A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The wicked and miſerable eſtate of man by Nature.
BY Nature our heart which ſhould be the beſt part of us, is the worſt, a deep and bottomleſs pit of ſin: God ſaw the imaginaton of the heart of man was only evil continually, Gen. 5.5. God ſeeth it whoſe eyes are ſo piercing like a flaming fire; but few of us ſee it all our dayes, never until God anoint our eyes with his eyeſalve; then we cry out, we are unclean, we are unclean; God many times begins in the converſion of a ſinner with this, to ſhew him the ſin of his nature, how deſperately wicked his nature and heart is, beyond all the ſin that hath broke out in his practice, that there is a great fire of ſin upon the hearth of the heart, from whence all thoſe ſparks fly out of the chimney of the life and practice; O we are by nature full of ſin as the Toad is full of poyſon; and that poyſon we ſpit out is but little to what is within: this Root of ſin is of a ſpreading nature; it grows faſter in wicked mens hearts then Grace doth in the Godly, that we grow worſe and worſe; and though by education, afflictions, terrors of conſcience, the branches may be lopt off, yet the Root of ſin in the heart doth ſpread daily; O wretched men that we are, that our heart which ſhould be the Preſence Chamber for the King of Heaven, that this is a cage of unclean Birds! and when we want opportunities of Uncleanneſs, Theft, Murder, Voluptuouſneſs, outward pomp and applauſe, then our wicked hearts will act over theſe things in a ſpeculative way, delighting our ſelves in the thoughts of them; Therefore it is that the Scripture ſets out converſion by A new heart, Ezek. 36. Waſhing the heart from wickedneſs, Jerem. 4.14. and forſaking our thoughts, Eſay 55. becauſe our hearts are ſo oppoſite to God by nature, and ſo contrary to the heart that God puts into us when he makes us new Creatures; and therefore it is that when our eyes are opened we grow ſick of our own hearts, and cry out, Lord deliver me from this proud, worldly, unclean, deceitful, unbelieving, vain, hard heart.
There is no cozening and cheating tricks in the world but our hearts have them, that if there were no Devil to delude us, yet our own hearts would everlaftingly cheat us. Our hearts by nature are like a rotten ſtinking Fen, from whence ariſe continual fogs, miſts and vapors, which are a ſtench in the noſtrils of God.
Satan hath a mighty power over us, that ma…icious ſubtile ſtrong man armed, he ruleth in the …hildren of diſobedience, Eph. 2.2. Adam by his …all hearkening and yielding to Satan choſe …im for his God; the Devil cals us his Houſe, Matth. 12.44. there he is at bed and board; …e keeps the keyes, and bolts and locks all the …oors againſt Chriſt; and unleſs Chriſt that is …ronger then he burſts them open, he dwels …here for ever; O conſider this all ye that are … your natural condition, that Satan hath poſ…ſſion of you, that you are poſſeſt with the Devil, though not in a bodily way as in Chriſts …me the Devil poſſeſſed many, yet he hath poſ…ſſion of the heart. Satan fortifies the hearts …f men, & makes them ſtrong Garriſons againſt …e Lord Jeſus.
Now we are in a faln eſtate, and liable to Gods everlaſting wrath, and there is ſuch in…itations to come to Chriſt that we may be de…vered from the wrath and Hell to come; we have ſuch curſed perverſe hearts that we will not come to Chriſt that we may have Life, but rather die in our ſins: we ſay as thoſe, Luke 19.27. that Chriſt ſhall never raign over us: as ſoon as ever we hear Chriſt knock and call at the door of our hearts, we run and bolt the door againſt him, and unleſs he pleaſe by an Almighty and irreſiſtible power to change our wills we never believe on him. O how through unbelief we refuſe great Salvation, and do as it were bid God ſhoot all his Arrows at us: we ſtand in the dreadful ſtorm of Gods wrath, and will not come to Chriſt the ſhelter and covert… from the ſtorm: we open our naked breſts and bid God ſtrike with the ſharp ſword. The way of our wretched hearts is that if God never look after us, we never look after him, if we ſhould live never ſo many thouſand years in the world: after we are converted we ſeek him i… ſome poor meaſure; we ſeek the Lord and hi… ſtrength, and Grace and Spirit: but before w… look not after him, but if he come near to u… in afflictions, in the Miniſtry of his Word, o… common Reproofs and convictions of his ſpirit we ſay unto God, Depart from us, we deſi… not thy Chriſt, thy Spirit, and the knowledge o… thy wayes.
We cannot do any thing that God will accept of, though we be never ſo ſerious & ſtric… ▪ as doubtleſs many Papiſts and others are; Ariſtotle and others of the Heathens that could write ſo many Books of Philoſophy, yet could not tell how to make one acceptable prayer to God; all their vertues were but as a Toad painted over with fair colours, or as a Silken ſtocking upon a wooden Leg: a man by nature wants faith, hath not the ſpirit of Chriſt, hath not Chriſt to preſent his Duties to God the Father, and to take away the Iniquity of them, and then what can he do acceptible to God? Its the way of our hearts by nature that if we do any thing that is good for the matter of it, we make uſe of it to keep us at a further diſtance from Chriſt, and cloſing with him by faith, that we truſt to our Duties for Salvation; and thus if we do any thing for God it is out of baſe ends, as Jehu did, either for applauſe to be accounted Religious and zealous for God, or to ſtop the mouth of conſcience, or elſe we think to make our good works a Ladder to climbe up to Heaven by.
We are blind in ſpiritual things, having our underſtandings darkned and alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us, and blindneſs of our minds, Eph. 4. that all the my ſteries of the Goſpel are Riddles to us: and till we plough with the Lords Heifer, the Spirit of God, we cannot underſtand thoſe Riddles; when the Lord came to convert Nicodemus, how blind and ignorant did he find him? Joh. 3. and when he came to convert the woman of Samaria, how ignorant did he find her? we may ſee John 4. Its a wonderful thing how in converſion God makes the ignorant to underſtand Doctrine; how in a month or two God helps them to pray and diſcourſe ſo knowingly and ſpiritually, that before were perfect ſots, and almoſt as ignorant of God as the Beaſt that periſhes.
And in the Deſcription of our natural eſtate, Tit. 3.3. we are ſaid to be fooliſh; we are like fools and mad men; and indeed men will call themſelves fools firſt or laſt; either here if they are converted, or in Hell. What fools are we to prefer the world before Chriſt? For this the Lord called the rich man fool, Luke 12. and what fools are we that having but one precious Jewel, our ſouls, that we will fell it for every baſe luſt? we are more fooliſh then Eſau was in ſelling his Birth-right for a meſs of pottage. And what fools are we to make no proviſion for Eternity? The Ant is wiſer that provideth her meat in the Summer; but we take no care for the long winter of eternity. And what fools are we to ſet our ſelves againſt the Saints of God who are as dear to him as the Apple of his Eye? Chriſt tels Paul its hard for him to kick againſt the pricks, Act. 9. He makes the perſecuting of the Saints to be as fooliſ… and dangerous a thing as for a man to kick & knock his ſhins againſt the pricks. And what fools are we that though we will not neglect Fairs and Markets, yet will neglect the means of Grace and opportunities of getting Chriſt? And what fools are we that when Chriſt knocks at our doors, will not let in ſuch a bleſſed gueſt that brings the Spirit and a new Heart, and a pardon and eternal life with him? And what fools are we that will build our eternal condition upon the ſands of our own Righteouſneſs, and not upon Jeſus Chriſt? If a man ſhould build a houſe upon the ſands, we ſhould ſay he is a fool indeed; the next Tide will waſh it away and the ground will ſink and give way; all this folly and a thouſand times more is in our hearts by nature, but we ſee it not.
There is a ſtrange forwardneſs and earneſtneſs in us naturally to ſin, and a lothneſs to leave ſin, inſomuch that men will be in a rage againſt thoſe that would ſtop them in their ſinful courſes; and though God ſend many afflictions as upon Pharaoh, yet men turn not to the Lord: indeed when men can ſcarce turn them in their beds, they will ſay they will leave their wicked courſes; but when the affliction is over, they will be as bad as ever; men are ſo loth to part with their ſins naturally that they will undo their ſouls unto all eternity, rather then part with their luſts; as Nero's mother enquiring whether her ſon ſhould be Emperour, ſhe was told that he ſhould be Emperour, but then he ſhould kill her: ſhe out of the pride and ambition of her ſpirit ſaid, Let him kill me ſo he be but Emperour: ſo the Word of the Lord tels us that if we go on in our ſins, and are not converted, our ſouls will be damned to all eternity, and men ſay in their hearts, Let me be damned ſo I may enjoy my baſe luſts. O what wickedneſs is in the heart? Men will not fall out with themſelves and ſins until they come to hell, except they be converted: but in hell men will fall out with their ſins, and ſay, O thou curſed pride, O curſed drunkenneſs, O curſed uncleanneſs, O curſed unbelief that hath undon our ſouls for ever!
And if the Lord never convert us, but leave us in a ſtate of Nature to die out of Chriſt, how infinitely miſerable ſhall we be for ever? The wages of ſin is death, Rom. 6.14. Rom. 1.18. Eph. 5.6. The wrath of God like a huge Mountain will lie upon a ſinners back in hell to cruſh him to pieces: you will alwayes ſee God frowning upon you: O think of this; if thou beeſt not brought out of the ſtate of Nature, and ingraffed into Chriſt, thou wilt be ſeparated for ever from the Lord: you ſhall never enjoy communion with him, a glimpſe of whoſe Reconciled face in Chriſt is worth ten thouſand Worlds; you will never taſte one drop of thoſe Rivers of Gods pleaſures for ever, of which the Saints ſhall have their fill: O that will be a dreadful word, Depart from me ye curſed, Depart from me whoſe Loving kindneſs is better then Life: Depart from me, a day in whoſe Courts is better then a thouſand elſwhere: go among the Devils who like roaring Lions ſeek to devour you. When once men come to Hell, there will be no means of Grace for ever, Eccleſ. 9.10. No work, nor device, nor knowledge in the grave: No more dealings of Gods Spirit with men, no inward nor outward comfort, nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, which ſhews extremity of torment in Hell. The Saints indeed when they die, their places and Relations know them no more nor they them: but then they know a better place, Heaven, and enjoy better Relations, but a natural man leaveth all his outward comforts and goes into infinite torments.
O thou that are in thy natural condition, give ear to this, and flee from the wrath to come: it may be now thou knoweſt not how to ſpend a day without ſome paſtime or other; O how wilt thou ſpend eternity in Hell where thou ſhalt never have a drop of water to cool thy tongue! O conſider what heart-diſtracting, heart tormenting thoughts you will have in Hell if the Lord never convert you here! how ſadly will you remember what great ſins you committed, and with what hardneſs of heart! how will it torment you to think how many checks of conſcience and motions of the Spirit you put by? what terrour will it be to you to think what holy Saints you oppoſed and jeared, what precious means of Grace you ſlighted, and what pains you took for the world, and how careleſs you were for your poor ſouls! O think it no ſmal matter to die in thy natural eſtate and be damned: if once thou come to hell, there will be no eaſe nor end of thy miſery for ever; If God ſhould but ſay to the damned in hell that after a hundred thouſand years they ſhould come out of their torments, it would be ſome lightning to their hearts: but there will be no end: the worm dies not, and the fire goes not out. Chriſt goes over with thoſe words three times almoſt together, Mark 9.44,46,48. becauſe he would have men in their natural condition take ſpecial notice of it, that if they die out of him, they will be miſerable for ever; miſerable indeed to be alwayes dying, alwaies burning, alwaies weeping, alwaies ſuffering the torments of Hell. O therefore conſider the ſtate that thou art in before it be too late: there is corruption and ſin enough in one mans heart to undo all the men in the world if it were divided to them. O then how eaſily will it undo one ſoul? Know then if we be not juſtified freely by Gods Grace in Chriſt, and ſanctified by the Spirit of the Lord, we muſt unavoidably periſh for ever: Wherefore as the holy Ghoſt ſaith, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Heb. 3.7,8. The time of Gods patience, the time of Grace, is but a ſhort time, therefore called a day. To day if you will hear his voice. Its but a day in compariſon of Eternity; nay in compariſon of Eternity, a mans daies upon earth are but as a moment or the twinkling of an Eye, and the time of Grace is but a ſhort time, but a day in compariſon of the greatneſs of the work that is to be done, the making of our calling and Election ſure. Its but a day in reſpect of the uncertainty of our enjoying the means of Grace, and its but a day in reſpect of the uncertainty of our lives; for in a moment we go down to the grave, and all our thoughts periſh. To day therefore hear his voice, come in to Chriſt: do not ſay to morrow is ſoon enough, do not put off the offers of Grace, for now is the accepted time, this is the day of Salvation.