To conclude. One word to you that are neglecters of Jesus Christ: 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' Here, we may see how we ought to judge all such persons as neglecting the Lord Jesus, under whatever guise, name, or notion they are. We ought, I say, to judge of such, that they are at present in a state of condemnation; of condemnation, 'because they have not believed in the only-begotten Son of God' (John 3:18). It is true; there is no man more at ease in his mind, with such ease as it is, than the man that hath not closed with the Lord Jesus, but is shut up in unbelief. O! but that is the man that stands convict before God, and that is bound over to the great assize; that is the man whose sins are still his own, and upon whom the wrath of God abided (v 36); for the ease and peace of such, though it keeps them far from fear, is but like to that of the secure thief, that is ignorant that the constable stands at the door; the first sight of an officer makes his peace to give up the ghost (1 John 5:12). Ah, how many thousands that can now glory that they never were troubled for sin against God; I say, how many be there that God will trouble worse than he troubled cursed Achan, because their peace, though false, and of the devil, was rather chosen by them than peace by Jesus Christ, than 'peace with God by the blood of his cross' (Col 1:20). Awake, careless sinners, awake! And arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. Content not yourselves either with sin or righteousness, if you be destitute of Jesus Christ, but cry, cry, O cry to God for light to see your condition by; for light in the Word of God, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed (Eph 5:14). Cry, therefore, for light to see this righteousness by; it is a righteousness of Christ's finishing, of God's accepting, and that which alone can save the soul from the stroke of eternal justice! (Rom 1:17).
There are six things that, on man's part, are the cause he receives, not the gospel of Christ, and so life by him—1. They do not see their state by nature, how polluted they are with original sin (Eph 2:2). 2. They do not see the justice of God against sin; they do not know him that hath said, 'Vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense' (Heb 10:30). 3. They cannot see the beauty of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:4). 4. they dare not venture their souls with Jesus Christ, unbelief being mighty in them. They dare not trust his righteousness and to that only (Rev 21:8). For, 5. Their carnal reason also sets itself against the word of faith and cannot stoop to the grace of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:14). 6. They love to have honored one another; they love to be commended for their own vain-glorious righteousness, and the fools think that because they are commended of men, they shall be commended of God also: 'How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?' (John 5:44). This last thing—to wit, the desire of vain-glory, is the bane of thousands; it is the legalist's bane, it is the civilian's bane, it is the formalist's bane, yea, which yet is stranger, it is the bane of the vicious and debauched also; for though there be a generation that, to one's thinking, have not regard to righteousness, yet watch them narrowly, and they have their times of doing something that looks like good, and though possibly it is but seldom, yet this wretch counted that, for the sake of that, God accepted him, and counted his, glorious righteousness. I might add a seventh cause: the desire for serious meditation upon the eternal judgment and what shall follow. If it took a deep place in the heart, this consideration would doubtless produce these workings of spirit after Jesus Christ for justification that now are wanted in most men. This made Felix, yea, it makes the devils, tremble; and would, I say, could thou deeply meditate, make thee start and turn thy wanton thoughts into heavy sighs after God's mercy in Jesus Christ, lest thou also come into their place of torment.
