The Sinners Hope, Sermon · Chapter 2
CAP. II.
The Obſervation and the ſeverall caſes wherein Sinners may Hope.
THe Obſervation, from the example of this good man in the text which I ſhall raiſe hence is this.
That men in the greateſt ſtraights about ſin ſhould yet take notice of, and cheriſh, the hopes which God hath left them about their State.
Matters that are dangerous ſhould not be counted deſperate.
It was a commendable practiſe in Schecaniah, that he yet took notice of the Hopes God had left in Iſrael about this thing.
I ſhall inſiſt on this doctrine, in theſe three heads. Shewing
1. In what caſe ſinners ſhould yet count of their Hopes.
2. How farr or in what ſenſe this is to be underſtood.
3. The reaſons why they ſhould thus take notice of their Hopes in the ſtraits they are in about their State.
1. In what caſes ſinners ſhould yet count of their Hopes.
We ſhall briefly hint at ſome heads in the generall, to cleare the ſcope of the diſcourſe till we come to the application, where we ſhall reſume the moſt materiall of them, and endeavour to lay more particular weight on them. Theſe caſes therefore may be conſidered.
1. In reſpect of their outward eſtate.
2. In reſpect of their inward eſtate.
Outwardly, and that. 1. Nationally. 2. Perſonally.
1. Nationally. Things may be dangerous in reſpect of the Church. Matters may be out of order, be hindered, gone back, yet if the work be the Lords, there ſhould be hopes in ſuch caſes. The work here went poorly on. Firſt they ſet up an altar, then begin the Temple, that with much adoe is gotten up at two bouts. When that was up, many years after Ezra would reſtore the ſacrifices, this is heavily clogged with the great ſin of the ſtrange Wives, after all this Nehemiah comes, and gets but up the wals, ſo difficultly goes the worke on, and yet it is all this while going on, God hath it on foot, and is ſecretly bringing it on, for all this. And ſo in Davids caſe. He as ſoone as he was made King, though Saul in all his raigne would never thinke of bringing up the Arke, he makes it his firſt deſigne.2. Sa. 6. But now behold in the way God makes a breach upon Ʋzzah, upon which David is diſpleaſed, he thinks it is too ſacred a buſineſſe for him ever to meddle with, ſo as to have hopes to effect it, he can not be able to bring it up, it turnes aſide to the houſe of Obed-Edom, yet God bleſſes that houſe where it was, makes David ſee the Arke lovely, and they enquire into the matter of the right order: and after all theſe breaches and diſcouragements,1 Chr. 13.15.13. they bring up this Arke with ſhouting to its place. And ſo the work of reformation, though by the meanes of enemies, and falſe brethren it ſeeme to receive obſtruction, that God ſeemes to refuſe the ſervice, that his poor Miniſters would do him therein, hath made breaches upon us, on ſome eminent reformers in the very worke, yet there is Hope in this thing: Reformation hath a bleſſing with it where it is,2 Chr. 20.33. and when God hath prepared the heart of his people to ſeek him in the right way, the Arke of God may yet reſt in his own place in the midſt of us. This matter hath yet life in it, and there is hopes in Iſrael, it will revive.
2. Perſonally. If in great outward afflictions, what ever thy ſtraight is,1 Cor. 10. there is yet a way out. God will with the temptation whatever it is, find out a way to eſcape, he can ſtill find a way for thee to get out of it. David was in a great ſtraight, yet he encouraged himſelfe in the Lord his God, 1 Sa. 30.6.and the Lord brought him off. Alas! If thou be in a ſtraight, and ſayſt, thou ſhalt never get paſt this, it is no more then what thou haſt ſaid many another time, If thou hadſt periſht and been undone as oft as thou haſt ſaid thou ſhouldſt, thou hadſt not been alive to have ſaid ſo now. It ſeems thou haſt been deceived before, and ſo maiſt be now, there is yet Hope in this thing.
2. Inwardly. In reſpect of ſome ſtraights ſinners may be in about their ſpirituall eſtate. They may look on their caſes as dangerous, and yet ſhould not count them deſperate.
1. In the caſe of groſſe ſin, upon the inſtant of the firſt conviction. The ſoul is attached by the Lords Writ, convinced of the ſad courſe he hath lived in, hath his ſin layd before him, ſet in order before his eyes, Pſal. 15.he ſees himſelf in an evill caſe, and is apt, now he is beaten off preſuming, to run upon the coaſt of deſpair. It is ordinary for ſinners, either to count their ſins too little to repent of, or too great to be forgiven. So Cain, Gen. 14.13my ſin is greater then can be forgiven; Not my ſin is greater then I can bear: but my ſin is greater then God can bear, now a ſoule in this caſe: though it be hard ſet (as the ſecureſt ſinner will be, if God do but open his eyes,) there being no thing but a little ignorance between him and the brinke of the very gulfe of diſpair; yet it ſhould take notice of the Hopes which God hath left to ſuch a one: even vile ſinners are invited to repent. Let the wicked indefinitely, be he what ſort of wicked man he can be,Iſ: 55.7. let him forſake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, Let him reſolve upon a through change, and turn to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.Mat: 12.31. All blaſphemy wherewith ſoever men ſhall blaſpheme ſhall be forgiven. There is Hopes for the pardon of all ſin, that men can repent of, and therefore a ſinner in this ſtraight ſhould take notice of the way God hath preſcribed in which ſuch a one may come off.
2. In the caſe of Apoſtaſy. 1. Great and more generall apoſtaſy. Such a ſoul thinks its caſe dangerous, and ſo indeed it is, one that hath backſliden very ſore, forſaken his firſt love, fallen back into his wicked courſe again, returned with the dog to the vomit again. Or 2. a child of God, that for one particular act hath done untowardly, as David; yet even in theſe caſes, theſe poor creatures are not ſhut up.Jer. 3. v. 1. There is a way out for ſuch ſinners. A woman that hath done wrong to her husband, can not come back againe; the land would be greatly polluted to have ſuch a one pardoned; the Adultereſs is to dye;ver. 22. but you have committed fornication with many lovers, yet returne againe to me, ſaith the Lord: I can receive when none in the like caſe, would or can receive; I can do that which none elſe can do, Returne ye backſliding Children, I will heale your backſlidings. Ye backſliding Children, I will not plague you for your backſlidings but will heale them;1 Sa. 12. v. 20.21.22. the people had ſadly ſinned, in rejecting God to be their King, God thunders upon them, frights them with raigne in harveſt, the people were convinced of their ſin, ſaw the juſtice of God directly againſt them, what is now to be done? is there any remedy left for ſuch ſinners? is there any way for ſuch ſinners to come off? is there any way but going on in rebellion? and ſtanding out in the way as long as they could? or ſitting down in deſpaire, waiting for inevitable deſtruction? yea, there is another way. For all you had done this wickedneſſe, yet turn not aſide from following the Lord, for then you ſhall follow after vaine things, which can not profit, for the Lord will not forſake his people. The Father will own his Child yet, if he would come in, only fear the Lord and ſerve him, &c. and all this evill may be done away; you may yet come off: though the matter be very bad, yet there is hope ſtill for ſuch as you. David is convinced plainly and particularly of a very great and foul Miſcarriage: he confeſſes, I have ſinned, I have done very fooliſhly. Ay,2 Sam. 12.13. but ſaies Nathan, There is hopes ſtill to come off, The Lord hath done away thy ſin; Thou ſhalt not die. In this difficult caſe of greater, or leſſer falling back, there is a way left to come off in.
3. In the caſe of Darkneſs, a Soul is in trouble, the Lord with-draws his favour; nay, may make poſitive expreſſions of Indignation againſt the Soul, and when the Lord makes trouble, who can give quietneſs? Job 34.29.onelyonly yet there is hope, that he himſelfe will make peace again; and a Soul in this dark condition is not to be without hopes: David puts it to the queſtion, whether, and ſaies, God will be gracious no more, yet after he ſaies,Pſal 77 9.10. This is my infirmity, there is hope in the thing. Let him that walks in darkneſs and hath no light, Iſa. 50.10.yet truſt in the Lord, and ſtay himſelf upon his God. There is hopes of ſuch a Creatures reviving again, the Caſe is hard, but not deſperate.