heed, lest this should prove your own casé ! The Lord knows it is too common a case. Whoever is found guilty, at the last, of this sin, it were better for that man he had never been born. It were better for him he had been a Turk or Indian, that never had heard the name of a Saviour, and that never had salvation offered to him; for such men "have no cloak for their sin." of their sins, they have this for, which will undo them.

Besides all the rest killing sin to answer And this will aggra

vate their misery, that Christ, whom they set light by, must be their Judge, and for this sin will he judge them. O that such would now consider how they will answer that question that Christ put to their predecessors, "How will ye escape the damnation of hell?" or, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ?” Can you escape without a Christ or will a despised Christ save you then? If he be accursed that sets light by father or mother, what then is he that sets light by Christ? It was the heinous sin of the Jews, that among them were found such as set light by father and mother. among us, men slight the Father of spirits! In the name of God, brethren, I beseech you to consider how you will then bear his anger which now you make light of!

But

Hitherto I have been convincing you of the evil of the sin, and the danger that followeth I come now to know your resolution for the time to come. What say you? Do you mean to set as light by Christ and salvation as hitherto you have done; and to be the same men after all this? I hope not. O let not your ministers, that would fain save you,

be brought in as witnesses against you to condemn you; at least, I beseech you, put not this upon e. Why, sirs, if the Lord shall say to us at judgment, Did you never tell these men what Christ did for their souls, and what need they had of him, and how nearly it did concern them to look to their salvation, that they made light of it? We must needs say the truth: Yea, Lord, we told them of it as plainly as we could; we would have gone on our knees to them, if we had thought it would have prevailed; we did entreat them as earnestly as we could, to consider these things; they heard of these things every day; but, alas! we could never get them to their hearts; they gave us the hearing, but they made light of all that we could say to them. O! sad will it prove on your side, if you force us to such an answer as this. But if the Lord do move the hearts of any of you, and you resolve to make light of Christ no more; or if any of you say,

We do not make light of him,' let me tell you here, in the conclusion, what you must do, or else you shall be judged as slighters of Christ and salvation.

And, first, I will tell you what will not serve the

turn.

1. You may have a notional knowledge of Christ, and the necessity of his blood, and of the excellency of salvation, and yet perish as neglecters of him. This is too common among professed Christians. You may say all that other men do of him; what Gospel passages had Balaam! "Jesus I know,

and Paul I know," the very devils could say, who believe and tremble.

2. You may weep at the history of his passion, you read how he was used by the Jews, and yet make light of him, and perish for so doing.

3. You may come desirously to his word and ordinances. Herod heard gladly; so do many that yet must perish as neglecters of salvation.

4. You may, in a fit of fear, have strong desires after a Christ, to ease you, and to save you from God's wrath, as Saul had of David to play before him; and yet you may perish for making light of Christ.

5. You may obey him in many things, so far as will not ruin you in the world, and escape much of the pollutions of the world by his knowledge, and yet neglect him.

6. You may suffer and lose much for him, so far as leaveth you an earthly felicity: as Ananias, the young man. Some parcels of their pleasures and profits many will part with, in hope of salvation, that shall perish everlastingly for valuing it no more.

7. You may be esteemed, by others, a man zealous for Christ, and loved and admired upon that account, and yet be one that shall perish for making light of him.

8. You may verily think yourselves, that you set more by Christ and salvation than any thing, and yet be mistaken, and be judged as contemners of him: Christ justifieth not all that justify themselves.

9. You may be zealous preachers of Christ and salvation, and reprove others for this neglect, and lament the sin of the world in the like expression as I have done this day, and yet, if you or I have no better evidence to prove our hearty esteem of Christ and salvation, we are undone for all this.

You hear, brethren, what will not serve the turn; will you now hear what persons you must be, if you would not be condemned as slighters of Christ? O search whether it be thus with your souls, or not.

1. Your esteem of Christ and salvation must be greater than your esteem of all the honours, profits, or pleasures of this world, or else you slight him; no less will be accounted sincere, nor accepted to your salvation. Think not this hard, when there is no comparison in the matters esteemed. Το esteem the greatest glory on earth before Christ and everlasting glory, is a greater folly and wrong to Christ, than to esteem a dog before your prince, would be folly in you, and a wrong to him. Scrip

ture is plain in this: "He that loveth father or mother, wife, children, house, land, or his own life, more than me, is not worthy of me, and cannot be my disciple,"

2. You must manifest this esteem of Christ and salvation, in your daily endeavours and seeking after him, and in parting with any thing that he shall require of you, God is a Spirit, and will not take a hypocritical profession instead of the heart and spiritual service which he commandeth. He will have the heart or nothing; and the chief room in the heart too. These must be had.

If you say that you do not make light of Christ, or will not hereafter; let me try you in these few particulars, whether indeed you mean as you say, and do not dissemble.

1. Will you, for the time to come, make Christ and salvation the chiefest matter of your care and study? Thrust them not out of your thoughts as

a needless or unprofitable subject; nor allow it only some running, slight thoughts, which will not affect you. But will you make it your business; once a day, to bethink you soberly, when you are alone, what Christ hath done for you, and what he will do, if you do not make light of it; and what it is to be everlastingly happy or miserable? And what all things in this world are in comparison of your salvation; and how they will shortly leave you; and what mind you will be then of, and how you will esteem them? Will you promise me, now and then, to make it your business to withdraw yourselves from the world, and set yourselves to such considerations as these? If you will not, are not you slighters of Christ and salvation, that will not be persuaded soberly to think on them? This is my first question to put you to the trial, whether you will value Christ, or not.

2. Will you, for the time to come, set more by the word of God, which contains the discovery of these excellent things, and is your charter for salvation, and your guide thereunto? You cannot set by

Christ, but you must set by his word: therefore the despisers of it are threatened with destruction. Will you, therefore, attend to the public preaching of his word; will you read it daily; will you resolve to obey it, whatever it may cost you? ? If you will not do this, but make light of the word of God, you shall be judged as such as make light of Christ and salvation, whatever you may fondly promise to yourselves.

3. Will you, for the time to come, esteem more of the officers of Christ, whom he hath purposely