(8.) If the Lord be pleased to carry on your souls thus far, then stir vp yourselves to choose and close tuith the way of forgiveness that hath been revealed. Choose it only, choose it in comparison with and opposition unto all others. Say you will be for Christ, and not for another; and be so accordingly. Here venture, here repose, here rest your souls. It is a way of peace, safety, holiness, beauty, strength, power, liberty, and glory. You have the nature, the name, the love, the purposes, the promises, the covenant, the oath of God ; the love, life, death or blood, the mediation, or oblation and inter- cession of Jesus Clirist; the power and efficacy of the Spirit, and gospel grace by him administered, — to give you assurance of the excel- lency, the oneness, the safety of the way whereunto you are engaging.
Ver.4.] CHRIST THE JUDGE OF OUK SPIRITUAL CONDITIOIL 54-1
If now tlie Lord shall be pleased to persuade your hearts and souls to enter upon the path marked out before you, and shall carry you on through the various exercises of it unto this closure of faith, God will have the glory, the gospel will be exalted, and your own souls shall reap the eternal benefit of this exhortation.
But now if, notwithstanding all that hath been spoken, all the invitations you have had, and encouragements that have been held out unto you, you shall continue to despise this so great salvation, you will live and die in the state and condition wherein you are. Why, then, as the prophet said to the wife of Jeroboam, " Come near, for I am sent to you with heavy tidings." I say, then, —
(9.) If you resolve to continue in the neglect of this salvation, and shall do so accordingly, then cursed he you of the Lord, with all the curses that are written in the law, and all the curses that are de- nounced against despisers of the gospel. Yea, be you Anathema Maran-atha, — cursed in this world always, until the commg of the Lord ; and when the Lord comes, be ye cursed from his presence into everlasting destruction. Yea, curse them, all ye holy angels of God, as the obstinate enemies of your king and head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Curse them, all ye churches of Christ, as despisers of that love and mercy which is your portion, your life, your inheritance. Let all the saints of God, all that love the Lord, curse them, and rejoice to see the Lord coming forth mightily and prevailing against them, to their everlasting ruin. Why should any one have a thought of compassion towards them who despise the compassion of God, or of mercy towards them who trample on the blood of Christ? Whilst there is yet hope, we desire to have continual sorrow for you, and to travail in soul for your conversion to God ; but if you be hardened in your way, shall we join with you against him? shall we prefer you above his glory? shall we desire your salvation with the despoiling God of his honour? Nay, God forbid. We hope to rejoice in seeing all that vengeance and indig-nation that is in the right hand of God poured out unto eternity upon your souls, Prov, i, 24-33.
Rules to be oLserved by them who would come to stability in obeilience.
That which remaineth to be farther carried on, upon the princi- ples laid down, is to persuade with souls more or less entangled in the depths of sin to close with this forgiveness by believing, unto their peace and consolation. And because such persons are full of pleas and objections against themselves, I shall chiefly, in wliat I have
542 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Yer.4.
to say, endeavour to obviate these objections, so to encourage them unto believing- and bring them unto settlement. And herein what- ever I have to offer flows naturally from the doctrine at large laid down and asserted. Yet I shall not in all paiticulars apply myself thereunto, but in general fix on those things that may tend to the establishment and consolation of both distressed and doubting souls. And I shall do what I purpose these two ways: —
First, I shall lay down such general rules as are necessary to be observed by all those who intend to come to gospel peace and com- fort. And then, SECONDLY, shall consider some such objections as seem to be most comprehensive of those special reasonings wherewith distressed persons do usually entangle themselves.
I shall begin with general rules, which, through the grace of Christ and supplies of his Spirit, may be of use unto believers in the con- dition under consideration.
Rule I.
Christ the only infallible judge of our spiritual condition — How he judgeth by his
word and Spirit.
Be not judges of your own condition, but let Christ judge. You are invited to take the comfort of this gospel truth, that " there is forgiveness with God." You say, not for you. So said Jacob, " My way is hid from the Lord," Isa. xl. 27; and Zion said so too, chap, xlix. 14, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." But did they make a right judgment of themselves? We find in those places that God was otherwise minded. This false judgment, made by souls in their entanglements, of their own condition, is oft- times a most unconquerable hinderance unto the bettering of it. They fill themselves with thoughts of their own about it, and on them they dwell, instead of looking out after a remedy. Misgiving thoughts of their distempers are commonly a great part of some meii's sickness. Many diseases are apt to cloud the thoughts, and to cause misappre- hensions concerning their own nature and danger. And these delu- sions are a real part of the person's sickness. Nature is no less impaired and weakened by them, the efficacy of remedies no less obstructed, than by any other real distemi^er. In such cases we per- suade men to acquiesce in the judgment of their skilful physician ; not always to be wasting themselves in and by their own tainted imaginations, and so despond upon their own mistakes, but to rest in what is informed them by him Avho is acquainted with the causes and tendency of tlieir indisposition better than themselves. It is ofttimes