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Select discourses from the American preacher ...
Select discourses from the American preacher Author:David Austin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON III. AN INDUCEMENT TO COME TO CHRIST. JOHN WITHERSPOON, D. D. L L. D. Col. N. C. P. Rev. iii. 17. JSecaufe thou fayeft, I am rich, and in... more »creafed with goodt, and have need of nothing ; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miferahie, and poor, and hlind, and naked. TTAVING, in a former difcourfe, proved and illuftra- - ted this truth, that all mankind are by nature in a flate of fin and mifery, under the bondage of corruption, and liable to the wrath of God :—I proceed now to the Jecond thing propofed, which was to fhew you, that being brought to a lively fenfe and genuine conviction of this, is the firft, and a neceflary flep to the faving knowledge of God in Chrift. On this I fhall not need to fpend much time, as it is fo exceedingly plain, both in itfelf, and from what hath been already faid.—It is, however, neceflary to fet it clearly before you, in order to lay a foundation for the improvement of the fuhject. If the doftrine of Chrift, and of him crucified, proceeds upon the fuppofition of our finful and miferable condition by nature, then furely it can neither be valued, embraced, nor improved ; and indeed, I think hardly under- ftood by thofe who know not this their' natural ftate. What Chrift hath done, and promifes to do in our behalf, is defigned as a remedy for our diftrefied condition ; and therefore, till the diftrefs is known, the remedy will be fet at nought. If a phyfician mould offer his care and fkill for the recovery of a man, who efteemed himfelf in pertect health, would he not deride the propofal, fo long as he continued in that opinion ? If any man mould offer a charitable fupply of clothes and food to one, who imagined himfelf immenfely rich, and gloried in his riches, would he not look upon it as the groffeft infult ? ...« less