departure of those, who have left this Ser M. wicked and miserable world, and are

X. gone to rest from their labours ? For so faith the Spirit of God, Kev. xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth yea faith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.

SE R MON XI.
The Inexcusableness of rejecting

the Gospel.
(Preached on Whitsunday.]

HệB. ii.

3
and

4.
How mall we escape, if we negle&t so great

salvation, which at the first began to be
Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him; God
also bearing them witness, both with higns
and wonders, and with divers miracles
and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according
to his own will?

HESE words contain an ac-SERM,

XI.
T.

count, how utterly inexcusable
all men are, who neglect the

Salvation of the Gospel; either
by rejecting it through Unbelief, when of-

fered

R 3

Ser m. fered unto them; or by living unworthily
XI.

of it, after they have pretended to em-
brace it. Many considerations there are,
which highly aggravate the fault of such
persons as contemptuously neglect the pro-
posal of a Favour,which 'tis both their duty
and their greatest interest to accept; and
many circumstances make them more and
more inexcusable, and justly to deserve
the severest punishment, for their ingra-
titude and contempt.

The intrinsick
Goodness and Excellency of the Thing it-
self, which they despise and neglect; the
great value, the necesity and fingular im-
portance of it; the exceeding great benefit,
which, by being duly received, it would
bring along with it; and the Extreme
Evils which are consequent upon the
neglect of it: The Power and Aubority,
the Greatness and Goodness of the Person,
whofe Favour we make light of; our
Subjection to him and Dependence upon
him, as our absolute Governour ; or our
Obligations to him, as our greatest Bene-
factor : The Dignity and Excellency of
the Person, by whose. interposition the

Benefit

Benefit is procured, and by whom it is SERM. conveyed or sent to us : The

XI.

great Dificulties that were necessary to be underwent in order to obtain it, or the great Cost that was requisite to purchase it : The Strength and Clearness of the Evidence, and the Number and Greatness of the Proofs, made use of to assure us of the Certainty of it: All these are Circumstances which greatly increase our Obligation, to accept with Thankfulness the Advantage proposed, to make that due Use of it for which it was conferred, and be inAuenced by it in all the Actions of our Lives. And if we neglect or despise it, or behave ourselves ill and upworthily under it; all the same circumstances do highly aggravate our guilt, render us very inexcusable, and make us justly to deserve the feverest of punishments for our ingratitude and contempt.

To reject That, which in the nature of the thing itself is of the highest Excellency and intrinfick Goodness, is a mark of the greatest Depravity and Corruption of Manners. To despise That, which is of the last and

RA