Christ Crucified, Sermon 52
SERMON LII.
ISAIAH LIII.XI.
Verſ. 11. He ſhall ſee of the travell of his ſoul, and ſhall be ſatisfied: By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many: for he ſhall bear their iniquities.
THE way of Abſolving a Guilty Sinner in the Juſtice of God, is the great ſum and ſcope of all the Goſpel; Even to ſhew how a loſt Sinner, Obnoxious to the Sentence of a tranſgreſt Law, may, without prejudice to the Juſtice of God, come to be Juſtified; we are perſwaded, that there is nothing of greater concernment to Sinners; And if we knew our Debt, and our Hazard, we would think, that there is nothing of greater concernment to us in particular: The Sum of the Covenant of Redemption runs on this, and it is the great thing aimed at, in all this Chapter, wherein the Prophet lets us ſee. 1. What is the great thing that Satisfies Juſtice; And for this end much hath been ſpoken of Chriſts Sufferings, and Soul-travel. 2. He lets us ſee, what is the benefit that comes to us, by Chriſts Sufferings, and that is Justification, or Abſolution from the guilt of Sin, and from the Curſe which it deſerves. 3. He lets us ſee the way how this benefit is derived, And it is, by his knowledge; This, faith He, ſhall be the great reſult of Chriſt's Sufferings, Many ſhall be justified, And this ſhall be the way how it ſhall be derived to theſe many, and that is by his knowledge, or by Faith in Him, reſting on His Righteouſneſſe and Satisfaction.
We opened up the meaning of the Words the laſt day, and pointed at two Doctrines from them. 1. That all Men, and Women have a Judgement to abide before God, an Arraignment, and Indictment there, to which they muſt anſwer; They muſt all come to get a Sentence from God. 2. That all Men Naturally are lyable to the Sentence of Condemnation; This is ſuppoſed here; For in as far as Sinners are only by Faith in Chriſt Juſtified; in as far the Sentence of the Law, and of the Covenant of Works is ſtanding againſt them, and over their heads, who are not by Faith united to Chriſt Jeſus, and Juſtified by His Righteouſneſſe.
The 3. Doctrine (Which is almoſt the very Words of the Text) that now we intend to ſpeak to, is this▪ That although all Men naturally be obnoxious to the Sentence of the Law, and to the Curſe of God▪ yet there is a way laid down, how a Sinner ſo obnoxious, may be Juſtified, and fred from that Sentence; and this is by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt only: If any Doctrine be of concernment for us to know, and to be well and experimentally acquainted with, This is of concernment to us; By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many. There are Three things in this Doctrine implyed, which by one, and the ſame labour will be proven, and therefore we ſhall put them together. 1. That although all Men be naturally obnoxious to the Wrath and Curſe of God, yet He hath appointed away how guilty Sinners may be Juſtified and Abſolved. 2. That the way of attaining to this benefit of Juſtification, and freedome from the Curſe, is by Faith in Chriſts Righteouſneſs, It's by his knowledge, ſaith the Text. 3. That there is no other way by which a Sinner obnoxious to the Curſe, can be Juſtified, but by Faith in Chriſt's Righteouſneſſe allanarly. This laſt branch of the Doctrine ſayes not only, That there is no other mean to Satisfie Juſtice, but Chriſts Merit and Satisfaction; But that there is no other way, but the way of Faith to win to the application of His Satisfaction; whereby many Queſtions may be Anſwered, and many Errors in Doctrine, and Practice confuted; But our preſent purpoſe is to ſhew, how a guilty Sinner may be Juſtified.
And therefore we ſhall, 1. Give you a general view of the Truth of the Doctrine; by confirming it from Scripture, in all the parts of it. 2. We ſhall …peak more paticularly to the ſeverall branches of it. And 3ly. To the way of attaining Juſtification, in the ſeverall Cauſes of it, as it is here holden forth.
For Confirmation of the General Doctrine, ye ſhall 1. Look upon ſome Scriptures, And 2. To ſome Grounds of Reaſon.
As for the Confirmation of it by Scripture, If we look through the Goſpel, it is Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt His own Doctrine, which He preached, and the way which He laid down therein, for Juſtifying and ſaving a Sinner, So, John 3. Where it is three or four times repeated, As v. 16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth on him, ſhould not periſh, but have eternal life; v. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not, is condemned already, becauſe he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God; v. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlaſting life, and he that believeth not the ſon ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him; And v. 14, 15. As Moſes lifted up the ſerpent in the wilderneſs, ſo muſt the ſon of man be lifted up, that whoſoever believeth on him ſhould not periſh, but have eternal life; And that is all one as to ſay, he that believes ſhall be Juſtified; Mark 16.16. He that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned: Theſe are the terms on which the Apoſtles are by Chriſt warranded to preach the Goſpel, and to make the offer of Life to every Creature; And therefore if we look forward to their Preaching, we will find it to run in the ſame ſ…rain, A Acts 13.38, 39. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenneſs of ſins, and that by him, all that believe are juſtified, from all things, from which ye could not be juſtified by the law of Moſes; Where, while Paul is ſumming up the whole Meſſage that he had to deliver, he goes upon the ſame ground; And wherein we have theſe three clearly holden forth, 1. That all M…n are lyable, as in their Natural Eſtate, to God's Curſe, and by the Law cannot be Juſtified. 2. That there is a way laid down, through Jeſus Chriſt, to come by Juſtification, and Remiſſion of Sins. 3. That the way how Sinners came by this, is Faith in Chriſt; All that believe are justified: Look to the Epiſtles, eſpecially theſe written to the Romans and Galatians, Where this queſtion about Juſtification is expr…ſly, and of purpoſe handled, and we will find, that it is the ſum of both; As, Rom. 3. Where having ſaid, v. 23 That all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God, And ſo, that all are lyable to Gods Judgement, he ſubjoyns, v. 24. Being justified freely, by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Jeſus Chriſt, Where is the great mean of our Juſtification; and then he adds, v. 25. Whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; Where we have the mean of Application, to wit, Faith; and Chap. 4.5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteouſneſs; Which place demonſtrats this, That an ungodly Perſon, taking hold by Faith of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, may be, and is Juſtified, and Abſolved, and fred from the guilt of Sin, as if he had never Sinned; So Gal. 2.15, 16. We who are Jews by nature, and not ſinners of the Gentiles, or not without the Covenant, as they are, Knowing that a man is not juſtified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jeſus Christ; even we have believed in Jeſus Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the faith of Chriſt, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law ſhall no fleſh be justified; Which place ſhews not only this, that through Faith in Chriſt, is Juſtification, and Life to be had, but it alſo excludes all other wayes of Juſtific…tion, Knowing that a man is not juſtified by the works of the law, but by faith; But that which we are now ſpeaking to, is only the poſitive part of the Doctrine, To ſhew that a Guilty Sinner, obnoxious to the Curſe; May by Faith come to be Juſtified, and made free from the Guilt of Sin, and from the Curſe, as if he had never Sinned, nor been under the Curſe.
For further Confirmation of the Doctrine, ye would conſider theſe Four Grounds, and ye will ſee from them, good reaſon for it; Only remember this, That Juſtification looks alway to a Judicial Procedour (as we hinted before) Wherein the Lord is, as it were on the Throne, and the Guilty Sinner at the Bar, pleading through Chriſts Righteouſneſſe and Satisfaction, to be Abſolved; which is even as if a Debtor were arreſted for Debt, ſhould plead for a Liberation, not becauſe he is not owing the Debt, neither becauſe he hath payed the Debt, but becauſe his Cautioner hath payed it for him; This being ſuppoſed, and remembred, ye would, (we ſay) conſider theſe Grounds, or Reaſons, for confirming the Doctrine. 1. The Sufferings that Chriſt hath endured, and the Satisfaction that He hath made, in the Room of Sinners, as the next Words hold out, For he ſhall bear their iniquities; And v. ult. He bare the ſin of many; Nay, this is the great ſcope of the Chapter; Therefore it's ſaid, That he hath born our griefs, and carried our ſorrows, and that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; This makes a Ground of Confirmation. 2. Conſider, How that there is not only a ſufficient price payed, but there is a Covenant of Redemption warranding Him to pay it, and accepting it off His hand as compleat Payment, and Satisfaction for the Elects Debt; And except there be a look had to this Covenant, Faith hath not a ſufficient Ground to reſt on for Juſtification through Jeſus His Satisfaction, becauſe otherwayes we ſee not a Reaſon, why His Sufferings can be accepted for us; For, ſuppoſe, (if ſuch a ſuppoſition may warrantably be made) Chriſt to have Suffered, yet it was free for God to have accepted that as a Satisfaction for our Debt, or not; But the conſideration of the Covenant of Redemption removes that Doubt, and gives Faith a Ground to lay hold on Chriſt's Sufferings, as Satisfactory to the Juſtice of God; becauſe, in the Covenant of Redemption, it's ſo tranſacted, and agreed upon, betwixt God and the Mediator; Therefore the Apoſtle ſpeaking, Heb. 10.8, 9. and forward, from Pſal. 40. of this Covenant, ſhews, That when Sacrifices and Offerings will not do the turn, Chriſt comes in, Saying, Lo I come in the volume of thy book, it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O! my God; By which will, (ſaith the Apoſtle) we are ſanctified; And had there not been ſuch a Will, His Sufferings had not been uſefull to us. 3. Conſider the Offer that is made in the Goſpel to Sinners, which is the object of our Faith; For the Covenant of Redemption is not the Ground, and Object of our Faith, though it clears the Ground and Reaſon of our Faith, but it's Gods Offer in the Goſpel, according to that place, Mark 16.15, 16. Go ye and preach the goſpel to every creature, he that believeth, and is baptized ſhall be ſaved; He warrands them to go, and make it known to all to whom they ſhall Preach, that there is Remiſſion of Sin… to be had through Faith in Chriſt; and this is a Ground to Faith, when God makes offer of Chriſt's Satisfaction in the Goſpel, on condition that we believe, and accept of Him; When we by Faith cloſe with the offer, it gives us, as it were, an Aſſignation to Chriſts Purchaſe; The Goſpel ſayes, as Paul doth, Acts 13.38. Be it known to you, that through this man is preached to you remiſſion of ſins, and by him all that believe are Justified; And Faith conſents to that, as giving God credit, and accordingly cloſes with, and reſts upon it, as the ground of it's Plea before God; So that when the Queſtion comes to be aſked, What have ye to Anſwer the Law, and to pay your Debt with? Faith, or the believing Sinners Anſwers, I have nothing of my own, but there is a Satisfaction in Chriſt, according to the Covenant of Redemption, which is holden out, and made offer of to me in the Goſpel, and is given, and allowed to me, for defence, againſt what the Law, or Juſtice can ſay; And I betake me to that; And this is the native and kindly Act of Faith in Juſtification, when it makes uſe of this Defence, and Truſts to it alone; This is even it that Paul hath, Philip. 3.9. compared with v. 8. I count all things loſs, that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him; That when it ſhall be aſked, Paul, where art thou? I may have it to ſay, I am here, Lord, even in Chriſt, and in His Righteouſneſs; this is the ground of his Plea, having given up with his own Righteouſneſſe, as to his Juſtification before God, and he will have no other defence but that. 4. Conſider the end of all theſe, to wit, of Chriſt's Sufferings, of the Covenant of Redemption, and of the Offer of the Goſpel; It's the Praiſe of the Glory of His Grace, that God may make it known, that He is Gracious, and freely Gracious, without reſpect to any thing in in the Sinner; This End is not only ſet out in theſe two peaces put together, one is, Rom. 3.26. To declare, I ſay, his righteouſneſs, that he might be juſt, and the juſtifier of him which believeth in Jeſus; That he might be Juſt, That is, one that will fulfill His threatnings, and therefore He hath provided One to Satisfie His Juſtice, and One that is Faithfull in keeping His Promiſes, and therefore He is the Juſtifier of them that believe in Jeſus; The other place is Epheſ. 1.6. Where, when the Apoſtle hath ſpoken of Election, Predeſtination, and Adoption, he ſets down the end of all, to wit, To the praiſe of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved; And this is a Ground that makes all ſure; For God cannot fail to Juſtifie the Sinner that believeth in Chriſt, as He is offered in the Goſpel, becauſe that is the very end of His Juſtifying Sinners, the Praiſe of the Glory of Grace, which He will not miſs, but moſt certainly and infruſtrably come by.
The Uſes are 4. in general, The 1: whereof is, for Information, and it's ſuch a Leſſon of Information, as without it, all the Preaching of the Goſpel is to no purpoſe; and the hope of Eternal Life were utterly deſperat, if ſuch a Doctrine were not in the Goſpel, that through Faith in Chriſt a Sinner may be Juſtified; would any know then how they may be Abſolved; this Anſwers the Queſtion, and tells us that it is through Faith in Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and no other way; And if we digeſtedly believed the former two Doctrines, 1. That we muſt all come before the tribunal of God: And, 2. That we are all obnoxious to the Curſe of God, we would think this were a very concerning Queſtion to be put, how ſuch a guilty Sinner may be Abſolved and Juſtified? And indeed, if we be not clear in this point, It's, as to any Fruit, in vain for us to Preach, and for you to hear, or to think of coming to Heaven; Which is in a Word, that a Sinner through reſting on Chriſts Righteouſneſs, according to the Covenant of Grace, may come to be abſolved, and fred from the Guilt of Sin, and from the Curſe, as if he had never ſinned, nor been lyable to that Curſe.
For further clearing of this Uſe, Conſider, 1. What Justification is. 2. What we mean by Faith; And, 3. What are the Cauſes of this Juſtification ſpoken of in the Text. 1. By Juſtification in this place, is not to be underſtood, the making of a Perſon perfectly holy, nor to have Grace infuſed into him, for that is Sanctification; But it is to be abſolved, and declared free, in reſpect of the Guilt of Sin, and of the Curſe, as if a Man had never Sinned; As it's ſaid, Epheſ. 1.6. Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved; It's an Act of Gods free Grace, whereby our Sins are pardoned, and we accepted as Righteous in His ſight, &c. (as our Catechiſme hath it) as if our Sin had never been. 2. When we ſpeak of Faith, we mean not a General Hiſtorical Faith, that Devils, or Reprobat Men may have, and whereby an aſſent of the Judgement is given, to the Truths of the Word, though indeed Juſtifying Faith doth preſuppoſe that; neither by Faith do we mean ſuch a Faith whereby a man doth at the very firſt believe that he is Pardoned, and which puts away all doubting, and lifts him in his own conceit, to the hight of aſſurance, about the obtaining of the thing; It's the Antinomian preſumption, to believe at firſt hand, that I am Juſtified and Pardoned; But it's ſuch a Faith, that takes hold of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, made offer of in the Goſpel, that I may obtain Juſtification, and pardon of Sin through Him; According as it's ſaid, Gal. 2.16. We believed in Jeſus Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the Faith of Chriſt; It's an actuall cloſing with the offer of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, and a ſubmitting to the terms of it, for Juſtification; The Souls founding of all it's defence before God, on Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, and Purchaſe offered to it in the Goſpel, and reſting on it, for Life and Salvation: As ſuppoſe there were a Multitude of Rebels to whom Pardon were by Proclamation offered, on condition, that at ſuch a time they ſhould lay down their Arms, and come in; and if one of them were challenged, and called to a Reckoning after his coming in, for his Rebellion; The ground of his Plea would not be, that he never was out in Rebellion, but that ſuch an offer was made, and that he did hazard his life on it; So is it here; A Sinner is a Rebel againſt God by Nature, and being in Rebellion, hath the Offer of Pardon, and Life made to him, on condition that he cloſe by Faith with Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and the Sinner doth by Faith, give God credit, and hazards his Soul on that; Whereas unbelief (to follow the ſimilitude) is, as if a Rebell hearing of ſuch a Pardon offered, would not think that a ſure way to come off, but would either plead innocent, or take him to ſome other ſhift; This then is the Faith that I mean of, which actually cloſes with, and makes uſe of Gods Offer of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, for Abſolution. 3dly. Conſider the Cauſes of Juſtification; And there are Three in the Words. 1. The Meritorious Cauſe that hath procured, and bought this Benefit, is Chriſts Satisfaction; His bearing of our iniquites; He ſhall juſtifie many, for he ſhall bear their iniquities. 2. The Inſtrumental Cauſe, Condition, or Mean, or Way, how that Benefit is derived to us; is Faith, called here His knowledge; It's the Faith we ſpoke of juſt now; Faith taking hold of ſuch a Promiſe, and reſting on Gods Faithfulneſs for the making out of it; It's this which gives the Soul a Title to Chriſts Righteouſneſs, which formerly it had not, and makes Chriſt's Purchaſe of due, to belong to it, by vertue of Gods Offer, and conſequently, the benefit of Juſtification is derived to it, by it's taking hold of the Offer, which otherwayes it could not partake of. 3. The formal Cauſe, wherein Juſtification properly conſiſts, is this, even God's Abſolving or Judicial pronouncing of the Sinner to be Free, and His accounting of Him as righteous, on account of Chriſts Righteouſneſs imputed to Him, and taken hold of by His Faith; where the Sentence is paſt, we need not curiouſly inquire; It's like, as the Sentence of Condemnation ſtands in the Word, while the Sinner is in unbelief; So by believing in Chriſt, He hath Abſolution in the Word, as John 3.18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned; And this Sentence of the Word, is as effectuall for Abſolving of the Sinner, as if the Sentence were pronunced in an immediat way, or with an audible voice from Heaven, by God, with the Sinners name, and ſirname in it; And therefore let me commend this, with the other places I named before to you, that from them ye may learn to take up the way, how a Sinner is Abſolved, and Juſtified; It's Chriſt's Satisfaction that makes the amends, and is the Meritorious Cauſe; It is Gods Word that makes Offer of that Satisfaction, and it's our Faith begotten, and quickned by Gods Spirit, that taketh hold of it; and Juſtification it ſelf it Gods Abſolving, and Accepting of the Perſon, as Righteous in His ſight, who is fled to Chriſt's Righteouſneſs; And thus, though Gods Grace and Mercy, be the Efficient Cauſe that admits of the Ranſome; yet neither is Grace in us the Formal Cauſe; nor is Grace in God the Meritorious Cauſe, but it's that which layes down the way how a Satisfaction ſhall be provided, and accepts of it, when provided, and of the Sinner on account of it, when by Faith he betakes himſelf to it.
Uſe, 2. Seing there is ſuch a way of Juſtification provided, and by the Goſpel brought to light, revealled, and made manifeſt, as the Word is, Rom. 1.17. and 3.21. Since, I ſay, that Myſtery, which before was hid, is diſcloſed, and Life and Immortality brought to Light by the Goſpel, let me earneſtly intreat you, that ye would make uſe of this Mean, and way of Juſtification, for the obtaining of Abſolution before God; The end of Preaching (as we ſaid) is to reveal this Righteouſneſs, and the end of the revealling of it, is to ingage Sinners to make uſe of it; Of which, though we ſhould Preach to you, from the one end of the year to the other, if ye do not betake your ſelves to it, ſo as to cloſe with it, and heartily to ſubmit unto it, it will all be to no purpoſe.
For preſſing of this Uſe a little further, conſider the great concern, and moment of this Application, and what may induce you, ſeriouſly to mind it; And to this purpoſe, 1. I would poſe, and put you to it, if ye believe that by Nature ye are lyable to Gods Curſe, and that ye muſt compear before His Judgement-ſeat, and if ye be found in Nature when ye compear, that it will be a Woful, and Dreadful Sentence, that ye will meet with from God; and if withal ye believe this; that by Juſtification, ye may have Sin Pardoned, be Reconciled to God, and have the Curſe removed from you, and be put in ſuch a State, as if ye had never Sinned; If, I ſay, ye believe theſe things to be the Truths of God; is not this of your Concernment? whether ye be made Friends with God, and have your Sins Pardoned, or not, whether ye ſhall be Eternally Happy, or Eternally Miſerable, whether ye ſhall get Gods bleſſing, or lye for ever under His Curſe? If this, I ſay, be of your concernment, then ſurely Obedience to this Exhortation, is of your Concernment, becauſe there is no other way to win to Abſolution, but this. 2. Conſider, That it's the very deſign of the Goſpel, and of this benefit that is made Offer of to you therein, which all the Nations that have not the Goſpel want; The priviledge being denyed to them: God makes Offer of a way to you, how ye may be Juſtified; and ye profeſſe your deſire to learn it, and to get it practically made uſe of, and Improved, and (as Paul hath it, Philip. 3.8, 9, 10.) That ye may know Chriſt, that ye may win Him, and be found in Him; And it is the Sum of the Goſpel, as we have it, Act. 13.38. Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you remeſſion of ſins, and by him all that believe are juſtified; This is even the time that the Lord is making this Proclamation, that was before Propheſied of, and Publiſhed by Iſaiah, By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many; This is it that is even now Revealed, Declared, and made Manifeſt to you, that by Chriſt Jeſus alone, Righteouſneſſe is to be attained; And if it be of ſuch concernment, that for this very end, God hath ſent His Sone to die, and hath ſent this Goſpel to declare, and make offer of this benefit of His Death unto you; It's no doubt, greatly of your concernment, to make uſe of it, when it comes to you. 3. Conſider, That if the Lords Proclamation of it, have not that effect, to ingage you to Chriſt Jeſus, for the obtaining of Righteouſneſſe through Him, it will leave you in a wor… condition then it found you in; It's not now, whether ye will periſh or not? though that be a great matter (the moſt Barbarous Heathens will readily think, that Gods Juſtice is terrible to meet with) but it layeth theſe two in the Ballance; It's either a moſt inconceivable condition, beyond what others who have not heard the Goſpel, will come under, if the Offer be ſlighted, or Eternall Salvation, if it be imbraced; Woe to thee Chorazin, woe to thee Bethſaida (ſaith the Lord, Matth. 11.21, 22.) For if the mighty works which are done in thee, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long agoe; And it ſhall be more tollerable for Sodom in the day of judgement, then for Capernaum, who, becauſe they were lifted up to heaven, in reſpect of a glorious Diſpenſation of Goſpel-ordinances, and improved them not, ſhall be caſt down to hell; and whereon is this dreadfull denunciation founded? Even on this ground, juſt now hinted at, the Goſpel was more plainly and powerfully Preached to them, then it was to Tyre and Sidon, to Sodom and Gomorrah, who had Lots Teſtimony, but Chriſt's and His Apoſtles Teſtimony, in a manner, ſwallowed up that, which Teſtimony they ſlighted: Now poſe your ſelves, whether this Goſpel hath not ſounded loud in your ears? have ye not heard it? yes verily; We may here allude to that Word, Rom. 10.16. Doubtleſs ye have heard, the ſound thereof is come to you; and ye ſhall never have that to object, that ye heard it not. This Text, and this ſame Sermon on it, and others, will bear witneſs, that through Jeſus Chriſt, ye had a way laid down to you, for remiſſion of Sins, and for Juſtification; and what will follow? either ye muſt betake your ſelves to Chriſt's Righteouſneſs for Juſtification, and ſtudy to be Holy, or elſe ye will bring upon your ſelves a more terrible Condemnation then came upon the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were conſumed, and burnt quick, by fire and brimſtone from Heaven; And therefore there is ground here for all to look well about us, what uſe we make of this benefit offered to us, that we miſcarry not, and make not our ſelves moſt inexcuſable, for ſlighting of it.
I ſhall here ſpeak a little to ſome ſorts of Perſons, that ought mainly to lay this to heart. 1. To ſome that are ſo utterly careleſſe, and indifferent, in making their Peace with God, that to this day, all warnings, threatnings, and diſpenſations that they have met with, could never prevail with them, once to make them that far ſerious, as to aſk that Queſtion, what they ſhould do to be ſaved? to whom much preaching, is but a beating in the Air, to whom ſuch Preaching is Fruitleſſe, and Chriſt uſeleſſe; It's of theſe that He ſpeaks, Matth. 22. Who being invited to the Wedding, They made light of it, and went away, one to his farm, another to his merchandize; There is a Generation of ſuch Perſons amongſt us, to this day, who never thought ſeriouſly of the Goſpel, nor of this Doctrine, which is the Subſtance and Life of the Goſpel, and without which we can enjoy no Mercy, nor Benefit holden forth, and made offer of in the Word; But ſlight Pardon of Sin, and think little of Juſtification, who will, the day is coming, when it will be much thought of, and when many of you, if God prevent not, would give all the World for an Offer of it; and would be glad to be burnt with the World, or covered with, and ſmothered under a Hill, or Mountain, rather then to come, and receive your fearful Doom, and Sentence from the Judge, becauſe ye had this favour in your Offer, and made not uſe of it. A 2d. Sort are a Prophane Company; who, if there carriage be looked on, it ſayes plainly, nay, it openly Proclames, that ſuch Men believe not, that there is a Judgement coming; otherwayes they durſt not for a World, live as they do: Is this think ye, the way to be Juſtified, to be Laughing, Sporting, Gaming, Tipling, and Trifling away your time? in ſpending it in Decking, and Dreſſing your Bodies, in beſtowing of more time, in one day on the Body, then ye do in eight, or many moe dayes on the Soul? To be glutting in the World, to be following the deſires of your hearts, and the ſight of your eyes? Prophane as ye are, think upon it, for we declare even unto you, that there is a way how the ungodly may be Juſtified, held forth, and offered in this Goſpel; and if ye contemn it, God ſhall vindicat His Grace; and your trampling on it ſhall return on your own head. A 3d. Sort, are ſuch as have never taken with their Sin; nor with the fead betwixt God and them; We invite the filthy to come and waſh, Sinners to come and get Pardon; the Ungodly to come and be Juſtified; but, alace, we cannot get Sinners that walk under the due ſenſe of their Sin to Preach to; I dar ſay, that to many of you, the Doctrine of Juſtification is in ſome reſpect needleſſe, I am ſure for the time uſeleſs; For ye were never convinced of your Sin, nor of your hazard, but thought that ye were alwayes ſure of your Juſtification; ye never evened your ſelves (to ſpeak ſo) to Hell, God alwayes, ye think, loved you, and periſh who will, ye will not periſh; Theſe, and ſuch as theſe, have been your thoughts of your ſelves, and of your ſtate; And we have more difficulty to get you prevailed with, to think ſeriouſly of making your Peace with God, then we would readily have in this, to prevail with Pagans, or with Adulterers and Murderers, whoſe Natural Conſcience would ſooner be awakened then yours. Juſtification is not a ſerious matter to many of you, ye think to ſlip through Gods Judgement; If ye be aſked, whether or no ye be Abſolved? yes, that we are, will ye ſay, long ſince; But, ah! how came ye to be Abſolved? was ye ever Chaſed, and did ye ever flee for refuge to the Hope ſet before you? was ye ever purſued by the Law to Chriſt, and were ye ever made cordially to cloſe with Him, and to found your Plea on His Righteouſneſs? It will be ſtrange, if ſo many ſhall ſlip in to Heaven and never know how; we grant there may be ſome brought in, who have not diſtinctly diſcerned the manner how; but that almoſt whole Congregations, and Countreyſides ſhould be made Friends with God, and never know, or at leaſt never kindly take with the Fead; we profeſſe we ſee not through it, it's to us an unintelligible Riddle, and a Paradox: Therefore be intreated to Reckon over again; Though there be a Juſtification, through the Blood of Chriſt, to be gotten, yet aſſure your ſelves, that ye are not in the way to it, while ye continue ſenſleſs of your Sin, and of your hazard. A 4. Sort are theſe, who think that they have nothing to do with this Doctrine, they are Rich, they are Wiſe, they are of honeſt Rank, and have a Name, and Commendation in the Place where they Live, and they have, may be ſome School-craft, and Learning, and therefore they are perſwaded, that they cannot miſs Juſtification; and where is there one Perſon amongſt many, if it be not ſome poor Body, even it may be poor in the World; that ever thinks that the Severity of the Law, or the Threatnings thereof concern them? But are there any moe wayes to Heaven, but one? Or is there one for the Rich, and another for the Poor? Do not all come in at this Door? is not this the way, even to take with your Sin, and to flee to Chriſt for Life? And yet are there not ſome among you, that cannot endure to think of Hell, to dread it, (or as we uſe to ſpeak) to even your ſelves to it? becauſe ye are thought ſomething of, able to do your turn, and have ſome parts, and abilities; but there are many more Rich, more Wiſe, and Learned Folk then you are, in Hell, that were never abſolved before God, nor never ſhall; yet there is a propenſneſſe in Great Men, in Rich Men, and in Men of Parts to ſlight this Doctrine; But ſuch have in ſome reſpect, more need to give all diligence to make your calling and election ſure, then many others and yet ye go not ſo far as they do, who yet go not the juſt length. A 5th. Sort, are ſuch as never knew any inward Work, or exerciſe of the Spirit of God upon their Conſciences, but have lived with a ſort of wholeneſs of heart all their dayes; If any be called to take notice of this Doctrine, they are called to take notice of it▪ There is a generation, ſayeth Solomon, Prov. 30.12. which are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not waſhed from their filthineſs; They conclude they are Abſolved, but never look inward, to ſee if there be ground to bear that concluſion. 6ly. And laſtly, There are a ſort that are Formal, and Hypocritical; They were never groſly Prophane, but they were as little truly and ſeriouſly Religious; ye had need therefore, to take heed whereon ye found your Peace, and beware that ye take not the Form of Godlineſſe for the Power of it, eſpecially when the Form is come to ſo great a hight; And ſeing this way of Juſtification is holden out to you through Chriſt; we exhort and beſeech you all, and eſpecially thoſe of ſuch ſorts as we have named, to look well that this Grace be not received in vain: In a Word, theſe two ſorts would take ſpecial heed to this Doctrine, 1. Some that mind not Religion at all. 2. Others, who if they mind it, mind it not in the way of Grace, but as it were by the Works of the Law; We declare to you, that Juſtification i… by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and by reſting on His Righteouſneſſe; as many as take that way, they may be aſſured to come ſpeed; and they that miſken, and ſlight that way, ſhall never win to Heaven, for there is no other name given, whereby a ſinner can be ſaved, but the name of Jeſus only; He is the way, the truth, and the life; and no man cometh to the father but by him.