loved his Sheep his People his Spouse as himself above himself Mary loved him so as to wash his Feet with her Tears but he loved Mary so and all his Elect Ones as to wash their Souls in his own most precious Blood Jacob loved Benjamin David loved Absalom but David said Jonathan's Love to him was wonderful passing the Love of Women But what is a Bubble to the Ocean a Spark of Fire to a Furnace or a finite Love to an infinite Love What is all Love to Christ's Love 5. Christ's Love to his Sheep to his Elect is wonderful because it passeth knowledg That ye may know the Love of Christ that passeth Knowledg 1. It passeth the Knowledg of the Natural Man What can he with all his natural and acquired Parts find out as to the greatness and wonderfulness of Christ's Love 2. It passeth the Knowledg of the Moral Man What can the Natural or the Moral Philosopher do as to the comprehending finding out or demonstrating the Nature of Christ's Love Can he sound the Depth of the Sea Can he measure the Breadth of the Heavens Can he account the Length of Eternity Besides here is a Height that their Art discovers not the Mathematicks teacheth not this Mystery That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length the Depth and Height and to know the Love of Christ that passeth Knowledg 3. It passeth the Knowledg of the Spiritual Man he cannot arrive to a full and perfect understanding of it 4. Nay it passeth the Knowledg of the Holy Angels their Wisdom and Understanding no doubt is wonderful but here they are at a loss they stand in amaze looking into and admiring with astonishment this Love to see him that is God become Man to save such a Vile and Sinful Creature to love and delight in him that was so great an Enemy 5. It is wonderful because a whole Eternity will be but little enough to let out to Believers the Love of Christ It will never be fully known it cannot be comprehended all above and all below are at a loss they are all at a nonpluss and astonished at it Thirdly Christ's Love therefore to his Sheep to his Saints is an immense incomprehensible or an infinite Love as the Wrath and Anger of God and the Lamb when kindled and let out is inconceivable so is his precious Love to his People this Breadth Length Depth and Height doubtless refers to the unsearchable Greatness and Immensity of God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection Canst thou come to the uttermost of what God is Canst thou find out the inmost Recesles or Secrets of God's Heart of Christ's Heart Hast thou seen what is laid up in the inner Chambers of his Spirit then thou mayst know his Love for it is like himself God is Love Love is his very Nature It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hell what canst thou know longer than the Earth broader than the Sea Many Wits as one notes run Riot in Geometrical Notions about Moral Dimensions and whereas Naturalists give us but three Dimensions of a Body Longitude Latitude and Profundity the Love of Christ Brethren hath Altitude added which is a Fourth Doubtless all these Dimensions are mentioned only to set forth the Immensity of Christ's Love 1. Christ's Love is broad enough to spread over and cover like a Mantle all the Sins of his Elect and also to hide them from Satan's Rage and Fury His Love is long enough to reach us with his Arm of Affections where-ever we are or whatever our Wants be Christ's Love is deep enough to find us out and relieve us under all depths of Afflictions Despondency or Distress of what sort soever Christ's Love has a Height in it enough to defend us like a high Wall against all the Assaults of those Enemies that are in high Places and above us we cannot see them As-Satan is a Spirit he has the Advantage of us such is his Nature he is said to be in high Places he is the Prince of the Power of the Air. But God is above him Christ is in a higher Sphere his Love hath a Height in it so that neither Height nor Depth can separate us from his Love as well as it cannot separate us from the Love of the Father 2. Christ's Love is an infinite or an immense Love as appears because it is without beginning it is from Eternity before ever the Earth was That which was before the World was is without beginning but the Love of Christ to his Elect was before the World was even from Everlasting Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love 3. Christ's Love to his Sheep to his Saints is an infinite or immense Love doth appear because his Love to them is as that Love the Father hath to him As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you Though as may not be a Note of Comparison in every Sense yet it doth signify the Truth Firmness and Greatnese of Christ's Love The Father loveth Christ with an eternal immense immutable constant free full and perfect Love so doth Jesus Christ love every one of his Elect Ones Again saith Christ to his Father that the World may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me He would have all know how he loves his People or such that were given to him 4. It appears to be an infinite Love because it cannot be found out defined or comprehended it passing all Understanding as also by the glorious and amazing Effects thereof which are apparent to all 5. Because it is without ending all those that Jesus Christ doth love or hath set his special Affections upon he loveth to the End his Love is not only from Everlasting but also to Everlasting he abides in his Love notwithstanding all the Weakness Frailties or Decays of Love in his People towards him He heals and with a Nevertheless will heal their Back slidings and love them freely Fourthly The Love of Jesus Christ to his Saints is a Conjugal Love it is an Espousal Love Though I purpose to speak to the Nature of that blessed and mystical Union which is betwixt Christ and every Believer under a distinct Argument yet let it be considered here that the consideration that Christ's Love is such as that he doth espouse every Godly Soul and marry it to himself this must needs be one of the highest Arguments that can be produced to prove their final Perseverance because Espousal Love is the Sweetest the Firmest and most abiding Love especially the Love of Christ's Espousal I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in loving Kindness and in Mercy I will even betroth thee unto me in Faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. What words can more fully express the Firmness of
4 thly They may know that Christ is a most blessed and precious Object but yet never experienced him to be precious above all things to themselves 5 thly They may know the True Church and also know what is required of Persons in order to their becoming Members thereof namely Repentance Faith and Baptism Nay and they may have some kind of Repentance Judas repented Also they may believe Simon believed They may have a common Faith the Faith of Credence or an Historical Faith believe the Report of the Gospel and Revelation of Christ and the Sum of the Christian Religion nay believe or receive the Word with some sort of Joy Mat. 13. 20. Moreover they may be baptized and received into the Church and be look'd upon to be true Believers But because these things are daily opened to you I shall not enlarge further upon them You that have that excellent Book called The Almost Christian may see how far a Man may go and be but a false Professor O take heed you rest not on any External Knowledg or Revelation of Divine Things You can talk of Religion dispute for those great Points of Faith you know Truth from Error and so you may and yet perish for ever Moreover consider that all Convictions that end not in Regeneration or in true Conversion or that change not the Heart and Life will avail you nothing Secondly I shall shew you the Nature of True Illuminations and how the one differs from the other it appears by what the Holy Ghost intimates here and in other places as well as by all our Experiences that Light or Illumination is the first thing God doth create in the Souls of all that are renewed and if it be but a common Light the Work that flows therefrom will be but a common Work of the Spirit and if that Light that is in Men be Darkness how great is that Darkness Now as touching the special and saving Illuminations of the Spirit they differ from the common 1. In respect of Convictions of Sin Evangelical Illuminations of the Spirit discover to the Soul its fearful State not only that Sin is of a hateful Nature but that he is condemned as a Person dead in Law and trembles at the sight and sense thereof not knowing but that the Sentence may be suddenly executed upon him They were pricked in the Heart and cried out Men and Brethren what shall we do It was their Sin that made them cry out But pray observe that the sight and sense of Sin never breaks the Heart throughly and kindly till the Soul sees the pardoning Grace of God in Christ Shew a Condemned Malefactor a Pardon from his Prince that was hardned before under the Sense of the Severity of the Law O then he is melted and wounded Goodness and Mercy overcomes him so it is with a poor Sinner when he sees God's Love and Grace in Christ or a bleeding Christ who has born the Punishment due to him for his Offences then he is kindly broken and mourns that ever he grieved or offended God They shall look unto him whom they have pierced and shall mourn It was Jesus that you have crucified the Lord of Life and Glory whom God hath made both Lord and Christ 2. Common Convictions reach only to some Sins perhaps scandalous Sins they chiefly if not only torment the Conscience under some awakening Providence or under the preaching of Wrath and Judgment And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled Doubtless Felix lived in some gross Sin and now his Conscience was awakened and terrified him for those Evils he hearing of the Judgment to come But special Illuminations in Convictions cause the Soul to see all its Sins its secret Sins yea Heart-Evils Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ Christ's Word laid all the Evils of the Heart open to her sight I was faith David shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me All Sin afflicts the Soul Original Sin as well as Actual Sin 3. Common Convictions make a Person sensible of the Punishment of Sin and to feel the Wrath of God which is due unto him My Punishment is greater than I can bear saith Cain But special Illuminations under Convictions make the Soul to groan under the Filth and Pollution of Sin They shall loath themselves for the Evils they have committed But when is that Even when they see that I am saith the Lord pucified towards them And ye shall remember your Ways and all your Doings wherein you have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight Hence Job cries out I abhor my self and repent in Dust and Ashes Moreover upon this respect it was that David compared his Sin and Pollution to a loathsom Disease The one cries out that he has offended an angry God this is the Nature of legal Convictions such would fain get out of God's Hands he flies from him But the other cries out I have grieved a Good and Gracious God and he flies to him as the Prodigal did to his loving and compassionate Father 4. Common Illuminations in Convictions lay the Soul half dead he sees he is Wounded but special Illuminations of the Spirit discover the Soul is quite Dead When the Commandment came Sin revived and I died The one discovers that the Person is a Sinner but not in a helpless State for though he sees he is undone by his Sin and Disobedience yet he thinks he may rise by his Duties and Obedience But a Person truly enlightned sees he must have a Principle of Life infused before he can rise live or act and that all his own Righteousness he hath or is capable of obtaining is but as Dung and Filthiness in his sight 5. Common Illuminations cause a Man to see Sin as it is a great Evil against himself I have killed a Man to my hurt saith one of this sort But special Illuminations discover Sin to be the greatest Evil as it is against God the one may know that God hates Sin but the other is brought to hate it himself and because God hates it Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight O saith a poor Believer what have I done I have contemned despised and spit in the very Face of God the one is afraid of God but the other fears God the one is afraid of him because of his Justice the other feareth God because of his Goodness They shall fear the Lord and his Goodness or shall fear and worship God in Christ because of his Goodness Grace and Mercy 6. Common Illuminations give a Person a sense of Death and Wrath due to Sin but special Illuminations give a Man a sense and an effecting sight of the Death of Christ and of that Wrath and Curse he hath born for him in his
also the Nature and Quality or Degree of it Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy c. God at the last Day will so justly and righteously proceed against wicked Men that their Reward shall be judged reasonable in their own Judgment and by their own Consciences 7. They shall not escape because Mercy and Grace is sinned against principally by all that neglect this Salvation Mercy will as you have heard plead against them And if Mercy be their Enemy if Goodness it self rise up against them where will they find a Friend to appear for them 8. They shall not escape because God hath absolutely and unavoidably decreed the Destruction and eternal Damnation of all those that believe not but neglect this Salvation His Decree his Counsel and Purpose shall stand He that believeth not shall be damned 9. It is because the Sinner is not able to deliver himself out of God's Hand If he escape it must be from one of these two Considerations 1. That either God must change his Purpose his absolute Decree and Counsel 2. Or else the Sinner must get out of God's Hand and so deliver himself Now it is impossible God's Mind should change or his absolute Decree be made void his Decree shall stand and he will do all his Pleasure God will be true and not make himself a Liar to save the guilty Sinner And that it is impossible for the Sinner to get out of God's Hands is evident because God is Omnipotency it self whither can he fly from his Presence Who can stand before or escape his Indignation Therefore there is no way for such to escape God's Wrath who neglect this Salvation APPLICATION 1. O bless God for this Salvation and value it according to the Nature Worth and Greatness of it 2. Bewail all ungodly Persons who are found slighters and neglecters of it and mourn over them O how sad is their Condition May be you have some in your Families that are Neglecters of it may be a Wife a Husband or Children that do not regard it but are ungodly and neglect the Means of Grace how should what you have heard move you to pity them to weep over them to pray for them and strive with them 3. Examine your selves whether you have not or do not neglect this Salvation Do you make it your chief Business to get an Interest in Christ Do you prefer the Means of Salvation above all things in the World What time do you take to seek God to pray to him to hear his Word And with what Zeal Love Faith and Diligence do you do all these things Do you not defer Soul-Concernments to another time O see to it and examine your selves Do you not rest upon something or another short of Christ Doth the Power of Grace appear in your Hearts and Lives 4. This may teach Believers to bear up under all Trials and Fears Let what will come they are safe who have an Interest in this great Salvation other Salvations are nothing to this and if we should not be saved from the Wrath of Man but must lose our Liberty and be exposed to Death and Dangers here in this World yet it will go well with us if this Salvation is ours Let what Judgments can come upon the Land thou hast got a sure Sanctuary God is thy Help and thy Salvation Brethren there are many sad Effects that do attend those that neglect continually neglect this Salvation whilst they are in this World as Manifestations of God's Displeasure As 1. God withdraws the Influences of his Spirit from them after they have for a long time resisted it in the common Motions thereof even to such a Degree that it shall strive with them no more thus God dealt with the old World 2. God gives such up at last to blindness of Mind so that they in seeing see not and in hearing hear not neither do they understand And in them is fulfilled the Prophecy of Esaias By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive The Word of God if neglected and not received that it may become a Savour of Life unto Life will become a Savour of Death unto Death it either softens or hardens Mens Hearts 3. God gives them up to their own Hearts Lusts as God by the Psalmist says My People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsels 4. Nay sometimes God takes away the Gospel from them as he did from the Jews that rejected Christ refused the chief corner-Stone Therefore I say unto you The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof What can be a worse Judgment this befel that People and it hath not been restored to them ever since When God removes the Gospel it may be long before he lets a People have it again nay perhaps never 5. Moreover for neglecting the great Salvation God sometimes brings upon a People or Nation fearful temporal Judgments and puts them it may be into the Hands of cruel Enemies For thus he dealt with the unbelieving Jews he brought the Romans in upon them that burned their City and Temple so that it is said Wrath came upon them to the uttermost 6. God sometimes will not save Persons with Temporal Salvation because they neglect Spiritual Salvation so that they may read their Sin if the Lord opens their Eyes in their Punishment But it is not God's usual way under this Dispensation to inflict Temporal Punishment on such that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel but he reserves his Wrath to another World and therefore let none think though they escape his Judgments here that they shall escape his Judgments and Wrath hereafter that they shall not be able to do as you heard But no more at this Time HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I AM upon the third and last Point of Doctrine which I observed from our Text viz. That there is no possibility for such or any one Soul of them to escape that neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel The last Day I shewed you First What those things are which they shall not escape Secondly Why they cannot shall not escape who are guilty of this Neglect Thirdly I am now to shew you When or at what Times they that neglect Gospel-Salvation shall not escape 1. In the Day of common Calamities and desolating Judgments that will come upon the Earth there is Beloved a dismal Hour spoken of in God's Word that is not yet come yet no doubt it is very near in which but a few shall escape I am afraid many good Men who have been remiss and negligent in and about the great Concerns of Christ and of their own Souls shall not escape I mean
evil it is to proceed no further but if he cannot then he is oblidg'd by the holy Law of Christ to take one or two more and go to him and strive to convince him and bring him to a sight and sense of his iniquity but if he cannot do it then it ought to be brought unto the Church and if he will not hear the Church then the Fan of Excommunication is to be used in the Name of Jesus Christ and they purged out As to such who rend themselves from a Church or violate their sacred Covenant by irregularly withdrawing themselves they ought to be marked and solemnly in the publick Congregation declared to have withdrawn rent and cut off themselves from the Communion of the Church and no longer to be owned nor lookt upon as Members and none to Communicate with them until they have given satisfaction by Repentance The Second part of the Fan of Discipline is that rule laid down by the Apostle of withdrawing from every Brother and Sister that walketh disorderly as such that are Busibodies Tatlers or Idle or such that neglect their Duties in attending on the Church in times of solemn Worship or that make Parties or cause Division in the Church and refuse to live in Obedience to Christ under the due and just Government thereof or to obey them that are set over them in the Lord or who strive to have the prehemience like Diotrophes being Vain-glorious prating against or despising of Dignities or the just Authority of Christs Ministers or Angels of his Churches as the beloved Apostle speaks 3 Joh. 9 10. Wherefore if I come I will Remember his deeds which he doth prating against us with malicious Words and not content therwith neither doth he himself receive the Brethren and forbideth them that would and casteth them out of the Church These are to be marked and withdrawn from 2 Thess 3. 6. Not to be counted as Enemies but exhorted as Brethren Unless they provoke the Church to further and a more severe Censure Some of this sort oft-times strive to draw away disciples after them and seek to disquiet the Peace of the Church and in a fawning and flattering manner to deceive the hearts of the Simple therefore these if they will not hear the Church are to be quite fanned out also by Excommunication and to be looked upon as an Heathen-man or Publican as in the Case of Notorious and Scandalous Sinners or such who are guilty of Heresie Mat. 18. Fifthly Jesus Christ hath also another Fan in his hand to purge his floor or cleanse his Wheat from the Chaff filth and defilement of Sin namely the Holy Spirit and by this means he cleanses and Purifies in a gracious manner the Souls of his own People Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God What filthy Creatures were those Corinthians before the Lord Jesus by his Spirit had purged and Sanctified them Faith of the the Operation of God is a most excellent Grace it is by Faith in the Blood of Christ that we come to be purged from the Guilt of Sin Faith applying his Merits and Righteousness unto the Soul in Justification and such is the Nature thereof that it makes holy the Hearts and Lives of all such Persons in whom it is by the Spirit wrought or infused in Sanctification And hath put no difference between them and us Purifying their hearts by Faith Yea it cleanseth them from all filthyness of Flesh and Spirit that they may perfect Holyness in the fear of God But let me tell you that the Spirit and Grace of Christ in this respect is as a Fan rather to Cleanse the Saints by purging out the Chaff of Corruption which naturally is in their Hearts and Lives than to purge Hypocrites and gross Professors out of the Church and to that I Principally referr here 6. Moreover Christ hath the Fan of Persecution or the Sufferings of the Cross and all other afflictions which he brings upon his People which he uses to purge and purify their Souls and his Churches too And from hence Afflictions are compaired to a Refiners fire He shall set as a Refiners fire and Purifier of Silver He that is the Messiah i. e. our Lord Jesus Christ this is his Work viz. to purge his People who in this Place are compared to Silver and Gold that is refined As in my Text they are likened unto Wheat in this he is compared to a Refiner and hath his Furnace in the other to an Husbandman and so hath his Fan. Both these Texts allude to the same thing and doing the same work namely to sever and separate the clean from the unclean the Gold from the Dross the Chaff from the Wheat And evident it is that Persecution Trials and Afflictions commonly make a great discovery who are Wheat or pure Gold viz. Sincere Believers and who drossy and chaffy Professors If Wheat Persecution purges and purified them But if they are Chaff it usually fans them away But he that received the seed in stony places the same is he which heareth the Word and anon with joy reciveth it Yet hath he not root in himself but endureth for a while for when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended Thus the fan of Persecution purges these Chaffy Professors out of Christs Spiritual floor or rather his garner Namely his Church into which in a day of Liberty they got and had a place but they cannot bear the Wind and blast of Affliction and Tribulation And as it purges out much Chaff so also the Wheat is thereby refined and made more clean and fit for the Lords use Of so great benefit is Persecution to Gods Church that they cannot some times be without it it is if need be that we are in heaviness if we need it not or if Christ sees there is no need of it we shall never feel the Rod He doth it not for his pleasure but for our profit that we might partake of his Holiness And this Jehovah by the Prophet further makes known to us This is the fruit of all the taking away your Sin And thus the Lord purgeth away the filth of the Daughter of Sion and the Blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Judgment and by the Spirit of burning The Rod of Affliction or Furnace of Persecution cannot purge out the filth of Sin that is in the Lords People without the operations of the Holy Spirit The Spirit is called a Spirit of burning because like fire it burns up and consumes the Filth Chaff and Dross that is in us Before Trials and Persecution comes Christ seems to have a very great floor a great heap or much Corn but when he comes to try them with this fan in his hand one great part
either a Talkative or else full of vain Boasts magnifying and admiring himself and lessning the worth and worthiness of others His vain and light Tongue discovers a vain carnal proud and empty heart some unprofitable matter in discourse or another you shall observe these people will be full of May be talk and prate of this Man or that Woman to pick up one thing or another to their reproach who are gracious persons and instead of discoursing of a Sermon they have heard or telling their Experiences may be they will tell you what Garbs Cloaths and Dresses such and such People had on or else they talk of their earthly and worldly Affairs or some Idle Jests Stories or foolish Talk but little of God besure is in their mouths when they are out of the sight and hearing of sober and pious Christians Indeed as our Saviour intimates how can they being evil speak of good things there is much vanity in their unsanctified Hearts and their Tongues discover it For out of the abundance of the Heart the mouth speaketh a good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment For by thy word thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned God will not only condemn men for evil actions but their evil words also shall rise up against them at the great day And as the gracious words which proceed from a sanctified and renewed Christian tends to his Justification especially when the main design and purport of his Speech tends to exalt and magnifie God and his Free-Grace in Jesus Christ so the evil words of the unsanctified Christian tends to his Condemnation and declares him to be but meer chaff or a hypocritical person but if idle Jesting and foolish Talking is the Character of a vain man what is a detracting and back-biting Tongue a Tongue that is set on fire by hell who vilifie and render odious such who truly fear God that are not guilty of those foul things laid to their charge such persons are not like to ascend Gods holy hill nor abide in his Tabernacle viz. That taketh up false and wicked slanders and reports against his Neighbour to lessen his reputation among Men And 't is with the greater aggravation when it is done out of Envy Prejudice or Malice and 't is further aggravated when 't is done to a Minister of the Gospel on purpose to obstruct or hinder unthinking Christians to adhere unto his Doctrine or receive that truth which they see not but set themselves to oppose and gainsay who do not only in an undue manner spread such Reproaches but also raise them It is a great evil to divulge or propagate a fault committed by a Brother by making it publick when it was private they breaking thereby the express Precept of Jesus Christ Mat. 18. But it is far worse to publish false and groundless Slanders and Accusations of him or others And t is an abominable evil in such who are ready to entertain and easily to believe and greedily receive such Reports of him who deserveth it not Such men are by the Lord called vile persons Psa 5. 4. and are contemned by such that fear the Lord howsoever great and honourable they seem to be Moreover if it be so great an evil for men thus to use their Tongues or Pens to speak evil of and to blaspheme innocent men what is the Nature of their Crimes who curse and swear and blaspheme the sacred Name of God and the holy Jesus like as the Pharisees did who said this fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Belzebub the Prince of Devils ascribing that to the Devil that was proper to God alone and wrought by his almighty Power Christians if you would not be found chaff at the great day take heed of a reviling Tongue least you deceive your selves and all your Religion and Profession be vain He either decieveth his own heart saith our Annatotors in thinking himself religious when indulging himself in things contrary to Religion or else deceiveth his own heart being blinded with self love and lifted up with self-conceit which is the cause of his Railing Censuring and speaking evil of others Their Religion is vain empty and to no purpose having no reality in it self and bringeth no Benefit to them O what a Reproach doth the talkative and prating person bring on the Name of God This Man this Woman say they is a Member of such or such a Church and see what vain talk frothy words and frivolous Discourse proceeds from their Lips But much more evil is in such who back-bite revile and defame others as was hinted before This I say may discover such to be but chaff 2. They appear to be Chaff not only by their light vain idle and back-biting Tongues but also by their light Behaviour for the lightness of the heart is as much discovered by a loose and airy Deportment as by loose and vain words their wanton Looks and rowling Eyes or other unseemly and uncomely carriage shews in part what they are they being not of a grave sober and serious spirit but behave themselves as if they had no sense of the Omnisciency of God upon their hearts nor of his holiness not setting the Lord always before them gives cause to all to fear they are but chaff 3. Their light empty and airy Attire Dresses and antick Fashions which they wear and take delight in doubtless too much discovers the Lightness Vanity and Emptiness of their Spirits I am perswaded these high and shameless Head-dresses which some Women appear in that come into Christian Assemblies are but as Tell-tales of the Vanity Pride Emptiness and Haughtiness of their hearts who but they that sell Wine will put forth a Bush I cannot see how a sober serious Christian Woman should be satisfied to wear such Antick Dresses Their Souls sure must needs blush at the Thoughts of them when they consider whose Eyes behold them First Many gracious Men and Women with no little trouble And in the second place their faithful Ministers to the wounding and grieving their Souls Thirdly And a multitude of loose and ungodly People who reproach and laugh at them and cast contempt upon Religion on that account Fourthly And which is more the holy Angels they come into our Assemblies and observe all both Males and Females how they do adorn their Profession and behave themselves Women should cover their heads because of the Angels they ought to be in subjection and therefore before all things their head ought not to be exalted but to lye low and be modestly attired no doubt t is a palpable Breach of the holy Precept for 't is not a modest dress becoming Women
lead them to Repentance and may be hate reproach and persecute the People of God nay and are guilty of Blood crucifying Christ afresh in his Members Now I say they might be convinced of all these and many more great Aggravations of Sin and yet after such a taste fall away themselves and become as bad as the worst of them I have mentioned 4. They might have a taste of the terrifying Powers of the World to come even such a taste as Felix had who trembled when he heard Paul preach of Hell Wrath or of Judgment to come This I find our late Annotators intimate to be meant hereby Some of them say they were affected with the powerful Doctrines of the Gospel concerning the Final Judgment as their Natural Conscience was wrought on by the Spirit in the Word they felt it as if it were begun in them the Sparkles of God's Wrath having set their Consciences in a light Flame for their Sins This is a tasting of the Powers of the World to come with a Witness 5. They may taste of the constraining Powers of the World to come so that their Consciences might curb them and put a Bridle on their Lusts so that they might not run into Sin as others do the fear and dread of another World keeps them in awe and restrains them for a time from committing any open or secret Acts of Wickedness and by the Power of this constraining Grace they might as you have heard reform their Lives as to become other Men and Women 6. Moreover as the Powers of the World to come may refer to the Everlasting Joy and Comfort of the Saints they might also have some seeming taste of the sweetness thereof I mean they might have a sight and sense of that happy State the Righteous shall be in in the World to come and they finding Christ to be a Redeemer and that he came to save Sinners from Wrath and to purchase Everlasting Blessedness may have some hope of Interest in that Redemption from Wrath and of being made happy eternally in the World to come they might promise to themselves a part in the first Resurrection and their Hopes herein might be as a sweet taste of the Joys and Consolations of that Day Mr. David Dickson speaking of this Passage saith They may taste of the Powers of the World to come that is saith he in contemplation of the Blessedness promised to the Saints in Heaven and have a natural desire of it as Balaam desired to die the Death of the Righteous Thus many of the Jews rejoiced in John's Doctrine He was a burning and shining Light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his Light It was but a taste of Joy it did not continue it was but for a Season 1. It is but a Taste or Savour that arises from an enlightned Conscience not from a renewed Heart 2. It is not a taste that makes them out of love with this World or to be weary of it or to die to it though they seem taken with the Thoughts of the World to come yet they value this World no doubt too highly 't is this World that is in their Hearts 3. It is not a taste of the World to come that changes them into a meet and sit State to be partakers of the Glory and Blessedness of it as the Saints are said to be giving Thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light 'T is not a bare taste can do this no nothing but a thorow change of Nature or a spiritual receiving and feeding by Faith on Jesus Christ 4. It was not such a tasting of the Powers of the World to come that made them long for it and to seek it with the full bent of their Wills and urgency of their Affections and to contemn all the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this present evil World for it as Moses and all the Holy Patriarchs did For they that saw such things declare plainly they seek a Countrey and confessed they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth 5. It was a tasting not a feeding on Jesus Christ and a digesting of his Word they come not to experience the Powers of the World to come were begun in them setting them against Sin Satan and this World 6. And lastly It was a tasting but no saving Relish no Soulcraving after a true Interest in the Glory of the World to come they did not find the Power of the Resurrection and last Judgment in themselves And that tasting that doth not secure the Soul against a total and final Apostacy as Union with Christ doth is not to be valued or accounted of APPLICATION 1. I told you Brethren at first that touching these Persons Attainments here is nothing spoken of Union with Christ of the Faith of God's Elect of Regeneration Love to God and to his People nothing of Adoption Justification nor Sanctification and so nothing that is pecusiar to a true Christian nothing of those things that accompany Salvation 2. It appears they are like the Ground that oft receives the Rain that falls upon it and yet bears or brings forth Briars and Thorns therefore they are nigh unto cursing whose End is to be burned and this the Apostle hints of them in Vers 7 8. 3. This informs us that Men may go a great way in a visible Profession of the Gospel by common Influences of the Spirit and Light improved by natural Powers and yet be in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity 4. O bless God for the least degree of saving Grace Have you love to God to his poor Saints Do you minister unto them for Christ's Sake then have you obtained to a higher degree of Attainment than those ever had and no cause to fear your spiritual State and Condition Thus I have passed through the second thing I first propounded to speak unto namely What those Attainments are that are spoken of the Persons in our Text. I shall now come to the last thing to shew you what is spoken of them Thirdly What is spoken of these Persons consists of two Parts 1. That they may fall away 2. That it is upon their so falling away impossible for them to be renewed by Repentance It is the last of these I purpose to speak of viz That it is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance either to such a Repentance they once had or to true saving and Evangelical Repentance The Reason is by the Holy Ghost added Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame 1. It is not doubtless impossible in respect of God's Absolute Power had he not limited himself by an unchangeable Decree But if he hath determined to deny Grace and all saving Influences of his Spirit to these Apostates that makes it impossible for them ever to be renewed which shews us that
the Power to change the Heart is not in the Creature it is God's Work on the Soul 't is he that stamps his own Image upon us and if he withdraws the Influences of his Holy Spirit from Men or refuses to give Grace to them in order to bring them to Repentance and to believe in Christ they must perish Now God will not afford these Persons that so fall away the Assistance of his Spirit in order to the working the great Work of Faith in them therefore it is impossible for them to be renewed He saith not saith one it is impossible they should be saved but that it is impossible they should be renewed unto Repentance these Apostates Salvation is impossible because their Repentance is impossible He that never repenteth can never be saved for he that repenteth not shall not have Remission of Sin and if the Holy Spirit be utterly withdrawn from Men it is impossible they should ever be renewed to Repentance 2. The Persons therefore here intended do not repent cannot repent Repentance is hid from their Eyes they never endeavour after Repentance they are left to hardness of Heart and to final Impenitency by the Lord as a just Judgment for their horrid Evil and cursed Apostacy possibly they may fall under Terror and Despair yet never desire or look after Repentance on God's Terms Brethren it is not impossible for the greatest Sinner in the World to be renewed that hath not sinned against the Holy Ghost or whom God hath not wholly given up to blindness of Mind and to hardness of Heart All manner of Sins and Blasphemy against the Father and the Sun shall be forgiven unto Men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. And all Vnrighteousness is Sin and there is a Sin unto Death 3. God leaves these Persons for ever he utterly casts them off And wo unto them saith he when I depart And may say unto them and much more as he said once unto Ephraim Ephraim is joined unto Idols let him alone He commands his Ministers to let them alone and not striâ—e with them reprove not exhort them any more He saith unto Conscience Let them alone check curb reitrain nor rebuke them any more He saith unto his Spirit Let them alone move them or excite them to perform Religious Duties no more strive with them no more for ever No Doctrine no Word no Rod no Affliction or Judgment shall do them good any more for ever This Spiritual Judgment is the worst of all Judgments and so makes it impossible for them ever to be renewed unto Repentance for there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries 4. God puts an end unto all expectation concerning them he looks for no more Good from them he exercises no more Care about them no more Labour Pains nor Patience towards them God affords no more Means of Grace for their Conversion Repentance is hid from their Eyes he says Let this Ground lie barren for ever it shall never be plowed sowed nor watered any more for ever He looks for no more Fruit he will not dress it nor dung it any more his Sun shall shine upon it no more nor shall the Rain fall upon it from Heaven any more wo unto such Souls God saith to them as Christ said when he cursed the barren Fig-tree Never Fruit grow on you any more 5. God in Judgment and Wrath gives these up to a reprobate Sense to hardness of Heart to blindness of Mind and to a seared Conscience and they become notoriously Wicked being filled with Rage and Madness full of Envy and Malice against God and against Christ and against all that fear God 6. And usually they are left in severity to their sensual Lusts and become notoriously Wicked and Prophane nay rather worse than the worst of Carnal Persons that never were enlightned at all And so he gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsel They are left or given up unto Satan to be led acted and influenced by him and are commonly also carried away into pernicious Errors and Delusions even to believe a Lie that so they may be damned because they received not the Truth in the Love of it that they might be saved And many times they become Persecutors of God's People reproaching vilifying and contemning all Religion Quest What a kind of Sin is the Sin against the Holy Ghost And what sort of Persons are they who may sin this Sin Answ 1. I shall shew you first in the Negative what a Sin it is not Namely all Sin or Sins whatsoever that any carnal Person who to this Day abode under the Power of Natural Ignorance and never was inlightned by any Operations of the Spirit commits for such cannot commit the Sin against the Holy Ghost it being positively said That they are such who were once enlightned 2. It is not every Sin which is against Light and Knowledg for no doubt but David and Peter sinned against Knowledg and the Light of their own Consciences and after they had been enlightned yet were recovered and renewed unto Repentance 3. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is not every Sin that is committed against the Holy Ghost for he that grieves the Holy Spirit and that quencheth the Holy Spirit sins against the Holy Spirit nay all wicked Men who sit under the Preaching of the Gospel no doubt sin against the Spirit whilst they resist the Strivings and Motions thereof 4. It is not any hainous and abominable Sin as Whoredom Perjury Murder no not Self-Murder not the murdering of the Saints of God nor putting Christ himself to Death by wicked Hands or the murdering of the Lord of Life and Glory Paul was guilty of the Blood of Stephen and many of the Jews were pardoned who might have a Hand in the barbarous Murder of the Son of God 5. It is not every wilful and presumptuous Sin for multitudes of wicked ignorant Persons so sin daily for whom there is Mercy and Pardon upon Repentance though they have a Whore's Forehead and refuse to be ashamed 6. It is not every degree of Apostacy or Backsliding from God A true Child of God may be guilty of a partial Apostacy for thus Israel sinned and fell from God nay backslid so far as to turn to cursed Idolatry yet God offered them Pardon Return backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord c. 7. Nay I will not say that every malicious Sin against God's People is the Sin against the Holy Ghost when Men hate the Saints for their Religion and Goodness though it be one of the highest Degrees of Wickedness because therein their hatred against God himself is manifested But what may not a Man do that
Majesty in the Heavens a Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle c. or the true Church the Church of the First-Born which the Jewish Church was but a Shadow a Type of But now he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry he excelâ— all Ministers all true Ministers are but his Substitutes and must one Day be accountable to him he is the Great Shepherd and chief Bishop of our Souls This is he that speaketh from Heaven who came from Heaven himself and received his Doctrine from the Father as Mediator and as the great Minister of Righteousness O how shall they escape that refuse such a Preacher one that speaketh from Heaven nay him that is God over all blessed for evermore Where the Word of a King is there is Power Who shall not then attend upon the Word of this King this great and mighty Lord Sinners with what Awe and holy Trembling should you attend on the Word of this Salvation that began first to be spoken by the Lord Christ may be said to speak in and by the Prophets nay to speak to Adam But this speaking doubtless refers to his personal speaking when he was on Earth There may be said to be a threefold beginning of the Gospel-Ministration 1. In Predictions by Promises and by Types 2. In the immediate Preparation of it and so it begun in the Ministry of John the Baptist 3. In the open clear and actual Ministration of it and thus it begun to be first spoken by our Lord himself upon his Baptism for then he entered upon his Ministry and it was carried on afterwards by his Apostles and other Ministers that he appointed and by his Church he daily still does appoint and in an ordinary manner authorize Men to preach it But O how great is this Salvation that God should please to send his own Son to preach and publish this Salvation Brethren should a King lay aside his Crown and throw off his Princely Robes and come into the Pulpit and preach the Gospel would not all wonder at it and flock to hear him David was a King and yet a Preacher Solomon was a King a mighty King and yet a Preacher but what poor and igneble low-born Kings nay base-born Kings were they to this King who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Certainly this is Matter of highest Concernment or of greatest Moment of all things in the World and before all things to be regarded Did Christ in Person speak from Heaven to Men on Earth and make known to them this Salvation Moreover he speaks still he it is that speaks to you now Day by Day by us his poor Ministers who may be you are ready to slight and despise in your Hearts yet know Christ's faithful Ministers personate him they are his Ambassadors they represent the very Person of Christ Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God He that heareth you saith Christ heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Little do Sinners think what they do when they sleep under the Word disregard slight and despise the Word of this Salvation in the Mouths of Christ's Ministers Christ's Ambassadors See what Christ himself saith And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your Words shake off the Dust of your Feet Verily I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that City All this is because it is Christ's Word and Christ that speaks to you by his Servants the same Contempt that is shewed to the Ambassadors of an earthly King is shewed to him and he treats them as if it were done unto himself Moreover the Esteem and Honour that is shewed to an Ambassador in receiving his Word or in hearkening with awe and respect to what he says in his Master's Name is shewn to the King Ministers are not to be esteemed or had in Honour for their own sakes but for Christ's sake But if you love Christ honour Christ you will love and respect his faithful Servants and hearken to what they speak unto you in his Name and by his Authority Thirteenthly The Salvation of the Gospel is great and glorious if we consider the wonderful Confirmation and Ratification of it in the Days of the Gospel in the Primitive Time Which first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will The Apostle brings this in also as a farther Demonstration of the Greatness of the Salvation of the Gospel namely the consideration of the miraculous confirmation thereof God is said to bear witness to the Gospel and to the Salvation thereof there was never such Witness born to any Truth as is to the Truth of the Gospel For 1. All the Prophets bore witness to it 2. John the Baptist was sent to bear witness to it 3. The Apostles were also Witnesses chosen of God to this end nay and we have the Witness of God himself And the Father himself that hath sent me hath born witness of me The Father bore witness at our Saviour's Baptism and at the Transfiguration by a Voice from Heaven 4. We have the Witness and Confirmation of the wonderful Miracles that our Lord wrought But I have a greater Witness than that of John for the Works which the Father hath given me to finish the same do bear witness to me that the Father hath sent me That which was a Witness of Christ's being the true Messiah was a Witness of the Salvation he hath wrought 1. He raised the Dead opened the Eyes of the Blind even of him that was born blind he cast out Devils he caused the Lame to walk the Dumb to speak he cleansed the Lepers and healed all manner of Diseases and Sicknesses among the People and all to confirm the Truth of this Salvation no Man ever did such Works 2. Moreover the Holy Ghost was given in a miraculous manner unto the Apostles and others they were filled yea baptized with it they spake many strange Languages and all this was 1. To confirm and fully to prove that Christ was the Son of God and Saviour of the World 2. To confirm the Truth of his Doctrine and every Precept Ordinance and Promise thereof 3. To assure all that believe of the certainty of their Eternal Salvation and that they should never perish And also 4. To assure all that believe not that repent not but live in Ways of Sin and Wickedness that they shall all be damned It confirms particularly that word Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish and that word Except a Man be born again
When People hear the Cry of Fire in the Night how do they cry out Where Where Alas this Fire seizes not on your Houses nor Goods no nor on your Bodies only but on your Souls it has already kindled even the Wrath of God which no Sinner can escape that neglects this Salvation God's Wrath is compared to Fire and it has perhaps already taken hold of some of your Consciences but if it be not kindled there yet it is kindled in God's Anger For a Fire is kindled in my Anger and shall burn unto the lowest Hell O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter End 2. Is the Wrath of God so terrible and can no Unbeliever or impenitent Sinner escape it what cause is here for them all to tremble Suppose you should be told that this Night you shall certainly not escape Death neither you nor your Wife nor Children but that your House shall be burned down your Goods Self Wife and Children shall all be burned to Ashes and that this Judgment you shall not escape would it not be startling and terrifying Tidings if you should believe it But alas what would that be to this doleful Tidings viz. that your precious Soul and Body as well as your Wife and Children and all belonging to you if you and they do neglect the Means of this Salvation and not believe in Christ and become new Creatures shall in a short time be in everlasting Flames and undergo intolerable Pain and Punishment from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power which you shall not escape for the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Nay and it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for you or for that Soul who refuses the Offers of Christ Pardon of Sin and Salvation through him Fifthly It may be for a Lamentation to see how few understand the Nature of this Salvation and study the Mysteries of it or desire an Interest in it and also to see how many make light of it whilst others by dangerous Errors seek ways to eclipse the Glory of God's Free Grace therein Remember those Demonstrations you have heard to open the Greatness of the Salvation the Gospel Sixthly This reprehends such who are more affected with Temporal Salvation than with the Spiritual and Eternal Salvation of the Soul and also all such that defer looking after and striving to get an Interest in it Seventhly By way of Exhortation 1. Let me exhort you to praise God for Jesus Christ who is the Author and Finisher of this Salvation Christ is all and in all in our Salvation God hath sent us an Almighty Saviour O how miserable should we have been for ever had not God sent us Jesus Christ 2. Let me exhort you to admire the Love of Christ in coming to work out this Salvation What hath he born and undergon to save our Souls O love and exalt this Saviour and eclipse none of his Glory 3. Be exhorted to praise God for affording you the Knowledg of Gospel-Salvation O how few are they who have heard of this joyful Tidings But few Nations of the World have this News sounding in their Ears viz. the Gospel preached to them they have no declaration of it God shews his Soveraignty herein he reveals himself and the Knowledg of Salvation to whom he pleases And indeed many dark Parts of this Nation have but little of the Mysteries of the Gospel made known to them What People in the World have greater cause to admire God's distinguishing Grace and Favour than we that live in and about this City London is exalted to Heaven in respect of the Means of Grace O that it may never be brought down to Hell as our Saviour threatned Capernaum 4. From hence also I might exhort you to bless God for faithful Ministers who publish the Salvation of the Gospel to you How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings that publisheth Peace that bringeth good Tidings of Good that publisheth Salvation Let it appear you highly value and honour your faithful Ministers by your diligent attention on the Word and Doctrine they preach For Motives consider 1. God has ordained Preaching as the ordinary Way and Means to work Faith Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And to increase and strengthen Faith also 2. God is gradiously pleased to assord Men a Day or a Time of Visitation in which he offers Terms of Peace unto them Take heed you do not like Jerusalem lose your Day and neglect the Means God affords you 3. You know not how short your Day may be and if you lose your Day you will lose your Souls also The Harvest will end with some and they not saved And that you may not lose the Day of your Visitation take a few Directions 1. Seriously think on the sad and woful Condition which naturally you are in being dead in Sin and Children of Wrath and if you die in that Estate you are lost for ever 2. Let your Thoughts now be let out on your latter End for when the Night comes no Man can work This is great Wisdom and every Man's Duty we none of us know how soon our great Change may come And what will you do if you live in the neglect of the Means of Salvatio even until God cuts you off 3. Pray that the Wind of the Spirit would blow upon your Souls The Wind bloweth where it listeth it bloweth at God's Command when on whom and how he pleaseth The Spirit is that great and only Agent that must work Faith in you quicken you and regenerate your Souls 4. Therefore see that you do not quench the Spirit but improve all the Convictions thereof 5. If you would have an Interest in this great Salvation you must have an Interest in Jesus Christ the great Saviour If you do not receive Christ by Faith but refuse him sad will your Condition be for no Christ no Salvation Quest How may I know that I have Christ or an Interest in him Answ 1. If thou hast Christ thou hast Life thou art spiritually quickned And as thou hast Spiritual Life so also thou hast Light thy Eyes are opened I mean the Eyes of thy Understanding 2. Thou canst remember the time when thou hadst no God no Christ or wast without Christ and it is much if thou art not able to tell how when or after what manner thou didst meet with him whether it was by the Word preached or by reading or by some Affliction c. 3. If Christ be thine he is very precious to thee Canst thou say with David Whom have I in Heaven but thee neither is there any on Earth that I desire beside thee And with the Spouse My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Paul