The Greatest Sinners Exhorted and Encouraged, Part 1
ƲSE. Let sinners be exhorted to come to Jesus Christ without any further delay.
To awaken hereunto.
Consid. 1. That this is a matter of Infinite Concernment. What are all thy worldly concernments which thy heart is taken up with, to this which I am now speaking of? For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Mat. 16. 26. Thou wilt lose thy soul for ever if thou dost not come to Christ. All other things which thou canst do are nothing without THIS, What is thy Praying, Hearing, Sabbath-keeping, without this? They are indeed good things are necessary to be attended, but without Christ they will never save thee. So that intruth all the everlasting concernments of thy immortal soul depend upon this one thing, of thy coming or not coming to JESƲS CHRIST. Remember that Scripture, Luk. 10. 42. There is one thing needful. Care about an Interest in Christ is the one thing needful: he that makes sure of that one thing will be a happy man for ever; but he that shall continue to neglect that one thing (be he high or low, rich or poor) he will be a damned creature to all Eternity. So that there, is nothing of greater nor of so great concernment as this one Thing.
Consider. 2, The great evil that is in not coming to Jesus Christ. This is the great damning Sin of Ʋnbelief, concerning which the Scripture speakes so dreadfully. By that unbelief which the Scripture speaketh of as a damning sin, is not meant a man's doubting whether Christ dyed for him, or whether his sins are pardoned, many a believer has such doubtings, and some hypocrites have deluding confidences, they are perswaded if any in the world be saved they shall: But by Ʋnbelief is meant, The not coming unto Christ when called when Invited. This is a most heinous Sin. Christ sayth the spirit shall convince the world of sin because they believe not on me. Joh. 16. 9. h. c. he shall convince them that they have bin guilty of grievous sin in not beleeving. Whoever thou art; this is the greatest sin that ever thou wast guilty of in all thy life. Sins against the Gospel have more of evil in them, than sins against the Law only. It may be some of you have bin guilty of great sins: guilty perhaps of Drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, Disobedience to Parents, Theft, Lying, these are fearful sins indeed: But thou hast been guilty of another sin worse than all these, that is, Ʋnbelief. This is the most God-provoking sin in the world. As nothing pleaseth him so much as Faith, so nothing provokes him like unbelief. If a man would be so wicked as to sit down and study how he might grieve and vex the soul of God. he could not do it more than by unbelief. The unbelief of the Children of Israel provoked God to sware in his wrath against them, that they should never enter into his rest. Heb. 3. 18, 19. To despise a great gift is highly provoking: now Christ is the greatest gift. Joh. 4. 10. He is the gift of God. God could not make a greater offer, or bestow a better gift than that. Now the Unbeliever slights, and maketh light of this offer. The precious blood of Christ has been offerd to thee in the Gospel, to wash thy soul, and to purge away thy sins, but by unbelief thou despisest it, as tho it were nothing worth. Men think the sin of the Jews, in crucifying the son of God was exceeding great, and so it was: But thou an unbeliever art guilty of that Sin. As it was said to Jerusalem, thou hast justified thy sister Samaria. Ezek. 16. 51; Thus thy unbelief is a practical Justification of the Jews in their crucifying Christ. so that indeed there is Blasphemy in this sin. What greater Blasphemy than to say, The Jews did well to crucifie Christ? And thou by continuing in thy unbelief dost say no less. And in another respect there is Blasphemy in this sin, for it giveth the Lye to the blessed and holy GOD. 1. Joh. 5. 10. He that beleeveth not God, hath made him a lia… because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his son. God said from heaven concerning Jesus Christ, This is my son, but the unbeliver saith that's not true. By his unbelief he practicaly declareth that Christ is not the Son of God. O what a horrid thing is this! and therefore it will bring the sorest judgment upon all that shall dye under the guilt of it. It will be more tolerable for Sodom & Gomorrha than for such sinners as have refused to come unto Christ. Mat. 1. 0 15. O think sadly of this. If any man or woman in this congregation, who have had Christ offer'd them in the Gospel, shall dye in their sins, it will in the day of judgment be more tolerable for Sodom than for that man, than for that woman. Know also that unbelievers will be of all sinners the most inexcusable when they shall stand before the Judment seat of Christ at the great DAY. Joh. 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, (h. e. they had no sin in comparison of what is now upon them) but now they have no cloke for their sin. They have no excuse to make: they might have been saved but would not. O sinners! you have had miracles to make you beleeve, you do see it in the Gospel: and yet will you not believe? will you not come to Christ? O think what thou wilt say to Christ for excuse of thy not coming to him, when he did so graciously invite thee. If thou continuest in thy sins and unbelief, He will say to thee as David did to the Amalekite condemned by him, 2. Sam. 1. 16. Thy bloud be upon thy head. When the Lord Jesus shall sit upon the throne of his glory and call thee before him, and say, Did not such a Minister of mine preach to thee, that if thou wouldest beleeve on Christ thou shouldest be saved, but if not thou shouldst be damn'd, and thy heart shall answer, Lord, he did tell me so, then will the Lord Jesus saw The blood of thy soul be upon thy own head I, and my Throne will be guiltless for ever, but thy blood shall be upon thy own head.
Consider 3. They that will not come to Christ now when they may, shall not come to him another day tho' they would. O that men who live under the Gospel would remember and lay to heart, what the Lord Jesus has spoken, Prov. 1. 24. &c. Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, but ye have set at nought all my counsil, and would none of my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind: when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer, they shall seek me early but they shall not find me. Now sinner, thou art fairly offerd, but thou shalt not alwayes have Christ preached to thee, nor his Spirit to strive with thee alwayes. Now he opens the doors of his House and bids you come in; but hereafter the doors of his House will be shutt: and then sinners will cry unto him, Lord, Lord open to us; but He will say, you come too late now, you cry too late: had you come and cryed thus sooner, you might have come in; but now away with you, none of you that were invited, but slighted the Calls of the Gospel shall taste of my Supper. Luk. 13. 29. At the day of Judgment those two words, Come, and Goe, shall divide all the world. As for such as did come to Christ by Faith whilst they were in this World, Christ will say to them at the last Day, Come you blessed, come, and be with me in Heaven for ever; but as for them that did not come to Christ whilst they were living on the earth, He will say to them, go, depart from me, out of my sight for ever, go and suffer with that Devil whom you chose to serve, rather than to obey the Gospel and to become the servants of Jesus Christ.
O let the consideration of such things as these are, awaken and perswade sinners to come unto Christ. But it may be there are some discouraged Souls, that have secret Objections in their hearts, which make them afraid to come to Christ. Let's hear what they are. For I would fain prevail with souls to come unto Jesus Christ; and the Lord grant me much success therein. O let nothing discourage you. I am sure no soul among you hath sufficient reason to be discouraged from coming to the Lord Jesus.
But 1st. One objects, I am a poor unworthy creature, and should I come to Christ?
Answ. Christ never rejected any that came to him for their unworthiness. Nay, he bids them come to him. Rev. 3. 17, 18. Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsil thee to buy of me gold that thou mayst be rich. Especially if poor creatures be sensible of their own unworthiness, then Christ invites them to come to him. Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden.—As for such as are burthened with the Sense of sin and guiltiness & misery, that sin lieth as a heavy burden upon their souls, to them Christ sayes, Come to me. He offers Himself and all his benefits upon Free cost. Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely. Christ will not sell his bloud, but he will give it freely. What tho thou art as poor as a Beggar, yet come to Christ, and hee'll make thee exceeding rich and glorious. Therefore he saith, Come, without mony and without price. Isa. 55. 1. Some that have not money, yet they have a price, h. e. Something instead of mony, but he that has neither is a poor man indeed. Tho thou art thus poor as to have neither mony nor moneysworth, yet come to Christ. What manner of persons were those that came to David, and were kindly entertained by him. It is said Every one that was in distress, and that was in debt, gathered themselves to him, and he became a Captain over them. 1. Sam. 22. 2. So art thou in debt, and art thou in distress of soul; then goe to David, goe to Christ, go poor, a beggar, and hard bestead, and Hee'l receive thee and pay all thy debts for thee too, and make thee rich besides, O who would not goe, to Jesus Christ.
Object. 2. Another sayes. You don't know what a Sinner I have bin; I am a great Sinner, and an old sinner, an old Swearer, and old in Adulteries; and shall I dare to come to the Holy Son of God, would you have such a one as I to goe to Christ?
Answ. Yes, Thou hast so much the more need to come to Christ. If a man should say, I am very sick, and therefore I am afraid to gee to the Physician, what a strange Saying were that! It is just so when any one shall say, I have been a grievous sinner, therefore I a mafraid to goe to Jesus Christ. He, and He only can recover thy guilty dying soul. If thou dost indeed goe to him with a desire to be his servant, Hee'l accept of thee, notwithstanding thy many and great sins; Such is his gracious nature as that he will forgive all the wrongs thou hast done to him. Tho thou hast despidespised him, tho thou hast killed him by thy sins, yet he will, accept of thee. Remember how Joseph received his Bretheren when they came to him humbly confessing the wrong they had done him, and begging for pardon, he comforted them and spake kindly to them Gen. 50. 4. So will Christ do much more; for He came into the world to save the chief of Sinners. 1. Tim. 1. 15. Who did the Lord Jesus first appear to after his Resurrection? was it not to Mary Magdelen, out of whom he cast seven Devils, and more Devils out of her Soul than out of her Body? As great sinners as thou hast been, when they have come to Christ, he would in no wise cast them out. What think you of the Woman of Samaria who had lived in Adultry, but when she came to Christ with a penitent heart He gave her living Water. What d'ee think of the Woman spoken of Luk. 7. 37. which was a Sinner, h. e. a notorious, infamous Sinner, whose name rung in Town and Country for her wickedness, yet when she came to Christ, and washed his feet with her tears, her sins which were many were forgiven. And what say you to the Corinthians, who had, some of them been Theeves, Drunkards, effeminate, Adulterers, Sodomites, (horrid sins) but they were washed and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, 1. Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. Is not murder a crying sin? But to murder the Son of God! is a crime beyond parallel: Yet those very men that embrued their hands in the blood of Christ, when they came humbly to him for mercy, beleeving on Him whom they had crucified, he received them & obtain'd their peace with God. If thou dost come to him, Hee'll wash thy soul in his Blood. That Soul of thine, which sin has made as black as Hell, if wash't in the bloud of Christ, shall be made as white as Snow. Psal. 51. 7. Purge me with hyssop, (h. e. with the bloud of Christ, signified by the blood sprinkled with Hyssop) and I shall be whiter than the snow. O come to Christ, and hee'll sprinkle his blood upon thee, as he speaketh Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit unto you. So he sayes turn unto me, and I will pour out my blood upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ never did reject any that came to him, meerly because their sins are many and great; Therefore he will not reject thee.
Object. 3. Another objects, I am affraid that I have committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost, and therefore it will be in vain for me to go unto Christ.
Ans. The Reason why they that commit that sin perish, is not because Christ is not able to save them, or that their is not merit enough in the Blood of Christ to obtain forgiveness for so great a sin as that is, but because they have not an heart to come to Christ. The Unpardonable Sin is alwaies attended with final Impenitency, and everlasting Hardness of heart. And this Objection is a meer Temptation of Satan, who seeketh thereby to discourage souls from coming to Christ, He useth to tell those who never did nor ever shall commit the great Transgression, they have been guilty of it. Tell me, hast thou any desire to come to Christ? Dost thou prize his blood? then 'tis certain thou never wast guilty of the unpardonable sin, for such trample under foot the Son of God, and count his blood an unholy thing. Heb. 10. 24. Art thou a malicious persecutor of the wayes and People of God? if not, I dare pronounce unto thee, that thou wast never guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost; for there never was any man guilty of that sin, but that he was given up to a spirit of persecution; He is filled with rage against the Servants of God, because they fear his Name, and dare not sin against him. Yet again, Didst thou ever maliciously blaspheme or speak evil of that which thou knowest was the work of God's Spirit? If thou hast not done despite to the Spirit of Grace, thou hast not committed the sin against the Holy Ghost. I must confess it is to be feared, that many of the malignant adversaries of the Truth in these late dayes, have bin judicially given up by God to commit that sin; yet I will say, I am perswaded there is not one soul in this Congregation this day. that ever was guilty of it. O yet let not this, nor any other Objection discourage any one among you from coming to Christ.