4. God hath provided a remedy for us by Christ, whereby he would astonishingly oblige men to seek after his own salvation : John iii. 16, ' God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' There is love to the world in it ; there is man-kindness in it : Titus iii. 4, 'After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.' A propitiation for the whole world : 1 John ii. 2, ' He is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.' Here is a sufficient foundation for this truth, that whosoever believeth shall be saved. If, after all this, man shall be negligent, vain, careless, unmindful of his misery or remedy, his own conscience will bear witness against him that the cause of his sin and the hindrance of his recovery is from himself, and from his own obstinacy and impenitency : Hosea xiii. 9, 'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy hope.' God is not to be blamed for our destruction ; it is of our own procuring. There was hell) in God, but they would not accept it.
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6. Affected scruples whether this be intended to us, are a sin, and do not disoblige us from our duty. They are a sin, because secret things do not belong to us, but the open declarations of God concern- ing our duty : Deut. xxix. 29, ' Secret things belong unto the Lord ; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children/ Let us perform our duty, and the secret purposes of God will be no bar and hindrance to us. To betray a known duty by a scruple is the part of an erring and deceitful heart. God may do what he pleaseth, but we must do what he hath commanded. This is the only true principle that will enable us to carry our work through to the last.
6. God hath appointed means, which during the time of his patience are liberally vouchsafed to us ; and we being commanded to use these means in order to our recovery, should lie at the pool and wait for mercy. If we refuse the helps and the means, our condemna- tion is just ; we even pass it upon ourselves : Acts xiii. 46, ' Since ye put away the word of God from you, ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life ; ' and become incapable and unworthy of any benefit by the gospel. The giving of these manifold helps and means on God's part showeth a great hopefulness of success, and such as may encourage us cheerfully to perform our duty, and carry it through with the expectation of a blessing ; but the refusal of these helps and means on our part showeth we are intractable and disobedient, and perish by our own obstinacy.
7. Because common mercies are our ruin, and our table a snare, and our welfare a trap, and the ease and ' prosperity of fools slayeth them,' Prov. i. 32; therefore God warneth us of danger of the abuse of these mercies, telleth us of the corruption that is in the world through lust, commandeth us and entreateth us to use them better, and to remember him who giveth us comfortably and richly to enjoy these things, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18 ; sometimes taketh them out of our hands, as a father would do a sharp knife out of the hands of a child ; prayeth us that we will not love a perishing world, and forsake our own mercies ; that we will not hazard eternal things for trifles. And after all these warnings, who is to blame ?
8. God doth not presently give over dealing with the despisers of his grace, or those that reject or neglect his blessed offers, but doth defer punishment, draw out his patience towards them to the fullest length. He yet tarrieth longer, to see if yet they will be in a better mind : 1 Peter iii. 10, ' The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.' If, after all this, we be disobedient and incorrigible, what place is fit for us but the prison of hell P
Use 1. It showeth how cross to God's design they act who delay repentance because God delayeth vengeance : Eccles. viii. 11, ' Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.' Men are apt to do so, partly because they measure things by present sense. If it be not ill with them for the present, they think to-morrow shall be as yesterday. Partly because they think they shall have time enough to repent at last, and so can be contented that God be longer dishonoured, provided that tliey at length may lepent and be saved ; though God delayeth that you may take the season, not let it slip. Partly because
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they abuse God's patience to atheism ; either denying providence, saying, ' The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil,' Zeph, i. 12 ; as if God had forgotten the care of the world ; or else think that God approveth their sin because they continue in health, peace, and prosperity : Ps. 1. 21, ' These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ; thou thoughtest,' &c. ; and so grow sensual and secure, and their hearts more hard and impenitent, because God spareth them. This is to * turn the grace of God into wantonness,' and to * treasure up wrath,' Bom. ii. 5. But though God bear long, he will not bear always. The chimney long foul and not swept taketh fire at length: Ps. Ixviii. 21, ' But he will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in sin.' Forbearance is not remission. Sentence is past (John iii. 18, ' He that believeth not is condemned already '), though not executed : Eccles. viii. 11, ' Because sentence is not speedily executed,' &c. God may give sinners a long day, but reckoneth with them at last : Rom. ix. 22, ' What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ? ' There is suffering, long- suffering, and much long-suffering ; yet all this while fitted for destruc- tion. When you have but a little space given you, will you frolic it away in sins and carnal pleasures ? God is ' bending his bow, whetting his sword, if they turn not ; he is angry with the wicked every day,' Ps. vii. 11, 12 ; and at length his anger will break out if they turn not.