CHAP. 61 Use 10, & 11. If there be so much Evil in sin, then turn to Christ, and bless God for Chris
this my way? and then he turns. Now this I endeavor, if possible, to make a stop in sinful ways; that you might consider, Oh Lord, where am I? what am I a doing? what will become of me?
Oh! that you might go away with such thoughts in your bosoms.
And then follows the next.
CHAP. LXI.
Use 10, & 11. If there be so much Evil in sin, than turn to Christ, and bless God for Christ.
Use X. TO labor to drive your hearts to Christ; Oh then fly to Christ:
Here you have revealed to you that which one would think would terrify the hearts of men and women, and make them fly to Christ.
One would think that revealed concerning the Evil of sin, should make heaven ring with cries to God for Christ; Oh! none but Christ, none but Christ.
What would become of all your souls, if it were not for Jesus Christ? were it not for that glorious Mediator sent to be a propitiation for sin, and to make an atonement to the Father for sin.
Christ is set up as that Brazen Serpent, that al those stung in conscience with the venom and poison of sin, might look up to the Brazen Serpent, and be saved.
Is there any soul, that by all I have said, of the Evil of sin, finds it self stung with the poison of sin? Know Christ is that Brazen
Serpent that is set up for thee to look upon. If thou find sin, as the avenger of blood pursue thee, Oh now run to Christ. If thy heart burn, and scorch in the apprehensions of sin; as the Hart brays after
the water brooks, so let thy heart bray after Christ, there are cooling and refreshing waters: then indeed, shall that I have delivered, be useful for the souls of poor creatures.
When the Soul has been before the Lord, crying mightily to heaven for pardon, and part in Jesus Christ, if so be after I have Preached all these Sermons, if God shall hear of Souls, getting alone in their closets, and crying out, Oh Lord, I never understood what the meaning of sin was; Oh what a wretched creature have I been all my days? now Lord, except thou have mercy in thy Son, in the mediation of Jesus Christ, through his blood, his heart blood that was shed for sinners; I am a lost and undone creature for ever: Oh
Lord, that which is done can never be undone; Oh Lord, let me find favor in thy Son, here I am, do with me whatsoever thou please, only a pardon; a pardon in Jesus Christ, to deliver me from the guilt, and uncleanness of my sin.
Yes, now will God say here is somewhat done, when sinners cries come up to heaven; what has been doing in this Congregation? what is the matter you come crying for Christ? heretofore your hearts were never stirred after Christ, what is the matter? why stir you so? who has told you any thing?
As God said to Adam, when God called, and he hid himself, when he comes out, he said, I was afraid because I was naked: said God, Who told you that you were naked? So when poor souls cry to heaven for Christ, God may say to the poor soul, Why? what is the matter? who has told thee any thing? As Christ said to the Pharisees, Who has forewarned you to fly from the wrath to come? So God will say,
Why? what is the matter? who told you this?
I hope some poor soul will have experience of this, when you go to pray for Christ, and you shall Pray after another manner than formerly, when your Prayers shall be, even cries to heaven; when
God shall say, Why? what is the matter? why cry you more than before? I hope some poor souls, can give a good account of it, and
say, I see my self lost and undone without Christ; better be a Dog, or a Toad, or any thing, than a man, if I have not Christ; because they are not capable of sin, and my heart is full of sin; and I have heard the evil of it, and therefore Oh give me Christ or I am undone.
Oh! such a Soul will be exceeding acceptable unto God. And therefore, to such a soul, I propound in the name of the Lord, the Doctrine of Life, and Salvation, and Peace; be it known therefore to you, God the Father, looking upon the sinful Children of men, and seeing them all in a perishing condition by sin, out of infinite bowels of tender compassion, he has provided a glorious way of Mediation, of propitiation for sin; and to that end he has sent his only beloved Son, out of his bosom, that has taken mans Nature upon him, united in a personal union, to that end that he might be a fit Mediator to stand between a provoked God and sinful souls; and this Christ has born the full vials of the wrath of his Father, the curse of the Law due to sin; satisfied infinite divine Justice, made a full atonement between God and sinful man. only upon these terms now, he does tender and offer to every poor wearied distressed soul, al that his Son has purchased by his blood, all his merits, that they might be an atonement for thy sin, a propitiation for thy soul, to discharge all thy sin, that thou mightest come through him to stand acquitted before the father for ever more. This is the sum of the Gospel, and this I present and Preach it, and offer it to you, and this not only to the least sinner, but to the greatest sinner in the world.
This I present, as in the name of God, that is the message we have in the name of God to deliver unto you; and now whatsoever your sins have been heretofore, God only requires that your souls should now stand admiring at the infinite riches of his Grace in his Son, and that your souls should be taken off from the creature, and sin, and live upon Christ, surrender your souls to him, and cast your souls on that infinite rich grace of God in him, and upon that instant, every one of your sins, though never so great and heinous, yet I pronounce in the Name of the Lord, every one of them is pardoned, and all done away, as if they had never been committed,
This is the Sum of the Gospel unto those that come to see their sins, and be sensible of their need of Christ by their sin.
Object. But you will say, This makes all you have done, but a little matter; if sin may be done away thus, what need all this discovery of the evil of sin? it is not so great an evil, if it may be thus wash't away?
Answ. Ah poor carnal heart, that speaks thus! Is this a light or little matter? True, it is in a few words, in the end of a Sermon; but be it known to you, There is more in these words I have spoken in this last half quarter of an hour, there is more of the glory of God in them; than in Heaven and Earth beside; not because they come from me, but because I have spoken that which is the Sum of the Gospel; and in truth, in one Sentence of the Gospel, there is more of the glory of God, than in all Heaven and Earth besides. You must be convinced of this, and know it is so; and if ever you come to be partakers of the good of the Gospel, you will see it to be so.
Oh Brethren! in that I have said, there is the glorious mystery of Godliness; great is the mysteries of Godliness, God manifest in the flesh; the great Counsel of God, working from all Eternity, is in this, in the Sum of the Gospel. The greatest work that ever God did, was in sending his Son, and in the offer of his Son to sinners that their sins might be pardoned. Therefore think it not a small thing, and hear when I call upon sinners to come and cast their souls upon Christ.
It is one of the most glorious works that ever was done, for a sinful soul to come and close with Christ the Mediator; and if once you come in, your hearts will be so full of the glory of God, that presently all the glory of the creature will be darkened in your eyes, and you will be so filled with the glory of God, that you will come to see the filthiness of sin this way as much as in any way. All the Sermons I have delivered concerning the evil of sin, will not set out the filthiness of sin to you, as that glory of God that your hearts will