A62053:498
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission wherein is discovered, the nature, causes, and cure of those sins / by Geo. Swinnock.
London: printed for Geo. Swinnock, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 41: The grand cause of sins of Omission. An unregenerate heart, with the cure of it; a rene…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Indeed, here is the great fault of both the former, that they take no notice of the depravation of mans nature, which alone would convince them of the necessity of a change. They who have crazed Principles, and cracked Brains, cannot see any defects in themselves, being prepossessed with an Opinion of their own perfection. Both the Naturalists and the Moralists are so far from knowing the plague of their own hearts, that they count every thing of Nature rather lovely than loathsome. And as among the Moors, blackness is counted a beauty, ⟨p. 376⟩because it's common and general, and they see no other. So with these men, the vitiosity of Nature, which is the seed of all evil, is commended for the spring of Virtue. Indeed, they are in love with their Disease, and instead of Health, have this unhappiness, that they feel not their own sickness; so that neither the one nor the other can be religious, or perform those Duties which God requireth.
Indeed, here is the great fault of both the former, that they take no notice of the depravation of mans nature, which alone would convince them of the necessity of a change. They who have crazed Principles, and crackt Brains, cannot see any defects in themselves, being prepossest with an Opinion of their own perfection. Both the Naturalists and the Moralists are so far from knowing the plague of their own hearts, that they count every thing of Nature rather lovely than loathsome. And as among the Moors, blackness is counted a beauty, ⟨p. 376⟩because it's common and general, and they see no other. So with these men, the vitiosity of Nature, which is the seed of all evil, is commended for the spring of Virtue. Indeed, they are in love with their Disease, and instead of Health, have this unhappiness, that they feel not their own sickness; so that neither the one nor the other can be religious, or perform those Duties which God requireth.
Regeneration is absolutely requisite to this; He that layeth not that for his Foundation, can never build a Temple for God, he must needs prove a Bankrupt; that is, worse than naught when he begun. Some tell us, that Trees shoot above ground as much and no more than they do under ground. I am sure there is no more godliness outwardly in the Life, than there is inwardly in the Heart. If the fear and love of God be the great spring to set all the wheels a going in the ways of Religion, then all is right, but till then nothing is right. If there be not the Oil of solid Grace in the Vessel of the Heart, to feed Profession in the Lamp and Holiness in the Life, both will quickly sail.