not wish to be for ever happy and who would not wish to be freed from eternal misery pain and torment But these things are not got with such lazy wishes neither do you approve of them in your idle servants that sit still and wish their work were done 2. But can your meanings be good in many of your wicked acts and in your sinful neglects What good meaning is it in thee to keep Christ out of thy heart to prophane Gods Sabbaths What good meaning hast thou in neglecting to make thy peace with God in not seeking after grace and fitness for Heaven 3. If thy meanings were good this doth not make thy action good nor thy life good and can it then prove thy condition to be good 4. If thy heart were good thy life would be so too The life indeed might be good before men where the heart is bad before God but if the heart be good before God the life will be good before men for a good tree bringeth forth good fruit Mat. 7. 17 18. and your not-seeing the badness of your hearts is an evidence that yet they are not good and the more you justifie the goodness of your hearts in the neglect of your duty it is the clearer demonstration that yet they are not good and that thy heart which thou vainly thinkest is the best part in thee is indeed the worst of all Jer. 17. 9 10. Thou a good heart ever since thou wast born then there hath been a good Devil ever since he sinned and when he ceased to be good 5. Whereas thou sayest Thou hast good things in thy heart though thou canst not express them with thy tongue What is thy heart so full of good and is it so locked up there that there is no vent for it What! neither by works nor words neither by lip nor life A likely matter If thou art pinched with hunger thou hast words enough to express the sense of thy wants and if thou art sick thou hast words enough to express the sense of thy pain When the Physician comes and asketh after the state of thy body thou canst quickly reply O sick sick Sir I am 〈…〉 eeding sick I am in pain in pain Where â—â—ere in this part and in this my book my bowels my head my heart is full of pain But if a Minister come and enquire into your spiritual state you reply Truly Sir I have good things in my mind and in my heart but I cannot express them to you What! not at all What! nothing of this good boasted of no not in broken language But if we follow you to your shops there you want no words there your tongues go glib Who have words at command more than you You can talk roundly of the World of your Goods and your Estates of your Furniture and Apparel but in the things of God you are mute This is plain it is not for want of words in these but for want of a work of God upon their hearts Therefore let not the Devil keep thee any longer bound with this chain a vain conceit of the goodness of thy heart thy wishings and thy meanings 5. Another Link in this Chain of false hopes wherewith these Captives are bound is on the contrary in that they have strong parts great knowledg in the things of God are very full of good discourse for the Devil hath several Fetters for his several Prisoners and several Chains for several Captives various ways and wiles to keep them in Captivity and this is not the meanest nor the weakest when men take gifts for grace and common grace for s 〈…〉 al. But towards the cutting of this chain 〈…〉 ider There might be notional kn 〈…〉 dg of the things of God where a man nevâ—â—â—ad any experimental taste and rellish of them A man that never yet repented might be able to tell you what Repentance is and a man that is not converted might tell you much of the method of the Spirit in converting of a sinner Many can talk of God that never tasted any sweetness in him and many can discourse of Heaven that shall never enter into Heaven The head might be fâ—l of knowledg when the heart is empty of Grace might talk of faith of the nature of it of the actings of it of the excellency of it of the necessity and effects of it and yet have no Faith and so of Love and other graces and yet have no Love nor any other grace The greater is your knowledg the greater is your sin and the greater will be your misery if it be separated from practice and obedience Luk. 12. 47 48. Thus you have heard what a strong bon false hope of Heaven is and on what grounds â— is built and by what reasons it is strengthened and how they are removed What say you now will you continue still bound with this cord and still be kept thereby in your Captivity I doubt yet many of you will Drunkards for all this that hath been said will hope for heaven and salvation still and Swearers and Prophane persons will go on in their sinful course and yet hope still for Heaven and Eternal life Therefore because this Fetter is so strong if possible to knock it off from these captive sinners answer me to these few following questions 1. What if Christ himself in person were now amongst you and preaching to you and telling you with his own mouth That these alledged grounds of thy hopes of heaven and redemption by his blood were not sound nor warrantable wouldst thou after this hope thou art redeemed and shalt be saved If Christ were visibly present and you should hear him with your own ears telling you That the Drunkard is a captive to the Devil and shall not be saved would you say No we are not in bondage to the Devil or our sins and therefore will hope we are redeemed and shall be saved Wouldst thou believe Christ himself or wouldst thou not If thou wouldst not how shall I hope thou wilt hearken to my words If thou sayest thou wouldst believe him why then wilt thou not believe what Christ hath indeed already spoken and left recorded in his Word The same Doctrine that Christ preached in person in the world is faithfully recorded in the Gospel In his Sermon that he preached on the Mount he tells you that Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Mat. 5. 20. And doth the righteousness of gross sinners yea or close hypocrites either exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees and the Scribes who walked so strictly that many would have judged if but two men should be saved the Scribe should be one and the Pharisee another What Christs Doctrine was see again Luk. 13. 3. 5. Mar. 16. 16. Mat. 18. 3. And yet when Christ tells you Except ye repent ye shall perish and except ye believe ye
certain conditions to the Captives that if they will acknowledg him to be their Redeemer and will become his servants and his subjects and be obedient to his Laws they shall have the benefit of the ransome but not else now so many as shall refuse these conditions must remain and die and perish in their fetters though a sufficient ransome were given for Redemption so it is in this case which is easie to apply I beseech you therefore Sirs do not any longer flatter and deceive your selves with such groundless hopes of being delivered by the death of Christ from your slavery and bondage â—ithout faith in him and repentance for your sâ—n These things that I am now a preaching and you are hearing are of everlasting concernment to your Souls And I desire to preach as one that doth believe I must give an account to God what doctrine I deliver and that you would hear with that seriousness and diligent attention as those should do that do believe you must give an account to God at the Great day for what you hear and how you do obey it I charge you therefore in the name of the great eternal God whose Truths I do declare unto you that you do not hence-forward hope for deliverance from Hell and wrath to come though Christ hath died except you do believe â—n him become new creatures forsake your sâ—n be sanctified and made holy and love him above all and count all things but dross in comparison of the excellency of Jesus Christ that you do not continue drunkards and yet hope you shall be saved that you do not continue to love your sins and the world more than Christ or remain unholy and unconverted and yet think or hope that Christs death shall save your Souls If you do and if you will still so do let God be witness for me and let all those that fear God in the Congregation be witnesses for me and let the consciences of these Captives themselves be witnesses for me that I have plainly from the Word of God given warning to you that you do not perish by this deceit bear witness that I do declare that those thaâ— have been Drunkards Swearers Profane Lyars Hypocrites if they do repent and turn become holy and believing persons they may they shall be saved by the death of Christ but if they shall continue still in sin and live and die such a crucified Christ will not save you let beâ—ieving Parents bear me witness against their wicked and ungodly children and believing children against their ungodly parents Let believing Husbands bear me witness against their unbelieving Wives and believing Wives against their unbelieving Husbands Let believing Masters bear me witness against their unbelieving Servants and believing Servants against their unbelieving Masters that all without exception and respect of persons having not repentancâ— for sin nor faith in Christ that are not holy nor converted before they die shall be eternally damned and perish in their bonds and fetters though Christ hath died to redeem and save holy humble repenting and believing sinners Alas poor captive Sinners what will you do and whither will you go when this Redeemer shall come to judgment when all shall be raised out of their graves and stand before the bar of God to whom will you appeal and from whom will you expect mercy and salvation methinks I hear these prisoners at the bar crying begging pleading Lord Jesus save us Lord Jesus open unto us Lord Jesus now glorifie us with thy self save us Oh save us now from yonder place of torment from yonder flaming fire from yonder Lake of burning brimstone I Oh send us not down to yonder dreadful place for we trusted in thy merits and hoped to be saved because thou hadst died Methinks I hear Jesus the Judg reply to the prisoners at the bar No oh no there is no room for you in Heaven there is no entrance for ungodly men into the holy place there is no mansion for any such in the Kingdom of my Father who bid you trust to me for mercy without believing on me who bid you hope for Heaven because that I was crucified without holiness and repentance Had you any warrant from me in my word so to do or did my Ministers whom I did send unto you tell you from me that you may be saved by my death though you did not repent believe nor were converted did they which is he what is his name Lo here they stand point him unto me that did preach such Doctrine to you My Ministers come forth what do you say against the prisoners at the bar Lord we told them in thy name that there was a ransome paid for captives by thy blessed self and that thou wast willing they should have the everlasting benefit thereof and we did study for them pray for them and preach unto them thy sufferings and thy death for sinners and did beg and intreat them to come unto thee and when we did not prevail one day we did prepare and preach the next and so we did continue to do as long as they lived and till thou didst call us from that work by death But did you ever tell them that they should be saved by my death though they continued in their sins though they had no faith in me though they were not sanctified nor converted Oh no our blessed Lord we never did we never did there they stand before thee they cannot say we ever did preach such Doctrine to them but on the contrary we told them from thy word which we made the rule and matter of our Sermons and turned them to the places where thou hast said without holiness they should not see thy face with comfort Heb. 12. 14. We bid them turn to Mar. 16. 16. where thou toldst them thy self that he that believed not should be damned and to many more such declarations of thy mind to sinners Lord there stands one that did use to hear me and he can not deny it and there stands another that was used to hear me and turned to the Chapter and the Verse and turned it down as if he would have observed what thou hast declared Lord there he stands he cannot deny it yea Lord here is a whole cluster of them stand together that were wont to hear me and there is not one amongst them all that can deny but they were told of what now they find and here are those that did believe on thee through our preaching of thy Word that can say and witness for us that we told them of the necessity of converting grace and faith in thee In the same Sermon that we preached that thou didst die for sinners we also told them that they must take thee for their Lord and obey thy Laws and resign their hearts and wills and love and all to thee but they would not do it but they never did it this is the evidence that we give against the prisoners
howl and fruitlesly lament their woful state and their irrecoverably-lost-happiness 3. Death to the Lords Free-men is the gate to glory and their passage and entrance into eternal life It is the opening of the door to let them into their Fathers house a Messenger sent by God to fetch them into the presence of their God and Redeemer to live and reign and dwell with him for ever that their freedom here begun might be consummated and perfected in heaven In that very day they dye they are admitted as free Citizens of the glorious Kingdom of God Luk. 16. 22. 4. Death to the Lords Free-men shall come in the best time All men dye in Gods time whenever he appointeth but the redeemed by Christ shall dye in the best time when their work is done and when God seeth it is better for them to dye than to live God takes the best time and fittest season for the removing of his by death out of the world But the wicked slaves of sin and Satan are cut off in a bad time when-ever they dye it is a bad time to them because whenever it is they go that day to hell and to eternal torments the day of their dissolution is the day of their damnation and will not that be the saddest day they ever had they dye before their work is done before they have believed and before they have repented and that must be a sad day when-ever it comes Men cut down Weeds at any time but the Corn in the best time in the fittest season when it is ripe to be carried into the barn 5. Death to the Lords freemen hath lost its terribleness And though all Gods redeemed are not actually and totally freed from the fears of death but sometimes kept in bondage through the fears of death yet they have grounds and reasons why they might not fear it But the Devils Captives have always cause and reason to be terribly afraid of death and if they be not it ariseth from the blindness of their minds and the hardness of their hearts It is a wonder that men should be as near to hell as to the grave and yet not be afraid to dye It is a wonder that men should be as near to an endless miserable life as they are to the end of this short uncertain life and yet their fears should not prevent their sleeping in the night and their jovial merriments in the day-time The Devil hath blinded them as well as bound them and that is one reason of it But these cannot upon any solid rational and religious grounds be freed from the fears of death But so may the Lords freemen and this they have from and through Jesus Christ Heb. 2. 14 15. 5. Christ will set believers free from the grave by a joyful resurrection that though they come under the stroke and power of death and are lodged in the grave for a while yet it shall be but for a while Death and the grave shall not always have dominion over their body Death doth bind them but Christ will loose these bonds and will set them free as Christ did break the bonds of death for death was not able to hold him in his grave Act. 2. 24. So he will knock off the fetters of death from all his and bring them forth and make them happy and this as surely as he himself is risen 1 Cor. 15. 13 c. And not only free them out of the grave but also from those evils and imperfections that in this life their bodies are subject to that though they shall have the same bodies for substance that now they have yet they shall be better bodies as to the qualities that they then shall have 1. Then Christ will free them from that mortality that now they are subject to now liable to death every day and hour but then they shall dye no more for ever 2. Then Christ shall free them from all pain and sickness from cold and hunger and thirst they are now often sensible of their head shall never ake their hearts shall never be sick no part in the least pained to all eternity 3. Then Christ shall free them from a necessity of food to sustain them and of nourishment from the use of creatures by which they are repaired and supported daily on this side the grave but on the other side of the grave they shall need this no more than the Angels do in heaven 4. Then Christ shall free them from that weariness that now our bodies often feel and do groan under for he will make them strong and powerful bodies Now-a-days work in the service of God doth weary our bodies but hereafter though they shall be imployed through an endless eternity in praising and glorifying of God they shall neither be weary of it through wickedness nor weary in it through weakness for as much as Christ will free them from both 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. 5. Christ will then so free them from all imperfections that they shall be made like to Christs glorious body And can we desire greater freedom for our bodies than to be made like to Christs glorious body Phil. 3. 21. 6. Christ doth free all his from the damnation of hell that when the Devil 's Captives shall be pained and tormented by exquisite and unspeakable punishment rowling and tumbling shrieking and howling and with bitter cries lamenting themselves the redeemed of Christ shall never be touched with the flames of that fire the second death shall have no power over them Rev. 20. 6. Christ will take care that those that love him above all and chuse him before all shall never come into condemnation Joh. 3. 16 18. Oh what mercy is this to be freed from hell Oh what grace and kindness is this to those that once were Captives and had deserved it and were in danger of it that by Christ they should be freed and delivered from it Oh what mercy would the damned that have felt the pains and punishment of hell think say and confess it to be if they may be let out and freed from it But they are in it and shall never be delivered from it but the Lords free-men are out of it and shall never be cast into it so great is the liberty we have by Christ the Redeemer of Captives in respect of what we are freed from What are the positive blessings that by Christ we are made free unto For Christ did come to poor sinners to redeem them when Captives not only that they should not be miserable but that they should also be happy These things are many and great and glorious let me give you a taste in these few 1. By Christ believers have freedom and liberty to come to the throne of Grace A burden to wicked graceless hearts it is to come and pray to God are backward to it weary of it as if it were a part of their slavery and bondage to come and beg for mercy for
their souls for pardon for their sin for converting and renewing grace now and for eternal endless glory hereafter Judg of this as you will yet know it cost Christ dear to purchase this liberty for us it is not only a duty that we must but it is a real priviledg that we may have the freedom to come to God upon our knees to beg for special spiritual temporal and eternal mercies Would not a poor prisoner that hath deserved to dye account it a priviledg to have liberty as oft as he will and when he will to have liberty of access unto the King to prefer his petitions to him and to beg for a pardon of his fact and for the saving of his life and all this with hopes of speeding and obtaining what he doth petition for When man had sinned he was driven out of Paradise and was afraid because of guilt and there was no freedom for the rebellious sinner without Christ to come before a provoked angry God with hopes of mercy but there is a new and living way now found out for you Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. that you might come with freedom and ask with freedom of spirit and with freedom of speech what Christ hath purchased for you and God hath promised to you Eph. 3. 12. Heb. 4. 16. You may with freedom come to God and tell him all your grievances and all your burdens and all your temptations and all your wants and open all your heart unto him 2. By Christ believers have a freedom and a liberty to apply the promises of the Gospel to themselves These promises are many great and precious promises of many great and precious things and you are free to them all not only free to read them but free to apply them to your selves and to live upon them and to wait and hope for the fulfilling and performance of them Here is a promise of pardon and it is made to me a promise of more grace and of perseverance and it is made to me a promise of eternal life and glory and the blessed glorious God hath made it unto me and by Christ I may freely apply it and build and rest upon it 3. By Christ we are made free to all the priviledges of redeemed people These are also many great and precious very many very great and very precious priviledges 1. Believers by Christ are free to a state of friendship and favour with God As there is a a freedom betwixt friends so there is betwixt God and his redeemed by Christ that are partakers of the benefits of his redemption from a state of enmity to a state of friendship and reconciliation God is no more your enemy nor you any longer enemies to God a peace is made by Christ betwixt God and your souls and this is a firm and lasting an everlasting peace Col. 1. 20 21. Now with comfort thou may'st conclude though men do hate me yet God doth love me though men are my enemies yet God is my friend my surest and my fastest friend 2. By Christ Believers are free to a state of Justification the righteousness of Christ is freely imputed to them That as the Devils Captives are under the imputation of Adam's disobedience so the Lords freemen are under the imputation of Christs righteousness and obedience Rom. 5. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21 and you are free to trust to and to plead the righteousness of Christ for your Justification in the sight of God 3. By Christ believers are made free to a state of Sonship and the priviledg of Adoption Of Slaves you are become not only Servants out Sons of the children of the Devil are become the children of God of the children of Gods wrath the children of his love Men may redeem Captives but do not adopt them for their children but all that Christ redeems have the liberty to become the Sons of God Joh. 1. 12. 2 Cor. 6. latter end 4. By Christ believers are free to have communion with God in his Ordinances God is no longer a stranger to them nor they any longer strangers unto God but have sweet converse and fellowship with God 1 Joh. 1. 3. They come to duty and meet with God in duty in praying hearing and receiving they have experience of the gracious powerful and heart-quickening and soul-comforting chearing softning influences of the Spirit of God and of the goings forth of their Souls in love unto desires after and delight in God And when it is so how sweet is this unto their Souls 5. By Christ believers are free to a right to heaven and to the enjoyment of the blessed glorious God for ever in his Kingdom They are made free to the happiness of the life to come they shall have free admission into the heavenly Paradise the gates of heaven shall be set wide open for their departing Souls freely without any stop or hinderance they are free in part now and they shall be perfectly free among the Saints in glory when they dye Rom. 8. 21. This glory is prepared for them Mat. 25. 34 and they are prepared for it Rom. 9. 23. Col. 1. 12. And what shall be your happiness then is beyond the power and ability of any man upon earth fully to declare unto you 1 Cor. 2. 8. It might be better done by a glorious Angel that is in possession of it than by a sinful though sanctified man that lives and waits and hopes and prayeth in expectation of it Yet the very names by which it is called might help you to some conceptions of the greatness of its excellency and glory 1 It is called a Crown and that which far surpasseth all earthly Crowns 1 Pet. 1. 4 5 a Crown of life Jam. 1. 12 a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8 a Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. 2 It is called a Kingdom Mat. 25. 34. 3 It is called our Masters joy Mat. 25. 21 23. 4 It is called our Fathers house and the house of the Father of our Lord Jesus Joh. 14. 2. 5 It is called the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. 6 It is the purchase of Christ Eph. 1. 14. 7 It is called eternal life Rom. 6. 23. Besides these names by which it is called dwell in your thoughts upon one Text that sets it forth till you find your hearts to be affected with it and long to be possessed of it and that is 2 Cor. 4. 17 where you observe how the Apostle proceeds by steps to come to the top-expression of this happiness to which you are made free 1. It is called glory Now free in grace then in glory The thought of that glory would darken and disgrace the greatest glory of this world 2. It is called a weight of glory not a burdensom weight not a weight to weary you are your afflictions weighty so shall your glory be but afflictions are but light if compared to the weight of glory 3. It is an exceeding weight of glory