it enter into thy mind to think that God hath declared one thing to men in his Word and hath decreed another concerning them in himself He is the God of Truth and therefore repent and trust in his mercy 2. To the other Who says he would but hath no power to Repent and so looks upon the goodness of God in forgiving the Penitent as not available to him I answer That it is true since our fall we cannot return to God by our own weak power but that is no Excuse for Impenitence because God is ready to supply that Defect with the Assiistance of his Grace God was pleased to make his dear Son a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins not only to pardon sinners upon their repentance but to give them grace to enable them to repent and so obtain pardon This grace may be had for asking He will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him It is the good pleasure of him who hath commanded us to will and do what we ought to enable us to will and do what we ought This assistance of the Divine grace I shall express in St. Augustine's words Non in eo divinitus adjuvamur ad operandam justitiam quod Legem Deus dedit plenam bonis praeceptis sed quod ipsa voluntas nostra sine qua operari bonum non possumus adjuvatur erigitur impartito Spiritu Gratiae i. e. we are not divinely assisted to the working of Righteousness in this that God hath given us a Law full of good Precepts but because our Will without which we cannot do good is helpt and erected by the Spirit of grace bestowed upon us It is a great favour that God hath been pleased to give us his Gospel which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saving grace It shows the way of Salvation to us by it we are made to understand the most important concerns of our souls that shows us the gracious conditions of our pardon and lays before us strong Reasons to convince us of the necessity of our complyance with what God hath propounded if we will be happy and demonstrates the reasonableness of Obedience But God is pleased also to invigorate his Gospel Methods with the gracious Operation of his benign Spirit which makes a Divine Light shine into the Mind clears up the mist of Ignorance which lay upon it before and makes us know the things which belong to our peace awakens our Consciences and makes us apprehensive of the danger of sin and affrights us with the truth of Divine Threatnings makes us consider heavenly Motives opens our hearts as it did Lydia's to attend to the things which are spoken to us and inclines us to comply with the reason of them it raiseth our wills out of sloth and languor by a secret ardor of life conveyed into our Souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by ways which God knows as St. Basil saith and so puts into our minds good Desires and makes us begin to feel in our Souls a hunger after Righteousness it melts us with the Love of God and his dear Son makes us ashamed to sin any more and comforts us with the hope of Pardon and Restoration to the Divine Favour and so conjures us by potent Arguments to enter into the Bands of the Covenant and perswades us to submit thankfully to the terms of the Gospel Thus our blessed Saviour stands at the Door and knocks thus the heavenly Father draws us to his Son and the sinner should say I find the gracious Spirit of God leading me towards the Land of the Living I will resign my self to his Conduct I will be led by him I will follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes Doth my Saviour vouchsafe to knock at my Door I am infinitely beholden to him I will open to him I will let him in and give him the possession of my Soul This is the Divine grace and it is our Duty to make a careful use of it and then we shall have more to help us to perfect what is well begun A ready complyance with such merciful Assistance is highly requisite for if we resist God's kind Motions and slight the help bestowed we may frustrate the design of his Mercy against our selves and make that grace ineffectual which would have saved us if we had improved it with our concurrent endeavours We must not expect that God should pull us out of a state of sin and drag us into a state of vertue by an irresistible force God is pleased in Conversion to draw us towards himself by the Cords of a Man by such Arguments as we understand to be most reasonable and by such Motives as are apt to perswade such as will consider and by the gentle Swasions of his good Spirit with the Cords of Love and the Bands of Kindness We must not think that God should act upon us to the extent of his Omnipotence but according to his Wisdom He knows what help is sufficient for us and how fit it is that we should thankfully use what is enough without asking what is too much He takes what method he pleaseth in the dispensing of his grace which we are not to appoint but obeserve Our Duty is to accept of sufficient grace and use it that we may be converted and not teach God how to convert us God was always displeased with men when neglecting the kindness which he showed them they would prescribe him methods for the communication of his goodness When the Israelites were led through the Wilderness they were well enough provided for by God's care and should have been not only content but thankful they were neither but lothing the Bread of Heaven which God had appointed for them they would have Quails They had them but they had better have been without them for God was angry at their rude unthankfulness For the limited the Holy One of Israel They would not only be provided for but in such a way as they themselves should describe We have a very good account of this matter in that excellent Parable of Isaiah where God speaking of the Jewish people whom he calls his Vineyard saith That he planted it in a fat Soyl hedged it that is guarded it with his Providence set a Vine which was generous gave them excellent Laws the teachings of inspired men and the assistances of his grace and all sufficient means to promote their bringing forth Fruit answerable to his Care But after all instead of good Grapes they brought forth wild Grapes God was displeased and for the Justice of his Anger he appealed to the Judgment and Conscience of those who had slighted his Favours and said What could I have done more to my Vineyard than I have done I have done what I thought fit for me to do and bestowed what I thought enough for them to receive and because they have made me no answerable Returns I
in his Ramblings observed the careful observances of a Wrestler or Racer how punctually they keep themselves to strict methods of preparation for their Conflict when all that they hoped for was but a Crown of fading Leaves and is it irrational for me to do all I can for an eternal Crown When he bids me look upon those multitudes of suffering Christians whom Religion brought into misery in which they perished I will tell him that I will follow their Faith considering the end of their Conversation the happy close of their holy Lives which remov'd them into the regions of endless Bliss and thither I will follow them And if he say But he whom you call Saviour was crucified Yes I will Answer and died and was buried but he rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven and bade me follow him and because I hope ere long to be with him I will keep in my way which will certainly bring me unto him 3. To these two we must add a careful use of those means which are appointed to make us such as we are commanded to be Christ never intended his Gospel for idle souls i. e. such as will take no pains to be saved who will not carefully endeavour to be made good They are not for Christ those delicate persons who cannot endure to think of working out their salvation with fear and trembling nor will hear of giving diligence to be found of God in peace Our Saviour hath told us expresly that he will condemn that Servant who did not prepare himself to do his Masters Will either in the day time being girt fit for any service and being ready with lighted Candles to expect his Master when he comes home at night A negligent Temper is odious in this business 1. Because it is trifling in a matter of greatest Importance 2. Because it is sordid and would serve the great and good God with that which costs it nothing 1. This Temper is far from that which should be in a sincere Christian if it be liable to the said Reproaches as indeed it is That man whom sin hath made sick and will not carefully use the means appointed for his recovery either understands not his danger or supposeth the method prescribed for the cure of his Disease not necessary or will not be at the trouble of undertaking such things as are requisite to his recovery and rather than do so will remain in his sin that is die of his sickness What prudent Physician would meddle with such a Patient It may be the sick Hypocrite would do some little things when such as are very great are necessary for his health This is well expressed in that smart Letter which Diogenes wrote to Dionysius when some vain Philosophers flattered him in his great Vices Alas man said Diogenes thy Diseases are such that they need cuttings and burnings but thou hast got together a few Dissemblers which say to thee as fond Grandmothers and Nurses do to sick Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Take this my Child pour it in if you love me do a little more eat but this small bit Triflers The Children are extream sick and must be made to take their Physick or die The sincere Christian knows that our necessitous condition requires a great care for the repair of it that the Gospel which we are to obey is a Law of great Holiness and hath in it many Commandements requires obedience in thought temper and action yes and that with resistance of many Temptations strong because agreeable to our natural Appetites which will mak our work to go on sometimes like that of the Waterman when he hales his Boat against the Stream And we shall find hinderances from infirmity of Flesh and inconstancy of Spirit distractions of our Senses and many wild Phansies besides the malice of a watchful Devil By this the Penitent sees what need he hath of great care in the use of all means which may carry him on in his course and he says Since my Saviour hath showed me the value of my Soul that it is of more worth than the acquist of all the pleasures in the World for my whole Life and hath in great kindness told me how I may save it I will carefully keep to his methods knowing that if I use not the means given me for the avoiding of sin I shall be both guilty of the sin I commit and of negligence in not endeavouring to prevent it and so draw upon my self foolishly a double curse He hath called me to the heavenly Journey and I will undertake it It is an easie thing to take a Map and travel over a great part of the World by the Eye but he that will arrive at a Country far distant from his own must go over many craggy Hills pass through many deep ways and cross rough Seas before he can get thither he that will not begin his Journey except it be made as easie to be performed as to be looked over in a Map doth plainly show that he did never heartily or else most foolishly design it He which hath a Watch in his Pocket may expect that it should tell him the hours of the Day but not unless he skrew the Spring to a just strength and wind it up at due seasons God hath put a Divine Principle like a Spring of holy Life in our Souls and it will show its force in us by making us feel in our selves a strong propension to God and an inclination to all goodness but we must wind it up daily and strengthen it with such Meditations and Prayers as may keep it in vigor Of what life is a Watch when the Spring is spoiled or unbent Divine Grace is like sparks of Fire hid in the Soul but we must blow them up as the Apostles word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fire will go out which is not maintained with proper fewel and the Spirit may be quenched 2. The forementioned Temper is rejected by the sincere Christian because it is sordid and would serve the great and good God with that which costs little or nothing He that would do as little as he can in Gods service hath but mean thoughts of that great God with whom he hath to do and understands not the greatness of that reward which God hath in his infinite goodness promised to such as serve him sincerely or is so base that however he will do no more than pleaseth himself in point of Obedience If this Christian had been a Jew you should have seen him go to his Fold and there seek up and down till he had found out a sheep either lame or such as had but one eye if none were quite blind and that he would have gone and offered for a Sacrifice but God did then and doth still abhor that vile Temper It 's true God is so good that in some cases he doth accept the Will for the Deed when it is impossible to
their fault What could you not watch with me one hour in this my great Agony yet he mercifully both told them their Danger and how to avoid it and made some Excuse for them saying The Spirit is willing but the Flesh weak Besides this he plainly showed his good Temper when upon the Cross he deprecated the Vengeance of the Eternal Father and prayed it might not fall upon such as had sufficiently deserved it These Considerations do give vast encouragement to sinners to repent since by them they see how easily they may come to Mercy To which I shall only add one more which is That God hath declared himself highly pleased when sinners do repent and accept of his pardon For this take our Saviour's word I say unto you that there is great joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth This our Saviour further expresseth in the Parable of the Prodigal which follows in the same Chapter for when he came back from his vicious Course it is said there that his Father when he was afar off had compassion on him ran to meet him fell on his Neck and kissed him that is gave him all signs of Reconciliation expressed all decent Joy for his Return in killing the fatted Calf to make him a Feast and adding Musick and Dancing to make it pleasant Though these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet we think worthily and rightly of God when by such Expressions we understand how acceptable our Repentance is to him and by that are moved to repent And now upon the forementioned Considerations how can the sinner but fall upon his knees and say O Lord I am sensible of my folly I am pain'd with my guilt I am so obnoxious to thy wrath that if thou shouldst mark my sin in order to punishment I know I should not be able to abide it but I see there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared thy goodness leads me to Repentance and I will follow its gentle conduct and return to thee And thus I make my Prayer O Lord though I most justly deserve to be condemned yet I beseech thee not to condemn me What profit is there in my Blood Behold I offer thee for my Ransom a better Life than my own that of thy dear Son and since thou didst commend thy Love to mankind that he should die for sinners O grant me part in that Love Since thou wast pleased to make to meet upon him the Iniquities of us all lay mine upon him I beseech thee It is easier for thee to pardon my sins than to have given thy dear Son to be a Sacrifice for them He hath more pleased thee by his Obedience than I have grieved thee by my Disobedience The voice of his Blood cries lowder for pardon than my sins for vengeance Since thy beloved Son died for our sins and rose again for our justification since thou hast reconciled me to thee by his death now much more let me be saved by his life And O blessed Jesus since thou didst not refuse to die for my sins I pray thee that I may not die for them too After thy Incarnation thou didst declare that thou camest not to be ministred unto but to serve others and O unexpressible kindness to give thy life a Ransom for many it is sufficient for the sins of all the World leave not mine out I beseech thee but let me be one of the Redeemed made happy by thee because thou madest thy Soul an Offering for their sins Thou wast pleased among thy Titles of Glory to take this of a Saviour and as thou didst not then despise that merciful Office so neither art thou yet weary of it Save me even me also I pray thee and say unto my Soul that thou art my salvation It is long ago that thou didst call to thee all such as are weary and heavy laden I am one of those O Lord my sins ly heavy upon me like a load of Sand and without thy help the Burden will grow intolerable I beseech thee according to thy gracious promise to take it off and give me ease O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World Thou wast pleased in the days of thy Flesh to pity the miseries of sinners Thy Compassion is not withered thy pity is not dried up it extends it self from Generation to Generation thou shewest mercy to thousands and savest to the utmost of all times all that come unto God by thee I come unto the Eternal Father hoping in thy mediation save me I beseech thee O Prince of pity Thou didst command thy Servants to preach Repentance and Remision of sins in thy Name and didst pray for such as should believe in thee through their Word I am one of those most merciful Jesus let the benefit of thy prayer reach me also Thou undertookest to make Intercession for sinners and didst beg their Release as well thou mightest for thou didst pay their Debt O pray for me also most merciful Advocate When thou wentest into thy Glory thou didst not leave the Remembrance of poor Souls behind thee but didst let them know before thy departure hence that thou wast going to appear in the presence of God for them remember me too now thou art in thy Kingdom O Lover of Souls who ever livest to make Intercession Before I proceed to the last Motive lest the former should miss their desired Effect I will stay here and briefly answer two Objections which without any just ground some have made to their own hinderance in this Affair 1. One saith That notwithstanding all which hath been discoursed concerning the goodnefs of God yet I do not know whether he intends any kindness towards me in his Declarations because he may be some secret will have debarred me from having any benefit by them 2. Another saith It may be God would pardon me if I did repent but what am I better for that since I find in my self no Power to repent 1. To the first After all that full Declaration which God hath made of his goodness dost thou doubt his Reality And though he hath affirmed his readiness to save doft thou think that by some hidden Will he hath resolved thy Damnation Let me then say to thee in the words of a late Divine of this Church O thou Hypocrite because thou hast two wills one in thy Words and another in thy mind dost thou think that God hath so too that he speaks one thing and means another That he hath a secret will contradictory to his revealed If it be secret how camest thou to know it No thou art wicked in making God a lyar and dissembler like thy self So he I will add That such blasphemous words without Repentance will be severely accounted for one day and that God will reprove thee and set this among thy other sins in order before thee Leave of these vile Imaginations and never let