doe good Secondly the threats are to deter us from disobedience Thirdly the Promises most of them are of the rewards of grace n i. e. Gracious rewards or rewards not for grace in us but from grace in God for our encouragement to all holy obedience Fourthly the Examples are 1. Of wicked men in the wayes of wickednesse and the judgement of God upon them for it that we may beware of partaking in their sins lest we be also partakers of their plagues 2. Examples of godly men in the wayes of holinesse and of the blessing of God upon them in their wayes that we may be excited to tread in their steps And thus we see that the Scripture which is the Word of life and salvation by Christ is the doctrine of holinesse leading us all along in the wayes of Sanctification Yea Christs owne Sermons if we doe but observe them are most upon this subject But doth not Paul say Object that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 And are we not said to be saved and delivered by Christ out of the hand of our enemies Luk. 1.71 74. How then is the great work of Christ the saving of his people from sin it selfe That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law is true Answ and 't is a great work yet it doth not follow that this is his main work but the contrary hath been proved already viz. our redemption from sin is the greater Is not our own corrupt flesh the worst enemy we have Is not that one Enemy within us worse than all our Enemies without us What hurt could all the rest doe were it not for our own in-bred corruption Satan and the world were as great yea greater enemies to Christ but could not prevail upon him because they found no evil in him Sinne is the very chains o Nam vinctos nos tenebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum apud Dav. in Col. c. 2. v. 15. and fetters wherein Satan binds the soule and leads it away captive Thou art in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity said Peter to Simon Magus Act. 8.23 The Devils snares are baited with alluring temptations to sin and those that resist the temptation escape the snare And although by reason of our corruption we are lyable to be tormented by Satan and Satan as Gods Executioner hath committed unto him the power of death Heb. 2.14 yet that power whereby he leads us captive into sin at his will is far worse 3. It is said in the fore-mentioned Text Luk. 1.74 75. that we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness In which words it appears that our being rescued out of the hands of our enemies refers as a means to our serving God in holinesse and righteousnesse as the end If a Servant should be imprisoned for some wrong done and his Master desirous of his service ransometh and enlargeth him the servants enlargement is first procured but his Masters service is chiefly intended Having thus by Scripture and Argument proved That the great work of Christ is the saving his people from their sins I shall in the next place shew you how it is that he accomplisheth for his people this great salvation CHAP. II. CHRIST saves his people from their sins 1. As the meritorious cause purchasing Sanctification for them 2. As the Efficient cause working sanctifying grace in them 1. I. Christ the meritorious cause of our sanctification As the meritorious p Confiderandae hic sunt causae cur Servator noster appellatus sit Jesus item Christus Ac Jesus quidem nomine Hebraico quod Latinè est Servator appellatus est quia servavit etiamnum servat populum suum id est electos à peccatis infra v. 21. Servat autem duobus modis merito efficaciā Merito quiae morte sua meritus est electis apud Deum remissionem peccatorum ac donationem Spiritus Sancti vitae eternae Efficaci â vero quia per Spiritum S. praedicationem Evangelii efficit in illis fidem quae meritum in promissione Evangelii amplectuntur et ex fide studium serviendi Deo secundùm sancta ipsius mandata Piscat Observat in Mat. c. 1. v. 16. cause by his death and resurrection purchasing for them the mortification of sin and spirituall resurrection to newnesse of life This he doth by vertue of his Priestly office Thus saith the Prophet Isa 53. 10 11. When thou shalt make his soule an offering for Sinne he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes he shall see the travails of his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall see seed so 't is in the Hebrew and whether we read it indefinitely a seed or his seed it matters not But a plentifull increase of spirituall seed is here understood to which that of our Saviour Christ may allude Io. 12.24 Except Corn or Wheat fall and dye it abideth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit As the sown seed by dying bringeth forth a plentifull increase So Christ by his death bringeth many sons to glory which is begun in the work of grace wherein those that were dead in trespasses and sins are raised up to spirituall life which is eternall Or as from Abraham and Sarah as a dead stock from Isaac destinated to the slaughter and received from the dead in a figure there arose a seed as the stars of heaven for multitude So from Christ the Anti-type sacrificed and dead there springs a numerous off-spring who derive life from him as may be intimated in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall prolong dayes the word his is not in the Hebrew our translation supplyes it and so some understand it of Christ himselfe being raised again to dye no more Others read it he shall prolong their dayes understanding it of his seed being to continue here successively to the end of the world and then to live with him for evermore I conceive it will be no inconvenience to understand it of Christ mysticall and to include both the former interpretations for Christ raised up himselfe to life and his seed have life in and through him As saith Christ himselfe Iohn 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also And saith Paul Col. 3 3. Our life is hid with Christ as the fountain or root And Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He shall see the travel of his soul i. e. the fruit of his travell and be satisfied Though his pangs were as a woman travelling with child and farre more sharp yet he shall not be as those that travelled in paine and brought forth winde Isa 26.8 Nor as those that brought children to the birth and had no strength to bring forth Isa 37.3 Nor as those that bring
forth abortives or untimely fruit But as a woman in travaile that hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world So Christ was in exceeding sorrow and heavinesse at the approach as I may say of a hard bargain when his houre drew nigh Mat. 26.38 But how abundantly was he satisfied when he saw that he had purchased a gratious and a numerous seed as the fruit of his body by those intolerable throwes that tormented his soul Thus likewise Paul having enumerated many grosse sorts of sinners 1 Cor. 6.9 10. addes ver 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus q Nam sanguis Christi purgationis nostrae materia est ex ejus morte et resurrerectione justitia et sanctificatio nobis contigit Calv. in loc Hoc adjecit ut Mediatorem etredemptorem in memoriam redigat per quem nobis tot bona provenerunt Pet. Mart. in loc and by the Spirit of our God What is here wrought by the Spirit was purchased by Christ and is wrought upon his account or in his name for there is no other name given under Heaven whereby we should be saved from our sins This is the fountaine mentioned Zach. 13.1 that is opened to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse that they may be purified therein This is signified in baptism under the Gospell Titus 3.5 Which is called the laver of regeneration For as the washing of water puts away the filthinesse of the flesh so the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 This also was typisied by the ceremoniall washings under the Law if we look back unto them which in themselves were ineffectuall as is plainly expressed at large Heb. 9. take more speciall notice of ver 12.13.14 Neither by the blood of Goats and calves but by his own blood he entred into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God As likewise Heb. 10. The Apostle shews the insufficiency of the legall rites in the beginning of the Chapter and therefore the Sacrifice of Christ must take place according to Scripture which saith Lo I come to doe thy will O God by which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all And ver 14. by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified according to the tenour of the new Covenant wherein saith the Lord I will put my Lawes into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them as you may read ver 16. see more in the following verses Multitudes of texts to this purpose might be quoted as those that are produced to confirme the Doctrine which I will not stand to repeate and many others I shall summe up all in a word Whatsoever is promised in Scripture concerning our Sanctification is purchased and ratified by Christ Jesus For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 Christ the Efficient cause of sanctifying grace Christ the procreating cause of sanctification Christ saves his people as the Efficient cause working Sanctifying grace in them And he is 1. The Procreating 2. The Conserving 3. The Perfecting cause of it For in and by him Grace is begun continued increased and perfected Christ is the procreting or principall efficient cause of Sanctification He is therefore said to be made unto us of God-Sanctification 1 Cor. 2.30 Heb. 2.11 For both he that Sanctifieth and they who are sanctified c. And him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel Act. 5.31 And he is called Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 And what is said of Repentance and Faith may be said of every Grace for he is the fountaine of Grace and doth willingly communicate and readily distribute to the necessities of his people It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 And in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Hid not from but for his people for saith John c. 1.16 of his fulnesse we all receive and grace for grace Christs sanctifying work consists of two parts 1. r Not that these are two really distinct parts or works but one worke in distinct respects or considerations The rooting out of sinne 2. The implanting of Grace Sinne is called the old man the flesh the body of sinne and our old man is said to be crucified with Christ that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne Rom. 6.6 And they that are Christs are said to have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 Grace is called the new man Eph. 4.24 the new creature Gal. 6.15 the first resurrection Rev. 20.6 and the faithfull are risen with Christ Col. 3.1 And we are said to be dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6.11 In all which we see that the two parts of the worke referre to the death and resurrection of Christ not meerly because Christs death and resurrection purchased it for us but also because by the same power that he raised up himselfe from the dead he actually mortifies our sins and raiseth us againe to newnesse of life The Faithfull have an interest in Christs Death and Resurrection by way of communion with him he communicates unto them the vertue of his Death and Resurrection makes them therein conformable to himselfe Thus saith Paul Phil. 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship or communion of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Obj. Is not the holy Ghost our Sanctifier as Christ is our Redeemer and the Father our Creator in a speciall manner Why then doe you attribute that to Christ as the speciall Efficient which belongs to the Holy Ghost Answ 1. It is true that these works are in some speciall manner attributed to the three persons severally and the holy Ghost is specially called by Divines our Sanctifier as may also be proved from severall texts of Scripture Yet withall we must remember that the workes of the Trinity that are termed workes ad extra are undivided thus God the Father created Eph. 3.9 The Son created John 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was
called the sword of flesh To this purpose the Apostle saith the weapons of our warfare are not carnall 2 Cor. 10.4 And this may be a sufficient reason also to call it the sword of the Spirit because it is the Spirits weapon wherewith it slaies those fleshly lusts that warre against Gods glory and the Souls happiness As that was said to be the sword of Joab Abner Jonathan or David wherewith they fought against their enemies Men more especially Ministers of the Gospel who are Christs own Ambassadours are Instruments in saving his people from their sins as they bring the word or message of life and salvation unto them They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-workers or labourers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 and Ministers by whom the Church believeth ver 5. To this purpose saith Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and unto the doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that heare thee And Rom. 10.14 15. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall he preach except he be sent as it is written How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring the glad tydings of good things Therefore Christ hath given Ministers to his Church for this purpose Ephes 4.11 12. And he therefore sent forth his Disciples to teach all natitions Mat. ult 19. Private persons within their sphere may be instrumentall in the converting of Souls 1 Cor. 7.16 What knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy Husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy Wife Doubtlesse the husband is many times an happy instrument of converting the wife and the wife likewise of converting the husband and Parents and Masters have been often blessed instruments of much good in this kind to their children and servants so likewise one friend and neighbour to another Brethren saith James chap. 5.19 â—0 If any of you doe erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins And the reading of the Word may through Gods grace become effectuall where the preaching of it is not despised In Christs work of preserving and increasing grace the same means and other also are instrumentall The Word is Milk for Babes and Meat for Strong men both to preserve and increase their strength and stature 1 Pet 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby See Heb. 5.12 13 14. chap. 6.1 2. The Sacraments also are means being added as seals to the Covenant to confirm faith and all saving graces Yea in this work after the receiving of the first speciall grace Christians are instrumentall in the saving of their own c Câ—riè tâ—men illi sunt qui nos in conversione ad Deum truncos esse volunt lapides Cum enim quisque sentiat reipsa dum à spiritu Sancto illuminatur renovatur trahitur se quod ignorabat cognoscere quod nolebat velle quod aversabatur amare a quo fugiebat ad eum libenter sponte currere quod vitae genus oderat illud ex animo amplecti quomodo lapides ac stipites sumus Zanch Ep. ad Marcum Meningum de nostra ad Deum conversione souls Thus saith Paul to Timothy 1 Epist 4.16 Take heed unto thy selfe and unto the doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee Thus saith Peter 1 Ep. 1.22 Seeing that ye have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the spirit and 1 John 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as he is pure Prayer is a speciall means whereby the faithfull obtain both a continuance and increase in grace 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Luke 17.5 Mat. 6.13 Psal 51.10 11. Crosses afflictions wonderfull and remarkable providences tend many times through Gods direction both to the working and increase of grace Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Ver. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 2 Chron. 33.11 12. Acts 16. 26. to 32. The compleat perfection of the soul wherein it is saved from all the reliques of corruption is the immediate work of Christ our Saviour for while his people are here in the flesh they bear about them the body of sin and immediately upon the separation of the soule from the body is the soul perfectly freed from sin The earthly Tabernacle and the body of sin are laid down both together so that the Word and other Ordinances and all endeavours towards perfection that were usefull in time of life can have no place here when the spirits of just men are made perfect in a moment The subject of this Salvation The subject of Salvation or persons saved are his people those that were given to Christ by the Father as was expressed in the opening of the Text viz. the Elect of God these and onely these Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called Those that were predestinate before time are the called in time and they are called with an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 they are called from uncleannesse to holinesse 1 Thes 4.7 They are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them Eph. 2.10 For these onely Christ laid down his life with an absolute purpose to save John 10.15 I laid down my life for the sheep For these he prayed as Mediatour John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou gavest me for they are thine To these he manifests the name of God ver 6. I have manifested thy name to the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were thou hast given them me And for their sakes saith Christ v. 19 I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth These onely heare his voice follow him and to these onely he gives eternall life Joh. 10.27 28. The people that are thus given to and saved by Christ are by nature d Hoc unum è Sâ—literis didiscimus hominem in hic quae ad pictatem pertinent sua natura eó que antequam fiâ— nova creatura hoc est ante conversionem esse animalem ideo quae sunt Dei nihil eorum intelligere posse habere cor lapideum ob eam causam nisi prius à Deo carneum accipiat cor quod flecti in ipsius obsequium possit non posse velle quae suae naturae ingrata sunt essed denique mortuum ac promden fi preventus a gratia Christi per
their dainties and hope we will make no bones of the rest for after we have thus feasted with them a while they may expect us willing to fast with them too seeing Ignorance is become the mother of our Devotion But through the mercy of God though many have surfeited yet it is not become an epidemicall disease Yea blessed be his name he hath reserved to himself for the good of his Church a considerable party of faithful Ministers whom he hath furnished with ability and courage earnestly to contend for that faith that was once delivered to them that were Saints indeed Yea England is at this day furnished with a greater number of godly able and faithfull Ministers of the Gospel than any of the generations of our Ancestors before us or than is found in any other nation throughout the world A second sort of those that hinder the salvation of others are such as are enemies to the Churches Reformation No doubt but the keyes of Doctrine and Discipline are both Christs ordinary meanes for the saving of soules yea the severe censure of excommunication called a delivering up to Sathan is but for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 And the sharpnesse of Discipline as Paul likewise tells us is a power that the Lord hath given us to edification and not to destruction 2 Cor. 13.10 And if so then the resisting of this work of Christ tends to the saving of the flesh and destroying of the spirit directly to destruction and not to edification Bitter Pills and purging Potions are for the health of the body though harsh to the taste and as those that hinder the sick from the means of recovery are plainly accessary to their death so is it in the case of our present Church-distempers How doe some plead the disadvantage of these times as those that cried out The time is not come that the Lords house should be built Hag. 1.2 others are ready to scorne and deride the work as Sanballat and Tobias because of the weaknesse and paucity of the builders But if the work be the Lords as I doubt not but it is he will surely declare that his strength is made perfect in weaknesse Others by reason of their wilfull exorbitances are bent to reject the yoke of Christ as too heavy for them though easie in it self and to say in their hearts Who is Lord over us Oh that such would seriously consider that saying of Christ Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Remember likewise what I lately told you that those that would be free from the reach of Christs Discipline are fitter to be ranked amongst Heathens and Infidells than to be retained and priviledged as members of the Church of Christ 1 Cor. 5.12 What have we to doe to judge them that are without do we not judge them that are within Those that are without indeed are free from the rod of Church-discipline but those that are within ought to be ruled by it 3. A third sort of those that hinder the work of Christ in the saving of his people from their sins are Church-dividers such as cause divisions and contentions in the Church of God The Church is called Gods building and Ministers are called builders in Scripture and the work of edification or building consists in mortizing pinning and firmly joynting the parts together to which the Apostle alludes Col. 2.2 being knit together in love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metaphoricall and signifies to frame and fix together as Carpenters firmely joyne beames and other timber for the strengthening of their building And if so then unmortizing unpinning and pulling downe for such is the work of division doth not raise but raze the building is the ready way to the ruine and destruction of it The materiall Temple was built by Solomon in a peaceable reigne and by the peaceable and united endeavours of them that laboured in the Building and when Iosiah repaired the decaies of the Temple he gave money to buy timber for couplings 2 Chron. 34.11 But when axes and hammers were lifted up to hew down and knock in pieces how fast was the beauty and strength thereof destroyed And how like is the voice of dividers to the voice of the Sons of Edom who at the sacking of Jerusalem cried Raze it raze it even to the foundations thereof Psal 137.7 The Church also being here in a militant condition is fitly compared to an Army an Army terrible with banners Cant. 6.4 10. An Army in the field though the particular parts of it be committed to the oversight and conduct of severall Captains and other Officers yet are they all one Army under one Generall who gives them all one word and one field-mark whereby his Souldiers may know and owne each other in the Battel and their beauty strength safety and terriblenesse to the Enemy lies in their order unity and cordiall cleaving each to other under their Generall who is Commander of all So is the Church of Christ one body under Christ one Lord Generall knowne by one Word or profession of Faith signed by one Baptisme and animated by one Spirit engaging in one Cause and encouraged with one Hope and by intire adhering each to other all joyntly following the conduct of Christ the faithfull Captaine Generall of their Salvation they become beautifull strong safe and the more formidable to their spiritall Enemies And aptly to our purpose the Apostle exhorteth that we stand fast in one Spirit p Sat hostiū externorum habemus Satis digladiatum pugnatum est à nostris nonne gravissimo vulnere Ecclesiarum nostrarum caeterarum Christi Tempus esse ut illud Pauli recte perpenderemus Quid si invicem mordetis videte ne invicem consumamini Joan. Pistorii Ep. ad Joan Sturm Zanch. Ep l. 1. Phil. 1.27 Those that understand any thing belonging to military Policy know that it is much better to fall upon an enemy in severall Parties than to let them draw up together in one Body much more to take the opportunity when they are full of mutinies among themselves When the Moabites thought that the Kings that came against them with their Armies had fallen one upon another they cryed Vp Moab to the Spoile Had it been true according to their thoughts they could not have had a greater advantage But doubtlesse Sathan doth not mistake his opportunity of making a prey and spoyling thousands of soules by the advantage of our late and present distracting divisions Jerusalem was a type of the true Church under the Gospel When David had conquered the Jebusites taken the castle of Sion and the whole city was united under his government and in one way of worship he himselfe being a type of Christ the King of his Church then was that Psal 122.
returned was the immediate principle of life Now when Christ had given life unto him and called Lazarus come forth would Lazarus have done well to answer Lord if I come forth and walk upon my own legs thy power will not be manifested in my resurrection the work will not appeare to be a reall miracle Would it not have been a dishonour to Christ for Lazarus to have laine still in the grave when Christ had thus called him forth to manifest his gracious power Certainly the more readily he came forth and the more he walked worked or performed any actions of life the more fully was the miracle and therein the glory of Christ manifest to the world And thus it is in our spirituall resurrection from death in sin To return again to the exhortation consider I beseech you what is the great work you have to mind as long as you live that which is the great work of Christ must be your great work also wherein you must diligently labour in subordination to him to wit in the saving of your souls from sin But I will not detain you in the generall exhortation but descend to particulars where I shall speak 1. To such as are in the state of nature Art thou yet poor soul in thy naturall condition under the power of Sin and Satan O consider thou art in a sad condition thou art lying under the greatest misery and thy great work is all yet to do wait upon God diligently in the use of his means for the saving of thy soul Obj. But thou wilt presently say Is it in the power of a naturall man to convert himself Am I able to deliver my owne soul Answ If thou art willing to be saved from the bondage of corruption know that the Lord is willing to afford thee help but if thou art not willing to leave thy sin why dost thou complaine for want of power Doubtless the same that Christ charged upon the Jewes Iohn 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life may be charged upon thee and the multitude of carnall persons that live under the meanes of grace When Christ bewailed Ierusalem's sad condition being ready to be destroyed he complaines How often would I have gathered thy children together and ye would not Mat. 23.37 So may I say how often hath the Lord tendred unto thee saving grace and thou wouldst not accept it Were thy defect a meere simple impotency thy condition were the more excusable but thy defect is mainly in thy will thou art in love with the sensuall pleasures of sin thou delightest in them and art not willing to exchange them for the precious graces that Christ offers thee Christ invites thee and thy excuse is I cannot when the truth is thou wilt not accept of grace offered Say not I cannot save my selfe when thou art not willing that Christ should save thee And to the end thou maist be left without excuse Consider 1. God is willing to save thee yea he would delight in thy salvation more than in thy destruction yea he hath bound it with an oath Ezek 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live Turne ye turne ye from your evill waies for why will ye die O ye house of Israel Hath not God also abundantly declared his willingnesse in the giving of his Son Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 2. Christ is willing had he not been so he would never have laid down his life to open a way for thy salvation Were he unwilling he would not send his Ambassadours to pray and beseech thee to accept of his help Had he been willing of Ierusalem's destruction he would not have wept over it for refusing the message of Salvation Hath God declared his willingness by his word and oath and the death of his Son And hath Christ declared his willingnesse by giving himself a ransome sufficient for thy soul Doth he offer to cleanse and purify thee with his dearest bloud Doe the Gospell-invitations Come come come often sound in thine eares Doth he stretch forth his hand all the day long for thy help and blame thee for thy backwardnesse to thy own good Where is now the fault but onely in thy selfe How doth the Lord still exercise patience and long-suffering wooing waiting for thy accepting of his gracious offers but yet thou turnest the deaf eare and hardnest thy heart against the salvation of thy own soul Suppose a man sick of some desperate disease and an eminent Physitian sends to him telling him Thy disease is very dangerous and there is no hope of thy life unlesse thou accept of my help if thou art but willing I will come and heale thee I have healed thousands of the same disease and can as easily heal thee if thou art but willing I should do it But he answers If God hath appointed I shall recover I shall and if not there is no help for me and so refuseth the Physitians offer slights the Messenger and dieth of the Disease Is not this man guilty of his own death and will not all that hear it say He might have been a living man would he but have taken the Physitians counsell Is not this the very condition of thy soule poore carnal wretch Thy disease is mortal and how often hath the Lord the spiritual Physitian sent his Messengers declaring to thee the pernicious danger of thy sinne that it will be thy eternal ruine unlesse thou accept of his help and how many hundred messages hath he sent unto thee telling thee if thou art but willing he will come down and heale thee And the more to convince thee of his skill he hath given thee examples of many that he hath cured that were as desperately sinful as thy self But thou sayest If it be Gods will I shall be saved I shall or else all meanes and endeavours are in vaine and slightest the offers of Christ by his Messengers Is not the fault now plainly in thy self and is it not manifest wilfulnesse if thou perish without help Say not as many doe in their hearts I know Christ can save me if he will Let me tell thee againe Christ is willing as well as able to save thee if thou art but truly willing of his help and if thou art not willing thy perdition will be of thy self the blood of thy soule will be upon thy owne head And let this be engraven for thy Epitaph that all may read it when thou art dead and gone Lo here he lies who perished in his sinnes because he would not be saved But yet my heart is very unwilling to part with thee thus yea methinks the Lord himselfe is unwilling thus to let thee go notwithstanding thy former wilfulnesse When the Lord had
to be with Christ which is far better than thy present life willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Nay doth he not speak ver 4. in the person of the Saints as groaning f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.2 under the present burden and art thou still willing to bear it The Spouse in the Canticles c. 8. 14. cries Make hast my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountaines of spices running swiftly And why dost thou desire delayes that he should creep as a Snail and be long in coming Did Christ teach thee to say Thy Kingdome come and canst thou heartily pray for it if thou art not yet willing of it Dost thou not profess to live and rejoice in the hope of glory and canst thou hope for and rejoyce in the hope of what thou dost not unfeignedly desire Bethink thy self and blame thy soul for thy foolish mistakes Is not heaven the place where holinesse must be perfect Is it not there alone that the perfectly pure in heart shall behold the face of God Doth not Abraham wait there to lodge thee in his bosome Do not the spirits of just men there made perfect and the Angels of God joyfully wait to give thee entertainment Did not Christ thy Redeemer goe before to prepare a mansion for thee and will he not there shew thee his full salvation O doe but seriously meditate and that frequently of the misery of sin and of the perfect happinesse of a sinlesse condition and thou wilt be so farre from making or desiring delayes that thou wilt rather cry out How long Lord holy and true before thou destroy my cursed corruption How long must I beare about me this body of death O wretched man that I am when shall I be delivered Thou Lord hast purchased and begun my salvation from sin when wilt thou come to perfect the work Thou that hast done thus much already for me hast said surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus Exh. 7. Lastly Is it the great work of Christ to save his people from their sins and hast thou had experience of this saving work upon thy own heart Labour what in thee lies to be helpfull as an instrument of Christ towards the salvation of others Though thou art but a private Christian thou maist be very serviceable to the soule of thy brother Be free in giving seasonable exhortations perswasions intreaties admonitions in love and tendernesse as being truly solicitous for his spirituall safety The Lord doth expresly require it as a duty at thy hands Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Gal. 6 1. Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin And our Saviour Christ gives directions how to proceed gradually in the work Mat. 18.15 16 17. It is a very wicked course that some take when they know any to offend grosly they make themselves and others merry by jesting and scorning at it especially at those soul sins of uncleannesse and drunkennesse which should not be so much as once named among Christians unless with detestation For these and the like sins the land mourneth it is then a very evil practice to make sport with them Solomon saith Fooles make a mock at sin Prov. 14 9. And it was a great aggravation of the Corinthians sin when they had the incestuous person among them That they were puffed up and had not rather mourned 1 Cor. 5.2 It is also an unchristian course in those that when they hear or see their brothers miscarriage they blaze it abroad in all companies among others to their infamy and disgrace but never go about this necessary and brotherly work of faithfull admonition O how do some delight to relate other mens infirmities And it is a sinfull neglect in those that perform not the duty what ever the cause may be But it is a most desperate and preposterous course of those who rather than they will be at the pains of faithfully admonishing offenders will separate from them I doubt not but a scandalous offender should be excommunicated but not before he is proved obstinate much lesse before we have heard him speak or spent one faithfull and serious admonition upon him for his recovery The dreadfull sentence of excommunication is onely to be pronounced against an offender when all other means fail g Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus enâ—e rescindendum ne pars sincerae trabitur for his reclaiming Much less may we cast off our lapsed Churches as no Churches of Christ the members thereof by the hundreds or in the whole lump as no Christians before we have tried the utmost we can do for their healing recovery We know that God is a God of patience and long-suffering admonishing reproving exhorting wooing and beseeching poor back-sliding sinners and Churches waiting long for their reformation before he utterly casteth them off O let us not be so unlike our heavenly Father as hastily to conclude their condition to be desperate and past recovery Doth not Paul teach That the servant of the Lord must bâ— gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 2.24 25. It is an easie matter to call Christians Dogs and Swine and cast them off from the priviledge of brotherly admonition Mr. Gerce in his Vind Eccl. Angl. because it is accounted an unthankful office But this way as a godly Minister now with the Lord spake is too easie to be holy He is but a desperate Chirurgion who when a wounded person is brought to him cutteth off the member because he would not be troubled with the cure and so leaveth the Patient to shift for himself O be not hasty to conclude men incurable and snarlers at reproof before you have made some serious trial whether they will beare it Some that have gone in good earnest to some of the worst of sinners and dealt faithfully with them touching their miscarriages have found them free in confessing their faults with teares in their eyes begging prayers to God for them Methinks my brethren you should remember how many admonitions and how much time the Lord spent in waiting upon your owne soules before you savingly imbraced his counsel O consider it wel And let me further tel you you will finde more comfort in winning one soul by Christian importunity than in casting off a thousand by uncharitable censoriousnesse Mistake me not I speak not as if I would have all
sorts of persons among us admitted to all Church-priviledges but I would not have the common sort so lightly cast off as they are by some as if it were no part of our duty to seek their spirituall good And what shall we say of those who censure their Minister for not suspending from the Lords table some that have offended though he know nothing of the offence when they themselves that know it will not so much as once admonish them which is their manifest duty Men are very ready to complaine of others for that wherein themselves are chiefly in fault And it is too usuall sad experience tells us for people to complain both of the Minister and Congregation to which they belong when themselves never once set about the duty of private members I know that in so great a place as this there is far more ministeriall work than we two and twice two more are able to perform yet will some find fault because we cannot do our own work and theirs too that so they may be quit from the troublesome duty of admonishing an offending brother But is not this to binde heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on other mens shoulders when they themselves will not touch them with the least of their fingers I doubt not Brethren but both you and we shalloperform our duties defectively at the best as long as we live here yet let us faithfully and cheerfully set about each man his part and do it as we are able without casting it off from one to another This duty Brethren you owe as you have fit opportunity both to the godly and ungodly Doe you see carnall persons in the height of wickednesse and think you therefore they are not to be medled with Is not their case the more to be pitied and their cure if it may be the more seriously minded God doth often reclaim the worst of sinners and he doth it in the use of his own meanes whereof private admonition is one When Jerusalem suffered the saddest desolation heedless passengers were grown hard-hearted towards her she affectionately cries out Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow So may we say on the behalf of poore sinners Is there any misery like unto the misery of those that lie in the ruines and desolation of sin Is there any evil like unto this and is it nothing to you all ye that regardlesly passe by If the deepest misery be the meetest object of pity and the greatest poverty the fittest object of charity then here may you bestow your spirituall almes very cheerfully here are objects enow amongst us fit for your exercise Though you may take such a sinner for one that is without and judge him unfit to be called by the name of brother yet vouchsafe him the priviledge of a neighbour Lev. 19 17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Give me leave to make use of the parable of our Saviour Christ of the wayfaring man travelling from Jerusalem to Jerâ—co that fell among thieves Satan and inbred corruption have conspired together and wounded a poore soul leaving him in a dying and perishing condition O be not as the Priest and Levite that seeing passed by on the other side but put on rather bowels of compassion with the good Samaritan bind up his wounds and pour in oyle A seasonable reproof from a sympathising heart may be as a precious oyle as saith David Psal 141.5 and by thus shewing mercy on him you shall truly deserve to be called his neighbour This duty you must exercise towards those that are godly also as need and opportunity requires The faithfull have much need of each others help in this as well as other wayes and they are the more bound to it as being fellow-members of the same body called to that unity for mutual help How much might Christians advantage each other were they but faithful in the performance of this necessary duty But alas how little is done in it Remember I beseech you what I have formerly taught you in divers Sermons from Mat. 18.15 16 17. wherein I handled the graduall proceedings of this duty Remember also what you have lately heard from my Fellow-labourer from Gal. 6.1 and let not this duty remain as it doth almost wholly undone Observe the rule of Christ and in private offences begin with private admonition for if the offence may be put away privily it is not the mind of Christ that the offender should be put to open shame h This use is excellently and largely pressed by M. Baxter in his Saints rest part 3. ch 12 13. wherein he gives directions for the right performance of this duty sets down the common hinderances answereth objections against the performance of it and giveth motives to all Christians to set about it and particularly presseth it at large upon Ministers and patents with directions to them I might here descend in this exhortation to speak more particularly and to stir up persons according to their relative obligations to be subservient to Christ in this great saving work But I will not now branch forth into so many particulars being desirous to hasten towards a conclusion of this Subject I shall therefore in generall desire all especially such as are godly Husbands Wives Parents Masters and other friends of intimate acquaintance to improve their interest in such as they are so related to for the promoting of this saving work of Christ If your children through Gods blessing upon your faithful endeavors become the children of God and your servants the servants of God If you that are husbands and wives be instrumentall for the espousing of one the other to Christ that so you may walk hand in hand in Heavens way and meet in Heaven to abide together with the Lord for ever after a little time of separation by death how beneficial and comfortable will such indeavours be both to you and them God be honoured in both The Lord hath given great encouragement in his Word to the faithfull performance of this duty Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Dan. 12.3 And they that be wise or teachers shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as starres for ever and ever CHAP. VI. LAstly If this Salvation from Sin be the Work of Christ then this is matter of consolation to all such as are in a state of Salvation in divers respects especially in these two which I shall particularly mention 1. Here is comfort against the fear of falling away 2. In assurance of full freedome at last from all their sins
caeterique hostes nostri videntur nos premere vincere tamen non potuerunt quia coercentur imperio Christi dutis nostri sub cujus pedibus protriti jacent conculcati Daven in Col. c 2. v. 15. Permittuntur tentare fideles oppugnare sed nunquam expuguare ibid. Troubled thou shalt be on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not with cause of despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but not destroyed Thine Enemies like Pharaoh and his host may pursue after thee and bring thee to a strait that the power of Christ thy Saviour may appeare but they shall not bring thee back again to thy former bondage Onely be strong and very couragious and fight the Lords battels Be strong I say in the Lord and in the might of his power and he shall preserve thee by his grace that thou maist not be of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soule Set the Lord then alwaies before thee because he is at thy right hand thou shalt not be moved Therefore let thy heart be glad and thy tongue rejoyce and feare not thy state while thou truly fearest sin as the worst of evils Feare nothing so much as a fearelesse and carelesse condition 2. Here is comfort to such as are in a state of Salvation in assurance of their full deliverance from sin at the last Whosoever thou art that findest thy self to be delivered from a state of sin learne to rejoyce in Christ thy Saviour Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Thou many times bewailest the blots blemishes and deformities that are upon thee and dost therefore and not without cause abhorre thy self in dust and ashes O rejoyce in this that it is but a little while ere all these shall be wholly taken away and thou shalt be absolutely without spot or blemish Are not the reliques of thy sin which now abide within thee the remainder of Satans image and will the Lord suffer it to remain upon any of his ransomed ones Is not the work of grace a draught although imperfect of the Divine nature upon thy soule hath not the Lord as it were begun to draw his own image or picture upon the table of thine heart are not the lineaments and proportion of what it shall be already traced out and will the Lord leave it so No no he will certainly come over it again and again he will shadow and beautifie it till he hath made it a most glorious and beautifull piece Thou wast formerly in bondage to Satan and thy own corruption but through the mercifull power of thy precious Redeemer thou art rescued from the bondage wherein thou wast held Be confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good work in thy soule will compleat and finish it unto the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 And in that day shalt thou see thy corruptions as the Israelites did their Egyptian enemies dead upon the shore Look back upon them now are not their chariot wheeles already taken off which maketh them drive more heavily than heretofore and is not this a forerunner of their utter overthrow Satan indeed many times furiously rageth and thy corruption strongly worketh because their time is but short and what provoketh them should rejoyce thee The God of peace shall bruise Satan under thy feet shortly Rom. 16.20 And thy now corrupt heart shall then cease from all sinful motions and conceptions Thou shalt then have not so much as a lingring desire or inclination after evil That unruly corruption that now vexeth thee intruding into all thy actions and intermixing it self with all the best of thy services shall then be removed as far from thee as hell is from heaven and thou shalt be able to serve God perfectly without difficulty or distraction That heavenly service will be so pleasing and delightful to thee that thou wilt never be weary of it nor find a more pleasing object than God to set thy heart upon Then thou shalt have no need to watch pray or fight against thy corruption any more When there is no open enemy against a nation nor malignant party within it there is no need of Centinels or Guards nor use of Arms So in Heaven thy spiritual enemies shall be so perfectly destroyed from within and so far removed from without as that thy praying and fighting shall be turned into triumphing and praising and thy watchfulnesse into perfect spirituall security and the whole armour of God as armour shall wholly become uselesse Thou shalt there need neither offensive nor defensive arms and the time of the accomplishment hereof is nigh at hand Lift up thy head then with joy knowing that thy redemption draweth nigh In the midst of thy feares lift up an eye of faith and behold Christ sitting at the right hand of God who shall there abide till he hath made all thine enemies thy footstoole And when thou groanest with Paul under the burden of thy remaining corruptions and criest out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Learn with him also to rejoyce in Christ thy perfect Saviour and say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. VII HAving thus farre spoken of Salvation from sin it self to wit in work of Sanctification I might here proceed also to handle the doctrine of Remission of sins and Justification of the sinner by Jesus Christ which are also included in the words of the Text. For as Christ saves his people from their sins so also from the eternal wrath of God which was due unto them for sin But of that I have heretofore spoken from another Text And what I have already spoken upon this was that which I especially intended when I first entred upon it Yet it will not be amisse for the better understanding of the whole work of mans Salvation and for your better help against some mistakes of these times if I shew you in a few Propositions by way of Parallel how the Lord carrieth on the whole work of mans Salvation in both parts joyntly from the first to the last To which I shall annexe a few Corollaries God did at once that from eternity Prop. 1. decree the whole and perfect Salvation of all his Elect both from sin and wrath by his Son Jesus Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.4 5 6 7. Corol. Therefore we can no more argue our eternal Justifacation because it was eternally decreed then our eternall sanctification or glorification And if there be any such thing as the actual Justification of the elect from eternity how doth the Scripture that every mouth may be stopped make all the world to become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 And to what end should God give us promises of the pardon and remission of sins Promises are of good things to come m The Promises are outward Declarations of Gods will concerning good