he must be God that so he might bear the Burden of Divine Anger in his Flesh the Godhead upholding and sustaining his Humane Nature under his bloody Agony and fearful Anguish and Suffering on the Tree when God the Father was withdrawn from him and the Pangs of Hell took hold of him 3. That he might overcome and vanquish all the Enemies of our Souls as Sin Satan Death and Hell Had he not been God he could not have raised himself from the Dead from whence rises the Spring of our Regeneration to a State of Grace here and our Resurrection to a State of Glory at the last Day hereafter 2 dly He must be Man because he must die which the Godhead could not do yea he must be Man in our Nature that he might satisfy the Justice of God for us because the Righteousness of God requires that the same Nature which had sinned should make a full Compensation to the Law of God and infinite Justice O take heed no Man shakes your Faith in this great Article of the Christian Religion 3 dly Take heed also that you abide stedfast in the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction which dependeth on the former Such who deny Christ's Deity must disown that plenary Satisfaction he gave to the Law and Justice of God Beware of Socinianism Quakerism c. and all such like Errors 4 thly Take heed there are some who tell you Christ has fully satisfied for the Breach of the Law of the first Covenant for the Sins of the whole World so that all Men are cured of that Sickness and delivered from that Curse and put into a Capacity to be saved if they will but exercise the Power of their own Will and Abilities and that Men have power to believe and be regenerated that sit under the preaching of the Gospel and if they answer and discharge their part in Salvation Christ's Death will become effectual to them it being but on this Condition that Christ Jesus died to save Men provided they answer those Terms the Gospel offers Whereas it's evident that Christ is not the End of the Law as touching Righteousness to any Man but only to such as believe I speak of the Adult and the Gospel is not our Sickness but our Cure that condemns not but as the healing Remedy is rejected and the Curse of the Law abides upon all Unbelievers And it is also as evident that Man by Nature is dead in Sin and must by an almighty and irresistible Power be quickned which is done by the infusion of a Principle of Divine Life Faith is God's Gift and not the Condition of the Covenant of Grace it is a Branch or part of that Grace promised therein upon the Condition of Christ's Satisfaction not the Condition to be performed by the Creature which procures the Blessings purchased therefore no Condition then in order and connection in the Promises that God will enable all his Elect to perform by bestowing that Blessing upon them freely by his own Grace The whole of our Salvation is by Christ It is by Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed and all boasting might be excluded And 't is not an uncertain Salvation that depends upon the doubtful and depraved Will of Man but it is well ordered in all things and sure by the infinite Grace Wisdom and Power of God Nor did Christ die only for our Good who are saved but in our stead also so that Eternal Life comes to us in a way of Justice and Righteousness as well as in a way of Mercy and Goodness God was not rendred only reconcileable by the Death of his Son which the Creature is to make effectual on his part but he is absolutely reconciled For 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 5 thly There are others also that affirm that Jesus Christ as Mediator gave to God a valuable Consideration or Recompence that he might justly wave and not execute the Law of perfect Obedience and by his Merits purchased a new and milder Law of Grace so that Christ's Righteousness hath only purchased the removing the Law of Works from being a Covenant of Life and that our Right to Salvation the Favour of God and Peace of Conscience does depend upon our Obedience to the Gospel which Christ hath purchased should be accepted for our Righteousness by which we must be justified and judged and that Faith in its whole latitude is our believing and obeying the Gospel or new Law that by this we are made partakers of the Benefits of Christ he having merited this Grant or Law That they who obey him sincerely should be saved and that he is justified so far and so long as he answers the Condition of this new Law of Grace Now we and all sound Protestants in opposition to this affirm That Jesus Christ as the Head Surety and Representative of all the Elect did fulfil or satisfy for the Law of Works bearing the Curse of the Law for us and in our stead and by his Holy Life c. purchased for us that Life which the Law promised to him that continued to do all things that were written therein and by the Supereminency of his Obedience Additions of Blessedness unto Life and that his Obedience and Righteousness whereby he fulfilled the Law is imputed to Believers for their Justification by which God grants them pardon of Sin and a Grant of Eternal Life and that by Christ's Righteousness thus imputed Believers stand perfectly justified and delivered from the Curse of the Law and are certainly intituled to Eternal Life and that Faith is a relying on Christ and trusting in him and his Righteousness and Merits only for Salvation 6 thly Therefore be sure also you hear Christ's Voice and adhere to his Doctrine about Justification through his perfect and compleat Righteousness alone imputed unto all them that do believe in him without Works done by us or Holiness wrought in us I mean our Faith and sincere Obedience is not the Matter of our Justification before God nor any part of it but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ only in his perfect conformity to the Law of God in his Life and by dying on the Cross as our Surety and blessed Representative Yet know we constantly affirm That that Faith which unites us to Christ in whom we are justified doth purify both the Heart and Life and though inherent Grace Holiness and good Works do not justify our Persons before God yet they do justify our Faith and declare us to be in a justified State before Men and to our own Consciences also as the Apostle James shews and that that Faith that is not attended with good Fruits is dead as the Body without the Spirit is dead Pray remember that you have been often taught that Faith it self doth not
whether you are spiritually alive or not for if so you are quickned and made alive by the Operations of the Spirit and there is a Principle of Divine Life infused into your Souls So that from a holy and new Nature you can and do breath forth your Desires freely and frequently to God and see the excellency of spiritual Objects and Things Christ is must precious and lovely in your sight Your Eyes see and your Ears hear and you have spiritual feeling and you can and do act and move that is believe repent and obey God with great Activity and a strong Propensity or gracious Inclinations of Heart There is also much of the Beauty of Holiness shining forth in your Lives 2. This also by the way may serve to detect that Doctrine some nay too many maintain of the Power of the Creature Alas alas what can the Dead do For evident it is that those who are thus dead have no Principle or first Power of living unto God or to perform any Duty to be accepted of him It is with them as to all Acts and Ends of spiritual Life as with the Body as to the Acts and Ends of natural Life when the Soul is departed from it or else God would never say they are dead call them dead Does God make use of an improper Metaphor Dare they affirm that It must be so if Man naturally be not dead but wounded in a spiritual Sense only True a wicked Man is naturally alive and his Soul is in his Body and he is endowed with Vnderstanding Will and Affection and may perform many Duties God requires of him But what of this for in spiritual Life the Holy Ghost is unto the Soul what the Soul is unto the Body in respect of natural Life namely the quickning Principle And as a Learned Author well observes to deny such a quickning Principle of spiritual Life superadded unto us by the Grace of Christ distinct and separate from the natural Faculties of the Soul is upon the Matter to renounce the whole Gospel It is all one as to deny that Adam was created in the Image of God which he lost and that we are renewed unto the Image of God by Jesus Christ 2 dly They may also as well assert Man hath a creating Power for Regeneration is called the New Creature which is created in us after the Image of God according to his own glorious Power 3 dly Therefore whatsoever Sinners act in spiritual Things by their Understanding Will or Affections that are not renewed they do it naturally and not spiritually and are therefore called dead Works We may also from hence infer what a mighty Blessing and Favour it is to be made spiritually alive How should such admire God and his Free Grace in Jesus Christ for as they have an internal holy Life so they shall never die but have eternal Life nay that this Eternal Life is begun in them here I give them Eternal Life But to proceed Secondly I am to shew how Salvation or Everlasting Life is a free Gift or by Grace only 1. Life and Salvation is of Grace in opposition to Nature we have it not as the Product of Nature Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God To be born signifies to receive a Principle of Life and those that are the Children of God have not that spiritual Life that is in them from the Motions or Powers of Nature not from the Power of Man's Will nor from their fleshly or natural Parts and Abilities however improved 2. Life and Salvation is wholly of Grace or a free Gift in opposition to Merit we cannot purchase or procure it by our Acts of Obedience By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works c. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Not the desert of our Works let them be what they will either before or after Grace but from God's own sovereign Mercy and Goodness whose Bowels yerned towards his Elect in Misery For the VVages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death Natural Death Spiritual and Death Eternal are the Wages and Desert of Sin And who will deny a Servant his Wages Wicked Men are the Servants of Sin and they shall have their Wages But though Death is the Wages or Merit of Sin yet Eternal Life is not the Wages of our good Works no but the Gift of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ It is not by our Works or for our Worthiness The Apostle as our Annotators note varies the Phrase on purpose to shew that Salvation is wholly of God's Grace and not of our own Merits 'T is of Grace or the Gift of God through Jesus Christ that is through his Merits De gratia libero arbitrio saith Augustine 3. Life and Salvation is by Grace only or the free Gift of God in opposition to the Law The Law could not give Life that could not save us For had there been a Law given that could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law The Law requires perfect Obedience and lays every one under the Curse that continues not in all things that is written therein to do them Therefore no Life by the Law that being weak through the Flesh Man could not perfectly fulfil it and so could have no Life by it 4. Life and Salvation is the free Gift of God in opposition to any acceptable Service done for it by us as some times great Gifts are bestowed on Persons for the sake of some small Service performed for them But it is not so here though Salvation be a Reward of Grace yet it is not given for the sake of any acceptable Service done by us we know that a small Matter sometimes purchases that which is of great Value but nothing we do or can do can purchase Life and Salvation for our Souls True Eternal Life is a Purchase it is a Reward of Merit but O mistake me not it is not of our purchasing it is no Reward for any Work done by us but it is the Purchase of Jesus Christ the Reward of his Work by his fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law for us in our Nature in his holy and spotless Life and by his satisfying the Justice of God for our breaking and violating of his Holy Law which he did by the painful and cursed Death of his Cross For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit That the
quicken himself or believe of himself no Faith is God's Gift and it is the vital Principle of our Souls I wonder what some Men mean when they say Sinners must come up to the Rule of the Promise before they lay hold of the Promise Can they quicken themselves True if they can the Promise runs Christ will give them Life Get Life create Life in your Souls and lay hold of the Promise strange Notion I am sure Life must be first in the Soul before the Soul can do any thing that is truly and spiritually Good before Life is infused there is no motion towards God let the Motives be what they will 2. Sinners are blind spiritually blind and it is Jesus Christ must give them sight nay and he in the Work of this Salvation is anointed to open blind Eyes he is given to be a Light unto the Gentiles and so to be God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth Spiritual Life and Spiritual Light is in this Salvation and both are created in the Soul nay when Christ gives us Life he gives us Light also Object But it is said Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ will give thee Light Answ 1. I answer That which God commands us to do in one place he says he will do for us in another place 2. It doth not imply that the Creature can of himself rise from the Dead but shews that he must be raised and quickned before he can receive Light from Christ 3. It shews a necessity of Faith or that we must believe and therefore ought to attend upon the Means of Faith and look up to God to obtain it Faith cometh by hearing that is the way he takes to work it in our Souls 3. Sinners have you hard and rocky Hearts Hearts of Stone even as hard as the nether Milstone Why now God bids you he commands you to make you a new Heart But can you do that if Christ never gives you Salvation until you create in your selves a new Heart and break your stony Hearts into pieces you will never have Salvation at all but must perish for ever and this Salvation will be in vain to you and to all Mortals were it so But pray observe the Promise this Salvation is so full that it hath a new Heart in it A new Heart also I will give you and a new Spirit I will put within you and I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh and will give you an Heart of Flesh A new Heart a holy a tender and broken Heart this God will give It is not naturally in us but it is of God's free Grace given to us Hence David cried Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Thou didst as if he should say give me a new Heart but I have apostatized from thee and polluted my Soul O create again a clean Heart in me or renew thy Work Not that he had lost his new Heart but he would have God recover him from his Fall and put him into a holy and spiritual Frame which none but he that hath an almighty creating Power can do And if we cannot quicken our selves from a State of spiritual Deadness how should poor Sinners raise themselves from a State of spiritual Death Sinner here is Comfort for thee whose Heart is hard and thou feelest it hard and that makes thee go mourning all the Day behold in the Salvation of the Gospel a new Heart a Heart of Flesh is promised it is not you that can make your Heart new No no it is Jesus Christ that must do it 't is his Work We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works 4. Is there in the Hearts of Sinners naturally Enmity against God Christ in this Salvation takes it away The carnal Mind is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be See in what a Pickle the Mind and Will of Man naturally is in What can a Sinner not do if the Doctrine of sore Men were true they can repent believe be regenerated and what not But 〈◊〉 says Paul their Mind their Will is not subject to the Law of God nor to the Gospel nor Rule of the Promise neither neither indeed can be Where they put a can Paul puts a cannot So 〈◊〉 another place he saith But the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Here is a cannot again 't is impossible till the Spirit of God removes that Enmity and Darkness and bows and bends the Will to the Will of God which shall be done when the Salvation of the Gospel comes with Power to the Soul of a poor Sinner 'T is Christ that must slay this Enmity as well as he did that which was between Jews and Gentiles He is a Mediator not only to reconcile God to us but us also to God My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power 5. Sinners are you polluted defiled with Sin and filthy in God's sight How will you get rid of this abominable Filth which renders you loathsom in God's sight Can you wash away your Pollution will Snow-water do it No no For though thou wash thee with Nitre and take thee much Sope yet thine Iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord. Sin is not easily washed away the Guilt of it nor the Filth of it This Job well knew therefore saith If I wash my self with Snow-water and my Hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the Ditch and my own Clothes shall abhor me 'T is not Snow-water nor much Sope no nor a Sea of brinish Tears that can wash away the Defilement and Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Soul But Sinner in this Salvation there iâ— a way found out to cleanse thy filthy Soul nay a Fountain opened for Sin and for Vncleanness God 't is true says Wash thine Heart from Wickedness that thou mayest be saved So far I dâ—ny not as Man is able he ought to abstain from Sin and cleanse himself But says Christ If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me 'T is he it is his Blood that cleanses us from all Sin This Salvation Brethren is a full and compleat Salvation it brings every thing with it we need Rather than the Stain the Pollution and Guilt of Sin should abide upon us Christ will pour forth his own Blood to wash it away He hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He gave himself for his Church to this End That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be Holy and without
with Vnquenchable Fire Together with an Account how Professors may know whether they are Wheat or Chaff By BENJAMIN KEACH Pastor of a Congregation at Horsly-down Southwark LONDON Printed in the Year 1694. A Trumpet blown in Zion OR An Allarum in God's Holy Mountain Containing an EXPOSITION of that Metaphorical Scripture MATTH III. 12. Lately delivered in Two Sermons and now Published as an Allarm to the Drousie and Chaffie Professors of this Age. MATTH III. 12. Whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the Wheat into his Garner but the Chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire OUr Text is Metaphorical and as touching the main Scope and Coherence of it it is one and the same with the 10 th verse of this Chapter which I have already spoken unto and lately published the Sermons unto the World John the Baptist endeavoureth to take off the Jews from their pretended Priviledges of having Abraham to their Father or their being his natural Seed or Offspring and as so considered in Covenant with God and thought their State and Condition good Which he strove to convince them was a mistake and this he doth by that Tropical Expression in ver 10. Now also is the Ax laid to the root of the Trees And in this 12 th verse Whose Fan is in his hand c. As if he should say You shall e're long see your selves deceived for all your great confidence in the flesh touching your external federal relative holiness and legal priviledges For Christ with his Ax will now quickly cut you down And with his Fan fan you away as Chaff if you have no better right to Church-membership on Earth and to the glory in Heaven than that which is derived to you from the account whereof you boast viz. Having Abraham to your Father So much only shall now serve as to the Scope and Coherence of the Words 1. I shall proceed to give you the parts of the Text. 2. Open the Terms thereof 3. Note two or three points of Doctrine therefrom 4. Apply the whole 1. As to the parts you have First The person speaking and that is John the Baptist Secondly The person spoken of and that is Jesus Christ Thirdly The Predicate or what is spoken of Christ i. e. Whose Fan is in his hand c. John the Baptist was a great Prophet yea the greatest Prophet that was born of Women having greater Light and Knowledge of the Messiah than any of them that went before him in that he could tell them this is he He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord as his great Messenger or Harbinger He therefore was well instructed into the Nature and Excellency of his Masters Kingdom which was suddenly to be set up upon the removalof the old Jewish Church and Church-Membership this John was he that the Prophet Malachi spoke of that God would send as his Messenger to prepare the way of the Lord as also how he would do this even by a spirit of Burning that should consume that People and leave them neither Root nor Branch i. e. burn up all their hopes in respect of their Root viz. That external Covenant God made with Abraham on which they stood and of which they boasted as also all that confidence they had in their own good works and inherent Righteorsness And this John's Ministry clearly held forth and thereby discovered the grand Effect and glorious Design or Christs Doctrine and Nature of his spiritual Kingdom which was near at hand Secondly As touching Jesus Christ who is the person John speaks of I shall not now treat of his Office Power Dignity and Glory which are more fully hinted at in the Context Whose shooes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire v. 11. But I shall pass by that and shall explain the Terms 1. Shew you what is intended by Christs Floor 2. What is intended by the Fan in his hand by which he doth purge his Floor 3. What is meant by the Chaff and why so called 4. What is intended by the Wheat and why so called 5. What we are to understand by Christs Garner and gathering the Wheat into it 6. And lastly what is intended by the Fire and by Burning up the Chaff First I said before our Text is Metaphorical therefore no doubt by floor the holy Ghost alludes to that which in common acception is well understood by Husbandmen i. e. A floor is a heap of Corn that is threshed out of the Straw and laid in a Barn Wheat and Chaff together this usually is called a floor Quest But what is intended or meant by it here what is Christs floor which he is said to purge Answ I answer By floor is doubtless intended hereby more directly and immediately the Jewish Church but in a more remote and comprehensive sense any spiritual community of Christians Church or body of People professing religion 1. The Jews were then Gods floor or Gods People as God himself is called an Husbandman and they were a great Heap a mighty floor But almost all Chaff very Lees i. e. loose vain empty carnal and unbelieving Men and Women A more prophane and ungodly generation was hardly ever in the world and but a very few godly ones among them but a very little wheat viz. few sincere ones or believing persons in all that floor who waited for Christs Coming and did when he came in truth receive him But now the Lord Jesus was come with his Fan in his hand to separate the Wheat from the Chaff and not let them remain any longer together on that floor in that old Barn i. e. in the Legal Jewish Church state according to the external Covenant of peculiarity God made with Abraham and his natural Seed as such Which had stood near its full period of time perfixed by the Almighty but now must be pulled down Jesus Christ being come and just a going to build a new spiritual Garner or Gospel Church to put all his choice Grain or Wheat into viz. all believing and true penitent persons this primarily I am satisfied is intended by floor For the Jewish Church was not to abide or continue any longer than till the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ it being a Typical Church when the Antytype was come that must needs vanish away 2. Yet in a remote sence floor may refer to any Spiritual Community Church or people in the times of the Gospel professing themselves to be Christians Among which may be Chaff as well as Wheat Evil and ungodly Persons as well as Believers gracious and true Religious ones and the truth is there is more than one floor of this sort in our days For First If we cast our eyes abroad we shall soon espy a very great old and decayed Barn that hath a mighty floor or heap of People in it called Christians and
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
and art tost up and down with Temptations Trials and Afflictions Know that his Design is wholly herein for thy good it is but to purge out thy Chaff that thou as pure white Wheat may'st shine the more bright and clear in Grace and Gospel-Holiness for Sin and Corruption spoils thy Beauty to all that behold thee No Doctrine tends to promote Gospel Holiness like the Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace Shall we sin because grace hath abounded God forbid 2. O what a Mercy of Mercies it is that Gods Wrath is appeased towards you Christs Blood has quenched this dreadful fire as to you who believe and indeed nothing else could do it O bless God for Christ and for that River of Water which proceeds from him to the extinguishing this flaming Fire he hath born it and allay'd it nay quite put it out so that you shall never feel the burning or tormenting Nature thereof 3. Thou shalt at last whosoever thou art if sincere if Wheat be gathered into his Garner viz. into Heaven it self for Christ will not lose one grain of his spiritual Wheat not one Sheep of his shall perish He that has begun that good work in thee will perform it to the day of Christ He will gather his wheat into his Garner but the Chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire So much for this time MATTH III. 12. Whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the Wheat into his Garner but the Chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire BEloved I have gone through the several Terms of the Text by way of Explaination and have taken Notice of several Propositions or Points of Doctrine that naturally arise therefrom I purpose only to prosecute but one of them namely the 6 th and last viz. Doct. That the Wrath of God is like Fire 't is intollerable or the Misery and Torment of the Damned will be dismal and amazing there 's no expressing how fearful their condition is and will be who fall under the vindictive Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God I shall only do three things 1. Further open the Nature of Gods Wrath. 2. Prove and demonstrate the Truth of the Proposition 3. Improve it by way of Application And to proceed it is necessary to note to you in the first place as I before hinted that the Wrath of God may be considered under a twofold Consideration As it is manifested 1. Internally or Externally taking hold of and seizing upon some ungodly persons here whilst in this World 2. As it is Eternal seizing on and taking hold of all undone and lost Sinners hereafter Sin is the cause of Gods Wrath and Vengance both of that which is felt here and shall eternally be felt and undergone hereafter the word as the learned note which is translated Wrath comes from a Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies heat or to be hot and hence 't is compared to fire an angry Man we say is a fiery Man a Man that hath much fire or fury in him the Wrath of man is hot but the Wrath of God is much hotter Because there is Wrath beware Sirs there is Wrath in the Heart of God against Sinners there his anger is kindled there is Wrath also in his Decree and in his Threatnings his Wrath continues on all Unbelievers He that believeth not the Wrath of God abideth upon him Tho' many of them do not feel it they have not the sense of it but shall have one day yet there are some that God lets out his Wrath upon to such a degree here that they do feel it and cry out under the sense and horror thereof in a fearful manner Secondly The Wrath of God as it is compared unto fire is oft-times let out to consume men in divers respects 1. Sometimes by Poverty as by a flame he consumes in a secret way their outward substance there is a Curse upon their estates which dries up their Riches in which they Trusted and set their Hearts upon forgetting God their Maker their Chief Good and Last End 2. Sometimes he Consumes their Honour Reputation and Credit they falling by their Iniquity into disgrace after they have made a Profession of Religion and have been in the Love and Esteem of good Men. 3. Sometimes also by Sickness as by a flame he consumes their Health and thus he threatned the People of Israel The Lord shall smite thee with a Consumption and with a Feaver and with an Inflamation and with extream Burning 4. Also his Wrath oftentimes breaks out like fire on some Men by suddain Death in a strange and unusual manner as in the case of Lots Wife and of Nadab and Abihu and there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord. This was so amazing that Moses said unto Aron and unto Eleazor and unto Jâ—hamar Vncover not your heads neither rend your cloaths least ye die and least Wrath come upon all the People but let your brethren the whole house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled Open not your Mouths as if he should say shew no such sorrow as at other times for God is Just and he hath let out his deserved Wrath against these young Men least you should seem to Justifie them and shew a dislike of God's token of Divine dispeasure 5. Moreover God many times le ts out his Wrath by War and the Sword consumes and devours much people As also by Famine and by the Pestilence The Wrath of God as it is let out in this World is as a drying scorching and devouring fire The flame of Gods Displeasure puts all into a flame as at this day all the Earth seems to be on a fire God is now a burning up and consuming the Nations Therefore he hath poured upon him speaking of Jacob the fury of his anger and the strength of Battel and it hath set him on 〈◊〉 round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart War consumes the Riches the Wealth the Strength the Food and Bread of the Nation as well as the People but it is not laid to heart He teareth me saith Job in his Wrath The Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mr. Caryl Notes is near in sound to our English Tear and it signifieth to Tear as a Lyon his prey Wrath is of a Tearing and devouring Nature God sometimes in his Wrath Tears in pieces the Bodies of Men he tears their Power their Riches and consumes their Beauty and turns all as it were to Ashes and thus he will pour out his Wrath on Babylon and she shall be burned with fire 6. The Wrath of God also Seizeth on the Souls of some men whilest they are in this World as when they are left or given up unto hardness of Heart Vnbelief and blindness of Mind indeed this is most
drawn as comporting with this latter Exposition Doct. 1. All true Believers are the Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ and he is their Shepherd they hear his Voice and follow him Two things I shall God assisting do Before I raise any other Point of Doctrine in prosecuting this I shall 1. Open or explain this Proposition 2. Apply it In speaking to the first I shall observe this Method First I shall explain the Proposition 1. I shall shew you in what respect they may be said to be his Sheep 2. Shew what is meant by Christ's Voice 3. What by hearing of his Voice 4. What by his knowing of them 5. Give you some of the Characters of Christ's Sheep and shew how they follow him 6. Shew what a kind of Shepherd Christ is First They are his Sheep by Choice or by virtue of Election Those that are Christ's are not only his Sheep but his Spouse also according to another Scripture-Metaphor and therefore 't is reasonable they should be his own free Choice and such as he can and doth dearly love not only such as the Father loved but he himself also loved all that were Elected from Everlasting were beloved by the Father and the Son from Everlasting with a Purpose of Grace and Favour or Love of Benevolence The Sign and Fruit of Christ's Love to his Sheep is the Choice he hath made of them Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained that you should go and bring forth Fruit and that your Fruit should remain John 15. 16. This Christ mentions here as an Argument of his greatest Love and therefore he doth not refer to that Choice of them as Apostles for so was Judas chosen who was not comprehended in God's Eternal Election I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen John 15. 18. Judas was chosen to the Apostleship but was not chosen to Eternal Life he was a Devil and therefore not to be one of Christ's Sheep Have I not chosen you Twelve and one of you is a Devil Christ hath no Sheep but such that he was pleased to chuse or make choice of for his own and he knows them before they know him as the Apostle speaks The Lord knows them that are his that is all such that he hath chosen according to the Decree of Eternal Election Secondly Christ's Sheep are his by virtue of the Father's free Donation They are all given unto him I pray not for the World but for them thou hast given me I have manifested thy Name to the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me They were given to Christ to be his Sheep to be his Spouse and Members of his Mystical Body Behold I and the Children thou hast given me are for Signs and Wonders in Israel Thirdly They are Christ's Sheep by Purchase He bought them all and that too at a dear Price He paid heartily for them every Sheep cost one and the same Price even the meanest poorest and weakest of them cost more than ten thousand Millions nay that which was in value more than ten thousand Worlds Ye are not your own but you are bought with a Price We had sold our selves to other Masters and they had possession of us I am carnal saith Paul sold under Sin He was formerly sold and was hardly yet got out of the Tyrant's Hand Behold for your Iniquities have you sold your selves but ye shall be redeemed without Money We were all sold to Sin sold to Satan and there was no ways to redeem us from the Wrath of God without a great Ransom Justice will have a satisfactory Price And since corruptible things as Silver and Gold will not do it no nor a thousand Rams nor ten thousand Rivers of Oil nor the Fruit of the Body which could not make Atonement for the Sin of the Soul Christ must come to the Price proposed to him and demanded of him if he will purchase these Sheep and that was his own precious Blood Take heed therefore unto your selves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers that ye feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood I lay down my Life for my Sheep This was the Price so dearly did Christ buy his Sheep And this Day Beloved the Tokens of this Price or Sacred Signs or Symbols of this Purchase is to be set before your Eyes pray remember that Believers are Christ's Sheep by Purchase Fourthly Believers are Christ's Sheep by Renovation or Transformation In this lies a great Mystery they had not once a Sheep-like Nature but by Grace their swinish and evil Qualities are changed he hath infused new and holy Dispositions into them So that in this respect Jesus Christ excels all other Shepherds for they cannot turn Swine Bears or Tigers into Sheep but the Lord Jesus by the Holy Ghost makes such to become his Sheep or to have Sheep-like Natures and Dispositions that were before as vile filthy and abominable as the worst of Sinners the Holy Ghost compares them before Grace and Regeneration to Dogs Swine c. they having like evil Qualities with those unclean and filthy Creatures Such were some of you What a kind of such were they Why Thieves Covetous Drunkards Reviiers Extortioners Effeminate c. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus that is by the Power of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christ hath not one Sheep but what he hath made so to be He as God made them at first and they having lost their first Excellent and Holy Nature he new makes them forms them again or transforms them into his own holy humble meek and gentle Nature This People have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my Praise We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works and thus they may be said to be his Sheep Fifthly Believers are Christ's Sheep by a Holy Covenant or Contract made with the Father and by virtue of this Covenant they were given to him By virtue of this Covenant he died for them by virtue of this Covenant they became his and he calls them renews them and changes them He shall see his Seed It was by the Blood of this Covenant the Great Shepherd of the Sheep was raised from the Dead that they might be raised quickned and justified By virtue of this Covenant he gathers them and carries them in his Arms and lays the young and tender Ones in his Bosom and gently leads such that are with Young Isa 40. 11. By virtue of this Covenant he puts his Fear into their Hearts that they may not depart from him Christ as Mediator in this Covenant is God's Servant and undertakes the Office of Shepherd to take care of feed heal and preserve all those
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
Degree of his Love unto his Saints So that if we can believe that God the Father loved Christ his only begotten Son we may also believe that both Father and Son love those who are really the Sheep of Jesus Christ the Love that Christ hath unto his People is as true certain and abiding as the Father's Love to Christ or Christ's Love unto the Father 2 dly I shall shew you what a kind of Knowledg Christ hath of his Saints 1. Christ knoweth them by Name As 't is said of Moses so it may be said of every true Believer Yet thou hast said I know thee by Name Even in like manner in this Chapter the Lord Jesus shews us that the true Shepherd calleth his Sheep by Name and leadeth them out this denotes the knowledg he hath of them particularly 2. Christ knows their Hearts as he testifies to the seven Churches in Asia And all the Churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the Reins and Hearts c. This shews he is the most High God For who knoweth the Heart but God himself This Jehovah glorieth in as his own absolute Prerogative it being out of the reach of any Creature I the Lord search the Heart I try the Reins Moreover 't is said of Jesus Christ That he needed not that any should testify of Man for he knew what was in Man He needeth not any to bring him Information concerning the Principles Ends Aims Purposes and Tempers of Men and therefore he knows his Sheep his Saints that they are sincere or upright-hearted Ones he knows them from Hypocrites from the Goats from the foolish Virgins 3. Christ knows where they live in what Land City Town or Family I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's Seat is He knows the Place where they dwell and how they behave themselves 4. He knows their Works How many times doth he express this in the second and third Chapters of the Revelations even in the beginning of every Epistle to the seven Churches I know thy Works whether they proceed from a renewed Nature from a Principle of Divine Grace or Spiritual Life or not whether from Faith or not whether right Gospel-Works of Obedience or not he hath a Knowledg of Comprehension or Understanding of all But 5. He knows his Sheep his Saints with a Knowledg of Approbation as I hinted before 6. Christ knows their Faith the Quality and Quantity of it that it is true Faith unfeigned Faith the Faith of the Operation of God or of his own Spirit But there are some of you that believe not for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him Though Faith be an inward secret Act of the Soul yet Christ knows it he knows who hath it wrought in them and also though it be never so small even as a Grain of Mustard-seed whether it be weak or strong great or little growing or decaying he knows it 7. Christ knows the Love of his People whether they love him in Sincerity both the Truth of their Love and the Degree of their Love Jesus saith unto Simon Peter Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee And as he knows whether they love him above all or not so he knows whether they love one another or no whether it be with a pure Heart fervently and in sincerity Christ knows it whether it be a Love in Words or with the Tongue only or in Deed and in Truth 8. He knows the Humility of his Saints whether they are clothed with it or not Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the Lowly but the Proud he knoweth afar off He is far off from them though he knoweth such but he is near unto humble Souls he dwelleth with them 9. He knows the Patience of each of his People under all their Sufferings Losses and Disappointments they meet with in this World I know thy Works and thy Labour and thy Patience c. He knows how they carry it under the Rod of Afflictions which will work for the good of all that are patiently exercised thereby In a word Christ knows every Grace of the Spirit in the Souls of his People and whether they are in Exercise or not 10. He knows the Works and Actions of his Saints and of every one of them particularly I know thy Works And again he says I know thy Works 1. He knows what our Lives are whether we walk circumspectly or not whether we make Conscience in all we do and walk uprightly or not He knew Abraham that he would fear and serve him and command his Children and Houshold to keep his Commandments also He knew that Noah was only Righteous in that Generation He knows our up-rising and our down-lying whether we begin the Day with him and end the Day with him or not 2. He doth not only know all our Works and Actions whether Natural Moral or Spiritual but also the Manner of our Actions how we perform all our Duties towards God and towards Men. 3. He knoweth with what Hearts we act whether with Zeal Life and Power or not whether we stir up our selves in Duty to take hold of him or perform Duties of Obedience but with a cold and lukewarm Heart He knows with what Hearts we hear read pray meditate give to the Poor in all these Respects he knows his Sheep 4. He knows the Principle from whence we act the Means we use the Works we do and the End we propound to our selves in all our Actions whether we aim at his Glory or seek our selves self-Profit self-Honour self-Applause all is known to him 5. He knows what we have been and what we now are what we have done and what we do and will do hereafter nothing is hid from him 11. He knows our Carriage and Behaviour in our Families in our own Houses and what our Behaviour is in the House and Church of God whether we know our Places and our Duty in the Station where we are set He knows and will judg between Cattel and Cattel betwixt the fat and the lean Sheep if any oppress his Brother or if the Strong and Rich neglect or wrong the poor and weak Ones of his Flock he knows it He knows whether we make his Word our Rule in all Cases and do not offend nor grieve each other And if any be offended with their Brother he knows whether they proceed against him according to the Directions he hath left us to walk by 12. Christ knows all our Sorrows Troubles and Afflictions And the Lord said I have surely seen the Affliction of my People which are in Egypt and have heard their Cry by reason of their Task-master for I KNOW their Sorrow 13. He knows our Wants Temptations Tears and Poverty I know thy Works Tribulation and Poverty If
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
reprove thee and set them in order before thine Eyes that is thy Sins and secret Works of Darkness He considers it Will he not consider it Many Men know much of their own Wickedness and of the Wickedness of others but they lay it not to Heart they do not consider it But God knoweth and seeth Wickedness after another rate He considers observes it and weighs the Nature of the Crime and the Aggravations of it the vile Purposes End and Intention of the Person doing it and how it is done wilfully against Light and the clear Convictions of his own Conscience He weigheth the Nature of their Wickedness as in Ballances as it is said of Belshazzar Thou art weighed in the Ballance and art found wanting thy horrid Pride filthy Lusts Counsels Policies and all the Contrivances of thy Heart and Government are weighed The Ways of Man are before the Lord and he pondereth all his Paths He puts them into a Ballance and doth not only see them but consider them ponder and weigh them Consol Lastly This may be also Matter of Comfort and Consolation to all the Sheep of Jesus Christ or holy and sincere Children of God Christ knows you I know my Sheep Job was glad that God knew him Thou knowest I am not wicked He doth not say thou knowest I am not a Sinner a Man of any Infirmities No but not an ungodly Sinner an Hypocrite one that lives in Sin loves Sin makes a Trade of Sin as wicked Men do 'T is no matter how Job or Paul are censured reproached or condemn'd by Men whilst they had the Testimony of their Consciences touching their Sincerity My Integrity saith Job I hold fast I will not let it go mine own Heart shall not reproach me so long as I live And saith holy Paul Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Consciences that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World The consideration of this that their own Hearts cleared and did acquit them of all those foul charges of Friends and false Brethren and also that God knows that they are what they profess themselves to be O this was matter of great Comfort to them and may be so to all sincere and gracious Christians Christ knows our Fears our Straits our Temptations our Wants and all the Wrongs and Injuries we have sustained Is not this matter of Consolation O poor drooping Saint lift up thy dejected Spirit All thy Wants are in Christ's sight he sees the Place where every Sheep and Lamb of his dwells and what their Wants are And his Love Bowels Care and Compassion is infinite he that laid down his Life for his Sheep for this and that poor afflicted tempted and dejected Soul will not he think you seeing he knows your Condition supply support strengthen heal feed and comfort you whosoever you are if one of his Sheep He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things He that hath given himself shed his own precious Blood for us will not deny us a little Bread to feed our Souls nor Balm to heal them nor any Comfort he sees good will he deny or withhold from us He that gave the greater will not stick to give the less 2. Christ knows whatsoever you have done for his Glory and he is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love which ye have shewed toward his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister You have forgot what you gave to such and such poor Saints may be ten twenty or thirty Years ago yea but Christ hath not forgot it True there is no Work of ours that deserveth any thing from the Hands of Christ in point of Merit yet what though Rewards of Grace as I have often told you will exceed all Rewards of Merit A Cup of cold Water shall have a Reward of Grace the Gift of a Penny given in love to Christ when thou caust give no more shall have a glorious Reward at the great Day As I once told you of a King who meeting with a Baker's Boy as he was carrying Bread into the Town he being very hungry and lost his Nobles having been a hunting desired the Boy to give him a Penny Loaf which he readily did And for this the King knighted the Boy and gave a yearly Estate to him and his Heirs for ever O Sirs Christ's Rewards of Grace and Favour will exceed all that we conceive or can comprehend though we deserve nothing 3. Nay Christ knowing our good Intention and what we would do had we Power or were we able to do it he will reward that accept of that as if we actually had done it as in David's Case who had it in his Heart to build God's Temple though God would not have him to do it yet did accept it as if he had done it 4. Christ also knowing what we have suffered for his Name 's sake though we have forgot it yet he will remember it at the great Day JOHN X. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me BELOVED I have shewed you what a kind of Knowledg Jesus Christ hath of all his Sheep Fifthly I shall now proceed to the fifth General Head and give some of the Characters or Properties of the Sheep of Christ But before I do this I shall shew you why the Saints are compared to Sheep 1. First it is from their clean and mild Nature Wicked Men from the consideration of their filthy and ravenous Nature are contrariwise compared to Lions Wolves Foxes Dogs Swine and the like But now God's People have through the Operation of Divine Grace their unclean and filthy Nature changed that brutish perverse and swinish Disposition which they brought into the World with them is gone Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Sheep are of a clean Nature they like not to wallow in the Mire as Swine do So the Saints have a clean and holy Nature wrought in their Souls or spiritual Habits infused through the renewing of the Holy Ghost having obtained a true Righteousness in which they stand justified and appear without Spot before God even in the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ which is counted to them for Righteousness to their Justification and are sanctified through the Spirit of Holiness 2. Sheep are a harmless and innocent sort of Creatures not crafty like the Fox nor devouring like the Lion So the Saints are harmless and innocent they seek the Hurt of no Man but desire to live peaceably in the Land and not like Romish Wolves who delight in nothing more than in Blood and Rapine They are like unto their
likeness as Mediator and taking our Nature not to Christ barely considered as God for as Christ is God he is no where saith to be the First-born among many Brethren Now this Conformity being absolutely designed in Election Christ in the Contrivance and Intention of the Father was the first Exemplar and Copy of it or the main Center to which all must be brought that were given unto him the Father setting him up and electing him as Head of all that should be saved or as the glorious Bridegroom and therefore it was requisite he should be consulted about those who were to be the Members of his Body and his own blessed Spouse for ever And since Christ was also to suffer and undergo such Pain and Sorrow in the purchasing and redeeming of them it was necessary he should not only freely assent and consent in the Choice of them but also be certain of the obtaining and securing them all to and for himself for ever and not run the Hazard of injoying or not injoying of them which must follow he did if the Doctrine of some Men of dark Minds were true To proceed it may not be amiss to consider what is contained in the Bowels of my first Argument viz. that there is a peculiar People or some certain Persons as personally considered of the lost Children of the first Adam who are Elected or Chosen of God in Christ from all Eternity of his own Sovereign Grace and good Pleasure ordained unto Everlasting Life and that this Decree of Election doth prevent their final falling or make it impossible that any of them should ever so apostatize as eternally to perish The Argument being thus fairly stated it calls upon me to do two things First To prove that there is such a particular and personal Election of a peculiar People of the lost Sons of Adam Secondly To shew how this prevents their final falling and makes it impossible that any of them should ever so apostatize as eternally to perish A little to open the first of these 1. I say of peculiar Persons which denotes it belonging to them only and to none else others are passed by or not afforded by any such Divine Act of Grace the like Privilege they are God's Jewels or his peculiar Treasure though until called and cleansed or their inward Filth and Pollution purged away they cannot be delighted in by him or be beloved with a Love of Complacency though from Eternity God did love all his with a Love of good Will purpose of Grace and of Benevolence I say personally Elected that is the Objects of this Grace or of this Election were singled out and pitched upon by Name not with respect had to such or such Qualifications foreseen in them they being repenting believing and holy Persons but chosen in Christ the Head of Election that they should believe should repent and should be Holy and without blame before him in Love They are chosen that they may be Holy not because they were Holy or God foresaw they would be Holy I say they were ordained to Everlasting Life Now to predestinate decree or ordain denotes the same thing and signifies the absolute Purpose of God to bring them into a State of Grace here through Jesus Christ and to Eternal Glory and Happiness here-after Hence it is said As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed or appointed and he that ordered or ordained the End ordained the Means also and so prepared them for Everlasting Life They were chosen in Christ in the Mediator in their Blessed Head that their standing might be secured through their Union with him and his Righteousness being imputed to them according to God's Eternal Purpose 2. And further to make good the first Part of what I have laid down viz. That there is such a particular Election what lies more clear in the Word of God and the Election of Jacob I shall here first mention as a full Proof of what I say For the Children being not yet Born neither having done Good or Evil that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth Here the Apostle designedly or on purpose confirms not only the Doctrine of Personal Election but also that of Preterition of a passing by or rejection of the other and all resulting from the Eternal Purpose and Good Pleasure of God's Will As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated The main scope of Paul in this place is to shew that God hath not cast off all Israel that is those who are the true Israel or such who are the Children of the Promise or that do belong to Christ according to the Election of Grace see 5 6 7 8 Verses therefore they that run the Love of God and Election here spoken of to the Posterity of Jacob and Reprobation to the Posterity of Esau and will not have it to be understood of their particular Persons do palpably abuse the sacred Text and Drift of the Holy Ghost Now that all Men may know that Election doth run to or take hold of particular Persons and that not for any foreseen Faith or Holiness in them Paul saith The Children being not yet born neither having done Good or Evil. And therefore adds not of Works that is of foreseen Worthiness or Desert in Jacob but that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand that is stand firm as an Act of God's Sovereign Love and Grace only and abide a blessed Truth against all the Opposition and Cavils of cloudy Minds I might have mention'd Abraham Isaac Moses David and others also Jeremiah of whom God says Before I formed thee in the Belly I knew thee that is I knew thee to be one of them that I had chosen and given to my Son or one of mine Elect Ones and I sanctified and ordained thee a Prophet Moreover in the New Testament we find that our Saviour calls his Disciples by Name and tells them That he knew whom he had chosen excluding Judas he must therefore intend their Eternal Election for as I said before Judas was chosen to the Apostleship also Paul by Name Jesus Christ declares to Ananias was a chosen Vessel not only as an Apostle but one also comprehended in the Election of Grace Do but observe the Nature of his Conversion and what he was before and when called by the special Grace of God Moreover of this number and sort were those that the Lord speaks of in Elias's Time which Paul mentions I have reserved to my self seven thousand Men who have not bowed the Knee to Baal Though it is a certain Number put for an uncertain as to us yet all their particular Persons were chosen and known to God Even so at this present Time also there is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace God had some particular Persons then whom he had from everlasting elected and
considered as the Head and all the Father hath given him as the Members of his Body chosen in him and united to him Therefore their standing in Christ by virtue of Election is like that of the Election of their Head Now can Christ cease being an Elect Head Every one will say No that is impossible No more can they cease from being Elect Members This of Election in Christ presupposeth an Union and there was a decretive Union from Eternity and that influenced their actual Union in Time and as certainly as Christ died rose again and ascended in the fulness of Time who was decretively a Lamb stain before the Foundation of the World so will God's Decree of Election in Christ as certainly bring in all the Elect into actual Union with Christ and carry them all to Heaven whither their Head as the Forerunner for us is already entered as sure as he is now there But you will hear more of this when I come to speak of that Argument simply taken from their Union with Christ 3 dly That the Saints of God or Sheep of Jesus Christ by virtue of their Election cannot fall away so as to perish for ever doth appear evident from one or two express Scriptures see Rom. 8. 28. We know all things work together for Good to them that love God who are the Called according to his Purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the First-born among many Brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified See here and I beseech you consider it and weigh it well for this Text is enough to convince one would think all the Opposers of this glorious Truth in the World or silence them for ever The Apostle begins the Happiness and eternal Salvation of all that shall be saved and the certainty of it in Election Whom he did foreknow that is whom he in his good Pleasure did pitch upon or think good to give to his Son to be his Spouse or Members of his Mystical Body he also did predestinate them and all them them and none but them he elected chose or appointed them to be conformed to the Image of his Son that is in Holiness c. but more of that by and by and whom he so predestinated or elected he called and them he justified and them and every one of them he glorified or will so call justify and glorify This is that place of Scripture which is called by some the Golden Chain by others the Chain of Salvation and it may very well be so called nothing can be more clear than this viz. That those who are elected shall be called justified and be all as certainly glorified 'T is not in the Power of all the Enemies of the Soul to break this Chain one part is so linked to the other it begins in Election and ends in Glorification So that our Election is a forcible Argument to prove there is no final falling for any one of the Sheep of Jesus Christ 4 thly It is because the Means is ordained by the unalterable Decree of God as well as the End True we grant Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord And it is he that indureth to the End that shall be saved or such only that mortify the Deeds of the Body or Who by continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life But pray Brethren consider that God hath ordained all his Elect Ones to be holy and without blame before him in love or as Paul in that to the Romans before mentioned to be conformed to the Image of his Son Grace shall be given to them to renew them and to carry on and finally at last perfect Holiness in them For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them No Man can do good Works until created and formed by the Lord This People have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my Praise They shall bring forth Fruit to the praise of his Glory see that emphatical Text John 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth Fruit and that your Fruit should remain Not only ordained to Eternal Life as the End of their Election but also ordained to bring forth Fruit as the Way and Means of obtaining it Nay more that they shall persevere in bringing forth Fruit that your Fruit should remain 1. They shall not cease bearing Fruit because united to such a Root a Root that hath so much Sap in it or grafted into such an Olive Tree and they shall be made Partakers of the Fatness thereof Because I live ye shall live also Because their Root lives they shall live or because their Head lives they shall live Christ is the Head of Election the Head of his Mystical Body and of every Member of it a Head of Influence and he lives therefore they that are his true Branches or his Members according to Election shall live also they shall live a Life of Holiness the Life of Grace here and the Life of Glory hereafter 2. They shall bring forth Fruit because the Holy Spirit is given to them and shall remain in them for ever This Water will make them fruitful They spread forth their Root by a River and shall not see when Heat cometh but their Leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the Year of Drought neither shall cease from yielding Fruit. Now if this be so if they are elected to use the Means or ordained to be Holy if it is the absolute Decree of God that they shall hold on their way and are united to such a Head that their Fruit shall remain and they shall not cease yielding Fruit then they cannot finally fall away Election secures them they shall not perish but have Everlasting Life But all this is true therefore they cannot perish 5 thly I argue from the Nature of the Election of the Blessed Angels All the Angels that stand were elected and it was this that secures them and preserves them from falling Those that fell were not elected and as evident it is not one of the Elect Angels are fallen nor can fall I marvel any thinking Christians should doubt of Election as it results from the absolute Soveraignty of God's Grace or good Pleasure of his Will since God by Election took hold of some of the Angels as well as some of the lost Sons and Daughters of Adam Was God unjust because he did not secure by his unchangeable Decree the standing of all the Angels but left some of them and only fix'd upon so many as he in his own Wisdom thought good They may as well charge this upon the
the Nature and Tenour of this great and glorious Covenant The Father we say enters into a Covenant with his Son and promises Eternal Life unto him and to all his Elect Seed upon the consideration of what he I mean our Blessed Saviour was to perform in respect of those federal Conditions proposed to him which he did then undertake on Man's behalf or such of Mankind that God did intend to save And the Father that accepted of him and sent him into the World and gave him his Sheep doth look to him as to the final and compleat Accomplishment of all things that were either to be done for them or wrought and done in them in order to the Everlasting Salvation of their Souls And this Christ engaged to do and took them into his Hands in this Covenant to effect which is clearly signified in my Text together with a full Assurance unto us that he will do it in spite of Sin Devil World and all Enemies Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand Our Blessed Saviour further saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of him that sent me And this is the Father's Will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last Day This was the Covenant between them both this is his Father's Will that none no not one no nothing of them that were given to him neither their Souls nor Bodies should be lost but all must be saved he having engaged and promised to fulfil and accomplish the Father's Will herein O happy Believers you are not left to your own Covenanting with God to the Power of your own Wills nor do you stand upon your own Legs but you are in God's Covenant in Christ's Covenant you are committed into Christ's Hand to keep you stand upon your Surety's Engagements his Undertakings God looks to him and expects that he gives a good Account of all his Sheep at the last Day and Christ is able and faithful He says Them I must bring I have struck Hands with my Father I have covenanted and promised to die for them and to call renew and eternally to save them and they shall never perish This being all true what is become of the Doctrine or rather of the gross Error of a final falling from a State of true Grace Secondly To proceed a little further Jesus Christ by virtue of this Covenant and in pursuance of that great Work he undertook did not only die to satisfy for the Sins of his People but also purchased or procured thereby a gracious conveyance of the Holy Spirit and the saving Graces and Influences thereof to change their Hearts bend and subject their Wills and graciously to renew and convert their Souls unto God which God foresaw otherwise could never be done and also to carry on that good Work in them until they come to Glory And this indeed he was obliged to perform according to the Tenour of this Covenant And hence it is that Paul saith Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it until the Day of Christ or until the Day of your Death he will perform it which denotes his Covenant-undertaking he having obliged or bound himself as our Surety to do it It is not said he will perfect or finish it but he will perform it Had not the Apostle referred to that Obligation in the Covenant of Grace which he laid himself under the other Expression had been as proper i. e. to say he will perform it He is faithful and cannot fail in doing and performing what he hath made a Bargain or covenanted to do As we say when a faithful and responsible Person hath covenanted to do this or that though the Work be great and difficult and much Opposition lies in his way yet he will do it he will perform what he hath undertaken Hence David saith I will cry unto God most High unto God that performeth all things for me To God most high that is able to do it let Sin Men and Devils do what they can to hinder him This is further confirmed by the Prophet Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our Works in us All is the Effects of thy Grace according to thy glorious Covenant Hence also the Apostle saith For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure No Man can chuse that which is savingly Good much less perform it until his Will is graciously renewed My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power This being so how contrary is this Doctrine to that which some Men maintain concerning the Power of the Creature or Power of Man's depraved Will the purport of which leaves the Salvation of every Soul at the greatest Uncertainty imaginable They tell you Christ died for all Men that is for their Good and satisfied for their Sins against the first Covenant for all Men and that all are put into a Capacity to be saved if they will believe repent and continue in believing and in well-doing to the End they clearly intimate that whatsoever the Decree or Purpose of God is and whatsoever the Nature of the Covenant of Grace is yet all is at the determination of Man 's own Will whether any one will be saved or not God affording him only strong moral Perswasions Reasons Motives and Subjective Considerations thereunto which may or may not incline excite or prevail with him to believe and obey the Gospel and perform the procuring Conditions of Life and Salvation or they may not incline excite or prevail with any one Soul they do not will not say that Christ is under an Obligation by virtue of the Covenant made with the Father to afford effectual Grace special Aid internal Strength to any in order to bring them over unto God but that it is left to the Creature and that he needs no such supernatural or irresistible Grace to work upon him Which doth 1. Evidently tend to ascribe the whole Glory of our Regeneration and Perseverance in Grace unto Man and not to the Grace of God for that Act of our Wills on this Supposition whereby we convert unto God is meerly an Act of our own and not of the special Grace of God This is clear for if the Act it self were of effectual Grace then would it not be in the Power of the Will to hinder it as a late Reverend Minister notes Also 2. it would and must follow that this would leave Regeneration and Salvation absolutely uncertain notwithstanding the Purpose of God the Covenant of Grace the Undertaking and Death of Christ whether ever any one in all the World should
and may expect a Supply of all Grace according to our Wants and Necessities Like as the Wife needs not to fear Want if it be in her Husband's Hand provided he be a loving and faithful Husband and that by reason of that Union she hath with him and that Relation she stands in unto him Christ is a Head of Influence to thee O Believer Thou holdest the Head from whence all the Body by Joints and Bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God 5. This also shews us that we shall be fruitful to Christ because we are united to him have Union with him We are married to him that we should bring forth Fruit unto God even all the Fruits of Holiness and good Works yea such Works and good Fruit as is acceptable to God And that because we are accepted in Christ our Persons are first accepted as Abel's was and then our Sacrifices or Performances The good Lord help you to weigh well and seriously ponder these things 6. Terror One word to you Sinners which will be first by way of Terror What will you do that have not yet obtained Union with Christ Tremble for your State is deplorable All that are not united to Christ stand united to dead Adam condemned Adam lost Adam and if you die before you obtain Union with Jesus Christ you are lost for ever nay you are as you heard just now united to your Sin and to the Devil all your Sins stand charged upon you and cleave to you But may be you will say Is there no Hope no Help for us Answ God forbid Jesus Christ is tendred to Sinners as Sinners And those that have now Union with him once were in your State and Condition but know this you must labour after Divine Grace and come to this resolve viz. to break your Affinity with Sin While you see not your Folly in keeping your Agreement and Affinity with Hell there is but little Hope O throw down your Arms fight against God no more when once you come to hate your old Lovers and are resolved to leave them forgo them and seek after this Union with Christ there is ground to hope you are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven JOHN X. 28. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand BRETHREN I am upon the Proof and Demonstration of the last Proposition or Point of Doctrine raised from these words viz. That none of the Sheep of Christ or Saints of God can so sin and fall away as eternally to perish but that they shall all certainly be saved The last Time I was upon the Sixth general Argument which was taken from the Nature of that sacred high and sublime Vnion which is between Christ and every true Believer I shall proceed to the next Argument Seventhly The Argument which I shall now insist on and produce further to prove this great and comfortable Doctrine shall be taken from the Death of Jesus Christ For it is indeed I find that great Argument the Apostle makes use of to prove the final Perseverance of the Saints or Elect of God See Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who can implead such or put in an Accusation against them that shall be heard admitted or allowed at God's Bar He brings in four or five Reasons why none can 1. From their Election they are God's Elect. 2. Their Justification they are actually justified they are acquitted declared Righteous in Christ and that by God himself It is God that justifieth If the Supreme Judg he whom they have offended doth acquit and discharge them who shall bring in any Accusation against them To which he adds ver 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Such a One as our Annotators note may throw down the Gauntlet and challenge all the Enemies in the World let Conscience carnal Reason the Law Sin Hell the Flesh and Devils bring forth all they can say and shew what they can do yet after all they cannot bring under Condemnation that Soul all that they can do will fail to condemn those that Christ died for The 3. Reason is because 't is Christ that died because he died for them that is in their stead or room Should one be condemned for High-Treason against the King's Person and he should accept of another who is his Surety to die for him whose Death according to the Constitution of the Kingdom and Laws thereof would every way serve and answer for the Offence of the guilty Criminal and yet the King should afterwards take the Offender and hang him for that very Offence for which his Surety was put to Death would not all cry out and say it was a piece of great Injustice Even so here should God condemn and cast into Hell one Soul for whom or in the room and stead of whom Christ died would it not be great Injustice in God O shall not the Judg and King of Heaven and Earth do right Brethren It was God himself who substituted his own Son to die instead of the Elect and to that End that they should not die or perish for ever But it may be some will object Object It is granted that Christ died for us and satisfied for all Sins we committed before Grace before we were called or for all Sins against the Law But if we believe not or sin after Grace and Conversion we may be condemned for ever Answ I answer Do not these Men think that Christ did not die for Sins committed against the Gospel and for the Sin of Unbelief even for all such Sins that a Believer does commit after Grace and Regeneration as well as Sins against the Law or Sins committed before they were renewed Alas how long do some of God's Elect Ones continue in a State of Unbelief and refuse the Offers of the Gospel before they do believe and close with Christ Why now if Christ did not die for those Sins which were committed against the Gospel as also for the Sins they do commit after they are in a State of Grace there is not one Soul can be saved because without shedding of Blood there is no remission that is without the shedding of Christ's Blood It is the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son that cleanseth us from all Sin Christ satisfied the Justice of God for all the Sins a Child of God hath doth or ever shall commit against him Original and Actual from the Day of his Birth unto the Day of his Death So that if a Believer perishes for any Sin or Sins he perishes for that Sin or Sins for which Christ died and suffered for in his stead Object I like not say some your Notion viz. That Christ died in our stead or room For though he died for our good yet not in our stead I
Ghost useth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6. 8. For when we were without strength Christ died for the Ungodly He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all I lay down my Life for my Sheep This is my Body that is given for you Now the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among other Significations saith he that it hath signifieth sometimes the Impulsive Cause Phil. 2. 13. Ephes 5. 16. Rom. 15. 9. Sometimes the Substitution of one in the room of another 2 Cor. 5. 10. Philem. v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demost Ego pro te molam Terent. Particularly when the Sufferings of one for another is expressed by it it always signifies the Substitution of one in the place of another Whenever it is used to imply one's dying for another it signifies the dying in his stead even as the Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many repeated again Mark 10. 45. This Preposition says he whenever applied to Persons or Things it always imports a substituting of one in the room of another So that from the whole we may confidently conclude that Christ did not only suffer for our Good but in our room 8. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many Now to bear Sin usually in Scripture-Phrase is to bear the Punishment of Sin Levit. 5. 1. 7. 8. Numb 14. 33. He hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows For the Transgression of my People was be stricken Which clearly shews the Ground and Cause of his Suffering and not the Issue and the Event 9. If all the other pretended Grounds and Causes are frivolous and vain that Men bring of Christ's dying for us suffering for us besides this of dying in our stead or room then that is the proper and only meaning thereof but all other pretended Grounds are vain and frivolous How idle is it for any to say He died only to remove or take away the rigid Law of Works and to merit a milder Law of Grace Which seems to imply as if God repented he ever gave the Law of perfect Obedience Or as if God could allow of Sin or else as if the Law of perfect Obedience did not result from his Holy Nature but that he might have given a Law at first like their new Law of Grace Or according to others that he died to fulfil and take away the Ceremonial Law and to be a Pattern of Abasement Humility and Self-denial Now had that been could not God have substituted Peter to have been such a Pattern as well as his own Son and set him up as an Example or else some other most choice and renowned Saint or Prophet or have caused and Angel to be incarnate to have done it that we might have followed his Steps And how vain is that which some of the Arminians assert viz. That he died to satisfy for Original Sin or for the Breach of the first Covenant and to purchase Salvation upon the Condition of Repentance Faith and Obedience or to merit God's Acceptance of the Creature 's Faith Love Holiness and sincere Obedience instead of perfect Obedience to the Law of Works so that God is become reconcilable through Christ's Death But that he may be actually reconciled lies wholly upon the Creature as his part and thus he died for the Good of all Men but not in the place or stead of any one Now by this Notion Salvation is principally wrought out by the Creature God having put Man into a Condition or Capacity to work it out for himself And according to this Notion Man may or may not be saved God having left the whole of Salvation in order to the making Christ's Death to become effectual to the Will of Man So that Man's Will as I before intimated determines the Case whether Christ's Death shall effect any Eternal Blessing unto Sinners in general or to any one Sinner in particular or not God as one of them once preached puts Man into a Capacity to work and to do but works not in any the Will or the Deed of his own good Pleasure Now how false and frivolous all these pretended Grounds or Designs of Christ's Death are I have already shewed Arg. 1. And from the first Argument taken from the Death of Christ I argue thus All those that Jesus Christ died in the room or stead of shall never die or eternally perish But Christ died in the room or stead of all his Elect or all such who believe and are his Sheep therefore not one of them shall die or eternally perish Arg. 2. If Christ died for all the Sins of his Elect both before Grace or before they are called and for those committed after Grace or after they are called so that they might not be condemned for any of them then none of them can eternally perish But this I have proved therefore none of them shall ever eternally perish Secondly The Death of Christ doth deliver every true Believer from Eternal Wrath and Condemnation I prove thus Because the Sufferings of Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ is imputed to them or is accounted to them that do believe This follows from what I said last He took our Sins upon himself and satisfied for them as if he had actually sinned and freely of his own Grace gives us the Benefit of his Suffering as if we had actually suffered our Sin was imputed to him that his Righteousness and Obedience might be imputed to us even both that which is called his Active and Passive Obedience Sin was imputed to Christ yea every Sin we have or ever shall commit so that in Christ we have born already all that Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance of God that was due to them according to his Holy Law and Threatning denounced against us Christ and his Elect are as one Person or as one entire Corporation and what he did was as if every one that he represents had done it The Sufferings of our Saviour was in lieu of the Life of the Sinner the Just for the Vnjust By his Stripes we were healed And that by God's charging our Sin judicially upon him he as our Surety standing in our room He was as the Apostle says made Sin for us that knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Arg. 3. If Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins then not one of them can eternally perish But Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins therefore not one of them can eternally perish The Justice of God hath nothing to lay to the Charge of God's Elect because it is Christ that died he whose Death hath an infinite Worth and Satisfaction in it this is the Apostle's very Argument If God's Justice is satisfied and his Wrath appeased in Christ's Death if our blessed Jonah's being thrown into the Sea of
past Christ's Death hath glorious Effects as the Apostle shews For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God To talk of Christ's Death and see no Effects of it alas what 's that All that Christ died for shall see and feel too its Glorious Effects and Operations upon their Souls and Consciences though the Sacrifice be over the Virtue and excellent Causality of it abides for ever Ninthly Christ by his Death redeemeth his People from all Iniquity and this was his End in dying What signifies such a Redemption that leaves a poor Slave in his Chains and Irons without procuring a Release for him In this lies the Glory of our Redemption by Christ 't is not only from the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God but from a vain Conversation also See the Apostle's Words Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works If this was his End and Design in his Death do any think he will see himself frustrated in it Shall any Enemy of the Soul bring Christ under a Disappointment Compare this with 1 Pes. 1. 17 18 19. Tenthly and Lastly Jesus Christ hath by his Death purchased Eternal Redemption or Everlasting Life for all his Sheep and by his Spirit hath also given to them the Earnest of it therefore his Death preserves them to Salvation In whom ye also trusted after ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the Praise of his Glory Now I should come to speak more particularly to the Effects of the Death of Christ and inlarge upon some things that I have but a little touched upon but that I must leave until the next Time and shall only speak something by way of Improvement of this Argument APPLICATION First To you that are Believers O praise and bless God for a Crucified Saviour What in Heaven and Earth is cause of greater Wonder and Admiration Christ's Death is the meritorious Cause of all Spiritual and Eternal Joy and Comfort all Grace flows out of the Wounds the Spear and Nailâ— made in his Blessed Body and from the Death and Pangs his Soul underwent Nothing is a greater Evidence of Christ's Love to us than the Death of his Cross 2. Apply his Blood draw Virtue from his Blood fly to his Death see how that stands to save thee from the Justice and Wrath of God in his Death is thy Hope and Succour when pursued by Satan and under all Temptations 3. Triumph in the Cross of Christ thou O Child of God wast crucified with Christ thy Sins were punished in him and thou art acquitted in him and raised in him O labour to know Christ and him crucified Labour to know him and the Power of his Death and the Fellowship of his Sufferings c. 4. And as to you Sinners is not here Ground of Hope for you Christ died for the chiefest of Sinners And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life But wo to such who slight this bleeding Saviour that sin because Grace hath abounded or that make the Death of Christ an Incouragement to them to continue in Sin Tush say some trouble not your self with me Christ died for Sinners O Souls will you crucify Christ again I tell you if you do not feel the Effects of his Death in vain is all your present Hope 5. This may serve also to detect such and severely to reprehend them that say Christ died to save all or for all and every Man and Woman in the World Brethren if he died for all that is in the Stead and Room of all then all shall be saved God will not condemn such whom Christ laid down his Life for or in the place or stead of as I have proved from God's Word But further to detect this Error of General Redemption 1. Consider that Redemption is a Word easy to understand it is the saving of a Person that is in Slavery or Captivity commonly procured or obtained by a Price paid or a Ransom but if the Person is indeed redeemed he is set at Liberty To say a Man is redeemed and yet left in Chains and strong Bonds out of which he cannot come unless the Redeemer break those Chains and Bonds to pieces is to speak untruly or in plain English a Lie Now are all Men redeemed Redemption cannot be more universal than it is in Matter of Fact If ten Men were in Slavery in Argiers and a Sum of Money was paid to redeem them and yet after all care is not taken to make that Ransom to be effectual for their Redemption but six or seven of them are left in Captivity can any Man say all the ten were redeemed out of that Slavery and Thraldom wherein they are held Even so it is here for Men to say that the Redemption by Christ is for all the World and yet the greatest part of Mankind lie in Bonds under the Power of Sin and Satan and have not the Death of Christ made effectual to them is a great Mistake and indeed not true as to Matter of Fact 2. Are we redeemed only from the Curse of the Law and from the Wrath of God and are we not also redeemed from Sin and from being under the Power of Satan That Redemption that is by Christ is you hear from all Iniquity and are all so redeemed The Apostle Peter saith Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from a vain Conversation but with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ c. So many as are and shall be redeemed from all Iniquity from a vain Conversation or whom Christ hath redeemed from the Power of Satan he setting them at Liberty who naturally are bound and bringing them out of the Prison-House so many and no more did he die for and no further doth Redemption by Christ extend 3. If there are many left in the Enemies Hand and under their Power and eternally perish then there is no general or universal Redemption but there are Multitudes so left and perish 4. That Grace Love and blessed Price that doth not procure Universal Salvation is not cannot be an Universal Redemption But God never shewed such Grace and Love by the Price of Christ's Blood that doth procure Universal Salvation therefore there is no Universal Redemption for that Price or Paiment which doth not actually pass or terminate in Salvation is no Redemption at all an Attempt to redeem unless it be
9. That thou mayst say to the Prisoners Go forth and to them that are in Darkness Shew your selves He had a Charge to call his Elect out of the Grave of Sin and to knock off their Fetters to open their Eyes and to heal their Wounds 3. He hath a Charge to lead them For he that hath Mercy on them shall lead them even by the Spring of the Waters shall he guide them Christ hath the Conduct of these redeemed Captives which we have fully proved by his being called a Shepherd 4. He hath received a Charge to receive all the Father hath given him and those that come unto him he saith he will in no wise cast out And this he doth not only out of his own Affections and B. wels to all such poor Sinners but also as in discharge of his Office as all are put into his Hand 5. He hath received also a Charge to perfect that good Work that he hath begun in them The bruised Reea shall he not break and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he hath brought forth Judgment unto Victory He will carry on that Work in the Soul till it i compleated He shall do this saith the Father this is part of his Work and Office which he hath accepted of And our Saviour takes notice of this thing as his Father's Will and Charge given unto him And this is the Father's Will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last Day My Father sent me to cherish and take care of the poorest and weakest Soul that he hath given me and to see that none of them be lost I must as if he should say strengthen their Faith subdue their Corruptions and never leave them till I present them all before my Father without Spot at the last Day 6 He must give an Account of them also at the last Day and he will present them all without Blame before the Father in Love and say Behold here am I and the Children which thou gavest me none of them are lost 7. Consider in what Relation all Believers stand unto him in as well as he hath them in his Hand they are his Brethren nay more his Seed his Off-spring his own Children begotten and born of his own Spirit they are the Members of his own mystical Body his own Spouse yea of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bone and will not this think you greatly move him excite and stir up his tender Heart to hold them fast in his Hand and keep them from perishing 8. Consider his Faithfulness is it look'd upon as one of the worst Blots any Mortal can have upon him to betray his Trust or not to discharge it with all care and faithfulness especially where the Life of a Person is concerned And shall not our Lord Jesus faithfully discharge his Trust Will he fail any poor Believer under Temptation or leave him to the Power of Sin and Satan when the Life of the Soul is concerned O what is the Natural Life of the Body to the Eternal Life of the Soul Now are all the Godly put into Christ's Hand and hath he accepted of this Trust viz. to keep all the Father hath given him unto Everlasting Life and not suffer the Soul of any one to be lost and will he not be faithful O how faithful hath he been to the Father in all things and to the Souls of those that are already safely landed on the other side of the Grace and will he not be as faithful to all that yet remain in this lower World Alas he knows how weak and frail we are and that without him we can do nothing He is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and will also with the Temptation make way for our escape that we may be able to bear it For in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He has a Fellow-feeling of our Infirmities and hath Compassion of the Ignorant and such that are out of the Way 9. Consider of the Greatness of that Love he hath to all that are in his Hand or are committed to his Charge which I have already spoken unto 10. Consider what he says in my Text take notice of his Resolution and Purpose of his Soul Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand Quest What is meant by any Answ The World shall not the Devil shall not the Flesh shall not Sin shall not Temptation shall not Prosperity shall not Adversity shall not Death shall not no Enemy whatsoever shall be able to pluck them out of my Hand viz. 1. They shall not break that Union there is between me and them but it shall abide indissolvable for ever 2. None shall be able to remove my Love from them I will love them still love them to the end 3. None shall cause me to cast them off or throw them out of the Covenant into which I have brought them 4. Neither shall any be able to do it they shall not be able by Force to do it nor by Flattery to do it I will keep them and safely protect them The Enemy will attempt to do it as if our Saviour should say they will strive they will pluck and pull and do what they can to get them out of my Hand but says he they shall not do it Reproaches Persecution Poverty Hunger Nakedness Peril nor Sword these nor any of these shall ever be able to pluck them out of my Hand Thirdly I shall now shew you in what respect the Saints may be said to be in the Hand of Christ or under what considerations I shewed you at first in opening our Text that he hath a seven-fold hold of them which is held forth in part in the Sacred Scripture by several Tropical Allusions 1. They are as you have heard again and again in his Hand by virtue of his Covenant which he made with the Father so that they are in his Hand As when a Man makes a Bargain to do such or such a piece of Work which he ingageth and promiseth he will go through with and will not cease until he has perfected it Now upon this Account we say that Work is in his Hand And thus Christ hath undertaken the Work of our Salvation we and that Work of Grace in us are in his Hand and he will perform it and perfect it before he hath done 2. God the Father hath given us into Christ's Hand we are in his Hand by the Father's gracious Resignation and he hath accepted of the Trust Care and Charge of us as our only Sponsor and Blessed Trustee to pay our Debts and supply all our Wants 3. We are in Christ's Hand as Sheep are in the Hand of a Shepherd to feed lead and preserve us and defend us from all Enemies 4. As a
Grace as I may say is the Off-spring of Heaven And what doth God love on Earth above his own Grace in the Souls of his People 'T is God's Gift though it be Christ's Merit And as Reverend Charnock notes Grace hath great Allies the greatest Power that ever yet acted upon the Stage of the World had a Hand in the birth of it Should we see all the States of the World engaged in bringing a Person to a Kingdom and maintaining therein his Right we could not rationally think that there were any likelihood they should be baffled in it The Trinity saith he sat in Consultation about Grace For if there were such a Solemn Convention held about the first creating of Man much more about the new and better creating of him and raising him somewhat above the State of Man the Father decrees it the Son purchaseth it the Spirit infuseth it The Father appoints the Garison what Grace should be in every Soul Christ raiseth this Force and the Spirit conducts it the Trinity hath a hand in maintaining it and all this is but the carrying on the New Creature The Father is said to beget us John 1. 13. and we are said to be the Seed of Christ Isa 53. 10. and born of the Spirit John 3. 6. therefore that which hath so strong a Relation and Allies cannot be lost Thus Charnock 2. The Father is the Root and Foundation of Grace as it is the Effect of his free Love and Favour and every Grace is part of the Divine Nature in it there is an imitation of one or other of the Divine Attributes and it exemplifies the Divine Perfections in its Operations The Design of God in infusing of his Grace into our Souls is to shew forth his Vertues or his Praise and Glory in all the Parts of it and doth glorify one or another Attribute of God 3. What is Grace and the Work of Grace in the Soul but God's Workmanship which as you have heard he hath shewed much Skill and heavenly Wisdom about and also hath been at more Cost to effect in us than in making the World he will not therefore suffer that Work to be marr'd and brought to nought We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works Did he give his Son purchase Grace and will not the same Love engage his Power to preserve and perfect it in us 4. And since God's Power is concerned in preserving Grace in us and us in a State of Grace can it be thought that Satan that strong Man armed when he had full possession of the Soul and also had so strong a Party in us on his Side and yet could not prevent an overthrow he being vanquished and turned out should ever get possession again especially since now the Soul is so well armed and hath the strongest Party on its Side against him besides such wonderful Allies to stand by it to oppose its Enemies and to aid and assist it against him and all his Abetters If Grace when a Babe gave Satan such a fatal Defeat and Overthrow certainly now it hath got such strength in the Soul it will never be overcome by him We are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation And Christ hath prayed that our Faith fail not and was heard therein Brethren is the Power of the Omnipotent God limited to a Faith of the Creature 's getting and to his Care in securing If so it is as much as to say the Nurse will keep the Child in her Hand if it doth not get out of it and stray away from her We say God keeps us by his Power through Faith because he hath ordained Faith and Holiness to be the Means which he by his Power will maintain in us as well as Happiness or the Salvation of our Souls to be the End 5. God hath promised to help us to uphold us to strengthen us and to preserve us unto the End The Steps of a good Man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his Way Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his Hand If he falls into Sin into Temptation or Affliction the Lord will not leave him but help him up and bring him out of all his Distresses He hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us He hath also promised to be our God and our Guide even unto Death and hath assured us That the Righteous shall hold on their Ways and he that hath clean Hands shall grow stronger and stronger and to put his Fear into our Hearts that we shall not depart from him Again the Apostle asserts That he that hath begun aâ— good Work in us will perform it to the Day of Christ 6. In a word it cannot stand consistent with the Wisdom Love Faithfulness Holiness nor the Glory of God to suffer any of his own Children and redeemed Ones to be pulled away from him by Sin Satan the Flesh or this World or any Enemy whatsoever and Grace to come to nothing in them 1. Can it stand consistent with his Wisdom to suffer his own Eternal Counsel to be frustrated Or hath any Man the true Grace of God and yet not as the Result of God's Purpose from Eternity If so how comes it to pass that Paul tells the Saints That they were saved and called with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the World began Can it stand consistent with Divine Wisdom to let Satan insult over God himself and boast after this manner Thou hast sent thy Son to die for these Persons thou hast renewed them by thy Grace and made them thy own Children and espoused them to thy own Son and this according to the greatness of thy Love and thy Purpose before all Worlds and didst it also to destroy and bring to nought my Design and laborious Work in seeking to devour them but see how thou art defeated and frustrated in all thou hast done I have tempted them to Sin I have again deceived their Souls and set thee against them and thy Design in saving of these is by me made of none effect I have turned those Saints into Swine and robbed them of all that Grace and rich Treasure thou gavest to them notwithstanding thou hadst put them into the Hand of thy own Son to preserve and keep 2. Can it stand consistent with his tender Love to leave his Saints in the midst of so many cruel Enemies who are unable to save themselves as poor Babes of two or ten Days old out of their Hands and yet suffer them by Sin and Satan to be torn to pieces whilst he stands by and looks on and yet they are such that are his own Children begotten and born of him by his Spirit Or shall his Love be so great in begetting Grace or in infusing
Grace and no more Love shewed in keeping and preserving that Grace in their Souls What! purchase such Riches for them by the Blood of his Son and let them be robbed of it all in a Moment 3. Can it stand consistent with the Faithfulness of God who hath said I will help thee I will uphold thee by the right Hand of my Righteousness and I will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able c. The Work I have begun in thee I will perform to the Day of Christ and as thy Day is thy Strength shall be and yet notwithstanding all this will leave them and let their Grace wither and come to nothing and Sin and Temptations be too hard and strong for them and so cast them off for ever 4. Can it stand consistent with his Holiness to let his precious Grace which is an Impression of his own Image and Likeness in the Soul be blotted blurr'd and defaced for ever this Likeness being a Likeness unto him in that most high and beloved Perfection of his Nature viz. his Holiness which Work on the Soul is curiously wrought by his own Spirit and more valued by him than ten thousand Worlds will he I say neglect that which is so dear and like unto him and suffer it to be crush'd under the Foot of filthy Corruption by the Lusts of his implacable Enemy 5. Can it stand consistent with the Honour of God's most Sovereign Majesty to let Grace be destroyed and come to nothing in the Soul whose End in all he doth is principally to advance his own Glory What is it I pray you that tends more to bring Honour to God in the World than that Grace which he hath infused into the Hearts of his People If Sin brings the greatest Dishonour to him then certainly Grace brings the greatest Honour to him which strives to root out and utterly to destroy Sin so that God and Jesus Christ might reign alone in the Soul If a King hath but one special Favourite that asserts and maintains his Right and seeks to uphold his Throne be sure he will if possible preserve him and suffer none to undermine and supplant that Favourite so as to root him out of the Kingdom Thirdly In regard had to Jesus Christ who is the Purchaser and immediate Author of Grace I further argue Grace shall at last become Victorious or never finally be suppressed in the Hearts of Believers 1. Christ by his Death purchased that Grace which every true Christian is possessed of He died to redeem us from all Iniquity and to purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works It is upon the Account of his Death as the Effects of his Death the Spirit and the Graces of the Spirit are shed abroad in our Hearts Therefore being by the right Hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you see and hear Certainly if he purchased us and Grace for us when we were his Enemies he will preserve it in us since we are actually now reconciled to him Shall he be at the expence of his Blood to buy it as one notes and spare his Power to secure it 2. Christ was manifest to take away Sin to dispossess Satan and will he let Satan take Possession again He came to destroy the Works of the Devil And what are Satan's Works but Sin Will not Christ accomplish that which he came into the World to do 3. He is called the Author and Finisher of our Faith If this be so we may assure our selves he will perfect it he that begins it will end it he hath not left it to another after he hath begun the Work of Faith to finish it No no he still keeps it in his own Hand and he will see it done 4. It is for the Honour of Christ that Grace lives and is strengthened in his People Wherefore also we pray for you that our God would account you worthy of this Calling and fulfil all the good Pleasure of his Will and the Work of Faith with Power Part of the good Pleasure of the Will of God had been fulfilled in them they were called justified adopted and the Work of Sanctification was begun and Paul prays that with Power it might be compleated and then shews us how it tends to the Glory of Christ to have this done That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified and you in him according to the Grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ Brethren the Glory of Christ and the final Salvation of the Saints are wrap'd up together Grace tends to Christ's Glory here and to his Eternal Praise and Glory hereafter 5. Jesus Christ's Work now he is in Heaven is to intercede for his Saints And be sure as he prayed when on Earth that the Faith of his Peters might not fail so he makes the like Intercession for them in Heaven Hence the Intercession of Christ is part of the Saints Holy Triumph in that of Romans 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who also maketh Intercession for us Now the Intercession of Christ hath great Power and Prevalency in it in order to our final Perseverance in Grace 1. Because he pleads continually with God the Virtue of his own Merits what he hath purchased for us he intercedes for but he purchased Grace for us and he prays for the final continuation of it in us therefore it shall abide in us to the End 2. By his Intercession he prevails with God that we may be delivered from all our Spiritual Enemies that they may never have Power over us of whom Sin is the chief That which Christ intercedes for he is heard and accepted in but he intercedes that we may be kept and delivered from the Power and eternal Punishment of Sin therefore Sin shall never have Power to condemn us 3. He intercedes that our Prayers may be heard and that we may be helped to pray and part of our Prayer is that Sin may not have Power over us to condemn us therefore Sin never shall so condemn us because Christ causes our Prayers with the Incense of his own Intercession to come up as a sweet Savour in the Nostrils of God 4. Christ intercedes that all our Sins may be pardoned and covered If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father He carries this Cause for us in the Court of Heaven therefore our Sins shall never work our Ruin 5. It is by his Intercession we come to the Throne of Grace with boldness Christ our Friend and High Priest appearing evermore in the Presence of God for us 6. And also it is through Christ's Intercession that all our Good Works and Holy Services are accepted of God So much shall serve to the tenth and last Argument And from hence
off from pressing Care and Diligence on the Mariners 4. That God who hath ordained the End I tell you again hath also ordained the Means Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. We are chosen in Christ that we may be holy and without blame before him in Love Nor can any ever come to any well-grounded hope he shall be saved or know he is elected unless he is holy heavenly spiritual watchful and diligent in all Gospel-Duties which is the Fruits and Effects of Election 5. The Decree of Election considered absolutely in it self without respect had unto its Effects is no part of God's revealed Will that is it is not revealed that this Man is and that Man is not Elected This therefore can be made neither Argument nor Objection about any thing wherein Faith and Obedience are concerned 6. The Sovereign and ever-to-be-adored Grace and distinguishing Love of God is laid down in the Word of God to be the greatest Motive to Holiness imaginable Who maketh thee to differ from another O that God should open my Eyes call me by his Grace may a Believer say Shall I sin against him because his Grace so abounds to me God forbid If God hath elected me I may live in Sin walk as I list is the Language rather of a Devil than of a Man much less of a Saint I speak the more to this because I would shew you that are Believers what Improvement you ought to make of God's Free Grace and Love to you Put on therefore as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved Bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of Mind Meekness Long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another And as Moses said Consider what great things God hath done for you Object 4. If I shall persevere to the End what need is there of those Take-heeds in the Scripture Why are we bid to watch and take heed lest we fall Answ This is all one with the former besides I answered it largely when I first entred upon my Work but yet let me add a word or two further 1. A Child of God may sin and fall grievously and greatly dishonour God and bring Reproach on the Gospel which may tend to grieve some and harden others nay he may lose his Comfort and Joy of God's Salvation therefore hath need to watch Satan is a strong a vigilant and cunning Enemy O see what Reasons you have from thence to watch and pray 2. If you grow careless carnal or indifferent in the Matters of Religion it may be a sign that your Hearts are not right with God Many of the Members of the Churches to whom the Epistles were directed were no more than Professors and if so they were liable to fall away and perish for ever Object 5. But same Branches in the Vine may bear no Fruit but may be cut off and wither c. Answ I have also fully answered this Objection already see the Argument taken from our Union with Christ There is a twofold being in Christ an External being in him by a Profession and a true Spiritual being in him Object 6. If Christ died not for all what ground have I to believe he died for me Answ 1. What doth it signify to believe Christ died for all unless thou findest the Effects of his Death in thee Many thousands shall perish notwithstanding Christ died for them in their Judgment that make this Objection yea the generality of them for whom he died therefore unless all were saved what Encouragement is there to believe from hence 2. He that believes shall be saved If thou therefore dost believe thou shalt be saved Is not this a better Ground of Faith than that of Christ's dying for all 3. A bare believing that Christ died for all I have proved is no Ground of thy Interest in his Death for that may be without any Fruits or gracious Effects 4. Thou hast the same Ground to believe as any have or as such had who do now believe before they did believe or as they had once who now are in Heaven 5. Christ died for the chiefest of Sinners and the Promises of Mercy upon believing are made to the vilest Sinners on Earth 6. Great and black Sinners have found Mercy and are now in Heaven even some of them that put Christ to Death And is here not Ground of Faith and Hope for thee 7. Remember that if thou believest not but dost continue in thy Sin and Rebellion against God thou shalt be certainly damned thy rejecting of Christ will have that Effect at last upon all Unbelievers 8. Moreover Christ calls to stout-hearted Sinners such that are far from Righteousness He brings his Salvation near to them He calls upon a People not called by his Name He hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also that God might dwell among them And is not here a good Ground to venture thy Soul upon Jesus Christ be thou who thou wilt 9. No Person is excluded by the Lord that we know of Can any Man say there is no Mercy for him unless he hath sinned against the Holy Ghost which may be not one in an Age is guilty of The Nature of which Sin I purpose to open after I have closed with this Text. Thy Condemnation O Sinner will be of thy self God will judg the World in Righteousness this we are all agreed in and set down as an undeniable Article of our Faith None shall have this to plead at the last Day I was not Elected God will vindicate his Justice and Righteous Proceedings in the Day of Judgment and all Mouths shall be then stopped and every Man's Conscience be a Witness for or against him And though foreseen Faith and Holiness is not the Cause why any are elected yet foreseen Wickedness is the Cause why Men are reprobated O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Object 7. But is it not said Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Answ 1. This Text the Papists do abuse as well as the Arminians who strive to make Man a Co-worker or a Partner with Christ in our Salvation But this the Apostle intends not because we are saved by Grace For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works 2. Whoever it is that brings in this Text as an Objection against the Doctrine of the Saints Final Perseverance you may be sure is a corrupt Person in his Judgment and one that pleads for a Covenant of Works or joins the Creature with Christ as a Co-workein the Salvation of Man For if it be to be taken in their sense then it would follow that Man is his own Saviour for if I procure my own Salvation by Works or by working it out for my self I save my self or am my own Saviour or I
do appropriate part of it to my self which is the worst part of Popery They say that Christ's Merits with their own good Works do justify and save them And what do the Arminians say less who join Faith Inherent Righteousness and Sincere Obedience with the Merits of Christ both in Justification before God and in the Salvation of their Souls They say all Men are in a capacity or have Power to work out their own Salvation if they will Mr. William Allen says on that Text Rom. 4. Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness That they are the Works of the Law he doth not say That he that loves not c. So that Love Gospel-Obedience and Holiness according to these Men are not excluded as the Matter of our Justification before God but are a part of it They plead for Gospel-Works in point of Justification though not for the Works of the Law Pray what Difference is there between these Mens Doctrine and that of the Papists But I having lately in my Treatise called The Marrow of Justification so fully confuted this Grand Error I shall add no more to it at this Time but come to examine the Text. 1. It is evident that the Persons to whom the Holy Apostle wrote this Epistle were Saints and Justified Persons or such who were quickned renewed or regenerated by the Holy Spirit Therefore 2. Let us consider what Part of Salvation it was which they were required to work out 1. They could not appease the Wrath of God nor satisfy Divine Justice that sure was not in their Power to do nor is it here intended 2. They could not deliver themselves from the Curse of the Law because by their uttermost endeavour they could not arrive to a compleat or perfect Righteousness nor satisfy for the breach of it by Original Sin and by Actual Sins formerly by them committed 3. They could not change their own Hearts or create in themselves a new Heart they had no creating Power certainly they dare not say they had Power or were capable to form Christ in their Souls or restore God's lost Image in them Again 4. They could not raise themselves from the Dead for they were once dead in Sins and Trespasses and sure they will say that to raise and quicken the Dead is Christ's Work only You hath he quickned he does not say you have ye quickned 5. They could not bind the strong Man armed who formerly had the ruling Power in them and in whose Chains and Fetters they were once bound Will they say that all Men have a greater Power in them than is the Power of Satan so that Man may translate himself if he will out of the Power and Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of God's dear Son as all Believers by the irresistable Power of God are 6. They could not believe of themselves because Faith is a Fruit of the Spirit of God and 't is said expresly It is not of our selves but it is the Gift of God Now all things are as parts of our Salvation or appertain thereunto and none of all these things can be here meant by the Apostle because the Persons to whom he wrote had all these things work'd out for them and in them before Quest What Work is it then What were they to work out Answ I answer The Apostle means that good Work of Mortification of Sin and all Works that are the Fruits of Faith that is they should lead a Holy and Godly Life they having received a Principle of Grace from Christ to this very End there being a Necessity that the Tree be first made Good before the Fruit can be Good and that a dead Man have a Principle of Life infused into him before he can either move or work Quest But can the Creature do these things you mention of himself Answ The Apostle seems very jealous of these Saints lest they should catch up some Arminian Notion which is too much rooted in Man's corrupt Nature and therefore to vanquish Free-Will or the Power of the Creature for ever nay the Power that is in regenerated Persons he adds For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure who worketh in them powerfully effectually carrying on the Work through all Difficulties and Obstacles with victorious Efficacy God works not only Grace in them at first but still by his Spirit through fresh Supplies does aid influence and assist them and will until the Work is perfected or until the Day of Christ We cannot mortify Sin pray nor do any good Work without the Spirit If ye through the Spirit saith Paul do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live So then this is the Sum In Holiness and all good Works we act and do But how even as we are acted moved and influenced of God It is as when God acts works and moves in us by his Spirit And as to do all with fear and trembling this is only to shew how low we should lie at the Foot of God and be humble and not lifted up with Pride since all our Power and Sufficiency is of God But so much to this Text and Objection Object 8. But what say you to that Text in Jer. 22. 24. Though Coâ—iah the Son of Jehojakim King of Judah were the Signet upon my right Hand yet would I pluck thee thence This Place of Scripture is sent me as a grand Objection against Final Perseverance Answ We must distinguish between one that might be near to God or as dear as a Signet on the right Hand in respect of Place or External Dignity as a King and God's bringing him from thence by Temporal Punishment and one that is a Signet upon God's right Hand in respect of Divine Grace and Favour in Jesus Christ or as touching his Eternal Election the latter this Text does not refer unto Object 9. Is it not said If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you c. Answ The Supposition If ye do doth not always denote a Possibility that a Person may not do so See John 15. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandment and abide in his Love Was it possible for Christ not to abide in his Father's Love Our Saviour uses these Expressions as an Argument of Comparison 1. This shews how acceptable Holiness and Obedience is to God 2. It also implies thus much i. e. That God hath ordained his Saints to Faith Love and Obedience as well as to Eternal Life If my Word abide in you c. Now elsewhere God saith to Christ And the Words which I have put into thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed which are Believers they shall have his Word abide in them for ever The Law of God
were like the Ground which the Rain falls oft upon that nevertheless brings forth Briars and Thorns and no good Fruit. 8 thly There is one thing particularly noted by the Apostle concerning these Hebrew Christians which they had and which the other had not therefore not gracious Persons See ver 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work of Faith and Labour of Love which ye have shewed toward his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister 1. This he mentions as a Reason of his good Opinion of them and why he was so perswaded of them and which was better than all those high Attainments of which he speaks concerning such that are in danger of Final Apostacy Love to the poor Saints in ministring to them for the sake of Christ or because they are the Members of his Body is more than all those five Attainments mentioned in the 4 th 5 th and 6 th Verses Now also let it be considered that if this Fruit of true and saving Grace I mean Charity or Love to the poor Saints as such had been in the Persons he speaks of who were in danger of falling finally how then could this be an Argument of such Confidence in Paul concerning them or of Comfort to those Saints he wrote unto Alas what are common Illuminations What is it to have some transit taste of the Heavenly Gift or to be made Partakers of the common Operations of the Spirit in Convictions of Sin or of Duty to the Inhabitation of the Spirit or unfeigned Love to Christ and to the Children of God Or what is it to have some taste of the good Word of God to a spiritual feeding and digesting it or to be affected with the powerful Doctrine of the Gospel in respect of the World to come or with the Resurrection of the Dead and last Judgment to the gracious Experience of the Power of Christ's Resurrection and so feel in our Souls a Discharge from the Judgment of the Great Day through Faith in Jesus Christ 2. The Apostle was perswaded concerning these Hebrew Christians that they had such things in them that did accompany Salvation that is such things that are inseparable from Salvation i. e. such who have them shall certainly be saved He describes such who are sincere Christians by the Fruits and Effects of true Grace namely the Work of Faith and Labour of Love by which their Obedience unto God did appear 1. He notes the Principle from whence they acted in their Duty to God 2. The Constancy of their Obedience they continued in bringing forth of that good Fruit they had ministred to the Saints and still did minister to them 3. He takes notice of the Principle from whence they acted or did what they did viz. they ministred to the Saints in Love to God and to Jesus Christ it was Love shewed to his Name 4. He adds that in their Preservation in their happy State the Faithfulness of God God is not unrighteous to forget your Work of Faith c. which comprehends his Covenant and Promise to them which for their farther Comfort he enlargeth upon ver 13 to ver 19. to which he subjoins the Promise and Oath of God made to all that are sincere Believers or Heirs of the Promise But to proceed to speak to those five Qualifications or Attainments of the Perso she speaks of in our Text who may fall away and finally perish for ever First The first is their being once enlightned They might be instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel beyond many or be illuminated not only by learning the literal Knowledg of the Gospel as Men learn Philosophy but also may attain to some supernatural Light by the common Illuminations of the Spirit and may understand many profound Mysteries of the Gospel yet remember Knowledg puffeth up they might have knowing Heads but graceless Hearts Note from hence Doct. 2. That it is a high Privilege and an Attainment for Men to be enlightned with the Knowledg of the Gospel yet nevertheless Men may attain to much Light therein and yet not be savingly enlightned but may finally fall away and perish notwithstanding at last First I shall shew you what the common Illuminations of the Spirit are that Men may fall from Secondly Shall shew you what the saving and special Illuminations of the Spirit are and how they differ 1 st Common Enlightnings of the Word and Spirit may tend to convince the Conscience of a Sinner of Sin 1. As to the horrid Guilt thereof as it exposeth the Soul to God's Wrath Thus was Judas enlightned his Conscience was convinced that he had betrayed the Innocent Blood Thus also Felix was enlightned under Paul's preaching 2. From these Convictions they may also with much horror confess their Sins Cain Judas and many others did this 3. From these Illuminations and Convictions they may reform their Lives and do many things like as Herod did upon his hearing John the Baptist 4. Nay common Illuminations may discover to the Sinner much of that Evil that there is in Sin that God abhorreth it and that it is contrary to his Nature as well as a violation of his Holy Law and this Light they may receive from what God declares concerning Sin and of his abhorrence of it in his Word as also by those fearful Judgments which he inflicteth upon and pronounceth against such that sin live in Sin and make a Trade of it Likewise by the Knowledg they may attain concerning Christ's suffering for Sin and by the Punishment of the Damned in Hell and no doubt but the Devils know the great Evil of Sin in all these respects But pray observe that although these Persons may know that Sin is against God contrary to his Holy Nature and that he doth abhor it yet this Light and Knowledg they have never brings them to loath and abhor it in themselves because of the evil Nature of it and as it is against God 2 dly They also by these common Illuminations may come to know that God is Man's chiefest Good The Heathen found this out by the Light of Nature considering in themselves that nothing in this World could satisfy the Soul c. But these Persons attain unto a farther Sight and Knowledg of it by the Word in a supernatural manner but yet remember that the Light they have never leadeth them to make choice of God as their chiefest Good and only Happiness 3 dly They may attain unto the Knowledg of all the great and essential Principles of the Christian Religion and be able to dispute and contend for them also against Opposers nay may be able Preachers of that Holy Doctrine Have we not prophesied in thy Name c. No doubt but Judas was a great Preacher as well as Peter Yet observe and note it well they may be utter Strangers to that Grace Faith Love and Regeneration which they may open explain and press upon others
satisfy the Law and Justice for you Friend you are acquitted Brethren thus it is here Christ offered himself and the Father accepted him in our stead to die for us and to bear that Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and this he did then even when we first sinned in Adam So that we may say in due time Christ died for the Ungodly just as the Stroke of Wrath and Divine Justice was falling on us for it was all one as if he had then actually suffered And also his Blood was as efficacious to save and absolve Adam and all that did believe and apply the Virtue thereof before it was shed as it is to us who believe in these latter Times of the World after it has been shed more than sixteen hundred Years Would not such a guilty Malefactor I mentioned say O this is a great Salvation indeed nay stand and admire at it he expecting nothing but Death and had none to help him or afford any hope or relief to him in the least APPLICATION 1. We may from hence infer God's Love to Mankind is inconceivable nay his Love to sinful Man to lost Man rebellious Man What is Man that thou art mindful him such a vile Creature a Worm a filthy and loathsom Worm a cursed Rebel and Traitor against God that God should let out his Thoughts from Eternity upon him when the Sentence was past against him and he ready to go down to the Pit of Everlasting Wrath and Misery that he should say Deliver him from going down into the Pit I have found a Ransom 'T is not he that is Man himself hath found a Ransom No no I have saith God found a Ransom the Just for the Vnjust or in the room and place of the guilty Sinner It is not I have found Man's good Works Man's reformed Life his Repentance his Faith his Tears his sincere Obedience no but it is the Obedience of Christ the Blood of Christ the Sacrifice of Christ the Merits and Righteousness of Christ this God hath found to be our Ransom God hath found a full Ransom a perfect Ransom God accepted of Christ's Sacrifice for a Compleat Satisfaction it is more satisfactory than if we had lain in Hell for ever for we must always have been paying but never could have made Satisfaction O who could have thought of such a Ransom of such a way of Salvation in this lies the Depth of Divine Wisdom and the Great Mystery of the Gospel How should we adore and admire the Grace of God in Jesus Christ 2. To you poor Sinners let me speak one word by way of Exhortation Did God so early contrive our Salvation O then do you set your Hearts on work to seek this Salvation I mean an Interest in it be early at it do not defer it You young Men think upon it in the morning of your Days this Salvation calls for your utmost diligence to understand and find out the Gospel is a Mystery 't is not easily understood The Preaching of a Crucified Christ is to some Men Foolishness but to them that are saved it is the Power of God Many stumble at the Stumbling-stone God hath laid in Sion Christ is to some a Stumbling-stone and a Rock of Offence but take heed he is not so to you 3. Was there a Council held in Eternity about our Salvation O then consult with all Wisdom the grand Design of God herein It is to exalt his own Glory his own Name his own Free Grace and this being so let it be all your care to advance the Riches of his Grace and let God be wholly exalted and do you lie low at his Feet O close in with God's Counsel accept of this way of Life do not think there is any other way 4. And lastly Consider that the Greatness of God's Mercy and Divine Goodness to us was also one grand End and Design in finding out this Salvation It doth display his unspeakable Love and Bowels towards his poor Creature Man True he had the like regard to his Justice but his Justice had been magnified in our Destruction if his Mercy had never appeared But that his Mercy might be manifested what hath he done his own Son hath born our Sins he hath laid the Hand of his Justice and let out that Wrath that must have lain upon us for ever upon his own Son that Mercy might flow forth to us This should teach us to study Acts of Mercy and contrive that way to be like unto the Holy and Merciful God This is that which he requires of us even to do justly love Mercy and to walk humbly with our God HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation I AM upon the Proof and Demonstration of the first Point of Doctrine raised from our Text viz. That Gospel-Salvation is a Great and Glorious Salvation I have spoken to this already under five Considerations Sixthly The Salvation of the Gospel is Great and Glorious if we consider the Glory and Greatness of those Persons who sat in Counsel about bringing of it in and working of it out for sinful Man We commonly judg of the Greatness of the Undertaking and the Glory of the Work by considering the Dignity Glory Wisdom Power and Greatness of the Persons concerned in it Now if this Work I mean the Salvation of sinful Man had been put into the Hands of the mighty Angels and they had called a Council about it and shewed their uttermost Skill Wisdom and Power in order to the actual accomplishment thereof would not all say this must needs be some great and wonderful Work or a great Salvation But alas they could neither have sound out a way of Salvation for us much less have wrought it out Could they any way have thought how the Glory of every Attribute of God might have been raised and have shone forth in equal Lustre could they have secured the Glory of God's Justice and Holiness and have made up the Wrong we had done to God by our Sin and so have opened a Way for Mercy and Goodness to run down like a mighty Stream and secured the Sanction of the Law and yet have delivered Man from the Curse thereof God must not will not lose the Glory of any one of his Attributes let what will become of the Rebellious Sinner Alas they could never have found out a way whereby the Attributes of Mercy and Justice might meet together and Righteousness and Truth kiss each other the Persons then who found and wrought out this Salvation were not the Holy Angels of God No no none but God himself could do it The Salvation of Israel is of the Lord He is our Saviour How often is this expressed in the Psalms and in other places of the Holy Scripture Salvation is ascribed to the Lord to him only yea to his own Arm to the greatness of his Power Therefore my own Arm brought Salvation
lie upon a sick Bed O Sirs you will need it at last and may be seek it when too late Were a poor condemned Criminal sensible of a Way how to be saved from Death or that a Pardon might be had would he delay the Time or would he not make it all his Business with his uttermost Care to seek for a Pardon lest the Day of his Execution should come before he hath got it And if so he knows die he must Alas Sirs what is it to be delivered from Natural Death to our being delivered from Eternal Death The Time when you must die may be near and if you have not an Interest in this Salvation when you die Naturally your Souls must die Eternally Pray observe the Argument I am upon to excite and stir up your Souls to a Holy Diligence in attending on the Means of this Salvation it is the same the Apostle uses it is called Great Salvation considering the Dignity of Christ's Person who laid down his own Life to purchase it for us and also was the first great Minister and Preacher of it which at first began to be spoken by the Lord It was preached by the Lord of Life and Glory the great Mediator Head of all Principalities and Powers and it is again by one of his poor Servants this Day offered unto you in the Name of my Great Master therefore refuse it at your Peril If you receive it imbrace it you shall be happy but if you refuse it you will be miserable and at last die in your Sins 4. Here is Comfort and Encouragement for the worst of Sinners Are you such who are and have been great Sinners Well let it be so yet be not cast down into utter Despair for here is a great Saviour you have heard of his mighty Power and Ability to save and he saith All that the Father hath given to me shall come unto me Ay but you perhaps may say you know not who they be that the Father hath given to Christ Well what of that Pray mind his next Words And he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Receive this Saviour believe in him and you shall be saved whosoever you are It is not the greatness of your Sins that can hinder or obstruct him from saving your Souls though your Sins be as red as Scarlet or as red as Crimson he will wash them all away and make you as white as Wool as white as Snow 5. Also here is good News for poor Sin-sick Sinners to wounded and lost Sinners I mean such who feel themselves sick see and feel themselves wounded who find they are lost and undone in themselves O Souls you are the Persons the Word of this Salvation is sent to The Whole need not a Physician but such that are sick I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Such indeed who are conceited of their own Righteousness or swelled with a good Opinion of their own good Works good Deeds and good Duties will not come to Christ such think they need no such Physician as Christ is But you that see you have no Righteousness of your own but that all your Righteousness is as Dung O look to Christ come to Christ hear what he says to such that are lost that are under the burden of their Sins and wounded ones Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 6. But here is sad News to such who slight this Salvation and refuse Jesus Christ great will their Condemnation be The Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this Generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here The greatness of this Saviour who preaches the Gospel to you and is come to save you will aggravate your Condemnation What was Jonas to Jesus Christ Also our Saviour saith The Queen of the South shall rise up in Judgment with this Generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost Parts of the Earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here Solomon was a mighty King and for Wisdom exceeded all that went before him But alas what was Solomon to Jesus Christ who is the Wisdom of God it self and the express Image of the Father's Person and the Brightness of his Glory O know you Sinners this Day that Jesus Christ this glorious King and Prince of the Kings of the Earth this mighty Saviour is come to your Doors Behold I stand at the Door and knock Will you not open the Door nor cry to him to help you to open to him to enable you to believe in him What do you say shall the Son of God stand at your Doors and you not so much as ask Who is there Who is at my Door Shall Christ be kept out of your Hearts and stand at your Doors whilst Sin commands the chiefest Room and has absolute Power over you and rules in you How will you be able to look this Blessed Saviour in the Face another Day Is he come through a Sea of Blood to offer his Love to you and to espouse you unto himself for ever and will not you be perswaded to break your League with your old Lovers who will at last stab you at the very Heart and betray your Souls into the Hands of Divine Wrath Now they have done it already What are your Lovers but your 〈◊〉 your Pride your Earthly-mindedness your sinful Pleasures Profits and Honours O resolve to desert them they otherwise will damn your Souls for ever and expose you to the Torments of Hell-Fire And to deliver you from them and from that â—rath which is due to you for them I mean for your Sins is Christ come and this great Saviour is offered to you The Lord help every one of you to consider of this and to lay it to Heart 7. And lastly Here is Comfort for poor drooping Saints This Saviour is yours this mighty Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost and he will help you in all your Straits and supply all your Wants and he hath taken the Work into his own Hand and hath also begun it and will perform it and finally finish it before that he hath done rest therefore upon him HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation BRETHREN the last Day I shewed you that Gospel-Salvation is Great and Glorious Salvation considering the Greatness Dignity and Glory of the Persons that are concerned in bringing of it in and working of it out for us namely the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost But more particularly upon the Consideration of the Dignity of the Person of Christ who is that great Saviour God hath sent who is great in his Name great in respect of his Person
Day To Day if you will hear his Voice but they will not regard it Because I have called saith the Lord and you refused I have stretched out my Hand and no Man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh 9. Such who prefer their sinful and earthly Pleasures Profits and Honours above this Salvation do also neglect it 'T is said of some of the Pharisees that they believed on him but did not profess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God I once told you of a Man who living a loose and ungodly Life and was by that means in danger of losing his Eye-sight insomuch that his Physician told him He must leave that excess of Prophaneness or he would be blind Ah said he is it so Then farewel my sweet Eye-sight or to that Effect Just thus do many poor Sinners they will not part with their Sins their sinful Ways and sinful Companions for when they hear what they must do if ever they are saved namely believe in Jesus Christ repent and turn from all their sinful Courses they say in their Hearts Farewel then Great Salvation if these things must be done they will have none of it I remember I heard in our Countrey when I was young of a prophane Person that said in plain words That he would have his Lusts his Pleasures his merry Bouts or to that purpose for it was all the Heaven he look'd for O how just will it be in God to sentence such to eternal Flames 10. Such neglect this Salvation who say in their Hearts to God Depart from us we desire not the Knowledg of thy Ways They like not approve not of God nor of the Ways of God therefore desire him to depart they would not have God come so near them as to disturb their Thoughts nor disquiet their Spirits about their eternal State therefore they strive to divert themselves The Wicked saith the Psalmist through the Pride of his Countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts he will not trouble himself with God and the things of God and so neglects this Salvation 11. Moreover all such who believe not give not credit to the Revelation of the Gospel they do not believe the Report of it Lord saith the Prophet Who hath believed our Report Though the Report of the Gospel is given out upon the highest Evidence imaginable yet Brethren there is an humane Faith that a Man may attain to and exercise without Divine and Supernatural Grace which Men do not exert which if they did it would were it improved deter them and put a stop to many of their abominable Practices but as some in other cases say I will not believe such or such a thing though it is confirmed sufficiently so it is here Men will not believe they will not give Credit to the Report of the Gospel it is not agreeable to their carnal Reason What! believe there is no Salvation but by the Righteousness of another How can this be Can his Righteousness justify me be made mine I believe that if I do live an Honest Life and do good to my Neighbours I shall be saved Says another I can't believe that all shall be damned unless they are born again and experience such a Change as some Ministers talk of for if it be so Lord have Mercy upon us what will become of the greatest part of the World Says a third sort God is above the Devil and I cannot believe he will ever suffer Satan to get away the greatest Number of Mankind Ay says a fourth sort we can't believe that Sin is so great an Evil or so great a Matter or that God will be so severe as to cast us into Hell for it What 's Drunkenness 'T is for our Health to be drunk now and then and what is simple Fornication Tush will God think you ever cast us into Hell for such small things as these or throw us into a Furnace of Fire It cannot consist with his Mercy and infinite Goodness Now Brethren as all these Persons neglect this Salvation so they make God a Liar God hath said There is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved no other way but through Christ's Blood by his Merits and Righteousness but they say there is He also hath said That the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God even whole Nations if they do so and that no Drunkard Fornicator Proud Person Unbeliever or Covetous Man or Woman c. shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but contrariwise shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone but they will not believe it And God says Except a Man be born again he shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they will not believe it O what is the Condition of these Men Unbelief is the damning Sin in this respect as well as it is in respect that it leads Men out to refuse and contemn the Remedy God hath appointed I mean the Application of the Blood of Jesus Christ These perish as the Man did who was told of his Danger but would not believe it till it fell upon him to his Ruin 12. Such neglect this great Salvation who delay the looking after it until old Age or till Sickness or Death comes upon them How many are there of this sort They mind not their Souls nor Soul-concernments but think it is time enough when they have spent their best Days in the Service of the World nay in the Devil's Service to look after Religion or an Interest in Jesus Christ these I say also are neglecters of this Salvation 13. All such who make not Religion or the Salvation of their precious Souls their chief Business or Matter of the highest Importance in the World these must be set down as neglecters of Gospel-Salvation Brethren this is that one Thing needful namely to provide for the Soul in reference to Eternity This was that good part Mary chose that should not be taken from her she took more care about the good of her Soul in attending on Christ's Word than on any thing else whatsoever This should be our general Calling to which Work we ought to give up our selves continually in improving all Seasons and Opportunities and in the discharge of all spiritual Duties O how busy are some Men and how wise nay to get this World no Time no Care no Opportunity shall be omitted But they have no regard of this great Concernment it is not weighed nor thought upon by them yet what can be of like Importance and what Fools are they whose chiefest Care is to live well for one Day and regard not what will become of them
their rebellious Hearts that their abominable Sins Pride and Arrogancy might be curb'd and they not so boldly and impudently go on in their Disobedience and Contempt of Jesus Christ Christ to this End as Dr. Owen observes hath his Arrows which he lets fly upon his Enemies some may â—â—ick in their Hearts and they fall down dead before him he this way may kill them to give them Life 2. That all ungodly Sinners may be left without Excuse and Jesus Christ be justified in his righteous Proceedings against them at the last Day He tells them before-hand what they must expect and look for If they repent not they shall all likewise perish if they believe not they shall be damned if they are not born again they shall not see the Kingdom of God if they continue in any course of Sin as Adultery Fornication Drunkenness Theft Pride Covetousness Lying c. they shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone And if they neglect this so great Salvation they shall not escape Divine Wrath. 3 dly and lastly The Threatnings that are in the Gospel may be of great use to Believers even as a Whip or Lash to quicken them when grown slothful and negligent in their Duties or fall into a sleepy and secure State and to shew them that the Gospel tolerates no looseness allows of no Sin but that the whole Design of it is to promote Holiness God will be sanctified by all that draw near to him They may serve also to prevent the Power and Prevalency of indwelling Sin or tend to nip off the Buds as they put forth or kill those Weeds that might otherwise grow the more in their Hearts and also to stir them up to stand upon their Watch and make a stout Resistance of all Enemies for that God tells us we must either kill or be killed If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Christ's Souldiers are sure of the Victory but not without sighting if they turn their Backs they are gone though to their great Joy and Comfort if they are true Believers they know they are not of that sort that draw back unto Perdition Also by these Threats the Saints may be the better enabled to suffer Persecution and endure any Trials here for Christ's sake they hereby knowing how much easier it is to bear and undergo the Wrath of Man than it is to endure the Wrath of God Quest On whom is the Wrath of God denounced or what kind of Sinners shall undergo it Answ 1. I answer All prophane and ungodly Sinners of what sort soever as Aduiterers Fornicators covetous Persons malicious Persons Whisperers Backbiters haters of God despiteful and proud Persons Covenant-breakers Implacable Vnmerciful Thieves Drunkards Revilers Extortioners Murderers Witches Sorcerers and all Liars These and all other prophane Persons whatsoever who live and die in any of these or other Sins having neglected this Salvation shall not escape the Wrath of God For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againstall Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men. The Wages of every Sin yea the very Lusts of the Heart is Eternal Death Sin is their Sickness and the neglecting the Salvation of the Gospel is their refusing that Remedy and only Cure of their Sickness which God doth afford 2. All civilized Persons such who depend upon Principles of Morality or living a sober Life and never look after Faith in Jesus Christ and Regeneration I say unto you Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Yet Paul when a Pharisee saith That as touching the Righteousness which is of the Law I was blameless Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God These as much neglect this great Salvation as scandalous and prophane Sinners and therefore shall not escape God's Wrath. 3. All Idolaters Persecutors and heretical Persons such who are corrupted with damnable Heresy who deny the Person of Christ or our Lord Jesus the only Saviour or Salvation and Righteousness by him these also are neglecters of this Salvation and living and dying in those Sins cannot escape the Wrath of God 4. All Unbelievers or such who are without saving Faith in Jesus Christ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth not shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him No Unbeliever can escape the Wrath of God 5. All Hypocrites or such who make a Profession of the Gospel without the saving Grace of God in their Hearts Of these there are two sorts 1. Such who are self-condemned Hypocrites who know they are not what they profess themselves to be but have carnal and sinister Ends and Aims in their professing the Gospel Religion being but a Cloak to cover their Deceit and Hypocrisy 2. Such as the foolish Virgins were whose Hearts deceive them thinking their State was good 1. But never passed through the Pangs of the new Birth but trusted to a Form of Godliness without the Power of it This sort it seems 2. are very blind and ignorant in that they thought to receive Advantage by the Graces or good Works of wise and gracious Christians Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out 3. They never sought for Grace any way until it was too late even not till the Bridegroom was come 4. It appears that this sort also were very consident of the Goodness of their Condition that is a bad sign for they rose up to meet the Bridegroom Gracious Christians are attended with Godly Jealousies of their own Hearts yet these Mens outward Conversation might be clean to outward appearance in that they were not known to the Wise to be foolish Ones 5. Their Folly appears in that they please themselves with a Name of being Christians Saints and Church-Members without the Nature Faith and Holiness of such prizing a Lamp of Profession above the Grace of God or a Form of Religion more than the Power of it valuing the Approbation of Men more than the Approbation and Acceptation of God esteeming the empty Cabinet or pleasing themselves with the Shell of Religion without the Kernel of it and in their thinking it was time enough to sow when others were just going to reap and by laying Claim to Heaven without any Title to it None of these living and dying under this Deceit Ignorance and Hypocrisy can escape the Wrath of God 6. All such cannot escape who utterly apostatize or backslide from God and the Truths of the Gospel who after they have made a Profession of Religion turn with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire and with the Dog lick up their old Vomit again I mean cleave again to their former evil and ungodly Ways and