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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

would tell the worst company that one shal have in hell it is alwayes this ye shal go to that place where hypocrites and sinners are and so it would be of your concernment that by the candle of the Lord ye would search the inward part of the belly before ye go down to the grave with a lie in your right hand a deceiving heart having turned you aside We confess it is sad to consider those anxious disappointments that many in these days shal once meet with IV. But there is this last difference betwixt justifying Faith and temporary Faith that there are three precious effects of justifying Faith which a temporary believer cannot win to 1. To be denyed to all his enjoyments and attainments and to walk humbly under them for we may say that it is impossible for an hypocrite to be denyed to his enjoyments he maketh such a Deity of them and worships them or rather he worshippeth himself in them There are three great Graces that an hypocrite doth pursue after though he rather seeketh them as gifts then as Graces knowledge prayer and humility And though it be but little he can attain of any of the three or rather nothing in a saving way yet least of all can he attain to the last yea we may judge that there is always within his bosom a standing conviction that he could never win unto that gracious Grace of Humility O! could ye never win to this to count your own righteousness as filthy rags and to rejoyce alone in the righteousness of a crucified Savior I would press this upon you by the way O Christians of this generation forget your perfections and remember your imperfections have an holy oblivion of your attainments but have a divine remembrance of your short-comings look more to what is before unperfected then to what is behind and thus shal you evidence true justifying Faith 2. It is an effect of justifying Faith to be under some constant and divine impression of the preciousness of Jesus Christ according to that word 1 Pet. 27. To you who believe Christ is precious It is not said that Christ was precious or shal be precious but it is said he is precious which doth import as we use to speak a continued act Did ye never know what it was to dwell twenty four hours under the impression of the matchless excellency and precious worth of a crucified Savior I will pose you with this Are there not some here and else where that pass under the notion of Saints that never knew what it was to dwell half an hour under these high and elevating thoughts of the preciousness of Jesus Christ So that we profess we cannot tell whe●…er we shal call him precious or undervalued but we may conjoin these two together that he is a precious and yet undervalued Christ 3. By justifying Faith a Christian winneth to mortification of his invisible predominant lusts which is impossible for a temporary believer to win to And is there not a great difference betwixt an Idol when it is cast out and an Idol when it but goeth out I will tell you the great mortification of hypocrites the devil was living in them as one that was a black one and now he cometh again and transformeth himself into an Angel of light He was living in them before by his spirit of prophanity and now he liveth in them by the spirit of hypocrisy and counterfeiting of those things that were never clear attainments while it is the noble dignity of Faith Acts 15.9 to purifie the heart but are there not many here who never knew what it was to mortify one lust for Christ Can such a delusion overtake you O Atheists that ye shall reign with Christ if ye die not with him There is an opinion vented in these dayes that there may be repentance in heaven I think it would seem that the Christians of this age have much of that opinion we are so little in repentance while we are here below but know that Faith and Sanctification are two inseparable companions And let me tell you if you will know the compend of the precious exercise of Faith it is this Faith hath three great things that it perpetually contemplates and views 1. Faith looketh to the promise and there it doth rejoyce and rest upon it 2. Faith looketh to the duties that are commanded and there it cryeth out Here am I I will obey and hearken unto the voyce of the Word And 3. Faith looketh to the crown and there it doth exult and sweetly rejoyce in divine expectation And O what a sight is that to behold that everlasting Prince standing at the end of our race having a crown in his right hand with this Motto engraven on it He that persevereth to the end shal be saved And what a Faith suppose ye it shall be thought when we shall get on that immortal crown of blessedness What think ye is the exercise of those that are above O Heaven Heaven if we did know it would we not be in an holy extasie of desire till we were there And blessed be he eternally that hath purchased that precious felicitie to us Now we shal at this time shut up our discourse by speaking a little to those things in which a Christiā doth ordinarily meet with assurāce of this interest in God and is put to the divine actings of the Grace of Faith for there are some sealing times to a Christian I. The first time of the sealing is after the mortification of some predominat lust and Idol then they are admitted to read their names in the precious and ancient records of Heaven and to see in these books their unworthy names written by the hand of that everlasting Prince This is clear Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh wil I give a white stone and in the stone a new name written that no man knows saving he that receiveth it And from that 2 Tim. 4.8 Believe me more mortification would make more believing but would ye know the original of misbelief It is the want of exercise of spiritual mortification of our lusts I know not where the most part of us intendeth to lodge at night but this is certain that we live with much contentment with our lusts and these predominat Idols that do so much possesse us II. It is secondly a sealing time to a Christian when he is admitted to the divine enjoyment of these satisfying delights that are to be found in Christ When was it that the Spouse cryed out so often My beloved is mine and I am his Was it not when she was brought to the banquetting and his banner over her was love Believe me more communion with an absent Christ would make more intimation in a divine manner of our peace with him We desire to bless those that are above the reach of all these disputings and questions that we are so much subject unto III. This is a sealing time to a

you will but come forth and cast a look to Christ your very shakels shall fall off your hands and you shal be as those who were never bound Now I leave this with you and to make you think upon it I shall speak these five words to you and I intreat you think upon them 1. First I have excellent tidings to tell you I hope some of you will give ear to them viz. there is a great Person come here to day and that is the Mighty Author of this great salvation who hath brought everlasting righteousness with him desiring you to make use thereof it is his desire that you would take his excellent gifts at his hand These I say are the tidings that I have to preach unto you and I hope never to be declared a lyar for what I preach unto you I say yet unto you that Christ the Author of the great Salvation desireth to give it freely unto you if you will but take it But O will you not take it I think if you did see an hundred men lying in prison or dungeon without all light bread or water and a great Prince coming to them saying I desire you all to come forth and partake of this great liberty which I bring unto you and every one of them should answer I scorn to come forth at this time would you not think them exceeding great fools And yet I fear this act of great folly falls out in many of your hands to day that when Christ hath given us the Keys of your prison doors and they are opened you will not come forth But I must intreat you yet to come forth and shew your selves For who knoweth but we may be commanded to shut your prison doors again and to seal them with seven seals with an unalterable decree from Heaven never to be recalled Wherefore O ye Prisoners go forth go forth from you● prison-house 2. Secondly I would say this to you 〈…〉 is not without much ground that this Salvatio● offered to you is called a great Salvation ● know a little paper of two or three sheets mig●… contain all the salvations that ever man obta●ned but the World would not be able to conta●… all the books which might be written to the co●mendation of this great salvation Yea unto 〈◊〉 who will embrace it I say First if thou find not this salvation above thy faith then go thy way when thou art come But I know thou wilt find it both above thy faith and hope Secondly if thou find it not above thy desires when thou art come unto it then go thy way again but were thy desires as the sand upon the Sea shore thou shalt find always more in this Salvation than ever thou couldst desire Thirdly if this Salvation be not above what thou canst conceive then go thy way when thou art come to it but think of it as thou canst it shal always be above thy thoughts of it Fourthly if this Salvation be not above thy opinion of it then go thy way when thou art come unto it but I know thou wilt find it far above thy opinion of it Therefore seeing it is so great a salvation as that all the World could not contain all the books that might be written in the commendation of it O! will you embrace it even to day while it is in your offer 3. Thirdly I would say this unto you Be perswaded that there is no sin that will more provoke the Majesty of God to punish you than the sin of slighting this great salvation Bring forth these Murderers saith the Lord of the slighters of this invitation and slay them before me I intreat you enquire at your own hearts what you will answer when you are reproved for flighting of it Old men will you ask at your own hearts what you will answer to Christ when he shall propose that question to you why slighted you the great salvation Old women what will you answer when he shall say to you why slighted you the great Salvation Young men and young women inquire at your own hearts what you will answer when Christ shall say to you why slighted you the great Salvation Can ye imagine any answer to that question O dreadfull shall the Wrath of God be that shall be executed upon the slighters of this great salvation 4. Fourthly I would say this unto you that Heaven is waiting to hear what acceptation the offer of this great Salvation doth get among you Here is the great Salvation here is the offer of it and here is the commendation of it what say you to it Is it not an excellent Salvation Is it not a free Salvation Is it not a great Salvation Is it not an eternal Salvation Why then do ye not welcome it Can any of you say any thing to the discommendation of it I know you cannot Yea I dare say your own hearts are admiring it as most excellent and therefore O will ye accept it Alace shall there be none here who will be found accepters of this great Salvation so freely offered 〈◊〉 day 5. Fifthly I would say this to you let all the Angels praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation All the Saints round about the Throne praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation All those who are expectants of Heaven praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation All ye to whom this offer is made praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation O Heaven praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation O all ye Fowls of the Air praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation O Fire Hail Snow Vapors stormy Winds and Tempests praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation All the Tribes of the earth praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation Our own Souls praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation And all that is within us bless him who is the Author of this great Salvation O! who would not praise him who is the Author of this great Salvation Are there any here that will refuse to commend him O! Think upon him and let not this be a day of slighting him Now where are your hearts at this time I will tell you where many of your hearts are they are thinking upon the World But I am sure there are not many of them thinking upon this great salvation Now what resolution mind ye to go away with to day Oh! have ye 〈◊〉 resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hitherto to day Are there any here who have his resolution To whom shall we go but unto him who is the Author of this great salvation who alone hath the words of eternal life Even the Lord breath it upon you Or is this your resolution that through Christs strength forsake ●im who will ye will never forsake him O! ●ave ye this resolution That ye will esteem more highly of the

put on and that is a crown of sin in stead of that crown of righteousness Would ye know your exercise O ye that are predestinate unto these everlasting pains would ye know your exercise It is this ye shal eternally blaspheme and curse the God that made you I am perswaded of this that the terrots of hell will afflict you more and doth then that of the sinning prepetually in hell You would think nothing many of you to be in hell if there were no pain there for the exercise of sin it would be your delight and life but be perswaded of it that when your conscience is awaked the exercise of sinning shal exceedingly aggravate your pain And there is this crown lastly that ye shal put on and that is the crown of shame The Prophet Isaiah maketh mention of a crown of pride but you that have put on that crown of pride you shal once put on that crown of everlasting confusion and shame when you shal not be able to lift up your eyes to him whom you have pierced I would fain desire you to know what would be your exercise at these three days what will be your exercise when death shal be summoning you to remove and you shal first be entered heirs unto those everlasting pains I am perswaded you will reflect much Will ye not reflect upon many Sermons that you have heard wherein you have been invited to partake of the sweet offers of salvation I remember of one that upon his death bed cryed forth A world for time a world for one inch of time Onethat perhaps did hold his head high and no doubt was greater then the greatest here His crown would not purchase one inch of time but dying with this Call time again call time again that petition was denyed and so shall it be I fear to the most part that are here I think it was a pretty Hieroglyphick of the Egyptians they painted Time with three heads the first head that painted out Time that was past was a greedy wolf gaping which imported this that our Time past was mispent there was nothing left but like a wolf to gape for it again And there was that second head of a roaring lyon round which imports the Time present and for this end was so painted that people might lay hold upon their present opportunities otherwise it would be the matter of their ruine and their eternal undoing And there was that last head which was of a deceitful dog fawning which signified that people they deceive themselves with the Time to come thinking they will be religious at their death and that they will overcome at their death But this is a flattery no better then the fawning of a mad dog I think we may learn much of this even to be provoked to lay hold upon our golden opportunities that we sell not our Time but that we buy it There are two things that a Christian must not sell that is sell not the Truth but buy it and sell not your Time but buy it I am perswaded of this that one moment of time is worth ten thousand worlds if improved And I would ask you What advantage shal you have of all things that you have tormented your selves about when Time shal be no more I suppose indeed this is an ordinary evil amongst the people of this age of which we have our own share and portion There are many that envy godliness and the godly the excellent ones that are in the earth and think it is pleasure to vent their malice against such I know that ordinary practice it is older by a thousand years then themselves that they presecute godliness under the name of hypocrisie They call godliness hypocrisie and upon that account they begin to speak maliciously against it Only I would ask you this question What will you say in that day when Christ will ask that question of you that Gideon asked of Zeba and Zalmunna Who are those that you killed with your tongue Must it not be answered Every one did resemble the person of a King O! will you not believe Will you not close with Christ I know it is ordinary that we run upon these two extreams sometimes we do not believe the threatnings of the Law sometimes we will believe the promises of the Gospel But I would only desire to know what if it had been so ordered in the infinite wisdom of God and that all the letters of this book should have been threatnings what should have been our lot if all the promises should have been scraped out of it But certainly this must be your lot all the promises of the book of this covenant shall be taken from you and all the curses thereof shall be a fleeing roll that shal enter within your houses and there shal eternally remain Know this O you that are enemies to Christ know it and think upon it Every battle of the warriour is with confused noise and with garments rowled in blood but that war which Christ shal have against the hypocrites in Zion and those that are ignorant of him and will not close with him it shal be with fewel of fire and eternal indignation O! what will be your thoughts suppose you when Christ shal come with that two-edged sword of the fury of the Lord to enter to fight with you It is no delightsome exercise O that you were not almost but altogether perswaded to be Christians and that once Christ might conquer you with that two-edged sword that proceedeth out of his mouth that so you might subject your selves to him and make him the object of your faith Now to him that hath engraven upon his vesture and on his thigh that he is the King 〈◊〉 Kings and the Lord of Lords we desire to give praise A SERMON Concerning the GREAT SALVATION Heb. 3.2 How shal we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him THis everlasting Gospel which is preached unto you is that glorious Star which must lead us to the place where blessed Christ doth●ly This Gospel and glad tydings of the great Salvation is come near unto you And Christ is standing at the everlasting doors of your hearts desiring that ye would open unto him There is that one great request which heaven this day hath to present unto you and it is that ye would at last embrace this great Salvation freely offered by him It is the thing for which ye are called to mourn this day that since the dayes of your fathers and since the beginning of your own dayes ye have stopped your ears from the sweet and chanting voice of this blessed Charmer Ye would never dance to Christ when be piped Neither would ye weep to him when he lamented But to come to the words which we have read unto you The Apostle in the former Chapter had been discovering most

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS