Four Useful Discourses, Sermon 6
Sermon. VI.
Luke 10. 6.
If not, it ſhall return to you again.
THere are Two Points more remaining, which is to be the Subject of this Excerciſe.
The Firſt is this: That thoſe that are not the Sons of Peace, (what is means you have had already opened) that do not imbrace the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, they ſhall have no Bleſſing from the peace of the Goſpel, they ſhall not be partakers of the good of the Goſpel. duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page
Secondly, That God is very quick with thoſe that do not embrace his Goſpel; Go and ſay peace, if there be a Son of peace well and good, they ſhall have peace; if not, It ſhall return, ſaith Chriſt.
From the manner of the phraſe that note was raiſed, That God doth uſe to be very quick with thoſe that do not embrace the Goſpel: I ſhall be very ſhort in the Former of theſe two, becauſe I would gladly have a little more time in the Latter.
Thoſe who entertain not the Goſpel, they ſhall not have the Bleſſing of it. I ſhall not need to go far for another Scripture, which is indeed a very dreadful one to this purpoſe, Luke 14. 14. For I ſay unto you, that none of thoſe men which were bidden ſhall taste of my Cup. We have there a Parable, A certain man made a great Supper, and bade many: The meaning is this, It is to ſet out God the Fathers preparing of his Son, and of theſe Bleſſed Dainties at the Marriage of his Son: The ſcope of it is to ſhew the excellent things of the Goſpel, that they are no other but the Dainties that are prepared by the great King of Heaven at the Marriage of his Son: The Scope of it is to ſhew the excellent things of the Goſpel, that they are no other but the Dainties that are prepared by the great King of Heaven at the Marriage of his Son unto Souls, unto Believers. Well, there are ſent his Miniſters, they are the Servants of this King, they are ſent to Invite to this Marriage, to Invite men to partake of the Bleſſed things of the Goſpel. Upon this Invitation we ſee, that generally it was rejected, One ſaith he hath bought a Farm, another a Yoak of Oxen, and another hath Marryed a Wife, &c. and the Miniſters they come in and give this account to God, Lord we have according to thy Command invited them to come in to partake take of the good things of the Goſpel; but theſe are their Excuſes, their hearts are ſet upon other things: Now mark their doom in ver. 24. For I ſay unto you, that none of thoſe men which were bidden ſhall taſte of my Supper: That is, do they thus reject it, and ſlight it, and diſregard it? I ſay to you, I profeſs it that there's not one of them ſhall make ſuch a ſlight account of that Bleſſed Goſpel of mine, and the glorious things contained therein; not one of them that ſhall taſte of my Supper.
Only one Text more in Rom. 2. 8. But unto them which are contentious, and do not obey the truth; (that muſt needs be meant of the truth of the Goſpel) but obey unrighteouſneſs, indignation, and wrath, tribulation and anguiſh upon every Soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew firſt, and alſo of the Gentile: Thoſe who are ſet upon their evil wayes, and will not obey the truth, you ſee what their Doom is: The firſt is privative, That they ſhall not taſte of the Supper: the other is Poſitive, Wrath▪ and indignation and anguiſh ſhall be upon them.
You will ſay, That this ſhall return. What then? What great Evil wil follow upon this? what moſt dreadful Evils?
Why firſt, The very want and privation of the Infinite good that the Goſpel tenders to thee is evil enough, and the remaining under all thoſe Evils that the Goſpel would have delivered thee from, that's evil enough; as thus, What, doth the Goſpel return, and the Bleſſing from you? why then you remain under the guilt of all your Sins, and ſtand charged before the great God to anſwer for all unto the Infinite Juſtice; and this the Goſpel would have delivered you from, had you entertained it.
Doth it return from you? Why then you ſtand before the Lord under the ſentence of Condemnation, a Condemned Creature even to Eternal Death, and this the Goſpel would have freed you from.
Doth the Goſpel return again? Why then you ſtand a Child of Wrath before the great God, under all the Viols of his Infinite Wrath, ready every moment for ought thou knoweſt to be poured out upon thee: and this the Goſpel would have freed thee from.
Doth the Goſpel go away from thee? Why then thou ſtandeſt under the Curſe of the Law, and all thoſe dreadful Threatnings that are Written in the Book of God, they are all thy Portion, and this the Goſpel would have freed thee from.
Is the Goſpel returned from thee? Then thou ſtandeſt before God as an Enemy unto him; he looks upon thee as one that is an Enemy to him, and thou canſt expect no other but to be dealt withal as an Enemy; to have God in all his Attributes to come out againſt thee; to have all his Creatures to come out againſt thee to Avenge Gods Quarrel upon thee, and this the Goſpel would have freed thee from.
And ſo we might further name Infinite Evils; no peace to the wicked; no peace to thoſe who are ſo Wicked as to reject the glorious Goſpel; and therefore thy Caſe is Dreadful.
Secondly, If the Bleſſing of the Goſpel be returned from thee, then know, thou haſt loſt the moſt Happy opportunity of good that ever Creature had: Never can a Creature be made capable of a Happier opportunity of good than the Creature hath, when Jeſus Chriſt comes to be preached to it. Here's the moſt Bleſſed opportunity of good I ſay that a Creature can have, to have Jeſus Chriſt come to be offered to him. Now when the Goſpel is returned, thou haſt loſt this opportunity of Mercy, the tender of Salvation that's worth ten thouſand thouſand Worlds, ſuch an opportunity as the Devils and Damned in Hell would give 10000 Worlds to have it, and yet that is come to thee, and is gone and loſt; and therefore it is a ſad thing for the Bleſſing of the Goſpel to return.
Thirdly, If it doth Return from thee, thou doſt not know whether it will ever return back again upon thee; whether ever it will come any more: When God offers Grace and it is rejected, many times he doth cauſe the Offer to paſs away, and it never comes more again. Thou mayeſt perhaps lye hereafter in the diſtreſs of thy Conſcience, and think of former dayes that thou hadſt, and cry out, O that I had ſuch dayes again! O that I had Jeſus Chriſt preached to me again as I had at ſuch a time! O that I had ſuch ſtirrings of the Spirit of God as I had at ſuch a time! but now no Friend. Time was when thou hadſt them, and thou didſt reject them, and therefore they are gone; and thouſands of Worlds will not purchaſe them again. I do not now ſpeak only of taking away the Miniſtery of it, but of the Bleſſing of the Goſpel; perhaps thou mayſt live under the Miniſtery of it, and yet the Bleſſing of the Goſpel may be returned.
Fourthly, If the Goſpel come and return with the Bleſſing of it, thou art now in a far worſe condition than any Heathen whatſoever; a Heathen is not in ſo ſad a condition. Some times you will ſpeak in way of Indignation, What do you think me a Heathen, a Turk? Thou art in a worſe caſe than any Heathen whatſoever, becauſe they never had the offer of Jeſus Chriſt, and the courſe of Mercy hath never come to them, but to thee, and left thee; there's hope before God makes a tryal as it were, before Mercy hath as it were her turn upon the Creature, that it may belong to Gods Election; but now when Mercy hath had her turn and left the Soul, then it is a ſad condition; it hath not done ſo to the Heathens, and therefore it is worſe with thee than with the Heathens in that regard.
Yea Fifthly, Hence follows, that there is the greateſt Judgment (except being ſent to Hell it ſelf immediatly) as a puniſhment of the greateſt Sin that ever Creature committed, but only the unpardonable Sin, the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt: For God to take away the Goſpel from us, the Bleſſing of it to return; it is the greateſt Judgment that can befall a man in this World, except God ſhould ſend him quick to Hell preſently: A greater Judgment than if thy Houſe were fired, or thy Body diſeaſed and tormented; that were no ſuch Judgment as this, and this is the fruit of the greateſt ſin, the ſin of the rejection of the Goſpel, except the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt. Now that Man or Woman is in a ſad condition that hath the greateſt Judgment that God can inflict in this World, but only that one Excepted; I ſay this is an exceeding ſad condition.
Fifthly, Yea further, Then it is to be feared leſt Chriſt ſhould dye in vain as for thee; though Chriſt hath come into the World, and ſhed his Blood to ſave Souls, yet all ſhould be in vain as for thee, O this Thought will pierce thy heart one day, if it doth not now for the preſent; the very thought that there ſhould be ſo great Salvation, and I not be made partaker of it, it is a Soul-wounding Thought.
Yea and Laſtly, Hereafter it ſhall be to thy extream Torment, when thou ſhalt ſee others that have embrac'd the Goſpel and Sav'd Eternally, and thou thy ſelf caſt out: I heard the ſame Sermon that Converted ſuch and ſuch a one, and they are now Saved in Heaven for ever; O I was at the ſame Sermon, and rejecting of it am now caſt down here to be ſweltering under the wrath of God. Will not theſe be ſad thoughts another day? If not, your peace ſhall return; and you ſee the dreadful Fruit of the returning of Peace.
Wherefore then a word by way of Application,Appl. For indeed the Point it ſelf is enough to ſtrike our Conſciences. The very naming of theſe things, and the opening of them, hath power to ſtir and awaken the Heart; and therefore I will only ſay thus much.
Learn to know, that when you come to hear the preaching of the Goſpel you do not come to a matter of Indifferency, it being no great matter whether you received it, or received it not: Many people they come to hear Sermons, and look upon them as a very indifferent matter whether their Hearts be taken with what they hear or no, whether they yield and ſubmit to what they hear or not; but learn to know that it is not a matter of Indifferency: I may well make uſe of that Speech of Moſes to the people in Deut. 32. 46, 47. And he ſaid unto them, ſet your hearts unto all the words which I teſtifie among you this day, which ye ſhall command your Children to obſerve to do, all the words of this Law: Mark it, Why, what's the matter? v. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you, becauſe it is your life. It may be ſome of them, when they heard Moſes declaring the Law of God, they would be ready to think it is a good Law, and Moſes doth well in telling of us the Law, but there is no great conſequence of it how our Hearts be taken with it; O but ſaith Moſes do not you come to hear the Law upon ſuch tearms, but ſet your Hearts upon what you hear; Why? becauſe it is your life. Much more cauſe have the Miniſters of the Goſpel thus to ſay when they come to preach Jeſus Chriſt to a people, Set your hearts to what is delivered. When they come and ſay, Peace be to this place, to this People, & the Doctrine of the Goſpel be preached to them, O ſet your hearts to what is delivered: Why, for it is your life. When you come to Hear a Sermon, you ſhould come ſo as to conſider that your Life may lye upon that Sermon, for ought you know; and the rather look to it, becauſe the Lord with whom you have to deal is a great God, and a God that will not be dallyed withal, and triſled withal; but if you diſobey the Meſſage of the Goſpel, the Lord may deal very quick with you; and that let's me into the Laſt Point which now we are to finiſh this Text in, and that is this:
That thoſe that ſhall not Entertain the Goſpel, Doct.the Lord will deal very quick with them; Your Peace ſhall return again: the Lord will not ſtand long about the matter. I in the naming of the point have already ſpoken of a Scripture or two, Now is the Axe lay'd to the root of the Trees, when John Baptiſt came to Preach the Kingdom of God. And that in the Laſt of Mark v. 16. Go and Preach ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, he that believes ſhall be Saved, he that believes not ſhall be Damned: The Lord Chriſt tells how quick the Lord will be with thoſe that ſhall not entertain the Goſpel; and there are many Texts that are very full for this purpoſe: and becauſe it is a great Point, and that it ſhould ſtrike much upon your Conſciences, therefore I will preſent it in the fulneſs of the Evidence of Scripture. That place that you have in Matth. 10. it is juſt parallel to this in Luke 10. there where Chriſt ſends his Apoſtles forth, as he doth the 70. he gives the ſame Directions in effect; but mark here, Saint Matthew goes farther than Saint Luke, Let your Peace Return to you; and whoſoever ſhall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that Houſe or City, ſhake off the duſt of your feet: Verily I ſay unto you, it ſhall be more tollerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment, than for that City. See here the quickneſs of God with thoſe that do reject the Goſpel: So in John 3. that is very famous for this, in ver. 18. He that believeth on him is not Condemned, but he that believeth not is Condemned already. You will ſay he is Condemned already, becauſe his Natural Condition is ſuch that he is under Condemnation: No, but I take it, the Scripture doth aim at ſomething further; He is not only Condemned by reaſon of his ſins againſt the Law, but he is condemned already, becauſe he hath not believed on the Name of the only Begotten Son of God. How could he Believe in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God before ever he heard it; but here it is ſpoken of Light that is come into the World, for ſo it follows in ver. 19. And this is the Condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkneſs rather than light; becauſe their deeds were evil: That is, when Chriſt ſhall come to be preached to any People, and they will not believe; preſently there is a ſentence of Condemnation, that's the meaning of the Text, he is Condemned already, the Lord is very quick with ſuch. And in Acts 17. 30. a place famous, And the Times of this Ignorance God winked at. He ſaw and would not ſee as it were, he overpaſt that; but Now, ſaith he, that is, Now, when Chriſt comes to be Preached, Now he Commandeth all men every where to Repeent; as if he ſhould ſay, Look to your ſelves that you Repent now, whatſoever you did before; though you could prophane Sabbaths before, look to your ſelves now; though you were vain, and ſuperſtitious, and carnal, take heed now to your ſelves; as if the Holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay, The Lord is willing to paſs by all that was before, but for rejection of his Son, look to that; he will not paſs by that ſo eaſily, that One ſin ſo eaſily, as he will paſs by all the other. All the ſins that men have Committed all their Lives before, may more eaſily be paſt by, than that one ſin of Rejection of the offer of Grace by Jeſus Chriſt: Now he calls all men to Repentance. And then a third Text is, that in 2 Cor. 2. a Text that I made uſe of the laſt Day for another purpoſe: For we are unto God a ſweet Savour of Chriſt in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh; to the one we are the ſavour of Death unto Death: What's the meaning of that? It is ſomewhat a ſtrange phraſe and expreſſion, we are the ſavour of death unto death; Savour of death: I take the meaning of the phraſe to be thus: he compares his Miniſtery that was the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, unto thoſe things that had a mighty efficacy in them, a ſtrong vertue; ſo ſtrong, as their very ſavour was enough, either to kill or to make alive: As there are ſome things ſo ſtrong, as the very ſent of them can kill a man, or even raiſe a man from a Sound, ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, our Miniſtry to ſin is the ſavour of death unto death; it is a deadly ſavour to them. Thus you may ſee that the Miniſtry of the Word, it hath a mighty quickneſs in it one way or other, either from Heaven or Hell, to Save or to Deſtroy. And another Scripture we have in Heb. 4. there the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the Word, the Word of the Goſpel, for certainly that's that that he ſpeaks of, v. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and ſharper than any two edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joynts and Marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart. The Word of the Goſpel whenſoever it comes to any Congregation, it is no dull matter; you may not look to ſit dully under that, but it is a quick Word, it will either ſlay thy ſin, or ſlay thy Soul, one of the two; it muſt ſlay one, and that quickly. And in Heb. 6. there the Apoſtle compares the Preaching of the Word of the Goſpel to the Rain that comes down from Heaven upon the Ground: Now ſaith he in v. 7. For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dreſſed, receiveth Bleſſing from God; but that which beareth Thorns and Bryars is rejected, and is nigh unto Curſing, whoſe end is to be burned: So thoſe people that do receive the Dews and Showers of the bleſſed Truths of the Goſpel, and brings forth Fruit and Works meet for him that doth Dreſs them, and grants them ſuch Showers; theſe ſhall receive Bleſſing from God: but mark v▪ 8. But that which beareth Thorns and Bryars is rejected, and is nigh unto Curſing, whoſe end is to be burned: That is, thoſe people that live under the ſhowers of the Goſpel, and yet bring forth nothing but Bryars and Thorns, that is, wicked Works, they live prophanely and ungodlily notwithſtanding all the ſhowers of the Word that comes upon them: Mark what the Text ſaith, ſuch a one is nigh unto Curſing; he doth not ſay preſently he is Curſed, no not ſo; but he ſaith, He is rejected, and is nigh to Curſing, whoſe end is to be burned, that is, continuing ſo, his end is to be burnt. You will ſay, How long ſhall he continue ſo? No, he cannot continue long, for the Text ſaith, he is nigh to Curſing. And in Rev. 11. you read there of the Witneſſes, thoſe Witneſſes the Miniſters of the Goſpel eſpecially that ſtood up to Witneſs for Chriſt; in verſ. 4. they are called Two Olive Trees: The Miniſters of the Goſpel, for they are the ſpecial Witneſſes to Chriſt, they are Two Olive-Trees, that is, they bring Peace to people. Do not think that theſe things can any ways contradict what was ſaid before, they do bring peace; and becauſe their Meſſage of peace is ſuch a bleſſed Meſſage, therefore it is that the Lord is ſo ſevere againſt thoſe that do reject it. They are as Olive-trees to bear the Emblem of Peace, and as Candleſticks ſtanding before the God of the Earth; but then mark in verſ. 5. If any man will hurt them; if any man will oppoſe them, fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their Enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he muſt in this manner be killed: They are Olive-trees, they come and bring peace; but if they be oppoſed and hurt, then even fire comes out of their mouths: It is ſtrange that thoſe that are Olive-branches ſhould have fire in their mouths. The Witneſſes of Chriſt they are Olive-branches that have the Meſſage of peace, but if they be oppoſed and rejected, and hurt, then fire comes out of their mouths and devours their Enemies: By this fire is meant the Miniſtry of their Word, the Lord makes it be as a conſuming Fire to the Souls of thoſe that ſhall reject their Miniſtry; and that you may ſee Gods quickneſs in dealing with thoſe that he calls to Repentance, and offers any Mercy to; you have in the Old Teſtament ſomewhat: but in the Old Teſtament the Lord never revealed his Grace ſo clearly, and therefore we cannot expect ſo much of Gods quickneſs there as in the New; and yet mark what he ſaith in Jer. 18. 9. And at what inſtant I ſhall ſpeak concerning a Nation, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my ſight, that it obey not my Voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I ſaid I would benefit them: If I come and ſpeak unto a Nation, and offer them Mercy, and tell them of my Grace, if that Nation doth evil in my ſight, at that very inſtant when I ſpeak, if they do not turn from their evil wayes, I will repent of all the good, and I will take all my goodneſs from them. You ſee that God expects to have you at an inſtant: You many times would have your Children and Servants come as ſoon as you do call, or elſe you are ready to fly in their Faces; certainly God may juſtly expect that at what inſtance he ſhould call, that you ſhould come in. The Lord may be too quick for you, your day may be paſt, the day of Grace and Salvation may be paſt, I ſay before you are aware; before your repenting time comes, Gods forgiving time may be paſt: Though it is true, you will ſay, At what time a man repents, I, that is, if God give him a heart: But what if God will not give thee a heart, but will harden thy heart, and give thee up to thy ſelf? at what inſtant ſaith the Text: And then another Text is in Mal. 3. beginning, Behold I will ſend my Meſſenger, and he ſhall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye ſeek ſhall ſuddenly come to his Temple: Now this is apparently meant concerning Chriſt; but ſaith he, Who may abide the day of his coming? ſo he goes on and ſhews how ſevere he will be: and then in verſ. 5. I will come near to you to Judgement, and I will be a ſwift witneſs againſt the Sorcerers, and againſt the Adulterers, and againſt falſe Swearers, and againſt thoſe that oppreſs the Hireling in his gates, &c. Chriſt when he comes, he comes to be a ſwift Witneſs againſt them that live in their Wicked wayes after his coming. Indeed all mens ſins do witneſs againſt them, but now thoſe that live in Prophaneneſs and Wickedneſs, when Chriſt is come among them, I ſay they are to expect Chriſt to be a ſwift Witneſs againſt them. How quick did the Lord deal with his People upon their rejection of the Land of Canaan, they did often ſin againſt God in the Wilderneſs, but when they came to the Land of Canaan, and had an offer of the Land of Canaan, having ſent Spies to ſee the good Land, and they came and declared what a Good Land it was; and yet ſome diſcouraging of them, becauſe of the Children of Anack, they were Rebellious, and would not go to the Land to enter upon it becauſe of the difficulty they ſhould endure; No, God preſently Swears againſt them, he takes a Solemn Oath, that they ſhould never Enter into his Reſt; ſo you have it in Heb. 4. God did never Swear againſt them, till they came to have the proffer of the Land; and upon their firſt rejection of it after the Offer, and declaring to them the good Fruit of it, upon the very firſt rejection, the Lord Swears in his Wrath that they ſhould not Enter into it; and ſo they were to turn back again into the Wilderneſs. Now we are to know this Land of Canaan to be a Type, not only of the Church, but of Heaven it ſelf, and of the good things of the Goſpel. Now thoſe that live in the Wilderneſs, and do not know the good Land of Canaan, and have not the Offer of it, the Lord may bear a long time with them; but now when it comes to this, that the Lord doth reveal unto them the Bleſſed things of Chriſt, and make an Offer to them of the Bleſſed things of Chriſt, to enter into his Reſt, for ſo it is apparent that the Apoſtle doth apply it to the Bleſſed things of the Goſpel: If I ſay when the Lord ſhall diſcover theſe things unto them, they ſhall not Enter into this Reſt, but they ſhall pretend a great many difficulties, O the Way is ſo ſtrict and hard, and they ſhall ſuffer ſo much; and upon this do refuſe the Land of Canaan, the Bleſſed things of Jeſus Chriſt; then is the time if ever, to Swear againſt a Soul that it ſhall never be made partaker of Jeſus Chriſt?
Now then I had thought to have opened the Point further, in three Particulars: Firſt, to ſhew what the dealings of God doth uſe to be with ſuch, in what way he deals ſo quick with them; Secondly the Reaſons of it; and Thirdly to have Anſwered ſome Objections about this: but I ſhall give you but a Word or two of each, and ſo come to the Application.
For the Firſt, The way of Gods dealing with ſuch; it is either as you heard the laſt Day, to take away the Miniſtry from them, that he doth ſometimes; or if not ſo, the Lord paſſes a ſentence againſt them, They ſhall not taſte of my Supper: and ſo a man may live a long time under the Miniſtry of the Word, under a Sentence.
Or further, That ſometimes the Lord gives him up to himſelf, to his own hearts luſts; for this the Goſpel is the Counſel of God, for ſo it is called in one of the Evangeliſts: Now mark what Gods dealings was with thoſe that rejected but his Counſels, in Pſalm 81. I gave them up to their own hearts luſts, and they walked in their own counſels. And that famous place in Rom. 1. from the middle of it, there the Apoſtle ſhews that thoſe that did reject but the very light of Nature, God gave them up to a Reprobate ſenſe; much more thoſe that ſhall reject the light of the Goſpel: that's the way of God to give them up ſometimes to the power of their ſin; as if God ſhould ſay, they will have none of Chriſt, nor of my Grace and Mercy, their Hearts are ſet upon their Luſts, Luſt take them, ſuch a luſt of uncleanneſs take them, ſuch an earthly Luſt take full poſſeſſion of them. The Lord gives them up to their own Hearts Luſts, the Lord ſaith of them, He that will be filthy, let him be filthy ſtill, as you have it in Revelations the laſt, he that will be filthy let him be filthy; and let him have the ſatisfying of his Luſts to the uttermoſt.
And ſometimes it is to cut them off by ſome extraordinary and fearful Judgment, the Lord many times appears moſt dreadfully againſt them.
The Reaſons that ſhould have ſpent me a great part of the time, and it might very well require a whole Exerciſe, to have Opened to you why the Lord is ſo provok'd againſt this Sin rather than another Sin whatſoever it be: For the Opening of the great Evil that there is in the Sin of Unbelief and Rejection of the Goſpel; you that underſtand any thing muſt needs know that it muſt require a very large time to open it all: But in a very few Particulars take them thus.
You that reject the Goſpel, you ſin againſt the greateſt Mercy that ever God tendred to Creatures; he never tendred ſuch a Mercy to the Angels that ſinned againſt him as to you: Indeed here are the bowels of Gods mercy, as the Scripture calls them, the tender bowels of Gods mercy: Now to ſin againſt the Goſpel, it is to ſpurn at the very Bowels of God. Many men ſpeak of Mercy, and deſire to hear much of Mercy, O but you had need look to your ſelves when you hear much of Mercy, for when you hear of Mercy your Souls lye at the ſtake one way or other: God deals more quick with thoſe that hear much of Mercy, than he doth with others. One Sermon of Mercy rejected may ſend a man nearer to Hell by far, than ten Sermons of Judgment. Though you ſhould not reform after many Sermons of Judgment, yet they do not make your condition ſo dangerous as one Sermon of Mercy; and therefore you had need at any time when you hear Mercy Opened to you, you had need have your Hearts ſhake the more, and tremble to think thus, Lord here's a Sermon upon which my Soul doth more lye, than it may be Ten Sermons before, yea perhaps than any that ever I heard in all my life. Thou comeſt to hear a Sermon of Mercy, and goeſt away and ſayeſt, O what an Excellent Sermon is this! it was a Sermon of the moſt Mercy that ever I heard in my life; I ſay, Was it ſo? then thy Soul lay more upon that Sermon than upon any that ever thou heardeſt in thy life. Mercy is ſuch an Attribute which God doth put ſuch a price upon, that it is reſolved he will revenge the Wrong done to his Mercy: Whatſoever God doth bear with, he is reſolved he will not bear the Abuſe of his Mercy; and therefore you had need look to it when you come to hear of Mercy, eſpecially the Mercy of the Goſpel. There is a great deal of Mercy in Gods Works, I but when he comes to Preach Jeſus Chriſt to thee, there's Mercy of another Nature, there look to thy ſelf: If thou doſt dally and trifle with Gods Mercy, then thy condition will be moſt Dreadful. I'll name theſe one or two Arguments to thee, becauſe when thou ſinneſt againſt the Offer of the Goſpel, then thou ſinneſt againſt the help of thy Soul, the means to do thee good. The preaching of the Goſpel it is as a Board after Shipwrack, for every poor Soul is as a man that hath ſuffered Shipwrack, and he is in the midſt of the Sea upon a Board of the Ship, and there's all his help: Now were it not a mad thing for this man to put off this Plank from him when he hath no other help. Now we are ready to be ſwallowed up of the Sea of Gods Wrath, and now God caſts in a Plank to waft us to the Shore, if poſſibly may be. Or rather thus, The Offer of the Goſpel it is like the caſting of a Rope into a River, unto a man that is in danger of Drowning. There is a man that is fallen into the Thames, and you cannot get him up, but you will get a line and throw it into the place where he ſunk, and there is no way for him to be Sav'd, but only that: Now if ſuch a man put off the time from him, what help can there be of that man. Thus it is, all Men and Women naturally, they are even ready to ſink into the Bottomleſs Gulf of Eternal Miſery; this is thy condition. Now the Lord in Mercy ſends his Miniſters to come and make an Offer of the Goſpel, and caſt a line to Congregations, and make this Proclamation, In the Name of God, every Soul that will take hold of this, may be ſaved from ſinking into the bottomleſs Gulf of Eternal Horror and Deſpair; and there is no way to ſave any ſinking Soul but only this. Now if men ſlight and diſregard this, and put it off, is it not juſt that men ſhould ſink down; this that I ſpeak will eb foundgood one day: the Lord forbid that any one Soul in this Place ſhould find this ſimilitude made good upon them; that is, to ſink into the bottomleſs Gulf: and there to conſider with himſelf, had not I a line caſt to me for the Saving of me, and had I catch'd hold of it as others did, might not I have been Saved as well as they. This I ſay the Lord will make good one day.
But now, becauſe much may be ſaid, As doth not God call at the Eleventh hour and the like? And grant God may call at the eleventh hour, I but it is not ſaid God will call eleven times? That is, God may let Men and Women go a long time, and at length call them; but what have you in Scripture after Rejection of Calls to Call again; do not miſtake me, I do not ſay but that God may call eleven ſcore times; I but it is more than ſuch a one may expect: the Lord calls at the Eleventh hour: but you do not hear, if they refuſe then, what he will do afterwards. So you ſay, That the Theef on the Croſs was called at the laſt hour, but who knows whether ever he did hear of Jeſus Chriſt before that time; therefore your caſe is not his, though it's true he was Saved at the laſt: I but it may be he did never reject Chriſt in his life, and it was the firſt time that ever Jeſus Chriſt was made known to him for ought any can tell? and do you ſo? though you be old ſinners, yet upon the offer of the Goſpel if you ſhall preſently come in, then you may be received; but what may be after the offer of the Goſpel I cannot tell.
You will ſay, That we find by Experience, that God doth Convert thoſe that lives a long time under Meanes; It's true he may be patient towards them, I but it is more than they can expect, that it ſhould be ſo; and mark it, you muſt not venture upon Gods patience with another, to think that he will be patient ſo long with thee: I will give you a notable Scripture for that, the Example is in Manaſſes, in 2 Chron. 33. 1. there you have the Story of Manaſſes, how wicked a man he was; and Manaſſes did Reign Fifty five Years, though he were a very Wicked man, yet the Lord ſuffered him to Reign Fifty five Years, and it is like moſt of this time was in his Wickedneſs: but now comes his Son Amon after him v. 21. and perhaps Amon he might think thus; Why may not I do as my Father did? The Lord was patient with my Father many Years, and why may not I venture as he did? and ſo he did venture to live in the Wickedneſs that his Father had lived in; but mark, God was quick with him; though he ſpared Manaſſes the Father, yet he was quick with Amon the Son, in verſ. 24. God ſpared him but Two Years, for he died Wickedly, as the Story ſhews you afterwards; ſo that you muſt know Gods patience is his own. God may be patient with one perhaps Twenty or thirty Years, and he will not with another ſo many moneths.
Wherefore then by way of Application,Appl. thus much:
First, Hence Miniſters may ſee cauſe when they come to Preach Jeſus Chriſt to a People, to come with trembling hearts; and the truth is, though it be that that their Souls deſire above all, and they account themſelves (or ſhould do) in their Element, when they are opening Jeſus Chriſt unto you; yet upon the Conſideration of this Point, they cannot Preach Chriſt unto you without trembling Hearts; for they have theſe thoughts whatſoever you have, Lord I am now going to Preach Chriſt, and open the Myſteries of Grace to this People; I but if they ſhould reject it, how quick will the Lord Deal with them; the Miniſtry of my Word, How ſoon may it be to cut them down, and to ſend them to their own places? Therefore thoſe that know what they do, cannot but come with Trembling Hearts.
Secondly, From hence, Let all thoſe that have liv'd under the Goſpel, and yet the Lord hath been patient towards them for a long time, O let them learn to Bleſs the Name of God: I perhaps was Born of Godly Parents, and they inſtill'd good Principles into me, and they were careful to ſet me under good Preaching, yea and I not only had the outward Offer of Grace, but God knows how often Gods Spirit came & offered Chriſt to my Soul, and yet I went on ſtubbornly and ſtoutly a long time. O the rich Mercy of God, that he did not wholly give me up, and cut me off! Rich Mercy! And what hath God yet come and ſtrove with me again for all this Rejection? O the Riches of the Grace of God towards me more than towards others! Thou haſt cauſe to magnifie God, for it is not an ordnary thing for God to deal ſo with People as he hath dealt with thee.
Thirdly, Let all thoſe that do come to hear the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, to hear the Word of the Goſpel, and yet their Conſciences tell them that they are Oppoſers of it, and ſecret Contemners of it, and are reſolved to go on in their wayes, let there be ſaid what will be, yet they reſolve to go on, and to continue as Vile as formerly: O that the Lord would ſtrike ſome ſuch bold Sinner this Day by this Word. By this Point that hath been thus Preached unto thee, the Lord ſtrike thy Heart thou bold Sinner that dareſt be bold even againſt the face of the Mercy of God in Jeſus Chriſt, that dareſt be bold to kick as it were God in his Bowels: If the Lord hath any purpoſe to do good unto thee, he will ſtrike thy Heart, and humble thee before him, in that that thou haſt gone on thus againſt ſo much rich Grace as thou haſt done; as Jehu ſaid in another caſe, What haſt thou to do with Peace, get thee behind me: So is God a Merciful God, and the Preacher Preaches Mercy; howſoever thou wilt live in the face of the Mercy of God in thy wicked wayes, What haſt thou to do with Mercy? Now if this be ſo, Hearken to the Exhortation in the Second Pſalm, Kiſs the Son leſt he be angry; there indeed lies the Emphaſis, Kiſs the Son ſaith the Pſalmiſt: What ſhall the Son of God, that is Jeſus Chriſt, come to be Preached to you, and do you reject him? No, take heed what you do, Kiſs him; and that expreſſion it is a ſign of Obedience, for ſo it was uſed in thoſe times, they came and Kiſs'd the Prince as a ſign of their Subjection to him: Kiſs the Son, Obey the Goſpel, ſubmit to it, Why? leſt he be angry; leſt the Son of God be angry: The anger of the Son of God is a dreadful anger; the Anger of God the Father is dreadful, and yet the Anger of the Son of God in ſome reſpect is more dreadful; as the Anger of the Holy Ghoſt is moſt dreadful of all, becauſe the Scripture ſaith, The ſin againſt him can never be forgiven. And next, Kiſs the Son, and that becauſe there is ſo much Mercy in the Son; therefore if he be rejected, his anger is ſo much the more dreadful, And leſt you periſh in the midway; that is, when you hope to live many years, to have many more Merry-meetings with your Companions, and do not think your ſelves to be nigh to periſhing; ſaith the Text, In the mid way: the Lord comes upon ſuch when they leaſt think of it. The Lord comes upon many, and cuts them off in the middle of their years. This Conſideration no queſtion it was in part that cauſed Saint Paul when the Lord Chriſt was Revealed to him, that he dared not put off a day, no ſaith the Text, Gal. 1. 15, 16. When it pleaſed God who ſeperated me from my Mothers Womb, and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might Preach him among the Heathen; immediately I conferred not with fleſh and blood; immediately, as ſoon as ever God was pleaſed to reveal Chriſt to me, or in me, I did not confer with fleſh and blood, that is, I dar'd not ſo much as Reaſon about the difficulty of the way, or what I ſhould ſuffer if I took this courſe; I dar'd not go to my Company and take their Advice and Counſel, No, ſaith he, but as ſoon as ever the Lord was pleaſed to reveal Chriſt in me, I preſently went about the Work; and ſo in the 26th. of the Acts, where he tells the ſtory of his Converſion, ſpeaking of Gods revealing himſelf to him in that glorious way of a Viſion, Whereupon O King Agrippa I was not diſobedient to the Heavenly Viſion; the very firſt Viſion I preſently ſubmitted to: Paul he fell down and ſaid, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? upon the firſt manifeſtation of Chriſt unto him: O do you take heed that you be not diſobedient to the Heavenly Viſion; perhaps together with the Miniſtry of the Word the Lord may grant to ſome of your Souls a Viſion, that is, he may come with his Spirit and ſhew ſome of the Glory of his Son to you; O be not diſobedient to the Heavenly Viſion, but immediately yield to it, and confer not with fleſh and blood.
O but you will ſay this is hard, you come at firſt and ſay Peace to us, but this is very ſevere to tell us how quick the Lord is.
But Obſerve it, It is but ſeverity to thoſe that put off Mercy: then if you love Mercy ſo well, what need you fear this Severity.
But further, Know that upon your receiving of the Goſpel the Lord will be as quick with you in wayes of Mercy, as he is in Judgments to thoſe that do reject it. You will ſay, How quick will the Lord be in the wayes of his Mercy? Thus quick, that upon thy receiving the Goſpel, and Believing, the very firſt inſtant of thy receiving it, thou ſhalt be delivered from all thy ſin, the guilt of all thy ſin, thou ſhalt be made as clear from the guilt of ſin as the Child that is new born, and more clear a great deal: How quick is God now.
Yea thou ſhalt be made as clear from the guilt of all thy great ſins that thou haſt committed, I ſay as clear from the guilt of them as the Saints are in Heaven, and this at the firſt moment of thy Entertaining of Jeſus Chriſt; thou ſhalt be as clear as Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob; thou ſhalt be equal with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob in the point of thy Juſtification; yea in regard of any guilt of ſin, thou ſhalt be as unſpotted before the Lord as the Saints are in Heaven: O the Lord is willing to be quick with you in wayes of Mercy.
Now then conſider of both, Here we ſet Life and Death before you; we know it is not in Mens power indeed, but we know God doth uſe to Bleſs his Miniſtry ſo as to convey power by his Miniſtry: God is quick both wayes; upon Entertaining he is quick in wayes of Mercy, preſently to clear the Soul from all thoſe horrible Wicked Sins that thou haſt been guilty of; and if thou ſhalt reject it, then thou may'ſt fear that the Lord will be quick with thee another way. O conſider what hath been ſaid in this Point, and in this Text, and the Lord give you underſtanding.
FINIS.
End of the text · Jeremiah Burroughs, Four Useful Discourses (1675)