is set all in a flame with love to God Friends observe this that proportionable to the apprehensions we have of the love of God to us in Jesus Christ such is the manifestation of our love to God what is the reason the Martyrs have embraced the flames with such courage which at other times it may be a few days before they were ready to sink at the apprehensions of the bitter cup they were to drink but the clear sence they had of the love of God to their souls We know this my Friends that the greater and clearer evidences we have of that good which at present we do receive from a Friend oâ— hopes to receive from them for the future it doth abundantly stir up our affections and inflame our love towards them if we look into the Corinthians we may see that God hath put Faith and Love together and what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity Gal 5 6. Neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Friends how do you find it what love have you to the worship of God to the Ordinances of God and to the people of God do your souls bear you witness that you can say of the word of God as David did that 't is sweeter than the honey or the honey-comb in the 3d. place Try it by your hope likewise a true faith doth always accompany a true hope 'T is true Friends we had need be criticol about these things for go and ask an unbeliever whether he loves God and he will answer you 't is pitty he should live else and again ask them whether they hope to have Salvation by Christ alone yes say they who do you think we should have it from besides 1 Joh. 3.3 But what saith the Apostle of this hope and every man that hath this hope he purifies himself as he is pure My Friends all the difference that is between faith and hope is this Faith doth respect the cetainty of the promise and hope doth respect the goodness of the thing promised and where one of these are there they are both for they both go together but now you may say what is the meaning of this purifying himself as he is pure can aâ—y one be so pure as God is My Friends 't is altogether impossible that the Creature should attain to that degree of perfection and purity that is in God pure signifies to be without mixture a person may be said to be purely evil as God is purely good he purifies himself as he is pure that is he hath not a heart for God another for the world he is really such as he seems to be he is without hypocrisie 4thly Again would'st thou know the soundness of thy Faith then try iâ— by thy constant implacable hatred of sin this we may see laid down as a true mark of Faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith Faith doth present the soul with a Crucified Jesus as Crucified for it in particular the formal Professor pleaseth himself with this that Christ dyed for sinners and â—e are all sinners My Friends there is nothing that gives such a mortal wound to sin in the soul of believers as when they do apprehend that Christ did suffer such grievous things for its self in particular 5thly Wouldest thou know whether thy faith be right then see if thou hast a high esteem of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore that believe he is precious or he is a honour a true believer he looks upon it as his honour that he is a member of Christs mistical body that he is a branch in that blessed Vine he looks upon it as his honour that Christ will look upon him as his Servant as the Emperor Theodosius said he looked upon it to be more honour to him that he was a Servant of Jesus Christ then that he was Emperour of the World But I have seen such Christians that would be very forward to own the people of God and Messengers of Christ in times of prosperity but when the ways of God hath been persecuted the Ordinances of Christ hath been trampled under feet then they would look upon them as if they had never seen them before My Friends this is a bad sign of a true Faith and of a good Christian to you that believe he is an honour my Friends is Christ precious to you in all his Offices as King Priest and Prophet thou that art a believer I can tell how 't is with thee as well as thy self thou dost never more rejoyce then when thou canst experience the power of Christ in thy Soul in subduing of thy Corruptions and bringing under the Old man and is he pretious to thee in all his attributes a wicked man God is precious to him in his mercies but as for the power of God and the Justice of God they cannot indure to hear of let a Minister go and tell them of the terrors of God they will presently cry Oh there is a Legal Preacher indeed enough to make one run mad in a word to a true believer Christ is precious to him in all his Offices and attributes and in all his providential dispensations and in all his promises and in his threatnings he is precious to every true believer Again sixthly wouldest thou know whether thou art indeed a true believer then see whether thou hast the witness of it in thy self 1 John 5.6 He that believeth hath the Witness in himself Oh but me-thinks I hear some poor soul ready to say Oh if it must be so I am in a worse condition then I was aware of I thought I could experienced some of the other Tryals but I have so little of the spirits witness in me that I question whether I have any true faith Now the Devil is very subtile as he will perswade a wicked man that he hath the marks of a true believer so he will perswade a true believer that he hath them not when he hath them as for example suppose a person is in great trouble for fear they don't love God they come into the Congregation and there it may be God hath directed his Minister to such a subject where he hath been treating on such a truth of Gods love to us and of our love to him if God hath loved thee then he hath subdued thy Corruptions these little Foxes he hath taken and destroyed now it may be the spirit of God hath set home this word on the soul and that he can say this hath been my condition Now Friends there was the witness that we are speaking of Rom. 8.16 The Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are the Children â—f God Now my Friends you that are so ready to say that you have not the witness of God in you wouldest thou part with that little glimmeâ—ing hope thou hast of true Faith
sorrow and health without sickness and life without death and shall have the shinings of Gods Countenance without the least mixture of the hiding of his face and as for thou that aâ—t an unbeliever what wilt thou do 2 vast d fference there will be between thy condition and a true believers when thou art cast into everlasting flames which I wish that none here may experience the torments of when thou shalt never more have the least hope of the least Ray of the Son of Consolation shineing on thee Oh then what woe and terror will surprize thy Soul and what unspeakable horror to think that thou hast been all thy life time heaping up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath I should have proceeded to other inferences but I shall defer them till the Afternoon Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding The end of the Morning Sermon THen in the sixth place if it be so that all true believers shall be saved it may inform us of the great necessity we have of hearing the Word Preached though my Friends God is able to convert without means he is a free agent he can work how he will and when he will but Preaching is the ordinary means whereby God doth turn Sinners from Satan to God 2 Chron. 4 4 5. where you may see there is a molton Sea which was a Type of Christ it stood upon 12. Oxen three looking towards the North and three looking towrds the West and three looking towards the South and three looking towards the East and if you look into the Revelations there you shall see the Elect shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and there is twelve doors open in the new Jerusalem three North three West three South and three East Christ he is the Molten Sea through whom 't is we are brought to Life he it is that is the Sea of Grace and mercy for poor Sinners therefore if you would have this Sea of Grace the Lord Jesus Christ we must have an eye unto the twelve Oxen the twelve Apostles and their successors which are the Ministers of the Gospel and faith the Apostle in Rev. 10.17 So faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God My Friends I durst not limit the Holy One of Israel so as to say there is no way to convert a Soul but by Preaching of the Gospel but this is the ordinary way God is pleased to make use of for the opening of their eyes that are blinded by the god of this world for we are all naturally blind and we must lye by the way side to be cured of this blindness the Preaching of the word they are Gods Pools of Bethesda whereby he doth cure those that are troubled with spiritual lameness and those that come into Congregations possessed with Devils as in Mark. 1.23.24.25 He casts out a Devil of Pride out of one Soul and a Devil of Covetuousness out of another Soul and the Devil of Lust out of another and those devillish Lusts Christ doth cast out while we ere in the Synagogue Then 7thly It may inform us what enemies they are to our immortal Souls that go about to deprive us of the means of Grace you see Preaching is the ordinary means for the Conversion of Souls so they must be soul-murderers that go about to hinder the preaching of the Gospel Eighthly It may inform us of the uncharitableness and sensoriousness of those persons that for smal differences from them in circumstances of Religion will send whole Congregations to everlasting perdition that if they cannot comply with them in every circumstance they are presently all damned But we see that it is not being of this or that perswasion that will bring us to Heaven but believing in Jesus Christ but yet my Friends though such a thing is desirable and we hope will be when the Lyon shall lye down with the Lamb and the Leopard shall eat grass with the Oxe yet in the mean while let us not pass such uncharitable censures on those that cannot comply with us in every circumstantial point in Religion you see faith is the main thing that the Apostle drives at believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that is the main thing that is to be looked at I shall now come to an use of examination if it be so that none but true believers shall be saved then it lyes upon us to see whether we are such believers or not My Friends if any of us were but to lay out a little money upon a purchase though of a little value how circumspect should we be least our evidences should prove false and this care is not discommendable neither but how will this condemn the practice of the greatest part of the World that are so strict and careful about trifles and neglect the concerns of their immortal Souls I shall endeavour to lay down some Rules and Tryals which by the assistance of Gods spirit we may know whether we are true believers and so consequently such as are in a state of Salvation First would'st thou know whether thou art a true believer then try whether thou dost know God for we will never venture any great concernment upon a person that we know little of thou that art a believer thou hast greater concerns to venture on God then ten thousand worlds me-thinks I hear some say what do you think we don't know God to be our Father and Christ our Redeemer My Friends have you any reality of the knowledg of God in your Souls have you a practical knowledg of him see what our Lord Christ saith Joh. 17.3 And this is Life Etarnal that they may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the Practical knowledg of God is Eternal life in its incoation My Friends do you know God so in his power as to fear him and in his mercy to love him and in his omnisciency not to commit any sin in secret though the eye of the Creator be upon thee this was a sign that Joseph had a true knowledg of God that when he was tempted to sin which possibly might have been hid from the eyes of the World yet he dared not to commit it but on the contrary if you know so little of God in his mercy that it doth not draw out your love to him and know him so little in his Justice that you see no need of Jesus Christ to be your Redeemer and you know him not in his faithfulnesses that you dare not trust him then 't is a sign thou art an unbeliever canst thou say with Paul I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 12. 2ly If thou art one that art a true believer then thou art one that hast an indeared affection ro God when a Soul believes that God hath sent his dear Son to dye for him and this comes to be realized to the Soul that soul
for the greatest Estate that a Wicked man hath in the world to saith the soul I would not and that is a sign that thou hast the witness in thee though the spirit of God hath not cleared it up so to thee as thou desiâ—est but be thankful to God for it and take heed thou dost not provoke the Lord to take away that little comfort thou hast Eighthly If thou art one that hath true faith thou mayest know it by this it doth so realize the glory that is to be reveaâ—ed to thy soul that it makes thee earnest in the prosecution of the means that God hath appointed in order to the attainment of glory this we shall make to appear by comparing two Scriptures together in the 11th of Hebrews you may see that Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for now if you do but look all along in this Chapter he comes to show what lorious effects Faith doth produce in those that it doth realize the glory that iâ— to come unto them he telleth us 't is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen that is not seen with an eye of eason Luk. 13.23 24. then said one to him Lord are there few that he saved now see Châ—ist doth not answer him according to his Question but doth propose to him an exhortation to stir him up to a weighty duty strive to enter in at the strate gate as if Christ had said what needest thou to trouble thy self whether many or few shall be saved if thou art one that strives like a man in an Agony for so it may be rendered to thrust in at the straight gate that will be an evidence unto thee that thou art one that shall be saved Friends how doth the hope of glory spur you on to duty doth thy Faith realize the things of another world to you that it makes you run in the paths of Gods commandments But if on the contrary if thou dost pretend to have Faith and yet notwithstanding go on in a formal lazy profession of Religion 't is a sign thou never had the things of another world realized to thee such as are our evidences for the attainment of future good such will be our endeavours in the means whereby we are to attain it if thou hast a well-grounded hope for salvation in the world to come it will make thee earnest in thy endeavours for the attainment of it In the next place another sign of true Faith is this if thou art a true believer then thy faith doth enable thee to overcome the world this we may see in the 12 Rev. and there appeared a great wonder in Heaven a Woman â—loathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet By the Women we understand the whole Church of God and every perticular member thereof and by the Moon we understand the World And as the Moon is very unstable in her morâ—ons and always increasing and decreasing so there is no certainty at all in Creature injoyments And the Sun is never eclipsed but when the Moon comes between us and the Sun and so my Friends the Moon this wo ld is that which doth make an interposition between God and his people how doth the joys of this world eat out the comforts which we should have enjoyed My Friends 't is a hard thing to keep the world under our feet for 't is a round thing and I will tell you how true believers do come to get the world under their Feet You that have once injoyed the glorious beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining into your souls the pittiful things of this Wo ld would seem as nothing Now my Friends see how it is with you which is greater in your eye the Sun or the Moon which if it were put to your choyce would you take to live in the midst of prosperity without God or in the midst of adversity with God Again in the next place try thy Faith by thy Repentance I know there is much dispute concerning this some hold that Faith is wrought before Repentance and some on the contrary but truly my Friends I am of neither of their judgments for my judgment is that all graces are wrought in the soul at one and the same â—ime though Repentance is made manifest in the soul before Faith Mark 1.15 Repent you and believe the Gospel Friends what Repentance have you got I thank God say you I have Repented long agoe though I cannot talk as some can and make so many words I cannot commit any sin but my heart smites me for it Oh my Friends there is many sorts of Repentance that a sinner may have and yet may go without a true Repentance there is an over-lay and slight repentance and such a repentance had Ahab and then there is dispairing repentance and such a repentance bad Judas but for this Evangelical repentance 't is such a grace that few attain to it not scarce one among twenty and without this Evangelical repentance there is no true grace in the soul and I shall endeavour to show that Faith and Repentance is wrought together for repentance without faith will end in desparation and faith without repentance will end in presumption In the last place if thou art one that hath indeed true faith thou art made willing to suffer whatsoever God should be pleased to inflict on thee this saith the Apostle where he speaks there concerning persecution Phil. 2.29 For unto you 't is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake this true Faith it makes the soul willâ—ng to suffer for God whatsoever the wicked adversaries of the people of God shall be pleased to lay on them O saiâ—h the soul shall I be unwilling to indure a little suffering for his sake that was exposed to such suffering for me O saith the soul shall not I be willing to suffer a little affliction from God whether poverty wants or sickness or the like seeing the Lord Jesus Christ was contented for my sake to a be man of sorrow and acquainted with grief for to suffer both hunger and thurst and shall not we be willing to suffer for God whatsoever he is pleased to call us to seeing he hath pleased to do so much for us as he hath done And so much for this Use of Examination I should have proceeded to a Use of Consolation on to true believers for this Doctrine affoards a spring of comfort unto such which I should only hint at first by way of privation showing from what they are delivered econdly by way of provision what unexpressable unconceivable glory God hath laid up in store for them which I would have willingly inlarged upon There was likewise on my spirit a Use of Exhortation in which I would have moved those who have been participaters of this pretâ—ous Faith 1. To be thankful for it
may see this cruelty of his God did so by his wise providence order it that it did tend to his conversion O happy was it for the poor moaler that God did finish two works in one journey that he came to deliver the bodies of his servants from a temporal prison and did deliver the soul of the Goaler from the prâ—son of Hell-fire Well now in the verse before my Text you see the Goaler coming trembling before the Prisoners of hope he that before thought Paul and Silas not worthy to live on the earth did now come and fall down to the earth at their Feet and said what shall I do to be saved O what a serious question was here well now the words in my Text are an answer to this serious question why says the Apostle believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And thus being come to the words of my Text I shall briefly devide them into two parts First here is an exhortation to a very serious and weighty duty and that is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 2dly Here is a prevailing excitation to stir him up to the performance of this duty in these words and thou shalt be saved in the exhortation we have several particulars in this first general First here is the act and that is believe 2dly Here is the object upon the Lord Jesus Christ 3dly Take notice of the persons here that is pressing this exhortation on him and that was Paul and Silas Those that had been scourged and imprisoned by him they were now preaching the Gospel to him and without question with bowels of compassion to his pretious souls They did not now think of Revenge and did not now while this poor man was in a spiritual Agony take there advantage against him and say thou hast been cruel to us and now shift for thy self as well as thou canst no for first they hinder him from self-Murther and 2dly they preach the Gospel to him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth and last place the person exhorted to this Duty and that was the moaler one that had been a violent persecutor and he is here exhorted to believe in Christ From whence my Friends take notice of this that 't is possible for the greatest sinner to get a broaken heart one would have thought that if any man should have gone without a broken heart and without Christ and mercy a persecuting Goaler should that had persecuted those bleffed servants of God that did come on purpose among them to do their souls good By the way my Friends take encouragement you that are the greatest sinners here though not to continue in your sins yet to wait on God in Gospel Ordinances for you know not how soon God may be pleased to work on your Souls and to turn you from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God I shall stand no longer before I come to the main Observation that I would present you with which is this that every true believer shall be saved believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved my Friends I having elsewhere made an attempt on these words and made entrance into them I shall not now stand to spend much time in the Doctrinal part but only confirm it by a few Scriptures that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established the first in Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved another we have in the 3d. Chap. of Iohn 16. v. For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and in the 36. v. of the same Chapter he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life he hath it already in its incoation and when he dyes he shall have it in its consummation Now my Friends I shall come to the Application which is that I mainly intend in setting upon this subject this day and in the first place if every true believer shall be saved this is useful first by way of information 2dly By way of examination Thirdly By way of consolation Fourthly By way of exhortation Fifthly By way of Instruction First 't is useful by way of Information if every true Believer shall be saved then it may inform us of the infinite and boundless love of God to all true Believers O! well may the Apostle say in the 3d. of Iohn v. 16. God so saved the World O my Friends their is so much contained in this word so as cannot be uttered by the Creature for when Wisdom it self was speaking of it he puts it off with a so not as thougâ— Christ could not have manifested the verâ— depth of the love of God but because thougâ— he could have done it we being but finite Creatures were not in a capacity to comprehend that boundless depth of this love of God to poor sinners My Friends I may alude to those words of Job 11.7 8 9. Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find ouâ— the Almighty unto perfection it is as high as Heaven what can'st thou know the measure whereof is longer then the Earth broader then the Sea We see such is the immensity and greatness of this love of God to poor sinners that 't is unspeakable and glorious and I may say of it that 't is that we cannot find out to perfection 't is as high as Heaven what can we do the measure thereof is longer then the Earth and broader then the Sea This love of God to poor sinners it may appear in the highest Heaven for not a Soul that is in glory but is beholding to this boundless love of God for their salvation God so loved the World the Holy Ghost puts it off as it were with a question as if it were that which cannot be uttered nor indeed can it be uttered by the Creature for if all the Angels in Heaven should undertake to set forth the love of God in sending of Christ to dye for poor sinners they must have so much time as will run parallel with the Line of Eternity or else they will never accomplish their work for so long will this love of God extend it self in the highest degree the Creature is capable of Oh my friends was it not wonderful love in God that he should send his Son to dye for Rebels that he that had but one natural Son should give him up to the death for us that were proclaiming open War against him by our sins Oh wonderful boundless love well may the Apostle say indeed in the 5th of Romans the 8th v. Herein God commended his love towards us in that while we were sinners Christ dyed for us that is the first 2ly It may inform us of the glorious effects of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ for though the love of God was the impulsive cause of our salvation yet it was