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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27062	Two treatises tending to awaken secure sinners viz., 1. The terror of the day of judgment, from 2 Cor. 5. 10, 2. The danger of slighting Christ and his Gospel, from Matth. 22. 5 / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Terror of the day of judgment.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Danger of slighting Christ and his gospel.	1696 (1696)	Wing B1443; ESTC R16419	109,733	266

3. The Parties Confession 4. Witness 5. Instruments and visible Effects of the Action All these Evidences will be at hand and any one of them sufficient for the Conviction of the guilty Person at that Day 1. As the Sins of all Men so the Impenitency and Rebellion of the Wicked was notorious or at least will be then For though some play the Hypocrites and hide the Matter from the World and themselves yet God shall open their Hearts and former Lives to themselves and to the view of all the World He shall set their Sins in Order before them so that it shall be utterly in vain to deny or excuse them If any Man will then think to make their Cause as good to God as they can now do to us that are not able to see their Hearts they will be foully mistaken Now they can say they have as good Hearts as the best then God will bring them out in the Light and shew them to themselves and all the World whether they were good or bad Now they will face us down that they do truly repent and they obey God as well as they can but God that knoweth the Deceivers will then undeceive them We cannot now make Men acquainted with their own unsanctified Hearts nor convince them that have not true Faith Repentance or Obedience but God will convince them of it they can find Shifts and false Answers to put off a Minister with but God will not so be shifted off Let us preach as plainly to them as we can and do all that ever we are able to acquaint them with the Impenitency and Unholiness of their own Heart and the Necessity of a new Heart and Life yet we cannot do it but they will believe whether we will or not that the old Heart will serve the turn But how easily will God make them know the contrary We plead with them in the dark for though we have the Candle of the Gospel in our hands when we come to shew them their Corruption yet they shut their Eyes and are wilfully blind but God will open their Eyes whether they will or not not by holy Illumination but by forced Conviction and then he will plead with them as in the open Light See here thy own unholy Soul canst thou now say thou didst love me above all canst thou deny but thou didst love this World before me and serve thy Flesh and Lusts though I told thee if thou ●idst so thou shouldst die Look upon thy own Heart now and see whether it be an holy or an unholy Heart a spiritual or a fleshly Heart a heavenly or an earthly Heart Look now upon all the Course of thy Life and see whether thou didst live to me or to the World and thy Flesh O how easily will God convince Men then of the very Sins of their Thoughts and in their secret Close●s when they thought that no Witness could have disclosed them Therefore it 's said that the Books shall be opened and the Dead judged out of the Books Rev. 20. 12. Dan. 7. 10. The second Evidence will be the Knowledg of the Judg. If the Sinner would not be convinced yet it is sufficient that the Judg knoweth the Cause God needeth no farther Witness he saw thee committing Adultery in secret Lying Stealing Forswearing in secret If thou do not know thine own Heart to be unholy 't is enough that God knoweth it If you have the Face to say Lord when did we see thee hungry c. Mat. 25. 44. yet God will make good the Charge against thee and there needeth no more Testimony than his own Can foolish Sinners think to lie hid or escape at that Day that will now sin wilfully before their Judg that know every Day that their Judg is looking on them while they forget him and give up themselves to the World and yet go on even under his Eye as if to his Face they dared him to punish them 3. The third Evidence will be the Sinners Confession God will force their own Consciences to witness against them and their own Tongues to confess the Accusation If they do at first excuse it he will leave them speechless yea and condemning themselves before they have done O what a difference between their Language now and then Now we cannot tell them of their Sin and Misery but they either tell us of our own Faults or bid us look to our selves or deny or excuse their Fault or make light of it but then their own Tongues shall confess them and cry out of the wilful Folly that they committed and lay a heavier Charge upon them than we can now do Now if we tell them that we are afraid they are unregenerate and lest their Hearts are not truly set upon God they will tell us they hope to be saved with such Hearts as they have But t●en O how they will confess the Folly and Falseness of their own Hearts You may see a little of their Case even in despairing Sinners on Earth how far they are from denying or excusing their Sins Judas cries out I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood Mat. 27. 4. out of their own Mouth shall they be judged That very Tongue that now excuseth their Sin will in their Torments be their great Accuser For God will have it so to be 4. The fourth Evidence will be the Witness of others O how many thousand Witnesses might there be produced were there need to convince the guilty Soul at that Day 1. All the Ministers of Christ that ever preached to them or warned them will be sufficient Witnesses against them we must needs testify that we preached to them the Truth of the Gospel and they would not believe it We preached to them the Goodness of God yet they set not their Hearts upon him we shewed them their Sin and they were not humbled we told them of the danger of an unregenerate State and they did not regard us we acquainted them with the absolute Necessity of Holiness but they made light of all we let them know the Deceitfulness of their Hearts and the need of a close and faithful Examination but they would not bestow an Hour in such a Work nor scarce once be afraid of being mistaken and miscarrying We let them know the Vanity of this World and yet they would not forsake it no not for Christ and the Hopes of Glory we told them of the everlasting Felicity they might attain but they would not set themselves to seek it What we shall think of it then the Lord knows but surely it seemeth now to us a matter of very sad Consideration that we must be brought in as Witnesses against the Souls of our Neighbours and Friends in the Flesh Those whom we now unfeignedly love and would do any thing that we were able to do for their good whose Welfare is dearer to us than all worldly Enjoyments Alas that we must be forced to testify to their Faces for

to him that died for them and rose again Rom. 14. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. 1 Pet. 1. 17 18. You will then understand that you were not your own but were bought with a Price and therefore should have glorified him that bought you with your Bodies and Spirits because they were his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. This one Aggravation of your Sin will make you doubly and remedilesly miserable that you trod under foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith you were sanctified an unholy thing Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. and crucified to your selves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame Heb. 6. 5 6. 3. Moreover all the personal Mercies which they received will be so many Evidences for the Condemnation of the Ungodly The very Earth that bore them and yielded them its Fruits while they themselves are unfruitful to God The Air which they breathed in the Food which nourish'd them the Clothes which cover'd them the Houses which they dwelt in the Beasts that laboured for them and all the Creatures that died for their Use All these may rise up against them to their Condemnation And the Judg may thus expostulate with them Did all these Mercies deserve no more Thanks Should you not have served him that so liberally maintained you God thought not all these too good for you and did you think your Hearts and Services too good for him He served yours with the weary Labours of your fellow-Creatures and should you have grudged to bear his easy Yoak They were your Slaves and Drudges and you refused to be his free Servants and his Sons They suffered Death to feed your Bodies and you would not suffer the short Forbearance of a little forbidden fleshly Pleasure for the sake of him that made you and redeemed you O how many thousand Mercies of God will then be reviewed by those that neglected them to the Horror of their Souls when they shall be upbraided by the Judg with their base Requital All the Deliverances from Sickness and from Danger all the Honours and Privileges and other Commodities which so much contented them will then be God's Evidences to shame them and confound them On this Supposition doth the Apostle reprove such Rom. 2. 4 5 6. Despisest thou the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent Heart treasurest up unto thy self Wrath against the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God who will render to every Man according to his Deeds 4. Moreover all the Means which God used for the Recovery of Sinners in the Day of their Visitation will rise up against impenitent Souls in Judgment to their Condemnation You can hear Sermons carelesly and sleepily now but O that you would consider how the Review of them will then awake you You now make light of the Warnings of God and Man and of all the wholesom Advice that is given you but God will not then make light of your Contempt O what cutting Questions will they be to the Hearts of the Ungodly when all the means that were used for their Good are brought to their Remembrance on one side and the Temprations that drew them to Sin on the other Side and the Lord shall plead his Cause with their Consciences and say Was I so hard a Master or was my Work so unreasonable or was my Wages so contemptible that no Perswasions could draw you into my Service Was Satan so good a Master or was his Work so honest and profitable or was his Wages so desirable that you would be so easily perswaded to do as he would have you Was there more perswading Reason in his Allurements and Deceits than in all my holy Words and all the powerful Sermons that you heard or all the faithful Admonitions you received or all the good Examples of the Righteous or in all the Works of God which you beheld Was not a Reason fetch'd from the Love of God from the Evil of Sin the Blood of Christ the Judgment to come the Glory promised the Torments threatned as forcible with you and as good in your Eyes to draw you to Holiness as a Reason from a little fleshly Delight or worldly Gain to draw you to be unholy In the Name of God Sinners I intreat you to bethink your selves in time how you will sufficiently answer such Questions as these You should have seen God in every Creature that you beheld and have read your Duty in all his Works what can you look upon above you or below you or round about you which might not have shewed you so much of the Wisdom and Goodness and Greatness of your Maker as should have convinced you that it was your Duty to be devoted to his Will and yet you have his written Word that speaks plainer than all these and will you despise them all will you not see so great a Light will you not hear so loud and constant Calls shall God and his Ministers speak in vain And can you think that you shall not hear of this again and pay for it one Day you have the Bible and other good Books by you why do you not read them You have Ministers at hand why do you not go to them and earnestly ask them Sirs What must I do to be saved and intreat them to teach you the Way to Life You have some Neighbours that fear God why do you not go to them and take their good Advice and imitate them in the Fear of God and in a holy Diligence for your Souls Now is the time for you to bestir your selves Life and Death are before you You have Gales of Grace to further your Voyage There are more for you than against you God will help you his Spirit will help you his Ministers will help you every good Christian will help you the Angels themselves will help you if you will resolvedly set your selves to the Work and yet will you not stir Patience is waiting on you Mercies are enticing you Scourges are driving you Judgment stayeth for you The Lights of God stand burning by you to direct you And yet will you not stir but lie in ●●arkness And do you think you shall not hear of this Do you think this will not one Day cost you dear IX The ninth part of our Work is to shew you ●hat are those frivolous Excuses by which the Vnrighteous may then indeavour their Defence Having already shewed you what the Defence must be that must be sufficient to our Justification If any first demand Whether the Evidence of their Sin will not so overwhelm the Sinner that he will be speechless and past excuse I answer Before God hath done with him he will be so but it seems at first his clark Understanding and partial corrupted Conscience will set him upon a vain Defence

must willing or unwilling there is no avoiding it appear stand forth or make your appearance and there have your Hearts and Ways laid open and appear as well as we Before the Judgment-seat of Christ i. e. before the Redeemer of the World to be judged by him as our Rightful Lord. That every one even of all Mankind which are were or shall be without Exception may receive that is may receive his Sentence adjudging him to his due and then may receive the Execution of the Sentence and may go from the Bar with that Reward or Punishment that is his due according to the Law by which he is judged The things done in his Body that is the due Reward of the Works done in his Body or as some Copies read it The things proper to the Body i. e. due to the Man even Body as well as Soul according to what he hath done whether it be Good or Bad i. e. this is the Cause to be tried and judged whether Men have done well or ill whilst they were in the Flesh and what is due to them according to their Deeds Knowing therefore c. i. e. being certain therefore that these Things are so and that such a terrible Judgment of Christ will come we perswade Men to become Christians and live as such that they may then speed well when others shall be destroyed or as others Knowing the Fear of the Lord that is the true Religion we perswade Men. Doct. 1. There will be a Judgment Doct. 2. Christ will be the Judg. Doct. 3. All Men shall there appear Doct. 4. Men shall be then judged according to the Works that they did in the Flesh whether Good or Evil. Doct. 5. The End of Judgment is that Men may receive their final Due by Sentence and Execution Doct. 6. The Knowledg and Consideration of the terrible Judgment of God should move us to perswade and Men to be perswaded to careful Preparation The ordinary Method for the handling of this Subject of Judgment should be this 1 st To shew you what Judgment is in the General and what it doth contain and that is 1. The Persons 2. The Cause 3. The Actions 1. The Parties are 1. The Accuser 2. The Defendant 3. Sometime Assistants 4. The Judg. 2. The Cause contains 1. The Accusation 2. The Defence 3. With the Evidence of both 4. And the Merit The Merit of the Cause is as it agreeth with the Law and Equity 3. The judicial Actions are I. Introductory 1. Citation 2. Compulsion if need be 3. Appearance of the Accused II. Of the Essence of Judgment 1. Debate by 1. The Accuser 2. Defendant called the Disceptation of the Cause 2. By the Judg. 1. Exploration 2. Sentence 3. To see to the Execution But because this Method is less sutable to your Capacities and hath something humane I will reduce all to these following Heads 1. I will shew what Judgment is 2. Who is the Judg and why 3. Who must be judg'd 4. Who is the Accuser 5. How the Citation Constraint and Appearance will be 6. What is the Law by which Men shall be judged 7. What will be the Cause of the Day what the Accusation and what must be the just Defence 8. What will be the Evidence 9. What are thos● frivolous insufficient Excuses by which the Unrighteous may think to escape 10. What will be the Sentence who shall die and who shall live and what the Reward and Punishment ●s 11. What are the Properties of the Sentence 12. What and by whom the Execution will be In ●hese particular Heads we contain the whole Doctrine of ●his Judgment and in this more familiar Method shall ●andle it I. For the first Judgment as taken largely comprehendeth all the sorementioned Particulars as taken more strictly for the Act of the Judg it is the Trial of a controverted Case In our Case note these things following 1. God's Judgment is not intended for any Discovery to himself of what he knows not already he knows already that all Men are and what they have done and what is their Due But it is to discover to others and to Men themselves the ground of his Sentence that so his Judgment may attain its End for the glorifying ●his Grace on the Righteous and for the convincing the Wicked of their Sin and Desert and to shew to all the World the Righteousness of the Judg and of his Sentence and Execution Rom. 3. 4 26. and Rom. 2. 2. 2. It is not a Controversy therefore undecided ●in the Mind of God that is there to be decided but only one that is undecided as to the Knowledg and Mind of Creatures 3. Yet i● not this Judgment a bare Declaration but a Decision and so a Declaration thereupon the Cause will be then put out of Controversy and all farther Expectation of Decision be at an End and with the Justified there will be no more Accusation and with the Condemned no more Hope for ever II. For the second Thing who shall be the Judg I answer The Judg is God himself by Jesus Christ 1. Principally God as Creator 2. As also God as Redeemer the humane Nature of Jesus Christ having a derived subordinate Power God lost not his Right to his Creature either by Man's Fall or the Redemption by Christ but by the latter hath a new farther Right but it is in and by Christ that God judgeth For as meer Creator of innocent Man God judgeth none but hath committed all Judgment to the Son who hath procured this Right by the redeeming of fallen Man Joh. 5. 22. But as the Son only doth it in the nearest Sense so the Father as Creator doth it remotely and principally 1. In that the Power of the Son is derived from the Father and so standeth in Subordination to him as Fountain or Efficient 2. In that the Judgment of the Son as also his whole Mediatorship is to bring Men to God their Maker as their ultimate End and recover them to him from whom they are faln and so as a Means to that End the Judgment of the Son is subordinate to the Father From hence you may see these following Truths worthy your Consideration 1. That all Men are God's Creatures and none are the Workmanship of themselves or any other or else the Creator should not judg them on that Right 2. That Christ died for All and is the Redeemer of the World and a Sacrifice for All or else he should not judg them on that Right For he will not judg Wicked Men as he will do the Devils as the meer Enemies of his Redeemed Ones but as being themselves his Subjects in the World and being bought by him and therefore become his own who ought to have glorified him that bought them 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 John 2. 2. Heb. 2. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 6 7. 3. Hence it appeareth that all Men were under some Law of

neglect and abuse of this they shall be judged and not meerly for sinning against the Law that was given us in pure Innocency so that Christ as Redeemer shall judg them as well as others though they had but one Talent yet must they give an account of that to the Redeemer from whom they received it But if any be unsatisfied in this let them remember that as God hath left the State of such more dark to us and the Terms on which he will judg them so doth it much more concern us to look to the Terms of our own Judgment Obj. But how shall Insants be judged by the Gospel that were uncapable of it Answ For ought I find in Scripture they stand or fall with their Parents and on the same Terms but I leave each to their own Thoughts VII For the seventh Head What will be the Cause of the Day to be enqu●ed after what the Accusation and what the Defence Answ This may be gathered from what was last said The great Cause of the Day will be to enquire and determine who shall die and who shall live who ought to go to Heaven and who to Hell for ever according to the Law by which they must then be judged 1. As there is a twofold Law by which they must be judged so will there then be a twofold Accusation The first will be that they were Sinners and so having violated the Law of God they deserve everlasting Death according to that Law If no Defence could be made this one Accusation would condemn all the World for it is most certain that all are Sinners and as certain that all Sin deserveth Death The only Defence against this Accusation ●ieth in this Plea confessing the Charge we must plead that Christ hath satisfied for Sins and upon that Consideration God hath forgiven us and therefore being forgiven we ought not to be punished To prove this we must shew the Pardon under God's Hand in the Gospel But because this pardoning doning Act of the Gospel doth forgive none but those that repent and believe and so return to God and to sincere Obedience for the time to come therefore the next Accusation will be that we did not perform these Conditions of Forgiveness and therefore being Vnbelievers Impenitent and Rebels against the Redeemer we have no right to Pardon but by the Sentence of the Gospel are liable to a greater Punishment for this Contempt of Christ and Grace This Accusation is either true or false where it is true God and Conscience who speak the Truth may well be said to be the Accusers Where it is false it can be only the Work of Satan the malicious Adversary who as we may see in Job's Case will not stick to bring a false Accusation If any think that the Accuser will not do so vain a Work at least they may see that potentially this is the Accusation that lieth against us and which we must be justified against For all Justification implieth an actual or potential Accusation He that is truly accused of final Impenitency or Unbelief or Rebellion hath no other Defence to make but must needs be condemned He that is falsly accused of such Non-performance of the Condition of Grace must deny the Accusation and plead his own personal Righteousness as against that Accusation and produce that Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience and Perseverance by which he fulfilled that Condition and so is Evangilically Righteous in himself and therefore hath part in the Blood of Christ which is instead of a Legal Righteousness to him in all things else as having procured him a Pardon of all his Sins and a Right to everlasting Glory And thus we must then be justified by Christ's Satisfaction only against the Accusation of being Sinners in general and of deserving God's Wrath for the Breach of the Law of Works but we must be justified by our Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience it self against the Accusation of being Impenitent Vnbelievers and Rebels against Christ and having not performed the Condition of the Promise and so having no part in Christ and his Benefits So that in sum you see that the Cause of the Day will be to enquire whether being all known Sinners we have accepted of Christ upon his Terms and so have Right in him and his Benefits or not whether they have forsaken this vain World for him and loved him so faithfully that they have manifested it in parting with these things at his Command And this is the meaning of Mat. 25. where the Enquiry is made to be whether they have sed and visited him in his Members or not that is whether they have so far loved him as their Redeemer and God by him as that they have manifested this to his Members according to Opportunity though it cost them the Hazard or Loss of all seeing Danger and Labour and Cost are fitter to express Love by than empty Compliments and bare Professions Whether it be particularly enquired after or only taken for granted that Men are Sinners and have deserved Death according to the Law of Works and that Christ hath satisfied by his Death is all one as to the matter in hand seeing God's Enquiry is but the Discovery and Conviction of us But the last Question which must decide the Controversy will be whether we have performed the Condition of the Gospel I have the rather also said all this to shew you in what sense these Words are taken in the Text that every Man shall be judged according to what he hath done in the Flesh whether it be good or bad Though every Man be judged worthy of Death for sinning yet every Man shall not be judged to die for it and no Man shall be judged worthy of Life for his good Works It is therefore according to the Gospel as the Rule of Judgment that this is meant They that have repented and believed and returned to true though imperfect Obedience shall be judged to everlasting Life according to these Works not because these Works deserve it but because the free Gift in the Gospel through the Blood of Christ doth make these things the Condition of our possessing it They that have lived and died Impenitent Unbelievers and Rebels against Christ shall be judged to everlasting Punishment because they have deserved it both by their Sin in general against the the Law and by these Sins in special against the Gospel This is called the Merit of the Cause that is what is a Man's Due according to the true meaning of the Law though the Due may be by free Gift And thus you see what will be the Cause of the Day and the Matter to be enquired after and decided as to our Life or Death VIII The next Point in our Method is to shew you What will be the Evidence of the Cause Answ There is a fivefold Evidence among Men. 1. When the Fact is notorious 2. The Knowledg of an unsuspected competent Judg.

hath purchased this is a making light of him When Men ●ccount the Doctrine of Christ to be but a Matter of Words and Names as Gallio Acts 18. 4. or as Festus Acts 25. 19. a superstitious Matter about one Jesus who was dead and Paul saith is alive or ask the Preachers of the Gospel as the Athenians Acts 17. 18. What will ●●is Babler say This is a Contempt of Christ 4. When Men are informed of the Truths of the Gospel and on what Terms Christ and his Benefits may be had and how it is the Will of God that they should ●i●ve and accept the Offer and that he commandeth them ●o do it upon Pain of Damnation and yet Men will ●ot consent unless they could have Christ on Terms of their own they will not part with their worldly Con●ents nor lay down their Pleasures and Profits and Ho●our at his Feet as being content to take so much of ●hem only as he will give them back and as is consistent with his Will and Interest but think it is a hard ●aying that they must forsake all in Resolution for Christ this is a making light of him and their Salvation When Men might have part in him and all his Benefits 〈◊〉 they would and they will not unless they may keep ●he World too and are resolved to please their Flesh whatever comes of it this is a high Contempt of Christ and everlasting Life Mat. 13. 21 22. Luke 18. 23. you may find Examples of such as I here describe 5. When Men will promise fair and profess their Willingness to have Christ on his Terms and to forsake all for him but yet do stick to the World and their sinful Courses and when it comes to Practice will not be removed by all that Christ hath done and said this is making light of Christ and Salvation Jer. 4● 5. compared with 43. 2. III. The Causes of this Sin are the next thing to be enquired after It may seem a Wonder that ever Men that have the use of their Reason should be so sottish 〈◊〉 to make light of Matters of such Consequence But the Cause is 1. Some Men understand not the very Sense of the Words of the Gospel when they hear it and how 〈◊〉 they be taken with that which they understand not Though we speak to them in plain English and study to speak it as plain as we can yet People have so estranged themselves from God and the Matters of their own Happiness that they know not what we say as if we spoke in another Language and as if they were under that Judgment Isa 28. 11. with stammering Lips and with another Tongue will he speak to th● People 2. Some that do understand the Words that we speak yet because they are carnal understand not the Matt● for the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. They are earthly and these things are heavenly John 3. 12. Th● things of the Spirit are not well known by bare hearsay but by a spiritual Taste which none have but those th● are taught by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 12. that we ma● know the things that are given us of God 3. A carnal Mind apprehendeth not a Sutableness in these spiritual and heavenly things to his Mind and therefore he sets light by them and hath no mind of them When you tell him of everlasting Glory he ●eareth you as if you were perswading him to go play ●ith the Sun they are Matters of another World and ●ut of his Element and therefore he hath no more De●ight in them than a Fish would have to be in the fairest ●eadow or than a Swine hath in a Jewel or a Dog ●n a piece of Gold They may be good to others but ●e cannot apprehend them as sutable to him because ●e hath a Nature that is otherwise inclined he savour●th not the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. 4. The main Cause of the slighting of Christ and ●alvation is a secret Root of Vnbelief in Mens Hearts Whatsoever they may pretend they do not soundly ●nd throughly believe the Word of God they are ●aught in general to say the Gospel is true but they ne●er saw the Evidence of its Truth so far as throughly to ●erswade them of it nor have they got their Souls ●ttled on the Infallibility of God's Testimony nor con●dered of the Truth of the particular Doctrines reveal●d in the Scripture so far as soundly to believe them 〈◊〉 did you all but soundly believe the Words of this Gospel ●f the Evil of Sin of the Need of Christ a●d what ●e hath done for you and what you must be and do if ●ver you will be saved by him and what will become of ●ou for ever if you do it not I dare say it would ●re the Contempt of Christ and you would not make 〈◊〉 light of the Matters of your Salvation But Men do ●t believe while they say they do and would face us ●own that they do and verily think that they do them●●lves There is a Root of Bitterness and an evil Heart 〈◊〉 Unbelief that makes them depart from the living ●od Heb. 2. 12. and 4. 1 2 6. Tell any Man in this ●ngregation that he shall have a Gift of 10000 pounds ●he will but go to London for it if he believe you he ●ll go but if he believe not he will not and if he will not go you may be sure he believeth not supposing that he is able I know a slight Belief may stand with a wicked Life Such as Men have of the Truth of a Prognostication it may be true and it may be false but a true and sound Belief is not consistent with so great Neglect of the things that are believed 5. Christ and Salvation are made light of by the World because of their desperate hardness of Hea●● The Heart is hard naturally and by Custom in sinning made more hard especially by long abuse of Mercy and neglect of the means of Grace and resisting the Spirit of God Hence it is that Men are turned into such Stones and till God cure them of the Stone of the Heart no wonder if they ●eel not what they know or regard not what we say but make light of all 〈◊〉 hard preaching a Stone into tears or making a Rock to tremble You may stand over a dead Body long enough and say to it O thou Carcase when thou hast 〈◊〉 rotting and mouldred to Dust till the Resurrection God will then call thee to account for thy Sin and cast thee into everlasting Fire before you can make it feel what you say or fear the Misery that is never so truly threatned When Mens Hearts are like the High-way that is trodd●● to hardness by long custom in Sinning or like th● Clay that is hardned to a Stone by the heat of thos● Mercies that should have melted them into