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
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
at comfort but is a desperate forlorne and uncomfortable griefe For in grieving for our sinnes we give God the glory of his justice acknowledging them to be vile and loathsome and grievous But in comforting our selves we give him the glory of his mercy acknowledging him to be more full of goodnesse then our selves bee of badnesse which is to doe him the highest honour For the Lord delighteth in shewing mercy and therefore cannot but delight that men should esteeme and account him so ready to shew mercy For whosoever loveth to doe any good and commendable thing loves to bee accounted ready and able to do that thing And indeed God is not well pleased nor honoured as I said before with his Saints teares further then those teares bee meanes of fitting them for and making them capeable of comfort As the Chyrurgion delighteth not in the smart of his patient further then it is a meanes of healing the sore nor the Physitian in the bitter potions of his patient or his sicknesse further then it procureth health Therfore if we consider in the old Law Deut. 16.14 he calleth vpon them to bee sure that they doe rejoyce in their feasts And whereas he appointed one only solemne fast throughout the yeare Levit. 26.19 and that but one daies continuance alone he appointed three severall most solemne feasts in every yeare and those also of seaven daies continuance each of them Exod. 23 14. Whereby it is manifest that hee takes farre more content in their gladnesse and solace then in their ruth and lamentation For indeed hee liketh their griefes alone as I said before as a preparative to their Joy Now seeing our care must be to doe that that may glorifie and please God and our joyes will glorifie and please him after wee have beene humbled as well as our humiliation before it is needfull for us to cheare up our hearts as well as to depresse them § 5. Thirdly this comfort is a thing altogether as profitable to our selves and as much availeable to our sanctification and good living as griefe nay griefe will doe at all no good to the working of holinesse and beating downe of sinne further then it is so ordered and moderated that it may conclude in consolation As a man is fittest to doe any naturall work when he hath his limmes all at ease and rest so to do any spirituall good thing when he hath his minde at ease and rest Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength saith that holy man to the people in Nehemiah which is the cause that God hath confirmed his promise by oath that as the Apostle saith Heb. 6.18 wee might have strong consolation The herbs and grasse and corne doe ripen best in warme and fun-shine weather so the sun-shine of consolation doth bring up the herbe of vertues in our hearts Carnall and earthly joyes doe nothing further the growth of piety but spirituall consolations such as this we intreate of doe make it prosper and flourish exceedingly Never is a Christian man in better case to doe any good duty to beare any misery for Gods sake to love God to pray to heare the Word to doe works of mercy to the afflicted or to performe any other services then when he can comfort himselfe in God Then the heart hath more full communion with God and therfore is in best plight to doe any thing well I confesse sorrow hath its use it is as plowing and as breaking of the clods that make the ground ready for the seed It is as it were the sweeping and cleansing of the house that maketh it fit for the Holy Ghost as for aguest to inhabit and to dwell in But the very proper confirmer and strengthener of the soule is comfort that doth minister to it ability to worke Gods works As God loves in matter of bounty a cheerefull giver so in all services a cheerefull servant And doubtlesse the service will not be cheerefull if the heart be not comforted therefore in heaven where God hath the best services men have the most comfort And in Paradice where God had the best service next to heaven man had the most comfort And in the Thessalonians 1 Thess 1 3 6. in whom Saint Paul did commend the labour of love the worke of faith the patience of hope and whom he praiseth because their love and their faith did grow exceedingly hee shewes the foundation of this growth to have beene because they received the Word with joy in the Holy Ghost Seeing well-grounded comfort is the most profitable thing that can be for our soules we must strive for it § 6. Onely brethren you must remember how we limited the point viz. that after we have humbled our selves we must then take comfort and not before There is a time saith Salomon to mourne and a time to laugh we must take time to rend our hearts and to turne to the Lord with mourning and contrition and then we must take time also to stirre up and to revive our hearts and to embrace the Lords mercies with all joyfullnesse we must beware of making too much hast to comfort our selves as also of being too slow to the worke If the sore bee not throughly drawne before it be healed then the festered matter will breake out againe and the cure will not be well effected and if it be not healed after drawing no soundnesse will come to the member affected As the body so the soule must be healed soundly and to the bottome and not skinned over with untimely and preposterous and ungrounded consoations I pray you to observe this caution and this limitation that none of you may abuse and misapply the point to your owne hurt for nothing is more dangerous then false comfort Of the twaine it is much more safe though it seeme far more troublesome to be too much and too long in mourning then to fetch in comfort before we have at all mourned or before we have mourned in due measure for to comfort ones selfe untimely is to trust in a lie and is the surest way to cut off all sound and good comfort and to keepe a mans selfe uncapable of true comfort Thus daubing with untempered morter will never make any good worke downe will that daubing come in the day when the storme and winde shall blow upon it § 7. If any man aske how he shall be sure not to take comfort too soone I answer him That he must not bee bold to take any comfort till he have gotten such a measure of sorrow and let sorrow continue so long in his heart that it hath wrought him to a plaine and free and full confession of his sins to God and to a firme and stedfast purpose and determination of will to leave forsake and abandon them And when he hath brought himselfe to this then must hee mixe his sorrow with some comfort and after a while he must bid his griefes adew and
I answer upon thy resolution to obey after mourning and confessing thou hast interest to comfort and it must bee comfort that must strengthen thy resolutions and confirme thee in obedience Now then see thy mistaking and know thou art one to whom comfort is due and let not error over-shadow the sunne of comfort from shining upon thee § 7. Another cause of not being comforted is infidelity the moourners cannot believe that the comforts appertaine to themselves but this is a fault too For why doth not God call to him all that be heavie laden with sin and in calling them to him even bind them to take comfort Indeed the divell envies the comfort of the Saints and seeketh to hinder it with multitude of objections And some of Gods people bee so weake that they suffer the divell to have his will on them this way and hearken too much to his leasenings But now see that this is a fault that doth even disgrace piety to many and make them thinke that godlinesse and joy cannot dwell in one heart so that they refuse piety for feare of wanting joy whereas no companions will better agree then these two I have beene long in this reproofe and yet as you see milde and gentle enough It is a weakenesse it is a frailty It is a thing hurtfull and offensive take notice of it and reprehend thy selfe for it CHAP. IIII. § 1. Vse 2 ANd secondly let me nowpresse the Saints of God to follow David in the paths of consolation You heard him confessing you saw him in ashes now you see him chearefull againe Hast thou followed him in that heavie path follow him in this gladnesse Now that the Lord pipeth to thee see that thou dance Now that God biddeth thee take comfort see that thou take it Coe hither all yee Saints that have long beene clad in black and have rolled your selves in ashes and have mingled your drinke with teares Come hither and learne of David to comfort your selves O heare joy and gladnesse and let your broken bones rejoyce You I say that have sate in darkenesse that have wept and wailed that with bitter sighs and salt teares have blamed and shamed your selves before God come hither now and behold David and follow him put on thegarments of gladnesse and comfort your selves in Gods mercy It is as needfull and as plaine a duty to believe Gods promises as his threats to acknowledge his goodnesse as your owne badnesse You have done the one now doe the other also and let everlasting joy be upon your heads Doth not Christ tell thee that hee came to comfort the mourners hee is here now in his Ordinances to comfort thee ô let him not comfort thee in vaine Sitrre up thy selfe and say Iought to take comfort and Lord through thine helpe I will take comfort to my selfe and give thee the glory of the riches of thy grace in Christ § 2. If any say but I can feele no comfort I answer Thou must believe it first and then thou must feele it after First thou must draw out of Gods booke happie condlusions of comfort That thy sinnes are pardoned that God is reconciled that thy soule shall bee saved and then must so presse and urge these conclusions upon thy soule and binde thy selfe to consent to them that in time sence of comfort may follow after § 3. Now that you may be able to comfort your selves against sinnes and the feare of Gods wrath and damnation for them for you see that the Text calleth us to minister that comfort you must take notice of foure things needfull to further men in comforting themselves when they be made fit for comfort First one notable impediment to comfort whereof you must take heede Secondly the true ground of comfort Thirdly the degrees by which comfort groweth Lastly the meanes of comforting your selves § 4. 1. For the first if you will take comfort indeed you must resolve to beleeve neither the divell not the flesh neither to credit Satan nor your owne hearts but onely God speaking in his holy Word The divell is a knowne and wilfull and purposed lyar and alwaies almost frameth his tale against turth If he meete with a sinner that feeleth not sinne at all hee will flatter him with false hopes and make him if he can to beleeve that all is well and that God will shew mercy to him though he have no manner of right unto it And by his good will hee would have men lulled a sleepe with these false and vaine and worthlesse comforts even till their dying day But when he cannot hold them any longer in this sweete dreame but that they begin to see and to feele sinne and to feare Gods judgements then hee will tell them a quite contrary tale That there is no hope that the time is past that God will not receive them taht their offences afe unpardonable that it is in vaine to seeke mercy that the date of grace is gone and past that so if it were possible they might bee drowned in despaite Wherefore whosoever would finde comfort must stop his eares against Satan and resolve to beleeve nothing he sayes Thou foundest him a lyer in his comforts formerly now know him a lyer too in his present terrors Hee is equally false when hee roares as when he sings § 5. Againe beleeve not thy selfe thine owne heart for that is false and deceitfull and full of error Thou must not conclude I have no interest unto comfort because I thinke I have none Gods waies are not our waies nor his thoughts our thoughts What we thinke it matters nor but what hee saith in his Word Thou mayest see the falsehood of thine owne heart also by experience dost thou not know well that thy heart deceived thee heretofore in telling thee that all was well with thee when thy case was very miserable Did it lie then in ministring to thee ungrounded and lying consolations then know that it is as likely to lie at this time in denying comfort to thee So farre as we suffer our eares to be open to the suggestions of Satan and to the conceits of our owne hearts so farre we hinder our selves of comfort But we must say I will heare what God saith Psal 85.8 he will speake peace I will believe him and not the divell not my selfe Well now thus the heart is set in way of taking ocmfort § 6. Now in the second place I will shew you the ground and foundation of this spirituall comfort whereof we are now speaking There is indeed a comfort against outward evills and against other sorrowes then those for sinne concerning which many things might well bee spoken but I have not to doe with them at this time Alone I am to shew the sole base and ground-worke of spirituall comfort which is the stedfast and assured apprehension or perswasion of the remission of our sinnes and the love and favour of God in Christ Psal 30.1 This David
proveth saying Blessed is the man whose sinnes are covered whose iniquity is pardoned and to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne And againe having said Psal 51.8 Make mee to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce hee adds immediately Hide thy face from my sinnes ver 9. The same our Saviour declareth plainly saying to the poore Palsy-man Sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes be forgiven thee Mat. 9.2 and to that sorrowfull weeping woman in the Gospell who made her eyes as it were a yewre to wash his feet Daughter thy sinnes are forgiven There is nothing suffcient to beare up true comfort but a true and well grounded assurance of this unspeakeable goodnesse of God which is the foundation of all other benefits And as any mans soule hath a more solid and stedfast and well built perswasion of this mercy so is he the more comfortable at least more capeable of comfort as hee hath lesse firme or lesse true know-ledge of this so is hee lesse fit and able to receive consolation So then this conclusion must be written in the heart God hath pardoned my sinnes and received me gratiously in Christ afore it can bee duely comforted and so you see the ground of the comfort we seeke for § 7. Thirdly I will shew you by what degrees this comfort groweth in the heart usually When a mans sinnes lie most heavie upon his soule and that the law like a sword hath ripped up and launced his very heart that it runs and bleeds againe then he heareth the doctrine of the Gospell teaching remission of sins by Iesus Christ and doth assent to the truth of it as that it is an undoubted verity and then strives to apply it to himselfe and hath a secret perswasion that it shall be performed even to himselfe now this perswasion groweth up in three degrees First the promise makes him thinke with himselfe Assuredly my sinnes may be pardoned The righteousnesse of Christ is sufficient to justifie me and God can accept and forgive me This makes him runne crying and praying to God for pardon and affoords a little glimmering of comfort as when a sick man knowes his disease to be curable and that the Physitian can cure him this is one graine of faith Secondly having continued to pray to God for aspace he then conceiveth a little stronger hope and saith in himselfe I hope God will pardon me which makes him yet more warme in in his suit and bringeth a little more consolation this is an other graine of faith Lastly he begins to conclude God hath pardoned me at first making this conclusion fearefully not without admixture of many doubts which he resisteth and laboureth to reject and at length with more strength and lesse doubting till he attaine a very full assurance that scarce findeth any wavering and then hath his soule a strong consolation even a full weight of comfort Thus I have shewed you the third thing I intended that no man may bee discomforted utterly because he is not at first able perfectly to comfort himselfe as sometimes good people are thinking that they have no faith because they have not the highest degree thereof CHAP. V. § 1. NOw in the fourth place I will tell you by what meanes you must strengthen your faith that it may affoord you large and strong consolation for though no labour of man without the power of Gods Spirit can worke this comfort yet doth the Spirit of God beget it by meanes of such holy labours and endeavours as himselfe incites us to These meanes are chiefly foure Meditation Prayer Conference and a due information of judgement concerning this matter of remission of sins The first then is Meditation and that principally of foure things 1. Of the perfect merits of Iesus Christ 2. Of the infinite mercies of God 3. Of the large and unlimited promises of the Word 4. Of Gods gratiousnesse to other sinners out of all which sound consolation may be taken by the most broken heart that is or can be § 2. The first thing then to be seriously pondered upon is the perfection of Christs merits for upon this foundation doth comfort most depend For our selves it matters not what we have deserved or can deserve for it must be confessed that our deserts extend to nothing but ruine and destruction But our Lord and surety Iesus Christ hath made a full and perfect satisfaction to the justice of God and deserved full and perfect remission of sinnes for all that seeke unto him For of him the Scripture beareth witnesse Mat. 3. ult That in him God is well pleased and that by him all that beleeve Act. 13.38 39. are justified from all things from which they could not bee justified by the law of Moses And him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 Hee hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3 1 being made a curse for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Also He is our Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption And in Him wee have redemption through his bloud Ephes 1.7 the forgivenesse of sinnes And He hath taken away the sinnes of the world Joh. 1.29 And His bloud cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Ioh 1 7 And He is able to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 to save those that come unto God by him All these places doe testifie the fullnesse and absolute perfection of his righteousnesse and satisfaction that as by the sinne of one man the first Adam many have beene made sinners so by the righteousnesse of one man the second Adam Rom. 5.9 many be made righteous Now as it is in the case of a debtor and of his surety so it is betwixt God and us in this matter Though the debtor being a meere banquerupt cannot possibly discharge his owne debt yet if his surety have already made payment of all his debts or fully discharged them he is safe enough from danger So though we be utterly destitute of all ability to satisfie for our sinnes and to deserve pardon of them yet if our surety Iesus Christ have fully satisfied for them as he hath there is hope enough of our being pardoned For our Lord Iesus Christ was both God and man a person infinitely more excellent then all men and therefore his sufferings and obedience are of such infinite worth and valew that by him the wrath of God is fully appeased towards us For it was a great demonstration of Gods justice to punish him his onely begotten Sonne for our sinnes in such sort as he did as if he had punished us to all eternity Suppose divers debtors one owing 10000 lb. another 5000 another 1000 another 100 lb. some more some lesse but each one more then his substance could possibly satisfie yet if some able person had laid downe divers Iewels of farre greater valew then all their debts did amount unto then were their debts sufficiently answered
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
are so many and so vile that they cannot bee forgiven the Lord tells as obstinate and as grievous sinners as ever were that if they now turne hee will repent him of the evill and consequently they shall be pardoned wilt thou not give credit to God rather then to the divell This is the first doubt taken from sinne § 6. An other and a sorer followes Ah I since the time that I thought my selfe called and converted have yet againe rushed into grosse and grievous sinnes and that also willingly and upon deliberation and what shall I doe then sure I was but an hypocrite and sure J cannot bee pardoned at least I am not This reason also must bee cast into this forme Whosoever after his calling and conversion committeth great sinnes willfully was sure but an hypocrite and is not nor can bee pardoned But so have I done therefore J am but an hypocrite I am not pardoned nor can be To this I answer againe that the first part of the argument is apparantly false and therefore such is also the conclusion It is false that he which hath so sinned after calling was but an hypocrite and is not pardoned for this was the verycase of David whose example wee now are handling Did not hee fall in the felfe same fort as thou hast said and yet hee was no hypocrite but he was pardoned I demand of the therefore Hast thou renewed thy confessions nad thy sorrowes and thy resolutions of amendment since thy fall and art thou returned to a forme purpose and endeavour of walking before the Lord in uprightnesse If thou hast then I assure thee by warrant of Davids example that thou wast sincere before and that thou art pardoned If thou hast not I require thee now in Gods name settle about these things apply thy selfe seriously to renew thy repentance and to turne againe to God and thou shalt be pardoned So is the second doubt answered taken from great sinnes § 7. The third followes and that is worse then both the former Ah I have made long defections from the covenant of grace and revolted backslided apostated from the waies of God and in my backsliding veine have runne into I know not how many and how grievous offences Since I found some good things working in my soule and had for a great space and with great forwardnesse continued to walke in the paths of piety I have againe broken forth and continued a long time in my wandrings without any care of returning and therefore now I feare that my case is desperate and that J have committed the unpardonable sinne This argument must bee likewise cast into this forme whosoever hath beene guilty of long and grievous defections and backslidings hath his sinnes unpardoned and hath committed the unpardonable trespasse nor can be pardoned Now so I have done as mine owne heart is too sure a witnesse against mee Therefore I neither am nor can bee pardoned Mine answer to this reason is in the same manner that the former The first part of it must bee denied as being evidently false and against the Word of God For David in my Text did thus backslide in some degree but Salomon whose birth is here mentioned and who is here graced with the name Iedidiah because the Lord not alone did but also would love him did make even such an Apostacy to the very full and yet hee recovered himselfe by repentance hee was upright before and hee was pardoned For hath not the Lord promised Israel to heale her backslidings Tell me then fince thy backsliding hast thou not recovered and with much shame and remorse craved pardon and returned to doe or labours to doe thy first workes If not thou art not the man I seeke to comfort unlesse thou shalt now addresse thy selfe to this reconversion as I may so terme it If yea why then know that thy case is good enough the disease that is healed doth never kill but to thee appertaine the promises made to backsliding Israel And whereas thou sayest my sinne is sure that unpardonable sinne Understand that the Scripture never calleth any sin unpardonable Some sinnes indeed are never pardoned because the committer thereof doth never repent but that a sinne repented of should bee uncapeable of pardon it is more then the Word of God doth ever afsirme but if there bee any such sinne this sinne of thine cannot bee that sinne For he that wholy falleth away after some degrees of grace received it is impossible that he should renew him againe by repentance but thou dost againe renew thy selfe by repentance for thou confessest and lamentest thy turning aside and returnest againe to crave pardon Let thine heart returne a true answer dost thou not finde it aking and relenting for thine Apostafie longing desirous to come on againe and carefull to seeke pardon for former declinings if so then art thou renewed by repentance and therefore didst not wholy fall away If backslidings shall breed in any man either utter hardnesse or utter despaire so that either one is not sorry for them or will not seeke forgivenesse of them that is a sore signe of utter relapsing but thou dost come backe againe to the Lord falling out with thy selfe for falling of from him and casting downe thy selfe before him above and against all hope dost crave mercy of him I am certaine therefore that thy case is good and thou art or shalt bee pardoned And for this so terrible objection of backsliding let the Prophet fully satisfie thee For to Israel that had plaide the harlot from God and followed many lovers the Lord saith by his Prophet Yet returne unto me Chap. 3 ver 1. ver 12. Jer. 3. Returne ô backesliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon thee for I am mercifull saith the Lord and will not keepe anger for ever onely acknowledge your iniquity and so forth and then after Turne ô backsliding children for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a city and so as it followeth in the Prophet Loe now the truth of God whatsoever fearefull Apostacy thou hast made if thou returne and acknowledge here is promise of acceptance and this very turning shewes that thou hast not committed that never-to-be pardoned sin for that offence is therefore onely never pardoned because the man that hath runne into it will never returne either out of hardnesse or despaire or both CHAP. VII § 1. ANd these objections arise from the quality of sinnes committed either before or after calling An other troope arise from those many wants and defects which the soule doth finde in it selfe And first the soule findes fault with it selfe for want of repentance reasoning thus against it selfe Alas I have no repentance and therefore I am not pardoned To which I answer that it must bee confessed for a truth whosoever hath not repented is not pardoned But why dost thou say I have not repented To answer this doubt informe
thy selfe aright what repentance is It is a duty consisting of these foure parts 1. Sorrow for sin 2. Confession of it to God 3. Earnest calling upon God in the name of Christ for pardon and helpe 4. A firme purpose and endeavour of amendment Consider hast thou not these things dost thou not performe these actions or endeavour to performe them If thou dost then thou hast the grace of repentance as sure as he is a man that hath a soule and body O but saith the fearefull soule I am not sorry enough for sins I do not grieve for them so much as I should nor crave pardon of them so earnestly as I should nor mend them so well as I should J answer that is very true But where hath the Lord said that he which hath not performed these duties so well as he should hath not true repentance This is no where found in Scripture it is one of thy false conceits and a very false conceit it is tanding to confound the Law and the Gospell for the Law requireth to doe all things perfectly and rejecteth all works which a man doth not performe so well as hee should but the Gospell is a doctrine of grace and accepts endeavours to performe duties though one fall farre short of that measure of duty which he ought to attaine Dost not thou strive and endeavour to doe these things more and better and blame thy selfe for defects and failings If so then dost thou repent as well as thou shouldest in the language of the Gospell Yea but J doe not lament sinne so much as others doe and as the Scriptures tell that some godly men have done I answer but hast thou not heretofore some time with plenty of bitter teares bewailed thine offences even allmost as much as any the Word speaketh of if so then understand that these large and great sorrowes are not alwaies to continue There must bee a time of drying such flouds of teares from the eyes of the Saints I answer againe that if thou hast not lamented as much as some of Gods Saints have done in Scripture yet thou hast lamented as much as some others Thou readest not of such extreame lamentation in the conversion of Abraham or Zaccheus and Matthew and some others The Word of God hath left us examples of some that have grieved very much and of others that have not grieved so much if thou hast not attained to the examples of one of these yet hast thou followed the other and againe I answer that God doth not reject the sorrowes of his people because they bee not so great as those which others attaine It is no where said in Scripture that hee repents not which grieveth not as much as others doe or have done And for the point of grieving for sin understand that not the quantity is so much to be respected as the quality if a man grieve never so much and his griefe carry him not to confesse and seeke pardon and grace and help and diligently to endeavour amendment they be nothing worth and if they doe bring forth these effects they be accepted though they bee not very great § 2. Yea but saith the heart yet againe J cannot aske pardon earnestly and heartily nor at all pray unto God for it with any life or fervency I answer why wilt thou say so That which a man desireth more then life and more then all the profits and pleasures of life that he desireth earnestly and heartily I trow or else who can be said to desire earnestly Now tell me wouldst thou not rather choose to have thy sinnes pardoned and thy soule healed then to have long life great riches store of pleasures and all worldly contents if this be true as thou canst not denie it then thou dost earnestly pray for these things denying that to be found in thee as in temptation it is usuall which any other man may manifestly see to be in thee § 3. Yea but I want that last part of repentance and that which is the perfection of all I do not amend I doe not amend but J still slip into the same sins and cannot leave them Why tell me what sinnes bee they that thou canst not leave Is it murder blasphemy whoredome c. O no but I finde deadnesse dullnesse coldnesse in prayer distractednesse and forgetfullnesse in hearing passionatenesse impatiency and a number like faults still breaking forth in me J answer what dost thou make of God and of his mercy when thou concludest from hence that thy sinnes be not pardoned Is not hee ready to passe by such weakenesses in his children and servants as thou canst easily passe by in thine Doth not hee call himselfe a Father doth not he tell us that he knowes that we be but dust Doth not the Scripture say James 3.2 In many things wee offend all and who can say his heart is cleane Pro 20.9 Sure if this were a good argument that ones sins were not pardoned no sins were pardoned to any sinner For finde me a man or woman under heaven that hath not cause to complaine thus Assure thy selfe therefore that these continuall weakenesses are not contrary to remission of sinnes Sanctification must bee true else the soule is not justified but it is not needfull nay nor in this life possible that it should be perfect And it is true so long as thou continuest to confesse and lament and strive against these imperfections though thou bee still cumbred with them else would not Saint Paul have said The flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 so that yee cannot doe the things that yee would Away with this objection therefore it savours of pride thou wilt not think thou art pardoned unlesse thou canst bring to God some such measure of goodnesse as might seeme halfe or allmost to deserve it If thou wilt not beleeve thou art pardoned till thou finde no such faults thou shalt never beleeve thou art pardoned § 4. Yea but I feele not alone these common imperfections but I feele also some one or other corruption so strong and violent in me that it doth often even againe and againe breake forth and that also too too palpably and grossely I answer But dost not thou feele in thine heart a perpetuall warring against these corruptions Dost thou not renew thy sorrowfull confessions and resolutions of amendment as often as thou sinnest and farre oftner too Dost thou not usually and ordinarily hold fast thy resolution not to sinne and art overcome alone sometimes but commonly keepest under the sinne from palpable breaking forth Dost not thou fall seldomer and with lesse content and more reluctation and rise sooner out of the sinne Yea is it not thy continuall prayer to be kept against it dost not thou find that these endeavours keepe thee so that thou offēdest not by many degrees so much often as before thou didst as else thou shouldst doe I answer then that where sin hath