Chap. 8. GOD hath sent his Son to die for Sinners. 71 to hear it again. Nor is it absolutely impossible, that some one Soul at least may read these Lines, who hath never been clearly and fully instructed in this important Doctrine, though his everlasting all depends on knowing and receiving it. I will therefore take Care, that such a one shall not have it to plead at the Bar of God, that though he lived in a Christian Country, he was never plainly and faithfully taught the Doctrine of Salvation by JESUS CHRIST, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by whom alone we come unto the Father (f). §. 4. I do therefore testify unto you this Day, that the holy and gracious Majesty of Heaven and Earth, foreseeing the fatal Apostacy into which the whole Human Race would fall, did not determine to deal in a Way of strict and rigorous Severity with us, so as to consign us over to universal Ruin and inevitable Damnation; but on the contrary, He determined to enter into a Treaty of Peace and Reconciliation, and to publish to all, whom the Gospel should reach, the express Offers of Life and Glory, in a certain Method, which His infinite Wisdom judged suitable to the Purity of His Nature, and the Ho nour of Ilis Government. This Method was indeed a most astonishing one, which, familiar as it is to our Thoughts and our Tongues, I cannot recollect and mention without great Amazement. He determined to send His own Son into the World, the Brightness of His Glory, and the express Image of His Person (g), Partaker of His own Divine Perfections and Honours, to be not merely a Teacher of Righteousness, and a Messenger of Grace, but also a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men: And would con sent to His saving them, on no other Condition but this, that He should not only labour, but die in the Cause. §. 5. Accordingly, at such a Period of Time as Infi. nite Wisdom saw most convenient, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in Human Flesh; and after He had gone through incessant and long continued Fatigues, and borne all the preceding Injuries, which the Ingratitude and Ma lice of Men could inflict, He voluntarily submitted Him self to Death, even the Death of the Cross (b): and having been delivered for our Offences, was raised again for our Justi (4) John xiv. 6. (g) Heb. i. 3. (b) Phil. ii. 8. 79 Chap. 8 Justification (i). After His Resurrection, He continued long enough on Earth to give His Followers most convincing Evidences of it, and then ascended into Heaven in their Sight (k); and sent down His Spirit from thence unto His Apostles, to enable them in the most persuasive and authoritative Manner, to preach the Gospel (1): And He has given it in Charge to them, and to those who in every Age succeed them in this Part of their Office, that it should be published to every Creature (m), that all who believe in it may be saved, by Virtue of its abiding Energy, and the immutable Power and Grace of its Divine Author, who is the same Yesterday, To-day, and for ever (n). The Sufferings that Christ endured, §. 6. This Gospel do I therefore now preach, and proclaim unto thee, O Reader, with the sincerest Desire, that through Divine Grace, it may this very Day be Salvation to thy Soul (o). Know therefore, and consider it, whosoever thou art, that as surely as these Words are now before thine Eyes, so sure it is, that the Incarnate Son of GoD was made a Spectacle to the World, and to Angels, and to Men (p); His Back torn with Scourges, His Head with Thorns, His Limbs stretched out as on a Rack, and nailed to the accursed Tree; and in this miserable Condition, He was hung by His Hands and His Feet, as an Objeet of pub. lic Infamy and Contempt. Thus did Ile die, in the Midst of all the Taunts and Insults of His cruel Enemies,, who thirsted for His Blood; and, which was the saddest Circumstance of all, in the Midst of these Agonies with which He closed the most innocent, perfect, and useful Life that ever was spent on Earth, He had not those Sup ports of the Divine Presence, which sinful Men have often Experienced, when they have been suffering for the Testimony of their Conscience. They have often Burst out into Transports of Joy and Songs of Praise, while their Executioners have been glutting their hellish MaAice, and more than savage Barbarity, by making their Torments artificially grievous; but the crucified Jesus cried out, in the Distress of His spotless and holy Soul, My GOD, My GOD, why hast thou forsaken Me (q)? §. 7. Look (i) Rom, iv. 25. (1) Luke xxiv. 40. (k) Acts 1: 9-11. (m) Mark xvi. 15. (p) 1 Cor. iv. 9. (q) Matt. (n) Heb. xii. 8. (0) Luke xix. 9, xxvii. 46. Chap. 8. were designed to atone for Sin. 73 §. 7. Look upon our dear Redeemer! look up to this mournful, dreadful, yet in one View, delightful Spectacle; and then ask thine own Heart, do I believe that Jesus suffered and died thus? And why did He suffer and die? Let me answer in GoD's own Words, He was wounded for our Transgressions, He was bruised for our Iniquities, and the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him, that by Ilis Stripes we might be healed: It pleased the Lord to bruise Him, and to put IIim to Grief, when He made His Soul an Offering for Sin; for the Lord laid on Him the Iniquity of us all (r). So that I may address you in the Words of the Apostle, Be it known unto you therefore, that through this Man is preached unto you the Forgiveness of Sins (s); as it was His Command, just after He rose from the Dead, that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in His Name among all Nations, beginning at Je rusalem (t); the very Place where His Blood had so lately been shed in such a cruel Manner. I do therefore testify to you in the Words of another inspired Writer, that Christ was made Sin, that is, a Sin offering, for us, though He knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of GOD in Him (u); that is, that through the Righteousness He has fulfilled, and the Atonement He has made, we might be accepted by GoD as righteous, and be not only pardoned, but received into His Favour. To you is the Word of this Salvation sent (x); and to you, O Reader, are the Blessings of it even now offered by GoD, sincerely offered; so that, after all that I have said under the former Heads, it is not your having broken the Law of Gon, that shall prove your Ruin, if you do not also reject His Gospel. It is not all those Legions of Sins, which rise up in Battle Array against you, that shall be able to destroy you, if Unbelief do not lead them on, and final Impenilency do not bring up the Rear. I know that Guilt is a timorous Thing; I will therefore speak in the Words of GoD Himself, nor can any be nfore comfortable: He that be lieveth on the Son, hath everlasting Life (y); and he shall never come. into Condemnation (z): There is therefore now no Condemnation,, no Kind or Degree of it, to them, (r) Isai. liii. 5, 6, (s) Acts xiii, 38. 10. (t) Luke xxiv. 47, (u) 2 Cor. v. 21. (x) Acts xiii. 26. (y) John iii. 36. 74 Whosoever believes, shall be saved. Chap. 8. them, to any one of them, who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit (a). You have indeed been a very great Sinner, and your Offences have truly been attended with most heinous Aggravations; nevertheless you may rejoice in the Assurance, that where Sin hath abounded, there shall Grace much more abound (b); that where Sin hath reigned unto Death, where it has had its most unlimited Sway, and most unresisted Triumph, there shall Righteousness reign to Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord (c). ThatRighteousness, to which on believing on Him thou wilt be intitled, shall not only break those Chains, by which Sin is (as it were) dragging thee at its Chariot Wheels with a furious Pace to eternal Ruin; but it shall clothe thee with the Robes of Salvation, shall fix thee on a Throne of Glory, where thou shalt live and reign for ever among the Princes of Heaven; shall reign in immortal Beauty and Joy, without one remaining Scar of Divine Displeasure upon thee; without any single Mark by which it could be known, that thou hast ever been obnoxious to Wrath and a Curse; except it be an Anthem of Praise to the Lamb that was slain, and has washed thee from thy Sins in His own Blood (d). §. 8. Nor is it necessary, in order to thy being released from Guilt, and intitled to this high and complete Felicity, that thou shouldst, before thou wilt venture to apply to Jesus, bring any good Works of thine own to recommend thee to His Acceptance. It is indeed true, that if thy Faith be sincere, it will certainly produce them: But I have the Authority of the Word of Gon to tell thee, that if thou this Day sincerely believest in the Name of the Son of GOD, thou shalt this Day be taken under His Care, and be numbered among those of His Sheep, to whom He hath graciously declared, that He will give Eternal Life, and that they shall never perish(e). Thou hast no Need therefore to say, Who shall go up into Heaven, or who shall descend into the Deep for me? For the Word is nigh thee, in thy Mouth, and in thine Heart (f). With this joyful Message I leave thee; with this faithful Saying, indeed (e) John x. 28. Chap. 8. The Sinner's Reflection on this good News. 75 indeed worthy of all Acceptation (g); with this Gospel, O Sinner, which is my Life; and which, if thou dost not reject it, will be thine too. The Sinner's REFLECTION on this good News. O my Soul, how astonishing is the Message, which thou hast this Day received! I have indeed often heard it before; and it is grown so com€6 mon to me, that the Surprize is not sensible. But "reflect, O my Soul, what is it thou hast heard; and say, whether the Name of the SAVIOUR, whose Message it is, may not well be called Wonderful, Counsellor (h), when He displays before thee such Wonders of Love, and proposes to thee such Counsels of Peace? "Blessed Jesus, is it indeed thus! Is it not the Fiction "of the Human Miud? Surely it is not! What Human "Mind could have invented or conceived it? It is a 66 plain, a certain Fact, that Thou didst leave the "Magnificence and Joy of the Heavenly World, in Com"passion to such a Wretch as I! Oh hadst Thou, from "that Height of Dignity and Felicity, only looked down upon me for a Moment, and sent some gracious Word "to me for my Direction and Comfort, even by the least of Thy Servants, justly might I have prostrated myself in grateful Admiration, and have kissed the very "Footsteps of him that published the Salvation (i). But "didst Thou condescend to be Thyself the Messenger! "What Grace had that been, though Thou hadst but 66 once in Person made the Declaration, and immediately "returned back to the Throne, from whence Divine "Compassion brought Thee down! But this is not all the "Triumph of Thine illustrious Grace. It not only brought "Thee down to Earth, but kept Thee here in a frail and "wretched Tabernacle, for long successive Years: And at length, it cost Thee Thy Life, and stretched Thee "out as a Malefactor upon the Cross, after Thou hadst "borne Insults and Cruelty, which it may justly wound my Heart so much as to think of. And thus Thou hast (g) 1 Tim, i. 15. - (h) Isai, ix. 6. (i) Isai. lii. 7, |