The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. God incomparable in his Word, as it is converting, affrighting and comforting.
3. GOD is incomparable in the effects of his Word: His Words are Works, they are operative, as well as declarative of his Pleaſure. What he ſpeaketh hath Power and Vertue in it, as well as Weight and Value.
1. It is efficacious in converting the Soul: The word of God can ſtop the tide of nature, when it runneth with the greateſt violence; yea, it can turn it the quite contrary way: Let a man be in the height of his Strength, in the heat of his Youth, ruffling and buſsling among the Sparks of the times, taking a large draught of carnal Pleaſures, and having a full guſt of ſenſual Delights, making his whole life but a diverſion from one Pleaſure to another, (as if he were ſent into the Earth, as Leviathan into the waters, only to play and ſport there,) when this man is in his beſt eſtate, in the Zenith of Health and Strength, in the Meridian of his Age, promiſing himſelf a long day of life, and putting the day of death far from him, and thereby giving himſelf the more liberty to the ſervice of his Luſts; yet if the word of God come to this man, who ſucketh in Wind as the wild Aſſes Colt, it makes him pluck in his Plumes, bid adieu to his fooliſh Pleaſures, leave his moſt beloved Luſts, loath himſelf for ever loving them; it alters the man's Palat, that is bitter now which was ſweet before; and he cannot ſavour what formerly was his heaven and happineſs; it changeth the bent and frame of his heart, that now he forſaketh with deteſtation what formerly he followed after, as his onelyonly felicity and chiefeſt good; The wild man is tame, the obſtinate man is pliable, and the diſtracted man is recover'd to his wits, Pſal. 119.9. Men and Angels may perſwade, but God only can prevail. The words of Creatures may work for an outward reformation, but the word of God alone for an inward renovation: He only that made the Heart can mend it. Humane Counſels may do ſomewhat towards the hiding of the corruptions of Nature, but Divine inſtructions are only effectual for the healing of corrupted Nature: The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul, Pſal. 19.7. Converting the Soul; The Law of man may bind the Body to its good behaviour, but the Law of God alone can bring the Soul to its good behaviour. To turn a Lion into a Lamb, Darkneſs into Light, a Stone into Fleſh, Death into Life, (all which is done in converſion) can be effected by the Word of none but a God, Iſa. 11.8, 9, 10. Eph. 5.8. Ezek. 26. Eph. 2.1, & 5. No word but his can take a Cions off from its own natural ſtock, and ingraft it into a new ſtock, Rom. 11.17. James 1.21. 2 Cor. 10.4. Acts 2.41. Acts 4.4.
2. It is efficacious in affrighting the Sinner: He ſpeaks (not as Men or Angels, to the Ears only, but) to the hidden-man of the Heart, and ſhatters it in pieces; he plants, his Batteries of Threatnings, and Terrors, and Curſes, againſt the inward man of the Conſcience, and puts it into an Ague of trembling and ſhaking Fits, (as we ſee in Herod, Acts 24.27.) and levels it to the ground. This word in the mouth of a poor Priſoner at the Bar, frights the proud ſturdy Judge on the Bench. When God ſpeaks, he makes the beſt people afraid, and cry out, Let not God ſpeak to us, leaſt we die, and the beſt of that people exceedingly to quake and fear, Exod. 19.19. Heb. 12.21. The Voice of the Lord is terrible, it ſhaketh the Cedars of Lebanon, it ſhattereth the Oakes of Baſhan, Pſal. 29. Thoſe that were Monſters of Mankind for Cruelty and Barbarouſneſs, for Stupidity and Searedneſs, by his Word have been terrified in their Spirits, wounded in their Conſciences, cut to the Heart, and forced to call out, Sirs, What ſhall we do to be ſaved? Acts 2.37.
The moſt ſtubborn ſenſleſs Sinner, whom neither Mercies nor Miſeries could move or melt, who mocked at the Curſes of the Law, and the Wrath of the Lord; and as Leviathan laughed at the ſhaking of thoſe Spears, whom (as the man poſſeſſed with the Devil) no Cords could hold, no Chains could faſten, but he burſt all aſunder; when the Word of the Lord hath been ſpoken to him, inſtead of flying in his face (as formerly when men have ſpoken to him) he hath fallen down at his feet, been filled with fears and frights, felt the very Fire of Hell flaming in his conſcience, and become a very Magor Miſſabib, fear or terror to himſelf round about: The Word of God hath ſtuck in his Heart, as the Arrow in the ſide of the Buck, allowing no eaſe; whitherſoever he hath gone in the night, ſcaring him with Dreams, and terrifying him with Viſions; in the day admitting no reſt in his Fleſh, nor quietneſs in his Bones, forcing him in all Places, and in all Companies, ſtill to carry his Jaylour, his Tormentor, his Executioner, along with him; and at laſt, that he might eſcape a partial and temporal, to leap into a total, an eternal Hell: Ah, who knoweth the Power of his Anger? of his angry word; or is able to fear him according to his wrath, Pſal. 90.11. I may challenge every Man, every Angel, as God himſelf doth Job, Haſt thou an Arm like God? Canſt thou thunder with thy Voice like him, Job 40.9. If he utter his word of fury, the Rocks are rent in pieces, the moſt ſtony hearts are melted; the Mountains are moved, the higheſt and firmlieſt ſeated Sinners are ſhaken out of their places and ſenſes, the foundations of the World tremble and quake, the ſtrongeſt Pillars are troubled, the whole frame and body of Nature is affected with a Palſie; Pſal. 18.13. The Lord thundred in the Heavens, the higheſt gave forth his Voice, (what followeth?) Hail-ſtones and coals of fire.
3. It is efficacious in healing the wounded Spirit: When God takes the Sword of the Spirit into his own Hand, and wields it with his own Arm, it makes work, it makes wounds to purpoſe in the conſciences of men; the ſleepy Soul is now awakened, the ſecure Soul is now affrighted, the ſenſleſs Soul is now affected with his ſins and miſery, (Acts 2.37.) the man taſteth the bitterneſs of his original and actual corruptions, feeleth the weight of Divine fury and indignation, findeth the Poyſon to work in his Bowels, and wracking him with extremity of pain;Pſal. 38.4. Job 6.10 There is no reſt in his Fleſh, becauſe of God's anger; nor quiet in his Bones, becauſe of his ſins: The arrows of the Almighty are within him, and his terrors ſet themſelves in array againſt him. The unquenchable fire flaſheth in his face, and deſtruction (in his thoughts) is ready to lay hold of him; in this condition he knoweth not what to do,Prov. 18.14. for a wounded Spirit who can bear? He tryeth Creatures, but they can afford him no eaſe; Miſerable Comforters are they all to him, and Pyhſicians of no value: It's the ſame hand that wounded, that alone can cure him; it's the ſame word that bruiſed him, that muſt bind him up; let God but ſpeak to this Soul that is thus ſunk down into Hell, and it will be lifted up to Heaven: Fools, becauſe of their Iniquities and Tranſgreſſions, are afflicted, their Soul abhoreth all manner of meat (they are ſo ſick, that they can reliſh, take down nothing,) and they draw near to the gates of Death, (they are almoſt in, they are on the brink of Hell;) what courſe muſt be uſed for their cure? truly this, He ſent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their Deſtruction, Pſal. 107.17, 18, 19, 20. No Herb in the Garden of the whole World can do theſe diſtreſs'd Creatures the leaſt good. Friends may ſpeak, & Miniſters may ſpeak; yea, Angels may ſpeak, and yet all in vain; the wounds are incurable for all their words: But if God pleaſe to ſpeak, the dying Soul reviveth. His word is the onelyonly Balm that can cure the wounded conſcience; he ſendeth his Word and healeth them. Conſcience is God's Priſoner, he claps it in hold, he layeth it in fetters, that the iron enters the very Soul; this he doth by his word, and truly he onelyonly who ſhuts up, can let out; all the World cannot open the iron Gate, knock off the ſhackles, and ſet the poor Priſoner at liberty, till God ſpeak the word.
David profeſſed, he had quite fainted, had it not been for this Aqua vitae, this Cordial water; I had periſhed in my affliction, but thy word comforted me, Pſal. 119.92. The boiſtrous Billows went over my Soul, and I had ſunk in thoſe deep Waters, had not thy Word bore me up.