HOSKA XIV. 2.] THE KETUENING BACKSLIDEK. 273
and our sitting there, could disappoint us thereof, or unsettle us, it may as well put Christ out of heaven, for we sit with him. If we yield to the un- comfortable popish doctrine of doubting, we cannot be heartily thankful for blessings ; for still there will rise in the soul surmises, I know not whether God favour me or not : it may be, I am only fatted for the day of slaughter ; God gives me outward things to damn me, and make me the more inex- cusable. "What a cooler of praise is this, to be ever doubting, and to have no assurance of God's favour ! But when upon good evidence, which cannot deceive, we have somewhat wi'ought in us, distinct from the greater number of worldlings, God's stamp set upon us ; having evidences of the state of grace, by conformity to Chi-ist, and walking humbly by the rule of the word in all God's ways : then we may heartily be thankful, yea, and we shall break forth in thanksgiving ; this being an estate of peace, and 'joy unspeakable and glorious,' 1 Pet. i. 8, wherein we take everything as an e\adence of God's love.
Thus the assurance of our being in the state of grace makes us thankful for everything. So by the contrary, being not in some measure assured of God's love in Christ, we cannot be thanlvful for everything. For it will always come in our mind, I know not how I have these things, and what account I shall give for them. Therefore, even for the honour of God, and that we may praise him the more cheerfully, let us labour to have further and further evidences of the state of grace, to make us thankful both for things present and to come, seeing faith takes to trust things to come, as if it had them in possession. Whereby we are assured of this, that we shall come to heaven, as sure as if we were there already. This makes us praise God beforehand for all favours ; as blessed Peter begins his epistle, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, accord- ing to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorrap- tible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,' &c., 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. As soon as we are newborn, we are begotten to a kingdom and an inheritance. Therefore, assurance that we are God's children will make us thankful for grace present, and that to come, as if we were in heaven ah'eady. We begin then the employment of heaven in thanksgiving here, to praise God beforehand with cherubims and angels. Let us, then, be stirred up to give God his due beforehand, to begin heaven upon earth ; for we are so much in heaven ah'eady, as we abound and are conversant in thanksgiving upon earth.
THE THIRD SEPtMON.
So ivill lie render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us ; we will not ride upon horses: neither will ive say anymore to the works of our hands, Ye are our yods : for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. — Hos. XIV. 2, 3.
The words, as we heard heretofore, contain a most sweet and excellent form of returning unto God, for miserable, lost, and forlorn sinners ; wherein so far God discovers his willingness to have his people retm-n imto him, that he dictates unto them a form of prayer, ' Take with you words, and tui-n to the Lord ; say unto him, Take away iniquity.' Wherein we see how
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274 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON III..
detestation of sin must be as general as the desire of pardon, and that none heartily pray to God to ' take away all iniquity ' who have not grace truly to hate all iniquity. ' And do good to us,' or do graciously to us ; for there is no good to us till sin be removed. Though God be goodness itself, there is no provoking or meriting cause of mercy in us. But he finds cause from his own gracious nature and bowels of mercy to pity his poor people and servants. It is his nature to shew mercy, as the fire to burn, a spring to run, the sun to shine. Therefore, it is easily done. As the prophet speaks, ' Who is a God like unto thee ?' Micah vii. 18.
"Where we come to speak of the re-stipulation, ' So will we render the calves of our lips.' Where God's favour shines, there will be a reflection. Love is not idle, but a working thing. It must render or die. And what doth it render ? Divers sacrifices of the New Testament, which I spake of ; that of a broken heart ; of Christ ofiered to the Father, to stand be- twixt God's wTath and us ; ourselves as a living sacrifice ; alms-deeds and praise, which must be with the whole inward powers of the soul.
* Praise is not comely in the mouth of a fool,' saith the wise man, nor of a wicked man. Saith God to such, ' What hast thou to do to take my words in thy mouth, since thou hatest to be reformed, and hast cast my words behind thee?' Ps. I. 16, 17. There are a company who are ordi- nary swearers and filthy speakers. For them to praise God, James tells them that these contrary streams cannot flow out of a good heart, James iii. 10, 11. Oh, no ; God requires not the praise of such fools.