everlasting mercy or God's everlasting wrath will eternally lye upon every one of you And what an amazing difference is there betwixt these two and yet how many behave as if indifferent which of these two shall be upon them God's faving mercy is such a Jewel that though the Lord give it but to few yet he will never take it away from any he hath given it to Psal 89.28,33 Believers God may take any thing from you but his mercy and you may spare any thing but his mercy If God come to take away your Children give them if he come to take away your Estate let him have it If he come to take away your Health and Lives yield them strive not with him bless a giving and bless a taking God If he crave thy Right Eye or Right Hand and what is dearest to you give yield all to him But say Let me only keep thy mercy I cannot part with that it is the only thing I cannot spare The blessed Canaanite's striving with Christ was about his mercy Be silent disown reproach me I care not but thy mercy I must have It were a Cruelty that only Unbelief can charge God sinfully with to take away so precious a Gift as saving mercy is Let but this mercy follow me as Psal 23.6 and it s no great matter where I go If I be in the lowest Hell mercy will bring me out Psal 86.13 For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell There is no time-Hell that a Vessel of mercy can be in but mercy will bring him out again and this Mercy will secure him from the eternal Hell This mercy is God's mercy therefore soveraignly free therefore Almighty therefore eternal You sin Believers when you fear his taking away his mercy He gave it at first that you might be eternally possessed of it Mercy gave mercy and mercy will keep mercy and mercy will stay with you and keep you for ever The third thing to be spoke to is the end and design of coming to the Throne of Grace and that is that we may obtain mercy Not only that this mercy is to be got at the Throne of Grace and there only nor that this Throne of Grace is erected on purpose to dispense this mercy nor is it only that we should come to the Throne of Grace to ask and beg this mercy but that we should come to obtain it This is the Duty exhorted to in the Text. And in setting about this Duty two things are required 1. Come as sensible of your need of mercy No man can come truly without this sense He that hath no sense of misery complements God in asking mercy and takes this saving Name of God in vain It is dreadful to provoke God to Wrath in our way of asking his mercy And all such contract this Guilt and expose themselves to his Wrath that have no Heart-sense of their need of this mercy It is an amazing stupidity that the power of sin hath brought on men that in a world of sinners sinking into everlasting misery so few are really sensible of their need of saving mercy and no man is sensible till God by Grace make him so 2. Come in Faith of his mercy you cannot come at all without this Faith Faith is coming to God Heb. 11.6 Unbelief is departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 No man can come but he that is sensible of misery for coming is the act of a man drawn and moved by the Cords of a man No man can come but in Faith for there is no other coming for a Christian These three things should be in this Faith 1. A believing that there is abundance of mercy with the Lord which if shewed and put forth to you and on you would save you abundantly So argues the Prodigal Luke 15.17,18 And when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my Father's have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my Father and say c. Psal 130.6 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption The highest working of Unbelief is when men judge their misery greater than his mercy The great work of Faith is to get these two to meet fairly and mercy will surely prevail His tender mercy is over all his Works much more is his abundant mercy above a sinner's misery Cain's words should be left for himself and used by none else Gen. 4.13 And Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear Or My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Words sounding like the Language of Hell and not to be spoken by any that would escape it I know many secure people find no difficulty in that they count believing of this that there is mercy enough with the Lord. But yet the matter is far otherwise It is mighty difficult to believe the abundance of his mercy when men are in great pressures of misery The best of Saints have sometimes stumbled here When Moses is pleading with the Lord for mercy to Israel Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken and pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy As if Moses had said Lord thou hast proclaimed thy Name and I heard it and believed it but I did not think that their wickedness would have been so great as now I find it to be Was not Moses a great Believer yet he stumbled in this point of the power of God's Mercy Numb 11.18,23 Israel murmureth for flesh God promiseth a whole months diet of it What saith Moses ver 21 22 How doth the Lord answer him ver 23. And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord's hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass to thee or not This great man's Unbelief was greatly aggravated in that he saw the Lord bring that people out of Egypt with Signs and Wonders and with a mighty Hand he saw them daily fed cloathed and led and protected with Miracles of divine power and mercy yet one new difficulty shakes his Faith When Paul gives us his last account of his Faith for that Epistle was his last Writing he lodgeth his Faith on divine Power 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day If I be perswaded that he is able I shall not doubt of his being willing to keep that charge safe I have committed to him Let the eye of Faith take up clearly the power of mercy and the Faith of its application to thy benefit will be the more easie But he is a rare Believer whose view of the power of mercy is not darkened by a clear sight and deep
way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart When he draws we run Song 1.4 When such helping Influences of grace come on Believers holy Obedience becomes in a manner as sweet easie and natural to them as it is to a Man that hath bodily strength to use it in speaking walking or working Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew or change their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Psal 103.5 Thy youth is renewed like the Eagles is one of the Notes in the Psalmist's sweet Song No Saint is ignorant of this in his own Experience Who knows not that at some times their Work is heavy and is a Burden too heavy for them at other times it is as light as a Feather and as pleasant and easie to them as for a Bird that hath Wings to fly Lastly The grace of God helps very mysteriously Sometimes its help is very secret and at other times it is very plain to be discovered It s help is sometimes so secret that the Saints cannot know or discern it at present but they are made to know it afterwards Psal 73.2 But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt ver 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee This is the account he gives of the power of the Temptation he was under and of the bad frame it had brought upon him ver 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou-hast holden me by my right hand He did not know this till he was brought out of the darkness of the Temptation but then he did discern that there had been a secret support given him otherwise he had fallen utterly 2. What Encouragement have we to come to the Throne of Grace for this helping Grace 1. The Proposal and Revelation made to us of this grace as helpful is an Encouragement to come for it Hath the Lord revealed his grace as only helpful to his people and should they not come for that help Your Faith is not very strong and active unless you can catch at the grace of God without a plain particular Promise I say not but there are Promises many and great of this helping grace and that Faith must build upon them and doth But I only mean that the bare Revelation of the Treasures of grace that are with the Lord should when an Interest in the Promises is dark encourage a poor Soul to come for a share of this grace of God Psal 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee He saith not there is forgiveness for me but there is forgiveness with thee So ver 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Wherefore is this forgiveness this mercy this redemption with the Lord and why is it revealed but that the guilty should come for this forgiveness the miserable for this mercy the many-wise Captives for this plenteous redemption The Lord's fulness of grace is an Argument for our Faith as well as his Goodness and Faithfulness in making and performing Promises of grace 2. But we have Promises also for our Encouragement Promises imply God's fulness of grace but do express his Good will to dispense it and do bind and engage his Truth to fulfil them to all that take God at his Word and trust him on his Word It is a pity that ever the exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.1,4 and precious Faith should be parted Mark 10.49 And Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called and they call the blind man saying unto him be of good comfort rise he calleth thee They had no Promise but they understood Christ's calling of the blind Man was an Act of mercy and on a design of shewing more mercy But we have many Promises of grace 3. We have all the experience of the Communication of his grace according to his Promises for our encouragement in coming for grace Every Supplicant for grace should encourage his Heart by all the Lord's dispensings of his grace How many of these are reyealed in the Word and many like them daily are to be seen in the Church of Christ. If you have such Experiences of your own build upon them praise for them and beg more If you have none of your own behold the Showers of Grace that have fallen upon many as bad as your selves and which have changed them into that same blessed State that you desire to be in Appl. 1. Is the grace of God thus helpful and should we come to the throne of grace for the help of grace Then we see that weak Christians should pray most Such as can do least for themselves have most need of grace to help them and should seek it most Is any Man under a clear Conviction by the light of the Word and his own sensible Experience that he is extreamly weak and utterly unable for any good Word or Work This Man of all Men should pray most Manage your sense of weakness as a Call to ask much of this helping grace of God 2. Surely then Coming to the throne of grate for grace to help must be hopeful work If at any time Satan or an ungodly World should tempt you or your own Heart fail you in fears of the unprofitableness of seeking God have this as a ready answer I am fit for nothing his grace can help me in every thing whither should I go but to a throne by grace what can I beg there but his grace Say with David Psal 57.2,3 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me He shall send from Heaven and save me God shall send forth his mercy and his Trath And will not these save any Man Exhort I would give you a few directions in the practice of this Duty of coming to the throne of grace for helping grace 1. Come to seek this helping grace 2. When you seek it expect it 3. When you expect it receave it 4. When you receave it guide it 1. Come to the throne of grace to seek helping grace Seeking as is already remarked is not expressed in the Text yet it is plainly implyed both in the Duty of Coming and in the Blessings of obtaining and finding You must seek grace to help you Grace will not help to Sin but helps against it yet blessed be God grace can and will help sinners otherwise we were in a forlorn state indeed Grace will not help to laziness that were an hinderance and no help but grace will help lazy people and help them out of it To engage your diligence in seeking helping grace I would shew you what help grace gives 1. Grace helps to save you If people come to the throne of grace if Men pray and have not Salvation in their Eye they come not aright they pray not We are
sense of his own great misery at least at sometimes 2 To come for mercy in Faith is to believe the Fitness and Sutableness of God's mercy to our misery Here many stumble wofully Their Question is Am I fit for mercy when it should rather be Is his mercy fit for me And this Question every sensible Soul can answer the other none in Heaven or Earth can answer If any man think himself fit for mercy of all men that man is most unfit for it and farthest from receaving of it But every sensible Soul will say Though I be unfit for and unworthy of mercy yet mercy is very fit for me Is there pardoning mercy with God who is it so fit for as a guilty vile sinner Is there saving mercy with him Who is it so fit for as for a lost man as I am Come to the Throne of Grace for mercy in Faith of this mercy is fit for me exactly though I be utterly unworthy of it They that think they are fit for mercy will never get it nor indeed can ask it But they that think they are needy of it and that it is fit for them will both ask it and get it 3. To come to the Throne of Grace in Faith for mercy is to believe that there is all good will in him that sits on this Throne to give and shew mercy It is implyed in the Text Let us come to obtain mercy But what if when we come he will not shew mercy That is an ungodly Supposition mischievous to our selves and reflecting upon God He hath mercy in abundance to give he delights in giving he never refused mercy to any that came for it he hath promised he never will and why should men harbour such a suspicion that we may come and not obtain Benhadad could adventure on a report that the Kings of Israel were merciful Kings and yet Ahab was one of the worst of them 1 Kings 20.31 And shall not sinners come upon a more sure Report of the mercifulness of the King on this Throne of Grace It is on this Truth of the Lord 's good will to shew mercy that our Faith so readily halts Many think they ought not to believe this good will to shew mercy I would have you consider some instances of Christ's dealing with Sinners John 4.10 Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Where we are to regard 1. To whom these Words were spoke by our Lord to a Samaritan a vile Creature as to the former course of her life a blind ignorant sottish Sinner that was guilty of refusing Christ a Cup of Water the greatest Sin she ever committed in her Life 2. What our Lord saith to her If thou knewest me thou wouldest have asked if thou hadst asked I would have given thee living Water And before he had done he made her know him made her ask and gave her of his living Water But that I mainly observe from the Word of Christ is a Truth which few will believe when they hear it even few Believers themselves will believe it as they ought That Christ is more ready to give begging Sinners eternal Life than they can be to give Christ himself a Cup of cold Water Our Lord saith it but men will not believe it Another of Christ's Words is in Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Christ makes the comparison favourably ver 11 12. Of a Child's asking Necessaries will a Parent refuse that desire and give what is hurtful But consider our Lord's design in this saying It is plainly to encourage to seeking and the Argument he useth is from the greater Love and readiness in God to give the best things than earthly Parents have to give their Children the Necessaries of this life The preference is not here given to God's greater Riches and fulness than that of parents who may have their Children beg of them what they have not to give as in Lam. 4.4 But it is a preference given to God's greater willingness to give Now who believes this and makes the just Application to their own Case and say confidently The Lord is much more willing to give me saving mercy if I ask it than I am to give a bit of bread to maintain the life of the nearest and dearest Relation I have in the World Appl. I shall only add a few Words of Application 1. There is no principle of natural Religion engraven more deeply on the Hearts of men than that there is misery in men and mercy in God and that God's mercy only can relieve men under this misery This runs through the whole World in all Ages and will continue as long as sense of misery is in men and any Notions of God are preserved in the minds of men And these Sentiments are not to be defaced Attempts of Atheists are damnable to themselves but vain Efforts against the Rock of Ages 2. Notwithstanding of this God's true mercy in Jesus Christ is the greatest Riddle Offence and Stumbling-block to all natural men God's mercy they like well enough and would have applied to their own relief under misery But God's only and true mercy in Christ they cannot away with That there is no mercy with God for Sinners but what flows through the Blood of Jesus Christ That God's Love should appear in sending his own Son under the charge of mens Sin and under the smart and feeling of their miseries That as God shews mercy only this way so men that would have it must only seek it this way the World never did never can never will understand nor relish it nor betake themselves to it They would have mercy to come to them another way and so seek it and look for it in vain and perish by the miss of it 3. There is no Address made to God more honourable to God more acceptable to him and more becoming a miserable Sinner than an Address to God for his mercy It is his Glory to be the Sovereign Lord of mercy it is his Honour to be attended with the Addresses of miserable men it is his delight to dispense mercy to the Addressors What is more becoming God than to shew mercy and what can be more fit than that a miserable Sinner should beg his mercy 4. There is no Provocation more common than sinful ways of begging God's mercy I shall briefly instance in a few Many profane careless Creatures have this Word frequently in their mouths God be merciful to me who yet have no more sense either of God or of themselves of his mercy or of their misery than the Ground they go on This is a gross taking of God's Name in vain Undue Addresses to God
9.1.5 What prays he for them Roin 10.1 My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved All right Prayer should be the Hearts desire Salvation is the best thing we can pray for to our selves or to them we love And no Man can heartily pray for Salvation to others who hath not got it himself 2. I would now direct some Words to them that have obtained mercy and know it Blessed be the Lord that there are not a few in the World not a few in this City and I hope not a few in this Meeting that have obtained mercy of the Lord and know it also Who can remember when their misery was great and when the mercy of the Lord made a visit to them and what great things it brought to them and wrought in them 1. Let such be very thankful for special saving mercy Praise is a great Debt as well as a great Blessing Let none take this as an ordinary Duty but let all Christians know that the main point of the Life and Practice of Christianity lies in the performance of it 1 Pet. 2.9 Praise should rise according to the worth of what we praise for Greatest Favours call for highest Praises and special mercy from the Lord is the highest favour It is a good Custom and a Duty also that people when they receave their daily bread from God do give him thanks for it as well as beg his Blessing on it Pray then how do you think the Lord will take unthankfulness for his special mercy How many hath the Lord to give in this Charge against I never gave thee a nights rest but thou gave me thanks for it in the morning but I have by my mercy raised thee up to newness of Life and I was never thanked for it I never fed thy Body but thou blessed me for my Bounty but I have given thee my Son for the bread of thy Soul but no praise for this Gift When thou wast near death I did in mercy restore thee and was praised for it but special mercy hath delivered thy Soul from eternal destruction but when didst thou praise for that Have a care this Charge be not given against you Live to his Praise and let Praise be the main Work of your Life 2. Walk tenderly under God's special mercy The more special the mercy be the more carefully it should be improved God's saving mercy is a Load a Burthen not indeed hard to be born but it is hard to bear it aright A Burden that will not break the Back but will weigh heavy on the Shoulders of the Bearers and such as are under it are in no small danger of stumbling Isa 38.15 What shall I say he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And that there was special mercy in his Eye see ver 17. Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back Here is a right sense of mercy and a good Resolution about the guiding of it I will walk softly all the Years fifteen of them that God hath added to my Life But what performance was there 2 Chron. 32.25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done to him for his heart was lifted up 3. Obtainers of mercy should ask grace to guide mercy and ask it the more earnestly and confidently because they have obtained mercy Be not discouraged in asking more mercy because you have made so poor improvements of what you have received Every mercy lays us under an Obligation for more service and Grace to enable for that Service must be given and therefore should be asked We need mercy God gives it when we get it we should guide it well and in order to that we must beg more New mercy to enable us to guide the old No mercy from the Lord but it may be ill guided but the last eternal Life Jude 21. A Christian is not out of all danger of abusing any mercy of the Lord till he receave perfecting mercy in Heaven To them that have not obtained mercy or at least do not know that they have only four things I would say to such Ask mercy Receave mercy Plead mercy Hope in his mercy 1. Ask mercy The Lord hath two designs in offering and dispensing his mercy to Men To be honoured by the Prayers of them that want it and to be glorified by the Praises of them that get it This Duty of asking mercy is frequently commanded by the Lord commonly practis'd by his people and never in vain 1. Ask mercy like it self Ask some way according to your Need and its Worth If our begging bore any tolerable proportion to the great Blessing of God's saving mercy what mighty praying would there be Let not mercy be sought as a small thing it 's the one thing needful and it 's the one thing we should seek of the Lord. God's mercy Saving mercy Free mercy Mercy great vastly above all our misery O how would it be asked if asked like it self 2. Ask mercy at the right Door There is not a Crumb of saving mercy that comes to any perishing Sinner but by Jesus Christ. There is no Corn in Egypt but what comes through this Joseph's Hand He is a mad Beggar of mercy that forgets Christ 3. Ask mercy in God's time He that commands us to ask and tells us at what Door to beg and promiseth to give tells us also when we should ask Men have their times as in great distress when dying and at Judgment Beware of putting off asking till God's time of giving be past It is an awful Word of Christ Luke 13.25 When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying c. There are two sad beginnings here Beginning to stand without when the door is shut such will eternally stand without Beginning to knock at the door Such as begin to knock at God's shut Door will never get in There is no good answer to be given by God to such for eternity Is not that a very unhappy beginning So our Lord tells us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins Matth. 25.10 The foolish came when the Door was shut They were foolish that they came no sooner and miserable that they came too late I believe the Damned will see more of the Blessedness of the Saved than the Saved will see of the Misery of the Damned Christ expresly aggravates the misery of the Damned by what they shall see of the Bliss of the Saved Luke 13.28 But all we see in the Word that the Saved shall see or hear of the misery of the Damned is their Resurrection to Damnation John 5.29 which is a most miserable one better were it for them to have their Bodies lye eternally in
and not impoverish the Giver What can such as I beg of such a God as he is but mercy His Name is Mercy my Name is Misery I would have my misery relieved by his mercy and his mercy glorified in my relief 4. Hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psal 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy It is from the Devil for whom there is no mercy that any of the most miserable out of Hell are tempted to think there is no mercy with God for them He envies Men God's mercy he doth not only tempt to sin but also to security in it till the day of mercy be past If God awaken a sinner to see his need of mercy in time Satan tempts them to think that it is out of time In such temptations he acts most like himself a reprobate damned Spirit and in managing of them he hath great advantages from his own Craft and Malice and Men's just deserving of Wrath. Look on all such Thoughts as from that Adversary and treat them accordingly When you beg mercy look for it Expect to obtain it when you would lay hold on it The Lord will never keep back his saving mercy from a sinner that would have it as his life When you plead for mercy for mercy's sake hope to prevail and that will help you to plead better So much for this Exhortation Will ye go home and do so Will you study more your misery and the greatness of his mercy and ask and plead for it more earnestly There is never better fruit of Preaching than when the Hearers are sent away hungering and thirsting after the Lord's mercy SERMON VIII HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need I Have spoke to the first of the Blessings to be got at the Throne of Grace which we should come for Obtaining of mercy The second is the finding of Grace to help in time of need This Expression finding of Grace is probably borrowed from the Old Testament wherein the bestowing of Favour is usually so expressed We find it in Mens Pleadings with one another So Jacob to Esau Gen. 32.5 and Gen. 33.8 These are to find grace in the sight my Lord. And he pleads upon it ver 10. If I have found grace in thy sight then receave my present at my hand for therefore I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me Jacob had seen God's Face that morning and had found grace in his sight and he remembers it when he finds grace in the sight of his angry Brother So we find the Phrase used in dealing with God by Moses Exod. 33.12,13 Yet thou hast said I know thee by name and thou hast sound grace in my sight Now therefore I pray thee If I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight The first thing I would remark here is the Connexion betwixt these two Blessings and Errands Obtaining of Mercy and Finding of Grace Mercy and Grace are joined together by God and are not to be put asunder by Man Many would separate them they would be content to obtain mercy but they care not so much for his grace But such are only profane ignorant persons that know neither God nor themselves nor his Mercy nor his Grace The Lord will not give Mercy without Grace nor Grace without Mercy all that receave either receave both and all that would have either must ask both and none can ask either aright but he that asks both This Grace we are called to come to the Throne of Grace for the finding of is specified from its great advantage and usefulness It is Grace to help in time of need The Words in the Original are Grace for seasonable opportune help It is the nature of this Grace that it is helpful its helpfulness mainly appears in a time of need A time of need will come this Grace is to be asked before that time come it is to be waited upon till the time of need come and used when it comes The Truth to be spoke to is this plain one That all that hear of God's Offer of Grace should come to God to ask it to get it to find it Men should come to God's Throne of Grace for Grace for themselves They should come to God in Christ Jesus for the Grace of God in and by Christ Jesus This is a Truth so bright in its own evidence that there is no need to confirm it What hath been said of coming to obtain mercy is equally binding unto coming to find Grace Two things then I would speak unto at this time 1. What is this Grace we are called to come to the Throne of Grace for 2. What finding of Grace is what specialty is there in this expression It is certain never did a Man find Grace before Grace found him Grace is always the first finder But the sense of it and our knowledge of our having found it follows after 1. What is this Grace we are to come to the Throne of Grace for finding of We have need to know this distinctly The reason why many are so confused and dark and barren in their Prayers is because they know not what is to be got by Prayer If we had a a clear knowledge of the full extent of this Grace that is to be dispensed at this Throne of Grace we should quickly know what to ask and find matter for asking continually This Grace of God that we are invited to come to the throne of grace for finding of comes under three different Considerations 1. As it is in the Fountain from whence it flows 2. As it is in the Channel in which it runs 3. As it is in the Vessels that do receave it 1. Grace considered as in the Fountain from whence it flows is Grace in God The Scriptures take notice of the special Interest that each of the Three blessed Persons of the Godhead have in the dispensing of Grace We find the Father called the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 and there Christ is also named and the Holy Ghost implyed The Father the God of all Grace is the Caller he calleth us to his eternal Glory by Christ Jesus we are fitted for the possession of it by the Grace of the Holy Ghost Our Lord Jesus Christ is oft spoke of as the Fountain of Grace John 1.14 Full of Grace and Truth and that we might know that this Fountain-fulness in him is for Communication ver 16. And out of his Fulness have all we receaved and grace for grace The Holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 When
Peace and Acceptance only in that blessed Beloved beloved of the Father both as his Son and our Saviour and beloved of all that ever saw but a little of his saving Face and Glory Let such go and prosper the Lord is with you the Lord is before you He will welcome the Mediator in his bringing you to him 1 Pet. 3.18 and welcome you with Salvation who come in his Name for it The Prodigals Welcome Luke 15. is but a Shadow of what ye shall meet with Christ welcomes dearly all that come to him And the Father welcomes the Believer that cometh in Christ's Name and is brought in Christ's Hand to this Throne SERMON VI. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need FROM this Text I have already spoken to three of the things I did take up in it 1. Unto the Throne of Grace it self that is erected for and revealed to Sinners in the Gospel That new Court of Grace which the Lord invites the fallen Seed of Adam to come unto 2. I have spoke to that Boldness that is allowed and commanded in coming to it We are not only allowed to come but we must come or perish and bring the guilt of our own Souls Blood upon our Heads by refusing Acts 18.6 We not only may come and try but we may and must come boldly and confidently expecting to speed in coming 3. I have spoke to the great Ground of this Confidence couched in the Word therefore in the Text and relating to ver 14 15. Were it not for Christ's Place and Business and Heart in Heaven no Man on Earth could have boldness at the Throne of Grace The fourth and last thing in the Verse is the end we should come for and the great Blessings we may receave by coming expressed in two Words That we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need God's Mercy and Grace are the most comprizing comprehensive Blessings and these Expressions of them contain all that is needful for our Happiness Nothing can be added to them No Blessing but is in them no Blessing is without them It is the common Apostolick Prayer and such Prayers made by the Pen-men of the Holy Scripture under the immediate guidance of the Holy Ghost are equivalent to Divine Promises yea are such Grace be to you sometimes Grace Mercy and Peace be to you So that these Words as they stand in the Text do equally answer those two Inquiries 1. What good things shall we get at the throne of grace The Spirit of God answers You may and shall obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need And are not these well worth coming for Are they any where else to be had And here they may surely be found How should this endear the Throne of Grace to us and engage to coming to it 2. Wherefore should we come with what design What end should be in our Eye Come saith the Spirit by the Apostle's Pen that ye may obtain the one and find the other Come that ye may get both Design this getting in your coming I would first speak of our coming that we may obtain Mercy and on it discourse of these three things 1. Of the Mercy that is to be got at the throne of grace 2. Of the import of the Phrase Obtaining of Mercy 3. Of the Duty required of coming with this Design that we may obtain this Mercy 1. Of the Mercy that is to be obtained at the Throne of Grace You see it is only Mercy that is named without any mention made whose Mercy it is or of what sort it is But when miserable Sinners are invited to come to God's Throne of Grace for Mercy it may be easily known whose it is and what it is It is God's Mercy in Jesus Christ who is the Mercy-seat or Throne of Grace it is uot Angel-mercy or Creature-mercy but God's Mercy And who can tell what a great and vast thing his Mercy is Mercy in the proper Notion of it is a kind relieving Compassion to the miserable The Object of Mercy is a miserable creature Divine Goodness shines in giving Being to Nothing and in creating all things Wisdom in ordering them and guiding them to his Glory Justice in disposing of them according to his Will the essential Rule of Righteousness But Mercy hath no fit Object till Misery appear for Mercy to act on The Shower of Mercy is a compassionate Person its Nature and End is to relieve the miserable Mercy with God is another sort of Mercy than what is required of and can be practised by Creatures We may and should have compassion on the miserable whom we are not able nor allowed to relieve The Judge that condemns the Criminal should do it with Mercy and Compassion but he breaks the Law if he suffer his Mercy to delay or divert a Righteous Sentence and Execution But the Lord's Mercy is not only Tenderness and Compassion in his own Heart so we borrow Words by the pattern of sound Words in the Scripture to speak of God after the manner of Men but it is always relieving to the Person on whom it is bestowed Let the misery be never so great and of what kind soever it be whoever they be that are the Objects of his Mercy they are certainly relieved thereby There is no Redemption out of the Pit though their Misery that are there is the greatest Why because there is no Mercy for them If it were possible that God's Mercy in Christ could enter into Hell it self as it falls on many very near to it that Mercy would bring them out But the Door of Mercy is quite shut upon them and the Lord hath resolved and declared that his Mercy shall never visit them That we may the better understand what this Mercy of God is the getting whereof we should make our great Errand to the Throne of Grace it will be needful to consider that misery in men that renders them needy of this mercy And this I would consider as it actually lies on them and is incumbent or as it is coming on them and imminent 1. The misery that all natural Men lye under It 's true they do not see it nor feel it but this makes not their misery the less but the greater For insensibleness of misery especially where it is removeable and when this insensibleness is a hinderance of using the right means of removing it is a great plague and an aggravation of the misery I shall give you a few Scripture-accounts of this misery 1. The misery of a natural Man and of all natural Men is that they are utterly destitute of all true good In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 Must it not be so much more with them that are Flesh and in the Flesh and have nothing in them but Flesh The first notion we
is saving it comes from the Heart and Love of God Eph. 2.4 and is treasured up for and laid out only upon his chosen It is the favour he bears to his people Psal 106.4 Common mercies are thrown about with a large and indifferent hand He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5.45 Now these two sorts of mercies are as far different as Heaven and Earth The excellency of the one is far beyond that of the other though we be unworthy of either I am less than the least of all thy mercies said a great Saint Gen. 32.10 And so should all say But few do perceave this great difference and many give the preference to common outward mercy Who but a Christian doth count it a greater mercy to have the Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus than to have a large and prosperous Estate in the World That the light of God's Countenance and an hour spent in his Courts when the King's presence is in them is better than all the Enjoyments of this World Moses was a Man that obtained singular mercy from the Lord it appeared in this that he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11.26 He had excellent Balances and true Weights He put in the one Scale Egypt's Honours Treasures and Pleasures and how weighty are such things in the Worldlings Balances and in the other the reproach of Christ and affliction with the people of God His Judgment on this weighing is That this Reproach because of Christ's concern in it and this Affliction because it is of and with God's people is better than all the other things The true Test of Mens Spirit is justly taken from their setled inward Apprehension of the worth and value of spiritual saving mercy above all outward mercy Psal 4.6,7 There be many that say Who will shew us any good Most Men are for any good they know not well what and from any hand that can show it and give it But David knew what good he would have and who could show it Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Why is he so earnest for this Blessing Thou hast put gladness in my heart Carnal Men seek Gladness and make it and take it to themselves as well as they can But Gladness of God's putting in their Heart they know not more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased David doth not here compare though he doth discover the holiness of his Heart with the earthliness of that of others he compares not the tenderness of his Conversation with theirs But he compares the Joy God gave him by the Light of his Countenance not with the Joy he had but with that the Ungodly have in their sensual Satisfactions Try your selves by this Where is your Esteem lodged What sort of things are they that relish with your Spirits Common outward Mercies carry away the Hearts of the most part of Men and this shews that few Men have obtained special mercy 2. He that hath obtained special mercy hath a love to it and to the Giver of it and to the way God gives it and in which he receaves it He that is a lover of God's mercy in Christ is an Obtainer of it A natural Man may have a liking of God's mercy in general But mercy as from God through Jesus Christ mercy shown on the account of a full Satisfaction made to Justice in and by his Blood mercy given freely to glorious Ends and Purposes every natural Man seeth no Glory no Goodness no Beauty in it But every Obtainer of it doth admire every thing in it It is rich mercy saith he it flows from a blessed Fountain Free-love runs in a blessed Channel the Redemption of Jesus comes to me in a well-ordered Covenant and was shown me for his Praise in my Salvation from sin and misery 3. An Obtainer of mercy is a daily Beggar for more mercy Whenever God's special mercy is tasted hunger and thirst after more is raised No sooner did Paul obtain mercy but behold he prays Acts 9.11 There is more of mercy yet to be had mercy quickens the Soul's Desires and enlargeth them The greatest Receivers are the greatest Beggars 1 Pet. 2.2,3 Desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious This Mark is plain and will never fail They that drive not a Trade of Prayer for special mercy have not yet obtained it 4. An Obtainer of mercy from the Lord is a shower of mercy to others He is a merciful Man to others Matth. 5.7 Col. 3.12,13 Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness c. forbearing forgiving as Christ forgave you And Eph. 4.32 even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you How unbecoming it is that such should have Bowels of Brass on whom God's Bowels of mercy have been poured out This is a Mark that will never fail but in a high fit of Temptation All that have obtained God's mercy will be disposed to shew their mercy Forgiving one another is an easie thing it costs nothing but to think a kind thought Yet how hard is this to many through the power of Corruption There are some acts of mercy as Bounty and Charity that poor Christians have no ability for But the principal Act of mercy is in every Christians Power and that is mercy to Mens Souls We cannot give them that mercy we have obtained but we can and should wish the like to them Never did a Man obtain mercy from the Lord for himself but he wisheth that others should partake of it also The Woman of Samaria John 4. of whose Conversion we have the largest account of any Convert in the Bible as soon as she obtained mercy she forgot what she came to the Well for she had got somewhat better than the Water of Jacob's Well she met with Jacob's God and had got Jacob's Blessing she goes to the City and turns a sort of a Preacher to them Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ ver 29. She obtained mercy and would have all the City come and get mercy also And a great many came and obtained mercy Christ caught that Woman by his Grace and made her as a Bait to catch many more No Believer can deny his sense of such a Frame as this There are some Persons thou dost love and shouldst love thou prayest for them What dost thou mainly ask for Wife Children Brothers Sisters and all or any thou lovest heartily Is it not O that they might share in God's saving mercy If thou ask it for others as the greatest mercy thou thy self art an Obtainer of mercy Paul obtained mercy He loved his Countrymen the Jews dearly and on good grounds Rom.
the Grave than to be raised for Damnation their Sentence of Condemnation and their vain Pleas and Pleadings for mercy But O that Men would come in at God's time and cry for mercy as they will do out of time How much better would it be for them God's time is now to day the present time 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation If Men refuse God's mercy in his time he will deny his mercy when sought in their time and out of his Isa 30.18 He waits to be gracious and willing to be exalted in having mercy Notwithstanding all the mercy with the Lord all the mercy that is offered in the Promise the Lord never promised a Sinner his mercy to morrow If you will beg his mercy to day you may have it and it shall endure for ever But God never gave an Allowance and Liberty to any Man to spend one Day or Hour in consulting whether he should beg God's mercy or not David had indeed a sad choice of Judgments laid before him 2 Sam. 24.13 and is bid by the Prophet Advise now and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me But for a perishing Sinner that hath an Offer of God's mercy in Jesus Christ there is no delay allowed but only he is bid ask it presently 2. Receave God's mercy Receaving is easier than asking Asking requires some pains Receaving is but a consent of the Heart to take what is offered Asking supposeth a great and needful Blessing that he that wants it would fain have and therefore he begs it Receaving implies that this great Blessing is in his Offer fully and freely and therefore he must accept it Here is the State of things betwixt God and Men in the Gospel The Lord brings his mercy near to them offers it to them bids them take and receave it but many will not God offers Quarter to Rebels in Arms against him but they stand upon their Sword and will not take Quarter Ministers Work is to entreat and beseech in Christ's stead 2 Cor. 5.20 God only can perswade and prevail with Men. Mercy comes prepared and ready for Men. It is prepared in the Purchase of Christ it is prepared in the well-ordered Covenant and as prepared and ready it is tendered freely to Sinners All things are ready Come to the Marriage Matth. 22.4 All things are ready God himself is ready to give mercy Christ is ready he is slain for us let us come and keep the Feast 1 Cor. 5.7,8 The Holy Spirit is ready to seal you to the Day of Redemption if you will accept of God's mercy in the Redeemer Heaven is ready the Way is plain and all hinderances of Law and Justice removed Heb. 10.19,20 The City of Refuge is ready and its Gates are open continually to receave and give entrance to all that flee for safety Heb. 6.18 Alas all things are ready but Men are not willing there is not a moments time needed to ripen God's mercy for Men. No perishing Sinner that seeth his need of God's Mercy and is willing to receave it needs stay a moment till mercy be ready for him or he more ready for it Rom. 10.6 The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise how very few have Ears to hear such a Speaker and such a Speech Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ dowu from above Or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead Christ is come down already from Heaven and is gone back again to Heaven ver 7. But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which we preach Mercy and Salvation for lost Sinners is prepared by Christ's coming down and going up again and he hath lodg'd the Power and Vertue of his Undertaking in the Gospel suck at that Well with Faith and thy Soul shall be saved There thou wilt find Christ and all his fulness There was never such a Treaty made in the World We can fetch no Similitude fully like this amongst Men. Thus the Lord pleads with Men in the Gospel You are already undone with sin and misery lying on you and you are every hour sinking into greater Let but my mercy in my Son enter in and it will cure all that is past and present and prevent all the misery that is coming on you And will not miserable Sinners receave God's mercy Are you afraid of saving mercy Will it hurt you Why do ye not give it entrance It is one of the greatest demonstrations what Monsters sin hath made Men that they are unwilling to be saved by free mercy in Jesus Christ Open a Door for God's mercy by a free receaving of it or else you will find the Door of his mercy shut against you when you need it most Your giving way to his mercy is your receaving of it Say with the Heart Let God's mercy enter in upon me and save me its own way A yielding and giving and putting of a lost Soul into the hand of Christ is the nature of saving Faith in him Will ye not trust in his mercy Is it not able to save you Your want of a sense of your need of his mercy is a giving the lie to all the Threatenings and Curse of the Law Your doubting of the Ability of his mercy to save you is to give the lie to all the Faithfulness and Truth of God declared and sworn in the Gospel 3. Plead mercy When you beg it use no other Plea for mercy but mercy When you beg mercy you must beg mercy only for Mercy 's sake That that moves God to shew mercy must be our Argument in pleading for mercy Wherefore doth God show mercy because he will show mercy and delights in it Micah 7.18 and therefore should we plead it Mercy in his Heart is the only spring of mercy from his Hand David who knew God's mercy well had tasted of it often and needed it greatly when fallen into a foul Pit Psal 51.1 thus pleads for mercy Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Have a care of making any other Plea for mercy from the Lord but that of mercy with him And stick to this Plea and it will prevail If the Lord for trying of your Faith or Satan for shaking it should say How dare such a vile sinner as thou art beg so great a Gift as saving mercy from so holy a God The poor Pleader hath a ready answer I want mercy as much as my Soul is worth in vain do I seek it of any Creature nothing but his mercy can save me I beg mercy only for mercy's sake I bring nothing but a starving Soul and an empty hand I beg his mercy as an Alms which will eternally enrich the Receaver