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

It would be a sight of admirable curiosity, if thou couldst wrap up thyself in some dark cloud, or hide thyself in the cleft of some high rock, from whence thou mightest espy wicked kings, princes, judges, and great ones of the earth, rising out of their marble tombs, and brought to the bar, to answer for all their cruelty, injustice, ⟨p. 290⟩oppression, and profanity, without any marks of distinction, but what their wickedness puts upon them: profane, unholy and unfaithful church-men, pursued with the curses of the ruined people, from their graves to the judgment-seat, and charged with the blood of souls, to whom they gave no faithful warning: mighty men standing trembling before the Judge, unable to recover their wonted boldness, to out-wit him with their subtleties, or defend themselves by their strength: delicate women cast forth of their graves, as abominable branches, dragged to the tribunal, to answer for their ungodly lives: the ignorant, suddenly taught in the law, to their cost; and the learned declared, before the world, fools and laborious triflers; the atheist convinced, the hypocrite unmasked; and the profane, at long run, turned serious about his eternal state: secret murders, adulteries, thefts, cheats, and other works of darkness, which scorned all human search, discovered and laid open before the world, with their most minute circumstances: no regard had to the rich, no pity shown to the poor: the scales of the world turned; oppressed and despised piety set on high; and prosperous wickedness at last brought low: all, not found in Christ, arraigned, convicted, and condemned without respect of persons, and driven from the tribunal to the pit; while these found in him, at that day, being absolved before the world, go with him into heaven. Nay, but thou canst not so escape. Thyself, whosoever thou art, not being in Christ, must bear a part in this tragical and frightful action.

It would be a sight of admirable curiosity, if thou couldst wrap up thyself in some dark cloud, or hide thyself in the cleft of some hig• rock, from whence thou mightest espy wicked kings, princes, judges, and great ones of the earth, rising out of their marble tombs, and brought to the bar, to answer for all their cruelty, injustice, ⟨p. 290⟩oppression, and profanity, without any marks of distinction, but what their wickedness puts upon them: profane, unholy and unfaithful church-men, pursued with the curses of the ruined people, from their graves to the judgment-seat, and charged with the blood of souls, to whom they gave no faithful warning: mighty men standing trembling before the Judge, unable to recover their wonted boldness, to out-wit him with their subtilities, or defend themselves by their strength: delicate women cast forth of their graves, as abominable branches, drogged to the tribunal, to answer for their ungodly lives: the ignorant, suddenly taught in the law, to their cost; and the learned declared, before the world, fools and laborious triflers; the athiest convinced, the hypocrite unmasked; and the profane, at long run, turned serious about his eternal state: secret murders, adulteries, thefts, cheats, and other works of darkness, which scorned all human search, discovered and laid open before the world, with their most minute circumstances: no regard had to the rich, no pity shewn to the poor: the scales of the world turned; oppressed and despised piety set on high; and prosperous wickedness at last brought low: all, not found in Christ, arraigned, convicted, and condemned without respect of persons, and driven from the tribunal to the pit; while these found in him, at that day, being absolved before the world, go with him into heaven. Nay, but thou canst not so escape. Thyself, whosoever thou art, not being in Christ, must bear a part in this tragical and frightful action.