The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation, Sermon 22

The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation · Sermon 22

p. 416An Earnest Address to Sinners. SERMON XXII.

ACTS XVI.30.

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

I Have, as God has enabled me, endeavoured to apply the Truths I have been discoursing on, from these Words, unto the real Christian, by shewing him his peculiar Obligations to the dear Redeemer; by comforting him in the House of his Pilgrimage with the Consideration, that the good Work begun in him shall be compleated, his Sins shall all be forgiven, he has no Evil to fear, nor shall want any good Thing; and by counselling of him to live like a Man, and as becometh a Christian. And now I shall conclude this Subject.

USE. II. Secondly; by most earnestly addressing myself to the Sinner, and seriously applying these Gospel-Truths unto those that …re yet i… their Sins, and have no Interest in the Salvation, I have been discoursing on. And, alass! that, it is sadly to be p. 417feared, this is the lamentable Condition of, by far, the greatest Part of them who call themselves Christians! All Men have not Faith; yea, Multitudes, in the professing World, are destitute of true saving Faith, and never yet knew what an hearty sincere Repentance meant; but, notwithstanding all the Offers of the Gospel that have been made to them, remain in the Gall of Bitterness, and in the Bonds of Iniquity, unto this very Day. Surely, it is no Trespass upon the Rules of Charity, to say so, when there are so many Passages, in the sacred Scriptures, to support it, and we see it too sadly confirmed, by the bad Lives of Professors; their vicious, and immoral, their impure, profane, unrighteous, lewd, and debauched Lives, plainly declare, that they are, as yet, under the Power of Sin, and Lust; and the Ease, and Quiet, of their own Minds, in their present Condition, shew that they are not very solicitous, what they must do to be saved. Unto such, therefore, I have something to offer, by Way of Lamentation over them, Awakening to them, accompanied with an earnest Exhortation, and Perswasion, that they would, from this Time, be most seriously concerned about their own Salvation. May a gracious God mercifully accompany these Things with a divine Power upon the Hearts of Sinners!

1. What Cause is there for our grievous Lamentations, to see so many poor, perishing, Sinners, so dreadfully unconcerned about their eternal Salvation! It is a most melancholy Thing, indeed, to think of, that where-ever we go, the greatest Part of those we converse with, are a Company of poor deluded Creatures, whose Minds the God of this World hath so blinded, that, tho' they are in the most extream Danger of perishing, and that immediately, yet, they see it not; whose Hearts are so hardened against themselves, that, though they are pining, bleeding, dying, under p. 418the Gashes, and Wounds, of Sin, yet, they are wholly insensible of their Condition; and when they are faithfully told, and warned, of their Danger, are unwilling to make Use of any proper Remedies, to help themselves; and often turn, and vent their Spleen against those … would help them. Who, that had not lost his Humanity, could go into a Bethlem, the Receptacle of miserable Objects, and be unmoved at the Sight of Humane Nature, sunk, and degraded, and turned into so many rueful Shapes, in the shocking Instances of the Frantick, and Mad, who spend their Time in picking of Straws, or the wild, and raveing, who roar, and sing, and curse, in the midst of their Distractions; and Cutt, and Wound, and basely defile themselves, and throw any Thing that cometh in their Way, at those that come near them? And, is it not enough to make our Hearts to bleed within us, to see thee, O Sinner, acting this foolish, and mad Part? How many are there of you, that, hitherto, have been unconcerned about their eternal State; who have spent all their Time, and Thought, upon the mean, low, trifling Concerns of the Body, which are not worth regarding, in compare with the greater Concerns of the Soul? How many are there, who, notwithstanding the imminent Danger they are in, that one would wonder how they sleep easy, yet, such is the Luney upon them, they can spend their Days in Mirth and Jollitry, in Frolick, and Revelling, as if nothing ailed them, and they were in no Hazard of perishing the next Moment? Oh! how lamentable is the Prospect, to see many a poor Creature, like the Demoniac, among the Tombs, crying, and cutting themselves; Mark v.5. and so madly set upon their Lusts, and eager in their Pursuit after them, (and many Lusts which they can pretend neither Profit, Ple…sure, nor Honour, in the gratifying of them, but they serve only as an p. 419Evidence of the more exalted Degree of Madness, that is in them,) as if their chiefest Concern were to damn themselves, and not to save their own Souls? Thus, they not only drink in Iniquity, like Water, but even draw it with Cart Ropes; they take Pains, and lay themselves out, to the utmost of their Power, to be as profane, and irreligious, and shamefully immoral, as ever they can, as if they were resolved to storm Hell, and take it by Violence. What less dost thou do, who art, almost, continually calling for Damnation upon thyself, and upon all about thee!

Oh! what a melancholy Thing is it, to see the poor Sinner so stripped of his Reason, and Understanding, as to put from him all the mean… of his Help and Safety, and turn his Back upon the Opportunities of his being converted and saved? To see him slight the Word, neglect the Ordinances, and despise the Ministers, of God, which are the appointed Means of his Salvation? Truly, for this, our Hearts ake, and in the Anguish of our Minds, for thee, when we see thee, thus, ready to lay violent Hands upon thyself, upon thy precious Soul, we cry aloud to thee, Oh! do thyself no Harm! For this, also we mourn before our God, Day, and Night, and earnestly cry to the God of all Grace, that he would recover thee to thy right Mind, that thou mayest, at length, act the Part of a reasonable Creature, and seriously regard the Things of thy Peace, in this the Day thereof, e'er they are hidden from thine Eyes.

And, Oh! What Matter of Grief, and Lamentation is it, to see so great a Part of those, who seem to be willing to do something about their own Salvation, yet, at the same Time, so remiss, and cold, and really so little solicitous, and in earnest, about it? who do all they do, in their spiritual Concerns, in such a careless, off-handed, and perfunctory Manner, as plainly manifesteth, they p. 420are not much concerned how Matters go with them, and they do not trouble themselves whether they are saved, or no? It may be, the Word preached has, sometimes, met thee full in the Face; it has shewed thee to thyself, in all thy odious, and loathsome Colours, which thy Lusts have deformed thee withal, and then, like Faelix, when Paul reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come, thou hast trembled at the View of thy monstrous Appearance, and the Thoughts of what will become of thee, at last, for all thy Unrighteousness, and Ungodliness; and yet, for all that, thou hast had no farther Care excited in thee, than only, like the foolish Virgins, to make a Blaze, an outward Shew, and Profession, of Religion, and, to this very Day, thou hast not been in any thorow Solicitude of Mind, nor taken any real Pains, to obtain a supply of Oyl in thy Vessel, Grace in thy Soul, that thou mayest be saved; but hast been easy, and contented, in thy present Condition, let Things go how they will with thee hereafter. What a Laodicean Spirit has seised a great Part of Professors? How vainly do they dream they are full, and have need of nothin… when they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked? Nay, have not some been so hardy, as to take Pains to strifle the Convictions of their Sin, and Danger? Have they not designedly gone into the Hurry of the World, or to their merry Companions, to their Cups, and Musick, that they might drink, and sing, away the Care of their Souls? And, alass! by their often stifling Convictions which, if diligently improved, might have issued in their thorow Conversion, and eternal Salvation, they have provoked the Holy Spirit of God to depart from them, and give them up unto their own Hearts Lusts, and to a Damnation that flumbereth not.

This, indeed, is the great Reason, why so many p. 421perish from under the Light of the Gospel; not so much from a direct, positive, Unbelief, or because they do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of Sinners, or do not think that they themselves stand in need of Salvation by him; or because they peremptorily resolve, that they will not obey, and serve God; there are but very few, among Sinners that perish, that go this Length; but because they will not be at the Pains to come to Christ that they may have Life, through him; they will not lay themselves out, in the diligent Use of those Means, God has directed them to, in Order to obtain Salvation. There is Help provided for them, and that which is sufficient, be they ever so weak, and infirm, in themselves; there is Balm in Gilead, and a Physician there; but they will not go to the Physician, nor be at the Trouble to observe his Prescriptions, and so they dye, and perish, with the Remedy in their Hands, because they would not be at the Pains to apply it.

And, truly, we tremble for thee, to think what a Maze thou will be plunged into, when the midnight Cry is heard, and thou beginnest, with Anguish of Soul, to say, Lord, Lord, open to us, but sadly findest the Doors of Mercy, and Heaven, forever shut upon thee. Luk. xiii.25. This, it is to be feared, is the dreadful Delusion of a very great Part of Professors, that they satisfy themselves with attending, in a careless Manner, upon a Round of external Duties, they are, it may be, beneficent, and kind, to their Neighbours, and do no Injury to any Man, (and it is well if they get so far,) and yet, after all, they perish forever, for want of a due Care, and Solicitude, of Mind, to obtain the one Thing needful, an inward Principle of divine Grace, derived from Christ, the great Head of all spiritual Influences, to direct, and govern them, in all that they do. Thus, Folly, and p. 422Madness, are in thy Heart, O Sinner, while thou livest, and what Cause is there for Lamentation, and Mourning, that after that you go down to the Dead. Eccl. ix.3.

2. I have something to offer to thee, O Sinner, whoever thou art, for thy Awakening, and Conviction. You have heard what Salvation is, the Possibility of it, and the Way leading to it; and now, what will thy Condition be, if thou art not among the Number of them that shall be saved? Art thou not a vile guilty Sinner? Has not the God that made thee, that gave Life, and Being, to thee, a Right to thy Service? Is it not a due Debt, which thou owest unto the God of thy Life, to love him, to obey his Laws, and submit to his Will? And yet, hast thou not hitherto been most vilely ungrateful to thy Maker, and Benefactor, and refused to own, worship, and obey him? Has not thy whole Life been a Contempt of his Authority, and a denying of the God that is above? And if thou goest on in thy Rebellions against God, will there be any Possibility of thy escaping the Damnation of Hell? It is as true as Gospel, Mark xvi.16. He that believeth not shall be damned. Whilst, therefore, thou continuest in thy Sins, thou art assuredly bound to a State the most directly contrary to Salvation that can be. As Salvation consisteth in a Deliverance from all Evil, both Moral, and Penal, so Damnation will consist in the inheriting of those Evils, in the utmost Fulness thereof. Thy Soul will become more like a Devil, in the Depravity of it's Temper, the Perverseness of it's Appetites, and the Fierceness of its Rage against God, and all Goodness, and this alone will render all Places an Hell unto thee, from thy own Wickedness. And canst thou bear the Thought of becoming a very Devil?

The mighty Load of thy unpardoned Guilt will sink thy Soul down into most amazing Torments. p. 423And canst thou bear to ly down in a Lake, burning with Fire and Brimstone? But who, Oh who! knoweth the Power of Divine Anger! as is his Fear, so is his Wrath! Psal. xc.11. Thou canst not raise in thine own Mind such dreadful Images of the Pains, and Torments of Hell, as the Wrath of an Almighty, provoked, God, will inflict upon thee, when thou shalt arrive there. And if there were no other Pains, and Torments, but those of the uneasy Reflections of thine own Mind, and the severe Reproaches it will sting thee withal, they would be enough to render thee truly, and forever, miserable. For how can he cease to be miserable, who is at the greatest Enmity with himself?

But then, as Salvation consisteth, in the Possession of all possible Good, so thy Damnation will include in it, a total Deprivation of every Thing that is delightful, and comfortable to thee. If thou goest down into Hell, at last, thou wilt then lose all that thou esteemedst comfortable to thee, in this World; for thou canst carry … all thy carnal Delights, and sensual Enjoyments, with thee, out of this World; and thou wilt know none of the true Pleasures of the World to come, but they will be forever hidden from thine Eyes. Thou wilt, then, be everlastingly banished from Heaven, and Happiness; and it would be impossible for thy polluted, vicious, Soul to enter into those pure Regions of Light, and Joy. And Hell, itself, is not a Place of Enjoyments, but of Sufferings. So that there is nothing comfortable there, unless, to dwell with devouring Fire, and inhabit everlasting Burnings, be so. And, in all, how can he enjoy the least degree of Comfort, who shall be forever separated from the blissful Presence of God? For God will say to the Sinner, Matth. xxv.41. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting Fire. This will be thy miserable Condition, O Sinner! Misery compleat, and endless!

p. 424And will it be any Abatement of thy Misery▪ that, in thy Life Time, thou hadst thy good Things, or that, in Hell, thou meetest with thy old Companions in Sin? No verily; but it will render thy Condition so much the worse: thy former Comforts, and thy old Companions, will but encrease thy tormenting Reflections.

Say now, art thou resolved to go to Hell? Is a State of compleat Misery, to be preferred to a State of perfect Happiness in Heaven? Is Damnation more delightful to thee, than Salvation? Wilt thou then choose to walk in the Way that leadeth to Damnation? Hast thou ever yet believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and repented of thy Sins? Nay art thou not still going on in thy Sins, delighting in Wickedness, and pursuing after thy Lusts with Greediness? Doest thou not live in the plain, known, Violation of thy Duty, both to God, and Man? And will not the Wrath of God come upon the Children of Disobedience, for these Things? Col. iii.6.

Thou hast heard, indeed, of Jesus Christ, the Saviour; but hast thou ever closed with him, upon Gospel Terms, as thy Saviour, and put thyself under his Government, and submitted to his Laws, and the Guidance of his Spirit? Nay, hast thou not, hitherto, refused to come to Christ, that you might have Life? and said concerning him, as they, Luk. xix.14. We will not have this Man to reign over us?

But think, Oh, seriously think, with thyself; Whether will this thy Unbelief, and Impenitency, lead thee? What will be the Issue and Conclusion, of all thy Impiety, and Profaneness, to God, thy Unrighteousness, and Falshood, to Men, thy Intemperance, in thy Lusts, and Passions? Will not this thy Hardness, and the Impenitency of thy Heart, prove a treasuring up unto thyself Wrath, against the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the righteous Judgments p. 425of God? And wilt thou, then, continue in this broad Road of Sin, which assuredly leads down to everlasting Destruction?

Possibly, you may be ready to flatter yourselves, that God is so good, that he cannot inflict Misery upon his Creatures, and that you have Nothing to fear from infinite Goodness. But know, O Sinner, that the Lord is as holy as he is good; he is as just as he is merciful; and though he is a common Father to all his Offspring, yet is he a God that taketh Vengeance upon his rebellious Subjects. Why else are Devils cast out of his Favour, and shut up under his Wrath? And shalt not thou feel the sad Effects of his Anger, as well as Devils? The Devils never sinned to thy Heighth of Wickedness, they never (that we know of,) refused his offered Salvation, despised his Mercy, and contemned the Blood of his Son: but thou hast made light of all his Grace, crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to open Shame. And thinkest thou, now, that he will not hold thee for an Enemy: Verily, … will do so; and thou wilt find it a most terrible Thing to fall into the Hands of the living God! And what wilt thou do, in the Day when God riseth up to make Inquisition for Iniquity? Canst thou resist his Arm, and withstand his Power? Shall the Potsherds of the Earth contend with their Maker? Wilt thou be a Match for omnipotent Power? It may be, when the Terrors of Death surround thee, and thy guilty Soul is filled with Horror, at the Prospect of appearing before thy impartial Judge, then thou wilt roar out, in the Anguish of thy Heart, as I have known some to do before thee, Oh, Almighty God, there is no coping with thee! However, when thou passe… into the other World, thou wilt dreadfully experience, that there is no standing before an omnipotent God, who, by a Word speaking, can crush, and damn, thee to the lowest Hell.

p. 426It is, now, possible, thro' divine Grace, for thee to escape the Damnation of Hell. I am commissioned, in the Name of Christ, to say to thee, Mark xvi.16. He that believeth shall be saved; and, He that confesseth, and forsaketh his Sins, shall have Mercy. Prov. xxviii.13. But if, after all, thou wilt go on in thy Sins, and will not be reclaimed, until, at last, thou tumblest down into Hell, what a terrible Aggravation of thy Misery will it be to thee, to think, that you so long enjoyed a Day of Grace, and Patience, and there was, then, a Possibility of your obtaining Mercy, but you slighted and despised it all; that you not only rebelled against the Authority of your rightful Sovereign, but contemned all the Mercy and Grace of a most compassionate Saviour; that you might have escaped the doleful Place of Torment, but, Fool that you was, you rashly chose to ramble on, inconsiderately, and madly, in the Way that necessarily led thither; and now all Hope of Salvation is at an End forever?

Oh! that you would now suffer these …hings to sink deep into your Hearts, that they may serve to awaken thee out of thy Security, and convince thee of the Necessity of thy becoming seriously solicitous, what you shall do to be saved. And remember, it will be most unaccountable Folly, and Madness, in thee, O Sinner, when thou receivest any Conviction of thy Sin, and Danger, to betake thyself to the Business, and Hurry, of the World, or to thy merry Companions, and intoxicating Cups, and much more to commit the old Sin over again, which thy Conscience is convinced of, and troubles thee for, in Hopes to pacify, and lull the Clamors of thy own Mind, and so get rid of the Burden of thy own Reproaches. For if thou wilt not suffer thy Conscience, now faithfully to perform it's Office, to admonish thee for the Evil of thy Ways, to warn thee of thy Danger, and check thee in p. 427thy sinful Career, and excite thee to fear, and dread, and fly, from, the Wrath to come, and lay hold on the Hope set before thee, as the only safe Way to a well established, and lasting, Peace in thy own Breast; know it for certain, it will roar most terribly hereafter, and everlastingly reproach thee, when there shall be no Possibility of thy escaping from under the sev…rest Lashes of so rigid, and impartial, an Executioner. For, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation? Heb. ii.3.

And therefore,

3. I do now most earnestly exhort you, even every Sinner, here before the Lord, to be most seriously solicitous, what you shall do to be saved. I think, I have undeniably proved, that Salvation is your greatest Concern, and that every one ought to be most seriously solicitous about it; and now, I beseech you, my Brethren, and my Friends, that you would, from this Time, make the Salvation of your own Souls your great Concern. Oh! don't trifle with your Souls; do not live in a careless Uncernedness what becomes of them. In what Words shall I address you, so as effectually to perswade you, to engage with Seriousness, and pursue with Diligence, this great, this important, this necessary Duty. Two Things I will hint at, namely,

1. Remember, that thy Salvation is well worth thy utmost Labour, and Pains, to secure it. Our Blessed Saviour, hath told us, Luk. x.42. But one Thing is needful. And what is that one necessary Thing, but this? That thou mayest be saved: that thou makest sure that thou hast a true lively Faith in Jesus Christ; that thou unfeignedly repentest of all thy Sins; that thou hast the Grace of God in thy Soul, renewing, and sanctifying, of thee, and that, under the Influence, and Operation, of that Grace within thee, thou doest sincerely endeavour to serve the Lord, all the Days of thy Life, in Holiness, and Righteousness; that, in this p. 428Way, thou mayest obtain the promised Mercy of God, even eternal Life, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is not necessary that you enjoy an Abundance of this World, which you are so apt to be fond of, for even your present Life, neither the Continuance, nor the Comfort, of it, do not depend upon an A…undance of these Things. So said our Lord, Luk. xii.15. A Man's Life consisteth not in the Abundance of the Things which he possesseth. It is of no great Consequence whether you are clothed in Purple, and fine Linnen, or with a Garment of Camel's Hair, girt about you with a Girdle of a Skin; whether you fare sumptuously every Day, or feed upon Pulse. Persons may go without, what are called, the Delights of Sense, and yet be comfortable here, and happy forever hereafter; and they may possess the greatest fulness of those Delights, and yet their present Life be uncomfortable, and their future State unspeakably miserable. The whole World will not compensate the loss of a Soul. This therefore is the one Thing needful, that thy Soul be saved, in the Day of the Lord Jesus.

This is a Matter of such Consequence, that, one would think, no prudent Man would begrutch any Care, and Pains, to secure it. For what tho' it should cost thee a great deal of Labour, to resist, and subdue, the corrupt Workings of thy own Heart, to withstand the Temptations of the World, and Devil, and to lead an holy Life, in Conformity unto the Rules of the Gospel▪ What tho' thou shouldest be exposed to some, yea many, temporal, Inconveniencies, and Sufferings, for the sake of Christ, and his holy Religion? What tho' thou shouldest lose the Friendship, and Favour, of Men, because you dare not break Friendship with God, by complying with their vicious Humours, or sinful Manners? Will not thy eternal Salvation abundantly make amends for all? Are not the Joys of Heaven, pure, and endless, an Overballance for p. 429the Toyl, and Fatigue▪ the light, and momentary Sufferings, of the Way thither? Yea, verily; the Sufferings of the present Time, are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us. Rom. viii.18.

2. Remember, Oh Remember, that the Time will come, when you will most earnestly wish, and passionately desire to be saved. If this be not thy great Care, whilst thou art in this World; if thou shouldest now have little, or no, Thought about thy Salvation; if thou shouldest now neglect thy Soul, and be regardless what becomes of thee, in the other World; yet, when thou passest over into that other State, thou wilt be feelingly convinced of thy Want of Salvation, and be most earnest in thy Desires, and importunate in thy Cries, Oh, what shall I do to be saved! Thou wilt, then, sadly see, that, of all Things, thou oughtest to have been most seriously solicitous about getting to Heaven, and escaping the Damnation of Hell, whilst thou hadst the favourable Opportunity therefor. Tho' thy Desires after Salvation are, now, but weak, and languid, yet, then, they will be most strong, and fervent. Thou wilt, then, most passionately long, Oh! that I were saved from this Misery, which my foolish Neglect has brought upon me! Oh! I would give a World, if I had it, for an Interest in Christ! Oh! for an Opportunity to make my Peace with God, and secure my eternal Welfare! And, with what Earnestness wilt thou, then, cry to God, to have Mercy upon thee, and save thee from the Place of Torment! So you find the foolish Virgins, at the last, and great, D…, crying out, with bitter Anguish of Soul, Matth. xxv.11. Lord, Lord, open to us! So you see Dives, in the deepest Distress, crying, Luk. xvi.24. Father Abraham, have Mercy on me; and send Lazarus, that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water, and cool my Tongue; for I am tormented in this Flame! The p. 430least Degree of Mercy will, then, be welcome to thee, how much soever thou, now despisest the greatest. But, alass! all thy Cries, and Tears, will be in vain, and to no Purpose.

Well then; Let every Sinner be perswaded, to set himself, in good Earnest, about this great, and necessary Work, and heartily accept the Salvation which is now offered to him. If ever you escape Misery, and obtain Mercy; if ever you get safe to Heaven, and save your own Souls, you must be in Earnest about it. So great a Matter is not to be accomplished by vain Wishes, and ineffectual Desires. Therefore now apply thine Heart hereunto, and suffer no Difficulty to discourage thee herefrom.

But, I am sensible, there are two Objections, which Sinners are apt to make, against their being very solicitous about their own Salvation; namely; That they cannot …ve themselves, they cannot convert, and change their own Hearts; and that they have some Design to take Care of their Salvation, but hereafter will do as well as now; and so they neglect to do any Thing about it, in the proper Season of it. I shall, therefore, endeavour to obviate the Force of these Objections, by setting before you two necessary Directions. viz.

1. Do what you can about your own Salvation. Though it be true, that thou canst not save thyself by any mere Strength, and Power of thine own; and those that would go about to perswade thee, that all lieth within thine own Power, do but endanger thy leaning upon a bruised Reed, and a broken …taff, whether they mean so, or no; yet, nevertheless, there is something for thee to do, which thou canst do, and must do, as ever you would hope to be saved. Christ therefore said, Luk. xiii.34. Strive to enter in at the straight Gate. God does not require more of any Man than he is able to perform. What he requireth more than p. 431thou hast Strength for, he standeth ready graciously to afford his Assistances to thee, to enable thee to perform it. But he requireth it of thee, to do thy own Part, what thou canst do, about thy own Salvation. Surely, nothing can be more reasonable than, that thou shouldest do what thou canst, in so important an Affair, and that thou shouldest look to, and rely upon, God to perform what thou art not sufficient for of thyself. And, unless you will do this, you may not reasonably expect any special Assistances from him. Whereas, if you conscientiously perform what you are able to do, you may, then, comfortably hope for the Divine Blessing to accompany your Labours, and make them effectual to your Conversion, and Salvation. Hence is that of the Apostle, Phil. ii.12, 13. Work out your own Salvation, with Fear, and Trembling; for it is God which worketh in you, both to will, and to do, of his good Pleasure. So that there is something you can do, and this you must do. Particularly, let me say,

1. You must endeavour to acquaint yourself with what God requireth of you. The Word of God is the Mean, and Instrument, which God himself hath appointed for this End, to bring Men to the Faith of Jesus Christ, and so to convert, and save them: therefore it is said, Jam. i.21. to be a Word able to save; and to make wise unto Salvation. 2 Tim. iii.15. If God should send an Angel, from Heaven, to you, he could not more fully, and plainly, tell you your Duty, and Interest, than they are already told you, in the Word of God; nor would one, coming from the Dead, be able to give you greater Confirmation, than what is already given, of the Certainty of the sacred Scriptures being a Revelation from God, and of the infallible Truth of that Revelation. If therefore, O Sinner! thou wouldest make sure of thy Salvation, thou must attend upon the Means thereof, and that p. 432with Diligence, and Seriousness. And this thou canst do. Thou canst read, or hear, the Word of God, with the same Ease, and Attention, that thou canst any other Book, or Writing. To this End, therefore, you must be frequent in reading the sacred Scriptures, which are the Power, and the Wisdom, of God unto them that believe, and carefully weigh, and consider, what you read, not to satisfy a vain Curiosity, or to furnish you with Matter for Discourse, as it may be some do, but to inform, and direct, your Conscience, and Influence your Practice, that you may know your Duty, and be ready upon every Occasion, to attend upon it. So must you search the Scriptures, for in them ye may have eternal Life. To this End you must also carefully attend upon the Word preached, and not turn your Back upon it, as the Manner of some is. For God has appointed an Order of Men for this very End and Purpose, to explain, and apply, his Word unto the Hearts, and Consciences, of Sinners, that they may be awakened, convinced, and converted, and saved; and so, by, what is esteemed by many, the Foolishness of Preaching, it pleases God to save them that believe, 1 Cor. i.21. It is not, indeed, in the Power, or Holiness, of Ministers, that the Word they preach becometh effectual to the Conversion, and Salvation, of any Man, but only by the Blessing of God upon their Ministry; a Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God only that giveth the Increase, 1 Cor. iii.6. But since the Ministry of the Word is God's appointed Way, to bring Home a poor wandering, lost, Sinner to himself, therefore you must be careful not to neglect these Means of Grace, by absenting your selves from the Ministration of the Word, for every little Business, and trifling Occasion, but you must make Conscience diligently to improve the Opportunities of waiting at the Posts of Wisdom's Gates, and hear that p. 433your Souls may live. And while you are hearing, give Attention unto the Things that are spoken unto you, in the Name of the Lord, and lose not the Advantage, by allowing your selves in sleeping, or your Minds in wandring, but stir up your selves, and give the more earnest Heed to the Things which you hear, and treasure them up in your Hearts, for your Direction in Life, that your Steps may be ordered in the Word of God. And be sure to cherish the Convictions you receive from the Word of God, of Sins to be avoided, and Duties to be performed, and never allow your selves to act contrary to the Light of your own Minds. Thus come to the Word of God, both read, and heard, with an open, honest Heart, that it may become a Savour of Life unto Life unto your Souls.

2. You must be frequent, and serious, in the Consideration of those Things which may be helpful to quicken you to your Duty. This the Sinner can do, and this he must do. He can think; for the God that formed the Spirit of Man within, has made thee a rational Creature, capable of Thought, and Reflection; and you find that you can think upon your worldly Business, and view in your Minds what would be hurtful to it, and what would help to promote it. And can you not as well think upon your spiritual Concerns? What you have to do in them? what would further, or what would hinder them? And you must think, as you would hope to be saved; for you cannot imagine so vain a Thing as that God will save you without the Use of your own Reason, and Understanding. The Want of serious Consideration is one of the greatest Reasons, why so many Sinners, under the Light of the Gospel, go on contentedly in their evil Ways, and refuse to be reclaimed; so said God of his ancient People, Isai. i.3. Israel doth not know, my People doth not consider, and therefore articles against them, Ah! sinful Nation, a People p. 434laden with Iniquities &c. This is what God requires of you, that you seriously bethink your selves, that you thorowly weigh Things in your own Mind, that you may be able to discern the Beauty, and Excellency, the Reality, and Importance, of serious Religion: Hag. i.7. Thus saith the Lord, consider your Ways. And this Method God has been wont to follow with his Blessing, for the Conversion of Sinners. So it was with the Prodigal, Luk. xv.17. when he came to himself, to the proper Use, and Exercise, of his Reason; and David tells us, Psal. cxix.59. I thought on my Ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies.

Well then, let every Sinner be persuaded to think, and weigh things in his own Mind; don't begrutch a little Portion of Time to think on the great Concerns of thy own Soul; but go alone, retire from Company, and worldly Business, and think seriously with thyself, what is thy present Condition? Whither art thou bound? What hast thou been doing all thy Life long? What art thou now doing for God, and thy own Soul? How do Matters stand between God, and thy Soul? Is thy Peace made with God? Think, O think with thy self, if thou shouldest die before to Morrow, (and thou dost not know what a Day may bring forth,) what will become of thy immortal Soul forever?

Think, my Friend, think what an awful, and critical, Judgment will unavoidably follow upon thy Departure out of this World: for it is appointed unto Man once to dye, and after that the Iudgment. Heb. ix.27. How wilt thou be able to hold up thy Head before the tremendous Bar of thy impartial Judge, if thou art found out of Christ, and in thy Sins?

And think of that long, and endless, Eternity thou art hastening into; an Eternity of Weal, or Woe, of the most compleat Happiness, or perfect Misery, thou art capable of.

p. 435Why, O Sinner, art thou so averse to serious Consideration! Is it because thou canst not bear the Thoughts of thy Guilt, and appearing before thy impartial Judge? Why surely, it is better for thee to bear the Thoughts, thereof, now, and timely prevent the ill Consequence, than forever to bear the Punishment of thy Folly, hereafter, in neglecting it, and to have thy Thoughts a perpetual Torment to thee, without a Possibility of escaping out of thy miserable Condition.

Would Sinners be persuaded to accustom themselves to such Thoughts as these, though but for one half Quarter of an Hour in a Day, they would probably, have an happy Influence upon them, to bring them unto Repentance, and Salvation. Hearken then to the Wish of God, Deut. xxxii.29. Oh! that they were wise, that they did understand this, that they would consider their latter End.

3. Come to a Resolution to part with all that would hinder thy Salvation, and to perform every Thing that would forward it. He that has a great, and necessary Business upon his Hands, must rid himself of all that would be an Impediment to him, and improve every Thing that would help to facilitate his Work. This is thy Case, O Sinner; thou hast the very important, and necessary, Work, of securing thy own Salvation, to Mind; and there is no Sinner but what may come to a fixed Resolution carefully to attend it, and to avoid what would hinder, and do what would further him, in this great Business; as is evident, in that he would resolve, and practise accordingly, to abandon any of those sinful Courses he has been addicted to, (suppose Swearing, or Drunkenness,) and to perform known Duties, (suppose Prayer, Reading, Hearing, &c.) if thereby he might gain a great Treasure in this World. And wilt thou not do as much for thy Soul, as thou wouldest for thy Body, and to obtain the immense, and endless, Treasures of Heaven, as to get the fading Treasures of Earth!

p. 436Come then, O Sinner, come to a serious Resolution with thyself, to part with any Thing, and every Thing, which, upon a diligent Search, thou findest to be an Hindrance to thy Salvation; resolve to part with the most delightful, and fondest, of thy Lusts, though it should, heretofore, have been as dear to thee as a Right Hand, or a Right Eye: thy Lusts of Impiety, and Profaneness, thy Lusts of Intemperance, or Uncleanness, thy Lusts of Covetousness, and Injustice, thy Lusts of rash Anger, Malice, or Revenge, whatever it be that standeth in the Way of thy Salvation, come to a fixed Resolution to have nothing more to do with it. Say with penitent Ephraim, Hos. xiv.8. What have I any more to do with Idols? Come to a Resolution to part with any of thy worldly Enjoyments, at the Call, and for the sake, of Christ; and let none of the Objects of Sense be preferred to the only Saviour: say with them, Isa. xxvi.13. Other Lords, besides thee, have had Dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name. Come to a Resolution, as much as possibly you can, to forsake the foolish, and vain, and wicked, Company, that would entice, and draw you, into the Ways of Sin; say with him, Psal. vi.8. depart from me, all ye Workers of Iniquity.

And take up fixed Resolutions to perform every known Duty, and so to be found in the Way of the Blessing. Resolve, from this Time forward, to make it thy constant Endeavour to live according to the Dictates of thy Conscience, and to have a steady Regard to whatsoever the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that you may walk in all his Ordinances, and Commandments, blameless. You do, or may easily know the Commandments; and, if you would enter into Life, let it then be your constant Care to walk in the Path-way thereof, the Way of Peace, and Life: say with him, Psal. cxix.176. I have gone astray, like a lost p. 437Sheep, seek thy Servant, for I do not forget thy Commandments. If once thou wouldest come to a fixed Resolution in this Point, thou wouldest not be far from the Kingdom of God.

4. Earnestly cry, and pray, to God, to save thee. The Lord is a God that heareth Prayers, and therefore unto him should all Flesh come, for all that Help they stand in need of. Though it be true, that no Sinner can save himself, yet, inasmuch as God is able, and willing, to save thee, therefore shouldest thou be earnest, and unwearied in thy sincere Prayers to him to bestow his Salvation upon thee. Prayer is of mighty Efficacy with God, to open the Eyes of the Blind, and to cleanse the leprous Soul. Let no Man pretend, he cannot pray, he knoweth not how to pray. It is a vain Pretence, yea it is a false Plea. He that can speak can pray. Pray that God would teach you to pray. This God expects, and requireth, at your Hands, saying, Amos v.4. Seek ye me, and ye shall live. It is the Generation of them that seek him, that receive a Blessing from the Lord, and Righteousness from the God of their Salvation; and he hath not left thee without Encouragement to hope, that he will save thee, if thou wilt but be earnest, and diligent, in the Use of thy own Endeavours, and serious, and importunate, in asking this Mercy at his Hands: He hath told thee, Rom. x.13. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord, shall be saved.

Well then, O Sinner, retire into thy Closet, daily, and there pour out thy Soul unto God, in fervent Prayer, that he would work his own Work in thee; that he would effectually convince thee of thy Sin, and Misery, without which Conviction thou wilt never be in Earnest to be saved. Earnestly pray to God, to strengthen your Resolutions, and Endeavours, for a Life of Faith, and Obedience, without which divine Assistance, they will all be but languid, and faint, and come to nothing. p. 438Earnestly pray to God, to discover to you the Worth, and Excellency, the Fulness, and Sufficiency, the Compassion, and Tender-heartedness, of the Lord Jesus Christ; how ready he is to receive thee among his Disciples, and to bear with thy Weaknesses, and overlook thy Infirmities, and how every Way able he is to save thee, even to the uttermost; that in him, you may discern a Remedy for all the Diseases of your Soul, and may not be left to lie down in Despair. And earnestly pray to God, that, by the powerful Influences of his Holy Spirit, he would effectually draw you home to Christ, and enable you to come to him, and close with him, that, through him, you may obtain eternal Life: for no Man can come unto the Son, except the Father, which hath sent him, draw him, Joh. vi.44.

Suffer not a Sense of thy Sins to discourage thy Prayers; for though thou shouldest have been one of the most notorious, and flagitious Sinners, yet, if thou art not resolved to hold on in thy evil Ways, but, sincerely purposest to forsake them, and, in a Sense of thy Need of divine Help, wilt come and throw thyself at the Feet of God, with thy earnest Prayers, and plead his merciful Nature, and the Merits of his Son, he will not deny thee. Therefore God said, by his Prophet, Jer. xxix.12, 13. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you; and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your Heart. Come then to this Conclusion with yourself, I must certainly perish, if God do not help me: I can but perish, if he should deny to help me; I therefore must, and will, try what sovereign and rich Grace will do for me; I will earnestly call upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee to deliver my Soul!

Thus be frequent, and in earnest, in your Supplications to the God of all Grace, for the Bestowment of the heavenly Gift upon you; and humbly p. 439say, before the Lord, with good Iacob, Gen. xxxii.26. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And think not to obtain the Blessing, without asking, and striving for it. Let the Sense of the Danger thou art in of coming short of it, make thee the more importunate, and unwearied. I will leave with you the Words of Ionah's Mariners, Jon. i.6. What meanest thou, O Sleeper! Arise, and call upon thy God; if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

These Things thou canst do; and do you but do what you can, and God will not be wanting to help you. And then,

2. What thou meanest to do, for thy own Salvation, do now. There is many a Sinner, who, at last, misseth of Salvation, purely by his delaying to improve the proper Season, of obtaining Mercy, till it is over, and gone. He is ready to think, that it is but a reasonable Thing, that he should forsake his Sins, and lead a new Life, that he should accept of Christ, according to the Offer of the Gospel, that so he may be found of him, in Peace, at the great Day, and he purposes to do so, some Time, or other, before he dies; but, for the Present, he has this Business to mind, and that Lust to gratify, and therefore he must put off the Concerns of his Salvation, to a more convenient Season.

But know, O delaying Sinner, that thou actest the most foolish, and unreasonable, Part that can be; and that not only of postponing a Business of the greatest Consequence, to that which is of little, or no Moment to thee; but, in Running the desperate Hazard of thy never being saved at all. For, besides, that the Objection against minding thy Salvation, and the eternal Concernments of thy Soul, will be as strong, if not stronger, to Morrow, than it is to Day, because Sin will have gotten the faster Hold on thee, and thou wilt have p. 440the more to repent of; I say, besides this, for ought all that thou knowest, thou mayest not have an other Opportunity to regard thy eternal Salvation in, if thou dost not set thyself to improve the present now.

Now, through the Grace, and Patience, of a good God, thou hast a fair Opportunity to secure thy everlasting Happiness; Christ is now standing at the Door of thy Soul, and loudly, and earnestly knocking for Entrance; He is now wooing, and entreating thee, with many very powerful Arguments, and Perswasions, to give a due Entertainment unto his Gospel, to believe the Reports of it, and accept him for thy Saviour, to obey, and follow him, and live. What would the damned Spirits, in the infernal Prison, give, were it in their Power, might they enjoy but one such precious Opportunity, as you are now favoured withall!

But if you slight the Means, and despise the Day, of Grace, and neglect to improve the present Season, wherein the Patience, and Long-suffering, of God, is waiting upon you, you do not know, but the holy God may be provoked to give you up to penal Obduration, to Blindness, and Hardness, of Heart, that seeing, you shall not see, neither shall you understand with your Heart, and convert, and be healed; for he hath said, Gen. vi.3. My Spirit shall not always strive with Man.

Or, however, for ought that you can tell, Death may come upon you speedily, and suddenly, and put an utter End to all your Opportunities, e'er you are aware; and then the Day, and Means, of Grace, will be at an End with you forever; for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledge, nor Wisdom, in the Grave, whither thou goest. Eccl. ix.10. Then though thou shouldest seek the Blessing, carefully, and with Tears, yet wouldest thou be utterly rejected, and find no Place for Repentance.

p. 441Oh! then, I beseech you, my Friend, set thy self hereunto in good Earnest, now before it be too late; now, be exceeding solicitous what you must do to be saved; now, lay hold on the Salvation that is tendered unto you; accept the Lord Jesus, with all his pardoning Mercy; plead the Merits of his Obedience, and Suffering, for the Forgiveness of your past Sins, the subduing of your Corruptions, the quickening of you in Grace, and Holiness, that you may be enabled so to run as to obtain the incorruptible Crown: and do with your Might, what your Hands find to do, in this important Work, and that now, while you have a Price in your Hands therefor; and be not such Fools as to neglect it, until the Night come wherein no Man can Work.

And remember, that thy Soul, thy All, lies at Stake. And since the eternal Welfare of thy precious, and immortal, Soul, depends upon your wise Improvement of the valuable Opportunities, and blessed Means, which God, in his infinite Goodness, hath put into your Hands; and you know not for how long, or short, a while, these Advantages shall be continued to thee; but may be sure that thou now hast a good one, therefore, now, arise thou, be up, and doing, the Lord be with thee.

I conclude all with that earnest Address of the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. vi.1, 2. We, then, as Workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain: for he saith, I have heard thee in a Time accepted, and in the Day of Salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted Time; behold, now is the Day of Salvation.

Thus, my Brethren, I have, through the Favour of God, in sparing, and enabling, of me, set before you the great Doctrines of the Gospel, and opened to you the true Way unto Life, and Happiness; and endeavoured to move you with the most cogent Reasons, and pressing Arguments, to secure your p. 442own Salvation, by a Life of Faith, and Holiness: and may God, of his infinite Goodness, so set these Things home upon our Hearts, and the Hearts of our Children, that I who have spoken them, and you who have heard them, (and they that shall read them,) may not fail of the Grace of God, but may happily meet together in the Redeemer's Kingdom above, and shout our incessant, and endless, Praises, to God, and the Lamb.

Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless, before the Presence of his Glory, with exceeding Ioy; to the only wise God, our Saviour, be Glory, and Majesty, Dominion, and Power, both now, and ever. AMEN!

FINIS.

ERRATA.

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There are some Mistakes in pointing, which an intelligent Reader, will easily discern.