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SERMON

MON IX.

Obedience enforced by the Gospel.

[From Mr. KETTLEWELL.]

MATTH.i. part of verse 21. -Thou shalt call his name Jefus; for he Shall fave his people from their fins.

S

INCE all men, who make any pre

tence to fobriety and religion, profefs themselves moft earnestly defirous of falvation; and the great errand of our bleffed Lord into the world was to purchase it, and make a tender of it to them: it may well seem strange to us, as once it did to the apoftles, that yet for all this, it is to be feared, there are but few in comparison who shall be faved.

For a great number of the Christian world, it is to be feared, are impenitently wicked; they live all their days in a course of sin, and die without amendment; and fuch

men,

men, the fcripture affures us, in the last judgement will not be forgiven. So that, notwithstanding all our talk about falvation, many perfons have but very little, or no share in it: It is but feldom found, though it be often talked of; and many are as far from it, as if the gofpel had never come abroad to bring them to it.

Now one chief reafon, why so many perfons do at laft mifs of falvation, after they have put forth fuch eager defires, and fpent fuch zealous pains upon it, is, because they mistake its nature, and underftand not truly wherein it doth confift. They take it to be fomething else than what it is, and fo are apt ufually to hope well of it, and to think they have attained to it; when, alas, they are as yet in a loft ftate, and at a very great distance from it. For although that falvation which Chrift dearly purchased, and which the gofpel comes to promote in us, be a falvation from fin; yet that which men usually fpeak of, and expect by him, is nothing lefs.

They

They think to be pardoned without obedience; and to be faved from punishment, whilst they perfevere in the practice of their fins.

For if we come to the most profligate finner, although it be upon his death-bed, when he is going out of the world with all his fins, and unmortified affections about him; yet even he, who is thus loft in fin, will ftill talk of his Saviour Christ, and hopes to be faved by him notwithftanding.

To prevent or redrefs fuch dangerous mistakes, in a matter of so high moment; I intend, in difcourfing upon these words; to represent to you, what that falvation is, which Chrift hath purchased for us.

To fave, is to deliver from evil and danger; and may be extended to as many evils, as men may be delivered from. Thus every where in David's Pfalms, the deliverance of the righteous out of afflictions and troubles, is called his falvation. And Gideon is faid to have faved Ifrael, when he rescued them out of the hands of the Midianites.

Now

Now as for thofe evils, which Chrift came to fave us from, in our deliverance from which confifteth our Chriftian falvation; they are not the temporal evils and afflictions of this life. His kingdom was not of this world; nor is his protection always from the evils of it. He himself was a man of forrows, and his followers muft expect to be like him, and to live under perfecutions. But they are our fins; and confequent upon them, thofe eternal punishments which are due unto us for them. Upon these accounts it is, that he is Christ the Saviour; He fhall be called Fefus, or a Saviour, faith the angel in my text, because he shall fave his people from their fins.

As for the deliverance from eternal death and hell torments, which are the punishment that is due unto our fins; this Chrift hath undoubtedly purchased for all those that are his. There remains no condemnation, faith the apostle, to them that are in Chrift fefus; but they are paffed over from death unto life. God who fhould in anger exact thofe punishments,

is reconciled to them by the death of his Son; fo that now they are no longer under his severity as an offended Lord, but can look upon him as their patron and protector.

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And this deliverance, from the worm of conscience and pangs of foul, from the eternal pains of hell and the horrors of darkness, we are generally apt to think to be a deliverance indeed, and fuch as we have all great need of; for who is willing to live with everlasting burnings? There is no man who thinks upon hell, but he earneftly defires to be fecured from it; and therefore there are few or noné, who will not make fome profeffion, and perform fome outward and eafy acts of religion, that thereby they may quiet their own confciences, with fomé confidence, although never fo groundlefs, of their share in this falvation.

But then, as for thofe other evils which Chrift came to fave us from, namely, our fins; men are not ufually fo fully perfuaded of their illness, nor think they have any great need to be faved from them. For VOL. IV.

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