mercy, especially fuch mercy as this is, even the mercy of a GOD? (But of this, more hereafter, under the next doctrine.) Surely then, they that return to God, are most happy while they live in this world. They would not change conditions with the most profperous perfons, who are far from God. 2. We shall be happy in death.-A bleffed death, is the infallible confequent of turning to God. The cracified convert, though he died a cruel and painful death, yet it was an happy death: His fpirit, after his death, went to paradife, and there was with Chrift. Luk. xxiii. 43% One that returns to God, while he lives, his fpirit, when he dies, returns to God as its portion. Indeed the fpirits of all men do at death go to God. Eccl. xii. 7. Then fhall the dust return to the earth, as it was ; and the Spirit hall return to God, who gave it. As it is the common lot of all men's bodies, to return to the earth at death, so it is the common state of all men's fpirits, to return to God, the Father of Spirits. Yet however, there will be a very great difference between the returning of men's fpirits unto God. The fpirits of unconverted finners will return to God as a provoked and terrible judge, to receive a sentence of condemnation; but the fpirits of true converts do return to God as a reconciled Father, who will bind up thefe fpirits in the bandle of life. When therefore converted perfons die, they may lay down their bodies in the duft, in hope of a glorious refurrection: and they may commend their Jpirits unto God, with hopes of his favourable reception of them into the kingdom of heaven. They may expect, that their bodies fhall go to the grave as a bed of reft and that their fouls fhall enter into peace. Ifai. lvii. 25 3. We fhall be happy to all eternity. Not only a bleed life, and a bleffed death, but also a bleffed eternity, will be the confequent of returning to God. They that return to the Lord in this world, fhall for ever dwell with the Lord in the world to come. The Lord Jefus Chrift will return from heaven, so carry all conDd 2 verts verts with him to that moft glorious kingdom; and there they fhall be ever with him, in a ftate of perfect bleffednefs. Theff. iv. 16, 17. Jefus Chrift himself has told us, that except we be born again, we cannot fee the kingdom of God (Joh. iii. 3) We cannot enjoy God for ever in the kingdom of heaven; which fuppofes, that if we are converted, we thall fee God for ever in glory. Converfion to God is then neceffary to eternal falvation. Not indeed as the procuring caufe thereof, but as the way that leads thereunto. Such then as return to God, fhall come at length to the full and eternal fruition of God, as their exceeding great reward. Thus we fee, that returning to God, is a fure way, to have it go well with us in life, in death, and to all eterhity. And how fhould thefe confiderations excite us unlo diligent endeavours after converfion to God? Our own prefent and future welfare, makes it neceffary for us to return unto God. 'Tis not a matter of indifferency, whe ther we return to God, or not; but a matter of abfolute neceffity, in order to our own well being. If we turn, we live: if we turn not, we die; and that for ever. -- The only word of Direction may be this. Let us wait upon God for converting grace, in his own way. His almighty power must be exerted, in order to the converfion of finners. And if they would have this divine power put forth, they muft be found in God's appointed way, ufing thofe means which he has ordained. Now, the great inftrument of converfion is the word of God; which is fubfervient to God, the principal agent. The power of God, accompanying his word, is that which effects the converfion of finners. A. xi. 20, 21. They preached the word: and the band of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord. We fhould therefore attend on the word of God with diligence, and with defires that we may thereby be awakned, convinced, and converted. And our prayer fhould be unto the God of all grace, that he would make his word-effectual to our faving converfion. We fhould go to God as Ephraim did, making his earnest request our own, Jer. xxxi. 18. Turn thou me, and I hall be turned. And if we follow God with fuch prayers, we may hope that God will fay to us, as he did to him, ver. 20. Surely I will have mercy upon him. Now, for a clofe to this point, let me here call upon them that are converted, to labour to be yet further cons verted. Though you have already returned to the Lord. yet you need to return to him more and more. You fhould ftill depart further and further from fin, and get nearer and nearer to God. And hence Chrift fays to his own difciples, that were regenerated perfons, Matth. xviii: 3. Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. They were too much under the power of an ambitious fpirit, at this time; and therefore Chrift calls upon them to turn from this frame, and be humble as little children; ; or they would not be actually meet to enter into heaven. It becomes thofe then that have really repented, to renew their repentance. Thofe paft fins which they have repented of, and which are pardoned, fhould yet be a fresh mourned for. Though Nathan had told David, upon his penitent confeffion of his fin, that God bad forgiven his fin, yet he renewed his repentance for it, which he expreffes in the 51st Pfalm. Paft and pardoned fins, fhould be bewailed all our days. Befides, we have our daily fins, which call for daily repentance. We fhould therefore exercife our felves in the work of repentance towards God, together with faith, towards our Lord Jefus Chrift: efpecially before we come to the table of the Lord, as we may do the next Lord's day. Such repentance and faith will be a bleffed preparatory to our worthy participation in that ordinance. And if we come with fuch a penitent believing frame, we may be confident that the fupper of the Lord fhall be a feal to us, that God will be merciful to our unrighte qufnefs, and remember our iniquities no more, DocT. IV. God will have mercy on all repenting and returning finners-Let the wicked for fake bis way, and the unrighteous man bis thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and be will have mercy on bim. This is a glorious truth, of moft undoubted certainty. Thus God Speaking of penitent Ephraim, fays, in Jer. xxxi. 20. I will furely have mercy upon bim. God does not lay, poffbly I may have mercy upon him, or probably I fhall have mercy upon him; but, furely I will have mercy upon him. Queft. What is implied in God's having mercy on peni tent and returning finners? Anfw. Several things are herein implied. Ex. gr. 1. That God will pity them. The proper object of mercy, is a creature in mifery and one act of mercy towards a miferable creature, is that of compaffion. A man of a merciful difpofition, is affected with grief for the mifery of another, and moyed with pity towards him. Thus the merciful God is reprefented as being grieved for the mifery of finners, and full of compaffion to them, when he fees them returning to him. This we find in Ephraim, when he repented and returned to God, bemoaning his fin and mifery, God faid, My bowels are troubled for him, Jer. xxxi. 20. This denotes the most tender compaffion of God for penitent finners, even bowels of compaffion. This alfo is reprefented to us in the parable of the repenting prodigal, Luk. xv. 20. He arofe and came to bis father; but when he was yet a good way off, bis father Jaw him, and bad compaffion on him. As a tender-hearted parent pities his child when in great mifery, and applying to him for relief; fo does God pity miferable finners when they are returning to him. Nay, his compaffion towards them does far exceed the compaffions of any natural father or mother. Ifai. xlix. 15. Can a woman forget her fucking child, that he should not bave compaffion on the fon of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 2. That 2. That God will pardon them. Mercy inclines a perfon to help and relieve a miferable object, and to forgive a relenting offender. So that one act of mercy is to remove mifery, and to forgive offences. Thus God will have mercy on repenting and returning finners. He will free them from their mifery, by freeing them from their guilt. He will pardon their fins, which are the caufes of all their mifery. When fin is forgiven, the finner is delivered from the curfe of the law, which contains in it all evil, and binds the finner to foffer the threatned penalty. Upon being pardoned, he ceafes to be a miferable creature, and becomes an happy man. Pfal. xxxii. ∙1, 2. Bleffed is the man, whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered, and to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Such a bleffed pardon, will God in mercy grant, unto every penitent finner. If they repent, their fins fhall be blotted out, Act. iii. 19. Though they have been ever fo many or great, they fhall all be forgiven. For it is faid in the text, God will abundantly pardon; as fhall hereafter be fhewn. 3. That God will receive them into his favour. Mercy includes in it, love to the miferable object. And therefore to have mercy on a perfon, is to have love going out to that perfon. Thus God will have mercy on repenting and returning finners; he will extend his love and favour to them. Though they have provoked him by their finful departure from him, yet when they penitently return unto him, he will be pacified towards them. Jer. iii. 12. Return, thou backfliding Ifrael, faith the Lord; and I will not caufe mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, faith the Lord. And not only will God caufe his anger towards them to ceafe, but he will alfo firetch forth bis loving kindness unto them. He will open his arms to receive them; and will embrace them, with dearest affection for them. Thus when Ephraim bemoaned himself and repented, God faid of him, Is Ephraim my dear fon? is be a pleasant child? Jer. xxxi, 20. God fpeaks of him as one whom he now dearly Dd 4° loved, |