estimate it aright are altogether vain. What shall I say of the incarnation of God's only dear Son, and of his substitution in the place of sinners ? What shall I say of his obedience unto death ; and of his working out a righteousness, wherein every sinner in the universe, if only he believed in Jesus, might stand accepted before God ? It is evident that the theme is too vast either for men or angels ; and that " the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of this love can never be fully comprehended," or adequately explored'^.]
Well, then, may we now be prepared to hear of, II. The danger of neglecting it —
Here an appeal is made to every living man ; and sinners are made judges in their own cause. Only consider what is included in a neglect of the Gospel salvation :
1. What ingratitude !
[Did Almighty God so compassionate our fallen state as to give his only-begotten Son to stand in our place and stead, and by his own obedience unto death to rescue us from all the
miseries we had deserved ? What shall be said of
those on whom this stupendous act of grace makes no impres- sion ? If but a man, a fellow-sinner, had substituted himself in our place, and died for us by the hands of a public execu- tioner, what would be thought of us if we felt no obligation to him ? I put it then to yoic, What must God think of us, if we feel no desire to requite his unmerited and unbounded kindness to us, in giving his only dear Son to die for us ? / appeal to all, May we not well expect to lose this salvation, if we are so indifferent about it, as to treat both it, and the
means used to effect it, with neglect? I cannot doubt
what is the testimony which the conscience of every one before me is constrained to give.]
2. What unreasonableness !
[Who ever thinks of attaining the means without the end ? You cannot obtain any thing in this life without some effort suited to the occasion. How can you hope, therefore, that hea- ven, and all its glory, shall ever be attained without some effort? If I had to require all the exertions that poor heathen devo- tees employ to secure the favour of their gods, it were highly reasonable that you should engage day and night in all the most self-denying services that could be prescribed. But when I have only to say, " Believe in Christ, and be saved," your
k Eph. iii. 18, 19.
2273.] GREATNESS OF THE GOSPEL SALVATtON. 4 TjO
neglect is unreasonable in the highest degree. Suppose, when Moses erected the brazen serpent that all who looked to it might be healed, any had been so perverse as to say, * No, I will not turn my head to look to it;' would you not say that such an one justly merited the death that must have ensued ? Such then is the desert of you who neglect the Saviour : and 1 will leave you to judge, whether your uni'easonable obstinacy, in refusing to comply with such easy means, do not justly cut you off from all hope of that salvation which he offers to you ?]
3. What horrible impiety !
[I am afraid of putting this in its true point of view, lest you should think that I wish to aggravate your guilt beyond all due bounds. But the Apostle himself repi'esents it as " a trampling under foot the Son of God, and putting him to an open shame, and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace." Now, suppose you could see this matter as God sees it. Sup- pose you could see the Lord Jesus Christ coming in person to that man, and the man turning upon him and trampling him under his feet: then suppose you saw the Holy Spirit also importuning and entreating him to accept of mercy, and the man turning his back upon him, and doing all manner of despite to him : should you think that man had any just ground to expect a salvation which he treated with such contempt ? This, then, is the very light in which God places it, and in which you also ought to view it'. You, in fact, say to God, ' It was needless to send thy Son for me : I did not want him; nor will I receive him : and if I am not to be saved but by him, I am determined to abide by the alternative : for I will rather perish in my sins, than be at the trouble of seeking salvation through him.' I think I need not put it to you, whether the damnation of such an obstinate sinner be just or not : I feel persuaded that the appeal made to you in my text has made its way to all your hearts ; and that you see how vain it must be for any to hope to escape the displeasure of God, if they continue to treat with such neglect and contempt the wonderful salvation provided for them.]