Heaven Upon Earth, Sermon · Direction 9
IX. DIRECTION.
If you would be acquainted with God, be much in expoſtulating the caſe with God, and in urging thoſe arguments which the Scripture doth afford you in ſuch a caſe. Take with you words, and come unto the Lord, and ſpread your requeſts before him, and ſay, O Lord, thou haſt ſent thy ſervant the Miniſters, and haſt invited me to come unto thee, and thou offeredſt peace and reconciliation, and to be acquainted with me. O God, I deſire from my ſoul, to come upon thy call, and would fain be acquainted with thee. I ſee myſelf in an undone ſtate, while I am a ſtranger to thee: but, O Lord, I have a curſed baſe heart that keeps me back from thee, and I can't tell what in the world to do. O Lord, I beſeech thee help thy poor Creature to come unto thee, lead me by the hand, let thy goodneſs and love conſtrain me, conquer me by thy kindneſs; come Lord into my ſoul, and let me ſee thy face, & look upon thee till I am in love with thee. O why art thou as a ſtranger to me? wilt thou forſake me for ever? ſhall I be one of thoſe thine enemies which ſhall be ſlain before thy face? ſhall I be one of thoſe that ſhall dwell with everlaſting burnings? O Lord, pity, pity, pity, for Chriſt his ſake, a poor creature that would fain love thee, & be acquainted with thee. I am convinced that I muſt be damned without thee, & come to thee of my ſelf I cannot, O draw me! O carry me! O compel me! conſtrain me, make me willing in the day of thy power: I cannot get looſe, my heart is too hard for me, my laſts are too ſtrong for me, my temptations are too many for me to conquer of my ſelf. O Lord help me. Turn me, and I ſhall be turned. Pluck my feet out of the ſnare, or I ſhall be utterly deſtroyed for ever. Forgive mine iniquity, make me a clean heart, make me thy ſervant. Tell God that thou haſt heard of his goodneſs and mercy, and that the King of Iſrael is a merciful King; and that it is his nature to pitty. Say to him, O I am a poor undone creature, and wilt thou ſend me away without mercy? will the God of Grace ſend me away without Grace? haſt thou not called me, O God? thy ſervants, tell me ſo, O Lord ſpeak and give me ears to hear; O Lord I am come in upon thy merciful Proclamation, and I deſire to lay my ſelf at thy feet; mercy Lord, mercy upon what terms thou pleaſeſt. Didſt thou not ſay in thy Word, Ho, every one that thirſteth, come, and buy Wine and Milk without Money, and without price. Have not thy ſervants pleaded with me to come? and haſt thou not ſent for me? O! a bleſſing, a bleſſing for me, even for me, O my father! Haſt thou not a bleſſing for me? ſhall I be ſent away as I came? O Lord, I come at thy word! Do not ſay unto me, Be gone out of my ſight. I cannot go, I will not go; whither ſhall I go from thee? For thou haſt the words of Eternal Life. Though I cannot ſay, Be juſt to me a Saint, yet I will ſay, Be merciful to me a ſinner. You may read more in R. A. his firſt part of his Vindiciae Pietatis, pag. 232. the whole Treatiſe is excellent. Plead the blood of Chriſt; you may ſafely ſay, that if there be not enough in Chriſt to ſave you, you do not deſire Salvation; for in him there is all fulneſs. You may plead your own abſolute neceſſity. Tell God, that if ever poor creature in the world had need of mercy, you have; tell him that you are reſolved not to be content without his love. You may plead his promiſe, in which he hath ſaid, That he will take away the heart of ſtone, and give a heart of fleſh; & that he will put his fear in our hearts, & write his laws in our inward parts. You may plead alſo the power of God, whereby he is able to ſubdue all things unto himſelf; and many ſuch like arguments, you may find in many places in the Scripture. But becauſe I have touched upon this before, I ſhall paſs this by.