The Right Receiving of Christ, Preface · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
The great danger of not Receiving Chriſt.
THirdly, Conſider the great Danger of not Receiving Chriſt. It is a 3.wonderfull dangerous thing not to receive Chriſt when God offers him, and when he ſeekes to us, and invites us to receive him. It is a great ſinne not to receive Chriſt, Joh. 5. 43. Yee receive me not. John complaines, 3 John 9. 10. that Diotrephes received him not, and that he received not the brethren. This is complained of as a great ſin. And if a great ſinne in Diotrephes not to receive John, and not to receive the brethren, how much more is it a great ſinne not to receive Chriſt? ſpecially when he offers himſelf to be received of us? It is complained of as the hainous and horrible ſinne of the Jewes, Joh. 1. 11. That he came to his owne, and his own received him not. It was the foule ſin of the world, that when Chriſt as God was in the world, and the world was made by him, that the world knew him not, Joh. 1. 10. but it is made the greater ſinne of the Jewes, that when he was manifeſted in the fleſh, and he came to them in perſon, and offered himſelfe to them, yet they received him not. And our ſinne now under the more cleere light of the Goſpel, will be greater then theirs if we receive him not. And as the ſinne is great, ſo muſt the danger and puniſhment of it needs be great, if we receive him not. They to whom Chriſt is offered, if they receive him not, it may be ſaid of them in this caſe, as our Saviour ſpeaks of the Phariſees in that, Luk. 20. 47. They ſhall receive the greater Damnation. There is a greater Damnation for ſome men then for other ſome. There is Damnation for ſuch as know not God, and never heard of Chriſt, but for thoſe that have heard of Chriſt, and have had him offered unto them, and have refuſed, and not received that offered Chriſt, there is a greater Damnation. If men receive not ſo great ſalvation, Heb. 2. 3. as is offered by receiving Chriſt, how ſhall they but receive the greater Damnation? Conſider that, Mat. 10. 14, 15. Whoſoever ſhall not receive you, and heare your words, ſhake off the duſt of your feete; It ſhall be eaſier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement then for that Citie. Why ſo? See the reaſon, ver. 40. He that receives you, receives me, and ſo alſo, he that refuſes you refuſes me. So then, he that refuſed to receive the Apoſtles, their ſinne was that they refuſed to receive Chriſt. And what ſhould become of thoſe that refuſed to receive him? Gods vengeance ſhall lie heavier upon ſuch mens heads at the day of Judgement, then upon the head of a curſed damned Sodomite. That ſin ſhall preſſe and ſinke a mans ſoule deeper into hell then Sodoms ſin. How heavie and dreadfull will Sodoms Hell be in Hell, whoſe ſinne made a viſible Hell on earth? and ſuch an Hell on earth, the monuments whereof remaine extant, and exemplary to this day, to be a terrour to all ungodly ones. And yet as heavy as Sodoms puniſhment ſhall be, it ſhall be eaſier then thine, that receiveſt not Chriſt when offered unto thee. Indeed when Chriſt would have come into a village of Samaria, Luk. 9. 53. they would not receive him, and they did not receive him, ſayes the Text. The Diſciples would have had fire from heaven to have conſumed them. And if they thought they were worthy of fire from heaven, that would not receive him but to lodge in their Towne, and in ſome of their houſes; How much more ſhall they be judged worthy of fire in hell, that doe not, and will not receive him into their hearts, when his Miniſters offer him to men, and labour to make ready for him? And though then Chriſt would not have fire come downe upon thoſe Samaritans, yet when the time of judgement comes, he will bring fiery vengeance upon all thoſe that have not received him into their hearts, 2 Theſ. 1. 7, 8. When the Lord Jeſus ſhall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Not to obey the Goſpel, is not to obey the commandements of the Goſpel, as not to obey the Law, is not to obey the commandements of the Law. Now the maine commandement of the Goſpel is, Receive the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. This commandement not obeyed, will bring fiery vengeance on his head that obeyes it not. Oh that men would but thinke ſeriouſly of this danger. The ſtouteſt, ſturdieſt, and moſt rebellious ſpirit that ever was, when he ſhall ſee Chriſt come in Glory, ſhall then with howling and wringing of hands cry out upon himſelf, Ah curſed wretch that I am, oh that I had had the grace to have received this Lord Chriſt, when he was offered to me! Ah beaſt and foole, that I received him not when I was ſo often preſſed to it, now ſhall I receive vengeance, and wrath for ever, becauſe I received not the Lord Chriſt! Nay thinke upon one thing alſo before that day come. There will be a day of Death before the day of Judgement: Thou muſt dye, and thou knoweſt not how ſoone, and when thou commeſt to dye, like enough thou wilt take up Stephens prayer, Acts 7. 59. Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit. Then full faine wilt thou be to have Chriſt Jeſus receive thy ſoule. Now wouldeſt thou in good earneſt have Chriſt Jeſus receive thy ſoule when thou dyeſt? why then, be as willing to receive Chriſt Jeſus into thy ſoule whileſt thou liveſt. He will receive no ſoule that hath not firſt received him. In vaine ſhalt thou cry at thy laſt gaſpe; Lord Jeſus receive my ſoule, if thy ſoule have not before received him. He will returne thee a cold and a comfortleſſe anſwer, Oh now yee can call to mee to receive your ſoule, I called all the dayes of your life to receive me, for theſe thirty, forty, fifty yeares together, and you would never bee brought to receive me. As you have dealt by me, ſo will I now deale by you. I will now be quit with you, I called upon you to receive me, and yee would not, now cry you on, and howle on to me, to receive you, I will as little regard your calles, as you regarded mine: your owne meaſure be mete unto you. Let this meditation ſinke deeply downe into our hearts, and as willingly as wee would have Chriſt receive our ſoules at death, and as willingly as wee would be received into everlaſting habitations at the laſt day, ſo willingly, ſo gladly receive the Lord Jeſus Chriſt now he is offered to you in the Goſpel.
It being a matter of ſo great conſequence and neceſſitie to receive Chriſt, Queſt.how may wee come, and what muſt be done to receive him?
They that will receive Chriſt, there muſt be two things done by them.Anſw.
1. All hindrances muſt be removed.
2. Some poſitive duties muſt be done.