the fresher and more recent, but yet it is above both Defire and Fruition, thou canst not fee my Face, &c. All our Knowledge of God, all our Attainments of Experience of Him, do reach but to fome dark and confufed Apprehenfion of what he is the cleareft and nearest Sight of God in this World, is, as if a Man were not known but by his Back, which is a great Point of Eftrangement: 'Tis faid, in Heaven we shall fee Him Face to Face, and fully as he is, because then the Soul is made capable of it. Two Things in us here puts us in an Incapacity of Nearness with God, Infirmity, and Iniquity: Infirmity in us cannot be hold his Glory,'tis of fo weak Eyes,that the Brightness of the Sun would strike it blind; and Iniquity in us, he cannot behold it, becaufe he is of pure Eyes, that can look on no unclean Thing; 'tis the only Thing in the Creation that God's Holinefs hath Antipathy at, and therefore he is still about the deftroying of the Body of Sin in us, about the purging from all Filthinefs of Flesh and Spirit; and till the Soul be thus purged of all Sin, by the Operation of the Holy Ghoft, it cannot be a Temple for an immediate Vition of Him, and an immediate Exhibition of God to us: Sin is the Wall of Partition, and the thick Cloud that eclipfes his Glory from us; it is the oppofite Hemisphere of Darkness, contrary to Light, according to the Access or Recefs of God's Pre fence it is more or less dark; the more Sin reigns in thee, the lefs of God is in thee, and the more Sin be fubdued, the readier and nearer is God's Prefence: But let us comfort our felves, that one Day we fhall put off both Infirmity and Iniquity, Mortality fhall put on Immortality, and Corruption be clothed with Incorruption; we fhall leave the Rags of mortal Weakness in the Grave, and our menftrous Cloaths of Sin behind us, and then shall the weak Eyes of Flesh be made like Eagles Eyes, to behold the Sun; and then fhall the Soul be cloathed with Holinefs, as with a Garment, which God fhall delight to look upon, because he fees his own Image in that Glafs. We come to the Lord's fatisfying of Mofes's Defire, and proclaiming his Name before him; it is himself only can tell you what He is; it is not Ministers Preaching, or other Difcourfe, can proclaim that Name to you; we may, indeed, speak over thofe Words unto you, but it is the Lord that muft write that Name upon your Heart. He only can difcover his Glory to your Spirit: There is a Spirit of Life which cannot be enclosed in Letters and Syllables, or tranfmitted through your Ears into your Hearts, but He himself muft create it inwardly, and stir up the inward Senfe and Feeling of that Name, of thofe Attributes: Faith, indeed, comes by Hearing, and our Knowledge in this Life is through a Glafs, darkly, through Ordinances, and Senses; but there must be an inward teaching and fpeaking to your Souls to make that effectual, the anointing teacheth you all Things, 1 Joh. ii. 27. Alas! 'tis the Separation of that from the Word that makes it fo unprofitable; if the Spirit of God were inwardly writ ing what the Word is teaching, then should your Souls be living Epiftles, that ye might read. God'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 exprefs His Effence or Being, and His Properties, what He is in Himself, and what He is to us; in Himfelf, He is Jehovah, or a Self-being, dur, as we heard in iii. Chap. I am that I am, and EL, a ftrong God, or Almighty Almighty God; which two hold out unto us the abfolute incomprehenfible Perfection of God, eminently and infinitely en clofing within Himself all the Perfections of the Creatures; the unchangeable and mutable Being of God, who was, and is, and is to come, without Succeffion, without Variation, or Shadow of turning; and then the Almighty Power of God, 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 impoffible; which three, if they were pondered by us, till our Souls received the Stamp of them, they would certainly be powerful to abftract, 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 Infufficiency, that all might unite in one, and joyn with this Self-fufficient and eternal God; I fay, if a Soul did indeed believe and confider, how All-fufficient He is, how infufficient all Things elfe are, would it not cleave to Him, and draw near to Him,Pfal.lxxiii. ult. It is the very Torment and Vexation of the Soul to be thus racked, diftracted, and divided about many Things; and therefore many, becaufe there is none of them can fupply all our Wants; our Wants are infinite, our Defires infatiable, and the Good that is in any Thing is limited and bounded, it can ferve one but for one Ufe, and another for another Ufe, and when all are together, they can but fupply fome Wants, but they leave much of the Soul empty: But often, these outward things crofs one another, and cannot confift together; and hence arifeth much Strife and Debate in a Soul, his need requireth both, and both will not agree: But O that you could fee this one univerfal Good, One for all, and above all, your Souls would choofe Him certainly, your Souls would truft in Him; ye would fay, Albur shall not fave us, we will not ride on Horfer: Creatures shall not fatisfie us, we will feek our Happiness in Thee and no where else; fince we have tafted this new Wine, away with the old, the new is better. I beseech you, make God your Friend, for He is a great One; whether He be a Friend or an Enemy, He hath two Properties that make Him eithermoft comfortable, or moft terrible, according as He is at Peace or War with Souls, Eternity, and Omnipotency. You were all once Enemies to Him. O confider what a Party you have, an Almighty Party, and an unchangeable Party; and if you will make Peace with Him, and that in Chrift, 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 haft need of: But many Friends willing to do, yet have not Ability, but he hath Power to do what he will, and pleases; many Friends are changeable, their Affections dry up, of themselves die; and therefore even Princes Friendship is but a vain Confidence, for they fhall die, and then their Thoughts of Favour perish with them, but He abides the fame for all Generations, there is no End of his Duration, and no End of his Affection; He can ftill fay, I am that I am; what I was, I am, and I will be what I am; Men cannot fay fo, 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 afhamed. God cannot make thee afhamed of thy Hope, because He is Faithful and able. Ability and Fidelity is a fure Anchor to hold by in all Storms and Tempefts.. Such Such is God in Himself; now, there | His Tribunal of Juftice in the World for are two Manner of Ways He vents Him- this End, that all Fleh might once be confelf towards the Creatures, in a comfor-victed before him, and therefore He cites, table Way, or in a terrible Way. This as it were, and fummons all Men to fift glorious Perfection, and Almighty Power, themselves and compear before His Tribu hath an Iffue upon Sinners, and it runs innal, to be judged; He lays out an Aca twofold Channel, of Mercy, or Juftice: cufation in the Word against them; He Of Mercy towards miferable Sinners that takes their Confciences Witness of the find themselves loft, and flee unto Him Truth of all that is charged on them, and and take hold of His Strength; and Juftice then pronounces that Sentence in their towards all thofe that flatter themselves in Confcience, Curfed is be that abides not their own Eyes, and continue in their Sins, in all Things, which the Conscience suband put the evil Day far off: There is no fumes, and concludes itself accurfed, and Mercy for fuch as fear not Juftice, and fubfcribes to the Equity of the Sentence: there is no Juftice for fuch as flee from it And thus the Man is guilty before God, and unto Mercy. The Lord exhibits Himself his Mouth stopped; he hath no Excuses, in a twofold Appearance, according to the no Pretences, he can fee no Way to eCondition of Sinners; He fits on a Throne fcape from Juftice, and God is juftified, and Tribunal of Grace and Mercy, to by this Means, in his fpeaking and judg make Access to the vileft Sinner, who is ing, Pfal. li. 4. The Soul ratifies and afraid of his Wrath, and would fain be at confirms the Truth and Juftice of all his Peace with him; and he fits on a Throne Threatnings, and Judgments, Rom. iii. of Juftice and Wrath, to feclude and debar 4. Now, for fuch Souls as joyn with prefumptuous Sinners from Holinefs. God in judging and condemning them There were two Mountains under the felves, the Lord hath erected a Throne of Law, one of Curfings, and another of Blef Grace, and Tribunal of Mercy in the fings; thefe are the Mountains God fetsHis Word,whereupon he hath fet His Son Jefus Throne upon, and from thefe He speaks, Chrift, Pfal. ii. 6. and lxxxlix. 14. and and fentences Mankind: From the Moun- xlv. 6. Heb. i. 8. And O, this Throne tain of Curfings, He hath pronounced a is a confortable Throne, Mercy and Curfe, and condemnatory Sentence upon Truth goes before the Face of the King all Flesh, for all have finned, there- to welcome and entertain miferable Sinfore, he concludes all under Sin, that all ners, and to make Access to them. And Flesh might stop their Mouth, and the from this Throne Jefus Chrift holds out whole World become guilty before God. the Sceptie of the Gospel, to invite Sin Now, the Lord having thus condemned ners, felf-condemned Sinners, to come to all Mankind because of Difobedience: He Him alone, who hath gotten all final fits again upon the Mountain of Bleffings, Judgment committed to Him,that He may and pronounces a Sentence of Abfolution, give eternal Life to whom he will, Joh. of as many as have taken with the Sentence v. 21, 22. O, that is a sweet and amof Condemnation, and appealed to His ple Commiffion given to our Friend and Grace and Mercy, and thofe which do not Brother Jefus Chrift, Power to repeal fo, the Sentence of Condemnation ftands Sentences paft against us, Power to loofe above their Heads unrepealed; He erects them whom Juftice hath bound, Power and Justice, or Mercy.. 63 World, and plead the Caufe of the poor me, He will refcind this Sentence of Conand interpofe Himfelf between Wrath and demnation, fince he Himself was condemdyed, nay rather is rifen again, who fball ned for us, and is juftified, It is Chrift that condemn me? He is near that juftifies me, Rom. viii. 33, 34. Now if thou do indeed flee into Him for Refuge, that City is open for thee, and nothing to prejudge thy Entry: But no Curfe, no Condemnation can enter in it, Rom. viii. 1. He will justifie and abfolve thee from all Things whereof the Law could not justifie thee, but condemn thee,There is forgivenefs with Him, that He may be feared. David may teach thee this Manner of Application, Pfal. cxxx. and exlii. 2. of appealing from the deferved Curfe, to free undeferved Bleffing and Mercy in Chrift. is either in a Way of and Authority to abfolve them whom Juf tice hath condemned, and to bless them whom the Law hath curfed, and to open their Mouth to Praise whofe Mouth Sincation to Him, and certainly He will hear, and Guiltinefs bath ftopped: Power to give the Anfwer of a good Confcience to thy evil felf-tormenting Confcience; in a Word, He hath Power to give Life, to make alive, and heal thofe who are killed or wounded by the Commandment. Now, I fay, feeing God hath of Purpose eftablished this Throne of Mercy in the Word, thou mayeft well, after receiving and acknowledging of the Juftice of the Curfe of the Law, appeal to Divine Mercy and Grace, fitting on another Throne of the Gofpel; thou may, if thy Confcience urge thee to defpair, and to conclude there is no Hope, thou may, I fay, appeal from thy Confcience, from Satan, from Juftice, unto Jefus Chrift, who is holding out the Scepter to thee; the Minifter calls thee, Rife and come, ftand no longer before that Bar, for it is a fubordinate Judicatory, there is a Way to redress thee by a higher Court of Grace: Thou may fay to Juftice, to Satan, to thy own Confcience, It is true, I confefs, that I deferve that Sentence; I am guilty, and can fay nothing againft it, while I ftand alone, but though I cannot fatisfie, and have not; yet there is one Jefus Chrift, who gave his Life aed and confidered, we would believe in Ranfom for many, and whom God hath given as a Propitiation for Sins; He hath fatisfied and paid the Debt in my Name; go and apprehend the Cautioner, fince He hath undertaken it, nay, He hath done it, Hands, O Juftice! thou had Him Prifoner Thou had Him in thy under the Power of Death; fince you have let Him go, then He is acquitted from all the Charge of my Sins; and therefore, fince I know that He is now a King, and hath a Throne to judge the and is abfolved. and it shall anfwer all our Sufpicions of Let us confider this Name of the Lord, Him; all our Obje&ions 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 truft in Him, if His Names were ponder Him. Satan knows this, and therefore his great flight and cunning is, to hold our Minds fixed on the Confideration of our Mifery, and defperate Eftate, he keeps the awakened Confcience ftill upon that fent God by halves, and that is a falfe Recomfortless Sight, and he labours to repreprefentation of God, he reprefents Him as cloathed with Juftice and Vengeance, as a confuming Fire, in which Light a Soul and he labours to hold out the Thoughts of can fee nothing but Desperation written ; His His Mercy and Grace, or diverts a Soul from the Confideration of his Promifes, whence it comes, that they are not eftablished, that though Salvation be near, yet it is far from them in their Sense and Apprehenfion, therefore I fay, you should labour to get an intire Sight of God, and you fhall fee Him beft in His Word, there He reveals Himfelf, and there you find, if ye confider, that which may make you fear Him indeed, but never flee from Him, that which may abafe you, but withall embolden you to come to Him though trembling: What ever Thought pof fefs thee of thine own Mifery, of thy own Guiltinefs, labour to counterpoife that with à Thought of His Mercy and free Promifes: What ever be fuggefted of His Holiness and Juftice, hear Himself fpeak out His own Name, and thou shalt hear as much of Mercy and Grace, as may make these not terrible unto thee, though High and Honourable. The Lord hath fo framed the Expreffion and Proclamation of His Name in this Place, that firft a Word of Majefty and Power is premifed, (The Lord, The Lord God) that it may compofe our Hearts in Fear and Reverence of fuch a glorious One, and make a preparatory Impreffion of the Majefty of our God, which indeed is the Foundation of all true Faith. It begins to adore and admire a Deity, a Majefty hid from the World, the Thoughts of His Power and Glory poffeffes the Soul firft,and makes begin to tremble to think that it hath fuch a High and holy One to deal with. But in the next Place, you have the most sweet, alluring, comforting Stiles that can be imagined, to meet with the trembling and languishing Condition of a Soul that would be ready to faint before fuch a Majefty; 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 fome rejoycing with former trembling; Majefty and Greatness goes before to abase and humble the Soul in its own Eyes, and Mercy and Goodness seconds them, to lift up those who are Low, and exalt the Humble, and in the Description of this, the Lord fpends more Words, according to the Neceffity of a Soul, to fig nifie to us how great and strong Confo lation may be grounded on His Name, how acceffible He is, though He dwell in inacceffible 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 majeftick; in a Word, that thofe that flee to Him may have all Invitation, all Encourage. ment to come, and nothing to difcourage, to prejudge their Welcome, that who ever will, may come, and nothing may hinder on His Part. And then after all this, He fubjoyns a Word of His Juftice, in avenging Sin, to fhew us that He leaves that as the laft, that He effays all gaining ways of Mercy with us, that He is not very much delighted with the Death of Sinners, that fo whofoever perishes may blame themfelves, for hating their own Salvation, and forfaking their own Mercy. Now whoever thou art that apprehends a dreadful and terrible God, and thy felf a miferab'e and wretched Sinner, thou canst find no Comfort in God's Highness and Power, but it looks terrible upon thee, because thou doubts of His Good-will to fave and pardon thee: Thou fayeft with the blind Man, if thou wilt thou can do it; thou art a ftrong God, but what Comfort can I have in thy Strength, fince I know not thy Good-will? I fay, the Lord an fwers thee in this Name, I am merciful, faith the Lord, if thou be miferable, I am |