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. /…

How graciously, my brethren, hath the Lord dealt with you that live in this place? How many helps hath he put into your hands? you have prayers, and sermons, and exhortations, and instructions, and admonitions, and comforts, ⟨p. 214⟩forts, and all things that are available to bring a man to life and happiness: Now he that groweth not under this means, he that thriveth not with this food, he that is not heated by this fire, he that is not quickened by this dew of heaven, let him take notice of the strange distemper of his own heart, and the deadness of his spirit. I know not what to say to you: Certainly, had the Devil himself but any hope of receiving mercy, the sermons that are made in this City, were able even to melt his heart, (as it were) and to bring him to consider, and repent of the sins he hath committed against Almighty God: but because he hath no hope of mercy, he remaineth in a forlorn and desperate condition. Yet the Apostle saith, Jam. 2.19. The Devils also believe and tremble; that is, they know all things contained in Gods Word are true, they believe them, and assent to them, and are persuaded, that God will one day make all his threatenings good upon them, and upon the hearts of all the damned for ever, and that they together shall be wholly deprived of all those mercies that God hath propounded in his Word, and they tremble at it. Look now into your own hearts, and see what kind of temper they are of; when notwithstanding the many judgements that have been threatened, the many woes that have been denounced, yet, most either turn their back upon the Church, or turn a deaf ear to what they hear, and cast the Commandments of God behind them, and rather fleer in the face of the Minister, and contemn what he saith, then be any ways humbled for their sins, or tremble at the Word of God, and the threatenings denounced out of it. My brethren, think of it for the Lords sake, reason a little with your selves, and consider, and say, Lord, what a wicked heart, and what a wretched disposition have I? the Sea is troubled, the Mountains quake, and the earth sinketh, when the Lord speaks and uttereth his voice, nay, the Devils believe and tremble: but oh! what terrors and woes have I heard out of the Word, against my pride, my covetousness, my swearing, my drunkenness, my profaning of the Sabbath, yet none of them stir me one jot.

How graciously, my brethren, hath the Lord dealt with you that live in this place? How many helps hath he put into your hands? you have prayers, and sermons, and exhortations, and instructions, and admonitions, and comforts,