who were given to him by the Father Sixthly Believers are Christ's Sheep by Conquest They were fallen into the Enemy's Hand in the Hands and under the Power of most cruel Tyrants who designed to tear them in pieces and devour them They were in Satan's Hand and under the Power of Sin and were meer Bond-slaves and in fearful slavery to these Enemies having their Eyes put out their Fleece torn off or strip'd of their Robes being dangerously wounded And although Jesus Christ to redeem them from Wrath and Misery laid down a great Price as you heard before to satisfy God's Justice yet alas Satan takes no notice of that they were in his Hand who like a strong Man armed keeps the Soul and had Power over them therefore Jesus Christ puts forth his Almighty Hand to vanquish and subdue this cruel Foe and thereby redeems and rescues all his Sheep out of Slavery and Bondage by which means they come to be his by a blessed Conquest of their Enemies and by overcoming them for he subdues their Hearts bends and subjects their rebellious Wills by the Power of Divine Grace before he can have one of them All the Sheep of Christ yield themselves up to him as being conquered by him overcome by his Love and the Power of his Spirit This brings me to the next thing Seventhly and lastly Believers are Christ's Sheep by virtue of a holy Resignation of themselves to him They have chosen him to be their Shepherd other Sheep can't make choice of their Shepherd but Christ's Sheep can do this their Eyes being enlightned to see the Excellency of Christ the Greatness of his Love and what he hath suffered and undergone for them they commit their Souls to his care and keeping that he may watch over them feed and lead them They gave themselves first unto the Lord and unto us by the Will of God First They gave themselves unto the Lord by the Power of his Spirit to be his and no more their own but to be his People his Spouse his Sheep and then gave themselves to his Church to be of his Flock Christ hath no Member no Sheep of his visible Church or Fold on Farth but such who know him I am known of mine They are not ignorant Persons or such who are unable to give themselves up to him Others are not required to give them No no they must be able to give or resign themselves to him as being overcome by his Love and thus they become his Sheep also Secondly I shall shew you what is meant by Christ's Voice There is a Four-fold Voice of Jesus Christ which his Sheep hear 1. The Voice of his Word 2. The Voice of his Spirit 3. The Voice of his Holy Doctrine 4. The Voice of his Rod. First Christ's Sheep hear the Voice of his Word The Holy Scripture is Christ's Word and therefore the Voice of Christ and this Voice his Sheep hear They give full credit to the Truth of the Sacred Scriptures they believe they are of Divine Authority All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness They are none of Christ's Sheep that do not will not hear this Voice of Christ that is do not believe the Truth of the Sacred Scriptures do not hear nor regard what they speak but magnify unwritten Traditions above the Word of God or the Light of Natural Conscience The Sheep of Christ hear Christ's Voice in the Ministry of his Word they attend upon the preaching of the Gospel and look upon the Word delivered in Christ's Name by his faithful Ministers to be the Voice of Christ unto them But how or after what manner Christ's Sheep do hear his Voice viz. the Voice of his Word I shall open under the third Head Secondly There is the Voice of Christ's Spirit and this Voice of his his Sheep hear also and indeed none but they Sirs this is that Voice of Christ which doth the Work and that which discovers who are his Sheep The Voice of Christ's Word without the Spirit is not sufficient the Word will not make Sinners hear though it be spoken a thousand times over except the Spirit 's Voice do accompany it I shall therefore open to you the Nature of this Voice of Christ I mean the Voice of his Spirit 1. 'T is an awakening Voice Sinners are asleep yea in a dead Sleep and sleep they will till they hear this Voice The powerful Voice of Christ awakened dead Lazarus after he had lain in the Grave four days And it must be the like Voice that doth awaken the sleepy and dead Sinner Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Life 'T is sad to see what a multitude of poor People sit day by day under the hearing of the Word and yet remain in their Sins they are asleep the Word doth not awaken them but when the Spirit 's Voice is heard when that works with the Word they are quickly roused up out of that dead Sleep in which they lay 2. The Voice of Christ's Spirit is a convincing Voice Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did The Spirit of Christ reached her Heart convinced her what a vile Sinner she was We do not read of many things Christ told her she had done but that he she had then was not her Husband ver 18. so that she lived in Adultery with him But now as soon as the Spirit convinced her of this one Sin she is convinced of all her other abominable Evils and therefore cries out Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ Intimating none but Christ can make the Evil of Mens Hearts and Lives appear unto them So 't is none but the Holy Spirit can pierce the Soul or convince the Sinner throughly of his Sin and Misery and discover the Vileness of their Hearts and States unto them They were pricked in their Hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do Is there any hope that such Sinners as we may be forgiven and be saved Verily we were guilty concerning our Brother said Joseph's Brethren God's Spirit now convinced their Consciences and brought their Sin to remembrance So there are none that hear the Voice of the Spirit but their Sin appears presently before their Eyes their Sin is aggravated on their Consciences and is most hateful and odious to them 3. Christ's Voice is a Soul quickening Voice Verily verily I say unto you The Hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live The Voice of Christ doth not only cause the Ear to hear but the Heart to hear also All Mankind naturally are dead in a spiritual Sense they have no divine nor spiritual Life in them Man is not
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
1694 BENJAMIN KEACH MINISTER OF Y e GOSPEL AND PASTOR OF A CHURCH AT HORSLY DOWN SOUTHWORK AGED 54. The Shadow of his Face you se Who nothing hath to Glory in But his Bless't Lord unless it be His trials which not smal have been By Persecution once most sore But by false friends afflicted more A GOLDEN MINE OPENED OR The Glory of God's Rich Grace Displayed in the Mediator to Believers AND HIS Direful Wrath against Impenitent Sinners Containing the Substance of near FORTY SERMONS Upon several Subjects By BENJAMIN KEACH Ephes 3. 8. Unto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ London Printed and sold by the Author at his House in Horse-lie-down and William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1694. Reader There are two Mistakes in the first Column of the first Page of the Contents of the Sermons Viz. Line 7 for Fear read Fan Line 25 for Eternal read External To the Christian Readers Chiefly to such who were the Subscribers for and principal Promoters of the Publication of this Work Beloved in our Blessed Redeemer IT was the least of my Thoughts when I had preached the greatest part of the ensuing Sermons once to suppose they should ever be published to the World But through some of your important Requests and Desires I was prevailed with many of you so readily and unexpectedly subscribing to take off so great a Number of them which had you not done they had never seen the Sun I not judging them deserving such a Publication I am sensible of my great Insufficiency and might from the Defects of my Ability for the great Work called to have seen cause enough to have denied a Compliance with you herein But having so often formerly passed through the Censure of the World made me perhaps the more unconcerned and knowing that the most of them will come into your Hands who I hope will cast a Mantle on my Humane Frailties it was a farther Inducement to consent However if the Holy God be pleased to succeed the great Pains I have taken with his Blessing I shall see no cause to be troubled at what I have done It 's like some may object I do not well to meddle with Controversies at this time I answer that I have it is true touched upon several controvertable Points but not as they are Matters of Controversy but to clear up the Truths of Christ for the Establishment and Comfort of the People committed to my Care Besides I being misrepresented as touching my Judgment in some great Points as I have been informed I thought it was my Duty to rectify such Mistakes The grand Controversy here insisted upon is that about Election and the Saints Final Perseverance which I hope the Reader will find to his satisfaction confirmed Reader I have since these Sermons were printed off met with a Book wrote by a Person whom I both esteem and honour excepting his Opinion entituled A Treatise touching Falling Away wherein he endeavours to answer some of our Arguments Had I met with it sooner I had given a particular Reply but in the general he may find he hath here an Answer to what he hath said He endeavours to prove the Elect may be deceived which we deny not though not finally deceived for that our Saviour intimates to be impossible And to say none are the Elect but they whose Warfare is finished seems strange to me and to suppose the New Covenant spoken of Jer. 31. refers to the Jews only when called at the latter Days is not true but is contradicted by the Apostle Heb. 8. Heb. 10. Our Argument That Sin cannot separate from God's Love is here also fully cleared As also what he says That Christ's Sheep may cease following him and so fall out of his Hand I have answered likewise It is the Property of such they do and shall follow him God has put his Fear into our Hearts and we shall not depart from him Moreover the Absurdities that he pretends do attend the Doctrine of Final Perseverance I find I have taken off though I saw not his Book Object But still the Cry is Your Doctrine renders God so severe to his Creatures it can't be a Truth In answer Consider all acknowledg that God foreknew all his Creatures from Eternity and who would not be saved which were far the greatest number and yet nevertheless he created them whom he knew would refuse his Grace and perish Eternally is he unmerciful and too severe therefore But enough is said to remove such Cavils in the ensuing Treatise Reader There is one thing I thought good to hint unto thee viz. I have quoted several Authors and worthy Writers in transcribing these Sermons for the Press that were not mentioned when I preach'd the Sermons which may be I had then done had I thought they should have been published to the World Also I have left out many of the Enlargements for otherwise the Book had swelled almost as big again so that you have but the Substance of what was delivered on these Texts except it be that upon the Fan in Christ's Hand which you have larger God having been pleased to bless those Sermons to the great Profit of many Persons But I am perswaded the Reader will like this Treatise not the worse for my brevity on each particular Head for great Enlargements I find are not profitable nor approved of by Christians of this present Age. I shall not therefore retain thee longer at the Door but shall desire thy Prayers as I have made them mine and shall God assisting me that this Work may be attended with Divine Blessings to thee from the Press as it has been to many from the Pulpit And let me Reader have a share in thy servent Breathings as I hope I shall not forget thee when at the Throne of Grace that I with you and you with me may be kept from falling and preserved in Christ's Hand to Eternal Life who am willing to serve thee according to that small Ability received whilst From my House at Horse-lie-down in Freeman's-Lane Southwark Septemb. 13. 1694. Benjamin Keach A Table of the Contents of all the Sermons contained in this Book FIRST Text Mat. 3. 12. The Text opened Pag. 2 The Parts of the Text opened 3 What meant by Christ's Floor shewed in 4 respects 4 Filth of the National Floor in 7 particulars 4 5 6 Great Evils among God's People shewed 7 8 2. What meant by Christ's Fear shewed in five or six Particulars 9 to 17 3. What meant by the Chaff shewed in 2 things 18 4. Why are Hypocrites compared to Chaff shewed in six Particulars 18 to 25 5. Why the Saints are compared to Wheat opened in nine Particulars 27 28 29 6. What meant by Christ's Garner shewed in two things 29 30 7. What meant by burning up the Chaff 30 8. Why God's Wrath is compared to
something more in it the Lord by the power of his Spirit doth cut us off from any power of our natural Gifts and Parts and spiritual Gifts also or from any Confidence of our own sufficiency the Lord hath cut us off from hope in the Righteousness of our Parents and from boasting of Ordinances And again he saith This we read of Mat. 4. 1. It is spoken of the Ministry of John the Baptist which did burn as an Oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the Root of Abraham's Covenant nor the Branch of their own good Works He cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham c. And by cutting them off from the Root he leaveth them no ground to trust on Thus Mr. Cotton on The Covenant p. 177 and p. 21 22. Now evident it is that nothing but the dispensation of God's Providence or the Expiration of that period of Time determined by the Almighty for the standing of the Church of Israel could cut the Jews off as a Nation from being a Church and peculiar People unto God I mean in respect of that Legal Covenant I deny not but that the Covenant of Grace God made with Abraham and with his true spiritual Seed stands firm for ever and ever and none in that Covenant can be cut off nor fanned away for the Jewish Priesthood Church-state and Church-membership and all their Church-priviledges were to remain until Christ came or until the time of Reformation that is till the Gospel-days and Gospel-dispensation took place and no longer But now that time being come and they not seeing an end put to the old Covenant-Church as it was made with the natural Offspring of Abraham and that their right to legal Ordinances and Church-membership could not give them any right to Gospel Ordinances nor Gospel-Church-membership and they not believing in Christ not accepting of the Terms of the Gospel were all of necessity purged out or fanned away by the Fan of the New Testament-dispensation and so were no longer a people in any sense in Covenant with God Thirdly Christ hath also another Fan in his hand viz. The Fan of Church-Discipline And many persons falling into sin are purged like Chaff out of his floor Hereby 1. Sometimes some evil and corrupt Persons who get among God's people or into his Church and pass a while for Wheat i. e. for gracious Persons yet in time God suffers them to fall into one Temptation or another by which means they are fann'd away the Holy Jesus by his wise Providence makeing a discovery of them and their evil Tempers and Dispositions 2. May be some glorious Truths or Truth of Jesus Christ is revealed or cleared up to his Church in General to which several Persons of the same Congregation may not only want Light in but may be filled with Prejudice against and not only against the Truth but against the Church or Minister for seeking to bring it in and this may rise to such a height through their Pride and Stubborness that they will not abide any longer Members thereof but violently rend themselves by Schism and so are purged out Tho' as 't is observed by an Husband-man some light Corn may be good Wheat may be fanned out with the Chaff which he knows how to recover by fanning the Chaff also afterwards And thus it was with some of those who were called Christ's Disciples they could not would not endure that blessed Truth Christ preached to them of Eating of his Flesh c. but cried out This is a hard saying who can bear it and so went away and walked no more with him O see what the Effects of preaching some Truths may be how many are there who cannot bear in this day sound Doctrine but desert his People and some Truths of Christ and seem to shut their eyes against them caling them Error and false Doctrine and what not And this way God takes in his wise Providence to purge out some rotten Members which possibly were a repoach to his People And altho' may be some Wheat may by this means through Satans Temptations and Corruptions of their own hearts and their great Ignorance be fanned out with the Chaff they being carried away by the Craftiness and Subtilty of such whom Christ hath a mind to sever from the Body yet he knows how to gather up the Wheat again as the Husbandman doth 3. Others whom Christ would have purged out of his Church may be suffered to suck in some evil corrupt and dangerous Principles or Errors in Fundamentals like that of Hymeneus and Alexander whose Errours being discovered were purged out 4. Also others fall into notorious and scandalous Sins and so are purged out 5. Some who are Chaff or unsound Christians may be suffered to take up undue offences against the Church or Churches to whom they belong and by giving way to Temptation they may become unreconcileable magnifying their own Wisdom and Self-conceitedness and so by a secret hand of God be discovered and purged out But it must be considered that the use and exercise of the Keys or Rules of Church-Discipline is appointed by Christ as the proper Fan by which those sorts of Persons last mentioned and some others are to be purged out of the Church or Congregations of the Saints Now the Fan of Discipline is two-fold First The Act of Excommunication In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together with my Spirit to deliver such a one unto Satan for the Destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus The Persons Christ by this Fan of Discipline purges out are of three sorts 1. All gross and scandalous Persons who are Guilty of any Act or Acts of Immorality as Theft Swearing Drunkenness Vncleanness Covetousness Lying c. These being publick and reproachful Crimes the Offender ought sorthwith upon clear proof to be purged out that the Name of the Lord may not be exposed to contempt and his People villified by the ungodly World and time given to him for the proof and Trial of the sincerity or Truth of his Repentance which in part will be manifested by his Carriage and Behaviour under his Punishment I mean the Righteous Censure of the Church The Second sort that this Fan of Discipline takes hold of are such that suck in Heresies or Capital Errors these after the first and second Admonition ought to be rejected and delivered up to Satan that they may not learn to Blaspheme The Third sort are such who refuse to hear the Church after their case in which they have offended is regularly brought in against them according to the Rule contained in Matthew the offence at first may be against one brother and the offended party is first to tell him his fault between himself and his Brother or Sister that hath offended him alone Whom if he can bring to see and acknowledge his
either a Talkative or else full of vain Boasts magnifying and admiring himself and lessning the worth and worthiness of others His vain and light Tongue discovers a vain carnal proud and empty heart some unprofitable matter in discourse or another you shall observe these people will be full of May be talk and prate of this Man or that Woman to pick up one thing or another to their reproach who are gracious persons and instead of discoursing of a Sermon they have heard or telling their Experiences may be they will tell you what Garbs Cloaths and Dresses such and such People had on or else they talk of their earthly and worldly Affairs or some Idle Jests Stories or foolish Talk but little of God besure is in their mouths when they are out of the sight and hearing of sober and pious Christians Indeed as our Saviour intimates how can they being evil speak of good things there is much vanity in their unsanctified Hearts and their Tongues discover it For out of the abundance of the Heart the mouth speaketh a good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment For by thy word thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned God will not only condemn men for evil actions but their evil words also shall rise up against them at the great day And as the gracious words which proceed from a sanctified and renewed Christian tends to his Justification especially when the main design and purport of his Speech tends to exalt and magnifie God and his Free-Grace in Jesus Christ so the evil words of the unsanctified Christian tends to his Condemnation and declares him to be but meer chaff or a hypocritical person but if idle Jesting and foolish Talking is the Character of a vain man what is a detracting and back-biting Tongue a Tongue that is set on fire by hell who vilifie and render odious such who truly fear God that are not guilty of those foul things laid to their charge such persons are not like to ascend Gods holy hill nor abide in his Tabernacle viz. That taketh up false and wicked slanders and reports against his Neighbour to lessen his reputation among Men And 't is with the greater aggravation when it is done out of Envy Prejudice or Malice and 't is further aggravated when 't is done to a Minister of the Gospel on purpose to obstruct or hinder unthinking Christians to adhere unto his Doctrine or receive that truth which they see not but set themselves to oppose and gainsay who do not only in an undue manner spread such Reproaches but also raise them It is a great evil to divulge or propagate a fault committed by a Brother by making it publick when it was private they breaking thereby the express Precept of Jesus Christ Mat. 18. But it is far worse to publish false and groundless Slanders and Accusations of him or others And t is an abominable evil in such who are ready to entertain and easily to believe and greedily receive such Reports of him who deserveth it not Such men are by the Lord called vile persons Psa 5. 4. and are contemned by such that fear the Lord howsoever great and honourable they seem to be Moreover if it be so great an evil for men thus to use their Tongues or Pens to speak evil of and to blaspheme innocent men what is the Nature of their Crimes who curse and swear and blaspheme the sacred Name of God and the holy Jesus like as the Pharisees did who said this fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Belzebub the Prince of Devils ascribing that to the Devil that was proper to God alone and wrought by his almighty Power Christians if you would not be found chaff at the great day take heed of a reviling Tongue least you deceive your selves and all your Religion and Profession be vain He either decieveth his own heart saith our Annatotors in thinking himself religious when indulging himself in things contrary to Religion or else deceiveth his own heart being blinded with self love and lifted up with self-conceit which is the cause of his Railing Censuring and speaking evil of others Their Religion is vain empty and to no purpose having no reality in it self and bringeth no Benefit to them O what a Reproach doth the talkative and prating person bring on the Name of God This Man this Woman say they is a Member of such or such a Church and see what vain talk frothy words and frivolous Discourse proceeds from their Lips But much more evil is in such who back-bite revile and defame others as was hinted before This I say may discover such to be but chaff 2. They appear to be Chaff not only by their light vain idle and back-biting Tongues but also by their light Behaviour for the lightness of the heart is as much discovered by a loose and airy Deportment as by loose and vain words their wanton Looks and rowling Eyes or other unseemly and uncomely carriage shews in part what they are they being not of a grave sober and serious spirit but behave themselves as if they had no sense of the Omnisciency of God upon their hearts nor of his holiness not setting the Lord always before them gives cause to all to fear they are but chaff 3. Their light empty and airy Attire Dresses and antick Fashions which they wear and take delight in doubtless too much discovers the Lightness Vanity and Emptiness of their Spirits I am perswaded these high and shameless Head-dresses which some Women appear in that come into Christian Assemblies are but as Tell-tales of the Vanity Pride Emptiness and Haughtiness of their hearts who but they that sell Wine will put forth a Bush I cannot see how a sober serious Christian Woman should be satisfied to wear such Antick Dresses Their Souls sure must needs blush at the Thoughts of them when they consider whose Eyes behold them First Many gracious Men and Women with no little trouble And in the second place their faithful Ministers to the wounding and grieving their Souls Thirdly And a multitude of loose and ungodly People who reproach and laugh at them and cast contempt upon Religion on that account Fourthly And which is more the holy Angels they come into our Assemblies and observe all both Males and Females how they do adorn their Profession and behave themselves Women should cover their heads because of the Angels they ought to be in subjection and therefore before all things their head ought not to be exalted but to lye low and be modestly attired no doubt t is a palpable Breach of the holy Precept for 't is not a modest dress becoming Women
professing Godliness tho' I dare not say but some sincere Christians may be overtaken with this Evil as well as others yet I hope God will soon convince them of the odiousness of it Yet no doubt it doth clearly discover that some of this sort are loose and vain persons and but meer chaff in Gods sight which the day that is coming will burn up And such especially have cause to suspect themselves who pride it in their own hearts and take delight in those hateful and abominable fashions and cannot bear to be told of it tho' in never so wise and discreet manner nor will they be brought by any perswasions to reform and leave them off tho' it wounds the very Souls of many of them they have Communion with Fifthly O that they that fear God would consider that he beholds them and looks upon them whose eyes are like unto a flame of Fire These Dresses O ye Daughters of Zion know assuredly none but foolish and vain persons do like and approve of even none but the Devil and his Followers is it not sad in such a day of distress sorrow and humiliation when Gods Hand is lifted up upon the Nation and thousands of poor Families want Bread that Christians should thus walk and consume their Substance on their Pride and costly Lust 4. They appear to be but chaff who seem to make it a small matter to grieve the Hearts of sincere Christians what care they who they wound and afflict they 'll have their Fancies their Humours tho' the thing in it self may be doubtful whether a breach of Gods Law or not and so like eating of Meats that was a thing indifferent in it self and might or might not be done Nay that make light of grieving the Holy Spirit in themselves and in others also let the Lord be grieved his Spirit grieved his poor Ministers grieved and his faithful Children grieved they regard it not but set light by it These may also be suspected i. e. that are indifferent in and about Closet and Family-Prayer and other weighty Duties of Religion or are loose and formal in it This shews they bear no weight they are not ponderous but light as Chaff Moreover such may be suspected who set light by Hearing the Word of God alas to go to hear a Sermon is a light thing with some if there be any worldly Loss attending it tho' it be not to the Value of a Groat they can't go or if the Weather be not very good they plead Excuse as not being able to go so far tho' may be the next day in worse Weather they can go about their earthly Business twice as far Likewise such who for every small matter refrain from coming to the Lords Table may be any trivial offence shall hinder them they are offended with this Person and that Person and so cast a slight upon Christ and on his Sacred Ordinance and thus persist from time to time They can go to Church or stay at home Can pray and hear and can forbear Religion is a light and indifferent thing with them This shews such are under fearful Temptations or else loose and light Professors in the sight of God 5. Such are Chaff that only have the husk or shell of Christianity Chaff is the husks of Wheat many Professors please themselves with the external part of Religion having a form of Godliness but are Strangers to the Life and Power thereof Like the foolish Virgins they have Lamps but no Oyl a Name but want the Nature of true Believers can talk and discourse of Religion of the Covenant of Grace and excellency of Christ they may have I grant clear Notions in their heads of the Mysteries of the Gospel and defend it too against opposers yet their Hearts are unsanctified and never felt nor experienced the work of Faith with Power they have the out-side of a true Christian the Shell of the Wheat but if tried and searched there 's nothing but Chaff no Kernil in them they want the root of the Water All true Believers have past through the Pangs of the New Birth they found they were once Dead but are now alive once blind but now they see once lost in their own Eyes but now found once Carnal but now Spiritual once had their affection set on things below but now on things above Sin was once Sweet and Pleasant to them but now 't is bitter and Loathsom in their Eyes because they see it is so in the sight of God Their Judgments are informed their Understandings savingly enlightned Christ and heavenly things are valued and esteemed above all things here below yea above ten thousand Worlds by them and their understandings are not only brought to assent to the truth of Christ to the Glory and Beauty of Christ but their wills also are subjected to him they are brought to consent and yield themselves to the Lord they believe and love believe and obey believe and suffer reproach taking up the Cross putting on the yoke of Christ their affections are so changed and under divine Influences that what they loved once they hate and what they once hated or liked not they dearly love and approve of now But thus it is not with Chaffy Professors They may be changed from open Prophanness to an outward Reformation of life but their Hearts are not changed Sin is not Crucified in them self is not subdued that enmity that was naturally in their hearts or dislike of the Life and Power of strict Godliness is not removed they act only from common Illuminations of the Spirit and so they put a force upon themselves when found in religious Duties and find not a natural Inclination and sweet Propensity in their hearts to heavenly things and this shews they are no more then Chaff 6. And lastly Chaff I told you was Light and every breath of wind will move it this way and that way and if it rises high it will may be blow it quite away there being no Kernel in it whereas the Wheat abides So Chaffy and vain Professors are startled at every small blast of Persecution and presently begin to move out of their place and shun assembling themselves with Gods People Nay every wind of corrupt Doctrine is ready to blow some of this sort a way they are unsettled Persons they want weight or are not rooted in the Truth wanting a good Understanding and a Principle of saving Grace in their Hearts Be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines for it is good to have the heart established with Grace and not with Meats This sort are soon corrupted from the Simplicity of the Gospel by the Cunning Crastiness of Men being ready to receive any strange Notion or close in with a New Scheem of Religion some turning to Judaism and add Moses to Christ or joyn to the Gospel their own Works they are commonly corrupt either in Principles or Practices or in both making a stir about the
heed for your Souls sake that you rest not upon a bare Profession or on a name of Christians This may inform us also that Christ hath a gracious end in bringing Persecutions and Trials on his People it shews us why he uses the Fan of severe Providences Judgments and Afflictions It is you have heard to purge to purifie them and to separate the Chaff from them O do not then think it strange concerning fiery trials as if some strange thing had befallen you Exhort Let me exhort you to see to it in time that you are not deceived and so prove Chaff and Vain Persons empty and foolish Virgins at last Motives 1. O how far may men go and yet be but almost Christians Remember this 2. Many when Christ comes shall have great Confidence and go forth to meet him and yet be found foolish ones Some deceive their own Hearts and others have Hearts that deceive them by trusting in them and never examine how matters are between God and their own Souls 3. Men may Preach and Prophesie yea speak as if they had the Tongue of Men and Angels and Cast out Devils in Christs Name and yet be nothing they may Preach no doubt to the Conversion of others and yet may not be Converted themselves 4. Wheat is commonly weighed to know the goodness of it so God weighs Men he weighs the Actions of Men Thou art weighed in the ballance and art found wanting Weighed in a Ballance alluding to the weighing of Gold or Goods exactly in Scales God tries Men and Women that all may know he will proceed Justly and Righteously with them he weighs them in the ballance of the sanctuary or trys them by the Touch-stone of his Word and if found full weight or pure Gold then he declares that they are his and he owns them as his People as his Wheat but if too light or not hold weight but are greatly wanting there being no worth in them but are Dross Chaff light and empty Persons unfound and unsanctified ones then he rejects them as none of his but are as reprobate Silver false Coin People of no value with him As he weighs Men so he weighs their Works their Graces their Gifts their Duties to see whether they hold weight whether true and righteous or not whether the Grace be true Grace special Grace not common Grace and their Gifts not Counterfeit Gifts or meer Natural Gifts or only humane and acquired Gifts Some boast of false Gifts which as Solomon tells us is like Clouds and Wind without rain What a stir doth a vain Person make of a strong Memory crying it up as if it was a Spiritual Gift and as if none were true Ministers but such who have a great Memory and can deliver all they have got by their Study by the strength of their Memory alas all men of any sense know that is but a Natural Gift which some wicked men have as well as some good men but let him know God knows what mens Hearts are what their Ends and Designs are what their Gifts are and what their Duties are as well as what the matter of their Worship is which they perform to God that is whether it hath his Image stampt upon it or is of his Authority his own Appointment his own Institution or but Humane Inventions he also weighs the manner how they perform all Divine Worship towards him from what Principle Life Power End and Design whether 't is from a changed Heart from unfeigned Faith and Love to Christ in sincerity with Zeal and to glorify God if not he will discover them weigh them and they will be found wanting and be found no better than Chaff at last Though they may seek ways to hide and cover their Wickedness and false Spirits and base designs yet let them know he that weighs the hill in scales and the mountains in balances doth and will weigh them and find out all their Cursed Deeds their Pride their Malice and put a rebuke upon their back-sliding and detracting Tongues Talk saith Hannah no more so exeeding proudly let not arrogancy come out of thy mouth for God is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed Thou Peninnah as our Annotators note speak no more so insolently and reproachfully of me as thou hast done he knoweth thy Heart and all that Pride Envy and Contempt of me which thy own Conscience knows and thy perverse Carriage towards me God pondereth and tryeth all mens Thoughts and Actions as a Just Judge to give to every one according to their works Oh what a Motive should this be to us all God weighs our Persons our Graces our Gifts our Dutys and all our Services in Scales Take heed you are not found too light found wanting as be sure you will if you be found Chaff when put into the Ballance of the Sanctuary Direction 1. If you would not be found Chaff try and weigh your Spirits your Persons your Faith your Love see if it holds weight by the Kings standard see on what Foundation you are built have you dugg deep and laid your foundation on a Rock what Love have you to Christ is he precious to your Souls the chiefest of ten thousand what Love have you to the Children of God how do you carry it at home and abroad do you feed the Hungry Visit the Sick and Cloath the naked is Christs Family Christs Servants Christs Poor more in your esteem love and affections than Sons and Daughters than Brethren and Sisters that are not his Children if you do not love Christ more than Father and Mother more than Son or Daughter you may justly fear whether you are Wheat or no And if it be so that you do so Love him and his Saints Ministers and People it will appear whilst you live and when you come to die you will not forget Christ then his People and Interest then O think onthis 2. And to you Sinners if you would be found Wheat in the day of Christ then receive Christs true Doctrine labour to distinguish between Truth and Error beware of that strange and new Scheme that darkens the Free-Grace of God and tends to destroy the Covenant of Grace Remember to exalt Christ alone in your Salvation How do some turn the Gospel of Gods Free-Grace into a Law by the performance of which as the Conditions of Life and Justification tell thee thy Salvation doth depend See what subtle Opposers of the clearest Gospel are risen up amongst us and labour to avoid them though their Tongues should seem to be tipp'd with Silver yet their Doctrine is Copper 3. Be sure Build on Christ alone and see that that Faith thou hast in him be the Faith of Gods Elect which sanctifies both Heart and Life and is attended with Good Fruits you must work from Life and not for Life Consolat 1. Lastly By way of Comfort and Consolation Be not afraid O Child of God tho' thou art in Christ's Fan
said they hear Christ's Voice i. e. the Doctrine he taught This is my beloved Son saith the Father in whom I am well pleased hear him 1. Not Moses Moses is not our Shepherd our Guide our Law-giver We are not his Disciples his Sheep No no but we are Christ's Sheep Christ's Disciples The Jews said they were Moses 's Disciples 2. They hear Christ's Voice not the Pope's not the Voice of Antichrist 3. They hear Christ's Voice not the Voice of the Light of Nature only or the teaching of Natural Conscience though 't is true they hear and follow that Light yet they know the Light that is in all Men which is in Pagans Turks and Heathens is not the Voice of Christ as he is Mediator and the great Shepherd of the Sheep 4. They hear Christ's Voice follow his Voice not the Voice of General Councils and National Synods they will no further hear any than they hear and adhere to the Voice and Doctrine of Jesus Christ 2 dly They will not receive or embrace any Capital Errors they will not hear the Voice of Strangers but keep to all the Essentials of Christ's Doctrine of the Principles of true Religion Particularly 1. They believe the Holy Scripture is of Divine Authority and that it is the only Rule of Faith and Practice 2. They stedfastly believe the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity that there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and that these three are one One in Essence yet three Persons or Subsistences 3. They stedfastly believe the Doctrine of Christ's Divinity or have a right Faith about the Person of Christ not doubting but that he is God by Nature the most High God coeternal and coequal with the Father and the Holy Ghost abominating the Doctrine of Arius who asserted he was not of the same Substance of the Father but rather a created Spirit the first and chief Spirit or Angel God created And the Doctrine of Socinians who affirmed He is a meer Man and had no Pre-existence before he was Conceived and Born of the Virgin They abominate that Voice or Doctrine of Eutychians who maintain that the Matter of Christ's Flesh was from Heaven or that it was a Conversion of the Deity of the second Person of the Trinity into Flesh and that he partook not of the Nature of the Virgin They abominate their Doctrine who declare that Christ doth consist of one Nature only and those who affirm that the Light that is in all Men which is but an inward Quality created of God with which the Soul of Mankind is naturally indued is the only Christ of God they know these are Strangers and the Voice of Strangers they will not hear 4. They hear and stedfastly believe and receive the Doctrine of Christ's Headship over the Church 5. The Doctrine of Satisfaction by Christ in his Expiation of Sin and of Justification by his Righteousness imputed as it is received by Faith alone without inherent Righteousness wrought in us or good Works done by us 6. The Doctrine of Regeneration the Resurrection of the Body and of the Eternal Judgment and World to come In all these Respects they hear Christ's Voice i. e. his Doctrine and in all other respects so far as they receive Light and Knowledg touching any one or all the blessed Truths and Ordinances of the Gospel Fourthly There is the Voice of Christ's Rod also which his Sheep hear The Lord's Voice crieth to the City and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it When Christ's Sheep will not hear as they ought the soft and sweet Voice of God's Word he speaks to them by the Voice of his Rod by Afflictions and sharp Rebukes which by his Providence he brings upon them And though others cannot hear so as to understand this Voice of Christ yet his Sheep do they see his Name and hear the Rod and know whose Voice it is and to what End 't is appointed but this I shall not insist further upon here I should now come to shew you how Christ's Sheep hear his Voice but that must be for the next time APPLICATION 1. Bless God you have Christ's Voice Christ's Word sounding in your Ears Blessed are they that know the joyful Sound for they shall walk in the Light of thy Countenance O Lord. It is not all they that hear the joyful Sound but only such that know it with an experimental Knowledg who have felt the Divine Power of it on their Souls 2. Rest not therefore upon a bare hearing of the Word of Christ take heed that the Gospel comes not to you in Word only but in Power also 3. Labour to hear the Voice of Christ's Spirit in and with the Word or you are undone for ever JOHN X. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice and they follow me DOCT. All true Believers are the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ they hear his Voice and they follow him Beloved we have shewed you in what respects Believers are said to be Christ's Sheep and what is meant by his Voice which his Sheep or such who belong unto him do and will hear Thirdly I shall now proceed to the next general Head of Discourse propounded to you I am to shew you how Christ's Sheep hear his Voice his Word his Holy Doctrine They hear Christ's Voice his Word and Doctrine understandingly He that heareth the Word and understandeth it c. Some tho they hear it yet they are ignorant and know not the Nature Power and divine Excellency of it The sacred Scripture is as a sealed Book to some that are learned with Humane Arts and Sciences they see but the outside of the Book as it were and others they are ignorant Persons neither have Humane nor Divine Teachings then he opened their Vnderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures See how Christ does honour the holy Scriptures He did not open their Understanding without the Scriptures he sends them to that because they testify of him but he knew the Scripture would not sufficiently give them the knowledg of himself without the Influence and Illumination of his Spirit Sirs they hear Christ's Voice aright who are taught of God and by his Spirit to understand his Word Some Men are so far cheated by the Devil that they cry up the Light of natural Conscience and magnify that above the Holy Scripture He perswades them to cast away the Scriptures as a dead Letter in expectation of the Spirit 's Teachings whereas the Spirit teacheth by not without nor contrary to the Sacred Scripture The Word of Christ is full of Mystery its holy and sublime Doctrine is not easily understood nor can it be without the Spirit helps the Understanding In a right and saving manner it is given to Christ's Sheep to understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and to others it is not given 2. Christ's Sheep
hear his Voice with Affection They like love and approve of his Word and Doctrine it is sweet to them Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it They know that there is no Falshood in it it is pure from all Mixture there is exact Purity and Holiness in it which makes unsanctified Persons to like it not but either disbelieve it or else despise and hate it But a godly Man loves it upon the account of its Purity in that it promotes nothing but Holiness both in Heart and Life The Word of the Lord is right and all his Works are done in Truth Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false Way I do not reject such things that my carnal Reason cannot comprehend or such as are opposite to the Lusts and Corruptions of my Heart or worldly Interest but I approve of all things that come out of thy Mouth Some Men do not receive the Truth in the love of it and therefore are given up to believe a Lie or to strong Delusions 3. They hear Christ's Voice with Attention they hear it diligently He says Hearken diligently unto me and they with the greatest care do so Thus Mary heard Christ's Voice she gave such attention to his Word and Doctrine that she left all her secular Concerns to attend upon him though her Sister was offended with her And thus Lydia heard the Word of Christ Whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul None can hear with attention but such whose Hearts the Lord doth open and none can open the Heart and cause the Soul to hear that is dead but Christ only 4. They hear Christ's Voice believingly Others hear it but do not believe it Who hath believed our Report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed Christ saith Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God But O how few stedfastly give credit to this Doctrine certainly if Sinners did believe this but with the same Humane Faith with which they believe many other Things and Reports it would make them tremble but Christ's Sheep or all gracious Persons give full credit to whatsoever he hath said and that not only with an Humane Faith but with a Divine Faith also or Faith of the Operation of God The Man believed the Word that Jesus had spoken unto him The great Doctrine of the Gospel is a Doctrine of Faith 't is to believe He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Mankind are generally for doing to be justified they will not be perswaded that all is done already for them and that they are only to believe and be justified but thus Christ's Sheep hear his Voice 5. Christ's Sheep hear his Voice tremblingly with great Fear holy Awe and Reverence Thus good King Josias heard the Word of God his Heart was tender and he trembled and saith the Lord To this Man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembleth at my Word They know it is God's Word Christ's Word who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth Who is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Where the Word of a King is there is Power Power goeth along with Christ's Voice to awe all their Hearts that are gracious My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word saith David 6. Christ's Sheep hear Christ's Word universally even all that he saith unto them Him shall ye hear in whatsoever he shall say unto you And those who do not thus hear this great Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People Some will hear Christ's Word which they like of but if any part of his Doctrine sutes not their carnal Hearts or Interest that they will not hear nor comply with but Believers are for hearing the hardest things that are contained in Christ's Word they approve of every thing as you heard before 7. They hear Christ's Voice with Retention they hear and keep his Word they lay it up in their Hearts as it is said of the Blessed Virgin They will not lose it and therefore with David hide Christ's Word in their Hearts 8. They hear his Voice always constantly unto the End they will attend unto his Word and Doctrine as long as they live let what will come they are not offended as the stony-ground Hearers are said to be 9. And lastly They hear Christ's Voice only his Voice and none else They will not hear the Voice of a Stranger that is they will not receive damnable Errors they know the Voice of Deceivers nor will they receive a Mixture in Doctrine nor in God's Worship they will not join Christ and Moses together Works and Faith together Christ's Righteousness and their own together Christ's Institutions and the Inventions and Traditions of Men together Quest May not Believers who are Christ's Sheep be beguiled so as to receive some capital Errors or an Error in some fundamental Point Answ 1. No doubt but they may be seduced I mean a particular Sheep or Saint may be grievously corrupted in his Judgment 2. But if a Believer be drawn away or seduced he shall if sincere if an Elect Person be restored again for it is impossible any of them should finally be deceived If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect but that cannot be Quest Why are false Teachers called Strangers Answ 1. Because a Stranger is one that we know not so a false Teacher is one that knows not Christ nor his true and saving Doctrine they are not acquainted with him are not brought into Union with Christ nor have Communion with him 2. They are Strangers to the Life and Power of true Religion and Godliness 3. The Saints also know them not they approve not of them nor of the Doctrine they preach they can discern between Truth and Error by the Anointing they have received 4. A Stranger is one that is not a constant dweller in one Place so false Prophets and false Teachers are not fixed long in one Opinion Her Ways saith Solomon are moveable speaking of the false Church or adulterous Woman many of these are one day for one thing for one Error and another day for another this shews they are false Teachers or Strangers to the Truth they know it not 5. They are called Strangers because they publish strange Doctrine Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines The Doctrine of Christ is one and the same being immutable can suffer no Change or Alteration but these bring in a new Doctrine not known in the Primitive Days not taught by Christ or his Apostles nor received in the purest Times of the Gospel before Corruptions crept into the Church They will not hear the Voice of Strangers or the Doctrine of false Teachers 1. Not
justify us in God's sight as an Habit or Act or in respect of the Product of it but only objectively i. e. in respect of the Object it doth apprehend apply and take hold of O Sirs take heed ye are not deceived may be ye look upon the Lives and Conversations of Men and you think they are good Men holy Men yet for all this examine the Doctrine they preach for an evil and corrupt Doctrine may be as pernicious and damnable as an evil Conversation But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be 〈…〉 Teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift Destruction 7 thly Be wary also lest you are carried away with the Error of the Wicked to doubt of or deny the Resurrection of the Body If once you come to deny the Resurrection your State is dangerous for that is a capital Error If the Dead rise not then is not Christ risen and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your Faith is also vain Yea and we are found false Witnesses of God because we testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the Dead rise not It must be the same Body not another for if not the same it will be no Resurrection but a new Creation and if not the same Body but another then it will not be that Body that suffered for Christ that shall be glorified nor that Body that sinned against God and Christ that shall be punished but an innocent Body a Body that never sinned Be sure labour to hold the Head and be established in all the fundamental Truths of the Gospel they are not many 1. Your Souls are in danger of being corrupted we have slie and crafty Deceivers among us in these Days 2. Many thousands we have cause to fear are already poisoned with most pernicious Notions and Soul-destructive Errors who are in danger of perishing this way to Eternity yet seem sober holy and devout Persons 3. Let it be your care to fit under the Ministry of such Men who preach Christ Christ only or wholly seek to exalt Christ and the Free Grace of God by Jesus Christ Take heed who you hear and take heed what you hear and how you hear Therefore watch and remember saith Paul that by the space of three Years I ceased not to warn every one Night and Day with Tears He was afraid of those grievous Wolves that would enter in among them not sparing the Flock You hear that Christ's Sheep hear his Voice let it appear you are his Sheep by having this Character namely in that you hear his Doctrine and will not hear the Voice of Strangers But O rest not in a bare hearing the Voice of Christ nor in the knowledg of saving Truth get it not only into your Heads but into your Hearts He that hath truly received Christ's Doctrine or rightly hears his Voice brings forth good Fruit he feels the Power of his Word upon his own Heart Knowledg without Grace will stand you in no stead A good Doctrine and much Head-Knowledg and great Gifts without Love Humility and a Godly Life signifies nothing Knowledg puffs up but Love edifies I shall add no more at this Time JOHN X. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me DOCT. 1. All true Believers are the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ they hear his Voice and they follow him I have shewed you what is meant by hearing of Christ's Voice Fourthly I am now to speak to the next thing proposed or Head of Discourse which is the fourth General I know them c. 1 st In speaking to this I shall shew you 1. In what respect Christ knows his Sheep 2. What a kind of Knowledg he hath of them 3. Shew what Comfort doth and may arise unto them hereby 1. Christ knows them as they are his Father's Choice All Christ's Sheep are chosen Sheep such as the Father hath pick'd out of the common Lump of Mankind or out of the great Flock of fallen Man thus Jesus Christ knows them and as they are his own Choice also for the Father and the Son agreed both in the Choice of the Elect. If you know these things happy are ye if you do them I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen Not only to Apostleship but to Eternal Life for Judas was chosen to be an Apostle but he was not in the Election of Grace 2. Christ knoweth them as they are the special Purchase of his own Blood He knows whom he died for and in the room and stead of he knows what Sheep he hath bought and paid so dear for The Foundation of God standeth sure the Lord knoweth them that are his There is a certain Number who are built upon a Rock upon a sure Foundation these are sealed and confirmed by God's Eternal Decree of Election and are the Price therefore of Christ's special Purchase and as such he knows them from all others in the World 3. He knows them as such who have and do experience the Effects of his Death He sees and knows they are his Sheep as they have his Mark his Image formed in them for like as other Shepherds know their Sheep by the Mark they have upon them so to speak after the manner of Men Jesus Christ may in this respect be said to know his Sheep his Saints and People Surely they are my People Children that will not lie so he was their Saviour I know these are my People I cannot but own them they will keep my Covenant I have renewed them and they abide faithful to me and will not deal falsly with me In another place he says Their Spot is not the Spot of my Children These I know are none of my Sheep their Spot their Sin their Iniquity are not such as are in my People not Sins of Infirmity or common Frailties but they have a contagious Spot upon them they have none of my Image my Mark c. 4. Christ knows his Sheep with a Knowledg of Approbation I know them that is I approve of them I like them well I esteem them and accept of their Persons and their Services 5. Christ may be said to know his Sheep also with a Knowledg of Love and Affection He knows them as to delight in them they have his Heart I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine As the Father knoweth me even so I know the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep As this mutual Knowledg between the Father and the Son was joined with perfect Love and Delight so is Christ's Knowledg of his Sheep And this he himself also here expresses by saying I lay down my Life for the Sheep which shews not only the Sincerity but also the
we are Poor externally and in Want he knows it or spiritually Poor he knows it In a word whether we are living or dying Christians hot or cold growing or decaying he knows it APPLICATION Infer 1. We may from hence infer That Jesus Christ is God This clearly demonstrates the Deity of the Lord Jesus whose Eyes are said to be as a Flame of Fire even of a piercing and penetrating Nature to comfort and refresh the Sincere and to burn up and consume all others that are not upright with God Exhort 1. Be exhorted you that are Church-members to look to it Christ knows and takes notice of you all He knows you as you have heard by Name and where you dwell your Hearts Thoughts and Inclinations he knows whether you are praying Men and Women or not and also how you perform it and when you neglect it 2. Your Excuses Pretences about omission of Duties in your Families Closets or Churches are before his Eyes and known to him 3. Your Ways in trading buying selling building planting eating drinking and sleeping all is known to Christ what you do for his poor Saints and People what you do to encourage and further his Interest in the World when you give and what you give and how or with what End and Aim all is known to him 4. He knows and takes notice of your Garbs and Dresses which you wear whether such as he in his Word directeth you to put on or not whether modest or immodest like the wanton Ones of the World and according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance and not as becoming Men or Women professing Godliness 5. He knows your Behaviour in all Relations you stand in one to another as Husbands to Wives or Wives to Husbands Parents to Children or Children to Parents Masters to Servants or Servants to Masters Whether Husbands love their Wives and Wives love and obey their Husbands Whether Parents bring up their Children in the Fear and Nurture of the Lord and train them up in the Way in which they should go praying for them not provoking them to Wrath by being harsh and bitter towards them but setting a good Example before them in all things As also how Children carry it to their Parents in honouring them and obeying them in all things in the Lord all is took notice of by Jesus Christ 6. He knows how Ministers carry it to his People in the discharge of their Work and Office whether they preach the Word in Season and out of Season giving themselves to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine and study to shew themselves approved unto God as Workmen that need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth He knows whether they took the Care of the Flock of a ready Mind or for filthy Lucre sake and whether they preach Christ or themselves seeking to exalt Jesus Christ alone or but in part and rendering him to be but an imperfect Saviour whether they ascribe all to him or not some things of Salvation to the Creature and so open a Door for Men to sacrifice to their own Nets and Drags 7. Sirs remember that Christ is not a careless Spectator he knows you that are Members and takes notice how you behave your selves to his Ministers whether you shew due Respect to them and honour them as Ambassadors of Christ or as such who personate their great Lord and Master for if you dishonour slight and despise them Christ takes it as a Dishonour a slighting and despising of him He knows whether you obey them that are over you in the Lord or not but rather contemn resist or spurn at their Authority and seek Occasion to quarrel with them wounding afflicting and grieving their Spirits and weakning their Hands and their Hearts He knows whether you discharge your Duties to them in administring and communicating all good things to them providing a chearful and comfortable Maintenance for them and not leaving them to encounter with the perplexing Cares Wants and Necessities of this Life 8. Christ knows his Sheep so as to weigh their Actions their Spirits their Graces and their Duties He ponders every Step they take and observes every Word of their Mouths and Thought of their Hearts The Lord is a God of Knowledg and by him Actions are weighed 9. Christ knows whether you are sincere or not upright or not regenerate or not whether you are the same at Home as Abroad in the Closet as in the Church or not 10. Moreover consider the Effects of Christ's Knowledge he knows such whose Hearts are sound so as to approve love protect feed comfort and refresh them and such that are unsound so as to disown reject and condemn them 11. He knows the Humble so as to exalt them and the Proud so as to abase them He knows and beholds all of us at all times either to accuse or to clear us to condemn or to justify us Exam. Examine your selves in vain it is to go about to hide or cover any thing seeing Christ knows all we do there is no way to hide your Sin from him O search and try your selves your Hearts your States and Conditions lest you are deceived and conclude you are Rich and increased with Goods c. this was Laodicea's Misery Terror Tremble at the Thoughts of doing one unbecoming Thing or speaking one unbecoming Word O Lord said David thou hast searched me and known me Thou knowest my down sitting and my uprising and art acquainted with all my Thoughts For there is not a Word in my Tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether O what Terror is here for ungodly Men that commit horrid Wickedness in secret and say in their Hearts No Eye seeth us O let them know that all their filthy and abominable Deeds of Darkness are done in the plain and open view and sight of the great God and Jesus Christ and that he keeps a Record of all their cursed Works Oaths and ungodly Words and will lay them all before them at the last Day For he knoweth vain Men he seeth Wickedness also will he not then consider it Men know but little of God and therefore are very unfit Judges of all his Counsels Decrees and Actions yet God knows Man exactly and all his Vanity Falshood and Folly let him never so carefully strive to cover and hide his Wickedness under Deceit or a Cloak of Religion he seeth it it is a Knowledg by sight therefore most easily and clearly known God doth not know Mens Sins by hear-say No no he sees it beholds it with open Face he is by when they commit it They can commit no Sin out of his sight nor do that which he knoweth not though they are ready to say How doth God know Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he seeth it not Carnal Men frame Conceptions of God like themselves Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will
is trampled upon but let God be true and every Man a Liar Object But doth not this Doctrine of special Grace render God unmerciful because he doth not give that Grace unto all Men that is effectual to their Salvation Answ I answer We do not deny that God gives that Grace to all which they say is sufficient or effectual to save all our Doctrine robs no Man of that Power they have but we do deny that common Light Grace and Abilities are sufficient to save any one Soul And if this be true it follows that they render God more unmerciful than they are aware of in that they will not have God to afford such Grace that is sufficient viz. Special Grace to any at all Certainly if God was not more merciful to them that assert this Doctrine than their Notions import or did not their Experiences contradict their Principles it would be impossible one of them should be saved For will meer moral Swasive Grace which leaves Salvation to the choice of Man's depraved and unrenewed Will whether it will turn to God or no believe in Christ or no save one Soul which they say is all the Grace God vouchsafes to any So that by their Doctrine none can be saved but all must unavoidably perish Besides how unjust do they render God to be seeing he as they say gave Christ to die for all Men with an intention to save them and this without any desert of Man which is the greater Gift and yet he denies the Gospel to the greatest part of the World nay and effectual Grace to many nay to all according to them that attend upon the Administration thereof seeing he could as easily bend or incline the Wills if he please of such who do not believe as he doth theirs that do believe Strange did Christ spill his Blood for the greatest part of Mankind in vain nay die in their stead for them that he foreknew would reject him and believe not Did he give Millions for them to redeem them and deny one Pound to make that Redemption effectual to them in order to give them a Right to it and Interest in it What! give them the greater and deny them the lesser Gift But how contrary is this to what Paul says If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being now reconciled we shall be saved by his Life And again saith He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall not he freely give us all things Secondly If Life Spiritual and Eternal be by Grace or if it is given freely by Jesus Christ Then all that have not this Gift given to them Life given Grace given are spiritually dead and if they die naturally before it is given to them they must perish for ever or die eternally Thirdly We may also infer That all that would have Everlasting Life must come to Jesus Christ seeing it is his Gift Ye will not not come to me that ye might have Life Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life Sinners you must believe in relie upon or fly unto Christ if you would be saved If thou knowest the Gift of God and who it is that saith Give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living Water O know where this Life is how it is given and do not neglect the time Christ is now giving forth this Gift this is the time Behold now is the Day of Salvation Hear and your Souls shall live 'T is but asking Life and thou shalt have it thou must believe c. O seek and cry to God for Life haste to Christ Were there an earthly Crown or many Thousands of Pounds to be freely given what running and striving would there be every Body would make haste and be early at the Door they would not neglect the Time But alas what are all Riches all Crowns or all Kingdoms here below to Eternal Life So much for this Time JOHN X. 28. And I give them-Eternal Life and they shall never perish DOCT. 3. All the Saints of God all Believers or Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ shall be saved and none of them shall so fall away as eternally to perish Beloved in speaking unto this Point of Doctrine I shall only do two things I. Endeavour to confirm and prove the Truth of the Proposition II. Answer all the Objections that are usually brought against the Doctrine of the Saints final Perseverance First But before I enter upon the Proof and Confirmation of this great gospel-Gospel-Truth let me hint a word or two to explain who we mean by the Saints of God Secondly I shall shew you by way of Premise that the Saints or Sheep of Christ may fall yea fall from Grace and also how far they may fall and then proceed to demonstrate the Truth of the Proposition and prove That they cannot fall finally so as eternally to perish 1. Those that I call the Saints of God or Sheep of Christ are those who are elected or chosen in Jesus Christ unto Salvation 2. And such who are elected are they who are redeemed and purchased by the Blood of Christ or those whom he died for or in the stead of 3. By the Saints I mean those who are effectually called regenerated justified sanctified and adopted these are the Sheep of Christ that shall never perish but have Everlasting Life They are not all such that are of his Fold or Church on Earth not all the Members of the visible Church but all the Members of the invisible Church or mystical Body of Christ Secondly I shall shew you how far the Saints may fall 1 st They may if they take not heed fall into great Evils nay into most of the worst and abominable Sins any Mortals do commit and are overcome by Noah was a Saint of God yet he fell grievously by drinking too much Wine Noah began to be an Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drank of the Wine and was drunken Though it might be partly through Ignorance of the Nature of the Fruit of the Grape yet no doubt by the pleasantness of the Liquor and Corruption and Infirmity of the Flesh he was overcome Lot was a Saint of God a righteous and just Man yet he fell worse not only by Drunkenness but also by committing Incest with his two Daughters What are the best of Men when God leaves them to themselves Jacob also no doubt greatly sinned and fell when he told his Father he was Esau his First-born How lamentably did David sin and fall who was a Man after God's own Heart save in the Case of Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah Peter fell likewise and that grievously too not only in denying of his blessed Master but also by Cursing and Swearing that he did not know him Many more sad Instances I might add of this Nature but that I love not
has promised thee Victory but thou must sight Grace teacheth us to deny all Vngodliness He that is not under the Influence of Grace never had the Truth of it in him Fourthly Always consider this in thy Heart that thy standing is by Grace and that thou art in Christ's Hand O depend on him for all and fly to him for whatsoever thou dost need 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 closed the last Time with the Consirmation of the Doctrine which I have for several days been upon I shall now proceed to consider of the Objections and give an Answer to them that are usually brought against this great and comfortable Doctrine of the Saints final Perseverance Several of which I have answered already as I met with them occasionally under divers of those Arguments I have spoken to in clearing up the Truth of the Proposition therefore shall labour to answer such that remain which take as they here follow Object 1. If Christ did not die for all how could the Birth of our Saviour be said to be Matter of Joy unto all People And the Angel said unto them Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy which shall be to all People For unto you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Answ 1. I answer All People doth not intend every individual Person to all People that is the good News is not to you only but to both Jews and Gentiles I have shewed you before that all and every and whole World is taken in many places of Holy Scripture with restriction and takes in but a part as on the contrary when the Vniversality of the Subject is intended it is expressed by singular If a Man die shall he live again Which refers to every Man He that believeth shall be saved it signifies all that so do So I will pour out of my Spirit upon ALL Flesh as you have it in Joel that is upon Persons of every Age Sex and Degree upon Young Old Masters Servants Sons and Daughters so it may be taken here and in several other places as that in 1 Tim. 2. 4. Who will have all Men saved c. that is Kings as well as Peasants Noble as well as Ignoble Rich as well as Poor Gentiles as well as Jews or some of all sorts The Gospel is said to be preached in Paul's Time to every Creature under Heaven whereas it reached then but to a small part of the World one great part not being at that time known or found out as one well observes 2. Was the Birth of Christ Matter of Joy in the Effects of it to Judas and to the unbelieving Jews and to many more 3. I argue thus If the Birth and Death of Christ was cause of greatest Joy to all Persons individually considered it must be thus either in respect of the Design Purpose and Intention of God because of such Joy unto them or else in respect of the certain Effects of his Birth and Death But 1. Who will say that God according to his Eternal Purpose and Design did intend it for the Salvation of every individual Person None can be so weak sure to assert that for who shall resist God's Will or withstand God's absolute Design Purpose and Intention Christ must accomplish or effect the Salvation of all if in that sense it was Matter or Cause of Joy unto all or that he died for all or that God would have all that is every individual Man and Woman in the World saved 2. And as to the Effects of the Death of Christ it is evident quite otherwise for Multitudes have no saving Benefit thereby Therefore it follows clearly that that is not the sense of the Text nor Mind of the Spirit of God though in some sense the Birth and Death of Christ was Cause of Joy to all since every one received all that Good thereby whatsoever it is they are possessed of 4. Did not Simeon by the Holy Ghost say that this Child speaking of Christ is set for the Fall and rising again of many in Israel Unto some the word is a Savour of Death unto Death and Christ a Stone of stumbling the Reason is because they that believe in him shall be saved and they that believe not shall be damned We freely grant the intervening of Mens Unbelief Malice and Opposition to Christ and his Gospel is the proximate meritorious Cause of the Fall and Ruin of any Soul 5. Also it is said Every Man shall have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. which can refer to none but to good Men or godly Men only So it is said God is the Father of all One God and Father of all Eph. 4. 6. Yet as Mr. Cole observes on that place the Devil is the Father of the greatest part of the World Christ is said to reconcile all things to himself whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven Col 1. 20. Yet what a multitude are not nor ever shall be reconciled to him All certainly intends none but the Elect So it is said it is written in the Prophets they shall all be taught of God John 6. 45. It respects only Believers or God's New-Covenant-Children Now seeing the word all and every in many Places refers only to the Elect and is taken with such Restriction why should it be taken Universally here and in those other Places mentioned especially considering the Arguments I have laid down to prove that Christ did not die for any but those that were given to him by the Father we having also proved he died in their stead for whom he suffered Death so that they might never die Eternally Object 2. If there be such a Decree of Election and that none shall be saved but those that God hath ordained to Eternal Life what need Men seek after or regard the Salvation of their Souls Answ This Objection we have largely answered under our first Argument to prove the Saints final Perseverance taken from the Election of Grace to which I refer you Object 3. This Doctrine of Election and Final Perseverance tends to make Men loose and remiss in the Service of God Answ 1. What can be a greater Mistake Do the certain Grounds of Hope of obtaining the Victory tend to make a Souldier remiss and careless when engaged in the Battel Or do they not much more animate him to fight couragiously 2. Shall a Child be taken off from his Duty or be remiss in serving his Father because his Father tells him he shall never be disinherited 3. Did not Christ know that the Angels had Charge over him yet was he less careful of his own Preservation And did not Paul assure all that were in the Ship with him that they should all be saved yet did that take him
their Bodies to be burned and yet be destitute of saving Grace or of true Love to God and therefore not self-condemned Hypocrites whose Hearts condemn them and yet be far from the State of sincere and renewed Christians APPLICATION 1. O see what Light what Spiritual Light you have received and what Convictions you have had the experience of 2. Which do you account the greatest Evil Sin or Suffering the Torture or Pain you feel or the Sin you have committed Do you groan most under the sense of Sin and want of Holiness or under the presages and fear of Hell and Damnation May be you cry out your State is sad but what think you of your Sin which is the Cause of it 3. Be exhorted to labour after true Spiritual Illuminations and thorow Convictions of Sin Motives 1. Sin will be your Pain and Sorrow first or last either here or hereafter 2. Consider what a good and gracious God you have offended 3. Without effectual Convictions there will be no true Conversion and where the first is indeed wrought the last will follow those that God kills in this respect he will make alive 4. Remember the Word never comes with Power until Convictions come with Power and also abide on the Soul and Conscience of the Sinner 5. Consider that it is better to be broken in Mercy than in Judgment better here than in Hell 6. Remember that true and thorow Convictions tend to let out the Life or Power of your Sin and consider also what Means of Convictions God is pleased to afford you 7. Sinner Christ was wounded for thy Sin look up to him nothing breaks the Soul rightly you have heard but a sight of a broken and crucified Christ HEB. VI. 4 5. For it is impossible for those c. I Have closed with the first Qualification or Attainment of these Persons spoken of in my Text I shall now proceed to the Second And have tasted of the Heavenly Gift 1. By the Heavenly Gift some understand the Heavenly Doctrine In that sense it may be true for Herod had some kind of Taste of the Heavenly Doctrine which John the Baptist preached he heard him gladly or with Joy As the Baptism of John is said to be from Heaven so all the Truths and Ordinances of the Gospel may be said to be but one intire Heavenly Gift 2. Others by the Heavenly Gift understand the Holy Ghost according to that in Acts 8. 20. Thou hast thought the Gift of God may be purchased with Money So Acts 10. 45. That on the Gentiles also was poured the Gift of the Holy Ghost Quest But what Gift of the Holy Ghost is it which these Persons are said to have a taste of Answ 1. The miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost in the Times of the Gospel in the extraordinary Gifts thereof which are said to come down from Heaven in a way of Eminency as Acts 1. 4 5. and of those Gifts these Persons might have some taste either by their receiving those Gifts themselves for that unsound Persons may do And in thy Name we have cast out Devils so 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. And though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have not Charity I am nothing or else they may be said to have a taste of those Gifts by being wonderfully affected by beholding the miraculous Operations of this Heavenly Gift wrought by others 2. By tasting of the Heavenly Gift it may refer to the Doctrine of the Gospel it may denote their making some trial by Hearing and diligently attending on the Doctrine of Salvation there is a tasting for trial either to receive or refuse as we commonly do Meats or other things Every tasting is not a digesting Men taste before they eat and digest food These Persons may taste of the Doctrine of Justification taste of the Heavenly Gift or Doctrine of God's Free Grace taste of the Ordinance of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and seem also to like the Heavenly Gift well in all these and in other respects yet may feed all the while on some one Lust or another on the Love of this World or on their carnal and sensual Pleasures and because they were never savingly renewed having no new Nature they could not feed on spiritual Things so as to digest them No doubt it was or is such a tasting as the full Stomach takes sometimes of Food a full Stomach will taste yet refuse to eat they have no Appetite these being glutted with the Love of other things the Heavenly Gift is not so sweet to them as Food is to an hungry Man The Sum then is this these Persons had or may have some Experience of the Holy Ghost in the miraculous Gifts either in themselves or in others their Understandings being enlightned for it is evident that 't is a Taste by Illuminations by what we before shewed and they also might taste the Heavenly Doctrine or Ministration of the Gospel and might find the Truths the Institutions and Worship thereof to be good they making a trial of it so far as their carnal and unsanctified Hearts were capable to do yea they might find the Ways of God better than once they thought before they were inlightned and from thence imbraced them to appearance owned and walked therein for a time Doct. 2. That there is a Goodness and an Excellency in the Heavenly Gift and Heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which such may taste of that never receive the Truth in the Power and Love thereof Doct. 3. That the rejecting and utter casting off the Gospel and the Ordinance and Worship thereof after some Tastes and Experience of it is an high Offence to God and a fearful Aggravation of Sin and a certain Presage of Damnation So much as to their second Attainment 3dly And were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost This seems to be more than a bare tasting Object Doth not this seem to interfere with your Exposition of the Attainment you mentioned last Answ 1. To this take Dr. Owen's Answer It is saith he ordinary to have the same thing twice expressed in various words to quicken the Sense of them 2. The Holy Ghost is mentioned before as he hints as the great Gift of the Gospel-Times as coming down from Heaven not absolutely not as unto his Person but with respect unto an especial Work namely the changing of the whole State of Religious Worship in the Church of God 3. But here in these words when it is said They were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost it is spoken chiefly in respect unto external actual Operations 1. They partake of the Holy Spirit in the common Operations of it themselves they tasted the Heavenly Doctrine as it was administred by others as it is hinted before but here is a Reception or a partaking of the Holy Spirit whereby it had some great and visible Operations upon their Hearts and Lives though not saving Operations not such
Brethren each Person in the Trinity hath a part in it the Father hath his Part the Son hath his Part and the Holy Ghost hath his Part also Remember that these three are one though three Persons or Subsistences yet but one and the same God one in Essence though distinguished as to their distinct Personalities the Person of the Father is not the Person of the Son the Father took not upon him Flesh and died for our Sins but the Son the Son sent not the Father but the Father sent the Son The Father and the Son do not proceed from the Holy Ghost but the Holy Ghost doth proceed from them But a little to open and insist upon the distinct Parts which each Person hath and how concerned in the accomplishing of this great Salvation 1. The Father is held forth in the Scripture as the Contriver or first Author of this Salvation All Things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ All Things in and about our Salvation are of God the Father as he is the Fountain and Spring of it He hath devised means that his banished might not for ever be expelled from him I have found a Ransom Where did God find it saith Reverend Caryl Certainly in his own Bosom in his own Heart Jesus Christ came out of the Bosom of the Father there he was and God found him in and with himself he did not find the Ransom by chance but he found it in his own Wisdom Love and Goodness 2. The Father was injured his Glory seemed to be eclipsed by Sin therefore must be righted and his Honour repaired and he sought out the proper way to do it I know as if God should say how to do the poor Sinner good I know how to save him and do my own Honour my Justice Truth and Holiness no wrong my Honour is secured my Justice is satisfied and yet the Sinner whom my Heart is set upon shall be saved 3. The Father could only appoint the Terms and Way of our Salvation Who but God could tell or did know what would comport with his Truth and Justice and with the Sanction of his Righteous Law and Infinite Holiness And he saw it did not comport with his Truth Justice Holiness and Blessed Law to save Man meerly as an Act of Sovereign Mercy but it did agree in his Infinite Wisdom to transfer the Punishment of the Sinner to another namely to his own Son he taking our Nature on him who from the Union of the two Natures in one Person procured an Infinite Satisfaction or made a Plenary Compensation for our Sins 4. God the Father is therefore held forth as the Person who substituted his own Son as Mediator and Surety in our stead and room to work out our Redemption or this great and glorious Salvation and to this end prepared him a Body A Body hast thou prepared me And the Father is said also to send his Son How many times doth our Blessed Saviour ascribe this unto the Father in the Gospel recorded by John I am perswaded not less than forty times The Father that sent me is with me God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World This is the Will of him that sent me 5. All the Blessings of our Salvation are ascribed to the free Bounty Mercy Love and Goodness of God the Father Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People and hath raised up an Horn of Salvation c. And therefore he is stiled The Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort Now this being so what an abominable thing is it for the Socinians to say That the Doctrine of Satisfaction renders the Son more merciful and kind than the Father see Penn's Sandy Foundation shaken No this is very unjustly and unrighteously thrown upon this great gospel-Gospel-Truth Certainly it exalts the Goodness and Mercy of God the Father far more than their idle and absurd Notion of God's pardoning Sin in a way of meer Mercy without a Satisfaction to his offended Justice seeing God in a way of Mercy and Divine Goodness is so set upon this Work of our Salvation that though it cost him the Life of his own Son yet it shall be done he will not spare him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all The Father did not spare him as an Act of his own Love and Goodness to us God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Certainly that Person shews greater Love and Pity to another who to save him gives a Million than he that gives but a Pound Must God by these Men be deemed to have no Mercy at all because he seeks the Honour of his Justice equally with the Glory of his Mercy Is he not Merciful because he is Just as well as Gracious 6. Brethren it was the Father that loved us and chose us in Jesus Christ before the Foundation of the World which is the Spring of all Spiritual Blessings even of Redemption and Salvation it self 7. Moreover the Father is said to raise Jesus Christ from the Dead Though the Son being God could raise himself yet as Mediator the Power to quicken whomsoever he will is said to be given to him by the Father Besides it is the meer Grace and good Pleasure of God the Father to accept of Christ and his Obedience for us and to accept of us in Jesus Christ Also it is the Father that blesseth us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Nay no Man Christ says can come unto him unless it be given by the Father that is Power must be given to him to come And again he saith No Man can come unto me except my Father that sent me draw him We ought therefore to see we do not lessen the Glory of God the Father in our Salvation who is the Efficient the Original and moving Cause thereof My Father saith Christ hitherto worketh and I work Brethren we are not to attribute the Works of Creation and Providence to God the Father only for he hath a great and glorious Hand in the Work of Redemption I may say to accomplish this Work even the Salvation of his Elect he worketh hitherto and Christ also worketh which brings me to consider of the next Person in the Trinity concerned herein Secondly As the Father hath as you have heard his part in bringing in the great Salvation of the Gospel so Jesus Christ the Son of God hath his part in working of it out the Father fix'd on him as the great Agent actually to perfect it he is in such a peculiar manner concerned in it that his Name is Saviour his Name shall be called Jesus Jesus signifies a Saviour certainly this must needs be a great Salvation if we consider the Greatness Dignity and Glory of his Person whom God hath sent to save us