Gospel Revelation, Treatise 3 · Sermon 7
The Seventh SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
Matthew 16.26. For what is a man profited if hee ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul?
Queſt. BUt you ſlay wee muſt go further, How ſhall a man know that hee is gone further than thoſe whoſe ſouls are loſt?
Anſw. To that I vvould briefly anſvver thus; Canſt thou ſay vvith David, Lord, thy Word is pure, therefore doth thy ſervant love it? I beleeve not one of theſe could ſay ſo. Lord God, Thy Word is a pure Word, I ſee a holineſs and beauty in thy Word, and therefore my ſoul doth cloſe vvith it, becauſe it is pure; this is further than any of them vvent: David could ſay ſo, Saul could not, nor Ahab could not, nor Herod could not, the ſtony-ground, and Herod rejoyced in it, but it vvas not from the purity of it that they did rejoyce, for then they vvould have rejoyced in all the Word of God, every part of Gods Word being pure and holy.
Secondly, They could not ſay thus, That they did prize Jeſus Chriſt for a Sanctifier, as well as a Saviour: None of them did look upon Jeſus Chriſt, that hee might deliver their ſouls from the power of their ſin, and work righteouſneſs in them, as well as deliver them from the wrath that is to come. Therefore though ſome of them would bee glad to bee ſaved from hell by Chriſt, yet to look upon Chriſt in regard of his purity and holineſs, as altogether lovely, this none of them could do.
Thirdly and laſtly, None of them did lift up God as the higheſt end of all, and give up themſelves, and all that they had, or were, or could do, being empty of themſelves, ſo as to lift up God as revealed in Chriſt as the higheſt end, ſo as God and Chriſt to bee all in all to their ſouls; they went not thus far: And therefore do not think that it is a putting people to great ſtreights, to tell them how far many went, whoſe ſouls were loſt, and if they went no further, their ſouls would likewiſe bee eternally loſt. — Now then, theſe things being ſo, what remains, but that you ſhould lay them to your hearts? Oh lay them to your hearts, and if God would but bee pleaſed this evening to cauſe every one in this Congregation to examine themſelves, and call their ſouls into queſtion, O my ſoul, how is it with thee? how do things ſtand between God and thee? art thou in ſuch an eſtate, as if God ſhould call for thee out of the body this moment, that thou ſhouldeſt bee ſaved? Oh bee not ſatisfied in any thing in the world, till you come to a reſolution in theſe things; And if you finde that theſe things ſpeak againſt you, and your ſouls bee caſt by them for the preſent, do not ſleight them, for verily God will make them good upon thee, theſe things ſhall ſtand when thy ſoul ſhall periſh.
Wherefore then this is the laſt uſe about this point of the dreadful loſs of the ſoul; Uſe. Oh then let every man or woman propound this queſtion,Act. 16.30. What ſhall I then do to bee ſaved? The world is troubled with a great many queſtions at this day, queſtions that have no great neceſſity in them; but here is the great queſtion, Men and Brethren, what ſhall I do to bee ſaved? And if people when they meet together would bee taken up, and bee asking of this queſtion one of another, it would prevent a great many wrangling and jangling queſtions, that men ſpend their time in; oh when they are asking of you many ſuch vain queſtions, anſwer thoſe vain queſtions but thus, I but do you know how one may do to be ſaved? tell mee ſomething of the way of God about the ſalvation of my ſoul; and that is that, that both Miniſters and Chriſtians ſhould moſt aim at, to help one another in; they ſhould not fill peoples heads with curious queſtions, and ſpecially young ones, for that is a great deceit of the Devil at this day: There was never a time wherein there was a more hopeful harveſt of young ones, than there was two or three years ſince in England, and in this City, and becauſe the Devil ſaw it was in vain to tempt their hearts to their former prophaneneſs, hee labours by all means to cauſe them to fall into the hands of vain jangling people, that ſhall fill their heads with a great many curious queſtions about controverſies, and things that they do not underſtand, and ſo take away the very ſtrength and life of the work of the Word upon them, when as the Scripture tells us plainly, that wee muſt not receive the weak in Faith unto doubtful diſputations.Rom. 14.1. But
Object. You will ſay, wee muſt inquire after all truths.
Anſw. It is true, but ſeaſonably, in their due time; It is not for young converts, before they bee ſetled in the main things of Religion, to have their heads filled with doubtful diſputations; it is the plain Scripture, and it is as plain, if wee would underſtand it, as Thou ſhalt not ſteal, or commit adultery; oh this hath hindered the ſalvation of many a ſoul! Now therefore this is that that I would aim at, to turn the ſtrength of your ſouls into this great queſtion, What ſhall wee do to bee ſaved? in Eccleſiaſtes 7. ſaith the wiſe man there, God hath made man upright, but hee hath found to himſelf many inventions, ſo your books have it, but I finde it tranſlated in the old Lattin, Hee hath mingled himſelf with many queſtions, ſo they turn the phraſe: Now the Lord take off your hearts from thoſe, and give you hearts to attend to this great queſtion, What ſhall wee do to bee ſaved? It was the queſtion, you know, of the Jaylor, in Act. 16.30. And it concerns thoſe that yet have not aſſurance of what condition their ſouls are in for ſalvation, to ask this queſtion ſpeedily, and not to put it off till they come to ſickneſs and death, and then ſend for Miniſters and godly Chriſtians, and ſay, Oh! what ſhall I do? how many upon their ſick and death beds, that never minded to inquire before what they ſhould do to bee ſaved, the… are in dreadful anguiſh, and then cry out, Oh what ſhall I do? Oh the diſtreſſed condition I am in! I am afraid my ſoul is loſt for ever, what ſhall I do? why doſt thou ask it now? is this queſtion to ask now when thy ſoul is going before the great and dreadful God to have the ſentence of its eternal doom to bee paſt upon it? Oh it concerns you betimes, you young ones, as ſoon as ever you come to know you have ſouls, it concerns you to bee asking this great queſtion, What ſhall I do to bee ſaved? And wee have an example of this, of a young man that Chriſt lookt upon in love, becauſe hee was inquiſitive about the ſalvation of his ſoul; the ſtory is in Matth. 19.16. Behold one came and ſaid unto him, Good Maſter, what good thing ſhall I do that I may inherit eternal life, and verſ. 20. It appears that this was a young man; The young man ſaith unto him, All theſe things have I done. Oh it were a comely thing for young men to come to Chriſt, and ſay, What ſhall wee do to have eternal life? and it appears that hee was a young Gentleman, a man of great poſſeſſions, and hee is called in the Goſpel by St. Luke, a Ruler; ſome Interpreters think that that was meant onelyonly in the family, for the Jews had ſome chief in the family that did rule and govern there; but this young man hee comes to Chriſt, and that running,Mark 10.17. as in Mark. 10. where you have the ſtory, and Chriſt lookt upon him, and loved him, as in verſ. 21. Oh it is a lovely thing to ſee young people begin betimes to inquire what they ſhould do to bee ſaved, and wee have had great hopes of young people; but here is the policy of the Devil, when the Lord was bringing the greateſt harveſt of young people within this three or four years to himſelf, as ever was, I think, ſince the beginning of the world, and the Devil knowing that hee could not get them to turn to lewdneſs and prophaneneſs preſently again, therefore hee labours to put them upon turning all their Religion into queſtions about controverſal things, which they could not be able to mannage and underſtand, and ſo puts them off the thoughts of that great queſtion, What they ſhould do to bee ſaved? But O labour to inquire, and to bee ſatisfied and reſolved in that queſtion betimes.
Secondly, If you ask this queſtion, as you are to do it betimes, ſo do it earneſtly, do it with a great deal of fervency of ſpirit, as a matter of infinite concernment; ſo in Matth. 10.17. When hee was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, good Maſter, what ſhall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Hee came running with a great deal of fervency and earneſtneſs about the buſineſs; and the fervency that youth hath ſhould bee manifeſted in this, in being earneſt in the inquiring after the way of ſalvation; people that are elder, they think they are well enough, and they have not lived ſo long, they think, as not to know how to bee ſaved all this while, and therefore will not enquire; ſo that their ſpirits do not boil with that fervency and heat as young ones do; hee came running to Chriſt.
Thirdly, If you do inquire, inquire ſincerely, with a heart truly willing to do whatſoever God ſhall make known to you; wee are this day about this great queſtion, what a man ſhould do to ſave his ſoul? I ſuppoſe many of you would bee glad to know what ſhould bee done, and mee-thinks every one is ready to ask ſuch a queſtion as this is: But before wee come to anſwer it, let mee ſpeak to you as in the Name of God, do you deſire to know it with a heart truly willing to yeeld to whatſoever ſhould out of Gods Word bee revealed to you? put this to your own hearts before wee come to give any anſwer, otherwiſe what do you hear this day, if there bee not ſuch a heart as this, that you can appeal to God, and profeſs that whatſoever this day the Lord ſhall reveal unto me… from his Word that I ſhould do to ſave my ſoul, here I am, and profeſs to yeeld my ſelf up to the truths of God, if your hearts bee ſo fram'd, then wee may have incouragement to come and ſhew you what ſhould bee done.
Fourthly, And you muſt inquire conſtantly too; if you ſhould not bee ſatisfied at one time, never bee at reſt till you are ſatisfied, do not ask what I ſhould do, and come to hear what you ſhould do, and then paſs it over, and let every little thing take this out of your minds again; but when you begin to bee inquiring after the way of ſalvation, reſolve that you will never give reſt to your ſouls, till you have gotten this queſtion anſwered to you. — And there is a great deal of reaſon that wee ſhould ask this queſtion in ſuch a way. For,
Reaſ. Firſt, Every one of your ſouls are in a loſt condition naturally; therefore it concerns you to bee inquiring after the way of ſalvation.
Secondly, The ſalvation of a ſoul is the moſt difficult thing in the world; if ever thy ſoul bee ſaved, it muſt coſt more than Heaven and Earth is worth to ſave it; it is not therefore ſuch a trifling buſineſs, the ſaving of ſouls: This I dare avouch, as in the Name of God, that the ſoul of the pooreſt girl or ſervant that is here, if it bee ſaved, it muſt coſt more than Heaven and Earth is worth to ſave it; therefore there is a difficulty in it.
Thirdly and laſtly, There are but few that ſhall bee ſaved; there is nothing more clear in the Word of God than that, that there are but few ſouls that ſhall bee ſaved; wee cannot tell (as I have ſaid) that this or the other ſoul cannot bee ſaved; wee are not to enter into Gods counſels concerning particular ſouls, but this wee may ſay,Matth. 7.13. compared with Luk. 13.24. and have warrant from the Word to ſay, that there are but few ſouls that ſhall bee ſaved: Strive to enter in at the ſtrait gate, for ſtrait is the gate, and narrow is the way, and few there bee that enter: And upon that ground Chriſt himſelf raiſes that exhortation, therefore ſtrive; therefore inquire you after the way of ſalvation with all your might; if there ſhould a voice come from Heaven at this time, and ſay, there are but few in this Congregation ſhall go out alive, it would put every one to a ſtand; every one would think with himſelf, Oh Lord! muſt I die here? why there is this voice from Heaven, that there are but few ſouls in the world but ſhall periſh eternally; then certainly it is not for us to bee quiet, but it concerns us to bee reſtleſs in our conditions, and every one to ſay, what, is it I? what, is it I? when Chriſt did but ſay that one of you ſhall betray mee, every one was inquiring, Is it I? Is it I? but when it is ſaid that there ſhall bee but few ſaved; the flock of Chriſt is but a little flock, the words in the original are two diminutives, and may be tranſlated, a little little flock; Oh it concerns you all to look about you. But now theſe things being premiſed for the putting of you on to the enquiring after ſalvation with all your might: now wee come to the anſwer of this queſtion, What wee ſhould do that our ſouls may bee ſaved?
And in the anſwer to this wee muſt premiſe further.
Firſt, There is nothing that any man can do, that ſaves him, there muſt bee ſomewhat higher that what hee can do; and yet God requires that hee ſhould do what hee can do; Indeed what any man can do of himſelf, yea or by aſſiſtance from common grace, yea wee will ſay further, by aſſiſtance from any grace whatſoever, though it may help forward his ſalvation, by an ordinance of God, yet it cannot be the thing that ſaves him, the thing that ſaves him is higher than what is done by the creature, it is what is done by Chriſt, or what is ſuffered by Chriſt, it is that that ſaves the ſoul, and not, I ſay, what is done or ſuffered by us.
But yet now wee muſt not make ſuch a vain, and fooliſh, and dangerous inference, that therefore nothing is to bee done, becauſe the things that wee do are not the things that ſave us; there is a great deal of evil comes from men and womens preſuming to draw conſequences; they think that if this bee true, the other will follow, and ſo through the weakneſs of their underſtandings,Epheſ. 2.1. John 15.5. they come to draw dangerous conſequences from true poſitions: Why, wee are dead in ſins by nature, and without mee yee can do nothing, ſaith Chriſt; upon this here is this conſequence drawn by many ignorant people that pervert the Word to their own deſtruction, If God bee not merciful to them; therefore why ſhould wee pray, or read, or hear, or uſe any means, let us lay aſide all, wee can do nothing, wee are dead in ſins, and the like: Now wee are to know, that though nothing can bee done by us (till God bring us into a ſtate of grace and ſalvation) that is acceptable, ſo as certainly ſhall bring us to Heaven, yet if it bee but that that ſhall ſtop us in the contrary way a little, it is worth our labour; If it be but that that any way may tend towards the bringing of us unto any means that may do us good, why it is worth our labour, and all our pains; but eſpecially if wee conſider this, that though wee are not able to do that that ſhall ſave us, yet God is pleaſed often to convey his ſtrength to thoſe hee doth intend to ſave, through the uſe of thoſe means; rather at that time when they do improve their natural abilities, than at that time when they ſit idle and do nothing, and therefore you muſt bee up and bee doing. Wee read in the Goſpel concerning the young man that I told you came to Chriſt, and inquired what hee ſhould do for eternal life, Chriſt profeſt to him that hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven, hee was not ſo far as others; It is true, if a man abuſes his doing, and reſts in his doing, that ſets him as far from the Kingdome of Heaven, as prophane ones, and therefore Publicans and Harlots may enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, as ſoon as Scribes and Phariſees; But there may bee many actions done by a common aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit, that may bring ſome nearer to the Kingdome of Heaven than others; and the denial of ſuch a thing as that is, would bee an extream boldneſs in any; for they are the very words of Chriſt to the young man, That hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven; and therefore notwithſtanding your inability, and notwithſtanding the things that wee do are not the things that ſave us, yet wee have ground enough to put on men and women to do.— Now the meaning of this great queſtion is this, What is the way that God ordinarily takes to bring men and women to ſalvation by? or how ſhould I follow God on in his way? that is a certain truth of the Antients, Though God made thee without thee, yet hee will not ſave thee without thee; God works upon us as upon rational creatures, and therefore it doth concern all the children of men that would have their ſouls ſaved, to obſerve the work of God, and to ſtir up what is in them to joyn with the work of God in the way of ſalvation; and certainly whatever conceits there are to the contrary, they are not onelyonly fooliſh, but extream dangerous, and Satans policy and cunning is exceedingly much ſeen in them.
A further thing that I would premiſe before I come to particulars, is this, when I ſpeak of any thing that ſhould bee done, I preſcribe no particular order, knowing that the works of God are various; And ſometimes God ſtirs up a ſoul to do one thing, and ſometimes to do another thing, but take them in what order you will, yet wee muſt name them for memory ſake in ſome order, and God expects them from you, and you are to joyn with God in thoſe works, if you would have your ſouls to bee ſaved.
The great Queſtion, of what wee ſhould do to bee ſaved, anſwered.
Firſt, If you would have your ſouls ſaved, do you joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerning your loſt condition, labouring to underſtand thoſe truths clearly, that are delivered in the Word concerning the loſt condition of ſouls by nature, and to work thoſe truths upon your hearts, to bee ſenſible of them: Thoſe whom God intends to ſave, hee ſhews unto them what this ſalvation is; hee ſhews them from what it is they are to bee ſaved, that ſo they may not run away vvith (the meer word (Salvation) and ſaving of ſouls) now God reveals this in his Word, and when hee intends to ſave a ſoul, hee doth by his Spirit ſtir it up to joyn with the Word of God, and work thoſe things upon its ſelf, ſo as to bee made ſenſible of them.
As thus, the ſoul being ſolicitous how it ſhould come to bee ſaved, it ſearches the Scripture, and there it findes how wee are by nature the children of wrath; there it findes that God had made man according to his own Image at firſt, but man hath ſinned againſt God, and broken the covenant upon which his eternal ſtate did depend, and in the ſin of the firſt man all men have ſinned, and are deprived of the glory of God, and now are conceived in ſin, and brought forth in iniquity, ſo that there is a moſt dreadful breach between God and the ſoul, and that man by nature is become an enemy to the Infinite God: That now hee hath the ſeeds of all kind of ſin in him, and that all his life, while hee continues in his natural eſtate here, is nothing elſe but a fighting againſt God, a flying in the very face of God: Hee findes that by ſin hee is brought under a moſt dreadful curſe, the curſe of the Law, and that hee is bound over by the bonds of the Law, even to death, to eternal death, as the wages of ſin; theſe things the ſoul findes in Scripture; now if thou wouldeſt bee ſaved, when thou findeſt God revealing ſuch things, labour thorowly to convince thy ſoul of the truth of them; and are theſe things ſo indeed? is this my condition? am I thus and thus naturally? Oh what good then will it do to mee to have all the world, and bee in ſuch a condition as this is? Oh my ſoul! when wert thou ſenſible of this condition? doſt thou walk as it becomes one that is ſenſible of ſuch a loſt eſtate as this is? Oh! labour to drink in theſe truths, and to work them upon thy heart, and cry to God to ſet them home upon thy ſpirit, to make thy ſoul thorowly ſenſible of them, as hee uſes to make thoſe whom hee hath a purpoſe to ſave. Here's the firſt thing.
And yet one thing about this further, is, That you muſt come to a conviction, not onelyonly of your loſt eſtate, but of your inability to ſave your ſelves, and the inability that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth to ſave them; that thy fall from God is ſo dreadful, that all the created power in Heaven and Earth cannot help thee, yea and that thou thy ſelf now art unable to help thy ſelf to ſave thy ſoul; bee convinc'd thorowly of this: This was the way that Chriſt took with the young man, hee tells him of the Law firſt, and then afterwards becauſe hee was conceited that hee had fulfilled the Law, and done it, Chriſt puts him upon a duty (that might convince him to the contrary) which was required in the ſpiritual meaning of the Law, that forbids covetouſneſs, and requires that wee ſhould bee willing to part with all for God, when hee calls for it; Go and ſell all that thou haſt, and follow mee, and take up thy croſs and follow mee, ſaith Chriſt; I but the young man hee had great poſſeſſions; but becauſe …e was no ſwearer, nor ſtealer, nor murderer, nor lyar, hee thought hee had fulfilled the Law, but Chriſt by putting that to him, did as much as if hee ſhould ſay, poor young man, thou art deceived, thou thinkeſt that thou are able to do what God requires in his Law, but didſt thou but underſtand the ſpiritual part of the Law, thou wouldeſt ſee that thou art ſo caſt by it, that all that thou art able to do in thy obedience to the Law, cannot bee ſufficient (through the ſinfulneſs of thy heart and nature) but thou muſt periſh if thou takeſt ſuch a courſe as that is, to think to bee ſaved by the Law; certainly this it is upon which thouſands of ſouls do periſh, they think indeed they are ſinners, but they hope they ſhall do better, and they are able, they think (though not without God, God muſt help them) to do that that the Word of God requires of them, whereby they may come to bee ſaved; now certainly thou knoweſt not thy fallen condition, and how far off thou art from God, and what thy ſinful eſtate is naturally, that haſt ſuch thoughts as theſe.
But ſecondly, If thou wouldeſt have thy ſoul ſaved, break off the acts of thy ſin at leaſt; you will ſay, why do we ſpeak to men to break off the acts of their ſin? — why, certainly wee may well ſpeak, for God doth give men power for outward acts very far; thou canſt not do it of thy ſelf, that is true, but there is a common work of Gods Spirit, that doth inable men and women for outward acts very far: Let him that ſtole ſteal no more. A man now at the day of judgement cannot ſay, Lord, I continued in theft, becauſe I was not able to forbear it; though thou canſt not change thy heart indeed, yet forbear the outward act thou canſt: one that is dumb might ſay, if hee could ſpeak, Lord, I was no ſwearer, becauſe I could not ſpeak, otherwiſe thou art ready to ſay, I cannot help it, but God will finde it otherwiſe at the great day: Certainly, if thou wouldeſt but put thy ſelf upon what ſtrength God gives thee, thou mayeſt as well go to a Sermon, as to an Ale-houſe; It is a very falſe reaſoning of people, that becauſe they have not true grace, therefore God inables them to do no outward acts; therefore do what in thee lies to break off the outward acts of thy ſin: Thou that art a company-keeper, a Sabbath-breaker, a ſwearer, an unclean perſon, take heed of continuing in the outward way of ſinning againſt God, reſolve this day againſt thoſe outward acts of thy ſin; do but do thus much, becauſe thou thinkeſt thou canſt do nothing, do but profeſs thus to God in his preſence, when thou art gone, get alone, and ſay, Lord, it is true, I can do nothing-without thee, but here I do ingage my ſelf to joyn with whatſoever thou haſt given mee, or ſhalt give mee to abſtain from thoſe acts of ſin, which I have lived in, and this Lord I ingage my ſelf to do, as ever I expect to bee ſaved in the day of Jeſus Chriſt; canſt thou not ſay theſe words? expreſs thy ſelf but thus to God, and certainly theſe things thou mayeſt ſay, and that is ſomewhat; That man and woman that ſhall wilfully go on in thoſe vile groſs acts of ſin that are againſt the very light of nature, and the light of their conſciences, for them to come and ſay, What ſhall I do to bee ſaved? and yet ſtill continue in their ſins, it is but a trifling with God, and taking Gods Name in vain, except it bee with a reſolution to go thus far.
Thirdly, Thou muſt labour to take off thine heart as much as thou canſt from the things of the world, from theſe outward contentments here, from ſeeking after them as thy greateſt good; that that was thy chief deſire heretofore, thou muſt labour to take off thy heart from, and poſſeſs thy ſoul vvith the one thing neceſſary, to conclude thus with thy ſelf, it is not neceſſary that I ſhould be rich, that I ſhould bee honourable, that I ſhould have theſe and theſe outward comforts in the world; but it is neceſſary that I ſhould look to the ſalvation of my ſoul; when God hath a purpoſe to ſave, hee doth take the heart off very much from creature-comforts; Oh, if peoples hearts were but taken off from the world, to ſeek after ſalvation in a conſtant way, as they are at ſome flaſhes, when they hear ſome truths that come near to their hearts, or when they are upon their ſick-beds, Oh how far might they have been gone in the way of ſalvation! but the thoughts of the world hath taken their hearts, and all other things have vaniſht and come to nothing.
Fourthly, If thou wouldeſt have thy ſoul ſaved, thy great care and indeavour muſt bee to acquaint thy ſelf with the knowledge of the Myſteries of the Goſpel of the covenant of grace, of the way that God hath chalkt out for ſalvation; let a man or woman have never ſo good meanings, never ſuch good deſires and affections, live never ſo fairly and civilly in the world, yet if they bee not acquainted with the way that God in the Goſpel, and in the Covenant of Grace hath revealed for the ſalvation of ſouls, they may periſh for all that, God hath appointed but one way to ſave ſouls, and hee is ſet upon it and determined, that whoſoever miſſes that way, muſt periſh, whatſoever good thoughts and deſires they have otherwiſe.