310 THE ABSOLUTE nor your cap, nor your knee. If thy heart be not set upon him, thou art none of his. His word must be your law, and you must depend on him alone for soul and body, or never look for mercy at his hands. He is the Author of eternal salvation to them only that obey him; Heb. v. 9. What say you, then,sirs, in answer to my message? And what course do you resolve upon ? Shall Christ be your love, and your Lord, or not? Will you kiss the Son, or will you slight him still? Methinks you should easily be resolved, and say, ' Away with pleasure, and credit, and worldly gain; away with these bewitch- ing delights and companions ; Christ hath bought my heart, and he shall have it ; he is my Lord, and I' will be ruled by him.' Hearers, I hope God bath kept you alive till now to show you mercy, and brought some sinners hither to-day to prevail with their hearts ; and my hope is somewhat strengthened by God's disposal, of myown spirit. I was strongly tempted to have preach- ed this sermon in the enticing words of human wisdom, tending to a proud ostentation of parts ; but Christ hath assisted me to con- quer the temptation, and commanded me topreach him in plain- ness, and evidence of the. Spirit. I come not to persuade you to opinions or factions, to be for this side or for that, but to be with all your hearts for Christ, as ever you look that Christ should be for you ; to love him as he that bath bought you from eternal wrath, and died to save you from everlasting burnings ; to layhold on him with most earnest, affectionate apprehension, as a man that is ready to drown would do upon a bough, or upon the hand of his friend that would pull him to the shore; to wait for the law of thy direction from him, and do nothing till thou .hast asked counsel at his word, and know his mind, whether thou shou'ldest do it or no, till thou feel ,thy conscience bound by his law, that thou canst not stir till he give thee leave ; that the commands of parents and princes may stoop to his, much more the commands ofcustom and company, of credit or pleasure, of the world or flesh: these are the things that I exhort you to; and I must tell you that Christ'doth flatly expect them at your hands. I will here back these exhortations with some persuading con- siderations. Think of what I say, and weigh it as we go. If I speak not truth and reason, then reject it with disdain, and spare not ; but if it be, and thy conscience tell thee so, take heed then how thou dost neglect or reject it, lest thou be found a fighter against the Spirit, and lest the curse of God do seize upon that heart that would not yield to truth and reason. And I will draw these considerations only from my text : 1. Thou art else a rebel against thy sovereign Lord. This . I gather from the command in my text; and, indeed, the scope of
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