includes Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels God cannot inflict a greater punishment nor can a finite limited Creature bear greater Torments than Sin being of infinite demerit requires and calls for Now I have largely proved that Omissions are sins as well as Commissions and to speak properly and exactly there is no sin but the sin of 〈…〉 ion For even in Commissions their sinfulness consisteth in their want of that goodness which the Law requireth Were there not a deficiency in them of somewhat which they ought to have or a want of conformity to the Law there would be no sin in them Yea I have proved sins of Omission in some respect greater sins as more against the Mind of the Law-giver whose Will consists rather in the Affirmative than Negative part of the Command and as the ground of sins of Commission and as more directly against the Gospel than sins of Commission They are much mistaken who judge Omissions pure Privations or meer Negations little other than non-entities for Omissions are transgressions of an Affirmative Command and violations of a positive Precept and the greatest Contradictions to the Mind of the Law and therefore most justly liable to its Curse The Apostle tells us what Obedience the Law requireth and what the Condition of such as fail therein is Gal. 3.10 1. It requireth practical Obedience not hearing or knowing or speaking only of what is written in the Book of the Law but doing it To do them It 's doing that the Law requireth Do this and live c. And it's doers that the Law justifieth Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law but the doers thereof shall be justified Now under this doing sins of Omission are expresly forbidden and those Duties the neglect of which are sins of Omission are commanded 2. It requireth personal Obedience Every one It takes no notice of Obedience by a Proxy or a Surety but requires it in our own persons The Law admits not a Mediator 3. Perfect Obedience In every thing written in the Book of the Law It will not admit of the least deviation of any one step awry but presently curseth and condemneth for them If any thought word or deed be never so little too light it will not grant the least grain of allowance but damneth for them 4. It must be perpetual That continueth not If in one day one hour one moment of his life he fail he is undone If a man could be obedient to the whole Law all the time of his life and should in his dying-hour disobey it the Law would take no notice of all his former Obedience but sent him to Hell for his latter Disobedience For mark the state of those that yield not this perfect personal perpetual practical Obedience Their Condition is cursed Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them In the word cursed all evil is included So that Omissions or the neglect of those Duties which the Law requireth being sins they render the Creature liable to the Curse which is indeed all manner of misery here and hereafter Death and Hell are the end of every Sin though they are not the end of every Sinner they are the reward of every evil Work though not the reward of every evil Worker Free Grace in the blood of Christ doth sometimes interpose and put in an Exception to this general Rule The Gospel accepted and pleaded is a bar to those rigorous proceedings of the Law Therefore though this Reason will justifie Christ and condemn the Sinner in the judgment of his own Conscience especially this Sinner being under a Covenant of Works yet I shall give farther Reasons from the Sinners non-interest in the Priviledges of the Gospel 2. Christ will condemn men at the Reason 2 last day to eternal Torments for sins of Omission because they speak a man in a carnal natural estate The Gospel that is the only Ark for a Christian to shelter his Soul in against the Flood of the Laws Curses requireth a change of the nature and disposition as absolutely necessary to Salvation Christ the great Preacher and Purchaser of the Gospel affirmeth solemnly Verily Verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he shall never see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 This is indispensably requisite not only as a condition without which Heaven may not be had in regard of Gods pleasure but also as a disposition without which Heaven or Happiness cannot be enjoy'd in regard of the subject For 't is this that is meant by our being made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 Again the Holy Ghost tells us That without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 This holiness as a due qualification of the Agent in relation to the beatifical Vision or sight of God the blessed-making Object is necessary by the Gospel How often are the Unregenerate and unsanctified by the Spirit of God doomed to Hell and excluded Heaven Joh. 3.18 Rev. 19. Into it can in no wise enter any thing that is defiled or unclean Again Turn ye turn ye why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 Implying that Death and Destruction are the portion of the Unconverted Now these Sins of Omission are evidences of a mans want of Regeneration Nay there is much more evil in a state of Sin than in an act of Sin which state of Sin consisteth most in Sins of Omission For this was the great evil and misery of the Ephesians by nature Eph. 2.12 That they were without God i. e. were without any inward regard of him or outward Obedience to him Sound Conversion and saving Repentance make clear work as the Flood drown'd all out of the Ark Noahs Friends as well as others So Repentance destroys all sins even sins of Omission as well as Commission It loves none it allows of none Restraining Grace will probably refuse the way of Disobedience but renewing Grace will close the way of Obedience Those that are in a wicked and unregenerate state are characterized in Scripture from their sins of Omission The wicked through the pride of his heart will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10.4 The Lord hath a controversie with the Land because there is no Mercy nor Truth nor Knowledge of God in the Land Hos 4.1 Nay the reign of Sin which ever speaks an unconverted and unregerate estate is as visible if not more in Omissions than in Commissions As there is as high an act of Authority and Soveraignty and Princely Power in a Negative Voice or denying such and such things to be done as in a positive Law enjoyning such and such things to be done So the omission of what is good or refusing to do what God commands may speak Sin reigning in the Soul as well as doing or commanding to be done what God hath forbidden It is indeed the
foolish things of the World c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27 Not many wise or mighty or noble are chosen or called of God But God hath chosen the poor of the World rich in Faith and Heirs of a Kingdom James 2.5 The poor are evangelized transformed into the heavenly spiritual Nature of the Gospel The Poor receive the Gospel the Rich receive the World and the things of the World The Poor having little Estate in the World look after an Estate in the Covenant but the Rich having this Worlds Goods are satisfied and desire no more Now Reader wilt thou follow them that are wholly taken up with fleshly fading Pleasures and Riches and cast off all care of their eternal condition Are they fit to be thy Guides who bid defiance to God and fight against him with his own Mercies and throw off all regard and care what shall become of them for ever and ever Again for the giddy-headed multitude how unfit are they to be thy examples Most are usually the worst Of all Creatures the basest and vilest are ever most numerous as Flies and Vermine How few Jewels to Pebbles or common stones The weaker part are more than the wiser The whole World lieth in wickedness as a brute in his filth 1 Joh. 5.19 and are such fit to be followed The whole Earth wandreth after the Beast Rev. 17. and is deceived by the Devil Rev. 12.9 And are such poor tame Slaves to a cruel Devil who hates them and thee perfectly good examples for thee to imitate Dost thou not consider what truth speaketh Broad is the way and wide is the gate that leadeth to destruction and many there be who go therein Matth. 7.14 Stop a little and ponder it Wilt thou go after them who go in the broad way to destruction THE CONTENTS Of the several CHAPTERS CONTAINED In this BOOK CHap. 1. The Preface and Introduction to the Text pag. 1. Chap. 2. The division and brief explication of the pronunciation of the Sentence pag. 15. Chap. 3. Concerning the privative part of the Sinners punishment pag. 24. Chap. 4. The properties of Sinners loss pag. 30. Chap. 5. The reasons of the Sinners privative punishment pag. 35. Chap. 6. Vses concerning the hainous nature of sin and grievous misery of Sinners pag. 40. Chap. 7. Containing the folly of Sinners and the vast difference between them and the godly at the Great Day pag. 52. Chap. 8. An use of Trial with the mark of those that shall be banished Christs presence pag. 60. Chap. 9. An Exhortation to flie from this wrath to come with some helps thereunto pag. 63. Chap. 10. The positive part of the Sinners misery exprest by fire and why pag. 68. Chap. 11. The difference between our fires and Hell fire pag. 74. Chap. 12. The fulness of wicked mens misery in that it 's positive and privative with some cautions against it pag. 80. Chap. 13. The eternity of the Sinners misery in the other world with the grand reason of it pag. 85. Chap. 14. How little cause to envy Sinners and how careful we should be to avoid their eternal misery pag. 90. Chap. 15. The reason of Christs severe Sentence and a question resolved whether the Righteous by their Acts of Charity do not deserve Heaven as well as the Wicked by the Omission thereof deserve Hell pag. 69. Chap. 16. Why Christ will try men at the Great Day by Acts of Charity pag. 105. Chap. 17. Three particulars about the Text pag. 115. Chap. 18. That sins of Omission are dangerous and damnable pag. 118. Chap. 19. The nature of sins of Omission in general pag. 123. Chap. 20. Three distinctions about sins of Omissions pag. 127. Chap. 21. The agreement and difference between sins of Omission and sins of Commission pag. 136. Chap. 22. The danger of sins of Omission in the hainous nature of them and their offensiveness to God pag. 143. Chap. 23. The danger of sins of Omission in their destructiveness to man and our proneness to over-look them pag. 158. Chap. 24. The reason why sins of Omission are damnable pag. 173. Chap. 25. Farther reasons why Christ at the Great Day will condemn men for sins of Omission pag. 181. Chap. 26. Vse of Information How dreadful will be the condition of those that live in sins of Omission pag. 194. Chap. 27. Negative godliness is not enough Christs impartiality in Judgment pag. 205. Chap. 28. Practical godliness necessary pag. 218. Chap. 29. The condition of men only civil is ununsafe and sad pag. 224. Chap. 30. Sinners conviction at the Day of Judgment The purity of Christs Religion above all others pag. 234. Chap. 31. The holiest have cause of humiliation pag 248. Chap. 32. Vse of Trial whether we be guilty of these Omissions or no pag. 256. Chap. 33. A caution against sins of Omission in regard of the matter of Duties pag. 272. Chap. 34. Arguments against Omissions the positiveness of our Rule and of Gods Mercies pag. 288. Chap. 35. Arguments against Omissions Christ purchased positive as well as negative holiness and our priviledges oblige to both pag. 296. Chap. 36. Arguments against Omissions we profess our selves Gods Servants and all our Reâ—â—gion will come to nothing without positive holiness pag. 305. Chap. 37. Arguments against Omissions God deserves our positive Obedience before all others and true Sanctification cannot be without it pag. 315. Chap. 38. If God should omit his care of us a moment we are undone and if Christ had omitted the least in our work of Redemption we had been lost irrecoverably pag. 327. Chap. 39. The new nature in Believers inclines the heart to positive as well as negative holiness and the profit will answer the pains pag. 336. Chap. 40. God delights chiefly in our doing good and our opportunities for doing good will quickly be gone pag. 353. Chap. 41. The grand cause of sins of Omission an unregenerate heart with the cure of it a renewed nature pag. 364. Chap. 42. Another cause of sins of Omission Ignorance with the cure of it labouring after knowledge pag. 384. Chap. 43. Another cause of sins of Omission Idleness with the cure of it pag. 396. Chap. 44. Another cause of Omission is vain excuses men have that Omissions are little sins with the cure of it pag. 409. Chap. 45. Another excuse for sins of Omission which is the cause of them that they would be unseasonable and so are deferred to that time which never comes with the answer to it pag. 447. Chap. 46. A third excuse of sins of Omission It is but one sin with the answer to it pag. 456. Chap. 47. A fifth cause of sins of Omission The example of others with the cure of it pag. 465. FINIS
Knife of the Laws Curse was even at the Creatures throat as Abraham's at the throat of Isaac Thy Redeemer call'd to his Father O Father Father hold thine hand slay not those poor Creatures I have provided a Sacrifice such as thou wilt accept I know that Beeves and Goats and Lambs are not the Sacrifices for Sin which thou wouldst have what proportion hath the blood of Beasts to the infinite demerit of Sin but I know what Sacrifice thou wouldst have thou wouldst have me to offer my self upon the Cross as a Sacrifice to thy Justice that the whole World might know the Holiness of thy Nature the Righteousness of thy Law and thine infinite kindness to thine Elect Well I come to do thy Will O God Though the Task be so great and the Work so grievous that no other dares so much as touch it and though I am wholly free and none can oblige or compel me to it yet I will undertake it Now Reader was Christ so forward so willing to obey such a Command of dying a cursed painful shameful death that he tells his Father I delight to do thy Will O God and art thou so backward to obey his Commands and to walk in his ways When his ways are ways of pleasantness and all his paths are peace Psal 40.6 Heb. 10.5 Prov. 3.17 Was Christ so careful and tender of thee that he would not omit any thing needful for thy good and art thou so careless and forgetful of him as to omit that which is of such concernment to his Glory Friend bethink thy self doth not thy Redeemer deserve fairer dealings at thy hands Heathens and Publicans would not be so base and unworthy to their Friends and Benefactors CHAP. XXXIX Arguments against sins of Omssion The new Nature in Believers inclines them to positive as well as negative Holiness and the profit will answer the pains 11. COnsider if thou art a Believer thy predominant new Nature inclines thee to positive as well as negative Holiness And shall this be given thee in vain shall God be at such cost and charge as to infuse a principle of life into thee to no purpose Pray observe what end God hath in this regenerating Work Of his own Will begat he us again by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of First-Fruits of his Creatures Jam. 1.18 Where we have the causes of Regeneration 1. The efficient Principal He. 2. The moving His alone Will. 3. The formal Begat us again 4. The instrumental The Word of Truth 5. The final That we should be a kind of First-Fruits God begets us again that we should be devoted to him as the First-Fruits of all the sheaves were consecrated to God and that out of thankfulness to him for his innumerable blessings Prov. 3.9 Rom. 12.1 The First-Fruits were holy to the Lord and so should all Christians be Again he tells us his design in giving a new Spirit and putting his Spirit into them That they may walk in his Statutes and do them Ezek. 36.26 27. So that 't is Sacriledge and God-robbery for a Christian to imploy himself to the use of any but God because he is devoted to God and it 's also below a Christian as for a man to live as doth 〈◊〉 Beast for him that hath a noble Diâ—ine Principle to live as other men As all the Children of the first Adam derive from him a depraved Nature which inclines them not only to omit what is good but also to do what is evil therefore his Seed 〈◊〉 known by both those signs Psal 36.3 4. Hos 4.1 2 3. So all the Children of the second Adam derive from him a renewed Nature For they are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 which doth not only take them off from what is evil but also put them forward to that which is good Rom. 6.11 As the Branches derive from the Root that sap and moisture which enableth them to fruitfulness so the Christian draweth that Virtue from Christ even in his first Conversion that inclines him whilst he lives to bring forth fruit to God Ephes 2.10 We are his Workmanship created in Jesus Christ unto good Works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Mark this new piece that is indeed Gods Master-piece for the New Creation doth far excel the old Heavens and Earth is formed in Christ as the efficient Cause unto good Works unto such Works as flow from the Spirit of God as the Principle as are according to the Will of God as the Rule and for the Glory of God as the end Gal. 5.20 Gal. 6.16 Phil. 1.11 Each Convert hath â—â—â—munion with Christ in his Death and also in his Life He knoweth Christ and hath fellowship with him in his Death whereby he dieth to Sin Hence he is said to be dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6.6 knowing this that our old man so Sin is called because it 's nigh as old as man is full of subtilty and craft and should be always decaying and dying is crucified with him i. e. Christ whom Sin crucified and whose Death crucifieth Sin that the body of sin sin is said to have a body because it consisteth of many members Col. 3.5 might be destroyed for as the life of Sin gave Christ his deaths-wound so the death of Christ gave Sin its deaths wound that henceforth we should not willingly chearfully customarily serve sin as our Lord and Master And as the Convert hath fellowship with Christ in his Death so also in his Resurrection That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 i. e. Have experience for 't is such a knowledge he speaks of of the power and energy of the Life of Christ to quicken me unto new Obedience Besides the true Convert hath the Law of God written in his Heart which cannot but move him to the observation of the Law in his Life Psal 37. Heb. 8. According to the predominant principles that are in every mans nature such are his inclinations whether to God or evil and such are ordinarily his practices As a bowl moves this way or that way according as the Byass inclines Now Reader Consider either thou art a Believer or not If thou art not it concerns thee speedily to look about thee lest thou die in this estate and be damned for ever Joh. 3. ult If thou art a Believer it would be very strange for thee to continue in any Omission for all this while thou actest against thy nature It 's very much easier to sin with thy nature than against it A wicked man that hath knowledge cannot sin with such pleasure and easiness as another because he doth in sinning oppose and fight with Conscience within him but it seems harder for thee for thou dost not only offer violence to thine enlightned Conscience but also to the new Nature that is implanted in thee By thy Omissions thou dost not only sin against thy natural Light
which is worse than nothing Psal 90.9 How short that time is that remaineth God only knoweth for thy time is in his hand not thine own surely then it behoveth thee to redeem the time to make the most of it and whilst thou hast it to improve it for the doing of good O Friend hast thou loyter'd so long is thy work so great thy day to work in so short and yet is it not time to bestir thy self Is death at thy door art thou within a step of eternity within the view of the other World and yet wilt thou not up and be doing Can any assure thee of standing in the Vineyard another year nay another moneth nay another day and is it not yet time to be fruitful Dost thou not see that as Labourers are sent into the Vineyard at all hours so they go out of the Vineyard at all hours Thou owest a debt to Nature to the God of Nature the day of payment is not expressed therefore it may be demanded at any time Reader though some fruit falls from the Tree by reason of its maturity yet how much more is blown off or cudgeld off whilst it is green Do not thine eyes see Coffins and Graves of all sorts and sizes And wilt thou be as the silly Beasts who though the Butcher come one day to the Field and fetch away one another day and fetch away another to the slaughter yet those that remain neither miss them that are gone nor dread their own destinies O Friend what dost thou think to do when time is gone and death comes wilt thou stop the Sun of thy Life in its career Will it hear thy Voice and obey thy Command Or wilt thou call to Time as Israels General did to the Sun Stand still that I may be avenged of all my Sensuality and Idleness and Pride and Impenitency and all my spiritual Enemies which have robbed me of God and Heaven Do you imagine Time will be at your beck Or are the apprehensions of the King of Terrors and of a dreadful Day of Judgment and of an amazing Eternity no whit rousing or awakening to thee Canst thou believe a dark night of Death a fit time to trim and adorn and attrire thy Soul in for the love and embraces of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Now God gives thee a day but of how many hours whether longer or shorter thou canst not tell Thy life is fleeing away Time's Chariot moves swiftly Yet a little while the Light is with thee walk while thou hast the Light lest Darkness come upon thee Joh. 12.35 Two things especially occur in these words 1. Now thou hast time yea opportunity make much of it improve it to the utmost Walk while thou hast the Light God allots thee a due time for bringing forth Hence it 's Observable That God gave the Figg-Tree three years to bear in other Trees as the Olive and Nut-Tree required more time but so succulent a Plant as the Figg-Tree needed no more nay saith A Lapide If the Figg-Tree bear not the third year it will never bear God never expected Brick without allowing Straw nor requires his Rent before Quarter-day or the time of payment comes 2. Thy time or at least thine opportunity is very short therefore work much in a little time whilst thou hast the Light Yet a little while the Light is with thee a little while and the Light will be taken from thee A little while and the light of Life a little while and the light of means and helps and seasons of Grace will be taken from thee And what then truly then darkness will come upon thee a dark Grave will be the receptacle of thy Body and a dark Dungeon will be the receptacle of thy Soul if thou now loyterest and darkness is no fit state nor a dark night a fit time to walk or work in Darkness is dreadful and every thing seems more frightful in the night If a mans house be on fire in the night that he hears the noise and ratling of the flames seeth no way of escape for himself his Wife and his Children O in what a plight is he he stands naked in his Chamber at a loss what to do he is full of horrors and terrors to be conceived by none but himself How pale is his Countenance and how heavy his Heart when he seeth the flames seizing his Chamber when they come near his Body he is almost drown'd to death with grief and sorrow before he is burnt to death with the flames So it is when the night of death surpriseth the Loyterer that hath neglected the doing of good when Conscience is in a flame about his ears and frights him with the fore-apprehensions of the unquenchable burnings and with cutting reflections upon his former negligence and unprofitableness the man is quaking and trembling not knowing what to do Is that a time to put on the Armor of Light when he is putting off his natural Life Is a dark night of fear and amazement a time to seek God in or to work out his own Salvation Ah Friend it is too great and weighty a work to be done in an instant and the poor Sinner is too much astonished to set about it If the fear of a danger gone and over kill a Nabal and make his heart like a stone what will the fear the certain knowledge of wrath of the wrath of a God of the everlasting wrath of a God to come do to a poor Sinner O Friend make use of time while thou hast it Work the work of him that sent thee while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work Joh. 9.4 CHAP. XLI The grand cause of sins of Omission An unregenerate heart with the cure of it a renewed nature I Proceed now to the second and third particulars viz. The cause and cure of sins of Omission I shall recite one more general and principal Cause others more special and less principal and joyn the Cure to the Cause 1. The grand Cause of these sins of Omission is an unregenerate Heart Where the ground is unplowed and lieth fallow no Fruit can be expected Weeds may grow good Corn cannot grow there When the Heart is not broken up by Repentance but hardned through custom and continuance in sin no fruits of Righteousness no Faith no Love or Humility c. can be expected there Can the Leopard change his spots or the Blackamore his skin no more can he that is accustomed to do evil learn to do well Jer. 23.13 Natures Fruit will be according to its Root whether sweet or sowr There must of necessity be a good Foundation laid before there can be a good Superstructure of Holiness rear'd An unrenewed Heart hath no tendency towards it and Nature will work little farther than its own inclination The Water will run as the Tyde carrieth it Nay the unregenerate Heart is contrary to religious Duties hath an hatred and
blindness of their hearts A blind man may well miss his way and a blind Mind can never do his work Whatever the World talks of their honesty and goodness notwithstanding their ignorance Without knowledge the mind is not good Prov. 19.2 They presume to excuse their dark Heads with their good Hearts but these two are inconsistent A dark Cellar is not fuller of Vermine nor a dark hole of dust than a dark Heart is of filthiness Hos 4.1 2. They who want the knowledge of God are under the dominion of the Devil He is the Ruler of the darkness of this World Ephes 6. And I am sure the unclean Spirit never bears sway in a clean Heart nor this evil Spirit in a good Heart No as the Eagle he first pecks out the eyes of his prey and then devours it How easily is a blind Soul conquer'd and kill'd by the enemies of his Salvation What Error will not an ignorant Creature swallow down he is like water ready to take the impression and form of what Vessel you please to pour him into Matth. 22.29 Our Saviour tells the Sadduces That they erred not knowing the Scriptures And the Apostles told the Corinthians who doubted at least about the Resurrection as the Sadduces denied it Some have not the knowledge of God 1 Cor. 15.32 What crime will not an ignorant man commit Knowledge to the Mind is as Light to the World which discovers our way and thereby prevents our wandrings but it 's no wonder at all for men in the night and darkness of ignorance to go astray or to stumble and fall If a man walk in the night he stumbleth because he seeth not the light of this World Joh. 11.9 Why do we think Sin is called a work of darkness truly not only because it 's from the Devil the Prince of Darkness and he that doth evil loveth darkness hates the light and it 's the way to blackness of darkness but also because it 's conceived in the Womb of a dark Heart The Prince of Darkness may beget what Monsters he pleaseth on such Persons 2 Tim. 3.3 Ignorant women were laden with divers lusts No soil fuller of such weeds than that which is not manured with knowledge St. Paul's ignorance was the ground of his wasting the Church at such a cruel rate I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor injurious but I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1.13 That Monster Sin which the Sun hid his head as ashamed to behold the Murther of our Lord Jesus Christ had ignorance for its Mother Acts 3.15 Ye killed the Prince of Life vers 17. And now Brethren I wot that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers So the Apostle Paul Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory Now if ignorance be the cause of such grieveous Commissions it must much more be the cause of Omission for in all these Commissions there are great Omissions but I shall shew particularly that Ignorance is one cause of sins of Omission We are bound to love God and that with all our Hearts and with all our Souls and with all our Strength Matth. 22.37 But is it possible to love one whom we are ignorant of Did ever any fear an unknown Evil or desire or delight in an unknown Good Are not the greatest Rarities and richest Jewels of the World that are undiscovered undesired The Apostle saith He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 Joh. 3. I am sure he that doth not so much as see God with the eye of his Soul his Understanding can never love him We say What the eye sees not the heart grieves not it 's as true what the eye seeth not the heart loves not Who can obey Divine Precepts who is ignorant of them or fear Divine Threatnings who doth not know them or be allured by Divine Promises who is altogether a stranger to them God and Christ and Pardon and Life and Promises Covenant may stand long enough knocking at the door of an Heart fastened with Ignorance before they will find admittance It is our Duty our great Gospel-Duty to believe in Christ Joh. 6. This is his Commandment that ye believe in him whom he hath sent 1 Joh. 3.23 But ignorance hinders this How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.10 Who will trust a meer stranger especially in a matter of weight I had need to know him well whom I trust with my Soul and Salvation with all I am worth for this and the other World A wise man will not venture his Estate much less his Life least of all his Soul with one of whose integrity and faithfulness and ability and responsibleness he hath not good assurance The Psalmists saying is They that know thy Name will trust in thee Psal 9.10 They who know thy Grace Goodness thy Promise and Power and Truth they will trust thee but others will not Paul's hope could not have been so high nor the Wine of his joy so brisk when his Death drew near had it not been for his great acquaintance with him with whom he had ventured his all 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed how willing how ready how able to save me and what I have committed to him he is able to keep for me against that day Knowledg is so requisite to Faith that it 's once again put for Faith Isa 53.10 1 Cor. 2.2 Joh. 17.3 Phil. 3.8 9. but Ignorance is Faiths great hinderance Again Our Duty is to repent even pain of eternal perdition Luke 13.3 Matth. 11.22 23. But ignorance causeth men to omit this as well as the other Where there is a vail upon the Understanding there is ever a caul upon the Heart and Conscience As in the night season we have always the hardest Frosts and the coldest weather Therefore the Holy Ghost tells us when Israel shall repent and turn to the Lord The vail shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3.16 17. While the vail remains they are still turning more and more from God till wrath come upon them to the uttermost but when the Vail shall be taken away that they shall see the evil and mischief and loathsomeness and folly of those ways they have turned to and also for the beauty and amiableness and bounty and kindness of that God they have turned from then they will quickly return unto the Lord. Indeed men may thank their Ignorance for most of their Omissions especially the Heathen and many Christians who live in dark corners of the Land I and many who are as void and empty of Knowledge as the Heathen who live under the Gospel Many of these neglect Family-Duties Closet-Prayer a strict Sanctification of the Lords-Day edifying others to their power as opportunity is offer'd them and several others because they do not understand them to be their Duty Reader the cure of this must be for