But before I close up this particular, give me leave to say, that this sin of slighting, scorning, and contemning of the gospel, I dare not charge upon those that truly fear the Lord, and that have found the gospel to be a gospel of power upon their own souls, turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. i. 5-7; Acts xxvi. 18. And I shall freely give you my reasons, that you mny be the better satisfied that it was not so much their sins as your own that has brought down that heavy judgment of fire upon the city, wherein once you and they had your respective habitations. My reasons are these : —
[1.] First, Those that did truly fear the Lord, and that had experi- enced the power of the gospel in a saving way upon their owai souls, they did frequently before the Lord bewail and moimi over — hoili together and apart — that heinous sin of sligliting, scorning, and con- temning of the gospel, which many were guilty of lohose habitations ivere then some within, and others loithout the loalls of London, Ezek. ix. 4, 6. The Jews have a law which enjoins them to take up any paper which they see lying on the ground, and the reason is, lest haply the name of God be written in the paper, and ignorantly trodden under foot. Though Christians ought to be free from such superstitious curiosities, yet they ought to be very careful that the least tittle of the gospel, the least command of the gospel, be not trod under foot. Now the saints who once lived within and without the walls of London, Avho througli grace have experienced the saving power of the gospel upon their own souls, how have they mourned and lamented to see that glorious gospel of Christ trod under foot, which they have laid so near their hearts ! and therefore I cannot fairly charge this sin upon them. But,
[2.] Secondly, Slighting, scorning, and contemning of the gospel, is a great step toiuards the sin agai7ist the Holy Ghost, and a sin of so gy^eat a cry, and so deep a dye, that I cannot at present find luhere it is in Scripture charged U2J07i su,ch as tndy fear the Lord, and that have recdly experienced the poiver of the gospel in a saving luay upon their own souls, Heb. ii. 3, and x. 28, 29 ; and therefore I cannot fliirly charge this sin upon them.
[3.] Tliirdly, Next to God, the gospel is the most sioeet and delight- ful thing in cill the ivorld to go-acious sotds, who have experienced the saving po2cer of it upon themselves^ Luther found so much sweet- ness in it, that it made him say, that he would not live in paradise if he might without the word, at cum verba etiam in inferno facile est vivere — but with the word he could live in hell itself. I)olphins, they say, love music, and so do gracious souls love the music of the gospel. The gospel is like the stone garamcmtides, that hath drops of gold within itself, enriching all that will embrace it and conform to it : and this the saints have found by experience, and therefore they cannot but delight in it, and draw sweetness from it. Aglutuidas 2 never relished any dish better than what was distasted by others : so
^ Ps. xix. 10, 11, and cxix. 72, 103, 127 ; Job xxiii. 12. Austin cries, Away with our ■writings, that room maj' he made for the hook of God.
^ Query, Aglaus of Psophis, so renowned for his contentedness ? Val. Max. vii. 1, § 2 : Plinv H. N. vii. 47.— G.
88 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
do the saints relisli that gospel best that others distaste most ; and therefore I cannot cliarge this sin fairly upon them. But,
[4.] Fom'thly, There are none that do so liiyhly prize the gospel, and that set so high a value ^ipon the gospel, as those do ivho have expefrienced the saving poiver of the gospel upon their own souls, Eev. xii. 11, and ii. 12, 13 ; Heb. xi. 33, 38. Such prefer the gospel before all their nearest and dearest concernments and enjoyments that they have in this world ; as might be made evident from tlieir practice in the primitive times, and in the Marian days, and in those late years that are now passed over our heads. i The tabernacle was covered over with red, and the purple feathers 2 tell us, they take that habit for the same intent, to note that we must defend the truth of the gospel, even to the effusion of blood : and this they have made good in all the ages of the world, who liave found the saving [)ower of the gospel upon their own souls. Tertullian concludes, that the gospel must needs be a precious thing, because Nero hated it ; and indeed it was so precious to the saints in his days, that they very willingly and cheerfully laid down their lives for the gospels sake. 3, Now the same spirit rests upon the saints in our days, and therefore upon this ground I cannot charge that horrid sin of slighting, scorn- ing, and contemning of the gosi)el upon them. Israel had three crowns, as the Talmud observes, (1.) of the king, (2.) of the priest, (3.) of the law ; but the crown of the law, that was the cliief of the three. ,
[5.] Fifthly, Who ivere so ready and free to countenance the gospel, and to maintain the gospel, and to encourage the faithful and painful preachers of the gospel, as those that had found the siveet of the gospel, and the saving p)oiver of the gospel, upon tlieir oivn soids? They like well of religion without expense in Basil, and a gospel without charge in Nazianzen ; but if it grow costly, it is no commodity for their money. Now this was the very frame and temper of many thousands in London, who never experienced the saving work of the gospel upon their poor souls : but they were of another frame and temper of spirit in London upon whom the gospel was fallen in power ; and therefore I may not charge upon them this odious sin of slighting, scorning, and contemning the gospel. But,
[6.] Sixthly, Who were there tvithin or ivithout the locdls of London that were so much in a hearty and serious blessing, praising, and admiring of the Lord and his goodness for hHnging them forth in gospel times, as those that had a saving ivork of the gospel upon their oivn souls? When Alexander was born, his father Philip blessed such gods as he had, not so mucli that he had a son, as that he had him in Aristotle's days ; he was thankful for natural and moral discoveries. The clearest, the choicest, the fullest, and the sweetest visions and dis- coveries that we have of God on this side eternity, we have in the gospel, and this they frequently experience who have found the gospel falling in power upon their souls ; and therefore they cannot but always have harps in their hands, and hallelujahs in their mouths, upon this
' Luther, speak ire; of tlie go.spel, saith, that the ssliortest line and the least letter thereof is more than all JRaven anil earth.
* That is, the Homisli priests. — G. ^ Tertul. Apol. cap. v.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 89