None but Christ

None but CHRIST.

WE find in the 66 th. Verse of this Chapter, That many of CHRIST's followers forsook him, and went away; they turned their backs upon him & became Apostates; The occasion thereof we find in the foregoing Verses; they stumbled at his Doctrine: they were prejudiced at his Sermon: He had told them in the foregoing Verses, that He was the Bread of life ; and that unless they ate His Flesh and drank His Blood, they had no life: That is, they neither had any Spiritual Life then, nor should they have Eternal Life hereafter. They taking these words to be meant Carnally & Literally, not Spiritually, stumbled thereat. And when Jesus saw that some of His own Disciples misunderstood him, He proceeds to Enlighten them, v. 61. telling 'em He meant eating of His Flesh & drinking of His Blood, to be after a Spiritual manner, Ver. 63. That it is the Spirit that quickeneth and not the Flesh; and His words were Spiritual, i. e. to be understood after a Spiritual manner. After which He told them he knew well that there were some that did not receive the Truth, and would not Believe, Ver. 64. And in Ver. 65. He gives one reason of it, viz. It was not given them of the Father; telling them if the mighty Power of God did not Enlighten their Understanding, quicken their dead Souls, draw them with a sweet, yet holy Violence (as it were) they would not, could not come unto the Son; which was farther offensive still, as the like Doctrine is to Arminians to this Day. Upon this they Revolted, and this was the occasion of their Backsliding; therefore it is said, From that time many of His Disciples went back and walked no more with Him ; forsook Him, and never returned to follow Him anymore.

Upon this the Lord JESUS took occasion to speak to His Disciples, that is the Twelve (being full of Pity and Compassion,) He seeing many turn their backs, turned about to those who remained; and in a very pathetical Heart-affecting manner, saith, Will ye go away also ? Ye that are my Disciples! It is no great wonder to see such and such go away, but will YE also go away that have been so near and so dear to me? Will ye go away from Me that am your Savior and Redeemer? Simon Peter, partly being a forward man to speak, partly because the Lord's words reached & deeply affected him, makes Reply, Lord, whither shall we go ? The words note a Vehemency, and imply,

• (1) That they would not go.
• (2) That they had nowhere else to go.

As if they should say; Lord, We have nowhere else to go; we cannot better & mend ourselves, therefore we will not go: Whither shall we poor needy Sinners go for help, if we should leave and forsake Thee?

DOCT. That there is no help to be had for poor needy Sinners, but in JESUS CHRIST. Act 4.12. Salvation is to be had in no other.

There are Two PROPOSITIONS.

PROP I. Sinners are Poor Needy Creatures. I intend Unconverted Sinners: All men are such by Nature; the condition of all and every man by Nature is, POOR, MISERABLE, BLIND, AND NAKED.

1. Men stand in need of Pardoning Mercy. They have need to have their Sins Pardoned. Sins are called Debts, Mat. 6.12. What Luke calls Trespasses or Sins, in Luk. 11.4. Matthew calls Debts ; to note that Sin is a Debt. How many Sins a man is guilty of, so many are his Debts: and poor Man is miserably Bankrupt, and not able to pay so much as one of the least of them! So likewise man is a poor guilty Criminal & Malefactor, Condemned to die; Joh. 3.18. He that believeth not is condemned already. And there is no way to escape but by Pardoning Mercy: They stand in need of Justifying Grace to Absolve, Acquit and Discharge them.

2. Men stand in need of Renewing & Sanctifying Grace. Natural men are Carnal, Corrupt, Unholy ones, such as God can have no pleasure in, Jer. 44.4. Sin is abominable in the sight of the Lord; God hates it, & man because of Sin is such in the sight of God too, Job 15.6. — Much more abominable is man. Hence they stand in need of Cleansing and Purifying, which is done by Converting and Sanctifying Grace; which is wrought by the Operation of the Spirit & Application of the Blood of Christ Therefore you read of being washed in His Blood, Rev. 1.5 Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our Sins in His own Blood. And 1 Joh. 1.7, 9. He not only Forgives, but Cleanses from Sin. This is done by the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Men stand in need of being Purified & made Holy, without which they cannot enter into the Beatifick Presence of God; Heb. 12.14. For without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. As it was of old, a man Ceremonially Unclean might not enter into the Camp and Congregation of God's People, Deut 23.10. So men Spiritually Unclean cannot enter Heaven, Eph. 5.5. No unclean thing enters there.

3 Sinners stand in need of Peace, true Peace & Comfort. A Peace and Security many of them have; Amos 6.1. Sinners in Zion are at ease : they cry, Peace, peace to themselves : but this is a Peace that they were better without than with: It is a false Peace, a carnal Peace;

Peace that must be broken and taken away from them, else Woe to them ; It is a Peace that's from a spirit of Self-flattery & from Satan, (he blinds men's Eyes and keeps them under Delusion) and not a Peace that comes from God. GOD is angry with them, ( Psal. 7.11.) and saith, that there is no Peace for them, Isa. 57 ult. There is no true Peace & Comfort but what is from God, and is a fruit of the Spirit; Joh. 14.27 My Peace (says our Savior) I give you ; who sends the Comforter to speak Peace. Christless Souls can have no good well-grounded Peace, Joh. 16. ult. Isa. 57.19 God causes Peace, but God never speaks Peace to such who are Unconverted, Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners. Sinners, many of them donit need Ease and Security, but they need Peace: Peace they have, but then not a sound, solid, durable & lasting, Peace.

4. Men stand in need of the Precious Indwelling Presence of the Spirit of God.

(1) This is needful to Enlighten and Teach them the way they should go. Men are naturally Blind, Rev. 3.17. Full of Spiritual Darkness and Ignorance, Eph 4 18 Having their understandings darkened through the ignorance that is in them. Eph. 5.8. They are Darkness itself, having no Spiritual light & knowledge▪ 1 Cor. 2.14. They neither do no can discern Spiritual things, because they are Carnal ; nor do they understand the way to Jesus Christ. When men fall under Convictions and Awakenings, they are wont to calculate and lay out to themselves the way to Conversion, the way to Peace with God; but they are at length made to see that their wisdom is but foolishness. God is wont to let them try, & they try one method & find that fails them, & another & that fails; till at last the Soul comes to see itself Lost & Bewildred: Oftentimes the Sinner is brought to a stand, he is non-plush'd, knows not whether to look or what to do! He finds the way quite contrary to what he expected, he finds 'tis not with him to direct his own steps. Much so is it with men after Conversion: they are many times sensible that they must sink and perish if God undertakes not for them; if they have no higher wisdom than their own they shall surely fail of Salvation, miss the Harbor & Haven of Rest, and so Perish forever. Mans own wisdom will not guide him aright one step: Therefore you read, Isa. 42.16. GOD leads the blind in ways that they little thought of, makes darkness to become light, &c. quite contrary to what they once expected. The Psalmist was sensible of his own darkness & want of wisdom, which made him Pray, as in Psal. 25.4, 5 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, & teach me.

(2.) They need the Spirit of God to quicken and strengthen them unto Duty. Naturally men are without strength, as well as light, Rom. 5.6. Not one Duty but the poor Soul 〈◊〉 in need of aid and the help of the Spirit, in order to the right discharge of it; he anit able to move one step aright towards Mercy, nor take one step in the way to Heaven; nay, not so much as to receive Mercy, when and though offered and held out in the Offers & Tenders of the Gospel. Men are by nature not only void of strength, but deal in trespasses and Sins, ( Eph. 2.1.) and need therefore to be Enlightened and Quickned And after Conversion they need daily Influences from the Spirit, Psal. 80.18. 〈◊〉 119.25. Cant. 1.4. Draw not, we will ran after this, —

PROP. II. There is no help to be bad for poor needy Sinners, but in and through JESUS CHRIST. He and He only can deliver the Needy, the Poor, and him that hath no Helper. Psal. 72.12.

For,

1. 〈…〉 cannot help them. Some men have 〈◊〉 dependence upon Means; but 〈◊〉 , they do depend upon broken Reeds. Ministers cannot help; they are but Instruments in God's Hands: And all the Efficacy of the Instrument is from the Principal Cause, 1 Cor. 4.7 They are but 〈…〉 , and have nothing but what God the 〈…〉 himself may Plant, and Apollos Water, and yet be unsuccessful, if God deny His Blessing Many lay the fault of their being not Converted upon the Means, and think if they had better Means, they should be and do better. Alas! had they the Means and Advantages that such & such have. Oh! If they did but sit under such and such a Ministers, they think they should do well—When alas, Ministers cannot Convert men & & Save them: They may Pray for them, and Weep over them; They may tell them their Misery and their Duty, but they cannot Convert men. Multitudes live and die in their Sins, and are not so much as thoroughly Convinced under a Painful and Faithful Ministry: Isa. 53.1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom in the arm of the Lord revealed? If Ministers could Save their Hearers, they would not suffer so much as One to Perish and go to Hell; not one should go out of the Assembly before they are Converted.

2. Godly Friends and Relations cannot Save. All that they can do is to Instruct, Teach, Counsel, Direct, Warn, & Pray for them.

3. Hence the Word of God alone cannot Save. Psal 19.11. The Commandments of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. It has a Convincing Power & Efficacy, but not in itself, only as it is in the hand of God, Heb. 4.12. 'It is the Sword of the Spirit, Eph. 6.17. But if it be not wielded by the Spirit of God, it is like a Sword in the Scabbard, that neither wounds nor pierces; it is as the Spirit and mighty Power of God makes it. Hence multitudes who fit all their Days, live and die under the most likely Means and Advantages, such as Preaching of the Word, go to Hell when they Die & so Perish forever notwithstanding all: They did so of old in the Days of the Prophets, in the Days of John the Baptist, under the Ministry of our SAVIOUR Himself, and in the Days of the Apostles likewise, and ever since even to this Day. We must indeed attend to the Word, but after all look to GOD, who alone gives Success.

4. Dependance on a man's own Righteousness, that cannot Save a man. All that a man can do, cannot recommend him to God's Favor, or lay God under any Obligation to take Pity on and Save him. Such as build their Hopes upon their Doings, build but upon the Sand. Man cannot Merit at the Hands of God, anything but Misery. Mans Righteousness is but as filthy Rags, Isa. 64.6. Therefore does pollute and defile him: They do but Condemn him being imperfect and sinful. The Pharisee had his dependence upon his own Righteousness, but what got he by it▪ he lost his Life, Luk. 18 from Ver. 9 to the 15 th. Men are wont to have a great deal of dependence upon their Repentance and Reformation, their Prayers & their Tears, and really think God is bound to have regard for them. Hence they are oft times wont to have hard thoughts of God, when they donit find expected Success in performing Duty, Isa. 58.3. Wherefore have we Fasted, say they, and thou seest not? — It is in vain to serve God, Mal. 3.14 Job 21.15. To what purpose and to what profit is it to Pray to God ? All this is the Language of a Self jusstifying Sinner and Merit-monger. But, alas! he that has no better Foundation to build upon, is sure to sink: Such a dependence would not keep men out of Hell, Psal. 49.7, 8 None can by any means redeem a Soul, nor give to God a Ransom for him: For the Redemption of the Soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever. The Price necessary for the Redemption of the Soul out of the Hands of God's Justice, is so great, that for all a man can do, there is no hope of Redeeming it; Isa. 40.16 Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. Thousands of Rams, or ten thousands of Rivers of Oil, nay the Fruit of the Body, though' it should be the First-born, cannot appease the Anger of God & Redeem the Soul, Mic. 6.7. Could we water our Couch, & weep tears of Blood, it would not commend us to God or give satisfaction to injured Justice.

5 There is us depending upon Absolute Mercy▪ neither. To look to that and think that Mercy shall save us without Gospel-conditions, & complying with the Terms, Offers, and senders of Grace, is but the ready way to Perdition. Yet men must depend on Absolute Mercy to work Gospel-conditions in them. This is the case of abundance of men. Ask them, Do they hope to be Saved? 〈◊〉 Hell? They'll say, Oh! Yes. Ask them, Why do you hope so? Why, say they, GOD is a Merciful God! That's true, and that's no more than the Damned in Hell may save It is a precious truth, GOD is rich in Grace, abundant in Mercy, plenteous in Redemption: Read Psal 86.15. Thus, O Lord, are a God full of Compassion, Gracious, & Long suffering. And Psal 130.7. With the Lord is Mercy & plenteous Redemption. But notwithstanding this, multitudes Perish forever. God never bestows Mercy upon any, but in and through Jesus Christ. And such as look not for the Grace of Faith, Repentance, and Holiness, here, are sure to Perish notwithstanding all the Provision that Mercy has made for Poor Sinners. It is in vain to plead Mercy, if Mercy donit win us over to a Compliance with Gospel Terms, it will not save us at last from Hell.

In a word, There is no Help to be had, no Salvation but in & through Jesus Christ, That He alone is the Savior of mankind, Appears;

(1) Because 〈…〉 is Appointed of God to save Sinners. He it is that God the Father has appointed for the Work of Saving Sinners; it is He that God the Father has Exalted with His own Right Hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give Repentance unto Israel & Forgiveness of Sins Act. 5 31. His Name is called JESUS, which signifies Savior; Mat. 1.21. Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His People from their Sins. It is He that God speaks of, in Psal. 89.19. Where God says. I have laid help upon One that is mighty, — Isa 61.1.2, 3. Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 said 〈◊〉 it Anointed (as the High Priest was of old) to note His solemn Appointment of the Father and Designation to the Office of Mediator & Redeemer, and this Exclusive of all others. It appears,

2 For 〈◊〉 but Jesus is able to help & 〈…〉 . He only is Qualify'd to 〈…〉 and go through the great Work of Redemption. Such a one must be GOD as well as Man 〈◊〉 none other is a fit Person to Mediate between an Offended GOD and the Offending Sinner. He must be GOD, that a Value may be put upon the Price that He Paid down for the Debtor. The Sufferings of one that is GOD renders the Price Valuable in the fight of God. He must be GOD that He may be able to bear the Weight of all the Sins of the Elect which were laid upon Him, Isa. 53.6 That He might endure the shocking Stroke of Divine Justice, and bear the insupportable Weight of God's Wrath, when He pours out the Vials thereof upon Him; a few Drops whereof is more than enough to consume the poor Sinner. His Blood alone is able to quench the Flames of God's burning Ire, which otherwise burns down to the lowest Hell. Again, He must be Man, that so He might be able to Suffer; for God only suffers in the Human and not Divine Nature. He must be Man as well as God, that He might be fit to become the Redeemer of man. Man Sinned, and Man must Die. You read, under the Law in case a man Sold himself, and was not able to work his own Redemption, then he must be Redeemed by a Brother, or of one near of Kin. See Lev. 25 47.48. Which was to signify, that the Redeemer was to be near or Kin, our Brother, true Man as well as very God. Such a Person as JESUS CHRIST only can Save.

3 Thither and thither alone, bare the Saints in all Ages fled for help, and there alone found it. They built their Hopes of finding Mercy with God upon Jesus Christ; unto Him did they look, and in Him was their Confidence And such as look not for Salvation in and by Him, and upon Gospel Terms, miss of it & miscarry forever. Of old the Brazen Serpent was a Type of Jesus Christ And we read expressly that Jesus Christ is the Saints Hope, Col. 1.27. — Christ in you the Hope of glory. 1 Tim. 1.1. The Lord Jesus Christ, which is our Hope.