the cords of love 2. Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ stead be ye reconciled to God and Philip. 2. 1. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy c. The Gospel comes not as the law upon mount Sinai with thunder and lightning and darknesse but it comes in a milde and gentle way and by that allures and draws the soul unto it self and that is the sixt joyful sound The seventh joyful sound of the Gospel is that the Gospel and liberty of it comes as gently so with abundance of life and strength together with it it comes as the spirit is and where the spirit is there is power as the Apostle speakes I remember Luther hath this note upon Rom. 8. sayes he the law is a spiritual law because it is the law of God but it is not the law of the spirit of life t is the law of the Gospel that brings the spirit of power and life along with it there goes a vertue together with the commands of the Gospel to strengthen the sould to obedience And the Gospel gives grace and strength beyond what Adam had two wayes the grace that Adam had was onely a power to doe but there was not the will and the deed given but the grace of the Gospel it gives both the power and the will and the deed The eight joyful sound of the Gospel is that tender pity and compassion that is in God to those that are made free by it This is the difference between the sins of those that are under the law and those under the Gospel the sins of those under the law makes them hated by God but the sins of those that are under the Gospel makes them pityed by God The ninth joyful sound is this the Gospel hath a mighty efficacy to melt the heart and to resolve it into sorrow and mourning such mourning that is one of the most acceptable things to God in the world the law I told you accepts not of repentance I but the Gospel doth the teares of repentance that come from believers next to the blood of Jesus Christ are the most precious things in the world I say next to the drops of the blood of Christ the drops of thy teares coming from Evangelical repentance are most acceptable unto God That is the ninth joyful sound Tenthly another is this the Gospel it comes with healing as it hath a melting power so it hath a healing power Christ is described to come with healing in his wings water makes the lime burne the more but oyle which provokes other things to burne quenches that so it is with the oyle of the Gospel Christ was annointed for this purpose to heal thee and to quench thy lust and corruptions In Isai 57. 18. we have an excellent promise vers 17. He went on frowardly in the way of his heart marke what followes I have seen his wayes and I will heal him The eleventh joyful sound is that now being set at liberty by Christ though thou doest sin not onely against the law but against the Gospel thy sins against the Gospel shall not have power to root out any habits of grace but still the grace of the Gospel will uphold the habits of grace in thy soul It is otherwise with the law for one offence against the law doth not onely root out the habit that is contrary to that offence but all other habits also but the grace of the Gospel is such that the habits of grace within us are not touched The twelfth joyful sound is this the Gospel is so full of grace that it takes advantage of our misery this is a good argument of the tenour of the Gospel Pardon my sin O Lord for it is great strange argument of a childe of the bond-woman but a good argument of a childe of the free-woman and t is Gods argument Gen. 8. 21. I will not destroy the world againe for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth Thirteenthly Another joyful sound of the Gospel is this the Gospel proclaimes this liberty to us that all that is required of us may be done and accepted by and from another namely Christ Fourteenthly Further the grace of the Gospel shewes a way wherein God shall have all the wrong made him up that ever thy sins did him for suppose the Gospel had proclaimed that God were willing to pardon this were not enough as long as God stood wronged but now the Gospel doth not onely proclaime to thee that God is content to forgive thee all thy sins but it tells thee of a way how God shall have all the wrong made up that ever thou hast done him and this Son that sets thee at liberty hath undertaken it and hath done it Fifteenthly And then another joyful sound of the Gospel is this That there is a most absolute perfect righteousnesse made over to us the righteousnesse of the Son of God is thine made over to thee to be presented before the Father for thee Sixteenthly yet further there is this joyful sound of the Gospel It proclaimes admirable promises glorious and high things even the infinite Treasures of Gods grace the Son is come from the bosome of the Father and hath opened the treasures of the grace of God and hath discovered those things that were kept secret from the foundations of the world Seventeenthly And yet there is one thing more that is necessary for the full consolation of the liberty of the Gospel and this blessed Jubile that it may make a Jubile indeed in thy heart and that is this that such is the covenant of the Gospel and Christ hath so undertaken for thee that it shall never be forfeited this is the full rich and glorious grace of the Gospel that now Christ hath undertaken and engaged himself to the Father and the Father hath promised and hath engaged his own truth and mercy and faithfulnesse that this covenant shall never be forfeited yea the very condition of the covenant that is required of thee is that which Christ hath undertaken to the Father to performe in thee If perseverance be a spiritual blessing it is part of the purchase of Christ and must stand and therefore peace be to thee thou art in such a condition as thou canst not forfeit and breake the covenant the marriage covenant between thee and thy Saviour can never be dissolved I should now have shewn you a little more the blessednesse of this liberty that all this grace comes in and by the Son not from the bounty of God in general but in a higher way by the Son of God we come to be set at liberty by being made one with him who is God and man the heire of all things and so are made co-heires with him But
I conclude now that the Lord is willing to be reconciled to me and why then should I be unbelieving any more why should I have hard thoughts of God any more why should I remaine in my doubting condition any longer thou canst not be more desirous of the salvation of thy soul then God is of magnifying his grace and mercy and God hath done more for thee then thou canst possibly do for the salvation of thy soul Besides t is a mighty drawing argument for by this meanes the infinite distance that conicience apprehended to be between God and the soul is taken away for when the soul sees it hath to deal with an infinite deity that is so farre above it it stands shaking and trembling and dares not draw nigh to God What have I to doe saith the soul with such a God as this is who is so infinitely above me but now when thou knowest that Christ is between God and thee then this distance needs not scare thee yea now all thy guiltinesse and all the filthinesse and pollution of thy soul and all that the law hath to say against thee need be no discouragement to thee when thou seest thou hast to deal with God through Jesus Christ Therefore no soul can stand off and say how doe I know it belongs to me doe but take this one rule for that there is nothing can interest the soul in Christ but Christ himself there is no preparation to Christ but Christ must be all in all in it therefore stand not off and say how shall my heart be wrought to these and these preparations and work thus and thus before I have part in Christ no puzzle not thy self about thy preparations but set before thy soul the mystery of the Gospell in this glorious way of Gods communication of himself to thee and of reconciling man unto himself and the very efficacy of these truths will have a power upon thy heart to draw thee unto God in this way of reconciliation and that is the way of true comfort The Gospell it self though there be no preparation before yet hath an efficacy to draw the heart to Christ for Christ is all in all in that And doe not say I am a poor meane creature I can doe nothing I cannot remember a Sermon I cannot pray or performe any good duty as I ought why remember soul Christ is all in all true if any thing were required of thee in the businesse of salvation it were somewhat but know that God hath laid help upon one who is mighty therefore t is not thy weaknesse nor the distance between God and thee that can hinder if thou rightly apprehendest God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Another reason might have been this God doth it to indeare his mercy to his Saints for ever for indeed nothing indeares Gods mercy to them so much as this that they see it come to them in such a way of conveyance and that which will indear mercy to the Saints in heaven to all eternity and for which they shall be full of the praises of God shall not be so much for the good things they enjoy as for that strange and wonderfull way by which they come to enjoy them This I say is that which shall take up the hearts and be a great part of the work of the glorified Saints in Heaven to all eternity even their admiring adoring and praising God in Jesus Christ And then God delights to honour his Son and that he might set him up he makes him to be the meanes of conveyance of all good to those he intends it to as if a King were to honour his Son what way can he take to doe it more effectually then this that all the favour he meanes to shew to any shall be only through his Son so when God the Father would honour his Son he appoints from all eternity that all the grace and mercy that any shall have from him shall be only through his Son Therefore as Christ saith All judgement is committed to the Son that all men might honour the Son as they honour the Father So I may say of the work and dispensation of Gods grace that all is conveyed to Christ and by him communicated to those that have interest in him that the Son might be honoured to all eternity I shall conclude in a few words of application to work upon you this that hath been said First if it be thus let us stand a while and admire at the depths of the councel of God and the infinite glory of the riches of his grace to mankinde that God should ever have such thoughts towards such poor wormes as we are that he should not rather have let such despicable creatures eternally perish then goe in such a strange way to shew mercy to them Truly brethren God hath done more in bringing a poor soul to himself then in creating Heaven and Earth the work of creating Heaven and Earth is but a low piece of work in comparison of this wonderfull way of Gods conveying his grace and mercy to the children of men through his Son this is the master-piece of the workes of God which he hath already done or will ever doe to all eternity and God therefore is to be admired and adored in this We are to glorifie God in every creature but how is God to be glorified then in his Son wherein so much of his glory doth appeare If it be a sinne for us not to sanctifie the name of God when we behold his glory in his meanest workes O what a sinne is it not to sanctifie the name of God in beholding the mystery of the Gospell and his glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ God expects brethren that those who live under the Gospel should spend their dayes and thoughts and talk about that glory which he hath manifested in his Son O you that have such chaffy drossy spirits that can spend your precious thoughts upon such poor things as you doe know that here is an object to take up your thoughts and your sinne is abundantly the greater in this that you spend your thoughts about such vanities when God sets before you so glorious an object to raise up your hearts unto himself and you that spend a great deal of your lives in vanity know that this day you have heard of a truth that above all things in the world should take up your time and thoughts in the contemplation of it And you that have more time and greater estates then others and are not put upon it to get your bread as others are and so have greater opportunities for the worship and service of God and for searching into his truth yet how doe you spend your time in vanity and light things as if there were no greater matters to take up your hearts It is a signe of a vaine and frothy spirit that when God propounds such glorious things to you that yet
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before