Able to save, and he has promised
This faith, too, is to be understood in a sense of its own, different from the faith by which we believed in order to be justified. Believe the glad news of a great salvation, which God has prepared for all people. Believe that he who is the brightness of his Father's glory, the exact image of his person, is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through him. He is able to save you from all the sin that still remains in your heart. He is able to save you from all the sin that cleaves to all your words and actions. He is able to save you from sins of omission, and to supply whatever is lacking in you.
It is true that this is impossible with man. But with the God-Man, all things are possible. For what can be too hard for him who has all power in heaven and on earth? His bare power to do this is not, by itself, a sufficient ground for our faith that he will do it, that he will use his power in this way, unless he has promised it. But he has promised it. He has promised it over and over, in the strongest terms. He has given us these exceedingly great and precious promises, both in the Old Testament and in the New.
So we read in the law, in the most ancient part of the oracles of God: The Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your children, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 30:6.
So in the Psalms: He shall redeem Israel, the Israel of God, from all his sins.
So in the prophet: Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean. From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, I will cleanse you. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you will keep my judgments and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses. Ezekiel 36:25.
So likewise in the New Testament: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us, to perform the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Luke 1:68.
1771 text
2. And this also is to be understood in a peculiar sense, different from that, wherein we believed in order to justification. Believe the glad tidings of great salvation, which God hath prepared for all people. Believe that he who is the brightness of his Father’s glory, the express image of his person, is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God through him. He is able to save you from all the sin that still remains in your heart. He is able to save you from all the sin that cleaves to all your words and actions. He is able to save you from sins of omission, and to supply whatever is wanting in you. It is true, this is impossible with man; but with God-Man all things are possible. For what can be too hard for him, who hath all power in heaven and in earth? Indeed his bare power to do this, is not a sufficient foundation for our faith, that he will do it, that he will thus exert his power, unless he hath promised it. But this he has done: he has promised it over and over, in the strongest terms. He has given us these exceeding great and precious promises, both in the Old and the New Testament. So we read in the law, in the most ancient part of the oracles of God, The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul, Deut. xxx. 6. So in the Psalms, He shall redeem Israel (the Israel of God) from all his sins, so in the Prophet: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you――And I will put my Spirit within you and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, &c. So likewise in the New Testament. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us――to perform the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life, Luke i. 68, &c.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 14 in the 1771 Works. Mark 1:15. Dated at Londonderry, 24 April 1767.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.