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soul but filthy rags, nothing to nourish it but husks that cannot satisfy. More than that, thou hast got such a bruise in the loins of Adam, that thou art without strength, unable to do any thing. Nay, more than all this, thou canst not so much as seek aright, but liest helpless, as an infant exposed in the open field.

"O that ye would believe this sad truth. How little is it believed in the world! Few are concerned to have their evil lives reformed; but fewer far, to have their evil nature changed. Most men know not what they are; as the eye, which seeing many things, never sees itself. But until ye know every one the plague of his own heart,' there is no hope of your recovery. Why will ye not believe the plain testimony of Scripture? Alas! That is the nature of your discase. Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' Lord, open their eyes, before they lift them up in hell, and see what they will not see now!

"Meantime let us have a special eye upon the corruption and sin of our nature. What avails it to take notice of other sins, while this mother sin is unnoticed? This is a weighty point; in speaking to which I shall,

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"1. Point at some evidences of men's overlooking the sin of their nature. As (1.) men's being so confident of themselves, as if they were in no danger of gross sins. Many would take heinously such a caution as Christ gave his apostles, Take heed of surfeiting and drunkenness.' They would be ready to cry out, Am I a dog? It would raise the pride of their hearts, not their fear and trembling. And all this is a proof, that they know not the corruption of their own nature. (2.) Untenderness toward them that fall. Many in this case cast off all bowels of compassion: a plain proof that they do not know or consider themselves, lest they also be tempted.' Grace indeed does make men zealous against sin, in others as well as in themselves. But eyes turned inward to the corruption of nature, clothe them with pity and compassion, and fill them with thankfulness, that they were not the persons left to be such spectacles of human frailty. (3.) Men's venturing so boldly on temptation, in confidence of their coming off fairly. Were they sensible of the corruption of their nature, they would beware of entering on the Devil's ground; as one girt about with bags of gunpowder, would be loth to walk where sparks of fire were flying.

"2. I shall mention a few things, in which ye should have a special eye to the sin of your nature. (1.) In your application to Christ. When you are with the Physician, O forget not this disease. They never yet knew their errand to Christ, who went not to him for the sin of their nature; for his blood to take away the guilt, and his Spirit to break the power of it. Though ye should lay before him a catalogue of sins, which might reach from earth to heaven, yet if you omit this, you have forgot the best part of the errand a poor sinner has to the Physician of souls. (2.) Have a special eye to it in your repentance. If you would repent indeed, let the streams tead you up to the fountain, and mourn over your corrupt nature, as

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the cause of all sin, in heart, word, and work. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.' (3.) Have a special eye to it in your mortification. Crucify the flesh with its affections and desires.' It is the root of bitterness which must be struck at; else we labour in vain. In vain do we go about to purge the streams, if we are at no pains about the muddy fountain. (4.) Ye are to eye this in your daily walk. He that would walk uprightly, must have one eye upward to Jesus Christ, another inward to the corruption of his own nature.

"III. I shall offer some reasons, why we should especially observe the sin of our nature. 1. Because of all sins it is the most extensive and diffusive. It goes through the whole man and spoils all. Other sins mar particular parts of the image of God; but this defaces the whole. It is the poison of the old serpent cast into the fountain, and so infects every action, every breathing of the soul.

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"2. It is the cause of all particular sins, both in our hearts and lives. Out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,' and all other abominations. It is the bitter fountain, and particular lusts are but rivulets running from it, which bring forth into the life a part only, not the whole of what is within.

"3. It is virtually all sins; for it is the seed of all, which want but the occasion to set up their heads. Hence it is called a body of death,' as consisting of the several members which constitute that 'body of sins,' (Col. ii. 11,) whose life lies in spiritual death. It is the cursed ground, fit to bring forth all manner of noxious weeds. Never did every sin appear in the conversation of the vilest wretch that ever lived. But look into thy nature, and thou mayest see all and every sin in the root thereof. There is a fulness of all unrighteousness there atheism, idolatry, adultery, murder. Perhaps none of these appear to thee in thy heart: but there is more in that unfathomable depth of wickedness than thou knowest.

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4. The sin of our nature is of all sins the most fixed and abiding. Sinful actions are transient, though the guilt and stain of them may remain. But the corruption of nature passes not away. It remains in its full power, by night and by day, at all times, till nature is changed by converting grace.

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"You may observe three things in the corrupt heart. (1.) There is the corrupt nature, the evil bent of the heart, whereby men are unapt for all good, and fitted for all evil. (2.) There are particular lusts or dispositions of that corrupt nature, such as pride, passion, covetousness. (3.) There is one of these stronger than all the rest, The sin which doth so easily beset us.' So that the river divides into many streams, whereof one is greater than the rest. The corruption of nature is the river-head, which has many particular lusts wherein it runs; but it mainly disburdens itself into that which we call the predominant sin. But as in some rivers the main stream runs not always in the same channel, so the besetting sin may change, as lust in youth may be succeeded by covetousness in old age. Now what

does it avail, to reform in other things, while the reigning sin retains its full power? What if a particular sin be gone? If the sin of our nature keep the throne, it will set up another in its stead: as when a water-course is stopped in one place, it will break forth in another. Thus some cast off their prodigality; but covetousness comes in its stead. Some quit their profaneness; but the same stream runs in the other channel of self-righteousness.

"That you may have a full view of the sin of your nature, I would recommend to you three things. (1.) Study to know the spirituality and extent of the law of God; for that is the glass wherein you may see yourselves. (2.) Observe your hearts at all times; but especially under temptation. Temptation is a fire that brings up the scum of the unregenerate heart. (3.) Go to God through Jesus Christ, for illumination by his Spirit. Say unto him, What I know not, teach thou me' and be willing to take in light from the word. It is by the word the Spirit teacheth; but unless he teach, all other teaching is to little purpose. You will never see yourself aright, till he light his candle in your breast. Neither the fulness and glory of Christ, nor the corruption and vileness of our nature, ever were or can be rightly learned, but where the Spirit of Christ is the teacher.

"To conclude. Let the consideration of what has been said, commend Christ to you all. Ye that are brought out of your natural state, be humble: still coming to Christ, still cleaving to him, for the purging out what remains of your natural corruption. Ye that ale yet in your natural state, what will ye do? Ye must die: ye must stand at the judgment seat of God. Will you lie down and sleep another night at ease in this case? See, ye do it not. Before another day you may be set before his dreadful tribunal, in the grave-clothes of your corrupt state, and your vile souls cast into the pit of destruetion, to be for ever buried out of God's sight. For I testify unto you, there is no peace with God, no pardon, no heaven for you in this state. There is but a step betwixt you and eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord. If the brittle thread of life, which may be broken with a touch, in a moment, or ever you are aware, be broken while you are in this state, you are ruined for ever, and without remedy. But come ye speedily to Jesus Christ. He hath cleansed as vile souls as yours. Confess your sins;' and he will both forgive your sins, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” BRISTOL, Aug. 17, 1757.

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I. I AM inclined to believe, that many of those who enjoy the faith which worketh by love, may remember some time when the power of the Highest wrought upon them in an eminent manner; when the voice of the Lord laid the mountains low, brake all the rocks in pieces, and mightily shed abroad his love in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost given unto them. And at that time it is certain, they had no power to resist the grace of God. They were then no more able to stop the course of that torrent, which carried all before it, than to stem the waves of the sea with their hand, or to stay the sun in the midst of heaven.

II. And the children of God may continually observe, how his love leads them on from faith to faith; with what tenderness he watches over their souls; with what care he brings them back if they go astray, and then upholds their going in his path, that their footsteps may not slide. They cannot but observe how unwilling he is to let them go from serving him; and how, notwithstanding the stubbornness of their wills, and the wildness of their passions, he goes on m his work, conquering and to conquer, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

III. The farther this work is carried on in their hearts, the more earnestly do they cry out, "Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name give the praise, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." The more deeply are they convinced that, by grace we are saved; not of works, lest any man should boast; that we are not pardoned and accepted with God for the sake of any thing we have done, but wholly and solely for the sake of Christ, of what he hath done and suffered for us. The more assuredly likewise do they know, that the condition of this acceptance is faith alone; before which gift of God no good work can be done, none which hath not in it the nature of sin.

IV. How easily then may a believer infer, from what he hath experienced in his own soul, that the true grace of God always works irresistibly in every believer? That God will finish wherever he has begun this work, so that it is impossible for any believer to fall from grace? And, lastly, that the reason why God gives this, to some only, and not to others, is, because of his own will, without any previous

regard either to their faith or works, he hath absolutely, unconditionally predestinated them to life, before the foundation of the world.

V. Agreeable hereto, in the Protestant Confession of Faith, drawn up at Paris, in the year 1559, we have these words: (Article 12.) "We believe, that out of the general corruption and condemnation, in which all men are plunged, God draws those whom in his eternal and unalterable counsel, he has elected by his own goodness and mercy, through our Lord Jesus Christ, without considering their works, leaving the others in the same corruption and condemnation." VI. To the same effect speak the Dutch Divines assembled at Dort, in the year 1618. Their words are: (Art. 6. et seq.)

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Whereas, in process of time, God bestowed faith on some, and not on others, this proceeds from his eternal Decree-According to which, he softens the hearts of the elect, and leaveth them that are not elect in their wickedness and hardness.

"And herein is discovered the difference put between men equally lost that is to say, the decree of election and reprobation.

"Election is the unchangeable decree of God, by which, before the foundation of the world, he hath chosen, in Christ unto salvation, a set number of men. This election is one and the same of all which

are to be saved.

"Not all men are elected, but some not elected; whom God, in his unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed, to leave in the common misery, and not to bestow saving faith upon them; but leaving them in their own ways, at last to condemn and punish them everlastingly for their unbelief, and also for their other sins. And this is the Decree of Reprobation."

VII. Likewise in the Confession of Faith, set forth by the Assembly of English and Scotch divines, in the year 1646, are these words : (chap 3.)

"God from all eternity did unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.

"By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death.

"These angels and men, thus predestinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

"Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God before the foundation of the world, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, without any foresight of faith or good works.

"The rest of mankind God was pleased, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath."

No less express are Mr. Calvin's words in his Christian Institutions, (chap. 21, sect. 1.)

"All men are not created for the same end: but some are fore-ordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation. So according as every man was created for the one or the other, we say he was elect

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