from his head,' which hindered him ; and is any lust so precious in thy eye, that thou canst not leave it behind thee, rather than fall into the hands of God's justice ? But so sottish is foolish man, that a wise heathen could take notice of it : En .sola emi putanius, pro quibus pecimiam solvimus ; ea (jratiiJta vocamus, pro qu'ibus tios-ipsos impend} mus, &c. {Sen. Epist. 42.) We think we only buy what we part with money for ; and as for those things we pay our- selves, our souls, for, these we think we have for nothing, as if the man were not more worth than his money.
Section IV. — Fourthly, Having been faithful to follow the preceding direc- tions, thou now art in a fair way to effect thy much-desired enlei-prise; hie thee, therefore, as soon as may be, to the throne of grace, and humbly pi-esent thy request to God, that he would be at peace with thee ; yea, carry with thee a faith that thou shalt find him more ready to embrace the motion, than thou to make it. Only take heed what thou makest thy plea to move God, and where thou placest thy confidence : not in thy repentance or reformation ; this were to play the merchant with God; know he expects not a chapman to barter with him, but an humble suppliant to be suitor to liim. Nor his absolute mercy, (as ignorant souls do,) this is to take hold of the sword by the blade, and not by the hilt ; such will find their death and damnation from that mercy, which they might be saved by, if they did take liold of it as God oflfers it them, and that is, through Christ, Isa. xxxvii. 5 : ' Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me.' And where lies God's saving strength, but in Christ? He hath laid strength upon this mighty one, able to save to the uttermost all that come to God. It is not God's absolute power or mercy will help thee, but his covenant, strength, and mercy, as this is in Christ. Take hold of Christ, and thou hast hold of God's arm ; he cannot strike the soul that holds thereby. Indeed, God's essential goodness is a powerful argument to persuade the poor soul to rely upon the promise in Christ for pardon, when he considers that God who promiseth peace to the believer is a God whose very nature is forgiving, and mercy itself; but had there been no promise to engage this mercy to poor sinners through Christ, this would have been but cold comfort to have believed God was good. Hf could have damned the wliole stock of Adam, and not called his essential good- ness the least in question. It is no blot to tlie almightiness of his power that he doth not all he can. He could make more worlds, if he was so pleased, than he hath done ; but we have no ground to believe he will, neither is he the less almighty because he does not. So he covdd have saved the fallen angels witli the sons of lost man : he is not scanted in mercy for such a design, if he had thought it fit ; but having passed no promise for such a thing, the essential goodness of God affords the devils but little relief or hope that he will do it ; and yet God continues good. And, for aught I can find out of the word, they among the sons of men who, either through simple ignorance of the gospel, or prejudice which their proud reason hath taken up against the way it marks out for making our peace with God through Christ's satisfaction for us, done- gleet Christ, or scornfully reject this his satisfaction, and betake themselves to the absolute goodness and mercy of God as the plea which they will make at Christ's bar for their pardon and salvation, shall find as little benefit from it as the devils tliemsclves. Suppose, friends, a prince should freely make a law by which he will govern his people, and takes a solemn oath to keep close to it, could a malefactor that is condennied b}' this law to die expect any relief by appealing from the law to (he mercy and goodness of the prince's natiu'e ? 1 confess some have sped and saved their lives by taking this course ; but it hath been because either the })riuce wi'.s imprudent in nuiking the law, or unfaitliful in keeping liis oath, neither of which can without blasphemy be imputed to God, infinitely wise and holy. He hath enacted a law, called the law of faith, for saving poor sinners tln-ough Christ, and is under an oath to make it good, both in tlie salvati(m of everyone that believes on Christ, and damnation of every one that doth not believe; and, to make all sure, hatli given Christ an oath to be faithful in his office, who was trusted as priest to procure redemption, and sliall sit as judge to pronounce the sentence, at the great day, of absolution or condemnation. Take heed, iherefore, poor sinner, that thou art not drawn from placing thy entire confidence on Christ the Son of God, both God and
2 T?
g'^Q THE GOSPEL OF FEACE.