2. That out of this misery man is unable to deliver and recover himself Not able to reconcile or propitiate God to himself, or himself to God; not able to redeem himself, or give a sufficient ransom or recompense to God's provoked justice : Ps. xlix. 8, ' For the redemp- tion of the soul is precious, and ceaseth for ever.' There is but one way of coming to this, which is by the death of the Messiah. Not able to change his own heart : Job xiv. 4, ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one.' All that we do savoureth of our unclean original. We cannot cure and remedy this evil; otherwise Christ needed not to have died for us. If man had been by other means cured, the heavenly physician needed not come to save them. It is denied to all the living.
6 SEKMON UPON MARK II. 17.
3. Those who are sensible of this are nextly called ; not sinners as sinners, but sensible sinners. Those that know themselves to be so ; sensible sinners, who are willing to return to their obedience to God, expecting their help and discharge from God's grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are righteous in their own eyes; such as do in some measure feel their sins, are humbled for them, desirous to be freed from them; lost sinners, broken-hearted, and grieved, and wounded for their transgressions, these are respected in Christ's com- mission: Isa. Ixi. 1, 2, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound ; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' Here is Christ's calling to his ministry, and the exercise of his prophetical office de- scribed : Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Satan. But to whom? To such as are humbled, and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their sin ; for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken sinners and prepare them before convei"sion,
II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed estate by calling. There is a twofold calling of Christ by which he calleth men — (1.) Outward; (2.) Inward.
1. Outwardly, by the ministry of the word, by which he inviteth men to come out of their sins, offering grace and salvation in the out- ward means. Thus John preached repentance : Mat. iii. 20, ' Kepent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.' When the kingdom of grace was about to be set up by the gospel, the great duty called for was repent- ance ; for the gospel findeth men involved in an evil way, like mad- men out of their wits, and they must return to their wits again if they would be capable of it. Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it. Thus John preached, and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation : Mark'i. 15, ' The kingdom of God is at hand ; repent and believe the gospel.' The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ, and to return to the duty which they owed to their creator. So his apostles, when sent abroad l3y him, spake to men in the same note : Acts ii. 38, ' Repent and be baptized every one of you, for the remis- sion of sins ; ' and Acts iii. 19, ' Repent, that your sins may be blotted out.' They offered pardon and life upon these terms.
2. Inwardly, by the effectual working of the blessed Spirit, inclin- ing and moving their hearts to obey that outward calling in forsaking their sins ; and turning to the Lord by true repentance. We have need of a Saviour to help us to repentance as well as to help us to par- don, and God hath exalted him to such an end : Acts iii. 26, ' God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities ; ' Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' He by the gospel giveth leave to repent : Acts xi. 18, ' And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, That then God also to the gentiles granted repentance to life,' which is a great mercy. The law doth not say, I will not the death of a sinner, but that he turn and
SERMON UPON MARK II. 17. 7
live ; but the Lord saith, Do and live, sin and die. This favour was not vouchsafed to angels : Heb. ii. 16, ' For verily he took not on him the nature of angels,' ov yap Stjttov djyiXwv iirtka/jb^dveTac — he took not hold of angels. That he giveth us space to repent, as well as leave ; that by his providence he may do, and doth, to many that perish : Eev. ii. 21, ' I gave her space to repent, and she repented not.' God is not quick and severe upon every miscarriage. He might have cut us off betimes, as we crush serpents in the egg, and destroy venomous creatures when they are young. But this is not all ; he giveth grace to repent, yea, repentance itself, whereby man's heart is changed. This is by his Spirit : 2 Tim. ii. 25, ' If God peradventure will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth.' The evangelical call carries its own blessing with it.