Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 22
CHAP. 22.
Uſe. 3. To encourage ſinners to come to God for Reconciliation: And diſcouragements removed.
The Third is a Uſe of incouragement to ſinners to come for Reconciliation with God. You may remember that one Reaſon why God did on purpoſe appoint this way to Reconcile himſelf to the world, was, that he might break the hearts of ſinners, and that it might be an encouragement to ſinners to come in, Is this Gods End? O! that then God might have this end in your ſouls This hath bin our endeavor to open what we could, this Doctrine of the Goſpel, namely, of Gods Reconciling of himſelf in Chriſt; and we have not done this only from this Text but from others: and though divers other things have been ſpoken, yet you cannot but know, that the drift of al hath bin to this purpoſe, that God may have this glory of gaining our hearts to himſelf, and that it might be an incouragement unto you to come in to be reconciled unto God. Are there any that are apprehenſive of the Breach that ſin hath made between God and their ſouls? I ſuppoſe there are many. You put up papers of complaints of the hardneſs of your hearts and that you cannot be ſenſible of ſin as you deſire; it is a ſign that there is ſome ſenſibleneſs therefore of the breach between God and you. Now the Lord in opening of this Doctrine propounds the way of Reconciliation, and he would fain draw your hearts to come in and to be reconciled unto him; what is it that hinders? Theſe two things are the Only hinderance.
Firſt, The great diſtance that is between God, and a Creature; I am a poor vile worm, and the Lord is an infinite, glorious, dreadful God. O! but that I might take off this dreadfulneſs from you, that that might not skare, and hinder you, therefore he propounds himſelf to you in his Son. If God ſhould indeed ſpeak from Heaven by thundring, and lightening, and call in ſinners to come in and humble your ſelves, and ſeek to make your peace with him, that might skare you, and upon the ſight of the diſtance between God and you, you might not dare to come in. But ſaith God; I call you now in my Son, my Son that came to be like one of you, and to be made ſenſible of your infirmites, it is in him that I offer you Reconciliation. This takes away the dreadfulneſs of God from ſinners, and therefore a mighty incouragement. And though there be ſuch a diſtance between God and us, yet there is a Chriſt between God the Father, and us. Though we be the pooreſt worms in the world, though we are mean, and vile Creatures, yet if we were ten thouſand times meaner then we are, ſeeing there is ſuch a Mediator between God, and us; this makes up the diſtance. Chriſt is ſuch a Mediator as there is enough in him to make up all the diſtance that can be between God, and man.
Another hinderance, or diſcouragement is ſin: either the greatneſs of our ſin, or the multitude of our ſins, or the long continuance in our ſins is that which hinders us from comming. O! ſaith the ſoul, I have been ſo vile a ſinner, and I have continued ſo long, and I have multiplied ſin one after another, and is it poſſible for ſuch a one as I am to be Reconciled? It is true had'ſt thou to deal only with God as he is in himſelf, thou mighteſt deſpaire: But know O! ſinner that it is God Reconciling of himſelf in Chriſt; therefore though thou beeſt a great ſinner, & a ſinner of a long continuance; yet there being a Reconciliation with God in his Son; ſeeing that Chriſt hath undertaken ſuch a work as to make up a peace between God and ſinners, and to mediate for them; thou may'ſt be encouraged to come in, and to lay hold upon this grace of God in Chriſt.
If thou ſayeſt thou art unworthy; and that there is no worthines in thee for God to regard the for. Al this is ſtil anſwered with this. It is God that is reconciling the world to himſelfe in Chriſt. Indeed were it ſo that there were nothing but God and thee to deal together; and if thou wert to deal only with God, himſelfe thou mighteſt be afraid but thou haſt to deal with God not in himſelf win his Son, for ſo he hath Set forth himſelfe the to world, he is reconciled to the world in his ſon, and herefore that may incorage thee notwithſtanding al thy unworthines.
And what Further haſt thou to diſcorage thee?
O! thou wilt ſay; God is infinitly Juſt to puniſh ſin.
Stil this point wilbe Sufficient to remove al diſcoragements; that he is Reconciling the world to himſelfe. Though he is Holy; his Holines is pleaſed in Chriſt: Though he is Juſt: his Juſtice is ſatisfied in Chriſt. So that there is enough in this point to take away al objections, to remove al diſcouragments that any Sinner in the world hath. And therefore as God doth propound this on purpoſe to draw ſinners to himſelfe that they may be reconciled unto him; So let them know; that the more grace here is received for the taking away of al objections, and diſcoragments; the more wil ſinners be left without excuſe another day if they do not come in and lay hold upon this grace of God in Chriſt; God wil have his glory that way if he cannot have it the other. God primarily intends his glory in reconciling the world to himſelfe; and therefore takes away al diſcouragments from ſiners that they may come in and venture their ſouls upon his rich grace, and mercy in Chriſt; But if God cannot have his glory from that point; then, the more this is preached in any congregation, the more wil God have his glory by the ſtopping of mens mouthes that they ſhal not be able to ſay another day; O, the Lord was terrible, and he was a hard maſter, and I durſt not goe unto him. Indeede my Conſcience told me I had ſinned againſt him, but I durſt not goe to him for mercy for I was afraid of him. The mouthes of men ſhal be ſtopped another day that have heard this doctrine or God reconciling the world in Chriſt opened unto them, and have not come in, and layd hold upon it. Indeed it is the plea of many a ſervant that hath offended his maſter, when one comes to him and Saith; why do not you goe and humble your ſelf before your maſter. O, Saith he I dare not, he is ſuch a furiouſe man that he wil fly upon me preſently, I had rather ſuffer very much then go to him; and this they think excuſe enough; and many poor Servants wil rather wander up and down the Contry, and periſh, then go backe to their maſter? But noe ſinner can ſay ſo of God, let him be never ſo vild a ſiner that is departing from God, if one ſhould come unto him and ſay; you wreched ſinner whether are you going? you are departing from God, you are going away from him, but behold God calls you to come in; O, goe, and humble yor ſoules and lament your ſin, and lay downe al thoſe weapons of enmity againſt God which you have taken up. This ſinner now cannot ſay; how ſhal I dare to look upon God, I that have been ſuch a vild, and wretched Sinner, Surely God wil diſtroy me, and conſume me. No, the Lord propounds himſelfe to you, a God or mercy in his Son, and tels you, that he hath provided a meanes in his Son to be reconciled unto you; and that his heart hath been ſo much upon reconciling himſelfe to the chrildren of men, as that he hath ſent his ſon to do this worke and though it coſt the very blood of his ſon, yet he wil do it; and therefore ſinner if thou doſt not come in, but wilt go on in wandring from God and Continuing in wayes of enmity againſt him, thy blood be upon thine own head. Thou haſt read this bleſſed doctrine of the Goſpel opened; that God was reconciling himſelfe to the world; and that he was reconciling himelfe to the world in his Son; and that God excepted that when this meſſage was brought to a Congregation; the whole Congregation ſhould come and fly unto him; and that the world ſhould be fill'd with Cries; O! that we might be Reconciled unto him. Our Lotd expects this day from ſome of you to heare you reflect this upon your ſelves by crying unto him for Reconciliation in his Son; that ſhould be the iſſue of ſuch ſermons as theſe are; God ever after ſuch preaching looks to heare ſome ſoul repeate in prayer to God, and tel him what it hath heard in the Miniſtery of the word; and upon that make a prayer unto him according to what it hath heard. As in this manner; The Lord expects that this day ſome ſinner, or other ſhould get alone, and be crying unto God in prayer. Lord, I have heard, not only that there is a poſſibility for ſinners to be Reconciled, but there is ſuch a glorious way of Reconciliation, that thou haſt done it in thy Son. Such an honorable way; and ſuch a certaine way of Reconciliation; and that thy heart is much in that way. And Lord I have heard, that this is a way, that takes away all objections in the world; al the diſcouragments that can be immagined; and thou haſt revealed it to that end, that is, that thou mighteſt break the hearts of ſinners, and draw them to come in, and accept of that bleſſed covenant that thou haſt tendred to them in Chriſt, and to be reconciled unto thee. Now Lord I deſire to caſt my ſoul upon this free grace of thine in thy Son; O! that I might feel thy ſpirit inableing me to ſuch a gloriouſe work as this; and O! that the Lord might heare ſuch things as theſe from ſome of your Cloſets this day; it wil be that which wil even cauſe the heart of God to rejoyce that ever he opened the doctrine of Reconciliation to you; otherwiſe it wil turne to the quite contrary end; it wil only ſerve to ſtop your mouthes at the great day. That is another Uſe.