brought them to the worst part of it for the south part was the hottest and dryest and barrennest part of the countrey thus God seemes to goe on in crosse wayes and this hides the excellency of the things of God and hence it comes to passe they are not seen If it be so then that the things of God are not seen to a carnall eye and require more then reason to apprehend them First it should make us cease wondering that men of excellent parts and reason doe not see the things of God but slight them be not offended at this they are things not seen it is a great deceit in many who think that because such and such men have larger abilities of reason then others to understand naturall things that therefore it must needs follow they have deeper apprehensions of spiritual things and yet men reason thus what you poor simple men and women understand these things when there are great Schollars and learned men that see them not this argues a carnal heart as if the strength of reason could make men apprehend more then faith can doe You know what Christ sayes Father I thank thee that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Math. 11. 25. Notwithstanding such expressions of Christ yet we see the temper of the men of the world alas they look upon religion as a most foolish and ridiculous thing and so for strictnesse in the wayes of religion when a man shall see another very earnest about a thing that he thinkes is of no consequence at all he cannot but impute folly to him so when the men of the world see the people of God servent and zealous about those things that they can see no excellency in and see them willing to venture and suffer for them they count this folly and madnesse when Christ being in danger of his life John 18. 37 38. tells Pilate that he came into the world to bear witnesse unto the truth sayes Pilate what is truth speaking in a slighting way as if he had said you come here to answer for your life and you had need look to that and what doe you talk of truth now your life is in question So carnall men when they see others venture their estates and lives for poor inconsiderable things as they esteem them they count this folly and why doe they doe so because the things of God are not seen Therefore in spirituall and heavenly things we must alwayes endeavour to beat down reason and to advance faith sayes Luther In the things of God we must not continually be asking the reason for they are the things that are not seen Nay sayes he faith kills the beast reason in spiritual things Though it is true being kept under faith there is good use of it yet it is as a beast to be slaine that so we may see the more of spirituall things I meet with a story in a book of a company of Bishops that were gathered together and there was a Philosopher with them who disputed against the Christian faith and he argued so subtilly that he non-plust the Bishops Now there was a godly man a poor weak man there and he desired he might have liberty to dispute for that they were so non-plust in and though at first they were afraid he would spoyle the cause through his weaknesse yet at length they gave him leave to speak and he propounds certaine principles of religion to the Philosopher and said to him doe you believe these things and said no more but doe you believe these things and upon this the Philosopher yeilds I have heard sayes he nothing all this while but words but now I finde a divine vertue come into me that I can no longer resist the Christian faith and this meerly upon the propounding of the objects of faith with urging upon him Doe you believe certainly in the things of faith we must believe before we can understand them fully our faith must sometimes help us to conceive and not alwayes our conceiving help to us to believe we finde this in Peter John 6. 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the living God mark we believe and are sure He doth not say we are sure and believe but first believe and then are sure by believing we come to be sure There are many they would faine be sure that Christ died for them that their sins are pardoned and that they are the children of God and they endeavour to make this out by arguments from the effects and would try themselves by such and such notes but we should rather and in the first place goe the way the Apostle doth here we believe and are sure we should cast our souls upon the truth of the word and by believing come to be sure So much for the First the things of God are things not seen But now faith that doth evidence and make them cleare We know in whom we have believed 2. Tim. 1. 12. and the mercies of God in Christ are called The sure mercies of David Acts 13. 34. Faith is not a meer notion imagination or conceit but t is that which makes all sure and certaine to the soul I should have answered a case here whether or no there may not be faith without assurance that is without assurance of a mans own salvation by Christ Certainly it must needs be a great mistake to put that upon the being of faith which is the riches of faith for so the Scripture calls assurance a man may be able to carry on his Trade though he be not rich and a man may be a believer though he be not rich in assurance now assurance is the creame of faith the riches of faith I should have shewn also how farre faith can be an evidence where there is doubting Onely thus the assurance we have by faith building upon the word and drawing conclusions from divine principles for that I should have spoken of how faith draws things up to an evidence by divine and spirituall principles and what these principles are but we cannot stand to open this but it is so farre an evidence that the soul can venture upon it as I told you before faith is a foundation that the soule dare venture upon as that Martyr said though I cannot dispute for the truth yet I can dye for the truth Where faith comes with a convincing light though there may be doubts and fears and temptations yet it can trust and depend and the soul resolves if I perish I will perish here let all the world say what they will I finde this is the way and whatever comes of it I will not goe back and by this meanes over-powers the soul and carries it through opposition and so faith is an evidence Many things should have been spoken by way of application As First If faith be an evidence to other things and makes them seen
notwithstanding the infinitenesse of Gods holinesse yet there should be a way for us polluted creatures to looke upon this God with joy This mystery is onely taught in the Gospel Though men now thinke they can come and cry to God for mercy yet hereaafter when God shal let out the brightnesse of his holinesse to thee and thou comest to see thy uncleannesse then thy heart will sinke down in eternall despaire thou wilt not endure to behold God then And if thou beest not acquainted with God in this way of reconciliation thou art undone for ever therefore study the mystery of the Gospell and make use of Christ that the glory of Gods holinesse may not be to thy terrour but to thy comfort This Sermon was preacht March 21. 1640. COLOS. 3. V. 11. latter end of it But Christ is all in all March 28 1641. IT is not long since as some of you may remember that in this place that subject was handled of the Saints enjoyment of God to be all in all out of 1 Cor. 15. v. 28. and then I told you we had such an expression in Scripture but onely twice applyed to God in the happinesse of the Saints enjoyment of him in heaven and applyed here to Christ of what Christ is to them for the present That which was handled about Gods being all in all is the end this that is to be delivered concerning Christ being all in all is that which brings the soul to that blessed end Wherefore then as Christ him selfe sayes John 14. 1. Yee believe in God believe also in me So I say as God shall be all in all eternally to the Saints doe you believe in that believe also in this that I am to deliver to you this day that Christ he is all and in all The Apostle Saint Paul was a chosen vessell to beare the name of Christ to carry it up and downe in the world and indeed his spirit was full of Christ he desired to know nothing but Christ to Preach nothing but Christ to be found in none but Christ the very name of Christ was delightfull to him he seekes in all his Epistles to magnifie Christ and in these words that I have read unto you he doth omnifie Christ he makes him not onely great but makes him all There is neither Greeke nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all in all that is there is no priviledge in the one to commend them to God and no want of any thing in the other to hinder them from God let men be what they will in their outward respects what is that to God let them be never so mean in regard of all outwards that cannot hinder them from the enjoyment of God for God lookes not at these things but Christ is all and in all to them so farre as God seeth Christ in any he accepts of them if Christ be not there whatever they have he regards them not Christ is all in all even in the esteeme of the Father himselfe he was the delight of the father from all eternity Prov. 8. 30. and the father tooke infinite contentment in him upon his willingnesse to undertake this blessed worke of the redemption of mankinde God the father is infinitely satisfied in Christ he is all in all to him Surely if Christ be an object sufficient for the satisfaction of the father much more then is he an object sufficient for the satisfaction of any soul But that which is the maine scope here of the holy Ghost in this high expression of Christs transcendent excellency that I may come presently to it I shall deliver it in this doctrinall proposition That Christ is the onely meanes of conveighance of all good that God the father intends to communicate unto the children of men in order to eternall life he is all and in all This that I am now to Preach unto you namely Gods communicating of himselfe in his mercy to mankinde through a mediatour it is the very sum of the Gospell the great mystery of godlinesse 't is the chiefe part of the minde and counsell of God that he would have made knowne to the children of men in this world This is the great embassage that the ministers of the Gospell have to bring unto the sons and daughters of men and 't is the most absolutely necessary point in all Divinity I suppose in the first hearing of it every one yeilds to the truth of it 't is true you will say we can have no good from God but in and by Christ Well there is a great deal in that you say when you say all must come from God in Christ in all your prayers and petitions you usually conclude them through Jesus Christ but certainely this is many times spoken when we see little of the glory of God that there is in such an expression and that which I shall this day endeavour shall be to shew you somewhat of the glory of God shining in this truth that God doth communicate himselfe through a mediatour through his son This is the great point of Divinity that is absolutely necessary to be known to eternall life it is possible to be ignorant of many other truths and yet be saved but there must be some knowledge of this or there can be no salvation the mistake in this very thing is the miscarriage and the eternall undoing of thousand thousands of souls many there are who believe that they have need of and can never be saved but by Gods mercy and this the light of nature convinceth us of but that God is to communicate his mercy through a mediator this they are ignorant of and see not into the reallity of this truth and miscarry and perish eternally with cryes to God for mercy because they come to God but not through a mediator This is the sum of the Gospell and the most supernaturall truth revealed in all the book of God It is a truth that was hidden almost from all the world for many ages the Scripture saith The Princes of the world knew it not A truth we are not able to understand any thing of by the light of nature 1 Cor. 1. 21. The world by wisdome knew not God that is by all their arts and sciences by all their naturall wisedome they knew not God savingly they did not know God in Christ There is no footsteps of this truth in all the works of creation or providence therefore in Ephes 3. 8. Saint Paul sayes he was appointed to Preach the unsearchable riches of Christ that riches that hath no footsteps that is the propriety of the word there is no footsteps of the riches of the Gospell in the creature therefore you cannot trace it there whereas many other points of religion have many footsteps in the creature and by the light of nature much may be discovered about God as that all our good consists in communion with God that when
we have offended God we must seek to him for pardon and mercy and the like But that God communicates himself through Christ and that not one drop of mercy in order to eternal life can be communicated from God but through Christ the mediator of this there is not one footstep in all the works of God This is that which is so supernaturall that 't is above perfect nature Adam knew nothing of this in his perfect estate Yea this is that which the Angels themselves desire to pry into looking upon it as a mighty depth 1 Peter 1. 12. the Angels stoop downe for so the word signifieth 't is as if a thing should lye in a deep pit and when any would see it they stoop down with their bodies to pry into the pit that 's the propriety of the word so the Angels they see a mighty depth in the mystery of the Gospell and they stoop downe to pry into it that they may know what it is Yea this is that which requires a worke of the spirit beyond the ordinary work of the spirit of God to reveale it to the soul 1 Cor. 2. 10. speaking there of the Mystery of the Gospell sayes the Apostle The spirit that searcheth the deep things of God c. discovers this that is the spirit of God in an extraordinary worke of his as he is a spirit searching the deep things of God so he is a discovering spirit of this truth unto us and therefore seeing it is thus it is not so light to be past over I you will say 't is true all must come through Jesus Christ well you see a little at first but there is much more in this truth then we are aware of 'T is a truth that is the most profitable of all the truths contained in the book of God there is no growing up in godlinesse till we come to know God in Christ the knowledge of God is something to worke upon the heart and many labour against their sinne because they see it is against the law of God and set upon duties because God requires them and this is well but till they come to understand indeed the mystery of the Gospell of Gods letting himselfe out unto his people through a mediator they doe but bungle in the wayes of godlinesse they doe not thrive and grow up in them and therefore these Christians that live under such a ministry where though they have many good truths revealed to them yet having but little of the mystery of Christ as the mediator their way of Christianity is very low they doe not sanctifie God in their conversation I remember a speech that Erasmus hath when they would have had him write against Luther and promised him a great Bishopricke for it he answers Luther is greater then that I can write against him for I am instructed more in one small page of Luther then out of whole Thomas Aquinas that was the great Schoolman So certainly the understanding but some one truth some one sentence in the mystery of the Gospell in this way of Gods communication of himselfe unto us through his Christ doth instruct the soul and cause it to thrive and grow up in godlinesse abundantly more then thousands of Sermons about meere moralities and you have a most admirable Text for this Ephes 3. 17. and so on That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge marke what followes That yee might be filled with all the fulnesse of God v. 19. By coming to know God in Christ that is to know Christ to be the way of Gods communicating himselfe unto us we come to be filled with all the fulnesse of God many Christians their hearts are very scant and empty there is not a fulnesse in their spirits and all because they know so little of God in Christ in this mystery of the Gospell Lastly there is no truth revealed in all the Scriptures whereby we can honour God so much as by this this indeed is the great honour that God would have in the world to be honoured in his Son and in the great designe he hath of bringing forth glorious things by his Son and therefore though we know never so much of God and would honour him meerely as the Creator of heaven and earth yet God doth not accept of that honour that is but to honour him in a naturall way we never know what it is to honour God aright so as to be accepted of him till we come to honour him in an Evangelicall way to honour him in his Son and yet the greatest honour he hath from most in the world yea from multitudes in the very Church of God that heare the mystery of Christ opened to them is tendred up to him meerly in a naturall way and not in this spirituall Evangelicall service of God You see now the consequence of the point let us then fall to it And First I shall shew you the truth of it in Scripture And Secondly how it comes to passe that there can be no good communicated to us from God in order to eternall life but by Christ And Thirdly how Christ comes to be the meanes and way of conveighance of all good unto us from his father Fourthly I shall instance in some speciall things great things wherein most of the goodnesse of God is communicated to us and shew you how in them Christ is all in all to us And Fifthly the reasons why God will have this way of communication of himselfe unto us through his Son why he will not communicate himselfe immediatly to us but through a mediator these are the five things for the doctrinall part For the first the course of Scripture especially of the new Testament runs this way you know that of Christ John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me there is no coming to the Father but by Christ and Christ he is the way and that in 1 Cor. 3. at the latter end sayes the Apostle there All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours How is that marke All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods God the Father he is the principle of all good all firstly comes from him but it comes not from him immediatly he doth not say all are yours for ye are Gods because you have an interest in God therefore all comes to be yours no but all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods so that you see here how that Christ comes between yours and Gods All good is in God true but how shall we come to partake of that good there is such a distance between these
two terms yours and Gods that were not Christ in the middle they would never come together Yea but Christs coming between and joyning them together then all are yours because yee are Christs and Christ is Gods so that we may take the intent of the Holy Ghost here in this similitude though it be too low for the great mystery we are about to expresse Conceive God the father as the fountaine of all good and Christ as it were the Cisterne and then from him pipes conveiged to every believer and faith that sucks at the mouth of every pipe and drawes from God but it comes from God through Christ The Father he fills the Son with all good and so it comes from the Father through the Son by faith unto the soul of every beliver we have a notable expression further of this mystery in the Epistle to the Ephes in the second and third Chapters in Chapter 2. vers 12 having told them that they had been without hope and without God in the world but saith he vers 13. Ye who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ It is by the blood of Christ that you have any thing to doe with God but especially in Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldenesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him in whom in Christ we come to have boldnesse and accesse boldnesse the word signifies liberty of speech that we can come with liberty of speech before God and we have accesse Manudction we are led by the hand of Christ to the father there is no coming to the father but by Christ and Christ he takes a believer by the hand and leads him to the father and so he comes to have boldnesse as if a Traytor should be banished the Court and afterward the Prince should be a meanes of his reconciliation with the King and comes and takes the Traytor by the hand and sayes to him come I will lead you in my hand to my father and though you have provoked him yet being in my hand you need not be afraid but may goe to him with boldnesse and confidence Just the meaning of the Text here In Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence and although before there was a dreadfull breach between the father and us yet being led by the hand of Christ there is accesse and freedome of speech for us well the truth is cleare enough in the whole tenour of the Gospell If you would know now how it comes to passe that though God be in himselfe the fountaine of all goodnesse and infinite mercy that yet there is such a stoppage as it were that there is not one drop of this mercy can be communicated to the children of men but this way that although we have to deal with God who in his owne nature is infinitely mercifull yet such is the case with man and such are the termes between God and man that there is not I say one drop of this infinite ocean can be expected to come for ever from God but onely this way It comes to passe thus First because of the breach of the first covenant that God made with mankinde for onely men and Angels the humane and angelical nature are capable of a covenant with God to speak of a covenant properly and because they are capable of this way of Gods proceeding with them God would goe according to the nature of his creature and therefore at first makes a covenant with them and intended to convey and communicate his goodnesse to them by that convenant now this covenant being broken and so there being a breach between God and man there is a stoppage made by vertue of that breach So that there is no good now to be had by vertue of the first covenant and unlessse there be a second there can be no good at all expected the first being broken and we being lost by that And further there is such an infinite distance between God and us that there can be no coming together and that not so much in regard of Gods excellency in himselfe and our meanesse that we are such poor low creatures as in regard of the infinitenesse of his holinesse and our uncleanesse and sinfulnesse this makes the distance Besides there is the strength of the law the curse of the law is upon every soul naturally and that stops there was never vessel stopt closer to be kept from having a drop of liquor poured into it then the curse of the law is close upon every soul to keep mercy from it so farre as God looks upon it meerly in its naturals and not through his Son Then there are the cryes of infinite Justice against men which must have satisfaction and till Justice be satisfied mercy stirres not unlesse it be in a way of providing satisfaction unto Justice so that put these together the breach of the first covenant the distance between God and man in regard of Gods holinesse and mans sinfulnesse the power of the curse of the law upon man and the cryes of divine Justice that will never be quiet till it hath received satisfaction these things being rightly apprehended we may come to see that we are farre off from receiving mercy from God though he be an infinite fountaine of mercy except there be some strange way of conveying it to us We know according to Gods dealing with the fallen Angels there is no way of conveying mercy to them but they are left to perish for ever if the thousands of Angels that fell from God should be thousands of thousands of yeares crying out for mercy they could not obtain one drop why because there is no mediator between God and them and it would have been our case with them had there not been a mediator between God and us Many thinke if they are sensible of their sinnes and can believe that God is infinitely mercifull they shall do well enough but I must tell you that though there be infinite mercy in God yet if thou hast no interest in Christ thou mayest be undone for ever But how is Christ all in all to us in Gods communication of good to us The first ground of all is the covenant that God the Father made with his Son from all eternity Therefore in Titus 1. 2. the Apostle speakes of the promise that was before the world began Now this promise can be meant onely of that covenant that past between the Father and the Son and therefore sayes the Apostle in 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which love him but the spirit which searcheth all things yea the deep things of God he hath revealed them unto us that is the spirit of God in the Gospel discovers what were the eternal thoughts and purposes of God concerning us and what the transactions were between the Father and the
he be in the dark in many things as there are many truths now disputed about Churches and the like yet to know he hath that in him that will make the things of eternall life evident to him It is a wonderful blessing of God to have a principle that gives subsistance and evidence to such things as these are How exceedingly would many poor souls rejoyce if they might have an evidence but of some one truth of religion as the truth of a deity which reason gives light in they are so pestred with Atheisme that they would give a thousand worlds to be rid of it Now if this be so great a mercy to have that which doth evidence onely one principle of religion what a glorious mercy then is it to have faith to evidence all the glorious things of God and to make them cleare and plaine to you you can remember there was a time when you thought them fancies and conceits but now you see them as cleare as the light of the Sun and you would not now for a thousand worlds but you saw them as you doe Hereafter brethren when we shall see them not by faith but by sense O how shall we blesse God then that we had before an evidence of these things made to our souls What would have become of us if we had not had an evidence to cleare those things to us that lead to this glory to evidence the righteousnesse of God in Christ for eternal life I saw these things subsisting and evident before and now God reveales them fully to me whereas on the other side those that want a principle of faith to make them substantiall and evident to them when they shall come to be substantiall and evident to their sense O what a horrid terrour will it be unto them then you will say O Lord that I had seen these things before my heart then would never have been taken so with the things of the world I ran madly upon the vanities of the world to get riches and honours and I thought I was the onely happy man and that those things were the onely substantial and reall things and those things that I heard the Preacher speak of I thought them to be but notions and conceits but now I see they are reall and substantiall O miserable man that now I am O the work of faith that can make those that are of weak parts to see the great things of God James 2. 5. Hearken my brethren sayes the Apostle God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith To understand the great things of faith that poor men should understand the great the deep the glorious things of God that were hid from the foundations of the world it is a wonderful work therefore when John sent to Christ to know if he were the Messias Christ gives this as one argument The poor receive the Gospel Mathew 11. 5. Why was that an argument that Christ was the Messias was it not rather an argument against him that the poor did it if the great ones had done it it had been an argument No The poor receive the Gospell And that those that are poor and weak in other things should have this mighty work wrought in their souls to be able to receive Christ and the Gospel this is an argument of the mighty power of God Brethren to have the use of the eye of the body by which we can see the great works of God the Sun Moon and Stars and can take notice of the glory of God in these this is a great blessing what man would be willing to loose the sight of his eyes to gaine a world because it discovers so much of the glory of God Now if the eye that receives onely these naturall things be so preecious O then what is it to have a principle within us an eye of faith clearly to evidence the great things and glorious councels of God unto us if a christall that can receive colours into it from without be precious O what is the christall of faith it may well be called precious faith for it receives into the soul the glory of God and the excellencies of Christ and the great things of eternall life And these are brought into the soul by faith in the reallity and power of them to raise the heart and to fill it with all joy and peace in believing and to carry the soul through all the troubles of this world O the eye of faith is a precious eye the eye of sense is precious because we can see visible objects by that but the eye of reason is more precious because that can make things seen which are not seen by the eye of sense reason can discourse up to God himself and it is the wonderfull excellency of a reasonable creature that God hath given him that ability that he can discourse so from the effect to the cause and from one cause to another till at last he gets up to God the first being of all This is an admirable indowment we should blesse God for but now if the use of reason have such an excellency in it because by that we have an evidence of reasonable things to us then still goe higher and labour to have a right esteem of this precious faith that gives unto us such evidence of the glorious things of God even that faith that God puts into our hearts on purpose that by it we might be able to receive into our souls those glorious and hidden mysteries of godlinesse that doe infinitely concerne our eternall peace This Sermon was preacht April 25. 1641. JOHN 8. V. 36. If the Sonne therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed IN this Chapter we have Christ continuing of his contest with the wrangling peevish Jewes in answering all that they said notwithstanding they snarled at every word almost that past But however it was with the multitude yet there were some that were taken with what he said for in vers 30. it is said As he spake these words many believed on him at least there were some beginnings of faith or some preparations to it And Christ tells them vers 31. That if they continued in his word then they were his disciples indeed as if he should say it is not enough that you are stirred for the present and professe you believe in me I will not take you for my disciples unlesse you continue in my word how often doe the flashes that are upon the hearts and consciences of men vanish and come to nothing they continue not in the word of Christ and therefore are not his disciples Christ tells them further that they must understand more concerning their condition then yet they apprehended And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free v. 32. as if he should say though you have some confused apprehensions of things for the present yet it is but very little you know of your
to wish the time of thy life at an end thou mayest meet with another manner of discontent then ever thou metst withall here for after death comes judgement Amos 5. 18. Wee unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light So I say woe to them that in a froward mood desire the day of the Lord which is not a day of light but like to be a day of darknesse unto them for ought they can tell Instead of giving God the praise of thy life upon every sullen mood doest thou wish thy self dead this is a great dishonour to the grace and mercy of God extended towards thee Again this concernes those that upon every drunken occasion for a word or two will venture their lives t is true fooles will venture their lives for trifles because they know not the worth of them but those who know the worth of their lives will not doe so I remember a story of a Philosopher being at Sea and in danger of his life he was mightily afraid and the Marriners were not at all afraid what say they are you a Philosopher afraid when we rude Marriners doe not feare I says he there is reason for it for if I dye a Philosopher is gone but for you your lives are not worth much so they that are ready to venture their lives in a drunken quarrel and will venture nothing for God and a good cause know not what their lives are worth and that is the reason they are so willing to throw them away Again it concernes those that in trouble and anguish of conscience are ready to lay violent hands upon themselves to take away their lives one would think this point thus opened and applyed might for ever keep back such a temptation for time to come What an infinite desperate folly is this that I that am made sensible of Gods wrath and am afraid of it shall yet doe that which may put me irrecoverably into it and state me eternally in it as they doe who lay violent hands upon themselves If any people in the world should desire the continuance of their lives and prize them at a high rate those that are troubled in conscience should doe it they should pray Davids prayer Psalm 39. 13. O spare me that I may recover strength before I goe hence and be no more And use Gods own argument Psalm 103. 13 14. where it is said God is merciful to his people because he remembers they are but dust So doe thou plead with God and say O Lord spare me I am but dust and as a winde that passeth away and shall never returne againe now is the time wherein thou hast said thou wilt be intreated O let my life be continued for if this time be out I am gone for ever Lastly this concernes those that have been as they thought upon their death beds that have apprehended themselves as dying and have had this truth somewhat setled upon them that have seen eternity before them and have been in danger as they conceived of everlasting ruine and in their own hearts have received judgement but God hath magnified his mercy towards them and restored them againe perhaps in this condition when thou sawest and hadst the judgement in thine own heart that thy time was gone thou then madest promises and saydest O if God would spare my life what a new man would I be I would be sure to make use of my time in another manner then ever heretofore Well God hath raised thee up againe and what then why now thou wilt venture upon Gods patience and his wrath too O woe to thee when thy dayes are ended and this judgement comes it will fall dreadfully upon thee Wherefore my brethren let me speak to you all for I am not come this day onely to spend an houre with you but to doe your souls some good be it known to you this is your day the day of grace and salvation And yet once againe in the name of God I declare unto you this truth supposing you have heard it many times before that there is not the worst the vilest in the congregation that is come through the providence of God before God this day but for ought we know it is possible for thy sinnes to be pardoned it is possible yet for thy soul to be saved for God to be reconciled to thee and this day it is once more declared to thee that thou art not yet stated in eternal misery which might have been thy condition before now O that when you are gone home you would get into your closets and fall down before God and blesse him for this message once more preached to you Beloved if I or any of the servants of the Lord should be sent by God to the gates of hell with this message O you damned spirits know from the Lord that there is a possibility for you to be saved certainly they would with joyfulnesse hearken to such tidings Now this cannot be preached to them but this may be this is preached to the vilest and wickedest wretch and enemy to God and goodnesse that is in the congregation and God declares this now to you but how long it will be before judgement comes to state thee in another condition thou canst not tell therefore know in this thy day the things of thy eternal peace and who knows what may depend upon one day yet prayers and teares may doe thee good but stay a while and though streames of bloud should flow from thee and thou shouldest cry and howle to God to all eternity it would never doe it therefore know your time it is a happy thing for a man to doe a businesse in such a time wherein he may have the benefit of it amongst men though a thing be done yet if not in the season of it it loses of its worth and efficacy so now prayers and teares and mourning and crying to God for mercy the efficacy of these things are gone except they be done in time and for ought thou knowest unlesse they be done this day or to morrow or very shortly they may doe thee no good at all therefore now take your time God proclaimes and sayes to every one of you this day Poor creatures as ever you expect to receive mercy in the day of Christ look to it now for now the golden scepter is stretched forth now is the acceptable time and the day of grace and salvation come in and accept of the offers and tenders of grace and mercy now or else you are gone for ever Wherefore then let this take off all slightnesse of heart and those roving dispositions of your spirits that run so after vanities If a man that were wilde in his thoughts and that had his eyes roving up and down should have one say to him Sir consider what you doe for it concernes your life if you miscarry