Direct. 6. Labour to make a resolved adventure upon Christ,. amidst all those encouragements, let the issue be what it will ; re^ solve to venture, though you have not the least degree of assurance that you shall be accepted and pardoned. This is that brave and noble act of faith, which carries the vsoul to Christ : much as Esther came to the King, " Yet will I go into the king ; and if I perish, " I perish,'" Esth iv. 16. It pities me to think how the faith of the fervent love of Christ alone should be enough to save a sinner, and make him justified without any act of belief; but you see faith is. another matter. O there are great difficulties and mighty wrestlings in the work of believing : it is a great matter for a poor convinced sinner, in the face of so much guilt and vileness, and amidst such manifold damps and discouragements from Satan, to cast and adventure himself upon Christ, and that upon such self- denying terms : but the pinch of necessity will bring tl>e soul to this, for now it reasons with itself as the lepers did, 2 Kings vi:.. 4, 5. If we go to the camp of the Assyrians, we can bu.t die ; and If we abide here, we must certainly die: thus here, if I sit still in the state of nature, and still continue demurring, and delaying, my damnation is unavoidable ; to hell I must go : and if I cast myself upon Christ, I can but be rej:ected. But he hath said, He will not cast out those that come unto him : in this way of faith there is a }X)ssibility of salvation, yea, there dawns from it a strong proba- bility : this therefore is my only way ; To him I will gOy and if I perish^ I perish.
Direct. 7. Never measure the grace of God, nor the mercy of Clirist, by the rule of your own narrow conception and apprehensions of him ; but believe them to be far greater than your contracted aad narrov>' understanding represents them to you. Our casting
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of the pardoning power and mercy of God in the mould of our own thouo-hts, disfigures and alters them, so that they look not like themselves, but with a very discouraging aspect u})on our souls ; by this, Satan keeps off many a soul from coming to Christ : the Lord knows how to forgive thee, though thou scarce knowcst how to forgive thyself for the injuries thou hast done against him. That is a very considerable scripture to this purpose, in Isa. Iv. 7, 8, 9. f' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his ^' thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have '' mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly " pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are " your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are " higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, " and my thoughts than your thoughts.'' Man lies under a double misery, one by reason of affliction, another by reason of transgression; concerning both these, God's thoughts are not as ours, but far above what we can think : Either (1.) with simple cogitation: i. e. we cannot think such thoughts to others, under misery in themselves, or under transgression against us, as God doth towards us. Or (2.) by way of reflective comprehension ; i. e. we cannot conceive what thos2 thoughts of God are towards us, when we are under misery or sin, just as he thinks them ; still his thoughts will be above ours, as the heavens are above the earth. Such is the altitude of heaven above the earth, that the vast body of the whole earth is but a small, inconsiderable point to it ; the highest cedars, mountains, clouds, cannot reach it : God's thoughts are infinite, ours finite; his thoughts are continued, ours in- terrupted and at a stand ; his are immutable, ours changeable ; his are intuitive, ours discursive : therefore never measure his by your own ; the thoughts of pardoning grace in him, are rich, plenteous and glorious ; but when our unbelieving hearts have practised upon them, they are quite artother thing. Thou sayest, how can sucli a wretch as I obtain mercy ? Thou knowest not, but the Lord knoweth. O if we could take in such a proper idea and apprehen- sion of the mercy and goodness of God, as he hath given of thcni himself, in Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. this would bring you to Christ ^vith much encouragement.
Direct. 8. Be not discouraged in the work of faith, though no peace or comfort should come in by the first act of it : nay, though there should be an increase of trouble for the present ; the first sav- ing act of faith certainly puts you into a state of peace, but it may not presently produce the sense of peace ; you may, after you have believed and really closed with Christ, meet with some discourage- inents which may make you question whether Christ has received
you or no, whether he has any love for your souls or no ? Yet hold on, wliether comfort come or not ; though Christ and comfort are inseparable, yet Christ and the sense of comfort are not so : think not that all your troubles shall be over as soon as ever you believe, because it is said, Heb. iv. 3. We which have believed do enter into rest : That scripture speaks of a state of rest, and not of the present or continued sense of rest. The woman of Canaan, in Mat. XV. 26, 27. did really believe in Christ, yet met with sore trials under the first act of her faith ; yet this took her not off from the work of faith ; but rather quickened and inflamed her the more ; she was glad of a word from Christ, and she expected deeds. O but the words were discouraging ; it is not meet to take the cMldreii^s bread, and give it to dogs ; yet this beats not off her faith ; the dog belongs to the family, and crums to the dog. O woman, saith Christ, great is thy faith. If you resolve for Christ, you must not be discouraged; a resolute faith overconies all difficulties. You pray, you believe, and yet no comfort ; well, the vision of peace is for an appointed time, at the end it will speak, and not lie.
Direct. 9- In your treating with Christ, have a care of all secret reserves that will spoil the treaty betwixt Christ and you ; If' I re~ gard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayer, saith David : If there be but a reserve of one lust, that reserve will break off the treaty : be honest with Christ, and say not of any sin, the Lord be merciful to me in this ; and be sure there be no secret purpose or resei've in thy heart for a retreat in time of danger ; but embark thyself with Christ for storms and tempests, troubles and afflictions, as well as peace and prosperity. Christ bestows himself wholly upon you, and he expects the same from you : give up all, or you will get nothing from him.