GREAT SALVATION BY JESUS CHRIST TENDERED  
To the greatest of Sinners, and in particular to such as have been Refusers of it, if God shall now at last make them willing to receive it.  
By RICHARD EEDES, Teacher of the Church at Beckford in Gloucester-shire.  
LONDON Printed by TW for the Author. 1659.   

To the Right Honourable the Lady VEER, Grace and Peace.  
Right Honourable & most Honoured Madam.  
MY ambition to invite your Honour to be Surety to my Firstborn, hath offered violence to my modesty in this Dedication, yet I know not why I may not dedicate my labours unto you, to whom I have long ago dedicated myself. When I had once the happiness to entertain your Ladyship for a very short time, I found you so ready to take mean things in the best part, that I do the less scruple here to invite you to take part of the Churches Ordinary.  
The great Salvation that this weak hand holds out, may well beseem the greatest Personages, not only to own, but to have in highest estimation; and I am persuaded, that you have so long made the attainment of it (next to God the Giver, and Christ the Purchaser of it) your chiefest interest, that you have now, with your namesake in the Gospel, made the better part so sure unto you, that it can never be taken from you: yet dear Madam, it is not unknown unto you that sin is so deceitful to deceive, and the heart so deceitful to be deceived, that we can see small ground of security (though some of safety) on this side Heaven: It's our taking heed of falling that keeps us standing; and Caveats against sin and condemnation may be of excellent use to keep the Soul in awe; and reverend Dr▪ Sibbs tells us that fear is the awe-band of the soul.  
I am not insensible that Scoffers may say, that here is more Porch than house: but that was so far from being an oversight, that it was a part of my design: I dare not enclose, nor impropriate that which the Apostle hath called the common Salvation Judas. 3. v. That mystical City that was called the holy Jerusalem descending from Heaven, Revel. 21.10. Tipifying the Church, was said to have 12 Gates, which noted out the confluence of Beleivers that should come into the preaching of the Gospel, and should fly unto that great Salvation like Doves unto their windows and the discourse herein offered is so like the Pool of Bethesda, a common Bath, or Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, that I thought it convenient to make the more Porches; and if I could direct a particular Epistle to every particular Soul, the Souls excellency would acquit me from folly in so doing.  
I have deservedly given your Honour the Preeminence, in opening unto you the first Gate, and the more to ennoble it, have written your honourable name upon it; that it may be called beautiful, and followers may throng in after you, and when they are entered (if they will but learn of you) they may count the feet (and much more the faces) of them beautiful that bring unto their Souls the glad tidings of Salvation.  
But when they have made their entrance they will find that here is house as well as porch, yea and that it is very roomthy: for these three Stories Salvation, Sin, and Damnation do resemble Heaven, Earth, and Hell.  
Salvation hath Heaven at the top of it, and Damnation hath Hell at the bottom of it, and Sin (like its Father the Devil) having the whole Earth for its walk, is the worst Companion that the sons of men have.  
Madame, you are here presented with a strange sight, a poor sinner hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell; if he will but accept of Salvation offered, Heaven is his; but if he neglect in this his day to know the things that belong unto his Peace, he will fall into Hell, and there's no escaping▪ It's a sad thing to see so many wallowing in sin, like swine in the mire, under such warnings, and very sad to see many of the Godly to drive so low and dull a trade with Heaven, that it may be said of them as of poor Tradesmen, whom the World favours not, that they are still buying & selling, and live by the loss.  
What sad lives do we lead, and what comfortable lives do we lose, by not bringing our practices up to the principles of invisible Christianity; and for want of more intimate acquaintance with the beauty of holiness, and power of godliness; Gregory the great was said to be the last of the good Bishops of Rome, and first of the bad; his life was such a medley of good and evil, and therefore some Interpreters have thought him to be that Angel in the Revelation that was said to fly betwixt Heaven and Earth. And Salomon's life was so particoloured, that an ancient Limner drew him half in Heaven and half in Hell; and such is the pitiful case of many a Christian, they do so halt betwixt God and the World, & so half it betwixt the Spirit and the Flesh, that they may be thought, by themselves as well as others, to hang equally poised betwixt Fear of Hell, and Hope of Heaven, Oh how low are souls in their consolations, for want of close and circumspect walking, and for want of a laborious and costly serving of God?  
Madam, you may here stand safe upon the Rock of your salvation, and behold the dead, and red Sea of the Almighty's wrath, upon which multitudes of dead Souls lie floating like the Carcases of the drowned Egyptians when the Israelites were passed over. And while you are standing upon safe ground, you may here behold that Rock of Gospel-refusing which hath shipwrecked many, and that Gulf of Damnation which hath devoured them; whereas you, through Grace, are brought ne'er unto the harbour, and within sight of the Haven where you would be: Let Faith and Patience hold out but a little longer, for yet a little while he that shall come will come and will not tarry.  
So desiring that the God only wise may guide you with his Counsel, and establish your Mind & Heart with his Truth and Grace, and lead you through militant holiness into triumphant happiness, I humbly crave pardon for this boldness, take leave, and rest,  
Beckford Jan. 1st 1658. Madame, Your unworthy Remembrancer at the Throne of Grace, RICHARD EEDES.   
1 Tim. 1.15. 
This is a true, and faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am chief,  Hebr. 7.25. 
He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  2 Tim. 2.24, 25, 26. 
The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patiented.  
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.  
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.   

To my endeared Friends Mr. JOSEPH, JONATHAN, and ISAAK BLACKWELL, Grace and Peace.  
SIRS,  
AMong the variety of senses which the learned have put upon Christ's threefold Pasce to Peter, john. 21.15, 16, 17, feed, feed, feed my Lambs and sheep, I find this to be one, 1 Pasce dictis, feed them with your Sermons, 2 Pasce exemplis, feed them with your exemplary conversation, 3 Pasce scriptis, feed them with your writings. 1 How I have fed this people by preaching, aetatem habent, they are able to tell you; How by Example, aliorum sit judicium, others must judge who have known my conversation here and elsewhere. 3 And that I have also a desire to feed them with my Writings, which may speak to them when I am dead, I think myself concerned to give you some account, and to leave it upon record with you as three faithful witnesses. The right of presenting an incumbent into this Living is so mixed in two of you, who pro tempore are the Patrons of its Minister and maintenance, and by whose manuduction I was here seated, that I know not which to Challenge for my Patron, or if I did, I should think myself a loser, and therefore rather than I would leave out a second, I have endeavoured to make the most of you, and taken in a third.  
As the wise disposer of your habitations hath seated you triangular in the World, and made you Citizens of three famous Cities, London, Bristol, and Hanburgh, so are you seated triangular in my heart, which desires unfeignedly that you may all meet in one City, that new Jerusalem, which is above, and may have Gaius his prosperity heaped upon you, internal, and eternal, as well as external.  
It is not so much the confidence of my entertainment as of your candid acceptance that emboldens me to invite you to the reading, and owning of this little Treatise, yet you will find that I have here apportioned my entertainment to my guests, and provided you first, second, and third course, all good, plain food, which I presume will be the more toothsome to you, because it is so wholesome.  
Though you have temporals dealt out unto you with a liberal hand, yet I have cause to have some confidence that the Churches ordinary will be more taking with you than the World's g●●dies.  
Yet I would not have you think that in this trichotomy I have carved to each his several portion, but intent to each of you more than a Beniamin's mess, and dedicate my book, as I do myself, all to each, desiring that the doctrine herein taught may be in you like the Soul in the body, Tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte.  
Your memorable Father my predecessor had a large stock a going in this place upon this saving account, what his returns were upon the people of his charge, is not so visible as I could wish it were, but such as run may read that his prayers were plentifully returned into his own bosom.  
He had three Sons separated to the Ministry, one is, and two are not, and yourselves that yet survive are witnesses to that great truth, that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed; it's seldom seen that the Household of faith hath been supplied with so many plants out of one nursery; and whether I were not called hither on the account of his prayers, who can tells; This I well remember, that my access hither was paved with such remarkable providences, that it looked very like the return of prayer.  
Many in this part of the Vale are gotten out of the Vale of darkness and the shadow of death, since your Father and some few more entered into this part of the harvest, and if readiness to hear be a promising prognostic (as undoubtedly it is) more are ready to break prison, and to seek the way to Ziou with their faces thitherward. Oh let not the building cease for want of hands, but whensoever ever I shall pay my debt to nature, be careful to provide a faithful waterer, that your Father's plantation and mine may be like a field which the Lord hath blessed; So shall you have favour both with God and men.  
These meditations were first digested, and calculated for the people of mine own pastoral Charge, but may serve indifferently for this Gospel-glutted Age and Land we live in. That it may find acceptance with the godly to further it with their Prayers, and with the ungodly to further their Conversion, and with all in order to their Salvation, is the hearts desire and prayer of,  
Your Friend and servant for Christ's sake RICHARD EEDES.   

To my beloved People the Inhabitants of the Parish of Beckford.  
Dear Souls  
MY hearts desire, and prayer to God for you is, that you may be saved, you of this place may say (and few villages can say the like) that the Gospel hath dwelled here in power as long as you; How many parishes in England have desired to hear the things that you have heard, and have not heard them, & to enjoy the means that you have enjoyed, and have not had them?  
My painful Predecessor (now with God) was a faithful labourer in this vineyard above forty years, and shall it be said of you, as it was once said of gainsaying and refusing Israel, forty years long was I grieved with this generation? And I have been here a waterer where he had planted now full as many years as there are Articles in your Creed, and yet cannot make it an article of mine, that many have received our ●eport, or that the arm of the Lord hath been revealed but to a few.  
What success the Gospel hath had with your Souls, I must leave to your own consciences, and to the searcher of hearts; I am loath to print my thoughts, lest I should be constrained to speak the Apostles language, 1 Cor. 15.34. Some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame.  
If you have embraced the Gospel, you have bought the field in which the hid treasure is, and though you are never so poor, and mean of birth, you are richer far, and more honourable than graceless Kings, and Christless Monarches.  
If you have refused the Gospel to embrace the World, you will find it the worst match that ever you made, when you shall understand that you have pleased the flesh, and gratifyed the Devil, and made God your enemy, and if you had never so much pelf, it will not profit in the day of wrath, and you are but base and beggarly, so long as you are without Christ, and without God in the World.  
Oh persist not in refusing this great Salvation, you have had many offers, and one must be the last, and the more are past, the nearer the last is, and who knows if this be not the last that ever shall be made to some of you? I wish that these words which come from my very heart-root may reach to yours.  
To espouse you to Christ is all the business that I have with you; I came not hither to take tithes, but to win Souls; The malevolent adversaries of the standing Ministry of England call us hirelings (and it's a miracle of providence that we have our lives for a prey in the midst of such a bloodthirsty generation of unreasonable men) but we so much more desire you, than yours, that if you would make this our hire, to give up yourselves to God by our Ministry, that by taking heed unto ourselves, and to the doctrine, we may save both ourselves, and them that hear us, let them call us Devils, and it should but add unto our Crown, while we all study to be what I desire to approve myself,  
A Servant of Christ for the furtherance of your Salvation, Richard Eedes.   

To the Reader.  
Reader  
BEhold I bring unto thee glad tidings of great joy. That whatever thy life hath been for the time past, and whatever thy sins unrepented of are for the present. If God shall render thee teachable, and willing to be counselled, thou mayst yet die happily, if thou wilt but be persuaded to live holily for the short remainder of thy few and evil days.  
I desire to approve myself a true friend unto thy Soul in my endeavour to bring this to pass; and nothing can hinder it, if the Tempter do not still prevail to make thee continue▪ thine own greatest enemy.  
If thou be young, thou canst not set out upon such work too soon, which is of everlasting concernment to thy Soul, and tends to the sure-making of thy Salvation.  
If thou be old, and hast spent much time already in the service of sin, it is more than time that thou shouldst awake out of that dead sleep, lest the sleep of death surprise thee, and if thou shouldst be taken out of the world by death, before thou be taken out of the World by grace (which God forbidden) it had been better that thou hadst never been born, or hadst been created a Toad; or Viper, than a Man, or Woman. Defer not a day, not an hover, not a moment longer, to consider thy ways, and to turn to God: harken to this call of God while it is called to day, least deferring till to morrow, it should be to late whiles the breath is yet in thy body, and the Lord yet offers to breathe the breath of life into thy Soul, let not the Devil, World, and Flesh so bewitch thee as to obstruct thy seasonable, and serious closing with God upon a Covenant-accompt, and with Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  
So shalt thou break off that Great Sin of Gospel-refusing, and escape that Great Damnation that is due to it, and attain unto that Great Salvation which is here faithfully commended, and hearty wished to thee by him who is,  
Thy Soul Friend Richard Eedes   

To the Reader.  
Reader,  
IT is the glory and happiness of the Age and country in which thou livest to have the plain and plentiful teachings of the Lord, that while we see not God or the life to come with open face, by immediate intuition, to our full satisfaction, we may yet see him in a glass by reason, sanctified, and guided, and elevated by faith so far, as to quicken our desires after more, and to cheer and strengthen us, as a foretaste and earnest of the everlasting inheritance. Though the invisible things of God may be so far seen in the things that are made, as to leave all those without excuse, that know not God, or glorify him not as God (Rom. 1.20, 21.) yet is the Gospel the much clearer glass, though not as to the sensible manner of Revelation, yet as to the fullness, and cleverness of Discovery. In this glass thou mayst certainly see on earth the things that will be done in Heaven and Hell to all Eternity.  
Thou mayst know, if thou canst but know thy heart, both where and in what case thou must live for ever: Whether with God or Devils; whether in joy or torments; whether in the end I less sense of the love of God, and in his Soul-ravishing vision, and fruition, and highest returns of Love and praise with Christ and all the Heavenly Host, or in the endless feeling of his confounding to wrath, and pangs of conscience for thy former wilfulness and folly, and comfortless despairing lamentations of thy misery. This certain glass that from God foretelleth all these things is contained in the Holy Scriptures, and daily held before thee by thy teachers, who are commanded to call upon thee to try and know thyself hereby, and to prevent the eternal misery fore-seen, and set thy heart on the revealed glory, and make out after it with the greatest care and desire of thy Soul, that it may be thine for ever. This glass is here held out unto thee by this faithful Reverend Minister of Christ, (a member of our Association in these united Churches) who hath judiciously, and concisely, yet seriously, and pathetically told thee how great. a Price is in thy hand, if thou have but a heart to the blessedness to be procured by it, and the improvement of it for that blessedness: He hath told thee also what a sin and desperate folly it is to slight ●nd neglect this great Salvation, and turn of that God, that Heaven, with a tri●le, or with the leaving of this contemptible World, who is thy All, and should have All, and will have thy First and Best, or nothing. He hath told thee of that great Damnation, that will certainly be thy Portion, if thou go on to neglect this great Salvation. Bless God for this seasonable call and admonition, and harden not thy heart, but hear if thou have but ears to hear. Abuse not a God of Love that deserves not to be abused: Turn not away from him that speaketh unto thee from Heaven. Deny not thy Redeemer thy first and deepest thoughts and cares, thy strongest love, and most resolved labours, that denied thee not his blood, his doctrine, and his example. Away with sin, Man! tread down the World or use it for the World to come. Crucify the flesh, that hitherto thou hast served. Heaven is before thee, thou art made and redeemed to be equal with the Angels. Dally not about so great a matter as everlasting joy or torment is; God is not mocked, and therefore do not mock thyself by preferring the twyes of the World before him: What needs all this ado for thy daily bread? Having food and raiment be therewith content: Get well to Heaven and all is done, and thou shalt never want; lose that and lose all, and thou wilt certainly lose it, if thou seth it not first, and give it not the chiefest room in thy heart. How thinkest thou to escape, if thou neglect this Salvation? Will a despised or neglected Christ be thy Saviour? or a neglected Heaven be thine Inheritance? Dost thou think to come back from the dead into this World to mend that which now thou dost amiss? or canst thou escape against God's will and word? Reader, as ever thou hast the Reason of a man, see that thou soberly bethink thee of this matter, and rest not till thou canst solidly answer this question, How shall I escape? Death and Hell are a little before thee, if thou be an unsanctifyed person, and how wilt thou escape them? Neither Policy, nor power, riches, nor reputation, formality, or false presumptuous hopes will procure thine escape; It must be by God the Father, by Christ by the Holy Spirit, or by none; and it must be by a God most dearly loved, and by a Christ most highly valued, and received, and by the Holy Ghost entertained into thy heart, and obeyed; for a God, a Christ a Spirit finally neglected, will never save thee. Take this warning and additional Testimony from  
A Friend of thy immortal Soul, Richard Baxter.   

A PREFATORY POEM OF THE AUTHOR'S  

GReat Structures should have Porches, but you'll say,  
This Fabric is not great, and well you may,  
And yet 'tis so, a Riddle but no Cheat,  
The volum's little, but the Title's great;  
The Workman's low, but yet the Building's tall,  
The Matter great, though Model be but small.  
Much treasure lies in little room, and things,  
When it consists in jewels, and in rings.  
This work is like the Ocean, which you know  
Is still the same at ebb as 'tis at flow,  
Or like the Sun; that Magazine of light,  
The same in Clouds as shining in its might;  
Or like a Map, where points and lines do stand  
For Rivers and for Counties; Sea, and Land.  
Though in Octavo written, you must know  
The Subjects are the largest Folio:  
Though Book and Price be small (excuse that wrong)  
The names are short, but yet the Things are long.  
Salvation, and Damnation! Oh the height,  
And depth of these expressions! Oh the weight  
Of what they signify! Oh who can tell  
The height of Heaven, or the depth of Hell?  
That's high that hath no top you will confess,  
And sure that pit is deep that's bottomless.  
Salvation, Sin, Damnation, are not Themes  
For sleepy sluggards, or for men in dreams:  
Sin's clothed in Scarlet like a man of Bloods;  
Damnation dogs it, like devouring floods  
Cast from the Dragon's mouth: Salvation stands  
Like to a Refuge City on all hands.  
Sin like a Sodom to destruct on tends,  
Damnation's like a fire, whose smoke ascends,  
Salvations like a Zoar, Souls like Lot,  
Fly for your life, make haste, and linger not.  
God and your Teachers loudly call, and cry,  
Oh senseless sinners wherefore will ye die?  
Souls stop, and turn, oh turn, oh sweetest breath!  
God says, and swears he joys not in your death.  
O harken for the Call of this ●ill voice  
Sets Life and Death before the sinner's choice.  
Reader, wilt live or die? Consider well,  
And then Resolve, it's more than time to tell  
Thy thoughts to God; If he should snatch thee hence.  
Thy best would prove a very poor defence;  
Depart thou must into a state forlorn  
Will make thee wish thou never hadst been born.  
Eternity will all thy Thoughts confound;  
It's such a Depth no Intellect can sound:  
We may the World and Wits outrun, yet be  
But at the Entrance of Eternity;  
Now wrestle and prevail, for who can tell  
But Jacob may be Christened Israel.  
Chaff now is sold for Wheat, and every dream  
Which is but Froth, is now nicknamed Cream.  
Now Heretics, and each Blasphemer vents,  
And greedy Dogs lick up their Excrements.  
The Press oppressed g●ves out like, Lotteries  
Too manj Blanks for one poor single Prize.  
Author's neglected lie, and sleep as dead,  
Except, than others taller by the head:  
And Books in such a crowd of short and long,  
Like London Cries, are vended for a Song.  
He's the best Artist now that best can tell  
How to make Books, and then to make them sell.  
As in Samaria's siege the ruder throng  
Are f●d with Ass' heads, and Cabbs of dung.  
How often have I dug to find out Over  
In swarming Pamphlets? but alas how poor,  
And full of Rubbish! little, little gains,  
And often less than nothing for my pains.  
When they should feed, and feed, and feed again,  
And hold out Milk for Babes, and meat for Men,  
And draw out new and old from their full store,  
And should with Milk, and Honey feed the poor,  
Their Entertainments like a Witches feast,  
A show that feeds not, but deludes the guest.  
How should Babes thrive in a Stepmother's lap?  
When Nurses give them poison in their pap?  
Oh that some Zealous powers would conspire  
To sentence all such Stubble to the fire!  
The whole is out of Order; Church and State,  
In my Prognostics this is England's Fate,  
The Land will mourn, and Men will find it true,  
Till Caesar come, who will give God his due.  
Think not, kind Reader, that its my design  
To cloud the Sun that my dim Star may shine;  
It is a task for Eagles, not for Wrens  
To stain the beauty of deserving Penns:  
This Iron age such Authors can rehearse,  
Whose golden penns deserve a Golden verse.  
Works should commend their Authors, this being scanned,  
As it deserves, so let me fall or stand.  
I never liked those Compliments at Feasts,  
That wish the best were better for the guests:  
Those that in midst of plenty w sh for more,  
And (guilty of exceed) call it poor:  
I ever thought the worst dish there too much,  
The Coursest Morsel much too good for such.  
If here a Feast of fat things you do meet,  
Give God the praise, and eat and drink the sweet.  
If any failing here or leaness be,  
Take you the best, and leave the worst to me.  
Christ bids his Shepherds feed, and feed, and feed,  
His Lambs and Sheep, lo here is for your need,  
And fill, served in First, Second, and Third Mess,  
All wholesome food, though but in homely dress.  
Eat, drink, and feast yourselves, my Friends, but stay,  
When that is done, do not rise up to play:  
If you will eat to live, and live to die,  
Join strictest Practice with the Theory.  
Though naked Truth be best, yet Fancies qua●nt  
Esteem the face the fairer for the paint;  
And if we will men's queasy palates woe,  
Our meat must wholesome be, and toothsome too;  
Most are like Children, and refuse to eat  
Unless the dish be gaudy as the meat:  
Even Curious palates feed as they would wish,  
When wholesome food is in a garnished dish:  
When pleasure is with profit twined, it's said  
Its like the bristle that draws in the thread.  
Austin delighting Ambrose for to hear,  
His heart was led to Heaven by his Ear,  
And men must be indulged in this, or we  
Our Books with dust, and Cobwebs clad may see.  
If Music dwell in discords, here are three  
That make a Unity in Trinity;  
Or if Variety delight your brain,  
Trichotomize that Unity again;  
But I am word-bound, starved in midst of store,  
My subject is too rich, my Muse too poor.  
Reader proceed, thou'lt not thy labour lose,  
If halting Verse go more upright in prose.  
'tis to catch precious Souls to God that I  
Do bait the hook of Prose with Poetry,  
Fishers of men must put on every guise,  
Winners of Souls must study to be wise;  
If Poetry be goats hair, and no more,  
Yet it may serve to veil the Temple door:  
I'll not detain you l●nger in the Porch,  
Nor light you to the Sun with such a Torch:  
What furnitures within is now made free,  
The Curtain's drawn, you may go in and see.    

ERRATA.  
Pag. 17. line 15. read able. p. 34. l. 3. biot out, and make figure. 1 before the next word. p. 36. l. 24. r. mankind. p. 50. l. 11. r. the for their. p. 59 l. 15. r. sink p. 62. l. 5. r. vassals. p. 69. l. 18. r. fold. p. 76. l. 2. r. I count. l. 14. r. main thing. p. 91. l. 21. r. great wickedness. p 24. l. ult. r. Apostatical. p. 127. l. 10. r. certainty] in the same line r. assert. p. 128. l. 5. r. Apostates. p. 128. l. 18. r. road. p. 129. l. 23. r. preacher. p. 135. l. 1. r. word. p. 139. l 7. Jsay. 1. p. 144. l. 5. r. bring. p 150. l. 9 r. wet finger. p. 151. l 17. r. as his right eye etc. p. 186. l. 15. r. when. p. 192. l. 16. read puluerem. p. 196. l. 14. r. refuge. p. 200. l. 8. read so obdurate. p. 209. l. 3. r. Solamen p. 211. l. 11. read Masters. p. 216 l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 218. l. 11. blot out if. p. 230. l. 5. r. stony heart. p. 236. l. 5. r. despond. p. 237. l. 22. r. own deceived and deceitful hearts p. 238. l. 8. r. whelp.   

A brief TABLE Of the CONTENTS.  

A Short Introduction. pag. 1. 2. 3.  
The rule of Gods dealing with the Refusers of his mercy, upon which is grounded the whole Method of the Treatise in these 3 particulars. 

1. Ingentia Beneficia.  
2. Ingentia Flagitia.  
3. Ingentia Supplicia. p. 4    
Whence are raised 3 suitable Doctrines. 

1. Gospel Salvation is Great Salvation.  
2. Setting light by this great Salvation is great Sin.  
3. The neglect of this great Salvation brings great Damnation.    
1. Doct. proved and made plain. p. 5 

1. By comparing it with Salvation by the Law.  
2. By comparing it with the old Test. manifestations.  
3. By comparing it with temporal deliverances. p. 5    
It is also proved by improving the Text in its elegant Climax, or Gradation 3 stories high. 

1. Salvation.  
2. Great Salvation.  
3. So great Salvation.    
Illustrated further by alluding to the 3 degrees of comparison, wherein is showed to be. 

1. Positively great.  
2. Comparatively greater than other.  
3. Superlatively the greatest of all. p. 8    
Proved also from three pregnant Scriptures. 

Psal. 130.7. Plentiful Redemption.  
Luke. 1.69. A horn of mighty Salvation.  
Hebr. 7.25. Salvation to the uttermost. p. 8, 9    
Proved last by three Reasons. p. 9 

1. Reason. Drawn from the ab hoc, showing from what we are saved.  
2. Reason. Drawn from the ad hoc, showing to what we are saved.  
3. Reason. Drawn from the per hoc, showing by what we are saved.    
1. Reason. Because it saves from great Evils. As 

1. From the wrath of God. p. 10. 11.  
2. From the curse of the Law. p. 12. 13.  
3. From the tyranny and dominion of Satan. p. 14. etc.  
4. From the evil of sin. 

1. From the condemning. power p. 21  
2. From the commanding. power p. 21    
5. From the evils of Punishment from a 3 fold Death. 

1. Internal of the Soul.  
2. Externall of the Body.  
3. Eternal of both Soul and Body. p. 23. etc.    
2. Reason. Because it advances to great Happiness p. 6 

1. Before time in Election.  
2. In time in justification and sanctification.  
3. After time in Glorification. p. 27.    
Two bunches of Beatitudes belonging to Gods saved one's. 

1 Bunch. 

1. Justification, wherein of ungodly they are made righteous.  
2. Reconciliation, wherein of Enemies they are made Friends.  
3. Adoption, wherein of Aliens they are made Sons.  
4. Sanctification, wherein of Sinners they are made Saints.  
5. Glorification, wherein of imperfect Saints they are made perfect.    
2 Bunch. 

1. They are entitled unto the love of God the Father.  
2. The Grace of God the Son.  
3. The Communion of God the holy Ghost.  
4. The Protection of the Trinity.  
5. The Guardianship of Angels.  
6. The comforts of an appeased conscience.  
7. The comfortable enjoyment of the things of this life.  
8. The believing expectation of the life to come. p. 28.      
It's further showed that Salvation advances its heirs unto two Kingdoms at once. 

1. The Kingdom of Grace. p. 29.  
2. The Kingdom of Glory. p. 31. to 35.    
3. Reason. Because we are saved by great means. 

1. The wisdom and love of God the Father. p. 36. etc.  
2. The sufferings and Righteousness of God the Son p. 39 etc.  
3. The Revelation and Application of the holy Ghost. p. 41. etc.    
The other subord nate means laid down in 2 pairs.  
The 1 Pair is 

1. Graces.  
2. Duties.   p. 45. & 46.  
The 2 Pair is 

1. Ordinances.  
2. Providences.   p. 47 & 48. etc.  
1. Use. Of Consideration. 

1. What it is.  
2. How great it is. p. 51. to 54.    
2. Use. Of Proclamation. p. 54. 55. 56.  
3. Use. Of Reproof. p. 57 to 65.  
4. Use. Of Consolation. p. 65. to 70.  
5. Use. Of Exhortation. p. 70. to 77.   

2 Doctrine, Setting light by this great salvation is great sin. p. 79.  
1 Positively great p. 84, to 88  
2 Comparatively greater than other p. 88, to 95.  
3 Superlatively the greatest p. 95.  
1 Reason: Because an accumulated sin p, 95.  
Proved to be so, because it is a refusing of Christ in all his Offices. as p, 98. 

1 His Priestly office p. 100 etc.  
2 His Prophetical office p. 102. etc.  
3 His Kingly office p. 105. etc.    
2 Reason. Because its an aggravated sin by three circumstances, p. 110. 

1 Of Person p. 111, to 114.  
2 Of Time p. 114, to 116.  
3 Of Place p. 117. 118.    
3 Reason, Because it is a State confounding sin. p. 119 etc.  
4. Reason. Because it is a Church confounding sin. p. 123. etc.  
1 Use of Information to show wherein it consists. p. 131. 

(Viz.)  
1 In taking no care for salvation p. 132. etc.  
2 In taking but little care, conjunct with greater care. p. 137. etc.  
3 In not making it our greatest care. p. 139. etc.    
2 Use of Direction in 4 things. p. 142. 

1 There must be great thoughts of heart. p. 143.  
2 Great search of heart about it. p. 145.  
3 Great humblings of heart about it. p. 147. etc.  
4 Great chainges of heart, about it p. 151. etc.    
3 Use of consideration, in order to consolation in two things. 

1 That only is Gospel refusing which is final. p. 153. etc.  
2 Gospel-mercy will pardon all Gospel-refusing which is not final. p. 156. etc.     

● Doctrine, The neglect of great Salvation brings great Damnation. p. 161.  
Damnation, that is, 

1 Positively great, p. 164. etc.  
2 Comparatively greater than other, p. 167. etc.  
3. Superlatively the greatest. p. 170. &c    
1 Reason. Because it comes from so great a God. p. 174. etc.  
2 Reason. Because it is for despising so great a Saviour. p. 177.  
3 Reason. Because inflicted for resisting the spirit. p. 180. etc.  
4 Reason. Because prepared for great Enemies. p. 182.  
5 Reason. Because it hath a long reach. p. 185. 

1 It reacheth to the Soul. p. 185. etc.  
2 It reacheth to eternity. p. 187. etc.    
6 Reason, Because it consists of great Punishments, p. 189. 

1 The Punishment of Loss.  
2 The Punishment of Sense. p. 189. etc.  
1 Noted by the worm that dyeth not. p. 192.  
2 By the fire that never goes out. p. 193.    
1 Rational Torments inflicted upon. 

1 The understanding 〈◊〉  
2 The conscience in three things. p.  
1 Remembrance of things past.  
2 Sense of present misery. p. 197. etc.  
3 Fear of wrath to come.  
3 The Will. p. 200.  
4 The Passions. p. 221. etc.    
2 Sensible Torments for the Body. p. 213. etc.  
Use of Terror. p. 219.    
Prompting us to a 4 fold Meditation. 

1 Of Death. p. 224. etc.  
2 Of Judgement. p. 227. etc.  
3 Of Hell. p. 230. etc.  
4 Of Heaven. p. 232. etc.    
The Conclusion. from pag. 234. to the end.    

GREAT SALVATION BY JESUS CHRIST Tendered to the greatest of Sinners, etc.  Hebr. 2, 3. 
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation?  
SAlvation is so sweet a subject, that its pity it should meet with any but faithful handlers, and profitable hearers; I may say of the very syllables of it, as once holy Bernard did of that saving Name Jesus, in which it was founded, Mat. 1.21. That it is Mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilum in cord; Honey to the mouth, Music to the ear, and rejoicing to the heart. Words of Salvation are breath of life, and its pity any of that should be like breath scattered in the air; they are water of life, and its pity it should be like water spilt upon the ground; we should deal by such doctrine as goldsmiths do by the filings of their gold, secure every dust of it; As God saith to ungodly teachers, so may we say unto ungodly hearers, What have you to do to take my word into your mouths, or ears, when it takes no hold upon your hearts, Whereas you hate to be reform, and have cast my words behind you. Psal. 50.16, 17.  
Salvation is such a mystery of miraculous mercy, that the very Angels do delight to pry into is, 1. Pet. 1.12. And as they were ministering Spirits to the great Saviour when he was upon Earth, so they are glad to be Ministering Spirits to the heirs of this great Salvation. Heb. 1.14. A Messenger coming from the dead, and from that triumphant community of just and perfect Souls, were fit to speak to you of such a theme, than one that's going to the dead, and is yet clothed with the rags of mortality and corruption: If such a one should hear us expressing our low conceptions of such sublime mysteries as accompany Salvation, he wouldsay as the Queen of the South of Solomon's wisdom, that one half is not told you in your own Country; If the Devil and damned Souls might hear but one Sermon more of Salvation with hope of obtaining it, can you think that they would be so regardless, and negligent as the common sort of hearers are? Do you think that the devil's themselves (which believe the dreadfulness of perfected damnation, and tremble to believe it) would say to such a preacher as Foelix did to Paul, Acts 24, 25. Go thy way for this time, and when I have a more convenient season I will call for thee.  
This is the unum magnum, the unicum maximum; the great thing that the Apostle endeavours to secure in this place, that none of Christ's blood may be lost, that none of his own Ministerial labour may be labour in vain: In a word his drift and scope is that that Salvation which was so great in the operation, and in the Revelation, should be as great in the World's acceptation. Christ had wrought it out, who was the Son of God, higher than Angels, the great Prophet, and Priest, and King of his Church, as this Epistle declares at large.  
The Gospel had brought it to light, which is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, 1. Tim. 1.11. which makes Salvation nearer and clearer than the law did. And therefore if we accept it not, how shall we escape? that is to say, there is no possibility of escaping.  
One of the Ancients hath laid down this Rule as God's method of dealing with the refuiers of his mercy. Ingentia beneficia, flagitia, supplicia. Where God offers, or bestows great mercies, there the setting light by those mercies are sins with an high hand, and those great sins draw down proportionable punishments.  
Now according to this Rule.  
1. What mercy ●reater than Gospel-mercy?  
2. What sin can be greater than to set light by such mercy?  
3. What punishment can be greater than that, that such sin deserves?  
The Apostles words here considered as related to the context, may be exactly reduced to hat rule; we shall therefore from such premises draw these three natural conclusions, as the plain results of this Scripture.  
1. That Salvation brought to light by the Gospel is great Salvation.  
2. That setting light by such Salvation is great sin.  
3. That the neglect of such great Salvation brings great damnation.  

The First Doctrine. Gospel Salvation is great Salvation.  
BEfore we open the door to let you into a clear sight of this truth, it may not be impertinent to remove an objection that lies as a stumbling block at the very entrance, and that is this. In that we proclaim Gospel-Salvation to be great Salvation, some may demand whether there be any other Salvation that may stand in competition with Gospel-Salvation?  
To which we answer, that God never revealed but two ways unto mankind for Salvation.  
The first was by a Covenant of works, manifested unto the first Adam as the World's representative, wherein the condition was Hoc fac & vive, do this and thou shalt live, or do this and be saved.  
But that Law being transgressed, and that Covenant broken; and Adam and his posterity being under the curse of that Covenant, and the wrath of God abiding on them: God was pleased to enter into another Covenant of grace with mankind through the second Adam, proposing unto them another condition, Hoc crede & vive, whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life john. 3.16. Though there was an old way to Salvation by working held out by the law, yet now the new and living way, brought to light by the Gospel, is the way of believing; and this Salvation by the Covenant of grace doth as far excel that by the Covenant of works, as the second Adam doth excel the first.  
I may further add, that the Covenant of grace hath been exhibited under two dispensations.  
First to the Jews, under the old Testament-dispensation, in tips and shadows, when the Ceremonial Law was the Jews Gospel.  
And secondly to Jews and Gentiles, under the new Testament dispensation, in truths and and substances, and this is that Salvation that the Apostle seems here to commend and exalt above other Salvations, that Salvation which in the manifestation of it, is grown up to more ripeness of years, and perfection of Stat●e since the fullness of time, than ever it was before. And since we are speaking comparatively of it, let us take in one consideration more, though it may serve only for a pleonasme, for having spoken of the greater, we need not doubt of the less. It may be called great Salvation, if compared with temporal, and corporal deliverances; such as those from Egypt, and Babylon, those were great deliverances, and great Salvations, but that was of bodies, th●s of souls, that was temporal, and this eternal, and therefore in every respect,  
1. If compared with Salvation by the law,  
2. If compared with the old Testementmanifestations,  
3. If compared with temporal deliverances,  
We must give acclamation to it to be great Salvation. And as for dreaming of any other Salvation, properly, and strictly so called, we must keep close to those true say of God. Acts 4.12. Neither is, there Salvation in any other, for there is none other name under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved, and 1. Tim. 2.5. unicus est mediator, There is one only mediator betwixt God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.  
The doubt being cleared, we proceed to clear the doctrine.  
1. By improving the Text.  
2. By Testimonies of Scripture.  
3. By pregnant, and ponderous Reason.  
First by improving the Text, where the spirit of God gives it a rise three degrees high: 1 Salvation, 2 great Salvation, 3 so great Salvation, which last is a sic without a sicut (as one saith of God's love from that Scripture, God so loved the World) so that the tongues of men or Angels are not able to express, nor the imaginations of men or Angels able to comprehend: Or what if we suppose it better to illustrate those three gradations by the three degrees of comparison; we may show you at large how Gospel-Salvation is, 

1. Positively great Salvation.  
2. Comparatively greater than all other.  
3. Superlatively the greatest of alls.    
But all this was hinted in that that went before.  
Secondly to show you the consent of Scripture, and how harmoniously they attest unto this truth.  
Psal. 130.7. Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, let redemption but lead us to a redeemer, and we shall find such plenty of it in Jesus Christ, that out of his fullness we may be all receivers, and grace for grace.  
Luke 1 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that hath raised up for us an horn of Salvation in the house of his servant David. It's a figurative expression taken from beasts, whose strength is in their horns; It is such mighty Salvation, that it can push down all power that opposes it: the Apostle applies it Rom. 8.33, 34. It is God that justifieth, who is it that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who sitteth at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us; who shall separate us from the love of Christ? etc.  
Hebr. 7.25. He is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him, seeing be ever liveth to make intercession for them.  
Put all these together, 

1. Plentiful redemption,  
2. A horn of mighty Salvation,  
3. Salvation to the uttermost,    
And they do univocally bear wittness to this great truth that Gospel-Salvation is great Salvation.  
Thirdly to come to Reasons, take into close consideration these three things. 

1. Ab hoc: From what  
2. Ad hoc: To what  
3, Per hoc: By what   we are saved.  
And from hence we shall lay down these three Reasons to prove it to be great Salvation.  

1. Because it saves us from great evils.  
2. Because it advances to great happiness.  
3. Because it doth all by great means.   
1 Ab hoc 1 Reason. It saves from great Evils, as is easy to show in a multitude of particulars.  
1. From the wrath of God, which bu●nes like a consuming fire, and all the wicked upon earth are hu●● straw, and stubble before it: It burns to the bottom of hell, and sets on fire the foundations of the Mountains and burns up the earth with its increase. The burning Tophet is kindled with his displeased breath as with a river of brimstone, Isay 30.33. the old World was drowned in it, and the new shall be burned in it. It tumbled the Angels that fell out of Heaven, and hurled them into Hell, to be reserved in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day. It brought such a curse upon the whole creation for Adam's sin, that the whole creation groans under it, Rom. 8.22. Man sweats under it, and Woman is in labour of it. It hath tumbled Monarchy upon Monarchy, the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, it hath reprobated the greatest part of men and women that ever were in the World, are, or shall be. It hath cast off the Jews, and unchurhed many famous churches of the Gentiles. It hath laid flourishing states on ruinous heaps, and hath brought to pass those desolations even to wonder and aston shment, by sword, famine, and pestilence, which our fathers have told us of. It hath done that work, that strange work in our days, and in these parts of the World, which our eyes have seen, and may long be for a Lamentation. In a word it brought that confluence of indignation upon Christ, Gods only begotten, and only beloved Son, when he stood in our room, and became our surety, that it made him sweat blood, and cry out My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? We may say of all the punishments personal and national that have befallen us, or can befall us, of all things that we feel, or fear, as the prophet doth, Is there any Evil in the City, Land World, and the Lord hath not done it? Ames 3.6. Ex ungue leonem, all that see it may say, This hath God done, for they cannot but see that it is his work: we may know it to be the Lord by his very footsteps, for as none can deliver and save like him, so none can punish and destroy like him. Solomon, tells us the wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lion, Prov. 19.12. but Moses tells us that he cannot tell us the p●wer of God's wrath, Psal. 90.11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, even according to thy fear so is thy wrath, and this wrath we are saved from by this great Salvation.  
2. It saves from the curse of his law, that binds over to that wrath, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them, Deut. 27.26. It's this malediction that makes sin to be the sting of death, and makes the hornet of an accusing conscience to sting self-condemned sinners like the pangs of death. This put Adam upon that impossibility, to run away and hid himself from God; and made Cain to be à cord suo fugitivum, a runagate (if it had been possible) from himself. This curse of the law sets the never-dying worm a gnawing, and lays upon evil doers that intolerable burden of a wounded conscience which none can bear. Cursed is the impenitent Drunkard, Swearer, Sabboth-breaker, Liar, Whoremonger, prayerless, Christless person, saith the Law, but I am such and such saith the conscience, therefore thou art cursed, thou art the man saith right reason in the conclusion. It was the dreadful impulse of this evil spirit that drove Judas first to despair, and then to the gallows, and furiously posted him through an hell internal into an hell eternal: 'twas this that doomed despairing Spira to an hell above ground, and filled him so brimful with hellish horror, that he was the very monster of his time, and the most dreadful spectacle of the age he lived in. Nay, to come nearer to the quick, It was the consciousness of this curse that set David upon the rack, and put his bones out of joint, and brought him into a consumption, that he complains that his flesh was dried up for want of fatness, and his moisture was like the drought in Summer, These terrors of the Law, and plunges of conscience were the storms, and floods, and mire, and deeps that he so deeply complained of, and made one deep to call upon another, the deep of his misery to the deep of God's mercy. 'twas this venom that so pointed those arrows of the almighty's wrath that drank up Jobs spirits. And made Hezekia to mourn like a dove, and chatter like a Craine, and complain that from morning to evening God made an end of him: 'twas this that pickled up Peter in his bitter tears; and put blessed Paul so to it that he cried aloud to Heaven for a deliverer, Me miserum quis liberabit? O wreathed man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? and this curse we are saved from by this great Salva-  
3. It saves from the tyranny, and dominion of Satan, Its man's hell above ground to be under the devil's dominion, and principality. The Apostle notes that the unbeleveing and impenitent are held captive by Satan at his will, 2. Tim. 2.26. and the Ephesians while they were dead in trespasses and sins, were said to be acted by the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, Eph. 2.2. Satan is therefore called The God of this World, 2. Cor. 4.4. who blinds the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. He goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1. Pet 5.8. And compasses the earth Job. 1.7. yea, he goes about with great wrath, knowing that his time is but short, Revel. 12.12. He is called therefore the strong man armed that keeps peaceable possession till the stronger come, Luke. 11.21. but when that stronger comes, and God, and Christ come in with this mighty Salvation; when the grace of God which brings Salvation once appears, than the weapons of our warfare are not Carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds. When he that hath the key of David will open, there's none that can keep shut; As the graves must open to his Surgite mortui, and the Earth and Sea must give up their dead at his word of command, so when he will give sinners their blessed part in the first Resurrection, the Devil, World and Flesh shall not be able to detain their Captives: If God will but give Paul a commission to go to the Gentiles, he shall open their Eyes, and translate them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. Act. 26.17, 18. When God will shine upon the labours of his planting and watering servants, and come in with that increase which the Apostle calls the increase of God, than not only gates of brass and bars of Iron shall fly open, and break in sunder, as they did before Cyrus when God would use him as an instrument towards his people's enlargement, but even the chains of darkness shall snap asunder before the mighty word, and almighty spirit of the Churches great Redeemer, like Sampsons' cords when the Philistines were upon him.  
And here is the comfort of all comforts, they that are set at liberty by this great Salvation, have so full a rescue, that they shall never be led captive more, though they have been pulled like brands out of the fire, like the prey out of the paw of the Lion rampant, out of the hands of the strong man by a stronger; yet now they are in safe hands, because there cannot come a stronger. Christ saith none can take his sheep out of his hand, and his father that gave them him is greater than all, and none can take them out of his father's hand, john. 10.28, 29. Though he consider and study Job, Job. 1.8. and resist Josua. Zech. 3.1. Though be desire to have the Apostles to winnow them, Luke 22.31. and wresties with beleivers about Heavenly things, Eph. 6.11, 12. Though he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devices, plots, machinations, stratagems. 2 Cor. 2.11. & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wiles, methods, snares laid at unawares, way layings as the word properly signifies, traps artificially set to catch the prey and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel. 2.24. the depths of Satan (those poor deluded Souls (like those in our times that are under strong delusions, and the efficacy of error) called their opinions the deep things of God, in allusion probably unto that expression 1 Cor. 2.10. The spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God, and there the spirit tells them they were the deep things of the devil, and not of God, they were not fetched from Heaven, but from the depth of hell, and though he hath such weapons as the word calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Eph. 6, 16. The fiery darts of the Devil, yet though he set all his infernal powers on work, and employ all his heads and horns, all his stratagems and strength, and join his serpentine subtlety with his Lion-like power; yet the least of God's little ones shall be saved from him, though the Dragon cast Floods out of his mouth after the woman, and the remnant of her seed, yet they shall have a hiding place provided. They have a Captain general that is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The chief Captain and Finisher of their Faith, Heb. 12.2. Who, in that he himself, hath suffered being tempted, h● is able to secure them that are tempted, Heb. 2.18. He puts into their hands the Shield of Faith, which will quench all the fiery darts of the Devil, Eph. 6.16. And he prays that that saith may not fail, Luke 22.32. And hath ex abundanti, for their strong consolation, furnished them with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The whole Armour of God, and bids them be of good cheer, he hath overcome, And the Apostle being strong in the Lord, and the power of his might, triumphs before Victory with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 8.37. We shall overcome through him that loved us. And this bondage we are saved from by this great Salvation.  
〈◊〉 ●●ight here enumerate more particulars, 〈…〉, Judgement, and Hell; for this great Salvation saves from the terrors of all these, and is a shelter against these driving storms which swell up a raging Sea of wrath, to drown the whole world of the ungodly, but these will come in seasonably among those which follow, where we shall meet with them before we make a full dispatch of this Reason.  
4 To give you one general, that may be comprehensive of all particulars, that we need to speak to. It saves from all evils: Now all evils have been well reduced into two ranks.  

1 Mala culpae Evils of sin.  
2 Mala paenae Evils of punishment.   
1. Salvation is from Sin, yea, and the best part of Salvation too; 'Twas this that gave unto Christ his saving name. Mat. 1.21, Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his, people from their sins. Salvation from wrath, which is done in Justification, is quiddam exterius, the work of Christ without us, who died for our sins, and risen again for our Justification, who did undergo the curse of the law in his passive obedience, and fulfiled the righteousness of the law in his active obedience for the justification of sinners; but Salvation from sin, which is d ne in Sanctification, is quiddam interius, the work of Christ within us, who works all our works in us, as well as for us. See that pithy and pertinent treatise upon that forecited Scripture Mat. 1.21. entitled Salvation from sin by Jesus Christ, published not long since by a judicious and faithful Brother of our Association, Mr. George Hopkins of Evesham, where you may read to satisfaction upon that profitable subject, and save me the labour of enlarging upon it.  
And as it is from sin, so from all sin that lies within the reach of repentance: There is a sin indeed which the Scripture hath excepted, called the sin unto death, and the sin against the Holy Ghost, which is therefore impardonable, because the sinner is impenitent, and because that sin is always twined with a total, and final apostasy; otherwise there is no sin so great but may be pardoned, no sinner so great but may be saved.  
First hear what testimony the old Testament gives unto the Salvation Covenant. Moses is very large in dealing out the great pardons of the great God to great sins Exod. 34.6, 7. saying, he pardoneth iniquity, & transgression, and sin, as if he alluded to the three degrees of comparison magna, majora, maxima peccata, performing to the full what that Scripture promises; Isay 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon, or according to the original, he will multiply to pardon. The Prophet Ezekiel. 36.25. dotr particularise: I will pour clean water and ye shall be clean from your idols and from your filthiness will I cleanse you, though your sins were as great as idolatry against the first Table, or uncleanness against the second (and we can hardly think of grea●●● yet upon return to God they may be pardoned and purged. The Prophet Isay, 1.18 goes yet further (if further may be) and makes mention of the pardon of Scarlet and Crimson sins, i. e.) Sins that are double died, died in grain, like those colours aggravated with the most notorious of circumstances, as bloody as murder (as David's matter of Vriah, or as black as Hell, (as Manasses witchcraft, and familiarity with Evil spirits) yet upon God's terms they may be forgiven.  
Secondly and because you shall have the evidence of this truth from the mouths of the two witnesses, the New Testament as well as Old, peruse that place Mat. 12.31. That very verse, that puts a bar to the Salvation of sinners against the Holy Ghost; opens a wide door of hope unto all besides: All manner of sin, and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.  
Know further that Salvation from sin (to give you the dimensions of it) is,  
1 Either from the Condemning power,  
2. Or from the Conmmanding power of sin, and in respect of both it deserves the title of great Salvation.  
1 Believers are saved by Christ from the condemning power of sin: Rom. 8.1. The Apostle lays it down as a most certain conclusion resulting by way of Argument from antecedent premises. Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. john. 3.16. They shall not perish, john. 10.28. They shall never perish, and john. 5.24. Shall not come into condemnation.  
2 And they are freed from the commanding power of sin: Sin doth not reign in their mortal bodies, that they should obey it in the lust of it: They have given their members servants to righteousness unto holiness, and though they sometimes do the Evil which they would not, yet they have sued out their divorce, and can say with the Apostle, their consciences bearing them witness, It is no longer I, but sin that dwelleth in me. They have put themselves under the regency of Christ, and put up that petition daily in his name, Thy Kingdom come, desiring that God and Christ by the holy spirit may bear rule in their hearts, and not sin: and Thy will be done, wherein they desire to be made willing to be ruled by his will, and not the lusts of the flesh, and by this means, though sin be not ejected from its inherency, yet it is dejected from its regency, and they are neither servants, nor slaves of sin.  
2 Salvation is from punishment, à malis poenae, as well as à malis culpae, from wrath as well as sin; and this so great Salvation, that I fear too many do look upon it as the una, unica salus, that that comprehends the totality of Salvation, but having said enough to undeceive you in the antecedent branch of Salvation from sin, it remains that we discover this also to be a considerable part, though not the totum integrale, the All of this great Salvation. As all of transgression is epitomised, and summed up in Scripture in the term of sin, so is all of wrath and punishment in this term of death, and therefore the Apostle briefly lays down both Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death; (i e.) All death is the wages of all and every sin, so that sin will find the sinner suffering enough, death with all its appurtenances. 1 with all its forerunners, diseases, aches pains etc. 2 With all its concomitants of tribulation, and anguish, desperation and horror, 3 and all its followers, death after death, fire and brimstone which is the second death. Revel. 21.8.  
Let us distinguish of a threefold death which is the wages of sin, and all will be plain, when we have cleared it that Salvation saves us from all the three. Death 

1 Internal of the Soul.  
2 Externall of the Body.  
3 Eternal of the Body and Soul.    
1 It saves from death internal, as Eph. 2.1. You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. john. 5.25. The time shall come, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those that hear shall live, and john. 5.24. He that heareth my words, and beleiveth in him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life, and Revel. 20.6. Blessed is he that hath his part in the first Resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, which expositors do interpret of the resurrection of the Soul from the death of sin to the life of grace, as the second resurrection of the body from death to life immortal.  
2. It saves from death external, though not from the stroke of death, for it's appointed unto all men once to die. Hebr. 9.27. Yet from the sting of death, for blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Revel. 14.13. Paul tells us, if in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men the most miserable. 1 Cor. 15.19. noting that the hope that we have in Christ for another life, is the best part of our hope, and that which maketh not ashamed, and in order to this Solomon saith, the righteous hath hope in his death. Prov. 14.32. Though beleivers die, yet they are not killed with death as that deadly phrase is Revel. 2.23. It is but their dust that sees corruption; Their head having killed death, Oh death I will be thy death, Hos. 13.14. nothing hinders but that on the account of that victory they may triumph as more than conquerors, and say with the Apostle. O death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory? 1 Cor. 15.55.  
3 It saves from death eternal. john. 11.25, 26. He that beleiveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and beleiveh in me shall not die for ever. Death is therefore called the King of fears, because there is a more terrible death stands behind it; as the Apostle saith after death cometh the judgement, so we may say after judgement cometh the death: Observe but how the Apostle sends out bold challenges, and even bids defiance to all adversary power upon this very score of being protected, and secured from the second death. Rom. 8.33. Who shall condemn? What shall separate? I am persuaded that neither death, nor life etc. nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. etc. Let all these be laid together that it saves us 1 From the wrath of God. 2 From the curse of his Law. 3 From the tyranny of Satan. 4 From sin both condemning and commanding, and then from punishment, death internal, external, and eternal, and these make up a pregnant proof that Gospel-Salvation is great Salvation from the ab hoc, the great evils it saves 〈◊〉 from.  
2 Ad hoc. 2 Reason. It saves us to great happiness, I mean that by this great Salvation we are advanced to great happiness,  
It were endless to handle all the particulars of that blessedness to which Salvation doth entitle us.  
Moses brings in that blessedness in huddles that is prepared for the children of obedience, and heirs of Salvation, Deut. 28. blessings of all sorts, and sizes, in every state and condition.  
David saith Psal. 1.1. Blessednesses belong unto them, or as the original doth more emphatically render it, o beatitudines, oh the blessednesses that belong unto such as he there describes: and Psal. 144.15. gives their blessedness a rise above all other blessedness, yea, above all that can be spoken or conceived, yea, blessed are the people which have the Lord to be their God.  
Paul saith, they begin in election and end in glorification, Rom. 8.30. Whom he did predestinate, them he called, and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified, them he also glorified. In which words he sets down the privileges of Gods saved one's.  

1. Before time. In predestination.  
2. In time. In calling, and Justification.  
3. After time. In Glorification.   
Let us if we can run back to the beginning of eternity, end run forward to the end of it, and if we cannot (as we cannot) let us run to our wit's end, and then cry out o altitudo! o profunditas! oh the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of the love of God, which passeth knowledge! The measure of Heaven is heaped up, and pressed down, and running over.  
Yet though the excellencies of that Land of promise, which flows with better blessings than milk and honey, cannot be told you, we shall not pass it by so slenderly as to say no more of it, but shall do as those faithful spies, that were sent to survey the Land of Canaan, present you with a bunch or two, that you may have a taste at least of the fruits of the Land, though the full feast be reserved till the time of our fruition.  
1. Those that are the heirs of this great Salvation are adopted into the family of Heaven, and received into the glorious liberty of the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty; which giving us union with Christ, gives us right also to all the privileges of Communion, Justification, Reconciliation, adoption, Sanctification, and glory.  
1. Justification, wherein of ungodly we are made righteous.  
2. Reconciliation, wherein of enemies we are made friends.  
3. Adoption, wherein of aliens we are made Sons.  
4. Sanctification; wherein of Sinners we are made Saints.  
5. Glorification, wherein of imperfect Saints, and such as are sanctified but in part, we are made perfect, grace being but glory begun, and glory nothing else but grace perfected.  
2. Those that are adopted into these privileges are thereby entitled.  
1. Unto the love of God the Father.  
2. The grace of God the Son.  
3. The Communion of God the Holy Ghost.  
4. The protection of the Trinity.  
5. The guardianship of Angels.  
6. The comforts of an appeased conscience.  
7. The comfortable enjoyment of the things of this life.  
8. The believing and hopeful expectation of the life that is to come.  
These are two bunches of the beatitudes that this great Salvation doth advance us to.  
But the most excellent are behind, this great Salvation doth advance the heirs of it unto two Kingdoms at once.  

1. The Kingdom of grace.  
2. The Kingdom of glory.   
1. We are saved to the state or Kingdom of grace, we are brought into Jerusalem the Holy, and led through it into jerusalem the happy; we are conducted through holiness into happiness, and made to pass through the porch of grace into the palace of glory.  
1. Salvation bestows upon us the first grace, It's therefore called a Creation, which we call regeneration, and this as well as the first creation is ex nihilo, the creating of grace where there was none before, If any be in Christ, saith the, Apostle, he is a new creature. 2 Cor. 5.17. and David prays, create in me a clean heart, O God Psal. 51.10. And the promise is, A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart that is your body, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ez. 36.26.  
2. It causes us to increase in grace, 1. By Addition, adding grace unto grace, and proceeding from virtue to virtue; observe the Apostles direction. 2. Pet. 1.5. giving all diligence add unto faith virtue, and unto virtue knowledge, and unto knowledge temperance, and unto temperance patience, and unto patience godliness, and unto godliness brotherly kindness, and unto brotherly-kindness love, there is no grace that a gracious Soul would want.  
2. By Multiplication, heaping grace upon grace, knowledge upon knowledge, faith upon faith, repentance upon repentance, obedience upon obedience, endeavouring to advance to higher degrees in grace, labouring that grace may not not only be in us, but that it may abound in us. 2 Pet. 1.8. As there is no grace for kind, so there is no degree of grace for measure that a gracious Soul would want.  
3. And it doth not only prevent us with grace by giving us the first grace, and enabling us to will; and bestow upon us the second grace, by assisting us with grace, and enabling us to do as well as to will, according to that saying, Nolentem praevenit deus ut velit, volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit, God prevents us with his grace to make willing, and God follows us with his grace to make able.  
But it also keeps us in grace, Paul gloryed that he had kept the faith, which was by being kept in the faith, according to that of Peter, Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation. 1. Pet. 1.5.  
2. By this great Salvation we are saved to the Kingdom of glory, as well as to that of grace: Christ teacheth us to pray for both at once in that Petition, Thy Kingdom come, (1) let the Kingdom of sin and Satan be domolished in us, and others, and let thy Kingdom of grace come in the room of it, and let us and others be kept in it, and do thou also hasten the Kingdom of glory. David mentions both by way of promise Psal. 84.11. The Lord will give grace and glory, and therefore he makes mention of both in his prayer, Lord guide me with thy counsel, and after that receive me to glory, which is as much as if he had said, Lord lead me through thy Kingdom of grace into thy Kingdom of glory. Now as David said of the Jerusalem upon Earth, we may much more of the Heavenly Jerusalem, Many excellent things are spoken of thee, thou City of God. We may more easily give you a Negative description of it, by telling you what is not there, than a positive, by telling you what is there; yet take somewhat, though but a touch of both.  

1 Negatively,  
1. There shall be no sin, no unclean thing can enter into that Kingdom 1 Cor. 6.9. The Angels at the last day shall gather out of Christ's mixed Kingdom, the Churchmilitant, all things that offend, and that work iniquity, Mat. 13.41. that nothing but what is pure and undefiled may be gathered into the Church triumphant, the Kingdom of glory.  
2. There shall be no labour that is called the rest that remains for the people of God. Earth was their place of labour and there was nothing else: though some be so strong that they live to fourscore years, yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow, labour and labour, labour upon labour, labour for the body, and labour for the Soul, but blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, even so saith the spirit that they rest from their labours. Heaven is their resting place, and there shall be nothing but rest, rest upon rest, rest from their body labours, and rest from their soul-labour only, they shall be restless in the praises of their God, but that restlessness is the best part of heaven's rest, they shall not cease in ascribing praise and glory and honour and power and dominion and thanksgiving unto him that sits upon the throne, & to the Lamb for ever and ever.  
3. There shall be no sufferings; as they shall cease from their labours, and all sweat shall be wiped from their brows, so they shall rest from their sufferings, and all tears shall be wiped from their eyes: there shall be nothing of want and weakness there, no corruption, nothing of infirm nature, that which was sown in dishonour, corruption, weakness, nature, shall be raised in honour, incorruption, power, and spirit 1. Cor. 15.42, 43, 44.   

2 Positively.  
1. There shall be fullness of joy, joy not capable of addition or augmentation, Christ told his disciples that their joy should be full. john 15.11.  
2. There shall be pleasures for evermore, not only joy uncapable of augmentation, but pleasures uncapable of diminution, and therefore our Saviour in the same breath that he told them their joy should be full, he also promised them that their joy should no man take from them, John. 16.22. All that the World could present them with, were but shells without kernels, a few mock-consolations, which brought them much labour in getting, more care in keeping, and most sorrow in losing, such things as they could not enjoy themselves with them: In a word they were empty and transitory, but the joys of Heaven are commended to us by 2 most lovely and contrary qualities. two They are full as opposite to the World's emptiness. 2. They are lasting, everlasting, and so opposed to the World's transitoriness.  
3. God's saved-ones shall not only enjoy a Kingdom of prepared pleasures, but they shall enjoy God with them: that they shall enjoy a Kingdom of prepared pleasures, read Mat. 25.34. Come ye blessed children of my father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you, must not that be the confluence of all Beatitudes which hath taken up the love, and wisdom of God in preparing them? And that they shall enjoy God with them read, 1 Thes. 4.17. so shall we be for ever with the Lord, the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Phil. 1.23. It's the misery of unbelievers upon earth that they are without Christ and without God in the World, Eph. 2.12. but it shall be the imcomparable happiness of believers in Heaven, that they shall be gathered to Christ and to God their father, who sit as cheise in that blessed Parliament, that triumphant panegyrical Assembly, Hebr. 12.22. Ye are come unto mount Zion, and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general assembly and church of the first borne which are written in Heaven. and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, & to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel, and thus you have the ad hoc laid before you.  
3 Per hoc. 3 Reason. It saves us by great means, It doth not only save from great evils, as you heard in the 1 Reason, and procure great benefits as is cleared in the 2 Reason, but it doth all by great means, as is now to be made good, and therefore in all these respects it may well pass for great Salvation.  
Now the means which bring about this great Salvation shall be referred to two heads.  

1 To God.  
2 To those things that he useth as instruments to this saving work.   
1. Those that refer to God may be divided into 3 ranks, as the Godhead is distinguished into 3 persons; for as the faciamus hominem Gen. 1.26. noted that the whole Godhead was taken up in man's creation, so was the whole Godhead employed about this great Salvation: conceive it thus.  

1. The wisdom and love of God the Father.  
2. The sufferings and Righteousness of God the Son.  
3. The revelation and application of God the Holy Ghost.   
1 To begin with the Father. No wisdom but his could have found out a way, and no love but his could have contrived such a way.  
1 No wisdom but his could have found out a way, God at the first created man after his own likeness, in righteousness and perfect holiness, placed him in Paradise, the glory of the World, gave him a perfect Law, that by doing it he might live, gave him serenity of knowledge to understand his will, and readiness of will to do it: In brief he had a posse non mori, though he were left mutable, yet no necessity o●●alling was laid upon him, he was left to his own freedom, either to stand o● fall, 〈◊〉 to good is now but a dream, but than it was a privilege, had it been improved rightly▪ But ●●am by transgression falling, and being a 〈◊〉 person, and the world's representative, drew all mankind with him. And all 〈…〉, being under the curse of that Co 〈…〉 to the everlasting desertion of the World's Creator, the matter of Salvation was utterly at a loss, Man could not save himself, neither could Angels help him, so that as to men and Angels that work must be let alone for ever.  
Now in this desperate and hopeless state, it pleased the Eternal Wisdom to find out an expedient, and the offended Creator provided a Redeemer, whereas he had but one Son▪ his only begotten, and only beloved, that thought it no robbery to be equal with himself, he must be sent out of his own bosom, and the Eternal word must be made flesh, that being God and man in unity of person, he might undergo the wrath of God for man, and might reconcile God to man, and man to God. This was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle speaks of 1. Tim. 3.16. Great is the mystery of godliness, etc. This might well be the astonishment of men and Angels, the Angels being left remediless without hope of a Redeemer, that for us men and for our Salvation, the Son of God should be incarnate and made man, 〈◊〉 altitudo! o profunditas! oh the unsearchableness of God's wisdom! This was the fullness of love, that was manifested in the fullness of time, This is the mystery that the Angels desire to pry into 1 Pet. 1.12. Which was tipified by the Cherubims placed upon the mercy-seat, looking down into the Propitiatory, and in regard the foundation of man's Salvation was laid in such great, and deep wisdom, it may be rightly called great Salvation.  
2 And Gods love in this, was no less wonderful than his wisdom, and the mercy of Redemption, may well be said to equal, if not exceed the power of creation, The Apostle offers at an expression of this love when he saith, Deus sic delexit etc. God so loved the World john. 3.16. But it was so that the tongne of man is not able to express, nor the heart of man able to conceive; It overrunns all the degrees of Comparison, and hath no parallel; for a Man to give a Son to die to save a friend, were a favour to be admired, but for God to give his only Son, to save his enemies, for him to become man, a servant, a scorn of men, and the outcast of the people, that we who deserved to be reprobated, and outcasts, and castaways, might receive the adoption of Sons, this infinitely over reacheth the top of any created understanding: well might the Apostle say God is love, 1 john 4.16. For had not the great God been so turned into the very abstract of love, that all his ways had been mercy, the Son of God had never become man upon such an account, well doth he deserve to be styled Pater misericordiarum, & deus omnium consolationum 2 Cor. 1.3. And this great love, being twined with such great wisdom in God the Father, in order to our Salvation, may well denominate it great Salvation.  
2 Come we in the second place to the second person God the Son, and let us see what he did contribute towards this great Salvation: and the sum total of his account may be cast up in.  

1. His active. Obedience.  
2. His passive. Obedience.   
1 He did all that man should have done in his active obedience; and therefore was his name called the Lord our RIGHTEOUSNESS Jer. 33.16. Capital Letters to note out the greatness of this Salvation. The Apostle saith more 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, which is but a paraphrase upon his threefold office.  
1 He is our wisdom in his prophetical office.  
2. He is our Righteousness & sanctification in his priestly.  
3. He is our Redemption in his Kingly office.  
He lived a most righteous and holy life, and there was no guile found in him, he carried himself as a most innocent and harmless Lamb, in the midst of a crooked, and perverse generation.  
2. He suffered all that man should have suffered in his passive obedience, herefore the Apostle saith Gal. 4.4. That he was made under the law.  

1. By fullfilling the righteousness of the law.  
2. By undergoing the curse of the law.   
After he had like a man of sorrows run through a dolorous, and miserable life, he did undergo a most shameful and cursed death. Phil. 2.8. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross, which prompted the Apostle Peter to say 1 Pet. 1.18. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemlish, and without spot, now if we look back upon the great righteousness, and sufferings of God the Son, which were ingredient into our Salvation, we need not doubt to call it great Salvation.  
3 In the third place we come to the third person, and to show what proceeds from that person (that proceeds from the Father and the Son) towards this great Salvation, and that is,  
1 The Revelation of the spirit, It is the spirit of God that hath brought Salvation to light through the Gospel.  
The word is but the letter, the spirit is the inditer and penman of it, all Scripture being given by divine inspiration 2. Tim. 3.16. And therefore as it is called the sword of the spirit, so it may be called the word of the spirit. It's true that men were the penmen of Scripture, or rather the penns in the hand of a ready writer, as the Apostle said he was God's pen to write God's Epistle in the fleshly tables of the hearts of the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 3.2, 3. And therefore it's said that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, but holy men of God wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2. Pet. 1.21. And in the beginning of this Epistle to the Hebrews. The writer of it saith, God at sundry times, and in divers manners spoke to our fathers by his servants the prophets, etc. but especially take notice of the verse that follows my text. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that hear him? God also bearing them witness both with signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will: it was the Holy Ghost that sealed up the truth of the Gospel by divers miracles.  
The Apostle therefore calleth the spirit the great Teacher. 1 joh. 2.27. Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things, 1. joh. 2.27. And the spirit is said to reveal that in the word to the spiritual man, which the word without the spirit cannot make the natural man to understand, 1 Cor, 2.9, 10. Eye hath not seen, nor care heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit, for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God, And the Apostle prays that God would come in with the spirit of wisdom upon the word of wisdom, and with the spirit of revelation upon the word of revelation, to his Ephesians; Eph. 1, 17.  
2 The Application of the spirit. As this Salvation is from the spirits revelation, so hath it its efficacy from the spirits application. It's the spirit that must bring our hearts to the word, as well as the word to our hearts, that must speak us through, and say to our blind eyes, deaf ears, and dead hearts be opened, see, and hear, and understand, and be converted, and he healed, It's the spirit that must persuade us to receive, entertain, and embrace Christ, that must say to our understandings, and wills, and hearts, lift up your heads O ye gates, and be ye opened ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter in, when the dead letter of the word, and a dead heart meet, there can be but dead work, till the spirit of life, that free wind that blows where it lists, do blow through that word upon the Soul, that spirit that indicted the word can make it the savour of life, and that spirit that form the heart, and searcheth the heart, can say unto dead hearts live. In this respect it is that we are said to be drawn to Christ john. 6.44. and to be made believers by the exceeding greatness of his power, and according to the working of his mighty power, Eph. 1.19. Now in that the Gospel needed so glorious a revelation and so powerful an application, and both by the spirit, our Salvation wrought by it must be confessed to be great Salvation.  
3. Next we come to things in subordination, that do subserve under God in Trinity, towards this great Salvation, and here I might enter upon a large field of matter, but for brevites sake, I shall only point out the hid treasures, that so knowing where they lie, you may dig after them.  
And the things whose instrumentality, the great God of our Salvation uses, towards the effecting of this great Salvation, may be laid before us in two pairs.  

1. The First pair is 

1. graces.  
2. duties.    
2. The Second pair is. 

1. ordinances.  
2. providences.     
I thus join them together, because God joineth them together.  
1. Grace, and duty: grace being the principle of duty, and duty being but the acting of grace.  
2. Ordinances, and providences, which usually go hand in hand, for our conversion, aedification, and Salvation.  
1. We begin with grace: The word saith Titus. 2.12. The grace of God which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live holily, justly, and soberly in this present World: where the Apostle teacheth us that it is grace that makes us to abound in duty, and therefore to that end that we may abound in the work of the Lord, which the Apostle presses, 1. Cor. 15. ult, we are taught by the Apostle Peter, to abound in grace, 2. Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8. giving all diligence add unto your faith etc. and then it follows, If these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Note the graces of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, must not only be in us, but they must abound in us, in order to this great Salvation. And the fruits of the spirit, that the heirs of Salvation must endeavour to abound in, are laid down in another cluster Gal. 5.22, 23. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, these, and all the rest of the train of heavenly graces do accompany Salvation, and it must needs be great Salvation that is so greatly graced,  
2. Duty is the next, wherein (as you heard before) they must no less abound, than they must in grace. The Apostles exhortation is 1. Cor. 15. ult. My brothers be ye steadfast, and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. And it was not only his precept but his practice to, he did not like the Scribes and Pharises bind heavy burdens to lay upon others shoulders, but he taught them by his own example to bear them too: Phil. 3.13, 14. This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto the things that are before I press towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, whereupon one of the Fathers called him insatiabilis dei cultor, an unsatisfied, greedy worshipper of the Lord Jesus. God's workmen should be the best, and good workmen can never want work, did not our God lay enough upon them, in the duties of holiness, righteousness, and sobriety, which is the Epitome of the moral Law. Did not Christ lay enough upon them in charging them to keep his Commandemeuts out of love, and that their faith work by love, which is the Epitome both of Law and Gospel. Their own deceitful hearts will find them enough, The alluring world, the enticing flesh, and suggesting devil will afford them but a little breathing, redit labor actus in Orbem, their work is never at an end, till death give them a quietus est blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, even so saith the Spirit, that they rest from their labours. Rev. 14.13. What betwixt reading, and hearing, and studying, and meditating, and praying, and mourning, and searching and watching, and praising and all those laborious and painful duties that are of absolute necessity in order to the attainment of this great Salvation, it is plentifully attested to be great Salvation.  
3. Next for Ordinances, what tendency have all these, but the furtherance of this Salvation? The word that Converting, and edifying ordinance is it not the word of life and Salvation: May I not say unto you. Men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this Salvation sent, Is not the gospel our Law of life, and the law our rule of life, leading to this Salvation? doth not Evangelicall grace fit us for legal duty? Consult that Scripture Tit. 2.12. and you shall find it so. And for the sealing ordinances of Baptism and the Supper, their tendency can be no other, but as seals to a deed to the sure-making of this Salvation The Ministry we may say of it as the word doth of the Sabbath, that it was made for man, and therefore it's reckoned to the Church's charter. 1 Cor. 3.22. All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephus etc. And the Apostle to the Ephes. speaking of the extraordinary Ministry of Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, and the ordinary of pastors, & teachers, tells us that it was for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4.12, 13. Wherefore hath God given us his Sabbath, but that we should make it our delight, if Salvation be our delight? wherefore hath he appointed the ordinance of prayer as a Catholicon, as universal food, and Physic for our Souls, as necessary as our daily bread, and daily pardon, as the fourth and fift Petition of the Lords prayer note; yea, the very discipline of the Church, Christian reprooses, and rebukes, and excommunication itself aims at the reformation of the unruly, & at the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.  
4. Lastly for Providences, how strangely doth God work for the heirs of Salvation, though the word be the ordinary means for the conversion of a sinner, yet how ordinarily is some afflictive providence singled out to set it home, to wean unbelevers and such as stick at a half conversion, like a child in the birth, and to make them more than almost Christians, when souls do hang in aequilibrio, and do as it were halt betwixt God and the world, or flesh, it's usually some pinching affliction that turns the scales, and causes the sinner to turn his heart, and feet unto God's testimonies: Those that keep Catalogues of providences, can draw out choice of experiences out of their full quivers: They can tell you with David who delivered them out of the paw of the Lion and Bear. 1 Sam. 17.37. and can with Paul record unto God's glory, he hath delivered, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will also yet deliver. 2 Cor. 2.10. Cannot God's people tell you when they were dead and he put life into them, as the prodigals Father said of his Son, so can they say of their souls, this my soul was dead and is alive again, he was lost, and is found, Cannot they tell when they were asleep and he awaked them, when they were in deeps and he succoured them, when they were rushing upon sin like a horse into the battle, and he withheld them, as he did David from hurting Nabal, by the providence of Abigal, yea, they can record thankfully the very ordinances, and providences wherein God appeared to them It, were endless to enumerate all, let experient Christians supply the rest out of their own store, while weaker Christians do make use of those weak helps to further their understandings in comprehending this truth. And now being come to the uttermost of their reason, let us look back and gather up the several branches into one bundle, which we need not doubt to call the bundle of life, in which all saved souls are bound up.  
1 The wisdom, and love of God the Father, who is the God of our Salvation.  
2 The sufferings, and righteousness of God the Son, who is the Author, and finisher of our Salvation.  
3 The revelation, and application of the spirit, who is the furtherer of our Salvation.  
4 Graces, and duties, which bear the name of saving graces, and saving duties.  
5 Ordinances and Providences, which are all things that do accompany Salvation.  
And none of these can be left out, but our Salvation will miscarry, they are all of absolute necessity, and for all these, gospel Salvation must be confessed to be great Salvation, and a mighty engine, that is carried with so many, and mighty wheels.   

1 USE  
Shall be of Consideration, wherein I shall commend unto your serious consideration this Salvation, with its dimensions, as great, and so great Salvation; so that you are to hear, 

1 What it is.  
2 How great it is.    
What it is, take in this short account, which contains the substance of all that goes before, It's the dear purchase of our Sovereign Lord Redeemer freely bestowed upon Gods elect, whereby they are by a strong hand, and mighty means, freed from sin, and eternal misery, and advanced to grace, and everlasting happiness. You may read a breviary of it john. 3.16. God so loved the World, that he gave his only bogotten Son, that whosoever beleiveth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. It's this Salvation that denominates the Gospel to be glad tidings, for can there be gladder tidings than life from the dead, then eternal life from eternal death? judge how sweet a pardon would be to a condemned malefactor, when he were at the place of execution, and there you have a shadow of it.  
2 But how great it is, I cannot tell you, this I can tell you, that it is so great that words cannot reach it, neither can our dull intellects comprehend it: we read that the love that saves us, hath the largest dimensions of length, and breadth, and height, and depth, Eph. 3.18, 19 But in the same breath we also read that it passeth knowledge, and to be filled with it is to be filled with the fullness of God: This Salvation must have the same dimensions, and they must be as exactly fitted to each other as the ark and mercy-seat, you have already heard of the depth of it, in the evils that it saves us from, which are as deep as the nethermost hell; You have also heard of the height of it, in the happiness that it advances unto, which is a happiness as high as the third Heaven. The breadth of it you have also measured unto you, in the fullness of excellent means that conduce to the accomplishment of it. The length of it remains only to be supplied, and the Scripture is so full of that, that you may even run and read it, that this great Salvation hath no shorter date for its durance, than Eternity, those that are saved are saved for ever and ever.  
Or to help ourselves herein by speaking after the manner of men.  
1 Men set great esteem by that which is the gift of some great friend, and such is this Salvation that we are speaking of, we are not saved by our merit, it is the gift of God; The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 6. ult. Fear not little flock, saith the purchaser of this great salvation, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, Luke 12.32. Yea salvation and Saviour and all are the gift of God the Father, Unto us a Son is given, Isai 9.6. And God so loved the world that he gave his only bogotten. Son, etc. Joh. 3.16.  
2 Men count that great, that hath been purchased at a dear rate, and such is this Salvation, less than the precious blood of Christ could never have purchased it, we were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold and silver, etc. 1 Pet. 1.18.  
3 Men count that great that is hardly gained, and such is this great Salvation. The righteous are scarcely saved (i. e.) At a hard hand, and with much ado 1 Pet. 4.18. And we are commanded to strive to enter in at the straight gate, Luke. 13.24. And to offer violence to the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 11, 12. And to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.5.  
4 Men count him great that hath a great retinue, that is a great king, that hath amultitude of subjects, & if we do but look back and recount the multitude of evils that we are saved from, and the riches of grace, and glory that we are advanced to, and the multitude of excellent means by which both are brought to pass, Salvation may also pass for great upon that account   

2 USE  
Shall be a Proclamation to all that are willing to come in and challenge their part in this great Salvation, Christ hath made a full purchase of it, and he is a mighty Saviour, able to save to the uttermost all that do come unto the Father by him. God is a free bestower of it, he expects not that we should bring any thing with us, but a sense of our own blindness, nakedness, nothingness, a sense of our own want of this great Salvation. He is no respecter of persons, he accepts none for his goodness, nor excludes any for his badness, provided that they will come in, and accept of it upon the terms it is offered: observe and study those sweetest invitations, one in the old Testament, the other in the new. Isay. 55.1, 2. Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; Come ye, buy & eate, yea, come buy wine and milk without money, and without price; wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not, harken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good, & let your soul delight itself in fatness. Revel. 22.17. The spirit & the bride say come, & let him that heareth say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. O who can but admire at these gracious words, if we do but also take into consideration those moving expostulations, which we find in the word. As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O house of Israel, Ezek. 18.31. How often would &. Mat. 32.37. My very text hath the force of a most vehement expostulation, how shall we escape etc. how shall we answer it to God, that we thus slight his mercy, and undervalue his Son, and destroy our own Souls and refuse our own mercies O let not any be guilty of such bedlam madness, to exclude themselves, when God excludes them not, when God throws open his door of mercy to all comers, what reason have poor, lost, undone sinners to bar it against themselves. I may write a Noverint universi upon this Proclamation, Be it known unto all the World, that this Salvation, as great as it is (and it is greater than words or thoughts can reach unto) yea and the great Saviour to boot, with all their riches, are freely offered unto us poor, wretched, worthless worms, upon no other, or higher condition than our thankful, willing acceptation of them, john. 1.12. As many as received him, to them gave he power (i.e.) privilege to become the Sons of God, even to them which believe on his name. Oh that our everlasting doors might now fly open to give entertainment to this King of glory! Oh that our understandings, and wills could now close with the truth, and goodness of this great Salvation, that we may with one accord take up that saying of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a true and faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.   

THIRD USE  
3 Use Serves to reprove the madness of the neglecters, or refusers of this great Salvation; since it is so great salvation, and offered on such easy terms, surely the folly and madness of such as are regardless of it is exceeding great, and this is the more aggravated, and made out of measure sinful, by taking into consideration, what toys and trifles are prized, and set by, while salvation is neglected; the Devil, World, and the Flesh shall be served, while Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are basely neglected, men's profits, pleasures, and honours, the perishing vanities of a transitory world shall be sought after with uttermost diligence, while more durable profits, and lasting pleasures, and everlasting honours are made no account of.  
The body, and lust, and sin shall be satisfied, when the soul, and grace, and glory, are laid aside as not worth the minding, we are ready to condemn Adam of monstrous madness, that would looss Paradise for an apple, and to cry out upon Esau as the fool of all fools, that would exchange his birthright for a mess of pottage, and the very name of Judas the traitor in grain stinks like rotteness, that would sell his master for thirty pence; but surely the World is full of such fools, and madmen, and monsters. Those that will please their appetite with Adam, though they lose an Heavenly Paradise for so doing. Those that will satisfy their craving flesh with Esau, though they lose the glorious I berty of God's Sons, and forfeit all the privileges of the new birthright. Those that will have Balaams wages, the wages of iniquity with curied Judas, though they lose Soul, and Saviour, and Salvation and all: If we do but look abroad in the World, and take a view of the lives and behaviour of men and women; old and young, high and low, rich and poor, one with another; We shall see that the multitude is like that heard of Swine, possessed of the Legion, running headlong to their own damnation, Ambition carries away thousands, voluptuousness ten thousands, worldly-mindedness hundreds of thousands, so that Millions are visibly in a perishing condition, wickedness recting the wicked man to his teeth 〈◊〉 as Daved saith) that there is no fear of God before his eyes, and the abounding of iniquity makes proclamation, that notwithstanding such great Salvation be brought to light, yet there are but few that shall be saved; Hell hath enlarged herself without measure, and all the pomp, and all multitude of secure, and careless, and senseless sinners shall fall into it. This, oh this is the condemnation that is come into the world, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light, that a Saviour is come into the world, and men will not come unto this Saviour, that there should be a proclamation of so great Salvation, and men will not leave their sins, and close with God through Christ that they may be saved, yet let us take a further survey, for as yet we have but stirred in the stink of common sinners, those that give up themselves to serve the Devil by a sensual serving the flesh, and worldly mindedness, these do turn their backs upon God, and do in their actions profess against the dominion of Christ, that they will not have him ●o reign over them; let us look towards them, that seem to look towards Heaven, and observe diligently what we can find there.  
1 Are not many of them merely civilised, and no more, though they will not wallow like Swine in the mire, yet they are not careful to keep clean their garments, nor to keep themselves unspotted from the world, though they will not tear God's Name by Ruffianlike oaths, yet they will pawae their faith and troth for small matters.  
2 Some that advance higher than mere Civility, yet make a stand at formality, and take up with a form of Godliness short of the power of it, knowledge, and grace they would have, and duty they will do, but it is but some knowledge, and some grace, and some duty, that its an easy conclusion that they desire it rather to save their credit than their Souls, that they may be in esteem with men, rather than in favour with God, but our Saviour hath said enough to dash all this, Matt. 5.20. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes who had but a form of knowledge and Pharises (who had but a form of Godliness) ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and Luke 8.18. From him thah hath not, from him shall be taken away, even all that he seemeth to have  
3 Many do stick in half coversions like a child in the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth, like that man in the Gospel that started aside like a broken bow at a forsake all, and chose rather to forsake Christ, then to forgo his wealth. Herod heard John Baptist gladly in many things, but would not part with his Herodias, and all such as these are but like Agrippa almost persuaded to become Christians; but if they come not up to Paul's measure, altogether such as he, true Israelites indeed, such in whom there is no guile, they are but Godless, and Christless, and Spiritless, and graceless Souls, and will be reckoned in the number of the neglecters of this great Salvation.  
How should the servants of the Lord, that have his spirit dwelling in their hearts, and have the fear of the Lord before their eyes, knowing the terror of the Lord, against all such as are out of Christ, and out of Covenant, how should they pity these poor Souls, and entreat, and beseech them to pity their own Souls, and to come in, and be reconciled to God, and to be willing to embrace the things that belong to their Salvation before they shall he hidden from their eyes. And if they continue refusers still, how should we ply the throne of grace with our earnest entreaties, that God would forgive them who know not what they do, that he would take away their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh.  
That he would deliver them up unto Satan for their Salvation, not for their damnations, I mean that he would cast them into an Hell of conscience, and plead with them there, and cause them to see, and feel themselves to be the vessels of sin, and bondslaves of Satan, that they may spend the remainder of their few and evil days in mourning, that their flesh, and body of sin may be destryed, and their Spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord.  
And to help forward this work, if God will, before I pass from this use afford your attention, while I expostulate the case with stubborn sinners on their Souls behalf, that they may be snatched as brands out of the fire, and pulled out of the paw of the Lion rampant that seeks to devour them, if they be not such deaf Adders as refuse to hear the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely.  
I will not ask them whether grace and glory be of no reckoning with them, which Salvation doth advance unto, as you have heard in the second reason. I will not ask them if the wisdom and love of God the Father, the sufferings and righteousness of God the Son, the grace and communion of the spirit be of no account, If graces, and duties, ordinances and providences are nothing set by, it's a common thing with those whose eyes the God of this World hath blinded, and with such as are wedded to world, and enslaved to the flesh to overlook all these as if they were not worth the looking after.  
But can they dwell with the devouring fire, or can they endure everlasting burn? Can the conflict with the wrath of God, which is a devouring fire burning to the bottom of Hell? dare they provoke the Lord to jealousy, oh foolish people and unwise? Ah 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the sin revenging hands of the living God. Can they undergo the curse of that fiery Law that was given with thunder, and lightning, and the sound of the trumpet, or endure the appearing of the Lord Jesus when he shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, and in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power? Can they grapple with the strong man armed without a stronger than he to their second? How will they withstand their sins when they shall be gathered together in a general muster, and set in battle arey in a most formidable army, and armed with the teeth of Dragons, and stings of Scorpions, to kill their Bodies and Souls in Hell, When the numberless number of their notorious provocations shall break in furiously like a Sea of Billows, to drive away the wicked in his wickedness, and another sea of wrath shall be tumbling in after it: When evils unrepented of, like a kennel of Hellhounds, shall hunt the wicked persons to destruction, When God shall be so severe to observe every thing that is done amiss, and shall set in order before us the things that we have done, how shall we then answer to one of a Thousand? Can you give battle to the King of fears, or secure yourselves from a heart-quake when death hangs out his black colours and gives you an alarm? will not your hearts then die like a stone, or fall asunder in your breasts like drops or water when your consciences are clamorous, and speak bitter things against you, will not Belshazzers palsy seize upon your joints? and when you think of that judgement that follows death, that fire and brimstone which is the second death, will not this make you with Foelix to quake and tremple? Oh do but forethink with yourselves that you shall be as unable to stand in the day of the Lords wrath as chaff to stand before a whirlwind or stubble before a consuming fire. O consider this you that forget God lest ye be torn in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.   

4 USE  
Is of Consolation to all such as have cordially closed with this great Salvation; As the refusers of it deserve to be stigmatised for notorious fools, for so wise Solomon declaims against them, Prov. 1.22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? So such as thankfully accept, and embrace this great Salvation, deserve the reputation of the wisest of men; no fool to the wilful sinner, and no wisdom comparable to that that makes wise unto Salvation. How was Timothy renowned, and his fame rings as far as the Gospel is preached for searching the scripture, which were able to make him wise unto Salvation. 2 Tim 3.15. To be wise unto Salvation is to be wise indeed, all wisdom that comes short of this leaves the possessors of it short of the beginning of wisdom; To be wise for the world, and wise after the flesh is in God's esteem to be but fools, and rather a bar to keep men out of Heaven, than a door to let them in, and therefore our first lesson is selfe-deniall, which consists in a denial of our wits, as well as a denial of our wills, and of our worth, which the Apostle hints when he saith, If any man will be wise, let him become a fool that he may be wise.  
As the wisdom of God is foolishesness with the world, and God saves men by the foolishness of preaching. 1 Cor. 1.21. So the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rom. 8.7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity with God. To be wise to do wickedly is the most foolish of all wisdom, are not they without understanding that work wickedness? Ps. 14.4. This wisdom is not from above, but carnal, sensual, and devilish. To be wise according to art in Physics, Ethics, Politics, Economics, etc. and to want the wisdom from above which Gods word and spirit do teach, is but umbra sapientiae the shadow of wisdom, and can make men no better than learned fools, all amounting to no more than erudita ignorantia, a finer sort of ignorance, but to be wise for God, for Heaven, for our Souls, for Salvation, this is to be wise indeed: A true Israelite indeed, a true Christian indeed, and true wisdom indeed, are much worth, when such as are so in show, are but like cyphers in Arithmetic, join as many together as will fill a volume, and they will signify nothing. O consider that when you have laid out your money for that that is not bread, and have spent time and strength for that which cannot profit, you will be the first that shall befool yourselves, as soon as God shall anoint your eyes with eye salve from above, than you will say with David, so foolish was I and ignorant, even as a very bruit before thee, Psal. 73.22. And my wounds stink and are corrupt through my foolishness, Psal. 38.5. Yea, the time is coming when those that thought the children of God to be fools, because they set their hearts upon a wisdom that was above the world, shall condemn their own wretched folly, and magnify the others wisdom, as Wisd. 5.4, 5. We fools thought his life madness, and his end without honour, how is he counted among the Children of God, and his portion is among the Saints?  
To draw towards a conclusion of this use, they shall not only gain the reputation of wisdom, but as Solomon (when he desired an understanding and religions heart in the first place) had riches and honour given in ex abundanti, as more than measure, so shall these. And therefore they are called heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1.14. a title next in dignity and riches unto his who is called in the second verse of that chapter the heir of all things: All God's Sons, are heirs, and fellow-heyres with Jesus Christ, Rom 8.17. and being received into the glorious liberty of God's adopted Sons, by their union with Christ, they communicate in all the privileges of Justification, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification and glory. They have a right to all the privileges of the Sons of God. The love of the Father, the grace of the Son, The Communion of the holy Spirit, The protection of the Trinity, The guardianship of Angels, The comforts of an appeased conscience, The comfortable enjoyment of the things of this life, and the believing expectation of the good things of the life to come. We look upon him as honourably, and richly provided for that is a King's Son, and heir to his Father's Crown, but all God's Children are heirs to two Kingdoms, all the glory, and riches of the Kingdom of grace and glory, Such honour, and riches, have all his Saints. And that which is the completory of their consolation, and makes their joy full, yea, shaken together, and pressed down, and running over, with all these gifts they shall receive the giver, which is more than all, and they may rejoice more in the God of their Salvation, than in their Salvation itself, yea there is such a plenitude in God that he is not only All in all, but he is all in the absence of all things else. When David was in one of the greatest of his temporal deeps, the people ready to stone him at Ziklag, yet the Text saith, he comforted himself in his God. 1 Sam. 30.6. And we cannot suppose a man can fall into greater straits than the prophet mentions Hab. 3.17, 18. When the figtree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the vines, the labour of the Olive to fail, and the fields to yield no meat, the flocks to be cut off from the foiled, and no herd to be left in the stalls, and yet the Prophet resolves in such a straight, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation. As it is the presence of the Sun that makes day, so it is the presence of God, and Christ that makes Heaven, To be with Christ was that that made Paul desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.23. And our being for ever with the Lord, was that consideration with which he comforts believers, and bids them to comfort one another with it 1. Thes. 4.17, 18. In a word David that holy man, that man after Gods own heart, desired no more to cure him of all diseases here, but the light of Gods pleased countenance, show me the light of thy pleased countenance, and I shall be whole: And nothing but God's presence to make him happy for ever hereafter. In his presence is the fullness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore. No consolation like theirs who have closed savingly with the covenant of their God, whom he hath chosen to himself, and made heirs of this great Salvation.   

FIFT USE.  
5 Use. The last use shall be of exhortation: Is it so great Salvation, as the first use of consideration speaks it to be? Is it offered to all upon the easy condition of receiving it, as the second use of proclamation affirms? Are they fools and madmen that set light by it, as the third use of reproof manifests? Are they wise, and honourable, and rich that close with it as the forth use of consolation declares? Then we shall close up all which a fifth use of exhortation unto all to whom the word of this Salvation is sent, to embrace both it, and the embassadors that come to them to proclaim it: Oh how beautiful should the feet of those be that bring unto you the glad tidings of Salvation? And if their feet should be beautiful, how amiable should their saces be? How should you entertain and welcome them like the very Angels of God, for their angelical, evangelical employment? how should they be had in double honour for their work, and employment sake? And if the Messenger should be so grateful, how much more the message? Do men inquire so diligently after good news, and joyful tidings, as if the Athenian itch were in their ears, and will they not entertain the Gospel of their Salvation, the most joyful tidings that ever came into the world? what an oversight would this be? that things of low concernment, such as belong to our bodies, names, estates, lives, to take up so much of our precious time, and the most momentous matters of grace and glory, of our Souls, and our Salvation to be no more thought upon than our dying day (as the careless multitude do inconsiderately express themselves) Oh be exhorted (what ever else is neglected) to make sure with your Salvation, to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. To seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, Mat. 6.33. What Solomon saith of getting of wisdom, I may say of getting Salvation. How much better is it to get wisdom then gold, anb happy is the man that findeth wisdom, for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold; she is more precious than rubies, & the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her; length of days are in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour; her ways are ways of pleasantnese, and all her paths are peace, she is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her, Prov. 3. from 13. to 19, and how applicable is all this unto that great salvation that we have been speaking of? Therefore above all get, get salvation, which comprehends wisdom, honour, riches, safety & all together! oh who would load themselves with thick clay, or set their hearts upon those toys and trifles, that are called Crowns and Kingdoms, that hath such true treasure as this to trade and traffic for. If we must be coveting, let us covet the best things, and remember that we are here shown a most excellent way. This will prove a purchase that will more than recompense all the care and cost that can be laid out upon it; and this is that that will so aggravate the folly of refusers, because it will cost no more than our cordial accepting, and embracing. The Jews might have had Christ for the taking, and would not, he came to his own and his own received him not, but to as many as received him, to them he gave privilege to become the Sons of God. john. 1.11, 22. O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I, and ye would not? Mat. 23.37. When the Prophet directed Naaman to wash in Jordan to be cured of his leprosy, and he was angry because he expected a quicker dispatch, and some easier cure, his servants bespeak him thus, My Father, If the Prophet had commanded thee some great matter, wouldst thou not have done it, how much rather when he saith but wash and be clean? So may I say in the case in hand, If God should Command us some great and difficult matter for the cure of our Leprosy of sin, and for the attaining of this great Salvation, should we not do it; If he should command us to give our first borne for our transgression, the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls. If he did require of us such costly sacrifices as thousands of Rams, or ten thousands of rivers of Oil, we might the more excusably draw back at such difficulties, and impossibilities: But when it is no more but believe and live, accept of Christ, and be saved, surely when this comes to be pleaded, all such as are Christless, and faithless, will be also speechless, they will not have one word to say for themselves, why the sentence of damnation should not take hold upon them, who have been such wilful refusers of that great Salvation, that was offered to them upon such easy terms. O work out your Salvation while it is called to day, the night is approaching in which none can work. Whatsoever is commanded you do it with your might, for there is no knowledge, nor wisdom, nor invention in the grave whither you are going: Perhaps your pains, that you must take for it, must be great, and your sufferings that you must pass through may be great to; but remember that it hath been declared, and proved to be great Salvation, which is to be your recompense, and such as will more than recompense you for all that you can do or suffer for it. As to the recompense of our doing, the Apostle speaks modestly, in speaking but negatively. 1 Cor. 15. ult. Be ye always abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; But when he speaks of the recompense of our sufferings, a double superlative is little enough. 2. Cor. 4.17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory: observe but the elegancy of the Apostles Antithesis in speaking diminutively of the sufferings, and loftily of the glory which he opposes to them.  
The one he calls. 

1. Afflictions.  
2. Light afflictions.  
3. Light afflictions for a moment.    
The other he calls. 

1. Glory.  
2. A weight of glory.  
3. A weight of glory for eternity.    
Compare 

1. Glory with afflictions.  
2. A weight of glory, with light afflictions.  
3. A weight of glory for eternity, with light afflictions for a moment.    
The one will be ponderous beyond our imagination, the other will seem lighter than vanity itself, well might the Apostle say, count that the afflictions of this present world are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8.18. Upon which an expositor of note, excellently enlarges, and saith, non sunt condigni labores, nec condignae passiones ad peccatumpraeteritum quod remittitur, ad praesentis vitae gratiam quae immittitur, ad futurae vitae gloriam quae promittitur. All that we can do or suffer is nothing compared to the sin past which is remitted, to the present grace which is bestowed, nor to the future glory which is promised. This was a mean thing that the Author of this Epistle amied at to encourage the Hebrews to suffer the spoiling of their goods joyfully, and to take in good part all that might befall them, and not to be offended at the Cross, because this great Salvation would make them not only saviours, but imcomparable gainers, I shall shut up this point with the same consideration; O let us work and watch, and strive, and walk circumspecctly, let us pray and pray, and give all diligence and offer violence, and be abundant in doing, and suffering, for let us assure ourselves whatever men think of this Salvation now in that great day when the Lord Christ shall be made terrible to the refusers of it, and glorious in them that believe, the most unbeleiving will be more than throughly convinced that the Salvation offered in the Gospel is,  
GREAT SALVATION.    

THE SECOND DOCTRINE, Setting light by this great Salvation is great Sin.  
THough we shall easily confess all sins to be great, yea, the least to be objectively infinite, because committed against an infinite God, as we see David swallowed up of this deep, Psal. 51.4. against Thee, Thee have I sinned, etc. And we shall as easily confess that no sins are venial in the sense of Rome, the Apostle Paul having declared, that the wages of all sin is death, Rom. 6.23. yet we cannot with the stoics think all sins to be equal, but more or less sinful as they are circumstantiated; that very expression of the sinfulness of sin, had otherwise been a paradox, which we find used in Scripture, and in many of the writings of the learned, and orthodox, both modern and ancient, and the Prophet had been guilty of an impropriety of speech, in mentioning scarlet and crimson sins, if some had not been of a deeper guilt than others, and their sinfulness like those colours died in grain. Now that this sin of gospel-refusing, or setting light by this great Salvation, is a sin with an high hand, and a hard heart, and a sin of that aggravated nature, as to be out of measure sinful, is the point that is first to be illustrated, and then to be proved by evidence and strength of reasons.  
First for illustration thus, The Scripture thunders out a most dreadful curse against such as do the work of the Lord negligently, Jer. 48.10. if the negligent hearers and doers do lie open to the curse of God, what will become of those that are so grossly negligent, that they neglect both the theory and practic, the knowing and doing part, and all that care so little for the gospel, that they desire not to be acquainted with it, that do as it were say to the Lord, depart from us, we care not to know thy ways nor to walk in thy paths? The forementioned Scripture levels that curse against such as are negligent in the execution of Gods destroying work, as the words immediately following do manifest; Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently, or deceitfully, and cursed is he that keepeth back his sword from blood, when God shall say to his sword, go through a Land, destroy all, and save none, and his executioners must close with it under pain of the Lords curse, and fiercest indignation: What shall become of such as will not close with his saving work, when he shall say to his word, go through a Land, and open blind eyes, and deaf ears, and dead hearts, that men may see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and be healed, and when such as should proclaim these glad tidings shall be dumb, and not declare it, & the hearers shall be deaf, & will not entertain it, there must be blind leading the blind, till all fall into the pit, and the fornal must be heat seven times hotter for the refusers of the Gospel than for the transgressors of the Law, the fire of gods jealousy burning hottest about the Sanctuary, and that judgement being most merciless, which beginneth at the house of God; read that confluence of threaten Deut. 29.20. where God threatneth that all the curses that are written in his book shall fall upon such as bless themselves in a cursed estate, and add to that, Deut. 28.61. where God threatens all the curses that are not written to the children of disobedience; and yet that flaming place being a Gospel-threatning, 2. Thes. 1.7, 8, 9 is hotter and heavier than all; The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glery of his power, mark the tendency and full scope of the words, you may take them at large thus: O all you stubborn and rebellious sinners, who are refusers of Gospel-mercy, and have long continued neglecters of that great Salvation; remember that the Lord Jesus was revealed from Heaven, as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the World, and came down from his Father's Throne to his footstool, to take our nature upon him, to humble himself, and become obedient to death, even the death of the Cross, to be made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and he sent abroad his Apostles to propagate to all Nations the knowledge of this Salvation, and to persuade the sinful World that lay under condemnation, unto faith and obedience, believingly to accept of this Saviour and Salvation, and in all thankfulness to return obedience, and to take him for their sovereign Lord, Redeemer, and Saviour! Oh know, and be it known unto you, and to all the World, that he shall once more be revealed as a roaring Lion, to tear in pieces such as know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this is to argue the greatness of the sin from the greatness of the punishment, and the improvement of it may be referred unto the third doctrine, as to its most proper place.  
The same course that we took to illustrate the greatness of Gospel-Salvation, we may take here to aggravate the sin of Gospel-neglecting or refusing.  
We hinted there that Gospel-Salvation was called 

1. Salvation.  
2. Great Salvation.  
3. So great Salvation.    
Which we further amplified by alluding to the three degrees of comparison, showing, 

1. That it was positively great.  
2. That it was comparatiuly greater than other.  
3. That it was superlatively the greatest.    
Conceive in like manner of the sin of setting light by this Salvation.  

1. That it is positively great.  
2. That it is comparatively greater than others.  
3. That it is superlatively the greatest of all except the excepted sin.   
And we may call it 

1. Sin.  
2. Great sin.  
3. So great sin.    
1. To discover it to be positively great, we need but name it, and a little open the nature of it, to make men cry shame of it, as the unwrapping of a plague sore, and opening it to be seen, is enough to make the sound to loathe it, and the stink of an open sepulchre is enough to make the living to abhor it; Gospel-refusing, O monstrous sin! it hath a face more ugly than Belzebub the Prince of devils, though it be a sin that is proper to men, and so common to all degrees and estates of men, that it fills Hell with souls, yet it is such a sin that the devils have no temptation to commit, they being left without hope of a Redeemer, and doamed from their very fall to perish without remedy. Salvation is a term that is comprehensive of all that is good, and excellent, and desirable, yea, of the highest good, of the highest God, (for they are convertible) the Trinity of persons agreeing in one unity of love, as well as essence, to further our Salvation, yea, the great God turned all into one great love to affect it; God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, etc. Joh. 3.16. & Christ in the fullness of time, manifesting the fullness of love, Gal. 4.4. And the spirit coming down upon Christ's Ascension, as another Comforter to abide with us to the end of the World, and all in order to the bringing about of this great Salvation, and if this be not a sin with a witness, tell me what is? Gospel-refusing is called in Scripture, a God refusing, a Christ-despising, a spirit-resisting, and inconsiderate sinners in refusing, and setting light by the word and ministry of this Salvation do all this; Christ said of the contemners of his messengers, he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me, Luke, 10.16. and Stephen said unto his and the Gospel's persecutors, ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the holy Ghost, as your father did, so do ye. Acts 7.51. When Gods Ambassadors shall go out into the world, and do as the Prophet was commanded, lift up their voices like trumpets to tell men and women of their sins, and transgressions, when they with john Baptist shall cry, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, when they shall make proclamation, Ho every one that thirsteth come, come, come. Isay. 55.12. And with the spirit, and bride, and him that heareth shall say come, come, come, Rev. 22.17. And let whosoever will come and take of the water of life freely. When men are so obdurate, that like Pharaoh they remain hard, and hardened in the midst of means, neither miracles, nor ministry, nor misery, nor mercy, can do them good, when all Gods, and Christ's, and the Spirits, and the messengers entreaties, and beseechings shall be like breath scattered in the air, and like water spilt upon the ground, and a labour in vain shall make Gods tired ministers ready in a heart-breaking despondency to turn their backs upon their labours, let such as have understandings of the longest reach, and wits exercised to to distinguish betwixt good and evil, speak whether this must not be concluded to be a great sin, for such only are fit to take the dimensions of a sin that is so circumstantiated. I'll give you but one rule more to help you to conceive of the greatness of this sin, in the positive description, and then pass to the comparative. The Apostle prayed for his Ephesians, Eph. 3.16, 17, 18, 19 That God would grant them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith, that they being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which, passeth knowledge, that they might be filled with the fullness of God. This is the wellspring of our Salvation, the love of God in Christ, which is here measured out unto us by the word and spirit of God in those dimensions of breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and said to pass knowledge, and to comprehend all the fullness of God, must not this have the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of sin in it, must it not be a sin passing knowledge, must not this be to be filled with all the fullness and sinfulness of sin? Those that are eaten up most of the love of God, and know most of that love which passeth knowledge, will be most confounded with monstrousness of this sin, and know most of the sinful nature of it, and such as these can assure the world of blind sinners, that it is a Soul confounding sin, and a plague provoking sin, and such as are infected with this leprosy of sin, may well cry out, unclean, unclean, but while I am speaking but positively of the greatness of this sin, I am already leaping into the superlative, so hard it is to speak diminutively of this sin, 
Deus & caelum non patiuntur hyperbolen.  as we cannot speak too highly of God, who is the highest good, so we cannot speak too aggravatingly of this sin, because it is so objectively against the highest love of the highest God, that it is a sin so opposite to the highest good, is aggravation sufficient to speak it superlatively great, yet since it was promised, we shall proceed to the comparative, and so come in order to the superlative at last.  
2. It is Comparatively greater than other sins, and here we shall take the course to manifest Gospel-refusing to be great sin, as we did to manifest Gospel Salvation to be great Salvation: we compared Gospel Salvation with Law: Salvation, and with temporal deliverances, and lower Salvations, and showed you that it was great, if compared with them, because it was greater than those, we shall therefore,  
1. Compare● Gospel-refusing with Lawrefusing, and so demonstrate it to be greater. And this the very argument made use of by our Apostle which ushers in my text. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed unto the things that we have heard, least at any time we let them slip, for if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation. etc. That is, if their sin, which was less, deserved so great punishment, how much more ours which is greater? & Heb. 10 28, 29. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace? We shall better improve that Scripture, when we come to the handling of the third Doctrine, only here, as before, read the the greatness of the sin in the greatness of the punishment, for God, who is, ipsissima justitia, justice itself, doth always proportion his punishment to the sin, and note above all that, this sin is here called a treading Christ under foot, a counting of the blood of the Covenant an unclean thing, and a doing despite unto the spirit of grace, there is too much of these ingredients into the sin of Gospel-refusing, which makes it to culminate, and to mount up unto a sin of the highest altitude, and greatest magnitude, and to die in it, to do it finally, to continue refusers and neglecters of so great Salvation, doth much aggravate it.  
2. If we compare this with other sins, it will appear to be greater than such as the Scripture condemns as very gross and out of measure sinful.  
1 Adultery is looked upon as a great sin, it was so in joseph's account, when he said, how can I do this wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39.9. And David was even swallowed up of that twin-sin, whereof adultery was one, Psal. 51.4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; but the refusing of Gospel-Salvation is far greater, for David by Gospel-indulgence obtained pardon of that sin, but if he had refused that Salvation, he had been left to perish without remedy.  
2 Idolatry is also a most notorious sin, surely the spirit of God names these two as two of the most crying, when it promises great pardon to great sins, from your idols & from your filthiness will I cleanse you Ezek. 36.25. (i.e.) if your sins be as great as Idolatry against the first table, or adultery against the second, yet upon your seasonable and sincere return, you shall find mercy: Idolatry is a spiritual adultery; that ad alterius torum, this ad alterum Deum. Adultery is a running a whoring after strange flesh, Idolatry a running a whoring after strange Gods. When the Israelites had corrupted their ways by worshipping the calf, Moses told them they had sinned a great sin: Exod. 32.30. and when Israel had sinned in ask them a King, Samuel tells them they had sinned a great sin, 1 Sam. 12.17. and what was that great sin, they had rejected God; the Israelits had taken a calf for their God in Moses time, and a man for their God in Samuell's, but this is a greater refusing of God; they refused him in his absolute power, commanding their obedience, these refuse him in his marvelous mercy calling them to believe.  
3 Rebellion, or Treason are great sins, and disobedience to God's commands is rebellion. Isay. 1.20. If ye refuse and rebel. etc. how much more our disobedience to that great. Gospel command, that we should believe in the name of Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. 1 john. 3.23. and Samuel told Saul that Rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbbornness as iniquity and idolatry 1. Sam. 1523. When a King shall proclaim his Laws by his Ambassadors, and men shall offer violence to his Ambassadors, or refuse his Laws, they are left without the protection of those Laws, and not only so, but proceeded against as rebels and Traitors against the Crown and dignity of the Prince; and Gospel refusing is Rebellion of an higher nature, because it is against an higher Law, against the royal Law, and against a greater King, against the King of Kings.  
4 Once more and I have done with the comparative part of the Illustration. It's a greater sin than the sin of Sodom, as may be gathered from Mark. 6.11. Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them; verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City. It's very evident that its this sin of Gospel-refusing that is here intended, it's the not receiving, nor hearing the Apostles, and messengers of Christ, that were sent to negociate in the deep things of the Gospel: Their setting light by it is here hinted in the Apostles gesture towards them, they set no more by the preaching of the Gospel, than they did by the dust under their feet, and therefore they must shake off the dust of their feet against them. And its further to be gathered by consequence that their sin was greater than the sin of Sodom, in that Christ saith it, and protests it, that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement, than for that City. Let us make enquiry then what Sodoms sin was, that we may judge the more clearly of this Comparison. Moses saith Gen. 13.13. The men of Sodom were wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly, that is they were a most notorious sort of sinners and greater than ordinary. Though many of Sodoms sins are enumerated in that black catalogue, that stands upon record as an aggravation of the sins of Israel, whose sister she is called, Ezek. 16.49. Pride, fullness of bread, (i.e.) gluttony, and drunkenness, and abundance of idleness, and uncharitableness. Yet there is one sin that is hanged upon the file, that takes its denomination from that place, and is called the sin of Sodomy (e. i.) burning in strange unnatural lusts, not fit to be named without trembling, this was that that caused them to be burnt with strange fire, even with fire and brimstone from Heaven, as they had abused their land, and turned it into a Hell of sin, so God raines down from Heaven upon them a Hell of punishment, somewhat may be yet added towards the aggravation of their sin, (which was monstrous enough without circumstances of guilt) from Isay. 3.9. They declare their sin as Sodom; they hid it not, the meaning is they were shameless sinners, they did add a brazen forehead to their stony hearts, and added to the extremity of lust the extremity of impudence; And if the sin we are speaking of be more monstrous than the sin of Sodom, what shall we say to this? Surely as the Prophet thundering against the sins of Israel saith, hear the word of the Lord, ye Princes of Sodom, harken to the Law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah, Isay 1.10. The Gospel- Boanerges may cry louder against the sins of England, and all such Lands as have lived under the sunshine of the Gospel: Hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, ye that are greater sinners than the Princes of Sodom, give ear unto the Salvation of our God, ye that are greater sinners than the people of Gomorrah.  
3. It is superlatively the greatest sin, except that excepted sin, the sin unto death, called in Scripture the sin against the holy Ghost, That it is against the love of God, and grace of Christ, and revelation, and wrestling of the spirit, you have already heard, a trinity of aggravations big enough to make three superlatives, and evidencing it to be a sin against the Holy Ghost of an high nature, though not the sin against the Holy Ghost yet it is not to pass thus, we have further evidence against it, which will prove it to be more than superlatively abominable, but we shall model that which is behind into a few arguments or Reasons, which shall make up a convincing and pregnant proof of this truth, that the sin of Gospel-refusing is superlatively great, and a most sinful sin.  
1. Reason proving it to be exceeding great is, because it is an accumulated sin; To refuse Gospel-Salvation is to heap sin upon sin, we do all by nature through Adam's disobedience lie under the Condemnation of the Covenant of works, the wrath of God abiding on us. Now Gospel-Salvation is a plaster of Christ's blood to heal that wound, and a merciful indulgence provided by our wise and gracious God, as a suitable remedy against that malady, God gave his only son, that whosoever beleiveth in him might not perish etc. John 3.16. Now they that refuse this mercy do expose themselves to judgements without mercy, and they that are regardless of this remedy must be left to perish without remedy, and all because they add to their transgessions of the Law, their own and their forefathers: this sin above all, that they set light by the Gospel. The mercies of Heaven are meted out unto men in Heaven's measure, that is heaped up, pressed down, and running over, though we are ready to stand upon niggardly terms with God, ●e deals not so with us, and when God requires of us a proportionable measure of thankfulness and obedience, even that we should be abundant in the work of the Lord, who thus abounds to us in mercy and loving kindness; for us to make such a wretched retribution unto the Lord for all his mercies, as to return a full measure of our iniquities, sins heaped up, and pressed down, and running over, this must needs be exceeding provoking to the eyes of his glory: Our Righteousness indeed should be a righteousness running over, as our Saviour taught his disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except your righteousness exceed (i. e. run over) the righteousness of the Scibes and Pharises, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 5.20. Mistake me not, I do not hold that the righteousness of the Saints can run over in the sense of Rome, by works of supererrogation, for being sanctified but in part, we must crave pardon daily for the iniquities of our holy things, and say when all is done, that we are unprofitable servants, but in respect of such as come short, and take up with the name and form, and easy part of Religion (as the Scribes and Pharises did) so it must exceed, and run over. Now when instead of a righteousness running over, our sin shall run over, as it doth when we are guilty of Gospel-refusing, where shall such ungodly ones, and sinners appear? The people of Israel when they had committed that sin of thunder in ask them a King (when God was their King) when they were awakened and convinced by a storm, and Son of thunder, they made this confession, we have added unto all our sins this evil to ask us a King. 1 Sam. 12.19. But those that refuse the Gospel, may take up this confession, that they have added this to all their other sins, that they have refused them a King, yea the King of Kings, the Royal King Jesus, yea, that that more than superlatively aggravates their sin, they refuse Jesus Christ in all his offices, who offers himself in the Gospel as their complete Mediator in his prophetical, priestly, and kingly Office, and of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification & redemption. 1. Cor. 1. ●0. And because we are now declaring against this sin as an accumulated sin, we shall take a little liberty more than ordinary to make good these 3 charges against the sin of setting light by the Gospel, that it is against Christ in his threefold office, and this will do the office of a magnifying glass, and present that sin, which to purblind sinners seems no bigger than a molehill, in his full propo●●on swelling to a mountain; I know many will be ready to start●● at such a charge, and ●he most guilty will be ready to kick first, (as Judas was ready with his M●ste●, is it I?) what, we Refusers of Jesus Christ? no we scorn it, we defy them that shall tell us so; It is not fit they should live that refuse Jesus Christ, do you make dogs, or Devils of us, that we should do so? and thus men are ready to cry peace, and plead not guilty, and to bless themselves in their hearts, and to flatter themselves till their abomminable wickedness be found out: I confess its common with men and women to hang upon the outside of a Saviour, as the Antidiluvians did on the outside of the Ark, but those that will have a protection from condemnation, and fly from wrath to come, must get into this Saviour, as Noah did into his ark. there's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8.1. We must not think as the Papists do, that when we have blest ourselves with the sign of the Cross, or superstitiously used as a spell, or conjuration the syllables of the name of Jesus, that then we may bid defiance to the Devil, and his Angels can then have no power over us; this doth but confirm them in their delusion, and make them much more the children of the Devil than others; and yet the hope of the common sort of ignorant hearers is but little better. If they can but say they believe in Jesus Christ, and they believe he came into the world to save sinners, and they have believed this ever since they can remember, and they will never be beaten out of it while they live, and yet all this while they are Refusers of Christ, and such notorious Refusers of him, that they refuse him in all his Offices, as I shall endeavour towards their undeceiving (If God will) to make so plain, that those whose eyes have been anointed with eye salve from above, may even run, and read it.  
1. Gospel-refusing is a refusing of Christ in his priestly office, we begin with that, because here they think themselves to be cocksure, and every one will profess their willingness to be saved by Christ, and to be ready to take him to be their Jesus and Saviour, I easily confess that there's a natural propensity in man to desire good for himself, and the principle of self-love is so deeply rooted, that so long as man is master of his reason, he will not yield willingly to be miserable, but we must further know that as there is a spiritual, so there is a carnal desire of Christ and happiness, which cannot be called a serving of Christ but ourselves upon him. This may not so properly be called a taking of Christ, as a catching at him, consider that Christ offers himself unto sinners in the Gospel in all his offices jointly, and not in any one of them singly, and he that will rightly receive him must receive him wholly, and not catch at him by piecemeal, we must have all Christ, or no Christ, and therefore we must give up ourselves to be taught by him as by our Prophet, and to be ruled by him as by our King, if we will be saved by him as by our Priest. Are we willing to take Christ for himself, as well as for ourselves? otherwise we do frustrate the very end of his saving us, for we are therefore saved by him, that he may be served by us, in righteousness and holiness all our days, Luke. 1.74, 75. To be saved from wrath and not from sin, is but the lesser half of Gospel Salvation, and such as are not willing of both, can have neither. What God hath joined together we must not put asunder; It's a most disingenuous and unreasonable thing to be all on the receiving, and nothing on the returning hand, to expect all from him, and to give nothing back, indeed his redeemed one's can give him nothing but his own, which made the Apostle say, Ye are not your own but are bought with a price, therefore glorify God both with your bodies and souls which are his, and as we must give him our whole selves, bodies, souls, and spirits, so we must take his whole self as King, Prophet, and Priest, if we can be content to be willing disciples to his prophetical office, and willing subjects to his Kingly office, than we may reasonably, and believingly expect the benefit of his Prie stly office, but let us not dream that Christ will be our Jesus, when our hearts tells us, and our lives tell all that are near us, that we have not taken him to be our Lord.  
2 Gospel-refusing is a refusing of Christ in his prophetical office, and nothing is plainer than this, that they which set light by the Gospel, do refuse Christ to be their Teacher, Salvation by the Gospel is the lesson that Christ teaches, and can they slight the Lesson, and regard the Teacher? Observe what the Apostle saith Heb. 2.1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, least at any time we should let them slip, for if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast etc. how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? take notice of the Apostles inference. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed etc. Wherefore? Why because we have so admirable a Teacher, for this refers to the beginning of the foregoing Chapter, which tells us in the last days that God hath spoken to us by his Son, who was the express image of his person, and brightness of his glory, and more excellent than the Angels. Therefore we ought to take heed, because a greater than Moses is here, the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, john: 1.17. because a greater than the Prophets is here, even the great Prophet of his Church, Acts. 3.22, 23. Moses truly said unto the Fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brothers like unto me, him shall ye hear in all things that he shall say unto you; And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. And behold a greater than the Angels is here, even the Angel of the Covenant, of whom Paul saith Heb. 12. 2●. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven. To be taught of God, and Christ is a thing that should be the glory of the disciples of the Church, though some giddy spirit have learned hence to exclude man's teaching, which Gods teaching, and the teaching of the spirits anointing includes; we read of certain Sectaries in Corinth that would not be of Paul, nor Apollo's, nor Cephas, but not Christ 1. Cor. 1.12. But those Gospel-refusers that we are speaking of, are such a monstrous sort of Recu●ants, that they refuse the teaching of Christ himself, and are such deaf adders that they will not hearken to the most alluring charms, though they come from him that spoke as never man spoke. But as the neglecters of Christ will say at the last day, Lord when did we see thee hungry and not feed thee etc. So the refusers of Christ will be ready to say, when did we hear Christ speaking and we slight him? I answer in every Sermon that you have heard unprofitably, for Christ hath a twofold teaching, an outward teaching by his word, and an inward by his spirit, now they that refuse the teaching of Christ's messengers, do refuse his Gospel, and refuse him too. It was Christ that gave commission to his Apostles To teach all Nations, Mat. 28.19. And lo I am with you, saith he there, that is I will be present with you in that ministry, and in that teaching, and Eph. 4.8, 11, 12, 13. When Christ ascended up on high, and gave gifts unto men (i.e.) gifted and graced men unto his Church: Some extraordinary Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists and some ordinary Pastors and Teachers: and he doth not only set the workman before us, but sets their work before them for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Remember that the teaching of a ministry of Christ's owning is Christ's teaching, and those that refuse the word of wisdom, and revelation, do refuse to submit to the teaching of Christ.  
3 Gospel refusing is a refusing of Christ in his Kingly office. The King of Saints will not be owned by these Rebels like those Citizens to the Nobleman Luke. 19.14. that said we will not have this man to reign over us, but when he returned, and received his Kingdom, and called his servants to an account, he takes especial notice of those rebels, vers. 27. but those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me; though the government were laid upon his shoulder, Isay. 9, 6. And all power was given him in Heaven and in earth. Mat. 28.18. And his name was written in capitals KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Revel. 19.16. And though this great Priest, and King hath promised to make all his subjects and servants Kings and Priests Revel. 1.6. And these Kings and Priests shall make it their everlasting work to ascribe blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, unto him that sitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever, Revel. 5.13. Yet will not these rebellious Refusers of Christ's easy yoke be subject to his principality and dominion, though he hath threatened to bruise his Enemies with a rod of Iron, and break them in pieces like a Potter's vessel. Though there have been great disputes among the Nations about Government, some preferring one, and some another, some Monarchy, when one governs, some an Oligarchy, when a few govern, some an Aristocracy, when the Nobility govern, some a Democracy when the people govern, some delighting in Anarchy to be Lawless, and ungoverned, that there may be no king in Jsrael, but every one may do what is right in his own eyes. But there were never any so desperately wicked (except obdurate Atheists) to cast of a Theocracy, an acknowledgement of God's supremacy, nor any but Jews, and Turks that worship not God in Christ to cast off a Christocracy the dominion and principality of Jesus Christ, and they durst not do it neither if they did believe that Christ were come in the flesh▪ as the Scripture observes of the Jews, If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory, 1 Cor. 2.8. Amongst Christians Christ is honoured as the King of Saints, as the only King, and Lawgiver of his Church, those that take him to be so indeed, are true Christians indeed; those that in show and profession take him to be so, are taken to be visible Christians, but those that refuse, they have not so much as a name to live, but are altogether Christless, and without God in the World.  
It's the Millenarian dream, that Christ shall reign personally upon earth for a thousand years, and many are travelling in birth of such an expectation, a delusion which its probable was borrowed from the Jews that looked for a Messiah that should outshine all antecedent Monarches in temporal glory, and terrestrial Grandeur, and because he answered not their expectation, but came in the form of a servant, they crucified him and his title together, writing upon his Cross as his grand accusation JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS, which conceit it seems some of the Apostles had taken up as a fomentation of their pride, some of them reasoning which should be the greatest in their master's Kingdom, and others demanding, by the mediation of their Mother that one might sit at his right hand, and the other at his left in his Kingdom, Mat. 20.21. And they all inquired with one mouth, Acts. 1.6. Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Jsrael? And it hath been handed down from age to age, by such whose faculty lies rather in troubling clear Texts of Scripture, than lightning dark ones; And though it hath been sublimated of late by some Masters of fancy, and aerial illuminates, into that philosophical quintessence, which bears that Babylonian name of THE FIFT MONARCHY. Yet the royal KING JESUS who should be of more credit with us than a Million of those millenary seraphical Doctors, having long since assured his subjects that his Kingdom is not of this world, and the Scripture being so plain that he entered upon his Kingdom at his Ascension, when he ascended up on high, and led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men as his coronation mercies; and sent out his embassadors to subdue nations to his sceptre, and to make the Kingdoms of the world to be the Kingdoms of the Lord and the Kingdoms of his Christ. And afterwards sending his mighty spirit upon his Apostles and Church, which was the golden sceptre of his gracious Kingdom, which subdued three thousand at once as a promising earnest that he would give a plentiful increase unto their planting and watering labours, and would make the weapons of their warfare mighty to pull down the strong holds of Satan's and sins Kingdom: And finally the Scripture, and our Creed teaching us to believe assuredly that he was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second time without sin unto Salvation, Heb. 9.28 Being compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses, let it be our earnest endeavour to approve ourselves to be true subjects of his Kingdom of grace, and to be such as unfeignedly love the Lord Jesus, and wait for his appearing, and so we may have strong consolation in that hope that is set before us, 1 joh. 3.2. Now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him.  
But I have somewhat digressed in pursuing such as are out of the way, but not altogether impertinently, in regard the concerned party have so perplexed Christ's Kingly office, and rendered it more obscure to such whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should not shine unto them. To conclude the point, it is in the dispensation of the Gospel that the Lord Christ doth excercise all his offices, Prophetical, and Kingly, as well as Priestly, and those that are Refusers of the Gospel are such as slight Christ in all.  
2 Reason proving the sin of setting light by the Gospel to be great sin is, Because it is an aggravated sin. That is, a sin monstrously great, further greatned, and made notoriously sinful by circumstances. It's enquired which sins are most sinful, those that are committed against the first table, or the second, and it's agreed that sins against the first are, if other circumstances of weight concur not to make the other the heaviest Scale; But this sin of Gospel-refusing is greater than all, because the administration of the Gospel doth excel in glory that of the Law, as far as Christ doth excel Moses: I might here enumerate a multitude of circumstances to aggravate the guilt of this sin, but because I intent as much brevity as a subject so momentous will well allow of, I shall satisfy myself to enlarge a little upon three Circumstances.  
The circumstances 

1 Of Person.  
2. Of Time.  
3. Of Place.    
1. The Circumstance of the Person adds sinfulness to the sin, otherwise Nathan had been deceived in pleading the greatness of David's sin by the eminency of his person, and God's munificence towards him, 2. Sam. 12.7, 8, 9 Thus saith the Lord God of Jsrael, I anointed thee King over Jsrael, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy Master's house, and thy Master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Jsrael and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Much like that of David to his false friend, had it been mine Adversary that had magnified himself against me, perhaps I could have borne it, but it was thou my Companion, and mine own familiar friend. Joseph interposes this consideration betwixt him and sin. Quomodo ego? how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39.9. And religious Nehemiah fortified himself against flying, when Tobia and Sandballat were plotting his discouragement with the very like argument, should such a man as I fly? I will not go into the temple to save my life, Nehem 6.11. Oh let the covenant-servants of the Lord, and such as retain to his Family consider this, that those dishonours wound him most which he receives from his favourites, and pretended friends. And as the abusers of grace given do sin with an high hand, so the refusers of grace offered do sin with a hard heart, and their sins are also aggravated by the circumstance of the person. None are capable of being guilty of this sin, but such as live in the sound, and sunshine of the Gospel, those whom the day star from one high hath visited, and to whom Christ is tendered in all his fullness. The rebellious Jews were guilty of it for, it's said that Christ came to his own and his own received him not, john. 1.11. And the Gentiles to whom the Gospel was sent upon their refusal; they that receive it not, are guilty of refusing it, but Heathens, and Infidels to whom the word of God is a stranger, they cannot be guilty of this sin, though sinning without Law, they shall perish without Law, Rom. 2.12. Yet sinning without Gospel, they cannot be judged for contemning the Gospel. Those Nations, and people to whom the sound of the Gospel is gone out, as it was into Jsrael, of whom David said, In Jury is God known, his name is great in Jsrael etc. He hath not dealt so with any Nation, neither have the heathen such knowledge of his ways, and concerning whom Moses makes enquiry; What Nation is so great to have the Lord nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is nigh unto us in all that we call upon him for? and the like may be said of England, that it is a Land like Canaan, the glory of all Lands, a Land flowing, not only with milk and honey, but with better mercies, the bread and water of life, the wine and milk of consolation; where the King that hath made a marriage for his Son keeps open house, and the Lord of hosts hath made for the faithful of the Land a feast of fat things, and wine upon the lees, of fat things full of marrow, and wines upon the lees well refined. For such to be found here that shall undervalue the Lords bounty, and run after their Oxen, and Farms, and wives, their profits, and pleasures, and lusts, when they should thankfully embrace, and rejoice in the riches of God's mercy, and be meditating, and studying some suitable returns; when they should be coveting better profits, and solacing themselves with better pleasures, and their hearts should be set upon better honours than the world can afford them, what unthankfulness can be comparable to this, what sins or sinners can be more notorious?  
2. The circumstance of the time also doth aggravate the sin: Paul said to the Athenians that were exceeding superstitious, and given to idolatry, Acts 17.30. The times of former ignorance God winked at, but now saith he, he commandeth all men every where to repent, God did not require much from the dark times of heathenish superstitions, nor so much from the dusk glimmering, or starlight of legal dispensations, as he doth from us under the clear sunshine of the Gospel, now life & immortality is brought to light, and brought nearer, and made clearer than ever before. Had we lived in the time of the old world, near unto the deluge, when the world was overwhelmed first with ignorance, and licentiousness, and then with water; They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage (i.e.) Wallowing in drunkenness and gluttony and lust, making provisions for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it, so that Noah the preacher of righteousness could not be heard. Or if we had lived in the time of that great revolt of the old Israelites, when the Prophet complained, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away, 1. Kings, 19.10. Or had we lived near unto the time of Christ's coming in the flesh, when the Gentiles were no people: Or in the rise and reign of Antichrist, that grand Apostasy of the Gentiles, than there might have been some excuse, and we had had somewhat to say for ourselves: But to live in the last age of the World, when the Lord is a destroying that man of sin with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming, when the fullness of the Gentiles is to come in, and the Jews to be reduced unto Christ's fold; I mean when these things are the great expectation of the Church and people of God. To live in reforming times, when a glorious reformation hath been prayed, & paid for with a large expense of treasure tears and blood, when it hath been sought and fought, and covenanted for; To be found Gospel-refusers in such a time when we should be encouraging one another, like the people of Israel and Judah, weeping, and seeking the Lord, and saying to one another, come let us be joined unto the Lord in an everlasting Covenant never to be forgotten, Jer. 50.4, 5. Or to be found refusers of mercy after such days, as lately passed over us, days of breaking down in the valley of vision, wherein the Lord called to weeping and baldness, and girding with sackcloth not to keep touch with God at such times may be enough to blast our hopes of a full deliverance, and frustrate our expectation of seeing Zion's glory, and Jerusalem's prosperity: Our bondage is not yet so far removed, but our sins may easily call it back upon us, and make our yoke heavier than ever it was; Let us take special notice of that remarkable threatening, Jer. 18.9, 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it, If it do evil in my sight, and obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them; if God be willing to plant, and we will not comply, do we not deserve to be rooted up, when he offers to do by us, as he did by Jerusalem, by the call of his Gospel, gather us as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and we will not, how justly may he leave our Land desolate; how speechless shall we be when these things shall be brought to Judgement, and our sins set out in their colours, and aggravated by this circumstance of time?  
3. The circumstance of Place is also a greatning aggravation. The Lord Christ reproached those Cities where he had preached his powerful Sermons, and wrought his wonderful miracles; Matt. 11.21, 22, 23. Woe unto thee Corazin, woe unto thee Bethsayda; for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repent in sackcloth and ashes, but it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement, than for you: And thou Capernaum, that art exalted to Heaven, shalt be thrust down to Hell; and the Prophet aggravates the sins of wicked doers by this circumstance, Isa. 26.10. Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, in the Land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. For the Angels to lift up themselves against God in Heaven, deserved a casting into Hell, and a reserving in chains under darkness, to the judgement of the great day. For Adam to side with the Devil against God in Paradise, deserved an ejection.  
For the Israelites in Canaan to sin worse than the Nations that the Lord had cast out before them, deserved a Babylon, and an iron yoke of bondage; And for us that are like Angels of light, in comparison of such as live under Egyptian darkness, Angli quasi angeli, as one saith, placed as it were in an Heaven upon Earth, in the bosom of the Church, or like Adam in Paradise, Angli quasi angulo, as another saith, in a select corner of the World singled from other Nations, dwelling like a peculiar and chosen people by ourselves, for this to be a Land of forgetfulness and unthankfulness, and the Inhabitants of it to be children of disobedience, and strangers to the mysteries of the Gospel, and things that accompany Salvation, for this to be a receptacle of heresy and blasphemy, and all notoriousness, for this to be like the old World which God destroyed with water, like Sodom and Gomorrah which were destroyed with fire, like rebellious Israel with whom the Lord entered into controversy, because there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the Land, Hosea, 4.1. for us to abound with graceless principles and practices under such means of grace, for us to neglect so great Salvation as hath been brought home unto us, and hath dwelled among us; our sin of Gospel-refusing being thus circumstantiated will make it to be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement than for us.  
3. Reason of the greatness of this sin is, because it is a State-confounding sin, it's a sin that hath laid flourishing Kingdoms on ruinous heaps. Look back upon the state of the Jews, whom the Lord owned as his firstborn, and in a nearer relation than all other people of the World; see in what manner of language the Lord spoke unto them, Exod. 19.5, 6. If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, than ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the Earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests, and an holy Nation, and yet how often were they cast off, for casting off God's yoke? God told them what he would do unto them in case of disobedience, Leu. 26.18, 21, 24, 28. & he tells them again, and again, and again, that they might take through notice of it; If ye will not be reformed by these things, (that is by fewer stripes, and lighter punishments) but will walk contrary unto me, then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times more for your sins, and I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant; There's the quarrel of all quarrels, the Covenant-quarrel, as Covenant-mercies and Privileges are the greatest Mercies and Privileges. The Prophet Isa. was bid to cry loud against Israel and Judah, because their sins did cry loud unto Heaven for vengeance, because God cries out as one tired out of patience, they are a burden to him, and he is weary to hear them: Read the first of Isa. and there the Lord hath a controversy with them, not only about their sins, but about their service, their vain oblations, and abominable incense, their hateful Festivals, and provoking Prayers, because there was nothing but seeming and formality, no spirit nor power in any of their services; And observe whether the Lord do not charge his valediction or last great forsaking of them upon that cause, that they would not receive Christ, nor entertain the Gospel, Matt. 23.37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not; and mark what follows; behold your house is left unto you desolate, v. 38. That is, my house is designed to desolation, which was so much your glory; the Temple of the Lord, that you made such boast of shall be taken from you, yea, and the Lord of the Temple too, he will repudiate you, and give you a bill of divorce, and because you were no more faithful in keeping the Oracles of God, your Candlestick shall be removed, and you shall be left in darkness, and that Land of yours, which is the glory of all Lands, shall be like a desolated Desert, and a forsaken Wilderness; what is it that hath made such havoc of late years in Germany, that hath destroyed so many Towns, and made such depopulations as our ears have heard of, was it not the Lords Covenant-quarrel? What was it that opened such bloody sluices in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Netherlands, without all peradventure this sin of Gospel-refusing hath stricken the deadlyest strokes in all our Wars, and we may say to this sin, as once Zippora said to Moses, thou hast been a bloody sin to us, and if we shall go on to dishonour God, and slight his Gospel, and notwithstanding the loud out-cries of his Word and Sword, we shall nourish that viper in our bosoms, and shall foment those blasphemies and heresies that strike at the foundation, and shall help on those divisions that threaten to deprive us of Verity and Purity, as well as Unity; we may take up a lamentation when it is too late, and Sword, Pestilence and Famine may be sent upon that errand to bring our sins to our remembrance, which the Gospel in the midst of peace, health and plenty could not fasten upon us. It should be written with a pen of iron in every thankful heart; what wonderful deliverances the Lord hath wrought for us, especially those of the Spanish Invasion, and the Powder-plot, of which we may say in David's words, if the Lord himself had not been on our side, may England now say, if the Lord himself had not been on our side when men risen up against us, they had swallowed us up quik, when they were so wrathfully displeased at us; but blessed be the Lord that hath not given us over as a prey unto their teeth; Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler, the snare is broken, & we are delivered; And shall we after all this betray our native Land into the cruel hands of our religious adversaries, that would borrow all the politics of Julian, or Machiavelli, and make use of all the Stratagems and strength of the Devils heads and borns to deprive us of the Gospel? Surely we cannot take a likelier course to effect all this, than by going on to neglect this great Salvation, which if this Gospel-glutted Land shall persist in doing, notwithstanding the warnings of all God's Watchmen, when the Sword of the Lord shall devour greedily your flesh, and his arrows shall make themselves drunk with your blood, when your sins have made this populous and plentiful Land a place of sculls, and a field of blood, when the hornet of your conscience shall sting you like the pangs of death, and say unto you as Nathan to David, you are the men that have done this; you will then know that you are Traitors to the State, who have betrayed your Country into the Enemy's hand. We read that the Canaanites dwelled in garrisons walled up to Heaven, and yet their sins delivered them up into the hands of spoilers; and though our fenced Cities had walls as high and thick as the walls of Babylon, yet the sin that is within would let in the enemy; Though our Armies were never so mighty and numerous; Our Counsellors and Statesmen the very Oracles of the time; Yet they are the faithful Ministers and people that are the Charets of Israel and horsemen of it, And our greatest security under Heaven lies in such as teach, and live the Gospel, such as know, and do, and declare the will of God, and endeavour to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and man, and order their whole conversation as it becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  
4 Reason of the greatness of this sin is because it is a Church-confounding sin. There hath been a great crying down of Churches in our days by giddy sectaries, but this is a short cut to destroy all, and to turn the Lords vineyard into a howling wilderness. All the secret undermine of schisms within, and the malignant batteries of persecutors without, can do but little hurt, so long as he is our keeper that never slumbers nor sleeps, and is able to make his Church bear up against the gates of Hell; but when by setting light by the Gospel, we do put God from us, & open a wide door to our own overthrow, than the wild bore and beasts may make havoek, the adversaries may fall on, and cry down with it, down with it even to the ground, and the Church's Enemies may say as David's enemies did of him. God hath forsaken him, persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. What it was that made the Lord God of Israel to forsake his tabernacle in Shilo, and utterly to forsake the Jews, you hard in the last reason, for it was their setting light by Christ that did overthrow their State, and Church too: What was it that made Babylon the great to fall, and Rome to be unchurched, whose fame and faith made the world to ring, but because of Christian they became Antichristian, and from Apostolical did turn retrograde and became Antipostolicall, and of a Church of the living God, a pillar and ground of the truth, they became an Hydra of Heresy, and Synagogue of Satan. What removed the Candlesticks from the seven famous Churches of Asia, and fills their ears with the forgeries of Mahomet, where the sound of the Gospel was wont to ring, read the Prophecies that went of them, in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation, and you will find it was for turning their backs upon the Gospel, and entertaining falsehood instead of truth. And what hath made the Lord to stand so often upon the threshold amongst us, as if he were ready to take his leave (though like a long suffering God, and he yet plays ●oath to part) If we do but take these following causes among many into close consideration, we may easily inform ourselves.  
1 How many in this Goshen and Land of light do stand in open opposition to the Gospel, and as it were bid defiance to God and Christ? How have sectaries swarmed of late, and such as openly oppose the truths of God, yea, the very fundamentals? opening their black mouths wide against God, and Christ, and the Spirit, and the Word, and Seals, and Sabbath, and Ministry, some denying the immortality of the Soul, and persuading men that they are without Law, and that there is neither Heaven nor Hell. And besides these, how many dissolute, and profane Spirits abound in all places, even under searching and powerful Ministries, that in words profess Christ, but in works deny him.  
2 How few do close with the Covenant of God so visibly that they may pass for beleiver, in a large sense, and be conversed with as Saints upon a charitable account? I mean how few do walk exactly according to the Gospel-rule, that their conversation may be an ornament to the Gospel, and a Gospel becoming conversation, their light shining before men, that others seeing their good works may be stirred up to glorify our Father which is in Heaven, Though they will not be the Children of gross darkness, by tumbling and wallowing in notoriousness, yet they walk but as it were by moonshine, and starlight, that it may be well doubted whether the day-starr from on high hath visited them, or whether their Sun be risen, to make them Children of the light, and of the day. They will not be persuaded to shine like lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, nor so far as visible Christianity requires, deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live holily, justly and soberly in this present word.  
3 And among these professors at large, that are not so properly of, as in the Church, how many revolters and backsliders do go out from us daily, of such the Apostle saith, They went out from us, because they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. 1 john. 2.19. Mistake me not. I do not go about to shake the certainly of the Saint's perseverance, nor assure the falling away of any of the called according to God's purpose, Because Christian's secundùm dici, such as have but a name to live, may lose their seeming: It will not thereupon follow that Christians s●cundùm esse, true Israelites indeed can he plucked out of Christ's and the Father's hand. There are principia cognoscendi, and essendi, Christianity affords us principles of knowing, and being, and though titular Christians may fall from their Principles of knowing, yet such as are really possessed of invisible Christianity cannot fall from their being Principles; The gifts and calling of God being without repentance, Rom. 11.29. And whom he loveth he loveth to the end, john. 13.1. But the heart of man being deceitful and wicked above all things, Jer. 17.9. Men may think that they are standing, when it is no such thing, 1 Cor. 10.12. And this evil heart of unbelief will cause men to departed from the ever living God. Heb. 3.12. Therefore I speak of revolters, and Apostles, some going out unto one sect, and some unto another; railing against the Church, and like bastard children calling their Mother whore, reproaching their Brothers, with whom they formerly walked in the house of God as friends, looking asquint upon them as unbaptised Heathens, and branding them to be limbs of Antichrist, and the Devil; vilifying the Ordinances, as if they were mere arbitrary things, or might be used or refused at pleasure, forsaking the public assemblies of God's people, and preferring their own Conventicles before them, which the Apostle makes the rod to that grand Apostasy, of despighting the Spirit of grace, and sinning the sin unto death, Heb. 10.25. And reviling the Ministry, wherein they act the parts of such sick patients as are frantic, that abuse their Physician that comes in love to cure them. And as those devouring gulfs of Schism and Heresy do swallow thousands, so those other two of world and self do murder ten thousands. How many serve the Gospel as Demas did Paul, forsake the Gospel to Embrace the world, and the Gospel must give them leave to make provisions for the flesh, or else it is no Gospel for them. This is an argument that they did never love God and Christ with the prevailing degree of their love, nor prefer their interests above the interests of the world and flesh, this shows that the number of such is very few, whose hearts are whole with God, and which behave themselves steadfastly in his Covenant, and all this will appear to be but Gospel-refusing when we come to application.  
To draw towards a conclusion of the Reasons, we need not wonder that it pulls down States, and unchurches Churches, for it was the great Sin that drowned the old world, and its the firebrand that shall set this on a flame: The old was drowned because iniquity did abound, and the flames of lust aid wax hot; and the new shall be burned, because iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold. The old was destroyed because Noah, a preachers of righteousness, could not work upon them, and the new shall be destroyed, because God's messengers cannot win upon them. The words of the Gospel are plain, As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days when the Son of man shall come, for as in the days of Noah, they were eating, and drinking, and marrying, so in the last days the same sins of gluttony, and drunkeness and lust shall abound. Mat. 24.37, 38, 39 So that this is the condemnation all along of States and Churches, of Jews and Gentiles, of the old World and new, that light is come into the World, and men love darkness more than light, because their deeds are evil, Joh. 3.19. In the 51. Psalm, where David laments his twin-sin of adultery, and bloodguiltiness, its worth our notice that towards the close of it he puts up this petition; O be favourable and gracious unto Zion, build up the walls of Jerusalem, Zion signifying the Church, and Jerusalem the state of Israel, as some have noted, his meaning amounts to this, Lord do well unto Church and State, though I by my double sin have done enough to undo both, and all such as have been guilty of this sin of setting light by the Gospel, had need to turn from it with all speed, and to turn to God with the like petition; Lord be merciful to the State and Church whereof we are members, for we have done enough to ruin both.  

1. USE  
Shall be for Information, Is setting light by the Gospel so notorious a sin, Is it a setting light by God the greatest good? An undervaluing of the length and breadth, and height and depth of his love? Is it a setting light by Christ in all his offices of King, Priest, and Prophet? Is it a resisting of the Spirit of God that strives with man in the Ministry of the Gospel.  
Is it 

1. An Accumulated Sin?  
2. an Aggravated Sin?  
3. a State destroying Sin?  
4. a Church confounding Sin?    
Then it behoves all such as live within the Call of the Gospel, and within reach of the beams of this Sun to make diligent enquiry what this sin is, and our use of Information shall be framed of purpose to give satisfaction to such an enquiry.  
Besides, what may be gathered by intent, and meditational Readers from the handling of the Doctrine, concerning the nature of this sin; I shall further inform you in three particulars wherein this sin of neglecting so great Salvation doth mostly consist.  

1. In taking no care about it.  
2. In taking but little care conjunct with greater cares.  
3. In not making it our greatest care.   
1. In taking no care about it; To live as if to mind Salvation were no part of our business; we are sent into this World to make provision for another, and though we are not so straightly confined as to do nothing else, yet we are under a strait command to do nothing more; and thus much the Apostle teaches when he teaches us, habere tanquam non habentes, so to be possessed of the things of this World, as not to be possessed by them, and to use the World, as though we used it not. Now when instead of so doing we shall use the things of another World, as though we used them not, pray as if we prayed not, and hear as if we heard not, and take our swinge in the World, as if we were sent into it, as Leviathan into the Sea, to take our pastime therein, or to say to our souls with the rich glutton, Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast Goods enough laid up for many years, to mind low things, and neglect high things, to have an high esteem of low things, and a low esteem of high things, is grossly to neglect this great Salvation, and if we look about us in the places where we live, do not the greatest part live after that careless rate? as Jeash said of Baal let Baal care for himself, Judges, 6.31. when his Altar was pulled down by his Son Gideon, so too many are ready to say in works, though not in words, let God take care for himself, and for his own service: If his name be dishonoured, his Son and Spirit abused, his Day profaned, his Ambassadors vilified, his Ordinances and Worship slighted and disgraced, it may be said of very many that would take it ill, not to be counted Christians, as it was of Gallio, when the Apostles were under sufferings, that Gallio cared for none of those things, Acts, 18.17. so that men may but have their wealth, and pleasure, and honour, let Zion sink or swim, let it far how it will with the Church and Religion, that is none of their care.  
And this carelessness is the more aggravated, because things of far less concernment are seriously minded by them.  
1. Their bodies shall be cared for, if in health they will pamper them, though they suffer under never so much leanness of soul, they will provide largely for the flesh, though their spirits starves, they will give themselves to chambering and wantonness, & rioting and drunkeness, though to the loss of Christ and everlasting happiness: And if their bodies be sick, and their lives in danger, no care, no cost, no pains shall then be spared, then with the woman in the Gospel that had the bloody issue, they will spend all their substance upon Physicians, and like Pharaoh in his straits, they will desire the prayers of their Ministers, whom in health and prosperity they scorned, as the very scum and off scouring of the World.  
2. Their Estates shall be cared for, as riches increase, they set their hearts upon them, and as if nothing else deserved any part of their care, they will rise early, and go late to bed, and far hard, and all to grow rich, to join house to house, and lay field to field, till they dwell alone, their barns shall be pulled down, and bigger built, and all their care is for the Mammon of iniquity; and indeed nothing shoulders out the love of God more than this immoderate and inordinate love of the World, as the Apostle observes, whosoever loves the World (prevailingly) the love of the Father is not in him, 1. Joh. 2.15. And these cares of the World, and deceitfulness of riches are said to choke the World, and make it utterly unfruitful. This worldly gain is the souls loss, not only loss to the soul, but loss of the soul, and what will it profit a man though he should gain the World, if he lose his own soul, Matt. 16.26. Those that be rich do fall into a snare, and into many noisome lusts, which drown the soul in perdition, 1. Tim. 6.9. Which caused the Apostle to beseech Believers, as Strangers and Pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, 1. Pet. 2.11.  
3. Their names and reputations shall be cared for; every punctilio of a Title, and every complimental Ceremony appurtenant to greatness and honour, shall be narrowly observed, yea, our ambitious Nimrods' will make use of any ladder of the devils rearing to climb to the top of earthly greatness, and so they may but be mounted to the pinnacle of preferment, they care not though they be carried thither upon the devils back, and though they be afterwards tempted by him to throw down themselves headlong, and break their necks. They will build Babel; to purchase an aerial name, though the Foundation be laid in God's displeasure, and the end prove confusion. How do men set their names upon their Sons, and upon their Estates, calling their children an● their lands after their own names, which is but to write their names in the sand, which the next generation like the next tide doth clean put out. How much better were it for them to pass the pangs of the new birth, to the obtaining of the new name, and to be made the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, to be engrafted into Christ, and made new creatures, but this is none of their care, to become fools that they may be wise, is altogether a Paradox to them, and such counsel as that, they count the foolishness of preaching; The Doctrine of self-denial, to deny Wits, Wills and Worth, though it be the first lesson of Christianity, will not down with them, and therefore upon necessity they must live and die fools, (what ever their other names be, that's their surname) who will not be persuaded to advance so far as the beginning of wisdom.  
In a word, Pleasures, Profits, Honours, which are the World's Trinity, and self-seeking, or flesh pleasing, which are the same in Unity: These are the great Diana's which the multitude do adore, and cry up, and these they will have though they have Hell with them, and this great Salvation, and the eternal weight of Glory balanced with these, are in the estimation of these men lighter than vanity itself, and these are notorious neglecters of this Salvation.  
2. The neglect of this great Salvation is expressed by taking but a little care conjunct with greater cares. Many, because it is too too gross and abominable, and the very badge of Reprobates to give up themselves wholly to the World, Flesh and Devil, and to serve sin in the lust of it, they will divide themselves betwixt God and the World, God and the Flesh, God and the Devil; They will give God and Christ their names and tongues; but the World, Flesh and Devil shall have their hands and hearts, they will pretend to serve God, but keep their sins; But the word is plain that we cannot serve two Masters, there's no serving God and Mammon: O cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purge your hearts ye double minded, if God must have the whole heart, and strength, the whole body, soul and spirit, what remains then for other Lords? O you self-seeking, and Salvation-refusing souls; why do ye halt thus betwixt two opinions? If God be God, serve him, if you can find out a better Master, serve him; but know assuredly, when God shall send you for succour at a dying hour, to the Gods that ye have chosen, and to the Idols that you have set up in your hearts, you will be forced to say of them as Job of his false friends, miserable comforters ye are all.  
Though the Scripture is most express that we must dedicate all our Talents of time, and gifts, and parts, and interests, and callings to the advantage of our great Lord, to the serving of our generation, to the benefit of other souls, and to the furtherance of our own account, yet how ordinary a thing is it for men and women to be of Agrippa's temper, almost Christians, of a Laodicean frame of spirit, lukewarm, and betwixt hot and cold: They will sometimes read, and perhaps pray in their families, and come to the Assembly on the Sabaoth, if their lusts will give them leave, and much of the easiest and cheapest part of Religion they will practise, and be willing to adventure as far as a name to live, and a form of godliness will bear them out, but still with Herod they will set themselves a stint, hitherto they will go, and no further, ere his right eye should out by parting with his Herodias, his reprovers head should off, and ere these will cut off their right hands, by forsaking their evil practices, and their right feet by foregoing their evil company, and saying, away ye wicked, I will keep the Commandments of my God, they will do as the rich young man did when he heard that command, forsake all and follow me, he thought it a hard saying, and forsook his Counsellor, though it were a Saviour: Many will be persuaded to do as much as the Jews did Isay. 2. Offer sacrifice, burn incense, and observe days, and like hasty messengers run away with half their errand, leaving all of substance and power behind them; but for close and costly services these are hard and irksome, God must have them excused for such, and for the suffering part of Christianity, they are meat strangers to that, yea, and very enemies to the cross of Christ: These are they that in praying, pray not, and in hearing, hear not, and use the things that tend to Salvation, as though they used them not.  
3. They may pass for neglecters of this great Salvation, that do not make it their greatest care. God is the highest good, and not to love him with the highest love, is interpretatively to hate him; Mistake me not, I do not mean it absolutely that we must love God in the highest degree here, while we are in our imperfect militant condition, to know but in part, to be sanctified but in part, and to love but in part. We may love sincerely on earth, but we shall not love perfectly till we come to Heaven, where perfect love shall cast out all fear, but my meaning is, that in a comparative sense we should love him best, and most, more than the creature, or ourselves, more than the interests of the world or flesh, for whosoever loveth the World, or any thing in the World more than God, is not worthy of him, and whosoever loves not God and Christ more than any thing, than all things in the World, loves them not in sincerity; Those that are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, lovers of Mammon more than lovers of God, they are not better than haters of God. Salvation by Christ is the greatest happiness, and therefore our greatest care and pains should be spent upon it: It's the unum necessarium, the only thing necessary, and therefore aught to be the unicum maximum, that should carry away the flower and cream of our affections and endeavours. It's common with the vulgar to judge of the things of the third Heaven, as they do by the things of the second, the Moon and the Stars; they think the Moon to be biggest, because it is nearest, and seems so; when stars of a greater magnitude are thought little, because they are farther off; So we are ready to look upon the perishing vanities of this transitory World, as great matters, because they are at hand, and near us, and the joys of Heaven, and felicities above to be but small and inconsiderable, because they are far above, and out of our sight.  
But you have heard before, that the Scripture bids us strive to enter in at the straight Gate, and to give all diligence to make all sure, and to offer violence to the Kingdom of Heaven, and tells us that the righteous are scarcely saved, and with greatest difficulty, and therefore not to lay out ourselves, our whole selves, and that to our uttermost possibility, is to be neglecters of this great Salvation. Now the good Lord be merciful to us, and help us, and give us seeing eyes, hearing ears, and understanding hearts, to hear, and feel and consider this, for if this be to neglect this great Salvation, not to make it our highest care, not to bestow the most serious thoughts of our minds, the most ardent desires of our hearts, and the most effectual endeavours of our lives upon it, what will become (not of lose and carnal libertines) but of the greatest part of those that take themselves, and are taken by others to be good Christians.   

2 USE  
Shall be of Direction for the use and benefit of such as being confounded with the greatness of the sin of setting light by this Salvation, and being pricked in their hearts, and covered with confusion, shallbe ready to cry out, Men and Brethren, what shall we do? I shall prescribe them a remedy in four branches of direction.  
In regard Gospell-Salvation is great salvation, and our setting light by it is great sin; Therefore that this sin may not be our ruin, There must be 

1. Great thoughts of heart,  
2. Great search of heart  
3. Great humblings of heart  
4. Great changes of heart   about it.  
These have such necessary dependence one upon another, that they are preparative one to another 

1. Great thoughts are antecedent to great search.  
2. Great search are preparative to great humblings.  
3. Great humblings to great change.    
1 There must be great thoughts of heart about this great sin. When Reuben was separated from the other Tribes of Jsrael, the text saith for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart; but when men and women shall be separated from God by their iniquities, yea, by such a partition wall as this of Gospel-refusing, these divisions should beget great thoughts of heart in such whose consciences cry guilty. Thoughts are the seeds of action, as evil actions proceed from evil thoughts, so good actions from gracious thoughts, The Scripture saith out of the heart proceed first evil thoughts, and then murders and a black train of actual abominations. Mat. 15.19. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things. Mat. 12.35. As vain and lustful thoughts do bring forth sin, so serious, and sad thoughts of sin do bring forth repentance; Hezekia's thoughts troubled him by day, David's by night, Job's day and night, so should a true penitent? My sin is ever in my sight, saith holy David. The plaster of Conviction should stick close till it draw forth Compunction, and that of Compunction till it being forth humiliation, and that till it being forth Faith, and saving Conversion. David saith, I considered my ways, and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies. In which words David makes a turn, but first he makes a stop, his thoughts did drive him to a stand. I considered my ways (i. e.) I studied them, I turned them upside down; It's good thus to prevent God, he hath threatened to turn the ways of the ungodly upside down, its safest that we turn our own ungodly ways upside down, for the promise is, If we judge ourselves we should not be judged. As all sin proceeds from ignorance and inconsiderateness, so all grace gins in knowledge, and consideration. The progress of saving and conversion is laid before us in these several degrees.  

1. Consideration.  
2. Deliberation.  
3. Resignation.   
Resignation is the uppermost step, when the Soul comes up to this point of a Covenant-delivery of itself to God, and Jesus Christ, and this gins in consideration, that is taking up of our most serious thoughts about it: for consideration is the eye of the Soul that looks inward, or the reflecting of the Soul upon itself, which is done by this duty of thinking or thoughtfulness.  
2. There must be great search of heart, Lament 3.40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord, said the Church in distress, in order to the getting out of her deeps. Commune with your own hearts, saith holy David, on your bed and be still. Psal. 4.4. That is, when you are retired, and solitary, and have sequestered yourselves from other thoughts, and employments, then take your hearts to task, ask them questions, and receive their answers, and hold them to it, keep them from starting aside, or running away, till you have your desired satisfaction. The heart of man is deceitful and wicked above all things, It hath many turn and wind, and lurking holes in it, many backdoors, and evading places; Observe how David did take his heart to task, to make it a heart after Gods own heart, and acted what before he gave in precept, Psal. 77.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord, my sore ran in the night, and ceased not, my Soul refused comfort, I remembered God, and was troubled, I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking, I am so troubled that I cannot speak. Sad thoughts did so throng in upon him, that he could not speak for thinking, he was overpressed in his spirit, and what course did he then take, see verse 6. I common with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search. As officers would search for hidden malefactors in every corner of an house where they are suspected to be so must we search every corner of our deceitful hearts to find out those evil ones, ourselves, a meipso libera me, domine, that body of sin and death, that lies lurking secretly within us, and as we would search dark vaults with lights, so must we take God's word to be a lantern, that heart-discovering word, to which all things are naked and manifest, which is powerful and mighty in operation, and will pierce to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit, and joints and marrow etc. The chief Quaeres that we should put to ourselves should be these.  

1. Do we take no care about Salvation?  
2. Do we take but little care about it?  
3. Do we not make it our greatest care?   
Our hearts should be fixed on such considerations and search, till they are fired with them, and we should have no rest in our Souls, if our hearts condemn us, till we have gone to God, and vented ourselves in a free and ingenuous confession of all our sins, especially that sin, with dejection of Spirit, and humblings of heart, which is the next thing.  
3. There must be great humblings of heart. This sin should be for so great a lamentation, that we should call down the spirit of grace and mourning to assist us that our mourning may be deep, and durable, Notorious sins must have notable repentance: aggravated wickedness must have suitable sorrow, where iniquity abounds, humiliation must abound too, if we expect grace shall superabound Manasses having sinned greatly, was said to humble himself greatly before the God of his Fathers; 2. Chron. 33.12, 13. and having sinned, and sinned, by adding sin unto sin; He prayed, and prayed, he was instant, and constant in his supplication for pardon. We may not flatter ourselves with the deceived multitude, and think that a few good purposes towards the last, or a crying God mercy upon our death beds will do the work. The word indeed saith, that the poor Publican, that said but Lord be merciful to me a sinner, went home rather justified than the proud Pharise, that stood on up●oe in his own justification; but observe the appurtenances to that prayer of the Publicans, and you will find them to be such as do accompany deep humiliation.  

1. He stood afar off Ecceti●●r  
2. He 〈…〉 eyes to Heaven, Ecce pudor.  
3. He smote his breast, Ecce dolour.   
That prayer of his was accompanied with, 

1. Great fear, in standing afar off.  
2. Great shame, in not lifting up his eyes.  
3. Great sorrow, in smiting his breast.    
When souls tremble at God's word, to such will God look, even to such, Isa. 66.2. when they take s●● and shame to themselves, and accept of the punishment of their iniquity, and judge and condemn themselves, God hath no more to ●●y, 1. Cor. 11.31.  
When the sinner is grieved because God and his Spirit are grieved, God doth as it were sympathise with them, and grieve for them, he's sorry for our afflictions, and reputes him of the evil, Joel, 2.13. and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel, Judges, 10.16. and I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them, Jer. 18.8. I know the Scripture opens a wide door of hope to faithful prayers in times of greatest distress, in that gracious promise, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, Rom. 10.13. but its physic that is administered with this corrective, in the very next words. But how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? The prayer of faith will not only recover health in sickness, but life in death, but it is not every call, nor loud cry that is a prayer; not every one that can say Lord, Lord can pray, and God told the Israelites that they did not pray unto him when they howled upon their beds. Hos. 7.14. there's a vast difference betwixt saying a prayer, & praying a prayer; the words of prayer are but the carcase of the duty, the longing desites of the soul after God and his mercies, after gifts, and giver are the soul of it, and that only that makes the prayer effective.  
Therefore I say that such sinners as Gospel-refusers may find mercy, there must be deepest humiliations, suitable repentance, and most tervent prayers. Old weather-beaten sinner's ●hat have long settled on their lees, and have been frozen in their dregs, and have lain soaking in their lusts, that have long frustrated means, fair, and foul, and all that have been spent in vain upon them, such Blackmores will not be washed white with a little nitre, nor such Leopards purged from their spots with a finger. No, if after long humbling, and praying, and fasting, and waiting, they may have a glimpse of Gods pleased countenance at last, they have cause to wonder at such mercy, if at their latter end they may have their pardon sealed, though their grey hairs are brought down with sorrow to the grave, yet they have reason more than enough to die admiring the Lords mercy. But here I must enter a caveat against a mistake, let all thought of meriting be banished from our severest, and most mortifying humiliations. Though we should macerate ourselves with fasting into very Skelitons, and be like so many pale corpses, or wand'ring shadows, though we could sigh ourselves into very air, and dissolve into very tears, our heads being fountains and our eyes rivers: Yet when all were done we must cry out unprofitable, and we must fly from our best performances to the Lords mercy, and to Christ's merit for succour and Salvation.  
4 There must be great changes of heart, from stone to flesh is a great change, and when God pours out his clean water of sanctification, he takes away the heart of stone, and gives the heart of flesh, Ezek. 36.26. From worse than nothing to the new creature, is a greater change, and this is wrought in regeneration. From darkness to light is a change most remarkable, and this saving conversion brings to pass, Acts. 26.18. For a Man to hate his flesh, his unregenerate part, his lust, and body of death, which in the time of his vanity he loved so dear, and was as loath to part with the members of it, right eye, foot, or hand, this is a great change, and such a change is wrought in self-denial.  
It was a great change that was wrought on Saul upon a sudden, when from persecuting he fell to praying, and preaching, this well deserved an ecce as a note of admiration, behold he prays, Acts. 9.11. For one that was so mad upon taking away the lives of others for professing Christ, to be more ready to lay down his own upon the same account, was so notable a change, that all that hear of it may say this is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. The grace of God which brings Salvation brings such changes, and where great changes of heart are wrought, there great changes of life will accompany them, Gospel-sliting, and neglecting will be turned into Gospel-prizing, and advancing, those that made no reckoning of God's Law before, will after this change say with David, I love thy commandments above gold, and the Lawof thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver, and they that thus prise it in their hearts, will practise it in their lives, knowing that the true say of God are verba vivenda non legenda, and they ought to live Gospel as well as know it: David approves himself to God in the sincerity of his own heart in saying, Lord, what love have I unto thy Law, all the day long is my study in it, and desires God to sift, and try, and prove, and search him over and over, that there may be no leaven of hypocrisy left behind, Psal. 139.23, 24. And he makes it the Character of a blessed man that he exterciseth himself in God's Law day and night, Psal. 1.2. We should make it our meat and drink, our food, and Physic, and recreation. And for an answerable conversation the Apostles exhortation is exceeding pregnant, wherein he gives them one precept that may include totum homnis, the whole duty of man, Phil. 1.27. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Solomon saith Fear God and keep his Law, for this is the whole duty of man, Ecles. 12.13. So the Apostle there, love Christ, and love his Gospel, for this is the whole duty of Christians.   

3 USE  
Shall lay before you and leave with you, two brief encouraging considerations, by way of comsolation, for those that have formerly been such, but now have resolved to break off that, and all other sins by unfeigned repentance.  
1 Let such consider it is not every Sermon that is slighted, or every tender of mercy, and offer of Jesus Christ that is made to the Soul, and set light by that is the great damning, and impardonable sin of Gospel-refusing, though these are too bad, and exceeding heinous, and being objectively against the Gospel, are much to be bewailed, but it's the final refusing of mercy, and slighting of Jesus Christ to the death, that is most properly, and in strict sense the great sin of Gospel-refusing, and such as live and die in that sin, do render themselves by so doing uncapable of pardon, and cast themselves unavoidably upon everlasting damnation, God's word saith as much, either expressly, or by direct consequence in a thousand places, every Minister that you hear tells you so, or else he tells you not the truth, every Chapter that you read gives you some hint or other of it, many a time have your brothers and Christian friends told you that except you close which God, and lay hold upon Christ, you cannot be saved, if they have dealt faithfully with your Souls, yea many a time have your own consciences (if they are not blind, and dumb, and seared) told you so, and is it not the extremity of madness to venture your Salvation upon such terms, that either the Scriptures must be false and God a Liar, or you cannot be saved? If you live and die in this sin, you must as sure be damned as the Devil himself, as sure as the Heaven is over your heads, and the earth under your feet, Hell will be your portion, and everlasting damnation will be the wages of refusing Gospel-Salvation.  
But if you may yet be prevailed with before your breath be stopped, and the pit shut her mouth upon you, to embrace Christ whom you have long slighted, and accept of that mercy which you have unworthily refused, and receive the Gospel which you have neglected, there is yet hope in Israel concerning this: O for the Lords sake, and for your Souls sake, stand out no longer, refuse not mercy that may yet be had, be not accessary to your own everlasting undoing, do not tyre a long suffering God out of patience, and provoke him that swears he takes no delight in the death of a sinner, to swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest. Do not make him your judge who is willing to be your advocate, nor turn the Lamb of God into a Lion Rampant. O grieve not the Spirit, which would be your comforter, and remember who said, when he was waiting upon a rebellious people, My spirit shall not always strive with flesh, O send not back Christ's Ambassadors to their master to tell him with tears that you will not believe their report, and put them not upon that diabolical employment to be your accusers to God, and swift witnesses against you at the bar of Christ; make not the word to be the savour of death, which was ordained to be the savour of life to the heirs of Salvation. Let not the Sermons, that you have heard, and the books that you have, or might have read, and this that you are now reading rise up in judgement against you: what should I say more, the Lord knows how willing I am to say all that I can possibly invent that may win upon you, and all that he shall put into my mouth, if he will open your ears and hearts to counsel, who opens and none can shut this may be enough to prevail with you that hath been already spoken; but if he will shut, or will not open, though I could speak with the tongues of men and Angels, I should be but as a Sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal. O consider this and the Lord give you understanding in all things.  
2 Let such consider lastly that there is mercy enough revealed in the Gospel even to pardon all such Gospel-refusing as it not final: The Gospel excludes but one sin from pardon, and that is because such a sinner cannot be renewed by repentance. If the sinner against the holy Ghost could be penitent, the sin against the holy Ghost might be pardoned, for it is not therefore impardonable because its greater than the mercy of the Father, or merit of the Son, but because the sinner hath done despite to the holy Ghost, and rendered himself incapable of the help of the spirit of grace: I have already taught you that Gospel mercy is a present, and precious remedy against Law-transgressions; but this is a step farther to consider that it's also a sovereign remedy against Gospel-refusing, which is not final, and they may be Gospel-receivers who have been of long season Gospel refusers. The blood of Christ was so savingly sovereign, that it healed those that wounded him, and gave life to some of those murderers that put him to death, as is evident from that plain Scripture Acts. 2.36, 37, 38. Peter told them God had made that Jesus whom they crucified both Lord and Christ. There we see they were such as had a hand in crucifying Christ, The next verse shows that they were penitent, and pricked at the heart for that sin, and begging directions of the Apostles what they might do to be saved, they were directed to repent and encouraged with the hopes of the promise, and v. 41. They gladly received the word and there were added to the Church three thousand Souls, who continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breathing of bread, and prayer. And as the merit of Christ extended to his very persecutors so the mercy of the Gospel extends to the refusers of the Gospel. That Son, that said he would not go into the vinyeard and went, was better accepted with the Father, than he that said I go Sr. and went not. So those that have long stood at a distance from God upon their unfeigned repentance will be better accepted than such as are forward in profession and show, but have nothing of the power, and beauty, and reality of Godliness, and Christianity in them. O what greater encouragement can Rebels have to lay down arms and submit to mercy, than a probability, nay a conditional certainty of their Prince's pardon: We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful said the servants of Benhadad, and therefore got ropes about their necks in token of submission, and humbled themselves, and found mercy according to their expectation, you have heard again and again that the God of Israel, the King of Kings is merciful, but how merciful none can tell you, he is able to do more exceeding abundantly than we are able to ask or think, let us lie in the dust, and shame ourselves before him, and turn from our evil ways, and turn unto the Lord, and as sure as he is a God of truth we shall find him to be a God of mercy: but if notwithstanding all these allurements we shall persist in our sin of setting light by the Gospel, our blood will be upon our own heads, and we shall be left to perish without remedy. I shall shut up all with that obtestation of the Apostle to the Romans Chap. 12.1, 2. Which is my entreaty to you, I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present yourselves a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, etc.    

THE THIRD DOCTRINE, The neglect of Great Salvation brings Great Damnation.  
DAmnation is so dreadful a doom, that the very report of it is like a thunderclap to cause a heart-quake in the hearers and speakers of it; If Ministers must preach upon pain of Damnation, and people must hear and attend upon pain of Damnation, the believing entertainment of this truth one would think should be powerful to work miracles, even to make the dumb to speak, and the deaf to hear; it's better to hear the roaring of the Lion, than to come into his paw, and its better to hear of the dreadfulness of Damnation, than to come under the sentence. It's joyous to hear of Heaven, but it's the fullress of joy to be invited to it, wath a come ye bl●ssed children of my Father, receive the Kingar●● prepared for you. So its dreadful to hear of Hell, but it's the most terrible of terribles to be sentenred to it, with go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. You have heard of the amiableness of Salvation to invite you, harken unto the dreadfulness of Damnation to affright you, that either you may be drawn, or driven to mind the things that belong unto your peace: the rule that we proposed was ingentia beneficia, ingentia flagitia, great mercies abused do aggravate sin, and make it sinful with a witness, And now the remainder of it is ingentia flagitia, ingentia supplicia, those heinous sins do pull down punishnent with a vengeance, that sin with a hard heart doth call and cry for judgement with a high hand. Now though this be not expressed totidem verbis in express words in the Text, yet that which doth tantamount is employed in the question, How shall we escape? which is as much as to say, there's no possibility of escaping. And what is it that we cannot escape? why, a just recompense of reward for our transgression, and disobedience; if we look back to the verse before the Text, yea, a severer judgement more fiery indignation, and a sorer punishment than the transgressors of Moses Law, if we look forward to Ch. 10.27, 28, 29. And what the spirit of God speaks short here, is spoken out, and at large to the Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites, that slew the Prophets that were sent unto them, and refused servants, and Son too, that came to require fruit of the vineyard, Mat. 23.33. Ye Serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the Damnation of Hell? And observe that Mat. 25.41. It's called the Devil's damnation, depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. The harmonious discord that dwells in the antithesis which opposes this great damnation to that great Salvation is very elegant and observable.  
The Salvation refused is called the Salvation of God, all the ends of the earth have seen the Salvation of our God.  
The Damnation incurred by such a refusal is called the damnation of the Devil.  

The Salvation slighted is the Salvation of Heaven.  
The Damnation deserved is the Damnation of Hell.   
I observed in the handling of the first that the mercy of Salvation is much magnifyed, and made mervelous by three degrees. And now we are to observe that the justice of damnation is made glorious by the same degrees, for these two contraries have the same dimensions, the most righteous God that gives the one, and inflicts the other, being as infinite in justice, as in mercy. Observe then in order to such an illustration of it, 

1. That it is positively great Damnation.  
2. That it is comparatively greater than other.  
3. That it is superlatively the greatest of all.    
1 That it is Great Damnation you may easily conclude from what is already spoken, that it is the damnation of Hell, and the Devil's Damnation, and the very word gives such an astonishing sound to such as can apprehend both name and thing, that to discover it to be great, it will need no more than the naming; but since we have to do with such as are brutifyed, and must fight with beasts after the manner of men, since our work lies much with dead men, such as are dead in trespasses and sins, and though they bear the names of men and women, that are reasoable creatures, yet they are further from knowledge than the Ox and the Ass, Isay. 1.3. And as senseless and stupid as stocks and stones, as the inanimate globes of Heaven and Earth, Isay. 1.2.  
We must therefore use all possible means (and all little enough) to awaken them to things of highest Consequence, and everlasting Concernment, and such are the things that we have in hand. Matters of Salvation and Damnation, matters of life and death for ever and ever.  
Study with me but this one point, that the Damnation that we are speaking of, and about to aggravate is not Damnation barely for the breach of God's Law, but for refusing the mercy of the Gospel, that was offered to make up that breach, its Damnation for the refusal of Salvation, of which refusers we may use the Apostles words, Rom. 3.8. Whose Damnation is just. There can be no greater justice than this, when life and death are set before men, and they will choose death, that they should have it, when Salvation and Damnation are both held out in the promise and threatening, that the refusers of Salvation should fall into damnation, observe joh. 3.16. God so loved the world that be gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life, and in the next verse, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved: In both verses is declared both posivetily, and negatively for what end Christ came into the world. 1 He came to save sinners, 2 He came to save, and not to damn. But as God by his creating power brought light out of darkness; so men by their destroying sin bring darkness out of light, and like the Spiders do gather poison from the sweetest flowers, and most wholesome herbs; They do wilfully aggravate their condemnation by the gracious offers of Salvation, and treasure up for themselves severest wrath from sweetest mercy. And this is that that brings this great damnation, as you may see there in the very next verse but one, ver. 19 This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light, that mercy is offered and wrath is chosen, that Salvation is tendered, and Damnation is taken, men deal so Jewishly with Christ, that they prefer Barrabbas a murderer before him, and this is rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Damnation.  
2. It is comparatively greater than other condemnations, we proved Gospel-Salvation to be greater than other Salvations. And the sin of Gospel-refusing to be greater than other sins. And now are to show that this damnation is greater than other condemnations.  
1. Greater than condemnation by man's law, sentences in Courts of humane Judicature, reach But 

1. Either to the estate as fining, or confiscation,  
2. Or to the body, as imprisonment and scourging,  
3. Or to the name, as stigmatising, or burning in the hand or forehead,  
4. Or if capital to the life as hanging, beheading, etc.  
5. Or in case of treason to the family and posterity.    
But this transcends all those condemnations, as we may gather from Luke 12.4, 5. which were the words of our Saviour to his Disciples, I say unto you my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do, but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear, fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell, yea, I say unto you, fear him. Provoking sinners are said to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. Rom. 2.5. Though they catch many a rap here, that's nothing in comparison of what's behind: This is the day of grace, wherein God exerciseth patience and long-suffering towards them, but if the goodness of God do not bring them to repentance, there's another day a coming, where they must give another manner of reckoning, a fearful, and terrible day, a day all of Wrath: Then righteous Judgement will be impartially dispensed without respect of persons: here below in men's judicatories it falls out oftentimes as with fish in a net, great ones are caught, when little ones creep through; and sometimes again as with flies in the Spider's web, the little ones are held, when the great ones break through, but that day will surprise High and Low, Rich and Poor, one with another, We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, 2. Cor. 5.10 and every one must give an account of himself to God, Rom. 14.12. If any are left out of these expressions, all and every one, they may expect to escape judgement, else not. Here sometimes the rod of the wicked falls to the lot of the righteous, and Gods servants are condemned as evil doers, when the Benjamins' mess, and double portion is given to the wicked, but then the just Judge of all the World will do all men right, and distribute righteous judgement in giving to every one according to his works. Rom. 2.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Rendering eternal vengeance to the ignorant and disobedient, and willbe made glorious in them that believe. 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9, 10.  
2. Greater also than condemnation by God's Law, as appears from the verse before my text and Ch. 10.27, 28, 29, 30, 31. To such as wilfully refuse this Gospel-Salvation, There remains no Sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries: He that despised Moses law (i. e.) God's law given by the Mediatorship of Moses, died without mercy; of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy; who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of Grace. For we know him that hath said, vengeance belogneth unto me, I will recompense saith the Lord, and again the Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So far the Apostle in that Scripture, which thunderclaps, though by the concurrent Judgement of expositors, they are leveled at sinners against the Holy Ghost, those that are guilty of that sin unto death, yet many of the iniquities of that sin are (though in a lower measure) to be charged upon the neglecter of this great Salvation.  
3. It is superlatively the greatest of all condemnations, two places of Scripture I shall quote and improve, that are of this tendency, and then shall pass to the further confirmation of it by strength of reason.  
The first is 1 Thes. 2.16. Where the Apostle notes that the Jews, that killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets, and persecuted the Apostles, and envied the Gentiles, that in a word, with the unjust Judge did neither fear God, nor reverence Man, did thus Fill up the measure of their sins, till wrath came upon them to the utter most, (i. e.) they sinned to the uttermost till they were plagued to the uttermost. compare with this place that Heb. 7.25. which words are spoken of Jesus Christ, the great high Priest of his Church, the plentiful Redeemer and mighty Saviour, He is able to save to the uttermost all them that do come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them: what can be more equal than this that they that refuse mercy to the uttermost, should have wrath to the uttermost, that they which set light by that Salvation to the uttermost, should endure the uttermost of Damnation.  
The other place of Scripture that speaks to this point, and serves to set out the superlative greatness of this Damnation is Matth. 3.7. They are the words of John Baptist to the Pharisees and Saducees, that came to his Baptism, O Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Where note that this dreadful Damnation is called Wrath to come, and therefore because the main of it is reserved for the life to come; true it is that some notorious Malefactors have an entrance into Hell opened unto them while they are upon earth, and are hanged up in Gibbets for the astonishment of others, that are so pursued by the hornets of their consciences stinging them with the pangs of the second death, that with Cain and Judas they are driven by the Devil through hell internal into an hell eternal; but the dreadfulness of perfected Damnation, which the Devil believes and trembles to believe, is reserved for an endless life, in that which we call the World to come, David saith Great plagues remain for the ungodly: though upon the ungodly, God raines snares, fire, and brimstone, storm and tempest, and discharges whole Volleys of Wonderful plagues upon the children of disobedience, Deut. 28.59. yet there is a reserve of more and greater, and the biggest and worst are still behind. As the Saints have usually the worst in possession, and best in reversion, and this life is a sowing in tears that they may reap in joy; so usually the wicked have the best at first, and worst at last, as Abrabram said to Dives, Son remember how in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things, but Lazarus pains, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. But to return to take into further consideration that expression of wrath to come, Cast abroad your eyes in all the world, and look back to the beginning of time, and inquire whether ever sorrow were like unto that Weeping and Howling, and Gnashing of Teeth, which the Lord inflicts upon the Damned in the day of his fierce wrath.  
1. We read that for our first Parent's disobedience, the whole Creation was under such a load of wrath, that ever since it hath groaned under it: Rom. 8.22. But there we read also that the creature groans under an expectation of liberty, waiting when it shall be restored into the glorious liberty of the Sons God; but when this Damnation takes place, the Torments as they are easless, so shall they be endless; the worm dyeth not, and the fire never goes out, there is no hope of a deliverance.  
2. It's upon record that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with Fire and Brimston, but when the Cities were burnt the fire was extinguished, but the wicked are the chaff and stubble that must be burnt with unquenchable fire, the damned, who are the fuel that feed; it shallbe like the burning bush all on a fire but not consummed, and therefore the fire must needs be everlasting; The burning thereof is fire and much wood, and the breath of the Lord like a River of brimstone doth kindle it. Isay 30.33.  
3. God overthrew the old World with a devouring flood, but the Scripture makes mention of the rising and raging of it, and then of its ebbing again, and flowing no more: But those souls that are drowned in perdition, are cast into the Mare mortuum, the dead, and deadly Sea, the Red and the Raging Sea of the Almighty's wrath, which hath neither bank nor bottom, where they must be sinking and drowning for ever and ever.  
4. The Jews for their rejecting Christ, were unchurched, and Excommunicated, but they are to be called again, when the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, But the sentence of final Damnation shallbe beyond the Anathema Maranatha, that was but till the coming of Lord, but this commences at the coming of the Lord, and from thenceforth for ever, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire.  
But we also promised to clear this point unto you by evidence of reason, as I did the former, for if such truths were but believingly received in the evidence of them, they would surely be mighty in operation, and pierce to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit: If our everlasting doors were but opened to entertain such mighty Doctrines, can we think that men and women that have reasonable Souls, and the principles of self-love, and self-preservation in them, and the passion of fear in them, I say can it be once imagined that they can be so brutish to cast away all care what will become of them in another world, and with both hands to pull down upon bodies and souls this swift damnation. Know then that the damnation that we are treating of, which men draw upon their own heads by setting light by Gospel-Salvation, is monstrous great for these ensuing reasons,  
1. Reason, Because it proceedeth from so great a God. If we would know the greatness of this Damnation, let us study the greatness of that God that inflicts it: The wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lion; but let those that can tell what the wrath of the King of Kings is: surely Moses his words do advance it above all that can be spoken or thought of it: Psal. 90.11. Who knows the power of thine anger? for according to thy fear is thy wrath (i.e.) let such as have the most enlightened and most enlarged understandings, grasp as much as they can in comprehending thy displeasure, yet when they are come unto their wit's end, it is infinitely beyond their reach. The Lord doth all things like himself; If he do but speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it, his very word will bring it to pass, it brought the world out of nothing with as little ado, for he did but speak the word and they were made, he commanded, and they were created: and again if he do but blow upon it, and speak against it to destroy it, whether it be a Nation, or all the Nations of the world, he can command a Flood or a Fire to do his strange work: When he will deliver, none can deliver like him, and when he will destroy, none can destroy like him. David's question puts all out of question, that there is no resistance to be made against him. Who may stand in his sight when he is angry? Dare we provoke the Lord to jealousy? oh foolish people and unwise, are we stronger than he? Can stubble stand before a deavouring fire, or chaff stand against a scattering whirlwind? Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished, for he that judgeth them is a strong Lord. Though they could sore as high as Heaven, or fall as low as Hell, or fly to the uttermost coasts of the Earth, or Sea, though they should lie buried under Mountains a thousand miles deep, or all the rocks of the Sea and Land were piled upon them, yet there is no hiding them from the wrath of this mighty God, who is no less omniscient, than he is omnipotent. Those that desire to know more of the greatness of this God, let them study the 40 Chapter of Isay. And there they shall find, v. 12. That he measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meats the Heaven with a span, and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. And v. 15. All nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance, and v. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted less than nothing and vanity. And v. 22. It is he that setteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, that stretcheth out the Heavens as curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. That bringeth the Princes to nothing, and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity. Considering all this greatness, and considering further that one half is not told you▪ the more we study it the more we are overwhelmed, and confounded with the glory of it, what can be too hard for the Lord, or who can stand in the judgement before this mighty God, to whom vengeance belongeth: We may easily be confirmed in the truth of all that is said, & all that can be said of the greatness of damnation, when we do but hear from whence it comes, even from the dreadful Jehovah, who is able with a word, or a frown, or a displeased breath to turn all the wicked into hell, and all the people that forget God.  
2. Reason, why this Damnation is so great, is, because it is for despising, and setting light by so great a Saviour, an undervaluing of the highest Love in its lowest condescension; This must be a reason coequal with the former, because Christ is the Son coequal with the Father. The mercy of heaven never put the sons of men to a quid amplius in any thing more than this? What could I do more for an unthankful world than this? Let the Sons of invention set their wits upon the rack, and tell us (if they can) what God could do more than to turn himself wholly into LOVE. 1 John 4.16. and having but one Son, who was heir of all things, his or●●●● begotten, and only beloved; who thought it no robbery to be equal with himself, to send him out of his own bosom, to empty himself of his glory, to take our sin and curse with our nature upon him, that we, who were children of disobedience and wrath, and heirs apparent to hell and condemnttion, might be received into the glorious liberty of the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty: Now for men to be so desperately rebellious is to slight this love, and so stubbornly mad as to refuse this Saviour, can the greatest judgements in God's storehouse, or the hottest place in that fire that burns to the bottom of hell be a proportionable recompense for such d●ing provocations? Shall wicked miscreants, slight and trample upon that which the Saints admire, and the Angels adore? O stupendious madness! It's a thousand wonders that the great eye of Heaven doth not wink the earth into utter darkness, & the very Sun take its leave of the world, abhorring to see men to be such incarnate Devils, and to see the Earth tainted with such hellish abominations; hellish do I say, nay in this the wickedness of man is so great in the Earth, that it justifies the Devils, for they, being left without hope of a Redeemer, were never guilty of setting light by a Saviour, and knowing so much of the terrors of the Lord as doth accompany their initial Damnation, in their chains of darkness, wherein they are reserved to the judgement of the great day, and trembling to believe 〈◊〉 much more of the consummation of it: fore-night be put to trial whether they wou● 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 office Saviour, can we th● 〈…〉 Devils themselves, 〈…〉 gent deceiving of finners to their 〈…〉 they would greedily apprehend the opp●●nity of laying hold upon Salvation. He● O heavens, and hearken O earth; and be astonished at this! We may stand amazed and wonder, that those prodigies are not every day's news, which accompanied the crucifying of this blessed Saviour, and did witness to the world h●● deeply the Lord was displeased with the more than barbarous cruelties; th● 〈◊〉 be a God even of invincible patience and long-suffering, and can see and suffer himself to be provoked every day, and his Son's blood, and righteousness to be trampled on, and set at nought by the refusers of mercy, yet this is but during the day of grace, this will not last always, the day of wrath is a coming, even at the doors, and then righteous judgement shallbe dispensed; and one high and main end of that great and terrible day is the exaltation of God's Son, that he may be manifested to both worlds, of men and Angels, to be Gods only beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased. Then shall the Lord Jesus be terrible to those that refused him, and glorious in them that believe, 2 Th. 7.8.  
3. Reason, Because it is wrath inflicted for resisting, and vexing of the Spirit of grace; The Father and Son have been the matter of the two foregoing Reasons, and this third is drawn from the third Person in this great and glorious Trinity. This Spirit moved upon the waters in the world's Creation, Gen. 1.2. This Spirit did strive with man in the days and Ministry of Noah, Gen. 6.3. This spirit was prophesied of in the days of the Prophets, Isay 59 ●1. My Spirit that is upon thee shall not departed from thee, nor from thy seed, nor from thy seeds feed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever, and Joel 2.28. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, etc. This spirit our Saviour promise when he went to the Father. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter and he shall abide with you for ever. Joh. 14.16. And this spirit was sent according to promise in the likeness of cloven and fiery Tongues, Acts 2.2, 3, 4. to guide, the Apostles into all truth, to bring to their remembrance, and to teach them more perfectly the things they had heard of Christ; to inspire and guide them in perfecting the Scriptures, and bearing witness to the truth of them by many wonderful miracles: And this spirit keeps residence in the Church, and joins itself as the spirit of wisdom and revelation, with the word of wisdom and revelation, to call and draw men unto Christ, and to work energetically and effectually in such as are made believers by the exceeding greatness of its mighty power. Now as Steven impleaded the Jews, so may we lay it to the charge of all such as live within the sound of the Gospel, Act. 7.51. Ye stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your Father did, so do ye. When the Spirit of God strives verbis, and verberibus, in the Word, and Rod, in ordinances, and providences, and the Lord may charge it upon us, as he doth, Pro. 1.24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Because I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and none would regard, but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, and distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early but shall not find me, etc. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. When the spirit shall be thus unworthily resisted, and vexed, nothing renders the Lord more inexorable, implacable, and merciless, and leaves the guilty to perish without remedy.  
4. Reason, Because it is prepared for great enemies. The very word prepared is a most stinging expression Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared etc. That wrath into whose preparation the wisdom, and justice of so great a God is ingredient, must needs be inconceivably, and unutterably great. But if we take in the great enemies for whom it is prepared, ●t will augment it; it was prepared for the D●vel and his Angel. Mat. 25.41. Those that were discontented with their own angelical excellency, and emulated the Majesty and greatness of God, and had an ambition to be like him. Tophet is prepared for the King (i. e.) for the Prince of darkness, and God of this world, or for the greatest of malefactors be they never so high, never so mighty, never so noble after the flesh, all their number, pomp, and greatness shall be swallowed up in the bottomless pit.  
Observe what black Catalogues the Scripture makes of that notorious rabble of Rebels Rampant that must descend into the bottomless pit. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thiefs, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God. See also Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, enyving, murders, drunkenness, revelling, and such like, of the which I tell you, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And Eph. 5.5. This ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ, and of God. These Scriptures are only exclusive, and bar Heaven against such, hear one place more, that acquaints us which the place that must receive them when Heaven spews them out, and that is the very sink of Hell. Rev. 21.8. The fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, It's said in Scripture that those which die in their unbelief, and impenitency, shall have their portion with hypocrites, dissemblers of holiness do but double their wickedness, and God will double their damnation. The persecutors of God's people, that strike at God, and Christ, and wound them through the sides of the Saints, these shall sink deep into the bottomless pit, and the despisers of God and Christ shall go into the same place of torment, the damnation prepared for the most notorious malefactors, shall be shared amongst the world of ungodly: When men are to entertain their best friends, they will do it with a confluence of choicest provisions, such is God's free entertainment of his Servants, and Favourites: Mine Oxen and Fall are killed, and all things in a readiness, come unto the Marriage. Mat. 22, 4. And Come ye blessed of my Father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you, Mat. 25, 34. But when men are to prosecute their deadliest Enemies, they will do it with the uttermost rigour that their possibility can reach unto; Such, and infinitely greater, is God's anger against his Adversaries, he takes pleasure at their overthrow, and laughs at their destruction, Ah, I will ease me of mine enemies, and be avenged on mine Adversaries, Isay. 1.24. And as if his mercy were utterly at an end, and he had forgotten to be gracious, he will denounce that everlasting excommunication, as the triumph of his glorious justice, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Mat. 25.41.  
5 Reason. Because it hath a great and a long reach.  

1. It reacheth to the Soul.  
2. And it reacheth to eternity.   
1 It reacheth unto the Soul: other sentences reach but to the body, name, estate, family, relations, liberty, life, as was before hinted, but this reacheth the Soul. Fear not them which kill the body, and when they have done that, have no more that they can do, but fear him, who when he hath killed is able to cast into Hell, yea, I say unto you, fear him, Luke. 12, 4. How do malefactors, that are arraigned for some capital offences tremble before an earthly Judge, when he is pronouncing sentence of death upon them? but how will corrupt Judges themselves tremble, as Faelix did, when he heard Paul reasoning of judgement to come, yea, a more than either he or Belshazzar did, when the hand was writing him a divorce from his Kingdom, when this sentence of Damnation is going out? how will blackness cover all faces, when a World of self condemned sinners shall stand before the dreadful Tribunal of the Lord Jesus, which in the last Assize he is sitting upon life and death, when nothing is left them but a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the Adversaries, Hebr. 10.27. 'Twas a sad hearing to the rich glutton, Thou fool this night shall thy Soul be taken from thee, Luke. 12.20. The Soul is more worth than the World in his esteem that laid down his life to save Souls, Mat. 16.26. And in this damnation this jewel is lost, and this darling of ours must be delivered to the roaring Lion. The Saints do lay all at stake to save their souls; Profs●s, Pleasures, Honours, Friends, Liberty, Life itself, and think all to be an easy exchange, which will more than conclude the loss, of the soul to be the loss of all losses.  
2. And that which makes this so great a loss, and that we are treating of so great Damnation, is because it is for ever and ever, It reacheth to Eternity. The sinner under convictions thinks he shall die no other death, & looks upon himself as in a very hell upon earth; David after deliverance out of such a deep, saith, O Lord, thou hast delivered my Soul from the nethermost hell, and Saint Augustine having in his confessions taken shame unto himself for a multitude sins, in the depth of his humiliation, calls out of the deep of misery to the deep of mercy, Lord, pity my Soul in the lowest hell; & such in Scripture-sense are called lost, Christ came to seek & save the lost, but this loss shallbe their gain, and I may say in this case as the Word in another, he that loseth his life, shall find it, and the Apostle Paul desired to be lost in himself, that he might be found in Christ, this is but a seeming loss, nor will it last long, heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, for a moment have I hid my face, in mine anger, saith the Lord, but with everlasting mercy will I return and have compassion; but the lose we are speaking of is real, and irreparable. The soul under desertion thinks itself in a woeful case, and hath much ado to distinguish betwixt itself and a castaway, as appears in David's case, Psal. 77.7, 8, 9 Will the Lord absent himself for ever? and will he be favourable no more? etc. and Job complained in the bitterness of his soul, that God had set him up as his mark to shoot at, and the venom of his arrows drank up his Spirit, and Hezekiah did mourn like a Dove and chatter like a Crane, and complained that from morning to night, God did make an end of him. But though it were now winter with them, and the sap was gone down into the root, yet the Suns return brought their spring again, and the light of God's countenance made all whole; but in that desertion which Damnation causes, the deserted soul is deserted for ever: When the body loses the soul at the death natural, it's a sad loss, but the Resurrection will bring them together again, but where the soul and God are parted in the spiritual death, and the natural death finds them in this case, eternal death presently seizes that soul, and that separation willbe everlasting, that soul and happiness will never meet.  
6. Reason, The last reason to prove this Damnation to be exceeding great, is Because it consists in great, and dreadful punishments. We shall make use of this old, and common distinction of 

1. Poena Damni The punishment of loss.  
2. Poena Sensus, The punishment of sense.    
All evil is distinguished into 

1. Malum culpae, The evil of sin.  
2. Malum poenae, The sin of punishment.    
All evil of sin may be distinguished into 

1. Inherent, our own sins.  
2. Adherent, our other men's sins,    
All evil of punishment as afore, into 

1. Poenam Damni, the punishment of loss.  
2. Poenam Sensus, the punishment of sense.    
Man is a compound creature, consisting of a soul and body, a Celestial and Terrestrial part, as God is Lord both by Creation, Preservation, and Purchase, so he requires to be honoured with both, with all of both, all the parts of our bodies, and all the powers of our souls: If the Apostles inference hold concerning one, (viz) God's right of purchase, ye are bought with a price, and therefore aught to glorify God, etc. It will conclude much more strongly, if we take in all: ye are created with his power, preserved by his providence, as well as bought with a price, therefore ye ought to glorify God both with your bodies and souls, which are Gods. Here is the very quintessence of reason that God should have his own, that which is so much his own by a manifold right. Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and give unto God that which is Gods. Now for such as give up themselves wholly to God in a way of grace and duty, taking him to be their ●●rtion, and his Son to be their Lord, preferring their interests before all others, serving them in the beauty of holiness, and power of Godliness, giving up themselves bodies, souls, and spirits unto God upon the account of the Covenant, desiring nothing more than that their hearts may be whole with God, and they could be steadfast in his Covenant, making God and Jesus Christ the joy of their hearts, and breath of their lives, and resolve to continue so doing to the death, God hath provided for them suitable joys and pleasures in the life to come; Rational delights for their reasonable souls, and sensible delights for their glorified bodies. Mistake not, far be it from me to say, or you to imagine that the glorified Saints shall enjoy such carnal delights in heaven, which sensual, and flesh pleasing men do make their heaven upon earth, that were a conceit better beseeming a Turk than a Christian, the Proselytes of Mahomet have dreamt of such an earthly, or rather hellish heaven, by fancying such an Utopian Paradise into which the unclean may enter, and the pleasures of sin shall meet them. The sensible pleasures to be enjoyed there are such as sort, and suit with the sublimated senses of glorified bodies and no other.  
And as God hath prepared such suitable joys and pleasures for such as love and serve him in sincerity, even joys for Souls, and pleasures for bodies, for those that glorify him with Souls 〈…〉 so on the contrary those that will 〈…〉 ●ting call, nor close with his 〈…〉, in accepting his dear Son, 〈…〉 great Salvation offered with him, but remain sworn vassals to the Devil, World, and Flesh giving up the parts and powers of their Souls and Bodies to serve sin in the lust of it, These shall receive wages according to their work, as they polluted themselves with filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and dishonoured God with their Souls and Bodies, so God will punish them accordingly, their Souls with rational punishments, tribulation and anguish shall be upon the Soul of every one that doth evil, and their bodies with sensible, which the word shadows out by fire and brimstone.  
These two sorts of Torments are briefly contained in those Scriptures, Isay. 66.24. Mark. 9.44. In the worm that dyeth not, and the fire that never goeth out. In which expressions expositors conceive the holy Ghost alludeth unto two Kind's of burials of dead corpses, some were interred in the earth, and out of those worms would breed, which would eat them up, and never leave devouring till all were consumed, an Ancient gives this account of the degrees of that annihilation, which resolves the body into its principle of nullity. Caro in putredinem, putredo in vermes vermis in pulvere, pulvis in nihilum redigitur. The flesh is turned into rottenness, that rottenness into worms, those worms into dust, and that dust is reduced to nothing.  
Other bodies were not buried in the earth, but were burned with fire, and reduced to ashes, and those ashes were reserved in urns. Only here is the difference, this worm is not like that that devours bodies, for when the body is consumed, that worm dies, nor is this fire like that that burns carcases, for when the carcases are burnt, that fire goes out, but this is ignis inextinguibilis unquenchable fire.  
By this never dying worm we are to understand the worm of an accusing, and tormenting conscience, that is ever gnawing, and hereby we may understand all rational torments of which the buffet of conscience are the chiefest.  
And by this fire that never goes out, we are to understand the torments of sense, set off by burning, because that was the most torturing death that was inflicted by the Jews; but to open these a little more fully, we will take them as they lie before us, and speak of them apart.  
1 Rational torments provided for damned Souls are a part, and the greatest part of the torments of Hell, for which this deserves to be called Great Damnation. Now as the Soul is distributed into the understanding, will, and affections, so we may assign unto these soveral faculties their peculiar torments, I only intent to touch upon them to give you a taste, and not to enter upon any topical, and methodical discourse concerning them.  
1 They shall be plagued in their understandings, by seeing, and knowing, and feeling themselves to be irrecoverably lost, and intolerably miserable: Here the messengers of the Lord, knowing the terrors of the Lord, did cry aloud to give warning of their sin, and danger, and duty, they did throw Hell-fire in their faces, and so gaster them with the thunder and lightning of Hell and damnation, that they could never be at quiet, but were even tormented before their time; and when they had done their uttermost, when they had studied, and preached, and prayed, and waited, and wept themselves into consumptions, in seeking to them, and to God for them, that they might be saved, they could make no better a report of their embassy to him that sent them, but to this effect. Lord, who hath believed our report, or to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? In which seat doth that Sou● si●, in what town is his habitation, or in what family dwells he that was dead and is alive, that was lost and is found? Some of us, thy unworthy servants, Lord, have through undeserved mercy been preachers ten, some twenty, some thirty, some forty years and more, to such and such congregations, we have preached some hundreds, some of us thousands of Sermons, and through grace we have endeavoured to do it faithfully in our measure, we have taught publicly and from house to house, we have spoken with authority, and dealt personally and familiarly with the souls of refusers, and all was but lost labour upon them, though not a labour in vain to ourselves: Will not this be a sad hearing for thousands, when those, that have been watchmen for their souls, must come to give up this account with grief; But what will the Lord say to this? Will he say to those that would not be taught, be ignorant still, and to those that would not be reform, be disobedient still, no surely, it may well be doubted whether the Lord had not formerly seared them up in their ignorance and profaneness, with such an hardening of their hardness by inflecting senslesness for their affecting senslesness: But now it shall be otherwise, the ignorant shall be no longer ignorant, the drunkard, swearer, who monger, sabboth-breaker shall be so no longer, they shall see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, though they shall never be converted, nor be healed; Lord thy hand is lifted up, said the Prophet Isay, and they will not see, thy wrath was in the threatening, they saw a black cloud rising, and a driving storm coming, and would not beware, but now they shall see, volentes, nolentes, willing or nilling they shall hear and understand, and be ashamed, and confounded.  
Then shall the damned know good and evil, as the Angels that kept not their first estate know it, and as the Devil persuaded our first parents to know it, to know the excellency of good by the misery of evil, by a woeful experimental knowledge, as light is known by darkness, or sweetness by bitterness. Then they shall be fully convinced in their judgements of that, which no art of ours, no evidence of the spirit could prevail with them to believe, that God's justice is as infinite as his mercy, and his mercy no larger than his truth: That Christ is only a refuse for humble, penitent, believing sinners, and none else, that Hell is as hot, and eternity full as long as God's word, and Ministers have told them.  
2 They shall be plagued in their consciences; The conscience is taken to be a part of the practical understanding: Scientia cum scientia, a reflex knowledge joined with a direct knowledge, and most of the rational torments of the damned are discharged upon conscience, and therefore the worm of conscience as instar omnium is synechdochically, put for for all. If a wounded conscience were an intolerable burden upon earth, surely a damned conscience will be much more intolerable in Hell. Some do cut this worm of conscience into three pieces, but cut it into an hundred, and it will never die.  

1. Memoria praeteritorum.  
2. Sensus praesentium.  
3. Metus futurorum.   

1. The remembrance of things past.  
2. The sense of present misery.  
3. The fear of wrath to come.   
But I may not enlarge upon these particulars, lest it swell this part of our discourse, that it will not hold proportion with the rest.  
While they lived here, though the mighty word managed by Sons of thunder, did often grate upon conscience, that their sins were hardly the pleasures of sin for a season, yet the spirit of slumber did often fall upon them, and they might perhaps fall into some pleasing dream while that sleep lasted; or they might be seared with an hot iron, and made past feeling, but when the pit shuts her mouth upon the sinner, the conscience opens hers, and opens it wide, & opens it so as it shall never be shut more, the conscience is all feeling, & the sinner can never hope for any flattering anodine from his bribed conscience, but must endure conscience as Judge Jury, & Witness & Executioner for ever & ever. When a sinner in hell shall look back upon his time upon earth, and consider that God made him a reasonable creature fit to perform unto him reasonable service, and revealed his righteous will in his law and Gospel, both for matter and manner of his service; and g●ve him his lot of being, not only in the bosom of his Church, and in Gospel times, but in reforming times, when the Sun was broken out of a cloud, and shined in strength, and did strive with him by his Spirit in ordinances and providences, making many gracious offers of Christ, and with Christ himself, and Spirit, and all things belonging to their peace, saying and swearing that he takes no delight in the death of sinners, entreating, and beseeching them to be reconciled, to return and live; expostulating with them why they will die, why they will not be gathered, waiting with invincible patience, and, a very miracle of long-suffering, when it will once be; yet after all this, after Christ, and mercy, and grace have been offered, and refused, after sin hath been reproved and yet continued in; Faith and other graces have been pressed, of as absolute necessity to Salvation, and never heeded, duty hath been taught, and never performed, seasons & opportunities have been offered and all neglected and frustrated; and now to consider that there shall never be one call more, one offer of grace more, one opportunity to be saved more, they are all lost and lost for ever, this makes the heart to sink and die, and this is the worm of conscience that never dies.  
Sinners believe it, though you can now slight Christ at your pleasure, and wilfully neglect this great Salvation, and deipise the riches of God's patience and long-suffering and will not be brought to repentance, all the cords of Love cannot draw you to it, and neither scourges, nor scorpions can drive you: when this shallbe looked back upon in hell (and the time is near) it will prove the most torturing torment in the bottomless pit, the most tormenting torture that the damned can meet with through all eternity: Then let the stundiest sinner refuse to submit to the sentence of Damnation, if he can, let him turn away his ear from the clamours of his conscience, if he can, let him break prison, & get out of hell, if he can, or if he cannot (as it is more than infinitely impossible) then let men set themselves sericusly and seasonably to the preventing of it, and make use of God's gracious warnings, that they never come into those torments.  
3. They shallbe plagued in their Wills, with stubborness, and wilfulness: God would and they would not, here; they would, and God would not, when they were departing hence, but neither they nor God will, when they come to hell: the sinner that could not be wrought upon to be made willing in the time of Love, shallbe of obdurate, that he shallbe wilful in the day of his wrath: sins of the damned do partake much of that wilfulness that is in the sinners against the Holy Ghost here, as here they sin willingly, so there they sin wilfully. As by Adam's sin mankind was bound up to good, & let lose to evil, and that is all the moral freewill they have, till through regeneration, the Son hath made them free indeed, so after judgement is passed upon them, the damned are utterly disabled from all good, and their hearts are set in them to do wickedly, so that they are sinning, and yet suffering, suffering and yet sinning for ever and ever. The damned could well enough away with a hell of sin, but they cannot endure a hell of suffering, if that might but be abated, it were the haven where they would be.  
Objection, But if sin be their delight, is this wilfulness in sinning, their plague, and punishment.  
Answer, yea and as great as any, for as Pharoah's hard heart was the biggest plague in Egypt, that pulled down all the rest, so this sinning frame of Spirit, this sinning wilfully and with a hard heart, is one of the greatest plagues of hell, for if the sins of a sinner's life were not more than enough, this would find fuel to supply the fire for ever and ever.  
4. I shall but touch upon some of the passions, and pass over to the next.  
Love, Joy, Hope, Desire being bereft of their objects, the damned are bereft of them: they would not love God, nor what God loves here, and there they cannot, they would not joy in believing here, with joy unspeakable and glorious, the joy of grace, and Salvation would not relish with them, and now they have nothing to rejoice in; while they lived they made a kind of a mock-consolation of the pleasures of sin, of the Profits, pleasures, and honours of the world, but these are passed away, as if they had never been, Transit voluptas, dolour manet, & nothing remains but the doleful remembrance of them. They had a door of hope once opened to them, and a prize in their hands, if they had had hearts to use it, but now it's shut and barred, and shall never be opened more, and they are left to mourn as without hope, and without God in that world. They had no desire of God, and Christ, and happiness, while they lived here, or no more but a carnal desire, as Balaam desired the death of the righteous without their life, so they desired happiness without holiness, and glory without grace, and there the desire of their Souls shall never be towards his name, or if they could never so much desire to get out of the bottomless pit, there can be no redemption.  
The tormented and tormenting passions which will find the damned suffering work in their Soul's world without end, are those that are contrary to these forementioned affections, I shall trouble you but with three.  

1. Hatred, which is loves contrary.  
2. Grief, which is joys contrary.  
3. Fear, or despair which is hopes contrary.   
1. As there is no love in Hell, so there is all Hatred, and if hatred, envy, and malice do gnaw so greedy, like hellish vultures upon the hearts of the malicious here; If implacable anger, 
Ira furor brevis est.  which is more than furor brevis, do so macerate the Sons of violence, when their bloodthirsty rage is not satisfied: How will this passion work, when they come to hell? If they hate God, and the Saints, and one another with such bitter hatred upon earth: surely the matter will not be mended when they come to hell; besides that, that they shall hate God, as God abhors them, and that they shall hate the Saints, that are gathered to the congregation of the firstborn, whom God hath secured in his pavilion from the strife of tongues. They shall like mad Dogs, or enraged Lions discharge their envenomed spleens upon one another: Those that have been fratres in malo, brethren in iniquity, and have walked hand in hand in the counsel of the ungodly, and have enticed one another into Satan's snares: and accompanied and encouraged, and hardened one another in the, ways of sin, and hindered one another's repentance and conversion; those that could go in troops to the harlot's houses, and bear one another company days and nights at an Alehouse, and could swear, and be drunk, and whore, and revel, and rant together, like so many hellish furies that had broke prison, or hell had spewed them out upon earth, and cast them up as the foam and scum of the bottomless pit, with what dejected, and fell countenances will these look upon one another in hell? People that have been lost by the neglect of Magistrates cursing their Magistrates, O you Princes of Sodom, you should have been nursing fathers to us, and you have cut our throats: your care should have been that your subjects should have lived under you in all godliness & honesty, but you, like the unjust Judge, that neither feared God, nor reverenced man, gave up your Kingdoms and power to the Beast, or Dragon, the Pope or Devil: Whereas you should have served God with your might, and if it had been possible have set a Candle upon every Candlestick, and countenanced and protected a godly and learned, and laborious Ministry, and not muzzled their mouths, and have stopped the mouths of gainsayers, and seducers, of blasphemers and heretics, and should have been copies for your subjects to live by; but you were taken up in minding and plotting high things for yourselves and relations, (but the things of God and heaven, the highest things were none of them) oh you cutthroats both of Churches and Commonwealths, you are justly in this condemnation, and we that have perished through your base negligence, and notorious ungodliness must be here with you cursing and banning you for evermore.  
Souls that have been lost through the neglect of Ministers will do the like by their Ministers, oh you daubers with untempered mortar, you cursed time-servers, and men-pleasers, you Wolves in sheep's clothing, that instead of feeding did devour the flock, you cried peace, peace, and made us flatter ourselves with mercy, mercy, what peace is to the wicked now? what mercy for us and you? whether had it been better believing God, or your lying visions; oh you soul-murderers, our blood is required at your hands, but we must be damned with you, world without end. The Quakers, and the Devils agents, the Factours for Rome and Hell do rail at good Ministers now, and call them hirelings, and limbs of Antichrist, but the bad Ministers that have fed upon the milk, and clothed themselves with the fleeces of the flock, and have neither fed nor taught the sheep and lambs of their fold; they willbe ready to tear out their own throats, they will then take shame unto themselves, and befool and bebeast themselves, and the Souls that have perished by their neglect will heap worse reproaches upon them for ever and ever.  
Hearers that have been deceived by the damnable doctrines of seducers, that have been led away by the errors of the wicked into Blasphemies and Heresies, they will say to their Sect-Masters, as Paul said to Elimas' the Sorcerer, Act. 13.10. O full of subtlety and all mischief you children of the Devil, and enemies of all righteousness, you have not ceased to pervert the right ways of the Lord: You have cumbered the Church with your wranglings about circumstances, while the substantials and vitals of invisible Christianity have been left languishing, you have tithed Mint, Anniss, and Cummine, and neglected justice and judgement, you have filled the world with doubtful disputations de lanâ caprinâ, of things of nought; while the great truths of the Law and Gospel, are unknown, and unbelieved, and unpractised: you do but beat your drums, and fill the Church with calmour, like the Idolaters at Tophet, while the children are a burning, that the cry may not be heard; whiles you are robbing the Church of its Fundamentals, and poisoning the people with false doctrine, and Heterodox principles; you were the men that taught others to fight with shadows, while you carried away the substance, and perplexed people about Church-member-ship, and Baptism; and questions about the Law, till you had left them neither Church, Saviour, nor Gospel: Then shall the poor silly Women that were led captive by House-creepers (as the Apostle calls them) let fly against these seducers. O you sons of the Deceiver-General and daughters of the Sorceress and the whore, oh ye children of Belzebub, and sons of Which-craft, you are they that have dealt with us as the Devil dealt with our first Parents, or Jacob with Esau, that gave us an apple for Paradise, and a mess of Pottage for a Birthright.  
Family-Members that have been lost through the carelessness of Family-masters, they will let fly against the oversights of such overseers: O you caterers for the Devil, your houses should have been nurseries for the Church, and they have been sties, and kennels to breed up hellhounds in, you should have brought up your children in the fear and nurture, and admonition of the Lord, and done your endeavour to make your servants Gods servants, you should have read the word of God to them, and talked of it with them at your downlying, and uprising; you should have sought God early and late, with them and for them, and according to the Commandment should have preserved the Sabbath in your Families, as well as observed it in yourselves. But there was nothing but Prayerlesness all the week, and profaneness all the Sabbath; when you hired us, you gave us your carelessness for our earnest, and now have brought upon yourselves and us Damnation for our wages. The neglected wife will say to the neglecting husband, as Zipora once to Moses, Thou hast been a bloody husband to me, and the graceless child to the graceless father, thou hast been a bloody Butcher to me, and the unprofitable servant to the ungodly Master, thou hast been a cruel Master to me: God will say to careless Brethren; The voice of your Brother's blood cries for vengeance, and those that live here as neighbours and friends in their dull, carnal way of neighbourhood & friendship, will cry sin and shame upon one another, as the greatest foes and most cruel enemies; O the heart-burnings that hellfire shall kindle, the everlasting grudges that shall find Fomentations, there's the malice that burns and boils in that fiery lake in the breasts of the damned; 'Twas not for nothing that Dives desired his brethren should be kept out of that place of torment, one reason amongst the rest may be conceived to be this, that their sins being augmented by his, and they hardened in them by his society, and example, his torments at their coming to hell should receive an augmentation.  
2. As there is no joy in hell, there is Grief with a witness, yea, with a thousand thousand witnesses: Men count it their Solomon upon earth to have fellow-sufferers, but this will be no palliation to the pangs of hell, but augmentations rather, especially by the sins of others, which have been made ours by accessoriness. Here they would not grieve with godly sorrow, but there they shall grieve, though with sorrow as far from godly sorrow as the heaven is from hell. How many with worldly sorrow have grieved themselves to death; taking up rachel's Lamentation, perhaps for children, or some other relation in the flesh, mourning, refusing to be comforted? But this hellish sorrow doth far exceed it, every pang of it is a heart-breaking sorrow; we usually say, were it not for hope the heart would break, and all the mourning in hell is mourning without hope: Ezekiel makes mention of a book written within and without with Lamentations and mournings and We, and the Damned have no other book to read in: If they look to their book without, the book of Scriptures, by that they stand condemned, and according to that, sentence is passed upon them. If they look to the book of conscience, the book within, that contains nothing but matter of mourning and everlasting Lamentation, nothing but what will cause Weeping and howling and gnashing of teeth.  
3. As there is no hope in hell, so there is fear & horour in such superabundant measure, that like a thousand Millstones, or Mountains of lead they would sink the Soul to the bottom of that Sea of wrath, were it not bottomless. They shall be raging mad with fear, and desperate horror at the fearful sights that their eyes shall see, and the fearful things that their ears shall hear. They had no fear of God before their eyes while they lived in the flesh, they could fear the face and frowns of man, who was but Dust and Ashes, but the dreadful everliving God, that aught to be feared, he was not feared; we could never bring them to the beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, with all that we could say or do, though we have studied to speak words that might cut like swords, and have preached them Sermons as keen as Razors: Though we have improved all our wit and skill in handling that Sacrificing knife that pierces to the dividing asunder of the Soul, and Spirit, and Joints and Marrow, though we have in our severe denunciations of certain judgements spoken thunder claps and firebrands, and thrown he●l fire amongst them in many and many a Sermon, yet they were so cross-grained, and knotty, that they were fearless in the midst of real fears, though they could fear where no fear was; but now the case is altered, before they would not fear always to purchase blessedness, Pro. 28.14. and now they shall fear always, with God's curse to boot; now they shall fear with a vengeance, and God shall set a mark upon them, even Cain's mark, a perpetual quaking, not a horn in is forehead, as the Master of Fancy, the Jewish Rabbis have some of them thought, but a hornet in his conscience. The curse that God threatened to the Rebellious children of disobedience, Deut. 28.65. shallbe inflicted upon them, God shall give them a trembling heart. They would not sanctify the Lord in their hearts, nor make him their fear and dread, when he would have undertaken to be for a Sanctuary against all other fear, Isay 8.13, 14. and therefore now a confluence of all other fears shall flow in upon them like the billows of the raging, Sea, which cannot rest, one in the neck of another: Here the very name of the Devil is like a  to children; if they have but thoughts of seeing him in their solitary walks, especially when they are in the dark; they are ready to creep into corners to hid themselves, If they do but dream of him, how do their thoughts trouble them till they awake; and if they see him indeed, though he do not appear in the most formidable shape, they are ready to fall dead, or mad. Oh what will they do when they shall be cast into the same prison with all the Devils in hell, and they must continue shut up with them for ever? What fear and trembling shall then come upon them, what Tribulation and anguish shall fill their Souls to the very brim? What horror and desperation shall over-whelm the damned, when the King of fears, the death natural, hath delivered them up unto the Second death, when fear & anguish is still coming upon them, and they shall never know when Wrath is come upon them to the uttermost, it shall all be so to the uttermost, and all without end, despairing Cain's Language differs now in the several readings: one runs thus, My punishment is greater than I can bear, Gen. 4.13. the other thus, Mine iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven, then both these shall be true of all the damned, their Sins are impardonable, and their torments unsuffereable; Christ's merit cannot then satisfy for their sins, neither can God's mercy pardon them; God and Christ can as soon cease to be what they are as to do it. The case of the damned for ever shall be much like that of the wicked, that shall be alive immediately before Christ's coming to judgement, Luk. 21.25, 26. There shallbe signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars; that is, if we consult Mat. 24.29. The Sun shallbe darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the Stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the Heavens shallbe shaken, etc. When upon the world God shall rain Stars, and the ungodly may ever expect when he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest to be the portion of the wicked to drink; When these are but the beginning of sorrows, & more pangs are coming upon them as upon a woman in travel; as the Evangelist Luke goes on, upon the earth there shallbe distress of Nations and perplexity, the Sea and Waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming: for all the judgements that are come, they shall still be eaten up with fear of further wrath, and indignation that is still a coming.  
2. Sensible torments provided for the bodies of the damned are also a part of those punishments: which do denominate this to be GREAT DAMNATION: As the former were comprehended under the Worm that dyeth not, so these under the fire that never goeth out; As the torments of conscience were put for all rational torments belonging to the Soul, so the torments of the sense of feeling, here signified by fire, is put for all sensible torments belonging to the body. I shall first discover unto you, why the torments of hell are compared to fire: The Jews before their Jurisdiction was taken away by Herod, who was sur-named the great, primus ex alienigenis Rex Judeorum, the first of foreigners that was King of the Jews, had three Courts of Judicature: one was ruled by three men, wherein were tried money matters, and lesser causes. The 2 did consist of 23 Judges, who heard & decided weighty affairs, and matters of life and death: And these two were called the lesser Shanedrim. The highest of all, which was called the great Shanedrim, had 71 Judges, who had the hearing of most weighty affairs, as the matter of a whole Tribe, or an high Priest, or a false Prophet. Now the punishments that their Judicatories did infl ct, were of four Sorts. 1. Hanging, 2. Beheading, 3. Stoning, 4. Burning. And because burning was the most dreadful, therefore doth our Saviour ●llude unto that in comparing of hell-torments to fire.  
Neither is it every kind of fire, but the fire of Gehenna; now that Gehenna was the Valley of Hinnom, a place in the suburbs of Jerusalem, where Idolaters offered their children half burnt to Idols; Which place was also called Tophet from a word in the Hebrew tongue which signifies a Drum, because they did beat drums to deaden the cries of the Infants while they were a burning: Indeed those half burn do best shadow out unto us those of hell, where the damned shall be fuel for everlasting fire, ever burning and never consumed, ever dying, and never dead. It's also called fire and brimstone, as if fire itself were not hot enough to shadow out the terror of it.  
I might here enlarge upon all the senses, as we did before upon the faculties, but the very torments of the Soul are the very Soul of torments, and do as far surpass bodily torment as the Soul doth the body. And I have enlarged so much upon that, that its time to think of contracting here.  
Yet for all the haste, know that as Heaven is likened to a Kingdom, where there is a confluence of Pleasures, so Hell is compared to a Prison, where there is an inundation of Miseries It's called in the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utter darkness, being furthest from God the Fountain of life and glory say some. Because compared to a prison say others, and prisons were usually without the gates of Cities, and they were dark places, especially the dungeons, where malefactors were as it were buried alive: Without are dogs saith John of the new Jermsalem, Revel 22.15. Within are children, but without dogs. And the Apostle calleth Infidels such as are without, Col. 4.5. without indeed if you read all those withouts Eph. 2.12. Without Christ, without the Commonwealth of Israel, without the Covenant of promise, without hope, and without God in the world; and surely those that are in hell are, and everlastingly shallbe without in all these respects: Now as in a Prison all the senses have their punishments, The Eyes are punished with darkness, the Ears with complaints of fellow prisoners, the Smell with loathsome stinks, the Palate with the hunger or coursest provisions, the Touch with the hard earth, and cold, and nakedness: So in the prison of hell there's. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blackness of darkness for the sight, besides that cursed crew of the Devils and damned, the displeased countenance of the Almighty, and the sight of him who● their sins have pierced: Their ears shal●● filled with roar, and howl, and gnashing of teeth, besides the curses, and blasphemies of the damned. Their smell shall be suffocated with fire and brimstone; their taste glutted with Gall and Wormwood, and the dregs of the Cup of the Lords Fury. And their touch with fire, with fire unquenchable. Observe lastly that our Inquiries concerning Hell are here answered by fire, to note out unto us the extremity of hell-torments. Fire is as great a torment as our capacities can reach unto, but if they can reach higher, the terrors of those infernal torments are still out of our reach; As a fire painted on a wall in the story of Dives and Lazarus is nothing in comparison of our Culinary fire, so that fire that burns upon our hearths is but like a painted fire for heat to the flames of hell. Suppose a woman should lie in the extremest pangs of childbirth for 100 years; or a man should lie languishing under the continual pains of stone, and gout, and colic for 1000 Suppose a Traitor should be upon the Rack as many years as there are drops in the Sea; or a Malefactor should be a burning as many years as there are Sands on the Seashore: Suppose Captives should be detained in the Turkish G●llies, or in that hell upon earth, the Devil's Slaughter-house, the Spanish Inquisition for as many years as there are Stars in the Firmament. These if they were real would be amazing and confounding considerations able to shake to pieces the stoutest heart of the most daring Nimrod; but these that we have been speaking of are so infinitely beyond them, ut nihil supra; that nothing can be more transcendedently inconceivable, and unspeakable; ETERNITY is of such a length, that when we have run to our wit's end, we are but at the beginning of it, if that Ever and Never, though short in syllables, and sound, yet are so long in sense and signification, that they are the savour of life and death to the saved, and damned; ever with the Lord, and never taken out of his Hands, is the savour of life to life to the one; ever with the Devil, and never redeemed from hell, is the savour of death unto death to the other. Eternity is the very bottom of the bottomless pit, though the torments were easless, yet if they were not also endless they might be the better endured, But when thousands, and ten thousands, and Millions, and thousands of Millions, and Millions of Millions, and all the numbers in Arithmetic are added, and put into one sum total; when the drops, and sands of the Sea, and stars of the Firmament, and all hairs upon all heads from the world's creation to the day of Judgement shallbe compared with the years of Eternity: Nondum finis, nondum medium, nondum principium aeternitatis designatur, they are so far from reaching to the end, that they cannot reach the Middle, no not the Beginning of eternity. Sic parvis magna, thus have I given you a Slender account of those great punishments which constitute this Great Damnation, and so endeth the last of the Reasons.  

USE.  
The only proper use to be made of a Sermon of Damnation; that it may be the power of God through faith unto Salvation, is a use of Terror set home by a Son of thunder unto the consciences of secure sinners that are settled on their lees, frozen in these dregs, and lie soaking in their lusts. As the Doctrine of Salvation may be the savour of death, and aggravate the Damnation of unprofitable hearters, so the Doctrine of Damnation may be the savour of life, and tend to the furtherance of Salvation to such as hear in hearing, that hear and understand, and are converted, and healed. The Doctrine of Salvation like a pleasant Song, may lull sinners into a Spiritually Lethargy, when the Doctrine of Damnation may awake them, and discover to them their danger to prevent it. Oh that I could now speak with the tongue of Angels; or rather that the Lord would speak unto you by the words of a man of like infirmities with yourselves, your fellow-creature and servant, who is but dust and ashes; oh that the Lord would either give me the tongue of the Learned, or speak effectually by my Stammering tongue, and open me a wide door of utterance and entrance! Though I speak of a dreadful Theme, no less than Great Damnation, yet afford me the hearing; It's better to hear it than to feel it, you had better hear a man coolly telling you of the greatness of the thing, than to hear an angry God terribly denouncing the greatness of the sentence; I may bespeak your attention as Elihu did Jobs, Job. 33 6, 7. Behold I am according to your wish in God's stead, I also am form out of the clay; Behold my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you. But here I must lift up my voice, and cry aloud, or else I cannot wake you, (and he had need to have a stronger voice than mine that shall speak loud enough for the dead to hear.) When sinners are so supine and negligent that they can hear the wise and powerful charms of the Gospel with Adder's ears, and so dead asleep that they can hear the words of the curse and bless themselves in their hearts, and promise themselves peace when God proclaims War, and saith again and again no peace to the wicked, I say 48.22. and 57.21. When you can come to the ordinances, and sit as God's people do, as if you did delight to know his ways, and inquire after the ordinances of justice, and yet are no more moved with the sad, or glad tidings of the law or Gospel, than the Seats you sit upon, or the Stones you tread upon; no more moved with a discouse of judgement to come, or shaken with the breath of God's displeasure than the Walls, or Pillars that you lean unto; The dead underground are as sensible of what is spoken as the dead above ground; how justly may we fear that the Lord will answer you according to your Idols? What need have the Lords servants to step into the gap, and step betwixt you and danger and seek the Lord that he may not give a hardening commission to his word, and ministry, for if he once bind there's no losing, and if he shut none can open.  
The proper effect of this great Damnation is to strike terror through the spirits of such as are within reach of it; And I have to do with men and women that have reasonable Souls, into which God hath put the affections of fear and love; and the same God hath put into his word promises and threaten suitable to these affections, that they may be drawn with the promises as with the cords of love, or driven with the threats as with the rod of men; you have heard of great Salvation, a mighty motive to draw you, and great Damnation a mighty engine to drive you; I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, oh that the Lord would persuade you to make Mary's choice, to choose life, that your Souls, your precious Souls may live and live for ever: Since I have undertaken this expedition, as David did his against Goliath, not having any confidence in Sword or Spear, but laying all the stress upon the Name and power of the living God, I will not despair, but that the Doctrine here delivered may take hold upon some hearts that may be savingly bettered by it.  
Sinners remember that the time is at hand when the Lord Jesus must be revealed; and the great Judge is even ready to take the Throne to sit upon life and death; and all both quick and dead must be gathered before him; and those that have made light of Salvation offered, Christ will make light of their Damnation inflicted; Those that take counsel against the Lord and against his Christ, saying let us break their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us; He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision, Then he shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, The despisers of Christ shallbe confounded, and he alone shallbe exalted in that day.  
It is reported of Philip King of Macedon, that he caused his Page to come every morning to his Chamber door with this good morrow, Memento, Philippe, te esse mortalem, O Philip remember that thou art a man, and must die like a man, as Moses saith in Psal. 82.6, 7. I have said ye are Gods, but ye shall die like men, and you Princes shall fall like others. It's reported of the ancient Egyptians that in their great feasts they caused a Death's head to be carried about the Table, to put them in mind of their mortality, a frolic that the Epicures and Belly-gods of our times, that sitdown to eat and drink, and rise up to play, are not acquainted with: it's reported of one of the Fathers, and I think it is Hierome: That he seemed always to hear that saying sounding in his ear, Surgite mortui, venite ad judicium, arise you dead and come to judgement. The meditations of death and judgement are excellent corrosives to eat out the heart of sin, and no less Sovereign preservatives to keep us upright. If we add two more unto them, which this Scripture prompts us to take in, it will be more than a double fence, it willbe a double bar to keep out sin, and a double cord to draw to God, and duty. The second that my Text adds are Hell and Heaven, Salvation and Damnation; and these four put together are quatuor novissima, the four last things, and will furnish us with excellent matter for profitable meditation; Some advise to meditate of Death, some to think of Judgement; some advice that we should remember Hell, others that above all we should not forget Heaven; but, if they are of such force single to kill sin, and quicken grace, to help the Spirit, and mortify the flesh, vis unita fortior, when they join forces, they will do their work more effectually; I shall therefore lay and leave them before you as the fittest subjects of daily serious Meditation.  
1. Death shallbe the first in order, because it is first in time; the great Statute of the Churches Magna Charta (the Scriptures) is recorded thus, Heb. 9.27. It is appointed unto all men once to die: The Scriptures tell us, examples tell us, all former generations tell us, experience tells us, our own infirmities tell us that there is not that man living that shall not see death: O what should dying men have to do with sin? surely not to hug it in their bosoms, and lodge it next their hearts, and let it reign in their mortal bodies, and serve it in the lusts of it, but to kill, and crucify, and mortify it, to kill it before they die, to kill it which otherwise will kill them, sin is the sting of death, and it makes death to be the King of fears to a man in his sins, O death how bitter is thy remembrance to such a one? We dare not die in our sins. Balaam that lived the life of the wicked, did choose to die the death of the righteous; sin unrepented of is the worst pillow that a man's head can lie upon on a dying bed; and sinners, if they can by the help of a seared, or flattering conscience make a shift to die quietly, that no bonds appear in their death, no desperate horror open them an entrance into Hell, yet the wicked shall not be able to stand in the Judgement, nor the sinners in the congregation of the righteous; they may elude humane justice, or outface, and outbrave it in men's courts, greatness may carry them off with power, or poverty with pity; but righteous judgement shall be there dispensed by the searcher of hearts to high and low according to their works; And this is certain, that no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; there's no Purgatory to scour such as die polluted, but as death leaves them, so shall Judgement find them: there's no knowledge, nor wisdom, nor invention in the grave, saith Solomon, O that they were wise to consider this, that they would remember their latter end, saith Moses on the behalf of Israel, noting what David saith, the only way to apply a man's heart to wisdom, is to pray to God to teach him to number his days, Psal. 90.12. And in another place the Prophet notes that Jerusalem's filthiness was in her skirts, because she remembered not her latter end, Lament. 1.9. The only way to have all in a readiness at death, to have calling and election made sure, and to have nothing to do but to die when death comes, is to write it in our memories, and to be often drawing it out by meditation and conference; some will wear a ring with a deaths-head upon their fingers, some will keep a dead man's scull in their studies, or closerts, some will have death pictured on their walls, or windows, some will have their Coffins in their chambers, some will write Memento mori upon their books as their Motto, remember death, all to help our dulness, and slowness of heart in believing that our end is near, and our dissolution at hand: but those that have gotten it deeply rooted in their hearts, and are careful to keep the memory of death alive and quick in their meditations, are the only champions that are like to give death a valiant encounter, and to come off with victory, and triumph; Oh death where is thy sting? Oh grave where is thy victory? These are likeliest to give Paul's farewell to the world: I have fought, I have finished, I have kept, etc. henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. and Rom. 8.38. I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor any other creature shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. The frequent Meditation of death is an excellent means to make us die daily.  
2. Judgement is the second, because it is deaths second, & after death cometh the judgement, and it is sure that we must all come to judgement, as that we must once die: We must all appear before the judgement Seat of Christ to receive according to things done in the flesh, whether they be good or evil. The word of God is abundant in setting this before us with all appurtenances that do accommodate it, as 1. The Judge and his throne, and attendants, and his work. 2 Thes. 1.7, 8. The Judge the the Lord Jesus. 2. His throne Heaven, shall be revealed from heaven. 3. His attendants, with his mighty Angels, 4. His work of justice, to render vengeance in flaming fire to them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his gracious work, to be made glorious in them that believe. 2. The books by which we must b● judged, of Scripture, and Conscience, Revel. 20.12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God, and the books were opened (i. e.) of Scripture, and Conscience, and another book was opened (i. e.) the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. 3. The causes that must be heard and tried, good and bad, just and unjust. Ecles. 12.14. God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. 4. The whole process, and final sentence, Gods dealing with the good and evil to convict the one of sin unto Damnation, the other of righteousness unto life; and the sentence passed on them both, you shall find very punctually recorded Mat. 25. from 31. to the end. Wherefore is the word so exact in all these, but to assure us that there is nothing of greater certainty than death, and judgement.  
O what should those have to do with sin that must be brought to judgement? If they be brought to judgement in their sins, that is before they have confessed & forsaken their sins, before they have accused and condemned themselves, they cannot stand in the judgement. Can dust stand before a whirlwind, or stubble before a consuming fire. Solomon throws this judgement as a stumbling block in the way of licentious youth, to stop them in their full career, and to be a means to teach the young man how to cleanse his way. Eccles. 11.9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement. The former part of that verse looks lovely in the eyes of a libertine, and speaks to his very heart, but it hath as sad a farewell as ever was heard: In the former part the preacher speaks Ironically and in jest, but in the last he speaks plainly and in good earnest, thou mayst if thou wilt do as thy list, but do if thou darest, for know this, take it home with thee, & take it home to thy heart, receive the point of this sword into the very heart of thy beloved sin, and if it kill it not, or give it a death's wound, tell thyself that thou hast a strong heart a heart that is sermon-proof, & tell God so, & desire him day night to take away thy heart of stone, and to give thee an heart of flesh.  
3. Hell and condemnation is commended as the third subject of our Meditation; for as after death cometh the judgement, so after judgement cometh the death; Had not men need to fear double lest they die a double death; If men be so scared at the face of the death natural, what should they be at the thoughts of death eternal, in comparison whereof the other death is but a shadow of death? It was said of Jezebells' children, Revel. 2.23. I will kill her children with death; Though all dye, yet believers are not killed with death; as the Spirit directed John to say unto Sardis, Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead, Rev. 3.1. We may say the contrary of sound believers, they have but a name to die, and are alive; that's (the thing) which kills the Soul, that is but (the name) which kills the body. This death beyond death is that which the Scripture calls the second death's, Revel. 21.8. The fearful and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, and Revel. 20.6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection, on such the second death hath no power. O what should men do with sin, when if they will have it, they must have hell to boot! durst a malefactor play his pranks if the Judge looked on him that must condemn him, and the torments were in sight that were prepared for him? If sinners did but see God frowning upon them, and hell gaping for them; if they did but see death before them, and Judgement beyond death, and hell beyond Judgement, they could not surely sin with such a swinge as they do; they could not sin so damnably without check and control: Sinners, do but go aside once a day, and seriously meditate on the great damnation that you have heard of, and the Eternity of it, but one half hour, and if you do not walk the more warily, humbly, and circumspectly, say I am a Lyar. One that writes the life of Mr. 
M●. Fu●●●r it his Holy State.  Perkins reports of him that he did pronounce the word Damn with such an emphasis, that it left an Echo in the ears of his hearers a long time after; Oh that I could make such an impression of this Doctrine upon your Memories, that it may stick like a barbed Arrow in your consciences, that may never be shaken out until you break off your sins, and unfeignedly turn to God, who is ready to forgive abundantly, and to give liberally.  
4. Heaven and Salvation is proposed as the fourth matter of meditation, and both these last do follow Judgement, which sends the Goats on the left hand to hell, and the Sheep on the right hand to heaven: The Libertines of the age would persuade us that there is neither Hell nor Heaven, but what is in the conscience; but let us assure ourselves, if there were no other Hell or Heaven, there would be none there; if a conscience excusing in well doing did not flow from a Heaven in hope, and a conscience accusing for evil doing did not proceed from a hell in fear, surely there would be no such consciences; let the fancies of these vain men pass for strong delusions, and let us mind the true say of the everlasting Gospel, which tell us, that as the wicked go into everlasting punishment, so the righteous into life eternal. Matth. 25. ult. How positively, and alluringly doth the Scripture speak of this blessed & blessed making place, calling it the third Heaven. 2 Cor. 12.2. The throne of God, I say 66.1. & we are directed to prefer our petitions to him as our Father dwelling heaven, Mat. 6.9. An house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. 2 Cor. 5.1. the seat of the blessed. The kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of the world, Matth. 25.34. shadowed out by the Mount Zion, Heb. 12.22, 23, 24. and the new Jerusalem, Revel. 21.10. to the end, wherein many excellent things are spoken of this City of God. But I have spoken so largely both of the Prison of Hell, and the Paradise of Heaven in the antecedent Doctrines of Salvation & Damnation, that the less may serve here. O what should those do with sin that make it their refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before them. there's no sin in heaven, and if unclean sinners should be carried thither in their uncleanness, heaven would not be heaven to them; It's the Saint's holiness that makes heaven their happiness, and the grace they bring thither that prepares them for that Joy unspeakable and glorious. When we meet with temptations to sin let us remember Hell, with its forerunners, death and judgement, and that will prompt us to say with Joseph, How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39.9. And when we meet with temptations from sufferings, let us remember Heaven, and that will prompt us to say with Paul, I count that the afflictions of this present world are not worthy the glory which shallbe revealed. When we are enticed to sin, let us sit down and count the cost, it may cost our lives, it may cost our precious Souls, it may lose us Heaven and Salvation for eternity; and when we are discouraged in the ways of God, in laying out ourselves to be wail our sins, to treasure up grace, to perform duty, and not be weary of well doing, to suffer patiently whatsoever can befall us for Christ's sake, then let us sit down and count our gain: It will make us live comfortably, it will give us hope in death, it will give us boldness in Judgement, it will save us from hell, it will advance us to Heaven.  
To wind up all let me speak close to you as once Paul did to Agrippa, as if he would offer violence to force his belief: O Agrippa, believest thou the Scriptures? I know thou believest. you that have read or heard these Lines do you believe these things? I know you believe them; they are so set out in the demonstration of the Spirit, and in power, that you cannot gainsay them; and if you cannot contradict them, will you not believe them?  
1. Do you believe Gospel-Salvation to be great Salvation? The Angels believe it and admire it, 1 Pet. 1.12. The Saints believe it and adore it, Revel. 5.11, 13. The number of them that gave glory to God was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, and every creature in Heaven, and earth and sea were heard to say, Blessing, Honour, Glory, and Power, be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.  
The Devils believe and envy it. The damned believe it, and the loss of it is that never-dying worm that renders them restless; and whether you will now believe it or no, the time is coming when you will believe and confess it with hearts as full of anguish, as ever they can hold: O believe it now and be happy for ever, and the Lord help your unbelief, and make you believers by the exceeding greatness of his Omnipotent Power, and according to the working of his mighty power; Oh that the King of Saints would command those everlasting doors of your understandings and wills to be opened to give entrance to the King of glory; that you may embrace, and receive thankfully this great Salvation, that you may live and die upon the faithfulness and truth of that acceptable and accepted saying. That Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners.  
2. Do you believe Gospel neglecting to be great sin? Those that are truly enlightened, & touched with the fear of God do think so: those that are under the convictions, and compunctions of the Spirit of bondage for this sin do think so, they are ready to depend, and give up themselves as lost, and utterly undone under the load of it; this is still ready at hand to make up the sum total of their confessions, we have added to all our transgressions of thy law this Monster, that we have resisted and slighted thy gracious Gospel. Against thee, thee have we sinned and done this evil: O be merciful to our sin, to this of all sins, for it is great. The infinite mercy of God and merit of Christ; and mighty Spirit of grace and adoption, revealing, offering, and applying that mercy and merit as balsam to the wounded Spirit, hath much ado to bear it up from sinking under so insupportable a burden. Enlightened sinners will believe it at the last, when they are under the arrest of death, than they will be ready with Cain and Spira to fill all the ears about them with their despairing complaints, than they could seek the blessing with tears as Esau did, & could be content to fill heaven and earth with their roar, if that would help them; Believe it, Sirs, the Devil that tempts you to make light of this Salvation now, and presents it as a Molehill, will then turn the other end of the prospective, and make it as big as a Mountain, and persuade you it is greater than that it can be forgiven. How much better were it that you should now believingly receive in this truth in the power of it, that where sin hath abounded grace may superabound, and that you may in time leave and loathe this sin before it be your everlasting undoing.  
3. Do you believe that Great Damnation remains for such as die in this sin? that the wrath of God abides on them here, and a sorer punishment, and more fiery indignation will abide on them (if conversion prevent not) world without end? Those that are in hell already do believe it, yea, they know not how to evade the believing it. They do curse those Mountebank Preachers that heal men's wound with oily words, that speak Placentia, things that may please itching ears, rather than things that may profit unbelieving hearts. Yea, they do charge it heavily upon their deceived & own deceitful hearts, that when they heard the words of the Curse, and threats of Damnation caused them to bless themselves in their cursed practices, though they added drunkenness to thirst, and Gospel-refusing to Law-transgressing, till all curses written and unwritten came in tumbling upon them like mighty waters. How much better were it for men to carry about with them a hell in their consciences, than to be carried captive by the Devils into this hell of torments? How much easier were it for them to descend every day into hell by meditation, than at their dying day to be doomed unto hell by condemnation.  
Pliny writes of the Lion's whelps that he is at first much given to Sleeping, but being once awakened, & scared with the hideous roaring of the old Lion, sleeps ever after with his eyes open; The application is to our present purpose very pertinent. Those that set light by Salvation are much given to sleeping; they hear in the Text Damnation thundered out against such sleepers, like the roaring of a Lion Rampant; I hearty wish that this use may be made of it, that our consciences may be so throughly awakened, to see our sin and danger and duty, that we may always sleep with the eye of conscience open, and that we may resolve not to suffer our eyes to sleep, nor our eyelids to slumber, nor the temples of our heads to take any rest, till we have made this great sin our great Lamentation; till we have great and grounded probability of escaping this great Damnation, and till we have believed, and prayed, and lived ourselves into some settled and imfalliable persuasions of our obtaining of this great Salvation. All which the Lord give grace unto his chosen people effectually to perform, for his great names sake, for his beloved Sons sake, for his gracious Spirits sake. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all, 2 Cor. 13.14. Amen.  
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.    
FINIS.