well as a Saviour None of them did look upon Jesus Christ that hee might deliver their souls from the power of their sin and work righteousness in them as well as deliver them from the wrath that is to come Therefore though some of them would bee glad to bee saved from hell by Christ yet to look upon Christ in regard of his purity and holiness as altogether lovely this none of them could do Thirdly and lastly None of them did lift up God as the highest end of all and give up themselves and all that they had or were or could do being empty of themselves so as to lift up God as revealed in Christ as the highest end so as God and Christ to bee all in all to their souls they went not thus far And therefore do not think that it is a putting people to great streights to tell them how far many went whose souls were lost and if they went no further their souls would likewise bee eternally lost Now then these things being so what remains but that you should lay them to your hearts Oh lay them to your hearts and if God would but bee pleased this evening to cause every one in this Congregation to examine themselves and call their souls into question O my soul how is it with thee how do things stand between God and thee art thou in such an estate as if God should call for thee out of the body this moment that thou shouldest bee saved Oh bee not satisfied in any thing in the world till you come to a resolution in these things And if you finde that these things speak against you and your souls bee cast by them for the present do not sleight them for verily God will make them good upon thee these things shall stand when thy soul shall perish Wherefore then this is the last use about this point of the dreadful loss of the soul Use Oh then let every man or woman propound this question Act. 16.30 What shall I then do to bee saved The world is troubled with a great many questions at this day questions that have no great necessity in them but here is the great question Men and Brethren what shall I do to bee saved And if people when they meet together would bee taken up and bee asking of this question one of another it would prevent a great many wrangling and jangling questions that men spend their time in oh when they are asking of you many such vain questions answer those vain questions but thus I but do you know how one may do to be saved tell mee something of the way of God about the salvation of my soul and that is that that both Ministers and Christians should most aim at to help one another in they should not fill peoples heads with curious questions and specially young ones for that is a great deceit of the Devil at this day There was never a time wherein there was a more hopeful harvest of young ones than there was two or three years since in England and in this City and because the Devil saw it was in vain to tempt their hearts to their former prophaneness hee labours by all means to cause them to fall into the hands of vain jangling people that shall fill their heads with a great many curious questions about controversies and things that they do not understand and so take away the very strength and life of the work of the Word upon them when as the Scripture tells us plainly that wee must not receive the weak in Faith unto doubtful disputations Rom. 14.1 But Object You will say wee must inquire after all truths Answ It is true but seasonably in their due time It is not for young converts before they bee setled in the main things of Religion to have their heads filled with doubtful disputations it is the plain Scripture and it is as plain if wee would understand it as Thou shalt not steal or commit adultery oh this hath hindered the salvation of many a soul Now therefore this is that that I would aim at to turn the strength of your souls into this great question What shall wee do to bee saved in Ecclesiastes 7. saith the wise man there God hath made man upright but hee hath found to himself many inventions so your books have it but I finde it translated in the old Lattin Hee hath mingled himself with many questions so they turn the phrase Now the Lord take off your hearts from those and give you hearts to attend to this great question What shall wee do to bee saved It was the question you know of the Jaylor in Act. 16.30 And it concerns those that yet have not assurance of what condition their souls are in for salvation to ask this question speedily and not to put it off till they come to sickness and death and then send for Ministers and godly Christians and say Oh! what shall I do how many upon their sick and death beds that never minded to inquire before what they should do to bee saved theâ— are in dreadful anguish and then cry out Oh what shall I do Oh the distressed condition I am in I am afraid my soul is lost for ever what shall I do why dost thou ask it now is this question to ask now when thy soul is going before the great and dreadful God to have the sentence of its eternal doom to bee past upon it Oh it concerns you betimes you young ones as soon as ever you come to know you have souls it concerns you to bee asking this great question What shall I do to bee saved And wee have an example of this of a young man that Christ lookt upon in love because hee was inquisitive about the salvation of his soul the story is in Matth. 19.16 Behold one came and said unto him Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life and vers 20. It appears that this was a young man The young man saith unto him All these things have I done Oh it were a comely thing for young men to come to Christ and say What shall wee do to have eternal life and it appears that hee was a young Gentleman a man of great possessions and hee is called in the Gospel by St. Luke a Ruler some Interpreters think that that was meant onely in the family for the Jews had some chief in the family that did rule and govern there but this young man hee comes to Christ and that running Mark 10.17 as in Mark 10. where you have the story and Christ lookt upon him and loved him as in vers 21. Oh it is a lovely thing to see young people begin betimes to inquire what they should do to bee saved and wee have had great hopes of young people but here is the policy of the Devil when the Lord was bringing the greatest harvest of young people within this three or four years
salvation and the Covenant of Grace but not distinctly It may bee after this beam of light is darted in God may come over again distinctly and reveal to him his miserable estate by nature and humble him more and so hee may have a little glimpse of this at one Sermon and a little more at another but at that very instant there may bee that let into the heart that possibly may unite the heart to Jesus Christ and save it if it should dye at that present here is a wonderful work in the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ 6 And then Christ is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this he teaches the heart no men nor Angels can teach the heart but Jesus Christ though men or Angels may present truths before another man and so convince the understanding yet there is no men nor Angels can bee able to say thus I will so make known such a truth to this man or woman as I will gain his heart by it it shall transform his heart into the very image of that truth that I shall present unto him no man nor Angel can do it but Christ hee teaches so as no man teaches Job 36.22 Behold God exalteth by his power who teacheth like him Now God teacheth by Christ in the administration of his Prophetical Office Man may come and tell us this and the other thing ought to bee done Oh but who teaches like Jesus Christ none teaches the heart but Jesus Christ Job 38.36 Who hath put wisdome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart certainly none living no Angel can do it nor no man can do it it is onely Jesus Christ in the administration of his Prophetical Office it is hee that teaches and prevails with the heart when hee comes with truths therefore when you see people come to hear many truths and sit under a clear and distinct Ministry that opens many truths unto them it may bee many will get brain-knowledge that shall make them to confer about those truths but yet not changed you will say What should bee the reason why they that have so much knowledge live wickedly why here is the ground Jesus Christ hee hath not exercised this Prophetical Office of his so far upon them to over-power their hearts Here is the reason why such men have had knowledge in the brain and yet lived wickedly a long time yet if they belonged to Christ at some other time they shall come to hear the Word of God they shall hear the very same truths they heard before and perhaps delivered in a weaker manner than they have heard it and yet their hearts shall bee a hundred times more wrought upon at that time than ever they were wrought upon before Sometimes a man comes by accident into a Congregation and hears a Minister upon such a subject and it may bee a Minister by the by speaks of something that hee little thought of perhaps before hee came up and this man hath heard the same truth largely handled perhaps many Tractates about it heretofore and his heart never touch'd but now hearing it mentioned by the by his heart is mightily wrought upon and he goes away and saith Verily God is in this place What is the reason why here Christ speaks to the heart and before man only spoke to the ear this is a wonderful thing in the Prophetical Office of Christ that hee speaks to the heart and thus should wee exercise our faith upon Christ in this when wee come to the Word look upon Christ by the eye of faith as the great Prophet of the Church that teaches so as no man teaches that doth not onely speak unto the ear but speaks unto the heart 7 Further Chrâ—â—t is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this In that hee teaches immediately himself indeed hee doth teach mediately that is by his Ministers therefore you shall finde Act. 1.1 there St. Luke speaking of Christs teaching when hee lived here upon the earth saith hee in vers 1. The former Treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach why Luke is hee that writ the Gospel and the Acts hee writ the summe of what Christ did teach in the whole course of his life and yet here hee tells us that hee did make a Treatise and did relate what Jesus Began to do and teach if one should have said to Luke Why did you not relate all that Jesus did do and preach why Christ is dead now But the meaning is this That indeed all that Christ did preach personally when hee was here in the world it was but a Beginning Christ was to teach afterwards to the end of the world and that hee was to do partly by his Ministers that should bee to the end of the world hee doth exercise his Prophetical Office by them And by the way whensoever you come to hear any Minister of God to reveal any thing of the Gospel to you you are to look upon it as Christ exercising his Prophetical Office in this way hee is wonderful in teaching in this that hee doth not onely by instruments but immediately himself many times where there is want of means wee may there expect Jesus Christ immediately to reveal the Will of his Father to those souls that do belong to Election 8 And then Christ is wonderful in teaching for hee teaches infallibly which none can do Likewise many other particulars might bee named in the wonder of Christs Prophetical Office but time doth slip mee therefore wee will proceed to the next thing in the wonder of Christ onely take this along with you That in your beleeving in Jesus Christ you must beleeve in him as Christ that is Anointed by the Father King Priest and Prophet and when you exercise your faith upon him in all these three of his Offices then you will know what it is rightly to beleeve indeed But to go on The Third SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ Isaiah 9.6 And his Name shall bee called Wonderful Christ Wonderful in his Miracles CHrist is wonderful in the Miracles that hee wrought here in the World while hee lived in the second of Acts vers 22. Yee men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of you as yee your selves also know Never did any come into the Woâ—ld to work such great Miracles and Wonders as Christ did and indeed all that ever did Miracles and Wonders they did doe them by Jesus Christ Josephus that was no great friend to Christ hee was a Jew and did not acknowledge Christ to be the Messias yet he writing the Story of those times could not but take notice of such an one as Christ hee did professe that at such a time there was a Wise man did arise which they did call by the Name of Jesus that did work a great
of spirits Shall wee not much rather bee in subjection to the Fâ—ther of spirits and live As if God did not so much look after and regard your bodies the outward man but hee is the Father of spirits And in Zeck 12.1 There is likewise an expression to the same purpose That God did form the spirit of man within him God accounts it a special part of his glory that hee makes the spirits of men hee is the Father of spirits But now I shall not enter into that controversie of the Generation of the soul thus far these Scriptures with others do evidence that God hath a more special hand in the producing of this spiritual substance than hee hath in other Creatures 2 And further The soul is onely under Gods command No Creature can have power over the soul of a man he may force his body but his soul cannot bee forced by men or Angels 3 Yea And it is under the power of no Creature to inflict evil upon it Fear not them saith Christ that can kill the body and can do no more there is all they can do Mat. 10.28 Luk. 12.4 5 they can but kill the body fear not them but fear him who after hee hath killed the body hath power to cast the soul into Hell yea I say unto you fear him saith Christ So that it appears by the Text that there is no Creature can do hurt to the soul the Devils themselves they cannot do it they can propound objects before the soul but except the soul do consent they cannot force it it is onely God that hath power over the soul therefore saith Christ fear him that is fear God that hath this power all other creatures this is all their do as wee may say they are able to kill the body 4 But further The excellency of the soul of man in reference unto God appears especially in the large extent of capacity that it hath to receive the Image of God and its ability to work according as God doth work himself and to enjoy communion with God and to receive the communication of those choice excellencies that God hath to communicate these things shew the excellency of the soul the large extent I say of the soul in the capacity it hath of good of divine good As First It is that that is capable to have the Image of God stampt upon it Whatsoever the body hath it is but in way of reflection from the soul wee know those Princes that are great and rich Princes except necessity compells them do not use to stamp their Image upon Leather or Brass or Copper but upon the choicest metals upon Gold and Silver So when God would have a Creature upon which hee would stamp his Image hee doth not chuse a mean Creature the brute beasts or any sensitive Creature but hee chuseth the most excellent of his Creatures Angels and the spirits of men that are one as Gold and the other as Silver and the great God stamps his Image upon these two and onely upon these two these are the two Principal Metals Gold and Silver Angels and mens spirits upon which God did stamp his Image in their first Creation Secondly Not onely to have the Image of God upon them but they are able to work as God himself works No other Creature is able to do so but Angels and mens spirits And this is the principal thing that shews the excellency of the soul it is able to understand the first beeing God himself and to make God to bee the last end of all things what is Gods work wherein the very happiness as I may so say of God himself consists but in the understanding of himself as the first beeing and the working unto himself as the last end and the enjoyment of himself that is Gods own happiness Now of such excellency is the soul of man however by sin it is depraved that it is capable of the understanding of an infinite eternal first beeing it is capable of working towards this first beeing as the last good of all which is the same way and kinde of working as God himself doth work Thirdly And it is capable of injoyment of the communion with God himself What is Gods happiness but to enjoy himself as the onely good Now the soul of man is capable of the enjoyment of God of having communion with the infinite first beeing of all things and so hee is capable of living the same life that God himself lives for so the Scripture saith Ephes 4.18 Colos 1.21 That the Heathens were estranged from the life of God so that it appears then that beleevers are not estranged from the life of God but do live the life of God in the injoyment of communion with himself For indeed there could bee no communion except there were living the same kinde of life as thus A man and a beast cannot have communion together why because they live not the same life one with another their lives are of different kindes so were it not that the soul were capable of the same life that God lives it could not bee capable of communion with God Fourthly And further The soul is of such a nature as it is capable of the communication of the choicest excellencies that ever God did or will communicate unto any Certainly there are very glorious excellencies in God in the infinite fountain of all good in the infinite first beeing of all things and this God being an infinite good doth take infinite delight in the communication of his goodness Now I say the souls of men are of such a large extent as they are some way capable of the enjoyment of any good that God hath to communicate which hee hath revealed in his word yea and the truth is when wee hear of Gods communicating of himself to his Son that hath a humane soul as well as a body wee cannot but conceive that a humane soul is of that large extent as it is capable of the highest and excellentest good that God hath to communicate to any Creature We cannot but think that the soul of Jesus Christ hath as much of Gods goodness communicated to it as ever creature had or can have now the soul of Jesus Christ is of the same nature with our souls as his body hee took the same kinde of flesh as wee have onely there was no sin and so the soul it is the same kind of soul that wee have onely it was not sinful as ours are Now if the soul of Jesus Christ bee capable of the highest good that God the infinite good hath to communicate to any creature then the souls of men and women are also howsoever you have look'd after your souls no further but onely to bee serviceable to your bodies to get meat and drink and bee as it were salt Cujus anima est pro sale as the Philosopher saith of the Epicure that the soul serves for no other end to
to himself as ever was I think since the beginning of the world and the Devil knowing that hee could not get them to turn to lewdness and prophaneness presently again therefore hee labours to put them upon turning all their Religion into questions about controversal things which they could not be able to mannage and understand and so puts them off the thoughts of that great question What they should do to bee saved But O labour to inquire and to bee satisfied and resolved in that question betimes Secondly If you ask this question as you are to do it betimes so do it earnestly do it with a great deal of fervency of spirit as a matter of infinite concernment so in Matth. 10.17 When hee was gone forth into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life Hee came running with a great deal of fervency and earnestness about the business and the fervency that youth hath should bee manifested in this in being earnest in the inquiring after the way of salvation people that are elder they think they are well enough and they have not lived so long they think as not to know how to bee saved all this while and therefore will not enquire so that their spirits do not boil with that fervency and heat as young ones do hee came running to Christ Thirdly If you do inquire inquire sincerely with a heart truly willing to do whatsoever God shall make known to you wee are this day about this great question what a man should do to save his soul I suppose many of you would bee glad to know what should bee done and mee-thinks every one is ready to ask such a question as this is But before wee come to answer it let mee speak to you as in the Name of God do you desire to know it with a heart truly willing to yeeld to whatsoever should out of Gods Word bee revealed to you put this to your own hearts before wee come to give any answer otherwise what do you hear this day if there bee not such a heart as this that you can appeal to God and profess that whatsoever this day the Lord shall reveal unto meâ— from his Word that I should do to save my soul here I am and profess to yeeld my self up to the truths of God if your hearts bee so fram'd then wee may have incouragement to come and shew you what should bee done Fourthly And you must inquire constantly too if you should not bee satisfied at one time never bee at rest till you are satisfied do not ask what I should do and come to hear what you should do and then pass it over and let every little thing take this out of your minds again but when you begin to bee inquiring after the way of salvation resolve that you will never give rest to your souls till you have gotten this question answered to you And there is a great deal of reason that wee should ask this question in such a way For Reas First Every one of your souls are in a lost condition naturally therefore it concerns you to bee inquiring after the way of salvation Secondly The salvation of a soul is the most difficult thing in the world if ever thy soul bee saved it must cost more than Heaven and Earth is worth to save it it is not therefore such a trifling business the saving of souls This I dare avouch as in the Name of God that the soul of the poorest girl or servant that is here if it bee saved it must cost more than Heaven and Earth is worth to save it therefore there is a difficulty in it Thirdly and lastly There are but few that shall bee saved there is nothing more clear in the Word of God than that that there are but few souls that shall bee saved wee cannot tell as I have said that this or the other soul cannot bee saved wee are not to enter into Gods counsels concerning particular souls but this wee may say Matth. 7.13 compared with Luk. 13.24 and have warrant from the Word to say that there are but few souls that shall bee saved Strive to enter in at the strait gate for strait is the gate and narrow is the way and few there bee that enter And upon that ground Christ himself raises that exhortation therefore strive therefore inquire you after the way of salvation with all your might if there should a voice come from Heaven at this time and say there are but few in this Congregation shall go out alive it would put every one to a stand every one would think with himself Oh Lord must I die here why there is this voice from Heaven that there are but few souls in the world but shall perish eternally then certainly it is not for us to bee quiet but it concerns us to bee restless in our conditions and every one to say what is it I what is it I when Christ did but say that one of you shall betray mee every one was inquiring Is it I Is it I but when it is said that there shall bee but few saved the flock of Christ is but a little flock the words in the original are two diminutives and may be translated a little little flock Oh it concerns you all to look about you But now these things being premised for the putting of you on to the enquiring after salvation with all your might now wee come to the answer of this question What wee should do that our souls may bee saved And in the answer to this wee must premise further First There is nothing that any man can do that saves him there must bee somewhat higher that what hee can do and yet God requires that hee should do what hee can do Indeed what any man can do of himself yea or by assistance from common grace yea wee will say further by assistance from any grace whatsoever though it may help forward his salvation by an ordinance of God yet it cannot be the thing that saves him the thing that saves him is higher than what is done by the creature it is what is done by Christ or what is suffered by Christ it is that that saves the soul and not I say what is done or suffered by us But yet now wee must not make such a vain and foolish and dangerous inference that therefore nothing is to bee done because the things that wee do are not the things that save us there is a great deal of evil comes from men and womens presuming to draw consequences they think that if this bee true the other will follow and so through the weakness of their understandings Ephes 2.1 John 15.5 they come to draw dangerous consequences from true positions Why wee are dead in sins by nature and without mee yee can do nothing saith Christ upon this here is this consequence drawn by
many ignorant people that pervert the Word to their own destruction If God bee not merciful to them therefore why should wee pray or read or hear or use any means let us lay aside all wee can do nothing wee are dead in sins and the like Now wee are to know that though nothing can bee done by us till God bring us into a state of grace and salvation that is acceptable so as certainly shall bring us to Heaven yet if it bee but that that shall stop us in the contrary way a little it is worth our labour If it be but that that any way may tend towards the bringing of us unto any means that may do us good why it is worth our labour and all our pains but especially if wee consider this that though wee are not able to do that that shall save us yet God is pleased often to convey his strength to those hee doth intend to save through the use of those means rather at that time when they do improve their natural abilities than at that time when they sit idle and do nothing and therefore you must bee up and bee doing Wee read in the Gospel concerning the young man that I told you came to Christ and inquired what hee should do for eternal life Christ profest to him that hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven hee was not so far as others It is true if a man abuses his doing and rests in his doing that sets him as far from the Kingdome of Heaven as prophane ones and therefore Publicans and Harlots may enter into the Kingdome of Heaven as soon as Scribes and Pharisees But there may bee many actions done by a common assistance of Gods Spirit that may bring some nearer to the Kingdome of Heaven than others and the denial of such a thing as that is would bee an extream boldness in any for they are the very words of Christ to the young man That hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore notwithstanding your inability and notwithstanding the things that wee do are not the things that save us yet wee have ground enough to put on men and women to do Now the meaning of this great question is this What is the way that God ordinarily takes to bring men and women to salvation by or how should I follow God on in his way that is a certain truth of the Antients Though God made thee without thee yet hee will not save thee without thee God works upon us as upon rational creatures and therefore it doth concern all the children of men that would have their souls saved to observe the work of God and to stir up what is in them to joyn with the work of God in the way of salvation and certainly whatever conceits there are to the contrary they are not onely foolish but extream dangerous and Satans policy and cunning is exceedingly much seen in them A further thing that I would premise before I come to particulars is this when I speak of any thing that should bee done I prescribe no particular order knowing that the works of God are various And sometimes God stirs up a soul to do one thing and sometimes to do another thing but take them in what order you will yet wee must name them for memory sake in some order and God expects them from you and you are to joyn with God in those works if you would have your souls to bee saved The great Question of what wee should do to bee saved answered First If you would have your souls saved do you joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerning your lost condition labouring to understand those truths clearly that are delivered in the Word concerning the lost condition of souls by nature and to work those truths upon your hearts to bee sensible of them Those whom God intends to save hee shews unto them what this salvation is hee shews them from what it is they are to bee saved that so they may not run away vvith the meer word Salvation and saving of souls now God reveals this in his Word and when hee intends to save a soul hee doth by his Spirit stir it up to joyn with the Word of God and work those things upon its self so as to bee made sensible of them As thus the soul being solicitous how it should come to bee saved it searches the Scripture and there it findes how wee are by nature the children of wrath there it findes that God had made man according to his own Image at first but man hath sinned against God and broken the covenant upon which his eternal state did depend and in the sin of the first man all men have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and now are conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity so that there is a most dreadful breach between God and the soul and that man by nature is become an enemy to the Infinite God That now hee hath the seeds of all kind of sin in him and that all his life while hee continues in his natural estate here is nothing else but a fighting against God a flying in the very face of God Hee findes that by sin hee is brought under a most dreadful curse the curse of the Law and that hee is bound over by the bonds of the Law even to death to eternal death as the wages of sin these things the soul findes in Scripture now if thou wouldest bee saved when thou findest God revealing such things labour thorowly to convince thy soul of the truth of them and are these things so indeed is this my condition am I thus and thus naturally Oh what good then will it do to mee to have all the world and bee in such a condition as this is Oh my soul when wert thou sensible of this condition dost thou walk as it becomes one that is sensible of such a lost estate as this is Oh! labour to drink in these truths and to work them upon thy heart and cry to God to set them home upon thy spirit to make thy soul thorowly sensible of them as hee uses to make those whom hee hath a purpose to save Here 's the first thing And yet one thing about this further is That you must come to a conviction not onely of your lost estate but of your inability to save your selves and the inability that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth to save them that thy fall from God is so dreadful that all the created power in Heaven and Earth cannot help thee yea and that thou thy self now art unable to help thy self to save thy soul bee convinc'd thorowly of this This was the way that Christ took with the young man hee tells him of the Law first and then afterwards because hee was conceited that hee had fulfilled the Law and done it Christ puts him upon a duty that might convince him
of the Scripture how doth the hopes of those that shall bee saved arise Why they rise thus either by reading or hearing something out of the Word of God and God darting some light some truths into their souls through his Word they come to receive it and there it lies working in them till at length their souls relish it and they taste the sweetness of the Word and come to have comfort in it and so through patience and comfort of the Scriptures their hope comes to bee raised the Scripture in raising hopes first it works patience it usually beats down the soul first and speaks hard things to it and the soul that God over-powers to himself it is willing to lye under the power of the Scripture and bee patient notwithstanding the Scripture doth reveal such hard things and puts it upon never such hard duties the heart I say yeelds to it and at length the soul comes to finde sweetness out of the Scripture and so hopes comes to bee raised that is the soul sees some eternal truth out of the Word of God the truth of God himself that is eternal a divine truth that it dares venture its eternal estate upon and upon this it doth raise its hope it is able to give an account from some place of the Scripture upon what grounds it doth hope I hope that God will shew mercy to mee and save my soul in the day of Christ will some say I but what ground have you for your hopes Now if your hopes bee right then there is somewhat in this Book of God to bee shewed as the ground of this and indeed you can have but little comfort of your hopes except you bee able to hold forth some Scripture of other upon which you build your hopes for when you say you hope you may not mean that you think and aâ—e perswaded that it is so but what Scripture have you for iâ—â—â— you will say what Scriptures have any to ground their hopâ—s of salvation upon what Scriptures a great many I will give you but this one that many have to ground their hopeâ— upon Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Upon this now saith a soul that God brings to himself What doâ—h God say in his Word that word upon which my soul stands and must bee cast one day for eternity that those that are in Christ Jesus shall never bee condemned I but who are they such as walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit such as the bent of whose hearts and the indeavours of whose souls are not after fleshly things the comforts of this world but after spiritual things such whom the Lord hath made to be sensible of spiritual things and such as the Lord doth act and guide by his holy Spirit in their waies and conversations God saith such shall never be condemned then upon this I will build my hopes for I feel that the Lord hath been pleased to work so on mee as to bring mee to Jesus Christ to see him to close with him and to relye upon him and I feel the fruit of the Spirit of Christ in mee that whereas before I walked after the flesh and spiritual things I did not savour now I finde that the lusts of the flesh are mortified and I should wrong the grace of God if I should deny the actings and the guidings of the Spirit in my soul and therefore I will build my hopes and rest upon this Scripture And the more any soul rests upon any Scripture if it rests truly the more shall it finde the power of that Scripture upon it Therefore you shall know the difference between an hypocrites resting upon Scripture and one that rests through the work of Gods Grace an Hypocrite rests upon such a Scripture and conceits that his heart is according to the Scripture but now hee doth not finde that the more hee rests the more his heart is wrought upon by the Scripture and daily grows to bee liker and liker to the Scripture to come nearer and nearer to what is required in the Scripture but now when a gracious heart doth rest upon Scripture it findes that daily it doth grow nearer and nearer to the Scripture and that works daily more and more upon it and indeed this is the way to grow in sanctification and to make our hearts like to the Scriptures Fall upon several places and let your souls rest upon them for eternity and so you will finde your hearts to grow more and more like to those Scriptures and the power of those Scriptures will appear more and more in your hearts and conversations This is the way of the Saints that have hopes to bee saved Secondly Again those hopes that are to be rased are hopes that are not wrought in the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost in the forenamed Chapter The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost That hope that is right for salvation is such a hope as is wrought through the power of the Holy Ghost Now then that hope that is in men and women which is born with them and hath lived with them all their daies that springs from the root of nature for so that that is born with us and grows up with us all the daies of our lives I say it springs from a root of nature and so the hopes of most people they are no other but such as springs from a root of nature come from one to another and ask them do you think to bee saved I I hope so how long have you hoped so ever since I can remember I thank God I I thought so it is a hope that springs out of the root of nature and therefore you have had it alwaies whereas the true hope of the godly for salvation it is a hope wrought in their hearts by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghost And I appeal to you now what Almighty power of the Holy Ghost have you felt in your hearts to raise up those hopes that you have in you For certainly the grace of hope hath a difficulty in it as well as any grace whatsoever now all people almost finde an easiness in that but here the Scripture makes it to bee the glory of the Holy Ghost to raise hopes in any creature therefore those hopes that arise from a root of nature that are not wrought by an Almighty power of the Holy Ghost in the heart must bee rased down Do but put your souls to this question I have hopes to bee saved but Lord how are they wrought what power of the Holy Ghost hath been in my heart to raise these hopes Suppose there were no Holy Ghost as they said in the Acts that they had not so much as heard whether there were any Holy Ghost or no
beleeves that now surely the Lord intends salvation to mee the Lord hath laid such a ground-work upon my soul as I dare venture all upon it and now I have cause to hope that the hazard of miscarrying to all eternity is over O this is that that is the joy of the Holy Ghost joy unspeakable and glorious when the soul upon good grounds can have hopes that the hazard of its miscarrying to all eternity is over now My soul return unto thy rest Psal 16.7 saith such a one so that that is the next thing the rasing down of the old and raising up the new foundation Ninthly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved thou must keep thy soul under the authority of the Word and maintain the authority of the Word and the authority of conscience over thee this is the way if thou meanest to go in Gods way for salvation First For the Word The soul that God intends to save hee doth reveal unto it a dreadful authority that there is in this Book of God this is that word saith God to the soul wherein I have revealed my mind to the children of men Those counsels of my will that concern the eternal good of the children of men are in this book and all your souls are to be cast by this book by this word for eternity Now this being revealed to the soul the soul stands in awe of this word and trembles at this word fears the authority of it looks upon every threatning in the Word every command in the Word every promise in the Word as having a divine authority stampt upon it sees the broad Seal of Heaven stampt upon every thing in this Book and dares not wilfully transgress against any thing in the Word and so continues in keeping its self under the dreadful authority of the Word and that soul is in a good forwardness to bee saved that is kept under the dreadful authority of Gods Word in the constant course of it Now I appeal to you you would fain have your souls saved but can you say thus Indeed I have many sins yet God knows that knows all things that my soul it is kept under the dreadful authority of his Word continually and this I labour to do more and more and I am willing it should bee so I am not willing to have the authority of Gods Word cast off but I am gâ—ad that ever God did discover to mee the dreadful authority that there is in his Word Secondly And then the next thing is the authority of conscience if conscience have any enlightening it is that that will discover very much of the mind of God unto thee there is nothing will discover Gods mind more unto the heart of a man or woman than an enlightened conscience and it will discover it with power a Minister speaks and his words many times vanish in the Air but when conscience comes to discover Gods mind it comes with power and speaks particularly to this soul and the other soul and conscience when it hath light will bee pleading of Gods cause and admonishing and plucking the soul out of the waies of death and perdition and it will not easily bee put off you may easily put off the counsels of such and such friends but conscience will not easily bee put off it will come with such majesty upon the heart of a sinner that there is no gain-saying of it conscience will not regard the vain shifts that people have but still comes in a commanding power Oh keep the authority of conscience many men and women because they cannot go on freely in the waies of sin where conscience and the word have much authority over them therefore they seek to cast off the authority of the word and conscience but know this for a truth that that soul that hath cast off the authority of the word and conscience is going apace to Hell is going apace to destruction All the while the word and conscience kept thee under thou wert in some forwardness towards the way of life but if thou hast once cast off that then Oh how doth the soul grow hardened in sin how easily are the truths of God rejected and then it goes with greediness to satisfie the lusts of the flesh and ten thousand to one but such a soul perishes eternally Oh if there bee ever a soul in this place that had the authority of Gods word and conscience to bee over them with power and now through the violence of their lusts have cast it off Oh let such a one take notice of what is said unto them in the Name of God Oh thy soul is going apace to destruction But as for you that begin to feel any authority of the word or of conscience upon you Oh keep it for this it is that will carry and guide thee in the way that will bring to life at the last Tenthly If thou wouldest have thy soul bee saved take heed of sinning against the price of thy soul against the blood of the covenant and against mercy take heed of these three things take heed of sinning against Jesus Christ that paid the price against the Gospel that revealed the price of thy soul Oh take heed above all things of turning the grace of God into wantonness let not the free grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ bee turned to bee a means to harden thy soul in sin to think thou mayest take the more liberty to have the satisfaction of the lusts of the flesh why because Jesus Christ came to save sinners let mee say to thee as Peter to Simon Magus Oh Pray if it bee possible that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee If thou hast ever had such reasonings in thy heart why Jesus Christ came to save sinners and the grace of the Gospel that is free and full enough to save souls though they bee never such great sinners and upon that thou hast taken more liberty Oh thou hadst need fall down before the Lord and cry If it bee possible that such a thought of thy heart might bee forgiven thee if you look into the Epistle of Jude you shall finde a dreadful passage against such as turn the grace of God into wantonness it is made a sign of a Reprobate and it is as black a brand of a Reprobate as any one to turn the grace of God and especially that grace of God that is in the price that is paid for souls to turn that into wantonness is the most dreadful hinderance of saving of a soul that possibly can bee Oh take heed of sinning against Jesus Christ the great Saviour of souls but honour Jesus Christ all the waies you can would you fain have your souls saved Christ is the great Saviour of souls and you had need honour him Kiss the Son lest hee bee angry and love him Psal 2 1â— you had need love his ordinances and all his members and all his people you had need
Certainly there can bee no strength in this if what hath been spoken out of this Text bee true But now when there comes a temptation and prevails over thee thou dost deny this Scripture to bee the Word of God and thou settest thy judgement against the truth of God but now consider with thy self which is like to stand know that God will make his Word stand hee will make it good when thou and a thousand thousand such as thou art shall perish for ever and therefore as you that are chapmen when men offer you less than your ware is worth you scorn and contemn them so you should do when temptation offers you less than your soul is worth Wee read of Saul when hee saw the people following David saith hee What can the son of Jesse do for you Can hee give you Olive-yards and Vine-yards and the like So when temptation to sin comes ask it what can you do for mee can you save my soul in the time of distress you would draw mee to such and such courses such and such companions would draw mee to such and such waies I but you may put them off with this Is this the way to save my soul if it bee then I will do it but if it will not do that God forbid that I should meddle Oh therefore remember remember that the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.30 31. The Apostle would take off the hearts of men from the things of this world and bring this Argument saith hee The fashion of this world it passeth away Therefore use the world as not abusing it That that you have in your English book passes away it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I finde two very learned Writers translate it by a word that signifies to deceive The fashion of the world will deceive you at last and another by a word that signifies To go quite cross These two significations it hath it doth deceive or it goes quite cross the outward shew of the world oh it doth deceive thousand thousands of souls to their eternal perdition and it goes quite cross it seems to promise thee thus and thus much but it will go quite cross in the conclusion and will bee thy undoing if thou dost not take heed and therefore let not any thing in the world bee a temptation to thee for the least sin that possibly may bee I remember Austin in his book about an officious lye hath this passage saith hee A man must not tell an officious lye that is a lye without an intention to do any body hurt for the gaining of the world nay for the gaining of all the souls in the world the least sin is a greater evil than the gain of all the world is a good because that it is dangerous to the soul upon that very ground and therefore it is said of Basil when the persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that hee had but that did not prevail then they made him fair proffers and great advantages that hee should have I but Basil laught at them and bid them go and proffer such things to children So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius that godly man that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship The Idolaters afterwards came upon him and put him to extremity of torments and set children upon him to rake his flesh with their knives but at length they would bee content if hee would but give never so little for the building up of the Idol Temple again to let him go free No saith hee not one half-penny Certainly this point will bee enough to justifie any that shall lose estate or indure any thing in the world rather than do any thing that may in the least degree hazard their souls And so that Martyress Juletta when one accused her and said that shee was a Christian nay then saith the Judge you must not have liberty of the Law No saith shee then farewel riches and life and all shee would bee sure to keep her soul safe whatsoever became of all other things The last Use is an Use of Incouragement to those that will rather venture all in the waies of God than to hazard their souls thou art the wise Merchant that art willing to sell all for the Pearl and bless thy self in God for this that ever God hath put this into thy heart to look to that which is the main chance as wee use to say If God had left thee to thy self thou mightest have gone on in such waies as others do but canst thou say the Lord hath caused the fear of himself and the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul and I can appeal to him that whatever comes of mee in regard of outwards mee thinks I can bee satisfied so bee it all things bee well with my soul I say bless thy self in God a man is not to praise himself but in God that is thus When thou dost consider how God hath drawn thy heart to him and thy interest in God thou mayest bless thy self in God in the grace of God that hath given thee a heart taken off from creature-comforts dis-ingaged from them and set upon the things that concern the eternal salvation of thy soul bless thy self in God and bee not troubled though thou beest cut short in the things of this world One would think that that which hath been said about the vanity of the things of this world should make people that are crossed in them if they bee godly to bee satisfied What if thou art plundered of all and â—ast little pâ—ovision for thy family and â—ast bread for one day and knowest not where to get bread for the next I but is thy soul safe I remember wee read in Genesis of the King of Sodome hee could say to Abrâ—ham Give mee the souls and take the goods to thy self though hee were but a Heathen King hee spake of their natural lâ—ves So do you whose hearts God hath inclined to soul-saving waies say to the men of the world Do you take the riches but let mee have the safety and welfa e of the soul Oh if God have assured thee upon good grounds that thy soâ—l is safe thy sin pardoned what great matter though thou hast not some of the lumber of this world If a malefactour that were in danger to die should go to seek for a pardon for his life well when hee hath gotten it and is coming from the presence of the King perhaps hee loses his glove or handkerchief upon the staires were it not an unseemly thing for such a man to fall a crying and wringing of his hands because hee had lost his glove Just thus for all the world is the madness and folly of people that say they have some comfortable hope that God will have mercy upon their souls and will save them for ever yet when they are crost and wronged they cry out they are undone man
gain that end for which they were made ib. Doct. 2 That the loss of the soul is a most dreadful loss 243 Answers to that Question What Christ means by the loss of the soul ib. Not because they will bee annihilated ib. But 1 The loss of the soul is in the privations of it of all good 244 2 It consists in its departing from God ib. 3 In subjecting it to that misery and evil that is contrary to what good it is capable of ib. 4 In the suckerless and helpless condition it is brought into For 1 Every man and woman as they came into the world are deprived of that glory and excellency that God did indow the souls of men with at their first Creation 2 All our souls do naturally wander away from God 245 3 In its depravity and sinfulness ib. 4 Its being in a succourless helpless condition ib. Wherein consists the loss of the soul in Hell 246 1 In the full rejection of the soul from God ib. 1 From living the life of God 247 2 From having any union with God 249 3 From having any fruition of God ib. 4 From enjoying the presence of Christ 250 5 From being ever exercised in that blessed work of praising God 251 6 From ever living in God as the Saints do ib. A second thing wherein the misery of the souls loss consists in Hell is in its being made very sensible of the loss of its chiefest good 254 Which is 1 To bee cast under the eternal curse of God 255 2 To have all the faculties of the soul to bee filled with wrath 256 1 The infinite power of God put forth in inlarging their natures that they may bee the more capable of evil ib. 2 To uphold their natures that they sink not with those dreadful evils ib. 3 To let out on the soul whatever it can bear to make it miserable 4 To keep all the faculties of the lost soul in its utmost activity 258 3 Its misery appears in its succourless and helpless condition ib. For 1 All the power of God cannot help it 2 There can bee no Mediator between God and the lost soul ib. Several Aggravations whereby the misery of a soul that is lost doth appear As 1 If the soul be lost then the body is and will be lost also ib. Because 1 The body all the time a man doth live is the onely or most immediate instrument the soul hath to work and to sin by 259 2 Because the soul that is lost shall bee united to the body the very extremity of the soul must needs bring misery on the body also ib. 2 When the soul comes into this condition it comes into the most dreadfullest condition that any creature is in ib. 3 It will then have none to pitty it Jesus Christ will not pitty it The Angels will not pitty it The Saints will not pitty it Their kindred will not pitty it ib. 4 It will prove to most that are lost an unexpected loss 260 5 It will prove to bee a dreadful loss because it will prove to bee a wilful loss 261 6 It will bee a great loss for a little matter 262 7 Many will lose their souls that were very nigh the saviâ—g of their souls ib. 8 When they shall consider they have lost their souls and have nothing in lieu thereof 263 9 The shame that shall bee put upon such lost souls as shall perish eternally ib. 10 When they shall see others taken up to Heaven that were as unlikely to bee saved as themselves 264 Use 1 If the souls loss bee so dreadful bless God that your souls are not thus lost ib. 2 Let us bless God then for Jesus Christ 267 3 It must needs then bee a dreadful evil for any to have a hand in this loss 269 4 It rebukes the folly and madness of most people that have no care of their souls 272 Several waies by which men come to lose their souls As 1 Some lose their souls by wandring up and down in darkness all the daies of their lives ib. 2 Others by pawning them away 273 The pawning of the soul is most dangerous of all other 274 For 1 There is no such pawn as possibly can bee laid as this ib. 2 In laying of pawns there is a time prefixed for the redemption ib. 3 You bargain the bringing of somewhat that you have in your own power to redeem it ib. 3 Men lose their souls by wounding of them ib. Quest Wounding them how you will say By that I mean the commissions of sins against conscience 275 4 Men lose their souls by being gull'd of them 5 By selling of them away ib. Men sell their souls 1 When men seek advantage to themselves by any unlawful means 276 2 When men shall resolutely give up themselves to all manner of wickedness 277 6 Men lose their souls by poisoning them ib. And that 1 Either by wicked company Or 2 By wicked errors 7 Others lose their souls by venturing them 279 This a man may do in four cases 1 By rashness 280 2 By doing things that are doubtful ib. 3 By venturing upon Gods patience ib. 4 By venturing upon their own lives 281 8 Many lose their souls by starving them 283 9 Some lose their souls by surfeiting of them 285 10 And lastly By forfeiting of them ib. And that two waies 1 By not tendring that homage to God that is due ib. 2 By breaking Covenant with God 286 Use 5 It concerns us to examine whether our souls bee not in such a condition that if they should depart in they would bee lost ib. But who are they that are no better qualified Answer 287 1 That soul that God hath not convinc'd of the dangerous natural condition in which it is 2 That soul that hath not made it his greatest care above all things to save it self 3 That soul to whom the Lord hath not revealed the glory of the mysteries of the Gospel 4 That soul that hath no other righteousness to tender up to God but its own 289 Quest What other Righteousness is there Answer A supernatural Righteousness 290 5 That soul that God hath not made in some measure at least to feel the weight of sin ib. 6 That soul that walks after the flesh in a course of sin 291 7 That soul that is under the dominion of any one lust 292 Quest What is it for sin to domineer Answ When sin shall set up a kinde of Throne and give Laws as a King 293 8 That soul that hath not had such a change wrought by the Spirit as is a New Birth or Resurrection 294 9 That soul that hath not gone beyond those the Scripture brands for Hypocrites 296 Quest How shall a man know hee is gone further than these Answer 298 1 They could not say because the word is pure therefore they delighted in it 2 That they prized Jesus Christ as a sanctifier 3 That they lift up God as the highest
end Use last Minde that serious question What you shall do to bee saved 299 Object But wee must inquire after all truth Answer Yes but seasonably and in its due time 300 301 Rules about our inquiring how to be saved ib. 1 Do it timely 2 Do it earnestly 202 3 Do it sincerely 4 Do it constantly 203 Reasons why wee should thus inquire ib. Because 1 By nature wee are in a lost condition 2 Salvation is a difficult thing 3 There are but few that shall bee saved ib. The true Question of what wee should do to bee saved Answered 306 1 If you would have your souls saved joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerni g your own condition ib. 2 Break off the acts of thy sin at least 308 309 Wherein is shewed the reason of this Rule 3 Take off your heart as much as you can from the world 310 4 Acquaint thy self with the mysteries of the Gospel ib. Quest What is there in the Gospel and Covenant of Grace wee must inform our selves of 311 Answ 1 Informing our selves of the necessity of satisfaction to Divine Justice ib. 2 Of a necessity of peâ—fect Righteousness 3 Of an absolute necessity of the application of Christs Righteousness 313 4 Of the necessity of Regeneration ib. 5 The fear of God must bee mighty and strong upon your spirits 314 6 Attend upon those means that God hath appointed to save your souls 317 Quest Can wee do any thing towards the working our own salvation Answered 317 318 319 7 Take heed of resting upon false hopes of thy salvation 320 Question What are those hopes Answer 321 1 Such hopes as are not Scripture-hopes 2 Such as are not wrought by the â—pirit 323 3 Such as are not lively hopes 324 4 Such as are not purging hopes 325 Next thing is by laying the foundation sure of salvation Where that Question is answered what it is 328 9 Keep thy soul under the authority of the word 331 2 The authority of conscience 332 10 Take heed of sinning against the price of thy soul against the good of the Covenant and against mercy 333 334 335 11 Take heed of sinning against the Spirit of Grace 336 12 Account the preciousness of the time of your lives to consist in this that it is a day of salvation 337 13 And lastly Bee sure to go with those that go in the streightest and in the safest way 337 338 339 The last thing treats of the transcendency of the Souls loss above the worlds gains 340 Sheweth Three things that may help a natural man to see the things of the world to bee as nothing ib. 1 If God wound his conscience and terrifie him 2 When God laies his hand upon him in afflicting of him 3 Even strength of Reason 343 As 1 Though thou shouldest gain the world and yet bee a man like to perish at last thou hast gotten but little ib. 2 Hee is never a whit the better for any thing in the w rld 346 3 All these are things beneath the soul 347 348 4 They are such things as God hath denied to the choicest of his servants 349 5 They may stand with Gods eternal hatred of his creature 350 6 They have no real good in them ib. 7 There is nothing that can satisfie the heart 352 8 What ever a wicked man hath of the world hee hath it without God ib. 9 All these things turn upon a wheel of uncertainty 353 354 Use It shews us not to envy at the prosperity of the wicked 357 2 Let all those that seek the world in those waies wherein they are like to lose their souls think upon this truth 360 The Souls Excellency The Worlds Vanity 3 It shews the way to answer all Temptations 365 By thus comparing the World with the Soul 365 4 And lastly Incouragement to those that will rather venture all in the waies of God than to hazard their Souls Mr. BVRROVGHS on the BEATITUDES The First SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul I Have endeavoured to shew somewhat unto you about the Excellency of the Name of God and likewise the Excellency of Jesus Christ and what hee is that so you might have right apprehensions of God and Christ Now in the third place I shall desire to shew you somewhat about the Excellency of your own Souls And to that end attend to Matth. 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul The Text. or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul OUr Saviour going himself to suffer tells his Disciples what they must expect in the following of him Vers 24. If any man will come after mee let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow mee These are the tearms saith Christ upon which you must follow mee you must bee willing to deny your selves and to take up your cross to suffer hard things if you follow mee Christ would have his Disciples know the worst at first and not please themselves in a fools Paradise thinking that by following of him they should get great matters to themselves in the world no saith hee expect no such matter but deny your selves and take up my cross But this may seem to bee hard it may bee our cross may bee the loss of all the loss of our lives and must wee take up that yes saith Christ in the verse before my Text bee not solicitous what your cross is like to bee onely bee willing to take it up And the truth is the more willing you are to take it up the better will it bee for you and you will get nothing by seeking to shift for your selves For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Vers 25. It may bee when you meet with sufferings in the world you will think to shift this way or that way but you will get nothing If you would save your lives by forsaking the truth it is the onely way to lose your lives But if you bee willing to lose your lives for my truth you shall save them or what if by forsaking mee and my truth when you meet with suffering you should save your lives and your estates and live bravely in the world do you think you are any gainers by this you are infinitly mistaken If you cast up the account you will finde that you have gotten nothing all For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul And thus you see how the words come in These words that I have read unto you are of exceeding serious consideration And indeed they should bee as Thunder in every mans ears Some Scripture that a Minister may preach on may concern some particular person in a Congregation more than others But here is a Text concerns every one that hath a soul Man and woman high and