Page:Sermon preached on a preparation-day, before the sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, at Bruntisland, upon 2 Sam. vii. 20. Do as thou hast said.pdf/15

 the son of God afreſh, rejecting his calls, grieving his Spirit? Yea, we are called to preach the goſpel to every creature, and even to the crucifiers of Chriſt; "Repentance and remiſſion of ſin muſt be preached in his name, among all nations, begining at Jeruſalem," Luke xxiv. 47. Why beginning at Jeruſalem, among the crucifiers of Chriſt? Becauſe they have moſt need of his blood to waſh them; Chriſt came to ſave ſinners?Hath he ſaid ſo? Then put in your bill, Lord, Do as as thou haſt ſaid.

But will you tell me, is there any word for one that cannot think that it is as you are ſaying, that there is any merciful word in God's mouth, or any merciful thought in God's heart towards me; it cannot enter into my thought; I cannot let it light in my mind or heart? Why, God ſays, Iſa. lv. 8.9 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, ſaith the Lord: for as the heavens are higher than the earth, ſo are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." You are not to measure his thoughts by yours, no more than you can meaſure theſe wide heavens with your arms but God knows his own thoughts, and what ſays he of them. Jer. xxx. 11, 12, 13. "I know the thoughts that I think towards you, ſaith the Lord; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then ſhall ye call upon me, and I will hearken unto you And ye ſhall ſeek me and find me, when ye ſhall ſearch for me with all your heart."---Hath he ſaid ſo? Then go and plead his word, ſaying, Lord, Do as thou haſt ſaid.

In a word do you want his preſence? He hath ſaid, "Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world; I will never leave thee nor forſake thee?" are you afraid of hell and damnation. He hath ſaid, Deliver his ſoul from going down to the pit, I have found out a ranſom.-O what encouragement is here to go and pray and plead, ſaying, Lord, Do as thou haſt ſaid.

O ſirs, ſearch the ſcriptures, and ſtudy the word of God; conſult and conſider what he hath ſaid; let there be no mouldy Bibles among you: let not the duſt of your Bibles witneſs againſt you, for eternal ſalvation depends upon your believing what he hath said: therefore ſtudy the faith of what he hath ſaid. The Spirit is promiſed, and the ſcriptures are written to work this faith; Chriſt is exalted, and the throne of grace is erected to give this faith; and this faith comes by hearing what he hath ſaid: by hearing not what Plato hath ſaid or Seneca hath ſaid; what this or that man hath ſaid, but what God hath ſaid in his word, in this Bible, which is a book ſo prefaced, and ſo atteſted as never any other book was: the Old Teſtament is prefaced by all the miracles wrought by Moſes; the New Teſtament prefaced by all the miracles wrought by Chriſt. And as Moſes's miracles were wrought before the Old Teſtament was