?°efiament, as well as under the New. _ I I meaning and Myftery of them. But we have not the under/tanding of the holy. Poor, dark, ignorant Creatures we are, the Lord knows. Ouan- tum eft quod nefcimus ! Zileq.. Incouragement to believe and receive the Go/Pei : For it is the ever- lafting Gofpel. This ufe is the dire& Scope of this Text, they had a promife of entring into tell, but came fhort of it thro' Unbelief. Take we heed therefore of unbelief, left we enter not into reft For the Gofpel is preached to us as well as to tbem. There is ground of encouragement to believe the Gofpel, to embrace and clofe with it ; for it is that which all the Saints ofGod both under the Old and New Teftament have ventured their Souls upon. The Gofpel was preached to them as well as to us, and to us, as well as unto them. Thou mayeft fafely venture thy Soul in that way wherein fo many Saints in all ages are gone to Heaven : Let us take heed left we fall fhort by unbelief ; for the Gofpel was preached to us as well as unto them ; but the Word profited them not, be- cauje it was not mixed with Faith in them that heard it. Take heed, having the Promifes of entring into refs, left any ofyou fallfhort ; Take heed of falling fhort of the good things ofthe Gofpel, of that Reif which the Gofpel gives to finful, guilty, weary Souls. Is fuch a Gofpel preach- ed, and fuch glad tydings revealed, and wilt not thou clofe with them, and receive them gladly and thankfully ? All the Gofpel Difpenfations in the Book of God will rife up against thee, if thouart an Unbeliever ; all the Saints of old will judge thee, and teftifie against thee. They had but a little glimmeringLight, yet they ventured all upon that. But now the Sun appears and fhines on the World in Clearnefs and Glory. They might have obje&ed, that the height ofGofpel-light is not difcovered, which might be great hin- derance to them ; therefore if God was angry with them then, how much more with us now, how shall we efcape, if we negle& fo great Salvation ? If every word fpoken then was Itedfaft, and was fufficient tobring Souls out of the state of Sin and Death, to Happinefs; bow much more the Word and Light that we enjoy ? For if the Word fpoken by Angels was fledfaft, and every Tranfgrefon and Difobedience received ajuft recompence of Reward, Heb 2. z, 3. how (hall we efcape, ifwe neg- leufo great Salvation ? Unbelief is adamning Sin in all ages ; but the more clearly the Gofpel is preached, the more inexcufable is the Unbe- liefof finners that perifh in their Sins ; the more inexcufable is their Sin, and the more deep and dreadful will their Damnation be. The Apoftle calls the Gofpel the Word of Truth ; Unbelief faith itisaLye: It gives God the Lye, it makes him a Lyar, and':makes the Gofpel a Fable. If there be a way of recovery, why fhould'st not thou believe C z and
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