pp. 43–476 passages
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Multitudes that are called to come, do upon one occasion or other excuse themselves: Yea, men that are in great distress for the want of forgiveness, do reject the offer. They would fain be pardoned, & pray to God to accept them upon Christ's account; but they dare not accept of the offer of mercy. They have all manner of persuasions but remain unpersuadable; they resolve to do it, they may attempt it, but don't effect it: It seems a dangerous thing, and a method to cast away their own souls; they think God would be very angry with them for obtruding themselves upon him: It seems to them a desperate adventure. But when they are convinced of the gloriousness of God, they see encouragement enough to come to Christ.
MUltitudes that are called to come, do upon one occasion or other excuse themselves: Yea, men that are in great distress for the want of forgiveness, do reject the offer. They would fain be pardoned, & pray to God to accept them upon Christ's account; but they dare not accept of the offer of mercy. They have all manner of perswasions but remain unperswadable; they resolve to do it, they may attempt it, but don't effect it: It seems a dangerous thing, and a method to cast away their own souls; they think God would be very angry with them for obtruding themselves upon him: It seems to them a desperate adventure. But when they are convinced of the gloriousness of God, they see encouragement enough to come to Christ.
They see three things especially that are encouragement to them.
1. The free Grace of God. They were wont to discourage themselves because of their unworthiness; it seemed to them as if the heart of God was turned against them, and ⟨p. 44⟩they laboured in that that they might get something to incline the heart of God towards them, that might appease his anger, and attract his love: But when they have the knowledge of God, they are satisfied in the freeness of his grace; they see that there is enough in his own heart to move him, that there is an infinite ocean of grace there, that his thoughts are not as our thoughts, that there is an height and depth, and length and breadth in the love of God, that it passeth knowledge; that he can pity his greatest enemies, and love those that have nothing to commend them. They say he is God and not man: His mercy don't depend on any excellency in them. His grace is sovereign grace, and he has mercy on whom he will have mercy. Though it be a great thing to be pardoned and saved, yet it is not too much for him to do. There is no need of any thing to move his heart; he can do it because it pleaseth him. They were wont formerly to limit the mercy of God, and to think it would have been sufficient, if they had not been such great sinners, or if they were more broken for their sins; but now they are convinced, that if they were worse than they are, that the mercy of God is sufficient for them; that there is an infiniteness in the grace of God; and after they have reckoned up many things that grace can do, that there is infinitely more than they can think of. No badness doth discourage ⟨p. 45⟩them, no want of goodness doth discourage them. There is no more limiting of the ••ce than of the power of God. There is •ercy enough to set against their unworthiness. Psal. 36.7. How excellent is thy loving ••dness O God, therefore the children of men •t their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
1. The free Grace of God. They were wont to discourage themselves because of their unworthiness; it seemed to them as if the heart of God was turned against them, and ⟨p. 44⟩they laboured in that that they might get something to incline the heart of God towards them, that might appease his anger, and attract his love: But when they have the knowledge of God, they are satisfyed in the freeness of his grace; they see that there is enough in his own heart to move him, that there is an infinite ocean of grace there, that his thoughts are not as our thoughts, that there is an height and depth, and length and breadth in the love of God, that it passeth knowledge; that he can pity his greatest enemies, and love those that have nothing to commend them. They say he is God and not man: His mercy dont depend on any excellency in them. His grace is sovereign grace, and he has mercy on whom he will have mercy. Though it be a great thing to be pardoned and saved, yet it is not too much for him to do. There is no need of any thing to move his heart; he can do it because it pleaseth him. They were wont formerly to limit the mercy of God, and to think it would have been sufficient, if they had not been such great sinners, or if they were more broken for their sins; but now they are convinced, that if they were worse than they are, that the mercy of God is sufficient for them; that there is an infiniteness in the grace of God; and after they have reckoned up many things that grace can do, that there is infinitely more than they can think of. No badness doth discou••ge ⟨p. 45⟩them, no want of goodness doth discou••ge them. There is no more limiting of the ••ce than of the power of God. There is •ercy enough to set against their unworthi••ss. Psal. 36.7. How excellent is thy loving ••dness O God, therefore the children of men •t their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
2. The preciousness and sufficiency of Christ's righteousness. The threatenings of the law •ere a terror to them like a flaming sword; ••ey saw justice binding them over to condemnation; they thought that every jot and ••le of the law must be fulfilled; as Mat. • 18. That the law can't be abrogated nor moderated; that all the challenges of it must • answered. And when they heard of the satisfaction of Christ, that did not satisfy ••eir consciences. They were told that ••rist Jesus was the Son of God; that God ••s appointed him to be a mediator; that […] sacrifice was acceptable to God: And ••ey looked upon those things very proba•••; but were not certain of them▪ But when ••ey see God, and believe his word, Christ is •••cious to them, 2 Pet. 2.7. They look on […] just according to the report of the gos•••: They say as Peter, Matth. 16. He is […] the Son of the loving God. They are ••le that he has redeemed us from the •se, having born the curse for us; that […] made reconciliation for iniquity, made ⟨p. 46⟩an end of sin, and brought in an everlasting righteousness; that in the Lord Jesus we hav• righteousness and strength. They are satisfye• that he hath made a new and living way to the holy place: They see now that the guilt of sin was translated to Christ; that the law has been executed on him; that his blood has quenched the fire of God's wrath; that an atonement is made, and God reconciled. That Christ is at the right hand of God, exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour; that it is a safe thing to appear before God in hi Righteousness, there is no need of any addition to it. They say there are unsearchable riches in Christ. Before, they did not know but the doctrine concerning Christ was a delusion, a cunningly devised fable; but now they are sure it is otherwise.
3. The faithfulness of the offers of the Gospel. God in the gospel makes many gracious promises. That such as come to […] Christ he will in no wise cast off, Joh. 6.• That those that believe in Christ shall […] but shall have everlasting life, Joh. 3:•6 […] all that believe in Christ shall have re• […] Sins, Acts 10.43. And this light give •• rance of the truth of the promis• […] this light was given they seemed […] ⟨p. 47⟩Sometimes they doubted of them because of the greatness of them, sometimes because God was angry with them, sometimes because there were but few that were saved. But when this Light comes into the soul, they see the certainty of these promises; they come with a divine authority upon the heart. 1 Thes. 2.13. Ye received the word, not as the word of man, but as it was indeed the word of God. The faithfulness of God convinces them that the promise is sure. They receive it as infallible: They don't build their perswasio•• upon the opinions of men, but upon the word of God. Many men dispute with a great deal of confidence for the principles of religion, against Papists, and Socinians, but it is upon that supposition, that the Scripture is the word of God; and that they take for granted, but do not know it. But when this spiritual light is let into them, they are assured of the divine authority of the Scripture; they are assured that it is the word of God, and know that God is faithful. They say as David, Psal. 12.6. The words of the Lord are pure words, as Silver tried in a furnace of Earth, purified seven times.
3. The faithfulness of the offers of the Gospel. God in the gospel makes many gracious promises. That such as come to 〈…〉 Christ he will in no wise cast off,
2. The preciousness and sufficiency of Christ's •ighteousness. The threatnings of the law •ere a terror to them like a flaming sword; ••ey saw justice binding them over to con••mnation; they thought that every jot and ••le of the law must be fulfilled; as Mat. • 18. That the law can't be abrogated nor •oderated; that all the challenges of it must • answered. And when they heard of the ••tisfaction of Christ, that did not satisfy ••eir consciences. They were told that ••rist Jesus was the Son of God; that God ••s appointed him to be a mediator; that 〈…〉 sacrifice was acceptable to God: And ••ey looked upon those things very proba•••; but were not certain of them▪ But when ••ey see God, and believe his word, Christ is •••cious to them, 2 Pet. 2.7. They look on 〈…〉 just according to the report of the gos•••: They say as Peter, Matth. 16. He is 〈…〉 the Son of the loving God. They are ••le that he has redeemed us from the •se, having born the curse for us; that 〈…〉 made reconciliation for iniquity, made ⟨p. 46⟩an end of sin, and brought in an everlastin• righteousness; that in the Lord Jesus we hav• righteousness and strength. They are satisfye• that he hath made a new and living way to the holy place: They see now that the guilt of sin was translated to Christ; that the law has been executed on him; that his blood has quenched the fire of God's wrath; that an atonement is made, and God reconciled. That Christ is at the right hand of God, exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour; that it is a safe thing to appear before God in hi• Righteousness, there is no need of any addition to it. They say there are unsearchable riches in Christ. Before, they did not know but the doctrine concerning Christ was a delusion, a cunningly devised fable; but now they are sure it is otherwise. Joh. 6.69. We believe and are sure, that thou art that Chri••, the Son of the living God. Joh. 17.8. They have known surely that I came out from the, and they believed that thou didst send me.
