1 Cor. 3. 16. 17. And this Holy Spirit is the peculiar and immediate Author of Sanctification and Holiness to all Gods Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2. A Spirit of Grace Zech. 12. 10. 3 Who are grossly ignorant of the Spiritual things of God So as not to receive them but to count them foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 14. Eph. 4. 18. For The Spirit of God and of Christ is A Spirit of Truth leading unto all Truth Ioh. 16. 13. A Spirit of wisdom and Revelation for the knowledge and acknowledging of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephes 1. 17. c. 4 Who are not of Gods own family are not his Adopted children nor are furnished with Filial Confidence Fear Love Obedience and other Child-like Properties For The Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of Adoption where he dwells Rom. 8. 15. Confirminâ—g their Sonship and assuring them of their Adopted State 1. As a Witness Rom. 8. 16. 2. As a Seal Ephes. 1. 13. 3. As an Earnest of their Inheritance Ephes. 1. 14. And 4. As a first-fruits Rom. 8. 23. 5. Who are prayer-less persons wholly unable with filial faith zeal and affection to cry Abba Father For the Spirit of God and of Christ is a Spirit of prayer a Spirit of grace and supplication Zech 12. 10. enabling Gods children to cry fervently Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and the Spirit helps our prayer infirmities when we know not what to pray for as we ought For he maketh intercession for us viz. by enabling us to intercede for our selves with unutterable groans i. e. with unutterable desires and longings of soul Rom. 8. 26 27. 4. If thou art still without the immediate fundamental and saving effects of the Spirits of God and of Christ viz. Regeneration Ioh. 3. 3 5 6 8. Renovation Tit. 3. 5. New Creation in Christ Eph. 2. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Conversion from sin and Satan to God Act. 26. 18. Effectual vocation 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Ioh. 6. 44. And Sanctification 1 Pet. 1 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. By which Gods Spirit brings sinners out of the state of Nature Then art still in the sinful and wretched state of Nature 5. If thou art still unbelieving without faith unfeigned as by Nature all are Tit. 1. 15. 2 Thes. 3. 2. And having no hope no well-grounded hope of salvation and happiness by Christ in this or the world to come as is the condition of all in state of Nature Eph. 2. 12. Then thou remainest in the state of Nature to this hour 6. If thou continuest still impenitent and un-reformed to this day not turned from darkness to light nor from the power of Satan to God Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Thou art still in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature For by repentance God brings men unto himself into a spiritual supernatural state of life holiness and happiness Act. 2. 38. and 5. 31. and 26. 18. Repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. 7. If thou dost habitually and primarily mind the things of the flesh If thy thoughts contrivances designs c. are chiefly about carnal and worldly things how to grow great rich c. but seldom or never mindest the things of the Spirit how to obtain Christ how to be saved how to make thy calling and election sure how to make Heaven sure how to walk with God c. Then thou art still after the flesh Rom. 8. 5 c. 8. If thy mind and wisdom be enmity against God and cannot endure to be subject to the Law of God then it is carnal Rom. 8. 7. Col. 1. 21. The Natural mans mind is so set upon sinful principles and wicked works that it cannot choose but hate God and his Law that utterly condemn them 9. If thou art not a lover but a hater of Gods people in whom Gods image appears and shines forth He that hateth his brother is in darkness viz. in the darkness of a sinful and miserable state by Nature and walketh in darkness 1 Joh. 2. 9 19 11. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Whosoever hateth his brother i. e. his Christian brother for God Christ Grace Godliness c. in him is a Murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 1 Ioh. 3. 14 15. 10. If thou art under the Power of darkness Col. 1. 13. The Natural man is not only Dark in the Concreet but Darkness itself in the Abstract Eph. 5. 18. He is so dark that he is all darkness and nothing but darkness therefore he is under the raign and power of it so that he cannot by any ability of his own Extricate or deliver himself out of it The Natural man is under the power of a threefold Darkness viz. 1 The darkness of Sin Sins are works of Darkness Eph. 5. 11. The State of Sin is a state of darkness Such are dead in Sins and trespasses and as dead they are overwhelmed with darkness dwelt in darkness Eph. 2. 1. 5. 2 The darkness of Ignorance This in part is that darkness that blinds the Eyes of Natural man 1 Ioh. 2. 11. So that he cannot receive the things of God they are Foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10 11. 14. The Gospel is hid to them that are lost the God of this world having blinded the minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 3 4. 3 The Darkness of misery by reason of his Sinfulness The Scripture frequently expresseth misery under the Notion of Darkness which is very uncomfortable and dreadful As the Miseries in this life Psal. 88. 6. and 107. 10. In death Iob. 10. 21 22. In Hell wher 's utter Darkness Mat. 22. 13. and 25. 30. Blackness of darkness for ever Iude vers 13. Everlasting chains under darkness Iude 6. The Natural man being a child of wrath Eph. 2 3. having the wrath of God abiding on him and being condemned already Ioh. 3. 18. 36 may well be said to be under the power of darkness 11. If thou art under the Power of Satan hitherto thou art still in thy Sinful and wretched State of Nature For every man Naturally is under Satan's Power and dominion till he be supernaturally converted unto God Act. 26. 18. Hence Satan is called The Father of such Ioh. 8. 44. The Prince of this world Ioh. 14. 30. The Prince of this power of the Air the spirit that effectually worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. The God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. Now thou art under the power of Satan 1 While Satan blinds thine eyes so that the Gospel is hid to thee Is a mystry a Paradox to thee c. left the glorious Light of the Gospel should shine unto thee 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 While thou art an Unbeliever 2 Cor. 4.
The True way TO THE Tree of Life OR The Natural MAN DIRECTED UNTO CHRIST By Fran. Roberts D. D. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Wrington in the County of Somerset JOHN 14. 6. IESVS saith unto him I am the Way The Truth and the Life No man cometh unto the Father but by me ACT. 16. 30 31. Sirs What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the LORD IESVS CHRIST and thou shalt be saved and thine House BERNARD in Iubilo c. p. 1659. Antverp 1616. JESU Decus Angelicum In auro dâ—sce Canticum In ore meâ— mirificum In Corde Nâ—ctar Coelicum Desidero te millies Mi JESU quando venies Me loetum quando facies Me de te quando suties LONDON Printed by T. R. for Geo. Calâ—ert at the Golden Ball in â—uck Lane 1673. THE Author 's Epistolary Exhortation AND Paternal Charge UNTO HIS CHILDREN My Dear and beloved Children WHat the Apostle Paul sometimes said with great affection touching Israel his Brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh that with like affection say I now touching You My Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you all is That you may be saved O that you might be so happy as to hear that sweetest Sentence of Iesus Christ at the last day directed unto you among the rest of his Elect Sheep at his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world And that you may be where Christ is which is far the best of all to behold his glory and to be made conform to him in Celestial glory for evermore But you had need deeply to consider That there are very many great and dangerous impediments unto Sinners eternal Salvation without removal whereof the Salvation of poor Souls will be rendered not only difficult but utterly impossible A few of these principal Hindrances I shall briefly mention unto you for your information and instruction That you may praise God for your deliverance from some of them and pray to him for his effectual removal of all the rest in his due time Some grand Hindrances of poor Sinners Salvation are these viz. 1. The State of Sin and misery in which all Mankind is involved by Nature through the Fall of Adam the Common root of all Mankind whence All are by Nature dead in Sins and trespasses and Children of wrath so that they who are in the flesh cannot possibly please God 2. Man's general Senslessness and â—in apprehensiveness by Nature of the Sinfulness and wretchedness of his Natural condition All Natural men being Children of the night and of darkness Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And from this senslesness of their Natural malady it comes to pass that they are till God open their eyes and awaken their Consciences altogether regardless of the Supernatural Remedy 3. A Sinful course of life and wicked Conversation resulting from Mens Sinful state and condition So that they walk according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind and running to all excess of riot Now these and like ungodly waies will without true and timely Repentance undoubtedly shut all that walk therein out of the kingdom of God for evermore 4. Habitual Hardness of heart and Impenitency which are most dangerous fore-runners of Eternal Death and Destruction whereby all hardned and impenitent Sinners do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and Reveâ—â—tion of the righteous Judgment of God 5. That grand Soul-damning Sin of Vnbelief in Iesus Christ. Of this the Holy Ghost peculiarly and principally convincingly reproves the world of Sin because they believe not in me saith our Saviour This Sin he puts before others saith Augustine as if it were the alone Sin because this Sin remaining the rest are detained and this departing the rest are remitted Vnbelief rejects Iesus Christ the onely Saviour How then is it possible the Vnbelievers should be saved Our Blessed Saviour himself hath declared most plainly That he that believes not shall be damned Math. 16. 6. yea That he is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the onely begotten Son of God That he who believeth not the Son should not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iohn 3. 18. 36. 8. And he placeth the Unbelieving in that black Catalogue which shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second Death Rev. 21. 8. 6. The Embracing of any False counterfeit and irreligious Religions whether through Corrupt Education and evil Example of Parents or through Seducement of heretical Impostors and false Teachers or through the just judgment of God upon them that receive not the Love of the Truth that they may be saved sending them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all may be damned who believe not the Truth And chiefly such false Counterfeit Religions which are most predominant and bear greatest sway in the world are these Four viz. Heathenism Mahumeâ—ism Judaism and Antichristianism By the poyson of which it is much to be feared far the greatest number of people in the whole world are deprived of Salvation and perish As divers of our Learned Orthodox and Religious Authors have demonstrated 7. The False Hypocritical and Conterfeit Entertaining of the onely true Religion viz. The Christian Religion leaves men still in a state of Damnation though thereupon multitudes vainly presume and promise to themselves eternal Salvation As when men make a Profession of Christianity without a sincere suitable Practice having Lamps without Oyle When they have onely a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof Having a Name to live but are dead When they attain to a Temporary Faith believing for a time but in time of Persecution falling away Become partakers of many Common gifts and en dowments of the Holy Ghost but of no true saving Graces of the Spirit So that though they may have some flashes of joy in the use of Gods Ordinances and may do many things yet walk not as the sincere Saints in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless Now such Persons being meer Formal not real Christians indeed remaining â—as most in the visible Church do without effectual Calling Conversion Regeneration and true Sanctification cannot inherit the kingdom of God as the Holy Scriptures do abundantly testifie Now therefore my beloved Children I earnestly exhort charge and beseech you by the mercies of God As you tender the eternal welfare of your precious and immortal Souls As you desire to be found
in Iesus Christ and favour with God when you die and As ever you hope to be set at Christs Right hand among his Sheep and to be Sentenced by Christ with them to his Everlasting Kingdom at that great and glorious day of his Appearing That you use all possible Care diligence and endeavours by the Grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit of God against all these fore-mentioned impediments unto Salvation and all such like that they may be removed out of your way to happiness and not be any hindrances at all to your Eternal Glory and Salvation And that this may be the more effectually enterprized and performed by you Let these Ensuing Instructions sink deep into your hearts and be most studiously seriously and sincerely pursued and practiced in your Lives viz. 1. Be deeply and thoroughly Convinced of the extream Sinfulness and wretchedness of your Natural State and Condition in the first Adam How you were shapen in iniquity and conceived in Sin Yea dead in Sins and trespasses and by Nature Children of Wrath even as others And How from this Original and Vniversal Corruption of your Natures your whole course of life is answerably corrupted also Every imagination of the thoughts of your hearts and consequently every word of your mouths and every Action throughout your lives being Evil onely evil continually evil so long as you continue in your Natural state and condition So then while you remain in the flesh you cannot please God nor can have anâ— actual Hope of Salvation upon any solid ground 2. Hence you may evidently See and must needs conclude That there is so great a necessity of a Supernatural Remedy against this your Natural State of Sin and Misery and against all the Sinfulness of your Natural Conversation by the Application of Jesus Christ unto your Souls and the Effectual operation of his Spirit to that End upon your hearts That without such applying of Christ by Faith unto you and the operation of his Spirit in and upon you by Effectual Calling Conversion Regeneration Renovation and Sanctification you can never Enter into the kingdom of God and be Eternally Saved 3. Therefore See that ye come unto Jesus Christ by Faith without delay and Receive him as your onely All-sufficient Saviour that is able to save you to the uttermost Accepting him upon his own terms of denying your selves taking up your Cross daily and following him So Iesus Christ will be unto you Wisdom to guide you in the way to Heaven Righteousness to wash away all your Sins by his bloud and justifie you freely by his spotless Righteousness imputed unto you Sanctification to furnish you sufficiently with all treasures of Grace out of his fullness of Grace and Redemption to deliver you from all your bondage under Sin Satan the curse of the Law the Wrath to come and all your Spiritual Enemies O thrice happy Everlastingly happy shall you be if once Iesus Christ become yours and you his Then you shall be espoused to the best Husband in the world The God and Father of Iesus Christ will be your God and Father The Spirit of Christ will be your Comâ—orter the Kingdom of Heaven shall be your Everlasting Joynture yea All things The World and Life and Death and things present and things to come All shall be yours Then All things shall work-together for good unto you Sickness as well as health Adversity as well as prosperity Death it self as well as life Then nothing in the world shall ever be able to separate you from the Love of Christ or from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Then no Condemnation shall ever befall you in this or in the world to come O happy Souls that ever you were born if you be born again and Christ be formed in you Christ is the Desire of all Nations Let him be the Desire of your Souls Christ is the chief among ten thousand Lâ—t him be the Chief of your choice Christs mouth is Sweetnesses yea all of him is Desires O let your hearts be even ravished with him at all times Say with that faithful Minister and Martyr of Iesus Christ Mr. John Lambert as he was now dying in the flames None but Christ none but Christ In a word I say to every one of you as sometimes Bernard said unto one sweetly Let IESVS be alwaies in thine heart Let Him be unto thee thy meat and drink thy sweetness and Consolation thy Hony and thy Desire thy Reading and thy Meditation thy Prayer and thy Contemplation thy Life and Death and thy Resurrection For Christ is All in All 4. Now Forasmuch as true saving Faith in Iesus Christ is not of our selves but the free gift of God and ordinarily God is pleased to work it in the hearts of his Elect Instrumentally by the Hearing of his Word faithfully preached Efficaciously by the Co-operation of his holy Spirit by which Means also it is nourished and increased Therefore be ye all of you Diligent and Constant Hearers of the Word of Christ faithfully preached Applying things spoken particularly to your selves treasuring them up in good and honest hearts and bringing forth the suitable fruit thereof by an Vpright practice in your lives and take singular heed that you never gâ—ieve quench or resist the operations stirrings or motions of the Spirit of God in the use of his Word and Ordinances or at any other times For Iesus Christ by his Word and Spirit especially stands at the door of your hearts and knocks and if any will open unto him he will come in unto him and Sup with him and he with Christ 5. For the increasing also of your Inward Peace Spiritual Ioy and Comfort Give all diâ—igence to make your Calling and Election sure Examining your selves frequently and seriously whether Jesus Christ be in you yea or no But how shalâ— this be done By comparing your Hearts Lives and Experiences with the written Word of God through the assistance and guidance of Gods Holy Spirit For to this End the Word of God was written to us and the Spirit of God is given to us that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God and that we may know that we have eternal life And for your more ready help in this weighty business you may make use of many Characters marks or Notes of Tryal which I have at large laid down in sundry of my Printed Books which you have by you Take heed you be not strangers to your own hearts and Spiritual States 6. As you have received Jesus Christ the Lord so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the Faith Be not Christians only in Name and outward Shew but inwardly sincerely and in good earnest So live and walk as Christ
in his word hath directed you to walk Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts even all Sins against the first and second Table living soberly towards yourselves righteously towards man and godly towards the Lord in this present world Observe and keep all his Commandements Yield and present your selves both Souls and Bodies living Sacrifices unto him Whether you live live unto the Lord or whether you dye dye unto the Lord that whether you live or dye you may be the Lords So live and walk also as Christ hath given you an Example Walk as Christ walked Walk in love as Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us a Sacrifice an offering unto God for a sweet smelling Savour Walk in Love towards Iesus Christ as to love him beyond Father Mother Sister Brother or your own dearest lives For he hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own blood Walk in all well doing as Christ went about doing good every where and imitate him also in innocent and patient suffering for well doing commitâ—ing your selves and your Cause to him that judgeth righteously for herein he hath left us an Example that we should follow his steps 7. Remember the Lords-day-Sabbath the first day of the week unto which the seventh-day-Sabbath was translated by the Authority of Christ as appears by the after observation of that day by the Apostles and Apostolical Churches to keep it holy This is the Princess and Queen of all dayes This is the Glory of all the week For As on this day our blessed Saviour Rose from the dead triumphing victoriously over Death Grave Sin and all our Spiritual Enemies and thereby assured us of our Spiritual and Corporeal Resurrection by him As on this day our Saviour vouchsafed many of his apparitions to his Disciples instructing them and giving them commandements concerning the Kingdom of God On this day the Holy Ghost was most miraculously poured forth upon the Apostles On this day the Apostles and primitive Churches held their solemn Assemblies for the publick worship of God This is the solemn Mart and Market day for furnishing our Souls with all manner of Spiritual and Heavenly Provisions This is that Solemn Season and sweet opportunity which Christ hath afforded and ordained for acquainting us with Himself and the Mysteries of his Kingdom for maintaining our Communion with him in his Ordinances for edifying and perfecting of us in all Spirituals And as in the time of the Old Testament The Sacrifices of the Sabbath-day were to be double to those on the week day So our Spiritual Sacrifices on the Lords-days are to be twice so much as on any other day of the week Especially in Prayer and thanksgiving in Reading the Scriptures in Hearing the word preached in Partaking the Lords Supper in Catechizing in Shewing Mercy to the poor c. that so the sacred tincture and impressions of this day may remain fresh and lively upon your hearts all the week following 8. Let every day of the week be managed by you in a Christian sort To that End Be sure to present unto the Lord your Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God continually as God of Old appointed a Morning and Evening Sacrifice for every day in the week Holy David and Daniel Prayed thrice in a day Every day open with God in the morning and shut with God in the Evening by some religious ejaculation or savourly meditation Read daily some portion of Holy Scripture to keep up your acquaintance with God with Iesus Christ and his Spirit and the mysteries of true Religion And then follow the lawful affairs of your honest particular Calling diligently and righteously 9. Do ye Remember your Creator in the days of your youth while the evil dayes of old age come not nor the years draw nigh when ye shall say we have no pleasure in them Gods Eminent Saints have sought the Lord betimes and addicted themselves unto Godliness while they were young As David that man after Gods own heart while he was but a Youth Josiah that Phaenix King of Iudah while he was yet young but sixteen years old began to seek after the God of David And Timothy so highly commended by the Apostle Paul knew the Holy Scriptures from a Child Gr. from his insancy God in the time of the Law called for the first ripe fruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock to be offered unto him to teach his people how acceptable the first-fruits of our youth and life are to God O how happy are they that bear the yoke of Christ in their youth Hereby the flower of their age is best improved Hereby thousands and ten-thousands of sins are prevented Hereby they gain the longer time for walking with God for growing in grace for doing of good for increasing of Spiritual Experiences for treasuring up of Evidences and assurances of their Salvation and of preparing themselves for Heaven and eternal Glory 10. Herein alwaies exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man That so living in all good conscience before God This may be matter of singular comfort and rejoycing to you in your greatest afflictions and distresses the Testimony of your Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your Conversation in the world 11. Imploy and improve to the utmost all the Times and Talents wherewith the Lord hath intrusted you to his Glory your own or others Benefit That when the time of reckoning shall come he may both command you and richly reward you and not condemn and punish you with that wicked sloathful and improfitable Servant 12. Hold fast the Platt-form of Sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That so you may not be carryed aside with every wind of false doctrine but may be the Children of the Truth And to this End constantly retain in your Memories the Catechisme wherein you have been trayned up now a long time together For this is an excellent Brevial or Sum of the true Christian Religion very useful to direct you both in the Faith and Practice in the right wayes of God against error and iniquity 13. Stand not at a stay much less go backward in the affairs of Religion But still grown in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of backsliding Having put your hand to Christs plow Look not back For then you will be unfit for the Kingdome of God Be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Be faithful to the death and christ will give you a Crown of Life 14. Love God Father son and Holy Ghost over
brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 36 37. When the Iaylor's heart was convinced and shaken as well as the foundations of the Prison he presently enquires of Paul and Silas Sirs what must I do be saved Act. 16. 30. There are three steps towards the cure of a sick body and of a sinful soul viz. Inveuire morbum To find out and be convinced of the malady Adire medicum To have recourse to the Physician for direction and Applicare medicinam To apply the medicine for the attaining of recovery Who will seek to the Physician or apply any remedy that feels no smart of his malady 4. Vntil thou art fully convinced O Natural man that thou continuest still in thy Natural sinfulness and wretchedness thou wilt never repent and turn from thy sinful estate to God Till the Prodigal soundly smarted under sence of his sin and misery he never came to himself or to a penitent resolution of returning to his Father But then he comes and sayes Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee c. Luke 15. 14 15 16 17 18 19 21. Here see how conviction and lively sense of sin and misery put him upon serious Consideration Consideration put him upon penitential Resolution Return Repentance Confession Reformation and humble Supplication 5. Vntil thou O Natural man shalt be throughly convinced of the sinfulness and wretchedness of thy present Natural state wherein thou remainest unto this present day thou never givest an actual entertainment and present welcome in thy soul unto Jesus Christ and him crucify'd as the only remedy against this sinfulness and wretchedness of thy Natural condition 'T is the sense of present pain that makes the Patient cry out for means of ease till he find it and having obtained it how doth be esteem it and delight in it 'T is the apprehension of present danger at Sea in a storm that makes the Passengers cry to God and man to help Ionah 1. 5 6. Psal. 107. 25 26 27 28. and if the storm cease and the Sea becomes still that they can come to their desired Haven Oh how welcome and acceptable is the Haven unto them Psal. 107 29 30. So here 'T is the conviction of thy present Natural sinfulness and wretchedness that makes thee in thy servent desires even thirst and long after Christ the only Redeemer vehemently and upon obtaining of Christ makes thee prize him highly love him dearly and delight in him most contentedly As the penitent soul did in like case who washed Christs feet with her tears wiped them with the hairs of her head kissed them and annointed them with oyntment Luk. 7. 37. to the end Oh how acceptable is Christs Redemption to them that feel their bondage under sin and misery How amiable is Christs all-sufficiency for salvation to them that are apprehensive of their sins damnation And how precious sweet and delectable is Christs sin-cleansing and soul-saving blood to them that are aright convinced of the wormwood bitterness and gall of their Natural sinfulness and wretchedness Ease is alwayes acceptable but double acceptable after tormenting pain Health is alwayes sweet but double sweet after long tedious and tyring sickness Life is alwayes pleasant but to have returned from the brink of the grave to life again is a double life Thus O Natural man it appears plainly how necessary and advantageous it is for thee to be convinced of the sinfulness and wretchedness of thy Natural state wherein thou still remainest even until now II. How and by what Discoveries thou maist be clearly convinced O Natural man that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature in the first Adam comes now to be considered and to be considered by thee most seriously Know thou therefore O man O woman whoever thou art That the great God hath in his faithful Word certainly discovered and declared every one and consequently thy self in particular to be and remain still in the Natural state of sin and misery If these ensuing notes and characters of a state of sin and misery do certainly belong to them and to thee viz. 1. If thou art without God in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 12. compared with verse 3. wherein the Apostle intimates That the Ephesians while in their sinful and wretched state of Nature were without God in the world and while without God in the world they were children of wrath even as others Art thou not without God Where 's the divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Where Gods Image Eph. 4. 24. Col. 1. 10. Where the life of God Eph. 4. 18. 2. If thou art still without Christ that at that time i. e. while in your Natural state ye were without Christ Eph. 2. 12. with verse 3. Christless men are Godless men for it is by Christ as the way whereby we come unto God as the end Ioh. 14. 6. Heb. 7. 25. And Godless men are graceless men sinful wretched men for God alone is the Author of all grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. Eph. 2. 8. Art not without God Then is Christ thine Head and Husband to guide thee Eph. 5. 22 24. Thy Lord and King to rule thee Col. 2. 6. Thy Christ to annoint thee 1 Ioh. 2. 20 27. Thine Inhabitant to dwell in thee Eph. 3. 17. 3. If thou art still without the Spirit of God and of Christ inhabiting in thee Remarkable is that of the Apostle Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Here the Apostle intimates 1. That the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ is one and the same Spirit 2. That to be Christs and to be in the Spirit amounts in effect to the same thing 3. That they who have the Spirit of God and of Christ dwelling in them are not in the flesh i. e. in their sinful and wretched state of Nature but in the Spirit i. e. in a spiritual holy and happy state of grace And 4. That they who have not the Spirit of Christ are none of Christs are not in the Spirit but in the flesh i. e. in their sinful and wretched state of Nature Now they have not the Spirit of God and of Christ 1 Who are Unregenerate and Unrenewed For the Spirit of God and of Christ is a Regenerating Spirit Ioh. 3. 5 6. 8. A Renewing Spirit Tit. 3. 5. He renews the whole man in part All things become New 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2 Who are Unsanctified and Unholy For the Spirit of God and of Christ is an Holy Spirit Psal. 5. 111. Eph. 1. 13. and 4. 30. The Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 14. Tit. 3. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Iude vers 20. And all those that are builded by the Spirit for an Habitation of God are by him made an Holy Temple in the Lord Ephes. 2. 21. 22.