Meditations and discourses concerning the glory of Christ applied unto unconverted sinners, and saints…Meditations and discourses concerning the glory of Christ applyed unto unconverted sinners, and saints…

1. THAT indeed you have never had any flourishing Spiritual State in your Souls. He that hath been always weak and sickly, doth not know what it is to want a state of Health and Strength, because he never had experience of it; much less doth he that is dead, know what it is to want Life. But he that from an exquisite Temper of Health, falls into languishing Distempers, knows distinctly, both how it was, and how it is with him. And the frame of the Minds of many Professors of Religion, with the manner of their walking, is such, as that if they are not sensible of Spiritual Decays, it is evident that they never had any good Spiritual Health; and it is to no purpose to treat with such Persons about a Recovery. There are amongst those who make an outward Profession of true Religion, many that live in all sorts of Sins. If you should deal with them about Back-slidings, ⟨p. 51⟩Decays, and a Recovery, you will seem unto them as Lot did to his Sons-in-law, when he told them of the Destruction of Sodom, as one that mocked, or made sport with them, Gen. 19. 14. or you will be mocked by them for your pains; they have been always such as they are, it was never otherwise with them, and it is a ridiculous thing to speak to them of a Recovery. We must be able in this case to say to Men, Remember whence you are fallen, and repent, and do your first works, Revel. 2. 5. They must have had an experience of a better State, or they will not endeavour a Recovery from that wherein they are. Such therefore as see neither Evil nor Danger in their present Condition, but suppose all is well enough with them, because it is as good as ever it was, will not easily be brought under this Conviction; but they have that which is of no less importance for them to enquire into, namely, whether they have had any thing of the Truth of Grace or no. Or,

2. IF you have not this Experience, it is to be feared that you are asleep in Security, which is hardly distinguishable from Death in Sin. The Church of Laodicea was sensibly decayed, and gone off from it's Primitive Faith and Obedience, yet she was so secure in her Condition, knew so little of it, that she judged her self on the contrary to be in a thriving flourishing State. She thought her self increased in all Church Riches and Goods, that is, Gifts and Grace, while she was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,