More Jeremiah Burroughs

"God manifests Himself as willing to be reconciled in the ways of His dealing with
wretched, sinful men, in sending His grace to allure the hearts of sinners. The Lord
sends His mercy to spread all the beauty and luster thereof before the sons of men,
all the excellency and glory of it before the soul, that it may entice the soul of the
sinner to come in to Him. He does not merely send for and seek him, but endeavors that
He might overcome the hearts of men with love and mercy. This is God's way to cause His
mercy to stand before the soul, and so to spread the beauty and excellency of it, so that
it moves, entices, and allures the hearts of men, so that God, as it were, by cords of
love, might draw the hearts of poor, sinful men to Himself.
If God only scared men to come in to Him---if the Lord came in never such a terrible way
to force us to come in, so that peace might be made up between God and us, it would be
something. But we have cause to bless God that the Lord(besides that way of terror and
wrath, though sometimes He will use that way to stop men in the course of their sins,
and to force them to come in)goes forth and sends His mercy to stand before the soul,
and spread the beauty, excellency, and glory of it before the heart of the sinner so that
it might allure the sinner to come in.
So God speaks to His people in Hosea 2:14. There was a great breach between Israel and
God at the time, and God, to make up the breach(when He would be pacified towards Israel)
expresses it in this manner: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her." And in Hosea 11:4,
mark:("I drew them with the cords of a man, and with cords of love.")
"I dealt with them in a suitable way, because man's nature would rather be drawn than
driven, and cannot so well bear to be driven with violence as to be drawn by love.
Therefore(says God), I will deal with them according to their own nature and in a
suitable way. I draw them with the cords of a man and with bonds of love."
Here are the gracious expressions of God to wretched sinners, to break their hearts
that they may come in and be reconciled to Him. God takes away the terror of His greatness, and comes in loving and sweet ways to draw the hearts of sinners. I appeal
to your consciences, have not you who know what it is to be reconciled to God had the
Lord setting the riches of His grace before your souls? Have not you seen the alluring
attributes of God presented before you to gain your hearts unto Himself?"

Grace and Peace to you all
Uncle Donnie