Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

As he was first in Christ, reconciling the World, when the World looked not after him; so he is first in his Spirit, wooing the World to accept of that Reconciliation, when the World will not listen to him. How often doth he flash up the Light of Nature, and the Light of the Word in Mens hearts, to move them not to lie down in sparks of their own kindling, but to aspire to a better happiness, and prepare them to be subject to a higher Mercy; If they would improve his present entreaties to such an end? And what are his Threatenings designed for, but to move the Wheel of ⟨p. 638⟩our Fears, that the Wheel of our Desire and Love might be set on Motion for the embracing his Promise? They are not so much the Thunders of his Justice, as the loud Rhetoric of his good Will, to prevent Mens Misery under the Vials of Wrath. 'Tis his kindness to fear Men by threatenings, that Justice might not strike them with the Sword: 'Tis not the destruction, but the preserving Reformation that he aims at: He hath no pleasure in the death of the Wicked; This he confirms by his Oath. ^*His threatenings are gracious Expostulations with them, Why will ye die O house of Israel? They are like the noise a favourable Officer makes in the Street, to warn the Criminal he comes to seize upon, to make his escape: He never used his Justice to crush Men, till he had used his Kindness to allure them. All the dreadful descriptions of a future Wrath, as well as the lively descriptions of the happiness of another World, are designed to persuade Men: The Honey of his Goodness is in the Bowels of those roaring Lyons; such pains doth Goodness take with Men, to make them Candidates for Heaven.

As he was first in Christ, reconciling the World, when the World looked not after him; so he is first in his Spirit, wooing the World to accept of that Reconciliation, when the World will not listen to him. How often doth he flash up the Light of Nature, and the Light of the Word in Mens hearts, to move them not to lie down in sparks of their own kindling, but to aspire to a better happiness, and prepare them to be subject to a higher Mercy; If they would improve his present intreaties to such an end? And what are his Threatnings design'd for, but to move the Wheel of ⟨p. 638⟩