But you will sa}^ "Why, what great matter is there that you have in hand? Why is it urged with so much earnestness? We have heard the same words a hundred times over. The last Lord's day such a one, or such a one, preached to the same purpose ; and Avhat need it be insisted on now again with so much importunity?"
But is it so, indeed, that you have thus frequently been dealt withal, and do yet continue in an estate of irreconciliation ? My heart is pained for you, to think of your woful and almost remediless condi- tion. If " he that being often reproved, and yet hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy," Pro v. xxix. 1, how much more will he be so who, being often invited unto peace with God, yet hardeneth his heart, and refuseth to treat with him! Methinks I hear his voice concerning you : " Those mine enemies, they shall not taste of the supper that I have prepared." Be it, then, that the word in hand is a common Avord unto you, you set no value upon it, — then take your way and course in sin; stumble, fall, and perish. It is not so slight a matter to poor convinced sinners, that tremble at the word of God. These will prize it and improve it. We shall follow, then, that counsel, chap. xxxi. 6, " Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts." We shall tender this new wine of the gospel to poor, sad-hearted, conscience-distressed sinners, — sinners that are ready to perish: to them it will be pleasant; they Avill drink of it and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. It shall take away all their sorrow and sadness, when you .shall be drunk
Ver.4.] EXHORTATIONS UNTO BELIEVING FORGIVENESS. 523
with the fruit of your hists, and spue, and lie down and not rise again.
But now, if any of you shall begin to say in your hearts that you would willingly treat with God, — " Oh that the day were come wherein we might approach unto him! let him speak what he l^leaseth, and proj^ose what terms he j^leaseth, we are ready to hear," — then consider, —
Secondly, That the terms provided for you, and proposed unto you, are equal, holy, righteous, yea, pleasant and easy. This being another general head of our.work in hand, before I proceed to the farther explication and confirmation of it, I shall educe one or two observations from what hath been delivered on the first; as, —
1. See here on v^hoi fou7idation we preach the gospel. Many dis- putes there are whether Christ died for all individuals of mankind or no. If we say, " No, but only for the elect, who are some of all sorts ; " some then tell us we cannot invite all men promiscuously to believe. But why so? We invite not men as all men, no man as one of all men, but all men as sinners ; and we know that Christ died for sinners. But is this the first thing that we are, in the dispensation of the gospel, to propose to the soul of a sinner under the law, that Christ died for him in 'particular? Is that the beginning of our message unto him? Were not this a ready way to induce him to con- clude, " Let me, then, continue in sin, that grace may abound?" — No ; but this is in order of nature our first work, even that which Ave have liad in hand ; this is the " beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ ; " this is " the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord : " — "There is a way of reconciliation provided. ' God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself There is a way of acceptance; there is forgiveness with him to be obtained." At this threshold of the Lord's house doth the greatest part of men to whom the gospel is preached fall and perish, never looking in to see the treasures that are in the house itself, never coming into any such state and condition wherein they have any ground or bottom to in- quire whether Christ died for them in particular or no. They be- lieve not this report, nor take any serious notice of it. This was the ministry of the Baptist, and they who received it not " rejected the counsel of God" concerning their salvation, Luke vii. 10, and so perished in their sins. This is the sum of the blessed invitation given by Wisdom, Pro v. ix. 1-5. And here men stumble, fall, and perish, chap. i. 29, 30.
2. You that have found grace and favour to accept of these terms, and thereby to obtain peace with God, learn to live in a holy ad- miration of his condescension and love therein. That he would ljro\ade such terais ; that he would reveal them unto you ; that he
524 AN EXPOSITION UPON psal:\i cxxx. [Ver.4,
would enable you to receive them ; — unspeakable love and grace lies in it all. Many have not these terms revealed unto them ; few find favour to accept of them. And of whom is it that you have obtained this peculiar mercy?