Ah, sinners, sinners, were you but sensible indeed of the severity and truth of this, it would make you look about you to purpose! O, how would it make you strive to stop at that that now you drink down with delight! How many oaths would it make you bite asunder! Nay, it would make you bite your tongues to think that they should be used as instruments of the devil to bring your souls into such an unspeakable misery; then also, we should not have you hang the salvation of your souls upon such slender pins as now you do; no, no; but you would be in another mind then. O, we should have you cry out, I must have Christ; what shall I do for Christ? How shall I come at Christ? Would I be sure, genuinely sure of Christ? My soul is gone, damned, cast away, and must forever burn with the devils if I do not get precious Jesus Christ!
3. In the next place, when God hath done this, then He further shows the soul that that covenant which it is under by nature is distinct from the Covenant of Grace; and also they that are under it are by nature without any of the graces which they have that are under the Covenant of Grace; as, (1.) That it hath no faith (John 16:9). (2.) No hope (Eph 2:12). Nor can the Spirit work these things in it by nature. (4.) Neither will that covenant give them peace with God. (5.) No promise of safeguard from His revenging law by that covenant. (6.) But lieth by nature liable to all the curses, condemns, and thunderclaps of this most fiery covenant. (7.) It will accept no sorrow, repentance, or satisfaction from thee. (8.) It calls for no less than the shedding of thy blood. (9.) The damnation of thy soul and body. (10.) And if there be anything proffered to it by thee, as to the making of it amends, it throws it back again as dirt in thy face, slighting all that thou canst bring.
Now, when the soul is brought into this condition, then it is indeed dead, killed to that to which it was once alive. And therefore,
3. In the next place, to show you what it is killed: and that is,
1. To sin. O, it dares not sin! It sees Hell-fire is prepared for them that sin, God's justice will not spare it if it lives in sin; the Law will damn it if it lives in sin; the devil will have it if it follows its sins. [Here I am speaking of one that is effectually brought in]. O, I say, it trembles at the very thoughts of sin! Ay, if sin does but offers to tempt the soul, to draw away the soul from God, it cries, it sighs, it shuns the very appearance of sin, it is odious unto it. If God would but serve you thus that love your pleasures, you would not make such a trifle of sin as you do.
2. It is killed to the Law of God as it is the Covenant of Works. O, saith the soul, the law hath killed me to itself, "I through the law am dead to the law" (Gal 2:19). The law is another thing that I did think it was. I thought it would not have been so soul-destroying, so damning a law! I thought it would not have been so severe against me for my little sins, playing, jesting, dissembling, quarreling, and the like. I thought it would heal great sinners, but let me pass! And though it condemned great sinners, yet it would pass me by! But now, would I be free from this covenant? Would I be free from this law! I will tell thee that a soul thus worked upon is more afraid of the Covenant of Works than he is of the devil; for he sees it is the law that doth give him up into his hands for sin; and if he was but clear from that, he should not significantly need to fear the devil. O, now every particular command tears the caul of his heart; now every command is a great gun well charged against his soul; now he sees he had as good run into a fire to keep himself from burning as to run to the law to keep himself from damning; and this he sees really, ay, and feels it too, to his own sorrow and perplexity.
3. The soul is also now killed to his own righteousness and counts that as dung, but dross, which is not worth the dirt hanging on his shoes. O! then, says he, thou filthy righteousness! How hast thou deceived me! How hast thou beguiled my poor soul! (Isa 64:6). How did I deceive myself by giving a little alms, abstaining from some gross pollutions, and walking in some ordinances, as to the outside of them? How hath my good words, good thinkings, good meanings, as the world calls them, deceived my ignorant soul! I want the righteousness of faith, the righteousness of God, for I see now there is no less will do me any good.
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