A47437:380
Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately…
Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preached on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is displayed through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book entitled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preach'd on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is display'd through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book intituled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by Benja. Harris, 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
O how did his Bowels work and move in him! O the miraculousness of divine goodness! by the law we had broke, we were guilty,1 insolently taking up Arms against our Maker, plunging ourselves into a Sea of divine Wrath and Vengeance; guilty of Millions of Sins, meriting Millions of Deaths, yet has love would not let him rest until he had found out a way to raise us up from the lowest Hell to the highest Heaven. And in making his Son, his only begotten Son the way, and that by Abasing of him, making him so Poor, that was so Rich, so Low, that was so High and Glorious; so Cursed, that was so Blessed, yea Blessedness it self; nay, so miserable for a time; to make our way to Heaven through' the rending his Flesh, and taring his Soul to pieces, and pouring forth his most precious Blood, and this for such who hated him, and were cursed Traitors against him; well might the holy Ghost say, Behold, a ladder! behold, a new and living way, which he hath provided, and consecrated through' the Veil, that is to say, the Flesh of his own Son: O my Brethren, the way to enter into the Holiest, is by the blood of Jesus! 2Doth not God hereby show greater Love and Grace, than if he had saved lost Sinners on a way of simple Mercy, without the Death of his own Son? Therefore (as one Observes) God resolved to signalize his Love to us, he would have it re•ch the highest Note; and it could not be screwed up to an higher Peg, than to Sacrifice his Son for us,3 with his own Hand; it pleased the Lord to Praise him: Be astonished, both Men and Angels! Now may our Meditations swim in this boundless,4 bottomless bankless Ocean of the Fathers Love! God spared not his own Son. Brethren, the Love of the Father was the Motive, that moved him to contrive this way to Heaven; yea and the fullest, the freest, and the most amazing Love that ever was showed; free to us, but expensive to him; it cost him the Blood of his Son, more costly than the making of Millions of Worlds; ⟨p. 72⟩he lay in his Bosom, and there was none besides him from Eternity, to put up a request; it was the Result of his own Bowels before the being of any Creature, 'twas the effect of his Power: Tho' our Justification, Sanctification, and eternal Blessedness, be the Fruits and Merits of Christ's Death, yet whatsoever is Merited for us by Christ, it is all the Fruits of God's Love: