MAKING LIGHT OF CHRIST. 589 know them, because they are spiritually discerned; 1 Cor. ii. 14. They are earthly, and these things are heavenly ; John iii: 12. 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, (1 Cor. ii. 12.) that we may know the things that are given us of God. 3. A carnal mind apprehendeth not a suitableness in thesespir- itual and heavenly things to his mind, and therefore he sets light by them, and hath no mind ofthem: When you tell himof ever- lasting 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 ; and therefore he bath no more delight in them than a fish would have to be in the fairest meadow, or than a swine bath in a jewel, or a dog in a piece of gold. Theymay be good to Others, but he cannot apprehend them as suitable to him, becausg he bath a nature that is otherwise inclined : he savoreth not the things of the Spirit ; Roth. viii. 5. 4. The main cause of the slighting of Christ and salvation, is a secret root of unbelief in men's hearts. Whatsoever 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 of the truth of the particular doctrines revealed in the Scripture, so far as soundly to believe them. O, did you all but soundly believe the words of this gospel; ofthe evil of sin, of the need of Christ, and what he bath done for you, and what you must'be and do if ever you will be saved by him, andwhat will become of you forever if you do it not, Ì 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 while they say they do, and would face us down that they do, and verily think that they do themselves. There is a root of bitterness, and an evil heart of unbelief, that makes them depart from the living. God ; Heb. ii. 12. iv. 1, 2. 6. Tell any man in thiscongregation that be shall have a gift of ten thousand pounds, ifhe will go to' London for it ; if he 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, supposing that he is abl. I know a slight belief may stand with a c5icke4 life ; such as men have ofthe 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 natur-
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