not Satan insult after this manner over the Lord of Life and Glory whilst Sinners close in with his Temptations and cleave to their Lusts earthly Profits and Pleasures and neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel 3 dly Such who neglect this so great Salvation offer Violence to the Holy Ghost 1. They do resist the Holy Spirit whom God hath sent as his great Messenger to influence enlighten and convince their Hearts and Consciences about the Worth and Weightiness of this Concern He will reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of Sin because they believe not on me Because they neglect attending upon the Means of this Salvation believe not the Necessity there is of this Saviour nor of Faith in him and seek it not above all things Is it a small Matter to resist the Holy Ghost O lay it to Heart 2. They grieve the Holy Spirit also yea and hereby tire him out so that he at last withdraws his Influences from the Sinner and will strive with him no more like as he did by the World and if so the ruin of the Soul will be unavoidable for without the Holy Spirit no Man can repent believe or be renewed be regenerated and so come to have Interest in this so great Salvation 3. Such quench the Spirit who neglect this Salvation and do not believe it is to cast Water on that Divine Spark which the Holy Ghost strives to kindle in the Soul of a poor Sinner or to blow out the Candle of the Lord so far as the Sinner is able to do it whereby Spiritual Light and Knowledg comes to be let into the Heart 4. Nay to neglect this Salvation in the Means of it is as much as may be to hinder the Work and Office of the Holy Spirit in and about this Salvation The Holy Spirit hath more immediately to do with Sinners his special Work is to enlighten to convince of Sin to work Faith in the Soul and to renew and sanctify the polluted Heart and all that neglect this Salvation or that slight those Convictions they have of the Evil of Sin or Sense of their woful Condition do seek to obstruct the King's great Officer and Messenger in the discharge of his Office Look to it Sinners for if it be deemed a dangerous thing to resist a Constable in the exercise of his Office because he is the King's Servant what Danger do you expose your selves to that oppose withstand and strive to hinder the Spirit in the discharge of his great Work and Office It is to contemn the King's Ambassador the Holy Spirit is sent to treat with Sinners in Christ's Name it is hereby Christ himself speaks to them from Heaven and they that adhere to the Motions of the Spirit do adhere to Jesus Christ and they that oppose or resist his Motions do oppose and resist Christ also The Holy Spirit is the great Gospel-Blessing promised to infuse Grace in the Soul all Grace is from the Spirit Sinners cannot believe without the Holy Spirit nor love God The Love of God is shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost There is no Regeneration without the Spirit Those that are born again are born of the Spirit no Union with Christ without the Spirit no broken Heart no Cries no Tears that will prevail with God without the help of the Spirit Such that will not adhere to his Motions and Influences say in their Hearts that they will not be changed will not believe nor repent nor have Christ to be their Prince and Saviour The Spirit awakens the Conscience and stirs up Fears in the Soul and sets before the Sinner's Eyes his great Evil Guilt and horrid Pollution therefore if they refuse the Wooings Intreaties and Influences of the Spirit they must perish for ever APPLICATION 1. O let us lament and mourn over all that neglect this so great Salvation All Unbelievers and Neglecters of the Means of Salvation are horridly guilty before the Lord 't is hereby all their Sins are bound upon their Consciences and cleave to them and are charged upon them not only Original but all actual Sin whatsoever 2. O infinite Love and Patience May we not stand amazed and wonder at the long-suffering and forbearance of God O House of David saith the Prophet is it a small thing for you to weary Men but will you weary my God also What greater Wickedness and Ingratitude can there be than this Will you contemn and resist your Saviour and the Holy Ghost How long shall God wait upon you Will he always wait to be gracious O know that his Mercy will at last be turned into Fury 3. Unworthy are such to live to be fed to be clothed to be protected and preserved that thus despise God's Mercy and sovereign Goodness Would a Man feed clothe and bestow great Favours on such that despise slight and contemn him 4. What do you think of your selves Sinners to you I speak that neglect this so great Salvation O this is your Sin you refuse the only Remedy God hath found out to heal and save your Souls therefore your Damnation will be just and deserved with a witness You love Darkness rather than Light you contemn the highest Good the best of Beings and the highest Expressions of his Love and Favour that God that made you that Christ that spilt his Blood to redeem the worst of Sinners those Bowels that pitied you you refuse and resist that Spirit that would renew you sanctify you and make you meet for Heaven and all this out of love to your base Lusts your cruel Enemies that seek to destroy and murder your precious Souls Abhor your selves Alas Men do not see what Monsters of Wickedness they are whilst they neglect this so great Salvation You sin I say against the Remedy the costly Remedy the only Remedy against the Remedy that Infinite Wisdom hath found out and Infinite Goodness hath vouchsafed Yet if you return to God there is Mercy for you say O Lord now we see our Sin O that you could but say so in truth and fall down at the feet of God and say Thou hast overcome us with thy Love 5. Lastly Here is Comfort for Believers who have received this so great Salvation O bless God for Faith cherish the Motions of the Holy Spirit that hath broken your Bonds you prefer Christ and the Salvation by Christ before all things live worthy of a Part and Interest in this Salvation you have Salvation and shall not lose it O walk so that you may never lose the Joy of it for that you may do God may hide his Face Christ may withdraw himself if he hath done it enquire when you had him and consider what you have done that he hides his Face from you let the Cause if it be Sin be bewailed and let the loss of him be more grievous to you than the loss of Comfort from him and be willing to
Sin Thrust a Sword into a dead Man's Bowels and he will not stir nor cry out Sin is in wicked Men like a Sword in the Sides of such as are dead but as soon as Life is infused there will be Sense and a crying out Now when they heard this they were pricked in the Heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles What shall we do Some of these had been the Murderers of the Lord of Life and Glory yet they found Mercy 2 dly Another Effect is this viz. You will perceive a mighty Famine in your Soul as it was with the Prodigal Son all your old Hopes of Heaven will be gone Poverty of Spirit will overtake you An awakned wounded Sinner despairs of all Supplies or Help in himself he is distressed with pinching Hunger and so flies home to his Father 1. Yet may not get Power over Sin presently 2. But O he trembles at the Thoughts of God's Justice by beholding the Spear in Christ's Side 3. He throws down his Weapons as being conquered and overcome and resolves to do as the four Lepers did 2 Kings 7. 3 4 8 9. 4. He sees nothing but Death if he abides where he is and believes not And if he returns to his old Course he sees he must die and therefore ventures to throw his Soul upon Christ or ventures himself on Christ and lies at the Feet of Christ and says If I perish I perish I can but die and if he will pardon me heal me and have compassion on me I shall live O Sinners that you could but do thus Secondly We may infer from hence that it is in vain for any Person to talk of Christ's Death or to say Christ died for Sinners nay for the whole World and therefore for me unless they come to feel the Virtue and blessed Effects of his Death on their own Souls O see you rest not without finding the Power of the Death of Christ Sirs though the Sacrifice is over yet the Virtue and excellent Causality of it remains and not only to justify and absolve a believing Sinner but also to quicken regenerate and to sanctify and make him Holy also Therefore labour to know and experience the Power of Christ's Death Thirdly From hence also we may infer that this is the only Way to know Christ died for us namely when we find the Effects of his Death that we die to Sin that the Body of Sin is crucified in us with him Hath the Life of your Sins been let out O see to this you that prosess the Gospel Fourthly This shews us also what a dangerous thing it is for any to build their Faith upon the general Love of God to Mankind What say some I believe Christ died for me because he died for all and because for all therefore for me Brethren I am afraid this is the ruin of many Souls because it may be but a false Faith that those poor Creatures have they may not experience the Effects of Christ's Death may be it is not prest upon their Consciences but this of Christ dying for all they think is enough Now pray consider and O that all such mistaken Persons would consider it also 1. That a general Faith viz. to believe that Christ died for all gives no Man any particular saving Interest in Christ's Death for if it did then every Man that so believeth hath a saving Interest in his Death But thousands perhaps so believe and yet are as vile and ungodly People as any in the World Therefore to build on that general Faith without a particular Application of the Promise or Promises of God and experiencing the Effects of Christ's Death is a false Faith and deceives the Soul 2. That that Faith which a Man may have that may leave such that have it and trust in it under the Power of Sin is a false Faith and will deceive the Soul but Men may have that Faith namely believe Christ died for all and therefore for them and yet be under the Power of Sin therefore that may be a false Faith 3. That Faith that doth not change the Heart purify the Heart is a false Faith But many that believe Christ died for all and therefore for them have that Faith and yet it doth not change their Hearts purify their Hearts therefore it is a false Faith 4. From hence I argue that it follows undeniably that all those People that believe Christ died for all must come to a particular Application of Christ's Blood and not trust to that general Application they must feel the Effects of Christ's Death upon their own Souls or else they are undone nor do I doubt in the least but many of them of that Judgment do so divers of them being as gracious Christians as any others and have Experiences that clearly contradict their own Principles Fifthly and Lastly Here is Comfort for Believers O see what the Death of Christ hath and will effect for you and in you 1. God's Wrath is appeased in him towards you 2. Justice is satisfied in him towards you 3. The Law is silenced 4. Peace and Pardon procured 5. Life is infused 6. The Guilt Power Pollution and Punishment of Sin removed and gone for ever 7. You are justified 8. Satan is conquered 9. The World is overcome you are and shall be sanctified and Heaven is opened you are in Christ's Hand and shall not perish but have Everlasting Life JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN there are but two Arguments more that I intend to insist upon for the farther Proof and Demonstration of the Saints final Perseverance or to prove That none of the Saints or Sheep of Christ can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish I spoke the last Day to the Effects of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ I might proceed to speak to the Intercession of Christ also but I shall take that in the Arguments I shall next enter upon Ninthly The Saints are in the Hand of the Father and in the Hand of the Son considered as Mediator And from hence I shall prove That it is impossible they should so fall away as eternally to perish First I shall shew you in what respect they may be said to be in the Hand of the Father and what is meant by his Hand and how that doth secure them Secondly Shew you what is meant by their being in the Hand of the Son and shew you how that may be said also to secure their firm standing and tends to their final Perseverance Thirdly Shew you in what respect they may be said to be in Christ's Hand First By the Hand of the Father doth intend his Power Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that he cannot save As if God should say I am not grown weaker than formerly I am God Almighty still and as Omnipotent
quicken himself or believe of himself no Faith is God's Gift and it is the vital Principle of our Souls I wonder what some Men mean when they say Sinners must come up to the Rule of the Promise before they lay hold of the Promise Can they quicken themselves True if they can the Promise runs Christ will give them Life Get Life create Life in your Souls and lay hold of the Promise strange Notion I am sure Life must be first in the Soul before the Soul can do any thing that is truly and spiritually Good before Life is infused there is no motion towards God let the Motives be what they will 2. Sinners are blind spiritually blind and it is Jesus Christ must give them sight nay and he in the Work of this Salvation is anointed to open blind Eyes he is given to be a Light unto the Gentiles and so to be God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth Spiritual Life and Spiritual Light is in this Salvation and both are created in the Soul nay when Christ gives us Life he gives us Light also Object But it is said Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ will give thee Light Answ 1. I answer That which God commands us to do in one place he says he will do for us in another place 2. It doth not imply that the Creature can of himself rise from the Dead but shews that he must be raised and quickned before he can receive Light from Christ 3. It shews a necessity of Faith or that we must believe and therefore ought to attend upon the Means of Faith and look up to God to obtain it Faith cometh by hearing that is the way he takes to work it in our Souls 3. Sinners have you hard and rocky Hearts Hearts of Stone even as hard as the nether Milstone Why now God bids you he commands you to make you a new Heart But can you do that if Christ never gives you Salvation until you create in your selves a new Heart and break your stony Hearts into pieces you will never have Salvation at all but must perish for ever and this Salvation will be in vain to you and to all Mortals were it so But pray observe the Promise this Salvation is so full that it hath a new Heart in it A new Heart also I will give you and a new Spirit I will put within you and I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh and will give you an Heart of Flesh A new Heart a holy a tender and broken Heart this God will give It is not naturally in us but it is of God's free Grace given to us Hence David cried Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Thou didst as if he should say give me a new Heart but I have apostatized from thee and polluted my Soul O create again a clean Heart in me or renew thy Work Not that he had lost his new Heart but he would have God recover him from his Fall and put him into a holy and spiritual Frame which none but he that hath an almighty creating Power can do And if we cannot quicken our selves from a State of spiritual Deadness how should poor Sinners raise themselves from a State of spiritual Death Sinner here is Comfort for thee whose Heart is hard and thou feelest it hard and that makes thee go mourning all the Day behold in the Salvation of the Gospel a new Heart a Heart of Flesh is promised it is not you that can make your Heart new No no it is Jesus Christ that must do it 't is his Work We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works 4. Is there in the Hearts of Sinners naturally Enmity against God Christ in this Salvation takes it away The carnal Mind is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be See in what a Pickle the Mind and Will of Man naturally is in What can a Sinner not do if the Doctrine of sore Men were true they can repent believe be regenerated and what not But 〈◊〉 says Paul their Mind their Will is not subject to the Law of God nor to the Gospel nor Rule of the Promise neither neither indeed can be Where they put a can Paul puts a cannot So 〈◊〉 another place he saith But the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Here is a cannot again 't is impossible till the Spirit of God removes that Enmity and Darkness and bows and bends the Will to the Will of God which shall be done when the Salvation of the Gospel comes with Power to the Soul of a poor Sinner 'T is Christ that must slay this Enmity as well as he did that which was between Jews and Gentiles He is a Mediator not only to reconcile God to us but us also to God My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power 5. Sinners are you polluted defiled with Sin and filthy in God's sight How will you get rid of this abominable Filth which renders you loathsom in God's sight Can you wash away your Pollution will Snow-water do it No no For though thou wash thee with Nitre and take thee much Sope yet thine Iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord. Sin is not easily washed away the Guilt of it nor the Filth of it This Job well knew therefore saith If I wash my self with Snow-water and my Hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the Ditch and my own Clothes shall abhor me 'T is not Snow-water nor much Sope no nor a Sea of brinish Tears that can wash away the Defilement and Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Soul But Sinner in this Salvation there iâ— a way found out to cleanse thy filthy Soul nay a Fountain opened for Sin and for Vncleanness God 't is true says Wash thine Heart from Wickedness that thou mayest be saved So far I dâ—ny not as Man is able he ought to abstain from Sin and cleanse himself But says Christ If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me 'T is he it is his Blood that cleanses us from all Sin This Salvation Brethren is a full and compleat Salvation it brings every thing with it we need Rather than the Stain the Pollution and Guilt of Sin should abide upon us Christ will pour forth his own Blood to wash it away He hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He gave himself for his Church to this End That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be Holy and without
deceitfulness of their own Hearts 'T is slighted out of an Opinion or Perswasion that all is well with them They believe in Christ hope in God's Mercy Christ say they died for Sinners And thus the Devil and their own deceived Hearts cause them to neglect seeking out after the saving Knowledg of Christ and Salvation by him on Gospel-Terms for Sin predominates in them reigns in them notwithstanding all their Hopes and Confidence What signifies such Faith that does not purify the Heart and Life or such Hope Alas it will be but like the Spider's Web vain Thoughts rest in those and destroy them vain in their Rise vain as to the Ground they build their Hopes upon a vain Bottom vain as to the Motive and vain as to the Fruit or Product thereof they think they have hold of Salvation yet are dropping into Hell 6. Some neglect the Salvation of the Gospel partly out of servile and slavish Fear and partly out of pretended Modesty they dare not be so bold to take hold of Christ or venture their Souls on Christ because they are so vile filthy and abominable unless they had something to bring something to present to Christ to render them acceptable or welcome to him they will not come they pretend they dare not come they can't think so great Salvation should be bestow'd freely on such as they are if they could be rid of their Sins or wash themselves from their Sins then they would come or could they get themselves some new Clothes make themselves a new Heart or get some inherent Righteousness of their own then they would come Sad Case but it is no wonder some are carried away with this Delusion considering what a kind of Doctrine is preached in these perilous Times But Sinner know thou must come to Christ to be washed come as one that sees what need thou hast to be put into the Fountain which is set open for Sin and Uncleanness and come as one naked that Christ may clothe thee Christ calls Sinners to him may be you will say What is it to come to Christ Why to believe in him to lay hold by Faith upon him And if thou dost thus though thou art never so great a Sinner thou shalt be saved 7. Others neglect Gospel-Salvation out of Idleness and cursed Sloth 'T is a hard thing to enter in at the strait Gate Self-denial is of absolute necessity O but this is too difficult for this sort they can't pray read meditate they don't love to hear Sermons they do not care to put themselves upon Spiritual Duties as to seek the Kingdom of Heaven nay and to take it by Violence they can take pains to damn their own Souls but cannot will not take that pains they are enabled to do to save their Souls Sirs Men will not be condemned for not doing that which they had not Power to do but for neglecting that which they might have done their Destruction is of themselves though their Salvation is wholly of God and of the free Grace of God in Jesus Christ Have not Men Power to leave all gross Acts of Wickedness and to attend upon the Means of Salvation They who say we put the Creature to do nothing falsly charge us we press Men to leave their wicked Practices upon a right foot of Account and to wait upon God in his Blessed Ordinances which he has appointed for the begetting of Faith True we say a Man can't change his own Heart yet he may leave the gross Acts of Sin 't is one thing to have the Life reformed and another to have the Heart renewed 'T is the changing the vicious Habits or the Work of Regeneration which we say must be done by God's Almighty Power Grace must be infused into the Soul which works physically 8. Moreover it is through Pride in some that they neglect this great Salvation they have such a good Opinion of their own Righteousness they cannot see they have any need of the Righteousness of Christ they are such that our Saviour speaks of And he spoke a Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were Righteous and despised others These are so conceited of themselves that through pride of what they have got of their own they regard not an imputed Righteousness to justify them Man naturally affecteth to stand by a Righteousness of his own Adam was a rich Man a noble Man he had enough of his own to live upon and his Sons retain a proud Spirit like some Sons of a decayed Gentleman their Father was a Knight a Lord and they are great in their own Conceit though their Cloak perhaps is nothing but Patches they scorn to beg or to dig no they will sooner steal and stand on the High-way Proud Man doth thus in a spiritual Sense he will not beg he will not go to Christ's Door for Bread he will rather steal and rob Christ of his Honour in their Salvation by seeking it some other Way even in an unlawful Way this is no better than a spiritual robbing Jesus Christ of having the whole Glory and Honour of the Salvation of the Soul and yet they do not enrich themselves hereby neither it is but only in conceit they fancy themselves rich and trust in their own Righteousness as if it were choice Treasure when it is nothing but filthy Rags which they pride themselves in and boast of 11. It is through Unbelief this Salvation is neglected Men believe not The grand Neglect centers here this is the killing Evil the Sin of all Sins the Plague of all Plagues I consider Unbelief in general not only as it is a non-reception of Christ not believing in Christ not accepting of Christ but as it is a denying to give Credit to the Revelation of God and of what he declares in his Word 1. They do not believe Salvation ought to be the main Business of their Lives which they should regard and seek after above all things it being the one thing needful yea more than Meat Drink Clothes Wives Children Health Credit Riches Honours Pleasures or Life it self 2. They do not believe that Sin is the greatest Evil nor that God is Man's supreme and chiefest Good wherein his only Happiness lies 3. They do not believe that such is the Holiness Justice Wrath and Severity of God that he will throw Sinners into Hell although he positively declares in his â—ord that he will do it except they believe repent and forsake their abominable Ways yet they doubt not of their Salvation though they are perhaps Swearers Drunkards unclean Persons proud Persons covetous or perverse Wretches 4. They will not believe what the woful End of all Unbelievers and Unregenerate Persons will be 5. They will not believe that they are in a spiritual Sense brought to utter Beggary being Sons of a Beggar that spent all he had 6. They will not believe though it is told them again and again that they are blind miserable
Mint Annis and Commin i. e. about the smaller matters of Religion as concerning Meats and Observation of Days as if in such things lay the great stress of Christianity how many are there who like those false Teachers and deluded People in the Primitive Times plead for Justification some other way than by Faith only and bring in their own inherent Holiness and sincere Obedience and add that to the Merits of Christ in point of Justification before God or exalt the Power and Will of the Creature to the Eclipsing the Doctrine of Free-Grace Sirs tho' I will not deny but many sincere Christians may be shaken by the wind of false and corrupt Doctrine or drawn away through the subtilty of men yet no doubt chiefly they are the Light Formal and Chaffy Professors which are carried away and Tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine and this because of the want of Grace a sound Judgment and a good Understanding in the Mysteries of the Gospel A good understanding saith David have all they that do his Commandments Moreover such who seem unsetled in their places in Gods House or particular Churches where they are Members being uneasie and every little difference that may arise in a Congregation is ready to turn them away or seem to be moved and disturbed at the Charges the Interest of Christ or which the House of God calls for these I say give cause to fear they are but Chaff or under great Temptation if Sincere Secondly By Chaff may also be meant Sin Filth and Corruption which cleaveth to the Hearts and Lives of true believers which Christ by the Fan of his Word Spirit and Afflictions as you have heard purges out He shall purify the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and Silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness This is spoken of Jesus Christ whose Fan is in his hand It shews his Work and Office namely to refine and fan his People not only Members but Ministers also signified by the Sons of Levi that they all may offer acceptable Service unto God Besides our Lord Jesus sometimes makes use of wicked Men as a Fan in his hand to purge his People and thus he did of old fan Israel by the Babylonians and by the Assyrians I will send unto Babylon Fanners as I have sometime fanned and scattered my people by them so will I fan them by the Medes and Persians who shall empty the Land of them After Christ hath fanned or purged away the Chaff and Filth of the Daughter of Zion he will fan their Enemies and they being all Chaff the wind of his Indignation will drive them away Let this be noted that Christ hath many ways to fan and purge his People yet still it is for their good and they shall lose nothing but their chaff their Sin and Corruptions thereby Quest Fourthly Why are the Saints compared to Wheat Answ I answer for many Reasons 1. Wheat is a choice Grain the best Grain so true Believers are a choice People in Christ's sight The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour they are called the excellent in all the Earth God calls his People his Jewels or choice Treasure they are men of a high and heavenly Birth of a high sublime and excellent Spirit they are espoused by an excellent person act and are influenced by excellent principles and have glorious Ends and Aims in all they do and from hence may be compared to Wheat 2. Wheat hath much pains used with it the ground must be made good it must be well plow'd and manured before the Wheat is sown so the hearts of poor sinners must be first made good and by spirituall Convictions be plowed up before the seed of Grace is sown for like as Believers are compared to Wheat so is also the Grace of God Wheat must be weeded as well as gathered into the Barn and also Threshed fanned and well Purged Believers may be compared to Wheat upon this respect Christ takes much pains to speak after the manner of men with his own Elect not only by Plowing Manuring but by sowing watering weeding fanning and Purging them like Wheat 3. Wheat will endure cold Frosts and Snow and all manner of bitter and sharp Weather better than any other Grain Sow Barly before Winter and you will find but little of it will live but Wheat will live in the sharpest Winter that can come what a good Harvest had we here in England after the last great Frost alas the Wheat was not destroyed thereby but was made better the Weeds and Worms being killed which is found to hurt and annoy it oft-times Even so sincere Christians who are Christs Spiritual Wheat abide faithful under the greatest Trials Persecutions and Afflictions they can meet withal they endure the Frosts and bitter North-Winds of Tribulation and furious Storms of the Wrath of wicked men which kills the false-hearted Professor they die and wither away they can't live and maintain their seeming hope and Confidence when true Believers can a Hypocrite is but Summer Corn or rather Weeds or Tares that spring up with the Wheat tho' they look like it yet are only the product of Natural Conscience or the common Influences of the Sun or Gospel of Jesus Christ 4. An Ear of Wheat when it is near ripe doth hang down its head the Corn being full and weighty when light and empty Ears hold up theirs commonly a light and chaffy Ear stands strait upright in a lofty manner So a true gracious Christian is of an humble Spirit he hangs down his head as it were and is ashamed of his best Duties and Services seeing so great weaknesses and Infirmities to attend him he abhors himself yea loaths himself he knows he hath nothing to glory in but in the Cross of Jesus Christ he sees himself nothing Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given saith Paul what an humble Person was he what a full and weighty Ear of choice Wheat was this Apostle If you see a Man or Woman proud or of an haughty and conceited Spirit being lifted up you may conclude they are but empty Ears no true Grace being in their hearts 5. Wheat hath its Chaff cleaving oft-times close to it yea it will stick and cleave so to it that it is not easily separated So it is with Christs Spiritual Wheat the filth or Chaff of internal Corruption is very subject to cleave to them and hard it is for them to get rid of it When I would do good Sin is present with me for the good I would I do not but the evil which I would not do that do I. Oh! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death I am as if he should say even wearied with continual Combating I cannot get rid of this dead Body this inward Filth and Corruption the remainders of Sin
thy God See how I have betrayed thee and blinded thine Eyes and made thee taken with silly Rattles Toys and Triffles I presented thee with false Money with brass Counters and thou didst take them and refuse precious Gold and Pearl I knew I was damned and should be tormented and I out of Malice to thy Soul resolved to try to make thee as miserable as my self and I have done it Alas I had no power to force thee but I saw thou hadst no Strength to resist my Enticements nor didst thou see thy own Disability I hid it from thee that thou mightest not look up to Christ for Help I made thee believe thou wast a Christian it was I that told thee thy Heart and State was good when I knew thou wast an undone Man and thou didst believe me I had more Honour shewed me by thee than the Great God thou didst believe me and wouldst not believe Him his Word his Ministers Ah how just is it thou Fool that thou should stlie here with me to Eternity in these Flames 3. Moreover Sorrow will violently penetrate and seize on the Soul of the Damned partly upon the Account of what they have lost together with the sense of the Evil they feel O how great is the loss of an earthly Kingdome doubtless no little Grief and Sorrow to a King who meets with that Affliction but what is that to the loss of the presence of God the Vision of God and the glorious Enjoyment of Christ and the Eternal Crown and Kingdom above Oh! what Grief and Perplexity will this be unto them especially when they reflect on the small value of those Things for the sake of which they deprived themselves of Eternal Felicity How have some mourned for the Loss of an Husband a Wife or Children What will then the Sorrow be for the Loss of Jesus Christ Christ is lost Heaven is lost and now here must I lye O gulph of misery dolesom darkness and endless Torment 4. Despair will torment them also this will make their pain and anguish more intolerable O how dismal was the Despair of Spira and Child but in Hell it will exceed it will be utter Despair without all Hope and Intermission 5. Fury and Rage will afflict them also O how will they tear roar and howl in a hideous manner hating themselves and cursing those that inticed them to sin and folly and to slight the eternal Joys of Heaven Tenthly The Misery which the Damned undergo in Hell will be great upon the Account of their hateful and amazing Companions viz. the Devils they must dwell with Devils for ever how have some who have but thought they have seen the Devil trembled and been terrified Alas alas in Hell sinners shall be continually with him nay with millions of Devils who can express the Horror that will seize on the damned in this respect We do not love to see such who have ruined us of our Estates robbed us out of Malice of our good Names a King in Chains in a Dungeon cannot like to behold the vile Traitor that dethroned him that wounded him and stript him of all his Royal Robes thus hath the Devil dealt with those miserable Creatures of lost Mankind that are damned yet he shall be with them and be their Companion and may as you heard reproach them which with the constant sight of his ugly face will add to their Misery and Sorrow Eleventhly The Place of Torment is called a Lake of Fire yet it is called utter Darkness they shall never see the least Glimpse of Light any more for ever O how grievous is it to dwell in darkness the Darkness of Egypt no doubt was one of their worst Plagues Darkness that might be felt but alas what was that darkness to the darkness which the damned shall be in and feel to Eternity If therefore the fire of Hell be material fire yet it will not be like our common fire the Property of which is to give Light but it will be dark fire God can change that quality of Fire if he please tho' it may have all other Properties yet not that The Holy Ghost saith speaking of the ungodly who are as Clouds without Water Trees whose Fruit is withered twice dead plucked up by the Root that to them is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever The blackness of Darkness shews the Horror of their Punishment and it being reserved for them shews the certainty of it As their Deeds have been deeds of Darkness Works of Darkness and some of them have wrought Wickedness in secret or in darkness so their Punishment shall be Darkness never to have the least Glimpse of external nor internal nor eternal Light any more for ever Eleventhly The Torment of the Damned is and will be intolerable because it will be for ever and ever the Eternity of their Misery is that which above all things renders it amazing 't is called in my Text unquenchable Fire O how astonishing is this all the Tears of those miserable Wretches can never quench one spark of the fire no no if they could weep a Sea of Brinish Tears or a Sea of Blood it could not allay or extinguish the least spark of divine Wrath. God will never reverse the dismal sentence How often doth our Saviour say there the Worm dyeth not and the Fire is not quenched Sure he repeats it so oft as I hinted before because the Heart of Man is ready to question the Truth thereof Wicked men are not willing to believe it but they shall find it to be true to their endless Sorrow at last Ah Sirs the Thoughts of this drives them into the greatest Horror imaginable if Pain and Anguish be never so extream yet if there is Grounds to hope and believe it will be but short that affords some Ease some Relief but when there is no hope but they must bear it as long as they live tho' they may live ten twenty or thirty years the Thoughts of this is intolerable What then shall we say of the Torments of the Damned which as they are far beyond all pain and misery that ever mortal felt on Earth so they will abide to the days of Eternity should one of you be cast into a Fire a fierce Fire and it was possible that your Body might lye therein burning and broiling and you not be able to dye for an hundred years would not the Thoughts of such Punishment be exceeding frightful and tormenting but alas alas what is an hundred years to Eternity if after ten hundred thousand million of years are run out in Hell the damned might hope their Torments would be over it would relieve them but when so long a time comparatively is gone they shall not be one moment nearer the end of their Sorrow and Misery If one sand of the Sea shore was removed and but one in a year yet should that be done or continued every year until all
the sands on the Sea-shoar were removed tho' it would be a long time first yet they would be all removed at last And had the Damned but so much hope that after so long a time as that would amount to their Torments would have an end it would revive their Spirits O this word Eternity Eternity is most amazing to wicked men besides as in Pleasures Joy and Delights time seems to slide away in a silent and insensible manner so in horrid Pain and Misery the days seem long and tedious every minute is accounted so that the Consideration of this must needs make their Eternity if it were possible a double Eternity nay many Eternities for one hour under the greatest Extremities of Misery seems ten times nay an hundred times longer than an hours time in the Enjoyment of the sweetest Delight and Pleasure An Eternity of Joy is long in respect of Duration but seems short saith a worthy Divine in respect of Apprehension So on the other hand say I an Eternity of Pain Torment and Misery is long in respect of Duration but seems much longer in respect of Apprehension Quest But shall there not be an end of the Torments of the Damned will infinite Goodness be so severe with his offending Creatures can this stand consistent with the Sweetness of his Nature and infinite mercy Answ I Answer there is a Perfection in every one of Gods divine Attributes as his Love is infinite to such who are his Elect ones who do believe in him honour and obey him so is his Hatred infinite to all those who despise hate and dishonour him 2. God will be sure glorifie his Veracity or the Truth of his Threatning He that hath said the righteous shall be saved with an everlasting Salvation or shall have eternal Life hath said that the wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power They are tormented day and night for ever and ever Now since God hath Decreed and denounced eternal punpishment to obstinate sinners it is sufficient to satisfie all Doubts about the Justice of it Let God be true and every man a Liar for divine Justice and Wrath is the Correspondence of his Will Actions and Holiness of his Nature to the damned ' As divine Love and Goodness is to such who are saved we may therefore saith one as easily conceive there is no God as that God is unjust because absolute Rectitude is an inseparable perfection of his Nature ' is God unrighteous who taketh Vengance God forbid 3. Sin deserveth no less than an infinite and an eternal punishment therefore unless the Damned could give an infinite Satisfaction by suffering they must suffer eternally for they must lye in Prison until they have paid the uttermost farthing But alas how should they make full payment to Gods Justice who run continually into Debt more and more for the Damned in Hell do not cease sinning they will sin to Eternity and therefore must suffer to Eternity 4. Nay they will sin with the greatest Fury and Madness against God when they come to be under the greatest sence of Despair imaginable they will sin then like as the Devils do now and will for ever when they see they are deprived of all good and only possess what is evil O how will they hate God blaspheme his holy Name for evermore the blessed God is the Object of their Curses and eternal Aversation in Hell is weeping and gnashing of Teeth ' Extream Sorrow and extream Fury Despair and Rage saith one are proper Passions of lost Souls their Enmity against God is direct and explicit the Feaver is heightned into a Frenzy If their Rage could extend to him and their Power equal to their desire they would dethrone the most High Hatred takes pleasure in Revenge ' 'T is said of the Worshippers of the Beast that they gnawed their Tongues for pain and Blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pain These Torments and Blasphemies of the Damned are clearly represented by these cursed impenitent Idolaters ' If a Criminal were justly condemned to a severe Punishment and should contumeliously with the greatest Fury reproach the Prince by whose Authority he was condemned could it be expected there should be a mitigation of the severity of the Sentence ' How then should the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth reverse or mitigate the Sentence against the Damned who blaspheme his holy Majesty and if they were able to effect as they are malicious to desire would destroy his very being and execute that on him which he in Justice inflicts on them 5. To hast to the Application The infinite Guilt that cleaves to sin and the Consideration that they continually add more Guilt upon their own Heads requires a proportion in punishment as the Evil of sin exceeds our Thoughts The Majesty of God being infinite consequently the punishment of it will be infinite and beyond our Conceptions it will be a letting out of his infinite Wrath and utter extent of his power therefore unto the Wicked is reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever APPLICATION From hence we may inferr how great Evil there is in sin O sin is the Plague of all Plagues who can conceive how detestable a thing is sin in the sight of God since He who is so gracious merciful and compassionate a God should throw millions of Men and Women in his Wrath into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone 2. This also shews the woful Depravation of Mankind what Darkness Ignorance and Folly is in their Minds and Hearts that choose Sin when told not only how hateful it is to God but what intolerable and durable Torments it doth expose them unto One would think that a person that hears these things should never indulge his vicious Appetite any more nor lay his Reins loose on the neck of his Lust but it is more marvelous to see or hear that he who believes the Scripture and doubteth not of the Truth of Hell Torments should yet notwithstanding lead an ungodly Life what believe there is such Torments prepared for all impenitent Persons and yet not turn to God by Jesus Christ 3. From hence also we may inferr how necessary it is that Ministers open the Torments of Hell seeing Jesus Christ so often in the Gospel threatens all Hypocrites and Vnbelievers therewith They that say it is legal Preaching to preach such a Doctrine as this know not what they say will they magnifie their Wisdom above the Wisdom of Jesus Christ and the first and great Preachers of the Gospel of Peace who said we knowing therefore the Terror of God perswade Men that is to beleive in Christ and to live godly Lives that so they may never feel Gods eternal Wrath the Hearts of Men can more easily conceive of the Torments of Hell than of the Joys of Heaven And as it may be of use by way of
hear his Voice with Affection They like love and approve of his Word and Doctrine it is sweet to them Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it They know that there is no Falshood in it it is pure from all Mixture there is exact Purity and Holiness in it which makes unsanctified Persons to like it not but either disbelieve it or else despise and hate it But a godly Man loves it upon the account of its Purity in that it promotes nothing but Holiness both in Heart and Life The Word of the Lord is right and all his Works are done in Truth Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false Way I do not reject such things that my carnal Reason cannot comprehend or such as are opposite to the Lusts and Corruptions of my Heart or worldly Interest but I approve of all things that come out of thy Mouth Some Men do not receive the Truth in the love of it and therefore are given up to believe a Lie or to strong Delusions 3. They hear Christ's Voice with Attention they hear it diligently He says Hearken diligently unto me and they with the greatest care do so Thus Mary heard Christ's Voice she gave such attention to his Word and Doctrine that she left all her secular Concerns to attend upon him though her Sister was offended with her And thus Lydia heard the Word of Christ Whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul None can hear with attention but such whose Hearts the Lord doth open and none can open the Heart and cause the Soul to hear that is dead but Christ only 4. They hear Christ's Voice believingly Others hear it but do not believe it Who hath believed our Report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed Christ saith Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God But O how few stedfastly give credit to this Doctrine certainly if Sinners did believe this but with the same Humane Faith with which they believe many other Things and Reports it would make them tremble but Christ's Sheep or all gracious Persons give full credit to whatsoever he hath said and that not only with an Humane Faith but with a Divine Faith also or Faith of the Operation of God The Man believed the Word that Jesus had spoken unto him The great Doctrine of the Gospel is a Doctrine of Faith 't is to believe He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Mankind are generally for doing to be justified they will not be perswaded that all is done already for them and that they are only to believe and be justified but thus Christ's Sheep hear his Voice 5. Christ's Sheep hear his Voice tremblingly with great Fear holy Awe and Reverence Thus good King Josias heard the Word of God his Heart was tender and he trembled and saith the Lord To this Man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembleth at my Word They know it is God's Word Christ's Word who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth Who is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Where the Word of a King is there is Power Power goeth along with Christ's Voice to awe all their Hearts that are gracious My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word saith David 6. Christ's Sheep hear Christ's Word universally even all that he saith unto them Him shall ye hear in whatsoever he shall say unto you And those who do not thus hear this great Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People Some will hear Christ's Word which they like of but if any part of his Doctrine sutes not their carnal Hearts or Interest that they will not hear nor comply with but Believers are for hearing the hardest things that are contained in Christ's Word they approve of every thing as you heard before 7. They hear Christ's Voice with Retention they hear and keep his Word they lay it up in their Hearts as it is said of the Blessed Virgin They will not lose it and therefore with David hide Christ's Word in their Hearts 8. They hear his Voice always constantly unto the End they will attend unto his Word and Doctrine as long as they live let what will come they are not offended as the stony-ground Hearers are said to be 9. And lastly They hear Christ's Voice only his Voice and none else They will not hear the Voice of a Stranger that is they will not receive damnable Errors they know the Voice of Deceivers nor will they receive a Mixture in Doctrine nor in God's Worship they will not join Christ and Moses together Works and Faith together Christ's Righteousness and their own together Christ's Institutions and the Inventions and Traditions of Men together Quest May not Believers who are Christ's Sheep be beguiled so as to receive some capital Errors or an Error in some fundamental Point Answ 1. No doubt but they may be seduced I mean a particular Sheep or Saint may be grievously corrupted in his Judgment 2. But if a Believer be drawn away or seduced he shall if sincere if an Elect Person be restored again for it is impossible any of them should finally be deceived If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect but that cannot be Quest Why are false Teachers called Strangers Answ 1. Because a Stranger is one that we know not so a false Teacher is one that knows not Christ nor his true and saving Doctrine they are not acquainted with him are not brought into Union with Christ nor have Communion with him 2. They are Strangers to the Life and Power of true Religion and Godliness 3. The Saints also know them not they approve not of them nor of the Doctrine they preach they can discern between Truth and Error by the Anointing they have received 4. A Stranger is one that is not a constant dweller in one Place so false Prophets and false Teachers are not fixed long in one Opinion Her Ways saith Solomon are moveable speaking of the false Church or adulterous Woman many of these are one day for one thing for one Error and another day for another this shews they are false Teachers or Strangers to the Truth they know it not 5. They are called Strangers because they publish strange Doctrine Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines The Doctrine of Christ is one and the same being immutable can suffer no Change or Alteration but these bring in a new Doctrine not known in the Primitive Days not taught by Christ or his Apostles nor received in the purest Times of the Gospel before Corruptions crept into the Church They will not hear the Voice of Strangers or the Doctrine of false Teachers 1. Not
as to be forsaken it cannot intend any kind of asking or begging for David himself desired and received Relief from others Nothing doth more clearly relieve and feed our Souls under Trouble and Distress than those Experiences we have formerly had of God's special Providence and Goodness to us or how he helped his People in their Extremities in the days of old O my God my Soul is cast down within me therefore I will remember thee from the Land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the Hill Mizar He would call to mind how God had helped him formerly when pursued by Saul or distressed by Absalom and the way his drooping Spirits were revived He that delivered me saith he from the Paw of the Bear and Paw of the Lion will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine All Power is given into Christ's Hand he is the great disposer of all things therefore be sure he will order every thing for the Good of his Church If not a Hair of our Heads shall fall without the Providence of God we may conclude he will be concerned for us in greater Matters And if he provide for Sparrows he will provide and take care of his own Children The Covenant of Grace the Love of Christ and that Relation we stand in to him must needs give us ground to believe he will in his most wise Providence order all things for our Good besides the express Promises he hath made upon that Account Doth he hold us in his Hand carry us in his Bosom nay engrave us on his Heart and will he forsake us O this cannot be Hath he took the Charge of his Sheep and will he leave them to Lions or Wolves to be torn to pieces Or shall Sin or the Devil pull Limb from Limb and he look on But I must not further enlarge here Quest What is the Nature of that Food which Jesus Christ feeds his Sheep with 1. I answer in the Negative It is not surfeiting Food some Pastures are naught they will rot the Sheep but Christ feeds not his People in such Pastures 2. 'T is not forbidden Food he hath prohibited us to follow a Multitude to do Evil to walk in the Way of the Heathen or after the Course of this World or according to the former Lusts in our Ignorance and not to touch taste nor handle of the Traditions and Doctrines of Men but he allows us his own Word and Ordinances 1. 'T is costly Food Pastures that were purchased by our Shepherd at a dear Price 2. 'T is sweet and pleasant Food More to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey or the Honey-comb 3. 'T is Soul-satisfying Food he satisfies every hungry Soul I will abundantly bless her Provision and satisfy her Poor with Bread Wicked Men eat that which satisfies not what is all the Trash of this World but meer Husks Ashes and Gravel-stones 4. 'T is strengthning Food it strengthens the Soul and strengthens the Graces of the Spirit in the Soul 5. 'T is chearing comforting and reviving Food as I might shew you but must not enlarge 6. 'T is living Food 't is Bread of Life such who feed on it shall never die it gives Life and it continues and encreases Life and will feed the Soul up unto everlasting Life 7. It is Soul-fatning Food Eat you that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness O this Food these Gospel-Pastures fatten the Soul when they meet with God enjoy God in his Ordinances when they have Communion with him and when they find their Sins and Corruptions wither and die and Grace grow and flourish in their Souls ' when they thrive in Holiness in Faith Love Patience and Humility c. Quest What is Christ's Fold Answ He hath a twofold Fold 1. His Church is his Fold Christ built it himself and it is a Fold the Enemy cannot destroy he hath set it upon a Rock 2. Heaven is Christ's Fold Quest What is the Fence of Christ's Fold or Church here on Earth Answ I answer It is threefold 1. The Fence may be said to be that Holy and Primitive Constitution Order and Ordinances which Christ hath appointed 2. That Sacred Covenant Believers enter into when they are admitted Members 3. The Holy Discipline Order and Government Christ hath ordained and left in the Gospel APPLICATION We infer from hence that Believers are in a most happy Condition they having such a Shepherd and such Pastures to feed in Which will further appear if we consider these things following 1. They are Pastures that will feed Multitudes nay they cannot be over-stock'd Christ's Pastures cannot be eaten up 2. Christ's Pastures are always Good always Rich as good in Winter as Summer and so are not other Pastures 3. So well fenced about that the Walls cannot by Men nor Devils be broken down God secures his People and Gospel by his own Almighty Power and Providence he is a Wall of Fire round about besides his Angels encamp about them that fear him also 4. Christ's Pastures have most precious Water in them There is a River that makes glad the City of God c. He feeds me in green Pastures and leads me besides the still Waters The Holy Spirit and Graces of the Spirit may be here intended 1. Water hath a cooling Nature it allays Thirst so these Waters cool the Fire of Lust and every evil Passion and allay that inordinate Thirst after the things of this World 2. Some Waters are of a purging Quality these Waters also purge the Soul of all evil and nauseous Humours 3. Water makes fruitful it makes Pastures fruitful and the Sheep also So these Sacred Waters make the Word and Ordinances fruitful and the Saints fruitful likewise 4. Waters soften so these Waters soften the Heart and make it tender 5. Waters have a cleansing Virtue So have these Divine Waters the Spirit and Graces of the Spirit cleanse the Soul of all Filth and Pollution of Flesh and Spirit 6. Water hath a healing Property The Spiritual Waters heal they are beyond all Waters exceed all Waters For 1. These Waters never fail other Waters may be dried up He that drinks of the Water I shall give him shall never thirst but the Waters that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of living Water springing up unto Everlasting Life 2. These are Waters of Life he that receives the Holy Spirit shall live for ever 3. These are still Waters not rough boisterous Streams they may be called still Waters in respect of their Effects 1. They will keep such that drink of them in God's Bounds and cause them to rest in quiet where he hath placed them 2. They make a still and quiet Soul a still and quiet Family a still and quiet Church when all drink of these Waters nay a still and quiet Nation they allay all Feuds and undue Heats among Christians that
whether you are spiritually alive or not for if so you are quickned and made alive by the Operations of the Spirit and there is a Principle of Divine Life infused into your Souls So that from a holy and new Nature you can and do breath forth your Desires freely and frequently to God and see the excellency of spiritual Objects and Things Christ is must precious and lovely in your sight Your Eyes see and your Ears hear and you have spiritual feeling and you can and do act and move that is believe repent and obey God with great Activity and a strong Propensity or gracious Inclinations of Heart There is also much of the Beauty of Holiness shining forth in your Lives 2. This also by the way may serve to detect that Doctrine some nay too many maintain of the Power of the Creature Alas alas what can the Dead do For evident it is that those who are thus dead have no Principle or first Power of living unto God or to perform any Duty to be accepted of him It is with them as to all Acts and Ends of spiritual Life as with the Body as to the Acts and Ends of natural Life when the Soul is departed from it or else God would never say they are dead call them dead Does God make use of an improper Metaphor Dare they affirm that It must be so if Man naturally be not dead but wounded in a spiritual Sense only True a wicked Man is naturally alive and his Soul is in his Body and he is endowed with Vnderstanding Will and Affection and may perform many Duties God requires of him But what of this for in spiritual Life the Holy Ghost is unto the Soul what the Soul is unto the Body in respect of natural Life namely the quickning Principle And as a Learned Author well observes to deny such a quickning Principle of spiritual Life superadded unto us by the Grace of Christ distinct and separate from the natural Faculties of the Soul is upon the Matter to renounce the whole Gospel It is all one as to deny that Adam was created in the Image of God which he lost and that we are renewed unto the Image of God by Jesus Christ 2 dly They may also as well assert Man hath a creating Power for Regeneration is called the New Creature which is created in us after the Image of God according to his own glorious Power 3 dly Therefore whatsoever Sinners act in spiritual Things by their Understanding Will or Affections that are not renewed they do it naturally and not spiritually and are therefore called dead Works We may also from hence infer what a mighty Blessing and Favour it is to be made spiritually alive How should such admire God and his Free Grace in Jesus Christ for as they have an internal holy Life so they shall never die but have eternal Life nay that this Eternal Life is begun in them here I give them Eternal Life But to proceed Secondly I am to shew how Salvation or Everlasting Life is a free Gift or by Grace only 1. Life and Salvation is of Grace in opposition to Nature we have it not as the Product of Nature Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God To be born signifies to receive a Principle of Life and those that are the Children of God have not that spiritual Life that is in them from the Motions or Powers of Nature not from the Power of Man's Will nor from their fleshly or natural Parts and Abilities however improved 2. Life and Salvation is wholly of Grace or a free Gift in opposition to Merit we cannot purchase or procure it by our Acts of Obedience By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works c. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Not the desert of our Works let them be what they will either before or after Grace but from God's own sovereign Mercy and Goodness whose Bowels yerned towards his Elect in Misery For the VVages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death Natural Death Spiritual and Death Eternal are the Wages and Desert of Sin And who will deny a Servant his Wages Wicked Men are the Servants of Sin and they shall have their Wages But though Death is the Wages or Merit of Sin yet Eternal Life is not the Wages of our good Works no but the Gift of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ It is not by our Works or for our Worthiness The Apostle as our Annotators note varies the Phrase on purpose to shew that Salvation is wholly of God's Grace and not of our own Merits 'T is of Grace or the Gift of God through Jesus Christ that is through his Merits De gratia libero arbitrio saith Augustine 3. Life and Salvation is by Grace only or the free Gift of God in opposition to the Law The Law could not give Life that could not save us For had there been a Law given that could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law The Law requires perfect Obedience and lays every one under the Curse that continues not in all things that is written therein to do them Therefore no Life by the Law that being weak through the Flesh Man could not perfectly fulfil it and so could have no Life by it 4. Life and Salvation is the free Gift of God in opposition to any acceptable Service done for it by us as some times great Gifts are bestowed on Persons for the sake of some small Service performed for them But it is not so here though Salvation be a Reward of Grace yet it is not given for the sake of any acceptable Service done by us we know that a small Matter sometimes purchases that which is of great Value but nothing we do or can do can purchase Life and Salvation for our Souls True Eternal Life is a Purchase it is a Reward of Merit but O mistake me not it is not of our purchasing it is no Reward for any Work done by us but it is the Purchase of Jesus Christ the Reward of his Work by his fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law for us in our Nature in his holy and spotless Life and by his satisfying the Justice of God for our breaking and violating of his Holy Law which he did by the painful and cursed Death of his Cross For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit That the
for thou hast spoken of thy Servant's House for a great while to come and hast regarded me according to the Estate of a Man of high Degree O Lord. Thus may every Believer say The Love of Christ will have the like Effect on our Souls as the Knowledg of David's Love to Abigail when he sent Messengers to her to make her his Wife and raise her to his Throne Let me saith she be a Servant to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord. 4. The Knowledg of Christ's Love will beget greater and stronger Love in our Souls to him Love begetteth Love but not till it is known O taste Sinners of this Love had you but a Taste how would your Hearts be enflamed in Love to Jesus Christ And as to you Saints 5. The more you know of Christ's Love the more your Hearts will die and your Love cool to all earthly things 6. The more you know of Christ's Love the more firmly you will be fixed and setled in his Truth and be delivered from Fears and Doubts about your standing Alas it is not Sin nor Satan nor Hell nor Death that can deprive your Souls of Christ's Love if you are his If Satan says Thou art a vile Sinner and lays before thee the Baseness of thy Heart tell him Christ's Love passeth Knowledg Does he say that thou wilt fall one time or another Tell him Christ loved thee not for thy Righteousness and his Love that is so infinite will never suffer thee to fall and rise no more 7. The Knowledg of Christ's Love will make us to speak well of God and Christ and his Ways at all times still we shall say the Love of God and Jesus Christ is the same all is in Love whom I love I rebuke and chasten Christ's Love known and experienced will be a Cordial to bear thee up to the end of thy Days 8. This will set your Souls at liberty and bring you out of the Spirit of Bondage and make you to run after him But it is not the knowing of Christ's Love in any degree but to that degree that passeth Knowledg a Love that can't fail which will do this 9. The Knowledg of Christ's Love will make you cling and cleave to him Christ is the Loadstone and our Soul the Needle and now our Soul having touched him it makes to the Center and though you may like the Needle tremble for a Time yet you are hastening to him and never will rest till you come to him whom your Souls love 10. The more you know of him and of his Love the more will be your inward Joy and Peace For this is the Way to be filled with all the Fulness of God and to know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledg that you may be filled with all the Fulness of God Secondly This may reprehend and sharply reprove such Christians that doubt of the Love of Christ especially those who affirm that justified and sanctified Persons may for ever lose his Love and perish for this renders his Love mutable and changeable according as the Love of Mortals change one towards another Thirdly and lastly What Comfort and Consolation doth this afford to all true Christians But I must proceed to the next Argument to prove That Saints shall not cannot finally fall so as to perish Fourthly Christ's Sheep his Saints shall never so fall as finally and eternally to perish I shall in the next place prove and that from the Nature of the Covenant of Grace First Because it is a Covenant of Grace We do not stand in this Covenant as Adam stood in the first Covenant And now that it is a Covenant of Grace will appear if we consider with whom this Covenant was primarily made and that was with Jesus Christ it was made between God in the Person of the Father and Man in the Person of Christ Our Lord Jesus was constituted in this Covenant the great Head Representative and blessed Surety for and in behalf of all the Father gave unto him Adam had no Surety that undertook for him in the first Covenant as a Covenanting Hand but was entrusted with all his Riches all being put into his own Hand which he soon by his Sin lost and undid himself and all his Posterity whom he was set up as the common Head and Representative of God foresecing this he would not enter into a Covenant any more with Man his Credit being for ever lost And since he lost all when he had Power to stand there was no likelihood or possibility of his standing after he had deprived himself of his Power of doing good being depraved in all the Faculties of his Soul Therefore Christ was set up set up from Everlasting by the Holy God who foresaw all things before they came to pass as the Head and Surety of the New Covenant called the New Covenant in respect had to the time of the Revelation of it to Mankind it being not known until Man had broke the first Covenant now Christ undertook in the Covenant of Grace for all the Elect he personating them when the Father and he entred into that glorious Compact or Covenant-Transactions we having not then an actual Being he represented all that were given to him out of the lost Lump of fallen Man and undertook as Mediator to make up that Breach that was between God and Man and by his perfect Obedience to merit for them Everlasting Life and to bring them all to Glory This being so nothing can more fully demonstrate the Certainty of their Salvation and the Impossibility of any of their perishing for they for whom Jesus Christ did undertake this great and glorious Work even all the Elect Seed were put into his Hand by the Tenour of this Covenant to work out Life and Salvation for them and to die in the room and stead of them thereby to bear that Wrath and Curse that they otherwise must have suffered born and endured for ever Now in this Covenant Eternal Life comes to us primarily by God's Free Grace in his finding out parting with and accepting of his own Son to be our Saviour and Surety And secondly by virtue of what Christ hath done and did undertake to do and suffer for all that should be saved they cannot perish I have found David my Servant with my Holy Spirit have I anointed him My Mercy will I keep with him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast in him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever His Seed that is all that are the Product of his Spirit or are quickned and renewed by him This is the Nature of the Covenant of Grace Christ is their Root and Head their Spirit of Life is in him and it is derived from him in Regeneration in a spiritual way as our natural Life was in and derived to us from the first Adam by Generation in a natural way My Brethren pray do not mistake about
Is it some Temporary Act of his whereby he hath declared himself unto them Then I say grant that Salvation is to be had in a Redeemer in Jesus Christ and give me an Instance how God in any Act whatsoever saith he hath declared his Mind and revealed himself to all Men of all Times and Places concerning his willingness of their Salvation by Jesus Christ a Redeemer and I will never more trouble you in this Cause Secondly Doth this Will equally respect the All intended or doth it not If it doth why hath it not equal Effects towards all What Reason can be assigned that all they whom God equally intended Salvation for by Christ have it not However they who have Salvation either have it as the Effects of Free-Grace or of Free-Will Who will assert the latter Besides this would follow i. e. God will have some Men be saved to whom he wills not the Means of their Salvation for so he doth not to one great Part of the World But since we have proved that there is not a Sufficiency of Grace granted to all universally that is Grace subjective to enable them to believe and change their Hearts but to some only I shall say no more to this for if it were sufficient it would have the same Effect on all as it hath on some that which is sufficient to such an End would be made no doubt efficient by the Will of the great Agent who worketh all our Works in us and for us of his own good Pleasure and without whom we can'do nothing Object 14. Well say some say what you will if this Doctrine of Election and Final Perseverance be true we see not to what purpose we should preach the Gospel to Sinners any more or press Saints to Holiness Answ 1. I am weary of these impertinent Objections God hath ordained the preaching of the Gospel as the great Ordinance to call in his Elect and to beget Faith in them It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And not only to beget Faith but also to strengthen that Faith and to perfect the Saints more and more in Holiness These Men dream of an Election without the Means and of a Salvation without Faith and Regeneration and a preserving Men to Eternal Life without a Perseverance in Grace and Holiness It is a Perseverance in well-doing we plead for and this we say Christ will in the use of Means not without it enable all his People to do he will help them strengthen them and keep their Souls alive Pray consider the Ways by which Jesus Christ preserves his People unto Everlasting Life the Saints are said to be sanctified by the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ 1. It is in a Way of Holiness And from fainting or being weary in well-doing he stirs us up by his Spirit to wait upon him and promises That they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary walk and not faint or grow stronger and stronger both in Faith and Patience 2. Christ preserves us in a Way of Perseverance in well-doing by shewing us our own Weakness and that without him we can do nothing but that we must wholly rely upon him in the Way of our Duties for all things we need 3. By increasing Grace in us He by his Word shews that the Grace we have already received is not sufficient to keep us from falling therefore he stirs us up to seek to him for more Grace more Faith more Patience more Humility more Wisdom c. 4. By succouring us under all Temptations For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is also able to succour them that are tempted He has purchased Help and Succour for tempted Saints His Bowels move him to help us against Sin and against Satan He hath a soft and tender Heart and hath a fellow-feeling of our Infirmities which is a Spring of great Comfort to tempted Christians 5. By warning and forewarning us of the Danger we are in by our spiritual Enemies and charging us by his Word always to be upon our watch and not to sleep as others do 6. By putting his Fear into our Hearts that we may not depart from him that is not finally to depart which he doth when at first he infuseth Holy Habits in us 7. By his putting upon us that Holy and Spiritual Armour Ephes 6. 10 11 12 13 14. Do these Men think Christ's Soldiers can expect the Victory and not fight or overcome their Enemy though they throw away their Sword which is the Word of God The Preaching of the Gospel is of wonderful use to them it is the Word of Command their Captain speaks to them thereby and shews what they are and are not to do and how they should keep their Ranks and maintain true Order and Discipline in themselves Church and Families 8. By his continual Intercession for them he prays for us that we may be kept in the World from the Evil of it that we may not be finally overcome thereby These things being considered pray Brethren remember that as the Saints cannot perish as Hypocrites and Unbelievers may so they cannot sin live in Sin and in neglect of Holy Duties continually as unsound Persons may do And now Brethren I having answered all the grand Objections that are usually brought against the Saints final Perseverance I shall shew you some of those Absurdities which do attend the contrary Doctrine viz. That Christ died to save all and every individual Person in the World and that the Elect may fall totally and finally away and perish for ever 1. It renders the Death of Christ as to its Effects and the Success thereof uncertain as to the Salvation of any one Person 2. It doth imply a Deficiency in God or want of good Will in him to prosecute his Design to perfection in Man's Salvation they affirming that Christ died for all even every individual Traitor who lies in strong Chains and Fetters under the Power of Sin and Satan but he will not break off the cursed Irons and bring out of the Prison-house but a very few of them only 3. It would also follow then that the Purpose of God yea his Eternal Counsel in Christ Jesus may be disappointed and Eternity be subjected to Time the Will of the Creator to the Will of the Creature the first Cause to the Second and all or many of God's Absolute Acts to be suspended unto the actings of sorry Man and so the Lord submit to the Servant Yea as saith a Reverend Minister It sets God at an uncertainty because it doth subject the Grace of God to the Will of Man it hangs the Glory of his Grace in all the Motions of it and the Efficacy of the Promises upon the slipperiness of Man's Will and Affections It makes the Omnipotent Grace of God follow not
said and so finish with this Text. 1. Inform. This may serve to inform and convince all Persons concerning the absolute Soveraignty of God He may save Man if he please and not Angels or may send a Saviour for some of the lost Sons of Adam and not for all Who shall say to him What dost thou If he had vouchsafed a Saviour for none of Adam's Posterity had he been unjust any more than he is in casting off for ever all the fallen Angels He called Abraham out of his own Country and revealed himself to him and let others remain then under the Power of Sin Ignorance and Idolatry calling them not He revealed himself to Isaac and rejected Ishmael he chose Jacob and refused Esau he afterwards chose the Children of Israel to be a peculiar People for himself and let all other Nations of the Earth abide in Darkness And in the Gospel-Days Christ chose a few poor Fisher-Men and refused the Learned and Wise Men after the Flesh nay and hid the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from the Wise and Prudent and all this as an Act alone of his Soveraignty And in these days what Reason can be alledged why we and a few Nations more have the Knowledg of the Gospel when the greatest part of the Earth lie in Popish Mahometan and Pagan Darkness but that it is his good pleasure so to do He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth 2. Praise God for the Knowledg you have of the Mysteries of Christ and the Gospel of Free-Grace Brethren next unto the Grace of God in my Conversion I have often said I do look upon my self bound to admire the Riches of God's Love and Goodness to me in opening my Eyes to see those Arminian Errors which when I was Young I had from some Men of corrupt Principles sucked in nay and when I was about 23 Years Old I wrote a little Book for Children in which some of those Errors were vindicated which after my Eyes were inlightned and the Book with Alterations being again Reprinted I left out and now do declare my dislike of the first Impressions and do disown what I there asserted When I was a Child I thought as a Child I understood as a Child as the Apostle speaks And let me intreat you to study the Nature of the Covenant of Grace for until I had that opened unto me I was ignorant of the Mysteries of the Gospel 3. O do not forget that the Design of God in contriving our Salvation in his Eternal Wisdom by Jesus Christ was wholly to advance his own Glory and the Freeness and Riches of his Grace and to abase and humble Man unto the Dust therefore be sure never err on that Hand And I think it is not easy for Men well to err on the other I mean in exalting God alone Christ alone though I deny not but that some good Men who in seeking to advance Free-Grace perhaps have erred and taken up some unsound Notions as that of Actual or Personal Justification before Faith and Actual Union with Jesus Christ O what need have we to ponder well the Paths of our Feet and not with Pride to magnify our selves or strive to promote any corrupt Notion under any Pretence whatsoever Our Days are Evil many dangerous Errors abound and it is cause of greatest Grief to see what a Generation of Men are risen up of late who strive to mix God's pure Gold with their Dross and his Wine with their Water Though on the other Hand let us bless and praise the Lord for raising up so many brave Champions in the mean time of our Brethren of the Congregational Way to defend the Gospel of God's Grace and the Truth as it is in Jesus Yet I could wish there was not so much Gall in some of them against us their Brethren who in all the great Truths of Christianity are of one Mind and Judgment and yet are exposed to Reproach for witnessing to a Truth of Christ that lies as plain in the Gospel as any one Truth or positive Precept of Christ whatsoever I mean that of Believers Baptism Why should we be censured for maintaining that Truth which the Holy Ghost so fully bears witness unto I long to see more of the Spirit of Love and Charity would to God that Chapter 1 Cor. 13. was more read and considered 4. This may also serve to reprehend such who strive to cast Reproach upon this Holy Doctrine and such that maintain it as if it tended to incourage People in Sin or open a Door to Licentiousness Let all for ever forbear such Reflections Is not this the Purport of that Doctrine which we vindicate 1. That there is wrought and preserved in the Minds and Souls of all Believers by the Holy Spirit a Supernatural Principle of Grace and Holiness whereby they are made meet and enabled to live unto God and discharge all Duties of Obedience which he requireth of them and accepteth through Christ which Principle or Habit of Grace is essentiaily distinct from all Natural Habits Intellectual and Moral however and by what Means so ever acquired or improved 2. That the Holy Spirit by his effectual Operations doth enable us according as we are required by his immediate Influences in all Acts of Obedience whether internal only in Faith and Love c. or External also even so that all the Powers of our Souls and Members of our Bodies are or ought to be in a spiritual manner governed and influenced thereby and unto all Duties of Holiness in our daily walking with God and that all this is the Effect of God's Free-Grace to us in Jesus Christ who hath communicated of the Spirit without measure to our Blessed Head and Mediator that he may give it forth to all his Saints that have Union with him and believe in him Brethren God hath circumcised the Hearts of his People to love him with all their Souls and with all their Strength He writes his Law in our Hearts as he promised I will put my Law in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts This gracious Habit or Principle in the Soul is nothing but a Transcript of the Holy Law of God implanted and abiding in our Hearts whereby we are enabled with Chearfulness and ready Inclination of our Spirits to act in the Duties of Obedience and Holiness unto God as he requireth of us and also our Likeness and Conformity unto God doth consist herein I say it doth consist in this Divine and Sacred Principle or Spiritual Habit that is infused into the Soul it is our Spiritual Life whereby we live unto God it is the Foundation and Sum of all Internal Excellencies no Works no Duties are accepted where this Principle is not It is a Vital Principle of Holiness and it makes Religion co-natural to us Moreover it is a certain a permanent and an abiding Principle it is that Seed
lie upon a sick Bed O Sirs you will need it at last and may be seek it when too late Were a poor condemned Criminal sensible of a Way how to be saved from Death or that a Pardon might be had would he delay the Time or would he not make it all his Business with his uttermost Care to seek for a Pardon lest the Day of his Execution should come before he hath got it And if so he knows die he must Alas Sirs what is it to be delivered from Natural Death to our being delivered from Eternal Death The Time when you must die may be near and if you have not an Interest in this Salvation when you die Naturally your Souls must die Eternally Pray observe the Argument I am upon to excite and stir up your Souls to a Holy Diligence in attending on the Means of this Salvation it is the same the Apostle uses it is called Great Salvation considering the Dignity of Christ's Person who laid down his own Life to purchase it for us and also was the first great Minister and Preacher of it which at first began to be spoken by the Lord It was preached by the Lord of Life and Glory the great Mediator Head of all Principalities and Powers and it is again by one of his poor Servants this Day offered unto you in the Name of my Great Master therefore refuse it at your Peril If you receive it imbrace it you shall be happy but if you refuse it you will be miserable and at last die in your Sins 4. Here is Comfort and Encouragement for the worst of Sinners Are you such who are and have been great Sinners Well let it be so yet be not cast down into utter Despair for here is a great Saviour you have heard of his mighty Power and Ability to save and he saith All that the Father hath given to me shall come unto me Ay but you perhaps may say you know not who they be that the Father hath given to Christ Well what of that Pray mind his next Words And he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Receive this Saviour believe in him and you shall be saved whosoever you are It is not the greatness of your Sins that can hinder or obstruct him from saving your Souls though your Sins be as red as Scarlet or as red as Crimson he will wash them all away and make you as white as Wool as white as Snow 5. Also here is good News for poor Sin-sick Sinners to wounded and lost Sinners I mean such who feel themselves sick see and feel themselves wounded who find they are lost and undone in themselves O Souls you are the Persons the Word of this Salvation is sent to The Whole need not a Physician but such that are sick I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Such indeed who are conceited of their own Righteousness or swelled with a good Opinion of their own good Works good Deeds and good Duties will not come to Christ such think they need no such Physician as Christ is But you that see you have no Righteousness of your own but that all your Righteousness is as Dung O look to Christ come to Christ hear what he says to such that are lost that are under the burden of their Sins and wounded ones Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 6. But here is sad News to such who slight this Salvation and refuse Jesus Christ great will their Condemnation be The Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this Generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here The greatness of this Saviour who preaches the Gospel to you and is come to save you will aggravate your Condemnation What was Jonas to Jesus Christ Also our Saviour saith The Queen of the South shall rise up in Judgment with this Generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost Parts of the Earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here Solomon was a mighty King and for Wisdom exceeded all that went before him But alas what was Solomon to Jesus Christ who is the Wisdom of God it self and the express Image of the Father's Person and the Brightness of his Glory O know you Sinners this Day that Jesus Christ this glorious King and Prince of the Kings of the Earth this mighty Saviour is come to your Doors Behold I stand at the Door and knock Will you not open the Door nor cry to him to help you to open to him to enable you to believe in him What do you say shall the Son of God stand at your Doors and you not so much as ask Who is there Who is at my Door Shall Christ be kept out of your Hearts and stand at your Doors whilst Sin commands the chiefest Room and has absolute Power over you and rules in you How will you be able to look this Blessed Saviour in the Face another Day Is he come through a Sea of Blood to offer his Love to you and to espouse you unto himself for ever and will not you be perswaded to break your League with your old Lovers who will at last stab you at the very Heart and betray your Souls into the Hands of Divine Wrath Now they have done it already What are your Lovers but your 〈◊〉 your Pride your Earthly-mindedness your sinful Pleasures Profits and Honours O resolve to desert them they otherwise will damn your Souls for ever and expose you to the Torments of Hell-Fire And to deliver you from them and from that â—rath which is due to you for them I mean for your Sins is Christ come and this great Saviour is offered to you The Lord help every one of you to consider of this and to lay it to Heart 7. And lastly Here is Comfort for poor drooping Saints This Saviour is yours this mighty Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost and he will help you in all your Straits and supply all your Wants and he hath taken the Work into his own Hand and hath also begun it and will perform it and finally finish it before that he hath done rest therefore upon him HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation BRETHREN the last Day I shewed you that Gospel-Salvation is Great and Glorious Salvation considering the Greatness Dignity and Glory of the Persons that are concerned in bringing of it in and working of it out for us namely the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost But more particularly upon the Consideration of the Dignity of the Person of Christ who is that great Saviour God hath sent who is great in his Name great in respect of his Person
Day To Day if you will hear his Voice but they will not regard it Because I have called saith the Lord and you refused I have stretched out my Hand and no Man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh 9. Such who prefer their sinful and earthly Pleasures Profits and Honours above this Salvation do also neglect it 'T is said of some of the Pharisees that they believed on him but did not profess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God I once told you of a Man who living a loose and ungodly Life and was by that means in danger of losing his Eye-sight insomuch that his Physician told him He must leave that excess of Prophaneness or he would be blind Ah said he is it so Then farewel my sweet Eye-sight or to that Effect Just thus do many poor Sinners they will not part with their Sins their sinful Ways and sinful Companions for when they hear what they must do if ever they are saved namely believe in Jesus Christ repent and turn from all their sinful Courses they say in their Hearts Farewel then Great Salvation if these things must be done they will have none of it I remember I heard in our Countrey when I was young of a prophane Person that said in plain words That he would have his Lusts his Pleasures his merry Bouts or to that purpose for it was all the Heaven he look'd for O how just will it be in God to sentence such to eternal Flames 10. Such neglect this Salvation who say in their Hearts to God Depart from us we desire not the Knowledg of thy Ways They like not approve not of God nor of the Ways of God therefore desire him to depart they would not have God come so near them as to disturb their Thoughts nor disquiet their Spirits about their eternal State therefore they strive to divert themselves The Wicked saith the Psalmist through the Pride of his Countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts he will not trouble himself with God and the things of God and so neglects this Salvation 11. Moreover all such who believe not give not credit to the Revelation of the Gospel they do not believe the Report of it Lord saith the Prophet Who hath believed our Report Though the Report of the Gospel is given out upon the highest Evidence imaginable yet Brethren there is an humane Faith that a Man may attain to and exercise without Divine and Supernatural Grace which Men do not exert which if they did it would were it improved deter them and put a stop to many of their abominable Practices but as some in other cases say I will not believe such or such a thing though it is confirmed sufficiently so it is here Men will not believe they will not give Credit to the Report of the Gospel it is not agreeable to their carnal Reason What! believe there is no Salvation but by the Righteousness of another How can this be Can his Righteousness justify me be made mine I believe that if I do live an Honest Life and do good to my Neighbours I shall be saved Says another I can't believe that all shall be damned unless they are born again and experience such a Change as some Ministers talk of for if it be so Lord have Mercy upon us what will become of the greatest part of the World Says a third sort God is above the Devil and I cannot believe he will ever suffer Satan to get away the greatest Number of Mankind Ay says a fourth sort we can't believe that Sin is so great an Evil or so great a Matter or that God will be so severe as to cast us into Hell for it What 's Drunkenness 'T is for our Health to be drunk now and then and what is simple Fornication Tush will God think you ever cast us into Hell for such small things as these or throw us into a Furnace of Fire It cannot consist with his Mercy and infinite Goodness Now Brethren as all these Persons neglect this Salvation so they make God a Liar God hath said There is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved no other way but through Christ's Blood by his Merits and Righteousness but they say there is He also hath said That the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God even whole Nations if they do so and that no Drunkard Fornicator Proud Person Unbeliever or Covetous Man or Woman c. shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but contrariwise shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone but they will not believe it And God says Except a Man be born again he shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they will not believe it O what is the Condition of these Men Unbelief is the damning Sin in this respect as well as it is in respect that it leads Men out to refuse and contemn the Remedy God hath appointed I mean the Application of the Blood of Jesus Christ These perish as the Man did who was told of his Danger but would not believe it till it fell upon him to his Ruin 12. Such neglect this great Salvation who delay the looking after it until old Age or till Sickness or Death comes upon them How many are there of this sort They mind not their Souls nor Soul-concernments but think it is time enough when they have spent their best Days in the Service of the World nay in the Devil's Service to look after Religion or an Interest in Jesus Christ these I say also are neglecters of this Salvation 13. All such who make not Religion or the Salvation of their precious Souls their chief Business or Matter of the highest Importance in the World these must be set down as neglecters of Gospel-Salvation Brethren this is that one Thing needful namely to provide for the Soul in reference to Eternity This was that good part Mary chose that should not be taken from her she took more care about the good of her Soul in attending on Christ's Word than on any thing else whatsoever This should be our general Calling to which Work we ought to give up our selves continually in improving all Seasons and Opportunities and in the discharge of all spiritual Duties O how busy are some Men and how wise nay to get this World no Time no Care no Opportunity shall be omitted But they have no regard of this great Concernment it is not weighed nor thought upon by them yet what can be of like Importance and what Fools are they whose chiefest Care is to live well for one Day and regard not what will become of them
Pleasures nay their sinful Ways and wicked Practices above Jesus Christ and that Salvation he hath purchased O how great is the Sin of such who neglect this Salvation 5. Hereby also they abuse the matchless Love the unspeakable Love and Favour of Jesus Christ they do not only slight his Person contemn his Blood and cross the Design of the Father but they also abuse and disdain his precious Love which caused him to take upon him the Form of a Servant and to yield himself up to the cursed Death of the Cross Greater Love hath no Man than this that a Man lay down his Life for his Friend But Jesus Christ laid down his Life for his Enemies Whilst we were yet Enemies we were reconciled unto God by the Death of his Son And shall Sinners after the manifestation of such Love slight him and the Salvation wrought by him at such a dear Rate Nay shall Christ's repeated Calls Wooings and Intreaties be not regarded who spreadeth forth his Hands all the Day long Shall any be so ungrateful so blind so rebellious as to let Christ stand all Night at the Door of their Hearts even till his Head is wet with Dew and his Locks with the Drops of the Night This shews the great Evil and Wickedness of those who neglect this great Salvation Doth not this tend to expose the Son of God to shame to be thus slighted as if not worth the least regard Should a Prince come a thousand Miles to court or offer his Love to a low a contemptible and base-born Damsel and she should nevertheless slight him and give him no entertainment would not this be deemed an abominable Abuse of his Love as well as great Contempt cast upon his Person Sinners are ready to say there is no comeliness in him that we should desire him but alas 't is because they do not know him they are blind and see him not 't is the carnal Eye that can see no Beauty in Christ were the Eyes of their Understandings opened they would be of another Opinion concerning him 6. The Evil in neglecting of this is so great that it is as it were a piercing of Christ again nay and when a poor Sinner is convinced of this great Iniquity he cries out What have I done Have I not grieved nay wounded afresh my dear Saviour by not believing in him and not receiving the great Salvation offered by him Though I never saw the Person of Christ yet I have offered Violence to him in resisting his Authority despising his Love and slighting his Salvation As a Man is guilty of Treason by abasing the Statue or Image of a King so are Men guilty of the Blood of Christ and of trampling upon it when they count it as a Trifle or unprofitable to their Salvation seeking Life and Salvation some other ways or are wholly regardless about it it is as a Stab at his very Heart a tearing out as it were his Bowels he suffered willingly all those great Torments which were inflicted upon him to remove from us a necessity of Suffering had he not stept in to bear our Sins we had been lost for ever O why then is not he imbraced by Faith that works by Love It implies a Sinner has no Love to him no not so much as to his Sins and Folly it is a denying the Excellences of Christ the Preciousness of Christ for as Faith accounts all things but Dung in comparison of Christ so as one observes Unbelief counts Christ but Dung Union and Communion with him but Dung in comparison of this World and the Pleasures of Sin 7. Those that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel thinking to be saved some other way do seem to reflect upon if not despise the Wisdom of Jesus Christ Do they not charge him with Folly and Inconsiderateness in undertaking such a Task such a Work on such hard Terms when it might be had some other way What suffer such Pain Sweat great Drops of Blood and be nailed to the Cross to procure Salvation for us which might be obtained by a sober Life or by doing to all as they would be done unto or by following the Dictates of the Light of natural Conscience or by our own Inherent Holiness What did Jesus Christ aim at by shedding of his Blood but the appeasing of God's Wrath and the bringing in of an Everlasting Righteousness and to purchase Grace to sanctify Mens Souls and to open the Gates of Heaven which Divine Justice had shut and barr'd up against us Now certainly those who neglect this Salvation do either fancy these Blessings are not worth regard or looking after or else they may be procured by some other Way and on easier Terms than by Faith in the Blood of Christ And is not this to charge our Lord Jesus with Folly and with the Greeks of old to account the Preaching of the Cross Foolishness 8. They render it is evident the shedding of Christ's Blood to be in vain who neglect the Means of this Salvation and so thereby slight the Blessings which he hath purchased it must be an undervaluing of the price of Redemption for that which a Person regards not though procured at never so dear a rate he declares was in vain purchased this is with a Witness therefore lightly to esteem of the Rock of their Salvation it is to stop their Ears to the Cry of Christ's Blood His Blood as you heard cries to Sinners to apply it to their perishing Souls and to leave their sinful Ways but they regard it not though it seems afresh to stream forth from his Heart in the Virtue of it and flows through the Pipes of the Gospel in the Offers of it Did not they who refused to come to the Marriage-Supper declare that the King had in vain prepared all those costly Dainties for let who will come and eat thereof they will not And thus many render the bloody Sacrifice to be offered up in vain by neglecting the Salvation offered in the Gospel 9. Such also who believe not but reject and turn their Backs upon the Gospel-Salvation put Jesus Christ to Grief again It is said He was grieved because of the hardness of their Hearts So God said he was grieved forty Years with those who believed not in the Wilderness O how many Years have some of you grieved both the Father and the Son to speak after the manner of Men and is not this a great Evil Will you grieve and weary out the Heart of God and the Heart of Jesus Christ 10. It also gives occasion to Satan to vaunt boast and triumph over the Son of God See says he how little these Men and Women for whom thou gavest thy self to die the Death of the Cross do mind the Salvation thou hast purchased for them they like and approve of my Ways and Motions my Offers better than any thing thou hast procured for them and dost offer to them May
their rebellious Hearts that their abominable Sins Pride and Arrogancy might be curb'd and they not so boldly and impudently go on in their Disobedience and Contempt of Jesus Christ Christ to this End as Dr. Owen observes hath his Arrows which he lets fly upon his Enemies some may â—â—ick in their Hearts and they fall down dead before him he this way may kill them to give them Life 2. That all ungodly Sinners may be left without Excuse and Jesus Christ be justified in his righteous Proceedings against them at the last Day He tells them before-hand what they must expect and look for If they repent not they shall all likewise perish if they believe not they shall be damned if they are not born again they shall not see the Kingdom of God if they continue in any course of Sin as Adultery Fornication Drunkenness Theft Pride Covetousness Lying c. they shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone And if they neglect this so great Salvation they shall not escape Divine Wrath. 3 dly and lastly The Threatnings that are in the Gospel may be of great use to Believers even as a Whip or Lash to quicken them when grown slothful and negligent in their Duties or fall into a sleepy and secure State and to shew them that the Gospel tolerates no looseness allows of no Sin but that the whole Design of it is to promote Holiness God will be sanctified by all that draw near to him They may serve also to prevent the Power and Prevalency of indwelling Sin or tend to nip off the Buds as they put forth or kill those Weeds that might otherwise grow the more in their Hearts and also to stir them up to stand upon their Watch and make a stout Resistance of all Enemies for that God tells us we must either kill or be killed If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Christ's Souldiers are sure of the Victory but not without sighting if they turn their Backs they are gone though to their great Joy and Comfort if they are true Believers they know they are not of that sort that draw back unto Perdition Also by these Threats the Saints may be the better enabled to suffer Persecution and endure any Trials here for Christ's sake they hereby knowing how much easier it is to bear and undergo the Wrath of Man than it is to endure the Wrath of God Quest On whom is the Wrath of God denounced or what kind of Sinners shall undergo it Answ 1. I answer All prophane and ungodly Sinners of what sort soever as Aduiterers Fornicators covetous Persons malicious Persons Whisperers Backbiters haters of God despiteful and proud Persons Covenant-breakers Implacable Vnmerciful Thieves Drunkards Revilers Extortioners Murderers Witches Sorcerers and all Liars These and all other prophane Persons whatsoever who live and die in any of these or other Sins having neglected this Salvation shall not escape the Wrath of God For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againstall Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men. The Wages of every Sin yea the very Lusts of the Heart is Eternal Death Sin is their Sickness and the neglecting the Salvation of the Gospel is their refusing that Remedy and only Cure of their Sickness which God doth afford 2. All civilized Persons such who depend upon Principles of Morality or living a sober Life and never look after Faith in Jesus Christ and Regeneration I say unto you Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Yet Paul when a Pharisee saith That as touching the Righteousness which is of the Law I was blameless Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God These as much neglect this great Salvation as scandalous and prophane Sinners and therefore shall not escape God's Wrath. 3. All Idolaters Persecutors and heretical Persons such who are corrupted with damnable Heresy who deny the Person of Christ or our Lord Jesus the only Saviour or Salvation and Righteousness by him these also are neglecters of this Salvation and living and dying in those Sins cannot escape the Wrath of God 4. All Unbelievers or such who are without saving Faith in Jesus Christ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth not shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him No Unbeliever can escape the Wrath of God 5. All Hypocrites or such who make a Profession of the Gospel without the saving Grace of God in their Hearts Of these there are two sorts 1. Such who are self-condemned Hypocrites who know they are not what they profess themselves to be but have carnal and sinister Ends and Aims in their professing the Gospel Religion being but a Cloak to cover their Deceit and Hypocrisy 2. Such as the foolish Virgins were whose Hearts deceive them thinking their State was good 1. But never passed through the Pangs of the new Birth but trusted to a Form of Godliness without the Power of it This sort it seems 2. are very blind and ignorant in that they thought to receive Advantage by the Graces or good Works of wise and gracious Christians Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out 3. They never sought for Grace any way until it was too late even not till the Bridegroom was come 4. It appears that this sort also were very consident of the Goodness of their Condition that is a bad sign for they rose up to meet the Bridegroom Gracious Christians are attended with Godly Jealousies of their own Hearts yet these Mens outward Conversation might be clean to outward appearance in that they were not known to the Wise to be foolish Ones 5. Their Folly appears in that they please themselves with a Name of being Christians Saints and Church-Members without the Nature Faith and Holiness of such prizing a Lamp of Profession above the Grace of God or a Form of Religion more than the Power of it valuing the Approbation of Men more than the Approbation and Acceptation of God esteeming the empty Cabinet or pleasing themselves with the Shell of Religion without the Kernel of it and in their thinking it was time enough to sow when others were just going to reap and by laying Claim to Heaven without any Title to it None of these living and dying under this Deceit Ignorance and Hypocrisy can escape the Wrath of God 6. All such cannot escape who utterly apostatize or backslide from God and the Truths of the Gospel who after they have made a Profession of Religion turn with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire and with the Dog lick up their old Vomit again I mean cleave again to their former evil and ungodly Ways and
divided amongst themselves what abundance of Chaff is there here also Are there not many amongst these as bad as others viz. People of ill and corrupt principles bitter and censorious Spirits and of scandalous lives What Malice Envy and Hatred do they discover one against another because of their differing Sentiments in and about some principles of Religion rendering their Brethren odious to the World Back-biting Reproaching and Scandalizing each other to the great dishonour of God and shame of their sacred profession one while charging and condemning the Innocent and yet acknowldege not their Evil and at another time striving to vindicate and clear such as are greatly guilty before God both which are abominable and hateful in his sight who will judge righteously and render to every man at last according to his Works Certainly there is sarcely a worse Sin than the Sin of Back-biting he that hates his Brother Robbing him of his good Name out of Malice and Envy is a Murtherer and no Murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him 1 John 3. 17. such who are destitute of Christian Love and Charity or hate their Brethren clearly shew they act contrary to the divine Principle of Grace nay of Morality and so are void of that sacred Life Nature and Image of God For as love to the Bretheren is an Evidence of our being the Children of God so he that is possessed with Wrath Envy Malice and Hatred shews he is one of the Children of the wicked one who is called the Accuser of the Brethren Clear it is that this is a Diabolical Sin and renders such in whom it is found like to the Devil In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Nay this great evil and wickedness is a sad sign that such are given up and left of God as not retaining God in their knowledge as the Apostle speaks of the Gentiles who when they arrived to some degree of knowledge of God yet did not glorifie him as God but violated his Law written in their Hearts Therefore 't is said that God gave them up to vile Affections and they were filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Despiteful Proud Boasters c. No doubt but that the Sin of Backbiting Wrath Malice and Envy is as bad if not worse than Fornication Swearing or Drunkenness and lamentable it is to see this Sin found among some who account themselves no small persons for Knowledge Zeal and Piety in these days But alas alas how sad and deplorable is their Condition and vain that profession they make of Religion let them repent of this their great wickedness and get a changed heart Moreover are there not in this floor others who are proud earthly carnal and covetous Persons they are called Nonconformists but 't is not so far as they ought from the Sins and Pollutions of this World they conform to them in their detestable fashions and covetous practices Do not many of them appear to love Sons and Daughters more than Christ or his sinking Interest they can lay out plentifully to feed and cloath their own Children whilst their bowels are shut up against the poor Members of Christ or Children of God they 'll spare more to gratifie the Pride and base Lusts of their Children than they will spare to supply the necessities of the poor Saints or to support the Interest of Christ and his Gospel Many pounds shall go for the first use when a Shilling is thought a great deal with some of them for the second they think nothing too much to enrich and uphold their own Families whilst the Family of God suffers want and the Cause of Christ languishes in their hands O how little does the power of Grace and true Godliness shine amongst this sort what formality and lukewarmness is there in these days amongst such who are called Saints and holy Brethren This it is true may be called Chirists Floor especially but abundance of Chaff no doubt will be found in it when the Fanner comes to fan it Look to it you Sinners in Sion Fearfulness will e're long surprize the Hipocrite Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire who amongst us shall dwell with Everlasting Burning Isa 33. But so much as to what is meant by Christs Floor Quest 2. What is intended by the Fan Answ A Fan is a certain Instrument which the Husbandman uses to cleanse or purge his Corn from the Chaff evil Seeds and all silth whatsoever And this Instrument he holds in his hands and uses upon his Knees by which he tosses up the Wheat and Chaff together And then shakes it to and fro moving all at once by which a wind is made and the Chaff is blown away and the Wheat separated and purged from it Now John Baptist alludes to such an Instrument as this Quest But what is meant by Christs Fan in a spiritual sense what is signified hereby First I answer By Christs Fan is meant his Word his holy Gospel especially the Doctrine thereof 't is by this he cleanses and purges his floor Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you Now the unclean person the Traytor Judas is gone out from you Thro' my Word i. e. through my Doctrine you believing in me and receiving me by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life 'T is said Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Eph. 5. 26. Cleansing here imports the means by which it is wrought or the Instrument namely the Word of the Gospel especially the Promise of free Justification and Sanctification by Christ received thro' Faith which Baptism was a Sign or Symbol of see 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your selves in obeying the truth thro' the Spirit c. This was done in subjecting themselves to the Faith of the Gospel to which the purifying of the heart is ascribed principally in Justification whereby the guilt of Sin is purged away as appertaining to the conscience he alludes also to the sanctifying power and virtue of the holy Spirit Compare this with Psal 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way that is the way of his Heart and also the way of his Life The answer is By taking heed thereto according to thy Word that is let him take heed according to that holy doctrine taught and held forth in God's Word so that he attain unto a right knowledge of God and of the Messiah promised and typified by the Sacrifices of Aaron by whose Blood and thro' whose Righteousness only Justification is to be had for without Christs Blood there is no cleansing from Sin and silthyness neither of Heart nor Life for young nor old It is not only to
direct young Men to reform their Lives and Ways according to the Precepts of God's Word nor to think by any degree of moral Righteousness or inherent Holiness they could be cleansed no no but to take heed according to the mysterious and sublime Doctrine of God's free grace in Christ Which was the only way of Salvation as well under the Law as under the dispensation of the Gospel Sirs this was and still is Christs Fan namely the glorious Doctrine of God's Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Christ's blood and it was by this fan Christ cleansed that Jewish floor to which my Text primarily refers For the Jews were his floor in which was abundance of Chaff and now Jesus Christ was come with his fan in his hand to purge this floor and evident it is his holy Doctrine severed or separated the Wheat from the Chaff and by this means was the Wheat gathered into Christs Gospel-Garner and the Chaff blown away for as Chaff cannot endure the wind of the fan so could not those unbelieving Jews and hypocritical Pharisees endure Christs holy and heavenly Doctrine See Joh. 6. 52. to v. 60. How can this Man give us his flesh to eat They thought he spake of a Natural eating of his flesh as we eat the flesh of Beasts or Fish His Doctrine was not understood by them Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you ver 53. Now the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is no other thing than the receiving Jesus Christ by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life Believing in Christ coming to Christ looking to Christ leaning trusting or staying on Christ receiving of Christ and eating of Christ imply one and the same thing It is our going out of our selves to him or feeding by faith on him or resting or relying on his Merits on his Obedience in his Life and in his Death for Justification and eternal Life without any Works done by us or any Righteousness wrought in us as the Apostle speaks But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness But this mysterious and sublime Doctrine the Jews could not bear but it was such a Fan as fanned them all away that believed not For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God They thought their own personal and inherent Righteousness was that by which they must be justified accepted and eternally saved they had meat of their own to eat and therefore saw no need to go to their Neighbours door for it they were full and increased in Goods and thought they had need of nothing And hence the Doctrine of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ alone was rejected by them it was not understood by them that Christ's flesh should be Meat indeed and his blood Drink indeed was a strange Doctrine in their apprehensions they could not conceive how such things could be as Nicodemus spake of Regeneration Nor can any Man whatsoever who will receive no point of Faith but what his natural reason can comprehend and thus this Doctrine of our Lord Jesus was a Fan in his hand and it fanned away all the Chaff of that mighty Jewish floor even all that received not that Doctrine or who believed not in Christ received not Christ by Faith for righteousness and eternal life Nay it was such a Fan that it fann'd away some of Christs Disciples not such who were his Disciples indeed but many that followed him and who are said to believe on him they believed he was the true Messiah had some kind of faith tho' not the Faith of Gods Elect Many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is a hard saying who can bear it It seemed hard to them because they could not comprehend it by their own carnal reason From thà t time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Such a Fan was this Doctrine then and such a Fan it is now that it may be said to make a discrimination between the pure Wheat and the Chaff for no doubt all that receive not this holy Doctrine whatever fair shew they make in the flesh are but Chaff in the sight of God and will be found such at the last day Nor ought they to be suffered to abide in Christ's Garner on Earth as they shall not be gathered into his Garner in Heaven but be esteemed as Chaff or drossy professors whatsoever their conversations may be I mean such who eat not Christs flesh and drink not his blood i. e. wholly feed not upon Christ rely not alone upon the Merits of a crucified Christ or seek not Justification by his Righteousness only but go about to bring in their own Works and inherent Holiness with Christ's Merits in point of Justification in God's sight But to proceed But like as a Husbandman hath more Fans than one even so also in the Second place Jesus Christ hath another Fan also and that is I doubt not likewise intended here viz. The dispensation of God's Providence for this was as a Fan in Christ's hand by which he fann'd away those unbelieving Jews and so purged his floor I mean the time was now come that their national legal and external Church-State must be pulled down and dissolved the Dispensation was changed the Priesthood changed and right of Church-membership changed they having Abraham to their Father or being the Seed of professing Parents would do them no good nor avail them any thing Because the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with him and his natural seed as such as to the Date of the Duration thereof was now run out and expired the Ax being now laid to the root of the Tree ver 10 th So that unless they receive Christ believe in Christ and are found gracious persons fit Wheat for Christs spiritual Garner or Gospel-Church which is built up of lively stones as Chaff the Gospel-dispensation like a Fan purges them out as indeed it did and blew them all away And we are not alone in respect of this great Truth for many of our worthy Brethren who in some things differ from us assert the same particularly Reverend Mr. Cotton who speaking of this Text Mat. 3. 10. saith The first is the root of Abraham's Covenant which this people much trusted upon and of that it is which John Baptist speaketh Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father so that all their confidence that they had in Abraham's Covenant Temple and Tabernacle and such things are burnt up and so they have no Root left them to stand upon and this is one thing intended by the Root Secondly There is saith he