A New Canaan Full of Most Pleasant Gardens, Treatise (2 of 3)

A New Canaan Full of Most Pleasant Gardens · Treatise (2 of 3)

p. 516. You must do what herein you mean to do quickly, p. 52as Christ said once, John 13.17. running as it were to and under this shadow, as other creatures do run under a shadowy tree. For as now God commands all men every where to repent, Joel 2.12. Acts 17.30. So now by a necessary consequence he commands them to accept of mercy, and would not have them to harden their hearts against Mercy, as some do, Rom. 2.4, 5. But to day (saith he) when you hear his voice (Psal. 95.7.) harden not your hearts. Or thus, as Christ once said to Zacheus, when he had got himself upon a Sycamore Tree, from thence to see Christ, who was higher than that tree; Zacheus, make haste and come down, for to day I must abide at thy house, Luke 19.5. So he saith to thee that now also hearest me, and being upon a Sycamore tree, where Christ and Mercy have espied thee; that is, upon the Tree of sin, which is the vilest thing in the world, as the Sycamore, the vilest of all the Trees in the world, as **Daneus in Phys. Christ.one writes of it, thinking from thence, and thereupon, or continuing therein, to see Christ and his Mercy, which will never be, nor can be: Make haste, come down man, or, thou Peter, thou John, thou Mary by name, for I mean to abide this day, saith Christ, in thy heart; and so saith his Mercy, and I also mean this day to come to thy heart, and therefore, O dear soul, tarry no longer upon thy Sycamore Tree, the Tree I mean of Lust, of Gluttony, of Drunkenness, and the like sins, which are like Sycamore Trees, p. 53that grow in moist places, and in Egypt especially, that moist countrey, if you mean to obtain, and to entertain Christ and his Mercy: And that, as I said, this very day. For, as Boaz said to Naomies kinsman, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, Ruth 4.5. So say I, Qua die desponsaris Christo & Misericordiae ejus, eodem die te oportet, ducere poenitentiam quoque; that is, The same day wherein thou desponlatest thy self to Christ and his Mercy, the self-same day thou must also repent, and come down from the tree of sin and misery; because these two things are so by God himself joyned together, as that no man must put them asunder, Prov. 28.13. Wherefore let me entreat thee, that thou wilt stand there, and stand out no longer, no, not a day longer, but wilt entertain Christ with his mercy, like Zacheus, this very day, penitently and joyfully, that you may be able to say, as Christ of the house of Zacheus, truly this day came Christ and his mercy to my heart graciously. But this I shall pass over yet in one of these Motives.

Need you Incentives, or Motives, then consider these Six.

1. Gods and his servants willingness, yea Mercies its self, of your sitting down under the shadow of Christs Mercy.

2. The Comfortableness of it.

3. The Seasonableness of it.

4. The Rareness of it.

p. 545. The Delightfulness of it.

6. The Needfulness of it.

1. Gods and his servants willingness, yea Mercies its self.

This Motive hath three Branches.

The first is Gods willingness. For,

First, The Father bids, and entreats you to sit down, and to accept of Mercy; saying, As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye, (loe how earnest he is, he bids you twise) from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezek. 33.11. As if he should say, I pray you therefore accept of my mercy, according to that noted place, 2 Cor. 5.20. As though God did beseech you by us.

Secondly, The Son bids you, and begs with you to sit down, saying, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden. As if he should say, I pray you accept of Mercy, and I will give you rest, for sitting down under the shadow of my mercy brings rest, Matth. 11.28.

Thirdly, The Spirit bids you, and entreateth you to sit down; For, The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, Rev. 22.17. As if he should say, I pray you accept of Mercy.

2. His Servants are willing, and bid and entreat you to sit down. And,

First, So the Apostle, speaking in the Name of all, entreats you, saying, Now then, we are Embassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray p. 55you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5.20. As if he should say, We pray you all, to sit down under the shadow of Christs wings, and to accept of Mercy.

Secondly, And my unworthy-self pray you also in Christs stead to be reconciled to God (because unto me also, as I am a Minister of Christ, is committed the word of Reconciliation by Christ, 2 Cor. 5.18.) and so consequently to accept of Mercy.

3. Nay, Mercy it self doth as it were speak to you, and bid you and entreat you to sit down under her, and to accept of her, saying, I beseech you in Christs name, be reconciled to God, and accept of my proffer. Thus I bring in Mercy her self, as entreating us, as the Apostle brings in Christs love it self, as constraining us, 2 Cor. 5.14. And will you not be entreated now, by so many entreaties? will you not be overcome by so many invitations, so eminently come? Is it nothing with you, that as the Prodigals Father came forth himself, and entreated his elder son to come in, and to sit down, as the rest of his invited guests, at his younger brothers feast, when he saw that he would not come in, Luke 15.28. So God the Father himself comes forth to you and entreats you to come in, and to sit down at your elder Brothers feast, which his mercy maketh; because he seeth that you will not come in? is it nothing with you that the whole Trinity entreats you? Is it nothing that Paul in the name of all the Lords Prophets and holy Apostles invites you? Is it nothing p. 56that Mercy her self, which also is God himself, (to say nothing of my worthless-self) doth pray you so? If there were a very sumptuous feast at a great Lords house, made for his Son, and one of you should accidentally come to that Lords house the same time, after many of his invited guests are set down, and the Servants should entreat him to come in, nay that Lord himself should come out, and invite him to come in and to sit down with the rest of his guests, and then the Son also should come forth, and entreat him, and after him his most intimate friend, which is next to him, should come likewise and beseech him to come in; yea, suppose farther, that great Lords Lady her self should come forth also, and beseech him to come in, and sit down at that sumptuous feast; I ask, whether that man could find in his heart to be so uncivil, and so obstinate as to say, I will not come in? I conceive he could not. And will ye, or any one of you be so wilful, and so unmannerly as to be like the Prodigals elder brother, refusing to come in when as that great Lord of Heaven, and Earth, having made and provided a far greater **Isa. 25.6.Isa 25:6feast, than any Nobleman upon earth can make, and which aptly may be called Mercies Feast, made for his Son, and Sons, his Son to entertain, and Sons to be entertained, entreats him (being, I will not say accidentally, but by good and special providence, so opportunely come to the hearing or reading of these words) to come in, and sit down at Mercies p. 57feast, and under Mercies shadow? O by no means, by no means. Beloved, if you do not regard me, nor my entreaties, nor will do any thing for my sake, yet come and sit down now, after so many entreaties of such eminent persons as those three glorious person… of the blessed and ever to be adored Trinity are; and for the sake of the holy Apostles, and of Mercy it self to be magnified for ever.

2. Consider the comfortableness of it, and that in four Respects.

1. In respect of the Greatness of Christs Mercy.

2. In respect of the muchness of it.

3. In respect of the swiftness of it.

4. In respect of the Lastingness of it.

First, In respect of the Greatness of it. For thy Mercy is great to the Heavens, saith David, Psal. 57.10. And the Lord is of great Mercy; Or, as the Hebrew hath, Great in Mercy, Psal. 145.8. that is, his Greatness. Now the greater the shadow of a tree is, the more comfortable that shadow is; and therefore how comfortable must the shadow of Christs mercy needs be, which is so great as that it reacheth to the Heavens! so that a thousand thousand thousand sinnes of yours and mine may be covered with it, and many thousands more, when Gods fierce wrath waxeth hot against them, hide and shelter themselves under it. In the Prophet Micah the mercies of p. 58God are assimulated to the main Sea, Chap. 7.19. now how great is the Sea, and how deep its depths? Some **Alii volunt tantum patere deorsum, Mare quantum sursum ad coelum extolluntur altissimi montes; & profunditatem ejus non esse decem tantum stadiorum; ut scripsit Plutarchus in Aemilio. Danaeus in Phys. Christ. p. 68. unde, Gr. foreign, procul a terra.write, that in some places the Sea is as deep, as the highest mountains in the world are high; which hath occasioned **Quantum scintilla ad pelagus collata tantidem est homin is malitia; si eam componas cum benignitate Dei. Chrys. in Esay, mihi. p. 279.some to say, That therefore our sins are but as a spark to the great Sea; and that as a spark is presently quencht, and swallowed, when it is cast into the Sea, and seen no more, so our sins are immediately swallowed when God cast's them into the Depths of the Sea of his Mercy, as it is said, that he will, Micah 7.19. And thou wilt cast all their sins into the Depths of the Sea; because it is so exceeding great. So that this doth for ever silence that great cry which many a man makes, about the greatness of sins, saying, O my sins, how great they be! even so great that I fear they will never be forgiven me: For saith Christ, be it so, that thy sins are great, yet despair not, for as thou art a great sinner, so am I a great Saviour, and as thy sins are great, so my mercies are great, even greater than thy sins p. 59are, or can be; nay, one writeth that Christ appeared once to a poor sinner, when he was going to destroy himself, and told him, do thy self no harm, for rather than thou shalt die, I will die for thee again my self: which must be looked upon as Hyperbollically spoken, if ever it was spoken, for properly Christ cannot die again, and I must confess that it did exceedingly comfort me, when once Gods hand and indignation lay heavy upon me; as also that notable saying in Ecclus. 17.29. (though Apocryphal) How great is the lovingkindness of the Lord, and his compassion unto such as turn to him in holiness? as being agreeable to that famous Scripture Psal. 31.19. O how great is thy goodness (and so mercy also, for they are both convertibles, as Verum and Bonum, Good and True) which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which words, as they have been often comfortably used by sundry **Aug. Medit. c. 37. De Civ. Dei. l. 29. cap. 24. Solil. cap. 22.eminent servants of God in their devotions, and distresses, so I believe are much applyed still by penitent souls, ecchoing forth the same after penitent David; descanting upon the same, after this or the like manner. For oh how great, how grievous sinners were we! Oh how we provoked that most gracious, and highest Majesty, by a height of iniquity? and yet did he forgive us the iniquity of our sin, Selah. Psal. 32. 5. O mercy to be admired! O goodness to be magnified from generation to generation! Oh that the p. 60great God should look upon such great sinners as we have been! Oh that Goodness it self should look after such as have been so bad! as that they may well be stiled, wickedness it self! Oh that the Light it self should look after such as have been so filled with darkness, as that they may be called darkness it self! Ephes. 5.8. So that here there is a Sea of sweetness streaming from that Sea of mercy, which floweth in the bowels of Christ, and a world of comfort arising from that high and lofty Tree of Life, Christ I mean, whose most refreshing shadow of mercy and goodness reacheth (as you have heard out of Psal. 57.10.) to the heavens, and is greater than all our sins and misery. Major est rei Misecordia, quam omnium homiuum miseria. Idem. Et Gregor. Naz.Oh that you would now sit down under it, as Christ's Spouse did! Oh that you would be perswaded to it! For can there be a more sweet, more delightful, more comfortable sitting than this! Had you lived in the dayes of Solomon, had Solomon bad you sit down in a Chair of State by him, or above him, as he bid and made his mother Bathsheba to sit so, when she came to him with a Petition for Adoniah, as it is written, Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adoniah, …nd the King arose to meet her, and bowed himself to her; and sat down in his Throne, and caused a seat to be set for the Kings Mother, and she sat on his right hand, 1 Kings 2.19. You would have told what sweet p. 61sitting that was. Again, had the lamps of your lives shined in the dayes of Christ, the heavenly Solomon, had you been made to sit down with those five thousands of people which Christ fed, and filled, with five loaves and two fishes, had you eaten of those wonderful loaves and fishes, had you been so satisfied with them as they were, had you seen how much was left for many more, you would have told what a sweet what a comfortable, what an acceptable sitting and eating that was, Matth. 14.17, 18, 19. Well, this sitting down by, and under the shadow of Christ, who is greater than Solomon, Matth. 12.42. And this sitting down (I will not say upon the green grass, as that peoples sitting was, Matth. 14.19. but upon, or rather under, the Lords great and glorious heaps of Mercy, but now spoken of) is infinitely, incomparably swerter than both Bathsheba's was, and that Peoples was. For is not a seat granted by Christ and even made of the very Mercies of Christ, for such as come to him with a petition, I will not say for Adoniah, but for their own lives, and soules, better than Solomons was which he granted to his Mother, think ye? And are not the loave… of mercy and compassion, more miraculous and delicious than those foresaid loaves were? Nay, are they not more filling, and more satisfying too? There being so much satisfactoriness in them, as that thousands, and thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, may eat thereof and be filled, and (as I said else-where) yet leave enough for so many more. What think ye? p. 62And should not all this sweetness, this comfortableness, this greatness of Christs infinite mercy move you to sit down under the sweetness of his mercy? Oh that God would bring your hearts to it! that you may no longer defer it. Amen, So be it.

2. But I have not yet done with this comfortableness (for all this text is for comfortableness) you must also consider how comfortable this sitting is, in respect of the muchness of Gods mercy. For what saith the Lord, in Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord merciful, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands. What saith that sweet singer of Israel of this muchness, Psal. 86.5. For thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plentious; Mark, plentious in mercy, unto all them, them that call upon thee; and so to you also, if you call upon him, namely as you ought, and as I have taught you, for mercy. See also, Psal. 5.7. But as for me, I will come into thy house, in the multitude of thy mercy. And there are no less than five places which say, that God is even full of compassions, as Psal. 78.38. 86.15. 111.4. 113.4. 145.8. Which sheweth what a world of mercy and compassion, therefore there is in him, he being infinite, so that his mercy must needs he infinite too, and so consequently, many more than there are creatures in heaven and earth; because God is greater than both, and yet full of compassions. And is not Christ infinite, as God, said to be full of grace also, John 1.16. So that if thou wert as full of sin as the Gentiles p. 63were, Rom. 1.29, 30, 31. being filled with malice, wrath, anger, lusts, and hadst had eyes full of adultery, 2 Pet. 2.14. and thy mouth full of cursing and bitterness, Rom. 3.14. yet thou needest not to despair, upon a true repentance and conversion, because he is so full of compassion, Again, I have formerly told you also how the mercy of Christ is like the great Sea, out of Micah, 7.19. Now can any of you tell those infinite drops of water, which are in that Ocean of water? I know you cannot; nor can you tell those infinite, infinite mercies, which are in that Ocean of mercy, which is God infinite and blessed for ever. So that if thy sins were as many as the sins of Manasseh, which were more than the sands on the Sea-shore, yet those infinite mercies which are in the God of mercy, would cover them all, and ten thousand times more, if thou hadst committed so many more; because they are so many, even as those waters which are in the Sea, cover all those infinite, infinite sands which are in the Sea. So plenteous is Christ in mercy, even beyond all apprehension, conceipt, and imagination; I speak it to thy great and unspeakable consolation, if thou be penitent. For this now thorowly resolveth that grand Objection. I confess I am not guilty of such gross sins, as some are; but Ministers tell us, that as a ship being fraighted with overmuch small sand, may sink into the Sea, as well as one that is fraighted and filled with great and heavy stones, so a soul which is full of many thousand evil thoughts, and guilty of more than ten thousand p. 64evil deeds, which by many are counted to be but small offences, will sink into hell, as well as that man whose soul stands guilty of, and is fraighted with such great, and heinous sins, as are like great and heavy stones; and therefore I fear there is no mercy to be had for me, whose case this is, for I must confess that my soul is as full of such thoughts, as the Sea is full of sands; and that I have besides that, done and spoken so much evil, though not in so gross a manner as some, as that I am not able to number those evils which I have spoken and done, because they are so many. I say, this muchness of Christ's mercy, which I am now upon, will clear all this. For saith Christ, by way of concession, be it granted to thee, poor trembling soul, that it is so with thee as thou hast said, yet despair not, for as thy sins are many, and like swarmes, and like sands for multitude, so are my mercies many, nay many more. Go and number the Stars, if thou art able to number them, as God once said to Abraham, Gen. 15.5. but I know thou canst nor, and if thou canst not number them, be sure thou canst not number my mercies neither, for they are more than the Stars; and therefore if thy sins were as many as the Stars in the spangled skie, yet would I not have thee to despond, because I am full of compassion, Psal. 78.38. Psal. 111.4. and plentious in mercy, Psal. 86.15. And I will redeem Israel from all his iniquities, Psal. 130.8. And for that end will intercede to the Father for thee, that he may forgive thee for my sake; for I am the propitiation p. 65for thy sins, and not for thine only, but also for the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2.1, 2. O what a world of mercy is here! O what a multitude of tender compassions, flowing in, and following one another, as it were by heapes! Which muchnesse of Christs mercy, caused therefore a **Divinn misericordia tanta est, ut siquis universa peccata totius mundi commisisset; & doleret quod tum bonum Dominum tam superbe offendisset; firmiter{que} proponeret amplius abstinere; Deus talem nunquam damnaret. August. de quin{que} part. Cons. l. 3. c. 44.very holy man to say, that if one man had committed all the sins of the whole world and did grieve for it, that ever he should so proudly offend so good a God; and firmly resolve to do so no more for the future, God would not damne that man: I add, but as Christ said to the woman taken in adultery, and saying to him, when he asked her, Hath no man condemned thee? No man Lord; neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more, John 8.10, 11. So the same Lord Jesus Christ would tell that man, neither do nor will I condemn thee, though never so many should condemn thee; go and sin no more. So that a truly penitent and believing soul, may confidently and comfortably sit down here under the shadow of all these many and miraculous mercies of the Lord Jesus, and even triumph in the multitude thereof, saying, Where be those thine accusers, as Christ said to the woman, where be those p. 66thine accusers? John 8.10. And as the Apostle, Rom. 8.23, 24. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that justifieth, who shall condemn? it is Christ that died, &c. And therefore how, O how should this animate, yea inflame souls to flee to the Saviour of souls, and willing to part with all their beloved sins, and God-provoking abominations, to have their part in the multitude of his tender compassions.

3. In respect of its swiftness, or readiness; For thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive, Psal. 86.5. Saith David, The slowest to conceive wrath, and readiest to forgive, Psal. 103.8. And did not the Prodigal's Father even run to meet his Son, when the Son did but go towards his Father? Luke 15.20. To shew, that God is more swift to meet us in the way of mercy, than we are to meet him, as we are coming away towards him out of the wayes of misery: And the reason of it is, because it is natural to him to shew mercy, and to be merciful; for his Mercy is nothing else but his Nature and Essence, as **Misericordia in Deo nihil aliud est quam ipsius Essentia quae uua est, & qua una sapiens, justus, misericors est. Zanch. de Nat. Dei l. 4. c. 4.Divines say. Now what is natural, and cometh naturally, cometh readily; so that for this very cause, God is said to delight in mercy, because it cometh so readily and naturally from him, Micah 7.19.

p. 67I have read of Henry the 4th, King of England, that when a certain holy Martyr, called John Badly, was to be burnt in Kent, Anno 1409. and as he was in the fire cryed, Mercy, Mercy, the said King caused the fire to be put out to save his life, thinking he had called to him for mercy, when he in very deed called upon the King of Kings for mercy, as it appeared afterward: however, this I must confess did shew in that King a readiness to shew mercy to him that should cry to him for mercy; but I must tell you my Brethren, that my Lord and Master, whose name is King of Kings, is not only as ready as he to shew mercy to such as call upon him for mercy (as appears in Manasseh's case, 2 Chron. 33.12, 13. and from that fore-alleadged Psal. 86.5. For thou Lord art ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee. Mark to all that call upon him, and cry mercy, when they are, like that Martyr, in the fire of affliction, and feel the fire of the Lords great indignation) but much more: for that fore-mentioned King caused the same holy Martyr to be burnt for all, afterward crying, mercy Lord, Jesus, Jesus Christ, mercy, because he understood he called upon Christ and not him, for mercy, and refused his profered stipend; but the King of Kings will never, never cause those to be burnt in the fire of hell, whom once he frees from the fire and fury of sin, crying for mercy to him, in the same words of the same Martyr, and saying, Mercy, Lord Jesus, Mercy. Nay such is his readiness to forgive, as that if a poor p. 68penitent, believing, trembling soul doth but say, I will confess my sins to him, he forgiveth it before he doth it; as you may see in Psal. 32. I said I will confess my transgression to the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne. Selah. So swift is the Lords indulgence, so hasty his benevolence; let me say therefore in this place, every one of you, as once the Lord said to Paul in a trance, Acts 22.18. make hast, and get thee out of Jerusalem quickly; For they will not receive thy Testimony concerning me. So make haste to get thee, I will not say out of Jerusalem, but out of thy Natural condition, and out of thy lazy condition, wherein now thou art, quickly, for that will not suffer thee to receive my testimony concerning Mercy, nor to accept of the proffers which mercy makes to thee; that so being out, thou mayest cry out, Mercy, Lord Jesus Christ, mercy; and that the Lord may let you know, and see by proofe the swiftness of his mercy; for which great Mercy, I beseech his heavenly Highness heartily.

4. In respect of the lastingness of it, for his mercy endures for ever, and his compassions faile not, Lam. 3.22. Psal. 106.1. and Isa. 54.10. The mountaines shall depart; and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, saith the Lord. Oh the stability of the Lords benignity, which is said to be firmer than the hills and mountaines, that we might have strong, and sure consolation thorow its acceptation. I pray observe this, Oh thou afflicted, p. 69tossed with tempest, and not comforted; that followeth immediately, v. 11. For this also clearly answers another great doubt of many a poor, comfortless, troubled soul, which saith I must confess that I am much changed, blessed be God, but then, I am fallen much from what I have been, and do too too often relapse, to the doing of that which I should not do; and that makes me doubt many many times, whether Christs mercy do belong to me, yea, or no. This, this lastingness of Christs mercy answers; For, saith Christ, be it so Dear soul as thou sayest, that thou art so fallen, and dost so Relapse; yet doubt not if thou have a care, to rise again, and be heartily sorry for it; For my mercy is an everlasting mercy, and it is new every morning, Lam. 3.23. and whom I love once, I love to the end, John 13.1. and again he saith Can a mother forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her wombe? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee, Isa. 49.11. Mark, here is Mercy and Love passing the love and mercy, not only of women, but of mothers, for lastingness and continuance; and should not the consideration of it even draw you to Christ, whose compassions never, never fail? Lam. 3.22. though we both▪ fail and fall. **Clem. Alex.One of the Ancients compareth Christ to an expert Musician therefore, such as Terpander never was, I add, and such as David himself, that sweet singer of Israel, never was; For he p. 70sings new songs of mercy still, and hath new kindes of modes, and variety of comfortable speeches still to fill our hearts and ears with new Songs of mercy still; because his mercy endureth for ever. David is much spoken of for his sweet lesson penned down in Psal. 136. and compared by some to a Nightingale for it; because he so doubles and trebles in it, as a Nightingale doth, when she is upon a sweet tone and note; repeating the same note of ever-during mercy, twenty fix times one after another, for so often he saith it, For his mercy endureth for ever, his mercy endureth for ever, his merey endureth for ever, &c. But the best of musitians, which is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, how often doth he repeat over and over his sweet songs of mercy, how he doubles and trebles when he is in that tone! I dare say, he saith it a thousand thousand times over to a thousand thousand souls; nay, he uttereth new songs still, both by his Servants and Prophets, and by himself, changing his Note a thousand times. One while he saith, I will be such a ones Father, and he shall be my Son; If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my mercy shall not be taken away from him, 2 Sam. 7.14, 15. Another while he saith, when he hath been a little while angry with us, and forsaken us, For a little moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee: In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, p. 71Isa. 54.6, 7. Another time, Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, saith the Lord, Jer. 3.1. As if he should say; and I will receive thee into the armes of my mercy, though many be the sins wherein thou didst relapse, and fall back again into the same sink of sin, which my soul abhorreth. And another time, when out of frailty the soul is gone in to Bathsheba, and hath dallied with lust, and played the wanton, even after illumination, as David, but now is wheeling about, and cries Peccavi, saying, with the same David, I have sinned against the Lord, and done foolishly; therefore, Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, 2 Sam. 12.13. 2 Sam. 24.10. Psal. 51.1. Then, and in such a case, he cometh either himself and saith, The Lord also hath taken away thy sin, thou shalt not die, or sends a Nathan to tell that poor soul so much, 2 Sam. 12.13. But I say again, and cannot say it too often, that I do not mention all these wonders of mercy, to animate any of the Sons of Belial in their presumption upon these great and to be admired mercies of the Lord Jesus; No, no; but I must now after all this, knock oft their fingers from laying hold thereon, as I did formerly, and tell them to their very faces plainly and boldly, that Christ is not only like a Musician making pleasant musick with his sweetest mercies, but also like a Bee, which, as it hath it sweet **Bern. Misericordia Dei melli, justitiavero aculeo comparatur.honey, so a p. 72sting to sting him that provokes it; for so he hath his honey, which is his mercy; but withal his sting, which is his justice or anger, wherewith he stings and plagueth and punisheth such as provoke him with and by their wicked courses, according to that dreadful saying, Deut. 29.19. And it comes to pass, when he hears these words, &c. and he bless himself in his heart, Procul ite, prophani!saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not spare him; but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousie shall smoak against that man, and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from ander heaven. And, Isa. 27.10. He that made them will not have mercy-upon them.

3. The seasonableness of it. Besoved, a thing may be comfortable and yet not seasonable; as for example, a cold cup of water may be comfortable in a journey, and to a traveller, but not in a feaver, and to a febriciant; but this sitting under the shadow of mercy is both comfortable and seasonable, for it refresheth us both in our travelling to heaven; and when we are like Febriciants in a grievous heat, being sinsick and set on fire, as it were by the burning wrath of of the God of heaven: Or thus, when journeying for heaven, we are ready to faint, because great is our fear that we shall be tired, before ever heaven will by us be acquired, to quail away, because long is out p. 73way, to fall down because Gods wrath is against us, which from heaven is revealed, Rom. 1.18. and from him cometh down; then how seasonable as well as comfortable is Christs mercy, and our sitting down under the shadow of it! even as another shadow is to another creature, when it is scorched, and grievously inflamed with another calor? So that I do not press upon you an unse asonable thing, but that which is as seasonable as any thing; and as for you, I know you are all for that which is seasonable. For, do not ye usually say as well as Solomon, Eccles. 3.1. There is a season for all things; and this is a season for such a thing, and we will take it; and will ye not take this season, and lay hold on this seasonablness? Oh my brethren, can there be a greater seasonableness for you, to be taken by you, I ask ye? For, to give ye some few Instances more besides the former,

1. Is it not seasonable for us to do a thing, when it is high time to do it? and is it not high time for you to wheel about, as I taught you formerly, and to turn to God; to come away from sin for God, and by faith to sit down under the shadow of the mercy of God? Have ye not put that very thing off as much as any thing, from year to year, from monethmonth to monethmonth, from day to day, whilst almost every day doth say, every day.

p. 74I will to morrow, then I will,

I will be sure to do it;

To morrow comes, to morrow goes,

And still thou art to do it.

Thus still Repentance is defer'd,

From one day to another,

Ʋntil the day of death is come,

And Judgement is the other.

And is it not high time then, and a seasonable thing for you to hearken to me in this thing? O defer it no longer, but take this season; be no longer like Ravens, whose voice is, Cras, cras, to morrow, to morrow; but like Doves, whose voice is, Now, now. And more especially be like Christs Dove in Cant. 2.14. O my dove that art in the clifts of the Rock. And as that is said to be in the clifts of the Rock, that is, in Christs blessed wounds, who is thy Rock, 1 Cor. 10.4. So be you also perswaded upon true repentance, and by faith, to get into the same clifts, or wounds of Christ our Rock for shadow, for in Christs wounds there is also a shadow, even an over-shadowing shadow of mercy, of pity, of compassion, for our unspeakable consolation. Some can speak of it from their own experience, what mercy they have found in these clifts, these wounds of Jesus Christ. I knew a man in Christ, who having been tossed a whole night about his Election, went p. 75next morning, being the Lord's day, to a godly Minister, and opened his case to him, who told him as once Staupitius told Luther, in the like case; Brother, be of good Comfort, in the wounds of Christ thy Name is written; whereupon that man, though before he could not believe, nor receive any comfort at all, was immediately ravished with unspeakable Consolation. And therefore like so many Doves, get ye now forthwith to these clifts, and hide your selves in these wounds, crying as once those Hierosolomitans did, saying, Hosanna in the highest, that is, now save us thou that art in the highest, Mat. 21.9. And now, shew us thy salvation, and now, have mercy on us, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out our transgressions, Psal. 51.1. Thus make haste, and be not by any means like Felix, who said to Paul, Go thy way, when I have convenient season, I will call for thee, Acts 24.25. For can there be a more convenient season for this than this? I press this haste the oftener, because there is great need of it, most men spoiling themselves by delayes.

2. Again, Is it not seasonable for us to betake our selves to the shadow of Christs mercy, for Mercy; when it is with us, as it was with Niniveh in the dayes of Jonah, when the Lord had said concerning it, yet fourty dayes, and Niniveh shall be overthrown, Jonah 3.4. and when Jonah sate on the East-side of the City and made him a booth, and sate under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become p. 76of the City, Jonah 4.5. For, is it not to be feared that the Lords decree is gone forth, that except we repent, and flee to his mercy for Refuge, a great part of Christendome within such a time, will be overthrown? Is not the great Turkish Army entered the Christian Territories? Doth not the grand Signior threaten us with a general Devastation? And is it not seasonable then for us to sit, I will not say on the East-side of Niniveh, or under the shadow of the Booth as Jonah did to see what will become of Niniveh, but under the shadow of Christs mercy, crying and saying, Lord, what will become of poor Christendome, if thou at this time hold thy peace? Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy biritage to Reproach, that the Heathen should Rule over them: wherefore should they say among the People, Where is their God? Joel 2.13. Ah Lord, for Zions sake, hold not thy peace, but shew us thy compassion; for we know thee, and knew the long before now, that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth thee of evil; Jonah, 4.2. And thou Lord knowest, that as in Niniveh there were sixscore thousand, so in Christendome many thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also, we will not say, much cattell, but many precious Saints, and sons of Sion, which cry to thee day and night, saying, Will not the Lord have mercy on Sion? will he not make Jerusalem a glory in all the earth? Is not the time near come for Jerusalem's walles to be built up, p. 77Psal. 51.18. Is not the time near come, which the Lord spake of by his servants the Prophets, saying, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foandation with saphyres, and I will make thy windowes of Agates, and thy Gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones, Isa. 54.11, 12. O do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion, build thou up the walls of Jerusalem, Psal. 51.18.

3. Is it not seasonable for us to get us under the shadow of mercy, for mercy, when we are forsaken of God, as we are almost every day, Nay, are it may be, this very day; and shall not we go and cry to the Lord for mercy? saying every one of us that are so forsaken, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Psal. 22.1. O have mercy upon me, and, make haste my Beloved, and be like a Roe, or a young heart upon the mountains of spices, Cant. 8.14. that is, return as quickly as a young Hart, or Roe doth run, and let thy mercy also as speedily Return, and come with thee upon thy Saints; which like mountaines of spices, send forth their Redolent sent, and whose sent therefore is most sweet, and whose sweet prayers for Mercy, are like the sweet murmurs of Turtles in the clests of a Rock, when they are left by their fellowes, as the Saints also many times are; according to that sore-mentioned most famous Scripture, For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken, and greived in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God, Isa. 54.6.

p. 784. Consider the Rareness of it. Shadowes are for men and beasts, but some beasts are not for shadowes, but rather for the shining Sun: so though mercy is for all, Rom. 11.32. yet are not all for mercy, Rom. 2.4, 5. but one here, another there, is for it. Most men are rather for the pleasant Sun-shine of sinful delights, and of the sensual pleasures of sin for a season, Heb. 11.25. Rara avis in terris; he is a rare bird upon the earth, that cares for those mercies of Heaven; For not one of a thousand that doth; for though God be willing to shew mercy to thousands, not being willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance, 2 Pet. 3.9. whereby it plainly appeareth, that I do not perswade you to a thing which is vulgar, ordinary, common, but to one which is singular, extraordinary, and, as I shewed but now, exceeding rare. Now, are we not all for rare things, Rare meets, rare sights, rare seats? Beloved, had you lived in the dayes of Moses, when the mercy-seat was up, Exod. 25.17. from which the Lord was wont to shew mercy to his people; how willing would you have been to see it, and to make towards it, to have Mercy shewn you from it, there being but one such mercy-seat in all the world? Well, we also have such a mercy-seat the rarest also in all the world, called, The Throne of Grace, Heb. 4.16. a Seat or Throne, not made as that was of pure gold; but pure love, like Solomons chariot Cant. 3.20. Again, a seat, not having two cubits and a half for its length, and a cubit and a half for its breadth, as that, ibidem; but of p. 79an infinite, both length and breadth, as you have formerly heard; and should we not therefore be all for this rare seat? should we not turn our faces (all of us) towards it, as the Cherubims there did look with their faces one to another, and so towards that mercy-seat? and as the faces of the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel, were to be towards the same mercy-seat, as it is there required, vers. 20. Toward the mercy-seat, shall the Faces of the Congregation be. And should we not even run now to that Throne of grace; and seat of mercy, and sit, I will not say upon it (that belongs to God) but under it, and under the shadow of it, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in a time of need, Heb. 4.16. O my Brethren, Let us be such rare birds, as those are who so are for Christs mercy, as I have shewn. David, did count the swallow, and the sparrow happy, for that they could have their Nests so near God's Altar, Psal. 84.3. And will not you be happy also, think you, if you may be so near this mercy-seat, as I have shewn, and there make your Nests? O yes, you may be as happy both as they, and as those who dwell in Gods house, doubtless, vers. 5. Beloved this my God put into my mind, as I was upon the practice of this duty, in my private devotions, before I had penned the same, and me thought it was exceeding sweet to me, and it did make me even mourn for the delight and joy which I took in it; and therefore I would not by any meanes omit it, but resolved to press it, and so accordingly p. 80do now press it upon every one of you, that heares or reads these words, saying; O this very day, let every one of you be like those little Birds, the swallow and the sparrow, which so near God's Alter made their Nests, and had a place there to sit; and sing & make your Nest, as near as you may to that rarest Mercy seat, which I but now spake of, and there sit, as birds under the shadow of a Tree, and in their Nests, so you under that great Tree of life which is Christ, and under his blessed shadow, where your Nests ought to be, and there sing as the said little birds, I will not say, some confused songs as they do, but songs of Mercy, Psal. 101.1.

5. The Delightfulness of it. For, thy comforts delight my soul, Psal 94.9. All Rare things are delightful you know, and so was this rare sitting to Christ's Spouse; for saith she, I sate under his shadow with great Delight. Beloved, you know what a delight Jonah took in his sitting under the shadow of his booth, and under the shadow of his gourd, So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, Jonah 4.5, 6. Now, if it was such a delight to him, to sit under such a booth; and there under such a gourd which continued but till next morning, v. 7. O how delightful must needes this sitting be under the shadow of Christs mercy, which endureth for ever, and neither doth nor can wither away, as Jonahs gourd did, and makes infinitely more shadow and delight for our souls than that gourd could make for Jonahs head; and will not you sit down under it, and pray to Christ that you may. O go, go my Brethren, and pray heartily that as p. 81God made that gourd to come over his head, to be a shadow to him, so he will cause his mercy to come over, and for your souls, to be a shadow to them, and a delight to them, and so sit down there-under, as Jonah under the shadow of his gourd; and that now presently, being therein also like Jonah, which signifieth a Dove, whose tone is Now, as you have heard. But hereof more hereafter when I come to the Land of Delight.

6 Consider the needfulness of it; and that in regard of,

1. This Life.

2. The Life to come.

1. In regard of this Life; and that again upon six accounts.

1. Upon the account of Experimental knowledge. For without this sitting you can have none, so as to say experimentally from it, as the Spouse here said, I sate under his shadow with great delight. And as Isa. 25.4. Thou hast been a shadow from the heat. Without it, my Brethren, the greatest of Scholars, when they have run thorow all sorts of Arts and Scien…es, and have been Peripateticks, and Academicks, I know not how long, yet are but Scepticks, and stand like Janus in the field of knowledge.

2. Without it I do not see what you can do in fiery tryals and under grievous persecutions, when a shadow of mercy is more worth than p. 82a house full of money. Beloved, do not you see, how in a very hot summer season, when that burning Torch, the Sun I mean, throweth down its flaming beames, like flames of fire upon men and beasts; beasts do run to shadows, as not being able to endure such fervent throws. Answerably whereunto, I say, souls are not able to suffer such heats, unless they may then meet with such shadow-seats, or sittings, which are to be had under Christ. Christ himself did therefore so joyn himself in company with those three harmless Children in the fiery Furnace, Dan. 3.25. because he knew that without him and his mercy, they would never be able comfortably to bear and to suffer that grievous burning heat, which was in that fiery furnace, whereinto they were cast, it having been heated seven times more than it was wont to be heat, vers. 9. And I have **Theodor. Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 10.Sir 50:3read of a very holy Confessor, called Theodorus, who suffered under Julian the Apostate; and being hanged naked upon the Gallows, was most grievously whipt with thongs, from morning to night, and so taken down and kept in iron chaines; that when he was let down some did ask him, what pain he felt when he was so cruelly used? and that his answer was, That at first he felt a little pain, but after that one did appear to him, who with a cooling, p. 83soft linnen cloath did continually wipe his face from the drops of that sweat which appeared upon his face; and that when his Tormentors left off beating of him, it was rather a grief than pleasure to him; because he that so eased him of his pain, during his suffering, did also then depart from him: so that the comforting mercy of Christ, and our sitting under the shadow of it, is absolutely necessary, under grievous sufferings and persecutions.

3. So without it, how can ye bear Gods wrath? when Christ himself had his conflict with his Fathers wrath, he had need of an Angel to come down from heaven to comfort him, Luke 22.43. & do you think to luctate with the same wrath, without that Angel of the Covenant, Christ himself, with his mercies, to comfort you? What saith the Church, It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed; because his compassions fail not, Lam. 3.22. It is said of Jonah, that when the Sun did shine hot upon his head, his gourd, which was such a comfort to him, being gone and withered, he fell into this pittiful pang of discontent, which made him wish in himself to die, and to say, It is better for me to die than to live, Jonah 4.8. So when this shadow of mercy is gone, as that of Jonah's gourd, and the wrath of God like the burning Sun, shines fervently upon our hearts, as that other Sun upon p. 84his head, we will wish rather to die than live; nay, be ready to curse the very day of our birth, as once Job 3.3. So that upon this account also, we cannot want Christs mercy.

4. And is it possible for ye (think ye) to hold out without it, in so many hard and longlasting journeys w^ch you must make, & labours w^ch you must undertake for heaven, & be accepted? No, no. Quod caret aiterna requie, durabile non est; That is, that which wants alternal rest, cannot be durable. As for example, the painful labourer cannot stand to his work, and do it to an end, unless he sit down sometimes. So the weary Traveller cannot hold out in his journey, to his journeys end, unless he rest between. No more can you go thorow such a world of duties, as lie upon you to be run thorow by you; nor do such a multitude of work, as is to be done of you, unless you sit down now and then under the shadow of Christs grace and mercy; Mercy being the way, by which we go up to God, and do good, as **Petr. Loml. dist. 46. l. 4. fol. 391.one saith well, for God. I laboured more abundantly than you all, saith Paul; but how could ye do so much work blessed Paul? Yet not I, saith he, but the grace of God, which was with me, 1 Cor. 15.10. And therefore seeing we have this ministry, which requireth a world of work to be done by us, as we have obtained mercy we faint not, 2 Cor. p. 854.1. Mark, we faint not; and how comes this? through mercy, saith he, so that without Christs great mercy, we can never, hold out in duty in that respect; and besides that in another also; in that, as I hinted at it first, your duties without it, will not be accepted, that you may be saved; For, not by works which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, Tit. 3.5. which caused a holy Writer to say, wo to the laudible life of man, if it be judged without mercy; which is no more than holy David said before him. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand (though he be never so holy) Psal. 130.3. but then mark, what followeth, But there is forgiveness with thee, vers. 4. that is, forgiving mercy.

5. Especially in that weighty duty of praying and praying in faith, Jam. 1.5. For then we take the greatest journey which we have to undertake, we go to do the hardest work which we have to undergo; we set our selves to discharge the difficultest of all dutyes, which do beset us; we impose upon our poor weak shoulders the heaviest of all services which God doth propose to be done by us; and unless mercy help us to bear what we take upon us to bear, though we had the shoulders of Atlas, we shall never be able to bear it but rather shal be necessitated to forbear; for Mercy must then help, Heb. 4.16. Beloved, when a man prayeth as he ought, he accuseth p. 86himself, arraigneth himself, condemneth himself, according to 1 Cor. 11.31. Luk. 15.19. And such is his charge wherewith he chargeth his soul, as that he is even ready to sink down under the heavy wrath of God, which he feeleth in his soul, and with the terrours of the Almighty, which like arrowes stick in his heart; especially when he hath met with many frowns from Jehovahs angry countenance, and with much of his indignation, before he betook himself to prayer and supplication; and whenas he is in prayer, God is angry with his very prayet, Psal. 80.4. then it goeth hard indeed; and that maketh him cry out in prayer, and to say, Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. And, I am afflicted, and ready to dy from my youth; whilest I suffer thy terrours I am distracted; thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrours have cut me off, Psal. 88.7, 15, 16. So that Mercy, upon this account, is absolutely necessary, in prayer especially; insomuch that there is is scarce a prayer made by any gracious soul, which is not fraighted with petitions for mercy, after the most perfect patterns of Davids prayers wherein he did so frequently, and fervently cry to God for mercy; as you may see throughout the whole body of his Psalmes; which generally do flow, yea, over-flow like the main sea, with Requests of mercy, so that I may boldly say, that I know not a more usefuller, and needfuller p. 87thing in prayer, than asking of mercy; insomuch as that I, for my part, do always desire to spend the greater part of a solemn prayer in petitioning for mercy. Cry mercy, therefore my Brethren, above all things▪ and that in faith, when you speak to God in prayer; as thus, making use of something already mentioned upon another account, and some other besides; Lord, I have read, that when thou didst hang upon the Tree of the Cross, thou didst cry, and say, I thirst, John. 19.28. Thirsting after my souls salvation: and as thou didst then thirst after that, so do I now thirst, in this heat, after thee the Tree of Life, and the Water of Life, and thy Compassion; O when shall I be satisfied, and have this my great thirst quenched? O Now, now. Or thus, Lord, I have read, how thou didst once drown the Egyptians in the Red Sea, thereby shewing mercy to thy people, which else they would have destroyed, Exod. 14.27. O let my fins now, be like those Egyptians, and let them also be drowned in the Red Sea of thy great mercy mingled with thy precious blood, which will make it red indeed; and let both even cover them all, as many as they be, as the great Sea covereth all those infinite sands that are in the bottom of it, according to thy holy Word, which saith, and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea, Micah 7.19. Or thus, Enter not into judgement with thy servant, p. 88for in thy sight shall no man living be justified; namely, without mercy, Psal. 143.2. And therefore, O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me, Psal. 86.16. And in thy wrath, remember mercy, Hab. 3.2. Or thus, Lord, I have heard thy servant say, that in comparison of thy great mercy, all my sins are but like a spark of fire to the great Ocean; and therefore now, O my God, have mercy upon me, according to the multitude of thy compassions, and let my great, and grievous, and innumerable transgressions, be like a spark to thy great mercy, and let it, even now, forth-with, immediately quench the same, that they be no more seen. Or thus, cry with the woman of Canaan, and say, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David (who have sinned after the similitude of David) Matth. 11.22. For though I went not properly in unto Bathshebah, and did not slay, as he did, Ʋriah; yet have I gone in unto the sin of Lust, and Lasciviousness, and Wantonness, committed with mine eyes, or speeches, or imaginations; and likewise have slain my brother, with whom I have been rashly angry, and whom I have hated, 1 John 3.15. And then go on; and whereas she said, My daughter is grievously vexed of the Devil, ibidem, say thou, for else my poor soul will be grievously vexed of the Devil, namely, in hell fire for ever. Again, say, Lord have mercy upon me, and help me, vers. 25. And, Turn me, and I p. 89shall be turned, Jer. 31.18. O my God, turn me and make me of thy great mercy to come away from the tops of Shenir, and of Hermon, and Amana, even from the lusts of my flesh, from the lusts of mine eyes, and from my pride of life, and from all that sinful company which formerly hath been so dear to me, and from all my fierce and Leonine anger, and from all my Leopard-like dissembling, hatred, falshood and hypocrisie, I humbly pray thee. Some haply will blame me for enlarging my self so, in these motives, both for so many sub-divisions, and such repetitions, and large inculcations of some things already and formerly pressed; but I must desire such to attribute it partly to my much enlarged affections, which in the studying of this great point, did so carry me out, even beyond my purpose; and partly to a kind of boldness which I took from others, who did the like, as they may see in Mr. Baxters Everlasting Rest, especially in the fourth and fifth motives. And Mr. Bolton in his Direct. for right comforting afflicted Consciences, p. 25.

6. In a word, **Nullus miser de quantacunque miseseria liberatur, nisi qui Dei misericordia praevenitur. Concil. Araus. c. 2. Con. 14.without it you can't be freed from any misery, evil, or destruction whatsoever, Lam. 3.22.

2. In regard of the Life to come. Some things are p. 90vallued in one Country, but not in another; as for Example, Gold is much esteemed in our Countrey, but not in another: For there is a **Helin.Country, wherein they make so little reckoning of it, as that they make letters and mannacles for prisoners of it. Again in Solomons dayes, silver was no more made of than stones, 1 Kings 10.27. and yet in our days it is enough made of. But the mercy of Christ is, and will be esteemed, not only upon earth, in our Countrey, but also in the Heavenly, not only in our dayes, but to all eternity with the Ancient of dayes. We have a notable place for this; 2 Tim. 1.18. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy on that day; namely, of Judgment. Mark, mercy will do us pleasure, and be needfull for us in the very day of Judgement, when Judgement will be kept in righteousness, when righteousness will be extended to all, when all shall come naked and bare before Christs dreadfull Tribunal, to give an account of all that which they have done, when all that which they have done shall come to light. For all things discovered, are mademanifest by the light, Eph. 5.13. And when a manifestation of mercy will be more worth, than this whole worlds Signory: and therefore, O the need which then we shall have of mercy; that we may not, as those which here have shewn no mercy, be judged p. 91without mercy; but rather, mercy may rejoyce against judgement, Jam. 2.13. By this you may all conceive, what use there is and will be, after this life is ended, to bring poorsouls to heaven, and how those that are now in heaven came to heaven; namely, by Christs infinite mercy and merits only. So that if any of us rapt up, like Paul into heaven, were permitted to view all those glorious and crowned Kings, stiled Saints, wearing their several Diadems, and Aureolaes, which are in heaven, were allowed to ask every one of them, how he came to heaven, they would all with one consent answer him, and say, as the Apostle, Not by works of righteousness which we have done: but according to his mercy he saved us, Tit. 3.5. And, It is the Lords Mercy that we were not damned. And thereas you desire to be saved, and to sit down with Ahraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, Mattb. 8.11. be perswaded now to sit down under the shadow of the great mercy of Jesus Christ, who is the King of heaven. Or thus let me say unto you, according to that notable saying in the Gospel, to be spoken to one, who being bid to a wedding, sits down in the lowest room, Friend go up higher, Luke 14.10. So Friends, sit higher, namely, under the shadow of the highest Majesty, for hitherto you sat too where you sate, in that you were too much addicted to, and set upon the things here p. 92below, which are too low for your heaven-born spirits, and did not mind at all their sitting down in the kingdome of heaven above, nor that sitting down under the shadow of Christs sweetest mercy, which befits you better.

But I desire to come to a final conclusion and period of this most comfortable conclusion.

Beloved, shall I entreat you now to be ruled? shall I prevail with you after all this? or must more Arguments be used for you to be induced to sit down under the shadow of Christs mercy, besides all those which have been produced? I hope there is no need of it; but that you will be won by so much of Reason as hath been given, to give over resisting, and that from henceforth you will be insisting on the things so fully discovered; that Christs sweetest mercy by every one of you may be recovered; for why should ye stand it out any longer? Have ye never heard many a man say? I am weary with standing, I must sit down? and are not you weary of standing too? Me-thinks you should be, for have ye not stood, and stood it out long enough already? O let me beseech you dear Christians that you will sit down once, and stand no longer, nor stand it out no longer against such clear Convictions, Argumentations, and perswasions used; but this very day wherein you hear his voice in his Ministry, you will yeeld and submit to the evidence of truth, and demonstration p. 93on of Gods holy Spirit, and so rest your selves under the shadow of his wings, that you may be able to say truly, this day I sate down under the shadow of my Saviours mercy with great delight. I will use no more sailes where now I am, to wit, in this Sea of matter▪ being now bound and bent to the Land; I will strike sail, and make toward that Shore where my business mostly lieth, and so get into that Haven of rest which is now before me, there to rest a little while, and afterward I will go ashore, the shore I mean of delight; and the Lord be my good speed, when I shall be there, that I may do well there, whilst I do well there, you trading with me, and I with you, to make you partakers and sharers of that great delight, which is the Merchandise of that pleasant Land; Unto which I pray God now to bring both you and me, to our hearts content. Amen, So be it.

The Third Observation is,

There is an exceeding great delight to be taken in Christ. Or,

The delight which a gracious soul doth, and we also may take in Christ, is exceeding, and will be exceeding great.

See Psal. 73.25. Psal. 94.19. Mal. 3.1. For the illustration whereof, I shall propose and resolve these Six following Problems.

p. 94The First is, How this delight in strictnesse differs from joy?

The Second is, Whether this joy be so great, that it may be called the best among men?

The Third is, Whether we may not take delight in Creatures too?

The Fourth, Whether natural delight may not be as great, yea greater?

The Fifth, Wherein this great delight consists?

The Sixth, Why this delight is so exceeding great?

To the First, I answer; That delight is of a larger Extension than joy, for delight is a **Avicen.Genus to joy, which is a Species of it. To the Second thus; That this Question had not been moved, if it had not been for **Platonici.some who have denyed it, that such a delight may be among men, as may be called best, taking best in the abstract, and delights to be generations, and imperfect motions, which will not hold in intellectuals; so that we therefore are bold to hold the Affirmative, because that which is best in every thing is the ultimate end, which is God, pro re, for the thing, who is the best; and, pro usu, or for use. The fruition of God, which cannot be without a delight, so great as that it may well be called the hest among men. For what is God? Is he not the p. 95Ocean of all true consolation, the joy of a godly mans life, the life of his joy, the strength, the stay, the basis, the spring, the fountain of all his refreshments?

To the Third, I answer; That according to the delight which is called minor, or the lesser, we may take delight in Creatures also, as you may see, Psal. 16.2. but not according to that which is called major, or the greater here treated on, we neither may nor must, for that is reserved to God, Psal. 37.4.

2. By another Distinction, That there is a delectation which we call a prime, or primary, and a secondary.

1. Primary, As that which is to be taken in God, and is also reserved for God, so as that according to it we may say as Christ, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, &c. So, First delight your selves in God, Matth▪ 6.33.

2. A Secondary, As that in Psal. 1.3. According to which in the second place, we may take delight in other things as Saints, and in the Law of God; But his delight is in the Law of the Lord.

To the Fourth, I answer; No. But simply, and of and in it self spiritual delight is greater than any natural or corporal, though it may be more **Aq. 1.2. q. 31.vehement, as being better known to the sences, and accompanied with p. 96a corporal transmutation: My reason is, because there are three things required to delight.

1. The Adjunct, Good.

2. That whereto it is joyned.

3. The Conjunction it self.

But all these are greater in Spiritual delight, than in any Natural; because a Spiritual good is greater than a Natural, forasmuch, as for it, the other, I mean the Natural, is vilipended. Again, the intellective faculty of the Soul is more noble than the sensitive.

The Conjunction it self, more intimate and inward, because the Intellect doth not onelyonly touch but penetrate all, even with ease; and it is more firme too, because spiritual goods are incorruptible, and not like corporal, corruptible, 1 Pet. 1.18.

To the Fifth, I answer; That this great delight consists,

1. In much motion.

2. In much dilatation.

1. Mach Motion. Every delight is a **Aqu. 1.2. q. 3. a. Est motus animae.Motion, but not every delight so great a Motion. Motion, you will sav, How can this be? Doth not Delight bring quietness rather than Motion? I answer, Yes. And yet there remaines after that an immutation in the Soul, for which it is called a Motion. True p. 97it is, that Motion ceases, according to the Execution of means, when the end is obtained, for which such and such meanes were used; but it ceaseth not according to the intention of the end thereof, because, as we desire what we have not, so we delight in what we have: and do we not experimentally find it so? Is not the whole soul moved, and much moved with delight, especially, when it is exceeding great? Doth not the Intellect, or Understanding stand frighted with the superlative, and most pleasant Idea's of purest delight? Doth not the Will bend and bow it self to that, when once true delight is entred? Are not our Affections transported when this delight is imported? On Beloved, did we but behold the inside of that man in whom this great delight is centred, we should see his very heart leap, his spirits dance, his mind change, because of so great a change.

2. In much dilatation. For a Saint, being much delighted, doth then much ampliate and enlarge his heart, that it may abundantly, sully, perfectly enjoy that highest good, which it is so delighted with; and so this dilatation is nothing else but a motion to this satitude, which it tends to, and which becometh competent to delight, Metaphorically, in two respects.

1. In respect of the apprehensive faculty of the Soul; whereby is apprehended the conjunction duplicate page p. 96duplicate page p. 97p. 98of that good which is convenient for it, which is its Spiritual perfection and magnitude, according to which the soul is said to be dilated, and magnified.

2. In respect of the affective power of the soul, which doth acquiesce and rest in the delectable good, which it is delighted with, and even inwardly penitrates into, and so consequently doth so dilate it self, that it may contain and hold the same, and please it self excessively and abundantly thereby. For then, Oh the delectation which there is then perceived when the soul is so dilated! The enlargements which Saints then find in their before straightened spirits, do even infinitely transcend all the blandishments of this present world, being such and so great, as that no tongue can utter them, no pen describe them, no natural heart conceive them.

To the Sixth Probleme, I answer; That this delight is so exceeding great.

1. Because of the rise and spring from which, and with which it cometh.

2. Because of the Manner, after which cometh.

3. Because of the season in which usually it cometh.

1. Because of the rise, from which, and with which it cometh. For it riseth from so vast and large p. 99an **Tho. Aqu. 1.2. q. 31. Est affectio procedens ex apprehensione boni prasentis.apprehension of the chiefest good, as transcends any ordinary capacity, and ascends up to the highest majesty. Beloved, shall I tell you what is in my mind? when I look upon this rise of this great delight, me-thinks I see an Ocean of all delectables before me; because of that confluence of all that truly good is, which this delight springs from, and which in a manner it containeth; for it followeth, as I told you formerly, the apprehension of the highest good, in which are concentred all delectable and good things that can be imagined. Now what a great, vast, big thing the main Ocean is, and so consequently, that concavity which contains it, many of us, Marriners especially, do know. Semblably whereunto we may wel conceive also, what a great thing this great delight must be, which comes from such a Sea of delectables to us, and so (Phil. 3.12.) apprehends the great God, who is that great and chiefest good to be apprehended by us. Oh it must needs be ineffably great, transcendently great, admirably great. O Souls, consider what I say, and see that you may be even ravished with this great delight, and that great and incomparable good, which it apprehendeth, together with all the desirables with which it cometh, they being such as, Non p. 100possunt reticeri, nec recitari; that is, may not be concealed, nor recited.

2. Because of the manner after which it cometh; for it cometh overwhelmingly, being like comforts which come so; as you may see; 2 Cor. 1.5. So our consolation also aboundeth by Christ, or floweth over, as the **foreign, Superfluit.Original hath it. Beloved, if the Ocean Sea should break over all its banks and bounds, how would it come pouring in with all its waves, and waters, and overwhelm us all! just so doth this great delight, which cometh after such a manner as I have shewn, overflow us, as coming from God with God, and ascending up even over us to God; as all the Rivers in the world run into the Sea, and so return to the place from whence the Rivers come, according to that famous Scripture, Eccles. 1.7. Hence I say it is, that this delight is so exceeding great, because it cometh so pouring in upon us and into us, like the great Sea; which caused once a **Ephrem.holy man to say when he felt this great delight, and the joy of it. O my God forbear, for I am not able to bear this joy, it is so exceeding great. And when **Manchester ab Mundo.Seveniaanus the Indian Saint was recovering from sickness, he was heard say, O my God, do not for pitty so overjoy p. 101me; If I must still live and have such consolations, take me to Heaven. This he spake being overwhelmed with this great delight.

3. Because of the season in which it usually commeth; as namely in, or after great and superabounding tribulations, 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. When height of heat, and heaviness of heart do concenter, when hell and horror our soules do enter; when scorchings & scourgings of tongues assail us, when friends and favourers fail us; when nothing but anguish and affliction is before us, and wrath and woe hang over us; when our Canicular dayes, which of all the dayes of the year, are the hottest, are come for us; that is, when our mourning time begins to commence, and our singing time is gone hence; then, and therefore this delight comes to be so great by the wise ordering of our great God; because our trouble and tribulation is also great; according to that fore-cited Scripture, 2 Cor. 1.4, 5.