T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be jus tified by the law of Moses.” And lest you think this oiler is restrained to the Jews, see Gal. 6:15: “ For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, noT uncircumcision, but a new creature.” And Luke 14:17: ‘‘Come, for all things are now ready.” You see by this time that we are com manded to offer life to you all, and to tell you from God, that if you will turn, you may live. Here you may safely trust your souls; for the love of God is the fountain of this offer, (John 3:16) and the blood of the son of God has purchased it; the faithfulness and truth of God are engaged to make the promise good, miracles oft sealed the truth of it, preachers are sent through the world to proclaim it; the sacraments are in stituted and used for the solemn deliv ery of the mercy offered to them that will accept it; and the Spirit opens the heart to entertain it, and is itself the earnest of the full possession. So that the truth of it is past controversy, that the worst of you all, and every one of you, if you will but be converted, may be saved. Indeed, if you will needs believe that you shall be saved without conversion then you believe a falsehood; and if I should preach that to you, I should preach a lie. This were not to believe God, but the deyil and your own de ceitful hearts. God has his promise of *life, and the devil has his promise of life. God’s promise is, Return and live. The devil’s promise is, You shall live whether you turn or not. The words of God are, as I have showed you, “ Ex cept ye be converted and become as lit tle children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” Matt. 18:3: “ Ex cept a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:3, 5: “Without holiness none shall
567 see God.” Heb. 12:14. The devil’s word, “ You may be saved without being born again and converted; you may do well enough without being holy. God does but frighten you; he is more merciful than to do as he says; he will be better to you than his word.” And, alas, the greatest part of the world believe this word of the devil, before the word of God; just as our sin and misery came into the world. God said to our first parents, "If ye eat ye shall die;” and the devil contradicted him, and said, “ Ye shall not die;” and the woman be lieved the devil before God. So now the Lord says, “ Turn or die;” and the devil says: “ You shall not die, if you do but cry for God’s mercy at last, and give over the acts of sin when you can practice it no longer.” And this is the word that the world believes. O hei nous wickedness, to believe the devil be fore God! And yet that is not the worst; but blasphemously they call this a believing and trusting in God, when they put him in the shape of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning; and when they be lieve that the word of God is a lie, they call this trusting God and say they be lieve in him, and trust in him for salva tion. Where did ever God say, that the unregenerate, unconverted, unsanctified, shall be saved? Show me such a word in Scripture. I challenge you if you can. Why, this is the devil’s word, and to believe it is to believe the devil, and the sin that is commonly called pre sumption; and do you call this a be lieving and trusting in God? There is enough in the word of God to strength en the heart of the sanctified; but not a word to strengthen the hands of wickedness nor to give men the least hope of being saved, though they.be never sanctified. But if you will turn, and come into the way of mercy, the mercy of the Lord is ready to entertain you. Then trust God for salvation, boldly ana con fidently; for he is engaged by his word
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