Shall conclude with an exhortation to all of you, high and low, rich
and poor, to come unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and to beg that you may
receive his spirit, so that you may not be reprobates.
_First_, I am to shew you the necessity there is of receiving the
spirit of CHRIST.
And here, my brethren, it will be necessary to consider you as in your
first state; that is, when GOD first created _Adam_, and placed him
in the garden of _Eden_, and gave him a privilege of eating of all the
trees in the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil,
which stood in the midst thereof. Our first parents had not been long
in this state of innocence, before they fell from it, they broke the
divine commands, and involved all their posterity in guilt; for as
_Adam_ was our representative, so we were to stand or fall in him; and
as he was our fœderal head, his falling involved all our race under the
power of death, for death came into the world by sin; and we all became
liable to the eternal punishment due from GOD, for man’s disobedience
to the divine command.
Now as man had sinned, and a satisfaction was demanded, it was
impossible for a finite creature to satisfy him, who was a GOD of
so strict purity as not to behold iniquity: And man by the justice
of GOD would have been sent down into the pit, which was prepared of
old for the devil and his angels; but when justice was going to pass
the irrevocable sentence, then the LORD JESUS CHRIST came and offered
himself a ransom for poor sinners. Here was admirable condescension
of the LORD JESUS CHRIST! that he who was in the bosom of his father,
should come down from all that glory, to die for such rebels as you
and I are, who if it lay in our power, would pull the Almighty from his
throne: Now can you think that if there was no need of CHRIST’s death,
can you think that if there could have been any other ransom found,
whereby poor sinners might have been saved, GOD would not have spared
his only begotten Son, and not have delivered him up for all that
believe in him?
This, my brethren, I think proves to a demonstration, that it was
necessary for CHRIST to die: But consider, it will be of no service to
know that CHRIST died for sinners, if you do not accept of his spirit,
that you may be sanctified, and fitted for the reception of that JESUS,
who died for all those who believe in him. The sin of your nature, your
original sin, is sufficient to sink you into torments, of which there
will be no end; therefore unless you receive the spirit of CHRIST you
are reprobates, and you cannot be saved: Nothing short of the blood
of JESUS applied to your souls, will make you happy to all eternity:
Then, seeing this is so absolutely necessary, that you cannot be
saved without having received the spirit of CHRIST, but that ye are
reprobates, do not rest contented ’till you have good hopes, through
grace, that the good work is begun in your souls; that you have
received a pardon for your sins; that CHRIST came down from heaven,
died, and made satisfaction for your sins. Don’t flatter yourselves
that a little morality will be sufficient to save you; that going to
church, or prayers, and sacrament, and doing all the duties of religion
in an external manner, will ever carry you to heaven; no, you must have
grace in your hearts; there must be a change of the whole man.
You must be born again, and become new creatures, and have the spirit
of CHRIST within you: And until you have that spirit of CHRIST, however
you may think to the contrary, and please yourselves in your own
imagination, I say, you are no better than reprobates. You may content
yourselves with leading civil, outward decent lives, but what will that
avail you, unless you have the spirit of the LORD JESUS CHRIST in your
hearts: His kingdom must be set up in your souls; there must be the
life of GOD in the soul of man, else you belong not to the LORD JESUS
CHRIST; and until you belong to him, you are reprobates.
This may seem as enthusiasm to some of you, but if it is so, it is what
the apostle _Paul_ taught; and therefore, my brethren, they are the
words of truth. I beseech you, in the mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS,
not to despise these words, as if they do not concern you, but were
only calculated for the first ages of christianity, and, therefore, of
no signification: If you think thus, you are wronging your own souls;
for whatever is written, was written for you in these times, as well as
for the christians in the first ages of the church.
For the case stands thus between GOD and man: GOD, at first, made man
upright, or, as the sacred penman expresses it, “In the image of GOD
made he man;” his soul was the very copy, the transcript of the divine
nature. He who had, by his almighty power, spoken the world into being,
breathed into man the breath of spiritual life; and his soul became
adorned with purity and perfection. This was the finishing stroke of
the creation; the perfection both of the moral and material world; and
it so resembled the divine Original, that GOD could not but rejoice and
take pleasure in his own likeness: Therefore, we read, that when GOD
had finished the inanimate and brutish part of the creation, “he looked,
and behold it was good.” But when that lovely, god-like creature man
was made, “behold it was very good.”
Happy, unspeakably happy, to be thus partaker of a divine Nature; and
thus man might have continued still, had he continued holy; but GOD
placed him in a state of probation, with a free grant to eat of every
tree in the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The
day he did eat thereof he was not only to become subject to temporal,
but spiritual death; and so lose that divine image, that spiritual life
which GOD had breathed into him, and which was as much his happiness as
his glory.
But man, unhappy man, being seduced by the devil, did eat of the
forbidden fruit, and thereby became liable to that curse which the
eternal GOD had pronounced on him for his disobedience. And we read,
that soon after _Adam_ was fallen, he complained that he was naked;
naked, not only as to his body, but naked and destitute of those divine
graces which before beautified his soul.
An unhappy mutiny and disorder then fell upon this world; those briars
and thorns which now spring up and overspread the earth, were but poor
emblems, lifeless representations of that confusion and rebellion which
sprung up in, and overwhelmed, the soul of man, immediately after the
fall. He now sunk into the temper of a beast and devil.
In this dreadful and disordered condition are all of us brought into
the world: We are told, my brethren, that “_Adam_ had a son in his own
likeness,” or with the same corrupt nature which he himself had sunk
into, after eating the forbidden fruit: And experience, as well as
scripture, proves, that we are altogether born in sin, and, therefore,
uncapable, whilst in such a state, to have communion with GOD.
For as light cannot have communion with darkness, so GOD can have no
communion with such polluted sons of _Belial_. Here, here, appears the
great and glorious end, why CHRIST was manifest in the flesh, to put
an end to these disorders, and to restore us unto the favour of GOD.
He came down from heaven and shed his precious blood upon the cross,
to satisfy the divine justice of his Father, for our sins; and so, he
purchased this Holy Ghost, who must once more re-stamp the divine image
on our hearts, and make us capable of living with, and enjoying of GOD.
We must be renewed by the spirit of GOD; he must dwell in us before we
can be new creatures, and be freed from a reprobate spirit: the spirit
of CHRIST must bring us home unto that fold where all his sheep are,
and implant his grace in our hearts, and take from us that spirit of
sin which reigns in us: And till this is rooted out of our hearts,
however we may flatter ourselves with being good christians, because we
are good moralists, and lead civil, moral, decent lives, yet if we live
and die, my brethren, in this way, we are only flattering ourselves
into hell.
I think I have proved, to a demonstration, the necessity there is of
receiving the spirit of CHRIST. I now come to shew you,
_Secondly_, Who CHRIST is, whose spirit you are to receive.
My brethren, JESUS CHRIST is co-equal, co-essential, co-eternal, and
consubstantial with the Father, very GOD of very GOD; and as there was
not a moment of time in which GOD the Father was not, so there was not
a moment of time in which GOD the Son was not.
_Arians_ and _Socinians_ deny this godhead of CHRIST, and esteem him
only as a creature: The _Arians_ look on him as a titular Deity, as
a created and subordinate God; but, if they would humbly search the
scriptures they would find divine homage paid to CHRIST. He is called
GOD in scripture, particularly when the great evangelical Prophet says,
“He shall be called the mighty GOD, the everlasting Father, and the
government shall be upon his shoulders:” And JESUS CHRIST himself says,
that he is “the Alpha and Omega;” and that “the world was made by him:”
But though this be ever so plain, our gay airy sparks of this age will
not believe the LORD JESUS CHRIST to be equal with his Father, and
that for no other reason, but because it is a fashionable and polite
doctrine to deny his divinity, and esteem him only as a created God.
Our _Socinians_ do not go so far; they look upon CHRIST only to be a
good man sent from GOD, to shew the people the way they should go, on
their forsaking of Judaism; that he was to be also an example to the
world, and that his death was only to prove the truth of his doctrines.
Many of those who call themselves members, yea, teachers of the church
of _England_, have got into this polite scheme. Good GOD! my very soul
shudders at the thoughts of the consequence that will attend such a
belief. O my brethren, do not think so dishonourably of the LORD who
bought you; of the JESUS who died for you: he must be all in all unto
your souls, if ever you are saved by him: CHRIST must be your active,
as well as passive obedience; his righteousness must be imputed to you.
The doctrine of CHRIST’s righteousness being imputed, is a comfortable,
a desirable doctrine to all real christians: And to you, sinners, who
are enquiring what you must do to be saved? how uncomfortable would it
be to tell you, by your own good works, when, perhaps, you have never
done one good work in all your lives: This would be driving you to
despair indeed; no, “believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and you shall be
saved;” come to the LORD JESUS by faith, and he shall receive you. He
is able and willing to save you.
This second person in the Trinity, who is God-man, the mediator of
the new covenant; he, my brethren, hath virtue enough, in his blood,
to atone for the sins of millions of worlds: As man he died, he was
crucified, nailed to, and pierced on the accursed tree: This was the
love of the LORD JESUS CHRIST for you; and will you then have low and
dishonourable thoughts of JESUS CHRIST, after his having done so much
for you? O my dear brethren, don’t be so polite as to deny the Deity of
CHRIST; though you may be counted fools in the eye of the world, yet in
GOD’s account, you shall be esteemed wise, wise for salvation.
You may now be looked upon as fools and madmen, as a parcel of rabble,
and, in a short time, fit for Bedlam. They may say you are going to
undermine the established church; but GOD, who knows the secrets of
all hearts, knows our innocency; and I speak the truth in CHRIST, I
lie not, I should rejoice to see all the world adhere to her articles;
I should rejoice to see the teachers, the ministers of the church
of _England_, preach up those very articles they have subscribed to;
but those ministers who do preach them up, they esteem as madmen, and
look on them, as the off-scouring of the earth, unfit for company and
conversation.
The evil things they say of me, blessed be GOD, are without foundation;
I am a friend to the church homilies; I am a friend to her liturgy, and
if they did not thrust me out of their churches, I would read it every
day.
My brethren, I am not for limiting the spirit of GOD, but am for
uniting all in the bonds of love; I love all that love the LORD
JESUS CHRIST: This will make more christians, than will the spirit of
persecution.
The Pharisees may think it madness to mention persecution in a
christian country, but the spirit of persecution resides in many: their
will is as great, but blessed be GOD, they want the power; if they
had that, my brethren, fire and faggot is what we must expect, for the
devil’s temple is shaken. Many are coming unto JESUS, I hope many of
you are already come, and many more coming; this must make Satan rage,
to see his kingdom weakened; he will stir up all his malice against
the people of GOD. We must expect, that a suffering time will certainly
come; it is now hastening on, it is ripening a-pace; then it will be
proved, to a demonstration, whether you are hypocrites or not; for
suffering times are always trying times. O my brethren, do not be
afraid of a little reproach, but look on it as a fore-runner of what
will be the attendant upon it: Therefore let me, by way of application,
Exhort all of you, high and low, rich and poor, one with another,
to come unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, that he may give you strength to
undergo whatsoever he, in his wisdom, calls you to. Come, come, my
brethren, to JESUS CHRIST, and he will give you grace, which will make
you willing and ready to suffer all things for JESUS CHRIST.
It is not being pointed at; it is not being despised and looked on as
mad, and a deluded people: Alas! what does this signify to a soul who
has JESUS CHRIST? Do not be afraid to confess the blessed JESUS; dare
to be singularly good: Don’t be afraid of singing of hymns, or of
meeting together to build each other up in the ways of the LORD: Shine
ye as lights in the world amidst a crooked and perverse generation.
It is necessary that offences should come, to try what is in our hearts,
and whether we will be faithful soldiers of JESUS CHRIST or not: Be not
content with following CHRIST afar off, for then we shall, as _Peter_
did, soon deny him; but let us be altogether christians. Let our speech
and all our actions declare to the whole world, whose disciples we are,
and that we have determined to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST, and him
crucified. O then, then, will it be well with us, happy, unspeakably
happy, shall we be, even here; and what is infinitely better, when
others that despised us shall be calling for the mountains to fall
on them, and the hills to cover them, we shall be exalted to sit down
on the right hand of GOD, and shine as the sun in the firmament, and
live for ever with our Redeemer. And will not this be a sufficient
recompence for all the sufferings you have undergone here? Therefore,
do not strive to have the greatness, the riches, the honour, and
pleasures of this world, but strive to have JESUS CHRIST.
Your friends and carnal acquaintance, and, above all, your grand
adversary the devil, will be persuading you not to have CHRIST until
you are grown old; he would have you lay up goods for many years; to
see plays, play at cards; go to balls, and masquerades; and to make you
the more willing, to draw you in, he calls sinful pleasures, innocent
diversions.
A late learned Rabbi of our church, told the people, in a sermon, which
I myself heard, that if people went to church of a Sunday, and said the
prayers while there, that it was no harm, neither would GOD count it a
sin, to take their recreation, after the service of the church was over:
But I say, my brethren, and the command of GOD says so too, that the
whole sabbath must be kept holy; and that as GOD has allowed you six
days for yourselves, to do the duties in those several stations wherein
Providence has placed you, he expects you should give him one day
to himself; and will you waste that sabbath which should be spent in
gathering provisions for your souls? GOD forbid!
You had ten thousand times better be ignorant of all the polite
diversions of the age, than to be ignorant of the spirit of CHRIST’s
being within you, and that it must be, before you are _new creatures_,
and are in CHRIST; and if you have not an interest in CHRIST, you are
lost, your damnation is hastening on. “He that believeth shall be saved,
and he that believeth not shall be damned.”
If you stand out against CHRIST, you are fighting against yourselves. O
come unto him, do not stay to bring good works with you, for they will
be of no service; all your works will never carry you to heaven, they
will never pardon one sin, nor give you the least comfort in a dying
hour; if you have nothing more than your own works to recommend you to
GOD, they will not prevent your sinking into that eternal abyss, where
there is no bottom.
But come unto CHRIST, and he will give you that righteousness which
will stand you in good account at the great day of the LORD, when he
shall come to take notice of them that love him, and of those who have
the wedding garment on.
Let all your actions spring from the love of JESUS; let him be the
Alpha and Omega of all your actions; then, my brethren, our indifferent
ones are acceptable sacrifices; but if this principle be wanting, our
most pompous services avail nothing; we are only spiritual idolaters:
we sacrifice to our own net, and make an idol of ourselves, by making
ourselves, and not CHRIST, the spring of our actions; and therefore,
my brethren, such actions are so far from being accepted by GOD, that
according to the language of one of the articles of our church, “We
doubt not but that they have the nature of sin, because they spring not
from an experimental faith in, and knowledge of JESUS CHRIST.”
Were we not fallen creatures, we might then act upon other principles;
but since we are fallen in _Adam_, and are restored again only by the
death of JESUS CHRIST, the face of things is intirely changed, and all
we think, speak, or do, is only accepted in and through him,
Therefore, my brethren, I beseech you, in the bowels of love and
compassion, that you would come unto JESUS: Do not go away scoffing,
offended, or blaspheming. Indeed, all I say is in love to your souls;
and if I could be but an instrument of bringing you to JESUS CHRIST,
if you were to be never so much exalted, I should not envy, but rejoice
in your happiness: If I was to make up the last of the train of the
companions of the blessed JESUS, it would rejoice me to see you above
me in glory. I do not speak out of a false humility, a pretended
sanctity; no, GOD is my judge, I speak the truth in CHRIST, I lie not,
I would willingly go to prison, or to death for you, so I could but
bring one soul from the devil’s strong holds, into the salvation which
is by CHRIST JESUS.
Come then unto CHRIST every one that hears me this night; I offer JESUS
CHRIST, pardon, and salvation to all you, who will accept thereof.
Come, O ye drunkards, lay aside your cups, drink no more to excess;
come and drink of the water which CHRIST will give you, and then you
will thirst no more: come, O ye thieves; let him that has stolen, steal
no more, but fly unto CHRIST and he will receive you. Come unto him,
O ye harlots; lay aside your lusts and turn unto the LORD, and he will
have mercy upon you, he will cleanse you of all your sins, and wash
you in his blood. Come, all ye liars; come, all ye Pharisees; come, all
ye fornicators, adulterers, swearers, and blasphemers, come to CHRIST,
and he will take away all your filth, he will cleanse you from your
pollution, and your sins shall be done away. Come, come, my guilty
brethren; I beseech you for CHRIST’s sake, and for your immortal soul’s
sake, to come unto CHRIST: Do not let me knock at the door of your
hearts in vain, but open and let the King of Glory in, and he will
dwell with you, he will come and sup with you this night; this hour,
this moment he is ready to receive you, therefore come unto him.
Do not consult with flesh and blood, let not the world hinder you from
coming to the LORD of life: What are a few transitory pleasures of this
life worth? They are not worth your having, but JESUS CHRIST is a pearl
of great price, he is worth the laying out all you have, to buy.
And if you are under afflictions, fly not to company to divert you,
neither read what the world calls harmless books; they only tend to
harden the heart, and to keep you from closing with the LORD JESUS
CHRIST.
When I was a child, yea, when I came to riper years, GOD knows, it is
with grief I speak it, when ignorant of the excellency of the word of
GOD, I read as many of these harmless books as any one; but now I have
tasted the good word of life, and am come to a more perfect knowledge
of CHRIST JESUS my LORD; I put away these childish, trifling things,
and am determined to read no other books but what lead me to a
knowledge of myself, and JESUS CHRIST.
Methinks I could speak till midnight unto you, my brethren; I am full
of love towards you; let me beseech you to fly to CHRIST for succour:
“Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation;” therefore
delay not, but strive to enter in at the strait gate; do not go the
broad way of the polite world, but choose to suffer affliction with the
people of GOD, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season:
You will have a reward afterwards, that will make amends for all the
taunts, jeers, and calamities you may undergo here.
And will not the presence of CHRIST be a sufficient reward for all
you have suffered for his name’s sake? Why will you not accept of the
LORD of glory? Do not say you have not heard of CHRIST, for he is now
offered to you, and you will not accept of him; do not blame my master,
he is willing to save you, if you will but lay hold on him by faith;
and if you do not, your blood will be required of your own heads.
But I hope that you will not let the blood of JESUS be shed in vain,
and that you will not let my preaching be of no signification. Would
you have me go and tell my master, you will not come, and that I have
spent my strength in vain; I cannot bear to carry so unpleasing a
message unto him, I would not, indeed, I would not be a swift witness
against any of you at the great day of accounts; but if you will refuse
these gracious invitations, and not accept of them, I must do it: and
will it not move your tender hearts to see your friends taken up into
heaven, and you yourselves thrust down into hell? But I hope better
things of most of you, even that you will turn unto the LORD of love,
the JESUS who died for you, that in the day when he shall come to take
his people to the mansions of everlasting rest, you may hear his voice,
“Come, ye blessed of my Father, enter into the kingdom prepared for
you before the foundation of the world.” And that we may all enter into
that glory, do thou, O JESUS, prepare us, by thy grace; give us thy
spirit; and may our hearts be united to thee: May the word that has now
been spoken, take deep root in thy people’s hearts, that it may spring
up and bring forth fruit, in some thirty, in some forty, and in some an
hundred fold; do thou preserve them while in this life from all evil,
and keep them from falling, and at last present them faultless before
thy Father, when thou comest to judge the world, that where thou art,
they may be also. Grant this, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, with whatever else
thou seest needful for us, both at this time and for evermore.
Now to GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghost, be
ascribed all honour, power, glory, might, majesty and dominion,
both now and for evermore, Amen.