and never feared Hell, till we were suddenly in it▪ we would have renounced our sinful courses and companions, but that we thought we might have them, and heaven too; We would have sought after Christ more heartily, but that we thought we had part in him already; We would have been more earnest seekers of Regeneration, and the power of godliness, but that we verily thought we were Christians before O if we had known as much as now we know! what lives would we have led! what persons would we have been! But we have flattered our selves into these unsufferable torments: We were told of this before from the word of God: but we would not believe it, till we felt it; and now there is no remedy. — Reader, do but stop, and think here with thy self, how sad a Case this is? That men should so resolutely cheat themselves of their Everlasting Rest? The Lord grant it never prove thy own case. I would be very loath to weaken the true faith of the meanest Christian, or to persuade any man that his faith is false, when it is true: God forbid, that I should so disparage that precious grace which hath the stamp of the spirit! or so trouble the soul that Christ would have to be comforted! But I must needs in faithfulness tell thee, that the confident belief of their good estate and of the pardon of their sins, which the careless, unholy, unhumbled multitude amongst us, do so commonly boast of, will prove in the end but a soul-damning delusion. It hath made me ready to tremble many a time, to hear a drunken, ungodly, unfaithful Minister, as confidently in his formal prayers in the Pulpit, give God thanks for Vocation, Justification, Sanctification, and assured hope of Glorification, as if he had been a most assured Saint! when it may be his Sermon was intended to reproach the Saints,1 and to jeer at Sanctification! Me thoughts I even heard the Pharisee say, I thank thee that I am not as other men: Or Corah; Are not all the people holy, every one? How commonly do men thank God for these, which they never received, nor ever shall do? How many have thanked God for pardon of sin, who are now tormented for it! and for Sanctification and assured hope of Glory, who are now shut out of that Inheritance of the Sanctified? I warrant you, ⟨p. 303⟩there's none of this believing in hell: nor any persuasions of pardon or happiness, nor any boasting of their honesty, nor justifying of themselves:
and never feared Hell, till we were suddenly in it▪ we would have renounced our sinfull courses and companions, but that we thought we might have them, and heaven too; VVe would have sought after Christ more heartily, but that we thought we had part in him already; VVe would have been more earnest seekers of Regeneration, and the power of godliness, but that we verily thought we were Christians before O if we had known as much as now we know! what lives would we have led! what persons would we have been! But we have flattered our selves into these unsufferable torments: VVe were told of this before from the word of God: but we would not believe it, till we felt it; and now there is no remedy. — Reader, do but stop, and think here with thy self, how sad a Case this is? That men should so resolutely cheat themselves of their Everlasting Rest? The Lord grant it never prove thy own case. I would be very loath to weaken the true faith of the meanest Christian, or to perswade any man that his faith is false, when it is true: God forbid, that I should so disparage that pretious grace which hath the stamp of the spirit! or so trouble the soul that Christ would have to be comforted! But I must needs in faithfullness tell thee, that the confident belief of their good estate and of the pardon of their sins, which the careless, unholy, unhumbled multitude amongst us, do so commonly boast of, will prove in the end but a soul-damning delusion. It hath made me ready to tremble many a time, to hear a drunken, ungodly, unfaithful Minister, as confidently in his formall prayers in the Pulpit, give God thanks for Vocation, Justification, Sanctification, and assured hope of Glorification, as if he had been a most assured Saint! when it may be his Sermon was intended to reproch the Saints,1 and to jeer at Sanctification! Me thoughts I even heard the Pharisee say, I thank thee that I am not as other men: Or Corah; Are not all the people holy, every one? How commonly do men thank God for these, which they never received, nor ever shall do? How many have thanked God for pardon of sin, who are now tormented for it! and for Sanctification and assured hope of Glory, who are now shut out of that Inheritance of the Sanctified? I warrant you, ⟨p. 303⟩ther's none of this believing in hell: nor any perswasions of pardon or happiness, nor any boasting of their honesty, nor justifying of themselves:
- 1Luk. 18.11. Num. 16.3.5.
