daub and flatter and heal the Wound slightly Some preach up a few dead Ceremonies cry up the Church the Church but do not preach Jesus Christ Regeneration Sanctification and Salvation by the Blood Death and Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ God owns not such Preachers but mark those Ministers that preach Christ and free-Grace not free-Will such Preachers as go to the quick Acts 2.37 Keep close to the Duty of hearing the Word preached if you slight the Ministry you will never come to Christ When you are to change your Relation or Habitation be sure to chuse and prefer Ordinances for your Souls go live under a godly Ministry hear constantly now and then or on a Lord's Day is not enough but in the Morning sow your Seed in the Evening withhold not your Hand for who knows which shall prosper this or that Object What if Ministers will not preach twice a Day Answ Such as know the worth of their own and Peoples Souls will be instant in season and out of season O if that Scripture were but writ upon Ministers Hearts it would make them vigilant for God Ezech. 3.17 and tremble for fear they should be found guilty of the blood of Souls I promised you a Fifth Vse viz. of Consolation to shew you the sweet happy blessed State such are in who are in Christ but I have already exceeded the bounds of a Sermon and therefore all I shall say is that of the Apostle which gives you an account of that happy sweet blessed Condition every Man and Woman in the World are in that are come to Christ Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus FINIS An Hymn of Praise to God the Father magnifying his Love for giving us a Saviour as Psal 148. 1. YE Holy Angels bright That wait about God's Throne Enjoying fullest sight Of that Eternal One God's Praises sing Who hath from Heaven a Saviour given Jesus our King 2. You blessed Souls Above Who see your Saviour's Face Praise God for his great Love And his redeeming Grace Whereby you are Set quite and clean from Sin and Fear By your Saviour 3. You blessed Saints him praise That yet below are found Let Sion's Sons always His Holy Praises sound Yea all the Earth To this Great King high Praises sing With sweetest Mirth 4. My thankful Soul adore This Glorious Majesty Triumph thou evermore In this great God most High To him draw nigh And evermore his Name adore Eternally An HYMN of Praise to Christ our Redeemer I. WHat Love profound in Christ is found To Adam's lapsed Race That God's dear Son should Man become O freest richest Grace Ye Angels blest and Souls at rest Wonder how this could be That God most High for Love should dye Upon a cursed Tree II. When Man for Sin was almost in Easeless and endless Woe And very near Eternal Fire God's flaming Wrath also He for our sake did undertake To bear God's fiercest Wrath And all the Sin that we were in To expiate by his Death III. Adore adore for evermore Thy Saviour's precious Blood Sing Songs of Praise to him always Who ever do's thee good Do thou still hate and ' bominate Sin which caus'd him to dye Your Voices raise in Songs of Praise To him Eternally An HYMN of Praise for the Gospel offering CHRIST I. OUr Souls with Joy do magnify Jehovah our Great King Because the Lord gives us his Word We praise him for this thing While thousands yet in Darkness sit Having no Gospel Light Our dearest Lord doth us afford Sweet Visions clear and bright II. Lord we will praise thy Name always For Gospel-Light now given And humbly pray that thy Word may Raise up our Hearts to Heaven In this same Hour some quickning Power In thy Word let us find O cause encrease of Light and Peace In our Sin-darkned Mind III. Our Hearts unvail our Eyes unscale To see our selves this Day What need we have of Christ to save A Christ to us display While in this Glass of Gospel-Grace God's Glory we do view Lord from above shed down thy Love Our Souls in Grace renue The Believers Groans for Sion's Deliverance As Psalm 148. I. O Blessed Jesus who Here once was crucifi'd Thy sacred Blood did flow Wherewith the Earth was dy'd And still each day Thy blessed Name doth suffer Shame Lord Come away II. Thy Gospel is abus'd By that licentious Train Thy Prophets are misus'd Thy Threats esteemed vain But Lord how long Will 't be e're Thou holy and true Avenge this Wrong III. Thy Saints and Servants here Accounted are as mad Their Hearts are fill'd with Fear While wicked Men are glad Save thine Elect That night and Day to Thee do pray To that Effect IV. The bloody Sword abroad Drinks Blood abundantly But when wilt thou O Lord Hear Sion's mournful Cry Hasten therefore That time of Peace when Wars shall cease For evermore V. Let Babel that proud Whore Sink into deep Distress That Sion never more She may at all oppress Charge her with Guilt And that because her bloody Laws Much Blood hath spilt VI. Thy Saints rebuke O Lord Be pleas'd to wipe away And speedily afford Thy Church that glorious Day When none shall more Hurt or destroy or her anoy For evermore VII The Wicked cloath with Shame Trample on that proud Race That will not know thy Name But still despise thy Grace But Lord display Here every-where thy holy Fear We humbly pray VIII Let that bright Morning spring Let Christ that Sun appear With Healing in his Wing On all that thy Name fear That all the Earth May sing with Joy continually In Sacred Mirth IX That Evening of the Day When Sion shall have Light For it we long and pray O let her Sun shine bright And those sweet Streams Of Truth 's Divine Lord let them shine With brightest Beams X. Let Christ ascend his Throne And reign for evermore Let him be King alone Let Nations him adore Bright Day appear When Christ shall reign and his sweet Name Be own'd each where XI That Covering Lord remove From Abram's sinful Race Look on them from above Grant them converting Grace Thy Spiritual Pow'r That so they may mourn look and pray To their Saviour XII A time is drawing near When Earth's most utmost Coasts The Lord's great Name shall fear And in him make their Boasts Lord come away Begin thy Work on Pope and Turk Why dost thou stay XIII Let Satan that proud Foe Be bound by thy strong Arm Confin'd in Hell below Thy Church no more to harm That every Nation May own thy Name and all may claim Thy sweet Salvation XIV Reclaim Mens Lusts and Wrath Make Earth a holy place Let Gospel-Light break forth Lord shew thy pleased Face Thy Sion-Hill Each day increase her Light and Peace Her Joys fulfil XV. Let Ordinances be Refin'd from Dross and Tin Let All Salvation see O let that Day begin When evermore That Sun shall shine and all combine Christ to adore FINIS THE POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER NEver did God shew greater Love to the Sons of Men than when he gave the Son of his Love to die for the Sins of Men yet too many give away their Souls for nothing and tho they will not now fear for Love in the Day of Grace shall hereafter tremble for fear in the Day of Wrath and know when too late how much Prevention is better than Confusion And thou that wilt not now come to Christ by saving Faith in the Day of his Love to receive him with his Merits and Mercies to thy eternal Consolation shalt hereafter be brought to him in the day of Anger to thy eternal Damnation Now to do the one and to avoid the other remember thou art but a Pilgrim and Stranger here and that the great and chief End of Man is to glorify God and save his own Soul That thou may'st do this be admonished carefully to pursue conscientiously to peruse and constantly to practise what is contained in this Enchiridion or Pocket-Companion The Author thereof thou mayst see at the beginning His Qualifications in the Sermon wherein are many sweet sacred and Soul-saving Truths contained delivered by the Author in the Parish-Church of Potters Pury in the County of Northampton May the Wisdom of Heaven be opened and distill down such heavenly refreshing Dews upon these sweet and sacred Truths that they may make a deep Impression upon our Hearts and be seated and setled in our Minds and become fruitful in our Lives to the Honour of God the Joy of the Author and to the present Comfort future and eternal Happiness of the Hearers To conclude That thou mayst hereby know how to put off the Old Man and to put on the New Man Christ Jesus and so be made partaker of the Divine Nature and at last come to have the full Fruition of him in Glory is the earnest Desire and Prayer of Thy Friend and Servant in the Lord J. N. Minister of the Gospel at Potters Pury aforesaid Perlege Vive Vale. ADVERTISEMENT NEwly printed the Midnight-Cry a Sermon on the Parable of the Ten Virgins by J. Mason Rector of W. in the County of Bucks The second Edition with Addition of two Poems for the Coming of Christ by the same Author
THE BEST MATCH OR The Believer's Marriage with Christ A SERMON On the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son Mat. 22.1 2 c. Preached at Potters Pury in Northamptonshire September the 29th 1690. By MICHAEL HARRISON Minister of Casfield in Bucks To which is added four Hymns I. An Hymn of Praises to God for giving Christ II. To Christ for redeeming us III. To God for the Gospel IV. The Believer's Groans for Sion's Deliverance I Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not Son of God hath not Life London Printed for Nathanael Ranew at the King's-Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1691. THE PREFACE THIS Heavenly Sermon invites Souls to come to Christ that Spiritual Feast that best of Feasts costly to the Provider free to the Comer Christ was crucified to make a Feast for us but it crucifies him afresh that many who are affectionately invited will not come They will be starv'd before they will come to this Feast They will be damn'd before they will come to Christ Alas that they should perish when Life is so near But they that do come find by blessed Experience that his Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood Drink indeed There is 1. Calling 2. Coming 3. Vnion 4. Communion Calling is twofold Outward Inward Outward Calling is by the Gospel and Gospel-Ministry Inward Calling is twofold Ineffectual Effectual The inward ineffectual Call leaves the Soul in worse state than it found it The quenching of the Sparks of Heaven is the kindling the Flames of Hell And they fall deepest into Hell that fall backwards into Hell The inward effectual Calling is when a Soul comes to Christ that is believing Joh. 6.35 This Coming or believing determins effectual Calling and begins Vnion This Vnion is the ground of Communion which on the Soul's part is a partaking of all such spiritual good things as are purchased by the Blood of Christ for Believers There is nothing that the corrupt Nature of Man is more averse to than Christ and Faith in Christ There are no Quarrels commenc'd by the World Flesh and Devil against any Grace so much as against justifying Faith nor against any Ordinance so much as that which Faith comes by which is the sound and plain preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10.17 Through Self-Fulness and Spiritual Distempers it comes to pass that there is no Appetite in the Soul after Christ but this Spirital Feast is loathed By others Christ is respected only as a remote cause of Salvation They will not allow Justification by Faith in Christ's Blood without the Deeds of the Law they will not come to Christ unless they can make him a Present As if it were not enough to be Joynt-Heirs with Christ unless they might be Joynt-Purchasers also But the Word saith Come for all things are now ready i. e. in Christ Luk. 14.17 Come without Money and without Price Isa 55.1 Only Come Q. Is not this presuming A. Nothing is more contrary to Presumption that this For 1. It is the greatest piece of Self-denial There is no Humility like Faith 2. It is taking the Lord at his Word Obj. This believing is a slight matter Answ It is a senseless and a vile Objection And to speak as the truth is People do but trifle in Soul-matters till they are effectually humbled and chastised by the Spirit of Bondage It is a great thing for a Man with the Heart to believe unto Righteousness Such a poor Creature is made first to know himself to be a very miserable lost undone helpless sinking perishing Wretch and so to know himself as to abhor himself and so to abhor himself as to deny himself and so to deny himself as to cast himself into the saving Arms of an only Saviour which were stretched upon the Cross and are spread wide open in the Promises of the Gospel to embrace any wretched Sinner as will fall into them This is done by Divine Light and Power The Spirit convinces the Father draws And Oh how the Soul cries pants yearns after Christ O nothing but Christ Nothing but Christ It can never be satisfied till it come into that blessed Bosom where the weary are at rest This breeds Repentance secures Obedience The Repentance is evangelical that Obedience filial The Terrors of the Law break the Heart into hard pieces the Love of Christ melts it and makes it flow like Water And the Soul that hath learned Christ to be her Righteousness finds him to be her Strength also Isa 45.24 In a word Christ is all He hath done all he hath suffered all and he must have the Glory of every part of our Salvation God will have his Son honoured Sinners Sinners Come to Christ Know that there is no Salvation but by Christ neither is there any Salvation by Christ but in Christ Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation Isa 45.17 Let nothing come between the Graff and the Stock Touch close upon the Foundation Let the whole weight of your Salvation lie upon that Foundation which God hath laid and not Man You are lost and undone come as such to Christ Come to a Saviour as to a Saviour he will receive you joyfully Will you not come O Come confess your Sins and that you are guilty to Vnexcusableness O Lord I cannot answer for what I have done I cannot bear what I have deserved But I appeal to the Blood of Christ Thy Justice might be glorified in mine eternal Destruction but it could never be satisfied but the Blood of Christ hath both glorified and satisfied thy Justice O let Christ's Blood go for mine Oh sprinkle my Conscience with the Blood of Christ Lie in Dust and Ashes and cry for the Blood of Sprinkling O Lord revive among us the Doctrine of free Grace the work of Conversion the Power of Religion and the Spirit of Brotherly-Kindness and Charity And now may we see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filling the Temple Now let him be exalted and extolled and be very high Now let him be great to the Ends of the Earth And blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who only doth wonderous things And blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen The Author's Advertisment to the Reader THe Reader is desired to take notice that the following Sermon was preached to a Country-Congregation without the least design of ever being made publick But some of the then Hearers being very earnest for a Copy of the Author's Notes with leave to print it the Author who was at first unwilling having no desire to be seen in Print yet at last condescended to give a Copy leaving it to their choice whether to make it publick or no. The Subject is Christ the very Subject of the Gospel If the Lord please to bless it to win over any Souls to
Great God of Heaven Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World as to give his only Begotten Son to die Christ indeed is the Redeemer by whom we are saved from Wrath to come 't is by him that we have Redemption Ephes 1. But this way of Salvation was of the Father's Contrivance he calls Christ forth and employs him in the great work of Redemption Isa 49.5 And now saith the Lord that formed me from the Womb to be his Servant to bring Jacob again to him These are the words of Christ * Hoc capite continetur Prophetia de Officio Christi Piscator wherein he shews that the glorious Work of Redemption and bringing back the Elect to God was a Work to which he was called and fitted by the Father And therefore the Work of Redemption is sometimes attributed to the Father Col. 1.12 13. Giving Thanks to the Father c. And you and I should be much in adoring the Infinite Goodness and free Mercy of God that hath remembred us in our low Estate because his Mercy endureth for ever Psal 136.23 We were sinking into Hell and eternal Perdition had not the Father pitied us and contrived our Salvation we had perished without remedy for ever Look upon that new and living way to the Father by Christ and see the Father's eternal Love in it 2 Cor. 5.18 19. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath committed unto us the Ministry of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself O I beseech you adore admire and sing the Father's Praise for giving you a Christ Q. Secondly What is it God freely offers us A. It is the Lord Jesus Christ And this may be matter of Wonderment to Men and Angels that God should give us his Son one who was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Him who was the Brightness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies more than Brightness even such a Brightness as hath a lustre cast upon it from some other thing Sicut Sol radios ex sua substantia gignit sic Pater ab eterno ex sua substantia Filium genuit Critica Sacra of his Father's Glory and the express Image †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Character figura idem of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power Him who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and was and is to come the Almighty Rev. 1.8 A Lord of Lords and King of Kings Revelat. 17.14 The Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 The only Begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 Him in whom all Fulness dwells Col. 1.19 Him who is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 11. altogether lovely ver 15. A glorious infinitely compleat Person search Heaven and Earth none can be found like Christ But to illustrate this Greatness of God's Love in giving Christ let us consider by what Notions and in what Relations Jesus Christ is held out to us 1. Jesus Christ is a Redeemer and as such he is offered us Isa 59.20 The Redeemer shall come to Zion Ephes 1.7 We have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins Now Christ's being a Redeemer intimates two things to us 1. That we are by Nature in a State of Bondage if it were not so we should not need a Redeemer one that is already free needs not one to make him free And hence it is that the Carnal World sets so light by Christ and all the Offers of his Grace because they are not sensible of their Bondage and Slavery Now by Nature we are Slaves to Sin 2 Pet. 2.19 They are the Servants of Corruption Tit. 3.3 serving divers Lusts and Pleasures And not only so but we are the Devil's Slaves Ephes 2.2 wherein in time past ye â—alked 2. The Consideration of Christ as a Redeemer intimates to us that there was a Price paid to redeem lost Man from the Slavery of Sin and Satan and this was the Blood of Christ the Redeemer 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot Now Christ is offered to you to be your Redeemer from Hell and Wrath. But who amongst you are willing to receive him to come to him It may be you will say We are all willing to have Christ our Redeemer No no there 's none willing but only such as are sensible of their Slavery The poor Sinner that finds himself bound with the Chains of Sin led by Satan Captive at his Will and so ready to drop into Hell O for a Redeemer for such a poor Soul such a Soul will cry and beg for Christ 2. Christ is a Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and this shews us that faln Man can have no Access to God immediately by himself there is so great a breach between God and him Psal 7.11 God is angry with the Wicked every day Let a Man in an unregenerate Estate do what he will God is angry with him If thou art out of Christ while thou eatest sleepest walkest yea when thou prayest God is angry with thee the Sacrifice of the Wicked is abominable to him Thou canst not come near him he is a consuming Fire Therefore we must have a Mediator a middle Person to reconcile an offended God and a rebellious Sinner to take up the Quarrel between God and Man Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my Strength that he may make Peace with me and he shall make Peace with me No way to make Peace with God but by Christ Ephes 2.14 He is our Peace Now who will have Christ a Mediator None but those that are sensible of the Breach that Sin has made between God and their Souls 3. Jesus Christ is a Saviour and as such he is offered to us Luke 2.10 11. Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Joy which shall be unto all People For unto you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Now this supposes we were all by Nature lost otherwise no need of a Saviour Mat. 18.11 Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost Sinner dost thou see thy self lost dost thou see thy need of Christ a Saviour then a Saviour will be welcome this is sweet News to a poor lost Soul that sees he is undone by Sin 4. Jesus Christ is an Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 If any Man sin i. e. any of the Elect and of those that Christ died for he did not die for all but for the Elect only we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And he is not only an Advocate but an Intercessor Isa 53.12 Now this supposes that we were accused to the Father if we
and there pronounceth Sentence of Condemnation against him and there leaves him in the Hands of Justice to expect the Execution of that fearful Sentence Go ye cursed Matth. 25.41 The Law gives no ground of hope to a poor Sinner to expect Salvation But now the Gospel that brings the glad-tidings of a Saviour Luk. 2.10 Behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy which shall be unto all People For to you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. As if the Angel had said Come you that are under the Curse and fiery Sentence of the Law do not despair the great God hath in infinite Mercy contrived a way to save you from your Sins and Fears there 's a Saviour born for you who is able and willing to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him This blessed News of a Saviour was reserved for Gospel-Times in a great measure 2 Tim. 1.10 Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel And therefore this is the very business of a Gospel-Ministry to preach Christ to Men and to invite Persons to come to Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Ambassadors for Christ we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God And that great Apostle Paul who had well considered what he was to preach sums up the whole of his Ministerial Office in a little compass 1 Cor. 2.2 I resolved to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified i. e. I had no purpose to teach any other Doctrine than the most necessary and only saying Doctrine the way of Salvation by a crucified Christ For indeed this is the only saving Knowledg as in that Saying †Si Christum discis satis est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis If thou knowest Jesus Christ well 't is enough tho thou art ignorant of all other things but if a Man know not Jesus Christ all other knowledg will do him no good Accursed then be that Platonical way of Preaching that cries up Vertues and puts People upon legal Performances but hides from People the Pearl Jesus Christ O bless God for the Gospel and for a Gospel-Ministry and hear those Ministers that preach Jesus Christ Were it not for the Gospel and a Gospel-Ministry wherein would England differ from America Q. To whom doth God freely offer Christ in the Gospel A. 1. Jesus Christ is not offered to faln Angels they are in a fearful State inevitably sentenc'd to Perdition God could have recovered them if he had pleased Jesus Christ might have been their Saviour and not ours They are a nobler Order of Creatures than we but it seemed good to the Wisdom of God to pass them by when they turned their backs on God he let them go Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels or he took not hold of Angels but the Seed of Abraham 2. The Jews who had the first offers of the Gospel but refused are by the alwise God for the present passed by he has withdrawn his Offers from them and left them at present to sit in Darkness and in the Regions of the shadow of Death There is indeed a time when the blindness shall be plucked from off their Hearts and they turned to the Lord they shall be converted Rom. 11. tot Zac. 12.10 O let us beg that God would hasten it 3. There 's abundance of the Gentile World yet sit in darkness and in the Regions of the shadow of Death that never yet had the Gospel preached to them O what vast Countries are there in the East and West Indies that never heard of a Saviour that never had any Books to read but the Creatures Sun Moon and Stars these we should pity and pray for their Conversion 'T is a dreadful case not to have the Gospel Lord send out thy Light and Truth Psal 43.3 There is a day when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in as may be seen by well considering these Scriptures Isa 49.6 Isa 61. throughout This will be then a golden time when Jews and Gentiles shall be converted and the Earth filled with the Knowledg of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea O beg and pray for such a time that Jesus Christ may be glorified upon Earth as he is in Heaven 4. There are abundance even in the Christian Church that are baptized and called Christians and make some kind of a profession of Religion that have so often and so long resisted the saving Offers of Christ in the Gospel and trampled on that sweet and blessed Blood of Jesus that Jesus Christ has done with them He has sworn in his Wrath that they shall never enter into his rest Heb. 3.11 O it 's dreadful for a Person to outstand his Day of Grace Be afraid Sinner lest it should be thy case if Jesus Christ should say I have done with that Swearer I 've done with this Drunkard with that Worldly Proud scoffing carnal Wretch I 've oft invited him warned him but to no purpose I have done with him he shall never be call'd more for me These indeed have Christ offered in the Word but the Spirit is gone God saith of these as once he did of Ephraim Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone this is a dreadful case Of such as these the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame This is a hard Scripture and doth much stumble some weak but upright Christians therefore I 'le anatomize it to you * Locus perobscurus difficilis unus haud dubiè ex illis de quibus Petrus dixit quaedam esse in Epistolis Paulinis quae homines indocti instabiles Pervertant suo ipsorum exitio 1. Some as Novatus and his Followers from this Scripture broached his pernicious Opinion That those that sinned after Baptism could not be renewed to Repentance But this Opinion is long ago out of doors 2. Others would hence infer the falling away from Grace taking these Expressions to be once enlightned to taste the heavenly Gift to taste the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come to intimate a sound Work of Conversion and Regeneration but that cannot be the sense because true Grace and the Seed of Regeneration can never be lost neither can a Person in Christ finally fall away from Christ as appears from that one Text which I shall now only name among many others to that purpose 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth
before he will come to Christ People cry out against spiritual lively quick preaching but why O this drives People to Despair There 's two sorts of Despair 1. To despair of getting to Heaven in a state of Sin while a Man is unregenerate unsanctified and truly such a Despair as this we do preach I tell you from the Lord Jesus Christ that every one of you living and dying in a Christ-less State you will be as surely damned as if you were in Hell already Joh. 3.3 Except you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. There 's another kind of Despair and that is when Men despair of ever obtaining Mercy tho they do repent and leave their Sins We do not preach any such Despair as this But on the contrary do all we can to draw and to encourage Men to come to Christ with an assurance of Pardon Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. There 's the Instrumental Cause of this blessed Work upon the Soul and that is the Word of God Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God If you would be drawn to Christ wait upon a Gospel-Ministry 4. There is the Efficient of this Heavenly Work the blessed and holy Spirit of God Ephes 2.8 Faith is the Gift of God The holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 because the Spirit by the Word can draw a Soul to Christ Therefore wait on the Ministry but beg as the Church doth the Drawings of the Spirit Cant. 1.4 Draw me 5. Here is the Terminus à quo or what a Man flies from in the day when he thus comes to Jesus Christ 1. He flies from Sin Now the Wicked forsakes his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts Isa 55.7 Now is the time when a Man hath right Apprehensions of the hellish destructive nature of Sin he sees Sin now to be worse than Plague Famine Sword or any Temporal Evils and therefore flies from it as Lot out of Sodom or the Jews out of Egypt he hastens now as for his Life to cleanse his Hand and his Heart from all Pollution both of Flesh and Spirit now Sin appears what it is in it self he flies from Heart-Sins secret Sins vain Thoughts as well as open Sins Psal 119.113 Psal 139.23 2. He flies from himself Whatever high Thoughts he might have of himself formerly he now sees himself one of the filthiest and loathsomest Creatures under Heaven and this especially in the Vileness of his Heart and Nature by reason of that Fountain of Original Sin and Corruption which is in him he now sees the Plague of his Heart 1 Kings 8.38 And hence he now loaths himself condemns and judges himself in the sight of God Rom. 7.28 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death 6. Here is the Terminus ad quem that to which the poor awakened Sinner flies and that is to Jesus Christ Indeed Faith in general looks to the whole Word of God and believes whatever is revealed therein to be true upon the Divine Authority of the Word it self yielding hearty Obedience to every Command trembling at the Threatnings Isa 57.15 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser ego homo infelix ego homo Montan. Aerumnosus ego homo Beza Ah me miserum quis me liberabit ab hac dira servitute It signifies one that is wearied with troublesome and continual Combats like as a Champion striving a long time is like a last to be overcome 't is the Voice of one breathing after Deliverance Calv. But the principal and especial Act of saving Faith is a receiving Christ and a resting upon him alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life And altho this special Act of Faith as leaning resting hanging upon and trusting in Christ crucified be so much exploded in this corrupt Age by Men of corrupt Minds yet it is and ever will be a sweet and heavenly Truth prized by the Church of Christ more than all the World besides and clearly proved from the holy Word of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved So Ephes 1.13 In whom also ye trusted after that ye believed This leaning trusting resting upon Christ is the proper Act of justifying Faith and it hath three degrees Adherence Recompence Assurance 1. Adherence which singles out Christ and holds him and as it were by the hand of Faith takes him by the hand for the Stay and Support of the Soul The poor Sinner seeing his own Nothingness he flies to Christ hangs on him cleaves to him looks to him in every Strait when he has no-whither else to look nor none else to trust to 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do but our Eyes are unto thee 2. Recombence which is an acquiescence on Christ the Soul resolves to rest upon Christ let the Issue be what it will as Job Chap. 13.15 Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Or as Hester Ch. 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish So saith the Believer I will hang upon Christ's Skirts believe in him follow after him if I perish I perish tho he frown upon me I will not leave him tho he kill me yet will I trust in him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord wait patiently for him and he will bring it to pass 3d. Degree of Faith is the Faith of Assurance this is rare and but few Christians have it When the Spirit of God so shines in upon his own Work in the Soul as to inable a Christian to speak triumphingly with the Church Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his Or with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when this Earthly House is dissolved we have an House in Heaven Now poor complaining Soul thou hast not this Faith of Assurance yet if thou hast the Faith of Adherence and Recombence thy case is good Assurance is not essential to justifying Faith APPLICATION Is this so that God thus freely offers Jesus Christ to all that are willing to come to him then we shall make a fivefold Use of this Truth A Use of 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 4. Direction 5. Consolation I. Vse shall be of Information in six things 1. If this be so then this informs us of the desperate Madness and Folly of the greatest part of Men in the World who wilfully reject Jesus Christ thus freely offered in the Gospel Should you see a poor Maid begging her Bread from Door to Door cloathed in nasty Rags and ready to perish with Hunger and Cold and a great Prince should offer his Son in Marriage to