' Job. Bodin. Com. weal, [that 18, in his ' Livrea de la Kepubliquo,' 1577, and after- warda in Latin ' De Republica.' — G.
Lam. III. 24.] an ark for all god's noahs. 121
to make that great Scripture their greatest companion : Ps. Ixviii. 18, ' Thou hast ascended on high,' speaking of Christ, * thou hast led cap- tivity captive ; thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also.' But to what purpose hath Christ received gifts, spiritual gifts, gracious gifts, glorious gifts for men, for the rebellious ? Why, it is ' that the Lord God may dwell amongst them.' But,
[3.] Thirdly, I answer. That God hath given out an express 'promise, that he will make such to he his people which were not his people. Hosea ii. 23, ' I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy ; and I will say to them which were not my people. Thou art my people; and they shall say. Thou art my God.' In this precious promise God hath engaged himself to have a most sweet harmony, and a most intimate conjunction and communion with such a people as were not his people. But,
[4.] Fourthly, I answer. That God gains the greatest glory by bestow- ing of himself as a portion upon the greatest sinners. There is nothing that makes so much for the glory of free grace, and for the exaltation of rich mercy, and for the praise of divine goodness, and for the honour of infinite fulness, as God's bestowing himself upon the greatest of sinners. O sirs ! grace appears never so rich, nor never so excellent, nor never so glorious, as when it triumphs over the greatest sins, and when it falls upon the greatest sinners. Grace never shines, nor never sparkles, nor never becomes so exceeding glorious, as it doth when it lights upon the hearts of the greatest sinners. The greatest sins do most and best set off the freeness and the riches of God's grace. There is nothing that makes heaven and earth to ring and to sound out his praises, so much as the fixing of his love upon those that are most unlovely and uncomely, and as the bestowing of himself upon them that have given away themselves from him.
And it is further observable, that the greatest sinners, when once they are converted, do commonly prove the choicest saints, and the rarest instruments of promoting the honour and glory of God in the world. The Canaanites were a wicked and a cursed generation ; they were of the race of cursed Ham ; they were given over to all whoredom, witchcraft, and cruelty ; they offered their sons and daughters to devils; they were the very worst of sinners; they were without God and without the covenant, and counted dogs among the Israelites ; and such an one was the Canaanite woman, that you read of in that Mat. XV. 21-29, till the Lord made it the day of his power upon her soul ; but when the Lord had brought her in to himself, ah, what a rare Christian did she prove, for wisdom, zeal, humility, self-denial, love, courage, patience, faith, &c. And so Mary Magdalene was a notorious strumpet, a common whore, among all the harlots none to Mary Mag- dalene,' and she was one out of whom Christ cast seven devils, Mark xvi. 9 ; and yet when she was changed and converted, oh, with what an inflamed love did she love the Lord Jesus Christ ! and with what a burning zeal did she follow after the Lord Jesus ! and how abundant was she in her lamenting and mourning after the Lord Jesus Christ ! Some report, that after our Saviour's resurrection, she spent thirty years
' On 3 cannot pass so very strong statements without remarking that there is not the slightest ground for them. — G.
122 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LaM. III. 24.
in weeping for her sins in Galba. And Paul, you know, was a very grievous sinner, but after his conversion, oh what a rare, what an eminent, what a glorious instrument was he in bringing of souls to Christ, and of building up of souls in Christ ! Oh what a noble drudge was he for Christ ! Oh how frequent ! Oh how fervent ! Oh how abundant was he in the work of the Lord, &c. And indeed, in all ages, the greatest sinners, when once they have been converted, they have commonly proved the choicest saints, and the rarest instruments in the "hand of God for the advancement of his glory, and the carrying on of his work in the world. I might instance in Luther, and divers others, but that I hasten to a close. And therefore,
[5.] Fifthly, I answer, that of all sinners the greatest sinners do undoubtedly stand in the greatest need of having of God for their portion.
Look, as they that are most wounded stand in most need of a surgeon, and as they that are most sick stand in most need of a physician, and as they that are in most danger of robbing stand in most need of assist- ance, and as they that are in most peril of drowning stand in most need of a boat, and as they that are most impoverished stand in most need of relief, so they that are the greatest sinners stand in most need of having God for their portion ; for no tongue can express, nor no heart can conceive the greatness of that wrath, of that indignation, of that desolation, of that destruction, and of that damnation that attends and waits upon those great sinners that have not God for their portion, 2 Thes. ii. 7-9 ; and therefore the greater sinner thou art, the greater obligation lies upon thee to get God to be thy God and portion ; for till that be done, all thy sins, in their full number, weight, guilt, and aggra- vating circumstances, will abide upon thy soul. But,
[6.J Sixthly and lastly, I answer, that God is a great God, and he loves to do like himself Now, there are no works, no actions that are so suitable to God, and so pleasing to God, and so delightful to God, as those that ate great ; and what greater work, what greater action can the great God do, than to bestow himself as a portion upon the greatest pf sinners ? It was a great work for God to create the world, and it is a great work for God to govern the world, and it will be a great work for God to dissolve the world, and to raise the dead ; and yet doubtless it is a greater work for the great God freely to bestow himself upon the greatest sinners. The love of God is a great love, and the mercies pf God are great mercies, and the compassions of God are great com- passions, and accordingly God loves to act ; and therefore there is ground for the greatest sinners to hope that the Lord may bestow him- self as a portion upon them. But,
Ohj. 2. Secondly, Others may object and say, Hereafter we will look after this portion ; for the present we are f&r living in the world, we are for a portion in hand, we are for laying up portions for ourselves, and providing portions for our posterity. We are first for laying up of earthly treasures, and when we have done that work to purpose, then we will do what we can to obtain this excellent and glorious portion that you have been so long a-discoursing on, &c. Now, to this objec- tion I shall thus answer,