The Throne of Grace, Sermon 7
SERMON. VII.
HEB. IV. 16.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need.
THE laſt thing in this verſe is, What is to be had at the Throne of Grace, and what we ſhould come for. And that is, Mercy and Grace, and we need no more; and we ſhould come that we may obtain and find them, and we ſhould, in our coming, deſign no leſs.
Of the firſt I began to ſpeak laſt day, and did open theſe three things.
1. What is this mercy we ſhould come for. It's God's ſaving mercy in Chriſt, ſutable unto, and for relieving of that miſery that every natural man is periſhing under. Mercy in God, and miſery in man are Relatives; and happy is that perſon that hath them well married and matched together.
2. What is in this Phraſe, Obtaining of mercy. I told you that it implied three things. 1. That mercy is God's free Gift. We only come by it, becauſe he gives it. 2. That there is a perſonal particular Application of this mercy to the Obtainer of it. 3. That it is given as a Poſſeſſion, not as a Gift that may be recalled and retaken; but is given for an everlaſting Poſſeſſion. Whoever is made Partaker of God's ſpecial ſaving mercy, it ſhall never be taken from him, it ſhall never waſte, nor ſpend, nor wear out, but ſhall ſtay with him, follow him, and grow up with him to eternity. The Burden of that heaven-like Song, Pſal. 136. is 26 times repeated, for his mercy endureth for ever. How ſweetly will it be ſung from all the Manſions in Heaven, and by all the bleſſed Dwellers in them? O Give thanks to our God, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: Can you learn this Song? as the Word is, Rev. 14.3. Only the Redeemed of the Lord can ſay ſo; but all they ſhould ſay ſo, Pſal. 107.1,2. His mercy is moſt ſweet, a Crumb of it will ſave a ſtarving Soul; as Matth. 15.27. A large meaſure of it on Earth, is a Heaven: But the eternity of this mercy, is the mercy of this mercy. Time-mercies, in regard of this, are no mercies.
3. I ſpoke of the Deſign and End we ſhould have before us in coming to the Throne of Grace. Come that we may obtain mercy.
That which I would do at this Exerciſe, is to apply this Truth. And the Lord apply both Doctrine and Application.
And 1. I would put this Queſtion to your Conſciences and let them ſpeak as in God's ſight. Whether have ye obtained mercy or not? Can you ſay with Paul, but I obtained mercy? You muſt have it as well as he, and may know it as really as he did; though ye receave not ſo much, nor know it ſo clearly, as ſo great a Believer as Paul, did. See to get your Conſciences well reſolved in this main Caſe, that you may be able to give a peremptory anſwer. The Importance of this Queſtion is very obvious. Can a Man retire within, and look up to God, and conſider this, I am a miſerable Sinner in my ſelf, as all are, nothing but God's ſpecial mercy can relieve me: And not think it a matter of vaſt conſequence to know whether he hath obtained this mercy or no? Wo to them that never asked the Queſtion, and they are but in a ſorry caſe that cannot anſwer it.
I would propoſe a few things to enforce the Duty of trying your ſelves in this matter.
1. It is mercy you have been ſeeking. If ever you made any faſhion of Prayer, ſurely it was mercy you ſought; moſt of you, if not all, pray, at leaſt, ſometimes: Now, whenever you pray, unleſs you be wofully formal and ſtupid, your Conſciences muſt tell you, it is mercy you ſeek. Have you long and often begged God's mercy? and will ye never enquire, whether or not you have got it? None ask in earneſt, but they will try how they ſpeed. There is no ſurer and plainer Argument of trifling in Prayer, than when men are careleſs what they get by Prayer. We would be called of the Generation of them that ſeek God's Face; and ſhall we not enquire if we have found him? Our Lord bids us ask, that we may receave; and ſhall we ask, and not think of receaving? nor try if we have receaved?
2. A great many round you, have obtained mercy; therefore it becomes you to enquire whether you have obtained it. If the mercy of God were ſo very rarely diſpenſed, that none, if any, in an Age, did partake of it, this neglect would be a little more excuſable: But, when mercy falls round about thee, when one on thy Right Hand obtains Mercy, and another on thy Left Hand obtains Mercy, when this Mercy falls on ſome of the Family thou lives in, on ſome of the Congregation thou hears in, when this mercy falls on one that hath the ſame natural Parents that thou haſt; Will none of theſe things make you ask, Have I alſo obtained mercy? We find our Lord aggravating the miſery of the damned, by their ſeeing of the bleſſedneſs of the ſaved, Luke 13.28. There ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth, when ye ſhall ſee Abraham and Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you your ſelves thruſt out. A moſt dreadful Paſſage: Chriſt. is telling Men that were to be excluded from Heaven, what they would think, ſay, and do, in that diſmal Caſe. Prevent this Miſery in time, by enquiring whether you have obtained mercy. And do ſo the rather, that ye may ſee others partaking of this Mercy. When you ſee the ſaving mercy of God ſought and obtained by others, it ſhould provoke you greatly, not to envy them their ſhare, but to deſire a ſhare of your own; for there is enough and to ſpare. And the Lord doth ſhew mercy to ſome on purpoſe, that he may encourage others to come, and ask, and obtain. So Paul tells wherefore he got his Mercy. 1 Tim. 1.16. Howbeit, for this cauſe I obtained mercy, that in me firſt (or the chief) Jeſus Chriſt might ſhew forth all long-ſuffering, for a pattern to them, which ſhould hereafter believe on him, to life everlaſting. There were other ends Chriſt had in ſhewing mercy to Paul: The Lord ſhewed him mercy, that he might be ſaved eternally; he ſhewed him mercy, that he might be an able Miniſter of the new Teſtament, 2 Cor. 3.6. and a ſucceſsful Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 15.10. and the Church of Chriſt hath good Cauſe now for many Ages, to bleſs our Lord Jeſus for that rich mercy, which that choſen Veſſel obtained and was filled with. But the Apoſtle in that place, takes notice of another deſign of Chriſt's in his mercy to him, and that was, to ſet up Paul as a Pattern, and Copy of the Freedom, Riches, and Power of ſaving mercy. And Chriſt can, when he will, write another Copy, like Paul, and ſomewhat like it, he doth in all that he calls ſavingly. Eph. 2.4. Take in this Argument, many obtain mercy, and why not I? none deſerve it, yet many have it. None deſerve it leſs, and need it more than I: Why then not I? If you ſee the Lord ſhewing mercy to others, and you care not for mercy to your ſelves, how can you expect it, or think you have got it?
3. Inquire whether you have receaved God's ſaving mercy, becauſe this mercy is brought ſo near you, that it muſt either be receaved or refuſed; there is no midſt: No Man doth neither, no man doth both. All that have the offer of God's ſaving mercy in the Goſpel, do and muſt neceſſarily either receave or reject it. This ſhould make people inquire the more narrowly, whether they have obtained mercy. If ye have not obtained it, ye have refuſed it. Acts 13.46. It was neceſſary that the word of God ſhould firſt have been ſpoken to you; but ſeeing you put it from you, and judge your ſelves unworthy of everlaſting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. This laſt is a ſtrange Phraſe. I am perſwaded in the Lord, that no man ſhall ever get everlaſting life, that thinks himſelf worthy of it. It is always to be ſought by us, always given by the Lord, and always taken by the Receavers of it, as an Alms of Grace for Chriſt's ſake. Nothing ſurely was further from Paul's mind, than to have theſe fooliſh Jews to count themſelves deſerving of eternal life; or that on the account, either of their Priviledges or Works, they did or could deſerve Salvation at the hand of God. But all the Apoſtle meant was this; Everlaſting Life is brought near to you in this Word of the Goſpel, you put the Word from you, thereby you declare you are unwilling to receave everlaſting life, and God counts you unworthy of the Offer of it, and we will carry it to others, as he tells other Unbelieving Jews at Rome. Acts 28.28. Be it known to you, that the Salvation of God is ſent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Now for reſolving of this Queſtion, whether you have obtained ſpecial ſaving mercy, or not. This ſeems eaſily determinable. There is ſo great a difference betwixt that State of ſin and miſery, that mercy finds Men in, when it firſt viſits them, and that State that mercy brings them to; That we are apt to think the change may be eaſily known. See Eph. 2.1,18. Yet there are ſo many things that obſtruct, both them that have obtained mercy from owning it, and them that have not obtained it from acknowledging their want of it (of which I ſhall not now ſpeak) that ſearching is needful, and for your help in that work, I offer theſe few plain Marks.
1. A high value of ſpecial ſaving mercy above common mercy, is a good ſign of one that hath obtained ſaving mercy. There is a ſpecial mercy of God, and there is a common mercy. Special mercy is ſaving, it comes from the Heart and Love of God. Eph. 2.4. and is treaſured up for, and laid out only upon his choſen. It is the favour he bears to his people, Pſal. 106.4. Common mercies are thrown about with a large and indifferent hand; He maketh his Sun to riſe on the evil and on the good, and ſendeth rain on the juſt, and on the unjuſt, Matth. 5.45. Now theſe two ſorts of mercies are as far different, as Heaven and Earth. The excellency of the one is far beyond that of the other, though we be unworthy of either. I am leſs than the leaſt of all thy mercies, ſaid a great Saint, Gen. 32.10. And ſo ſhould all ſay. But few do perceave this great difference, and many give the preference to common outward mercy. Who but a Chriſtian doth count it a greater mercy to have the Conſcience ſprinkled with the Blood of Jeſus, than to have a large and proſperous Eſtate in the World? That the light of God's Countenance, and an hour ſpent in his Courts, (when the King's preſence is in them) is better than all the Enjoyments of this World? Moſes was a Man that obtained ſingular mercy from the Lord; it appeared in this, that he eſteemed the reproach of Chriſt greater riches than the treaſures in Egypt. Heb. 11.26. He had excellent Balances and true Weights. He put in the one Scale Egypt's Honours, Treaſures, and Pleaſures, (and how weighty are ſuch things in the Worldlings Balances?) and in the other, the reproach of Christ, and affliction with the people of God. His Judgment on this weighing, is, That this Reproach, becauſe of Chriſt's concern in it, and this Affliction, becauſe it is of and with God's people, is better than all the other things. The true Teſt of Mens Spirit is juſtly taken from their ſetled, inward Apprehenſion of the worth and value of ſpiritual ſaving mercy, above all outward mercy. Pſal. 4.6,7. There be many that ſay, Who will ſhew us any good? Moſt Men are for any good, they know not well what, and from any hand that can ſhow it and give it. But David knew what good he would have, and who could ſhow it: Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Why is he ſo earneſt for this Bleſſing? Thou hast put gladneſs in my heart, (Carnal Men ſeek Gladneſs, and make it, and take it to themſelves as well as they can; But Gladneſs of God's putting in their Heart, they know not) more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreaſed. David doth not here compare (though he doth diſcover) the holineſs of his Heart, with the earthlineſs of that of others; he compares not the tenderneſs of his Converſation with theirs: But he compares the Joy God gave him by the Light of his Countenance, not with the Joy he had, but with that the Ungodly have, in their ſenſual Satisfactions. Try your ſelves by this. Where is your Eſteem lodged? What ſort of things are they, that reliſh with your Spirits? Common outward Mercies carry away the Hearts of the moſt part of Men, and this ſhews, that few Men have obtained ſpecial mercy.
2. He that hath obtained ſpecial mercy, hath a love to it, and to the Giver of it, and to the way God gives it, and in which he receaves it. He that is a lover of God's mercy in Christ, is an Obtainer of it. A natural Man may have a liking of God's mercy in general; But mercy as from God through Jeſus Chriſt, mercy ſhown on the account of a full Satisfaction made to Juſtice in and by his Blood, mercy given freely to glorious Ends and Purpoſes, every natural Man ſeeth no Glory, no Goodneſs, no Beauty in it. But every Obtainer of it, doth admire every thing in it. It is rich mercy, ſaith he, it flows from a bleſſed Fountain, Free-love; runs in a bleſſed Channel, the Redemption of Jeſus; comes to me in a well-ordered Covenant; and was ſhown me for his Praiſe in my Salvation from ſin and miſery.
3. An Obtainer of mercy, is a daily Beggar for more mercy. Whenever God's ſpecial mercy is taſted, hunger and thirſt after more is raiſed. No ſooner did Paul obtain mercy, but behold he prays. Acts 9.11. There is more of mercy yet to be had; mercy quickens the Soul's Deſires and enlargeth them. The greateſt Receivers are the greateſt Beggars. 1 Pet. 2.2,3. Deſire the ſincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if ſo be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. This Mark is plain, and will never fail. They that drive not a Trade of Prayer for ſpecial mercy, have not yet obtained it.
4. An Obtainer of mercy from the Lord, is a ſhower of mercy to others. He is a merciful Man to others. Matth. 5.7. Col. 3.12,13. Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindneſs, &c. forbearing, forgiving, as Chriſt forgave you. And Eph. 4.32. even as God for Chriſt's ſake hath forgiven you. How unbecoming it is, that ſuch ſhould have Bowels of Braſs, on whom God's Bowels of mercy have been poured out? This is a Mark that will never fail, but in a high fit of Temptation: All that have obtained God's mercy, will be diſpoſed to ſhew their mercy; Forgiving one another is an eaſie thing, it coſts duplicate page duplicate page nothing but to think a kind thought: Yet how hard is this to many, through the power of Corruption? There are ſome acts of mercy, as Bounty and Charity, that poor Chriſtians have no ability for. But the principal Act of mercy, is in every Chriſtians Power; and that is, mercy to Mens Souls. We cannot give them that mercy we have obtained, but we can and ſhould wiſh the like to them. Never did a Man obtain mercy from the Lord for himſelf, but he wiſheth that others ſhould partake of it alſo. The Woman of Samaria, John 4. (of whoſe Converſion we have the largeſt account of any Convert in the Bible) as ſoon as ſhe obtained mercy (ſhe forgot what ſhe came to the Well for, ſhe had got ſomewhat better than the Water of Jacob's Well, ſhe met with Jacob's God, and had got Jacob's Bleſſing) ſhe goes to the City, and turns a ſort of a Preacher to them: Come, ſee a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Chriſt? ver. 29. She obtained mercy, and would have all the City come and get mercy alſo: And a great many came and obtained mercy. Chriſt caught that Woman by his Grace, and made her as a Bait to catch many more. No Believer can deny his ſenſe of ſuch a Frame as this. There are ſome Perſons thou doſt love and ſhouldſt love; thou prayeſt for them: What doſt thou mainly ask for Wife, Children, Brothers, Siſters, and all or any thou loveſt heartily? Is it not, O that they might ſhare in God's ſaving mercy? If thou ask it for others as the greateſt mercy, thou thy ſelf art an Obtainer of mercy. Paul obtained mercy: He loved his Countrymen the Jews dearly, and on good grounds. Rom. 9.1.5. What prays he for them? Roin. 10.1. My hearts deſire and prayer to God for Iſrael is, that they might be ſaved. All right Prayer ſhould be the Hearts deſire; Salvation is the beſt thing we can pray for, to our ſelves, or to them we love. And no Man can heartily pray for Salvation to others, who hath not got it himſelf.
2. I would now direct ſome Words to them that have obtained mercy and know it. Bleſſed be the Lord, that there are not a few in the World, not a few in this City, and, I hope, not a few in this Meeting, that have obtained mercy of the Lord, and know it alſo: Who can remember when their miſery was great, and when the mercy of the Lord made a viſit to them, and what great things it brought to them, and wrought in them.
1. Let ſuch be very thankful for ſpecial ſaving mercy. Praiſe is a great Debt, as well as a great Bleſſing. Let none take this as an ordinary Duty; but let all Chriſtians know, that the main point of the Life and Practice of Chriſtianity lies in the performance of it. 1 Pet. 2.9. Praiſe ſhould riſe according to the worth of what we praiſe for. Greateſt Favours call for higheſt Praiſes; and ſpecial mercy from the Lord is the higheſt favour. It is a good Cuſtom, and a Duty alſo, that people, when they receave their daily bread from God, do give him thanks for it, as well as beg his Bleſſing on it. Pray then, how do you think the Lord will take unthankfulneſs for his ſpecial mercy? How many hath the Lord to give in this Charge againſt? I never gave thee a nights reſt, but thou gave me thanks for it in the morning; but I have by my mercy raiſed thee up to newneſs of Life, and I was never thanked for it. I never fed thy Body, but thou bleſſed me for my Bounty; but I have given thee my Son for the bread of thy Soul, but no praiſe for this Gift. When thou waſt near death, I did in mercy reſtore thee, and was praiſed for it; but ſpecial mercy hath delivered thy Soul from eternal deſtruction; but when didſt thou praiſe for that? Have a care this Charge be not given againſt you. Live to his Praiſe, and let Praiſe be the main Work of your Life.
2. Walk tenderly under God's ſpecial mercy. The more ſpecial the mercy be, the more carefully it ſhould be improved. God's ſaving mercy is a Load, a Burthen, not indeed hard to be born, but it is hard to bear it aright. A Burden that will not break the Back, but will weigh heavy on the Shoulders of the Bearers; and ſuch as are under it, are in no ſmall danger of ſtumbling. Iſa. 38.15. What ſhall I ſay? he hath both ſpoken unto me, and himſelf hath done it: I ſhall go ſoftly all my years in the bitterneſs of my Soul: And that there was ſpecial mercy in his Eye, ſee ver. 17. Thou haſt in love to my Soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy back. Here is a right ſenſe of mercy, and a good Reſolution about the guiding of it. I will walk ſoftly all the Years (fifteen of them) that God hath added to my Life. But what performance was there? 2 Chron. 32.25. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done to him; for his heart was lifted up.
3. Obtainers of mercy ſhould ask grace to guide mercy; and ask it the more earneſtly and confidently, becauſe they have obtained mercy. Be not diſcouraged in asking more mercy, becauſe you have made ſo poor improvements of what you have received. Every mercy lays us under an Obligation for more ſervice, and Grace to enable for that Service, muſt be given; and therefore ſhould be asked. We need mercy, God gives it; when we get it, we ſhould guide it well; and in order to that we muſt beg more: New mercy to enable us to guide the old. No mercy from the Lord, but it may be ill guided, but the laſt, eternal Life, Jude 21. A Chriſtian is not out of all danger of abuſing any mercy of the Lord, till he receave perfecting mercy in Heaven.
To them that have not obtained mercy, or at leaſt do not know that they have, only four things I would ſay to ſuch. Ask mercy, Receave mercy, Plead mercy, Hope in his mercy.
1. Ask mercy. The Lord hath two deſigns in offering and diſpenſing his mercy to Men: To be honoured by the Prayers of them that want it, and to be glorified by the Praiſes of them that get it. This Duty of asking mercy, is frequently commanded by the Lord, commonly practis'd by his people, and never in vain. 1. Ask mercy like it ſelf. Ask ſome way according to your Need and its Worth. If our begging bore any tolerable proportion to the great Bleſſing of God's ſaving mercy, what mighty praying would there be? Let not mercy be ſought as a ſmall thing; it's the one thing needful, and it's the one thing we ſhould ſeek of the Lord. God's mercy, Saving mercy, Free mercy, Mercy great, vaſtly above all our miſery, O how would it be asked, if asked like it ſelf! 2. Ask mercy at the right Door. There is not a Crumb of ſaving mercy, that comes to any periſhing Sinner, but by Jeſus Christ. There is no Corn in Egypt, but what comes through this Joſeph's Hand. He is a mad Beggar of mercy, that forgets Chriſt. 3. Ask mercy in God's time. He that commands us to ask, and tells us at what Door to beg, and promiſeth to give, tells us alſo when we ſhould ask. Men have their times; as in great diſtreſs, when dying, and at Judgment. Beware of putting off asking, till God's time of giving be paſt. It is an awful Word of Chriſt, Luke 13.25. When once the maſter of the houſe is riſen up, and hath ſhut to the door, and ye begin to ſtand without, and to knock at the door, ſaying, &c. There are two ſad beginnings here: Beginning to ſtand without when the door is ſhut; ſuch will eternally ſtand without: Beginning to knock at the door: Such as begin to knock at God's ſhut Door, will never get in: There is no good anſwer to be given by God to ſuch, for eternity. Is not that a very unhappy beginning? So our Lord tells us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matth. 25.10. The fooliſh came when the Door was ſhut. They were fooliſh that they came no ſooner, and miſerable that they came too late. I believe the Damned will ſee more of the Bleſſedneſs of the Saved, than the Saved will ſee of the Miſery of the Damned. Chriſt expreſly aggravates the miſery of the Damned, by what they ſhall ſee of the Bliſs of the Saved, Luke 13.28. But all we ſee in the Word, that the Saved ſhall ſee or hear of the miſery of the Damned, is their Reſurrection to Damnation, John 5.29. (which is a moſt miſerable one; better were it for them to have their Bodies lye eternally in the Grave, than to be raiſed for Damnation) their Sentence of Condemnation, and their vain Pleas and Pleadings for mercy. But O that Men would come in at God's time, and cry for mercy, as they will do out of time! How much better would it be for them? God's time is now, to day, the preſent time. 2 Cor. 6.2. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation. If Men refuſe God's mercy in his time, he will deny his mercy when ſought in their time, and out of his. Iſa. 30.18. He waits to be gracious, and willing to be exalted in having mercy. Notwithſtanding all the mercy with the Lord, all the mercy that is offered in the Promiſe; the Lord never promiſed a Sinner his mercy to morrow. If you will beg his mercy to day, you may have it, and it ſhall endure for ever. But God never gave an Allowance and Liberty to any Man, to ſpend one Day or Hour in conſulting whether he ſhould beg God's mercy or not. David had indeed a ſad choice of Judgments laid before him. 2 Sam. 24.13. and is bid by the Prophet, Adviſe now, and ſee what anſwer I ſhall return to him that ſent me. But for a periſhing Sinner, that hath an Offer of God's mercy in Jeſus Chriſt, there is no delay allowed; but only he is bid, ask it preſently.
2. Receave God's mercy. Receaving is eaſier than asking. Asking requires ſome pains; Receaving is but a conſent of the Heart to take what is offered. Asking ſuppoſeth a great and needful Bleſſing, that he that wants it, would fain have, and therefore he begs it. Receaving implies that this great Bleſſing is in his Offer fully and freely, and therefore he muſt accept it. Here is the State of things betwixt God and Men in the Goſpel. The Lord brings his mercy near to them, offers it to them, bids them take and receave it; but many will not. God offers Quarter to Rebels in Arms againſt him; but they ſtand upon their Sword, and will not take Quarter. Miniſters Work is to entreat and beſeech in Chriſt's ſtead. 2 Cor. 5.20. God only can perſwade and prevail with Men. Mercy comes prepared and ready for Men. It is prepared in the Purchaſe of Chriſt; it is prepared in the well-ordered Covenant, and as prepared and ready, it is tendered freely to Sinners. All things are ready, Come to the Marriage, Matth. 22.4. All things are ready; God himſelf is ready to give mercy; Chriſt is ready, he is ſlain for us, let us come and keep the Feaſt. 1 Cor. 5.7,8 The Holy Spirit is ready to ſeal you to the Day of Redemption, if you will accept of God's mercy in the Redeemer. Heaven is ready, the Way is plain, and all hinderances of Law and Juſtice removed. Heb. 10.19,20. The City of Refuge is ready, and its Gates are open continually, to receave and give entrance to all that flee for ſafety. Heb. 6.18. Alas! all things are ready, but Men are not willing; there is not a moments time needed to ripen God's mercy for Men. No periſhing Sinner, that ſeeth his need of God's Mercy, and is willing to receave it, needs ſtay a moment till mercy be ready for him, or he more ready for it. Rom. 10.6. The Righteouſneſs which is of Faith, ſpeaketh on this wiſe (how very few have Ears to hear ſuch a Speaker and ſuch a Speech?) Say not in thine heart, Who ſhall aſcend into Heaven? (that is to bring Christ dowu from above?) Or who ſhall deſcend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Chriſt again from the dead.) Christ is come down already from Heaven, and is gone back again to Heaven. ver. 7. But what ſaith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of Faith which we preach. Mercy and Salvation for loſt Sinners is prepared by Chriſt's coming down and going up again; and he hath lodg'd the Power and Vertue of his Undertaking, in the Goſpel; ſuck at that Well with Faith, and thy Soul ſhall be ſaved; There thou wilt find Chriſt and all his fulneſs. There was never ſuch a Treaty made in the World: We can fetch no Similitude fully like this amongſt Men. Thus the Lord pleads with Men in the Goſpel: You are already undone with ſin and miſery lying on you, and you are every hour ſinking into greater: Let but my mercy in my Son enter in, and it will cure all that is paſt and preſent, and prevent all the miſery that is coming on you. And will not miſerable Sinners receave God's mercy? Are you afraid of ſaving mercy? Will it hurt you? Why do ye not give it entrance? It is one of the greateſt demonſtrations, what Monſters ſin hath made Men, that they are unwilling to be ſaved by free mercy in Jeſus Chriſt. Open a Door for God's mercy, by a free receaving of it, or elſe you will find the Door of his mercy ſhut againſt you, when you need it moſt. Your giving way to his mercy, is your receaving of it. Say with the Heart, Let God's mercy enter in upon me, and ſave me its own way. A yielding, and giving, and putting of a loſt Soul into the hand of Chriſt, is the nature of ſaving Faith in him. Will ye not truſt in his mercy? Is it not able to ſave you? Your want of a ſenſe of your need of his mercy, is a giving the lie to all the Threatenings and Curſe of the Law: Your doubting of the Ability of his mercy to ſave you, is to give the lie to all the Faithfulneſs and Truth of God, declared and ſworn in the Goſpel.
3. Plead mercy. When you beg it, uſe no other Plea for mercy, but mercy. When you beg mercy, you muſt beg mercy only for Mercy's ſake. That that moves God to ſhew mercy, muſt be our Argument in pleading for mercy. Wherefore doth God ſhow mercy? becauſe he will ſhow mercy, and delights in it. Micah. 7.18. and therefore ſhould we plead it. Mercy in his Heart, is the only ſpring of mercy from his Hand. David, who knew God's mercy well, had taſted of it often, and needed it greatly, when fallen into a foul Pit, Pſal. 51.1. thus pleads for mercy: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindneſs; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my tranſgreſſions. Have a care of making any other Plea for mercy from the Lord, but that of mercy with him: And ſtick to this Plea, and it will prevail. If the Lord for trying of your Faith, or Satan for ſhaking it, ſhould ſay, How dare ſuch a vile ſinner as thou art, beg ſo great a Gift as ſaving mercy, from ſo holy a God? The poor Pleader hath a ready anſwer: I want mercy as much as my Soul is worth; in vain do I ſeek it of any Creature, nothing but his mercy can ſave me. I beg mercy only for mercy's ſake; I bring nothing but a ſtarving Soul, and an empty hand; I beg his mercy as an Alms, which will eternally enrich the Receaver, and not impoveriſh the Giver. What can ſuch as I, beg of ſuch a God as he is, but mercy? His Name is Mercy, my Name is Miſery. I would have my miſery relieved by his mercy, and his mercy glorified in my relief.
4. Hope in his mercy. Pſal. 147.11. The Lord taketh pleaſure in them that fear him, in thoſe that hope in his mercy, Pſal. 130.7. Let Iſrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. It is from the Devil, for whom there is no mercy, that any of the moſt miſerable out of Hell, are tempted to think there is no mercy with God for them. He envies Men God's mercy; he doth not only tempt to ſin, but alſo to ſecurity in it, till the day of mercy be paſt. If God awaken a ſinner to ſee his need of mercy in time, Satan tempts them to think that it is out of time. In ſuch temptations he acts moſt like himſelf, a reprobate damned Spirit; and in managing of them he hath great advantages, from his own Craft, and Malice, and Men's juſt deſerving of Wrath. Look on all ſuch Thoughts as from that Adverſary, and treat them accordingly. When you beg mercy, look for it: Expect to obtain it, when you would lay hold on it. The Lord will never keep back his ſaving mercy from a ſinner that would have it as his life. When you plead for mercy for mercy's ſake, hope to prevail, and that will help you to plead better.
So much for this Exhortation. Will ye go home and do ſo? Will you ſtudy more your miſery, and the greatneſs of his mercy? and ask and plead for it more earneſtly. There is never better fruit of Preaching, than when the Hearers are ſent away hungering and thirſting after the Lord's mercy.