The True Way to the Tree of Life, Part · Section 1
I. Direction.
A Waken and rouz up thy Soul and Conscience, O Sinful wretched natural Man, seriously to consider and deeply to lay to heart, How Sinful and miserable, the State and Condition of all Mankind since the fall, and of thine own Soul in particular, is, by Nature in the first Adam. compare together Rom. 3. 9. to 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5, 6, 7, 8. Tit. 3. 3. and 1. 15, 16. Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3.
1. The Sinfulness of Natural man's State; what Words can enough express! what thoughts of Man can sufficiently conceive! who can understand his Errors? Psal. 19. 12. The heart is …eeitful above all things, and desperately w…ked, who can know it? I the LORD search the heart; I try the Reins. Jer. 17. 9, 10. God alone, who cannot sin▪ e…actly knows man's Sinfulness. From his word take a brief discovery of it.
The Sinfulness of the Natural man's condition, Consists chiefly in these particulars. viz.
1. In the guilt of Adam's first Sin, Of Eating the forbidden fruit, contrary to Gods express Command, Gen. 2. 16, 17. with Gen. 3. 6, 7. Rom. 3. 9. 19. In which Eating; Adam's 1 Unbelief of Gods word; 2 Contempt of Gods command; 3 Impious Consent of his most free-will; 4 Proud aspiring to be as Gods knowing good and evil, Gen. 3. 5. 5 Apostacy from God; 6 Disobedience of the whole man; and 7 Ruine of himself and all his posterity; are comprehended aTrelent. Just Theol. …. 3. de Peccato.This sin of Adam, being the Common Parent and Root of all mankind, (as St. Augustine b—In quo omnes peccaverunt. Rom. 5. 12.well notes) then virtually and seminally in his loyns, is imputed to and charged upon all his ordinary posterity, even upon all mankind ordinarily propagated form him—Quia secundum propaginem carius in illo …ramus omnes, antequam nati essemus, tanquam in parente, …anq…am in radice ibi eramus: Sic venena…a …st ista arbor, ubi eramus Aug. de verb. Apost. Serm. 14▪ p. 325. B C. Tom. 10., Rom 5. 12.—15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Act 17 26. … Cor. 15. 21. 22. 45. 49. As Levi, who received Tithes is said to …ay Tithes in Abraham to Melchizedeck, for that yet he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchizedeck met him. Heb. 7. 9, 10. So then in Adams eating the forbidden fruit, all mankind did eat the forbidden fruit; In Adam's Sinning, all his posterity Sinned; In Adam's disobeying, all mankind disobeyed; In Adam's falling, all his post…rity sell; In Adams dying, all his Posterity dyed. And thou amongst the rest. And Therefore, in this Sense, thou wast a Sinner, algrievous Sinner before thou wast born, even from the foundation of the world.
O thou Natural man! Think of this, Lay this to Heart deeply, was it a small matter for Adam, and for thee and all Mankind in Adam, thus to Sin. Consider well the many and great Aggrevations of this first Sin of Man; As 1. The Person who sinned: 2. Condition and State, wherein: 3. Place, where: 4. Time, when: 5. Law, against which: 6. Object, against whom: 7. And finally, The manifold and great Evils both of Sin and punishment ensuing thereupon; (all which I have elsewherecIn my Treat… of Gods Convenants. Book. 2. Chap. 1 Aphor. 6. IV. p. 41. to p. 59. at large illustrated,) and then see, if ever Sin was perpetrated in this world, (all things duly considered,) so Sinful, Haynous, Horrid, inexcusable, and damnable, as this first Sin!
2. In being wholly overwhelmed with Original Sin, (so as is thought, it's called byd—Ex Adam tra…i dicimus Originale Peccatum, quod per lavacrum Regenerationis, non solùm in majoribus, sed etiam in parvulis solvitur. August. Retract. 1. 2. cap. 62. p. 60. B. Basil. 1569. Tom 1. Ecce unde tra…itur originale peccatum, Ecce unde nemo nascitur sine peccato, Ecce propter quod Dominus sic Concipi voluit, quem virgo Concepit. Aug. de Temp. Serm. 45. p. 667. l. 7. m. 10. Augustin) contracted from lapsed Adam by Natural Propagation, Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 4. and 15. 14.
This Original Sin Consists especially …. In the privation or loss (1) of Man's Primitive Integrity or Original Righteousness concreated with him Gen. 1. 26, 27. and 3. 6, 7, 8. Eccles. 7. 29.— All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 23. (2) and of that sweet communion, which, … in that integrity, he enjoyed with God, Gen. 3. 6, 7, 8, 10. Whereupon man becomes Dead in Sin, Ephes. 2. 1. 5. with Gen. 2. 16, 17. 2. In the Depravation, Pollution and Corruption of his whole nature: His whole Soul and all the faculties thereof; His whole Body and all the Parts thereof, being universally defiled. —to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their Mind and Conscience is defiled, Tit. 1. 15. See Gen. 6. 5. Ier. 17. 9. Rom. 3. 10. to 19. 2 Pet. 2. 14.
Hence, From both these ensue two woful effects. 1. An Indisposition, and utter inability, yea an Opposition and Enmity, unto all Good. Rom. 5. 6. and 7. 18. and 8. 8. Col. 1. 21. Rom. 8. 7. and 5. 10. 2. An Universal pronity, Propensity or Proclivity unto all Evil. Gen. 6. 5. and 8. 21. Rom. 3. 10, 11, 12. 1 Pet. 4. 2, 3, 4. Original Sin, being the Root, Seed and Common Spawn of all Actual Sin in the World Iam. 1. 14, 15. Ephes. 2. 1, 2, 3.
The Holy Scriptures set forth this Original Sin by sundry remarkable Names or Phrases. It is stiled, 2. Iniquity wherein we were shapen, and sin wherein our Mothers conceived us. Psal. 51. 5. in regard of the Natural Propagation of it. 1 Sin.—That they are all under Sin. Rom. 3. 9. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Rom. 7. 14. Because it is Sin foreign foreign, the Sin of Sins, the mother and nurse of all Sins, virtually and seminally comprehending in it all sorts of Sins. 3 Sin dwelling in us, Rom. 7. 20. from the constant Inherence, Residence and Abode which it hath in all, yea even in the Regenerate themselves, (to whom it is pardoned, and in whom it is in some measure mortified) during this present life, Rom. 7. 17, 18. 4 The Sin that doth so easily beset us. foreign, Sin easily surrounding us, Heb. 12. 1. because it encompasseth Soul, Body, all our Faculties, Affections, Senses, Parts and whole Man. 5 The Law of Sin. Rom. 8. 2. and 7. 25. The Law of Sin in our members, Rom. 7. 23. because of the power and strength of Sin, which is resident in us: A Law is powerful and forcible. 6. The Body of Sin, Rom. 6. 6. because, as a Natural Body is compacted of many Parts, and hath divers proper Members set in it, whereby it acts: So sin Original hath many limbs, called Our members which are upon Earth, as Fornication, &c. Col. 3. 5. 7 Our Old man, Rom. 6. 6. Sin is so called, in Opposition to the New man, the Regenerate Part, and in distinction from our humane Natures: because our Corruption of Nature is from the first man the Old Adam; as our Regeneration is from the Spirit of Christ the last Adam. 8 The Old Leven to be purged out, 1 Cor, 5. 7. called Leven, because as Leven levens and sowers the whole lump of Dow, So Sin original levens the whole man, sowers and infects the whole man. Old, from old Adam. 9. The flesh. Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 8. 18. Gal. 5. 17. because, As Flesh is opposite to Spirit, So Original Sin is opposite to Grace. And because as flesh is man's basest and vilest part, Phil. 3. 21. So Original Sin is the vilest evil in man.
Pause here, O Natural Man. Not only Adam's first Actual Sin is thine, being justly imputed to thee: But this Original Sin, thence contracted, is thine also, being naturally inherent in thee. It is the Disease, the Poyson, the Plague, the Leprosy of thy whole Nature. Thou art as full of it, as any Sink is full of filth, as any Serpent is full of venome, as any Toad is full of poyson. Thou art by Nature wholly defiled with it: universally captivated under the Dominion of it, and Spiritually Dead in it. And in this respect thy Condition is incomparably worse, than the Condition of any fowl, fish, bruit-beast, or creeping thing whatsoever. For, they have no Original Sin in them, and thou art all full of it. And is this thy natural Condition, a State to be rested in by thee… wherein thou art far worse than any Dog, Toad, Serpent, mean or vilest creature under the Sun? Remember that of Augustine; Every one is damned as Generated: None is delivered, but as Regenerated eOmnis Generatus, damnatus: nemo liberatus, nis… Regeneratus. Aug. de verb. Apost. Serm. 14. p. 325. D. Tom. 1o..
3. In the H…ge Heaps …nd Swarms of all thine actual Sins (the poysonous fruit of Sin Original) into which thou hast broken forth inconsiderately, from thy Birth until this very day, The sinfulness of thy natural Condition is mightily augmented and aggrevatedRestat us in illo primo homine peccasse omnes intelligantur, quia in illo fuerunt omnes quando ille peccavit. Vnde pecca…um n…scendo … ▪ quod nisi Renascendo non solvivi…r. August▪ cont. dua… E…ist. Pe…g. l. 4. c. 4. p. 910. B. Tom. 7., O Natural Man!
Think often in thy Retired hours, of the …Variety, 2 Multiplicity, and 3 Extremity or Aggravations of thine Actual Sins.
(1) The Variety and several sorts, of thine Actual Sins; How manifold are they? As actual,
Sins in respect of the Subject, are distributed into Peccata Cordis, Oris, Operis, Sins of Heart, Word, and Work. … In the Heart; what corrupt imagination, Gen. 6. 5. what abominable, vain, Atheistical, blasphemous, prophane and polluted Thoughts Prov. 15. 26. What deadness, stupidity, defilement, S…aredness, &c. in the Conscience. Tit. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 2. What Enmity, Perversness, crookedness, disobedience, rebellion, &c. in the will Ier. 44. 16, 17. &c. Luke 19. 14. What impenitency, hardness, deceitfulness, hypocrisy, Earthiness, Disorder, Confusion, &c. in the Heart and Affections. Rom. 2. 5. 2. In thy words and tongue, What Vain-speaking, Swearing, Cursing, Lying, Blaspheming, Back-biting, Slandering, False-witness-bearing, &c. Exod. 20. 7. Mat. 12. 36. the Tongue is a world of iniquity—Iam. 3. 6. and every idle word must be accounted for at the day of Judgement, Mat. 12. 36, 37. 3 In thy actions and works, though never so Religious in appearance, How dost thou miscarry in their Ground, Matter, Form, Manner, Circumstances and End, 1 Tim. 1. 5. Tit. 1. 15, 16. Isai. 1. 10. &c. and 66. 3. Hag. 2. 14. Prov. 15. 8. So that in none of them thou canst please God. Rom. 8. 8. Yea and even in thy secular Actions, thou … wholly Sinful, Prov. 21. 4. and 15. 9.
And to this Distribution of Actuals into Sins of Heart, Word, and Works; We may refer that of Sins into Inward, and Outward,
Sins, in respect of the Law or Rule violated by Sin, are, 1 Sins of Impiety or Ungodliness, contrary to the first Table of the Decalogue 2 Sins of Iniquity Unrighteousness, or worldly Lusts, against the 2 Table, &c. Rom. 1. 18. Tit. 2. 12.
Of Impiety there are many sorts of Sins, properly repugnant to the 4 first Commandements: Of Unrighteousness are many Sorts also contrariant to the 6 last Commandements. And this Distribution of Sins according to the ten Commandements is most accurate.
Sins, in Respect of the Parts thereof, are 1 Sins of Omission, when duties prescribed are neglected; and this is a Taking from Gods Law. Iam. 4. 17. Mat. 25. 42. &c. Rev. 2. 21. 1 Sam. 15. 2, 3. 8, 9. &c. 2 Sins of Commission, when things prohibited are Practised, as Gen. 2. 16, 17. compared with Gen. 3. 6, 7. Achan's sin, Iosh. 7. 1. 15. 20, 21. 25, 26. compared with Iosh. 6. 17, 18, 19.
Sins, in respect of the Object offended and wronged, are; 1 Sins against God, and repugnant to Piety. Rom. 1. 21, 22. 28. 2 Sins against Man, against our Neighbour and contrary to righteousness, to equity. Pro. 14. 21. Gen. 4. 8. 3 Sins against a mans own self, contrary to Sobriety. 1 Cor. 6. 18. Prov, 20. 2. Touching the two first, See 1 Sam. 2. 25. Luke 15. 18. Touching all the three, See Tit. 2. 12. But Sin is otherwise against God, then it is against Man. Against God, as it is a Transgression of his Law: against man, only as it is a Damage or Injury.
Sins, in regard of Time wherein they are acted, are 1 Sins of youth, Psalm. 25. 7. Eccles. 11. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 22. 2 Sins of riper age. Isai. 65. 20.
Sins, in regard of Place and cognizance, are; 1 Private or Secret, Psal. 19. 12. and 90. 8. Iosh. 7. 1. &c. 2 Publick and open, when Sin is perpetrated boldly, impudently, in the view of others. Isai. 3. 9. Numb. 25. 6, 7, 8. 2 Sam. 16. 22.
Sins, in respect of their Power and Strength, are; Reigning, or not Reigning Rom. 6. 12, 13, 14.
Hither some refer the Distinction of Sin, into Mortal and Venial, not in the Popish Sense; but in a sound Sense; viz. As by Mortal Sin we may understand Sin reigning, which not repented of shall never be forgiven. And as by Venial Sin, we may understand, Sin not reigning, but in Christ upon repentance forgiven, and not bringing Condemnation though it deserve it. Rom. 8. 1.
Sins, in respect of Degree, are Great, or Small, Ezech▪ 5. 6. 8. and 8. 15. Ioh. 19. 11. Mat 5. 21, 22.
(2.) The multiplicity of thine actual Sins; how innumerable are they! Are they not more than the hairs of thine head; Psal. 40. 12. are they not numberless like the Sands? and who can u…derstand his errors, how many they are? Psal. 19. 12. If in one Sin, so many Sins are complicated: as in Adam's SinfSee before p. 1, 2. and my Treat. of Gods Covenants. p. 36, 37. p. 41▪ to 49.. Gen. 3. In Judas his Sin, Mat. 26 If in one day, in one hour, so many Sins in Thought, Word and Deed, are done by thee: If in one Prayer, &c. So many Sinful distractions, distempers, &c. are discovered: what millions, and Ten-thousand Millions of Millions of Sins proceed from thee in thy whole Life?
(3.) The Extremity and Aggravations of thy Actual Sins, How many and great are they, Have not thy Sins been,
Haynous, Crying Sins? As, I Bloodshed Gen. 4. 10. 2 Sodom's Sins Gen. 18. 20, 21. 3 Oppression Exod. 3. 7. 4 Deteyning Hirelings wages, Iam, 5. 4. according to the antient memorial versegClamitat aure Dei, vex Sanguinis; & S…domorum:: Which I may thus do into English;
1 Blood,Vox Oppressorum; Mer…s de…enta laborum. 2 Sodom's Sins, 3 Oppressing Tyranny;
4 Detaining Hirelings Hire, are Sins that cry.
Sins against thine own Light?D. Prideaux. in Seha. Theol. Syntag. Murmonit. 3. p. 13. Ioh. 9. 41. Luke 12. 47, 48. Iam. 4. 17.
Sins against the checks of thine own Conscience? Mat. 27. 17 to 27.
Sins against many Motions of Gods Spirit? Act. 7. 51. Eph. 4. 30. 1 Thes. 5. 19.
Sins against Gods rich Means of Grace? Isai. 5. 1 to 8. Mat. 21. 33 to 45.
Sins against the precious Blood of Christ? 1 Cor. 11. 27. Heb. 10. …9.
Sins against Gods many and great mercys. Hos. 2. 8.
Sins against Gods severe Judgments; inflicted on others for thine admonition? 1 Cor. 10, 11. Dan. 5. 22, 23. &c. or upon thy self for thy Reformation? 2 Chron. 28. 22.
Sins against Gods Patience and Long-Suffering, leading thee to Repentance? Rom. 2. 4, 5. Rev. 2. 21.
Sins, wherein thou hast long continued? Isai. 65. 20. Deut. 9. 7. 27.
Sins, which thou hast often re-iterated? Mat. 26. 69. to the end.
Sins, heightened by such and such Circumstances. As of Person, Time, Place, &c. Levit. 10. 1, 2, 3. Numb. 20. 12. 2 Sam. 12. 7, 8, 9.—Numb. 25. 6. Ioh. 2. 13. to 18.
Sins, wherein thou hast shamefully gloryed? Phil. 3. 19.
Sins, for the effecting of which thou hast been far more diligent and industrious, than ever thou wast for the saving of thy precious Soul? Mat. 23. 13. to 34.
Communion with others in their Sins, many wayes. Eph. 5. 11. As if thine were not enow to damn thee.
Oh, thou silly deceived Sinful Soul! When for all these Sins of thine God shall bring thee to judgement, Where shalt thou appear? Psal. 1. 5. Oh, What then wilt thou do, when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what wilt thou Answer him? Ioh. 31, 14.
II. The W…tchedness of a natural mans Condition, Who can enough Apprehend or Express! What words can sufficiently declare! Where there's nothing but Carnality and Sinfulness, there's nothing but misery and wretchedness.
The Natural man's Condition, as it is most Sinful, without all even the least degree of Sanctity: So it is most miserable, without all even the least measure of saving mercy or felicity. And such, O Natural man, is thy Condition, in sundry respects. For,
1. Thou art by Nature wholly destitute of (that Paradise on Earth, that suburbs of Heaven, that handsel of Glory,) Sweet Communion with God. While Adam stood in his integrity, He had sweet fellowship with God, Gen. 1. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. and 2. 3, 7, 8. 16, 17, 18. and so to the end. But Adam had no sooner fallen but he lost that sweet Communion with God: was afraid of Gods voice, Hid himself from his presence among the Trees of the Garden: is Convented, Convinced, and judged for his Sin, and driven out of the Garden, &c. Gen. 3. 9. to the end. And whilst thou art in thy Natural State, in the first Adam lapsed, Thou art without all Communion with God also. For, What fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness? And what Communion hath light with darkness? 2. Cor. 6. 14. Now God is light, and in him is no Darkness at all. If we say, we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the Truth, &c. 1. Ioh. 1. 5. 6. 7. and every natural man is Darkness Eph. 5. 8. and habitually walks in darkness, 1 Ioh. 2. 9. 11.
Now, whilst thou art destitute of Communion with God, thou dost still remain without all these sweet Companions of Communion with God. viz. Thou art
(1) Without all special favour and saving mercy from God.—which had not obtained mercy: 1. Pet. 2. 10▪
(2) Without any Saving Relation to God art none of his People nor is he thy God 1. Pet. 2. 10. yea. He is ashamed to be called thy God: or to own thee for one of his people. Heb. 11. 16.
(3) Without Christ, the last Adam. Eph. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 15. 45. By whom alone, all Saving mercy from God, and all saving Relation to God can be obtained. Act. 4. 11. 12. Ephes. 2. 13. to the end.
(4) An Alien from the Common wealth of Israel. Eph, 2. 12. Thou art none of his Family and Houshold none of his mistical body, of his invisible Church: But of the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 1. 6. For they that are Aliens to Christ, the Head: must needs be Aliens to his invisible Church and Body.
(5) A stranger from the Covenants of Promise, touching Christ Promised under the Old Testament: and consequently from the Covenant of Performance, touching Christ performed and exhibited in Human Nature, viz. The New Covenant. Ephes. 2. 12. laid down Heb. 8. 8. to the end. Oh what a misery is this! To have nothing to do with Gods Covenant, not any the Promises▪ Priviledges, Benefits or Blessings thereof. This is to be shut out of Gods Grand Act of favour and mercy, His Act of Oblivion, Heb. 8. 12. His Magna Charta, his Great Charter for eternal happiness in Heaven.
(6) Having no Hope. Eph. 2. 12. viz. No true, Salvi…ical, well-grounded hope of life eternal in Heaven; or of future felicity in the world to come for thine immortal Soul. And such Hopeless men are most miserable men, 1. Cor. 15. 19. When thou hopeless wretch comest to die, what will become of thy Soul? What wilt thou then say to thy Soul? Even as that Atheistical Pope; Animula vagula hAnimula, vagula, blandula, Hospes Comesque Corporis, tuos nun… abibis in … &c., &c. Omy poor wandring blandishing Soul, The Guest and Companion of my body, into what placet art thou now going? &c. To Heaven, or to Hell: to the glorified Saints, or to the damned Reprobates: to Joyes everlasting, or to endless Torments: To God or to the Devil?
(7) Finally, while thou dost remain destitute of saving Communion with God, thou art without God in the World, an Atheist in the world.iforeign. Eph. 2. 12. Eph. 2. 12. What? without God? Then, without all true Happiness, without the only supream Good, and Soul-satisfying Treasure, such God is, Math. 19. 17. Psal. 73. 25. 26.
2. Thou, in thy Natural State, art under the severe Curse of the Law; Which under pain of the Curse, requires of every one, Perfect, Perpetual, and Personal obedience to all things written in the Law, Gal. 3. 10. which no meer man since the Fall of Adam can possibly perform. Rom. 3. 9. to 29. and 5. 6. and 8. 3. 4. 7. 8. And whom the law Curseth, he is Cursed indeed, not by man, but by the living God himself.
3. Thou in thy Natural state, remainest still under the dreadful displeasure, and wrath of God Almighty.—Art by nature a child of wrath, Even as others. Eph. 2. 3. Under the Wrath of God? Oh! Who knoweth the Power of Gods anger, or according to his Fear (i. e. his word the Rule of his Fear, Psal. 19. 9.) his wrath? Psal 90. 11. If the wrath of an earthly King be as the Roaring of a Lion, Prov. 19. 12. What then is the wrath of God, the King of Kings? Our God is a Consuming fire. Heb. 12. 29. Consider the prints of Gods wrath, upon the lapsed Angels, 2, Pet. 2. 4. Fallen Adam.— Gen. 3. The sinful old world 2 Pet. 2. 5. The Cities of Sodom &c. 2 Pet. 2. 6. Gen. 19. The Beauteous Jerusalem, and the Jews 2 Chron. 36. Yea, upon Jesus Christ the spotless Son of God himself, when he stood as the Sinners Surety, Math. 26. and 27. Luk. 22. and 23. And then say with the Psalmist; Thou, even thou art to be feared: and who may stand before thee, when once thou art angry? Psal. 76. 7. When he is wrath, The Heavens drop down, The Mountains melt and leap, The Rocks rend in pieces, The Earth Quakes, The Sea is dried up, The Devils tremble Iam. 2. 19. And the whole Creation is amazed. Oh! think of the Terrour of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 11.
4. Thou in thy natural state, art in league with the Devil himself, the Grand enemy of God and mankind, Math. 13. 28. 39. 1 Pet. 5. 8. that old Serpent, Revel. 12. 9. and performest thine Homage and obeisance unto him, 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Ioh. 8. 44. as to thy Conquer…r, Prince, Father, and God. Satan is,
1. As thy Conqueror, leading thee Captive at his will, by his powerful Temptations, yea by his meer suggestions and snares. 2 Tim. 2. 26. and so thou art his meer vassal and slave.
2. As thy Prince, Ioh. 14. 30. effectually working in the Children of Disobedience, and in thee as in one of his Subjects. Eph. 2. 2.
3. As thy Father, whose works thou, as his Child; wilt do. Ioh. 8. 44. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. 12. Mat. 13. 38.
4. As thy God, and the God of this world, whom thou, as his Creature, wilt serve. 2 Cor. 4. 4.
5. Thou, in thy natural State, art liable to all sorts and degrees of miseries in this present world, not as to Paternal Chastisements of a loving Father (the lot of Gods dear children. Heb. 12. 5. to 12.) but as to vindictive Punishments and curses of an angry God. Gen. 3. 16, 17, 18, 19. and 4. 9 to 15. Levit. 26. to 40. Deut. 28. 15. to the end. Psal. 11. 6.
These Miseries are of many sorts: But may be reduced to
1. Miseries incident to thee in thy Goods and Temporal estate. As, when thy ground is barren, brings forth thorns and thistles, &c. Gen. 3. 18. thy cattel cast their young, Deut 28. 18. Fire consumes thy dwelling, Iob. 15. 34. thieves rob thee of thy wealth, Iob. 1, 13. to 18, Extortioners catch all thou hast, Psal. 109. 11. &c.
2. Miseries incident to thee in thy Relations. As, Treachery in thy friends Iudg. 9. 23. falsness and sloathfulness in thy Servants and hirelings, 2 Chr. 24, 25. and 33. 24. Alienation in thy Kinsfolks, Iudg. 9. 5. 24. Disobedience and Undutifulness in thy Children. Deut. 28. 18. Disaffection, vexatiousness, &c. in thy wife 1 King. 21. 25. Deut. 28. 30.
3. Miseries to which thou urt exposed in thy good Name. As Lyes, Reproaches, Slaunders, Back-bitings, &c. The Name of the wicked shall rot. Prov. 10. 7.
4. Miseries, whereunto thou art liable in thy Body. As, Hunger and want of Food, Deut. 28. 53. &c. Thrist, and want of Drink. Lam. 4. 4. Breaking or dislocating of bones, Numb. 24. 8. Weaknesses, grievous pains, with sickness and many sorts of Diseases; Feavers, Agues, Pestilences, &c. Deut. 28. 21, 22. Cold and nakedness, Ezek 16. 39. Bonds and Imprisonments, Deut. 28. 63. to the end. Perils and dangers by land and water, &c.
In thy whole life thou art exposed to Armies of miseries.
6. Thou, in thy Natural state, art subject to death, the foreign and extremity of all these wordly miseries, for thy sinfulness. Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. Gen. 2. 16, 17. with 3. 19. Die thou must, that's certain; but when, where, how, &c. that's most uncertain: and how small a matter may bring thee to thine end? The bone of a Fish going cross thy throat may choak thee, as it did Tarquinius Priscus: A Raisin-stone may kill thee, as it did Sophocles and Anacreon: An hair in a draught of milk may end thee, as it did Fabius the Senator: The tooth of thy Comb as thou art combing thine head, entring the flesh, may make thy death's wound, as it befel Ruffinus the Consul: A Needle thrust into thy brest by a child born in thiue arms, may hasten thy death, as it befel Lucia, the Daughter of Aurelius. And when Death hath severed soul and body, what shall become of thy soul? Shall it ascend, or descend? Shall it live, or shall it die, &c. O, never think, that thou who livedst and diedst without God in this world, shall after death ascend to God, or live with God, in the world to come!
7. Thou, in thy Natural state, canst not escape the damnation of Hell, but shalt have part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second Death, there to be excruciated with torments numberless, easeless, remediless and endless, Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Rom. 6. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Mat. 25. 41, 46. Iude, verse 7. There, shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Mat. 25. 30. There, their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mar. 9. 43, 44. There, not one drop of water from the top of a finger shall be vouchsafed to cool a tormented tongue, Luk. 10. 24, 25, 26. There thou shalt have pain of loss, and pain of sense. There thou shalt have plenty and penury; plenty of torment, penury of comfort. There will be Amissio Coeli, The miss of Heaven, which was often tendered thee, but thou didst refuse: Privatio Terrae, The loss of Earth, which thou hadst, but couldst not keep: Positio Inferni, The Position of Hell, which thou shalt have, and canst not be delivered from it. There will be universality, extremity, eternity of unpityed misery upon thy soul and body, without the least alteration, mitigation and cessation.
Oh wretched Natural man! Might thy torments in Hell be brought to an end, after so many millions of years as there are Stars in Heaven, Atomes in the Air, Dust in the Earth, Drops in the Sea, Grass-piles on the ground, or as there have been moments of time since time begun; it would be some comfort to thee in enduring them, some hope of being delivered from, them. But this eternity of Death and Torments will quite break thy heart; would make the very stinging of Ants and Fleas intolerable. Eternity is the very Hell of Hell. One said,kO Vita mortifera! O Mors immortais! Et quomodo tandem te appellabimus? Vitam, an mortem? Si vita es, quomodo occidis? Si mors es, quomodo duras? &c. Rob. Bellarmin. in Conc. 3 de Cruciatibus Gehennae, part. 2. p. 467. Colon. 1626. O deadly life! O immortal death! What shall I term thee? Life? And wherefore then dost thou kill? Death? And wherefore then dost thou endure? There's neither life nor death but hath something good in it; for in life there is some ease, and in death an end; but thou hast neither ease, nor end. What then shall I stile thee? Even the bitterness of both; for of death thou hast the torment, without any end, and of life the continuance, without any ease. God hath substracted both from life and from death, all that is good: the residue he hath mixed together, and therewith tempered the torments of Hell. O bitter Cup, which all sinners impenitent shall drink at Gods hand!
This, this, O Natural man, is a brief shadow of thy sinful and wretched condition by Nature. But the one half, the tenth part, is not told thee. O, How can thine heart hold from breaking, thine eyes from dropping, thy bowels from turning within thee? How canst thou eat or drink with any comfort? How canst thou slumber or sleep one night in quiet? How canst thou possess, or go about any worldly thing with delight, whilst thou art ingulfed in this sinful, and woful, Natural condition.