Chap. 19. The Third Part of the Saints' Reward: God's Sparing Them

3. THE Third part of the Saints reward is Gods Sparing them. I will spare them as a man spares his own Son that serves him. The Hebrew word to spare signifies to use Clemency: In this Phrase is a Meiosis, there is less said and more intended; I will spare them, that is, I will deal with them as a Father does with his Son: the same tenderness that a Father shews to his Child, the same will I shew to them that Fear me.

God will deal with them that Fear him, as a Father does with his Son. Two things are in this Proposition.

1. That God is a Father. He is a Father, 1. By Creation, he has given us our Being, Malachi 2:10. Have not we all one Father? has not one God created us?

2. God is a Father by Election; he has culled out a certain number to be his Children, Ephesians 1:4.

3. God is a Father by special Grace, he stamps his impress of Holiness upon men, Colossians 3:10. All Gods Children resemble him, though some are more like him than others.

2. That God will deal with them that Fear him, as a Father does with his Son: 1. God will accept them as a Father does his Son. If the Child does but lisp and can hardly speak plain, the Father takes all well: so God as a Father will accept of what his Children do in sincerity: Ezekiel 20:40. There will I require your Offerings, I will accept you with your sweet Savor.

2. Such as Fear God, he will be full of Bowels to them as a Father is to his Son. There are in God

- 1. Bowels of Compassion. - 2. Bowels of Complacency.

1. Bowels of Compassion. A Father Compassionates his Child. Sozomen makes mention of a Father who offered to be put to death for his two Sons, who were sentenced to dye: God has soundings of Bowels, Isaiah. 63:15. The Compassions of Parents are Steel and Marble compared with Gods: Luke 1:78. Through the tender Mercy of our God: in the Greek it is, the Bowels of Mercy: these Bowels make God sympathize with his Children in Misery: he is touched in their wounds, Psalm 103:13. As a Father pitieth his Children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

2. In God are Bowels of Complacency. How dearly did Iacob love Benjamin; his life was bound up in him, Genesis 44:30. All the Affections of Parents come from God: they are but a drop of his Ocean, a spark of his flame; Gods love is a love that passes Knowledge, Ephesians 3:19. The Saints cannot Love their own Souls so intirely as God loves them. In particular,

1. God loves the persons of his Children: they are the Apple of his Eye, Zach. 2:8. He engraves them upon the Palms of his hands, Isaiah. 49:16. It alludes to them who carry about them graven on the Stone of their Ring the Picture of some dear Friend whom they intirely affect.

2. God loves the places his Children were born in the better for their sakes: Psalm 87:2. God loves the Gates of Sion: ver. 5. This and that man was born in her; (i. e.) This and that Believer. God loves the very ground his Children go upon. Why was Iudaea (the Ancient seat of Israel) called a delightsome Land? Malachi 5:12. Not so much delightful for the fruit growing in it, as for the Saints living in it.

3. God so loves his Children that he chargeth the great ones of the World upon pain of death not to hurt them: their persons are sacred, Psalm 105:14. He reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed. By anointed, are meant such as have the anointing of the Spirit, 1 John 2:20.

4. God delights in his Childrens company, he loves to see their faces, Song of Solomon 2:24. Let me see your Countenance. If but two or three of Gods Children meet and pray together, God will be sure to make one of the company; Matthew 18:20. There am I in the midst of them.

5. God so loves his Children, that his Eye is never off them; Psalm 33:18. The Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him. But is this such a priviledge, to have Gods Eye upon his Children? Gods Eye is upon the Wicked too. Answ. It is one kind of Eye that the Judge casts upon the Malefactor, and another that the Prince casts upon his Favourite. Gods Eye upon the Wicked is, an Eye of Revenge; but his Eye upon his Children is an Eye of Benediction.

6. God sets a continual guard about his Children, to preserve them from danger. He hides them in his Pavilion, Psalm 27:5. He covers them with the Golden Feathers of his Protection, Psalm 91:4. God preserved Athanasius strangely, he put it into his Mind to depart out of the House he was in, the night before the Enemies came to search for him. No Prince goes so well guarded as Gods Child, for he has a guard of Angels about him. The Angels are a numerous guard, 2 Kin. 6:17. The Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of fire: those Horses and Chariots of fire were the Angels of God, gathered together in the manner of an huge host to defend the Prophet Elisha.

7. God puts his Children in rich apparel: Psalm. 45:13. Her cloathing is of wrought Gold. Jacob loved his Son Joseph, and gave him a finer Coat to wear than the rest of his brethren, Genesis 37:3. He made him a Coat of divers Colors. God loves his Children and gives them a finer Coat, more curiously Woven, a Coat of divers Colors: it is partly made of Christs Righteousness, and partly made of inherent Holiness.

8. Such is Gods love, that he thinks nothing too Good for his Children, he enricheth them with the upper and nether Springs; he gives them the Kidneys of the Wheat, and Hony out of the Rock; he makes them a feast of fat things, Isaiah. 25:6. He gives them the body and blood of his Son, and delights to see his Children spreading themselves as Olive plants round about his Table.

3. Such as are Fearers of God, he will receive their Petitions from them as a Father does from his Son; they may come boldly to the throne of Grace, Hebrews 4:16. If they come for pardon of sin, strength against Temptation, God will not deny them. Three things may cause boldness in prayer; the Saints have a Father to pray to, and the Spirit to help them to pray, and Jesus Christ as their Advocate to present their Prayers.

4. Such as are Fearers of God, God will bestow an Inheritance upon them, as a Father does upon his Son: this Inheritance is no less than a Kingdom, Luke 12:32. In it are Gates of Pearl, Rivers of Pleasure: and which is to be noted as a difference between Gods setling an Inheritance on his Children, and a Fathers setling an Inheritance: a Son cannot enjoy the Inheritance till his Father be dead; but every adopted child of God may at once enjoy both the Inheritance and the Father, because God is both Father and Inheritance.

5. Such as are Fearers of God, God will pass by many infirmities. That is meant by this expression in the Text, I will spare them as a man spares his own Son. What a wonder is this, that God did not spare the Angels! 2 Peter 2:4. Nay, he did not spare his natural Son, Romans 8:32. Yet he will spare his Adopted Sons: I will spare them, I will not use extremity as I might, but pass by many aberrations.

Not that the Sins of Gods Children are hid from him; but such is his paternal Clemency, that he is pleased to bear with many frailties in his Children. He spares them as a Father spares his Son. How often do Gods people grieve his Spirit by the neglect of their Spiritual Watch, the loss of their first-love; but God spares them! Israel provoked God with their murmurings, but he used Fatherly Indulgence towards them, Psalm 78:38. But he being full of Compassion, forgave their Iniquity, yea many a time turned he his anger away from them.

From this word, I will spare them as a man spares his Son, take Notice, that the best need sparing,Psalm 130:3. If you, Lord, should mark Iniquities, Lord, who shall stand? The Papists speak of Merits, but how can we merit when our best services are so defective that we need sparing? how can these two stand together, our meriting and God's sparing? what will become of us without sparing Mercy? we had need pray as Nehemiah, cap. 13:22. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and spare me according to the greatness of your Mercy. Let us fly to this Asylum, Lord spare us as a Father spares his Son.

See Gods different dealing with the Godly and the Wicked; the Lord will not spare the Wicked, Jeremiah 13:14. I will not Pity, nor spare, nor have Mercy, but destroy them. 'Tis sad, when the Prisoner begs of the Judge to spare him, but the Judge will shew him no favor. Gods cup of wrath is unmixed, Revelation 14:10. Yet it is said to be mixed, Psalm 78:5. Gods cup of wrath he gives the Wicked is mixed with all sorts of Plagues, but it is a Cup unmixed, without the least drop of Mercy in it. God for a while Reprieves men, but forbearance is no forgiveness. Though God spare his Children, yet obdurate sinners shall feel the weight of his wrath.

If the Lord spares his people as a Father does his Son, then they should serve him as a Son does his Father: serve him willingly, 1 Chron. 28:9. Know you the God of your Fathers, and serve him with a willing mind. God does not love to be put to strain. Therefore Cains Sacrifice was rejected, because he brought it grudgingly, and against his Mind: it was rather the paying of a tax than a free-will Offering. That is the best obedience which is voluntary, as that is the best Hony which drops from the Comb. God sometimes accepts of willingness without the Work, but never of the work without willingness.

2. Serve God Vniversally. True obedience is Vniform, it observes one command as well as another, it sets upon duties difficult and dangerous. As the Needle points that way which the Loadstone draws: so a Gracious Heart inclines to those things which the word suggests; Luke 1:6. 'Tis the note of an Hypocrite to be partial in Obedience; some sin he will indulge, some duty he will dispense with, his Obedience is lame on one foot.

3. Serve God Swiftly: Beware of a dull temper of Soul; the loveliness of Obedience is in the liveliness: we read of two Women, Zach. 5:9. The Wind was in their Wings: Wings are Swift, but Wind in the Wings denotes great Swiftness; such Swiftness should be in our Obedience to God: If God spares us as a Father does his Son, we should serve him as a Son does his Father.

If God Spares us as a Father does his Son, let us imitate God. 'Tis natural for Children to imitate their Parents; look what the Father does, the Child is apt to learn the same. Let us imitate God in this one thing, as God spares us, and passes by many failures, so let us be sparing in our Censures of others; let us look upon the Weaknesses and Indiscretions of our Brethren with a more tender compassionate eye. Indeed, in case of Scandal, here we ought not to bear with others, but sharply reprove them: But if through Inadvertency or Passion they commit Indecencies, let us Pity and Pray for them: How much does God bear with in us! He Spares us, and shall not we be Sparing to others? perhaps they may be wronged, and false things may be laid to their Charge. Athanasius was falsely Accused by the Arrians of Adultery, Basil of Heresie. 'Tis usual for the World to misrepresent the People of God; therefore let us be sparing in our Censures: God spares us, and shall not we be sparing towards others?

Here is Comfort to the Children of God in case of Failings: The Lord will not be severe to mark what they have done amiss, but will Spare them: He passes by many Infirmities, Zephaniah 3:17. He will rest in his Love; in the Original it is, He will be silent in his Love. As if the Prophet had said, Though the Church had her Failings, yet Gods Love was such, that it would not suffer him to mention them: He will be silent in his Love. God winks at many oversights, Ezekiel 20:17. Mine eye Spared them from destroying them. I speak not of presumptuous sins, but Failings, as vain Thoughts, deadness in Duty, suddain Surprizals by Temptation: these being mourned for, God for Christs fake will Spare us as a Father does his Son.

This is one of the richest Comforts in the Book of God: Who is he that lives and sins not? how defective are we in our best Duties! how full are our Lives either of Blanks or Blots! Were it not for Sparing Mercy, we should all goe to Hell; but this Text is a standing Cordial; if our Hearts are sincere, God will Spare us as a Father does his Son: Hosea 11:9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine Anger. I know not a greater Rock of Support for a fainting Christian than this; God will abate of the Severity of the Law; though we come short in our Duty, he will not fail of his Mercy, but will Spare us as a Father Spareth his Son.