The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

And the first of this rank are profane persons, those that live and lie in sin, in Sabbath-breaking, swearing, drunkenness, adultery, and the like. The case of such is clear and evident; These are so far from treading in the steps of Abraham, that they hate purity, and holiness, and goodness: And as for these (if any such be here) let them not be deceived, but let me tell them out of Gods Word, that as yet ⟨p. 179⟩they have not faith, as yet they are not the sons of Abraham: What they may be, I know not; I leave them to the Lord, and wish them a sight and apprehension of their own condition, and that they may be brought out of that gall of bitterness wherein they are: but as yet, I dare say, they are not the sons of Abraham. Whose sons are they then? My brethren, I am loth to speak it, and I will not; men will not bear these words from us, but think that we go beyond our commission: for my own part, my soul trembleth to think of them, their case is so fearful: The Lord therefore shall speak, and I will say nothing. Look into John 8. The Scribes and Pharisees came to Christ, and began to quarrel with him, and to provoke him to say many things, that they might catch him in his speech, opposing our Saviour in the course of his ministry, and labouring to suppress his Doctrine: mark how Christ reasoneth there; I do (saith he) the works of my Father; Ye do the deeds of your father. But, say they, Abraham is our father; and again, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God; but mark our Saviours answer, verse 44. Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. Thus Christ speaks to the Scribes and Pharisees, great men of place, and of great abilities; You, of your father Abraham? No, you are of your father the Devil. My brethren, I will not say it; I beseech you be not offended; it is the Lord that speaks, and I would fain know that man that date contradict his Word; the case is clear, and the Lord will make it good upon his soul in another world. His lusts (saith Christ) you do: What are those? He is an accuser of the brethren; so are these: He crieth out against, and opposeth the purity of Religion; so do these men exclaim against the niceness and preciseness of Christians, and blame those that are holy and sincere: The Devil continued not in the truth;

And the first of this rank are profane persons, those that live and lie in sinne, in Sabbath-breaking, swearing, drunkennesse, adultery, and the like. The case of such is clear and evident; These are so farre from treading in the steps of Abraham, that they hate purity, and holinesse, and goodnesse: And as for these (if any such be here) let them not be deceived, but let me tell them out of Gods Word, that as yet