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hearts dwell upon these tilings, and consider with yourselves how bitter you have found it to offend God, though now it be a time of mercy.
2. Secondly, consider how the gospel lays open Christ unto us ; ' This is his commandment, that we believe in the Lord Jesus,' 1 John iii. 23. He that commands us to do no mui'der, not to steal, &c., commands us likewise to believe in Christ. He commands us to love our own souls so much, as to take the remedy which may cure them ; so that now it is our duty to be good to oui* poor souls ; and we offend God if we be not merciful to our own souls. Oh ! what a favour is this, that God should lay a charge upon me not to reject my own mercy, as it is in Jonah, ' They who follow lying vanities forsake their own mercies,' Jonah ii. 8. If I do not love my own soul, and accept of mercy offered, ' I make God a liar,' 1 John v. 10, and offend his majesty.
3. Again, consider how God allures those that might except against mercy. Alas, I am laden with sin, will some poor soul say ! Why ! ' Come unto me, all you that are heavy laden, and I will ease you,' Mat. xi. 28. But I have offended God, I have broken my peace, &c., yet ' I beseech you, be reconciled to God,' 2 Cor. v. 20 ; though you have offended, yet there is hope. Do but consider how ready God is to help you, how continual his mercies are, and how he stretcheth out his hands to receive us.
4. Consider further, what a sweet regiment* it is to be under Christ, as a king, and as an husband. Will he not provide for his own family, for his own subjects ? Beloved, it is not mere dominion that Christ stands upon ; he aims at a fatherly and husband-like sovereignty, for the good of his children and spouse. It is their welfare he looks after. Therefore, I beseech you, be in love with the government of Jesus Christ, his blessed Spirit. Oh ! it is a sweet regiment !* For the Spirit of God leads us quietly, enlightening our understandings upon judicious gi'ounds what to do, by strength of reason; altering our natiu'es, and bettering us every way, both in our inward and outward man. It never leaves teaching and guiding of us till it hath brought us to heaven and happiness.
To conclude, mark what the apostle saith here, ' What shall be the end of those that obey not the gospel '? ' He cares not what they know. Many say, we have heard the word, and we have received the sacrament, &c. It is no matter for that, how stands the bent of your souls ? what hath your obedience been ? This is that God looks after. Every man can talk of reU- gion, but where is the practice ? A little obedience is worth all the discoui'se and contemplation in the world ; for that ser\'es but to justify God's damning of us, if we live not answerably. Value not yourselves, therefore, by your outward profession, neither judge of your estate in grace, by the knowledge of good things. Nothing but the power of godliness, expressed in our lives, will yield real comfort in the day of trial.
Our obedience jnust be free. And we should labour that om' obedience be ' free and cheerful,' Ps. ex. 3 ; always upon the wing, as we say, for that is evangehcal obedience. God's people under the gospel are a voluntary, ready people, ' zealous of good works,' Tit. ii. 14. Oh ! beloved, did we but consider what God hath done for us here, and what he means to do for us in another world, how would our hearts be enlarged in duty to his majesty ! Did we but consider of his inestimable love in the Lord Christ, pardoning such wretches as we are, and not only so, but accepting our ser- vice and us to hfe everlasting ; taking us from the lowest misery to the highest happiness ; from the lowest hell to the highest heaven ; of ti-aitors * That is, ' government.' — C.
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to be sons ; of slaves to be beirs of the kingdom, &c. Oh ! did we but seriously consider and believe these things, how would they warm our hearts, and make us pliable and constant to every good work and way !
The apostle having tasted the sweet favom- of God in Christ, might well use it as a motive to quicken others. ' I beseech you by the tender mer- cies of Christ,' &c., Rom. xii. 1. He knew this was a powerful argument, and if that wrought not upon men's hearts, nothing would.
Let our obedience, therefore, be cheerful ; for now we are not in the old- ness of the letter. We have not a legal covenant since Christ's coming, but we serve God ' in the ne\\Tiess of the Spirit,' Rom. vii. 6 ; that is, consider- ing that the Spirit is given in more plenty since his ascension, we should be more spiritual and heavenly in our service of God. Considering that our Head is ah-eady entered into that high and holy place, and we, ere long, shall be present with him, having but a spot of time to pass here below, how ready and zealous should we be in obedience to God's will ! and not suffer a heavy lumpishness and deadness of spirit to seize upon us in holy performances. But I hasten to the second amplification.