The Sinners Hope, Sermon · Chapter 4
CAP. IV.
The Grounds of the Sinners Hopes as before ſtated.
3. THe Reaſons why a Sinner ſhould take notice of, and cheriſh his hopes in his worſt condition.
1. Becauſe of the large footing God hath given for a Sinners hoping in any ſtate almoſt, R. 1.he can be in by his ſin.
1. The firſt ground is, the Lords diſpoſition and nature of mercy and placableneſs towards a poor Sinner; Which gives him footing for his hope abundantly in any particular caſe. As,
(1.) From his Name, and Attributes, whereby he hath made himſelf known to his people. God proclaims his Name to Moſes, to be the Lord, the Lord God, the powerfull, the mighty Jehovah,Exod. 34. which miniſters comfort, when annexed to his manifeſtation of himſelf in this way of mercy. Mercifull, inclined to pity, the ſin and miſery of his people, ready to relieve them in their diſtreſs, and not only juſt to require the due Service, and puniſh the defaults; Gracious, of an affable condeſcending deſcending nature, not ſtanding upon the diſtance that he is in, as a great King above all his Creatures; he may be petitioned, ſought unto, and prevailed with by his poor Suitors. Long-ſuffering, that is, not haſty to uſe ſeverity with the worſt of Sinners, uſually taking all other waies firſt with them,1 Tim. 2.4 Willing that all men ſhould repent and come to the knowledge of the truth: Trying many that repent not with much goodneſs to draw them to it.Rom. 9.22 Enduring with much patience the very Veſſells of wrath, before he brings Deſtruction on them. And one that with his own Children bears abundantly, takes them not at the worſt in every thing they do: Suffers their manners in the Wilderneſs. Can take great Indignities at their hands, and paſs them by upon their repentance,Micah. 7.18. and put them up. That paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of his people. If his people want good things, though they deſerve them not at his hands, yet he hath Goodneſs out of which he is ready to ſupply them: he can ſatisfie them out of his goodneſs, he hath made them promiſes of mercy upon all occaſions of their ſin and repentance. And he is a God of truth: He holds himſelf, though no Debtor to us, yet a Debtor to his own good Word to his Servants, and both theſe in no ſtinted manner, but he is abundant in them: We cannot need him ſo far, but his goodneſs and truth abounds to us: he will multiply his goodneſs and truth to us upon occaſion: many have had experience of his mercy, but this exhalts it not to thoſe that come after; He keeps mercy for thouſands, not only ſhews mercy, but reſerves mercy for thouſands, and not only in ſome caſes, but in all caſes he forgives Iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin.
Now obſerve, he proclaims himſelf by this Name, when the people had finned a great and fearfull ſin, in making a Calf in Horeb, when he was highly provoked, Would have deſtroyed them, had not Moſes his choſen ſtood in the breach, &c. Yet for all this,Pſ. 106.23 this great provocation could not make him change his Name; but though he declares his reſolution to viſit for obſtinate ſin, yet he will, for all that, be known by no name but this, in reſpect of the truly penitent.
2. He is deſcribed to be ſlow of anger, Pſ. 103.8.not eaſily provoked: men are ſoon provoked, great men uſually expect more punctuall obſervance then others, and are eaſily incenſed, if they be not obſerved in every circumſtance. But God is ſlow to anger. It were ſad for us, if we had ſuch an one of him, ſo hard to pleaſe, ſo very criticall, ſo eaſily moved, as ſome Children and Servants, have Parents and Maſters of us. But God is not ſo, he would have us ſlow to wrath, Ja. 1.19.for ſo ſhould we be Children of Our Father which is in Heaven, for ſuch a one indeed is he.
3. Not apt to ſtir up all his anger, upon any enforcing occaſion, or provocation. Moſes was frighted over the people,Deut. 9.19 when he ſaw the Lords wrath waxed hot, for he ſaw nothing but a conſuming fire in it for them. But many times he turns his anger away, and puts up ſome peeviſh untowardneſs in us:Pſa. 78.38. And when he is angry, he doth not ſtir up all his wrath; it would be ſad if he did.
4. Not apt to be long angry, he will not retain his wrath, Pſ. 30.5, 6. & 86.5. Iſa 57.16.he will not contend with his Creatures, for then the Spirit would fail before him, and the Soul that he hath made. Many of us for no cauſe can be angry, and heartily angry, and long angry, but if we have juſt cauſe of provocation, we rather ſtudy how to expreſs our anger, then how to bear the Offence, and few think at all how to proportion our anger ſo, as to know how they can bear it againſt whom it is ſtirred.Pſ. 103.14 But he, though provoked, is conſidering our frame, and remembring not only what he can do againſt us, and what we have done againſt him, to provoke him to it, but what we are, and what we can undergo, of what he might lay upon us.
Now who ever they are, that make it their firſt work to deſpait in every difficult caſe, they muſt needs have other thoughts of God then what theſe expreſſions manifeſt of him. If he be ſuch a one, what caſe is there, but one may have ſome hopes about it?
2. The ſecond ground is, That full and compleat way of mercy, that he hath found out and ſet forth for us in Jeſus Chriſt. He is one, not only with whom,Mat. 3. ult. but in whom he is well pleaſed: well pleaſed with all that have intereſt in him. He is every way ſuch an high Prieſt as became us. Heb. 7.26. Col. 1.19. Jo. 6.37. Heb. 2.17.18.In him all fulneſs dwells; he is one, that the Father will in no wiſe caſt out: Thoſe that come to him in his Name. He is not one that cannot be touched with a feeling of our Infirmities. He hath been in the fleſh, and ſo knows what it is to be a man; though he knows not what it is to ſin, yet he knows what it is to be tempted to it, and what it is to bear the weight and burthen of it. He knows the company we live with in the world, in the mids of Men and Devills, as Luther phraſed it. And ſo being a man for us, we may look upon the Deity as bleſſedly acceſſible hereby, and know that he hath pity and tender reſpect for our nature and kind.
The third ground,Iſa. 55.1. Rev. 22.17. Jo. 7 37. The univerſall tender of mercy, who ever will, let him come. The great day of the Feaſt, when moſt people was there, he makes the Proclamation, That who ever is a thirſt, may come to him and drink. Hence (as one ſaies) He was born in an Inn, not in a private Houſe, and crucified out of the City, and not within Jeruſalem, becauſe the buſineſs and benefit of his Birth and Death was not of private concernment, not to be confined to one place, or one people: the Goſpel is to be preached to every Creature.Mat. 16.16. Iſa. 55.1.
The fourth ground, The freeneſs of this tender, Come and buy, and he that hath no mony come: I can but have nothing; the worſt Chapman that can come to the Market, can be but he that hath neither money, nor price; and yet ſuch as theſe may ſpeed well, and go home beſt provided. They that come hither muſt have nothing: thou art but in the poor condition beforehand, that every man muſt be reduced to, that cloſes with Chriſt; None ever had him that deſerved him, and thou art but undeſerving.
The fifth ground, That nothing is required at our hands, but the ſame is promiſed unto us. I may come to Chriſt for the Condition, and upon that Condition for Pardon: the nature of the Covenant is wonderfull; he hath promiſed to perform both parts,Jer. 31.31.32. & 24.7. & 32.39.40. there is nothing I can find at any time, that may incapacitate me, or hinder me for comfort; but before I caſt off my hopes, I may ſee that very thing promiſed that is required: and ſure this well conſidered, doth wonderfully fit a poor Chriſtians turn upon many pinches, that otherwiſe he ſhould be at a loſs in about his comfort. We cannot apply Chriſt but upon condition, but bleſſed be God, we are not to find the Condition in our ſelves, or at our own proper coſt (which would never be done) but we are readily directed, where to have it. If I cannot challenge Chriſt to be mine for want of an Intereſt, I may go to him for an Intereſt. If I cannot apply him for want of Faith or Repentance, or any other Grace, I may go to him for Faith and Repentance, and that Grace; ſo that ſtill I have ſomething elſe fair before me to do, then preſently to deſpair, when any ſuch ſtraight is upon me.
2. We are to hope,R. 2. Ja. 1.20. For consternation doth no good, this like the wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſs of God. Thou thinkeſt when thou haſt eſcaped thy unreaſonable preſumption, thou canſt not be too low, nor low enough, and that it is thy duty to caſt down thy ſelf. There is a Mean of hope between theſe, which is thy duty; to deſpair for ſin is ſin, and to give way to trouble to the utter dejection of a mans heart before God, is to give way to a ſin: you think you do but bring down ſelf hereby, but beware You take not God down with you; this deſpair brings God no honour, hinders thy doing, makes thee uſeleſs, nay, directly reflects upon God, in that thou haſt ſuch hard thoughts of him, and acteſt againſt his expreſs will and pleaſure. It is the Command of God, that you ſhould believe in his Son, 1 Jo. 3.23.that you ſhould believe what God hath graciouſly revealed, that there is mercy with him, and pardon to be had from him upon repentance. Many in this caſe count that a duty wch is no ſmall ſin, extoll Gods mercy as high as you can, and you glorifie him thereby: ſo be it, you conclude right of the Subject of it; Viz. That you ſet not up mercy with allowance of ſin in your ſelf, and bring ſelf as low as you can, and it is a like good, ſo be it, thou include not Gods mercy in the thing, to bring that lower then thee.
3.R. 3. This hope will facilitate thy repentance, and reformation. There is mercy with thee that thou mayſt be feared: Men would not ingeniouſly nor filially fear thee, if thy mercy did not give them hopes. The Aſſyrians might rather have ſtudied to have rallied their broken Forces againſt Iſrael, then have ſubmitted, if they had not known the Kings of Iſrael to be mercifull Kings. Pſ. 103.3. 1 Kin. 20.31. Jer. 2.25.Thou ſayſt there is no hope, I have followed after other Lovers, and after them I will go. I am like, it ſeems, to be deſtroyed, paſt cure, paſt care: I cannot get off, therefore I will do as I do. Endeavours languiſh where there is no hope.1 Cor. 9.10. He that ploweth ploweth in hope; or elſe the ſharpneſs of the ſeaſon and the hardneſs of the labour would make him ſit ſtill. Hanun, that had ſo villainouſly entreated David's Meſſengers,2 Sa. 10.6. ſaw he had done ſo vilely, that his Action ſtank in the Noſtrills of Iſrael, and all his Neighbours, that he had no way but to prepare for War: So ſinners, when they look upon their ſtate as deſperate, they are likelieſt to go on, as if they were tied to make it out, and to ſtand, or fall by it. Themiſtocles would at any time make his Enemy a Bridge of Gold to fly away upon, rather then force them to fight. When a ſinner ſees no hope of quarter, he hath much ado to yield to be ſlain, but rather being deſperate, if he be without hopes of life, he will ſell his life as dear as he can. A Soldier in the Army, that had a mortall Diſeaſe upon him, was obſerved to look like death, and yet to fight moſt valiantly, the Emperour took him for his Valour, and had his diſtemper ſearched into, and he became cured: After this, he was not obſerved to be ſo daring and venturous, as before; The Emperour asked him the reaſon, he ſaid, Before he lookt upon himſelf as a dying man, and therefore mattered not to have been killed, but now his Diſeaſe was cured, he would take more care, for he had a life to ſave now, as well as another. So when ſinners think they have done that already, that cannot be forgiven, that muſt neceſſarily ruine them without redemption; it rather makes them more deſperate in the charges and on-ſet in their courſes, but if once they ſee hopes of life dawn, they will not be ſo prodigall of their Souls, becauſe they think they may eſcape, as well as another. God hath for the ſame reaſon made you way enough to come off upon, golden Bridges to retreat on, which may put life into your reſolutions for a ſparing courſe in ſin, and to come off by repentance. Thy repentance would ſtrengthen thy Hopes, thy Hopes draw on thy Repentance.
4.R 4. Not to hope, or to deſpaire, though in theſe ſtreights about ſin, is ſo purely fleſhly and carnall, ſavouring of that emnity that is naturally in our hearts againſt God, as we would little think. Rank fleſh it is, as can be.
1. Thou haſt ſinned, and thou knoweſt thou haſt cauſe to think ill of thy ſelf, and thou art loath to think ſo well of God, as that he is notwithſtanding ready to pardon. Among Men uſually we ſee a want of Grace in men that do wrong, and ſo as much want of Grace in others, that they cannot ſuffer it: and ſo the Party offending watches to cover his own vileneſs in affronting, by the others fury and impatience upon the reception of it. And ſo thou knoweſt thy ſelf to have done baſely, and thou art loath to aggravate thy ſin ſo far, as to think thou haſt ſinned againſt a God that is ready to pardon. Thou wouldſt either trample upon patience, or deny it;Rom. 2.3. Not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to repentance. Oh! to ſee God ſo ready to forgive, and thou ſo ready to ſin: thou ſo eaſily to forget him, and he ſo hardly forgetting thee; thou ſo treacherous, and he ſo gracious: Oh! how unlike are God and we? how might it break thy heart to conſider it? But we are apt to ſtudy to diſparage, at leaſt, we would not honour, the party we injure.
2. Thou art hath to be ſo beholden to him, as to think of hopes of pardon; hope implies preſent need and poverty: thou art loath to ſubmit, and ſtandeſt rather on thy juſtification, wouldſt fain come off upon another ſcore, then that of a pardon on thy knees: men are very loath to ſubmit to free Grace, no ſmall matter to have that inward ſenſe of wretchedneſs, as readily to run out after ſalvation for Gods ſake. There is a carnall enmity in the heart againſt Chriſts ſoveraignty, thou wouldſt not be Conquered, but ſtand for thy Native Priviledge; truly loath to ſtoop ſo low as to take a pardon at his hands. And is not this ſin of an high nature? Is this a temper to be indulged? there is the higheſt pride in deſpair that looks ſo low.
3. This diſpair is pure Carnality; for thou oft doubteſt at the promiſe, when in truth thou ſtumbleſt at the Condition: thou hadſt rather deſpair then repent; thou thinkeſt God will not pardon, becauſe thou haſt a mind ſtill to ſin: thus wouldſt thou make thy choice a neceſſity, to delight thy ſelf in thy courſe, and caſt the blame of it other-where. Thou ſayſt, there is no hope, Jer. 2.25.when in truth thou haſt no mind. There is no hope, and why no hope? For I have followed after other Lovers, and after them I will go. I have no hope in this way, becauſe I am reſolved another, that's the true reaſon of it. Who is apt to think there is any hope in altering, in a buſineſs he hath a mind to be as it is? Obedience is the thing we ſtick at, we have underneath a love to ſin, and ſo would cover it, with this pretence, that there is no hope, if we ſhould repent. Men that would clear their ſincerity in their troubles, might do well to lay aſide their ſin in the firſt place, and after to get hopes as they can: but many times perſons cry out of their hopeleſs condition, when ſecretly they hug their ſin ſtill. God ſayes, Turn yee, Ezek. 18.turn yee, why will yee die? It is not anſwered again, we muſt die, therefore why ſhould we turn? No, you are reſolved to live in your ſin, and this deſpair muſt be your pretence for ſo doing; of ſuch a nature and ſavour many times is this our much dejection and conſternation in the Soul, ſuch unthought of pride and carnality is cheriſhed and indulged under the notion of ſelf-humiliation: but men ſhould cheriſh their hopes for theſe reaſons.