for neither need they be discouraged at the greatnesse of them Even so when we have committed innumerable sinnes deserving eternall death and can no way satisfie for our selves yet so long as he hath perfectly fulfilled the law for us being made under the law in our steed and hath perfectly satisfied the justice of God by bearing the curse for us our estate is good enough in him though never so irrecoverable in our selves Wherefore compare thy sins to Christs merits and thinke is not he my Saviour hath not he discharged my debt hath not he answered for mine offences are not his death sufferings and obedience much more able to pacifie Gods anger then my transgressions to provoke it Doubtlesse it is so no man that professeth Christian Religion will deny it and therefore by his bloud peace of conscience may come unto the greatest sinner § 3. If it be objected Ah J know his redemption is perfect and all-surficient but how can I tell that it shall be granted unto me I answer put off that question a little till thou have first answered some few questions which I shall propound unto thee Dost not thou thinke that the bloud of Christ is sufficient to wash away all thy sins is not his satisfaction full compleate and of worth enough to answer for all thy transgressions even though they were more then they bee If thou sayest no thou denyest the truth of the fore-alledged Scriptures and disparagest the merits of our blessed Saviour which I hope thou wilt not dare to doe but if yea as needs thou must say yea then hearken yet further a little and for thine owne interest into this satisfaction receive satisfaction by this reason Our Saviour Christ calleth unto him all that travell and are heavy laden with sin and promiseth refreshing rest unto their soules Tell me art not thou laden art not thou crushed Dost not thou confesse thy sins to be a most insupportable burden and so heavie a loade that they will surely presse thee downe to hell if he doe not ease thee if thou dost not or dost not desire so to doe thou art none of them whom I intend to comfort if thou dost why then in Gods name let that loving invitation of our Lord satisfie thy forementioned doubt and conclude thou thus for thy selfe Every one that being heavy laden will come unto Christ shall bee refreshed shall have rest to his soule and therefore shall have his merits bestowed upon him without which there can bee no rest to his soule Now I am heavy laden and I will runne to Christ and so doe J pray thee without doubting or feare any longer and then thou must conclude infallibly I shall be refreshed I shall have the merits of Christ to be mine according to the truth of his promise § 4. And so you have the first meditation The second must be of the infinite mercies of God in Christ who is gratiously ready in him the Sonne of his loves to accept of every sinner that renouncing himselfe and all his owne righteousnesse doth flie wholy to him for refuge For the Lord is a God Exod. 14 6. gratious mercifull slowe to anger abundant in kindnesse and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne His mercy is as high above us as heaven is above the earth Psal 103 11. He will abundantly forgive Isa 55.7 2 9. and his waies are not as our waies nor his thoughts as our thoughts for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his waies higher then our waies and his thoughts above our thoughts Yea hee hath multitude of tender compassions and is rich in mercy to all that call upon him Rom. 10 12. and his mercy endureth for ever You see by these words of Scripture what store of mercy there is in God and what quantity of compassion poore sinners that are humbled must looke to finde with him Now consider further what is this mercy and compassion of God Doubtlesse it is a willingnesse promptnesse readinesse forwardnesse full resolution to accept of miserable sinners that have made themselves most wretched by their sinnes and to relieve their miseries when they humbly stoope unto him Mercy is not an ability to pardon and helpe if one will but a willingnesse to helpe and pardon when one is able Wee doe not call him a mercifull man that could help a poore distressed person if he would but it is not his pleasure so to doe for so it may be with a most cruell and hard hearted fellow The most rigorous and exating rich Usurer could forgive his debtor that is a banckerout and can pay him nothing if hee would but he will not though he can and therfore doth not deserve to be called mercifull The most fierce and furious tyrant might forgive his subject if he would that hath offended but because he is not willing therefore no man styles him pitifull and gratious So neither were the God of heaven full of grace mercy and compassion if onely he were able to forgive humbled sinners and would not that were not mercy I say that were not compassion but this is grace this is compassion He is willing to receive the humbled wretch he is ready to forgive and fully resolved with himselfe to blot out all his sinnes from his remembrance bee they what they will for number or haighnousnes when once he converteth unto him Now therefore that thou knowest the store of mercy that is in God and also what mercy is Compare thy sinnes also to Gods mercy and see if they can be in any sort equall thereunto For are not his mercies in Christ infinite endlesse boundlesse and therefore farre surpassing all the sinnes of all sinners which bee they what they can be for weight and number yet doubtlesse infinite they cannot bee Thou seest how great a thing this globe of earth and water seemeth to be to them that walke upon it yet in comparison of the heavenly spheare that doth incompasse it what is it else but a poynt a prick a center a thing of nothing that holdeth no proportion to those higher regions and know assuredly that there is no more proportion betwixt all the sins of all men and Gods mercies then betwixt the poynt of earth and the circumference of the skies He is willing to pardon more then all of them can commit and therefore onely they bee not pardoned because they will not humble themselves to seeke pardon Thus then must thou raise up thy falling heart I have to doe with a most infinitely mercifull and tender hearted Father that doth not desire the death of him that dieth but is ten thousand thousand times more willing to give me pardon then I am to crave or accept it It pleaseth him more to bestow forgivenesse then me to receive it O doe not so great an injury to God as to set any bounds and limits to his goodnesse to diminish or detract from the
boundlesnesse of his compassion to thinke that thou canst possibly exceed his goodnesse with thy badnesse but go unto him and acknowledge saying O Lord the multitude of thy mercies doe farre surmount the multitude of my rebellions O therefore be gratious to mee according to the multitude of thy mercies and so thou shalt bee safe But thou wilt say perhaps how can I tell that God will shew mercy to me I answer Art not thou one of those to whom he hath sealed up mercy in baptisme yea but thou wilt say many are baptized that never finde mercy I answer not one that in sence of want of mercy and in a perswasion that God can bee mercifull to him doth seeke to the throne of grace for it And for a fuller answer to this doubt now proceed to the third meditation § 5. This is of the widenesse and largenesse of Gods promises to sinners which are of such an unlimited extent that they exclude no sinner for no sinne and in no time of comming to him For in all these respects are his promises wondrous large and of great extent J say first they shut not out any sinner but runne in this generality Come unto me All that are heavie laden even all all without any exception so that whosoever he be that is heavy laden hee sees the gate of Gods goodnesse standing open to him and wide enough to receive even him also among the rest of sinners next hee excepts not any sinne but telleth us thus The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all sinne 1 Joh. 1.7 And againe if your sinnes were as red as scarlet they shall bee as white as snow Isa 1.18 And againe Ezek. 18.22 I will blot all his iniquities out of my remembrance and he bids them pray thus Take away all iniquity Hos 14.2 and allowed David to cry and say Psal 51.9 Blot out all mine iniquities Doe you not heare how generall these promises bee not narrowed with any exception but alone to be understood with this qualification of the persons if they be humbled for sin And in like manner for the time of comming lies not the promise in the day that the sinner turneth Ezek. 33.12 meaning when so ever sooner or later first or last so that hee turne in truth you see no time excepted for the grant of pardon of sinne Indeed in regard of crosses it may fall out that a man may seek to God for freedome of them and not find it but for pardon of sinnes he that comes in truth comes never too late And here now is the right use of those universall promises which are set downe in Scripture God would have no man perish but would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 and He is a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 1 Ioh. 2.2 and Hee gave himselfe a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 and He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Which the Lord hath of set purpose conceived in this ample forme of words that there might bee sure and certaine ground and footing for the faith of any man whatsoever that being tyred with his sinnes doth runne unto this grace of God in Christ to finde helpe in time of need Seeing God hath not excepted thy person or thy faults or thy time of comming doe not thou except thy selfe make not the gate of Gods promises scanter or narrower then it is He hath opened both the leaves of these dores as wide as may bee and thinkes it not fit to cloze them up against any humbled and confessing sinner at any time O doe no thou put a distrustfull hand upon them to shut them against thy selfe but let them stand wide open and enter boldly and aske mercy and looke for mercy and finde it § 6. Now followes the last meditation which must be of the examples of Gods grace in performing these promises to other sinners as bad if not worse then any of us can be For the Lord hath made good these words of his in his Son to as great hainous willfull presumptuous offendors as any have beene are or can bee in the world that will come unto him No man can name so great a sinne or sinnes with so great aggravations but that the Scriptures affoord us examples of as grievous sinnes pardoned and as grievous sinners saved if they have framed themselves to humiliation and conversion For what may thy sin bee or thine obstinacy in sin Is it murder and adultery runne into with fore-resolved deliberation continued in with great hardnesse and obduration behold these were Davids faults and thou seest him pardoned and comforted yea though he ran unto them in old age after many benefits received and after a long time of forwardnesse in the true religion and service of God Hast thou beene an Idolater a Buggerer a Drunkard a Rayler an Extortioner why such were some of the Corinthians as Paul remembers them and yet they were washed sanctified justified as he also telleth them Hast thou besides Idolatry followed Sorcerers and Witches and practised inchantments and sorceries and that with so much and so long obstinacy as to kill those that should admonish thee of these faults Why so did Manasses too and yet he is pardoned Hast thou persecuted Christ blasphemed him made others to blaspheme and put them to death that would not why so did Paul also and that after divers yeares spent in those places where many wonders and miracles were wrought to confirme the Gospell of Christ and yet he is pardoned Hast thou beene an harlot so was Rahab and the sinnefull woman in the Gospell Hast thou beene a theefe so was hee that defended Christ on the Crosse Hast thou denied and foresworne Christ so did Peter also after hee had beene diverse yeares his disciple and yet all these are pardoned Yea verily brethren the first sinne that ever was committed was in many respects the greatest of all particular acts of sin that ever were committed since It was virtually radically causally all sinne and yet loe Adam and Evah that did commit it they are saved The smalnesse of the matter makes the fault farre greater being a light and easie thing propounded meerely for a triall and as a signe and profession of their obedience as if a man should forbid his childe a very slender thing and that which hee might easily forbeare to testifie his obedience unto him he would be more offended against him in this case by how much hee had made choyce of a more triviall matter to proove his obedience withall Now for such persons at such a time in such a place in such a state on such motives to disobey their maker in such a thing so easie to bee observed and given to them onely to proove their obedience surely a greater disobedience and therefore a greater sinne can hardly be named and yet as I said before this sinne is pardoned and those sinners saved And who now can be hopelesse who now can cast off comfort Now therfore stay and look upon those effects proofes of Gods mercy and truth and say unto thy selfe is not God the same God that of old was not his justice and anger against sin as
a solemne fast of seven daies continuance as in likely Now it was time to give him some comfort and make him to heare joy and gladnesse that the broken bones might rejoyce This is done in the verses which I have read And here he hath first comfort in his owne minde by which he was able to comfort Bathsheba For he should have beene a poore comforter of her unlesse he had first comforted himselfe secondly outward comfort in giving him a son by her and giving that sonne two names and that by the message of Nathan the Prophet one Shelomo that is peaceable or his peace or the peace of the Lord and the second Iedidiah the Lord will love him because both God did love him and he was to bee an instrument of abundance of prosperity and peace to Israel yea because God would love him with a constant love for Iedidiah signifies the Lord will make to love And now the breach betwixt God and David is fully made up For in calling Salomon by that name he would signifie that he was now at peace with David And by calling him Iedidiah hee would signifie that the Lord did love him also The words are plaine enough and the matter will bee fuller understood if you reade in 1 Chron. 22.9 where David tells Salomon that God tels him that a son should bee borne unto him whose name should be Salomon and that hee would give him rest and peace whence it is apparant that even before the childe was borne GOD sent to him to give him this name and to let him understand that this sonne was hee that was meant in the former prophesie of Nathan who must raigne after him and build the house of the Lord. Now this could not but exceedingly rejoyce David to make him assured that God was reconciled to him because he would choose a sonne of his begotten of the same woman after the sin to be King after him to build him a house Now let us see what instructions we may gather out of these words CHAP. II. §. I. DAavid becomes a comforter of Bathsheba by which it is evident that he was in good measure comforted himselfe We heard him confessing his sin we saw him lying in the dust clothed with sackcloth tumbling in ashes Now you see him cheerefull againe speaking cheerefully to Bathsheba and striving to revive his drooping spirits for doubtlesse shee was in fault as well as David and when shee heard of Nathans reproofe and saw her childes sickenesse and death she cryed peccavi and she cast downe her selfe as well as he Hence learne this lesson §. 2. That the people of God having humbled themselves after their sins must then labour also to take comfort When wee have cast downe our selves before the Lord and confessed and bewailed our offences be they what they will then must we raise vp our selves and strive to settle peace and quietnesse and gladnesse in our hearts againe Consolation should follow mourning and gladnesse should come after sadnesse If any Saint have fallen into some great sinne yet when he hath renewed his repentance for the sinne hee should againe take comfort in God notwithstanding that sinne The Apostle Paul hearing of the incestuous Cortuths great griefe writes to them to comfort him and confirme their love to him 2 Cor. 2.8 9. that he might not be swallowed up of too much sorrow Loe there is a time when a man must wade out of his griefes for feare of being drowned in them Therefore you know our Saviour promiseth to comfort them that mourne Mat. 5.4 and to give them the oyle of gladnesse instead Isa 61.3 of the garments of sadnesse It is not Gods purpose to make his people goe alwaies in black hee would have them weare lightsomer colours after a time The Apostle Paul after hee had seene the Lord in the way Acts 9.19 was in very great heavinesse for three daies and nights but after he was baptized and took comfort and began to preach Christ The people Acts 2.37 46. were pricked in heart but we read after that they did eate their meate with gladnesse The Iayler parted cheerefully with Paul and Silas though he had a lamentable meeting with them § 3. Now there is great reason that the Saints should take comfort after they have taken griefe First Reason because they have as good and sure grounds and causes of comfort as of sorrow Secondly because they shall glorifie God as much Thirdly because they shall profit themselves as much by taking comfort as by their mourning First I say a good man that hath mourned hath as great cause to take comfort as ever he had to mourne for he hath the promises of God to the penitent as well as his threats against the sinner He hath his mercy to the humble as well as his justice against the transgressor He hath Christs prayers merits intercession to stand for him as well as the cry and clamour of his sinnes to stand against him God hath as plainely and as strongly tyed himselfe to accept the repenting sinner as to punish the unrepenting and hath as carnestly required us to believe his promises as his threats and is altogether as true in his promises and as carefull to performe them as to performe his threats And it is the office and worke of the Spirit to be a Comforter and to convince of righteousnesse as well as of sinne The Lord hath as plainely said Ezek. 18.21 24. If the wicked man neturne from his wicked waies he shall live as if the righteous returne from his righteousnesse he shall die Hee hath promised refreshing to all heavic laden as well as threatned destruction to all wilfull and wicked transgressors and to wound the hairy scalpe of such an one as goeth on in his trespasses Psal 68.21 Seeing the Lord offers himselfe gratiously to them therefore have they cause to enjoy these consolations of his Word Yea the Apostle shewes that the Word was written that through comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope Rom. 15.4 So that it may appeare that Gods chiefe end in compiling the Scripture was to prepare comfort for the sonnes of men if they humble themselves and become capable of it Yea the Spirit of God is called the Comforter and God is called the God of all consolation and the God that comforteth the abject all which grounds of consolation being offered us we are bound to receive them § 4. Againe it is a worke as truly honourable to God and maketh as much for his glory that his people doe take the cup of consolation at his hands as that they drink the bitter cup of wormewood yea and more too For to grieve even for sinne further then it tends to comfort and ends in it is nothing at all to the glory of God of it selfe for in hell they grieve enough but that griefe is not in them a worke tending to Gods glory because it aimes not
great then as now and is not his mercy and truth as large and sure now as then and why then should not J also take heart to seeke unto the same God and rest upon him And these be the most comfortable meditations that I could propound to the sorrowfull and fearefull heart of the broken sinner for the suppling of his wounds and fitting his soule for consolation CHAP. VI. § 1. NOw these meditations must be concluded and intermixed with confessions and supplications The poore sinner must gather up his thoughts into petitions and requests and refusing to be hindered by any feares doubts or objections must take to himselfe boldnesse to fall downe before the throne of grace and following the counsell of the Holy Ghost must take to himselfe words and say receive me gratiously and take away all iniquity Addresse thy selfe unto the God of heaven in the name of Christ his Sonne and say Lord behold here the worst of sinners appearing before thee casting himselfe as low as hell desirons to bee as full of shame and sorrow as is possible and therefore troubled because he cannot be more grieved more abased I am Lord indeed a vile and grievous sinner and these and these evills have I done but ô for the merits sake of Jesus Christ alone thy deere and onely begotten Sonne accept me forgive and according to the multitude of thy mercies wash mee throughly from all my sinnes Remember O Lord the thing that thou hast promised and sealed up to al that seeke thee even blot out all mine offences out of thy remembrance and for my sinnes and iniquities O Lord remember them no more Be not wearie of making these requests though thou seeme to thy selfe to receive none answer to them but fly constantly and runne boldly to the throne of grace to attaine mercy to helpe in time of need If thy soule be vexed with new feares confirme thou it with new prayers and resolve if thou must be damned to be damned praying and if thou must needs perish to perish with a prayer in thy mouth then thou canst not bee damned then thou canst not perish Call upon God in the day of thy trouble make thy prayers to him in the flouds of great waters and sure they shall not come neere thee for he will fullfill his promise and will grant thee all that thou beggest in the name of his Sonne Thus have you two helpes to comfort prayer and meditation § 2. The third followes and that is conference Make thy case knowne to others of Gods people for wisdome lies not all in one brest so that any one man should bee able for himselfe to answer all Satans crafty cavills especially the weake Christian cannot therefore must he shew his case and crave counsell David could comfort himselfe Bathsheba could not Wherefore devoure not thy sorrowes all alone but aske advice seeke abroad for comfort and make an happy use of the fellowship and communion of Saints More easily can the divell over reach one then many communicate therefore thy griefes and feares to some or other of Gods faithfull people or Ministers Now is the time of hearkening to the counsell of Saint Iames who bids us Confesse our faults one to another James 5.16 and pray one for another that you may be healed when men that are tormented in spirit suffer themselves to bee stopped by shame or feare from opening their wounds they multiply their own miseries and increase the flames by stifling them Do not so therefore any longer but make manifest thy terrors and acknowledge thy sinnes to some or other comforter A man in a desperate disease will runne to the Chyrurgion Bee sure thou hast not committed any so grievous sins but some or other of Gods children have committed as bad Bee sure that no temptation ceaseth upon thee so foule and hideous but the same or as bad hath beene found before in some or other of the Saints J say therefore againe make haste to seeke advice and discover thine whole soule freely and fully to him whom thou takest for thy Physitian and leave nothing no nothing unuttered that doth trouble thee and resolve to beleeve rather the words of him that seekes to comfort thee then thine owne strong fancies and Satans lying cavills against thee It is evident that a sound man can easily doe that for a sick man which hee by no meanes is able to doe for himselfe in the time of his sicknesse Therefore doe the sicke send for the whole and the whole come to the sicke and even so must the sick and comfortlesse soule doe likewise onely doe this speedily and put not off till thou beest already overwhelmed with griefes As a bone out of joynt that is too long afore it bee set is farre more hardly restored to his place and is ever ready to be slipping out againe so a distressed soule that defers to crave counsell is much more hardly comforted and doth much more easily fall againe into his wonted griefes Speed is necessary therefore in the latter of these two cases as well as the former and great is the hurt of deferring If thou hast carryed thy griefes in silence long that that is past cannot be remedied and thou must bee sure it will bee harder and longer afore thou canst be helped But if thou beest one that now begins to faint let nor Satan hinder thee from revealing thy case as he will endeavour Two eyes see more then one and one man alone is easily cousened Shame shame carnall shame hinders many a soule from inward comfort he is ashamed to tell to others what he findes in himselfe as not knowing that all men labour of the same disease of originall sinne which is an aptnesse to every sinne If a man have a foule disease and bee ashamed to shew it either hee must bee the better skilled in Surgery himselfe or else he dies for it so it is for sinnes Make speed therefore to look abroad for comfort if thou finde not thy selfe ablt to deale with thine owne feares and objections § 3. Doe this also plainely and fully without any reservation sticke not at any thing that troubles thee but cleere thy minde fully and wholy and be not like a childe that holdeth out the wrong finger and will not bee knowne where his worst paine is If need be thou maist tie thy Physitian to secrecy by the strongest bond of an oath but be not thou in any one thing secret or reserved chiefely conceale not that sinne sinnes or temptations that doe most perplexe thee or any one aggravating circuemstance of them All labour is lost till this be done Till the thorne be pulled out