Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Thirdly, you are to consider that Christ who is offered unto you is the Chiefest of all Gods works, the utmost ⟨p. 431⟩end that God propounded to himself in making of mankind, it is he that is the top of his fathers glory, in whom the glory of God most shineth; therefore be assured God will not lose his, chiefest glory, he will not lose one jot of his glory, much less the principal part of it, and therefore he that refuseth Christ, contemneth the chiefest of Gods works, and layeth the chiefest of his glory in the dust, and therefore God will not suffer that to be done without great judgement.

Thirdly, you are to consider that Christ who is offered unto you is the Chiefest of all Gods works, the utmost ⟨p. 431⟩end that God propounded to himself in making of mankind, it is he that is the top of his fathers glory, in whom the glory of God most shineth; therefore be assured God will not lose his, chiefest glory, he will not lose one jot of his glory, much lesse the principal part of it, and therefore he that refuseth Christ, contemneth the chiefest of Gods works, and layeth the chiefest of his glory in the dust, and therefore God will not suffer that to be done without great judgement.

Whatsoever God is known by, that is his Name, whatsoever he makes himself more known by that is his special Name, and his Name he will not suffer to be taken in vain, and therefore he saith, he will not hold him guiltless th•• taketh his Name in vain, and certainly this will bring the heaviest, condemnation, the offer of Christ being the greatest mercy that was ever showed to any creature either in Heaven or in earth, and therefore the refusing of this mercy must needs produce the greatest judgement: and for this Capernaum though exalted to Heaven, was cast down to Hell, if it had had no more means th•• Tyre and Zidon their condemnation should have been no more, but the means were greater, because the Gospel was more plentifully preached to them, and therefore seeing by this means they were lifted up to Heaven, their condemnation should be the greater; and this is Gods manner of proceeding in all his ways, when he first created Adam, had he no more then created him, his sin in transgressing the Law had not been so much, but because he gave him a possibility of living for ever, therefore he was condemned to die for ever, because he rejected the mercy offered; If we had been guilty of Adams sin only, we should have had the judgement that Adam had upon breach of the condition. But we are offered Christ, and to be heirs of Heaven upon condition of obedience to the Law of faith, answerable therefore to the greatness of this my shall be the greatness of this condemnation if we refuse it.