Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 25
SERMON XXV.
Pſal. CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things: even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Have done with the Tenth thing in the motions of Divine Providence, which I commended to your obſervation. I proceed now to another.
Obſerv. 11. The Providence of God maketh a very frequent and remarkable uſe of the ſins of people, though it be always ſpotleſs in making ſuch uſe of mens ſins. That the Providence of God in bringing about the eternal purpoſes and counſels of God, doth very ordinarily make uſe of peoples ſins, I have in a great meaſure already proved to you under my ſeventh Obſervation, where I ſhewed you how God accompliſhed his purpoſes upon Mount Zion, by perſons that meant not ſo, and over-ruled the ſeveral luſts of ſinners hearts to his own praiſe, making the wrath of men to praiſe him. But yet I ſhall take it again in my way, and the rather, becauſe I will ſhew you more eſpecially what uſe God makes of the ſins of his own people. Then I ſhall give you a reaſonable account of this great work of God. And thirdly, I ſhall endeavour to ſhew you, that it is a ſpotleſs uſe which God maketh, and open it to you, how it may be ſo, and our reaſon may conceive of it well enough. And laſtly, I ſhall make ſome Application.
That it is ſo, is ſo obvious to thoſe that are meanlieſt exerciſed in the Scriptures, that it can hardly be overlooked by any conſiderate perſon.
One of the moſt glorious products of Actual Providence, was the Revelation of the Covenant of Grace and Redemption: I ſay the Revelation of it; for the paction, or making of that Covenant, I take that to be eternal, and antecedent to the Creation: but as I take it, thoſe who would diſtinctly underſtand the Covenant of Grace, muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt the Paction, the Exhibition, and the Revelation of it, and the Application of it to individual ſouls. The Paction was an act of Counſel, an eternal act, a tranſaction between the Father and the Son; the Son as the head of the elect, ſtanding as a ſurety for believers, and undertaking ſomething for himſelf on their behalf; that in the fulneſs of time, he would come into the world, aſſume our natures, and in that nature dye, and give ſatisfaction to Divine Juſtice for the ſins of the elect: (which ſome call the Covenant of Redemption) alſo undertaking for them, that they in his ſtrength, and through the aſſiſtance of his ſpirit, ſhould do whatſoever his Father ſhould require perſonally of them, in order to their obtaining ſalvation through him. But now the Exhibition and Revelation of this eternal contrivement to the world, that was the work of Actual Providence, done in time ſubſequent to the Creation, and done gradually, as to the more full and perfect Revelation of it, according to the good pleaſure and infinite wiſdom of God. The firſt Revelation of it was to Adam, after he had fallen, Gen. 3.15. And I will put enmity betwixt thee [that is the ſerpent] and the woman, and betwixt thy ſeed and her ſeed, it ſhall bruiſe thine head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe its heel. Now for this, God made uſe of the firſt ſin that was committed in the world, the fall of Adam: had not Adam fallen, there had been no need of the Revelation of a Covenant of Grace; he, and his poſterity had been ſaved upon the Covenant of Works, he had perfectly done the Will of God, and lived, Rom. 9.11, 12. The Apoſtle tells us, that before Eſau or Jacob were born, before they had done good or evil, God loved Jacob, and hated Eſau; and it was foretold, That the elder ſhould ſerve the younger; Gen. 25.3.for the law of God and Nature, had made the younger a ſervant to the elder. Firſt, Eſau ſells his birthright for a meſs of pottage; then Jacob by the counſel of Rebeccah comes, and tells his Father a lye, and obtaineth the bleſſing of the firſt-born: both ſinful acts; the firſt on Eſau's part, the ſecond on Jacob's; but Gods Providence makes uſe of both, to bring about his counſels. There was a promiſe made to Abraham, that God would multiply his ſeed, and that they ſhould inherit the land of Canaan: Pharaoh ſtrongly ſets himſelf againſt it, uſeth all arts to deſtroy the ſeed of Jacob; the King commandeth the midwives to kill all the male children, Exod. 1. they ſave them alive, the King queſtioneth them for it, Exod. 1.17, 19. they tell a lye to excuſe themſelves; God makes uſe of their lye for the accompliſhment of his counſels, and the fulfilling of his promiſe unto Abraham. Who can excuſe Rahab in the lye ſhe told to the Kings meſſengers, ſent to apprehend the ſpies? It is true, the Apoſtle ſaith, ſhe did it by faith, and God rewarded her, as he did the Egyptian midwives: Rahab did it by faith, believing what at that time ſhe did not ſee, that God would give that land to the Iſraelites, and God rewarded her good intention in the general, not her particular ſinful act: but yet the Providence of God made a great uſe of her lye, for the deſign he had in hand. Who can excuſe David in many particular actions which he did? Which yet God made uſe of in order to the bringing about his counſels and promiſe concerning David, in ſettling him upon the Throne of Iſrael and Judah: The ſetting up of Solomon upon the Throne of his Father David, was an eminent product of Actual Providence; but Bathſheba you know was his mother, and David in order to the having her for his wife, murthered Ʋriah her husband, yet ſhe was the mother of Solomon. No man can excuſe Jeroboam in his revolt from the houſe of David, he did what he did from a very turbulent and ill ſpirit, and in a very irregular and rebellious manner: but God yet made uſe of what he had done to fulfil his own counſels, and the threatning he had denounced againſt Solomon. In ſhort, innumerable inſtances of this nature might be given, and it is an eaſie thing to obſerve God doing the ſame thing every day. I will inſtance but in three great products of Actual Providence more, which the Scripture maketh mention of; and three greater have not been, nor can be. 1. The incarnation of our bleſſed Lord. In the genealogy of Chriſt recorded by Matthew, chap. 1. ver. 3. you read, Judas begat Pharez, and Zarah of Thamar. You have the ſtory Gen. 38.29. Pharez was an inceſtuous child, which Judah had by his own Daughter-in-law: he was one of Chriſts Progenitors; ſo was Bathſheba, who came with much ſin to be David's wife; yet God made uſe, you ſee, both of the ſin of Judas, and the ſin of David, for the bringing forth his ſon into the world. Next to his Incarnation, let us conſider the ſacrifice of Chriſt for the expectation of our ſins, the nobleſt and greateſt act of Providence which was ever brought forth in the world, it was produced by wicked hands. Judas, Pilate, Herod, the Jews, all have their hand in it. The Devil put the malice into the heart of Judas; but God had his end in the action, and accompliſhed the great deſign of his glory. The ſending of the Goſpel amongſt the Gentiles, was a great product of Providence in the fulfilling of the Lords counſels, and many promiſes: but it was the fall of the Jews, that proved the riches of the world, as the Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 11.11, 12. They did not ſtumble that they might fall: but through their fall ſalvation came unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealouſie. The Apoſtles upon their going out to preach to the Gentiles, gives this account of it, Foraſmuch as you have judged your ſelves unworthy of eternal life, (that was, by not receiving the Goſpel) we turn unto the Gentiles. What ſhall I need ſay more? there is no ſoul brought to Heaven, but is an eminent inſtance of this: If they had not ſinned, they would have no need of any pardon or juſtification from the guilt of ſin, no need of a Saviour or Mediator: God ſuffereth the ſouls of his People to be concluded under the guilt of ſin, that he might have mercy upon them. It is alſo an ordinary obſervation of Divines, That God often ſuffereth people to fall into ſome groſs and ſcandalous ſins, that he might take that advantage to awaken them to repentance, and make uſe of their falls to a riſing again to a new life: and this is often ſeen in thoſe that have lived civilly, and might be prone to truſt to their own Moral Righteouſneſs. But I ſhall inlarge no further in the Juſtification of ſo obvious an Obſervation. It follows, that I ſhould ſhew you the reaſonableneſs of this motion of Divine Providence.
1. The truth is (in the firſt place), it is hard to conceive, how otherwiſe ſome of Gods greateſt works of Providence could have been produced. What would the Revelation of a Covenant of Grace have ſignified to the world, if the Covenant of Works had not firſt been violated by the firſt mans tranſgreſſion? How could elſe any man imagine, that the ſalvation of the world ſhould have been accompliſhed by the death of Chriſt, if God had not made uſe of the wicked action of thoſe who took him, and by wicked hands crucified him? The Apoſtle aſſureth us, that in all they did againſt our Lord, they did but execute what the counſel of the Lord had predetermined ſhould be done: If ſin did not abound, how ſhould grace much more abound? Rom. 5. In the pardon of ſins, the juſtification of a guilty ſoul; the Scripture tells us, That all are concluded under ſin, that the promiſe by faith in Jeſus Chriſt might be given to them that believe. What ſhould we ſay to the great work of Providence, in trying his Saints by afflictions and perſecutions, from the hands of violent men? God maketh uſe of the ſins of Perſecutors, to perfect his Saints by the exerciſes of their faith and patience; it could not be, without the ſins of thoſe who perſecute others for righteouſneſs ſake.
2. Again, God by this getteth himſelf a great deal of glory. I have ſpoke ſomething to this under the ſeventh Obſervation: but let me here add a little.
1. He gets himſelf the glory of his power. There is a fancy hath poſſeſſed the Philoſophers of the world, That metals of a baſer nature, may by art be turned into nobler metals, braſs, &c. into gold; and they will tell you, that ſome ſuch thing hath been done; and aboundance of time and money hath been ſpent, by the vain and covetous Philoſophers of the world to little purpoſe, to find out this Philoſophers ſtone (as they call it): but ſuppoſing ſuch a thing poſſible; yet there muſt be ſome ſimilar quality to help, or they will not pretend to any ſuch thing; no Philoſopher ever yet pretended by all his Chymiſtry, to fetch gold out of a dunghil. But now in ſin, there is nothing of a ſimilar quality to the glory of God; there is nothing ſo oppoſite to the glory of God, as the ſins of men and women: For God to fetch water out of a rock, argued great power; to raiſe up Abraham children from the ſtones of the field, it muſt ſpeak great power: but yet not ſo much, as for God to fetch his own glory out of peoples ſins. There is in ſin an infinite oppoſition to the glory of God: nothing ſo diametrically oppoſite to God's honour and glory, as ſin is. Sampſon put forth a riddle, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſs. But what is this riddle to that which I am ſpeaking of? for the glory of God to come forth out of the dunghil, the woful dunghil of the worſt of mens actions? for God to work out his own righteouſneſs out of the vileſt actions of men? O it ſpeaketh an infinite Power in God! it is a greater work to fetch light out of darkneſs. I will (ſaith God) get me glory upon Pharaoh: For God to get himſelf glory out of Pharaoh's hard heart, was more than to get his people water out of an hard rock.
2. God by it gets himſelf the glory of his infinite wiſdom. I told you in my former diſcourſe, that he is accounted the beſt Politician, that can make the beſt uſe of all humours, and ſerve his own deſigns, even of his utter Enemies: this is the top of a Politicians wiſdom: How great then muſt the Wiſdom of God appear in this? nothing hath ſuch an enmity to God and his glory, as ſin hath. Job ſpeaketh it to the great glory and honour of God, Job 5.13. He taketh the wiſe in their own craftineſs, and the counſels of the crafty are carried head long. It ſpeaketh the wiſdom of a man, that he can make uſe of the capacious quality of a bird, or a beaſt, to catch a prey for him: thus the faulconer maketh uſe of the hawk, the huntſman of the dog, the fiſher-man of a fowl, to catch birds, or beaſts, or fiſh for him. This I ſay ſpeaketh the wiſdom of a man above other creatures; O how it ſpeaketh the admirable Wiſdom of God, that he can make uſe of the worſt belchings of luſts in mens hearts, the moſt vile and rebellious actions of men, and out of them fetch his own glory.
3. But in the laſt place, God above all doth by this magnifie the riches and freeneſs of his grace. This is that wherein the Lord delights to have glory; he predeſtinated, adopted us, &c. to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, Eph. 1.6. If God had taken man out of a ſtate of innocency into Heaven, we ſhould never have admired free-grace ſo much as now; it marvellouſly affects the heart of a child of God, to ſee God make uſe of his falls of his ſin and corruption, and manifold rebellions, to make his free-grace exceeding glorious. We ſhould never ſo much admire free-grace and mercy, if we were not ſo great tranſgreſſors: This is it which maketh grace precious in our eyes, when we cry out of the belly of hell, and he heareth us.
Thus far I have ſhewed you, that God maketh a very ordinary uſe, and a very remarkable uſe of peoples ſins. But I alſo added, that it was a ſpotleſs uſe; and thus it muſt be, if God maketh it; For he that is of purer eyes, than that he can behold iniquity, muſt be of a purer will, than to will iniquity, and of purer hands than to work iniquity. But the difficulty lyeth here. It is plain from this diſcourſe, that God uſeth peoples ſins as a medium to his glory; he having willed the end, muſt needs have willed the means: for though a thing may be fortuitous to man, yet nothing is fortuitous, or caſual to God. A man now in order to the accompliſhment of ſome deſign of his, may make uſe of ſome things which fall in, and he never foreſaw, nor forethought, nor deſign'd as a means in order to his accompliſhment, but it were blaſphemy to ſuppoſe any ſuch thing of God.
A great queſtion there is amongſt Divines, what influence God hath upon the ſinful actions of men. It falleth not ſo fully in my way at preſent, as to engage me in any full diſcourſe upon it. Certain it is, that the holy God putteth malice into the heart of no man, nor doth at all incite him to any ſinful actions. This were indeed to make God the Author of ſin: he commands it not (that is impoſſible), he approveth it not, he inclineth not the will of man unto it: But as certain it is,
1. That he aſſiſteth the faculties and members of a man to thoſe natural actions, which his own luſt and malice maketh ſinful. He aſſiſted the tongues of Ananias and Saphira to ſpeak, but it was their own luſt and malice, which inclined them rather to ſpeak that which was falſe, than the truth. In him we live, move, and have our being.
2. As certain it is, That he permitteth and ſuffereth men to execute their luſts, otherwiſe they could not execute them, he could moſt certainly hinder them: Forty years he ſuffered the Jews manners in the wilderneſs, Acts 13.18. He ſuffered all nations to walk in their own ways, Act. 14.16. Now for this ſufferance, I think it is well expreſſed by an eminent Divine of our own; Gods permiſſion of ſin (ſaith he) lyes in the ſuſpenſion of his own efficiency, and the removal of the impediments. Pelagians dream, that God gave unto man a perfect freedom of will, and ſo did, as it were, Dormitare in operibus ſuis, ſleep while his Enemies ſowed the tares of ſin; but no ſuch thing muſt be imagined of God. Nor doth God only remove thoſe impediments, by which the ſinner might be hindred in his acts of ſin; he is properly ſaid to be hindred in an action, who cannot do what he hath a mind to do: now God doth ſomething more in his permiſſion of mens ſins, than not hinder their commiſſion of it; he ſuſpendeth that efficiency, by which they were reſtrain'd, or which ſhould incline them to do otherwiſe.
3. He willeth that the ſin ſhould be, though he doth not will to effect it. Indeed for God to will the effecting or committing of ſin, is not conſiſtent with the purity and holineſs of God: God's permiſſion of ſin, and willing it in the effect, doth ponere effectum non cauſam, it doth aſſert the effect, not the cauſe; his willing it in this ſenſe, doth by no means imply his procuring it, inciting to it, or approbation of it. It is not procurans volitio; and here Divines ſay rightly, Deus abſ que jactura, & ſanctitatis offendiculo, velle poteſt peccata; vult rem effici, non effectum dare. He willeth the thing ſhould be done, but he doth not will the doing of it. Who ſhall dare to ſay that God did not will that Judas ſhould betray Chriſt, and Pilate condemn him, and that the Jews ſhould crucifie him? When the Apoſtle ſaith, That they did but according to whatſoever Gods hand and counſel had determined before to be done, Act. 4.28. And that he was delivered by the determinate counſel and foreknowledg of God, Act. 2.23. If God did not will that moſt vile action ſhould be done, how did his hand and counſel determine it? How was he delivered by the counſel of God, which the Scripture expreſly affirms? And this is all that I know, that Mr. Calvin, or any that tread in his ſteps have ſaid, which many now a-days have ſo clamoured againſt, as if he made God the Author of ſin, and willed acts of ſin. Mr. Calvin, and all ſober Divines will grant them, that it is inconſiſtent with the holy nature of God, to infuſe malice into the hearts of any, or to incite any to any malicious and ſinful action, or to aſſiſt them in the ſinfulneſs and obliquity of their action: but thoſe who have read Pareus's diſputes with the Jeſuites at Swalbach, will eaſily underſtand, what Divines theſe men read, and with whoſe heifers they plow, and out of whoſe quivers they draw their arrows of bitter words. To whom the beſt anſwer, is that of the Archangel to the Devil, The Lord rebuke them.
4. Then laſtly, God governeth the wicked actions of men, when they are done to his own praiſe and glory, and maketh an eminent uſe of them; but yet a ſpotleſs uſe. Take Pharaoh in his hardening of his heart, againſt the Will of God revealed to him for the diſmiſſion of the Iſraelites. God had purpoſed that Pharaoh's heart ſhould harden, he tells Moſes ſo long before it came to iſſue: God removed what might have hindred the hardening of his heart, he would believe from time to time, that God had done his worſt, and he ſhould keep them, let the mighty God do what he could: he ſuſpended his own efficiency, he could have ſoftned Pharaohs heart, if he had pleaſed; he aſſiſted him to his natural actions, he could never elſe have ſpoken the words he did, nor made ready a Chariot. When the action was done, he governed it to his own praiſe and glory, he ſaid, I will get me glory upon Pharaoh; and he did get himſelf glory upon him, and made Pharaoh's wrath to praiſe him. But I will add no more to the Explication, or proof of this Obſervation.
Ʋſe 1. This now in the firſt place may convince us of the infinite power, wiſdom, and goodneſs of God. Omnipotency is uſually thought to be moſt diſcovered in Creation, the production of things out of a meer not-being, into a being, where there is no pre-exiſtent matter for God to work upon: but here ſeemeth yet to be a greater demonſtration of Divine Power, for God to make the wrath of man to praiſe him, to bring forth the great deſigns of his glory out of mens ſins. It ſheweth us alſo the infinite wiſdom of God. The natural ſagacity of the bee is ſeen in ſucking honey out of poyſonous herbs and flowers, a thing of the ſweeteſt taſte out of flowers, and herbs of bittereſt taſte, and in doing it, it by its chymiſtry commendeth the wiſdom of its Maker, who hath given it this natural skill. The acquired art and skill of the Apothecary and Chymiſt, who make the deſperateſt poyſons, which have the greateſt contrariety to humane nature, to ſerve for medicines, to heal mens diſeaſes, commendeth the wiſdom of God; for their God hath taught them this diſcretion. But oh the wiſdom of God! to make our luſts, our wrath, our ſins to praiſe him! there muſt be ſomething of the nature of honey in the herb or plant, or the bee could get none out of it; there muſt be ſomething in the poyſonous drug or plant, that is conſonant to the nature of man, or all the art of the Chymiſt and Apothecary could never make it ſerve for mans cure or healing. But there is nothing in the nature of ſin, but is quite oppoſite to the glory of God; yet God makes ſin to praiſe him. O the heighth and depth of Divine Wiſdom, yea and of Divine Goodneſs too! As there is nothing more oppoſite than ſin to Gods glory, ſo there is nothing more pernicious and deſtructive to us: God makes our ſins to ſerve us, to excite habits of grace, repentance, faith, fear, watchfulneſs, &c.
Ʋſe 2. In the ſecond place, Learn from hence, how impoſſible it is, that a ſinner, by his rebellions againſt God, ſhould do any hurt but to his own ſoul. And this is enough to convince the moſt malicious ſinner, of the exceeding vanity of ſin. If Julian will in his rage throw his dagger up againſt Heaven, it ſhall not touch a ſtar, but return only upon his own head. If the Princes of Babylon will heat a fornace ſeven times hotter than ordinary, and open a Lyons den to deſtroy the Jewiſh ſervants of God; the fornace ſhall only burn up, and the Lyons devour themſelves. Indeed in regard of the ſinſuneſs of the beſt of men, and Gods deſign ſometimes to melt, and to try his people, the rage of ſinful men doth ſometimes reach them; but this is certain, it never reacheth Heaven, nor any of its counſels and deſigns, unleſs by the cry of it for vengeance againſt the ſinners. God will have his glory from the vileſt perſons, and their vileſt actions; and although Aſſyria meaneth not ſo, yet he ſhall but accompliſh Gods pleaſure. In 2 King. 6. you read a ſtory of the King of Syria, his ſending a party of Soldiers to take the Prophet, ver. 15. The Prophet, ver. 18, prayeth, that they might be ſmitten with blindneſs; they were ſo, and then the Prophet leadeth them into Samaria, into the midſt of their Enemies. God deals thus with outragious ſinners. Their deſign is to diſhonour God, and to do God as much deſpight as they can: God ſmiteth them with blindneſs, and inſtead of accompliſhing of their ungodly deſigns, he getteth glory upon them: He diſappointeth the devices of the crafty; ſo as their hands cannot find their enterprize, Job 5.12.
Ʋſe 3. Let me caution all, that they take heed, that they do not abuſe this notion, to give themſelves a liberty to ſin. Do not think this a ſufficient warrant for you to do any ſinful action, becauſe God knoweth how to make your ſins ſerviceable to his glory. This was an old corrupt concluſion, which the Apoſtle foreſaw, men would falſely draw from theſe premiſes, Rom. 3.7. If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lye unto his glory, why then am I judged as a ſinner? and not rather, as we are ſlanderouſly reported, and as ſome affirm that we ſay, Let us do evil, that good may come upon it. So when the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. had ſaid, That as ſin had abounded, ſo grace ſhould much more abound; ſome concluded, that it was then beſt to continue in ſin, that grace might abound. Whom the Apoſtle anſwereth, as you will find, Rom. 6.1, 2, &c. But that none may think, that from hence he is licenſed or incouraged to ſin, I beſeech you to conſider,
1. That God doth not move, or incite any to any ſinful action, nor command, nor approve any ſuch thing. God in fetching of his own glory out of mens ſins, doth but (if I may ſo ſpeak with reverence unto God) make the beſt of our bad markets. In the Epiſtle of John to Gaius, ver. 11, ſaith he, Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good: he that doth good, is of God; but he that doth evil, hath not ſeen God, 1 Joh. 3.8. He that committeth ſin, is of the devil: now for this purpoſe was the Son of God manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the works of the devil. Sin is called the work of the fleſh; the fleſh, that is the mother of ſin, and the Devil, he is the father of ſin; the Devil ingendreth ſin upon our fleſh. So much of ſin as is in any man, ſo much there is in him of the fleſh, ſo much of the Devil; ſo much he is a ſervant to Satan, and to the fleſh.
2. Conſider, it is no thanks to the ſinner, that God hath any glory from his ſin; he is not active in the glorifying of God, his activity is all ſpent in the diſhonour of God: he is not voluntary in it. Sin doth not of its own nature glorifie God, there is nothing ſo contrary to the glory of God as our ſin is. The ſinner doth not, cannot intend the glory of God by his ſinful act. The ſinner in this caſe, is only a paſſive inſtrument of Gods glory; God fetcheth out his glory, forceth his glory from mens ſins. God is not at all beho…den to the ſinner for any glory he getteth from his ſinful act. The glory which God hath from mens ſins, is as to the ſinner, meerly by accident, and beſides his intention; as much as it was beſides his intention, to let out an impoſthume, and cure his Enemy, who ran his ſword into him, with an intention to let out his life-blood.
3. Conſider, that God needeth not our lye for his glory. Every ſin is a lye, and God out of our lies fetcheth out his glory; but he needeth them not, and therefore it is madneſs to ſay, I will ſin that God may be glorified. God can better bring forth his glory another way, he would be much more glorified by thy keeping his Commandments, and doing of his Will. God indeed needeth not our duties and beſt actions; but he much leſs needeth our luſts and corruptions.
4. Conſider, That though God in the wiſdom of his Providence, makes uſe of mens ſins, to fetch out his glory from them, yet he uſually takes vengeance upon the ſinner. It is the practice of the Politicians of the world, to make uſe of the treaſons of others, but ſeldom to reward the Traytors. It cannot be ſaid of God, that he ever loves or approves of the treaſon of ſin, but he ever puniſheth the Traytor without a true repentance.
5. Laſtly, When God makes uſe of the ſins of people for his own glory, and for their good and ſalvation alſo (as in the caſe of thoſe which belong to his Election of grace), it is never done without a great deal of grief and ſorrow of heart to the ſinner: they are ſaved as through fire: great ſinnings muſt have great humiliation. He indeed ſometimes maketh uſe of his peoples ſins, to make them more humble, more watchful: but the ſinner firſt ſuffereth a great deal of loſs in the peace of his Spirit; he goes to heaven ordinarily with broken bones, and a bleeding heart. So that you ſee that Gods getting himſelf glory from his peoples ſin, gives no man a ground of preſumption, to go on in a courſe of ſin againſt God.
Ʋſe 4. In the laſt place, Let this obſervation mind us, in this caſe to be workers together with God. Have we ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God? Let us do our indeavour to make our ſins to turn to the furtherance of the glory of God. Let us indeavour to make the beſt of our own bad markets. What is done, we cannot re-call; let us indeavour, if poſſible, to make an advantage of our former miſcarriages. You will ſay, How ſhould that be?
Anſw. 1. Let the ſenſe of your ſins haſten your pace to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. God hath a great deal of glory from our believing in him whom he hath ſent. The ſoul that accepteth of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt as his Saviour, giveth unto God the glory of his Power, Wiſdom, Juſtice, Goodneſs, Truth; it gives him the glory of the exceeding riches of his free-grace.
2. Make uſe of your ſins to increaſe your Confeſſion, your Repentance and Humiliation. Confeſſion giveth glory to God: my Son, ſaith Joſhua, Confeſs, and give glory to God. Let your former ſins give you the further advantage for ſorrowing after a godly ſort, that will bring forth carefulneſs, indignation, fear, vehement deſires, zeal, revenge, as it did in the Church of Corinth, 2 Cor. 7.11.
3. Let the remembrance of them cauſe you to walk ſoftly all the days of your life. This is that which God requireth of all, to walk humbly with their God. The remembrance of your ſins may be of notable uſe to you for this, to keep down that pride which is naturally in all our hearts; that ſwelling in an opinion of our ſelves, of our own duties and performances; that uncharitable judging, and cenſuring, and triumphing over others, when we ſee them fallen in the day of temptations.
4. Laſtly, Let the conſideration of how many ſins God hath forgiven you, make you love much. Thus the woman, Luk. 7.37, 47 made an improvement, even of her former ſins; her much that was forgiven, ingaged her to love that God much, who had forgiven her ſo much. This improvement St. Paul made, 1 Cor. 15.9, 10. I am (ſaith he) the leaſt of all the Apoſtles, and not meet to be called an Apoſtle, becauſe I perſecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God, I am that I am, and his grace which was beſtowed on me, was not in vain: but I laboured more abundantly than they all. O this will be an excellent improvement, even of your ſins, if your former unholineſs ſhall now help to make you more holy, your former unrighteouſneſs ſhall help to make you more righteous for the time to come; your reflexions upon how much you have done againſt God, and his Saints, ſhall now engage you to do more for God, and the cauſe and people of God. A good husband and houſe-wife, will loſe nothing, but make ſome advantage of every rag, every bit of wood, &c. I would have you be like them, you have been formerly great ſinners, and done much to the diſhonour of God: your conſciences can ſhew you a great dunghil of ſin, which you made in your ſtate of vanity: God hath changed your ſtate, changed your hearts: let not that dunghil be loſt, look upon it often, to help to raiſe up your hearts in the praiſes and admiration of Gods free-grace, and the engaging your hearts more for God in your contrary duties for the time to come. But ſo …uch ſhall ſerve for this Obſervation alſo.