Doctrine: God Sometimes Mercifully Grants a Reprieve to Barren Professors That Further Means May Be Used

DOCTRINE. Gods servants request, and he sometimes mercifully grants a reprieve to barren professors, after solemn threatnings; that they may have farther means used with them to render them fruitful.

It is true, there is only the intercession itself expressed in the parable, but our Saviour's design is to intimate, both that there was such a delay granted, and how it was obtained, and what was the motive for the one to ask, and the other to grant; and it is determined in this. There are two things whereof a distinct account may be here enquired after?

1. What influence this reason has into the desires of Gods servants, to make them so earnest for a year longer?

2. On what account this argument and plea of theirs prevails with God?

1. What influence this reason has into the desires of Gods servants, to make them so earnest for a year longer?

A. It is certain that desires have their motives, and rational desires are moved rationally. Now when Christ's messengers see the eminent danger that is over the heads of sinners, and the ax of divine vengeance ready to cut them down; as humane pity cannot but stir in them the bowels of compassion; so there is not a little in this consideration to raise these desires in them to greater measures of ardency: and that in a double respect, namely both with respect to themselves, and referring to those for whom these desires are.

1. In regard of themselves. There is a self-interest which Gods ministers have in this affair, which stimulates these desires in them; and we may take a brief distinct account of it in these things.

1. They are sensible of the awful charge of souls lying upon them, and the solemn account they must be called to for them. [illegible] there is no man that is duly qualified for the work of Christ in the Gospel, who has not his heart affected with the frequent consideration of this; who does not often think with himself, God has put these souls under my watch, and made it my duty to give them faithful warning from him, of their misery and danger, and the duty which is required of them; and has enjoyned me to be instant with them, in season, and out of season: to observe their state, and case, and accommodate counsels to them accordingly, and to be very earnest with them for their good; to deal with them plainly, and to with-hold no necessary and seasonable truth from them. They often ponder on that as spoken to them (Ezekiel 3:17, 18), Son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel, &c. and think with themselves, I must appear ere long before the dreadful tribunal of the great Judge, and then Jesus Christ will ask of me, what is become of those souls whom I so solemnly enjoyned you to look after? where are those sheep and lambs whom I gave you a charge to feed for me.

2. They are also in some measure acquainted with their own sinful infirmities and temptations. God is pleased to manage his treaty with sinners about the things which concern their peace, by men of like infirmities with themselves; and he is wont to make such as he sends upon this errand to apprehend it deeply: which apprehension has been wont to make them many times too backward in accepting the commission, as judging themselves insufficient for so weighty an undertaking, and therefore we have that of Moses (Exodus 4:13), Oh my Lord, send I pray you by the hand of him whom you will send: that is, any rather than me; and of Isaiah (chapter 6:5), I am a man of unclean lips; of Jeremiah (chapter 1[illegible]:5), I cannot speak, for I am a child; of Paul (2 Corinthians 2:16), who is sufficient for these things? They feel so much of a dead and insensible frame in themselves, so much want of a tender and compassionate pity for souls, so many discouragements ready to prevail over them, to make them omit their duty, or be deficient in it, which renders them apt to be jealous of themselves, and suspicious lest they should give God just provocation against them.

3. Hence when they see Gods judgments threatning of sinners to cut them down, they reflect upon themselves and are afraid. Though as to their integrity, and sincere desire to be faithful, and endeavour after it; they have the witness of their consciences; yet they suspect their deceitful hearts; and now bethink themselves whether they have done all that they might, and had the opportunity of doing, to have prevented this: have they chosen suitable and seasonable subjects to insist upon? have they been distinct and particular enough in their applying of them? have they spoken plain and full? have they been earnest in it? and that both in their public preaching, and private advice, as there has been opportunity? And are now ready to think, if I had been more earnest and importunate, more solemn and serious, more zealous and affectionate, such a sinner might possibly have been perswaded.

4. This fear puts them upon the resolution to be more intensly engaged in this, if God shall give them a farther opportunity. Fear of Gods displeasure at them, makes them to renew their purposes, and so quickens them in their work. This was it that made Paul to study the art of perswasion, to think that he as well as they to whom he preached, must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, &c. (2 Corinthians 5:10, 11). They therefore draw up this resolve in themselves, that if God shall afford them more liberty to treat with such, they will be more solemn with them, tell them more plainly of their sins, and of Gods judgments; plead harder, and entreat with more tenderness and compassion than ever: and all this to discharge the obligation lying on them, and satisfie their own consciences, and so provide for their more comfortable appearing before their Judge.

5. Hence, that they may have farther opportunity, they importunately beg for the sinner's reprieve. They know that if he be now cut down, he will be put wholly beyond their farther care and charge; they can then no more pray for him, nor plead with him; and if they have not done all their duty to them, it will then be too late to endeavour it: so that their request is mainly built upon this plea, let him live, raise him up this once from death, spare him a while longer, give him a farther day, that so I may use more and more industrious endeavours with him before he goes hence, than ever I have done.

2. With respect to them for whom these desires are; namely, the sinners whom they see upon the brink of ruin. As it is their love to them that makes them to ask a year more for them, so a principal motive is, that they may try farther with them, and there are these things that come into this consideration.

[1]. They know that sinners are converted and made fruitful by the use of means. That this is the ordinary way in which God is wont to dispense his grace to the souls of men: when therefore God intends to have a people to his praise, he plants them into a vineyard; he sends the Gospel to them, and affords them his Ordinances. If God has much people in Corinth, Paul must tarry and preach there; for the gathering of them in: if therefore those that have so long been unprofitable, be at last made to serve God, they must be continued under the Ordinances: if the fig-tree ever comes to bear fruit, it must be let grow in the Vineyard, and be there manured.

2. They also know that God is wont to give a blessing to his servants' industry in the use of means. Though all success depends absolutely upon God, and we cannot by all our care and endeavours bring home one soul to Jesus Christ; yet because God has appointed the Gospel to be the instrument of conversion and salvation; and has required his servants to use diligence and constancy in the dispensation of it to men, he is therefore wont to encourage their industry, by giving good success to it; not but that he uses his sovereignty here, but he frequently does so. Paul, who laboured more than all the Apostles, won more souls to Christ than any of them. Diligence must needs be nearest to success.

3. Hence the sinner's danger, moving their compassion, engages them to be more industrious with them. When they see unregenerate men, by neglecting a day of grace, to have provoked God to just anger, and that anger to discover itself in the tokens of his righteous severity, their hearts are thereupon stirred in them, and they commiserate their dolefully dangerous condition, and that puts them to study what is their duty in this case, to prevent it: and because all that is in their power to do, is to be more earnest and instant in labouring with them for their good; now they shake off all their indispositions, and give themselves up to their work. They say, if I will not have this sinner to perish, I must pluck him as a brand out of the fire, I must cry aloud, and not spare him, but show him his transgression, and plead harder than ever with him.

4. Hence they are not willing to despair but hope still concerning them. Despair of doing good, is that which enervates the spirits, and puts a damp upon all activity, yes makes men to cast off all endeavours: whereas on the other hand, hope oils the wheels, warms the heart and gives activity to compassion. They are not therefore willing to think that sinners are hopeless: though they have been careless and obstinate, yet it is possible that God may give them repentance, and they may come in at last. Their hard heart may be softened, they may be brought to see the evil of their doings, and made to mourn for and turn from them; God can change them and means may be blessed to them for good; they are not out of the reach of Almighty power to convert and save them.

5. This therefore makes them beg time for farther trial. They do it not with any design to aggravate the sinner's guilt, though it unhappily proves so too often in the event; they would not make any man's miseries more and greater, if they could help it, but all they do in this regard, is in hope that it may be their salvation; it is because they are not willing that these should perish: and because all their hope is in a farther probation, which only will allow to them the opportunity of using means for their good, or to sinners the opportunity for repentance. They do therefore seek to God that he would grant this their request, and for that reason the vinedresser asks but one year more because it is merely for probation that he desires it.

2. Upon what account this argument and plea of theirs prevails with God to let sinners alone a little longer?

A. We are not to suppose that men's pleadings, can alter divine purposes, or make God to take up other resolutions concerning any than he has from eternity determined in himself. But this is to be well remarked that God puts this into the hearts of his servants and he puts these arguments into their mouths, and suffers these pleadings to prevail with him to answer their requests; and he has holy designs in all this. Now the reasons why God is willing to forbear, that he may so give his servants farther opportunity to take pains with sinners, after they have continued barren under so many means, and so much patience as has been already afforded them, are such as these.

1. He does it to give his ministers the opportunity to discharge their consciences, towards such sinners: that so, whether these will hear or forbear they may save their own souls; and may have peace in themselves, in that they have done their duty to the utmost of their power. By this means their savour comes to be more sweet to God, whether these be saved or perish. It is true, God's ministers need pardon of all their defects every day; and if God should be strict, they could not stand. But as it cannot but be their great grief to think, these and those sinners are gone, and we have not discharged our duty to them: so, on the other hand, it will afford them great inward peace, though they cannot infallibly determine, what effect it has wrought on them for their eternal good, yet that they have been faithful, and done their utmost as instruments in this affair. We see how cheerfully Paul can take his last leave of his Ephesians on this account; when he can say (Acts 20:26-27), I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God; and God would have the souls of his faithful servants comforted in their work.

God sometimes intends that some sinners shall be new-born out of time. There are some of God's elect, that are by his holy pleasure suffered to stand for a long while in his vineyard, and to grow worse and worse under and by all the pains and cost that have been expended upon them: yes, to run up to such a height of wickedness, as to provoke him to break in upon them with his judgments, and to threaten them with destruction. And when he has laid them up in the irons of affliction, he then bores their ears to instruction; and so he brings them in at the last to be made the eternal monuments of his glorious grace, and to show his mighty power, by making them astonishing instances of his praise. Such an one was Manasseh, and Paul tells us that he was such an one too, born out of time. When therefore it is so, and such are ready to perish, he is pleased, together with putting it into the hearts of his servants to importune him, also to let them live yet longer, that there may be an opportunity to instruct and help them to salvation: and herein also he mightily honors his servants, by giving them the lives of such at their request.

And God sometimes does it to make his wrath the more illustrious upon them at last in their destruction. It is an awful expression of the Apostle (Romans 9:22): "What if God willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction." Sinners have provoked God to destroy them; such as have enjoyed vineyard-privileges, even all the means of grace, and despised them, have greatly added to this provocation. And now, what if God sees meet to let them alone, after they have greatly incensed his anger against them, that they may fill up an extraordinary measure, and thereby be made the more eminent and singular instances of his wrath in the day of his vengeance! Who shall lay any thing to his charge? And though the desires of his servants have another designed aim than this, yet if he sees meet to suffer their sincere endeavors, and more than ordinary labor which they are at with such, to turn to their more fearful account; herein he is no loser, nor shall his messengers lose their reward.