The Promises, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Diuers obiections are answered.
IT followeth that I should answer certaine Obiections which doe 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 mee doubt, those comforts doe not belong vntounto me.
Solu. God may afflict thy spirit, and yet be well pleased with thee; yea therefore thy case is the more comfortable, because thou feelest the waight and burthen of thy sinnes, as these places of Scripture following, most euidently and comfortably shew: namely,
Psalm. 34. 18. The eyes of the Lord are vponupon the righ teous, and his eares are open vntounto their cry.
Math. 11. 28. 29. Come vntounto me, al ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you.
Take my yoke on you, and learne of me, that I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall finde rest vntounto your soules.
Ierem. 31. 25. For I hauehave satiate the weary soule, and I hauehave replenished eueryevery sorrowfull soule. And their soule shal be as a watred garden, and they shall hauehave no more sorrow: the latter part of the 12. verse, &c.
Isaiah 63. 9. In all their troubles he was troubled, and the Angell of his presence saued them. In his louelove and in his mercy he redeemed them, and he bare them and carried them alwaies continually.
Psal. 31. 21. 22. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed his maruellous kindnesse toward me in a strong City.
Though I sayd in my haste, I am cast out of thy sight; yet thou heardst the voyce of my prayer, when I cried vntounto thee.
Psal. 103. 9. He will not alwaies chide, neyther keepe his anger for euer.
Ob. But I offend daily.
Solu. That is cleerely answered in Gods promise: For he saith, he will multiply pardon, or abundantly pardon, Esay. 57. 7.
Ob. But I finde I grow worse then I hauehave bin, my hart is much out of order.
Sol. If there be a heart in thee desirous to return, there is comfort also against this distresse. The Lord wil heale thy back-sliding, 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, Ier. 33. 6. There is healing in the wings of the Sonne of righteousnesse, and ye shall go forth and grow vp as the Calues of the stall, Malach. 4. 2.
Ob. But I am extreamly burthened with my ignorance, this is a continuall grieuance vntounto me.
Solu. There are many cōforts against ignorance.
1 It is a speciall promise 8. Constructions about ignorance in the godly.of God in the new Couenant, that hee will write his lawes in thy hart, and he will make thee to know the Lord: thou maist goe boldly to the throne of Grace, to beg the further illumination of the Spirit of God. This is one of the suites 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 be vnacquainted with the way thy selfe. He that led his people from Babel to Sion, when they scarce knew a foote of that long way, will lead thee in the streight way from earth to heauen, if thou seeke a way of GOD as they did, Isay 42. 16.
3 Wee hauehave such an High Priest, as knowes how to hauehave compassion on the ignorant. Hee that required that property of the High Priest in the Law, will much more expresse it himselfe, Hebr. 5. 1. 3.
4 This must bee 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, Ioh. 17. 3.
5 The Ministers of the Gospell are ours, and therfore if we attend vponupon the Word, and continue in it, wee shall know the truth: their instructions shall bee daily distilled into thy heart like drops of raine, 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23.
6 The anointing thou hast receiued, shall teach thee all needfull things, & lead thee into all truth, 1. Ioh. 2. 27.
7 There is a seede of heauenly doctrin cast into thy heart, which shall euer remaine in thee. It is indelible, it cannot be blotted out, 1. Ioh. 3. 9.
8 Lastly, knowledge is the gift of Christ, and as we know that he is come, so wee beleeue that hee will giuegive vsus vnderstanding, that wee 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, 1. Ioh. 5. 20.
Ob. But we want, or hauehave lost the meanes of knowledge; our teachers are taken from vsus.
Solu. It is true; Where vision faileth, the people faint, but yet:
1 After God hath giuen you the bread of affliction, & the water of aduersity, hee will restore teachers, and no more restraine instructions, 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, Isaiah 41. 17, 18.
3 If ordinary meanes faile and be denied, God will then supply of his spirit, and make that meanes which is left, to suffice for thy preseruation, and building vp, Philip. 1. 9.
Now that there may be the more aboundant support vntounto our harts in this case of infirmities. I will open two places of Scripture that doe meete with the most obiections of our hearts.
The first is, Exodus 34. The full explication of the words in Exod. 34. 6. 7.6. 7. where the Lord proclaimeth the 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 answere to many obiections.
1. Ob. If thou say thy infirmities may alienate the Lord from thee?
Solu. He answers, that hee is Iehouah, alwaies the same, vnchangeable. Hee will not alter his louelove towards thee, but louelove thee to the end, & for the more assurance, hee repeated that title twice, because he knowes, we most doubt of that, and hauehave most neede to be succoured with that Argument, as the foundation of all our comfort.
2. Ob. If thou say thou hast strong inclinations to sinne, or strange temptations, or great impediments, or many aduersaries and discouragements?
Solu. He answers, he is God, or strong; to signifie that nothing shall hinder the worke of his grace toward thee, but hee will keepe thee by his power, and make his grace sufficient for thee.
3. Ob. If thou say hee is of pure eyes, and cannot but discerne thy faults, and sinne is sinne in the sight of God.
Sol. He answers, that he is mercifull.
4. Ob. If thou say thou deseruest no such mercy.
Solu. He answeres that he is gracious, & doth not stand vponupon desert. He will shew mercy, not because thou art good, but because he is good.
5. Ob. If thou say, The daily repeating & renewing of thy sinnes may prouoke him, though hee bee mercifull and gracious.
Solu. Hee answeres, that he is long-suffering.
6. Ob. If thou say thou hast many defects and wants to be supplied.
Solu. Hee answers, that he is full of goodnesse.
7. Ob. If thou saist, thou art ashamed of the igno rance, which is more then can be conceiued.
Sol. He answers, that he is abundant in truth to supply thy defects, & to performe his promise, though thou hauehave but a little faith.
8. Ob. If thou say thou doest beleeue that God is all this vntounto some men, & 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 expectsuch great things of God,
Solu. He answeres, that hee keepes mercy for thousands. Hee hath not spent all vponupon Dauid, or the Patriarchs, or Prophets, or Apostles, or Martyrs, or Ministers: but he hath an Ocean of goodnesse still to be shewed, without respect of persons, to all that come vntounto him for mercy.
9. Ob. If thou yet say, thou art guilty 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,
Solu. He answers, that hee forgiues iniquity, transgression and sinne, that is, all sorts of sinnes, of nature, of weakenesse, or of presumption.
10. Obiec. If any other should say, this is a doctrine of liberty, and may embolden men to sinne,
Solu. He answers to that, he will by no means cleare the wicked, those are fauours onelyonly hee will declare to the penitent, that are weary of their sins, and would faine offend no more.
2 The second place is, The full explication of the words in Ezech. 36. 25. &c.Ezech. 36. 25. and 7. where many obiections are euidently answered, the consolations beeing fitted of purpose, so as eueryevery word almost preuents some doubt might arise in mens mindes: as
1. Ob. I am exceeding lothsome, and a creature extremely filthy in respect of my sinnes.
Solu. I will powre cleane water vponupon you; that is, I will wash your soules in the fountain of my grace, and both forgiue you, and sanctifie you.
2. Ob. Oh it cannot be that any meanes should doe me good, I am so totally defiled.
Sol. Ye shall be cleane; tis easie for God to clense vsus, tis our owne vnbeliefe hinders vsus: God hath promised our cleansing.
3. Ob. O but my sinnes are great and grosse sins, I hauehave offended more grieuously then other men.
Sol. From your Idols, & from your filthinesse will I cleanse you; though thy sins were as great as Idolatry in the first Table, or whoredom 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 offend againe.
Sol. A new heart will I giuegive thee; where GOD forgiues our sinnes, hee giues vsus another disposition, and changeth our natures, vers. 2. 6.
5. Ob. O, but I am so ignorant, I cannot but offend.
Solu. A new spirit will I put within you; he will giuegive vsus vnderstanding and wisdome.
6. Ob. But I am so dull and hard-hearted, that I am not sensible of my own distresse or wants, and cannot bee affected with the excellency of the goodnes or promises of God.
Solu. 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 senselesse againe.
Sol. I will giuegive you a heart of flesh.
8. Ob. O, but if all this were done for mee, yet I know not how to order my selfe, and what to doe to goe on in a religious course of life.
Solu. I will put my Spirit within you, verse 27.
9. Ob. If the Lord doe giuegive mee his Spirit, yet I feare I shall not bee ruled by it, but offend and grieue the Spirit of God, through ignorance, or want of strength.
Solu. I will cause you to keepe my Statutes, and ye 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 he commandeth.
10. Ob. I finde a maruellous vnfitnesse in the very things of my outward estate.
Solu. Ye 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 thinkes I see such vnworthinesse in my selfe, 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 bestowed these things on your Fathers.
12. Ob. It may bee so; our Fathers were in couenant with God, and more eminent men, and more worthy then we.
Solu. Yee shall be my people, and I will bee your God: Gods couenant of grace is with the Fathers, and their generations after them: if he hauehave beene thy Fathers God, hee will be thy God also, and thou shalt bee of his people.
13. Ob. O, but I finde such daily sins, & I am polluted in eueryevery thing I doe, I am many waies vnclean.
Sol. I will also saue you from your vncleannes: God will multiply pardon, hee 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, and scourged vsus with great want, which stil lies vponupon vsus.
Solu. I will call for the corne, and increase it, and lay no more famine vponupon you, & I wil multiply the fruit of the trees, and the increase of the field, &c.
15. Ob. But is there no condition on our part?
Solu. Yes; for all this shall bee done vntounto you, when you remember your owne euill waies, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath your selues for your iniquities, and for your abominations. These comforts belong vntounto vsus, when wee are throughly displeased with our selues for our faults. And besides, for all this must the Lord be sought vntounto, wee shall obtaine all, or any of these, but wee must aske first, vers. 31. 37.