If I put this unto thee, I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused, What, doest thou think thy condition is grievous, but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as this is that now I am naming, that thou shouldest have such mercy as an infinite God should therefore manifest, to 1that end that he might show to Men and Angels to all eternity what the power of his infinite Mercy can do? would not this mercy serve thy turn, such a mercy as this is? I'll name it again, abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low, yet would not this serve thy turn, such mercy as an infinite God should show, to ⟨p. 177⟩that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity, what he is able to do in the infiniteness of his mercy, Would not this serve thee, and help thee, and heal thee? Now this is tendered to thee in the Gospel, even this mercy is tendered to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith; and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith, 2for it hath a power to draw forth faith, yea, to beget faith, the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it: It's true, if you look upon God only as a merciful man, this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life; As now, the shining of the Moon, or a hundred Torches will never beget life in a Garden; but the shining of the Sun will do it: so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God, as a God in Christ, will never beget life in the soul, but 3look upon him in the infiniteness of his mercy, whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, this is the way to beget faith. And therefore those that cannot believe, they take very il courses for themselves, only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them, and they think that this is as pleasing to God; but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is, to look upon God as a God in the ways of his mercy.
If I put this unto thee, I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused, What, doest thou think thy condition is grievous, but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as this is that now I am naming, that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite God should therefore manifest, to 1that end that he might shew to Men and Angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite Mercy can do? would not this mercie serve thy turn, such a mercie as this is? I'le name it again, abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low, yet would not this serve thy turn, such mercy as an infinit God should shew, to ⟨p. 177⟩that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity, what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy, Would not this serve thee, and help thee, and heal thee? Now this is tendred to thee in the Gospel, even this mercy is tendred to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith; and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith, 2for it hath a power to draw forth faith, yea, to beget faith, the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it: It's true, if you look upon God only as a merciful man, this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life; As now, the shining of the Moon, or a hundred Torches wil never beget life in a Garden; but the shining of the Sun wil do it: so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God, as a God in Christ, will never beget life in the soul, but 3look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy, whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, this is the way to beget faith. And therefore those that cannot beleeve, they take very il courses for themselves, only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them, and they think that this is as pleasing to God; but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is, to look upon God as a God in the waies of his mercy.
- 1A ground of strong consolation, from Ephes. 2. 4, 5, 6, 7. Caution against the abuse of this doctrine.
- 2The chief work of the Ministry.
- 3What is the immediate root of Faith.What is the imediate root of Faith.
