The greatness of his patience shews his almighty power, Rom ix. 22. Nahum i. 3. but his willingness to pass by all the wrongs you have done him, and to be at peace with you, discovers the immense riches of his grace. Tit. iii. 3, 1.
That God should be so quick in the executions of his wrath upon your companions in sin, and so patient and long-suffering towards you, that have out-sinned them all; is such a comparative considera- tion of his bounty, as should even overwhelm the man that beholds it, Rom. ix. 22. " Behold the goodness and severity of God ! on them that fell severity ; but towards thee, goodness.'"
If thou be that very man, who in the past course of thy life hast been a profane swearer, a beastly drunkard, a lascivious person, an hater and persecutor of good men 4 and after all this, the Lord hath brought an offer of mercy to thy soul, and shall convince thee it is not come too late, but that the door of hope stands yet open to thee ; my advice to thee is, that thou cast thyself down at the feet of mercy, and after this manner pour forth thy laments and desires before the Lord.
" And is there yet a possibility of mercy, O Lord God, for such a vile wretch as I have been ! can the arms of free grace yet open themselves to embrace such a monster of wickedness as I am ? Who then is a God 'ike unto thee ? And what patience, mercy, and good- ness, is like thine .? I have far exceeded others in sin ; I have lived the life of a beast, yea, of a devil. I have dared thy dreadful, and glorious name, with thousands of horrid blasphemies ; trampled all thy glorious attributes under my feet, challenged thee, to thy very face, to do thy worst, even to damn me to the pit of hell : I have yielded up this soul, with all its noble faculties and powers, as in- struments of sin unto the devil ; and made this body, which should have been the hallowed temple of thy Spirit, to be the noisome sink (or common sewer) for all unclean and abominable lusts to run and settle in. I have hated, reviled, and persecuted those that lived more strictly, soberly, and godly, than myself; because their con- vincing examples disquieted, checked, and convinced my conscience, in the eager pursuit of my lusts and pleasures.
" I have lived in the profane neglect of prayer, meditation, self- reflection, and all other spiritual Christian duties; thinking to make an atonement for all, by a few hypocritical, external formalities.
" To accommodate my carnal interest in the world, 1 have come reeking hot out of an ale-house, or whore-house, to the table of the Lord ; where, with unhallowed hands, and a more unhallowed heart, I have crucified again the Lord of glory, and given the vilest affront
532 THE POSSIBILITY AND NECESSITY OF CONVERSION".
and despite to that most sacred and precious blood, which now must save me, or I am lost for ever. Thus have I done; and *'^ because thou keepest silent, I thought thee to be altogether such an one as myself: but this day hast thou reproved me, and set mine abomi- nations in order before me."
" I have tempted and seduced many others into the same impie- ties with me, of whom, some are already gone down to the dead, and others so fixed, and fully engaged in the pursuit of their lusts, that there appear no signs of repentance, or recovery in them.
" Thy wrath, Lord, soon brake forth against the angels that sin- ned in heaven ; yet hitherto hast thou forborne and spared me, who have been highly provoking thee ever since I was born, by a life of unparalleled wickedness upon earth. Vile wretch that I am ! I have despised the riches qftliygoodness^Jhrhearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth me to repentance. And after all, here I am told, that there is yet a possibility of pardon, mercy and salvation for me. The news is so great and so good, that I am zealously concerned to examine the grounds and evidences of it. And if it shall appear to be as true, as it is astonishingly strange, and ravishingly sweet ; I hope, it shall effectually lead me to repent- ance, and dissolve for ever the strongest ties betwixt me and my lusts,"*
§ II. Conversion of the vilest sinner possible.
X HAT it is possible for the greatest and most infamous sinner to be recovered by repentance and conversion, and thereupon to find mercy and forgiveness with God ; is a truth as sure and firm as it is sweet and comfortable. Three things will give full evidence of it.
1. That their sins do not exceed the power and sufficiency of the causes of remission.
2. That such sinners are within the calls and invitations of the gospel.
3. That such sinners are found among the instances and examples of pardoning mercy, recorded in the scriptures.
And if the causes of pardon be sufficient, and able to produce it; if the gospel invitations do take them in, and such sinners as these, every way as vile and wicked, have not been shut out, but received to mercy ; then it is beyond all doubt that there is (at least) a pos- sibility of mercy for such sinners as you are.
I. It is past rational doubt, that the causes of remission are every way sufficient, and able to produce the forgiveness of such sins as yours are. For consider with yourselves,
C 1. The impulsive cause.
The power of -< 2. The meritorious cause. ( 3. The applying cause.
1. The sufficiency and ability of the impulsive cause of pardon, which is none other but the free grace of God^, the immense riches
THE POSSIBILITY AND NECESSITY OF CONVERSION; 533
dnd treasures whereof, do infinitely excel the accompts and compu- tations both of angels and men. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. " And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and. truth : keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and trans- gression, and sin."" Mic. vii. 18, 19. " Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage ? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compas- sion upon us ; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all our sins into the deptlis of the sea." Once more, Rom. v. 20. " Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.'' So that whatever thy sins have been, they do not, they cannot exceed the ability and power of the grace of God, the all-sufficient, impulsive cause of remission. That infinite abyss, or sea of mercy, can swal- low up, and cover such mountains of guilt, as thine have been.