him Psal 50.21 and makes him possess the sins of his youth Job 13.26 God doth by the Scripture as in a Glass give the sinner a sight of his sinful Nature shews him the sinfulness of his sins Rom. 7.13 God doth by his Spirit and Word convince the sinners conscience of his Transgressions against his holy Law and against the Gospel of his Grace The holy Spirit ordinarily by the Ministry of the Word convinceth the sinner of his Original corruption tells him that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Jam. 1.14 15. The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 The soul that sins shall dye and also convinceth him of his Actual Transgressions to wit his sins of Omission and his sins of Commission both in doing that which God hath forbidden in his holy Word and in not doing that which he hath commanded or not as he commandeth it to be done God convinceth the sinners conscience of his sinning against Light against Checks of Conscience and many good Motions of the holy Spirit and shews him how he hath sinned against the mercies patience and long-sufferings of God and how he hath sinned under God's chastisements corrections and righteous Judgments and that neither the Word of God nor his Rod hath wrought Repentance in him nor caused him to turn from his sinful courses The sinful sinner being under this great work of Conviction of Conscience begins to see and apprehend the vileness of his Nature and the sinfulness of his sins to be such so many and so great that he trembles and is afraid of Death and Damnation he begins to have some sense and feeling in his conscience of the wrath of God and fears he shall dye in his sins and go to Hell and be damned to eternity Now the terrours of the Almighty are in his conscience his heart is filled with horrour the sting of sin hath wounded his Spirit and a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 and being pricked in the heart cryes out What shall I do Acts 2.37 I am a sinful sinner a vile sinner a lost undone perishing sinner Woe 's me that ever I was born I am a damnable wicked wretch my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked Ah my vain thoughts my vile affections my evil concupiscence my sinful lusts Alas alas my idle words and blasphemies and my ungodly life and sinful conversation Woe and alas the deceitfulness of sin hath so hardened my heart that I cannot Repent and I have been so accustomed to do evil that I know not how to Reform and amend my life and forsake my sins and if I go on in my former sinful courses I shall certainly be damned Hereupon the sinful sinner sets upon Reformation saith to his sinful companions as David did Psal 6.8 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity And saith to his Lusts as Ephraim did to his Idols Hos 14.8 What have I to do any more with sinful lusts and pleasures Now the convinced sinner resolves to leave his sins that he fears else will damn his soul and now he begins to perform some holy Duties he will hear Sermons and read the holy Scriptures and good Books and pray And it may be the convinced sinner will mourn for his sins and humble himself as Ahab did and Reform some of his evil courses And by this Reformation Humiliation mourning for his sins and performing some holy duties the sinner may have some calm and feel some quiet in his conscience for a season and begin to hope all will be well with him until the Reigning power of sin that hath yet the dominion over him prevail against him and he being yet a servant of sin and free from Righteousness as the Apostle speaks Rom. 6. v. 20. yieldeth willing and ready obedience to his own lusts that inticeth him to sin and when his lust hath conceived and brought forth sin then his conscience accuseth him and Satan now begins to suggest that there is no hope of pardon nor salvation for him Now his latter end is worse than his beginning and therefore the Devil tells him It is in vain for him to pray any more or to hear any more or to perform any holy duties And now the convinced sinful sinner judgeth his Soul's state and condition to be worse than ever it was he hath so many dreadful Temptations he is so filled with blasphemous Thoughts that he begins to be a terrour to himself and is tempted to chuse strangling rather than life he is so tormented in his conscience and so tempted by Satan and terrified with fears of Hell He sees now the Law curseth him Gal. 3.10 and the Gospel judgeth him 2 Thes 1.9 And he is made to receive the sentence of Condemnation in himself is made to read it in the written Word of God Joh. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already Now God goes on with his work of Conviction which he had before begun in the sinful sinners Conscience and sends his holy Spirit to convince and reprove him of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Joh. 16.8 9 10. And the Spirit by that Scripture Joh. 3.18 or some other Scripture to that purpose doth thoroughly convince the sinner that although his pride passion worldliness uncleanness prophaness his lying stealing swearing drinking whoring or any one or other of his sins deserves eternal Death Rom. 6.23 Yet that sin for which the wrath of God abideth on him and for which he is by the written Word of God condemned already is his great sin of unbelief Joh. 3.18.36 and Heb. 3.11 18. God hath sworn that those who do not believe shall not enter into his Rest that is into Heaven Heb. 3.18 19. Take notice Reader that in Conviction of sin because we believe not the holy Spirit doth by the Word convince the Sinner First That he is an unbeliever and hath not obtained the precious Faith of God's Elect whereby the Soul is united unto Christ Eph. 4. v 13. adopted the Child of God Gal. 3.26 justified and all its sins pardoned and at peace with God Rom. 5.1 and now the convinced sinner sees he is without God without Christ and without Faith Secondly That he must believe or he cannot be saved Mar. 16.15 16. He that believeth not shall be damned His praying mourning reforming though they are good in themselves and are his duty yet the doing these or any other yea all other holy duties without this precious Faith in Christ will not cannot save him and now the sinner is convinced that there is an indispensible necessity of his believing in Christ for salvation Thirdly That he cannot believe Faith is not of our selves it is not of Works Eph. 2.8 9. They err not knowing the Scriptures nor the holy Will of God revealed therein who say that men may believe if they will
Cor. 5.19 1 Tim. 2.3 Tit. 1.3 Tit. 2.10 Tit. 3.4 1 Joh. 5.20 Who is the true God and eternal Life They that do not believe but deny Jesus Christ to be God do deny the LORD that bought them and bring upon themselves swift damnation 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. They undervalue his most precious Blood Heb. 10.29 compared with Acts 20.28 -- To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And they in effect deny the Alsufficiency of Christ's Satisfaction for the sins of Mankind whose Nature he took namely the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is But he taketh hold of the Seed of Abraham 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is a gracious Saviour Eph. 2.5 By Grace ye are saved And vers 8. For by Grace are ye saved This Free Grace is the kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards sinful sinners Tit. 3 3-7 whom he justifies freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 2 Tim. 1.9 And saveth them with an everlasting Salvation And also sanctifies them by Faith in him Acts 26.18 where Faith is put synecdochically for all the Graces of Sanctification which our LORD Jesus Christs imparts unto and implants in the Souls of Justified Believers 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Joh. 1.16 And of his Fulness have all we received and grace for grace Eph. 4.7 To every one of us is given grace And James 4.6 He giveth more grace Such is the unsearchable and the exceeding Riches of his grace Eph. 2.7 Riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 that he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious c. Read Exod. 33.19 Rom. 9.15 3. The Lord Jesus Christ is an Alsufficient Saviour Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the utmost c. Christ hath made full satisfaction for the sins of all them whom the Father gave him to Redeem Isa 53.10 His Soul was made an Offering for Sin And he gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.5 6. There 's enough in Christ there 's all in Christ Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell And in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 He is a full Christ and hath an infinite Alsufficency in himself to supply all the wants of his Saints 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee c. Secondly What Salvation may sinners have by Jesus Christ I answer 1. Sinners may be saved from their sins by Jesus Christ Matth. 1.21 For HE shall save his People from their sins It is a very great mercy to be saved from our sins This Salvation is not by any other Act. 4.12 There are three things in sin from which Christ saveth sinners viz. First the dominion of sin It was David's prayer Psal 19.13 Psalm 119.133 Let not any iniquity have dominion over me and Christ's promise Rom 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace There is a Reigning power in sin Rom. 6.12 Let not sin therefore Reign in your mortal body c. Also Rom. 5.21 which Christ subdueth Mich. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and destroyeth Rom. 6.6 Secondly The captivating power of sin This the Apostle sadly experienced Rom. 7.23 24. I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members But yet he blessed God for Jesus Christ vers 25. through whom he had deliverance Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Thirdly The guilt curse and condemnation of sin Jam. 2.10 And offend in one point is guilty of all Gal. 3.18 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Tit. 3.11 And sinneth being condemned in himself But there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 for Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 and saved us from the Wrath of God Rom. 5.9 and 1 Thes 1.10 And giveth us eternal Life and Salvation Thirdly How are sinners saved by Jesus Christ In Answer to this Query two things in general must be considered 1. What Jesus Christ hath done for sinners 2. What he doth in them in order unto their everlasting Salvation First Jesus Christ hath made full satisfaction unto the Divine Justice of God for all the Transgressions of sinners Isa 53.5 6 8 9 11. He was wounded for our Transgressions vers 5. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin vers 10. He shall see the travel of his soul and be satisfied v. 11. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree Now once in the End of the WORLD hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 And 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Secondly Jesus Christ hath purchased and obtained for sinners eternal Redemption and everlasting Salvation by his own precious Blood Heb. 9.12 By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Therefore eternal Life and Glory is called the purchased Possession Eph. 1.14 and an Inheritance reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1 3-5 Thirdly Jesus Christ hath instituted and ordained the Ministry of the Gospel Eph. 4.11 12 13. and all Gospel-Ordinances for the salvation of sinners to the Glory of God the Father And after he was crucified he rose from the Dead ascended into Heaven and is set down on the Right hand of God where he ever liveth to make Intercession for sinners that they may be saved Heb. 7.25 The LORD Jesus Christ having done all these things for the salvation of sinners he doth by his holy Spirit and Word work all his Works of Grace and Salvation in them Isa 26.12 LORD thou hast wrought all our works in us And Phil. 2.12 13. It is God that worketh in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure Therefore sinners are said to be God's workmanship Eph. 2.10 Created in Christ Jesus unto good works c. that thereby it may yet more plainly appear that they are his Workmanship The first Work that God doth ordinarily by his holy Spirit and Word upon a sinful sinner in the Ministry and Administration of the Gospel of his Grace is a work of Conviction John 8.9 Being convicted in their own conscience Tit. 1.9 To convince gainsayers Jam. 2.9 They are convinced of the Law as Transgressors And Joh. 16.8 9. He shall reprove the world of sin The World that is to say those sinners that are without Christ and without God in the World Eph. 2.12 Now God Reproves the sinner and sets his sins in order before
and they have power in themselves to believe Ask now the sinner that hath been convinced of sin by the holy Spirit and Word of God because he believes not and is commanded to believe 1 Joh 3.23 I say ask that convinced sinner if it hath power of himself to believe or if Faith in Christ be of our selves or of our good works or of holy duties and he will tell you No Nay Nay Faith in Christ is not of our selves Jesus Christ himself is the Author and Finisher of Faith Heb. 12.2 It is not of our works but it is the Faith of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 It is the exceeding greatness of God's mighty Power that doth make the soul of a sinful sinner convinced of sin because he believes not willing and able to believe in Christ Eph. 1.19 20. Now saith this convinced Sinner I know and am persuaded that whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved and I know and am convinced that I ought to believe in Christ and it is my sin that I do not believe in him Yea I am also persuaded upon Scripture grounds that if I did believe in Christ I should not perish but have everlasting Life But this is my impotency and here is my misery I cannot believe in Christ of my self I know not which way to begin to believe I could do something materially about the works of the Law though but weakly and insufficiently but I can do nothing about obedience of Faith according to the Gospel It is such a Mystery as I am very ignorant of Faith is the Gift of God and unless he give it me I perish Now is the sinner convinced of his sin of unbelief This is God's workmanship upon a sinful sinner's conscience but this is not the whole work of Conviction therefore God proceeds in this work and convinceth the sinner by his Spirit and Word of Righteousness Joh. 16.10 shewing the sinner whilst he goes about to establish his own Righteousness by the works of the Law and by performing those duties that the Law requireth he maketh void as much as in him lyes the Righteousness of God by Faith in the Gospel Rom. 10.3.4 5 6. and thereby convinceth the sinner 1. That all his own Righteousnesses are as menstruous Raggs Isa 64.6 our most holy duties and performances are polluted and defiled with sin and God might abhor to accept an Offering at our hand did not Christ offer up his Incense with our Sacrifices they could not come up to God Rev. 8.3 4 both our prayers and our persons are accepted only and alone in and thorow Jesus Christ 2. That Sinners must be covered with the Robe of Christ's Righteousness and the Garments of his Salvation Isa 61.10 He is the LORD our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 And Christ is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness c. 1 Cor. 1.30 This Righteousness of Christ is that skirt which God casteth over the Sinners Soul when he lyes in his Blood to cover his nakedness Ezek. 16.6 8. 3. That Christ's Righteousness is the Righteousness of God by Faith Rom. 3.21 22. which Righteousness the Apostle Paul did so much prize and desire to be found in Phil. 3.8 9. And now the convinced Sinner will say with holy Job chap. 9. v. 21. If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul This is also God's workmanship upon a sinful Sinners Conscience But yet this is not the whole work of Conviction for when God hath by his holy Spirit and Word convinced the Sinner of his state of unbelief and reproved him for sin because he believes not And when God hath also convinced him that his own Righteousness is as filthy Raggs and that he must submit to the Righteousness of God and take Christ's Righteousness by Faith unto Justification of life Then God proceeds on in the work of Conviction and reproves or convinceth the Sinner of Judgment Joh. 16.11 And this God doth by causing the Sinner to know 1. That there is a Day of Judgment called the Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 and the Judgment of the great DAY of God Jude vers 6. 2. That All shall appear and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ Rom. 14.10 1 Cor. 5.10 And every one shall then give accompt of himself unto God and shall receive a just Reward of all that he hath done in the Flesh Rom. 2 5-13 and Rev. 22.12 and Matth. 16.27 3. That the Prince of this world is judged and therefore none of the Children of Disobedience in whom the God of this World now worketh shall escape the Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.3 5 6. for the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both the quick and the dead at his Appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 shall come from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction c. 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. And the Spirit and Word of God doth witness and testifie to the Sinner's Conscience that he must come to Judgment as Solomon told the young man Eccles 11.9 Know thou that for all these things or sins God will bring thee to Judgment And now the sinful Sinner is throughly convinced and this is the first part of God's workmanship upon him in order unto his Conversion and everlasting Salvation And I desire the Reader to take notice that the want of a thorow work of Conviction is the cause of the want of a sound and saving work of Conversion One Reason why there are so few true Converts in this our Day and Generation is because the Ministers of the Gospel do not labour in the Word and Doctrine of a thorow Gospel-Conviction The Reason why so few Hearers do believe in Christ is because they were never thorowly convinced of the sin of unbelief How many Herod-like Hearers are there in and about London Mark 6.20 How many stony-hearted Hearers follow and flock after the Preachers of the Gospel who hear the Word with Joy believe for a time Luk. 8.13 But when the time of the Tryal of their Faith comes by sufferings and persecutions then they fall away Matth. 13.20 21. And you have the Reason of their falling away expressed by both the Evangelists They had no Root in themselves that is to say They had not Christ in their Souls to be the Root of their Faith Col. 2.6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the Faith Faith rooted in Christ will stand out all Storms of Temptation and Persecution it will indure all fiery Tryals but Faith without Christ will fall away And the Spirit tells us expresly that some who made a great and glorious profession of Faith will depart from the Faith in the latter daies 1 Tim. 4.1 because they have not
22. that is to hearken attend and observe what the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit saith utno the Churches not to this or that particular Church only Rev. 2.1 7. nor to these seven Churches exclusively but unto all the Churches of Saints in all other Countries Cities and Places in all the future Ages of the World Dr. Scultetus saith (a) Scult observat in Titum Doctissimi quique interpretes per septem Ecclesiarum Angelos interpretantur septem Ecclesiarum Episcopos neque enim aliter possunt vim nisi facere Textui velint All the most Learned Interpreters by Angels expound the Bishops of the Churches nor can it be otherwise interpreted without Violence to the Text. As punctually and pertinently speaks Marlorat (b) Marlorat in Apoc 1.12 Quamvis quaedam tam in Clero quà m in Populo corrigenda essent non tamen Populum sed Clerum aggreditur nec quemlibet de Clero nominatim Principem Cleri utique Episcopum Some things saith he were to be corrected as well in the People as in the Clergy yet doth not Saint John write unto the People nor yet to the Clergy but to the Chief of them which is the Bishop Dr. Reynolds in his Conference with Hart. cap. 2. divisio 3. saith Although in the Church of Ephesus there were sundry Elders and Pastors to guide it yet among these sundry Pastors was there one Chief whom our Saviour calleth the Angel of that Church Apoc. 2.1 And the said Doctor telling us of that very Time when St. Paul assembled the Elders of Ephesus at Miletum Act. 20. 17 28. chap. 8. distinct 3. saith One was chosen as Chief called Bishop § 9. Smectym c. assert that the word Angel Rev. 2.1 c. doth signifie only the Presbytery or the Colledge of Elders Pastors and not the Church (a) Smectym Vindication pag. 146 148. And they draw argument from the Epistle of Christ to the Church in Thyatira Rev. 2.18.20 24. Upon which place Beza thus paraphrased Unto you that is saith he unto the Angel as President and unto the rest of the Elders viz. the Colledge of Presbyters in Thyatira And as many as have not this Doctrine that is have not received this Doctrine of Jezebel But why would Christ have the Angel or Chief Bishop of the Church of Thyatira blamed for suffering false Teachers in that Church to Teach and Seduce his Servants if he was not their President or Superintendent who had Priority Preeminency and Authority above other Pastors Teachers Presbyters or Elders called Bishops in that Church (b) Beza in Apoc. 2.1 Angelus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quem oportet admoneri per eum Collegas totamque adeo Ecclesiam Gualther Hom. 9. in Apoc. 2.8 Angelo id est Episcopo Smyrnensi atque toti Ecclesiae constat ex Historiis Polycarpum fuisse hunc Angelum Consult Beza Gualter especially Ignatius that holy Martyr who is said to live in the daies of the Apostles who writ an Epistle to the Ephesians wherein he hath plainly and fully distinguished between Bishops and Presbyters and towards the end of that Epistle he doth exhort them to obey both the Bishop and the Presbytery with an undivided mind (b) IgnaEpist ad Ephes p. 17-29 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 10. Polycarpus was Bishop of Smyrna when St. John wrote that Epistle Revel 2.8 Unto the Angel of the Church of the Smyrnians saith Irenaeus And who can better inform us than they that lived in the daies of the Apostles Polycarpus saith Irenaeus (c) Iren. advers Haeres l. 3. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. was not only taught by the Apostles and conversed with many that had seen Christ but also was by the Apostles Constituted in Asia Bishop of the Church which is in Smyrna Whom we our selves also did see in our younger Age for he continued long And being very aged he most gloriously and nobly suffering Martyrdom departed this Life To this let me add the Testimony which those Brethren of the Church of Smyrna who were present at the Martyrdom of their Bishop Polycarpus gave him (d) Smyrnens Eccles epist de Martyrio Policarpi Euseb lib. 4. hist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Euseb l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius l. 4. Hist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. He was said his Brethren the most admirable Man in our Times an Apostolical and Prophetical Doctor and Bishop of the whole Church in Smyrna Famous and certain is the Testimony of Hegesippus in his History of the Church as Eusebius noteth to the same purpose The next and last I shall cite is the Testimony of Clement whom St. Paul mentioneth among other his fellow Labourours Phil. 4.3 § 11. Clement is said by the Antients to have written an Epistle to the Church and Saints at Corinth which Epistle hath the Attestation of Irenaeus who calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most substantial Epistle to the Corinthians and of Photius that stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eloquent or a worthy spoken Epistle It is also highly commended by Origin Cyril Justin Martyr St. Jerom and other godly and learned men Which Epistle Mr. Patrick Young saith is extant in the King's Library at Oxford His words in that his Epistle are these (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Epist ad Corinth pag. 57. D. Patrieii Junii Our Apostles knew saith he by our Lord Jesus Christ that there will be Contention about the Name of Episcopacy And therefore for this very same cause having received perfect knowledge thy appointed the foresaid Degrees and gave thereupon a Designed Order and List of Offices c. And it would be no small sin in us saith he if we should refuse or reject them who have sacredly and without Reproof undergone the Offices of Episcopacy c. The Magd. Cent. 1 2 3. do make mention of such Bishops in the Churches of God And all Ecclesiastical Historians that I have Read do testify the Priority and Pre-eminence of Bishops § 12. I would not be misunderstood therefore I will take liberty to tell the Reader That this Priority Presidence and Pre-eminence of any one Bishop above other Bishops Pastors Teachers Presbyters or Elders and Ministers of Christ is not any Lordly Prelacy with coercive Power over the Conscience or Dominion over the Faith of God's Clergy For the holy Apostles did approve themselves to every Mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.1 2. not having Dominion over their Faith 2 Cor. 1.24 Neither as being Lords over God's Clergy or Heritage 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. But I mean and intend any one of the Bishops Pastors Teachers Presbyters or Elders who are or shall by the Consent Approbation and Choice of the rest be appointed ordained and set over them as Chief Bishop or Presbyter