The Humbled Sinner, Chapter 16 · Section 1
SECT. I. Firſt the Motives.
I ſpeak this day to an underſtanding and ſenſible people, to whom the doctrinal parts of our natural miſery, and of our purchaſed felicity are not hidden myſteries, and therefore I truſt that the ſucceeding arguments and motives ſhall finde little ſtop in your underſtandings, but ſhall the more eaſily and powerfully paſſe down into your hearts and affections, to perſwade and excite you to lay out all your ſtrength, and that ſpeedily, to get this faith in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Thus then
Firſt, ſadly and ſeriouſly conſider the ſtate of Poſitive infidelity. A twofold indelity.Divines obſerve a twofold infidelity.
One is Negative, which is amongſt the Heathens to whom Chriſt is not revealed, and therefore they do not believe; it conſiſts both in the abſence of the quality of faith, as alſo in the object and doctrine of faith. This Sunne of the Goſpel hath not riſen unto them, and therefore they ſit ſtill in the regions of darkneſſe, and (for ought we know) in the valley of death.
Another is Poſitive, which is incident unto us Chriſtians, to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed; Chriſt is manifeſted as the body of the Sun by the beams of light, ſo he by the brightneſſe and evidence of the Goſpel, and yet the ſoule knows him not, receives him not, doth not take him both as Lord and Saviour.
Of this there are ſeveral degrees, and all of them fearfully dangerous, to ſpeak the truth plainly, damnable.
1. A careleſſe neglecting of the Lord of life, a not minding of that ſingular mercy and goodneſſe which God hath treaſured in Chriſt, and reveales and offers to ſinful men.
2. A ſlighting of him and his excellencies, which is a preferring, as it were, Barrabas before him; a beſtowing of our hearts, and ſtudies, and labours, and delights, and ſervices, not on him, but either on our ſinnes, or upon the world, in the rivers of its pleaſures, and in the mountaines of its profits.
3. A refuſing of his Articles and Covenants, which is a breaking off, and vile diſliking of thoſe tearms upon which he offers himſelf to be ours: we would bring him to termes of competition with ſinne, or the creature; we would abridge his holy and Lordly Scepter, like what we pleaſe, do what we liſt, have him to be our Saviour, and ſinne to be our Ruler, we would beſtow our ſafeties on him, and our ſervices upon the world, we will not freely and fully conſent to all that he is, nor ſubmit to all that he propoſeth, or may befall us with him and for him: And ſo like the vaine Merchant, we miſſe the pearle, becauſe we will not go to the price: We enjoy our ſelves ſtill, and our ſinnes, and our world too, but we forſake our mercies for lying vanities, the ſoul is Chriſtleſſe ſtill, becauſe thus ſordidly unbeleeving.
1. But then know, of all eſtates in the world, none ſo fearful, ſo damnable, as the unbeleeving eſtate. A man may loſe every farthing of his inheritance, and yet faith will bring him to heaven; he may loſe every friend that he hath, and yet faith may bring him to heaven; He may loſe every ſpirit in his members, and every drop of blood in his body, and yet faith may bring him to heaven, He may be as poor as Job, as diſtreſſed as David, as ſick as Lazarus, as forſaken as Paul, as derided as Chriſt, and yet faith may bring his ſoul to heaven. But if a man had as much wiſdome as Solomon, greatneſſe as Nebuchadnezzar, ſtrength as Sampſon, dayes as Methuſalah, riches as Dives; were his dwellings like the doors of the Sanctuary, and ſhaped into the moſt imaginable Paradiſe of all exquiſite and earthly delights. If yet his ſoul remained, and expired unbelieving, if he had not faith, His unbelieving ſoul ſhall be caſt out into the lake which burnes with fire and brimſtone, Revel. 21. 8.
2. Nay again, A man may (perhaps) be guilty of many ſins, and thoſe very fowle, high, and crying, he hath perhaps been an Idolater, or elſe an Adulterer, or elſe a Blaſphemer, or elſe a Perſecutor, yea even of Chriſt, yet upon his repentance and faith in Chriſt his ſoul ſhall be ſaved in the day of the Lord. For no former ſinnes ſhall prejudice the ſoul, which is now truly turned from them, and hath by faith yeilded up it ſelf to Chriſt: But the unbeleeving perſon, hath every ſinne and every guilt upon a ſevere and ſure account; he rejects his own ſatisfactions by refuſing Chriſt: The Law of God will ſue him cut for every rebellion, and the juſtice of God will break out upon him for all his iniquities and conſcience, will give up all his guilts; and becauſe he is unbelieving, vengeance to the utmoſt ſhall ceaſe on him, and there is none to deliver him, nor he ever able to deliver himſelf. Ʋnbelief it bindes all the ſinnes upon the ſoul, and condemnation faſt unto the ſinnes: It leaves the ſinning ſoul naked to the eye of divine Juſtice, neither hath the ſoul any ſhelter which is out of Chriſt. O thou who wilt not kiſſe the Sunne now, who wilt not have Chriſt to rule thee, who deſpiſeſt the tender love of God, the precious blood of Chriſt, who wilt receive him for thy Prieſt, for thy Prophet, for thy King; In the laſt day thou ſhalt curſe thy heart, and accurſe thy ſins, and cry to the mountaines, but they will not cover thee, to mercy, but that will not pitty thee; to Chriſt, but he will not regard thee; to Juſtice, but it will not heare thee; thou wouldſt not believe, thou wouldſt not receive Chriſt as Lord and Saviour, but thou wouldſt have the love of ſin, and therefore thou ſhalt have the portion of a ſinner, thou ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God ſhall abide upon thee.
Nay, if the father hath given and offered unto thee his own Sonne, and thou harden thy heart by unbelief, thou wilt not take him upon thoſe termes, I tell thee in the name of the Lord Jeſus, that if thou wilt thus bid Chriſt farewell, thou doſt bid God farewell, all mercy farewell, all ſalvation farewell, all hope of it farewell: and thou bindeſt all thy ſinnes upon thy ſoul, and all the curſe of the Law upon thy ſoul; Woe unto thee, its better thou hadſt never been borne? If thou haſt any ſenſe as an ordinary creature, any reaſon as a man, any underſtanding as a Chriſtian, any true eſtimation of an immortal ſoul, any conceptions of heaven, or hell; if ſalvation be any comfortable thing, if damnation be any miſerable thing; then, I beſeech thee, I beſeech thee, labour for faith, get out of an unbelieving condition; thou per…ſheſt if thou ſtay'ſt there, thou art loſt for ever, he that believes not ſhall be damned ſaid the Prince of ſalvation, O repent and believe, why will you die, O houſe of Iſrael?
Conſider, throughly of the love of God in giving Chriſt, and of 2. Motive.the love of Chriſt in giving himſelf, and perhaps this may perſwade thee to labour for faith.
The love of God in giving of Chriſt. See Joh. 3. 16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life, 17. For God ſent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world, but that the world through him might be ſaved.
O this love of God to ſinners: To give his Son, and not a ſervant, his own Son, and not another, his only Son, and not a ſecond, his only begotten Son, and not an adopted childe, and that not for any ill, but for good; he did not ſend him as an enemy, but as a friend, not to deliver a poor and mean good, but the beſt and higheſt good, to ſave us; not to deliver us from an ordinary danger, but from condemnation; Yea, and he is ſent, and given, he was not ſought by us, but given by him; Yea, and no way deſerved, but freely given; yea, and given to us, not friends, but enemies.
Thou haſt ſhewed this day (ſaid Saul to David 1 Sam. 24. 18) How that thou haſt dealt well with me, foraſmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedſt me not. 19. For if a man finde his enemy, will he let him go well away? Thus here 'twixt man and man, but (ſaith the Apoſtle) God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet ſinners Chriſt dyed for us. Now, ſhall all this love be in vaine? ſhall God think of a Chriſt and we paſs by him? ſhall he give a Saviour, and we reject him? ſhall he bring ſalvation to our doores, and we not accept of it? Why? you need my Son, and you are damned, if you take him not, and I freely offer him unto you, that you may be ſaved, and ſhall not we ſtrive for faith to receive him?
The love of Chriſt: O, how wonderfull was his love to us! it was not a love to the fallen Angels, but to fallen man, and ſuch a love to fallen man as the like cannot be found. He laid aſide his glory to do us good, he humbled himſelf to raiſe us, he became poor to enrich us; he faſted and prayed and endured the contradiction of ſinners, Reproaches, Crucifyings, Wrath, Bloody agonies, Conflicts with Satan, ſorrows in his ſoul, piercings in his body, and a bitter death to ſatisfie for us, and to reconcile us, and ſhall we not accept of him? ſhall all this be in vaine? Why! doeſt thou not heare Chriſt calling and crying out unto thee, never were any ſorrowes like my ſorrowes, never was any love like to my love. O unbelieving and ſinning ſoul! look upon me, why doeſt thou paſſe by? why doeſt thou hide thine eyes from me? why doeſt thou ſtop thine eares at me? I am the Saviour of ſinners, and there is none elſe beſides me; thy own miſeries might cauſe thee to look up and embrace me; And let my love unto thee a little draw thee, move thee, melt thee. Haſt thou not heard of the revilings and ſcoffes which I ſuſteined? my love to thy ſoul made me a willing patient; Haſt thou not heard of the agonies of my ſoul, which made me to ſweat drops of blood, and my ſoul was exceeding heavy even to the death? yet my love to thy ſoul made me willing to drink that cup: Haſt thou not heard of that deſertion, and of that wrath which made me to cry out, my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? And yet my love to thy ſoul made me to paſſe through it: Haſt thou not heard of that accurſed and deſpitfull death which I was put to; numbred with tranſgreſſors, caſt out of the City, nailed to the croſſe, pierced through the heart? and yet my love to thy ſoul, made me to poure out my ſoul an offering for thy ſins. Why! and ſhall I veile my glory under the condition of a ſervant in vaine? ſhall I combate, and conquer Satan in vaine? ſhall I beare the ſcorne of men, the wrath of God, the terrors of death, the curſe of the Law, in vaine? was not all this for thee, ſhouldſt not thou have ſuſteined all this, if I had not? and muſt thou not, if thou refuſeſt him who hath done it? and yet wilt thou prefer thy ſins before me? yet wilt thou not accept of me? yet wilt thou not get faith to receive me? have I ſought thee freely, bought thee ſo dearly, and thou neglect and refuſe me ſo eaſily?
Thirdly, conſider, thou haſt extreame need of a Lord Jeſus 3. Motives.Chriſt.
Excellency prevailes much with an ingenious nature, and neceſſity with the worſt: when the Lepers ſaw that they muſt either venture their lives or die, they would out into the Camp; when the Prodigal ſaw he muſt famiſh abroad, or repaire home, he would then back to his fathers houſe. Why Brethren! the Captive doth not more need a Redeemer, and the ſick doth not more need a Phyſician, then the ſinner doth need a Chriſt and a Saviour.
Were we in Adams created innocency, then we need not to look after a Saviour, but we are fallen, but we are broken, but we are ſold under ſin, but we are tranſgreſſors from the womb, but we are by nature the children of diſobedience and wrath.
Had we any ſtock left in our hands to ſet up our broken ſouls againe, had we any ſtrength to repaire our loſſe, to recover our good, to purchaſe our own peace and ſalvation, but we are dead in treſpaſſes, Eph. 2. 1. we all fall ſhort of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 23. we are all without strength, Rom. 5. 6.
Could any thing be a Plank to the Shipwrack, but Chriſt, or an hand to lay hold on the rock, but faith then we needed not to give ſuch diligence for faith to believe; but there is no ſalvation in any other name, and there is no quality but faith to get us into Chriſt.
It is not the confidence which thou mayeſt put upon the faith of another, which will do it: as every mans ſoul is for his own body, ſo every mans faith is for his own ſoul; the wiſe virgins had no more oile then would ſerve their own Lamps; and no mans faith is more then enough for himſelf: Though Chriſt can ſave many, yet faith ſaves him only who hath it.
It is not the confidence of a naked decree which will do it, if God hath decreed to ſave me, I ſhall be ſaved; O no his decrees are his own ſecret wayes, and the way which he hath opened to us, is to get faith and to believe in his Son.
It is not an empty profeſſion, nor the worthleſſe acceſſe of all the creatures that can enſure or ſave thy ſoul. Only Chriſt, none but Chriſt, thou art wounded, and Chriſt is thy plaiſter; thou art dead, and Chriſt is thy life; thou art ſold, and Chriſt is thy ranſome; thou art an enemy, and Chriſt is thy peace. The debts are infinite, the curſe great, the juſtice of God pure, thy ſtrength nothing, and nothing ſatisfies and delivers but Chriſt, and none hath Chriſt but the believer, why then wilt thou not labor for faith?
Fourthly, conſider, Christ is every way fitted to thy need: 4. Motive.Why! Brethren, gold will ranſome a debtor to man, it will not ranſome a ſinner from the Law, an offender againſt God. Why! look upon your need aright, and then judge, who but Chriſt for a ſinner.
There is guilt, much guilt lying upon thy ſoul, and who is the Prieſt to ſuffer, to offer, to ſatisfie, to take away tranſgreſſions but Chriſt? None can blot out the guilt of ſin for us, but he who had not a ſpot of ſin in himſelf.
There is filth, much filth defiling our natures, poyſoning our actions, and who is the Prophet to enlighten, to teach, to change, to cleanſe from ſinfulneſſe but Chriſt? None can teach us holineſſe, and obedience, but he who was Holy undefiled ſeparated from ſinners and was obedient to the death.
There is dominion, much dominion of ſin, preſcribing a Law to our members, ſending out all inſolent inclinations, holding us in a willing ſubjection to every baſe luſt; and who is the King to conquer the heart, to ſubdue iniquities, to lead captivity captive, to ſpoile principalities and powers, to bid the captive go free, to erect a thorne of righteouſneſſe and peace in the ſoul but Chriſt? So that the wiſe love of God hath prepared and fitted Chriſt in all reſpects ſutable to the exigencies, and ſtraits of a ſinful ſoul, and hath appointed faith to be that which ſhall put on this Chriſt upon the needy ſoul; why then will we not labour for faith.
Fifthly, God hath not only fitted a Saviour for thee, but he 5. …comes neer unto thee with him, he deales mightily with thy ſoul …o beleeve on him.
Thou haſt the word of revelation (to this very day) wherein the myſtery of thy ſalvation is made known and cleare unto th…e. Thou needeſt not to ſay in thine heart, Who ſhall aſcend into heaven to bring Chriſt down from above, or who ſhall deſcend into the deeps to bring up Chriſt againe from the dead? But the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. That if thou ſhalt confeſſe with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and ſhalt believe in thine heart that God hath raiſed him him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved, Rom. 6. 7, 8 9.
Thou haſt the word of gracious propoſition; God hath offered Chriſt with all his plentiful redemption, with his ſtrong ſalvation unto thee: yea he hath aſſured thee by his Word of John 3.truth (which cannot lie nor deceive) that if thou believeſt on him, thou ſhalt be ſaved by him.
Thou haſt the word of injunction which layes a bond of duty upon thee, This is his Commandment, that we beleeve on the Name John 3. 23.of his Son Jeſus Chriſt.
Nay, thou haſt the word of penalty and correction. God hath ſaid that he will judge thee for not believing, and that in the ſharpeſt method of expreſſion, He that believes not ſhall be damned.
Nay thou haſt the word of obſecration and gentle intreaty, God ſtoops infinitely below himſelf he doth ſtreine curteſie with thee, God doth beſeech you by us, and we pray you in Chriſts ſtead to be reconciled to God.
Nay thou haſt the word of expostulation; why will you not beleeve? why will ye die in your ſins? why will ye not come to me that you may be ſaved? How often would I have gathered thee? All the day long have I ſtretched forth my hands.
Nay, thy unbelief grieves the very heart of Chriſt, (he grieved at their unbelief) …he complaines of that ſlowneſſe in thy heart to believe (O ſlow of heart to believe, &c.) nay, and he ſheds tears, becauſe thou doſt not believe, and receive him, When he came near the City, he wept over it, O Hieruſalem! thou that, &c. How often would I, &c?
Sixthly, conſider how unreaſonable, and unequal, and ſottiſh 6. Motive.a thing it is not to receive Chriſt, being thus revealed and offered.
1. There is none who have right to thy ſoul but God and Chriſt; our ſouls are Gods workmanſhip, and Chriſts purchaſe; Why then ſhould we not give to God that which belongs to God, and to Chriſt that which is his own; Ye are not your own, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. for ye are bought with a price. God put forth his own power to make thy ſoul, and Chriſt ſhed his heart blood to redeem thy ſoul, and yet wilt thou through infidelity with-hold it from him, and paſſe it over into the poſſeſſion of a ſtranger, an enemy?
2. Chriſt out-bids all Merchants for thy ſoul, he out-bids ſin, and he out-bids all the world, and he out-bids Satan. Can the Sonne of Jeſſe give you vineyards, ſaid Saul? can ſinne give thee that which Chriſt can? can the world? let them now appear and declare their ſtrength and treaſury; Is there any one of them that preſents redemption unto thee? Is there any one of them that can procure remiſſion and pardoning mercy for thee? Is there any one of them which can ſatisfie the wrath of God for thee? which can make thy peace, which can preſent thee righteous before the judgement ſeat? which can ſettle eternal life upon thee? All this can Chriſt do, none of this can they do.
3. Thou canſt not poſſibly be a loſer by receiving or believing on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Suppoſe it coſt thee many tears, and many prayers, and many ſearchings, and many waitings, yet Chriſt will recompence all theſe in a moment, one word, I am thy ſalvation; It is I, be not afraid; I am thine, as thou art mine, thy ſins are forgiven thee, will be a day for all former nights.
Suppoſe that the world doth caſt thee off, as they caſt him out of the Synagogue who beleeved and profeſſed Chriſt, yet Chriſt will come unto thee as unto him. And as Elkanah ſaid to Hanna, 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better then ten ſons? or as the Prophet anſwered the King for the hundred talents, God will be better unto thee, 2 Sam. 20. 9. So will Chriſt, he will ſupply all thy loſſes, he will be better unto thee then houſes and lands then father and mother, an hundred fold better in this life, and a thouſand fold better in the life to come.
4. What juſt extremity of ſhame and blackneſſe of confuſion will befal thee, if thou be ſo wickedly unreaſonable to keep off thy ſoul from Chriſt. When thou art cited before God and Chriſt, and the holy Angels and juſt men, And God ſhall demand of thee, why? whom haſt thou ſerved? upon whom haſt thou beſtowed thy ſoul? who was it that made thy ſoul? Thou Lord, who was it that purchaſed and redeemed thy ſoul? Thou Chriſt, and who beſeeched thee to bring back thy ſoul; Thou by thy ſervants in thy Word? And what did they ſay unto thee, which ſhould have prevailed upon thee? They did aſſure me in thy Name, that if I would come in, and accept of Chriſt, I ſhould have favour, and pardon, and eternal life; and what did keep back thy ſoul from accepting of this? O it was ſuch a luſt that I loved, and it was the world which I preferr'd. And wouldeſt thou prefer earth before heaven, thy profit before thy ſoul? nay wouldeſt thou prefer a baſe ſinne before a merciful God, and a bleſſed Redeemer? Thy own mouth doth teſtifie againſt thee; was not my mercy better then a ſinne? was not my Sonne better then a ſinne? take him all ye children of darkneſſe, ſeaſe on him my wrath to the utmoſt, cloſe him up in the loweſt pit of hell, conſcience gnaw on him, and ſting him for ever, fire and brimſtone conſume and torment him eternally, he ſhall never have part in my mercy; he ſhall never have portion in my Sonne; He ſhall never ſee my face nor heaven, who preferred his ſinne, his delights, his profits, before my love, my mercy, my Chriſt, and his own ſoul.
Laſtly, faith would do great things for thee, and Chriſt would do wonders for thy ſoul, if once thy heart could be perſwaded to conſent unto him, and to accept of him as Lord and Saviour.