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A95931
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Words whereby we may be saved. By Thomas Vincent, sometime minister of Maudlins milk-street, London
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Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing V452A; ESTC R230467
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50,841
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90
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known unto us than it hath been in former ages unto any or than it is in other places unto many In former ages this salvation was not made known so clearly unto any I mean in the ages before the coming of Christ the Prophets themselves who prophesied of it did not fully understand what the Spirit in them did signifie when it foretold of this grace which should come unto the Church in after ages 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. And therefore the first preaching of the Gospel of salvation is called a revelation of the mysterie which had been kept secret since the world began unto that time Rom. 16. 25. And a manifestation of that mysterie to the Saints which had been hid from ages and generations Col. 1. 25 26 27. The Gospel of salvation was indeed revealed in the dispensation of the Law upon Mount Sinai by Moses but it was more obscurely it was wrapt up in types and figures and as there was a vail before Moses his face so there was a vail before the truths of salvation so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look unto the end of those things which were after to be abolished 2 Cor. 3. 13. but this vail is done away in Christ v. 14. When Christ suffered upon the Cross the vail of the Temple which kept the people off the Holy of Holies was rent from the top to the bottom of it and then the way into the Holy of Holies was made manifest and Christ by his appearance abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. Then darkness did pass away and the true and marvellous light did shine upon the Church 1 Joh. 2. 8. And now with open face believers do behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. 18. The scope of which places is to shew the obscurity of former revelations and the clearness and evidence of the revelation of the Gospel in these latter daies In other places this salvation is not made known so clearly unto many it is not made known at all unto the most in the world a thick darkness of ignorance doth overspread the greatest part of the face of the earth and even amongst those that call themselves by the name of the Church of Christ there are in many places such fogs and mists of errour and heresie that the truths of salvation are darkened and peoples minds are blinded but now unto you this salvation is made so clear and evident the thing and way of it is made so manifest that it is a great encouragement to seek after this salvation 7. This salvation is a Free Salvation it will cost you no money you may have it for nothing you may have it for accepting If you were taken captive by men if you were slaves to the Turks possibly you might not be delivered without some considerable summ for your ransom but you may be delivered from the slavery of the Devil and your own lusts you may be saved from sin and Hell without money Indeed a price hath been paid for your ransom not silver or gold but that which is ten thousand times more precious and that was the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed upon the Cross for you yet though your salvation cost Christ dear it is free unto you it will cost you nothing pardon is free and grace is free and eternal life unto you is a free gift you are invited to come unto the waters and to buy wine and milk but it is without money and without price Isa 55. 1. The Spirit faith come and the Bride faith come and whosoever is athirst let him come and take of the waters of life freely Rev. 22. 17. There is sufficiency of grace in God for the salvation of you all and you may come and partake of this grace in your salvation freely You may have it without money if you be poor the gifts of God cannot be bought and you may have it without merit if you conceit that you deserve any thing you shall be sure to have nothing if you are sensible of your unworthiness and apply Christs merits and righteousness through him you may have salvation freely 8. And lastly This salvation is a Sure Salvation you have the promise of God for it and there can be no greater certainty of a thing than the word of God especially if you consider that God is infinite in power and therefore can do whatever he will and that God is infinitely true and therefore will do whatever he hath promised God is most powerful and therefore able to save you there is strength sufficient in his Almighty Arm to bring salvation unto you and God is most faithfull in the promises of salvation which he hath made in the Covenant of Grace if you get faith to apply the promises you shall certainly have the thing There is an uncertainty in every thing else in the world but there is a certainty in this salvation that there is such a thing is certain from the revelation of the Word of God who cannot lye and that you may have it if you will accept of it is certain from the nature and firmness of the promises and when you have attained unto any degrees of this salvation the perfecting of it will be most sure for he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. Thus I have laid before you the properties of this salvation it is a great salvation it is a rare salvation it is a necessary salvation it is a possible salvation it is a near salvation it is an evident salvation it is a free salvation it is a sure salvation all which being laid together may be a strong motive and inducement to you to labour that you may attain a share in this salvation CHAP. IV. Motive 3. FRom the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation The damnation of all such persons will be Dreadfull and Certain 1. The Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful 1. The Day of their damnation will be dreadful 2. The Sentence of their damnation will be dreadful 3. The Execution of their damnation will be dreadful 1. The Day of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful and that is the last day the day of judgement O how dreadful will this day be to you that are wicked and ungodly when the Heavens shall be opened and the Lord Jesus Christ the Judge of the world shall descend with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the loud sound of a Trumpet when the Earth shall be opened and you shall be raised out of the dust and summoned to appear before Christs Tribunal and the Books shall be opened and all your sins shall be made manifest before the whole world when the Heavens shall be on fire and melt down upon you and pass away with
a great noise and the Earth shall be on fire and burn under you and every Mountain and Hill shall flee away before Christs face and Christ shall be on fire and come in flames of anger to take vengeance upon you for your sins Think O think how dreadful this day of damnation will be unto all such of you as shall not then be found in a state of salvation O what dread will seize upon you so soon as your eyes are opened and you find the predictions of the word which you formerly slighted to be true and perceive that now indeed the day of Gods wrath is come when you shall be dragged like so many malefactors before the Judgement-seat and there stand naked horribly lashing your selves in the reflections of conscience upon your fore-past wickedness how will you be ready to tear your selves to pieces for your folly and madness that you did not provide for this day and flee from this wrath of God which then you will not be able to escape how willingly would you creep into some rock or under some mountain or abide still in your grave or cast your selves into the Sea if possibly any place could be found to hide you in this terrible day but shall be able to finde no hiding-place for your selves Think what hideous thoughts what sinking fears what horrible perplexity of mind you will on this day be filled withall it will be a dreadful day 2. The Sentence of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful when the Books are opened where your sins are recorded and you are convicted by the Judge then he will proceed to pass sentence upon you Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25. 41. O dreadful words the voice will be loud with which they will be pronounced such as shall reach the cars of all the wicked together of all generations and how will they all quake and tremble at the sound thereof You may cry it may be to the Lord for mercy but it will be in vain you may say Lord open to us and receive us into thy Kingdom that we may participate in the joyes thereof but he will say unto you Depart from me I know ye not all ye workers of iniquity But if you must depart you may wish for his blessing as Esau though it were but an inferiour blessing no depart ye cursed depart with a curse If then you must depart with a curse you may wish for some convenient place of abode and good company as Cain when he went forth from the presence of the Lord with a curse he built a City to dwell in and took some comfort it may be in his habitation and wife and children no depart into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels you must dwell in devouring fire and inhabit everlasting burnings and your companions will be the Devil and his Angels and fellow-damned sinners in whom you will not find the least comfort which leads to the third particular 3. The Execution of the Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful and this will be in Hell when the irreversible sentence of damnation is passed upon you immediately the execution will follow and you will be haled from the Judgement seat and the everlasting doors of the prison of Hell will be lifted up where a horrible fire is burning which can never be quenched into which you must enter and be shut down and shut in to take up your eternal abode in that place of torment there every part will be tormented every member of your bodies every faculty of your souls and that in the highest degree of extremity beyond your now capacity and your torments will have no intermission neither will you have any hopes of their conclusion I have already treated in my Book of Judgement of the universality extremity and eternity of the torments of the Damned and therefore shall not here inlarge From what hath been said you may evidently perceive that the Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadfull which should awaken you to endeavour after your salvation especially if withall you consider 2. That the Damnation of such as are not saved will be Certain where there is no Salvation there will be unavoidable Damnation because between these two hereafter there will be no middle condition such as are not saved will most certainly be damned Heaven or Hell eternal happiness or eternal misery will be the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam I might shew that Gods Justice and Holiness and Truth doth require the Damnation of all such as do not obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ so that either God must prove unholy and unjust and false in his Word which is impossible or you which are not saved must be damned therefore this is most certain there is no escaping of the damnation of Hell by such as neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel Heb. 2. 3. And methinks by this time I should hear some of you cry out as the Jews when Peter preached or the Jaylor O what shall we do to be saved CHAP. V. III. I Am to tell you Words to guide you in the way to attain Salvation And here I shall 1. Direct what things you must do that you may be saved 2. Shew what Means you must make use of to help you in those things I. What Things you must do that you may be saved Take this in these Ten Directions 1. You must see your selves lost 2. You must mourn for sin 3. You must turn from sin 4. You must believe in Jesus Christ 5. You must get a new Nature 6. You must lead a New Life 7. You must resolve upon sufferings for Christ if called 8. You must study and apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace 9. You must give up your selves in Covenant unto God 10. You must be stedfast and persevere in the Wayes of God unto your lives end Direction 1. You must see your selves lost if you would be saved Luk. 19. 10. our Saviour telleth us that he came to seek and save that which was lost You must be lost if you would be found We read Luk. 15. of the lost Sheep the lost Groat and the lost Son all which were found again and that with joy When sinners perceive themselves to be lost and undone and know not what to do then they are neer to be found and saved by Jesus Christ O then as ever you expect Salvation by Christ you must see and be sensible of your lost estate whilest you are in a state of Nature And for this end you must get a Conviction 1. Of your sin 2. Of the Punishment you have deserved for your sin 3. Of your Insufficiency to satisfie Gods Justice 4. Of your inability to make resistance and defend your selves 5. Of the Impossibility of your fleeing and escaping Gods wrath 6. That as yet you