-Man't 111.atura( State, · a State of Wrath. \.\ .DoC'f. RI~ E, TheJla.t(J of !!a~ure is,. ~jlate ' o.f wratfj. - E_very one in a natural,9nregenerate Hate, is in a .fi~te ·of , wrath. \iVe are born children of wrath; ~~n9 contmue fo. · ' until we be born agaio. Nay, as (oon as . ~e were ~hil- ' _· dren of A dam; · we w~~ihildre!'J of wrath. · ·' · I f11al1 ufher in what I am to_fay on this point, _wi~h a -.· few obfenes ' touching tbe univerfality of. this flt!te of _w rath; ~vhich may ferve to pr~pare th~ way of the word _:. into your confciences . Wrath has gone as 'Yide as ever fi_nw~nt•. "\Vhen angels ' finned, the wrath of God brake_in upon them .as ~ flood. Godfpared, not the angels that finned, hut ~qfl the11f rjown into hell, 2 Pet . ii~ 4· And thereby it was demonO:rated, that no nat~raLeKcell~ncy in the cre~ture will. fhield it from the wrath of God, if once it becomes a finful creature. ~ The,finefl:. and nice!l: peice o(the workman(bip of hea~~-n ~ '· if once the Creator's image upo.n it be defaceG by fin, Cod can and will da!h in pieces, i n his wrath, unlefs fatis_f~~ion ·be made to j uQ:ice, and that image be repajred ; neither of whi.ch the Gnner himfeH C'a n do. Adam finned ; and \ ' . , ' -, ' -· .. ' ' the wh~Ie lump of ma~kind y./as leav~_oe_d, and bound( · over to the fi ery. oven ()f God's wrath. , _And from the .. ·.~ext ye may learn, (1.) That .ignorance . .of' that fi~t e • · cannot free men from it: GeJJtilei that knew not God, w ere by nature , c/Ji/dren of wrath, eve:z as otheri. ' A· n an's houfe may be on fire, his wife and. children periih~ ing in the flames; wh ile _he kMws .n'othing of it~ and , t herefore is not concerned ~bout it •.. Sucb is your ca:fe, 0 ye t hat a.re ignorant of thefe things ! wrath is {i •· J ently fin king into your fouls', whil ·e you ,are bleffing yourfe~ves, fayiog, Y'e ;jhall ,have p,eace. .y;_e need no't a r.more certai'l token, th :.lt ye are c:hi ldren of wrqth, than that ye neve; f.~w yourfeh·e, fuch • . :Ye cannot be the chil– -l d ren of God , that nev.er yet (aw you1 felves shildren of the llevil. Ye cannot be in the •way to heaven, that never faw ~our(elves by. nature in the high-road to bell. Ye are ..,grolly ignorant of your ll:-ate by nature; , and fo ignorant of .. God, and of Chrifi, and your need of him: and tho' ye . look on ,y_our it,noraoce 4S a covert from wrath; yet take it out
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