an one that hath set up Gods Enemy in opposition to him and that continueth in such acts of defiance and what his end without a new birth will be the Scripture teacheth also But we will pass this Secondly Is it so Is coming to Christ by the gift promise and drawing of the Father then let Saints here learn to ascribe their coming to Christ to the gift promise and drawing of the Father Christian man bless God who hath given thee to Jesus Christ by promise and again bless God for that he hath drawn thee to him And why is it thee Why not another O that the glory of Electing love should rest upon thy head and that the glory of the Exceeding grace of God should take hold of thy heart and bring thee to Jesus Christ. Thirdly Is it so that coming to Christ is by the Father as aforesaid then this should teach us to set an high esteem upon them that indeed are coming to Jesus Christ I say an high esteem on Them for the sake of him by vertue of whose grace they are made to come to Jesus Christ. We see that when men by the help of humane abilities do arrive to the Knowledge of and bring to pass that which when done is a wonder to the World how he that did it is esteem'd and commended Yea how are his wits parts industry and unweariedness in all admired and yet the man as to this is but of the World and his work the effect of natural ability The things also attained by him end in vanity and vexation of Spirit Further perhaps in the pursute of this his Accheivement he sins against God wasts his time vainly and at long run loses his Soul by neglecting of better things Yet he is admired But I say if this mans parts labor diligence and the like will bring him to such applause and esteem in the World what esteem should we have of such an one that is by the Gift promise and power of God coming to Jesus Christ. First This is a man with whom God is in whom God works and walks a man whose motion is Governed Steared by the mighty hand of God and the effectual working of his power Hear 's a Man Secondly This man by the power of Gods might which worketh in him is able to cast a whole World behind him with all the lusts and pleasures of it and to Charge through all the difficulties that Men and Devils can set against him Hear 's a Man Thirdly This man is Travelling to Mount Zion the Heavenly Jerusalem The City of the living God And to an innumerable company of Angels And the Spirits of Just men made Perfect to God the Judge of all and to Jesus Hear 's a Man Fourthly This man can look upon death with comfort can laugh at destruction when it cometh and longs to hear the Sound of the last Trump And to see his Judge coming in the Clouds of Heaven Hear 's a Man indeed Let Christians then esteem each other as such I know you do it but do it more and more And that you may consider these two or three things First These are the Objects of Christs esteem Mat. 12. 48. chap. 15. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Luk. 7. 9. Secondly These are the Objects of the esteem of Angels Dan. 9. 22. chap. 10 11. chap. 12. 4. Heb. 1. 14. Thirdly These have been the Objects of the esteem of Heathens when but convinced about them Dan. 5. 10. Acts 5. 13. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. Let each of you then esteem other better than themselves Philip. 3. 2. Fourthly Again Is it so that no man comes to Jesus Christ by the will wisdom and power of man But by the Gift Promise and Drawing of the Father Then this shews us how horribly ignorant of this such are who make the man that is coming to Christ the Object of their contempt and rage These are also unreasonable and wicked men men in whom is no faith 1 Thes. 3 2. Sinners did you but know what a blessed thing it is to come to Jesus Christ and that by the help and drawing of the Father they do indeed come to him You would Hang and Burn in Hell a Thousand years before you would turn your spirit as you do against him that God is drawing to Jesus Christ and also against the God that draws him But faithless Sinners let us a little Expostulate the matter What hath this man done against thee that is coming to Jesus Christ why dost thou make him the Object of thy scorn doth his coming to Jesus Christ offend thee Doth his pursuing of his own Salvation offend thee Doth his forsaking of his sins and pleasures offend thee Poor Coming man Thou Sacrificest the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone thee Exod. 8. 26. But I say why offended at this is he ever the worse for coming to Jesus Christ or for his loving and serving of Jesus Christ Or is he ever the more a fool for flying from that which will dround thee in Hell fire and for seeking Eternal life Besides pray Sirs consider it this he doth not of himself but by the drawing of the Father Come let me tell thee in thine ear thou that will not come to him thy self and him that would thou hindrest First Thou shalt be judged for one that hath hated maligned and reproached Jesus Christ to whom this poor sinner is coming Secondly Thou shalt be judged too for one that hath hated the Father by whose powerful drawing this sinner doth come Thirdly Thou shalt be taken and judged for one that has done despite to the Spirit of Grace in him that is by its help coming to Jesus Christ. What sayst thou now Wilt thou stand by thy doings wilt thou continue to contemn and reproach the living God Thinkest thou that thou shalt weather it out well enough at the day of Judgement Can thy heart indure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee saith the Lord. Joh. 15. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. Jude 14. 14 15. 1 Thes. 4. 8. Ezek. 22. 14. Fifthly Is it so That no man comes to Jesus Christ by the will Wisdome and power of man but by the gift promise and drawing of the Father Then this sheweth us how it comes to pass that weak means is so powerful as to bring men out of their sins to a hearty pursute after Jesus Christ When God bid Moses speak to the people he said I will speak with thee Exod. 19. When God speaks when God works Who can let it None none Then the work goes on Elias threw his Mantle upon the Shoulders of Elisha and what a wonderful work followed When Jesus fell in with the crowing of a Cock what work was there O when God is in the Means then shall that Means be it never so weak and contemptible in it self work wonders 1 Kings 19. 19.
Wine-press of the Wrath of God And the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth that is them that did not come to Christ and cast them into the great Wine press of the Wrath of God Rev. 14. 19. Fourthly It is called a Lake of Fire And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire Rev. 20. 15. Fifthly It is called a Pitt Thou hast said in thy Heart I will Ascend into Heaven I will Exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell to the sides of the Pitt Jsa 14. 13 14 15. Sixthly It is called a bottomless Pit out of which the smoak and the Locust came and into which the great Dragon was cast and it is called Bottomless to shew the endlesness of the fall that they will have into it that come not in the acceptable time to Jesus Christ Rev. 9. 1 2. chap. 20 3. Seventhly It is called Outer Darkness Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer Darkness and cast ye the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness there shall be Weeping and Nashing of Teeth Mat. 22. 13. chap. 25. 30. Eighthly It is called a Furnace of Fire As therefore the Tares are gathered and burned in the Fire so shall it be in the end of this World the Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that Offend and them that do Iniquity and shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth And again So shall it be in the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth Matt. 13. 41 42 43 48 49 50. Lastly It may not be amiss if in the conclusion of this I shew in few words to what the things that torment them in this state are compared Indeed some of them have bin occasionally mentioned already as that they are compared 1. To wood that burneth 2. To Fire 3. To Fire and Brimstone But 4. It is compared to a Worm a gnawing Worm a never dying gnawing Worm They are cast into Hell where their Worm dieth not Mar. 9. 44. Fifthly It is called unquenchable Fire He will gather his Wheat into his Garner but will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire Matt. 3. 12. Luk. 3. 17. Sixthly It is called everlasting destruction The Lord Jesus shall descend from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking Vengance on 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 from the Glory of his Power 2 Thes. 1. 7 8 9. Seventhly It is called Wrath without mixture and is given them in the Cup of his Indignation If any man Worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the Wine of the VVrath of God which is powred out without mixture in the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14. 9 10. Eighthly It is called the second Death And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire this is the second Death Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power Rev. 20. 14. chap. 2. v. 6. Ninthly It is called Eternal Damnation But He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of Eternal Damnation Oh These three Words Everlasting Punishment Eternal Damnation And for Ever and Ever How will they gnaw and eat up all the expectation of the end of the misery of the Cast-away sinners And the smoke of their Torment ascended up for Ever and Ever and they have no rest Day nor Night c. Rev. 14. 11. Their behaviour in Hell is set forth but by four things as I know of 1. By calling for Help and Relief in Vain 2. By Weeping 3. By Wailing 4. By gnashing of Teeth And now we come to the second thing that is to be enquired into Namely How it appears that Christ hath Power to save or to Cast out For by these words I will in no wise cast out he declareth that he hath power to do both Now this enquiry admits us to search into two things 1 How it appears that he hath power to save 2 How it appears that he hath power to cast out That he hath power to save appears by that which follows First To speak only of him as he is Mediator He was Authorized to this blessed work by his Father before the World began Hence the Apostle saith He hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that is chosen us in him to be Saved by him as Ephesians the first makes manifest Hence it is again that we are said to be Blessed in him before the Foundation of the World with all those things that effectually will produce our Salvation Read the same Chapter with 2 Tim. 1. 9. Secondly He was promised to our first Parents that he should in the fulness of time bruise the Serpents Head and as Paul expounds it redeem them that were under the law hence since that time he hath bin reckoned as slain for our Sins by which means all the Fathers under the first Testament were secured from the wrath to come hence he is called The Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Gen. 3. 15. Gal. 4. 4 5. Thirdly Moses gave Testimony of him by the Types and Shaddows and Bloody Sacrifices that he commanded from the Mouth of God to be in use for the support of his peoples Faith until the time of Reformation which was the time of this Jesus his Death Heb. 9. and 10th Chapters Fourth At the time of his Birth it was Testified of him by the Angel That he should Save his People from their Sins Mat. 1. 20 21. Fifth It is Testified of him in the days of his Flesh that he had Power on Earth to forgive Sins Mark 2. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Sixth It is Testified also of him by the Apostle Peter that God hath exalted him with his own Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins Acts 5. 30 31. Seventh In a word This is every where Testified of him both in the Old Testament and in the New And good reason that he should be acknowledged and trusted in as a Saviour 1. He came down from Heaven to be a Saviour Joh. 6. 38 39 40. 2. He
thou hast found glory in him glory that Surmounts and goes beyond Thou art more glorious than the mountaines of pray Psal. 76. 4. Fifthly What shall I say thou hast found Righteousness in him Thou hast found rest peace delight Heaven glory and eternal life Sinner be advised Ask thy heart again saying Am I come to Jesus Christ For upon this one question Am I Come or am I Not Hangs Heaven and Hell as to thee If thou canst say I am come and God shall approve that saying Happy Happy Happy man art thou but if thou art not come what can make thee happy Yea what can make that man Happy that for his not coming to Jesus Christ for life must be damned in Hell The Third Use a Use of Encouragement COming Sinner I have now a word for thee be of good comfort He will in no wise cast out Of all men thou art the blessed of the Lord the the Father hath prepared his Son to be a Sacrifice for thee and Jesus Christ thy Lord is gone to prepare a place for thee Joh. 1. 29. Heb. 10. Joh. 14. What shall I say to thee thou comest to a full Christ thou canst not want any thing for Soul or body for this World or that to come but it is to be had in or by Jesus Christ As it is said of the Land that the Dannits went to possess So and with much more truth it may be said of Christ He is such an one with whom there is no want of any good thing that is in Heaven or earth A Full Christ is thy Christ. First He is full of Grace Grace is sometimes taken for love and take it so here He is full of love never any loved like Jesus Christ. Jonathans love went beyond the love of Women but the love of Christ passes knowledge It is beyond the love of all the Earth of all Creatures even of Men and Angels His love prevailed with him to lay aside his Glory to leave the Heavenly place to cloth himself with flesh to be born in a Stable to be laid in a Manger to live a poor life in the World to take upon him our sicknesses infirmities sins curse Death and the Wrath that was due to man And all this he did for a base undeserving unthankfull people yea for a people that was at Enmity with him For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified we shall be saved by his life For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 6 7 8 9 10. Secondly He is full of Truth Full of grace and truth Truth that is faithfulness in keeping promise even this of the Text with all other I will in no wise cast out Hence it is said that his words be true and that he is the faithfull God that keepeth covenant And hence it is also that his promise is called Truth Thou wilt fulfill thy truth unto Jacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the days of old Therefore it is said again that both himself and words are Truth I am the Truth the Scriptures of Truth thy Word is Truth thy Law is the Truth and my mouth aith he shall speak truth Joh. 14. 6. Dan. 10. 21. Joh. 17. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 28. Pro. 8. 7. Psal. 119. 142. Eccles. 12. 10. Isa. 25. 1. Mal. 2. 6. Acts 26. 25. 2 Tim. 2. 12 13. Now I say his word is truth and he is full of truth to fulfill his truth even to a Thousand Generations Coming sinner he will not deceive thee come boldly to Jesus Christ. Thirdly He is full of Wisdome He is made unto us of God Wisdome Wisdome to manage the affairs of his Church in general and the affairs of every coming sinner in particular And upon this account he is said to be head over all things 1 Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. Because he manages all things that are in the world by his Wisdom for the good of his Church all mens Actions all Satans Temptations all Gods Providences all Crosses Disappointments all things what ever are under the hand of Christ Who is the Wisdom of God and he ordereth them all for good to his Church And can Christ help it and be sure he can nothing shall happen or fall out in the world but it shall in despite of all opposition have a good tendency to his Church and people Fourthly He is full of the Spirit to communicate it to the coming Sinner he hath therefore received it without measure that he may communicate it to every member of his body according as every mans measure thereof is allotted him by the Father Wherefore he saith that he that comes to him Out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living water Joh. 3. 34. Tit. 3. 5 6. Acts 1. Joh. 7. 31 32 34 35 36 37 38. Fifthly He is indeed a store-house full of all the graces of the Spirit Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Here is more Faith more Love more Sincerity more Humility more of every Grace and of this even more of this he giveth to every Lowly Humble Penitent coming Sinner wherefore coming Soul thou comest not to a barren wilderness when thou comest to Jesus Christ John 1. 16. Sixthly He is full of Bowels and Compassion And they shall feel and find it so that come to him for Life He can bear with thy Weaknesses he can pity thy Ignorance he can be touched with the Feeling of thine Infirmities he can affectionately forgive thy Transgressions he can heal thy Back slidings and Love thee Freely His Compassions fail not And he will not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax He can pity them that no Eye pities and be afflicted in all thy Afflictions Mat. 26. 41. Heb. 5 2. Chap. 2. 18 19. Mat 9. 2. Hos. 14. 4. Ezek. 16. 5 6. Isa. 63. 9. Psal. 78. 38. Psal. 86. 15. Psal. 111. 4. Psal. 112. 4. Lam. 3. 22. Isa. 42. 3. Seventhly Coming Soul the Jesus that thou art coming to is full of Might and Terribleness for thy Advantage He can suppress all thine Enemies He is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth He can bow all Men's Designes for thy Help He can break all Snares laid for thee in the Way He can lift thee out of all Difficulties where-with thou may'st be surrounded He is Wise in Heart and Mighty in Power Every Life under Heaven is in his Hand yea the Faln Angels tremble before him And he will save thy Life Coming-Sinner 1 Cor. 1. 24. Rom. 8. 28. Mat. 28. 18. Rev. 15.