the jerusalem sinner saved-第23章

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heels？　　Dost　fly　to　him　that　is　a　Saviour　from　the　wrath　to　come；　for
life？　　If　these　be　thy　desires；　and　if　they　be　unfeigned；　fear　not。
Thou　art　one　of　those　runaways　which　God　has　commanded　our　Lord　to
receive；　and　not　to　send　thee　back　to　the　devil　thy　master　again；　but
to　give　thee　a　place　in　his　house；　even　the　place　which　liketh　thee
best。　　〃Thou　shalt　not　deliver　to　his　master；〃　says　he；　〃the　servant
which　is　escaped　from　his　master　unto　thee。　　He　shall　dwell　with
thee；　even　among　you　in　that　place　which　he　shall　choose；　in　one　of
thy　gates　where　it　liketh　him　best；　thou　shalt　not　oppress　him；〃
Deut。　xxiii。　15；　16。

This　is　a　command　to　the　church；　consequently　to　the　Head　of　the
church；　for　all　commands　from　God　come　to　her　through　her　Head。
Whence　I　conclude；　that　as　Israel　of　old　was　to　receive　the　runaway
servant　who　escaped　from　a　heathen　master　to　them；　and　should　not
dare　to　send　him　back　to　his　master　again；　so　Christ's　church　now；
and　consequently　Christ　himself；　may　not；　will　not；　refuse　that　soul
that　has　made　his　escape　from　sin；　Satan；　the　world；　and　hell；　unto
him；　but　will　certainly　let　him　dwell　in　his　house；　among　his　saints；
in　that　place　which　he　shall　choose；　even　where　it　liketh　him　best。
For　he　says　in　another　place；　〃And　him　that　cometh　to　me；　I　will　in
no　wise　cast　out。〃　　In　no　wise；　let　his　crimes　be　what　they　will；
either　for　nature；　multitude；　or　the　attendance　of　aggravating
circumstances。

Wherefore；　if　thy　desires　be　firm；　sound；　and　unfeigned　to　become　the
saved　of　Christ；　and　his　servant；　fear　not；　he　will　not；　he　will　in
no　wise　put　thee　away；　or　turn　thee　over　to　thy　old　master　again。

Thirdly；　As　to　they　fears；　whatever　they　are；　let　that　be　supposed
which　is　supposed　before；　and　they　are　groundless；　and　so　of　no
weight。

Object。　　But　I　am　afraid　I　am　not　elected；　or　chosen　to　salvation；
though　you　called　me　fool　a　little　before　for　so　fearing。

Ans。　　Though　election　is；　in　order；　before　calling；　as　to　God；　yet
the　knowledge　of　calling　must　go　before　the　belief　of　my　election　as
to　myself。　　Wherefore；　souls　that　doubt　of　the　truth　of　their
effectual　calling；　do　but　plunge　themselves　into　a　deeper　labyrinth
of　confusion　that　concern　themselves　with　their　election；　I　mean；
while　they　labour　to　know　it　before　they　prove　their　calling。　　〃Make
your　calling；　and　so　your　election；　sure；〃　2　Pet。　i。　4…11。

Wherefore；　at　present；　lay　the　thoughts　of　thy　election　by；　and　ask
thyself　these　questions：　　Do　I　see　my　lost　condition？　　Do　I　see
salvation　is　nowhere　but　in　Christ？　　Would　I　share　in　this　salvation
by　faith　in　him？　　And　would　I；　as　was　said　before；　be　thoroughly
saved；　to　wit；　from　the　filth　as　from　the　guilt？　　Do　I　love　Christ；
his　Father；　his　saints；　his　words；　and　ways？　　This　is　the　way　to
prove　we　are　elect。　　Wherefore；　sinner；　when　Satan；　or　thine　own
heart　seeks　to　puzzle　thee　with　election；　say　thou；　I　cannot　attend
to　talk　of　this　point　now；　but　stay　till　I　know　that　I　am　called　of
God　to　the　fellowship　of　his　Son；　and　then　I　will　shew　you　that　I　am
elect；　and　that　my　name　is　written　in　the　book　of　life。

If　poor　distressed　souls　would　observe　this　order；　they　might　save
themselves　the　trouble　of　an　unprofitable　labour　under　these
unreasonable　and　soul…sinking　doubts。

Let　us　therefore；　upon　the　sight　of　our　wretchedness；　fly　and
venturously　leap　into　the　arms　of　Christ；　which　are　now　as　open　to
receive　us　into　his　bosom；　as　they　were　when　nailed　to　the　cross。
This　is　coming　to　Christ　for　life　aright；　this　is　right　running　away
from　thy　master　to　him；　as　was　said　before。　　And　for　this　we　have
multitudes　of　scriptures　to　support；　encourage；　and　comfort　us　in　our
so　doing。

But　now；　let　him　that　doth　thus　be　sure　to　look　for　it；　for　Satan
will　be　with　him　to…morrow；　to　see　if　he　can　get　him　again　to　his　old
service；　and　if　he　cannot　do　that；　then　will　he　enter　into　dispute
with　him；　to　wit；　about　whether　he　be　elect　to　life；　and　called
indeed　to　partake　of　this　Christ；　to　whom　he　is　fled　for　succour；　or
whether　he　comes　to　him　of　his　own　presumptuous　mind。　　Therefore　we
are　bid；　as　to　come；　so　to　arm　ourselves　with　that　armour　which　God
has　provided；　that　we　may　resist；　quench；　stand　against；　and
withstand　all　the　fiery　darts　of　the　devil；　Eph。　vi。　11…18。

If；　therefore；　thou　findest　Satan　in　this　order　to　march　against
thee；　remember　then　thou　hadst　this　item　about　it；　and　betake　thyself
to　faith　and　good　courage；　and　be　sober；　and　hope　to　the　end。

Object。　　But　how　if　I　should　have　sinned　the　sin　unpardonable；　or
that　called　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost？

Answer。　　If　thou　hast；　thou　art　lost　for　ever；　but　yet　before　it　is
concluded　by　thee　that　thou　hast　so　sinned；　know　that　they　that　would
be　saved　by　Jesus　Christ　through　faith　in　his　blood；　cannot　be
counted　for　such。

1。　　Because　of　the　promise；　for　that　must　not　be　frustrated：　　and
that　says；　〃And　him　that　cometh　to　Christ；　he　will　in　no　wise　cast
out。〃　　And　again；　〃Whoso　will；　let　him　take　of　the　water　of　life
freely；〃　John　vi。　37；　Rev。　xxi。　6；　chap。　xxii。　17。

But　I　say；　how　can　these　scriptures　be　fulfilled；　if　he　that　would
indeed　be　saved；　as　before；　has　sinned　the　sin　unpardonable？　　The
scriptures　must　not　be　made　void；　nor　their　truth　be　cast　to　the
ground。　　Here　is　a　promise；　and　here　is　a　sinner；　a　promise　that　says
he　shall　not　be　cast　out　that　comes；　and　the　sinner　comes；　wherefore
he　must　be　received：　　consequently　he　that　comes　to　Christ　for　life；
has　not；　cannot　have　sinned　that　sin　for　which　there　is　no
forgiveness。

And　this　might　suffice　for　an　answer　to　any　coming　soul；　that　fears；
though　he　comes；　that　he　has　sinned　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost。

2。　　But　again；　he　that　has　sinned　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost
cannot　come；　has　no　heart　to　come；　can　by　no　means　be　made　willing　to
come　to　Jesus　Christ　for　life；　for　that　he　has　received　such　an
opinion　of　him；　and　of　his　things；　as　deters　and　holds　him　back。

1。　　He　counteth　this　blessed　person；　the　Son　of　God；　a　magician；　a
conjuror；　a　witch；　or　one　that　did；　when　he　was　in　the　world；　what　he
did　by　the　power　and　spirit　of　the　devil；　Matt。　ix。　34；　chap。　xii。
24；　25；　&c。；　Mark　iii。　22…30。　　Now　he　that　has　this　opinion　of　this
Jesus；　cannot　be　willing　to　cast　himself　at　his　feet　for　life；　or　to
come　to　him　as　the　only　way　to　God　and　to　salvation。　　And　hence　it　is
said　again；　that　such　an　one　puts　him　to　open　shame；　and　treadeth　him
under　foot；　that　is；　by　contemning；　reproaching；　vilifying；　and
despising　of　him；　as　if　he　were　the　vilest　one；　or　the　greatest　cheat
in　the　world：　　and　has　therefore；　as　to　his　esteem　of　him；　called　him
accursed；　crucified　him　to　himself；　or　counted　him　one　hanged；　as　one
of　the　worst　of　malefactors；　Heb。　vi。　6；　chap。　x。　29；　1　Cor。　xii。　3。

2。　　His　blood；　which　is　the　meritorious　cause　of　man's　redemption；
even　the　blood　of　the　everlasting　covenant；　he　counteth　an　unholy
thing；　or　that　which　has　no　more　virtue　in　it　to　save　a　soul　from　sin
than　has　the　blood　of　a　dog；　Heb。　x。　29。　　For　when　the　Apostle　says；
〃he　counts　it　an　unholy　thing；〃　he　means；　he　makes　it　of　less　value
than　that　of　a　sheep　or　cow；　which　were　clean　according　to　the　law；
and　therefore　must　mean；　that　his　blood　was　of　no　more　worth　to　him
in　his　account　than　was　the　blood　of　a　dog；　an　ass；　or　a　swine；　which
always　was；　as　to　sacrifices；　rejected　by　the　God　of　heaven；　as
unholy　or　unclean。

Now　he　who　has　no　better　esteem　of　Jesus　Christ；　and　of　his　death　and
blood；　will　not　be　persuaded　to　come　to　him　for　life；　or　to　trust　in
him　for　salvation。

3。　　But　further；　all　this　must　be　done　against　manifest　tokens　to
prove　the　contrary；　or　after　the　shining　of　gospel　light　upon　the
soul；　or　some　considerable　profession　of　him　as　the　Messiah；　or　that
he　was　the　Saviour　of　the　world。

1。　　It　must　be　done　against　manifest　tokens　to　prove　the　contrary；
and　thus　the　reprobate　Jews　committed　it　when　they　saw　the　works　of
God；　which　put　forth　themselves　in　him；　and　called　them　the　works　of
the　devil　and　Beelzebub。

2。　　It　must　be　done　against　some　shining　light　of　the　gospel　upon
them。　　And　thus　it　was　with　Judas；　and　with　those　who；