Fourthly, What are the Terms upon which Peace is offered and proclaimed?
The Terms on which Peace is proclaimed, run thus, viz.
1. That whosoever it is that believeth, shall be saved: True, if Faith was not the Gift of God, but the Condition agreed on, as required of the Creature by his own power to act and exercise, it would not only be hard, but impossible, because Faith must be wrought in our (Page 165) Hearts by the same Power that raised Christ from the Dead; but he that calls dead Lazarus to rise from the Dead, is able to quicken, and by his commanding Voice, to raise the Soul, dead in Sins and Trespasses: The Gospel in the Hand of the Spirit is a mighty Instrument of Christ's Power in the begetting or working of Faith in poor Sinners."
"The Proclamation runs to him that thirsts: Oh, every one that thirsteth come to the Waters, &c. Jesus stood up and cried, If any Man thirst, let him come to me and drink: This thirsting may refer to thirsting after Happiness, desiring to be saved; yet others think it is a Thirst begotten in the Soul by the Spirit; from the sight and sense of the Excellencies that Sinners see in Christ, and the Necessity of him, they desire and thirst after him, Faith draws Virtue from Christ, but the Branch cannot draw Sap from the Root, until it is grafted into the Stock; Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit, therefore the Seed must be first sown in our Hearts: And this originally proceeds from our federal Union with Christ, in the Covenant of Peace. And Secondly, by our Mystical Union with him by the Spirit; for it is hereby Faith is wrought; Can any thing but evil Fruit grow out of a wild and evil Stock, and Root? all Works before Grace, are Dead Works, and profit us not.
3. The Terms are to look to Christ; Look to me and be saved, all ye Ends of the Earth: This is all one with Believing; the Israelites that were stung with Fiery Serpents, were to look to (Page 166) the Brazen Serpent; so Christ is lifted up, that whosoever looketh to him, or that believeth on him, should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.
2. This Proclamation is not so Universal, but that it wholly dependeth upon God's Sovereign Pleasure, who shall reap the Benefit of it: 'Tis sent to one Nation, and not to another; God is not obliged to send it to all Kingdoms and Nations, nor to all in that Nation whither he is pleased to send it; but if Christ died for all, I mean in the stead of all, to satisfy Divine Justice for every individual Person, then he would be Unjust in not sending the Gospel to them all—But he must Call all, and be sure he would give all the lesser Gifts, as well as the greater, viz. the Gospel and (Page 168) Faith, &c. to all, as well as his Son to die for them all, and not let them perish in their Sins and Unbelief, for whom Christ died; for without Faith all Adult Persons must perish; And how shall they believe on him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher?
3. This Proclamation offers Free Pardon of all Sins, both past, present, and to come, to all that believe in Jesus Christ: And therefore a final Deliverance from the Curse of the Law, and the Wrath of God, Rom. 8.1.
4. Free Justification by Christ alone, is therein offered also.
5. With a Supply of all Grace to the End, to all them that are in Jesus Christ, Phil. 4.19.
6. It proclaims God to be our Father, and we his Sons and Daughters, upon receiving Jesus Christ.
7. Moreover, where any Elect Sinners are, or dwell, thither the Proclamation shall, and must go, to bring them all into the Bonds of the Covenant.
8. And also whosoever receive this welcome News, shall be saved from Hell, and be Crowned with Glory in Heaven for ever and ever.
9. O Bless God for the Gospel! for the News of Peace, and you Sinners see that you attend upon the Preaching of the Word of Reconciliation, for this way he has ordained to work Faith in you: O! Cry to him to pour out his Spirit and help you to believe; never rest until you have got a Heart, a Will to take of the Water of Life. (Page 169)
10. Terror. But tremble you that reject these Tidings, this Grace, for such that finally do so, shall never have a share of that Peace Christ hath made by his Blood, for on such the Wrath of God abides, and will for ever.—Moreover, he will also make it appear, that Man's Destruction is of themselves, though their help is only in him. Dread, least God gives you up to blindness of Mind, and hardness of Heart; nay, leave you also to Temporal Plagues and Judgments, as he dealt by the Jews of old.
11. Comfort. Moreover, here is Comfort to Believers who have heard, and do know the Joyful Sound.
1. They have Interest in this Peace, and have a Title to Heaven by Christ's Righteousness alone.
2. It is also a sign they were beloved from Everlasting, because drawn to Christ, or were Elected before time, because called in time; therefore let all such praise the Holy God. To whom be Glory now and forever, Amen.
SERMON VII - "Showing the Nature of the Proclamation of the Gospel,
and the Terms thereof."
Page 155
"My Brethren, observe, that the Salvation by Christ was antecedent to our Faith, and both were to be performed for us by our Surety; that is, he was as much obliged to give us Faith, or by his Spirit to apply his Blood, as to pour it forth upon the Cross for us; though he has ordained the Preaching of the Gospel as an Instrument in and by the Spirit, to work it in our Souls.
Secondly, This Proclamation, it is an Universal Proclamation.
1. Peace and glad Tidings is to be preached or proclaimed to all the World; Go ye therefore into all the World, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature. What is this Gospel? why Peace by Jesus Christ, or that God is reconciled, his Justice satisfied, and his Wrath appeased by the Sacrifice and Obedience of his Son, that being the meritorious, or procuring Cause thereof, and Christ requires them, commanded them to believe this? Believe what? Why that God in Christ, through his Death, was reconciled to us when we were Ungodly; not that God will be reconciled, and appeased, if we Repent, Believe, are Regenerated, and Baptized, &c. That which remains to be done, (which he will also begin and perform for all the Elect) is the Sinners believing what Jesus Christ hath done; 'tis to receive the Atonement, or to stretch out the Hand of Faith; to receive the Pardon procured by Christ's Blood; not that any Sinner can believe, until the Spirit as a Vital Agent, infuses Grace into him; the Seed must be sown before the Fruit can appear:
We pray you be ye reconciled, &c. that is, we pray you to receive the Atonement Christ hath made, or believe the Record God hath given of his Son; i. e. believe there is Life in him, that God is satisfied in him, and reconciled in him: if this, my Brethren, be not the Nature of the Gospel, or of this Blessed Proclamation, I profess, I know not what it is.
http://www.mountzionpbc.org/books/The%20Covenant%20of%20Peace%20opened%201698.htm
"Paul was certain of a crown of life, yet knew it was his duty to press
towards “the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus,” and “to keep down his body” (Phil. 3:14). He strove as strenuously against sin, as if salvation could be merited by so doing; so that his election took him not off from a diligent care in use of means, in order to his attaining to eternal happiness."
http://www.bereabaptistchurch.org/banner/PDFs/October2002.pdf
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