Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v1

MAKING LIGHT OF CHRIST. 593 out, " Sirs, what shall I do to be saved ? " Acts xvi. 30. This is the reason why God will bring men so low by humiliation, be- fore he brings them to salvation. 9. Men.take occasion to make light of Christ'by the common- ness of the gospel. Because they do hear of it every day,' the frequency is an occasion to dull their affections; I say,an occasion, for it is no just cause. Were it a rarity, it might take more with them ; but now, if they hear a minister preach nothing but these saving truths, they say, ' We have these every day.' They make not light of their bread or drink, their health or life, because they possess them, every day :. they make,not light of the sun, because it shineth every day ; at least they should not, for the mercyis the greater ; but Christ and salvation are made light of, because they hear of them often. ' This is,' say they, ' a good, plain, dry ser- mon.'- Pearls are trod in the dirt where they are common : they loathe this dry manna. " The full soul loathes the honey -comb ; but to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet." Prov. xxvii. 7. 10. Christ and salvation are made light of, because of this dis- junctive presumption ; either that he is sure enough theirs already, and God, thatis somerciful, andChrist, that bath suffered so much for them, is surely resolved to save them, or else it may easily be obtained at any time, if it be not yet so. A conceited facility to have a part in Christ and saltation at any time, doth occasion men to make light of them. It is true that grace is free, and the offer is universal, according to the extent of the preaching of the gos- pel ; and it is true that men may haveChrist when they will ; that is, when they are willing to have him on his terms ; but he that hath _promised thee Christ, if thou be willing, bath not promised to make thee willing ; and if thou art not willing now, how cast thou think thou shalt be willing hereafter ? , If thou canst make thine own hears willing, why is it not done now? Can you do it better when sin hath more hardened it, and God may have given thee over to thyself? O sinners! you might do much, though you are not able of yourselves to come in, if you would, now sub- ject yourselves to the working of the Spirit, and set in while the gales of grace continue. But did you know what a hard and im- possible thing it is to be so much as willing to have Christ and grace, when the heart is given over to itself, and the Spirit bath withdrawn its former invitations, you would not be so confident of your own strength to believe and repent ; nor would you make light of Christ upon such foolish confidence. If indeed it be so easya matter as you imagine, for a sinner to believe and repent at any.time, how comes it to pass that it is done by so few ; but most of the world do perish in their impenitency, when they have all the helps and means that we can afford them ? It is true the thing VOL.- I. 75

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