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with sin: and when he acts, he must act like himself, and shew his displeasure by proportionable means. Lastly, Those that shall lie for ever under his wrath, will be eternally sinning; and therefore must eternally suffer; not only in respect of divine judicial procedure; but because sin is its own punishment, in the same manner as holy obedience is its own reward..

THE DOCTRINE OF THE MISERY OF MAN'S NATURAL STATE APPLIED.

USE (1.) Of information. Is our state by nature a state of wrath? Then,

1. Surely we are not born innocent. These chains of wrath, which by nature are upon us, speak us to be born criminals. The swaddling bands, wherewith infants are bound hand and foot as soon as they are born, may put us in mind of the cords of wrath, with which they are held prisoners as children of wrath.

2. What

in their sidesperate madness is it, for sinners to go on

in their sinful course? What is it but to heap coals of fire on thine own head, to lay more and more fuel to the fire of wrath; to "treasure up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath," Rom. ii. 5. Thou mayest perish, when his wrath is kindled but a little," Psal. ii. 12. Why wilt thou increase it yet more? Thou art already bound with such cords of death, as will not easily be loosed what need is there of more? Stand, careless sinner, and consider this.

3. Thou hast no reason to complain, as long as thou art out of hell. "Wherefore doth a living man complain ?" Lam. iii. 39. If one who has forfeited his life be banished his native country, and exposed to many hardships; he may well bear all patiently, seeing his life is spared. Do ye murmur, for, that ye are under pain or sickness? Nay, bless God ye are not there where the worm never dieth, Dost thou grudge, that thou art not in so good a condition in the world as some of thy neighbours are? Be thankful rather, that ye are not in the case of the damned. Is thy substance gone from thee? wonder that the fire of God's wrath

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hath not consumed thyself. Kiss the rod, O sinner, and acknowledge mercy; for God "punisheth us less than our iniquities deserve," Ezra ix. 13.

4. Here is a memorandum both for poor and rich. (1.) The poorest that go from door to door, and had not one penny left them by their parents, were born to an inheritance. Their first father Adam left them children of wrath and, continuing in their natural state, they cannot miss of it; for "this is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God," Job xx. 29. An heritage that will furnish them with a habitation, who have not where to lay there head; they shall be "cast into utter darkness, "Matt. xxv. 30. for to them, "is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever," Jude ver. 13. where their bed shall be sorrow; "they shall lie down in sorrow," Isa. 1. 11. their food shall be judgment, for God will feed them with judgment, Ezek. xxxiv. 16. and their drink shall be the red wine of God's wrath, "the dregs whereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring out, and drink them," Psal. lxxv. 8. I know that these who are destitute of worldly goods, and withal void of the knowledge and grace of God, who therefore may be called the devil's poor, will be apt to say here, "We hope God will make us suffer all our misery in this world, and we shall be happy in the next" as if their miserable outward condition in time would secure their happiness in eternity. A gross and fatal mistake! And there is another inheritance they have, viz. "Lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit," Jer. xvi. 19. But "the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies," Isa. xxviii. 17. Dost thou think, O sinner, that God, who commands judges on earth not to respect the person of the poor in judgment, Lev. xix. 15. will pervert judgment for thee? Nay, know for certain, that however miserable thou art here, thou shalt be eternally miserable hereafter, if thou live and die in thy natural state. (2.) Many that have enough in the world, have far more than they know of. Thou hadst, (it may be) O unregenerate man, an estate, a good portion, a large stock, left thee

by thy father; thou hast improved it, and the sun of prosperity shines upon thee; so that thou canst say with Esau, Gen. xxxiii. 9. "I have enough." But know, thou hast more than all that, an inheritance thou dost not consider of: thou art a child of wrath, an heir of hell. That is an heritage which will abide with thee, amidst all the changes in the world, as long as thou continuest in an unregenerate state. When thou shalt leave thy substance to others, this shall go along with thyself, into another world. It is no wonder a slaughter-ox is fed to the full, and is not toiled as others are, Job. xxi. 30. "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. Well then, rejoice, let thine heart cheer thee, walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes." Live above reproofs and warnings from the word of God; shew thyself a man of a fine spirit, by casting off all fear of God; mock at seriousness, live like thyself, a child of wrath, ar heir of hell" but know thou, that for all these things God shall bring thee to judgment," Eccl. xi. 9. 66 Assure thyself, thy breaking shall come suddenly at an instant," 1a. xxx. 13. For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool," Eccl. vii. 6. The fair blaze, and great noise they make, is quickly gone so shall thy mirth be. And then that wrath, that is now silently sinking into thy soul, shall make a fearful hissing.

5. Woe to him, that, like Moab, hath been at ease from his youth, Jer. xlviii. 11. and never saw the black cloud of wrath hanging over his head. There are many who have no changes, therefore they fear not God," Psal. Iv. 19. They have lived in a good belief (as they call it) all their days; that is, they never had power to believe an ill report of their soul's state. Many have come by their religion too easily and as it came lightly to them, so it will go from them, when the trial comes. Do ye think men flee from wrath in a morning dream? Or will they flee from the wrath they never saw pursuing them?

6. Think it not strange, if ye see one in great dis

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tress about his soul's condition, who was wont to be as jovial, and as little concerned for salvation, as any of his neighbours. Can one get a right view of himself, as in a state of wrath, and not be pierced with sorrows, terrors, and anxiety? When a weight, quite above one's strength, lies on him, and he is alone, he can neither stir hand nor foot; but, when one comes to lift it off him, he will struggle to get from under it. Thunderclaps of wrath from the word of God, conveyed to the soul by the Spirit of the Lord, will surely keep a man awake.

Lastly, It is no wonder wrath come upon churches and nations, and upon us in this land, and that infants and children yet unborn smart under it. Most of the society are yet children of wrath; few are flying from it, or taking the way to prevent it; but people of all ranks are helping it on. The Jews rejected Christ; and their children have been smarting under wrath these sixteen hundred years. God grant that the bad entertainment given to Christ and his gospel, by this generation, be not pursued with wrath on the succeeding one.

USE (2.) Of exhortation. And here (1.) I shall drop a word to those who are yet in an unregenerate state. (2.) To those who are brought out of it. (3.) To all indifferently.

I. To you that are yet in an unregenerate state, I would sound the alarm, and warn you to see to yourselves, while yet there is hope. O ye children of wrath, take no rest in this dismal state; but flee to Christ, the only refuge: haste and make your escape thither. The state of wrath is too hot a climate for you to live in, Micah ii. 10. "Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest." O sinner, knowest thou where thou art? Dost thou not see thy danger? The curse has entered into thy soul. Wrath is thy covering: the heavens are growing blacker and blacker above thy head: the earth is weary of thee, the pit is opening her mouth for thee; and should the thread of thy life be cut this moment, thou art thenceforth past all hope for ever. Sirs, if we saw you putting a cup of poison to your mouth,

re would fly to you, and snatch it out of your hands. If we saw the house on fire about you, while ye were fast asleep in it, we would run to you and drag you out of it. But alas! ye are in ten thousand times greater hazard: yet we can do no more, but tell you your danger; invite, exhort, beseech, and obtest vou, to look to yourselves; and lament your stupidity and obstinacy, when we cannot prevail with you to take warning. If there were no hope of your recovery, we should be silent, and would not torment you before the time: but though ye be lost and undone, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Wherefore I cry unto you in the name of the Lord, and in the word of the prophet, Zech. ix. 12. "Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope." Flee to Jesus Christ out of this

your natural state.

Motive 1. While ye are in this state, ye must stand or fall according to the law, or covenant of works. If ye understood this aright, it would strike through your hearts as a thousand darts. One had better be slave to the Turks, condemned to the galleys, or under Egyptian bondage, than be under the covenant of works now. All mankind were brought under it in Adam, as we heard before; and thon, in thy unregenerate state, art still where Adam left thee. It is true, there is another covenant brought in but what is that to thee, who art not brought into it? thou must needs be under one of the two covenants; either under the law, or under grace. That thou art not under grace, the dominion of sin over thee manifestly evinceth; therefore thou art under the law, Rom. vi. 14. Do not think God has laid aside the first covenant, Matt. v. 17, 18. Gal. iii. 10. No, he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. It is broken indeed on thy part; but it is absurd to think, that therefore your obligation is dissolved. Nav, thou must stand and fall by it, till thou canst produce thy discharge from God himself, who is thy party in that covenant; and this thou canst not pretend to, seeing thou art not in Christ.

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Now, to give you a view of your misery, in this respect, consider these following things: (1.) Hereby

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