Paul did do all things, and suffer all things, for that which is feasible, and might be achieved. 66 The covetous is a projector for so much wealth as can never be gotten. The epicure longs for so much pleasure as can never be enjoyed. Great clerks and philosophers seek for so much knowledge as can never be found; which, in Isaiah's words, is "to spend money for that which is not bread, and to labour for that which doth not satisfy."* This is able to break the brain and to break the heart; for there is no labour like to lost labour. "But the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life."+ His hope stands upon a sound bottom; it is all comfort, for three reasons: 1. It is possible, because it comes from an infinite power; 2. Because it is derived from infinite love and goodness; 3. It hath abundant satisfaction from long and constant experience; and what can we desire more? 1. The first pillar that props it up, is the almightiness of God. Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee," says our Saviour. Talk not to me how the seas should be turned into dry land; or how the poor can be raised up to be set with the princes of the people; or how stones can be raised up to be children of Abraham; or how palsies and fevers can be cured with a word. I will stop all gaps of infidelity with this one bush, "That God is able to do it." He that is made by no cause, cannot be confined in his being; and he that hath no bounds in his being, can have no bounds and restriction in his power. And if any fancy start out of our weak brain, to cavil that somewhat is impossible to God,-it is soberly spoken by one, that 'it were better to say that this could not be done, than that God could not do it.' There is no possibility, therefore, for christian hope to despair, because all things are possible to God. There is no horizon under heaven, or above heaven, that hope * Chap. lv. 2. + Prov. xi. 30. Mark xiv. 16. C cannot look beyond it. For that comfort that is commensurable with the strength and power of God, is as large as can be contained in the heart of a creature. But if you lean upon the help of men, and hosts, and angels, they are slender reeds, and will give you a fall as God said of the vain trust of the Jews, "They shall be ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation."* How many do I see to sink under a little sorrow, because they have too much temporal comfort! The world is too liberal to them; it hath given them of all things so largely, that they have not the patience to want any thing: as God told Gideon, that he had too much of man in his army to depend upon the Almighty for victory, and he bade him retain but the thirtieth part, and his foes should flee before him. Throw all the miserable comforts of the world out of doors for rubbish, and cast yourself upon the strength of God, and upon that alone; and then say, 'Lord, receive me, for I have driven all other solace from me, that I might enjoy thee alone: now I am ready for my Saviour, for there is none to help me but only thou, O Lord!' 2. That which holy hope hath in its prospect, is possible, not only for the infiniteness of power, but for the infiniteness of the mercy of our God. It is easy to get the favour of a gracious and a gentle nature among the sons and daughters of men and the most generous are the most reconcilable. Then what possibility, nay, what readiness will hope find to be reconciled to God," merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth?" The devil is not more frequent nor more strong in any temptation, than to undermine hope in this point, that it is too forward and too peremptory to expect remission of sins fain he would have a tender conscience stick in this mire, and never get out of it. Some reverend * Isaiah xx. 5. + Judges vii. 4. Exod. xxxiv. 6. comforts. writers go so far as to teach that Satan himself at first, when he began his mischief in Paradise, was of opinion, that sin could not be forgiven, it being his own case; and he would never have tempted Eve to disobedience, if he had imagined the eating of the forbidden fruit could be pardoned; not suspecting that God would have given his only Son to die for our redemption. Which I pass by, because it depends upon a grave question, whether God could pardon sin by his absolute power, without satisfaction made to his justice? Deep disputings will yield but shallow Of this we are assured, that the means which the Father appointed, are excellent, into which "the angels desire to look," *-to give us "redemption and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, according to the riches of his grace." "We have trespassed against our God, but there is hope concerning this thing." "Forgiveness of sins" is put into our creed: he that doth not believe it, hath no creed nor Christianity in him. Do you believe 'a catholic church?' that is the dowry of that church, which Christ espoused to him in his blood. Do you believe a communion of saints?' this is it in which we are baptized, in which all our communion doth join, "That through Christ is preached forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe, are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses."§ So also it is put into our prayer, as well as into our creed. And he that taught us to pray, Forgive us our sins," hath taught us this comfort, that sins are pardonable. Yet an afflicted conscience will receive suggestion, that some sins indeed are pardonable, but not all, not the sin of the evil angels, not the sin against the Holy Ghost: and there is a sin unto death: I do not say 66 * 1 Pet. i. 12. + Eph. i. 7. ye should pray for it," says St. John.* These, verily, are set out for instances of irreversible judgment, to deter us from committing crimes of a vast magnitude. But mark, the holy Scriptures have not unfolded it clearly and explicitly, wherein the heinousness of these sins did consist, that we may not accuse ourselves of them, and fall into despair, as if we had committed them. Since you know not expressly what these are, how can you lay them to your own charge? Nay, if you lay them to your own charge, you must be mistaken; for he that condemns himself, shall not be condemned of the Lord. Such incurable castaways as have their consciences seared, are not sensible of their guilt. Who more like to be of that number than the Pharisees, who justified themselves, saying, Are we also blind?' Well,' says a forlorn sinner, my sins, then, are not the forenamed, nor out of possibility of mercy; but it is almost as bad that they are in an unlikelihood to mercy, for they are very heinous.' As unto that confession that your trespasses are very heinous, conceive so of them, and spare not: true repentance thinks no sin to be a little one. So St. Jerome spake to the commendation of the lady Paula, in her funeral sermon, that she was wont to bewail every fault she had committed, as if it were one of the most presumptuous crimes. But be it so really, that God hath let you incur no small delinquencies: as Aaron was not free from idolatry-nor David from adultery-nor Peter from abjuration of Christ-nor Paul from persecuting the church-nor Manasses from witchcraft- nor Mary Magdalen from indefinite scandal; well, I know not what; who yet all obtained mercy, for a pattern to them who hereafter should believe in Christ to everlasting life. They were called Novatians, who blotted out the beginning of the eighth chapter of St. John's Gospel, because the story tells us, that Christ dismissed the woman taken in adultery with a gracious gentleness. Why should not his procedure in judgment be like his doctrine? Did he not preach that publicans and harlots should go into heaven before proud justiciaries? "Be merciful unto my sin, for it is great," says David.* This is not the way to deal with mortal judges, when we stand at their bar; but this is the way to obtain propitiation from our God; ' heal me, for I am sore wounded; cure me, for I am very sick; be merciful to my sin, for it is very great.' Zozimus, a pagan, that envied the honour of Constantine the Great, makes this tale to discredit him in his history; that Constantine had put his wife Fausta, and his son Crispus, to death; after which, being haunted with an ill conscience, that gave him no quiet, he sought among the heathen priests for expiation, and they could give him 'no peace; but he was told that the religion of Christians was so audacious as to promise pardon to all sins, were they never so horrible. Is not this to commend the emperor and his religion under the form of a dispraise? for what rest could a troubled mind attain to, from the rites and superstitions of idol gods? But, in the immense value of the price of the blood of Christ, there is redemption for every sinner that repents and believes. "Whatsoever ye loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," says Christ to his apostles.† Oh, lose not a syllable of such comfort in this discomfortable world! Quodcunque' is 'all manner of sin,' great and little. And if Christ hath given such commission to men on earth, to unloose every sin by the power of their office, and the word of consolation, then how unbounded |