then this place shall be an heap of witnesses against you for it hath heard all the words of the law which he hath spoken unto you John 24. Oh cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house and stones in the walls I take them as so many witnesses that they may speak and testifie against you in the great day of the Lord if ye neglect this great salvation to day Therefore as ye go away be thinking upon it and whether or not ye mind to embrace it now while ye may have it This day I have set life and death before you I have set before you both the great salvation and the great damnation And O that ye had understanding in all these things that ye being wise might be provoked at last to embrace this great salvation the which we do yet again entreat you to think upon Is not heaven looking upon you at this time to see what ye will do with this great offer of salvation which I have this day from the Lord presented unto you Now to him that can perswade you to embrace this great salvation this gospel redemption this blessed mystery into which the Angels desire to pray to him who can bring you back from the pit and can enlighten you with the light of the living To him who hath the keys of your prison Who can open and none can shut and can shut and none can open To him Who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth communicate to him who can deliver you from the power of the Grave and can set you free from all your enemies we desire to give praise Amen SERMON II. Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him THere are two great and most ordinary complaints in these dayes 1. There are many who complain that their estates and persons are in bondage and that they are sold for Slaves to the hands of strangers But O that we could also turn over the complaint to this that our souls are in bondange and that we are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity that so we might be provoked to long for the great salvation that is in our offer 2. There are many complaining and not without much cause that there is now such a toleration of errours But O wilt thou complain also of this that within thy heart there is a toleration of lusts is there not an act of toleration concluded in thy breast that the devil and all his company may reign in thee at pleasure Oh haâ—e ye not need of great salvation Shall I tell you that Christ is courting you to embrace it and that he putteth on all his most glorious robes and manifesteth himself unto you a a suitor making offer of himself and of his great salvation O tell me have ye seen him Or do you think to see him this day What robes hath he on There are five glorious robes wherewith he clothes himself when he condescendeth to manifest himself to his people First He cometh to his own with the garments of salvation according to that word Zach. 9. verse 9. Kejoyce O dauhter of Sion greatly shout O daughter of Jerusalem for behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation Ay your King is come here to day and will ye not fall in love with him when he is cloathed with the garments of salvation Can ye ever have a more conquering sight of Christ than when he is cloathed with such an excellent robe and offering you salvation Secondly He appeareth to his own sometimes in garments dyed in blood according to that word Isa. 63. verse 1. 2. Who is this that cometh up from Edom with dyed garments in blood as one that treadeth the Wine Fat And now I say to you that will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of salvation have ye a heart to refuse him that hath fought such a combat for you who hath trode the wine press alone and hath stained all his garments with the blood of thy enemies or is there any here who dare refuse his salvation when they see how he treadeth his enemies in anger and trampleth them in his fury and thus sprinkleth their blood upon his garments O tremble at this sight and seek quarter from him in time or he shall dye his garments with the blood of thy mortal soul. Thirdly Christ appeareth unto his own being cloathed with these humble robes of condescendency when he came in the similitude of sinful flesh O what a sight was that to behold the Prince of Heaven cloathed with our nature What a sight was that to behold him that was cloathed with light as with a garment to be cloathed with our infirmities yet he condescended to cloath himself thus that we might have access unto him and be partakers of his gifts O can we refuse him when love hath thus pressed him to put on the beggars weed that he might say to worms ye are my brethren and my sisters Fourthly Christ sometimes manifesteth himself being cloathed with the garments of beauty and ravishing majesty such was the sight that the Spouse got of Christ Song 2. verse 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the Sons and Song 5. when she saw him white and ruddy and the Standard-bearer of ten thousand And such was that joyful sight of him when his garment was as the light and white as the Snow which he had at the transfiguration when these glorified ones did come as it were Ambassadours from that higher house to make him a visit And fifthly Christ he sometimes appeareth to his own in robes of dreadful majesty and terrible highness and loftiness when the soul upon the first sight of him remains dead and there remains no more life in them such was the sight Daniel got in his tenth Chapter and such was the sight that Iohn got of Christ Revel 1. verse 17. And I would ask of all that are here what a sight have ye gotten of Christ to day in which of all these robes have ye seen him It is true we are not to look for the extraordinary sights of him but yet if ever thou hast seen him in any of his wooing robes sure he hath appeared matchless and how then shall ye then refuse him But now to come to the words I was speaking unto you of The first thing in the words to wit That there are many who live under the offer of this great salvation that do slight it and do not embrace it And now I shall only add a few things further unto you 1. Let me propose a few considerations to perswade you to embrace this great salvation God forbid we go away before we embrace this gospel salvation and therefore I charge you in his name go not away
it And this Exhortation he presseth by two Arguments The first Argument is in the second verse where he saith If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward c. This is if the transgression of the Law which was delivered but by the Ministry of Angels and every disobedience to it was so severely punished let that provoke you to take heed that ye transgress not the precious Gospel which was spoken by the Lord himself The second Argument is in the words which we have read unto you and it is taken from the certain and infallible stroak of the justice of God which shall come upon those who slight this great salvation it is impossible saith he that there can be a City of refuge for those who slight this great salvation Now in the words which we have read there are these six things to be considered I. First That is an evil incident to the hearers of this precious Gospel and great salvation to slight and undervalue it This is clearly presupposed in the words otherwise there had been no ground or access for the Apostle to threaten so terrible things against the slighters of it II. The second thing to be considered in the words is that the stroak and ruine of those who slight this great salvation is certain and infallable it will surely come upon them this is clear from those words How shall we escape As if he had said there is no imaginable way for us to escape if we neglect this so great salvation we may have a City of refuge when we are pursued by the Law or when we are pursued other ways by the justice of God but if once we slight this great salvation there remaineth no city of refuge no door of escape left open unto us for where will the person flee that slighted this great salvation III. There is this third thing whereof we shall take notice from the words that the stroak of the justice of God cometh justly upon them who slight this great salvation and truly it is a most equal and reasonable stroak which is also clear from the words How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation where he puts it home to their consciences as if he had said think ye not that it is just and righteous that if ye slight the great salvation there should not be a door of escape left open unto you He putteth the question home to their conscience to answer yea or no. IV. The fourth thing to be considered in the words is this that the slighting this great salvation is a sin that hath many aggravations which attend and wait upon it And it hath two great aggravations from the words which I have read the first great aggravation in that word of the Text graet salvation as if he had said if it were not a great salvation you might have some cloak or excuse for your slighting of it but seeing it is such a great and external salvation there is now no cloak left for your sin The second aggravation is from the certainty of this salvation in these words which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and confirmed unto us by those that heard him viz. His Apostles whereby he telleth them this great salvation is no notion nor fancy but a most certain sure and real salvation which yet they flight V. The fifth thing whereof we shall take notice from the words is this That there are no persons be whom they will Minister or people who slight this great salvation that shall have a door of escape Hence it is that the Apostle putteth himself among the rest saying How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation that is How shall I Paul escape if I neglect so great salvation and so frustrate the grace of God! VI. Sixthly we would take notice of this from the words That not only heart-dispising of this great salvation but even also the very neglecting of it hath a certain infallible and unspeakable ruine attending upon it Now before we begin to speak to any of these six things which we have observed from these words there are these two things whereunto we shall speak a little for clearing of the words first what is meant here by great salvation Secondly how it is said that Christ was the first preacher of it First we conceive that by the great salvation is understood the Gospel as is clear Ephes. 1. 13. where it is called the Gospel of our salvation and Acts 13. 26. it is called the word of this salvation so that by the words of this salvation is understood the Gosgel and those precious offers which are contained in it And we conceive it may be called a great salvation in these eight respects I. First it is called the great salvation in respect of the price which was laid down for it there being no less price laid down to purchase this great salvation than the blood of the Son of God From whence then doth salvation flow unto you it comes running to you in a stream of the blood of the Son of God this is clear Heb. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us II. Secondly it is called a great salvation in respect of the many difficulties and oppositions which lie in the way of bringing it about What great impediments suppose ye lay in Christs way before he could accomplish and bring about this great salvation Was not the Justice of God to be satisfied was he not to dye and to be made like unto one of us was he not to lie in the grave and was he not to bear the torments of hell before this great salvation could be accomplished and brought to pass there were such impediments in the way of bringing about this great salvation that if all the Angels in heaven had been set to work they had been all crushed under it had it been but that one great impediment to satisfie the justice and pacifie the wrath of God even that was a pass through which none could go but the eternal Son of God It was so guarded that none durst to adventure to enter it much less could any win through it save he onely who was mighty to save III. Thirdly it is called a great salvation in respect of that high estimation which the Saints have of it O what an high estimation have the Saints of this Gospel salvation there is no mercy which they think comparable to this all other mercies are but little Zoars in comparison of this great mercy and Gospel salvation IV. Fourthly it is called a great salvation in respect of those noble effects which this salvation bringeth about and produceth Some of the great effects of the Gospel David hath cleared Psa. 19. 7 8 9 10. Is not this a great effect
you will give ear to them viz. there is a great person come here to day and that is the Mighty Author of this great salvation who hath brought everlasting righteousness with him desiring you to make use thereof it is his desire that you would take his excellent gifts at his hand These I say are the tydings that I have to preach unto you and I hope never to be declared a lyar for what I preach unto you I say yet unto you that Christ the Author of the great salvation desireth to give it freely unto you if you will but take it But O will you not take it I think if you did see an hundred men lying in prison or dungeon without all light bread or water and a great Prince coming to them saying I desire you all to come forth and partake of this great liberty which I bring unto you and every one of them should answer I scorne to come forth at this time would you not think them exceeding great fools And yet I fear this act of great folly falls out in many of your hands to day that when Christ hath given us the keys of your prison doors and they are opened you will not come forth But I must intreat you yet to come forth and shew your selves For who knoweth but we may be commanded to shut your prison-doors again and to seal them with seven seals with an unalterable decree from heaven never to be recalled Wherefore O ye prisoners Go forth go forth from your prison house 2. Secondly I would say this to you that it is not without much ground that this salvation offered to yon is called a great salvation I know a little paper of two or three sheets might contain all the salvations that ever any man obtained but the world would not be able to contain all the books which might be written to the commendation of this great salvation yea unto any who will embrace it I say First if thou find not this salvation above thy faith then go thy way when thou art come But I know thou wilt finde it both above thy faith and hope Secondly if thou find it not above thy desires when thou art come unto it then go thy way again but were thy desires as the sand upon the Sea shoar thou shalt always find more in this salvation than ever thou couldst desire Thirdly if this salvation be not above what thou canst conceive then go thy way when thou art come to it but think of it as thou canst it shall always be above thy thoughts of it Fourthly if this salvation be not above thy opinion of it then go thy way when thou art come unto it but I know thou wilt find it far above thy opinion of it Therefore seeing it is so great a salvation as that all the world could not contain all the books that might be written in the commendation of it O will you embrace it even to day while it is in your offer 3. Thirdly I would say this unto you Be perswaded that there is no sin that will more provoke the Majesty of God to punish you than the sin of slighting this great salvation Bring forth these murderers saith the Lord of the slighters of this invitation and slay them before me I entreat you inquire at your own hearts what you will answer when you are reproved for slighting of it Old men will you ask at your own hearts what you will answer to Christ when he shall propose that question to you Why slighted you the great salvation Old women what will you answer when he shall say to you Why slighted you the great salvation Young Men and young women inquire at your own hearts what you will answer when Christ shall say to you why slighted ye the great salvation Can ye imagine any answer to that question O dreadful shall that wrath of God be that shall be executed upon the slighters of this great salvation 4. Fourthly I would say this unto you that Heaven is waiting to hear what exhortation the offer of this great salvation doth get among you Here is the great salvation here is the offer of it and here is the commendation of it what say you to it Is it not an excellent salvation is it not a free salvation is it not a great salvation is it not an eternal salvation Why then do ye not welcome it Can any of you say any thing to the discommendation of it I know you cannot Yea I dare say your own hearts are admiring it as most excellent and therefore O will ye accept it Alas shall there be none here who will be found accepters of this great salvation so freely offered to day 5. Fithly I would say this to you let all the Angels praise him who is the author of this great salvation All the Saints round about the throne praise him who is the author of this great salvation All those who are expectants of heaven praise him who is the author of this great salvation All ye to whom this offer is made praise him who is the author of this great salvation O heaven praise him who is the author of this great salvation O all ye fowls of the air praise him who is the author of this great salvation O fire hail snow vapours stormy winds and tempests praise him who is the author of this great salvation All the tribes of the earth praise him who is the author of this great salvation our own soul praise him who is the author of this great salvation and all that is within us bless him who is the author of this great salvation O who would not praise him who is the author of this great salvation Are there any here that will refuse to commend him O think upon him and let not this be a day of slighting him Now where are your hearts at this time I will tell you where many of your hearts are they are thinking upon the World But I am sure there are not many of them thinking upon this great salvation Now what resolution mind ye to go away with to day Oh have ye no resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hither to day Are there any here who have this resolution To whom shall we go but to him who is the author of this great salvation who alone hath the Words of eternal life Even the Lord breath it upon you Or is this your resolution that through Christs strength forsake him who will ye will never forsake him Or have ye this resolution That ye will esteem more highly of this great salvation then ever ye did O that the Lord would keep these in the in the imaginations of the thoughts of your hearts for ever But as for you who have no resolutions to embrace this great salvation O wherewith shall I commend it unto you Do not your own necessities commend it But if nothing can perswade you to come away and embrace it
before ye embrace it And to press it home upon you there are these eight or nine properties of this great salvation that is offered unto you this day And first it is a free salvation ye have no more a do but to put forth your hand and take it O come and take it Christ hath foughten for this salvation and there is no more required of you but to come and reap the fruits of his victory Who ever will let him come there is nothing that should move you to stay away O captives bond-slaves to Satan O prisoners of hope will ye come and partake of the great salvation What holds you from coming away and partaking of it it is freely offered unto you Ay believe it Christ requires no more of you but that ye should come and take it out of his hand if we consent to obey the bargain is ended ye shall eat the good of the land Isa. 1. Secondly This great salvation is a compleat salvation that is offered unto you to day this is clear Luke 1. verse 71. That we might be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us There is not any enemy that is in thy way but if thou wilt come and partake of the great salvation thou mayest have victory over it so compleat a salvation is it that is in your offer this day O shall we pass away and not embrace it O shall our cursed hearts undervalue this compleat salvation that is come to your door Believe it salvation is near unto you ioye will take it Thirdly It is a wonderful salvation it is such a salvation as the Angels desire to pry into it and it is such a salvation that all the Prophets desired to pry into it It is almost six thousand years since all the Angels in Heaven fell into a sea of wonder at this great salvation It is almost six thousand years since Abel fell into a sea of wonder at this great salvation And what think you is his exercise this day He is even wondering at this great salvation Would you ask at all the Angels in Heaven would they not all say O embrace the great salvation Would ye ask at all the Saints that are above would they not advise you to embrace the great salvation Should ye ask at Adam would he not say O embrace this great salvation Could ye ask at Abel would he not say O embrace the great salvation And would not all the Patriarchs say unto you O embrace the great salvation And do not all that have tasted of the sweetness of it cry out unto you Come and embrace the great salvation The fourth property of this salvation is that it was bought at an exceeding dear rate it is a dear salvation Would you know the difference between Christs coming to this salvation and your coming to it it is this Christ was forced to travel through all the Armies of the Justice of God He was forced to drink of the cup of the wrath of God before he could come to purechase this great salvation and now what is requird of you to obtain this we may say no more but put out your hands and take it Will ye look to the price that was laid down for this salvation there is not a wound in the body of Christ but it saith This is a dear salvation There is not a reproach Christ met with but it saith O is not this a great salvation there is not a necessity that he was put into but it saith is not this a great and dear salvation O Sirs will ye not come and take this great salvation this dear salvation What must I give for it say ye I say ye must give nothing for it come and take it without money and without price It was dear to Christ but it shall be cheap unto you O is it not cheap unto you I assure if you will come to the market to buy the great salvation there is none of you that needeth to stand for the price of it O come and take it and have it and there shall be no more priceing Fifthly It is an everlasting salvation that ye shall enjoy the fruits of throughout eternity as is clear Heb. 9. 13. He became the author of eternal redemption unto us it is a salvation that the Devil can never be able to take out of your hand if ye take it ye shall never be robbed of it again O come and partake of this great salvation whereby the gates of hell shall never prevail against you Sixthly It is a noble and honourable Salvation it is not to be taken out of one slavery to another but it is to be taken out of prison that we may reign Luke 1. 71. compared with vers 74. it is That we being saved may serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life I say Come come and partake of this great salvation that your glory may be increased and that ye may be exalted above the Kings of the earth Seventhly It is a most advantagious salvation What are the advantages of any salvation that are not to be found in this Is there not peace to be found in through this salvation is there not liberty to be found through this salvation is there not eternal enjoyment of God to be found through this salvation Yea all salvations are in this one salvation Lastly It is a royal salvation for it cometh to us from and through the Son of God Christ is the author of it and we conceive Christ may be said to be the author of this salvation in these respects 1. He is the meritorious cause that did procure it it was the price of his blood that was laid down for to purchase this great salvation 2. He is the fountain from whence it floweth according to that word which we have cited Heb. 5. 9. He became the author of eternal salvatiou 3. He is the person that fitteth our Spirits for the partaking of it and it is he that removeth mountains out of the way that we may have fair access unto the great salvation 4. It is he that must perswade our hearts to embrace and to take hold of it He standeth without and cryeth to the heart to embrace this great salvation and he standeth within making the heart cry out Content I will embrace the great salvation He is indeed the person that commendeth and doth point forth this great salvation unto us he is the noble Minister of it it began first to be preached by him Now is there any of you that have fallen in love with the great salvation that ye may try your selves I shall give you some evidences of the persons that are near unto this great salvation 1. Is thy estymation of the great salvation increased be what it was in the morning when thou camest hither is thy estimation of the great gospel salvation a foot higher then it was in the morning I say