them than to confirm it in its own desperate tlioughts of its damnation, and to tell it that hell-iire is kindled in its conscience, which no mercy in God will or can quench to eternity. As the bloody Jews and Roman soldiers exercised their cruelty on every part almost of Christ's body, crovvninj^ his head witli thorns, goring Ins side with a spear, and fastening his hands and feet with nails ; so the despairing sinner deals with the whole name of God. He doth, as it were, put a mock crown on the head of his wisdom, setting it all to nought, and charging it foolishly, as if the method of salvation was not laid with prudence by tlie all-wise God. He nails the hands of his almighty power, while he thinks his sins are of that natm-e as puts him out of the reach and beyond the power of God to save him. He piercetli the tender bowels of God's mercy when he cannot see enough in him to persuade him to hope for any favour or forgiveness at his hands. In a word, the despairing soul transfixeth his very heart and will, while he unworthily frames notions of God as if lie were unwilling to the work of mercy, and not so inclined to exercise acts of pardon and forgiveness on poor sinners as the word declares him to be. Despair basely misreports him to the soul as if he were a lame God, and had no feet (affections I mean) to carry him to such a work as forgiving sin. Now, what does the sum of all this amount to, if you can without horror and amaze- ment stand to cast it up, and consider the weight of those circumstances which aggravate the flagitiousness of this unparalleled fact? Surely it riseth to no less than the highest attempt that the creature can make for the murdering of God himself; for the infinitude of God's wisdom, power, mercy, and all his attributes, are more intrinsical to the essence and being of God than the heart's blood is to the life of a mortal man. Shall he that lets out the heart's blood of a man, yea, but attempts to do it, be a murderer, (especially if he be a prince or king which the design is against,) and deservedly suffer as such ; and shall not he mvich more be counted and punished as the worst of all murderers that attempts to take away the life of God (though his arm and dagger be too short for the purpose) by taking from him in his thoughts the infinitude of those attributes which are, as I may sa)^, the very life of God ? Surely God will neither part with the glory, nor suffer the dishonour of his name, at the hands of his sorry creatiu-e, but will engage all his attril)utes for the avenging himself on the wretch that attempts it. O, tremble, therefore, at despair ! Nothing makes thy face gather blackness, and thy soul hasten faster to the complexion of damned souls than this ; now thou sinnest after the similitude of those that are in hell.
Section III. — Despair strengthens and enrageth all other sins in the soul. There are none that fight so fiercely as those who look for no quarter. They think themselves dead men, therefore they will sell their lives as dear as they can. Samson desjiaired of ever getting out of the Philistines' hands, his eyes being lost, and he unfit to make an escape : what doth he meditate, now that his case is desperate, but his enemies' ruin ? He cares not though he pulls the house on his own head, so it may but fall on the Philistines also. When Absa- lom, by the wicked counsel of Ahithophel, had as he thought made himself so hateful to David as to be past all hope of being treated with, he then breaks out with a high rage, and seeks the ruin of his royal father with fire and sword. So cruel a thing is despair ; it teaches to shew no respect where it looks for none. But most clearly it appears in the devil himself, who, knowing himself to be excluded from pardon, sins with a rage as high as heaven ; and the same sin hath the same effects in men that it hath in the devil, according to the degrees of it which are found in them. ' They said. There is no hope : but we will walk after our own devices,' Jer. xviii. 12. Did you never see a sturdy beggar, after some time knocking at a door, and concluding by the present silence or denial that he shall have nothing given him, fall into a cursing and railing of them that dwell there ? Even such foul language doth despair teach the sinner to make use of against the God of heaven. If despair enters, it is impossible to keep blasphemy out : pray therefore, and do thy utmost to repel this dart, lest it soon set thy soul on a flame with this hell-fire of blasphemy. Hear, O souls smitten for sin, who spend your lives in sighs, sobs, and tears, for your horrid enemies : would you again be seen fighting against God as fierce as ever ? If you woidd not, take heed of dfespair. If thou once thinkest tliat
AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION. 511