An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

And it is a vain Question, as Solomon saith, why the former times should be better then these: so it is a vain apprehension that men have of themselves as good, to say, I thank God I have a good heart, and you shall find me tractable, and reasonable, (though they be but natural) and so their children are very tractable, you may lead them with a twined thread, and need not use violence, you may soon break them; what then are you but eggshells? what need then a iron hammer to crush all the power of the enemy? do not you and your children stand in need of the virtue of the blood of the Lamb as much as others have since the world began? That men have stood in need of the blood of the Lamb from the foundation of the world to rescue them from the power of the strong man, if they were so tractable, young or old? I know there is a great difference between spirits. God forbid we should defame the work of God in nature, but take the best spirit, there is unconceivable enmity in the best natured man against Christ; there is an in-bred emnity against him ever since the world began, as is impossible to be healed, but by the blood of Christ; Christ came to crush them whiles they are in the shell, and ⟨p. 199⟩unless he heal them, verily children of a span long cannot be saved: Therefore let no man flatter themselves in their good inclination; there is that in us since the world began, that Christ must be broken and crushed to break the league between us and the Devil: Christ himself in his soul and body must be stricken, he kills himself by the stroke he gives to the enemy.

And it is a vain Question, as Solomon saith, why the former times should be better then these: so it is a vain apprehension that men have of themselves as good, to say, I thank God I have a good heart, and you shall finde me tractable, and reasonable, (though they be but naturall) and so their children are very tractable, you may lead them with a twinde theerd, and need not use violence, you may soon break them; what then are you but eggshels? what need then a iron hammer to crush all the power of the enemy? do not you and your children stand in need of the virtue of the blood of the Lamb as much as others have since the world began? That men have stood in need of the blood of the Lamb from the foundation of the world to rescue them from the power of the strong man, if they were so tractable, young or old? I know there is a great difference between spirits. God forbid we should defame the work of God in nature, but take the best spirit, there is unconceivable enmity in the best natur'd man against Christ; there is an in-bred emnity against him ever since the world began, as is impossible to be healed, but by the blood of Christ; Christ came to crush them whiles they are in the shell, and