WITHOUT speaking to the Con­text, which we may, at our lei­sure, read with pleasure and pro­fit; by the blessing of GOD, I shall im­mediately come to my Text, in which Paul tells the Thessalonians that, when he, and Si­las and Timothy preached the Gospel among them, they received it not as the word of men, but, as it was in truth, the Word of GOD, which wrought effectually in them, as it did in all true believers. In speaking to these words I shall shew,

FIRST. What we are to under­stand by the Word, or Gospel, which is evidently intended by it.

[Page 4]SECONDLY. That this Gospel is the very Word of GOD.

THIRDLY. That Believers [...] re­ceive [...] as such.

FOURTHLY. That it worketh effec­tually on all such Believers.

LASTLY. To improve the subject.

Ist. I AM to shew what we are to under­stand by the Word or Gospel. Our SA­VIOUR gives us a clear description of it, John iii. 16; where he tells Nichodemus, that GOD so loved the world▪ that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believ­eth in him should not perish, but have everlast­ing life. It is implied here, that fallen man was in a perishing condition: That GOD gave his Son for us, that we might not perish, but be saved eternally; and also that he purchased salvation for us by his death. The Scripture tells us, that CHRIST by his suffering became the Author of eter­nal salvation. It is asserted also, that this was owing to the great love of GOD. For GOD so loved the world, &c. With so great a love, that men nor angels cannot conceive: Only GOD, in his infinite mind, can com­prehend [Page 5] the full meaning of the little word so in this place: And lastly, that Believers only are benefited by this salvation; this blessedness only cometh by faith. If a man should do good works a thousand years to obtain salvation, he would miss of it; but whoever believes the Gospel, and wants no­thing but the death of CHRIST to recom­mend him to the favour of GOD shall cer­tainly be justified and saved. For GOD can be just in justifying and saving such: They having, in their Surety, answered the demands of the law both penal and pre­ceptive.

IIdly. I AM to shew, that the Gospel is the very Word of GOD, as in truth it is the Word of GOD: The Scripture again and again calls it the Word of GOD, and it is called the Word of CHRIST who is GOD; and the Ministers sent by him to preach have all along declared, that it was the Word of GOD which they preached; and such Ministers know it is the Word of GOD by the effects of it. A miracle has been wrought in their souls by the name of JESUS; believing in him they were made new creatures, haters of sin and lovers of GOD; they have also that joy and peace in believing, which they know GOD alone is [Page 6] the Author of; knowing therefore that the Gospel is of GOD, they preach it with boldness, and authority, and not as the Scribes.

IIIdly. I AM to shew, that when any one truly believes, he always receives the Gospel as the Word of GOD; as we may know by the effects of faith, that the Gospel is the Word of GOD, of which I have been speaking, so we may know that the Gospel is divine, previous to our trust­ing in CHRIST for salvation. Sometimes when men have no uncommon sense of the worth of their souls, but are thinking of CHRIST and salvation, the Gospel comes to them in power, in much assurance, and in the HOLY GHOST; by the Spirit of GOD they are insured, not that they shall be saved by CHRIST, but that there is sal­vation in CHRIST for the chief of sinners under Heaven; nor can they deliberate­ly doubt of this any more then they can doubt whether they have souls in their bo­dies; such is the demonstration of the spirit.

IVthly. THIS faith is said to work effectually,; that which is immediately wrought on the soul is trusting in JESUS [Page 7] CHRIST, at the same time believing that there is salvation in JESUS CHRIST for the chief of sinners; and that GOD himself is the Author of the good news! a trust in JESUS CHRIST for salvation, and thereby set to their seals that GOD is true: And as there is no believing that the Gospel is the Word of GOD without trusting in CHRIST, the scripture-name for Believers is that of Truster.

IN him shall the Gentiles trust: And this is their Old Testament and their New Tes­tament name. Paul delights in calling them Trusters: Which word was designed by GOD to teach us this lesson, viz. That when the Gospel comes to the soul and con­science with a Thus saith the LORD, we always trust in CHRIST immediately and are justified, and heirs of eternal life. This is the Gospel of GOD. What then shall we think of their gospel who teach, that men are justified by faith and works toge­ther? This is another gospel very little akin to the Gospel of GOD, which teach­es, that men are justified by faith only; and that saith and justification are so near together, that there can be no room for any good works to be between them. In­deed those that attain to what they call [Page 8] the believing part of justification, if they really do believe they are justified by GOD before they attempt to do any thing of the doing part of it. According to their divinity, let us suppose a man to have attained the believing part of justification, and also for sometime to have been engaged in doing the doing part; this man runs well; he is more than half justified already. Let us also suppose him not to be weary in well-doing, but that he is up and doing, and is resolved to keep doing the doing part, 'till he is quite justified: The question is, How long this poor man must keep doing hard justifying work; (for only they who are justified can do them with pleasure;) I say how long must he keep doing hard jus­tifying works 'till he is compleatly justified? The most learned man upon earth will not think himself casuist enough to answer this question. It is impossible that those who hold justification by works, and know how to think, should think much of their own doc­trine, without thinking sometimes what is called reductio ad absurdum; or their being reduced to downright absurdity. The Au­thor has for many years thought it his duty to magnify CHRIST with his tongue and pen, by disputing against justification by works; and now in his old age he has attack­ed [Page 9] it with a New Argument with brevity, and he hopes not ineffectually. For the men of this device must make it appear, that faith and justification are not so near toge­ther as the Scripture places them, otherwise their beloved divinity must die the death. No­thing can save the life of it but doing that which is impossible. It will be as hard to make a world, as to prove by Scripture, that there is any doing good justifying works between faith and justification. The Apos­tle Paul, speaking of CHRIST, says, By him all that believe are justified, Acts xiii. 39: By which he could not mean, that they would be justified soon after by their good justifying works tacked to faith; Paul abominated such stuff. He writes in the present tense or time, meaning, that all are justified when they are believers; or that as soon as they believe, they are that very moment justified persons. Common sense and conscience will own the words can bear no other meaning; the mouth of the LORD spake these words to us by Paul. Therefore, justification by works which is the great Diana of Christendom, is. killed by the words Paul spake in the name of the LORD, if the Scripture can kill it.—Love is also wrought in the soul at the same time. We do not love first and then believe: It is not consistent with Scripture nor with the Pro­testant doctrine. The Author recollects [Page 10] with pleasure, that in his younger years he drew his pen against it more than once. We believe and then love GOD, and then we love CHRIST who is GOD; we love him for all his perfections. Some love him because they hope he died for them, and they shall be saved by him: These are haters of CHRIST; and we love him also with a superlative love. If we do not love him above all other be­loveds, we are not true lovers; and with a practical love.

THIS is the love of GOD that we keep his commandments; we keep them by his grace not to be justified by them, for we see we are justified by CHRIST. We are constrained to keep them by his love, and we keep all his commandments. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all his commandments. They are very careful to observe the New Commandment of Brotherly Love: For we are taught of GOD to love one another; and they love all the Saints. Some high Pro­fessors care but little for those that fear GOD and keep his commandments: They can be bitter as if under the influence of the star cal­led wormwood; though at the same time they can caress all those who are of their party; of their side, and follow with them. One may have enough and enough of such Brotherly Love without any Christianity at [Page 11] all. It is religion to get rid of such religion as this: And this is an associating love; the sheep of CHRIST, like literal sheep, love to be together. All shyness is contrary to that great commandment, Love the Brother­hood. He that is shy of his brother, hath done him some harm, spoke evil of him, or hath an evil frame of heart towards him; if we have done them no harm, nor allow our­selves to speak evil of them; but have that love for them which the Apostle calls the fruit of the Spirit, we shall find it impossible for us to be shy of the members of CHRIST; and shall pity the shy ones who are sick of a bad distemper. This love is also a love of service; we shall serve the Brethren spiritu­ally and temporally to the utmost of our pow­er with pleasure and delight: We shall serve CHRIST and keep his commandments couragiously.

PAUL and his Fellow-laborers were not dis­heartned from serving CHRIST by preaching the Gospel, by the trial of cruel mockings and other persecutions which were made their lot; and so it has been and will be with all other Ministers and private Christians, men, wo­men and children, when called to suffer per­secution for CHRIST; they are divinely hard­ned and will endure hardness as good soldiers, rejoicing that they are accounted worthy to [Page 12] suffer for his name sake. A certain Bishop has informed the world, that Christians now-a-days are not persecuted for their religion: That the world is now so reconciled to it, they love them the better for it; and that this is the reason that men have so little of the comforts of the HOLY GHOST to what the first Christians had, because they will never be persecuted. A blind Guide! And the faith of these Christians will work effectually; they will not draw back unto perdition, because their faith is the operation of GOD. CHRIST dwelleth in their hearts by faith, and they shall receive the end of their faith, the salva­tion of their souls. When they die they enter into life, and at the second coming of CHRIST they shall be raised to glory, honor and im­mortality: As we all know by the abun­dant testimony of the Holy Scriptures, there­fore I shall recite no passages in proof of it.— But it is time to improve the subject; and

(1st.) WE learn from what has been said, that the Gospel is properly stiled glad tidings of good things, the sound of the Gospel is the joyfullest sound that ever was heard by the children of men; it proclaims that when a sinful world was perishing GOD saved us by the death of his dear Son, and all that be­lieve in him shall obtain eternal salvation: And not only the good news, but the Author [Page 13] of it, makes the Gospel worthy of all ac­ceptation: For man is not the author of it but GOD himself: It is the faithful saying of GOD, with whom it is impossible to lie. We are told by him, that if the worst men and women out of Hell want nothing but the death of CHRIST to recommend them to the divine favor, they shall as certainly be saved as there is a GOD in Heaven. May this glorious Gospel of the blessed GOD be preached to every creature under Heaven! May the Preachers of this great salvation in­sist much on the amazing love of GOD to enemies, which caused it! Shewing, that we were in so low an estate, that were it not for the death of CHRIST we must have perished forever. Some will think the last expression is a strong one. It is a strong one, and was intended for a strong one: Though the whole tribe of Socinians, Arians, &c. &c. will be against it: And some, who are thought or­thodox, will sometimes be so modish as to speak lightly of it. Let us weigh it in the balance. The Scripture knows but of two ways of justification, by the works of the law and by CHRIST's dying for us. If there had been a law which could have given life, then righteousness should have come by the law: But by the deeds of the law could no flesh living be justified; therefore, GOD who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he lov­ed [Page 14] us, sent his Son JESUS CHRIST, who was GOD as well as man, and whose blood is in Scripture called the blood of GOD, with his consent to die a sacrifice and curse for our sins: He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; and by him all that believe are justified. But the question may be asked, Whether CHRIST's death was so necessary, that if he had not died we must have perished? I answer yes. He himself tells us so in what he says to Nicho­demus, in the third chapter of John; where he says, As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not pe­rish:—And afterwards, that GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that they should not perish;—which is as much as if CHRIST had said, man must have perished, must have perished, if I had not died for his justification. Our opponents will not say we are not justified by the death of CHRIST, but cannot see his death was ne­cessary, so necessary that if he had not died man must have perished. This is a hard say­ing; too strong meat; they cannot bear there should be a must in the case.

THE truth is, these men believe that though none could be justified by their works, and though CHRIST had never died for our [Page 15] justification, that GOD could and would have justified and made us happy some other way. What other way? He had power to love, justify and make us happy without shewing any resentment against sin. Be astonished Oh ye Heavens at this! Had any Preachers in Paul's time employed all their wit and pow­ers of their mind, to prove it was not necessary CHRIST should die for our sins, they would hardly have escaped his anathema maranatha. GOD did justify us by the death of his Son; nor could he justify us in a Christless Way. Omnipotence itself could not give a be­ing to it; there is no beauty of holiness in that Way: Therefore, an infinitely holy GOD could not be the Author of it. If we only suppose it as existing, this will prove it ne­ver could exist. Let us suppose GOD had justified man in such a Christless Way; could he have glorified his holiness thereby? Eve­ry man must say no; but quite the reverse. Then the Angels could not have cried one to another holy, holy, holy is the LORD. Then the innumerable company of Angels and Spi­rits of just men made perfect, could not have magnified him in their songs, as a GOD of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. We read, There was silence in Heaven for the space of half an hour; but there must have been an ever­lasting silence in Heaven, as to such praises and hallelujahs, had not GOD redeemed us by the death of his dear Son.

[Page 16]To suppose that man could have been jus­tified without any atonement for sin is a monster in divinity, created in the imagi­nation of man's heart by the evil one, to disparage CHRIST; and yet how hath this monster been hugged and caressed by Chris­tians! It hath been matter of much wonder, grief and just indignation, that learned men, Divines as well as others, should employ their mental powers to prove there was no necessity of CHRIST's shedding his blood for the remission of our sins: By which per­verse disputing, instead of magnifying CHRIST with Paul, they diminish him, rob him of his glory and make sport for the worst ene­mies he hath in the whole world.

LORD JESUS what wilt thou do for thy great Name! Send forth thy light and thy truth; destroy this Monster every where under the whole Heavens!—I shall finish with only saying, what I can say with a good conscience, that I am persuaded there is not one man upon earth who knows that he is justified by his blood, but will say to his honor, that the blood of CHRIST could not be dispensed with, and were it not for that pre­cious blood he himself could not be justified: And consequently, that whatever proselites may be made to the polite Divinity, there will never be so much as one out of the many [Page 17] thousands of Israel who know that they are justified by GOD, and that the blood of JESUS CHRIST his Son cleanseth them from all sin.

(2.) WE learn the dignity of the Mini­sters who are employed to preach the Gospel, which is the Word of GOD himself. GOD speaks by them: They are GOD's mouth to the people. We read of an Angel's flying through the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel. The highest Angel in Heaven would think it a great honor to be employed in preaching the Gospel of GOD; but GOD would not speak to us by Angels, whose terror would make us afraid, but by men subject to like passions with ourselves. And what an honor is it to them that JESUS CHRIST was the first Preacher of the Gos­pel, who was sent by his Father to preach! As he sent them, they are employed the same way in which CHRIST was employed while he was in the world, which was made by him. Every one of his Ministers thinks this a grea­ter honor to him than if CHRIST had made him Emperor over the whole world. And be­sides, they are dignified with the office and title of Ambassadors, 2 Cor. v. 20; For we are Ambassadors for CHRIST. Kings and Po­tentates send Ambassadors to Rebels and Trai­tors, to let them know there is an act of in­demnity in their savor, that they may re­turn [Page 18] to their allegiance and be happy in the fa­vor of their Sovereign. JESUS CHRIST was the first Ambassador: GOD who sent him to make atonement for our sins by his death, sent him also to be his Ambassador, to pro­claim free remission of sins by the sacrifice of himself, and whosoever should believe in him should be reconciled unto GOD and eternal­ly blessed. After he ascended to Heaven, he made his Apostles and all his Ministers Am­bassadors to proclaim the good news of pardon, peace and reconciliation by the blood of the cross; and Paul says, he and the other Am­bassadors have besought sinners as though GOD himself besought them, and prayed them as in CHRIST's stead to be reconciled to GOD, who had made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him. When men do believe that Ambassadors do beseech them in GOD's stead, and pray them in CHRIST's stead to be reconciled to GOD, they are in a moment reconciled and are real Saints. May JESUS CHRIST be with his Ambassadors, and make them more faithful and successful than ever; that thousands and thousands may be reconciled to GOD, love GOD and be eter­nally in his favor!

(3dly and lastly.) LET us all be exhorted not to be contented with being almost Chris­tians, [Page 19] thinking ourselves something while we are nothing at all; men and their faith may perish together. May we have that faith of the Thessalonians, of which I have been speak­ing; they believed the Gospel was not the word of men, but the word of GOD himself, as in truth it was, which worketh effectually in all Believers, producing those blessed effects both inwardly and outwardly, which will end in eternal salvation. Our Savior says, What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Solemn words! Implying, eve­ry man has a soul to save or to lose; and that is the one thing needful, that our souls are saved. Once people believed this to be true: People's concern about the world and the things of it was of a secondary nature; their main care was that they might lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come, and lay hold on eternal life! But how great is the al­teration; never did men despise their own souls and neglect the great salvation more than they do at this day! Religion never was at so low an ebb since America was America; especially in these parts! It has been said that men have no more souls to save than the beasts that perish. Some manifest their Atheism like them in Scripture, of whom we read, The fool hath said in his heart there is no GOD. They have done abominable works; they are forever doing the works of darkness; [Page 20] the works of the flesh, and the works of the Devil; committing all iniquity with greedi­ness. Others manifest the same by their pro­fane and blasphemous speeches, cursing and damning: Their common talk is the language of Hell. Sometime ago a number of these wretches, having their tongues set on fire of Hell, a serious woman reproving them, they justified themselves by saying there was no Hell, nor any Devil, but an Heaven, and that they knew they should all go to Heaven and be happy forever. See how the Devil's children love the doctrine of Universal Sal­vation! See how they are encouraged by it to continue in sin! This sweet doctrine can operate no other way. The Devil laughs at those Ministers who think they shall be able to prevail with wicked and carnal men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live so­berly, righteously and godly in the world, by preach­ing the doctrine of Universal Salvation, and that Heaven will be the everlasting home of all those who, while on earth, were Devils incarnate. No man can force himself to believe that the Apostles carried on the work of the LORD, by preaching this Gospel, any more than he can force himself to believe that two and two make an hundred. How have the ways of Zion mourned for the fewness of those that walk in them! And how have the children of Zion sighed and cried for the abominations [Page 21] among us! It is the mind of many serious and godly people, that Deism and Atheism with all their cursed effects have been very much owing to certain strange Doctrines which have been preached among us with too great acceptance. I shall therefore spend some time in speaking of these doctrines, and warning against them.

THE principal is the Doctrine of Universal Salvation; or at the second coming of CHRIST all flesh shall be saved eternally. I shall men­tion only one of the many passages that I might mention, which speaks of the end and design of his coming at the last day, viz. Acts xvii. 31. Where it is said, that GOD hath ap­pointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordain­ed; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. There we are told, that GOD hath ordained CHRIST to be the Judge of the world, who is well qualified as being GOD and man; and that he will judge the world in righteousness, ren­dering to every man according to his deeds: Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish to every soul of man that doeth evil; but glo­ry, honor and peace to them that do well. And that GOD hath appointed the very day in which the world shall be judged, which will be a blessed day to the righteous; but a tre­mendous [Page 22] day to the wicked: And that we may be as certain of all this, as we are that GOD raised his Son from the dead. The Universalists do not profess themselves to be Deists, but Believers of the Scripture: And yet they do not believe that the judgment shall be set and the books opened, and that men shall then be judged according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil, any more than if they were Deists and Infidels. That blessed day in which GOD's people and the Devil's people are to be eternally happy, is supposed to be very near at hand. It hath been asserted, that their writers for thirty years together have de­clared, that we might be almost continually looking for CHRIST as coming in the clouds of Heaven, which must be matter of sweet consolation even to those who have grown old and grey-headed in the service of the De­vil; giving them hopes that they might enjoy the pleasures of sin for a longer season, even until the coming of CHRIST, and then, though they knew themselves to be the children of the Devil, they should certainly appear with him in glory. This is part of that hope which their Teachers set before them. But what if our LORD delays his coming, and wicked men are doomed to Tophet? It has been strongly asserted, that the punishment of Hell does not consist so much in torment as in [Page 23] suffering much darkness and ignorance: How­ever this suffering cannot last longer than the second coming of CHRIST, which most Di­vines think cannot be far off: And then their afflictions and sufferings which have been but for a moment, in scripture-stile, will not be worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed. What glory? They shall be raised with bodies fashioned like unto the glorious body of JESUS CHRIST, they shall be presented before the throne of glory with exceeding joy: They shall see GOD as he sees them, and know GOD as he knows them. They shall know the heighth, length, depth and breadth of his love: And they and all the heavenly host being filled with love to GOD and love to one another, shall sing praises and hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the LAMB. Nor will there be any interruption or period to their bliss; it will be commensurate with the days of eternity.

THIS must be reviving to the sons of Beli­al, who bless themselves in their heart, and say they shall have peace, though they walk in the imagination of their heart, and in the sight of their eyes: For though such harden­ed men have no firm belief of a future pu­nishment, this doctrine must comfort them, that the punishment in Hell is infinitely shor­ter [Page 24] in duration, than the happiness of the hea­venly world, which will follow and is eter­nal. They will not think it worth while to be much concerned about a punishment which will be more than a hundred thousand mil­lion times less than a moment. The sons of darkness no doubt do comfort themselves, and will comfort themselves and one another with such consolations as these. And who can say they are not strong consolations, if the dear, dear doctrine of Universal Salvation is true, which they hear preached with so much pleasure and delight. Not that Preachers are to be faulted if people take pleasure in hear­ing them preach: It is part of our office, we are helpers of their joy; we ought to com­fort others with the consolations wherewith we ourselves are comforted of GOD. The Preachers of Universal Salvation are great com­forters; every individual is a Barnabas, a son of consolation: They preach no terror: They never address their hearers as Paul addres­sed the Corinthians; We must all appear before the judgment-seat of CHRIST, that every one may receive the things done in the boay, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad: Knowing therefore the terror of the LORD we persuade men. If any one of their Teachers should preach in such a strain, how greatly would it be resented! He would indeed be guilty of joining with Paul in overturning [Page 25] the doctrine of Universal Salvation; and would undoubtedly be excommunicated for that zeal and love to the souls of men, which were conspicuous in the Apostle Paul: They are never in their element, but when they are preaching comfort; in this they have an advantage above other Ministers, though not an honorable one. Other Ministers are li­mited: They can only say, Blessed and hap­py are all those people whose GOD is the LORD: But these men can say, Blessed and happy are all those people whose GOD is the LORD; and at the same time blessed are all those people whose God is the Devil. For they all hold, the whole human race are intitled to that Salvation which is by CHRIST, which cannot be lost▪ If it is supposed it may be lost, they are like the foolish woman who pulled down the house which she built with her own hands. The worst of men have that title to salvation, which is of more worth than the whole world; they have that good part that can never be taken from them. If a man has a vast estate which is firm by law, how is he loved, esteemed and regarded as a rich man? That man therefore that has such a good part in CHRIST which can never be taken away, must be looked upon even in this world as rich towards GOD and happy. Their durable riches are in reversion; they are to be put in possession of them at the second com­ing [Page 26] of CHRIST. All bliss, glory and happi­ness is to be their portion; there will be no interruption or period to the heavenly glo­ry; it will be commensurate with the days of eternity.

IT may be said, you have asserted the eternity of their happiness before, but have not proved it; It is absolutely certain that it is without any period? Indeed it is, You that are acquainted with your bibles know that besides its being called everlasting life, it is stiled an incorruptible; that is, an eternal inheritance, everlasting consolations, eternal redemption, &c. Its being called (Heb. ii. 3.) so great salvation implies as much; for if it had not been an eternal salvation, it would have been infinitely less: It would have been a little Salvation. To which we may add, the testimony of all Christians, who declare with joy, that those who are re­deemed by CHRIST shall be with GOD, and eternally happy in his love. After they have been with GOD in glory as many thousands of ages as there are spires of grass on the ground, they will be no nearer the period to their bliss than when they were at first admitted to it. And after they have enjoyed it as many thousands of ages more as there are drops of water in the ocean, they have approached no nearer to a period. The same may be said with regard to their [Page 27] enjoying this felicity as many thousands of ages as there are sands on the sea shore. Oh eternity! eternity! eternity! One cannot think of their happiness without calling them blessed. Blessed, eternally blessed are the people in such a case! And yet these eternal­ly blessed ones while they lived on earth, (who can believe it?) had no other GOD but the Devil. This is the Creed of the Uni­versalists. But it is contrary to the Word which assures us that GOD is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: That the unrigh­teous shall not inherit the kingdom of GOD; and that no unholy persons shall ever dwell with him. Such blasphemous contempt of the truth and holiness of GOD ought to be shocking to all Christians. There are ma­ny Christians who would not oppose the truth and holiness of GOD, so much as is ne­cessary to hold Universal Salvation for the whole World: The Author is one of them▪ Their Religion is also contrary to the very light of nature, which teaches, that none are happy after death but those who have lived virtuous and moral lives. These blind men are blinder than the blind Heathens! The Apostle Paul could never preach any other doctrine but this, that they and they only who have their fruit unto holi­ness shall have their end eternal life. If any of these Universalists had lived in Paul's day, and declared that thousands and millions [Page 28] will live with GOD in Heaven, who lived without GOD in the world, and served the Devil to their latest breath, Paul would have cursed their Religion heartily in the name of the LORD. I believe my Rea­ders will join in saying that Paul would have cursed that Religion with a curse. Pos­sibly some of the Universalists may be of the same mind, and yet not think it worth while to alter their Religion for so small a matter as Paul's being against them. It appears by what has been said now as be­fore, that these men must shine and be im­minent for comforting those who are cast down. The truth is, they are qualified by their own divinity, not by GOD's divinity, to out-comfort all the Ministers upon the face of the earth. The Scripture teaches us to distinguish between Comforters and Com­forters. GOD, saith, Isa. xl. 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. He would have them comforted by knowing that their iniquities are pardoned, and that they shall be happy forever.

WE read of some who comfort others by prophesying smooth things, (Isa. xxx. 10,) but not right things. Such are the Com­forters I am speaking of. Oh what smooth, pallatable and flesh and blood doctrine do they preach, that their people may be al­ways rejoicing! Do they never bid them re­joice with fear and trembling? I say no: [Page 29] This would be to murder their own di­vinity. How do they quiet them with re­gard to that text, Heb. iv. 1. Let us there­fore fear, lest a promise being left us of enter­ing into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it? By telling them they need not fear missing the heavenly rest. That it is impossible any one should come short of it; for then the gospel of Universal Salvation would not be true. All the people of GOD therefore, and all the Devil's people shall as certainly enjoy that rest forever, as if they were in present possession of it. Our Savior speaks of it in Matt. xvi. as a dread­ful thing for a man to lose his own soul. How will they pacify them as to this? By telling them that learned and critical Di­vines may put such a meaning to CHRIST's words as may be consistent with Univer­sal Salvation. What miserable streights and shifts are these men put to to keep their be­loved doctrine alive? There are no signs of life in it: It is dead, dead, dead. And as to being prepared for the day of judgment, which has been the concern of serious people from the beginning, these merry Teachers can tell their merry Disciples, that all the world, even the worst of the Devil's chil­dren are prepared for what is called the judgment of the great day, and will be able to stand before the Son of Man, who comes not to condemn them, but to make them [Page 30] blessed and happy forever. So that the day of the wrath of GOD and the revelation of his righteous judgment, will be a time of refreshing to all the children of wrath; and none are more sure that they are living in this world and serving the Devil, than they are sure that when CHRIST comes they shall appear with him in glory. Such sweet cordials do these sons of consolation admi­nister to all the Devil's children in the Uni­verse! Satan would not desire to have them comforted more; and wonders how Chris­tian Ministers can comfort them so much: But they comfort them by prophesying smooth things and not right things, and are therefore miserable comforters. The Pro­phet describes them as sewing pillows under all arm-holes; and weak and wicked people being much comforted by them are in dan­ger of being comforted into Hell. None are in danger but those who despise their own souls.

I HAVE finished what I had to say of the doctrine that all flesh shall be happy forever at the second coming of CHRIST, which has caused much grief and sorrow of heart to many serious and godly persons, and no wonder, for they love CHRIST and want that all men should honor him from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. They cannot bear that any should [Page 31] dishonor him by preaching a gospel in his name contrary to truth and his divine per­fections; they love the souls of men. They have some of that spirit of CHRIST, that infinite Lover of souls, which causes them to long for their salvation. Their hearts desire and prayer to GOD is, that Ministers by preaching may save their own souls and the souls of them that hear them.

THERE is another doctrine that has grieved their hearts, called Origin's Doctrine, akin to the former; which is this, that at the second coming of CHRIST the saints shall obtain eternal salvation; but the wicked shall be turned into Hell, suffering the wrath of GOD and the torments of Hell until they are purified and fit for Heaven. I have said there is a likeness between them; let us consider wherein they are alike, and where­in they differ. They all preach and be­lieve one and the same gospel; they all hold that CHRIST being made per­fect by suffering, is become the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him, and to all them who do not obey him. This gospel does not sound well; the sound is better then the sense, for the sense is a most horrible contradiction to the truth of GOD.

THEY agree likewise in holding the [Page 32] absolute, infallible and eternal Salvation of the whole human race. But while others hold that Universal Salvation will be im­mediately after the second appearance of CHRIST, Origen's people declare, that at the last day the wicked shall be turned in­to Hell, and suffer the wrath of GOD and the vengeance of Hell-fire for hundreds of years; and that for suffering these torments so long and so well, and especially for the true holiness which they attain to by Hell­fire. Horrible absurdity! They are admit­ted to Heaven, although but little indebted to CHRIST, and are happy forever. This is PURGATORY! This is PURGATORY! and I may add with the Prophet, this is WICK­EDNESS. It is founded on the insufficiency of CHRIST's sacrifice and man's merit. Origen intended it as an engine to beat down justification by faith only, through grace, without the deeds of the law. This is the Gospel of GOD! And this is the Gospel of us Protestants which ought to be dear to us as our own lives. Formerly it had been dearer to some than their own lives. When any people by hearing the word preached, or by any other means believe in Purgatory, they hope that if their lives should not be accord­ing to the Gospel they shall go to Heaven by the way of Purgatory. This is the common hope of those who are called after Origin's name: They seem to have a sure hope that if [Page 33] they turn their backs upon godliness, and serve sa­tan till death, they shall be eternally happy; and they rejoice in this hope: it is owing to the same antinomian boldness that they have decided, that all that have ever lived, or shall live wicked lives in this world, shall infallibly obtain salvation, with eternal glory, by the idol called PURGATORY. I have called it an idol. God's word don't own it: to honour that would be to dishonour him. And now God, in his providence, suffers that antichris­tian idol to come amongst us protestants ^‡ (no man as a protestant, can wish it god speed) we should be on our guard against it, for though that idol can never save one soul, many judge it hath already slain its thousands; for nothing is more easy than for a man to loose his own soul, by way of Purgatory. God says, other foundation can no man lay, than that which is LAID, which is Jesus Christ.

The death of Christ is our only hope towards God, if any therefore add Purgation to it, as the manner of some is, Christ shall profit them no­thing, for it will be false doctrine as long as the world stands, to assert that a christian man is one who makes Jesus Christ his hope and purgatory too. Let wise and serious men weigh this in the ballance, and speak their minds. The friends of purgatory should tell us, if they are able, whence it is that the same wrath of the Almighty which har­dens [Page 34] evil angels, should soften the wicked men in hell, make them real saints, and lovers of an holy God. But they are not able, they have not one word to say. The doctrine which teaches that men learn to be lovers of God, by being damned in hell with the devil and his angels, is monstrous! By the way, is it not strange that learned divines and others who are afraid of all mystery in religi­on, should swallow Origen's monster! There is no monster in religion more hedious than this. Let us take a view ot it, how came any of us to love God, we love him in God's way, not in Origen's way. He loved us first, and sent his son to be a propitiation for us. We believed the love and kindness of God and our Saviour, and returned love for love. So God tells us by his prophet Hosea, that he draws us with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love. Here is nothing but love, love, love. This divinity is from Heaven; that which teaches that we love God by being damned with devils is from beneath. We may bold­ly say it is an abomination to the Lord. Origen, ^† the creator of Purgatory, created it: his Purgatory could not exist without it, therefore the hearty friends of purgatory are hearty friends to that reli­gion which the soul of God hates.

One would think that the tasting of the second death and the pains of hell, instead of creating love to God would cause the haters of God to hate him [Page 35] more. The scriptures call all wicked men haters of God, they hate him for his holiness, and for his preparing a hell for the workers of iniquity; how much more then will they hate him when they open their eyes in hell, being in torments, and feel that God is a consuming fire?—they will have no rest day nor night, but the smoke of their torment will ascend continually. Enmity must therefore en­crease, by falling into the hands of the living God, and by knowing what it is to dwell with devour­ing fire. Add to this, that we are again and again told, in the book of the Revelations, what effects God's wrath and torments will have upon the wicked, viz. they will gnaw their tongues for pain, look upwards to Heaven, but will not repent of their wickedness. It is a maxim in philosophy, that the same causes will for ever produce the same effects. This therefore alone would be sufficient to kill purgatory stone dead, if it were not already dead. Origen's divinity is sometimes contrary to scripture, reason and common sense. This is appli­cable not only to his purgatory, &c. but to his doc­trine of worshipping all the angels of heaven, and praying to departed saints, which duties we may suppose the blind, zealous man, practised every day. His prayer to the angels, and his prayer to St. Job, which are not without blasphemy, will be presented to the reader in a blank page at the end. Origen's wild notions in religion make up the creed of his most serious followers, though they do not come to them with a thus sayeth the Lord; they come to them with a thus sayeth Origen. It is strange to think with what deep contempt and indignation the Ori­genists treat their brethren, who hold that all flesh shall be saved by Christ when he comes again, not [Page 36] shewing any respects to the holy ordinance of pur­gatory learned by Origen from the writings of an heathen philosopher. They represent them as work­ing against God, and as teaching people to turn his grace into wantonness, which is the way to fill the world with sin and wickedness. The author has nothing to say for them; their religion borders on atheism; the partition between is but thin. Nor have they much to say for themselves; but the au­thor is bound in conscience to say what follows, viz. that an understanding man who reads his bible may know assuredly, that Universal Salvation is an heinous contradiction to the truth of God by many scriptures; the author will mention but one. We all know that when Christ commanded his apostles to preach salvation by faith, they were to finish with these dreadful words, He that believeth not shall be damned. By which words he let Ni­codemus know, that he meant, he that believeth not shall perish. Our late preachers are quite con­trary to Jesus Christ. He whose word was the word of God, declares once and again, that they that do not believe on him shall perish (going to purgatory is not perishing) Christ's antagonists say, that no unbelievers shall perish, no not so much as one. These contradictors will say that they have the mind of Christ, and they really preach that preaching, that Christ bids them preach. Their gospel is not according to godliness. It is directly against godliness, and tends to pro­mote all manner of ungodliness, as natural as the sparks fly upwards. The worthy parsons there­fore, before mentioned, look on universal Salvation, Origen's way or any way, to be only religious trum­pery, [Page 37] and antichristian stuff, calculated to stupify conscience, harden men's hearts, to corrupt their morals, and to make them worse and worse. They know to their grief that such divinity hath produc­ed such effects, and are persuaded that it will pro­duce such effects wherever it is, and wherever it may be permitted to spread and be encouraged. From what hath been said against these tenets, the word of exhortation to us all is, to beware that we be not carried away with them, if we are acquainted with our bibles we shall know they are contrary to the current of scripture. May we be kept from all these and all other errors, and be sound in the faith. May our faith be that which is from God, which brings men to God, and makes them happy in God forever. Such was the faith of the Thes­salonians, who received the gospel as the word of God, which always worketh effectually; we should be jealous over our selves, lest our faith should be only the effect of custom and education; if God's word is received by us as his word, we shall find it easy to trust in Christ, though our sins are more in number than the hairs of our heads, and instead of trying and trying to love Christ, our hearts will be drawn out to love him, and to live to him as real saints do, and we shall be happy in this world, and in the world to come most blessed forever. Blessed be God if we have been made partakers of this precious faith. Paul, and his fellow labourers, thanked God continually for bestowing it on the Thessalonians, and if we have clear evidence that our faith is the same, we shall thank God for it every day and hour of our lives. May the lives we live in the flesh be by the faith of the Son of [Page 38] God, who loved us and gave himself for us. May we be every day constrained by faith and love, to live to Christ, against all opposition from earth and hell, whereby we shall answer the end of Christ's giving himself a ransom for us; for he did not die merely to deliver us from hell, and the wrath to come— then he would have been the minister of sin; but he died to redeem us from all iniquity, and that we might not live any longer to our selves, but to him who died for our sin, and rose again for our justifica­tion. All believers have been taught this religion of God. Paul says we live to the Lord, and yet how small a part of our time do we live to him! only that part when we have respect to all his com­mandments: when we keep them by his grace, and aim at his honour and glory. We have all reason to blush before our divine Master. May we resolve, depending upon his strength, that we will live to him more than ever, as long as he shall hold our souls in life. And to animate us, let us consider that this is a reasonable life, an honour­able life, a joyful and a blessed life. 1st. It is a reasonable life: come now let us reason together saith the Lord; and the religion of Jesus Christ is said to be a reasonable service, Rom. xii. 1 verse. Nothing can be more reasonable than that we should live to Christ, who died for our salvation. When wicked men gratify their lusts, they are con­demned▪ in their own consciences, for being what the scripture calls wicked and unreasonable men, 2 Thessa. iii. 2. but when we live to Christ, con­science applauds for yielding a reasonable service. Nor can we ever repent of that reasonable service, whatever dangers, difficulties and persecutions may [Page 39] be the consequence. Nay, if we are called to seal his truth with our blood, it must be pleasing to us to think that we die for his sake, who loved us with a love stronger than death. 2d. It is an hon­ourable life, this is the consequence of its being a reasonable life. The scripture calls it the life of God. It is in some sort such a life as they live in heaven. Whereas they who are governed by their lusts are fellow commoners with the beasts that perish. Horace calls them hogs; and Cicero calls them horses. The scripture which gives to every one his just character, styles them brutish men, Psal. xlix. 10 as if they were a sort of quadrupeds, and accordingly, Antiochus who took upon himself the name of Epiphanes, illustrious as if he out­shined all the kings upon earth, is, by God, called a vile person, Dan. xi. 21. And the people of God look upon all such selfish, sensual men, as vile per­sons, though raised to the top of the world. The same scripture allows the saints to be honourable: they are the only right honourable ones upon earth. What honourable names are given to them by God? some of which, are kings and priests unto God. He also honours them internally. He says to them well done good and faithful servants. They have the applauses of God and their own consciences, and are consent with the honour which comes from God alone. Mr. Hugh Peters, says, that after he was a true believer, and consequently was no stranger to internal honours, he never thought the honours of this world worth minding. Such men are high born: they are born from above; they are ac­quainted with high life; they look down upon crowns, scepters and diadems, with contempt, as [Page 40] little things which can give but small satisfaction to believers, who are all men of great souls.

Grandeur of soul for ever brings contempt of sublunary things. God delights to honour them, who, like their Saviour, seek not honour to them­selves, he causes them to be esteemed by the ex­cellent ones of the earth: who regard them much because they do not live like the men of the world, to themselves; but unto the Lord, honouring him and themselves too at the same time. Nay, some­times great men who have no religion regard them much. They see in them a more excellent spirit than the spirit that is in the world: they see in them that tenderness of conscience, and that nice sense of honour which they can find in no other men; and they honour them with many honours. 3d. This is a joyful and a blessed life. The scriptures speak much of the joy of believers; they rejoice greatly, they are ready to pity those that go to the world for their joy: for it seems to them comparatively, that nothing deserves the name of joy, but joy in the Holy Ghost. I need not spend time in quoting the passages, to set forth the exceeding great joys of the first believers. Those who read their bibles can easily quote many of them and would not be helped by my quotations. An impor­tant question naturally arises here, viz. whether we christians in these days have joys and comforts equal to those of the first christians. It will take some time to answer it; I hope it will not be time lost. Those believers who have assurance of their justification, which was common in those early days, rejoice and triumph in Christ as they did; but alas! how few are there, who can adopt Paul's [Page 41] triumphant language in behalf of believers: It is God who justifies, it is Christ that died, &c. &c. Rom. viii. Most serious christians will own that their religion has not made them happy, yet they at best go on between hope and fear, and must be in bondage through fear of death. Nay, some that have rejoiced greatly and for a long time, sink into the horrible pit, and into the miry clay. They go mourning without the sun, and refuse to be com­forted. We do not learn from the apostolick writings, that any consciencious christians were fill­ed with horrors of conscience and fears of hell. To the benefit of the first christians a sort of divinity, which existed afterward, had no existence then, viz. That great distresses and humiliations are necessary to faith, and that men must be so greatly humbled as to acquiesce in some sense, in thinking of their own damnation. As there was no such divinity then, it is reasonable to think there was no such hor­rors and distresses among the christians; had it been otherwise the first enemies of Christ would have availed themselves of it. They would have pro­claimed it aloud, that christianity was enemical to the peace and quiet of mankind; that its votaries were a gloomy sort of mortals, and that it would not be strange if some of the most serious christians should pine away with grief, and die with their new religi­on. The silence of the apologists is proof enough, that from the beginning it was not so. The first christians magnified Christ by their consciencious and joyful lives. What is the reason then, that many now a-days, hang down their heads like bulrushes, and by their sorrowful countenances and sighings frighten away others from the joyful re­ligion [Page 42] of Christ? they get under the law and keep under the law, with regard to the great scripture doctrine of justification by faith without works. When they believe this, as Paul and other chris­tians did, there could be no distress and horrors of darkness among those who name the name of Christ. Christians have a sense of the worth of their souls, and sometimes a great sense, but they cannot sub­mit to the righteousness which is of God by faith. They do not seem to be holy and humble enough yet to employ the Mediator, this is a common source of trouble to serious persons, sometimes of long continuance; and those who endeavour to heal them oftentimes make them more melancholly and self righteous than ever. The truth is, they keep away from the Mediator, who is the Consola­tion of Israel. How then can they be comforted! There is but one way, and that is by believing the gospel to be true. It will be said, Is this enough to cure all distressed, melancholly, desponding chris­tians through christendom? only to believe that the gospel is true, the true word of God? Most certainly Paul tells the Thessalonians, that they who had received the gospel as the word of God were true believers. The same Paul declares over and over, that all believers are trusters in Christ. If men could believe the gospel to be the true and faithful word of God without trusting in Christ, he could have had no ground for these sinonomies; but it is impossible in the nature of the thing to believe that the gospel came down from heaven, without trusting in Christ. If I dare not trust in Christ because I am so great a sinner, I do not believe the gospel is from God. When I [Page 43] am convinced in my soul and conscience that God himself is the author of the good news, all the de­vils in hell cannot stop me from trusting in Christ one moment longer. This was Paul's own expe­rience, when he believed God himself was the au­thor of the news, that the chief of sinners were wel­come to salvation. He trusted in Christ that mo­ment, without staying to see himself better. There is not that man living upon the face of God's earth, who knows that he hath trusted in Christ, and when he began to trust in him, but will own that he trusted in him not as a saint, nor as a piece of a saint, but as a sinner. We have proved that all that have received the gospel as the word of God, are trusters in Jesus Christ; and we know the scrip­tures are full of expressions of the joy, peace and comfort of those who trust in him. Sometimes they are said to be filled with joy, and their joy is said to be unspeakable and glorious. But peace, rest and comfort are every where said to be the experi­ence of those who trust that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, they themselves shall be sav­ed. The point therefore is settled, that all dejec­ted, distressed, and desponding christians must be comforted, when they are taught of God to believe, that the gospel is his very word. Doubts and dis­tresses must all flee away like darkness before the sun. For then they will see that the worst men and women out of hell, if they want nothing but the death of Christ to recommend them, will be accep­ted of God; they themselves want nothing but the death of Christ. This is making the Lord Jesus Christ their trust, before, they were afraid to trust him, it may be for years together; but now the [Page 44] number and greatness of their sins do not keep them away. Nay, if besides all their other guilt they have been murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, such complicated wickedness could not discourage them from making Christ their trust. For they would know this to be the word of God, That where sin hath abounded, grace hath abounded much more: and that sin is not so mighty to con­demn as the blood of Christ is mighty to justify and save. They would be sprinkled from an evil and condemning conscience, and would serve Christ with gladness of heart.

Oh Christ! thou great Light of the world, shine forth. Let the gospel come in much assurance, and in the holy ghost; that being received as the word of God and of Christ. Thousands and thou­sands of poor and distressed souls may be brought out of darkness into marvelous light; and, like the first christians, glorify thee by their consciencious, and joyful lives. I have now answered the ques­tion more largely then I intended at first: though I hope not unprofitably, for I have not only shewn that the first christians were vastly superior to us in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and the rea­sons why we are so little acquainted with the con­solations of God, but have also shewn what will be the certain and infallible cure. I hope my con­cession will not discourage any, and make them contended, though the consolations of God are but small. May it have no worse effect upon an of us but this, to make us determine that by the grace of Christ we will not let him go till we drink deeper of the cup of consolation; if we [...] wrestle with him, his grace will be sufficient [...] [Page 45] us. May we observe that injunction, that they which believe should be careful to maintain good works: and may we fill up our time with evangeli­cal duties. The comforts of our holy religion are to be found only in the practice of the duties of it. Those whom the scripture speaks of as so much filled with the joys of the Holy Ghost did not live to Christ now and then as we are prone to do; but daily, hourly and habitually. If we can adopt their language and say, that for us to live is Christ, and that we want to live in the world, that he may be magnified by us in our mortal bodies. We shall have those joys also that will make us blessed. Where is the blessedness which ye spake of? That great philosopher Seneca, wrote much on the sub­ject of a blessed life: other learned philosophers did the same; but all their learning was no better than learned ignorance, for they knew nothing of the blessedness that cometh by faith. A believer is reconciled to God by the death of his Son: he has the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. He shouts for joy—God makes him exceeding glad with the light of his countenance. God is his God, not only to worship and serve, but to enjoy and make him happy in this howling wilderness. He knows that when he is absent from the body he shall be present with the Lord, which is far better. By dying he goes to God, to God his exceeding joy; and, with all the heavenly host, shall be in his immediate presence, where is ful­ness of joy, and at his right hand, where are plea­sures for ever more. This is the blessedness which cometh by faith, which Seneca and the other phi­losophers could have no idea of: are we acquaint­ed [Page 46] with it? Blessed be God for it, the more we are acquainted with it, the more we shall glorify him. God is glorified by the way in which we attain to it, and by the blessedness itself. He is glorified in the way by which it is attained: it is by faith, by strong faith, and faith, especially strong faith, is for the glory of God. Strong love accompanies such faith. We shall be constrained to yield that ex­act obedience to the commands of God which no man can yield, who keeps them to be justified by them. Our Saviour says, when we bring forth much fruit, our heavenly Father is glorified by us; and speaking of himself says, I am glorified in them. Christ will manifest himself to them, and God will shine into their souls, and cause them to know that his loving kindness is better than life. And this blessedness will be for the glory of God, and the honour of Christ's divine religion. When men are full of worldly joy they cannot hide it—when men are filled with joy in the Holy Ghost, it cannot be concealed from their acquaintance. Humility will not conceal it: the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, will comfort the humble and con­trite. Humility is the spiritual vacuum; the more any are emptied of themselves, the more will they be filled with the joys of heaven. Others therefore beholding them, and seeing that they live in all good conscience, and go on their way to heaven re­joicing, may be convinced that God is with them of a truth, and glorify God with them in the day of their visitation, whereby they will be partakers with them in their joys while in this world, and in the ever­lasting joys of the kingdom of Heaven, which God of his infinite mercy grant may be the portion of us all for Jesus Christ's sake.

AMEN.