the fulness of time was come took to himself a true humane Body and Soul was conceived by the Holy Ghost was Born of a mean Virgin lived in a mean condition was owned by a voice from Heaven to be the only begotten and beloved Son of God who Preached the glad tidings of Salvation to Sinners confirmed his Doctrine by many Miracles who died for the Salvation of sinners and that the cursed death of the Cross was raised up the third day appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection and after forty day in the sight of many Ascended up into Heaven where now he is at the Right Hand of God making Intercession for us Sixthly How doth Jesus deliver from the Wrath of God which is to come Jesus doth deliver from the wrath of God which is to come 1. By his Death hereby he hath purchased deliverance having hereby satisfied Gods Justice Jesus in his death did in our stead undergo that punishment which our sins deserved his Body was nailed to the Cross which was a cursed death and his Soul was afflicted with the immediate impressions of Gods wrath which was so weighty and grievous that any meer creature would have sunk under it but he being God-Man did bear up and break thorow and got loose from under the burden of wrath and the bands of death and the dignity of his person put a merit upon his sufferings especially the erernal compact or aggreement between him and his Father being such and so became a sufficient satisfaction to Justice and that accepted as fully as if sinners had done it in their own persons We read that Jesus himself bare our sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. That he gave his life a ransom for many Mat. 20. 28. That we are Redeemed with his Blood 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. That we are Reconciled through his Death Rom. 5. 10. Jesus doth deliver from wrath by his death having therein undergone it himself in the room of his People 2. By his Intercession Christ doth deliver from wrath to come having offered up himself a Sacrifice to satisfie Divine Justice for sin he pleads the merit of it at the right hand of God in the behalf of sinners for their Redemption he is called not only our Surety to satisfie for us Heb. 7. 22. But also our Advocate to Plead for us 1 John 2. 1. Our deliverance from Wrath to come the damnation and punishment of Hell doth proceed not onely from Christ's death whereby he hath purchased it but also from his Intercession whereby he doth effectually impetrate and obtain it and therefore the Apostle doth join both together in the procurement of freedom from condemnation Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh incercession for us And upon this account he is said to be able to Save unto the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to Save them to the uttermost that to come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 3. By his Mission or sending of his Spirit effectually to call People to himself Jesus doth bring them into a state of Salvation and giveth them an actual Interest in this deliverance which he hath purchased for them and this leads to the next particular Seventhly How any do or may have a share in this deliverance by Jesus from wrath to come this is by faith in Jesus Christ which is wrought by his Spirit in effectual calling When the Lord by his Spirit doth open the eyes of Sinners and convinceth them of the guilt and evil of their sins awakeneth their conscience and worketh contrition and a sense of their misery and danger and when the Lord showeth and perswadeth them how utterly unable they are to Save themselves that no reformation or righteousness of their own which either they have or can attain unto can procure deliverance from wrath for them and withal that no meer Creature in the World is able to help them in this case and when the Lord by his Spirit doth discover himself as the only Saviour and All-sufficient and most willing to save and deliver them and withal doth most powerfully and irresistably and yet most sweetly how their wills and encline them to chuse him for their Saviour and grieving for sin and renouncing their own righteousness to call themselves and rest upon him alone for Salvation and this accompained with a free and resolved delivering themselves up to his Teaching and Government this is effectual calling wherein the Lord by his Spirit doth draw and lay hold on Sinners and enableth them by faith to lay hold on him and hence ariseth their union to and Interest in Christ and they come to have a share in the deliverance by Christ from wrath to come When the Jaylor cryed out with trembling to Paul and Silas Sirs what must I do to be saved the direction is Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be Saved Act. 16. 30 31. It is Faith that giveth an Interest in Christ and hereby an Interest in the deliverance which he hath purchased It is Faith doth unite us unto Christ whereby we are said to be in him and there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. We are justified by Faith Rom. 5. 1 And so are absolved from the guilt of Sin and all obligation unto punishment The Lord Jesus Christ having fully satisfied Gods justice for our sins by his death in our stead and this being imputed unto us through Faith and accounted as if we had done it our selves as a surety's paying our Debt is accounted by the Creditor as if we had paid it we are acquitted and no more exposed unto the wrath of God and punishment of Hell than if we had never committed any one sin to deserve it Use 1. For Information 1. See here the worth of Jesus he is the Deliverer and the only Deliverer from wrath to come Jesus Christ is a person of the greatest worth in himself the Divine and Humane Nature being united in him rendereth him infinitely glorious altogether lovely and hence it is that he is replinished with such transcendent excellencies and perfections as are not to be found again in any Creature either in Earth or Heaven and Jesus Christ is esteemed to be the most worthy person by those that know him and understand what real worth is especially sinners when awakened and made sensible of the curse which lyeth upon them for sin and the wrath of God which hangeth over them and when they come to apprehend how fearful a thing it is to fall under the strokes of Gods vengeance and see no way of escape but only by Jesus the only Deliverer from future wrath of all persons and things in the World Jesus Christ is most precious unto them never did there appear in the world a person
the worth and excellency of will above all things be most vexatious unto them 2. The punishment of sense this will consist in the horrible pains and tortures which shall in extremity be inflicted upon every part of the bodies of all the wicked by the most dreadful and unquenchable Fire which they shall be thrown into and the more horrible anguish which through the immediate imimpressions of Gods wrath shall be inflicted upon every faculty of their souls in Hell where they shall have no ease nor release for ever Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Rev. 14. 10 11. The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest Day nor Night c. See more of this in my Book of Christ's certain and sudden Appearance to Judgement and in my Book of Fire and Brimstone c. Secondly That this Wrath of God is to come this implyseth two things 1. That this Wrath is not yet come 2. That it will certainly come 1. This wrath of God is not yet come were it come who could stand before it who could deliver from it where it seiseth it crusheth it burneth and that worse than any fire where it seiseth it holds and never letteth go it's hold for ever but as yet this is not come some sparks of this fire may be let fall in temporal judgements upon sinners in this life but what are temporal judgements in comparison with eternal In this world God doth exercise his patience towards the wicked he is angry with them and his anger doth smoke against them but he with-holds his wrath from breaking forth into a flame which would quickly devour all the wicked of the Earth together should he give way to it and let it loose upon them Indeed we read John 3. 36. That the wrath of God abideth upon unbelievers that is it shall abide upon them who at last are found in a state of unbelief as surely as if it did already abide upon them or the wrath of God abideth upon unbelievers that is the sentence of condemnation unto this wrath doth abide upon them as John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already Indeed it is said of the persecuting Jews who had killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and forbidden the Apostles to Preach unto the Gentils that the wrath was come upon them to the uttermost 1 Thes 2. 15 16. But this we are thus to understand that the wrath of God was come upon them to the uttermost not in regard of eternal judgements but in regard of spiritual judgements it being the uttermost expression of God's Wrath here to give sinners up unto a persecuting spirit which doth prepare them for the uttermost and most dreadful punishment of Hell hereafter But as yet the wrath of God is not come none in this world do or can know the power of God's anger 2. The wrath of God is to come that is it will certainly come there are some things which may come such and such temporal judgements may come such and such deliverances may come but there are some things which will come Death will come and Christ will come and as certainly as Death and Christ will come so certainly this wrath of God will come God hath foretold it and Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or tittle of what God hath foretold until it be fulfilled God hath threatned it and God is not more faithful in his promises to his people than he is true in his threatnings to his enemies God's justice doth engage him to send it which can be satisfyed no other way by those which have no interest in the satisfaction of Christ The wicked are Vessels fitted by sin for destruction and prepared for wrath and therefore they shall be filled with it even as the Vessels of Mercy are fitted and shall be filled with glory God hath Treasured up wrath for the wicked as they have Treasured up Sin and God will give them that which they have so much deserved and he hath prepared for them However Sinners may escape this wrath for a while and vainly hope to flee or hid themselves from the strokes of Gods vengeance yet Gods Right hand will find out all those that hate him and he will make them as a fiery Oven in the time of his anger and swallow them up in his wrath and devour them with the fire of his indignation Psal 21. 8 9. Thirdly Vpon whom will this wraâ—h of God come 1. This wrath of God will come upon all the children of disobedience see Col. 3. 5 6. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the Earth Fornication Vncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscense and covetousness which is Idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Such are children of disobedience who are disobedient children such who do nor yield obedience unto the Law of God but live and allow themselves in the practice of known sins and in the neglect of known duties such who are under the reigning power of sin who are willing servants of sin who yeild up their members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto sin as Rom. 6. 13. Who serve divers lusts Tit. 3. 3. Who make provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. Such who are Blasphemers or Swearers or Sabbath-breakers or Murderers or Adulterers or Drunkards or Thieves or Covetous or Unrighteous or Extortioners or Revilers or Scoffers at Religion or Persecutors of Gods people or have an enmity to the power of Godliness such as are Proud and Boasters such as are disobedient to Parents without natural affection such as are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God such as are Lyars and unfaithful such as are idle and slothful such as live in envy and malice and are given to revenge and cannot forgive injuries and the like sinners these are Children of disobedience upon whom the wrath of God will come see also Ephes 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Let none deceive you with vain words neither deceive your selves with vain thoughts as if you might escape the wrath of God although you live in the practice of such and such sins see how vain and groundless the security of such persons is Deut. 28. 19 20. Lest there be among you a root that beareth Gall and Worm-wood and it come to pass when he heareth the Words of this curse that he blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of
have it 's ten thousands this is too broad and hath it's thousands besides the more sober amongst the Heathens who belived a future state of happiness and looked to arrive to it by the moral Righteousness besides the Papists who assert justification by works and that we are no otherwise justified than as we are made internally righteous and this expressing it self in acts of obedience and besides Socinians and other Sects together with the Quakers who plainly affirms that we must be saved by a righteousness within which the Quakers call Christ within all which do fundamentally erre in their judgements concerning the righteousness which alone can save I say besides these it is natural unto all to seek Salvation this way all are born under a Covenant of works they are under the Law and not under Grace and when any think how they shall be saved they presently run to work and seek after a righteousness of their own and to fulfil the Law themselves and hope if they repent and lead a new life though they have sinned that God is mercifulâ— and he will pardon and save them It is an ordinary thing even where the light of truth doth shine most clearly and the Gospel is Preached most powerfully when any are convinced of sin by the beams of this light and awakened out of their security by some powerful Sermon discovering their danger of eternal ruine as the just desert of Sin they will cry out with the Jaylor what shall we do to be saved and however they be directed as he was to believe yet the most do rest in doing and not believing they fall presently upon confession of sin and sorrowing for it they fall upon reforming they will not now be drunk or swear or commit Adultery or break the Sabbath or defraud in their dealings now they begin to hear the Word and Pray in their Families and pray in their Closets and keep days of Fasting and conforms unto all the External acts of Devotion and if they can attain unto some kind of flashy affection they think all is well and if they find their hearts dull and cold and hard they may also be troubled for it not upon a right Gospel account but because they feel they want such a righteousness to present God withall as they desire or through some secret fear that their righteousness will not hold water but all this while these persons seek after salvation through a self righteousness and Christ is left out and his righteousness either unknown or utterly disregarded and neglected by them and thus many go to Hell in a way of duty their duties are the occasion of their damnation through their resting in them and expecting Salvation by them It may seem strange that any should have hopes of Salvation by imperfect servings but this I suppose may come to pass either because they don't mind the imperfections of their services for want of understanding the Law in the Spirituality of it and examining themselves by it or through apprehensions that Gods mercy revealed in his Word will Pardon them not considering that all his special Mercy in pardoning and saving is through Christ not considering that God is infinitely just and righteous as well as merciful and that there is no room for the exercise of Mercy towards Sinners until Justice be satisfied that Gods justice requireth a perfect righteousnes otherwise there cannot be a perfect justification that there must be full satisfaction to Gods justice for the breach of Gods Law otherwise there can be no clear remission and that there must be perfect righteousness made out some way otherwise we cannot be accepted by God as righteous Since therefore this satisfaction to Gods justice cannot be by our selves because being finite we cannot make an infinite compensation which infinite justice doth require and since perfect righteousness which must include both original and actual cannot be in us who are guilty both of original and actual sin and the least sin rendering for ever a personal perfect righteousness impossible and the Law curseth every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them and therefore as many as are of the Law that seeks justification and Salvation by the way of works or righteousness of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3. 10. It is clear that whoever do expect to be saved from wrath to come it must not be by their own righteousness but by anothers righteousness namely the righteousness of Christ If you would attain an interest in Christ you must be sensible of your need of him and his righteousness upon this account 2. Labour for a thorow acquaintance with the nature intendment and efficacy of the righteousness of Christ The Apostle saith of the Jews Rom. 10. 2 3 4. I bear them record they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge for they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteouness unto every one that believeth And as it was with the Jews of Old so it is with many nominal Christians now who may be led only by a blind zeal to work out their own Salvation in a way of doing and it is through their ignorance of the righteousness of Christ called here the righteousness of God either because it is the righteousness alone which God will accept or which God hath found out and provided for men which sence it must have Rom. 3. 21. 22. But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifest even the righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ c. That is the righteousness which God doth accept and hath appointed for our justification or it is called the righteousness of God because it is the righteousness of Christ who is God-man no other righteousness than of such a person being sufficient for man in his fallen estate I say through the ignorance of this righteousness of Christ many Christians seeking after a righteousness in order to their Salvation they go about to establish their own righteousness that is a personal righteousness and endeavour the gaining of Heaven in a way of doing and so do not submit themselves to the righteousness of God It is through Pride so natural unto every one that they are loth to be beholding wholly unto another and therefore they would have something of their own to commend them unto God and therefore they do not submit unto the righteousness of Christ which God hath provided for them Therefore you must labour to be clear in your understanding what this righreousness of Christ is there are two things requisite and absolutely necessary unto fallen man The first is satisfaction unto Gods Justice for his sins and without this there can be no escape of eternal death and misery because guilt doth oblige unto punishment