everlasting glory when this life is ended, besides many excellent privileges in the way, in means, preservation, and provision, and the foretaste of what they shall enjoy hereafter all these benefits the Gospel offereth to them that will have Christ on his reasonable terms. The sum of all is, "This is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life."

II. What this sin of the making light of the Gospel is. 1. To make light of the Gospel is to take no great heed to what is spoken, as if it were not a certain truth, or else were a matter that little concerned them; or as if God had not written these things for them. 2. When the Gospel doth not affect men, or go to their hearts; but though they seem to attend to what is said, yet men are not awakened by it from their security, nor doth it work in any measure such holy passion in their souls, as matters of such everlasting consequence should do; this is making light of the Gospel of salvation. When we tell men what Christ hath done and suffered for their souls, it scarcely moveth them. We tell them of keen and cutting truths, but nothing will pierce them. We can make them hear, but we cannot make them feel; our words take up in their ears and fancies, but will not enter into the inward parts: as if we spake to men that had no hearts or feeling; this is a making light of Christ and salvation: "Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxen gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes are closed," &c.

3. When men have no high estimation of Christ and salvation, but whatsoever they may say with their tongues, or dreamingly and speculatively believe, yet, in their serious and practical thoughts, they have a higher estimation of the matters of this world, than they have of Christ, and the salvation that he hath purchased; this is a making light of him. When men account the doctrine of Christ to be but a matter of words and names, as Gallio or Festus, "a superstitious matter about one Jesus who was dead, and Paul saith is alive;" or ask the preachers of the Gospel, as the Athenians, "What will this babbler say ?"-this is 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 that it is the will of God that they should believe and accept the offer; and he commandeth them to do it upon pain of damnation; and yet men will not consent, unless they have Christ on terms of their own. They will not part with their worldly contents, nor lay down their pleasures, and profits, and honour at his feet, as being content to take so much of them only as he will give them back, and as is consistent with his will and interest, but think it is a hard saying, that they must forsake all for Christ; this is a making light of him and their salvation. When men might have part in him and all his benefits if they would, and they will not, unless they may keep the world too; and are resolved to please their flesh, whatever comes of it; this is a high contempt of Christ and everlasting life. In Matt. xiii. 21, 22. Luke xviii. 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 for-sake all for him, but yet do stick to the world and their sinful courses; and when it comes to practice, will not be moved by all that Christ hath done and said: this is making light of Christ and salvation.

III. The causes of this sin are the next thing to be inquired after. It may seem a wonder that ever men, that have the use of their reason, should be so sottish as 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 can 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, "With stammering lips, and with another tongue will he speak to this people."

2. Some that do understand the words that we speak, yet because they are carnal, understand not the matter. For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." They are earthly, and these things are heavenly. These things of the Spirit are not well known by bare hearsay, but by spiritual taste, which none have but those that are taught by the Holy Ghost, that we may know the things that are given us of God.

3. A carnal mind apprehendeth not a suitableness in these spiritual and heavenly things to his mind, and therefore he sets light by them. When you tell him of everlasting glory, he heareth you as if you were persuading him to go play with the sun; they are matters of another world, and out of his element. They may be good to others, but he cannot apprehend them as suitable to him, because he hath a nature that is otherwise inclined; he savoureth not the things of the Spirit.

4. The main cause of the slighting of Christ and salvation, is a secret root of unbelief in men's hearts. Whatever they may pretend, they do not soundly and thoroughly believe the word of God. They are taught in general to say the Gospel is true; but they never saw the evidence of its truth so far, as thoroughly to persuade them of it; nor have they got their souls settled on the infallibility of God's testimony, nor considered the truth of the particular doctrines revealed in the Scripture, as soundly to believe them. O did you all but soundly believe the words of this Gospel; of the evil of sin, of the need of Christ, and what he hath done for you, and what you must be and do if ever you will be saved by him; and what will become of you for ever if you do it not; I dare say it would cure the contempt of Christ, and you would not make so light of the matters of your salvation. But men do not believe, There is a root of bitterness, and an evil heart of unbelief, that makes them depart from the living God. Tell any man in this congregation, that he shall have a gift of ten thousand pounds, if he will go to London for it; if he

while they say they do.

believe you, he will go; but if he believe not, he will not; and if he will not go, you may be sure he believeth not. 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 heart. 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 stony heart, no wonder if they feel not what they know, or regard not what we say, but make light of all. When men's hearts are like the highway, trodden to hardness by long custom in sinning, or like the clay that is hardened to a stone, by the heat of those mercies that should have melted them into repentance: when they have consciences seared with a hot iron, as the Apostle speaks; no wonder, then, if they be past feeling, and working all uncleanness with greediness, do make light of Christ and everlasting glory. O that this were not the case of too many of our hearers ! Had we but living souls to speak to, they would hear, and feel, and not make light of what we say. I know they are naturally alive, but they are spiritually dead. O if there were but one spark of the life of grace in them, the doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ, would appear to them to be the weightiest business in the world! O how