YOU have heretofore heard that point of Christian Doctrine which concerns the knowledge of our misery, and wretched estate by nature. The substance of all is, That we are the children of wrath and disobedience, as well as others. You see then in what state every man stands, before he hath made his peace with God: as long as he stands on terms of Rebellion. You see what the Holy Ghost saith, We were all the sons of disobedience, and Children of Wrath as well as others. This I tell you (as hath often been declared) not to discourage a sinner, or to drive him to desperation, but because it's fit he should know his estate in which he is. If they will try conclusions with God, if they oppose him, the Lord cometh with a Rod of Iron, and will break them in pieces like a Potters vessel; Psal. 2.9. Those mine enemies that will not have me to reign over them, bring them, and slay them before me; Luk. 19.27. It is fit every man should know this; This part is only for this end, that it may awaken us; otherwise to what purpose do we preach unto you? Till the Law awaken us, we sleep securely in our sins, till the dreadful Trumpet of Mount Sinai comes with thundering and lightning; as Eph. 5.14, Awake thou that sleepest, &c. Unless this awaken us, in what case are we? Sinful men are as sleepers, that are a dreaming, as the Apostle speaks, Jude 8. A sleeping sinner will be a dreaming sinner; he never sees things as they are in their proper shape: but he thinks with the Church of Laodicea, That he is rich, and wants nothing; when as he is poor, miserable, blind and naked. He thinks he shall be admitted into heaven, as soon as the proudest: but this is a dream; Isa. 29.8. As the hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but when he awakes behold he is empty: or as a thirsty man that dreams he drinketh; but awakes, and behold he is faint. Thus it is with us, we think we are entering upon the Suburbs of heaven, and yet we are but in a dream, and in a sleep.
YOU have heretofore heard that point of Christian Doctrine which concerns the knowledge of our misery, and wretched estate by nature. The substance of all is, That we are the children of wrath and disobedience, as well as others. You see then in what state every man stands, before he hath made his peace with God: as long as he stands on terms of Rebellion. You see what the Holy Ghost saith, We were all the sons of disobedience, and Children of Wrath as well as others. This I tell you (as hath often been declared) not to discourage a sinn•r, or to drive him to desperation, but because it's fit he should know his estate in which he is. If they will try conclusions with God, if they oppose him, the Lord cometh with a Rod of Iron, and will break them in pieces like a Potters vessel; Psal. 2.9. Those mine enemies that will not have me to reign over them, bring them, and slay them before me; Luk. 19.27. It is fit every man should know this; This part is only for this end, that it may awaken us; otherwise to what purpose do we preach unto you? Till the Law awaken us, we sleep securely in our sins, till the dreadful Trumpet of Mount Sinai comes with thundring and lightning; as Eph. 5.14, Awake thou that sleepest, &c. Unless this awaken us, in what case are we? Sinful men are as sleepers, that are a dreaming, as the Apostle speaks, Jude 8. A sleeping sinner will be a dreaming sinner; he never sees things as they are in their proper shape: but he thinks with the Church of Laodicea, That he is rich, and wants nothing; when as he is poor, miserable, blind and naked. He thinks he shall be admitted into heaven, as soon as the proudest: but this is a dream; Isa. 29.8. As the hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but when he awakes behold he is empty: or as a thirsty man that dreams he drinketh; but awakes, and behold he is faint. Thus it is with us, we think we are entring upon the Suburbs of heaven, and yet we are but in a dream, and in a sleep.
