First, what a sinful condition it is; For,
1. It is as much as in them lyes, a frustrating of the great love of Christ in dying for them: For, therefore Christ dyed, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which dyed for them, and rose again, 2 Cor. 5.13.
2. It is a frustrating of the gracious design of God, in sending the Gospel to them; for one chief errand of the Gospel, is to teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2.12.
3. It is not only to sin against the light of nature, but against the light of the Gospel.
4. Not only against the creating and preserving mercies of God, but against the heart-blood mercy of Jesus Christ.
5. It is a sin of horrible ingratitude and unthankfulness; a sin that makes God himself to stand, as it were, amazed, that any man should be so wicked, as to be guilty of it, Isai. 1.2. Jer. 2.11, 12.
6. It is a sin that will make us speechlesse, and unexcusable at the great day, Joh. 15.22.
7. It is a sin that renders a Christian worse then the very bruit creatures, Isa. 1.3. And in this one sense, worse then the Devills themselves, because the Devills never refused so great salvation.
2. Consider what a cursed condition this is: For,
1. It is a spirituall plague, which is so much greater then a corporal, by how much the Soul is better then the Body.