(2.) There is proposed to men in the preaching of the gospel, as motives unto believing, every thing in conjunc- tion that severally prevail with men to do whatever else they do in their lives. Whatever any one doth with consi- deration, he doth it either because it is reasonable and good for him so to do, or profitable and advantageous, or pleasant, or lastly, necessary for the avoidance of evil ; whatever, I say, men do with consideration, whether it be good or evil, whether it be in the works of this life or in things that lead to another, they do it from one or other of the reasons or mo- tives mentioned. And, God knows, ofttimes they are very poor and mean in their kind, that men are prevailed upon by. How often will men for a very little pleasure, a very little profit, be induced to do that which shall imbitter their lives, and damn their souls. And what industry will they use to avoid that which they apprehend evil or grievous to them. And any one of these is enough to oil the wheels of men's utmost endeavours, and set men at work to the purpose.
But now all these things centre in the proposal of the gospel, and the command of believing ; and every one of them in a kind, that the whole world can propose nothing like unto it.
[1.] It is the most reasonable thing that can be proposed to the understanding of a man, that he who through his own default hath lost that way of bringing glory to God and saving his own soul (for which ends he was made), that he was first placed in, should accept of and embrace that other blessed, easy, safe, excellent way for the attaining of the ends mentioned, which God in infinite grace, love, mercy, wisdom, and righteousness, hath found out, and doth propose unto him. And,
[2.] It is the profitablest thing that a man can possibly be invited unto ; if there be any profit or benefit, any ad- vantage in the forgiveness of sins, in the love and favour of God, in a blessed immortality, in eternal glory. And,
[3.] It is most pleasant also. Surely it is a pleasant
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thing to be brought out of darkness into light, out of a dungeon unto a throne, from captivity and slavery to Satan and cursed lusts, to the glorious liberty of the children of God, with a thousand heavenly sweetnesses not now to be mentioned. And,
[4.] It is surely necessary, and that not only from the command of God, who hath the supreme authority over us, but also indispensably so for the avoidance of eternal ruin of body and soul. Matt. xvi. 16. It is constantly pro- posed under these terms, believe, or you perish under the weight of the wrath of the great God, and that for ever- more.
But now, notwithstanding that all these considerations are preached unto men, and pressed upon them in the name of the great God, from day to day, from one year to another, yet, as was before observed, very few there are who set their hearts unto them, so as to embrace that which they lead unto. Tell men ten thousand times that this is wisdom, yea, riches ; that all their profit lies in it, that they will assuredly and eternally perish, and that it may be within a few hours, if they receive not the gospel, assure them that it is their only interest and concernment, let them know that God himself speaks all this unto them ; yet all is one, they re- gard it not, set not their hearts unto it, but, as it were, plainly say. We will have nothing to do with these things ; they will rather perish in their lusts than accept of mercy.
(3.) It is indwelling sin that both disenableth men unto, and hinders them from, believing, and that alone. Blindness of mind, stubbornness of the will, sensuality of the affections, all concur to keep poor perishing souls at a distance from Christ. Men are made blind by sin, and can- not see his excellencies ; obstinate, and will not lay hold of his righteousness ; senseless, and take no notice of their own eternal concernments.
Now certainly that which can prevail with men wise and sober, and prudent in other things, to neglect and despise the love of God, the blood of Christ, the eternal welfare of their own souls, upon weak and worthless pretences, must be acknowledged to have an astonishable force and efficacy accompanying it.
Whose heart, who hath once heard of the ways of God,
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can but bleed to see poor souls eternally perishing under a thousand gracious invitations to accept of mercy and pardon in the blood of Christ? And can we but be astonished at the power of that principle from whence it is that they run headlong to their own destruction ? And yet all this befalls them from the power and deceit of sin that dwelleth in them.
3. It is evident in their total apostacies. Many men not really converted, are much wrought upon by the word. The apostle tells us, that they do ' clean escape them that live in error ;' 2 Pet. ii. 18. They separate themselves from idolatry and false worship, owning and professing the truth ; and they also escape the pollutions of the world, ver. 20. that is, 'the corruption that is in the world through lust,' as he expresseth it, chap. i. 4. those filthy, corrupt, and unclean ways, which the men of the world, in the pursuit of their lusts, do walk and live in; these they escape from in the amendment of their lives, and ordering of their conver- sation, according to the convictions which they have from the word. For so he tells us, that all this is brought about ' through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;' that is, by the preaching of the gospel : they are so far wrought upon as to forsake all ways of false worship, to profess the truth, to reform their lives, and to walk answer- able to the convictions that are upon them.