away at this time and I will here thee at a more convenient season But I say unto you who will not hear me to day nor embrace this great salvation I shall defie all the Ministers in Scotland to assure you that ye shall get another offer if ye send me away to day There is not one that can or dare engage that the great salvation shall be in your offer any more Therefore I say let none of Felix temper be here to day that will say they will hear Christ at a more convenient season 5. There will be some of Balaams temper to day who will desire to dye the death of the righteous and to have their last end like his yet they desire not to live the life of the righteous But I say unto you ye shall never dye the death of the righteous if ye live not the life of the righteous 6. There will be some of you here to day who I hope at least will be of Agrippas humor that will say Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian I say unto thee O wilt thou quickly out with that word almost and put in that word altogether and say O precious Christ Thou hast altogether perswaded me to be a Christian However if thou come no greater length I intreat thee come this length that so thou mayst cry out I am almost perswaded to embrace Christ the great salvation and may be ere long ye will come further 7. There will be some of Iudas temper here to day who will betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver Yea some would sell Christ Heaven their Idols and all for less then thirty pieces of silver 8. I think there will be many of Esaus profane temper here to day who will sell their birth-right for a mess of pottage Now will ye enquire at your selves Am I the person that will give my birth-right for a mess of pottage doth my heart say I will sell my birth right because I am hungered and ready to dye what will it profit me give me a mess of pottage and I will quit my birth-right I know it there are not a few such here to day Therefore I intreat you enquire at your selves what is your humor Oh shall the great salvation that ye have flighted so long be slighted this day also and shall there be none to embrace it Oh enquire and stand in awe lest the wrath of the most high pursue you Now I shall give you these seven considerations which may provoke you not to slight but embrace this great salvation 1. The first consideration That the not embracing this great salvation is one of the greatest acts of folly that can be Ier. 8. 9. They have rejected the word of the Lord and immediately it is subjoyned And what wisdom is in them And so Solomon doth assure you they cannot be wise who neglect this great salvation Prov. 1. 7. Fools despise wisdom and instruction Therefore may not I say unto you be who ye will though ye were the greatest heads of wit in all this place ye are but stark fools as long as ye neglect this But would you be wise indeed and wise unto eternal life Then I intreat you come and embrace this great salvation 2. The second consideration to provoke you not to slight the great salvation is this that the ruine and destruction of the slighters of it is most certain and infallable Ier. 11. 11. Where speaking of slighting the covenant which is indeed this same great salvation there is a Therefore put to the threatning Therefore thus saith the Lord I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape I defie you all who are the slighters of this great salvation to find a back door when Justice shall pursue you for there is no door to escape if ye embrace not this great salvation But the earth will disclose your iniquity and heaven will declare your sin 3. Thirdly Let this consideration provoke you not to slight this great salvation that Christ is exceeding serious and earnest that ye should embrace it And I think that Isa. 28. 23. speaketh out his exceeding seriousness where four times he beggeth of his hearers that they would give ear and hear his voice saying Give ear and hear my voice hearken and hear my speech What needeth all these exhortations but that Christ is most serious that they would embrace the great salvation And O that there were a person here to day as serious to the bargain as Christ is But be who ye will that flight this great salvation believe me the day is coming wherein ye shall cry out Alas for my slighting of it Wilt thou therefore think presently with thy self O thou slighter of this great salvation what wilt thou say of thy slighting it When the Devil shall be leading thee in thorow those dark gates of hell O slighter of the Gospel how many alasses wilt thou cry when thou shalt be passing thorow these dark gates into thy everlasting prison Wilt thou not then cry out O me a slighter of the everlasting salvation whether am I now going Alas now for my slighting the Gospel And as thou passest thorow thou shalt meet with numbers of miserable comforters there is not one in that prison who can comfort thee but many dreadful a lasses shalt thou then both cry and hear if thou embrace not this great salvation 4. Fourthly Let this provoke you not to slight the great salvation that ye will get it for a very look O ye within this house to day ye will get this great salvation for one look Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth for a very look ye will get this great salvation and do ye ever think to get Heaven at a lower rate 5. The fifth consideration to provoke you not to slight this great salvation any more is this There is not one of you who is a slighter of it but your slighting it shall increase your immortal bonds Man or Woman be who thou wilt when thou art slighting this great salvation thou art but plating a cord wherewith to bind thy soul eternally in these unquenchable flames Isa. 28. 22. Be ye not mockers lest your bonds be made strong I say therefore unto you old men mock not lest your bonds be made strong Old Women near unto your graves mock not lest your bonds be made strong Young men be ye not mockers lest your bonds be made strong Young Women who are in the flower of your time mock not lest your bonds be made strong but now alas will there for all this be a person here to day who will be a moker of this great salvation 6. The sixth consideration to provoke you not to slight this great salvation any more is this Ye know not but that your days may be near unto a close I say you know not but the day of the preaching of this great salvation
then this place shall be an heap of witnesses against you for it hath heard all the words of the law which he hath spoken unto you John 24. Oh cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house and stones in the walls I take them as so many witnesses that they may speak and testifie against you in the great day of the Lord if ye neglect this great salvation to day Therefore as ye go away be thinking upon it and whether or not ye mind to embrace it now while ye may have it This day I have set life and death before you I have set before you both the great salvation and the great damnation And O that ye had understanding in all these things that ye being wise might be provoked at last to embrace this great salvation the which we do yet again entreat you to think upon Is not heaven looking upon you at this time to see what ye will do with this great offer of salvation which I have this day from the Lord presented unto you Now to him that can perswade you to embrace this great salvation this gospel redemption this blessed mystery into which the Angels desire to pray to him who can bring you back from the pit and can enlighten you with the light of the living To him who hath the keys of your prison Who can open and none can shut and can shut and none can open To him Who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth communicate to him who can deliver you from the power of the Grave and can set you free from all your enemies we desire to give praise Amen SERMON II. Heb. 2. 3. How shall 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 THere are two great and most ordinary complaints in these dayes 1. There are many who complain that their estates and persons are in bondage and that they are sold for Slaves to the hands of strangers But O that we could also turn over the complaint to this that our souls are in bondange and that we are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity that so we might be provoked to long for the great salvation that is in our offer 2. There are many complaining and not without much cause that there is now such a toleration of errours But O wilt thou complain also of this that within thy heart there is a toleration of lusts is there not an act of toleration concluded in thy breast that the devil and all his company may reign in thee at pleasure Oh haâ—e ye not need of great salvation Shall I tell you that Christ is courting you to embrace it and that he putteth on all his most glorious robes and manifesteth himself unto you a a suitor making offer of himself and of his great salvation O tell me have ye seen him Or do you think to see him this day What robes hath he on There are five glorious robes wherewith he clothes himself when he condescendeth to manifest himself to his people First He cometh to his own with the garments of salvation according to that word Zach. 9. verse 9. Kejoyce O dauhter of Sion greatly shout O daughter of Jerusalem for behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation Ay your King is come here to day and will ye not fall in love with him when he is cloathed with the garments of salvation Can ye ever have a more conquering sight of Christ than when he is cloathed with such an excellent robe and offering you salvation Secondly He appeareth to his own sometimes in garments dyed in blood according to that word Isa. 63. verse 1. 2. Who is this that cometh up from Edom with dyed garments in blood as one that treadeth the Wine Fat And now I say to you that will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of salvation have ye a heart to refuse him that hath fought such a combat for you who hath trode the wine press alone and hath stained all his garments with the blood of thy enemies or is there any here who dare refuse his salvation when they see how he treadeth his enemies in anger and trampleth them in his fury and thus sprinkleth their blood upon his garments O tremble at this sight and seek quarter from him in time or he shall dye his garments with the blood of thy mortal soul. Thirdly Christ appeareth unto his own being cloathed with these humble robes of condescendency when he came in the similitude of sinful flesh O what a sight was that to behold the Prince of Heaven cloathed with our nature What a sight was that to behold him that was cloathed with light as with a garment to be cloathed with our infirmities yet he condescended to cloath himself thus that we might have access unto him and be partakers of his gifts O can we refuse him when love hath thus pressed him to put on the beggars weed that he might say to worms ye are my brethren and my sisters Fourthly Christ sometimes manifesteth himself being cloathed with the garments of beauty and ravishing majesty such was the sight that the Spouse got of Christ Song 2. verse 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the Sons and Song 5. when she saw him white and ruddy and the Standard-bearer of ten thousand And such was that joyful sight of him when his garment was as the light and white as the Snow which he had at the transfiguration when these glorified ones did come as it were Ambassadours from that higher house to make him a visit And fifthly Christ he sometimes appeareth to his own in robes of dreadful majesty and terrible highness and loftiness when the soul upon the first sight of him remains dead and there remains no more life in them such was the sight Daniel got in his tenth Chapter and such was the sight that Iohn got of Christ Revel 1. verse 17. And I would ask of all that are here what a sight have ye gotten of Christ to day in which of all these robes have ye seen him It is true we are not to look for the extraordinary sights of him but yet if ever thou hast seen him in any of his wooing robes sure he hath appeared matchless and how then shall ye then refuse him But now to come to the words I was speaking unto you of The first thing in the words to wit That there are many who live under the offer of this great salvation that do slight it and do not embrace it And now I shall only add a few things further unto you 1. Let me propose a few considerations to perswade you to embrace this great salvation God forbid we go away before we embrace this gospel salvation and therefore I charge you in his name go not away
of this Gospel salvation to bring us out of nature into an estate of grace And that is an effect of this great salvation Is not this a great effect to make us who were enemies become friends And that is an effect of this great salvation Is not this a great effect to make us who were moving in the way to hell move in the way to heaven And that is an effect of this great salvation Is not this a great effect to make us who were far off to be now made near And yet that is an effect of this great salvation And is not this a great effect to make us who were darkness become light in the Lord And that is the great effect of this Gospel-salvation Yea I may say time would fail me to tell all the great effects of this great salvation But O will ye come and see and that will best resolve the question unto you what the noble effects of this great salvation are V. Fifthly it is called a great salvation in respect of the great advantages which do redound to the person who embraceth it First is not heaven a noble advantage and that is the gain which attendeth the embracers of this great salvation Secondly Is not Jesus Christ a notable advantage And yet he is the advantage which attendeth the embracers of this great salvation 3dly is not eternal communion with God a noble advantage and that advantage attendeth the embracers of this great salvation 4thly is not eternal liberation from the body of death a great advantage and that attendeth the embracers of this great salvation Fifthly is not eternal singing in the enjoyment of God a great advantage and that attendeth the embracers of this salvation Sixthly is not eternal seeing of God as he is a great and noble advantage And yet this as all the former attendeth the embracers of this great salvation Yea would ye be rich O then embrace this great salvation Would ye be honourable Come and embrace this great salvation Would ye be eternally happy O then come and partake of this great salvation VI. Sixthly it is called a great salvation in respect of all other salvations that ever were accomplished There was never a salvation or victory obtained by any General or Captain unto a Land or people that could have the name of great salvation in comparison of this VII Seventhly it is called a great salvation in respect of the authority of it we have spoken of the greatness as to the meritorious cause of it and how great things it doth effectuate and also in respect of the authority of it it is a great salvation Would you know who is the Author of this great salvation it is Christ. Hebr. 5. 9. He became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him And must not this salvation be sutable to him who is the Author of it this is one of the most noble and irradiant beams of the Majesty of the Son of God the Mediator that he is the Author of this great salvation VII Eighthly it is called a great salvation in respect of the continuance and duration of it It is not a salvation which is but for a day but it is an eternal salvation Hebr. 9. 12. He obtained eternal Redemption for us Now the second thing whereunto we shall speak for clearing of the words is this viz. How it is said that Christ was the first preacher of this eternal salvation We do not think that the words are thus to be understood that the Gospel and this great salvation was never preached before Christ came in the flesh but we think the meaning of the words may be one of these three if not all of them I. First That all the preaching of this great salvation under the Law did come very far short in the point of fulness in comparison of Christs preaching of it therefore is Christ said to be the first preacher of this great salvation as if he had said I know Adam he preached of this great salvation and Enoch he preached of this great salvation and the twelve Patriarchs they preached of this great salvation and all the Prophets who went before Christ and are now in heaven they preached of this great salvation but all their preaching deserved not the name of preaching in comparison of Christs for never man spake as he spake Thus Christ was the first great preacher of this great salvation II. Secondly This may be the meaning of it that Christ was the first preacher of this great salvation in respect of his clear way of preaching of it for he was the first preacher of it without types and shadows he was the first preacher of it clearly and fully with so much demonstration and power of the Spirit III. Thirdly The meaning of this that Christ was the first preacher of this great salvation may relate to his appearing to Adam in Paradise when he became the first and great preacher of this salvation when he did speak that word unto him The seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent The first glorious preaching of this great salvation was when Christ preached to Adam in Paradise And that was the first and glorious morning of this blessed Gospel Now we shall speak a little to the first of these six things which we have observed from these words viz. That there are many within the visible Church who are neglecters and slighters of this great salvation do ye not all take with it it is clear Matth. 23 towards the close and chap. 20. 5. where those persons being invited to come to the marriage or feast of the Gospel it is said of them they made light of it which are the same words in our Text And Luke 14. 18. when they were invited to come it is said They all with one consent began to make their excuse and Isa. 28. 2. This is the rest wherewith ye shall make the weary to rest this is the refreshing yet they will not hear Now is there a person here who dare deny this charge that he is a slighter of this great salvation I confess I am afraid that you will not take with it therefore I shall propose eight sorts of persons who are slighters of this great salvation and I charge you as you will answer to God one day that you search your hearts whether you be among the number in the catalogue of the slighters of this great salvation I. The first sort of persons who are slighters of this great salvation are those persons who go about to establish their own righteousness and will not submit to the righteousness of Christ in a word it is that sort of persons who think they may win to heaven by a Covenant of Works and will not take the Gospels way of travelling to heaven in the Covenant of Grace And surely there is not a person here who hath not that cursed inclination to be as little obliged to
may be near unto a close What knowest thou O man or Woman but this shall be the last Sermon that ever thou shalt hear concerning this great salvation and yet for all this shall we be sent away without one consent to embrace or receive it O will ye be perswaded to look to Christ and so to take him 7. The seventh consideration to provoke you not to slight the great salvation is this that there is a five fold salvation comprehended under this great salvation 1. The first is this come and partake of this great salvation and thou shalt have salvation from thy idols And hereby I do proclaim liberty this day unto captives I am sent forth this day with the Keyes of your Prison-house to open your prison doors unto you if ye will embrace this great salvation Play unto you O ye prisoners come forth and show your selves for the Keyes of your prison-house are with us to open your prison doors unto you therefore O come forth and embrace this great salvation Will there be any shall I think here that will refuse to come forth O go forth and flye from the land of your captivity and from the house of your bondage 2. Thou shalt have salvation from thy darkness and from thy ignorance I say unto you who understand no more of God then the stones in the wall I command you to come forth and partake yet of this great salvation and unto you shall light arise even the day spring from on high and visit you 3. If ye will come and partake of this great salvation ye shall have deliverance from all your fears Dost thou fear that thou shalt be poor Come and partake of this great salvation and thou shalt be delivered from it Art thou afraid of hell Come and partake of this great salvation and thou shalt be delivered from that fear Art thou afraid at the wrath of God Then come I say and partake of this great salvation and thou shalt have redemption from that and all thy fears With him is plenteous redemption and he can make thee quiet from the fear of evil 4. If thou wilt come and partake of this salvation thou shalt have deliverance from all thy anxieties and from all thy cares Ye are now careful and anxious about many things come and partake of this great salvation and it will make you careful but onely for the one thing necessary 5. If ye will come and embrace the great salvation offered unto you this day ye shall be helped before ye go hence to sing that song O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Now O will ye come and embrace this great salvation and ye shall be more then conquerors thorow Christ who loveth you Are there therefore any here to day that would have victory over the Devil and over their own heart Then come and embrace this great salvation and then your victory is certain But now to press home this great salvation upon you a little further There are nine sorts of Persons who are invited to come and partake of this great salvation offered this day And I charge you answer to your names when ye are called and delay not to come 1. First I invite and call here to day all who are willing to come and embrace this great salvation Now are there any of you here to day who are called willing Then I invite you to come aud embrace this great salvation Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will let him come But Oh are there none here to day who are named willing I intreat you if there be any do not deny your name but come when ye are called and embrace this great salvation 2. Secondly Those persons who thirst for it are invited to come and partake of this great salvation Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come Now if there be any here who are named thirsty let them come and partake of this great salvation and they shall be satisfied 3. Thirdly are there any moneyless folk here to day Let them come and partake of this great salvation Are there no monyless folk here to day I mean not that money or coin in your purses but want ye money That is Want ye righteousness Then I pray you come and partake of this great salvation I say are ye so poor that ye have nothing but the fear of hell then I pray you come If there be any here who have nothing to commend them to Christ but necessity I say unto all such O come come come and partake of this great salvation 4. Fourthly Those persons are invited to come and I wish there were many such who are weary but oh Are there none here to day who are called weary Are you not weary in pursuit of your sins If there be any such here to day I say unto you O weary folk Come come come and partake of this great salvation and of this excellent Gospel-redemption that was purchased at so dear a rate 5. Fifthly Those who are heavy-loaden are invited to come and I think all of you may answer to this name are you heavy-loaden O then come But are there none here who are heavy-loaden with sin with misery and estrangement from God If there be any such here I say unto thee old man or young man be who thou wilt O come and partake of this great salvation 6. Sixthly Are there any here to day who are called blind I say if there be any of you who think you want eyes to see the precious excellencies of Christ I invite you to come and partake of this great salvation 7. Seventhly Are there any who are called lame here to day I say unto such O come come come and partake of this great salvation for weare sent forth to day to call in the blind and the maimed and the lame that they may come and embrace this great salvation therefore are there none here to day who may be called such Are you neither blinde nor lame I hope many of you will not deny that you are such therefore I say unto you O blind halt and maimed Come come and partake of this great salvation 8. The eight sort of persons invited are those who are sick therefore if there be any sick folk here to day be who you will I say unto you O come and partake of this great salvation for the whole need not the Physician but the sick 9. Ninthly Are there any here to day who know not their name or their condition I say unto you O nameless folk Come and partake of this great salvation Come to Christ for the knowledge of your souls condition Come as a nameless one and he shall not reject thee though thy case were so evil that thou couldst not give it a name for of all that come unto him he sendeth none away Now where do you find your name and sirname O do you not know it I hope now you may know therefore I