Sinners generally live in a neglect and contempt of God, in an enmity against him ; but whenever they are convinced of a necessity to endeavour a return unto him, the first thing they have to conflict withal is fear. Beginning to understand who and what he is, as also how things stand between him and them, they are afraid to have anything to do with him, and judge it impossible that they should find acceptance with him. This was the sense that Adam himself had upon his sin, when he was afraid, and hid himself And the sense of other sinners is frequently expressed unto the same purpose in Scripture. See Isa. xxxiii. 14; Micah vi. 6, 7.
All these discouragements are absolutely provided against in that way of our recovery which infinite wisdom hath found out. It were a thing delightful to dwell on the securities given us therein, as unto our acceptance, in all those principles, acts, and duties wherein the renovation of the image of God doth consist. I must contract my meditations, and shall therefore instance in some few things only unto that pmrpose.
(1.) Faith is not capable of greater encouragement or confirmation than lieth in this one consideration — that what we are to believe unto this end is delivered unto us by God himself in our nature. What could confirm our faith and hope in God, what could encourage us to expect acceptance with God, like this ineffable testimony of his good- will unto us ? The nature of things is not capable of greater assur- ance, seeing the divine nature is capable of no greater condescension.
This the Scripture proposeth as that which gives a just expectation that, against all fears and oppositions, we should close with divine calls and invitations to return unto God : " Last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son," Matt. xxi. 37, — they will believe the message which I send by him. He hath "spoken unto us by his Son" — "the brightness of his glory, and the
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express image of his person/' Heb. i. 1-3. The consideration hereof is sufficient to dispel all that darkness and confusion which fear, dread, and guilt do bring on the minds of men, when they are invited to return unto God. That that God against whom we have sinned should speak unto us, and treat with us, in our own nature, about a return unto himself, is the utmost that divine excellencies could con- descend unto. And as this was needful for us, (though proud men and senseless of sin understand it not,) so, if it be refused, it will be attended with the sorest destruction, Heb. xii. 25.
(2.) This treaty principally consists in a divine declaration, that all the causes oifear and dread upon the account of sin are removed and taken away. This is the substance of the Gospel, as it is declared by the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 18-21. Wherefore, if hereon we refuse to return unto God — to make him the object of our faith, trust, love, and delight — it is not by reason of any old or fonner sin, not of that of our original apostasy from God, nor of the effects of it against the law, [but] by the means of a new sin, outdoing them all in guilt and contempt of God. Such is final unbelief against the proposal of the Gospel. It hath more malignity in it than all other sins whatever. But by this M^ay of our recovery, all cause of fear and dread is taken away — all pretences of a distrust of the love and good-will of God are defeated ; so that if men will not hereon be recovered unto him, it is from theii' hatred of him and enmity unto him — the fruits whereof they must feed on to eternity.
(3.) Whereas, if we will return unto God hy faith, we are also to return unto him in love, what greater motive can there be unto it than that infinite love of the Father and the Son unto us, which is gloriously displayed in this way of our recovery ? See 1 John iv. 9, 10. " Si amare pigebat, saltem redamare ne pigeat."
(4.) The whole race of mankind falling into sin against God, and apostasy from him, there was no example left unto them to manifest how excellent, how glorious and comely a thing it is, to live unto God, — to believe and trust in him — to cleave unto him unchangeably by love ; for they were utter strangers unto what is done by angels above, nor could be affected with their example. But without a pattern of these things, manifesting their excellency and reward, they could not earnestly endeavour to attain unto them. This is given us most conspicuously in the human nature of Christ. See Heb. xii. 2, 3. Hereby, therefore, everything needful for our encouragement to return unto God is, in infinite wisdom, provided for and proposed unto us.
6. Divine Wisdom, in the way of our recovery by Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, designed to glorify a state of obedience unto God, and to cast the reproach of the most inexpressible folly on the relinquishment of that state by sin. For, as God would recover and