Mr. Bolton's last and learned work of the four last things death, judgement, hell,…Mr. Boltons last and learned worke of the foure last things death, iudgement, hell,…

Thus might I pass through all the points of Sanctification, and passages of holy life: And all the great men of the world, either in Learning, Wealth, Nobility, or Wisdom according to the flesh, would pass these censures upon them, and entertain conceits of them proportionable to that of Nicodemus about the New-birth. They will not become fools in the Apostles sense: And therefore they are soaked, and fast fettered in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity; and that above ordinary.

Thus might I passe through all the points of Sanctification, and passages of holy life: And all the great men of the world, either in Learning, Wealth, Nobility, or Wisedome according to the flesh, would passe these censures upon them, and entertaine conceits of them proportionable to that of Nicodemus about the New-birth. They will not become fooles in the Apostles sense: And therefore they are soakt, and fast fettered in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquity; and that above ordinary.

Thirdly, All ye great ones of the world in the sense I have said, As ye are very wise in your own conceits, and it may be truly so according to the flesh, so you are self-conceited, and soul-cozeners about your spiritual state. For you think all better then you, too precise, and all worse then you too profane; and your selves only to have happily hit upon the golden mean; and pitch upon that well-tempered moderation in Religion, whereby you may enjoy temporal happiness here, and eternal hereafter. Sleep in a whole skin (as they ⟨p. 253⟩say) and with a good conscience: Live the life of pleasures, and die the death of the righteous. Whereas to be so conceited, is the very complement and perfection of folly: And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet. You think ye have a reach beyond the Moon: To lie in some sweet sin, and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation. To have two heavens, one in this world, and another in the world to come, which was never heard of: to wear two crowns of joys: whereas JESUS CHRIST himself had the first of thorns. But alas! Beloved, if you be saved in this condition, you must have a new Scripture, and there must be found out another way to heaven, then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall do to the end of the world. And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where, of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves. That they might have proved excellent Scholars if they had not been so persuaded already: So if you did not think falsely, your selves safe already, you might be saved. But while you thus hug the golden dream of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees, the very Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven before you,