Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 70
CHAP. 70. The tenth argument: Manifeſting the exceeding wilingneſs of God and Chriſt to be reconciled to ſinners.
And then, the Lord manifeſts his willingneſs to be reconciled unto ſinners in this; he doth profeſs unto ſinners, that the greateſt ſins that ever they have committed ſhal not be a hinderance to bear of this work of reconciliation: The Lord I ſay profeſſes this to ſinners; he ſends his meſſengers to tel them; that though (perhaps) they may be conſcious to themſelves of ſome vile thing that they have committed, whereby they may think that God wil never paſs by that ſin: But God to take away the objection that they ſhal never be able to ſay ſo; he doth make that as cleer as any thing in this world; that there is not the greateſt ſin that ever thou haſt committed (except that one againſt the Holy Spirit) no other ſin ſhal barre or hinder the work of thy reconciliation: and certainly where that ſin is committed, the heart wil never deſire to come in to be reconciled to God, but flies in the face of God to revenge himſelf upon God. But if thou haſt a heart that deſires to come in to God, that is an infallible argument that thou haſt not committed that ſin. I might give you a great many Scriptures for this; to ſhew that God profeſſes that there is not any ſin that ſhal make the bar in the way between him and thee; in Iſa. 1, 18. Come now let us reaſon together ſaith the Lord &c. Yea, come now let us reaſon together. Thus God deals in a familiar way with ſinners, as if a Malefactor were before the Prince ſhaking, quivering, and trembling, fearing that the Prince would have his life; being conſcious to himſelf of abundance of evil that he hath been guilty of, and the Prince ſhould go and take him by the hand, and ſay, Come let us riſe up; let us reaſon together; though your offences be great; yet that ſhal not be a bar between you and me. This is that we have authority to proclaime even in the name of the Lord God of Heaven; and to every poor ſoul, and to the worſt of ſinners, and to the greateſt of ſinners that are here, or can be heer now, before the Lord, in his name, this we ſay, there is nothing paſt between God and you; no ſin that is yet paſt that ſhal be your undoing, and the eternal deſtruction of your ſouls: But it wil be ſome ſin that is yet to come; ſomewhat that is yet to come wil be the eternal deſtruction of every ſinner in this Congregation. Its true, if God ſmite thee now it wil be the ſin that is paſt: but if God let thee live this day, it is rather for ſomething that is yet to come, than for any thing that is paſt: for the continuance in the hardneſs of heart, and your unbeleife from this time forward; rather then for what is paſt. If one had run in arrears, and incurred a great deal of puniſhment, enough to his undoing; if this ſhould come to be ſaid unto him; Thus far you have run: But here is a proclamation; there is nothing that is paſt that ſhal be charged upon you but look to it for the time to come: I do not ſay, that al the ſinns that are paſt God wil never reckon, but thus, that he wil never reckon with any of you for what is paſt, but for ſome cauſe of evil that you ſhal be guilty of for the future; that muſt go along with it, and that may cauſe God to bring that, that is paſt over again: but that that wil be your undoing, and deſtruction wil be ſomthing that is to come, and if you continue in your wicked waies, then that wil bring al over again. But now if you had a heart this day, at this preſent, to fal downe before the lord, to ſeeke to make up your peace with him, and to cloſe with the grace of God in his ſon: I can bouldly pronounce that al your ſins, that are paſt, are done away; O! remember this, this gracious offer of God in Eſa. 1.18. whatſoever you have been before, yet that needs be no diſcouragement unto you; it is the continuance in your iniquity that wil undo you; and now wil not this ſoul juſtifie God at the great day? muſt not God needs be juſtified if any ſinner in this congregation be awakened at laſt? I ſay this argument ſhal riſe up againſt them, and ſhal juſtifie God againſt you. Now God wil ſay, you that lived a long time in ſin, you heard that after ſo many years ſinning, that whatſoever your ſins were before, yet ſome things that were then to come would be your deſtruction, or els you ſhould never be deſtroyed: and yet you would venture for the time to come; you would be bould to adde to that heape of your ſins that have been ſo longe a making, and thereby bring al your ſins upon you that you had committed before. And therefore righteous is God in the Condemnation of this ſinner, (wee ſpeak of the willingneſs of God to be reconcilled unto ſinners) to that end that you might come in, and be reconcilled, or otherwiſe that the juſtice of God may be cleere at the great day, and this is a ſpecial end of al the manifeſtation of Gods goodneſs unto ſinners; that he might cleer himſelfe at the great day in thoſe that ſhal periſh. There are a great many things yet more behind, where in the willingneſs of God to be reconcilled unto ſinners is further to be ſet forth: yet I know there are Objections that ly in your mindes. How can we come? And if God be ſo willing, he may bring our hearts to be willing to be reconciled to him; we ſhal diſcourſe theſe more at lardge; only for the preſent, I deſire to preſent, before you this; the manifeſtation of the goodneſs of God towards ſinners to gain upon their hearts; that they might be reconciled unto him, and I ſhould be very ſory to open al theſe things in ſuch a congregation as this is, if it were not to gain ſome ſouls: (for it's like enough that ſome wil be hardened) and now if ſome ſhould be hardened, and others ſhould not be gained: what a miſerable thing were it? I might make this as an evidence, how willing God is to be reconciled unto ſiners; that he would have the riches of his grace thus manifeſtd to gain ſiners to himſelf, though he knows that it wil be a means to harden others; he knows that it wil coſt the eternal damnation of many ſouls, and though he do know this: yet for al this ſaith God, let my wilingneſs to be reconcilled be opened unto poor ſinners by the preaching of the goſpel, though it coſts many ſouls very dear, yet (for the love I bear to poor ſouls) let it be made known to the face of them al. Now if God were not ſtrongly ſet to do good to ſouls, ſuerly he would not venture the damnation of other ſouls ſo much. But ſaith God, let their ſouls go, rather than my willingneſs to be Reconciled unto others, ſhould not be declared unto them.