for good, the worft of ills for all the good one ever at any time enjoyed. Yea, it is a turning of the good received from God against him; as if one advanced from the dunghill by his prince, fhould ufe all his favours in rebellion against him. (3) It wrongs his holiness, Hab, i. 13. He can not endure unholinefs. He is omnifcient and omniprefent; fo fin brings into the prefence of the great King, that which by all things he cannot endure to look at. It fets up the worst of defilement before his fpotlefs holinefs; and does in its own nature tend to deface the glory of it.

(4.) Lastly, It breaks his law, the eternal rule of righteoufnefs, 1 John iii. 4. It is all right, and of perpetual equity, and is the hedge which God has fet about his rational creatures: but fin breaks down that hedge, and breaks over it. And the finner is a rebel against the King's law, 1 Sam. xv. 23. and in effect fets God at defiance, inafinuch as it breaks the law, to which fuch a penalty is annexed.

1 fhall now deduce fome inferences,

Inf. 1. Let this commend the love of Chrift in 1. dying for finners, Rom. v. 8. O matchlefs love, which made him willing to be made a curfe for us, that we might be delivered from the curfe of the law! Every fin deferves God's wrath and curfe. What a flood of wrath behoved then to come on hin, when he flood in the flead of a whole elect world!

2. Let this convince you of the ill that is in fin.. There is more ill in the leaft fin than the greatest fufferings. Therefore never fay in compliance with a temptation, It is but a little one. For the leaft fin will make you eternally miferable in hell; and can ye account that a little evil, which expoles to God's curfe here and hereafter?

3. Inexpreffibly terrible is the deferving of many fins, and grofs fins, when the leaft of them deferves

God's wrath. If one do fo, how great muft that wrath be, which thoufands and millions deferve? If an idle word deferves God's wrath and curfe, what muft deliberate lying words deferve, but a deep footing in the lake that burneth with fire and brimftone? OLSTE!

4. Let believers admire free grace, pardoning mercy, and atoning blood, Pfal. xxxii. 1. that fe cures them from bearing the defert of their fin. Let them live to the Lord, by whom they live. Think not little of your fins, O believer, though there be now no condemnation for you, being in Chrift Jefus, Rom. viii. 1. for every one of your fins deferves, though they cannot bring on, God's wrath and curfe. Yet tremble at the thoughts of fine for ye are like the three children in the fiery furnace, compaffed with a fire of fin that would burn you up, but the effect of it is ftopt by the mediation of Chrift.

Laftly, Sinners, be convinced of your abfolute need of Chrift. Ye must be in him, or yevare ruined for ever. Can ye bear that wrath which incenfed juftice will inflict on all that are out of Chrift? Can ye get free of it without him? Wherefore be alarmed, and exhorted to flee from the wrath that is to come, by fleeing to the Lord Jefus, who delivereth all his people from it.

How shall we escape, if we neglect fo great falvation? —

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SINNER having heard, that fin deferves God's wrath and curfe, the question that natively follows, is, What way one may efcape them? This is anfwered by the weighty queftion in the

text, How Shall we efcape, if we neglect fo great falvation? Which we may take up in thefe two things. (1.) There is no escaping for finners, if they neglect the great falvation; they perish without remedy, (2.) They that do not neglect it, fhall furely efcape. Here let us consider,

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1. The danger finners are in by their fin: Theyare in hazard of perifhing under God's wrath and curfe; for that is the juft recompenfe of every fin, ver. 2.; of God's wrath confuming them, and his curfe binding them down under it for ever. He intimates, that all are liable to God's wrath and curfe, while he fays, How fhall we escape, &c.

2. The way how they may efcape; namely, by not neglecting, but falling in with the great falvation. The words intimate, (1.) That there is a poffibility of efcaping; finners are not fhut up hopelefs under the curfe. (2.) The way of efcape is not by fleeing from the Judge, and the execution of his fentence: nay he is omnifcient and omniprefent; one cannot outwit him, or get away from his fight, or out of his reach. Nor is it by refifting, for he is omnipotent, and none can outbrave him, nor make head against him. But he may efcape by falling in with the means of efcape appointed by himfelf, and required by him to be made ufe of by us. He has provided us with a falvation, a great one, i. e. the gofpel which teaches the way of eternal falvation. He requires us, not to neglect it, but to improve it for our efcape. It is neglected by unbelief, impenitency, and not using the means prefcribed. On the contrary, then, he requires of us faith and repentance, which are the fubftance of the gofpel, Acts xx. 21. Testifying to the Jews and alfo to the Greeks repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift; and he requires of us the ufe of the means by which the falvation held forth in the gofpel is obtained, Prov. viii. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting

at the posts of my doors for furely they neglect and flight the gofpel, who do not believe, repent, or ufe the ordinary means of obtaining the falvation. The text affords the following doctrine.

DOCT. Whofo would efcape God's wrath and curfe, must not neglect, but fall in with the great falvation. Or, "To efcape the wrath and curfe of God due "to us for fin, God requireth of us faith in Jefus "Chrift, repentance unto life, with the diligent "ufe of all the outward means whereby Christ com. municateth to us the benefits of redemption."

For explaining of this, I fhall fhew,

I. The neceffity of faith in Jefus Chrift, in order to one's escaping the wrath and curfe of God.

II. The neceflity of repentance, in order to the fame end.

III. Answer the queftion, Are faith and repentance in mens power, fince God requires them of them?

IV. Shew the connection betwixt faith and repentance, and efcaping the wrath and curfe of God. V. The neceflity of the diligent ufe of all the outward means whereby Chrift communicates to us the benefits of redemption.

VI. Laftly, Deduce an inference or two.

I. I shall shew the neceffity of faith in Jefus Chrift, in order to one's efcaping the wrath and curfe of God due to him for fin. It is abfolutely neceflary; no man can escape God's wrath and curfe without it. For,

1. There is no pleafing of God without it, Heb. xi. 6. The reafon is, because he is only pleased with Jefus Chrift, and thofe who are in him, or united to him, Matth. xvii, 5. If one fhould weep for his fins till no moisture were left in his body, faft his flefh to a fkeleton, and watch ever fo carefully against his fin, if he have not faith, he

is a loft man; he cannot please God, but must lie for ever under his displeasure.

2. It is the great duty of the gospel, whereby one is made partaker of the remedy provided, and without which neither your perfons nor performances can be accepted. It is the work of God, John vi. 29. the command of God, 1 Joh iii. 23. Your perfons will ever be under condemnation without it, John iii, 18. And all your other duties will be but ciphers in God's account, multiply them as ye will, if faith be not at the head of them.

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3. It is that which enters one into the covenant peace; unites him with Chrift, and by which he comes to partake of all faving benefits. If ye would efcape God's wrath, ye muft be within the covenant; ye muft believe, that is, confent to the marriage covenant, John vi. 35. There is no escaping wrath without being in Christ, and united to him, Rom. viii. 1. That union is by faith, Eph. iii. 17. We must be justified, and that is by faith, Rom. v. I. and fanctified, which is by faith too, Acts xv. 9.

4. Salvation and damnation turns upon this very point. Here is the decifion of the cafe, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth fhall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Unbelief will undoubtedly ruin you, Pfal. ii. ult. Kifs ye the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Unbelief is a rejecting of Chrift; and they cannot efcape who refufe the remedy of fin, Luke xix. 27. Thofe mine enemies that would not that I fhould reign over them, bring hither, and flay them before me.

II. I proceed to fhew the neceffity of repentance, in order to one's efcaping this wrath and curfe. No adult perfon can be faved without it. As for infants dying in their tender years, and fuch others who are not capable of actual faith and repentance, in fo far as the Spirit dwells in them, they have the