We have time — we bestow many hours in vanity — shall we not bestow some on God? But surely it should be as a wound to our hearts that we should be so unwilling not to spare our lusts, that which is not worth keeping. The other argument is from fear: if we spare our sins, God will punish them: Job xx. 13, 'Though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth ; Deut. xxix. 21, 'The Lord will not spare him.' I may reason as the apostle — 'If God spare not the natural branches, take heed also lest he spare not thee,' Kom. xi. 21. Chri.st was only a surety for sinners, thou art an obstinate and unreclaimed sinner.
3. Improve this to patience under poverty. If God hath dealt spar- ingly with us in the matters of this world, yet he hath been bountiful in his Son ; more in your souls, though less in your houses. ' He that spared not his Son, doth with him freely give us all things.' So under affliction by death, the death of friends, thou art apt to say, I cannot spare such a child, or yoke-fellow, or relation, when God seemeth to be about to take them away ; God will not spare them, though you can-
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not or will not ; but you cannot say God doth not love us or them ; God loved Christ, yet will not spare him.
4. And especially should this be improved to give us great boldness and encouragement in prayer.
[1.] Because God loveth us. Usually when we come to God in prayer, we draw an ill picture of him io our minds, as if he were all MTath and vengeance, and unwilling to be reconciled to man, or brought to it with much difSculty ; therefore it concerneth us to obviate this prejudice, and to conceive of God in prayer as one that loveth u.s. We have gained a great point when we can come with this thought into his presence, I am now praying to a God that loveth me, and will do me good. Yes, you will say, if I could come to that, I had gained a great point indeed. But what hindereth, when Christ came on pur- pose to show the love and loveliness of God to us ? for our redemption came first out of the bosom of God, and Christ's mission into the world, and dying for sinners, was the fruit of his love ; and mainly it served for this end, to give us a full demonstration of the love of God and his pity to the lost world of sinners, that when our guilt had made him frightful to us, we might not fly from him as a condemning God, but love him and serve him and pray to him as one willing to be recon- ciled to us. Light and heat are not more abundant in the sun than love is in God. What hindereth then, but that you come with this thought ? But how shall I know that he loveth me ? What things may assure me of it ? What saith the text ? — ' God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.' There is, I confess, a twofold love — his general love and his special love : his general love, which intendeth benefits to us ; and his special love, which putteth us in possession of them ; his general love to the lost world, and his love and mercy to us in particular, giving us the saving benefits purchased for us, and intended to us.
(1.) His general love to the lost world ; that is a great thing. The devil seeketh to hide the wonderful love of God revealed in our redeemer, that we may still stand aloof from God, as more willing to punish than to save ; and many poor dark creatures gratify his design and aim, are still seeking signs and tokens of God's love, or something in themselves to warrant them to come to God by Christ, and to persuade us that we shall be welcome if we do so ; and because they cannot find anything in themselves that he will admit them, they are troubled, but all this while they are but seeking the sun with a candle. What greater evidence of God's willingness to receive you than the death of Christ, than the invitations of the gospel ? This is alone above all evidences of his love, ' He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.' But herein we are like the Jews, who when they had seen many wonders wrought by Christ, would still have a new sign. The greatest sign is given already, Christ's dying for a sinful world. Men and angels cannot find out a sign, pledge, and confirmation of the love of God above that. Yet if that be not enough, we have another sign, the promises and invitations of the gospel, which show his willingness to welcome sinners. Salvation is offered not to named, but described persons ; therefore, if we are willing to come under these liopes upon Christ's terms, these must satisfy our scrupulous minds