William Bates (1625–1699) on Despising Redeeming Mercy

4. What an high provocation is it to despise Redeeming Mercy, and to defeat that infinite Goodness which hath been at such Expense for our Recovery? The Son of God hath emptied all the Treasures of his Love, to purchase Deliverance for guilty and wretched Captives; He hath past through so many Pains and Thorns to come and offer it to them; He sollicites them to receive Pardon and Liberty, upon the conditions of Acceptance and Amendment, which are absolutely necessary to qualifie them for Felicity: Now if they slight the Benefit, and renounce their Redemption; if they fell themselves again under the Servitude of Sin, and gratifie the Devil with a new Conquest over them; what a bloody Cruelty is this to their own Souls, and a vile Indignity to the Lord of Glory? And are there any Servile Spirits so charm'd with their Misery, and so in love with their Chains, who will stoop under their cruel Captivity, to be reserved for eternal Punishment? Who can believe it? But alas, Examples are numerous and ordinary: The most by a Folly is prodigious as their Ingratitude, prefer their Sins before their Saviour, and love that which as the only just Object of Hatred, and hate Him who is the most worthy Object of Love. 'Tis a most astonishing Consideration, that Love should perswade Christ to die for Men, and that they should Trample upon his Blood, and choose rather to die by themselves, than to live by Him. That God should be so easie to forgive, and Man so hard to be forgiven. This is a Sin of that transcendent height, that all the Abominations of Sodom and Gomorrah, are not equal to it. This exasperates Mercy, that dear and tender Attribute; the only Advocate in God's Bosom for us. This make the Judge irreconcileable. The rejecting of Life upon the gracious terms of the Gospel, makes the Condemnation of Men most just, certain, and heavy.

1. Most Just: For when Christ hath performed what was necessary for the Expiation of Sin, and hath opened the Throne of Grace, which was before shut against us, and by this God hath declared how willing he is to save Sinners; if they are wilful to be damned, and frustrate the blessed Methods of Grace, 'tis most equal they should inherit their own choice: They judge themselves unworthy of eternal Life. Conscience will justify the severest Doom against them.

2. It makes their Condemnation certain and final. The Sentence of the Law is reversible by an Appeal to an higher Court; but that of the Gospel against the refusers of Mercy will remain in its full force for ever. He that believes not, is condemn'd already, John 3. 18. 'Tis some Consolation to a Malefactor, that the Sentence is not pronouced against him: but an Unbeliever hath no respite. The Gospel assures the sincere Believer, that he shall [not] enter into Condemnation, to prevent his fears of an after Sentence; but it denounces a present doom against those who reject it. The Wrath of God abides on them. Obstinate Infidelity sets beyond all possibility of Pardon: there is no Sacrifice for that Sin. Salvation it self cannot save the impenitent Infidel: For he excludes the only means whereby Mercy is conveyed. How desperate then is the case of such a Sinner? To what Sanctuary will he fly? All the other Attributes condemn him, Holiness excites Justice, and Justice awakens Power for his Destruction; and if Mercy interpose not between him and Ruin, he must perish irrecoverably. Whoever loves not the Lord Christ, is Anathema Maranatha; He is under an irrevocable Curse, which the Redeemer will confirm at his coming.

3. Wilful neglect of Redeeming Mercy aggravates the Sentence, and brings an extraordinary Damnation upon Sinners. Besides the doom of the Law which continues in its vigour against Transgressors, the Gospels adds a more heavy one against the impenitent, because he believes not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God, John 3. 18. Infidelity is an outrage not to a Man or an Angel, but to the Eternal Son. For the Redemption of Souls is reckoned as part of his Reward, He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied, Isa. 53. Those therefore who spurn at Salvation, deny him the Honour of his Sufferings; and are guilty of the defiance of his Love, of the contempt of his Clemency, of the provocation of the most sensible and severe Attribute when 'tis incensed. This is to strike him at the Heart, and to kick against his Bowels. This increases the Anguish of his Sufferings, and imbitters the Cup of his Passion. This renews his Sorrows, and makes his Wounds bleed afresh. Dreadful Impiety! that exceeds the guilt of the Jews; they once kill'd Him being in his humble inglorious State, but this is a daily crucifying him now glorified. Ungrateful Wretches! that refuse to bring glory to their Redeemer, and Blessedness to themselves: (g) that rather chuse that the Accuser should triumph in their Misery, than their Saviour rejoyce in their Felicity. This is the great Condemnation, that Christ came into the World to save Men from Death, and they refuse the Pardon, John 3. 19. 'Tis an aggravation of Sin above what the Devils are capable of; for Pardon was never offered to those rebellious Spirits. In short, so deadly a malignity there is in it, that it poysons the Gospel it self, and turns the sweetest Mercy into the sorest Judgment. The Sun of Righteousness who is a reviving Life to the penitent Believer, is a consuming Fire to the obdurate. How much more tolerable had been the condition of such Sinners, if saving Grace had never appeared unto Men, or they had never heard of it? For the degrees of Wrath shall be in proportion to the Riches of neglected goodness. The refusing Life from Christ, makes us guilty of his Death. And when he shall come in his Glory, and be visible to all that pierced Him, what Vengeance will be the Portion of those who despised the Majesty of his Person, the Mystery of his Compassions and Sufferings? Those that lived and died in the darkness of Heathenism, shall have a cooler Climate in Hell, than those who neglected the great Salvation.

William Bates, “The Harmony of the Divine Attributes in Contriving Man’s Redemption,” in The Works of the Late Reverend and Learned William Bates (London: Printed for B. Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons, against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill: And J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, 1700), 170–71.

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