As Noah's ark was acceffible, and had a door in it for people to enter, fo in a crucified Jefus there is a door of accefs opened, even a door of faith, whereby poor finners of the Gentiles may have accefs to Chrift, and to God in him, Acts xiv. 27. As Paul and Barnabas rehearsed it as glad tidings to the church, that ·God had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles, fo we Gentile finners fhould gladly receive the news. Glory to God in the highest for opening this door of faith, and keeping it ftill open to perifhing finners. Come then, Gentile finner, enter in by this door to the ark, and lodge thy foul within it, that thou mayeft be safe from the flood of wrath that is coming upon the ungodly world. God forbid you be found hovering without the ark, until the flood come and wash you off from the very fides of it. O how dismal and cutting will the thought be to you through all eternity, that you was fo near Christ, and within a step of the ark, and fometimes touching it, and yet never entered into it! How fad will it be to perifh, like the thief upon the cross, with a Saviour at your fide, and to fink into hell betwixt the arms of mercy stretched forth to fave you! Now, poor foul, the ark is near you, flee to it with fpeed; behold, for your encouragement, there is a window opened in the fide of the ark, and mercy's hand is put forth to take in fhelterlefs doves who come to it. Now is the time to beftir yourselves, to come into the ark without delay, and fo prevent your perishing in the flood for ever. 2. What fhall I do to get into the ark, viz. a crucified Jefus ? A. 1. Be like Noah's dove which he fent forth, fee that you find no reft for the fole of your foot any where elfe; turn your back upon all other arks of man's devifing, they are all infufficient to fave you from the flood: Make not an ark of the abfolute mercy of God out of Chrift, seeing he declares a crucified Jefus to be the only channel of his mercy. Make not an ark of church privileges, as your good education, admiffion to fealing ordinances, &c. for the ark did not fave Shiloh, nor the altar's horns fave Joab, nor the temple fave Jerufalem. Make not an ark of your gifts, knowledge, prayers, duties, moral honesty, or felf-righteoufnefs, for the flood, when it comes, will dafh all these in pieces. Suppose those of the old world had built other fhips as like the ark as poffible, or had fled to high towers of their own contriving, the deluge would have deftroyed them all; there was no fafety for them but in Noah's ark alone. So whatever arks you devise to save you from wrath, if a crucified Chrift, the ark of God's building, be flighted, the flood will fweep away all your own arks, as the refuge of lies, Ifa. xxviii. 17. 2. Labour to be thoroughly convinced of your mifery while out of the ark; and in a deep fense of your neceffity of getting unto it; break presently over all the bars and hindrances which the devil cafts in your way to ftop your entry into the ark, as unbelief, finful pleafures, worldly cares, prefumptuous hopes, carnal company, diverfions, &c. break refolutely through all thefe to the ark, as David's three mighty men brake through the hoft of the Philiftines to the well of Bethlehem; furely your arguments for fo doing are far ftronger than theirs. 3. Approve heartily the whole contrivance of God's ark in all its rooms and ftories: Approve Christ crucified in his perfon, natures, offices, and relations, in his ftate of humiliation and exaltation: Accept of him in them all, subscribe to the whole new covenant scheme, as a device worthy of God and of infinite wifdom; confent to the great end and defign of it, namely, that felf be debased, and free grace eternally magnified. 4. Be frequently effaying faith's flight unto the ark, and to the window in the fide of it; make earnest mints, like Noah's reftless dove, to get in; fay oft, like David, Pfal. lv. 6. O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away, and be at reft. I would haften my escape from the flood, and lodge my foul this minute in one of the rooms of the ark. Believing is a work you fhould be often effaying, and though you cannot believe with faving faith, yet believe as you can, looking to God for more ftrength. You cannot pray, praise, or fanctify the Sabbath aright, yet you aim at these duties as you can; fo, in like manner, make honeft mints at believ ing and flying to Chrift; and aim, in his ftrength, to apply his blood, every man to his own foul in particular, by an appropriating faith (correfponding to the free gofpel offer) and taking home the remedy as his own; depending ftill upon the Spirit's grace who will not fail those who truft in him, but affift them in making faving application. and 5. Be willing to part with every thing that would compete with God's ark, however fpecious or plaufible a fhew it Renounce the old covenant, have. may all lurking places about mount Sinai, for in none of thefe you can find fafety. Abhor your own righteoufnefs for an ark, whatever fhape it may appear in, and embrace him alone for it, who is the Lord our Righteousnefs. His Righteoufnefs only is fpotlefs, perfect, and law-biding. 6. Make a furrender of yourfelf, and all you have, to Jefus Chrift, to be difpofed of by him as he pleaseth Be willing to fuffer the lofs of all things for him, yea, count all things lofs and dung that you may win to the ark, and be found therein when the flood cometh. ADVICE II. From REV 1.-20. Behold I found at the door and knock, : 3 LOST finner, I bring you good tidings; the eternal Son of God hath undertaken a long journey, and en dured great fufferings to purchase falvation for thee! A dear purchase it is, dear hath it coft him to obtaini it! and now he hath brought it the length of thy door, and there, O man, Chrift is ftanding knocking, and N faying, This day falvation is come to this houfe-door, open and take it in. Now, can you refufe, O finner, to take in Chrift's purchased falvation, when Chrift hath come with it to thy very door, even the door of thy heart? Behold he stands at it, and knocks for entrance! Open, open, &c. The arguments for your opening are strong and many: -- 1. Confider at whofe door Chrift doth stand, even at the door of a creature infinitely below him. Oh, it is at a beggar's door, that hath nothing to entertain Chrift with when he enters! yet faith he, Open to me, and I will bring in provifion with me, and make thee a rich feaft. It is at the door of a poor Lazarus, that is all full of ulcers and fores; yet, faith Chrift, open and I will bring in the balm of Gilead, a plaister of my blood for healing all your fores, and for as coftly as it is, it fhall coft you nothing. It is even at the door of an enemy, a mortal enemy, that Chrift ftands: You have spoken ill of him, thought ill of him, and done ill to him; you have affronted him, wounded him, and lodged his traitors and murderers; yet, faith Chrift, Open, and hearken to the offers and terms of reconciliation which I have purchased for you with my blood; they are most surprising and safe, eafy and honorable. It is at the door of Satan's flaves that Chrift ftands, those who have been long drudging at his work and feeding upon his hufks; yet, faith Chrift, Open to me, and I will set you at liberty, and make you God's free men and children. Why then will you not open and receive him joyfully? O finner, ftand amazed at Chrift's condefcending goodnefs, in ftanding at the door of fuch a fmoky cottage, fo ill fwept, and out of order! Good reafon have you to cry out, Lord, I am not worthy thou fuldest come under my roof; but, feeing thou humblest thyfelf to vifit the unworthy in fuch a manner, come in, and but fpeak the word, and the house fhall be cleanfed, difeafes healed, grievances redreffed, and the foul made happy. It is highly your intereft then to open the door, and welcome in your Saviour, who ftands and knocks for accefs. 2. Again, confider who it is that ftands at your door: It is even the King of Glory, a King of infinite power and majefty! And will ye not lift up the gates of your fouls to this King! Were it but an earthly king that knocked at your door, you would foon openand receive him, yea, count it a great honour that you had fuch a perfon in your houfe; but, what are clay kings to the King of Glory? To the Prince of the kings of the earth? To our great Emmanuel, the glorious Plant of renown, the Head of the elect world? Who then would not caft the gates wide open to fuch a glorious King? Again, he is the everlafting Father, and the Father of all believers, that ftands and knocks! A Father full of pity, that follows after his prodigal children and invites them to return to him! And will not a child open the door to his father? Can you find in your heart to keep your compaffionate Father ftanding at your door? Nay further, it is your husband that knocks, a loving husband, that hath fuffered much more for your caufe: And will not an affectionate spouse open and let in her husband? Moreover it is your phyfician that knocks, who brings healing medicines for all your diseases, by which he hath cured many thoufands before now! And will not a fick and dying man let in fuch a phyfician? Open, O finner, why will you die? 3. Confider Chrift's patience and long fuffering at your door, he doth not knock and then go away as one indifferent whether you open or not; no, he knocks and stands ftill; he stands and knocks again, and that after many repulfes ! No beggar wanting an alms would ftand fo long at our doors, as Chrift ftands at a beggar's door, not feeking to take from him, but wanting to give unto him. O wonder at his goodness and long patience! Behold he that hath a throne of glory to fit upon, and ten thousand times ten thoufand to bow before him, is willing, O finner, to ftand at thy door! yea, he ftands whilft thou doft lie in the bofom of thy |