Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

v. 19. The great defign of God in manifefting himself in the flesh, is not that our faith fhould terminate upon the Man Christ Jefus, but upon God in him. You have a word to this purpose, 1 Pet. i. 21. " Who by him do believe in God, that raifed him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God." So that you fee, the fope of the whole work of redemption (through Chrift) is to bring us to trust in God, and to place our confidence in him, as a God with us. Sirs, remember that God alone is the object of faith; and if your faith terminate upon any thing inferior to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, it is not faving faith, for it doth not answer the very first command of the law, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," Exod. xx. 3.

7. When Noah entered into the ark, it was with a refo lution to abide there, until the waters of the deluge were abated.

Juft fo is it here; when a finner comes by faith unto Chrift for refuge, he comes with a defign to abide in him, not (ké Noah with his ark) for a while, but for ever. The foul in believing cries concerning Chrift, "This is my rett for ever, here will I dwell;" Pfal. cxxxii. 14. It is the will of Christ that we should abide in him, 1 John ii. 28. "And now little children, abide in him, that when he fhall appear, we may have confidence, and not be afhamed, before him at his coming" John xv. 4-7. "I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth. much fruit for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye fhall afk what ye will, and it fhall be done unto you."

VI. The fixth thing in the method was to apply this doc

trine.

And the only ufes I make of the doctrine fhall be in a word of trial and exhortation.

Ufe firft fhall be in a word of trial and examination.

And that which I would have you to try, is, Whether have you got into the New Teftament Ark Chrift, where alone a finner can be in fafety from the deluge of divine wrath. I remember John the Baptift fays unto the Scribes and Pharifees, Matth. iii. 7. "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the wrath to come?" So fay I to you; have you, upon God's warning, by the word of the law, fled for retuge unto Christ, and taken up your refidence and abode in him? I offer thefe few marks for trial.

1. If ever you fled to the New Teftament Ark, you have feen the devouring deluge of God's wrath ready to fwallow you up, and you have feen yourfelves upon the very brink of perithing for ever in the deep waters, fo that you have been made to cry out, Oh "what fhall I do to be faved?" Acts xvi. 30.

2. God has broken all your falfe props and confidences, and made you fee they are nothing but lying refuges that would betray you. So was it with Paul at his conver fion, what things were gain to him, thefe he counted lofs for Chrift, Philip. iii. 7. "Afhur fhall not fave us," Hof. xiv. 3

3 You have (by the light of the word and Spirit) got fuch a discovery of the glory, structure, beauty, and excellency, of the New Testament Ark, as has filled you with wonder and admiration at the love, mercy, and grace of God, in providing fuch an Ark, fuch a Saviour. 2 Cor. iv. 6. "For God, who commanded the light to fhine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift." Oh, will the foul fay, at the fight of the Ark Chrift, "What hath God wrought Numb. xxiii. 23.; "This is the Lord's doing, it is wonderful in our eyes," Pfal. cxviii. 23.; "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godlinefs, God was manifeft in the flesh!" &c. Tim. iii. 16.

[ocr errors]

4. If ever you entered into the ark, you have feen a reconciled God in the Ark Chrift, "For God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himfelf," 2 Cor. v. 19. This is the very thing that induces and encourages the foul to enter into it. The poor foul could fee nothing before but God a devouring fire to confume it; but, looking to Chrift, it fees a finiling God, faying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed," Matth. xvii. 5. O Sirs, this is the very thing that begets faith, love, hope, and confidence, God's love in giving Chrift, John iii. 16. "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c. Now, have you seen God to be love? and have you feen his love manifested in this, that he fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him? 1 John iv. 9. and has the faith of this love killed your enmity?

5. If you have fied to the New Teftament Ark, you will be fo well pleafed with your new lodging, and your fafety therein, that your hearts will be filled with gratitude, and your tongues with the high praifes of the Lord, that ever provided fuch an Ark, and that ever brought you into it.

You

will fing and fay with the church, Micah vii. 18. "Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity, and paffeth by the tranfgreffion of the remnant of thine heritage ;" and with David, Pfal. ciii. at the beginning," Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and all that is within me, blefs his holy name: Bless the Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits:" and with Ifrael, when God had brought them through the Red fea, and delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians, Exod. xv. 11. "I will fing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously," &c.

6. If you have ever fled into the Ark, then you will be new creatures; for if any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature, old things will pafs away, 2 Cor. v. 17. You have got new light in your understanding, a new will and affections, you will not walk according to your old lufts in the flesh, or according to the curfe of the world; no, but as the ark and they that were in it were lifted up above the earth upon the waters, towards heaven, so you will not lie grovelling upon the earth, but "feek things that are above, where Chrift is, Col. iii. I.

[ocr errors]

7. You have got fomething of the Spirit of Chrift: for if any man have not the Spirit of Chrift he is none of his," Rom. viii. 9. "But he that is joined unto the Lord, is one fpirit," 1 Cor. vi. 17. And his fpirit will be in you as “a well of water fpringing up unto everlasting life," John iv. 14The Spirit will convince you of fin, &c.

8. If you have fled to the New Teftament Ark, you will be concerned to get as many as poffible into the Ark with you; and for this end you will be telling them of their danger while out of Christ, and of the great falvation that is to be found in him. How active was Paul, after he came to know Christ, to recommend him to others? Acts ix. 20. &c. compared with Gal. i. 23.

Ufe fecond fhall be of Exhortation to all in general.

Is it fo that Chrift is our great New Teflament Ark, to fave from the deluge of divine wrath? O then, Sirs, let me befeech and intreat you to confult your own fafety, by flying into this bleffed Ark, before the waters of the deluge fweep you away into a miferable eternity.

I offer a few motives to ftir you up to fly into the Ark.

1. Confider, That there are innumerable multitudes of mankind that are already loft irrecoverably in the deluge of God's wrath, through their not entering into the Ark. The inhabitants of the old world that are faid to be in prifon, unto whom Noah preached. O what innumerable numbers of men and women have gone down to the fides of the pit fince fin

entered

entered into the world; "Broad is the way that leadeth unto deftruction, and many there be that go in thereat," Matth. vii. 13. Now, is it not your intereft to take warning from the ruin of fo many?

2. Confider, That you must inevitably go the fame way, I mean, perish in the deluge, except you enter into the Ark; "For there is none other name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby we must be faved, but by the name of Jefus Christ," Acts iv. 12. It is not your broken planks of a profeffion of religion, hope in the general mercy of God, your civility, morality, legal righteoufnefs, that will do; God's wrath will ftave all these broken planks in pieces: and therefore repair to the ARK Jefus Christ.

3. There is a a fixed day, a time fet for your entering into the New Testament Ark, which if it be let flip, there will be no entrance into the Ark, but you fhall infallibly perish in the deluge. "He that lives for ever, has fworn with his hand lifted up to heaven," that there (hall be no more entrance into the Ark. Queft. What is the fixed time? Anfw. It is the day of grace, the day of life, the day of falvation; if that pass, you are gone for ever: and therefore, "To-day, if you will hear his voice," Pfal. xcv. and Heb. iii.

4. The Ark is prepared of God for you, and that at an infinite expence. God has provided a Saviour, Pfal. Ixxxix. 19. "Help is laid upon one that is mighty, John iii. 16. "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who foever believes in him, fhould not perish." The Ark is finished, and perfected, and made ready for you: "All things are ready," Matth. xxii. 4.

5. The Ark is at hand, it is near to us, If. xlvi. at the close, Behold, "I bring near my righteoufnefs, it fhall not be far off, and my falvation fhall not tarty; and I will place falvation in Zion," &c. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach," Rom. x. 8.

6. The Ark is ordained for men and women of our ftamp, I mean men and women of the human nature: And therefore the call is "to men and the fons of men," Prov viii. 4. Chrift is a Saviour, not for the fallen angels, but for us: "Unto us is this child born," If. ix. 6. he "is made of God unto us, wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fan&ification, and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30.

7. Many have already entered, and are faved; an innume rable company, "which no man can number," Rev. vii. 8. The doors of the Ark are caft wide open to you alfo, to

gether

gether with a promife of fafety, "Whosoever believeth fhall not perish, but shall have everlasting life," John iii. 16.

9. The great God commands you to enter into the Ark, 1 John iii. 23. "This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jefus Chrift.”

I conclude with a word to believers who have fled into the Ark.

(1.) By way of comfort.

1. God is with you in the Ark, "For God is in Christ," 2 Cor. v. 19. and he will never leave you, Heb. xii. 5.

2. "Your life is hid with Chrift in God," Col. iii. 3. "Becaufe I live, ye fhall live alfo," John xiv. 19.

3. You are freed from condemnation. The law cannot curfe you; though man may, yet God will not curse you, Rom. viii. I.

4. The waters of affliction fhall not overwhelm you, If. xliii. 2. 3.; the waves they may dash, but they will turn into foam like the waves of the fea.

you,

you are ran

5. Death and the grave cannot harm "For fomed from the power of both," Hof. xiii. 14. (2.) A word of counsel to you that are in the Ark. 1. Blefs God that provided the Ark.

2. Blefs God that brought you into it.

3. Rejoice and glory in the Lord, triumph in him.

4. Live upon Chrift, and the provifion you find in the Ark. 5. Walk worthy of the Lord, unto all well-pleafing, Col.

i. 10.

THE PLANT OF RENOWN.

EZEK. XXXIV. 29.And I will raife up for them a Plant of

Renown.

THE FIRST SERMON ON THIS TEXT.

IF

F we caft our eyes back upon the foregoing part of this chapter, we fhall find a very melancholy fcene cafting up; we shall find the flock and heritage of God scattered, robbed, and peeled, by the civil and ecclefiaftical rulers that were in being at that day; a day much like to the day where

« AnteriorContinuar »