The Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 28 – Chapter 29
CHAP. XXVIII. Divine Considerations of the Afflicted.
AS God is Just, so he is Merciful; he is no enexorable Radamanth, but he is easie to be entreated: Concerning whom we have a Word more sure, than any Testimony of Man; for the Almighty, in Exod. 34.6. being his own Herald, thus proclaims himself, The Lord merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thousands, forgiving Iniquity, and Transgression, and Sin. Now if that which others report of the Kings of Israel, 1 Kings 20.31. That they were merciful Kings, Could perswade them to seek Mercy, and to enjoy their Lives and Liberties; how much more should that, which God, who cannot lye, hath declared himself, Tit. 1.2. move the afflicted Soul humbly to Petition him for Mercy; who is more ready to grant it, than we are, or can be to entreat it; for ask it we never could, except his preventing Grace and holy Spirit invisibly moved us.
2. GOD delights not in the Death of Sinners, but in their Conversion, Ezek. 18. And as it is a true Prognostick of a Guests being welcome by the good Aspects and Deportment of the Family; So it is an evident signal that a Penitent Sinner is welcome to Heaven, by the Angels loud Exultations. If God in his good Pleasure would have destroyed thee; how often and justly might he have taken thee away in thy Sins? But now that his Eye hath spared thee, his Goodness is to lead thee to Repentance, which never comes too late, if seriously performed. He terrifieth with present Sense of his Anger against Sin, that Men may be excited to Repentance, and by forsaking their Sin, be more assured of the Mercy of God, and their own Salvation. As stormy Winds by shaking the Trees, do fix and root them deeper, and seasonable Weather purifies the Air and Water by their Agitation; so doth the Almighty mundifie the Minds and Hearts of his Servants, by Menaces, Judgments, and Afflictions, 1 Cor. 7.11. Psal. 119.
3. IT is God's Mercy to afflict thee now, that thou mayst Repent and be Saved. It is the most unhappy Condition of a Sinner, when God concealeth his Anger to the last, and then denounceth the Impenitent as incorrigible, Isai. 1.5. So that if no Remorsness of Conscience appears, thy Case is desperate. But this Soul's Conflict, concludes another Co-ercive Power in thee, resisting Sin, whereby thou mayst be capable of a state of Regeneration; for tho the Spirit of God at the present in its Motions are but weak in thee, yet it is invincible.
4. St. Paul tells you, Rom. 3.23, 24. All have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God; being justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Which plainly demonstrates, that 'tis not a Man's own Righteousness that can contribute to his Salvation; and David, in Psal. 32.1, 2. says, Blessed is the Man whose Sins are covered, and to whom the Lord imputeth no Sin. Not who hath no Sin; for on those Terms none could be blessed. It is not in the quantity of the Debt, as in St. Luke 7.42, 43. where fifty and five hundred are equa1ly forgiven: And where an Infinite Majesty is offended in the least, never any of God's Servants were Saved, for being less guilty than thou art. Thou fearest God's Wrath, because thy Sins are great, and appear so to thy Conscience. They which are Saints had some, and he that breaketh one Commandment is guilty of the breach of all, and liable to the Curse of the Law, James 2.10, 11. A diminutive wound to the Heart will as surely Kill, as the deepest and widest Orifice. A small Shelf of Sands will as surely bulge the Ship, as the greatest Rocks. A little Postern-gate, or breach in a City Wall unguarded, will let in the Enemy: So the smallest Sins, if not covered by Faith, and cured by Repentance, will destroy the Soul.
5. WHEN we consider Noah's Drunkenness, David's Murder and Adultery, Solomon's Idolatry, Manasses's Murder, Witchcraft, and Idolatry; St. Paul's Persecution, and St. Peter's denial of Christ; it is apparent, that these committed sinful Acts of a deeper die than thou canst charge thy Conscience withall; and that if God's Justice should be executed according to the rigor of his Law, No flesh living could be justified, Psal. 143.2. Rom. 3.20. Therefore is Christ the End of the Law, to every one that believeth, Rom. 10.4. An Instance of which we have in the Patriarch Abraham, the Prophet David, the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and all those that are Saved; when we rely on him and his Merits, by God's own Covenant of Grace, and the Rigor and Curse of the Law is suspended. God therefore gave us his Son, with this Proviso, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life, John 3.16. And the Apostle intimates, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by Faith, we have Peace with God. And Rom. 8.1. There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. And if God Justifies, who shall Condemn?
6. NO Sin is of that extent, or Equivalent to the Mercy of God, and the Merits of Christ. All Actions of the Creature are finite; but the Mercy of the Creator, and the Merits of a Saviour are infinite. A drop of Water holds some Proportion with the Sea, being both finite; but finites with infinites holds none: Fear not then, nor let Pusilanimity over-rule the… if thou canst Repent and Believe, for there is Balm in Gilead, there is a Physician there; Therefore let not Despair seize upon thee.
CHAP. XXIX. Considerations of Humility.
HUMILITY is Religion's Basis; and God giveth Grace to the Humble, but resisteth the Proud. When the subtle Tempter cannot prevail in his Perswasions to evil, he insinuateth himself into the Minds of them who have performed some Pious Acts of Christianity, by his mischievous Suggestions, elevating them to a secret Admiration of the same, whereby they may be deprived of that Grace which enabled them to that Performance. The Poor Publican in his Humility not daring to lift up an Eye toward that heavenly Majesty, he had so grievously offended, having nothing to say, but only, God be merciful to me a Sinner, went home justified rather than the Proud Pharisee, who boasted of much Sanctity.
2. HUMILITY is the securest Virtue; but Pride the Worm at the Root of Religion, eateth up the Vitality of it. Now by reason it is difficult for Dust and Ashes to enjoy any extraordinary Temporal Blessings, without being puft up in Mind, above his Opinion of others in a lower Sphere; God justly permits many of his Servants to depend on their own Strength, (like a tender Nurse, who withdraws her Hand a little from her Charge, to make it sensible of its own Weakness, and to check it from a dangerous Presumption) so that by falling under some great Temptation, they may be disciplined in Humility safely to distrust their own Strength, and fix their Dependence on God. For St. Peter was in a better posture Weeping, than when he presumed to lay down his Life for his Master; then he fell by abjuring his Lord; but now he rose again by his bitter, but sincere Repentance. Now if the serious Considerations of thy Sins do truly humble thee, thou hast acquired a speedy way to thy Repentance.
3. THE Almighty often in his great Council orders the greatest Enormities of some of his People to stand upon Record; that we may draw from thence this Conclusion, That if we can Repent sincerely of Sins, of as deep a Die as they are, we also shall find Mercy; but by the way, with this deep Consideration, that we never entertain any of them in our Thoughts, to be guilty of Presumption, but as Motives to Repentance, whereby we may lay hold with Faith on him, who freely forgiveth the Penitent, not the obstinate Presumptuous Sinner; and nothing more offends the Divine Providence, than a despairing of his Mercy, (which is a secret questioning the Veracity of his Promises) and Impenitency, which is the undoubted Issue of Incredulity. Indeed there is no greater Injustice to God's Mercy, than by Despair to persevere in Sin, seeing his Truth is engaged for our Pardon, if we believe and Repent, for he has not declared in vain, Isai. 1.18. Though your Sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as Snow; though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as Wool.