Inference 1. Be informed from hence, what is the true cause and reason of Satan's rage and spite against the gospel, and the most pain- ful, able, and successful preachers of it in the world. The great de- sign of the gospel, and of all that sincerel}^ preach it, is to win and persuade Satan's subjects to forsake his cruel, unjust, and tyrannical government, and submit to the kingdom and sceptre of the Lord Jesus. What is the preaching of the gospel, but the sounding of a trumpet in the devil's kingdom, to win his subjects from their alle- giance to him, to proclaim another king in his territories ? Every faithful minister's business, is to gather these wretched vassals of Satan together, and set before them the miserable captivity and bondage they are in, under that tyrant tliat rules over them, (whose laws, like Draco's, are written in the blood of their souls,) to exaggerate their
556 A CORONATION-SEP.MON, TREACHED AT DARTMOUTH.
sin and misery, and to let them know how wilhng Christ is to receive and save them, if they wilJ renounce and abandon Satan's government. To set before them the blessed freedom, and glorious privileges of the subjects of Christ ; to beseech and persuade them to break away from their old cruel master, and come over to Christ : to answer all their pleas and objections against it, and to denounce the wrath of God against all the refusers of Christ's gracious proclamation. Now Satan is not ignorant of all this ; he esteems the loss of one, much more the revolt of many a greater mischief, than a king reckons the loss of a kingdom : and to see them break away from him, and be listed to fight against him ; O how it grates that envious spirit, and sharpens his malice against the instruments and agents in this work ! ' This, as a * late worthy speaks, torments the foul spirit, to see himself forsaken of his old friends and servants, and this new I^ord to come and take away his subjects from him. Hence come persecutions, slanders^, &c. ni showers, upon Christ's faithful ministers.' He knowg his kingdom of darkness must vanish, as the light oi the gospel rises, and spreads itself You read. Rev. xiv. 6, 7. of " an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth." And in ver. 8. you have another angel following him, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen ! that great city ! No sooner is the two-edged sword of the gospel drawn, but the next voice is, Victory ! victory ! He knows every home-charge made by the gospel, will issue in a rout of his infernal legions. Now mi- nisters coming forth against him as heralds, to proclaim Christ's right, and as captains of the army of Christ, their general ; he owes them a particular grudge, and seeks every way to stop their mouths, and destroy their persons. And surely he hath pushed hard at them, and made desperate attempts against them, in our days. No doubt but it was reckoned a great service done him, to shut up the mouths of so many at once; but the time draws nigh, that Babylon must fall, and those that could not lately shew their faces on earth, must fly in the midst of heaven, with the everlasting gospel. The dead vitnesses of Christ shall hear shortly a great voice from heaven, saying. Come up hither ; and they shall ascend in a cloud, their enemies beholding, but not able any more to hinder them.
Iiference 9.. How causeless, and altogether groundless, are the discouragements and fears of humbled and convinced sinners, that Jesus Christ will reject them, and shut the door of mercy against them, if they should go to him, and cast their poor sinful soul upon him by faith ?
Certainly such persons fear, where no fear is. That which is the' command of Christ, the earnest desire of his soul, that act which makes his heart glad, as the text speaks ; can never meet with such a repulse as you fear. Was ever any king unwilling to have the crown
* Gurnal's first part, p. 59.
A CORONATION-SERMON, PREACHED AT DARTMOUTH. 557
^t upon bis head ? Do they use to frown upon their subjects that are upon the knee, tendering their homage and allegiance to them ? No, it is the day of the gladness of their hearts. Renounce thy old master Satan, give a bill of divorce to those lusts which have reigned over thy soul, ponder well Christ's terms, and heartily consent to them, and try whether he will not quickly confute these vain fears of thine, and fully make good his gracious, sweet, and most encou- raging word, John vi. 37. " Him that cometh unto me, I will in no ■wise cast out.'' A sweet encouragement to a coming soul ! And because sense of guilt and unworthiness usually doubles their fears, Christ hatli caused a double negative to be put into that text, on purpose to obviate their fears, and discouragements ; a //./? s^CaXw sgw : I will not, no, I will not ; or, as we render, " I will in no wise cast him out." Acts of delight flow freely, and easily, and so doth this.
Lif. 3. What an high and honourable relation doth faith bring the soul of a sinner into ! The day of conversion is the day of that soul's espousals to Christ.
A king from heaven makes suit for a poor sinner's heart, woos for union with sinful creatures, rejoices exceedingly, when he wins their consent, and espouses them for ever to himself, w^hen he obtains it; for contractus is nothing else, but consensus eocpllcatus ; a contract is con- sent explained, in affirmative plain words, de prcesenti. I do disclaim, and for ever renounce all others ; and willingly yield up my heart and life to Jesus Christ. Now, ex contractu oritur vinculum^ an obliga- tion results from this contract with Christ, and a most honourable mystical union with him. " He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit," 1 Cor. vi. 17. The greatest honour that was ever put upon the human nature, was by its assumption into union with the Son of God, hypostatically ; and the greatest honour that can be done to our persons, is by our union with Christ, mystically ; hereby we become " Members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," Eph. V. 30. the spouse of Christ. O what a preferment is this ! What soul feels not itself lifted up far above all earthly honours, in such a rela- tion to Christ as this ? The nobles and barons of the kingdoms, think it a preferment to serve the queen ; and the angels of heaven do not think themselves degraded, by performing service to the bride, the Lamb's wife. Well might great Constantine prefer the honour of being a member of the church, to that of being head of an empire.
Let all the saints understand their dignity and privileges, by this their honourable union with Christ ; aud with it let them balance all the reproaches, scorns, and contempts, this vile world loads them with for his sake.