you know how it affected Saul when he came into the hands of David, that he had power to kill him, he considered what he had done to David, how he had used himself to him, and he saw Davids kindness again to him, but unexpected and undeserved it was, it melted his heart, it dissolved him into tears. So the love of the Lord, when we consider how we have behaved our selves to him, and yet he hath offered us peace, and yet he saith, Return and I will forgive you, I say, this would work on the hardest heart: And therefore consider your sins, it is not enough to say I am a sinner, perhaps you are ready to do so: But come ⟨p. 54⟩to particular sins, consider wherein you have offended the Lord, say you have done thus and thus, as Paul reasons with himself, I was a blasphemer, I was a persecutor, an oppressor, and yet the Lord had mercy on me: so be ready to say, I have committed such and such sins, it may be uncleanness, it may be Sabbath-breaking and swearing, &c. yet the Lord hath been merciful or willing to receive me to mercy: as that place, Jer. 3.1.1 If a mans wife play the harlot, will he return to her? No, he will put her away, and give her a Bill of Divorcement: but you have done it, and done it oft, and with many lovers; and yet return again to me, saith the Lord: So I say, when Christ shall come to you, when you have committed such and such sins, and the Lord shall say to you, though you have done this, though you have done it often, yet return again to me, and I will receive you to mercy: I say, this should melt our hearts, and cause us to love the Lord. I should come to the third, that is, to beseech the Lord to show his own self to you:3 for indeed we shall never come to love him till the Lord show himself to us. It is one thing when we preach him to you, and it is another when the Lord shows himself: For as the Sun is not seen but by his own light, there is no way in the world to see the Sun, all the candles, all the torches cannot do it, except the Sun show it self: So I say of the Lord, all the Preachers in the world, though they should speak with the tongues of Angels, they were ⟨p. 55⟩not able to show the Lord Christ Jesus what he is:
you know how it affected Saul when hee came into the hands of David, that he had power to kill him, he considered what he had done to Dauid, how he had used himselfe to him, and he saw Dauids kindnesse againe to him, but unexpected and undeserved it was, it melted his heart, it dissolved him into teares. So the love of the Lord, when we consider how we have behaved our selves to him, and yet he hath offered us peace, and yet he saith, Returne and I will forgive you, I say, this would worke on the hardest heart: And therefore consider your sinnes, it is not enough to say I am a sinner, perhaps you are ready to doe so: But come ⟨p. 54⟩to particular sinnes, consider wherein you have offended the Lord, say you have done thus and thus, as Paul reasons with himselfe, I was a blasphemer, I was a persecuter, an oppressour, and yet the Lord had mercy on mee: so be ready to say, I have committed such and such sinnes, it may be uncleannesse, it may be Sabbath-breaking and swearing, &c. yet the Lord hath beene mercifull or willing to receive me to mercy: as that place, Ier. 3.1.1 If a mans wife play the harlot, will hee returne to her? No, he will put her away, and give her a Bill of Divorcement: but you have done it, and done it oft, and with many lovers; and yet returne againe to mee, saith the Lord: So I say, when Christ shall come to you, when you have committed such and such sinnes, and the Lord shall say to you, though you have done this, though you have done it often, yet returne again to me, and I will receive you to mercie: I say, this should melt our hearts, and cause us to love the Lord. I should come to the third, that is, to beseech the Lord to shew his owne selfe to you:3 for indeede wee shall never come to love him till the Lord shew himselfe to us. It is one thing when we preach him to you, and it is another when the Lord shewes himselfe: For as the Sunne is not seene but by his owne light, there is no way in the world to see the Sunne, all the candles, all the torches cannot doe it, except the Sunne shew it selfe: So I say of the Lord, all the Preachers in the world, though they should speake with the tongues of Angels, they were ⟨p. 55⟩not able to shew the Lord Christ Iesus what hee is:
- 1Jer. 3.1.Ier. 3.1.
- 3Means to beseech the Lord to show himself to us.Meanes to beseech the Lord to shew himselfe to us.
