in his Epistle to Titus c. 2. pressing the duties of severall ages sexes and orders of people to ver 11 useth this with other weighty arguments that Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works ver 14. Thus also Peter exhorting the elect to be active in the wayes of holinesse not fashioning themselves to their former lusts 1. Pet 1. from ver 10. to v. 18. useth this as a most forcible argument among others ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ Arg. 1 The First Argument is drawn from Gods honour that is the chief work of Christ our Saviour wherein God is most honoured but God is most honoured in the saving his people from their sins therefore is this the chief work of Christ c. That that is the great or chief work of Christ wherein God is most glorified will need little proof for that must needs be the greatest work that most effectually atteineth the highest end And what end higher than the glory of God which was the supreme end of all Christs undertakings Joh. 17.4 That God is most glorified in the saving his people from their sins is manifest by its contrary God is most yea onely dishonoured by the sinnes and not all by the sufferings e As a cause or occasion given of his dishonour although the wicked take occasion to blaspheme God when his people are brought low Psal 79.10 12. of his people Gods people by their holinesse glorifie him and he is much honoured in the midst of their sufferings whereas Sin dishonours him in the midst of ease and abundance of mercies Gods honour Will well agree with the sufferings of his people but Sin is directly injurious to his glory though by accident he gets himselfe glory by it as he at first produc'd light out of darkness Thus God is much honoured by the great sufferings of Job while he sinneth not Job 1.20 21. yea God is so much honoured that he makes his boast against Satan of his Servant Job cap. 2 3. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause And on the contrary how much is God dishonoured by our sinfull ease and prosperity yea most dishonoured by it in those that are redeemed from the guilt and punishment of sinne The grosse miscarriages of Gods people give occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme his name and wayes Thus when David had foulely offended saith the Lord by his Prophet Thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 The crimes of Professors are ever the most scandalous yea the sins of Gods dearest children are most offensive to God himselfe because they are also committed against the greatest mercy and loving kindness The Lord in this case is ready to say with the Psalmist Psal 55.12 It was not mine Enemy that reproached me then I could have born it But when a Sinner is saved from his sins God is much honoured both before Angels and Men. Arg. 2 The second Argument is drawn from the greatnesse of the evill of sin above suffering That must needs be the greatest work in our Salvation whereby we are saved from the greatest evill but sin f It is better for a man to be cast into the torments of Hell among the Damned than to be overcome with any Sin Hookers Souls Prepar pag. 16. See Master Burroughs his Treatise of the Evill of Evills is the greatest evill and therefore our Salvation from it must needs be answerable That sin is the greatest evill is evident for many reasons 1. It is the procuring cause of all other evills and therefore must needs it self be the worst of evills The cause is ever more eminent than its effect whether for good or evill a good cause is better than its effect and an evill cause is worse That sin is the onely procuring cause of all evills is without controversie for as sin entred in the world death entred by sin and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5 12. And the wages of sin is death saith Paul Rom. 6.23 Death temporall with all the evills of life as sicknesse wounds sorrowes and whatsoever else tendeth to Death and Death eternall All the horrour of hell is the fruit of sin the foundations of Hell are laid upon sinne Hell the worst of torments was built meerly for sinners therefore sin must be the worst of evills And because that sin is the Souls greatest evill and unhappinesse it is that when God comes to deliver a Soul out of meer pity and bowels of compassion his Eye chiefly pities them and his Bowells yerne over them because of their misery in sinne it selfe as you may read at large Ezek. 16. the former part of the Chapter And the saving mercy that he sheweth his love in is opposed to hardning in sinne rather than damning for sinne Rom. 9.18 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth And the punishment of sinne with sin we account the greatest judgement 2. Sinne is Mans greatest evill because it hinders him from the enjoyment of the greatest good which is God himselfe It is sinne onely that separates between God and the Soule this is the onely partition wall Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you 3. Sinne is the greatest evill because of all things it is most displeasing to God the chiefest good yea there is nothing displeasing to God but sinne primarily and this is an abomination to him and therefore Sinnes are called in Scripture abominations Ezek. 9.4 And the Lord said unto him goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof Prov. 15.9 The way of ths wicked is an Abomination unto the Lord. And God doth so loath sinners for their sinne that he will not abide them in his sight The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity saith David Psal 5.5 But the evill of suffering is not at all in it selfe displeasing unto God Yea he himselfe who is infinitely good is the Author of it and there is no evill of suffering but what comes from him as the principall efficient Can there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 As by being saved from sinne Arg. 3 Man is
into hell under the eternall wrath of God Sure thou sayest in thy heart I will hereafter return to God sometime or other before I die I intend to repent and lay fast hold upon Christ at the last and I hope I may be saved then as well as if I do it now Hast thou not some such reasonings in thy heart as these To which I answer thou art ready to plead thy own inability now and say I cannot repent believe and turn to God it is not in the power of a naturall man to do it Why then dost thou promise what thou wilt do at the last will it be any more in thy power then than now is it out of the power of a strong and healthy man to repent and lay hold upon mercy offered and is an aged sick or crasie person able to perform it Consider well of it and give me a reason why thou shouldst be better able to doe this great work when thy body is decaying and thy memory and understanding declining and thou unable to frequent the publick Ordinances than now while strength of body and mind and means of grace do all concurre together Obj. But thou wilt say I hope God will give me grace then and enable me to do it Answ 1. God offers thee his help now yea his saving grace why wilt thou not accept of it 2. What reason hast thou to think that Christ will bestow upon thee that grace at the point of death that thou hast wilfully refused all the dayes of thy life Nay hast thou not reason to expect that before that time thou shalt be judicially sealed up to blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart for refusing so many of the Lords gracious offers of mercy Thus it befell the Jewes in the like case Isa 6.9 10. And the Lord said go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed When the terrours of hell and death take hold on thee and thou criest to God maist thou not justly expect that the Lord will be as peremptory in refusing to hear thy cries and complaints as thou hast been in refusing to obey his voice in the daies of thy prosperity Read and consider well Prov. 1.20 to 31. Zech. 7.13 Therefore it is come to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of hosts Read the foregoing verses 3. Let me ask thee how many thou hast seen converted to Christ in their old age that lived constantly under the means of grace in their younger yeares The work of grace is wrought most commonly upon those that are in the prime of their age gray-headed sinners seldome repent Why wilt thou then promise thy selfe so much in old age 4. Tell me plainly and deceive not thy own soule while thou shiftest thus Is not pardon of sin and justification that thou maist be delivered from a place of torment the great mercy thou hopest for and is not this the end thou proposest while thou promisest thy self future repentance If so thou dost but deceive thy own soule Christ came to save thee from thy sinnes and not meerly from the tormenting wrath of God Christ will be a whole Saviour or no Saviour he will deliver thee from the power of thy sin here or he will never deliver thee from hell hereafter Think not that a little counterfeit sorrow at the last will prevaile with the Lord to pardon thy sin O study well the offers promises and threatnings of the Gospel now for I feare thou art as yet ignorant of the nature of saving grace I believe thou dost much cheer up thy selfe with the consideration of Gods goodnesse riches of grace mercy and long-suffering and think thy selfe by these sufficiently secured 'T is true indeed the consideration of these may comfort the humble selfe-denying converting sinner and are well made use of to lead us to repentance But thou that continuest in sinne upon this score after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.4 5. Obj. But what kinde of legal preaching is this Is this to preach salvation by Christ This is more like the voice of the Law than of the Gospel more like the thundring and lightning from mount Sinai than the voice of Christ from mount Sion Ans 1. I well remember ever since I knew what a Sermon meant till these late years that the most thundring rouzing sin discovering heart-searching Preachers were most highly prized and followed by all that were esteemed godly and the wicked and profane were wont to call them damnation preachers and desired to heare such as would preach them a Sermon of mercy I wonder now how it comes to passe that so many professors in these times are fallen in with the profane multitude to revile such messengers of Christ Sure there is a harmony between the theory at least of the one and practice of the other The Antinomian Professors plead grace is free and God hath so revealed himself that we need not doubt of his love it doth not become a Gospel-spirit to repent of sin or grieve for any miscarriages their sins were all long since done away in Christ neither ought they so much as once question their spiritual state neither should Ministers preach any thing but Free-grace and mercy in Jesus Christ And the wicked and profane say God is mercifull and Christ died to save sinners and hereupon take liberty to go on in sin impenitently never questioning their spiritual condition but hope to be saved by Christ as well as the best And the Antinomian sort of teachers will fit them for preaching according to their own hearts desire Either all our old Professors or these new ones are much mistaken But you will say These are times of greater light and many of our young Professors now see that that our ancient Professours understood not in former times Answ These are times wherein Professors are more light than formerly but whether they have more light I much question Some men have or at leastwise think they have much light in their heads but little in their hearts and their Religion is much in controversies but little in the life and power of godlinesse 2. Light is of two sorts First the light of bare knowledge and if this be the light so much boasted of the Devils and damned in hell may boast more for they know more than all the Saints upon earth Secondly there is the light of grace seated chiefly in the heart and shining forth in the life and conversation and this if I mistake not yea if Christ mistake not is the true light of
This Objection is very satisfactorily answered by Mr. Baxter in his method for peace of conscience Dir. 9. Prov. 21. â— Let not the Devil delude thee with that vain objection The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord therefore thou must not pray If thou art obstinately resolved to go on in thy wickednesse then hearken to his voice and forbear to pray but if thou seest a necessity of salvation and thy heart be by all these or other arguments inclined to seek after it forbear not to cry mightily to thy God for help Suppose I should say unto thee thou must not plough for Solomon saith the ploughing of the wicked is sin thou must not sow or labour in thy calling for being an unbeliever it is impossible for thee to please God in it Thou must not eat or drink because thou dost not do it to the glory of God Wouldst thou not answer I must follow my calling or else I must be a beggar and utterly undone I must eat and drink or else I shall soon be famished no man but he that desperately careth not for his life would refuse his necessary food Is not the case alike as to thy spirituall condition No man but he that is desperately set to lose his soule methinks can be perswaded from praying to the Lord for help When Jonah had preached the destruction of Nineveh if another had come and told them they might save their labour for fasting and praying their prayers would be but an abomination to the Lord and do them no good Would they have hearkned to such counsel Nay did not the Lord give a gracious returne to their prayer Suppose the Lord should smite thee with some violent incurable disease and death should stare thee in the face one of our Novelists should come and tell thee thou hast been hitherto a wicked creature and it is but in vain to pray thy prayer will be but an abomination to the Lord wouldst thou not loath to look upon him that should speak thus to thee and account it devillish counsell wouldst thou hot say I must pray or perish And if a man that hath been wicked may yea concludes he must pray and cannot be at peace unlesse he pray when the judgements of God are upon him or hang over his head why may he not set himself to seek God while he hath health liberty and a free injoyment of the meanes of grace for his help Was it not to the wicked that the Lord said Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is neere See ver 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him And is it not charged upon the workers of iniquity as their greater sin that they call not upon the Lord Ps 14.4 How oft did the Lord call upon the wicked Israelites to humble their soules and seek his face and how oft did he heare and deliver them from their distresse Hast thou not read of Ahabs Humiliation and what successe he had Make not thy self worse than a wicked Ahab lest he rise up in judgement against thee and lest the men of Nineveh rise up in judgement against thee for they fasted and prayed and humbled their soules at the preaching of Jonah and behold a greater message than that of Jonah is sent unto thee It is easie to prove by many texts of Scripture and arguments from Scripture that it is a wicked mans duty to pray and unlesse any man will undertake to prove that it is his duty to continue in his wickednesse he will speak but little to the purpose against it Some can say by experience that the first speciall work of God that ever they perceived on their hearts was while they were praying unto him and though they began to pray formally yet they were brought to pray seriously before they ended the same prayer And if by blind guides thou wilt be perswaded to forbeare praying let the character of a wicked sot remain upon thee Psal 14.4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who call not upon the Lord. And let the portion of the wicked be reserved for thee Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God The second branch of the use of exhortation I shall direct to such of you as are spirituall Labour in the use of such means as God affords you to save your souls from sin This is the great work of Christ and this must be your great work also in subordination to him Whosoever thou art that effectually called thou art called to holiness God hath given thee a principle of grace to this end that thou mayst warre against corruption and walk in a holy conformity to his will O remember that sin is thy greatest misery and holinesse thy reall happinesse The godly mans happinesse consisteth in the remission of sins and sanctification of the soul Thus the blessed man is described in Scripture by both these parts of his blessedness 1. Remission of sins Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 2. By sanctification Psal 1.1 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly c. Ps 119.1 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart These are not meere qualifications of the persons to whom blessednesse doth belong but are reall and most considerable parts of blessednesse it self Sin as I have shewed you is your great misery therefore holinesse is your great happinesse O how happy is a holy life Well might Solomon say Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour even as much as spiritual liberty is more excellent than Satans slavery O then labour in the feare of God to walk uprightly before him in all holy obedience as thou desirest to be blessed Jam. 1.25 Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed w Signifiâ—cat in ipsa actione sitam esse beaâ—tiud neÌ„ non in auditione frigida Calv. in loc I do not say blessed for his deed meritoriously but blessed in his deed really It is contrary to the glory of Gods grace to make our holinesse and works meritorious of our future happinesse and it is a diminishing of Gods mercy to us and our own happinesse here to make our graces and sincere obedience meere signes and evidences of our good estate here and our title to heaven hereafter They are indeed signes but I say not meere signes for they are the chief part of our happinesse here and a part
Arguments by way of Expostulation with them p. 183 The Carnall Plea I hope God will give me grace at the last Answered p. 189 Close preaching defended in answer to the objection of those that call it Legall preaching p. 192 Ten directions to carnall persons p. 203 Such ought to pray p. 211 2d. Particular Exhortation to such as are spirituall to labour still after their Salvation from Sin Holinesse is their reall Happinesse The Saints are blessed in doing though not for doing the will of God There is something of destruction in every sin p. 215 Ten Directions under this use p. 222 3. To such as are doubtful of their Condition to try by their Sanctification whether they are in a state of Salvation p. 230 Five Marks for triall p. 231 4. To such as are in a state of Salvation to praise God p 243 Foure Considerations moving them to thankfulnesse ibid. 5. To such to praise God for being saved from particular acts of Sin p. 247 6. To use this as an argument to leave their sinful condition in the world p. 252 7. To help on the Salvation of others by Admonition c. p. 257 The indirect courses of many that would get loose from this duty blamed p. 258 This duty we owe both to the Godly and Vngodly p. 262 CHAP. VI. The Use of Consolation Comfort to such as are in a state of Salvation 1. Against the fear of falling away p. 267 2. In assurance of full deliverance from Sin at the last p. 273 CHAP. VII A Parallel of the Lords joynt carrying on the work of Sanctification and Justification from the first to the last in nine Propositions with some Corollaries p. 277. READER Do thy self and the Author so much right as to correct these few faults and pardon some others of lesse moment ERRATA PAge 5. l. 15. persons p. 11. l. 4. not at all p. 16. l. 20. Heb. 12. p. 18. l. 25. specifically p. 38. l. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 64. l. 10. Christs work p. 66. l. 20. inward parts p. 79. 8 and did l. 24. hath done p. 91. l. 15. to thy p. 94. l. 26. miserable p. 100. l. 19. mis-imployed p. 103. 12. seducers 110. 28. to the commission p. 128. 21. eos qui in p. 130. l. 22. blot out so p. 133. l. 14. wranglings p. 150. l. 9. strong cities p. 151. l. 5. the work l. 11. this wile p. 158. l. 7. for onely r. also p. 164. l. 26. for and r. as p. 165. l. 2. invitations p. 169. l. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 170. l. 4. blot out up p. 201. l. 9. formerly p. 204. l. 19. the cup. p. 215. l. 8. that art p. 218. l. 30. to his lawes p. 219. l. 9. the assistance p. 224. l. 17. heedlesse p. 226. l. 13. findes thee p. 263. l. 13. enough p. 283. l. 6. purposed In the Margin P. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 45. l. 3. dele p 58. l. 4. didicimus l. 14. praeventus l. 20. nivibus p. 63. l. 24. ipsum p. 128. schismaticos Salvation from SINNE BY JESUS CHRIST CHAP. I. MATTH 1.21 And thou shalt call his name JESUS for he shall save his people from their sins WHen I first seriously considered that saying of the Apostle concerning Christ Heb. 2.16 a Supereminet enim omni scicutiae tua inestimabilis charitas quam ostendistri in nobis pro sola pictate bonitate tua Fâ—lius namque tuus rex noster nusquam angelos sed semen Abrabae apprehendit assimilatus nobis per omnia absque peccato Humanam itaque non angelicam suscipâ—ens naturam eam munere sanctae resurrectionis immortalitatis glorificans vexit super omnes coelos super omnes choros angelorum super Cherubin Seraphin collocans ad dextram tuam Hanc laudant angeli adorant dominationes tremunt potestates coeli coelorumque virtutes ac beata Seraphin socia exultatione concelebrant Aug. Theol. conf par 2. c. 11. Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham I could not but much admire the work of God in leaving Angels the best of his creatures to perish eternally for their Sinne and sending his onely begotten Son to become a Saviour for fallen man 'T is true I have long since learned that the Angels fell without a Tempter and therefore justly perished without a Saviour But were it not as just with God too that Man should perish without remedy for making so much b Willet on Gen. 3.23 gives ten arguments to prove that Man fell in the day of his creation and quoteth many antient Authors to that purpose Mr. Walker in his treatise on the Sabbath argues much for it And it is generally concluded that Man fell soon after his creation hast to obey the Tempter against so reasonable easie and expresse a Command of God his Maker If it be said that only some of the Angels fell from God and all mankinde was lost in Adam and God therefore saves a remnant of Adams posterity that he might have of both sorts to wit Angels and Men eternally to serve and praise him It may be answered that God did so is true but that therefore he did so is not manifest To which may be further added that Angels being more excellent capable able agile creatures the fallen Angels being legions of them would have been able to doe God more service had they been restored than all the generation of mankinde Yea if God would needs have men to serve him he might have created more I may say at an easier rate c Magis clucebit haec misericordia divina si quanti Deo constiterit haec secunda hominis reparatio cogitemus creavit bominem primò ad imaginem suam voce verbo suo sed reparavit secunaò morte senguine suo Dav. in Col. c. 3. ver 10. than he redeemed these But God whose infinite perfection receives no augmentation from Men or Angels but is above all their service useth the meere good pleasure of his will in his dispensations both of justice and mercy He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth and in so doing how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out God deales with Angels and men as he did with Esau and Jacob he leaves the elder by nature and praerogative the more excellent and chooseth the younger that it may appeare that the work depends upon the meere good pleasure of his will And all that we can say in this is what Christ himselfe spake in another case Mat. 11.26 Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Taking this then for the onely satisfactory answer Behold the goodnesse and severity of God on the Angels that fell severity but towards fallen man goodnesse in that he sent his Son made of a Woman that so being bone of our bone and
instance in one or two of them First that Pelagian Heresie that denies the propagation of Originall sinne They say we derive sinne from our parents onely by imitation How shall that enemy be destroyed that is concealed and denied How shall a man labour to mortifie this body of sin when he denies that we beare any such body about us Surely Rahabs hiding the Spies was not more effectual to their preservation and the ruine of the city Jericho than this Pelagian doctrine is to the saving of sin and the utter ruin of the soul Whoso covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 2. The Antinomians teach that no man ought to doubt of Gods love but immediatly believe that his sins were eternally pardoned and himself justified and that whatever he doth he need not be in care or doubt God sees his sin no more the Lord takes no notice of the sins of his servants say they abusing that Scripture to that end Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversenesse in Israel And repentance they affirm to be the voice of the Law not of the Gospel Is not this the very way of the carnal multitude to sin without godly sorrow and yet perswade themselves of an interest in Gods saving mercy What is this but to turn Faith into a meere phantasie And whither doth this tend but to make sinners secure in the midst of the greatest misery O how many soules are this day poysoned in England with this damnable doctrine and how sad will the account be of those that have so grosly deluded them to deny the doctrine of repentance to be Gospel-doctrine is no lesse dangerous and destructive to soules than that Popish doctrine that denies Justification by Faith in the alone merits of Jesus Christ I will not now stand to confute this presumptuous doctrine it being improper in a use of reproof and it hath been well done already by other n By Mr. Gataker Mr. Anth Burgess others hands But I shall leave a few texts of Scripture to your consideration which you may peruse at your leisure for a sufficient confutation Exod. 4.14 2. Sam. 11.27 ch 12. to v. 13. Psal 51.2 Sam. 24. 1 Kings 11.29 2 Chron. 32.25 26. Luke 13.3.5 Romans 2.4 5. Acts 17.30 And here I cannot but take notice by the way of a tenent much applauded by some in these parts which carries all other errors in the belly of it and it is this That it is better that a hundred errors should be preached than one truth be lost To which I shall give answer First this supposeth that those who ordinarily preach Errors have some speciall truth to reveale that others are ignorant of But that is strange that a truth of God should be hid from all godly able and Orthodox Ministers of the Gospel and revealed to such as ordinarily maintain a multitude of errors When the Apostle 1 John 4.1 bids Try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world he intimates that seducing spirits are not of God that those that preach gross Errors are of the false Prophets that are gone forth Now that God should reveale his extraordinary secrets to such as these and hide them from his servants the Prophets is a secret indeed such I believe as was never heard of Secondly If this position be true the Jesuite may come in and plead for a childs part in this toleration for he will preach some truths with lesse than a hundred errors Thirdly This is a very strange way to preserve one Truth from being lost for if a hundred Errors be preached with one Truth it is most like that the hearers receive many of the Errors and lose the Truth that can scarcely be discerned in so great a crowd of falshood especially considering how ignorant the multitude is and how prone we are by nature to erre And a stranger way this is to nourish souls Truth is as wholsome food Error of a poysoning nature and if you cut and set before a child a hundred bits of poyson and but one bit of wholsome food and bid him eat t is a hundred to one but he poysons himself Fourthly When a Preacher preacheth Truth and Error mixed together he presseth all upon the hearers for truth Suppose then a hundred Errors and one Truth should be received by the people they lose a hundred truths for the gaining of one for in every error received there is a truth lost to him that receiveth the error because every error is contradictory to some truth Verily he that should lose five pounds to gain a shilling would at last be forced to cry Fie on the winning Lastly A hundred errors such as are in our daies were enough to make another Gospel or rather to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then tell me what meanes that saying Galat. 1.8 There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Consider also that saying Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them I might instance in divers other corrupt tenents tending to root out the power of godlinesse and that which makes the temptation the more strong and dangerous is that all manner of corrupt and rotten tenents go under the name of higher attainments True piety is accounted but old formality and the most wanton Opinionists are reputed for precious Saints But when Sathan transformes himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of the Gospel no marvail if a vizour of holinesse be put upon many strange faces even Familists and Ranters will be re-baptized by the name of Saints and Arius Pelagius Socinus c. must be canonized Doubtlesse his Holinesse the Pope hath much hopes of a great harvest amongst us for by this time he may be perswaded that many of those that were so hot against a few Ceremonies calling them the rags and remnants of Popery were offended with the rags because they were but rags and rejected the remnants of Popery because they had a minde to receive it by the whole piece What are the Doctrines of Arminius but pieces of Popery a little more finely dressed that they may be the more handsomely worne or a Popish dish more finely cooked to please the palate and so go the more easily down 'T is not long since this assertion that God did choose his Elect for some excellency that he foresaw to be in them was presented to some of you at a private meeting in a Lordly dish o By an Officer of the Army who quartered in town Surely Papists are glad to see us relish so many of
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which shall believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 1.15 16. 4. Consider how averse thou wast to the work of grace upon thy owne-owne-soul Rom. 8.7 The carnall mind is enmity against God not an enemy but enmity it selfe The saving mercy then thou sharest in was neither deserved nor so much as desired by thee yet the Lord pitied thee when thou wast in thy blood and hadst not an heart to pity thy selfe and said unto thee live he hath prevented thee with his goodnesse and was found of thee when thou soughtest him not O let thy heart and mouth be filled with the high praises of God and c Tamen quod nos oneratos obrutosque peccatis à contemplatione suae lucis aversos ac tenebrarum id est iniquitatis dilectione caecatos non omnino deseruit Misitque nobis verbum suum qui est unicus ejus filius quo pro nobis in assumptae carne nato atque pâ—sso quanti Deus hominem penderet nosceremus atque illo sacrificio singulari à peccatis omnibus mundaremur ejusque spiritu in cordibus nostris dilectione diffusa omnibus difficultatibus superatis in aeternam requiem contemplationis ejus ineffabilem dulcedinem veniremus Quae corda quae linguae ad agâ—ndas ei gratias satis esse contenderint Aug. de civ Dei l. 7. c 31. Quantum tibi sumus debitores Domine Deus noste tanti redempti pretio tanto salvati mysterio tanto gratis adjuti benificio Quantum à nobis miseris es timendus amandus honoâ—andus reverendus laudandus benedicendus qui sic nos amasti salvasti sanct ficasti sublimasti Quis diâ—ere quis cogitare sufficiat Aug conf Theo. par 2. c. 14. say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed my soule and hath raised me up a horn of salvation My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of my forlorn soule He that is mighty hath done great things for me and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy spirituall diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with his loving kindnesse and tender mercies I will blesse the Lord while I have a day to live yea the terme of this life is too short to praise thy name O Lord. O let my soule for ever live that being filled with the fulnesse of God and love of Christ which passeth knowledge I may admire and praise the breadth and length and depth and height of thy richest grace and may with the heavenly quire of Angels sing blessing and glory and honour to God in the highest and to the lamb of God that taketh away my sin who sitteth upon the throne to all eternity Amen Hallelujah Exh. 5. Blesse God for every act of sin the Lord hath delivered thee from so far as thou canst observe it Hath Satan at any time assaulted thee with his temptations or hast thou been sorely endangered by thy own corrupt inclinanation to commit sin and hath the Lord prevented thee by any meanes whatsoever Thou hast cause to blesse his name If we have gotten a remarkable victory in warre we take it for our duty to set apart a day of thanksgiving for it If we are recovered from sickness or delivered from any eminent temporall danger we think we are bound to returne praise to God and so we are And should we not be as thankfull yea more thankfull for Gods manifold gracious preservations of us from spirituall dangers Suppose thou wert travailing on a journey with a great charge of money about thee and a company of robbers set upon thee and when their hands were in thy pockets and their Swords and pistols at thy brest God should by a speciall providence bring passengers that way who come in in the very nick of time to save thee both from wounding and robbing Wouldst thou not looke upon it as a speciall favour and be thankfull to God for so great a deliverance and be thankfull and loving to those that came in for thy help Thus is it in thy spirituall condition Thou art as a wayfaring man travailing towards home and thou carriest a precious treasure about thee and how oft hath Satan and his instruments set upon thee to rob thee of what they can and wound thy soule And how oft hath the Lord delivered thee by sending in seasonable checks of conscience motions of his spirit reproofs counsels and advice of Christian friends and instructions by his messengers whereby thou hast been delivered And hast thou not cause to blesse the Lord for thy preservation and for the meanes whereby thou wast preserved Are not spirituall dangers greater then temporall and is not the consequence of them more dangerous if they prevaile And is not the mercy of such a deliverance the more highly to be prized 1 Sam. 25. and God more highly to be praised David hath herein given us a very pertinent example When he sent his servants to Nabal for provision and Nabal returned them back empty with a churlish answer David partly by the instigation of Satan and partly by the heat of his own provoked passion rashly resolved to destroy Nabal all that pertained to him before the morning light and was marching up with four hundred men at his heeles for the execution of his purpose But the Lord sent in Abigail by his gracious providence with seasonable and spiritual counsel whereby David was prevented of the execution of the evil he had intended Now David was presently apprehensive of so great a mercy See how heartily he blesseth God for keeping him from the sin of self-revenge and blesseth the instrument also whereby he was preserved 1 Sam. 25.32 33. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand And again ver 39. When David heard that Nabal was dead he said blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and hath kept his servant from evil Thus consider with thy self Hath the Lord at any time delivered thee from the attempts of thy spiritual enemies whether by violent onsets or by more subtill contrivances Call upon thy heart to affectionate praise and thanksgiving for so great a
mercy and say Satan with the world and my own corrupt flesh have handed themselves together and assaulted my soul with greatest violence They came upon me furiously to swallow me up quick and I was unable to withstand them for they were stronger than I. Then cried I unto the Lord in my distresse I said thou art my refuge I fly to thee for help Save me O my God and deliver my soule from the hand of mine enemies I have no power or might against them but mine eyes are upon thee In the day that I cried the Lord answered me and strengthned me with strength in my soule He saved me from my cruel enemies he set my feet upon a rock and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth even praise unto our God I will love thee O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high tower I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him Who is God save the Lord and who is a Rock save our God My spirituall enemies conspired against me with one consent they communed of laying snares privily for my soule saying Who shall see them They took crafty counsel against me to take me unawares and my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt I was almost taken in their net But the Lord was my helper he preserved my soule Blessed be the Lord who hath not given me up as a prey to their teeth d Gratias tibt ago piissime Deus qui me de multis angustiis triâ—ulatienibus calamitatibus usiseriis infirmâ—tatibus de multis foveis laqueis peccatis da multis infidiis visib lâ—um invâ—sibilium mimicorum de multis malis opprobriis adversitatibus corporis animae bactenus liberare dignatus es dirigens miscricorditer marabiliter vitam meam inter adversa prospera ita ut nec adversa me valde dejicerent nec prospera elevarent Posuisti enim propietate bonitate froenum tuum in maxillis meis non me dercliquisti penitus in manuarbitrii mei habens curam mei paterna pictate non permittens me amplius tentari supra id quod potuerim sustinere Ubi erat locus peceandi non crat voluntas quando voluntas erat non fuit locus Sit itaque tibi laus benedictio sit gratiarum actio c. Aug. Cons Theo. par 2. c. 17. but hath delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares my feet from falling My soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and I am escaped Blesse the Lord O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Thus consider I say what particular deliverances of this kinde thou hast received Hast thou been set upon by violent temptations to Atheisme Blasphemy or the like and hath the Lord preserved thee Hast thou been allured by pleasing baits to Lust Pride Covetousness or such like Evils hath the Lord withheld thee from them O consider what abundant cause thou hast to be thankful spiritual deliverances are not to be slighted And know that the more thankfull thou art for such mercies already received the better shalt thou be able to resist future temptations Exh. 6. Use this as an argument with thy self to make thee willing to leave this unhappy inticing world and thy sinful condition here for so it is in great measure at the best for that happy condition wherein sin shall be no more but thou shalt be perfectly saved from it O check thy self for being so busie in building tabernacles on earth and saying in thy heart It is good to be here Was it not thy sin alone that made thee miserable was it not this that defaced the Image of God in thy soule and cast thee from the Paradise of God to the very Brink of Hell Did not Christ come into the world live a wearisome life and die a miserable death to save thee from thy death in sin was not sin the burden of thy soule and the sorrow of thy heart under which thou groanedst when the Lord first awakned and rouzed thee out of thy carnal security Did not thy sin cause thee to cry mightily to God for salvation and deliverance when thou sensibly perceivedst thy lost condition And was not this the work that Christ took in hand when he called thee effectually to himself Hast thou complained of sin and professed to hate it thus long How comest thou now to plead a forbearance for thy mortall enemy Sure thou canst not dream with the dreamers of this age of a state of perfection here in the body Doth not experience tell thee that corruptions arise daily and hourly in thy heart which is a continual spring of sin Thou canst not walk work or go about any worldly businesse but sinful vanities are still flowing from that fountaine within thee Thou canst not hear pray or perform any part of Gods worship but this cursed carnal inmate calls away thy heart to other objects Check thy heart for gadding recall thy thoughts from wandring and how soon will they be gone again though thou make it thy daily work to watch pray and strive against sin thou canst prevent it but in part though thou daily weedest out the rambling tares and choaking thistles that hinder the growth of the good seed yet thou canst not rid thy field of them but they spring up afresh every morning If thou art negligent for a while what head do they get and how hard is it to bring them under again Is not this thy sad condition and art thou unwilling to be delivered from it Is sin so delightful a companion If it be so to thy flesh it cannot be to thy spirit or else thou art not spirituall Didst thou rejoyce when thy Redeemer brought thee out of thy worse than Egyptian bondage and art thou unwilling to enter into the heavenly Canaan of rest Is it better to be alwaies wandring e Cui peregrinatio dulcis est non amat patriam Si dulcis est patria amara est peregrinatio Aug. in Ps 86.7 in the wildernesse of sin wa st thou glad to see the foundation of thy happinesse laid and art thou loath to see the superstructure reared and completed Did it revive thy spirit when Christ first drew thee out of thy sinfull state and art thou afraid at last lest he should perfect thy deliverance Death is indeed in it self an enemy to nature and a part of the curse due for sin and therefore cannot be desirable for it self But learn to look beyond it unto Christ thy Saviour whose presence is most desirable as Paul did having a desire to depart and
sorts of persons among us admitted to all Church-priviledges but I would not have the common sort so lightly cast off as they are by some as if it were no part of our duty to seek their spirituall good And what shall we say of those who censure their Minister for not suspending from the Lords table some that have offended though he know nothing of the offence when they themselves that know it will not so much as once admonish them which is their manifest duty Men are very ready to complaine of others for that wherein themselves are chiefly in fault And it is too usuall sad experience tells us for people to complain both of the Minister and Congregation to which they belong when themselves never once set about the duty of private members I know that in so great a place as this there is far more ministeriall work than we two and twice two more are able to perform yet will some find fault because we cannot do our own work and theirs too that so they may be quit from the troublesome duty of admonishing an offending brother But is not this to binde heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on other mens shoulders when they themselves will not touch them with the least of their fingers I doubt not Brethren but both you and we shalloperform our duties defectively at the best as long as we live here yet let us faithfully and cheerfully set about each man his part and do it as we are able without casting it off from one to another This duty Brethren you owe as you have fit opportunity both to the godly and ungodly Doe you see carnall persons in the height of wickednesse and think you therefore they are not to be medled with Is not their case the more to be pitied and their cure if it may be the more seriously minded God doth often reclaim the worst of sinners and he doth it in the use of his own meanes whereof private admonition is one When Jerusalem suffered the saddest desolation heedless passengers were grown hard-hearted towards her she affectionately cries out Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow So may we say on the behalf of poore sinners Is there any misery like unto the misery of those that lie in the ruines and desolation of sin Is there any evil like unto this and is it nothing to you all ye that regardlesly passe by If the deepest misery be the meetest object of pity and the greatest poverty the fittest object of charity then here may you bestow your spirituall almes very cheerfully here are objects enow amongst us fit for your exercise Though you may take such a sinner for one that is without and judge him unfit to be called by the name of brother yet vouchsafe him the priviledge of a neighbour Lev. 19 17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Give me leave to make use of the parable of our Saviour Christ of the wayfaring man travelling from Jerusalem to Jerâ—co that fell among thieves Satan and inbred corruption have conspired together and wounded a poore soul leaving him in a dying and perishing condition O be not as the Priest and Levite that seeing passed by on the other side but put on rather bowels of compassion with the good Samaritan bind up his wounds and pour in oyle A seasonable reproof from a sympathising heart may be as a precious oyle as saith David Psal 141.5 and by thus shewing mercy on him you shall truly deserve to be called his neighbour This duty you must exercise towards those that are godly also as need and opportunity requires The faithfull have much need of each others help in this as well as other wayes and they are the more bound to it as being fellow-members of the same body called to that unity for mutual help How much might Christians advantage each other were they but faithful in the performance of this necessary duty But alas how little is done in it Remember I beseech you what I have formerly taught you in divers Sermons from Mat. 18.15 16 17. wherein I handled the graduall proceedings of this duty Remember also what you have lately heard from my Fellow-labourer from Gal. 6.1 and let not this duty remain as it doth almost wholly undone Observe the rule of Christ and in private offences begin with private admonition for if the offence may be put away privily it is not the mind of Christ that the offender should be put to open shame h This use is excellently and largely pressed by M. Baxter in his Saints rest part 3. ch 12 13. wherein he gives directions for the right performance of this duty sets down the common hinderances answereth objections against the performance of it and giveth motives to all Christians to set about it and particularly presseth it at large upon Ministers and patents with directions to them I might here descend in this exhortation to speak more particularly and to stir up persons according to their relative obligations to be subservient to Christ in this great saving work But I will not now branch forth into so many particulars being desirous to hasten towards a conclusion of this Subject I shall therefore in generall desire all especially such as are godly Husbands Wives Parents Masters and other friends of intimate acquaintance to improve their interest in such as they are so related to for the promoting of this saving work of Christ If your children through Gods blessing upon your faithful endeavors become the children of God and your servants the servants of God If you that are husbands and wives be instrumentall for the espousing of one the other to Christ that so you may walk hand in hand in Heavens way and meet in Heaven to abide together with the Lord for ever after a little time of separation by death how beneficial and comfortable will such indeavours be both to you and them God be honoured in both The Lord hath given great encouragement in his Word to the faithfull performance of this duty Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Dan. 12.3 And they that be wise or teachers shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as starres for ever and ever CHAP. VI. LAstly If this Salvation from Sin be the Work of Christ then this is matter of consolation to all such as are in a state of Salvation in divers respects especially in these two which I shall particularly mention 1. Here is comfort against the fear of falling away 2. In assurance of full freedome at last from all their sins