Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	month_n	year_n	13,715	5	5.5228	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

To you that believe Christ is precious And that word that Luke hath in his 7. chap. at the close That she to whom much was forgiven loved much Now lest this likewise should prove a discouragement to any I would only have you take notice of this that a Christian may be a believer and yet want the sensible discoveries of this that Christ is matchlesly precious to him but this is certain that when they are in the lively exercise of Faith it is impossible then for them not to esteem Christ matchless and I would speak this likewise to many who are here Have you not been living these ten years in Faith And I would pose you with this Esteem you not your Idols more matchless then Christ and more of worth then he It is impossible that there can be any lively exercise of faith and not esteem Christ matchless It is not to say it with your mouth and contradict it with your heart will do the business for if your heart could speak it would say I would sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver but mine idols would I sell at no rate Are there not many of you who love the world and its pleasures better then eternity of joy O! know you not that word O ye desperately ignorant of the truths of God! That he who loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him And yet notwithstanding of the light of the Word yet you would sell your immortal souls with Esau for a moss of pottage O! but it is a poor bargain when you have sold the eternity of joy for a passing world and for its transitory delights I would earnestly know what shal be your thoughts in that day when you shall be standing upon the utmost line betwixt time and eternity O! what will be your thoughts at that day But you are to follow on to endless pain by appearance and then you are to leave your idols I shall only desire that you may read the word Isai 10.3 What will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far To whom will ye flee for help And where will ye leave your glory You shall then preach mortification to the life though all the time of mortification shall be then cut off O but to hear a worldly minded man when eternity of pain is looking him in the face preach out concerning the vanity of this world might it not preswade you that the world is a fancy and a dream that shal flee away and shal leave you in the day of your greatest strait IV. And there is this fourth evidence of faith that a Christian who doth truly believe he is that Christian who entertaineth a divine jealousie and a holy suspition of himself whether or not he doth believe I love not that faith which is void of fear this was clear in the practice of believing Noah that though by faith he built the Ark yet he had fear mixed with his faith I know that there are some who are ignorant concerning this what it is to doubt concerning eternal peace and more it is not every one that doubteth that certainly shal get heaven fore I think an hypocrite may doubt concerning his eternal salvation however I think the exercise of an hypocrite under his doubtings it is more the exercise of his judgement then the exercise of his conscience And I may say that if all the exercise of the Law which is preached in these dayes were narrowly searched it would be more the exercise of light then the exercise of conscience We speak these things as our doubt which was never our exercise and we make these things our publick exercise which was never our private and chamber-exercise And I think that if all that a Christian did speak to God in prayer were his exercise he would speak less and wonder more We would be speechless when we go to God for often if we did speak nothing but our exercise we would have nothing to say And certainly it is true that often we fall into that woful sin of desperate lying against the holy Ghost by flattering God with our mouth and lying unto him with our tongue And I shall only say these two words there are some who have this for their great design viz. they would be at peace with their conscience and also they would beat peace with their idols they would gladly reconcile conscience and their idols together That is their great design And there are some whose design is a little more refined they study rather to be reconciled with their conscience then to be reconciled with God Their great aim they shoot at is this to get their conscience quieted though they know not what it is to have the soul-comforting peace of God to quiet them V. Now there is this last evidence of Faith that justifying faith is a faith which putteth the Christian to be much in the exercise of those duties by which it may be maintained for we must keep faith as the apple of our eye and for that end I would only give you these three things by which faith must be kept in exercise and a real Christian will be endeavoring i● some measure to attain unto these 1. It keepeth faith much in exercise to be much in marking and taking notice of the divine exercise and proofs of the love of God wherewith a Christian doth meet as is clear from that word in Rom. 5.4 Experience worketh hope I durst be bold to charge the most part that are indeed in Christ with this that they are too little in remarking and taking notice of the experiences of his love You should mark the place of your experience and much more you should mark the experience it self as is clear from Scripture that the very place where Christians did meet with experience in such an enjoyment of God they marked it Ezech. 1.1 By the rivers of Chebar the heavens were opened and I saw the visions of God And Gen. 32.30 Jacob called the place Peni●l The place of being after seeing of the face of God it was so remarkable unto him And we conceive that you would mark these two things mainly in your practice First you would mark if you can possibly the first day of your closing with Christ and your coming out of Egypt and we may allude unto that command if not more then allude to it in Deut. 16.1 Observe the moneth of Abib and keep the Passeover unto the Lord thy God for in the moneth of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt And secondly we would have you much in marking these experiences which have encreased your faith and which have strengthened your love and which have made you mortifie your idols These are experiences especially to be marked 2. Faith is kept in exercise and we win to the lively assurance of our interest in God which we would press upon you by being

a kind of Omnipotency as is clear that all things are possible to them that believe but it hath a kind of Omnisciency and all knowledge that it can take up and comprehend all the greatest mysteries of Heaven according to that word Prov. 28.5 He that seeketh the Lord shal understand all things As if he had said there is nothing dark to a believing Christian as there is nothing impossible to a believing Christian As likewise Faith is that grace that must take aside the vail that is spread over the face of a crucified Christ and Faith is that precious Spy thatgoeth forth and taketh up these wonderful excellencies that are in him The grace of Love as it were is born blind and it hath nothing wherewith to solace it self but that which is presented unto it by this noble and excellent grace of Faith Now before we shal speak any thing to these things that we did propose to speak of at last occasion we shal yet speak a little unto some things which are necessary to be known for the distinct uptaking of the nature of justifying Faith which is the great commandment of this everlasting Gospel and that which we would first speak to shall be this What is the reason and ground that the Gospel conveyance of righteousness and life and of the excellent things of this everlasting Covenant should be thorow the exercise of the grace of Faith for it is not said in the Scripture that Repentance justifieth that Love justifieth or that Mortification justifieth but it is Faith only that justifieth and it is Faith by which a Christian inheriteth the promises So that is clear that Faith is that conduit-pipe thorow which are conveyed to us the great blessings of this everlasting Covenant I. And the first ground of it is this it is thorow Faith that all our blessing may be known to be by love and by free and unsearchable grace as is clear Rom. 4.16 while the Apostle is giving a reason why the inheritance is conveyed to a Christian through Faith It is of Faith saith he that it might be of grace for if the inheritance were conveyed to a Christian thorow a covenant of works then these spotlesse draughts of infinite love and of unsearchable grace should not be written on our inheritance as it is clear Rom. 4.25 And it is that g●eat design of Christ to make his grace conspicious in conveying salvation to us through Faith II. There is this second ground likewise of it that all the promises and blessings of this everlasting Covenant might be sure and stedfast to us therefore they are conveyed to us through the exercise of the grace of Faith as is clear Rom 4. ●6 They are of Faith saith he that they might be sure or as the word is that they might be setled When the promises of life and of eternal salvation were conveyed to us through mans obedience were they not then most uncertain and unstable But is not Heaven your everlasting crown now stedfast unto you seeing ye have that golden pillar of Christs everlasting righteousness to be the foundation of your Faith and the strength of your confidence in the day of need III. There is this third ground why the promises excellent things of this Gospel are conveyed to a Christian through the exercise of Faith that all boasting and gloriation might be excluded according to that word Rom. 3.27 By what law is boasting excluded Not by the law of works but by the law of faith And certainly seeing Chirstians have all the great things of heaven conveyed to them through the exercise of Faith think ye not that this shal be your first song when ye shal be within the gates of that new Jerusalem Not unto us not unto us but unto thee doth belong the glory of our salvation O what a precious dignity were it but for an half hour to be admitted to hear those spotless sōgs that are sung by those thousād times ten thousand thousands of thousands of holy angels that are round about this throne Doth not David that sweet singer of Israel now sing more sweetly then he did while he was here below Doth not deserted Haman now chant forth the praises and everlasting songs of him that sitteth upon the Throne And doth not afflicted Job now sing sweetly after his captivity is reduced and he entered within that Land where the voice of joy and gladness is continually heard Would ye have a description of heaven I could give it no term so sutable as this Heaven is a rest without a rest for though there remain a rest for the righteous yet Rev. 4.8 These four beasts that stand before the Throne they rest not night nor day crying Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty yet there is much divine quietness in that holy unquietness that is above IV. There is this last ground why the blessings of the Gospel and life and righteousness are conveyed to us through the exercise of Faith that the way to attain to these things might be pleasant and easie We a●e certainly perswaded that the way of winning to heaven by a covenant of works was much more un●leasant and difficult but it is not an easie way of entring into the Holy of Holies to win unto it through the exercise of Faith Are not all wisdoms wayes pleasantness And are not all her paths peace Was not that just self-denial in one that said he would not take up a Crown though it were lying at his foot But oh that cursed self-denial doth possess the breasts of many so that though that Crown of immortal glory and eternal blessedness be lying at your feet yet ye will not imbrace it nor take it up Is not the hatred of many to Christ covered with deceit And therefore your iniquity shal be declared before the Congregation Now that what we have spoken upon this might be more clear and that the nature of justifying Faith be not mistaken we would have you take notice of these things 1. That the grace of Faith doth not justifie a Christian as it is a work or because of any inherent excellency and dignity that is in this grace above any other graces of the Spirit but faith doth alone justifie a Christian instrumentally and objectively that is it is that by which a Christian is just by laying hold on the precious object of it the righteousness of Christ And to clear this we would only have you knowing this that saith doth justifie as it closeth with Christ but not because it closes with Christ which some vainly are bold to assert because there is not any dignity or worth in the act of Faith inclosing with Christ that can be the foundation of our justification else it were to confound that precious degree of free grace 2. There is this that we would have you all knowing that faith is not the instrument of justification as justification is taken in an active sense though it is

ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth dayly go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which we have access to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the believer to the Throne and without it he can have no access there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith a believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9.24 where these two are conjoined together Lord I believe and then he falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou our unbelief And it is clear from Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul Christeth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh! is not the neglect of this precious exercise of Faith and of the duty of secret prayer that makes our lean●ness testifie to our face and maketh our souls as a barren wilderness I am perswaded of this that sinc0e Ch i st had any followers and since ever this everlasting Gospel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected we have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what it is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to enquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diversion from sleep to retire our selves in the silent seasons of the night from all thoughts about worldly matters and to converse with that invisible Majesty IV. There is this sixth consideration to point out the advantage of Faith that Faith is that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and easie this is clear from Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went The word may be rendered he did chearfully obey And vers 17. By faith he offered up his only son Would ye know the reason why his commands are your burden And why his preceps are your cresses It is because of this ye do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Christian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience without the exercise of faith Faith holdeth up the crown to a Christian and this crown maketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength from Christ and that strength maketh obedience very easie Faith taketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot-wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question what is first more requisite for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisite Faith And what thirdly is most requisite for a Christian Even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our services and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith It is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelivers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain And we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shal likewise add this that faith is the grace by which a Christian hath that pefect and immediate sight as is were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to that word Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen And that noble Paradox that is said of Faith Heb. 11.27 By faith Moses saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this that Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can you do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more we shal propose to you the disadvantages of that woful sin of unbelief 1. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1.15 But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing in sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances 2. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to mortifie a lust or idol and we may allude unto those words in Matth. 17.20 when his Disciples came to him asked him this question Why could not we cast out this devil Tha● was given as an answer Because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for out idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of Faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded a treaty of peace with our idols that we shal not offend them if they do not offend us 3. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win to attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro until once he win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isai 7.9 Except ye believe ye shal not be established 4. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it is the mother of hardness and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16.14 where he upbraideth them because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to with hardness of heart this is clear also from Acts 19 9. where these two sister-devils are conjoined and locked together unbelief and hardness of heart because it is unblief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of Tenderness must be maintained 5. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with child of apostasie from

you will but come forth and cast a look to Christ your very shakels shall fall off your hands and you shal be as those who were never bound Now I leave this with you and to make you think upon it I shall speak these five words to you and I intreat you think upon them 1. First I have excellent tidings to tell you I hope some of 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 tidings 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 scorn 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 you● prison-house 2. Secondly I would say this to you 〈…〉 is not without much ground that this Salvatio● offered to you is called a great Salvation ● know a little paper of two or three sheets mig●… contain all the salvations that ever man obta●ned but the World would not be able to conta●… all the books which might be written to the co●mendation of this great salvation Yea unto 〈◊〉 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 find 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 shore thou shalt find always 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 shal 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 intreat you enquire at your own hearts what you will answer when you are reproved for flighting 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 you the great Salvation Can ye imagine any answer to that question O dreadfull shall the 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 acceptation 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 Alace shall there be none here who will be found accepters of this great Salvation so freely offered 〈◊〉 day 5. Fifthly 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 Vapors 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 Souls 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 〈◊〉 resolution beyond what ye had when ye came hitherto to day Are there any here who have his resolution To whom shall we go but unto 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 ●im who will ye will never forsake him O! ●ave ye this resolution That ye will esteem more highly of the

great salvation then ever ye did O that the Lord would keep these in the imaginations of the thoughts of your hearts forever 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 then this place shal be a heap of witnesses against you for it hath heard all the words of the Law which he hath spoken unto you Josh 24. Oh! cast your eyes upon these pillars of the house and stones in the walls I take them as so manie 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 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 〈◊〉 at this time to see what ye will do with this great offer of salvation which I have this day from th● Lord presented unto you Now to him that 〈◊〉 perswade you to embrace this great salvation this Gospel-redemption this blessed Myst●rie into which the Angels desire to pry T● him who can bring you back from the pit a●… 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 SERMON II. Heb. 2.3 How shal 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 ordinarie complaints in these days First there are many who complain that their estats and persons are in bondage and that they are sold for slaves to the hands of strangers But O that we could turn over the complaint to this that our souls are in bondage 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 errors But O wilt thou complain also of this that within thine heart there is a toleration of lusts is there not an act of toleration concluded in thy breast that the devil all his company may reign in thee ●t pleasure Oh! have ye not need of great salvation Shal 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 as a suiter 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 cloaths 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. 9.9 Rejoyce O daughter 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 fight of Christ then 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 Isai 63. vers 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 〈◊〉 will not look to Christ when he appears in the garments of salvation have ye a heart to refuse him who hath fought such a combat for you who hath trod 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 shal dye his garments with the blood of thine immortal foul 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 infitmities 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 beggers 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 2.3 As the Apple-tree amongst the trees of the wood so is my Beloved amongst the sons And Song 5. when she saw him 〈◊〉 and ruddy and the standard-bearer of ten thousand And such was that joyful sight of him when his garments was as the light and white as the snow which he had at the Transfiguration when these glorified ones did come as it were Ambassadors 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 foul upon the first sight of him remains dead and there remaineth no more life in them such was the sight Daniel got in the tenth chapter and such was the sight that John got of Christ Rev. 1.17 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 to 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 shal 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

Christ should tell this in Heaven of you to night I was preached to a pack of stones that none of them would love me Will ye not be feared that this report shall be carried back to Heaven of you For what report can Christ carry back but this Now is the cord of this great salvation let down unto you is there none of you that will take a grip of it Will ye flighter after it Will ye make this a rejoycing day in Heaven that is a fasting day unto you and the way to make it so is to embrace the great salvation Now what say ye to it old men Let me speak to you and ask your thoughts of the great salvation Gray hairs should be a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness Old men speak your minds that young men may not have your bad examples What say ye of this salvation Is it not a most glorious salvation Is it not a most excellent salvation that is in your offer I intreat you speak your minds tell Christ ye are content to take the great salvation otherwise whoever he be that will not partake of this Gospel-Salvation I in the Name and authority of Christ our Master denounce eternal and irrevocable war against him Put on your harness ye shal not boast when ye put it off again The wrath and fury of God shal come upon you to the uttermost if ye embrace not this great salvation Other wars are but for a time the greatest Captains that ever the earth did carry are now laid down in the sides of the pit and their swords broken under their head Armies of ten hundred thousand an hundred years time have laid them all in their graves and ended all their contests but there is no discharge of this war that shal be concluded betwixt Christ and you It shal become an eternal and most terrible war which shal be but beginning when time is ended Now peace or war which of them will ye choose Dare ye send a charge to Christ and say Ye will defie him I am afraid there will be two things that many of us will report to day First I am afraid there be many that will give Pharaohs report to the offer of the great salvation and say Who is the Lord that I should obey him I tell you who he is He is glorious in holiness fearfull in praises doing wonders O embrace him before he go hence and give not Pharaohs report lest ye be drowned in the sea of his wrath whence there shall be no recovery Secondly I fear there will be many here to day that will give Demas report to his precious offer I will go and forsake Christ and embrace this present World O bad exchange Cursed be he that shall make it will ye be of Demas humor I fear there hath been many of that humor of a long time but I intreat you once be wise before you dye I confess that Proverb Old fools are twice fools I think old men that will not embrace the great salvation I think ye are triple fools What wait ye for Is there any thing can afford you any satisfaction but this great salvation Now are ye convinced old men that Christ is waiting for your answer I intreat you before ye go hence speak your minds what ye think of the great Salvation Is it not a lovely Salvation Is it not lovely now What say ye to it I am to go away and the offer is to be taken up at this time and it is hard to say if ever ye shal have an offer again I would only say this to you and be sure of it though I should never be a partaker of this great salvation yet I shal be a witness against you that are not partakers of it I tell and declare unto you I shal be a witness against 〈◊〉 if ye embrace not the great Salvation Now old men are ye perswaded to embrace it Let me obtest you by the beauty of Christ come and partake of the great salvation ye that are travalling upon the borders of eternity Now if ye will give no more give this will ye go home and think upon it I shall not be uncharitable nor enter to judge your thoughts I fear there shal be many declared and found guilty amongst us t●… we have declared unto Heaven we will not c●…brace the great Salvation but have troden t● blood of the Son of God under foot Now I i● treat you every one of you ask of your selves ye be the persons that will presume in your hea●… to do so Now I shal leave it with you let it b● witness against you I shal leave it with this 〈◊〉 come away old men young men old women a●… maids come and embrace this precious Gospe● Salvation Ye may say ye bid us come but w● cannot come I desire no more of you but w● come with this Lord I am content to come but cannot come Come once to that for if once 〈◊〉 be content to receive it it will not be long before ye be able to receive it Now shal Christ d● part and will none of you say ye are content 〈◊〉 take him Will ye charge your own conscienc● with this am I content to take Christ and th● great Salvation O blest blest blest be he that 〈◊〉 the Author of this great Salvation and blest b● he that gets any of the ends of the cord of th● great Salvation that we sink not under the wra●… and fury of the Lord Come and embrace th● great Salvation and again I say come and 〈◊〉 brace it for what can ye have if ye want it And what can you want if you have it I sh●… say no more but close with that word Isai 6● verse 21. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed to 〈◊〉 ends of the World to those that are far off W●… hath he proclaimed Say ye to the daughter Sion Behold thy salvation cometh behold it com●… I say to you that are the ends of the World Salva●ion is brought near to you Stout-hearted and ●ar from righteousness the great Salvation is ●rought near unto you and will ye send it away Oh! consider what ye are doing And to him ●hat can perswade you to embrace the great Salvation we desire to give praise A SERMON Concerning DEATH Psal 86.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death c. IT is very hard to determine where all that are here shall be within thirty years for even ●ere that time come many if not all of us who are here shal have taken up our eternal ●odging And whether we shall take it up in the ●eternity of joy or the eternity of pain is also ●hard to determine Only this one thing I am sure of that all of us shal shortly be gone And ●ere long the shadows of death shall be fitting upon ●ur eye-lids and our eye strings shal begin to ●reak Therefore I would the more seriously

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS