but to them that believe not? Had we time to dif course of these things at length, your danger might be eafily manifefted. (3.) I fhall now fhut up what I have to say to you, in a fhort account of your duty, having already laid before you your fin, and imminent danger. The fum of this is that which is contained in the words of our text, Believe on the Lord Jefus Christ. Before we come to prefs this duty upon you, we must acquaint you, that we come not in our own name to treat with you upon this head; but under the character and notion of Chrift's ambaffador, clothed with a commiffion from him. We do come to you in his name, and shall treat with you according to the instructions received from our great Lord and Mafter. According to our instructions then, we do in his name demand and require several things, all comprehended in that short one, Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift. 1. That ye do own and acknowlege yourselves fools, blind and ignorant finners, utterly void of, and incapable by your own endeavours to attain to any measure or degree of the faving knowlege of God; and that ye do receive, reft, rely and believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, for inftruction, wisdom and understanding of all things that are needful to be known, in order to your acceptance with God, and partaking of his falvation. Truft in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not to thine own understanding, Prov. iii. 5. Let no man deceive himself, if any man among you feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wife, 1 Cor. iii. 18. which he can no otherwife be, than by trufting entirely to the Lord Z.2 Jefus Jefus Chrift, who is made of God to all them that believe, wifdom. 2. We do, in our great Lord and Master's name, demand and require, that in your appearances at the bar of God, or of his deputy your own confcience, to answer for your fins, ye do never once look to, or in the least expect to be ab. folved, acquitted, or justified, on account of any righteoufnefs of your own; but that ye fhall here difclaim and refufe your own righteousness entirely, without offering to plead in your own juftification, your own doings or fufferings, reft ing and relying only upon that righteoufness which Chrift has wrought, pleading only that Chrift has fuffered all the punishment that the law did threaten you with, and has yielded a full and complete obedience to all its demands in your name; to which righteousness, passive and active, ye truft, as that only whereby ye can be abfolved at the bar of God from the charge laid against you, and have a title to that life and happiness which is the promised reward thereof. Ye muft, with the apostle, Phil. iii. 9. Count all but lofs and dung, that ye may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having your own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteousness which is of God by faith. 3. Whereas ye have by your fins rendered your felves juftly obnoxious and liable to the difpleasure, anger and wrath of the holy and just God, we do require, that ye shall never offer to him your own faith or obedience, your doing or fuffering, your prayers or tears, as a fatisfaction for the offence done him, or a propitiatory offering to atone him and turn away his anger; but that ye do truft on ly to the lamb of God, whom we fet forth as a pro propitiation thro' faith in his blood, in whom alone God is well pleafed with, and accepts of finners. 4. We do further demand, in Christ our Mafter's name, that ye believe on and receive him as your abfolute and fovereign Lord; that ye readily and cheerfully obey all his commandments, that ye willingly fubmit to his providential difpofal of you. 5. We do require, that ye do believe on and: receive him, as the author, preferver and maintainer of spiritual life, and of the whole work of fanctification; to whom alone ye are to truft, for the beginnings, progrefs and completion of a work of fanctification, he being made of God fanctification as well as righteousness to all them that do believe: 11 56. We do further demand, that ye do all in the name of Christ, Col. iii. 17. and that ye attempt no duty, go forth against no enemy, but in his name and strength, and under his conduct; trufting to him only for ftrength, protection, throughbearing and acceptance. In fine, to fum up all, we do, in our great Lord's name, require a prefent ready compliance with all and every one of thefe demands. We: have no inftructions to allow you one hour's de lay. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of falvation; and to day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts We have no commiffion to speak of to-morrows. Nor will we, nor can we, nor dare we part thefe demands. Comply with all or none. That fhort one in our text implies them all and more, which we shall not now. infift upon, having at length opened up the na ture of this duty in our explication of that doctrine which we now are improving. This is the fubftance of what we do in our Lord's name crave; and we are instructed to prefs those demands, and urge your compliance with them, (r.) by intreaties, (2.) by commands, (3.) by threats. (First,) Know then, O unbelievers, though our bleffed Lord and Mafter might peremptorily require obedience to, and acceptance of these demands, and, upon the first refufal, turn you all into hell; yet fuch is his condefcenfion, that he has given us in commiffion, to befeech and intreat your compliance. Therefore, as ambassadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead be ye reconciled to God, which can no otherwise be, than upon an accep. tance of the terms we have proposed to you. We want not motives to enforce our petition; we are rather straitened with the number of them, than with want. We have fo many in our view, that we know not where to begin, nor how to end. 1. We earnestly, in Chrift's ftead, befeech your falling in with the demands made upon you, which are in themfelves worthy of all acceptation. We crave no unreafonable thing, when we bid you believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift. The request is fuited to all the principles of reafon. What more fuitable than for the creature to grant the request, comply with the defire (pardon the expreffion) of the Creator? What more fuitable to that rational principle of felf-preservation, and allowable felf-love, than for a captive to accept of a deliverer, a flave to receive a redeemer, a condemned malefactor to welcome a pardon, a finner to entertain a Saviour, a wanderer to lay hold upon upon a guide, a poor man to accept of riches when offered, and a purfued offender to betake himself to the city of refuge? Nothing fure can better quadrate with that principle that is interwoven in the very frame of our natures. Again, what more fuited to our intereft than this? This is a rational principle, when kept within just bounds; and it has a great influence for ordinary upon the actions of men. Intereft, real or mistaken, rules the world: and never did it more appear than here, pleading strongly for your acceptance of, and compliance with our defire. A compliance will take you from the dunghil to the throne, will enrich beggars with all the fulness of God; will make the children, nay, the flaves of Satan, heirs of heaven, and advance them to the eftate and dignity of being fons of the Moft-high. It is not a few things, but all things, that ye may make yours, by accepting of this offer. If ye believe, All things are yours, things prefent, and things to come, grace and glory; all are yours, and ye are Chrift's. Once more, Nothing more fuitable to that principle of gratitude, that is judged to be fo much fuited to the nature of man, that he cannot forgo it, without finking himself a degree below the very beafts. Nothing, I fay, is more agree able to gratitude. He who gave you all that ye poffefs, to whom alone ye muft owe all that ye fhall to eternity enjoy, aíks this small and reafonable boon, this juft defire; and we in his ftead befeech, intreat and obteft your compliance. Shall we get a refufal, when our demand is fo highly reasonable? Reason, felf-love, interest, gratitude, all fecond our requeft. If ye refufe in this, if ye will not hear thefe feconding and urging our earnest request, then we take God, angels and men |