Sin and that there is no way but by Christ to obtain Deliverance But because all this must be acknowledged by the Righteous themselves as well as by the Wicked therefore Christ doth not mention this but that only which is the turning Point or Cause in the Judgment For it is not all Sinners that shall be finally condemned but all impenitent unbelieving Sinners who have rebelled finally against their Redeemer 2. And the Reason why Faith itself is not expressed is 1. Because it is clearly implied and so is Love to Christ as Redeemer in that they should have relieved Christ himself in his Members That is as it 's expressed Mat. 10. 42. they should have received a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet and a Disciple in the Name of a Disciple all should be done for Christ's sake which could not be unless they believed in him and loved him 2. Also because that the bare Act of Believing is not all that Christ requireth to a Man's final Justification and Salvation but holy self-denying Obedience must be added And therefore this is given as the Reason of their Condemnation that they did not so obey We must observe also that Christ here putteth the special for the general that is one way of self-denying Obedience and Expression of Love instead of such Obedience in general For all Men have not Ability to relieve those in misery being perhaps some of them poor themselves But all have that Love and Self-denial which will some way express it self And all have Hearts and a Disposition to do thus if they had Ability without such a Disposition none can be saved It is the fond Conceit of some that if they have any Love to the Godly or wish them well it is enough to prove them happy But Christ here purposely lets us know that whoever doth not love him at so high a rate as that he can part with his Substance or any thing in the World to those Uses which he shall require them even to relieve his Servants in want and Sufferings for the Master's sake that Man is none of Christ's Disciple nor will be owned by him at the last XI The next Point that we come to is to shew you the Properties of this Sentence at Judgment When Man had broken the Law of his Creator at the first he was liable to the Sentence of Death and God presently sat in Judgment on him and sentenced him to some part of the Punishment which he had deserved but upon the Interposition of the Son he before the rest resolved on a Way that might tend to his Recovery and Death is due yet to every Sinner for every Sin which he commits till a Pardon do acquit him But this Sentence which will pass on Sinners at the last Judgment doth much differ from that which was passed on the first Sin or which is due according to the Law of Works alone For 1. As to the Penalty called the Pain of Loss the first Judgment did deprive Man of the Favour of his Creator but the second will deprive him of the Favour both of the Creator and Redeemer the first Judgment deprived him of the Benefits of Innocency the second deprives him of the Benefits of Redemption the loss of his hopes and possibility of Pardon of the Spirit of Justification and Adoption and of the Benefits which conditionally were promised and offered him these are the Punishments of the last Judgment which the Law of Works did never threaten to the first Man or to any as it stood alone Also the loss of Glory as recovered is the proper Penalty of the violated Law of Grace which is more than the first loss As if a Man should lose his Purse the second time when another hath once found it for him or rather as if a Traitor redeemed by another and having his Life and Honours offered him if he will thankfully accept it and come in should by his Refusal and Obstinacy lose this recovered Life which is offered him which is an Addition to his former Penalty Besides that the higher Degree of Glory will be lost which Christ would bestow on him more than was lost at first The very Work of the Saints in Heaven will to praise and glorify him that redeemed them and the Father in him which would not have been the Work of Man if he had been innocent 2. As to the Pain of Sense the last Judgment by the Redeemer will sentence them to a far sorer Punishment than would have befaln them if no Saviour had been offered them Heb. 10. 29. The Conscience of Adam if he had not been redeemed would never have tormented him for rejecting a Redeemer nor for refusing or abusing his gracious Offers and his Mercies nor for the forfeiting of a recovered Happiness nor for refusing of the easy Terms of the Gospel which would have given him Christ and Salvation for the accepting nor for neglecting any Means that tended to Recovery no nor for refusing Repentance unto Life nor for disobeying a Redeemer that bought him by his Blood As all these are the Penalties of the Redeemer's Law and Judgment so is it a sorer Penalty than Conscience would have inflicted meerly for not being perfectly innocent and they will be far soarer Gripings and Gnawings of the never-dying Worm for the abuse of these Talents than if we had been never trusted with any after our first Forfeiture Yea and God himself will accordingly proportion his Punishments So that you see that privatively and positively or as to their Loss and their Feeling the Redeemer will pass on them a heavier Doom than the Creator did or would have done according to the first Law to perfect Man 3. Another Property of the Judgment of Christ is that it will be final peremptory and excluding all farther Hopes or Possibilities of a Remedy So was not the first Judgment of the Creator upon faln Man Though the Law of pure Nature knew no Remedy nor gave Man any Hope of a Redeemer yet did it not exclude a Remedy nor put in any Bar against one but God was free to recover his Creature if he pleased But in the Law of Grace he hath resolved that there shall be no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and Fire which shall devour the Adversary Heb. 10. 26 27. and that the Fire shall be everlasting the Worm shall not die and the Fire shall not be quenched Mat. 25. ult Mat. 13. 42 50. John 5. 27. Mat. 5. 26. Mat. 3. 12. and Luke 3. 17. Mark 9. 43 44 45 46 48. He that now breaketh that pure Law that requireth perfect Innocency as we have all done may fly to the Promise of Grace in Christ and appeal to the Law of Liberty or Deliverance to be judged by that But he that falls under the Penalty of that Law which should have saved him as all final Unbelievers and impenitent ungodly Persons do hath no other to appeal
to you that his Word should be false 2. Should it not have seemed as unlikely that the Governour of the World should be unjust and suffer his Law to be unexecuted and the worst to speed as well as the best and to suffer vile sinful Dust to despise his Mercy and abuse his Patience and turn all his Creatures against him without due Punishment 3. Did you not feel Pain and Misery begin in this Life 4. You saw Toads and Serpents which had never sinned And you would rather live in any tolerable Suffering than be a Toad And is it not Reason that it should go worse with contemptuous Sinners than with those Creatures that never sinned 5. Could you expect that those should come to Heaven that would not believe there was such a State but refused it and preferred the World before â—it And to be out of Heaven is to be out of all Happiness and he that is so out of all Happiness and knows that he lost it by his own Folly must needs torment himself with such Considerations were there no other Torments And as Man is capable of greater Felicity than Brutes so must he needs be capable of more Misery The sixteenth Excuse The things which God promised in Heaven and threatned in Hell were all out of my Sight and therefore I could not heartily believe them Had I but once seen them or spoke with one that had seen them I should have been satisfied and have contemned the things of the World Answ Will you not believe till you see or feel Waâ— not God's Word sufficient Evidence would you have believed one from the dead that had told you he haâ— seen such things and would you not believe Stepheâ— that saw them Act. 7. 56. Or Paul that heard and saw them 2 Cor. 12. 3 4. Nor Christ that came purposely from Heaven to reveal them why Flesh and Blood cannot see them You see not God will you not therefore believe that there is a God Indeed whatever you imagine if you would not believe Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles neither would you have believed though one had risen from the dead For God's Word is more credible than a dead Man's and Christ did rise from the dead to attest it Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed Noah saw no Rain when he was preparing the Ark but because he believed he made ready and escaped Heb. 11. 7. when the World that would not believe did perish But seeing God's Word was of no more weight with you and no Knowledg would serve your turn but by seeing and feeling you shall see and feel everlastingly to your Sorrow The seventeenth Excuse It was so strict a Law that God would have ruled me by and the Way to Heaven was so strait and difficult that I could not endure it I was not able to deny my Flesh and live such a Life Answ 1. You were not able because you were not willing What was there but your own wicked Hearts that should make such a Life seem grievous to you Every thing is hard and grievous to him who loaths it and whose Heart is against it The chief thing that God called you to was to love him and make him your Delight and are Love and Delight such grievous things It was not grievous to you to love your Meat or Drink or Money It was no hard matter to you to love a Friend that loved you no nor to love your Sin which was your Enemy and what should make it seem hard to love God but a wicked Heart Is not he better and more lovely than all these And had you but â—oved him all the rest of his Service would have seemâ—d easy to you To think of him to speak of him â—o pray to him to praise him yea to deny all and suffer for him would have been sweet and pleasant to you so far as you had loved him It was not God â—herefore but your own naughty Hearts that made his Work seem grievous to you and the Way to Heaven â—â—em hard He told you truly that his Yoak was easy â—nd his Burden light and his Commandments were not grievous Mat. 11. 29. 1 John 5. 3. They that tried them found them the very Joy and Delight of their â—ouls and why could not you do so 2. But what if the Way to Heaven had been harder than it was Was not Heaven worth your Labour Were you afraid of being a loser by it Could not God requite your Labour or Sufferings Doth any repent when they come to Heaven that it cost them so â—â—ear to come thither And is not Hell worse than the â—â—ardest Way to Heaven Seeing you have chosen Hell to save you a Labour and Suffering in this Life you must have your Choice And seeing you thought not everlasting Life to be worth so much as God required that is the accepting thankfully and minding and seeking and preferring it before this Life you have one to blame for the loss of it but your selves The eighteenth Excuse It was God that made me of a sensual Nature He gave me an Appetite to Meat and Drink and Ease and Lust he gave me that Flesh which â—uled me how then can he condemn me for living according to the Nature which he gave me Answ He gave that Appetite to be exercised moderately under the Rule of Reason for the Preservation and Propagation of Mankind But did he not also give you Reason to govern that Appetite and the Revelation of his Will to guide that Reason He gave you your Flesh to be a Servant and not a Master Your Beast hath fleshly Appetite without Reason and therefore God hath put him under you who have Reason that you should rule him Will you let your Beast do what he list and madly run upon whom he list and say you do but let him live according to his Nature which God hath given him Why God that gave him such a Nature did intend him to be ruled by a higher Nature even by the Reason which he gave to you and so he did also by your Flesh and sensual Appetite The nineteenth Excuse But I lived among so many Baits which enticed this Flesh that I could not resist them My Meat was a Snare to me my Drink a Snare my Clothes my House my Land a Snare every Beauty that I saw was 〈◊〉 Snare and the better all these were the stronger was my Snare If God would not have had my Heart ensnared and drawn from him he should not have put so many Baits in my way Yea and they were so near to me and daily with me that though I was resolved to forbear them before yet wheâ— they were brought to my hand I could not forbear Answ Is this the Thanks that God hath for his Mercies He sent you all these as Favours from his own hand he wrote his own Name upon them that in them you might see his Power and Wisdom and
For Mat. 7. 22 23. Christ telleth us that Many will say to me in that Day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name have â—lone many wonderful Works And then will I profess to them I never knew you Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity And in Mat. 25. 11. the foolish Virgins cry Lord Lord open to us And ver 44. Then shall they also answer him saying Lord when â—aw we thee an hungred or thirst or a Stranger or Naked or Sick or in Prison and did not minister unto thee And vers 24 25. they fear not to cast some of the Causes of their neglect on God himself Then he which had received the one Talent came and said Lord I knew thou art an hard Man reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strawed and I was afraid and went and hid thy Talent in the Earth lo there thou hast that is thine It is clear then that Excuses they will be ready to make and their full Conviction will be in order after these Excuses at least as in their Minds if not in Words but what the particular Excuses will be we may partly know by these Scriptures which recite them and partly by hearing what the Ungodly do now say for themselves And because it is for their present Benefit that I now make mention of them that they may see the Vanity of all such Excuses I will mention them as I now meet with them in the Mouths of Sinners in our ordinary Discourse and these Excuses are of several sorts some by which they would justify their Estate some Excuses of particular Actions and that either in whole or in part some by which they would put by the Penalty though they confess the Sin some by which they lay the blame on other Men and in â—ome they would cast it upon God himself I must touch but some of them very briefly The first Excuse I am not guilty of these things which I am accused of I did love God above all and my Neighbour as my self I did use the World but for Necessity but God had my Heart Answ The All-seeing Judg doth know the contrary and he will make thy Conscience know it Look back Man upon thy Heart and Life How seldom and how neglectfully didst thou think of God how coldly didst thou worship him or make any mention of him how carelesly didst thou serve him and think much of all that thou didst therein Thou rather thoughtest that his Service was making more ado than needs and didst grudg at those that were more diligent than thy self but for the World how heartily and how constantly didst thou seek and serve it and yet wouldst thou now perswade the Judg that thou didst love God above all He will shew thee thy naked Heart and the Course of thy former Life which shall convince thee of the contrary The Second Excuse I lived not in any gross Sin but only in small Infirmities I was no Murderer or Adulterer or Fornicator or Thief nor did I deceive or wrong any or take any thing by violence Answ Was it not a gross Sin to love the World above God and to neglect Christ that died for thee and never to do him one Hour's hearty Service but meerly to seek thy carnal self and to live to thy Flesh God will open thine Eyes then and shew thee a thousand gross Sins which thou now forgettest or makest light of and it is not only gross Sin but all Sin great or small that deserveth the Wrath of God and will certainly bring thee under it for ever if thou have not part in Christ to relieve thee Wo to the Man that ever he was born that must answer in his own Name for his smallest Offences The third Excuse I did it ignorantly I knew not that there was so much required to my Salvation I thought less ado might have served the turn and that if I look'd to my Body God would take care of my Soul and that it was better to trust him what would become of me hereafter than to trouble my Mind so much about it Had I known better I would have done better Answ If you knew not better who was it long of but your self Did God hide these things from you Did he not tell them you in his Word as plainly as the Tongue of Man can speak That except you were regenerate and born again you should not enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3 5. That without Holiness none should see God Heb. 12. 14. That you must strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able Luke 13. 24. That if you lived after the Flesh you should die and if by the Spirit you mortified the Deeds of the Body you should live Rom. 8. 13. That if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. And to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8. 9. That you must not lay up for your selves a Treasure on Earth where Rust and Moths do corrupt and Thieves break through and steal but must lay up for your selves a Treasure in Heaven where Rust and Moths do not corrupt nor Thieves break through and steal Mat. 6. 19 20. That you must seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof Mat. 6. 23. and not labour for the Food that perisheth but for the Food that endureth to everlasting Life which Christ would have given you John 6. 27. That if you be risen with Christ you must seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and not the things that are on Earth Col. 3. 1 2 3. Yea your very Conversation should be in Heaven Phil. 3. 19 20 21. What say you Did not God tell you all this and much more and plainly tell it you Turn to your Bibles and see the Words and let them witness against you 2. And could you think with any Reason that your Souls being so much more precious than your Bodies you should yet do so much more for your Bodies than your Souls could you think all the Labour of your Lives little enough for a frail Body that must lie shortly in the Dirt and that your Immortal Souls should be no more regarded Could you think with any Reason that your Souls should do so much for a Life of a few Years continuance and do no more for a Life that shall have no end 3. And whereas you talk of trusting God with your Souls you did not trust him You did but on that Pretence carelesly disregard them If you trust God shew any Word of Promise that ever he gave you to trust upon that ever an impenitent carnal careless Person shall be saved No he hath told you enough to the contrary And could you think
Goodness and so be led up to the Consideration of him that you might fall in love with himself who was the Fountain the Life the End of all And do you overlook God in the Creature and live as without him in the World and dote upon that which should have drawn you to himself and then lay the Blame on God If he send a Sutor to speak to you in his Name and write you a Love-Letter with his own Hand will you fall in love with the Messengers or the Letter and neglect the Sender and then blame him that wrote his Letter on so fair a Paper or in so neat a Hand or that sent it by such a comely Messenger Certainly these Excuses are too gross to take with the wise and righteous God or to seem sufficient to a well informed Conscience 2. And whereas you speak of the Power of these Objects was there not much more in God in Christ â—n the promised Glory to have drawn your Heart anoter Way Why then did not these take as much with you as the other You could not choose forsooth but be enticed with such Baits as were fitted to your sensual Appetite and such things as a Dog or a Swine may enjoy as well as a Man but you could choose when Christ and Glory were offered you yea you did choose to refuse the Offer and tread them under Feet by your neglect When Satan set your Cups and your Harlots and your Profits before you on one side did not God set his Favour and everlasting Happiness on the other side And was it wise or equal Dealing to prefer your Lusts before that Glory 3. Moreover it was not in the Power of any of those Baits to force your Will or to necessitate you to choose them They could be but Baits to entice you and it was still in your own Choice whether you would yield to the Enticement and choose them or not Shall every Man be false to God that hath any Bait to entice him from him will you excuse your Child or Friend if he would be false to you upon as great Enticements as these If a Cup of Drink or a Whore or a little Gain could draw him more than all your Love and Interest I do not think you would hold him excused And whereas you speak of the nearness and continuance of these Allurements I would fain know was not God as near you continually near you to draw you to himself Faith might have seen him though Flesh and Blood cannot Did he not stand by you when you were in your Cups and lustful Pleasures Did he not tell you of the Danger and offer you far better things if you would obey him and despise those Baits But you would hearken to none of this you should have remembred that he stood over you and was looking on you and you should have said as Joseph Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this great Wickedness and 〈◊〉 against God You had also Scripture near you and Reason near you and Conscience near you as well as the Bait was near you And therefore this is a vain Excuse The twentieth Excuse It was God that let loose the Devil to tempt me and he was too subtile for me to deal with and therefore what wonder if I sinned and were overcome Answ 1. He did nor let loose the Devil to constrain you to Sin He could but entice and you might choose whether you would yield The Devil could neither make you sin against your Will nor yet necessitate you to be willing 2. You were a sure Friend to Christ that while that would forsake him as oft as you were tempted by the Devil Is that a Friend or a Servant worthy to be regarded that will disobey you or betray you as oft as he is tempted to it 3. Will you excuse your Servant if he leave your Work undone and follow Cards or Dice or the Ale-house and say I was tempted to it by one that was cunninger than I Shall every Murderer or Thief escape hanging because the Devil was too cunning for him in his Temptations Would you have the Jury or the Judg to take this for a good Excuse 4. And why did you not hearken to God that enticed you the other way You forget what Helps he afforded you to discover the Wiles of Satan and to vanquish the Temptation He told you it was an Enemy that tempted you and would you hearken to an Enemy He told you it was a Dream a Shadow a painted Pleasure a guilded Carcass a lying Promise and deceitful Vanity by which you were tempted and yet would you regard it before your God He told you that it was your God your Saviour your Hope your everlasting Happiness that the Tempter would beguile you of And yet would you be beguiled He told you and plainly and often told you that the Temper would â—ead you to eternal Fire and undo you everlastingly beore you were aware and that a fatal Hook was coverâ—d with that Bait And yet would you swallow it 5. It is plain by all this that it was not your natural Weakness of Faculties that caused you to be overâ—â—me by the Subtilties of the Devil as a silly Child 〈◊〉 deceived by a crafty Fellow that overwits him But it was your Carelesness Inconsiderateness your â—ensual Inclinations and vicious Disposition that drew you to a wilful Obeying of the Tempter and rejecting the wholesom Advice of Christ This therefore is a â—rivolous Excuse of your Sin The one and twentieth Excuse But I hope you will not say that all Men have Free Will And if my Will were not free how could I choose but sin Answ 1. Your Will was not free from God's Rule and Government 2. Nor was it free from its natural Inclination to Good in general for either of these were more properly Slavery 3. Nor was it free from the Influence of a dark Understanding 4. Nor free from its own contracted vitious Inclination 5. Nor freed from the Temptations of the Flesh the World and the Devil But it was 1. Free from any natural Determination to Evil or to any thing that was doubtful 2. And free from the Coaction or Violence of any 3. And free from an irresistible Determination of any exteriour Cause at least ordinarily So that naturally as Men you have the Power or Faculty of determining your own Wills and by your Wills of ruling your inferiour Faculties in a great measure yea of ruling the Sâ—nses and the Phantasy it self which doth so much to dispose of our Understanding And if your Wills which are naturally free are yet so habitually vitious that they encline you to do evil that is not an Excuse but an Aggravation of your Sin But of this more under the next The two and twentieth Excuse But I have not Power of my self to do any thing that is good what can the Creature do without Christ we can do nothing It is God that must give me
to Christ would have been a Sanctuary and Refuge to thee from the Law of Works hadst thou but come into him But who shall be a Refuge to thee from the Wrath of Christ The Gospel would have freed thee from the Curse of the Law of Works if thou hadst but believed and obeyed it But what shall free thee from the Condemnation of the Gospel Had there no Accusation lain against thee but that thou wast in general a Sinner that is that thou wast not perfectly innocent Christ would have answered that Charge by his Blood But seeing thou art also guilty of those special Sins which he never shed his Blood for who shall deliver thee from that Accusation When Christ gave himself a Ransom for Sinners it was with this Resolution both in the Father and himself that none should ever be pardoned justified or saved by that Ransom that did not in the time of this Life sincerely return to God by Faith in the Redeemer and live in sincere obedience to him and persevering herein So that he plainly excepted final Infidelity Impenitency and Rebellion from Pardon He never died for the final Non-performance of the Conditions of the New Covenant So that his Judgment for these will be peremptory and remediless If you say Why cannot God find out a Remedy for this Sin as well as he did for the first I say God cannot lie Tit. 1. 2. He must be true and faithful as necessarily as he must be God because of the absolute Perfection of his Nature and he hath said and resolved that there shall be no more Remedy Many other Properties of God's Judgment general there are as that Righteousness Impartiality Inflexibility and the like which because I would not make my Discourse too long I will pass over contenting my self with the mention of these which are proper to the Judgment of the Redeemer according to his own Laws in special XII The twelfth and last thing which I promised to unfold is The Execution of this Judgment Here I should shew you both the Certainty of the Execution and by whom it will be and how but having done all this already in the third Part of the foresaid Book of Rest I shall now only give this brief Touch of it No sooner is the dreadful Sentence past Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire but away they must be gone There is no delay much less any Reprieve to be expected and yet much less is there any hope of an Escape If the Judg once say Take him Jailor and if Christ say Take him Devils you that ruled and deceived him now torment him all the World cannot rescue one such Soul It will be in vain to look about for help Alas there is none but Christ can help you and he will not because you refused his help Nay we may say He cannot not for want of Power but because he is True and Just and therefore will make good that Word which you believed not It is in vain then to cry to Hills to fall on you and the Mountains to cover you from the Presence of him that sitteth on the Throne It will be in vain now to repent and wish you had not slighted your Salvation nor sold it for a little Pleasure to your Flesh It will be then in vain to cry Lord Lord open to us O spare us O pity us O do not cast us into these hideous Flames Do not turn us among Devils Do not torment thy redeemed ones in this Fire All this will be then too late Poor Sinner whoever thou art that readest or hearest these Lines I beseech thee in Compassion to thy Soul consider how fearful the Case of that Man will be that is newly doomed to the Everlasting Fire and is haled to the Execution without Remedy And what mad Men are those that now do no more to prevent such a Misery when they might do it on such easy Terms and now have so fair an Opportunity in their hands The time was when Repentance might have done thee good but then all thy Repentings be in vain Now while the Day of thy Visitation lasteth hadst thou but a Heart to pray and cry for Mercy in Faith and Fervency through Christ thou mightest be heard But then Praying and Crying will do no good shouldst thou roar out in the Extremity of thy Horror and Amazement and beseech the Lord Jesus but to forgive thee one Sin or to send thee on Earth once more and to try theâ— once again in the Flesh whether thou wouldst not love him and lead a holy Life it would be all in vain Nay shouldst thou beg but one Hour before you were cast into those Flames it would not be heard it would do thee no good How earnestly did a deceased Gentleman Luke 16. 24. beg of Abraham for one Drop of Water from the Tip of Lazarus's Finger to cool his Tongue because he was tormented in the Flame And what the better was he He was sent to remember that he had his good things in this Life and that Remembrance would torment him more And do not wonder or think much at this that Christ will not then be entreated by the Ungodly You shall then have a Remember too from Christ or Conscience He may soon stop thy Mouth and leave thee speechless and say Remember Man that I did one Day send thee a Message of Peace and thou wouldst not hear it I once did stoop to beseech thee to return and thou wouldst not hear I besought thee by the tender Mercies of God I besought thee by all the Love that I had shewed these by my holy Life by my cursed Death by the Riches of my Grace by the Offers of my Glory and I could not get thee tâ— for sake the World to deny the Flesh to leave one beloved Sin for all this I besought thee over and over again I sent many a Minister to thee in my Name I waited on thee many a Day and Year and all would not do thou wouldst not consider return and live and â—ow it is too late thy Sentence is past and cannot be reâ—alled away from me thou Worker of Iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Ah Sirs what a Case then is the poor desperate Sinner left in How can I write this or how can you that read or hear it without trembling once think of the Condition that such forlorn Wretches will be in When they look above them and see the God that hath forsaken them because they forsook him first when â—hey look about them and see the Saints on one hand whom they despised now sentenced unto Glory and the Wicked on the other hand whom they accompanied and imitated now judged with them to everlasting Misery when they look below them and see the Flames that they must abide in even for evermore and when the Devils begin to hale them to the Execution O poor Souls Now what would they give for a Christ for a Promise for a
and the meaning is that the World is invited by the Gospel to come in and partake of Christ and Salvation which comprehendeth both Pardon Justification and Right to Salvation and all other Privileges of the Members of Christ The Invitation is God's Offer of Christ and Salvation in the Gospel the Servants that invite them are the Preachers of the Gospel who are sent forth by God to that end the Preparation for the Feast there mentioned is the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the enacting of a Law of Grace and opening 〈◊〉 Way for revolting Sinners to return to God There is a mention of sending second Messengers because Goâ— useth not to take the first Denial but to exercise his Patience till Sinners are obstinate The first Persons invited are the Jews upon their obstinate Refusal they are sentenced to Punishment and the Gentiles are invited and not only invited but by powerful Preaching and Miracles and effectual Grace compelled that is infallibly prevailed with to come in The Number of them is so great that the House is filled with the Guests many come sincerely not only looking at the Pleasure of the Feast that is at the Pardon of Sin and Deliverance from the Wrath of God but also at the Honour of the Marriage that is of the Redeemer and their Profession by giving up themselves to an holy Conversation but some come in only for the Feast that is Justification by Christ having not the Wedding-garment of sound Resolution for Obedience in their Life and looking only at themselves in believing and not to the Glory of their Redeemer and these are sentenced to everlasting Misery and speed as ill as those that came not in at all seeing a Faith that will not work is but like that of the Devil and they that look to be pardoned and saved by it are mistaken as James sheweth ch 2. 24. The Words of my Text contain a Narration of the ill Entertainment that the Gospel findeth with many to whom it is sent even after a first and second Invitation They make light of it and are taken up with other things Though it be the Jews that were first guilty they have too many followers among us Gentiles to this Day Doct. For all the wonderful Love and Mercy that God hath manifested in giving his Son to be the Redeemer of the World and which the Son hath manifested in redeeming them by his Blood for all his full Preparation by being a sufficient Sacrifice for the Sins of all for all his personal Excellencies and that full and glorious Salvation that he hath procured and for all his free Offers of these and frequent and earnest Invitation of Sinners yet many do make light of all this and prefer their worldly Enjoyments before it The ordinary Entertainment of all is by Contempt Not that all do so or that all continue to do so who were once guilty of it for God hath his Chosen whom he will compel to come in But till the Spirit of Grace overpower the dead and obstinate Hearts of Men they hear the Gospel as a common Story and the great Matters contained in it go not to the Heart The Method in which I shall handle this Doctrine is this 1. I shall shew you what it is that Men make light of 2. What this Sin of making light of it is 3. The Cause of the Sin 4. The Use of the Doctrine 1. The thing that carnal Hearers make light of is 1. The Doctrine of the Gospel it self which they hear regardlesly 2. The Benefits offered them therein which are 1. Christ himself 2. The Benefits which he giveth Concerning Christ himself the Gospel 1. Declareth his Person and Nature and the great things that he hath done and suffered for Man his redeeming him from the Wrath of God by his Blood and procuring a Grant of Salvation with himself Furthermore the same Gospel maketh an Offer of Christ to Sinners that if they will accept him on his easy and reasonable Terms he will be their Saviour the Physician of their Souls their Husband and their Head 2. The Benefits that he offereth them are these 1. That with these blessed Relations to him himself and Interest in him they shall have the Pardon of all their Sins past and be saved from God's Wrath and be set in a sure way of obtaining a Pardon for all the Sins that they shall commit hereafter so they do but obey sincerely and turn not again unto the Rebellion of their Unregeneracy 2. They shall have the Spirit to become their Guide and Sanctifier and to dwell iâ— their Souls and help them against their Enemies and conform them more and more to his Image and heal their Diseases and bring them back to God 3. They shall have Right to everlasting Glory when this Life is ended and shall be raised up thereto at the last besides many excellent Privileges in the Way in Means Preservation and Provision and the Foretaste of what they shall enjoy hereafter all these Benefits the Gospel offereth to them that will have Christ on his reasonable Terms The Sum of all is in 1 John 5. 11 12. This is the Record that God hath given us eternal Life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life II. What this Sin of making light of the Gospel is 1. To make light of the Gospel is to take no great heed to what is spoken as if it were not a certain Truth or else were a Matter that little concerned them or as if God had not written these things for them 2. When the Gospel doth not affect Men or go to their Hearts but though they seem to attend to what is said yet Men are not awakened by it from their Security nor doth it work in any measure such holy Passion in their Souls as Matters of such everlasting Consequence should do this is making light of the Gospel of Salvation When we tell Men what Christ hath done and suffered for their Souls and it scarce moveth them We tell them of keen and cutting Truths but nothing will pierce them we can make them hear but we cannot make them feel our Words take up in the Porch of their Ears and Fancies but will not enter into the inward Parts as if we spake to Men that had â—o Hearts or Feeling this is a making light of Christ â—nd Salvation Acts 28. 26 27. Hearing ye shall hear â—nd shall not understand seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For the Heart of this People is waxen gross and their Ears are dull of hearing their Eyes â—re closed c. 3. When Men have no high Estimation of Christ and Salvation but whatsoever they may say with their Tongues or dreamingly and speculatively believe yet â—n their serious and practical Thoughts they have a higher Estimation of the Matters of this World than â—hey have of Christ and the Salvation that he
Repentance when they have Consciences seared with an hot Iroâ— as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 4. 2. no wonder then 〈◊〉 they be past feeling and working all Uncleanness wiâ— greediness do make light of Christ and everlasting Glâ—â—ry O that this were not the Case of too many of 〈◊〉 Hearers Had we but living Souls to speak to theâ— would hear and feel and not make light of what 〈◊〉 saâ— I know they are naturally alive but they 〈◊〉 spiritually dead as the Scripture witnesseth Ephes 2â— O if there were but one spark of the Life of Grace them the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ woâ— appear to them to be the weightiest Business in 〈◊〉 World O how confident should I be methinks to prevail with Men and to take them off this World and bring them to mind the Matter of another World if I spake but to Men that had Life and Sense and Reason but when we speak to Blocks and dead Men how should we be regarded O how sad a Case are these Souls in that are fallen under this fearful Judgment of sâ—iritual Madness and Deadness To have a blind 〈◊〉 and an hard Heart to be sottish and sensless 〈◊〉 â—4 12. John 12. 40. lest they should be converted and their Sins should be forgiven them 6. Christ and Salvation are made light of â—y the World because they are wholly enslaved to their Sense and taken up with lower things the Matters of another World are out of sight and so far from their Senses that they cannot regard them but present things are nearer them in their Eyes and in their Hands there must be a living Faith to prevail over Sense before Men can be so taken with things that are not seen though they have the Word of God for their Security as to neglect and let go things that are still before their Eyes Sense works with great Advantage and therefore doth much in resisting Faith where it is No wonder then if it carry all before it where there is no true and lively Faith to resist and to lead the Soul to higher things this Cause of making light of Christ and Salâ—ation is expressed here in my Text One went to his â—arm and another to his Merchandize Men have Houâ—es and Lands to look after they have Wife and Children to mind they have their Body and outward Estate â—o regard therefore they forget that they have a God 〈◊〉 Redeemer a Soul to mind these Matters of the World are still with them They see these but they 〈◊〉 not God nor Christ nor their Souls nor everlasting Glory These things are near at hand and therefore work â—aturally and so work forcibly but the other are thought â—n as a great way off and therefore too distant to work â—n their Affections or be at the present so much regarded by them Their Body hath Life and Sense and therefore if they want Meat or Drink or Clothes will feel their Want and tell them of it and give them no rest till their Wants be supplied and therefore they cannot make light of their bodily Necessities but their Souls in spiritual Respects are dead and therefore â—eel not their Wants but will let them alone in their greatest Necessities and be as quiet when they are starved and languishing to Destruction as if all were well and nothing ailed them And hereupon poor People are wholly taken up in providing for the Body as if they had nothing else to mind They have their Trades and Callings to follow and so much to do from Morning to Night that they can find no time for Matters of Salvation Christ would teach them but they have no leisure to hear him the Bible is before them but they cannot have while to read it A Minister is in the Town with them but they cannot have while to go to enquire of him what they should do to be saved And when they do hear their Hearts are so full of the World and carried away with these lower Matters that they cannot mind the things which they hear They are so full of the Thoughts and Desires and Cares of this World that there is no room to pour into them the Water of Life The Cares of the World do choak the Word and make it become unfruitful Matth. 13. 22. Men cannot serve two Masters God and Mammon but they will lean to the one and despise the other Matth. 6. 24. He that loveth the World the Love of the Father is not in him 1 Jeâ—â— 2. 15 16. Men cannot choose but set light by Christ and Salvation while they set so much by any thing on Earth It is that which is highly esteemed among Men is abominable in the Sight of God Luke 16. 15. O this is the Ruine of many thousand Souls It would grieve the Heart of any honest Christian to see how eagerly this vain World is followed everywhere and how little Men set by Christ and the World to come 〈◊〉 compare the Care that Men have for the World â—ith the Care of their Souls and the time that they â—y out on the World with that time they lay out â—r their Salvation To see how the World fills their â—ouths their Hands their Houses their Hearts â—â—d Christ hath little more than a bare Title to come 〈◊〉 their Company and hear no Discourse but of the â—orld to come into their Houses and hear and see noâ—â—ing but for the World as if this World would last â—r ever or would purchase them another When I â—k sometime the Ministers of the Gospel how their â—â—bours succeed they tell me People continue still the 〈◊〉 and give up themselves wholly to the World so that 〈◊〉 mind not what Ministers say to them nor will give any 〈◊〉 Entertainment to the Word and all because of the deludâ—g World And O that too many Ministers themselves â—d not make light of that Christ whom they preach â—eing drawn away with the Love of this World In a â—ord Men of a worldly Disposition do judg of things â—cording to worldly Advantages therefore Christ 〈◊〉 slighted Isa 53. 3. He is despised and rejected of Men 〈◊〉 hide their faces from him and esteem him not as seeâ—g no Beauty or Comeliness in him that they should desire â—n 7. Christ and Salvation are made light of because â—en do not soberly consider of the Truth and Weight of â—ese necessary things They suffer not their Minds 〈◊〉 long to dwell upon them till they procure a due â—steem and deeply affect their Heart did they beâ—â—eve them and not consider of them how should they â—ork O when Men have Reason given them to think â—nd consider of the things that most concern them â—nd yet they will not use it this causeth their Conâ—â—mpt 8. Christ and Salvation are made light of because â—en were never sensible of their Sin and Misery and exâ—â—am Necessity of Christ and his Salvation Their Eyes â—ere never opened to see themselves as they are nor their
for the first consider 1. It is the Case of most Sinners to think themselves freest from those Sins that they are most enslaved to and one reason why we cannot reform them is because we cannot convince them of their Guilt It is the Nature of Sin so far to blind and besool the Sinner that he knoweth not what he doth but thinketh he is free from it when it reigneth in him or when he is committing it it bringeth Men to be so much unacquainted with themselves that they know not what they think or what they mean and intend nor what they love or hate much less what they are habituated and disposed to They are alive to Sin and dead to all the Reason Consideration and Resolution that should recover them as if it were only by their sinning that we must know they are alive May I hope that you that hear me to Day are but willing to know the Truth of your Case and then I shall be encouraged to proceed to an enquiry God will judg impartially why should not we do so Let me therefore by these following Questions try whether none of you are Slighters of Christ and your own Salvation And follow me I beseech you by putting them close to your own Hearts and faithfully answering them 1. Things that Men highly value will be remembred they will be matter of their freest and sweetest thoughts this a known Case Do not those then make light of Christ and Salvation that think of them so seldom and coldly in comparison of other things Follow thy own Heart Man and observe what it daily runneth out after and then judg whether it make not light of Christ We cannot perswade Men to one Hour's sober Consideration what they should do for an Interest in Christ or in Thankfulness for his Love and yet they will not believe that they make light of him 2. Things that we highly value will be Matter of our Discourse The Judgment and Heart will command the Tongue Freely and delightfully will our Speech run after them this also is a known Case Do not those then make light of Christ and Salvation that shun the mention of his Name unless it be in a vain or sinful Use Those that love not the Company where Christ and Salvation is much talk'd of but think it troublesom precise Discourse that had rather hear some merry Jests or idle Tales or talk of their Riches or Business in the World When you may follow them from Morning to Night and scarce have a savoury Word of Christ but perhaps some slight and weary mention of him sometimes judg whether these make not light of Christ and Salvation How seriously do they talk of the World Psal 144. 8 11. and speak Vanity but how heartlesly do they make mention of Christ and Salvation 3. The things that we highly value we would secure the Possession of and therefore would take any convenient Course to have all Doubts and Fears about them well resolved Do not those Men then make light of Christ and Salvation that have lived 20 or 30 Years in Uncertainty whether they have any part in these or not and yet never seek out for the right Resolution of their Doubts Are all that hear me this Day certain they shall be saved O that they were O had you not made light of Salvation you could not so easily bear such Doubtings of it you could not rest till you had made it sure or done your best to make it sure Have you no Body to enquire of that might help you in such a Work Why you have Ministers that are purposely appointed to that Office Have you gone to them and told them the Doubtfulness of your Case and asked their Help in the judging of your Condition Alas Ministers may sit in their Studies from one Year to another before ten Persons among 1000 will come to them on such an Errand Do not these make light of Christ and Salvation When the Gospel pierceth the Heart indeed they cry out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Acts 16. 30. and â— 6. trembling and astonished Paul cries out Lord what wilt thou have me to do And so did the convinced Jews to Peter Acts 2. 37. But when hear we such Questions 4. The things that we value do deeply affect us and some Motions will be in the Heart according to our Estimation of them O Sirs if Men made not light of these things what working would there be in the Hearts of all our Hearers what strange Affections would it raise in them to hear of the Matters of the World to come How would their Hearts melt before the Power of the Gospel what Sorrow would be wrought in the Discovery of their Sin what Astonishment at the Consideration of their Misery what unspeakable Joy at the glad Tidings of Salvation by the Blood of Christ what Resolution would be raised in them upon the Discovery of their Duty O what Hearers should we have if it were not for this Sin Whereas now we are liker to weary them or preach them asleep with Matters of this unspeakable Moment We talk to them of Christ and Salvation till we make their Heads ake Little would one think by their careless Carriage that they heard and regarded what we said or thought we spoke at all to them 5. Our Estimation of things will be seen in the diligence of our Endeavours That which we highliest value we shall think no pains too great to obtain Do not those Men then make light of Christ and Salvation that think all too much that they do for them that murmur at his Service and think it too grievous for them to endure that ask of his Service as Judas of the Ointment What need this waste cannot Men be saved without so much ado this is more ado than needs For the World they will labour all the Day and all their Lives but for Christ and Salvation they are afraid of doing too much Let us preach to them as long as we will we cannot bring them to relish or resolve upon a Life of Holiness Follow them to their Houses and you shall not hear them read a Chapter nor call upon God with their Families once a Day nor will they allow him that one Day in seven which he hath separated to his Service But Pleasure or worldly Business or Idleness must have a part And many of them are so far hardened as to reproach them that will not be as mad as themselves And is not Christ worth the seeking Is not everlasting Salvation worth more than all this Doth not that Soul make light of all these that thinks his Ease more worth than they Let but common Sense judg 6. That which we most highly value we think we cannot buy too dear Christ and Salvation are freely given and yet the most of Men go without them because they cannot enjoy the World and them together They are called but to part