Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 10
CHAP. 10.
The folly of thoſe who are unwilling to imbrace life and ſalvation when it is offered unto them.
2 IF God doe ſeriouſly will the ſalvation of all thoſe to whō the Goſpel is ſent; oh how heavy will this fall upon many in the world, who are ſo regardleſſe of their owne welfare, that they wait upon lying vanities, and refuſe their owne mercy, when it is freely offered unto them? When God is willing to give them life, they are unwilling to have it, unleſſe they may have it upon their owne terms and conditions; and yet if ye look abroad into the world, and take a view of the lives and conditions of moſt men, ye ſhall finde that in all ages of the world, ſome ſuch, yea and many ſuch there have beene, and ſtill are: So it was in Davids time,aPſal. 81.11. My people would not heare, Iſrael would none of me bMoler. com. in loc. Significat eos non ignorantia aliqua, aut communi hominum imbecillitate, cò prolapſ…s eſſe, ut à cultu divino diſcederent, ſed ex profeſso & deliberato contemptu, ſe ſperni ac rej…ci.. So it was in Solomons time, Wiſdome called on the ſons of men, and cryed after them, and they would not liſten or incline their eares unto her:cProv. 1.24. I have called, and ye have refuſed. So it was in Iſaiahs time,dEſay 65.2. I have ſtretched out my hands all the day long, to a rebellious and gainſaying people eMuſc com. in loc. Quotidie ad populū meū clamito, et ad me revoco, quo ſervari poſſit: verum ille ſic à me pertinaciter declinat, ut ne audire quidem ſuſtineat, adeoque fruſtra manus expandam, quibus cum recipere vellem, ſi reverteretur.. So it was in Ieremiahs time,fJer. 7.25. I have ſent unto you all my ſervants the Prophets, riſing up early, and ſending them, yet they will not feare me, but hardned their hearts, and did worſe than their fathers. So it was in Chriſts time,gMat. 23.37. O Ieruſalem, how often would I have gathered thee, &c. and ye would not hAret. com. in lo. In Deo nulla fuit major cura, quam ut ſervaremini, in vobis autem nulla minor. Simpliciter Noluiſtis magna eſt ingratitudo, oblata beneficia ſine ratione, ſine cauſa negare. Bullin. com. in lo. Noluit impiiſs: populus colligi & ſervari, in amicitia et faedere Dei, diſpergi & perdi maluit, unde propria culpa, nulla Dei motoſitate periit: nam Deus ſervare voluit, imo omnem movit lapidê ut ſervaret, at iſti ſervari noluerun….! So it was in the Apoſtles time,iActs 13.46. It was neceſſary that the Word of God ſhould firſt of all be preached unto you; but ſeeing ye put it away from you, and judge your ſelves unworthy of eternall life, lo, we turne unto the Gentiles. And can we imagine that it ſhould be better with us now in theſe laſt and worſt times? nay verely this hony combe is every where deſpiſed: Chriſt finds but cold and poore entertainment with many, though he bring life and ſalvation unto them; it is with moſt men now adayes, as it was with thoſe gueſts that were invited to the great ſupper in the Goſpell,kLuke 14.18. they all began with one conſent to make excuſe; or as it was with thoſe that were called to the mariage feaſt,lMat. 22.5. they made light of it, and would not come, but went their way, one about his farme, and another about his merchandiſe. This is that which makes God ſo much to complaine of his people,mHoſ. 8.12. I have written unto them the great things of my Law, and theſe were accounted a ſtrange thing: ſtrange to their judgements: they did not prize or eſteeme them, but even paſſe them by, as if they were not worth the taking up, or looking after: ſtrange to their thoughts, they did not mind them, nor meditate upon them: they laid them aſide as things impertinent, they had no familiarity or acquaintance with them: ſtrange to their affections, they did not love them, nor delight in them, they could not reliſh any ſweetneſſe in them: ſtrange to their practice, they did not apply themſelves to the doing of them: and what greater undervaluing of ſuch high favours and tranſcendent mercies can be imagined, than for men to make ſo ſtrange of them, as if there were a queſtion to be made, whether they were worthy of the acceptance or no: what greater unthankfulneſſe can be ſuppoſed, than for men to looke ſo ſtrange upon thoſe great things, which God reckoneth amongſt the choiſeſt and chiefeſt of all his bleſſings, as if they were worth little or nothing at all? what greater neglect of a mans owne good, than to make himſelfe a ſtranger to thoſe wayes, which leade unto the greateſt happineſſe, that the reaſonable creature is capapable of? and by this it may appeare how highly diſpleaſing it is unto God, ſeeing it includes in it, ſuch a manifeſt contempt of thoſe great mercies, than which heaven it ſelfe affords no greater to the ſons of men? and therefore it is, that hee threatens to ſhew ſo great ſeverity againſt thoſe that are guilty of it,nEzek. 24.13. Becauſe I would have purged thee, and thou waſt not purged, thou ſhalt never be purged any more, till I have cauſed my wrath to light upon thee oLavat. com. in loc. Servi mei Prophetae fruſtra labores inſumpſerunt, in te purgando, poenas quoque leviores fruſtra adhibui, ut te purgarem, tam pertinaciter adhaerent tibi ſordes peccatorū, ut defricari nullo modo poſſint. Nulla ſpes emendationis tuae, donec Dei itā graviſſimā experiaris: medicus in deſperatis morbis, etiā ad extrema remedia confugit.. And how miſerable the eſtate and condition of ſuch a perſon is, needs no other proofe or demonſtration than this, that it makes the very mercy of God to riſe up in judgement againſt him, and if mercy condemne him, what is it that can help him? what is it that can ſave him? to ſinne againſt the mercy of God, it is a ſin againſt which there is no remedy. If hee ſinne againſt the law and juſtice of God, there is yet a remedy, becauſe he may appeale from the ſeat of juſtice to the throne of grace: but if mercy afford him no help, then there is no remedy. The Jewes ſinned grievouſly againſt the law of God, yet for all this God did not caſt them off from being his people; but when once they came to ſin againſt his mercy, when ſalvation was ſent unto them, and would not be accepted, this makes him utterly to reject them from being a people; and though they have lyen more than ſixteene hundred yeares under that curſe, yet would God never be reconciled againe unto them, untill this day; yea this is that which makes God, contrary to the goodneſſe, and inclination of his owne nature, to expreſſe a kind of pleaſure and delight, in the ruine and deſtruction of his creature:pProv. 1.25. Becauſe I have called and ye have refuſed, &c. therefore will I laugh at your deſtruction, and mock when your feare commeth. Oh who will pitty and bewaile your condition, when heaven it ſelfe laughs at your miſery? or who ſhall comfort you, when the God of heaven mocks at your feare? who will pitty a malefactor that dyes for his offence, if a pardon were ſent unto him, and he would not accept of it? and ſo it is with every one that lives under the meanes, and dyes in his ſinnes, hee hath a pardon offered unto him, and will not take it; hee is more unwilling to have his ſinnes pardoned in Gods way, and according to that courſe of Providence that is taken for his good, than God is to forgive him, and to have mercy upon him. Oh then thinke with thy ſelfe, whoſoever thou art, that now forſakeſt thine owne mercy; thinke I ſay, how heavy it will lie upon thee, and come againſt thee another day, when the approaches of mercy, when the Proclamations of pardon, when the offers and tendries of ſalvation, when the promiſe of helpe and aſsiſtance, when the intreaties of the Spirit ſhall riſe up againſt thee, ô who ſhall plead for thee, when all theſe plead againſt thee? and if thou deſireſt to eſcape all theſe things, wch will moſt certainly fall upon the world of the ungodly, ô then be willing to apply thy ſelfe unto God, and the diſcipline of his Spirit, while he doth ſo ſeriouſly will and deſire thy good qMoller. in Pſa. 81. v. 14. O ſi, &c. quaſi diceret Deus, quantum in me eſt cuperem illis optimè eſſe, ſumque animo ad benefaciendum promptiſſimo, ſed illorū ſcelera, et impietas, impediunt quò minus benefacere illis poſſim. Quod autem Deus ping…tur, quaſi cum gemitu, ac ſuſperio hoc votum proferre, foreign loquitur, volens ardentem ipſius erga nos amorē aliquo modo exprimere, et commendare; homines enim cum benefacere alicui cupiunt, et impediuntur, cum re non poſſunt, voto ſaltem ſuum erga ipſum amorem, et deſiderium declarant.. Oh thinke with thy ſelfe how often God hath called thee, how long he hath waited to have mercy upon thee, and alwayes hitherto hath found thee unwilling to returne unto him; ô how doth it make him to complaine of Jeruſalem, not without wonder and admiration, that ſhee ſhould bee ſo regardleſſe and neglective of her owne good:rIer. 13.27. O Ieruſalem, wilt thou not be made cleane? O when will it once be? For Jeruſalem to fal into ſin, it is no wonder, for hee knoweth that the imaginations of a corrupt heart, they are onelyonly evill continually ſGen. 6.5.: but that he ſhould provide meanes, and take a courſe to have her purged and purified from her filthineſſe, and that ſhee ſhould bee unwilling to be waſhed from her pollution, when God is willing to make her cleane; this it is the wonder and admiration of Heaven and Earth: for if a man fall, will hee not riſe againe? If he wander out of his way, will hee not returne againe into it? Wherefore then is Ieruſalem turned backe with a perpetuall rebellion? Shee hath given her ſelfe to deceit, and would not returne tJer. 8.5..
If a ſpeciall friend ſhould come and knocke at thy doore, and that upon a buſineſſe and errand that did nearly concerne thee, and make much for thine owne advantage, thou wouldeſt thinke it an unmannerly part, to make him ſtay and waite two or three houres before thou didſt open thy doore, unto him: O then, when GOD commeth unto thee with a ſpeciall purpoſe and intention to doe thee good, and to have mercy upon thee; think with thy ſelfe what it is to make him ſtay and waite, ſo many houres, ſo many dayes, ſo many moneths, ſo many yeares, before hee can finde thee willing to lend an eare unto him, for thine owne good? Oh conſider and ponder it in thine heart, that God files up every bleſsing that he beſtowes upon thee, hee keepes a Talley of every mercy that is offered to thee; hee ſets downe every time that hee comes unto thee, hee takes ſpeciall notice how long hee waiteth, how often he calleth, how often thou refuſeſt; & why then doeſt thou not reaſon thus with thy ſelfe? Hath God waited ſo long for my converſion, and ſhall I yet put him off unto another day? Hath he put up ſo many wrongs and injuries at my hands, and ſhall I ſtill provoke him? Hath hee called ſo often upon mee, and ſhall I yet turne the deafe eare unto him? Oh thinke with thy ſelfe; if GOD ſhould pay thee home in thine owne coyne, and make thee wait for mercy as long as thou haſt made him waite for thy repentance; how irkeſome and tedious would it be unto thee? how many teares would it make thee ſhed before thou couldeſt finde mercy? How many requeſts and petitions mighteſt thou preferre and put up at the Throne of Grace, before thou ſhouldeſt receive any gracious anſwer? how many ſad dayes, and weary nights mighteſt thou ſee before the face of heaven ſhined upon thee? and yet what more juſt and equall than for God ſo to deale with thee? And therefore if thou wouldeſt have him to anſwer thee when thou calleſt upon him, and finde him willing to helpe thee when thou art at a dead lift, bee not unwilling to apply thy ſelfe unto him, and to ſerve his Providence in that way that he hath taken for thy good, now, while hee waiteth to have mercy upon thee.