The Great Salvation Revealed and Offered, Title page – Publishers advertisement
The Great Salvation Revealed and Offered in the GOSPEL Explained, and an hearty Acceptance of it Vrged. In Several SERMONS On HEBREWS II. 3.
By William Williams, A.M. and Paſtor of the Church in Hatfield.
Luk. 19.42.
— If thou hadſt known even thou, at leaſt in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!
1 Pet. 4.17.
— What ſhall the end of them be, that obey not the Goſpel of God?
Rom. 11.20.21.
Becauſe of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ſtandeſt by Faith. Be not high-minded but fear. For if &c.
BOSTON: Printed by T. Crump, for S. Gerriſh, and D. Henchman, & Sold at their Shops. 1717.
TO THE READER.
HAVING been favour'd with the Reading the Enſuing Treatiſe, I deſire heartily to bleſs GOD, who has graciouſly directed and led his Servant into, and aſſiſted him in the Compoſing it, and inclin'd him to Publiſh it. The Subject is certainly the beſt choſen that can be for Univerſal and perpetual Uſe to Souls, both for the Convincing and Converting Sinners, and the quickning of Saints. The Deſign of this Epiſtolary Preface is, if it may pleaſe God, to impreſs the Readers Soul with a ſerious Conſideration of the Importance of the great and neceſſary Truths here prepared for him, and to beſpeak a very ſerious Attention to them while he reads them. For how awful, affecting and awakening ſhou'd it be to Mankind to hear of that Great and Glorious Salvation revealed and offered to Sinners in and by the Goſpel, and the great and unavoidable Miſery which the Neglect of it will bring upon us. This Great Subject is here handled in the moſt plain and ſerious manner, with a pure Aim and ſincere Zeal (to make the moſt upright Judgment of Charity I am able to form) to inform the Minds and enter into the Conſciences of Men.
Sinners are here ſhewn the Need they ſtand in of Salvation; the Way of Salvation is opened; the great and glorious Nature of the offer'd Salvation is conſidered; the proneneſs which there is in Men to neglect it is diſcovered; the actual neglect of it among Men is lamented; and the great and unavoidable Miſery which this Neglect will bring upon Men is faithfully and ſolemnly declared. Theſe great Things (which are the whole of Man and the one thing needful) are here diſcours'd in a Scriptural and rational manner; and the whole Argument is manag'd in a Method and Stile very ſolid and judicious, clear and diſtinct, earneſt and moving; ſuch as the Weight, Gravity and Solemnity of the Subject calls for.
Theſe are the great points which the Souls of Miniſters ſhould be intently fixed on, if they would take heed to the Miniſtry which they have received of the LORD that they fulfil it: And theſe things muſt perpetually imploy the Minds of ſerious Chriſtians in the working out their own Salvation, as well as be continually Inculcated upon careleſs Sinners for their Awak'ning and Converſion.
But the great thing now to be deſir'd and endeavour'd is, that the Reader may bring a Mind ſeriouſly diſpos'd to receive the Truth. And O that Men would ſuffer themſelves to be wro't upon to conſider thoroughly theſe Three things: The Greatneſs of that Salvation which is purchaſed by the LORD JESUS CHRIST for them and freely offered to them: the Shameful Neglect of it by Chriſtians; and the inſupportable Miſeries which Men unavoidably bring upon themſelves by this Neglect.
No wit or words of Man can at laſt rep…ſent, no tongue of Men or Angels can ſay, how GREAT this SALVATION is. It is incomprehenſibly Great in its Bleſſed and Glorious Author, the Great GOD and our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. It is tranſcendently Great in the Price that purchas'd it, the Blood of the SON of GOD. Ineſtimably Great is the Subject of this Salvation, the many Millions of Immortal Souls redeemed from the Earth. And inconceivably Great are the Benefits to us: Great are the Evils, miſchiefs and miſeries our Souls are ſaved from, and ineffable the poſitive Mercies and Bleſſings we are redeemed to: A Salvation with Eternal Glory.
But how ſad is it to conſider how ſhamefully Men deſpiſe their own Souls, and neglect the Great Salvation! O the infatuation and ſtupidity of Chriſtians, and O their Guilt and Miſery herein! how lightly do they eſteem themſelves, how lightly the Rock of their Salvation! how light do Men ſet by CHRIST, their Souls and Heaven! and how light do they make of Hell and Damnation! with an equal profaneſs they ſet light by the Wrath and Curſe of the Eternal GOD, and by his Favour, Love and Bleſſing. This neglect of our ſelves is a moſt criminal Contempt of GOD: and the one is not more impious and ungrateful, than … other is unnatural, unjuſt, cruel and barba…us. And what a dominion of Sin and Luſt, what poſſeſſion of Satan, what disbelief of the glorious Goſpel, and what averſation … true Godlineſs, do either of them infer?
What need is there often to put the awful Queſtion to our ſelves, How ſhall we eſcape—? Is our Salvation too ſmall an Intereſt for our Concern? Are the matters of our Eternal Welfare mean and trivial? Have we any greater and more worthy care to take us up?
O therefore that Sinners would but give way to thoſe juſt Fears which the Word of the Living GOD would excite in them! Would they but ſit down and ſolemnly ask themſelves, How think I to eſcape the Vengeance of GOD? What will become of me at long run? Is not GOD's Word true? Is the Wrath therein revealed againſt Impenitent Sinners ſufferable? Can I be content to be the Object of it? What can be more terrible than the Words of his Curſe? Why ſhou'd I bleſs my ſelf and ſay, I ſhall have Peace? Can my heart endure, or my hands be ſtrong, in the day when he ſhall deal with me? How can I read or hear the Threatnings of GOD's Law and not exceedingly fear and quake? Why ſhould they not be to me in GOD's Word, and in the Mouth of his Miniſters, as if I heard them from the burning Mountain, utter'd in Thunders? from the dark Cloud burſting with flaſhes of Fire? Can I be willing to be Damned? Am I come to that point, and eaſie in the Apprehenſion? Am I a Stock or a Stone? Is my Soul Iron or Marble? Will nothing make Impreſſion on it? Do I not fear GOD being under Condemnation, and indeed juſtly? Have I conſidered what Damnation is? Is there any thing ſo fearful? Are any of our Fears equal to it? Why then do I not fear and fly from the Wrath of the Almighty? Why do I run upon his Boſſes, and on the point of his Sword? Why do I dare his Vengeance? Why am I ſo ſecure and quiet while I lie open to it? Why do I not hearken now to my own Conſcience and take its Alarms, before it change from a faithful Monitor into my Eternal furious Enemy, Avenger and Tormentor? Are its remorſes and reproaches too uneaſie now already to bear? But O the laſhes and ſtings of it will be infinitely more torturing and peircing in the place of Devils and of Deſpair; when the offer of Salvation is never, never to be made again, and the Miſery of Exciſion from GOD comes into actual bearing!
Thus methinks Sinners under the Goſpel ſhould be making their Reflections, cheriſhing thoſe wiſe and proper Fears which are neceſſary to their effectual Excitation unto an inſtant and moſt earneſt care for their own Salvation.
But the Treatiſe it ſelf will ſupply the Reader with a more labour'd and regular Train of tho'ts to this end. That which remains now for me to add is ſome Apology for my Self, that I have ſuffer'd my ſelf to be prevail'd on by a dear Friend, my Reverend Brother, to put my Name before his Honour'd Parents Book, who is alſo to me a Father in Grace and Learning, and almoſt in Years. This Service to the Publick was intended by the late Reverend Mr. Pemberton, of whoſe juſt Eſteem and high Veneration for the Reverend Author, I have been long a Witneſs.
The Intelligent Reader will eaſily perceive how great a Maſter the Author is in practical Preaching, and how well ſtudied and experienc'd he is in the Great Doctrines of our Holy Religion; and with what Art and Labour he adapts his Studies to the Glory of God, and the Good of Souls. GOD the Father of Light, from Whom every good and perfect Gift comes down, hath truly given him the Tongue of the Learned, to divide to every one his Portion, to pleaſe and profit, convince, perſwade and direct. It is in the calm and ſtill Voice that the SPIRIT of GOD here comes near to the Soul; but O with what Light and Power, had the Words and the Will of Man any power to enlighten the mind, and conſtrain the heart. The Pages are here crouded, ſo that the Reader will find very much in a little room, and indeed many Heads in a few lines. The Gold may be gather'd in Ingots, and does not lye ſcatter'd in duſt, nor beaten into leaves. And in ſhort I eſteem it a Book worthy of the attentive Reading of Younger Miniſters, and to be well digeſted by them; who may form themſelves not a little by it for the Pulpit; whereof ſuch ſort of Preaching is the true Glory; and ſerves moſt under the Bleſſing of GOD to the forming Souls for Heaven.
I Pray GOD that the Reverend Author may live long, to ſee the good Effect of theſe and all his Labours; in the juſt and high Eſteem of his People, and in their profiting under his Miniſtry; and to ſee his Learned Sons ſhining after him in an Excelling Sanctity and Uſefulneſs.
Benjamin Colman. Boſton, Sept. 5. 1717.
Advertiſement.
LAtely Publiſhed: Several SERMONS Preached at the Lecture in Boſton, from Luke XI 21, 22. Shewing,
I. That the Soul of Man is a noble Palace which the Great GOD built for Himſelf.
II. That it is now become as a Garriſon or ſtrong Hold, which Satan keeps againſt GOD.
III. That there is a wretched Peace and curſed Quiet, which the carnal heart lies in under Satans Tyranny.
IV. That the Victorious SAVIOUR reſcues whom He pleaſes, and will reſcue all His Choſen, from Satans Power and Tyranny.
To which is added, A Diſcourſe from Pſalm CXXII. 1. I was glad when they ſaid unto me, let us go into the houſe of the LORD.
By the Reverend Mr. Colman, Paſtor of a Church in Boſton.
Sold by Samuel Gerriſh and Daniel Henchman, Bookſellers in Boſton.