The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation, Sermon 1

The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation · Sermon 1

The Nature of the Gospel-Salvation. SERMON I.

ACTS XVI.30.

And said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved?

IT is one of the Aphorisms of Solomon, Prov. xxii.3. A prudent Man foreseeth the Evil, and … himself; but the Simple pass on, and are punished. How natural is it for us, when we are under the Apprehension of any threatening Danger, to use our utmost Prudence and Diligence, that, if possible, we may happily prevent it… falling upon us. And he must be very simple, and stupid, indeed, whose Fears are not sufficiently awakened, by the real Prospect of approaching Evil, (especially if the Evil be great) to put him upon improving his best Foresight, and active Caution, by the most probable, and likely, Means, to defend himself from the impending Mischief, which he may possibly, and lawfully, with due Application, avoid the Force of. Though every one, 'tis true, does not equally foresee the Danger that threatens him, whilst it is yet at a Distance from him, and so, for Want of a greater Sagacity, the Evil, which might have been prevented, oftentimes, surprizes many an one, at unawares, and falls heavy upon them, when they least expected it; yet, who is there, in the Exercise of p. 10his Reason, that seeth and knoweth, himself to be in imminent Danger, that will tamely wait till the impending Mischief hath seized upon him, and then exert himself, in the Improvement of his Knowledge, and Power, to get rid of it, as well as he can; and will not rather timely bestir himself, and think what Methods he shall take to divert the Stroke, and would not do all that lay in his Power, to ward off the coming Blow? That, at least, he might lighten the Evil, and render it less hurtful to him, if he could not wholly avoid the utmost Force of it. This is the constant Practice of every wise Man, who has his Thoughts about him, in his Regards to his Body, and his temporal Interests.

Thus, when the Arrows of Death are flying, thick, and unseen, among us,**This was first preached at the Time, when the mortal Small-Pox raged in the Town. how common is it for us to hear, those who are exposed to the Danger, cry out, with a great deal of Earnestness and Concern of Mind, Where shall we go? What shall we do? that we may be safe.

But is it not strange! to see Persons so very much in an Agony, for the Safety of their Bodies, mighty inquisitive, what Methods they shall take, to save themselves from the Evil they fear; and being willing to do any Thing, that lies in their Power, to escape the Death that threatens them; and, at the same Time, to see them so little, so very little, concerned for the Salvation of their precious and immortal Souls, which are so vastly preferable to their Bodies, and are much more certainly in Danger of a Death upon them, a Death which far exceedeth that which the Body is liable to, both in its Weight, and in its Duration; I say, is it not strange, that those, who call themselves Men, who glory in their Reason, and value themselves upon their Understanding, p. 11should act a Part so unworthy of themselves, and contrary to all the Principles and Dictates of right Reason! Here, if any where, the Proverb of Solomon holds good, in the full Extent of it, and he is the prudent Man, who, upon the Foresight of the Evil, the Danger his Soul, his true Self, is in, hideth himself, getteth out of the Way of it as fast as he can; whilst he is the most simple, and foolish Creature imaginable, who passeth on still, in his wicked Ways, rushing into the Jaws of Death, and Damnation, even when he seeth it, till, at length, the severe Punishment, which he hath justly deserved for his Folly, taketh fast hold upon him, and it becometh too late for him to think of escaping.

The Words I have read are expressive of the great Concern of every wise, and prudent Person, and should be the Matter of the most serious, and earnest, Sollicitude of every one of us all, here before the Lord; What must I do to be sav…d?

The Introduction, and Occasion, of these Words, as laid down in the Context, are very remarkable; for therein we have a wonderful Display of the sovereign, and rich, Grace of God, in pitching upon so notoriously wicked a Person, as the Philippian Jaylor, (the Person speaking in my Text,) and in such a Manner, and at such a Juncture, recovering of him from the very Brink of Death, and Hell, into a State of Salvation.

The sacred Historian acquainteth us, that, as Paul and Silas, those eminent Servants of God, were preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and, in his Name, working of Miracles, to confirm the Truth of their divine Mission, at Philippi, a noted City in Macedonia, the Master of a certain Damsel, being deprived of the Gains she brought him, by Divination, by Means of the holy Apostles having commanded the soul Spirit to depart out of her, stirred up the Rabble to join with him in a Tumult, and p. 12laid hold on those holy Men of God, and haled them before the Magistrates of the City; who, at the Clamor of the People, very contrary to the Roman Manner, ordered them to be beaten, and then to be committed to close Prison. The Iail Keeper, fierce, and cruel enough, in his Temper, and more so in his Enmity against those excellent Ministers of Christ, thrust them into a Dungeon, and fastened their Feet in the Stocks. But, while those Servants of the most high God ceased not to sing his Praises, under all the Insults they met with from Men, even in a Prison, and at Midnight, the God whom they served wonderfully appeared for their Help, and caused an Earthquake, most probably confined to the Bounds of the Court of the Prison, which shook the Foundations of the Prison House, in so terrible a Manner, as to force open the Prison Doors, and, at the same Instant, sent an Angel to loose the Bonds, and take the Fetters, from off the Prisoners, and set them at Liberty.

The Iaylor, awakened out of his Sleep, in a very great Fright, at the Noise, and Shock of the Earthquake, got up to see what was the Matter, and whether his Charge was safe, and coming to the Prison, he was more exceedingly surprized to find the Doors standing wide open; and, concluding that the Prisoners had made their Escape, and that, according to the Roman Law, he should now suffer that Death, which he supposed would have been inflicted upon them, he therefore, to avoid that Punishment which he imagined would inevitably fall upon him, furiously attempted to lay violent Hands upon himself; for he drew out his Sword, and would have killed himself, Ver. 27; by which he plainly manifested the Rashness, and Cruelty, of his Temper, and the violent Fierceness of his Passions.

But, whilst as yet the Point was only aimed at his Breast, and before his trembling Hands could execute p. 13the hasty Orders of his turbulent Passions, Paul and Silas, more compassionate to him that had abused them, than he was to himself, (imitating herein the Example of their great Master, who sought the Welfare, and not the Hurt, of his worst Enemies) when they saw what he was about to do, eagerly cried with a loud Voice, saying, Do thy self no Harm, for we are all here. Ver. 28. This Behaviour of those Men of God, as well it might, surprized him with Joy, and Wonder; with Joy, to find his Life safe from Danger, by the Presence of all the Prisoners, who, he supposed, were fled, and gone; and with Wonder, to find those very Men, whom he had, but a little before, basely insulted, to become the chief Instruments of his Preservation; forbearing to hazard his Life, by endeavouring to preserve their own by an Escape from their Confinement, which they might easily, and justly enough, have done, and so obligingly staying his Hand, when he was just going to embrue it in his own Blood; and thus recover him from the Edge of the Precipice, who sought to tumble them down into Destruction. This Goodness was more than Roman Bravery! In the midst of his Surprize, he called for a Light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. Ver. 29. Most probable it is, when he called for a Light, and sprang into the Prison, that he had no other Design than to see if, indeed, the Prisoners were safe, and to make them secure; but when he approached those holy Men, and beheld the Gravity, and Composedness, of their Countenances, how sedate and calm, how majestick and serene, they were, under the Convulsions of Nature, which had happened, and which had thrown him into such an Agony of Mind as filled his Body with Trembling, from which he could not as yet free himself, it struck him with an Awe and Reverence of them; and this, together with the Thoughts of p. 14their Goodness to him, in preserving his Life, when it was in their Power to have suffered him to hurry himself into his own Destruction, raised in his Mind a very great Veneration for them, as more considerable Persons than they, at first, appeared to him to be, and procured from him those Tokens of Civility, and Respect, which he now shewed them, in his falling down before them, and bringing them out of their close Confinement.

Whether the Iaylor had, before this, heard any Thing, distinctly, about the Doctrines of the Gosspel, which Paul, and Silas, preached, is uncertain; but, doubtless, those holy Men now took the Opportunity, while, under the Influence of what had happened, the Fierceness of his Temper was greatly abated, and his Mind was more disposed to Civility, and Thoughtfulness, to bestow their charitable Instruction upon him, and shew him, that there is a great God, who made Heaven, and Earth, and all Things that are therein; and that this surprising Thing, which had now befallen them, was no other than the Effect of the over-ruling Providence of that God, whom they served; who, in Answer to their Prayers to him, had thus signally appeared for them, as, by this wonderful Work, to procure their Enlargement; and, at the same Time, doubtless, they acquainted him with the Necessity of his serving this great God, and making his Peace with him, thro' his Son Jesus Christ, that he might be forever happy in his Favour; and let him know, what a terrible Thing it would be, if he should at last be found in a State of Sin, and Rebellion, against this God: And now the Holy Spirit of God sat in irresistably with the awful Providence, and some such Discourse (we may well suppose) the Prisoners had with him, and shewed him to himself, what a vile wretched Sinner he had been all his Life long; and awakened in him a greater and more weighty Concern, p. 15than that of the Safety of his Body, even what he should do to obtain the Forgiveness of his Sins, and the everlasting Salvation of his Soul. He that just before had been so severe to those Servants of God, as, without particular Direction, to thrust them into a Dungeon, and fasten their Feet in the Stocks, and, perhaps, with the Rabble, looked upon them as the Troublers of their City, by their teaching of Customs which it was not lawful for them (they tho't) to observe, now entertained quite another Opinion of them, and treated them with the greatest Respect, and Honour, and esteemed them Men of God, and, as such, addressed them with this most important Enquiry, Sirs, What must I do to be save? Whatever his Thoughts had been, heretofore, about the Doctrine of Salvation, (if he had, indeed, heard any Thing about it) yet now, you see, he is awakened to a very great Concern to know, and a ready Willingness to do, all that was necessary in order to his Salvation; which evidently breathed the Temper and Spirit of one that was under the Pangs of the New Birth.

The Words are expressive of the deepest Concern of Mind that can be; like a Man in an Agony, he cried out, Sirs, What must I do to be saved? And it is plainly evident that, by being saved, he meant the eternal Salvation of his Soul; the Circumstances he was in, and the Answer of the Apostle to him, clearly evinces this.

If you consider the Circumstances he was in, when he uttered this important Question, you will find the Life of his Body was then in no Danger; the Earthquake was, probably, over; the Prisoners were safe with him, under his Command; the P…rs, that arose in his Mind, about one, or other, or both, of these, were now at an End; he had got over his Fright, had had Time to compose himself to Decency, and good Manners, had attended to the Discourse p. 16of the Prisoners with him; and, though there was no particular Occasion for any special Concern about the Safety and Welfare of his Body, yet you find him very sollicitous to be saved; he was convinced that he still stood in Need of Salvation; and what was the Salvation which he was apprehensive he needed? Was it the Salvation of his Body? No; that was already safe— It was therefore the Salvation of his Soul, not a temporal, but his eternal Salvation, that he was inquisitive about. He was convinced that there is a great God, who made, and governs, the World; he was sensible how highly he had offended this God, by a very vicious Course of Living; and this led him to consider, that his Soul, his rational and immortal Part, was in imminent Danger of perishing; and therefore it was this, that he was so greatly concerned for, and exceeding solicitous to preserve.

And if we consult the Answer which the Apostle and Silas gave, to the Iaylor's Enquiry, it will put it beyond all Doubt; that this was what they understood to be the genuine Intent of it, What shall I do to be happy forever? What Methods must I take to escape the Anger of God, and obtain an Interest in his Favour? For they said to him, Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou sha… be saved.

Thus, it pleases God, sometimes, to display his sovereign Grace, in calling Home unto himself, and unto Virtue, and Glory, so wicked a Person as this Iaylor, and that in a very extraordinary, and wonderful Way, and Manner; he created a new Thing in the Earth, and, in his Wonder-working …vidence, opened a Door of Mercy to him, and that, at a Time, when there was but a Step between …, and Death, and Damnation; when the vile … was about to commit a Murder … post himself down into everlasting … What a glorious Instance is this, of the … and rich Grace p. 17of God, unto poor miserable Sinners? By this, every one may see, that, though they have gone far, and long, in their Rebellions against the God that made them, there is still Room for them to repent, and turn from all their Transgressions, and a Possibility that they also may obtain Mercy, and find Favour with the Lord.

And yet, you may observe, that God, as a wise Agent, treats him, as a rational Creature, in the very Article of his Conversion, and though his happy Change was brought about in such an extraordinary Manner, yet, he is not forced to be happy, against his Will; but is first put upon serious Thoughtfulness relating to his spiritual State, and then filled with a deep Concern of Mind about his Salvation, and is made seriously inquisitive after it, with an earnest Desire to know, and an hearty Willingness to do, whatsoever was requisite to his being saved. Sirs, What must I do to be saved?

And what was his great Concern ought to be ours also; for we too have Souls within us, equally in Danger of perishing, and our most serious Thought and Care, Industry and Diligence, are necessary, in Order to their being saved. This, therefore, is the Doctrine, which, by divine Assistance, I shall discourse to you on, from these Words; viz.

DOCTRINE.

It is of the highest Concernment to perishing Sinners, to be very sollicitous, what they shall do to be saved; or, to know, and practise, all that is necessary, in Order to their Salvation.

In speaking to this Doctrine, I shall endeavour to shew you,

1. What it is to be saved; or, What is that Salvation which perishing Sinners stand in Need of?

p. 18II. That perishing Sinners may be saved; or, there is a Possibility, notwithstanding their present miserable Condition, that they may be eternally saved.

III. That perishing Sinners must know, and practise, all that is necessary, in Order to their Salvation; or, there is something to be done, by them, that they may be saved.

IV. This is a Matter of the highest Concernment to them, and therefore they ought to be most seriously sollicitous about it.

I shall, as God shall enable me, offer some Things▪ distinctly, to each of these Heads; and I begin with the first of them, at this Time; viz.

I. To shew you what it is to be saved; or, what is that Salvation which perishing Sinners stand in Need of? And,

1. More generally.

Now, to be saved, in the Language of the sacred Scripture, meaneth, for poor Sinners to be rescued from all that Infelicity which they are affected with, or in Danger of, and to be brought to the Enjoyment of all that Happiness, Satisfaction, and Joy, which they want, and are capable of: That is, to be delivered from Evil, and instated in the Possession of all that is truly Good. And forasmuch as the human Nature is constituted, not only of a fleshly Body, but a spiritual Soul, therefore our Salvation is to be considered in its Respects unto each of these essential Parts of the Man, though as having its chief Reference to the spiritual Part in us.

That there is such a Thing as, what is generally called, the Soul, or, more strictly speaking, a Spirit, very distinct from gross Matter, which goeth into the very Essence of the human Nature, and is the grand Characteristick of it, is very evident, in that p. 19we think, and reason, upon absent Objects, and are capable of examining, and judging, of such Things, as our Senses have nothing to do with; all of which lieth wholly out of the Reach of mere Matter, howsoever disposed, and modified, figured, or moved; and is abundantly confirmed to us in the sacred Pages, which assure us, Job xxxii.8. That there is a Spirit in Man, and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding: And Zech. 12.1. That the Lord formed the Spirit of Man within him. That this rational Spirit in Man is capable of a State of true Happiness, in the Enjoyment of all that is refreshing, and delightful, to it, there is not the least Reason to doubt, because it is capable of perceiving what is agreeable to its Nature: And, there is as little Reason to question, whether Man, in his present Condition, is destitute of that Happiness he is capable of, or no: For, there are innumerable Things, besides the constant Uneasiness of his Mind, to convince him, that he is so far from being happy, at present, that he really is in a miserable Condition. Not only are the Bodies of Men subject to various Pains, Diseases, Casualties, and Death, but there are also certain Distempers, Maladies and Disorders, and what is called Death, sutable to their Nature, brought upon the Souls of Men, by the first Apostacy of the human Nature. Hence, the Divine Oracles inform us, that we are, by Nature, Dead in Trespasses and Sins, Eph. ii.1, 2, 3. We are under the Power of a spiritual Death, already begun upon us, in our walking according to the Course of this World, according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience; and by having our Conversation in the Lusts of the Flesh, fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh, and of the Mind: And, as the Consummation of this Death, we are Children of Wrath; Heirs to the Wrath and Vengeance of an almighty God: And that this is not p. 20a Condition peculiar to any particular Sett of Men, as of those that finally go on in their Sin, the Apostle sheweth us, by adding these Words, even as others; that is, we Iews, as well as Gentiles, we Apostles, as well as the Rest of Mankind, yea, we, who through the Grace, and Favour, of God, are freed from the Dominion of Sin, and are brought into a State of Peace and Friendship with God, as well as those who are yet the Servants of Sin, and at Enmity against God; that is, this is the sad Condition of all Mankind, and that by Nature, as he adds: Which plainly teacheth us, that all Men, even by Nature, by their natural Descent from the first Man, or, as they come into this World, and while as yet the regenerating Grace of God has not wrought a Change in them, are languishing, and dying, under the Distempers of their Minds, and are ready, every Moment, to fall under that Wrath which compleateth the Death of the Soul, and will be the Consummation of Misery upon them.

Now, because the Sinner, as such, is thus perishing in his Iniquity, therefore he wanteth to be saved from all that he already feeleth, and all that he is in Danger of; and because Sin has forfeited Heaven, and Happiness, as well as has exposed him to Wrath, and the Curse, therefore he standeth in Need of the Happiness, which he hath lost, as truly as to be delivered from the Misery he feels, or fears: And hence to be saved, includeth in it, what is called, a privative, and a positive, Felicity; or, a Deliverance from every Evil, which the Man is subject to in Body, and in Soul, and a Recovery to the full Possession of all the Good, which he is destitute of: both of which the perishing Sinner absolutely needeth.

And, accordingly, I shall now

2. More particularly speak to these two Heads.

1. For the Sinner to be saved is, for him to p. 21be delivered from all that Evil which he is subject to.

2. For the Sinner to be saved is, for him to be brought to the full Possession of all that positive Good, which he is destitute of, and wanteth.

1. For the Sinner to be saved is, for him to be delivered from all that Evil which he is subject to. For, while the Man remaineth, at present, under the Power of any Evil whatsoever, or is subject to any hereafter; any Thing that breaketh in upon the regular, healthful, Temperament of his Body, and gives him Pain and Uneasiness, and much more that which reduceth it to Dust, and Ashes; or, that is contrary to his Nature, as a rational intelligent Agent, capable, of discerning between Good, and Evil, and of delighting it self in that which is just, and equitable, fit, and decent; or, that is destructive of his Well-being, either by causing a Separation between his Soul, and Body, or, that depriveth his Soul of her inward Satisfaction, and Joy, and the Fruition of that which is the only solid Foundation of her Comfort; and, in the Room thereof, produceth Perplexities, Horror, and Anguish in the Mind; it is very evident, that all this while, the Man is in a State of real Misery: And consequently, all that Guilt, and Depravity, which is contrary to the very Nature of the Soul, as a spiritual intelligent Agent, and all that Punishment, which bringeth a Dissolution upon the constituent Parts of the human Nature, or which stripeth the Soul of her Peace, and Comfort, and becometh burdensome to her, are the great Evils which Sinners want to be delivered from. That is to say, the Sinner's Salvation consisteth in a Deliverance from all moral, and penal Evil.

The Distribution of all Evil into Moral, and Penal, the Evil of Sin, and the Evil of Punishment, seemeth, to me, to be too just to admit of any Dispute. p. 22For, whether the Evils, I call penal, come immediately from the Hand of God, or result from the settled Laws of Nature, or are occasioned by the Actions of free Agents, in each of these, and every other Case, it amounteth to the same Thing; they originate from the Will and Determinations of the supreme Ruler of the World, who has established the Laws of Nature, and employeth what Instruments he pleaseth, to bring about his own Designs: And they are Punishments, in the original Constitution, whatever be the kind Ends, and Purposes, they may be overruled unto, in his infinite Wisdom, and Goodness; because, had Man never sinned, he would have never suffered. Perfect Purity inferreth perfect Happiness, according to the particular Nature, which is the Subject thereof. Nor can it, in Reason, be supposed, that an infinitely righteous, and good God would ever inflict any Sort of suffering upon a perfectly innocent, and unconsenting, Being. So that there seemeth, to me, to be no Foundation for a real Distinction of natural Evils, from Penal, in the original Constitution, respecting moral Agents. Here then,

1. The Salvation, set before us in the Gospel, consisteth in a Deliverance from all moral Evil. By moral Evil some understand whatsoever is contrary to the Sentiments of a Man's own Mind, concerning Right, and Good. From hence the Libertine takes Encouragement to indulge his vicious Appetites, under the Pretext of this vain Plea, that there is no such Thing as moral Good, or Evil; that the Sentiments of Men's Minds are various, and one thinketh that to be Evil, which another thinketh to be Good, for him; and consequently (they say) the Difference between Good, and Evil, ariseth, only from the different Sentiments of Men, and not at all from any Thing of an essential Difference in the Nature of Things. And yet, even these Favourers p. 23of Vice, Confounders of Order, and Destroyers of all Good, will all of them, to a Man, as readily grant, as other Men, that their Children, and Servants, ought to honour, and obey them; that every Act of Kindness they do for another ought to be gratefully acknowledged; and that no Man ought to do them any Injury, or Injustice. And has not every Man as good Reason to demand, and expect, the same Treatment from others, as they have? And what is this? but to acknowledge that there is an essential Difference between Justice and Injustice, Gratitude, and Ingratitude, Kindness, and Cruelty. And indeed, every Man, at first Sight, approveth, and is pleased with Acts of Justice, and Goodness, and has an inward Reluctance and Abhorrence, at Acts of Injustice, Oppression, and Cruelty. But whether every Man has a clear Discernment of what is Right, or no, this hindereth not but that there is an essential Difference between Right, and Wrong, whatever be the Prejudices, and Bias, upon his Mind, which preventeth his clear Perception. For, truly, moral Evil is not, so properly, what is contrary to the Sentiments of a Man's own Mind, as what is contrary to right Reason. For a Man's Mind may be warped, or clouded, but right Reason ever remaineth the same. And because right Reason resulteth from the original Intellect, the Fountain of Knowledge and Rectitude, therefore the clearer Discoveries are made to us of his Mind and Will, so much the plainer shall we discern between moral Good, and Evil. And because this original Intellect is our supreme Lord, who hath given Being to us, and has furnished us with all our Powers, and hath so far made known his Mind, and Will, to us, as to shew us what is morally good, or evil, therefore moral Evil consisteth in a Contrariety to his Will, made known unto us, and moral Good lieth in a Conformity to his Will; the Sentiments of our own Minds, when p. 24we have a clear Discernment of Things, agreeing thereunto.

So that moral Evil may be considered, either, as a direct Violation of the Law of our Maker, which is diametrically contrary to Right, and Equity, and rendereth us guilty; or, as such a Perversion of our Powers, from that regular Order our Maker appointed for them, as that we do not, and cannot, without divine Aids, exercise them, in their Regards to moral Good, and Evil, as we ought to do; and this rendereth us depraved. Guilt, therefore, and Depravity, are the two great Branches of moral Evil, which it is one main End, and Design, of the Salvation, revealed to us in the Gospel, to deliver the Sinner from; the particular Consideration of which, I have not now Time to enter upon, but must leave to the Afternoon.