QUEST. I.—WHAT IS IT TO BE SAVED?
This question supposed that there is such a thing as damnation due to man for sin, for to save supposed the person to be saved to be in a sad condition; saving, to him that is not lost, signifies nothing, neither is it anything in itself. “To save, to redeem, to deliver” are in the general terms equivalent, and they all of them suppose us to be in a state of thralldom and misery; therefore, this word “saved,” in the sense that the apostle here doth use it, is a word of great worth, forasmuch as the miseries from which we are saved is the misery of all most dreadful.
The miseries from which they that shall be saved shall by their salvation be delivered are dreadful; they are no less than sin, the curse of God, and flames of hell forever. What is more abominable than sin? What more insupportable than the dreadful wrath of an angry God? And what more fearful than the bottomless pit of hell? I say, what more fearful than to be tormented there for ever with the devil and his angels? Now, to “save,” according to my text, is to deliver the sinner from these, with all things else that attend them. And although sinners may think that it is no hard matter to answer this question, I must tell you no man can feelingly know what it is to be saved, that knows not experimentally something of the dread of these three things, as is evident, because all others do even by their practice count it a thing of no great concern, when yet it is of all other of the highest concern among men; “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matt 16:26).
But, I say, if this word “saved” concluded our deliverance from sin, how can he tell what it is to be saved that hath not in his conscience groaned under the burden of sin? Yeah, it is impossible else that he should ever cry out with all his heart, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”—that is, do to be saved (Acts 2:37). The man that hath no sores or aches cannot know the virtue of the salve; I mean, not know it from his own experience, and therefore cannot prize, nor have that esteem of it, as he that hath received cure thereby. Clap a plaster to a good place, and that maketh, not its virtue of appearing; neither can he to whose flesh it is so applied, by that application understand its worth. Sinners, you, I mean, that are not wounded with guilt and oppressed with the burden of sin, you cannot—I will repeat it—you cannot know, in this senseless condition of yours, what it is to be saved.
Again, this word “saved,” as I said, concludes deliverance from the wrath of God. How, then, can he tell what it is to be saved that hath not felt the burden of the wrath of God? He—he that is astonished by, and that trembled at, the wrath of God—he knows best what it is to be saved (Acts 16:29).
Further, the word “saved” concluded deliverance from death and hell. How, then, can he tell what it is to be saved that never was sensible of the sorrows of the one nor distressed with the pains of the other? The Psalmist says, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord”—(mark, then), “then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul,”—then, in my distress. When he knew what it was to be saved, he called because, I say, he knew what it was to be saved (Psa 18:4,5; 116:3,4). I say this is the man, and this only, that knows what it is to be saved. And this is evident, as is manifest by the little regard that the rest have for saving or the little dread they have of damnation. Where is he that seeks and groans for salvation? Where is he that hath taken his flight for salvation because of the dread of the wrath to come? “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt 3:7). Alas! Do not the most set light by salvation?—as for sin, how do they love it, embrace it, please themselves with it, hide it within their mouth, and keep it close under their tongue. Besides, for the wrath of God, they feel it not, they fly not from it; and for hell, it becomes a doubt to many, if there be any, and a mock to those whose doubt is resolved by atheism.
But to come to the question—What is it to be saved? To be saved may either respect salvation in the whole of it, salvation in the parts of it, or both. I think this text respected both—to wit, salvation completing, and salvation completed, for “to save” is a work of many steps; or, to be as plain as possible, “to save” is a work that hath its beginning before the world began, and shall not be completed before it is ended.
First, then, we may be said to be saved in the purpose of God before the world began. The apostle saith, “he saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim 1:9). This is the beginning of salvation. According to this beginning, all things concur and fall to a conclusion: “He hath saved us according to his eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus.” In this saving, God may be said to save us by determining to make those means effectual for the blessed completion of our salvation; hence, we are said “to be chosen in Christ to salvation.” And again, that he hath in that choice given us that grace that shall complete our salvation. Yea, the text is very full, “He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:3,4).
Apprehended 