The Joyes Of Life Eternall, And Salvation The Same Thing, Salvation From Sin, And From Misery, All One

The joyes of Life Eternall, are in Scripture comprehended all under the name of SALVATION, or Being Saved. To be saved, is to be secured, either respectively, against speciall Evills, or absolutely against all Evill, comprehending Want, Sicknesse, and Death it self. And because man was created in a condition Immortall, not subject to corruption, and consequently to nothing that tendeth to the dissolution of his nature; and fell from that happinesse by the sin of Adam; it followeth, that to be Saved From Sin, is to be saved from all the Evill, and Calamities that Sinne hath brought upon us. And therefore in the Holy Scripture, Remission of Sinne, and Salvation from Death and Misery, is the same thing, as it appears by the words of our Saviour, who having cured a man sick of the Palsey, by saying, (Mat. 9.2.) “Son be of good cheer, thy Sins be forgiven thee;” and knowing that the Scribes took for blasphemy, that a man should pretend to forgive Sins, asked them (v.5.) “whether it were easier to say, Thy Sinnes be forgiven thee, or, Arise and walk;” signifying thereby, that it was all one, as to the saving of the sick, to say, “Thy Sins are forgiven,” and “Arise and walk;” and that he used that form of speech, onely to shew he had power to forgive Sins. And it is besides evident in reason, that since Death and Misery, were the punishments of Sin, the discharge of Sinne, must also be a discharge of Death and Misery; that is to say, Salvation absolute, such as the faithfull are to enjoy after the day of Judgment, by the power, and favour of Jesus Christ, who for that cause is called our SAVIOUR.

Concerning Particular Salvations, such as are understood, 1 Sam. 14.39. “as the Lord liveth that saveth Israel,” that is, from their temporary enemies, and 2 Sam. 22.4. “Thou art my Saviour, thou savest me from violence;” and 2 Kings 13.5. “God gave the Israelites a Saviour, and so they were delivered from the hand of the Assyrians,” and the like, I need say nothing; there being neither difficulty, nor interest, to corrupt the interpretation of texts of that kind.