direct young Men to reform their Lives and Ways according to the Precepts of God's Word nor to think by any degree of moral Righteousness or inherent Holiness they could be cleansed no no but to take heed according to the mysterious and sublime Doctrine of God's free grace in Christ Which was the only way of Salvation as well under the Law as under the dispensation of the Gospel Sirs this was and still is Christs Fan namely the glorious Doctrine of God's Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Christ's blood and it was by this fan Christ cleansed that Jewish floor to which my Text primarily refers For the Jews were his floor in which was abundance of Chaff and now Jesus Christ was come with his fan in his hand to purge this floor and evident it is his holy Doctrine severed or separated the Wheat from the Chaff and by this means was the Wheat gathered into Christs Gospel-Garner and the Chaff blown away for as Chaff cannot endure the wind of the fan so could not those unbelieving Jews and hypocritical Pharisees endure Christs holy and heavenly Doctrine See Joh. 6. 52. to v. 60. How can this Man give us his flesh to eat They thought he spake of a Natural eating of his flesh as we eat the flesh of Beasts or Fish His Doctrine was not understood by them Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you ver 53. Now the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is no other thing than the receiving Jesus Christ by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life Believing in Christ coming to Christ looking to Christ leaning trusting or staying on Christ receiving of Christ and eating of Christ imply one and the same thing It is our going out of our selves to him or feeding by faith on him or resting or relying on his Merits on his Obedience in his Life and in his Death for Justification and eternal Life without any Works done by us or any Righteousness wrought in us as the Apostle speaks But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness But this mysterious and sublime Doctrine the Jews could not bear but it was such a Fan as fanned them all away that believed not For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God They thought their own personal and inherent Righteousness was that by which they must be justified accepted and eternally saved they had meat of their own to eat and therefore saw no need to go to their Neighbours door for it they were full and increased in Goods and thought they had need of nothing And hence the Doctrine of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ alone was rejected by them it was not understood by them that Christ's flesh should be Meat indeed and his blood Drink indeed was a strange Doctrine in their apprehensions they could not conceive how such things could be as Nicodemus spake of Regeneration Nor can any Man whatsoever who will receive no point of Faith but what his natural reason can comprehend and thus this Doctrine of our Lord Jesus was a Fan in his hand and it fanned away all the Chaff of that mighty Jewish floor even all that received not that Doctrine or who believed not in Christ received not Christ by Faith for righteousness and eternal life Nay it was such a Fan that it fann'd away some of Christs Disciples not such who were his Disciples indeed but many that followed him and who are said to believe on him they believed he was the true Messiah had some kind of faith tho' not the Faith of Gods Elect Many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is a hard saying who can bear it It seemed hard to them because they could not comprehend it by their own carnal reason From thà t time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Such a Fan was this Doctrine then and such a Fan it is now that it may be said to make a discrimination between the pure Wheat and the Chaff for no doubt all that receive not this holy Doctrine whatever fair shew they make in the flesh are but Chaff in the sight of God and will be found such at the last day Nor ought they to be suffered to abide in Christ's Garner on Earth as they shall not be gathered into his Garner in Heaven but be esteemed as Chaff or drossy professors whatsoever their conversations may be I mean such who eat not Christs flesh and drink not his blood i. e. wholly feed not upon Christ rely not alone upon the Merits of a crucified Christ or seek not Justification by his Righteousness only but go about to bring in their own Works and inherent Holiness with Christ's Merits in point of Justification in God's sight But to proceed But like as a Husbandman hath more Fans than one even so also in the Second place Jesus Christ hath another Fan also and that is I doubt not likewise intended here viz. The dispensation of God's Providence for this was as a Fan in Christ's hand by which he fann'd away those unbelieving Jews and so purged his floor I mean the time was now come that their national legal and external Church-State must be pulled down and dissolved the Dispensation was changed the Priesthood changed and right of Church-membership changed they having Abraham to their Father or being the Seed of professing Parents would do them no good nor avail them any thing Because the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with him and his natural seed as such as to the Date of the Duration thereof was now run out and expired the Ax being now laid to the root of the Tree ver 10 th So that unless they receive Christ believe in Christ and are found gracious persons fit Wheat for Christs spiritual Garner or Gospel-Church which is built up of lively stones as Chaff the Gospel-dispensation like a Fan purges them out as indeed it did and blew them all away And we are not alone in respect of this great Truth for many of our worthy Brethren who in some things differ from us assert the same particularly Reverend Mr. Cotton who speaking of this Text Mat. 3. 10. saith The first is the root of Abraham's Covenant which this people much trusted upon and of that it is which John Baptist speaketh Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father so that all their confidence that they had in Abraham's Covenant Temple and Tabernacle and such things are burnt up and so they have no Root left them to stand upon and this is one thing intended by the Root Secondly There is saith he
said they hear Christ's Voice i. e. the Doctrine he taught This is my beloved Son saith the Father in whom I am well pleased hear him 1. Not Moses Moses is not our Shepherd our Guide our Law-giver We are not his Disciples his Sheep No no but we are Christ's Sheep Christ's Disciples The Jews said they were Moses 's Disciples 2. They hear Christ's Voice not the Pope's not the Voice of Antichrist 3. They hear Christ's Voice not the Voice of the Light of Nature only or the teaching of Natural Conscience though 't is true they hear and follow that Light yet they know the Light that is in all Men which is in Pagans Turks and Heathens is not the Voice of Christ as he is Mediator and the great Shepherd of the Sheep 4. They hear Christ's Voice follow his Voice not the Voice of General Councils and National Synods they will no further hear any than they hear and adhere to the Voice and Doctrine of Jesus Christ 2 dly They will not receive or embrace any Capital Errors they will not hear the Voice of Strangers but keep to all the Essentials of Christ's Doctrine of the Principles of true Religion Particularly 1. They believe the Holy Scripture is of Divine Authority and that it is the only Rule of Faith and Practice 2. They stedfastly believe the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity that there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and that these three are one One in Essence yet three Persons or Subsistences 3. They stedfastly believe the Doctrine of Christ's Divinity or have a right Faith about the Person of Christ not doubting but that he is God by Nature the most High God coeternal and coequal with the Father and the Holy Ghost abominating the Doctrine of Arius who asserted he was not of the same Substance of the Father but rather a created Spirit the first and chief Spirit or Angel God created And the Doctrine of Socinians who affirmed He is a meer Man and had no Pre-existence before he was Conceived and Born of the Virgin They abominate that Voice or Doctrine of Eutychians who maintain that the Matter of Christ's Flesh was from Heaven or that it was a Conversion of the Deity of the second Person of the Trinity into Flesh and that he partook not of the Nature of the Virgin They abominate their Doctrine who declare that Christ doth consist of one Nature only and those who affirm that the Light that is in all Men which is but an inward Quality created of God with which the Soul of Mankind is naturally indued is the only Christ of God they know these are Strangers and the Voice of Strangers they will not hear 4. They hear and stedfastly believe and receive the Doctrine of Christ's Headship over the Church 5. The Doctrine of Satisfaction by Christ in his Expiation of Sin and of Justification by his Righteousness imputed as it is received by Faith alone without inherent Righteousness wrought in us or good Works done by us 6. The Doctrine of Regeneration the Resurrection of the Body and of the Eternal Judgment and World to come In all these Respects they hear Christ's Voice i. e. his Doctrine and in all other respects so far as they receive Light and Knowledg touching any one or all the blessed Truths and Ordinances of the Gospel Fourthly There is the Voice of Christ's Rod also which his Sheep hear The Lord's Voice crieth to the City and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it When Christ's Sheep will not hear as they ought the soft and sweet Voice of God's Word he speaks to them by the Voice of his Rod by Afflictions and sharp Rebukes which by his Providence he brings upon them And though others cannot hear so as to understand this Voice of Christ yet his Sheep do they see his Name and hear the Rod and know whose Voice it is and to what End 't is appointed but this I shall not insist further upon here I should now come to shew you how Christ's Sheep hear his Voice but that must be for the next time APPLICATION 1. Bless God you have Christ's Voice Christ's Word sounding in your Ears Blessed are they that know the joyful Sound for they shall walk in the Light of thy Countenance O Lord. It is not all they that hear the joyful Sound but only such that know it with an experimental Knowledg who have felt the Divine Power of it on their Souls 2. Rest not therefore upon a bare hearing of the Word of Christ take heed that the Gospel comes not to you in Word only but in Power also 3. Labour to hear the Voice of Christ's Spirit in and with the Word or you are undone for ever JOHN X. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice and they follow me DOCT. All true Believers are the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ they hear his Voice and they follow him Beloved we have shewed you in what respects Believers are said to be Christ's Sheep and what is meant by his Voice which his Sheep or such who belong unto him do and will hear Thirdly I shall now proceed to the next general Head of Discourse propounded to you I am to shew you how Christ's Sheep hear his Voice his Word his Holy Doctrine They hear Christ's Voice his Word and Doctrine understandingly He that heareth the Word and understandeth it c. Some tho they hear it yet they are ignorant and know not the Nature Power and divine Excellency of it The sacred Scripture is as a sealed Book to some that are learned with Humane Arts and Sciences they see but the outside of the Book as it were and others they are ignorant Persons neither have Humane nor Divine Teachings then he opened their Vnderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures See how Christ does honour the holy Scriptures He did not open their Understanding without the Scriptures he sends them to that because they testify of him but he knew the Scripture would not sufficiently give them the knowledg of himself without the Influence and Illumination of his Spirit Sirs they hear Christ's Voice aright who are taught of God and by his Spirit to understand his Word Some Men are so far cheated by the Devil that they cry up the Light of natural Conscience and magnify that above the Holy Scripture He perswades them to cast away the Scriptures as a dead Letter in expectation of the Spirit 's Teachings whereas the Spirit teacheth by not without nor contrary to the Sacred Scripture The Word of Christ is full of Mystery its holy and sublime Doctrine is not easily understood nor can it be without the Spirit helps the Understanding In a right and saving manner it is given to Christ's Sheep to understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and to others it is not given 2. Christ's Sheep
he must be God that so he might bear the Burden of Divine Anger in his Flesh the Godhead upholding and sustaining his Humane Nature under his bloody Agony and fearful Anguish and Suffering on the Tree when God the Father was withdrawn from him and the Pangs of Hell took hold of him 3. That he might overcome and vanquish all the Enemies of our Souls as Sin Satan Death and Hell Had he not been God he could not have raised himself from the Dead from whence rises the Spring of our Regeneration to a State of Grace here and our Resurrection to a State of Glory at the last Day hereafter 2 dly He must be Man because he must die which the Godhead could not do yea he must be Man in our Nature that he might satisfy the Justice of God for us because the Righteousness of God requires that the same Nature which had sinned should make a full Compensation to the Law of God and infinite Justice O take heed no Man shakes your Faith in this great Article of the Christian Religion 3 dly Take heed also that you abide stedfast in the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction which dependeth on the former Such who deny Christ's Deity must disown that plenary Satisfaction he gave to the Law and Justice of God Beware of Socinianism Quakerism c. and all such like Errors 4 thly Take heed there are some who tell you Christ has fully satisfied for the Breach of the Law of the first Covenant for the Sins of the whole World so that all Men are cured of that Sickness and delivered from that Curse and put into a Capacity to be saved if they will but exercise the Power of their own Will and Abilities and that Men have power to believe and be regenerated that sit under the preaching of the Gospel and if they answer and discharge their part in Salvation Christ's Death will become effectual to them it being but on this Condition that Christ Jesus died to save Men provided they answer those Terms the Gospel offers Whereas it's evident that Christ is not the End of the Law as touching Righteousness to any Man but only to such as believe I speak of the Adult and the Gospel is not our Sickness but our Cure that condemns not but as the healing Remedy is rejected and the Curse of the Law abides upon all Unbelievers And it is also as evident that Man by Nature is dead in Sin and must by an almighty and irresistible Power be quickned which is done by the infusion of a Principle of Divine Life Faith is God's Gift and not the Condition of the Covenant of Grace it is a Branch or part of that Grace promised therein upon the Condition of Christ's Satisfaction not the Condition to be performed by the Creature which procures the Blessings purchased therefore no Condition then in order and connection in the Promises that God will enable all his Elect to perform by bestowing that Blessing upon them freely by his own Grace The whole of our Salvation is by Christ It is by Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed and all boasting might be excluded And 't is not an uncertain Salvation that depends upon the doubtful and depraved Will of Man but it is well ordered in all things and sure by the infinite Grace Wisdom and Power of God Nor did Christ die only for our Good who are saved but in our stead also so that Eternal Life comes to us in a way of Justice and Righteousness as well as in a way of Mercy and Goodness God was not rendred only reconcileable by the Death of his Son which the Creature is to make effectual on his part but he is absolutely reconciled For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being now reconciled we shall be saved by his Life 5 thly There are others also that affirm that Jesus Christ as Mediator gave to God a valuable Consideration or Recompence that he might justly wave and not execute the Law of perfect Obedience and by his Merits purchased a new and milder Law of Grace so that Christ's Righteousness hath only purchased the removing the Law of Works from being a Covenant of Life and that our Right to Salvation the Favour of God and Peace of Conscience does depend upon our Obedience to the Gospel which Christ hath purchased should be accepted for our Righteousness by which we must be justified and judged and that Faith in its whole latitude is our believing and obeying the Gospel or new Law that by this we are made partakers of the Benefits of Christ he having merited this Grant or Law That they who obey him sincerely should be saved and that he is justified so far and so long as he answers the Condition of this new Law of Grace Now we and all sound Protestants in opposition to this affirm That Jesus Christ as the Head Surety and Representative of all the Elect did fulfil or satisfy for the Law of Works bearing the Curse of the Law for us and in our stead and by his Holy Life c. purchased for us that Life which the Law promised to him that continued to do all things that were written therein and by the Supereminency of his Obedience Additions of Blessedness unto Life and that his Obedience and Righteousness whereby he fulfilled the Law is imputed to Believers for their Justification by which God grants them pardon of Sin and a Grant of Eternal Life and that by Christ's Righteousness thus imputed Believers stand perfectly justified and delivered from the Curse of the Law and are certainly intituled to Eternal Life and that Faith is a relying on Christ and trusting in him and his Righteousness and Merits only for Salvation 6 thly Therefore be sure also you hear Christ's Voice and adhere to his Doctrine about Justification through his perfect and compleat Righteousness alone imputed unto all them that do believe in him without Works done by us or Holiness wrought in us I mean our Faith and sincere Obedience is not the Matter of our Justification before God nor any part of it but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ only in his perfect conformity to the Law of God in his Life and by dying on the Cross as our Surety and blessed Representative Yet know we constantly affirm That that Faith which unites us to Christ in whom we are justified doth purify both the Heart and Life and though inherent Grace Holiness and good Works do not justify our Persons before God yet they do justify our Faith and declare us to be in a justified State before Men and to our own Consciences also as the Apostle James shews and that that Faith that is not attended with good Fruits is dead as the Body without the Spirit is dead Pray remember that you have been often taught that Faith it self doth not
Reformed ones too But it is to be feared when Jesus Christ comes with his Fan to fan and purge this floor he will find it almost all Chaff ' Tho' I doubt not but in this great heap there will be found some Wheat or godly Christians but like as when a man comes into a Barn and views a floor of Corn newly thrashed he at first sight can hardly see or discern any thing save a heap of chaff so it is here Do but view the National floor and you cannot but say Sure 't is a heap of filth a heap of Chaff for what an evil polluted and abominable Company of People are in this floor are there worse or more notorious more loose light prophane unbelieving and ungodly Wretches living on the face of the Earth yet call themselves Christians and members of Christ and despise nay reproach others as if they deserved not that Name I question whether there were worse in Sodom than some are who belong to this floor Turks and Pagans abominate some of those actions and deeds of Darkness that are among them behold their hellish Debauchery 1. See what a heap of prophane Swearers and cursed Blasphemers are here who daily belch out most abominable Oaths calling upon the holy and patient God to Damn them every day you may hear them as you walk along the streets nay their very Children by the Example of their wicked Parents learn to swear and curse as soon as nay before they can speak plain 2. Then O what a great and a filthy heap of beastly and brutish Drunkards are in this floor also who shew their Sins as Sodom and hide it not many of them go reeling along the Streets and some spuing as they go foaming out their own shame and little think what Poyson they drink to their own precious and Immortal Souls whilest they Tipple down their glasses of Wine and strong Drink and this they do without all fear of humane or divine Laws having no dread of present nor future Punishment tho' God positively theatens them and all other ungodly Persons with the loss of Heaven and the Torments of Hell-fire for no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet they dread it not 3. Behold also in this floor a third Sort even as bad or worse than the other two viz. Vnclean Persons or vile filthy and impudent Whores and Whoremongers who are the shame of this City and Nation What a multitude of common Harlots are here among us besides Secret ones who are beheld by him whose eyes are like a flaming fire Alas they cannot hide their filthiness from his eyes yet without fear how do they sin 'till some bring Rottenness on their Carkasses a Curse upon their Estates Poverty on their Families and Hell upon their own Souls for he that commits Adultery with a Woman destroys his own Soul 4. There is also another part of this floor that are Chaff which the fire of Gods wrath will Consume and burn up viz. all the proud and haughty ones This Sin reigns at this time to such a degree that we may fear some sad and fearful Judgment is near Pride goes before destruction and a haughty Spirit before â— fall Behold the strange Dresses and high Heads which clearly represents the Vanity and Haughtiness of the Heart The shew of their Countenance testifies against them Women go to the Assemblies of religious Worshp as if they went to Play-houses and tho' God hath shewed in several poor Animals his great Wrath and displeasure against this filthy Fashon or high and shameful Head-dresses yet they will not reform nor leave them off Nor is this sin only found among those of this floor this heap but also amongst others who would be thought more pure and of a siner sort but let them know the Fanner will suddenly come with his Fan in his hand the day comes shall burn as an Oven and all the proud and all that do evil shall be stubble c. 5. What a cursed heap is there also of Atheists and Graceless Wretches who contemn God and all Supernatural Revelation of the Divine Being and Religion these despise and ridicule the holy Gospel or at best will acknowledge no other Worship nor Religion than what the old Heathens owned and were taught by the Light of Nature The preaching of the Cross or of a Crucified Christ is to these foolishness others that can't believe nor will receive that Doctrine that comports not with their own carnal reason What believe they can be justified by the Righteousness and Obedience of another and their own Inherent Righteousness no part of their Justification before God! This is a strange Doctrine For there are of this sort in this heap such as are grievously corrupted and erroneous carried away with Arminianism Socinianism and Antitrinitaism and disallow of the chief Corner-stone God hath laid in Sion For if Christ be not the most high God God by Nature Coequal and Coeternal with the Father and one in Essence 't is Idolatry to yield divine Worship and homage to him for that glory God will not give unto another The gods that have not made the Heaven and the Earth even they shall perish 6. What abundance of carnal Worldlings covetous and Earthly-minded Wretches are there also whose gain is their Godliness who value no Religion but what suits with their filthy Lusts some of these set up for Preachers meerly for their Earthly gain and make a Trade of it living prophane and ungodly Lives being Guilty almost of all maner of gross and abominable Sins preferring humane Rites and Ceremonies above Christs Institutions and a Form of Godliness above the Power of it 7. Besides what a heap have we among us of Traiterous blind and deceitful Persons who seek to betray the Protestant Interest and all our Civil and Religious Liberties into the hands of the common Enemy who neither Fear God nor Honour the King As also what a multitude of Thieves High-way-men House-breakers and bloody Villains skulk and hide themselves in this heap The very mentioning of these things is enough to grieve and wound our very Souls considering how good and gracious God hath been to us in this Land and what a Nation this hath been and what Wonders the Almighty hath formerly and of late times wrought for us I mean for the Land in general May we not fear that the Fanner will come with his Fan and sever the Chaff in his direful Indignation from the Wheat and let the Fire of his Anger seize upon it and burn it up what can we expect but some amazing and fearful Judgments from the Lord unless a National Repentance and Reformation like that of Nineveh doth speedily prevent it Secondly There is another Heap that may be called Christs floor tho' not so big as the former and tho' they seem to be more refined yet if we consider them all together for they are too much
hear his Voice with Affection They like love and approve of his Word and Doctrine it is sweet to them Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it They know that there is no Falshood in it it is pure from all Mixture there is exact Purity and Holiness in it which makes unsanctified Persons to like it not but either disbelieve it or else despise and hate it But a godly Man loves it upon the account of its Purity in that it promotes nothing but Holiness both in Heart and Life The Word of the Lord is right and all his Works are done in Truth Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false Way I do not reject such things that my carnal Reason cannot comprehend or such as are opposite to the Lusts and Corruptions of my Heart or worldly Interest but I approve of all things that come out of thy Mouth Some Men do not receive the Truth in the love of it and therefore are given up to believe a Lie or to strong Delusions 3. They hear Christ's Voice with Attention they hear it diligently He says Hearken diligently unto me and they with the greatest care do so Thus Mary heard Christ's Voice she gave such attention to his Word and Doctrine that she left all her secular Concerns to attend upon him though her Sister was offended with her And thus Lydia heard the Word of Christ Whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul None can hear with attention but such whose Hearts the Lord doth open and none can open the Heart and cause the Soul to hear that is dead but Christ only 4. They hear Christ's Voice believingly Others hear it but do not believe it Who hath believed our Report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed Christ saith Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God But O how few stedfastly give credit to this Doctrine certainly if Sinners did believe this but with the same Humane Faith with which they believe many other Things and Reports it would make them tremble but Christ's Sheep or all gracious Persons give full credit to whatsoever he hath said and that not only with an Humane Faith but with a Divine Faith also or Faith of the Operation of God The Man believed the Word that Jesus had spoken unto him The great Doctrine of the Gospel is a Doctrine of Faith 't is to believe He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Mankind are generally for doing to be justified they will not be perswaded that all is done already for them and that they are only to believe and be justified but thus Christ's Sheep hear his Voice 5. Christ's Sheep hear his Voice tremblingly with great Fear holy Awe and Reverence Thus good King Josias heard the Word of God his Heart was tender and he trembled and saith the Lord To this Man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembleth at my Word They know it is God's Word Christ's Word who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth Who is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Where the Word of a King is there is Power Power goeth along with Christ's Voice to awe all their Hearts that are gracious My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word saith David 6. Christ's Sheep hear Christ's Word universally even all that he saith unto them Him shall ye hear in whatsoever he shall say unto you And those who do not thus hear this great Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People Some will hear Christ's Word which they like of but if any part of his Doctrine sutes not their carnal Hearts or Interest that they will not hear nor comply with but Believers are for hearing the hardest things that are contained in Christ's Word they approve of every thing as you heard before 7. They hear Christ's Voice with Retention they hear and keep his Word they lay it up in their Hearts as it is said of the Blessed Virgin They will not lose it and therefore with David hide Christ's Word in their Hearts 8. They hear his Voice always constantly unto the End they will attend unto his Word and Doctrine as long as they live let what will come they are not offended as the stony-ground Hearers are said to be 9. And lastly They hear Christ's Voice only his Voice and none else They will not hear the Voice of a Stranger that is they will not receive damnable Errors they know the Voice of Deceivers nor will they receive a Mixture in Doctrine nor in God's Worship they will not join Christ and Moses together Works and Faith together Christ's Righteousness and their own together Christ's Institutions and the Inventions and Traditions of Men together Quest May not Believers who are Christ's Sheep be beguiled so as to receive some capital Errors or an Error in some fundamental Point Answ 1. No doubt but they may be seduced I mean a particular Sheep or Saint may be grievously corrupted in his Judgment 2. But if a Believer be drawn away or seduced he shall if sincere if an Elect Person be restored again for it is impossible any of them should finally be deceived If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect but that cannot be Quest Why are false Teachers called Strangers Answ 1. Because a Stranger is one that we know not so a false Teacher is one that knows not Christ nor his true and saving Doctrine they are not acquainted with him are not brought into Union with Christ nor have Communion with him 2. They are Strangers to the Life and Power of true Religion and Godliness 3. The Saints also know them not they approve not of them nor of the Doctrine they preach they can discern between Truth and Error by the Anointing they have received 4. A Stranger is one that is not a constant dweller in one Place so false Prophets and false Teachers are not fixed long in one Opinion Her Ways saith Solomon are moveable speaking of the false Church or adulterous Woman many of these are one day for one thing for one Error and another day for another this shews they are false Teachers or Strangers to the Truth they know it not 5. They are called Strangers because they publish strange Doctrine Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines The Doctrine of Christ is one and the same being immutable can suffer no Change or Alteration but these bring in a new Doctrine not known in the Primitive Days not taught by Christ or his Apostles nor received in the purest Times of the Gospel before Corruptions crept into the Church They will not hear the Voice of Strangers or the Doctrine of false Teachers 1. Not
received the saving Graces thereof are Christ's Sheep they have his Mark these he will own and say where eâ—er he find this Seal this Man and this Woman is mine And on the other hand Now if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he is none of his Sheep he hath no special Interest in him Remember the Spirit of Christ true Grace Faith Love Humility c. is the Ear-mark of Christ's Sheep 3. And why may not inward Sincerity be Christ's Mark also for that I am sure does distinguish them from all others from Hypocrites and all unsound and false-hearted Professors whatsoever 2 dly The Mark in their Foreheads is seen by all that may denote their holy Carriage Behaviour and Deportment in this World to all that behold them 1. It may shew that they hate Idolatry and all false Worship 2. It may signify their holy Conversation for Holiness is written as it were in legible Characters on all their Foreheads There is not one of Christ's Sheep without this Mark for without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. This shews who they are and whither they are going and to what Country they do belong Sixthly Christ's Sheep follow the Footsteps of the Flock i. e. the Primitive Church in Church-Constitution Doctrine and Discipline They contend for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints and keep the Ordinances as they were at first given forth they are for no mixture in Doctrine nor Discipline be sure before all things they keep pure the Doctrine of Justification and do not join Work and Grace together Their great care is to exalt the free Grace of God and abase the Creature accounting all their own inherent Righteousness as Dung or Dogs-meat in comparison of Christ and the Righteousness of Christ Seventhly They love to drink in pure Christal soft and gentle Streams Sheep do not love to drink of muddy rough and raging Rivers No more do Christ's Sheep He makes me to lie down in green Pastures he leadeth me beside the still Waters They will not forsake the Waters of Shiloah that run softly and drink of the proud swelling and troublesome Rivers of Babylon Tygris and Euphrates They like the Teachings of God's Spirit in the meanest Instrument tho such who are despised and contemned of Men better than the highest Elegance and lostiest Rhetorick of all the Cicero's and Plato's of the World What are the artificial Flourishes of Demosthenes or exact Method of Aristotle and Galen or all humane Curiosities or itch of Words to the Teachings of the Holy Ghost Paul spoke not in the Wisdom of this World or with the inticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power These Waters Believers chuse and love to drink of I am afraid some Men are more nice in studying Words than Matter to affect the Ear rather than to work upon the Heart of their Hearers Though Humane Learning is not to be despised yet no doubt Dr. Carlton was in the right That a Lay-man that has the Spirit of God is better able to judg of spiritual Things than a Man in Ecclesiastical Function destitute of the Spirit of God Infelix est sapientia extra Verbum Dei sapere saith Justin Martyr Our Annotators say well viz. 1. Ministers ought to speak Intelligibly so as the People may understand 2. That they speak gravely and decently all other study of Words and Phrases in a Divine say they is but Folly and Vanity Eighthly and Lastly Christ's Sheep do relie upon the Care and Faithfulness of their Shepherd They know on whom they have believed and can and do venture their Souls on him knowing he will keep that which they have committed to his Charge They depend on Christ rest on Christ believe in Christ relie on his Word and Promises for all things they need They can say with David The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want neither any thing for this Life which is really necessary nor for the Life which is to come They leave the Alimighty to chuse for them knowing they are not competent Judges as touching what is best for themselves Though he slay me saith Job yet will I trust in him Let God do what he will with me yet I will rest upon him my hope shall be in him and I will not be offended if I have Poverty Sickness Persecution Reproaches or whatsoever else I know saith a true Christian God sees it good for me and I will not murmur nor complain APPLICATION 1. We may infer from hence that Christ hath but a few Sheep but a few Followers O what a small Number have these Characters upon them 2. It may be for Lamentation Cyprian brings in the Devil triumphing over Jesus Christ after this sort As for my Followers I never died for them as Christ did for his I never promised them so great Rewards as Christ hath done to his and yet I have more Followers than he and they do more for me than his do for him O how blind and deceived are poor Sinners that they chuse to follow Satan rather Jesus Christ What a great Multitude hath the Devil his Flock is a mighty Flock Christ's Flock is a little Flock Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom Every Saint shall have a Kingdom a Crown this is Christ's Promise to all his Sheep and yet how few are they that cleave to him that believe in him and follow him 3. By what you have heard you may try your selves O see have you these Characters these Marks of Christ's Sheep certainly if so you have no cause to doubt but your State is happy if not labour for them 4. The way to be one of Christ's Sheep is to believe and to pass under the New Birth JOHN X. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me THE last Day I shewed you who are the Sheep of Jesus Christ by giving you the several Characters and Marks of them Sixthly I shall now proceed to the last General Head viz. 1. Shew you What a kind of Shepherd Christ is 2. What those Pastures are where he feeds them 3. What a Fold he hath for his Sheep First Jesus Christ is a chosen Shepherd No Man hath a right to be a Shepherd but he that is first chosen by the Owner of the Sheep Christ is called the Elect of God My Servant whom I have chosen Again Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth He was fore-ordained in the Decree Design and Purpose of God to be our Redeemer and as a Shepherd to take care of feed heal nay to die for the Sheep Secondly And as he was chosen so he was called also to this Work and Office For as the Apostle speaks concerning Christ's Priesthood or touching that Office so I may say
I argue If Grace though never so weak shall be victorious if Grace be such a Blessed Principle such a Spark that Sin nor Satan can't quench such a Seed that no Enemy can get out of the Ground of our Hearts if Grace through the Spirit is Life Eternal Life in the Soul if Grace be the Darling of Heaven hath such great and Almighty Allies if the whole Trinity sate in Council about the Birth of Grace or the Way of its infusion into the Soul if it be the Gift of the Father's Free Love and a part of his Holy Nature if it be wrought in us to shew forth his Praise if Grace be God's great and glorious Workmanship if the Power of God be engaged to preserve it in us if God hath promised to maintain its Life in us if it cannot stand consistent with God's Wisdom Love Faithfulness and Holiness to let it be totally overcome and vanquished in the Souls of his Elect if Christ purchased Grace for us if he was manifest to take away Sin if Christ be the Author and Finisher of Grace in the Soul if the Life of Grace tends so much to the Honour of Christ if Christ's Work now in Heaven is to interceed for the continuation of Grace in us that it may never fail in the Seed or Habit of it Then no true Believer can fall so from Grace as eternally to perish But all this is true therefore no Believer can so fall from Grace as eternally to perish APPLICATION First Of Information 1. First from the whole we may learn that the State of Believers through the Redemption by Jesus Christ is far better than Adam's was by Creation for though we have no natural and inherent Power of our own yet we have a supernatural Power ingaged to help and uphold us we are kept by the Power of God He stood by the Strength of Nature and Power of Free-Will before the Fall We by the Strength of Grace and Power of the Mediator who hath a Charge to uphold us in a State of Grace which was not allowed to Adam nor the Angels we have not only the Word of Grace to encourage us but also the Power of Grace to establish us Adam stood by his own Original Righteousness our standing is by the Suretiship Righteousness and Undertakings of Jesus Christ Who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Adam's Life was in himself our Life is hid in Christ and so out of the Power of our worst Enemies to come at it or deprive us of it and as Adam and all his were condemned so Christ and all his are justified 2. It may inform us that such who make a Profession of Religion without attaining to a State of true Grace and real Union with Christ are in danger of eternal Ruin notwithstanding whatsoever their Knowledg Gifts and common Improvements may be and their Hopes thereupon and that they are of this sort that frequently fall away and perish in their Sins which if well weighed may put every Professor into serious Thoughts and upon a thorow Work of Self-examination about their present Condition and therefore in this respect there is need enough of those Cautions and Take-heeds in the Scripture Let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall How many are there who do but think they stand or that their State is safe and good when in truth they are in no better Condition than the Foolish Virgins or the thorny and stony-ground Professors 3. It also may inform us that all those that shall be saved are such who take care to make their Calling and Election sure It is a palpable Demonstration that they are under strong Delusion who suppose Election only refers to the End and not to the Means or that Men that are elected shall be saved let them live how they please No no the Case is quite otherwise we are elected to be Holy as well as to be Happy the whole Design of God herein being to make us Holy and also to preserve us in a Way and State of Holiness Therefore if thou dost begin well hast obtained true Grace and dost continue in a Way of well-doing or dost bring forth good Fruit and dost not waver nor faint in thy Mind it may be an Evidence that thy State is Good and that thou art one of Christ's Sheep who follow him constantly and wilt so follow him unto the End Secondly This may be Matter of great Comfort to weak Believers and such who may be under spiritual Deadness and feel Corruption too strong for them O do not be discouraged the weakest Grace gives a deadly wound to Sin and a good ground of Hope thy State is safe your Names are written in Heaven which is as our Saviour notes the greatest Cause of Joy which it could not be if their Names might be blotted out again 'T is no wonder Sin is in thee and makes thee mourn when it made Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death 'T is one thing to have the Law of Sin in our Members and to have Sin in our Conversations and another thing to have it reign in us or to have it in our Affections Soul remember that weak Grace weak Faith shall become victorious Thou hast Grace enough in thy Head though thou hast but little in thy Hand O cry to God be much in Prayer that God would give thee more Grace and supply thy Wants and quicken and revive thy Soul as he hath promised A weak Faith renders the Soul as perfectly justified in Christ as the strongest Faith any Man hath whosoever he be and gives a Title to Eternal Life he that had but a weak or a dim Eye that look'd up unto the Brazen Serpent was as well healed as he that had a strong Sight or good Eyes 2. This Doctrine yields much Comfort to the strongest Saint also for if he that hath never so strong and lively Faith might fall finally away and perish what would Regeneration Justification Adoption c. signify to him Would not his Spirits droop and his Fears torment him But here by virtue of the Doctrine of final Perseverance is Comfort both for the Weak and Strong both have equal Interest in Christ in God's Love in the Covenant both are elected both are in Christ's Hand Such who have now a strong Faith had once but a weak Faith it was but a little Seed once and Christ's Charge extends to those that are weak He carries the Lambs in his Arms and the Stock in Christ's Hand is sure and his Promise of supply shall not fail and the Strong cannot stand of themselves Thirdly Caution Judg not of the Truth of thy Grace by the weakness of it a little Gold a Dram is Gold as well as a great Wedg 2. Let not this encourage thee to be negligent or remiss in Duty God
think Repentance a harsh Doctrine no no it is sweet and blessed Tidings to hear that there is Repentance vouchsafed to poor Sinners yea for the worst of Sinners Besides was not Repentance the very first Doctrine Jesus Christ preached when he entered upon his Ministry He calls upon Men to repent and believe the Gospel he declares there is a Way found out for Pardon and Remission of Sin And what can so kindly and sweetly excite or stir up Sinners to Repentance as the sight of the infinite Mercy and pardoning Grace of God through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Mercy only melts and breaks the hard Heart of guilty Criminals 3. To preach the Combinations and Threatnings of God's Wrath and Vengeance against all ungodly and impenitent Sinners who slight and neglect the Salvation of the Gospel can be no Legal Doctrine 1. Because the Gospel abounds with them yea and more fearful Threatnings than those were under the Law for the one were Threats of Temporal Punishment but the other are Eternal even the Denunciation of God's Wrath in Hell for ever 2. Because of the greatness of that Mercy and Divine Grace and Goodness which such who sin under the Gospel do abuse and tread under their Feet 3. To shew the Justice Headship and Authority of Jesus Christ who is God as well as Man that so all Men may stand in awe of him and dread and fear him because of his great Love and Goodness extended through his suffering for Sin and enduring the heavy Wrath of God for us and for many other Reasons which you have heard 4. Because the Threatnings of the Gospel do not only render God as a just Revenger but also as a merciful Redeemer not only as a Judg to pass Sentence but as a gracious Soveraign ready to give forth Pardon to all convicted broken and self-condemned Rebels The Law threatens Death but affords no Offers of Life on any Terms that can be attained to therefore no Encouragement given by it to Sinners to humble themselves it commands perfect Obedience but affords no Strength to perform it pronounces the Sentence against us but produces no Pardon for us it commands us to trust in God but reveals not a Mediator who is the immediate Object of Faith and Trust 5. The Threatnings of the Gospel are a Manifestation of God's Goodness As a Father threatens his Child from that Love and Bowels he hath to it that so it might not feel the Lashes of his Rod and Anger And O how are Gospel-Threatnings mixt with alluring Motives and endearing Arguments and Perswasions intimating how ready God is to pass by our Offences if we submit our selves to him and accept of the Offers of his Grace and Favour If such preaching of Wrath therefore be Legal I must acknowledg my great Ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Besides how long are the Threatnings of the Gospel deferred before executed The Contemners of the Law died presently as well as it discovered no Remedy But so it is not here God seems to be ready to forgive and slow to Wrath he waits long before he strikes and brings Wrath and Judgment upon Offenders as well as he directs them to a way to escape Secondly I shall shew you what is a Legal Doctrine or Legal Preaching 1. The Doctrine or Preaching of such Persons is legal that say that all who will be eternally saved must arrive to a perfect and sinless Righteousness in themselves i. e. keep the Law perfectly and sin not in their own Persons or they cannot be justified William Penn speaking of that Text Rom. 2. 13. Not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified saith From whence how unanswerably may I observe that unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfilled it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern Now this is a Legal Doctrine with a witness these Men would be look'd upon as true Preachers of the Gospel but let all Men be aware of them Is any Man able perfectly to keep the Law if so why doth the Apostle say What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son c. Besides if there had been a Law that could have given Life verily saith Paul Righteousness should have been by the Law And again he saith By the Works of the Law no Man is justified and if Righteousness come by the Law then is Christ dead in vain Christ it seems by what this Man saith came only to fulfil the Law as our Example that we might conform to him therein and so be justified by it But he forgot that we and all Mankind have broke the Law and stand charged and condemned thereby unto eternal Condemnation and who shall make Atonement for that Breach and deliver us from the Curse thereby incurred No Doctrine can cast higher Contempt upon Christ and invalidate his Suffering and Justification by Faith alone in him than this Doctrine doth 2. Such preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Obedience by us to the Law or Gospel either as the procuring or moving Cause and Condition of our Justification and Eternal Life 3. Such also preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Wrath and Divine Vengeance to scare or frighten Men out of their Sins and as if by the bare leaving and forsaking of Sin Men might escape Death and Wrath. Such a Doctrine as Reverend Dr. Owen notes may fill an unregenerate Man with Horror and servile Fear whereby as Bond-Servants or Slaves by the Whip of this Doctrine they may be forced to break off from some gross Acts of Sin and perform some outward Duties of Religion which otherwise they are unwilling to do for as it is not from Love to God nor from Faith in Christ so they find no Delight nor Sweetness in it but being often remiss and seeing cause to doubt of the Sincerity of their Obedience they fall under Terror and slavish Fear they only acting from an enlightned Conscience and not from Faith or renewing Grace These Men neither love the Law nor Gospel tho they are forced to keep up in some degree of Obedience to it 4. Such preach a Legal Doctrine that affirm Man 's own Faith and inherent Righteousness for the sake of Christ's Merits is part of our Righteousness to Justification in the sight of God and that Christ hath procured or merited a mild Law of Grace of Faith and sincere Obedience in the room of the Law of perfect Obedience Which Law of sinless Obedience Christ having given to God a full Recompence for our Breach of he hath taken that Law-away and that so far as we faithfully live up to this new Law of Grace we are justified in
divided amongst themselves what abundance of Chaff is there here also Are there not many amongst these as bad as others viz. People of ill and corrupt principles bitter and censorious Spirits and of scandalous lives What Malice Envy and Hatred do they discover one against another because of their differing Sentiments in and about some principles of Religion rendering their Brethren odious to the World Back-biting Reproaching and Scandalizing each other to the great dishonour of God and shame of their sacred profession one while charging and condemning the Innocent and yet acknowldege not their Evil and at another time striving to vindicate and clear such as are greatly guilty before God both which are abominable and hateful in his sight who will judge righteously and render to every man at last according to his Works Certainly there is sarcely a worse Sin than the Sin of Back-biting he that hates his Brother Robbing him of his good Name out of Malice and Envy is a Murtherer and no Murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him 1 John 3. 17. such who are destitute of Christian Love and Charity or hate their Brethren clearly shew they act contrary to the divine Principle of Grace nay of Morality and so are void of that sacred Life Nature and Image of God For as love to the Bretheren is an Evidence of our being the Children of God so he that is possessed with Wrath Envy Malice and Hatred shews he is one of the Children of the wicked one who is called the Accuser of the Brethren Clear it is that this is a Diabolical Sin and renders such in whom it is found like to the Devil In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Nay this great evil and wickedness is a sad sign that such are given up and left of God as not retaining God in their knowledge as the Apostle speaks of the Gentiles who when they arrived to some degree of knowledge of God yet did not glorifie him as God but violated his Law written in their Hearts Therefore 't is said that God gave them up to vile Affections and they were filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Despiteful Proud Boasters c. No doubt but that the Sin of Backbiting Wrath Malice and Envy is as bad if not worse than Fornication Swearing or Drunkenness and lamentable it is to see this Sin found among some who account themselves no small persons for Knowledge Zeal and Piety in these days But alas alas how sad and deplorable is their Condition and vain that profession they make of Religion let them repent of this their great wickedness and get a changed heart Moreover are there not in this floor others who are proud earthly carnal and covetous Persons they are called Nonconformists but 't is not so far as they ought from the Sins and Pollutions of this World they conform to them in their detestable fashions and covetous practices Do not many of them appear to love Sons and Daughters more than Christ or his sinking Interest they can lay out plentifully to feed and cloath their own Children whilst their bowels are shut up against the poor Members of Christ or Children of God they 'll spare more to gratifie the Pride and base Lusts of their Children than they will spare to supply the necessities of the poor Saints or to support the Interest of Christ and his Gospel Many pounds shall go for the first use when a Shilling is thought a great deal with some of them for the second they think nothing too much to enrich and uphold their own Families whilst the Family of God suffers want and the Cause of Christ languishes in their hands O how little does the power of Grace and true Godliness shine amongst this sort what formality and lukewarmness is there in these days amongst such who are called Saints and holy Brethren This it is true may be called Chirists Floor especially but abundance of Chaff no doubt will be found in it when the Fanner comes to fan it Look to it you Sinners in Sion Fearfulness will e're long surprize the Hipocrite Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire who amongst us shall dwell with Everlasting Burning Isa 33. But so much as to what is meant by Christs Floor Quest 2. What is intended by the Fan Answ A Fan is a certain Instrument which the Husbandman uses to cleanse or purge his Corn from the Chaff evil Seeds and all silth whatsoever And this Instrument he holds in his hands and uses upon his Knees by which he tosses up the Wheat and Chaff together And then shakes it to and fro moving all at once by which a wind is made and the Chaff is blown away and the Wheat separated and purged from it Now John Baptist alludes to such an Instrument as this Quest But what is meant by Christs Fan in a spiritual sense what is signified hereby First I answer By Christs Fan is meant his Word his holy Gospel especially the Doctrine thereof 't is by this he cleanses and purges his floor Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you Now the unclean person the Traytor Judas is gone out from you Thro' my Word i. e. through my Doctrine you believing in me and receiving me by Faith for Righteousness and eternal Life 'T is said Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Eph. 5. 26. Cleansing here imports the means by which it is wrought or the Instrument namely the Word of the Gospel especially the Promise of free Justification and Sanctification by Christ received thro' Faith which Baptism was a Sign or Symbol of see 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your selves in obeying the truth thro' the Spirit c. This was done in subjecting themselves to the Faith of the Gospel to which the purifying of the heart is ascribed principally in Justification whereby the guilt of Sin is purged away as appertaining to the conscience he alludes also to the sanctifying power and virtue of the holy Spirit Compare this with Psal 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way that is the way of his Heart and also the way of his Life The answer is By taking heed thereto according to thy Word that is let him take heed according to that holy doctrine taught and held forth in God's Word so that he attain unto a right knowledge of God and of the Messiah promised and typified by the Sacrifices of Aaron by whose Blood and thro' whose Righteousness only Justification is to be had for without Christs Blood there is no cleansing from Sin and silthyness neither of Heart nor Life for young nor old It is not only to
asked whether he did believe that Doctrine to be true for which he was accused before the Legate he aswered I did believe it when I denyed it but now I neither can believe that nor the Doctrine of the Roman Church I believe nothing I have no Faith no Trust no Hope I am a Reprobate like Cain or Judas who casting away all hope of mercy fell under despair and my Friends do me wrong that they suffer me not to go to the place of Vnbelievers as I justly deserve The mercy of God said he is exceeding large and extends to all the Elect but not to me or any like me who are sealed to Wrath I tell you I deserve it my own Conscience condemns me what needeth any other Judge if Peter grieved and repented it was because Christ beheld him with a merciful Eye and in that he was pardoned it was not because he wept but because God was gracious to him but God respects not me and therefore I am a Reprobate I feel no Comfort can enter into my Heart there 's place only for Torments and Vexings of Spirit I tell you my Case is properly mine own no Man was ever in the like plight and therefore my Estate is fearful And then roaring out in bitterness of Spirit he said It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Some said with a whispering Voice that he was possessed he over-hearing it said Do ye doubt it I have a whole Legion of Devils that take up their dwelling in me and possess me as their own and justly too for I have denyed Christ Christ will not be denyed no not in a word and therefore it is enough in Heart I never denied him He said when asked that he knew there were worse far worse pains than those that he then suffered for the wicked shall rise to their Judgment but they shall not stand in Judgment this I tremble to think of yet I desire nothing more than that I might come to that place where I may be sure to feel the worst and to be freed from fear of worse to come Being bid to believe the Truths he had denied he replied I cannot God will not suffer me to believe them nor to trust in his mercy what would you have me to do I would but I cannot tho' I presently be burnt for it I find I can neither believe the Gospel nor trust in Gods Mercy I have sinned against the Holy Ghost and God by his immutable Decree hath bound me over to perpetual Punishment God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth God hath taken away from me all power of Repentance and brings all my sins to remembrance and guilty of one guilty of all fore it is no matter whether my sins be great or small few or many they are such that Christs Blood nor the Mercy of God belongs not to me he hath hardened me I find that he daily more and more doth harden me and therefore I am without hope I feel it therefore cannot but despair I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am never was any man alive a spectacle of such exceeding Misery I know that Justification is to be expected by Christ and I have denyed and abjured it to the end I might keep my frail Life from Adversity and my Children from Poverty and now behold how bitter my Life is to me and God only knows what will become of this my Family but sure no good is likely to betide it but worse and worse and such at length as one stone shall not be left upon another Said he The Spirit of God often admonished me when at Cittadella I did as it were set my Seal the Spirit of God often suggested to me Do not write Spira do not Seal yet I resisted the Holy Ghost and did both and at that very time I did evidently feel a wound inflicted my very will c. David was Elected and dearly Beloved and tho' he fell yet God took not utterly away his holy Spirit and therefore was heard when he prayed ' Lord take not thy holy Spirit from me ' But I am in another Case being for ever accursed from the presence of God neither can I pray as he did because the Holy Spirit is quite gone and cannot be recalled ' O that I might feel but the least sense of the Love of God to me tho' but for one small moment as I now feel his heavy Wrath that burns like Torments of Hell within me and afflicts my Conscience with pangs unutterable Very Desperation is Hell it self you perswade me to believe how fain would I do it but I cannot ' Then violently grasping his Hands together and raising himself ' Behold said he I am strong yet by little and little I decay and consume and my Servants would fain preserve this weary Life but at length the Will of God must be done and I shall perish miserably ' ' I see said he my Damnation and I know my remedy is only in Christ yet I cannot set my self to take hold of him Such are the Punishments of the Damned they repent of their loss of Heaven they cannot amend their ways ' ' Now also Belzebub comes to his Banquet you shall see my End and in me an Example to many of the Justice and Judgment of God ' ' What Hell can be worse than Desparation or what greater Punishment than the gnawing worm and unquenchable Fire Horror Confusion and which is worse than all Desparation it self continually tortures me and now I count my present-Estate worse than if my Soul were separated from my Body and were with Judas and the rest of the damned therefore I desire to be there rather than alive in the Body ' ' God hath taken Faith from me and left me other common Gifts for my deeper Condemnation by how much the more I remember what I had and hear others discourse of what they have by so much the more is my Torment in that I know what I want and there is no way to be relieved Thus spake he the Tears trickling down professing that his Pangs were such as that the Damned in Hell endure not the like Misery That his Estate was worse than that of Cain or Judas and therefore he desired to dye yet Behold said he the Scriptures are accomplished in me They shall desire to dye and Death shall fly from them ' SOME PASSAGES Of the Fearful Estate of John Child MR. John Child was a Preacher and when he was young a very zealous Asserter of the Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace Namely of Personal Electrion and of the Saints final Perseverance and was a man of considerable Natural Parts and Ability being much followed where-ever he preached both in the City and Countrey yet seemed to be of a haughty Spirit loving Applause and Popularity which it may be feared was the Cause of his Fall and may be
know now the things that belong to your peace before they are hid from your Eyes Behold now is the accepted time c. 3. Close with Christ whilst the Spirit strives with thee and before Conscience is feared or let out against thee to tear thee into pieces 4. Attend carefully upon the means of Grace and know assuredly that the Wages of Sin is eternal Death even everlasting burnings therefore renounce it with the greatest abhorrence know all the Pleasures and Honours of this Life are but the Elements of carnal felicity and according to the Judgment of Reason and sense would any one chuse the enjoyment of the greatest Pleasures for a day and afterwards be satisfied to suffer the most exquisite Torments for a year much more folly and madness it is for momentary brutish delights to incurr the fiery Indignation of God for ever 1. One word to you that are Believers and I have done O bless God for Jesus Christ who has born the wrath of God for you and in your stead that you might never seel the bitterness of it even Jesus who delivered us from wrath to come 2. Admire the distinguishing Grace and special Love of God We love him because he first loved us It was his Love that overcame you The meer fear of Hell is not sufficient to Convert the Souls of men tho' it may stop them in their way and prevent great Abominations in the gross acts thereof yet does not cannot renew their Nature regenerate and make holy their hearts and lives that Religion that is the meer effect of fear will be according to the nature of its principle even legal wavering and inconstant yet the fear of Hell may awaken the sinner and in some sence prepare for Grace When the Soul is stormed by the terror of Wrath and the fear of Hell has made a breach Divine Grace enters but it is the Love of God and hopes of Heaven that works spiritual affections as the Obedience that flows therefrom is Evangelical free and voluntary from the entire consent of the Soul and are abiding 3. Be content with your Condition tho' poor in this World remember Lazarus how much better was his state than the Rich Glutton's O do not envy the wicked that are Rich they will pay dear for their Wealth when they come to Hell which they with greedy covetous minds heap up I remember a Passage which is related in History A General with an Army passing through another Princes Countrey gave strict Order that no Person should offer to touch the least thing which belong'd to the Inhabitants but nevertheless one Souldier as they were upon their March stole a Bunch of Grapes which the General being informed of gave Order that he should immediately be put to Death as he was going to Execution he fell a eating his Grapes and some Persons looking greedily on him he observing them said Do not envy me my Grapes for they cost me dear they cost me my Life 4. Let it appear to all that you do love Jesus Christ and preferr the honour of God and his interest above all things in this World let the main end and design of your Souls in desiring Grace Gifts Knowledge c. and in all you act and do in his Service be that you may advance his Glory Sirs the time is near when it will be known who are Christs Wheat true Christians and who are not but let all that are but Chaff tremble for Hell is prepared for them He will gather the Wheat into his garner but the Chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire FINIS THE BLESSEDNESS OF Christ's Sheep OR No final Falling from a State of true Grace DEMONSTRATED In Several SERMONS lately Preached and now for general Good Published Wherein all the grand Objections usually brought against the Saints final Perseverance are fully answered By BENJAMIN KEACH Heb. 10. 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul London Printed in the Year 1694. THE BLESSEDNESS OF Christ's Sheep c. JOHN X. 27 28. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BELOVED these Words are the Words of our Blessed Saviour and they contain no small Comfort to all true Believers who are the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ My main Purpose or Intention is to speak to the 28 th Verse and to defend the sweet and comfortable Doctrine of the Saints final Perseverance but shall begin with the 27 th Verse viz. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me In our Text are two Parts 1. Something Implied viz. Christ is a Shepherd and that he hath a People that are his Sheep 2. Something that is Expressed viz. That all such who are his Sheep hear his Voice and do follow him You have in the Words 1. The Property of Christ's Sheep 2. Their Security and happy State and Condition 1. Their Character or Property viz. They hear his Voice and do follow him 2. Their Security and happy State and Condition 1. He knows them that is he approves of them 2. He gives to them Eternal Life 3. They are in his Hand and shall never perish Our Saviour in this Chapter calls himself the Shepherd of the Sheep yea the Good Shepherd Ver. 11. I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep Now if it be demanded who are the Sheep of Christ I answer All that the Father hath given to him and that believe in him Christ's Sheep may be considered as his two manner of ways 1. Decretively See Ver. 16. And other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice The Lord Jesus meaneth the Gentiles these he calls his Sheep by virtue of God's Eternal Election Them also I must bring They are given unto me and all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me I lay down my Life for them or in their stead that they might not perish I therefore as if he should so say must bring them call them renew or regenerate them The Covenant I have made with my Father is such that it cannot be broken the Purpose Counsel and Promises of God shall stand This agrees with that Word of the Holy God to St. Paul Be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace For I am with thee and no Man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much People in this City They are called the Lord's People though then in a state of Darkness and Unbelief decretively or according to his Eternal Purpose they were his 2. Actually or such who are already brought in or who do believe and are visibly of his Fold The Doctrine I shall prosecute shall be
who were given to him by the Father Sixthly Believers are Christ's Sheep by Conquest They were fallen into the Enemy's Hand in the Hands and under the Power of most cruel Tyrants who designed to tear them in pieces and devour them They were in Satan's Hand and under the Power of Sin and were meer Bond-slaves and in fearful slavery to these Enemies having their Eyes put out their Fleece torn off or strip'd of their Robes being dangerously wounded And although Jesus Christ to redeem them from Wrath and Misery laid down a great Price as you heard before to satisfy God's Justice yet alas Satan takes no notice of that they were in his Hand who like a strong Man armed keeps the Soul and had Power over them therefore Jesus Christ puts forth his Almighty Hand to vanquish and subdue this cruel Foe and thereby redeems and rescues all his Sheep out of Slavery and Bondage by which means they come to be his by a blessed Conquest of their Enemies and by overcoming them for he subdues their Hearts bends and subjects their rebellious Wills by the Power of Divine Grace before he can have one of them All the Sheep of Christ yield themselves up to him as being conquered by him overcome by his Love and the Power of his Spirit This brings me to the next thing Seventhly and lastly Believers are Christ's Sheep by virtue of a holy Resignation of themselves to him They have chosen him to be their Shepherd other Sheep can't make choice of their Shepherd but Christ's Sheep can do this their Eyes being enlightned to see the Excellency of Christ the Greatness of his Love and what he hath suffered and undergone for them they commit their Souls to his care and keeping that he may watch over them feed and lead them They gave themselves first unto the Lord and unto us by the Will of God First They gave themselves unto the Lord by the Power of his Spirit to be his and no more their own but to be his People his Spouse his Sheep and then gave themselves to his Church to be of his Flock Christ hath no Member no Sheep of his visible Church or Fold on Farth but such who know him I am known of mine They are not ignorant Persons or such who are unable to give themselves up to him Others are not required to give them No no they must be able to give or resign themselves to him as being overcome by his Love and thus they become his Sheep also Secondly I shall shew you what is meant by Christ's Voice There is a Four-fold Voice of Jesus Christ which his Sheep hear 1. The Voice of his Word 2. The Voice of his Spirit 3. The Voice of his Holy Doctrine 4. The Voice of his Rod. First Christ's Sheep hear the Voice of his Word The Holy Scripture is Christ's Word and therefore the Voice of Christ and this Voice his Sheep hear They give full credit to the Truth of the Sacred Scriptures they believe they are of Divine Authority All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness They are none of Christ's Sheep that do not will not hear this Voice of Christ that is do not believe the Truth of the Sacred Scriptures do not hear nor regard what they speak but magnify unwritten Traditions above the Word of God or the Light of Natural Conscience The Sheep of Christ hear Christ's Voice in the Ministry of his Word they attend upon the preaching of the Gospel and look upon the Word delivered in Christ's Name by his faithful Ministers to be the Voice of Christ unto them But how or after what manner Christ's Sheep do hear his Voice viz. the Voice of his Word I shall open under the third Head Secondly There is the Voice of Christ's Spirit and this Voice of his his Sheep hear also and indeed none but they Sirs this is that Voice of Christ which doth the Work and that which discovers who are his Sheep The Voice of Christ's Word without the Spirit is not sufficient the Word will not make Sinners hear though it be spoken a thousand times over except the Spirit 's Voice do accompany it I shall therefore open to you the Nature of this Voice of Christ I mean the Voice of his Spirit 1. 'T is an awakening Voice Sinners are asleep yea in a dead Sleep and sleep they will till they hear this Voice The powerful Voice of Christ awakened dead Lazarus after he had lain in the Grave four days And it must be the like Voice that doth awaken the sleepy and dead Sinner Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Life 'T is sad to see what a multitude of poor People sit day by day under the hearing of the Word and yet remain in their Sins they are asleep the Word doth not awaken them but when the Spirit 's Voice is heard when that works with the Word they are quickly roused up out of that dead Sleep in which they lay 2. The Voice of Christ's Spirit is a convincing Voice Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did The Spirit of Christ reached her Heart convinced her what a vile Sinner she was We do not read of many things Christ told her she had done but that he she had then was not her Husband ver 18. so that she lived in Adultery with him But now as soon as the Spirit convinced her of this one Sin she is convinced of all her other abominable Evils and therefore cries out Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ Intimating none but Christ can make the Evil of Mens Hearts and Lives appear unto them So 't is none but the Holy Spirit can pierce the Soul or convince the Sinner throughly of his Sin and Misery and discover the Vileness of their Hearts and States unto them They were pricked in their Hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do Is there any hope that such Sinners as we may be forgiven and be saved Verily we were guilty concerning our Brother said Joseph's Brethren God's Spirit now convinced their Consciences and brought their Sin to remembrance So there are none that hear the Voice of the Spirit but their Sin appears presently before their Eyes their Sin is aggravated on their Consciences and is most hateful and odious to them 3. Christ's Voice is a Soul quickening Voice Verily verily I say unto you The Hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live The Voice of Christ doth not only cause the Ear to hear but the Heart to hear also All Mankind naturally are dead in a spiritual Sense they have no divine nor spiritual Life in them Man is not
saving Knowledg the Doctrine of Free Grace of Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin and free access to the Father which shews it to be a sat and blessed Pasture and thus it feeds their Understanding 2. It feeds and raises their Affections also in Love to Christ and desire after him to hear what God is to them and Christ is to them what a Covenant is made with Christ for them what Promises are made to them what Love the Lord Jesus hath to them and what Grace is purchased laid and treasured up in Christ for them what Care he hath of them and what Glory he hath prepared for them 3. They receive the Word they assent to the Truth of it and fâ—el a so the Power thereof inclining bowing and subjecting their Wills to a holy ready and hearty Consent thereunto in a way of universal Obedience to what is required of them 4. It feeds their Faith also and every Grace of the Spirit in their Souls it increases their Faith in Christ and their Love to Christ whilst they meditate thereon and believe with an unfeigned Faith the Veracity of God's Word and apply the Promises and Blessings thereof which are purchased by Jesus Christ now is to eat and digest the Word Secondly The Ordinances of Christ may be said to be another Pasture where his Sheep do feed The Spouse no doubt enquired after this Pasture Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest c. where thy Holy Ordinances are truly administred 1. The Ordinance of Preaching or Administration of the Gospel is a rich Pasture especially when it is preached powerfully by the Influence and Demonstration of the Spirit the opening and explaining the Word of the Gospel is like the opening the Pasture-Gate and so letting the Sheep into it Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us and opened the Scriptures 'T is like the opening of the Box of precious Ointment causing a sweet Perfume in the Soul like as Mary's did in the House The Work of the Ministry is to open the Scripture Vnderstandest thou what thou readest saith Philip. The Eunuch answered How can I unless some Man should guide me He might have added some skilful Man Alas some are unlearned unexperienced and ignorant Preachers they know not the Lord themselves they never learned of the Father but want the Teachings of the Holy Spirit They understand not the Scripture the Holy Bible is a sealed Book to them notwithstanding all their Humane Literature and Knowledg of the Tongues with their Arts and Sciences The preaching the Gospel is the feeding of the Soul But O what care should be taken that nothing is delivered by the Preacher but sound Doctrine not to feed the People with airy and empty Notions corrupt and poisonous Doctrine for that is to destroy the Sheep especially such that are weak in Knowledg and cannot quickly discern Truth from Error They are not to feed the Flock with Humane Traditions nor with their own Dreams Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Not with good Doctrine only but good Discipline also and with an holy and good Example Good Government is precious Food to the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ 2. The Holy Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper is another part of this blessed Pasture And such are ill Sheep that will not feed where the Shepherd willeth them or like not a Pasture of his chusing With what gladness did those Saints at Jerusalem when they received the Word yield themselves up to Holy Baptism The Eunuch also found that Ordinance he meeting with Christ in it very sweet and therefore when baptized he went away rejoicing The Mystery of the Gospel is preached or held forth in a lively Figure in Baptism to the very sight of the natural Eye which being understood conveys much Light and Knowledg to the Understanding It shews that Christ was dead buried and rose again for our Justification 1 st Baptism saith the Learned Tilenus is the first Sacrament of the New Testament instituted by Christ in which there is an exact Analogy between the Sign and the Thing signified The outward Rite in Baptism is threefold 1. Immersion into the Water 2. Abiding under the Water 3. A Resurrection out of the Water The Form of Baptism saith he to wit External and Essential is no other than the Analogical Proportion which the Sign keeps with the Thing signified thereby The plunging into the Water saith he holds forth to us that horrible Gulph of Divine Justice in which Christ for our sakes for a while was in a manner swallowed up abiding under the Water how little time soever denotes his descent into Hell even the deepest of Lifelessness and lying in the sealed or guarded Sepulchre he was accounted as one dead Rising out of the Water holds forth to us in a lively Similitude that Conquest which this dead Man got over Death And saith the same worthy Author so dipping into the Water in a most lively Similitude sets forth the Mortification of the old Man and rising out of the Water the Vivification of the new Man it being meet that we being baptized into his Death and buried with him should rise also with him and go on in a new Life The Apostle clearly confirms the same great Truths Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of Life We have Fellowship with Christ in his Death in Baptism or the Efficacy of his Death evidenced to us as the outward Symbol of it is held forth in the external Administration of it For as Christ died for Sin so we are hereby obliged to die to Sin and as he rose again from the Dead so we ought as we covenant in this Ordinance to walk in newness of Life Dr. Cave saith In Immerging there are in a manner three-fold Acts The putting the Person into the Water his abiding under the Water and his rising up again thereby representing Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection and our Conformity thereunto in our dying to Sin and the destruction of its Power and our resurrection to a new course of Life O learn what your Baptism holds forth and what you are taught thereby and promised therein and live accordingly Brethren you will find blessed Food in this Ordinance for your Souls and if you experience the Things signified thereby happy are you if not in vain were you baptized 2 dly What sweet Food or how good a Pasture is the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper to a hungry Soul who longs after the Bread of Life and Communion with Christ A Crucified Christ is the Bread of Life and by Faith in this Ordinance we feed on
whether you are spiritually alive or not for if so you are quickned and made alive by the Operations of the Spirit and there is a Principle of Divine Life infused into your Souls So that from a holy and new Nature you can and do breath forth your Desires freely and frequently to God and see the excellency of spiritual Objects and Things Christ is must precious and lovely in your sight Your Eyes see and your Ears hear and you have spiritual feeling and you can and do act and move that is believe repent and obey God with great Activity and a strong Propensity or gracious Inclinations of Heart There is also much of the Beauty of Holiness shining forth in your Lives 2. This also by the way may serve to detect that Doctrine some nay too many maintain of the Power of the Creature Alas alas what can the Dead do For evident it is that those who are thus dead have no Principle or first Power of living unto God or to perform any Duty to be accepted of him It is with them as to all Acts and Ends of spiritual Life as with the Body as to the Acts and Ends of natural Life when the Soul is departed from it or else God would never say they are dead call them dead Does God make use of an improper Metaphor Dare they affirm that It must be so if Man naturally be not dead but wounded in a spiritual Sense only True a wicked Man is naturally alive and his Soul is in his Body and he is endowed with Vnderstanding Will and Affection and may perform many Duties God requires of him But what of this for in spiritual Life the Holy Ghost is unto the Soul what the Soul is unto the Body in respect of natural Life namely the quickning Principle And as a Learned Author well observes to deny such a quickning Principle of spiritual Life superadded unto us by the Grace of Christ distinct and separate from the natural Faculties of the Soul is upon the Matter to renounce the whole Gospel It is all one as to deny that Adam was created in the Image of God which he lost and that we are renewed unto the Image of God by Jesus Christ 2 dly They may also as well assert Man hath a creating Power for Regeneration is called the New Creature which is created in us after the Image of God according to his own glorious Power 3 dly Therefore whatsoever Sinners act in spiritual Things by their Understanding Will or Affections that are not renewed they do it naturally and not spiritually and are therefore called dead Works We may also from hence infer what a mighty Blessing and Favour it is to be made spiritually alive How should such admire God and his Free Grace in Jesus Christ for as they have an internal holy Life so they shall never die but have eternal Life nay that this Eternal Life is begun in them here I give them Eternal Life But to proceed Secondly I am to shew how Salvation or Everlasting Life is a free Gift or by Grace only 1. Life and Salvation is of Grace in opposition to Nature we have it not as the Product of Nature Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God To be born signifies to receive a Principle of Life and those that are the Children of God have not that spiritual Life that is in them from the Motions or Powers of Nature not from the Power of Man's Will nor from their fleshly or natural Parts and Abilities however improved 2. Life and Salvation is wholly of Grace or a free Gift in opposition to Merit we cannot purchase or procure it by our Acts of Obedience By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works c. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Not the desert of our Works let them be what they will either before or after Grace but from God's own sovereign Mercy and Goodness whose Bowels yerned towards his Elect in Misery For the VVages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death Natural Death Spiritual and Death Eternal are the Wages and Desert of Sin And who will deny a Servant his Wages Wicked Men are the Servants of Sin and they shall have their Wages But though Death is the Wages or Merit of Sin yet Eternal Life is not the Wages of our good Works no but the Gift of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ It is not by our Works or for our Worthiness The Apostle as our Annotators note varies the Phrase on purpose to shew that Salvation is wholly of God's Grace and not of our own Merits 'T is of Grace or the Gift of God through Jesus Christ that is through his Merits De gratia libero arbitrio saith Augustine 3. Life and Salvation is by Grace only or the free Gift of God in opposition to the Law The Law could not give Life that could not save us For had there been a Law given that could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law The Law requires perfect Obedience and lays every one under the Curse that continues not in all things that is written therein to do them Therefore no Life by the Law that being weak through the Flesh Man could not perfectly fulfil it and so could have no Life by it 4. Life and Salvation is the free Gift of God in opposition to any acceptable Service done for it by us as some times great Gifts are bestowed on Persons for the sake of some small Service performed for them But it is not so here though Salvation be a Reward of Grace yet it is not given for the sake of any acceptable Service done by us we know that a small Matter sometimes purchases that which is of great Value but nothing we do or can do can purchase Life and Salvation for our Souls True Eternal Life is a Purchase it is a Reward of Merit but O mistake me not it is not of our purchasing it is no Reward for any Work done by us but it is the Purchase of Jesus Christ the Reward of his Work by his fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law for us in our Nature in his holy and spotless Life and by his satisfying the Justice of God for our breaking and violating of his Holy Law which he did by the painful and cursed Death of his Cross For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit That the
is trampled upon but let God be true and every Man a Liar Object But doth not this Doctrine of special Grace render God unmerciful because he doth not give that Grace unto all Men that is effectual to their Salvation Answ I answer We do not deny that God gives that Grace to all which they say is sufficient or effectual to save all our Doctrine robs no Man of that Power they have but we do deny that common Light Grace and Abilities are sufficient to save any one Soul And if this be true it follows that they render God more unmerciful than they are aware of in that they will not have God to afford such Grace that is sufficient viz. Special Grace to any at all Certainly if God was not more merciful to them that assert this Doctrine than their Notions import or did not their Experiences contradict their Principles it would be impossible one of them should be saved For will meer moral Swasive Grace which leaves Salvation to the choice of Man's depraved and unrenewed Will whether it will turn to God or no believe in Christ or no save one Soul which they say is all the Grace God vouchsafes to any So that by their Doctrine none can be saved but all must unavoidably perish Besides how unjust do they render God to be seeing he as they say gave Christ to die for all Men with an intention to save them and this without any desert of Man which is the greater Gift and yet he denies the Gospel to the greatest part of the World nay and effectual Grace to many nay to all according to them that attend upon the Administration thereof seeing he could as easily bend or incline the Wills if he please of such who do not believe as he doth theirs that do believe Strange did Christ spill his Blood for the greatest part of Mankind in vain nay die in their stead for them that he foreknew would reject him and believe not Did he give Millions for them to redeem them and deny one Pound to make that Redemption effectual to them in order to give them a Right to it and Interest in it What! give them the greater and deny them the lesser Gift But how contrary is this to what Paul says If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being now reconciled we shall be saved by his Life And again saith He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall not he freely give us all things Secondly If Life Spiritual and Eternal be by Grace or if it is given freely by Jesus Christ Then all that have not this Gift given to them Life given Grace given are spiritually dead and if they die naturally before it is given to them they must perish for ever or die eternally Thirdly We may also infer That all that would have Everlasting Life must come to Jesus Christ seeing it is his Gift Ye will not not come to me that ye might have Life Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life Sinners you must believe in relie upon or fly unto Christ if you would be saved If thou knowest the Gift of God and who it is that saith Give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living Water O know where this Life is how it is given and do not neglect the time Christ is now giving forth this Gift this is the time Behold now is the Day of Salvation Hear and your Souls shall live 'T is but asking Life and thou shalt have it thou must believe c. O seek and cry to God for Life haste to Christ Were there an earthly Crown or many Thousands of Pounds to be freely given what running and striving would there be every Body would make haste and be early at the Door they would not neglect the Time But alas what are all Riches all Crowns or all Kingdoms here below to Eternal Life So much for this Time JOHN X. 28. And I give them-Eternal Life and they shall never perish DOCT. 3. All the Saints of God all Believers or Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ shall be saved and none of them shall so fall away as eternally to perish Beloved in speaking unto this Point of Doctrine I shall only do two things I. Endeavour to confirm and prove the Truth of the Proposition II. Answer all the Objections that are usually brought against the Doctrine of the Saints final Perseverance First But before I enter upon the Proof and Confirmation of this great Gospel-Truth let me hint a word or two to explain who we mean by the Saints of God Secondly I shall shew you by way of Premise that the Saints or Sheep of Christ may fall yea fall from Grace and also how far they may fall and then proceed to demonstrate the Truth of the Proposition and prove That they cannot fall finally so as eternally to perish 1. Those that I call the Saints of God or Sheep of Christ are those who are elected or chosen in Jesus Christ unto Salvation 2. And such who are elected are they who are redeemed and purchased by the Blood of Christ or those whom he died for or in the stead of 3. By the Saints I mean those who are effectually called regenerated justified sanctified and adopted these are the Sheep of Christ that shall never perish but have Everlasting Life They are not all such that are of his Fold or Church on Earth not all the Members of the visible Church but all the Members of the invisible Church or mystical Body of Christ Secondly I shall shew you how far the Saints may fall 1 st They may if they take not heed fall into great Evils nay into most of the worst and abominable Sins any Mortals do commit and are overcome by Noah was a Saint of God yet he fell grievously by drinking too much Wine Noah began to be an Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drank of the Wine and was drunken Though it might be partly through Ignorance of the Nature of the Fruit of the Grape yet no doubt by the pleasantness of the Liquor and Corruption and Infirmity of the Flesh he was overcome Lot was a Saint of God a righteous and just Man yet he fell worse not only by Drunkenness but also by committing Incest with his two Daughters What are the best of Men when God leaves them to themselves Jacob also no doubt greatly sinned and fell when he told his Father he was Esau his First-born How lamentably did David sin and fall who was a Man after God's own Heart save in the Case of Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah Peter fell likewise and that grievously too not only in denying of his blessed Master but also by Cursing and Swearing that he did not know him Many more sad Instances I might add of this Nature but that I love not
Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Though they will be sick none can live and sin not yet they have a Physician that can and will heal them The Covenant hath a healing Antidote in it for every spiritual Malady of the Soul of a poor dejected Believer And because God hath promised to give Repentance to his Israel Sin not being actually forgiven without Repentance or before Repentance therefore God will give Repentance to all his Children he will look upon them as Christ look'd upon Peter and then they shall and do weep as he did bitterly Nay Brethren Jesus Christ is exalted on high to this very End Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of Sins That is to cover to conquer and subdue all their Corruptions and to supply their Wants and to protect and defend them from all Enemies and eternally to save their Souls For which End he had his Name given him And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins from the Guilt of them the Power of them and the Punishment of them Also therefore Sin cannot separate them from God's Love and ruin their precious Souls Sixthly No Sin can destroy the Soul nor separate it from God but such Sins only that have dominion that rule and reign in Men and Women such that the Sinner loves and allows in himself Nay all unrenewed Persons are Servants of Sin but no Sin reigns in a true Believer he loves no Sin allows of no Sin therefore cannot commit Sin Sin shall not cannot reign in them for Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Grace will prevent it the Covenant of Grace and the Influences of Grace and the Promises of Grace The Law commands but gives no Power to obey but Power to subdue Sin goes along with the Gospel the Law is the Strength of Sin but the Gospel is the Death of it Object But for all this good Men may be overcome and backslide from God and God may leave them and love them no more Answ 1. I answer They may be overcome for a Time or worsted in the Conflict but they shall not finally be overcome though they fall they shall rise again And as it is said A Troop shall overcome Gad but Gad shall overcome at last so it may be said of every Believer Hence the Apostle says We are more than Conquerors through him that loveth us Rejoice not over me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall rise 2. Though they backslide from God for a time yet he will recover them again I will heal their Back-slidings and will love them freely See here that God's People by their Backslidings do not lose his choice Love and Affections No no he will love them still and that freely too and will not rest till he heals them of that Sickness which is the worst they can relapse into 3. The Elect are another sort they are not of them that backslide so that God's Soul takes no pleasure in them But we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe to the Salvation of the Soul There are some that so draw back after they have made a high Profession of the Gospel but Christ's Sheep are not Sons of Perdition but Sons of Faith or true and sincere Believers they cannot so sin so apostatize because the Seed remains in them they cannot commit Sin they cannot sin as others do not so as to lose God's Love or not sin unto Death therefore cannot perish They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us c. They were not such that had real Union with Christ the true Anointing was not in them they were not of Christ's Sheep not sincere Believers not Elect Ones From hence let me draw this Argument Arg. 2. All those that sin cannot separate from the Love of God in Christ nor eternally destroy nothing can but they shall be certainly saved but Sin cannot separate true Believers or the Sheep of Christ from the Love of God in Christ nor eternally destroy them therefore nothing can but they shall certainly be saved Object But doth not this give encouragement to Believers to sin and so a Licentious Doctrine Answ 1. The Apostle answers this very Objection to anticipate such a sort of Men that were in his Days which we meet with in these of ours What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid He having largely in the foregoing Chapters proved the Doctrine I am upon viz. That Salvation is alone by Christ by the Free Grace of God in him that our Justification is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed and no other way And that Everlasting Life is sure and certain to all the Seed to all in Christ or to all who do believe in him and he shews that where Sin abounded Grace hath much more abounded Particularly in the precedent Verse he asserts That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. From hence he raises this Objection to anticipate carnal and blind Mortals who see no further and answers it with God forbid how shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein 2. Let me tell you that they who leave Sin refrain from Sin upon no higher better or more noble Principles than the fear of Wrath or eternal perishing or only act from slavish Fear have doubtless not one Dram of true Grace in them Brethren to abstain from Sin to strive against Sin to resist Temptations and to be found in all Duties of Obedience and Holiness lies in high sublime and evangelical Principles and from such Motives that have greater Force and Power on the Soul than the fear of Wrath or Hell can have As 1. Saith a Believer Is Sin hateful to God doth God's Soul loath it is it abominable to him and shall it not be so to me but shall I sin God forbid 2. Hath Sin pierced my dear Redeemer Was it the Spear that let out his Heart's Blood that wounded and tore him to pieces that made him sweat great Drops of Blood that let out Divine Wrath upon him and made him a Curse for me and shall I sin and wound him again God forbid 3. Did Christ die for me to redeem me did he stand in my stead and bear mine Iniquities and shall I sin God forbid 4. Hath God bestowed such Grace upon me as to love me from Everlasting to chuse me to redeem me to renew me and all to this End that I should be to the Praise of his Glory and bring forth the Fruits of Holiness and not sin against him and shall
this Marriage-Contract or Espousal Love of Christ to his true Israel This Conjugal Love of Christ is that never-exhausted Fountain of all our spiritual and eternal Comforts all Mercies like Streams which never fail flow to all Believers from hence Can a Man shew greater Love to a Woman than to espouse her to be his Wife This is beyond the Love of Parents to Children Christ bestows himself on us and all he hath nay and that he might do this he bought or purchases us Christ bought his Spouse none ever gave such a vast Sum for a Wife as Jesus Christ hath done and shall any think he will lose her after all this if he is able to help it How can that enter into any Man's Thoughts Will a faithful Husband a tender Husband suffer his most dear and beloved Wife that he hath such Affection to to be torn from him and be abused and pulled into pieces and he look on If he hath Power in his Hand will he not rescue her nay die upon the Spot before he will see this done But alas ala what is the Love of any mortal Man to his Spouse to his Wife when compared with the Love of Christ to his Saints who loved his Church and gave himself for her and whose Love is as you have heard so wonderful infinite and inconceivable Moreover I hope none doubt of his Power Others may see their Wives ravished and torn in pieces before their Eyes and cannot help it they are not able to help and save them but Christ wants no Power as he wants no Wisdom Care or Affections Now what are the Enemies the most dangerous Enemies of the Spouse of Christ Is not Sin the chief Sin the World the Devil c. Will he then think you let Sin prevail Satan prevail so far as to deflour murder and destroy that precious Soul he thus loves and hath espoused to himself Those who assert final falling from a State of true Grace must say he doth thus viz. He suffers Sin to destroy his Spouse even to put out the Eyes deflour strip wound and murder the Soul he has espoused whilst he stands by and looks on and can but will not help nor deliver her because the Soul is bliaded by some Lusts or drawn away by an Enemy therefore they say he will not He that can believe such a Doctrine let him But Fifthly Christ Love hath an attracting and a retaining Quality in it It draws the Soul to Christ and it keeps it close with Christ when it hath received and imbraced him it draws nay constrains the Soul to love Christ We love him because he first loved us And no Man or Woman that loves Christ sincerely but they hate Sin it constrains the Soul to return Love for Love Christ's Love is like Elijah's Garment that he cast upon Elisha who immediately run after Elijah and said Let me I pray thee kiss my Father and Mother and then I will follow thee And be said Go back what have I done unto thee Thus doth Christ's Love to the Soul in all that feel its Influences they follow him cleave to him and also keep with him for like as the Fear of God so the Love of God is put into our Hearts if we are sincere Christians and we shall not cannot finally depart from him Sixthly Christ's Love is a free Love as nothing did purchase it so nothing can nor shall lose or forfeit it I will love them freely From the whole I infer If the Love of Jesus Christ is an early Love a Love of Complacency if it be a wonderful and amazing Love if it be an immense infinite and incomprehensible Love if it is a conjugal Love an attracting and retaining Love a free and abiding Love which he hath to every Believer then he will not ever let go that hold he hath of every one of them so as to suffer them to fall from him as eternally to perish But such is the Nature of the Love of Jesus Christ therefore he will never so let go that hold he hath of every Believer as to suffer them to fall so as eternally to perish Brethren such is the Love of Christ to his Saints as that he gives them special Tokens and Assurance of his Eternal Favour Some of them are these following 1. He calls them with an effectual and special Calling 2. He renews them and stamps his own Image upon them 3. He puts his Holy Spirit into them 4. He justifies them freely by his own Grace giving them his own Robe of Righteousness which is beyond a Garment of Cloth of Gold 5. He sanctifies them and endows them with Power to mortify Sin and when they fall he helps them up again by his right Hand 6. He seals his Love to them with the Kisses of his Mouth or by his most sure and precious Promises 7. He commands his Holy Angels to attend them and to administer to them and keep them in all his Ways 8. He leads feeds and preserves them under all Trouble Temptation and Afflictions and sympathizes with them 9. He sets them as a Seal upon his Heart as a Seal upon his Arm they are engraven on the Palms of his Hands he hath sworn that his loving Kindness shall never be taken away from them As I have sworn that the Waters of Noah should no more go over the Earth so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my Kindness shall not depart from thee c. 10. He puts his Law into their Hearts that none of their Feet should slide APPLICATION First To close with this O see you that are Believers that you strive after the Knowledg of Christ's Love Motives 1. It is the highest Ingratitude not to desire after the Knowledg of such Love Shall a Beggar be beloved by a Prince and she not be affected with it nor inquire after it 2. Because you are the Objects of this Love of this Affection doth it not seem an amazing Consideration to you May be you can't soon believe it because you see no worth in your selves Ah saith the Soul Christ loves me thus What such a poor sorry and filthy Wretch Wonder O Heavens be astonished O Earth The more you know it the more you will love your Blessed Saviour He loved me not a righteous Person but me a Sinner a loathsom Sinner when in my Blood and Filth 3. This will make you little in your own Eyes the more we know of God and of Christ and of his Love the more we shall loath and abhor our selves O that ever I should grieve him as I have done How did the sense of God's Love and Goodness to David humble him Who am I O Lord and what is mine House that thou hast brought me hitherto And yet is this a small thing in thine Eyes O God
do appropriate part of it to my self which is the worst part of Popery They say that Christ's Merits with their own good Works do justify and save them And what do the Arminians say less who join Faith Inherent Righteousness and Sincere Obedience with the Merits of Christ both in Justification before God and in the Salvation of their Souls They say all Men are in a capacity or have Power to work out their own Salvation if they will Mr. William Allen says on that Text Rom. 4. Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness That they are the Works of the Law he doth not say That he that loves not c. So that Love Gospel-Obedience and Holiness according to these Men are not excluded as the Matter of our Justification before God but are a part of it They plead for Gospel-Works in point of Justification though not for the Works of the Law Pray what Difference is there between these Mens Doctrine and that of the Papists But I having lately in my Treatise called The Marrow of Justification so fully confuted this Grand Error I shall add no more to it at this Time but come to examine the Text. 1. It is evident that the Persons to whom the Holy Apostle wrote this Epistle were Saints and Justified Persons or such who were quickned renewed or regenerated by the Holy Spirit Therefore 2. Let us consider what Part of Salvation it was which they were required to work out 1. They could not appease the Wrath of God nor satisfy Divine Justice that sure was not in their Power to do nor is it here intended 2. They could not deliver themselves from the Curse of the Law because by their uttermost endeavour they could not arrive to a compleat or perfect Righteousness nor satisfy for the breach of it by Original Sin and by Actual Sins formerly by them committed 3. They could not change their own Hearts or create in themselves a new Heart they had no creating Power certainly they dare not say they had Power or were capable to form Christ in their Souls or restore God's lost Image in them Again 4. They could not raise themselves from the Dead for they were once dead in Sins and Trespasses and sure they will say that to raise and quicken the Dead is Christ's Work only You hath he quickned he does not say you have ye quickned 5. They could not bind the strong Man armed who formerly had the ruling Power in them and in whose Chains and Fetters they were once bound Will they say that all Men have a greater Power in them than is the Power of Satan so that Man may translate himself if he will out of the Power and Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of God's dear Son as all Believers by the irresistable Power of God are 6. They could not believe of themselves because Faith is a Fruit of the Spirit of God and 't is said expresly It is not of our selves but it is the Gift of God Now all things are as parts of our Salvation or appertain thereunto and none of all these things can be here meant by the Apostle because the Persons to whom he wrote had all these things work'd out for them and in them before Quest What Work is it then What were they to work out Answ I answer The Apostle means that good Work of Mortification of Sin and all Works that are the Fruits of Faith that is they should lead a Holy and Godly Life they having received a Principle of Grace from Christ to this very End there being a Necessity that the Tree be first made Good before the Fruit can be Good and that a dead Man have a Principle of Life infused into him before he can either move or work Quest But can the Creature do these things you mention of himself Answ The Apostle seems very jealous of these Saints lest they should catch up some Arminian Notion which is too much rooted in Man's corrupt Nature and therefore to vanquish Free-Will or the Power of the Creature for ever nay the Power that is in regenerated Persons he adds For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure who worketh in them powerfully effectually carrying on the Work through all Difficulties and Obstacles with victorious Efficacy God works not only Grace in them at first but still by his Spirit through fresh Supplies does aid influence and assist them and will until the Work is perfected or until the Day of Christ We cannot mortify Sin pray nor do any good Work without the Spirit If ye through the Spirit saith Paul do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live So then this is the Sum In Holiness and all good Works we act and do But how even as we are acted moved and influenced of God It is as when God acts works and moves in us by his Spirit And as to do all with fear and trembling this is only to shew how low we should lie at the Foot of God and be humble and not lifted up with Pride since all our Power and Sufficiency is of God But so much to this Text and Objection Object 8. But what say you to that Text in Jer. 22. 24. Though Coâ—iah the Son of Jehojakim King of Judah were the Signet upon my right Hand yet would I pluck thee thence This Place of Scripture is sent me as a grand Objection against Final Perseverance Answ We must distinguish between one that might be near to God or as dear as a Signet on the right Hand in respect of Place or External Dignity as a King and God's bringing him from thence by Temporal Punishment and one that is a Signet upon God's right Hand in respect of Divine Grace and Favour in Jesus Christ or as touching his Eternal Election the latter this Text does not refer unto Object 9. Is it not said If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you c. Answ The Supposition If ye do doth not always denote a Possibility that a Person may not do so See John 15. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandment and abide in his Love Was it possible for Christ not to abide in his Father's Love Our Saviour uses these Expressions as an Argument of Comparison 1. This shews how acceptable Holiness and Obedience is to God 2. It also implies thus much i. e. That God hath ordained his Saints to Faith Love and Obedience as well as to Eternal Life If my Word abide in you c. Now elsewhere God saith to Christ And the Words which I have put into thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed which are Believers they shall have his Word abide in them for ever The Law of God
their Bodies to be burned and yet be destitute of saving Grace or of true Love to God and therefore not self-condemned Hypocrites whose Hearts condemn them and yet be far from the State of sincere and renewed Christians APPLICATION 1. O see what Light what Spiritual Light you have received and what Convictions you have had the experience of 2. Which do you account the greatest Evil Sin or Suffering the Torture or Pain you feel or the Sin you have committed Do you groan most under the sense of Sin and want of Holiness or under the presages and fear of Hell and Damnation May be you cry out your State is sad but what think you of your Sin which is the Cause of it 3. Be exhorted to labour after true Spiritual Illuminations and thorow Convictions of Sin Motives 1. Sin will be your Pain and Sorrow first or last either here or hereafter 2. Consider what a good and gracious God you have offended 3. Without effectual Convictions there will be no true Conversion and where the first is indeed wrought the last will follow those that God kills in this respect he will make alive 4. Remember the Word never comes with Power until Convictions come with Power and also abide on the Soul and Conscience of the Sinner 5. Consider that it is better to be broken in Mercy than in Judgment better here than in Hell 6. Remember that true and thorow Convictions tend to let out the Life or Power of your Sin and consider also what Means of Convictions God is pleased to afford you 7. Sinner Christ was wounded for thy Sin look up to him nothing breaks the Soul rightly you have heard but a sight of a broken and crucified Christ HEB. VI. 4 5. For it is impossible for those c. I Have closed with the first Qualification or Attainment of these Persons spoken of in my Text I shall now proceed to the Second And have tasted of the Heavenly Gift 1. By the Heavenly Gift some understand the Heavenly Doctrine In that sense it may be true for Herod had some kind of Taste of the Heavenly Doctrine which John the Baptist preached he heard him gladly or with Joy As the Baptism of John is said to be from Heaven so all the Truths and Ordinances of the Gospel may be said to be but one intire Heavenly Gift 2. Others by the Heavenly Gift understand the Holy Ghost according to that in Acts 8. 20. Thou hast thought the Gift of God may be purchased with Money So Acts 10. 45. That on the Gentiles also was poured the Gift of the Holy Ghost Quest But what Gift of the Holy Ghost is it which these Persons are said to have a taste of Answ 1. The miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost in the Times of the Gospel in the extraordinary Gifts thereof which are said to come down from Heaven in a way of Eminency as Acts 1. 4 5. and of those Gifts these Persons might have some taste either by their receiving those Gifts themselves for that unsound Persons may do And in thy Name we have cast out Devils so 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. And though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have not Charity I am nothing or else they may be said to have a taste of those Gifts by being wonderfully affected by beholding the miraculous Operations of this Heavenly Gift wrought by others 2. By tasting of the Heavenly Gift it may refer to the Doctrine of the Gospel it may denote their making some trial by Hearing and diligently attending on the Doctrine of Salvation there is a tasting for trial either to receive or refuse as we commonly do Meats or other things Every tasting is not a digesting Men taste before they eat and digest food These Persons may taste of the Doctrine of Justification taste of the Heavenly Gift or Doctrine of God's Free Grace taste of the Ordinance of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and seem also to like the Heavenly Gift well in all these and in other respects yet may feed all the while on some one Lust or another on the Love of this World or on their carnal and sensual Pleasures and because they were never savingly renewed having no new Nature they could not feed on spiritual Things so as to digest them No doubt it was or is such a tasting as the full Stomach takes sometimes of Food a full Stomach will taste yet refuse to eat they have no Appetite these being glutted with the Love of other things the Heavenly Gift is not so sweet to them as Food is to an hungry Man The Sum then is this these Persons had or may have some Experience of the Holy Ghost in the miraculous Gifts either in themselves or in others their Understandings being enlightned for it is evident that 't is a Taste by Illuminations by what we before shewed and they also might taste the Heavenly Doctrine or Ministration of the Gospel and might find the Truths the Institutions and Worship thereof to be good they making a trial of it so far as their carnal and unsanctified Hearts were capable to do yea they might find the Ways of God better than once they thought before they were inlightned and from thence imbraced them to appearance owned and walked therein for a time Doct. 2. That there is a Goodness and an Excellency in the Heavenly Gift and Heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which such may taste of that never receive the Truth in the Power and Love thereof Doct. 3. That the rejecting and utter casting off the Gospel and the Ordinance and Worship thereof after some Tastes and Experience of it is an high Offence to God and a fearful Aggravation of Sin and a certain Presage of Damnation So much as to their second Attainment 3dly And were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost This seems to be more than a bare tasting Object Doth not this seem to interfere with your Exposition of the Attainment you mentioned last Answ 1. To this take Dr. Owen's Answer It is saith he ordinary to have the same thing twice expressed in various words to quicken the Sense of them 2. The Holy Ghost is mentioned before as he hints as the great Gift of the Gospel-Times as coming down from Heaven not absolutely not as unto his Person but with respect unto an especial Work namely the changing of the whole State of Religious Worship in the Church of God 3. But here in these words when it is said They were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost it is spoken chiefly in respect unto external actual Operations 1. They partake of the Holy Spirit in the common Operations of it themselves they tasted the Heavenly Doctrine as it was administred by others as it is hinted before but here is a Reception or a partaking of the Holy Spirit whereby it had some great and visible Operations upon their Hearts and Lives though not saving Operations not such
177 to 298 Objections for final falling answered 298 to 312 Fan. What is Christ's Fan shewed in six Particulars from p. 9 to 17 Father God the Father the Contriver of our Redemption 377 The Father could only appoint the Terms or Way of our Recovery 378 The Father substituted and appointed Christ to be our Saviour and Surety 378 The Father prepared Christ a Body and sent him into the World The Father chose us in Christ the Father draws us to Christ 378 379 Fire Why God's Wrath is compared to Fire shewed in eight things 31 32 33 Grace compared to Fire 288 Floor What is Christ's Floor shewed 3 4 5 6 1. Jewish Church 2. National Churches 3. Congregational Churches Follow How Christ's Sheep follow him opened in eight Particulars 115 116 117 Food The Nature of Spiritual Food opened in seven Particulars 137 Full. Gospel-Salvation a full and compleat Salvation opened at large 421 to 429 G. Garner What meant by Christ's Garner viz. 1. His Church 29 2. Heaven 30 Chaff as well as Wheat in Christ's Garner below but none in his Garner above 30 Ghost Sin against the Holy Ghost what 360 361 362 363. How false Professors may be said to partake of the Holy Ghost 334 Good The Word of God Good in what respect 335 336. Grace Vocation of God's Free Grace 151 Faith is a Grace and of God's pure Grace and Favour 151 Repentance a Grace 151 Why Eternal Life is meerly of Grace shewed in five Particulars 154 155 The Father sent Christ to merit Grace for us the Son purchased Grace for us and the Holy Spirit works Grace in us 382 383 Grace works physically 448 The Spring Author and Excellency of Grace as 't is a Divine Principle in Believers opened 286 287 288 289 Gross Acts of Sin may be left by unrenewed Persons 448. H. Habits To change the evil Habits of the Heart is the Work of the Spirit of God only not in Man's Power 448 Hand What meant by the Father's Hand 249 250 251. What meant by Christ's Hand 273 to 280 In what sense Christ's Sheep may be said to be in his Hand 280 to 284 The happy State of Believers by being put into Christ's Hand 276 278 280 281 Heaps Many Heaps of prophane Persons in the National Floor 4 5 6 Hell Torments direful opened in many respects 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 c. Hypocrites How Hypocrites may be known or the Chaff from the Wheat 18 to 25. I. Importance The Salvation of our Souls matter of chiefest Importance we have to mind whilst in this World 441 442 443 Intercession The Nature and Power of Christ's Intercession opened 293 294 Interests All Interests concerned about our Salvation are secured in Christ how 275 Judgment Eternal Judgment an Essential of the Christian Religion 86 Justification Justification how or what 95 96 Justification wholly of Grace 151 The Nature of Justification opened 414 415 Justification compleat 416 Christ's Righteousness being the Matter of it 415. Justification not a gradual Act as Sanctification is in us those that are justified are perfectly justified and for ever justified 263 415. K. Kingdom What meant by Christ's delivering up the Kingdom to the Father 345 Kingdom of Christ very near 353 Kingdom of Christ when it begins 345 It will be glorious 344. Knowledg The Knowledg Christ hath of his Sheep largely opened 98 to 107 Non-proficiency in Knowledg very dangerous 321 Some People perish for lack of Knowledg 445 L. Lake Hell a Lake of Fire 55 Law The Law must be satisfied for our Breach made of it Pag. 152 The Gospel justifies not as a mild Law of Grace requiring sincere Obedience according to the new Doctrine 153 Perfection of Obedience as well required under the Gospel as under the Law tho not of us in point of Justification 152 153 154 Moral Law not abrogated 153 154 Why Christ was made under the Law 238 239. Life Eternal Life A threefold Life of Man 143 What meant by Eternal Life 143 144 How and why Eternal Life is meerly of God's Grace 147 148 149 150 153 154 Why Christ will give Eternal Life to his Sheep 155 156 How Christ is said to be our Life 264 Believers have Eternal Life now how 144 Love The Love of the Father what 184 It secures the standing of Believers in a State of Grace 185 186 c. Love of Christ an early a wonderful a conjugal an attracting and an inconceivable Love it passeth Knowledg 195 196 197 Christ's Love secures our standing also 198 Love to the poor Saints and relieving them for Christ's sake a better sign of true Grace than the greatest of spiritual Gifts 323. M. Mark What the Mark is on the Forehead and right Hand 119. Means The Means of Salvation as well as the End is ordained of God 300. Memory A strong Memory but a natural Gift 38. Mercy God's Mercy manifested in its greatest Glory in Christ 372 Had not God vouchsafed a Redeemer Divine Mercy had never been manifested 372 Divine Mercy will rise up against such that neglect the Gospel-Salvation 468. Ministers Christ the great Minister of the New Testament 429 Ministers Office a high and sublime Office 431 Ministers Christ's Ambassadors 431 Ministers to be careful lest Chaff be let into the Church which is Christ's Garner 30. Murder Self Murder not an unpardonable Sin 51 361. N. Name Names Christ a Name above every Name what 380 What Names Christ hath 380 Christ's Name according to his Nature Nation National The National Sins what great odious and hateful to God 4 5 6 National Church of the Jews dissolved and gone 4 33 No National Church under the Gospel 33 34. O. Office The Office of the Holy Spirit what 461 Such that neglect Gospel-Salvation strive to obstruct the Holy Spirit in the discharge of his Work and Office 461 462. Old The Old Heaven and Old Earth shall pass away to make way for the New 345 Orphan Believers are in Christ's Hand as an Orphan is in the Hand of a faithful Guardian 283. P. Pardon Pardon of Sin what 413 Pardon of Sin a great Blessing opened in six Particulars 413 Passions All the Passions of the Soul let out in Hell will add to their Misery 58 59 60. Pastures What the Pastures are where Christ feeds his Sheep 130 131 132 134. Peace a Gospel-Blessing it passeth all understanding 418. Perseverance Final Perseverance of the Saints proved 177 to 297 Objections against the Saints Final Perseverance answered 297 to 310. Personal Election what Personal Election proved 170 172 173. Portion God the Portion of Believers What a Portion God is opened in eleven Particulars Pag. 427 428. Prayer The Nature of pure spiritual Prayer 134 135. Prayer one of Christ's Pastures 134. Principle From what Principle true Christians act towards God 324 Grace a Vital Principle 288 Grace an abiding Principle 289 to 296. Promises Promises of God a fat Pasture for Christ's Sheep 135. Providences The profit
Field watching over their Flock by night c. Christ knows his Sheep are subject to sleep and so lie open to many Dangers therefore he watches over them He is always awake he that keeps Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He will not suffer thy Foot to be removed he that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy Keeper thy Shade upon thy right Hand The Sheep of Christ are in danger by Sin by Satan by Temptation by Wolves by a deceitful Heart by inward Corruption by false and self-seeking Teachers whose Design is to make a Prey of his Flock therefore he watches them like a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it Night and Day I will as if he should say protect my Church my Vineyard my Flock from all Assaults of its Enemies neither Men nor Devils shall spoil ruin or hurt my People And that he may secure his Flock 1. He discovers by his Word the Subtilty Craft and Devices of their Enemies and their Danger thereby 2. By his Spirit also through its quickning Operations he awakens them when their Enemies are upon them and that shews he is a watchful and a wakeful Shepherd 3. He also by his Providences shews he is awake and strives to awaken his People also And this he doth several manner of ways 1. By Wars Perplexities and Distress of Nations 2. By Famine and Pestilence 3. By strange Signs Prodigies and fearful Earthquakes in divers Places 4. By the awakning Providence of sudden and unusual Deaths snatching away one Man here and another there to keep the rest awake 5. By letting out Symptoms of his Displeasure by distressing the Consciences of some by fearful Horror and Desperation as in Spira and Child's Cases to awaken others and to deter them from like Evils 6. He also imploys his Ministers to rouse them up they as his Substitutes are made Watchmen to give his People his Saints his Flock warning of approaching Dangers 2 dly Christ knows that his Flock is not only subject to sleep but also to go astray and therefore he watcheth over them 1. Because he sees our Enemies watch against us to ensnare to catch and to ruin us Deliver thy self as a Roe from the Hand of the Hunter and as a Bird from the Hand of the Fowler Satan is a subtil Fowler a crafty Enemy and is also clothed with great Power He is compared to a Serpent to shew his Subtilty and to a Lion which denotes his Strength and devouring Nature 2. Jesus Christ watches his Sheep that he may give them those Mercies they need in the proper season of them He knows when and how to give us that Good he himself hath promised Sometimes he watches over his People to chasten to afflict and punish them with the Rod when he sees there is need of it He lets out his Dog as I may so say like as a Shepherd doth upon unruly Sheep when his Calls will not do will not reclaim them and reduce them to an orderly and diligent walk But then at another time he watches over them to bestow his Favours and Blessing upon them And it shall come to pass that like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict so will I watch over them to build and to plant saith the Lord. Though there is no Change in God but he doth all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and Eternal Purpose yet there is a Change of his providential Dispensations God here speaks after the manner of Men and as he is diligent to afflict for Disobedience so he is likewise as diligent upon a Reformation to distribute his Blessings when he sees it will make for his Glory and his Peoples Good Seventhly and lastly Christ is a living Shepherd Other Shepherds die and leave their Sheep and know not what Evil may befal them after their departure But Jesus Christ never dies I am he that was dead and am alive and behold I live for evermore He ever lives to feed to heal guide protect and save his People He ever lives to make Intercession for us In this doth the Safety Happiness and Comfort of Believers lie Christ is always the same he changes not and is such a Shepherd that his Sheep cannot lose Death hath no more power over him Death cannot deprive them of this Shepherd 1. O happy Saints blessed Sheep O love your Shepherd trust in your Shepherd say with David The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. Be ruled led and guided by your Shepherd and be content with that Pasture into which he hath put you and with such Commons he is pleased to afford you 3. How doth this reprehend such who repine murmur and are carried away with slavish and distrustful Fear O what a shame is it to be afraid when you have such a Friend such a Keeper such a Shepherd to protect feed and keep you But to proceed Secondly What Pastures doth Christ feed his Sheep in What or which are his Pastures First I answer His Word this is one of his Pastures and a fat one it is yea a most choice and rich Pasture here is precious feeding Some like David can relish God's Word and find it sweeter than Honey How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth The Study Meditation and Obedience of God's Word yields more Satisfaction Joy and Delight than any worldly Men find in their earthly Profits or sensual Pleasures If you cannot find it thus it is because you have lost your spiritual Appetites you do not hunger after heavenly Food nor see the Worth nor Want of it Thy Words saith Jeremiah were found and I did eat them and thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my Heart Beloved there is a two-fold tasting of the Word 1. Some taste it but digest it not they have an Apprehension and bear Reception of it and no more The news of a Saviour and deliverance from Wrath seems desirable to them they like the Promises of the Word and flatter themselves with a false Hope of Pardon by giving a bare Credit to the Truth of the Gospel in the declaration of it 2. But there is a farther and better tasting than this a tasting by a special Application and a saving relishing of the Word of God and not the promissory Part only but the preceptory Part thereof also These like and love the Word because of the Purity of it Others have a common but not a special Faith the Jews seemed to rejoice in John's Doctrine but did not receive it into their Understanding and sincerely subject to the Life and Power of it 1. The Word of God feeds the Souls of Believers with