enemies He will have about with them He will once make them hing their Heads and think Shame of Themselves for what they have done It may be that there is many here that desires never to see that Day It is like and it is like also that there is some here may see that Day that if the Question were speired would Answer Lo this is our God and we have Waited for Him and we will be Glad and Rejoyce in His Salvation But there is even some Folk that has been Stout in Wronging CHRIST and his People I say who knows how soon they may be put quite out of Countenance with GOD's Appearing They will be saying in that Day When saw we Thee Hungry and Fed Thee not When saw we Thee in Prison and Visited Thee not They would fain deny every Ill Turn that they have done to his People but it will not be with them Sirs I do not Grudge much that I see not many of these Folk that they call Gentils here I shall never Repine at that which CHRIST Rejoyces in I Thank Thee O Father who has Revealed these Things unto Babes What is come of them all There is never one of the Lords and Lairds and Great Men for Him There is few of the Great Men as ye call them for Him We hear little tell of their Religion that was the Carriers on of Religion where are they all now We man even tell them that there are a whein poor People in the Land that are sticking to Him The poor of the People shall Trust in Him and there were no moe And it is a great Mercy GOD has taken a Sacrifice and a Noble Sacrifice at the very first beginning He took a Nobleman at the beginning that Worthy Great-man the Merquess of Argyle and he got a Minister too to Seal his Covenant and a very Worthy-man he got a Gentleman a very Eminent Considerable Gentleman Wariston that Worthy Gentleman he Dyed for the Covenant He has taken one of all Ranks to Seal the Covenant and his Truths and then after that he took the Commons he took many of them that were Poor Men that he brought out and honoured them with Scaffolds and gave Testimony for the Cause and Covenant of GOD and ever since that Day there is ay some Body that follows him and ay 〈◊〉 Body that GOD takes Testimony from some with Fyning and some with Confyning and some with imprisonment Ye that is Young Ones it may be ye will speir the Question Wherefore was it that all that was and how came it that their Preachings was upon Hill-sides and that Persecution was It may be the Days is coming it will be told And we tell you it the Day from this Hill-side it will be told and the Young Ones will speir how could that be co the Bairns Was that in Covenanted-Scotland What was the Cause of this There bude to be some Abominable Provoking Cause of this And it will be Answered It was even the Sins of his People that had provoked him he gave them up to their Enemies and they shut out all the Godly-Ministers and they sent in upon them a whein Wicked Ungodly Unconscionable Perjured Men to fill up their Room and the Godly were put to the Wilderness Well when the Time of Delivery comes think ye not but it will be a fell Story to tell the Bairns off O when our Stories is read there will be uncouth Things in it to be read and the very worst of Men how ready soever they be now to Persecute shall be made to drie their Shame Their Shame shall be from Generation to Generation and their Posterity shall think Shame to say that such a Man was my Qurcher or such a Man was my Grand-father And it may be many of you no see that Day We cannot tell it may be so and other ways too GOD has done as great Things for us And I assure you it may fall out so that the LORD give his Enemies a dead stroak Ay says Enemies we never knew that GOD would have done such a Thing They say among the Heathen the LORD has done Great Things for them Ay says the People of GOD ye see he has done Great Things for us whereof we are Glad They had never mind of a Sorrowfull Day then that they had they were all forgotten Now we shall not detain you any longer Let us go and call upon the LORD that he would give us a Word 〈◊〉 Time and a Blessing Let us Pray FOLLOWS THE SERMON Ye will find it written in the 53. of Isaiah at the 5. Verse But He was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon Him and with His Stripes we are Healed c. I Find the most part of you a Company of Stupid Hearers Our LORD may have Designs that we know not off But for us for ought we see we may say Why is this Was it to go and Offer CHRIST to a Company of Careless Persons that Cares not for Him and that are not affected with the Offer But His Thoughts are not like our Thoughts He knows what his Design in this is Well we have pitched upon this Scripture as thinking that if any thing may readily affect your Hearts and melt your stony Hearts within you we may have some Purposes to speak off that which may do it O that GOD would help us and that his Right Hand might be Revealed in this Preached Gospel Then the Words that we have read take them up in these four or five Particulars For the whole Story is of CHRIST and his Sufferings and of a Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Son as ye may gather almost from every word of the Chapter and the Persons for whom he Suffered and what Case they were in how little they could do for the getting of his Love manifested to them So we have somewhat spoken of CHRIST He was Wounded He was Bruised He Suffered Secondly Ye have somewhat spoken of the Elect for whom CHRIST was Wounded and Bruised What were they They were Transgressors they were Sinners they were Men that were full of Diseases and Putrifying Sores Thirdly Ye have the Benefits what they were that resulted to these Elect Sinners by his Sufferings There is two of them they are mentioned in the words read they are there mentioned Peace and Healing Two Great Benefits Fourthly Ye have how this comes to pass What made CHRIST to be Wounded How came He to be Wounded It was for Sinners it was for a number of Transgressors and that points at that which was the Eternal Transaction between the Father and the Son when they closed the Transaction concerning the Salvation of Sinners The Father requires the Son to Die Says the Son I undertake it Therefore the Father keeps Him at his Undertakings He will have the Son who entered Surety be as good as his Word and He will
THE GREAT Gospel SUMONDS TO CLOSE WITH CHRIST Under the Pain of the Highest Rebellion against the GOD of Heaven being the Substance of a PREFACE and SERMON at Hemphlar-bank in the Parish of Lanrick Feb. 20. 1676. By Mr. John Welsh late Minister of the Gospel in Iron-Gray But He was Wounded for our Transgressions He was Bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisemens of our Peace was upon Him and with His Stripes we are Healed THE PREFACE The 24 Psalm from the 9 Verse being Sung IF it be asked at us as some will be ready to ask by what Authority do ye these things Who gave you this Authority Ye have no Warrand neither from the King nor the Rulers for what ye have done Wa they have straitly charged us to speak no more in this Name We Answer we do it by the Authority of JESVS CHRIST The Great Shepherd of the Flock He has commanded us to Preach in Season and out of Season He has given us Commandment to go and Preach and Baptize all Nations and therefore they have forbidden us that are in Power But we must Answer as the Apostle did Is it fit in the Sight of GOD to Obey you or GOD judge ye He who is The King of kings it is by Vertue of His Orders Who is the Mighty GOD The Judge of the whole World before Whom we must all appear He has commanded and it is by Vertue of His Command that we come to Preach and it is by Vertue of His Command that ye come to Hear and we will rather bide the Glooms of our Rulers or we bide the Glooms of our GOD We will rather take His Approbation Well done thou Good and Faithfull Servant than we will study to be called Unloyal and yet we are very Loyal Loyal we are and Loyal we are commanded to be but in Subordination to GOD we must first Fear GOD and then Honor the King but when the Command of the King justels with the Command of GOD then we are at a Point what is our present Duty O for a blyth Meeting and for the shining of his Presence this Day For we may put it as a great Question if ever we will all Meet again Yea we may put it out of question that we will never all Meet again in this side of Time And it is like that there are some here that shall Curse the day that ever they were brought into the World And O sirs It is a sad thing that there should be such Grounds of Suspicion of this amongst you that he lived where there was so much of a Powerfull Preached Gospel and under Lively Ordinances But there is very much of this and many stood in the Cross Way when his People fled before his Enemies If GOD be GOD they shall rew it But we could wish that such rewing might be in Time and that they might prevent their utter Destruction But we are afrayed many an one rew it when it is too late It is a sore Matter that Men should be found not to Venture as far for JESUS CHRIST in his Service as they will Venture in the Service of a Mortal Man Some has even Ventured very far in their Service that has gotten but little Thanks for it Many has gotten sore Wounds and gotten small Reward But our LORD will not do so There is never one can come and say to Him I have gotten this Wound in your Service There is never one that can come and say to Him I have gotten this broken Head or this Wound in your Service but they will be well Rewarded None can say I have been Fyned or Confyned or I have been put out of House and Hold in your Service Well says the LORD Enter ye into your Masters Joy There is none of you that has lost a Cot-house for Him but ye shall get a Kingdom and then what will ye be behind Therefore there is two Words that I shall tell you of that are here that are his People First Have Courage and syd with his Ordinances and his Cause and Interest Continue waiting upon thir Opportunities and you may blame your selves and ye want them for the matter is not without hope No no Our LORD JESVS CHRIST He will keep the Fields yet and His Enemies shall be made His Footstool Therefore sirs wait on the LORD as it is in the hinderend of the 27 Psalm that Psalm that ye were singing Wait on the LORD and be of good Courage and He shall strengthen thine Heart Wait I say upon the LORD Christians tyne not your Strength for I assure you there is very many Great and Sweet Encouragements that your Labour shall not be forgotten ye shall be well Rewarded for all your Sufferings are written in a Book There is a Book and the King will call for that Book that it may be read and will say What shall be done to the Man that the King delighted to Honor What shall be done to this Man that has Suffered and has gotten no Reward he shall be exalted and set above the rest and Honor and Respect shall be put upon him Honor and Respect shall be put upon them that have had their Heads and their Hands put up upon Ports and these that has had their Bodies burnt and the LORD will fetch them in and say Thus shall it be done to the Man that the King delighteth to Honor. Wait on a while poor silly doubting troubled Soul that 's fleit for going wrong about thy own particular Case Wait on the LORD He will satisfie poor Folk who sits on the Throne of Grace Wait upon Him till he prepare his Answer to the question Wait upon him ye that are Sad and Weary and Crying Oh for my Mother and for my Mothers Case as it is in the Lamentation What will be done for Her in the day that She is spoken for for there is few or none to do for her or to speak for her or to take her by the hand to lead her forth Many Ministers has left her many Professors has left her What will we do for Breasts to her What loss of Ministers has She had and what great loss of Children has befallen Her That is Sad says some How dow we Wait for his Work in particular is even sore Distrest If it were not so there would be some hope that we would have a Glorious and Beautifull Upshot It s twice there in the last Verse of the 27 Psalm Wait ye and he strengthens his Argument says he I say upon the LORD It s many of your Unbeliefs that makes you have no Patience to Ware upon the LORD as he has Commanded Says many we may Wait long till our Eyes go Blind or we see Ministers sent to Preach the Gospel Wait upon the LORD and be of good Cheer Wait I say says he upon Him For why The LORD will not forsake his People He will once have about with his Enemies have about of his
have Him pay the Ransom and He will pass it He was Bruised for our Transgressions that we might have Peace He was Wounded for us and therefore by his stripes we might be made Whole But take the Words more particularly There is Two Kinds of Persons spoken of here and there is somewhat spoken of the Two Kinds of Persons The First Person spoken of is He What He The LORD JESVS CHRIST the Fathers onely begotten Son He who counted it no Robery to make Himself Equal with GOD He who was filled with all the Fullness of the God-head He that from all Eternity rested in the Bosom of the Father it was He. The Second Person spoken of is Vs and We Our Transgressions and our Iniquities we are healed Who is this Vs and We that is here spoken of It s not all the World but it is only them that CHRIST has purchased out of the World It is not all Sinners but us and we that is Poor Elected Persons that the LORD has given Him of the Father to Seek and to Save and that He has Undertaken to Save Then What were his Sufferings and that is the Third-Thing What were the Sufferings of our LORD JEVS CHRIST that He Vndertakes There is three words to express this He was Wounded that is one He was Bruised that is another of them and He was Smitten that 's another word in the general We see then from the whole Scope of the Sufferings of our LORD JESUS CHRIST that they were Very Great and that there was no Worth in Poor Elect Sinners for whom he Suffered What were they They were such as were Workers of Iniquity such as was very great Transgressors such as was Rank Enemies to GOD such as were Wounders of him and that there was no Gross Evil but they had the same Temptations too that the rest of the World followed Those that had given him many a Wound and there was nothing of odds between them and the rest of the Wicked World And then ye have what the Benefits were that he Purchased unto his People and there is Two of them Peace and Healing Peace points at our Justification and Healing points at our Sanctification And then Lastly How comes this that CHRIST should suffer for me How comes this to pass What could move JESUS CHRIST to be wounded What moved him to undergo such Great Sufferings and Sharp for Sinners And this comes to be Answered by Vertue of the Covenant that past between Him and the Father for the satisfying of the Divine Justice of GOD that Poor Sinners might not be destitute Divine Justice must be satisfied and this Divine Justice is satisfied by his wounds and by his Chastisements and Stripes So he satisfies for these things that Justice calls for from them and so Judgement and Mercy is made to kiss one another Now I come to speak to some few Doctrines for we have here the Sum of the whole Gospel Therefore we wad have you thus taking notice First We have Mans Misery Secondly Ye have the Redeemer set out there Thirdly Ye have a peace of Mans Redemption out of Misery Fourthly Ye have the Benefits and Purchase set out Lastly Ye have the Grounds of all this the Covenant of Grace Now then I have five Points of Doctrine to speak a word shortly to from this that we have read and we shall labour to keep with your ordinary time The first thing then is this That by Nature Elect Sinners al 's well as others are in a very sad and lost Estate It s not only the World that is here called thir Transgressors and Enemies but it is even those that the LORD has Chosen out of the World to save I say that even the Elect People of GOD are by Nature lying in a very deplorable Condition Wherein stands the Sadness of their Case But we have oft had occasion to speak to it and therefore we shall be but very short on it yet there is Three Things There is First Mickle Corrupon of the whole Nature and there is our Actual Transgressions whereby we are Defyled Enemies to GOD lyable to his Curse and Wrath to all Eternity This is the Case of all the Elect Men and Women There is no Ground then wherefore a Sinner that GOD has shewed Mercy upon has to boast of if he look to the Rock from whence they are hewn We will find it just our State that is the State of the Wicked World that gets Hell to their hinderend It is free Grace only that has made the Change for in our selves there is no difference I lle tell you Sirs we shall leave the Application for the most part of all thir to the close Therefore the Second Point of Doctrine that I shall speak to is this That Our LORD JESVS CHRIST the Son of GOD the Second Person of the Trinity He for the Salvation of Lost Sinners undertook many a Great Suffering All thir Expressions holds out this and we may safely found a Doctrine upon this word Look to the whole Chapter and ye will see it clear for whom it is that he suffered even the Elect World CHRIST ye see suffered for them that gave him no Thanks He suffered for them that helped on his Sufferings he was despised and counted smitten of GOD by them that thought nothing of him they saw no Beauty nor Comliness in him it was even for them that he suffered I shall speak more particularly to this Doctrine in thir Things First I shall shew what Great Sufferings our LORD underwent for to bring healing and peace unto Sinners Secondly For whom it was he underwent these Sufferings Did our LORD undergo such Sufferings for Sinners To fall upon this were a very great head to speak to to tell you what he suffered in his Conception and to tell you what he suffered when he was brought forth into the World in his Child-hood to tell you what he suffered before he entered upon his Publick Ministry and to tell you what he suffered when he was taken and araigned and brought before the Judgement-seat of Herod and Pilat and Condemned and to tell you what he suffered upon his Rody and what he suffered upon his Soul I say it would take very much Time and we would but spill it in the speaking too And therefore I Recommend unto you the last Chapter of Matthew and the last Chapter of Luke and the last Chapter of John and unto that which is here recorded of him by the Prophet Isaiah ay but I shall tell you of some Things wherein his Sufferings appears to be very great and we may judge by thir Things I pray you Sirs take heed First Consider what was the Debt that he undertook to pay it was not the Debt of one or two but even of the whole Elect Men and Women many Thousands Millions of them many Thousands of them that cannot be counted it was that which he suffered that they should have suffered throw
as to Die for Sinners We cannot tell what calls for wondering and this calls not for wondering from us O the height O the bredth O the length O the depth of this Mystery That the Son of GOD should have been put so sore to it as to die for Sinners and not only to die but to drink the Cup of the Fathers Wrath Who can hear this declared and no wonder at the hearing of it O wonder O wonder at it Sirs wonder at the hearing of it And Secondly I shall say this from it by way 〈◊〉 â—xhortation Is it so That our LORD JESVS CHRIST was put to so Great Sufferings Wa then I would Exhort you to look how ye should look upon Sin if sin should not be very Detestable to you and very abominable if ye should not be at very much Pains to forsake Sin that brought our Blessed LORD JESUS CHRIST to undergo such Great Sufferings which would have brought you to such sad Condemnation and ly under the Wrath of GOD Eternally and Eternally And therefore Sinners we think and there were no more to be a Motive to press you to forsake your Sins and to hate every False Way and to hate the very least Word and Thought of it that this might be a Motive that it brought out LORD JESUS CHRIST to undergo such Great Sufferings Sirs Love to Him will call for this call ye that Love the LORD hate Evil Psalms 97.10 But then there is another Vse that I would make of Exhortation Was our LORD JESVS CHRIST brought to so many and Great Sufferings and has be undergone them so cheerfully Yea He has undergone it And is He satisfied to see the Travel of his Soul O Sirs Do not yet then do what ye can do to Disappoint him while he is making offer of his Blood to Wash you Do not that which will make him rew that he shed his Blood for the like of you For when it is so that ye do nor give him a suitable Meeting ye give him just ground to rew for ye have done what in you lyes to make his Sufferings of none Effect But the Vse that I shall mainly insist on at this time is another of Exhortation and that is Our LORD JEVSVS CHRIST is doing now as he did after his Resurrection when he came out of the Grave when his Disciples gathered together in a Chamber for fear of the Jews he came in there among them and says Peace be unto you in that 20 of John 21 verse in the beginning of that Chapter there was some word of his Resurrection Now there was some of them that affirmed that he was risen yet still they thought it was but a Notion and a Mistake although there was Angels come down from Heaven and gave Testimony that He was risen yet some of them could not believe that but when he comes in among them What says he to Thomas even that which he says to us the day He holds out his Hands and the Hole that is in his Side he shews forth his Hands and his Side and says Be not Faithless but Believe and that is the thing reach hither your Hands into the Hole of my Side and be not Faithless but Believe and that is the thing that I am come here for the day as a Messenger of the Living GOD to let you see this Day the Wonderfull Condescending Love of CHRIST and to say unto you Reach hither the Hand of your Faith and take a look of this Bloody Saviour who was Crucified come put in your Fingers put in your Hand in the Hole of that Bloody Side of his and be not Faithless but Believe That is the Great Thing that CHRIST calls for that is the Great End wherefore he would have his Sufferings told us Wherefore That it might bring his People to a close with Him to give Him Credit and to Believe in Him Therefore now we come here and that which we say to you we bid you reach hither your hand and be not Faithless but Believe that is the Great End wherefore he would have his Sufferings told to close with this Suffering LORD JESUS CHRIST Come to him and be no more Faithless but Believe and say with that Man Thomas my Lord and my God Whenever that was presented to him he could no longer stand out And this Argument prevail not with you I wonder what will prevail with you when the Sufferings of CHRIST is laid out unto you Therefore says Thomas my Lord and my God I can stand no longer for now I have seen the Wonderfull Love of GOD now I see the Wonderfull Love of CHRIST which made him undergo all these Great Sufferings now I have seen the wonderfull excellency of a Saviour Now therefore Sirs ye man give me leave to insist here a little for this is the Great Scope wherefore CHRIST keeps up a Preached Gospel that ye might believe that ye may be saved and brought to a Closing with JESUS CHRIST Therefore In the First Place I do here summond you of all Ranks of Persons unto a scrious Frame and unto a Composure of Spirit suitable unto the Message that I am to Declare unto you I summond you Men and Women and I come now to you and I present before you a Bloody CHRIST a Suffering Saviour I come to you as he did to his Disciples I say unto you as he said to his Disciples Reach forth your hands unto a Bloody Saviour take a look of him beleevingly Look unto him and Close with him Look to him who hath said Look unto Metall ye Ends of the Earth and be saved Isaiah 45.22 O Sirs Come and take a Look of this suffering CHRIST take a Look of him Therefore I shall First tell what sort of Persons I summond I summond you Old Persons that has even had a Profession all your Time and yet never Closed with him ye that has even made a fashon of closing with JESUS CHRIST and yet to this Day has never done it I summond them at this Day at this present Time that they come and take a Look of this suffering JESUS CHRIST that they stretch out the hand of their Faith and close with him and that they come and say my Lord and my God Secondly I summond them that is without that has never yet been hankering about to do it and them that has made many Mints but never came cleanly off in the doing of it I summond you to come hither and stretch out your hands and be not Faithless but Believe I summond you Whoremongers Adulterers Drunkards or whateve ye be as ye heard in the Forenoon come to him O sinners come hither and reach hither your hands and be not Faithless but Believe and close with this suffering JESUS CHRIST Will ye let him go away and not take the Offer off his hand and he no get meikle Thanks for his Offer Shall he have that to say that ye would not take the Offer and
that ye would not give him meikle Thanks for his sufferings Will you not take the Benefits that he offers to you by his sufferings I come here in his Name and offers you Peace Will ye not take it I offer you healing in his Name Will you not take it off his hand Now therefore there is Three Things that I shall shortly speak to in this Exhortation and I shall labour to contain my self in al 's little bounds as I can in Prosecuting of it First I shall speak a word to this after what manner we would have you closing with a suffering Christ Secondly Vpon what Terms we would have you closing with a suffering Christ Thirdly From what Motives we press you to close with a suffering Christ Fourthly We shall labour to satisfie the Objection of them that would go about this Work of closing with Christ And then in the last Place We shall require your Answer as to the Imbracing of Jesus Christ And for the First Thing that we are to speak to was What way we are to close with a suffering Christ And there is Three Things in this closing with Him First And ye wad close with a suffering Christ Ye must do it Timously and ye must close with him Instantly at this very Time ye must close with him ye must not stand to consider and advise what he hath done for you and what he hath suffered for you and how that is that ye are made Partakers of his Benefits that he has purchased by his sufferings Secondly Ye must Closâ— with Him Deliberatly al 's well as Instantly Ye may nor do it at Fits a Brash at it will not do the Turn But it must be a Resolved Business upon serious Deliberation Ye must both do it Instantly and Advisedly I give you this Reason for it because I know and ye come to Restrict your Closing with Him and do it not Resolutly and Deliberatly ye are fair to fall back again and to turn your Backs upon Him when ye meet with the Cross Therefore it must be a thing done Deliberatly And Thirdly As ye must Close with Him Deliberatly so ye must not take CHRIST by Halfs ye must take All CHRIST as He makes offer of Himself to be a King and to be a Priest and to be a Prophet and ye must take him for Justification and for Sanctification Ye must take him for a Physician and for an Husband to be a Guide to be a Saviour and to be a Redeemer to be all things that ye stand in need of that is the Third Thing ye must Close Deliberatly And then Fourthly Ye must Close with Him Cheerfully and ye must close with Whole CHRIST with your whole Soul the whole Soul must give its Consent Ye must not close with him with your Consciences only and with your Affections only but ye must close with him with your whole Soul O what Great Advantage will ye have in closing with him Presently And then the next Thing that I Proposed was The Terms upon which ye are called to close with Him And for the Terms I shall give you thir two or Three Words that holds out the Terms First Ye will see it in the 55. of Isaiah at the 7 Verse Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return to the LORD and he will have Mercy upon him and to our GOD for He will abundantly pardon And ye will see another of them in the 3d of Hosea at the 3d Verse There is one of the Terms that we are called upon Thou shalt abide for me for many days Thou shalt not play the Harlot and thou shalt not be for another so also will I be for thee Ye must abide for Him for many Days Ye must not turn to other Lovers Ye may not be like a Whorish-woman that compasses Strangers But ye must say ye are Wedded to Him as your Husband and ye must Prefer Him above all others Ye may not turn to others says he Ye must abide for me for many days And then Thirdly This is the Terms Ye must close with his Cross and ye would close with him ye must take Him and his Cross O Sirs Ye must take Him and his Cross and any or you Resolve to close with Him ye must also Resolve to take Him with his Cross and to follow him whithersoever he goeth and to sell all that ye may follow him And that is the Terms in the 45 Psalm at the 10 Verse Hearken O Daughter and Consider and Incline thine Ear forget also thy own People and thy Fathers House so shall the King greatly desire thy Beauty Now the next Thing that I am to speak to is the Motives upon which we would have you pressed to close with Him Now Sirs May not this be a Reason for to move you to close with him the Great Benefits that he has purchased to them that will close with him both Peace and Healing and this prevail not with you we wat not what will prevail with you O Sirs Shall we go away and leave you this Day Dear Friends we dow not leave you untill we press you with thir Motives to close with JESUS CHRIST We would fain deal with you to close with him ye shall both get Peace Healing in Time and Peace after Time Ye shall get Peace with GOD and Peace with your own Consciences Ye shall get Peace to your own Souls Ye shall get Perfect Peace That Man shall be keeped in perfect Peace whose Mind is stayed upon Him Why Because He has purchased that to them that will close with him Ye shall get Peace and Healing Poor Backsliden Sinners that thinks shame of your Back slidings Hard hearted Sinners that thinks shame of your hard heartedness will you come to him and close with JESUS CHRIST and take his Purchase that he has purchased with thir Wounds and ye would come and close with him ye shall get healing And then I come to some Motives out of the Text And First I ake this for a Motive therefore sirs under the Pain of Rebellion as ye would not be found Traitors and Rebels to the Great GOD of Heaven ye must close with him This is his Command that ye Believe on the onely Begotten Son of GOD Therefore he Coimmands and we Command and Charge you in his Name under the Pain of Eternal Damnation We Command you under the Pain of Rebellion under the Pain of being found Disobeyers of the Gospel and under the Pain of all the Punishments that shall come upon you to close with JESUS CHRIST And Thirdly Close with him because he is a GOD that is greatly satisfied to have his Benefits that he has purchased applyed to Sinners to have them making Application of them by closing with him and ye would give him Satisfaction for his Benefits and as ye would be carefull to satisfie him for them that is making Offer of them this is the
able to declare of himelf that it is not his fauit that makes you Vnwilling O say ye He is a hard Master there is no Living with Him I will not get my Idols entertained in his Service He is an uncouth hard Master there is no Living with Him and I dow not part with my Idols my Lusts and with my Sin and ye would have the plain truth of it I think there is neither Man nor Wife that ever has a blyth day in his Service and therefore I must take my hazard whatever come on the back of it I must Sin and I must take mine Advantage in these things Well Sirs I say there is meikle more Advantage to be had in closing with CHRIST I shall say but Two Things to this First He will get better nor ever stood on your feet to serve him and them that will be blyth of him and that will be both seen and heard Secondly I tell you that he is a very Good Master but the Reason why ye do not believe ye know not the heartsom hours in secret the People of GOD hath with him Ye do not believe but because ye heard thir things spoken to already I shall forbear and speak only to a word and so I have done Sirs I think that we have met with a strange piece of Providence I cannot tell what it means for we designed to have spoken the LORDs Word else where this Day but we have beyond our Expectation bâ—en brought here again and I would fain think that the LORD had done it for some Design that he had for catching of some Souâ—s to himself or at least it is to make many inexcusable in the Great Day Well it s by chance that we are brought here I say this Day and I have been presenting unto you a bloody wounded and bruised CHRIST O he is all Crushed with the Wrath of GOD He was forced to cry What shall I do My Soul is Sorrowfull even unto Death and what shall I do This Wounded CHRIST He has purchased Sarvation unto Sinners and hath sent us here this Day as his Ambassadors to make Offer of him and we have been telling you of the Terms Have we prevailed with you Sirs What say ye to it We are come in his Name and we may not leave you like a Knotless-threed but as I am an Ambassador and Messenger of the Great King and therefore I dar not leave you Here is my Warrand we are his Messengers and here is my Blaze upon my Breast We are his Messengers we come forth in the Kings Great Name He who is KING of kings that made Heaven and Earth and He by whom they shall be judged one Day It is in his Name that we come forth And I Summond and Charge you all as ye will Answer before The Great GOD and as ye would be found of Him in Peace as ye would one Day look him in the Face and no cry Hills and Mountains fall upon you to close with him We Charge you by the Love of JESVS CHRIST that put him to suffer all these Things Secondly We Charge you by the Torments of Hell that surely shall follow upon Disobeyers We Charge you under the pain of suffering the Wrath of the Everlasting GOD We Charge and Obtest you by the Love of Him who was Dead and is now Alive and Lives for evermore We Charge you by Him who hath the Keys of Hell and Death and the Keys of Heaven We Charge you that ye come and tell us what ye Resolve to do or are ye Resolved to live as ye have done Are ye Prayerless Godless Livers Will ye leave off that Are ye Drunkards Will ye leave off that Will ye yet Drink more What Resolve ye to do Are ye Swearers Will ye yet swear more Are ye Repenting Or Resolve ye to live a while longer in your Sins Will ye continue in these things and keep your Idols and your Corruptions Are ye Resolved upon that or upon the other hand Will ye come this Day and make a Resignation of all your Select unto the LORD and close with this Suffering CHRIST before his Wrath come upon you Have ye drawn buck will ye draw back more Or will ye come to Him We say Sirs for our part we are but Men and it may be some of you 〈◊〉 seen our Infirmities But we come this Day in CHRISTs stoom We are come here in his Name at this Time and by his Orders and Authority We Charge you to come and Close with JESUS CHRIST upon his own Terms What say ye to 〈◊〉 We Charge your Consciences that ye come and Close with 〈◊〉 We Charge you under the Pain of Death We Charge you under the Pain of the Highest Rebellion We Charge you under the Pain of the Just Vengeance of GOD. We Charge you under the Pain of the Indignation of that Wrath that shall come upon Rebels to Close with this Bloody Saviour JESVS CHRIST What say ye to it We Charge you to it We Offer Him to you We lay the Offer to every Mans Door to every Mans Conscience we Command Charge you to come and Close with Him And we desire the LORD GOD of Heaven that he would confirm this Argument And if ye will not close with him he will make every Mans Conscience stand as a Thousand Witnesses against him in the Great Day that Neglects this Offer that Despises and makes Light of it Now what say ye to it Men and Women that has had many Preachings preached to you We think its very like and GOD had sent this Preaching to some Places of the Land where there is not so great a Profession of Religion we would not have gotten heard what we had been saying there would have been such a din amongst them O that Grosness of the Hearts of Siners that makes Light of this Great Offer What say ye to it We intreat you we beseech you to give an Answeer Say to it We must have an Answer and we desire not to take a Denyal No no that 's no the Answer that ye will not do it We man have another Answer from you For we are sent to be Peremptor with you this Day And we Charge you to come and take Him and close with Him this Day For ye cannot tell if ever ye shall have the Offer again after this Day the 20. day of February We say we cannot tell if ever we shall have the Opportunity to speak to you again after this Day What think ye Sirs that it is for nought that we come out to Preach when we are in such hazard and when we are looked on as Traitors and Rebels in every one of thir Meetings it s not a small Business this Therefore GOD calls us to be Serious and no to Trifle it till we get our Business done And therefore Men and Women will you come and close with him Dear Friends will ye say to it
Dear Beloved Friends will you let CHRISTs Death and Pains he underwent in his Sufferings perâ—wade you to take CHRISTs Offer For we wound fain have you to close with him for your own Life and Salvation we prâ—â—s it upon you and as he is offered so take him Ye man promâ—â—e this say to it What say ye to it Say to it Dear Friends give your Answer say to it What say ye to it Say to him we seek not your Answer Say to him say something to the LORD For as the LORD lives ye man say something yea or nay What say ye to him Close with him or as the LORD lives I say ye shall Curse the Time that ye came here to all Eternity for Refusing CHRIST this Day in his Offer Therefore speak to GOD this Day as ye would not have him to speak in Wrath to you Sirs say that ye will be the LORDs Say that ye will enter into as Everlasting Covenant with Him never to be forgotten or as the LORD Lives these Stocks and this Water and that Brae and the Earth that ye sit on shall he a Witness against you and this Tent and I and these Clouds that is above your Heads shall be a Witness against you Eternally Therefore now Sirs come and take the Of fer and tell GOD that from this Day forward ye Resolve to be for Him Say to it What say ye Think ye that it is for nought that we come out upon such a Business and spend the Lives in the Discharging of our Commission We are Discharged to come here but it is for your Immortal Souls that we are come here Therefore in the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST We Charge you let it be your Work to close with him Say Sirs What say ye to it Say Old-men Young-men with ye close with him Say Young-bairns the Youngest of you all will ye close with him Say to it LORD I would be content to close with him Iâ— ye will not then the Sun Moon and Stars shall be a Witness against you Will ye speak to him Will ye cast away your Idols and say What have I to do with Idols any more Will ye say so Sirs Now I betake my self to him he shall be my GOD and I resolve that it shall be so that he shall be my GOD and my King Say so Sirs Will ye say Old-men and Young-men Will ye say Old-women and Young-women Say to it Answer GOD who is biding you close with him Say with Good David Thou art my GOD and my King for Thou hast Established my Throne and put a Crown upon my Head and He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant well ordered in all things and sure He found him to be a Saviour when he was quite lost Well them will ye say to it Sirs we are but Fool Creatures Poor Sinfull Men like your selves and it may be sometimes ye have seen our Weakness But we say we are come here this Day not in our own Strength But we tell you we are come here Cloathed with His Authority at this Time We are not come here this Day in our own Name but in the Name and Authority of our Master as we are Ambassadors of JESUS CHRIST we beseech you to close with Him We would fain fall down upon our Knees and that would prevail with you to gar you say the thing We would fall down upon our bare Knees before you O Sirs say to it What should you say Say even that Word which Thomas said My Lord and my God and say with David O my Soul though est said unto the Lord that thou art my God But I said moreover the Lord shall be my God Say with the Church in that 50 of Jeremiah and 5. verse What is that Come say they let us enter our selves into an Everlasting Covenant with GOD which shalt never be forgotten Well Sirs I say this Day ye must either enter into an Everlasting Covenant with Him never to be forgotten We man even leave you Sirs and we dow not think of leaving till ye come to a close with Him Is there any here that will not Close with Him We fear that this be the Ill Turn that we were speaking of in the Morning Without question the Word will be the Savour of Death unto Death to some al 's well as it will be the Savour of Life unto Life unto others Well Sirs take heed what ye are Doing go to Him and Close with Him We would fain have you Closing with Him I would think it Heartsom if there were many of you going alone and trying how it is with you every one of you Try your selves about it and the LORD perswade you so to do To Him be Praise