eyes than the beauties of holiness. What can be said in this case, when the story comes to be told, and the matter is to be represented just as it is, that it is, thus as you have heard? course, for many years together. "The earth, that drink- | eth in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: if there be fruit, a blessing comes upon it, and follows it; if there be no fruit, nothing but briers and And that is the third thing to be considered in this case: thorns, then it is followed with a curse, and a dreadful-That as former provocation must have been supposed, curse," It is nigh unto cursing, and its end is to be so that provocation must have been very high_and very burned," Heb. vi. 7, 8. "He that being often reproved, great upon these sundry mentioned accounts. But then I hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that add upon all this, without remedy," Prov. xxix. 1. A fearful thing, when the gospel itself shall not be my remedy!-shall be destroyed without remedy; no remedy shall remedy your case. And, (5.) We must suppose the Spirit to have often been at work in this time, and while such things were from time to time inculcated; so it was with the people of Israel; you do always resist the Holy Ghost," Acts vii. He was then always striving, more or less, otherwise there could not always be a resistance. That is doing" despite to the Spirit of grace," Heb. x. 29. And herein is the greatest provocation, as I have told you heretofore, there is a remarkable accent in that expression, "the Spirit of grace." Oh, that Spirit of kindness, and grace, and sweetness, and benignity! to despite him, what an high provocation is this! When he comes and toucheth any of your minds, and makes some impression on your hearts, | saith he, secretly and inwardly: "Sinner, wilt thou yet return? Hast thou yet no desire after God?-no inclination to know a Redeemer, and choose and close with him? Now to spite a Spirit of grace, when he speaks to you so kindly, and so sweetly, and so tenderly,-Oh sinner, do not go on, and perish for ever!-here is the very height of provocation. The word, in the original, signifies to injure inwardly the Spirit of grace, to make the injury enter into him, as it were; it imports to sting a man to the heart, to the very soul; as if it had been said, your injury pierceth into that Spirit of grace, that Spirit of love, kindness, and goodness; it enters into it. Thus it must be, when in such days, and at such times as these, the great things of the Gospel are heard with no effect. And, (6.) It must be supposed, conscience was in some measure convinced at this time; for applications were made to it in the plainest cases. We have applied ourselves to the consciences of men in the sight of God, saith the apostle. And now if our Gospel be hid, it is that you are lost. And, (7.) It must be supposed too that affections have been stirred in some measure and variously; there have been some desires enkindled, and some fears awakened, and some hopes and joys possibly raised, and some tastes, and relishes of the sweetness that is in this Gospel, and of the things contained therein; as it is supposed in that Heb. iv. 4, 5. after all this, to lose yourselves in darkness and wickedness; now if the Gospel be hid, there is no recovering such by repentance, as he there afterwards speaks. But, (8.) This adds weight to all the rest, that they were very ight matters for which men have exposed themselves to this fearful loss, even of themselves, of their very souls; a loss that nothing can recompense, nothing can make up. "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matt. xvi. 26. What hast thou had in exchange for thy soul? The smallest matters imaginable, the temporary satisfaction of a lust. I sold my soul (may one say) to please my friend. I sold my soul (may another say) for the love I had, for the lust I had, to a cup of drink. I sold my soul (may a third say) for the pleasure I took it a vain idle companion. These are the things that kept me from closing with God, uniting with my Redeemer, and from engaging and persisting in the way of life. O that God, and Christ, and heaven should be set so low! Thou didst break with me, (must the great God say, and must the Redeemer that died for you say,) thou didst break with me for a trifle, for a thing of nought; yea, thou didst prefer before me the vilest things, the most odious things. Thou didst rather choose to be a vassal, a slave to lust, than to live under the easy yoke and government of a Compassionate and merciful Redeemer and Saviour. The deformities of wickedness were more amiable in thine Preached April 19th, 1691. 4. That if any hereupon be thus lost, (as you have heard,) it is only that God hath retired from them, withdrawn from them. He hath not positively hurt them; he never put any ill thoughts into them, or any ill disposition of mind. If it be severe in itself, and dreadful to you, that you are now a lost creature, God hath no hand in it, otherwise than as he retired from you: "Thy destruction is of thyself, but in him is thy help found," Hos. xiii. 9. He was ready to help thee, and to save thee, thou only destroyed thyself; he only withdrew that presence for which thou didst not care, that Spirit which thou didst vex and grieve; that is all: he never put any ill thought or inclination into thy mind and heart, thou destroyedst thyself; he did but say, These wretched creatures do not care for me, do not care for my Son, do not care for my Spirit; well, I will retire, I will let them alone, I will let them have their own way. He had said to you, "Turn ye at my reproof, I will pour out my Spirit upon you, I will make known my words unto you; I called and ye refused, I stretched out my hands, and no man regarded," Prov. i. Well, I behold your destruction now. It is not said, I will destroy you, but "I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh;" and it will certainly come. God tempteth no man, neither is he tempted by any; but every man is " tempted when he is led away of his own lust and enticed," James i. 14. And then I would add, lastly, 5. That although all this be very certain, yet we cannot suppose the apostle here to be absolutely decisive in his judgment concerning the final states of particular persons; such may be more lost, and in a worse and more dreadful sense lost, than many others in the world, than the generality of the pagan world. But though they are so, it is not for ali that determined that they are so lost as that they cannot be recovered. And we are sure they are not so lost as that they cannot be recovered, if they have not sinned that sin which cannot be pardoned; and which I do in the general believe that no man hath ever committed, or is guilty of, that is afraid he hath; indeed, your case is more dangerous than before, which should awaken you so much the more, because it is dangerous, and you are upon hazardous terms. They may be said to be lost, as being more out of the reach of the ordinary methods of grace, who yet are not absolutely lost, not sure to be finally lost. And no man hath reason to apprehend he is so lost, finally lost, irrecoverably lost, that comes once to be solicitous about it. No, if our God hath brought you to consider and bethink yourself; I am in danger to be lost, I know not what will become of me, or of my case at length, if I that have been such a stranger to God should continue much longer a stranger to him; if I that have neglected to capitulate with the Son of God should much longer neglect it; I know not what will become of this, it may be bitterness in the end. If you begin thus to consider, I hope the issue will prove thus, that it will be said of you as it was of the prodigal son, "This my son was dead and is alive, he was lost but is found." But more to this purpose, (as I have partly intimated already,) I shall speak in the use. SERMON XI.* 2 Cor. iv. 3. But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. THEY are lost souls to whom the Gospel is a hidden Gospel. This (you know) we have been upon from these words; and we have in this showed you what is meant by the Gospel's being hid, and what is meant by the soul's being lost; and that both these are to be understood in a sense peculiar and different from the common case of men: and in what reference the Gospel's being hid, and their being lost, doth differ from the common case, we have particularly shown you: and have further shown the connexion between these things, the Gospel's being hid, and soul's being lost, to whom it is so; the one doth betoken the other, and they are the most significant tokens which have connexion with the thing betokened; as causes and effects, the one to the other. I have shown this is the case here: that the Gospel's being hid, it is a cause of the soul's being lost, both as it excludes what is necessary to their salvation, and as it includes what promotes their destruction. I have again showed you too, that being lost may also be the cause of the Gospel's being hid; and shown how being lost is to be taken in that case: lost in wickedness, as men more extremely wicked are said to be, and lost under a Divine doom. So they must be understood to be to whom the Gospel is therefor hid, men given up and forsaken of God, and then the God of this world blinds them. And because this appears very severe, therefore I did by sundry considerations endeavour partly to justify, and partly to mollify, this severity; now I come to the use of this important truth. And it will be useful, Use 1. To inform us of sundry truths that by way of inference may be deduced here. As, 1. That it is no sufficient ground upon which any may conclude their state to be safe and good, that they live under the Gospel: I pray consider it. It is not enough hereupon to ground a conclusion concerning your good and safe final state, that you live under the Gospel. No, though you had apostolical preachers among you, for such these Corinthians had to whom this is with so much terror spoken. No, though you had angelical preachers, such as could speak to you, not with the tongues of men only, but of angels; for the Jews had that word before that was given to them as a Gospel; (as the apostle takes notice, Heb. iii.) unto them was the Gospel preached, as well as to us. And their Gospel was called the law, as that whole revelation went under the name of the law: "They that have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law." In those days when the law was the more conspicuous part of it, they had it "by the ministration of angels, but they kept it not," Acts vii. 53. Nay, though it were by the most divine preacher, our blessed Lord himself; "How can we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which began to be spoken by the Lord himself?" (Heb. ii. 2.) even that Gospel was preached by the Son of God himself, and as it was, so was a hidden Gospel to many, and they lost souls under it. A man may perish as well under a hidden Gospel, as under no Gospel. And again, when we come to attend; how would it confound many a one if they were to give an account of their end in coming to attend, and wait on the ministry of the Gospel! I am going to such a place, such an assembly, such a church, such a meeting-house. Well, saith one, and what are yo going for? I am going to hear what such a man can say: I am going to please my fancy and curiosity, to gratify m novel humour. God knows how few come to such assen blies with that temper of mind so as that they can trul say, being asked, He that knows all things, knows I go t look after the salvation of my own soul; it is a Gospel of salvation that I go to attend upon, and I go to attend upo it as such, on purpose that I may be saved, that I ma in this way be working out my own salvation. But wh an affront is it to the great and glorious Lord of heave! and earth to pervert the design of this Gospel. What Have men nothing to play with but sacred things; thin; that carry the stamp of the authority and majesty, as we as the grace and goodness, of heaven upon them? there nothing else to be trifled with but things of that s cred and awful import? No wonder if the Gospel be hi and no wonder if souls be lost by multitudes at this rate. But again, 3. We may further learn, That while a man lives undo » the Gospel, the great question that depends concerni him is, Shall I be saved, or shall I be lost? Here is th great question that depends concerning every one, an which they ought to recount with themselves over a over again. Here is this case depending concerning me shall I be finally saved or lost? Oh! what an awf thought is this, that every day that goes over my hear. and every time I go to hear a sermon, still this question: lies under consideration; shall I in the issue, or end of my course, be a saved or a lost man? Sure at this rate we should be working out our salvation with fear and trembling; nothing becomes us more, nothing is more suitable to the state of our case. And, 4. We further learn hence, That men may be lost on this side hell. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them the are lost; hid before they reach hell, whither no Gospe comes; and so lost before they reach thither. And thei. again, 5. By parity of reason, Men may be saved on this side heaven, as well as they may be lost on this side hell. We know the great Emmanuel was otherwise called Jesus, because he should save his people from their sins. If this blessed word hath taken effect upon thy soul, it is saved; that is, it is so far saved now from sin, as that it governs now no longer. Its empire is broken, its throne is thrown down in the soul. Here is salvation on this side heaven: salvation is this day come to this house, to this soul, he is already a saved one. There is inchoate salvation; salvation begun that ascertains consummate salvation, and from which that will not be separated. The New Jerusalem, that glorious city that comes down out of heaven from God; Rev. xxi. 4. (supposing that be meant of a state of the church of God on earth;) the nations of them that are saved, walk in it. As soon as they enter into it, there they walk as saved ones. The nations of the saved, there they dwell, there they inhabit the city of God. 2. We are to infer, That the proper design of the Gospel is the salvation of souls. If the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; if it were not hid they would not be lost, that is plainly implied: but that which hath no design or tendency to save would not save, whether hidden or not hidden. But there is no interveniency in this case to hinder a person's being saved by the Gospel, but only 6. They to whom the Gospel is not hid are not lost, or its being hid: therefore that which would save souls if not are of these saved ones; if they to whom the Gospel is hid hid, must have an aptitude and designation to this purpose. be lost, they to whom it is not hid are saved. They are in Here is nothing to hinder a soul being saved by the Gospel this state of salvation already. Oh! happy creatures and if it be not hid: by this you learn therefore that the true blessed state that you are come into. The Gospel is no and apt tendency and design of the Gospel is, to save longer a hidden Gospel to you, though it is to many a one souls. How often is it called by names that signify so beside. With what admiration may you say, "I thank much! "To you is the word of this salvation sent," Acts thee, Oh Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that when xiii. 22. After you heard the word of truth, the Gospel such things have been hid from many a wise and prudent of your salvation," Eph. i. 13. "How can we escape if one, thou hast revealed them unto me!" Matt. xi. 24, 25. we neglect so great salvation, which first began to be spo- hast caused thine own bright light to penetrate, to strike ken?" Heb. ii. 3. What doth the words of this Gospel through into my very soul, to shine into my heart, as it speak?--It speaks salvation. It is a great matter to know follows in this context: "And thereupon, though I was a the Gospel by its true name, and to understand it accord- wanderer, a stray and lost creature, thou hast sought thy ingly to think what God hath sent among you, when he servant. I went astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, hath sent his Gospel among you; and that which is its end for I do not forget thy commandments," Psal. cxix. last and design, ought to be yours in attending it. The Gos- verse. Thou hast sought thy servant, and found him out. pel would make great and glorious work (I doubt not) And thou mayst say of thy soul, as the father of his proamong us, if it were more generally come to this, that digal son; "This my soul was lost and is found," Luke the true end of the Gospel were our end, were convinced | xv. last verse. "We all went astray as lost sheep, and he bare the iniquities of us all," (Isa. liii. 6.) that we might | ed the frame of all his creatures to their state and having be recovered and saved at last. Oh you that find Gospel made man capable of futurity and eternity in another light to enter into your souls, bless God, and admire! | state, hope cannot but be an essentiating principle in his The Gospel is not hid from me, I am therefore saved out of my lost state. But besides these inferences of truth, there is a further and another sort of use that I must proceed to. Use 2. It may be (upon what hath been before said in opening the doctrine of this text to you) some awakenings may be upon the spirits of some, perhaps some may have been in a going among us, and may say in their hearts, And what is likely upon all this to become of me? What is my final state like to prove? Shall I be saved, or shall I be lost? I would fain give some help in this case, and would in order to it, lead such into some distinction of thoughts, that they may not be confounded in their inquiry. Now this inquiry in general may be capable of being formed into three questions. Either, 1st, The meaning of their inquiry may be, Shall I be certainly saved at last? or, 2ndly, The meaning of their inquiry may be, How shall I do, certainly to know if I am certainly to be lost? or, 3rdly, The meaning of their inquiry may be, How shall I evidence it to myself, or have it evidenced to me, that there is any thing of hope in my case? That going on in the use of prescribed and appointed means, things may be brought at length to a happy issue? That I may have such a present view of my case, as to judge and think of it, that it may be possible that I may be saved at last? 1. Now as to the first of these questions, supposing it to be the question of any whom God hath begun lately to work on; of any that he hath begun lately to awaken:then I must needs say to that question; Friend, you are too hasty, you make too much haste to think, that when God hath but newly begun with you, you should presently be at a certainty that you shall be saved. This may be more haste than good speed. When you have gone on a considerable tract of time in a serious endeavour of working out your salvation with fear and trembling; and giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure, it will be time enough to put this question then; it is yet unseasonable for you. And then, 2. Supposing that the next be the question with any, How shall I know that I shall be certainly lost? As the former question is an unreasonable one, this is a vain one, altogether vain. If you shall certainly be lost, what can it avail you to know that you shall? or do you think it is possible you should ever come to know it on this side being in hell? It must be by some revelation from God, mediate or immediate; but God doth not use to do vain things, to reveal any thing to no purpose: and this can be to no imaginable purpose. If you shall certainly be lost it can do you no good to foreknow it; and therefore the revelation of it is not to be expected from God any ways, mediately or immediately, and consequently it is a foolish vain question. But, 3. If the question be, How may it appear that there is any thing of hope in my case, that in the use of the prescribed and appointed means, I may, through the grace of God, possibly be saved at last? This is a sober question, and becoming a serious and considerate man, and one that hath a value for his soul, and a reverence for God, the great Disposer of our everlasting soul's concernments. And therefore in reference to this I would be assisting the best I can, and as God shall enable me. And there are many things that are to be said to it. As, 1. That you always ought to hope till there be most apparent reason for total despair. If there be not a reason for total despair, then you are under obligation to admit of some hope; nothing is plainer, that a reasonable creature, capable of futurity and of another state, he hath it as a law in his nature to use prospect, and to exercise hope, in reference to futurity. And I cannot but recollect a noted passage of that Platonic Jew, Philo Judæus, "That hope towards God, in reference to men's future concernments, is of the very essence of man; and he is not to be called a man, a human creature, that hath not hope in reference to his future concernments." And there is a great deal in it: it is to be looked upon as somewhat else than a lavish expressit n, for God hath (no doubt) contemper very nature. And therefore it is very unnatural and a doing violence to ourselves, to endeavour to take away all hope in reference to that futurity which is yet before you, and which you have yet in prospect. You ought to hope while there is no apparent cause of total despair; for whatsoever doth not admit totality, there must be somewhat of the contrary, by reason whereof it doth not so. There can be no imaginable ground upon which a man should not admit of a total despair, but as there is some hope. If there were no hope, despair would be total; if there be found hope, despair cannot be total. And it is matter of duty to you, always to entertain and cherish some hope when there is no apparent reason for total despair. That I fore-lay in the first-place. 2. There can be no reason for a total despair while the Gospel stands unrepealed; while it is neither generally repealed, nor repealed particularly as to you. All that while the connexion remains between faith in Christ and salvation; "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16. While this Gospel that makes this connexion between believing in the Son of God and not perishing, not being lost, but being saved, stands unrepealed, we have no reason for total despair. Still if I believe, I shall be saved; if I believe in the Son of God, I shall live. I have been a vile creature, it is true; a great rebel, not only against the authority, but against the grace of God; and I have deserved to perish a thousand times over, and to be given up as lost without remedy. But the Gospel is not yet repealed that saith, Whosoever believes in the Son of God shall not perish, shall not be lost, but have everlasting life; it is not repealed in general, nor shall be to the end of the world. And what? will any man say it is repealed as to him? It is repealed as to me? Pray show that repeal! you cannot say that it is repealed as to you, unless you had a Bible reached down from heaven that saith, whosoever believeth shall be saved, whosoever believeth on the Son of God shall not perish, but have everlasting life, except John such an one, or Thomas such an one, or Elizabeth such an one. Show me such a Bible that saith the Gospel is repealed as to you; though I believe never so much I shall not be saved, I am an excepted person. Where is the exception? Show me the Bible wherein is that exception. Aye, but you may say, It is very true, I doubt not, that if yet I believe I may be saved; but alas! what reason have I to hope that I shall ever be brought to believe, ever be enabled to believe, who have resisted the grace of God, and the Spirit of God so long, so often, so injuriously, so insolently, as I have done? What hope is there that I shall ever be brought to believe? I add therefore, 3. That there is not only hope, nay, I may say ground of confidence, that if you believe you shall be saved, but there is also ground of very great hope, if you do indeed set your minds to inquire and consider about this matter, that you shall be brought to believe. For that is the head which I lay down here as the third in order; that all the while the command, the law, stands in force as to you, that obligeth you to believe, all that while there is a ground and reason left you to hope, that you shall be enabled to believe, when the evangelical law doth particularly oblige you among the rest that live under the Gospel, to believe in the Sen of God, that you may not perish but have everlasting life, as much as if there were a law made in your case alone, If there were a particular law made concerning you, and laying the charge upon you-Do thou believe on the Sou of God, that thou mayst not perish but have everlasting life; I say, you are as much obliged to believe on the Son of God, as if there were a particular law made concerning you, and none but you, concerning you alone. This is the command of God, this is the law," that we believe on him whom he hath sent," John iii. 33. It cannot be said that because there is such a law that obligeth you to be lieve in Jesus Christ, therefore you certainly shall believe; but it is to be collected with the greatest clearness imaginable, that there being such a law obliging you to believe, you have reason to hope you shall be enable to believe if you do seriously design the thing. Is it to be thought | but still deaths are flying about him as thick as hail. You that God should come (as it were) directly to you, that the Son of God should apply himself directly to you, sinner; I charge thee, accept my Son, believe in my Son, take him to be thy Redeemer, thy Saviour, thy Lord; and that there should be no hope that ever you should do so, or that he will give you any help in order thereunto? This is the most unimaginable thing in all the world. Question. But you may perhaps say, How shall I do to understand this, that I am under obligation to believe on the Son of God, that I may not perish, that I may not be lost! have reason to hope, but no reason to be secure; but if you hope, you do the most grateful thing to God, you pay him the most pleasant grateful tribute that such an abject creature as any of us is capable of rendering to him; you give him the proper glory of the Deity, boundlessly good and gracious, rich in mercy. This is to own him to be God, to own him to be infinite, to own that his ways do as far exceed your ways, and his thoughts your thoughts, as east and west, and heaven and earth, are asunder, Isa. lv. 8, 9. Again, 5. Know that it is not for you to prescribe limits to the Answer. To that I say, (that I may leave this a clear and exercise of this mercy, it is not for you to set bounds to it. undisputed thing in your thoughts,) either you must be so If God limit himself, and any way signify that he hath done obliged to believe in the son of God, to receive and take so, so be it; but that he hath no way signified. But it is him for yours, your Lord and Saviour, or else, your not great insolency for any of us to talk of limiting him; to doing so is no sin. Now, where is that person that dares say, so far the patience of God shall extend, and no further; to produce himself, and say, I live under the Gospel, that beyond such a sermon he will never give me one minute's Gospel is come to me, whereof this is the great funda- addition to the day of grace. It is not for you to limit mental law, the command of the great Author of it, even him; if he limit himself, you have nothing to say to that, of the God of heaven; this is his commandment, that we but that he hath never told you he hath done, or will do, believe on his Son; but it is a commandment that doth in reference to your case. But I would have you to be not oblige me? Where is the man that dares say, If I possessed with the apprehension how uncreaturely a thing live an infidel under the Gospel all the rest of my time, I it is for any of us to take upon us to limit God, and set a am no sinner in it? If believing be not your duty, not be- day to the exercise of his patience, his sparing mercy, his lieving is not your sin. But what? is there any body that bounty, and his saving mercy. If you do rightly take up can say, or dare say, that to refuse Christ is not his sin? this matter, you will understand, that there is in despair Then to accept him is duty. Therefore doth this Gospel, the highest presumption. There is not in any thing higher still as you live under it, urge it on you as a duty out of presumption than there is in absolute despair. If you hand to come to an agreement with the Son of God; resign allow yourselves absolutely to despair, and say, God will thyself up to him, put thyself into his hands, and at his never look after my soul; then nothing remains to me but feet; into his hands to be saved, and at his feet to be to abandon it to perish. I say, you cannot be guilty of a subject and to obey him. This the Gospel chargeth on higher presumption than doth lie in this despair; for it is you; and while it doth so, while it calls you to repentance, for you to take upon you to limit God, to measure God; and calls you to faith, you have reason to hope still: I have you take upon you hereby to determine what infiniteness God's warrant, why should I not expect his help? If he calls can do, and what it cannot do. This is very bold preme, why shall I not think he will help me, help me to re-sumption. This is most uncreaturely arrogance; for you pent, and help me to believe in his Son, that I may not be finally and for ever lost! And again, 4. You can do nothing in your circumstances more pleasing and grateful to God, than to hope in his mercy; thus to state your case, I am naturally a lost creature, a perishing creature, I have deserved to perish over and over; that a Spirit of divine light and grace should never visit my soul more, or look after me more, I have highly deserved it; but yet I have heard of the nature of God, that he is immensely good and gracious; his name hath told me his nature, "The Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, pardoning iniquity, trangression, and sin," Exod. xxxiv. 5. I will throw myself upon that name, I will cast myself on his mercy; I have nothing to do but that; and that, why should I stick to do? Now, I say, you please him, you please him beyond all things that in your circumstances you are any way capable of doing. The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him and that hope in his mercy.Pleasure in them! Strange that any act of an abject, guilty, impure, perishing wretch should be pleasing and grateful to the pure, holy, glorious, ever-blessed God; that he should be pleased with any act of mine. Why, it is not as it is yours, but it is with reference to the object, as it is a thing suitable unto him, a tribute due to his great and glorious name. It is the best acknowledgment you can make of his deity, of his godhead, of his most excellent perfect nature, comprehensive of all perfection, but wherein we are taught to conceive this as the most eminent, when we are told that God is love. Here is a poor creature, as insolent as he hath been, (saith God,) as proud, as full of enmity and malignity against me, now I see he comes to acknowledge me to be God, that is, acknowledget. me to be merciful, infinitely, immensely merciful, beyond limits merciful, beyond expressions merciful. He takes pleasure in them that hope in his mercy. Now (saith he) they give me my due, now they acknowledge me to be God, that they will yet hope in my mercy. Remember all this while that it is hope that I am encouraging you to, without security; you have reason to hope, but you have no reason to be secure, no more that he hath who in a battle encompassed with thousands about him alive yet, yet alive, * Preached April 26th, 1691. to take upon you to set God his limits and bounds. No; SERMON XII.* 2 Cor. iv. 3. But if our Gospel be hid. We have the use in hand of this terrible word; sundry inferences of truth we recommended to you from it; and proceeded to other uses, wherein the design was to speak suitably to the case of awakened souls among us, that have made known their case, and their solicitous sad thoughts. We have had regard to this great inquiry, What shall we do that we may understand our own case, and how matters are like finally to issue with us?-Shall we be saved, or shall we be lost? And several things were spoken to that which we stated as a sober question; which answers were general, and more fundamental to what was to ensue. And those things being forelaid, we shall now go on to give some characters that may be distinguished somewhat of the state of persons under the Gospel; so as that, if they be found, will give ground of hope; if they be not found, it will administer much ground of fear. But here you must take the matter thus: that, for such characters as those which I shall mention, the discerning of them actually upon yourselves is never intended so to encourage your hope as if no apprehension of danger should still remain; you are not to hope without apprehension of langer; and if such characters are not found, you are not to fear without apprehension of remedy; because (as hath been told you) the design is not to tell you who shall certainly be saved, or who certainly lost; but only to show what cause there is, or may be, of more or less hope or fear, in reference to the final issue of things with you. And so, quainted with all the great secrets and mysteries of god. liness that he needs no further instruction; and thereupon despises and hates it. "He that hateth instruction shall die." They are plain, peremptory words; and nothing is in the nature of the thing of a more destructive tendency. As the moralist said, Multi pervenissent ad sapientiam, &c. many might have attained to wisdom if they had not thought they had attained to it already. So many might have attained to the saving knowledge of God in Christ, if they had not thought they had already attained. Again, 3. It is a very hopeful token, when there is any perception of knowledge growing in these great things; when we can apprehend that light doth come in by the appointed means; that God hath shined into our heart, as it follows in this context: "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them;" but "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts," 2 Cor. iv. 5, 6. That is a sign then the Gospel is not quite hid, if some beams of light be darted in, be injected. If you find there is an increase, it is to be increased with "the increase of God," as the apostle's expression is; (Colos. ii. 19.) for this is divine knowledge that we are speaking of, the "knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." And it is to them that do observe themselves a perceptible thing, and a thing to be perceived with pleasure, when there is an increase. How grateful is the appulse, the first arrival of any new beam of light, any new thought; when the mind comes to be more and more opened, and things let in upon it, which it is of concernment to it to understand and know. And do but consider, such of you as are more solicitous about the state of your case, and what is like to be the final issue of things with you: 1. It gives much ground of hope when any do find in themselves a formed desire of understanding distinctly the terms of life and death; when any would fain know upon what terms they may expect to be saved or perish in the final issue of things; when they do not desire to be unacquainted with the true tenor of the Gospel as touching these matters; but accurately to know what is required, that they may live, and escape the wrath that is to come. That hiddenness of the Gospel that is in connexion with the being lost, is with those with whom it hath this fatal event, a chosen thing, a voluntary thing; it is hid by an affected blindness of heart. Men are blind, as being unwilling to see, Ephes. iv. 18. "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least, in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes." If thou hadst known; it is plain, that that not knowing was faulty, inasmuch as their being afterwards hid was penal; and it could not be faulty but as being voluntary,-that they did not desire to know the things of their peace; whoever of you can avow it before the great Searcher of hearts, and speak it to him as the sense of your souls, Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest that I do desire to understand what the tenor and import of that rule is by which souls are to live or die for ever; I desire to understand it as it is,-not to have it disguised to me, -not to have it misrepresented, according as the foregoing expressions are; wherein the apostle protests against the disguising of the word, and clothing of things with specious false colours; but approving and commending them-You have lived a considerable time under the Gospel; selves in the manifestation of the very truth to every man's conscience in the sight of God, 2 Cor. iv. 1, 2. They (I say) that can avow this have ground of hope; and they that would not have it so, they are persons to whom the Gospel is hid, and are lost, as the series of discourse shows. You have much cause to hope God will drive things to a good issue with you at length, if you do seriously desire to understand his mind in the Gospel, what it doth determine concerning the way of saving sinners; which, if they take, they are saved; if they do not, they are lost. When this is your sense, "For thy name's sake lead me and guide me; show me thy way, I would fain walk in thy truth!" But for such as desire only to have smooth things said unto them; and if the true doctrine of the Gospel will be terrible; if it will look with an unfavourable aspect upon my vicious inclinations,-Let me never hear it. If any say to God, "Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways;" (Job xxi. 14.) "Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from among us," Isaiah xxx. 11. They say to the prophets, Prophesy not; we do not desire to have that bright light stand so directly in view before our eyes; oh, might it cease! oh, might it disappear! This is a dreadful token; a very dreadful token; and if any, more than others, are in danger of being lost under the Gospel, these are the men. They that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved, (their spirits could by no means comport with the truth,) are given up that they might perish, that they "might be damned," 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11. And, It is very hopeful where there is a great sense of remaining ignorance; when any do think very meanly of the knowledge that they have of those great and important things of God, that do concern souls so very nearly. Agur is brought in saying, "I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man;" (Prov. xxx. 2.) when there is a very humble, self-abasing opinion taken up and maintained of our own meanness, blindness, and darkness, the great imperfection and defectiveness of our knowledge in the most needful things. This looks very hopefully; and on the other hand it is a very dreadful token, when any think themselves so wise that they need be taught no more. There is more hope of a fool than of such a one, that is wise in his own conceit; he seems marked out for destruction, that thinks he is so well ac and, what, have you gained no acquaintance with the great contents thereof? There are many things discovered concerning the state of man by nature, do you understand nothing of them? Do you not know that he is a degenerate creature, that he hath a blind mind, a corrupt, depraved heart? That he is wrapped up in guilt, and exposed thereupon to divine displeasure? It reveals much of a Redeemer; do you understand nothing of that?-who this Redeemer is, the eternal Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, the heir of all things; that he came into this world, took human flesh, and died a sacrifice for sin? Do not you understand this? and that hereupon God is well pleased with him for his righteousness sake, that Divine justice acquiesceth, expects no higher, no other sacrifice?-That, whereas there must be a great change wrought in the temper of men's spirits to make them capable of the duty of time, and the felicity of eternity; an Almighty Spirit is obtained by the blood of that sacrifice, that it should go forth to do this great work upon the souls of men; so that you are not to be left hopeless, struggling in your own impotence to attempt and undertake (as it were) a new creation in your own souls; but that Spirit will be given to them that ask it, and you may draw in its influences as so much vital breath. These things the Gospel acquaints you with; and do you understand nothing of them? Hath no light come in by all this discovery all this while? Indeed it is a fearful token where there is no knowledge by long-sitting under the Gospel; when any man's case doth admit it to be said of them, they are "ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth;" a sort of persons marked out for separation from God and all good men; from such turn aside; such as have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it; (2 Tim. iii. 7.) and are ever learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth;" it is a people of no understanding, “therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no favour;" (Isaiah xxvii. 11.) for, (as hath been said,) ignorance under the Gospel, of that it hath made necessary to be understood, and done in order to salvation; it is most voluntary, and therefore comes to be punished by the Gospel's being hid, and their being lost, if they finally prove to be so. And again, 4. It yet will look well and hopefully, if you find that you have a real value for the Gospel; if you esteem highly |