4. Whether or not there be a living to the glory of the Lord Redeemer.
And when by an impartial trial, a discovery is made of the badness of our condition, should we not be alarmed to look about us, and to labour by all means for an outgate? Considering, (1.) How doleful and lamentable this condition is. (2.) How sad and dreadful the consequences of it are. (3.) How happy a thing it is to be delivered from this miserable and sinful condition. And, (4.) How there is a possibility of outgate.
Finally. It may break a heart of stone to think, how people that are in such a condition are so unwilling to come out of it: For,
1. How unwilling are they once to suspect their condition, or to suppose that it may be bad, and that they may be yet unconverted?
2. How unwilling are they, to sit down seriously to try and examine the matter, and to lay their case to the touch-stone of the word?
3. Yea, how unwilling are they to hear any thing that may tend to awaken them, or to discover unto them the deadness of their condition?
4. How ready to stifle challenges of conscience, or any common motion of the Spirit, which tendeth to alarm their soul?
5. How great enemies are they to such ordinances as serve to awaken sleeping consciences?
6. And how do they hate such ministers as preach such doctrine as may serve to rouse them up, and set them a-work about their own salvation?
II. We learn hence, that without Christ there is no imaginary way of delivery out of this natural state of death. "No other name is given under heaven whereby we can be saved," Acts iv. 12; and angels can make no help here, nor can one of us deliver another; the redemption of the soul is more precious than so, Psalm xlix. 7, 8. Nor is there any thing we can do for ourselves that will avail here; all our prayers, tears, whippings, fastings, vows, alms-deeds, purposes, promises, resolutions, abstinence from some evils, outward amendments, good morality and civility, outward religiousness, yea, and if it were possible, our keeping of the whole law, will not help us out of this pit. And we may weary ourselves in such exercises in vain; for they will prove but bodily exercises that profit little. And when in this way we have spent all our time, parts, spirits, and labour, we shall at length see and say, that we have spent our money for that which is not bread.