of our Obedience The wayes of the Lord are right But of this onely a touch by the way the maine point hence is The Word of the Lord is every way perfect and brings us to perfection Observ As we may see at large prooved Psalme 19.7 c. Where whatsoever is Good Comfortable Profitable or Delightfull either for this life or the life to come is all to bee had from thence And the Wiseman saith Pro. 30.5 Every word of God is pure c. A similitude taken from gold which is fined till it be pure as it is expressed in another place The words of the Lord are pure words Psal 12.6 as silver tryed in a fornace of earth and purified seven times 2 Tim. 3.16 And so the Apostle to Timothy All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Correction for Reproofe for instruction in Righteousnesse that
but the Spirit doth most of all as you may see in David Psal 51. Psal 51. He resolves all into this as if he should say what should I tell you of my murther and Adultery in sin did my mother conceive me so a true Christian doth not look to the branches so much as to the root Then againe 2. Difference a naturall conscience when it convinceth a man it is against his will it makes him not the better man he mends not upon it but he is tortured and tormented But a man that is convinced by the Holy Ghost he takes Gods part against himselfe he is willing to be laid open that he may find the greater mercy So that there is a grand difference betweene common conviction of nature and the Conviction of the Spirit The Conviction of the Spirit is the light of the Spirit which is of a higher nature then that of naturall conscience I will send the Comforter when he comes he will greatly inlighten and over-power the soule 3. Difference Againe the Conviction of the Spirit sticks by a man it never leaves the soule But that of an ordinary conscience it is but for a flesh and after they are worse then they were before I must cut off these things because the time is alwaies past upon these occasions before we begin Vse Come we therefore to make some Use The Spirit doth Convince of sinne But how by the Ministery ordinarily though not alone by the Ministery Therefore we must labour willingly to submit to the Ministery Convincing of sinne Conscience will Convince first or last Is it not better to have a saving Conviction now to purpose then to have a bare desperate Conviction in Hell O beloved all the admonitions wee heare if we regard them not now we shall hereafter therefore labour to make good use of this Sword of the Spirit of God and it is an argument of a good heart to wish O that the Ministery might meet with my corruption that it may be discovered to me to the full A true heart thinkes sin the greatest enemy and of all other miseries it desires to bee freed from the thraldome thereof For that defiles Heaven and Earth and separates God from his creature It s that that threw Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice What imbitters blessings and puts a sting into all afflictions but sin if it were not for sin we would take up any crosse and beare any affliction more quietly then we doe Therefore as we desire to be saved and to stand with comfort before God at the day of judgement let us desire and indeavour to bee throughly Convinced of sinne Take heed of resisting the Spirit of God in the Ministery why are so many led captive of their lusts but because they hate the Ministery of the Word they looke upon it as Ahab did upon Elias Hast thou found me O my Enemy They naturally are in love with their sinnes and there is none so much hated as those that present themselves to themselves A man take him in his pure naturalls is a foolish creature his heart rises against Conviction You see the Pharisees Wise men Learned men being convinced they hated Christ to the death why Mat. 23.27 because he did untombe them and discover the dead mens bones within So many now a daies that are convinced hate any that by life or speech discover their sinne unto them if it were possible and in their power to the death Thus the Holy Ghost convinces of sin But before I leave this point let me adde this from the reason or ground of this Conviction because they beleeve not in me That unbeleefe makes all other sinnes damnable no sinne is damnable if we could beleeve and repent Therefore we are convinced of sin because we doe not beleeve as we say of a man that is condemned because he cannot reade therefore he is condemned he should escape if he could reade being for no great fault so it is here it is not beleeving in Christ and repenting makes all other sins deadly The differing of one man from another is their faith and repentance some there be whose sinnes are greater then others yet by the Spirit of God and Faith they worke them out every day It is faith in the brazen Serpent that takes away the sting of the fiery Serpents J have done with the conviction of sinne Let us now come to speake of the conviction of Righteousnesse 2. Conviction of Righteousnes Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more It is a fit time for the Holy Ghost to convince Gods people of righteousnesse when they are convinced of sinne before then they can relish Christ Balme is balme indeed when the wound is discovered and felt O then a pardon is welcome when the party is condemned The reason of this conviction of righteousnesse is because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more The Holy Ghost as he sets on sinne upon the conscience so he takes off sinne by applying to the conscience the righteousnesse of Christ this is his office first to convince the world of sinne and then to convince of righteousnesse wherby we stand righteous before God And this righteousnesse here is not our owne inherent but the righteousnesse of Christ a Mediator God and man A fourefold gradation of convinction of righteousnesse The Holy Ghost convinces of righteousnesse in this order of a fourefold gradation First that there must be a righteousnesse and a full righteousnesse The second is this that there is no such righteousnesse in the creature Thirdly that this is to be had in Christ the Mediator Fourthly that this righteousnesse is our righteousnesse Gradation 1 First there must be a righteousnesse for wee have to deale with a God who is righteousnesse it selfe and no uncleane thing shall come into Heaven unlesse we have a righteousnesse how shall we looke God in the face or how can we escape hell Gradation 2 Now for the second that it is not in any creature men or Angels we have not a righteousnesse of our owne for there are divers things to be satisfied God himselfe and the Law and our owne consciences and the world Perhaps we may have a righteousnesse to satisfie the world because we live civilly O but that will not satisfie conscience And then there must be a satisfaction to the Law which is a large thing that condemnes our thoughts desires but God is the most perfect of all Put case we have a righteousnesse of a good carriage among men this will not satisfie God and the Law it will not satisfie conscience men they are our fellow-prisoners conscience will not be contented but with that which will content God when conscience sees there is such a righteousnesse found out by the wisedome of God that contents him else conscience will be alwaies in doubts and feares Gradation 3 Thirdly this