2. Ground is this : because sinners under the gospel, cannot sin at so
1 Prayer is porta cceli, clavis paradisi. the gate of heaven, a key to let us in to para- dise, Heb. iii. 7-12. Nee Christus nee coelum patitur hypeibolem, a man cannot hyperbolize in speaking of Christ and heaven. Omne bonum, in surnmo bono, all good is in the chiefest good.
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cheap a rate as otherwise they might do ; the drunkard cannot be drunk at so cheap a rate ; nor can the opposer and persecutor oppose and persecute at so cheap a rate as they might do where the gospel doth not shine in power and glory.
3. Because the gospel puts persons upon very hard service, upon very difficult work, pulling out a right eye, cutting oft* a right hand, offering up an Isaac, throwing overboard a Jonas, parting with bosom lusts and darling sins. Herod heard John Baptist gladly, till he came to touch his Herodias, and then off goes his head. As they say. John vi., ' This is a hard saying, and who can abide it ?' and from that time they walked no more with him. This is a hard gospel indeed, and at this their blood riseth.
4. Because of the differing and distinguishing work that the gospel makes among the sons of men ; it softens one, and hardens another that sits next to him ; enlightens one, and strikes the other blind ; it wins one and enrages the other. The same sun hath different effects on the objects on which it shineth. The gospel puts a difference be- tween the precious and the vile ; and this the vile cannot bear. It was never good days, say they, since such and such must be saints, and none else ; we have as good hearts as any, and this enrageth them.
Lastly, It is from Satan, Satan knows that the very tendency of the gospel is to shake his kingdom about his ears. Satan and antichrist know that their kingdom must down by the power and light of the o-ospel; and therefore Satan and men of an antichristian spirit do all they can to oppose and shew their hatred against the everlasting gos- pel; and this makes them to be in such a rage against the gospel.
Query 2. When the gospel goes from a people, what goes ? I shall give but a touch here.
1. When the gospel goes, peace, plenty, and trading go, 2 Chron. xv. 3, 5, 6, compared. Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching priest. Why ? They had priests ; but they were Jeroboam's priests, as you may see, chap. xiii. 9, ' Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands % so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. A little business will buy a priesthood ; and so they are said to be without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. Mark what follows: 'And in those times, there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in ; but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the country, and nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for God did vex them with all adversity.'
2. Safety and security goes when the gospel goes ; so in the text but now cited. The ark was taken away, and when that was taken away, their strength and safety was gone. When the Jews rejected the gos- pel, the Romans came and took away both their place and nation : John xi. 48, ' If we let him thus alone, the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation/ About forty years after, Titus and Vespasian took away their city ; they cried, ' If we let this man alone, the Romans will take away our nations.' And this was the ready way to bring the Romans upon them.
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3. When the gospel goes, civil liberty goes. When the Jews slighted the gospel, and turned their backs upon it, they quickly became bond- slaves to the Romans.
4. When the gospel goes, the honour and glory, splendour and beauty of a nation goes. It is the gospel that is the honour and glory of a nation, and when that goes, all the glory goes. As old Eli said, when the ark was taken away, ' The glory is departed from Israel,' 1 Sam. iv. 32. Jer. ii. 11-13, ' Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods ? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth net profit,' that is, the worship of God into the traditions of men. What is it that lifts up one nation above another but the gospel ? Above all nations of the earth, England hath been lifted up to heaven.
5. When the gospel goes, all soul-happiness and blessedness goes. The gospel, you know, is the means appointed by God to bring souls to an acquaintance with Christ, to an acceptance of Christ, to an interest in Christ, to an assurance that he is theirs, and they are his. Now, when this goes, all soul-happiness and blessedness goes.
Lastly, When the gospel goes, the special presence of God goes, for that still goes with the gospel. There is a general presence of God, as the psalmist speaks, Ps. cxxxix., 'Where shall I go from thy Spirit? whither shall I fly from thy presence V This presence of God reacheth from heaven to hell ; in that sense, God is included in no place, not excluded out of any place. But, alas ! what is this general presence ? When the gospel goes, the special presence of God goes. This leads me by the hand to the third query.
Query 3. And that is this, Whether God will remove the gospel from England or no ?
It is the fears of many; but I humbly suppose no. Whatsoever dark- ness may be upon it, yet that God will not remove it ; and, if you please, I will offer a few things that signify something, as to my own satisfaction, and it may be so to you.
1. The rooting that it hath got in the hearts of sinners and saints, in the judgments, affections, and consciences, both of sinners and saints. Certainly it hath got so deep a root in the hearts of manv thousands of saints and sinners, that it shall not be in the power of hell to raze it out.
2. The glorious anointings that are to be found upon many thousands of God's servants in this nation to preach the everlasting gospel, and who would be glad to preach upon the hardest terms, keeping God and a good conscience, to preach it freely, as the apostles of old did. And certainly God hath not laid in this treasure that it should be turned into a heap of confusion, but that it should serve to the end for which he laid it in.
3. The ineffectualness of all former attempts and designs to destroy the gospel. You know what endeavours of old there hath been to darken this sun, to put out the light of heaven, in the Marian days, and in other days since then ; and yet it hath not been in prisons, racks, flames, pillories, nor anything else to extinguish the glory of it. And then,
4. All designs and attempts to extinguish the everlasting gospel have turned to the advancement, flourishing, and spreading of the gospel.
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