England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 35
Coloſſ. 1.19. For it pleaſed the Father, &c.
YOu ſet ſweet bryer at your doore, the very entrance into ſome houſes is taking: 'tis ſo in the verſe I am now going upon; here is a term in the front, as full of honey as Canaan: here is an Angel at the doore as glorious as heaven: you can no ſooner begin to reade, but your hearts muſt needs begin to leap, if they be as heavenly as they ſhould be. You are ſmiled upon and ſaluted at the doore, with precious words: It pleaſed the Father, &c. The word Father is not in the originall, onelyonly it pleaſed: which is ſo rather to be expreſſed, that it may be fitly applyed to Father and holy Ghoſt; for both are contented and delighted in Chriſt, to lay out themſelves for man in him. Kindneſſe comes from a full ſpring, & in a full channel to fallen man: God the Father pleaſed, and God the holy Ghoſt pleaſed, that Chriſt ſhould come ſtored into the world, to reſtore poore ſouls. How freely God contrives relief for man! He eyes extremity, and waves all other motive; his own goodneſſe ſets him at work, to provide a remedy for a ſad condition. It pleaſed the Father.
Free motion is the pureſt, it ſpeaks all love; God can move no otherwiſe towards things below. God is abſolute, not any thing without him hath any thing above him, that is, ſomething which he hath not to engage him. Your felicity ſecular is ſeated in many, and you contrive favour for one another, becauſe you judge you ſhall need it of the ſame parties in another kind. God needs none, all need him, and therefore what he doth for any, muſt needs be at his pleaſure.
Free motion is the nobleſt: bounty is propoſed, not merit. God will work no otherwiſe but freely, that every ones crown of kindneſſe may be admired as bounty, as grace in height, as ſomething wholly from heaven. Thou] haſt triumphed gloriouſly, ſaith the Scripture; that is, our mercies are derived to us after an admirable manner, and are full of thy ſelf and of nothing elſe. If a crumb be given to a dog, 'tis bounty; but if the whole feaſt be given to him, what bounty is this? God doth ſomething that ſinne may appear ſinne: But ſinne that it might appear ſinne, &c. So God doth ſomething that grace may appear grace, he diſpenſeth it altogether at his pleaſure, that this may altogether appear, and nothing of the creature.
Free motion is the ſureſt: wheels muſt be oyled ſtill, where motion is by inſtruments. If there be no motive, yet action goeth on for mans welfare, where motion is free. The mercy of God in Chriſt, is called ſure mercy; ſure, becauſe free. What is purely free, is uncapable of ceſſation, from airie impediments. What God does with pleaſure and out of pleaſure, he never grows weary of, and thus he ſheweth mercy to man, which makes it ſure indeed, and laſting from generation to generation. God moveth ſurely towards man: we are ſuch creatures in our fallen ſtate, that we throw diſcouragement upon God every moment, for ever looking towards us more; we are ſo froward, ſo throwing off of love, and therefore God hath propoſed to himſelf, ſuch a principle to move from, as may hold on his motion whatever he ſee in us, to wit, his pleaſure.
Free motion is the ſweeteſt: God moves in the takingeſt way that may be, to fallen man. You love to ſee one give ſmilingly, to give much goods and with much goodneſſe, to give with all the heart: ſo doth God. God gives all with all his heart; he makes every ſtep to you in bloud, and yet in delight; it pleaſes him to part with all to enrich you: What God puts upon you, he practiſeth himſelf: he bids you give liberally, and give chearfully, becauſe he loves it: ſo doth he give liberally, and chearfully, to make his motion lovely and taking. All fulneſſe is put in Chriſt, and it is put there with all pleaſure, and with all delight, which renders Chriſt very taking to man indeed. Large action with ſtraitened affection, is a comely body with an ill-favoured face, which is not ſo generally taking. Chriſt is ſet out to man all fair, filled with all excellencie, and this by a hand of love, which is duplex plenitudo, a double fulneſſe, as it were. It was two deliverances to David, that he was delivered from a principle of love, that he was delivered as one delighted in▪ He delivered me, becauſe [he delighted in me. Thus are we delivered by Chriſt, from a principle of pleaſure and delight. It pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſſe dwell, for us empty creatures.
Uſe. Relief is contrived very freely for fallen man: Weak hearts ſhould comfort themſelves with this point. Sinnes lode ſome ſouls that they can get no eaſe. Conſcience ſaith too little, or elſe too much; ſometimes it is aſleep, and ſaith nothing, ſometimes it is awake and crieth perpetually, as apprehending no remedy; this is a deadly wound, and I would I could heale it. Miſunderſtanding makes ſorrow unkind, we meaſure mercy by our own comprehenſion, which hath killed many. Sinners, take heed what thoughts you take up of the kindneſſe of God: God doth not come to ſhew great kindneſſe as you do with great unwillingneſſe, and upon hard terms. It joyeth God, and pleaſeth him to meet prodigalls to kiſſe them and cloth them, notwithſtanding all unkindneſſe, undutifulneſſe, unnaturalneſſe. Guilt makes horrour, and horrour makes diſtraction; diſtracted perſons whip, and cut, and wound themſelves. Dolefull conditions would be pitied above, but ſinners have no pity to themſelves, to think ſo. What ſovereigne balm is in Chriſts merit, if ſinners would be pleaſed to uſe it!
It is pleaſing to God to do good but 'tis not pleaſing to us to receive it; the devil is too hard for us all. Obſerve Sathans wiles, we ſhall periſh by thouſands elſe, though God be pleaſed to provide ſalvation for ſinners; and what a pity is that! Tempted ſouls, ſtirre up the grace of God, and believe the word of the Goſpel; you pleaſe your ſelves in the thought of your ſins, and in the ruine of your ſouls through unbelief; but God is nor pleaſed with it. God is pleaſed to contrive your ſalvation, and it would adde to his pleaſure, to ſee his contrivement pleaſe you and ſave you.
Action hath circumſtance; yours hath, Gods hath, and yet ſcarce a ſoul conſiders this, and yet theſe are the twigs in our rod that whip us, or the rayes in our ſunne that chear us. Deniall of free grace hath foure aggravations: 'Tis ingratitude: Bounty is ſleighted, Manna is light bread, the ſmiling face of God hath no luſtre. God puts out his hand, and the ſinner lifts up his heel, which is groſſe ingratitude. Love ſhould gain love; when God ſmiles, we ſhould ſmile upon him: when the King of glory comes, we ſhould open the everlaſting doores: our thankfulneſſe reſpecting divine favours, is the reception of them our ingratitude is the rejection of them. Iſrael would none of me. Free grace is the ſweeteſt diſh in wiſdomes houſe, preſented to make two merry together: 'tis wine upon the lees, 'tis the fat of the kidneys of wheat, 'tis the fatted calf, and the beſt garment; 'tis the heart of God held out, 'tis the glory of heaven viſible, to gain hearts: what heart hath that man that is not taken with theſe! Unkindneſſe ſinks deep into ſweet ſpirits, God is ſuch a ſpirit. Unkindneſſe grieves God, this unkindneſſe moſt of all, that the faireſt of ten thouſand ſhould make love to a black-moore, that a king ſhould make love to a begger, and yet be rejected: Your unkindneſſe is your ingratitude.
'Tis rebellion to deny free grace. Now we are upon a ſtep higher, to beat unkind ſouls, then we were before. The harlot Rahab by faith received the ſpies, and periſhed not with the [rebels: with them that believed not, ſay you. Not to receive what God freely proffers, is rebellion: it is mans will fighting againſt Gods; the King of kings warred againſt within his own dominions: the King kept out from his own chair of ſtate, to wit, the ſoul. Shall not God dwell in his own? Will you keep him out of his purchaſe, that which he hath paid ſuch a dear rate for? The workings of our heart we obſerve not, we are undone by this careleſneſſe: who ſtrives within? and who is thruſt out? Is it Chriſt? or who is it? 'Twere worth the inquiry, to know who 'tis that is reſiſted by the ſoul now and then. Man through careleſneſſe continues a rebell againſt Chriſt, and knows it not: gain-ſayings of free grace, ſpeaks you all rebels, and ſo you are called by the Pſalmiſt, as well as in the place forecited. Men and women, ſtudy your own hearts, and tell me how they move. It is pleaſing to God to embrace you: is it pleaſing to you to accept him? Why not now then? your rebellion will be written in heaven, if you turn off Chriſt from time to time. Rebellion hath its degrees, It is rebellion to abide in unbelief one houre. The land in which we live is divided, it is deadly to behold. The Kings ſide ſay we are rebells, the Parliaments ſide ſay that they are rebells: by ſuch an account we are all rebells; and truly that's my fear, that we are all rebells to Chriſt, and that this is the reaſon he makes no better uſe of us, but one to deſtroy another. It were well if ſpirituall rebellion were looked after betimes, 'twill end us all elſe. Eternall peace, and eternall truth are worth nothing; men tread underfoot the bloud of the Sonne of God, the grace by which they ſhould be ſaved, and take pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe, and no pleaſure in the good pleaſure of God, which is ready to ſave them.
3. 'Tis groundleſſe wickedneſſe; to deny the free-grace of God. Some action hath reaſon, and then the creature can ſtand upon his defence. But ſinners, what reaſon have you for rejecting free-grace? You refuſe many things for coſt, you cannot refuſe free-grace upon this ground, you may have it for nothing. God doth cloath lillies and ſouls alike; though they do not ſpin, to make their own apparell, yet have moſt royall habit. Every one of Gods children are rich, but riſe to it out of nothing: they have clothing of the beſt, lodging of the beſt, feeding of the beſt, and all for nothing. None go ſo richly, none lodge ſo delightfully, none fare ſo daintily as thoſe that embrace the good pleaſure of God. Some things yield but a little of what you ſeek and expect, and therefore you decline them; but you cannot reject free-grace upon this ground. Free love is full love, nothing is ſo full; it hath all fullneſſe in it. It pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould [all fulneſſe dwell. What thing of all the things which you are in love with, hath all fulneſſe in it? Things with which you are taken, have commonly but one excellency, and but a little of that. You love ſome for their wiſdome, and yet they have not all wiſdome, and all knowledge. You love others for their ſtrength and fortitude; and yet they have not all power, nor all might: yet ſo hath free grace, it hath all kinds of graces in it, and the complement of all theſe. The Sonne that ſmiles upon us, is all light, and in him is no darkneſſe. Ungracious hearts, think of this; it will be put home upon you, why you have no grace, why you have no wedding garment; when the great marriage day comes, you will preſently be eſpied, by one that will then view all: here's a man hath no grace. What's the reaſon? Could he have none? or would he have none? To one I anſwer, ſaith God, he might have had grace and life, and it would have pleaſed me to have enriched him with theſe. To the other I will anſwer ſaith conſcience, This wretched ſoul would have no grace, he loved iniquity and hated righteouſneſſe, therefore is he here unrighteous; he thought himſelf rich and vvell cloathed, and therefore ſtands here novv poor and naked.
'Tis remedileſſe wickedneſſe to deny free grace. The miſeries of man are many, and yet there is but one remedy. Free grace hath balm for every wound, which rejected, every wound is mortall: The leaſt ſinne is death. The wages of ſinne, that is, of every ſinne is death. For bodily diſtreſſes, there be many remedies, if men will not pitty me when I hunger, ravens may; If Chriſtians will not pitty when I am ſore, dogges may: but in ſoul diſtreſſes, there is but one remedy, to wit, what God will pleaſe to do; if God will pleaſe to do nothing for me, none elſe will or can. No eye pittied thee, to do any of theſe for thee. Gods eye pitileſſe, and there is no eye pittifull nor can be to the ſoul. 'Tis ſtoried of the balm, that it groweth in the Holy-land and no where elſe, which is the reaſon of that ſpeech, Is there no balm in Gilead? Mercy for your ſouls, is in the pleaſure of God, and no where elſe. Sinners make no more of the favour of God, then of the favour of man: I live not upon one; the heart layeth this concluſion and ſwelleth, and lifteth up the heel. Ah wretches, you cannot ſay ſo of God: you live upon one, yea upon one thing in God, upon the ſmiles of his countenance, upon this that he is free in mercy, that it pleaſeth him to ſave ſouls.
This point hath been applyed to convince and humble, and it may alſo be applyed in the next place to chear and revive. There are burdened hearts I beleeve among you, but let no diſtreſſe diſcourage you. How great ſoever the wants of any be, let them come to God; it pleaſeth him to lay out for you. Are your wants more then Chriſt hath where withall to: ſupply? What ever Chriſt hath or can do (and what is it that he cannot do) it pleaſeth God to the heart, that he ſhould imploy it for you. Men under guilt fancy hard thoughts of God: my ſinnes are great, and God will not pardon: yes he will, he is ready to forgive, it pleaſeth him to forgive, he hath furniſhed Chriſt of purpoſe, and laid out all upon this very deſigne, which is reall demonſtration of his pleaſure, this way. If diſtreſſe lie any otherwiſe, yet it ſhould not diſtract, becauſe free grace ſpeaketh ſupply to any diſtreſſe that you can mention: tis a fountain, a fountain open, every one may draw and yet none draw drie. Your ſtraits are many, and you cannot tell which way to get out: remember the point in hand; that it pleaſeth God to contrive relief. To undo knots, is a troubleſome thing, eſpecially ſuch knots as unbelief knitteth in the ſoul, and yet God is pleaſed with this work, he is a God of peace, made up of peace; his whole pleaſure, as well as his whole imployment lieth this way. The God of peace eſtabliſh and ſtrengthen you, ſaith the Apoſtle: The Apoſtles words are of great emphaſis, the Godhead bendeth ſtrongly and delightfully this way, to ſettle poore weak ſouls, which can do nothing themſelves, Doubts, cavills, and complaints are many, and God quieteth all, becauſe his pleaſure and delight is in the peace and tranquillity of poore ſouls; He is a God of peace, his pleaſure is to make peace, and a Heaven, where he cometh. 'Tis the pleaſure of things, to do things naturall to them; 'tis the pleaſure of wicked ſpirits, to torment and vexe, and to make hell where ever they come, and in this ſenſe the devil may be called the God of warre: ſo 'tis the pleaſure of God to do things naturall to him, to comfort and cheere poore ſouls, to ſtrengthen and eſtabliſh them, to make a Heaven where ever he cometh; as a God of, and a God at this work.