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
a Part and may be not the 20 th Part of all the People of Judea and Jerusalem neither Also how have some pleaded for eating of Blood from hence which is the Life of the Creature which was forbid to the whole World in Shem Hani and Japhet after the Flood and before any Ceremonial Law was given forth yea and as soon as the Flesh of any Creature was given to Man to eat or he was allowed to eat the Flesh thereof as also Blood is positively forbidden as Fornication and Pollution of Idols in the New Testament Acts 15. 20 29. Alas how easy are Men led to abuse the Sacred Scriptures to favour an Opinion they have received for want of farther light And as to the word World 't is evident that does not sometimes extend to all universally but to a part Moreover all that are in Unbelief or that believe not though some of them may be given to Christ yet they are as I hinted before as much the World as other ungodly Ones until called out of it I have chosen you out of the World From hence it appears they were in and of the World before else they could not be said to be chosen and called out of the World Now it was for this World Christ died even all the ungodly World that were given to him and for all and every one of them and no more upon a Spiritual Account viz. to save them or die in their stead Yet 3. Christ is said to take away the Sin of the World What World is that which Christ takes away the Sin of I affirm there is not one Sin taken away from the World nor one in the World but only of such that Believe of the Adult all Unbelievers are under the Guilt and Punishment of Original Sin and Death is to such a Fruit of the Curse still which God denounced against Adam c. 4 In one sense he may be said to buy or save the whole World i. e. externally for it was by Christ's Mediation and Death this World was saved and all in it from perishing immediately upon the Sin and Fall of Man all live move and have their being in him as God and through him as Mediator he is in this respect the Saviour of all Men but especially or with an especial and eternal Salvation he saves none but them that do believe So much shall serve as to this Objection and at this Time JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BELOVED the last Day I was upon that Grand Argument to prove That none of Christ's Sheep can fall away so as eternally to perish viz. taken from the Death of Christ I shewed you that Christ died in their stead he bore all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to them for their Sins so that they might never bear it or suffer in Hell I shall now proceed Eighthly My next Argument shall be taken from the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection Though I have spoken something already touching the Effects of the Death of Christ yet I shall before I pass it add something further to it First We have shewed you that the appeasing of God's Wrath was the Effects of the Death of Christ he put an end to all Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance that was due to all Believers or Elect Ones The Pangs of Hell due to us seized upon him and he bore it in our stead upon the Cross He was delivered for our Offence and rose again for our Justification Now when Christ was discharged all his Elect were virtually discharged also because he suffered and rose again as a publick Person representing all that were given to him by the Father those things which he did in his own Person in this respect we are said to do together with him Brethren the benefit of his Performances doth redound unto us we are said to die with him and to be quickned together with him and entred into the Holy Place with him the whole Victory over Sin and Death being obtained and the Quarrel removed the condemning Power of Sin being destroyed all things about making an end of Sin are done and passed through Now what saith the Apostle He that is dead hath ceased from Sin Well what of this Likewise saith he Reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Knowing that Christ being raised from the Dead dieth no more Death hath no more Power over him Now this being done by us and for us in our Head can we henceforth die any more Shall Eternal Death have Dominion over us No no we are to reckon our selves to be as absolutely freed and discharged from Sin and Eternal Death as Christ is discharged and freed from Death and dieth no more And this comes to us as the Effects of his Death by his suffering for us and in our room If one died for all then were all dead that is all those for whom he died they were dead and died likewise with him their Sponsor and are delivered from the Curse due for Sin so that we now might and shall live to him that died for us and rose again This was the End of his Death and is or will be the Effect thereof on all for whom he died Secondly Reconciliation from hence it doth appear is also another Effect of Christ's Death The Design of God was to bring us to Happiness and this he doth as the Effects of the Death of his own Son the Lord Jesus who hath made our Peace by the Blood of his Cross He hath reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God in one Body having slain the Enmity thereby Divine Justice you heard the last Day has nothing to charge upon God's Elect because it is Christ that died 1. Observe Christ's Death hath reconciled God to us When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son 2. And then also as an Effect and Fruit of his Death he having obtained the Spirit for us we are actually reconciled to God And thus our Days-man lays his Hands upon both he brings God to us and us to God he is not the Mediator of one but God is one There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 3. Therefore as the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection Reconciliation is made with God for us and that for ever it is not a Peace made for such a time or for so long but for ever so that there shall never be any destructive Breach any more no more War between God and Believers let Sin and Satan do what they can they cannot break this League of Peace and Amity 'T is not a Peace upon Condition that we are to keep and may break it No no the Peace was made by Christ and he that
a godly Life therefore is in Christ Jesus and shall be saved 12. It is also by the Holy Spirit that Believers are sealed unto the Day of Redemption Also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise Strange Can these fall away Can such perish that have received the Earnest of Heaven and have the Witness of the Spirit and have it sealed to them No no God hath put his Seal or Mark upon them he by his Seal hath secured them to and for himself and all this is the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection 13. The Spirit also thus purchased by Christ's Death and given as the Fruits and Effects thereof to Believers the Promise of the Father is that it shall abide with them for ever it is the great Promise made to Christ in the Covenant My Spirit which is upon thee shall not depart from thee nor from thy Seed henceforth and for ever See the Words Isa 59. 21. there is the Promise of the Father it is an absolute Promise and it runs thus it shall be in Christ and in his Seed henceforth and for ever The Spirit is called the Promise of the Father Also we have a Promise of the constant abiding of the Spirit in all Believers made by Christ the second Person in the Trinity he told his Disciples The Spirit of Truth the Comforter should abide with them and be in them forever Unto these add the Testimony of the Holy Ghost himself for it is he that doth in the Word assure us of his own abiding with us he hath chosen our Souls to be his own Temple and Habitation for ever and also assures us That all the Promises are in Christ yea and amen to the Glory of God So that we have this great Truth sealed and confirmed to us by the Three that bear witness in Heaven Fourthly Pardon of Sin is another Effect and Fruit of the Death of Christ In whom we have Redemption through his Blood that is as the Effects of his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sin True Jesus Christ satisfied God's Justice for our Sins he paid our Debts it is not Remission without a Satisfaction but yet we are freely forgiven we have it of God's Free Grace but it is through the Blood of Christ Remission of our Sins follows Redemption as the necessary Effects thereof Christ hath procured this Favour and Blessing for us and Gospel-Remission or Pardon of Sin is for ever I will remember their Sins no more they are blotted out for ever he hath cast our Sins into the Depth of the Sea put them behind his Back yea he hath put them far away from him as the East is from the West Fifthly Adoption is the Fruit and Effect of Christ's Death He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons God takes us through Christ or by virtue of Christ's Death into the Relation of Sons which Privilege we have for ever we shall never cease being Sons and Daughters of God Sixthly Free Access to the Throne of Grace or unto the Father is the Effect of Christ's Death Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Christ's Blood His Death opened this Way it is by him we have access to the Throne of Grace Seventhly Another Fruit and Effect of the Death of Christ is Redemption from all Iniquity He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity c. Tit. 2. 14. Therefore this Glorious Effect his Death shall have upon all Redeemed Ones it was not to redeem only from the Curse of the Law as some talk but from the Guilt Pollution Power and Punishment of Sin therefore Believers shall never perish Eighthly Justification is also another Effect of the Death and Resurrection of Christ which is to acquit absolve and to pronounce us Righteous in God's Sight God accepting us Righteous by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which is ever the same Now Christ's Death being the Meritorious Cause thereof we are said to be justified by his Blood Rom. 5. 9. And pray see the Apostle's Argument from hence Much more then being now justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him It is more to be reconciled and justified than it is to be saved such are justified and Christ's Blood having done the former will much more effect the latter those that Christ justifies he will glorify nay and his Death and Resurrection cannot be without this Effect And by him all that believe are justified from all things c. The Word Justified is opposed to Condemnation those that are justified are justified for ever Justification is not a gradual Act as Sanctification is it results not as the Fruits of our Repentance or inherent Holiness but as the Fruits of Christ's Death and Merits it is never less nor more as our Holiness cannot add any thing to it so the Sins and Infirmities of true Believers cannot diminish any thing from it there may be additions to our inherent Sanctification but not to our Justification Christ rose again for our Justification I may also challenge all the Men in the World to prove that any Man that was justified in the sight of God did ever fall away and come under Condemnation Ninthly Sanctification is another Effect of the Death of Christ You may again read that Text Heb. 9. 13 14. Christ died not only to justify Believers but to sanctify them also Object But some may say A Man may be sanctified and yet be defiled again We read of some that escaped the Pollution of the World through the Knowledg of Christ yet were again entangled and overcome Answ 1. If any sincere Christian be defiled again through any Sin or Corruption they shall be washed and cleansed again 2. Those that Peter speaks of were such that only had escaped gross Pollution through the common Operations of the Spirit it appears their swinish Nature was never changed he therefore saith It is happened to them according to the true Proverb The Dog it turned to his Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire Such therefore never were sanctified in Heart they never experienced the Effects of Christ's Blood not that Soul-purifying Virtue that is in it they were cleansed from gross Idolatry through the Knowledg of Christ and also from some gross Acts of Prophaneness they had obtained a reformed but no renewed Life of Grace and Holiness therefore such fall into Sin again and are so overcome that the latter End is worse with them than the Beginning As to true Believers see what the Apostle says For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified By this one Offering our Lord Jesus hath procured our Sanctification
he cannot see the Kingdom of God and that But he that believeth not the Wrath of God abideth on him and this in my Text touching the Impossibility there is for any Man to escape that neglects this so great Salvation and whatsoever else is contained in the New-Testament 3. It was also ratified and confirmed by the Blood of Christ by his Death and by his glorious Resurrection and by the rending the Vail of the Temple and by that great Darkness that was at the time when our Lord gave up the Ghost over all the Earth and by the rising of many of the dead Bodies of the Saints after his Resurrection Look to it Sirs this Salvation must needs be very great that was thus confirmed Fourteenthly The Gospel-Salvation is great if we consider with what amazement the Holy Angels behold it they are said to look into it 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow Vnto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into They look into it with the greatest diligence do as it were bow down to pry into it they stand as it were astonished to see the Son of God in Flesh or having taken Man's Nature upon him he that is their mighty Lord and Soveraign to abase himself to such a degree and to die the shameful Death of the Cross to work out Salvation for such vile and rebellious Creatures as Mankind are 'T is said He was seen of Angels The Angels knew of Christ's coming no doubt long before he was manifest in the Flesh The Angel told Daniel of the seventy Weeks and of the cutting off of the Messiah and the Angels also brought the first News of his Incarnation and Nativity but nevertheless with what Wonderment was he seen of the Angels The natural Knowledg of the Angels which we understand not no doubt is great but they have also an experimental Knowledg they learn of the Church the manifold Wisdom of God They were likewise Witnesses of our Saviour's Resurrection and ministred to him in his bloody Agony Lo the Salvation of our Souls doth not a little affect the Holy Angels they see God's Love is more to Mankind than it was to those Creatures of their own Nature that fell I mean the Evil Angels O my Brethren shall the Angels look into this Salvation whom it concerned not as it doth us they did not need a Saviour to redeem them and shall not we look into it pry into it and be affected therewithal Shall all in Heaven contemplate it and not we Is it so great so glorious and shall we not mind it above all things Fifteenthly It is great Salvation because it is a free Salvation it is all of Grace You may have it Sinners without Money and without Price Isa 55. 1. True some things you must part with whoever you are that will have a part in this Salvation But what is that Nothing of any Worth nothing that will do you any good You must part with your Sins with your filthy Lusts with the Love of this World Christ came to save his People from their Sins not in their Sins no no. They that will not part with their Iniquities with their carnal and sinful Pleasures Profits and Honours are never like to have any Part or Lot in this Matter Nay and they must part with all their own Righteousness too I mean in point of Trust and Dependance and must see that they have nothing which can recommend them to God nothing that can justify them in the sight of God unless a Man denies himself in all these Respects he cannot be Christ's Disciple But notwithstanding this yet the Salvation of the Gospel is free the worst of Sinners have an Offer of it they whose Sins are as red as Scarlet or as red as Crimson here is Wine and Milk without Money or any thing the Creature hath to purchase it or to give for it it is not to be had for the sake of any thing done by us or can be done by us or wrought in us Sinners the Water of Life is freely tendred to every one that thirsteth nay to every one that will that has a Will inclined to accept it if it could not be had unless we first cleansed our selves from our Sins or made us a new Heart it would not be free or alone of Grace nor to be had on easy Terms nay not at all But you have heard that a new Heart is one part of this Salvation 't is contained in it and those that would be washed must come to the Fountain of Salvation they must come to Christ believe in Christ or by Faith apply his Blood to wash and cleanse their polluted Souls Brethren if there was a Salvation for rich Men only what would become of the Poor But this Salvation is offered unto the Poor as well as unto the Rich nay and they chiefly indeed do receive it as our Saviour testifies And if it was a Salvation for Righteous Men only what would become of ungodly Sinners But remember this Salvation is only for Sinners I mean such that see their Sin and know the want of a Saviour Christ came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Sixteenthly In the last place Gospel-Salvation is a great Salvation because it is an eternal Salvation And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. As Christ brought in an Everlasting Righteousness so he wrought out an Everlasting Salvation Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an Everlasting Salvation once saved and for ever saved For as the Damnation of all that refuse or neglect this Salvation shall be Eternal so the Salvation of all that receive it shall be also Eternal The Earth shall wax old like a Garment and they that dwell therein shall die but my Salvation shall be for ever and my Righteousness shall not be abolished Thus I have done with the Demonstration of the first Doctrine which I shall improve in applying the next Proposition HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Doct. II. THE great Salvation of the Gospel may be neglected This is implied in my Text. How shall we that preached it escape if we neglect it Or how shall you that hear it preached escape if you neglect it First I shall shew you what is intended by neglecting this Salvation Secondly Shew you who they