thing to give then to receive God blessed for evermore gives And we could not be ever asking but that God is never weary of giving Many more particulars might be given of the different kinds of our thoughts from Gods but these are enough to enlarge our meditation 8. When we turne about our thoughts to understand the incomparable thoughts of God towards us our thoughts are at a distance fall infinitely short of comprehending them as we should Therefore God saith in the Text My thoughts are above your thoughts And Jerem. 29.11 I know my own thoughts though you doe not as you ought I doe that they are thoughts of peace As Gods thoughts are in regard of matter namely mercy goodnesse pardonings so in measure 1. Infinite Psal 92.5 O Lord how great are thy workes thy thoughts are very deepe Answerable to 1 Cor. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The deep things of God whereby to shelter us from the depths of Satan Revel 2.24 that is sinne sinfull temptations stratagems c. Gods understanding is infinite Psal 147.5 The Apostle makes an heavenly exclamation Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements discernings or determinations and his wayes past finding out God hath thoughts of mercy for millions of sinners therefore sure enough for all the sinnes of one sinner 2. Continuall continued without interruption so that as they have no beginning nor ending so no breakin gs off in the middle Ephes 1. Psal 89. 3. Certaine firme established so before the Text The sure mercies of David That is promised to David that is made over to us in Christ the sonne of David That as sure as Christ is in our nature so wee are one with him by faith Christ is the great pledge or witnesse in verse 4th before the Text of Gods mercifull thoughts towards us poore sinners So that if we be unlovely in our selves yet we are acceptable and well-pleasing to God in Christ Mat. 3. last Ephes 1.3 4. Immutable both in kinde and degree They cannot be otherwise or lesse then ever they have been 2 Tim. 2.19 And James saith With him is no shadow of change Yea God in Christ the same for ever Heb. 13. 5. Intuitive God thinks all his thoughts at once As a mans eye sees all it sees at that looke in one twinkling of an eye so God sees all absolutely that ever were are or shall be at once He needs not any rationall intellectuall discourse to goe from one thing to another in his thoughts but he can doth comprehend all at once Now upon these and the like properties of Gods thoughts wee fall very short of and below a due apprehension of Gods thoughts and fall to doubting because in opposition 1. To the infinitnesse of God thoughts our thoughts are finite 〈◊〉 eye nor the Sonne it selfe can behold all the world in its compleat roundnesse much lesse can our finite thoughts reach Gods infinite thoughts 2. To the continuitie of Gods thoughts ours are interrupted broken off oft-times in the middle Many by-thoughts intervene between our most serious thoughts whiles they are rising up to any considerable height of apprehension of Gods thoughts or of any thing that is good and so they disturbe and dissipate our conceipts of minde 3. To the certainty of his thoughts our thoughts are most uncertain thoughts Sometimes they are rather conjectures then resolves rather opinions then judgements rather disputings then determinations And so as the weaknesse of our eye to behold the fixed starres at such a distance makes us thinke they twinckle when as it is the quavering of our weake eye our uncertainty in thinking makes us think Gods thoughts are uncertaine when as it is the uncertaintie and variablenesse of our thoughts 4. To the immutabilitie of Gods thoughts stands in opposition the mutabilitie of our thoughts Sometimes they are on God sometimes off and on the creature And when on God sometimes stronger sometimes weaker sometimes almost nothing Sometimes they catch one thing and let that goe and then catch another and so lose the series method and dependance of things to finde out the excellency of Gods thoughts 5. To the intuitivenesse of Gods thoughts stands opposit the discursivenesse of our thoughts For being we are faine to know by discourse from one thing to another in a rationall way as from the effect to the cause c. And our reason is imperfect and our knowledge is but in part wee must needs oft-times fall very low in apprehending ordinary things much more in diving into extraordinary things Wee cannot alwayes by the utmost compasse of reason reach to the formes of some naturall things how then can our discurive reach Gods intuitive thoughts Now therefore saith the Lord in the Text when yee heare mee speake of such high things as are here mentioned As I will abundantly pardon c. you wonder at them but doe not notwithstanding doubt of them or dispute against them For my thoughts are known to mee Jer. 29.11 they are not so meane and â—ow as yours but farre above as in this 55. of Isaiah and therefore admire but not despaire They are above your thoughts or high as the Heavens are above the Earth But I can tell the altitude of mine own thoughts I think of mercy and of multiplying pardons These two places the Text and Jer. 29.11 hold forth these particulars 1. As if the Lord should say nor you nor any man else no nor Angels which are enquirers into the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.12 can tell my thoughts so well as I my selfe Flesh and bloud could not reveale to Peter the things of Christ Mat. 16.17 And in 1 Cor. 2. The naturall man receiveth not the things of God because spiritually discerned No nor can your spirituall minds comprehend the full of things for yee know in part 1 Cor. 13. As the Nations Mich. 4.12 know not my thoughts nor understand my counsell concerning you so you may labour to know them but still they will passe your knowledge Ephes 3.19 The loving thoughts of my heart are rather felt then understood Rom. 5. I shed my love into your hearts 2. That I even I my selfe doe know all mine own thoughts perfectly how high soever they be I comprehend them all They are all distinctly and fairly written in my heart and I can read and compute and scan every one of them to a tittle and settle them in an unalterable way by an unchangeable decree 3. That I acknowledge my thoughts to be high thoughts of love mercy c. so as I cannot keepe them to my selfe but doe utter them and in order of times and of your necessities do explaine them to you though you cannot reach to the utmost height of them I make them legible to your eyes in my booke and I make them frequently to sound in your eares in the ministrie of my Word and I give you a representation
GODS GRACIOUS THOUGHTS TOVVARDS GREAT SINNERS JER 29.11 But I know the thoughts I thinke towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end EPHES. 3.19 The love of Christ passeth knowledge LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons dwelling in Aldersgate-street 1647. NATHANAEL HOMES TO THE CHURCH IN FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM DEare Brethren and Sisters as my compassions to some bleeding hearts among you did put me upon this discourse in our more private weekly meeting so their unexpected importunitie for Copies have necessitated me to print it so as it was suddainly compiled and ruggedly delivered unpolished and untrimmed for publike view of all abroad But being willing you should have it I would rather deny mine own honour then you of any spirituall comfort I might hold forth to you who am yours in the Lord by many strong obligations N. H. From my study in Mary Staynings Decem. 2. 1646. GODS GRACIOUS THOUGHTS TOWARDS GREAT SINNERS ISAIAH 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts THe former part of this Chapter is a most glorious invitation of poore sinners to free mercy vers 1. to the end of the 7th verse in which 7th verse the Lord tells all commers to him that he hath mercy for them and mercy with eminency namely that He will have mercy on them And he will abundantly pardon Or as it is neerer to the Hebrew and is so expressed in the Margin of your Bibles He will multiply to pardon or Multiply pardons The freenesse fulnesse and faithfulnesse of this glorious grace and favour the Lord most strongly demonstrates to confute all doubtings and chase away all feares that are in the hearts of drooping sinners in the verses of the Text. The Catastrophe and upshot of all is this That the Lord having removed their sinnes he will remove their judgements and change their sorrowes into joyes vers 12 13. The substance of the verses of the Text in the sense of them are the matter of the Demonstration The coherence or inference of them in the severall FO RS are the forme that forme them into arguments to remove their doubts and feareâ— As if the Lord should say When I say I will have mercy and abounding or multiplyed pardoning mercy you ought not to doubt of it or feare FOR my thoughts are not your thoughts c. FOR as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my thoughts higher then your thoughts FOR as the raine comes down from heaven c. So that one FOR backs another And then saith the Lord Your sins being done away your judgements shall be removed Ver. 12 13. FOR you shall goe out with joy c. You shall by the effect of removing of your sorrowes discerne the cause viz. the pardoning of your sinnes Doctrine Out of all for the designe in hand I picke and cull this one Doctrine That the incomparablenesse of Gods gracious thoughts towards poore sinners above and beyond their thoughts is sufficient to stop the mouth of all objections and still the cryes of all dejections in all their miseries 1. Note for explanation of this rich Doctrine that our miseries are twofold Afflictions Transgressions Those the threed these the needle For these are they that prick and sting to the quick These the sting in the mouth or tayle of afflictions The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. A confluence of all afflictions of themselves cannot sting so as the single essence of the sinne when God will set it on the conscience Pauls concupiscence stings him more Rom. 7. then his being killed all the day long Rom. â— Afflictions whip the body sinne the soule The spirit of a man saith Solomon may sustaine his infirmities But a wounded spirit who can heare That is of himselfe without Gods grace Now secondly observe that in all these afflictions and sinnes Gods thoughts towards us poore sinners are such as are incomparable and transcendent above and beyond that wee can thinke 1. Father with simple cogitation That is we cannot thinke towards others in the like case of misery as God thinkes towards us in the same case 2. Or with reflexive comprehension or apprehension that in to conceive what those thoughts of God are towards us in our misery just as he thinkes them Both these seeme to be cleerly in the Text. For the first I can saith the Lord shew mercy wheresoever there is a sence of misery though that misery did as well provoke me by the sin of it as it did grieve man with the affliction of it For my thoughts are not your thoughts For the second If there be abundance of sinnes bringing abundance of iudgements I can saith the Lord abundantly pardon For my thoughts are above your thoughts As if the Lord should say of the first thus Can you have such thoughts of mercy on misery as I can especially where you are provoked Doe not you usually repell violence with violence Doe you not use to render evill for evill Are you not usually for the punitive way Or if you passe by a few wrongs can you passe by abundance Doe you not cry against multiplying of offences Immedicabile vulnus c. cut the putrifying limbe off Doe you not after once or twice warning fall to harming Do not your Magistrates burne in the hand then hang up the neck And you admonish then punish But I can thinke thoughts of mercy contrary to all these as hath been shewed in the Text. For the second You as if the Lord should say can hardly thinke that I can thus thinke but I can For my thoughts are above yours You are men I a God you corrupt I pure I prove it thus Doe you see the disproportion of creatures of the Heavens above the earth Much more between an infinit Creator the creature Can you take the just altitude of the Heavens above the Earth Then note how high my thoughts are above yours Therefore these my thoughts I propound and presse to hush and stop the mouth of all objections and still your sorrowing fearing complaining-dejections If you object any crooked unworthy thing to disparage my thoughts and so to prejudice your selves in laying hold on my thoughts let the answer be my thoughts not as yours Mine in substance are all good right c. As my words are Psal 19. so are my thoughts No evill no iniquitie no crueltie in my thoughts If you thinke any you bring it with you you can finde none in me you goe about to pervert the straight wayes and thoughts of the Lord Act. 13.10 But the Lords thoughts are like himselfe The Lords thoughts and wayes are equall they are yours that are unequall Ezek. 18.25 As if the Lord should say take it for a generall rule What ever your thoughts are if
they cannot be saved We answer it puts a necessitie in God of infallibilitie that he cannot be deceived but not a necessitie of constraint on men to force them to sinne As the Angels full of glory did most voluntarily sin in Heaven so did Adam full of goodnesse most freely sin in Paradise and so doe wee now in the world God doth not reprobate because â—ee may be sure to sinne but because he sees we are sure to sinne therefore he doth reprobate with predamnation And therefore notwithstanding his eternall thoughts of predamnation he allowes every man sufficient outward meanes inward light to understand those means before he doth actually damne them in hell So in the said 2 Chron. 36. Pro. 29. Our second answer is this That predestination is a long golden chaine impregnable inseparable that not the least linck can be broken off So Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.3 4 5 6. to the end of 12. per. 2 Tim. 2.19 So that if we see but the least and last linck fastened to our hearts as to sanctifie us or to make us unfeignedly call in his Name or sincerely desire and endeavour to depart from iniquitie you may be sure that the other end of the chaine is fastened to God heart by eternall election Third answer Consider in those places of Rom. 8. Ephes 1. Gods deâ—â—ee relates first in order to Christ and as it were passeth through him so that as we looke on Christ and behave out selves towards Christ to receive him or refuse him so wee may conclude of our predestination Thus of the birth of Gods thoughts 3. The life and actings of those thoughts how they move how they forme themselves and put forth themselves towards us and the manifestation of them to us 1. They are thoughts that delightfully reflect on themselves God takes a great deale of pleasure in his own gracious thoughts to poore sinners Deut. 30.9 God is said there to delight to doe us good And Micah 7.18 Who is a God like thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by transgression he keepeth not anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Though mercy seemes most to concerne us yet God is joyed in his own thoughts of mercy Wee may be sad at something in the best thoughts we thinke for some mixture of sin or vanitie in them but Gods thoughts are so excellent like himselfe that he rejoyceth in them as in himselfe 2. These thoughts delight in minding the good of poore sinners and so consequently take delight that poore sinners should be the better for them So in the said two places of Deut. 30.9 Micah 7.18 The precious stones with the names of the Tribes in them on Aarons breast signifie how Christ carries sinners in the thoughts and affections of his heart 3. They are compassionate-relenting thoughts if I may so say over a poore sinner that God hath wounded in the heart for sinne and is now complaining of his sinne Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard saith the Lord Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thus Thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised that is I felt it Turne thou mee and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Thus Ephraim Now heare the Lords compassionate relentings over these broken repenting praying hearts ver 20. Is Ephraim saith the Lord my deare sonne Is he a pleasant childe For since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. O admirable soule comforting place God first puts these repenting thoughts into a poore sinner and then how doth his heart melt with compassionating thoughts of mercy resolving to shew kindnesse unto him 4. They are patient opportunitie waiting thoughts to doe a poore distressed soule good Isai 30.18 And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted to have mercy on you So in the Hebrew For the Lord is a God of judgement or equitie and uprightnesse blessed are all they that wait for him See the Lord sets himselfe forth as some good man that is full of thoughts to doe some worthy worke to shew some notable kindnesse who stands observing and meditating when and how he may take the best opportunitie to doe it He sets himselfe like some Generall in some high eminent place to view when he may step in to rescue and relieve those that are in danger and distresse By which is held forth to us that God is thinking kinde thoughts to us when he is not acting And that he will not deferre a minute to shew us mercy when his time is come 5. Tender caring thoughts for and to the meeke and broken heart Isai 66.2 But to this man will I looke saith the Lord even to him that is of a poore and a contrite heart and trembleth at my Word God will not onely look on such a one to have thoughts of pitie but he will look to him have a care to bind up his wounds The poore that is despised of the world God will look to and shall be blessed in his thoughts Mat. 5. The contrite he will heale Luk. 4.18 Those that mourne for want of a sacrifice as they thinke they bring a thing more acceptable then a sacrifice unto God Psal 51. They that are affraid because of the Word they have here assurance that they are high in Gods thoughts 6. To prevent any objection that sinne might hinder good things from us he tells us that his thoughts are sinne-surpassing thoughts super-abounding above all sinnes And indeed this seems sometimes in some to super-abound the Text that saith My thoughts are above your thoughts For many times some poore sinners cannot get their thoughts above their sinnes but their sinnes doe master their thoughts so that they cannot thinke but that their sinnes surmount all that they can thinke But now in this particular is shewed that Gods thoughts super-abound all our sinnes and unworthinesse Rom. 5.20 Where sinne did abound grace did much more abound And 1 Tâ—â— 1.14 And the grace of our Lord was â—…ing abundant or as it is in the Greeke did super-abound 7. And lastly to number no more particulars The thoughts of God are all 〈…〉 thoughts for them that love him Rom. 8.28 And 〈◊〉 know that all things worke together for good to them that love him How doth the Apostle prove this This he proves from Gods thoughts vers 29. c. Whom he foreknew thâ—◠〈◊〉 predestinated to be confirmed to the image of his Sonne Gods plot is no other then this That 〈◊〉 poore sinner that loves him shall fare no worse according to his measure then his Sonne Christ Jesus Wee are apt to thinke we shall be made thus and thus miserable but Christ
is designed in Gods thoughts to be the platforme of our condition Wee are apt to thinke that the Devill sinne world and our own hearts conspire our ruine But Gods thoughâ—â— are that all even all shall work together shall cooperate and combine together to worke for our good Whatsoever the evills of hell and heart and world may intend yet Gods thoughts have plotted to bend all to this and to further this method and event That whom God did foreknow them he predestinated whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justifies than be glorifies Nothing must intervene invert or subvert this order Third use is to performe our dutie to this mercy 1. To forsake our own thoughts ver 7. before the Text. That is not to believe our own thoughts opposing in the least Gods thoughts 2. To be sure to thinke high enough large enough of Gods thoughts of favour If thou canst tell or canst not tell what thy sinnes are be sure to thinke that thy sinnes are but finite Gods thoughts of mercy infinite So in the Text. 3. To draw neere to to invocate and seek to the God of mercy in the time of his offer of mercy vers 6. Compare 2 Cor. 6.2 4. To waite for the dispensations and manifestations of the acts of Gods thought of mercy so as the earth 〈◊〉 on the heavens for raine vers 10. 5. To look to God to make the expressions of the thoughts 〈◊〉 take your hearts and make impressions upon them as God 〈◊〉 makes the raine 〈◊〉 to the earth In this 〈◊〉 10. vers 6. And lastly to take heed the mean while of 〈◊〉 against and abusing mercy vers 7. GODS GRACIOUS EXPRESSIONS Engaging himselfe to them that accept of his GRACE 2 COR. 1.3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all Comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God THese words were spoken to them that not long before had been bad enough 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know YEE not saith the Apostle to these that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor reviles nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God AND SVCH WERE SOME OF YOV But since they were washed They are SUCH 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle â—ee are WASHED They were such as had accepted of Gods gracious favor offered in Christ though many of them very weakly 1 Cor. 3. and so now the Apostle speaks to them as to Saints and members of the Church at Corinth ver 1. And the Apostle includes himselfe as ver 3. Peace from God OVR Father And in the Text OVR Lord Jesus Christ The God of all comfort who comforteth VS to the end to advance thâ—… converted Corinthians up into the same predicament and degree with him and Timothy Though Paul Timothy be the primipiâ—…es the Captains and chief sharers in that of the Text and laid as a pattern afore the Corinthians So that the Apostle means by VS in the Text at least such as had received grace and favour v. 2. were true â—…ints ver 1. And sutable he cuts out such large portions as were 〈◊〉 for Kings children viz. peace flowing from grace And doth not onely bequeath great things to them there But here in the Text shews them a large firme deed of gift of what God through Christ â—â—d bestowed upon them Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord â—â—sus Christ c. Who comforteth us c. as it is in the Text. Doct. God is here ingaged to his people by many engagements to be unto them all comfort Here are two generalls to be explained 1. The comfort that God is to his 2. The engagements upon God to be this comfort Two things must be explained to open the first 1. That comfort is of God 2. What that comfort is from God 1. That comfort is from God He is said in the Text to be the â—…d of Comfort As Satan is said to be the God of this world And â—â—he Prince of the power of the ayre and the Prince of darknesse And is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Accuser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Temptor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Wicked One As being the cause at least in part of all mischiefe and misery So in a way of contrarietie and remedy God is said â—ere to be The God of comfort Againe as the world is said by John to be a world of wickednesse and by Solomons to be vanitie and vexation of spirit And by the Saints a wildernesse Cant. 3.6 in which is nothing but want and desolatenesse and disconsolatenesse so in contrarietie and for remedy against all this God is said here to be the God of comfort Againe as death is said to be Job 18.14 The King of Terrours which is that which oft casts a â—â—ddain shadow a thick darknesse upon all the glory of meer-mens worldly injoyments so in contrarietie and for remedy of all it is said here God is the God of comfort On the other side As a King is called by great titles is invested with great power clothed with great honour compassed with great wealth and all manner of prosperitie in importing how able he is to make his Queene Children Allies favourites c. outwardly happie So in opposition to and transcendencie above all God is here said to be the God of comfort who elsewhere is called the King of Kings And because Dan. 2.37 Hos 10 8. some earthly kings have proudly taken or received that title of King of kings therefore God in Christ is said to be the King of kings and Lord of lords the onely Potentate Importing that what ever comforts Kings and Princes may seem to have or hold forth to men they had them from this King of kings who hath infinite more to bestow then all the kings of the earth put together and to give them more effectually and blessedly For God is not onely the Administerer and Dispencer of comfort but the Author and maker of comfort He creates peace He creates joy Yea less the matter of our comfort Yea so that a glympse of his face one beam of his Countenance is for the time heaven upon earth even as his presence is the form of the glory of heaven Secondly To tell you what comfort is of God two things must be explained 1. The Quantitie 2. The Quality of that comfort that is from God 1. The Quantity of this comfort 1. In number the comforts from God are plural many It is not said onely in the Text mercie in the abstract whereas Exod. 34. it is in the concrete God is mercifull but mercy is in the