Sermon VII - Rev. 3:20
there be no secret purpose or reserve in thy heart for a retreat in time of danger; but embark thyself with Christ for storms and tempests, troubles and afflictions, as well as peace and prosperity. Christ bestows himself wholly upon you, and he expects the same from you: give up all, or you will get nothing from him.
Direct. 10. Close up your treaty with Christ by a solemn covenant with him; engage yourselves to be the Lord's: "One shall say, I am the Lord's:
And another shall subscribe with his hand to the holy One of Israel." Here you have two things to do: (1.) To give yourselves up to Christ, according to that expression, 2 Cor. 8:5. They gave themselves to the Lord. Make your soul and body, time and talents, henceforth to be dedicated things to his service. (2.) Take Christ in both his natures, and in all his offices to be yours; and to this covenant you are to stand to the last breath, whatever times or troubles shall come. This consent of thy heart to be Christ's, this choice of thy will in taking him for thine, is but the echo of Christ's choice of thee; and I would rather have such an evidence of my interest in him, than a voice from heaven to assure me that Christ is mine.
SERMON VII - REVEL. 3:20
Behold I stand at the door and knock; [if any man] hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
If any man*.
THIS expression extends the gracious offer of Christ, and brings in hope to every hearer. It is a proclamation with a Si quis, if any man; as if Christ should say, I will have this offer of my grace to go round to every particular person; if thou, or thou, or thou, the greatest, the vilest of
sinners, of what quality or condition soever, old or young, profane or hypocritical, will hear my voice, and open to me, I will come into their souls. And hereby all objections are obviated; as for example, I am the greatest of sinners, saith one; I have been a self-cozening hypocrite, saith another; I have resisted grace too long, and doubt the time of mercy is past, saith a third. The ground of all these, and a thousand more objections, is taken away by the gracious extent of Christ's offer in the text: for who is he that can limit where Christ doth not? This gives us a seventh profitable and comfortable Observation, which is this,
Doct. 7. That Jesus Christ will not refuse to come in to the soul of the vilest sinner, when once it is made highly willing to open to him.
If any man open, I will come in to him. It is not unworthiness, but unwillingness, that bars any man from Christ: thousands have missed of Christ by their unwillingness, but Christ never put off one soul upon account of its unworthiness; Christ is not the sale but the gift of God; you come not to make a bargain, but to receive a, free gift: faith is a marriage with Christ, wherein nothing but our hearty consent is expected; so runs the strain of the whole Scriptures, Isa. 55:1. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, (i.e. no merit, no worthiness of his own) let him come." Behold the free grace of Christ to the vilest and unworthiest of sinners. So Rev. 22:17. "Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him come, and take the water of life freely." And, in the very phrase of my text, he speaks again, John 7:37. "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink." It is very observable, throughout the whole gospel, that Christ never made any objection against any soul that came to him upon the account of its sinfulness and un worthiness; but all the complaints of Christ are still upon the account of their unwillingness. So in his complaint over Jerusalem, Luke 13:34. "I would, but you would not;" so again, John 5:40. "You will not come unto me, that you might have life." The complaint is still upon their unwillingness. In stating this point, I shall doctrinally discourse these two things:
First, What it is to be truly willing to receive Jesus Christ.
Secondly, How it appears that they who are so, shall certainly be received,
and graciously accepted of him.
First, What it is to be truly willing to receive Jesus Christ; for this is meant by opening to him. Now this implies, and involves in it, many great and weighty things.
1. It implies, and necessarily includes, the right understanding and true apprehension of gospel terms and articles: these must be known, pondered, and duly considered, before the will can savingly open, in an act of consent, to Christ's offer. I desire this may be especially observed, because multitudes are mistaken and deceived about this thing: he that doth not consider, doth not consent; you must exercise your understandings upon the terms and articles of Christianity, or else your consent is rash, blindfold, and unstable. This in Luke 14:31 is called consulting; the consent of faith is the result of many previous consultations and debates in the mind; the soul that comes to Christ must take up religion in his most sedate and serious thoughts; turn both sides of it, the dark as well as the bright side of religion, to the eye of his mind; balance all the conveniences and inconveniences, losses as well as gains.
If I open to Christ, this I shall gain, but that I must lose; I cannot separate Christ from sufferings, Christ will separate me from my sins; if I seek him, I must let them go; if I profess Christ, providence will one time or other bring me to this dilemma, either Christ or earthly comforts must go.
It is necessary therefore that I now propound to myself what providence may, one time or other, propound to me; he hath set down his terms,
Mat. 16:24. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." This self-denial deserves serious consideration; for Christ extends it to natural self, righteous self, and civil self; and requires that I give up my life, my liberty, my estate, my relations, and my own righteousness, as hard to be parted with as any of the former. I must take up my cross, that is, the sufferings and troubles
God shall appoint for me, and which I cannot avoid or escape without sin; and I must follow Christ, follow him whither soever he goes. I know not what religion may cost me before I die; all this it hath cost others; and there is no bringing down Christ's terms lower than he hath laid them. I must come up to them, they will not come down to me: if I like them not as Christ hath left them, the treaty between him and me is ended; Mat.
10:37, 38. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me, and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Where, by worthiness, we are not to understand the meritoriousness of these acts, but the necessary qualification of the will, and due qualification of a comer unto Christ; these previous consultations and debates in the mind prepare and enable the will to make a serious and well-advised choice of Christ; and for want of this, there are such swarms of hypocrites and apostates in the world.
2. It implies such a sense of misery in us, and of the necessity and excellency of Christ, as determines the will to the choice of him, notwithstanding all those difficulties and troubles which have fallen, or can fall under consideration and debate in the mind. When the soul sees that in Christ which preponderates all sufferings, all losses, all reproaches, &c. and then determines, I will have Christ, though I sacrifice all that is dear to me in the world for him, this is to be truly willing to open to Christ. It is true, the enjoyments of this world are understood by Christians as much as other men; they have a feeling sense of the sweetness and comforts of earthly enjoyments; their souls have as much affection to the body as other men; they understand the charming language of the world, and their dear relations in it, as well as others; only they see a greater necessity of Christ, and a greater worth in Christ than they do in these things. You read, Lam. 1:11 that in the famine of Jerusalem they gave their pleasant things for meat to relieve their soul; jewels, bracelets, gold, silver, any thing for bread: they understood the worth of those things, knew the price and cost of them; but away they go to preserve life. So it is here, no earthly enjoyment, of what value soever it be, hath such an excellency in it, such an absolute necessity of enjoying it as Christ hath.
Object. But oh! saith the poor soul, who can do this? I am willing to have Christ, and to come up to every term he hath laid down in the gospel; I am willing to part with every sin, and to endure any suffering for Christ:
But oh! I tremble to think, if it should come to a prison, to a stake, to an actual separation from all the comforts and relations in the world, what shall I do for strength to go through such hard and difficult work as this!
Here is the great rub in the way of many souls; they find a willingness, but fear the want of strength.
Answ. How or where you shall find strength to endure and suffer these things for Christ, is not the question now before you: God will take care for that, and it shall be given you in that hour, and so others have found who have had the very same fears you have. I say, the question is not whether you be able, but whether you be heartily willing? Christ asks but your will, he will provide ability: The greatest believer in the world cannot say, I am able to suffer this or that for Christ; but the least believer in the world must say, I am willing, the Lord assisting me, to endure and suffer all things for his sake. And this is the second thing included in opening to Christ.
3. The third thing which perfects and consummates the whole act, is an entire choice of Jesus Christ upon all those terms prescribed by him; the entireness of the choice, without halving or dividing, excepting or reserving, making the consent full and effectual. There is a twofold consent of the will to Christ.
(1.) One partial, and with exception.
(2.) The other entire, and without any reservation.
(1.) There is a partial consent, which is always hypocritical, defective, lame, and ineffectual; thus the hypocrite consents to the offer of Christ:
He is really willing to have the pardons of Christy, and the glory purchased by Christ; but to part with his beloved lusts, and to give up his earthly enjoyments, that his will cannot consent to.
(2.) There is a full and entire consent of the will, called, A believing with all the heart, Acts 8:34. Now this integrity and fulness of the will's choice, is that which closeth the match betwixt Christ and the soul, and frees a man from the danger of hypocrisy. And there are three things which make the consent to, and choice of Christ complete and full.
1. When we give up all we are and have to him.
2. When we derive and draw all we want from him.
3. When we are ready to deny any thing for his sake.
1. We do then heartily consent to be Christ's, when we give up all we are and have to him; so that after this choice of Christ, we look upon ourselves thenceforth as none of our own, but bought with a price, to glorify God in our body and soul, which are his, 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. Soul and body are all that we are, and both these parts of ourselves do now pass, by an act of our own consent, into the Redeemer's right; we are not to have the dispose of them; that belongs to him that purchased them. You know in all purchases, property is altered: You did live as your own, followed your own wills, lusts, passions, were under the dominion, and at the beck of every lust; but now the case is altered; Tit. 3:3, "We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures." So many lusts, so many lords. But now the case is altered, we have given ourselves to Christ, no more to be swayed this way or that against his word, and the voice of our own consciences. Thus our souls and bodies are his, hallowed dedicated things to Christ, temples for God to dwell in. And then all other things follow of course; if I am the Lord's, then my time, my talents, and all that I have are his.
2. As you must give up all to Christ, so we must derive and draw all we want from him; else your choice of Christ is not entire and full: God hath stored up in Christ all that you want, a suitable and full supply for every need; and made it all communicable to you, 1 Cor. 1:30. "Who of God is made unto us, wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption." All the believer's fresh springs are in Christ. Have I any difficult business to do that requires counsel? then I must repair to Christ the fountain of wisdom: Am I under any guilt? then I must repair to Christ for righteousness: Is my soul defiled by corruption? then must I go to Christ for sanctification: Do I groan under troubles of soul or body, temptations, afflictions? &c. then must I relieve myself by the faith and hope of that complete redemption, and final deliverance, procured by Christ from all these. If you consent to be Christ's, you must not look for justification, partly upon his righteousness, and partly upon your own graces and duties; but must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. If there be but one conduit in a town, and not a drop of water to
be had elsewhere, then all the inhabitants of that town repair thither for water. In the whole city of God there is but one conduit, one fountain, and that is Christ; there is not one drop of righteousness, holiness, strength or comfort to be had elsewhere. Then we fetch all from Christ, when we live upon him, as the new-born infant doth upon the mothers breast.
3. Then is our consent to, and choice of Christ entire and full, when we are ready to deny, give up, and part with any thing we have for his sake; reckoning nothing to be lost to us, which goes to the glory of Christ. How dear soever our liberties, estates or lives are to us, if the Lord have need of them, we must let them go. Thus you read, Rev. 12:11. "They loved not their lives unto the death." These three things shew saving faith to be another manner of thing than the world generally understands it to be; and it is impossible for any mans will to open to, and receive Christ, upon terms of such deep self-denial as these, until there be,
1. A conviction of our sin and misery.
2. A discovery of Christ in his glory and necessity.
3. The drawing power of the Spirit upon the soul.
1. Conviction of our sin and misery makes these terms of religion acceptable; poor sinners stand debating with Christ, excepting and objecting against his terms, until the Lord hath shaken them by conviction over hell, made them to see the dreadful danger they are in; and then the next cry is, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2:37. q. d. Prescribe any means, impose upon us the greatest difficulties, we are willing to comply with them.
2. Nor will souls ever comply with those terms of the gospel, until a discovery hath been made to them of Jesus Christ in his glory and necessity. When a man feels his wants, and sees a complete remedy, his will then complies and bows readily and freely; the convinced sinner sees a full and suitable supply in Christ for all his wants, a complete Saviour, in whom there is nothing defective, but in all respects according to the wish of a sinner's heart, 1 Cor. 1:24.
3. To all this must be superadded the powerful drawings of the Spirit, in the virtue whereof the will comes home to Christ, John 6:44. "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."
When these things are past upon the soul, then it hears Christ's voice, his powerful call, which breaks asunder all the ties and bonds betwixt a man and his lusts; a man and his earthly enjoyments; and without these things the will is unpersuadable to comply with the difficulties and severities of religion. This is the first thing, what the opening of the door, or consent of the will to receive Christ is.
Secondly, The next thing to be opened in order is, How it appears that Jesus Christ will not refuse to come into the soul of any sinner, be his sins or unworthiness ever so great, when once he is made heartily willing thus to embrace and receive Christ upon his own terms. Oh, sinner! what good tidings are these to thy soul, that Christ will not disdain to be in union and communion with thee, as vile as thou art, if thy will stand thus open to him! The tidings are sweet, and I hope thou wilt find them as sure and certain, as they are sweet and comfortable, when thou shalt have seriously pursued and pondered the following evidences.
Evidences Evidence 1. The truth of this sweet assertion clearly evidenceth itself from the form and manner of gospel-invitations. They are designedly put into large, general, free, and most extensive terms, to assure sinners that Christ will not be shy of the worst sinner in the world, thus made willing to embrace him; they are so framed on purpose to anticipate or take away all objections from sinners. No other condition is put in the gospel, but this only, Art thou heartily willing to take Christ upon his own terms? The offers of Christ are extended to all that thirst and desire after him, John
7:37 to the greatest of sinners, upon this only condition, that they be willing and obedient, Isa. 1:18, 19. "Go preach the gospel to every creature: He that believeth shall be saved," Mark 16:15, 16. It is extended to all nations, "For in Christ Jesus there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free,"
Col. 3:11. If there be any poor soul of any quality or condition whatsoever, under the cope of heaven, whose will is wrought up to a hearty compliance with the terms of the gospel, Christ will not be shy of coming
into that soul, though it hath been never so vile and abominable; the heart of a Mary Magdalen, which had been an habitation of devils; the soul of a Saul, a bloody, raging persecutor, will make as delightful habitations for Christ, as the soul of the most civilized person in the world, when once the will is thus opened.
Evidence 2. The truth of this assertion further appears from the encouraging promises made by Christ unto all who are thus made willing to come unto him. All the promises with one mouth, assure the willing sinner of a welcome with Christ; so doth that glorious promise, to which so many thousand souls have been beholden for encouragement and help at their first coming to Christ; John 6:37, 38. "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out: For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." Note here, (1.) That this is not a promise made to them that are already in Christ, that they shall never be cast out by apostasy, or final desertion; but it is a promise made to coming souls, to such as are moving towards Christ, under great discouragements, fears and tremblings. When a poor sinner looks to Christ, sees his fulness and suitableness, and sees the pinching need and want of him; O, saith he, that I had an interest in him, though I should beg my bread in desolate places! But looking into his own heart, and seeing such a heap of guilt and unworthiness there, then saith he, how can I think that ever Jesus
Christ will come into such a heart as this? These are the persons upon whom this promise casts an encouraging aspect. (2.) And because the fears of such poor creatures are double to the fears that others have,
Christ hath put a double negative into this promise for the soul's encouragement; "I will not, in no case, or at any hand, cast out such a soul as this." (3.) And to put all out of doubt, he doth not only assure the soul that he will not, but condescends to give it the reason why he will not cast it out, ver. 38. "I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." As if he should say, this was the very errand upon which I came down from heaven; it was my great business to receive all that were made willing to embrace me; for this I had my
Father's commission, Isa. 61:1. "To preach good tidings to the meek; and to bind up the broken-hearted; and to comfort all them that mourn." I cannot be faithful to the trust committed to me by my Father, should I
shut the door upon such souls. How can Christ comfort the soul that mourns, but by opening his arms of mercy to receive it? If Christ should say to the convinced mourning sinner, hold thy peace, soul, I will give thee riches, honours, and pleasures in the world; but as for me, thou canst not have union with me. I say, this would never comfort the heart of a convinced sinner; it is Christ, and none but Christ, can quiet it. Like unto this, is that testimony and promise made on purpose for the encouragement of willing souls, Acts 10:44 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins." This you see is a truth confirmed by the testimony of all the prophets, who foretold what his gracious readiness to receive poor broken-hearted sinners should be; and sure they neither did, nor could conspire to deceive the world. These gracious assurances and promises cut off all pleas against faith, from the greatness of sin; and why should we except, where God hath not excepted? Had Christ said, all sinners of such a size and degree may come unto me, but let all others stand back, the case had been otherwise; but this promise assures us, that all the sincerely willing, shall be truly welcome to Jesus Christ. Moreover, these universal promises take away all fear and doubt of presumption in coming to Christ. That is the case of many a poor soul. I am afraid I am running out of despair into presumption; I doubt I am an unbidden, and therefore shall be an unwelcome guest to Christ. All this is prevented and cut off by these sweet universal terms inserted on purpose in these promises for our encouragement. That is the second evidence of this truth.
Evidence 3. The willingness of Christ to receive the willing soul, how many and great soever its sins and unworthiness be, appears from the actual grants of pardon and mercy, even to the vilest sinners that ever were upon the earth, when they thus came unto him. Here you see how the waters of free-grace rise higher and higher. An invitation is much; a promise of welcome is more; but the actual grant of mercy is most satisfying of all. Come on, poor trembling soul, do not be discouraged, stretch out the small weak arms of thy faith to that great and gracious
Redeemer; open thy heart wide to receive him; he will not refuse to come in. He hath sealed thousands of pardons to as vile wretches as thyself; he never yet shut the door of mercy upon a willing, hungering soul. It is a
great matter to have the way beaten, and the ice broken before thee, in thy way to Christ. If thou wert the first sinner that had cast his soul upon Christ, I confess I should want this encouragement I am now giving thee; but when so many have gone before thee, and all found a welcome beyond their expectation, what encouragement doth this breathe into thy trembling, discouraged heart to go on and venture thyself upon Christ, as they did? What an example have we in Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33 from ver. 3 to 12. An idolater, one that used enchantments and divinations, familiar spirits, shed innocent blood in the streets of Jerusalem! A man might rake the world, and hardly bring to sight a viler wretch, a greater monster in sin and wickedness: yet his heart being broken, and his will bowed, this man found mercy. How great a sinner was Mary, that came to Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee, Luke 7:39 so notorious a sinner, that Simon took offence at Christ for suffering so vile a wretch to come into his presence. "If this man were a Prophet, (saith he) he would have known who, and what manner of woman this is that touched him, for she is a sinner". Yet Mary's heart being broken for sin, and made willing to accept of a Saviour, what a gracious demonstration of welcome did Christ give her, and to all other sinners a singular encouragement in her example? Once more, you have an eminent example of the abundant welcome of another sinner to Christ, who owned himself for the greatest of sinners; a persecutor, a blasphemer, injurious; but saith he, I obtained mercy, 1 Tim. 1:16. And the example of his gracious entertainment with Christ, is recorded on purpose for an encouragement unto all that should hereafter believe. How many thousands are now in hell that never stood guilty of greater enormities than the Corinthians did? Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, such were some of them; yet sanctified, washed, justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. If ever Christ would have shut the door of mercy upon any; if ever he would have been coy and shy of coming into any souls, certainly these were the souls he would have disdained to come near. O what a demonstration is here of that comfortable point before us! That Christ will not refuse to come into the soul of the vilest sinner, when once it is made heartily willing to open to him.
Evidence 4. A further evidence of this comfortable truth shall be taken
from the scriptural-resemblances of the abundant grace of God, and riches of mercy in Christ, towards all broken-hearted and willing sinners.
There are some chosen resemblances and excellent emblems, which bring down the grace of God before the eyes of men; amongst which I will single out three glorious resemblances of free-grace, chosen by his wisdom on purpose for the encouragement of poor drooping sinners. A resemblance from the heavens, a resemblance from the sun, and a resemblance from the sea; all such as the wisdom of men and angels could never have chosen for such a purpose as this is.
1. A resemblance from the heavens, those vast extended heavens that cover and compass this earth. What an inconsiderable spot is the whole terrestrial globe, to those high and all-surrounding heavens? And yet these heavens are not at so vast a distance above the earth, as the pardoning grace of God is above the guilt, yea, and the very thoughts of poor sinners. For, of the pardoning grace of God to penitent and willing souls, that precious scripture speaks, Isa. 55:8, 9. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." O, saith the soul, I cannot think God will ever have mercy on such a wretch as I: why, saith he, ver. 8. "My thoughts are not your thoughts," and it is well they are not; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts higher than your thoughts." You cannot take the height, nor sound the depth of my pardoning grace. That is one emblem, from the unconceivable height of the heavens above the earth.
2. Another is taken from the sun in the heavens, a creature of admirable power and virtue. You know, that anon this part of the world will be the throne of darkness; the sable curtains of the night will be spread over all the beauties of this part of the earth, and it may be in the morning a thick fog or mist will cover it; thick and dark clouds may darken the heavens:
But, behold this glorious creature the sun chasing before him the darkness of the night, breaking up the mists and clouds of the morning, scattering the dark and thick clouds of heaven; they are all gone, and there is no appearance of them: Just so, saith God, shall it be with thy sins, and thy cloudy fears arising out of sin, Isa. 44:22. "I have blotted out
as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins." Thy soul is beclouded, thy fears have bemisted thee, so that thou canst not see the grounds of thy encouragement; but my grace shall rise upon thee like the sun in the heavens, and scatter all these dismal clouds both of guilt and fear, and make a clear heaven over thee, and a clear soul within thee.
"Unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings," Mal. 4:2.
3. Another resemblance you have from the sea, the great abyss, that vast congregation of waters, whose depth no line can fathom: Veer out as much line as you will, you cannot touch the bottom. To this unfathomable ocean the pardoning grace of God is also resembled, Micah 7:18, 19. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the trangression of the remnant of his heritage: He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." If the loftiest pyramid, or highest mountain were cast into the depth of the sea, it would never be seen more by the eyes of men. God hath on purpose chosen these emblems of his grace, to obviate that common discouragement of Satan, taken from the greatness and aggravation of sin; and, in that case, thou art to make use of them, and bless the Lord for them: He never designed them for encouragement to sin, but, for encouragement to repentance and faith.
That is the fourth evidence of the truth before us.
Evidence 5. The truth of this conclusion will also evidently appear from the innate characters and properties of the grace and pardoning mercy of God towards penitent and hungering sinners. Now there are three glorious characters of Divine grace, which do all assure such sinners of welcome to Christ, whatever they have been or done. The grace of God shines forth in scripture in three illustrious characters.
1. As superabounding grace.
2. As free grace.
3. As grace exercised with delight.
1. It is superabounding grace. Waters do not so abound in the ocean, nor light in the sun, as grace and compassion do in the bowels of God towards broken-hearted and hungry sinners, Isa. 55:6. "Let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." The compassions of our God inserted that word on purpose to relieve poor souls, fainting under the sense of their abounding iniquities. Here is abundant pardon for abounding guilt; and yet, lest a desponding sinner should not find enough here to quiet his fears, the Lord goes yet farther in the expression of his grace, Rom. 5:20. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." It overflowed all the bounds, it rose quite above the high-water mark of sin and guilt: but these overflowings of grace run only through that channel of all grace,
Jesus Christ, to broken-hearted and obedient sinners.
2. The grace of God to such souls is free; every way free; it is the very design of the gospel to exhibit it in this its glory. It costs you nothing but acceptance; it is free without merit; yea, free against merit. You can deserve nothing of God, therefore his grace is free without merit; yea, you have deserved hell as often as you have sinned against him, and so it is free against merit. If a pardon were to be purchased by us, we want a stock for such a purchase; neither can we borrow from men or angels a sufficient sum for such a purchase; blessed be God therefore, that it flows freely to us without money and without price, Isa. 55:2.
3. Grace glories in another property also, which is very encouraging to the soul of a drooping sinner, viz. That it is the darling attribute which God greatly delights to exercise. The tender mother draws not out her aching breast with such delight to her hungry crying child, as the Lord doth his mercy and compassion to broken-hearted and hungry sinners. In this attribute, and in this property of it, his people therefore admire him,
Micah 7:18. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." You cannot put
Jesus Christ upon a more delightful employment, than to bind up the wounds, and set the broken bones of poor convinced humbled sinners.
Let every such soul come to Christ and welcome; for he greatly delights in such employments.
Evidence 6. Such sinners need not doubt a welcome reception with Christ; for should he reject, and turn back such as these, then none can have the benefit of his blood; and, consequently, it must be shed in vain, as water spilt upon the ground. The blood of Christ is invaluably precious, and it cannot be lost; it were a desperate impeachment of the wisdom and goodness of God to think so; yet so it must be, if broken-hearted and willing souls be rejected and turned back from him. There are but two sorts in all the world, viz. hardened, and broken-hearted sinners; willing and unwilling sinners. The whole world falls into these two ranks. As for impenitent, hardened, and obstinate sinners, it is certain they can have no benefit by the blood of Christ; they shall die in their sins; the gospel cuts them off (so continuing) from all expecation of pardon and mercy.
Now there is but one sort of sinners more left in the world, and they are convinced and humbled sinners, who are made heartily willing to receive
Christ upon his own terms; who stretch forth the hands of their desires to him, and pant after an interest in him. Should Christ reject these also, who then shall receive the benefit of his blood? did Christ die in vain? or can the counsels of heaven prove abortive? No; fear not therefore to go to Christ, thou broken-hearted sinner, thou poor panting, longing soul; fear not, he will not cast thee out.
Evidence 7. Moreover, for the encouragement of all such souls, mercy and pardon are designed for, and bestowed upon, the greatest and vilest of sinners; to enhance and raise the glory of free grace to the highest pitch.
God picks out such sinners as you are, on purpose to illustrate the glory of his grace in and upon you: he knows that you, to whom so much is forgiven, will love much, Luke 7:47. Ye that have done so much against his name and glory, will excel others in zeal and obedience, 1 Cor. 15:9,
10. You will go beyond others in service for God, as you have done in sinning against him. All these things laid together make up a full demonstration of the point, That Jesus Christ will not refuse to come into the soul of the vilest sinner, when once it is made heartily willing to open unto him: which was the thing to be proved; and now our way is open to the application of the point, which will be exceeding useful for information, exhortation, and consolation.
I. Use, for Information
Infor. 1. Learn hence, what an invaluable mercy it is to enjoy the gospel in its light and liberty, which is so great a relief to the distressed consciences of sinners.
Here only that balm is to be found that heals your spiritual wounds. The gospel hath been a low-priced commodity in England: The Lord pardon the guilt thereof to us. Ah! brethren, if you were in the heathen world with your sick and wounded consciences, what would you do? There are no Bibles, ministers, or promises, not a breath of Christ, or the blood of sprinkling, which are the true and proper remedies of sick souls. That is a pitiful cry, Micah 6:6. "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burntofferings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
Behold here the anguish of a distressed, sinburdened conscience; it would give up any thing in the world for peace and ease; they would cast their children, their dearest children, their first-born into the burning flames, if that might be an atonement for their sins. O the efficacy of conscience! and the misery of an unrelieved conscience! but the gospel which you enjoy leads you to the fountain of pardon and peace, Isa. 53:5. "By his stripes we are healed." The voice of the gospel is peace, peace to every one that believeth; a rational peace, founded upon the full satisfaction of Christ, Eph. 1:7. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Here you see justice and mercy kissing each other; God satisfied, and the sinner justified: for conscience demands as much to satisfy it, as God demands to satisfy him; if God be satisfied, conscience is satisfied. "O blessed are the people that hear this joyful sound," Psalm 89:15. And, doubtless, it is a joyful sound to every convinced humbled soul. "Beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring good tidings, that publish peace." It is a gospel worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1:15. It brings with it a fulness of blessings among the people. O England! O Dartmouth!
Provoke not thy God to extinguish this blessed light. Great is our wantonness, and ominous is our barrenness and ingratitude. "Yet a little while the light is with you, walk whilst ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he
goeth," John 12:35. Should God blow out this light, whither will ye go?
Who shall pour in balm to your distressed bleeding consciences?
Infor. 2. Hence, in like manner it follows, that the greatness or heinousness of past sins is no bar to believing and accepting Christ upon gospel-terms. Let no sinner be dismayed by the atrocity and heinousness of sins past, from coming unto Jesus Christ for remission and peace. I am aware what mischievous use Satan makes of former sins to discourage souls from the work of faith. By heaping them together, he raiseth up a mountain betwixt Christ and the distressed soul; but behold this day
Christ leaping over these mountains, and skipping over these hills. Could this objection be rolled out of the way, sinners would go on in hope: but, certainly, if God hath given thee a broken heart and a willing mind, the greatness of thy sin needs not discourage thee from believing. For (1.) thou hast sufficient encouragement from the sufficiency of the causes of pardon, whatever thy particular enormities have been. There is a sufficiency in the impulsive case, the free grace and mercy of God, Exod.
34:6, 7. Mic. 7:18, 19. Isa. 55:7, 8, 9. It is well there is mercy enough in God to heal and cover all; and there is no less sufficiency in the meritorious cause of pardon, the blood of Jesus Christ, which taketh away all sin, 1 John 1:7. John. 1:29. And it must needs be so because of its divine blood, Acts 20:28. Neither is there any defect in the applying cause, the Spirit of God, who hath already begun to work upon thy heart, and is able to break it and bow it, and bring it home fully to Christ, and to complete the work of faith upon thee with power. Thou complainest, thou canst not mourn nor believe as thou wouldst; but he wants no ability to supply all the defects of thy repentance and faith. Well then, if the mercy of God be sufficient to pardon the sin of a creature; if the blood of Christ, the treasures and revenues of a king, be able to pay the debts of a beggar, if the Spirit of God, who works by an Almighty power, be able to convince thee of righteousness, as well as sin, John 16:9. I say, if all these three causes of forgiveness be sufficient, every one in its kind, the first to move, the second to purchase, and the third to apply; what hinders but thy trembling conscience should go to Christ, and thy discouraged soul move onward with hope, in the way of believing, whatever thy former enormities have been? (2.) If God raise glory to his name, out of the greatness of the sins he pardoneth, then the greatness of sin can be no
discouragement to believing; but so God doth; he raiseth the glory of his name from the multitude and magnitude of the sins he pardoneth, Jer.
33:8, 9. "I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and will pardon their iniquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me; and it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good I do unto them. And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it." As a cure performed upon a man labouring under a desperate disease; it magnifies the physician, and spreads his name far and near.
The devil envies God this glory, and thy soul this comfort; and therefore scares thee off from Christ, by the aggravations of thy sins. David was willing to give God the glory of pardoning his great iniquities, and with that very argument moves him for a pardon, Psal. 25:11. "Pardon my iniquity, for it is great." You see there are strange ways of arguing in scripture, which are not in use among men; this is one, "Lord, pardon my sin, for it is great." He doth not say, Lord pardon it, for it is but a small offence; no, but pardon it because it is great; and the greater it is, the greater glory wilt thou have in pardoning it. And then there is another way of arguing for pardon in the scripture, which is peculiar; and that is, to argue from former pardons unto new pardons. When men beg their pardon one of another, they use to say, I never wronged you before, and therefore forgive now; but here it is quite otherwise; Lord, thou hast signed thousands of pardons heretofore, therefore pardon me again. Such is that plea, Numb. 14:19. "Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt even until now." (3.) As great sins as those that now stare in the face of thy conscience, have been actually forgiven to men, upon their humiliation and closing with Christ. Poor sinners, under trouble of conscience, are apt to think there is no sin like theirs. God forbid I should diminish and extenuate sin; but certain I am that free grace hath pardoned as great sinners as thou art, upon their repentance and faith. What think you, had you had a hand in putting Christ to death, would not that sin have been as dreadful as any that now discourages you? Yea, certainly you would have thought that an unpardonable sin; and yet behold that very sin was no bar to their pardon when once they were pricked at their heart, and made willing to come to Christ, Acts 2:36,
37, 38. (4.) If it be the design and policy of Satan to object the greatness of your sins, to prevent the pardoning of them; then certainly it is neither your duty nor interest to plead it to the same end the devil doth, to say a confederacy, and join with your mortal enemy in a plot against the honour of Christ, and salvation of your own souls. Take heed what you do, seal not Satan's conclusions. Do you think it is a small matter to be confederate with the devil? Certainly this is his design, he magnifies your sins on purpose to discourage you from faith. While you were secure and carnal, the devil never aggravated, but diminished your sins to you; but now the Lord hath opened your eyes, and you are come near to the door of hope, mercy, and pardon, now he magnifies them, hoping thereby to lame and weaken thy faith, that it shall not be able to carry thee to Christ.
(5.) If thy sin be really unpardonable, then God hath somewhere excepted it in the gospel-grant. He hath somewhere said, The man that hath committed this sin, or continued so many years in sin, shall never be forgiven: but now in the whole gospel there is but one sin that is absolutely excepted from the possibility of pardon, and that such a sin as thy sorrows and desires after Christ do fully acquit and clear thee from the guilt of. This sin indeed is excepted, Mat. 12:31. "But the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven." This is that which the scripture calls a sin unto death. Let apostate professors, transformed into persecutors, scoffers, and haters of godliness, and the professors of it, look to themselves; the dreadful symptoms of this sin seem to appear upon such. But the humbled, thirsty soul after Christ, stands clear of the guilt of that sin. (6.) If there were no forgiveness with God for great sinners, then great sinners had never been invited to come to Christ. The invitations of the gospel are no mockeries, but things of most awful solemnity. Now such sinners are called and invited under the encouragement of a pardon. Consult Isa. 1 from ver. 10 to 17 and see the horrid aggravations of thy people's sins; and yet at ver. 17, 18 you may read the gracious invitations of God, with conditional promises of a plenary remission. So in Jer. 3 from 1 to 13 what a sad catalogue of sins, with their horrid aggravations, do you find there? and yet it is said, ver.
12. "Go and proclaim these words towards the north, and say, return thou backsliding Israel, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful." (7.) If thy sins had not been capable of remission, God would never have given thee conviction and compunction for sin, nor
have drawn forth the desires of thy heart in this manner after Christ. He hath tacked remission to repentance, Acts 5:31 a blessing to gracious desires and hungerings, Mat. 5:6 There is therefore hope, that when God hath given thee one, he will not long with-hold the other. This very wounding of thy heart by compunction, and drawing forth thy will by inclination, shews that remission is not only possible, but even at the door. (8.) And lastly, Let this be thine encouragement, (whatever Satan or thine own heart suggests to discourage thee) that great sinners are moving in the way of repentance and faith to a great Saviour, who hath merit enough in his blood, and mercy enough in his bowels, to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, Heb. 7:25. The Lord open to the eyes of your faith that rich treasury of free-grace, Exod. 34:6, 7 and give you a sight of that plenteous redemption and forgiveness that is with God,
Psal. 130:4, 7 that you may not at once cast reproach upon the most glorious attribute of God, impeach the precious blood of Christ, and stab your own souls with a death-wound of desperation; which is that the devil intends, and the whole strain of the gospel-designs to prevent.
Infor. 3. If the vilest of sinners stand as fair for pardon and mercy, upon their closing with Christ by faith, as the least of sinners do: then, certainly, the pardon and salvation of sinners is not built upon any righteousness in themselves, but purely and only upon the free-grace of God in Jesus Christ. Do not think God hath set the blood of Christ to sale, and that those only are capable of the benefits of it, who have lived the strictest and soberest lives. No; though sobriety, morality, and strictness in religious duties be things commanded and commended in the gospel; yet no man by these things can purchase a pardon for the least sin, Rom.
11:6. "And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work." See how these exclude one another: thus Titus 3:5.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." No man can satisfy God by any thing he himself can do or suffer; not by doing, for all we do is mixed with sin, Job 14:4 and that which is sinful can be no atonement for sin. All we do or can do, is a debt due to God, Luke 17:10 and one debt cannot satisfy for another. Nor yet by suffering, for the sufferings awarded by the law are everlasting; and to be ever satisfying is never to satisfy: so then by the works of the
law shall no flesh living be justified in his sight. The saints in all generations have fled to mercy for remission, Psal. 130 ult. The two debtors, Luke 7:43, 44, 45 though there were a vast difference in the debts; yet of the lesser, as well as of the greater, it is said they had nothing to pay. Nothing but the satisfaction of Christ can quit your scores with God.
Infor. 4. If the grace of Christ be thus free to the greatest of sinners, then it is both our sin and folly to stand off from Christ, and draw back from believing, for want of such and such qualifications, which we yet find not to be wrought in our hearts. Poor convinced souls think, O if they had more humility, tenderness, love to God, spirituality of mind, this would be some encouragement to believe; but because they have no such ornaments to dress up their souls withal, they are not fit to go to Christ.
Now to remove this great mistake, let two things be considered.
1. That such a conceit as this crosses the very stream of the covenant of grace, where nothing is sold, but all freely given. This is the very spirit of the covenant of works; fain we would find something in ourselves to bring to God, to procure his favour and acceptance; but the gospel tells us we must come naked and empty-handed, to be justified freely by his grace,
Rom. 3:24. We must be justified as Abraham was, who believed in him that justifieth the ungodly; Rom. 4:5. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The meaning is, to him that worketh not in a law-sense, to procure pardon and acceptance by and for working. Go then, poor sinner, unto God through Christ, and tell him thou hast nothing to bring him; thou comest not to bring, but to receive: Lord, I am a vile sinner, I have nothing to plead but thy mercy, and Christ's merit. This is the spirit of the gospel.
2. By standing off from faith, for want of these qualifications, you invert the settled order of the gospel: by putting consequents in the place of antecedents, and antecedents in the place of consequents. It is as if a man should say, if I were cured of such and such diseases, then I would go to the physician; alas, could you otherwise procure the healing of your corruptions, or the gracious qualifications you speak of, you would have no need to go to Christ at all. Nothing is required of us in our coming to
Christ, but such a sense of, and sorrow for sin, as makes us heartily willing to accept Christ, and subscribe the terms on which he is offered in the gospel.
Infor. 5. Behold the admirable condescension of Christ, that he would come into the heart of the vilest sinner, and not disdain to take his abode in that soul which hath been the seat of Satan, where he hath ruled, and every unclean lust hath been harboured!
There are two things wherein the admirable condescension of Christ appears. (1.) In taking union with our nature after sin had blasted the beauty of it. This was a marvellous stoop indeed, and justly admired by the apostle, Phil. 2:7. "He made himself of no reputation, and was made in the likeness of man." Yea, "God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. 8:3. But (2.) it is justly admirable in our eyes, that Christ should also take union with our persons, and take his habitation and abode in our hearts, after Satan and sin had so long inhabited and defiled them; that he should accept those members as instruments of his service; that very tongue to praise him that had blasphemed him, &c. yet so he is willing to do, and commands us to deliver them up to him, Rom.
6:19. "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." One would have thought Jesus Christ should have said, vile wretch, Satan hath had the use and service of thy soul and body, from the beginning to this day; thy memory hath been his store-house, thy mouth his shop, thy will his throne, and all thy members his tools and instruments to sin against me; thou hast been a creature dedicated to Satan, and to him thou shalt go. No; but the merciful Lord declares his willingness, if thou wilt open thy soul to receive him, to cleanse it by his Spirit, and make it his temple to dwell in. O admirable grace!
Infor. 6. Lastly, How just and inevitable will their damnation be, who consent not to the necessary and reasonable terms of the gospel, which is the only point on which Christ and their souls part for ever.
The terms required by the gospel are every way equal and reasonable. If a gracious prince will bestow a pardon upon a traitor, upon this condition,
that he lay down his arms, acknowledge his offence, and list himself into his prince's service, and he shall refuse so to do, how just and unpitied would his destruction be? And what else doth God require of thee, but only this? "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon," Isa. 55:7. And as the damnation of such is just, so it will be inevitable; for, if there be no way to glory but by Christ, as you know there is not, Acts 4:12. "Neither is there salvation in any other." And if there be no way to Christ, but by accepting him upon these very terms, as it plainly appears from Luke 14:26 there is not; what then remains but inevitable damnation to all that come not up to the terms of the gospel? If you think not Christ a good bargain, with all the sufferings, losses, and reproaches that attend him, your mouths will be stopped; no plea will be left you in the great day. You refused a fair offer, when it was seasonably and graciously made you by the gospel, and now you must expect no more such offers to eternity. Thy blood, sinner, be upon thine own head; the freeness and importunity of the tenders of grace will then only serve to illustrate and clear the righteousness of God in thy condemnation.
II. Use, for Exhortation In the next place, the point naturally leads me to a vehement persuasive unto all sinners, of what rank or size soever they be, to hearken to the voice of Christ, who takes them all within the compass of his gracious invitation in the text, saying, If any man open, I will come in. Let all sorts of sinners bless God for the extensiveness of this invitation, and that they find themselves by it, as yet, within the reach and compass of the arms of a merciful Redeemer; and that there is nothing wanting to secure their salvation, but the hearty consent of their wills to the reasonable and necessary terms of the gospel. Look over the whole book of God, and you shall there find but one case absolutely excepted from the possibility of forgiveness; but one wound absolutely incurable, of which Christ speaks,
Mat. 12:31, 32. And what may be the reason that this only is an incurable wound? Certainly it cannot be because the malignity of this sin exceeds the meritorious and pardoning virtue of the blood of Christ; but rather, because there is no sacrifice appointed by the Lord for it. God never
designed that the blood of Christ should be an expiatory sacrifice for that sin, as the apostle plainly speaks, Heb. 6:4, 5, 6, 7. All other sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men, saith Christ; that is, they are capable of forgiveness, upon sincere and actual repentance and faith; yea, they have been actually pardoned unto many: now the greater any man's sins have been, the greater need he hath to hasten to Christ for pardon.
There are some of you greater sinners than others; for though no sin be venial, light and trivial in itself, yet compared one with another, there is a vast difference found betwixt them in the weight and aggravations of them. Now, I will labour to shew you by what rules men are to estimate the greatness and aggravations of sin; and then, to convince you that the greatest of sinners stand yet fair for mercy as well as the lesser, and sometimes much fairer. "Publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you," saith Christ, Mat. 22:31. Now the rules to estimate the aggravations and greatness of sin by, are these:
1. There be sins of infirmity, committed out of weakness; and there are crying sins in the ears of the Lord. Of the former sort, sins of infirmity, you read, Gal. 6:1 where it is called a being overtaken in a fault. Here is no premeditation, nor deliberate consent, but a surprize: these go not to the account of gross and heinous enormities, called in Scripture, crying sins, such is the sin of oppression, Hab. 2:10, 11. "The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it." The meaning is, that the injustice and oppression which men have used in raising their own houses, shall cry in the ears of the Lord for vengeance. The stone in the wall shall say, I was digged out of the quarry, hewn, and laid here by the unrewarded labours of the poor Mason; and the timber out of the beam shall say, I was hewn, squared, and placed here by the unrewarded hands of the poor Carpenter. This is a crying sin; so also is the sin of murder, when our hands have been defiled with innocent blood. This makes a dismal cry to heaven; Gen. 4:10. "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." A sin that makes a horrid outcry in both worlds at once; in heaven, and in the sinner's conscience. Such also is the sin of unnatural lusts. The sin of Sodom made a cry which came up to heaven, Gen. 18:20. "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grievous." Compare these sins with the sins of common infirmity, which come by way of involuntary surprise, and what
vast odds will be found in the weight and aggravations of them?
2. You find in Scripture a great difference put betwixt sins committed against the clear shining light of knowledge in the sinner's conscience, and sins of ignorance, which are committed for want of knowledge. Christ himself puts a great difference betwixt them, Luke 12:47, 48 and so doth the apostle, James 4:17. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin." Sin with a witness!
3. There are single acts of sin, and continued or repeated acts of sin; sins committed after convictions, promises, and resolutions. Now there is not so much of guilt in a single act of sin as there is in a repeated and continued course of sin, called, Deut. 29:19. "The adding of drunkenness to thirst;" and Isa. 30:1. "Adding sin to sin." For, as it is in numbering, so it is in sinning; if the first figure be 1, the second is 10, the third 100, the fourth 1000; and every addition makes a greater multiplication. O what a dreadful reckoning will there be for the consciences of poor sinners!
4. Contrivers and studiers of sin are always in Scripture placed in the first rank of sinners. The best servant God hath in the world may be surprised by the deceitfulness of sin, against the gracious bent and resolution of his soul; but the contrivance and plotting of sin is quite another thing; therefore it is said of the wicked, Job 15:35. "They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit." This sin, like the fœtus in the womb, hath its time of conception, growth, and birth; and all this by the deliberate consent of the naughty heart and will, which fosters and cherishes it.
5. There are ring-leaders in sin, and single personal sins, which spread no farther than ourselves: a ring-leader in sin, is in Scripture reckoned amongst the greatest sinners; so, Rev. 2:14. "Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel." Thus Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, made
Israel to sin. There is the same difference betwixt these and single personal sins, as there is betwixt a chain-shot, and a single bullet. Mind this, you that have induced others to sin by your counsel or example.
6. There are sins in which men glory and take pleasure; and sins for
which men groan and mourn. Now, the more pleasure any man takes in sin, the greater doth the sin arise in its aggravation. We read of some, Job
20:12. "In whose mouths wickedness is sweet, and they hide it under their tongue." That is, they draw a great deal of contemplative delight before and after the commission of sin, as well as in the commission of it.
It is bad enough to sin and sigh, to sin and weep; but to sin and boast, to sin and make a mock of sin, what a prodigious way of sinning is this! O sinner! what a heart hast thou, that canst play and sport with that which grieves God, crucified Christ, and which, without deep and sound repentance, will damn thine own soul!
7. The more bonds of restraint any man breaks asunder to commit sin, the greater and more aggravated always that sin is in the sight of God.
There be some persons upon whom God hath laid more restraints to keep back their souls from iniquity, than he hath upon others. The more mercies he hath bestowed upon you, the more restraints from sin. So many mercies, so many ties, Jer. 2:5, 6 especially spiritual mercies; as light in your minds, pardons sealed to your consciences, love manifested to your souls. Such also are your own vows, promises, and resolutions;
Jer. 2:20. "Thou saidst, I will no more transgress. Didst not thou promise me", saith God, more care and circumspection for time to come? And such are all the examples and warnings God hath given us by his judgments upon others, 1 Cor. 10:11. These things put an accent upon sin, and make it out of measure sinful.
And now my friends, what have I been driving at all this while, in opening the greatness and aggravations of sin? The design of all this is to shew you the indispensable need of repentance, and faith, to carry you to Christ.
Object. But I am the person upon whom these crying aggravated sins are found. You tell me of going to Christ; alas! there is no hope of mercy for such a wretch as I am! There it sticks. Poor sinners think it is to no purpose, they had as good go on in sin; for they conclude, there is no hope for them.
Answ. Come sinners, give me leave to tell you, you have a text before you, that clears the way of your duty and salvation at once; If any man, be he
what he will, be his sins never so great, yet if he hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, saith Christ. There is mercy in Jesus
Christ, for thee who art guilty of crying sins: for thee, that hast sinned against light and knowledge: for thee, that hast added drunkenness to thirst; for thee, that hast contrived sin with deliberation: for thee, that hast induced others to sin by counsel or example: for thee, that hast taken pleasure in iniquity, and made a sport of sin; yea, and for thee also, that hast broken asunder the bonds of mercies, vows and warnings, provided thou wilt now hear the voice of Christ, and thy will open to him with a hearty firm consent, Isa. 55:4. You are great and heinous sinners; but I shew this day a great and Almighty Saviour, one that is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, Heb. 7:25. There is a sacrifice laid out and appointed for these sins. O bless God for that! they are no where excepted from the possibility of forgiveness. Nothing but the impenitency of thy heart, and obstinacy of thy will, can bar thee from a full and final pardon. JESUS CHRIST can save thee to the uttermost. Say not within thyself, Can the virtue of his blood extend itself to the remission of this or that sin? He can save to the uttermost. Look round about thee to the uttermost horizon of all thy guilt, and Christ can save thee to the uttermost that the eye of thy conscience can discern, yea, and beyond it too; but then thou must come unto him. You speak of the greatness of sin, and you have cause to have sad thoughts about it; but, in the mean time, you consider not, that your unbelief, by which you stand off from Christ, your only remedy, is certainly the greatest of all the sins that ever you stood guilty of against the Lord. This is the sin that binds the guilt of all your other sins upon you. Let me therefore address myself,
(1.) To you who cry out of the greatness of sin that discourages you from going to Christ. (2.) To lesser sinners, who because they are clear of great enormities, see not their need of Christ.
1. This exhortation speaketh to you, whose consciences are seared with the horrid and hideous aggravations of your sins, by reason whereof your own misgiving hearts, assisted by the policy of Satan, discourage you from all attempts to gain Christ and pardon, in the way of repentance and faith. Let me, at this time, hint three or four considerations to you, by way of encouragement.
(1.) The sparing goodness of God, till now, gives some encouragement, that God may have a reserve of mercy for so great and vile a sinner as thou art. O what a mercy is it, that thy life hath been spared hitherto!
Many of thy companions in sin are beyond hope and mercy, whilst thou art left. I confess, this is no sure sign of God's gracious intention to thee, unless his goodness and forbearance do lead thee to repentance: Then the gracious intention of God, in prolonging thy life, would evidently appear.
But, however, it is in itself a very great mercy; because, without it, no spiritual mercy could be expected.
(2.) It is matter of encouragement and hope, that though your disease be dreadful, yet it is not desperate and incurable. The text takes it within the compass of mercy: O bless God for that, If any man, &c.
(3.) As great sinners as you have been have found mercy, 1 Tim. 1:16 and God would have it to be recorded for your encouragement. If now the Lord shall make thy heart to break, and thy will to bow, whatever thy sins have been, they shall not bar thee from mercy and forgiveness. But if thou resolve to go on in sin, or sit down desponding or discouraged, and wilt not come in at the invitation and call of Christ, then thy wound is incurable indeed; and there is but one way with thee, thy mittimus is already made for hell; and that scripture in 1 Cor. 6:9 will tell thee whither thou art going. But God forbid that this should be the issue of Christ's gracious invitations to thee, and forbearance of thee. Seeing mercy is tendered to any man that will accept it upon Christ's terms, exclude not thyself when he hath not excluded thee.
2. I will close up this use of exhortation to another sort of persons, who are not of the notorious, infamous rank of profane sinners, but their lives have been drawn more smoothly through a course of civility. These have as great need to be pressed to repentance and faith, as the most notorious sinners in the world. These are a generation that bless themselves in their own eyes, and thank God with the Pharisee, Luke 18:11. They are "not as other men." They acknowledge conversion to be the duty of the profane; that such sinners as I last dealt with stand in apparent need of it. But, as for themselves, they scarce know where to find matter for repentance; nor do they feel any need of Christ. Now, I would lay three considerations before such persons, to convince them that their case is as sad and
hazardous, yea, and in some respect, more hazardous than the state of the most notorious sinners in the world; and that a change must also pass upon them, or else it had been good for them they had never been born.
Considerations Consideration 1. Let the civilized part of the world lay this thought close to their hearts, That, though their sins be not so gross and horrid to appearance as other men's are, yet, continued in, they will prove as mortal and destructive as those greater abominations of other men. No sin, absolutely considered, is small. Every sin is mortal and damning without Christ, Rom. 6 ult. The wages of sin is death. It is no great odds, if a man be killed, whether it were by a broad sword, or by a small penknife. The least sin violates the whole law, James 2:10. "He that offendeth in one point, is guilty of all." The least transgression of the law pulls down the guilt and curse of the whole law upon the sinner's head.
And this is your misery, that you are out of Christ, and stand under the rigorous terms of the first covenant. Moreover, the law of God is violated grossly and externally; or spiritually, and more internally. Thus every unchaste thought is adultery: And the very inward burning of malice and anger in the heart is murder. Now, if the Lord shall bring the spiritual sense of the law home to your consciences, as he did to Paul's, Rom. 7:9 you will certainly give up that plea, and you have not so much need of conversion as other sinners have. There are sins of greater infamy, and sins of deeper guilt. There may be more guilt in those sins that are stifled in thy heart, and never defamed thee, than there may be in some sins that make a louder noise in the word.
Consid. 2. You are guilty of one sin (how civil and blameless soever your lives are) which is certainly more great and heinous than any outward act of sin can ordinarily be, and that is, your trusting to your own righteousness, as the Pharisees did, Luke 18:9. "He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." Here is an idol of jealousy set up in the room of Christ.
It is true, this sin makes not so loud a noise in the world, raises not such a dust as the sins of profane ones do. But certainly it is as abominable in the eyes of God as the sins that stink so much in the nostrils of nature.
Civilized persons, thus trusting to their own civility, and neglecting Jesus
Christ, will be one day put into the van of that wretched crew that are going to hell; a portion with unbelievers, as the scripture speaks.
Consid. 3. Lastly, it hath been always found a more rare and difficult thing to convince and bring home to Christ the civilized part of the world, than it is to convince and work upon the profane part of it, Matth. 21:31.
"Publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." Publicans were reckoned the vilest sort of men, and harlots the worst sort of women: yet, either of these were easier to be brought to Christ than selfrighteous Pharisees. Well then, away with your own vain and idle pretensions, that your case is safer and better than others. By what hath been said, it evidently appears, that you stand in as much need of Christ as the most infamous sinners in the world do.
III. Use This point winds up in encouragement to every willing and obedient soul, whom the Lord shall persuade to comply with the call of the gospel, whatever his former rebellions have been. There are some whose hearts the Lord hath touched with a deep sense of their sin and misery, and of the all-sufficient remedy that is in Christ; but the sense of former rebellions appals and daunts them; they cannot hope for any acceptance with him. Here is good news for such souls; Christ is at the door, and former rebellions are no bar to him, provided there be now a hearty compliance with his voice; I will come unto him. A glorious promise, comprising five inestimable benefits and mercies in it. (1.) This is the most glorious work of God that ever was, or can be wrought upon the heart of a poor sinner, to open it by repentance and faith, and put Christ into the full possession of it. The power of all the angels in heaven, ministers on earth, duties and ordinances, cannot effect this; this is the peculiar work of God, 1 Cor. 1:30. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus."
Look, as it were the marvellous work of God to unite our nature unto Christ, by an hypostatical union; so it is no less a marvellous work of God to unite our persons to Christ by a mystical union, to prepare the soul as a habitation for Christ, and give him the possession of it. (2.) This coming of Christ into the soul is the very foundation of all our hopes for glory; until this be done, we are without hope. But in the same hour Christ comes into the soul, a solid foundation of the hopes of glory is laid in that