The Almost Christian Discovered, Sermon · Doctrine 1
Doct.There are very many in the Wold, that are almoſt, and yet but almoſt Chriſtians, many that are neer Heaven, and yet are ne'r the neer, many that are within a little of Salvation, and yet ſhall never injoy the leaſt Salvation, they are within ſight of Heaven, and yet ſhall never have a ſight of God.
There are too ſad expreſſions in Scripture which I cannot but take notice of in this place.
The one is concerning the truly righteous.
The other is concerning the ſeemingly righteous.
It is ſaid of the truly righteous, be ſhall ſarcely be ſaved; and it is ſaid of the ſeemingly righteous,foreign 1 Pet. 4.18. he ſhall be almoſt ſaved. Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God, Mark 12.24.
The righteous ſhall be ſaved with a ſcarcely; that is, through much difficulty: he ſhall go to Heaven through many ſad fears of Hell.
Quod vix fit fit; quod ferè fit non fit.The Hypocrite ſhall be ſaved with an almoſt; that is, he ſhall go to Hell through many fair hopes of Heaven.
There are two things ariſe from hence, of very ſerious Meditation.
The one is, how oft a beleiver may miſcarry, how low he may fall, and yet have true grace.
The other is, how far a Hypocrite may go in the way to Heaven, how high he may attain, and yet have no grace.
The Saint may be caſt down very neer to Hell, and yet ſhall never come there; and the Hypocrite may be lifted up very neer to Heaven, and yet never come there.
The Saint may almoſt periſh, and yet be ſaved Eternally; The Hypocrite may almoſt be ſaved, and yet periſh finally.
For the Saint at worſt is really a beleiver, and the Hypocrite at beſt is really a ſinner.
Before I handle the Doctrine I muſt premiſe three things which are of great uſe for the eſtabliſhing of weak beleevers, that they may not be ſhaken and diſcouraged by this Doctrine.
Firſt, There is nothing in the Doctrine that ſhould be matter of ſtumbling or diſcouragement to weak Chriſtians.
The Goſpel doth not ſpeak theſe things to wound beleivers, but to awaken ſinners and formal profeſſors.
As there are none more averſe then weak beleivers to apply the promiſes, and comforts of the Goſpel to themſelves, for whom they are properly deſigned;
So there are none more ready then they to apply the threats and ſevereſt things of the Word to themſelves, for whom they were never intended.
Mat. 16, 15As the Diſciples, when Chriſt told them, one of you ſhall betray me, they that were innocent, ſuſpected themſelves moſt, and therefore cry out Maſter is it I?
So weak Chriſtians, when they hear ſinners reproved, or the Hypocrite laid open, in the Miniſtry of the word, they preſently cry out, it is I.
It is the Hypocrites fault to ſit under the tryals and diſcoveries of the Word, and yet not to mind them.
And it is the weak Chriſtians fault to draw ſad concluſions of their own ſtate from premiſes which nothing concern them.
There is indeed great uſe of ſuch Doctrine as this is, to all beleivers.
1. To make them look to their ſtanding,Mat. 7.24 26. upon what bottome they are, and to ſee that the foundation of their hope be well laid, that they build not upon the Sand, but upon a Rock.
2. It helps to raiſe our admiration of the diſtinguiſhing love of God in bringing us into the way everlaſting, P…a 139.24.when ſo many periſh from the way; and in overpowering our ſouls into a true converſion, when ſo many take up with a graceleſs profeſſion.
3. It incites to that excellent duty of heart ſearching,1 Cor. 13.5 that ſo we may approve our ſelves to God in ſincerity.
4. It ingages the ſoul in doubled diligence, that it may be found not onelyonly beleiving, but perſevering in faith to the end.
Theſe duties (and ſuch as theſe are) make this Doctrine of uſe to all beleivers, but they ought not to make uſe of it as a ſtumbling block in the way of their peace and comfort.
Iſa. 50.1.Mat. 12.20My deſign in preaching on this ſubject, is not to make ſad the ſouls of thoſe whom Chriſt will not have made ſad, I would bring water, not to quench the flax that is ſmoking, but to put out that falſe fire that is of the ſinners own kindling, leaſt walking all his days by the light thereof, he ſhould at laſt lie down in ſorrow.
My aim is to level the mountain of the ſinners confidence, not to weaken the hand of the beleivers faith and dependance, to awaken and bring in ſecure formal ſinners, not to diſcourage weak beleivers.
Iob. 17.9Secondly, I would premiſe this, though many may go far (very far) in the way to Heaven, and yet fall ſhort, yet that ſoul that hath the leaſt true grace ſhall never fall ſhort. The righteous ſhall hold on his way.
Pſal. 7.10Though ſome may dovery much in a way of duty (as I ſhall ſhew hereafter) and yet miſcarry, yet that ſoul that doth duty with the leaſt ſincerity ſhall never miſcarry. For he ſaveth the upright in heart.
The leaſt meaſure of true grace is as ſaving as the greateſt, it ſaves as ſurely, though not ſo comfortably.
The leaſt grace gives a full intereſt in the blood of Chriſt, whereby we are throughly purged; and it gives a full intereſt in the ſtrength and power of Chriſt, whereby we ſhall be certainly preſerved.
1 Pet. 1.5.Chriſt keeps faith in the ſoul, and faith keeps the ſoul in Chriſt, and ſo we are kept by the power of God through faith to ſalvation.
Thirdly, I would premiſe this, they that can hear ſuch truths as this, without ſerious reflection and ſelf examination, I much ſuſpect the goodneſs of their condition.
You'l ſuſpect that man to be next door to a bankerupt, that never caſts up his ſhop, nor looks over his books; and I as verily think that man a hypocrite, that never ſearches nor deals with his own heart.
He that goes on in a road of duty's without any rub or doubting of his ſtate, I doubt no mans ſtate more then his.
When we ſee a man ſick, and yet not ſenſible, we conclude the tokens of death are upon him.
So when ſinners have no ſence of their ſpiritual condition, it is plain that they are dead in ſin, the tokens of eternal death are upon them.
Theſe things being premiſed (which I deſire you would carry along in your mind while we travel through this ſubject) I come to ſpeak to the propoſition more diſtinctly and cloſely.