the first 2. Jesus was and is the fittest person in the World to mediate between God and us There was no creature fit to Umpire the business between God and us and therefore Job saith well at the 9th Chap. 33. verse Neither is there any dayes-man betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both Man was not fit to mediate because man is the person offending Angels not fit to mediate for the shoulder of an Angel could not bear the weight of Mediation-Work neither could an Angel satisfie God the Father not fit for this work the first person in the Trinity for he was the person offended The Holy Ghost not fit for this work for 't is his work to apply the blood of this mediation so then there is none other fit but Christ fit Jesus fit The fittest person For first of all he is the person appointed by the Father If a man will undertake to mediate between two and be not chosen thereunto he is not fit for it but if chosen then he is fit Why Jesus is the person chosen mine elect Servant saith the Father Whom I have chosen I have given him for a Covenant unto the People Isa 42. 2. He was and is the fittest person to mediate between God and us for he is a middle person partaking of Gods nature and of mans Extreams are joyn'd together by a middle who more fit to mediate between two then he that is a middle between them 3. He is the fittest person for he is the fittest to make reconciliation between God and us to reconcile God to us and us unto God First He is the fittest to reconcile God to us for that God might be reconciled he must be satisfied his Justice satisfied and his Anger satisfied Now Jesus Christ was God and Man as Man he ought to satisfie but could not as God he could satisfie but he ought not but as God-man he both could and ought and so the fittest And again 2. Who more fit to reconcile God unto us then he that was the most fit to intercede that had credit and favour and love with the Father Now Jesus lay in the bosome of his Father This is my beloved Son and I was the Fathers delight saith he in the 8th of Prov. Therefore the most fit to intercede and so to reconcile God unto us 3. Who more fit to reconcile God to us then he that was fit to be a surety to undertake for us If a man come to mediate with a person offended for another Saith the person offended but will you undertake he shall do so no more Yes Why then I am willing Now Jesus is called our surety in the 8th Heb. He undertakes that though we have broken with God already we shall break no more and therefore the fittest person to reconcile God to us But secondly the fittest person also to reconcile us to God 1. Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can change our natures Now Jesus is able to change our nature I find saith Paul a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity unto the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death then I thank God through Jesus Christ And Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death And 2. Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can beget good thoughts in us concerning God So long as a man hath hard thoughts of God he will never be reconciled to God Now Jesus Christ lay in the bosome of his Father and can tell the Soul what volumes of Love there were and are in the bosome of the Father for it from all eternity and so can beget love in the Soul towards God and so able to reconcile the Soul to God You have it clearly in John 1.18 he lay in the bosome of the Father c. 3. And then to say no more but this Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can give the Holy Ghost into our Souls For as God is reconciled to us by the blood of Christ so we are reconciled to God by the Spirit of Christ Now Jesus gives the Spirit I will send the Comforter saith Christ so that he he is the fittest person in all the world to reconcile God to us and to reconcile us to God and so the fittest person in all the world to mediate between God and us And so you have the second thing 3. But then thirdly As Jesus is the fittest person to mediate between God and us so he hath undertaken this work of Mediation and he will certainly carry it on unto due perfection First I say he hath undertaken it and therefore he is called the Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the man Christ Jesus and he alone is the Mediator I confess indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is given to Moses and Moses in the 3d. of Gal. is called a a Mediator The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator vers 19. that is not Christ But the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand that is by the Ministry of a Mediator Christ was not the Minister of Angels Moses was and therefore Moses is to be understood here The same word that is used concerning Christ is used here But now although Moses was a Mediator a Typical Mediator and did stand between God and the people as in the 5th of Deut. to deliver out the Law unto them vers 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the word of the Lord. Though I say Moses is called a Mediator because he stood between God and the people to give and deliver out the Law to them yet you never find that Moses is called a Mediator in a way of Redemption or satisfaction or paying of any ransome so Jesus onely is In the 1 Tim. 2. There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all And so in the 9th Heb. For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament For what cause Why vers 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered up himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God and for this cause is he the Mediator It is never said so of Moses No but Christ the Mediator and he onely the Mediator in a way of satisfaction and redemption and paying of a price Well thus he hath undertaken the work And certainly he will carry on his work of Mediation unto due perfection for saith the Apostle he is faithfull in all his house as Moses was Moses a Servant he as a Son Moses the
commanded by Moses in the Old-Testament and go unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament for grace to perform them There is nothing commanded in the Old Testament but it 's promised in the New There is nothing commanded by Moses in the Old Testament but Christ the Mediator of the New Testament is ingaged to perform it for you and to give you grace to do it The Law commands and Grace helps The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth comes by Jesus Christ Observe therefore what that is that is commanded by Moses in the Old and go to Jesus the Mediator of the New for Grace and Strength to do the same 3. Then be sure that you stand when the Spirit breathes Now the Spirit breaâ—hes in the pure and clean preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith VVould you be brought off from Moses and stand clear from Moses choose to stand under such a Preaching where the Spirit breathes and that 's a Gospel Preaching 4. Then put your selves upon the stream of the free Grace of God without having any foot on your own bottom Some men will learn to swim and they are loth to lean themselves upon the stream of the water but keep a foot at the bottom and they never learn to swim till they take up the foot Some would fain be Evangelical but they cannot lean themselves upon the stream of Grace but keep a foot at the bottom still upon some thing of their own Some there are that do and work and when they can work no further then they eke it out with Christ's Mediation So indeed they make the Mediation of Christ but an Eekment to their own working But away with these Eekments Oh let Christ be all let Christ be all And therefore 5. Study much the body of Jesus and the allsufficiencie of the Mediation of this Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant The sight of Gods Alsufficiencie will draw one off from the Creature And the sight of the Alsufficiencie of the Mediation of Christ will draw one off from Moses Put thy self often unto this Disjunction Come O my soul either there is enough in the Mediation of Jesus or not If not enough why do I go unto Christ at all if there be enough why should I not stand clear from Moses and upon pure Gospel ground Thus therefore do Quest But Suppose I have come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant what should I do that I may walk up unto this condition What should I do and how should I so walk as one that is indeed come unto Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant that yet I may stand upon Gospel ground and not touch at all upon Moses Answ First If you be indeed come unto Jesus this Mediator of the New Covenant and would walk sutably thereunto VVhy then should you not still throng and press after the Appointments Institutions and Ordinances of Jesus The Law and the Prophets were untill John but from John the Baptist the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence that was sutable to the Gospel And what was the suffering violence but peoples pressing after the Gospel So now to press after the Kingdom of Heaven suites with a Gospel state to press after the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus suites with a Gospel staâ—e But secondly Labour more and more for to know your Christian â—iberty in Conjunction with strictness of life Some there are that are very strict in their lives but they don't know their Christian lâ—berty some again know their Christian liberty yet abate in their strictness of life But blessed is that knowledge of our Christian liberty that is in conjunction with more strictness of life Oh blessed blessed is that knowledge of our Christian liberty where strictness of life and holiness grow up together with it Therefore I say labour more and more to know your Christian liberty in conjunction with strictness and holiness of life this suites a Gospel state then shall you do as those that are come unto Jesus But then Thirdly In regard of your Faith Be sure that you close with Christ himself the absolute Promise and live in continual dependence upon Christ this Jesus this Mediator For as living upon an old Stock and a Stock received suited with a covenant of works So living in continual dependence upon Jesus for fresh Grace suites with this covenant of Grace whereof he is Mediator Fourthly In regard of your repentance and sorrow for sin the more your hearts do melt and thaw under sense of love that you have sin'd against God For the Law rends and tears but the Gospel melts and thaws The more that you grieve for sin and rejoyce in God together The more you grieve for sin that is pardoned and because 't is pardoned For a legal Spirit grieves for sin onely that it may be pardoned but a Gospel spirit because it is pardoned And the more you grieve for sins that are secret the sins of your spirits especially unbelief For saith Christ I say unto you he that locketh upon a woman c. The more I say you are found doing these things in reference to your Repentance the more your Repentance suits with the Gospel and with a Gospel state And then Fifthly As to the matter of your Obedience 1. The more gracious you are upon the account of Grace the more Evangelical And 2. The more free you are in your actings towards God the more Evagelical those that Jesus makes free are free indeed Free Not from duty but free in duty free from sin but not free to sin A legal Spirit is restrained from evil and constrained to good Labour to be free in all your actings towards God And 3. Then again The more you are conformed unto God the Father who hath given you this Mediator and to Jesus this Mediator the more Evangelical you are and the more you suite with this Gospel state unto which you are come Now a man is conformed unto God the Father when he doth good to men for evil Bless them that curse you so shall ye be the children of your Father Then a man is conformed to Jesus this Mediator when his life is inammeled with Meekness and Humility Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly Friends the Law frets and the Gospel sweetens 4. And then In case that you have to deal with the things of the wâ—rld The more you are estranged from the world by Faith and can forsake the things thereof for Christ and his Wayes and Truth bearing witness to his Truth and wayes the more you comply and comport with a Gospel state If thou wilt be perfect saith Christ to that Legalist go and sell all that thou hast and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven And In case that you meet with sufferings look upon all your sufferings as part of Christs purchase for you Your
in Heaven and Earth are reconciled Col. 1.20 6. Thereby are your souls justified and your sins pardoned In whom we have Redemption through his bloud The forgiveness of our sins Ephes 1. 7. Thereby are you washed and cleansed and sanctified The blood of Jesus cleanseth from all iniquity 1 Iohn 1. 8. Thereby is your great adversary Satan routed and overcome and spoyled Rev. 12. They overcame him by the bloud of the Lamb. 9. Thereby Christ is made welcome by his Father when he comes into Heaven in your name to intercede for you In the times of the Old Testament the high Priest went into the Holy of holiest and carried bloud and sprinkled the Mercy-Seat seven times But the high Priest did not sit down Now in the 10. of Heb. 11. it 's said And every high Priest standeth dayly ministring and offering often times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down at the right Hand of God the Father The high Priest did not then sit down but now when Christ comes into Heaven with your names upon his Heart to sprinkle the Mercy-Seat with his bloud Come my Son saith the Father sit down and welcome upon this account 10. And thereby also have you entrance into the Holy of holiest as in the 10th of the Heb. 11. And if indeed you be sprinkled with this bloud of sprinkling then are you at one with the Mercy-Seat 'T is the same blood that 's sprinkled upon the Mercy-Seat in Heaven and that 's sprinkled upon your souls here on Earth The same bloud in the time of the Old Testament that was sprinkled upon the people was sprinkled upon the Altar and the Mercy-seat so the same bloud that 's now in Heaven sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat is sprinkled upon your hearts 12. If you are sprinkled with this bloud of sprinkling then all the Promises are yours for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ And if Christs bloud be sprinkled on you and applied to you then may you apply the Promises to your selves 13. And if indeed you be sprinkled with this bloud of sprinkling then are all things clean unto you for as the bloud of sprinkling is sprinkled upon your souls so are all your Injoyments be sprinkled with it 14. And if you be indeed sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus then may you go away and say Now are all the blessings of the Covenant mine The day that you are sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus you may say now know I that my sins are pardoned Mercy is mine and Pardon is mine and Adoption is mine As when the Psalmist had a sight of God he cried out and said Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine So the day that you have this sight of God in being sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus you may cry out and say Not Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine But Pardon is mine and Adoption is mine and Heaven is mine and God is mine for ever Oh! Who would not labour to get his soul sprinkled now with the bloud of sprinkling 5. You will say in the fifth and last place 'T is a great priviledge to be sprinkled with the bloud of sprinkling We grant it But what shall we do that even we may get our souls sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus the bloud of sprinkling First of all you must know That there is a two-fold sprinkling with the bloud of Sprinkling There is an Initial sprinkling and a Renewed sprinkling As there is an Initial Repentance and a Renewed Repentance so there is an Initial Sprinkling and a Renewed Sprinkling An Initial sprinkling and that 's a mans first Conversion when he is justified according to that in the 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Here 's the Initial sprinkling The Renewed sprinkling is upon a two-fold account 1. Upon the account of some great sin committed and 2. Upon the account of some special duty to be performed A fresh sprinkling there must be upon some great sin committed So in the 51 Psalm saith David Wash me throughly from mine iniquity He had sin'd a great sin but his sin was pardoned Psal 51. Title A Psalâ— of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him that was after Nathan came to him And what diâ— Nathan say he told him his sin was pardoned yet saith David v. 7. Purge me with Hysop I must have a fresh sprinkling after some great sin committed there must be a fresh sprinkling with the blood of Jesus And upon duty to be performed especially some great duty to be performed there must also be a fresh sprinkling In the 10th Heb. 22. Paul saith Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water why our bodies washed with pure water It relates to the washings in the Old Testament when the Priests were to come to offer a sacrifice there was a Laver and they were then to wash themselves so saith the Apostle let us draw neer to God having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water because upon a new address to God a fresh sprinkling with the blood of Jesus is to be had 'T is not enough to have an old sprinkling with the blood of Jesus but upon all our approaches to God especially after some great sin committed or some special duty to be performed we must come and get a fresh sprinkling with the blood of Jesus 2. You must know also that though you have bin very great sinners yet you are not uncapable of this sprinkling with the blood of Jesus The Apostle saith in that place of the Corinthians Such were some of you what such v. 9. Know ye not 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 man-kind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed how why ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God which sprinkles which applies the blood of Christ So then though ye have bin great sinners yet you are not uncapable of being sprinkled with this blood of sprinkling 3. You must know this also that there is nothing on this side the blood of Jesus this blood of sprinkling that can cleanse you If any thing should bid for our cleansing methinks it should be our sufferings and persecutions for the name of God but look into the 7th Rev. 14th it's said These are they which came out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them white in the
And the more sensible we are of the loss of our thought-pâ—ssessions and of our Meditations the more fit we shall be for this work of Meditation First therefore be very sensible of your want and neglect of this work of Meditation thus long 2. If you would meditate indeed on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Serious Spirit A frothy leight and giggling disposition is never fit for Meditation Labour therefore to be serious And there are three or four things that will poise and make your hearts serious The sight of the glorious Majesty of God The sense of your Eternal Condition Eternity Eternity Humiliation for Sin And converse with those that are serious Be serious and you will be more fit for Meditation That 's the Second 3. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Fixed Spirit Fixation of Spirit is a great friend to meditation An unsettled an unfixed soul cannot meditate Fix therefore first And there are many things that may fix your Spirits The great and weighty Judgments of God that are upon us may help to fix us and hang lead upon our heels In case you are to come to Meditation or any other Work come free and don 't leave any businesse standing at the Door for a hundred to one but your hearts will step out unto it at the time of your Work whether Meditation or Prayer or any thing else Therefore come free unto every Duty if you would be fixed And labour for Intention of Affection In Meditation Prayer or any other Work be Intense We use to say when the Candle burns the Mouse doth not nibble but when the Candle is out then the Mouse nibbles when our hearts are warm and lively in Prayer and Meditation we are free from distractions the Mouse nibbles not And in case you meet with any distraction in Meditation or other duty don't stand to Correct your heart in the time of the duty but go on with your work If a woman carries a Child abroad among friends and the Child cries and makes a disturbance the mother don't then correct the Child there but calls the Child to an account when she comes at home for saith she Else would my correction be a further disturbance to the company So here when you meet with distractions in duty if you call your hearts to an account then it will be a further disturbance but on with your present duty correct afterward and thus shall your hearts be the more fixed and fixation of heart is a great help to Meditation 4. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God be sure that you lay out such objects as may give entertainment to your thoughts For if there be no Corn in the Quern what grinding will there be Have therefore objects laid out to exercise your thoughts withal upon all occasions And so when you have any spare time your Objects lying by you will be presently upon the work of Meditation only let those Objects be such as are drawing alluring thought-begetting Objects and Thought-entertaining Objects But then 5. If you would meditate on God and the things of God strengthen your Love and Delight for Meditation grows upon the stalk of Love and Delight And the more a man doth love God and the things of God the more he meditates thereon Psal 119. O how I love thy Law what then It is my Meditation all the day this was much his meditation all the day What 's the reason Why his Love was beyond expression O how I love thy Law It is my meditation all the day Love loves to be thinking on the person loved It carries the Picture of the Person or thing loved up and down in its bosome the more you love the more you meditate and the more you delight the more you meditate Can a Woman forget her Child no why because she loves it Can a Worldly man forget the World his Money and his House or Land can he forget this no why because he loves them What 's the reason we meditate no more but because we love God no more Do but strengthen your love to God and the things of God and your delight in God and the things of God and you will meditate more This is the fifth means unto the work of Meditation Strengthen your love to and your delight in the Lord And then 6. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Then labour to get a deep Impression of the things of God upon your heart and soul 'T is deep impressions that calls for meditation A man reads the word of God and it may be understands it but he don't meditate Why because the word made no impression upon his heart as he went along But if he read it and understand it and hath an impression made upon his soul as he reads it then he thinks on 't afterwards As in hearing the Word of God a man hears the Word of God in Publick or in Private and he meditates not thereupon Why Why because it has no impression upon him Possibly a man may think of the free grace of God yet if it make no impression upon his soul he don't go away and meditate on it If a man think on the Wrath of God and it make an impression upon him he goes away and is still in the thoughts thereof What 's the reason that many poor souls troubled in Conscience are alwayes thinking of Hell and Judgement and Wrath but because the Wrath of God hath made a deep impression upon their souls and the more deep the impression is upon your soul the more full will your meditation be You see how it was in former times when they went in procession at the end of the Parish they would take up a Boy and whip him Why that he might remember the bounds of the Parish for Passion is the best Door-keeper of Memory And as passion is the Door-keeper of Memory so Impression is the Door-keeper of Meditation 7. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the employments thereof The more full your hand is of worldly imployments the more you will think thereon and the more you think thereon the less you will think of Gâ—d and the things of God And what is the reason that many meditate and think so little of God and the things of God but because their hearts are so full of the World Where their treasure is there will their hearts bâ— O saith one I would think on God and I would meditate on God with all my heart but meditation-work is a work of time it will cost time and I have no time my hands are so full of business and so full of imployment I have no time for this work Meditation is not a transient Thought but it is a work of
IV. Now Fourthly Why will God carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of Preventing Love 1. First Because the heart of God is full of love to the children of men Ordinary love will shew kindness upon kindness but where the heart is full of love it delights to prevent the person loved with kindness Now the heart of God is full of love for the children of men That 's one thing 2. God will so carry on the work of his Grace and mercy that all his mercies and blessings now may be conformed to the womb that bare them The Child follows the womb that bare it The first in every Kind is the Rule of the rest Now Election is the womb of all our mercies and doth not preventing Love sway there I have loved Jacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or evil there 's preventing love Now I say God will so carry on the work of his mercy that all his mercies and blessings may be conformed to their first original Election and there preventing mercy is very sweet 3. But thirdly God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and effective upon the souls of the children of men and what is more taking then preventing love What more Operative what more Powerfull what more taking I say You know the Parable some were invited to the Supper and some not invited some came and some came not who were those that came who were those that came not those that came not were such as were invited those that came were such as were in the Lanes High-wayes and Hedges compelled to come in Ay preventing love is the most taking now God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and most effective upon the souls of the children of men 4. Again God will so carry on his mercy as that it may be holding and sure The more any mercy is laid upon that which is in God himself and the less laid upon that which is in us the more holding and sure it is Now Mercy laid upon Grace is sure and therefore God will carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of preventing love that his mercy may be sure that it may be holding 5. Again God will so carry on the work of his mercy as that it may be most ingaging and most obliging with the hearts of men What is there in all the world that is more ingaging to an ingenious spirit then Grace And what is there more gracious then preventing love Thereby a soul is engaged to God Ah sayes a poor soul I was going on in the way of my sin lay snorting in my sin and never thought on the good wayes of God unless it were to oppose them and speak against them but then before I was aware I know not how God did reveal himself and his wayes to me Oh now what shall I do for God! I will spend and be spent for God any thing for Christ who hath thus overcome me with his preventing love Of all those that are called the Ancients Austin did most magnifie the Grace of God Bradwardin called him the Son of Grace and of all in those dayes none that we read of tasted so much of the preventing mercy of God as he When he was young he prayed for the mortification of his sin and yet he confesses that he secretly desired that God would not grant his prayer yet God prevented his prayer Another time being alone he heard a voice saying tolle lege tolle lege take and read take and read and he opened the Bible and pitched upon some words in the first of John that proved the beginning of his Conversion Another time going a Journey he misses his way and missing his way he escaped his Enemies that lay in the way for him several times God prevented him insomuch that he brake out into this expression Lord I did not first come to thee but thou didst first come and stir me up to come unto thee And who ever magnified the freeness of the riches of the Grace of God like Paul and why Of all the men in the world he lay under the greatest preventions of Divine Love no wonder therefore Paul of all men magnified the free Grace of God for he of all other lay under the preventions of Divine Love 6. Again further God will so carry on the work of his Grace and Mercy that no flesh may glory in it self that we may not rest upon any thing that we do or have or suffer When we are to come to duty we are unwilling to it after we have performed it we are as apt to rest upon it as before we were unwilling to come unto it what is the reason but because men think that they do come to God before God comes to them but let a man be once fully convinced of Gods preventing Love and he rests no more upon what he doth but sayes he then if God hath prevented me in reference to my prayer why should I rest on my prayer if God hath prevented me in reference to my duty why should I rest on my duty sayes Paul to the Corinthians He calleth things that are not that no flesh may glory in his sight And in Job 33 sayes Elihu there In deep sleep in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction Why That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man There is no such way in the World to take down the pride of man to keep him from resting upon duty as to be well seen well experienced in the preventing love of God And therefore God carries on the work of his Grace and Mercy in a way of preventing love that no flesh may glory in it self 7. God will so carry on the work of his mercy and goodnesse and of his grace that men may be made most gracious and in case they sin against him they may be reduced to true repentance What is there in all the World will make one so gracious as a sight of Grace and what gives one a greater sight of Grace then preventing love And what is there in all the world that will reduce a soul to true repentance having sinned like preventing love It is said of Peter he went out and wept bitterly all his tears came out of the eyes of preventing Grace Christ looked upon him first it was preventing love that brought forth that repentance I say no such way to reduce a poor soul that hath sinned to true Repentance as the consideration of Gods preventing love Do you therefore ask why God is pleased to carry on his mercy thus in a way of preventing love for these six or seven reasons And so you have the fourth thing V. Well but then in the fifth place What is there in