have Been his ways,' that is, I have seen his obstinacy and incorrigi- bility in sin. Ah, poor creature ! says God, he sees not his present misery and slavery, he takes no notice of his own folly and vanity, of his own frowardness and peevishness ; he scorns to bend or bow under my mighty hand, he is resolved to stand it out to the death, he will persist on in his own ways, though he eternally perishes — though hell stands at the end of his ways, yet on he will. Well ! what is the issue of all this ? God saith, ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him.' It is not, I have seen his ways, and will curse him, no, but ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him.' It is not, I have seen his ways, and will never have any more to do with him ; no, but ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him.' It is not, I have seen his ways, and will damn him ; no, but ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him.' Oh the freeness, oh the unsearchableness, oh the riches of Grod's grace ! And thus you see that the precious promises last cited are promises that are made over to sinners as sinners. And this is further evident in that Isa. xliii. 22-25. For sins of omission and sins of commission, what can be more charged upon a sinful people than here is charged upon them ? They were not only negligent of his worship and service, but they were also weary of his worship and service, and counted it rather a burden than a benefit, a toil than a pleasure. In all their outward observances they did but court the Lord, they did but compliment with God ; for whilst they were in his service, their hearts were secretly weary of his service ; and by their sinful commissions, oh, how did they grieve, vex, oppress, and burden the Holy One of Israel ! And yet, in ver. 25, God does passionately and emphatically proclaim their free pardon, ' I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.' The metaphor is taken from men's blotting out of debts out of their debt-book. Now when a debt is blotted out of the debt-book, it is never charged upon the debtor more, it is never regarded nor remembered more ; so when God proclaims the sinner's pardon, when he forgives him his trans- gressions, he blots, he rases, he crosses his books, and cancels all bonds, so as that he will never object his sins against him, and never charge his sins upon him; but being once forgiven, they shall be for ever forgotten, they shall never come into his remembrance more. And all this he will do for his name sake, and for the praise and glory of his own free grace. So in Ezek. xxxvi. 26-28, 37, compared. Now by all these scriptures it is most plain and evident that the precious promises of special grace and mercy are made over to sinners as sinners ; and if so, then doubtless sinners may lawfully put these promises into suit. 0 sirs, don't you know that desire is the soul of prayer ? and who, but such as are witless and graceless, will say that a wicked man may not desire the accomplishment of God's gracious promises, that wiU say an unregenerate man may not desire to be par- doned, sanctified, and renewed; and that the Lord would bestow his Spirit upon him, and that, by the finger of the same Spirit, the law of the Lord may be written in his heart, that he may observe his statutes, and do them ? These are things that God has engaged him- self to do for poor sinners, and therefore certainly sinners may put God in mind of his engagements. But,
238 THE IsTICESSITT, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [Heb. XII. 14.
[6.] Sixthly and lastly, God would never have encouraged and rewarded with temporal favours wicked and unregenerate mens religious duties and services as he has done, if he would not have had them exercise themselves in religious duties. Now that he has thus encouraged and rewarded wicked and unregenerate men, is evident in these instances, 1 Kings xxi. 19 ; Jonah iii. 4, seq. ; 2 Chron. xxvi. 5. Uzziah sought God in the days of Zechariah ; and when he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. Had he been really godly, had he had the root of the matter in him, had he been a sincere, a throughout Christian, he would have sought the Lord all his days, he would have held on and held out in well-doing ; but being carnal, hypocritical, and unregenerate, his religion dies with Zechariah. Another instance you have of this among the sailors, that usually are the worst of sinners, Ps. cvii. 23-30 ; and another you have in that known case of Jehu. From all which we may well conclude, that God expects and looks that wicked men, that unregenerate men, should be found in the exercise of religious duties. It is an excellent observation of Calvin upon God's rewarding the Kechabites' obedience : Jer. xxxv. 19, * God,' saith he, ' oft recompenseth the shadows and seeming appearances of virtue, to shew that complacency he takes in the ample rewards he hath reserved for true and sincere piety.' To conclude, it was as easy for Boaz to have given Ruth as much corn at once as would have yielded her an ephah of barley, and so have sent her home without any more ado, but he would not, being resolved that she should use her endeavour to gather and glean it, and beat it out too when she had gleaned it ; so it is as easy a thing for God to give his Christ, to give his Spirit, and to give his grace immediately to poor sinners without their using of the means, but he won't, being resolved that they shall use the means of hearing, reading, praying, and conference, &c., and when they have done, leave the issue of all their labours and endeavours to his good-will and pleasure. I have taken the more pains fully and clearly to answer this objection, that it may never more have a resur- rection in any of your souls.
(9.) Ninthly, If ever you would be holy, then, when you have done all, wait. Oh, hear and wait, and wait and hear ; pray and wait, and wait and pray ; read and wait, and wait and read ; confer, and wait, and wait and confer ; watch and wait, and wait and watch. 0 sirs, shall the husbandman wait for a good harvest ? and the merchant for good returns ? James v. 7, 8 ; and the watchman for the dawning of the day ? and the patient for a happy cure ? and the poor client for a day of hearing ? &c. ; and will not you wait for Christ, and wait for the Spirit, and wait for pardon, and wait for grace, and wait for glory? &c. 0 sinners, sinners, remember you are at the right door, and therefore wait. Oh, remember that whilst you are waiting for mercy, God is preparing of mercy. Oh, remember that it is mercy that you may wait for mercy. Devils and damned spirits can't wait for mercy. Wait they must ; but, oh, it is for more wrath, anger, and fiery indignation. Oh, remember your condition bespeaks waiting, for you are poor, halt, lame, blind, and miserable creatures. Oh, re- member that mercy is sweetest when it comes after a patient waiting: Deut. xxxii. 13, 'He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and