is forgiven other Mercies will be sweet and the Burden of Affliction tolerable But without this and under the Apprehensions of the contrary every Temporal Calamity is double For this is the Wormwood and the Gall in every bitter Cup. We shall not under the Troubles and Disappointments of this World cry out we are undone if we can think that God hath forgiven us No more than a Man who has just receiv'd his Prince's Pardon when he lay under a Sentence of Condemnation to Death can be thought if he lose his Glove or Handkerchief in the way home that he will wring his Hands and weep and take on for such a Loss when he had so lately his Life graciously given him Besides Hereby is a Foundation laid for a Life of Thankful Love and Obedience to God Conscience being purg'd from dead Works we serve the Living God without fear in hope of his Acceptance with the Promise of his hearing our Prayers and that he will be well pleased with our Services and overlook our Infirmities c. We may therefore well bear the Tryals of this Life with Patience and Resignation and in a dying Hour shall be able to commend our Souls with Faith and Hope into the Hands of Christ who will take Care of us as his own when we leave the World and at last publickly acknowledge and absolve us in the great Day Oh how many Mercies accompany this one of the Forgiveness of Sin Fourthly This is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner Peculiar Mercy as it it Irrevocable Where Sin is forgiven and Iniquity blotted out it shall be remember'd no more You are freely justify'd from all things and shall never come into Condemnation This my Covenant of Peace shall never be removed saith the Lord who hath mercy on thee Isa LIV. 10. This is not only true of the first Settlement of it but is the Priviledge of every one who is under the Bond and Blessing of the New Covenant Tho' I visit his Transgression with a Rod and his Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips God may remember the Sins of Pardoned Believers so as to afflict them in this World and exercise the Discipline of his Family Their share in National Sins may involve them in present Sufferings with others And for particular Transgressions God may testifie his Fatherly Displeasure against good Men by remarkable Afflictions but will not reverse their Pardon so as to punish them Eternally Ely David Jonah and others are Instances Your Peace with Heaven shall never be so broken none of your Afflictions will prove it The Reconciliation between God and Sinners that is once accepted by a Real Active Unfeigned Obedient Faith is Perpetual It is promis'd that our Iniquities shall be blotted out and remember'd no more that God will cast 'em behind his Back Cast 'em into the bottom of the Sea Scatter 'em as a thick Cloud c. Isa XLIII 25. Psal LI. 9. Isa XXXVIII 17. Mic. VII 19. Isa XLIV 22. And yet more expresly to assure us that God will not enter into Judgment with us for the Sins he hath once forgiven we read Jer. L. 20. In that day shall the Iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the Sins of Judah and they shall not be found Where God bestows Forgiveness he communicates the Spirit of Grace for the Mortification of Sin And tho' that Work be not perfect it shall be progressive and the Remainders of Corruption in the Soul will not prove that your Sin is not forgiven The Flesh will war against the Spirit and the Spirit will strive against the Flesh but you can't conclude that you are not forgiven from the Opposition that Sin makes against the Grace of God in the Soul Would you judge of your selves consider what Opposition you make against Sin Would you have Relief Apply to the Fountain open to the Blood and Spirit of Christ for new Strength from Day to Day to Crucifie the Flesh to Continue the Warfare and Maintain the Conflict That Sin yet remains in the Soul is consistent with your Reconciliation to God and your Sence of this with his Acceptance of you Yea I am perswaded there 's never such a Discovery of Corruption as after Forgiveness when the Grace of God hath enlightned the Soul But which part do you side with Do you Condemn Bewail Oppose Resist Strive Watch Pray Fight and Endeavour the Mortification of Corruption that yet remains after the Hopes of Pardon You shall then by the Grace of Christ hold on and be more than Conquerors You should Apply to him and Exalt his Power as able to destroy the Works of the Devil He has promised and undertaken it that no Iniquity shall be charged to your Condemnation No old Stories shall be repeated no latent Displeasure harboured no former Quarrel revived If thou return to God with all thy Heart he will never upbraid thee with thy former Sins tho' Men may But if you can hope that God forgives you you 'll easily bear that and little mind it Can you doubt of this Fulness of Pardon when God hath said he will hide and blot out our Sins so as When sought for they shall not be found And that he will put them as far from us as the East is from the West that None of them shall be mentioned again unto us Psal CIII 10. Jer. XXXI 34. Fifthly This Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner because all his unknown and forgotten Sins shall be pardoned as well as those he hath particularly confess'd agravated and repented of As he that breaks the Law in one Point is guilty of all by the wilful Contempt of Divine Authority so he that is absolved in one Point is forgiven in all It were otherwise in vain to be forgiven and absolved as to some Sins that might damn us if there 's any one left that would do it He that is under Condemnation for one Sin is liable to Eternal Death But Divine Forgiveness is entire and full There are Sins of Good Men that arise from Humane Frailty and not from any evil Purpose of Heart as Sins of Ignorance which if we had known we would not have committed or of sudden Surprize that we did not Observe or fell into by the violent hurry of Temptation before we had time to think what we were doing of such Sins we shall be often guilty while we are in the World and we are bid to ask daily Pardon for 'em and then they shall not break Covenant between God and Us. But there are Many Sins that we have forgotten for which we were never Humbled in Particular And yet if we truly Repent of those we do know and call to mind our forgotten Sins shall be forgiven For God will Pardon us like
Unfaithfulness of one Party in all Covenants disobliges the other Party In Answer to this I say He 's God and not Man His Thoughts are not as ours Among Men in all Covenants this is true but God's Thoughts and Ways are above ours Therfore if I yet return and take hold of his Covenant I may argue I am within the Bond of it and he will not utterly cast me off but forgive me upon Repentance I have read of one in Despair whom the Devil perswaded it was in vain to pray to God or serve him for he must perish he should be damned and go to Hell when he dy'd who yet went to Prayer and begg'd of God that if he must go to Hell when he dyed yet that it would please him to let him serve him while he liv'd Upon which his Terrors vanish'd being clearly convinc'd none could pray that Prayer or make such a Request who was guilty of the Unpardonable Sin or had sinn'd the Sin against the Holy Ghost Object 3. Some may say further But I have had many Fears and some Hopes for a time and I thought I was in Favour with God and had an Interest in this Forgiveneis But I have often heard it and I believe it that God never pardons Sin where he doth not subdue it Justification and Sanctification go together If the Guilt of Sin be forgiven the Power of it is broken But I find Corruption is strong evil Inclinations are still stirring and raging I never imagin'd there was such a Hell of Wickedness in my Heart as I now find There 's so much Impurity Carnality Pride Worldliness c. yet remaining in my Soul that I can't think my Sins are forgiven and that God will abundantly pardon me or hath done it because Sin is not mortified and subdued Answ God's Thoughts and yours are very different in this Matter For he attains Wise and Holy Ends by suffering us to feel Corruption and obliging us to continual Conflicts with it by sanctifying us gradually and not all at once by letting us see and feel more of Corruption stirring and striving after Conversion than ever we knew before Hereby he ingages us in constant Warfare all our days and makes it needful that we may apply to Christ continually as the great Physitian of Souls And I beseech you remember and believe this That No Sin no Corruption that is your Burden that you would rather be rid of than keep shall ever be damning to you It may be a Sign of more Grace that you sensibly complain of Corruption more than formerly If you faithfully oppose it 't is an Evidence your Hearts are softer Conscience more tender and you understand the Holy Law of God better Object 4. But after all some will say All this is good News to several but not to me I have nothing of the Spirit of Life and Power that accompanies Forgiveness I am dead in all my Duties I can't pray I have no such Liberty and Freedom and Liveliness in Prayer as others have I come to the Lord's-Table but I have no such Sealing no such Comfort no such Assurance no such Joy no such Foretasts of Heaven as I believe others have I keep on in a round of Duty but 't is not with me as with the Living Members of Christ Therfore I can't apply all this to my self with Comfort Answ God's Thoughts are not as yours in this Matter You object that you can't pray with such Life and Enlargement as others and as formerly But is it not your Burden Are you not dissatisfied with your selves about it Do you not beg the Spirit of Prayer and to have this ill Frame cur'd Do you not look up to Heaven with daily Sighs and Groans and beg Relief from Christ as weary and heavy laden under this Indisposition Let Conscience in the first place be faithful Is there not some great Guilt lately conctracted some Sin you have not repented of whereby you have griev'd the Holy Spirit of Christ and this stops your Mouths in Prayer and shames your Faces Or have you not rested too much in the Outward Performance of Duty and Attendance on the Ordinances of the Gospel You come to the Table of the Lord look upon it it may be as a Charm as too many make it on a Death-bed you expect it shall work like Physick in a Natural not in a Moral Way And by meer Coming whatever you have been or done before or however negligent you have been in your Preparatory Work you expect that it should be all one with you If you can charge your selves with any thing of this you must renew your Repentance If Conscience doth not accuse you in this Matter Consider God's Thoughts are not as yours He knows what is from the Weakness of the Flesh and what from the Willfulness of the Spirit He knows what Deadness and Distraction may arise from the Infirmity of the Body and what is the Sin of the Soul If upon all these Accounts you lose the Evidence of your Acceptance with God and fear the worst Yet when a Man hath lost his Acquittance for a Debt paid 't is a Comfort to him to consider that the Man he deals with is a merciful good Man tho' he cannot find his Discharge God is infinitely Gracious and is ready to restore what you complain you have lost It was David's Case Psalm 51. Yea if thou fearest thy Grace was never true thy Heart never right with God thy State never good there is Mercy enough in God to pardon all thy former Hypocrisie If now thou return and seek him with thy whole Heart There are Promises of Grace in such a Case to be pleaded that God will give an Heart of Flesh give a Spirit of Mourning put his Fear within thee and cause thee to walk in his Statutes Therfore do not fruitlessly bemoan thy self and sit down in Despondency but consult the Word of God and seek to the Throne of Grace with Hope whatever thy Objections and Temptations be Whatever you do take heed of dishonourable Thoughts of the Grace and Mercy of God and of the Security he hath given to perform every Word of Promise wherein he hath commanded us to hope To Conclude Since we are so near the End of this Year and many design and hope to renew their Covenant the next Lord's-day at his Table I beg you to consider and remember it for your Encouragement that God's Thoughts are not as yours Whatever Sins you have been guilty of the last Year whatever you can charge your selves with as to Unworthy Receiving the Lord's Supper for the time past yet if now you will seriously Examine your selves and humble your Souls and return to the Lord and apply to Christ and stir up your selves to be dispos'd as Penitent Believers to renew your Covenant-Vow and Engagement to be the Lord's this next time he will forgive the Sins of all your former Sacraments all the Sins of the last Year and
and sticks like an Arrow in his flesh Whereas Pardoning Mercy is as Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones and a Cordial to his Heart yea even as Life from the Dead And dead he is in Law as under a Sentence of Condemnation 'till he be interested in Forgiveness by Faith in the Blood of Jesus Then may he lift up his Head as one Alive from the Dead and admit Consolation when he can hope his Sins are forgiven and that God is reconciled Comfort ye Comfort ye my People say unto Jerusalem her Warfare is Accomplished her Iniquity is forgiven Isa XL. 1 2. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and Sin covered Psal XXXII 1. 'Till then they are under the Curse of God on Record A Curse that cuts off from God and all gracious Communications from him a Curse which pierceth deep and spreadeth far and makes the whole Creation at Enmity with us And this Curse is intolerable in the Effects of it and unavoidable too There is no Relief or Remedy against it but by the New Covenant and Faith in Jesus Christ 'T is only by the Redemption we have in Jesus Christ through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins In which Forgiveness we can never be interested without Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ There is no Rest in my Bones because of my Sin saith the Psalmist Psal XXXVIII 3. My Sins are an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me v. 4. 'Till this Burden be removed by Forgiveness what Ease or Rest can a Sinner enjoy 'T is true the Deceit of sensual Pleasures or the Hurry and Clatter of Worldly Business may hinder the Sense of this for a while and keep all quiet Yet sooner or later the sinful Soul will have Torment Conscience will awake Men may laugh and be merry for a Time make a shift to be confident and secure under the Wrath and Curse of God they may take their Poyson for their Antidote their Wound for their Plaister their Plague for their Cure their Disease for their Remedy and so make a hard shift to preserve a little false Peace But the End will be the most horrid Despair And the more Jovial and Airy Careless and Presumptuous they have been in Health and Prosperity under the Guilt of great Transgressions the more disconsolate will such be when Conscience awakes to set their Sins in order before them Is there then any Message like that of Forgiveness that will suit the Case of such They can relish nothing else think of nothing else this is what they aim at This is the Subject of their great Enquiry How they may be forgiven They may try in vain what Company Mirth Sports Business or Superstition will do They must come to God for Pardon or they cannot find Rest Hos V. 13. When Ephrahim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assvrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound Did you know the Misery and Danger of a sinful Soul unreconciled to God bound over to his Eternal Wrath every Moment expos'd as a Guilty Wretch to his fiery Vengeance Did you consider the Case of such a One who hath all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God in force against him and nothing but a little Breath between him and Endless Ruine that can't tell but the next Day or Minute Death may open the Door and let him fall into Damnation Did any one rightly understand this believe it consider it and apply it as his own Case what Mercy will suit such a One but Pardoning Mercy What is all the Pomp and Glory of this World to such a Man without the Forgiveness of Sin How can he eat drink or sleep or trade or do any thing without some Hope of Pardon without seeking after it without endeavouring it without using means in Order to it Secondly Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed as 't is the Fruit of Covenant Love an Effect of the special distinguishing Love of God This is the great Priviledge of such whose God is the Lord. This is a Covenant Blessing that 's never given in Anger This is never bestow'd but as a Favour peculiar to God's People This is always accompany'd with Regeneration and Adoption Jer. XXXI 33. I will be their God and will forgive their Iniquity Happy is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven Happy is the People whose God is the Lord. Thirdly This Mercy is the most Comprehensive Blessing and the Foundation of many other Mercies This secures our State sweetens our other Blessings lays the Foundation for Peace of Conscience gives Freedom of Access to the Throne of Grace and makes way for Communion with God in all Ordinances This clears us from the Accusation of Satan the Condemnation of the Law and of our own Hearts for who shall lay any thing to his Charge whom God forgives We can have no Right and Title to Eternal Life without this For the Legal Bar must be removed by the Pardon of Sin as well as the Moral Incapacity by the Sanctifying Spirit The great Blessings of the Gospel such as the Spirit of Holiness Communion with God c. they are promised to Accompany this of Forgiveness Heb. VIII latter End I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Iniquities I will remember no more By this we not only escape the Punishment due to Sin which would render us deeply miserable but are restored to the Favour of God and accepted in the Beloved and have Grace to overcome the World Flesh and Devil The sanctifying Spirit to purge us from all Filthiness is joyn'd with this Pardon which delivers from the Condemning Guilt of Sin We are translated into the Kingdom and Family of Christ as well as deliver'd from the Kingdom of Satan and the Power of Darkness In a Word the Acceptation of our Persons Sanctification of our Natures the Answer of our Prayers and a Title to Heaven and Eternal Life are connected with and consequent to this Forgiveness of Sin Psal XXXII 1 2 3. Zac. I. 4. Isa LIX 2 3. Psal CIII 2 3. Job VII 21. This also hath respect to all the Comforts and Afflictions of this present Life You ought to Consider that if Sin be forgiven all things shall work for good Take away all Iniquity saith the Church and receive us graciously or do us good Hos XIV 2. Every Providence shall be sanctified if Sin be forgiven For peace I had great bitterness saith Hezekiah but in love to my Soul thou hast deliver'd it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy Back Isa XXXVIII 17. You have a like Instance Jer. XXXIII 6 8. But if you had all the Plenty Peace Health Riches and Grandeur of this World yet the Guilt of one Sin on the Consclence under the Apprehension of God's deserved Wrath will spoil the Relish of all Where Sin
To perswade you that God will abundantly pardon Consider how valuable a Price was paid for your Redemption that you might have Forgiveness When you think of the Freeness of this Mercy to you think also that it cost the precious Blood of Jesus to Procure it And by the great Propitiation for Sin which he hath made God hath glorify'd his Holiness and Justice and may now glorifie his Mercy and Grace in pardoning and saving Sinners without lessening the Honour of his Authority and Government or impeaching any of his Attributes and Perfections You may come and beg Mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ saying Lord save me for thy Mercy 's sake I am a Vile Sinner a Rebellious Creature not only an unprofitable Servant but a hainous Criminal I have nothing in my self but Matter of Shame and Humiliation nothing of any good but what thou hast given me There 's nothing in any of my Services but need the Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus to make them accepted But there is Redemption even the Forgiveness of Sin through the Blood of Jesus Lord Here is the Blood shed for Expiation of my Sins Lord Here 's the Price paid for my Reconciliation here 's a perfect Righteousness to cover me here 's a compleat Attoning Sacrifice Christ's Merit Righteousness and Intercession and Grace can save me O let me be found in him accepted in him Did I dishonour God formerly by my aggravated Sins Christ my Redeemer hath honour'd him more by his Death than ever I dishonour'd him by my wicked Life Is it not a Trouble to you to think with what Affection and Delight you sinned with what Deliberation you committed such and such Sins Oh! remember that Christ delighted to do the Mediatorial Will of his Father He was straitned 'till he drank of the bitter Cup and was baptized with his own Blood He knew before hand all that he was to do and suffer for our Redemption and yet willingly undertook it Did you sin with much intenseness of Spirit so that your Heart was in it Have your Crimes been many of them Mental Spiritual Inward Sins like those of the Devil which are worse than Sensual Carnal Ones Remember Christ's Sufferings lay much in his Soul also His Spirit his Soul was heavy unto Death c. And whatever Unworthiness you may apprehend of the Mercy offer'd you remember 't is Free Mercy You are call'd and invited to receive it without Money and without Price If you are weary and heavy laden and sensible of your Unworthiness if you see your need of his help are desirous of it and willing to yield your selves to his Conduct to be saved in a way of Free-grace so as to give him the entire Glory of your Salvation you ought to believe that God will show you Mercy and abundantly pardon you He hath glorify'd his Mercy in the purchase of Forgiveness by Christ in the Publication of it in the Gospel and in the Application of it to particular Sinners upon Faith and Repentance or Repentance and Faith I scruple not to put either first since they are inseperable and are never parted And both are absolutely needful Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that at once we may give God the Honour of his Authority and violated Law by our Repentance and of his rich Grace in the Gospel by our Faith in Christ And can any thing be more free to us than to be forgiven in this Method on these Terms to have all our Transgressions blotted out for his Name 's sake and to be washed and cleans'd in the Fountain of Christ's Blood when we have nothing but our own miserable and wretched Case to move his Pity He justisies us freely by his Grace and found a way to do it with Honour to his own Name What a strange Passage is that of the Prophet Isa XLIII 22 23 24. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small Cattle of thy burnt Offerings neither hast thou honour'd me with thy Sacrifice thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities What might now be expected but that God should say Therfore I will not hear thee when thou callest I 'le make thee a Sacrifice to my Wrath I 'le punish thee according to thy Desert But 't is quite otherwise for it follows in Verse 25. I even I am he that blotteh out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins When the God whom we had offended by Sin is become a God of Forgiveness in such a way and method of rich and glorious Grace we need not doubt but his Heart is in it and therfore that he will abundantly pardon He might have exacted the Punishment of Sin when he gave his only begotten Son to be a Propitiation for our Sin and accepted his Suffering instead of ours There could be nothing move him to this but his own Grace and Love And therfore we ought to believe that he 's ready to receive returning Sinners unto Mercy for Christ's sake Sixthly As consequent to this Consider that by believing that God will abundantly pardon returning Sinners we give Honour and Glory to God He is pleas'd and honour'd by our giving Credit to his Word and hoping in his Mercy Whereas if we distrust his Promises and Declarations of Grace we not only disobey his Order but refuse that which he delights in and whereby he 's glorify'd By not believing his Promises of Pardon we do what we can to frustrate the Command of Faith in Jesus Christ and the Promse of Salvation by him Yea to disappoint the great Design of Christ's Coming into the World which was to save Sinners We undervalue the rich Provision he hath made for our Encouragement we gratifie the Devil in keeping off from the only Remedy which Christ hath procured We do in effect make God a Liar by disbelieving the Record he hath given of his Son not setting to our Seal that God is true 1 John V. 10. John III. 33. If we honour and please God by our Faith and Hope more than by any thing else we do as much dishonour and displease him by our Unbelieving Despondency and Dispair Yea all the Sins of your past Life that make you fear God will never forgive you are not cloathed with higher Aggravations of Guilt than your doubting of the pardon of them in Case you unfeignedly return to God and believe in Christ Lastly You ought to believe it for the Reason added Ver. 7. because God's Thoughts are not as ours but as far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. We can't think so kindly of any who have injur'd us as God thinks of us who have offended him Nor can we think to what degree God
should speak such Language to me as this Tho' for lying Vanities thou hast forsaken thine own Mercies yet return to me Tho' thou hast play'd the Harlot with many Lovers yet return Tho' thou hast turned a deaf Ear to many Reproofs yet thy Case is not desperate Tho' I offer my Son and Life by him He that hath the Son hath Life and ye would not This Offer was repeated Sabbath after Sabbath for many Years yet you would not hear it you would not stoop to the Terms yet return unto me I will pity and pardon you I will abundantly pardon Long since I might have sworn in my Wrath you shall never enter into my Rest I might have said Let them alone to be undone by their own Obstinate Foolish Choice I might have resolv'd never such an Offer should be made to you more Never any Sermon about it shall ever do you good more But I am God and not Man my Thoughts and Ways are not as yours I invite you again I beseech you turn and live do not go on and dye God speaks this Language to every one of you the worst of you who hear me this Day Let none therfore think or say 't is too late for him or her there 's now no more Mercy for me For Christ yet stands at the Door and knocks tho' you have refus'd formerly and shut the Door formerly yet now if you will open the Door he will come in and sup with you and you with him Rev. III. 20. Nay tho' he has not taken Possession of thy Heart he knocks at thy Door by his Spirit and is ready to enter tho' you refuse him he does not abandon you Tho' his Kindness and Love hath been slighted yet his Mercy is tendered still and his Patience prolonged And will you resolve to go on thus Will ye not return Are you content to perish rather than come to Christ for Life rather than give him the Glory of your Salvation Will you rather dye in your Sins than be beholden to him for your Forgiveness rather than apply to God for it when he hath provided an All-sufficient Saviour and offer'd you that Salvation freely which cost so dear to purchase After this for a poor proud Sinner to turn his Back upon this Grace of God to scorn this Saviour and disdain to be saved by him saying in Effect I will have none of your Christ none of his Grace none of his Mercy I had rather enjoy my Lusts continue in my Sin and put it to the Venture how provoking is such Guilt and how righteous will be the Condemnation of such obstinate Sinners Secondly Apply your self therfore to God in Christ by Earnest Prayer He hath the Words of Eternal Life he is a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance as well as Pardon The Spirit of Faith is the Spirit of Jesus Christ he can open thy blind Eyes and soften thy hard Heart he that commanded the Cripple to take up his Bed and walk at the same time gave him Power to obey There is a Divine Spirit and Power even the Spirit of Life and Power in Christ Jesus that accompanies the Preaching of the Gospel this may be hoped for this ought to be valu'd desir'd and begg'd You ought never to despair of God's Grace to enable you to believe when it continues to be your Duty to believe on Christ and it cannot but continue to be so unless the Gospel be repeal'd Therefore beg with all your Hearts that you may be enabled to look to him and be saved to come to him and find Rest to your Souls to believe on him and receive Remission of Sins For by beholding the Glory of God in the Face of Christ you may be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Beg an Understanding to know him that is true and with all your Hearts to believe on him that you may assent to his Word consent to his Covenant resign to his Will and trust in his Promise depending on his Readiness Willingness Power and Faithfulness to save you Saying Lord draw me and I will run after thee Lord thou art willing to receive Sinners make me willing to receive thee Lord thou hast received Gifts for Men even for the Rebellious O communicate of those Gifts of Grace to me I see my need of Christ and what Reason I have to come to him O lead me to him and work in me to will and to do of thine own good Pleasure Thirdly If you begin to find the Spirit of Christ breathing on your Souls that have been yet unperswaded if you have any Motions of the good Spirit of God by the preaching the Word or by any other means take heed you thankfully cherish and entertain them When you find your Souls begin to turn towards Christ if you find any Beams of Heavenly Light break in upon you any Inclinations started of applying to him besure to obey the Voice of his Spirit Open every Door of your Souls to receive his Light When he works any Conviction of Sin any sence of your need of a Saviour any Desires after him or Purposes of Heart to leave your Sins and give up your selves to God to be saved by Christ according to the Gospel for your Souls sake encourage such Thoughts cherish such Suggestions Beware how you turn them off but presently and thankfully strike in saying Lord I yield I am overcome I have long enough and too long refus'd thy Grace disobey'd thy Will and resisted thy Spirit Thou hast often knockt and I would not open O now enter thou Blessed of the Lord and take Possession of my Soul Let Christ dwell in my Heart by Faith and his Spirit form a Temple there and reside there as in his own Dwelling for ever Lord art thou yet willing after all my Provocations to show Mercy and abundantly to pardon Willing to be my God and my Saviour Blessed be God I am now willing to be thy Servant Thy powerful Grace hath made me willing Thy Spirit open'd my Eyes to see my self undone to see that Christ is able and willing to save me I hope I am now ready to receive him willing to embrace him as Christ Jesus my Lord. I come to thee O God as to the Fountain of Life to be quickned and cleans'd to be wash'd justify'd sanctify'd and sav'd from Sin and Hell by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus through the Free Mercy and Grace of God But to Conclude If after all there be any Such here as are not will not be perswaded to forsake their Evil Ways and turn to God in Christ Let them consider that the longer they continue in their Obstinacy and Unbelief under the preaching of the glorious Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners so much the more Danger they are in of being lost for ever For their Minds must needs be more blinded by sinning against the Light Their Hearts more hardned by misimproving that which should have softned
I give to be at peace with God and to have an Encouraging Sense of it c. Fourthly Are you sensible of your past Unkindness to this Merciful God and Gracious Saviour so as to bewail it Is it now the ground of your Fear and Trouble not only that you have sinn'd against the Light of Nature tho' it may be you were first awaken'd by the sense of some such Transgression but now you are troubl'd for the Contempt of the Gospel for your Neglect of Christ the Saviour of Sinners for refusing him when he hath call'd and invited you And are ready to say within your selves O with what Earnestness did he call me to accept his Mercy How freely did he offer to forgive me He would have been my Saviour but I would not receive him with what Folly and Obstinacy did I harden my Heart and stop my Ears and turn my Back upon him and resisted him both in his Word and Spirit Doth this greive and trouble you as well as the gross Pollutions of the World which Natural Light will condemn Fifthly Your Case is hopeful notwithstanding the sense of your Vileness and Fears on that Account if you yet resolve to follow on in seeking Mercy and Forgiveness of God by Jesus Christ 'till you obtain it Do you resolve you will wait and pray and wrestle and persevere therein 'till it shall please God to cast an Eye of Pity and Compassion on your miserable Souls That you will continue in the Use of God's appointed Means where he communicates his Spirit and conveys Grace and where he is wont to vouchsafe his Presence That you will enquire of every Body that may assist you how you may be one of those Happy Souls whom God will abundantly pardon Can you say this That tho' I fear and doubt yet I seek and strive and will not give over I will not desist I will not depart from his Door I am undone if he refuse me and if I perish and dye in my Sins and be damned for them it shall be in seeking Mercy and begging Mercy for Christ's sake And if you can say this truly you may be assur'd you shall not perish but find Mercy Can you say and is it the real Language of your Heart Nothing in all the Word shall content and satisfie you or is ever like to do so 'till you have some good hope through Grace of finding Mercy with God You search the Scriptures and search your Hearts and go to Ministers consult Friends and attend Ordinances with this Desire and Design and you pray before you come to hear that some seasonable powerful Word may drop and reach your Case Alas I use to hear formerly after another manner and with other Thoughts judging the Minister passing Sentence on the Sermon or considering only how it concern'd others of my Acquaintance But now I apply all to my self now I look for my own Portion and watch for that which principally concerns me And by the Grace of God I will thus attend and wait and watch at the Posts of Wisdoms Door that I may find Life Prov. VIII 34. Though I I have but a very little Hope and a great many Fears considering what a Vile Sinner I have been yet I do not utterly despair I am told I must not despair and that Despair is a Sin and Hope a Duty And therfore I will yet hold on and wait upon the Lord and seek his Mercy Tho' I can't pray with Confidence I will yet look up tho' I can't say I believe yet I 'le not utterly despair tho' I have sinned against the Grace of the Gospel and the Blood and Spirit of Christ yet I hope not above and beyond the Help and Benefit of his Grace and Gospel and Blood and Spirit I 'le therfore hold on and wait in Hope in the diligent use of all the Means of Salvation V. Fifthly I proceed to another thing observable from these Words Let him return and he will have Mercy and abundantly pardon Let him think of that and return believe that be encouraged to return I Observe That the great Motive and Encouragement to put a Sinner on forsaking his Evil Ways and returning to God is the sensible Apprehension that there 's Mercy to be had viz. that God will forgive and abundantly pardon the Penitent Returning Sinner I confess 't is not an easie matter to be perswaded of the Doctrine of the Forgiveness of Sin Whatever Guess and Conjecture Men may have about it from the Divine Patience and Forbearance to a sinful World in the Continuance of his Forfeited Mercy Yet * See Mr. Nathanael Taylor 's Preservative against Deism Octavo Lately printed without the Gospel Revelation we are at no Certainty about this The Gentiles had some Imaginations and Hopes that their Gods were placable and inclin'd to pardon and that was the Rise of their Expiations and Sacrifices but they had no assured Promise or Covenant to build upon They knew not the Mediator between God and Man by his own Sacrifice of himself to make Attonement 'T is the Language of the Law written on our Hearts that The Soul that sinneth shall dye 'T is the Voice of Natural Conscience that Guilt and Punishment are inseperable And were there not somewhat known of the Doctrine of Forgiveness by the Revelation of it which God hath made this would be the common Sentiment of Mankind I need not consider what particular Ways and Methods God may have to reveal this Pardoning Mercy unto any who are Strangers to the Written Word or whether he hath done so It belongs not to us to be Curious in enquiring about other Men who shall be judged by a Righteous God according to the Law they were under and the Light they had 'T is certain that even among those to whom the Gospel is preached whoever they are that are deeply convinc'd of Sin and Conscience awakened to apprehend the Holiness and Justice of God 't is one of the most difficult things in the World to perswade them that God will have Mercy and abundantly pardon It is one great Work of the Holy Spirit to satisfie the Soul of this There 's no serious Minister of Christ but hath abundant Experience of this in those that are awakened to any Concern for their Souls Salvation There 's Evidence sufficient of this in David's Frame Psal CXXX 3 4. If thou Lord should'st mark Iniquities O Lord who should stand but there is forgiveness with thee c. If God should mark Sin so as to proceed to punish it according to his Righteous Law who could stand who would escape Condemnation or when accused stand in the Judgment so as to be acquitted i.e. 'T is not my own Case alone that if God should be strict and severe with me I am an undone and lost Creature But 't is true of all the World The Holiest Saint on Earth can't be justify'd in his Sight and what then would become of me who have
such a Load of Guilt and so many hainous Crimes to acknowledge In this sense we find the Expression of standing us'd Rom. XIV 4. To his own Master he standeth or falleth that is shall either be acquitted or condemned of God 'T is of the same Import with Psal CXLIII 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight no flesh living shall be justified Consider a little with what a Frame of Spirit doth David use such Language he seems to cry out in the View of his Hainous Sins as ready to Despair if not reliev'd by the Hope that there is Forgiveness with God Lord who can stand that is how justly may I be Condemn'd if I am try'd at thy Bar According to strict Justice I must be cast I cannot answer thee for one much less for all my Abominations I cannot stand in the Judgment This will be and is the Case of all Convinced Sinners of every one of us when we View our Sins and the Majesty of Heaven whom we have offended When we consider how we have affronted God and despised him and how easily he can crush us into Hell and how justly he might When we think how we have preferr'd a Lust a Trifle a Passion an Humour before him How we have slighted his Authority abus'd his Goodness defi'd his Power weari'd his Patience rejected his Grace and by numberless aggravated Transgressions incurr'd the Vengeance he hath threaten'd and made our selves lyable to his intolerable and everlasting Wrath. Under such a Sight and Sense of Sin what can relieve but the Consideration that there 's Mercy and Forgiveness with God and that He 'll abundantly Pardon returning Sinners This I say we are backward to believe There 's so much Ignorance and Blindness in the Minds of Sinners there 's such a proneness in Men to Judge of God by themselves and of his Thoughts and Ways by their own that because they could not Pardon such and such hainous Provocations so often repeated they imagine that God will not And there are so many Fears and Jealousies in our guilty Souls concerning God that without the Encouragement of such a Declaration of Grace as in this Text there could be no Repentance there would be no Returning to God You know what Benhadad's Servants told him 1 Kings XX. 31. We have heard that the Kings of Israel are Merciful Kings let us put Sack-cloath on our Loyns and Ropes about our Necks and go to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy Life This gracious Method God us'd toward Israel Jer. III. 12. Go and proclaim these words toward the North saying Return O back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am Merciful saith the Lord and will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast Transgressed against the Lord thy God that is Let them not cherish any such hard Thoughts of me as if there were no Forgiveness let them not despair of my Mercy as if I would not receive them when they return This gives the greatest Encouragement to Convinced Sinners that here is a Plank to save them from Shipwrack a Remedy against Despair Here 's a ground for 'em to return to God with Hopes Here 's a Motive to seek Mercy that God hath proclaim'd his Readiness to forgive and abundantly to pardon And methinks 't is very plain that the Doctrine of Repentance would never have been preached if there were no Hope of Forgiveness The fallen Angels having no Mercy offer'd were never call'd to repent for let there be never so deep Conviction of Sin and Sorrow for it there could be no Repenting and Returning to God without believing that Mercy might be had All would end in Death and Desparation Repentance would never be commanded as a Duty nor urg'd upon Sinners as a Duty it could not if we believe the Wisdom Goodness and Faithfulness of God were it not for this Truth that If the wicked forsake his way c. But upon the Consideration of this Sinners begin to have good Thoughts of God many of their Scruples are remov'd many of their Objections answer'd and they are now encourag'd to seek the Mercy of God and prepare to receive it VSE To Conclude therefore Let the vilest and worst of Sinners receive these glad Tydings of God's Grace and not abuse them Don't despise this Message don't neglect it but consider how much you need this Mercy and go home and earnestly beg it Endeavour to welcome it as it is offer'd in the Gospel and then plead it and urge it for Christ's sake according to the Promise as it is Free-Mercy And stir up your Souls to hope in it as knowing that God takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy May I not therfore say that 't is from the Devil for whom there is no Mercy if there be any of you to whom this Doctrine is preached who will yet Conclude There 's no Mercy for you Since God hath told us that If the Wicked forsake his Evil Ways and Thoughts and turn to the Lord they may and ought in that Case most firmly believe that He will have Mercy and that He will abundantly pardon THE Second Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon 'T IS of the Sixth Observation from these Words that I would now speak without so much as repeating the other five viz. That Pardoning Mercy to Penitent Sinners is Mercy indeed the most valuable and seasonable Mercy This I shall endeavour to manifest by several Considerations and then Apply it First There 's nothing more suitable to the Case of a Guilty Sinner who hath any Thoughts of returning to God Consider the Perplexities of one that is awakened to a Sense of Sin and is under a Spirit of Conviction His bitter Complaints and loud Cryes tell us that he knows not what to do nor how to be rid of his Burden He apprehends his Danger from unpardoned Sin and feels the want of this Forgiveness He is wounded and nothing but the Voice of Pardoning Mercy can heal him I have greatly sinn'd said David and his Heart smote him 2 Sam. XXIV 10. And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the Iniquity of thy Servant Nothing else could give him Ease and Quiet from an Accusing troubled Conscience The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Isa XXXIII 24. The meer Patience and Forbearance of God without Forgiveness will not answer the Exigence of his Case Tho' he be yet out of Hell he knows not how long it shall be so or how soon he may there have a Miserable Portion 'T is the Sense of Unpardon'd Sin that breaks his Bones and dryeth up his Marrow
is able to forgive our greatest Provocations and show Mercy to the vilest Sinners that will return We are prone to revenge we are hardly reconciled we are apt to return Evil for Evil we are not easily brought to Forgiveness But My thoughts are not as yours saith God You know not how far my Mercy can reach I am God and not Man The distance between God and Man between the Creature and Creator is infinitely more than between Heaven and Earth What if you can't imagine that ever I should have such Thoughts of Mercy for poor Sinners Do you consider how high the Heavens are above the Earth so are my Thoughts and Ways higher than yours They are like my self infinite And how many by their own Experience of God's kind and gracious Dealing with them who with holy Wonder and Thankfulness have acknowledg'd and attested the Truth of this Many a time have I called my self a Prodigal to use the Words of an * Mr. Baxter of Conversing with God in Solitude 4â—â— pag. 363 364. Excellent Person a Companion of Swine a miserable hard-hearted Sinner unworthy to be called his Son when he hath called me Child and chid me for my questioning his Love he hath readily forgiven the Sins which I thought would have made my Soul the fuel of Hell he hath entertain'd me with Joy with Musick and a Feast when I better deserv'd to have been among the Dogs without his Doors He hath embrac'd me in his sustaining Consolatory Arms when he might have spurned my guilty Soul to Hell and said Depart from me thou Worker of Iniquity I know thee not O little did I think that he could ever have forgotten the Vanity and Villany of my Youth yea so easily have forgotten my most aggravated Sins When I had sinned against Light when I had resisted Conscience when I had frequently and wilfully injured Love I thought he would never have forgotten it But the greatness of his Love and Mercy and the Blood and Intercession of his Son hath cancelled all O how many Mercies have I tasted since I thought I had sinned away all Mercies How patiently hath he born with me since I thought he would never have put up more Tho' I injure and dishonour him by loving him no more tho' I oft forget him and have been out of the Way when he hath come or called me tho' I have disobediently turned away mine Ears and unkindly refus'd the Entertainments of his Love and unfaithfully play'd with those whose Company he forbad me yet he hath not divorc'd me or turn'd me out of Doors O wonderful that Heaven will be familiar with Earth and God with Man the Highest with a Worm and the most Holy with an unconstant Sinner Man refuseth me when God will entertain me Those whom I never wrong'd reject me with Reproach and God whom I have unspeakably injured doth invite me entreat me and condescendeth to me as if he were beholden to me to be saved Men that I have deserved well of abhor me and God that I have deserved Hell of doth accept me I upbraid my self with my sins but he doth not upbraid me with them I condemn my self for them but he condemns me not I have Peace with him before I can have Peace with my Conscience Object But after all these endearing Expressions of the Grace of God may some say we can't tell how to believe 't is hard to be fully perswaded of this Consider therefore the Verses following the Text where there 's this Objection obviated You say you can't have your Hearts duely affected with these Declarations of God's Grace you can't be brought to accept this Mercy to close with this Offer to be encouraged by such a Promise and trust in it It is therefore added as directly suitable to such a Case Verses 10 11. As the Rain cometh down and the Snow from Heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the Earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my Mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it That is As the Heavens do not give Light and Heat and Snow in vain but cause a promising Spring and a fruitful Harvest So saith God my Thoughts of Grace manifested by my Declarations of Mercy and Promises of Forgiveness shall have Efficacy and Influence to make you believe to enable you to hope and trust in my Mercy and so to be quiet and satisfy'd that your great and hainous Sins shall be forgiven The very Publication of this Grace shall be attended with a Power to bring Souls to believe it I know my Thoughts toward you are Thoughts of Peace and not of Evil to give you a gracious End and raise your Expectations of it and they shall accordingly be fulfilled The Declarations of this Mercy shall be credited my Word of Grace shall not be in vain it shall take hold of dejected despairing Souls and raise them to Faith and Hope 'T is with this Encouragement we publish the glad Tydings of Salvation and invite Sinners to return to God by Jesus Christ with an Assurance of finding Mercy I say 't is with this Encouragement that we beseech them to be reconcil'd to God and assure 'em that he 's ready to forgive 'T is in Hope that by the Spirit accompanying the Declaration of the Word concerning this Forgiveness with God many Souls might be attracted and won perswaded and overcome and so prevail'd with to return to God and believe the glorious Riches Freeness and Abundance of his Mercy God grant we may find more and more such fruits of preaching the Gospel On the other hand I beseech you take heed how you turn your Backs on this Mercy of God and the Offer of it Beware how you shut your Ears against his gracious Invitation when he thus proclaims and publishes his Readiness to forgive Take heed how you go on in Sin after God freely tenders you the Forgiveness of all your Sins if you will return With the greatest Seriousness I must tell you that one such Sermon of God's forgiving Grace and Mercy rejected slighted and misimprov'd may be of more dreadful Consequence to the Souls of those that hear it and make light of it than I am able to express APPLICATION VSE 1. Let this Mercy Love and Grace overcome your Hearts Consider it again and again Apply it seriously to your selves Is the Lord thus Gracious to me after so long a Rejection of him Will he yet receive me after so many Refusals Doth he invite and call me again after so much Contempt of his Mercy and Grace Will he yet show Mercy to me What strange astonishing Grace what endearing Kindness is this What manner of Love is this How true is it that God's Thoughts and Ways are not as ours That God
it the daily Burden of your Hearts that you inwardly sanctifie God no more and glorifie him so little in the World Are your Thoughts Desires Opinions and and Designs chang'd The Bent of your Souls and the Course of your Lives altered Can you say My Heart is inclin'd to keep thy Statutes always even to the end Psal CXIX 112. I esteem all his Commandments concerning all things to be right and am desirous to know the whole Will of God that I may do it And if in particular Instances by Temptation you turn out of the Way and contract Guilt are you restless and uneasie 'till you return to God Can you say with the Psalmist I have kept the Way of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from him for all his Judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine Iniquity Psal XVIII 21 22 23. I confess as to Sins that by the Temperament and Constitution of the Body we are more inclin'd and tempted to than to other Sins a Total Victory is not to be expected so as in no Degrees to fall into such Sins after Repentance Take heed in such Cases that you rise again speedily by Repentance that you walk softly and humbly and that the principal Tendency of your Repentance and Prayer be against those Sins And you will gradually get Strength against 'em So as to say that no Iniquity hath Dominion over you that you are not the willing Servants of Sin so as to love it and deliberately to allow it but the Desire of your Soul is to be freed from it to have Sin subdu'd as well as forgiven III. What can you say as to the Receiving Loving and Prizing of Christ by whom we have Forgiveness Have you heartily Accepted of him in all his Offices as offered in the Gospel Assenting to his Doctrine as a Teacher sent from God and our great Prophet Relying on his Sacrifice and Mediation as our great High-Priest And subjecting to him as Lord and Ruler This is Receiving him as Christ Jesus the Lord. This is an Honour due to him for the Pardon and Salvation he hath procured for us And God hath made it necessary to our Interest in the Benesits of his Death Do we assent to the Doctrine of Salvation reveal'd and publish'd by Christ and attested from Heaven as certainly true That Jesus is the Christ of God and Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Hereupon are we brought to trust to the Mercy of God in Christ in Hopes of his Salvation which is freely tendred unto Sinners in the Gospel Do we subject our selves entirely to him as one whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins Resolving to be sway'd by his Authority and rul'd by his Direction and follow him as our Captain and Commander Guide and Saviour as long as we live Endeavouring in Heart and Life to be well pleasing in his Sight that whether we live or dye we may be His If your Sins are forgiven 't is for Christ's sake Consider what Application have you ever made to him for the cleansing Virtue of his Blood Since if you are washed if you are pardoned it must be through the Blood of the Lamb have you look'd to him whom you have pierced and mourn'd and been in Bitterness for him as one that is in Bitterness for his first born Zac. XII 10. Have you lookt upon a Crucify'd Saviour Bleeding Groaning Dying for Sin to reconcile us to God and turn us from our Iniquities Have you been answerably affected with the Sufferings of Christ and improv'd thereby in your Hatred of Sin IV. What Thankfulness to God and what Love to Jesus Christ the Redeemer doth the Hope of Forgiveness excite in you You read how the Penitent in the Gospel Loved much because much was forgiven Luke VII 47. How did St. Peter appeal to Christ after the Forgiveness of his Sin Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee Your Love to Christ and every thing that relates to him will be a good Argument of the Forgiveness of Sin For having Peace with God the Love of Christ is shed abroad in our Hearts How have your Hearts been affected with Thankfulness to God for the Riches of his Grace in this Forgiveness For the Purchase of it for the Offer of it and for any good Hope of your special Interest in it What admiring Thoughts have you of the Height and Depth Length and Breadth of the Love of God in Christ to lost Sinners With what Thoughts do you Consider the Curse of the Law the Terrors of Death the Power of Satan and the Wrath of God From all which you are deliver'd by Christ With what Affection do you Contemplate the Innumerable Glorious Priviledges Benefits and Blessings that accompany this Forgiveness With what Admiring Love to the Redeemer do you from time to time review his Condescension and Humiliation How low he stoopt and how readily How great things he suffered and how willingly Even to drink the Dregs of that bitter Cup which but to taste of would have made Men and Angels stagger into Hell With what Frame of Spirit can you consider Christ offer'd upon the Cross for you making his Soul a Ransom for you When you Consider with particular Application to your selves He gave himself for me shed his precious Blood for me O my Soul 't was that I might escape Condemnation that I might be reconcil'd to God that my Crimson and Scarlet Sins might be pardoned that my Guilty Polluted Miserable Soul might be restor'd to the Image of God and Communion with him What Affections what Joy have you from such Thoughts Especially at the Lord's-Table when you consider his Body broken for you his Blood shed for the Remission of your Sins wounded for your Transgressions bruised for your Iniquities that by his Stripes you might be healed V. Moreover How are you affected with the Sins that you hope God hath pardon'd Do your Souls melt with a Godly Sorrow for those Crimes that you hope are forgiven What penitent Mourning doth the Psalmist express in Psal 51. which was penn'd after God assur'd him that his Adultery and Murder should be forgiven and after the Prophet had told him The Lord hath put away thy Sin O Lord have Mercy upon me and wash me and cleanse me and blot out my Transgression Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy Sight c. What Influence hath God's free Mercy in pardoning Sin upon you as to Shame and Sorrow for it Doth the Thoughts that after all thy Provocations God will be reconciled humble and shame thee the more To this purpose you know the Holy Spirit is promised in the Times of the Gospel Ezek. XVI 63. That thou may'st remember and be confounded and never open thy Mouth any more
as when he declares that which by the common Principles of our Reason we know is so If we own a Divine Revelation we can no more Doubt of the one then the other unless a Divine Testimony must receive its force from the Evidence of our Reason Which is to destroy all the Testimony of Divine Revelation in Supernatural Truths where the Evidence of Reason fails What! tho' we cannot give an Account how it is or can be so as we find it in the Scripture is any thing that God says the less Credible upon that Account 'T is the highest Reason to believe every thing that God hath said His Authority hath Strength sufficient to secure my Faith against all such Objections as arise only from Ignorance and want of Principles to Judge by or from the Incomprehensibleness of the Object IT seems plainly the Design of the Apostle 1 Cor. II. Chap. to obviate the great Objection that is now brought by Infidels and Socinians by granting it to be true That what we are taught to beleive by the Gospel is Inconceivable and above the Reach of Humane Reason That many Doctrines of the Gospel are such as could neither be discovered nor when they were could be received and applauded by the Rational Part of Mankind It was not the Wisdom of Men nor of this World but the Wisdom of God 5th and 6th Verses The Apostle did not go about to perswade the World of the Truth of them in such a Manner as the Wise Men among the Gentiles made use of to perswade the People of their Opinions But the Gospel being a Divine Revelation they endeavoured to prove the Truth of it by the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power i. e. by Supernatural Proofs from Ancient Prophecies by uncontested Miracles and such like Testimonies of God's owning the Gospel to be a Revelation from him So that their Faith did not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God And therfore we should not be stumbled nor think Strange if Matters of Divine Revelation should be Inconceivable by meer Reason HE let 's them know that even this was foretold by the Prophets Verse 19. for it is written by the Prophet Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath it enter'd into the Heart of Man c. But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit by which Spirit Christ and his Apostles made known this Doctrine And it follows The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God And therefore tho' the Things be such as we never thought of before and we cannot well conceive when they are told us yet that is no such Wonder for the Nature of our own Souls cannot be conceiv'd by any Inferior Being nor our secret Thoughts known by any other of our Fellow-Creatures Ver. 11. For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man but the Spirit of Man within him and so the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God As we cannot know the secret Purposes of other Men 'till they themselves discover them so the Councils of God concerning our Salvation which depend meerly upon his own Will none can know but the Spirit of God and by some Revelation from that Spirit and not by Natural Reason For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God i. e. is acquainted with all his secret Counsels THE great Question therfore will be Whether the Revelation that contains such and such incredible Doctrines be Divine And accordingly the Apostle adds in the next Verse that he built his Faith not upon the Philosophy or Inventions of Men but upon the Revelation which God hath made We have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God These Things could never else have been known and therefore it should not offend any that we do not endeavour to prove these Doctrines by Philosophical Arguments But by such as are proper to prove them by viz from Divine Revelation Which things also we speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual That is the Revelations of the Old Testament with those of the New And after all he he tells us in the 14th Verse That the Natural Man who will believe nothing but according to his own preconceived Notions from Natural Reason He receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God they are Foolishness to him He will not allow that to be divinely revealed which is above meer natural Reason He considers only the Difficulty in the Doctrine it self how it can be true not what Reason he hath to believe such a Revelation to be from God And so he cannot know them because they are to be spiritually discerned that is to be judged of by the Revelation and Testimony of the Holy Spirit and not by the meer Light of Reason They are to be received upon the Account of a Divine Revelation THE the whole Tenor of the Apostles Discourse seems to obviate or answer this Objection of the Doctrines of the Gospel being Incredible and Vnintelligible And if we apply it to the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ it will hold good notwithstanding the Difficulty how Three can be one or how our Blessed Saviour can be God and Man How there is one Divine Nature or Essence common unto Three Persons united in Essential Attributes and yet distinguish'd from each other in order and manner of Subsistance and by peculiar Idioms and Relations These Notions may puzzle our Reason to conceive but should not stagger our Faith to believe as Reveal'd in the Holy Scripture Considering what God is and what We are 't is unreasonable to reject any Article of Faith because we cannot fully conceive the Nature and Manner of its being True Shall we compare our Darkness with his Incomprehensible Light Or equal our Understanding with his Shall we refuse to believe what he hath declar'd for Truth unless we can reconcile it with our Maxims What room is there left for Faith at this rate What Credit is given to Divine Testimony if we believe nothing to be True in Gods Word except we can Fathom it and would otherwise believe without his Testimony IF we consider the Imperfections of our Understandings both as to the Finite Nature of the Soul and the Manifold Experience we have of it every Day we must be content to be Ignorant of many Things What is well known in many Civilized Countries as some have observed to illustrate this may appear very strange to a great Part of the Heathen World The Fabrick of a Watch or the mutual Communication of Thoughts by Writing would it may be be as unconceivable to a Barbarous Indian as the Mistery of the Trinity is to us yet the Truth of the Thing doth not depend upon his Conception of it AND how short do the