.594 MAKING LIGHT OF CHRIST. is vary reasonable and easy in itself to a pure nature ; but while man is blind and dead,these things are in a sort impossibleto him, which are never so easy to others. It is the easiest and sweetest life in the world to a gracious soul to live in the love of God, and the 'delightful thoughts of the life to come, where all their hope and happiness lieth ; but to a worldly, carnal heart it is as easy tq remove a mountain as to bring them to this. However, thesemen are their own condemners; for if they think it so easy a matter to repent and believe, and so to ldave Christ, and right to salvation, then have they no excuse for neglecting this . which they thought so easy. O wretched, impenitent soul ! what mean you to say whenGod shall ask you, Why did you not repent, and love your Redeemer above the world, when you thought it so easy that you could do h at any time ? IV. Use 1. We come now to the application; and hence you may be informed of the blindness and folly of all camal men. How contemptible are their judgments that think Christ' and sal- vation contemptible ! And how little reason there is why any should be moved by them, or discouraged by any of their scorns or contradictions ! How shall we sooner know a man to be a fool, than if heknow no difference between dung and gold! Is there such a thing as mad- ness in the world, if that man be not triad that sets light by Christ, and his own salvation, while he daily toils for the dungof the, earth ? And yet what pity is it to see that a-companyof poor, ignorant souls will be ashamed of godliness, if such men as these do but deride them! Or will think hardly of a holy life, if such as these do speak against it ! Hearers, if you see any set light by Christ and salvation, do you set light by that man's wit, and by his words, and hear the reproaches of a holy life as you would hear the words of a madman ; not with regard, but with a compassion of his misery. Use. 2. What wonder if we and our preaching be despised, and the best ministers complain of ill success, when the ministry ofthe apostles themselves did succeed no better! What wonder if, for all that we can say or do, our hearers still set light by Christ and their own salvation, when the apostles' hearers did the same !, They that did second their doctrine by miracles, ifany men could have shaken and torn in pieces the hearts of sinners, they could have done it. Ifany could háve laid them at their feet, and made them all cry out as some, " What shall we do ?" it would have been they. 'You may see, then, that it is not merely for want of good preachers that men make light of Christ and salvation. The first news of such a thing as the pardon of sin, and the hopes of glory, and the danger of everlasting misery, would turn the hearts of men within them, if theywere as tractable in spiritual matters
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