W hat Must I Do to Be Saved? It is impossible to ask a more weighty Question! It is deplorable that we hear it asked with no more Frequency, with nor more Agony. The Spirit of Slumber which the Poison of the old Serpent has brought upon the children of Men is to be deplored exceedingly. Awaken us out of this [terrible] stupidity, O God of all Grace, lest we perish [eternally]. My Design is to bring in a Good and full Answer to this Weighty Question, Oh! how Thankful ought we to be, for the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, that makes us able to Answer it! The Gospel which we have in our hands, this a Gospel of such astonishing Mystery, of such Heavenly Majesty, and of such Consummate Purity, that it can be no other than the Word of God; It must be of a Divine Original. Oh! highly Favoured People, who know this Joyful Sound! Oh! Unavoidably and Inexcusably Wretched, if we disregard it. The Devils knew, That those Excellent Ministers of the Lord Paul and Silas, were come to Philippi, with a design to answer this Weighty Question. They could not bear it; they feared it would issue in a Destruction upon their Kingdom there. They stirred up the minds of some Wicked People, to abuse and Revile these Ministers, and run them into Prison. Some Wicked People were afraid lest they should lose a little Money, by the coming of such Ministers among them; and the Devils inspired these Muckworms to use incessant Endeavours until they had made these Ministers uncapable of Preaching any more unto them. Our Glorious Lord appeared for his Faithful Servants. They Glorified Him in the midst of their Trials. They Sang His Praises under the Stripes and the Stocks which the Satanic Party inflicted on them. Oh, Patient Servants of the Lord! What a symptom have you that you shall one Day Reign in Glory with Him? These poor men Sang unto the Lord; the Lord heard them, and savd them! A terrible Earthquake at Midnight shook open the Doors of their Prison. The Keeper that had the now superseded keys of the Prison, was terrified. In his consternation, he falls down at the feet of his Prisoners, he treats them no longer as Prisoners, but rather as Angels. He fervently puts to them the Question, which, Oh! That it were often heard with an equal fervency among us! What must I do to be Saved? Some Learned men think that the Gaoler had from the Traditions of their Philosophers, conceived some Hope of a better Life; and seeing his Life here in danger, he does, as distressed Wretches in the Last minutes of their Life use to do, Cry out for some help to make sure of a Better Life, Or, more probably, the late words of the possessed Young Woman in the Town about these Ministers; These men are the Servants of the most High God, who show unto us the way of Salvation; might run in his mind, and mind him of that Salvation, and make him think, whether these men were not appointed of God, for the Instruction of others in the way to that Salvation. There is a most important matter which must now be undertaken to be demonstrated. That whereas there must be something done, by every man that would be saved, it should be the Sollicitious Inquiry of every man What must be done by him, that he may be Saved. We will proceed upon the awakening Demonstrations of this thing; Demonstrations more powerful than any Thunderbolts. Oh! that the issue might be, that the Hearers may be Awakened, with a mighty Impression upon their Souls to make the Enquiry What must I do to be Saved? I. You must know, that There is a Great Salvation proposed unto the sinful Children of men; And you must Know, and Think, That there is Nothing of So Great Concernment for any man, as to obtain a part in that Great Salvation. Indeed Knowledge is the first Thing, that is necessary in order to Salvation; And it is absolutely necessary, Unspeakable Necessary. [Prov. 1] We read Hosea 4:6. of People Destroyed for the lack of Knowledge. Ah! destructive Ignorance, what shall be done to chase thee out of the World! A world which by thee is rendered a dark World, the Kingdom of Darkness! The Oracles of Wisdom have assured us The Soul without knowledge is not good; They assured us, They who know not God shall have a Vengeance in flaming Fire, taken of them; They have assured us; Tis Life Eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. An Ignorance of the [true] Gospel, is attended with a long Train of Unknown, but very Evil Consequences. Tis the Gospel of Salvation; They that are Ignorant of it must needs miss of Salvation. Tis an Erroneous and Pernicious Principle, That a Man may be Saved in any Religion, if he do but Live according to it. The unerring and infallible Gospel has expressly taught us otherwise [in] 2 Cor. 4:3 If our gospel be hid, it is hid unto them that be lost. It is not unseasonable here, and as Early as may be, to bring in that Admonition. Knowledge, Knowledge; To get good Knowledge, let that be the First Care of them that would be Saved. Knowledge, Tis a Principal thing; My Child, Get Knowledge; with all thy might, Get understanding. Oh! That this Resolution might immediately be made in the minds of all our people; I will get as much Knowledge as ever I can! The Word of God must be Read and Heard with Diligence that so you may arrive to the Knowledge that is needful for you. The Catechisms in which you have the Word of God fitted for your more early Apprehension of it must be diligently Studied. Unto all the other Means of Knowledge, there must be added, Humble and Earnest Supplications before the Glorious Lord, You must cry to God for Knowledge, and lift up your Voice to Him for Understanding; Prefer it before Silver, Before any Earthy Treasures. There may be some so very Ignorant, that they know not how to Pray. I would advise them to take the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm. They will find in it many a Prayer suited unto their circumstances, Take it, Use it, and particularly those Petitions in it: Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes; and Lord, Teach me Good Judgment and Knowledge; and Lord, Give me Understanding, that I may know thy Testimonies: Give me understanding and I shall Live. Take Encouragement from that word; and Plead it before the Lord: James 1:5. If any of you lack of Wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men Liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. And now to pursue diverse Ends at once, I am to tell you That the Main Things which tis necessary for you to know, are the things which concern Salvation. More Particularly; You must know, first; From What you do need Salvation. And here, First; You are to know, That the One Eternal and Infinite God who Subsisteth in Three Persons which His Word call, The Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit Created our First Parents, in an Holy and Happy State, at the End of the Six Days, in which He Created all things. But, our First Parents hearkening to the Temptations of Wicked Spirits, did Eat a Forbidden Fruit; and by that sin, they fell from God, and from their Holy and Happy State; And their Fall has brot their Children with them, into a State of Sin and Misery, their Sin was our Sin, from their corrupt nature we are born into the world envenomd with such a Nature [heart]. The Death [eternal] which the Broken Law of God threatened unto them; is due to us all: A Death which intends all Misery, not only in this World, but in Another, where our Souls continue Immortal [live forever], after they have left this world. Then you are to know; That there is a Law given to us, which, is the Everlasting Rule, according to which God requires us to glorify Him; a Law of Love to God and Man, contained in our Ten Commandments. But, that you daily break this Law; and that every Breach of it Incurs the Wrath of God who is of Purer Eyes than to behold Evil and cannot look upon Iniquity. Lastly, you are to know, That while you lie under the Guilt of Sin, you are also under the Reign of Sin, and under the Reign of Satan too; A most woeful Oppression from the Worst Enemies That Can Be. God is in Ill Terms with you. He visits you not with His great consolations All Things are against you; The things that appear for your Welfare, do but Ensnare you, do but Poison you, do but produce your further Distance from God. Your very prosperity hurts you; Your Adversary lays the Chains of Death upon you. You are every moment in danger, of being seized by the formidable Justice of God for Eternal Burnings. If you Die Unpardoned, you are sent among Devils. Damnd unto torments; must undergo a strange Punishment, and a long one which is Reserved in a Future State, for the workers of iniquity [unrepentent sinners]. Oh! Sinner; this, is thy Lamentable Case And Knowing this how canst thou do any other than make that Sollicitious Enquiry; What must I do to be Saved? Knowing this Terror of the Lord. Oh! Be Perswaded! You must know secondly by Whom you may have Salvation. And here; You are to know the great mystery of godliness God manifests in flesh. Your Salvation depends on your knowing of such a Saviour. We have not the least Intimation in the Book of God, That a unknown Saviour will be ours. But it is dreadfully intimated, That if People have no Understanding of Him, He that made them will not have mercy on them and He that formed them will shew them no Favour. You are then to know; That the Son of God assumed the Blessed Jesus, the Sinless and Holy Son of a Virgin, into one person with Himself. And this Admirable Person, who is God and Man in one Person, has as our Surety, fulfilled the Law of God for us; answered the precept of it, in his Righteous Life; answered the Penalty of it, in His grievious death; suffered the Cross, and Endured the Curse in our stead. You are to know herewithal; that this mighty and matchless and Only Saviour of the world, who is also the Govenor of the World, is Risen from the Dead, and is Enthroned in the Heavens, and will return to rule and Judge the World; but He will Save unto the utermost All that come unto God by Him. Oh! Undone Sinner; canst thou hear of such a Saviour and not make that Sollicitious enquiry, What must I do, that I may have an Interest in the Only Saviour? You must Know, Thirdly; What shall be done for you if you find Salvation. And here; You are to know that no good thing shall be withheld from the Saved of the Lord. Wonder wonder. Be swallowed up with wonderment, at this Grace, O self destroyed ones! There is Proposed unto You A deliverance from all the undesirable Circumstances, into which you have Run, by your Departure from God. It is proposed unto you, That you shall No longer be the children of Death, but be made the Children of God. That you shall be Forgiven and Accepted with a Reconciled God and be followed with perpetual Testimonies of his Fatherly Love: That No Iniquity shall have Dominion over you, but you shall become the amiable Temples, wherein He will dwell, with the sweet Influences of His Good Spirit forever irradiating of you. It is proposd unto you; That your Spirits, at your Dissolution [death] shall put on the Garments of Light, and Enter into the Peace a Rest of an Heavenly Paradise: That your Bodies ere long by a Resurrection shall be Restored unto your Spirits: but be the Lively, the Lovely, the most Agreeable and Everlasting Mansions for them: That you shall have a Joyful Portion in the city of God, and have His marvelous kindness Forever doing unutterable things for you, in that strong city: There you shall at length be filled with all the Fulness of God and have God become All in All unto you for ever and ever. All this is contained in the Salvation whereof You have a Tender. Salvation, Tis a comprehensive Word as Incomprehensible Good! Eye has not seen, Ear has not heard, no Heart can conceive, what is laid up in the Salvation of God. Oh! Ruind Sinner; why does it not now become thy Sollicitous Enquiry; What must I do that I may not lose the vast things whereunto I am invited by my Saviour? These are the things that must be known. And if these Things Be known, and Ownd, the plain Inference from them will be this; That the Man is forsaken of Reason, Unworthy to be called a Reasonable Man, who is not very solicitously Inquisitive; What must I do to be saved? But now, tis time to answer that great Enquiry, we will do it by calling in a Second Proposition. II. Something must be done by every man that would not forfeit all claim, Reject all Hope of the Great Salvation. And this also must be known. You must Know What must be done. And thereupon it shall be said unto you; Job 13:17. When you know these things happy are you If you do them. It is Not Enough to Know; There must be Practice Joynd With your knowledge. Something must be done; Else it had never been said, Hebrews 5:6 Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation, unto all them that Obey him, Something must be done; Else we had never been told; Hebrews 6:9 There are the things that accompany Salvation. We are often instructed in the Sacred Writings, That there Is a Way, wherein alone Salvation is to be Expected, A way called The way of Life; and, The way of truth; The way of the Lord; and the way of Peace; and The way of Good men; and, The way of the Righteous. In this way, Something must be done, There are Steps to be taken that we may Fnd this way, and Keep this way. Tis the Everlasting way; There is no Altering of it. Something must be done; For we are sure, All men are not saved. There are some, who are Children of Perdition, There are some, who are Vessels of wrath; there are some who go away into everlasting punishment, Something must be done, to distinguish you from that crooked Generation. We read, Matthew 7:14 Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and Few there be that Find it. Indeed there is Nothing to be done by us, to merit our Salvation, But something must be done to secure our Salvation. Indeed there is Nothing to be done by us, in our own strength. But something Must be done by us, thro Christ who strengthens us. More plainly, Our Blessedness now come not unto us, on the Terms of a Covenant of works, Tis not properly our doings, that is the condition of our Blessedness. We are to be Saved, by Taking rather than by Doing. The condition is receive and be saved. It is, approve, and be Saved. Or, Be willing to be Saved. We speak of Doing, in the Largest sense of the word; and we still say, something must be done, that we may be Saved. Let the Question then come in. And, Oh! Bring it in with all the Solicitude, which were proper for, the Greatest Concern in the World.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 07:18:57 +0000
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