A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

(2.) There is the Counsel of Salvation, what Man must do on his part, that he may partake of the Righteousness and Spirit of Christ, according to the good pleasure of God, which Christ purchased by virtue of his Humiliation, and dispenseth and distributeth by virtue of his Exaltation. I call all this the Counsel of God, because thus it is called in Scripture, Luke 7.30. The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsel of God against themselves. If you will be saved, here is God's Counsel, thus you must do. It is dangerous for a sick Man to alter the Physician's Method and Receipt, to be tampering, to be taking out and putting in; so it is very dangerous to alter the Counsel of God which he hath set down, how we may be brought to Salvation. Do not, as the young Man that came to Christ, and said, Matth. 19.16. Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life? and yet when Christ puts him to the trial, it's said he went away sad. So a natural Man, his Heart is raised up to hearken after Salvation, but he goes away sorrowful, when he cannot win Heaven in his own way, to enjoy Christ and the World, Christ and carnal Liberty, and Christ and his carnal Pleasures; therefore you must not only look to the History of Salvation, what God hath done, but to the Counsel of Salvation, what you must do. And Peter sums it up, and gives an Abridgement of the Gospel, Acts 2.37, 38. Men and Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the Remission of your Sins, and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Repentance, that implies true and lively Grief because of Sin and Misery, by which a Man feeleth the Wrath of God, grieveth because he hath offended God, acknowledgeth that he hath deserved Condemnation, hungereth and thirsteth after Christ, and then waiteth till his Heart be settled in the Comfort of the Gospel, and he possessed of the Righteousness of Christ. Nay, Repentance implies more, you must lay down the Weapons of Defiance, and study Thankfulness to God, and walk in new Obedience, and love God, and love your Neighbour, and bear the Cross quietly, waiting for eternal Life. This is the Counsel of God to you, if you would be saved.

(2.) There is the Counsel of Salvation, what Man must do on his part, that he may partake of the Righteousness and Spirit of Christ, according to the good pleasure of God, which Christ purchased by virtue of his Humiliation, and dispenseth and distributeth by virtue of his Exaltation. I call all this the Counsel of God, because thus it is called in Scripture,