great matter to have the way beaten, and the ice broken before thee, in thy way to Christ. If thou wert the first sinner that had cast his soul upon Christ, I confess I should want this encourage- ment I am now giving thee ; but when so many have gone before thee, and all found a welcome beyond their expectation, what en- couragement doth this breatlie into thy trembling, discouraged heart to go on and venture thyself upon Christ, as they did ? What an example hare we in Manasseh, 2 Chron. xxxiii. from ver. 3, to 1 2. An idolatei'j one that used enchantments and divinations, fa- miliar spirits, shed innocent blood in the streets of Jerusalem \ A man might rake the world, and hardly bring to sight a viler wretch, a greater monster in sin and wickedness : yet his heart being bro- ken, and his will bowed, this man found mercy. How great a sinner was Mary, that came to Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee, Luke vii. 39. so notorious a sinner, that Simon took offence at Christ for suffering so vile a wretch to come into liis presence. " If this man were a Prophet, (saith he) he would have " known who, and what manner of woman this is that touched " him, for she is a sinner. Yet Mary's heart being broken for sin, and made willing to accept of a Saviour, what a gracious de- monstration of welcome did Christ give her, and to all other sin- ners a singular encouragement in her example ? Once more, you have an eminent example of the abundant welcome of another sin- ner to Christ, who owned himself for the greatest of sinners ; a persecutor, a blasphemer, injurious ; but saith he, I obtained mercy y 1 Tim. i. 16. And the example of his gracious entertainment with Christ, is recorded on purpose for an encouragement unto all that should hereafter believe. How many thousands are now in hell that never stood guilty of greater enormities than the Corinth- ians did? Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, such were some of them; yet sanctified, washed, justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. If ever Christ would have shut the door of mercy upon any ; if ever he would have been coy and shy of coming into any souls, certainly these were the souls he would have disdained to come near. O what a demonstration is here of that comfortable point before us ! That Christ will not refuse to come mto the soul of the vilest sinner, when once it is made heartily willing to open to him.
Evidence 4. A further evidence of this comfortable truth shall be taken from the scriptural-resembtances of the abundant grace of God, and riches of mercy in Christ, towards all broken-hearted and willing sinners. There are some chosen resemblances and ex- cellent emblems, which brinsr down the grace of God before tlie eyes of men ; amongst which I will single out three glorious reseni-
blances of free-grace, chosen by his wisdom on purpose for the en- couragement of poor drooping sinners. A resemblance from the heavens, a resemblance from the sun, and a resemblance from the sea ; all such as the wisdom of men and angels could never have chosen for such a purpose as this is.
1. A resemblance from the heavens, those vast extended heavens that cover and compass this earth. What an inconsiderable spot is the whole terrestrial globe, to those high and all-surrounding heavens ? And yet these heavens are not at so vast a distance above the earth, as the pardoning grace of God is above the guilt, yea, and the very thoughts of poor sinners. For, of the pardoning grace of God to penitent and willing souls, that precious scripture speaks, Isa. Iv. 8, 9. " 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." O, saith the soul, I cannot think God will ever have mercy on such a wretch as I : why, saith he, ver. 8. " My thoughts are not your thoughts," and it is well they are not ; " but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are " my thoughts higher than your thoughts." You cannot take the height, nor sound the depth of my pardoning grace. That is one emblem, from the unconceivable height of the heavens above the earth.
2. Another is taken from the sun in the heavens, a creature of admirable power and virtue. You know, that anon this part of the world will be the throne of darkness; the sable curtains of the night will be spread over all the beauties of this part of the earth, and it mav be in the morning a thick fog or mist will cover it ; thick and dark clouds may darken the heavens : But, behold this glorious creature the sun chasing before him the darkness of the night, breaking up the mists and clouds of the morning, scattering the dark and thick clouds of heaven ; they are all gone, and there is no appearance of them : Just so, saith God, shall it be with thy sins, and thy cloudy fears arising out of sin, Isa. xliv. 22. " I have " blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy " sins." Thy soul is beclouded, thy fears have bemisted thee, so that thou canst not see the grounds of thy encouragement ; but my grace shall rise upon thee like the sun in the heavens, and scatter all these dismal clouds both of guilt and fear, and make a clear heaven over thee, and a clear soul within thee. " Unto you that fear " my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under " his wings," Mai. iv. 2.
3. Another resemblance you have from the sea, the great abyss, that vast congregation of waters, whose depth ^no line can fathom : Veer out as much line as you will, you cannot touch the bottom.
To this unfathomable ocean tlie pardoninpf grace of God is also resembled, Micah vii. 18, 19. " Who is a God like imto thee, that " pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the trangression of the rem- ^« nant of his heritage : He retaineth not his anger for ever, be- " cause he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have *' compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou ^< wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea/' If the loftiest pyramid, or highest mountain were cast into the depth of the sea, it would never be seen more by the eyes of men. God hath on purpose chosen these emblems of his grace, to obviate that common discouragement of Satan, taken from the greatness and aggravation of sin ; and, in that case, thou art to make use of them, and bless the Lord for them : He never designed them for encouragement to sin, but. for encouragement to repentance and faith. That is the fourth evidence of the truth before us.