off from pressing Care and Diligence on the Mariners 4. That God who hath ordained the End I tell you again hath also ordained the Means Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. We are chosen in Christ that we may be holy and without blame before him in Love Nor can any ever come to any well-grounded hope he shall be saved or know he is elected unless he is holy heavenly spiritual watchful and diligent in all Gospel-Duties which is the Fruits and Effects of Election 5. The Decree of Election considered absolutely in it self without respect had unto its Effects is no part of God's revealed Will that is it is not revealed that this Man is and that Man is not Elected This therefore can be made neither Argument nor Objection about any thing wherein Faith and Obedience are concerned 6. The Sovereign and ever-to-be-adored Grace and distinguishing Love of God is laid down in the Word of God to be the greatest Motive to Holiness imaginable Who maketh thee to differ from another O that God should open my Eyes call me by his Grace may a Believer say Shall I sin against him because his Grace so abounds to me God forbid If God hath elected me I may live in Sin walk as I list is the Language rather of a Devil than of a Man much less of a Saint I speak the more to this because I would shew you that are Believers what Improvement you ought to make of God's Free Grace and Love to you Put on therefore as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved Bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of Mind Meekness Long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another And as Moses said Consider what great things God hath done for you Object 4. If I shall persevere to the End what need is there of those Take-heeds in the Scripture Why are we bid to watch and take heed lest we fall Answ This is all one with the former besides I answered it largely when I first entred upon my Work but yet let me add a word or two further 1. A Child of God may sin and fall grievously and greatly dishonour God and bring Reproach on the Gospel which may tend to grieve some and harden others nay he may lose his Comfort and Joy of God's Salvation therefore hath need to watch Satan is a strong a vigilant and cunning Enemy O see what Reasons you have from thence to watch and pray 2. If you grow careless carnal or indifferent in the Matters of Religion it may be a sign that your Hearts are not right with God Many of the Members of the Churches to whom the Epistles were directed were no more than Professors and if so they were liable to fall away and perish for ever Object 5. But same Branches in the Vine may bear no Fruit but may be cut off and wither c. Answ I have also fully answered this Objection already see the Argument taken from our Union with Christ There is a twofold being in Christ an External being in him by a Profession and a true Spiritual being in him Object 6. If Christ died not for all what ground have I to believe he died for me Answ 1. What doth it signify to believe Christ died for all unless thou findest the Effects of his Death in thee Many thousands shall perish notwithstanding Christ died for them in their Judgment that make this Objection yea the generality of them for whom he died therefore unless all were saved what Encouragement is there to believe from hence 2. He that believes shall be saved If thou therefore dost believe thou shalt be saved Is not this a better Ground of Faith than that of Christ's dying for all 3. A bare believing that Christ died for all I have proved is no Ground of thy Interest in his Death for that may be without any Fruits or gracious Effects 4. Thou hast the same Ground to believe as any have or as such had who do now believe before they did believe or as they had once who now are in Heaven 5. Christ died for the chiefest of Sinners and the Promises of Mercy upon believing are made to the vilest Sinners on Earth 6. Great and black Sinners have found Mercy and are now in Heaven even some of them that put Christ to Death And is here not Ground of Faith and Hope for thee 7. Remember that if thou believest not but dost continue in thy Sin and Rebellion against God thou shalt be certainly damned thy rejecting of Christ will have that Effect at last upon all Unbelievers 8. Moreover Christ calls to stout-hearted Sinners such that are far from Righteousness He brings his Salvation near to them He calls upon a People not called by his Name He hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also that God might dwell among them And is not here a good Ground to venture thy Soul upon Jesus Christ be thou who thou wilt 9. No Person is excluded by the Lord that we know of Can any Man say there is no Mercy for him unless he hath sinned against the Holy Ghost which may be not one in an Age is guilty of The Nature of which Sin I purpose to open after I have closed with this Text. Thy Condemnation O Sinner will be of thy self God will judg the World in Righteousness this we are all agreed in and set down as an undeniable Article of our Faith None shall have this to plead at the last Day I was not Elected God will vindicate his Justice and Righteous Proceedings in the Day of Judgment and all Mouths shall be then stopped and every Man's Conscience be a Witness for or against him And though foreseen Faith and Holiness is not the Cause why any are elected yet foreseen Wickedness is the Cause why Men are reprobated O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Object 7. But is it not said Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Answ 1. This Text the Papists do abuse as well as the Arminians who strive to make Man a Co-worker or a Partner with Christ in our Salvation But this the Apostle intends not because we are saved by Grace For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works 2. Whoever it is that brings in this Text as an Objection against the Doctrine of the Saints Final Perseverance you may be sure is a corrupt Person in his Judgment and one that pleads for a Covenant of Works or joins the Creature with Christ as a Co-workein the Salvation of Man For if it be to be taken in their sense then it would follow that Man is his own Saviour for if I procure my own Salvation by Works or by working it out for my self I save my self or am my own Saviour or I
is a blessed Weight or a Weight of Blessedness so there is a Weight of Misery or a miserable Weight yea it is such a Weight as will crush the strongest Giant like a Mâ—th and break the Bones of the Mighty HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Fourthly THE last thing I proposed to do was To shew you why the Gospel is attended with dreadful Threatnings as well as gracious Promises And this I shall God assisting speak unto at this time 1. It may be in regard of him whose Word it is Where the Word of a King is saith Solomon there is Power Shall not the Majesty of God the great Law-giver be feared If I am a Master where is my Fear Brethren awful Threatnings become the Quality and Dignity of Christ's Person True in the Days of his Humiliation as touching those Personal Injuries and Wrongs done unto him he suffered and threatned not yet nevertheless for the Contempt of his Grace Salvation and infinite Goodness in the Gospel it is otherwise he doth now pronounce dreadful Threats Bring out those mine Enemies that would not have me to reign over them and slay them before me 2. Too great Lenity and Mercy we see among Men causes Contempt of the Person of a Prince it makes impudent Rebels ready to insult over him And now Brethren because it seems not to please the Wisdom of God or not to be good in his sight who is the great Soveraign of Heaven and Earth commonly to inflict Temporal Punishment on Gospel-Slighters and Gospel-Neglecters but to reserve their Punishment to another World shall not he therefore tell them what they must expect to meet with and undergo hereafter if they rebel against him contemn his Goodness Clemency and Mercy Is it meet that the Holy God should strike before he threatens or not shoot off his Warning-Piece before he lets fly his Murdering-Piece Can that stand consistent with his Infinite Goodness and Wisdom Shall he come secretly on his Enemies before he tells them of their danger Shall he condemn that in his Creatures which he allows in himself Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel It is God's good Pleasure as well as it is the Property of his merciful Nature to discover the future Misery of Rebellious Sinners to them before he brings that Misery and Ruin upon them 3. Shall the Laws of the Servant be clothed with fearful Combinations and Threatnings against the Transgressors thereof and shall the Law of the great Soveraign or Gospel of Jesus Christ himself have none at all that might seem strange indeed especially considering those that disobey or believe not the Gospel shall meet with far greater Punishment If the Word spoken by Angels were stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Recompence of Reward How shall we escape c. This being so there is reason that the Gospel should be accompanied with awful Threats 4. Because of the greatness of the Sins of such who do refuse reject or neglect the Grace and Mercy of God offered by Jesus Christ Certainly the Abuse of the greatest Goodness calls for the severest Denunciation of Divine Wrath and Vengeance Man himself being Judg Of how much sorer Punishment suppose you shall he be thought worthy Do you judg to whom I appeal what sore what bitter what grievous and unexpressable Wrath and Judgments they deserve who contenâ—n Jesus Christ or prove Apostates Revolters and Backsliders from the Gospel and slight his precious Blood â—â—ead under 〈◊〉 the Son of God Sure such deserve worse Punishment than those who 〈◊〉 against Moses's Law Now the greatness of their Sin who sâ—iâ—ht and neglect the Salvation of the Gospel I have already opened O call to mind what you have heard and you that are secure Sinners tremble What Wisdom do such despise what Goodness do they disregard what infinite Love and Patience do they abuse that neglect this Salvation Shall the Sinner cast Diâ—t in the Face of God and not be told of it Shall he slight an Interest in Christ and not know it will be his ruin in another World 5. Threatnings are contained in the Gospel to shew that God is Just as well as Gracious Nay Brethren the Justice of God never appeared to that degree to the Sons of Men by Moses's Law or any other way as it doth in the Gospel in that Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God is not spared when he stands as our Surety in our Law-place to bear our Iniquities God spared not his own Son c. He did not spare him as an Act of Love and Mercy but substituted and appointed him to be a Sacrifice for us and he did not spare him as an Act of his Justice when he was so substituted but he put him to Grief and made his Soul an Offering for Sin the Just for the Vnjust He was made Sin for us i. e. a Sacrifice for our Sin It pleased the Lord to bruise him This shews that God is just with a witness there was no other way found out to put away Sin to pacify Divine Wrath and shall the Sinner slight and trample upon the Mercy and Justice of God and not be told he shall not escape Divine Vengeance O Sinner think of it if God spared not his own Son who had Sin upon him only by Imputation our Sins laid upon him and none of his own Canst thou think to escape his dreadful Wrath who for not accepting of this Atonement this Salvation hast all they Sins charged upon thy own Head and must bear that vindictive Wrath that was due to thee for them You that think God is only a God of Mercy and Christ only a Lamb will find your selves at last greatly deceived for you will find that God is a just a severe and Sin-revengeful Majesty and especially he will appear so when he pleads with Sinners for the abuse of his Mercy and they will find Jesus Christ like a Lion who will at length tear in pieces his Enemies I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me for I will tread them in mine Anger and trample them in my Fury and their Blood shall be sprinkled upon my Garments and I will stain all my Raiment O remember that the great Day of the Lamb's Wrath will come he is a King and has a Sword as well as a Scepter a Rod as well as a Crown he is Just as well as Good and therefore it is that the Gospel is clothed with such Threatnings of Wrath and Divine Vengeance All the Perfections of the Deity appear and shall appear in our Lord Jesus Christ he being the express Image of the Father's Person 2 dly The Gospel hath its Threats as well as its Promises I might shew you in regard of Sinners 1. To awe
think Repentance a harsh Doctrine no no it is sweet and blessed Tidings to hear that there is Repentance vouchsafed to poor Sinners yea for the worst of Sinners Besides was not Repentance the very first Doctrine Jesus Christ preached when he entered upon his Ministry He calls upon Men to repent and believe the Gospel he declares there is a Way found out for Pardon and Remission of Sin And what can so kindly and sweetly excite or stir up Sinners to Repentance as the sight of the infinite Mercy and pardoning Grace of God through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Mercy only melts and breaks the hard Heart of guilty Criminals 3. To preach the Combinations and Threatnings of God's Wrath and Vengeance against all ungodly and impenitent Sinners who slight and neglect the Salvation of the Gospel can be no Legal Doctrine 1. Because the Gospel abounds with them yea and more fearful Threatnings than those were under the Law for the one were Threats of Temporal Punishment but the other are Eternal even the Denunciation of God's Wrath in Hell for ever 2. Because of the greatness of that Mercy and Divine Grace and Goodness which such who sin under the Gospel do abuse and tread under their Feet 3. To shew the Justice Headship and Authority of Jesus Christ who is God as well as Man that so all Men may stand in awe of him and dread and fear him because of his great Love and Goodness extended through his suffering for Sin and enduring the heavy Wrath of God for us and for many other Reasons which you have heard 4. Because the Threatnings of the Gospel do not only render God as a just Revenger but also as a merciful Redeemer not only as a Judg to pass Sentence but as a gracious Soveraign ready to give forth Pardon to all convicted broken and self-condemned Rebels The Law threatens Death but affords no Offers of Life on any Terms that can be attained to therefore no Encouragement given by it to Sinners to humble themselves it commands perfect Obedience but affords no Strength to perform it pronounces the Sentence against us but produces no Pardon for us it commands us to trust in God but reveals not a Mediator who is the immediate Object of Faith and Trust 5. The Threatnings of the Gospel are a Manifestation of God's Goodness As a Father threatens his Child from that Love and Bowels he hath to it that so it might not feel the Lashes of his Rod and Anger And O how are Gospel-Threatnings mixt with alluring Motives and endearing Arguments and Perswasions intimating how ready God is to pass by our Offences if we submit our selves to him and accept of the Offers of his Grace and Favour If such preaching of Wrath therefore be Legal I must acknowledg my great Ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Besides how long are the Threatnings of the Gospel deferred before executed The Contemners of the Law died presently as well as it discovered no Remedy But so it is not here God seems to be ready to forgive and slow to Wrath he waits long before he strikes and brings Wrath and Judgment upon Offenders as well as he directs them to a way to escape Secondly I shall shew you what is a Legal Doctrine or Legal Preaching 1. The Doctrine or Preaching of such Persons is legal that say that all who will be eternally saved must arrive to a perfect and sinless Righteousness in themselves i. e. keep the Law perfectly and sin not in their own Persons or they cannot be justified William Penn speaking of that Text Rom. 2. 13. Not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified saith From whence how unanswerably may I observe that unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfilled it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern Now this is a Legal Doctrine with a witness these Men would be look'd upon as true Preachers of the Gospel but let all Men be aware of them Is any Man able perfectly to keep the Law if so why doth the Apostle say What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son c. Besides if there had been a Law that could have given Life verily saith Paul Righteousness should have been by the Law And again he saith By the Works of the Law no Man is justified and if Righteousness come by the Law then is Christ dead in vain Christ it seems by what this Man saith came only to fulfil the Law as our Example that we might conform to him therein and so be justified by it But he forgot that we and all Mankind have broke the Law and stand charged and condemned thereby unto eternal Condemnation and who shall make Atonement for that Breach and deliver us from the Curse thereby incurred No Doctrine can cast higher Contempt upon Christ and invalidate his Suffering and Justification by Faith alone in him than this Doctrine doth 2. Such preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Obedience by us to the Law or Gospel either as the procuring or moving Cause and Condition of our Justification and Eternal Life 3. Such also preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Wrath and Divine Vengeance to scare or frighten Men out of their Sins and as if by the bare leaving and forsaking of Sin Men might escape Death and Wrath. Such a Doctrine as Reverend Dr. Owen notes may fill an unregenerate Man with Horror and servile Fear whereby as Bond-Servants or Slaves by the Whip of this Doctrine they may be forced to break off from some gross Acts of Sin and perform some outward Duties of Religion which otherwise they are unwilling to do for as it is not from Love to God nor from Faith in Christ so they find no Delight nor Sweetness in it but being often remiss and seeing cause to doubt of the Sincerity of their Obedience they fall under Terror and slavish Fear they only acting from an enlightned Conscience and not from Faith or renewing Grace These Men neither love the Law nor Gospel tho they are forced to keep up in some degree of Obedience to it 4. Such preach a Legal Doctrine that affirm Man 's own Faith and inherent Righteousness for the sake of Christ's Merits is part of our Righteousness to Justification in the sight of God and that Christ hath procured or merited a mild Law of Grace of Faith and sincere Obedience in the room of the Law of perfect Obedience Which Law of sinless Obedience Christ having given to God a full Recompence for our Breach of he hath taken that Law-away and that so far as we faithfully live up to this new Law of Grace we are justified in
their Bodies to be burned and yet be destitute of saving Grace or of true Love to God and therefore not self-condemned Hypocrites whose Hearts condemn them and yet be far from the State of sincere and renewed Christians APPLICATION 1. O see what Light what Spiritual Light you have received and what Convictions you have had the experience of 2. Which do you account the greatest Evil Sin or Suffering the Torture or Pain you feel or the Sin you have committed Do you groan most under the sense of Sin and want of Holiness or under the presages and fear of Hell and Damnation May be you cry out your State is sad but what think you of your Sin which is the Cause of it 3. Be exhorted to labour after true Spiritual Illuminations and thorow Convictions of Sin Motives 1. Sin will be your Pain and Sorrow first or last either here or hereafter 2. Consider what a good and gracious God you have offended 3. Without effectual Convictions there will be no true Conversion and where the first is indeed wrought the last will follow those that God kills in this respect he will make alive 4. Remember the Word never comes with Power until Convictions come with Power and also abide on the Soul and Conscience of the Sinner 5. Consider that it is better to be broken in Mercy than in Judgment better here than in Hell 6. Remember that true and thorow Convictions tend to let out the Life or Power of your Sin and consider also what Means of Convictions God is pleased to afford you 7. Sinner Christ was wounded for thy Sin look up to him nothing breaks the Soul rightly you have heard but a sight of a broken and crucified Christ HEB. VI. 4 5. For it is impossible for those c. I Have closed with the first Qualification or Attainment of these Persons spoken of in my Text I shall now proceed to the Second And have tasted of the Heavenly Gift 1. By the Heavenly Gift some understand the Heavenly Doctrine In that sense it may be true for Herod had some kind of Taste of the Heavenly Doctrine which John the Baptist preached he heard him gladly or with Joy As the Baptism of John is said to be from Heaven so all the Truths and Ordinances of the Gospel may be said to be but one intire Heavenly Gift 2. Others by the Heavenly Gift understand the Holy Ghost according to that in Acts 8. 20. Thou hast thought the Gift of God may be purchased with Money So Acts 10. 45. That on the Gentiles also was poured the Gift of the Holy Ghost Quest But what Gift of the Holy Ghost is it which these Persons are said to have a taste of Answ 1. The miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost in the Times of the Gospel in the extraordinary Gifts thereof which are said to come down from Heaven in a way of Eminency as Acts 1. 4 5. and of those Gifts these Persons might have some taste either by their receiving those Gifts themselves for that unsound Persons may do And in thy Name we have cast out Devils so 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. And though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have not Charity I am nothing or else they may be said to have a taste of those Gifts by being wonderfully affected by beholding the miraculous Operations of this Heavenly Gift wrought by others 2. By tasting of the Heavenly Gift it may refer to the Doctrine of the Gospel it may denote their making some trial by Hearing and diligently attending on the Doctrine of Salvation there is a tasting for trial either to receive or refuse as we commonly do Meats or other things Every tasting is not a digesting Men taste before they eat and digest food These Persons may taste of the Doctrine of Justification taste of the Heavenly Gift or Doctrine of God's Free Grace taste of the Ordinance of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and seem also to like the Heavenly Gift well in all these and in other respects yet may feed all the while on some one Lust or another on the Love of this World or on their carnal and sensual Pleasures and because they were never savingly renewed having no new Nature they could not feed on spiritual Things so as to digest them No doubt it was or is such a tasting as the full Stomach takes sometimes of Food a full Stomach will taste yet refuse to eat they have no Appetite these being glutted with the Love of other things the Heavenly Gift is not so sweet to them as Food is to an hungry Man The Sum then is this these Persons had or may have some Experience of the Holy Ghost in the miraculous Gifts either in themselves or in others their Understandings being enlightned for it is evident that 't is a Taste by Illuminations by what we before shewed and they also might taste the Heavenly Doctrine or Ministration of the Gospel and might find the Truths the Institutions and Worship thereof to be good they making a trial of it so far as their carnal and unsanctified Hearts were capable to do yea they might find the Ways of God better than once they thought before they were inlightned and from thence imbraced them to appearance owned and walked therein for a time Doct. 2. That there is a Goodness and an Excellency in the Heavenly Gift and Heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which such may taste of that never receive the Truth in the Power and Love thereof Doct. 3. That the rejecting and utter casting off the Gospel and the Ordinance and Worship thereof after some Tastes and Experience of it is an high Offence to God and a fearful Aggravation of Sin and a certain Presage of Damnation So much as to their second Attainment 3dly And were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost This seems to be more than a bare tasting Object Doth not this seem to interfere with your Exposition of the Attainment you mentioned last Answ 1. To this take Dr. Owen's Answer It is saith he ordinary to have the same thing twice expressed in various words to quicken the Sense of them 2. The Holy Ghost is mentioned before as he hints as the great Gift of the Gospel-Times as coming down from Heaven not absolutely not as unto his Person but with respect unto an especial Work namely the changing of the whole State of Religious Worship in the Church of God 3. But here in these words when it is said They were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost it is spoken chiefly in respect unto external actual Operations 1. They partake of the Holy Spirit in the common Operations of it themselves they tasted the Heavenly Doctrine as it was administred by others as it is hinted before but here is a Reception or a partaking of the Holy Spirit whereby it had some great and visible Operations upon their Hearts and Lives though not saving Operations not such
and an important Concernment Alas what is a Counsel held by all the wisest Men and greatest Potentates on Earth of the highest Concernment here to that Council held by the Glorious Trinity in Eternity about bringing in of this Salvation O of what Moment is the Salvation of our Souls None but the Great God could effect it it was the Result of Infinite Wisdom and Counsel God seemed Brethren to call a Council about the first Creation of Man Let us make Man after our own Image c. But how much more of the Glory of God's Wisdom according to his Eternal Purpose shines forth as the Result of that Counsel held about the Restauration of Fallen Man than what shone forth in the first Creation of him And the Counsel of Peace was between them both that is between the Father and the Son Fourthly The Salvation of the Gospel is great and glorious in respect of God's Design therein Which more generally and comprehensibly I may open in three respects 1 st His own Glory in all his Attributes 2 dly The confounding and baffling of Satan and the utter Destruction of his Kingdom and Hellish Design 3 dly The Eternal Salvation of Man I mean all that believe in Jesus Christ or are given to him by the Father 1 st God before all things hereby designed his own Glory or to make all the Perfections of his Holy Nature manifest to the Creature which he had made and to open a Way by which each of his Attributes might gloriously appear and to vanquish that Cloud that seem'd to eclipse their shining 1. For God's Mercy could not be extended in another Way to the Help and Relief of Mankind under Wrath and Misery because Justice was injured and called for the Sentence to be executed on us for our Sins 2. And his Justice could not be executed but his Mercy and Goodness would have been brought under Obscurity and been vailed for ever And had Mankind for ever been brought under the just Desert of Sin God had it is true glorified his Justice but Mercy is as well a Property of his Blessed Nature as Justice and had that been done how had any of his Creatures known any thing of his Mercy and Goodness certainly Mercy had never been manifested at all no more than is seen in the casting off the Fallen Angels God to them appeared only Just not Gracious but in Christ to Mankind he appears not only Just but also Good and Gracious Yet the Salvation of our Souls could not consist with the Holiness and Justice of God in a way of Mercy without a Satisfaction be made to Divine Justice Therefore Infinite Wisdom in substituting Jesus Christ to die in our Nature and Stead makes God's Justice a full Compensation for the Wrong and Injury we had done by our Sins and Transgressions and from hence it appears that Infinite Wisdom Justice Holiness Power Mercy and Goodness c. are discovered and magnified equally in God's bringing in this Great Salvation of the Gospel and this was I say the grand Design of God herein by which he removes and solves all those seeming Contradictions and great Difficulties that appeared in the way of our Eternal Recovery and magnifies the entire Glory of God that seemed to be lost by our Sin or was before hid under Obscurity it is hereby fully repaired and to the Joy of Saints and Angels is made known and magnified in Christ And from hence it is that the Gospel is called the Wisdom of God and Christ is also called the Wisdom of God and the Power of God because in him all the Strength of God I mean the Power and Glory of all his Attributes are joined or united together and shine in equal Glory in our Salvation But more of this hereafter 2 dly Hereby also Satan is overthrown and his grand Design marr'd and frustrated for ever and his Kingdom spoiled our Lord Jesus having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it and this was done by the Death of his Cross and by his Resurrection To this purpose was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil 3 dly Moreover hereby God designed to make Man even all that believe in Christ and embrace this Salvation happy again and blessed for ever nay as I shall shew you before I have done with this Text God assisting me even to raise him up into a higher and better State than that was in which he was at first created Fifthly The Salvation of the Gospel is Great and Glorious if we consider how low Man was fallen and sunk by his Transgression and what kind of Wrath he was laid under As also if we consider how helpless he was having no Friend nor Brother that could give to God a Ransom for him no nor could the Angels of Heaven do it whose Power is very great No no none but Christ alone with his Almighty Arm could save us from the threatned Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God Besides this Salvation must needs be great and glorious if we consider the seasonableness of it it was a timely Salvation it was brought in just as the Hand of Justice was up and ready to strike the fatal Stroke Justice stood as it were with his Ax in his Hand to cut off all our Heads and Christ to save us stept in and laid down as I may say his own Neck and took the Blow Or we may conceive that Justice stood with his Spear in his Hand ready as it were to run it into our Bowels and Jesus Christ run in between Divine Wrath and our poor Souls and cried out Let thy Spear O Justice be thrust into my Heart I will die for these condemned and guilty Wretches See what Paul says When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the Vngodly So Vers 8. While we were yet Sinners Christ died for us Though I deny not but that this Text may refer to the Fulness of Time prefixed by the Almighty for Christ to come and take our Nature upon him and to die in our room and that was the due Time or Time God had appointed Yet Christ was as a Lamb slain from the beginning of the World nay before the Foundation thereof And we may say that as soon as our first Parents sinned even then and at that very Season Jesus Christ step'd in and yielded up himself to God as a Sacrifice for us and had he not then been accepted we had been lost for ever O how refreshing how sweet and how welcome is it to a poor condemned Criminal when he is brought to the Place of Execution to see the Sheriff pull out an Arrest of Execution a Reprieve nay an absolute Pardon and tell him You have met with a Friend the King has accepted of one that he ordained and substituted to be your Surety and to die for you and
Brethren each Person in the Trinity hath a part in it the Father hath his Part the Son hath his Part and the Holy Ghost hath his Part also Remember that these three are one though three Persons or Subsistences yet but one and the same God one in Essence though distinguished as to their distinct Personalities the Person of the Father is not the Person of the Son the Father took not upon him Flesh and died for our Sins but the Son the Son sent not the Father but the Father sent the Son The Father and the Son do not proceed from the Holy Ghost but the Holy Ghost doth proceed from them But a little to open and insist upon the distinct Parts which each Person hath and how concerned in the accomplishing of this great Salvation 1. The Father is held forth in the Scripture as the Contriver or first Author of this Salvation All Things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ All Things in and about our Salvation are of God the Father as he is the Fountain and Spring of it He hath devised means that his banished might not for ever be expelled from him I have found a Ransom Where did God find it saith Reverend Caryl Certainly in his own Bosom in his own Heart Jesus Christ came out of the Bosom of the Father there he was and God found him in and with himself he did not find the Ransom by chance but he found it in his own Wisdom Love and Goodness 2. The Father was injured his Glory seemed to be eclipsed by Sin therefore must be righted and his Honour repaired and he sought out the proper way to do it I know as if God should say how to do the poor Sinner good I know how to save him and do my own Honour my Justice Truth and Holiness no wrong my Honour is secured my Justice is satisfied and yet the Sinner whom my Heart is set upon shall be saved 3. The Father could only appoint the Terms and Way of our Salvation Who but God could tell or did know what would comport with his Truth and Justice and with the Sanction of his Righteous Law and Infinite Holiness And he saw it did not comport with his Truth Justice Holiness and Blessed Law to save Man meerly as an Act of Sovereign Mercy but it did agree in his Infinite Wisdom to transfer the Punishment of the Sinner to another namely to his own Son he taking our Nature on him who from the Union of the two Natures in one Person procured an Infinite Satisfaction or made a Plenary Compensation for our Sins 4. God the Father is therefore held forth as the Person who substituted his own Son as Mediator and Surety in our stead and room to work out our Redemption or this great and glorious Salvation and to this end prepared him a Body A Body hast thou prepared me And the Father is said also to send his Son How many times doth our Blessed Saviour ascribe this unto the Father in the Gospel recorded by John I am perswaded not less than forty times The Father that sent me is with me God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World This is the Will of him that sent me 5. All the Blessings of our Salvation are ascribed to the free Bounty Mercy Love and Goodness of God the Father Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People and hath raised up an Horn of Salvation c. And therefore he is stiled The Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort Now this being so what an abominable thing is it for the Socinians to say That the Doctrine of Satisfaction renders the Son more merciful and kind than the Father see Penn's Sandy Foundation shaken No this is very unjustly and unrighteously thrown upon this great Gospel-Truth Certainly it exalts the Goodness and Mercy of God the Father far more than their idle and absurd Notion of God's pardoning Sin in a way of meer Mercy without a Satisfaction to his offended Justice seeing God in a way of Mercy and Divine Goodness is so set upon this Work of our Salvation that though it cost him the Life of his own Son yet it shall be done he will not spare him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all The Father did not spare him as an Act of his own Love and Goodness to us God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Certainly that Person shews greater Love and Pity to another who to save him gives a Million than he that gives but a Pound Must God by these Men be deemed to have no Mercy at all because he seeks the Honour of his Justice equally with the Glory of his Mercy Is he not Merciful because he is Just as well as Gracious 6. Brethren it was the Father that loved us and chose us in Jesus Christ before the Foundation of the World which is the Spring of all Spiritual Blessings even of Redemption and Salvation it self 7. Moreover the Father is said to raise Jesus Christ from the Dead Though the Son being God could raise himself yet as Mediator the Power to quicken whomsoever he will is said to be given to him by the Father Besides it is the meer Grace and good Pleasure of God the Father to accept of Christ and his Obedience for us and to accept of us in Jesus Christ Also it is the Father that blesseth us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Nay no Man Christ says can come unto him unless it be given by the Father that is Power must be given to him to come And again he saith No Man can come unto me except my Father that sent me draw him We ought therefore to see we do not lessen the Glory of God the Father in our Salvation who is the Efficient the Original and moving Cause thereof My Father saith Christ hitherto worketh and I work Brethren we are not to attribute the Works of Creation and Providence to God the Father only for he hath a great and glorious Hand in the Work of Redemption I may say to accomplish this Work even the Salvation of his Elect he worketh hitherto and Christ also worketh which brings me to consider of the next Person in the Trinity concerned herein Secondly As the Father hath as you have heard his part in bringing in the great Salvation of the Gospel so Jesus Christ the Son of God hath his part in working of it out the Father fix'd on him as the great Agent actually to perfect it he is in such a peculiar manner concerned in it that his Name is Saviour his Name shall be called Jesus Jesus signifies a Saviour certainly this must needs be a great Salvation if we consider the Greatness Dignity and Glory of his Person whom God hath sent to save us
great and glorious to you 1. To be justified is more than to be pardoned A Man may be forgiven and yet not have the Guilt removed from him nor be declared Righteous and Innocent To be justified is to be pronounced Just and Righteous in God's Sight through the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ or to be actually acquitted upon Trial or discharged from the Guilt and Punishment of Sins not that we are not Sinners in our selves but as Christ was made Sin for us who knew no Sin in himself so we are made the Righteousness of God in him who knew no Righteousness in our selves As our Sin was imputed unto Christ so his Righteousness is imputed unto us God in Justification deals not with us in a way of Mercy only as he doth in Pardon of Sin but in a way of Justice and Righteousness also we paid all that was due to vindictive Wrath and Justice in Jesus Christ I mean Jesus Christ for us as our Surety hath done it 2. Justification is so great a Blessing that the Justice of God hath nothing to lay to the Believer's Charge for Justice as well as Mercy does acquit him 3. Nor hath the Law any thing to lay to the â—â—arge of them that God justifies Christ in our stead having answered all the Demands thereof and born the Penalty it denounces upon the Transgressors of it Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us 4. And as the Law can lay nothing to our Charge if God justifies us so can none else Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who shall condemn us None can implead such or put in an Accusation that shall be heard at God's Bar if it is God that doth acquit us that justifies us what signifies any Charge that can be brought in against us What though for want of clear Light our Hearts should condemn us or wicked Men or Satan our Hearts may charge us unjustly and ignorantly for want of Light and wicked Men and Devils maliciously 5. Moreover none can condemn such that God justifieth because it is Christ that died Hath not his Death Worth and Merit enough in it It is Christ that died he who was God as well as Man our Debt is long ago paid and when we believe we receive an actual Discharge The Apostle challenges all the Enemies of our Souls to come in and see what they can do to condemn a justified Person Come World come Devil come Law come Sin come Conscience what can you lay to the Charge of those that Christ died for and God hath actually acquitted Bring forth your Plea your Charge of Eternal Condemnation Hath not Christ born the Punishment due to these for all their Sins they have do or may commit Is not his Satisfaction more than enough Hath he not purchased and merited superabundant Grace Come saith a poor Believer I will stand Trial with you now though I have but one single Plea It is Jesus Christ that died for me and in my room I appeal to the Great God and Judg of Heaven and Earth whether my Plea is not good and according to Law and allowable Sirs by this Plea all are silenced and impleaded at once 6. All that are justified are compleat in Jesus Christ they are without Spot before the Throne of God And ye are compleat in him which is the Head of Principalities and Powers Christ's Compleatness and Perfection in respect of his Suretiship-Righteousness being accounted to us we are compleat touching our Justification we want nothing our Garment is without Hem and there is no Spot nor Stain in it Thou art all fair my Love and there is no Spot in thee Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair Thou wast exceeding beautiful and thy Renown went forth among the Heathen for thy Beauty for it was perfect through my Comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord. Quest Whether is Justification all at once or a continued Act in God Answ 1. I do not believe it is a divided Act as 't is God's Act so it is one Act only but whether it be one entire Act or as one transient Act as if all were 〈◊〉 out with a Pen at once or a continued Act I shall not determine but this I will say He that God accepteth and justifieth in Christ â—one of his Sins shall ever be charged upon him as to that 〈…〉 Wrath and Vengeance that is due to them for as theâ—e is an Imputation of Righteousness unto us so it follows that there is a Non-Imputation of Sin 2. Justification admits of no Degrees tho it should be thought to be a continued Act in God and though in our sight and feeling we may not thus apprehend it through want of Faith and by reason of Satan's Temptations yet as to the Act it self we are never less nor more justified because the Matter of our Justification viz. the Righteousness of Christ is not less or more but always the same and it cannot be lost as I have proved in this Treatise As Christ Brethren was justified at his Resurrection from all Sin that was laid upon him or which met in him on the Cross so all Believers are cleansed and justified from all Guilt and that for ever and this Christ pleads in Heaven for them as often as they sin By one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Object Why doth David say Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no Flesh living be justified Answ That is in himself no Man can be justified by his own Righteousness in God's sight all must say with Bildad How can Man be justified with God because he hath sinned and daily doth Sin Who dare appear at God's Bar in his own Duties in his own sincere Obedience or in his inherent Holiness No every one must fly to God in Christ and plead his Justification and Discharge through him alone No Man hath any thing to recommend him to God in point of Justification in his sight nor doth he need any other Righteousness to discharge him or to acquit him before God yet we as in our selves must â—â—y with Job If I justify my self my own Mouth shall condemn me 7. Such is the blessed State of those who by the Father are justified through this Salvation that to them the Apostle affirms there is no Condemnation There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus 1. He doth not say there is nothing in them which in its own Nature doth not deserve Condemnation 2. Nor doth he say a true Believer shall never condemn himself pass a Sentence unjustly against himself for that he may do 3. Neither doth he say Satan shall never condemn him but let whoever will condemn such God will not Christ will not and Sin cannot
deceitfulness of their own Hearts 'T is slighted out of an Opinion or Perswasion that all is well with them They believe in Christ hope in God's Mercy Christ say they died for Sinners And thus the Devil and their own deceived Hearts cause them to neglect seeking out after the saving Knowledg of Christ and Salvation by him on Gospel-Terms for Sin predominates in them reigns in them notwithstanding all their Hopes and Confidence What signifies such Faith that does not purify the Heart and Life or such Hope Alas it will be but like the Spider's Web vain Thoughts rest in those and destroy them vain in their Rise vain as to the Ground they build their Hopes upon a vain Bottom vain as to the Motive and vain as to the Fruit or Product thereof they think they have hold of Salvation yet are dropping into Hell 6. Some neglect the Salvation of the Gospel partly out of servile and slavish Fear and partly out of pretended Modesty they dare not be so bold to take hold of Christ or venture their Souls on Christ because they are so vile filthy and abominable unless they had something to bring something to present to Christ to render them acceptable or welcome to him they will not come they pretend they dare not come they can't think so great Salvation should be bestow'd freely on such as they are if they could be rid of their Sins or wash themselves from their Sins then they would come or could they get themselves some new Clothes make themselves a new Heart or get some inherent Righteousness of their own then they would come Sad Case but it is no wonder some are carried away with this Delusion considering what a kind of Doctrine is preached in these perilous Times But Sinner know thou must come to Christ to be washed come as one that sees what need thou hast to be put into the Fountain which is set open for Sin and Uncleanness and come as one naked that Christ may clothe thee Christ calls Sinners to him may be you will say What is it to come to Christ Why to believe in him to lay hold by Faith upon him And if thou dost thus though thou art never so great a Sinner thou shalt be saved 7. Others neglect Gospel-Salvation out of Idleness and cursed Sloth 'T is a hard thing to enter in at the strait Gate Self-denial is of absolute necessity O but this is too difficult for this sort they can't pray read meditate they don't love to hear Sermons they do not care to put themselves upon Spiritual Duties as to seek the Kingdom of Heaven nay and to take it by Violence they can take pains to damn their own Souls but cannot will not take that pains they are enabled to do to save their Souls Sirs Men will not be condemned for not doing that which they had not Power to do but for neglecting that which they might have done their Destruction is of themselves though their Salvation is wholly of God and of the free Grace of God in Jesus Christ Have not Men Power to leave all gross Acts of Wickedness and to attend upon the Means of Salvation They who say we put the Creature to do nothing falsly charge us we press Men to leave their wicked Practices upon a right foot of Account and to wait upon God in his Blessed Ordinances which he has appointed for the begetting of Faith True we say a Man can't change his own Heart yet he may leave the gross Acts of Sin 't is one thing to have the Life reformed and another to have the Heart renewed 'T is the changing the vicious Habits or the Work of Regeneration which we say must be done by God's Almighty Power Grace must be infused into the Soul which works physically 8. Moreover it is through Pride in some that they neglect this great Salvation they have such a good Opinion of their own Righteousness they cannot see they have any need of the Righteousness of Christ they are such that our Saviour speaks of And he spoke a Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were Righteous and despised others These are so conceited of themselves that through pride of what they have got of their own they regard not an imputed Righteousness to justify them Man naturally affecteth to stand by a Righteousness of his own Adam was a rich Man a noble Man he had enough of his own to live upon and his Sons retain a proud Spirit like some Sons of a decayed Gentleman their Father was a Knight a Lord and they are great in their own Conceit though their Cloak perhaps is nothing but Patches they scorn to beg or to dig no they will sooner steal and stand on the High-way Proud Man doth thus in a spiritual Sense he will not beg he will not go to Christ's Door for Bread he will rather steal and rob Christ of his Honour in their Salvation by seeking it some other Way even in an unlawful Way this is no better than a spiritual robbing Jesus Christ of having the whole Glory and Honour of the Salvation of the Soul and yet they do not enrich themselves hereby neither it is but only in conceit they fancy themselves rich and trust in their own Righteousness as if it were choice Treasure when it is nothing but filthy Rags which they pride themselves in and boast of 11. It is through Unbelief this Salvation is neglected Men believe not The grand Neglect centers here this is the killing Evil the Sin of all Sins the Plague of all Plagues I consider Unbelief in general not only as it is a non-reception of Christ not believing in Christ not accepting of Christ but as it is a denying to give Credit to the Revelation of God and of what he declares in his Word 1. They do not believe Salvation ought to be the main Business of their Lives which they should regard and seek after above all things it being the one thing needful yea more than Meat Drink Clothes Wives Children Health Credit Riches Honours Pleasures or Life it self 2. They do not believe that Sin is the greatest Evil nor that God is Man's supreme and chiefest Good wherein his only Happiness lies 3. They do not believe that such is the Holiness Justice Wrath and Severity of God that he will throw Sinners into Hell although he positively declares in his â—ord that he will do it except they believe repent and forsake their abominable Ways yet they doubt not of their Salvation though they are perhaps Swearers Drunkards unclean Persons proud Persons covetous or perverse Wretches 4. They will not believe what the woful End of all Unbelievers and Unregenerate Persons will be 5. They will not believe that they are in a spiritual Sense brought to utter Beggary being Sons of a Beggar that spent all he had 6. They will not believe though it is told them again and again that they are blind miserable
that so many Persons neglect their own Salvation I shall now proceed to the last thing proposed to be spoken unto in the Prosecution of this Proposition Which is Fourthly To shew you the great Sin and Evil of such who do neglect the Means of the Salvation of the Gospel First I shall shew you the Greatness of this Sin in respect of God or shew what a Dishonour it is to him Secondly Demonstrate the Greatness of the Evil thereof in respect of the Sinner himself that doth neglect it Thirdly Considering by whose Influences and Instigations they do it Fourthly Considering the Vanity of those things for the sake of which this Salvation is neglected First Such that neglect this Salvation do cast great Contempt upon God 1. They cast Contempt upon the Wisdom of God that found it out and on that glorious Counsel that was held in Eternity about it What is it but a breathing forth of the highest Disdain on the Wisdom of God What is the Voice of some Sinners Hearts We shall be saved tho we go on in our own Ways God is good merciful c. This is as it were an undervaluing of the glorious and no less gracious Contrivance of Infinite Wisdom to seek to be saved some other Way or to neglect this Way Suppose a Prince should hold a Council in order to make a Company of Rebels happy for ever not only to pardon them but to make them Rich Noble and Honourable and he should send them the Offers of this rich Bounty and Goodness and they should contemn it slight it and wholly neglect the free acceptation thereof would not this cast a Slight and Reproach upon that Prince And would not all Men say sure they were mad Brethren all ungodly Men who neglect this Salvation consult with the Devil take Counsel of the Devil and of their own wicked Hearts to frustrate if it were possible the Counsel of God He hath ordained the Preaching of the Gospel as the Way to work Faith in them and so to give them an Interest in Salvation but they slight and neglect attending upon the Word nay believe it not but conspire against God and set themselves against the Lord and against his Christ saying Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast their Cords from us Let us cast away the Offers and Promises of this God and of this Christ about Salvation and an Eternal Kingdom and those Threatnings of Wrath and Hell whereby they would one while allure us to forsake our Sins and beloved Lusts and at another time frighten us into Faith and Obedience and to submit our Necks to his Yoke Come let us slight all those Arguments he uses to win us over to him yea spurn at them and disregard all the Hopes and Fears these Cords would put us into could they get us under their Power What are all these things but Fancies vain Dreams Tush our State is good enough we can repent hereafter What is the Gospel but to do as we would be done unto Let us not trouble our Heads with any other Notions of Religion And thus they slight and cast contempt upon the infinite Wisdom of God who found out and contrived this way of Salvation and by which his manifold Wisdom is revealed 2. They also who neglect and slight the Salvation of the Gospel do cast Contempt upon the highest Goodness Love and Mercy that was ever shewed to Man God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have Everlasting Life Love to the wonderment of Men and Angels Shall such a Marriage be offered by the great King such a Banquet be prepared that cost so much and shall any make light of it and despise Infinite Goodness for the sake of their own filthy Lusts and think they may be saved some other Way They thereby render the Holy God cruel to his own Son in his giving him up to die and to become a Sacrifice for Sin Brethren if Salvation be neglected it is either out of Presumption or Despair 1. Now such that presumptuously neglect it seem to magnify God's Mercy in their own Conceit being wholly ignorant of his Justice and Holiness and so slight the constituted Method of his declared Goodness in Jesus Christ and so whilst they seem to magnify God's Mercy they impair nay contemn his Soveraignty by chusing and prescribing other Ways of God's communicating of himself to his Creatures than what he in his Eternal Counsel fixed upon and found out 2. If it be neglected through Despair they cast Contempt upon Christ's Blood as if there was not a Sufficiency in it to cleanse and save them from their Sins and not only so but also render God not to be believed who hath said There is Life in his Son and whosoever believes in him shall not perish Therefore Despair makes God a Liar as it is a high degree of Unbelief Moreover it renders God to be cruel to his Creatures for though they fall down at his Feet and humble themselves yet the Voice of Despair is God is only an angry Judg and clothed with nothing but Wrath and Fury Nay and it casteth a disparagement upon the Power and Sufficiency of God to save when he appears in his full united Strength for so he does manifest himself in Jesus Christ And hereby such seem to intimate as if a multitude of Sins could throw God's Mercy into the Depths of the Sea instead of Mercy 's casting our Sins therein notwithstanding Justice hath received a full Satisfaction for them by the Hands of our Blessed Saviour and Surety 3. From hence it appears that they who neglect this Salvation through Unbelief do cast also Contempt upon God's Power to save rendering him unable to do it by his right Hand even by Jesus Christ Man is very apt to question God's Power like them of old Can God spread a Table in the Wilderness All Distrusts arise from Fears and Jealousy either of the Strength or else of the Faithfulness and Justice of the Object addressed unto in a Time of Distress that either the Person is weak and unable to help or else dishonest and unjust and though he hath promised to save to help yet he will not Even so it is here all they that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel from Unbelief and desponding Thoughts either seem to strip God and Jesus Christ of his Power to save or else of his Truth and Faithfulness who hath said Look unto me and be ye saved all ye Ends of the Earth And again He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out A convinced Sinner before he comes to Christ nay and sometimes afterwards too when under Temptation is apt to say Can God pardon my Sins Can God remit my Sins that are so great Pray take notice of two Texts of Scripture the one respects such Sinners that are not awakened and so seem to presume
not Satan insult after this manner over the Lord of Life and Glory whilst Sinners close in with his Temptations and cleave to their Lusts earthly Profits and Pleasures and neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel 3 dly Such who neglect this so great Salvation offer Violence to the Holy Ghost 1. They do resist the Holy Spirit whom God hath sent as his great Messenger to influence enlighten and convince their Hearts and Consciences about the Worth and Weightiness of this Concern He will reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of Sin because they believe not on me Because they neglect attending upon the Means of this Salvation believe not the Necessity there is of this Saviour nor of Faith in him and seek it not above all things Is it a small Matter to resist the Holy Ghost O lay it to Heart 2. They grieve the Holy Spirit also yea and hereby tire him out so that he at last withdraws his Influences from the Sinner and will strive with him no more like as he did by the World and if so the ruin of the Soul will be unavoidable for without the Holy Spirit no Man can repent believe or be renewed be regenerated and so come to have Interest in this so great Salvation 3. Such quench the Spirit who neglect this Salvation and do not believe it is to cast Water on that Divine Spark which the Holy Ghost strives to kindle in the Soul of a poor Sinner or to blow out the Candle of the Lord so far as the Sinner is able to do it whereby Spiritual Light and Knowledg comes to be let into the Heart 4. Nay to neglect this Salvation in the Means of it is as much as may be to hinder the Work and Office of the Holy Spirit in and about this Salvation The Holy Spirit hath more immediately to do with Sinners his special Work is to enlighten to convince of Sin to work Faith in the Soul and to renew and sanctify the polluted Heart and all that neglect this Salvation or that slight those Convictions they have of the Evil of Sin or Sense of their woful Condition do seek to obstruct the King's great Officer and Messenger in the discharge of his Office Look to it Sinners for if it be deemed a dangerous thing to resist a Constable in the exercise of his Office because he is the King's Servant what Danger do you expose your selves to that oppose withstand and strive to hinder the Spirit in the discharge of his great Work and Office It is to contemn the King's Ambassador the Holy Spirit is sent to treat with Sinners in Christ's Name it is hereby Christ himself speaks to them from Heaven and they that adhere to the Motions of the Spirit do adhere to Jesus Christ and they that oppose or resist his Motions do oppose and resist Christ also The Holy Spirit is the great Gospel-Blessing promised to infuse Grace in the Soul all Grace is from the Spirit Sinners cannot believe without the Holy Spirit nor love God The Love of God is shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost There is no Regeneration without the Spirit Those that are born again are born of the Spirit no Union with Christ without the Spirit no broken Heart no Cries no Tears that will prevail with God without the help of the Spirit Such that will not adhere to his Motions and Influences say in their Hearts that they will not be changed will not believe nor repent nor have Christ to be their Prince and Saviour The Spirit awakens the Conscience and stirs up Fears in the Soul and sets before the Sinner's Eyes his great Evil Guilt and horrid Pollution therefore if they refuse the Wooings Intreaties and Influences of the Spirit they must perish for ever APPLICATION 1. O let us lament and mourn over all that neglect this so great Salvation All Unbelievers and Neglecters of the Means of Salvation are horridly guilty before the Lord 't is hereby all their Sins are bound upon their Consciences and cleave to them and are charged upon them not only Original but all actual Sin whatsoever 2. O infinite Love and Patience May we not stand amazed and wonder at the long-suffering and forbearance of God O House of David saith the Prophet is it a small thing for you to weary Men but will you weary my God also What greater Wickedness and Ingratitude can there be than this Will you contemn and resist your Saviour and the Holy Ghost How long shall God wait upon you Will he always wait to be gracious O know that his Mercy will at last be turned into Fury 3. Unworthy are such to live to be fed to be clothed to be protected and preserved that thus despise God's Mercy and sovereign Goodness Would a Man feed clothe and bestow great Favours on such that despise slight and contemn him 4. What do you think of your selves Sinners to you I speak that neglect this so great Salvation O this is your Sin you refuse the only Remedy God hath found out to heal and save your Souls therefore your Damnation will be just and deserved with a witness You love Darkness rather than Light you contemn the highest Good the best of Beings and the highest Expressions of his Love and Favour that God that made you that Christ that spilt his Blood to redeem the worst of Sinners those Bowels that pitied you you refuse and resist that Spirit that would renew you sanctify you and make you meet for Heaven and all this out of love to your base Lusts your cruel Enemies that seek to destroy and murder your precious Souls Abhor your selves Alas Men do not see what Monsters of Wickedness they are whilst they neglect this so great Salvation You sin I say against the Remedy the costly Remedy the only Remedy against the Remedy that Infinite Wisdom hath found out and Infinite Goodness hath vouchsafed Yet if you return to God there is Mercy for you say O Lord now we see our Sin O that you could but say so in truth and fall down at the feet of God and say Thou hast overcome us with thy Love 5. Lastly Here is Comfort for Believers who have received this so great Salvation O bless God for Faith cherish the Motions of the Holy Spirit that hath broken your Bonds you prefer Christ and the Salvation by Christ before all things live worthy of a Part and Interest in this Salvation you have Salvation and shall not lose it O walk so that you may never lose the Joy of it for that you may do God may hide his Face Christ may withdraw himself if he hath done it enquire when you had him and consider what you have done that he hides his Face from you let the Cause if it be Sin be bewailed and let the loss of him be more grievous to you than the loss of Comfort from him and be willing to
Counsel of the Devil who will devour them as a hunger-starv'd Lion nay it is just as if a Man should throw his dear Child into the Lion's Den to be torn in pieces Suppose a Man in Slavery in Turkey should be told that his Ransom was paid and he hath the greatest demonstrations given of it imaginable yet he will not believe it but says I will continue here a Slave and wear these Chains and be under Bondage to this cruel Tyrant though I am told that he will murder me at last would not all say he deserved not to be pitied especially should he behold that 〈◊〉 is redeemed by the Blood of his own gracious Sovereign 10. Is it not an evil thing and the greatest madness at the Instigation of a bloody and cruel Enemy for a Man to suffer him to thrust a Sword into his own Bowels or when wounded at his Inticements to refuse to apply such a Plaister that would certainly cure his Wounds and save his Life but thus do all they who neglect this Salvation Or suppose a Man was almost starved to Death and Bread is set before him nay all choice Varieitie and he is bid to eat but being perswaded by an Enemy that hates him and longs to see him dead not to eat but to feed with his Swine on Husks and Grains would it not be folly with a witness should he do so But thus do all those Persons that neglect this Salvation they refuse to eat of the Bread of Life or to feed on that costly Supper God hath graciously provided for them in the Gospel and at the Devil's Inticements feed as the poor Prodigal did on Husks which the Swine do eat 11. Such who neglect the Salvation of the Gospel do greaten and aggravate their Sin and Guilt as our Saviour speaks concerning the Jews If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had Sin but now they have no cloak for their Sin that is they had not been guilty of Sin to such a degree their Sin had not been with such Aggravations Therefore those that have the Salvation of the Gospel offered to them and they neglect it or refuse to receive it shall have the greater Condemnation it shall indeed be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah nay with Pagans and Insidels than with them in the Day of Judgment 12. Moreover since the way of God's glorifying of all his Blessed Attributes is despised and utterly rejected by those who neglect this Salvation all the Attributes will rise up and plead against such Sinners to condemn them 1. Divine Wisdom may plead against them and call for Judgment with the greatest severity to be executed upon them because that way of Salvation which Infinite Wisdom contrived and determined in the Eternal Council is rejected slighted and contemned 2. The Veracity or Truth of God may plead against all Sinners that neglect this Salvation because the Sacred Precepts of the Gospel are not obeyed nor the Threats feared nor the faithful Promises thereof believed 3. Divine Power may rise up and plead against such Sinners because that Almighty Arm which is stretched forth in working out this Salvation is not took hold of to save them and therefore it shall be stretched out to destroy them Who shall be punished with Everlasting Destruction from the Presence of God and from the Glory of his Power That will be the Time when God will make the Power of his Wrath and Anger known Who saith the Psalmist knows the Power of thine Anger as is thy Fear so is thy Wrath. 4. Divine justice may rise up against all those who neglect this Salvation and exact the pâ—iment of all the Debts the Sinner owes and stands charged with because the Satisfaction made by Jesus Christ our blessed Surety is contemned utterly neglected or not accepted of they not believing Faith being the only way appointed for Interest therein and for the Benefit thereof 5. Moreover Divine Mercy and Goodness will come forth and plead against the Sinner and be turned into Fury since such Infinite Grace and Favour and Sovereign Bowels are not regarded but utterly slighted and neglected And wo be to those that Mercy it self appears against and calls for execution of Wrath upon 6. And the Law also will rise up and condemn all those that neglect this Salvation because the only way by which its Glory shines forth and by which its Breach is repaired and its Honour is raised is slighted the Law will break forth with its bitter Curses and throw the Souls of such into Hell in sury who neglect this Salvation 7. Nay Jesus Christ himself will also rise up and condemn all neglecters of this Salvation because all his Infinite Love and Grace which he hath shewed and Pain and Anguish which he hath endured to work it out is slighted and trod under-foot he will change his Lamb like Nature and appear like a Lion to tear all such into pieces In a word it puts a Sword as it were into the Hands of all the Attribute of God and a Sword into the Hand of the Law of God nay into the Hand of Jesus Christ to cut down and utterly to destroy their Souls which Divine Wrath will speedily execute with Vengeance if they proceed on in their evil way and do not embrace this so great Salvation 8. This is not a Sin against the killing Letter but against the healing Spirit and it is a casting Dirt upon all God's blessed Attributes as they display their highest Glory or are dressed in their richest Râ—bes or appear in their most sublime Perfections Suppose a Traitor should cast Dirt upon a Prince or spit in his Face when he is but in his common Dress would not that be deemed an abominable thing but much more odious should he do it as he fits on his Throne when his Crown is on his Head and hath all his Royal Robes upon him and his Scepter in his Hand and all his Nobles about the Throne God in this Salvation appears in his high and sublime Glory as displaying his highest Beauty Splendor and Honour of all the Perfections of his unwordable and inconceivable Being even the Depths of Infinite Wisdom Justice Power Holiness and Goodness Therefore wo to those Sinners who slight and neglect this Salvation Thirdly The third thing that I proposed to speak unto was to shew you the greatness of their Sin who neglect this Salvation with respect had to him by whose Influences and at whose Instigations they neglect it and that is the Devil Satan stirs up Men to slight and neglect this so great Salvation Is it not sad that Men should adhere to the grand Enemy of their Souls If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of those that believe not Satan acts out of Malice to Mankind in seeking Ways and Means to blind their Eyes He hath
torment for a refreshment Fifthly It will be intolerable because the punishment of Hell is to satisfie Divine Justice to pay the just Debt owing to God for the breach of his holy Law true because sin is an infinite wrong and the Creature is but finite they can never pay the Debt nor make a satisfaction for the injury done to God therefore they must suffer eternally they are always a paying but can never fully pay what they owe Justice requiring the utmost farthing Nothing can surely set forth the dismalness of their torment more than this Oh take a view of Divine Wrath in the sufferings of our Blessed Saviour when he stood in our stead and was to satisfie for the Sins of all the Elect how did it bring him down prostrate to the ground and made him sweat great drops of blood and to Cry out My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death Tho' he was God as well as Man and had the Strength of the infinite Deity to support him Ah Sirs this wrath laid upon finite Creatures will sink them down to the lowest Hell and grind them to Powder Sixthly It will be Wrath-amazing and very terrible Wrath because it will seize on the Soul of the Sinner it will put the Soul into the fire The Soul hath been the chief sinner here and therefore shall be the chief sufferer in those Regions of Sorrow and how unsupportable is that Wrath which is let out on the Soul or Spirit of man you have had a taste in Spira and Child If Sirs a spark of Divine Displeasure when it falls upon the guilty Conscience tears it pieces what will be those floods of Divine Wrath poured forth in Hell on the Souls of Men and Women who can stand here whilst in this World before an Angry God or encounter with Offended Omnipotency such is the sharpness of his Sword the heaviness of his Rod when laid on by the hand of his Wrath that every stroak is deadly and no doubt Satan greatens the wounds on the Conscience he charges the guilt upon their Spirits with all the Soul-killing aggravations and strives to hide Divine Mercy and Rob the Soul of the precious Blood of Christ the only lenitive and choice balm to heal a wounded Spirit O what visions of horror what sence of fear and perplexity were presented to the distressed minds of these two miserable Creatures before mentioned the guilty Conscience turns all Joy into Sorrow all Light into Darkness the sweet Promises of the Gospel that assure of favour and pardon to believing Sinners afford no relief but are turned into arguments of Despair by reflecting on their former Iniquities and abuse of Mercies so that Christ himself they see is become their Accuser ' Whatever the wounded Sinner sees and hears saith a worthy Minister afflicts him whatever he thinks of torments him all the diversions in the World Business Pleasures Merry Conversations Comedies are as ineffectual to give him freedom from those stings and furies in his breasts as the sprinkling of holy Water is to expel the Devil from a possessed Person those who in their Pride and Jollity have despised serious Religion either as a fond Transport and Extasie or a dull Melancholly and Dejection about the Soul c. yet when God has set their sins with all their killing circumstances before their Eyes how changed how confounded are they at that apparition how restless in the dreadful expectation of the doom that attends them ' But alas alas what is internal Wrath let out on the Soul in Hell as he notes for the Aprehensions of the Soul will be enlarged and their spirits work with the quickest activity Here tho' they have no hope at present yet they know not what God may do in a moment to turn their Sorrow into Joy and their Night into Noon-day here are many things to divert their thoughts and they meet with some intermission of their horror and perplexity as Mr. Child intimated but in Hell there 's none of this Seventhly It will be intolerable misery because it shall be Torments on the Body and Soul too not on the Soul only but on both O it will be a dismal Meeting when they two old Companions meet together at the last day I mean the miserable Soul and Body of a wicked man at the Resurrection and hear the dolesom Sentence Go ye cursed Spira and Child had direful Sorrow and Anguish in their Souls but their Bodies were not much tormented they both being in a state of Health as to the outward man but the fire of Gods Wrath will extend to and seize upon the Body as well as on the Soul in that day every Faculty of the Soul and Member of the Body which have been Instruments of Sin shall then be in Pain and under fearful Torture and Misery Now the Spirit of a man may support or sustain his bodily Infirmities and Afflictions but in Hell the Spirit cannot afford any Relief to the Body because it cannot sustain its own misery both must and shall suffer Eighthly All the Perplexing Passions and Faculties will then be let out upon the wicked beyond whatever they have been here whilst in this World 1. The Conscience in a fearful manner shall torment the damned May we not conclude Conscience will terrifie them after this manner O thou Wretch what a God hast thou lost who is a most infinite suitable seasonable and a Soul-satisfying Good what a Christ art thou deprived of who died for poor Sinners how often did he knock at thy Door calling upon thee intreating thee to let him in who stood with his Arms spread open to embrace all that came to him and what a Heaven and endless Joy hast thou contemned and this for one base Lust for bruitish Pleasure for a moment for a little Earthly Profit and sinful Honour How didst thou hearken to thy vile Companions and close in with them rather than adhere to me who accused thee for thy cursed Evils thou wouldst not mind those Checks and Lashes thou hadst from me in thy Bosom did not I tell thee what thy Pride thy Lying thy Swearing thy Whoreing thy Theft thy Cheating thy Covetousness and Cruelty to the Poor or Unmercifulness thy Neglect of the means of Grace and of Gospel or Christian Duties thy Hardness of Heart thy Unbelief thy Hypocrisie and Formality would bring thee to in the End This is the gnawing Worm that dyeth not O how fearfully will Conscience terrifie and torment the Soul of the Damned then now it is Blinded Misled Deceived may be seared with a hot Iron but then it will be throughly awakened and all Vails taken off it will lay unmerciful Blows upon the Soul and make it cry yea roar and none to speak a word to allay or appease its Acclamations and its fearful Outcries You may judge of the Nature of a Tormenting Conscience in Hell by what those have sound and experienced to be
Information so also by way of Terror and that to many sorts of Persons 1. Tremble ye wordly Professors who have earthly Spirits that set your Hearts on things below and neither cloath the Naked nor feed the Hungry Weep and howl for the misery that shall come upon you ye have heaped Treasure together against the last day how will your Folly gall your Consciences when you lye in Hell-Torments whilst you heap up Gold and Silver in your Bags and Chests you heap up Wrath against the last day Remember what Christ says unto you And these shall go away into everlasting punishment What will your Profession signifie if you love the World above God which be sure you do if you see a Brother or Sister in want and do not give them such things that they need Remember Mr. Child I have made this World saith he my God 2. Tremble you proud and vain-glorious Persons Pride cryes poor Mr. Child hath undone me The Proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that comes shall burn them up Will you glory in your Riches Honours Gifts Knowledge or any thing you have will you not be reclaimed to throw off your God-provoking Fashions whatsoever comes of it but plead to uphold your Lusts and Vanity tho' the Name of God be dishonoured and Religion brought into Contempt and the Godly grieved 3. Tremble you vain young Men and Women who forget your Creator in the days of your Youth that secretly resolve your own Hearts shall choose your ways who will feed your carnal Appetites and wanton Desires and will run on in wicked Courses let Ministers say what they will Godly Parents say what they will yet you will swear lye be drunk commit Uncleanness O know as you feed your Lusts here and that burns in you so shall Hell feed on you and that fire like Chaff burn you up hereafter Will a few merry Hours with your filthy Companions make a compensation for the loss of your precious and immortal Souls Are you willing to suffer the Wrath of God for ever rather than to forgo your vain and wicked Courses 4. Tremble ye that harbour Atheistical Thoughts in your Hearts and are ready to think or hope there is no God O how soon may you feel him within you by his terrible Wrath as Mr. Child in bitterness of Soul cryed out 5. Tremble ye Lyars that love to make a lye for you shall have your portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 6. Tremble ye who are light and frothy persons also you that are Back-biters Busie-bodys that vilifie and reproach the Servants of God out of Malice and Prejudice you will be as Chaff that shall burn in Hell for ever 7. Tremble all ye that slight Christ and his Gospel and neglect those convictions you have either of Sin or Duty and that slight all serious thoughts of Eternity or how things will go with you in another World and who stiffle your Consciences or turn a deaf ear to it's rebukes God may awaken you er'e long in his Wrath and tear you to pieces when there is none to deliver you 8. Tremble all ye Hypocrites whose Hearts condemn you for harbouring some Sin or another in your bosoms who are not what you seem to be but strive to cover your vileness under a cloak of a visible Profession Fearfulness will soon surprize you Who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burning Hell is that place that is prepared for Hypocrites and Vnbelievers It seems by the word of our Blessed Saviour that they above all are in a dangerous Estate and shall not escape eternal burning 9. Tremble ye Apostates ye who have backsliden from God O fear lest God let out his Wrath upon you here and it burn within you whilst you are alive in the body and if it prove a final Apostacy Wo be to you as ever you were born then there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation that shall devour the adversaries Exhort O Repent Repent haste to Christ believe on him 1. Motive The God of mercy exercises much Patience towards poor Sinners O how doth he wait O how willing is he they should be saved and not come into the place of Torment 2. He tells you what your End will be if you believe not if you accept not his Son fly not for Refuge to take hold of Jesus Christ if ye believe not in Christ ye shall dye in your sins that is you shall be damned for ever He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned He sets out the Torments of the damned by the most amazing figures to move upon mens Spirits and work upon their Minds so that they being deterred form evil Practices may flee from the Wrath to come by laying hold on the hope set before them he gives warning before he strikes tells you of your danger Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish he that believeth on the son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him the wicked shall be turned into Hell with all the Nations that forget God You may know how it will go with you at the last day if you hear but Gods warning-pieces in his Word Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate Persons nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor Thieves nor Drunkards nor Extortioners c. Compared with Rev. 21. 8. 3. God calls nay cries to you sinners O ye simple ones why will ye love simplicity and fools hate knowledge turn ye at my reproof and behold I will pour out my spirit upon you c. 4. He gives sinners time and space to repent or a day of Grace O now unexcusable will he leave every ungodly man at the last day their destruction shall appear to be of themselves be sure God will be clear when he judges none shall have any thing to charge him with all mouths shall be stopped The man That wanted the Wedding-Garment was speechless 5. God hath sent his Son to die for Sinners God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life 6. He sends his Ministers to call you to invite you who tell you all things are now ready Sinners will your sinful Honours Riches or Pleasures make a reparation for the loss of a Christ the loss of Heaven and loss of your own souls Take two or three Directions 1. Seek the Kingdom of Heaven first before all things 2. Take notice this is the day of your Visitation
of this No Man taketh this Honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron He did not intrude himself upon this Service but he had a lawful Call unto it the Father called him and sent him into the World to keep feed and save his Sheep This shews the wonderful Love of the Father he is the first and principal Author of our Salvation All things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ All the spiritual Blessings we have by Christ spring from the Father the Father is held forth as the first Cause first Mover and Contriver of all spiritual Mercies for us The Father also fitted and qualified him or put him into a Capacity to accomplish this Work and Office he prepared him a Body that so he might die for his Sheep Thirdly Jesus Christ is a kind loving and compassionate Shepherd What Shepherd ever loved his Sheep as Christ loved his The greatness of his Love bowels of Affection and Compassion appears 1. By his coming so far as 't is from Heaven to the Earth to seek them For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost Luke reads it To seek and to save that which was lost My People have been lost Sheep Jer. 50. 6. 1. We were all lost in the first Adam not one Sheep but was lost and had not Christ came to seek and save us we had been all lost for ever 2. We were all lost not only by Original but also by our own actual Sin All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one of us to his own evil way We were all gone out of the way gone far from God and without all hope or possibility of returning had not Christ came to seek us For we were all as Sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls 3. They also by the Grace of God at length came to see that they were lost they are lost in themselves and in their own sight Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not in the way of the Gentiles c. but go rather to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel The whole House of Israel was lost but there were but a few of them that saw their lost State 2. The Bowels and Compassion of Christ to his Sheep chiefly appears by his dying for them He laid down his Life for the Sheep none could shew greater Love than this As the Father knoweth me even so I know the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep 3. His great Love and Affection to his Sheep is manifested by his care to gather them He shall gather the Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his Bosom Gathering implies bringing them Home unto himself by the Arm of his Power or by the effectual Operation of his Word and Spirit To whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed Or who hath felt and experienced the powerful Influences of his Spirit and saving Grace thereof on their Souls This must be before any poor Sinners are gathered or brought home to God Jesus Christ must rescue them out of the Mouth of the Lion and Paw of the Bear as David did his Sheep who was a Type of him We were all once in Satan's Hand that hungry Lion had us in his Teeth and was going to tear us to pieces but then comes our Blessed Shepherd and delivers us None but he whose Power is Infinite could gather us or bring us home to God such a miserable State were we in 4. Christ's Love is further expressed by that affecting Metaphor Luke 15. 6. He goes after the lost Sheep leaveth the rest in the Wilderness and never gives over until he hath found it And when he hath found it he layeth it on his Shoulders rejoicing O my Friends how great is the Love of Christ to one poor lost and undone Sinner He will not lose one that his Father hath given him No no though it be but one individual Soul that is missing yet he will go after that seek that leave all the rest to look after that one poor Sheep and when he has found it he sees it cannot go it has no strength therefore he lays it upon his Shoulders Sinners Christ must lay hold of you and take you up and lay you on his Shoulders and carry you home if ever you are saved It is upon Christ's Shoulders Christ's Power that every Elect Soul is brought home 't is not on the Power of their Will their Strength their Faith no but on Christ's Shoulders Moreover it is said He rejoiced and calls upon all his Friends the blessed Angels and Saints to rejoice with him for I have found my lost Sheep This shews his wonderful Love to poor undone and lost Sinners that are his Sheep whatever it costs him whatever Pains Labour or Charge home he will bring them saved they must and shall be I have other Sheep saith he that are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice 5. His Love to his Sheep to his Saints also appears in his laying them in his Bosom in his Heart O how near and dear is every believing Soul to Jesus Christ It 's a Metaphor taken from a Father or tender Mother that hugs an only Child in his or her Arms and lays it in their Bosom knowing not how to express the Greatness of their Affections Christ himself is said to lie in the Bosom of the Father which denotes how he is beloved by him how near and dear he is to him Even so this discovers his great Affections to his People 6. He also makes his Love manifest to them by his gentle leading of them He shall gently lead them that are with young He will not lead them faster than they are able to go or lay more upon them than they can bear nay he gives Strength to them and supports their Souls under all their Troubles and Sorrows Jacob was a compassionate Shepherd If I over-drive them saith he all the Flock will die Christ had many things to tell his Disciples but they were not able to bear them He lets out or discovers his precious Truth to his People according as he knows they are able to receive it and take it in You shall not have harder Things Trials Temptations nor Afflictions than your strength is There hath no Temptation taken you but what is common to Man and God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 7. His infinite Love and Bowels are made known also to his Sheep by his feeding them as well as it is by his leading them He feeds them with choice Food he gives them his own Flesh to eat and his own
Field watching over their Flock by night c. Christ knows his Sheep are subject to sleep and so lie open to many Dangers therefore he watches over them He is always awake he that keeps Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He will not suffer thy Foot to be removed he that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy Keeper thy Shade upon thy right Hand The Sheep of Christ are in danger by Sin by Satan by Temptation by Wolves by a deceitful Heart by inward Corruption by false and self-seeking Teachers whose Design is to make a Prey of his Flock therefore he watches them like a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it Night and Day I will as if he should say protect my Church my Vineyard my Flock from all Assaults of its Enemies neither Men nor Devils shall spoil ruin or hurt my People And that he may secure his Flock 1. He discovers by his Word the Subtilty Craft and Devices of their Enemies and their Danger thereby 2. By his Spirit also through its quickning Operations he awakens them when their Enemies are upon them and that shews he is a watchful and a wakeful Shepherd 3. He also by his Providences shews he is awake and strives to awaken his People also And this he doth several manner of ways 1. By Wars Perplexities and Distress of Nations 2. By Famine and Pestilence 3. By strange Signs Prodigies and fearful Earthquakes in divers Places 4. By the awakning Providence of sudden and unusual Deaths snatching away one Man here and another there to keep the rest awake 5. By letting out Symptoms of his Displeasure by distressing the Consciences of some by fearful Horror and Desperation as in Spira and Child's Cases to awaken others and to deter them from like Evils 6. He also imploys his Ministers to rouse them up they as his Substitutes are made Watchmen to give his People his Saints his Flock warning of approaching Dangers 2 dly Christ knows that his Flock is not only subject to sleep but also to go astray and therefore he watcheth over them 1. Because he sees our Enemies watch against us to ensnare to catch and to ruin us Deliver thy self as a Roe from the Hand of the Hunter and as a Bird from the Hand of the Fowler Satan is a subtil Fowler a crafty Enemy and is also clothed with great Power He is compared to a Serpent to shew his Subtilty and to a Lion which denotes his Strength and devouring Nature 2. Jesus Christ watches his Sheep that he may give them those Mercies they need in the proper season of them He knows when and how to give us that Good he himself hath promised Sometimes he watches over his People to chasten to afflict and punish them with the Rod when he sees there is need of it He lets out his Dog as I may so say like as a Shepherd doth upon unruly Sheep when his Calls will not do will not reclaim them and reduce them to an orderly and diligent walk But then at another time he watches over them to bestow his Favours and Blessing upon them And it shall come to pass that like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict so will I watch over them to build and to plant saith the Lord. Though there is no Change in God but he doth all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and Eternal Purpose yet there is a Change of his providential Dispensations God here speaks after the manner of Men and as he is diligent to afflict for Disobedience so he is likewise as diligent upon a Reformation to distribute his Blessings when he sees it will make for his Glory and his Peoples Good Seventhly and lastly Christ is a living Shepherd Other Shepherds die and leave their Sheep and know not what Evil may befal them after their departure But Jesus Christ never dies I am he that was dead and am alive and behold I live for evermore He ever lives to feed to heal guide protect and save his People He ever lives to make Intercession for us In this doth the Safety Happiness and Comfort of Believers lie Christ is always the same he changes not and is such a Shepherd that his Sheep cannot lose Death hath no more power over him Death cannot deprive them of this Shepherd 1. O happy Saints blessed Sheep O love your Shepherd trust in your Shepherd say with David The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. Be ruled led and guided by your Shepherd and be content with that Pasture into which he hath put you and with such Commons he is pleased to afford you 3. How doth this reprehend such who repine murmur and are carried away with slavish and distrustful Fear O what a shame is it to be afraid when you have such a Friend such a Keeper such a Shepherd to protect feed and keep you But to proceed Secondly What Pastures doth Christ feed his Sheep in What or which are his Pastures First I answer His Word this is one of his Pastures and a fat one it is yea a most choice and rich Pasture here is precious feeding Some like David can relish God's Word and find it sweeter than Honey How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth The Study Meditation and Obedience of God's Word yields more Satisfaction Joy and Delight than any worldly Men find in their earthly Profits or sensual Pleasures If you cannot find it thus it is because you have lost your spiritual Appetites you do not hunger after heavenly Food nor see the Worth nor Want of it Thy Words saith Jeremiah were found and I did eat them and thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my Heart Beloved there is a two-fold tasting of the Word 1. Some taste it but digest it not they have an Apprehension and bear Reception of it and no more The news of a Saviour and deliverance from Wrath seems desirable to them they like the Promises of the Word and flatter themselves with a false Hope of Pardon by giving a bare Credit to the Truth of the Gospel in the declaration of it 2. But there is a farther and better tasting than this a tasting by a special Application and a saving relishing of the Word of God and not the promissory Part only but the preceptory Part thereof also These like and love the Word because of the Purity of it Others have a common but not a special Faith the Jews seemed to rejoice in John's Doctrine but did not receive it into their Understanding and sincerely subject to the Life and Power of it 1. The Word of God feeds the Souls of Believers with
faithfully bestowed upon them of which final Perseverance in Grace and Holiness is none of the least Christ's Will runs none of them shall perish and it is the Father's Will that none that he hath given to his Son should be lost Now the Spirit of God cannot fail it is his Work to regenerate sanctify and preserve and to make meet all the Saints of God for the Eternal Inheritance therefore they cannot perish 6 thly The Covenant is firm and sure and doth secure all Christ's Sheep unto Eternal Life appears further because it is confirmed by the highest Witnesses in Heaven and Earth 1. The Father 2. the Son 3. the Holy Spirit and all those wonderful Miracles that were wrought this was one End of that mighty Testimony viz. That all the Father hath given to Christ or all that believe in him may assuredly know they shall not perish but have Everlasting Life 7 thly This Covenant makes all the Blessings thereof sure to all Believers because it is confirmed and ratified by the Blood of the Testator Jesus Christ That Covenant that is confirm'd and ratified by Christ's Blood must needs be sure to all the Seed and secure all Blessings in it to them We have also as a Sign and Token of this Confirmation of the New Covenant the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper This is the Blood of the New Covenant that is shed for you to make Peace for you to procure Justification Reconciliation pardon of Sin and Eternal Life for you it is sealed to you by the Spirit through my Blood take eat this and drink this in token of it as an Assurance of it 8 thly The Covenant of Grace doth secure the standing of Christ's Sheep or preserve all Believers to Everlasting Life because of the Promise and Oath of God We have 1. The Promise of God to Christ He shall see his Seed And again His Seed shall endure for ever How can that be if any one that is begotten by Christ's Word and Spirit may perish 2. The Promises also are as made to us in Christ This was Abraham's Title to the Blessings of the Covenant To Abraham and to his Seed were the Promises made that is to Christ and to all Believers in Christ For all the Promises of God in Jesus Christ are not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen to the Glory of God the Father From the Father through the Merits of Christ and the Application of the Holy Spirit Nay God that cannot lie promised them to us in Christ before all Worlds See Paul In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began If Believers do perish what will become of the Promises of God nay of the Oath of God For when God made Promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swore by himself c. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before us This Promise and Oath of God doth respect the Salvation of all the Elect or all that are Believers who are the Heirs of the Promises O let any take heed how they affirm that any one of these may perish since God's Oath is passed that they shall not and 't is to this end that all of them might have strong Consolation 9 thly I might proceed to shew you that the Covenant of Grace does preserve all the Sheep of Christ to Eternal Life and shews us that it is impossible that any of them should so fall away as eternally to perish because they in this Covenant have received the Earnest of the Inheritance and by the same Spirit it is sealed to them also But I shall pass by that having elsewhere spoken fully to it 10 thly and Lastly This Covenant prevents the Saints final falling because it is an absolute Covenant which can never be broken but stands as firm as their Eternal Rock See what the Prophet speaks 't is as absolute as the Covenant God made with Noah For this is as the Water of Noah unto me for as I have sworn the Waters of Noah shall no more go over the Earth so I have sworn that I will not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my loving Kindness shall not depart from thee neither mark it the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee And now this Covenant is made with every Sheep and Lamb of Jesus Christ as it appears by what the same Prophet speaks Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Souls shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David that is then you shall be brought actually into the Bonds of this Covenant which is the Work of the Spirit for who else can make the Dead to hear and live So this Covenant secures you to Eternal Life Let me sum up the whole of this Argument 1. If the New Covenant be a Covenant of Grace and not of Works if it be not according to the first Covenant that was made with Adam but of a quite contrary Nature 2. If it be made with Christ for all his Elect and in him with them before the World began 3. If Christ is the Surety of the Covenant and hath ingaged or obliged himself in this Covenant to the Father to perform all the federal Conditions proposed to him and undertaken by him on their behalf namely to work out perfect Righteousness according as the Law requires of all that can be justified with God and to die in their room to satisfy for their Breach of the Law and to quicken renew sanctify and preserve them all unto Eternal Life 4. If it be an everlasting Covenant well ordered in all things and sure for the Salvation of all that are given unto him it being made upon the unchangeable Decree and Counsel of God 5. If the Execution of all things that are required of Believers in order to their Interest in this Covenant and their perseverance to the End be put into the Hands of the Holy Ghost to work in them and for them 6. If the Covenant is confirmed by such infallible Witness if it be ratified and confirmed by the Blood of Christ 7. If it is also confirmed by God's Promise and Holy Oath 8. If the Earnest of Salvation is given to them 9. And they are sealed unto the Day of Redemption by the Holy Spirit 10. And if 't is an absolute Covenant like that of Noah Then they all and every one of them shall certainly be saved and none of them can fall away so as eternally to perish But all this is true and evidently so therefore
perpetually to be continued the Death of Christ hath special influence unto the mortification of Sin in the Death of the Cross Our Old Man is crucified that the Body of Sin might be destroyed Sin is mortified and we are sanctified by virtue of the Death of Christ and we hereby through his Grace come to be planted into the Likeness of his Death And as Paul in another place saith Being made conformable unto his Death This Conformity is not in our Natural Death or in our being put to death for him but Christ dying for our Sins is the procuring Cause of our dying to Sin therefore we must look for the Death of our Sins in the Death of Christ as the proper Effect thereof Virtue goeth from the Death of Christ to the subduing and destroying of Sin his Death was not only a Passive Example but is accompanied with Power conforming and changing us into his Likeness 'T is the great Ordinance of God to this very End it is by a fellowship or participation in his suffering we are never made conformable to the Death of Christ till we die to Sin the Death of Christ was designed to be the Death of Sin And as certain as Christ died for the Sins of all the Elect so certain it is they shall all first or last feel the powerful Effects thereof in the Death of their Sins The Corn fell into the Ground and died and shall produce all the Increase that virtually was hid in it Christ is our Life the Spring Fountain and Cause of it therefore we have nothing but what we derive from him Object He is say some the Author of Life and as he taught the Way of Life so he is our Life Answ He is our Life as he is our Head and it would be but a sorry Head that should only teach the Feet to go or the Members to act and move without communicating Strength unto them and to the whole Body Christ Brethren is an Head of Influence and in these spiritual Influences or Life that Strength which he communicates to us doth consist in the killing of Sin He loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blame And if this was his End in his Death be sure his Death shall perfectly effect this glorious Work in the End upon every Soul of his Tenthly and lastly Glorification is also an Effect of the Death of Christ it is the Fruit of his Suffering it was by his own Blood he entred as our Head and Representative once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us The Crown of Glory is the Purchase of his Blood and as sure as his Righteousness his Holy Life and Obedience and Meritorious Death carried him to the Father and set him down at the right Hand of the Majesty on high so will his Merits as certainly bring all the true Heirs to that Glory above where the Fore-runner is for us already entered For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings First he brings those Sons into a State of Grace as the Effects of his Death and Resurrection and unto a State of Glory And whom he justified them also he glorified I shall draw up the Sum of this Argument If such are the certain Fruits and Effects of Christ's Death 1. If it hath appeased the Wrath of God for all that are in him 2. If it hath made their Peace and for ever reconciled them unto God 3. If the Holy Spirit is purchased and procured as the Effects of his Death for them by which they are renewed quickned and helped to mortify Sin and is to them an Earnest a Witness and Seal of Everlasting Life and shall abide with them for ever 4. If Justification is the Effect of Christ's Death and they are for ever acquitted from all Sin and accepted as Righteous in Christ's Righteousness 5. If all that believe in him are sanctified as the Effects of his Death and shall be perfected for ever 6. If Pardon of Sin is an Effect also of Christ's Death and all Believers have and shall have their Sins forgiven for ever or remembred no more 7. If they are adopted Sons and Daughters to God as the Effect of Christ's Death 8. And also if Glorification is an Effect of his Death and as certain as is the Cause the Effect will be or as sure as Christ is glorified in Heaven all that are his Members shall be glorified Then it is impossible that any one of them should so fall away as eternally to perish But all these things are true and none dare to deny them so to be therefore they cannot fall so as eternally to perish I shall apply this and come to the next Argument APPLICATION First To Sinners 1. Hath the Death of Christ such Virtue in it even to renew quicken regenerate all that believe in him Is God through the Death of his Son reconciled and shall all that take hold of him be justified c. O then Sinners look up unto him and never cease looking until you find the Effects of his Death in your own Souls Object 1. But alas Sir I am a vile and abominable Sinner Answ Well notwithstanding that yet there is Virtue enough in Christ to save you Object 2. But I have been a Drunkard a Swearer an Adulterer a Thief Answ So had some of those Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Object 3. But I have been an Old Sinner Answ Well let it be so yet but a Sinner and Christ died for Sinners for the chief of Sinners therefore there is hope for you nay if you can believe and apply the Virtue of Christ's Blood you shall find Mercy Object 4. But I fear Christ did not die for me Answ 1. If he died for the Chief of Sinners why not for thee And if those that crucified him found Mercy why not thee 2. Thou hast as much ground to believe that Christ died for thee as any ungodly Person hath that dwells on the Face of the whole Earth Sinner look up Nay 3. Thou hast as much ground to believe that Christ died for thee as any of those had once who now feel the Effects of his Death 4. Did ever any Sinner throw himself at his Feet as a poor lost and undone Creature and take hold of him that was rejected Query What is the first Effect of Christ's Death Answ The first Effect of Christ's Death in the Soul is Life Life is infused And if thou hast a vital Principle in thee thou wilt cry out under the Sense of thy
Sin Thrust a Sword into a dead Man's Bowels and he will not stir nor cry out Sin is in wicked Men like a Sword in the Sides of such as are dead but as soon as Life is infused there will be Sense and a crying out Now when they heard this they were pricked in the Heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles What shall we do Some of these had been the Murderers of the Lord of Life and Glory yet they found Mercy 2 dly Another Effect is this viz. You will perceive a mighty Famine in your Soul as it was with the Prodigal Son all your old Hopes of Heaven will be gone Poverty of Spirit will overtake you An awakned wounded Sinner despairs of all Supplies or Help in himself he is distressed with pinching Hunger and so flies home to his Father 1. Yet may not get Power over Sin presently 2. But O he trembles at the Thoughts of God's Justice by beholding the Spear in Christ's Side 3. He throws down his Weapons as being conquered and overcome and resolves to do as the four Lepers did 2 Kings 7. 3 4 8 9. 4. He sees nothing but Death if he abides where he is and believes not And if he returns to his old Course he sees he must die and therefore ventures to throw his Soul upon Christ or ventures himself on Christ and lies at the Feet of Christ and says If I perish I perish I can but die and if he will pardon me heal me and have compassion on me I shall live O Sinners that you could but do thus Secondly We may infer from hence that it is in vain for any Person to talk of Christ's Death or to say Christ died for Sinners nay for the whole World and therefore for me unless they come to feel the Virtue and blessed Effects of his Death on their own Souls O see you rest not without finding the Power of the Death of Christ Sirs though the Sacrifice is over yet the Virtue and excellent Causality of it remains and not only to justify and absolve a believing Sinner but also to quicken regenerate and to sanctify and make him Holy also Therefore labour to know and experience the Power of Christ's Death Thirdly From hence also we may infer that this is the only Way to know Christ died for us namely when we find the Effects of his Death that we die to Sin that the Body of Sin is crucified in us with him Hath the Life of your Sins been let out O see to this you that prosess the Gospel Fourthly This shews us also what a dangerous thing it is for any to build their Faith upon the general Love of God to Mankind What say some I believe Christ died for me because he died for all and because for all therefore for me Brethren I am afraid this is the ruin of many Souls because it may be but a false Faith that those poor Creatures have they may not experience the Effects of Christ's Death may be it is not prest upon their Consciences but this of Christ dying for all they think is enough Now pray consider and O that all such mistaken Persons would consider it also 1. That a general Faith viz. to believe that Christ died for all gives no Man any particular saving Interest in Christ's Death for if it did then every Man that so believeth hath a saving Interest in his Death But thousands perhaps so believe and yet are as vile and ungodly People as any in the World Therefore to build on that general Faith without a particular Application of the Promise or Promises of God and experiencing the Effects of Christ's Death is a false Faith and deceives the Soul 2. That that Faith which a Man may have that may leave such that have it and trust in it under the Power of Sin is a false Faith and will deceive the Soul but Men may have that Faith namely believe Christ died for all and therefore for them and yet be under the Power of Sin therefore that may be a false Faith 3. That Faith that doth not change the Heart purify the Heart is a false Faith But many that believe Christ died for all and therefore for them have that Faith and yet it doth not change their Hearts purify their Hearts therefore it is a false Faith 4. From hence I argue that it follows undeniably that all those People that believe Christ died for all must come to a particular Application of Christ's Blood and not trust to that general Application they must feel the Effects of Christ's Death upon their own Souls or else they are undone nor do I doubt in the least but many of them of that Judgment do so divers of them being as gracious Christians as any others and have Experiences that clearly contradict their own Principles Fifthly and Lastly Here is Comfort for Believers O see what the Death of Christ hath and will effect for you and in you 1. God's Wrath is appeased in him towards you 2. Justice is satisfied in him towards you 3. The Law is silenced 4. Peace and Pardon procured 5. Life is infused 6. The Guilt Power Pollution and Punishment of Sin removed and gone for ever 7. You are justified 8. Satan is conquered 9. The World is overcome you are and shall be sanctified and Heaven is opened you are in Christ's Hand and shall not perish but have Everlasting Life JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN there are but two Arguments more that I intend to insist upon for the farther Proof and Demonstration of the Saints final Perseverance or to prove That none of the Saints or Sheep of Christ can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish I spoke the last Day to the Effects of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ I might proceed to speak to the Intercession of Christ also but I shall take that in the Arguments I shall next enter upon Ninthly The Saints are in the Hand of the Father and in the Hand of the Son considered as Mediator And from hence I shall prove That it is impossible they should so fall away as eternally to perish First I shall shew you in what respect they may be said to be in the Hand of the Father and what is meant by his Hand and how that doth secure them Secondly Shew you what is meant by their being in the Hand of the Son and shew you how that may be said also to secure their firm standing and tends to their final Perseverance Thirdly Shew you in what respect they may be said to be in Christ's Hand First By the Hand of the Father doth intend his Power Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that he cannot save As if God should say I am not grown weaker than formerly I am God Almighty still and as Omnipotent
Surety yet he hath not let go his own hold of them he will see not one of them be lost for whom I lay down my Life If any would get them out of my Father's Hand it must be against his Will his Purpose his Decree and they must do it by Force by Violence they must pluck them or rend them out of my Father's Hand Mind the word pluck twice mentioned Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand Not that any are able to pluck them out of the Hand of Christ as Mediator But our Saviour adds that in this 29 th Verse as a farther Confirmation and as an assurance of their safe standing Who is too strong for Omnipotence it self Can any bring his Counsel to nought or destroy such that he holds in the Hand of his Eternal Decree in the Hand of his Everlasting Love and Affection and also in the Hand of his amazing inconceivable and irresistable Power That Enemy that will destroy one Saint must be a Match for the Infinite God and overcome him and rob him of his chiefest Treasure or of his precious Jewels O who dares to say this can be done Well then assure your selves that not one Sheep of Christ can perish Sin must be stronger than God if it destroys one of the Elect and Satan more mighty greater in Power than God which to think is Blasphemy Why should our Saviour here add My Father is greater than all were it not to signify the impossibility of their perishing or to shew how impossible it is that any Enemy should destroy them Thirdly By their being in the Father's Hand may be meant Jesus Christ who is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God because by and through him God exerts his Power or his Strength to save or the Glory of his Power is manifested as well as of all his other Attributes Sin seem'd to eclipse the Power of God in saving his People because Divine Power could not save in a way of Omnipotence to the Impeachment of his Justice and Holiness but in Christ Justice and Holiness is as much magnified as Mercy and Goodness and thereby so too that the Power of God might shine forth in its full Glory Father glorify thy Name saith Christ Then came a Voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it Thy Name that is however thou art made known or glorify all thy Glorious Attributes Almighty Power was seen in creating the World and also as it wrought in conjuction with Divine Justice it shone forth in casting the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise as also in the Flames of Sodom And as Divine Power joined with Divine Mercy and Goodness it shone forth in saving the Israelites at the Red Sea But the Strength and Glory of every Attribute never shone forth in their equal brightness and splendour as all are united and in conjunction together and meet in sweet Harmony as they do in the saving of Man by Jesus Christ so that Jesus Christ may be well called the Wisdom of God and the Power of God Christ is the first-born of every Creature And as the First born is the Strength of the Parent so is Christ the Strength of God The transcendent Excellencies and Glories of the Divine Being that were scattered as it were in the Creation are all united and gathered in Christ that like as when a bundle of Rods united and bound up together cannot be broke or as so united are very strong so God in Christ shines forth as having all his Glorious Perfections united in one and in this sense Believers may be said to be in the Father's Hand and so that none can pluck them out God hereby appearing in his united Strength And thus Christ may be said to be that Branch that God hath made strong for himself And again The Man of thy right Hand the Son of Man whom thou hast made strong for thy self in whom thou shewest the greatness of thy Power to save or to manifest his Almighty Power by O what a Hand is the Hand of God in Christ Who can pull one Soul out of the Father's Hand or out of Christ who is the Father's Hand of Power to save all his Elect Believers are in Christ's Hand and Christ is the Father's Hand yea the Father 's Right Hand the Power and Glory of all the Divine Attributes are united together in Christ herein they shew the Perfection of their Strength and are all exerted in the Salvation of every Believer therefore it is impossible one of them should perish In the uniting of all the Attributes of God together doth the strength of God appear to save And in this respect Believers are in God's Hand God is concerned to see the Salvation of his People perfected by Christ as Mediator who is as so considered his Right Hand or the Greatness of his Power or the Perfection of his Power and Strength Secondly To proceed as they are in the Father's Hand so he hath you heard put them into Christ's Hand as their great Sponsor Mediator and Surety and that before the World began in that Covenant and Blessed Compact the Father and Son entered into in order to the Eternal Salvation of all his Saints And the Holy God hath fixed on such Ways and Means and in such manner that the Thing designed cannot miscarry Men indeed may miss of their Ends they aim at but what is directly in the Hand of God and is put by him into the Hand of his Son to effect and finally to accomplish shall never miscarry it being as I have told you done according to his Eternal Counsel God's Absolute Purpose shall stand let it be what it will much more that Grand Purpose and Design of his of saving all true Believers by Jesus Christ First There is a proof of it already as to Matter of Fact Many thousands of the Souls of his Elect are gone to Heaven in spight of Sin Hell Death World and Devils Secondly In the Salvation of Believers by Christ all Interests concerned are secured 1. God is Just and herein he declares his Justice with a Witness And 2. Yet the Sinner is justified 3. Vengeance hath to the full took hold of Sin And yet 4. Mercy is magnified to the highest Degree in saving the Sinner Justice is satisfied and yet the Sinner is forgiven 5. The Law of God hath its full and just Sanction and the Violence offered to it is retrieved 6. And Jesus Christ who did all this in beholding his Seed and Fruit of his Soul and their Eternal Blessedness secured for ever is well pleased and fully satisfied Thirdly The way of accomplishing this Design is such as will certainly compass the End Divine Power being ingaged in it which resteth not in the least on the Concourse or Compliance of any frustrable Instruments nay every Attribute being
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
satisfy the Law and Justice for you Friend you are acquitted Brethren thus it is here Christ offered himself and the Father accepted him in our stead to die for us and to bear that Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and this he did then even when we first sinned in Adam So that we may say in due time Christ died for the Ungodly just as the Stroke of Wrath and Divine Justice was falling on us for it was all one as if he had then actually suffered And also his Blood was as efficacious to save and absolve Adam and all that did believe and apply the Virtue thereof before it was shed as it is to us who believe in these latter Times of the World after it has been shed more than sixteen hundred Years Would not such a guilty Malefactor I mentioned say O this is a great Salvation indeed nay stand and admire at it he expecting nothing but Death and had none to help him or afford any hope or relief to him in the least APPLICATION 1. We may from hence infer God's Love to Mankind is inconceivable nay his Love to sinful Man to lost Man rebellious Man What is Man that thou art mindful him such a vile Creature a Worm a filthy and loathsom Worm a cursed Rebel and Traitor against God that God should let out his Thoughts from Eternity upon him when the Sentence was past against him and he ready to go down to the Pit of Everlasting Wrath and Misery that he should say Deliver him from going down into the Pit I have found a Ransom 'T is not he that is Man himself hath found a Ransom No no I have saith God found a Ransom the Just for the Vnjust or in the room and place of the guilty Sinner It is not I have found Man's good Works Man's reformed Life his Repentance his Faith his Tears his sincere Obedience no but it is the Obedience of Christ the Blood of Christ the Sacrifice of Christ the Merits and Righteousness of Christ this God hath found to be our Ransom God hath found a full Ransom a perfect Ransom God accepted of Christ's Sacrifice for a Compleat Satisfaction it is more satisfactory than if we had lain in Hell for ever for we must always have been paying but never could have made Satisfaction O who could have thought of such a Ransom of such a way of Salvation in this lies the Depth of Divine Wisdom and the Great Mystery of the Gospel How should we adore and admire the Grace of God in Jesus Christ 2. To you poor Sinners let me speak one word by way of Exhortation Did God so early contrive our Salvation O then do you set your Hearts on work to seek this Salvation I mean an Interest in it be early at it do not defer it You young Men think upon it in the morning of your Days this Salvation calls for your utmost diligence to understand and find out the Gospel is a Mystery 't is not easily understood The Preaching of a Crucified Christ is to some Men Foolishness but to them that are saved it is the Power of God Many stumble at the Stumbling-stone God hath laid in Sion Christ is to some a Stumbling-stone and a Rock of Offence but take heed he is not so to you 3. Was there a Council held in Eternity about our Salvation O then consult with all Wisdom the grand Design of God herein It is to exalt his own Glory his own Name his own Free Grace and this being so let it be all your care to advance the Riches of his Grace and let God be wholly exalted and do you lie low at his Feet O close in with God's Counsel accept of this way of Life do not think there is any other way 4. And lastly Consider that the Greatness of God's Mercy and Divine Goodness to us was also one grand End and Design in finding out this Salvation It doth display his unspeakable Love and Bowels towards his poor Creature Man True he had the like regard to his Justice but his Justice had been magnified in our Destruction if his Mercy had never appeared But that his Mercy might be manifested what hath he done his own Son hath born our Sins he hath laid the Hand of his Justice and let out that Wrath that must have lain upon us for ever upon his own Son that Mercy might flow forth to us This should teach us to study Acts of Mercy and contrive that way to be like unto the Holy and Merciful God This is that which he requires of us even to do justly love Mercy and to walk humbly with our God HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I AM upon the Proof and Demonstration of the first Point of Doctrine raised from our Text viz. That Gospel-Salvation is a Great and Glorious Salvation I have spoken to this already under five Considerations Sixthly The Salvation of the Gospel is Great and Glorious if we consider the Glory and Greatness of those Persons who sat in Counsel about bringing of it in and working of it out for sinful Man We commonly judg of the Greatness of the Undertaking and the Glory of the Work by considering the Dignity Glory Wisdom Power and Greatness of the Persons concerned in it Now if this Work I mean the Salvation of sinful Man had been put into the Hands of the mighty Angels and they had called a Council about it and shewed their uttermost Skill Wisdom and Power in order to the actual accomplishment thereof would not all say this must needs be some great and wonderful Work or a great Salvation But alas they could neither have sound out a way of Salvation for us much less have wrought it out Could they any way have thought how the Glory of every Attribute of God might have been raised and have shone forth in equal Lustre could they have secured the Glory of God's Justice and Holiness and have made up the Wrong we had done to God by our Sin and so have opened a Way for Mercy and Goodness to run down like a mighty Stream and secured the Sanction of the Law and yet have delivered Man from the Curse thereof God must not will not lose the Glory of any one of his Attributes let what will become of the Rebellious Sinner Alas they could never have found out a way whereby the Attributes of Mercy and Justice might meet together and Righteousness and Truth kiss each other the Persons then who found and wrought out this Salvation were not the Holy Angels of God No no none but God himself could do it The Salvation of Israel is of the Lord He is our Saviour How often is this expressed in the Psalms and in other places of the Holy Scripture Salvation is ascribed to the Lord to him only yea to his own Arm to the greatness of his Power Therefore my own Arm brought Salvation
saith he I was blameless yet he esteemed it but Dung in comparison of God's Righteousness and renounced it all in point of Justification that he might be found in Christ And as it is Christ's Righteousness that is our Title for Heaven so it is his Death his bearing the Punishment of Sin that delivers us from eternal Damnation in Hell Hell is a fearful Place it is made deep and large The Fire is not quenched and the Worm dieth not and that Place is prepared for all Unbelievers for all who continue in their Sins and under the Power of Unbelief and neglect this so great Salvation the Damnation of which they cannot escape Secondly I shall shew you the Reasons why such cannot shall not escape God's eternal Wrath that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel 1. It is because this is the way yea the only way which Infinite Wisdom hath found out for the Salvation of our Souls If there is but one way to cure a Mortal Disease that may seize upon a Person then if he neglect that one Remedy he must die Sirs as there is but one way to escape starving and that is to eat so there is but one way to escape perishing and that is by believing or by feeding on Jesus Christ or by eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood There are many ways to be damned but there is but one way to be saved Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you If you neglect this way of Salvation there is no other way whereby you can be saved Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved 2. Such that neglect this Salvation cannot shall not escape the Wrath of God because it is just and equal that all such Persons who slight and neglect this Salvation should be destroyed and that for ever 1. By reason they neglect an Offer of Pardon and Peace contrived by the Infinite Wisdom of God and it is the highest Demonstration of admirable Mercy and Goodness therefore there cannot be a higher Indignity and Contempt cast upon God's Sovereign Grace and Favour Many of those Sinners that neglect this Salvation are so vile and ungrateful as not to enquire what this Grace means nor on what Terms this Salvation may be had And is not this in plainness to tell the Holy God that they scorn his Love and Goodness and despise the Offers of Peace and Reconciliation by Jesus Christ and fear not what he can do unto them and so no less than a trampling the Blood of Christ under their Feet Let Men deal thus with their provoked Rulers or with an earthly Prince when guilty of High-Treason and see how unpitied they will die yea be drawn hang'd and quartered What guilty of the worst of Treason and have an Offer of Pardon and slight or neglect the suing of it out How equal and just a thing would it be that such should die So it will be here Brethren God will not be mocked Sinners shall one Day see what it is to neglect the Salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ I mean the Way and Means of the Application thereof they will be forced to subscribe to the Righteousness Justice and Equity of their own Damnation in loving and cleaving to their Lusts and counting their earthly Riches Pleasures and Honours better than Jesus Christ and a part in this Salvation Remember it is the Sinner's own Salvation that he neglecteth it is his own Good his own Cure his own Relief his own Happiness Can any perish more justly and deservedly than such who refuse to be saved who choose Death rather than Life and Darkness rather than Light 3. They cannot shall not escape because it is Salvation in such a way a way that cost so dear even the Blood of the Son of God Should the King yield up his own Son as a Sacrifice to answer the Law for a cursed Traitor and yet he should despise and slight his Goodness how would that aggravate his Guilt O with what a Price is this Salvation procured by what a Sacrifice What Tears did Christ shed O what drops of Blood did he sweat and what Wrath did he bear What a Curse did he undergo to save us from Hell and Death How can any think to escape that neglect the Means of this Salvation 4. Because it is Salvation on such easy Terms as to us had God offered Sinners Salvation on hard and difficult Terms their Sin might not seem to be attended with such Aggravations Had God required a thousand Rams or ten thousand Rivers of Oil of every one that would be saved or to sacrifice their Sons and Daughters or their First-born the Fruit of their Bodies for the Sin of their Souls this would seem hard but none of this God requires of us it shall not be must not be our Son our Child our First-born but his Son the holy Child Jesus his First-born that must die or be a Sacrifice for our Sins it must be my Son as if God should say and all that I require of you is to apply his Blood and to sacrifice your Sins in love to me 5. That which the Apostle builds the Righteousness of God's proceeding against such that neglect this Salvation upon and shews the unavoidableness of their perishing from is the greatness of the Salvation it self Shall God's Justice be eclipsed shall his Honour be marr'd his Goodness be despised his Law be violated his Holiness stained it would be thus should such be saved who neglect and slight this Salvation Therefore all such cannot escape his Wrath. 6. The Apostle further argues the impossibility of their escaping who neglect this great Salvation from that impossibility there was of their escaping who refused to hear Moses For if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Reward How shall we escape c. It was a just Reward they received for their Sins and Disobedience And if so how shall these escape God will render a just Retribution a righteous and proportionable Punishment it will be far worse or much greater howbeit it is against greater Light greater Grace and despising a Person of far greater Honour and Dignity He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Blood of the Son of God c. Sirs to love Sin to love this World or any Person or Thing above Jesus Christ is in effect to tread the Son of God under your Feet 't is such an undervaluing and vilifying of him God doth as it were propound the Case to us he would have Sinners themselves to be Judges how just their Condemnation will be if they neglect this Salvation and
Wrath it is inconceivable Wrath as God's Love and Goodness is inconceivable infinite incomprehensible which all that love him shall partake of to Eternity so on the other hand his Wrath and vindictive Vengeance is unexpressible nay inconceivable which will be let out upon the Ungodly Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power Mark it from the Glory of his Power from the Greatness of God's Power exalted Power O it appears to be amazing Wrath were this considered well and laid to Heart 4. It will be unmixt Wrath or Wrath without Mixture the Wrath of God that is let out here in this World is full of Mixture nay that which hath been let out upon the Spirits and Consciences of Men hath had some mixture in it some Ease mixt with Anguish some mitigation of Pain and Horror some Mercy mixt with Misery but in Hell the Wrath of God is unmixed Wrath it is all pure Wrath nothing but Wrath. The same shall drink of the Wine of God's Wrath which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone c. 5. It is fierce Wrath it is called the fierce Wrath of the Lord a Metaphor taken from a fierce and amazing devouring Fire Sinners are commanded to seek the Lord before the Decree bring forth before the Day pass as the Chaff before the fierce Anger of the Lord come upon them I he Heat of Anger inraged Anger and Fury Behold the Day of the Lord cometh cruel both with Wrath and fierce Anger 6. It is irresistable Wrath no withstanding it no making Head against it Wrath breaks forth against the Sinner like a Giant or mighty Army that none can resist nor stand before Who can stand before his Indignation and who can abide the fierceness of his Anger his Fury is poured out like Fire c. 7. It is just and deserved VVrath Wrath that is due to such who slight and neglect so great Salvation it is the Wages of Sin of such Sin it is their just Due and Desert as Wages are due to a Servant Every one says With-hold not from the Hireling his Wages A Servant when he hath done his Work must be paid his Wages it is right and just that he should have it so it is Right and Justice in God thus to reward all those who abuse his Mercy and neglect his Salvation so great Salvation God will proportionate every Man's Reward according to the nature and degree of his Sin 8. It is heavy Wrath David complained of the Heaviness of his Sin Alas it was no doubt as Mr. Caryl notes from the Apprehension of the Anger and Wrath of God Mine Iniquities are gone over my Head as a heavy Burden they are too heavy for me I have offended thee I fear thy Displeasure my Sin deserves thy Wrath but tho there are Mountains of Iniquity upon unconverted Sinners they feel no Weight they make light of it they sport at it but when Wrath comes once to be laid upon them they will feel how heavy that is who can bear this Burden or stand under this Weight When Wrath was laid upon our Blessed Saviour how heavy did he find it it made him sweat great drops of Blood it almost crushed him down unto the Earth one Sin is heavy and if God lay the Weight I mean the Guilt of it upon the Soul it will crush it down to Hell O then what a Weight will that be which will lie upon Sinners when the Burden or Weight of all their Sins are laid upon them and none to take that Weight off of them for ever how low will it sink them 9. It is eternal Wrath everlasting Wrath Wrath that will never cease They shall be punished with everlasting Destruction He shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of his holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the Sincke of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever O what a wosul Condition will all those be in that God lets out such Wrath upon How lamentable is and will be their State who neglect this so great Salvation Can you think of these things you that slight the Offers of God's Grace in Jesus Christ and not tremble APPLICATION 1. O what a Mercy have they obtained that are delivered from such Wrath such heavy Wrath As no Man is able to bear the Wrath of God so no Man is able to get away from it when it hath took hold of him he cannot escape from that which he cannot endure Alas the Devils themselves shall be tormented with all Unbelievers and they cannot escape with all their Powers of Darkness and indeed this will add to the Torment of the Wicked I mean to be yoked in Hell-Torments with such Companions to be forced to abide for ever with Devils who perhaps will add then to their Misery and aggravate their 〈◊〉 by upbraiding them with their Folly in believing him who was 〈◊〉 Father of Lies and to contemn so great Salvation for the sake oâ— very Vanity for the love to Sin or love to the transitory Pleasures and Riches of this evil World 2. We may also from hence see cause to admire the Love of Jesus Christ who bore the Wrath of God for us Certainly had not he had the Power of the Deity to uphold him he could not have born that Wrath that was so heavy upon him O love and honour this blessed Saviour who hath saved you that believe from such Wrath His Blood hath quenched this flaming Fire so that you shall never feel what the Wrath of God is Brethren remember we could not be delivered from the Wrath of God unless Jesus Christ did bear it in our stead even Jesus who delivered us from Wrath to come our Jonas was thrown into the Sea of Wrath to save us from sinking down to the bottom of eternal Wrath. 3. And may not this stir you up that are ungodly Persons to flee from Wrath to come Why do you stand making a Pause as it were O haste to Jesus Christ come to him for that is the way and the only way as you have heard to be delivered from Wrath. You know not how near you are to fall under the Wrath of God and then it will be too late God gives you space to repent and to take hold of his Salvation you will Sinners have no Excuse no Plea in the great Day if you neglect the Day of your Visiâ—ation and slight the Offers of God's Infinite Grace and Favour Can you bear the Wrath of God Are you willing to try how heavy it is We read of an eternal Weight of Glory that will be a good Weight not a burdensome Weight not an oppressing Weight it is called a Weight of Glory because of the Greatness of it the Excellency of it But know as there
Practices and become utter Enemies to God and his People 7. Lastly All Atheists or such who deny the Being of God or the Eternal Godhead and Deity of the Majesty of Heaven and ridicule and contemn all supernatural Knowledg or Revelation of God these shall receive and undergo the Wrath of God from which they cannot escape APPLICATION This may serve to awaken all secure Sinners who have false Notions of God's Mercy What will you do if you persist still in your evil Ways I am afraid here may be some of one sort or another of them which I have named that shall not escape the Wrath of God O that we could but hear that Cry which we read of Acts 2. 36. What shall we do Were Sinners pricked in their Hearts they would break forth into Tears in the sight and sense of the Evil of Sin Hath Sin put the Lord of Life and Glory to death Was the Wrath of God due to us let out upon him that we might never feel the weight thereof O how should this fill our Hearts with Revenge and Indignation against Sin Certainly the Sufferings of Christ for our Sins shew forth the Evil of it beyond all the Torments the Damned endure in Hell and if God did not spare him who as our Surety stood in our Place and Room what will become of thee O Sinner that goest on presumptuously in thy evil Way and dost not regard or lay to Heart the great Salvation of the Gospel Shall not the Love of God overcome thee then fear his Wrath which is so dreadful and will be let out in Fury Quest What is the Reason Men do no more fear and dread the Wrath of God Answ 1. It is because they do not know the direful Nature thereof We knowing the Terror of the Lord saith the Apostle perswade Men. The faithful Servants of God know it but Sinners know it not therefore fear it no more 2. It is because God doth not execute the Sentence against their evil Works presently This is the Reason Solomon tells us why The Hearts of the Children of Men are fully set in them to do wickedly 3. Sinners are blinded by the Devil and think God takes no notice of their Ways and evil Doings and so go on boldly may be think no Eye seeth them And because God is so gracious patient and slow to Anger and long before he strikes they think the Blow will never come at all O it is sad that the Goodness Mercy and Long-suffering of God which should lead Men to Repentance should tend to harden them in their evil Ways but though they now despise his Goodness and Forbearance c. yet they shall not escape the Judgment of God Quest What should Sinners do to escape the Wrath of God Answ 1. Sinner if thou wouldst escape God's Wrath find out the Original Cause thereof ponder well thy State by Nature and the Pollution of thy Heart from whence all actual Sins flow 2. Find out the immediate Cause of his Displeasure and Wrath that is ready to break forth against thee and cry out What have I done O see what Guilt lies upon you and the Nature of it 3. Labour to know what it is that hath appeased God's Wrath nothing but a Sacrifice an Atonement could do it thy Tears thy Prayers thy Repentance could not do it the Storm was great and our beloved Jonas was thrown into the Sea of God's Wrath to allay it and to cause a Calm 4. Get a thorow Sense of the great Evil of Sin 5. And then loath your selves Nothing but Grace poured forth from the Lord can do this O when once you can mourn for your Iniquities as a Man mourns for his First-born by beholding him whom you have pierced there will be hope 6. Pray and cry mightily to the Lord cease not Day nor Night until you find out the Plague of your own Hearts 7. Above all things fly to Jesus Christ look up to him and neglect not this Salvation one Hour but throw down your Arms sight against God no more nor fence against the two-edged Sword of his Mouth but as a poor lost and burdened Sinner come to him and thou shalt find rest unto thy Soul Object But perhaps some may object Is not this Doctrine a Legal Doctrine Answ I say no but I shall answer this Objection the next time and so close with this Text. HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I Shewed you the last Time wherefore the Gospel is clothed with such fearful Threatnings against Sinners that neglect the great Salvation that is offered unto them therein Also what sort of Sinners are like for ever to fall under the Wrath of God Moreover you may remember I mentioned an Objection which possibly some may raise viz. Object Is not this Doctrine a Legal Doctrine or a legal way of preaching to insist so much upon the Threatnings of Wrath and Divine Vengeance I answered No it is not I therefore now shall endeavour God assisting to do two things First Shew you what is not a Legal Doctrine or a Legal Way of Preaching Secondly Shew you what is a Legal Doctrine or not Evangelical Preaching 1. To preach God a Just and Holy God is no Legal Doctrine though the Law it is true holds him forth so to be that discovers that God is Just but his Mercy was vailed under dark Shadows Types and Legal Sacrifices But now the Gospel sets forth the infinite Justice of God beyond the Law for in a Ceremonial Way the Blood of Beasts seemed to pacify God's Wrath. Though we deny not but the Blood of Jesus Christ the great Sacrifice which alone in a proper sense can satisfy for Sin was held forth thereby But in the Gospel the Justice and Holiness of God so clearly shines forth in Jesus Christ that it is with open Face manifested unto all all may behold therein the Just actually slain and made a Sacrifice for the Vnjust Never did God's Justice appear so fully as it doth in the Suffering and Death of Christ for Sin Therefore to preach the Severity and Justice of God against Sin and Sinners can be no Legal Doctrine 2. To preach Repentance the Necessity of Repentance Regeneration and Holiness is no Legal Doctrine but it is pure Gospel The Law allowed of no Repentance For those that sinned against Moses 's Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Do not mistake me I do not say that there was no Repentance for such who lived under the Dispensation of the Law for tho the Law or first Covenant allowed of no Repentance yet the Gospel was preached to Adam to Abraham to Moses David c. But pray remember and consider it well that Repentance came in not through the Law but through the Gospel upon the account of Christ's Satisfaction and therefore it is only a Gospel-Blessing which being duly considered Men have little reason to
and under the Sentence of Eternal Death being Enemies to God and having Enmity in their Carnal Mind against God and great Mountains of Guilt lying upon them I say thus it is with them but they know it not It is with them as it was with the Church of the Laodiceans Because thou sayest I am Rich and increased in Goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked See what a sad State this professing People were in and yet ignorant of it thought they were perfect as that Man must needs suppose that thinks he wants nothing they no more knew their great Danger than did the old World of the Flood and Sodom of those Flames which suddenly consumed them all 4 thly Some conclude they believe and have true Grace they make a profession of the Gospel and have been baptized having great Gifts and Parts and yet for all this never were effectually changed never obtained the Faith of God's Elect but through Ignorance they are perswaded all is well with them and so they come not to look out to Christ but do neglect the Means of Conâ—â—rsion by being perswaded they are converted already Now this Ignorance may be occasioned several ways 1. Chiefly it arises from that natural Darkness that is in them and which naturally cleaves to all Mankind Sin has put out the Eyes of our Understanding But 2. It may also arise partly from the Ignorance of those blind Guides whose Teachings and Doctrine they may I mean some of them sit under My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledg and the Cause was those that taught them caused them to err If the Blind lead the Blind they will both fall into the Ditch O take heed under what Ministry you venture your Souls The Pharisees and Scribes were learned Men and some of them great Preachers but wholly ignorant of the Doctrine of the Gospel and of Salvation by Jesus Christ Many like the false Teachers of old Cry Peace Peace when there is no Peace 3. Moreover this Ignorance arises partly from Satan he hath too great an Influence on the Hearts and dark Minds of Men But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of those that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Satan hath a mighty Power over sinful Men by his cunning Devices to keep them in Ignorance and to hinder them from studying knowing and believing the Gospel and by this Means they neglect this Salvation Such are blinded by Satan that believe not he may perswade them that a general Faith or a common Faith is true Faith and sufficient and so he cheats them with a Counterfeit instead of saving Faith or Satan blinds Mens Eyes by moving them to seek Salvation in some other way than by Christ alone and by believing in him resting relying and depending on him like an evil Person who puts a poor Traveller out of his way or directs him the direct contrary way that so he may be robbed and murdered by him and by other Thieves that may way-lay him 2. Some neglect the Salvation of the Gospel from that inordinate Love they have to the things of this World Thus the young Man that came running to Christ neglected it he had his Heart so set upon his great Possessions that he went away from our Saviour sorrowful and refused the Salvation of his own Soul he could not part with the World for a Part in Christ and Eternal Life So they that were invited to the Marriage-Supper out of an inordinate Love to the things of the World refused to come The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King which made a Marriage for his Son and sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden and they would not come But they made light of it and went their ways one to his Farm another to his Merchandise This Marriage-Supper is this great Salvation but the things of the World are more valued by most People than the Salvation of their Souls Luke saith And he sent forth his Servants at Supper-time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready Many Persons refuse to feed on Christ they believe not will not eat of this Supper will not feed on a crucified Christ or eat his Flesh and drink his Blood by Faith through Love to their carnal Pleasures Honours and worldly Profits And they all began with one consent to make excuse The first said unto him I have bought a Piece of Ground and I must needs go and see it I pray thee have me excused And another said I have bought five Yoke of Oxen and I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused Another said I have married a Wife and therefore I cannot come Lawful things may be abused and the Heart so set upon them that they drown Men in Perdition and Destruction Mens Hearts naturally are earthly and sensual and as they know not so they desire not the Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ they are satisfied with that Portion they have this World is for them they care not regard not the things of another Life 3. Some neglect this Salvation out of Love to unlawful things They will feed on forbidden Fruit I mean on their filthy Lusts they will swear steal whore be drunk grind the Face of the Poor deal unjustly give way to Pride c. and from hence neglect the Salvation of their Souls I was lately told of a gracious Woman living near this City whose Daughter wore a very high Head-dress or that shameful Mode now in fashion which so grieved the Mother that she gave her a rich Ring upon condition she would leave off that Dress or Top-knots Her Daughter took the Ring and conformed for a while to her Mother's just Desire but it was not long before she gave her the Ring again and repented of her Reformation and got on her old Dresses again Alas some will not leave off and forsake their Lusts for Chains of Gold they will live in their Sins persist on in their ungodly Courses let what will come they matter not who they grieve they prefer their cursed Lusts and Pleasures above this Salvation though it be so great as you have heard 4. Moreover some neglect Salvation because there is a Cross joined to the Crown they must take Christ's Yoke upon them and be exposed to Reproach for his sake and this they cannot endure the Yoke is uneasy to the Flesh the Flesh cannot bear it No it is only easy to such whose Hearts are renewed who have got a new Nature The Cross makes many lose the Crown but Brethren had Jesus Christ refused the Cross where had we been 5. Some Persons neglect Salvation through the treachery and