the Covenant of grace hath been exhibited under two dispensations First to the Jewes under the old Testament-dispensation in tipes and shadowes when the Ceremoniall Law was the Jewes Gospel And secondly to Jewes and Gentiles under the new Testament dispensation in truths and and substances and this is that Salvation that the Apostle seemes here to commend and exalt above other Salvations that Salvation which in the manifestation of it is grown up to more ripenesse of yeares and perfection of Statâ—e since the fullnesse of time than ever it was before And since we are speaking comparatively of it let us take in one consideration more though it may serve only for a pleonasme for having spoken of the greater we need not doubt of the lesse It may be called great Salvation if compared with temporall and corporall deliverances such as those from Aegypt and Babylon those were great deliveraâ—ces and great Salvations but that was of bodies thâ—s of soules that was temporall and this aeternall and therefore in every respect 1. If compared with Salvation by the law 2. If compared with the old Testementmanifestations 3. If compared with temporall deliverances We must give acclamation to it to be great Salvation And as for dreaming of any other Salvation properly and strictly so called we must keep close to those true sayings of God Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and 1. Tim. 2.5 unicus est mediator There is one onely mediatour betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus The doubt being cleared we proceed to clear the doctrine 1. By improving the Text. 2. By Testimonies of Scripture 3. By pregnant and ponderous Reason First by improving the Text where the spirit of God gives it a rise three degrees high 1 Salvation 2 great Salvation 3 so great Salvation which last is a sic without a sicut as one saith of Gods love from that Scripture God so loved the World so that the tongues of men or Angells are not able to expresse nor the imaginations of men or Angells able to comprehend Or what if we suppose it better to illustrate those three gradations by the three degrees of comparison we may shew you at large how Gospel-Salvation is 1. Positively great Salvation 2. Comparatively greater than all other 3. Superlatively the greatest of all 's But all this was hinted in that that went before Secondly to shew you the consent of Scripture and how harmoniously they attest unto this truth Psal 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption let redemption but lead us to a redeemer and we shall find such plenty of it in Jesus Christ that out of his fullness we may be all receivers and grace for grace Luke 1 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath raised up for us an horne of Salvation in the house of his servant David It s a figurative expression taken from beasts whose strength is in their hornes It is such mighty Salvation that it can push down all power that opposes it the Apostle applies it Rom. 8.33 34. It is God that justifieth who is it that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who sitteth at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. Hebr. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him seeing be ever liveth to make intercession for them Put all these together 1. Plentifull redemption 2. A horne of mighty Salvation 3. Salvation to the uttermost And they do univocally bear wittness to this great truth that Gospel-Salvation is great Salvation Thirdly to come to Reasons take into close consideration these three things 1. Ab hoc From what 2. Ad hoc To what 3 Per hoc By what we are saved And from hence we shall lay downe these three Reasons to prove it to be great Salvation 1. Because it saves us from great evills 2. Because it advances to great happiness 3. Because it doth all by great meanes 1 Ab hoc 1 Reason It saves from great Evills as is easy to shew in a multitude of particulars 1. From the wrath of God which buâ—nes like a conâ—uming fire and all the wicked upon earth are huâ—â— straw and stubble before it It burnes to the bottome of hell and setts on fire the foundations of the Mountaines and burnes up the earth with its increase The burning Tophet is kindled with his displeased breath as with a river of brimstone Isay 30.33 the old World was drowned in it and the new shall be burned in it It tumbled the Angels that fell out of Heaven and hurled them into Hell to be reserved in chaines under darkness to the judgment of the great day It brought such a curse upon the whole creation for Adams sin that the whole creation groanes under it Rom. 8.22 Man sweats under it and Woman is in labour of it It hath tumbled Monarchy upon Monarchy the Assyrian Persian Graecian Roman it hath reprobated the greatest part of men and women that ever were in the World are or shall be It hath cast off the Jewes and unchurhed many famous churches of the Gentiles It hath layed flourishing states on ruinous heapes and hath brought to pass those desolations even to wonder and aston shment by sword famine and pestilence which our fathers have told us of It hath done that worke that strange worke in our daies and in these parts of the World which our eyes have seen and may long be for a Lamentation In a word it brought that confluence of indignation upon Christ Gods only begotten and only beloved Son when he stood in our roome and became our surety that it made him sweat blood and cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We may say of all the punishments personall and nationall that have befallen us or can befall us of all things that we feel or fear as the prophet doth Is there any Evil in the City Land World and the Lord hath not done it Ames 3.6 Ex ungue leonem all that see it may say This hath God done for they cannot but see that it is his work we may know it to be the Lord by his very footsteps for as none can deliver and save like him so none can punish and destroy like him Solomon tells us the wrath of a King is like the roring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 but Moses tells us that he cannot tell us the pâ—wer of Gods wrath Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath and this wrath we are saved from by this great Salvation 2. It saves from the curse of his law that binds over to that wrath cursed is every one that continueth not in
2.18 He puts into their hands the Sheild of Faith which will quench all the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6.16 And he prays that that saith may not fail Luke 22.32 And hath ex abundanti for their strong consolation furnished them with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Armour of God and bids them be of good cheere he hath overcome And the Apostle being strong in the Lord and the power of his might triumphs before Victory with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.37 We shall overcom through him that loved us And this bondage we are saved from by this great Salvation 〈◊〉 â—â—ight here enumerate more particulars 〈…〉 Judgement and Hell for this great Salvation saves from the terrours of all these and is a shelter against these driving stormes which swell up a raging Sea of wrath to drown the whole world of the ungodly but these will come in seasonably among those which follow where we shall meet with them before we make a full dispatch of this Reason 4 To give you one generall that may be comprehensive of all particulars that we need to speak to It saves from all evills Now all evills have been well reduced into two rankes 1 Mala culpae Evills of sin 2 Mala paenae Evills of punishment 1. Salvation is from Sin yea and the best part of Salvation too 'T was this that gave unto Christ his saving name Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sinns Salvation from wrath which is done in Justification is quiddam exterius the work of Christ without us who dyed for our sinns and rose againe for our Justification who did undergoe the curse of the law in his passive obedience and fullfilled the righteousness of the law in his active obedience for the justification of sinners but Salvation from sin which is d ne in Sanctification is quiddam interius the work of Christ within us who workes all our workes in us as well as for us See that pithy and pertinent treatise upon that forecited Scripture Mat. 1.21 entituled Salvation from sin by Jesus Christ published not long since by a judicious and faithfull Brother of our Association Mr. George Hopkins of Evesham where you may read to satisfaction upon that profitable subject and save me the labour of enlarging upon it And as it is from sin so from all sin that lies within the reach of repentance There is a sin indeed which the Scripture hath excepted called the sin unto death and the sin against the Holy Ghost which is therefore impardonable because the sinner is impenitent and because that sin is alwayes twin'd with a totall and finall apostacy otherwise there is no sin so great but may be pardoned no sinner so great but may be saved First hear what testimony the old Testament gives unto the Salvation Covenant Moses is very large in dealing out the great pardons of the great God to great sinns Exod. 34.6 7. saying he pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin as if he alluded to the three degrees of comparison magna majora maxima peccata performing to the full what that Scripture promises Isay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or according to the originall he will multiply to pardon The Prophet Ezekiel 36.25 dotr particularize I will pour clean water and ye shall be clean from your idols and from your filthyness will I clense you though your sinns were as great as idolatry against the first Table or uncleanness against the second and we can hardly think of greaâ—â—â— yet upon returne to God they may be pardoned and purged The Prophet Isay 1.18 goes yet further if further may be and makes mention of the pardon of Scarlet and Crimson sinns i. e. Sinns that are double dyed dyed in graine like those colours aggravated with the most notorious of circumstances as bloody as murther as Davids matter of Vriah or as black as Hell as Manasses witchcraft and familiarity with Evil spirits yet upon Gods termes they may be forgiven Secondly and because you shall have the evidence of this truth from the mouthes of the two witnesses the New Testament as well as Old peruse that place Mat. 12.31 That very verse that puts a barre to the Salvation of sinners against the Holy Ghost opens a wide doore of hope unto all besides All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Know further that Salvation from sin to give you the dimensions of it is 1 Either from the Condemning power 2. Or from the Conmmanding power of sin and in respect of both it deserves the title of great Salvation 1 Believers are saved by Christ from the condemning power of sin Rom. 8.1 The Apostle layes it downe as a most certaine conclusion resulting by way of Argument from antecedent premises Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Iohn 3.16 They shall not perish Iohn 10.28 They shall never perish and Iohn 5.24 Shall not come into condemnation 2 And they are freed from the commanding power of sin Sin doth not reigne in their mortall bodies that they should obey it in the lust of it They have given their members servants to righteousness unto holiness and though they sometimes do the Evill which they would not yet they have sued out their divorce and can say with the Apostle their consciences bearing them witness It is no longer I but sin that dwelleth in me They have put themselves under the regency of Christ and put up that petition daily in his name Thy Kingdome come desiring that God and Christ by the holy spirit may bear rule in their hearts and not sin and Thy will be done wherein they desire to be made willing to be ruled by his will and not the lusts of the flesh and by this meanes though sin be not â—jâ—cted from its inherency yet it is dejected from its regency and they are neither servants nor slaves of sin 2 Salvation is from punishment à malis poenae as well as à malis culpae from wrath as well as sin and this so great Salvation that I fear too many do look upon it as the vna vnica salus that that comprehends the totality of Salvation but having said enough to undâ—ceive you in the antecedent branch of Salvation from sin it remaines that we discover this also to be a considerable part though not the totum integrale the All of this great Salvation As all of transgression is epitomiz'd and summed up in Scripture in the terme of sin so is all of wrath and punishment in this terme of death and therefore the Apostle briefly layes downe both Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death i e. All death is
things are the great expectation of the Church and people of God To live in reforming times when a glorious reformation hath been prayed paid for with a large expence of treasure teares and blood when it hath been sought and fought and covenanted for To be found Gospel-refusers in such a time when we should be incouraging one another like the people of Israel and Judah weeping and seeking the Lord and saying to one another come let us be joyned unto the Lord in an everlasting Covenant never to be forgotten Jer. 50.4 5. Or to be found refusers of mercy after such dayes as lately passed over us daies of breaking down in the valley of vision wherein the Lord called to weeping and baldness and girding with sackcloth not to keep touch with God at such times may be enough to blast our hopes of a full deliverance and frustrate our expectation of seeing Syons glory and Jerusalems prosperity Our bondage is not yet so far removed but our sins may easily call it back upon us and make our yoke heavier than ever it was Let us take special notice of that remarkable threatning Jer. 18.9 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do evil in my sight and obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them if God be willing to plant and we will not comply do we not deserve to be rooted up when he offers to do by us as he did by Jerusalem by the call of his Gospel gather us as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and we will not how justly may he leave our Land desolate how speechless shall we be when these things shall be brought to Judgement and our sins set out in their colours and aggravated by this circumstance of time 3. The circumstance of Place is also a greatning aggravation The Lord Christ reproached those Cities where he had preached his powerfull Sermons and wrought his wonderfull miracles Matt. 11.21 22 23. Woe unto thee Corazin woe unto thee Bethsayda for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you they had a great while ago repented in sackcloth and ashes but it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement than for you And thou Capernaum that art exalted to Heaven shalt be thrust down to Hell and the Prophet aggravates the sins of wicked doers by this circumstance Isa 26.10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness in the Land of uprightness he will deal unjustly and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. For the Angels to lift up themselves against God in Heaven deserved a casting into Hell and a reserving in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day For Adam to side with the Devil against God in Paradise deserved an ejection For the Israelites in Canaan to sin worse than the Nations that the Lord had cast out before them deserved a Babylon and an iron yoke of bondage And for us that are like Angels of light in comparison of such as live under Egyptian darkness Angli quasi angeli as one saith placed as it were in an Heaven upon Earth in the bosome of the Church or like Adam in Paradise Angli quasi angulo as another saith in a select corner of the World singled from other Nations dwelling like a peculiar and chosen people by our selves for this to be a Land of forgetfulness and unthankfulness and the Inhabitants of it to be children of disobedience and strangers to the mysteries of the Gospel and things that accompany Salvation for this to be a receptacle of heresie and blasphemie and all notoriousness for this to be like the old World which God destroyed with water like Sodom and Gomorrah which were destroyed with fire like rebellious Israel with whom the Lord entred into controversie because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land Hosea 4.1 for us to abound with graceless principles and practises under such means of grace for us to neglect so great Salvation as hath been brought home unto us and hath dwelt among us our sin of Gospel-refusing being thus circumstantiated will make it to be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement than for us 3. Reason of the greatness of this sin is because it is a State-confounding sin it 's a sin that hath laid flourishing Kingdoms on ruinous heaps Look back upon the state of the Jews whom the Lord owned as his first-born and in a nearer relation than all other people of the World see in what manner of language the Lord spake unto them Exod. 19.5 6. If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the Earth is mine and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation and yet how often were they cast off for casting off Gods yoke God told them what he would do unto them in case of disobedience Lev. 26.18 21 24 28. he tells them again and again and again that they might take thorough notice of it If ye will not be reform'd by these things that is by fewer stripes and lighter punishments but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times more for your sins and I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant There 's the quarrel of all quarrels the Covenant-quarrel as Covenant-mercies and Priviledges are the greatest Mercies and Priviledges The Prophet Isa was bid to cry loud against Israel and Judah because their sins did cry loud unto Heaven for vengeance because God cries out as one tired out of patience they are a burden to him and he is weary to hear them Read the first of Isa and there the Lord hath a controversie with them not only about their sins but about their service their vain oblations and abominable incense their hatefull Festivals and provoking Prayers because there was nothing but seeming and formalitie no spirit nor power in any of their services And observe whether the Lord do not charge his valediction or last great forsaking of them upon that cause that they would not receive Christ nor entertain the Gospel Matt. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not and mark what follows behold your house is left unto you desolate v. 38. That is my house is designed to desolation which was so much your glory the Temple of the Lord that you made such boast of shall be taken from you yea and the Lord of the Temple too he
may yet be had be not accessory to your own everlasting undoing do not tire a long suffering God out of patience and provoke him that sweares he takes no delight in the death of a sinner to sweare in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest Do not make him your judge who is willing to be your advocate nor turne the Lamb of God into a Lion Rampant O grieve not the Spirit which would be your comforter and remember who said when he was waiting upon a rebellious people My spirit shall not alway strive with flesh O send not back Christs Embassadours to their master to tell him with teares that you will not believe their report and put them not upon that diabolicall imployment to be your accusers to God and swift witnesses against you at the barr of Christ make not the word to be the savour of death which was ordained to be the savour of life to the heires of Salvation Let not the Sermons that you have heard and the bookes that you have or might have read and this that you are now reading rise up in judgement against you what should I say more the Lord knows how willing I am to say all that I can possibly invent that may win upon you and all that he shall put into my mouth if he will open your eares and hearts to counsel who opens and none can shutt this may be enough to prevaile with you that hath been allready spoken but if he will shutt or will not open though I could speak with the tongues of men and Angells I should be but as a Sounding brass or a tinkling Cymball O consider this and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Let such consider lastly that there is mercy enough revealed in the Gospel even to pardon all such Gospel-refusing as it not finall The Gospel excludes but one sin from pardon and that is because such a sinner cannot be renewed by repentance If the sinner against the holy Ghost could be penitent the sin against the holy Ghost might be pardoned for it is not therefore impardonable because its greater than the mercy of the Father or merit of the Son but because the sinner hath done despight to the holy Ghost and rendred himselfe incapable of the help of the spirit of grace I have allready taught you that Gospel mercy is a present and precious remedy against Law-transgressions but this is a step farther to consider that it s also a soveraigne remedy against Gospel-refusing which is not finall and they may be Gospel-receivers who have been of long season Gospel refusers The bloud of Christ was so savingly soveraigne that it healed those that wounded him and gave life to some of those murderers that put him to death as is evident from that plain Scripture Acts. 2.36 37 38. Peter told them God had made that Jesus whom they crucified both Lord and Christ There we see they were such as had a hand in crucifying Christ The next verse shews that they were penitent and pricked at the heart for that sin and begging directions of the Apostles what they might do to be saved they were directed to repent and incouraged with the hopes of the promise and v. 41. They gladly received the word and there were added to the Church three thousand Soules who continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breathing of bread and prayer And as the merit of Christ extended to his very persecutors so the mercy of the Gospel extends to the refusers of the Gospel That Son that said he would not go into the vinyeard and went was better accepted with the Father than he that said I go Sr. and went not So those that have long stood at a distance from God upon their unfained repentance will be better accepted than such as are forward in profession and shew but have nothing of the power and beauty and reality of Godliness and Christianity in them O what greater incouragement can Rebells have to lay down armes and submitt to mercy than a probability nay a conditionall certainty of their Princes pardon We have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull said the servants of Benhadad and therefore got ropes about their necks in token of submission and humbled themselves and found mercy according to their expectation you have heard againe and againe that the God of Israel the King of Kings is mercifull but how mercifull none can tell you he is able to do more exceeding abundantly than we are able to ask or think let us lie in the dust and shame our selves before him and turne from our evill wayes and turne unto the Lord and as sure as he is a God of truth we shall find him to be a God of mercy but if notwithstanding all these allurements we shall persist in our sin of setting light by the Gospel our blood will be upon our own heads and we shall be left to perish without remedy I shall shut up all with that obtestation of the Apostle to the Romans Chap. 12.1 2. Which is my intreaty to you I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your selves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service c. THE THIRD DOCTRINE The neglect of Great Salvation brings Great Damnation DAmnation is so dreadfull a doome that the very report of it is like a thunderclap to cause a heart-quake in the hearers and speakers of it If Ministers must preach upon paine of Damnation and people must hear and attend upon pain of Damnation the believing entertainment of this truth one would think should be powerfull to work miracles even to make the dumbe to speake and the deafe to hear it s better to hear the roring of the Lion than to come into his paw and its better to hear of the dreadfullness of Damnation than to come under the sentence It s joyous to hear of Heaven but it s the fullress of joy to be invited to it wath a come ye blâ—ssed children of my Father receive the Kingarâ—â— prepared for you So its dreadfull to hear of Hell but it s the most terrible of terribles to be sentenred to it with go yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels You have heard of the amiableness of Salvation to invite you hearken unto the dreadfullness of Damnation to affright you that either you may be drawn or driven to mind the things that belong unto your peace the rule that we proposed was ingentia beneficia ingentia flagitia great mercies abused do aggravate sin and make it sinfull with a witness And now the remainder of it is ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia those haynous sinns do pull down punishnent with a vengance that sin with a hard heart doth call and cry for judgement with a high hand Now though this be not expressed totidem verbis in express words in the Text
sweet a pardon would be to a condemned malefactor when he were at the place of execution and there you have a shadow of it 2 But how great it is I cannot tell you this I can tell you that it is so great that words cannot reach it neither can our dull intellects comprehend it we read that the love that saves us hath the largest dimensions of length and bredth and heigth and depth Eph. 3.18 19. But in the same breath we also read that it passeth knowledge and to be filled with it is to be filled with the fullnesse of God This Salvation must have the same dimensions and they must be as exactly fitted to each other as the arke and mercy-seat you have already heard of the depth of it in the evills that it saves us from which are as deep as the nethermost hell You have also heard of the heigth of it in the happiness that it advances unto which is a happiness as high as the third Heaven The bredth of it you have also measured unto you in the fullness of excellent meanes that conduce to the accomplishment of it The length of it remaines only to be supplyed and the Scripture is so full of that that you may even run and read it that this great Salvation hath no shorter date for its durance than Aeternity those that are saved are saved for ever and ever Or to help our selves herein by speaking after the manner of men 1 Men set great esteeme by that which is the gift of some great friend and such is this Salvation that we are speaking of we are not saved by our merit it is the gift of God The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. ult Fear not little flock saith the purchaser of this great salvation for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luke 12.32 Yea salvation and Saviour and all are the gift of God the Father Unto us a Son is given Isai 9.6 And God so loved the world that he gave his onely bogotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 2 Men count that great that hath been purchased at a dear rate and such is this Salvation less than the precious blood of Christ could never have purchased it we were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold and silver c. 1 Pet. 1.18 3 Men count that great that is hardly gained and such is this great Salvation The righteous are sâ—â—rsly saved i. e. At a hard hand and with much ado 1 Pet. 4.18 And we are commanded to strive to enter in at the streight gate Luke 13.24 And to offer violence to the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 11 12. And to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.5 4 Men count him great that hath a great retinue that is a great king that hath amultitude of subjects if we do but look back and recount the multitude of evills that we are saved from and the riches of grace and glory that we are advanced to and the multitude of excellent meanes by which both are brought to pass Salvation may also pass for great upon that account 2 USE Shall be a Proclamation to all that are willing to come in and challenge their part in this great Salvation Christ hath made a full purchase of it and he is a mighty Saviour able to save to the uttermost all that do come unto the Father by him God is a free bestower of it he expects not that we should bring any thing with us but a sense of our own blindness nakedness nothingness a sense of our own want of this great Salvation He is no respecter of persons he accepts none for his goodness nor excludes any for his badness provided that they will come in and accept of it upon the tearmes it is offered observe and study those sweetest invitations one in the old Testament the other in the new Isay 55.1 2. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Come ye buy cate yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eate ye that which is good let your soul delight it selfe in fatness Revel 22.17 The spirit the bride say come let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely O who can but admire at these gracious words if we do but also take into consideration those moving expostulations which we find in the word As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner turne ye turne ye why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 18.31 How often would Mat. 32.37 My very text hath the force of a most vehement expostulation how shall we escape c. how shall we answer it to God that we thus slight his mercy and undervalue his Son and destroy our owne Soules and refuse our owne mercies O let not any be guilty of such bedlam madness to exclude themselves when God excludes them not when God throws open his door of mercy to all comers what reason have poor lost undone sinners to barr it against themselves I may write a Noverint universi upon this Proclamation Be it known unto all the World that this Salvation as great as it is and it is greater than words or thoughts can reach unto yea and the great Saviour to boote with all their riches are freely offered unto us poor wretched worthless wormes upon no other or higher condition than our thankfull willing acceptation of them Iohn 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power i.e. priviledge to become the Sonns of God even to them which believe on his name Oh that our everlasting doors might now flie open to give entertainment to this King of glory Oh that our understandings and wills could now close with the truth and goodness of this great Salvation that we may with one accord take up that saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners THIRD USE 3 Use Serves to reprove the madness of the neglecters or refusers of this great Salvation since it is so great salvation and offered on such easie terms surely the folly and madness of such as are regardless of it is exceeding great and this is the more aggravated and made out of measure sinfull by taking into consideration what toys and trifles are prized and set by while salvation is neglected the Devil World and the Flesh shall be served while Father Son and Holy Ghost are basely neglected mens profits pleasures and honours the perishing vanities of a transitory world shall be sought after with uttermost dilligence while more
flaming fire rendering vengance to them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glery of his power mark the tendencie and full scope of the words you may take them at large thus O all you stubborn and rebellious sinners who are refusers of Gospel-mercy and have long continued neglecters of that great Salvation remember that the Lord Jesus was revealed from Heaven as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the World and came down from his Fathers Throne to his foot-stool to take our nature upon him to humble himself and become obedient to death even the death of the Cross to be made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons and he sent abroad his Apostles to propagate to all Nations the knowledge of this Salvation and to perswade the sinfull World that lay under condemnation unto faith and obedience believingly to accept of this Saviour and Salvation and in all thankfulness to return obedience and to take him for their soveraign Lord Redeemer and Saviour Oh know and be it known unto you and to all the World that he shall once more be revealed as a roaring Lyon to tear in pieces such as know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but this is to argue the greatness of the sin from the greatness of the punishment and the improvement of it may be referred unto the third doctrine as to its most proper place The same course that we took to illustrate the greatness of Gospel-Salvation we may take here to aggravate the sin of Gospel-neglecting or refusing We hinted there that Gospel-Salvation was called 1. Salvation 2. Great Salvation 3. So great Salvation Which we further amplified by alluding to the three degrees of comparison shewing 1. That it was positively great 2. That it was comparativly greater than other 3. That it was superlatively the greatest Conceive in like manner of the sin of setting light by this Salvation 1. That it is positively great 2. That it is comparatively greater than others 3. That it is superlatively the greatest of all except the excepted sin And we may call it 1. Sin 2. Great sin 3. So great sin 1. To discover it to be positively great we need but name it and a little open the nature of it to make men cry shame of it as the unwrapping of a plague sore and opening it to be seen is enough to make the sound to loath it and the stink of an open sepulchre is enough to make the living to abhor it Gospel-refusing O monstrous sin it hath a face more ugly than Belzebub the Prince of devils though it be a sin that is proper to men and so common to all degrees and estates of men that it fills Hell with souls yet it is such a sin that the devils have no temptation to commit they being left without hope of a Redeemer and doamed from their very fall to perish without remedy Salvation is a term that is comprehensive of all that is good and excellent and desirable yea of the highest good of the highest God for they are convertible the Trinity of persons agreeing in one unity of love as well as essence to further our Salvation yea the great God turned all into one great love to affect it God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 Christ in the fullnes of time manifesting the fullness of love Gal. 4.4 And the spirit coming down upon Christs Ascention as another Comforter to abide with us to the end of the World and all in order to the bringing about of this great Salvation and if this be not a sin with a witness tell me what is Gospel-refusing is called in Scripture a God refusing a Christ-despising a spirit-resisting and inconsiderate sinners in refusing and setting light by the word and ministery of this Salvation do all this Christ said of the contemners of his messengers he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 and Stephen said unto his and the Gospels persecutors ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye do allwaies resist the holy Ghost as your father did so do ye Acts 7.51 When Gods Embassadors shall go out into the world and doe as the Prophet was commanded lift up their voices like trumpets to tell men and women of their sinns and transgressions when they with Iohn Baptist shall cry prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight when they shall make proclamation Ho every one that thirsteth come come come Isay 55.12 And with the spirit and bride and him that heareth shall say come come come Rev. 22.17 And let whosoever will come and take of the water of life freely When men are so obdurate that like Pharoah they remaine hard and hardned in the midst of meanes neither miracles nor ministry nor misery nor mercy can do them good when all Gods and Christs and the Spirits and the messengers intreaties and beseechings shall be like breath scattered in the aire and like water spilt upon the ground and a labour in vain shall make Gods tired ministers ready in a heart-breaking despondency to turne their backs upon their labours let such as have understandings of the longest reach and witts exercised to to distinguish betwixt good and evill speak whether this must not be concluded to be a great sin for such only are fit to take the dimensions of a sin that is so circumstantiated I le give you but one rule more to help you to conceive of the greatness of this sin in the positive description and then pass to the comparative The Apostle prayed for his Ephesians Eph. 3.16 17 18 19. That God would grant them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith that they being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with the fullness of God This is the well-spring of our Salvation the love of God in Christ which is here measured out unto us by the word and spirit of God in those dimensions of breadth and length and depth and height and said to pass knowledge and to comprehend all the fullness of God must not this have the length and breadth and depth and height of sin in it must it not be a sin passing knowledge must not this be to be filled with all the fullness and sinfullness of sin Those that are eaten up most of the love of God and know most of that love which passeth knowledge will be
most confounded with monstrousness of this sin and know most of the sinfull nature of it and such as these can assure the world of blind sinners that it is a Soul confounding sin and a plague provoking sin and such as are infected with this leaprosy of sin may well cry out uncleane uncleane but while I am speaking but positively of the greatness of this sin I am allready leaping into the superlative so hard it is to speak diminutively of this sin Deus caelum non patiuntur hyperbolen as we cannot speak too highly of God who is the highest good so we cannot speak too aggravatingly of this sin because it is so objectively against the highest love of the highest God that it is a sin so opposite to the highest good is aggravation sufficient to speak it superlatively great yet since it was promised we shall proceed to the comparative and so come in order to the superlative at last 2. It is Comparatively greater than other sinns and here we shall take the course to manifest Gospel-refusing to be great sin as we did to manifest Gospel Salvation to be great Salvation we compared Gospel Salvation with Law Salvation and with temporall deliverances and lower Salvations and shew'd you that it was great if compar'd with them because it was greater than those we shall therefore 1. Compareâ— Gospel-refusing with Lawrefusing and so demonstrate it to be greater And this the very argument made use of by our Apostle which ushers in my text Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed unto the things that we have heard least at any time we let them slip for if the word spoken by Angells was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation c. That is if their sin which was less deserved so great punishment how much more ours which is greater Heb. 10 28 29. 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 Son of God and hath counted the bloud of the covenant wherewith he he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the spirit of grace We shall better improve that Scripture when we come to the handling of the third Doctrine only here as before read the the greatness of the sin in the greatness of the punishment for God who is ipsissima justitia justice it self doth allwayes proportion his punishment to the sin and note above all that this sin is here called a treading Christ under foot a counting of the bloud of the Covenant an uncleane thing and a doing despight unto the spirit of grace there is too much of these ingredients into the sin of Gospel-refusing which makes it to culminate and to mount up unto a sin of the highest altitude and greatest magnitude and to die in it to do it finally to continue refusers and neglecters of so great Salvation doth much aggravate it 2. If we compare this with other sinns it will appear to be greater than such as the Scripture condemns as very gross and out of measure sinfull 1 Adultery is lookt upon as a great sin it was so in Josephs account when he said how can I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39.9 And David was even swallowed up of that twin-sin whereof adultery was one Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight but the refusing of Gospel-Salvation is far greater for David by Gospel-indulgence obtained pardon of that sin but if he had refused that Salvation he had been left to perish without remedy 2 Idolatry is also a most notorious sin surely the spirit of God names these two as two of the most crying when it promises great pardon to great sinns from your idols from your filthiness will I cleanse you Ezek. 36.25 i.e. if your sinns be as great as Idolatry against the first table or adultery against the second yet upon your seasonable and sincere returne you shall find mercy Idolatry is a spirituall adultery that ad alterius torum this ad alterum Deum Adultery is a running a whoring after strange flesh Idolatry a running a whoring after strange Gods When the Israelites had corrupted their waies by worshipping the calfe Moses told them they had sinned a great sin Exod. 32.30 and when Israel had sinned in asking them a King Samuel tells them they had sinned a great sin 1 Sam. 12.17 and what was that great sin they had rejected God the Israelits had taken a calfe for their God in Moses time and a man for their God in Samuell's but this is a greater refusing of God they refused him in his absolute power commanding their obedience these refuse him in his meruelous mercy calling them to beleive 3 Rebellâ—on or Treason are great sinns and disobedience to Gods commands is rebellion Isay 1.20 If ye refuse and rebell c. how much more our disobedience to that great Gospel command that we should beleive in the name of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent 1 Iohn 3.23 and Samuell told Saul that Rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft and stubbbornness as iniquity and idolatry 1. Sam. 1523. When a King shall proclaime his Lawes by his Embassadors and men shall offer violence to his Embassadors or refuse his Lawes they are left without the protection of those Lawes and not only so but proceeded against as rebells and Traitors against the Crowne and dignity of the Prince and Gospel refusing is Rebellion of an higher nature because it is against an higher Law against the royall Law and against a greater King against the King of Kings 4 Once more and I have done with the comparative part of the Illustration It s a greater sin than the sin of Sodom as may be gathered from Mark 6.11 Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City It s very evident that its this sin of Gospel-refusing that is here intended it s the not receiving nor hearing the Apostles and messengers of Christ that were sent to negociate in the deep things of the Gospel Their setting light by it is here hinted in the Apostles gesture towards them they set no more by the preaching of the Gospel than they did by the dust under their feet and therefore they must shake off the dust of their feet against them And its further to be gathered by consequence that their sin was greater than the sin of Sodom in that Christ saith it and protests it that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City Let us make
God told the Israelites that they did not pray unto him when they howled upon their beds Hos 7.14 Ther 's a vast difference betwixt saying a prayer praying a prayer the words of prayer are but the carcase of the duty the longing desites of the soul after God and his mercies after gifts and giver are the soul of it and that only that makes the prayer effective Therefore I say that such sinners as Gospel-refusers may find mercy there must be deepest humiliations suitable repentance and most tervent prayers Old weather-beaten sinners â—hat have long setled on their lees and have been frozen in their dregs and have lain soaking in their lusts that have long frustrated meanes fair and foul and all that have been spent in vaine upon them such Blackmores will not be washed white with a little nitre nor such Leopards purged from their spots with a finger No if after long humbling and praying and fasting and waiting they may have a glimps of Gods pleased countenance at last they have cause to wonder at such mercy if at their latter end they may have their pardon sealed though their grey hairs are brought downe with sorrow to the grave yet they have reason more than enough to die admiring the Lords mercy But here I must enter a caveat against a mistake let all thought of meriting be banisht from our severest and most mortifying humiliations Though we should macerate our selves with fasting into very Skelitons and be like so many pale corpses or wandring shadows though we could sigh our selves into very aire and dissolve into very teares our heads being fountaines and our eyes rivers Yet when all were done we must cry out unprofitable and we must fly from our best performances to the Lords mercy and to Christs merit for succour and Salvation 4 There must be great changes of heart from stone to flesh is a great change and when God pours out his cleane water of sanctification he takes away the heart of stone and gives the heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 From worse than nothing to the new creature is a greater change and this is wrought in regeneration From darkness to light is a change most remarkable and this saving conversion brings to pass Acts. 26.18 For a Man to hate his flesh his unregenerate part his lust and body of death which in the time of his vanity he loved so deerly and was as loath to part with the members of it right eye foot or hand this is a great change and such a change is wrought in selfe-denyall It was a great change that was wrought on Saul upon a sudden when from persecuting he fell to praying and preaching this well deserved an ecce as a note of admiration behold he prayes Acts. 9.11 For one that was so mad upon taking away the lives of others for professing Christ to be more ready to lay downe his own upon the same account was so notable a change that all that hear of it may say this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The grace of God which brings Salvation brings such changes and where great changes of heart are wrought there great changes of life will accompany them Gospel-sliting and neglecting will be turned into Gospel-prizing and advancing those that made no reckoning of Gods Law before will after this change say with David I love thy commandements above gold and the Lawof thy mouth is deerer unto me than thousands of gold and silver and they that thus prize it in their hearts will practise it in their lives knowing that the true sayings of God are verba vivenda non legenda and they ought to live Gospel as well as know it David approves himselfe to God in the sincerity of his own heart in saying Lord what love have I unto thy Law all the day long is my study in it and desires God to sift and try and prove and search him over and over that there may be no leaven of hypocrisy left behind Psal 139.23 24. And he makes it the Character of a blessed man that he exterciseth himselfe in Gods Law day and night Psal 1.2 We should make it our meat and drinke our food and Phisick and recreation And for an answerable conversation the Apostles exhortation is exceeding pregnant wherein he gives them one precept that may include totum homnis the whole duty of man Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ As Solomon saith Fear God and keep his Law for this is the whole duty of man Ecles 12.13 So the Apostle there love Christ and love his Gospel for this is the whole duty of Christians 3 USE Shall lay before you and leave with you two breife incouraging considerations by way of comsolation for those that have formerly been such but now have resolved to breake off that and all other sins by unfained repentance 1 Let such consider it is not every Sermon that is slighted or every tender of mercy and offer of Jesus Christ that is made to the Soul and set light by that is the great damning and impardonable sin of Gospel-refusing though these are too bad and exceeding heynous and being objectively against the Gospel are much to be bewailed but it s the finall refusing of mercy and slighting of Jesus Christ to the death that is most properly and in strict sense the great sin of Gospel-refusing and such as live and die in that sin do render themselves by so doing uncapable of pardon and cast themselves unavoidably upon everlasting damnation Gods word saith as much either exprefly or by direct consequence in a thousand places every Minister that you hear tells you so or else he tells you not the truth every Chapter that you read gives you some hint or other of it many a time have your bretheren and Christian freinds told you that except you close which God and lay hold upon Christ you cannot be saved if they have dealt faithfully with your Soules yea many a time have your own consciences if they are not blind and dumbe and seared told you so and is it not the extremity of madness to venter your Salvation upon such termes that either the Scriptures must be false and God a Liar or you cannot be saved If you live and die in this sin you must as sure be damned as the Divel himselfe as sure as the Heaven is over your heads and the earth under your feet Hell will be your portion and everlasting damnation will be the wages of refusing Gospel-Salvation But if you may yet be prevailed with before your breath be stopt and the pitt shut her mouth upon you to embrace Christ whom you have long slighted and accept of that mercy which you have unworthily refused and receive the Gospel which you have neglected there is yet hope in Israel concerning this O for the Lords sake and for your Soules sake stand out no longer refuse not mercy that