them with the ointment," What is the reason of this? Says our Saviour Christ, verse 47, " I say unto thee, her sins which are many are forgiven her, for she loved much." She wept much because she loved much, and she loved much, because much was forgiven her.

The papists and those that do follow them say indeed, that her forgiveness was a fruit of her love; because it is said here, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." But, good people, mark it, and you will find, that first of all there is forgiveness, and thereupon the woman loved: and her loving much, was but a sign of her being much forgiven. For this is suitable with the latter end of verse 47," Her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much." Much forgiveness is the ground of loving much and loving much is a sign of much forgiveness: for it follows, "But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."

And this suits also with the parable that ye have before, at verses 41, 42, 43, which is brought in upon occasion of this woman's loving thus much. "A certain creditor had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most." Mark the scope of the parable, and you will find it is to show, that love flows from forgiveness. The papists, and others that cleave to them, therefore, go against the scope of this parable.

And now my beloved, if all our love be upon forgiveness, and forgiveness goes first; oh, what free grace is here? we repent, and we weep because we love; and we love because we are forgiven: but forgiveness goes first: oh, what grace, and love is here. Paul was so taken with this, that to me he seems to be more taken with it, than with the vision that he had in the third heaven, says he, "I knew a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, a man (says he,) wrapt up into the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words, which is not lawful to be uttered," 2 Cor. xii. 2. And this Paul speaks of but once. But, says Paul, "I was a blasphemer, I was a persecutor; but I obtained mercy," 1 Tim. i. 13: this story he tells three times: he tells the other

story but one time; but this story, this story of free grace; how he was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and how he obtained mercy; this was never out of his mind. As if he were more refreshed with the thought of this, than with the other. And I pray what then? Do but observe Paul, how gracious he is how humble he is: how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ: how ready to serve the churches for Christ: how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions: oh, how gracious did this make him. Thus it is with a poor soul, that hath tasted of the free grace of God in Christ; the heart is more taken herewithal, than with the thoughts of heaven: ah, says a poor soul, I was going on in such a sinful way; or, I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins; and I know not how, before ever I was aware, the kingdom of heaven did approach unto me, and the Lord in his free grace showed mercy to my family, and to my poor soul. Oh, therefore any thing for Jesus Christ; oh, I will spend, and be spent, oh, any thing for Jesus Christ. The sight of God's grace, doth make one gracious; and therefore Christ does take this way, causing the kingdom of heaven, grace, and free remission, to approach unto us, before we do draw near to it.

There is one reason more, I will but name it.

Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace, that no flesh might glory in itself, or in any thing that it hath, or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty, in any service, in any suffering; but only upon grace, upon Christ alone. Beloved, we are very unwilling to come unto any duty; and when we have done, we are then as apt to rest upon it, as ever we were unwilling to come unto it. But what is the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties, but because there are these secret thoughts, that they come to Christ, before he does came to them. Let the heart be possessed with this truth, That Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of heaven, and of free grace, does approach unto us, and come near to us, before we draw near to it; and then he will not rest so much upon what he is, or doth, or suffereth. A man in this case is like unto a silk-worm; you know how it is with that worm: it makes a fine web, a fine work, and when it hath done, it dies in it; afterward it eats a hole through the work, and it comes out with wings, a quite other creature

than it went into it. So it is with a poor christian: he makes a fine work of duty, and then he dies in it; but through the manifestations of God's free grace, he does, as it were, eat a hole through all, and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties, not so as to neglect the performance of them, but so as not to rest upon them: flies away from, in regard of resting upon any duty; and only upon this ground, because, says he, God did draw near to me, grace did draw near to me, mercy did draw near to me, before ever I drew near to it: and therefore why should I rest upon any duty? perform it I will, but through grace I will not rest upon it.

By way of application: let us I pray consider with ourselves, whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no; hath the kingdom of heaven approached, and drawn near unto us, before we drew near to it? If not, truly, for aught that I know, we are yet under the law: and all our mournings, and walkings heaven-ward, they are but legal: if God love you indeed, he shews kindness and mercy to you, before you do come to him.

It is with God's darlings, as it is with the world's darlings. You have some men take a great deal of pains, rise early, and go to bed late, and yet the world does not smile upon. them these are the world's enemies. Some take pains, and grow rich thereby; these are the world's friends. Others there are again; that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the world's blessings; these are the world's darlings. So I say, God hath his darlings; and if thou art one of God's darlings, he does cause the kingdom of heaven, grace, and free remission to appear and draw near unto thy soul, even before thou dost draw near to it. Hath God dealt thus by any of you? Oh, contemplate, consider seriously the sweetness of this grace. Beloved, preventing grace is sweet grace. The Lord gave a crown, a kingdom to David; but the best pearl in all the crown, that his eye was most upon, was God's preventing mercy: "Lord," says he, "thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing." Ps. xxi. 3. As if he had said thus: Lord, thou hast not only given me a kingdom, made me a king over thy people; but when I was a poor shepherd, keeping my father's sheep; thou didst prevent me with thy love. So may a poor soul

say, Ah, Lord, thou hast not only given me a kingdom, but thou hast prevented me with thy love. It is a great matter that the great God of heaven and earth should answer our prayers, give us any mercy upon our request: aye, but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercy before we come to it! Pray, good people, mark it a little; ye shall observe, that the greatest mercies that ye have, ye have them, and they are given unto you, before you come for them. There are some great mercies that a christian hath as conversion of his soul, justification, remission of sin; some lesser mercies as comfort, and peace, and outward plenty. As for these lesser mercies, God gives them when we do come for them; but as for the great mercies: remission of sin, justification of our persons, conversion of our souls, God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them: oh, what grace is here; oh, what glorious, rich grace is here! What, shall we not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ!

You will say unto me: But suppose this, that the Lord hath brought the kingdom of heaven near to me, and my family, before I did come to it: for I must confess, that I have tasted, and drunk deeply of God's preventing love: oh, how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family! we were a poor, ignorant family; and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it: to such a child, to such a servant, to such a friend, to mine own soul. Indeed this is true, that the kingdom of heaven hath approached unto me, drawn near unto me, before I drew near to it; oh, what is my duty now that does flow from hence? Let me tell you:

:

First of all; be sooner at heaven-gates with your duties hereafter, than ever you were before. When as a master comes into his servant's chamber in the morning, and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuousness, the servant says, This my master's coming thus early, is plainly a rebuke to my sloth; and therefore, God willing, I will be up sooner another day. So now, when as the Lord doth thus prevent us with his grace, and is at our bed-side with his grace, when we lie sleeping, and never think of mercy and grace; an ingenuous soul should say thus: What is all this but a plain rebuke to the slothfulness of my duty? Come, up

prayer, up duty, oh my soul be up sooner: yea, through the Lord's grace I will be up sooner at heaven-gate in duty, than ever I was before: his preventing grace teaches me thus much, that I am not soon enough at heaven-gate with my duty.

Again, hath the Lord prevented any of you with grace, and caused the kingdom of heaven to draw near to you before you draw near to it? Do you do the like: labour in your love to be like unto Christ, to be like to God. We stand upon our terms when we have to deal with men, upon our terms of state. Had Jesus Christ stood upon his terms of state when he came to save sinners, what had become of us? We say, we will forgive such a man for wrong done to us, upon his acknowledgment: oh, but did Christ do so? Did not Christ prevent us? Beloved, ye see how it is with the water, it moves downward; but if the fire get into it; if there be water in a pot upon the fire, and fire get into the water, the fire makes it move upward, it moves according to the nature of the fire then. So now, if the love of Jesus Christ get into our hearts, it will make us move like unto Christ: how does the love of Jesus Christ move? Oh, says Christ, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," Luke xxxiii. 34. Christ did not stay for acknowledgment: a poor, and a low thing for a christian; enough for a heathen to say so I will forgive such a man for wrong done to me upon his acknowledgment. Let our love be like unto Christ's, and labour to prevent others with our love, as Jesus Christ hath prevented us.

Again, Then let all men wait upon others, with all longsuffering, and patience, for their conversion, and the revelation of truth unto them. Thou art a parent, and desirest thy child may be converted, and hast taken a great deal of pains with him for his conversion, and yet it will not be. Thou art a governor of a family, and wouldest fain have such a servant converted to Christ, and hast taken a great deal of pains, and yet it will not be. A friend you have, and you would fain that he knew such a truth, and much pains you have taken to beat such a truth into him, and he does not take it, and you are ready to be angry: but remember this, the kingdom of heaven draws near to us before we draw near to it: grace must come to thy child's soul first before it does