things as the World accounts 'em confounds the Wise There are Instances of it in the History of Moses as to the Plagues of Egypt But it was more manifest in the whole Frame of Christianity and in the Success and Prevalency of it He defeated the Devil's Design and overturn'd his Empire by such Means as could never be supposed by Reason to do it By the Seed of the Woman whom he had seduc'd by the Son of God in our Flesh suffering and dying for us He wrested the Victory out of Satan's Hands by humbling himself to the Death of the Cross and so by dying destroyed him that had the Power Death THERE are other Instances might be given as where God strengthens the spoyled against the strong He brings down those that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low He layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust The Foot shall tread it down even the Feet of the Poor and the Steps of the Needy Isa 26.6 7. The Stone cut out out of the Mountain without hands shall dash in pieces great Mountaius all the four great Monarchies of the World and fill the whole Earth HIS Ways are not as ours in that he often prefers the Younger before the Elder and gives them the Precedency and Principal Blessing Abel was preferr'd before Cain and his Offering accepted Abraham the Younger chosen to be God's Favourite before his Elder Brethren Jacob before Esau and He preferr'd Ephraim before Manasseh the Elder Son of Joseph So it is observed by the Spirit of God of Noah's Children Shem is preferr'd and called the Brother of Japhet the Elder Gen. 10.21 And David the Youngest Son of Jesse is chosen to be King and the Man after God's own Heart To manifest the Freedom of his Counsels and the Soveraignty of his Grace and Providence Was not Esau Jacob's Brother yet Jacob have I loved 3. HIS Ways and Ours differ also in this that he is never frustrated or disappointed in his Work as to what he designs He brings the Counsels of Men to nought and the Devices of the People to none Effect but the Counsel of the Lord shall stand Psalm XXXIII 10 11. He speaks the word and it shall stand He confirms the Word of his Servants and performs the Counsel of his Messengers saying to Jerusalem be thou inhabited and to the Cities of Judah ye shall be built that saith to the Deep be dry and I will dry up thy Rivers He saith of Cyrus he is my Shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy Foundation shall be laid Isa XLIV latter end Our Ways are not like his he will always overcome when he judgeth He will fulfill all his Pleasure and accomplish all that is in his Heart which we cannot pretend to do II. Secondly GOD's Ways not only differ from ours but do Transcendently exceed 'em are infinitely above them as high as the Heavens are above the Earth There is an unsearchable Depth in the Ways of God which we are call'd to adore but cannot comprehend We may cry out with the Aopstle O the Depth both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Rom. XI His Judgments are a great Depth Psal XXXVI 7. He is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in Working His Wisdom is unscarchable and his Ways past finding out Job V. 9. Chap. IX 10. There are many things in Divine Revelation and Providence that transcend our Reach If we will not allow this but must have a particular Reason for all that God speaks and doth before we will believe it What 's this but to make his Wisdom finite like ours or ours Infinite like His On this Account the great Masters of Philosophy in former Ages were the worst Enemies to the Gospel of Christ because the Apostles nakedly represented their Doctrines without that Wisdom or Demonstration from Natural Principles which they used and therefore the Gospel was Foolishness to them 'T IS the not owning God's Ways to be above ours but making our Reason the Supream Judge concerning Doctrines supernaturally revealed which is the Spring of the many Errors and Blasphemies that abound among us at this Day Whereas we may as well measure the Justice or Injustice of the Providential Works of God by our Will and Choice Whether what he doth be Just and Good or not because 't is what we like or do not like as by our finite Minds comprehend whether that can be true which in a Divine Revelation is delivered as a true Doctrine We can no more conceive the Wisdom and Goodness of God in some Events of Providence than his Veracity in some Truths revealed More particularly First As to Scripture Revelation what we are to believe Let 's consider that God's Ways and Thoughts are Above ours And what is therein asserted we must receive and credit upon the Authority of a Divine Testimony tho' the Doctrine there laid down may be such as hath no Foundation in Nature that is it could not be known but by Divine Revelation 'T is a sufficient Reason for us to believe the Doctrine because we find it in the Holy Scripture and we have Reason to acquiesce therein because the Revelation that is contain'd in this Book we have Ground to believe is from GOD and so infallibly true If we will own our Baptism and take CHRIST for our Teacher we must receive the Truth of what HE hath revealed upon a Divine Testimony tho' we cann't comprehend how such a Christian Doctrine may be reconcil'd to our common Notions of things in other Cases I grant the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity for Instance carries a very great Difficulty in it and is more opposed as Incredible and Vnintelligible than other Principles of Christian Religion But this being Reveal'd from Heaven as we affirm and make an Article of our Faith if we find it contain'd in the Holy Scriptures God's Ways being so far above ours will do much to answer the Objection of its being Incomprehensible IF GOD be INCOMPREHENSIBLE why should any thing he 's pleas'd to say seem Incredible to us Where he has interpos'd by his Definitive Sentence our Reason must submit and has no Right to debate the Matter but ought to approve what God speaks and subscribe to whatever he writes The Testimony of God whatever Exceptions our Reason can make should convince our Judgment and doth oblige our Faith Is not His Veracity a firm and sure Foundation for us to relye upon without the concurrent Testimony of Reason Shall we not believe Infinite Wisdom and Truth upon his own Word unless what he saith be in it self Credible and so may be believed without his Testimony The more we consider what God is the more easily shall we be perswaded that he is equally to be believed when he affirms what we cannot understand to be true
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
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
Conscience and you can't presently approach to God with Comfort What then should you do Give up all for lost Run into Excess of Riot and say There is no Hope therfore let us walk after the Imagination of our own Hearts No by no Means But by renewed Acts of Repentance towards God and of Faith in the Blood of Jesus return to God and seek Forgiveness I grant in such Cases it is hard to do this with any Encouragement and Hope Our Hearts misgive us and well they may we shall have a thousand Jealousies and Fears And it can't be otherwise However God's Thoughts are not as ours He will abundantly pardon Returning Sinners tho' you have abus'd his Grace tho' you have dishonour'd his Name revolted after Forgiveness slighted the Redeemer Christ griev'd his Spirit given Advantage to the Devil deserv'd to be cast out of his sight tho' you have broken your solemn Vows and broken your Peace thereby yet let such remember that God will show Mercy to Returning Sinners and he will abundantly pardon ' em He will heal their Backslidings and make them loath themselves and be confounded for all their Abominations even After he is pacify'd towards them Ezek. XVI the last You know the kind Language God us'd to Ephraim Jer. XXXI 18 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself he is my dear Son he is a pleasant Child or rather is he not so though I spake aginst him I remember him still my Bowels are moved for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Read with Thankfulness Mic. VII 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of his Remnant and retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again and have compassion on us and will subdue our Iniquities and cast our Sins into the Depths of the Sea And how sweet is the Repentance of such a Returning Backslider that is kindly melted humbled and broken and brought to the Foot of God with Hope of Mercy through Christ The Contrition of such a Soul is made up like that of Mary Magdalen of Tears and of Kisses of Sorrow and of Love of Humility and Hope of Confusion and Confidence of Shame and Joy And how will such a Soul love much to whom much is thus forgiven In short God doth abundantly pardon and multiply Pardons as to the Forgiveness of many Sins in that never any one Sin was forgiven to any Man to whom this was not made good Numberless Sins are forgiven wherever one is They are more than the Hairs of our Head or the Sands on the Sea-shore Well might the Psalmist say Have mercy on me O Lord according to thy loving Kindnesses and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies Psal LI. 1. I will abundantly pardon saith God here and in another place I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinn'd against me whereby they have trespass'd against me saith the Lord Jer. XXXII 8. Who can understand his Errors before Conversion and since by Omission and Commission in Thought in Word and Act How long did God wait on some of us What various Methods did he use to bring us home How graciously did he receive us at first and after many Provocations receive us again Surely if we find Mercy with God any of us he must abundantly pardon us and multiply Forgivenesses And because 't is not so easie a thing to believe this I proceed to the Second Particular to Consider what Reason we have to be perswaded of this Secondly Upon what Grounds may we be firmly perswaded of this Truth That God will thus multiply Pardons 'T is certain to an humbl'd awaken'd convinced penitent Sinner it must be glad Tydings of great Joy that his Case will admit of Hope That he ought not to despair that there is a possibility he may find Mercy with God if no more But to have the Riches of God's Grace display'd to have a free and general Invitation made to all the Hungry and Thirsty the Weary and Heavy laden to have a Promise of Mercy and of Forgiveness whatever thy Sins have been What matter of Rejoycing is this This will answer a thousand Objections which otherwise you could not tell what to say to This is proper to revive the most drooping Spirits to make them adore God and admire his glorious Grace This may cause them to think honourably of him seek earnestly to him and thankfully accept his offered Mercy as poor wretched perishing condemn'd undone Creatures toward whom the God of all Grace will magnifie his Rich and Undeserved Mercy Therfore be perswaded to believe it considering such things as these First That there are large and express Promises and most astonishing Instances in the Holy Scriptures to Encourage your Faith He that best understands his own kind Thoughts to the Children of Men to the chiefest of Sinners hath assured you he will not only have Mercy but abundantly pardon and that where Sin hath abounded Grace shall much more abound toward all of them who will accept of Mercy by Jesus Christ so as God may not lose the Glory of it You think it very hard to be perswaded of this but hath not God told you that as far as the Heavens are above the Earth so are his Thoughts and Ways above yours And tho' your Sins be as Crimson and Scarlet that they shall be as Snow and Wool and that To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness tho' we have rebell'd against him Have we not Instances of this as to others of the worst of Men and Women that have been washed and justify'd through the Blood of Christ and Spirit of Christ of Sinks of Sin that have been made Vessels of Mercy Many Examples in the Old Testament and in the New of Jews and Gentiles What Folly and what aggravated Sin was David guilty of after the Knowledge of God and what great Sins before Conversion was the Apostle Paul charg'd with You have been sometimes told that 't is an Instance of God's Wisdom and Kindness to record the the Example of David's Fall Some it may be think it were better left out lest it should encourage Sinners but doubtless many a Man would have perished in Despair and made away himself if it had not been for the Example of David's Repentance and God's Forgiveness of him after such hainous Transgressions Secondly God hath declared this to be his Nature and Delight He proclaims it as part of his Name Exod. XXXIV 5 6. to be The Lord God Gracious and Merciful Slow to Anger and Abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin He is pleas'd in the Exercise of his Mercy he delights to be Gracious and takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy And therfore what pleaseth him and he delights to do he will do abundantly There is an Inexhausted Treasure of Grace in God Exceeding
of your past Lives and Seal to you the Forgiveness of all Sin through the Blood of Jesus You need not you ought not to doubt it for As high as the Heavens are above the Earth so are God's Thoughts of Mercy above ours and his Ways above ours THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH LV. 8 9. For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are My Ways higher than your Ways and My Thoughts than your Thoughts THE Disparity between the Thoughts and Ways of God and Ours here mention'd hath special Reference to the Dispensation of his Grace and Mercy in Pardoning the Worst of Sinners who forsake their Evil Ways and return to God by unfeigned Repentance But in this Discourse I Design to Consider these Words in a larger and more General Sense and show that The Ways of God are not as Ours but as far above 'em as Heaven is above the Earth By the Ways of God we may either understand First Those he would direct us to Walk in what he would have us to Believe and Do. Or Secondly His Ways and Works towards us in the Conduct and Management of Things by his Providence In the First Sense we read of the Way of Truth the Way of his Commandments and of walking in the Way of the Lord c. that is receiving as true the Doctrines he hath Revealed and Observing the Orders and Obeying the Commands which he hath given us In the latter Sense by the Ways of God I Mean his Works of Providence according to his Word In both these in the Declarations of his Word as to what we are to Believe and Do and in the Works of his Providence what he doth with us there are many things far above us His Ways are not as Ours as to Either BOTH may here be very well Comprehended The Revelations of the Will of God by his Word as to Faith Worship and Practice And also his Providences and Dealings with the Children of Men according to Scripture Revelation Our Ways are not as His as to either There is a vast Disparity between them In this Sense His Ways are very unlike to Ours and transcendently above them both as to Matters of Revelation and Providence I. First In what Sense are God's Ways not like Ours but vastly Different 1. THEY are Different as to the Nature of ' em All his Ways and Works are Perfect done with Infinite Wisdom and Judgment And therfore when Moses publishes the Name of God he begins with this Deut. XXXI 4. He is a Rock His Work is perfect all his Ways are Judgment They are the Fruit of Infinite Unerring Councel But what Weakness and Imperfection what Defect and Folly do we discover in our Ways All his Ways are Righteous and Holy Psal CXLV 17. He is Holy in all his Ways and Righteous in all his Works But what Impurity and Obliquity is there in ours All His Ways are Just and Equal He Challengeth all the World to prove the Contrary in any one Particular What doth he require of us but in the strictest Justice is Due whereas how Unequal is our Carriage towards Him and one another There is an Admirable Harmony and Agreement in the Ways of God as to all the parts of them connected one with another His Word is constant and abiding steddy and consistent not Yea and Nay 2 Cor. I. 19 20. All his Promises are Yea and Amen The Strength of Israel is not a Man that he should lye nor the Son of Man that he should repent But we are Mutable and often cross and contradict our Selves in our Ways And the Best Men do too often discover this Inconstancy in Principle and Practice 2. THERE is a further Difference between the Ways of God and Ours in the Methods and Means used and taken and the Manner of his Proceeding to effect an End His Way is to make Weak things confound the Mighty and things base and despised and which are not to bring to Nought things that are 1 Cor. I. 27. We cannot do so God would not use the Wisdom and Power of the World for the spreading of the Gospel but by the Foolishness of Preaching it pleased God to bring Men to believe and make the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ the Power of God to their Eternal Salvation The Instrument he employ'd and the Methods he used to give Success to the Gospel did plainly evidence this AND that Instance may serve instead of many other Was it not an unlikely Attempt for a few Mean and Obscure Persons such as Publicans and Fisher-men and Tent-makers without the Improvements of Education or the Advantages of Learning Eloquence Experience and Conversation in the World without the Assistance of Civil Power and Authority or any Considerable Interest and Reputation to require all Mankind to believe in one Jesus whom they own was Crucified that he was alive and was Lord and King and must be receiv'd and obeyed as the Christ of God To tell all the World that all the establish'd Rights and Religion of their several Countries must be laid aside and their wicked Customs and Courses forsaken and this new Religion of Jesus be embrac'd that requires the Belief and Practice of so many things they must need account very hard considering the Prejudices and the Lusts of Men. Could they hope that Kingdoms and Empires Schools and Universities would easily submit to this Change that they should be too hard for the Devil and all the Powers of Darkness by preaching the Doctrine of a Crucified Saviour And yet in the Space of about thirty Years this new Doctrine and Religion was not only diffused thro' the greatest part of the Roman Empire but had reach'd as far as Parthia and India Even before the Destruction of Jerusalem as our Lord foretold Mat. XXIV 14. This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all Nations and then shall the End come This Success was represented by an Angel flying thro' the midst of Heaven and preaching the Everlasting Gospel to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Rev. XIV 6. And this was done without Force of Arms and against all Opposition imaginable Their Message was entertain'd their Doctrine credited and Christ believed on in the World Many thousands were converted presently and many more afterward Tho' the Messengers employed could not be sure of Success any further than certain of the Truth of their Doctrine and of the Divine Presence and Power to accompany them But they might be almost sure of enduring Torments and losing their Lives for publishing such a Doctrine and persisting in it in the manner they did But the Wisdom of God and the Power of God is glorified in succeeding such Weak Instruments to such Excellent Purposes IN all the Methods of his Providence we find that by weak things he confounds the Mighty and by Foolish
and watchful against Temptation and raise their Esteem and Value of the Blood of Christ and his constant Intercession in Heaven God hereby assists us to keep Conscience tender excites our Diligence after further Degrees of Mortification quickens us to press on by growth in Grace toward Perfection c. Moreover HIS Ways are above Ours in the Conversion of Sinners as to the Subjects he makes choice of as to the Season and Time of their Change as to the Means and Method by which it is Accomplish'd and brought about The Wind blows were it lists and the Holy Spirit by the Ministry oftentimes of weaker Minsters works powerfully and savingly in whom he will both to will and do of his own good Pleasure One is awaken'd convinced prick'd at the Heart by a Sermon Another in the same Seat under the same Sermon feels nothing Sometimes by a soft still Voice at other times by Thunder Sometimes the most Unlikely are taken and effectually called when others are left And this after many years delay and discouragement and no hopeful Prospect but the Contrary Some out of wicked Families converted others after strict and religious Education become and continue most Vile and Profligate What different Success hath the Gospel in some Places At some Times and to some Persons And at different Times in the same Place Tho' the same Messages and the same Preacher Sometimes on the weaker and more ignorant Sort and sometimes on the more Learned sometimes on elder Persons and often on Younger Who have discover'd much of the Grace of God betimes with less Advantage of Education than others And at the last Hour some Malefactors under a Sentence of Death 't is hop'd have been truly Penitent and Accepted as well as the Thief on the Cross Some by their own Afflictions some by the warning of other Men's Examples and byother Means as well as by the plain Preaching of the Word the ordinary Means HIS Ways also are above Ours in the Punishment of Men in this Life In making some Examples which were not greater Sinners then others as our Lord hath expresly told us Luke XIII He would not spare Job's Ten Children upon the Intercession and Prayer of their Righteous Father tho' we don't read that they were wicked when he would have spared many Thousands that were wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities of the Plain if there had been but Ten Righteous Persons among them HIS Ways are above Ours in bringing Good out of the Evil of Punishment and using wicked Instruments to accomplish other Ends and Purposes than they design'd The like might be said of Gods Ways in saving and delivering his People in extraordinary Dangers Tarrying till their Enemies are at the very height of their Wickedness and when there is least Prospect or Appearance which way Deliverance should come then to interpose by seasonable Salvation APPLICATION USE I. NO wonder then if we so often mistake in our Thoughts and Conceptions of the Ways and Works of God If they are so much above ours as Heaven is high above the Earth if they are unsearchable and beyond our reach that we can see but a little Part of his Ways do not understand the Connection and Dependance of one Part with the other or the Design of the whole His Way is in the Whirlwind the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet and his Footsteps are not known He hideth himself that we cannot see him Job XXXIII 7 8 9. Nah. I. 3. AS to his Ways of Grace and Mercy I have largely shown in the foregoing Sermons That he is more Gracious then we believe He is able to do he doth and will do more then we are able to ask or think Eph. III. 20. We think it may be he will never receive us after such and such Transgressions and yet he doth We thought he would never Pardon us and yet he hath forgiven We said in our Despair that he is gone and will never Return and yet the Light breaks out again and we have found it to our Comfort Secondly ARE his Ways so much above Ours what Reason have we to Reverence and Adore God in all his Ways and Works Believing his Wisdom Goodness and Truth we glorify God By crediting his Word trusting his Practice and following his Counsel and submitting to his Providence Tho' the Doctrine be very misterious the Providence very dark the Duty very Difficult and what is promised a great way off and to Sence unlikely The more we contemplate the Wonders of his Providence and Grace the higher Veneration shall we have for Him and Abase our Selves before his Glorious Majesty if we speak of Strength he is Strong if of Goodness he is Love if of Wisdom he is Wise the only Wise God 'T is unreasonable then to object against this Providence because we cannot comprehend the Wisdom and Justice of every Event We may object our Selves into Atheism and Infidelity if we will not adore his unsearchable Wisdom in the Government of the World His Judgments are a great Deep Psal XXXVI 6. 'T is in vain for us to pretend to go to the Bottom of them when he himself hath declared that they are Vnsearchable We should rather admire God and confess our own Ignorance when the great Apostle himself declares that Gods Ways are past our finding out Rom. XI 33. VVe may be certain that all he doth is agreeable to infinite VVisdom and Righteousness As long as we own him to be God we are sure he will do nothing Repugnant to those Perfections BESIDES he hath appointed a Day wherein he will satisfy all the VVorld by the Revelation of his Righteous Judgment In the mean time He doth great Things past our finding out and wonderful Things without Number XI Job 10. There are Depths and Misteries in Divine Providence that we must acknowledg to be Unsearchable Let us not then Censure what we cannot Understand what we cannot Fathom Is it strange that incomprehensible VVisdom should do incomprehensible Things VVe should not therfore enquire too curiously into the Secrets of his Providence nor determine any thing * See Dr. J. Barrow of the Unsearchableness of God's Judgments Rom. XI 33. Vol. III. Serm 23. Rashly concerningit which is not revealed to us VVE are well assur'd that he made the VVorld and yet there are many Questions about the VVorks of Creation that may puzzle the wisest and most diligent Enquirer So in the Government of the World there are many things above our reach and yet we may be assured an unerring VVisdom governs all VVe are so Ignorant and short Sighted and the Designs of God are so far beyond us and the Means he useth are oftentimes so Various and their Connection with his Design so much concealed from our weak Eyes that no wonder if we are often at a loss especially when all the Particulars of his VVorks of Providence that make up the Beauty of the whole are wonderfully interwoven together