Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

But the unregenerate man, who has no great value for the honour of God, will be apt to rise up against his Judge, and in his own heart condemn his procedure. Nevertheless the Judge being infinitely just, the sentence must be righteous. And therefore, to stop thy mouth, O proud sinner, and to still thy clamour against the righteous Judge, consider, First, Thou art a sinner by nature, and it is highly reasonable that guilt and wrath be as old as sin. Why should not God begin to vindicate his honour, as soon as vile worms begin to impair it? Why shall not a serpent bite the thief, as soon as he leaps over the hedge? Why should not the threatening take hold of the sinner, as soon as he casts away the command? The poisonous nature of the serpent affords a man sufficient ground to kill it, as soon as ever he can reach it; and, by this time thou mayst be convinced, that thy nature is a very compound of enmity against God. Secondly, Thou hast not only an enmity against God, in thy nature; but hast discovered it, by actual sins, which are in his eye acts of hostility. Thou has brought forth thy lust into the field of battle against thy Sovereign LORD. And now, that thou art such a criminal, thy condemnation is just: for, besides the sin of thy nature, thou hast done that against heaven, which ⟨p. 105⟩if thou had done against men, thy life behoved to have gone for it; and shall not wrath from heaven overtake thee? (1.) Thou art guilty of high treason, and rebellion against the King of heaven. The thought and wish of thy heart, which he knows as well as the language of thy mouth, has been, no God, Psal. xiv. 1. Thou hast rejected his government, blown the trumpet, and set up the standard of rebellion against him: being one of these that say, We will not have this m•n to reign over us, Luke xix. 14 Thou hast striven against, and quenched his Spirit; practically disowned his laws proclaimed by his messengers; stopped thine ears at their voice, and sent them away mourning for thy pride. Thou hast conspired with his grand enemy the devil. Although thou art a sworn servant of the King of glory, daily receiving of his favours, and living on his bounty: thou art holding a correspondence, and hast contracted a friendship with his greatest enemy, and art acting for him against thy Lord; for the lusts of the devil ye will do,