A sovereign antidote against all grief extracted out of the choisest authors, ancient and modern both holy and humane : necessary to be read of all that any way suffer tribulation / by R. Younge ...

Section 4.

Objection. Although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large and precious promises, yet there are none so generall which are not limited with the condition of faith, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereof, •…•…ained Repentance: and each of them are so tied▪ and enrayled, that none can lay claim to them but true beleevers which 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and turn from all their sins to serve him in holines•…•…, without whi•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 man shall see the Lord: Heb. 12. 14. Isa. 59. 20. But I want there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 without which, how 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I expect supportation in my su•…•…erings; or an happy deliverance o•…•…t of them? however it fares with beleevers, whom Christ hath undertaken for: yea, I have such a wicked heart, and my sins are so many, and great; that these comforts nothing concerne mee: for they that pl•…•…w iniquity, and sow wickedness, shall •…•…eap the same, Joh. 4. 8.

Answer. So our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bee not wilfull, though they be many and great; yet they cannot hinder our interest in the promises of God.

Admit thou art a great sinner, what then? art thou a greater sinner than Matthew, or Z•…•…cheus, who wer•…•… sinfull 〈◊〉〈◊〉; and got their li∣vings by pilling, and polling, oppression, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉? than Mary Mag∣dulen, a common strumpet; possest of many Devills? than Paul, a bloody pers•…•…cutor of Christ and his Church? than the Theef upon the Cross, who had spent his whole life to the last hour in abominable wickedness? than Ma∣nasses, that out-rageous sinner, and most wicked wretch that ever was▪ an Idolater, a malitious Perseculo•…•… of the truth, a d•…•…filer of Gods holy Tem∣ple, a sacrficer of his own chil•…•…ren unto Idols, that is, Devills; a notable wi•…•…ch, and wicked sorcerer; a bloody murtherer of exceeding many of the dear Saints, and true Prophets of the Lord; and one who did not run headlong alone into all hellish impiety, but led the people also out of the way to do more wickedly than did the Heathen, whom the Lord ca•…•… out and destroyed? I am sure thou wilt not say thou art more wicked, th•…•… hee was; and yet this Manasses, this wretch, more like a Devill 〈◊〉〈◊〉, than a Saint of God, repented him of his sins from the bottome of his heart, was received, (I cannot speak it without ravishing wonder of Gods bot∣tomless and never sufficiently admired mercy) was received, I say to grace, and obtained the pardon of all his horrible sins, and most abo•…•…nable wickedne•…•… And are not these; and many the like examples, written for our learning; and recorded by the holy ghost, to the end that wee may gather unto our selvs assurance of the same pardon, for the same sins, upon the same repentance, and beleeving.

Are thy sins great? his mercies are infinite; hadst thou committed all the sins that ever were committed, yet in comparison of Gods mercy, they are less than a more in the Sun to all the world, or a drop of water to the whole Ocean: for the Sea though great, yet may bee measured; but

God's mercy cannot bee circumscribed: and hee both can and will, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 easily forgive us the debt of ten thousand millions of pounds, as one penny; and assoon pardon the sins of a wicked Manasses, a•…•… of a righteous▪ Abraham, if wee come unto him by unfaigned repentance, and earnestly desire and implore his grace and mercy, Rom. 5. 20.

The Tenure of our salvation is not by a covenant of works, but by a co∣venant of grace; founded not on our worthines•…•…s, but on the free mercy •…•…d good pleasure of God; and therefore the Prophet well annexeth blessedness to the remission of sins; Blessed is bee whose transgression is for∣given, Psal. 32. 1.

Yea, the more miserable, wretched, and sinfull wee are, the more fit objects wee are, whereupon hee may exercise, and shew the infinite riches of his bounty, mercy, virtue, and all-sufficiency. And this our spirituall Physitian can aswell, and easily cure desperate diseases, even the remedi∣less Consumption, the dead Apoplex, and the filthy: L•…•…prosie of the soul, as the smallest malady, or least faintness. Yea, hee can aswell raise the dead, as cure the sick, and aswell of Stones as of Jews, make Abrahams: children. Did hee not without the Sun at the Creation, cause light to shine forth; and without rain, at the same time, make the earth fruitfull? why then should you give your self over, where your Physitian doth not? Besides: what sin is there whereof wee can despair o•…•… •…•…e remission, when wee hear our Saviour pray for the forgiveness of his m•…•…rtherers, and blasphemers? And indeed, despair is a sin which never knew Jesus.

It was a sweet saying of one at his death, When mine iniquity is great∣er than thy mercy O God, then will I fear and despair; but that can never bee: considering our sins bee the sins of men, his mercy the mercy of an infinite God. Yea, his mercies are so great, that among the thirteen pro∣perties of God mentioned Exod. 34. almost all of them appertain to his mercy, whereas one onely concerns his might, and onely two, his justice. Again, shall it ever enter into our hearts, to think that God gives us rules to keep, and yet break them himsef? Now his rule is this, Though thy brother sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn a∣gain to thee, saying, it repenteth mee; thou shalt forgive him. The son an∣gers his father, he doth not straight dis-inherit him, but Gods love to his people, exceeds a fathers love to his son, Matth. 7. 11. and a mothers too, Isa. 49. 1•…•….

I hear many menaces and threats for sin, but I read as many promises of mercy, and all they indefinite, excluding none whose impenitency and in∣fidelity excludeth not themselvs: every sin deservs damnation, but no sin shall condemn, but the lying and continuing in it.

Wherefore if our clamorous conscience, like some sharp fang'd officer, arrests us at Gods suit, let us put in bail, two subsidue virtues, Faith, and Repentance; and so stand the triall: the Law is on our side, the Law of gr•…•…ce is with us, and this Law is his that is our Advocate; and he is our Ad∣vocate, that is our Judge; and hee is our Judge, that is our Saviour; even the head of our selvs, Jesus Christ.

For the first of these; do but repent, and God will pardon thee, hee thy sins never so many, and innumerable for multitude, never so hainous for quality and magnitude, Isa. 55. 7. Ezek. 18. & 33. 17. Yea, sins upon Repentance are so re•…•…itred, as if they had never been committed: I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist; Isa. 44. 22. and what by corruption hath been done, by repentance is undone, as the former exam∣ples, and many other, witness. Come and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, Isa. 1. 18. yea whi∣ter; for the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiltiness, and his originall impurity, useth these words: Purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than Snow, Psal. 51. 7.

And in reason; did hee come to call sinners to repentance, and shall he not shew mercy to the penitent? Or, who would nor cast his burthen up∣on him, that doth desire to give ease? As I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner, Ezek. 18. 32. and 33. 11.