Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 126
§ 126.
BUt ſee how many wayes God hath called thee, The ſeverall wayes whereby God calls to repentance.how many meanes he hath uſed, that he might winne thee to repentance.
Firſt, the holy Scriptures are, as it were, an Epiſtle ſent unto thee from Heaven, and written by God himſelfe, to invite and call thee to repentance: and therein Chriſt himſelfe no leſſe ſaith unto thee from Heaven, when thou art drinking, ſwearing, mocking, ſcoffing, deriding, enuying, hateing, oppoſing, and perſecuting any that beleeve in him, then once he did to Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? I am Ieſus whom thou perſecuteſt; it is hard for thee to kicke againſt the prickes: for whatſoever the Spirit ſpeaketh generally, or ſpecially in the Word, is the voice of the whole Trinity, and intended particularly to thee, and to me, and to every man ſingle, his caſe being the ſame: What? doſt thou looke for Caine or Iudas to come out of Hell to warne thee? it is ſufficient their ſinne and puniſhment is written for thy learning.
But this is not all; for though he calls chiefely by his Word, yet he doth not call onelyonly by it; for never any thing happened unto thee in thy whole life, whether thou receiveſt benefits, or puniſhments; hearedſt threatnings, exhortations, or promiſes, from any his Embaſſadors of the Miniſtery, but all, whether faire meanes, or foule, have beene ſent from God, to invite and call thee to faith and repentance; He even therefore threatens Hell, (ſaith St. Chryſoſtome) that he may not puniſh thee by the ſame.
All Gods bleſſings are like ſo many ſuters, woing thee to repentance; yea, they put on even the formes of Clyents, and petition thee for repentance; his afflictions are Embaſſadors, ſent to treat with thee about a league, which cannot be had without repentance; all the creatures of God, ordained for thy uſe, are ſo many ſilent Sermons, ſo many trumpets, that ſummon thee to repentance; in briefe, wherefore doth the Spirit of grace knock at the dore of thine heart, with ſuch infinite checks, and holy motions, but that he would come in? and he will not come in, till repentance hath ſwept the houſe.
Why waſt thou not with thy harlot, like Zimry in the armes of Cozby, ſmitten in the act of thy Adultery? Why was not thy ſoule and hers, ſent coupled to the fire of torment, as your bodies were undevided in the flame of uncleanneſſe? While thy mouth is opened to ſweare and blaſpheme, why is it not inſtantly fild with fire and brimſtone? When thou art dead drunke, why art thou ſuffered to wake againe alive, but this, God waites (as in the Parable of the Fig tree, Luk. 13.) another, and another yeare, to try whether thou wilt bring forth the fruit of repentance, and new obedience? yet preſume not; for as when men give long day, they expect larger payment; ſo does God, or for default thereof, conferres a heavier doome; the firſt fellony may ſcape, in hope of amendment; but the ſecond, much more the ſeventh, meetes with (as well it deſerves) a halter.
Yea, of this be ſure, if Gods long ſuffering workes no reformation, this ſilent Judge will at laſt ſpeake home. The Elephant ſuffers many injuries from the inferiour beaſts; but warre being too farre provoked, his revenge is more extreame, then his patience was reiniſſe: and the higher the Axe is lifted up, the deeper it cuts.
But what doe I nominating particulars, when thou haſt had more warnings, and invitations, then thou haſt haires on thy head: Gods benefits offered thee in Chriſt (and they all ſolicit thee to repent) are without number, though thy ſinnes ſtrive with them, which ſhall be more. If thou couldeſt count the numberleſſe number of creatures, they would not be anſwerable, to the number of his gifts; though the number of thine offences, which thou returneſt in liew of them, are not much inferiour.
Not to enter into particulars, which were endleſſe, but to give you the ſumme or epitomy of them; for I had rather preſſe you with weight, then oppreſſe you with number of Arguments. The Lord Chriſt hath not onelyonly ranſomed thee from infinite evills here, and everlaſting torments hereafter; but alſo purchaſed every good thing thou doſt enjoy, whether for ſoule, or body, even to the very bread thou eateſt, and that with the price of his owne precious blood; and, as if all this were too little, he reſerveth for thee ſuch pleaſures at his right hand, as never entred into the heart of man to conceive; and to the end onelyonly, that thou ſhouldeſt ſerve, and ſet forth the praiſe of his Name, who hath done all this.
As he deſcended into Hell, that we might never come thither; ſo he aſcended into Heaven, to prepare a place for us, which we have no right unto.
What ſhould I ſay? If we looke inward, we finde our Creator's mercies; if we looke upward, his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens; if downeward, the earth is full of his goodneſſe, and ſo is the broad Sea; if we looke about us, what is it that he hath not given us? Ayre, to breath in; Fire, to warme us; Water, to coole and cleanſe us; Cloathes, to cover us; Foode, to nouriſh us; Fruits, to refreſh us; yea, Delicates, to pleaſe us; Beaſts, to ſervous; Angells, to attend us; Heaven, to receive us; and, which is above all, his owne Sonne to redeeme us: whitherſoever we turne our eyes we cannot looke beſides his bounty.
O conſider of theſe his mercies, you that forget God; and then, though there were no Hell, no puniſhment for ſinne, yet you would not tranſgreſſe. Haſt thou any braines, or heart to conceive what it is he hath beſtowed, what thou haſt received, what thou haſt deſerved? No ſurely, for if thou hadſt braines, and wert a wiſe man, it would make thee mad, as Salomon ſpeakes in another ſenſe, Eccl. 7.7. or if thou hadſt a heart not like a ſtone, or an Adamant, the conſideration of Gods love, and thy odious unthankefulneſſe, would make it ſplit and breake in peeces. But heare it againe.
Firſt, thou wert created by him a man, and not a beaſt: in England, not in Aethiopia; in this cleare and bright time of the Goſpell, not in the darkeneſſe of Paganiſme, or Popery.
Secondly, thou wert redeemed out of Hell by his precious blood; he ſpared not himſelfe, that his Father might ſpare thee. Oh thinke what flames the damned endure, which thou mayſt eſcape, if thou wilt thy ſelfe; me thinkes this ſhould melt a heart of Adamant.
Thirdly, he hath preſerved thee here from manyfold dangers of body and ſoule.
Fourthly, he hath all thy life long plentifully and graciouſly bleſſed thee with many and manifold good things.
And laſtly, promiſed thee not onelyonly felicity on earth, but in Heaven, if thou wilt ſerve him.