A Golden Mine Opened, Sermon 27
HEB. II. 3. How ſhall we eſcape if we neglect ſo great Salvation?
Serm. VI.I Cloſed the laſt Day with the tenth Demonſtration, to prove the Salvation of the Goſpel to be Great and Glorious.
Seventhly, Goſpel-Salvation is Great and Glorious, becauſe it is a full, a compleat, and a comprehenſible Salvation. That which I intend Goſpel-Salvation great becauſe 'tis a full and compleat Salvation.hereby is this, viz There are all things contained in this Salvation which our … in order to Grace, and whatſoever is neceſſary for us here, and eternal Glory hereafter; 'tis not a barren, or a partial Salvation, but a fruitful and compleat Salvation: it does not require us to make B…k, and allow us no Straw; it doth not command us to believe, and give us no Power; it is not like the Law that commands perfect Righteouſneſs, and condemns all that have it not, but gives no Strength to perform it. Some there be who ſeem to preach a ſtrange Goſpel, they tell you what Chriſt hath done, viz that he hath died, &c. and done his part in this Salvation, and leſt Sinners to do their part; the Debt is paid, you may go out of Poiſon if you will, this they do tell you: But, alas, alas! the leſt Sinner is bound, he is in Chains, under the Power of Sin and Satan; nay, he is dead, and what can he do? Is his Power greater than the Power of Satan? Can he tranſlate himſelf out of the Power of Darkneſs, into the Kingdom of God's Son? Can he, Col. 1. 13. 5.by any Power God hath given him, quicken himſelf, or raiſe himſelf from the Dead? No, no, this is impoſſible.
But now, ſay I, Goſpel-Salvation is a full and com… Salvation, what is needful and abſolutely neceſſary to be don… for the Sinner, in order to his having a ſaving Intereſt in it: Jeſus Chriſt will accompliſh, nay, and he will do it himſelf, he will not …dmit you to have a Share or a Part in the Salvation of your own Souls: for as he knows Sinners are not able to do that which muſt be done for them, and in them, if they are intereſted into the Bleſſings of this Salvation; ſo he will have and muſt have all the Glory and Honour of this Salvation himſelf, from the firſt to the laſt; Chriſt hath no Partner, no Competitor in this great Work, I mean, in and about the Salvation of our Souls.
1. Sinners, are you dead, dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes? Chriſt is come to quicken you; I am come that you might have Life: There John 10. 10.is in this Salvation Life for dead Sinners; Chriſt hath a certain Water to give, that whoſoever drinketh of it, though he be dead, yet he ſhall live; that Water is his Spirit, 'tis by that by infuſing of his Spirit into the dead Soul, that the Soul comes to be quickned: the Spirit of Chriſt is his quickning Voice; The Dead ſhall hear the Voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live. Chriſt Joh. 5. 25.is our Life, not only as he purchaſed Life for us, but as he by his Spirit infuſes it in us. The Spirit is that Vital Principle in us; You hath he quickned, that were dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins. And he puts Eph. 2. 1.forth his Almighty Power to do this, as the Apoſtle had declared to the Saints at Epheſus, juſt in the Verſes before in the firſt Chapter, ſhewing to them that the ſame Power is put forth in raiſing us from a Death in Sin, (or in working Faith in our Souls) that was wrought in Chriſt when he was raiſed from he Dead; and therefore it is ſaid to be the exceeding Greatneſs of his Power to us-ward, who believe according to the working of his mighty Power, as before. Can Eph. 1. 18, 19, 20.any Man do this, can he raiſe himſelf? Dead Lazarus might quicken and raiſe himſelf as ſoon out of the Grave, as a dead Sinner can 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 Iſa. 61. 1.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.Eph. 5. 14.
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 Ezek. 36. 26.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 Pſal. 51.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, 'tis his Work; We are his Workmanſhip, created in Chriſt Jeſus to good Works.Eph. 2. 10.
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 Rom. 8. 7.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; 1 Cor. 2. 14.neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. Here is a cannot again; 'tis 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. 'Tis 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 Pſ. 110. 3.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. 'Tis 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 i… a way found out to cleanſe thy filthy Soul, nay, a Fountain opened for Sin and for Vncleanneſs. God, 'tis true, ſays, Waſh thine Heart Zech. 13. 1. Jer. 4. 14.from Wickedneſs, that thou mayeſt be ſaved. So far I d…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: 'Tis he, Joh. 13.it is his Blood that cleanſes us from all Sin. This Salvation, Brethren, 1 Joh. 1. 7.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 Rev. 1. 5.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, Eph. 5. 25, 26.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 Blemiſh.
6. Sinners, are you bound in ſtrong Chains, and in the Priſonhouſe? Are you in the Bonds of Iniquity? How will you do to come out, for you are kept by the ſtrong Man armed: if you can conquer this ſtrong and cruel Enemy, you may get out; but are you a Match for Satan? No certainly, none can deliver himſelf, none can get out of Satan's Hands, it muſt be done by one mightier than he. Well, in this Salvation there is Liberty, Chriſt is clothed with Power, as you lately heard; he is anointed to preach the Goſpel to the Poor: he is ſent to heal the Broken-hearted, to deliver the Captives, Iſa. 61. 1.and to ſet at liberty them that were bound. Jeſus Chriſt is ſtronger than the ſtrong Man armed; He hath taken captive Captivity Luk. 4. 18.himſelf. O what a bleſſed, what a great and glorious Salvation is this!
7. Are you poor, and naked, and have nothing to cover your Nakedneſs but filthy Rags? Well, be it ſo, yet this Salvation brings to you a rich and glorious Robe, viz. Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, nay change of Raiment; Salvation it ſelf is called a Garment, and it is by this Salvation alſo you have the Robe of Sanctification and Grace wherewith you are clothed: Humility is called a Garment; I counſel thee to buy of me white Raiment, that thou mayſt Rev. 3. 18.be clothed, and that the Shame of thy Nakedneſs appear not.
8. Are you poor hungry Souls, and have no Bread, nothing to eat, but are forc'd to feed on Husks, as the poor Prodigal did? Soul, to thy joy, in this Salvation is Bread of Life for thee; Eat you Iſa. 55. 2.that which is good, and let your Soul delight it ſelf in Fatneſs. The Goſpel, Sirs, provides a Feaſt of fat things. Have you not read of the Marriage-Supper, All things are now ready? O what a Banquet doth this Salvation make for hungry Sinners, and ſuch who hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſs ſhall be filled.
9. Are you Thirſty, and have no Water to drink; are all Wells empty, and all Springs dry? Yet know, O Sinner, here is the Well of Salvation brim full; If any Man thirſt, let him come to John 7. 37, 38.me and drink.
10. Are you guilty, Sinners, and condemned to die by a Holy and juſt Law? The Goſpel-Salvation has a full Diſcharge for you, Chriſt hath died in your ſtead, and here is a Pardon, a free Pardon obtained upon his Satisfaction.
11. Or Sinner, doſt thou want a broken Heart, doſt thou want a penitent Heart? in this Salvation Chriſt has purchaſed Grace to melt and ſoften thy Heart; Him hath God exalted at his right Hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Iſrael, and Remiſſion of Sins.Act. 5. 31.
12. Doſt thou want Faith, or more Faith? It is to be had in this Salvation; To you it is given in behalf of Chriſt, not only to believe, &c.Heb. 12. 2. To believe, Grace to believe is given to poor Sinners; Chriſt is the Author and Finiſher of our Faith.
13. Do you want Peace? the Goſpel is the Goſpel of Peace, Chriſt is the Prince of Peace; and as he had made Peace for us, ſo he hath promiſed to all that lay hold on this Salvation to give them Peace, yea great Peace, not ſuch Peace that the World gives.
14. Do you want Strength? it is in this Salvation alſo; In the Lord (that is▪ in Chriſt) ſhall one ſay, have I Righteouſneſs and Strength. Nay, you ſhall be ſtrengthned according to his glorious Power; Chriſt is our Strength: as he is God's Arm of Power, ſo he is our Arm alſo; I will ſtrengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Iſa. 41. 10.yea, I will uphold thee with the right Hand of my Righteouſneſs.
15. Or do you want Comfort? this Salvation hath all Joy and ſpiritual Comfort in it: God is called the God of all Comfort and Conſolation; but he is ſo only to us in Jeſus Chriſt. Chriſt hath procured and ſent the Comforter himſelf to us, and to abide with us for ever; I will not leave you comfortleſs, I will come unto you.John 14. 18.
16. Do you want Weapons and Armour to ingage your Enemies? this Salvation provides theſe alſo, ſee Eph. 6. 10, 11, 12, 13. Chriſt's Souldiers are armed compleatly, yea, they have Armour of Proof put upon them.
17 Do you want a Guide? this Salvation provides you an infallible and faithful Guide alſo. (1.) To guide us, we have God's Word, which is that ſure Word of Prophecy, which if you follow, you ſhall never go aſtray. (2.) To guide us we have alſo the Holy Spirit, and Spirit of Truth; when he is come, he will guide you John 16. 13.into all Truth.
18. Or do you want a Shepherd to feed you, a King to rule you, a Prieſt to ſacrifice and make an Atonement for you, a Prophet to teach you? this Salvation provides all theſe for you: Chriſt is your Shepherd, your Prieſt, your King, your Prophet, and excels all that ever bore thoſe Names.
19. Do you want an Husband, would you change your Condition: What ſay you, Sinners, particularly you young People, do you deſire a good Match, to be well diſpoſed of in Marriage? O then receive this Salvation, here is a Prince, nay the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, that deſires your Love; will you accept of this Offer? behold, he is now come and knocks at your Doors. O open to him, ſay not nay; For this Match being once made between Jeſus Chriſt and your Souls, this Salvation and all that is contained in it, is yours for ever.
20. Would you be Rich, Great, Honourable, truly Rich and Honourable? here it is, receive this Salvation, and all theſe things (as you heard the laſt Day) are yours; none ſo Great, ſo Rich, nor ſo Honourable as Believers: The Righteous is more excellent than Prov. 12. 12. Pſal. 16. 3.his Neighbour, the Saints are the excellent in all the Earth.
21. Do you want Health, and would you be freed of all your Diſeaſes and Sickneſs for ever? Health is in this Salvation, Soulhealth, and that is the beſt Health; Chriſt hath born our Sickneſſes to cure and heal our Souls.
22. Do you want a great Portion? this is more than all the other God in the Salvation of the Goſpel, is the Portion of Believers.this Salvation is ſo comprehenſible, that God himſelf is contained in it: This Salvation gives us Intereſt in God, God hereby gives himſelf to every Believer to be his Portion, Chriſt hath purchaſed this Portion for us, he reſtores to us a loſt God; by this Salvation we come to injoy God again.
(1.) God is a Portion that will ſupply all thy Wants.
(2.) A Portion that will content and fully ſatisfy every Soul that has an Intereſt in him.
(3.) A Portion that can never be ſpent nor waſted.
(4.) A Portion for thy Soul, and a Portion that will laſt as long as thy Soul ſhall laſt, and that is for ever. Sirs, many have great worldly Portions, but they are ſometimes ſoon ſpent, and they become poor and miſerable. Some alſo have great earthly Portions, bodily Portions, but have no Portion for their poor Souls: O get God to be your Portion, i. e. believe in Chriſt, receive by Faith this Salvation, and God is thy Portion, Chriſt is thy Portion.
(5.) God is a preſent Portion, and alſo a future Portion; you may feed on this Portion: and the more you live on this Portion, the more you have.
(6.) God is an infinite Portion, an inconceivable Portion; whatſoever is in God ſo far as it is communicable, or God ſeeth good to impart of himſelf to us, ſo much of God we ſhall have: what God i…, and what God has, is a Believer's.
(7.) Sinner, a Portion thou muſt have, and God too to be thy Portion, or thou muſt periſh for ever. The loſs of God at firſt was the undoing of all Mankind, that was our ruin; nor can that Loſs be ever repaired until we have God again: an eternall loſs of God will be the Torment and Miſery of the Damned.
(8.) The Reaſon why the Father ſent Jeſus Chriſt to work out this Salvation was, that we might have God to be our God: Brethren, God ſaith to every one of you that are Believers, as he ſaid to Abraham, Fear not, Abraham, I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding Gen. 15. 1.great Reward. Such may ſay with David, My Fleſh and Heart faileth Pſal. 73. 26.but God is the ſtrength of my Heart and my Portion for ever. And with the Church in the Lamentations, The Lord is my Portion, ſaith my Soul, therefore will I hope in him.Lam. 3. 24.
(9.) Brethren, God in this Salvation breaks up (as I may ſay) the Fountain of the great Depths of his Divine Grace, Love and Goodneſs: The Paſſage was ſtop'd by our Sin, till Chriſt opened it by ſhedding his Blood; there was no other way whereby God might let out of himſelf in his Eternal Goodneſs to us, but this Way only, to the Glory of all his Divine Attributes.
(10.) Hereby we have not only God to be our God, our Portion, but he is ſo reſtored to all that believe, that they ſhall never loſe him again for ever.
(11.) Did we want a Surety, not only to pay our Debts, but alſo to ſecure us in a State of Grace, and to preſerve all our Riches for us; this Salvation provides ſuch a glorious Surety for us: Alas, we are like poor Orphans under Age whilſt in this World, and are not able nor fit to be intruſted with what is our own, I mean, to have it in our own Hands; therefore we and all our Riches are put into the Hand of Chriſt, to keep and improve our Riches for us, and to give of it forth to us as he in his Wiſdom ſees beſt for us. They that ſlight this Salvation, ſlight this Portion, this God, and all true Happineſs in him: in this Salvation, this Portion is offered to you Sinners, God is willing to be your God, your Friend, your Father and Portion for ever. Here is God in this Salvation, Chriſt in this Salvation, the Holy Spirit in this Salvation; God, and all the Fulneſs of God; Chriſt, and all the Riches of Chriſt; the Holy Spirit, and all the Graces and Bleſſings of the Spirit: the Pearl of great Price is thine, if thou haſt a Part and Intereſt in this Salvation. Here is the Spirit to quicken thee, to renew thee, to ſanctify thee, to ſtrengthen thee, to comfort thee; here is Grace to deck and adorn thee, rich Robes to cover thee, the Promiſes to chear thee, feed and ſupport thee, the Ordinances to feaſt thee, and Angels to guard, protect and preſerve thee. O what a full, compleat and comprehenſible Salvation, Brethren, is the Salvation of the Goſpel!
23. And laſtly, here is Heaven in this Salvation, Heaven, and all the Glory of it; here is a Kingdom in this Salvation, a Kingdom of Glory, of Light, of Joy and Pleaſure; here is a Crown that fadeth not away, in this Salvation, a Crown and Kingdom for every Chriſtian; therefore this Salvation is great and glorious.