46 3tbt ~eru 115tttb. ~------------------~------------------------- . 2. The Lord is not onely ready to forgive when men come to him,but that they may ~oine, be alfo calls and commands them. Oh but may I,(faith a poor finner)jha/1 I, dare f go unto the Lord God for mmy? may I be fo bold to prcjfe in for favbltr ae the hotnds •f the Lord? I have been a grievous [inner, and have heaped abomimuiorJ npon abominattvn;. J 'am afraid therefore to approach nc~rumo the Lords prrfence. Is it fo ? hear what the }cr. 3 ; "· " t~;~J,~!:;r c;;:;; ;:'he~;~Je;~t~/;,:~;',!:?:;;~,7:/;~%:h~~{h;~:~~i~=~f:;:.',:::.;~v;: come·unto thee,for tholt art our God. This is great encouragement to a poor finner; he be. gins now to wonder, and fay, Lord, Jf~~t!l all my jim be pardoned? Jlu•ll fill my omhes and abominations be Jorgi7:1en? I that jlighted JO many merctcs, and committed fo many follies, jha/11be encertained? Yes, (faith the Lord) cume unto me, and thon Jhalt beforgt-'ven; come, I command.yore, come. 3_ The Lord dotb not only commanda poor finner to come in, but when he is nice in this cafe, faying, There " mercy ,with G'otl, bt<t not for me ; The Lord theH followeth him llill, and fends another ,·ortl after him, that if it be poffible, he may win him, and wooe him to receive mercy of him: If command therefore prevail not, he intrcats and ·2 tor. 5 • 20 • befeeches hlrn to come and receive mercy, and this (me thinks) lhould move the bar– dell: heart under Heaven. We (faith the Apo£He) are .Ambaffadorsfor Chrift, as though God dtd beferchyou by HS, we prayyou m Chrifls ftead, be reconctletl unto G'od: rather than you lhould go away from Cnrill:, even Mercy it felf will come and kneel down be. fore you, and befeech you, and intreat you, for the Lord Jtjits faks to pity yonr poor fouls, and to receive pardonfgr you~ finnes: A finner is not able to comprehend this, but he begins to be at a ftand, and at amazeu1ent; What, that the Lordjhould befetch him! 0 that thou wouldeft receive pardonfor thy fins, and.be blejJedfor ever! Good Lurd, (faith the foul) is thispojfible, that the great King of Heaven jhonld come and befcech fuch a Traitor, fuch a Rebel as I am, to ta/zq pardon ? That a King on Earth jhould proclaim a pardon to fome nfJtoriom Traitor;, this were much; bJtt that the/(it~~ fif H ea1.1en'jhould lay down his Crown, and come creeping t_o me, and be fee. eh me ( on his k:,zets tU it were) to tak..; mercy; this u a thing beyond all expeilation: What; jha/1 Heavm S'foop to earth ? jiJa/l Majejly jloop to mifery? jha/1 the great God ofHeaven tznd Earth, that might have con– de"'ned myfoul, and ifI hadperijhetl and been damned, might have toa"'glwy by my rk- -j}rHEtion-··ls it poffible, is it credible, that this God jhould not only entertain me when I &ome, and command me fort~ come, but intrcat and befcech me f(j come and ra·eive mercy from him I 0 the depth ofthe incomprehenfible low <f God !'Imagine you faw God the Fa– ther intreating you, and God the Son befeeching you, as he cloth this day, Come now, and forfa/;! your 'fins, and taks mercy, whi<h is preparedfor you, and jhall be beftowedupon Ez<k. 18. 3r, you : VVould not this make a foul think thus with it fclf, What,fon• Rebel/? not only tu E k have mercy offered, but to be intrcared to receive meny, it were pity (if I will not raks it) zc '33· 11 ' but Ijbouldgo to Hell, and be damned forever. The Lord he complains, Why ~¥il! ye die? ' M I live faith the Lord, I defirenot the death ofa finner: Turn ye, turnye, why willye die, ye finful fonnes ofmen? Mercy u offeredyou, the Lord 'J_eji!J reachcth out hi' hand toyou : fain would he pluck the Drunkard out of the Alehoufe, and the Adulterer from his Whore: 0, ifyou break this cord, I know not what to fay to you, this is able to break a Mountain in pieces. Shak$ 0 .lvfounrains ( faith the Prophet) \Vhy? Bccaufi God hatb lfay 44· •j• redeemed Jacob; The Redemption of Ja<·ob was enough to break a Mountain; let his Mercy break our hearts; it is God'that begs, the bleffing is our own. 4· If yet all this prevail nothing at all, the Lord will then lMit, and (by in long patience and fuffering, to fee if any time a finner will turn unto him. Our S:wiour followes poor {inners from Alehoufe to Alehoufe, and fayes, I befeechyc11, Drunkgrds, tak,r mercy, and have your finnes pardoned: The Lord (as we may fay) tires himfelf, and wearieth himfelfwith waiting one day after another, and one week after another : It maybe (faith Chrift) thu wee"', this Sabbath, this Sermon a finner 1rillwrn unto me; what, will it never be? Are you not alhamed (my friends) that the Lord Jefus lhould thus wait your leifure, and follow you from houfe to boufe, and from place to place; nay, that Chrill: lhould every morning appear to your underfl:anding, and every night come to your bed-fide, (aying; Let this be the /aft night of finning, and the next day the Jirft day ofyour repenttmce : 0 ,when willyou be humbled? when will}"" receive mercy, that it maygo welt withyou, and withyoursfor ever? If none of the other will move you, y£t for lhamc let this corddraw you to the Lord: Hear,hear his d~leful pangs,O Jcrll[alem, Jer.13i•7• lrr~<[llltlt!jtliit tbQH IIQt be m~.defiMn?0 wbm will it q11ce be? Awoman that is m travel, - -- . ·-· . " ' 0 't
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=