[2.] Secondly, I answer, that the Lord hath never bestowed himself 1 2 Cor. iv. 15 ; 1 Tim. i. 14 ; 1 Peter i. 8.
Lam. Ill 24.] AN AUK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. 125
as a portion upon any yet hut unworthy ones. David was as un- worthy as Saul, and Job as Joab, and Peter as Judas, and Paul as Simon Magus ; and the publicans and harlots that entered into the kingdom of heaven were as unworthy as the publicans and harlots that were shut out of the kingdom of heaven, Mat. xxi. 31, 32 ; and the thief that went to paradise was as unworthy as the thief that went to hell. All the saints in heaven, and all the saints on earth, are ready with one joint consent to declare that they were as unworthy as the most unworthiest, when God first bestowed himself as a portion upon them. This objection, I am unworthy, is a very unworthy objection, and therefore away with it. But,
[3.] Thirdly, I answer, That God hath nowhere in all the Scripture required any personal worthiness to be in the creature, before he will bestow himself upon the creature. O sirs ! it never came into the thoughts of God, it never entered into the heart of God, to require of men that they should be first worthy of his love before they should enjoy his love, and that they should be first worthy of his mercy before they should taste of his mercy, and that they should be first worthy of his goodness before they should be partakers of his goodness, and that they should be first worthy of himself, before he would bestow himself as a portion upon them. If we should never enjoy God for our por- tion till we are worthy to enjoy him for our portion, we should never enjoy him. If a man had as many eyes as Argus to search into the Scripture, and as many hands as Briareus to turn over the leaves of Scripture, yet he would never be able to find out one text, one line, yea, one word, wherein God requires a personal worthiness in the crea- ture before he gives away himself to the creature. Should God stand upon a personal worthiness to be in the creature before he would look upon the creature, or before he would let out his love to the creature, or before he would extend mercy or pity to the creature, or before he would, in a covenant of free grace, give himself to the creature, no sinner could be saved ; man would be for ever undone, and it had been good for him that he had never been bom. But,
[4.] Fourthly, I answer, it is not nuns unworthiness, but Tnen's unwillingness, that hinders them from having God to be their por- tion. Though most men pretend their unworthiness, yet there is in them a secret unwillingness to have God for their God. When they look upon God as a gracious God, then they are willing to have him to be their God ; but when they look upon God as an holy God, then their hearts fly back. When they look upon God as a merciful God, and as a bountiful God, oh then they wish that he were their God ; but when they look upon God as a commanding God, and as a ruling and an overruling God, oh then their hearts do secretly rise against God. There is a real unwillingness in the hearts of sinners in all respects to close with God, and to have God to be their God : ' Who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed V Isa. liii. 1 ; ' I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts. A people that provoke me to anger continually to my face,' Isa. Ixv. 2, 3 ; ', How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity ? and the scomers delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge ? Turn you at
126 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
my reproof : behold, I will pour out my Spirit upon you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded : but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh,' &c. Prov. i. 22-26 ; ' For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength, and ye would not,' Isa. xxx. 15. O sirs ! men shall be damned at last, not for cannots, but for will nots, Mat. xxiii. 37. No man shall be damned because he could not do better, but be- cause he would not do better, Luke xiii. 34. If there were no will, there would be no hell. At last sinners will find this to be their greatest hell, that they have wilfully destroyed themselves. This is that which will damn with a witness, and this will be that never-dying worm : I might have had Christ and grace, but I would not ; I might have been sanctified and saved, but I would not ; I might have been holy and happy, but I would not ; life and death hath been often set before me, and I have chosen death rather than life. Dent. xxx. 15, 19 ; heaven and hell hath been often set before me, and I have chosen hell rather than heaven ; glory and misery hath been often set before me, and I have chosen misery rather than glory ; and therefore it is but just that I should be miserable to all eternity. No man, no devil, can undo thee, O sinner, without thyself ; no man can be undone in both worlds but by himself ; no man shall be damned for his unwor- thiness, but for his unwillingness ; and therefore never plead this ob- jection more. But,