There are two things in special, when men begin to be awakened, that
kill their thoughts of being saved.
1. A sense of sin. 2. The wages due thereto. These kill the heart;
for who can bear up under the guilt of sin? "If our sins he upon us,
and we pine away in them, how can we then live?" How, indeed! it is
impossible. So neither can man grapple with the justice of God. Can
thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong? they cannot. A wounded
spirit, who can bear? Men cannot, angels cannot; wherefore, if now
Christ he hid, and the blessing of faith in his blood denied, woe be
to them: such go after Saul and Judas, one to the sword and the
other to the halter, and so miserably end their days. For come to
God they dare not; the thoughts of that eternal Majesty strike them
through.
But now present such poor dejected sinners with a crucified Christ,
and persuade them that the sins under which they shake and tremble
were long ago laid upon the back of Christ, and the noise and sense
and fear of damning begins to cease, depart, and fly away: dolors
and terrors fade and vanish, and that soul conceiveth hopes of life;
for thus the soul argueth: "Is this indeed the truth of God, that
Christ was made to be sin to me--was made the curse of God for me?
Hath he indeed borne all my sins, and spilt his blood for my
redemption? O blessed tidings, O welcome grace! Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Now is peace
come, now the face of heaven is altered. Behold, all things are
become new." Now the sinner can abide God's presence, yea, sees
unutterable glory and beauty in him; for here he sees justice smile.
While Jacob was afraid of Esau, how heavily did he drive, even
towards the promised land; but when killing thoughts were turned
into kissing, and the fears of the sword's point turned into
brotherly embraces, what says he? "I have seen thy face as though it
had been the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me."
So and far better is it with a poor distressed sinner, at the
revelation of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. "God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them." O, what work will such a word make upon a
wounded conscience, especially when the next words follow: "For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him."
Now the soul sees qualifications able to set him quiet in the sight
of God--qualifications prepared already. Prepared, I say, already,
and that by God through Christ; even such as can perfectly answer
the law. What doth the law require? If obedience, here it is; if
bloody sacrifice, here it is; if infinite righteousness, here it is.
Now then the law condemns no more him that believes before God; for
all its demands are answered, all its curses are swallowed up in the
death and curse Christ underwent.
OBJECTION. But reason saith, "Since personal sin brought the death,
surely personal obedience must bring us life and glory."
ANSWER. True, reason saith so, and so doth the law itself, Rom.
10:5; but God we know is above them both, and he in the covenant of
grace saith otherwise, to wit, "That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath
raised hint from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Let reason then hold its tongue; yea, let the law with all its
wisdom subject itself to him that made it; let it look for sin where
God hath laid it; let it approve the righteousness which God
approveth: yea, though it be not that of the law, but that by faith
of Jesus Christ.
God hath made him our righteousness; God hath made him our sin; God
hath made him our curse; God hath made him our blessing: methinks
this word, God hath made it so, should silence all the world.
I shall leave the obstinate where I found him, and shall say to him
that is willing to be saved, "Sinner, thou hast the advantage of thy
neighbor, not only because thou art willing to live, but because
there are those that are willing thou shouldst, to wit, those unto
whom the issues of death belong; and they are the Father and the
Son, to whom be glory with the blessed Spirit of grace."
I have seen some, that have promised nothing at first setting out to
be pilgrims, and that one would have thought could not have lived
another day, that have yet proved very good pilgrims.
OBJECTION. I am afraid the day of grace is past, and if it should
be, what shall I do then?
ANSWER. With some men indeed, the day of grace is past before their
lives are at an end: or thus, the day of grace is past before the
day of death is come; as Christ saith, "If thou hadst known, even
thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy
peace," the word of grace or reconciliation; "but now they are hid
from thine eyes." Luke 19:42. But for thy better satisfaction, let
me ask, Doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy heart, by his
word and Spirit? If so, then the day of grace is not passed with thy
soul; for where he doth so knock, there he doth also proffer and
promise to come in and sup, that is, to communicate of his love unto
them; which he would not do were the day of grace passed with the
soul. Rev 3:20.
OBJECTION. But how shall I know whether Christ doth so knock at my
heart as to be desirous to come in, that I may know also whether the
day of grace be passed with me or not?
ANSWER. Doth the Lord make thee sensible of thy miserable state
without an interest in Jesus Christ; and that naturally thou hast no
share in him, no faith in him, no communion with him, no delight in
him, or the least love to him? If he hath, and is doing this, he is
knocking at thy heart. Doth he, together with this, put into thy
heart an earnest desire after communion with him, with holy
resolutions not to be satisfied without it? Doth he sometimes give
thee some secret persuasions, though scarcely discernible, that thou
mayest attain an interest in him? Doth he now and then glance in
some of the promises into thy heart, causing them to leave some
heavenly savor, though but for a short time, on thy spirit? Dost
thou at times see some little excellency in Christ, and doth it stir
up in thy soul some breathings after him? If so, then fear not. The
day of grace is not passed with thy poor soul; for if the day of
grace should be passed with such a soul as this, then that scripture
must be broken, where Christ saith, "Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise," upon no terms whatsoever, "cast out." John 6:37.
Get thy heart warmed with the sweet promise of Christ's acceptance
of the coming sinner, and that will make thee make more haste unto
him. Discouraging thoughts are like unto cold weather; they benumb
the senses and make us go ungainly about our business; but the sweet
and warm gleeds [Footnote: Glowing coals.] of promise are like the
comfortable beams of the sun, which enliveneth and refresheth. You
see how little the bee and the fly do play in the air in
winter--why, the cold hinders them from doing it: but when the wind
and sun are warm, who so busy as they?
OBJECTION. But saith another, "I am so heartless, so slow, and, as I
think, so indifferent in my coming, that to speak truth, I know not
whether my kind of coming ought to be called a coming to Christ."
ANSWER. I read of some that are to follow Christ in chains--I say,
to come after him in chains. Isa. 45:14. Surely they that come after
Christ in chains, come to him in great difficulty.
And what chain so heavy as those that discourage thee? Thy chain,
which is made up of guilt and filth, is heavy; it is a wretched band
about thy neck, by which thy strength doth fail. But come, though
thou comest in chains; it is glory to Christ, that a sinner comes
after him in chains. The chinking of thy chains, though troublesome
to thee, is not, nor can be, destruction to thy salvation. It is
Christ's work and glory to save thee from thy chains, to enlarge thy
steps, and set thee at liberty. The blind man, though called, surely
could not come apace to Jesus Christ; but Jesus Christ could stand
still and stay for him.
To slight grace, to despise mercy, and to stop the ear when God
speaks, when he speaks such great things so much to our profit, is a
great provocation.
He offers, he calls, he woos, he invites, he prays, he beseeches us,
in this day of his grace, to be reconciled to him; yea, and has
provided for us the means of reconciliation himself. Now, to despise
these must needs be a provoking; and it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.
OBJECTION. But some man may say unto me, "Fain I would be saved,
fain I would be saved by Christ; but I fear this day of grace is
past, and that I shall perish, notwithstanding the exceeding riches
of the grace of God."
ANSWER. To this doubt I would answer several things.
First, with respect to the day: 1. Art thou jogged and shaken and
molested at the hearing of the word? Is thy conscience awakened and
convinced, then, that thou art at present in a perishing state, and
that thou hast need to cry to God for mercy? This is a hopeful sign
that the day of grace is not past with thee.
2. Are there in thy more retired condition, arguings, strugglings,
and strivings with thy spirit to persuade thee of the vanity of what
vain things thou lovest, and to win thee in thy soul to a choice of
Christ Jesus and his heavenly things? Take heed and rebel not, for
the day of God's grace and patience will not be past with thee till
he saith his Spirit shall strive no more with thee: for then the woe
comes, when he shall depart from them, and when he says to the means
of grace, "Let them alone."
3. Art thou visited in the night seasons with dreams about thy
state, and that thou art in danger of being lost? Hast thou
heart-shaking apprehensions, when deep sleep is upon thee, of hell,
death, and judgment to come? These are signs that God has not wholly
left thee, or cast thee behind his back for ever.
All this while God has not left the sinner, nor is come to the end
of his patience towards him, but stands at least with the door of
grace ajar in his hand, as being loath as yet to bolt it against
him.
4. Art thou followed with affliction, and dost thou hear God's angry
voice in thy affliction? Doth he send with thy affliction an
interpreter to show thee thy vileness, and why or wherefore the hand
of God is upon thee and upon what thou hast, to wit, that it is for
thy sinning against him, and that thou mightst be turned to him? If
so, thy summer is not quite ended, thy harvest is not quite over and
gone. Take heed; stand out no longer, lest he cause darkness, and
lest thy feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and lest while you
look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it
gross darkness.
5. Hast thou any enticing touches of the word of God upon thy mind?
Doth as it were some holy word of God give a glance upon thee, cast
a smile upon thee, let fall though it be but one drop of its savor
upon thy spirit; yea, though it stays but one moment with thee? Oh,
then, the day of grace is not past, the gate of heaven is not shut,
nor God's heart withdrawn from thee as yet. Take heed therefore, and
beware that thou make much of the heavenly gift and of that good
word of God of which he has made thee taste.
Secondly, with respect to thy desires, what are they? Wouldst thou
be saved? Wouldst thou be saved with a thorough salvation? Wouldst
thou be saved from guilt and filth too? Wouldst thou be the servant
of thy Saviour? Art thou indeed weary of the service of thy old
masters, the devil, sin, and the world? And have these desires put
thy soul to the flight? Hast thou through desires betaken thyself to
thy heels? Dost thou fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to
come, for life?
If these be thy desires, and if they be unfeigned, fear not. Thou
art one of those runaways which God has commanded our Lord to
receive, and not to send thee back to the devil thy master again,
but to give thee a place in his house, even the place which thou
likest best.
"But," you say, "I am afraid I am not elect or chosen to salvation."
At present, lay the thoughts of thy election by, and ask thyself
these questions: Do I see my lost condition? Do I see salvation is
nowhere but in Christ? Would I share in this salvation by faith in
him? And would I be thoroughly saved from the filth as well as from
the guilt? Do I love Christ, his Father, his saints, his words and
ways? This is the way to prove we are elect.
Wherefore, sinner, when Satan or thine own heart seeks to puzzle
thee with election, say thou, "I cannot attend to talk of this point
now; but stay till I know that I am called of God to the fellowship
of his Son, and then I will show you that I am elect, and that my
name is written in the book of life."
If poor distressed souls would observe this order, they might save
themselves the trouble of an unprofitable labor under these
unreasonable and soul-sinking doubts.
Let us therefore, upon the sight of our wretchedness, fly and
venturously leap into the arms of Christ, which are now as open to
receive us into his bosom as they were when nailed to the cross.
Let me tell thee, soul, for thy comfort, who art coming in to Christ
panting and sighing as if thy heart would break, let me tell thee,
soul, thou wouldst never have come to Christ if he had not first, by
the virtue of his blood and intercession, sent into thy heart an
earnest desire after Christ; let me tell thee also, that it is his
business to make intercession for thee, not, only that thou mayest
come in, but that thou mayest be preserved when thou art come in.
They that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes heartily afraid
that Jesus Christ will not receive them.
This word, "in nowise," cutteth the throat of all objections; and it
was dropped by the Lord Jesus for that very end, and to help the
faith that is mixed with unbelief.
But I am a great sinner, sayest thou. I will in nowise cast out,
says Christ. But I am an old sinner, sayest thou. I will in nowise
cast out, says Christ. But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou.
I will in nowise cast out, says Christ. But I have served Satan all
my days, sayest thou. I will in nowise cast out, says Christ. But I
have sinned against light, sayest thou. I will in nowise cast out,
says Christ. But I have sinned against mercy, sayest thou. I will in
nowise cast out, says Christ. But I have no good thing to bring with
me, sayest thou. I WILL IN NOWISE CAST OUT, says Christ.