Let us, therefore, be wise for afterwards, hear, read, lay up, and medi- tate for the time to come. For times will come, if we belong to God, that nothing will content or pacify' the soul but the infinite worth and merit of an infinite and free mercy apprehended in the face of Jesus Christ. When our sins are set in order before us, the sins of our youth, middle, and old age, our sins against conscience, against the law and gospel, against examples, vows, promises, resolutions, and admonitions of the Spirit and
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servants of God ; when there shall he such a terrible accuser, and God shall perhaps let the wounds of conscience fly open and join against us ; when wrath shall appear, be in some sort felt, and God presented to the soul as * a consuming fire,' Heb. xii. 29, no comfort in heaven or earth appearing, hell beneath seeming ready to revenge against us the quarrel of God's covenant, Oh then for faith to look through all these clouds ! to see mercy in wrath ! love in correction ! Heb. xii. 6, life in death ! the sweetness of the promises ! the virtue and merit of Christ's sufierings, death, resurrection, and intercession at the right hand ! the sting of death removed, 1 Cor. xv. 55, sin pardoned and done away, and glory at hand ! In sum, this promise made good, which leads unto all this happiness, as we shall by and by hear, ' I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away.' Oh, this is a marvellous matter, then, to be persuaded of! Therefore let us make a right use of these words in due season, for they are * like apples of gold, with pictures of silver,' Prov. xxv. 11, like balm to a green wound, like delivery in a ship- wreck. But, indeed, all comparisons come far short of this illustration, as the terror of incensed wrath in the fearful apprehension of eternal, unspeak- able misery, is beyond any other feai", apprehension, or joy.
But lest this gi'ace be abused by others (for we must not withhold the children's bread, for fear others partake with them unto whom it belongs not), let them know thus much : that those who turn this grace into wan- tonness, and will be evil, because God is thus gracious — that there is no word of comfort in the whole Scripture for them, who stand resolved to go on in their sins, presuming of mercy. See what God saith in this case, ' Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood ; and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the ima- gination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst : the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven,' Deut. xxix. 18-20. 'God will wound the hairy scalp of such an one,' Ps. Ixviii. 21, who goes on in his wickedness, and means to be so. And in the New Testament those who thus make a progress in sin, what do they ? They are said ' to treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,' Rom. ii. 5. Therefore God's word speaks no comfort to those who purpose to live in any sin. All the comfort that can be spoken to such is, that yet they are not in hell ; that yet they have time to return to this great Physician of the soul. But take such an one in his present condition, he can have no comfort in this estate, wherein there is but a step between him and hell. So as when the rotten thread of this uncertain life shall fail, or is cut asunder, down they fall. We have no comfort here for them, till they return. This precious balm belongs to the wounded conscience. Briefly for use then.
Use. Seeing that our God is a heahng God, as we can admire the wisdom, skill, and excellency of our physician, so let us much more make use of him upon all occasions. Trust and cleave to him, not like good Asa (but not good in this), who forgot himself, and sent first to the physicians, 2 Chron. xvi. 12. But let us especially rely upon God, and look to him, who can ' create help,' Isa. iv. 5, and must bless all means whatsoever. He is a healing God, who will heal all rebellions, and the most grievous
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sicknesses. He is a physician that is good for all turns. There are some diseases which are called the scorn of physicians, as the gout, the ague, and the like ; wherein, in some cases, they are put to a stand, and know not what to do. But God is never at a loss. His skill cannot be set down. He is good at all diseases, to pardon all manner of sins. There- fore let us go to him for cui-e, seeing there is neither sin, nor grief, nor terror of conscience arising thereupon, which can be so great but God can cure both the sin and the terror, if we take a right coui'se, and speak peace to the soul. God is a healing God, arising when he comes ' with healing in his wings,' Mai. iv. 2. As he saith, ' I will heal their rebellion,' &c. And as he is a healing physician, so he puts his patients to no charge. For as he saith, ' I will heal their backslidings ; ' so he saith, ' I will love them freely.'