have no Interest in Christ who alone is able to deliver you from the wrath to come 1. That you may be sensible of your lost estate you must get a Conviction of your sin your eyes must be opened to see your selves guilty of sin before God and your mouths must be stopped so as to have nothing to say if the Lord should condemn you You must not only understand the nature of sin in the general that it is a transgression of the holy and righteous and good Law of the holy and glorious God of Heaven and Earth but also you must be particularly and thorowly convinced that you have transgressed this Law of God you must be convinced of your particular sins As to the kinds of your sins you must 1. See your selves guilty of Original sin of Adams first transgression by a just imputation you being in his loyns and parties in the first Covenant and then you must see what inherent sin there is in your nature that you were conceived and born in sin that you are a viperous brood a Serpentine generation a seed of evil doers that the Toad is not fuller of poyson than your natures are full of sin that your natures are contrary unto the nature of God and have an enmity in them against the Law of God Rom. 6. 7. You must be convinced how your natures are depraved being wholly destitute of Original Righteousness empty of all good and inclinable wholly unto evil that they are a polluted fountain from whence can proceed nothing but what is unclean that they are a bitter root from whence doth spring forth such cursed fruits of sin in your lives and you should look upon your sin of nature to be the worst because the Original of all actuall transgressions 2. You must be convinced of your actual sins how you have broken Gods Law in thought word and deed you must see your sins of Omission and your sins of Commission against the first and second Table of the Law and take notice of the number of them so far as you can remember together with their aggravations if they have been committed through ignorance when you have had means of knowledge if against light of Nature and the Word if against the reluctance of natural Conscience if against many Warnings and Reproofs if they have been committed with security hardness of heart delight greediness pride presumption obstinacy and the like and that you might be convinced of the guilt of sin you must look into the Law in which as in a glass you may see your natural face and all the spots thereof the Law will discover the sin of your natures as it requireth perfect conformity thereunto in habit disposition and inclination and forbiddeth all evil byasses of the will and heart to sin as well as external transgressions Moreover the Law will discover to you your actual sins but then you must look beyond the head Precepts of the Law which are but ten for you must take notice of the several branches belonging to every head which are many as for instance If you would finde out whether you are guilty of Adultery you must not only look upon the Precept as forbidding only the gross outward act Thou shalt not commit Adultery but as reaching to the inward desires and inclinations and so our Saviour Math. 5. 28. interprets this Precept that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart and so in the Precept Thou shalt not kill it is murder not only to take away the life of another by violence but also to be angry with our brother without a cause and so in the other Precepts And as you must look into the Law for Conviction of sin so you must also look into your own Consciences and read what is there registred and compare your hearts and lives with the Law and you should call to minde the places you have lived in the businesses you have been employed about and the circumstances of your lives may bring to remembrance many sins committed long ago with their aggravations You must get thus a conviction of the guilt of your sins especially if you have fallen into any grosser sin in your life as adultery drunkenness theft if you have been guilty of swearing Sabbath-breaking profaneness or the like you must see the heinousness of them and withall you must see that every sin which you have committed is heinous as it is a dishonour to the highest Majesty who is infinitely more exalted above the greatest Earthly Kings and Potentates than they are exalted above the meanest Worm or Flie and for such as you to dishonour and affront him by sin is very heinous This is the first thing a Conviction of your sins which you must endeavour after 2. That you may be sensible of your lost estate you must get a conviction of the punishment which God hath threatned and you have deserved for your sins will the Lord put up the affronts which are offered to him by his Creatures will he bear the dishonours of his great and glorious Name by sin without punishing the sinners No surely his holiness will not permit it his Justice hath been offended and must have satisfaction and therefore he threatneth to punish the offenders most severely God threatneth temporal calamities and death as the wages of sin and because through patience he forbeareth to punish many transgressions so remarkably in this life and the most dreadfull temporal Judgements which he inflicteth upon any are no wayes proportionable to the desert of their sins and the demands of his infinite Justice therefore he threatneth eternal punishment in Hell look into some places of Scripture where the Lord doth denounce severe threatnings against sinners Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Eph. 5. 6. Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience 2 Thess 1. 8 9. Christ will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on them which know not God and obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the prefence of the Lord and the glory of his power Rom. 2. 6 8 9. God will render unto every man according to his deeds to them who are contentious and do not obey the truth indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish on every soul of man that doth evil That you may see and be sensible of your lost estate you must be convinced not only in the general of the justice and equity that such Judgements should be inflicted on sinners because God himself hath denounced them in his Word who cannot be unjust toward his Creatures and because sin hath deserved them being the breach of his Law which is holy and just and good and an offence
the soul will survive the body O take heed that when your souls come forth of their houses of clay that they be not cast into the deep and dark prison of Hell 2. Your souls are more precious than the whole world our Saviour esteem'd them so and he best knew the worth of souls who knew the making of them and made purchase of so many lost souls see Matth. 16. 26. What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Suppose that you had your hearts-desire in the world that your baggs should throng in your Coffers till there were no more room your gold and silver should encrease without number suppose you had great possessions abroad large revenues stately houses fruitful gardens and orchards pleasant groves and walks spacious fields and meadows which as the Poet saith would weary the wings of a Kite to fly over in a day suppose that you had sweet and beautiful wives at home like loving Hindes and pleasant Roes unto you like fruitful Vines about your houses that you had towardly and hopeful Children like Olive-plants round about your Tables that you had most kind and faithfull friends of most pleasant conversation that you had servants horses chariots coaches doggs hawks and all sorts of serviceable and delightful creatures the best and in the greatest number at your commands to attend your pleasure suppose you were cloathed with purple wrapped in fine linnen adorned with gold and silver and pretious stones and had the most rich and glorious Attire that the greatest cost and art could make for you suppose that your food were most delicious that Aire Earth and the Sea were ransack'd to provide dainties for your Table that your courses were served up with the most rich and generous Wine the most sweet and harmonious musick suppose that you were laden with titles of honour and had all the Crowns and Scepters of the earth laid at your feet and that the whole world had you in the highest esteem and were in willing subjection unto you yet what would it profit you to gain all these things or any thing else that the heart of man could desire in the world and lose your souls which are a thousand fold more pretious the gain of these things are but for the body and but for a while whereas the loss of the soul is for ever and when the soul is lost all is lost when the soul leaveth the body a period is put to all earthly enjoyments and the more you have of these things the more grievous will it be to part with them Think with your selves that you must dye certainly and may dye suddenly and then if not before you will acknowledge the worlds vanity and the preciousness of your souls which are of longer duration than the age of ten thousand worlds put together and what is the gain of the world which is so transitory and temporal in comparison with the loss of the soul which is immortal and whose loss is irrepairable a loss in the estate may be recovered Riches may fly away upon the wing and sometimes return upon the wing again as in the case of Job but the loss of the soul can never be recovered when once the soul hath taken wing and is fled into the lower regions it will never find wings to return again to its former estate O therefore whatever you lose take heed you do not lose your souls your souls are very precious seek after their salvation 2. It is the salvation also of your Bodies which I would have you endeavour after I do not mean the salvation of your bodies from sufferings which Religion doth sometimes call you unto nor a salvation of your bodies from sickness and temporal death which Religion doth not exempt any from but the salvation of your bodies from perpetual death and pain of Hell you may pamper your flesh for a while on Earth which may make it a more fit bait for the Worms in the grave and your bodies after death may be at rest and take a sweet sleep for many years in the dust but there is a morning approaching after the long night of death and many hours of darkness in which the graves will be opened and the dead will be awakened and then your bodies will come forth of the dust and they will be adjudged by Christ unto most horrid and endless torments in Hell to burn for ever in unquencheable Fire if you be found under the guilt of sin O therefore labour after the salvation of your Bodies when your bodies now are sick you endeavour to get them cured when they are full of pain you use means to get the pain removed and you will fly as fast and as far as you can from natural Death and you will do much to lengthen out and strengthen the thred of your life though do what you can it will in time be cut asunder and death which hath you upon the chase will overtake and overcome you whatever resistance be made O labour to get deliverance from the pains of body which are prepared in Hell for the damned Fly O Fly from eternal Death and the strokes of Gods wrath which will come upon the bodies of the wicked hereafter if you would not have those faces scorched those eyes and tongues and hands rosted and that flesh broiled and fearfully tormented in the flames of Hell fire labour after salvation As you love then your selves your souls and bodies seek after your salvation CHAP. III. Motive 2. FRom the consideration of the Salvation which you should endeavour to obtain and here I shall set before you some properties of this salvation to move you the more effectually to seek after it 1. It is a great Salvation 2. It is a rare Salvation 3. It is a necessary Salvation 4. It is a possible Salvation 5. It is a neer Salvation 6. It is an evident Salvation 7. It is a free Salvation 8. It is a sure Salvation I. It is a great Salvation and that both in regard of the thing it self and in regard of the causes of it 1. It is great in regard of the thing it self As in Motion so in Salvation there is the terminus à quo and the terminus ad quem the term from which and the term to which that which people are in Salvation delivered from and that which in Salvation they attain unto both which are exceeding great 1. That which people in Salvation are delivered from There are six great evils which those that are saved are delivered from 1. From sin the greatest evil of all from the guilt of sin Eph. 1. 7. and the power the reigning power of sin Rom. 6 14. 2. From Sathan the greatest enemy of all from his power and tyranny Col. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 26. 3. From the Law the evil which it occasioneth namely the provoking to concupiscence and
disobedience Rom. 7. 5 6. and the evil which it denounceth namely Gods curse Gal. 3. 10 13. 4. From the world not in regard of their place but in regard of their course Gal. 1. 4. Joh. 15. 19. Joh. 17. 16. 5. From Death the sting of death and the fear of death at least the grounds of fear Heb. 2. 14 15. 6. From wrath the wrath of God which is to come 1 Thes 1. 10. 2. This Salvation is great in regard of that which in Salvation people do attain unto All the priviledges of the Gospel are wrapt up and included in the word Salvation Election is the foundation of it Effectual calling is the begining of it Justification Adoption and Sanctification are contained in it and Glorification is the consummation of it This Salvation then is great in regard of the thing it self 2. This Salvation is great in regard of the causes of it 1. Efficient 2. Meritorious 3. Instrumental 4. Finall 1. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the efficient cause and that is God the Father Salvation is ascribed to him as the author Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us God is the cause of our Salvation 1. as he hath chosen us unto Salvation Eph. 1. 4. As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world which Election being of Free grace we are said to be saved by Grace Eph. 2 5. 2. As he hath sent his only begotten Son into the world to purchase Salvation for us Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Gal. 4. 4 5. When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them which were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons 3. As he revealeth this Salvation unto us by the Preaching of the Gospel for which end he qualifyeth and sends his Ministers upon this Embassage to make known the glad tydings of Salvation 4. As he conferrs Salvation actually upon us in our effectual calling Justification Adoption Sanctification and Glorification all these are from God Now that must needs be a great Salvation which is effected by the great God especially if we consider that it is the greatest and most glorious of all his works in the world and unto which all his other works have some kind of tendency 2. This Salvation is a great Salvation in regard of the meritorious cause and that is the Lord Jesus Christ the excellency and greatness of whose nature office and sufferings do demonstrate the greatness of this Salvation which was purchased by him The sufferings of Christ were most properly the meritorious cause of mans salvation and they were the greatest sufferings that ever were endured insomuch as 1. They were the sufferings of the greatest person as man he was the head of the creation in regard of dignity he was a greater King than Solomon Matth. 12. 42. a greater Prophet than Moses Heb. 3. 3. a greater Priest than Aaron even a Priest after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 7. Moreover he was God as well as man God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. and though the God head could not properly suffer yet through its union in the same person to the Manhood it put an efficacy in his suffering and strengthened the humane nature to undergo greater sufferings as to the value of them in that short space of time than all the Angels and Men in the world had their strength been united together in one person could have endured if the greatest extremity of misery had been layd upon such a one unto all eternity For 2. The sufferings of Christ were equivalent unto eternal death and the torments of the damned in Hell yea they were far exceeding as is evident because Gods infinite Justice is hereby fully satisfied and there is sufficiency of merit in them for the redemption of the whole world not only of Believers but also of Unbelievers not only of Men but of Devils too Christs sufferings were of infinite value not in regard of the sufferings but in regard of the Divine nature so closely united unto the Humane nature Therefore the salvation purchased by these sufferings must needs be a great salvation 3. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Instrumental Cause and that is Faith faith is a grace of great worth and excellency insomuch as it doth not spring from any root or power of nature but is wrought by the power of God and requireth such exceeding great power in the effecting of it we read of the exceeding greatness of Gods power towards them that believe according to the working of his mighty power Eph. 1. 19. which shews that the salvation is great which is effected by this grace of Faith 4. This salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Final Cause and that is the manifestation of Gods glory 1. The glory of his Wisdom in contriving such a way for Mans salvation which no created understanding could have thought of 2. The glory of his Justice which is as fully satisfied through Christs sufferings as if all Believers had been eternally punished 3. And chiefly the glory of his free grace and mercy which is set forth and magnified so eminently in all the degrees of mans salvation that nothing may be ascribed unto Man but all unto God alone Thus you see that this salvation is a great salvation in regard of the Thing it self and in regard of the Causes of it It is so great salvation as it hath no comparison and is beyond expression therefore labour to attain this salvation some endeavour to get a great Estate others to get great Friends others to get great honour and repute in the world do you labour to obtain this great salvation which doth exceed all in greatness it is a high and noble design and is worthy your uttermost care and diligence in seeking after it other things are but small things meer toyes and trifles in comparison nothing in the world hath the least degree of worth compared with this so great salvation I shall be more brief in speaking of the other properties of this salvation II. This salvation is a Rare Salvation I mean that few do obtain it Many are called few are chosen Matth. 20. 16. Many are damned few are saved There are many troops of sinners that are prosting in the broad way of destruction it is but a thin scattered company that are pressing forward in the narrow way of life and salvation this is evident from the Answer of our Saviour upon the Question propounded unto him Luk. 13. 23 24. Then said one unto him Lord are there few that be saved And he said unto them Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not