Page images
PDF
EPUB

the fenfe of God's wrath, which hall fall more heavily upon them, being veffels more filled with the wrath of God, than others, And alfo in refpect of the tormenting reflections of confcience, which will be far more intolerable. For confcience will have more to accufe, upbraid and reproach them for, than others will have.O then confider thefe things, and no longer refufe to hearken to Chrift fpeaking to you, left that fcripture be verified concerning you, Prov. v. II, 12, 13. And thou mourn at the laft, and fay, How have I hated inftruction, and my heart defpifed reproof; and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that inftructed me!

DOCT. II. Such as bearken diligently unto Jefus Chrift, fhall be made to partake of really good and foul fatisfying blessings; or, Diligent hearkening to Jefus Chrift, is the way to partake of really good and foul fatisfying Blef fings. This our Lord himfelf has declared to be the true way for attaining bleflednefs. Prov. viii. 34. Blef fed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors..--More particularly,

1. Diligent hearkening to Chrift, is the way to attain forgiveness of fin. Pardon of fin is undoubtedly a very great Bleffing. The holy pfalmift does once and again pronounce him a bleffed man, who partakes in pardoning mercy. Pfal. xxxii. 1, 2. Bieffed is the man, whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered. Blef fed is the man, to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. A pardoned man, is reconciled to God, exempted from condemnation; and therefore is in a most fafe and happy condition. Hence our Lord faid to the man fick of the pallie, Matth. ix. 2. Son, be of good cheer, thy fins be forgiven thee. Forgiveness of fin, is a ground of everlafting confolation. Now, this great and foul-comforting bleffing is attained in the way of hearkening unto the voice and call of JESUS CHRIST; which implies both faith and repentance. He calls men to repentance. Matth. ix. 13. I am come, not to call the righteous, but finners

[ocr errors]

finners, to repentance. When this call is hearkened to and complied with, then do they receive the remiffion of fin. A&t. iii. 19. Repent and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out. This repentance towards God accompanies faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift. And Chrift calls to faith, as well as repentance. Matth. xi. 28. Come unto me, &c.

2. Diligent hearkening to Chrift, is the way to attain gracious communion with Jefus Chrift. Fellowship with Jefus Chrift, is a blefied foul fatisfying privilege. So the apoftle fpeaks of it, 1 Joh. i. 3, 4. That ye alfo may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift. And thefe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. How great an honour and happiness is it, for Jefus Chrift to entertain friendly and familiar communion with us? This is a foretaste, and the beginning of heaven's bleffedness itfelf. Now this fingular and invaluable favour is attained by hearkening unto Jefus Chrift. Thus he himfelf informs us, Rev. iii. 20. Behold, I ftand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will fup with him, and he with me. By Chrift's coming into us, and fupping with us and we with him, is meant, his affording his gracious prefence, and maintaining fweet communion with our fouls. And this is attained in the way of obedient hearkening to his voice,and yielding our confent that he should take poffeffion of us for himfelf-Another fuch blef fed promife Christ makes to all them that obediently hearken to him, Joh. xiv. 21, 23. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me: and be that loveth me, fhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto bim. If a Man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Jefus Chrift will manifeft himself to them, fo as not to the world. Not by a meer external revelation of himself in the word of the gofpel; but by an inward revelation of himself to their minds, fo as that

G 3

they

[ocr errors]

they fhall have fuch a view of Chrift in his lovelinefs and glory, as fhall fill them with admirations of him. He will alfo come to them and make his abode with them, fo as that they fhall apprehend him prefent with them, near them, about them, day and night. They hall fo pray to him, as if he were here on earth, in the very clofet with them: Opening their hearts to him, and pouring out their fouls into his bofom.

3. Diligent hearkening to Jefus Chrift is the way to attain affurance of our belonging to the election of grace. It is an effect of wonderful love, for a man to be of the number of God's elect. And to have the knowledge hereof, is a foundation of everlasting confolation. Luk. x. 20. Notwithstanding, rejoice not in this, that the fpirits are fubject to you but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. To know that our names are written down in the book of life, as thofe who are chofen and ordained to partake of eternal life, is a greater ground of rejoicing, than to have all the evil fpirits in fubjection to us. Now, the way to arrive at this knowledge, is to hearken to the voice of Jefus Chrift. Our thus doing, will be an infallible evidence of our being of the number of thofe theep, for whem Chrift has laid down his life, and who were from eternity given to him by the Father, to be faved by him. Job. x. 27, 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never perifb, nor shall any one pluck them out of my hand. Hearkening to the calls of Chrift, fhews that they are effectually called; and this, that they are elected, Rom. viii. 30.

4. Diligent hearkening to Chrift, is the way to attain eternal blefjednefs in heaven. The bleffings of the kingdom of glory, are of all bleffings the beft and most excellent. Thefe are fully fatisfying and ever-enduring bleffings. Now, hearkening to Chrift is the way to be brought to the participation of thefe heavenly good things. Fob. v. 24. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, be that beareth my words, and believeth on him that fent

me

me, bath everlasting life, and fhall not come into condemnation, but is paled from death unto life.

[ocr errors]

Thus alfo in the verfe following the text, Hear and your fouls fball live, even, an eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. But of this, more, when we come to thofe words. So much for doctrinal handling the point.

APPLICATION.

As ever we would partake of foul-fatisfying bleffings, let us diligently hearken to Jefus Chrift. None but Jefus Chrift reveals to us the true good things, in the enjoyment whereof our fouls can be made happy. In vain do we look for a difcovery of them from any other. Fob. vi. 68. To whom shall we go? Thou haft the words of eternal life; even Thou, exclufively of all others. Jefus Chrift only has brought eternal life and immortality to light, and he only makes known the way that leads thereunto. O then let us diligently hearken untò him. To this end, obferve thefe directions and advices.

Direct. 1. Take heed of thofe things which may be hindrances of your diligent hearkening to Jefus Chrift. There are many things which are grievous obftru&tions hereunto, and these fhould be carefully watched against.

[ocr errors]

1

1. Worldly encumbrances. When men's hearts are fet upon this world, and deeply engaged in the purfuit of it, this is a great impediment unto their hearkening to the words of the Lord, fo as to comply therewith in their practice. Matth. xiii. 22. He that received feed among the thorns, is be that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.--Such immoderate defires of and cares about worldly things, do choke preparations to hear the word of Chrift. When men's minds are taken up with the world, they can find little heart, or leifure, to make fuitable preparations unto attending on the word of Chrift. There is little meditation on what they are about to do, when they are going up to

the houfe of God; and little prayer for a bleffing upon what they may hear. They are fo cumbred about the world, and fo fpent in labours for it, that they negle&t preparations for hearing the word of God. Again, thefe worldly cares alfo choke due attention to the word of Christ. When men come to hear, if their hearts are drenched in worldly affairs, they give little or no attention to what is fpoken. Their hearts go away into the world, employing their thoughts about this, and that, and the other worldly concern, fo that many times they no more hear what is fpoken to them from the Lord, than the feats whereon they fit.Again, thefe worldly cares do choke the after-improvement of the word. If men do attend to what is fpoken, yet if their hearts be eagerly fet upon the world, all concern to put it in practice is laid afide and loft. Their minds are fo taken up with the world, as to forget what they heard, to think no more of it, and be altogether regardlefs about doing of it. Ezek. xxxiii. 31. They come 10 thee as the people cometh. They fit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words; but they will not do them: for with their mouth they few much love, but their beart goeth after their covetoufnefs.

2. Unjust prejudices against the doctrines and precepts of Jefus Chrift. Such groundlefs prejudices against what is fpoken to us by Jefus Chrift, are a great occafion of not hearkening to him. The unbelieving Jews bad taken up prejudices against the perfon of Christ, and the doctrines taught by him; and that was one main ground of their refusing to hearken to him. We fhould therefore beware of harbouring any prejudices in our minds against the word of Chrift.---Particularly, 1. Be not prejudiced against the truths revealed by Chrift, on the account of their mysteriousness. There are many things which Chrift makes known as articles of faith, neceffary to be believed in order to falvation, which yet are very deep and myfterious. Of this narure, are the doctrines of the trinity of perfons, in the unky of the Godhead; the incarnation of the Son of

God,

« PreviousContinue »