12. The terms provided for you, and proposed unto you, are equal, holy, righteous, yea pleasant and easy, Hes. 2. 18, 19. They are not such, as a cursed guilty sinner might justly expect, but such as are meet for an infinitely Good and Gracious God to propose; not suited to the Wisdom of man, but full of the wisdom of God, 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7. The poor convinced wretch, thinking of dealing with God, Micah 6. 6, 7. rolls in his mind what terms he is like to meet withal; and fixes on the most dreadful, difficult, and impossible that can be imagined. If saith he any thing be done with this Great and most high God, it must be by Rivers, Thousands, and Ten Thousands, Children, first born; whatever is dreadful and terrible to Nature, whatever is impossible for me to perform, that is it which he looks for. But the matter is quite otherwise. The terms are wholly of another nature; it is a way of mere mercy, a way of free forgiveness. The Apostle lays it down, Rom. 3. 23, 24, 25. it is a way of propitiation, of pardon, of forgiveness in the blood of Christ; the Terms are the Acceptance of the forgiveness that we have described. Who would not think now that the whole world would run in to be made partakers of these terms, willingly accepting of them. But it proves for the most part quite otherwise. Men like not this way of all others. It had been something, says Naaman, if the Prophet had come and done so and so; but this, Go, wash and be clean, I do not like it, I am but deluded. Men think within themselves, that had it been some great thing that was required of them that they might be saved, they would with all speed address themselves thereunto; but to come to God by Christ, to be freely forgiven without more ado, they like it not. Some rigid austere penances, some compensatory obedience, some satisfactory mortification, or Purgatory, had been a more likely ⟨p. 255⟩way. This of mere pardon in and by the Cross, it is but folly, 1 Cor. 1. 18. 20. I had rather, saith the Jew, have it as it were by the works of the Law, Rom. 9. 32. and Chap. 10. 3. This way of Grace and Forgiveness, I like not. So say others also. So practise others every day; either this way is wholly rejected, or it is mended by some additions; which with God, is all one with the rejection of it.
12. The terms provided for you, and proposed unto you, are equal, holy, righteous, yea pleasant and easie, Hes. 2. 18, 19. They are not such, as a cursed guilty sinner might justly expect, but such as are meet for an infinitely Good and Gracious God to propose; not suited to the Wisdom of man, but full of the wisdom of God, 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7. The poor convinced wretch, thinking of dealing with God, Micah 6. 6, 7. rolls in his mind what terms he is like to meet withall; and fixes on the most dreadfull, difficult, and impossible that can be imagined. If saith he any thing be done with this Great and most high God, it must be by Rivers, Thousands, and Ten Thousands, Children, first born; whatever is dreadfull and terrible to Nature, whatever is impossible for me to perform, that is it which he looks for. But the matter is quite otherwise. The terms are wholly of another nature; it is a way of meer mercy, a way of free forgiveness. The Apostle lays it down, Rom. 3. 23, 24, 25. it is a way of propitiation, of pardon, of forgiveness in the blood of Christ; the Terms are the Acceptance of the forgiveness that we have described. Who would not think now that the whole world would run in to be made partakers of these terms, willingly accepting of them. But it proves for the most part quite otherwise. Men like not this way of all others. It had been something, says Naaman, if the Prophet had come and done so and so; but this, Go, wash and be clean, I do not like it, I am but deluded. Men think within themselves, that had it been some great thing that was required of them that they might be saved, they would with all speed address themselves thereunto; but to come to God by Christ, to be freely forgiven without more adoe, they like it not. Some rigid austere penances, some compensatory obedience, some satisfactory mortification, or Purgatory, had been a more likely ⟨p. 255⟩way. This of meer pardon in and by the Cross, it is but folly, 1 Cor. 1. 18. 20. I had rather, saith the Jew, have it as it were by the works of the Law, Rom. 9. 32. and Chap. 10. 3. This way of Grace and Forgiveness, I like not. So say others also. So practise others every day; either this way is wholly rejected, or it is mended by some additions; which with God, is all one with the rejection of it.
- 1Terms of Peace with God, Equal and Holy.
