The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Part 6

Can any boast of that which they have borrowed, and is not their own? As if the bird that had stolen from other birds its fair feathers should come forth and contend with them about beauty; would not they presently every one pluck out their own, and leave her naked, to be an object of mockery to all! Even so, since our breath and being is in our nostrils, and that depends upon his Majesty's breathing upon us, if he should but keep in his breath, as it were, we should vanish into nothing; he looketh upon man and he is not, Job vii. 8. That is a strange look, that looks man not only out of countenance, but out of life and being. He looks him into his first nothing; and then can he say, "I live, I am"? No, he must always say of himself in respect of G.o.d, as Paul of himself in respect of Christ, "I live, yet not I, but Christ in me." I am, yet not I, but G.o.d in me. I live, I am, yet not I, but in G.o.d, in whom I live and have my being. So that there is no other thing, besides G.o.d, can say, "I am;" because all things are but borrowed drops of this self-sufficient fountain, and sparkles of this primitive light. Let any thing intervene between the stream and the fountain, and it is cut off and dried up; let any thing be interposed between the sun and the beam, and it evanishes. Therefore, this fountain-being, this original light, this self-being, a?t? ??, as Plato called him, deserves only the name of being; other things that we call after that name are nearer nothing than G.o.d, and so, in regard of his majesty, may more fitly be called nothing than something. You see then how profound a mystery of G.o.d's absolute self-sufficient perfection, is infolded in these three letters, I AM, or in these four, _Jehovah_. If you ask what is G.o.d? There is nothing occurs better than this, "I am," or, he that is. If I should say he is the almighty, the only wise, the most perfect, the most glorious, it is all contained in that word, "I am that I am," _Nempe hoc est ei esse, haec omnia esse_; for that is to be, indeed, to be all those perfections simply, absolutely, and, as it were, solely.

If I say all that, and should reckon out all the scripture-epithets, I add nothing; if I say no more, I diminish nothing.

As this holds out G.o.d's absolute perfection, so we told you that it imports his eternity and unchangeableness. You know Pilate's speech, "What I have written I have written;" wherein he meant that he would not change it; it should stand so. So this properly belongs to G.o.d's eternity, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art G.o.d,"

Psal. xc. 2. Now this is properly to be; and this only deserves the name of being, which never was nothing, and never shall be nothing; which may always say, "I am." You know it is so with nothing else but G.o.d. The heavens and earth, with the things therein, could not say, six thousand years ago, "I am." Adam could once have said, "I am," but now he cannot say it; for that self-being and fountain-being hath said to him, return to dust. And so it is with all the generations past; where are they now? They were, but they are not. And we then were not, and now are; for we are come in their place, but within a little time, Who of us can say, "I am." No, "we flee away; and are like a dream, as when one awaketh!" We "are like a tale that is told," that makes a present noise, and it is past. Within few years this generation will pa.s.s, and none will make mention of us; our place will not know us, no more than we do now remember those who have been before. Christ said of John, "he was a burning and s.h.i.+ning light;"

"he was," saith he, but now he is not. But Christ may always say, "I am the light and life of men." Man is; but look a little backward, and he was not; you shall find his original. And step a little forward and he shall not be, you shall find his end. But G.o.d is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." But oh! who can retire so far backward as to apprehend a beginning; or go such a start forward as to conceive an end in such a being as is the beginning and end of all things, but without all beginning and end? Whose understanding would it not confound? There is no way here but to flee to Paul's sanctuary, "O the height and breadth, and length and depth!" We cannot imagine a being, but we must first conceive it nothing, and in some instant receiving its being; and, therefore, "Canst thou by searching find out G.o.d?" Therefore what his being is hath not entered into the heart of man to consider. If any man would live out the s.p.a.ce but of two generations he would be a world's wonder; but if any had their days prolonged as the patriarchs before the flood, they would be called ancient indeed, but then the heavens and earth are far more ancient. We may go backward the s.p.a.ce of near six thousand years in our own minds, and yet be as far from his beginning as we were. When we are come to the beginning of all things, a man's imagination may yet extend itself further, and suppose to itself as many thousands of years before the beginning of time, as all the angels and men of all nations and generations from the beginning, if they had been employed in no other thing but this, could have summed up; and then suppose a product to be made of all the several sums of years, it would be vast and unspeakable; but yet your imagination could reach further, and multiply that great sum into itself as often as there are units in it. Now when you have done all this, you are never a whit nearer the days of "the Ancient of days." Suppose then this should be the only exercise of men and angels throughout all eternity; all this marvellous arithmetic would not amount unto the least shadow of the continuance of him who is "from everlasting." All that huge product of all the multiplications of men and angels, hath no proportion unto that never-beginning and never-ending duration. The greatest sum that is imaginable hath a certain proportion to the least number, that it containeth it so oft and no oftener; so that the least number being multiplied will amount unto the greatest that you can conceive. But O!

where shall a soul find itself here? It is enclosed between infiniteness before and infiniteness behind,-between two everlastings; which way soever it turns, there is no outgoing; which way soever it looks, it must lose itself in an infiniteness round about it. It can find no beginning and no end, when it hath wearied itself in searching, which, if it find not, it knows not what it is, and cannot tell what it is. Now what are we then? O what are we, who so magnify ourselves! "We are but of yesterday, and know nothing," Job viii. 9. Suppose that we had endured the s.p.a.ce of a thousand years, yet saith Moses, Psal. xc. 4, "A thousand years are but as yesterday in thy sight." Time hath no succession to thee. Thou beholdest at once what is not at once, but in several times; all that may thus happen hath not the proportion of one day to thy days. We change in our days, and are not that to-day we were yesterday; but "he is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," Heb. xiii. 8. Every day we are dying, some part of our life is taken away; we leave still one day more behind us, and what is behind us is gone and cannot be recovered. Though we vainly please ourselves in the number of our years, and the extent of our life, and the vicissitudes of time, yet the truth is, we are but still losing to much of our being and time as pa.s.seth. First, we lose our childhood, then we lose our manhood; and then we leave our old age behind us also; and there is no more before us. Even the very present day we divide it with death. But when he moves all things, he remains immoveable.

Though days and years be in a continual flux and motion about him, and they carry us down with their force, yet he abides, the same for ever.

Even the earth that is established so sure, and the heavens that are supposed to be incorruptible, yet they "wax old as doth a garment;" but he is the same, and "his years have no end," Psal. cii. 26, 27. _Sine principio principium; absque fine finis; cui praeteritum non abit, haud adit futurum; ante omnia post omnia totus unus ipse_,-He is the beginning without any beginning; the end without an end: there is nothing bypast to him, and nothing to come. _Sed uno mentis cernit in ictu, quae sunt, quae erunt, quae fuerantque._-he is one that is all, before all, after all, and in all. He beholds out of the exaled and supereminent tower of eternity, all the successions and changes of the creatures; and there is no succession, no mutation in his knowledge, as in ours. "Known to him are all his works from the beginning." He can declare the end before the beginning; for he knows the end of all things, before he gives them beginning. Therefore he is never driven to any consultation upon any emergence, or incident, as the wisest of men are, who could not foresee all accidents and events; but "he is in one mind," saith Job; and that one mind and one purpose is one for all, one concerning all. He had it from everlasting, and who can turn him? For he will accomplish what his soul desires.

Now, "canst thou by searching find out G.o.d?" Canst thou, a poor mortal creature, either ascend up into the height of heaven, or descend down into the depths of h.e.l.l? Canst thou travel abroad, and compa.s.s all the sea and dry land, by its longitude and lat.i.tude? Would any mortal creature undertake such a voyage, to compa.s.s the universe? Nay, not only so, but to search into every corner of it, above and below, on the right hand and on the left? No certainly, unless we suppose a man whose head reaches unto the height of heaven, and whose feet is down in the depths of h.e.l.l, and whose arms, stretched out, can fathom the length of the earth, and breadth of the sea; unless, I say, we suppose such a creature, then it is in vain to imagine, that either the height of the one, or the depth of the other,-the length of the one, and the breadth of the other, can be found out and measured. Now, if mortal creatures cannot attain the measure of that which is finite, O then, what can a creature do? What can a creature know of him that is infinite, and the maker of all these things? You cannot compa.s.s the sea and land, how then can a soul comprehend him, "who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" Isa. xl. 12. Thou canst not measure the circ.u.mference of the heaven, how then canst thou find out him, "who metes out heaven with the span," "and stretcheth them out as a curtain?" Isa.

xl. 12, 22. You cannot number the nations, or perceive the magnitude of the earth, and the huge extent of the heavens, what then canst thou know of him, "who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as gra.s.shoppers before him?" and he spreadeth out the heavens "as a tent to dwell in!" Isa. xl. 22. He made all the pins and stakes of this tabernacle, and he fastened them below but upon nothing, and stretches this curtain about them and above them; and it was not so much difficulty to him, as to you to draw the curtain about your bed; for "he spake, and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast." Canst thou by searching find him out? And yet thou must search him; not so much out of curiosity to know what he is, for he dwelleth in "the light which no man can approach unto," which no man hath seen, and no man can see, 1 Tim. vi.

16; not so much to find him, as to be found of him, or to find what we cannot know when we have found. _Hic est qui nunquam quaeri frusta potes, c.u.m tamen inveniri non potest._ You may seek him, but though you never find him, yet ye shall not seek him in vain, for ye shall find blessedness in him. Though you find him, yet can you search him out unto perfection?

Then what you have found were not G.o.d. How is it possible for such narrow hearts to frame an apprehension, or receive an impression of such an immense greatness, and eternal goodness? Will not a soul lose its power of thinking and speaking, because there is so much to be thought and spoken; and it so transcends all that it can think or speak? Silence then must be the best rhetoric; and the sweetest eloquence, when eloquence itself must become dumb and silent. It is the abundance and excess of that inaccessible light, that hath no proportion to our understandings, that strikes us as blind as, in the darkness, the wont of light. All that we can say of G.o.d is, that whatsoever we can think or conceive, he is not that, because he hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive, and that he is not like any of those things which we know, unto which if he be not like, we cannot frame any similitude or likeness of him in our knowledge. What then shall we do? Seek him and search him indeed: but, if we cannot know him, to reverence and fear and adore what we know. So much of him may be known as may teach us our duty and show unto us our blessedness. Let then all our inquiries of him have a special relation to this end, that, we may out of love and fear of such a glorious and good G.o.d, wors.h.i.+p and serve him, and compose ourselves according to his will and wholly to his pleasure. Whatever thou knowest of G.o.d, or searchest of him, it is but a vain speculation, and a work of curiosity, if it do not lead to this end,-to frame and fas.h.i.+on thy soul to an union and communion with him in love; if it do not discover thyself unto thyself, that in that light of G.o.d's glorious majesty thou mayest distinctly behold thy own vileness and wretched misery, thy darkness and deadness and utter impotency. The angels that Isaiah saw attending G.o.d in the temple, had wings covering their faces, and wings covering their feet. Those excellent spirits who must cover their feet from us, because we cannot behold their glory, as Moses behoved to be veiled, yet they cannot behold his glory, but must cover their face from the radiant and s.h.i.+ning brightness of his majesty. Yet they have other two wings to fly with. And being thus composed in reverence and fear to G.o.d, they are ready to execute his commands willingly and swiftly, Isa. vi. 1-3, &c. But what is the use Isaiah makes of all this glorious sight? "Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips," &c. Oh! all is unclean,-people, and pastor! He had known, doubtless, something of it before, but now he sees it of new, as if he had never seen it. The glory of G.o.d s.h.i.+ning on him doth not puff him up in arrogancy and conceit of the knowledge of such profound mysteries, but he is more abased in himself by it. It s.h.i.+nes into his heart and whole man, and lets him see all unclean within and without. And so it was with Job, Job xliii. 5, 6. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;" but as long as it was hearsay, I thought myself something,-I often reflected upon myself and actions, with a kind of self-complacency and delight; but now, saith he, since I have seen thee by the seeing of the eye, "I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes;" I cannot look upon myself with patience,-without abhorrency and detestation. Self-love made me loathe other men's sins more than mine own, and self-love did cover mine own sins from me; it presented me to myself in a feigned likeness; but now I see myself in my true shape, and all coverings stripped off. Thy light hath pierced into my soul, and behold, I cannot endure to look upon myself.

Here now is the true knowledge of G.o.d's majesty, which discovers within thee a mystery of iniquity: and here is the knowledge of G.o.d indeed, which abases all things besides G.o.d, not only in opinion but in affection, that attracts and unites thy soul to G.o.d, and draws it from thyself and all created things. This is a right discovery of divine purity and glory, that spots even the cleanness of angels, and stains the pride of all glory; much more will it represent filthiness, as filthiness without a covering.

It is knowledge and science, "falsely so called," that puffeth up; for true knowledge emptieth a soul of itself, and humbleth a soul in itself, that it may be full of G.o.d. He that thinks he knows any thing, knows nothing as he ought to know.

This then is the first property or mark of the saving knowledge of G.o.d. It removes all grounds of vain confidence that a soul cannot trust unto itself. And then the very proper intent of it is, that a soul may trust in G.o.d, and depend on him in all things. For this purpose the Lord hath called himself by so many names in scripture, answerable to our several necessities and difficulties, that he might make known to us how all-sufficient he is, that so we may turn our eyes and hearts towards him.

This was the intent of this name, I AM, that Moses might have a support of his faith; for if he had looked to outward appearance, was it not almost a ridiculous thing, and like a vain fancy, for a poor inconsiderable man to go to a king with such a message, that he would dismiss so many subjects?

And was it not an attempt of some madman to go about to lead so many thousands from a wicked tyrannical king, into another nation? Well, saith the Lord, "I am;" I, who give all things a being, will give a being to my promise. I will make Pharaoh hearken, and the people obey. Well then, what is it that this name of G.o.d will not answer? It is a creating name,-a name that can bring all things out of nothing by a word. If he be such as he is, then he can make of us what he pleases. If our souls had this name constantly engraven on our hearts, O what power would divine promises and threatenings have with us! "I, even I, am he that comforteth thee," saith he, Isaiah xli. 12. If we believed that it were he indeed, the Lord Jehovah, how would we be comforted! How would we praise him by his name JAH! How would we stoop unto him, and submit unto his blessed will! If we believed this, would we not be as dependent on him as if we had no being in ourselves? Would we not make him our habitation and dwelling-place; and conclude our own stability, and the stability of his church from his unvariable eternity? as the Psalmist, Psal. xcix. 1. Psal. cii. ult. How can we think of such a Fountain-Being, but we must withal acknowledge ourselves to be shadows of his goodness, and that we owe to him what we are, and so consecrate and dedicate ourselves to his glory! How can we consider such a Self-Being, Independent, and Creating Goodness, but we must have some desire to cleave to him, and some confidence to trust in him! Now, this is to know him.

When we think on his unchangeableness, let us consider our own vanity, whose glory and perfection is like a summer flower, or like a vapour ascending for a little time, whose best estate is altogether vanity. Our purposes are soon broken off, and made of none effect, our resolutions change. This is a character of mortality, we are not always alike. _Non sibi constare, nec ubique et semper sibi parem eundemque esse._ To be now one thing, and then another thing, is a properly of sinful and wretched man. Therefore let us "cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils,"

and "trust not in princes" who shall die, far less in ourselves who are less than the least of men, but let us put our trust in G.o.d, "who changeth not," and we shall not be consumed,-our waters shall not fail,-we shall never be ashamed of any hope we have in him. There is nothing else you trust in, but undoubtedly it shall prove your shame and confusion.

Whatever you hear or know of G.o.d, know that it is vain and empty, unless it descend down into the heart to fas.h.i.+on it to his fear and love, and extend unto the outward man to conform it to obedience, you are but "vain in your imaginations, and your foolish hearts are darkened" while "when you know G.o.d" you glorify him not as G.o.d. If that be not the fruit and end of knowledge, that knowledge shall be worse to thee than ignorance, for it both brings on judicial hardening here, and will be thy solemn accuser and witness against thee hereafter, Rom. i. 21-24. The knowledge of Jesus Christ truly so called, is neither barren nor unfruitful for out of its root and sap spring humility, self-abasing confidence in G.o.d, patience in tribulations, meekness in provocations, temperance and sobriety in lawful things &c. 2 Pet. i. 5-8.

Lecture IX.

What G.o.d Is To Us.

Exod. x.x.xiv. 6, 7.-"The lord, the Lord G.o.d merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands."

There is nothing can separate between G.o.d and a people but iniquity, and yet he is very loath to separate even for that. He makes many shows of departing, that so we may hold him fast, and indeed he is not difficult to be holden. He threatens often to remove his presence from a person or nation, and he threatens, that he may not indeed remove, but that they may entreat him to stay, and he is not hard to be entreated. Who is a G.o.d like unto him, slow to anger, and of great mercy? He is long of being provoked, and not long provoked, for it is like the anger of a parent's love. Love takes on anger as the last remedy, and if it prevail, it is as glad to put it off as it was unwilling to take it on. You may see a lively picture of this in G.o.d's dealing with Moses and this people in the preceding chapter.

He had long endured this rebellious and obstinate people,-had often threatened to cut them off,-and yet, as it were, loath to do it, and repenting of it, he suffers himself to be entreated for them, but all in vain to them,-they corrupted their way still more, and in the 32d chapter fall into gross idolatry, the great trespa.s.s that he had given them so solemn warning of often, whereupon great wrath is conceived. And the Lord (chap. x.x.xiii. 2) threatens to depart from them,-Go your way, saith he to Canaan, but I will not go with you, take your venture of any judgments, and the people of the land's cruelty. Here is a sad farewell to Israel, and who would think he could be detained after all that? Who would think that he could be entreated? And yet he is not entreated, he is not requested, before he gives some ground of it, and before he first condescends; go, saith he, and put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. Will he then accept a repenting people, and is there yet hope of mercy? Should he that is going away show us the way to keep him still? And he that flees from us, will he strengthen us to pursue and follow after him? This is not after the manner of men, it is true, whose compa.s.sions fail when their pa.s.sion ariseth, but this is the manner and method of grace, or of him who waits to be gracious. He flees so as he would have a follower. Yea, while he seems to go away, he draws the soul that he might ran after him. Hence is that word, Psal. lxiii. 8, "My soul followeth hard after thee, thy light hand upholdeth me." Well, the people mourn, and put off their ornaments in sign of humiliation and abas.e.m.e.nt, but all this doth not pacify and quench the flame that was kindled. Moses takes the tabernacle out of the camp, the place of judgement where G.o.d spake with the people, and the cloud, the sign of G.o.d's presence, removes.

In a word, the sign of G.o.d's loving and kind presence departs from them, to signify that they were divorced from G.o.d, and, in a manner, the Lord by Moses excommunicates all the people and rulers both, and draws away these holy things from the contagion of a profane people. But yet all is not gone. He goes far off, but not out of sight, that you may always follow him, and if you follow, he will stand still. He is never without the reach of crying, though we do not perceive him. Now, in this sad case you may have a trial who is G.o.dly. Every one that seeks the Lord will separate from the unholy congregation, and follow the tabernacle, and this affects the whole people much, that they all wors.h.i.+p in the tent door.

Now, in the meantime, G.o.d admits Moses to speak with him. Though he will not speak to the people, yet he will speak with their mediator, a typical mediator, to show us that G.o.d is well pleased in Christ, and so all Christ's intercessions and requests for us will get a hearing. When they are come once in talking, the business is taken up, for He is not soon angry, and never implacably angry,-"slow to anger, and keeps it not long."

Moses falling familiar with G.o.d, not only obtains his request for the people, but becomes more bold in a request for his own satisfaction and confirmation. He could not endure to lead that people unless G.o.d went with him, and having the promise of his going with them he cannot endure distance with him, but aspires to the nearest communion that may be. Oh!

that it were so with us. His great request is, that the Lord will show him his glory. Had he not seen much of this already and more than any man ever saw, when he spake in the mount with G.o.d, &c.? Nay, but he would see more, for there is always more to be seen, and there is in a G.o.dly soul always more desire to see it. The more is seen, the more is loved and desired.

Tasting of it only begets a kindly appet.i.te after it, and the more tasted, still the fresher and more recent but yet it is above both desire and fruition,-"Thou canst not see my face, &c." All our knowledge of G.o.d,-all our attainments of experience of him,-do but reach to some dark and confused apprehension of what he is. The clearest and nearest sight of G.o.d in this world is, as if a man were not known but by his back, which is a great point of estrangement. It is said, in heaven we shall see him "face to face," and fully as he is, because then the soul is made capable of it.

Two things in us here put us in an incapacity of nearness with G.o.d,-infirmity and iniquity. Infirmity in us cannot behold his glory. It is of so weak eyes, that the brightness of the sun would strike it blind.

And iniquity in us, he cannot behold it, because he is of pure eyes, that can look on no unclean thing. It is the only thing in the creation that G.o.d's holiness hath an antipathy at, and therefore he is still about the destroying of the body of sin in us, about the purging from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and till the soul be thus purged of all sin, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, it cannot be a temple for an immediate vision of him, and an immediate exhibition of G.o.d to us. Sin is the will of part.i.tion, and the thick cloud that eclipses his glory from us. It is the opposite hemisphere of darkness, contrary to light, according to the access or recess of G.o.d's presence, it is more or less dark. The more sin reigns in thee, the less of G.o.d is in thee, and the more sin be subdued, the readier and nearer is G.o.d's presence. But let us comfort ourselves that one day we shall put off both infirmity and iniquity, mortality shall put on immortality, and corruption be clothed with incorruption. We shall leave the rags of mortal weakness in the grave, and our menstruous clothes of sin behind us, and then shall the weak eyes of flesh be made like eagles' eyes, to behold the sun, and then shall the soul be clothed with holiness, as with a garment, which G.o.d shall delight to look upon, because he sees his own image in that gla.s.s.

We come to the Lord's satisfying of Moses' desire, and proclaiming his name before him. It is himself only can tell you what he is. It is not ministers preaching, or other discourse, can proclaim that name to you. We may indeed speak over those words unto you, but it is the Lord that must write that name upon your heart. He only can discover his glory to your spirit. There is a spirit of life which cannot be enclosed in letters and syllables, or transmitted through your ears into your hearts, but he himself must create it inwardly, and stir up the inward sense and feeling of that name, of those attributes. Faith indeed, "cometh by hearing," and our knowledge in this life is "through a gla.s.s darkly, through ordinances and senses," but there must be an inward teaching and speaking to your souls to make that effectual, "the anointing teacheth you of all things,"

1 John ii. 27. Alas! it is the separation of that from the word that makes it so unprofitable. If the Spirit of G.o.d were inwardly writing what the word is teaching then should your souls be "living epistles, that ye might read G.o.d's name on them." O! be much in imploring of and depending on him that teacheth to profit, who only can declare unto your souls what he is!

These names express his essence or being, and his properties, what he is in himself, and what he is to us. In himself he is Jehovah, or a Self Being, a?t ?? as we heard in the 3d chapter, "I am that I am", and EL, a strong G.o.d, or Almighty G.o.d, which two hold out unto us the absolute incomprehensible perfection of G.o.d, eminently and infinitely enclosing within himself all the perfections of the creature; the unchangeable and immutable being of G.o.d, who was, and is, and is to come, without succession, without variation, or shadow of turning, and then the almighty power of G.o.d, by which without difficulty by the inclination and beck of his will and pleasure, he can make or unmake all,-create or annihilate-to whom nothing is impossible. Which three, if they were pondered by us till our souls received the stamp of them, they would certainly be powerful to abstract and draw our hearts from the vain changeable, and empty shadow of the creature, and gather our scattered affections that are parted among them, because of their insufficiency, that all might unite in one and join with this self sufficient and eternal G.o.d. I say, if a soul did indeed believe and consider how all-sufficient he is, how insufficient all things else are, would it not cleave to him and draw near to him? Psal. lxxiii.

ult. It is the very torment and vexation of the soul to be thus racked, distracted, and divided about many things, and therefore many, because there is none of them can supply all our wants. Our wants are infinite, our desires insatiable and the good that is in any thing is limited and bounded, it can serve, one but for one use, and another for another use and when all are together they can but supply some wants but they leave much of the soul empty. But often these outward things cross one another, and cannot consist together and hence ariseth much strife and debate in a soul. His need requireth both, and both will not agree. But O that you could see this one universal good, one for all, and above all, your souls would choose him certainly-your souls would trust in him! Ye would say, "a.s.shur shall not save us, we will not ride on horses." Creatures shall not satisfy us, we will seek our happiness in thee and nowhere else; since we have tasted this new wine, away with the old, the new is better. I beseech you, make G.o.d your friend, for he is a great one, whether he be a friend or an enemy, he hath two properties that make him either most comfortable, or most terrible, according as he is at peace or war with souls,-eternity, and omnipotency. You were all once enemies to him. O consider what a party you have, an almighty party, and an unchangeable party! and if you will make peace with him and that in Christ, then know he is the best friend in the world, because he is unchangeable and almighty. If he be thy friend, he will do all for thee he can do and thou hast need of. Many friends willing to do, have not ability, but he hath power to do what he wills and pleases. Many friends are changeable,-their affections dry up and of themselves die, and therefore even princes'

friends.h.i.+p is but a vain confidence, for they shall die, and then their thoughts of favour perish with them, but he abides the same for all generations. There is no end of his duration and no end of his affection; he can still say, "I am that I am. What I was, I am, and I will be what I am." Men cannot say so, they are like the brooks that the companies of Teman looked after, and thought to have found them in summer as they left them in winter, but behold they were dried up, and the companies ashamed.

G.o.d cannot make thee ashamed of thy hope, because he is faithful and able.

Ability and fidelity is a sure anchor to hold by in all storms and tempests.

Such is G.o.d in himself. Now, there are two manner of ways he vents himself towards the creatures,-in a comfortable way, or in a terrible way. This glorious perfection and almighty power hath an issue upon sinners, and it runs in a twofold channel, of mercy or justice, of mercy towards miserable sinners that find themselves lost, and flee unto him and take hold of his strength, and justice towards all those that flatter themselves in their own eyes, and continue in their sins and put the evil day far off. There is no mercy for such as fear not justice, and there is no justice for such as flee from it unto mercy. The Lord exhibits himself in a twofold appearance, according to the condition of sinners. He sits on a throne and tribunal of grace and mercy, to make access to the vilest sinner who is afraid of his wrath and would fain be at peace with him, and he sits on a throne of justice and wrath, to seclude and debar presumptuous sinners from holiness. There were two mountains under the law,-one of cursings, and another of blessings. These are the mountains G.o.d sets his throne upon, and from these he speaks and sentences mankind. From the mountain of cursings, he hath p.r.o.nounced a curse and condemnatory sentence upon all flesh, "for all have sinned." Therefore he concludes all under sin that all flesh might stop their mouth, and the whole world become guilty before G.o.d. Now, the Lord having thus condemned all mankind because of disobedience, he sits again upon the mountain of blessings, and p.r.o.nounces a sentence of absolution, of as many as have taken with the sentence of condemnation, and appealed to his grace and mercy, and those which do not so, the sentence of condemnation stands above their heads unrepealed. He erects his tribunal of justice in the world for this end, that all flesh might once be convicted before him, and therefore he cites, as it were, and summons all men to present themselves and appear before his tribunal, to be judged. He lays out an accusation in the word against them. He takes their consciences witness of the truth of all that is charged on them, and then p.r.o.nounces that sentence in their conscience, "Cursed is he that abideth not in all things," which the conscience subsumes, and concludes itself accursed, and subscribes to the equity of the sentence. And thus man is guilty before G.o.d, and his mouth stopped. He hath no excuses, no pretences, he can see no way to escape from justice, and G.o.d is justified, by this means, in his speaking and judging. Psal. li. 4. The soul ratifies and confirms the truth and justice of all his threatenings and judgements, Rom. iii. 4. Now, for such souls as join with G.o.d in judging and condemning themselves, the Lord hath erected a throne of grace and tribunal of mercy in the word, whereupon he hath set his Son Jesus Christ, Psal. ii. 6, lx.x.xix. 14, xlv. 6, Heb. i. 8. And O! this throne is a comfortable throne. Mercy and truth go before the face of the king to welcome and entertain miserable sinners, and to make access to them. And from this throne Jesus Christ holds out the sceptre of the gospel, to invite sinners, self-condemned sinners, to come to him alone, who hath gotten all final judgment committed to him, that he may give eternal life "to whom he will," John v. 21, 22. O! that is a sweet and ample commission given to our friend and brother, Jesus Christ,-power to repeal sentences pa.s.sed against us,-power and authority to absolve them whom justice hath condemned, and to bless whom the law hath cursed, and to open their mouth to praise whose mouth sin and guiltiness hath stopped,-power to give the answer of a good conscience to thy evil self-tormenting conscience! In a word, he hath power to give life, to make alive and heal those who are killed or wounded by the commandment. Now, I say, seeing G.o.d hath of purpose established this throne of mercy in the word, thou mayest well, after receiving and acknowledging of the justice of the curse of the law, appeal to divine mercy and grace sitting on another throne of the gospel.

Thou mayest-if thy conscience urge thee to despair, and to conclude there is no hope-thou mayest, I say, appeal from thy conscience, from Satan, from justice, unto Jesus Christ, who is holding out the sceptre to thee.

The minister calls thee, rise and come, stand no longer before that bar, for it is a subordinate judicatory, there is a way to redress thee by a higher court of grace. Thou mayest say to justice, to Satan, to thy own conscience,-"It is true, I confess, that I deserve that sentence, I am guilty, and can say nothing against it, while I stand alone. But though I cannot satisfy, and have not; yet there is one, Jesus Christ, who gave his life a ransom for many, and whom G.o.d hath given as a propitiation for sins. He hath satisfied and paid the debt in my name; go and apprehend the cautioner, since he hath undertaken it, nay, he hath done it, and is absolved. Thou hadst him in thy hands O Justice! Thou hadst him prisoner under the power of death. Since thou hast let him go, then he is acquitted from all the charge of my sins; and therefore, since I know that he is now a king, and hath a throne to judge the world and plead the cause of the poor sheep, I will appeal to him, refer the cause to his decision, I will make my supplication to him, and certainly he will hear, and interpose himself between wrath and me. He will rescind this sentence of condemnation, since he himself was condemned for us and is justified,-'It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again,' who shall condemn me? He is near that justifies me, Rom. viii. 33, 34." Now if thou do indeed flee unto him for refuge, that city is open for thee, and nothing to prejudge thy entry. But no curse, no condemnation can enter in it, Rom.

viii. 1. He will justify and absolve thee from all things whereof the law could not justify thee, but condemn thee. There is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared. David may teach thee this manner of application, (Psal. cx.x.x. and cxlii. 2) of appealing from the deserved curse, to free undeserved blessing and mercy in Christ.

Let us consider this name of the Lord, and it shall answer all our suspicions of him,-all our objections against coming to him and believing in him. It is certain, ignorance is the mother of unbelief, together with the natural perverseness of our hearts. If we knew his name, we would trust in him; if his names were pondered and considered, we would believe in him. Satan knows this, and therefore his great sleight and cunning is to hold our minds fixed on the consideration of our misery and desperate estate. He keeps the awakened conscience still upon that comfortless sight, and he labours to represent G.o.d by halves, and that it is a false representation of G.o.d. He represents him as clothed with justice and vengeance,-as a consuming fire, in which light a soul can see nothing but desperation written; and he labours to hold out the thoughts of his mercy and grace, or diverts a soul from the consideration of his promises; whence it comes, that they are not established, that though salvation be near, yet it is far from them in their sense and apprehension. Therefore I say, you should labour to get an entire sight of G.o.d, and you shall see him best in his word, where he reveals himself, and there you find, if you consider, that which may make you fear him indeed, but never flee from him,-that which may abase you, but withal embolden you to come to him though trembling. Whatever thought possess thee of thine own misery, of thy own guiltiness, labour to counterpoise that with the thought of his mercy and free promises. Whatever be suggested of his holiness and justice, hear himself speak out his own name, and thou shall hear as much of mercy and grace as may make these not terrible unto thee, though high and honourable. The Lord hath so framed the expression and proclamation of his name in this place, that first a word of majesty and power is premised,-"the Lord, the Lord G.o.d,"-that it may compose our hearts in fear and reverence of such a glorious one, and make a preparatory impression of the majesty of our G.o.d, which indeed is the foundation or all true faith.

It begins to adore and admire a deity, a majesty hid from the world. The thoughts of his power and glory possess the soul first, and make it begin to tremble to think that it hath such a high and holy one to deal with.

But, in the next place, you have the most sweet, alluring, comforting styles that can be imagined, to meet with the trembling and languis.h.i.+ng condition of a soul that would be ready to faint before such a majesty.

Here Mercy takes it by the hand, and gives a cordial of grace, pardon, forgiveness, &c. to it, which revives the soul of the humble, and intermingles some rejoicing with former trembling. Majesty and greatness go before to abase and humble the soul in its own eyes; and mercy and goodness second them to lift up those who are low and exalt the humble.

And in the description of this, the Lord spends more words, according to the necessity of a soul, to signify to us how great and strong consolation may be grounded on his name,-how accessible he is, though he dwell in accessible light,-how lovely he is, though he be the high and the lofty one,-how good he is, though he be great,-how merciful he is, though he be majestic. In a word, that those that flee to him may have all invitation, all encouragement to come, and nothing to discourage, to prejudge their welcome; that whoever will, may come, and nothing may hinder on his part.

And then, after all this, he subjoins a word of his justice, in avenging sin, to show us that he leaves that as the last; that he essays all gaining ways of mercy with us; and that he is not very much delighted with the death of sinners, that so whosoever perishes may blame themselves for hating their own salvation and forsaking their own mercy.

Now whoever thou art that apprehendest a dreadful and terrible G.o.d, and thyself a miserable and wretched sinner, thou canst find no comfort in G.o.d's highness and power, but it looks terrible upon thee, because thou doubtest of his good-will to save and pardon thee. Thou sayest with the blind man, If thou wilt, thou canst do it; thou art a strong G.o.d, but what comfort can I have in thy strength, since I know not thy good-will? I say, the Lord answers thee in this name, I am "merciful," saith the Lord. If thou be miserable, I am merciful as well as strong; if thou have sin and misery, I have compa.s.sion and pity. My mercy may be a copy and pattern to all men to learn it of me, even towards their own brethren, Luke vi. 36.

Therefore he is called "the father of mercies," 2 Cor. i. 3. _Misericors est cui alterius miseria cordi est_. Mercy hath its very name from misery, for it is no other thing than to lay another's misery to heart; not to despise it, not to add to it, but to help it. It is a strong inclination to succour the misery of sinners, therefore thou needest no other thing to commend thee to him. Art thou miserable, and knowest it indeed? Then he is merciful; and know that also, these two suit well.

Nay, but saith the convinced soul, I know not if he will be merciful to me, for what am I? There is nothing in me to be regarded. I have nothing to conciliate favour, and all that may procure hatred. But, saith the Lord, I am "gracious," and dispense mercy freely, without respect to condition or qualification. Say not, if I had such a measure of humiliation as such a one,-if I loved him so much,-if I had so much G.o.dly sorrow and repentance,-then, I think he would be merciful to me. Say not so, for behold he is gracious. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy; and there is no other cause, no motive to procure it; it comes from within his own breast. It is not thy repentance will make him love thee, nor thy hardness of heart will make him hate thee or obstruct the vent of his grace towards thee. No! if it be grace, it is no more of works,-not works in that way that thou imaginest. It is not of repentance, not of faith in that sense thou conceivest; but it is freely, without the hire, without the price of repentance or faith, because all those are but the free gifts of grace. Thou wouldst have these graces to procure his favour, and to make them the ground of thy believing in his promises, but grace is without money. It immediately contracts with discovered misery, so that if thou do discover in thyself misery and sin, though thou find nothing else, yet do not cast away confidence, but so much the more address thyself to mercy and grace, which do not seek repentance in thee, but bring repentance and faith with them unto thee. Yet there is something in the awakened conscience. I have gone on long in sin; I have been a presumptuous sinner; can he endure me longer? Well, hear what the Lord saith, I am "long-suffering" and patient. And if he had not been so, we had been d.a.m.ned ere now. Patience hath a long term, and we cannot outrun it, outweary it. Why do we not wonder that he presently and instantly executed his wrath on angels, and gave them not one hour's s.p.a.ce for repentance, but cast them down headlong into destruction, as in a moment; and yet his majesty hath so long delayed the execution of our sentence, and calls us unto repentance and forgiveness, that we may escape the condemnation of angels? His patience is not slackness and negligence, as men count it, 2 Pet. iii. 9. He sits not in heaven as an idol, and idle spectator of what men are doing; but he observes all wrongs, and is sensible of them also. And if we were mindful and sensible of them also, he would forget them. He is long-suffering. This is extended and stretched-out patience beyond all expectation, beyond all deserving, yea contrary to it. Therefore, as long as he forbears, if thou apprehend thy misery and sin, and continuance in it; do not conclude that it is desperate. "Why should a living man complain?" As long as patience lengthens thy life, if thou desire to come to him, believe he will accept thee.

But, saith the doubting soul, I am exceeding perverse and wicked, there is nothing in me but wickedness. It so abounds in me that there is none like me. But, saith the Lord, I am "abundant in goodness." Thy wickedness though it be great, it is but a created wickedness, but my goodness is the goodness of G.o.d. I am as abundant in grace and goodness as thou art in sin-nay, infinitely more. Thy sin is but the transgression of a finite creature, but my mercy is the compa.s.sion of an infinite G.o.d,-it can swallow it up. Suppose thy sin cry up to heaven, yet mercy reaches above heaven, and is built up for ever. Here is an invitation to all sinners to come and taste-O come and taste, and see how good the Lord is! Goodness is communicative; it diffuses itself, like the sun's light. There is riches of his goodness. Rom. ii. 4. Poor soul, thou canst not spend it though thou have many wants!

But I am full of doubtings, fears, and jealousies. I cannot believe in his promises. I often question them. How, then, will he perform them? I say, saith the Lord, I am abundant in truth. He will certainly perform. Shall our unbelief, or doubting, "make the faith of G.o.d without effect?" &c.

Rom. iii. 3. G.o.d forbid! His faithfulness reaches unto the clouds; he will keep covenant with thee whose soul hath chosen him, though thou often question and doubt of him. Indeed, thou shouldst not give indulgence to thy doubtings and jealousies, but look on them as high provocations. For what can be more grievous to fervent love than to meet with jealousy?

Jealousy would quench any creature's love, but though it grieve and provoke him, yet he will not change, he will not diminish his. Only do not think your disputings and quarrelling innocent and harmless things. No certainly, they grieve the Spirit-stir up the beloved to go away, as it were, before he please-and make thee walk without comfort, and without fruit. Yet he will bear with, and not quench "the smoking flax" of a believer's desires, though they do not arise to the flame of a.s.surance.

But the wounded spirit hath one or two burdens more. I have abused much mercy; how can mercy pity me? I have turned grace into wantonness so that when I look to mercy and grace to comfort me, they do rather challenge me.

The sins of none are like mine,-none of such a heinous and presumptuous nature. But let us hear what G.o.d the Lord speaks. I keep "mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin. Thou hast wasted much mercy, but more is behind, all the treasure is not spent.

Though there were many thousand worlds besides, I could pardon them all, if they would flee unto my mercy. Thou shalt not be straitened in me."

Mercy will pardon thy abuse of mercy, it will forgive all faults thou dost against itself. Thou that sinnest against the Son of man, the Redeemer of the world, and remedy of sin-yet there is pardon for thee, whatever the quality, condition, or circ.u.mstance of thy sin be. Whoever, convinced of it, and loadened with it, desirest rest to thy soul, thou mayest find it in Christ, whose former kindness thou hast answered with contempt. Many sins, many great sins, and these presumptuous sins cannot exclude, nay, no sin can exclude a willing soul. Unbelief keeps thee unwilling, and so excludes thee.

Now, as the spider sucks poison out of the sweetest flower, so the most part of souls suck nothing but delusion and presumption and hardening out of the gospel. Many souls reason for more liberty to sin from mercy. But behold, how the Lord backs it with a dreadful word, "who will by no means clear the guilty." As many as do not condemn themselves before the tribunal of justice, there is no rescinding of the condemnatory sentence, but it stands above their heads, "he that believeth not is condemned already." Justice hath condemned all by a sentence. He that doth not, in the sense of this, flee unto Jesus Christ from sin and wrath is already condemned. His sentence is standing. There needs no new one. Since he flees not to mercy for absolution, the sentence of condemnation stands unrepealed. You guilty souls who clear yourselves, G.o.d will not clear you.

And, alas! how many of you do clear yourselves! Do you not extenuate and mince your sins? How hard is it to extort any confession of guilt out of you, but in the general! If we condescend to particulars, many of you will plead innocency almost in every thing, though you have, like children, learned to speak these words that ye are sinners. I beseech you consider it; it is no light matter, for G.o.d will by no means clear the guilty, by no means, by no entreaties, no flatteries. What! will he not pardon sin?

Yes indeed! his name tells you he will pardon all kind of sins, and absolve all manner of guilty persons, but yet such as do condemn themselves, such as are guilty in their own conscience, and their mouths stopped before G.o.d,-you who do not enter into the serious examination of your ways, and do not arraign yourselves before G.o.d's tribunal daily till you find yourselves loathsome and desperate, and no refuge for you,-you who do flatter yourselves always in the hope of heaven, and put the fear of h.e.l.l always from you,-I say, G.o.d will by no means, no prayers, no entreaties, clear or pardon you, because you come not to Jesus Christ, in whom is preached forgiveness and remission of sins. You who take liberty to sin, because G.o.d is gracious, and delay repentance till the end, because G.o.d is long suffering,-know G.o.d will not clear you, he is holy and just as he is merciful. If his mercy make thee not fear and tremble before him, and do not separate thee from thy sins,-if remission of sins be not the strongest persuasion to thy soul of the removing of sin,-certainly thou dost in vain presume upon his mercy.

Now consider what influence all this glorious proclamation had on Moses.

It stirs up in him reverence and affection,-reverence to such a glorious Majesty, and great desire to have him amongst them, and to be more one with him. If thy soul rightly discover G.o.d, it cannot but abase thee. He "made haste" to bow down and wors.h.i.+p. O, G.o.d's majesty is a surprising and astonis.h.i.+ng thing! It would bow thy soul in the dust if it were presented to thee. Labour to keep the right and entire representation of G.o.d in thy sight,-his whole name, strong, merciful, and just,-great, good, and holy.

I say, keep both in thy view, for half representations are dangerous, either to beget presumption and security when thou lookest on mercy alone, or despair when thou lookest on justice and power alone. Let thy soul consider all jointly, that it may receive a mixed impression of all. And this is the holy composition and temper of a believer,-Rejoice with trembling, love with fear, let all thy discoveries of him aim at more union and communion with him who is such a self sufficient, all sufficient, and eternal Being.

Lecture X.