Inference 4. Be hjformed hence, of the dreadful and damning- nature of the sin of unhclief: a sin that questions, yea, denies^ Chrisfs right to rule over the soul ; blinds the mind, hardens the heart, stiffens the ivill, and makes the soul obstinate and inJleJcibU to all the gracious tenders of Christ in the gospel.
55S A rOKONATIOX-SEfvMON rilEACIIEI) AT DARTMOUTH.
Unbelief is the poisonous breath of Satan, v/bispering jealoiisie?, surmises, and dangerous prejudices against Christ into the ear of the sou], and all tending to this mischievous design and purpose, viz. to hinder or break the treaty of the spiritual marriage betwixt Christ and the soul. Now it will be digging at the very ro<it and foundation of the assenting act, and thus it whispers, how canst thou be sure of the reality of the things reported in the gospel ? Is it not possible they may be devised fables, the cunning artifices of men, to keep the world m awe ? Thou never sawest Christ, for whose sake thou art so earn- estly solicited to renounce all thy real, sweet, and present comforts and enjoyments. Then it dilates rhetorically upon the severe terms of the gospel, advises the soul to think sadly, how hard, grievous, and unrea- sonable the demands of Christ are, Luke xiv. 26. " If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, wife and children, brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
How likest thou this, soul ? Here are all thy principal comforts, thy most dear and desirable things in the world, both personal and re- lative, to be forsaken, yea, hated for Christ's sake : the terms are set so high, that a man must lose his brains and bowels too, saith unbelief, before he can be wrought up to them. Canst thou endure to see all the labours of thy life to become a prey to thine enemies ? That which bath cost thee so much study and toil, scattered and destroyed in a day, when it is yet in the power of thine hand to save all ; thy habitation to cast thee out, thy pleasant fields possessed by strangers : Imp'nis has segetes ; hast thou hardiness enough to encounter beggary ? to fight with hunger, thirst, and nakedness ? to lie in a nasty gaol, to endure a parting pull with nearest relatives, which are as thine own soul ? But yet there are harder trials than these. Canst thou endure a tor- menting death, by cruel barbarous enemies; Canst thou stand quietly at a stake, and endure the exquisite torments of the fire, and that in the fulness of thy time, whilst thou art in the ilower of thine age, ful- ness of thy senses, and hast so fair a prospect of many pleasant years before thee ; and all this for an unseen glory in another world f These are the feeling arguments urged by infidelity, against em- bracing Christ's overtures in the gospel, or coming under the sceptre of this new Lord : and with how many do they prevail ; thus Satan fixes his subjects, and makes them secure to himself
But sinner, if God have any intention of saving mercy to thy soul, thou shalt feel the more potent principles of divine faith and love overpowering and subacting these carnal reasonings within thy soul. It is admirable to behold the Almighty influences of grace u|X)n na- ture ; how the drawings of the Spirit, his dmnipotent pull at the heart, makes the strongest ties this world hath upon it, to give vvay, and easily to loose. Mark x. 28. ' Lord, we have left all, and fol- lowed thee.' If not, but thou be fixedly resolved not to change Sa- tan's government for Christ's ; if thou say in thy heart, and stand to that saying, I will never consent to such hard conditions ; then hear
A CORONATION-SERMON, PllEACIIEJ) AT DARTJtOUTIT. 559
tliy sentence, read thy mittimus, Luke xix. 27. ' But those mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them ; bring hither and slay them before me.' Tlie sentence is dreadful, the execution sure ; thy unbelief will as surely damn thee, as a millstone about thy neck, in the midst of the sea, will drown thee, Mark xiv. 16. * He that belle veth not, shall be damned.' Thou hast cast the vilest dishonour upon Christ, thou hast rejected the only way of salvation ; and what can the issue of thy final unbelief be, })ut ruin and destruction ?
Ui>e II. My next work will be persuasive work, to gain the con- sent of the souls to come under the sceptre and government of Christ; to make his heart glad, and yourselves happy for ever, by your espousals to him : And O that I could this day so represent this king in his glory, so discover the miserable thraldom you are in under Satan, and your lusts ; so clear up the reasonableness and easiness of Christ's terms and demands, that there might be as cheerful and hearty (though not so loud and audible) an applause, and acclamations returned to my demand of your consent to Christ, as this day are, or ever were at the coronation of any king.
1. And to this end, first consider the glory and dignity of the per- son of Christ ; he is the Son of God by nature, the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, Ileb. 1. 3. " He is the JPrince of the kings of the earth," Rev. i. 5. The most glori- ous monarch that ever swayed a sceptre over men, is but as a worm of the earth, or as a despicable insect in the air, compared with So- lomon in his glory ; the most perfect beauty in the creatures, be- neath or above, is blackness and deformity, in comparison with Christ : The beauty of roses, lilies, sun, stars, angels, is not worthy to be mentioned in comparison with Christ: " Thou art fairer (saith his spouse) than the sons of men." None ever saw him sa- vingly by the eye of faith, but were charmed into his bosom by love. The facial vision of Christ is the feast of blessed souls above.
The king of glory makes suit for your hearts this day ; he woos for your consent ; he passed by apostate angels, not once making them a tender of reconciliation or union, but comes to you in his red garments, glorious in his apparel : he shed his invaluable blood to redeem you to God ; he loved you, and gave himself for you : if there be a drop of love in your hearts, methinks the excellency of Christ should extract and engage it. Write that man a beast, a senseless stock, that hath no love for Christ.
2. Consider, What a blessed state, abounding with glorious and in-, valuable privileges, your consent to be Christ's is introductive to: it opens to all privileges, mercies, and blessings, desirable in the eyes of men ; it opens into freedom and liberty, from the vassalage of Satan, the servitude of sin, the curse of the law, the danger of wrath to come. John viii. 36. " If the Son, therefore, make you free, then are ye free indeed." It opens the door into rest and peace ; peace with God^
5C0 A COnoXATION-SEnMOX, PREACHED AT DAETMOUTH.