gathering together a treasure.  Alas! they are asleep, and dream that they are happy; but when they awake, what a change will they find!  Their crown is made of thorns; their pleasure hath such a sting as will stick in the heart through all eternity, except unfeigned repentance do prevent it.  Oh, how sadly will these wretches be convinced ere long, what a foolish bargain they made in selling Christ and their salvation for these trifles!  Let your farms and merchandise, then, save you, if they can, and do that for you that Christ would have done.  Cry then to Baal, to save thee!  Oh, what thoughts have drunkards and adulterers, etc., of Christ, that will not part with the basest lust for Him?  “For a piece of bread,” saith Solomon, “such men do transgress.”

8.  To set so light by Christ and salvation is a certain mark that thou hast no part in them, and if thou so continue, that Christ will set as light by thee:  “Those that honor him he will honor, and those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed.”  Thou wilt feel one day that thou canst not live without Him; thou wilt confess then thy need of Him; and then thou mayest go look for a savior where thou wilt; for He will be no Savior for thee hereafter, that wouldst not value Him, and submit to Him here.  Then who will prove the loser by thy contempt?  Oh, what a thing will it be for a poor miserable soul to cry to Christ for help in the day of extremity, and to hear so sad an answer as this!  Thou didst set lightly by Me and My law in the day of thy prosperity, and I will now set as light by thee in the day of thy adversity.  Read Prov. i., 24, to the end.  Thou that, as Esau, didst sell thy birthright for a mess of pottage, shalt then find no place for repentance, tho thou seek it with tears.  Do you think that Christ shed His blood to save them that continue to make light of it? and to save them, that value a cup of drink or a lust before His salvation?  I tell you, sirs, tho you set so light by Christ and salvation, God doth not so:  He will not give them on such terms as these:  He valueth the blood of His Son, and the everlasting glory, and He will make you value them if ever you have them.  Nay, this will be thy condemnation, and leaveth no remedy.  All the world can not save him that sets lightly by Christ.  None of them shall taste of His supper.  Nor can you blame Him to deny you what you made light of yourselves.  Can you find fault if you miss of the salvation which you slighted?

9.  The time is near when Christ and salvation will not be made light of as now they are.  When God hath shaken those careless souls out of their bodies, and you must answer for all your sins in your own name, oh, then, what would you not give for a Savior!  When a thousand bills shall be brought in against you, and none to relieve you, then you will consider, Oh!  Christ would now have stood between me and the wrath of God; had I not despised Him, He would have answered all.  When you see