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
him he is fully persuaded that there is not Salvation in any other and believing that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come to God through him And being drawn to Christ by God the Father he doth by a lively Act of Faith go to him and adventure his Soul upon him resolving If I perish I will perish here This Faith is God's workmanship Eph. 28. By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Faith is not of our selves for when the poor lost Soul sees a necessity of believing and is willing to believe he experienceth that it is not in his own power to believe he cannot believe Faith is the gift of God and the Convert lies under doubting until God give him to believe Though to believe be our duty yet it is God's Grace Gift and Work 1 Thes 1.11 Called the Work of Faith with power and the Faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 As before Another part of God's Workmanship upon Converted Believers is Mortification of Sin Rom. 6.6 Our Old-man is Crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed this is also our duty Rom. 8.13 But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body to wit of sin ye shall live And it is the Effect of true Faith in Christ Acts 15.9 Having purified or purged their hearts by Faith The Spirit of God by Faith works out sin and corruption both out of the heart and out of the life gradually killing and crucifying our Old Man Gal. 5.24 that the body of sin might be destroyed That henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.6 nor fulfil the lusts of our flesh and of our carnal mind for to be carnally minded is death This part of God's Workmanship called Mortification is begun in Evangelical Repentance and godly sorrow for sin whereby a sanctified Believer is made to loath abhor and hate his sins 2 Cor. 7.9 10. and by the Grace of God to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts And to live soberly righteously and godly in this evil world Tit. 2.11 12. Now his heart being out of love with sin the Young Convert doth by the Assistance of the holy Spirit and Grace of God labour and endeavour the mortification of every corruption and the power of the indwelling Spirit in every sanctified Believer opposeth and subdueth the power of indwelling sin that remains in him after Regeneration Gal. 5.17 And the Spirit and Grace of God in him gets the Victory whereby Grace Reigns Rom. 5.20 21. And the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes him free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Free first from the Reigning power of sin Rom. 6.11 14. Sin hath not dominion over a sanctified Believer nor will Christ suffer sin to reign in him nor suffer him to obey it in the lusts thereof Secondly From the captivating power of sin which Paul so sadly complained of Rom. 7.23 24 25. and was freed from by the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.2 Thirdly From the Motions of sin in the flesh Rom. 7.5 6. So that no lust shall conceive and bring forth sin Jam. 1.14 15. And at last Christ will free sanctified Believers from the indwelling presence of sin Death will make a total and final separation between their sins and their souls for Eternity Another part of God's Workmanship upon converted Believers in order to their Salvation is sanctification of heart and life God hath chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 And Jesus Christ sanctifieth his People Heb. 2.11 As the End of our Faith is the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 so the way to Salvation is Sanctification and Holiness Isa 35.8 And without Holiness no Man shall see the LORD to his comfort and salvation Heb. 12.14 Sanctification consists in the Truth of Grace in the Growth of Grace and in the Perfection of Grace The Truth of Grace produceth the Spiritual Fruit of the Gospel Col. 1.5 6. The Word of the Truth of the Gospel bringeth forth fruit since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in Truth The Growth of Grace hath a threefold gradation some sanctified Believers grow like little Children in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Those St. John calls little Children whose sins are forgiven 1 Joh. 2.12 13. And St. Paul calls them Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.13 For he is a Babe one that is weak in Faith Rom. 14.1 15.1 Though such have but a little grace yet it is true grace and doth grow Grace is of a growing nature like a grain of Mustard-seed Matth. 13.31 Other sanctified Believers grow like young men they are strong in Faith and overcome the wicked One 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Their Faith is great their Love is fervent and their Patience hath its perfect work that they may be entire lacking nothing 1 Thes 1.3 And some sanctified Believers are compared to Fathers that is to say gracious grave grown and experienced Christians 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Such were some of the Saints in the Church at Thessalonica 2 Thes 1.3 4. Your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all to each other aboundeth The Perfection of Grace is the state of sanctified Believers in Heaven there are the spirits that is the souls of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Sanctified Believers ought to go on to perfection Heb. 6.1 And they that have received the Promises ought to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and filthiness of spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 2. And God hath ordained the Ministry of the Gospel for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. Until we all come in the unity of Faith unto a perfect man And though the Apostle was not perfect as he confessed yet he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.12 14. So ought all the Saints to do until they be translated from Earth to Heaven and from Grace to Glory and shall be set down in the Father's house among the Spirits of just men made perfect Thus Jesus Christ who came into the WORLD to save sinners brings them to salvation The next particular in our general Position to be explained is that Jesus Christ came into this WORLD to build up his own House the Church of God As Moses was faithful in the House of God as a servant who did all things about the Tabernacle according to the Pattern shewed unto him by God in the Mount Exod. 25.40 Acts 7.44 Heb. 8.5 So Jesus Christ was faithful unto God that appointed him as a Son over his own House the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man Heb. 3.2 3 5 6.