conveyance as this is; and when God hath made it appeare by revealing to me the mystery of the Gofpell how his heart is fet upon this way of thewing mercy to finners, I conclude now, that the Lord is willing to be reconciled to me, and why then fhould I be unbelieving any more? why should I have hard thoughts of God any more? why fhould I remaine in my doubting condition any longer? thou canst not be more defirous of the falvation of thy foul, then God is of magnifying his grace and mercy: and God hath done more for thee then thou canft poffibly do for the falvation of thy foul. Befides, tis a mighty drawing argument; for by this meanes the infinite diftance that conicience apprehended to be between God and the foul, is taken away: for when the foul fees it hath to deal with an infinite deity, that is so farre above it, it ftands fhaking and trembling, and dares not draw nigh to God. What have I to doe, faith the foul, with fuch a God as this is, who is fo infinitely above me? but now when thou knoweft that Chrift is between God and thee, then this diftance needs not fcare thee; yea now all thy guiltineffe and all the filthineffe and pollution of thy foul,and all that the law hath to fay against thee, need be no difcouragement to thee, when thou feeft thou haft to deal with God through Jefus Chrift. Therefore no foul can ftand off and fay, how doe I know it belongs to me? doe but take this one rule, for that there is nothing can intereft the foul in Chrift but Chrift himself: there is no preparation to Chrift, but Chrift must be all in all in it: therefore ftand not off, and fay, how fhall my heart be wrought to thefe and these preparations,and work thus and thus, before I have part in Chrift? no; puzzle not thy felf about thy preparations, but fet before thy foul the mystery of the Gospell in this glorious way of Gods communication of himself to thee, and of reconciling man unto himself; and the very effi cacy of thefe truths will have a power upon thy heart to draw thee unto God in this way of reconciliation; and that is the way of true comfort.

The Gofpell it felf, though there be no preparation before, yet hath an efficacy to draw the heart to Chrift; for Chrift is all in all in that. And doe not fay, I am a poor meane crea

ture,

ture, I can doe nothing, I cannot remember a Sermon, I cannot pray, or performe any good duty as I ought: why, remember foul, Chrift is all in all: true, if any thing were required of thee in the bufineffe of falvation,it were fomewhat; but know that God hath laid help upon one who is mighty; therefore tis not thy weakneffe, nor the distance between God and thee, that can hinder, if thou rightly apprehendest God in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself.

Another reafon might have been this: God doth it to indeare his mercy to his Saints for ever; for indeed nothing indeares Gods mercy to them fo much as this, that they fee it` come to them in fuch a way of conveyance; and that which will indear mercy to the Saints in heaven to all eternity, and for which they fhall be full of the praises of God, fhall not be fo much for the good things they enjoy,as for that strange and wonderfull way by which they come to enjoy them. This I say is that which fhall take up the hearts, and be a great part of the work of the glorified Saints in Heaven to all eternity, even their admiring, adoring, and praifing God in Jefus Chrift.

And then God delights to honour his Son, and that he might fet him up, he makes him to be the meanes of conveyance of all good to thofe he intends it to; as if a King were to honour his Son, what way can he take to doe it more effectually then this, that all the favour he meanes to fhew to any fhall be only through his Son? fo when God the Father would honour his Son, he appoints from all eternity, that all the grace and mercy that any fhall have from him fhall be only through his Son. Therefore as Chrift faith, All judgement is committed to the Son, that all men might honour the Son, as they bo-nour the Father: So I may fay of the work and difpenfation of Gods grace, that all is conveyed to Chrift, and by him communicated to those that have interest in him, that the Son might be honoured to all eternity.

I fhall conclude in a few words of application, to work upon you this that hath been faid.

Firft,if it be thus,let us ftand a while and admire at the depths of the councel of God, and the infinite glory of the riches of his

grace

grace to mankinde; that God should ever have fuch thoughts towards fuch poor wormes as we are, that he should not rather have let fuch defpicable creatures eternally perish, then goe in fuch a ftrange way to fhew mercy to them: Truly brethren, God hath done more in bringing a poor foul to himfelf then in creating Heaven and Earth: the work of creating Heaven and Earth is but a low piece of work in comparison of this wonderfull way of Geds conveying his grace and mercy to the children of men through his Son: this is the mafterpiece of the workes of God, which he hath already done, or will ever doe to all eternity: and God therefore is to be admired and adored in this. We are to glorifie God in every creature, but how is God to be glorified then in his Son, wherein fo much of his glory doth appeare? If it be a finne for us not to fanctifie the name of God when we behold his glory in his meaneft workes, O what a finne is it not to fan&tific the name of God in beholding the mystery of the Gospell and his glory fhining in the face of Jefus Chrifl!God,expects(brethren) that those who live under the Gospel, fhould fpend their dayes and thoughts, and talk,about that glory which he hath manifefted in his Son. Oyou that have fuch chaffy droffy spirits, that can spend your precious thoughts upon fuch poor things as you doe, know that here is an object to take up your thoughts;and your finne is abundantly the greater in this, that you spend your thoughts about fuch vanities, when God fets before you fo glorious an object to raife up your hearts unto himself, and you that spend a great deal of your lives in vanity, know, that this day you have heard of a truth that above all things in the world fhould take up your time and thoughts in the contemplation of it.

And you that have more time and greater eftat es then others, and are not put upon it to get your bread as others are, and fo have greater opportunities for the worship and fervice of God, and for fearching into his truth, yet how doe you spend your time in vanity and light things, as if there were no greater matters to take up your hearts! It is a figne of a vaine and frothy fpirit, that when God propounds fuch glorious things to you, that yet it should be the content of your fouls to baffle

out

out your time in vanity; and things that will not profit. Well, if you would have an evidence to your fouls, that Christ is all in all to you, and shall be to all eternity, take it in this: if ever God hath opened thine eyes to fee his glory in the mystery of the Gofpell; and that thy heart is taken with it, and overcome by it, it is an argument that thou art indeed the foul which God hath received to mercy in his Chrift; bus fayes the Apostle, 2 Cor.4.3. Ifour Gofpell be bid, it is hid to them that are loft. There are a great many to whom the Gofpell is preached, and yet tis hidden to them; and it is hidden to you if you speak of Chrift only in a formall way, and think it enough to fay, I hope to be faved by God in Jefus Chrift; but doeft thou fee that in the Gospell which raises thy heart with admiration, and that darkens all the glory of the world? doeft thou fee more of the glory of God fhining in that one sentence, God fo loved the world that be gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believes in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life, then thou feeft in the whole frame of the creation of Heaven and Earth? thou hopeft thou fayeft to get to Heaven; but what wouldeft thou doe there? the work of Saints and Angels in Heaven joyned together, is to magnifie God for this great work of his doe thou then begin this work here, and give God his glory, for the great things he hath done for the children of men.

The Second use should have been this: If Chrift be thus all in all, then let us bleffe God that ever we knew Chrift; and that the mystery of the Gospell hath been revealed to us: for otherwise we had been without God in the world; and what would have become of us had not this grace of God in the Gospell been revealed to us? could you ever have thought of it your felves? could it ever have entered into your hearts? certainly no; nor into the heart of any creature in Heaven or Earth: therefore bleffed are your eares, that heare the things: which you heare: and bleffed are your eyes, that fee the things which you fee: and know, that when you come to live under the Miniftry of the Gofpell, you enjoy the greatest mercy that ever you enjoyed fince you were borne: the coming

I

under

under a powerfull Miniftry, that reveals Chrift and brings the day of falvation to the foul, it is no other then the fruit of the prayer of Jefus Chrift for that foul: compare Ifaiah 49. 8. with 2 Cor.6.1.2. and you shall fee this. Ifaiah 49.8. Thus faith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day offalvation have I helped thee, &c. Now it is apparent by the context, that this is to be understood of Chrift: that God the Father fpeakes there to his Son: well, what is this acceptable time and day of Salvation in which Christ is heard? look 2 Cor.6.1.2. in the chapter before he had told them, That they were ambassadors for Chrift. We then as workers together with God befeech you also that ye receive, not the grace of God in vaine: Now what is this grace of God? tis the Miniftry of the Gofpell, For he faith I have heard thee in a time accepted: and mark how he applyes it, Behold now is the accepted time: bebold now is the day of falvation. As if he should fay; the acceptable time and day of falvation in which God the Father hath heard Chrift, is now: now that we the ambaffadors of Chrift come and open the mystery of the Gospell to you; now is the time wherein God the Father hears the Son for you: what a mercy is this? and what an engagement upon you,that when you heare any thing of the mystery of the Gofpell opened to you, you are to look upon it as the fruit of the prayer of Jefus Chrift: and fo when Gods fends a faithfull Minister to any congregation, tis the fruit of the prayer of Chrift. Chrift prayes, O Father, that there might be an acceptable time for fuch a people, for fuch a man and woman; it may be they have gone on a long time in ignorance and prophaneffe; I but Chrift hath been praying to the Father for them, and when this acceptable time comes, then God difpofes of them, that this man fhall goe out of fuch a wicked family, and shall live in a godly family, or fhall come to fuch a Sermon, and there fhall heare the wonderfull things of the Gofpell opened to him, and shall come to understand this great mystery of Gods letting himself out through Chrift unto his people: and there the Lord will renew him by a work of grace, and bring his heart over unto himselfe, this is the acceptable time when

God.