The Great Salvation Revealed and Offered, Sermon · Doctrine
The Great Salvation Revealed and Offered in the GOSPEL.
HEBREWS II. 3.
—How ſhall we eſcape if we neglect ſo great Salvation.
THE more Light and Grace God manifeſts to Men in his tranſactions with them about their Spiritual and Eternal Welfare, the greater Obligation they are under to get a right underſtanding of their duty, and to yield a ready and willing obedience to it. The neglect hereof will moſt certainly make their ignorance and ſinfulneſs more voluntary and inexcuſable, and their puniſhmen… more intollerable, The ſinning again…t the Law and Light of Nature, which diſcovered the Being and ſeveral of the Perfections of God, and directed to an honeſt, righteous and vertuous behaviour ſufficiently vindicated the righteouſneſs of God in leaving the Gentle World to ſuch diſmal effects of his diſpleaſure as he did. As the Apoſtle ſhews in Romans Firſt & Second Chapters. But the giving the Law to Moſes, and by him to the People of Iſrael in the Wilderneſs was a diſpenſation attended with more ſingular advanvantages; and therefore the contempt and violation of it expoſed to greater and ſeverer penalties, Rom. 2.9.
AND ſince this, the Revelation of the gracious purpoſes of God in the Goſpel for reconciling and ſaving of both Jews and Gentiles by Jeſus Chriſt, doth in an eſpecial manner challenge the greateſt regard from all thoſe that are priviledged with it, and the neglect hereof will bring on a porportionable puniſhment. This is what we are informed in the Text now read.
OUR bleſſed Apoſtle Paul who ſhew'd an unparallel'd zeal for the Salvation of his Countrymen, as we read, Rom. 9. begin. is moſt probably concluded to have wrote this Epiſtle to them (which in ſome Greek Copies of it is expreſſed) the ſpecial deſign whereof is to perſwade them to, and confirm them in, the truth of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as being the promiſed Saviour of the World, in whom all the Types and Sacrifices of the Law had received their accompliſhment, however he had been rejected and ſlighted by that unbelieving Generation. To which end he inſtructs them in the tranſcendent Excellency of his Perſon, both with reſpect to his Deity & Humanity; and of his Offices; That as a Prophet he exceeded Moſes, as a Prieſt he exceeded Aaron, as King & Prieſt he exceeded Melchiſedeck. Having in the 1ſt verſe exhorted to an earneſt application and intention of mind to the Doctrine of the Goſpel delivered to them, he doth by ſeveral Arguments inforce it in the Three following Verſes. (1.) By a compariſon taken from the Puniſhment annexed to diſobedience to the Law, whence he argues a proportionable puniſhment ſhall be inflicted upon the neg…ecters of the Goſpel Salvation. Verſe 2. if the word ſpoken by Angels was ſtedfaſt, and ev… …y tranſgreſſion received a juſt recompence of reward, how ſhall we eſcape! God in giving …he Law made uſe of the Miniſtry of Angels: …ut he employed a more Glorious Perſon even …is own Son in publiſhing his Grace in the Goſpel; ſo that the ſlighting of this is more …ggravated than the contempt of the Law, both with reſpect to the gloriouſneſs of the Perſon delivering it; God juſtly expecting that they who had ſlighted his Servants would yet reverence his Son, and receive his Meſſage: and alſo with reſpect to the Grace and Love promiſed in it, beyond what any enjoy'd before. Therefore the neglect hereof would be more ſinful, than diſobedience to the Law, and the puniſhment would be anſwerable. What the puniſhment ſhall be he doth not here expreſly declare, but we may gather it from other Scriptures Mark 16.16. He that believeth not ſhall be damned. and Joh. 3.36. 2 Theſ. 1.89. But the manner of expreſſion that the Apoſtle uſes ſhews it to be very great. How ſhall we eſcape? It implies, there will be no way or means of eſcape, but certain unavoidable and inexpreſſible evil and miſery will befa… thoſe that neglect, that is, ſlight, diſregard, undervalue or refuſe the Great Salvation. It is the Goſpel which is intended by this expreſſion, is evident from the preceeding Verſe▪ for that which is there called the Word which we have heard, is here called Great Salvation, as alſo from the following Words, where it is ſaid to be declared by the Lord, and further propagated by them that heard him. And the Goſpel is called Salvation by a Metonimy o… the office, for the ca…ſe; for it is the Grace o… God bringing Salvation, Tit. 2.11. And he calls it ſo great Salvation; thereby further to amplifie the Grace of God in the revealing of it, and to ſhew the Sin of neglecting it: on what accounts eſpecially, it is ſaid to be Great may be afterwards ſhewn. He further inforceth this (2.) By the Perſons that delivered this Doctrine to them. Which were Firſt the Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, and next to him the Apoſtles, who were his conſtant hearers, and attendants. (3.) By the Divine Teſtimony that was given to this Doctrine, by the preſence and power of the Holy Ghoſt accompanying the firſt Preachers of it. With ſigns, wonders divers miracles and extraordinary Gifts, ver. 4.
I ſhall not further inſiſt on theſe things, but proceed to the Doctrine, which by Divine help I would ſpeak to.
DOCTRINE. THE Salvation revealed and offered to Sinners in & by the Goſpel is great and glorious, and the neglect of it will bring upon Men great and unavoidable miſery.
I ſhall ſpeak to this Doctrine under the following Propoſitions.
PROP. I. THAT Men need Salvation, even ſuch as God offers them.
PROP. II. THERE is a way of Salvation, revealed and propoſed to them in and by the Goſpel.
PROP. III. THAT this Salvation is Great and Glorious.
PROP. IV. THAT notwithſtanding the Greatneſs of it, there is a proneneſs in Men to neglect it, and many actually do ſo.
PROP. V. THAT hereby Men will bring upon themſelves great and unavoidable Miſery, ſuch as they will not know how to bear, and ſhall not be able to eſcape.