THE Door of Salvation Opened.
Behold, I stand at the Door, and knock: If any Man hear my Voice, and open the Door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
IT hath pleased the most wise Disposer of all Things, out of the Riches of his Free Grace, to tender Jesus Christ to poor, lost and undone Sinners; and also it pleased the Lord Jesus, not only to die for Sinners, to redeem them from Death, and the Curse of the Law, that he might open a Way for poor lost Sinners, to return to God, but is pleased to stand knocking at the Door of their Hearts, to woo, to beseech and intreat poor Souls to be reconciled to God.
These Words now read, are very full of Matter, and upon each Word might be almost written an intire Volumn; but my narrow scantling will not permit me to explain the Terms, only come to the main Thing intended. I might hence raise many Observations, but I shall name but one, and insist on it.
DOCTRINE.
That Jesus Christ waits and calls long upon Sinners, and earnestly labours with them for Admission: He stands at the Door and knocks.
An Hundred and twenty Years waited he upon the old World; thirty Years upon the Jews; forty Years in the Wilderness by Signs and Wonders; these one hundred Years well nigh hath he waited upon England. Twenty Years he waits upon one Sinner, forty Years upon another. How often doth he say to us, ‘Open to me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my Undenied; for my Head is filled with the Dew, and my Locks with the Drops of the Night,’ Cant. 5.2. Mat. 23.37. ‘How often would I have gathered thy Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens, but ye would not’? What doth these Passages hold forth but the Love of Christ? But to enlarge a little,
Frist, Christ gives not Sinners over, tho' they have given him no Answer at all, tho' they lie in the Bed of Ignorance, and mind not the Dignity of his Person, nor the Heavenliness of his Voice, nor the Excellency of his Salvation, and tho' he call louder and louder, and knock harder and harder, (Rom. 3.11) ‘It is high Time to awake out of Sleep, the Night is far spent, the Day is at hand’; yet Christ waits still to be gracious.
Secondly, Christ hath continued knocking and calling tho' Sinners have made light of his Invitations. Tho' the Soul be lazy, and hath put off his Coat, and cannot put it on, and hath washed his Feet, and is loth to defile them; yet for all this, Christ puts his Hand in by the Hole of the Door.
Thirdly, Christ hath not given over knocking, tho' Sinners have opened their Mouths against him, and [Page 4] reviled him yet he stands thrusting at the Post of the Sinners Hearts, and he waits and labours much to reconcile the Soul to God. He sends his Ministers who intreat and exhort, tho' all to no Purpose.
But to give you the Reasons why Christ is thus gracious to such graceless Souls.
Reason I. Christ continues knocking at the Sinners Heart, that he might glorify his free Grace and Love in converting some poor Soul to himself. That the Soul might be brought to see the tender Care of Christ and his vehement Desire to bestow himself upon him: That he might at Length see the free Bounty of Christ in his long calling, Open to me, Open to me: That it might see Salvation to be had no where else. That the Heart at length sees it must open to Christ or else it must perish; that it might see its lost Condition without Christ: That it might see Christ's Travellings, and Sufferings, Torments and Tortures, and all to redeem and save them which was lost and undone forever without him.
Reason II. Christ continues knocking and inviting that in the End he might gain the Soul to esteem him as the only and desirable Object in the World. That the Sinner at length may confess it is better to let Christ in, than keep Christ out. That the Soul may see him whom he hath reviled, yea, crucified, all his Life, see him to be the sweetest Saviour, liveliest Man in the World, and delight in him, and as it were be ravished with his Excellencies.
Reason III. Christ knocks long at the Door of the Sinners Hearts, that thereby he might magnify the Glory of his Justice, in their meer Ruin and Destruction. For, O Soul, wilt thou be left without Excuse? Thou stout Rebel, that stood'st it out against the [Page 5] Lord, that tho' he called again and again, thou wast resolved thou would not hear, tho' Mercy were upon his Knee before thee, and beg'd thee to give Admission to the Lord of Life; yet Impenitent thou wert, and Impenitent thou would'st be; ay, and miserable wert, and miserable, thou wouldest be.
Therefore will he magnify the Glory of his Justice upon thee, and make thee smart to Purpose, because thou would'st not hear the Voice of the Charmer, tho' he charmed never so wisely. Now you have no longer any Cloak for your Sins, now take what falls, and expect a Reward according to your Works; ‘For the righteous Lord loveth Righteousness, but the Wicked his Soul hateth:’ As it is in Psalm 11.5, 6, 7. Verses, No marvel now if the Lord rain Fire and Brimstone, and an horrible Tempest; for this shall be the Portion of their Cup, who have despised the rich Grace of GOD, and abused his Patience and Long-suffering towards them: Mal. 4.1. ‘For the Day is coming that shall burn as an Oven, and all the Proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be as Stubble; and the Day cometh that shall burn them up, saith the Lord; and shall leave them neither Root nor Branch.’
But to proceed to the APPLICATION which is the main Thing intended. The USES I shall make are these:
First, Exhortation to Sinners.
Secondly, Terror and Affrightment.
Thirdly, Encouragement. And then close all with some Directions.
USE I. Of EXHORTATION, to exhort and stir up, if possible every secure Sinner to stand it out no longer, but to set open your Hearts, that the King of Glory [Page 6] may enter in. O Sinner, now Christ is standing and calling to thy Soul, If thou hear and open, I will come in unto thee. Now Christ is saying, I know thy Work, I know well enough what thou hast been, and what thou hast done. I know thou hast been a Blasphemer, or a Drunkard, or a Whore-monger, or a Thief, or a Liar, or a Sabbath-breaker, or a Scorner: Yet I stand at the Door this Day, and knock, I will receive thee unto Mercy, I will forgive thee all thy Sins, I will accept, I will heal, I will save thy Soul, if thou wilt open thy Heart this Day unto me, and let me in. O Brethren, for Christ's Sake refuse not Christ, Do not reject, nor neglect so great a Salvation, so ample a Salvation, so waiting a Salvation, lest you perish.
1. Consider, The Necessity you have of him, 'Give me Children or else I die,' saith Rachel: O give me Christ, or else I perish forever. Can you be saved without Christ? And if you may have Christ, but for opening the Door; ‘Then while he is calling to day, hear and open to him.’ If the Door of Grace should be shut, thou would'st be shut up with a Vengeance forever.
2. Consider, What Answers thou wilt be able to make at the great Day if thou wilt harden thy Heart and not open. Why, what wilt thou? Why, what canst thou plead for thy self at the Day of Judgment? Wilt thou say, the Gospel never offered thee Christ? Why thou hast heard this Day, ‘If any Man will hear and open, I will come in and sup with him.’ Wilt thou say, I would have opened my Heart, had it not been for the Love of Sin, or for Ease, or Liberty, or Honour, or Friends, or Companions! Oh! how will Men and Angels hiss at thee ‘This is the Person who for Lusts Sake, forsook his Mercies! [Page 7] Who for a little Vanity, rejected his own Salvation!’ O how wilt thou curse thy self for Nothing: Nay, for that which is worse than Nothing: Thou hast put off Christ and his Salvation; therefore Men and Brethren and Fathers, hearken unto me. As Moses said to the Israelites, so this Day I propound unto you ‘Blessings and Cursings, Life and Death; Salvation if you open to Christ, and Damnation if you refuse Christ.’
For the Lord's Sake, chuse not Cursing, but Blessing; chuse not Death but Life; chuse not Hell, but Heaven, chuse not Sin, but Christ. Tho' you have formerly slighted him, if you will now regard, tho' you have formerly contemned him, yet if you will now praise him; tho' if you have formerly resisted, if yet you will yield, if yet you will consent, if yet you will become willing to open unto Christ, Christ will be yours, Mercy will be yours, and Salvation will be yours.
And what would you have more? What, will not this do? Will not Mercy allure you? Will not Love constrain you: Then give me leave to reprove you, and affright you, (if it be possible) out of those Depths of Satan, unto which you are fallen. However, I am resolved whether you will or no; and the Lord fasten it upon your Souls.
USE II. Of TERROR, To you who have no Communion with Christ, that have refused to let in the King of Glory. Oh! seriously lay to Heart your unspeakable Misery forever.
And here I know not how to begin; If Non-Communion with the Church of God, be so direful a Curse, that makes Cain cry out; ‘Thou hast driven me out this Day from the Face of the Earth, [Page 8] and from thy Face shall I be hid, I shall be a Fugitive and a Vagabond on the Earth; and every one that finds me shall slay me,’ Gen. 4.14. Oh; then, what is Non-Communion with Jesus Christ? Luther did profess, that he would not be in Heaven if God were not there, but he would rather chuse to dwell in Hell if God were there.
O Soul, where wilt thou abide after Death? Let me beg of thee to ask thy Soul the Questions following.
In the Bowels of Love and Mercy let me beg thee to ask thy Soul this Question;
Q. I. How long will this Life and the Comforts of it last? Thy Soul is immortal and must never die; but it must have a Being somewhere to all Eternity.
This Worlds Happiness is it everlasting? No surely; thy Money, and thy Corn, and thy Land will do the no Good in the great Day. Oh! what hast thou done for hereafter? what hast thou laid up for the World to come? Is the Door of thy Heart open to Christ? Alas! Is thy poor Soul Un-armed all this while?
Q. II. What will become of thee when this Life and the Comforts thereof are gone? O hard hearted Sinner, this broad Way which thou walkest on, will never lead thee to the promised Land. Thy Gold and Silver Key will never open Heavens Gate for thee: Thy Care of this World's Goods will not plead for thee before the Judge; all thy careful Friends, Acquaintance, with whom thou had spent many joyful Hours, will stand thee in no stead.
Then thou wilt be ready to cry, O where is the Christ that I have despised? O where is the Jesus which I have resisted? Will he plead for me? No surely: ‘But go to the God's whom thou hast chosen’: [Page 9] Oh what will become of me? Must I not die? O whither will Death carry me? Into which of the Regions of the World will my Death land me? either of Light or Darkness? To which of these two Regions am I now travelling? Certainly the Way of Pleasure, or worldly Profit, the broad Way of the World, its not the Way to transport me to Heaven and everlasting Happiness. Say, O Sinner to thy Soul, What must I be taken from all my Glory and Greatness, from all my Delights and Dalliances, and be thrown like Lucifer, Son of the Morning, from all my Brightness into Blackness and Darkness forever? When Death hath clos'd up my Eyes, must I awake in everlasting Flames? Ay Sinner, Thou shalt without Remedy, unless thou open to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. III. Ask thy Soul on which Hand thou art like to stand in the Day of Judgment; on the Right Hand or on the left: Among the Sheep, or among the Goats? If thou wilt not hear and open now; if thou wilt not open thy Heart now, be assured the Devil will open Hell's Mouth for thee. What will be the End of those Joys which now makes glad thy Heart; you who are in the broad Way to Destruction and utter Separation from God's Presence for ever? Thy Pleasures here we may judge of: Oh! but who can tell the Thousand part of those fiery Torments, to which thou art liable unto in the other World.
While thou livest here, thou art a cursed Sinner, and when thou diest, thou shalt be a damned Creature: While thou livest, thou art fed like a Beast by common Providence, and art a meer Stranger to never fading Promises. If thou lookest Upwards, God is frowning, and his Wrath is revealed from Heaven against [Page 10] thee, Rom. 1.18. The Heavens and their Hosts are ready every Moment to discharge God's Curses, like Thunder-bolts against thee. If thou lookest downwards, thou may'st see Hell gaping and opening its Mouth to swallow thee up quick, many Dangers attend thee every Day, many Miseries every Moment; Legions of Devils stand about thee, watching for thee; and waiting only for leave from God, to drag thy Soul into the Lake of Fire.
Ah! when thou diest Man, what must thou then do? When the Captain Death strikes, whole Armies of Wolves will fall upon thee. Look to, it and remember thou wert once warned; for if thou diest naturally, before thou livest spiritually, thou diest eternally. Augustine's Prayer was, ‘O Lord, hack me, hew me, burn me here; but spare me hereafter.’ As long as thou refusest to hear Christ's Voice, thou hast a Hell upon Earth. It is not the Multitude of thy Companions that go thither, shall any whit lessen thy Torments, but rather increase them. ‘Thy Life that hath been full of worldly Joy, shall end in deadly Woe.’
All you into whose Hands this little Book shall come; O let me beg you to consider, if you have any Bowels of Love to your own Souls, how your Hearts can endure to think of being shut out of Heaven, out of Blessedness for ever. Ask your Hearts these Questions; ‘Can I burn? Can I endure the Vengeance of eternal Fire? Will boiled Oil, burning Brimstone, scalding Lead, a glowing Oven, a scorching Furnace be an easy Lodging for me?’ Oh! Why my Soul, wilt thou not be perswaded to repent? Is there too much Pain in that? Thou art ready to say, Thou canst not bear a Cross, nor an [Page 11] Affliction, a Scoff, or a Reproach. Talk to thee of the crucifying of the Flesh, of parting with thy Lust, with thy worldly Companions, of entring in at the strait Gate? ‘O these are hard Sayings, who can bear them?’ But how wilt thou do to dwell with devouring Fire, how wilt thou dwell with everlasting Burnings? ‘Whatsoever thou thinkest now, think what Hell will be when the Day comes thou must descend into it?’ Thou mayest drink or laugh away the Fear of it, but what will it be to thee when thou feelest thy self wrapped in the Flames of it, and not a Drop of Water to cool thy Tongue? Think on Hell, O Soul, and then think on Christ; and consider if a Redeemer from such a Misery, be not worth the accepting of? Think on Hell, and think on Sin, and carnal Pleasures and Delights; consider how they will relish with thee, when thus salted with everlasting Fire. Are these the Price for which thou sellest thy Soul to Hell, Oh! bid these Lusts and Pleasures be gone, bid your Companions and Sin be gone; and tho' you loved them well, and have spent your time sinfully with them; yet tell them you must not burn for them; that you will not damn your Soul to please your Flesh.
Having thus briefly as may be, laid down the Use of Terror, which I hope will awaken some poor Souls, out of the Depths of carnal Security: Now I shall proceed to the last Use of Encouragement; To encourage poor secure Sinners, to venture to lay fast hold on Christ, before that it be too late.
USE III. Oh! poor Soul, hast thou kept Christ out a long Time, and art thou not yet resolved to open thy Heart to him? What shall I say to thee! Let me say this, ‘Christ waits still for thee; Christ [Page 12] is willing still to receive thee.’ Then why wilt thou undo thy self by neglecting so great a Salvation? Let the Consideration of the Message Christ brings you, of the Errand he comes on; it is not a dismal one he brings, it is not a dreadful Errand: If Christ had come to destroy thy Soul, could he have had less Welcome than you give him? Oh! for your Souls Sake receive him. Oh ye Fools, when will you be Wise' ‘Come unto Christ, and he will have Mercy on you, and heal all your Backslidings, and love you freely.’
But some poor Souls will be ready to say, I have a Desire to come to Christ, but I am afraid Christ will never receive such a wretched Sinner as I, who have stood it out against him so long? For Answer to this, give me leave to give you some Directions.
Direct. 1. Ah poor Soul, art thou willing to come to Christ? Then Christ will in no wise cast thee out, if thou comest to him poor, miserable, blind and naked. O Sinner, come not to him in thy own Strength; but come thus and say, O Lord, here is a poor Soul not worth a Farthing; O Lord, make me rich in Faith: O Lord, here is a miserable Soul; Lord, shew Mercy to me: Here is a poor blind Soul, Lord, enlighten me from above: Here is a poor naked Wretch, O Lord cloath me with thy Son's Righteousness: Lord help me, O Lord save me, lest I perish; for I cannot help myself.
Direct. 2. Come to Christ by believing in him. Ah, when the poor Soul is sinking headlong into Hell, and thou seest no Way to escape the fearful Wrath of God, hanging over thy Head, catch thou then at such a Time, fast on Christ. Oh then apprehend and apply all his Benefits to thy poor Soul. [Page 13] Come this Way, and grasp him in the Arms of thy Faith; and say, ‘O Lord, I believe in thee, help thou mine Unbelief:’ And the Answer which thy Lord will give thee will be thus; 'Be it according as thou wilt.' Let Christ be in your Hand, and the Promise in your Eye, and do not doubt tho' thou hast been a Rebel and a Traitor, yet Jesus Christ having received Gifts for the Rebellious, will shew Mercy to thee, and receive thee.
Direct. 3. Come to Jesus Christ by repenting and forsaking all thy Sins. Thou can'st never come to the Wedding Supper, without the Wedding-Garment: The old Man must be done away, before all Things can be made new: Jer. 3.14. ‘Oh! Jerusalem, wash thy Heart from Wickedness, that thou mayst be saved.’ Ezek. 18.31. ‘Make you a new Heart, for why will you die?’ Acts 16.31. Saith Paul to the Jaylor, ‘Repent and be baptized, and thou shalt be saved and thy House.’ Christ will never enter into an unclean Heart. O get thy Heart washed by the Tears of true and hearty Repentance, and then Christ will come in, and dwell with thee.
By this Time, I hope you see the absolute Necessity of closing with Christ, and of opening the Door to him.
And having given you some Directions, suffer me now in the Conclusion, to persuade you by all the Bowels of Love and Mercy, which Christ doth exercise towards you. If Christ had come to destroy your Souls, he could not have had less Welcome: Will you not believe Christ? Will you never believe his Messengers? If the Ministers of the Gospel had been Messengers sent up from the bottomless Pit, to deceive Nations, to destroy Souls, to drag them down [Page 14] to everlasting Darkness, there could hardly been a greater Hate and Outcry against them. Oh! Hath Jesus Christ sweated, groaned, travelled, laboured in Pain, and all to bring forth a Lie? Did he die to purge, cleanse and wash his People, and when all comes to all, is it but a Cheat? What do you mean Sinners, by your wilful Neglect? See what's the Reason of this Abuse of God's Grace, Mercy and Patience; comes it not from Sin? O it is Sin that hath made Men Devils; Devils against God, Devils against one another. There is but one, and let his Wickedness have its full Course, he would do his utmost to damn all the World: It is SIN.
O Friends; let me beg of you, to consider what SIN hath done: Go to Mount Calvary, and see what it hath done there. What was it that slew the Lord of Glory; that put Christ to Death; was it not those Sins which were laid upon him? These were his Betrayers, his Murtherers: These were the Thorns, the Nails, the Spear, that wounded HIM. Let the Sweat, the Cries, the Groans, the Blood, the Soul that was pierced and poured out by Sin, let these speak. Turn aside from Mount Calvary, and go down to the Valley of Hinnom, lay your Ear to the Mount Tophet and hearken O poor Soul, what Work SIN hath done there. What is it that hath filled Hell so full already? What sent down Cain, Judas, Ananias and Saphira, with those Millions of dead Souls that are already tormented in those Flames? Stand and admire, O thou that art not there to bear them Company! 'Tis meerly the Mercy of God that spareth thee: Oh therefore, ‘Be not high-minded, but fear.’ Did God punish so many damned Souls for nothing, for a Trifle; inflict so great Torments [Page 15] for so small Offence? What was it that cast them thither? Was it their Righteousness, or rather, was it not their Iniquities? If you step down to those Chambers of Death, and ask those wretched Creatures, 'Friends how came you hither'? What would they answer? ‘Oh! It is our SINS brought us into this Place of Torment.’ Oh, says one, ‘'Twas my Covetousness bro't me hither. Oh, says another Twas my Pride, my Wantonness, and my Slothfulness: Oh! SIN! SIN! SIN! This is that for which we burn, we roar, we rave, we die, we die eternally.’ O therefore Sinners, despise not the Riches of his Grace any longer, least his Wrath break forth, and he tear you in Pieces, and there be none to Help. But let me beg of you to open the Door of your Hearts, ‘that the King of Glory may enter in.’ Take the Yoke of Christ upon you, for that is easy, and his Burden, for it is light. Wash your Hearts from your Iniquities, that you may be saved: Oh! How long shall vain Thoughts lodge within you? And my Prayer to God for you shall be, ‘That the God of Peace, would sanctify you wholly; and I pray God, That your whole Spirit, Soul and Body, may be preserved blameless, unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Now the God of Peace make you perfect in every good Work, to do his Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his Sight; that after you have run with Joy the Race which is set before you, you may possess a Kingdom, and a Crown which is Incorruptible, which fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you.