'W^ ■•^^■-'y^^' (7 -4^ \J v— O -^^^ \2 i ^ \ =/t HUMAN NATURE IN ITS FOURFOLD STATE, OF PRIMITIVE INTEGRITY, ENTIRE DEPRAVITY, BEGUN RECOVERY, AND CONSUMMATE HAPPINESS OR MISERY : SUBSISTING IN Tht Parents ofM^mkindin Paradise^ the Unregenerate, the Regenerait . and all Mankind in the Future State. IN SEVERAL PRACTICAL DISCOURSES, BY REYEREND AND LEAH T. BOSTON, BY THE REYEREND AND LEARNED I,ATE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT ETTRICK. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. John ii. 24, 25. ^ Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. Luke ix. 55. As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. Pro v. xxvli. 19. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY A. BALFOUR, MERCHANT COUgT, FOR j. OGLE, EDINBURGH; M. OGLE- GLASGOW; AND R. OGLE, AND T. HAMILTON, LONDON. 181^. - ■■'.:i'-i- ni//C 'X'''' 1^ S^,^ PREFACE, •^^W%^l^l%l%%)% XT is a maxim among wise men, that the knowledge of persons is of as great use, in the conduct of human life, as the knowledge of things; and it is most certain, that he who knows the various tempers, humours^ and dispositions of men, who can find out their turn of thought, and pene- trate into the secret springs and principles of their actings, will not be at a loss to lind out proper means for compas- sing his asms, will easily preserve himself from snares, and either avoid or overcome difficulties. But the knowledge of human nature, morally considered, or, in other words, ot tne lemper and disposition of the soul in its moral powers, is of much greater value ; as it is of use in the concerns of an unchangeable life and world : he who is possessed of so valuable a branch of knowledge, is thereby capacitated to judge aright of himself, to understand true Christianity,, and to conceive justly of perfect happiness and consummate misery. The depravity of human nature is so plainly taught, yea, inculcated in sacred Scripture, and is so obvious to every thinking man's observation, who searches his own breast, and reflects duly on his temper and actings, that it is sur- prisingly strange and wonderful, how it comes to pass, that this important truth is so little understood, yea, so much disbelieved, by men who bear the name of Gospel-Ministers. Are there not persons to be found in a neighbouring nation, in the character of preachers, appearing daily il> pulpits, who are so unacquainted with their Bibles and themselves, that they ridicule the doctrine of original sin as unintelligible jargon : If they are persons of a moral Hfe and conversa* iV PREFACE. tion, they seem to imagine, they cannot become better than they are ; if they are immoral, they seem to indulge a con- ceit, that they can become virtuous, yea religious, when they please. These are the men who talk of the dignity of human nature, of greatness of mind, nobleness of soul, and generosity of spirit ; as though they mtended to per- suade themselves and others, that pride is a good principle; and do not know, that pride and selfishness are the bane of mankind, productive of all the wickedness, and much of the misery to be found in this and in the other world ; and is indeed that wherein the depravity of human nature properly consists. » Upright Adam's nature faintly typified the Divine, •n a moderated self-esteem, an adequate self-love, and de- lightful reflection on his own borrowed excellency, regula- ted by H just esteem of, and supreme love to, his adorable Creator : v^'hence a peaceful serenity of mind, a loving, compassionate, and benevolent disposition of soul, a depth of thought, and brightness of imagination, dehghtfuUy em- ployed in the rapturous contemplation of hisi beloved Ma- ker's infinte perfections ; thus bearing the Divine image, and resembling God that made him. But no sooner did he disobey the divine prohibitory command, than the scales were cast ; his moderated self-esteem degenerated in- to pride, his adequate self-love shrunk into mere selfishness^ and his delightful rejections on his own excellency varied into the tickling pleasures of vanity and conceit : he lost view of the Author of his being, and thenceforth, instead of delighting in him, first dreaded, and then despised him. The modest, and therefore hitherto anonymous, author of the following discourses, Mr Thomas Boston, having handled this subject, in preaching to his own obscure pa- rochial congregation of Ettrick, in the sheriffdom of Sel- kirk, had a particular view to their benefit, in printing and pubhshing them ; and therefore the style and method is plain and simple, and the first edition printed on coarse pa- per ; but the subject is so comprehensive and important, so well managed, and the book has been so well received, that it now appears in the world more embellished, as well as better corrected than formerly. Let it suffice, to recommend it to those who have a right taste of genuine Christianity, that all the Author's notions :l-)vr so directly from the sacred fountain^ that it is to be doubted, if he has had recourse to any other helps, than his Bible and his God for assistance. In the meantime, I am aware of an exception from those, who rank themselves among the pohte part of mankind, that there is the same harsh peculiarity of dialect in it, which is commonly found in books of practical divinity. But I beg leave to observe, that the dialect which they except against, is borrowed from sacred scripture ; and, as " it has pleased God, by* the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe;" so also to countenance what they are displeased with, by the operations of his 'Spirit, on the minds of true Christians, as their common experience witnesseth. However, I heartily wish that the exception were altogether removed, by some person's digesting, into a methodical treatise, the views of human nature in its primitive perfection, in its depraved con- dition, and in its retrieved state, who is master of modern stile, and thoroughly understands the subject discoursed in this book ; that, by becoming all things to all men, some, viz. of all ranks and kinds of men, may be gained. I am not to declaim at large in favour of religion ; this were to write a book by way of preface. Many able pens have been employed in recommending it to the world, by strong arguments drawn from its usefulness to society, its suitableness to the dignity of the Divine nature, and the advantages arising to men from it, in this and tho. other world. But, after all, may not one be left to doubt, if re- ligion be rightly understood by all its patrons : May not the beauties and excellencies of a precious gem be elegantly described by a naturalist, or jeweller, who never saw the particular one he talked of, and knows little of its nature, less of the construction of its parts, and nothing *)f its pro- per use ? Are there not men of bright parts, who reason excellently in defence of religion, and yet are so much strangers to it, that they brand the persons who are so hap- py as to be possessed of it, with the hard name of Spiritu- alists, reckoning them a kind of enthusiasts, unworthy of their regard ? The truth is, Christianity is a mystery ; mere reason does not comprehend it. There is a spiritual discerning necessary to its being rightly ■ understood ; whence it comes to pass, that men of great learning and abihties, though they read the scriptures with attention, rnEFACE. and comment learnedly upon them, yet do not, yea cannot, enter into the vein of thought peculiar to the inspired pen- man, because they share not of the same Spirit : wherefore it is, that the apostle Paul asserts, that the natural, or the unregenerate man, doth not know the things of God, nei- ther indeed is capable of knowing them, because they are spiritually discerned. From what has been said^ it is easy to conclude, that no pedantic apology on the part of the author, for appearing in print, or fawning compliments to the courteous reader, on the part of the prefacer, are to be expected. The truth is, both the one and the other are rather little arts, vailing pedantry and conceit, than evidences of modesty and good sense. It is of more use to recommend the perusal of the book to persons of all ranks and degrees, from a few suit- able topics ; and to shew wherein this edition differs from, and excels the first. That all mankind, however differenced by their rank and station in the world, have an equal concern in what is re- vealed concerning another and future world^ will be readily owned ; and it must be as readily granted, that however al- lowable it may be for men of learning and parts, to please themselves with fineness of language, justness of thought, and exact connection, in writing upon other subjects, yet they ought not to indulge themselves in the same taste in discourses on divine things, lest they expose themselves to the just censure of acting with the same indiscretion, as a person in danger of famishing by hunger would be guilty of, if he perversely rejected plain wholesome food, when offered to him, for no other reason than the want of palata- ble sauce, or order and splendour in serving it up. The sacred book, which we call the Bible, has a peculiar sublimity in its veiled and unusual dialect, and seeming in- connection ; but it is not therefore to be rejected by men who bear the mvnc of Christians, as uncouth or unintelligi- ble : true wisdom dictates quite another thing ; it counsels us, by frequent reading, to acquaint ourselves with it, be- come accustomed'to its peculiar phrases,, and search into its subhmities ; upon this ground, that the matters contained in it are of the utmost consequence to us, and, when rightly understood, yield a refined dehght, much superior to what is to be four.d m reading the best written books on the most PREFACE entertaining subjects. What pleads for the parent, is a plea for the progeny ; practical discourses upon divine subjects are the genuine offspring of the sacred text, and ought therefore to be read carefully and with attention, by per- sons of all ranks and degrees : though they are indeed cal- culated for, and peculiarly adapted to such as move in low- er spheres of life. Let it, however, be a prevailing argument with persons of all denominations, carefully to read books of practical divinity, that many of them are not written on the same motives and principles as other books are ; the authors have oft^ a peculiar divine call to publish them, and well-found- ed hope of their being useful to advance Christianity in the world. In consequence whereof it is, that great numbers have reaped benefit by reading them, especially in childhood and youth ; many have been converted by them, and it may be questroned, if ever there was a true Christian, since the art of printing made these books common, who has not, in some stage of life, reaped considerable advantage from them. This book recommends itself in a particular manner, by its being a short substantial system of practical divinity ; inso- much, that it may with truth be asserted, that a person, who is thoroughly acquainted with all that is here taught, may, without danger to his eternal interest, remain ignorant of other things which pertain to the science called Divinity. It is therefore earnestly recommended to the serious and frequent perusal of all, but especially of such as are in the stage of life called youth, and are so stationed in the world, as not to have frequent opportunities to hear sermons, and read commentaries on the sacred text. It is doubtless incumbent on masters of families to make some provision of spiritual as well as bodily food for their children and servants. This is effectually done by putting practical books into their hands ; and therefore this book is humbly and earnestly recommended as a family-book, which all the members of it are not only allowed, but desi- red to peruse. As to the difference between this and the first edition, which gives it preference, it lies chiefly in the author's not only having revised the stile, but the thoughts in many pla- ces, and corrected both, so as to set several important truths in a clearer light, and make the stile of the book now uni- 3 Viii PREFAeE. form, which formerly was not so, because of the explana- tions of peculiar words and phrases in use among the prac; tical divines, especially of the church of Scotland, which were interspersed throughout the first edition, and introdu- ced by anolher hand, for the sake of such persons as are not accustomed to them. It remains, that the prefacer not only subjoin his name, which was concealed in the first edi- tion, as a testimony that he esteems the author, and values the book, but that he may thereby recommend it in a par- ticular manner to the perusal of persons of his own acquaint- ance. If in his assisting towards its being published^ and in prefacing both editions, he has not run unsent, he has what will bear him up under all censures : the charitable will think no evil^ and others will do as they please. Robert Wightman, M. D. G. E« Edinhvrgh, March 18. 1729. p CONTENTS. f. The State of Innocence ; or, Phimitive Integrity, jn witicu Man was created. Page. *'1an's Original Righteousness .19 Man's Original Happiness ' . . 25 The Doctrine of the State of Innocence applied 32 II. The State of Nature; or. Entire Depravity. Head I The Sinfulness of Man's Natural State 35 The Corruption of Miin's Nature proved 41 Corruption of the Understanding 55 Will 72 Affections lOl Conscience 102 Memory 103 Body ib. How Man's Nature became corrupted lOi Doctrine of the Corruption of Natux-e applied 107 God's specially noticing our Natural Corruption . . . .112 Men overlooking their Natural Sin 113 Original Sin specially noticed ^15 Why Original Sin is to be specially noticed 116 How to get a View of the Corruption of our Nature . .119 Head II The Miserj/ of Man's Natural State 121 Man's Natural State is a State of Wrath 123 Doctrine of the State of Wrath confirmed and vindicated . 133 Doctrine of the Misery of Man's Natural State applied . 138 Alarm to the Unregenerate 141 Advices how to flee from Wrath 14S Duty of those who are delivered from Wrath .... 149 Head III. — Man s utter Inability to recover himself . . . .153 Objections to Man's Inability to recover himself answered 160 III. The State of Grace ; or, Begun Recovery. Head I — On Regeneration 169 Of the Nature of Regeneration .170 X CONTENTS. Page,. The Mind illuminated 175 The Will renewed 179 The Affections changed 182 The Conscience i-enewed 185 The Memory bettered 186 A Change on the Body 187 A Change in the Conversation . . .-, io. Semblance between Natural and Spiritual Generation . .190- The Doctrine of Regeneration applied . 194 Cases of Christians doubting their Regeneration resolved . 198 Of the Necessity of Regeneration 207 Advices to the Unregenerate . 215 Head II. — Mystical Union between Christ and RtUfoers . . .216 General View of the Mystical Union . ...... 218 Our Natural and Su{)ernatural Stock 221 Adam our Natural Stock 222 A Degenerate Stock . * . ib. „ *A Dead Stock 225 A Killing Stock 226 Christ our Supernatural Stock — As Mediator 228 The Elect 23p How the Branches are cut off from the Natural Stock ib. , How a Sinner is ingrafted into Christ . . . 242 .^ Apprehending a Sinner ib. Inferences 243 Benefits flowing from a Union with Christ — Justification 24-7 Peace with God 250 Peace of Conscience 251 Adoption 254 <. Sanctification 255 ............ Growth in Grace .25L) Fruitfulness 2()2 Acceptance 2po Establishment ■ . . 2G8 c Support 270 Care of the Husbandman - 273 Duty of Saints so united 276 Sinners partake not of them 280 IV, Thk Eternal State; or, State of Consummatb Happivess or Misery. Head I Death 2Si Certainty of Death 282 Man's Life is Vanity 285 Death — A Glass in which to behold the Vanity of the World 288 A Storehouse for Contentment and Patieiice . . 289 , A Bridle to Curb the Lusts 2fa CONTENTS. Xt Page. Head II. — Difference bettscen the Righteous and the Widced in their Death .297 Hcpoless Stfltc of the Wicked in Death 298 Cautions ag.aiiist False Hopes of Heaven 303 Exhortations to Sinners to forsake their Wickedness . . 30G Hopeful State of "the Godly rn Duttth 309 An Objection answered 314 Cases of the Uneasiness of Saints in View of Death answered 31 7 Considerations to reconcile Saints to Death 321 Directions bow to prepare for Death 323 Hfad III. — Of the Resurrection 327 • Doctrine of the Resurrection asserted 329 Certainty of the Resurrection 333 Of the Nature of the Resurrection 334 Qualities of the raised Bodies of the Saints . .... 341 QuaHties of the raised Bodies of the Wicked 344 Comfort to the People of God 346 Terror to Unregenerate Men 347 Head IV. — Of the General Judgment 350 Christ descending from Heaven as Judge 354 The Summons to Judgment 356 The Appearance of the Parties 359 The Separation between the Righteous and the Wicked . 360 Trial of the Parties • 362 The Books opened 365 Sentence pronounced on the Saints 367 The Saints shall judge the World 370 Sent-nce of Damnation on the Ungodly 371 The General Conflagration 375 Comfort to the Saints 378 Terror to Unbelievers ib. Exhortation to prepare for Judgment 381 Heab V The Kingdom of Heaven 382 The Saints made completely happy 384 Nature of the Kingdom of Heaven ib. The Saints Kingly Power 385 Ensigns of Royalty ib. Shall be clothed in white Garments .... 386 Heaven represented as a Country 392 The Royal City ib. The Royal Palace 393 The Palace Garden 394 The Royal Treasures . ib. The Temple 395 ' Society in the Kingdom of Heaven 396 The Presence of God and- of the Lamb 399 Full Enjoyment of God and of the Lamb 400 The Eternal Duration of the Kingdom of Heaven . . .410 Xll CONTENTS* Page. The Saints Admission into the Kingdom 410 The Quality in which they are introduced 412 Trial of the Claim to the Kingdom 414 Duty and Comfort of the Heirs thereof ...... 416 Exhortation to those who have no Right to the Kingdom . 4)8 Head Vl.^Of Hell 419 The Curse under which the Damned are shut up . . . 421 The Misery of the Damned in Heli . ...... 424 The Punishment of Loss in Hell , ib. The Punishment of Sense in Hell 431 Society with Devils 440 The Eteinity of the Miserable State of the Damned . . 441 A Measuring Reed 447 A Balance of the Sanctuary ...... ..... 448 Exhortations to flee from the Wrath to come . ♦ . . 4.50 STATER. NAMELY, THE STATE OF INNOCENCE, OR PRIMITIVE INTE- GRITY, IN WHICH MAN WAS CREATED. ECCLES. vii. 29. LOi this onhj have I founds that God hath made man «p- r'lcyht : but they have sought out many, inventions. 1 HERE are four thing* very necessary to be known by all that would see heaven : First, What naan was in the state of innocence, as God made him. Secondly, What he is in the state of corrupt nature, as he hath unmade himself. Thirdly, What he must be in a state of grace, as created in Christ Jesus unto good works, if ever he be made a par- taker of the inheritance of the saints in hght. And, Lastly^ What he shall be in his eternal state, as made by the Judge of all, either perfectly happy, or completely miserable, and that for ever. These are weighty points, that touch the vitals of practical godHness, from which most men, and evea many professors, in these dregs of time, are quite estranged. I design, therefore, under the divine conduct, to open up these things, and apply them. I begin with the first of them, namely, the state of innocence : That, beholdmg man polished after the simili- tude of a palace, the ruins may the more affect us ; we may the more prize that matchless person, whom the Father has appointed the repairer of the breach ; and that we may, with fixed resolveis, betake ourselves to that way which leadeth to the city that hath unmoveable foundations. In the text we have three things : 1. The state of innocence wherein man was created, God hath made man upriglU. By man here we are to un- derstand our first parents ; the archetypal pair, the root of maiakind, thexompendized world, and the fountaia from .'3 Explanation of the Text. State 1. whence all generations have streamed ; as may appear by <:omparing Gen. v. 1,2, " In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him, male and fe- male created he them, and blessed them," (as the root of mankind,) ** and called their name Adam." The ori- ginal word is the same in our text. In this sense, man was made right, (agreeable to the nature of God, whose work is perfect,) without any imperfection, corruption, or principle of corruption in his body or soul. He was made upright,-that is, straight with the will and law of God, without any irregularity in his soul. By the set it got in its creation, it directly pointed towards God, as his chief end ; which straight inclination was represented, as in an emblem, by the erect figure of his body, a figure that no other living creature partakes of. What David was in a gospel sense, that was he in a legal sense : One according God's own heart, altogether righteous, pure, and holy. Jod made him thus : He did not first make him, and then (lake him righteous ; but in the very making of him, he Jade him righteous. Original righteousness was concrea- ^^^i with him ; so that in the same moment he was a man, te was a righteous man, morally good ; with the same -reath that God breathed in him a Uving soul, he breath- d in him a righteous soul. 2. Here is man's fallen stat^ : But they have sought out nany inverdions. They fell off. from their rest in God, and ell upon seeking inventions of their own, to mend their case ; nd they quite marred it. Their ruin was from their own )roper motion ; they would not abide as God had made them ; but they sought out inventions to deform and undo themselves. 3. Observe here the certainty and importance of these things J Lo, this only have I foiivdj &c. Believe them, they are the result of a narrow search, and a serious inquiry, performed by the wisest of men. In the two preceding verses, Solomon represents himself as in quest of goodness in the world : but the issue of it was, he could find no sa- tisfying issue of his search after it ; though it was not for want of pains ; for he counted one by one to find out .he account. Behold this have I found, ( saith the Preacher, ) — to wit, that (as the same word is read in our text) yet my .\md seeketh, but I find not. He could make no satisfying State I. Of Man's Original Tlighieouviess. 19 discovery of it, which might stay his inquiry. He found good men very rare, one, as it were, among a thousand ; good women more rare, not one good among his thousand wives and concubines, 1 Kings xi. 3. But could that sa- tisfy the grand query. Where shall rvisdom he found ? No, it could not ; (and if the experience of others in this point run counter to Solomon's, as it is no reflection on his dis- cernment, it can as little decide the question ; which will remain undetermined till the last day.) But amidst all this -uncertainty, there is one point found out, and fixed : This have I found. Ye may depend upon it as a most certain truth, and be fully satisfied in it : Lo this ; fix yoKr eyes upon it, as a matter worthy of most deep and serious regard ; to wit, that man's nature is now depraved, but that depravi- ty was not from God, for he inade wan upright ; but from themselves, thei/ have sought cut many inventions. Doctrine, God made man altogether righteous. This is that state of innocence in which God pkced man in the world. It is described in the holy scriptures, with a running pen, in comparison of the following states; for it was of no continuance, but passed as a flying sha- dow, by man's abusing the freedom of his own will. I shall, First, Inquire into the righteousness of this state where- in man was created. Secondly, Lay before you some of the happy concomi- tants and consequences thereof. Lastly, Apply the whole. Of Man's Original Righteousness. First, As to the righteousness of this state, consider, that as uncreated righteousness, the righteousness of God is the supreme rule ; so all created righteousness, whether of men or angels, hath respect to a law as its rule, and is a conformity thereunto. A creature can no more be mo- rally independent on God, in its actions and powers, than it can be naturally independant on him. A creature, as a creature, must acknowledge the Creator's will as its ,su* ^ OfMan^s Orighial Righteousness. State I*. preme law ; for as it cannot be without him, so it must not fee but for him, and according to his will : Yet no law ob- liges until it be revealed. And hence it follows, that there iivas a law which man, as aTational creature, was subject- ed to in his creation ; and that this law was revealed to him. God made man upright., says the tekt. This presup- poseth a law to which he was conformed in his creation ; as when any thing is made regular, or according to rule, of necessity the rule itself is presupposed. Whence we may gather, that this law was no other than the eternal, indis- pensible law of righteousiiess, observed in all points by the second Adam : Opposed by the carnal mind ; some notions of which remain yet among the Pagans, who, *< having not the law, are a law unto themselves," Rom. ii. 14. In a word, this law is the very same which was afterwards summed up in the ten commandnients, and promulgated on mount Sinai to the Israelites, called by us the moral law : And man's righteousness consisted in conformity to this law or rule. More particularly, there is a twofold conformity required of man : A conformity of the powerrS of his soul to the law, which you may call habitual righteousness ; and a conformity of all his actions to it, which is actual right- eousness. Now, God made man habitually righteous ; man was to make himself actually righteous : the former was the stock God put into his hand ; the latter, the im- provement he should have made of it. The sum of what I have said is, that the righteousness wherein man was creat- ed, was the conformity of all the faculties and powers of his soul to the moral law. This is what we call original righteousness, which man was originally endued with. We may take it up in these three things : Fi7-st, Man's understanding was a lamp of light. He had perfect knowledge of the law, and of his duty accord- ingly : h(_* was made after God's image j and, consequent- , ly, could not want knowledge, which, is a p^rt thereof. Col. iii. 10. ** The new man is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him." And, indeed, this was necessary to fit him for universal obedience ; see- ing no obedience can be according to the law, unless it proceed from a sense of the commandment of God requir- ing it. It is true, Adam had not the law written upon ta- bles of stone : but it was written upon his mind, the know- I State I. Of Man's Original iiightcousnes.f, 21 ledge thereof being concreated with him. God impressed it upon his soul, and made him a law to himself, as the re- mains of it among the Heathens do testify, Rom. ii. 14, 15, And seeing man was made to be the mouth of the crea- tion, to glorify God in his works ; we have ground to be- lieve he had naturally an exquisite knowledge of the works of God. We have a proof of this in his giving names to the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, and those such as express their nature. " Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof," Gen. ii. 19. And the dominion which God gave him over the crea- tures, soberly to use and dispose of them according to his will, (still in subordination to the will df God,) seems to require no less than a knowledge of their natures. And besides all this, his perfect knowledge of the law proves his knowledge in the management of civil affairs, which, in respect of the law of God, " a good man will guide with discretion,'* Psal. cxii. 5. Secondly y His will lay straight with the will of God, Eph. iv. 2^. There was no corruption in his will, no bent nor inclination to evil ; for that is sin properly and truly so called ; hence the apostle says, Rom. vii. 7, " I had not known sin, but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said. Thou shalt not covet.'* An inchnation to evil is really a fountain of sin, and therefore inconsistent with that rectitude and uprightness which the text expressly says he was endued with at his creation. The will of man then was directed, and naturally inclined, to God and goodness, though mutably. It was disposed, by its original make, to follow the Creator's will, as the shadow does the body ; and was not left in an equal ba- lance to good and evil : For at that rate he had not been upright, nor habitually conform to the law ; which in no moment can allow the creature not to be inclined towards God as' his chief end. more than it can allow man to be a god to himself. The law was impressed upon Adam's soul ; now this, according to the new covenant, by v,?hich the image of Gvxi is repaired, consists in two things : 1. Putting -the law into the mind, denoting the knowledge of it : 2. Writing it in the heart, denoting inclinations in the will, answerable to the comm.ands of the la.w, "Hrb. viii. 10.- So that, as the will^ when we consider it 2^ Of Man* s Original Righteousmss. State L as renewed by grace, is by that grace naturally inclined to the same holiness in all its parts which the law requires ; so was the will of man (when we consider him as God made him at first) endued with natural inchnations to every thing commanded by the law. For if the regenerate are partakers of the divine nature, as undoubtedly they are, for so says the scripture, 2 Pet, i. 4, and if this divine nature can import no less than inclinations of the heart to holiness ; then surely Adam's will could not want this inclination ; for in him the image of God was perfect. It is true, it is said, Rom. ii. 14, 15, ** That the Gentiles shew the work of the law written in their hearts :" But this denotes only their knowledge of that law, such as it is ; but the apostle to the Hebrews, in the text cited, takes the \v^ord heart in another sense, distinguishing it plainly from the mind. And it m«st be granted, that when God pro- miseth in the new covenant, to write his law in the hearts of his people, it imports quite another thing than what Heathens have : for though they have notions of it in their minds, yet their hearts go another way : their will has got a set and a bias quite contrary to that law ; and therefore the expression suitable to the present purpose must needs import, besides these notions of the mind, in- clinations of the will going along therewith ; which incli- nations,' though mixed with corruption in the regenerate, were pure and unmixed in upright Adam. In a word, as Adam knew his master's pleasure in the matter of duty, so his will stood inclined to what he knew. Thirdly, His affections were orderly, pure, and holy ; which is a necessary part of that uprightness wherein man was created. The apostle has a petition, 2 Thess. iii. 5,., *' The Lord direct your hearts unto the love of God ;" that is, the Lord straighten your hearts, or make them lie straight to the love of God : And our text tells us, man ivas thus made straight. The new man is created in righ- teousness and true holiness, Eph. iv. 24. Now this holi- ness, as it is distinguished from righteousness, may import the purity and orderHness of the affections. And thus the apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 8. will have men to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting : Because, as troubled water is unfit to receive the image of the sun ; so ?he heart, filled with impure and disorderly Sections, is State I. O/Man^s Original Righteousness, 23 not fit for divine communications. Man's sensitive appe* tite was indeed naturally carried out towards objects grate- ful to the senses. For seeing man was made up of body and soul, and God made man to glorify and enjoy him, and for this end to use his good creatures in subordination to himself ; it is plain that man was naturally inclined both to spiritual and sensible good ; yet to spiritual good, the chief good as his ultimate end. And, therefore, his sensi- tive motions and inclinations were subordinate to his reason and will, which lay straight with the will of God, and were not, in the least, contrary to the same. Otherwise he should have been made up of contradictions ; his soul being naturally inclined to God as the chief end, in the superior part thereof ; and the same soul inclined to the creature as the chief end in the inferior part thereof, as they call it ; which is impossible ; for man, at the same instant, cannot have two chief ends. Man's affections then, in his pri- mitive state, were pure from all defilement, free from all disorder and distemper, because in all their motions they were duly subjected to his clear reason, and his holy will. He had also an executive pov^er answerable to his will ; a power to do the good which he knew should be done, and which he was inclined to do, even to fulfil the whole law of God. If it had not been so, God would not have re- quired of him perfect obedience; for to say, " that the Lord gathereth where he hath not strawed," is but the blasphe- my of a wicked heart, against a good and bountiful God, Mat XXV. 24, 26. From what has been said, it may be gathered, that the original righteousness) explained was universal and natural^ yet mutable. First, It was universal, both with respect to the subject of it, the whole man ; and the object of it, the whole law. Universal I say, with respect to the subject of it ; for this righteousness was diffused through the whole man ; it was a blessed leaven that leavened the whole lump. There was not one wrong pin in tlie tabernacle of human nature, when God set it up, however shattered it is now. Man was theji holy in soul, body, and spirit : While the soul remained untainted, its lodging was kept pure and unde- filed ; the members of the body were consecrated vessels, and iastruments 4)i righteousness. A combat betwiKt flesh 24^ Of Man* s Original Righteousness. State f. and spirit, reason and appetite ; nay the least inclination to sin» or lust of the flesh in the inferior part of the soul, was utterly inconsistent with this uprightness, in which man was created ; and has been invented to vail the corruption of man's nature, and to obscure the grace of God in Jesus Christ: it looks very like the language of fallen Adami laying his own sin at his Maker's door. Gen. iii. 12; *' The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." But as this righteousness was universal in respect of the subject, because it spread through the whole man ; so also it was universal, in respect of the object, the holy law. There was nothing in the law but what was agreeable to his reason and will, as God made him ; though sin hath now set him at odds with it ; his soul was shapen out, in length and breadth, to the com- mandment, though exceeding broad ; so that his original righteousness was not only perfect in its parts, but in degrees; Secondly, As it was universal, so it was natural to him, and not supernatural, in that state. Not that it was essential to man as man ; for then he could not have lost it, without the loss of his very being ; but it was eon- natural to him. He was created with it ; and it was necessary to the perfection of man, as he came out of the hand of God : Necessary to constitute him in a state of integrity. Yet, Thirdly, It was mutable ; it was a righteousness that might be lost, as is manifested by the doleful event. His will was not absolutely indifferent to good and evil ; God set it towards good only : Yet he did not so fix and confirm its inclinations, that it could not alter. No, it tvas moveable to evil ; and that only by man himself, God having given him a sufficient power to stand in this integrity, if he had pleased. Let no man quarrel God's work in this ; for if Adam had been unchangeably righteous, he behoved to have been so, either by nature, or by free gift : By nature he could not be so, for that is proper to God, and incom- municable to any creatur-: ; if by free gift, then no wrong was done to him, in w:ith-holding of what he could not crave. Confirmation in a righteous state is a reward of grace, given upon continuing righteous, through the state of trial ; and would have been given to Adam, if he had stood out the time appointed for probation by the Creator : and ac- State I. OfMan^s OHginal Happiness^ ^$ •cordingly is given to the saints, upon account of the merits of Christ, who was obedient even to the death. And herein behevers have the advantage of Adam, that they can never totally nor finally fall away from grace. Thus was man made originally righteous, being '* created in God's own image," Gen. i. 27. which consists in the positive qualities of *' knowledge, righteousness, and true hohness," Col. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 24. All that God rnade was very good, according to their several natures. Gen., i. 31. And so was man morally good, being made after the image of him who is good and upright. Psalm xxv. 8. Without this, he could not have answered the great end of his creation, which was to know, love, and serve his God according to his will. Nay, he could not be created otherwise ; for he behoved either to be conform to the law, in his powers, principles, and inclinations, or not ; if he was, then he was righteous ; and if not, he was a sinnerj which is absurd and horrible to imagine. Cff Man's Original Happiness. Secondly, I shall lay before you some of those things which did accompany or flow from the righteousness of man's primitive state. Happiness is the result of holiness; and as this was an holy, so it was a happy state. Firsty Man was then a very glorious creatiire. We have reason to suppose, that as Moses' face shone when he came down from the mount ; so man had a very lightsome and pleasant countenance, and beautiful body, while as yet there was no darkness of sin in him at all. But seeing God himself is glorious in holiness, (Exod, xv. 11.^ surely that spiritual comeliness which the Lord put upon mah at his creation, made him a very glorious creature. O how did light shine in his holy conversation, to the glory of the Creator ! while every action was but the darting forth of a ray and beam of that glorious, unmixed light, which God had set up in his soul ; while that lamp of love, lighted from heaven, ontinued burning in his heart, as in the holy- place 4 and the law of the Lord, put in his inward parts by the finger of God, was kept by him thfcr:\, as in the most holy. There was no impurity to be seen without ; no squint look in the eyes, after any unclean thing ; the 26' OfManh Original Hitpphies^i State T. tongue spoke nothing but the language of heaven ; and In a word, the King's Son was ali glorious within, and his clothing of wrought gold. Sccondlif, He was the favourite of heaven. He shone brightly in the imag-e of God, who cannot but love his own image, wherever it appears. While he was alone in the world, he was not alone, for God was with him. His communion and fellowship was with his Creator, and that immediately: For as yet there^was nothing to turn away the face of God from the work of his own hands; seeing sin had not as yet entered, which alone could make the breach. By the favour of God, he v^as advanced to be confede- rate with heaven, in ' the first covenant, called, the ccvC' ?iant of works. God reduced the law, which he gave in his creation, into the form of a coveriant, whereof perfect obedience was the condition ; hfe w^as the thing promised, and death the penalty. As for the condil»on, one great branch of the natural law was, that man believe whatso- ever Gcd shall revtai, and do whatsoever he shall com- mand : Accordingly, God making this covenant with man, extended his duty to the not eating of the tree of know- ledge of good and evil ; and the law thus extended, was the rule of man's covenant-obedience. How easy were these terms to him, v/ho had the natural law written en his heart ; and that inclining him to obey this positive law, revealed to him^ it seems, by an audible voice, (Gen. ii. 17.) the matter whereof was so very easy ? And, indeed, it was highly reasonable that the rule and matter of his covenant- obedience should be thus extended ; that which was added, being a thing in itself indifferent, where his obedience was to turn upon the precise ponit of the will of God, the plainest evidence of true obedience, and it being in an ex- ternal thing, wherein his obedience or disobedience would be most clear and conspicuous. Now, upon this condition, God promised him life, the continuance of natural life, in the union of soul and body ; and of spiritual life, in the favour of his Creator: He. pro- mi^d him also eternal life in heaven, to have been entered into, when he should have passed the time of his trial upon earth, and the Lord should see meet to transport him into the upper Paradise. This promise of life was included isi -State I. Of Man^s Original Happiness. 27 the threatening of death, mentioned Gen. ii. I?. For while God says, *' In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die ;" it is in effect, " If thou do not eat of it, thou shalt surely live." And this was sacramentally confirmed by another tree in the garden, called therefore, the tree of life, which he was debarred from, when he had sinned : Gen. iii. 22, 23. " Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of hfe, and eat, and live for ever. Therefore the Lord G6d sent him forth from the garden of Eden." Yet it is not to be thought, that man's Hfe and death did hang only on this matter of the forbidden fruit, but on the whole law ; for so sayS the apostle. Gal. iii. 10. " It is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them." That of the forbidden fruit was a revealed part of Addra's religion ; and so behoved expressly to be laid before him ; but as to the natural law, he naturally knew death to be the wages of disobedience ; for the very Hea- thens were not ignorant of this, " knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death," Rom. i. 32. And, moreover, the promise in- cluded in the threatening, secured Adam's life, according to the covenant, as long as he obeyed the natural law, with the addition of that positive command ; so that he needed nothing to be expressed to him in the covenant, but what concerned the eating of the forbidden fruit. That eternal life in heaven was promised in this covenant, is plain from this, that the threatening was of eternal death in hell ; to which when man had made himself liable, Christ was pro- mised, by his death, to purchase eternal life : and Christ himself expounds the promise of the covenant of work.> of eternal life, while he proposeth the condition of that cove- nant to a proud young man, who, though he had not Adam's stock, yet would needs enter into life in the way of working, as Adam was to have done under thi^ cove- nanti Mat. xix. 17. *' If thou wilt enter into life," (viz eternal life, by doing, ver. 16. ) " keep the command- ments." The penalty was death, Gen. ii. 17. " In the day chat thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Th- death threatened was such, as the lift- promised was ; uid that mo%t]ml\y,\\z.teTnporaly spiritual^ and eternal deaih. The S8 Of Man* s Original Happiitess. State i» event is a ccmmentary on this ; For that very day he did cat thereof, he v/as a dead man in law ; but the execution was stopped, because of his posterity then in his loins ; and another covenant was prepared : However, that day his body got its death's- wound, and became mortal. Death also seized his soul: He lost his original righteousness and the favour of God ; witness the gripes and throws of con- science, which made him hide himself from God. And he became liable to eternal death, which would have ac- tually followed of course, if the Mediator had not been pro- vided, who found him bound with the cords of death, as a malefactor ready to be led to execution. Thus you have a short description of the covenant, into which the Lord "brought man, in the state' of innocence. And seemeth it a small thing unto you, that earth was thus confederate with heaven ? This could have been done to none but him, whom the King of heaven delighted to honour. It was an act of grace worthy of the gracious, God, whose favourite he was ; for there was grace and free favour in the first covenant, though the exceeding I'iches of grace (as the apostle calls it, Eph. ii. 7) was reserved for the second. It was certainly an act of grace, favour, and admirable condescension in God, to enter into a covenant ; and such a covenant with his own creature. Man was not at his own, but at God's disposal. Nor had he any thing to work with, but what he had received from God. There was no proportion betwixt the work and the promised re- ward. Before that covenant, man was bound to perfect obedience, in virtue of his natural dependence on God ; and death was naturally the wages of sin ; which the jus- tice of God could and would have required, though there had never been any covenant betwixt God and man : But God was free ; man could never have required eternal life as the reward of his work, if there had not been such a co- venant. God was free to have disposed of his creature as he saw meet ; and if he had stood in his integrity as long as the world should stand, and there had been no covenant promising eternal life to him upon his obedience, God might have withdrawn his supporting hand at last, and so made him creep back unto the Wv mb of nothing, whence almighty power had drawn him forth. And what wrong could there have been in this, while God would have ta- State I. 0f Mail's Original Happiness. 29 "ken back what he freely gave ? But now the covenant be- ing made, God becomes debtor to his own faithfulness : If mail will work, he may crave the reward on the ground of t^p covenant. Well might the angels then, upon his be- inir raised to this dignity, have given him this salutation, " Kail ! thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with th'>e." Thirdly, God made him lord of the world, prince of the inferior creatures, universal lord and emperor of the whtile earth. His Creator gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, and ovor the fowl of the air, over all the earth, yea, and every Hving thing that moveth on the earth : He " put all things under his feet," Psalm, viii. 6, 7, 8. He gave him a power soberly to use and dispose of the creatures in the earth, sea, and air. Thus man was God's depute-governor in the lower world ; and this his domi- nion was un image of God's sovereignty. This was com- mon to the man and to the woman ; but the man had one thing- peculiar to him, viz. that he had dominion over the woman also, 1 Cor, xi. 7. Behold how the creatures came unto him, to own their subjection, and to do him homage as their lord ; and quietly stood before hm), till he put names on them as his own, Gen. ii. 19. Man's face struck an awe upon them ; the stoutest creatures stood astonished, tamely and quietly owning him as their lord and ruler. Thus was man " crowned with glory and ho» . nour," Psalm viii. 5. The Lord dealt most liberally and bountifully with him, put all things under his feet ; only he kept one thing, one tree in the garden, out of his hands, even the tree of knowledge of good arid evil. But, you may say, and did he grunge him this? I an- swer, nay; but when he had made , him thus holy and happy, he graciously gave him this restriction, which was in its own nature a prop and stay to keep him from falling. And this I say, upon these three grounds : (1.) As it was most proper for the honour of God, who h^.a. made man lord of the lower world, to assert his sovereign dominion over all, by some particular visible sign ; so it ^as: most proper for man's safety. Man being set down in a beauti- ful Paradise, it was an act of infinite wisdom, and of grace too, to keep him from one single tree, as a visible testi- mony that he ltnu8( hold- all of his Creator, as his great ■■:■ y ■' KT : 50 Of Man's Original Happiness. Stated L.aiidlord ; that so while he saw himself lord of the crea- tures, he might not forget that he was still God's subject. (2.) This was a memorial of his mutable state given to him from hei^ven, to be laid up by him, for his greater cau- tion. For man was created with a free will to good, which the tree of life was an evidence of: But his will was also free to evil, and \).\t forbidden tree was to him a memorial thereof. It was in a manner a continual watch-word to him against evil ; a beacon set up before him, to bid him beware of dashing himself to pieces on the rock of sin. (3.) Ood made man upright, directed towards God, as the chief end. He set him, hke Moses, on the top of the hill, holding up his hands to heaven ; and as Aaron and Hur stayed up Moses' hands, (Exod. xvii. 10, 11, 12.) so God gave man an erect figure of body, and forbid him the eat- ing of this tree, to keep him in that posture of uprightness wherein he was created. God made the beasts looking down towards the earth, to shew that their satisfaction might be brought from thence ; and, accordingly, it does afford them what is commensurable to their appetite : But the erect figure of man's body, which looketh upward, shewed him, that his happiness lay above him, in God ; and that he was to expect it from heaven, and not from earth. Now this fair tree, of which he was forbidden to eat, taught him the same lesson ; that his happiness lay not in enjoyment of the creatures, for there was a want even in Paradise : So that the forbidden tree was, in effect, the hand of all the creatures, pointing man away from them- selves to God for happiness. It was a sign of emptiness hung before the door of the creation, with that inscription, ihi is not your rest. Fourthly f As he had a perfect tranquillity within his own breast, so he had a perfect calm without. His heart had nothing to reproach him with ; conscience then had nothing to do, but to direct, approve, and feast him : And without, there was nofhing to annoy him. The happy pair lived in perfect amity ; and though their knowledge was vast, true, and clear, they knew no shame. Though they were naked, there were no blushes in their faces ; for fiin, the seed of shame, was not yet sown, (Gen. ii. 25.) and their beautiful bodies were not capable of injuries- from the air; so that they had no need of clothes, which are origi- nally the badges of our shame. They were liable to uo State I. Of Man's Original Happiness. :> i diseases, nor pains : And though they wei-e not to live idle, yet toil, weariness, and sweat of the brows, were not known in this state. Fifthly, Man had a life of pure delight, and undreggy pleasure in this state. Rivers of pure pleasures ran through it. The earth, with the product thereof, was now in its glory ; nothing had yet come in, to mar the beauty of the creatures. ^ God set him down, not in a common place of the earth, but in Eden ; a place eminent for pleasantness^ as the name of it imports : Nay, not only in Ede7i, but in the garden of' Eden ; the most pleasant spot of that plea- sant place ; a garden planted by God himself, to be the mansion house of this his favourite. As, when God^made the other living creatures, he said, *' Let the water bring forth the moving creature," Gen. i. 20. And, " Let the earth bring forth the living creature," ver. 24. But, when man was to be made, he said, " Let us make man," ver. 26. So, when the rest of the earth was to be fur- nished with herbs and trees, God said, " Let the earth, bring forth grass, and the fruit-tree," ^'C. Gen. i. 11. But of Paradise it is said, God planted it, chap. ii. 8. which cannot but denote a singular excellency in that garden, be- yond all other parts of the then beautiful earth. There he wanted neither for necessity nor delight ; for there was «« every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and -good for food," ver. 9. He knew not those delights which luxury has invented for the gratifying of lusts : But his delights were such as cadfie out of the hand of God ; without pass^ ing through sinful hands, which readily leave marks of impurity on what they touch. So his delights were pure, his pleasures refined. And yet may I shew you a more ex- cellent way, wisdom had entered into his heart : Surely then knowledge was pleasant unto his soul. What dehght do some find in their discoveries of the works of nature, by those scraps of knowledge they have gathered ! But how much more exquisite pleasure had Adam, while his pier- cing eyes read the book of God*s works ; which God laid before him, to the end he might glorify him in the same ; and therefore had surely fitted him for the work. But above all, his knowledge of God, and that aS his God ; and the communion he had with him, could not but afford him the most refined and exquisite pleasure in the inner- most recesses of his heart. Great is that delight which ^2 Of Man's Original HajKpmss. State L the saints find in those views of the glory of God, that then- seuls are sometimes let into, while they are compassed about with many infirmities : But much m.ore may well be ai- iowed to sinless Adam : No doubt he relished these plea- sures at another rate. Lastly i He was immortal. He would never have died, if he had not sinned ; it was in case of sin that death was threatened, Gen. ii. 17. Which shews it to be the con- sequence of sin. and not of the sinless human nature. The |)erfect constitution of his body, which came out of God's hand very good ; and the righteousness and holiness of his «oul, removed all inward causes of death ; nothing being prepared for the grave's devouring mouth, but the vile •body, Philip, iii. 21. and those who have sinned, Job xxiv. 19. And God's special care of his innocent crea- ture secured him agaiRSt outward violence. The apostle's testim.ony i? express, Rom. v. P2. " By one man's sin en- tered into the world, and death by sin." Behold the door by which, death came in ! Satan wrought with his lies till be got it opened, and so death entered ; and therefore is he said to have been ** a murderer from the beginning," John viii. 44. Thus have I shown you the holiness and happiness of man in this state. If any shall say, what's all this to us, who never tasted of that holy and happy state ? They must know it nearly concerns us, in so far as Adam was the root of all mankind, our common head and representative ; who re- ceived from God our inheritance and stock to keep it for himself and his children, and to convey it to them. The Lord put all mankind's stock (as it were) in one ship ; and, as we ourselves would have done, he made our common father the pilot. He put a blessing in the root, to have been, if rightly managed, diffused into all the branches. According to our text, making Adam upright, he made man upright ; and all mankind had that uprightness in him ; for, 'if the root be holy, so are the branches. But more of this afterwards. Had Adam stood, none would have quar- relled with the representation. The Doctrine of the State of Innocence applied. Use I. For information. This shews us, (1.) That not God, but man himself, was the cause of his ruin. God State I. Doctrine of the State of Innocence, 3cc. Ct5 made him upright : His Creator set him up, "tut he threw himself down. Was the Lord's directing and inchning him to good the reason of his woful choice ? Or did hea- ven deal so sparingly with him, that his pressing wants sent him to hell to seek supply ? Nay, man was, and is, the cause of his own ruin. (2.) God may most justly re- quire of men perfect obedience to his law, and condemn them for their not obeying it perfectly, though now they have no ability to keep it. In so doing, he gathers but where he has strawed. He gave man ability to keep the whole law ; man has lost it by his own fault ; but his sin could never take away that right which God hath to exact perfect obedience of his creature, and to punish in case of disobedience. {3.) Behold here the infinite obligation we lie under to Jesus Christ the second Adam ; who with his own precious blood has bought our escheat, and freely makes offer of it again to us, Hos. xiii. 9 ^nd that with the advantage of everlasting security, that it can never 'be altogether lost any more, John x. 28, 29. Free grace will fix those whom free will shook down into a gulf of misery. Use II. This conveys a reproof to three sorts of per- sons. (1.) To those who hate rehgion in the power of it, wherever it appears ; and can take pleasure in nothing but in the world and their lusts. Surely those men are far from righteousness ; they are haters of God, Rom. i. 30. for they are haters of his image. Upright Adam m Para- dise would have been a great eye-sore to all such persons, as he was to the serpent, whose seed they prove themselves to be, by their mahgnity. (2.) It reproves those who put religion to shame, and those who are ashamed of religion before a graceless world. There is a generation who make so bold with the God who made them, and can in a mo- ment crush them, that they ridicule piety, and make a mock of seriousness. '• Against whom do ye sport your-" selves ? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue ?*' Isa. Ivii. 4. Is it not against God him- self, whose image, in some measure repaired on some of his creatures, makes them fools in your eyes ? But " be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong," isa. xxviii. 22. Holiness was the glory God put on man, wutn he made him : But now-jthe sons of men turn that glory into- shame, because they themselves glory m their shanie^ 34? The Doctrine of the $tate I. There ai:e others that secretly approve of religion, and in religious company will profess it; who at other times, to be neighbour-like, are ashamed to own it ; so weak are they, that they are blown over with tht^ wind of the wicked's raouth. A broad laughter, an impious jest, a silly gibe out of a profane mouth, is to many an unanswerable argu- ^ipentrag^iiiist religion and seriousness ; for in the cause of ''i^lligion, they are as silly doves without heart. O that such would consider that v^^eighty word ! Mark viii. 38. *' Wh%f soeyer tlierefore shall be ashamed of m^e, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation ; of him also shall th^ Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (3.) It reproves the proud self conceited professor, who admires himself in a garment he hath patched together of rags. There are many, who, when once they have gathered some scraps of knowledge of religion, and have attained to some re- formation of life, do swell big with conceit of themselves ; a sad sign that the effects of the fall he so heavy upon them, that they have not as yet come to themselves, Luke xv. 17* They have eyes behind, to see their attainments ; but no eyes within, no eyes before, to see their wants, which would surely _humble them ; for true knowledge n'iakesmen to see, both what oijce they were, and what they are at present ; and so is humbling, and will not suffer them to be content with any measure of grace attained ; but puts them on to press forward, " forgetting the things that are "feehind," Phil. iii. 13, 14. But those men are such a spec- tacle of commiseration, as one would be, that had set his palace on fire, and were glorying in a cottage he had built for himself out of the rubbish, though so very weak, that it could not stand against a storm. \ Use III. Qf lamentation. Here was a stately building, maUf carved like a fair palace, but now lying in* ashes: let us stand and look on the ruins, and drop a tear. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentcttion. Could we chuse but to weep, if we saw our country ruined, and turned by the enemy into a wilderness ? If we, saw our houses on fire, and our households perishing in the flames I But all this comes far short of the dismal sight, man fall- en as a star from heaven. Ah ! may not we now say, O that we were as in mcyiths past, when there was no State I. Slate of Innocaice applied. 35 stain in our nature, no cloud on, our minds, no pollution in our hearts ! Had we never been in better case, the mat- ter had been less ; but they that were brought up in scarlet,. do now embrace dunghilk Where is our primitive glory now^ ? Once no darkness in the mind, no rebellion in the will, no disorder in the afF^-ctions. But ah ! " How is the faithful gity become a harlot? Righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Our silver is become dross, our wane.' nyxed with water." That heart which was once the tem- ple of God, is now turned into a den of thieves. Let our name be Ichabod, for the glory is departed. Happy wast thou, O man, who was like unto thee! No pain or sicjc- ness could affect thee, no death could approach thee, na sigh was heard from thee, till these bitter fruits were pluck- ed off the forbidden tree. Heaven shone upon thee, and earth smiled : Thou wast the companion of angels, and the envy of devils. But how Ixjw is he now laid, who was created for dominion, and made lord of the world ! *' The crown has fallen from our head : Wo unto us that we have sinned.'* The creatures that waited to do him service are now, since the fail, set in battle array against him ; and the least of them having commission proves too hard for hiiB. Waters overflow the old world ; tire consumes So- dom ; the stars in their courses fight against S-isera ; -frogs, flies, lice, &c. turn executioners to Pharaoh and his Egyp- tians ; worms eat up Herod : Yea, man needs a league with the beasts, yea with the very " stones of the field,'* Job. V. 23. having reason to fear, that every one that find-^ eth him will slay him. Alas ! How are we fallen ? Haw are we plunged into a gulf of misery ! The sun has gone down on us, death has come in at our windows ; our ene- mies^ave put out our two eyes, and sport themselves with our miseries. Let us then lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us. Nevertheless, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Come then, O sinner, look to Jesus Christ, the second Adam ; quit the first Adam and his covenant ; come over to the Mediator and Surety of the new and better covenant : And let your hearts say, " Be thou our ruler, and let this breach be under thy hand." And let your " eye trickle down, and cease not without any intermission, till the Lord look down and behold from heaven," Lanj* iii. 49, 50. STATE 11. NAMELY, . THE STATE OF NATURE, OR OF ENTIRE DEPRAVATION. HEAD I. THE SINFULNESS OF MAN's NATURAL STAIE. GENESIS vi. 5, And God saw that the wicJiedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuaUy. W t have seen what man was, as God made him, a lovely and happy creature : Let us view him now as he hath un- made himself; and we shall see him a sinful and miserable creature. This is the sad state we were brought into by the fall ; a state as black and doleful as the former was glo- rious ; and this we commonly call, the state of nature, or man's natural state ; according to that of the apostle, Eph, ii. 3. ** And were by nature the children of wrath even as others.'* And herein two things are to be considered: 1st, The sinfulness ; 2dly, The misery of this state, in which all the unregenerate do live. I begin with the sinfulness of man's natural state, whereof the text gives us a full, though short account ; *' And God saw that the wickedness of man was great," &c. The scope and design of these words are, to clear God's justice, in bringing the flood on the old world. There are two particular causes taken notice of in the pre- ceding verses. (1.) Mixed marriages, verse 2. The sans of God, the posterity of Seth and Enos, professors of the true religion, married with the daughters of men, the profane, I Head I. Explanatioti of the Text. 37 cursed race of Cain. Tliey did not carry tJve matter before the Lord, that he might chuse fo/them, Psal. xlviit. 14-. But without any respect to the will or Gcd, th^y chose, not according lo the rules of their faith, but of their fancy : Thoy saw that they were fair ; and their marriage with .them occasioned the r divorce from God. This was one of the causes of the deluge, which swept away the old world. Would to God that all professorB in cur day could plead not guilty : But though that sin brought on the dc* luge, yet the deluge hath not swept away thut sin ; which, as *r'old, so in our day, may justly be looked upon as one of the causes of the decay of religion. It was an ordinary thing among the Pagans to change their gods, as :hey chang-ed their condition into a married lot : And many sad instances the Christian world affords of the same, as if people were of Pharaoh's opinion, that rehgion is only for those who have no other care upon their heads, Exod. V. 17. (2.) Great oppression, ver. 4?. '* There were giants in the eartii in those days," men of great stature, great strength and m;;nstrous wickedness, " filling the earth with violence," ver. 11. But neither their strength nor trea- .sures oT wickedness aould profit them in the day oi" wrath. Yet the gain of oppression still carries many over the ter- ror of this dreadful example. Thus much for the connec- tion, and what particular crimes that generation was guilty of, ^ut every person that was swept away by the flood, could not be guilty of these things, and shall not the Jwdg^ of all the earth do right ? Therefore, in my text, there is a general indictment drawn up against them all, " Tlie wickedness of man was great in the earth," &:c.. And this is well instructed, for God saw it. Two things are laid to their charge here : Fir:d^ Corruption of life, wickedness, great wickedness. I understand this of the wickedness of their lives ; for it is plainly distinguished from the wickedness of their hearts. The sins of their outward conversation were great in the nature of them, and greatly aggravated by their attendant circumstances ; and this not only among chose of the race of cursed Cain, but those of holy Seth : The wickedness of man was great. And then it is added, in the earth, (1.) To vindicate. God's severity, in that he not only cut wfF sinners, but defaced tlie beauty of the earth ; and swept 58 Explanation of the Text State II, off the brute creatures from it by the deluge ; that as men had set the marks of their impiety, God might set the marks of his indignation on the earth. (2.) To shew the heinousness of their sin, in making the earth, which God had so adorned for the use of man, a sink of sin, and a stage "thereon to act their wickedness, in defiance of heaven. God saw this corruption of hfe ; he not only knew it, and took notice of it ; but he made them to know, that he did take notice of it, and that he had not forsaken the earth, though they had forsaken heaven. Secondly., Corruption of nature, " Every imaginatic*. of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." All their wicked practices are here traced to the fountain and spring-head ; a corrupt heart was the source of all. The soul, which was made upright in all its faculties, is now wholly dis- ordered. The heart, that was made according to God's own heart, is now the reverse of it, a forge of evil imaginations^ a sink of inordinate affections, and a store-house of all im- piety, Mark vii. 21, 22. Behold the heart of the natural man, as it is opened in our text. The mind is defiled ; the thouglits of the heart are evil ; the will and affections are defiled ; the imagination of the thoughts of the heart, (i. e. whatsoever the heart frameth within itself by thinking, such as judgment, choice, purposes, devices, desires, every inward motior.,) or, rather, the frame of the thoughts of the heart (namely, the frame, make, or mould of these, 1 Chron. xxix. 18.) :s evil. Yea, and every imagination, every frame of his thoughts is so. The heart is ever framing something ; but never one right thing ; the frame of thoughts, in the heart of man, is exceeding various; yet are they never cast into a right frame : But is there not, at least, a mixture of good in them ? No ; they are only evil ; there is nothing in them truly good and acceptable to God ; nor can any thing be so that comes out of that forge ; where not the spirit of God, but *' the prince of the power of the air worketh," Eph. ii. 2. Whatever changes may be found in them, are only from evil to evil ; for the imagination of the heart, or frame of thoughts in natural men, is evil con- tinually, or every day : From the first day, to the last day in this state, they -are in midnight darkness ; there is not a glimmering of the light ot holiness in them ; not one holy thought can ever be produced by the unholy heart. O what a vile heart is this ! O what a corrupt nature is this I I Head I. Explaiutlion of the Text. H^ The tree that always brings forth fruit, but never good fruit» whatever soil it be set in, whatever pains be taken vv'ith it, must naturally be an evil tree ; and what can that lieart be, whereof every imagination, every set of thoughts, is only evil, and that contmually ? Surely that corruption is ingrained in our hearts, int-erwoven with our very natures, has sunk into the marrow of our- souls ; and will never be cured, but by a miracle of grace. Now such is man's heart, such is his nature, till regenerating grace change it. God that searcheth the heart saw man's heart was so, he took special notice of it ; ai>d the faithful and true witness cannot mistake our case ; though we are most apt to mistake ourselves m this point, and generally over- look it. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, what is that to us ? Let that generation of whom the text speaks see to that. For the Lord has left the case of that generation on record, to be a looking glass to all after generations ; wherein they may see their own cor- ruption of heart, and what their lives would be too, if he restrained them not ; for ** as in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man," Prov. xxvii. 19. Adam's fall has framed all men's hearts alike in this matter. Hence the apostle, Rom. iii. 10 — 18, proves the corruption of the iiature, hearts, and lives of all men, from what the Psal- mist says of the wicked in his day, Psal. xiv 1, 2, 3. Psal. V. 9. Psal. cxl. 3. Psal. x. 7. Psal: xxxvi. 1. and from what Jeremiah saith of the wicked in his day, Jer. ix. 3. and from what Isaiah says of those that lived in his time, Isa. Ivii. 7, 8, and concludes with that, Rom. iii. 19. *' Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law ; that every mouih may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty be- fore God." Had the history of the deluge been transmit- ted unto us, without the reason thereof in the text, we might thence have gathered the corruption and total depra- vation of man's nature ; for what other quarrel could a holy and just God have with the infants that were destroy- ed by the flood, seeing they had no actual sin ? If we saw a wise man, who, having m.ade a curious piece of work, and heartily approved of it when he gave it out of his hand, as fit for the use it was designed for, rise up in wrath and 40 Explanation oftJie TeM. State H. break it all in pieces, when he looked on it afterwards ; would we not thence conclude that th(?- frame of it had been quite marred since made, and that it does not serve for the use it was at first designed for ? How piuch more, when we see the holy and wise God destroying the work of his own hands, once solemnly pronounced by- him very good, may we' con- clude that the original frame thereof is utterly marred, that it cannot be mended, but it must needs be new made, or lost altogether ? Gen. vi. 6, 7. " And it repented the Lord that he- had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart ;.and the Lorti said, I will destroy man," or blot him ou^: ; as a man doth a sentence out of a book, that cannot be corrected, by cutting off some letters, syllables, or words, and interlining others here and tliere ; but must needs be wholly new framed. But did the deluge carry off this cor- ruption of man's nature ? Did it mend the matter ? No, it did not. God, in his holy providence, "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the new world may become guilty before God/' as well as the old, permits that corruption of nature to break out in Noah, the father of the new world, after^the deluge was over. Behold him as another Adam, sinning in the fruit of a tree, Gen. ix. 20, 21. He planted a vineycird, and he drank of the wine, and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent. More than that, God gives the same reason against a new deluge, which he gives in "-mr text for bringing that on the iJd world : " I will not (saith he) again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," Geii. viii. 2.1. Whereby it is intimated, that there is no mendingr of the matter by this means ; and that if he would always take the s!iiT»e course with men that he had done, he would be always sending deluges on the earth, seeing tile rorruption of man's nature remains stilh For though the flood could not carry off the corruption of nature, yet it pointed at the way how it is to be done, viz. that men inusi: be born of water and of the spirit, raised from spiri- tual death in sin, by the grace of Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood ; out of which a new world of saints atis^ in regeneration, even as the new world of sinners out of the welters, wjie«-e they had long lain buried (a^j it were) in the ark. Tins we learn- from 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21. where the apostle, speaking of^oah's ark, saitH, " wherein few,". o Head I . Corriqylion of Man's Nature proved, 4 1 that is, " eiglit souls, were saved by water. The like fi- gure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us.*" Now the waters of the d.eluge being a like figure to bap- tism ; it plainly follows, that they signified (as baptisir. doth) " the washing of regeneration, and renewing of thr Holy Ghost." To conclude, then, those waters, thougk 90 w dried up, may serve us still for a looking-glass, io which we may see the total corruption of our nature, and the necessity of regeneration. From the text thus explained, ariseth this weighty point of doctrine, which he that runs may read m it, viz. Man^s nature is notv wholly corrupted. Now is there a sad altera- tion, a wonderful overturn, in the nature of man ! where, at first, there was nothing evil ; now there is nothing good. In prosecuting this doctrine, I shall, First, Confirm it. Sccoiidlify Represent this corruption of natore in its seve- ral parts. Thirdly, Shew you how man's nature comes to be thus corrupted. Lastly, Make application. That Mali's Nature is corrupted. First, I am to confirm the doctrine of the corruption of nature ; to hold the glass to your eyes, wherein you may see your sinful nature ; which, though God takes particular notice of it, many do quite overlook. And here we shall consult, 1. God's word. 2. Men's experience and observa- tion. I. F6r scripture proof, let us consid^^ First, How the scripture takes particular notice af fallen Adam's communicating his image to his posterity. Gen. V. 3, ** Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth." Compare with this ver. 1. of that chapter, " In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him,'* Behold here, how the image after which man was made, and the image after which he is begotten, ^re opposed. Man was made in the likeness of God ; that is, the holy and righteous God made a holy and righteous creature ; but fallen Adam begat a son, not in the ^eness of God, but in his 42 Corruption of Man^s Kiiiure proved. State II. own likeness ; that is, corrupt sinful Adam begat a cor- rupt sinful son. For as the image of God bore righteous- ness and immortality in it, as was shewn before, so this image of fallen Adam bore corruption and death in it, 1 Cor. XV. 49i 50, compare ver. 22. Moses, in that lifth chapter of Genesis, being to give us the first bill of mortahty thatr- ever was in the world, ushers it in with this, that dying Adam begat mortals. Having sin- ned, he became mortal, according to the threatening; and so he begat a son, in his own hkeness, sinful, and therefore mortal ; thus sin and death passed on all. Doubtless, he begat both Cain and Abel in his own like- ness, as well as Seth. But it is not recorded of Abel ; because he left no issue behind him, and his falling the iirst sacrifice to death in the world, was a sufficient docu- ment of it ; nor of Catn, to whom it might have been thought peculiar, because of his monstrous wickedness ; and besides, all his posterity was drowned in the flood ; but it is recorded of Seth, because he was the father of the holy seed ; and from him all mankind since the flood have de- scended, and fallen Adam's own likeness with them. Seco7idli/i It appears from that scripture text. Job xiv. 4, ** Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? Not one." Our first parents were unclean, how then can we be clean ? How could our immediate parents be clean ? Or, how shall our children be so f The uncleanness here aim- ed at is a sinful uncleanness ; for it is such as makes man's days full of trouble ; and it is natural, being derived from TiKclean parents ; " man is born of a woman," ver. 1, " And how can he be clean that is born of a woman ?" Job xxv. 4. The omnipotent God, whose power is not here chal- lenged, could bring a clean thing out of an unclean ; and did so, in the case of the man Christ ; but no other can. Every person that is born according to the course of uaturcj is born unclean. If the root be corrupt, so must the branches be. Neither is the matter mended, though the parents be sanctified ones ; for they are but holy in part, and that by grace, not by nature ; and they beget their children as men, not as holy men. Wherefore, as the circumcised parent begets an uncircumcised child, and after the purest grain is sown, we reap corn with the chaff ; -€i» the. hQlie^t parents, beget unholy childicn, and cannot Head I. Corruption of Mail's Nature 2)roved. 43 communicate their grace to them, as they do their nature ', which many godly parents find true, in their sad experience. Tliirdly^ Consider the confession of the Psalmist David, Psalm 11. 5, *' Behold I \va^ shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Here he ascends from his actual sin, to the fountain of it, namely^ corrupt nature. He was a man according to God*s own heart ; but from the beginning it was not so with him. Hfe was begotten in lawful marriage ; but when the lump was shapen in the* womb, it was a sinful lump.. Hence the corruption of na- ture is called the old man ; being as old as ourselves, older than grace, even in those that are sanctified from the womb. Fourthly^ Hear our Lord's determination of the point, John iii, 6, " That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Behold the universal corruption of mankind, — all are flesh. Not that all are frail, tl^ough that is' a sad truth too ; yea, and our natural fraihy is an evidence of our na- tural corruption ; but that is not the sense of this text ; but here is the meaning of it, all are corrupt and sinful, and that naturally ; hence our Lord argues here, that be- cause, they are flesh, therefore they must be born again, or else they " cannot enter into the kingdom of God," ver. 3, 5. And as the' corruption of our nature evidenceth the absolute necessity of regeneration ; so the absolute necessity of regeneration plainly proves the corrup- tion of our nature ; for why should a man need a second birth, if his nature were not quite marred in the first birth? Infants must be born again, for that. is an except (John iii. 3.) which admits of no exception. And, there- fore, they were circumcised under the Old Testament ; as having " the body of the sins of the flesh (which is con- veyed to them by natural generation) to put off," Col. ii. IL And now by the appointment 9f Jesus Christ, they are to be baptised ; which says they are imclean, and that there is no salvation for them, but by the " washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost," Tit. iii. 5. ^ . Fifthly, Man certainly is sunk very low now, in com-r parison of what he once was ; God made him but a " little lower than the angels ;" but now we find him Hkened to the beasts that perish. He hearkened to a brute ; and is now become like one of them. Like Nebuchadnezzar, his portion (in his natural state) is with the beasts, " mind'- 4^ Corruption of Man's Nature proved. State 11. i ing only earthly things," Phil. iii. Ip. Nay, brutes, in' «ome sort, have the advantage of the natural man, who is sunk a degree below them. He is more witless, in what «oncerns him most, than the stork, or the turtle, or the crane» or the swallow, in what is for their interest, Jer. viii. 7. He is more stupid than the ox or ass, Isa. i. 3. I find him sent to school, to learn of the ant or emmet, \yhich having no guide or leader to go before her ; no over- seer or officer to compel or stir her up to work *, no ruler, but may do as she lists, being under the dominion of none ; yet "provideth her meat in the summer and harvest," Prov. vi. 6, 7, 8, while the natural man hath all these, and yet ^xposeth himself to eternal starving. Nay, more than all this, the scripture holds out the natural man, not only as •wanting the good qualities of those creatures ; but as a com- pound of the evil qualities of the worst of creatures, in which do concenter the fierceness of the lion, the craft of the fox, the unteachableness of the wild ass, the filthiness of the dog and swine, the poison of the asp, and such hke. Truth itself calls them " serpents, a generation of vipers ;" yea more, even ** children of the devil," Mat. xxiii. 33'. John viii. 44-. Surely then, man's nature is miserably cor* rupted. Lastly, " We are by nature the children of wrath,^' Eph. fi. 3. We are worthy of, and liable to the wrath of God ; and this by nature : and therefore, doubtless, we are by na- ture sinful creatures. We are condemned before we have done good or evil ; under the curse, before we know what it is. " But will a lion roar in the forest, while he hath no prey ?" Amos iii. 4,^that is, will the holy and just God roar m his wrath against man, if he be not, by his sin, made a prey for wrath I No, he will not, he cannot. Let us con- clude then, that, according to the word of God, man's nature is a corrupt nature. II. If we consult experience, and observe the case of the world in these things that are obvious, to any person who will not shut his eyes against clear light ; we shall quickly perceive such fruits, as discover this root of bitter- ness. I shall propose a few things, that may serve to con- vince us in this point. First, Who sees not a flood of miseries overflowing the world ? And whither can a man go, where he shall not dip his foot, if he go not over head and ears in it ' Head I. Corruption of Man's Nature profved. 45 Every one at home and abroad, in city and country, in palaces and cottages, is groaning under some thing or other, ungrateful to him. Some are oppressed with pover- ty, some chastened with sickness and pain, some arc la- menting their losses ; none wants a cross of one sort or an- other. No man's condition is so soft, but there is some thorn of uneasiness in it. And at length death, the wages of sin, comes after these its harbingers, and sweeps all away. • Now, what but sin has opened the sluice ? There is not a complaint nor sigh heard in the world, nor a tear that falls from our eye, but it is an evidence that man is fallen ns a star from heaveh ; for " God (iistributeth sorrows ini }iis anger," Job xxi. IT. This is a plain proof of the cor- ruption of nature, forasmuch as those that have not yet actually sinned have their share of these sorrows ; yea, and draw thrir first breath in the world weeping, as if they knew this world, at first sight, to be a Bochim, the place of weepers. There are graves of the smallest as well as of. the largest size, in the church-yard ; and there are never wanting some in the world, who, like Rachel, are weeping for their children because they are not. Mat. ii. Secondly, Observe how early this corruption of nature begins to appear in young ones : Solomon observes, that *' even a chihl is known by his doings," Prov. xx. 11. It, may soon be discerned, what way the bias of the heart lies : Do not the children of fallen Adam, before' they can go alone, follo\Sr their father's footsteps ? What a vast, deal of little pride, ambition, curiosity, vanity, wilfulness, and averseness to good, appears in them ? And when tliey creep out of infancy, there is a necessity of using the rod of correction, to drive away the fooHshness that is bound in their hearts, Prov. xxii. 15. Which shews, that if grace prevail not, the child will be as Ishmael, a wild ass- man, as the word is. Gen. xvi. 12. Thirdly, Take, a view of the! manifold gross out-break- ings of sin in the world : T/edi Smte IL we do resemble our Srst parents. Every one of us bears the image and impress of their fall upon him : And to evince the truth of this, I do appeal to the consciences of all in these followmg particulars : Isty Is not sinful curiosity natural to us ? And is nob this a print of Adan-.*s image ? Gen. iii. 6. Is not man naturally much more desirous to know new things, than to practise old known truths ? How like to old Adam do we look in this itching after novelties, and disrelishing old solid doctrines ? We seek after knowledge rather than holi- ness ; and study most to know those things which are least edifying. Our w)ld and roving fancies need a bridle to curb them, while good solid anections must be quickened and spurred up. --J 2c?/j/, If the Lprd, by his Holy law and wise providencei do put a restraintfUpon us, to keep us back from any thing ; doth not that restraint whet the edge of our natuial iiir clinations, and make us so much the keener in our de- sires ? And in this do we not betray it plainly, that we are Adam's children ; Gen. iii. 2, 3, 6. I think tliis cannot be denied; for daily observation evinccth, that it is a na- tural principle, that stolen waters are sv/eet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant, Prov. ix. 17. The very Hea- thens were convinced, that man was possessed with this spiilt of contradiction, though they knew not the spring of it. Ho\y often do men let themselves loose in those things, in which, if God had left them at liberty, they would have bound up themselves ! But corrupt nature takes a pleasure in the very jumping over the hedge. And is it not a repeat- ing of our father's folly, that men will rather climb for for- bidden fruit, than gather what is sliaken off the tree of good providence to them, when they have God's express allowance for it ? Sdlj/, Which of all the children of Adam is not naturally disposed to hear the inslruction that caiiscth to err '^ And was not this the rock our first parents spht upon? Gen. iii. 4!, 6. How apt is weak man, ever since that time, to parley with temptations ! <' God speaketh once ; yea twice, yet man perceivcth it not," J^b xxxiii. Ik but readily doth he Hsten to Satan. Men mjght often come fair off if they would dismiss temptations with abhorrence, when Jirst they appear ; if they would, nip them in the bud, they Head 1. Corruption of Man's Naiiwe p'ooed, 51 would soon die away ; but alas ! when we see the train l;iid for us, and the fire put to it, yet we stand till it run along, and we be blown are with its force. \thly, Do not the eyes in our head often blind the eyes of the mind ? And was not this the very case of our first parents ? Gen. iii. 6. Man is never more bhnd than when he is looking on the objects that are most pleasant to sense. Since the eyes of our first parents were opened to the for- bidden fruit, men's eyes have been the gates of destruction to their souls ; at which impure imaginations and sinful desires have entered the heart, to the wounding of the soul, wasting of the conscience, and bringing dismal effects c-ometimefi on whole societies ; as in Achan's case, Joshua vii. 21. Holy Job was aware of this danger, from these two little roUing bodies, which a very small splinter of wood will make useless ; so as (vi'ith that King who durst not, with his ten thousand, meet him that came with twenty thousand against him, Luke xiv. 31, 32.) he send- eth and desireth conditions of peace, Job. xxxi. 1. " I have made a covenant with mine eyes," S^c. Gtldyy Is it not natural to us to care for the body, even at the expence of the soul ? This was one ingredient in the sin of our first parents, Gen. iii. 6". O how happy might we be, if we were but at half the pains about our souls, that we bestow upon our bodies ! If that question, ** What must I do to be saved ?" (Acts xvi. 30.) did run but near as oft through our minds, as those other questions do, " What shall we eat ? what shall we drink ? where- withal shall we be clothed?" Mat. vi. 31. many a hope- less case would now become very hopeful. But the truth is, most men live as if they were nothing but a lump of flesh ; or as if their souls served for no otlier use, but hke salt to keep- their body from corrupting. " They are flesh," Joha iii. 0* ; " they mind the things of the flesh," Rom. viii. 5 ; and " they hve after the flesh," ver. 13. If the consent of the flesh be got to an action, the consent of the cor- ocience is rarely waited for ; yea, the body is often served, when the conscience has entered a dissent against it. 6thly, Is not every one, by nature, discontent with his present lot in the world, or with some one thing or other in it ? This also was Adam's case, Gen. iii. 5, 6'. Some one thing is always missing j so that man is a creature 52 Carmpiion of Man's Nature proved. State II. given to changes. And if any doubt of this, let them look over all their enjoyments f and after a review of them, listen to their own hearts, and they will hear a secret murmuring for want of somethtng ; though, perhaps, if they considered the matter aright, they would see that it is better for them to want, than to have that something. Since the hearts of our first parents flew out at their eyes, on the forbidden fruit, and a night of darkness was there- by brought on the world ; their posterity have a natural disease, which Solomon calls, " The wandering of the de- sire," (or, as the word is, " The walking of the soul,") Eccl. vi. 9. This is a sort of diabolical trance, wherein the soul traverseth the world ; feeds itself with a. thousand airy nothings ; snatcheth at this and the other created ex- cellency, in imagination and desire ; goes here and there, and every where, except where it should go. And the soul is never cured of this disease, till overcoming grace bring it back, to take up its everlasting rest in God through Christ : But till this be, if man were set again in Paradise, the garden of the Lord, all the pleasures there would not keep him from looking, yea, and leaping over the hedge a second time. Ithlyy Are we not far more easily impressed and in- fluenced by evil counsels and examples, than by those that are good ? You will see this was the ruin of Adam, Gen. iii. 6*. Evil example, to this day, -is one of Satan's master -devices to ruin men. And though we have by nature more of the fox than of the Iamb ; yet that ill pro- perty some observe in this creature, 'ciz. That if one lamb skip into a water, the rest that are near will sud- denly follow, may be observed also in the disposition of the children of men ; to whom it is very natural to em- brace an evil way, because they see others upon it before them. 111 example has frequently the force of a violent stream, to carry us over plain duty : But especially, if the exau pie be given by those we bear a great affection to ; our affection, in that case, blinds our judgment ; and what we would abhor in others, is complied with, to humour them. And nothing is more plain, than that generally men chuse rather to do what the most do, than what the best do. Slhlifi Who of all Adam's sons peeds be taught the art 7 Head I. Corruption of Man's Nature proved. 55 of sewing Jig-Ieaves together, to cover their nakedness ? Gen. iii. 7. When we had ruined ourselves, and made ourselves naked, to our shame ; we naturally seek to help ourselves by ourselves; and many poor shifts are fallen upon, as silly and insignificant as Adam's fig- leaves. What pains are men at, to cover their sins from their own consciences, and draw all the fair colours upon it that they can ? And when once convictions are fastened upon them, so that they cannot but see themselves naked, it is as natural for them to attempt to spin a cover to it out of their own bowels, as for iishes to swim in the waters, or birds to fly in the air. Therefore, the first question of the convinced is, What shall we do ? Acts ii. 27. How shall we qualify ourselves ? What shall we perform ? Not minding that the new creature is God's own workmanship (or deed, Eph. ii. 10.) more than Adam thought of being clothed with the skins of sacrifices, Gen. iii. 21. 9//i/y, Do not Adam's children naturally follow his foot- steps, in hiding themselves from the presence of the Lord ? Gen. iii. 8. We are every whit as bhnd in this matter as he was, who thought to hide himself from the presence of God among the shady trees of the garden. We are very apt to promise ourselves more security in a secret sin, than in one that is openly committed. ** The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me," Job xxiv. lo. And men will freely do that in secret, which they would be ashamed to do in the presence of a child "; as if darkness could hide from an all- seeing God. Are we not naturally careless of communion with God ; ay, and averse to it I Never was there any communion betwixt God and Adam's children, where the Lord himself had not the first word. If he would let them alone, they would never inquire after him. Isa. Ivii. 17. / hide me. Did he seek after a Iiiding God ? Very far from it. He went on in the way of his heart. lOM/y, How loth are men to confess sin, to take guilt and shame to themselves ? And was it not thus in the case before us ? Gen. iii. 10. Adam confesseth his nakedness> which he could not get denied ; but not one word he says, of his sin : Here was the reason of it, he would fain haTC E •)\' Corruption of Man s Nature proved. State I L hid it if he could. It is as natural for us to hide sin as to commit it. Many sad instances thereor we have in this world ; but a far clearer proof of it we shall get at the day of judgment, the day in which God will judge the secrets of men, Rom. ii. 16. Many a foul mouth will then be seen, which is now wiped, and saith, I have done no wicked- ?iess, Prov. xxx. 20. ' Lastly, Is it not natural for us to extenuate our sin, and transfer the guilt upon others ? And when God examined our guilty first parents, did not Adam lay the blame on the woman ? and did not the woman lay the blame on the serpent? Gen. iii. 12, 13. Now Adam's children need not be taught this heUish policy ; for before they can well speak (if they cannot get the fact denied) they will cunningly lisp out something to lessen their fault, and lay the blame upon another. Nay, so natural Is this to men, that in the greatest of sins, they will lay the fault upon God himself ; they will blaspheme his holy providence, under the mistaken name of misfortune, or ill luck, and there- by lay the blame of their sin at heaven's door. And was not this one of Adam's tricks after his fall ? Gen. iii. 12, *' And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Observe the order of the speech. He makes his apology in the first place ; and then comes his confession : His topology is long ; but his confession very short : it is ali comprehended in a word, and I did eat. How pointed and distinct is his apology, as if he was afraid his meaning should have been mistaken ; the 7ionia7i, says he, or that woman, as if he would have pointed the Judge to his own work, of which we read. Gen. ii. 22. There was but one woman then in the world ; so that one would think he needed not have been so* nice and exact in pointing at her ; yet she is as carefully marked out in his defence, as if there hzd been ten thousand. The woman whom thou gavest me : Here he speaks as if he had been ruined with God's gift. Artd to make the gift look the blacker, it is added to all this, tho^avest to be wiiji nie, as my constant companion, to stand by me as a helper. This looks as if Adam would have fathered an ill design upon the Lord, in giving him this gift. And after all, there is a new demonstrative here, htioYQ the sentence is complete j he says not, the woman Head I. Corruption of the Understanding. J.> irave VIC, but the woman she gave me ; emphatically, as if he had said, sJie, even she gave me of the tree. This' much for his apology. But his confession is quickly over, iu one word, (as he spoke it,) and I did eai. And there iy notliing here to point to liiniself, and as little to shew what he had eaten. How natural is this black art to Adam'^s posterity ! He that runs may read it. So uni- versally does Solomon's observe hold true, Prov. xix. S, " The foolishness of man perverteth his ways, and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Let us then call fallea Adam, Father ; let us not deny the relation, seeing v/e bear his image. And now to shut up this point, sufficiently confirmed.by concurring evidence from the Lord' s word, our own experi- ence and observation ; let us be persuaded to believe the doctrir.e of the corruption of our nature ; and to look to the second Adam, the blessed Jesus, for the application o£ his precious blood, to remove the guilt of this sin ; and for the efficacy of his holy Spirit, to make us new creatures^, knowmg that " except we be born again, we cannot enter into the l^ingdom of G'^d*.''* Of the Corruption of the Understanding. Secondly, I proceed to inquire in lo the corruption of nature, in tiie several parts tliereof. But who can <:om- prehend it I *Who can take the exact dime.isions of it, in its breadth, length, heigiit, and depth ? The heart is de- ceitful above all things, and desperacely wicked,; who can know it ? Jer. xvii. 9. However, we may quickly perceive as much of it, as may be matter of d^-epest humihation, and may discover to us the ab^oiuie aec^^sity of regenera- tion. Man in his natural state is ^Itogeitier corrupt. Both soul and body are polluted, as the apostl-j proves at large, Roin. ui. 10 — 18. As for the soul, this natural corr-uption has spread itself through all the faculties thereof ; and is \.o hv found in the understanding, the will, the affections, the conscience, and the memory. ' » I. The understanding, that leadi. g faculty, is despoiled ^of its primitive glory, and covered over with confusion, W- have fallen into the hands of our grand adversary, as SanBon into the hands of the Philistines, and are deprived 56 Corruption of the Understanding. State II. of our two eyes. " There is none that understandeth," Rom. iii. 11. " Mind and conscience are defiled," Tit. i. 15. The natural man's apprehension of divine things is cor- rupt, Psal. 1. 21, *' Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." His judgment is corrupt, and cannot be otherwise, seeing his eye is evil : And therefore the scriptures, to shew that men did all wrong, says, *' Every one did that which was right in his own eyes," Judges xvii. 6, and xxi. 25. And his imaginations, ©r reasonings, must be cast dow^n, by the power of the word, being of a piece with his judgment, 2 Cor. x. 5. But, to pohit out this corruption of the mind or understanding more particularly, let these following things be considered : Firsts There is a natural weakness in the minds of men, with respect to spiritual things. The apostle de- termines concerning every one that is not endued with the .^ graces of the spirit, " that he is blind and cannot see afar off," 2 Pet. i. 9. Hence the spirit of God, in the scriptures, clothes, as it were, divine truths with earthly figures, even as parents teach their children, using simihtudes, Hos. xii. JO. Which, though it doth not cure, yet doth evidence this natural weakness in the minds of men. But we want not plciin proofs of it from experience. As, (1.) How hard a task is it to teach many people the common prin- ciples of our holy religion, and to make truths so plain as they rnay understand them ? Here there must be " pre- cept upon precept, precept upon precept ; hne upon line, line upon line," Isa. xxviii. 9. Try the same persons in other things, they shall be found *< wiser in their generation than the children of light." They understand their work and business in the world as well as their neighbours, though they be very stupid and unteachable in the matters of God. Tell them how they may advance their worldly wealth, or how they may gratify their lusts, and they will quickly understand these things ; though it is very hard to make, them know how their souls may be saved ; or how their hearts may find rest in Jesus Christ. — (2.) Consider these who have many advantages beyond the common gang of mankind ; who have had the benefit of good education and instruction ; yea, and are blessed with the light of grace in that measure, wherein it is distributed to the saints on earth j yet ho.w small a portion have' they of the know- Head I. Corruption of the Understanding, 07 led^e of divine things ! What ignorance and confusion do still remain in their minds ! How often are they mired, even in the matter of practical truths, and speak as a child in these things ! It is a pitiful weakness, that we cannot perceive the things which God has revealed to us ; and it must needs bo a sinful weakness, since the law of God requires us to know and believe them. (3.) What dan- gerous mistakes are to be found amongst men in -their concerns of greatest weight ! What woful delusions pre- vail over them ! T>6 we not often see those, who other- wise are the wisest of men, the most notorious fools, with respect to their souls' interest ? Matth. xi. 2o, " Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent." Many that are eagle-eyed in the trifles of time, are Hke ov/Is and bats in the light of hfe. Nay, truly, the life of every natural man is but one continued dream and delusion; out of which he never awakes, till either by a new light darted fiom heaven ir.to his soul he come to himself, Luke XV. 17, or, in hell he lift vp his eyes, chap. xvi. 23. And therefore in scripture account, be he never so wise, he is a fool, and a simple one. Secondly, Man's understanding is naturally overwhelmed ■with gross darkness in spiritual things. Man, at the insti- gation of the devil, attempting to break out a new light in his mind, ( Gen. iii. 5. ) instead of that, jprokc up the doors of the bottomless pit ; so as, by the cmoke thereof, he was buried in darkness. When God at first had made man, his mind was a lamp of light ; but npv/, when he comes to make him over again, in regeneration, he finds it dark- ness, Eph. V. 8, ** Ye were sometimes darkness," Sin has closed the window of the soul ; darkness is over all that region. It is tlie land of darkness, and shadow of dfdth, where the light is as darkness. The prince of dark- ness reigns there, and' nothing but the works of darkness are framed there. We are born spiritually bhnd, and cannot be restored without a miracle of grace. This is thy case, whosoever thou art, that art not born again. And that you may be convinced in this matter, take these follow'ng evidences of it : Evidence 1. The darkness that was upon the face of the woriu beiore, and at the time when Chnst came, arising^ as the sun of righteousness upon the earth. When Adam? 58 Corruption of the Under standhrg. State II. by his sin, had lost that primitive light wherewith he was endued in his creation, it pleased God to make a gracious revelation of his mind and will to him, touching the way of salvation, Gen. iii. 15. This was handed down by him, and other godly fathers, before the flood : yet the natural darkness of the mind of man prevailed so far against that revelation, as to carry off all sense of true reli- gion from the old world, except what remained in Noah's family, which was preserved in the ark. After the flood, as men multiplied on the earth, the natural darkness of mmd prevails again, and the light decays, till it died out among the generality of mankind, and is preserved only among the posterity oF Shem. And even with them it was well near its setting, when God called Abraham from serving other Gods, Josh. xxiv. 15. God gives Abraham a more clear and full revelation, and he communicates the same to his famil^, .Gen. xviii. 19- Yet the natural dark- ness wears it out at length, save that it was preserved among the posterity of Jacob. , They being carried down into Egypt, that darkness prevailed so, as to leave them very little sense of true religion ; and a new revelation behoved to be made them in the wilderness. And many a cloud of darkness got above that, now and then, during the time from Moses to Christ. When Christ came, the world was divided into Jews and Gentiles. The Jews, and the true light with them, were within an inclosure, Psal. cxlvii. 19, 20. Betwixt them and the Gentile world there was a partition-wall of G<:d's making, namely: the ceremonial law ; and upon that there was reared up ano- ther of man's own making, namely, a rooted enmity be- twixt the parties, Eph. ii. 14, 15. If we look abroad, without the inclosure, (and except those proselytes of the Gentiles, who, by means of some fays of light breaking forth unto them, from within the inclosure, having renoun- ced idolatry, worshipped the true God, but did not conform to the Mosaical fites,) we see nothing but dark places of the earth, full of the habitations of cruelty, Psal. Ixxiv. 20. Gross darkness covered the face of the Gentile wtrld ; and the way of salvation was utterly unknown among them. They were drowned in superstition and idolatry ; and had muhiphed their idols to such a vast number, that above thirty thousand are reckoned to have been worshijp- Head I. Corruptioti of the Understanding. 59 ped by those of Europe alone. — Whatever wisdom was among tlieir phdosophers, the world by that wisdom, knew not God, 1 Cor. i. 21, and all their researches m religion were but groping in the dark, Acts xvii. 27. If we look within the inclosure, and, except a few that were groan- ino- and waiting for the consolation of Israel, we will see a gross darkness on the face of that generation. Though to them were committed the oracles of God, yet they were most corrupt in their doctrine. Their traditions were miiltiphed, but the knowledge of these things wherem the life of rehgion lies was lost : Masters of Israel knew not thr nature and necessity of regeneration, John iii. 10. Their rehgion was to build on their birth-privilege, as children of Abraham, Matth. iii. 9, to glory in their cir- cumcision, and other external ordinances, Philip, iii. 2, 3. And to rest in the law, (Rom. ii. 1*7.) after they had, by their false glosses, cut it so short, as tlrey might go well \)ear to the fulfilling of it, Matth. v. . Thus was darkness over the face of the world, when Christ, the true light, came into it ; and so is darkness over every soul, till he, as the day star, arise in the heart. The former is an evidence of the latter. What, but the natural darkness of men's minds, could still thus wear oat the light of external revelation, in a matter upon which eternal happiness did depend ? Men did not forget the w^ay of preserving their lives, but how quickly did they lose the knowledge of the way of salvation of their souls, which are of infinite more weight and worth ! When patriarchs and prophets preaching was ineffectual, men be- hoved to be taught of God himself, who alone can open the eyes of the understanding. But, that it might appear that the corruption of man's mind lay deeper than to be cured by mere external revelation, there were but very few converted by Christ'§ preaching, who spoke as never man spoke, John xii. 37, 38. The great cure on the generation remained to be performed, by the spirit ac- companying the preaching of ,the apostles ; who, accord- ing to the promise, (John xiv 12.) were to do greater works. And if we look to the miracles wrought by our bitssed Lord, we will find, that, by applying the remedy to the soul, for the cure of bodily distempers, (a? in the «Qse af the man skk ©f the pal&y, Matth. ix. 2.) he plainly 6b Corruption ofihe Undersianding. State U. discovered, that it was his main errand into the world, to cure the diseases of the soul. I find a miracle wroup-ht upon one that was born blind, performed in such a way as seems «o have been designed to let the world see in it, as in a glass, their case and cure, John ix. 9, <' He made clay, and anomred the eyes of the blind man with the clay.'* "What could more fitly represent the bhndness of men's minds, than eyes closed up with earth ? Tsa. vi 1. Shut their eyes ; shut them up by anovting or casting ihevi with mortar, as the word will bear.- And» chap. Jihv.lS, *' He hath shut their eyes ;" the word properly sig- nifies, he hath plastered their eyes ; as the house in wh;ch the leprosy had been was to be plastered. Lev. xiv. 42, Thus the Lord's word discovers the design of that strange work ; and by it shews us, that the eyes of our understand- ing are naturally shut. Then the blind man must go and wash off this clay in the pool of Siloam ; no other water will serve this purpose. If that pool had not represented" him, whom the Father sent into the world, to open the> blind eyes, (Isa. xhi. 7- ) 1 think the evangelist had not given US the interpretation of the name, which he says, signifies sent, John ix. 7. And so we may conclude, that the natural darkness of our m.inds is such, as there is no cure for, but from the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ, whose eye-salve only can make us see, Rev. lii. IS. Evid. 2. Every natural man's heart and life is a mass of darkness, disorder, and confusion ; how refinrd soever he appear in the sight of men. **• For we ourselves also," gaith the apostle Paul, " were sometimes foolish, diso- bedii nt, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures," Tit. iii. 3 ; and yet at that time, which this text looks to, he was ** blameless, touching the righteousness which is ii> the law," Phil. iii. 6. This is a plain evidence that " the eye is evil, the whole body being full of darkness," Mat. vi. 23. The unrenev/ed par: of mankind is rambling through the world hke so many blind men ; who will neither take a guide, nor can guide themselves ; and therefore are falling over this and the other precipirey into destruction. Some are running after their covetousness, till they be pierced through with many sorrows ; some sticking in the mire of sensnnhty ; others dashin,; tbe!>;-elv-s on t^he rock of pride aud seU-conceit j every oue bluoibiuig qm some one Head I. Corruption of the Understanding. 61- stone of stumbling or other : All of them are running them- selves upon the sword-point of justice, while they eagerly follow whither their unmortified passions and affections lead them ; and while some are lying along in the way, others are coming up, and falling headlong over them. And therefore, ♦* Wo unto the (bhnd) world because of offences," Matth. xviii. 7. Errors in judgment swarm in the world j because it is ** night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth." All the unregenerate are utterly mistaken in the point of true happiness ; for though Christianity hath .fixed that matter in point of principle, yet nothing less than overcoming grace can fix it in the practical judgment. All men agree m the desire to be happy ; but amongst unrenewed men, touching the way to happiness, there are almost as many opinions as there are men ; they being « turned every one to his own way," Isa. liii. 6. They are like the blind Sodomites about Lot's house, all were seeking to find the door; some grope one part of the wall for it, some another j but none of them could certainly say, he had found it ; and so the natural man may stum-- ble on any good but the chief good. Look into thme own unregenerate heart, and there thou wilt see all turned up-slde down ; heaven lying under, and earth a top : Look into thy life ; there thou mayest see how thou art playing the madman, snatching at shadows, and neglecting the substance, eagerly flying after that wliich is Jiot, and sligrhting" that which is, and will be fur ever. Evid. 3. The natural man is alway.> as a workman left without light ; either trifling or doing mischief. Try to catch thy heart at any time thou wilt, and thou ^halt tiud it either weaving the spider's web, or hatching co/catrice-tggs, (Isa. lix. 5.) ; roving througa the woiid. or digging luto the pit ; filled with vanity, or else with vileness ; busy do- ing nothing, or what is worse than nothing. A sad sign of a dark mind. Evid. 4. The natural man is void of the saving know- ledge of spiritual things. He knovys not what a God ne has to do with ; he is unacquainted with Christ ; and kn jws not what sin is. T'tie greatest graceless wits are bii d as moles in these things. Ay, but some such can speak of mem to good purpose ; and a.i might these Lrajhtes oi the temptations, signs, and miracles, their eyes had seen. 62 Corruption of the Understandhig. State IL (Deut. xxix. 3.) to whom nevertheless the Lord had not|| " given an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears ta^^ hear, unto that day," ver. 4. Many a man that bears the name of a Christian may make Pharaoh's confession of faith, Exod, v. 2. " I know not the Lord," neither will they let go what he commands them to part with. God is with th^m as a prince in disguise among his subjects, who meets with no better treatment from them, than if they were his fellows, Psal. 1. 21. Do they know Christ, or see his glory, and any beauty in him, for which he is to be desired ? If they did, they would not slight him as they do ; a view of his glory would so darken all created excellency, that they would take him for and instead of all, and gladly close with him, as he offereth himself in the gospel, John iv. 10. Psal. ix. 10. Matth. xiii. 44, 45, 46. Do they know what sin is, who hug the serpeiit m their bosom, hold fast deceit, and refuse to let it go ? I own, indeed, they may have a natural knowledge of those things, as the unbelieving Jews had of Christ, whom they saw and conversed with ; but there was a spiritual glory in him, perceived, by believers only, John. i. 14. and in resnect of that glory, the unbelieving world knew him not, ver. 10. But the spiritual knowledge of them they cannot have ; it is above the reach ^f the carnal mind, 1 Cor. ii. 14. " The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foohshness unto him ; nei- ther can he know them, for they are spiritually discern- ed." He may indeed discourse of them ; but no other way than one can talk of honey or vinegar, who never tasted the sweetness of the one, nor the sourness of the other. He has some notions of spiritual truths, but sees not the things themselves, that are wrapt up in the words of vruth, 1 Tim. i. 7. " Understanding neither what they say, nur whereof they affirm." In a word, natural men- fear, seek- confess they know not what. Thus may yoa see rcan*3 understanding naturally is overvvhelmed with gro'-- darkness in spiritual thmg*^. Thirdly, fhere is in the maid of man "a natural bias to evil, vslKvuby it comes to pass, that whatever difficulties it- finds, while occupied about things truly good, it acts with a great d^al of t-ase in evil ; as K'ing, m that ca^e, in its •wn element, Jer. iv. 22. The carnal mind drives heavi- Head I. Corruption of the Understartding, 65 ly in the thoughts of good ; but furiously in the thoughts of evil. While holiness is before it, fetters are upon it ; but when once it has got over the hedge, it is as the bird got out of the cage, and btcomes a free-thinker indeed. Let us reflect a little on the apprehension and imagination of the carnaMnind ; and we shall hnd incontestible evidence of this vvoful bias to evil. Evidence 1. As when a man, by a violent stroke on the head, loseth his sight, there ariseth to him a kind of false light, whereby he perceiveth a thousand airy nothings ; so man being struck blind to all that is truly good, and for his eternal interest, has a light of another sort brought into his mind ; his eyes are opened, knowing evil, and so are the words of the tempter verified, Gen. iii. 5. The words of the Prophet are plaii;, " They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have-no knowledge," Jer. iv. 22. The mind of man has a natural dexterity to devise mis- chief; none are so simple as to want skill to contrive ways to gratify their lusts, and ruin their souls ; though the power of every one's hand cannot reach to put their device^ in execution. None needs to be taught this black art ; but as weeds grow up, of their own accord, in the neglected ground, so doth this wisdom (which is earthly, sensual^ devilish, James iii. 15. ) grow up in the minds of men, by virtue of the corruption of their nature. Why should we be surprised with the product of corrupt wits ; their cunning devices to affront heaven, to oppose and run down truth and holiness, and to gratify their own and other men's-lusts ? They roll with the stream, no wonder they make great progress ; their stock is within them, and increaseth by using of it ; and the works of darkness are contrived with greater advantage, that the mind is wholly destitute of spiritual light, which, if it were in them, in any measure, would so far mar the work, 1 John iii. 9. " whosoever is born of God doth not corn- nut sin ;" he does it not as by art, for " his seed remain- eth in him." But on the other hand, " it is a sport to a tool to do mischief ; but a man of understanding hath v/isdom," Prov. X..23. " To do witty wickedness nice- ly," as the words import, is as a sport, or a play to a fool ; it comes off with him easily ; and why, but because he is a fool, and hath not wisdom j which would mar the con- 64 Coiruption of the Understanding. State II. trivances of darkness ? the more natural a thing is, it is done the more easily. Evid. 2. Let the corrupt mind have but the advantage of one's being employed in, or present at, some piece ot service to God ; that so the device, if not in itself sinful* yet may become sinful, by its unseasonableness : It shall quickly fall on some device, or expedient, by its starting aside ; which deliberation, in season, could not prockice. Thus Saul, who wist not what to doj before the priest be- gan to consult God, is quickly determined when once the priest's hand was, in ; his own heart then gave him an an- sw:er, and would not allow him to wait an answer from the Lord, 1 Sam. xiv. 18, 19. Such a devilish dexterity hath the carnal mind, in devising what may most effectu- ally divert men from their duty to God. Evid. 3. Doth not the carnal mind naturally strive to grasp spiritual things in imagination ; as if \he soul were quite immersed in flesh and blood, and would turn every thing into its own shape ? Let men who are used to the forming of the most abstracted notions, look into their own souls, and they shall find this bias in their minds ; where- of the idolatry which did of old, and still doth, so much prevail in the world, is an, incontestible evidence. For it plainly discovers, that men naturally would have a visi- ble deity, and see what they worship ; and, therefore, they ** changed the glory of the incorruptible God into^ an image," &c. Rom. 1. 23. The reformation of these na- tions (blessed be the Lord for it) hath banished idolatry and images too, out of our churches ; but heart-reforma- tion only can break down mental idolatry, and banish the more subtile and refined image-worship, and representations of the deity, out of the minds of men. The world, in the time of its darkness, - was never more prone to the former, than the unsanctified mind is to the latter. And hence are horrible, monstrous, and mishapen thoughts of God, Christ, the glory above, and all spiritual things. Evid. 4. What a difficult task is it to detain the carnal mind before the Lord ! How averse is it to the entertain- iflg of good thoughts, and dweUing in the meditation of spiritijal things ! If one be driven, at any time, to think of the great concerns of his soul, it is nd harder work to hold in an unruly hungry beast, than to hedge in the carnal Head I. Corruption of the Ufidersfanding. 6.5 mind, that it get not away to the vanities of the world again. When God is speaking to men by his word, or they are speaking to him in prayer, doth not the mind often leave them before the Lord, like so many " idols that have eyes, but see not, and ears, but hear not?" The carcase is laid down before God, but the world gets away the heart ; though the eyes be closed, the man sees a thousand vanities : The mind, in the mean time, is like a bird got loose out of the cage, skipping from bush to bush ; so that, in effect, the man never comes to himself, till he be *' gone from the presence of the Lord.'* Say not, it is ini- possible to get the mind fixed. It is hard, indeed, but not impossible. Grace from the Lord can do it, Psal. cviii.. 1. Agreeable objects will do it. A pleasant specula- ' tion will arrest the minds of the inquisitive : the worldly man's mind is in little hazard of wandering, when he is contriving of business, casting up his accounts, or telling his money : If he answer you not at first, he tells you, he did not hear you, he was busy ; his mind was fixed. Were we admitted into the presence of a king to petition for our lives, we would be in no hazard of gazing through the chamber of presence : But here lies the case, the car- nal mind, employed about any spiritual good, is out of its eleme.nt, and therefore cannot fix. Evid, 5. But however hard it is to keep the mind on- good thoughts, it sticks as glue to what is evil and corrupt like itself, 2 Pet. ii. 14^ " Having eyes full of adulter)', and that cannot cease from sin." Their eyes cannot cease from sin, (so the words are constructed,) that is, their hearts and minds venting by the eyes, what is within, are like a furious beast, which cannot be held ip, when once it has got out its head. Let the corrupt imagination once be let loose on its proper object, it wdl be found hard work to call It back again, though both reas*)u and will be for its retreat. For then it is in its own element ; and to draw it off" from its impurities, is as the drawing of a fish out of the water, or the renting of a hmb from a man. It runs like fire set to a train of powder, that resteth not till it can get no furtlier. Evid. 6. Coud'.der how the carnal imagination supplies the want of real obje(;ts to the corrupt heart ; that it may make sinners happy, at least, in the imaginary enjoyment F §6 Corruption of the Under standivg. State II. of their lusts. Thus the corrupt heart feeds itself with imagination-sins : The unclean person is filled with spe- culative impurities, having eyes full of adultery ; the covet- ous man fills his heart with the world, though he cannot get his hands full of it ; the malicious person, with dehght, acts his revenge within his own breast ; the envious man, within his own narrow soul, beholds, with satisfaction, his neighbour laid low enough ; and every lust finds the corrupt imagination a friend to it in time of need. And this it doth, not only when people are awake, but some- times even when they are asleep ; whereby it comes to pass, that these sins are acted in dreams, which their hearts were carried out after v.-hile they were awake. — I know some do question the sinfulness of these things : But can it be thought they are consistent with that holy nature and frame of spirit, which was in innocent Adam, and in Jesus Christ, and should be in every man I It is I he corruption of nature, then, that makes filthy dreamers condemned, Jude 8. Solomon had experience of the exercise of grace in sleep : in a dream he prayed ; in a dream he made the best choice ; both were accepted of God, 1 Kings iii. 5 — 15. And if a man may, in his sleep, do what is good and acceptable to God ; why may he not also, when asleep, do that which is evil and dis- pleasing to God ? The pame Solomon would have men aware of this ; and prescribes the best remedy against itj namely, the law upon the heart, Prov. vi. 20, 21. ' <* When thou sleepest (says he, ver. 22.) it shall keep thee; to wit, from sinning in thy sleep ; that, is from sinful dreams. For one's being kept from sin (not his being kept from affliction) is the immediate proper effect of the law of God impressed upon the heart, Psal. cxix. 11. And thus the whole verse is to be understood, as appears from verse 23. " For thu? commandment is a lamp, and the law is light ; and reproofs of instruction are the way of hfe.'* Now, the law is a lamp and light, as it guides in the way of duty ; and instructing reproofs from the law, are the way of life, as they keep from sin : Neither do they guide into the way of peace, but as they lead into the way of iduty ; nor do they keep a. man out of trouble, but as they keep him from sin. And remarkable is the particular, in which Soiomou instanceth, t-amcly, the sin of unclcan- - 7 Head L Corruption of the Understanding. 07 ness ; " To keep thee from the evil woman, &c." verse 2V. Which is to be joined with verse 22, inclosing verse ^ in a parenthesis, as some versions have it. These things may suffice to convince us of the natural bias of the mind to evil. ■ ' Fourthlyy There is in the carnal mind an opposition to ■spiritual truths, and an aversion to the receiving of them. It is as httle a friend to divine truths, as it is to hohness. The truths of natural religion, which do, as it were, force their entry into the minds of natural men, they hold pri- soners in unrighteousness, Rom. i. 18. And as for the truths of revealed religion, there is an evil heart of unbe- lief in them, which opposeth their entry ; and there is an armed force necessary to captivate the mind to the belief of them,- 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. God has made a revelation 'of his mind and will to sinners> touching the v/ay of salvation ; he has given us the doctrine of his holy word : But do natu- ral men believe it indeed ? No, they do not j " For I'C that believeth not on the Son of God, believeth not God ;'* as is plain from 1 John v. 10. They believe not the promises of the word ; they look on them, in effect, only as fair words ; for those that receive them, are thereby itade par- takers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4-. The promises an- as silver cords, let down from heaven, to draw^ sinners uptc God, and to waft them over into the promised land ; bu': they cast them from them. They believe not the threaten- ings of the word. As men travelling in deserts carry fire, about with them, to fright away wild beasts ; so God has made his law a fiery law, (Deut. jyxxiii. 2.) hedging it about with threats of wrath : but men naturally are more brutish than beasts themselves ; and will needs touch the fiery smoking mountain, though they should be thrust through with a dart. I doubt not but most, if not all of you, who are yet in the black state of nature, will here plead. Not guilty : But remember, the carnal Jews in Christ's time were as confident as you are, that they be- lieved Moses, John ix, 28, 29. But he confutes their confidence, roundly telhng them, John v. 26. '* Had ye be- lieved Moses, ye would have believed me," Did ye be - lieve the truths of God, ye durst not reject, as ye do, him who is truth itself. The very difficulty you find in as- ^t'nting to this truth, bewrays that unbelief I am ch»-gin^ 68 Corruption of the Understanding. State IP. you with. Has it not proceeded so far with some at this day, that it has steeled their foreheads with the impudence and impiety, openly to reject all revealed rehgion ? Surely it is out of the abundance cf the heart their mouth speak- eth. But though ye set not your mouths against the heavens, as they do, the same bitter root of unbelief is in ail men by nature, and reigns in you, and will reign, till overcoming grace captivate your minds to the belief of the truth. To convince you in this point, consider these three things: Evidence 1. How few are there who have been blessed with an inward illumination, by the special operation of the Spirit of Christ, letting them into a view of divine truths, in their spiritual and heavenly lustre ! How have you learned the truths of religion, which you pretend to believe ! Ye have them merely by the benefit of external revelation, and cf your education ; so that you are Christians, just because you v/ere not born and bred in a Pagan, but in a Christian country. Ye are strangers to the inward work of the holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the word in your hearts ; and so you cannot have the assurance of faith, with respect to that outward divine revelation made in the word, 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, 12. And, therefore, ye are still unbelievers. " It is written in the prophets. And they yli^U be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that iiath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me," says our Lord, John vi. 4-5. Now ye have not come to Christ, therefore ye have not been taught of God ; ye Iiave not been so taught, and therefore ye have not come ; ye believe not. Behold the revelation from which the faith even of the fundamental principles in religion doth spring, Matth. xvi. 16, 17. " Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. — Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Pather which is in heaven.'' If ever the Spirit of the Lord take a deahng with thee, to work in thee that faith, which is of the operation of 'God; it may be, as much time will be spent in razing the old foundation, as will make thee find a necessity of the working of his mighty power, to enable thee to believe the very foundation-princi- ples, whieh now thou thinkest thou makest no dpubt df^ Epb.i. 19, Head I. Corruption of the Understanding. Gp Evid. 2. How many professors have made shipwrtcl: of their faith (such as it was) in time of temptation and trial ! See how they fall, like stars from heaven, whcu antichrist prevails ! 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12, " God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie ; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth." They fall into damning delusions, because they never really believed the truth, though they themselves, and others too, thought they did believe it. That house is built upon the sand, and that faith is but ill-founded^ that cannot bear out, but is quite overthrown, when the storm comes. Evid. 3. Consider the utter inconsistency of most men's lives, with the principles of religion which they profess : ye may as soon bring east and west together, as their principles and practice. Men believe that fire will burn them, and there- fore they will not throw themselves into it : But the truth is, most men live as if they thought the gospel a mere fable J and the wrath of God revealed in his word against their unrighteousness and ungodliness, a mere scarecrow. If you brieve the doctrines of the word, how is it that you are so unconcerned about the state of your souls before the Lord ? How is it that you are so little concerned with that weighty point, whether you be born again or not ? Many live as they were born, and are like to die as they livej and yet live in peace. Do such believe the sinful- ness and misery of a natural state ? Do they believe fhey are children of'ivratkf Do they beheve there is no salva- tion without regeneration ? and no regeneration but ^hat makes man ,a new creature ? If you believe the promises of the word, why do you not embrace them, and labour to enter into the promised rest ? What sluggard would not dig for a hid treasure, if he really believed he might so obtain it ? Men will work and sweat for a maintenance 5 because they believe that by so doing they wiH get it ; yet they will be at no tolerable pains for " the eternal weight of glory ;^' why, but because they do not believe the word of promise ? Heb. iv. 1, 2. If you believe the threaten - ings, how is it that you live in your sins, live out of Christ, and yet hope for mercy r Do such believe God to be the holy and just one, who v^nll l^ no means clear the guiltif ?\ No, no ; none beheve ; none (or next to none) believe what a just God the Lord is, and horv ienrely he,pMnisheth> 70 Corruption of the Understanding, State II, Fifthly i There is in the mind of man a natural proneness to lies and falsehood, which makes for the safety of lusts. *' They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies,'* Psal. Ivii. 3. We have this with the rest of the corrup- tion of our nature from our first parents. God revealed the truth to them ; but through the sohcitation of the temper, they first doubted of it ; then disbelieved it, and embraced a lie instead of it. And for an incontestible evidence hereof, we may see that first article of the devil's creed, " ye shall not surely die," Gen. iii. 4, which was ob- truded by him on our first parents, and by them received ; naturally embraced by their posterity, and held fast, till a light from heaven oblige them to quit it. It spreads itself through the lives of natural men ; who, till their "censciences be awakened, walk after their own lusts ; still jetaining the principle, " that they shall not surely die.** And this is often improved to that perfection, that the man can say, over the belly of the denounced curse, *' I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst," Deut. xxix. 19. Whatever advantage the truths of God have over error by means of education, or otherwise ; error has always "with the natural man this advantage against truth, name- ly, that there is something within him, which says, O that it were true ! so that the mind lies fair for assenting to it. And here is the reason of it. The true doctrine is, " the doctrine that is according to godliness," 1 Tim. vi. 3. and " the truth which is after godliness," Tit. i. 1. Error is the doctrine which is according to ungodliness ; for there is never an error in the mind, nor an untruth vented m the world, (in matters of religion,) but what has an affinity with one corruption of the heart or other ; accord- ing to that of the apostle, 2 Thess. ii. 12, " They be- lieved not the truth, biit had pleasure in unrighteousness.'* So that truth and error, being otherwise attended with equal advantages for their reception, error, by tliis means, has most ready access into the minds of men in their natural state. Wherefore, it is nothing strange that men reject the simpli- city of gospel-truths and institutions, and greedily embrace error and external pomp in rehgion ; seeing they are so agreeable to the lusts of the heart, and the vanity of the mind of the natural man. And from hence also it is, that Head f. Corruption of the Understanding. 71 so many embrace atheistical principles : for none do it but in compliance with their irregular passions ; none but those, whose advantage it would be, that there were no God. Lastly J Man naturally is high-minded : for when the go- pel comes in power to him, it is employed in " casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the k'nowledge of God,'* 2 Cor. x. 5. Lowliness ot mind is not a flower that grows in the field of nature ; but is planted by the finger of God in a renewed heart, and learned of the lowly Jesus. It is natural to man to think highly of himself, and what is his own : for the stroke he has got by his fall in Adam, has produced a false light, whereby mole -hills about him appear like mountains ; and a thousand airy beauties present themselves to his deluded fancy. " Vain man would be wise," (so he accounts him- self, and so he would be accounted of by others,) ** though man be born like a wild ass's colt," Job xi. 12. His way is right, because it is his own ; " for every way of a man is right in his own eyes," Prov. xx. 2. His state is good, because he knows none better ; he is alive without the lawy Rom. vii. 9, and therefore his hope is strong, and his con- fidence firm. It is another tower of Babel, reared up against heaven ; and shall not fall, while the power of dark- ness can hold it up. The word batters it, yet it stands ; one while, breaches are made in it, but they are quickly repaired ; at another time, it is all made to shake, but stiU it is kept up ; till either God himself by his spirit raise an heart-quake within the man, which tumbles it down, and leaves not one stone upon another, (2 Cor. x. 4, 5.)' or death batter it down, and raze the foundations of it, Luke xvi. 23. And as the natural man thinks highly of himself, so he thinks meanly of God, whatever he pretends, Psal. I. 21. " Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." The doctrine of the gospel, and the mystery of Christ, are foolishness to him ; and in his practice he treats them as such, 1 Cor. i. 18, and ii. 14. He brings the word and the works of God, in the government of the world, before the bar of his carnal reason ; and there they are presumptuously censured and condemned, Hos. xiv. 9. Sometimes the ordinary restraint of providence is taken off, and Satan is permitted to stir up the carnal mind : and, in that case, it is like an ant's nest, uncovered and disturbed z 75 Corruption of the Will State XL iloubts, denials, and hellish reasonings crowd in it, and can- not be laid by all the arguments brought against them, till a power from on high captivate the mind, and still the mu- tiny of the corrupt principles. Thus much of the c(ifruption of the understanding ; which, although the half be not told, may discover to you the absolute necessity of regenerating grace. Call the un- derstanding now Ichabod ; for the glory is depmted from it. Consider this, ye that are yet in the state of nature, and groan ye out your case before the Lord, that the sun of righteousness may arise upon you, before you be shut up in everlasting darkness. What avails^ your worldly wis- dom ? What do your attainments in reHgion avail, whil«f your understanding Hes yet wrapt up in its natural dark- ness* and confusion, utterly void of the light of life ? What- ever be the natural man's gifts or attainments^ we must, (a^ in the case of the leper, Lev. xiii. 24. ) " pronounce him utterly: unclean, his plague is in his head.'' But that is not all ; it is in his^ heart too ; his will is corrupted, as I shall eooa shew. Of tlie Cormpiim of the Will H. The will, that commanding faculty, which some-* times was faithftd, and ruled v/ith God, is nov/ turned trai-- tor, and rules with and for the devil. God planted it in man " wholly a right seed j" but now it is ** turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine." It was originally placed in a due subordination to the will of God, as was shown before ; but now it is gone wholly aside. However some do m^agnify the power of free-will, a view of the spi- rituality of the law, to which acts of moral discipline do in noways answer, and a deep sight into the corruption of nature, given by the inward operation of the spirit, con- vincing of sin, righteousness, and judgment, would make men find an absolute need of the power of free grace, to remove the bands of wickedness from off their free-will. To open up this plague of the heart, I offer these following things to be considered : First, There is, in the unrenewed will, an utter inability for what is truly good and acceptable in the sight of God. The Datural maa's will is in Shatan's fetters j hemmed iT> Head I. Corruption of the Will, 75 within the circle of evil, and cannot move beyond It. more than a dead man can raise himself out of his grave, Eph. li. 1. We deny him not a power to chuse, pursue, and act, ■what on the matter is good : but though he can will what IS good and right, he can will nothing aright ai.d well. John XV. 5, Without me, i. e. separate from me, as a branch from the stock, (as both the word and context do carry it,) ye can do notJmig ; to wit, nothing truly and spiritually good. His very choice and desire of spiritual things, is carnal and selfish, John vi. 27, " Ye seek me — because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." He not only comes not to Christ, but he cannot come, Johnvi. 44-, And what can one do acceptable to God, who believeth not on him whom the Father hath sent ? To evidence this inability for good in the unregenerate, consider these two things : Evidence 1. How often does the hght so shine before men's eyes, that they cannot but see the good they shouM chuse, and the evil they should refuse ; and yet their heart* have no more power to comply with that light, than if they were arrested by some invisible hand ? They see what is right, yet they follow, and cannot but follow what is wrong. Their consciences tell them the right way, and ap- prove of it too ; yet cannot their will be brought up to it ; their corruption so chains them, that they cannot embrace it ; so they sigh, and go backward, over the belly of their light. And if it be not thus, hov/ is it that the word and way of holiness meet with such entertainment in the world ? How is it that clear arguments and reason on the side of piety and a holy life, which bear on themselves even on the car- nal mind, do not bring men over to that side ? Although the being of a heaven and a hell were but a may-be, it were sufficient to determine the will to the choice of holiness, were it capable to be determined thereto by mere reason : but men " knowing the judgment of God, (that they which commit such things are worthy of death,) not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them," Rom. i. 32. And how is it that those who magnify the power of free- will, do not confirm their opinion before the world, by an ocular demonstration, in a practice as far above others in ho- liness, as the opinion of their natural abihty is above that of others ? Or is it maintained only for protection of lusts, wbich men may hold fast as long as they please j and when. 74j Corniption of the WiU, State IK they have no more use for them, can throw them off in a moment, and leap out of Delilah's lap, into Abraham's bo- som ? Whatever use some make of that principle, it does af itself, and in its own nature, cast a broad shadow for a shel- ter to wickedness of heart and life. And it may be obser- ved, that the generality of the hearers of the gospel, of all denominations, are plagued with it : for it is a root of bit- terness, natural to all men ; from whence do spring so much fearlessness about the soul's eternal state, so many delays and off- puts in that weighty matter, whereby much work is laid up for a death-bed by some ; while others are ruined by a legal walk, and unacquaintedness with the life of faith, and the making use of -Christ for sanctification, all flowing from the persuasion of sufficient natural abilities. So agree- able is it to corrupt nature. Evid, 2. Let those who, by the power of the spirit of bondage, have had the lav/ laid out before them in its spi- rituality, for their conviction, speak and tell if they found themselves able to incline their hearts towards it, in that case ; nay, if the more that light shone into their souls, they did not find their hearts more and more unable to comply with it. There are some, who have been brought unto " the place of the breaking forth," v/ho are yet in the devil's camp, that from their experience can tell, light let into the mind cannot give life to the will, to enable it to comply there- v^rith ; and could give their testimony here, if they would. But take Paul's testimony concerning it, who, in his un- converted state, was far from believing his utter inabihty for good ; but learned it by experience, Rom. vii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. I own the natural man may have a kind of love to the law : but here lies the stress of the matter, he looks oa the holy law in a carnal dress ; and so, while he hugs a creature of his own fancy, he thinks he has the law, but in very deed he is without the law ; for as yet he sees it not in its spirituality ; if he did, he would find it the very reverse of his own nature, and what his will could not fall in with till changed by the power of grace. Secondly^ There is in the unrenewed will an aversenessto good. Sin is the natural man's element; he is as loth. to part with it, as the fishes are to come out of the water into dry land. He ngt only cannot come to Christ, but he wiU :;ot con^e, John v. 40. He is polluted, ^nd hates to be He&d I. rorntpUott of the Wiil 75 washed, Jer. xiii. 27. Wilt thou not be made clean ? wlien shall it oner be ? He is sick, but utterly averse to the re- medy : he loves his disease so, that he lothes the physician. He is a captive, a prisoner, and a slave ; but he loves his conqiroror, his jailor, and master ; he is fond of his fetters, prison, and drudgery, and has no liking to his liberty. For evidence of this averseness to good, in the will of man, I shall instance in some particulars. Evidence 1. The untowardness of children. Do we not see them naturally lovers of sinful liberty ? How unwiUing are they to be hedged in ? how averse to restraint ? The world can bear witness, that they are as bullocks unaccus- tomed to the yoke : end more, that it is far easier to bring young bullocks tamely to bear the yoke, than to bring young children under discipline, and make them tamely'sub- mit to the restraint of sinful hberty. Every body may sec in this, as in a glass, that man is naturally wild and wilful, according to Zophar's observe, (Job xi. 12.) that man is born hke a wild ass's colt. What can be said more ? He is like a colt, the colt of an ass, the colt of a wild ass. Compare Jer. ii. 24<, " A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snufTeth up the wind at her pleasure ; in her occasion who can turn her away ?'* Evid. 2. What pain and difficulty do men often find in bringing their hearts to rehgious duties ? and what a task is It to the carnal heart to abide at them? It is a pain to it, to leave the world but a little, to converse with God. It is not easy to borrow time from the many things, to be- stow upon the one thing needful. Men often go to God in duties, with their faces towards the world ; and when their bodies are on the mount of ordinances, their hearts will be found at the foot of the hill '* going after their covetousness," Ezek. xxxiii. 31. They are soon wearied of well-doing ; for holy duties are not agreeable to their corrupt nature. Take notice of them at their worldly busi- ness, set them down with their carnal company, or let them be sucking the breasts of lust; time seems to them to fly, and drive furiously, so that it is gone ^re they are aware. But how lieavily does it drive, while a prayer, a sermon, or a Sabbath lasts ? The Lord's day is the longest day of all the week with many ; and therefore they must sleep longer that morning, and go sooner to bed that night, 76 Gorrieption of ike Will. State II. than ordinarily they do ; that the day may be made of a tolerable length : for their hearts say within them, «« When will the Sabbath be gone ?" Amos viii. 5. The hours of ' "worship are the longest hours of that day : hence, when duty is over, they are like men eased of a burden ; and when sermon is ended, many have neither the grace nor the good manners to stay till the blessing be pronounced, but, like the beasts, their head is away as soon as one puts his hand to loose them : why, but because, while they are at ordinances, they are, as "Doeg, detained before the Lord?" 1 Sam. xxii. 7. Evid. 3. Consider how the will of 'the natural man doth " rebel against the light,'* Job xxiv. IS. Light sometimes cntereth in, because he is not able to hold it out : but he loveth darkness rather than light. Sometimes, by the force of truth, the outer door of the understanding'is broken up; but the inner door of the will remains fast bolted. Then lusts rise against light : corruption and conscience encoun- ter, and fight as in the field of battle, till corruption get- ting the ijpper hand, conscience is forced to give the back ; convictions are murdered, and truth is made and held pri- soner, so that it can create no more disturbance. While the word is preached or read, or the rod of God is upon the natural man, sometimes convictions are darted in on him, and his spirit is wounded, in greater or lesser measure: but these convictions not being able to make him fall, he runs away with the arrows sticking in his conscience ; and at length, one way or other, gets them out, and licks him- self whole again. Thus, while the light shines, men, natu- rally averse to it, wilfully shut their eyes, till God is provoked to blind them judicially, and they become proof against the word and providences too : so they may go where they will, they can sit at ease ; there is never a word from heaven to them, that goeth deeper than into their ears, Hos. iv. 17, " Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone." Evid. 4. Let us observe the resistance made by elect souls, when the Spirit of the Lord is at work, to bring them from " the power of Satan unto God.' Zion's king gets no subjects but by stroke of sword, i?i the day of his power, Psal. ex. *2, 3. None come to him, bui such as are drawn by a divine hand, John vi. 44. When the Lord Head I. Corruption of the Will 77 eomes to the soul, he finds the strong nnan keeping the house, and a deep peace and security there, while the soul is fast asleep in the devil's arms. But «* the prey must be taken from the mighty, and the captive delivered." There- fore the Lord awakens the sinner, opens his eyes, and strikes him with terror, while the clouds are black above his head, and the sword of vengeance is held to his breast. Now he is at no small pains to put a fair face on- a black heart : to shake off his fears, to make head against them, and to divert himself from thinking on the unpleasant and ungrateful subject of his souPs case. If he cannot so rid him- self from them, carnal reason is called in to help, and ur- geth, that there is no ground for so great fear ; all may be well enough yet ; and if it be ill with him, it will be ill with many. When the sinner is beat from this, and sees no advantage in going to hell with company, he resolves to leave his sins, but cannot think of breaking off so soon; there is time enough, and he will do it afterwards. Con- science says, *' To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts :" but he cries, " To morrow, Lord, to mor- row, Lord;" and just now Lord, till that now is never like. to come. And thus, many times, he comes from his pray- ers and confessions, with nothing but a breast full of sharp- er convictions ; for the heart doth not always cast up the «weet morsel, as soon as confession is made with the mouthy Judges X. 10 — 16. And when conscience obligeth them to part with some lusts, others are kept as right eyes and right bands ; and there are rueful looks after those that are put away ; as it was with the Israelites, who with bitter hearts drd remember the fish they did eat in Egypt freely , NurtJ- ii. 5. Nay, when he is so pressed, that he must needs say "before the Lord, that he is content to part vdth ail his idols ; the heart will be giving the tongue the iie. In a word, the soul, in this case, will shift from one thing to another '^ like a fish with the hook in his jaws, till it can do no more, and power come to make it succumb, as ** the wild ass in her month," Jer. ii. 24. Thirdly, There is in the will of man a natural proneness to evil, a woful bent towards sin. Men naturally are " bent to Backsliding from God," Hos. ii. 7. They hang (as the word is) tov>rards backsliding; even as a hanging wail, whose breaking cometh suddenly in an instant. Set holiness G iS Cormption of the Will State 11. and life upon the one side, sin and death upon the other; and leave the um-enewed will to itself, it will chuse sin, and reject holiness. This is no more to be doubted, than that water, poured on the side of a hill, will run down- ward and not upward, or tliat a flame wall ascend and not descend. Evidence 1. Is not the way of evil the first way the chil- dren of men do go ? do not their inclinations plainly appear on the wrong side, while yet they have no cunning to hide them ? In the iirst opening of our eyes in the world, we look a-squint, hell-ward, not heaven-ward. As soon as it appears we are reasonable creatures, it appears v,e are sin-, ful creatures, PsaL Iviii. 3, " The wicked are estranged from the womb \ they go astray as soon as they are bosn." Prov. xxii. 15, " Foohshncss is bound in the heart of a child : t)ut the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Folly is bound in the heart, it is woven into our very nature. The knot will not loose, it must be broke asunder by strokes. Words will not do it, the rod must be taken to drive it away : and if it be not driven faraway, the heart and it will meet and knit again. Not that the rod of itself will do this ; the sad experience of many pa- rents testifies the contrary ; and Solomon himself tells you, Prov. xxvii. 22, " Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar, among wheat, with a pestil, yet will not his fool- ishness depart from him ;" it is so buund in his heart. ]But the rod is an ordinance of God, appointed for that end ; which, like the word, is made effectual, by the Spi- rit's accompanying his own ordinance. And this, by the way, shews, that parents, in administering correction to their children, have need, first of all, to correct their own irre- gular passions, and look upon it as a matter of awful solem- .nity, setting abput it with much dependence on the Lord, and following it with prayer, for the blessing, if they would have it effectual. Evid. 2. How easily are men led aside to sin ! The chil- dren, who are not persuaded to good, are otherwise simple ones, easily wrought upon ; those whom the word cannot draw to holiness, are led by Satan at his pleasure. Profane Esau, that cunning man, (Gen. xxv. 27.), was as easily cheated of the blessing, as if he had been a fool or an ideot. The mofe natural a thing is, it is the more easy ; so Christ's Fleadl. Corruption of the Will . 7§ yoke is easy to the saints, in so far as they are partakers of the divine nature: and sin is easy to the unrenewed man ; but to learn to do good, as diilicult as for the Ethiopian to change his skin ; because the will naturally haugs to- wards evil, but is averse to good. A child can cause a round thing to run while he cannot move a square thing of the same weight ; for the roundness makes it fit for mo- tion, so that it goes with a touch. Even so, when men find the heart easily carried tov/ards sin, while it is a dead weight in the way of holiness ; we must bring the reason of this from the natural set and disposition of the heart, whereby it is prone and bent to evil. Were man's will, naturally, but in equal balance to good and evil, the. one might be embraced with as httle difficulty as the other; but expe- rience testifies, it is not so. In the sacred history of ,thc Israelites, especially in the book of Judges, how often do wc find them forsaking Jehovah, the mighty God, and doat- ing upon the idols of the nations about them ? But did ever one of these nations ^row fond of Israel's God, and forsake their own idols ? No, no ; though man is natu- rally given to changes, it is but from evil to evil, not from evil to good, Jer. ii. 10, 11, *' Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods ? But my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit." Surely the will of man stands not in equal balance, but has a cast to the wrong side. Evid. 3. Consider how men go on still' ''in the way of sin, till they -meet with a stop, and that from another hand than their own, Isa. Ivii. 17, " I hid me, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." If God withdraw his restraining hand, and lay the reins on the sinner's neck, he is in no doubt what way to' choose; for (observe it) the way of sin is the way of his heart; his heart naturally lies that way ; he hath a natural proji^ity to sin.. As long as God sufFereth them, they w^^ in' their own way. Acts xiv. 16. The natural man' is so fixed in his woful choice, that there needs no more to shew he is off from God's way, but to tell he is upon his own.^ - • ::/,.-•- Evid. 4. Whatever good impressions are made upon him, they do not last. Though his heart be firm as- a -stone, vea, harder than the nether milstone, in point of receivinrr iO €omtpti(m of the Will State 11. them, it is otherwise unstable as water, and cannot keep them. It works against the receiving of them ; and, when they are made, it works them off, and returns to its natural bias ; Hos. vi. 4, *' Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away." I'he morning cloud promiseth a hearty shower; but when the sun ariseth it evanisheth : the sun beats upon the early dew, and it eva- porates ; so the husbandman's expectation is disappointed. Such is the goodness of the natural man. Some sharp af- fliction, or piercing conviction, obfigeth him, in some sort, to turn from his evil course ; but his will not being renew- ed, rehgion is still against the grain with him, and there- fore this goes off again, Psal. Ixxviii. 34, 36, 37. Though a stone, thrown up into the air, may abide there a little while ; yet its natural heaviness will bring it down to the ^arth again : and so do unrenewed men return to the wallow- iiig in the mire ; because although they were washed, yet their swinish nature was not changed. It is hard to cause -wet wood take fire, hard to make it keep fire ; but it is harder than either' of these to make the unrenewed wiU retam at- tained goodness ; which is a plain evidence of the natural bent of the will to evil. Evid. last. Do the saints serve the Lord now, as they were wont to serve sin in their unconverted state ? Very far from it, Rom. vi. 20, " When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.'* Sin got all, and admitted no "partner ; but now, when they are the ser- vants rrof Christ, are they free from sin I Nay, there are still with them some deeds of the old man, shewing that he is but dying in them. And hence their hearts often misgive them, and slip aside unto evil, when they would do good, Rom. vii, 21. They need to watch, and keep their hearts with all diligence ; and their sad experience teaeheth them, that *' He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool," Prov. xxviii. 26. If it be thus in the green tree, how must it be in the dry ? ^ Fourthly y There is a natural contrariety, direct opposi- tion and enmity, in the will of man, to God himself, and his holy will, Rom. viii. 7, *' The carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, nei- ther indeed can be." The will was once God's deputy in the sou), set to command there for him ; but now it is iicad 1. Corruption of the IV ilL SI set up against him. If you would have the picture of it, in its nat4iral state, the very reverse of the will of God re- presents it. If the fruit hanging before one's. eyes be but forbidden, that is sufficient to draw the heart after it. Let iTje instance in the sin of profane swearing and cursing, to which some are so abandoned, that they take a pride in them ; belching out horrid oaths and curses, as if hell open- ed with the opening of their mouths, or larding their speech- es with minced oaths, ^sfailh, haithyfai^ d' i/e, hai' d* ye, antl such like ; and all this without any manner of provocation, though even that could not excuse them. Pray tell me, (1.) What prolit is there here? A thief gets something in his hand for his pains ; a drunkard gets a belly-full; but Vvhat'do ye get?; others serve the devil for pay; but ye are volunteers, thai expect no reward, but your work itself, in affronting of heaven. And if you repent not, you will get your reward in full tale ; when ye go to hell, your work will follow you. The drunkard shall not have a drop of water to cool his tongue there. Nor will the covetous man's wealth follow him into the other world ; but y-fe shall drive on ydur old trade there. And an eternity will be long enough to give you your heart's fill of it. (2.)" What pleasure is thefre here, but 'What flows from your trampling upon the holy law ? Which of your senses doth swearing or cursing gratify ? If it gratify your cars, it can only be by the noise it makes against the heavens. Though you had a mind to give up yourselves to all man- ner orprofanityi and sensuality, there is so httle pleasure can be strained out of these sins, that we must needs conclude, your love to them, in this case, is a ]6ve to them for them- selves ; a devilish unhired love, without any -prospect of profit or pleasui-e from tl^m otherwise. If any shall say, th^se are monsters of men : Be it so^^l yet, alas ! the world is fruitful of such monsters ; they^re to be fijund almost every where. And allow me to say, they must be admit- ted as the mout^i of the whole unregeherate world against heaven, Rom. iii. 14, " Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:'-' ver. 19, ** Now.we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are Under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the worrd ray become guilty before-God.'' 1 have a charge against every unregenerate man and ^2 Cornupim of ike Win, State II. woman, young or old, to be verified by the testimonies of the Scriptures of truth, and the testimony of their own consciences ; namely, that whether they be professors or profane, whatever they be, seeing they are not born again, they are heart enemies to God ; to the Son of God, to the Spirit of God, and to the law of God. Kear this, ye care- less souls, that live at ease in your natural state. 1st, Ye are eYiemies to God in your minds. Col. i. 21. Ye are not as yet reconciled to him, the natural enmity is not as yet slain, though perhaps it lies hid, and ye do not perceive it. { 1.) Ye are enemies to the very being of God, i*sal. xiv. 1, " The fool hath said in his heart, There is na God." The proud man would that none were above him- self ; the rebel, that there was no King ; and the unre- newed man, who is a masa of pride and rebeUion, that there were no God. He saith it in his heart, he wisheth it were so, though he be ashamed and afraid to speak it out. And that all natural men are such fools, appears from the apostle's quoting a part of this psalm, " That every mouth may be stopped,'' Rom, iii. 10, 11, 12, 19. I own indeed, that while the natural man looks on God as the Creator and Preserver of the world, because he loves his own self, therefore his heart riseth not against the being of his benefactor : But this enmity wil quickly appear, when he looks on God as the Rector and Judge of the world ; binding him under the pain of the curse, to exact holiness, and girding him with the cords of death, because of sin. Listen in this case to the voice of the heart, and thou wilt find it to be, No God. (2.) Ye are enemies to the nature of God, Job xxi. 14", ** They say \into God, Depart fre^tii us ; for we desire not the know- ledge of thy ways." Men set up to themselves an idol of their own fancy instead of God, and then fall down and worship it. They love him no other way, than Jacob lo- \re4 Leah, while he took her for Rachel. Every natural man is an enemy to God, as he is revealed in his word. An infinitely holy, just, powerful, and true being, is not the God whom he loves, but the God whom he luthes. In effect, m.en naturally are haters of God, Rom. i. 30. And if they could, they certainly would make him another than what he is. For, consider it is a certain truth, that what- soever is in God, is God ; and therefore, his attributes or Head I. Cvmiplion of Lht Will. S^ perfections are not any thing really distinct from himself. If God's attributes be not himself,, he is a compound be- ing, and so not the first Being ; (which to say is blasphe- mous,) for tlie parts compomiding are before the compound itself; ba'. he is *' Alpha and Omega, the first aad the last.'' Now, uj'on this, I would, for your conviction, propose to yoia- consciences a few queries : (I.) How stand your hearts afft'cted lo lae infinite purity and holiness of God? Con- science will give an answer to this, which the tongue will not speak out. It ye be not partakers of his holiness, ye cannot be reconciled to it. The Pagans finding they could not be like God in holiness, made their gods like themselves in fil- thincss ; and thereby discovered what sort of a god the na- tural man would have. God is holy ; can an unholy crea- ture love his unspotted holiness ? Nay, it is the righteous only that can " give thanks at the remembrance of his ho* liness," Psalm Ixxxvii. 12. God is light ; can creatures of darkness rejoice therein ? Nay, " every one that doth evil, hateth the light," John iii. 20. " For \vhat communion hath light with darkness ?" 2 Cor. vi. 14f. (2.) How stand your hearts affected to the justice of God ? There is not a man, who is wedded to his lusts, as all the unregenerate are^but would be content, with the blood of his body, to blot that letter out of the name of God. Can the male- factor love his condemning judge ? or an unjustified sinner, a just God ? No, he cannot, Luke vii. 47, " To whom little is forgiven the same loveth little.'^ Hence, seeing men cannot get the doctrine of his justice blotted out of the Bible, yet it is such an eye-sore to them, that they strive to blot it out of their minds : and they ruin themselves by presuming on his mercy, while they are not careful to get a righteousness, wherein they may stand before his justice j but " say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil," Zeph. i. 12. (3.) How stand you affect- ed to the omniscience and omnipresence of God ? Men na- turally would rather have a blind idol, than an all-seeing God ; and therefore do what they can, as Adam did, to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. They no more love an all-seeing, every- where present God, than the thief loves to have the judge witness to his evil deeds. If it could be carried by votebj, God would be voted out of. V Coiruption c^tHt Will. State II.- tne world, and closed up in heaven: for the language of the tarnal heart is, ** The Lord seeth us not ; the Lord hath forsaken the earth,'' Ezek.viii, 12. (4.) How stand you affected to the truth and veracity of God ? There are but few in the world that can heartily subscribe to that sentence of the apcstle, Rom. iii. 4, *'.Let God be true, but every man a liar." Nay, truly, there are many, who, in effect, do hope that God will not be true to his word. There are thousands who hear the gospel, that hope to be saved, and think all safe with them for eternity, who never had any experience of the new birth, nor do at all concern themselves in that question, whether they are born again or not ? a question that is like to wear out from among us this day. Our Lord's words are plain and peremptory, *' Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." What are such hopes then, but real hopes that God (with profoundest reverence be it spoken) will recal his word, and that Christ will prove a false prophet ? What else means the sinner, who, ** when he heareth the words of the curse, blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart," Deut. xxix. 19. Lastly^ I'low stand you affected to the power of God ? None but new creatures will love him for it, on a fair view thereof ; though others may slavishly fear him upon the account of it. There is not a natural man, but would contribute to the utmost of his power to the building of another tower of Babel, to hem it in. On these grounds I declare every unrenewed man an enemy to God. 2(f/?/, Ye arc enemies to the Son of God. That enmity to Christ is in your hearts,^ which would have made you join the husbandman who killed the heir, and cast him out of the vineyard ; if ye had been beset with their tempta- tions, and no more restrained than they were. \ Am I a dog, (you will say,) to have so treated my sweet Saviour ? So said Hazael in another case ; but v/hen he had the temp- tation, he was a dog to do it. Many call Christ their sweet Saviour, whose consciences can bear witness, they never sucked so much sweetness from him, as from their sweet lusts, which are ten times sweeter to them than their Sa- viour. He is no other way sweet to them, than as they sbuse his death and sufferings, for the peaceable enjoyment Head I. Corruption of the Will. $!^ of their lusts ; that they may live as they list in the world ; and when they die, may be kept out of hell. Alas ! it is but a mistaken Christ that is sweet tO you, whose souls lothe tliat Christ, who " is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person." It is with you as it was with the carnal Jews, who delighted in him, while they mistook his errand into the world, fancying that he would be a temporal deliverer to them, Mai. iii. 1. But when he was come, and " sat as a refiner and purifier of silver," (ver. 2, 3,) and cast them out as reprobate sil- ver, who thought to have had no small honour in the king- dom of the Messiah ; his doctrine galled their consciences, and they rested not till they had imbrued their hands in his blood. To open your eyes in this point, which you are so loth to believe, I will lay before you the enmity of your hearts against Christ and all his offices. I, Every unregenerate man is an enemy to Christ in his prophetical office. He is appointed of the Father the great prophet and teacher ; but not upon the world's call, who, in their natural state, would have unanimously voted against him : and therefore, when he came, he was con- demned as a seducer and blasphemer. For evidence of this enmity, I shall instance iu two things. Evidence 1. Consider the entertainment he meets with, when he comes to teach souls inwardly by his spirit. Mea do what they can to stop their ears, like the deaf adder, that they may not hear his voice. They always resist the Holy Ghost : " they desire not the knowledge of his ways ;" and therefore bid him depart from them. The old calumny- is often raised upon him, on that occasion, John x, 20, " He is mad, why hear ye him ?" Soul-exercise, raised by the spirit of bondage, is accounted, by many, nothing else but distraction, and melancholy fits ; men thus blaspheming the Lord's work, because they themselves are beside them- selves, and cannot judge of those matters. Evid. 2. Consider the entertainment he meets with, when he comes to teach men outwardly by his word. (1.) His written word, the Bible, is slighted ; Christ hath left it to us, as the book of our instructions, to show us what way we must steer our course, if we would come to Emmanuel's land. It is a lamp to light us through a dark world to eternal light. And Le hath left it upon us, tao . Corruption of the Will State II. to searcli it Vvitli that diligence- wherewith men dig into mines for silver or gold, John v. 30. But, ah I how is this sacred treasure profaned by nnany ! They ridicule that holy wcrd, by which they mist be judired at the last day ; and will rather lose their souls than their jest, dressing up- the conceits of their wanton wits in scripture phrases; in which they act as mad a part, as one who would dig into a mhie to proci^re metal to melt, and pour down his own and his neighbour's throat. Many exhaust their spirits in read- ing romances, and their minds pursue them, as the flame doth the dry stubble ; v/hile they have no heart for, nor relish of the holy word, and therefore seldom take a Bible in their hands. What is agreeable to the vanity of their minds, is pl.^asant and taking : But what recommends holi- ness to their unholy hearts, makes their spirits dull and il^t. , What pleasure will they find in reading of a profan6 ballad, or story book, to whom the Bible is tasteless as the white of an egg ! Many lay by their Bibles with their Sabbath day's clothes; and whatever use they have for their clothes, they have none for their Bibles, till the return of the Sabbath. Alas ! the dust or finery about your Bibles is a witness now, and will, at the last day, be a witness of the enmity of your hearts against Christ as a prophet. Besides all this, among those who ordinarily read the scriptures, how few are there that read it as the word of the Lord to their souls, and keep up communion with him in it. They do not make his statutes their counsellors, nor doth their particular case send them to their Bibles. They are strangers to the solid comfort of the scriptures. And if at any time they be deiected, it is something else than the word that revives them : As Ahab was cured of his sullen fit, by the securing of Naboth's vineyard for him. (2.) Chri&t^s word preached is despised. The entertain- ment most of the world, to v/hom it has come, have always given it, is that which is mentioned, Mat. xxh. 5, *' They made light of it.'' And for its sake they are despised whom he has employed to preach it ; whatever other face men put upon their contempt of the ministry, John xv. 20, 21, ♦* The servant is not greater than the lord ; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you ; if they have kept my sayings, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake," That lluad I. Corruption rflhe Wilh 87 Levi was the son of the hated, seems not to have been without a mystery, which the world in all ages hath un- riddled. But though the earthen vessels," wherein God has put tlie treasure, be turned with many into vessels where- in there is no pleasure, yet why is the treasure itself ""slighted ? But slighted it is, and that with a witness this day. ** Lord, who hath believed our rei;ort ? To whom shall we speak ?" Men can, without remorse, make to them- selves silent Sabbaths, one after another. And, alas 1 when they come to ordinances, for the most part, it is but .to appear (or as the word is, to be seen) before the Lord, end to tread his courts, namely, as a company of beasts would do, if they were driven into them, Isa. i. 12. So lit- tle reverence and awe of God appears on their spirits. Ma- ny stand like brazen walls before the word, in whose corrupt conversation the preaching of the word makes no breach. Nay, not a few are growing worse and worse, under precept upon precept ; and the result of all is, " They go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken," Isa. xxviii. 13. What tears of blood are sufficient to lament that (the gospel) the grace of God is thus received in vain ! We are but the voice of one crying ; the speaker is in heaven ; and speaks t« you from heaven by men ; why, do ye refuse him'that speaketh ? Heb. xii. 25. God has made our Master heir of all things, and. we arc sent to court a spouse for him. There is none so worthy as he ; none more unworthy than they to whom this match is proposed; but the prince of darkness is preferred before the Prince of Peace. A dismal darkness overciou"dedthe world by Adam's fall, more terrible than if the sun, moon, and stars, had been for ever wrapt up in blackness of darkness ; and there we should have eternally lain, had npt this grace of the gospel, as a shining sun, appeared to dispel it, Tit. ii. 11. " But yet we fly hke night-owls from it ; and like the wild beasts, lay ourselves down in our dens ; when' the sun ariseth, we are struck bhnd with the Hght thereof ; and, as creatures of darkness, love darkness rather than. ^ hght. Sudi is the enmity of the hearts of men against Christ, in his prophetical oi^ce. II. The natural man is an enemy to Christ in his priestly ofS.;.\ He is appointed of the Father a priest for ever; that, uy his alone s:icriiice and intercession, sinners .jiiay S8 Corruption of the Will State IL have peace with, and access to God : but Christ crucified is a stumbhng block and foolishness to tne unrenewed part of mank'nd to whom he is preached, 1 Cor. i. 23. They are not for him, as the new and living way ; nor is he, by the voice of the world, *' an high priest over the house of God." Corrupt nature goes quite another way to work. Evidence 1. None of Adam's children naturally incline to receive the blessing in borrowed robes ; but would al- ways, according to the spider's motto, owe all to themselves: and so chmb up to heaven on a thread spun out of their own bowels. For they " desire to be under the law,'* Gal. iv. 21, and " go about to estabhsh their own right- eousness," Rom. X. 3. Man, naturally, looks on God as- a great master ; and himself as his servant, that must work and win heaven as his wages. Hence, when conscience i£ awakened, he thinks that, to the end he may be saved, he must answer the demands of the law, serve God as well as he can, and pray for mercy wherem he comes aliort. And thus many come to duties, that never come out of them to Jesus Christ.^ Evid. 2. As men, naturall))-, think highly of their duties, that seem to them to be well done ; so they look for ac- ceptance with God according as their work is done, not ac- f:ording to the share they have in the blood of Christ. •* Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not ?" They will value themselves on their performances and at- tainments ; yea, their very opinions in rehgion, (Phihp. iii. 4—7.) taking to themselves what they rob ffom Christ the great high priest. Evid. 3. The natural man going to God, in duties, will always be found, either to go without a mediator, or with more than the one only mediator Jesus Christ. Nature is blind, and therefore venturous ; it sets men a-going imme- diately to God without Christ ; to rush into his presence, and put their petitions in his hand, without being introdu- ced by the secretary of heaven, or putting their requests in- to his hand. So fixed is this disposition in the unrenewed heart, that when many hearers of the gospel are conversed with upon the point of their hopes of salvation, the name of Christ will scarcely be heard from their, mouths. Ask them how they think to obtain the pardon of stn ; they will Head I. Conuption of the Will. 89 tell you, they beg" and look for mercy, because God is a. merciful God ; arid that is all they have to confide in. Others look for mercy for Christ's sake ; but how do they know that Christ will take their plea in hand ? Why, as the Papists have their mediators with the Mediator, so have they. They know he cannot but do it ; for they pray, con- fess, mourn, and have great desires, and the like ; and so have something of their own to commend them unto him ; they were never made poor in spirit, and brought empty- handed to Christ, to lay the stress of all on his atoning blood. III. The natural man is an enemy to Christ in his kingly office. The Father has appointed the Mediator king in 2^ion, Psal. ii. 6. And all to whom the gospel comes are commanded, on their highest peril, to kiss the Sony ahd submit themselves unto him, ver. 12, But the natural voice of mankind is, away with him ; as you may see, ver. 2, 3. " TKey will not have him to reign over them," Luke xix. 14. Evidence 1. The workings of corrupt nature to wrest the government out of his hands. No sooner was he born, but being born a king, Herod persecuted him, Matth. ii. And when he was crucified, they " set up over his head his ac- cusation written, This is JesuSy the king of the Jeivsy'* Mat. xxvii. 37. Though his kingdom be a spiritual kingdom, and not of this world, yet they cannot allow him a kingdom within a kingdom, which acknowledgeth no other head or supreme, but the royal Mediator. They make bold with his royal prerogatives, changing his laws, institutions, and ordinances ; modelling* his v/orship according to the de- vices of their own hearts, introducing new offices and offi- cers into his kingdom, not to be found in the book of the manner of his kingdom ; disposing of the external govern- ment thereof, as may best suit their carnal designs. Such is the enmity of the hearts of men against Zion's king. Evid. 2. How unwilling are men, naturally, to submit unto, and be hedged in by, the laws and discipline of his kingdom ! As a king, he is a law-giver, (Isa. xxxiii. ^22.) and has appointed an external government, discipline, and censures, to controul the unruly, and to keep his professed subjects in order, to be exercised by officers of his own ap- pointment, Matth. xviii. 17, 18. 1 Cor.' xii. 28. 1 Tim. H /.. Corruption of the Witt. i)l like a loving wife matched with a rigol-ous hueband : She does what she can to please him, yet he is never pleased ; but tosseth, harasseth, and beats her, till she breaks her heart, and death sets her free ; as will afterwards more ful- ly appear. Thus it is made evident, that men's hearts are naturally bent to the way of the law, and lie cross to the gospel-contrivance : and the second article of the charge, against you that are unregenerate, is verified, namely, that ye are enemies to the Son of God. 2dli/y Ye are enemies to the Spirit of God. He is the Spirit of hohness ; the natural man is unholy, and loves to be so, and therefore resists the Holy Ghost, Acts vii. 51. The work of the Spirit i8 to convince the world of iin, righteousness, and judgmenty John xvi. 8. But O how do men strive to ward off these convictions, as ever they would ward off a blow, threatening the loss of a right eye, or a right hand! If the Spirit of the Lord dart them in, so that they cannot avoid them, the heart says, in effect, as Ahab- to Elijah, whom he both hated and feared, " Hast thou found me, O mine enemy ?'* And indeed they treat him as an enemy, doing their utmost to stifle convictions, and to murder th-jse harbingers that come to prepare the Lord's way into the soul. Some fill their hands with busine&s., to put their convictions out of their heads, as Cain, who set about building a city ; some put them off with delays and fair promises, as Fenx did ; some will sport them away in company, and some sleep them away. The holy Spirit IS the Spirit of sanctilication ;. whose work is to subdue lusts, and burn up corruption : how then can the natural man, whose lusts are to him as his limbs, yea, as his life, fail of being an enemy to him ? Lastly, Ye are enemies to the law of GocJ. Though the natural man desires to be under tlie law, as a covenant of works chusing that way of salvation .in opposition to the mystery of Christ ; yet as it is a rule of hfe, requiring uni- versal hohness, and discharging all manner of impurity, he is an enemy to it : " is pot siibject lo the law of God', nei- ther indeed can be," Rom. viii. 7. For, (1.) There is no unrenewed man, who is not wedded to some one lust or other, which his heart can by no means part with. Now that he cannot bring up his inclinations to the holy law, he would fain have the law brought down to his inelina* 9S Corruption of tlie WiU. State IT^ tions : a plain evidence of the enmity of the^ Heart against it. And therefore, " to dehght in the law of God aftei* the inward man/' is proposed in the word as a mark of a gracious soul, Rom. vii. 22. Psal. i. 2. It is from this natural enmity of the heart against the law, that all the Pha- risaical glosses upon it have arisen ; whereby the command- ment, which in itself is exceeding broad, has been m.adft very narrow, to the intent it might be -more agreeable to the natural disposition of the heart. (2.) The law laid home to the natural conscience, in its spirituality, irritates corruption. The nearer it com.es, nature riseth the more against it. In that case it is as oil to the fire, Vv^hich, in- stead of quenching it, makes it flame the more : *' When the comm.andment came, sin revived," says the apostle,* Rom. vii. 9. What reason can be assigned for this, but- the natural enmity of the heart against the holy law ? Un- mortified corruption, the mqre it is opposed, the more it rageth. Let us conclude then,- that the unre generate are heart-enemies to God, his Son, his Spirit, and his law ; that there is a natural contrariety, opposition, and enmity in the will of man to God himself, and his holy will. Fifthly i There is in the will of man contumacy against the Lord. Man's will is naturally wilful in an evil course ; he will have his will, though it should ruin him : it is with him, as with the leviathan, (Job xli. 29.), " Darts are count- ed as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.. The Lord calls to him by his word, says to him, (as Paul to the jailor, when he was about to kill himself). Do thy- self vo harm: sinner, Why tvill ye die? Ezek. xviii. 31. "But they will not hearken, *• Every one turneth to his course as the horse rusheth into the battle," Jer. viii. 9. We have a promise of life, in form of a command, Prov. iv. 4, Keep my commandments and live : it speaks impenitent sinners to be self-destroyers, wilful self-murderers. They transgress the command of living ; as if one's servant should wilfully starve himself to death, or greedily drink up a cup of poison, which his master commands him to forbear : even so do they; they will not live, they will die, Prov. viii. 36, All they that hate me^ love death. O what a heart is this! It is a stony heart, (Exek. xxxvi. 26.), hard and inflexible as a stone : mercies melt it not, judgments break it 'iot ; yet it will break ere it bow. It is an insensible H^ad I. toniqniun oj the JVilL y9 , heart : though there be upon the sinner a weight of sin, Avhich makes the earth to stagger ; although there is a weight of wrath on him, which makes the devils to trem- ble, yet he goes lightly under the burden ; he feels not the weight more than a stone, till the spirit of the Lord -quickens him so far as to feel it. Lasily-i The unrenewed will is wholly perverse, in refe- rence to man^s chief and highest end. The natural man's chief end is not his God, but himself. Man is a mere illa- tive, dependant, borrowed being ; he has no being nor ' goodness originally from himself ; but all he hath is from God as the first cause and spring of all perfection, natural or moral : dependance is woven into his very nature ; so that \v if God should totally withdraw from him, he would dvvin- ' ^le into a mere nothing. Seeing then whatever man is, he ■is of him ; Surely in whatever he is, he should be to him ; as the waters which come from the sea do, of course, re- turn thither again. And thus man wss created, directly looking to God, as his chief end : but falling into sin, he fell off from God, and turned into himself; and hke a trai- tor usurping the throne, he gathers in the rents of the crown to himself. Now, this infers a total apostasy, and universal corruption in man ; for where the chief and last end is changed, there can be no goodness there. This is tlie case of all men in their Piatural state, Psal. xiv. 2, 3, " The Lord looked down — to see if there were any that did- — seek God. They are all gone aside," to wit, from God; they seek not God, but themselves. And though many fair shreds of morality are to be found amongst them, yet "' there is none that doth good, no not one ;" for though some of them run well, they are still off the way ; they ne- ver aim at the right mark. They are lovers of their own selves^ (2 Tim. iii. 2.), more than God, ver. 4. Wherefore Jesus Christ, having come into the world to bring n;ien back to God again, came to bring them out of themselves, in the first place, Matth. xvi. 24-. The godly groan un- der the remains of this wofal disposition of the heart: they acknowledge it, and set themselves against it, in its subtile and dangerous insinuations. The unrcgenerate, though most insensible of it, are under the power thereof ; and whithersoever they turn themselves, they cannot move vithout the circle of self; they seek themselves, they 100 Vorruption vfthe Will. State II. act for themselves : their natural, civil, and religious ac- tions, from whatever spring they come, do all run into, and meet in the dead sea of self. Most men are so far from making God their chief end? in their natural and civil actions ; that in these m.atters, God is not in all their thoughts. Their eating and drink- ing, and such like natural actions, are for themselves ; their ©wn pleasure or necessity, without any higher end, Zech. vii. 6, " Did ye not eat for yourselves ?'* They have no eye to the glory of God in these things, as they ought to have, I Cor. x. 31. They do not eat and drink to keep np their bodies for the Lord's service ; they do them not, because God has said, thou shalt not kill ; neither do those drops of sweetness God has put into the creature, raise up their souls towards that ocean of delights that is in the Creator, though they are indeed a sign hung out at heaven's door, to tell men of the fulness of goodness that is in God himself, Acts xiv. 17. But it is self, and not God, that is sought in them, by natural men. And what are the un- renewed man's civil actions, such as buying, selling, work- ing, &c. but fruit to himself? Hos. x. 1, so marrying, and giving in marriage, ar^ reckoned amongst the sins of the old world, (Matth. xxiv. 38.) for they had no eye to God therein, to please him ; but all they had in view, was to please themselves. Gen. vi. 3. Finally, self is natural men's highest end, in their religious actions. They per- form duties for a name, (Matth. vi. 1,2.) or for some other worldly interest, John vi. 26. Or if they be more refined, it is their peace, and at most their salvation from hell and wrath, or their own eternal happiness, that is their chief and highest end, Matth. xix. 16 — 22.. Their eyes are held that they see not the glory of God. They seek God indeed, but not for himself, but for themselves. They seek him not at all, but for their own welfare : so their whole life is woven into one web of practical blasphemy ; making God the means, and self their end, yea, their chief end. And thus have I given you some rude draughts of man's will, in his- natural state, drawn by scripture and men's own experience. Call'it no more Naomi but ?4arah ; for bit- ter it is, and a root of bitterness. Call it no more frec-wil], but slavish lust ; free to evil, but fire from goodj till !e- {cad I. Corrupt 1071 ofilie AJfcclions, 101 generating grace loose the bands of wickedness. Now; since all must be wrong, and nothing can be right, where the understanding and will are su corrupt, I shall briefly dispatch what remains, as following of course, on the corruption of these prime faculties of the soul. TJlc CotTuption of the Affections^ the Conscience, and the Memory. The Body patiaker of i his Corruption. HI. The affections «re corrupted. The unrenewed man's aflfections are wholly disordered and distempered : they are as the unruly horse, that either will riot receive, or violently runs away with the rider. So man's heart na- turally is a mother of abominations, Mark vii. 21, 22, *' For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness," &c. The natural man's affections are wretchedly misplaced ; he is a spiritual monster. His heart is, where his feet should be, fixed on the earth ; his heels are lifted up against heaven, which his heart should be set on. Acts ix. 5. His face is towards hell, his back towards heaven ; and there- fore God calls him to turn. He loves v,'hat he should hate, and hates what he should love ; joys m what he ought to mourn for, and mourns for what he should rejoice in; glorieth in his shame, and is ashamed of his glory ; abhors what he should desire, and desires what he should abhor, Prov. ii. 13, 14, 15. They hit the point indeed, (as Caia- phas did in another case,) who cried out against the apos- tles, as men that " turned the world upside down," Acts xvii. 6, for that is the work the gospel has to do in the world, where sin has put all things so out of order, that heaven lies under, and earth a-top. If the unrenewed man's affections be set on lawful objects, then they are either excessive or defective. Lawful enjoyments of the world have sometimes too little, but mostly too much of them ; either they get not their due ; or, if they do, it is measure pressed down, and running over. Spiritual things have always too little of them. In a word, they are al- ways in, or over ; never right, only evil. Now here is a threefold cord against heaven and holiness, noj: easily broken ; a blind mind, a perverse will, and disor- derly, distempered affections. The mind, swelled with 102 Cvrmpiion of Vic Conscknce, Slate II, self-conceit, says, The man should not stoop ; the will, op- posite to the will of God, says, He will not ; and the cor- rupt affections, rising against the Lord, in defence of the corrupt will, say. He shall r.ot. Thus the poor creature' stands out against God and goodness, till a day of power come, in which he is made a new creature. IV. The conscience is corrupt and defiled. Tit. i. 15. It is an evil eye, that fills one's conversation with much dark- ness and confusion, being naturally unable to do its office : fill the jLofd, by letting in new light to the soul, awaken the conscience, it remains sleepy and inactive. Conscience can never do its work, but according to the light it hath to work by. ' Wherefore, seeing the natural man cannot spiritually discern spiritual things, ( 1 Cor. ii. 14.) tho- con» science, naturally, is quite useless in that point ; being cast into such a deep sleep, that nothing but a saving illumina- tion from the Lord can set it on work in that matter. The . light of the natural conscience in good and evil, sin and duty, is very defective : therefore, though it may check for grosser sins ; yet as to the more subtle workings of sin, it cannot check them, because it discerns them npt.. Thus conscience will fly in the face of many, if at any time they be drunk, swear, neglect prayer, or be guilty of any gross sin; who otherwise have a profound peace, though they live in the sin of unbelief, are strangers so spiritual worship, and the life of faith. And natural light being but faint and languishing in many things which it doth reach, conscience in that case shoots like a stitch in one's side, which quickly goes off: its incitements to duty, and checks for and struggles against sin, are very remiss, which the natural man easily gets over. But because there is a false light in the dark mind, the natural conscience following the same, will call evil good, and good evil, Isa. v. 20. And so it is often found like a blind and furious horse, which doth violently run down himself, his rider, and all that doth come in his way, John xvi. 2, ** Whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service." When the natural conscience is awakened by the spirit of conviction, it will indeed rage and roar, and put the whole, man in a dreadful consternation ; awfully summon all the powers of the soul to help in a strait ; make the stiff heart to tremble, a,nd the knees to bow ; set the eyes a-weeping, the ton^u'e Hc:id 1. Curmplion of the Memory dad BoJtf. 103 a-canfe3sin^^; and oblige the man. to cast out the goods into the sea, which he apprehends are like to sink the ship of the sou!, though tlie heart still goes after them. But vet it is an evil conscience, which itaturally leads, to des- pair, and will do it effectualiy, as in Jndas's case; unless either lu^ts prevail over it, to lull it asleep, ^as iu tlic case o^ Felix, Acts xxiv. 25 ; or the blood of Christ prevail over it, sprinkling and purging it from dead' .works, as in the case of all true converts, Heb. ix. 14-, and x. 22. V. Even the memory be-irs evident malks of this cor- ruption. What is good and worthy to be rcmcrnbcr<^, as it makes but slender impression, so ti\at impression easily weats off; the memory, as a lei. king vessel, lets it siip^ Heb. ii. 1. As a sieve that is hill, when in the water, lets all go when it is taken out; so is the rnemory, Ayitli. respect to spiritual things ; but how does it retain what ought to be forgotten ? naughty things so bear in tiiem- selves upon it, that though men would fain have them out cf mind, yet they stick there like glue. Hovvever for- getful men be in other things, it is hard to forget an in- jury. So the memory often furnishes new fuel to old lu^ts ; makes men in old age react the sins of their youth, while it presents them again to the mind with delight, which thereupon licks up xhe former vomit. And thus it is hke the riddle, that lets through the pure graia, and keeps the refuse. Thus far of the corruption of the soul. VI. The body itself also is partaker of this corruption and defilement, so far as it is capable thereof. Wherefore the sc'-ipture calls it sinfnljicshy Rom. viii. 3. We may take this np in two things. ( 1 . ) The natural temper, or rather 'distemper of the bodies of Adam's children, as it is an effect of original sin, so it hath a natural tendency to sin, incite^ to sin, leads the soul into snares, yea, is itself a snare to the soul. The body is a furious be:',st, of such metal, that if it be not beat down, *' kept under, and brought into sub- jection," it will cast the soul into much sin and misery, 1 Cor. ix. 27. There is a vileness in the body, (Philip, iii. 21.) which, as to the saints, will never be removed, until it be melted down in the grave, and cast into a new mould, at the resurrection, to come forth a spiritual body ; and will never be carried off from the bodies of those who are «ot partakers of the resurrection to life. (2.) It serves 10* Horv Man's Nature mas Corrupted. State lf>. the soul in many sins. Its members are instruments or weapons of unrighteousness, whereby men fight against God, Rom. vi. 13. The eyes and ears are open doors, by which impure motions and sinful desires enter the soul i *^ the tongue is a world of iniquity," James iii. G, ** an unruly evil, full of deadly poison," ver. 8; ^yp}- the irn- purc heart vents a great deal of its filthiness. *' The throat is an open sepulchre," Rom. iii, 13. The feet run the devil's errands, ver. 15. The belly is made a god, PhiUp. iii. 19, not only by drunkards and riotous livers, but by every natural man, Zech. vii. 6. So the body naturally is an ae:ent for the devil, and a magazine of armour against the Lord. 1 o conclude, man by nature is wholly corrupted : " From the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no sound- ness in him." And, &s in a dunghill every part contributes to the corruption of the whole ; so the natural man, while in that state, grows still worse and worse : the soul is made worse by the body, and the body by the soul ; and every faculty of the soul serves to corrupt another more and more. Thus much for the second general head. Horv Man's Nature was Comipied. Thirdly, I shall shew how man's nature comes to be thus corrupted. The heathens perceived that man's na- ture was corrupted ; but how sin had entered, they could not tell. But the scripture is very plain in that point, Rom, V. 12, *' By one man, sin entered into the world ;" ver. 19, *' By one man's disobedience, many were made jrinners." Adam's sin corrupted man's nature, and leaven- ed the vi'hole lump of mankind. We putrificd in Adairi^ as our root. Tim root was poisoned, and so the branches were envenomed : the vine turned into the vine of Sodom, ^and so the grapes becamiC grapes of gall, Adam, by his sin, became not only guilty, but corrupt; and so transmits guilt and corruption to his posterity. Gen. v. 3. Job xiv, 4. By his sin he stript himself of his original righteous- ness, and corrupted himself. We were in him representa- tively, being represented by him as our moral head in the covenant of works : we were in him seminally, as our na- tural head ; henee we fell in him, and by his disobedienc^t- Head I. How Man's Nature was Corrupted. 105 were made sinners ; as Levi, in fhe loins of Abraham, paid tithes, Heb. vii.- 9, 10. His first sinjs imputed to us; therefore justly are we left under the want of his original righteousness, which, being given to him as a common per- son, cast off by his sin : and this is necessarily followed, ia him and us, by the corruption of the whole nature ; right- eousness and corruption being two contraries, one of which must needs always be in man, as a subject capable thereof. And Adam our common father being corrupt, we are so too ; for " who can bring a clean'thing out of an unclean V* Although it is sufficient to evince the righteousness of: this dispensation, that it was from the Lord, who doth all things well ; yet, to silence the murmurings of proud na ture, let these few things farther be considered : (I.) In the covenant wherein Adam represented us, eternal hap- piness vsras promised to him and his posterity, upon condi- tion of his, that is Adam's perfect obedience, as the repre- sentative for all mankind : whereas, if there had been no covenant, they could not have pleaded eternal life upon their most perfect obedience, but might have been, after all, re- duced to nothing ; notwithstanding, by natural justice, they would have been liable to God's eternal wrath, in case of sin. Who in that case would not have consented to that representation ? (2.) Adam had a power to stand given him, being made upright. He was as capable to stand for himself, and all his posterity, as any after him could be for themselves. This trial of mankind in their head, would soon have been over, and the crov/n won to them all, had he otood : whereas, had his posterity, been independent of him, and every one left to act for himself, the trial would have been continually a- carrying on, as men came into the •world. (3.) He had natural affections the strongest to en- gage him, being our common father. (4.) His own stock was in the ship, his all lay at stake, as wcW as ours. He had no separate interest from ours ; but if he forgot ours, he behoved to have forgot his own. (5.) If he had stood,, we should have had the light of his mind, the righteousness of his will, and holiness of his affections, with entire purity transmitted unto us ; we could not have fallen ; the crowa of glory, by his obedience, would have been for ever secured to hini and his. This is evident from the nature of a fe* deral repreev;ntaticn ; and no reason can be given why^ 206 H^ Man's Nature ^nfas Corrupled, State I J. seeing we are lost by Adam's sin, we should not have been saved by his obedience. On th^ other hand, it is reason- able, that he falling, we should with him bear the loss* Lastly, Such as quarrel with this dispensation, must renounce their part in Christ ; for we are no otherwise made sinners by Adam, than we are made righteous by Christ, from whom we have both imputed and inherent righteousness. We no more made choice of the second Adam for our head and representative in the second covenant, than we did of the first Adam in the first covenant. Let none wonder that such a horrible change should be brought on by one sin of our first parents ; for thereby they turned away from God as their chief end, which ne- cessarily infers an universal depravation. Their sin was a complication of evils, a total apostasy from God, a viola- ♦tion of the whole law ; by it they broke "'all the ten com- mands at once. (I.) They chose new gods. They made their belly their god, by their sensuality ; self their god, by their ambition ; yea, and the devil their god, by belie- ving him, and disbelieving their Maker. (2.) Though they received, yet they observed not that ordinance of Godp about the forbidden fruit. They contemned that ordinance so plainly enjoined them, and would needs carve out to themselves, how to serve the Lord. (3.) They took the name of the Lord their God in vain ; despising his attri- butes, his justice, truth, ^power, &c. Thty grossly pro- faned the sacramental tree ; abused his word, by not giving credit to it ; abused that creature of his, v/hich they should not have touched ; and violently misconstrued his provi- dence, as if God, by forbidding them that tree, had 1 een standing in the way of their happiness ; and therefore he suffered them not to escape his righteous judgment. (4} They remembered not the Sabbath to keep it holy, but put themselves out of a condition to serve God ariglit on his own day ; neither kept they that state of hvly rest whertin God had put th( m. (5 ) They cast off their re- lative duties : Eve forgets herself, ai»d acts without advice of her husbard, to thv ruin of both ; Adam, instead of ad- monishing her to repent, yields to the temptation, ^md con- firms her in her wickedness. They forgot all duiy to their posterity. They honpured not their Father in heaven ; and therefore their days were not long m the land which the Head 'I. Corruption of Nature Applied, tOf Lord their God gave them. (6.) They ruined themselves, and all their posterity. (7.) Gave themselves up to luxu- ry and sensuality. (8.) Took away what was not their own, against the express w4ll of the great owner. (9.) They bore false witness, and lied against the Lord, before angels, devils, and one another ; in effect giving out that they were hardly dealt by, and that heaven grudged their happiness. ( 10. ) They were discontent with their lot, and coveted an evil covetovisness to their house ; whicli ruined both them and theirs. Thus was the image of God on man defaced all at once. The Ihcirine of the Corruption of Nature Applied* Use I. For information. Is man*s nature wholly cor* rupted ? Then, \. No wonder that the grave open its devouring mouth for us, as soon as the womb has cast us forth ; and that the cradle be feirned into a Cviffin, to receive the corrupt lump s for we are all, in a spiritual sense, dead-born ; yea, and lilthy, (Plal. xiv. 3.) noisome, rank, and stinking as a cor- rupt thing, as the word imports. Let us not complain of' the miseries we are exposed to at our entrance into, nor of the continuance of them while we are in, the world. Here is the venom that has poisoned all the sprmgs of earthly en- joyments we have to drink of. It is the corruption of man's nature, that brings forth all the miseries of human lite m churches, states, families, and in men's souls and bodies. 2. Behold here, as in a glass, the spring of all the wick- edness, profanity, and formahty m the world ; the source gf all the disorders in thy own he3v-t and hfe. Every thmg acts like itself, agreeable to its own nature ; and so corrupt man acts corruptly. You need not wonder at the sinfulness of your own heart cind life, nor at the sinfulness and perversc- ness of others : if a man be crooked, he cannoc but halt ; and if the clock be set wrong, how can it point the hour 3. See here, why sin is so pleasant, and religion such a burden to carnal spirits : sin s natural, holiness not. so. Oxen cinijot feed in the sea, nor fishes in the fruirful fields. 'A-swine brought into a palace would get away again, to i08 The Doctrine efthe State IL wallow in the Aiire ; and corrupt nature tends ever to im- purity. ' 4'. JLearn from this the nature and necessity of regenera- tion. Firsts This discovers the nature of regeneration, in these two thm^s : (1.) It is not a partial, but a total change, though imperfect in this life. Thy w^hole nature is cor- rupted, and therefore the cure must go through every part. Regeneration makes not only a new head for knowledge, but a new heart and new affections for holiness. All things- become netVf 2 Cor. v. 17. If one having received many wounds, should be cured of them all, save one only, he might bleed to death, by that one, as well as a thousand : 8o if the change go not through the whole man, it is naught.. (2.). It is not a change made by human industry, but by the mighty power of the spirit of God. A man must be Born cifthe spirit, John iii. 5. Accidental diseases may be cured by men ; but those which are natural not without a miracle, John ix. 32. The change brought upon men by good education, or forced upon them by a natural con- science, though it may pass among men for a saving change, it is not so ; for our nature is corrupt, and none but the God of nature can change it. Though a gardener, in- grafting a pear branch into an apple tree, may make the apple tree bear pears ; yet the art of man cannot change the nature of the apple tree : so one may pin a new hfe to his old heart, but he can never change the heart. SecoJidli/y This also shews the necessity of regeneration. It is abso- lutely necessary in order to salvation, John iii. 3, *' E.^- ' cept a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G jd." No unclean thing can enter the new Jerusalem : but thou art wholly unclean, while in thy natural state. If every member of thy body were disjuinied, each joint be- hoved to be loosed, ere the members could be set righl again. This is the case of thy soul, a» thou hast heard : and therefore thou must be born again ; else thou shult never see heaven, unless it be afar off, as the ricii man in liell did. Dective not thyself: no mercy of God, no blood of Christ will bring thee to heaven, in thy unregenerate state ; for God will never open a fountain of mercy to wash away his own holiness and truth ; nor did Christ shed lus precious blood, to blot out the truths or God, or to ovrturn God's me