saving Knowledg the Doctrine of Free Grace of Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin and free access to the Father which shews it to be a sat and blessed Pasture and thus it feeds their Understanding 2. It feeds and raises their Affections also in Love to Christ and desire after him to hear what God is to them and Christ is to them what a Covenant is made with Christ for them what Promises are made to them what Love the Lord Jesus hath to them and what Grace is purchased laid and treasured up in Christ for them what Care he hath of them and what Glory he hath prepared for them 3. They receive the Word they assent to the Truth of it and fâ—el a so the Power thereof inclining bowing and subjecting their Wills to a holy ready and hearty Consent thereunto in a way of universal Obedience to what is required of them 4. It feeds their Faith also and every Grace of the Spirit in their Souls it increases their Faith in Christ and their Love to Christ whilst they meditate thereon and believe with an unfeigned Faith the Veracity of God's Word and apply the Promises and Blessings thereof which are purchased by Jesus Christ now is to eat and digest the Word Secondly The Ordinances of Christ may be said to be another Pasture where his Sheep do feed The Spouse no doubt enquired after this Pasture Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest c. where thy Holy Ordinances are truly administred 1. The Ordinance of Preaching or Administration of the Gospel is a rich Pasture especially when it is preached powerfully by the Influence and Demonstration of the Spirit the opening and explaining the Word of the Gospel is like the opening the Pasture-Gate and so letting the Sheep into it Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us and opened the Scriptures 'T is like the opening of the Box of precious Ointment causing a sweet Perfume in the Soul like as Mary's did in the House The Work of the Ministry is to open the Scripture Vnderstandest thou what thou readest saith Philip. The Eunuch answered How can I unless some Man should guide me He might have added some skilful Man Alas some are unlearned unexperienced and ignorant Preachers they know not the Lord themselves they never learned of the Father but want the Teachings of the Holy Spirit They understand not the Scripture the Holy Bible is a sealed Book to them notwithstanding all their Humane Literature and Knowledg of the Tongues with their Arts and Sciences The preaching the Gospel is the feeding of the Soul But O what care should be taken that nothing is delivered by the Preacher but sound Doctrine not to feed the People with airy and empty Notions corrupt and poisonous Doctrine for that is to destroy the Sheep especially such that are weak in Knowledg and cannot quickly discern Truth from Error They are not to feed the Flock with Humane Traditions nor with their own Dreams Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Not with good Doctrine only but good Discipline also and with an holy and good Example Good Government is precious Food to the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ 2. The Holy Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper is another part of this blessed Pasture And such are ill Sheep that will not feed where the Shepherd willeth them or like not a Pasture of his chusing With what gladness did those Saints at Jerusalem when they received the Word yield themselves up to Holy Baptism The Eunuch also found that Ordinance he meeting with Christ in it very sweet and therefore when baptized he went away rejoicing The Mystery of the Gospel is preached or held forth in a lively Figure in Baptism to the very sight of the natural Eye which being understood conveys much Light and Knowledg to the Understanding It shews that Christ was dead buried and rose again for our Justification 1 st Baptism saith the Learned Tilenus is the first Sacrament of the New Testament instituted by Christ in which there is an exact Analogy between the Sign and the Thing signified The outward Rite in Baptism is threefold 1. Immersion into the Water 2. Abiding under the Water 3. A Resurrection out of the Water The Form of Baptism saith he to wit External and Essential is no other than the Analogical Proportion which the Sign keeps with the Thing signified thereby The plunging into the Water saith he holds forth to us that horrible Gulph of Divine Justice in which Christ for our sakes for a while was in a manner swallowed up abiding under the Water how little time soever denotes his descent into Hell even the deepest of Lifelessness and lying in the sealed or guarded Sepulchre he was accounted as one dead Rising out of the Water holds forth to us in a lively Similitude that Conquest which this dead Man got over Death And saith the same worthy Author so dipping into the Water in a most lively Similitude sets forth the Mortification of the old Man and rising out of the Water the Vivification of the new Man it being meet that we being baptized into his Death and buried with him should rise also with him and go on in a new Life The Apostle clearly confirms the same great Truths Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of Life We have Fellowship with Christ in his Death in Baptism or the Efficacy of his Death evidenced to us as the outward Symbol of it is held forth in the external Administration of it For as Christ died for Sin so we are hereby obliged to die to Sin and as he rose again from the Dead so we ought as we covenant in this Ordinance to walk in newness of Life Dr. Cave saith In Immerging there are in a manner three-fold Acts The putting the Person into the Water his abiding under the Water and his rising up again thereby representing Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection and our Conformity thereunto in our dying to Sin and the destruction of its Power and our resurrection to a new course of Life O learn what your Baptism holds forth and what you are taught thereby and promised therein and live accordingly Brethren you will find blessed Food in this Ordinance for your Souls and if you experience the Things signified thereby happy are you if not in vain were you baptized 2 dly What sweet Food or how good a Pasture is the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper to a hungry Soul who longs after the Bread of Life and Communion with Christ A Crucified Christ is the Bread of Life and by Faith in this Ordinance we feed on
doubt of that And if you can make it appear that he so died for us as you affirm namely in the room or stead of all his Elect then your Argument is not to be answered Answ I answer That Jesus Christ did not suffer Death for our Good only but in our room or stead also I shall prove and make clearly to appear 1. This Notion if you will so call it of Christ dying for us must denote his dying in our stead because it is so always generally taken when one Person is said to die for another one is condemned and another dies for him that is in his Room to save the guilty Person from Death And should not this be granted we should be all confounded and not know either what Men or the Scripture means when they say such a Man such a Person died for another or for others when the Person for whom that great Love and Favour was shewed to was as a Criminal and condemned to die which moved his Friend or Surety to step in and suffer the Penalty for him or in his stead Now it was so here we were all Criminals guilty of the highest Treason against the God of Heaven and were by the holy Law of our offended Soveraign condemned to die and to bear Eternal Wrath and our Blessed Saviour was chosen in our room and given up as an Act of the Father's Infinite Love and Favour and as an Act of no less Love Favour and Compassion in Christ to die for us and to satisfy Divine Justice for us or to bear the Punishment we were to have born and must had not he born it for us for ever 2. Is it not plainly foretold that the Messiah should be cut off but not for himself Now since he had no Sin of his own and yet was cut off for Sin it follows he was put in our Place and stood charged with our Guilt or Debt and so was penally cut off he was cut off for us to save us from Divine Wrath and Vengeance It was not for himself it was not for the fallen Angels it was therefore for us that we might not die but live eternally 3. Pray Brethren see what our Saviour saith upon this Account Greater Love hath no Man than this that a Man lay down his Life for his Friends Can this Expression intend any thing more or less than in the room or stead of his Friend or die for them Thus Christ died Even the Just for the Vnjust the Just in the place or stead of the Unjust or us the guilty Persons Hereby perceive we the Love of God Because he laid down his Life for us we ought to lay down our Life for the Brethren These Texts fully prove the Notion He that lays down his Life for his Brother or dies for the Brethren dies in their stead to save them from Death as some have done For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die yet peradventure for a good Man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his Love towards 〈◊〉 in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us Now then seeing Christ underwent Death and bore that Punishment that was due for Sins and there being no Cause in himself why he should suffer that Pain and Penalty it unavoidably follows that it was because he stood in our Place charged with our Offences 4. Again it must be thus taken and understood because it is said The Lord laid on him the Iniquity of us all Our Sins were made to meet in him He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities It was not by Christ's praying and interceding to the Father for us to forgive us our Iniquities No no that was not enough it was his dying for them He bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree He prayed again and again but that Cup could not pass by if we are delivered and saved from our Sins he must die nay his Soul must be made an Offering for Sin 5. That Christ died in our stead will further appear because he was made Sin for us that knew no Sin He bore the Sins of many that is the Punishment of them Our Sins were charged upon him though he had no Sin of his own in a moral Sense but was pure from all Iniquity yet in a judicial Sense he was made Sin as he was constituted and put in the Sinner's Place dying and making Satisfaction in our stead as our blessed Head and Surety And how frivolous is the Cavil of the Socinians who would have it be understood where it is said Christ was made Sin that he was accounted a Sinner by wicked Men. This cannot be the meaning of the Place because as he was made Sin for us that knew no Sin so it was that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Do wicked Men account Believers to be made the Righteousness of God in him Or does not God look upon us or count us in him so to be 6. But why is it said by the Holy Ghost But when the fulness of Time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law c. Had he not stood in our Law-place why is it thus expressed Certainly God saw it necessary to substitute him and to accept of him in our stead and therefore he was made under the Law i. e. he was obliged to keep the Law perfectly for us God requiring that of us in order to Justification which we being fallen were not able to do therefore he did it for us and in our Nature being made of a Woman he took our Nature upon him and suffered Death making a full and compleat Satisfaction for our Breach thereof whose Sufferings and Obedience upon the account of his being God as well as Man had an infinite Worth and Merit in them And if this which the Apostle saith in this place doth not prove that he suffered in our room I must confess I know nothing of this great Gospel-Mystery 7. That he suffered not only for our Good or Profit but also in our room and stead doth further appear because it is said He died for our Sins Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Justification This Particle saith a Learned Man joined with an Accusative doth generally signify the impulsive Cause and not final Mat. 10. 22. 13. 5. 14. 9. John 20. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 11. And particularly when it is used in reference to Sufferings it hath that signification and no other see Levit. 26. 18 28. Deut. 28. 11. 2 Kings 23. 26. Jer. 13. 22. John 10. 32. In all these Places it necessarily signifies the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause and nowise the Final for our Offences must needs be understood that our Offences were the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause of Christ's Sufferings Another Particle the Holy
the Law that believe not because nothing but a perfect Righteousness can deliver from the Curse thereof 3. Moreover God is obliged upon the account of his Covenant with his Son for us to discharge us for ever because Christ hath fully performed all things as the federal Conditions of our Restoration and Deliverance from Sin and the Curse of the Law which he covenanted to do Arg. 5. All that are delivered from the Curse of the Law and to whom there remains no more any legal and just Cause in God of Wrath and Separation from him unto their Eternal Condemnation cannot eternally perish But all that believe in Christ are delivered from the Curse of the Law and to them there remains no more any legal and just Cause in God of Wrath and Separation from him unto their eternal Condemnation therefore no Believer shall eternally perish Fifthly Christ dying for our Sins was a full and compleat Paiment of all our Debts which bound us over to Death and Condemnation we owed ten thousand Talents and Christ our Surety was charged with it even with all we owed to Justice and by his Death he paid the uttermost Farthing Now the Principal and the Surety are legally and judicially one Person so that in Christ we paid all though it was God and not we that found out the Surety and paid himself with his own Money and therefore we are acquitted in a way of Sovereign Grace we have it in a way of Mercy though in a way of Righteousness also That God might be Just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus From whence I argue Arg. 6. All those for whom Christ hath paid all their Debts or made a full Compensation for shall never perish But Christ hath paid all the Debts of Believers or made a full Compensation for them therefore they shall never perish Would it not be look'd upon as an Act of Injustice in a Creditor to arrest and throw a poor Debtor into Prison for those Debts his Surety paid for him and laid down every Farthing of his Money Now then say I either some of the Sins of Believers or some of their Debts Jesus Christ did not die for pay or satisfy for or else all must conclude it is impossible because God is Just any one of them should perish Now who is it that dares to affirm that Christ did not die and satisfy for all the Sins of Believers or for his Elect Ones If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness He will not exact from us the Satisfaction which he hath accepted in the Atonement of his own Son our Surety and in his own way applied God will not require double Payment Sixthly From the Death of Christ I further argue No Believer can eternally perish because his Death was the highest and greatest Expression and Demonstration of Divine Love both in the Father and Son Now say I as I hinted once before He that gave the great Gift will not deny the lesser Sure if God gave his Son to die for our Sins he will give us Grace to resist Sin to mortify Sin and will also pardon all our Sins And if Christ died for us spilt his Blood for us he will pray for us he will not refuse to intercede for us that our Faith may not fail or we lose the Benefit and Blessings purchased for us by his Death He that would not pray for his Friend or for his Neighbour will not die for him But on the other Hand if he yields himself up to die for him he will pray for him Christ died for his Sheep he will therefore both feed them heal their Diseases and preserve them that they may not be devoured by any Enemy whatsoever neither by Sin nor the Devil c. See Rom. 5. 10. Rom. 8. 32. Seventhly Jesus Christ by his Death purchased Grace and all things his Saints need or shall need in order to make them meet for Glory therefore they shall not perish Do they need Faith need Patience need Power against Sin need Pardon need Purging c. all these things and whatsoever else they stand in need of they shall have My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory by Jesus Christ All Grace is in Christ as the Fruit of his purchase And of his Fulness all we receive and Grace for Grace And this is to shew forth the Riches of God's Glory Will he lose his Glory Shall Satan insult over the Majesty of Heaven after this manner viz. Lo here is one of them for whom thou gavest thy Son to die whom thou hast left to me and I have destroyed him for ever Will God think you suffer this since his main Design in the Gift of Christ is the Glory of his own Rich and Sovereign Grace Nay and after he has with such large Expence of rich Treasure and such Pains restored his lost Image to a poor Believer will he suffer Sin and Satan utterly to deface it again whilst he looks on Our Opposites are Men for Natural Reason Now Sirs what think you of this is there any reason for you to believe God will suffer either of these things to be done Eighthly The Death of Christ preserves all Believers to Everlasting Life because he hath by one Offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified Christ as the Effects of his Death before he hath done will bring all for whom he was a Sacrifice to Heaven Justification in the Perfection of it shall be continued Sanctification shall be compleated our Interest in him shall not be lost Can any think that Christ will not maintain Life in that Soul which he made alive by his own Death Arg. 7. If therefore Christ's Blood was not shed for none in vain but that he shall have his whole Purchase then none of his Sheep or Elect Ones shall ever perish But Christ's Blood was shed for none in vain therefore he shall have his full Purchase none of his Elect shall perish No Man would lay down a Sum more in value than a whole Kingdom but would first see himself sure of it upon laying down that Price the Father's Covenant and Promise also made all the Elect certain of Eternal Life upon Christ's dying for them Besides Beloved the Sacrifice of Christ unites all the Holy Attributes together to secure a Believer's Interest Justice and Mercy are both agreed in Christ they meet together and kiss each other yea and join Hands to help and save every Believer The Flood-gates of Mercy are opened and the Fire of Divine Wrath confin'd in its Flames or rather quenched by the Streams of Christ's Blood that Mercy might flow down to us abundantly Christ's Blood hath eternal Virtue in it it is called the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant therefore extendeth to the Expiation of Sins to come as well as what are already
past Christ's Death hath glorious Effects as the Apostle shews For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God To talk of Christ's Death and see no Effects of it alas what 's that All that Christ died for shall see and feel too its Glorious Effects and Operations upon their Souls and Consciences though the Sacrifice be over the Virtue and excellent Causality of it abides for ever Ninthly Christ by his Death redeemeth his People from all Iniquity and this was his End in dying What signifies such a Redemption that leaves a poor Slave in his Chains and Irons without procuring a Release for him In this lies the Glory of our Redemption by Christ 't is not only from the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God but from a vain Conversation also See the Apostle's Words Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works If this was his End and Design in his Death do any think he will see himself frustrated in it Shall any Enemy of the Soul bring Christ under a Disappointment Compare this with 1 Pes. 1. 17 18 19. Tenthly and Lastly Jesus Christ hath by his Death purchased Eternal Redemption or Everlasting Life for all his Sheep and by his Spirit hath also given to them the Earnest of it therefore his Death preserves them to Salvation In whom ye also trusted after ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the Praise of his Glory Now I should come to speak more particularly to the Effects of the Death of Christ and inlarge upon some things that I have but a little touched upon but that I must leave until the next Time and shall only speak something by way of Improvement of this Argument APPLICATION First To you that are Believers O praise and bless God for a Crucified Saviour What in Heaven and Earth is cause of greater Wonder and Admiration Christ's Death is the meritorious Cause of all Spiritual and Eternal Joy and Comfort all Grace flows out of the Wounds the Spear and Nailâ— made in his Blessed Body and from the Death and Pangs his Soul underwent Nothing is a greater Evidence of Christ's Love to us than the Death of his Cross 2. Apply his Blood draw Virtue from his Blood fly to his Death see how that stands to save thee from the Justice and Wrath of God in his Death is thy Hope and Succour when pursued by Satan and under all Temptations 3. Triumph in the Cross of Christ thou O Child of God wast crucified with Christ thy Sins were punished in him and thou art acquitted in him and raised in him O labour to know Christ and him crucified Labour to know him and the Power of his Death and the Fellowship of his Sufferings c. 4. And as to you Sinners is not here Ground of Hope for you Christ died for the chiefest of Sinners And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life But wo to such who slight this bleeding Saviour that sin because Grace hath abounded or that make the Death of Christ an Incouragement to them to continue in Sin Tush say some trouble not your self with me Christ died for Sinners O Souls will you crucify Christ again I tell you if you do not feel the Effects of his Death in vain is all your present Hope 5. This may serve also to detect such and severely to reprehend them that say Christ died to save all or for all and every Man and Woman in the World Brethren if he died for all that is in the Stead and Room of all then all shall be saved God will not condemn such whom Christ laid down his Life for or in the place or stead of as I have proved from God's Word But further to detect this Error of General Redemption 1. Consider that Redemption is a Word easy to understand it is the saving of a Person that is in Slavery or Captivity commonly procured or obtained by a Price paid or a Ransom but if the Person is indeed redeemed he is set at Liberty To say a Man is redeemed and yet left in Chains and strong Bonds out of which he cannot come unless the Redeemer break those Chains and Bonds to pieces is to speak untruly or in plain English a Lie Now are all Men redeemed Redemption cannot be more universal than it is in Matter of Fact If ten Men were in Slavery in Argiers and a Sum of Money was paid to redeem them and yet after all care is not taken to make that Ransom to be effectual for their Redemption but six or seven of them are left in Captivity can any Man say all the ten were redeemed out of that Slavery and Thraldom wherein they are held Even so it is here for Men to say that the Redemption by Christ is for all the World and yet the greatest part of Mankind lie in Bonds under the Power of Sin and Satan and have not the Death of Christ made effectual to them is a great Mistake and indeed not true as to Matter of Fact 2. Are we redeemed only from the Curse of the Law and from the Wrath of God and are we not also redeemed from Sin and from being under the Power of Satan That Redemption that is by Christ is you hear from all Iniquity and are all so redeemed The Apostle Peter saith Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from a vain Conversation but with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ c. So many as are and shall be redeemed from all Iniquity from a vain Conversation or whom Christ hath redeemed from the Power of Satan he setting them at Liberty who naturally are bound and bringing them out of the Prison-House so many and no more did he die for and no further doth Redemption by Christ extend 3. If there are many left in the Enemies Hand and under their Power and eternally perish then there is no general or universal Redemption but there are Multitudes so left and perish 4. That Grace Love and blessed Price that doth not procure Universal Salvation is not cannot be an Universal Redemption But God never shewed such Grace and Love by the Price of Christ's Blood that doth procure Universal Salvation therefore there is no Universal Redemption for that Price or Paiment which doth not actually pass or terminate in Salvation is no Redemption at all an Attempt to redeem unless it be
effected is no Redemption 5. Brethren is Christ an Universal Saviour of the Souls of all Men Why there can be no Universal Redemption unless there be an Universal Redeemer as I said before but there is no such Universal Redeemer Object We do not plead for an absolute Vniversal Redemption but for a Conditional and that Condition is to be performed by the Creature and many perish because they do not perform it the Condition is Faith Regeneration Sincere Obedience and Holiness c. Answ The Condition they say is Repentance Faith and Regeneration Now were it thus as these Men affirm then how is Christ rendred even more weak and inconsiderate than any Man of Understanding For what Man would lay down ten thousand Pounds to redeem a Captive out of Slavery when he knew a cruel Tyrant had him in his Hands and in strong Chains and would not let him go nor regard at all the Sum laid down for his Ransom there being no treating with him he ' I take no Price but unless he is conquered and the Person redeemed by Power the Money is lost This is the Case Christ's Blood is the Ransom that was laid down to satisfy the Law and Justice of God but all and every Man and Woman in the World is under the Power of Sin and Satan and unless Christ delivers the Soul out of the Hands of these Enemies by the Power of his own Arm his Blood would be of none Effect to redeem any one Soul Therefore God by this Conditional Universal Redemption rather seems to mock Men according to these Mens Notion for this is the purport of it You are redeemed Sinner yea all of you by Christ's Death if you can redeem your selves Do but your part and you are redeemed What is that Why answer the Conditions viz. change your own evil Hearts make you a new Heart believe in Christ get out of Satan's Chains raise your selves from the Dead and you shall be redeemed Is this possible Strange doth the Righteous God make that the Condition of Salvation on the Creature 's Part which he knew the Creature was no more able to do than to give sight to the Blind or raise the Dead 2. Besides it renders Christ to be but a Conditional Redeemer could the Creature answer the Condition yea and it puts Christ but into a possibility also of being a Redeemer as one well observes he is not actually so whilst he stands under that Conditionality for the Conditionality doth not only lie upon the Person to be redeemed so that he cannot be a redeemed One till the Condition is performed But it puts also a Bar to the Purchaser he can't in any good sense be called the Redeemer of such a Person 'till the Person hath performed the Condition As for Example if I lay down an hundred Pounds for the Redemption of a Person in Slavery upon this Condition that he yield to serve me seven Years after I must have his Consent to these Terms before I can redeem him and therefore upon this Condition I am certainly suspended from being a Redeemer and am no Redeemer to the said Person if he refuse the Terms all that I have done is but a Proffer of Terms Hence saith the said Reverend Author for Christ to be a Conditional Universal Redeemer is a Contradiction for it 's to be but a Redeemer of some that perform the Condition and no Redeemer to them who do not 6. To which let me add this Notion of Conditional Redemption renders Salvation not to be freely of God's Grace no not the very Purchase it self because in the Design of it it was not to be had without the Creatures Money I mean without his answering the Condition of Repentance Faith Regeneration and final Perseverance c. which to do they deny Christ's purchased Grace and Power for all or any one or hath he promised to perform it for them or to work it in them No but it is that which absolutely the Creature must find Power Strength and Skill to do or perish for ever the Redemption being intended for him on no other Terms all depends on the Will of Man 't is as Man's Will determines it 7. Moreover who can suppose Christ would shed his Blood and lay down such an infinite Sum to redeem such whom he knew would not answer those Conditions propounded Nay and which is worse to lay down his Life to redeem Multitudes upon such Conditions which he knew they were no more able to perform than to create a World Can this stand consistent with the Wisdom and Goodness of Jesus Christ This Assertion of theirs saith the same Author is as if they should say A. B. purchased an Estate for me and in my Name upon Condition that I should take up the Monument and carry it over the Bridg. 8. All those that have Redemption or that Christ died to redeem have or shall have remission of Sin But the greatest part of Men have not nor ever shall have remission of Sin therefore Christ did not die for the greatest part of the World Redemption and Forgiveness of Sins is of equal extent 9. Again I might argue thus Those that Christ did not pray for he did not die for those that he never would put up one Prayer one Sigh to the Father for certainly he never purchased Remission of Sins and Eternal Life for I pray for them I pray not for the World but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Now it is easy to know what World it was Christ prayed not for namely those that were not given to him by the Father for all that were of the World that did belong to the Election of Grace though then under the Power of Sin and Unbelief he did pray for Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their Words the Elect whilst Sinners may be called the World as well as any others 10. If Christ died for all he intended to save all But Christ did not intend to save all therefore he did not die for all Strange will any say our Lord Jesus did that which was contrary to his Purpose and Intertion And if it was his Intention to save all who could frustrate him in it Why then are not all saved Sirs the Death of Christ cannot extend to the Salvation of any one Soul further than the Intention and Purpose of God or the Election of the Father and Application of the Holy Spirit 11. Those that Christ died for he purchased Grace for Remission of Sin for and all things in order to make the Redemption of his Blood effectual unto he purposed to bestow the lesser Grace and Gift upon them as well as the greater Would a Man give a Million to purchase such an Estate for a Man and will he refuse to part with five Pounds in order to have it made sure to him for whom he laid down so great
a Part and may be not the 20 th Part of all the People of Judea and Jerusalem neither Also how have some pleaded for eating of Blood from hence which is the Life of the Creature which was forbid to the whole World in Shem Hani and Japhet after the Flood and before any Ceremonial Law was given forth yea and as soon as the Flesh of any Creature was given to Man to eat or he was allowed to eat the Flesh thereof as also Blood is positively forbidden as Fornication and Pollution of Idols in the New Testament Acts 15. 20 29. Alas how easy are Men led to abuse the Sacred Scriptures to favour an Opinion they have received for want of farther light And as to the word World 't is evident that does not sometimes extend to all universally but to a part Moreover all that are in Unbelief or that believe not though some of them may be given to Christ yet they are as I hinted before as much the World as other ungodly Ones until called out of it I have chosen you out of the World From hence it appears they were in and of the World before else they could not be said to be chosen and called out of the World Now it was for this World Christ died even all the ungodly World that were given to him and for all and every one of them and no more upon a Spiritual Account viz. to save them or die in their stead Yet 3. Christ is said to take away the Sin of the World What World is that which Christ takes away the Sin of I affirm there is not one Sin taken away from the World nor one in the World but only of such that Believe of the Adult all Unbelievers are under the Guilt and Punishment of Original Sin and Death is to such a Fruit of the Curse still which God denounced against Adam c. 4 In one sense he may be said to buy or save the whole World i. e. externally for it was by Christ's Mediation and Death this World was saved and all in it from perishing immediately upon the Sin and Fall of Man all live move and have their being in him as God and through him as Mediator he is in this respect the Saviour of all Men but especially or with an especial and eternal Salvation he saves none but them that do believe So much shall serve as to this Objection and at this Time JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BELOVED the last Day I was upon that Grand Argument to prove That none of Christ's Sheep can fall away so as eternally to perish viz. taken from the Death of Christ I shewed you that Christ died in their stead he bore all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to them for their Sins so that they might never bear it or suffer in Hell I shall now proceed Eighthly My next Argument shall be taken from the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection Though I have spoken something already touching the Effects of the Death of Christ yet I shall before I pass it add something further to it First We have shewed you that the appeasing of God's Wrath was the Effects of the Death of Christ he put an end to all Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance that was due to all Believers or Elect Ones The Pangs of Hell due to us seized upon him and he bore it in our stead upon the Cross He was delivered for our Offence and rose again for our Justification Now when Christ was discharged all his Elect were virtually discharged also because he suffered and rose again as a publick Person representing all that were given to him by the Father those things which he did in his own Person in this respect we are said to do together with him Brethren the benefit of his Performances doth redound unto us we are said to die with him and to be quickned together with him and entred into the Holy Place with him the whole Victory over Sin and Death being obtained and the Quarrel removed the condemning Power of Sin being destroyed all things about making an end of Sin are done and passed through Now what saith the Apostle He that is dead hath ceased from Sin Well what of this Likewise saith he Reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Knowing that Christ being raised from the Dead dieth no more Death hath no more Power over him Now this being done by us and for us in our Head can we henceforth die any more Shall Eternal Death have Dominion over us No no we are to reckon our selves to be as absolutely freed and discharged from Sin and Eternal Death as Christ is discharged and freed from Death and dieth no more And this comes to us as the Effects of his Death by his suffering for us and in our room If one died for all then were all dead that is all those for whom he died they were dead and died likewise with him their Sponsor and are delivered from the Curse due for Sin so that we now might and shall live to him that died for us and rose again This was the End of his Death and is or will be the Effect thereof on all for whom he died Secondly Reconciliation from hence it doth appear is also another Effect of Christ's Death The Design of God was to bring us to Happiness and this he doth as the Effects of the Death of his own Son the Lord Jesus who hath made our Peace by the Blood of his Cross He hath reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God in one Body having slain the Enmity thereby Divine Justice you heard the last Day has nothing to charge upon God's Elect because it is Christ that died 1. Observe Christ's Death hath reconciled God to us When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son 2. And then also as an Effect and Fruit of his Death he having obtained the Spirit for us we are actually reconciled to God And thus our Days-man lays his Hands upon both he brings God to us and us to God he is not the Mediator of one but God is one There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 3. Therefore as the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection Reconciliation is made with God for us and that for ever it is not a Peace made for such a time or for so long but for ever so that there shall never be any destructive Breach any more no more War between God and Believers let Sin and Satan do what they can they cannot break this League of Peace and Amity 'T is not a Peace upon Condition that we are to keep and may break it No no the Peace was made by Christ and he that
perpetually to be continued the Death of Christ hath special influence unto the mortification of Sin in the Death of the Cross Our Old Man is crucified that the Body of Sin might be destroyed Sin is mortified and we are sanctified by virtue of the Death of Christ and we hereby through his Grace come to be planted into the Likeness of his Death And as Paul in another place saith Being made conformable unto his Death This Conformity is not in our Natural Death or in our being put to death for him but Christ dying for our Sins is the procuring Cause of our dying to Sin therefore we must look for the Death of our Sins in the Death of Christ as the proper Effect thereof Virtue goeth from the Death of Christ to the subduing and destroying of Sin his Death was not only a Passive Example but is accompanied with Power conforming and changing us into his Likeness 'T is the great Ordinance of God to this very End it is by a fellowship or participation in his suffering we are never made conformable to the Death of Christ till we die to Sin the Death of Christ was designed to be the Death of Sin And as certain as Christ died for the Sins of all the Elect so certain it is they shall all first or last feel the powerful Effects thereof in the Death of their Sins The Corn fell into the Ground and died and shall produce all the Increase that virtually was hid in it Christ is our Life the Spring Fountain and Cause of it therefore we have nothing but what we derive from him Object He is say some the Author of Life and as he taught the Way of Life so he is our Life Answ He is our Life as he is our Head and it would be but a sorry Head that should only teach the Feet to go or the Members to act and move without communicating Strength unto them and to the whole Body Christ Brethren is an Head of Influence and in these spiritual Influences or Life that Strength which he communicates to us doth consist in the killing of Sin He loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blame And if this was his End in his Death be sure his Death shall perfectly effect this glorious Work in the End upon every Soul of his Tenthly and lastly Glorification is also an Effect of the Death of Christ it is the Fruit of his Suffering it was by his own Blood he entred as our Head and Representative once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us The Crown of Glory is the Purchase of his Blood and as sure as his Righteousness his Holy Life and Obedience and Meritorious Death carried him to the Father and set him down at the right Hand of the Majesty on high so will his Merits as certainly bring all the true Heirs to that Glory above where the Fore-runner is for us already entered For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings First he brings those Sons into a State of Grace as the Effects of his Death and Resurrection and unto a State of Glory And whom he justified them also he glorified I shall draw up the Sum of this Argument If such are the certain Fruits and Effects of Christ's Death 1. If it hath appeased the Wrath of God for all that are in him 2. If it hath made their Peace and for ever reconciled them unto God 3. If the Holy Spirit is purchased and procured as the Effects of his Death for them by which they are renewed quickned and helped to mortify Sin and is to them an Earnest a Witness and Seal of Everlasting Life and shall abide with them for ever 4. If Justification is the Effect of Christ's Death and they are for ever acquitted from all Sin and accepted as Righteous in Christ's Righteousness 5. If all that believe in him are sanctified as the Effects of his Death and shall be perfected for ever 6. If Pardon of Sin is an Effect also of Christ's Death and all Believers have and shall have their Sins forgiven for ever or remembred no more 7. If they are adopted Sons and Daughters to God as the Effect of Christ's Death 8. And also if Glorification is an Effect of his Death and as certain as is the Cause the Effect will be or as sure as Christ is glorified in Heaven all that are his Members shall be glorified Then it is impossible that any one of them should so fall away as eternally to perish But all these things are true and none dare to deny them so to be therefore they cannot fall so as eternally to perish I shall apply this and come to the next Argument APPLICATION First To Sinners 1. Hath the Death of Christ such Virtue in it even to renew quicken regenerate all that believe in him Is God through the Death of his Son reconciled and shall all that take hold of him be justified c. O then Sinners look up unto him and never cease looking until you find the Effects of his Death in your own Souls Object 1. But alas Sir I am a vile and abominable Sinner Answ Well notwithstanding that yet there is Virtue enough in Christ to save you Object 2. But I have been a Drunkard a Swearer an Adulterer a Thief Answ So had some of those Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Object 3. But I have been an Old Sinner Answ Well let it be so yet but a Sinner and Christ died for Sinners for the chief of Sinners therefore there is hope for you nay if you can believe and apply the Virtue of Christ's Blood you shall find Mercy Object 4. But I fear Christ did not die for me Answ 1. If he died for the Chief of Sinners why not for thee And if those that crucified him found Mercy why not thee 2. Thou hast as much ground to believe that Christ died for thee as any ungodly Person hath that dwells on the Face of the whole Earth Sinner look up Nay 3. Thou hast as much ground to believe that Christ died for thee as any of those had once who now feel the Effects of his Death 4. Did ever any Sinner throw himself at his Feet as a poor lost and undone Creature and take hold of him that was rejected Query What is the first Effect of Christ's Death Answ The first Effect of Christ's Death in the Soul is Life Life is infused And if thou hast a vital Principle in thee thou wilt cry out under the Sense of thy
Sin Thrust a Sword into a dead Man's Bowels and he will not stir nor cry out Sin is in wicked Men like a Sword in the Sides of such as are dead but as soon as Life is infused there will be Sense and a crying out Now when they heard this they were pricked in the Heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles What shall we do Some of these had been the Murderers of the Lord of Life and Glory yet they found Mercy 2 dly Another Effect is this viz. You will perceive a mighty Famine in your Soul as it was with the Prodigal Son all your old Hopes of Heaven will be gone Poverty of Spirit will overtake you An awakned wounded Sinner despairs of all Supplies or Help in himself he is distressed with pinching Hunger and so flies home to his Father 1. Yet may not get Power over Sin presently 2. But O he trembles at the Thoughts of God's Justice by beholding the Spear in Christ's Side 3. He throws down his Weapons as being conquered and overcome and resolves to do as the four Lepers did 2 Kings 7. 3 4 8 9. 4. He sees nothing but Death if he abides where he is and believes not And if he returns to his old Course he sees he must die and therefore ventures to throw his Soul upon Christ or ventures himself on Christ and lies at the Feet of Christ and says If I perish I perish I can but die and if he will pardon me heal me and have compassion on me I shall live O Sinners that you could but do thus Secondly We may infer from hence that it is in vain for any Person to talk of Christ's Death or to say Christ died for Sinners nay for the whole World and therefore for me unless they come to feel the Virtue and blessed Effects of his Death on their own Souls O see you rest not without finding the Power of the Death of Christ Sirs though the Sacrifice is over yet the Virtue and excellent Causality of it remains and not only to justify and absolve a believing Sinner but also to quicken regenerate and to sanctify and make him Holy also Therefore labour to know and experience the Power of Christ's Death Thirdly From hence also we may infer that this is the only Way to know Christ died for us namely when we find the Effects of his Death that we die to Sin that the Body of Sin is crucified in us with him Hath the Life of your Sins been let out O see to this you that prosess the Gospel Fourthly This shews us also what a dangerous thing it is for any to build their Faith upon the general Love of God to Mankind What say some I believe Christ died for me because he died for all and because for all therefore for me Brethren I am afraid this is the ruin of many Souls because it may be but a false Faith that those poor Creatures have they may not experience the Effects of Christ's Death may be it is not prest upon their Consciences but this of Christ dying for all they think is enough Now pray consider and O that all such mistaken Persons would consider it also 1. That a general Faith viz. to believe that Christ died for all gives no Man any particular saving Interest in Christ's Death for if it did then every Man that so believeth hath a saving Interest in his Death But thousands perhaps so believe and yet are as vile and ungodly People as any in the World Therefore to build on that general Faith without a particular Application of the Promise or Promises of God and experiencing the Effects of Christ's Death is a false Faith and deceives the Soul 2. That that Faith which a Man may have that may leave such that have it and trust in it under the Power of Sin is a false Faith and will deceive the Soul but Men may have that Faith namely believe Christ died for all and therefore for them and yet be under the Power of Sin therefore that may be a false Faith 3. That Faith that doth not change the Heart purify the Heart is a false Faith But many that believe Christ died for all and therefore for them have that Faith and yet it doth not change their Hearts purify their Hearts therefore it is a false Faith 4. From hence I argue that it follows undeniably that all those People that believe Christ died for all must come to a particular Application of Christ's Blood and not trust to that general Application they must feel the Effects of Christ's Death upon their own Souls or else they are undone nor do I doubt in the least but many of them of that Judgment do so divers of them being as gracious Christians as any others and have Experiences that clearly contradict their own Principles Fifthly and Lastly Here is Comfort for Believers O see what the Death of Christ hath and will effect for you and in you 1. God's Wrath is appeased in him towards you 2. Justice is satisfied in him towards you 3. The Law is silenced 4. Peace and Pardon procured 5. Life is infused 6. The Guilt Power Pollution and Punishment of Sin removed and gone for ever 7. You are justified 8. Satan is conquered 9. The World is overcome you are and shall be sanctified and Heaven is opened you are in Christ's Hand and shall not perish but have Everlasting Life JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN there are but two Arguments more that I intend to insist upon for the farther Proof and Demonstration of the Saints final Perseverance or to prove That none of the Saints or Sheep of Christ can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish I spoke the last Day to the Effects of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ I might proceed to speak to the Intercession of Christ also but I shall take that in the Arguments I shall next enter upon Ninthly The Saints are in the Hand of the Father and in the Hand of the Son considered as Mediator And from hence I shall prove That it is impossible they should so fall away as eternally to perish First I shall shew you in what respect they may be said to be in the Hand of the Father and what is meant by his Hand and how that doth secure them Secondly Shew you what is meant by their being in the Hand of the Son and shew you how that may be said also to secure their firm standing and tends to their final Perseverance Thirdly Shew you in what respect they may be said to be in Christ's Hand First By the Hand of the Father doth intend his Power Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that he cannot save As if God should say I am not grown weaker than formerly I am God Almighty still and as Omnipotent
the Crown of our Heads to the Soles of our Feet it is more filthy than the filthiest thing in the World in God's sight And as all the Faculties of our Souls were poisoned thereby so all the Members of our Bodies are defiled and polluted with it also Nay and it is such a kind of Pollution that renders the Sinner loathsom to God God is said to be grieved with Sin nay grieved that he made Man grieved at his Heart because every Imagination of the Thought of his Heart was evil continually God is said upon this to repent that he made Man not that God properly can repent it signifies an alienation of God's Heart and Affections from Man for his Sin and Wickedness whereby he carries himself towards him as we do when we repent we have done a thing 2. It was therefore hereby that we lost God's Love and Favour and is not that a dismal and most bitter thing Man's only Happiness lies in his Likeness to God and in the enjoyment of his Love and the Light of his sweet Countenance But this the whole Race of Mankind lost by Original Sin and instead of his Love we were brought under his Wrath. Sin incurr'd the Wrath and Anger of God God is angry with the Wicked every Day And as we by Sin became Enemies to God so also hereby God became an Enemy to us And if we consider what it cost God and cost Jesus Christ to make our Peace or to make up this Breach sure we must say this is a great and wonderful Salvation 3. Sin is the worst of Evils it is the Plague of Plagues it is worse than any Affliction Afflictions oft-times bring us nearer unto God but Sin drives us further from him Sin is a departing from God a leaving and forsaking of God a casting of God off the more we are afflicted the more we are made conformable to Jesus Christ He was afflicted and a Man of Sorrows but the more we sin the more like we are unto the Devil Nay and by Afflictions we are purged and are said to partake of the Holiness of God therefore there is much Good in Affliction but Sin hath nothing but Evil in it hurtful Evil Soul-defiling and Soul-damning Evil. Sin is the Spring and Cause of all other Evils it is the Cause of all Sickness and of all Sorrow and Misery nay and 't is the Cause of Death it self The Wages of Sin is Death nay the Sting of Death is Sin that which makes Death so terrible to a wicked Man 4. Sin hath put Mankind into Satan's Hand who hath laid him in cruel Chains Consider what a thing it is to be taken Captive by a grand and merciless Tyrant Satan took all Mankind Captive and holds them still who are under the Power of it in Captivity they are his Bondmen his Slaves he takes them Captive at his Will Every vicious Habit is a strong Bond or Chain in which Satan binds his Vassals All Men naturally are bound down under the Bond of Ignorance Unbelief and Hardness of Heart such is the Nature of Sin Christ came to set at liberty such that were bound I perceive saith Peter that thou art in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity And O what is the Strength of these Bonds Who can break them but the Arm of the Omnipotent God Moreover these Bonds bind the Soul unto and under the Wrath of God O what a kind of Salvation is it that delivers us from Sin and out of the Power of Satan 5. Sin hath put out the Eyes of all Mankind and stripp'd them naked and wounded them unto Death All Men are born blind the Eyes of our Understanding naturally are darkened the State of Mâ—n by Nature is most miserable it is set out by a wretched Infant cast out in the open Fiâ—la in its Blood in the Day of its Nativity having none to pity it to wash it nor swade it at all We are all naturally most loathsom full of filthy Sâ—abs and running Sores and yet such iâ— the Ignorance and Blindness of the Sinner's Eyes and unsensibleness of his State that he sees it not feels it not but thinks all is well with him and is ready to fly into that Man's Face that shall tell him such iâ— his Condition 6. Moreover Sin feeds Men poorly How do they feed What is their Table spread with Are they served with the Best They are fed as it were with Mallows and Janiper-roots That saith Caryl is the Chear Sin make â—â— them yea Wickedness will be as Gravel in their Teeth and as Poison in their Bowels True some of them feed their Bodies deliciously every Day they are full fed they have liberal large and plentiful Tables But alas what have their Souls to eat What did the Soul of the Prodigal find Did he not feed on the Husks which the Swine did eat Their Food is and will be Gall and Wormwood he feedeth on Ashes saith the Prophet all his Hopes will deceive him and prove vain like the Spider's Web the Pleasures Honours Riches and Comforts of this Life are the Food wicked Men live upon they never tasted in a Spiritual manner of God they know not how good he is nor do they desire to eat that which is Good but the Time is coming in which they will desire to taste of Christ's Supper and shall not be admitted because they refused to come to the Wedding O what is Sin and how miserable is the Condition of Sinners And doth not this sâ—t forth and tend to demonstrate the greatness of this Salvation which delivers us from so great an Evil He shall save his People from their Sins He that understands no Evil in Sin as Man is fallen from God hath lost God the first Cause and chiefest Good and last End and being under the Power of a constant Enmity against him and in this deplorable Condition as I have hinted will have as one observes other apprehension of thâ—se things when at last he misses of a Part in this Great Salvation and when the Means of it shall not be afforded any more to him for ever And on the other Hand he that comes to see this to be his State and obtains an Interest in this Salvation will say it is a Great and Glorious Salvation Secondly By this Salvation we are delivered from that which is destructive to our whole Souls and Bodies 1. The Sinner by Sin is as you heard a Slave a Captive and under Satan's Power bound in strong Chains c. And now let me add he is for his Sin cursed by the Lord and condemned to die by his Righteous Law nay the Law le ts fly or denounces most bitter Curses against Sin even against every Sin and every Sinner that takes not hold of this Salvation Cursed is he that continues not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them From this
Law perfectly is cursed but no Man can keep the Law perfectly therefore all Man naturally are cursed and impossible then to be blessed until delivered from that Curse and this therefore Christ came to do him hath God sent to bless us which Blessing we could not have 〈…〉 Christ puts himself in our place and bears the Curse away from us Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being 〈◊〉 a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that 〈◊〉 on a Tree He that was hanged on a Tree under the Law was hanged for transgressing of it and was cursed of God and when 〈◊〉 is said Christ was made a Curse for us it signifies his bearing that Wrath and indignation of God which was due to us for our Sin and his he must do if ever we are justified and eternally â—â—ved from that Eternal Wrath and Vengeance Sin had brought upon every Soul of us 5. As our Lord Jesus if he procure Salvation for us must die and become a Curse for us so he must also raise up himself from the Dead or be discharged of the Bonds of Death he must destroy Death and be freed out of Prison He therefore rose again from the Dead for our Justification His Discharge was virtually a Discharge for us or for all he died for our Lord Jesus must subdue all our Enemies and bring not Death only but the Devil also and all the Powers of Darkness under his Feet or there could be no Salvation for our poor Souls Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to Bondage Christ and Believers are of one and the same Nature they are as it were but one Man or are so united as to be considered as one Mystical Body This was held forth in his Incarnation in his assuming our Nature He took not only an Humane Soul but our Humane Flesh into Union with his Divine Nature that both our Souls and Bodies might be brought into Union with him and that our Bodies might also be raised from Death to a State of Life and Glory at the last Day and be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body Who hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Had not Christ conquered Death and the Devil who had the Power of Death we had been lost for ever He hath not only taken away Sin the Sting of Death but he hath and will be the Death of Death The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death The Body as well as the Soul is brought into Union with Christ he is the Head of the whole Believer the Body as well as the Soul Shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot Both Body and Spirit are the Lord's our Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost Brethren what a Conquest hath Christ made how hath he subdued all our Enemies that so he might work out a full and perfect Victory for us in every respect For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. So when this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory Ver. 54. O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Ver. 55. 6. And lastly And as Christ must conquer the Devil the World Sin Death and the Grave for us and in our Nature so he must by his mighty Power destroy the Devil and Sin 's great Power in us and vanquish that natural Enmity that is in our Hearts against God and his Ways and thereby restore the Image of God in us which we had lost HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Ninthly GOSPEL-Salvation is great if we consider the Subject thereof or what is delivered and saved for ever namely the Souls and Bodies of his People First The Soul that is it Jesus Christ came to save which is very precious as I shall shew you in a deduction of several Particulars Certainly the Salvation of the Soul must needs be a great Salvation What is it to save our Estates our Liberties our Healths the Members of our Bodies our Eyes Arms Legs or our natural Lives to the saving of our precious and immortal Souls The Soul is more worth than all the World What shall it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul 1 st To demonstrate the great Worth Excellency and Preciousness of the Soul consider that it was first formed in the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness Our Souls had a glorious Impression of God's Image stamp'd upon them in the first Creation which we lost by Sin and Transgression But this Blessed Image is restored again as you have heard by the Grace of God in this Salvation 1. Pray Brethren remember that the Soul of Man is capable of a Divine Impression of God's glorious Image it is made I mean of such a Nature that it is capable of this great Blessing therefore to be deemed a very precious thing God will not stamp his Image upon low and base Metal if I may so speak with reverence 2. There are three things I find which the great God glories in as being peculiar to himself or his own glorious Prerogative alone The Burden of the Word of the Lord for Israel saith the Lord which stretcheth out the Heavens and layeth the Foundations of the Earth and formeth the Spirit of Man within him The first is his stretching out of the Heavens O what a great and glorious Work was that The second is his laying the Foundation of the Earth the hanging it upon nothing what a wonderful thing is that considering its great Weight and wonderful Body The third is his forming of our Souls Certainly the Spirit or Soul of Man is a glorious thing that God should account the Creation of it amongst those chiefest Parts of his admirable Handy-work Why is not the forming the Blessed Angels who are glorious Spirits rather mentioned it is worthy of serious Contemplation Our Bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made they are no small part of God's Wisdom and curious Workmanship if the Nature and Order of every Part was considered as some Artists who study Man's Humane Body will shew you But what is the Formation and Excellency of our Bodies to our Souls 3. The Soul is capable of Divine Union with Jesus Christ through a Communication of the Holy Spirit and by Faith of the Operation of God and thereby the whole Man partakes of the like Union also
than that A Man accounts it no small Misery to be deprived of that which he esteems to be his only Happiness though he knows he can enjoy it but a short time Suppose it be his Riches his Houses his Lands or his Gold and Silver or his Pleasures or his Honours or his dear Relations in whom his very Life seems to bound up he is upon the loss of that which he esteems so highly of as a dead Man Now sure if the Soul is of such an excellent Nature that no created Good can fill its Desires nothing in this World nothing but God himself it must needs be a very precious thing But so it is for as Rachel said once to Jacob her Husband Give me Children or I die So this is the Voice of the Soul of Man Give me God give me Christ or I die Nay to be deprived of God is the Death of the Soul and it was that which brought Death on the Soul of Man originally by Sin we were deprived of God and that was the Death of the Soul God is the spiritual Life of the Soul as in a moral sense the Soul is the natural Life of the Body for as the Body is dead without the Soul naturally so the Soul is dead without God spiritually Therefore the Salvation of the Soul must needs be a great and glorious Salvation that which brings God again to the Soul that which restores God a lost God to the Soul that gives Life to a poor dead Soul and makes it live again and so be happy again yea and that for ever more 8. The Soul is precious and a most excellent thing it appears because God's Thoughts are so let out upon it What care hath he taken of the Soul of Man How early did he concern himself for the redemption of it and what a way did he seek out and contrive to restore it to a state of Peace Joy and Happiness again when he foresaw it brought under Death Sin and Misery it seems to be the Darling of Heaven as it was formed as it were by the Breath of God so nothing he thinks too good to impart for its Ransom to redeem it nor nothing too precious to feed it heal it or comfort it He gives the Bread of Heaven the very Flesh and Blood of his own Son to feed it the Righteousness of his own Son to clothe it the Graces of his own Spirit to deck and adorn it nay and his own Spirit is sent to lead to guide protect and govern it Certainly these things clearly shew and demonstrate its great Worth or that it is a most excellent thing in God's sight 9. The Soul is precious if we consider what God gave for its Redemption David saith That the Redemption of the Soul is precious and ceases for ever hard to be obtained though not impossible nothing but the Blood the precious Blood of Christ Jesus could redeem it Some take Soul there for our Life but certainly David intends the Redemption of the Soul from Sin and Wrath. Silver and Gold could not do this no it must not be redeemed it could not be redeemed by corruptible things not by a thousand Rams nor ten thousand Rivers of Oil nor by our First-born the Fruit of the Body could not make an Atonement for the Sin of the Soul No no it must be the Father's First-born it must be Jesus Christ the Blood of the Son of God or nothing if Christ die not for the Soul it must perish for ever But rather than the Soul should be lost and undone for ever God will not spare his own Son but deliver him up for us all 10. The Soul is very precious doth appear because from the unwearied Attempts and restless Endeavours of the Devil to destroy it all Satan's grand Rage and Malice is let out against the Soul of Man had it not been for our Souls he would have concerned himself no more to have work'd out our Ruin than the Ruin of irrational Creatures But he foresaw the precious Nature of the Soul of Man what excellent Faculties it was endowed withal and what a glorious Image of God was stamp'd upon it and therefore he rages and foams out his hellish Spite and Malice against us and all to destroy our Souls and this Rage and Fury he continues still against our Souls O what Ways diverse and cunning Stratagems doth he use that so he may spoil the Happiness or destroy the Comfort of our Souls For as it is God's great Concern to save our Souls so it is Satan's great Business to damn and destroy our Souls for ever and as God contrives Ways and Means to make our Souls happy for ever so the Devil contrives Ways and Means to make our Souls miserable for ever The Soul is as I may say that sweet Morsel Satan hungers after and fain would tear in pieces and devour if possible it is not so much to destroy our Bodies by natural Death as our Souls and Bodies by eternal Death O how great is that Salvation that is the Salvation of our precious Souls God's Care Cost and Labour to preserve our Souls to save our Souls shews that it is of great Worth And it is this that makes Man to differ so much from brutish Creatures and to excel all the Works of God in this nether Creation Had it not been for our Souls would God have been any more concerned for us than for the Beasts that perish And was not the Soul I say a very excellent and precious thing Satan would not make it his greatest Work and Business to destroy it as he hath always done and still continues to do 11. The Soul is very precious doth yet further appear because if a Man could gain all the World all the Riches Honours and Pleasures of the World with the loss of his Soul his Loss would be more than his Gain yea infinitely more there 's nothing that can make a Recompence for the loss of the Soul as our Saviour clearly shews Mat. 16. 26. All the World is nothing in Value when compared with the Soul therefore it is precious 12. The Soul is immortal its Nature is Life it is no corporal Thing 〈◊〉 thing it is not composed of the four Elements as our 〈◊〉 it cannot diâ— nor be annihilated it will either 〈…〉 Joy and â—lehedness or else of Eternal 〈…〉 'T is strange to me that any Man should 〈…〉 to be mortal 1. 〈…〉 and cast Contempt upon themselves 〈…〉 Mankind of their greatest Glory and reâ—der Man in 〈…〉 above the Beasts that perish and also they darken and â—â—â—â—ngely eclipse the Infinite Love and Grace of God in the Redemption and Restoration of Man 2. And if the Soul be moâ—t 〈…〉 with the Body then had we not been redeemed at all we â—â—d been no more if 〈◊〉 than the Beasts are we should but have 〈…〉 been no more we should have known no more Pain
great and glorious to you 1. To be justified is more than to be pardoned A Man may be forgiven and yet not have the Guilt removed from him nor be declared Righteous and Innocent To be justified is to be pronounced Just and Righteous in God's Sight through the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ or to be actually acquitted upon Trial or discharged from the Guilt and Punishment of Sins not that we are not Sinners in our selves but as Christ was made Sin for us who knew no Sin in himself so we are made the Righteousness of God in him who knew no Righteousness in our selves As our Sin was imputed unto Christ so his Righteousness is imputed unto us God in Justification deals not with us in a way of Mercy only as he doth in Pardon of Sin but in a way of Justice and Righteousness also we paid all that was due to vindictive Wrath and Justice in Jesus Christ I mean Jesus Christ for us as our Surety hath done it 2. Justification is so great a Blessing that the Justice of God hath nothing to lay to the Believer's Charge for Justice as well as Mercy does acquit him 3. Nor hath the Law any thing to lay to the â—â—arge of them that God justifies Christ in our stead having answered all the Demands thereof and born the Penalty it denounces upon the Transgressors of it Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us 4. And as the Law can lay nothing to our Charge if God justifies us so can none else Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who shall condemn us None can implead such or put in an Accusation that shall be heard at God's Bar if it is God that doth acquit us that justifies us what signifies any Charge that can be brought in against us What though for want of clear Light our Hearts should condemn us or wicked Men or Satan our Hearts may charge us unjustly and ignorantly for want of Light and wicked Men and Devils maliciously 5. Moreover none can condemn such that God justifieth because it is Christ that died Hath not his Death Worth and Merit enough in it It is Christ that died he who was God as well as Man our Debt is long ago paid and when we believe we receive an actual Discharge The Apostle challenges all the Enemies of our Souls to come in and see what they can do to condemn a justified Person Come World come Devil come Law come Sin come Conscience what can you lay to the Charge of those that Christ died for and God hath actually acquitted Bring forth your Plea your Charge of Eternal Condemnation Hath not Christ born the Punishment due to these for all their Sins they have do or may commit Is not his Satisfaction more than enough Hath he not purchased and merited superabundant Grace Come saith a poor Believer I will stand Trial with you now though I have but one single Plea It is Jesus Christ that died for me and in my room I appeal to the Great God and Judg of Heaven and Earth whether my Plea is not good and according to Law and allowable Sirs by this Plea all are silenced and impleaded at once 6. All that are justified are compleat in Jesus Christ they are without Spot before the Throne of God And ye are compleat in him which is the Head of Principalities and Powers Christ's Compleatness and Perfection in respect of his Suretiship-Righteousness being accounted to us we are compleat touching our Justification we want nothing our Garment is without Hem and there is no Spot nor Stain in it Thou art all fair my Love and there is no Spot in thee Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair Thou wast exceeding beautiful and thy Renown went forth among the Heathen for thy Beauty for it was perfect through my Comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord. Quest Whether is Justification all at once or a continued Act in God Answ 1. I do not believe it is a divided Act as 't is God's Act so it is one Act only but whether it be one entire Act or as one transient Act as if all were 〈◊〉 out with a Pen at once or a continued Act I shall not determine but this I will say He that God accepteth and justifieth in Christ â—one of his Sins shall ever be charged upon him as to that 〈…〉 Wrath and Vengeance that is due to them for as theâ—e is an Imputation of Righteousness unto us so it follows that there is a Non-Imputation of Sin 2. Justification admits of no Degrees tho it should be thought to be a continued Act in God and though in our sight and feeling we may not thus apprehend it through want of Faith and by reason of Satan's Temptations yet as to the Act it self we are never less nor more justified because the Matter of our Justification viz. the Righteousness of Christ is not less or more but always the same and it cannot be lost as I have proved in this Treatise As Christ Brethren was justified at his Resurrection from all Sin that was laid upon him or which met in him on the Cross so all Believers are cleansed and justified from all Guilt and that for ever and this Christ pleads in Heaven for them as often as they sin By one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Object Why doth David say Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no Flesh living be justified Answ That is in himself no Man can be justified by his own Righteousness in God's sight all must say with Bildad How can Man be justified with God because he hath sinned and daily doth Sin Who dare appear at God's Bar in his own Duties in his own sincere Obedience or in his inherent Holiness No every one must fly to God in Christ and plead his Justification and Discharge through him alone No Man hath any thing to recommend him to God in point of Justification in his sight nor doth he need any other Righteousness to discharge him or to acquit him before God yet we as in our selves must â—â—y with Job If I justify my self my own Mouth shall condemn me 7. Such is the blessed State of those who by the Father are justified through this Salvation that to them the Apostle affirms there is no Condemnation There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus 1. He doth not say there is nothing in them which in its own Nature doth not deserve Condemnation 2. Nor doth he say a true Believer shall never condemn himself pass a Sentence unjustly against himself for that he may do 3. Neither doth he say Satan shall never condemn him but let whoever will condemn such God will not Christ will not and Sin cannot
saith he I was blameless yet he esteemed it but Dung in comparison of God's Righteousness and renounced it all in point of Justification that he might be found in Christ And as it is Christ's Righteousness that is our Title for Heaven so it is his Death his bearing the Punishment of Sin that delivers us from eternal Damnation in Hell Hell is a fearful Place it is made deep and large The Fire is not quenched and the Worm dieth not and that Place is prepared for all Unbelievers for all who continue in their Sins and under the Power of Unbelief and neglect this so great Salvation the Damnation of which they cannot escape Secondly I shall shew you the Reasons why such cannot shall not escape God's eternal Wrath that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel 1. It is because this is the way yea the only way which Infinite Wisdom hath found out for the Salvation of our Souls If there is but one way to cure a Mortal Disease that may seize upon a Person then if he neglect that one Remedy he must die Sirs as there is but one way to escape starving and that is to eat so there is but one way to escape perishing and that is by believing or by feeding on Jesus Christ or by eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood There are many ways to be damned but there is but one way to be saved Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you If you neglect this way of Salvation there is no other way whereby you can be saved Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved 2. Such that neglect this Salvation cannot shall not escape the Wrath of God because it is just and equal that all such Persons who slight and neglect this Salvation should be destroyed and that for ever 1. By reason they neglect an Offer of Pardon and Peace contrived by the Infinite Wisdom of God and it is the highest Demonstration of admirable Mercy and Goodness therefore there cannot be a higher Indignity and Contempt cast upon God's Sovereign Grace and Favour Many of those Sinners that neglect this Salvation are so vile and ungrateful as not to enquire what this Grace means nor on what Terms this Salvation may be had And is not this in plainness to tell the Holy God that they scorn his Love and Goodness and despise the Offers of Peace and Reconciliation by Jesus Christ and fear not what he can do unto them and so no less than a trampling the Blood of Christ under their Feet Let Men deal thus with their provoked Rulers or with an earthly Prince when guilty of High-Treason and see how unpitied they will die yea be drawn hang'd and quartered What guilty of the worst of Treason and have an Offer of Pardon and slight or neglect the suing of it out How equal and just a thing would it be that such should die So it will be here Brethren God will not be mocked Sinners shall one Day see what it is to neglect the Salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ I mean the Way and Means of the Application thereof they will be forced to subscribe to the Righteousness Justice and Equity of their own Damnation in loving and cleaving to their Lusts and counting their earthly Riches Pleasures and Honours better than Jesus Christ and a part in this Salvation Remember it is the Sinner's own Salvation that he neglecteth it is his own Good his own Cure his own Relief his own Happiness Can any perish more justly and deservedly than such who refuse to be saved who choose Death rather than Life and Darkness rather than Light 3. They cannot shall not escape because it is Salvation in such a way a way that cost so dear even the Blood of the Son of God Should the King yield up his own Son as a Sacrifice to answer the Law for a cursed Traitor and yet he should despise and slight his Goodness how would that aggravate his Guilt O with what a Price is this Salvation procured by what a Sacrifice What Tears did Christ shed O what drops of Blood did he sweat and what Wrath did he bear What a Curse did he undergo to save us from Hell and Death How can any think to escape that neglect the Means of this Salvation 4. Because it is Salvation on such easy Terms as to us had God offered Sinners Salvation on hard and difficult Terms their Sin might not seem to be attended with such Aggravations Had God required a thousand Rams or ten thousand Rivers of Oil of every one that would be saved or to sacrifice their Sons and Daughters or their First-born the Fruit of their Bodies for the Sin of their Souls this would seem hard but none of this God requires of us it shall not be must not be our Son our Child our First-born but his Son the holy Child Jesus his First-born that must die or be a Sacrifice for our Sins it must be my Son as if God should say and all that I require of you is to apply his Blood and to sacrifice your Sins in love to me 5. That which the Apostle builds the Righteousness of God's proceeding against such that neglect this Salvation upon and shews the unavoidableness of their perishing from is the greatness of the Salvation it self Shall God's Justice be eclipsed shall his Honour be marr'd his Goodness be despised his Law be violated his Holiness stained it would be thus should such be saved who neglect and slight this Salvation Therefore all such cannot escape his Wrath. 6. The Apostle further argues the impossibility of their escaping who neglect this great Salvation from that impossibility there was of their escaping who refused to hear Moses For if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Reward How shall we escape c. It was a just Reward they received for their Sins and Disobedience And if so how shall these escape God will render a just Retribution a righteous and proportionable Punishment it will be far worse or much greater howbeit it is against greater Light greater Grace and despising a Person of far greater Honour and Dignity He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Blood of the Son of God c. Sirs to love Sin to love this World or any Person or Thing above Jesus Christ is in effect to tread the Son of God under your Feet 't is such an undervaluing and vilifying of him God doth as it were propound the Case to us he would have Sinners themselves to be Judges how just their Condemnation will be if they neglect this Salvation and
their rebellious Hearts that their abominable Sins Pride and Arrogancy might be curb'd and they not so boldly and impudently go on in their Disobedience and Contempt of Jesus Christ Christ to this End as Dr. Owen observes hath his Arrows which he lets fly upon his Enemies some may â—â—ick in their Hearts and they fall down dead before him he this way may kill them to give them Life 2. That all ungodly Sinners may be left without Excuse and Jesus Christ be justified in his righteous Proceedings against them at the last Day He tells them before-hand what they must expect and look for If they repent not they shall all likewise perish if they believe not they shall be damned if they are not born again they shall not see the Kingdom of God if they continue in any course of Sin as Adultery Fornication Drunkenness Theft Pride Covetousness Lying c. they shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone And if they neglect this so great Salvation they shall not escape Divine Wrath. 3 dly and lastly The Threatnings that are in the Gospel may be of great use to Believers even as a Whip or Lash to quicken them when grown slothful and negligent in their Duties or fall into a sleepy and secure State and to shew them that the Gospel tolerates no looseness allows of no Sin but that the whole Design of it is to promote Holiness God will be sanctified by all that draw near to him They may serve also to prevent the Power and Prevalency of indwelling Sin or tend to nip off the Buds as they put forth or kill those Weeds that might otherwise grow the more in their Hearts and also to stir them up to stand upon their Watch and make a stout Resistance of all Enemies for that God tells us we must either kill or be killed If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Christ's Souldiers are sure of the Victory but not without sighting if they turn their Backs they are gone though to their great Joy and Comfort if they are true Believers they know they are not of that sort that draw back unto Perdition Also by these Threats the Saints may be the better enabled to suffer Persecution and endure any Trials here for Christ's sake they hereby knowing how much easier it is to bear and undergo the Wrath of Man than it is to endure the Wrath of God Quest On whom is the Wrath of God denounced or what kind of Sinners shall undergo it Answ 1. I answer All prophane and ungodly Sinners of what sort soever as Aduiterers Fornicators covetous Persons malicious Persons Whisperers Backbiters haters of God despiteful and proud Persons Covenant-breakers Implacable Vnmerciful Thieves Drunkards Revilers Extortioners Murderers Witches Sorcerers and all Liars These and all other prophane Persons whatsoever who live and die in any of these or other Sins having neglected this Salvation shall not escape the Wrath of God For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againstall Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men. The Wages of every Sin yea the very Lusts of the Heart is Eternal Death Sin is their Sickness and the neglecting the Salvation of the Gospel is their refusing that Remedy and only Cure of their Sickness which God doth afford 2. All civilized Persons such who depend upon Principles of Morality or living a sober Life and never look after Faith in Jesus Christ and Regeneration I say unto you Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Yet Paul when a Pharisee saith That as touching the Righteousness which is of the Law I was blameless Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God These as much neglect this great Salvation as scandalous and prophane Sinners and therefore shall not escape God's Wrath. 3. All Idolaters Persecutors and heretical Persons such who are corrupted with damnable Heresy who deny the Person of Christ or our Lord Jesus the only Saviour or Salvation and Righteousness by him these also are neglecters of this Salvation and living and dying in those Sins cannot escape the Wrath of God 4. All Unbelievers or such who are without saving Faith in Jesus Christ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth not shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him No Unbeliever can escape the Wrath of God 5. All Hypocrites or such who make a Profession of the Gospel without the saving Grace of God in their Hearts Of these there are two sorts 1. Such who are self-condemned Hypocrites who know they are not what they profess themselves to be but have carnal and sinister Ends and Aims in their professing the Gospel Religion being but a Cloak to cover their Deceit and Hypocrisy 2. Such as the foolish Virgins were whose Hearts deceive them thinking their State was good 1. But never passed through the Pangs of the new Birth but trusted to a Form of Godliness without the Power of it This sort it seems 2. are very blind and ignorant in that they thought to receive Advantage by the Graces or good Works of wise and gracious Christians Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out 3. They never sought for Grace any way until it was too late even not till the Bridegroom was come 4. It appears that this sort also were very consident of the Goodness of their Condition that is a bad sign for they rose up to meet the Bridegroom Gracious Christians are attended with Godly Jealousies of their own Hearts yet these Mens outward Conversation might be clean to outward appearance in that they were not known to the Wise to be foolish Ones 5. Their Folly appears in that they please themselves with a Name of being Christians Saints and Church-Members without the Nature Faith and Holiness of such prizing a Lamp of Profession above the Grace of God or a Form of Religion more than the Power of it valuing the Approbation of Men more than the Approbation and Acceptation of God esteeming the empty Cabinet or pleasing themselves with the Shell of Religion without the Kernel of it and in their thinking it was time enough to sow when others were just going to reap and by laying Claim to Heaven without any Title to it None of these living and dying under this Deceit Ignorance and Hypocrisy can escape the Wrath of God 6. All such cannot escape who utterly apostatize or backslide from God and the Truths of the Gospel who after they have made a Profession of Religion turn with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire and with the Dog lick up their old Vomit again I mean cleave again to their former evil and ungodly Ways and
Mint Annis and Commin i. e. about the smaller matters of Religion as concerning Meats and Observation of Days as if in such things lay the great stress of Christianity how many are there who like those false Teachers and deluded People in the Primitive Times plead for Justification some other way than by Faith only and bring in their own inherent Holiness and sincere Obedience and add that to the Merits of Christ in point of Justification before God or exalt the Power and Will of the Creature to the Eclipsing the Doctrine of Free-Grace Sirs tho' I will not deny but many sincere Christians may be shaken by the wind of false and corrupt Doctrine or drawn away through the subtilty of men yet no doubt chiefly they are the Light Formal and Chaffy Professors which are carried away and Tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine and this because of the want of Grace a sound Judgment and a good Understanding in the Mysteries of the Gospel A good understanding saith David have all they that do his Commandments Moreover such who seem unsetled in their places in Gods House or particular Churches where they are Members being uneasie and every little difference that may arise in a Congregation is ready to turn them away or seem to be moved and disturbed at the Charges the Interest of Christ or which the House of God calls for these I say give cause to fear they are but Chaff or under great Temptation if Sincere Secondly By Chaff may also be meant Sin Filth and Corruption which cleaveth to the Hearts and Lives of true believers which Christ by the Fan of his Word Spirit and Afflictions as you have heard purges out He shall purify the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and Silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness This is spoken of Jesus Christ whose Fan is in his hand It shews his Work and Office namely to refine and fan his People not only Members but Ministers also signified by the Sons of Levi that they all may offer acceptable Service unto God Besides our Lord Jesus sometimes makes use of wicked Men as a Fan in his hand to purge his People and thus he did of old fan Israel by the Babylonians and by the Assyrians I will send unto Babylon Fanners as I have sometime fanned and scattered my people by them so will I fan them by the Medes and Persians who shall empty the Land of them After Christ hath fanned or purged away the Chaff and Filth of the Daughter of Zion he will fan their Enemies and they being all Chaff the wind of his Indignation will drive them away Let this be noted that Christ hath many ways to fan and purge his People yet still it is for their good and they shall lose nothing but their chaff their Sin and Corruptions thereby Quest Fourthly Why are the Saints compared to Wheat Answ I answer for many Reasons 1. Wheat is a choice Grain the best Grain so true Believers are a choice People in Christ's sight The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour they are called the excellent in all the Earth God calls his People his Jewels or choice Treasure they are men of a high and heavenly Birth of a high sublime and excellent Spirit they are espoused by an excellent person act and are influenced by excellent principles and have glorious Ends and Aims in all they do and from hence may be compared to Wheat 2. Wheat hath much pains used with it the ground must be made good it must be well plow'd and manured before the Wheat is sown so the hearts of poor sinners must be first made good and by spirituall Convictions be plowed up before the seed of Grace is sown for like as Believers are compared to Wheat so is also the Grace of God Wheat must be weeded as well as gathered into the Barn and also Threshed fanned and well Purged Believers may be compared to Wheat upon this respect Christ takes much pains to speak after the manner of men with his own Elect not only by Plowing Manuring but by sowing watering weeding fanning and Purging them like Wheat 3. Wheat will endure cold Frosts and Snow and all manner of bitter and sharp Weather better than any other Grain Sow Barly before Winter and you will find but little of it will live but Wheat will live in the sharpest Winter that can come what a good Harvest had we here in England after the last great Frost alas the Wheat was not destroyed thereby but was made better the Weeds and Worms being killed which is found to hurt and annoy it oft-times Even so sincere Christians who are Christs Spiritual Wheat abide faithful under the greatest Trials Persecutions and Afflictions they can meet withal they endure the Frosts and bitter North-Winds of Tribulation and furious Storms of the Wrath of wicked men which kills the false-hearted Professor they die and wither away they can't live and maintain their seeming hope and Confidence when true Believers can a Hypocrite is but Summer Corn or rather Weeds or Tares that spring up with the Wheat tho' they look like it yet are only the product of Natural Conscience or the common Influences of the Sun or Gospel of Jesus Christ 4. An Ear of Wheat when it is near ripe doth hang down its head the Corn being full and weighty when light and empty Ears hold up theirs commonly a light and chaffy Ear stands strait upright in a lofty manner So a true gracious Christian is of an humble Spirit he hangs down his head as it were and is ashamed of his best Duties and Services seeing so great weaknesses and Infirmities to attend him he abhors himself yea loaths himself he knows he hath nothing to glory in but in the Cross of Jesus Christ he sees himself nothing Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given saith Paul what an humble Person was he what a full and weighty Ear of choice Wheat was this Apostle If you see a Man or Woman proud or of an haughty and conceited Spirit being lifted up you may conclude they are but empty Ears no true Grace being in their hearts 5. Wheat hath its Chaff cleaving oft-times close to it yea it will stick and cleave so to it that it is not easily separated So it is with Christs Spiritual Wheat the filth or Chaff of internal Corruption is very subject to cleave to them and hard it is for them to get rid of it When I would do good Sin is present with me for the good I would I do not but the evil which I would not do that do I. Oh! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death I am as if he should say even wearied with continual Combating I cannot get rid of this dead Body this inward Filth and Corruption the remainders of Sin
dreadful of all What can be a greater Token of Gods Divine Wrath it is the begining of that Future Vengeance that shall be poured forth upon them to Eternity Thus the Almighty dealt by the Jews for their Sin in rejecting of Jesus Christ and putting him to death by wicked hands for this he gave them up to an hard unbelieving and an impenitent heart and then let in the Romans upon them who utterly destroyed their City and Temple and so scattered them on all the face of the Earth and hence the Apostle saith that Wrath was come upon them to the uttermost 7. The Wrath of God like Fire sometimes also seizeth on the Consciences of men by which means they are fearfully tormented for their horrid Blasphemy Prophaness Atheism Apostacy c. We have had two Examples of this sort viz. Mr. Francis Spira in the last Century and Mr. John Child in this It is enough to make all who read those Naratives to Tremble at the very thoughts of the incensed Wrath and Anger of an offended God Who can stand before his indignation when his wrath is poured out like fire on the Souls and Consciences of Men O how doth he seem to Tear them into peices even to such a degree as they seem to be in the very torments of Hell while in the Body And not knowing but that a faithful reciting of some Passages concerning the inward Horror of the said Spira and Child may be of some use to Caution all to take heed of such like sins which they fell under I shall tho' more briefly than I intended compare their States Circumstances inward Anguish and Horror of their Spirits together SOME PASSAGES Of the Fearful Estate of Francis Spira SPira having received the Light of the Gospel became a Teacher of the Blessed Truths thereof amongst his Friends and familiar Acquaintance and says the Narrative in comparison seemed to neglect all other Affairs much pressing this main point of Doctrine viz. That we must wholly and only depend on the free and unchangable Love of God in the Death of Christ as the only way to Salvation As to his natural and corrupt Inclination ' I was saith he excessively Covetous of Money and accordinly applyed my self to get it by Injustice corrupting Justice by doing it ' c. As touching Spira's Sin and his grand fall it was thus viz. The Popes Legate Resident at Venice was stirred by the malice of the Papists to accuse Spira to him and by the Craft and Policy of the Legate and through slavish Fear Spira first fled and afterwards renounced his Testimony to the Truth before which it appears he reasoned thus within himself thro' the Suggestion of the Devil viz. ' Be well advised fond Man consider Reasons on both sides and then judge how canst thou thus overwean thine own sufficiency as thou neither regardest the Examples of thy Progenitors nor the Judgment of the whole Church dost thou not consider what misery this thy Rashness will bring thee into thou shalt lose thy Substance gotten with so great Care and Travel thou shalt undergo the most exquisite Torments that Malice 〈…〉 devise thou shalt be 〈…〉 an Heretick of all 〈…〉 to close up all thou shalt die shamefully What thinkest thou of the lothsom stinking Dungeon the Bloudy Ax the Burning Faggot are they delightful be wise at length and keep thy Life and Honour Go to the Legate Weak Man and freely Confess thy Fault ' c. And upon these thoughts he goes to the Legate and salutes him with this News viz. Having for these divers years entertained an Opinion concerning some Articles of Faith contrary to the Orthodox and received Judgment of the Church and uttered many things against the Authority of the Church of Rome and the universal Bishop I humbly acknowledge my Fault and Error and my Folly in my misleading others I therefore yeild my self in all Obedience to the supream Bishop of Rome into the Bosom of the Church of Rome never to depart again from the Traditions and Decrees of the Holy See I am heartily sorry for what is past and I humbly beg Pardon for so great an Offence The Legate at this commanded him to return to his own Town and there to confess and acknowledge the whole Doctrine of the Church of Rome to be holy and true and to abjure the Opinions of Luther c. After this he signed an Instrument of Abjuration and then fell under horrid Despairation ' And he thought he heard a direful Voice ' saying Thou wicked Wretch thou hast renounced the Covenant of thy Obedience thou hast broke thy Vow henc Apostate bear with thee the Sentene of thy Eternal Damnation He trembling in Body and Mind fellinto a Swound Now began some of his Friends to repent too late of their Rash Council not looking so high as to the Judgment of God laid all the blame on his Melancholly Constitution that over-shaddowing his Judgment wrought in him a kind of Madness and directed him to the use of Physicians c. To which Spira replyed Alas poor men how far wide are you do you think that this Disease is to be Cured by Potions believe me there must be another manner of Medicine it is neither Plaister nor Drugs that can help a fainting Soul cast down with the sence of sin and the Wrath of God 't is only Christ that must be the Pysician and the Gospel the Souls Antidote Amongst others that come to visit him was Panlus Vergerius and Mattheus Gribauldus principal Labourers for his Comfort they sound him about 50 Years of Age. Neither affected with Doteage nor with the unconstant head-strong Passion of Youth but in the strength of his Experience and Judgment in a burning heat calling for drink yet his Understanding active quick or Apprehension Witty in Discourse above his ordinary manner they forcibly infused some liquid Sustenance into his Mouth most of which he spit out again and in a fretting mood said As it is true that all things work for the better to those that Love God so to the wicked all to the contrary for whereas a plentiful Off-spring is the Blessing of God and his Reward being a stay to the weak Estate of their Aged Parents to me they are a cause of bitterness and vexation they do strive to make me tire out this misery I would fain be at an end I deserve not this dealing at their hands Oh that I were gone from hence that some body would let out this weary Soul My sin said Spira is greater than the Mercy of God nay answered his Visitors the Mercy of God is above all sin God would have all men to be saved it is true said he God would have all the Elect to be saved he would not have damn'd Reprobates to be saved I am one of that Number I know it for I willingly denyed Christ and I feel that he hardens me and will not suffer me to hope Being
a thing is this that I that have preached so much of the glory of another World should now be deprived of it all You will as surely see me damned as you now see me stand here To others he said I have trifled in Religion trifled trifled I am lost there is no Hope no Hope At another time he said The black Tokens of Reprobation are upon me He said to Mr. Plant smiting on his Breast Sir I am Damn'd I am Damn'd it is so most certainly My day is over O that it was with me as in days past but it is too late the Decree is gone forth it is Sealed in Heaven and it is irreversible Jesus Christ cannot save me he will not he cannot Mediate for me I have so much offended him in maliciously abusing of his People O what a Wretch was I what a Spirit was I led by I have guilt enough said he to sink seventeen Kingdoms and I know the Earth would open its mouth and swallow me alive like Corah Dathan and Abiram were it not that God hath reserved me to be a more publick Spectacle of his Anger and Displeasure both to Angels and Men. I can neither Pray nor desire others to pray for me my Heart is perfectly hardened how should I when I cannot desire Jesus Christ to pray for me flouds of Tears flowing from him Dear bought Experience saith he hath taught me that it is no small thing to trifle with him in the great things of Religion and Eternity c. In one of his Letters sent to Mr. James Jones are these Expressions viz. Being possessed with Doubts Fears and Tremblings night and day the sad savour of Gall and Wormwood an horrible Relish of Gravel-stones the sad Apprehensions of Curses Blastings and Mildew the dismal sound of the mad Prophets words I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh had I been a Backslider of an ordinary size I have a Voice behind me or dire Texts to love and make a Lye is a qualification for the Lake His poor Wife as I remember intimated to me that the very Ends of the Halr of his Head in the Night-season did stand in Drops thro' the Anguish of his Soul Thus he continued for several Months under most dreadful horror and fearful desparation until the 13 th of Octob. 1684. when to put an end to his miserable Life he hanged himself in his own hired house in Brick-lane near Spitlefields London leaving a sorrowful Widdow and several Children But she poor Woman lived not long after 'T is to be noted that there was a strange blast upon his Estate for tho' I understood by a Friend that was intimate with him he was little before his fall worth near a thousand pounds yet I can hear but of a little left to his Children his Eldest Son being but in a low and mean Condition I take not upon me to pass Judgment upon this miserable Man not knowing how God might deal with him whose Mercy is Infinite for I do not believe Self-murther is an unpardonable sin for if so there is more Sins unto Death than one certainly it is a Sin against the Father and the Son and not against the Holy Ghost and therefore may be forgiven unto men who may before their Life is quite gone have Repentance given to them But I am of the Opinion with a worthy Minister that visited him that if any Atheist in the World who had formerly known this man and had conversed with him in his bitter Agonies he would have seen sufficient Demonstrations to have convinced him that there is a dreadful God or a Power besides and above Nature who can touch shake and disorder and turn into Confusion the strongest constitution of body by ministring and fastning terrible things upon the Soul and as he saith let this Pillar of Salt tend to warn and season the People of this present and future Ages of the danger of sinning against the light of their understanding Moreover it doth I am sure serve with a witness to prove and fully to demonstrate the truth of that Proposition I am upon viz. That God doth sometimes let out his Wrath on the Consciences of some men for their horrid evil in this World which seems intollerable and hard to be born or undergone by any Mortal But Secondly To proceed by buring up the Chaff with unquenchable fire or by the Wrath of God in this place our Blessed Saviour doth intend casting the wicked into Hell it self Remarkable it is that no less than four or five times the Lord Christ positively affirms in Mark 9. that the fire of Hell into which Body and Soul of wicked men shall be cast cannot be quenched where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched c. Why repeated so often is it not to assure all ungodly persons of the certainty of it Men are not willing to believe this great truth they are too ready to think that it is inconsistent with infinite goodness to inflict such Punishment on his Creatures but alas they forget that there is an infinite perfection in every one of the Divine Attributes and that as Gods mercy is infinite unsearchable and unconceivable so is his wrath and fury none are able to conceive much less to declare what pain and anguish the damned undergo What torments like fire and what fire is so hot and so tormenting as Hell-fire sad it is to burn half an hour in an Elementary fire yet the Martyrs have endured that for Christs sake God made it easie to some of them But alas who can bear the burnings of Hell-fire when wrath shall be let out upon the Soul to the utterermost O Sirs what a fearful thing will it be to be found chaff and false hypocritical Persons such cannot escape the damnation of Hell No nor can any sinner whatsoever except they believe repent or are born again there is no avoiding being cast into unquenchable fire Thirdly I shall now endeavour to prove the point viz. That the Wrath of God in Hell is intollerable and far greater than any Wrath let out here either on the Bodies or Souls of men which will appear if we consider these particulars following First The extremity of their Torment will appear upon the Consideration that it is inconceivable beyond all mens understanding who knoweth the power of thy Anger who can apprehend it or is rightly and duely affected therewith we can conceive of all bodily pain or external Torment but cannot comprehend the Nature of infinite Wrath no more than we can conceive or apprehend the Nature of infinite Love and Goodness Secondly It is and will be intollerable because it is according to that fear nay beyond the fear that an awakened Conscience hath of it even according to thy fear so is thy Wrath. O what frightful thoughts and astonishing fears had Spira and Child of Gods Wrath Now Sirs it cannot be
or Everlasting Life is a free Gift or by Grace only 4. Shew why Christ doth and will give Eternal Life unto his Sheep 5. And lastly I shall briefly apply it 1. Quest What is meant by Eternal Life Answ There is a three-fold Life of Man 1. The Life of the Body which is a natural Life or the Life of Nature In him we live move and have our Being Neither count I my Life dear to me so that I might finish my Course with Joy He giveth to all Life c. All have this Life Sinners as well as Saints have a natural Life 2. There is a Spiritual Life which is the Life of the Soul the Life of a Saint or of the New Creature this is the Life of Grace I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God c. The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live that is their Souls shall live or be quickned and raised to a State of spiritual Life 3. Eternal Life that is properly the Life of Glory or the Life of the other World that Life which the glorified Saints possess above The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Object But Christ says I give them Eternal Life He speaks in the Present Tense Answ 1. I answer you heard before that true and saving Grace is the Seed of Eternal Life or the Seed of Glory to come as Glory is the Harvest of Grace 2. Spiritual Life is the earnest of Eternal Life Now every Believer hath received the Spirit which is the Earnest of their Eternal Inheritance And thus they have it as a Man that purchases an Inheritance he gives Earnest for it and no sooner that is done but he cries such a House or such Land is mine 't is his by virtue of the Earnest given though he hath not yet the actual possession of it so it is here 3. Christ gives his Saints Eternal Life Now because he gives them a sure Title to it he makes them a Deed of Gift of it or seals unto them a Right and legal Conveyance of it as firm as the Law and Ordinance of Heaven Now when a Person hath a true Right and Title or Deed of Gift made and sealed to him of such or such an Estate he may say he has the Estate 't is his own And thus Believers have Everlasting Life or the Eternal Inheritance i. e. they have a true Right and Title of it sealed to them here by the Holy Spirit After that ye believed you were sealed with the Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of the Saints Inheritance c. Faith is the Evidence of things not seen 4. The Spirit of God who is that Principle of Divine Life in the Soul of Believers is Eternal Christ is in us every Believer hath Christ in possession and Christ is Eternal Life and therefore he that hath the Son hath Everlasting Life These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know you have Eternal Life c. Jesus Christ being in us here is more to us than the Hope of Glory for he is Eternal Life and the Soul of a Child of God shall never lose nor be dispossessed of Christ no not by Death it self therefore may be said to have Eternal Life They have Eternal Life abiding in them because they have the Spirit abiding in them But the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of living Water springing up unto Everlasting Life Query Methinks I hear some doubting Soul say O that I could but experience this Spiritual Life to be in me How may I know I am made alive and have Eternal Life given to me 1. In answer to such it is necessary to consider that all Adam's Posterity by Nature are spiritually dead in Sin or under a Privation of the Life of God until spiritually quickned and made alive by Jesus Christ 2. Now as natural Death is made use of by the Spirit of God to shew what spiritual Death is so also natural Life is tropically made use of to demonstrate and discover spiritual Life A Man naturally dead 1. Is cold all Heat is gone if long dead So all unregenerate Persons are spiritually Cold or without any Divine Heat or Warmth in their Spirits that Principle of internal Life Man had before he fell being lost and gone he is cold as a Stone God ward or in a spiritual Sense 2. A Man naturally dead cannot move all power of Motion and Activity or all vital Actings are gone also So in Men spiritually dead there is a Disability or Impotency unto all spiritual things to be performed in a spiritual manner they can perform or act spiritually no Act of Life or do any thing that is absolutely accepted of him The carnal Mind is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God 3. A Man naturally dead cannot breath nor speak no more can carnal Men Men spiritually dead breath forth their Desires in Prayer to God they have no Tongue to speak for God or to pray to God acceptably all they do is dead Service all their Prayers and Works are dead Prayers dead Works because performed from Persons spiritually dead and not from a Principle of Divine Life 4. A dead Man can't feel see nor hear No more can such who are dead in Sin they cannot feel spiritually they have a heavy Burden a mighty Weight of Sin Guilt and Wrath lying upon them but feel it not They are grievously wounded but feel no pain do not cry out think they are well and all nothing They cannot see spiritual Objects nor spiritual Things These Dead see not Jesus Christ see not his Beauty his Glory neither the Want of him nor the Worth of him the Eye of their Understanding is darkned they have no Faith which is the Eye of the new Creature Nor can they hear in a spiritual Sense until like dead Lazarus they hear Christ's voice by his Spirit and are made alive 5. The Beauty of the Dead is gone Death is gastly so is the spiritual Beauty of the Soul gone of those who lie dead in Sin and Trespasses 6. The Bodies of those who are naturally dead are fit for nothing they soon stink and therefore must be buried and put under the Ground being loathsom c. So ungodly Persons who are spiritually dead are loathsom in God's sight as filthy Carion or a stinking Sepulchre is in ours and are fit for nothing but to cast into Hell as abominable and hateful to the Holy Jehovah 1. By these things therefore you may know
whether you are spiritually alive or not for if so you are quickned and made alive by the Operations of the Spirit and there is a Principle of Divine Life infused into your Souls So that from a holy and new Nature you can and do breath forth your Desires freely and frequently to God and see the excellency of spiritual Objects and Things Christ is must precious and lovely in your sight Your Eyes see and your Ears hear and you have spiritual feeling and you can and do act and move that is believe repent and obey God with great Activity and a strong Propensity or gracious Inclinations of Heart There is also much of the Beauty of Holiness shining forth in your Lives 2. This also by the way may serve to detect that Doctrine some nay too many maintain of the Power of the Creature Alas alas what can the Dead do For evident it is that those who are thus dead have no Principle or first Power of living unto God or to perform any Duty to be accepted of him It is with them as to all Acts and Ends of spiritual Life as with the Body as to the Acts and Ends of natural Life when the Soul is departed from it or else God would never say they are dead call them dead Does God make use of an improper Metaphor Dare they affirm that It must be so if Man naturally be not dead but wounded in a spiritual Sense only True a wicked Man is naturally alive and his Soul is in his Body and he is endowed with Vnderstanding Will and Affection and may perform many Duties God requires of him But what of this for in spiritual Life the Holy Ghost is unto the Soul what the Soul is unto the Body in respect of natural Life namely the quickning Principle And as a Learned Author well observes to deny such a quickning Principle of spiritual Life superadded unto us by the Grace of Christ distinct and separate from the natural Faculties of the Soul is upon the Matter to renounce the whole Gospel It is all one as to deny that Adam was created in the Image of God which he lost and that we are renewed unto the Image of God by Jesus Christ 2 dly They may also as well assert Man hath a creating Power for Regeneration is called the New Creature which is created in us after the Image of God according to his own glorious Power 3 dly Therefore whatsoever Sinners act in spiritual Things by their Understanding Will or Affections that are not renewed they do it naturally and not spiritually and are therefore called dead Works We may also from hence infer what a mighty Blessing and Favour it is to be made spiritually alive How should such admire God and his Free Grace in Jesus Christ for as they have an internal holy Life so they shall never die but have eternal Life nay that this Eternal Life is begun in them here I give them Eternal Life But to proceed Secondly I am to shew how Salvation or Everlasting Life is a free Gift or by Grace only 1. Life and Salvation is of Grace in opposition to Nature we have it not as the Product of Nature Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God To be born signifies to receive a Principle of Life and those that are the Children of God have not that spiritual Life that is in them from the Motions or Powers of Nature not from the Power of Man's Will nor from their fleshly or natural Parts and Abilities however improved 2. Life and Salvation is wholly of Grace or a free Gift in opposition to Merit we cannot purchase or procure it by our Acts of Obedience By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works c. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Not the desert of our Works let them be what they will either before or after Grace but from God's own sovereign Mercy and Goodness whose Bowels yerned towards his Elect in Misery For the VVages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death Natural Death Spiritual and Death Eternal are the Wages and Desert of Sin And who will deny a Servant his Wages Wicked Men are the Servants of Sin and they shall have their Wages But though Death is the Wages or Merit of Sin yet Eternal Life is not the Wages of our good Works no but the Gift of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ It is not by our Works or for our Worthiness The Apostle as our Annotators note varies the Phrase on purpose to shew that Salvation is wholly of God's Grace and not of our own Merits 'T is of Grace or the Gift of God through Jesus Christ that is through his Merits De gratia libero arbitrio saith Augustine 3. Life and Salvation is by Grace only or the free Gift of God in opposition to the Law The Law could not give Life that could not save us For had there been a Law given that could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law The Law requires perfect Obedience and lays every one under the Curse that continues not in all things that is written therein to do them Therefore no Life by the Law that being weak through the Flesh Man could not perfectly fulfil it and so could have no Life by it 4. Life and Salvation is the free Gift of God in opposition to any acceptable Service done for it by us as some times great Gifts are bestowed on Persons for the sake of some small Service performed for them But it is not so here though Salvation be a Reward of Grace yet it is not given for the sake of any acceptable Service done by us we know that a small Matter sometimes purchases that which is of great Value but nothing we do or can do can purchase Life and Salvation for our Souls True Eternal Life is a Purchase it is a Reward of Merit but O mistake me not it is not of our purchasing it is no Reward for any Work done by us but it is the Purchase of Jesus Christ the Reward of his Work by his fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law for us in our Nature in his holy and spotless Life and by his satisfying the Justice of God for our breaking and violating of his Holy Law which he did by the painful and cursed Death of his Cross For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit That the
our Duty to love God with all our Heart and Soul What Advantage brings Christ's Death to abrogate one perfect Law and establish another here is little Gospel A second Difficulty is we must either say Christ has purchased to us Pardon for Sins against the Gospel-Law or none at all but that one Sin of Adam's if the Moral Law be abrogated after the Fall we never sinned against any Law but the Gospel for we were under no other Law according to him c. The Sum of that I drive at is this viz. There is a necessity we must be justified and saved by Grace only because we cannot be saved by a Law of Obedience but by Christ and Grace alone If we sly not to Christ by trusting believing and depending on him and the Grace of God in him who hath satisfied the Justice and Law of God for us and brought in Everlasting Righteousness the Law of God will cut us down and throw us into Hell for ever 2. It is by Grace alone that we are saved because all boasting is excluded and cause of boasting And this is the Design of God in the Gospel viz. That Man might not have whereof to glory but in the Lord alone Nor could this be done any other way but by his contriving our Salvation to be wholly by his own free Grace Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith not of Works lest any Man should boast 3. It is only by Grace that we are saved or Eternal Life is the free Gift of God and Gift of Christ because he will have all the Glory of it God will not give the Glory of our Salvation unto others Having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good Pleasure of his Will to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 4. It is by Grace only because God would magnify his Son by whose Righteousness and Obedience imputed to us we are justified and saved and it is to this end I say that God might exalt Jesus Christ his Design was to magnify Christ in our Salvation and to abase Man Thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him 5. And lastly It is by Grace because God would have Salvation sure to all Believers Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed c. If Salvation were by our Works and Obedience it might be very uncertain or if the whole of our Happiness and Eternal Life be not in Christ's Hand but that it dependeth on the Will of Man or on the condition of our Faith and Holiness or in the improvement of our Abilities and it is possible that we may or may not answer the Condition thereof it might so fall out that not one Soul might be saved Besides should it be so those that are saved would then have something to glory in or boast of in the Great Day They in effect may thank themselves and admire their own Wisdom Care and Industry that brought them to Heaven Fourthly Why doth and will Christ give Eternal Life to all his Sheep to all his Saints Answ 1. Because Eternal Life was purchased for them by his Death But by his own Blood he entred once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us 2. Because all that are given unto Christ are ordained unto Everlasting Life 3. Because Christ was sent into the World to this End to give Life unto them I am come that ye might have Life and that ye might have it much more abundantly It was that he might give his People the Knowledg of Salvation and save them from their Sins 4. Because Life is given to Christ to this End viz. to communicate it to all his Elect he is made a quickning Spirit that he might quicken all his As in Adam all die so all that are in Christ shall live Spiritually here and Eternally hereafter Because I live ye shall live also 5. Because all his Elect were quickned together with him virtually when he rose from the Dead yea and also virtually they entred into Heaven with him for he ascended as their Head and blessed Representative 6. Because Eternal Life was promised to them in Christ before the World began and they have many firm and sure Promises made of it to them since also 7. Because they are united to him and Christ hath prayed That they may all be made perfect in one and he hath prayed that they may have Eternal Life Now Union with Christ gives right to Glory a whole Christ shall be glorified and not a part only Quest What doth Eternal Life import Answ I answer It doth import a Deliverance from all Evil present and to come and a full and perfect possession and injoyment of all true spiritual and everlasting Good and Glory above Quest But doth not this seem to diminish or lessen the Glory of God the Father to assert That it is Christ that gives Eternal Life c. Answ No not in the least for all things are of God and through Jesus Christ All things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ It is God that hath reconciled us unto himself 't is by Christ we are reconciled his Blood being the Price of our Reconciliation God the Father gave Christ for us and also gives him to us And this is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have Everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last Day And thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him It is the Father that gave Christ the Power as Mediator to give Eternal Life unto his Sheep APPLICATION First This may serve to reprehend those that would not have Salvation to be wholly of Grace it clearly condemns Free-Will for if it be only by God's Grace it is not at all of Man's Will They 't is true do acknowledg the Contrivance of our Salvation to be of God's Grace alone or the Effects of his great Love and his sending of Christ into the World to be an Act of Infinite Grace but withal deny Regeneration and effectual Vocation to be wholly the Effects of God's special and distinguishing Love but do affirm that Grace which those Men have who perish at last would have been sufficient to have renewed them had they improved it They assert that all Men have Power to believe and that that Grace which God affords to Men to save them 't is in the preaching of the Word or consisteth in no more than Moral Swasions Arguments or Excitements in a rational way But
that are the Children of the Promise such who are renewed by his Grace or born of him by his Spirit these are his Seed and all these shall endure for ever And to make it good God hath sworn to Christ as Mediator by his Holiness they shall endure that is remain his Children for ever or abide in his Covenant to Eternity and therefore they can't be separated from his Love by Sin Now dare any go about through their great Ignorance to charge God with Perjury O let them dread the Consequents of their evil Opinion Object Those of the Seed of Christ or Believers who sin and afterwards do humble themselves we grant shall endure or be restored and they are such that the Spirit of God speaks of in that Psalm you mentioned Answ In answer to this Brethren pray consider that God hath promised Grace to all his Children that fall into Sin to humble them Repentance is in the Covenant of Grace a broken and tender Heart he will give them not only at first when they believe but afterwards when through Temptations and humane Frailties they are overtaken and sin against him 't is not a Repentance of their own getting whereby to oblige God to return again to them But pray see what he says to his beloved Ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the Spirit shall fail before me and the Souls that I have made For the Iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth and smote him and he went on frowardly in the Way of his Heart Well and what will God do with him now he hath sinned and that grievously too and God hath afflicted him as sorely smote him in his Wrath or as a Father seems to do when his Child that hath grievously offended him but he is not humbled he repents not but goes on frowardly under the Rod shall he perish stay a little see what God says verse 18. I have seen his Ways and will heal him although I might justly destroy him as if God should say and leave him to perish yet of my meer Mercy and for my own Name sake I will pity him I will give him Repentance I will heal him he shall mourn for his Sins and I will restore Comfort to him and to his Mourners Alas till God turn us we turn not therefore a godly Man says with poor Ephraim Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote on my Thigh After God hath graciously touched our Hearts convinced us of our Sins or changed our Minds we repent and alter our Practices and God will give Grace thus to do He remembers his Covenant and his Oath to our David c. I create the Fruits of the Lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord I will heal him I will in a wonderful manner and by my own Grace and Almighty Power do all and have all the Praise to my self Object But may be the Persons you speak of were a praying People they were found in their pious Duties and so their Sins were forgiven and they healed Answ How fain would some Men eclipse the Free Grace of God and find something in the Creature to oblige God to give the Mercy promised 1. I deny not but God will be sought unto for all the good Things promised to Believers But who is it that puts it into our Hearts to seek him or helps and influences our Spirits to pray unto him We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with Groanings that cannot be uttered 2. Yet nevertheless see what God saith of the People before mentioned But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel ver 22. Thou hast not brought me the small Cattel of thy Burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy Sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an Offering nor wearied thee with Incense ver 23. Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the Fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy Sins and wearied me with thine Iniquities ver 24. See now what a People these were they had not so much as done the least things commanded had not brought the small Cattel for a Sacrifice nor did they pray nor seek the Face of God Yet that God may magnify his Grace see what he speaks in the next Words I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgression for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Nothing you see can take off God's Love from his Covenant-Children nothing is done by our own Merits or for the sake or worth of our Duty but all wholly of his own Mercy and Goodness Secondly To make it further manifest that the Sins of Believers cannot separate them from the Love of God is evident because Jesus Christ hath fully satisfied his Justice for all their Sins he hath paid all their Debts Wrath and Divine Vengeance cannot hurt the Elect of God in whose stead Christ died Should their Sins work their Ruin and destroy their Souls it would follow that Christ made no perfect Compensation for them if he hath it would be injustice in God should he let out his vindictive Wrath against them for their Sins Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows c. All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all Thirdly Because they have an Advocate with the Father Christ pleads the Merits of his own Blood the Satisfaction he hath made for their Sins My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not O take heed you sin not do not grieve your Father offend your God you know how hateful Sin is to him as if he should so say But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Saints should neither presume to sin nor despair if overtaken thereby Fourthly Because Christ prayed in the Days of his Flesh that the Father would keep them that he had given him in the World from the Evil thereof though not from every Evil. I dare not say that because whatever Christ prayed for it was granted and yet we see the best of Saints do sin But he prayed that they might not fall so sin so as to perish in their sin or sin unto Death therefore their Sins shall never damn them Fifthly Their Sins cannot separate them so from the Love of God as that he should cast them off for ever because a broken Heart and pardon of Sin is contained in the Covenant of Grace I will be merciful unto their Vnrighteousness and their
Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Though they will be sick none can live and sin not yet they have a Physician that can and will heal them The Covenant hath a healing Antidote in it for every spiritual Malady of the Soul of a poor dejected Believer And because God hath promised to give Repentance to his Israel Sin not being actually forgiven without Repentance or before Repentance therefore God will give Repentance to all his Children he will look upon them as Christ look'd upon Peter and then they shall and do weep as he did bitterly Nay Brethren Jesus Christ is exalted on high to this very End Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of Sins That is to cover to conquer and subdue all their Corruptions and to supply their Wants and to protect and defend them from all Enemies and eternally to save their Souls For which End he had his Name given him And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins from the Guilt of them the Power of them and the Punishment of them Also therefore Sin cannot separate them from God's Love and ruin their precious Souls Sixthly No Sin can destroy the Soul nor separate it from God but such Sins only that have dominion that rule and reign in Men and Women such that the Sinner loves and allows in himself Nay all unrenewed Persons are Servants of Sin but no Sin reigns in a true Believer he loves no Sin allows of no Sin therefore cannot commit Sin Sin shall not cannot reign in them for Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Grace will prevent it the Covenant of Grace and the Influences of Grace and the Promises of Grace The Law commands but gives no Power to obey but Power to subdue Sin goes along with the Gospel the Law is the Strength of Sin but the Gospel is the Death of it Object But for all this good Men may be overcome and backslide from God and God may leave them and love them no more Answ 1. I answer They may be overcome for a Time or worsted in the Conflict but they shall not finally be overcome though they fall they shall rise again And as it is said A Troop shall overcome Gad but Gad shall overcome at last so it may be said of every Believer Hence the Apostle says We are more than Conquerors through him that loveth us Rejoice not over me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall rise 2. Though they backslide from God for a time yet he will recover them again I will heal their Back-slidings and will love them freely See here that God's People by their Backslidings do not lose his choice Love and Affections No no he will love them still and that freely too and will not rest till he heals them of that Sickness which is the worst they can relapse into 3. The Elect are another sort they are not of them that backslide so that God's Soul takes no pleasure in them But we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe to the Salvation of the Soul There are some that so draw back after they have made a high Profession of the Gospel but Christ's Sheep are not Sons of Perdition but Sons of Faith or true and sincere Believers they cannot so sin so apostatize because the Seed remains in them they cannot commit Sin they cannot sin as others do not so as to lose God's Love or not sin unto Death therefore cannot perish They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us c. They were not such that had real Union with Christ the true Anointing was not in them they were not of Christ's Sheep not sincere Believers not Elect Ones From hence let me draw this Argument Arg. 2. All those that sin cannot separate from the Love of God in Christ nor eternally destroy nothing can but they shall be certainly saved but Sin cannot separate true Believers or the Sheep of Christ from the Love of God in Christ nor eternally destroy them therefore nothing can but they shall certainly be saved Object But doth not this give encouragement to Believers to sin and so a Licentious Doctrine Answ 1. The Apostle answers this very Objection to anticipate such a sort of Men that were in his Days which we meet with in these of ours What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid He having largely in the foregoing Chapters proved the Doctrine I am upon viz. That Salvation is alone by Christ by the Free Grace of God in him that our Justification is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed and no other way And that Everlasting Life is sure and certain to all the Seed to all in Christ or to all who do believe in him and he shews that where Sin abounded Grace hath much more abounded Particularly in the precedent Verse he asserts That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. From hence he raises this Objection to anticipate carnal and blind Mortals who see no further and answers it with God forbid how shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein 2. Let me tell you that they who leave Sin refrain from Sin upon no higher better or more noble Principles than the fear of Wrath or eternal perishing or only act from slavish Fear have doubtless not one Dram of true Grace in them Brethren to abstain from Sin to strive against Sin to resist Temptations and to be found in all Duties of Obedience and Holiness lies in high sublime and evangelical Principles and from such Motives that have greater Force and Power on the Soul than the fear of Wrath or Hell can have As 1. Saith a Believer Is Sin hateful to God doth God's Soul loath it is it abominable to him and shall it not be so to me but shall I sin God forbid 2. Hath Sin pierced my dear Redeemer Was it the Spear that let out his Heart's Blood that wounded and tore him to pieces that made him sweat great Drops of Blood that let out Divine Wrath upon him and made him a Curse for me and shall I sin and wound him again God forbid 3. Did Christ die for me to redeem me did he stand in my stead and bear mine Iniquities and shall I sin God forbid 4. Hath God bestowed such Grace upon me as to love me from Everlasting to chuse me to redeem me to renew me and all to this End that I should be to the Praise of his Glory and bring forth the Fruits of Holiness and not sin against him and shall
I sin God forbid 5. Hath God raised me from the lowest Hell and set me on High made me his own Child and espoused me to his Blessed Son Hath he set a Crown upon my Head and put Chains better than those of Gold about my Neck Has he clothed me with a Robe that shines like the Light and sparkles beyond all precious Stones Has he given the Flesh of his Son to me for Food and his precious Blood to me to drink and shall I sin against him God forbid 6. Hath God given me himself given me a Taste how good he is Hath he allowed me to have free access to the Throne of Grace and to have Communion with himself and with his Son and shall I sin against him God forbid 7. Hath God given me his Holy Spirit to destroy the Body of Sin and do I confess my self dead to Sin and as being dead have I been buried with Christ in Baptism and shall I live in Sin God forbid 8. Have I seen and do know the detestable Nature of Sin how evil a thing Sin is and am by the Graces of the Spirit compleatly armed to oppose resist and overcome Sin and all the Enemies of my Soul and shall I commit Sin and cowardly yield to the Temptations of Satan and acquit the Field to the Reproach and Disgrace of my Blessed Lord and Captain of my Salvation and destroy mine own Soul that Christ hath done so much to save and shall I sin God forbid 9. Am I an Heir of Heaven an Heir of Glory and have the blessed Angels to minister to me and to wait upon and to protect me who also observe how I behave my self and shall I sin God forbid 10. If I sin live in Sin make a trade of Sin it will appear I hate God resist his Will contemn his Authority cast Dung in his Face grieve his good Spirit and put the Devil into the very Throne of God and shall I live in Sin God forbid Brethren here is the principal and the grand Motive to keep you from Sin it is from these and such-like Grounds that we should not sin against God But I cannot further now enlarge I should have spoken of the Nature of Christ's Love and have shewn how that keeps the Saints from Sin and falling so as not to perish but I 'le proceed no further at this time JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN the last Day I was upon the second Argument to prove That all true Believers shall certainly be saved and none of them shall ever so fall away as eternally to perish Which was taken from the Nature of the infinite and unchangeable Love of God the Father Thirdly I shall now proceed to the third Argument taken from the Nature of the Love of Jesus Christ the Son and shew you that his Love secures the standing of all his Sheep or all the Elect Ones of God unto Everlasting Life First The Love of Christ is an early Love He loved us from everlasting I was set up from Everlasting from the Beginning or ever the Earth was Then I was with him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing in the habitable Part of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. It appears it was not only an early Love but a Love also of Complacency a Love of Delight Secondly Christ's Love to his Elect is a wonderful Love 1. If we consider the Person loving viz. the Son of God the Prince of the Kings of the Earth 2. If we consider the Persons beloved in their natural and fallen State for when such he set his Heart upon them When they lay in their Blood it was then he passed by and loved us Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy Time was the Time of Love and I spread my Skirt over thee and covered thy Nakedness c. We were his Enemies traiterous Enemies vile Rebels to him having abominable Enmity against him in our Hearts 3. Consider the wonderful Atchievements his Love put upon him to undertake and the wonderful Effects thereof 1. Even to become a wonderful Surety for us and to pay a wonderful Debt 2. To leave wonderful Glory even to come from Heaven where he lay in the Bosom of the Father and to come to the Earth to dunghil Earth 3. If we consider his wonderful Condescension and Abasement he became Man who thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet made himself of no reputation and took unto him the Form of a Servant He became wonderful Poor who was wonderful Rich yea amazingly Rich Heaven and Earth and all things in it being his own yet was born of a Poor Virgin who doubtless had little or no Money to accommodate her or to defray the Charges of a Lying-In at the Inn and therefore they turn'd her into the Stable where she was delivered of our Blessed Saviour and laid him in a Manger O what wonderful Abasement was this Moreover he also had no Money to pay the Tax that was laid upon him therefore sends Peter to the Sea to take a piece of Money out of the Mouth of a certain Fish He had no House of his own to dwell in no not a poor Cottage The Foxes of the Earth said he have Holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath no where to lay his Head Also when in his greatest Pomp on Earth he rode but on an Ass and that not his own neither but he borrowed it Moreover the good Women ministred Relief to him he had not to supply his own Necessities he was poor in his Life poor in his Death standing charged with the Debts of many thousands the least not owing less than ten thousand Talents which could he not have paid and satisfied for he must have lain in Prison for ever O what a Charge of Guilt was laid upon him Does Sin render a Man miserable doth one Sin charged on a Person render him poor How poor then was he for a Time that stood charged with all the Sins of his Elect He was for saken of all his Friends on Earth in his greatest Distress and by his Father in Heaven he was Poor and Miserable in the Sight of all that saw him they pulled off his Hair spit in his Face crown'd him with Thorns strip'd off his Garment and all this for the sake of his Sheep or for his Elect. 4. If we consider the wonderful and amazing Wrath he bore what a Curse he was made for us the wonderful Horror Pain and Anguish he felt the wonderful Sweat he sustained which were great Drops of Blood the wonderful Passion and Sufferings on the Cross he endured He loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He
me I am against it Grace hath the upper Hand in my Soul I am for the Law of God I give my Voice for Christ I that is my renewed part that 's the I he speaks of 6. He cannot sin unto Death sin so as to fall finally fall and perish for ever 'T is evident that this is intended here though there may be a Truth in the other respects If any Man see his Brother sin a Sin which is not unto Death he shall ask and he shall give him Life for them that sin not unto Death There is a Sin unto Death I do not say he shall pray for it The Elect sin but not unto Death there is Pardon for all their Sins if they ask their Sins shall be forgiven them but there is a Sin unto Death a falling into Heresy or Debauchery or such an Apostacy that shall never be forgiven but thus they cannot commit Sin that are born of God so as to perish Which indeed the Apostle in the same Chapter shews to be his meaning All Vnrighteousness is Sin and there is a Sin not unto Death Mind his next words We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not He clearly shews us what he intendeth by sinning not namely he sinneth not unto Death but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself that the Wicked one toucheth him not This is the great Happiness and Advantage of the Children of God who partake of his Holy Nature they are furnished with a self-preserving Principle the Seed remains they shall never lose their New Nature therefore cannot sin unto Death For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World the World in all its Snares Sins Allurements and Temptations whatsoever that is they shall at last overcome Because he that is in them is stronger than he that is in the World 6 thly The very Relation of Children secures them and fully shews they cannot shall not sin fall and perish for ever for what Father a dear and tender Father will suffer any one of his Children to be torn into Pieces and cruelly devoured before his Face if he be able to preserve and deliver it Or should he suffer it would not all say that he was a cruel and unmerciful Father one that had no Love no natural Affections to his poor Child If therefore any one Child of God falls into the Enemy's Hand I mean into Sin 's Hand or Satan's Hand and is torn into pieces or is destroyed and ruined for ever it must be 1. Either for want of Love in God to that poor Child of his 2. Or else for want of Power and Ability in God he being not strong or able enough to save his distressed Child out of the Hands of those cruel Enemies Or 3. For want of Care and Watchfulness in God from whence the Enemy took an Advantage and destroyed his Child that was begotten and born of him Now it cannot be that God wants Love to all or any one of his Children we have shewed you that he loves them with an everlasting infinite and inconceivable Love such a Love as nothing can separate his Children from it and to say he either wants Power to save them or Care and Faithfulness is Blasphemy O what is the Love the Care and Faithfulness of God Besides he has committed them into Christ's Hand to keep and preserve them as my Text holds forth And can any think that Christ has not received a Charge to keep them from the Danger of Sin that they be not finally lost thereby as well as from any other Enemy Or do you think Christ will fail in his Care and Faithfulness who is their great Shepherd Sponsor Surety or Trustee Moreover if he should as I shall hereafter shew you lose one Child he loses one of the Members of his own Mystical Body Now from the whole let me draw this general Argument and so conclude with this 1. If every true Believer is begotten and born of God 2. If they partake of his Holy and Divine Nature 3. If Children cannot cease being Children or that Relation continues as long as Life continues however disobedient the Child may be and if it be thus with the Children of God who are begot and born of him or by his Spirit that they cannot cease being his Children nor lose that Divine Nature they derived from him in Regeneration 4. If God hath provided so well for his own Children in the Covenant that they shall not depart from him 5. If no Child that was born of God did ever perish that we read of 6. If they are the Children of God or Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ 7. If they cannot sin unto Death Then no true Believer can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish But all these things affirmed are true certainly true therefore no true Believer can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish Brethren I shall apply this and pass to the sixth Argument APPLICATION Infer 1. From hence we infer that those Men who affirm that such who are the Children of God begotten and born of the Spirit may perish are strangely beclouded for they must suppose that a Child may utterly lose the Nature and Relation of a Child and degenerate so far as to become a Dog a Swine c. which is impossible in Nature and much more in Grace for as none but the Almighty Power of the Infinite God could change the Soul so it is impossible for any Diabolical Power to turn or change that Holy Nature again and that not only because the Divine Nature and Image of God is such in self but also by reason of the Design and Purpose of God in and by Jesus Christ in our Restauration that being such that it cannot be lost any more without the highest dishonour to God and a frustration of his Eternal Purpose and Counsel which was to destroy the Works of the Devil If any should object that Adam had the Image of God in him before he fell and lost it I answer He was the Son of God by Creation only not by Grace he was not begotten by the Holy Spirit nor did he stand as we do in Christ Infer 2. This may also therefore inform all Believers that they are in a most happy and safe Condition because they are born of God and brought by Grace and Regeneration into an unchangeble State Exhort O see that you are the Children of God begotten of God for if so though you are but Babes yet you are out of Eternal Danger Let me give you Brethren here a few Marks or Characters of Babes in Christ or of a Child of God 1. Babes have all the Parts and Lineaments of a Man if it be a perfect Birth So a Babe in Christ hath all the Essentials of a true Christian he hath all the Parts and Lineaments of the New Creature There is a Formation of God's Image or a gracious Work of
nothing it is not such eating as the Idolatrous Papists dream of it is by the Holy Spirit by the indwelling of the quickning Spirit whereby we have a real participation of Christ He is in us by his Spirit as a Vital Principle changing our Hearts and working in us his own Holy Image infusing Gracious Dispositions and Sacred Habits in the Soul and we are in him by Faith in a gracious hidden and mystical manner and this Union cannot be dissolved Secondly This Union must needs be most intimate near and strong if we consider by what Metaphors it is set forth in God's Word 1. It is a Marriage-Union like as a Man and his Wife are said to be one Flesh so he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit No Man ever hated his own Flesh but nourished and cherished it as the Lord the Church He that loveth his Wife loveth himself a Man and his Wife is but one Mystical Self and what is in Nature as to the Perfection of it is much more eminently in Christ Now since God hath fitted to our Nature a Care of our Body this Care be sure is much more in Christ when the Apostle shews what the Love of the Husband should be unto the Wife and that a Man leaves both Father and Mother and cleaveth to his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh Saith he This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church or of Christ and every believing Soul The Union between Husband and Wife is near ay but Death dissolves this Union because they can be united or be one no longer than both live But Christ lives for ever and the Soul of a Believer lives for ever Nay Believers have Eternal Life in them and they shall never die therefore it follows this Union abides for ever He hath betrothed his Saints his Spouse unto himself for ever And can any then dissolve this Marriage-Contract and Conjugal Union Is Christ able to preserve his Souse or the Soul that is united unto him Is it in the Power of his Hands Pray Brethren consider it well Will any of you that have a Spouse a Wife that you dearly love suffer her to be torn into pieces and basely murdered before your Eyes if you could prevent it And do any think that Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth Power over Sin the World the Devil yea over Hell and Death will he I say ever suffer his Spouse to be destroyed and murdered by Sin World or Devil Strange did he die for her and has he married her and made her one Spirit with himself and will he leave her to conflict to fight and war with an Enemy that he knows is too strong and mighty for her and not come in rush in to her assistance to save and rescue her from such bloody cruel and barbarous Enemies No doubt but he will rise up with Indignation and Jealousy to save every Soul that is so related and united to him Thirdly This Spiritual Union between Christ and every believing Soul is set forth by that near and intimate Union which there is between the Natural Body and every Member thereof The Head and Members make but one Body even so Christ is the Head of his Saints and they being many are all Members of that one Body Christ and all Believers make but one Mystical Christ Even as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so is Christ that is Christ Mystical Now this Relation of Head and Members I say holds forth this Spiritual Union between Christ and every Believer We are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bone And it is from their Head Jesus Christ that every Member receives Divine and Saving Influences of Life Strength Government and Guidance as the Apostle shews From whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every Joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh encrease of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love Our Union with Christ brings us into a fixed Settlement and secures us from all Fears or danger of miscarrying let all Enemies do what they can Can the Members be lost that have such a Head Our Union with Christ cannot consist in the communication of any thing unto us as Members from him the Head But it must be in that which constitutes him and us in this Relation saith a Reverend Minister he is our Head antecedently in order of Nature to any communication of Grace from him as a Head yet not antecedent to our Union it self Herein then consists the Union of Head and Members that tho they are many and have many Offices Places and Dependencies yet there is but one living quickning Soul in Head and Members The same Life that is in the Head is in the Body and in every Member thereof in particular and he that offers Violence to one Member offers Violence to the Body and the Head also And as one living Soul makes the natural Head and Members to be but one Man one Body so one quickning Spirit dwelling in Christ and in his Members gives them their Mystical Union and makes them but one Body As the first Man Adam was made a living Soul so the last Man Adam was made a quickning Spirit It is he that quickens by his Spirit or conveys a vital Principle to all his by which they live spiritually as from Adam all his live naturally Because I live ye shall live also So long as there is Life in Christ the Head there shall be Life in the Members because that Life that is communicated to the Head without measure as Mediator was to this very End that it might be communicated to every believing Soul that is united to him Now then if it be thus if this be the Nature of the Soul's Union with Jesus Christ that it is set out and opened to us by the Union that there is between the Body natural and its Members then I infer 1. That by the Life that is in the Head the Members live and because of that Life that is in him they cannot die it was by that Spirit that is in him that we were first quickned and Life is in us and shall be continued to us 2. I also infer That if Christ be able or can do it he will prevent his losing of any one of his Members And for any one to say it is not in his Power is Blasphemy and to say he can and will not is a like Evil to assert because it renders Christ less tender and careful of his Spiritual Members than we are of the Members of our Natural Body Which of us would suffer his Hand or Foot to be torn from us nay a Toe or Finger if we could prevent it 3. Furthermore I infer That all the Members of Christ's Mystical Body
and may expect a Supply of all Grace according to our Wants and Necessities Like as the Wife needs not to fear Want if it be in her Husband's Hand provided he be a loving and faithful Husband and that by reason of that Union she hath with him and that Relation she stands in unto him Christ is a Head of Influence to thee O Believer Thou holdest the Head from whence all the Body by Joints and Bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God 5. This also shews us that we shall be fruitful to Christ because we are united to him have Union with him We are married to him that we should bring forth Fruit unto God even all the Fruits of Holiness and good Works yea such Works and good Fruit as is acceptable to God And that because we are accepted in Christ our Persons are first accepted as Abel's was and then our Sacrifices or Performances The good Lord help you to weigh well and seriously ponder these things 6. Terror One word to you Sinners which will be first by way of Terror What will you do that have not yet obtained Union with Christ Tremble for your State is deplorable All that are not united to Christ stand united to dead Adam condemned Adam lost Adam and if you die before you obtain Union with Jesus Christ you are lost for ever nay you are as you heard just now united to your Sin and to the Devil all your Sins stand charged upon you and cleave to you But may be you will say Is there no Hope no Help for us Answ God forbid Jesus Christ is tendred to Sinners as Sinners And those that have now Union with him once were in your State and Condition but know this you must labour after Divine Grace and come to this resolve viz. to break your Affinity with Sin While you see not your Folly in keeping your Agreement and Affinity with Hell there is but little Hope O throw down your Arms fight against God no more when once you come to hate your old Lovers and are resolved to leave them forgo them and seek after this Union with Christ there is ground to hope you are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN I am upon the Proof and Demonstration of the last Proposition or Point of Doctrine raised from these words viz. That none of the Sheep of Christ or Saints of God can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish but that they shall all certainly be saved The last Time I was upon the Sixth general Argument which was taken from the Nature of that sacred high and sublime Vnion which is between Christ and every true Believer I shall proceed to the next Argument Seventhly The Argument which I shall now insist on and produce further to prove this great and comfortable Doctrine shall be taken from the Death of Jesus Christ For it is indeed I find that great Argument the Apostle makes use of to prove the final Perseverance of the Saints or Elect of God See Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who can implead such or put in an Accusation against them that shall be heard admitted or allowed at God's Bar He brings in four or five Reasons why none can 1. From their Election they are God's Elect. 2. Their Justification they are actually justified they are acquitted declared Righteous in Christ and that by God himself It is God that justifieth If the Supreme Judg he whom they have offended doth acquit and discharge them who shall bring in any Accusation against them To which he adds ver 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Such a One as our Annotators note may throw down the Gauntlet and challenge all the Enemies in the World let Conscience carnal Reason the Law Sin Hell the Flesh and Devils bring forth all they can say and shew what they can do yet after all they cannot bring under Condemnation that Soul all that they can do will fail to condemn those that Christ died for The 3. Reason is because 't is Christ that died because he died for them that is in their stead or room Should one be condemned for High-Treason against the King's Person and he should accept of another who is his Surety to die for him whose Death according to the Constitution of the Kingdom and Laws thereof would every way serve and answer for the Offence of the guilty Criminal and yet the King should afterwards take the Offender and hang him for that very Offence for which his Surety was put to Death would not all cry out and say it was a piece of great Injustice Even so here should God condemn and cast into Hell one Soul for whom or in the room and stead of whom Christ died would it not be great Injustice in God O shall not the Judg and King of Heaven and Earth do right Brethren It was God himself who substituted his own Son to die instead of the Elect and to that End that they should not die or perish for ever But it may be some will object Object It is granted that Christ died for us and satisfied for all Sins we committed before Grace before we were called or for all Sins against the Law But if we believe not or sin after Grace and Conversion we may be condemned for ever Answ I answer Do not these Men think that Christ did not die for Sins committed against the Gospel and for the Sin of Unbelief even for all such Sins that a Believer does commit after Grace and Regeneration as well as Sins against the Law or Sins committed before they were renewed Alas how long do some of God's Elect Ones continue in a State of Unbelief and refuse the Offers of the Gospel before they do believe and close with Christ Why now if Christ did not die for those Sins which were committed against the Gospel as also for the Sins they do commit after they are in a State of Grace there is not one Soul can be saved because without shedding of Blood there is no remission that is without the shedding of Christ's Blood It is the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son that cleanseth us from all Sin Christ satisfied the Justice of God for all the Sins a Child of God hath doth or ever shall commit against him Original and Actual from the Day of his Birth unto the Day of his Death So that if a Believer perishes for any Sin or Sins he perishes for that Sin or Sins for which Christ died and suffered for in his stead Object I like not say some your Notion viz. That Christ died in our stead or room For though he died for our good yet not in our stead I
Ghost useth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6. 8. For when we were without strength Christ died for the Ungodly He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all I lay down my Life for my Sheep This is my Body that is given for you Now the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among other Significations saith he that it hath signifieth sometimes the Impulsive Cause Phil. 2. 13. Ephes 5. 16. Rom. 15. 9. Sometimes the Substitution of one in the room of another 2 Cor. 5. 10. Philem. v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demost Ego pro te molam Terent. Particularly when the Sufferings of one for another is expressed by it it always signifies the Substitution of one in the place of another Whenever it is used to imply one's dying for another it signifies the dying in his stead even as the Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many repeated again Mark 10. 45. This Preposition says he whenever applied to Persons or Things it always imports a substituting of one in the room of another So that from the whole we may confidently conclude that Christ did not only suffer for our Good but in our room 8. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many Now to bear Sin usually in Scripture-Phrase is to bear the Punishment of Sin Levit. 5. 1. 7. 8. Numb 14. 33. He hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows For the Transgression of my People was be stricken Which clearly shews the Ground and Cause of his Suffering and not the Issue and the Event 9. If all the other pretended Grounds and Causes are frivolous and vain that Men bring of Christ's dying for us suffering for us besides this of dying in our stead or room then that is the proper and only meaning thereof but all other pretended Grounds are vain and frivolous How idle is it for any to say He died only to remove or take away the rigid Law of Works and to merit a milder Law of Grace Which seems to imply as if God repented he ever gave the Law of perfect Obedience Or as if God could allow of Sin or else as if the Law of perfect Obedience did not result from his Holy Nature but that he might have given a Law at first like their new Law of Grace Or according to others that he died to fulfil and take away the Ceremonial Law and to be a Pattern of Abasement Humility and Self-denial Now had that been could not God have substituted Peter to have been such a Pattern as well as his own Son and set him up as an Example or else some other most choice and renowned Saint or Prophet or have caused and Angel to be incarnate to have done it that we might have followed his Steps And how vain is that which some of the Arminians assert viz. That he died to satisfy for Original Sin or for the Breach of the first Covenant and to purchase Salvation upon the Condition of Repentance Faith and Obedience or to merit God's Acceptance of the Creature 's Faith Love Holiness and sincere Obedience instead of perfect Obedience to the Law of Works so that God is become reconcilable through Christ's Death But that he may be actually reconciled lies wholly upon the Creature as his part and thus he died for the Good of all Men but not in the place or stead of any one Now by this Notion Salvation is principally wrought out by the Creature God having put Man into a Condition or Capacity to work it out for himself And according to this Notion Man may or may not be saved God having left the whole of Salvation in order to the making Christ's Death to become effectual to the Will of Man So that Man's Will as I before intimated determines the Case whether Christ's Death shall effect any Eternal Blessing unto Sinners in general or to any one Sinner in particular or not God as one of them once preached puts Man into a Capacity to work and to do but works not in any the Will or the Deed of his own good Pleasure Now how false and frivolous all these pretended Grounds or Designs of Christ's Death are I have already shewed Arg. 1. And from the first Argument taken from the Death of Christ I argue thus All those that Jesus Christ died in the room or stead of shall never die or eternally perish But Christ died in the room or stead of all his Elect or all such who believe and are his Sheep therefore not one of them shall die or eternally perish Arg. 2. If Christ died for all the Sins of his Elect both before Grace or before they are called and for those committed after Grace or after they are called so that they might not be condemned for any of them then none of them can eternally perish But this I have proved therefore none of them shall ever eternally perish Secondly The Death of Christ doth deliver every true Believer from Eternal Wrath and Condemnation I prove thus Because the Sufferings of Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ is imputed to them or is accounted to them that do believe This follows from what I said last He took our Sins upon himself and satisfied for them as if he had actually sinned and freely of his own Grace gives us the Benefit of his Suffering as if we had actually suffered our Sin was imputed to him that his Righteousness and Obedience might be imputed to us even both that which is called his Active and Passive Obedience Sin was imputed to Christ yea every Sin we have or ever shall commit so that in Christ we have born already all that Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance of God that was due to them according to his Holy Law and Threatning denounced against us Christ and his Elect are as one Person or as one entire Corporation and what he did was as if every one that he represents had done it The Sufferings of our Saviour was in lieu of the Life of the Sinner the Just for the Vnjust By his Stripes we were healed And that by God's charging our Sin judicially upon him he as our Surety standing in our room He was as the Apostle says made Sin for us that knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Arg. 3. If Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins then not one of them can eternally perish But Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins therefore not one of them can eternally perish The Justice of God hath nothing to lay to the Charge of God's Elect because it is Christ that died he whose Death hath an infinite Worth and Satisfaction in it this is the Apostle's very Argument If God's Justice is satisfied and his Wrath appeased in Christ's Death if our blessed Jonah's being thrown into the Sea of
Divine Wrath hath made so sweet a Calm that God declares in him i. e. in his Son he is well-pleased and that Fury is not in him now no more for ever towards Believers who can or shall then condemn them Jesus Christ hath turned away God's Anger by impairing of his Right and Soveraignty without derogation from his Perfections So that now he can and doth receive us who believe into his Eternal Love and Favour through the Death of his own Son it being the Judgment of God that they who sin are worthy of Death But that Death which Sin incurred and the Sinner deserved Christ hath endured for his Elect and delivered them for ever from the Pain and Punishment thereof and stand acquitted of and justified from for ever Thirdly It is because Jesus Christ who was the Antitype of the Scape-Goat hath carried away all our Sins who do believe The kill'd Goat made the Atonement for the Sins of all God's Israel and because one Goat could not prefigure the whole of Christ's Undertaking therefore there were two Goats appointed And Aaron shall lay both his Hands upon the Head of the live Goat and confess over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their Transgressions in all their Sins putting them upon the Head of the Goat and shall send him away by the Hand of a fit Person into the Wilderness And the Goat shall bear upon him all their Iniquities unto a Land not inhabited c. Brethren pray observe here is mention four times of all the Sins of the Children of Israel all their Iniquities all their Transgressions all their Sins And again the Goat shall bear upon him all their Iniquities The Goat was a Type of Christ to shew that not one Sin of a Child of God shall ever be laid upon him charged upon him because Christ had them all laid upon him and he hath carried them all away all their Sins great Sins as well as smaller Sins Sins before Grace and after Grace were all laid upon Jesus Christ yea Sins of all sorts Sins of Commission and Sins of Omission no Sin could be expiated without the Death and Blood of Christ Also a full and free Confession was to be made upon the Head of the Scape-Goat of all Sins Brethren as the smallest Sins needed such a Sacrifice such an Atonement namely the Death of Christ so the greatest Sins were not excluded from that Atonement and blessed Benefit of his Death Moreover the Scape-Goat carried all their Sins away into the Wilderness or into an unknown Land or into a Land of Forgetfulness never to be remembred any more this hath our Lord Jesus done Christ hath put away Sin and put it away for ever and that by the Sacrifice of himself once for all He hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all and also all our Iniquities He could not be supposed to have suffered for our Sins if our Sins respecting the Guilt of them were not laid upon him or charged upon him and imputed to him his Sufferings otherwise would have been Arbitrary and Unjust had he not been substituted by the Father and called forth as our Surety nor could his Death been accepted the Law no where condemning or punishing any one who in a Law-sense is an innocent Person He was made Sin without knowing Sin He knew the Guilt by Imputation but he knew not Sin any otherwise neither Original nor Actual He was born without Sin and lived without Sin in his Mouth was found no Guile yet he had our Sins upon him and carried them away he being the Antitype of the slain Goat satisfied for all our Sins and as he is the Antitype of the live Goat he hath born them away for ever Arg. 4. If any one Sin of the Children of God shall ever be charged upon them as to that Vindictive Wrath that is due to Sin so that they may come under Eternal Condemnation of it then hath not Christ born all their Sins nor carried them away into the Land of Forgetfulness But Christ hath born all their Sins and carried away all their Iniquities as he is the Antitype of the slain and living Goat therefore their Sins shall never be charged upon them as to the Vindictive Wrath that is due to them so that they can never come under Eternal Condemnation Fourthly None of Christ's Sheep or no Believer can fall so as eternally to perish upon the Consideration of the Death of Christ 1. Because Christ hath by his Death delivered them from the Curse of the Law as well as from the Guilt of Sin the Law is the Strength of Sin it is by that Sin condemneth the Sinner The Law lays every Man under the Wrath and Curse of God and unless it be answered God might be said to change his Will should he justify any Man nay it would seem to reflect upon his Holiness the Precepts must perfectly be kept by Man or his Surety the Breach we had made of it by Sin must be satisfied for both these Jesus Christ hath done not for himself he needed not to have come to keep the Law to justify himself for as God he is infinite Holy but as Mediator he did this for us he obtained a perfect Robe or Righteousness to give away and put on us He hath brought in everlasting Righteousness and made an end of Sin How made an end of Sin Not that there shall be no Sin any more in the World No but he has made an end of the condemning Power of it the strength it had to kill and damn the Soul is took away for ever from all that believe from all that he hath put his Righteousness upon God's justice being satisfied we are furnished with an exact and compleat Righteousness that shall last for ever 't is an Everlasting Righteousness that every Believer hath in Christ Who therefore shall condemn Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Sin is our Sickness Sin is that by which we stand charged and the Law condemns us pronounces a Curse against us but Christ hath cured us of this Sickness and delivered us from this Curse As it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them Till we believed we lay under that fearful Curse but from this we are discharged and Christ hath undergone that great Curse for us and there is no other Curse can come on Believers all separation from God and Wrath is by the Curse of Law but this is ended and gone for ever to every one that believeth Nothing therefore now can separate them from God the Curse is taken away and the Blessing is put on us 2. From hence it appears that the Veracity of God is ingaged to acquit all them that believe in Christ as his Justice is obliged to leave Sinners under the Curse of
a godly Life therefore is in Christ Jesus and shall be saved 12. It is also by the Holy Spirit that Believers are sealed unto the Day of Redemption Also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise Strange Can these fall away Can such perish that have received the Earnest of Heaven and have the Witness of the Spirit and have it sealed to them No no God hath put his Seal or Mark upon them he by his Seal hath secured them to and for himself and all this is the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection 13. The Spirit also thus purchased by Christ's Death and given as the Fruits and Effects thereof to Believers the Promise of the Father is that it shall abide with them for ever it is the great Promise made to Christ in the Covenant My Spirit which is upon thee shall not depart from thee nor from thy Seed henceforth and for ever See the Words Isa 59. 21. there is the Promise of the Father it is an absolute Promise and it runs thus it shall be in Christ and in his Seed henceforth and for ever The Spirit is called the Promise of the Father Also we have a Promise of the constant abiding of the Spirit in all Believers made by Christ the second Person in the Trinity he told his Disciples The Spirit of Truth the Comforter should abide with them and be in them forever Unto these add the Testimony of the Holy Ghost himself for it is he that doth in the Word assure us of his own abiding with us he hath chosen our Souls to be his own Temple and Habitation for ever and also assures us That all the Promises are in Christ yea and amen to the Glory of God So that we have this great Truth sealed and confirmed to us by the Three that bear witness in Heaven Fourthly Pardon of Sin is another Effect and Fruit of the Death of Christ In whom we have Redemption through his Blood that is as the Effects of his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sin True Jesus Christ satisfied God's Justice for our Sins he paid our Debts it is not Remission without a Satisfaction but yet we are freely forgiven we have it of God's Free Grace but it is through the Blood of Christ Remission of our Sins follows Redemption as the necessary Effects thereof Christ hath procured this Favour and Blessing for us and Gospel-Remission or Pardon of Sin is for ever I will remember their Sins no more they are blotted out for ever he hath cast our Sins into the Depth of the Sea put them behind his Back yea he hath put them far away from him as the East is from the West Fifthly Adoption is the Fruit and Effect of Christ's Death He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons God takes us through Christ or by virtue of Christ's Death into the Relation of Sons which Privilege we have for ever we shall never cease being Sons and Daughters of God Sixthly Free Access to the Throne of Grace or unto the Father is the Effect of Christ's Death Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Christ's Blood His Death opened this Way it is by him we have access to the Throne of Grace Seventhly Another Fruit and Effect of the Death of Christ is Redemption from all Iniquity He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity c. Tit. 2. 14. Therefore this Glorious Effect his Death shall have upon all Redeemed Ones it was not to redeem only from the Curse of the Law as some talk but from the Guilt Pollution Power and Punishment of Sin therefore Believers shall never perish Eighthly Justification is also another Effect of the Death and Resurrection of Christ which is to acquit absolve and to pronounce us Righteous in God's Sight God accepting us Righteous by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which is ever the same Now Christ's Death being the Meritorious Cause thereof we are said to be justified by his Blood Rom. 5. 9. And pray see the Apostle's Argument from hence Much more then being now justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him It is more to be reconciled and justified than it is to be saved such are justified and Christ's Blood having done the former will much more effect the latter those that Christ justifies he will glorify nay and his Death and Resurrection cannot be without this Effect And by him all that believe are justified from all things c. The Word Justified is opposed to Condemnation those that are justified are justified for ever Justification is not a gradual Act as Sanctification is it results not as the Fruits of our Repentance or inherent Holiness but as the Fruits of Christ's Death and Merits it is never less nor more as our Holiness cannot add any thing to it so the Sins and Infirmities of true Believers cannot diminish any thing from it there may be additions to our inherent Sanctification but not to our Justification Christ rose again for our Justification I may also challenge all the Men in the World to prove that any Man that was justified in the sight of God did ever fall away and come under Condemnation Ninthly Sanctification is another Effect of the Death of Christ You may again read that Text Heb. 9. 13 14. Christ died not only to justify Believers but to sanctify them also Object But some may say A Man may be sanctified and yet be defiled again We read of some that escaped the Pollution of the World through the Knowledg of Christ yet were again entangled and overcome Answ 1. If any sincere Christian be defiled again through any Sin or Corruption they shall be washed and cleansed again 2. Those that Peter speaks of were such that only had escaped gross Pollution through the common Operations of the Spirit it appears their swinish Nature was never changed he therefore saith It is happened to them according to the true Proverb The Dog it turned to his Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire Such therefore never were sanctified in Heart they never experienced the Effects of Christ's Blood not that Soul-purifying Virtue that is in it they were cleansed from gross Idolatry through the Knowledg of Christ and also from some gross Acts of Prophaneness they had obtained a reformed but no renewed Life of Grace and Holiness therefore such fall into Sin again and are so overcome that the latter End is worse with them than the Beginning As to true Believers see what the Apostle says For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified By this one Offering our Lord Jesus hath procured our Sanctification
Surety yet he hath not let go his own hold of them he will see not one of them be lost for whom I lay down my Life If any would get them out of my Father's Hand it must be against his Will his Purpose his Decree and they must do it by Force by Violence they must pluck them or rend them out of my Father's Hand Mind the word pluck twice mentioned Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand Not that any are able to pluck them out of the Hand of Christ as Mediator But our Saviour adds that in this 29 th Verse as a farther Confirmation and as an assurance of their safe standing Who is too strong for Omnipotence it self Can any bring his Counsel to nought or destroy such that he holds in the Hand of his Eternal Decree in the Hand of his Everlasting Love and Affection and also in the Hand of his amazing inconceivable and irresistable Power That Enemy that will destroy one Saint must be a Match for the Infinite God and overcome him and rob him of his chiefest Treasure or of his precious Jewels O who dares to say this can be done Well then assure your selves that not one Sheep of Christ can perish Sin must be stronger than God if it destroys one of the Elect and Satan more mighty greater in Power than God which to think is Blasphemy Why should our Saviour here add My Father is greater than all were it not to signify the impossibility of their perishing or to shew how impossible it is that any Enemy should destroy them Thirdly By their being in the Father's Hand may be meant Jesus Christ who is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God because by and through him God exerts his Power or his Strength to save or the Glory of his Power is manifested as well as of all his other Attributes Sin seem'd to eclipse the Power of God in saving his People because Divine Power could not save in a way of Omnipotence to the Impeachment of his Justice and Holiness but in Christ Justice and Holiness is as much magnified as Mercy and Goodness and thereby so too that the Power of God might shine forth in its full Glory Father glorify thy Name saith Christ Then came a Voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it Thy Name that is however thou art made known or glorify all thy Glorious Attributes Almighty Power was seen in creating the World and also as it wrought in conjuction with Divine Justice it shone forth in casting the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise as also in the Flames of Sodom And as Divine Power joined with Divine Mercy and Goodness it shone forth in saving the Israelites at the Red Sea But the Strength and Glory of every Attribute never shone forth in their equal brightness and splendour as all are united and in conjunction together and meet in sweet Harmony as they do in the saving of Man by Jesus Christ so that Jesus Christ may be well called the Wisdom of God and the Power of God Christ is the first-born of every Creature And as the First born is the Strength of the Parent so is Christ the Strength of God The transcendent Excellencies and Glories of the Divine Being that were scattered as it were in the Creation are all united and gathered in Christ that like as when a bundle of Rods united and bound up together cannot be broke or as so united are very strong so God in Christ shines forth as having all his Glorious Perfections united in one and in this sense Believers may be said to be in the Father's Hand and so that none can pluck them out God hereby appearing in his united Strength And thus Christ may be said to be that Branch that God hath made strong for himself And again The Man of thy right Hand the Son of Man whom thou hast made strong for thy self in whom thou shewest the greatness of thy Power to save or to manifest his Almighty Power by O what a Hand is the Hand of God in Christ Who can pull one Soul out of the Father's Hand or out of Christ who is the Father's Hand of Power to save all his Elect Believers are in Christ's Hand and Christ is the Father's Hand yea the Father 's Right Hand the Power and Glory of all the Divine Attributes are united together in Christ herein they shew the Perfection of their Strength and are all exerted in the Salvation of every Believer therefore it is impossible one of them should perish In the uniting of all the Attributes of God together doth the strength of God appear to save And in this respect Believers are in God's Hand God is concerned to see the Salvation of his People perfected by Christ as Mediator who is as so considered his Right Hand or the Greatness of his Power or the Perfection of his Power and Strength Secondly To proceed as they are in the Father's Hand so he hath you heard put them into Christ's Hand as their great Sponsor Mediator and Surety and that before the World began in that Covenant and Blessed Compact the Father and Son entered into in order to the Eternal Salvation of all his Saints And the Holy God hath fixed on such Ways and Means and in such manner that the Thing designed cannot miscarry Men indeed may miss of their Ends they aim at but what is directly in the Hand of God and is put by him into the Hand of his Son to effect and finally to accomplish shall never miscarry it being as I have told you done according to his Eternal Counsel God's Absolute Purpose shall stand let it be what it will much more that Grand Purpose and Design of his of saving all true Believers by Jesus Christ First There is a proof of it already as to Matter of Fact Many thousands of the Souls of his Elect are gone to Heaven in spight of Sin Hell Death World and Devils Secondly In the Salvation of Believers by Christ all Interests concerned are secured 1. God is Just and herein he declares his Justice with a Witness And 2. Yet the Sinner is justified 3. Vengeance hath to the full took hold of Sin And yet 4. Mercy is magnified to the highest Degree in saving the Sinner Justice is satisfied and yet the Sinner is forgiven 5. The Law of God hath its full and just Sanction and the Violence offered to it is retrieved 6. And Jesus Christ who did all this in beholding his Seed and Fruit of his Soul and their Eternal Blessedness secured for ever is well pleased and fully satisfied Thirdly The way of accomplishing this Design is such as will certainly compass the End Divine Power being ingaged in it which resteth not in the least on the Concourse or Compliance of any frustrable Instruments nay every Attribute being
I argue If Grace though never so weak shall be victorious if Grace be such a Blessed Principle such a Spark that Sin nor Satan can't quench such a Seed that no Enemy can get out of the Ground of our Hearts if Grace through the Spirit is Life Eternal Life in the Soul if Grace be the Darling of Heaven hath such great and Almighty Allies if the whole Trinity sate in Council about the Birth of Grace or the Way of its infusion into the Soul if it be the Gift of the Father's Free Love and a part of his Holy Nature if it be wrought in us to shew forth his Praise if Grace be God's great and glorious Workmanship if the Power of God be engaged to preserve it in us if God hath promised to maintain its Life in us if it cannot stand consistent with God's Wisdom Love Faithfulness and Holiness to let it be totally overcome and vanquished in the Souls of his Elect if Christ purchased Grace for us if he was manifest to take away Sin if Christ be the Author and Finisher of Grace in the Soul if the Life of Grace tends so much to the Honour of Christ if Christ's Work now in Heaven is to interceed for the continuation of Grace in us that it may never fail in the Seed or Habit of it Then no true Believer can fall so from Grace as eternally to perish But all this is true therefore no Believer can so fall from Grace as eternally to perish APPLICATION First Of Information 1. First from the whole we may learn that the State of Believers through the Redemption by Jesus Christ is far better than Adam's was by Creation for though we have no natural and inherent Power of our own yet we have a supernatural Power ingaged to help and uphold us we are kept by the Power of God He stood by the Strength of Nature and Power of Free-Will before the Fall We by the Strength of Grace and Power of the Mediator who hath a Charge to uphold us in a State of Grace which was not allowed to Adam nor the Angels we have not only the Word of Grace to encourage us but also the Power of Grace to establish us Adam stood by his own Original Righteousness our standing is by the Suretiship Righteousness and Undertakings of Jesus Christ Who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Adam's Life was in himself our Life is hid in Christ and so out of the Power of our worst Enemies to come at it or deprive us of it and as Adam and all his were condemned so Christ and all his are justified 2. It may inform us that such who make a Profession of Religion without attaining to a State of true Grace and real Union with Christ are in danger of eternal Ruin notwithstanding whatsoever their Knowledg Gifts and common Improvements may be and their Hopes thereupon and that they are of this sort that frequently fall away and perish in their Sins which if well weighed may put every Professor into serious Thoughts and upon a thorow Work of Self-examination about their present Condition and therefore in this respect there is need enough of those Cautions and Take-heeds in the Scripture Let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall How many are there who do but think they stand or that their State is safe and good when in truth they are in no better Condition than the Foolish Virgins or the thorny and stony-ground Professors 3. It also may inform us that all those that shall be saved are such who take care to make their Calling and Election sure It is a palpable Demonstration that they are under strong Delusion who suppose Election only refers to the End and not to the Means or that Men that are elected shall be saved let them live how they please No no the Case is quite otherwise we are elected to be Holy as well as to be Happy the whole Design of God herein being to make us Holy and also to preserve us in a Way and State of Holiness Therefore if thou dost begin well hast obtained true Grace and dost continue in a Way of well-doing or dost bring forth good Fruit and dost not waver nor faint in thy Mind it may be an Evidence that thy State is Good and that thou art one of Christ's Sheep who follow him constantly and wilt so follow him unto the End Secondly This may be Matter of great Comfort to weak Believers and such who may be under spiritual Deadness and feel Corruption too strong for them O do not be discouraged the weakest Grace gives a deadly wound to Sin and a good ground of Hope thy State is safe your Names are written in Heaven which is as our Saviour notes the greatest Cause of Joy which it could not be if their Names might be blotted out again 'T is no wonder Sin is in thee and makes thee mourn when it made Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death 'T is one thing to have the Law of Sin in our Members and to have Sin in our Conversations and another thing to have it reign in us or to have it in our Affections Soul remember that weak Grace weak Faith shall become victorious Thou hast Grace enough in thy Head though thou hast but little in thy Hand O cry to God be much in Prayer that God would give thee more Grace and supply thy Wants and quicken and revive thy Soul as he hath promised A weak Faith renders the Soul as perfectly justified in Christ as the strongest Faith any Man hath whosoever he be and gives a Title to Eternal Life he that had but a weak or a dim Eye that look'd up unto the Brazen Serpent was as well healed as he that had a strong Sight or good Eyes 2. This Doctrine yields much Comfort to the strongest Saint also for if he that hath never so strong and lively Faith might fall finally away and perish what would Regeneration Justification Adoption c. signify to him Would not his Spirits droop and his Fears torment him But here by virtue of the Doctrine of final Perseverance is Comfort both for the Weak and Strong both have equal Interest in Christ in God's Love in the Covenant both are elected both are in Christ's Hand Such who have now a strong Faith had once but a weak Faith it was but a little Seed once and Christ's Charge extends to those that are weak He carries the Lambs in his Arms and the Stock in Christ's Hand is sure and his Promise of supply shall not fail and the Strong cannot stand of themselves Thirdly Caution Judg not of the Truth of thy Grace by the weakness of it a little Gold a Dram is Gold as well as a great Wedg 2. Let not this encourage thee to be negligent or remiss in Duty God
off from pressing Care and Diligence on the Mariners 4. That God who hath ordained the End I tell you again hath also ordained the Means Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. We are chosen in Christ that we may be holy and without blame before him in Love Nor can any ever come to any well-grounded hope he shall be saved or know he is elected unless he is holy heavenly spiritual watchful and diligent in all Gospel-Duties which is the Fruits and Effects of Election 5. The Decree of Election considered absolutely in it self without respect had unto its Effects is no part of God's revealed Will that is it is not revealed that this Man is and that Man is not Elected This therefore can be made neither Argument nor Objection about any thing wherein Faith and Obedience are concerned 6. The Sovereign and ever-to-be-adored Grace and distinguishing Love of God is laid down in the Word of God to be the greatest Motive to Holiness imaginable Who maketh thee to differ from another O that God should open my Eyes call me by his Grace may a Believer say Shall I sin against him because his Grace so abounds to me God forbid If God hath elected me I may live in Sin walk as I list is the Language rather of a Devil than of a Man much less of a Saint I speak the more to this because I would shew you that are Believers what Improvement you ought to make of God's Free Grace and Love to you Put on therefore as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved Bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of Mind Meekness Long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another And as Moses said Consider what great things God hath done for you Object 4. If I shall persevere to the End what need is there of those Take-heeds in the Scripture Why are we bid to watch and take heed lest we fall Answ This is all one with the former besides I answered it largely when I first entred upon my Work but yet let me add a word or two further 1. A Child of God may sin and fall grievously and greatly dishonour God and bring Reproach on the Gospel which may tend to grieve some and harden others nay he may lose his Comfort and Joy of God's Salvation therefore hath need to watch Satan is a strong a vigilant and cunning Enemy O see what Reasons you have from thence to watch and pray 2. If you grow careless carnal or indifferent in the Matters of Religion it may be a sign that your Hearts are not right with God Many of the Members of the Churches to whom the Epistles were directed were no more than Professors and if so they were liable to fall away and perish for ever Object 5. But same Branches in the Vine may bear no Fruit but may be cut off and wither c. Answ I have also fully answered this Objection already see the Argument taken from our Union with Christ There is a twofold being in Christ an External being in him by a Profession and a true Spiritual being in him Object 6. If Christ died not for all what ground have I to believe he died for me Answ 1. What doth it signify to believe Christ died for all unless thou findest the Effects of his Death in thee Many thousands shall perish notwithstanding Christ died for them in their Judgment that make this Objection yea the generality of them for whom he died therefore unless all were saved what Encouragement is there to believe from hence 2. He that believes shall be saved If thou therefore dost believe thou shalt be saved Is not this a better Ground of Faith than that of Christ's dying for all 3. A bare believing that Christ died for all I have proved is no Ground of thy Interest in his Death for that may be without any Fruits or gracious Effects 4. Thou hast the same Ground to believe as any have or as such had who do now believe before they did believe or as they had once who now are in Heaven 5. Christ died for the chiefest of Sinners and the Promises of Mercy upon believing are made to the vilest Sinners on Earth 6. Great and black Sinners have found Mercy and are now in Heaven even some of them that put Christ to Death And is here not Ground of Faith and Hope for thee 7. Remember that if thou believest not but dost continue in thy Sin and Rebellion against God thou shalt be certainly damned thy rejecting of Christ will have that Effect at last upon all Unbelievers 8. Moreover Christ calls to stout-hearted Sinners such that are far from Righteousness He brings his Salvation near to them He calls upon a People not called by his Name He hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also that God might dwell among them And is not here a good Ground to venture thy Soul upon Jesus Christ be thou who thou wilt 9. No Person is excluded by the Lord that we know of Can any Man say there is no Mercy for him unless he hath sinned against the Holy Ghost which may be not one in an Age is guilty of The Nature of which Sin I purpose to open after I have closed with this Text. Thy Condemnation O Sinner will be of thy self God will judg the World in Righteousness this we are all agreed in and set down as an undeniable Article of our Faith None shall have this to plead at the last Day I was not Elected God will vindicate his Justice and Righteous Proceedings in the Day of Judgment and all Mouths shall be then stopped and every Man's Conscience be a Witness for or against him And though foreseen Faith and Holiness is not the Cause why any are elected yet foreseen Wickedness is the Cause why Men are reprobated O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Object 7. But is it not said Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Answ 1. This Text the Papists do abuse as well as the Arminians who strive to make Man a Co-worker or a Partner with Christ in our Salvation But this the Apostle intends not because we are saved by Grace For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works 2. Whoever it is that brings in this Text as an Objection against the Doctrine of the Saints Final Perseverance you may be sure is a corrupt Person in his Judgment and one that pleads for a Covenant of Works or joins the Creature with Christ as a Co-workein the Salvation of Man For if it be to be taken in their sense then it would follow that Man is his own Saviour for if I procure my own Salvation by Works or by working it out for my self I save my self or am my own Saviour or I
4 thly They may know that Christ is a most blessed and precious Object but yet never experienced him to be precious above all things to themselves 5 thly They may know the True Church and also know what is required of Persons in order to their becoming Members thereof namely Repentance Faith and Baptism Nay and they may have some kind of Repentance Judas repented Also they may believe Simon believed They may have a common Faith the Faith of Credence or an Historical Faith believe the Report of the Gospel and Revelation of Christ and the Sum of the Christian Religion nay believe or receive the Word with some sort of Joy Mat. 13. 20. Moreover they may be baptized and received into the Church and be look'd upon to be true Believers But because these things are daily opened to you I shall not enlarge further upon them You that have that excellent Book called The Almost Christian may see how far a Man may go and be but a false Professor O take heed you rest not on any External Knowledg or Revelation of Divine Things You can talk of Religion dispute for those great Points of Faith you know Truth from Error and so you may and yet perish for ever Moreover consider that all Convictions that end not in Regeneration or in true Conversion or that change not the Heart and Life will avail you nothing Secondly I shall shew you the Nature of True Illuminations and how the one differs from the other it appears by what the Holy Ghost intimates here and in other places as well as by all our Experiences that Light or Illumination is the first thing God doth create in the Souls of all that are renewed and if it be but a common Light the Work that flows therefrom will be but a common Work of the Spirit and if that Light that is in Men be Darkness how great is that Darkness Now as touching the special and saving Illuminations of the Spirit they differ from the common 1. In respect of Convictions of Sin Evangelical Illuminations of the Spirit discover to the Soul its fearful State not only that Sin is of a hateful Nature but that he is condemned as a Person dead in Law and trembles at the sight and sense thereof not knowing but that the Sentence may be suddenly executed upon him They were pricked in the Heart and cried out Men and Brethren what shall we do It was their Sin that made them cry out But pray observe that the sight and sense of Sin never breaks the Heart throughly and kindly till the Soul sees the pardoning Grace of God in Christ Shew a Condemned Malefactor a Pardon from his Prince that was hardned before under the Sense of the Severity of the Law O then he is melted and wounded Goodness and Mercy overcomes him so it is with a poor Sinner when he sees God's Love and Grace in Christ or a bleeding Christ who has born the Punishment due to him for his Offences then he is kindly broken and mourns that ever he grieved or offended God They shall look unto him whom they have pierced and shall mourn It was Jesus that you have crucified the Lord of Life and Glory whom God hath made both Lord and Christ 2. Common Convictions reach only to some Sins perhaps scandalous Sins they chiefly if not only torment the Conscience under some awakening Providence or under the preaching of Wrath and Judgment And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled Doubtless Felix lived in some gross Sin and now his Conscience was awakened and terrified him for those Evils he hearing of the Judgment to come But special Illuminations in Convictions cause the Soul to see all its Sins its secret Sins yea Heart-Evils Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ Christ's Word laid all the Evils of the Heart open to her sight I was faith David shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me All Sin afflicts the Soul Original Sin as well as Actual Sin 3. Common Convictions make a Person sensible of the Punishment of Sin and to feel the Wrath of God which is due unto him My Punishment is greater than I can bear saith Cain But special Illuminations under Convictions make the Soul to groan under the Filth and Pollution of Sin They shall loath themselves for the Evils they have committed But when is that Even when they see that I am saith the Lord pucified towards them And ye shall remember your Ways and all your Doings wherein you have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight Hence Job cries out I abhor my self and repent in Dust and Ashes Moreover upon this respect it was that David compared his Sin and Pollution to a loathsom Disease The one cries out that he has offended an angry God this is the Nature of legal Convictions such would fain get out of God's Hands he flies from him But the other cries out I have grieved a Good and Gracious God and he flies to him as the Prodigal did to his loving and compassionate Father 4. Common Illuminations in Convictions lay the Soul half dead he sees he is Wounded but special Illuminations of the Spirit discover the Soul is quite Dead When the Commandment came Sin revived and I died The one discovers that the Person is a Sinner but not in a helpless State for though he sees he is undone by his Sin and Disobedience yet he thinks he may rise by his Duties and Obedience But a Person truly enlightned sees he must have a Principle of Life infused before he can rise live or act and that all his own Righteousness he hath or is capable of obtaining is but as Dung and Filthiness in his sight 5. Common Illuminations cause a Man to see Sin as it is a great Evil against himself I have killed a Man to my hurt saith one of this sort But special Illuminations discover Sin to be the greatest Evil as it is against God the one may know that God hates Sin but the other is brought to hate it himself and because God hates it Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight O saith a poor Believer what have I done I have contemned despised and spit in the very Face of God the one is afraid of God but the other fears God the one is afraid of him because of his Justice the other feareth God because of his Goodness They shall fear the Lord and his Goodness or shall fear and worship God in Christ because of his Goodness Grace and Mercy 6. Common Illuminations give a Person a sense of Death and Wrath due to Sin but special Illuminations give a Man a sense and an effecting sight of the Death of Christ and of that Wrath and Curse he hath born for him in his
the Power to change the Heart is not in the Creature it is God's Work on the Soul 't is he that stamps his own Image upon us and if he withdraws the Influences of his Holy Spirit from Men or refuses to give Grace to them in order to bring them to Repentance and to believe in Christ they must perish Now God will not afford these Persons that so fall away the Assistance of his Spirit in order to the working the great Work of Faith in them therefore it is impossible for them to be renewed He saith not saith one it is impossible they should be saved but that it is impossible they should be renewed unto Repentance these Apostates Salvation is impossible because their Repentance is impossible He that never repenteth can never be saved for he that repenteth not shall not have Remission of Sin and if the Holy Spirit be utterly withdrawn from Men it is impossible they should ever be renewed to Repentance 2. The Persons therefore here intended do not repent cannot repent Repentance is hid from their Eyes they never endeavour after Repentance they are left to hardness of Heart and to final Impenitency by the Lord as a just Judgment for their horrid Evil and cursed Apostacy possibly they may fall under Terror and Despair yet never desire or look after Repentance on God's Terms Brethren it is not impossible for the greatest Sinner in the World to be renewed that hath not sinned against the Holy Ghost or whom God hath not wholly given up to blindness of Mind and to hardness of Heart All manner of Sins and Blasphemy against the Father and the Sun shall be forgiven unto Men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. And all Vnrighteousness is Sin and there is a Sin unto Death 3. God leaves these Persons for ever he utterly casts them off And wo unto them saith he when I depart And may say unto them and much more as he said once unto Ephraim Ephraim is joined unto Idols let him alone He commands his Ministers to let them alone and not striâ—e with them reprove not exhort them any more He saith unto Conscience Let them alone check curb reitrain nor rebuke them any more He saith unto his Spirit Let them alone move them or excite them to perform Religious Duties no more strive with them no more for ever No Doctrine no Word no Rod no Affliction or Judgment shall do them good any more for ever This Spiritual Judgment is the worst of all Judgments and so makes it impossible for them ever to be renewed unto Repentance for there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries 4. God puts an end unto all expectation concerning them he looks for no more Good from them he exercises no more Care about them no more Labour Pains nor Patience towards them God affords no more Means of Grace for their Conversion Repentance is hid from their Eyes he says Let this Ground lie barren for ever it shall never be plowed sowed nor watered any more for ever He looks for no more Fruit he will not dress it nor dung it any more his Sun shall shine upon it no more nor shall the Rain fall upon it from Heaven any more wo unto such Souls God saith to them as Christ said when he cursed the barren Fig-tree Never Fruit grow on you any more 5. God in Judgment and Wrath gives these up to a reprobate Sense to hardness of Heart to blindness of Mind and to a seared Conscience and they become notoriously Wicked being filled with Rage and Madness full of Envy and Malice against God and against Christ and against all that fear God 6. And usually they are left in severity to their sensual Lusts and become notoriously Wicked and Prophane nay rather worse than the worst of Carnal Persons that never were enlightned at all And so he gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsel They are left or given up unto Satan to be led acted and influenced by him and are commonly also carried away into pernicious Errors and Delusions even to believe a Lie that so they may be damned because they received not the Truth in the Love of it that they might be saved And many times they become Persecutors of God's People reproaching vilifying and contemning all Religion Quest What a kind of Sin is the Sin against the Holy Ghost And what sort of Persons are they who may sin this Sin Answ 1. I shall shew you first in the Negative what a Sin it is not Namely all Sin or Sins whatsoever that any carnal Person who to this Day abode under the Power of Natural Ignorance and never was inlightned by any Operations of the Spirit commits for such cannot commit the Sin against the Holy Ghost it being positively said That they are such who were once enlightned 2. It is not every Sin which is against Light and Knowledg for no doubt but David and Peter sinned against Knowledg and the Light of their own Consciences and after they had been enlightned yet were recovered and renewed unto Repentance 3. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is not every Sin that is committed against the Holy Ghost for he that grieves the Holy Spirit and that quencheth the Holy Spirit sins against the Holy Spirit nay all wicked Men who sit under the Preaching of the Gospel no doubt sin against the Spirit whilst they resist the Strivings and Motions thereof 4. It is not any hainous and abominable Sin as Whoredom Perjury Murder no not Self-Murder not the murdering of the Saints of God nor putting Christ himself to Death by wicked Hands or the murdering of the Lord of Life and Glory Paul was guilty of the Blood of Stephen and many of the Jews were pardoned who might have a Hand in the barbarous Murder of the Son of God 5. It is not every wilful and presumptuous Sin for multitudes of wicked ignorant Persons so sin daily for whom there is Mercy and Pardon upon Repentance though they have a Whore's Forehead and refuse to be ashamed 6. It is not every degree of Apostacy or Backsliding from God A true Child of God may be guilty of a partial Apostacy for thus Israel sinned and fell from God nay backslid so far as to turn to cursed Idolatry yet God offered them Pardon Return backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord c. 7. Nay I will not say that every malicious Sin against God's People is the Sin against the Holy Ghost when Men hate the Saints for their Religion and Goodness though it be one of the highest Degrees of Wickedness because therein their hatred against God himself is manifested But what may not a Man do that
is acted and influenced by the Devil in the Times of his Ignorance 8. It is not the Sin of Unbelief though that be a damning Sin yea the damning Sin as it is a Sin against the Remedy God hath provided and against the highest manifestation of God's Goodness and against the highest Testimony and Witness yet many that thus sin nay continue at present in and under the Power of Unbelief may come to see their horrid Evil and by the Grace of God may believe and be forgiven this as well as other Sins Lastly I have shewed you that no true Believer can commit this Sin He that is born of God cannot commit Sin viz. he cannot sin unto Death So much in the Negative what Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost is not Secondly I shall shew you in the Affirmative according to that Light I have what Sin this Sin is or open the Nature thereof and what sort of Persons they are who do or may commit it 1. The Persons that may commit the Sin against the Holy Ghost our Text informs us are such who have been once enlightned and that have attained to the Knowledg of the Truth or true way of Salvation by Jesus Christ and have had such a kind of Taste of the Heavenly Gift and of the good Word of God and Powers of the World to come more or less of which I have shewed they have received the Gifts and common Graces of the Spirit 2. And also have escaped the Corruptions of the World through the Knowledg of Jesus Christ or attained to a great Reformation of Life in so much that they were look'd upon as Saints and eminent Christians many of them being Professors of the Gospel and might be great Preachers thereof Tho it seems that others who never professed the Gospel were and may be guilty of committing of this Sin as those Jews no doubt were who said our Blessed Saviour did cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils 3. It is a sinning wilfully after a Person hath received the Knowledg of the Truth or Gospel of Christ For if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin Though every wilful sinning is not this Sin yet every one that is guilty thereof doth sin wilfully and that in the highest degree Pray note it 't is a wilful casting off and forsaking the Truth of God and an utter deserting the Church and People of God nay a wilful rejecting the Truth which they before had embraced and tasted some sweetness in opposing and contradicting that which the Holy Spirit testifies to their Consciences is the Truth of Christ therefore they wilfully reject the Motions of the Holy Ghost nay contemn the Operations thereof 4. And as it is a rejecting of the Motions and Operations of the Holy Spirit after those Illuminations they had received so also it is done maliciously or from Spite and Malice And hath done Despite unto the Spirit of Grace They wilfully desert the Assemblies of God's Church and People and esteem the Blood of Christ whereby he was consecrated a Sacrifice unto God or as some whereby they thought once they had been sanctified an unholy Thing and accounting the Motions of the Holy Spirit and his Operations a meer Delusion of the Devil And thus some of the Pharisees sinned Christ healed one possessed of an unclean Spirit a Work wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost they imputed it to the Devil saying This Fellow casteth out Devils by the Prince of Devils This was a wilful Sin and done no doubt in Malice and against the Convictions of their own Consciences for they could not certainly but know that he was the Son of God by the wonderful Works he did See ver 31 32. Upon this our Saviour doth intimate that they were guilty of sinning the Sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven unto Men. 5. It is a treading under Foot the Son of God contemning and vilifying him as these Pharisies seem'd to do and which as it is thought by many Julian the Apostate was guilty of who in difdain when he was wounded threw his Blood up towards Heaven crying Thou Galilean thou hast overcome me or to that purpose he in reproach and hatred seemed to call Christ a Galilean would not call him by any one of his own proper Names 6. And lastly It doth consist in a fatal and utter renunciation of the Christian Religion and all the Institutions Doctrines and Principles thereof and a turning to Judaism or Idolatry or else to perfect Atheism and all this as Dr. Owen signifies with an avowed and professed Enmity to Christ and Christianity and therefore not without the highest Reproach and Contempt imaginable against the Person of Christ as well as against the Gospel imbracing the Love of Sin or of the Riches and Honours of this present evil World valuing their Lusts above the Comfort of the Holy Ghost We have as if they should say tasted of the Spirit and of heavenly Things and do disclaim him and them and witness against him and by that Experience we have had do disown all that pretended Good that some boast of 〈◊〉 be in their Divine Things and contemn that Spirit they glory in and are led by APPLICATION First Take heed of those Sins that tend or lead to this unpardonable Sin 1. Take heed of a malicious Thought against the Holy Ghost don't think it is the Devil that disquiets and disturbs you about Sin Wrath and Hell you convicted Sinners look to it that you charge not these Convictions you have of the Evil of your Sin upon Satan He you may be sure will not trouble you for your Sins but let you go on peaceably in your wicked Ways though when you are awakened he may perswade you that there is no Mercy for you Doubts and desparing Thoughts commonly rise from Satan but not Sorrow and Grief for Sin No no that is from your Conscience a it is influenced by the Holy Ghost 2. Beware of harbouring a malicious Thought of Religion or of praying by the Holy Spirit as I heard lately or a wicked Man who hearing a Minister pray in a most excellent manner that said How doth the Devil help him or to that effect O this is dangerous 3. Take heed of blasphemous Words against the Holy Spirit Will any dare to say that the Devil is in God's People that they are so resolute in their Ways and will not conform to the National Church 4. Beware you that make a Profession of Religion and that have been enlightned how you fall away and turn again to Folly and to your sinful Practices for this is the high Way to the unpardonable Sin or Sin unto Death you know not but that a partial Apostacy may end in a total one at last 5. Above all things look to it that you rest not on a common Work of the
Heaven whereby we must be saved He that receives Christ believes in Christ shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned 3. If Life be more worth than all the World certainly the Soul is more worth than ten thousand Worlds O do not part with it on any Terms for it cost Christ dear the Price of his own Blood his Heart-Blood was let out to save our Souls Alas there are some nevertheless that are like the false Prophets of old who sold the Souls of the People for a handful of Barley and for a piece of Bread 4. How near may some of you be to Death and if you have not got an Interest in Christ before then what will become of your precious Souls 5. Will you consider what Means of Grace God is pleased to afford you for the good of your Souls and know it is by the preaching of the Gospel that God commonly saves the Souls of Men I mean that it is the Means he uses for the begetting of Faith Shall the Word have some good Effect upon your Souls this Day 6. Consider all your Prayers Tears Alms-deeds all Reformation of Life Services Duties and inherent Holiness cannot save your Souls no none but Christ nothing but the Merits of Christ it is his Blood alone that made your Peace and must wash away all the Guilt and Filth of your Sins Your Souls your precious Souls O Sinners are wounded polluted naked what will you do Nothing but Christ's Blood I tell you can heal them nothing but his Flesh his Blood can feed them and nothing but his Righteousness can clothe them and nothing but the Graces of Christ's Spirit can inrich can deck and adorn your Souls and without Faith you cannot obtain any of those Blessings O what shall I say to you if going down upon my Knees could move you to lay to Heart what a sad State you are in who have not received by Faith this Salvation and incline you now to believe I would readily do it but alas it is God's Gift O look up to him do what you can pray and attend on the Word What do you say do you believe that this is a Great Salvation Will you esteem it and look after it above all things in the World It is Sirs that one thing needful chuse with Mary that good Part that shall never be taken from you Shall there be Joy in Heaven this Day how can you slight such a precious Soul and such a precious Saviour who spilt his Blood to save the worst of Sinners Will you tread his Blood under your Feet If so what will you do at the Day of Death and in the Day of Judgment Should your Souls be lost there is no repairing that Loss no redemption of the Soul out of Hell no other Price no other Saviour no other way if this be slighted you must perish HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I AM upon the Proof and Demonstration of the greatness of the Salvation of the Gospel I closed with the ninth Reason of the Point the last time Tenthly Gospel-Salvation is a great and glorious Salvation if we consider what such who have interest in it are raised up unto or do and shall partake of I mean what great Blessings and wonderful Privileges they are invested with by it First Pardon of Sin This Blessing have all they that receive it 1. Consider the Blood of Christ is the way of Gospel-Remission no Remission of Sin without the shedding of Blood there is remission of Sin but no Blood could procure this Remission but the Blood of Christ he paid our Debts in whom we have redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins It was by his offering himself an Expiatory Sacrifice to God there 's no Salvation without Pardon of Sin and no Pardon of Sin without a Compensation be made by Jesus Christ to the Law and Justice of God 2. Consider who are pardoned even all that believe though they were never such great Rebels against God such were Traitors and Enemies once who are now forgiven Here is a Pardon for the vilest Sinner that sees his horrid Evil and Rebellion and takes hold of Jesus Christ or looks up to him by Faith 3. Consider the Nature of this Pardon and Gospel-Remission Such are pardoned for ever I will remember their Sins no more they are blotted out for ever God promises to all penitent and believing Sinners to throw their Sins into the Depth of the Sea 4. Consider the Terms of Pardon it is a free Forgiveness we having nothing to pay God of his meer Grace and Goodness doth forgive us through the Atonement of Christ's Blood freely Even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgression for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins This is spoke to a People that had wearied the Lord with their Iniquities O what a glorious Salvation is this that here is Remission and free Pardon for rebellious Sinners such that deserve nothing but Wrath and Hell 5. It is a Pardon of all Sins great and small Sins of Omission and Sins of Commission Sins of all sorts and sizes 6. 'T is God that blotteth out our Sins he that can forgive he whose right it is to pardon he against whom we have sinned and he who when he gives a Pardon none can supersede it nor revoke it let them do what they can Secondly Reconciliation with God is another Blessing of this Salvation God doth not only forgive us but he takes us into his Bosom he is fully reconciled to us in Jesus Christ he cries Fury is not in me Again he says This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son And none can make God our Enemy again for ever if we are Believers none can separate us from his Love in Jesus Christ our Lord as something agâ— I shewed you no not Sin nor Satan Thirdly By this Salvation we come to have Union with God and to be made one Spirit with Jesus Christ and how great and glorious is this saâ—red Union but having formerly spoken to it I shall not say more to it nâ—w Moreover we are not only brought into a State of Union but are also admitted to have Communion with the Father and the Son Brethren it is one thing for a Traitor to be pardoned and another thing for him to be admitted into the King's Presence and to become one of his great Favourites Truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Fourthly By this Salvation also we are justified Justification is a high Privilege By him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Let me shew you what it is to be justfied that so this Salvation may appear the more
the Word of that God that cannot lie to assure you of it Do not judg of your Justification according to the degree of your Sanctification as if you were no further justified than you are sanctified or that your Sanctification is any Cause of your Justification nor do not think you are more justified when you are in a lively frame of Duty than at another time when deadness and dulness takes hold of you Object I cannot believe so as to rise to a full perswasion that I am justified and shall be saved though I can relie upon Christ as a poor Sinner for my Justification and Eternal Life Answ 1. Well bless God for that Faith for a full Assurance doth not appertain to the Essence of true Faith but it is the highest degree of it and no doubt many are gone to Heaven that never attained to that degree of true Faith 2. I knew a Godly Minister who told me in his Sickness a little before he died All his Hopes were gone he could not come to Christ as a Saint his Evidences were so clouded this he uttered with Tears as I remember and with no small grief He presently broke forth and said But Brother I can come to him as a poor burdened lost and heavy-laden Sinner and I am sure he will not refuse me or to that purpose If thou canst do so certainly great Peace will come in it is from the weakness of our Faith that a strong and full Perswasion is wanting a direct Act of Faith I am perswaded must needs bring in the greatest Joy and Comfort a looking for all the signs of true Grace in us oft-times confounds a poor Christian If there is no Sin that thou dost allow thy self in but dost hate Sin as Sin and lovest Holiness and art willing to follow Christ in all things according to thy Light and lovest all the Saints of God as such no doubt but thy State is good and safe 3. But remember if thou canst not come to a satisfaction about what I speak in respect of those Signs yet know if thou dost believe i. e. rely upon the Merits and Righteousness of Christ as a poor Sin-sick Sinner all may be well 4. Take heed you do not look for a Righteousness in your selves to recommend you to God or to trust in for Justification Also know that it is not for the sake of Christ's Merits or for the sake of his Righteousness that we are justified but that it is his Righteousness that is the Matter of our Justification alone before God as it is â—puted unto us and received by Faith Christ's Merits render no our Faith and sincere Obedience to be any part of our Righteousâ—ess to Justification in God's sight 't is his Righteousness only which was perfect and no other Righteousness must thou be foâ—nd in in this respect if thou art justified and eternally saved Though 't is true that Man that has true Faith shall find the Effects of it to be such that it will cleansâ— and purify his Heart and Life and that Faith that hath not such Effects and good Fruits to accompany it is a dead Faith as the Apostle James shews HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I Closed the last Day with the tenth Demonstration to prove the Salvation of the Gospel to be Great and Glorious Seventhly Gospel-Salvation is Great and Glorious because it is a full a compleat and a comprehensible Salvation That which I intend hereby is this viz There are all things contained in this Salvation which our 〈…〉 in order to Grace and whatsoever is necessary for us here and eternal Glory hereafter 't is not a barren or a partial Salvation but a fruitful and compleat Salvation it does not require us to make Bâ—â—k and allow us no Straw it doth not command us to believe and give us no Power it is not like the Law that commands perfect Righteousness and condemns all that have it not but gives no Strength to perform it Some there be who seem to preach a strange Gospel they tell you what Christ hath done viz that he hath died c. and done his part in this Salvation and lest Sinners to do their part the Debt is paid you may go out of Poison if you will this they do tell you But alas alas the lest Sinner is bound he is in Chains under the Power of Sin and Satan nay he is dead and what can he do Is his Power greater than the Power of Satan Can he translate himself out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of God's Son Can he by any Power God hath given him quicken himself or raise himself from the Dead No no this is impossible But now say I Gospel-Salvation is a full and comâ—â—â—â— Salvation what is needful and absolutely necessary to be donâ— for the Sinner in order to his having a saving Interest in it Jesus Christ will accomplish nay and he will do it himself he will not â—dmit you to have a Share or a Part in the Salvation of your own Souls for as he knows Sinners are not able to do that which must be done for them and in them if they are interested into the Blessings of this Salvation so he will have and must have all the Glory and Honour of this Salvation himself from the first to the last Christ hath no Partner no Competitor in this great Work I mean in and about the Salvation of our Souls 1. Sinners are you dead dead in Sins and Trespasses Christ is come to quicken you I am come that you might have Life There is in this Salvation Life for dead Sinners Christ hath a certain Water to give that whosoever drinketh of it though he be dead yet he shall live that Water is his Spirit 't is by that by infusing of his Spirit into the dead Soul that the Soul comes to be quickned the Spirit of Christ is his quickning Voice The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Christ is our Life not only as he purchased Life for us but as he by his Spirit infuses it in us The Spirit is that Vital Principle in us You hath he quickned that were dead in Trespasses and Sins And he puts forth his Almighty Power to do this as the Apostle had declared to the Saints at Ephesus just in the Verses before in the first Chapter shewing to them that the same Power is put forth in raising us from a Death in Sin or in working Faith in our Souls that was wrought in Christ when he was raised from he Dead and therefore it is said to be the exceeding Greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power as before Can any Man do this can he raise himself Dead Lazarus might quicken and raise himself as soon out of the Grave as a dead Sinner can
the other refers to convinced and awakened Sinners who seem to despair and yet go on in their Sins 1. Isa 57. 10. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy Way yet sayest thou not There is no Hope Thou goest on in thy unjust and sinful Ways till thou hast even wearied thy self as if the Lord should say and yet thinkest thy State good wilt not say there is no Hope but contrariwise thou hast Hope and dost conclude all is well these are bold presumptuous Sinners Compare this Text with that in Jer. 2. 25. But thou sayest There is no Hope No for I have loved Strangers and after them I will go We are very vile our Consciences reprove us convince us of our abominable Evils but there is no Hope God will not pardon us nor take us into his Favour therefore we will go on in our own Ways and take our swing These were ashamed of their doings as the next Verse shews and yet not so ashamed as to leave their Sins and Doings and to return to the Lord but doubted of his pardoning Grace We see say some there 's no ground of Hope there is no help for such as we our Hearts are so hard Corruptions are so strong in us there is no Salvation for us we will therefore take our Course cleave to our Sins and Lovers and to our old Companions we will even follow our Trades and pursue the World and satisfy our Lusts with Pleasures Despair sometimes makes Persons desperate others of this sort grow melancholy and ready through Satan's Temptations to lay violent Hands on themselves when it prevails far upon them Now these I say do cast great Reproach upon the Power of God and his pardoning Grace in Jesus Christ 4. Such who believe not but neglect the Salvation of the Gospel cast contempt and dishonour on the Truth of God they do not give credit to what God says in his Word about Salvation by Jesus Christ and of that necessity there is of Faith in him and Union with him and of being born again if ever they are saved If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your Sins But the Jews would not believe this Hence it is said He that believeth not maketh God a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son As such do who do not believe the Testimony of any Person though never so true And is it not a horrid Evil to render God a Liar He saith Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish and except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God But this is not believed by many Persons they hope to be saved though not regenerated 5. Such who believe not but neglect the Salvation of the Gospel yet think to be saved go about to cross and contradict the settled Will and Purpose of God it is in effect to shew a dislike of God's way of Salvation The Jews are said not to submit themselves to the Righteousness of God they magnified their Wills above the Will of God liked not of that way of Salvation that he in his Eternal Counsel fixed upon they will be saved by their own Righteousness that which God accounts but as filthy Rags they esteem as a choice Robe Suppose Brethren there was some other Way to be saved than by Christ yet is it not meet that the Creature comply with the Will of his Creator Shall he rebel against his Soveraign Were there two ways to such or such a City one by Sea and the other by Land and a Prince commands his Servant to go by Sea and not by Land shall he attempt to go by Land and so cross his Master's Will and violate his express Command But it is not so here there is but one Way of Salvation There is no other Name given under Heaven therefore such must needs be more inexcusable who neglect this Way and their Condition dangerous for let them think what they will damned they will be at last whoever they are that neglect this Salvation But more of that hereafter 2 dly Those that neglect the Salvation of the Gospel do slight and cast Contempt on Jesus Christ they seem to undervalue all that he has done certainly that was not worth his coming from Heaven to Earth to effect that you do not think worth your while to go a Mile or two to attend upon the Means of nor worth setting your Thoughts seriously upon Was our Salvation so great that he parted with his Life to procure it and is it not worth your parting with your Sins to have an Interest in it What is the Voice of the Hearts and Ways of such Sinners Do not they reproach the Son of God after this manner Why wast thou so unwise to shed thy Blood to purchase Salvation for us We do not value it above the Pleasures of the World we esteem our carnal Delights and earthly Profits more than that Salvation which thou hast wrought 2. Nay they slight the Person of Christ who says Behold me behold me look unto me Can you see me stand knocking at the Door of your Hearts and refuse to let me in Should one cry out Pity me pity me you will break my Heart if you do this thing suppose it be a dear Father or Mother that thus speaks to a Child that takes evil Courses and the Child regards not the Cry nor Tears of its Parent would not all say that such a Child contemn'd his Father Thus Sinners you will be found contemners and slighters of Jesus Christ one Day if you neglect this so great Salvation he stands ready to imbrace you in his Arms to espouse your Souls but you slight and despise him and his precious Love in your Hearts 3. Nay such who neglect this Great Salvation slight the Voice of Christ's Blood Sirs the Blood of Christ cries his Death has a Voice in it Hath Christ's Blood been shed to redeem you to cleanse you from Sin to save and sanctify your Souls and will you not hear the loud Cry thereof Nay doth not Christ himself cry to you after this manner Wilt thou continue in thy Sin and neglect the Salvation I have purchased What greater Ingratitude what worse Indignity canst thou cast upon me and upon that Sacrifice which I have offered up to make thy Peace and reconcile thee unto God After this manner Christ seems to speak 4. To neglect this Salvation is to cross or contradict the grand Design of God in sending his Son into the World was it not to exalt Jesus Christ to magnify him Last of all he sent unto them his Son saying They will reverence my Son God requires and commands all to honour his Son believe in his Son receive and imbrace his Son subject to his Authority to this End he sent him into the World But how do such seek to cross the Design of God herein who prefer their earthly Profits and
they may fall in that Hour by Temporal Judgments God in the last Days will pour out the Fierceness of his Wrath For my Determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce Anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the Fire of my Jealousy compared with Nahum 1. 2 3 4 5 6. It will be with the Ungodly then as it befel the People of Old according to the Prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring Evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken unto them Our Saviour alludes to that Time of which I speak Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man O who shall stand when God appears in the latter-Day-Judgments which are now just at the Door There are a few which he hath set his Mark upon that shall be hid and they are such that sigh and mourn for all the Abominations that are committed in the Land They of them that escape shall escape and they shall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valley every one mourning for his own Iniquities O what an amazing Hour will that be when the seven Vials of God's Wrath shall be poured out upon the Kingdom of the Beast the Earthquake is near look for it and the Midnight Cry not far off Be sure there is such a distressing Hour approaching upon the World that those that have and shall still neglect this Salvation when it comes shall not escape 2. They that neglect this Salvation shall not escape in the Day of Conscience I mean escape the Torments of an enraged accusing and condemned Conscience and sometimes the Conscience is awakened and is let out upon the Sinner here in this World before the Soul is separated from the Body How many through the Guilt of their horrid Sins have been this way tormented Some Mens Sins are open before-hand going before to Judgment and some Men follow after Some Mens Sins are discovered by themselves through that great Guilt that lies upon them or others discover them or God himself brings their Sins to light and by this means they sometimes pass Judgment upon themselves and may be a severe Judgment or Men pass Judgment upon them or perhaps more directly to the Purport of the Holy Ghost in the Text the Church passeth Judgment or a righteous and just Church-Censure upon them for their great Sins But what a severe Judgment in the day of Conscience did poor Spira and Child pass upon themselves for their Iniquities However those cannot escape who trifle in the matters of Religion or neglect the great Salvation in such a time when God lets Conscience out upon them their Sorrow and Misery is very great and if it be so bitter a thing to fall into our own Hands I mean to fall into the Hands of our own Conscience what a fearful thing is it to fall into the Hands of the living God God giveth to some Men the Name he gave to Pashur even Magor-Missabib that is Fear and Terror on all sides he makes them a Terror to themselves and to all their Friends so that they are all afrightned reflecting on their sad and miserable Condition partly by Terror within and partly by Judgments without 3. Those that neglect this Salvation shall not escape at the Hour of Death may be some of them may go on quietly in their Sins and not fall under the Accusations and Terror of their guilty Consciences Conscience may be asleep or seared with a hot Iron but at Death I mean as soon as the Soul departs they will be with a witness awakened and then they shall see they cannot escape nay all hope and possibility of escaping is then gone for ever True many as soon as struck with Death roar out and find no escaping others may be God then in his Infinite Mercy may shew the way of an escape but when dead if ungodly if they have neglected this Salvation they lift up their Eyes in Hell with the rich Glutton being in Torment Remember if Death comes upon you before you have got an Interest in Christ or a part in this Salvation you cannot then and at that time escape 4. They shall not escape in the Day of Judgment in the Day when Christ shall come For when they shall cry Peace and Safety then sudden Destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a Woman with Child and they shall not escape Tho Sinners escape here in this World yet they shall not escape in that day they shall not be able to deliver themselves out of God's Hands nor shall any be able to deliver them The Wicked shall be brought forth to the Day of Wrath they shall not come willingly to Christ's Bar but they shall be brought forth dragged as it were to hear their Sentence which will be Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Mat. Devil and his Angels If the Righteous scarcely are saved where shall the Vngodly and Sinner appear they will not be able to stand in the Judgment O what Dread and Horror will then seize upon them they that give the greatest Diligence take the greatest Care about the Salvation of their So 〈◊〉 are saved with much difficulty 't is a narrow Way and a strait Gaâ—e that leads to Life Through much Tribulation and Temptations we enter into the Kingdom of God and if this â—e so what will become of them in the great Day that have wholly neglected this great Salvation If the Righteous be scarcelâ— saved the Wicked shall certainly perish and be damned Quest What is the Nature of that Wrath which none of them that neglect this Salvation shall escape Answ I answer it is great Wrath Wrath proportioned according to the Greatness of their Sin as the Salvation â—â—ighted is great Salvation so the Wrath that such shall bear will be great Wrath. 1. It is incensed Wrath therefore great Wrath such Wrath that hath been long a kindling in the Heart of God for the Abuse of his Mercy and Infinite Goodness 2. It is intolerable Wrath therefore great Wrath the Torment of the Heathen that never heard of this Salvation shall be more tolerable more easy to bear than the Wrath which is poured out in Hell upon such that neglect the Salvation wrought by Jesus Christ Nay it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for them 3. It is infinite Wrath. Who knows the Power of thine Anger even according to thy Fear so is thy Wrath it bears full Proportion to the Fear of it nay who is able to arrive to the full Sense Fear and Apprehension of God's Infinite
Practices and become utter Enemies to God and his People 7. Lastly All Atheists or such who deny the Being of God or the Eternal Godhead and Deity of the Majesty of Heaven and ridicule and contemn all supernatural Knowledg or Revelation of God these shall receive and undergo the Wrath of God from which they cannot escape APPLICATION This may serve to awaken all secure Sinners who have false Notions of God's Mercy What will you do if you persist still in your evil Ways I am afraid here may be some of one sort or another of them which I have named that shall not escape the Wrath of God O that we could but hear that Cry which we read of Acts 2. 36. What shall we do Were Sinners pricked in their Hearts they would break forth into Tears in the sight and sense of the Evil of Sin Hath Sin put the Lord of Life and Glory to death Was the Wrath of God due to us let out upon him that we might never feel the weight thereof O how should this fill our Hearts with Revenge and Indignation against Sin Certainly the Sufferings of Christ for our Sins shew forth the Evil of it beyond all the Torments the Damned endure in Hell and if God did not spare him who as our Surety stood in our Place and Room what will become of thee O Sinner that goest on presumptuously in thy evil Way and dost not regard or lay to Heart the great Salvation of the Gospel Shall not the Love of God overcome thee then fear his Wrath which is so dreadful and will be let out in Fury Quest What is the Reason Men do no more fear and dread the Wrath of God Answ 1. It is because they do not know the direful Nature thereof We knowing the Terror of the Lord saith the Apostle perswade Men. The faithful Servants of God know it but Sinners know it not therefore fear it no more 2. It is because God doth not execute the Sentence against their evil Works presently This is the Reason Solomon tells us why The Hearts of the Children of Men are fully set in them to do wickedly 3. Sinners are blinded by the Devil and think God takes no notice of their Ways and evil Doings and so go on boldly may be think no Eye seeth them And because God is so gracious patient and slow to Anger and long before he strikes they think the Blow will never come at all O it is sad that the Goodness Mercy and Long-suffering of God which should lead Men to Repentance should tend to harden them in their evil Ways but though they now despise his Goodness and Forbearance c. yet they shall not escape the Judgment of God Quest What should Sinners do to escape the Wrath of God Answ 1. Sinner if thou wouldst escape God's Wrath find out the Original Cause thereof ponder well thy State by Nature and the Pollution of thy Heart from whence all actual Sins flow 2. Find out the immediate Cause of his Displeasure and Wrath that is ready to break forth against thee and cry out What have I done O see what Guilt lies upon you and the Nature of it 3. Labour to know what it is that hath appeased God's Wrath nothing but a Sacrifice an Atonement could do it thy Tears thy Prayers thy Repentance could not do it the Storm was great and our beloved Jonas was thrown into the Sea of God's Wrath to allay it and to cause a Calm 4. Get a thorow Sense of the great Evil of Sin 5. And then loath your selves Nothing but Grace poured forth from the Lord can do this O when once you can mourn for your Iniquities as a Man mourns for his First-born by beholding him whom you have pierced there will be hope 6. Pray and cry mightily to the Lord cease not Day nor Night until you find out the Plague of your own Hearts 7. Above all things fly to Jesus Christ look up to him and neglect not this Salvation one Hour but throw down your Arms sight against God no more nor fence against the two-edged Sword of his Mouth but as a poor lost and burdened Sinner come to him and thou shalt find rest unto thy Soul Object But perhaps some may object Is not this Doctrine a Legal Doctrine Answ I say no but I shall answer this Objection the next time and so close with this Text. HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I Shewed you the last Time wherefore the Gospel is clothed with such fearful Threatnings against Sinners that neglect the great Salvation that is offered unto them therein Also what sort of Sinners are like for ever to fall under the Wrath of God Moreover you may remember I mentioned an Objection which possibly some may raise viz. Object Is not this Doctrine a Legal Doctrine or a legal way of preaching to insist so much upon the Threatnings of Wrath and Divine Vengeance I answered No it is not I therefore now shall endeavour God assisting to do two things First Shew you what is not a Legal Doctrine or a Legal Way of Preaching Secondly Shew you what is a Legal Doctrine or not Evangelical Preaching 1. To preach God a Just and Holy God is no Legal Doctrine though the Law it is true holds him forth so to be that discovers that God is Just but his Mercy was vailed under dark Shadows Types and Legal Sacrifices But now the Gospel sets forth the infinite Justice of God beyond the Law for in a Ceremonial Way the Blood of Beasts seemed to pacify God's Wrath. Though we deny not but the Blood of Jesus Christ the great Sacrifice which alone in a proper sense can satisfy for Sin was held forth thereby But in the Gospel the Justice and Holiness of God so clearly shines forth in Jesus Christ that it is with open Face manifested unto all all may behold therein the Just actually slain and made a Sacrifice for the Vnjust Never did God's Justice appear so fully as it doth in the Suffering and Death of Christ for Sin Therefore to preach the Severity and Justice of God against Sin and Sinners can be no Legal Doctrine 2. To preach Repentance the Necessity of Repentance Regeneration and Holiness is no Legal Doctrine but it is pure Gospel The Law allowed of no Repentance For those that sinned against Moses 's Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Do not mistake me I do not say that there was no Repentance for such who lived under the Dispensation of the Law for tho the Law or first Covenant allowed of no Repentance yet the Gospel was preached to Adam to Abraham to Moses David c. But pray remember and consider it well that Repentance came in not through the Law but through the Gospel upon the account of Christ's Satisfaction and therefore it is only a Gospel-Blessing which being duly considered Men have little reason to
think Repentance a harsh Doctrine no no it is sweet and blessed Tidings to hear that there is Repentance vouchsafed to poor Sinners yea for the worst of Sinners Besides was not Repentance the very first Doctrine Jesus Christ preached when he entered upon his Ministry He calls upon Men to repent and believe the Gospel he declares there is a Way found out for Pardon and Remission of Sin And what can so kindly and sweetly excite or stir up Sinners to Repentance as the sight of the infinite Mercy and pardoning Grace of God through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Mercy only melts and breaks the hard Heart of guilty Criminals 3. To preach the Combinations and Threatnings of God's Wrath and Vengeance against all ungodly and impenitent Sinners who slight and neglect the Salvation of the Gospel can be no Legal Doctrine 1. Because the Gospel abounds with them yea and more fearful Threatnings than those were under the Law for the one were Threats of Temporal Punishment but the other are Eternal even the Denunciation of God's Wrath in Hell for ever 2. Because of the greatness of that Mercy and Divine Grace and Goodness which such who sin under the Gospel do abuse and tread under their Feet 3. To shew the Justice Headship and Authority of Jesus Christ who is God as well as Man that so all Men may stand in awe of him and dread and fear him because of his great Love and Goodness extended through his suffering for Sin and enduring the heavy Wrath of God for us and for many other Reasons which you have heard 4. Because the Threatnings of the Gospel do not only render God as a just Revenger but also as a merciful Redeemer not only as a Judg to pass Sentence but as a gracious Soveraign ready to give forth Pardon to all convicted broken and self-condemned Rebels The Law threatens Death but affords no Offers of Life on any Terms that can be attained to therefore no Encouragement given by it to Sinners to humble themselves it commands perfect Obedience but affords no Strength to perform it pronounces the Sentence against us but produces no Pardon for us it commands us to trust in God but reveals not a Mediator who is the immediate Object of Faith and Trust 5. The Threatnings of the Gospel are a Manifestation of God's Goodness As a Father threatens his Child from that Love and Bowels he hath to it that so it might not feel the Lashes of his Rod and Anger And O how are Gospel-Threatnings mixt with alluring Motives and endearing Arguments and Perswasions intimating how ready God is to pass by our Offences if we submit our selves to him and accept of the Offers of his Grace and Favour If such preaching of Wrath therefore be Legal I must acknowledg my great Ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Besides how long are the Threatnings of the Gospel deferred before executed The Contemners of the Law died presently as well as it discovered no Remedy But so it is not here God seems to be ready to forgive and slow to Wrath he waits long before he strikes and brings Wrath and Judgment upon Offenders as well as he directs them to a way to escape Secondly I shall shew you what is a Legal Doctrine or Legal Preaching 1. The Doctrine or Preaching of such Persons is legal that say that all who will be eternally saved must arrive to a perfect and sinless Righteousness in themselves i. e. keep the Law perfectly and sin not in their own Persons or they cannot be justified William Penn speaking of that Text Rom. 2. 13. Not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified saith From whence how unanswerably may I observe that unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfilled it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern Now this is a Legal Doctrine with a witness these Men would be look'd upon as true Preachers of the Gospel but let all Men be aware of them Is any Man able perfectly to keep the Law if so why doth the Apostle say What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son c. Besides if there had been a Law that could have given Life verily saith Paul Righteousness should have been by the Law And again he saith By the Works of the Law no Man is justified and if Righteousness come by the Law then is Christ dead in vain Christ it seems by what this Man saith came only to fulfil the Law as our Example that we might conform to him therein and so be justified by it But he forgot that we and all Mankind have broke the Law and stand charged and condemned thereby unto eternal Condemnation and who shall make Atonement for that Breach and deliver us from the Curse thereby incurred No Doctrine can cast higher Contempt upon Christ and invalidate his Suffering and Justification by Faith alone in him than this Doctrine doth 2. Such preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Obedience by us to the Law or Gospel either as the procuring or moving Cause and Condition of our Justification and Eternal Life 3. Such also preach a Legal Doctrine who preach up Wrath and Divine Vengeance to scare or frighten Men out of their Sins and as if by the bare leaving and forsaking of Sin Men might escape Death and Wrath. Such a Doctrine as Reverend Dr. Owen notes may fill an unregenerate Man with Horror and servile Fear whereby as Bond-Servants or Slaves by the Whip of this Doctrine they may be forced to break off from some gross Acts of Sin and perform some outward Duties of Religion which otherwise they are unwilling to do for as it is not from Love to God nor from Faith in Christ so they find no Delight nor Sweetness in it but being often remiss and seeing cause to doubt of the Sincerity of their Obedience they fall under Terror and slavish Fear they only acting from an enlightned Conscience and not from Faith or renewing Grace These Men neither love the Law nor Gospel tho they are forced to keep up in some degree of Obedience to it 4. Such preach a Legal Doctrine that affirm Man 's own Faith and inherent Righteousness for the sake of Christ's Merits is part of our Righteousness to Justification in the sight of God and that Christ hath procured or merited a mild Law of Grace of Faith and sincere Obedience in the room of the Law of perfect Obedience Which Law of sinless Obedience Christ having given to God a full Recompence for our Breach of he hath taken that Law-away and that so far as we faithfully live up to this new Law of Grace we are justified in
accounted all things as loss or as nothing for the Excellency of Jesus Christ his Lord. 4. Doth Jesus Christ rule and reign in thee by his Spirit He that hath Christ in him may feel his ruling Power and that he by his Spirit hath spoiled the ruling and predominating Power of Sin every evil Habit in the Heart and Life of such being broke 5. Moreover if Christ is in thee and thou by Faith art in him then thou art a new Creature This the Apostle positively doth assert Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Such have new Understandings or are renewed in their Understandings Wills and Affections they have also new Thoughts new Love new Fears new Joy new Desires new Companions and new Conversations all things with such are become new Lastly And to conclude with all I shall say from this Text here is also Matter and Cause of Comfort and great Consolation to all Believers to all who have a part in this Salvation I need not shew you which way this appears for every one that hath heard what a kind of Salvation it is may easily infer from thence that all that have a part in it are happy for ever 't is a great and glorious Salvation Remember what you are delivered from by it and what you are raised up unto by it and also that it is a sure and certain Salvation no Enemy no Sin no Devil can dispossess you of it if you are Believers and have received the Earnest thereof which is the Holy Spirit by which also you are sealed to the Day of Redemption Therefore it remains that you endeavour to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light and hath given you a true sight of and interest in this great Salvation wrought by Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen FINIS A. Access FREE access to the Father an Effect of Christ's Death Pag. 262 Accompany What those things are that do accompany Salvation 323 366 Adoption Adoption a glorious Privilege 417 Afflictions Afflictions compared to a Refiner's Fire 17 Afflictions Christ's Fan 17 Aggravation The Aggravations of Sin opened in ten Particulars 356 All. Christ died not eternally to save all Men proved 248 to 256 Christ in some sense did die for all universally or for every individual Person 256 Angels Angels pry into our Salvation 433 Angels great understanding yet learn by Experience of the Church 434 Arian Heresy what 85 Arminianism Arminianism detected 146 147 Arminianism again detected 158 Arminianism further detected 228 to 256 Attributes All the Attributes glorified equally in our Salvation by Jesus Christ 372 All the holy Attributes united together in Christ to save Believers 247 All the Attributes of God in Arms to cut down such who neglect the Salvation of the Gospel 467 468 B. Backbiting a notorious Evil such may be guilty of Murder 7 Baptizing is dipping 132 Baptism of great use to Believers 133 Beguiled Christ's Sheep may be beguiled by Deceivers how far 89 90 Blood unlawful to be eaten The whole World forbid to eat it because it is the Life of the Creature Pag. 256 Business The Salvation of our Souls the chief Business we have to mind whilst in this World shewed in many Particulars 441 442 443 C. Cease Such who are begotten and born of God cannot cease being his Children 214 Chaff Why false or hypocritical Professors are compared to Chaff shewed in six things from p. 18 to 25 Who are Chaff from p 18 to 25 Charity Ministers should exercise Charity towards such Christians that seem dull and drowsy 322 Child John Child's Sin what 48 Some Passages of his Desparation 48 49 50 He hang'd himself 51 Children The happy State of being the Children of God born of God 222 to 227 How God's Children are known 219 220 Christ Christ is God and Man wherefore 93 94 Christ coequal to the Father 380 Christ the express Image of the Father's Person 368 How Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 273 274 Condition Conditional Christ not a Conditional Redeemer 251 The Condition that Arminians say the Creature is to perform is impossible 250 251 252 Their Conditional Redemption no Redemption at all 250 251 252 253 254 It renders Salvation not free or wholly by Grace 151 Cornelius not saved without Faith in Christ tho his Prayers are said to be heard 385 Curse of the Law remains on all Unbelievers 474 D. Darkness Hell a Place of utter Darkness Pag. 5 Dead Man naturally dead 145 How Men may know they are spiritually dead or dead in Sin 146 Death The Nature of natural Death 145 Natural and Spiritual Death compared 145 146 Death of Christ secures the Saints Final Perseverance 235 Christ suffered Death in our stead 239 Dear How a dear Child of God may be known 219 220 Despair a great Sin 449 455 456 Utter Despair will add to the Damneds Misery 61 Devil The Devil the Cause of Sinners spiritual Blindness 445 The Devil will torment the Damned by upbraiding them 61 Devils and wicked Men tormented together 62 Discipline The Fan of Church Discipline twofold 13 14 15 E. Effect 1. Appeasing God's Wrath an Effect of Christ's Death 257 2. Reconciliat an Effect of Christ's Death 258 3. The Holy Spirit as given to the Elect an Effect of Christ's Death 259 4. Adoption an Effect of Christ's Death 262 5. Pardon of Sin an Effect of Christ's Death and Satisfaction 262 6. Free Access to the Throne of Grace an Effect of Christ's Death 262 7. Redemption an Effect of Christ's Death 262 8. Justification an Effect of Christ's Death 263 9. Sanctification an Effect of Christ's Death 263 10. Glorification an Effect of Christ's Death 265 First Effect of Christ's Death in us by the Spirit is Life 267 Second Light Conviction 267 Christ's Death shall have its Effect on all for whom he died like as a Corn of Wheat that is sown will have its Effect 253 Elect Election There is Election of Grace Personal Election proved 170 171 172 c. Christ the Head of Election 170 Election secures the Saints Final Perseverance 172 177 178 179 181 182 Envy a great Sin 7 Essentials What the Essentials of Christianity are 85 86 Every Man doth not intend oft-times all and every individual Person in the World 299 Eutychians What the Eutychian Heresy is 85 F. Faith Justifying Faith is a reliance on Christ A full perswasion that Christ is mine not essential to the being of Faith 420 Of a direct Act of Faith 420 A general Faith to believe Christ died for all therefore for me not to be valued and may be a false Faith 268 Fall Fallings Saints may fall foully 162 Causes of the Saints Fallings 164 165 166 167 Falling from Grace No final falling from Grace proved
Ch. 6. 10. Rom. 6. 14. Cant. 1. 1 2. Psal 91. 11. Cant. 8. 6. Isa 54. 10. Psal 37. 31. 1st Exhort Joh 42. 5. 1 Chron. 17. 16. 1 Sam. 25. 41. Rev. 3. 19. Cant. 1. 4. Eph. 3. 19. The fourth A 〈◊〉 taken from the Nature of the Covenant of Grace Isa 53. 10 11. Zech. 6. 12 13. Psal 89. 20. Verse 28 29. John 6. 37 38 39. Phil. 1. 6. Psal 57. 2. Isa 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. Psal 110. 3. Dr. Owen â— Sam. 23. 5. Isa 27. Ephes 2. 2 3. Gal. 3. 4 25. Ephes 2. 1 2. Eph. 1. 18. Zech. 9. 11. Rom. 8. 1. Heb. 7. 22. Dr. Owen on Heb. 2. 22. p. 223. Ps 89. 34. Jâ—â— 33. 20 21. Rom. 4. 16. Isa 53. 10. Psal 89. 28 29. Gal. 3. 16 29. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 13 17 18. Ephes 1. 13 14. Ch. 4. 30. Isa 54. 9 10. Isa 55. 3. The general Argument Sermon X. 5th Arg. Taken from their being the Children of God Jam. 1. 18. Joh. 1. 13. Mat. 3. 8 9 10 11 12. John 3. 5. 1 Joh. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 26. John 3. 6. Gen. 5. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Gal. 4. 23. Jer. 32. 40. Ch. 3. 14. Rom. 8. 17. Isa 53. Psal 89. 29. How Believers may be said not to commit Sin 1 Joh. 3. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Eccles 7. 20. Rom. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 7. 15. 1 Joh. 5. 16. V. 16 17. Ver. 18. 1 Joh. 5. 4. 1 Joh. 4. 4. The general Argument Eph. 4. 24. John 3. 6. Acts 9. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Mal. 1. 6. 1 Joh. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 1. Zech. 2. 8. 1 John 3. 1 2. Sermon XI The Sixth Argument taken from the Soul's Union with Christ Dr. Owen 1 Cor. 6. 17. Joh. 6. 56. Eph. 5. 31 32. 1 Cor. 12. 12. Eph. 5. 30. Ephes 4. 15 16. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Ps 139. 16. Rom. 11. 17. Dr. Owen Joh. 15. 2 6. Mat 13. 21. John 15. 16. Gal. 2. 20 21. John 19. 36. Isa 29. 21. John 14. 19. Rom. 8. 1. John 3. 36. John 5. 24. Col. 1. 27. Heb. 6. 18. 19 20. Luk. 22. 32. John 11. 42. Charnock 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2 Cor. 6. 14 15. Col. 2. 19. Rom. 7. 4. Sermon XI The seventh Argument taken from the Death of Christ Heb. 9. 22. 1 John 1. 11. Dan. 9. 26. John 15. 13. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Rom. 5. 7. Isa 53. 6 7. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Isa 53. 12. Gal. 4. 4 5. Rom. 4. 24. Mr. F. Dr. Owen shews the same and many others Rom. 8. 32. John 10. 15. Luk. 22. 19. Heb. 9. 28. Isa 53. 4 5 6 8. Christ hath delivered all Believers from Condemnation 1 Pet. 2. 24. Isa 53. 5. Isa 27. 4. Rom. 1. 32. Christ the Antitype of the Scape-Goat and carried away our Sins Levit. 16. 21 22. Heb. 9. 26. Christ by his Death hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law Dan. 9. Gal. 3. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath born all God's Vindictive Wrath due to Believers Rom. 3. 23 24 25 26. 1 John 1. 9. Christ by his Death purchased Grace for us Phil. 4. 19. Joh. 1. 14 16. Heb. 10. 14. Christ by his Death redeemeth us from all Sin Tit. 2. 14. Eph. 1. 13 14. Phil. 3. 10 11 12. John 3. 16. Assertors of General Redemption reprehended 1 Pet. 1. 18. Examen confectionis pacificae Joh. 17. 9. Ver. 20. Examen confectionis pacificae John 12. 23 24. Dr. Chauncy in his Treatise of the Doctrine of Godliness p. 203 204. Eph. 5. 25. * Joh. 17. 19 20. 10. 11. 16. 13 14. Mat. 3. 5 6. Joh. 3. 26. John 12. 32. 1 Cor. 12. 7. 1 Tim. 4. 4. A Minister in Glostershire as I am told of the Presbyterian Perswasion Gen. 9. 4. To eat Blood the Life of the Creature unlawful Joh. 1. 29. 1 Tim. 4. 10. Sermon XIII The Eighth Argument taken from the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection Rom. 6. 5 6. Col. 2. 12 13. 1 Pet. 4. 1. Rom. 6. 10 11. 1 Cor. 5. 15. Reconciliation the Effect of Christ's Death Eph. 2. 16. Rom. 8. 34. Rom. 5. 10. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Zech. 6. 13. Acts 2. 32 33. Isa 44. 3. Ezek. 36. 25. Rom. 15. 16. 2 Thess 2. 13. Ezek. 36. 27. Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 5 6. 1 Joh. 4. 4. Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 16. Eph. 1. 14. 4. 30. John 14. Col. 1. 14. Gal. 4. 5. Heb. 10. 19 20. Reader these things were enlarged upon when this Sermon was preached which I am forc'd to leave out here Acts 13. 39. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Ver. 22. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 6. 5. Phil. 3. 10 11 12. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. Heb. 9. 12. Rom. 8. 30. The general Argument Acts 2. 37. Sermon XIV 9th Arg. taken from their being in the Hand of the Father and in Christ's Hand Isa 9. 1. Act. 4. 28. Rom. 11. 33. Isa 14. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 18. John 11. 28. Col. 1. 15. Psal 8â— 15. Isa 42. 3. 53. 10. Heb. 9. 22. 1 King 20. 39. Gen. 43 9. Gen. 42. 37. Philem. 18 19. Phil. 4. 19. Isa 63. 1. Mat. 28. 18 19. Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 17. 2. Isa 49. 10. Joh. 6. 37. Mat. 12. 20. John 6. 39. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Heb. 2. 18. Heb. 5. 1 2. In what respect the Saints are said to be in Christ's Hand Joh. 16. 13. Isa 42. 16. Psal 73. 2 23. Isa 49. 13 16. Jer. 17. 8. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Psa 10. 14. Psal 12. 7. Verse 5. The general Argument Sermon XV. Mat. 13. 31. Mat. 17. 20. Contin of Mr. Pool 's Annotat. 1 Joh. 5. 4. Mat. 13. Joh. 4. 14. Hos 14. 7. Mat. 13. 33. Grace compared to Leaven Grace compared to Fire Grace is a Vital Principle 1 Joh. Rom. 6. 14. Tit. 2. 12. True Grace is of a saving Nature Grace the Off-spring of Heaven Gen. 1. 26. God the Father is the Foundation of Grace 1 Pet. 2. 9. Grace God's Workmanship in the Soul Eph. 2. 10. The Power of God concerned to preserve Grace in us 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Promises of God secures Grace in us Psal 37. 23 24. Phil. 1. 6. It cannot stand consistent with the Wisdom of God and all other Attributes to let Grace utterly fail in us 2 Tim. 1. 9. Christ is the Purchaser the Author and finisher of Grace Tit. 2. 14. Acts 2. 33. Charnock 1 Joh. 3. 5 8. Heb. 12. 2. Verse 12. The Intercession of Christ secures the Saints in a State of Grace 1 Joh. 2. 2. Heb. 7. 25. Heb. 10. 21 22. The general Argument 1 Cor. 1. 30. Mat. 13. Luke 10. 20. Rom. 7. 24. Isa 40. 11. Tit. 2. 11 12. Sermon XVI How could the Birth of Christ be cause of Joy to all People answered Joel 2. 28. Col. 1. 23. Luk. 2. 34. Mark 16. 16. See p. 174. 175. of this Treatise Doctrine of Election and Perseverance opens no Door to Sin â—â—b 12. 14. Eph. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Col.
stead Legal Convictions discovered only to them under the Law who saw no further that the Life of the poor Beasts went for Sin but Evangelical Convictions shew that nothing can atone for our Sins and satisfy God's Justice but the Life of the Son of God not the Blood of Bulls or Lambs no it must be the Blood of the Lamb of God 7. Common Illuminations are a Man's Torment and Affliction and fain he would be eased and freed of them and of the smart thereby but the special ones tend to make a Man fear that he is not troubled enough he would be searched thorowly Search me and know my Heart try me and know my Thoughts see if there be any evil Way in me O lance my Soul Lord lay open my Sore let me not be slightly healed The one would fain shake the Trouble off he thinks it is enough nay too much the other would have it lie faster on O let not my Sore be skinned over The Devils cried Why dost thou torment us before the Time So unsound Persons would not be tormented but Conscience hath got hold of them and they cannot get out of its Hand But one truly enlightned saith with David I will be sorry for my Sin I chuse it I desire it The one desires to be freed from the Effects of Sin from the Pain and Punishment thereof but the other cries out to be delivered from the Sin which is the Cause of all Pain and Punishment The one is like the Swine who likes not the Whip yet loves the Mire they like not the Lash of the Law but hate to come under the Yoke of the Gospel The one cries out for a Plaister to ease his Conscience may be he is willing to let some Boughs and Twigs be lop'd off but the other would have the Ax laid to the Root of the Tree he would have the Body of Sin as well as the Branches to be destroyed he is for cutting off the right Hand Lusts of Profit and for pulling out the right Eye Lusts of Pleasure The unsound Soul is like Saul for sparing some of the Fat of the Cattel and Agag the King I mean his chief and beloved Lusts but a sincere Christian is for yielding up all to the Sword of the Spirit 8. Common Enlightnings work Terror which may be at last drive the Soul further from God as it is said of Cain He went out from the Presence of the Lord But special and saving Convictions cause the Soul to draw nearer to God in Jesus Christ The one is like a Slave under the Rod fain would get away from his Master the other is like a Child under the Rod that desires to see and behold his Father's reconciled Face and Favour The common Illuminations wound but the Soul sees not the Way of Cure nor will he bear the Instrument which would let out the Life and Power of Sin but perhaps catches up some thing or another to apply to his Sore may be his changed Life his Duties and good Deeds from hence he hopes that his State is good he being as he thinks not the Man he once was But as he who is under special Illuminations comes to be wounded by beholding a bleeding Saviour which is the alone way of Cure so he chiefly desires that Faith that Grace which will destroy the Life and Power of all Sin and thorowly cleanse and purify his Soul Brethren the Spirit of a Sinner may be torn into pieces by legal Terror the Heart of Stone may be broken and yet no Heart of Flesh be given the Ground may be plow'd up in part yet the Seed of Grace not sown in the Heart Sensuality saith one may be kept down by a Spirit of Bondage when it is not cast out by the Spirit of Adoption They have the Law to convince them but not Grace to renew them it is not being once enlightned that is sufficient unless truly enlightned it is not great Knowledg unless it be sanctified it is not the fair Fruit of Reformation nor Oil in the Lamp of the outward Life and visible Profession of Religion it is not your seeming pious Duties nor legal Convictions that discover you to be a true Christian no nothing short of Union with Christ and Faith that works by Love avails any thing Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature 9. Common or Legal Illuminations doubtless flow from a sense of God's Power who is able to punish and reward the Creature according to his Work not that they would be like God but can't alas get out of the Hand of God But true spiritual Enlightnings rise from a sense of God's Holiness by beholding the Excellency of it and seeing a necessity of a Conformity thereunto the Convictions of the one at the best is at a stay they do not grow however they never terminate in Conversion the Effect cannot exceed the Cause they only tend to reform the Life and oft-times such return with the Dog to his Vomit again but the Path of the Just in spiritual Convictions is as a shining Light that shineth more and more to a perfect Day Spiritual Enlightnings lead the Soul to Christ the Spirit in them doth not only convince of Sin but also of Righteousness such see all their old Props and Supports to fail them 't is Christ now and none but Christ the World is nothing to them a Name is of no worth to them Knowledg and Gifts without Grace will not satisfy them they see the Vanity of the Creature and the Fulness of the Mediator Christ is the chiefest of ten thousand to all such Others may see some things Christ hath purchased that may affect them but these see an Excellency in his Person To you that believe he is precious He is an Honour or honourable Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee These have their Eyes opened to see the Nature of God the Holiness of the Law the Weakness of the Creature the Sinfulness of Sin and the Sufficiency of Jesus Christ Others are convinced of many Sins and of some degree of Evil in Sin but these see that Sin is exceeding sinful and that no Sin is so odious as the Sin of Unbelief in which respects common Convictions fail Now considering what Enlightnings Men may have and yet not be savingly enlightned what little reason is there for any to conclude that the Persons in our Text were sanctified holy and true Christians because the Holy Ghost says they were once enlightned They may have or attain unto a great Change but not a true and thorow Change and they may be such who arrive to Light in spiritual Things above thousands nay may be exceed many true Christians in Knowledg Abilities Gifts and in their Lives and Conversations too in some respects and may not doubt of the Goodness of their State nay and may suffer for Religion yea give