Water of Affliction, there another opened Rivers in high Places, and Fountains in the midft of Vallies.Here one offered his Hand to fave them, there another made bare his Arm of Revenge. Here one offered an Ark to those that defired Mercy, there another rained down floods of Curfes to drown the Obftinate. Here one reprefented GOD with his Sword drawn, A Smoak going up out of his Noftrils, and Pfal. 18.8. devouring Fire out of his Mouth; there another followed Sinners to the very gates of Hell, with offers of Mercy in his hand; and while Vengeance was knocking at the Door, and the Sword was at their Hearts, called to them, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye Die? And what was all this, but to lay invincible obligations on Men to reform, and, by Reformation of their Lives, to arrive at last at that Harbour of Bliss and Immortality, which the great Preferver of Men hath prepared for those that fear him. Under the Gospel, to fhew that this would be the very laft Method to perfuade and engage Men to Holiness, the Son of God himself comes down from Heaven, and turns Preacher. A Glorious Scene! To fee him, who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, defcend from his Bed of State, and fink from the highest Magnificence, into the form of a Servant: What could the Angels think, to fee the Prince of Life take his leave of the Beatifick Regions, to disguise himself in Flesh, and dwell with Duft and Afhes? What was faid, Gen. 18. 21. of God figuratively, I will go down now and fee, whether they have done according to all the evil that is come up to me, was now made good according to the Letter; and God, who in times paft, in divers manners fpake unto the Fathers of old, at last spake by his Son. The Men to whom his former Meffages were fent, having beaten fome of his Servants, and ftoned and murdered others, the Everlasting Father thought, Surely they will reverence my Son. Indeed nothing lefs could be expected, than that the Heir of all things, by his Greatnefs and Divinity, fhould ftrike them into the humbleft postures of Repentance; especially coming laden with the Olive-leaves of Grace and Mercy, and Pardon in his Mouth. Behold, the Defire. of all Nations comes, and He that commands all the Powers of Light and Darknefs, appears in a Pulpit. He, by whom the Worlds were made, leaves the brightnefs of his Father's Glory, to tell Men what a Moniter Sin is, how odious,how loathfome in the Eyes of God; how lovely, how amiable, how beautiful the Ways of God are; confirms the Sayings of all the Prophets of old, affures Men, (and certainly he could not tell a Lye) that all thofe Meffengers of old were in the right, when they profeffed, That iniquity would be Mens Ruine, and that at yonder Gate no unclean thing fhould enter, and that God must be preferred before all the Riches, Honours, and Pleafures of this World: A Favour for which we want expreffion, and which we must draw a veil over, as Timant bes the Painter did over the Face of Iphigenia's Father, because we cannot reach it with our colours; it's a Love which paffes knowledge; it furmounts the brightest under understanding. We feel it gliftering on the Mount of God, and it leaves us in the Vale gazing, and ftaring upon it, as a thing which Mortality can fhew no resemblance of; it ftrikes dumb, it dazles the Eyes, it fufpends our Reason, binds the Faculties of an inquifitive Soul, and fills all the Channels of it with Admiration.Ifa King fhould fend a Messenger with a Pardon to a Malefactor that's ready to be turned off the Ladder, there is no Man but a stranger to Pity and Compaffion, but would speak in commendation of the Royal Mercy; but should the King himfelf approach the place of Execution, and abfolve him, it's like the unexpected Bounty would caft the Ma1 lefactor into a Swoon. And then, when the Great God of Heaven and Earth made his Favour ecftatical, went out of the common road of Mercy, ftept beyond all Precedents and Examples, encreased his kindness into perfect Miracles, Miracles which the Ages before cannot parallel, and the Son of God made his way through all the Clouds of Heaven, to tell Men how God longed for their Society and Happiness; we cannot suppose a poffibility of greater Condefcenfion. And that which ftill increafes the wonder, this Son of God intreats, wooes, and befeeches Men to bethink themfelves, and drefs up their Souls for the next World's Glory! He' that might have come (as one day moft certainly he will) with Flames of Fire, and taken Venge ance on the obftinate, and terrified and startled them into seriousness, and might, without a Metaphor, as it is, Pfal.45: 3. have girded his Swerd upon his Thigh, and looked stern on the Res bels, bels, that would not have him reign over them, and frowned them into Hell: That this Son of God, this Sovereign Prince, whom all the Elements serve, at whofe command the Waters drown, and the Fire burns, and the Earth fwallows up, that he fhould come, and draw near the City, and instead of confuming, weep over it, as if he meant to quench the Fire of God's indignation against it; and instead of dooming it outright to Eternal Vengeance,wish, Q that thou hadst known in this thy day what belongs unto thy peace! Call like a tender compaffionate Father, How oft would I have gathered you as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her Wings, and ye would not? That he should bear affronts, and in the midst of those injuries, entreat Men to be reconciled to him, and feek for a Pardon! That he should make nothing of being flandered, fo he might but win them to Repentance; be content to undergo Reproaches, fo he might but allure them to God's ways; fuffer himself to be abused, so he might but undeceive them in their strong Delufions; bear with their peevishnefs and frowardness, fo he might but perfuade them to mind their Eternal Intereft. That like his Apostle afterward, tho' free from all Men, he fhould yet make himself a Servant to all, that he might gain the more; unto the Jews become as a Jew, that he might gain the Jews; to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that he might gain them that are under the Law; to them that are without Law, as without Law, being not without Law to God, that he might gain them that are without Law; to the weak, become become as weak, that he might gain the weak, and be made all things to all Men, that he might by all means fave fome; that he fhould conjure Mankind by Tears, and Wounds, and his own Blood, by thofe very Torments and Agonies he endured for them,to have Mercy on themselves; to take a view of the burning Lake beneath, and run away; to look upon the Joys above, and be ravished with the fight! That he should court them by the sweetest Invitations, and the kindeft Calls; by the greatest Offers, and the foftest Promises; Promises of Affistance, and of his Holy Spirit, of Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, and feal his strong defires and longings after their Holiness, with his own Death; and after his Death, being rifen again, send Apoftles, and whole Armies of Confeffors and Martyrs to establish those Defires, ordain a Function of Men, that might preach thofe Defires in Men's Ears to the World's End; this indeed is a condefcenfion which the great miniftring Spirits in Heaven ftand amazed at, and may justly be looked upon to be one of thofe things the Angels defire to pry into. By fuch astonishing Means hath the great Immortal God endeavoured to effect that Holiness in Men, that Seriousness, that Piety, that Heavenly-mindedness, which he hath appointed to be the only way to endless Blifs. Glorious Means indeed! But then they are no more but Pearls thrown before Swine, where Men confider not how far they are concerned in the Heavenly Call; and what can be the meaning of all thefe Arts and Stratagems of Divine Compaffi on, |