The door of salvation opened by the key of regeneration

Spiritual privileges always commend God to us, but not us to God. Their abuse will be a dreadful increase of thy damnation, but their bare use will be a pitiful plea for salvation. How many live all their days under the means of Grace, that never get one dram of grace in the use of the means; Corazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, who had the privilege to hear Christ's oracles, and to see his miracles, were sad seals to these truths, Matth. 11. for they were lighted to the chambers of utter darkness with the torches of Ordinances. Rest not in this Reader, for thou mayst be lifted up to heaven in the enjoyment of Privileges, and cast down to hell for mis-improvement of them. Thou mayst like the Decii leap into the gaping gulf at noon day, or like the Egyptians follow the pillar of fire into the deep and perish; nay, which is saddest of all, as a ship which is sinking, the more it is laden (though it be with silver and gold) the deeper it sinketh; so the higher thy privileges, if thou perishest the deeper thy perdition. Thou mayst fly like Joab to the Altar of privileges, but if thou art unregenerate, he that is greater then Solomon will pluck thee thence, or slay ⟨p. 73⟩thee there. The unsuitableness of thy life to the discoveries of his love, doth but tell him to his face, that thou art not careful to answer him in his matters; that thou wilt not serve his Son, nor worship the Mediator whom he hath set up, and hereby thou dost but (notwithstanding thy preferment) provoke him the more, and cause him, as Nebuchadnezzar the oven, to heat hell seven times hotter: Thy privileges, like oil and pitch, will make that fire to scald and scorch the more terribly. Weeds in the garden are sooner plucked up then weeds in the highway. No trees are more surely for the fire then those which are planted in Gods own vineyard and bear not fruit.

Spiritual priviledges always commend God to us, but not us to God. Their abuse will be a dreadful encrease of thy damnation, but their bare use will be a pittiful plea for salvation. How many live all their days under the means of Grace, that never get one dram of grace in the use of the means; Corazin, Bethsada and Capernaum, who had the priviledge to hear Christ's oracles, and to see his miracles, were sad seals to these truths, Matth. 11. for they were lighted to the chambers of utter darkness with the torches of Ordinances. Rest not in this Reader, for thou mayst be lifted up to heaven in the enjoyment of Priviledges, and cast down to hell for mis-improvement of them. Thou mayst like the Decii leap into the gaping gulf at noon day, or like the Egyptians follow the pillar of fire into the deep and perish; nay, which is saddest of all, as a ship which is sinking, the more it is laden (though it be with silver and gold) the deeper it sinketh; so the higher thy priviledges, if thou perishest the deeper thy perdition. Thou mayst flye like Joab to the Altar of priviledges, but if thou art unregenerate, he that is greater then Solomon will pluck thee thence, or slay