The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Diuers obiections are answered.
IT followeth that I should answer certain obiections which do vsually depresse the hearts of men, and by the trouble of which they neglect the former consolations.
Ob. Some one may say, My infirmities are the more grieuous, because I find affliction of spirit ioyned with them. These terrors and passions vponupon my heart doe dismay me, and make me doubt, those comforts do not belong vntounto me.
Sol. God may afflict thy spirit and yet be wel pleased with thee; yea therfore thy case is the more comfortable because thou feelest the weight and burthen of thy sinnes, as the places of Scripture following, most euidently and comfortably shew: namely,
Psalme 34. 15. The eyes of the Lord are vponupon the righteous, and his eares are open vntounto their cry.
Math. 11. 28, 29. Come vntounto me all ye that are wearie and heauy laden, and I will ease you.
Takemy yoke on you, and learne of me, that I am meeke and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest vntounto your soules.
Ierem. 31. 25. For I hauehave satiate the wearie soule, and I hauehave replenished eueryevery sorrowfull soule. And their soule shall bee as a watered garden, and they shall hauehave no more sorrow: the latter part of the 12. verse &c.
Esay 63. 9. In all their troubles he was troubled, and the Angel of his presence saued them. In his louelove and in his mercy hee redeemed them, and he bare them and carried them alwaies continually.
Psalm 31. 21, 22. Blessed be the Lord: for hee hath shewed his maruellous kindnesse towards mee in a strong Citie.
Though I said in my haste, I am cast out of thy sight; yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer, when I cryed vntounto thee.
Psal. 103. 9. He will not alwayes chide, neither keepe his anger for euer.
Ob. But I offend daily.
Sol. That is cleerely answered in Gods promise: For he saith, he will multiply pardon, or abundantly pardon, Esay 55. 7.
Ob. But I find I grow worse then I hauehave beene, my heart is much out of order.
Sol. If there be an heart in thee desirous to returne; there is comfort also against this distresse. The Lord will heale thy backe-stiding, if thou take vntounto thee words to confesse thy falling away, Hosh. 14. 2, 3, 4. Behold (saith the Lord) I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and reueale vntounto them the abundance of peace and truth, Ieremie 33. 6. There is healing in the wings of the Sonne of righteousnesse, and yee shall goe forth and grow vp as the Calues of the Stall, Malachy 4. 2.
Ob. But I am extremely burthened with my ignorance, this is a continuall grieuance vntounto mee.
Sol. There are many comforts against ignorance.
1. It is a speciall promise of 8. Constructions. about ignorance in the godly.God in the new Couenant, that he will write his Laws in thy heart, and hee will make thee to know the Lord: Thou maist goe boldly to the Throne of Grace, to beg further illumination of the Spirit of God. This is one of the suits God cannot deny.
2. God hath promised to leade thee by a way which thou hast not knowne: Hee will preserue thee by his knowledge, though thou bee vnacquainted with the way thy selfe. He that lede his people from Babel to Sion, when they scarce knew a foote of that long way, wil leade thee in the straite way, from Earth to Heauen, if thou seeke a way of God as they did, Esay 42. 16.
3 We hauehave such an High Priest as knowes how to hauehave compassion on the ignorant. He that required that propertie of the High Priest in the Law, will much more expresse it himselfe, Hebrewes 5. 1, 3.
4. This must be thy glory, and the crowne of reioycing, that though thou be ignorant of many things, yet thou knowest God, and Christ crucified, and this is eternall life, Iohn 17. 3.
5 The Ministers of the Gospel are ours, and therefore if wee attend vponupon the Word, and continue in it, we shal know the truth: their instructions shall bee daily distilled into thy heart like drops of raine, 1 Cor. 322, 23.
6 The anointing thou hast receiued, shall teach thee all needfull things, and leade thee into all truth, 1 Iohn 2. 27.
7 There is a seed of heauenly doctrine cast into thy heart, which shall euen remaine in thee. It is indelible, it cannot be blotted out, 1 Iohn 3. 9.
8 Lastly, Knowledge is the gift of Christ, and as wee know that he is come, so we beleeue that he will giuegive vsus vnderstanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, euen in his Sonne Iesus Christ: this is the true God and eternall life, I Iohn 5. 20.
Ob. But we want or hauehave lost the meanes of knowledge; our Teachers are taken frem vsus.
Sol. It is true; Where vision faileth, the people faint, but yet:
1 After God hath giuen you the bread of affliction, and the water of aduersity, hee will restore Teachers, and no more restraine instruction, Esay 30. 20.
2. Though thou see no way of helpe, yet thou knowest not how God can prouide: He can open Riuers on the tops of mountaines, and he maketh the wildernesse a standing poole, when his people thirst and cry vntounto him, Esay 41. 17. 18.
3. If ordinary meanes faile and bee denied, God will then supply of his Spirit, & make that meanes which is left, to suffice for thy preseruation and building vp, Philip. 1. 19.
Now that there may bee the more abundant support vntounto our hearts in this case of infirmities, I will open two places of Scripture that doe meet with the most obiections of our hearts.
The first is, Exodus 34. 6, 7. where the Lord proclaimeth the The full explication of the words in Exo 34. 6, 7.goodnesse of his nature, that all men may take notice of it, and giuegive him the praise of his rich grace, where hee so describeth the Lord, that in his titles hee giueth an answer to many obiections.
1. If thou say, thy infirmities may alienate the Lord from thee:
He answers, that he is Iehouah, alwayes the same, vnchangeable. Hee will not alter his louelove towards thee, but louelove thee to the end: and for the more assurance, he repeated that title twice, because he knowes, we most doubt of that, and hauehave most need to be succoured with that argument, as the foundation of all our comfort.
2. If thou say, thou hast strong inclination to sinne, or strange temptations, or great impediments, or many aduersaries and discouragements:
Hee answers, that hee is God, or strong; to signifie that nothing shall hinder the worke of his grace towards thee, but hee will keepe thee by his power, and maketh his grace sufficient for thee.
3 If thou say, Hee is of pure eyes, and cannot but discerne thy faults, and sinne is sinne in the sight of God:
He answers, That he is mercifull.
4 If thou say, Thou deseruest no such mercy:
He answers, That he is gracious, and doth not stand vponupon desert: He will shew mercy, not because thou art good, but because he is good.
5. If thou say, The daily repeating and renewing of thy sinnes may prouoke him, though hee be mercifull and gracious.
He answers, That hee is longsuffering.
6 If thou say, Thou hast many defects and wants to bee supplyed:
He answers, That he is full of goodnesse.
7 It thou say, Thou art ashamed of thy ignorance, which is more then can be conceiued.
Hee answers, That he is abundant in truth to supply thy defects, and to performe his promise, though thou hauehave but a little faith.
8. If thou say, Thou doest beleeue that God is all this vntounto some men; and that Abraham, and Dauid, and others that were in great fauour with God, hauehave found all this: But for thy selfe, thou art so vile a creature, and so meane a person, as it is not for thee to expect such great things of God.
He answers, That hee keepes mercy for thousands. He hath not spent all vponupon Dauid, or the Patriarks, or Prophets, or Apostles, or Martyrs, or Ministers; but he hath an Ocean of goodnesse still to be shewed, without respect of persons, to al that come vntounto him for mercy.
9. If thou yet say, Thou art guiltie of diuers sorts of sinnes and that it is not one offence onelyonly, but many that lye vponupon thee, and some of them such as thou darest not name, they are so vile.
He answers, that he forgiues iniquitie, transgression, and sinne, that is, all sorts of sinnes, of nature, of weaknes, or of presumption.
10. If any other should say, this is a doctrine of liberty, and may embolden men to sinne:
Hee answers to that, hee will by no meanes cleare the wicked, those are fauours onelyonly hee will declare to the penitent, that are weary of their sinnes, and would faine …ffend no more.
2. The second place is, Ezek. The full explication of the words in Ezek …6. …5, &c.36. 25. to the 37. where many obiections are euidently answered, the consolations being fitted of purpose, so as eueryevery word almost preuents some doubt might arise in mens minds: as
1. Ob. I am exceeding lothsome, and a creature extremely filthy in respect of my sinnes.
Sol. I will powre cleane water vponupon you; that is, I will wash your soules in the fountaine of my grace, and both forgiue you, and sanctifie you.
2. Ob. Oh it cannot bee that any meanes should doe me good, I am so totally defiled.
Sol. Ye shall be cleane: it is easie for God to cleanse vsus, it is our owne vnbeleefe hinders vsus: God hath promised our cleansing.
3. Ob. O but my sins are great and grosse sinnes, I hauehave offended more grieuously then other men.
Sol. From your Idols and from your filthinesse will I cleanse you; though thy sinnes were as great as idolatry in the first Table, or whoredome in the second, yet God can forgiue and sanctifie thee.
4. Ob. But my nature is so bad, that if I were forgiuen, I should off…nd againe.
Sol. A new heart will I giuegive thee; Where God forgiues our sinnes, he giues vsus another disposition, and change our natures, verse 26.
5. Ob. O, but I am so ignorant I cannot but offend.
Sol. A new spirit will I put within you; Hee will giuegive vsus vnderstanding and wisedome.
6. Ob. But I am so dull and hard-hearted, that I am not sensible of my owne distresse and wants, and cannot bee affected with the excellency of the goodnesse or promises of God.
Sol. I will take away the stony heart out of your body; God will cure vsus of hardnesse of heart.
7. Ob. But if my heart were softned, and that I had some feeling, it would grow hard and senslesse againe.
Sol. I will giuegive you an heart of flesh.
8. Ob. O, but if all this were done for me, yet I know not how to order my selfe, and what to do to goe on in a religious course of life.
Sol. I will put my Spirit within you, verse 27.
9. Ob. If the Lord do giuegive me his Spirit, yet I feare I shall not be ruled by it, but offend and grieue the Spirit of God, through ignorance and want of strength.
Sol. I will cause you to keepe my statutes, and yee shall keepe my iudgements, and doe them. The Lord will worke our workes for vsus, and teach vsus to obey, and giuegive vsus power to doe what hee commandeth.
10. Ob. I finde a maruailous vnfitnesse in the very things of my outward estate.
Sol. Yee shall dwell in the land; the Lord will blesse vsus in outward things, as well as in spirituall.
11. Ob. But when I come to vse the creatures, me thinks I see such vnworthinesse in my s…e, that I am almost afraid to meddle with them.
Sol. I gaue the land to your fathers: you hold these outward blessings, not by your deserts, but by my gift; and my gift is ancient, I bostowed these things on your fathers.
12. Ob. It may be so; our fathers were in couenant with God and more eminent men, and more worthy then we.
Sol. Ye shall be my people, and I will be your God; Gods couenant of grace is with the fathers, and their generations after them▪ if he hauehave bene the fathers God, he will be thy God also, and thou shalt be of his people.
13. Ob. O, but I finde such daily sinnes, and I am polluted in eueryevery thing I do: I am many waies vncleane.
Sol. I will also saue you from your vncleannesse. God will multiply pardon, he will forgiue vsus, and comfort vsus against our sinnes after calling.
14. Ob. But how shall I beleeue all this? for I see, God hath plagued vsus by famine, scourged vsus with great want, which still lies vponupon vsus.
Sol. I will call for the corne, and increase it, and lay no more famine vponupon you, and I will multiply the fruite of the trees, and the increase of the field, &c.
15. Ob. But there is no condition on our part?
Sol. Yes, for all this shall bee done vntounto you, when you remember your owne euill wayes, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe your selues for your iniquities and for your abominations. These comforts belong to vsus, when we are throughly displeased with our selues for our faults. And besides, for all this must the Lord be sought vntounto; we shall obtaine all, or any of these, but we must aske first, verse 31. 37.