The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation, Sermon 20
SERMON XX.
ACTS XVI.30.
And said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved?
I Shewed you, in the Morning the Reasonableness that every Sinner should be most seriously solicitous to be saved; because it is of all Concernments the greatest; and it is a Matter of exceeding great Difficulty, to get safe to Heaven, from the Corruption of our own Hearts, the World we live in, and the Malice of the Devil. I now proceed to argue,
3. After all the Attempts of many, and the Endeavours they may use, there are but few that shall be saved at last; and this serveth farther to shew, what Need the perishing Sinner has to be very solicitous, and in Earnest, that he may be found in the Number of those happy few. Tho' the Number of them that shall be saved, considered absolutely, and by themselves, will be found, at last, to be a great Multitude, which no Man can Number ▪ Rev. vii.9. whom Christ hath redeemed, by his Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, in …l Ages, and Places, of the World; yet, comparatively considered, they are but a small Company, as the Gleaning of Grapes, and as the Shaking of an Olive Tree, when there are left two or three Berries in the Top of the uppermost Boughs, four or five in the outmost fruitful Branches thereof; so is the Remnant according to the Election of Grace, a small Company, a little Flock, chosen, and few. Hence our blessed Lord said to his Disciples, Luk. xii.32. Fear not little Flock, it is your Father's good Pleasure, to give you the Kingdom.
The greatest Part of the World have not the Gospel of Salvation preached to them; they never heard of Jesus Christ a Saviour from Sin, and Wrath; and thus they are destitute, and have been so through all Ages, of a Light to guide their Feet into the Way of Peace, as well as of any Sacrifice of Atonement, that they know of, sufficient to take away Sin. And supposing that every Age should have produced, which it has not, in the unenlightened World, a Plato, a Socrates, an Epictetus, Men that endeavoured to search out the Truth, and discover their Duty, as far as the Strength of natural Light would assist them, and carefully practised according to the Discoveries which they made, yet what are they to the Bulk of the heathen World, that neither knew their Duty, nor did according to what they knew.
As for those who have been advantaged with the Light of the Gospel and who have made Profession of the Christian Religion, it is to be feared, if we take a View of their Lives, that the most of them, by far, will come short of Salvation. How many Nations of them are vile Idolaters, worshiping the Beast, and his Image? And what vast Numbers in the Protestant Nations openly live profane, vicious, and immoral Lives? Christ said, Matth. xx.16. many be called, but few chosen. Many enjoy the external Call of the Gospel; Christ, and Salvation, are preached to them, but there are but few that are effectually called, and chosen, but few who sincerely embrace the Offers of the Gospel, and obtain Salvation. There are but few real Penitents, but few true Believers, but few sincere Converts, even among the many Professors of the pure Religion of Jesus. As for a great Part of them that are numbered among Christians, alass! it is too apparent that they are nothing at all concerned about the Salvation of their Souls; they scarce entertain so much as one serious Thought in their Hear…s about it, from Day to Day, nay, it may be, from Year to Year; their Minds are wholly taken up about other Things, though of infinitely less Worth, and Moment; they are inquisitive enough what they shall do to live, in this World; they are very solicitous that they may grow rich, and great, and make to themselves a Name, and a Family, in the Earth; but the Salvation of their Souls, what they shall do to please God, to escape Hell, and get to Heaven, these are the least of their Concerns. If their natural Life be in Danger by Sickness, they will readily cry out, what shall I do? They will enquire of every Neighbour, and send for a skilful Physician, to direct them what to do, and be ready to follow the Directions that are prescribed to them: but when did you ever hear them seriously enquire of their pious Neighbour the Way to Heaven? When do you know them apply themselves to the Ministers of the Lord, whom he has appointed as spiritual Physicians, to minister to their Souls? When do they go to them with that important Enquiry, What must we do to be saved? Possibly, if their Minister be a Man of great Learning, and Prudence, and thorow Acquaintance with the Circumstances of the World, and the Manners of Men, they may sometimes go to him for Advice in some difficult temporal Affairs, but when do they go to him for Direction in their spiritual Concerns, which it more specially belongeth to his Office to be helpful to them in, and in which they more stand in Need of his Assistance, and Counsel. Paul, and Silas, may preach to them Year after Year, and allure them with all the Charms of the Gospel, and set before them the Terrors of the Law, and woo them with all the Art of Perswasion, and yet they remain as in a dead Sleep, and are not awakened to any Sense of their Danger, nor cry out, Sirs, what must we do to be saved?
Yea, among those that seem to be somewhat concerned about the Salvation of their Souls, how exceeding negligent, and careless, are many of them? They will not be at any great Cost, and Pains, about it; they don't appear to be in Earnest, and engage with any great Warmth, and Heat, of Spirit, after it; they regard it, rather, only as a Matter by the By, which they would shew some Respect to, for Forms Sake, when they have little, or nothing, else to do; and hence they, at last, miss of Salvation, because of their Indolence, and Negligence, about it. If they were but as much in Earnest, and took as much Pains to save their Souls; if they were but as zealous in the Service of God, and to get an Interest in Christ, and a Portion in Heaven, as they are to get the World, or to gratify some sordid Lust, or other, very probably they might be saved: but, alass! they only entertain some few, slighty, transient Thoughts about it, and do not much concern themselves, what their future Condition shall be, so they may but be easy, and comfortable, for the present: and by this Means it is that many, very many, Sinners come short of that eternal Salvation, which, probably, they hoped for. When one said to our Lord, Luk. xiii.23. Are there few that shall be saved? Our Saviour, without directly gratifying his vain Curiosity, gave such an Answer to the Enquiry, as shewed him the Necessity of his own, personal, zealous Endeavours, that he might be one of that happy Number; because there are many that finally miss of the Good they hoped for, from their supine Negligence, in not taking the proper Pain… to obtain it; said he, v. 24. Strive to enter in at the str…it Gate; for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. As if he had said, do you strive, do you be in Earnest, and industriously lay yourself out, in this great, and important Affair, because there are many, who will miscarry in their Attempts, to get to Heaven, through their own Negligence; though they seek to enter in, are desirous of it, and willing to do something, yet they seek it only in a very careless, off-handed Manner, and are not in Earnest in what they do. And this, indeed, is that which proveth the Destruction of the greatest Part, by far, of those that perish from under the Gospel; they have some Thoughts about the Salvation of their Souls, but they treat it as though it were but a very small, and indifferent Matter, and are slothful, and inactive, and will not give themselves any great Trouble to secure it, and so they fall short of the Rest, which remaineth for the People of God.
A very great Part, of those that hope to be saved, ground their Hopes upon a false Bottom, upon some very great Mistake, or other, which at last, deceives them, and cuts off all their Expectation. Thus, some are ready to imagine, that a little external Service, bodily Exercise, and Lip-Labour, in saying their Prayers, and now and then reading, and hearing the Word of God, will serve the Turn well enough, and with this they content, and satisfy themselves, supposing that they shall be accepted for what they do. There are others, that think all the Qualifications for Heaven are to be found in Benevolence, and Charity, and therefore they will be sure to wrong no Man, and endeavour to be good, and kind, in their Speech, and Actions, to all about them; while they have no Reverence for their Maker, call not upon his Name, nor regard his Worship. Others are the Reverse of these, and conclude all Religion lyeth in external Acts of Worship, and all they have to do is to be careful not to profane the Name of God, to observe divine Appointments; these, they think, will save them, though they have no Regard to their Neighbour's good Name, nor make any Difficulty of wronging him, when they can do it with safety from the Resentments of human Laws. There are some that … invent many Excuses, and find out divers Pleas, for their Continuance in their Sins, and foolishly suppose, those Pleas will be as available with the holy God, as they are satisfactory unto themselves. Others, again, fly to the Mercy of God, and Merits of Christ, and if they can but confidently believe Christ has dyed for them, and that God for Christ's sake has pardoned all their Sins, they conclude their Salvation is sure, though they have nothing of good Works to prove the Truth of their Faith, and without their making so much ado, as sometimes their Ministers tell them is necessary, about their being holy in all Manner of Conversation. And how many are there that shelter themselves under their Impotency? They cry, they are poor Creatures, they do what they can, they say, and leave it wholly with God to do all for them; and, at the same Time, will be at no Pains with themselves, to forsake their Sins, and to lead a new, and holy Life. Thus there are innumerable that delude themselves with foolish Imaginations, and vain Hopes, and idle Excuses, in their careless Neglect of their Duty, till, at last, they find themselves sadly mistaken, and so perish forever. So that notwithstanding the great Number of Professors, there are but few that shall be saved. To which Purpose the Apostle Paul, in allusion to a Passage in the Prophet Isaiah, said, Rom. ix.27. Though the Number of the Children of Israel be as the Sand of the Sea, yet only, a Remnant shall be saved.
Since therefore the Number, of them that shall be saved, will be but small, a few only, of Mankind in General, and from among Professors in Particular, this shews us what Reason there is that every perishing Sinner should be exceeding solicitous, inquisitive, and diligent, that he may not be found among the common Herd, the wandering Drove, who deceive themselves, mistake their Way, and finally lye down in Sorrow; but may be numbered among those happy few, who are led by the divine Spirit in Paths of Righteousness, and shall, at the Conclusion of their present Life, arrive at the End of their Faith, the Salvation of their Soul….
Were Salvation common unto all Men, without any Difference between them, let their own Conduct, and Behaviour, be what it would, then, indeed, there would be less Cause for any Man to be in great Concern of Mind about it; because every Man might, without any great Hazard, reasonably expect to have his Share, with his Neighbours, in what is common to all Mankind, whether he be at any special Care, and Pains, about it, or no. But since there are only a few that shall be saved, a small Number, out of the many that hope to get to Heaven, that will be duly qualified to arrive at the upper Mansions of Light and Joy▪ seeing the Multitude are going in the Way that leadeth to Destruction, and many, who seem to set out fair, and do many Things, yet, after all, will be found to have deceived themselves with a vain Presumption, and really miss of that Happiness, which they dreamt of possessing, and perish in their Sins; what full Conviction hast thou! O Sinner! from hence, of the great Reasonableness of thy gi…ing all Diligence to make thy Calling, and Election sure? that thou shouldest be in the greatest Concern imaginable, apply thyself hereunto in good Earnest, set thy very Heart to these Things, and use all possible Pains with thyself, in a wise Improvement of the best Means, and prudent husbanding the favourable Opportunities, to make thy Peace with God, and secure a Title to the future Happiness? lest, through thy Carelesness, thou, even thou, O Sinner, shouldest be carried down in the common Current, and have thy Portion with the Multitude, and lose thy Soul, and perish for…ver. How earnestly would'st thou strive to be one of the ten, that out of an Hundred, should by a wise Forecast, in improving present Opportunities, procure to thyself a Noble-man's Estate? And how much more highly, then, does it concern thee to endeavour, by all means, (which, by the Way, are more certain, and successful,) that thou mayest be one of that small Number, who shall possess a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away.
4. Lastly; Every one that shall be saved will be most seriously solicitous about it. Sometime or other, first or last, this Solicitude of Mind will take Hold on all that ever are, or shall be recovered from the Paths of the Destroyer, and turned into the Ways of Peace, and Life. This Solicitude, and Concernment, of Mind, are the Pang… of the New Birth, through which the Soul pass…, in it's being born an Heir of Salvation; so that he never will, he never can, be saved, at least in the ordinary Method of God's bringing a Soul ho… unto himself, who is not first seriously thoughtful, and concerned, to know, and practise, all that is necessary to his Salvation.
1. All that have been saved, have been saved in this Way. To which of the Saints wilt thou turn? They will all tell thee, they have been first awakened to some Sense of their own miserable Condition, of the Necessity of Salvation, and a Thoughtfulness what they must do in order to it; and have been brought to a willingness to attend their Duty, and do whatsoever they have been convinced that God required of them, to obtain his Favour. Though this Concern of Mind has been infinitely various in the Degrees of it, yet none have been able, regularly, to lay Claim to the promised Blessedness, who have not, more or less, had some Experience of it. Thus the Iaylor cryed out, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And thus it was with the Hearers of Iohn the Baptist; when he had set the Terrors of the Lord before them, saying to them, Luk. iii.7. O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come? we are told, that the People asked him, saying, Master what shall we do? Yea, the Publicans, those noted Sinners, came unto him with the same important Enquiry, saying, Master, what shall we do? And the very Soldiers, that lawless Generation of Men, felt the Power of his awakening Doctrine, and, with Concern of Mind, demand of him, saying, and what shall we do? They all seem to have been filled with a very great Concern about the Salvation of their Souls, and were very inquisitive to know what they must do, and willing to do all that he should Acquaint them with as necessary to be done by them, that they might escape the tremendous Wrath which he had warned them of, and might obtain a State of compleat, and endless Happiness. Thus also it was with the numerous Converts, which, out of many Nations, were proselyted to the Christian Faith, and Manners, at the Preaching of Peter, in the Time of Pentecost: it is said, Act. ii.37. When they heard this, they were pricked in their Hearts, and said to Peter, and to the Rest of the Apostles, Men, and Brethren, what shall we do? The Manner of the Expression, as well as the Account given of them, that they were pricked in their Hearts, shew that they were in very great Concern what to do, to escape the Misery which, they were then sensible, they were exposed unto, and obtain that Salvation which Jesus Christ had purchased, by dying for Sinners; and this their Concern made them in Earnest in their Enquiry after the Way of Salvation, and willing to submit themselves to any proper Methods of obtaining it. Thus also it was with Paul himself, at his first Conversion. The Lord Jesus, in an unusual Manner, met that little Benjamite, when he was ravening as a Wolf to devour the Flock of Christ, and stop'd him in the midst of his Rage, by a surprising Light from Heaven, out shining the Sun at noon Day, and by an audible Voice, from the excellent Glory, said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me! and then it is remarked of him, Act. ix.6. He trembling, and astonished, said, Lord! What wilt thou have me to do? So that the Conversion of the Sinner, whatever extraordinary Circumstances may attend it, is brought about in this Way, of applying to his rational Mind, and awakening in him a serious Concern about his own eternal Welfare, and disposing of him to a Willingness to submit to the Counsels of Heaven; and though many, that hear the Gospel preached, may be strongly prejudiced against the Methods God has prescribed, and with Naaman, the Syrian, turn away in a Rage, and say, 2 King. v.12. Are not Abana, and Pharpar, Rivers of Damascus, better than all the Waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? yet, if ever they truly wash, and be clean, if ever they become real Converts, they will be brought to a Sense of it, that God's Way is the best, and be made willing to comply with it.
2. And indeed, it is highly reasonable that it should be so; that every one, that would be saved, should be seriously solicitous about it. Who can suppose the strait Gate of Regeneration can be passed without striving? However the Pangs of the New Birth may be stronger, more dolorous, and lasting, in some, than in others, yet, who can, in Reason, imagine that any Man will, or can, be happy, who is not first desirous to be so, and willing to put himself to some present Trouble that he may be so? that is, he must experience something of a painful Concern of Mind, about his Soul, and his eternal State, how he shall escape the Wrath and Curse of God, and what he shall do to inherit eternal Life, before he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
For, every sincere Convert must experience something of the Conviction of Sin. The Spirit of the Lord, like a Spirit of Iudgment, and Burning, must awaken the Sinner to a Sense of the Sinfulness of Sin, and his own Sinfulness, or how shall he convert and turn from his Evil Ways? Though he has, heretofore, entertained ever so fond an Opinion of Sin, as very delightful, and pleasurable to him, yet, every true Convert must be brought to a Conviction of the Evil of Sin, that it is the most hateful, loathsome Thing that can be, both in the Nature of it, as contrary to God, and in the Consequents of it, as hurtful to himself; or how shall he part with what he has delighted in? Though he was once opinionated of himself, could wipe his Mouth, and say, I have done no Evil, in living in the Gratification of the fleshly Appetites; I have but followed Nature, and done no harm: Yet when ever he is brought to a Sense of his Duty, he will then see his own past Sinfulness; when the Commandment came, Sin revived; Rom. vii.9. when the Commandment, the Rule of Duty, in its holy Nature, and Extent, appears before him, (as it must before he can do his Duty,) then he will see his own Defects, what a vile, wretched, guilty, polluted Creature he has been; that tho' he may have lived an inoffensive Life among Men, yet, that the holy God seeth Sin enough in him to damn him to the lowest Hell, if he should be strict to mark his Iniquity against him. This Conviction of Sin is absolutely necessary to the Sinner's turning from it, and his turning from Sin is absolutely necessary to his Salvation; for no Man will, or can, repent of that which he does not think to be Evil, or, of what he looketh upon himself to be clear of: and if he be thorowly convinced of the Evil of the Way he hath lived in, it will excite a Concern to alter his Course. Especially,
If we consider, that a Conviction of Misery felt, or impending, produces a Concern to be delivered from it. It is but reasonable that a Man be first apprehensive of his Unhappiness, or Danger, before we can suppose him to fly from it. He that, like Paul, once thought himself alive, knowing no Hurt, or Danger attending him, without the Law, while he remained a Stranger to the Law, and it's Sanctions, when the Commandment cometh, and appeareth in it's full Latitude before him, will see Sin revive, in the Trespasses of the Law he has been guilty of, and then he will also see himself Dead, under the Sentence of Death which the Law passeth upon him. And the thorow Apprehension the Soul has of the Wrath of an Angry, and almighty God hanging over it, and just ready to fall upon it's guilty Head; the Apprehension, that there is but a Step between him and Death, and eternal Damnation; that the grim Bayliff stands ready to seize him, and hurry him away into the infernal Prison; that Hell from beneath is gaping for him; and grinning Devils, as the Executioners of Divine Vengeance, are waiting to plunge him into the burning Vault, the Place of Torment, and everlasting Dispair; the Apprehension, I say, of this deplorable Condition, and the utmost Danger the Soul is in of perishing forever, should, and will, in all Reason, produce a Solicitude, and Concern of Mind, to know, in what Way, by what Means, it may be possible for him to escape from this dreadful Misery, that is impending over him.
To all which add; The Sense of the Mercy of God, in Christ, gives Encouragement, and Excitement, to the Soul, to bestir itself, and do all that is necessary to be done, that it may be saved. The Conviction, and full Perswasion, of the infinite Mercy of God, through Christ, the Gospel revealeth, giveth abundant Encouragement to the awakened Sinner, to hope, that, notwithstanding all his former, multiplyed, and greatly aggravated Sins, there is a Possibility of his obtaining the Pardon of all, and so of his escaping that terrible Wrath, and Vengeance, which he had deserved, and securing the Blessing which he wanteth; and this leadeth him, with Earnestness of Soul, to seek the offered Mercy, in the Way of God's Appointment; without which Encouragement he would dispair, and perish. Seeing that the Lord is a merciful God, who taketh no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked, but is ready to forgive Iniquity, Transgression, and Sin, and to receive into the Arms of his everlasting Lovingkindness, every true Penitent, the Sinner is hereby excited to cry out, with Earnestness of Soul, as the Iaylor did, what must I do to be saved? Thus it has been, more or less, with every Convert, and infinitely reasonable is it that it should be so. So the returning Prodigal, when he came to himself, said, Luk. xv.17, 18. How many hired Servants of my Father, have Bread enough, and to spare? and I perish with Hunger! I will arise, and go to my Father. &c.
Now, this being the natural, and certain Frame, and Temper, of Mind, which every one, that shall be saved, has, first or last, produced in him, to have his Thoughts greatly taken up with, and his Labour, and Pains, very much employed about, the important Concern of the Salvation of his Soul, therefore, if thou, O Sinner, wouldst be saved, thou also must be thus solicitous, and careful, about thy own Soul, and not suffer it's main Interests to lie neglected, or to be regarded by thee only, as if it were a Matter of the greatest Indifference to thee, whether thou art saved, or damned. For how can you expect, that God should go out of his ordinary Method to save thee, when thou wilt not be at the ordinary Pains to save thyself? Or, can you reasonably depend upon being saved, in a Way that is foreign to your rational Nature? No; verily, you may not. If then, you would be saved in God's Way, in a Way suited to your Nature, and Capacity, it must be by your being awakened unto a deep Sense of your Sin, and Misery, and the Mercy of God, in Christ, and a very great Solicitude of Mind, to be delivered from the Wrath to come, and to obtain the promised Mercy of God unto eternal Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thus I have shewed you the Reasons, why Sinners should be very solicitous what they must do to be saved; namely, because it is of all Concernments the greatest, and therefore deserveth your best Thought, and Care: and it is a Matter of exceeding great Difficulty for the Soul to be recovered from the Power of the Flesh, the World, and the Devil, and therefore it so much the more requireth your deep Thought, and intense Labour, to overcome the Difficulty: and, after all, there are but very few that shall be saved, the greatest Part of Mankind, through their Ignorance, and Folly, their Wickedness, and Negligence, come short home, and therefore there is the more Need for you to be cautious, and diligent, that you may be of the happy few: and all that are, and shall be saved, have been, and will be, truly solicitous in their Concern about it, and therefore, if you would be associated with them, in the Reward, you must join with them, in the Labour; if you would come to their happy End, you must walk in the Way with them.
And so I have gone through the doctrinal Handling of my Text, and shewed you, at several Times, what that Salvation is which perishing Sinners stand in Need of, that it more specially intends in it the Salvation of the Soul, consisting, in a Deliverance from all that Evil of Sin, and Suffering, which it is subject to, and in the full Supply of it's Wants, with spiritual, and eternal good Things; That perishing Sinners, after all their Unworthiness, may yet, possibly, through the Mercy of God, and Merits of Jesus Christ, obtain Salvation; That, in order to their being saved, they must know their Duty, and carefully practise it, by living a Life of Faith, and Repentance; and that, Salvation being a Matter of the greatest Importance, it requireth your greatest Solicitude, Care, and Labour, to secure an Interest in it.
I shall now conclude the present Discourse with a few brief Reflections upon what has been offered; and leave the larger Application of the whole to an other Time, God willing.
USE. 1. From hence it appears how greatly they are mistaken, who think that it is a very easy Matter to be saved. There are many Persons who imagine, there i… … great Difficulty, is getting to Heaven▪ the W…y is all smooth, and easy, in their Apprehension, … though they could ride thither in their Coaches, or be carried there in their Feather-Beds: They flatter themselves that there needeth not to be all this Ado about Faith, and Repentance, and there is no Necessity of their being so very careful, and circumspect in their Walk. What! shall we think, (say they,) that God is an arbitrary, tyrannical, and cruel Master, to exact so severely at our Hands? No; no; He is the best of Beings, and will be more easily pleased than some morose People think for, who tell us we must be so careful, and observant; they think, and they doubt not, but, they may save themselves without all this Pains. So many think, it is enough to believe as the Church believeth; and if they have done any Thing amiss, it is but confessing their Sins to the Priest, and paying a small Matter for his Absolution, and all will be well with them. And many others are so vain as to imagine, they may save themselves, upon much easier Terms than their Preachers tell them of; why, (say they,) if we go to Church, and say our Prayers, and wrong no Body, what can you require more of us.
But let no Man deceive himself; if this Doctrine be true, and surely it is, then the Salvation of the Soul is a Matter that requireth very great Care, and Solicitude, and there is a great deal of Difficulty attending it. As we would not represent the Way to Heaven, to you, easier than it is, lest we should lead you on in a vain Dream of Happiness, till you are awaked out of it by surrounding Flames; so neither would we render it more hard, and difficult, to get to Heaven than it is, lest we should discourage you from attempting it, and dishonour our Lord, by bringing up an evil Report of him, and of his good Land. But then, give us leave to deal plainly, and faithfully, with you, and shew you the Way to Heaven … truly is, not easy to the natural Man, but hard, and difficult; however the Path Way thereof is easy, and pleasant, to the renewed Soul. So our Lord himself has represented it saying, Matth. vii.14. Strait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way, that leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it. It is a strait Gate, so that a Man must strive, and struggle hard, to get through it; and it is a narrow Way, so that if a Man be not careful and circumspect in his Walk, he will be in Danger of falling down the Precipice, on one Hand, or the other. Many that seem to set out in this Way, for want of due Care, stumble, and fall, and perish forever. Hearken, my Friend; Is it an easy Matter to conflict with, and subdue, an Army of inbred Lusts? to deny ourselves of what is pleasing to our Senses, and gratifying to our natural Appetites? Is it easy to be continually upon Duty, watching, and warding, against the many, powerful, and subtle Temptations, arising from the Men, and Things, of the World, which we, more or less, necessarily converse with, while we are in the Body? Or, is there no Difficulty in combating, not only with Flesh, and Blood, but, with Principalities, and Powers, and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and spiritual Wickednesses in high Places? Surely, they that think it an easy Matter to be saved, do greatly mistake the Nature of Salvation, and the Way to it, and it is to be feared have never yet entred into the Path Way thereof: and yet it is easy, pleasant, delightful to the renewed Soul. Hence our Lord, said, Matth. xi.30. My Yoke is easy, and my Burden is light.
2. From hence we may learn, the Necessity of the supernatural Grace of God, in the Conversion, and Salvation, of the Sinner. Since there are so many Difficulties lying in the Way of the Sinner's Salvation, and those of such a Nature, Kind, and Degree, as we have seen it is very apparent, that the Sinner is not able to surmount them all, by any Strength of his own. Where shall he find sufficient Power, in himself, to subdue those lustings unto Sin in him, which already have got the Power, and Dominion, over him? Or how shall he be able to bring into Subjection those that have disarmed him of his Strength, and have already brought him into Bondage? What Might, and Power, purely his own, has he against so great a Company, as the World, and Devil, muster against him, when he has already one within, that sideth with them, who waiteth to betray him into their Hands? The infernal Spirit is both too subtle, and too powerful for him, in his lapsed State, as we may be well assured, seeing we know he was an overmatch for Man in Innocency. Since therefore fallen Man is without Strength, and no Ways equal, in himself, to the many Difficulties that lie in the Way of his Salvation, it is necessary, therefore, that he should be furnished with a full Supply of Strength, and Might, from an other, if ever he obtain the Mastery, and win the Crown, he is to contend for. And from whence shall he derive this foreign Aid, sufficient to overcome the World, and Devil, and Self, the most powerful Adversary, but from that God alone, who only is able, and is graciously willing, to help him, and strengthen him with Strength in his Soul? So that, in order to the Sinner's Conversion, and Salvation, there is an absolute Necessity of the supernatural Grace of God; that is, such Measures of favourable Communications, and Assistances, from God, to the Soul of the Sinner, as do exceed that natural Strength, and Ability, which belongeth to him, as such a Creature: which supernatural, or extraordinary Assistance from God, every Sinner should humbly, and earnestly, petition for. Hence the Apostle, speaking of the Good Man's safe Arrival unto the heavenly Habitations, or his being e…rnally saved, said, 2 Cor. v.5. Now He, that hath wrought us for the self same Thing, is God. The self same Thing meaneth what the Apostle had just before spoken of, viz. our having an House eternal in the Heavens, our Mortality being swallowed up of Life, that is, the eternal Salvation set before us in the Gospel; now, says the Apostle, he that hath wrought us for the self same Thing, not hath wrought the self same Thing in us, but hath wrought us for the self same Thing, that is, hath by his own mighty Power, and Grace, fitted, and prepared us for Glory, or hath made us meet to partake of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, is God, and not ourselves.
3. Hence, we may try ourselves, whether we are in the Way to Salvation, or no. None are, or shall be saved, but such as are, or have been, solicitous about it; nay, even the poor Creature that neglected his main Business till the last Hours of his Life, and yet between the rearing of the Cross, and his expiring on it, found Mercy; or, between …e Saddle and the Ground, has obtained a Pardon, has first, from a Sense of his undone Condition, been put upon earnest seeking for Mercy, and Pardon, and Life. And certainly then, they that, upon any good Grounds, would entertain the Hope that they have a fair Claim to the Mercy of God, and would now take the Comfort of it, that they shall finally be accepted of him, must be able to perceive within themselves the Sincerity, and Prevalency of their Desires, and Labours, to obtain it.
Come then, and let us put ourselves upon the Tryal. Are we in good earnest to save our own Souls? Do we find that this is what our Hearts are set upon, and that we cannot be contented without it, that we may be the Heirs of so great Salvation? Our Saviour has told us, Matth. vi.21. Where your Treasure is, there will your Hearts be also. If the Salvation of our Souls be our chief Treasure, what we most value, and have the greatest Regard to, (and one would think that we cannot possibly propose any thing beyond it,) we shall certainly have our Hearts much set upon it, and suffer nothing wholly to divert us from it. Are we, then, more deeply concerned for the Salvation of our Souls, than about any of the Affairs of the Body, and the present Life? Have we received such full Conviction of our own Sinfulness, and Misery, as has excited in us the greatest Care, and Diligence, to know, and do, all that is required of us, that we may shun the threatened Evil, and embrace the promised Good? Are we sincerely desirous to be taught our Duty, and instructed in the Way of Life? Are we bro't to an hearty Willingness to put our Hands to the Performance of what we discern to be the Duty required of us, that we may be saved? Does every little Difficulty discourage us from minding our spiritual Interest, and attending upon the Service of God, and our own Souls, when much greater would not be able to prevail upon us to neglect our worldly Business? Or, do we endeavour resolutely to break through all Impediments which lye in our Way, and to guard against every Thing which we know would be an Hindrance to us, in securing of our great and main Interest? Are we resolved to take the Kingdom of Heaven, and to leave nothing undone, that lyeth within our Power, to force an Admission into that glorious City? Is a Christ, with his Cross, heartily Welcome to us, and can we part with all for him? If we are thus seriously solicitous about our eternal Welfare, then have we the comfortable Tokens that the Things which do accompany Salvation are found upon us; which should encourage us to go on rejoicing, in the good Hope, that he, who hath begun this good Work in us, will perform it unto the Day of Jesus Christ.
4. To have done; Let it now be the serious Care of us all to be found in the Number of the few that shall be saved. The Consideration, that there are but few that shall be saved, should not discourage us, and cause us to lye down in Despair, but should serve to stir up, and awaken our Powers, and quicken our Diligence, and make us the more earnest, and laborious, that we may be of that small, but happy, Number. Did the Fewness, of those that escaped the Deluge, hinder Noah from preparing the Ark? Or of those that were saved from the devouring Flames of Sodom, discourage Lot from fleeing to Zoar? Yea, who is there of us, that, upon the Apprehensions of a very great Mortality, or a sudden Earthquake, from the Destruction whereof but few of us should escape with our Lives, would not be greatly concerned to use their best Endeavours, that, if possible, they might be some of the Few, who should have their Lives given them for a Prey? And, O perishing Sinner! Shall not Destruction from the Lord be a Terror to thee? Wilt thou not be willing to be of the Number of the Few, that shall be eternally saved, when the Generality of Mankind shall perish in the Deluge of Fire, issuing from the Wrath of God forever? Wilt thou choose to go to Hell for Company's Sake, and because thou seest so many are bound thither? Or cannot you be happy, because others will not? O! hearken to the Apostle's Advice, Acts ii.40. Save yourselves from this untoward Generation.
Let none of us, then, be wanting to ourselves, and our own Happiness; but stir up ourselves to take hold on God, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of all our Sins, and to lead holy Lives, and be not slothful in this important Business, but fervent in Spirit, in a vigorous Conflict with our ghostly Enemies, and in our constant, and steady Performance of this Work of the Lord, and of our own Souls; that we may be found among the select Company, that are called, and chosen, and faithful, who shall overcome by the Blood of the Lamb, and to whom belongeth the Rewards of eternal Life. I leave with you that serious Advice of the Lord Jesus to his Disciples, Luk. xxi.36. Watch ye therefore, and pray, always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these Things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.