The Morning Exercise Methodized

4. I shall speak a few words to the order of these divine persons; in order of subsistence, the Father is before the Son, and the Son before the holy Ghost. The Father, the first person in the Trinity, hath foundation of personal subsistence in himself; the Son the second person, the foundation of personal subsistence from the Father; the holy Ghost the third person, hath foundation of personal subsistence from the Father and the Son.

Now although one person be before the other in regard of order, yet they are all equal in regard of time, Majesty, glory, essence; this I conceive to be the reason why in the Scripture sometimes you have the Son placed before the Father; as 2 Cor. 13.14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all, Amen. So Gal. 1.1. Paul an Apostle not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Sometimes the holy Ghost is placed before the Father, as Eph. 2.18. Through him we have an access by one Spirit, unto the Father. Sometimes before Jesus Christ, Rev. 1.4, 5. John to the seven Churches in Asia, Grace be unto you, and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven Spirits which are before the Throne (by the seven Spirits there, is meant the holy Ghost) and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness, &c. The consideration of this caused that rule amongst our Divines; ab ordine verborum nulla est argumentatio; there is no argument to be urged from the order of words. Now this shows, that although one person be before another in regard of relation, and order of subsistence, yet all are equal one with another in regard of essence.

And therefore beware lest you derogate the least jota or tittle of glory, or Majesty, from any of the three persons. As in nature, a small matter as to the body, may be a great matter as to the beauty of the body; cut but the hair from the eye brow, how disfigured will all the face look. If you take away never so little of that honor, and glory, which is due to any of the divine Persons, you do what in you lies, to blot, to stain, to disfigure the fair and beautiful face of the blessed Trinity.

5. I am to inquire whether the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature.

Resol. There are two things in the general, that I would say in answer to this question.

1. That the light of nature without divine Revelation, cannot discover it.

2. That the light of nature after divine Revelation, cannot oppose it.

1. That the light of nature without divine Revelation, cannot discover it; and for that purpose take into your thoughts these following considerations.

1. If that which concerns the worship of God cannot be found out by the light of nature, much less that which concerns God's nature, essence, or subsistence; but the Antecedent is certainly true; For,

1. As for the part of the worship and service of God, which is instituted, and ceremonial, it is impossible that it should be found out by the light of nature; for instance, what man could divine that the Tree of life should be a Sacrament to Adam in Paradise? How comes the Church to understand what creatures were clean, what were unclean? that the Priesthood was settled in the Tribe of Levi, and not in the Tribe of Simeon, or the Trible of Judah? certainly these lessons were not learned by the candle-light of nature.

2. As for that part of the service of God, which is moral, all of that neither is not discoverable by natural light; For,

1. If you consult the seventh to the Romans, you shall find that there were some secret moral wickednesses which Paul did not see, which Paul could not have seen by the light of nature; no, although a Pharisee, and by that means very expert in the letter of the Law; Rom. 7.7. I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

2. If the light of nature be imperfect in us since the fall, which I suppose you will grant, then there may be many things moral now imperceptible by the light of nature, which it might and did see in its state of perfection; and therefore it must needs be of dangerous import, to make the Law of nature a weak, faint, shadowing, imperfect light, the perfect rule, and only measure of moral duties; to cry up the Law written in our hearts, is in this case to cry down the Law written in the Scriptures; this is as it were to pull the Sun in its noon-day brightness, in its greatest luster and glory out of the firmament, and to walk by the light of a Candle, a stinking snuff in the socket, almost gone out; this is to make the Primmer, the Horn-book, the A. b. c. of natural light, the highest piece of learning in morality.

The Law of nature (to our shame and grief we may speak it) is so obliterated and darkened, that it cannot show a man the least part of his wickedness. Pelagius was a man of great learning, and by his studies and diligence, had snuffed the Candle of the Lord, and made it burn with a clearer shine; yet how little could he see into this matter? It was his affection, that we are borne as well without vice, as virtue, tam sine vitio, quam sine virtute nascimur; and we see all Popery to this very day, hold motions to sin not consented unto, to be no sins, but necessary conditions arising from our constitution, and such as Adam had in innocence.

But I forbear; the issue of this particular is thus much, if that which concerns the worship and service of God, cannot be found out by the light of nature, much less that which concerns his essence and subsistence.

2. The doctrine of the Gospel is called by the Apostle a mystery, and a mystery without controversy; great is the mystery of godliness! and what greater Gospel-mystery is there than the Trinity, which neither men nor Angels can comprehend, and both men and Angels must adore! Now if this doctrine be discoverable by natural light, it is no more a mystery. The works of the flesh are manifest, saith the Apostle, Gal. 5.19, 20. Now why are they said to be manifest? because they stink in the nostrils of nature, and are discernible by the dim eye of conscience.

Object. 1. Possibly some may say, man hath as it were the image or likeness of a Trinity within himself; there are three prime faculties, understanding, will, and memory, in one and the same reasonable soul.

Resol. 1. A similitude doth not prove a thing to be, but only represent a thing to our fancy, which at present hath, or at least had a being one way or other; for instance, it is impossible that any Son should know his fathers picture, unless first he hath seen or heard, that his father was such a person as the picture doth represent; and by that means hath before hand, his fathers idea and image presented in his own soul.

2. 'It is denied that these faculties in man's soul, bear the image or likeness of a Trinity; neither can any man by a reflex act upon his own soul, attain to the knowledge of this great mystery; but such notions as these are the luxuriant extravagancies of some curious brains, that would advance earth as high as heaven; and do indeed rather darken, then illustrate this truth; as he who would add any color unto light, doth rather blemish it than adorn it; what a piece of folly would it be to undertake to emblazon a sun-beam?

Object. 2. The doctrine of the Trinity was known to several of the Heathens, which had not the Scriptures, and therefore is discoverable by the light of nature.

Resol. 1. If the Heathen had any notions of the Trinity, they might receive them either by tradition, from those who had read the Scriptures, or out of the Scriptures themselves, and not by the improvement of natural light.

2. 'It is very probable that these notions of a Trinity, which are found in Plato, and Trismegistus, were not writ by them, but foisted into their works by some that lived in after ages; my Reasons are these.

1. Those writings which go under the name of the Ancient Fathers, are not all truly such, but a great part of them supposititious, and forged; as Mr. Dally proves largely in that learned piece of his, called A Treatise of the right use of the Fathers; where he gives you an account of whole books that were published under the names of the Apostles, as Saint Peter, Saint Barnabas, and others which were not such. Now if men durst be thus bold with the Apostles, no wonder if they did not stick to deal thus with Heathens. This imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary; yea, the fathers themselves have used this Artifice to promote their own opinions, as you may read largely in the third Chapter of that book.

2. Some are apt to believe, that there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the books of the Heathens, than in the books of Moses; and so by consequence, the Heathens should know more of the Trinity, than the Israel of God, which is flat contrary to the Scriptures. Psal. 76.1. In Judah is God known, his Name is great in Israel; He hath not dealt so with any Nation; and as for his judgments, thy have not known them; praise ye the Lord.

And thus I have done with the first Assertion in answer to this question, whither the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature? viz. that the light of nature without divine Revelation, cannot discover it.

2. The light of nature after divine Revelation, cannot oppose it. For,

1. As the judgment of sense ought not to be urged against the judgment of reason; so the judgment of reason ought not to be urged against the judgment of faith. The judgment of sense, ought not to be urged against the judgment of reason; for instance, sense tells us that some of the Stars are as small as spangles (I am apt to believe, that some Country men think the Sun to be no bigger than their Cartwheele) here reason interposes, corrects sense, tells us, that there being a vast distance between us and them, they must needs be very great bodies, or else they could not be visible. There are thousands of Stars that cause the white streak in the heavens, called the Milky-way, which are invisible upon the account but now mentioned. Sense tells us, that the Sun is of greater magnitude in the morning, and evening, than at noon; here reason again interposes, corrects sense, tells us, it only apeares so because of the densenesse, or thickness of the air or medium; and that for the same reason, if you put a piece of money into a bason of water, it will appear of a larger size, than if it were in a bason without water; that which I aim at is this, that as reason doth thus correct sense, à pari, faith should correct reason.

2. Philosophical Axioms, must be kept within their proper bounds, and limited to a finite power; for instance, Ex nihilo nihil fit, that out of nothing proceeds nothing, is a truth, if it be understood with reference to a finite power. So A privatione ad habitum non datur regressus, is a truth upon the same terms. Sic una numero essentia non potest esse in tribus personis; that one and the same numerical essence, cannot be in three distinct persons, is a truth limited, as before; I mean, with reference to a finite power; but all this, and ten thousand Arguments more of this nature, cannot overthrow this principle, that there are three persons, and one God; for we are not speaking now of that which is finite, but of that which is infinite. Suppose this Question should be started; how the same numerical essence can be in three persons? possibly an answer might be returned thus. Suppose a father begets a son, and communicates to him the same numerical soul and body which he hath still himself, and both of these should communicate the same soul and body to a third, here would be three distinct persons, yet the same essence in them all; but I know a reply would quickly be made, This is impossible; answer must be made, It is true, as to that which is finite, but not unto that which is infinite, &c.

The time allotted for this exercise being spent, in the handling of the doctrinal part of this Observation, I can speak but a few words to the Use and Application.

Use 1. This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the Gospel, even this mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest unto the Church; the Heathens as we have heard, could not attain unto this knowledge by the light of nature; Oh what a comfort is this, that we serve an incomprehensible God! one God, and yet three persons; to comprehend is to environ, and keep in all that God is; for my part, I would not worship that God that I could comprehend; the doings of God know no bounds, much more his essence and subsistence. Kings have their Crowns, a circle about their head, and should also have a circle about their feet, they should not go which way they please, but keep themselves with n the limits of Law, both of God and man, and this speaks them to be creatures, though in a greater letter, finite beings; but it is otherwise with God; as he will not have any Articles put upon him, so he cannot have any circles or lines drawn about him; for an infinite God to be finite and limited, is a contradiction in adjecto.

2. Let us study this doctrine of the Trinity; and as a motive to this consider, we cannot worship God aright, without some knowledge of this truth. As God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost, are the object of divine faith, so are they the object of divine worship; we must worship Trinity in unity, and unity in Trinity; you may direct your prayers unto God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; but you must not pray unto either of the persons, but as united unto the other. Gerard tells us in Loc. come. de sanctissimo Trinitatis mysterio, cap. 1. that it is absolutely necessary in some measure to know this truth; and that not only the denial of the Trinity of persons, but the ignorance of it is damnable; the Apostle tells the Ephesians, that sometime they were Atheists, we render it without God in the world, but in the original it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Atheists in the world; and the reason of this you have in the beginning of the verse, because they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 without the knowledge of Christ; although a man acknowledges there is but one true God, yet if he knows not this God in Christ, he is an Atheist.

3. Bless God for the clear discovery of this truth under the Gospel; Blessed are our eyes for we see, and our ears for we hear; 'It is God's method to discover himself by degrees; we know more of God now than the Jews did; and we shall know more in heaven, than we know on earth. Now God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost, lead us unto all truth, and bring us at last unto himself, that we may enjoy him, and have a more full and clear discovery of him, unto all Eternity, Amen.

READER,

BE pleased to take notice that the worthy Author of this Sermon not long after he had preached it, by a very sad hand of God fell sick and died; so that he had not opportunity himself to bring it forth into light; you have it here as it was taken by a good Noter, yet so as it hath been compared with the Authors own Notes; which yet being for the most part wrote in Characters, the Comparer could not make so much advantage of them as he desired.

Had the Lord been pleased to spare him his life, this Discourse had come forth more exact and accurate than now it doth; but such as it is, it here presents itself to thee; and 'tis hoped, though that is wanting which might please the learned eye, yet there is that in it which may profit the judicious Christian; you will here see the difference of Treatises put forth by the Authors themselves, and by others, which is as great as the difference betwixt the child whom the mother nurses herself, (which is full and fair, and lusty) and that which is put out after her death, (which is too often infirm, lean, and starved.)

If thou findest anything in this Sermon that is for thy profit, bless God for it, and pray that no more such hopeful instruments may be cut off in the prime of their days.

THE DIUINE AUTHORITY OF THE Scriptures.

YOu have heard there is a God, and you have had a discourse concerning the Trinity; I am now to clear and prove to you the Divine authority of the Scriptures; therefore I crave your attention to what the Scripture reports of itself in 2 Tim. 3.16, &c.

It was motive enough to the Ephesians to plead and zealously to conte d for the image of Diana, because they said it was that which fell from Jupiter, Acts 19.35. Sure then you will have reason to plead for, and to hold fast this blessed book which we call the Bible, if I shall be able to make it further evident, that it is tha book which God himself hath writ. An Argument which you need to hear, and which you had need seriously consider; for (as I shall anon press it upon you) if you did believe the glory the Scripture speaks of, and the dreadful misery that remains for impenitent sinners in hell; if things as they are stated in the Scripture were looked upon as real truths, it would cause you presently to return to God by godliness.

There were even in the Apostles time seducers, (so you find in the beginning of this Chapter) persons that would resist the truth, as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses; Not only in the present age, (which is like the dregs of the world in comparison of the Primitive times) but even then also there were seducers and deceivers; there are Comets among the Stars, as well as ignis fatuus that creep upon the earth; what must Timothy do? ver. 14. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom than hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Scriptures, &c. [From a child] Jos phus in his book against Apion tells us, the children of the Jews were so instructed in their Laws, that they could scarce name a Law to them, but they could tell it; more shame to us Christians that take no care to teach Religion, that may much more easily be learned than the Jewish Religion could. [From a child thou hast learned the Scriptures] And it would be a shame for a person so long instructed, not to continue in this doctrine; a shame for an old professor well educated to desert the principles of his Religion, and forsake the truths of Scripture; do not forsake them, why? this verse gives two reasons; first, it is of divine revelation; secondly, it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

A little to explain the words.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God] Scripture in the Text, is the same with the Holy Scriptures, ver. 15. for you must know that in the Bible, the word Scripture is commonly taken for the holy Scriptures; so search the Scripture; ye err, not knowing the Scripture; the Scripture cannot be broken; so you must understand it here, all Scripture, that is not everything that is written, but the holy Scripture.

Is of Divine inspiration] the meaning is, that the things written are not of human invention, are not the contrivance of any man's wit, or any man's fancy; but they are the real revelations of the mind and will of God: And yet those things which were thus revealed, good men were excited to write them, and assisted in it: I say, the inspiration of God comprehends in it these two things. First, the truths contained in this Scripture were not inventions of man's brain ot fancy: Secondly, that they who writ them were excited to it, and were assisted in it by the Holy Ghost.

The Text is both explained and confirmed by the parallel place, 2 Pet. 1.21. Knowing this first, that no prophesy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation; for the prophesy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

That you may a little understand this Text, give me leave to gloss upon it. In ver. 16. the Apostle said, we have not followed cunningly devised fables, &c. That which we have proposed and preached to you, was nothing cunningly devised by us, when we made known to you the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; we saw him transfigured; we did not go about to tell you the story ourselves; but if you will not believe that, ver. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophesy: There are predictions concerning Christ in the Old Testament, whereunto ye do very well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: Not as some Enthusiasts would interpret this, that men should mind the Old Testament till the Spirit of God should tell them the truth of this Scripture, and then throw away the Old Testament: No, it's a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns, and the day-star arise in your hearts. I will give two interpretations; either first, that this heart is the dark place till the day-star arise, and so the word [until] shall not refer to the word take heed, but only to dark place; man's heart is the dark place. But I rather take it till they saw the accomplishment of those Prophesies; till you see that really fulfilled which hath been Prophesied: Take heed, why? knowing this that no Prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, &c. so we read the word; in the Greek it is, they are not of any private incitation and impulsion; for the word hath reference to the custom of Racers; now you know Racers do not set out when they please themselves, but when he watch word is given: Now no Prophesy is of any private interpretation, they did not go about nor set about it till God really put them upon it; for it was not the effect of their own will, choice or invention, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Say the Papists, the Scripture is of no private interpretation; therefore you cannot understand it; but that is just as if I should say. you must not put what meaning you will upon my words, and therefore you cannot understand them: The Scriptures being from God are not to any of private interpretation; (that is) to put any other meaning upon them than what God means; but it doth not follow what God means, cannot be understood; Luke 1.70. its said that God spake by the mouth of the holy Prophets, &c. The Apostles before they preached, were endued with power from on high, as you read in the Acts. Paul saith of himself, it pleased God to reveal his Son in him, Gal. 1.15, 16. by the Revelation of the Gospel; 1 Cor. 14.37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you, are the Commandments of the Lord.

Quest. The grand enquiry will be, how may any man be truly satisfied, that this book is the Word of God? or that it hath Divine authority, or Divine inspiration?

I confess 'tis an undertaking too great for me, but yet sometimes you have seen a little boat follow a great ship. That I may distinctly do it, and offer my own thoughts in this great enquiry, I shall give you what I have to say in these seven Propositions.

Sol. 1. Prop. That there may be a Revelation from God, no man can doubt but an Atheist that thinks there is no God. That there has been a Revelation from God is acknowledged by the Gentiles; for they looked upon their Oracles as answers of their gods; and it is acknowledged also by the Jews, who tell us that Moses had their Laws from God upon the Mount, and all the Prophets were moved and excited by God to deliver their errands to them; since there is a God, God may make a Revelation of his mind.

2. Prop. That there should be a Revelation of God's mind and will, every man cannot but grant it to be highly reasonable; for alas, poor man is a sinner, a pitiful dark blind thing; now he cannot but confess though he hath no Bible, yet surely he is not what he was when he came out of God's hand; but he is now ignorant, and does not know all his duty, and he is backward to do that which he does know, and if he was not backward, he could tell whether God would accept of it or not; therefore man cannot but say it is a thing h ghly reasonable that there should be a Revelation of the will of God, that he might know his duty; and if he did do it, God would take it kindly at his hand.

3. Prop. We ought to have good satisfaction for that which we entertain as a Divine Revelation; for there are more persons come in God's name, than have God's commission; a great many more say Thus says the Lord, then ever were bid to speak God's Word; As we cannot believe we know not what, so we cannot believe we know not why; whoever believes anything, he hath some reason why he does believe it: 2 Tim. 3.14. Continue in the things whereof thou hast been assured; not those things which are concredited and trusted to thee, but those things of which thou hast been assured: Now saith our Savior, John 4.22. Ye worship ye know not what; intimating persons ought to understand what, and why they worship; we are not born with this notion that this Bible is a beam of the Sun of righteousness; we must therefore see why we entertain it. That rule is excellent, though I must not nor cannot give a reason of everything believed, (for many things far transcend all that my short understanding is able to reach) yet I must, and I am bound to give a reason of all that I believe, because God hath said it. When the Gospel was preached, the Bereans were commended for examining whether those things were so or not. I am satisfied this Book is God's Word, I have reason enough to believe whatever is revealed; for God is too good to deceive, and too wise to be deceived; and therefore show me but that God hath said it, and that it is really God's mind, I have all the reason in the world to believe it; but now I must have some reason for which I believe that this book is the revelation of God's mind and will.

4. Prop. Where we ought to be satisfied, there 'tis certain God hath given minds desirous of satisfaction to see some ground for it; I mean since 'tis so great a matter, we ought not to be fondly credulous: No question but God hath given sufficient evidence of that he would have us maintain as the manifestation of his own pleasure; for thus I argue, If we neither have nor can have anything to discern what is from God, and what is not from God, then we must either resolve to believe nothing at all, as never knowing but that we may be cheated; or else believe what comes first to hand, be it what it will; therefore I say where God would have us entertain anything of his mind, 'tis certain he gives us sufficient evidence 'tis so. I say, God intended to give satisfaction to a mind that's desirous of it; not to a man that is peremptory, willful and resolute of his own way, let God say what he will. God will not satisfy every angry Jew that will hold fast his own prejudices; nor every sensual Gentile that lives in nothing but profaneness; but an ingenuous spirit that willingly gives up himself to the truth of God, and lays down every prejudice, and is willing to be taught by him, this is the person to whom God intends real satisfaction.

5. Prop. All the evidence which we have of anything, is either from reason or sensation: As it is impossible a man should give credit to that which can no way be made credible; so whatsoever is made credible to us, is made so from some faculty; now all our faculties are either ratiocination or sensation; either the workings of our understanding, or else things we feel; believe such a thing, why? I feel it, see it, hear it.

6. Prop. We have rational evidence this book we call the Bible is God's Word, and of Divine Authori y.

7. Prop. Good men have inward sensations that this book is from God.

Now I am come to the grand business. I have told you there may be a Revelation from God since there is a God; it's highly reasonable there should be such a Revelation; we ought to have satisfaction in what we entertain as a Revelation of God; where we ought to be satisfied, God hath given it to a mind willing to entertain it; all the evidences we can have of a thing whereby we should be satisfied, must either be from our reason or sense; And now we have rational evidence, this book we call the Bible, is of Divine Authority.

I will dwell but upon this one Argument, and before I speak to it, give me leave to ask you this one question; What would you desire to give you assurance that any particular book or Revelation is from God? this is a considerable question; for whatsoever a sober man could desire to give him assurance this book is from God, he hath it; and if God say, thou hadst all I could give thee, it would non-plus all at that day if they be found unbelievers.

I can possibly desire nothing but these three things. First, Methinks whatsoever should come from God, should press holiness and godliness; should press such a Religion, that if men love it, they should be happy by it; and should give such Arguments to engage men to this Religion, as should be proper to persuade. Secondly, I should think that the Publisher of this Doctrine should himself be an exemplary person; for I could not easily imagine God would send such a person to bring in such a Religion as should destroy it by his own life, and bring to ruin by his works what he had spoken with his mouth. Thirdly, I should expect such a person should work miracles to give us assurance he had a Divine Commission.

Now let us make an enquiry whether we have not all these things; this great Argument Comprehends many things in it.

First, This book presses holiness and godliness so as never did any in the world before nor since, and gives such Arguments for it as never was heard of, nor the wit of man could ever have thought of. He that would walk in the Wilderness of Paganism, might hear and there spy a flower growing amongst many weeds; now and then a Philosopher that gives you some good directions that concern righteousness and external behavior; but the Scripture is a garden wherein whatsoever hath been recommended by all the sober men in the world is put together, and wherein they were defective that's there made up; for they were defective especially in this one great point, deep humility; and though you shall find many things that concern the exercise of some Christian graces, yet in the real practice of humility, a man would wonder how incredibly they fell short.

But as for the Scripture; what would you have? it bids you live soberly, righteously, godly; it bids you lie at God's feet as his creature, to do with you what he will; it would have you like God himself; that's the end of the promises, that we should partake of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. it bids you be holy as God is holy, 1 Pet. 1.15. it charges upon you whatever thing is good, is just, is lovely, Phil. 4.8. it commands your very thoughts; it's so far from suffering you to do hurt to your brother, as not to suffer you to think hurt; it's so far from allowing to act rapine and injustice, as not to allow to do anything that savors of coveting; it binds the very heart and soul: O what a place of universal calmness would this world be, should all serve one another in love; should all study each others good, we should never do injury; if any did, we should forgive him, we should endeavor to be perfect as God is; therefore the Jew could not but say the precepts of the Gospel were wonderful, great, excellent and transcendent indeed.

Behold the Scripture is a doctrine according to godliness, 1 Tim. 6.3. truth according to godliness, Tit. 1.1. the mystery of godliness, 1 Tim. 3.16. so that in one word, whatever God would think fit for man to do to that God that made him; whatever is fit for a sinner to do to a holy God against whom he hath trangressed; and between man and man; all that is the design of the Scripture. And what the Scripture thus commends, it presses by incomparable Arguments; shall I name a few?

1. Behold God is manifested in the flesh for this purpose, 1 Tim. 3.16. Is it nothing sinner, that thou wilt live foolishly, vainly? what wilt thou think to see God dwelling in human nature? to see God live a poor, scorned, reproached, contemned life; intimating this great truth, that it's not so unseemly a thing for the Son of God himself to live a poor miserable life, as 'tis for a man to be an impenitent sinner; if you remain a willful and impenitent sinner, thou wouldst in thy pride be like God, and have no Superior above thee: Behold God condescends and becomes like to thee, that if possible he might bring thee back again; thou that art a sinner, suspectest whether God will do thee good; behold how close he comes to thee, he dwells in thy own nature.

2. Behold the beloved Son of God dying upon the Cross for thee. What would you think if any of your Parents should suffer their child to die on the behalf of an enemy? would you not think it should move that enemy? Behold my Son in whom I am well-pleased! methinks God takes not a quarter of that content in the whole Creation, which he does when he speaks of his Son; yet this Son suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3.18. methinks this love should constrain us, 2 Cor. 5.14. Poor soul, thou art ready to think God is become thine enemy; when sickness and death comes, thou art ready to say, hast thou found me O mine enemy? here's trouble in the world; how shall I know whether God intends good? Behold it's beyond peradventure, God intends good to a sinner because he dwelt in our nature, and his Son died for us, and his Son felt pain and infirmity, and therefore he may love thee, and you need not question anything of this nature is a hindrance of God's love; the case of a sinner is not so desperate, but that a man may be accepted and loved of God for Christ's sake; will not this move you?

3. You have promises of eternal life, and threatenings of eternal misery: Never did any Philosopher or any other man threaten, If you will not observe such and such precepts, I will throw you into eternal torments, nor never did any man say I will give you such glory in heaven; but the Scripture does; behold life and immortality are brought to light by Christ; there's a future resurrection, and this body is like an old house pulled down, by and by it will be a brave building again, a spiritual body, and we shall shine like the Sun in the Firmament, and be equal to the Angels of God, Matth. 13.43. and he like God and Christ: Now we know not what we shall be, but when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.1, 2. And having this hope, who would not purify himself even as God is pure? who would not live soberly, righteously and godly, looking for that blessed hope, &c? If you did but apprehend this glory, were not your mind senseless, its impossible you could be quiet without getting an interest in it. And how great the day of judgment will be, it tells you; how our thoughts, words and actions, and everything we go about shall come under a severe scrutiny.

4. The worth of our souls; we mind our bodies, but a soul is better than a world. The Scripture saith, the Son of God died for souls; we never understood so much what souls were wor h as now we do, when we see God taking such care, and having such designs and thoughts from all eternity.

5. The fairest and the most reasonable condition of eternal happiness, and the greatest strength to perform it, that's offered in the Gospel: Suppose we were sensible we were liable and obnoxious to God's wrath, and could go to heaven and beseech God that he would be pleased not to execute that wrath upon us, do but think what terms you would be willing to propose to God; would you come and say, Lord, punish me not for what is past, though I intend to do the same thing; but he that should say, Lord, forgive me, I am sorry for that which is done, and it shall be the business of my life to live more circumspectly to thee; this is the great thing the Scripture proposes to us: Godliness in the Scripture hath the promise of the things of this life, and of things to come; whatever is good here, we are sure of it in the practice of piety; and in the world to come as sure of that happiness; but no more can tell what it is, then we can tell what the thoughts of all men have been since the first Creation.

What Arguments can you imagine possibly God himself could propose greater or stronger than these? what should hinder me from returning to God? That's the first part of the demonstration.

Secondly, we would expect the Publisher of this Doctrine should himself be exemplary, and so was Christ; Austin said, the whole life of Christ was doctrinal, to lead us to piety and good practice, he went up and down doing good. Did any reproach him? he reproached them not again; was he reviled? he reviled not again; when he came to suffer, Father, not my will, but thine be done; there's not such a word as that in all the pieces of Philosophy, not such an expression of humility and surrender, Father, not my will, &c.

An innocent person, so saith the Text; he is always denying himself, he will not be rich and great in the world; why? he pressed you to lay up treasures in heaven; he hath not a hole where to lay his head; why? because he bids you to live upon God's providence; he lived a single life, bacause he would have you be as though you had not such and such relations; his very enemies could object nothing against him; have nothing to do with that just person, said Pilate's wife. I find no fault in him, saith he that condemned him; not the Jews themselves were ever able to instance in any evil practice; they only charged him, (and so do still) that he wrought miracles by the Devil, which was the greatest miracle; but they never could charge him with any evil practice; leaving us an example, 1 Pet. 2.21. Learn of me, I am meek and lowly. Now what servant would not be willing to do that which his Master does before him?

Thirdly, we would expect he should work miracles to testify that he had his commission from God; for he that shall come to set up a new Law, a new Economy, a new frame nd constitution of Religion, had need assure us that he is God's messenger; if he work miracles, we cannot tell what to have more; for we certainly conclude that God will not suffer a long series of things extraordinary and quite beyond the course of nature to be done to attest a lie: Miracles were bagun by our Savior, and continued many hundred years after, just as props that are set under weak Vines; so these under the weak faith of the world when it first began. One said excellently, that those whom the speaking tongue did not convince, the seeing eyes might certainly convince; that these were proper to convince that Christ came from God, appears, Matth. 11.3.4. where when John sent to know, Art thou he that should come? that is, Art thou the Messiah? Go and tell John what you hear and see; The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, &c. John 3.2. Nicodemus saith, No man can do these miracles that thou dost, except God be with him; and John 9.13. the blind man saith he hath opened mine eyes, and how come you to ask how he did it? great signs shall follow them that believe, Mark 16.17. and these continued in Justin Martyrs, Tertullian's, Cyprians time, Gregory Nyssens time, and some part of Chrysostom's time.

Concerning these miracles, give me leave to lay down three Propositions, then you will see the strength of the whole Argument.

1. They were famous and illustrious, for they were done before multitudes, Matth. 9.8. Matth. 12.22, 23. not done in a corner, John 9. when Lazarus was raised, they said, they could not deny it; at his death the Earth quaked, the Temple rent, there was darkness for three hours which was observed by Heathens as well as Christians.

2. As they were done before a multitude, so there were a multitude of miracles, insomuch that John saith, they were so many, that if all should be written, the world could not contain the books that should be written, John 21.25. That is an Hyperbolical expression for a very great number.

A learned man hath observed Elisha did but twelve miracles, Elijah not so many; Moses wrought about seventy six; and they which were done by them and all the rest of the Prophets from the beginning of the world to the destruction of the first Temple, amounted but to one hundred and fifty miracles; in three thousand three hundred twenty eight years there were not as we find in Scripture, so many wrought; but now Christ went about healing all manner of sickness, and curing all manner of diseases, Mat. 4.23. Acts 10.38. Questionlesse a very vast number.

3. They were of all sorts and of all kinds; a woman that had an issue of blood twelve years, Matth. 9.20. and a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, Luke 13.11. and one that had an infirmity thirty eight years, John 5.8. the dead were raised, the Devils were cast out, the Sea commanded, the winds obey; they are of all sorts and kinds.

Observe also this, that you do not read or find by anything that there was the least of them done out of any ostentation; there was no such thing done by Christ or his Apostles, to call men out and say, Come, I will show you what I can do, that should show any kind of arrogant affectation to themselves; but the greatest humility and modesty runs through all the exercise of this mighty power, and this practice was ordinary among the common Professors then; yea, the Galatians they received that spirit by which miracles were wrought among themselves.

Secondly, such famous miracles were a sufficient ground to make men believe this holy doctrine, who saw the miracles wrought by them that preached it; for if they did not, it must be either because they questioned whether the things were done, or whether done by God or not; they could not question whether the things were done; for they saw some raised out of their graves, &c. Nor could they question whether this was from God or not; for observe, Where I see miracles wrought, there I am bound to believe that they give testimony to what is preached by him that works them, except that which is preached, is that of which I am infallibly assured already, it cannot be true, except God does by some greater miracle contradict the testimony of those miracles; as now the Egyptians they wrought miracles, but God contradicted all their testimony by Moses. Now observe, the end of all Christian Religion is to preach truth, to glorify God, to honor God, to save a man's soul. Never was there any exerting of God's power to contradict it; so that if a man may not believe a doctrine thus holy, a doctrine thus practiced by him that published it, and confirmed by miracles, then a man is under an impossibility of ever being satisfied from anything from God; for what shall satisfy? If God speak to us from heaven, we should as much suspect that, as if an Angel come from heaven we should suspect him; but since we believe and know there's a God, and he is just and merciful, it's impossible the divine goodness should consent to such Impostors.

But you will say what are these miracles to us?

I say therefore thirdly, they are a sufficient reason to engage us to believe the divinity of this holy doctrine, though we never saw them. You do not see Christ yourselves, nor did you see him die nor work miracles, but would you have had Christ live always among you? If you would, he must then never die, and the great comfort of our life depended upon his death; he died, is risen, and gone to heaven; would you have him come down from heaven, and die that you might see it? and would you have him die quite thorough the world at the same time? which must be if you would imagine we must see everything ourselves; it's a great piece of madness to believe nothing but what we see ourselves: Austin was troubled himself in this case, he had been cheated before, and now he was resolved he would believe nothing but what should be plain to him; at length (says he) O my God thou shown'st me how many things I believed which I saw not; I considered, I believed I had a father and mother, and such persons were my Parents; how can I tell that ? a man may say, it may be he was dropped from heaven, and God made him in an extraordinary way; so if I never were out of this Town, it's madness for a man to say there's never another Town in England; or to say there is no Sea because I saw it not. Nay, if a man come and tell me there's this doctrine that teaches me all self-denial, mortification, weanedness from the world, and say this is of God, and when he hath done ventures life, children, family, have we not reason to believe it? If you will not believe, 'tis either because the first persons were deceived themselves, or else because you think they would deceive you; now deceived themselves they could not be, when they saw so many miracles done; and deceive you, that they would not neither; for would any good man to deceive another, undo himself? they died for it, and writ this book, and sealed it with their blood; and therefore there can be no reason to doubt of it; they were witnesses, and delivered what they saw, Luke 1.2.

7. Prop. As we have rational evidence the Scripture is the Word of God, so we have evidence also from inward sensation; born we are with principles of conscience, and the truths in this book are so homogeneal to man, that he shall find something within himself to give testimony for it. 2 Cor. 4.2. By manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Joh. 5.44. Men believe not, because they receive honor one of another; and in Scripture they that would not believe, are they that would not repent, Mat. 21.28 to the 33. men that practice drunkenness, whoredom, sensuality, covetousness, pride, and know that these things are sins, they are the great unbelievers, because they are loath to leave their sins; offer the greatest reason in the world for a thing, if it be against a man's interest, how hard, and almost next to impossible is it to convince him? A man would believe that the Romans were in England that reads the Roman History; but if he shall find the coin of the Roman Emperor, he will much more believe it. Do a bad action, O the secret terrors that a man finds within him, as if he felt something of hell already! Do a good action, and the secret sweetness, joy and peace that attends it, that he cannot but say I believe it, for I feel some degrees of it already! 1 Cor. 14.24, 25, &c. he speaks to the inward principles of his conscience. The reason men believe not the Scriptures, is not because 'tis unreasonable to believe them, but because they have a desperate love to sin, and they are loath to entertain that that should check their interest. There is in every life that certain sagacity by which a man apprehends what is natural to that life, what nourishes that life; a man that lives according to the Law written in his heart, finds there's that in this Revelation that feeds, nourishes, and encourages it; so that this man finds experimental satisfaction in it. Doth the Word of God tell me the ways of God are pleasant? I thought they were hard and difficult, now I find the yoke of Christ is easy, and that no happiness like this, and no blessedness like that; I thought if I did not comply with such things I could never be blessed; now I find I need nothing to make me happy but my God; he finds and feels these things are certan, true and real. Thus I have done with the demonstration.

You will easily observe I have neither taken notice of what the Papists tell us, we must believe the Scripture because the Church saith it; we cannot tell what the Church is till the Scripture had told us.

And though I have not mentioned the testimony of the Spirit, yet I suppose I have spoke to the thing; for I cannot understand what should be meant by the testimony of the Spirit, except we either mean miracles wrought, which in Scripture is called the testimony of the Spirit of Christ, Acts 15.8, 9. the giving of the Holy Ghost, it's the giving of those extraordinary miracles that fell down among them, so Heb. 2.4. Acts 5.32. I say if by the testimony of the Spirit you mean this, then you can mean nothing else but the Spirit assisting, enabling, helping our faculties to see the strength of that Argument God hath given us, and by experience to feel what may be felt, which comes under the head of sensation.

MANS CREATION IN AN HOLY, BUT MUTABLE STATE.

IN these words you have the result of a serious inquiry into the state of mankind. In the verse immediately foregoing, the Preacher speaks his own experience, touching each sex distributively; how rare it was to meet with a wise and good man, how much rarer with a prudent and virtuous woman (so he must be understood, though these qualities are not expressed) then in the Text gives this verdict touching both collectively, tending to acquit their Maker of their universal depravation, and convict them. Lo this only have I found, &c.

The words contain two Propositions.

The first touching man's perfection by his creation, God made, &c.

The second touching his defection by sin, but they have sought, &c.

Together with a solemn Preface introducing both, and recommending them as well-weighed truths, Lo this only have I found, &c. q. d. I do not now speak at random, and by guess; no, but I solemnly pronounce it, as that which I have found out by serious study and diligent exploration, That God made man upright, &c. The Termes are not obscure, and are fitly rendered. I find no considerable variety of readings, and cannot needlessly spend time about words. Only in short,

By man] you must understand man collectively, so as to comprehend the whole species.

Making him upright] you must understand so as to refer making not to the adjunct only, supposing the subject pre-existent, but to both subject and adjunct together; and so 'tis man's concreate and original righteousness that is here meant.

By inventions] understand (as the antithesis doth direct) such as are alien from this rectitude. Nor is it altogether improbable that in this expression, some reference may be had to that curious desire of knowing much that tempted Adam and Eve into the first transgression.

Many inventions] seems to be spoken in opposition to that simplicity and singleness of heart which this original rectitude did include; truth is but one; falsehood, manifold. God made man upright, i. e. simple, plain-hearted, free from all tortuous windings, and involutions (so the word rendered upright in the Text doth signify; and Jeshurun derived therefrom, which God thought a fit name for his people Israel, the seed of plain-hearted Jacob to be known by; answerably whereto Nathanael is said to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile) Such man was at first; now in the room of this simplicity, you find a multiplicity; he was of one constant uniform frame, and tenor of Spirit, held one straight, direct and even course; now he's become full of inventions, grown vafrous, multiform as to the frame of his spirit, uncertain, intricate, perplexed in all his ways.

Sought out] this notes the voluntariness, and perfect spontaneity of his defecti n; 'twas his own doing. God made him upright; he hath sought out means to deform and undo himself.

The words thus opened, afford us two great Gospel-truths.

[Doctrine 1] 1. That God endued the nature of man in his creation, with a perfect and universal rectitude.

2. That man's defection from his primitive state was purely voluntary, and from the unconstrained choice of his own mutable and self-determining will.

(Though the latter part of the Text, would afford a sufficient ground to treat of the state of man now fallen; yet that being by agreement left to another hand, I observe no more from it then what concerns the manner of his fall, and that only as it depended on a mutable will.)

In handling these truths, I shall

1. Open them in certain explicatory Theses.

2. Improve them in some few praictcal and applicatory inferences.

1. About the former, that God endued, &c. take these Propositions for explication.

[Prop. 1] 1. All created rectitude consists in conformity to some rule or Law.

Rectitude is a mere relative thing, and its relation is to a rule. By a rule, I here mean a law strictly taken; and therefore I speak this only of created rectitude. A law, is a rule of duty given by a Superior to an Inferior; nothing can be in that sense a rule to God, or the measure of increated rectitude.

[Prop. 2] 2. The highest rule of all created rectitude, is the will of God, considered as including most intrinsically, an eternal and immutable reason, justice, and goodness.

'It is certain, there can be no higher rule to creatures than the divine Will; and as certain that the government of God over his creatures, is always reasonable and just, and gracious; and that this reasonableness, justice and goodness by which it is so, should be subjected anywhere but in God himself, none that know what God is (according to our more obvious notions of him) can possibly think.

[Prop. 3] 3. Any sufficient signification of this Will, touching the reasonable creatures duty is a law, indispensably obliging such a creature.

A law is a constitution de debito, and 'tis the Legislatours will (not concealed in his own breast, but) duly expressed that makes this constitution, and infers an obligation on the Subject.

[Prop. 4] 4. The Law given to Adam at his creation was partly natural, given by way of internal impression upon his soul; partly positive given (as is probable) by some more external discovery or revelation.

That the main body of laws whereby man was to be governed, should be at first given no other way than by stamping them upon his mind and heart, was a thing congruous enough to his innocent state (as it is to Angels and Saints in glory) it being then exactly contempered to his nature, highly approvable to his reason (as is evident in that being fallen, his reason ceases not to approve it, Rom. 2.18.) fully suitable to the inclination and tendency of his will, and not at all regretted by any reluctant principle that might in the least oppose or render him doubtful about his duty.

Yet was it most reasonable also, that some positive commands should be superadded, that God's right of dominion and government over him as Creator, might be more expressly asserted, and he might more fully apprehend his own obligation as a creature to do some things, because it was his Makers Will, as well as others, because they appeared to him in their own nature reasonable and fit to be done (for so the whole of what God requires of man, is fitly distinguished into some things which he commands, because they are just; and some things that are just, because he commands them.)

[Prop. 5] 5. Adam was endued in his creation, with a sufficient ability and habitude to conform to this whole Law, both natural and positive; in which ability and habitude his original rectitude did consist.

This Proposition carries in it the main truth we have now in hand, therefore requires to be more distinctly insisted on. There are two things in it to be considered.

• The thing itself he was endued with.
• The manner of the endowment.

1. The thing itself wherewith he was endued, that was uprightness, rectitude, (otherwise called the image of God, though that expression comprehends more than we now speak of, as his immortality, dominion over the inferior creatures, &c.) which uprightness or rectitude consisted in the habitual conformity, or conformability of all his natural powers to this whole Law of God; and is therefore considerable two ways, viz. In relation to its

• Subject.
• Rule.

1. In relation to its subject; that was the whole soul (in some sense it may be said the whole man) even the several powers of it. And here we are led to consider the parts of this rectitude, for 'tis coextended (if that phrase may be allowed) with its subject, and lies spread out into the several powers of the soul; for had any power been left destitute of it, such is the frame of man, and the dependence of his natural powers on each other, in order to action, that it had disabled him to obey, and had destroyed his rectitude; for bonum non oritur nisi ex causis integris, malum vero ex quovis defectu. And hence (as Davenant well observes) according to the parts (if I may so speak) of the subject wherein it was, Mans original rectitude must be understood to consist of

• 1. A perfect illumination of mind to understand and know the Will of God.
• 2. A compliance of heart and will therewith.
• 3. An obedient subordination of the sensitive appetite, and other inferior powers, that in nothing they might resist the former.

That it comprehends all these, appears by comparing Col. 3.10. where the image of God, wherein man was created, is said to consist in knowledge, that hath its seat and subject in the mind, with Ephes. 4.24. where righteousness and holiness are also mentioned; the one whereof consists in equity towards men; the other in loyalty and devotedness to God; both which necessarily suppose the due framing of the other powers of the soul, to the ducture of an enlightened mind. And besides, that work of sanctification (which in these Scriptures is expressly called a renovation of man according to the image of God wherein he was created) doth in other Scriptures appear (as the forementioned Author also observes) to consist of parts proportionable to these I mention, viz. illumination of mind, Ephes. 1.18. conversion of heart, Psal. 51.10. victory over concupiscence, Rom. 6.7. throughout.

2. Consider this rectitude in relation to its Rule; that is the Will of God revealed, or the Law of God; sin is the transgression of the Law; and accordingly righteousness must needs be conformity to the Law, viz. actual righteousness consists in actual conformity to the Law; that habitual rectitude which Adam was furnished with in his Creation (of which we are speaking) in an habitual conformity, or an ability to conform to the same Law. This habitual conformity, was, as of the whole soul, so to the whole Law, i. e. to both the parts or kinds of it, natural and positive. He was furnishit with particular principles inclining him to comply with whatsoever the Law of nature had laid before him, and with a general principle, disposing him to yield to whatsoever any positive Law should lay before him as the Will of God. And if it be said (in reference to the former of these) that this Law of nature impressed upon Adams soul, was his very rectitude; therefore how can this rectitude be a conformity to this Law?

I answer,

1. A Law is twofold

• Regulans.
• Regulata.

2. The Law of nature impressed upon the soul of Adam, must be considered

1. As subjected in his mind; so it consisted of certain practical notions about good and evil, right and wrong, &c.

2. As subjected in his heart, so it consisted in certain habitual inclinations to conform to those principles. Now these inclinations of the heart, though they are a rule to actions, they are yet something ruled in reference to those notions in the mind; and their conformity thereto makes one part of Original rectitude. And those notions, though they are a rule to these inclinations, yet they are something ruled in reference to the Will of God signified by them; and in the conformity thereto, consists another part of this Original rectitude.

2. We have to consider the manner of this endowment. And as to this, 'tis much disputed among the Schoolmen, whether it were natural, or supernatural. I shall only lay down in few words, what I conceive to be clear and indisputable.

1. If by natural, you mean essential (whether constitutively, or consecutively ) so Original righteousness was not natural to man, for then he could never nave lost it, without the loss of his being.

2. If by natural you mean connatural, i. e. concreate with the nature of man, and consonant thereto, so I doubt not but it was natural to him.

[Prop. 6] 6. This rectitude of man's nature, could not but infer and include his actual blessedness, while he should act according to it.

According to the tenor of the Covenant, it could not but infer it. And consider this rectitude in itself, it must needs include it: The rectitude of his understanding including his knowledge of the highest good; and the rectitude of his will and affections, the acceptance and enjoyment thereof; as Augustine in this case, nullum bonum abesset homini quod recta voluntas optare posset, &c.

Thus far of the holiness and blessedness of man's first state. It follows to speak of the mutability of it, and of his fall as depending thereon.

[Doctrine 2] 2. That man's defection from his Primitive state, was mearly voluntary, and from the unconstrained choice of his own mutable and self-determining will.

For the asserting of this truth, take the following Propositions.

[Prop. 1] 1. That the nature of man is now become universally depraved and sinful.

This Scripture is full of , and experience and common observation puts it beyond dispute.

'It is left then, that sin must have had some Original among men.

[Prop. 2] 2. The pure and holy nature of God could never be the Original of man's sin.

This is evident in itself. God disclaims it, nor can any affirm it of him without denying his very being. He could not be the cause of u • holy • esse, but by ceasing to be holy, which would suppose him mutably holy; and if either God or man must be confessed mutable, 'tis no difficulty where to lay it; whatever he is, he is essentially; and necessity of existence of being always what he is, remains everlastingly the fundamental attribute of his being.

[Prop. 3] 3. 'It is blasphemous and absurd to talk of two principles, (as the Manichees of old) the one good per se, and the cause of all good; the other evil per se, and the cause of all evil.

Bradwardines two Arguments: 1. That this would suppose two God's, two Independent beings; 2. That it would suppose an evil God; do sufficiently convince this to be full both of blasphemy and contradiction.

[Prop. 4] 4. It was not possible that either external objects, or the temptation of the Devil should necessitate the will of man to sin.

External objects could not; for that were to reject all upon God; for if he create objects with such an allective power in them, and create such an appetite in man as cannot but work inordinately and sinfully towards those objects, it must needs infer his efficacious necessitation of sin, being it would destroy the truth already established, that God created man with such a rectitude as that there was a sufficient ability in his Superior powers for the cohibition and restraint of the Inferior, that they should not work inordinately towards their objects. The Devil could not do it for the same reason, having no way to move the will of man but by the proposal of objects; yet that by this means (which he could in many respects manage most advantageously) he did much help forward the first sin, Scripture leaves us not to doubt.

[Prop. 5] 5. The whole nature of sin consisting only in a defect, no other cause need be designed of it than a defective; i. e. an understanding, will and Inferior powers however originally good, yet mutably and defectively so.

I shall not insist to prove that sin is no positive bang; but I take the Argument to be irrefragable, (notwithstanding the Cavils made against it) that is drawn from that common Maxim, that omne ens positivum est vel primum, vel à primo. And that of Dionysius the Areopagite is an ingenuous one; he argues that no being can be evil per se; for then it must be immutably, to which no evil can be, for to be always the same, is a certain property of goodness; 'tis so even of the highest goodness.

And hence sin being supposed only a defect, a soul that is only defectibly holy, might well enough be the cause of it; i. e. the deficient cause.

Nor is it in the least stranage that man should be at first created with a defectible holiness; for if he were immutably holy, either it must be ex naturâ, or ex gratiâ; ex naturâ it could not be, for that would suppose him God; if it were ex gratiâ, then it must be free; then it might be, or might not be; therefore there was no incongruity in it that it should not be. And indeed it was most congruous that God having newly made such a creature, furnished with such powers, so capable of government by a Law, of being moved by promises and threats, he should for some time hold him as a viator, in a state of trial unconfirmed, (as he did also the innocent Angels) that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Maker, and that he should be rewardable and punishable accordingly, in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable: The liberty therefore of the Viators and the Comprehensors Gibieuf well distinguishes into inchoata or consummabilis, and perfecta or consummata; the former such as Adams was at his Creation; the latter such as is the state of Angels and Saints in glory; and as his would have been had he held out and persisted innocent through the intended time of trial.

It was therefore no strange thing that man should be created defectible; 'twas as little strange that a defectible creature should deficere.

For the manner of that defection, (whether error of the understanding preceded, or inconsideration only, and a neglect of its office) with the great difficulties some imagine herein, I wave discourse about them; judging that advice good and sober, for to consider how sin may be gotten out of the world, then how it came in. Though 'tis most probable there was in the instant of temptation a mere suspension of the understandings act, (not as previous to the sin, but as a part of it) and thereupon a sudden precipitation of will, as Estius doth well determine.

6. Man being created mutable as to his holiness, must needs be so as to his happiness too.

And that both upon a legal account, (for the Law had determined that if he did sin he must die) and also upon a natural; for it was not possible that his soul being once depraved by sin, the powers of it vitiated, their order each to other, and towards their objects broken and interrupted, there should remain a disposition and aptitude to converse with the highest good.

The Use follows which shall be only in certain practical Inferences that will issue from these truths, partly considered singly and severally; partly together and in conjunction.

THE COVENANT OF WORKS.

THe next head in the body of our Religion which falls this Morning to be spoken to in Course, is, God's Covenant made with Adam before the fall, which we call a Covenant of Works; and we ground our Discourse upon the Text read to you.

When God would communicate his goodness to the creatures, he made the world out of nothing for his own glory, but especially man after his Image; this inferior world he provided for man's house and habitation; but he dresseth and trimmeth one part for him especially, and calls it Paradise. In the Paradise or pleasant Garden he was not to live idly, but must dress and keep it. In the midst of all man's enjoyments which the Lord allows him with a liberal hand, yet he lets him know withal he was under subjection, though Lord of all, and therefore gives him a command; obsequii examen, & obedientiae quoddam rudimentum; a test and trial of his obedience to which God trains him up.

As Lord's when they let out their Lands to Husbandmen, reserve somewhat to themselves which the Tenants are not to meddle with, that they may have some check upon them; so God here. That which the Lord commands Adam was no hard matter; he grants him a vast latitude to eat of all freely, only one sort excepted, in which exception, as God was not envious to him, (as the Envious One suggested) so was not this Commandment grievous to him.

Object. It may be objected from 1 Tim. 1.9. The Law is not made for a righteous man; why then for Adam in his righteousness?

Resol. Paul means good men do not so need the Law as bad men do; for good Laws rose from evil manners; yet in a sense the Law is given for righteous men, not to justify them, for it finds them justified already, and past the condemnation of the Law; it finding them also sanctified, it treats them not as enemies, but leads them, and delights them consenting to it. This serves to explode the error of Antinomians and Libertines; so then God to declare his Sovereignty, and man's subjection, gave Adam though innocent, a Law. Mark how God bound man's obedience with a double fence; first, he fenced him with a free indulgence to eat of all but one, this was an Argument to his ingenuity; secondly, by a severe prohibition upon pain of death; by the first the Lord woos him by love; by the second he frights him by the terror of his justice, and bids him touch it if he durst.

Observe among all the Trees of the Garden there are two here mentioned in a more peculiar manner; the Tree of life, and the Tree of knowledge, which are called by Divines two Sacraments, in a large sense; in which sense also, the Ark of Noah, the fire which descended and burnit the Sacrifice, the Baptism of the Red Sea and Cloud, the Manna, the water out of the Rock, the pouring out of the blood of the Sacrifices, the Land of Canaan, the Tabernacle, Temple, Ark of the Testimony, the propitiatory, the golden Candlestick, the twelve stones taken out of Jordan, with the pool of Bethesda; all these I say in a large sense are Sacramental Symbols of the Covenant of Grace, or extraordinary Sacraments; but the Tree of knowledge, and Tree of life, are called Sacraments of the Covenant of works.

By these the Lord did signify and seal to our first Parents, that they should always enjoy that happy state of life in which they were made, upon condition of obedience to his Commandments; i. e. in eating of the Tree of life, and not eating of the Tree of knowledge.

For it was called the Tree of life, not because of any native property and peculiar virtue, it had in itself to convey life; but Symbolically, Morally and Sacramentally, it was a sign and obsignation to them of life natural and spiritual to be continued to them, as long as they continued in obedience unto God.

In like manner the Tree of knowledge of good and evil was spoken, from the sad event and experience they had of it, as Sampson had of God departed from him when he left his Nazaritish hair by Delilah.

Now that a Covenant of Works lay in this Commandment is clear; 1. Because that was the condition of man's standing and life, as it is expressly declared; 2. Because in the breach of that Commandment given him, he lost all.

This obedience as it was Characteristical to Adams Covenant, and Contradistinguished to the Covenant of Grace, was perfect, personal, and perpetual. In a sense, though different from the other, those three things are required in our obedience under the Covenant of Grace, not in reference to the Covenant, nor to justification; neither is our personal righteousness perfect, I mean legally; yet is it perfect, though not in us, but in our surety; neither was the Covenant made primarily with us, but with him, and with us in him, and on his account; even as God made the Covenant of Works primarily with Adam, and with us in him as our head inclusively.

Now for our better opening this doctrine to you I shall propound and answer some questions.

1. What is meant by Covenant?

2. What ground we have to call it Adams Covenant, or a Covenant of Works.

3. Wherein doth the Nature and Tenour of it consist?

4. Whether the Covenant of Works was revived and repeated to Israel?

5. How long it lasted; whither till now unto any?

Quest. 1. What is meant by Covenant, name and thing?

Answ. The word in the Hebrew is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Berith, which hath a threefold derivation, very fit to be taken notice of for clearing of the nature of the Covenant.

1. From Barah to choose, because the persons are chosen between whom the Covenant or Agreement is made: Indeed God's Covenant with man is not only with his elect and chosen ones, but a fruit and effect of our election; yea, the Lord doth incline our wills to make choice of him, and of his terms. I have made a Covenant with my chosen; so again, Choose you whom ye will serve; ye are witnesses against yourselves this day, that you have chosen the Lord.

2. Or else this word Berith Covenant may be taken from Barah to eat, because they were wont to eat together of the Sacrifice slain and provided at the making of the Covenant, at which time they had a Feast; hence the Apostle speaking of the Eucharist, the sign and seal of the Covenant, and which is a spiritual Food and Feast upon a Covenant account, saith, This Cup is the New Testament, or New Covenant in my blood, 1 Cor. 11.25.

3. Or from Bathar to cut and divide asunder, by transposing a letter; for so the sacrifice was divided, and the Covenanting parties were to pass between the parts: Thus Abraham entered into Covenant with God, and he took a Heifer, She Goat, and a Ram, and divided them in the midst, and laid one piece against another, Ver. 9.10. And behold a burning Lamp passed between those pieces, in that same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham. This cutting of the sacrifice into pieces, and passing thorough was a lively and dreadful sign, that the party who should break Covenant, should be cut asunder, and into pieces, as he well d • se ved, and as he at least implicitly imprecated upon himself; notable to this purpose is that in the Prophet Jeremy, I will give the men that have transgressed my Covenant, which have not performed the words of the Covenant which they made before me, when they cut the Calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof, the Princes of Judah, the Princes of Jerusalem, the Eunuchs and the Priests, and all the People of the Land, which passed between the parts of the Calf, I will even give them into the hand of their enemy, into the hand of them that se k their life, &c. — that is, to be slain and cut in pieces by the Sword. And herein I take the Emphasis of the expression to lie, I will bring a Sword upon you which shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant; i. e. by cutting them asunder.

And this custom was conveyed to the Gentiles, they went between the fire, and carried a Sword in their hands, and so took an oath; as Cyril proves out of Sophocles.

Thus Virgil speaking of Romulus and Tatius,

They cut a Swine in sunder, and made a League; and to name no more, Titus Livius speaking of the League between the Romans, and Albans, the Foecialis, Herald or Minister of those Ceremonies, cried, If the Romans shall falsify by public and wicked fraud, in that day O Jupiter do thou so smite the Romans, as I smite this Swine, and so knockit the Swine on the head with a stone.

By all which it appears that Covenants have been ever held solemn, and sacred things, and that men by breaking of them deserved dreadful punishments.

In like manner there was the shedding, dividing, and sprinkling of blood at the making of Covenants, and hence it was called the blood of the Covenant; Moses took half the blood and put it in Basons, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the Altar, and he took the book of the Covenant, and read in the audien • e of the people, and they said, All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient; and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words: Note, He sprinkled the Altar instead of God, who being incorporeal, and a Spirit, could not be sprinkled, yet being a Covenant party, would have the Altar sprinkled for him.

So much shall serve for the first Question, setting forth in our Answer to it the name and nature of a Covenant in general; the second Question follows.

Quest. 2. What ground we have to speak of God's Covenant with Adam, and to call it a Covenant, there being no mention of it here in the Text, nor elsewhere in Scripture do we read of God's Covenant with Adam.

Answ. However the name be not here, yet the thing is here and elsewhere, comparing Scripture with Scripture; it is a nice cavil in Socinians to call fought the word Satisfaction; others for the word Sacrament, others for the word Trinity, others for the words Faith alone justifying, others for the word Sabbath for Lord's day, &c. and thence to conclude against Satisfaction, Sacraments, Trinity, Justification by faith alone, and Sabbath, for want of express words, when the things themselves are lively set down in other words; so in this case of God's Covenant with Adam, we have 1. God's Command which lays man under an obligation. 2. We have God's promise upon condition of obedience. 3. We have God's threatening upon his disobedience; 4. We have their understanding it so, as appears in Eves words to the Serpent. 5. We have the two Trees as signs and symbols of the Covenant. 6. We have a second Covenant, and a New Covenant, therefore there was a first and Old Covenant; a Covenant of Grace supposeth one of Works.

Object. If any shall say by first and old Covenant was meant God's Covenant with Israel, and not with Adam; and so by Covenant of Works the same is meant, namely that which the Lord made at Mount Sinai.

Answ. Hereunto I answer; There is a repetition of the Covenant of Works with Adam in the Law of Moses, as in that of the Apostle to the Galatians, The Law is not of faith, b • t the man that doth these things shall live in them; so likewise to the Romans, Moses dsscribes the righteousness which is of the Law, that the man who doth these things shall live in them: Thus it was with Adam principally and properly; therefore he was under a Covenant of Works, when God gave him that command in my Text.

Quest. 3. Wherein then doth this Covenant of Works consist? what is the nature, tenor and end of it as such?

Answ. 1. This Covenant required working on our part as the condition of it for justification and happiness; therefore called a Covenant of Works; thus before, the man that doth these things shall live. Working indeed is also required under grace now; but 1. Not to Justification; 2. Not from our own Power; 3. Not previous to faith, which worketh by love, and lives by working, but man lives by faith.

2. A second Characteristical sign of the Covenant of Works is this, that in and under it man is left to stand upon his own legs and bottom, to live upon his own stock, and by his own industry; he had a power to stand, and not to have fallen; this is meant when it is said, God created man in his own Image.

And again, This only have I found that God made man upright.

3. In the first Covenant, namely, that of Works; man had no need of a Mediator; God did then stipulate with Adam immediately; for seeing as yet he had not made God his enemy by sin, he needed no days-man to make friends hy intercession for him.

After man's Creation God said, He saw everything which he had mude, and behold it was very good; and after the Covenant made in chap. 2. its said, They were naked, and they were not ashamed; i. e. they had not contracted guilt by committing of sin, from whence only ariseth shame; therefore under the Covenant there needeth no Mediator.

And hence Moses Law was not properly a Covenant of Works, because that Law was given in the hand of a Mediator.

4. The Covenant of Works once broken, God abates nothing of his justice, no not upon repentance, but the soul that sinned, died. Mark our Text, Thou shalt die the death, by which doubling of the words in the Hebrew Idiom of speech, is meant Uehemency and Certainty, which was effected, and so had continued inevitably, without the help of another Covenant hinted in that first promise, Gen. 3.15.

For the first Covenant gives no relief to a poor sinner when he hath broken it, but leaves him hopeless and helpless under a fearful expectation of wrath and fury indignation.

5. The Lord in the Covenant of Works accepts the person for the Works sake; that is, he mainly looks at the work how adequate it is to the command and rule which he so exactly heeds, that upon the least failer his justice breaks out in wrath, neither can any personal excellency in the world salve the matter; Cursed is he that continueth not in all the words of the Law to do them, and all the people shall say Amen; a doleful Amen; and whosoever keeps the whole Law, and offends in one point, is guilty of all: Note that whosoever, God respects no man's person in that case.

6. The Covenant of Works in performance of the condition leaves a man matter of boasting and glorying in himself, and makes God a debtor to him.

Where is boasting? it is excluded; by what Law? of works? Nay; as if he had said; the Covenant of Works affords matter of boasting to him that worketh to justification by his own personal power and righteousness.

Now to him that worketh is the reward reckoned, not of grace, but of debt; i. e. it obligeth God to pay it him as a due, which is the language of Pharisees and Papists; which were justly challenged and claimed; 1. Were we indeed under a Covenant of Works, and not of Grace; 2. Were our works perfect: 3. Did we not lie at God's mercy for our guilt; All which declare man impotent, and grace necessary, and withal Jews and Papists, to be enemies to the Cross of Christ and Covenant of Grace, and under a Covenant of Works, of which more anon.

7. The Covenant of Works leaves a man still in doubt while resting in it, in that state, because it is a mutable state at best; he had all in his own hands, and then Satan cunningly rooked him of all: God puts him into a good bottom, and leaves him to be his own Pilot at Sea; the Devil assaults him, and sinks him; and therefore the second Covenant takes all into God's hands, that it may continue safe under his Father by care and custoddy; 1 Pet. 1.4, 5. John 10.28, 29. and so gives the soul good security against death and danger, which Adam had not while he stood; much less can any rich or honorable man in his fools Paradise here in this world, say his Mountain is immovable, his glory unchangeable, seeing it passeth away as a Pageant, 1 Cor. 7.31. if Adams Paradise was so mutable, much more theirs; if he stood not in his integrity, how shall they stand in their iniquity?

8. The Covenant of Works was made with all men in Adam, who was made and stood as a public person, head and root in a common and comprehensive capacity; I say it was made with him as such, and with all in him: Quo mansit remanente, & quo pereunte peribat; he and all stood and fell together; for even the Elect may say, We are all by nature the children of wrath as well as others; and that of St. Paul, 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 world may become guilty before God.

But the Covenant of Grace is a discriminating thing; it takes in some, and leaves out others; Christ is not a head in Covenant with all, as Adam was, but of his Elect only; for we find many in the world under the headship of Satan and Antichrist, and old Adam, who are out of Christ, not only because unconverted as Saints themselves are before regeneration, but out of Christ in the account of God's Election, Donation and Covenant, who have none of his special love, nor ever shall have.

Thus I have briefly opened the distinguishing Characters of the Covenant of Works, which might have been more enlarged by those of the Covenant of Grace, which is easily done by way of opposition and comparison one with the other; and therefore, and for brevities sake I omit it; and come to the next question.

Quest. 4. Whether this Covenant of Works made with Adam, was revived and repeated to Israel in Moses time; and if so, in what sense, and why?

Answ. I answer affirmatively, that in some sort the Covenant of Works was revived and repeated to them, which appears from these grounds.

1. They were tied to Commandments under a curse.

2. Blessing is promised to obedience; they are both set down by Moses at large in Deuteronomy, chap. 28. and elsewhere.

3. It is expressly called a Covenant, I mean the giving of the Law for obedience.

The Lord God made a Covenant with us in Horeb.

4. It is opposed to the Covenant of Grace as another Covenant upon this very distinguishing account of obedience and faith, works and grace, as you may see at large among other places in that of the Hebrews.

Now there are four principal ends which the Lord had in so doing.

1. That he might hereby make men know what sin is, how prone we are to it, and how averse and head-strong against all good; this is done by a Law of Works, Rom. 7.7. to the 13. ver. This indeed is God's clear glass by which he discovers to us the moral and penal evil of sin; so Rom. 3.20.

2. That hereby the Lord might hold men in to obedience by a strong curb; because we are so apt to break fence, he hedgeth up our way with thorns, Hos. 2.5, 6.

3. That God might stop every mouth, and make all guilty before him, Rom. 3.19.

4. That men may hereby be lashit and driven to Christ as with a School-masters rod, to see an absolute need of him, and to make out hard after him, Gal. 3.22, 23, 24.

For men care not to run to a City of Refuge unless the avenger of blood follow behind at their heels; neither do the whole need or regard the Physician, but the sick and wounded.

Yet notwithstanding all this, they were not properly under a Covenant of Works, neither was the law given to them as such a Covenant merely.

1. Because as the Law was to convince of sin, so it shown the expiation of sin, and therefore their Sacrifices were killed and the blood shed and sprinkled, Heb. 9.22, 23.

2. The Covenant at Mount Sinai was not made with all without exception as Adams was, but only with a select people, even with Israel.

3. Because the Lord still puts them in mind of his promise to Abraham, which included Christ, and faith in him, and was not null by the Law.

Quest. 5. The last question is how long this Covenant lasted, and whither any be under a Covenant of Works?

Answ. Most strictly it was but to the giving of the first promise, for then the Covenant of Grace began, but was more largely and clearly revealed (till the coming of Christ) by the Law and the Prophets; but was most perspicuously and fully by Christ himself in his doctrine and death, and by the abundant pouring out of his Spirit.

Howbeit all along and to this day every natural man is under a Covenant of Works, because out of Christ, therefore under the Law, and the curse of it; for which cause the Covenant of Works is by some called the Covenant of nature.

Again, all they which look for righteousness and salvation by the power of their wills, by the strength of nature, and by performance of duties, as Jews, Turks, Philosophers, Papists, Socinians, Pelagians, these are all under a Covenant of Works, they are not under grace; they are of Hagar the Bond-woman, of Mount Sinai which answers to Jerusalem which now is, which is in bondage with her children, as the Apostle speaks in his elegant Allegory.

I come now to draw some Corollaries from this doctrine of the Covenant of Works thus propounded, in a practical way of application, and that briefly.

Corol. 1. It serves for admiration, to wonder with a holy astonishment at the Lord's infinite condescending love in making a Covenant with poor man.

1. Because it was a free act in him to do it, he lay under no compulsion to it; nothing of merit or profit in a despicable worm appears as a motive to it; it was a royal act of glorious grace from the King of heaven to vile creatures: O wonderful!

2. Because as it was free for him to do it, so he bound his hands by it, and as it were lost his freedom by it; for his truth holds him fast to it, by which its impossible for him to change. O wonderful!

3. He made the first offer, he prevented us by his grace, he loved us first, 1 John 4.10, 19. all this appeared in the first Covenant with us, in vouchsafing us to make any at all with him: Ineffabilis misericordiae Divinae Argumentum quod ipsum numen, ipse inquam Deus Aeternus faedus ipsum primus offert, nullis ad hoc hominum meritis adactus, sed merâ & nativâ bonitate impulsus; nec scio an humanum ingenium hoc mysterium vel plene toncipere, vel dignis laudibus evehere possit. Unspeakable mercy that the eternal God should first offer to league with us, moved to it by no merit in us, but by his own native goodness only; a mystery which the mind of man cannot conceive, nor his tongue praise to the worth of it; thus a grave Author, which will the more inhance the love of God; if we

4. Consider that he makes Covenant upon Covenant after breaches and forfeitures, renews them again, and ratifies them stronger than ever, as he did the new Covenant after the old was broken by our high and heinous provocation in the fall; and which he doth to every elect soul in the Sacraments, and after gross and grievous Apostasies; See Jerem. 3.1. Ezek. 16.60, 61, 62, 63. Hos. 2. O admire and adore this love!

Corol. 2. Seeing there are two Covenants on foot, one of Works, another of grace; and very many, yea, the far greatest part of the world are under a Covenant of Works, which is a most sad and doleful estate, because a state of wrath and death, a most wretched and accursed condition; O try under what Covenant thou art; for if thou art in the state of sinful nature, a sprowt of old Adam, never yet cut off from his root of bitterness, nor graffed into Christ, thou art undone; to be under such a Covenant is to be an enemy to God, and to be liable to all his plagues; O make haste then, and flee as a Post, and as the young Roe into Christ's Arms.

For consider, how thou canst stand before the Bar of God in thy sins, in thy nakedness; Adam fled away from the presence of God afraid and ashamed, hiding himself in the Thicket, because he was naked; but where wilt thou hide thy nakedness in that dreadful day of the Lord! there will be no shelter in that day for a sinner:

Corol. 3. Labor to understand and discern aright the nature, tenor and terms of both Covenants.

1. Because they are easiiy mistaken, and many do mistake them; Rom. 10.2, 3.

2. Because the mistake is dangerous, like a man in the dark as he travels, finds two ways; one way is wrong, yet it seems as good and safe as the other; he goes on in the wrong, which leads him to a Rock, where he falls down headlong, and breaks his neck; so many a poor soul imagines he is under a Covenant of Grace, and in a safe way to heaven, when alas he is yet under a Covenant of Works, and in the high-way to hell; Labor then to discern the difference, search Scriptures, and thy own heart, go to the Lord by prayer, and to his M nisters, that they may show thee thy way, lest thou go on to thy destruction. And therefore,

Corol. 4. Improve the Covenant of works for the conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment; for till the Lord lets thee see what it is to be under such a state, thou wilt never see the evil of it, nor ever desire to change it.

Corol. 5. Renounce thy Covenants with sin, Satan, and creatures, or else thou wilt never be admitted into Covenant with God; if thou break not with them, God will never close with thee; if thou be a Covenant-servant to them, thou art no Covenant-servant of the Lord's; for how canst thou serve those two Masters, God and Mammon? both which crave thy whole man, and thy whole work, and which are utterly inconsistent with each other.

Corol. 6. Labor to relieve thyself under thy greatest straits and sears by Covenant promises; I mean the promises of the new Covenant which are called better promises, because absolute pr • mises; because they work that in us and for us which God requires of us, when of ourselves we can do nothing.

As the new Covenant is the best Covenant, and the promises of it the best promises, so the mercies of it are the best mercies, for they are the sure mercies of David, 2 Sam. 23.5.

Corol. 7. Bless the Lord that ye are under the best dispensation, and clearest discovery of the Covenant of grace, better than Adams after the promise was made to him upon his fall; better than Noah's after the flood, better than Israel's in the Wilderness, yea, better than the Patriarchs and Prophets who had much legality and obscurity in their administrations, in comparison of us who behold with open face the glory of God, 2 Cor. 3.18.

That it is the lot of us Gentiles to be brought into the knowledge and participation of the Gospel in the last and best time; I mean after Christ's appearance in the flesh.

The Apostle compares the Church to a Tree, which hath the same root Christ, but several branches; now that the natural branches should be cut off to make way for the ingrafting of us wildings, is matter of praise to the High God for his rich grace to us Gentiles, Ephes. 3.8.

Corol. 8. Labor for a spirit of self-denial and debasement; for as the Old Covenant spirit is a spirit of pride and boasting to advance natural abilities, to glory in our own personal endowments and performances; so a New Covenant spirit is contrary to that, and is a spirit of faith, self-denial and debasement.

Corol. 9. Watch against Satan; as soon as ever God and man were in Covenant, he set himself to break that Covenant, and prevailed; for he beguiled their simplicity by his subtlety, 2 Cor. 11.3.

Now albeit the New Covenant stands on a surer foundation, yet he will very much weaken our comforts, and increase our sorrows by drawing us under God's displeasure by sin, forfeiting Covenant mercies by Covenant breaches, which mercies though they are not lost finally to God's Elect, yet are they often to be recovered, renewed and secured to our souls by a clear evidence.

Besides Satan will persuade men to slight and renounce their Baptism, as when he makes Witches, and turns Christians to be Mohammedans, because thereby he knows they renounce their Covenant with God to make one with himself; there are that upon fairer pretences, neglect or deny the Seals of the Covenant; Satan had a fair pretence also to draw away our first Parents, and make them break with God, which they little thought would have cost so dear; but the sad event shown the sinfulness of that sin; wherefore Wa ch and pray that ye enter not into temptation; Be not ignorant of Satan's Devices in these backsliding and fedifragous times, Remember from whence ye are fallen, and walk steadfast in God's Covenant; you that stand, learn by others falls to take heed.

THE FALL OF MAN.

THis doctrine of Original sin, is not more difficult to understand, than necessary to be known, more full of knots than uses: if we consider, 1. The several batteries that are planted against this truth, by Rabbins, Pelagians, Socinians, Flaccians, Arminians, Anabaptists; batteries raised by Pelagius his pride, Philosophers ignorance, Papists policy, and Heretics idolized reason. Or 2. if we consider the dependencies of other doctrines upon this truth. Augustine writing against Pelagius, thought the sum of Religion consisted in the right knowledge of Original sin; As we know the pleasantness of a garden by the noysomnesse of a dunghill; the gratefulness of a day from the darkness of a night; so we cannot know the benefits of Christ so well as from the knowledge of our Original guilt and sin. By a strict survey of Original sin, we may better understand the honor of justification, the power of grace and sanctification, the sweetness of a Christ, the necessity of a Gospel, the preciousness of a Ministry; and therefore it was a futilous and malicious assertion of Celestius of old, to call the doctrine of Original sin, rem questionis, non fidei; a matter of debate, not faith; and the Heretics of late, to reproach it with the style of Austin's figment. 3. If we consider the influence of this truth upon our practice; The knowledge of Original sin; it is the curb of pride, the foil to set off grace, the glass of man, the spurr of industry; it is that which makes the best of Saints to weep in the best of duties, and the worst of sinners to look pale in their greatest prosperities; so that you see the doctrine is most useful, let it therefore be most grateful. Now this Original sin, Divines usually distinguish in peccatum Originally Originans, & in peccatum Originally Originatum; into Original sin Originating, and into Original sin Originated; into the Cause, and into the Subject of this sin, the fountains and its streams; one man infecting, and all men infected; the first is my task, the second is referred to a more worthy hand.

In the latter part of this chapter, where the Text is, the Apostle carries on a double design.

1. To show the excellency of Christ, and grace by Christ.

2. The necessity of faith in Christ; and both these he demonstrates by a full and large comparison between the first and the second Adam; the loss by the first, the gain by the second; the sin of the first, the grace of the second; the condemnation we are obliged in by the first, and the pardon we are enriched with by the second, the first is a poisonous spring, the second is a cleansing fountain.

The Text, if you look at the design of it, it points at the postern, where sin and death first entered the world; and that was by Adams eating the forbidden fruit; the prohibited Apple, was the first Apple of contention between God and man-kind. If we look at the parts of the Text, they are three.

1. We have an unhappy Parent, viz. Adam; not only by his offense undoing himself, but making a bankrupt world. By him sin entered the world.

2. In the Text we have an unhappy posterity, not only to be linked to the loins, but the sins of the first Parent. The whole world had sin entered into it, and all have sinned, saith the Text, viz. in him.

3. We have an unhappy portion; sin and death the inseparable twins of misery; so saith the Text, sin enters, and death by sin; sin came by Adam, and death came by sin; the one fell in pell mell into the world with the other; and both are the unhappy inheritance of every child of Adam; indeed the Saints are exempted from the second, but not the first death; sin and death were married in Adam, and they shall not be divorced in any of the sons of Adam; believers die temporally, though not eternally; they feel the stroke, though not the sting of death.

Now for the further clearing of my way, it will not be a digression, to take off the veil from the Text in a short explication.

By one man] and him we may consider; 1. His name, Adam, and this comprehends his person, sex, and kind. 2. His order; he was the first man, 1 Cor. 15.45. 3. His person in the individual. And so Original sin properly is not derived from the proximate Parents, but the prime-parent. 4. His nature; Adam was one, non tantum in individuo, sed in specie; one comprehending the whole root, representing the whole stock, the seed and generation of man-kind; so Adam is taken for the species of man.

Sin] The Apostle here speaks of sin; not sins, as if he would precisely determine it of that one root of sin, distinct from those many following fruits; this sin hath been the Original, the incentive, the cause of all sin; this sin stained the world.

Entered into the world] viz. by propagation; sin entered like death; Now death is actually propagated, as he said, scio me genuisse mortalem; I know I beget a dying child, a child subject to death; sin entered not by example, but generation.

The World] By the world, we must not understand terrenam, & corp • ralem vitam, the pleasure and delights of the world; for the Saints are crucified to the world, in this sense, Gal 6.14. and so Original sin should not seize on believers; Nor, 2. In locum mundi; for as Pareus observes, the Angels first sinned; and sin first entered by them into the place of the world. Nor 3. In Paradisum, into Paradise; for sin was first committed by Eve in Paradise. But 4. We must understand the inhabitants of the world; Universum genus humanum, all man-kind, as Mart. Gor.

And death by sin] The query among Divines is, what this death is; Some suppose the death of the body, as Ambrose; some the death of the soul, as the Pelagians; but as Haymo observes, mors animae & corporis in omnes pertranstit; the death both of soul and body passed on all; for as Origen saith, Mors corporalis umbra est spiritualis, the death of the body, is only the shadow of the death of the soul; so that by death in the Text, we must necessarily understand the death of soul and body, with all the antecedents and consequents of both, sickness, weakness, corruption, guilt, horror, despair.

Death passed upon all men] Corporal death on all; the most holy, most flourishing, most probable to live; spiritual and eternal death on all men, in the sentence, not in the execution, Rom. 3.19. the sentence is reversed, the execution forever forborne to believers

For all have sinned] For the opening of this, I shall only give you the glance of Musculus; In Adam omnes fuimus, in lumbis ejus, &c. we were all in the loins of offending Adam; from that mass we sprung; and therefore as Levi paid tithes in the loins of Abraham, Hebrews 7.9, 10. so it is no wonder, if we being in the loins of Adam, are found sinners in him.

[Doct.] Now the mournful truth that the Text presents us with, is this, viz. That our first Parent by his transgression, hath left an unhappy portion of sin and death to all his posterity; thus much the Text expresseth, thus much it confirms; we have this unwelcome entail from our first Parent. Concerning death, I shall not dilate, because the shade of death doth always accompany the body of sin; but I shall only insist on that part of our portion, sin. We are entitled to Adams sin; 'It is a derivation from the root to the branches; as poison is carried from the fountain to the Cistern; as the children of Traitors have their blood tainted with their fathers Treason; and the children of Bond-slaves are born in their Fathers condition. Omnes in Adamo peccaverunt, quia omnes unus ill fuerunt, Aug. All were entangled in Adams sin, because all were folded up in Adams person; And the same Father in another place, Traxit reatum homo, quia unus erat cum illo à quo traxit; Man drew down guilt upon himself, because he was one with him from whom he drew it. And it is an excellent observation of Gregory, Genus humanum in parente primo velut in radice putruit; Man-kind putrefied in the first parent as in a root. Adam is as the poisoned root, and the clusters are envenomed, because the root was poisoned; had Adam stood and preserved his perfection, his glory, as a royalty had descended to his seed, to man-kind; but by his offense, forfeiting his beauty, and contracting on himself both guilt, and an universal loathsomeness; both loss and loathsomeness he transmits to his posterity; and it is upon his breath, that every child that comes into the world, sucks in poison with his first breach; and is no sooner a living creature, than a deformed sinner. This truth we find early confirmed in the world; so Adam begat Seth according to his own likeness, Gen. 5.3. non ad similitudinem Dei, sed ad similitudinem sui; and it is very considerable the Original phrase, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in his image, in his likeness; the word is as it were redoubled, to set the greater brand upon corrupt nature; in his image, nay, in his likeness. And to show the necessity of our drawing corruptness from Adam, holy Job expresses it by a quick and smart interrogation, Job 14.4. Nay, th s truth David seems to bedue with tears, and deplore with sighs, Psal. 51.5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. In the times of the Gospel, this spot is more clearly discernible, and from whence we received the contagion, Rom. 5.19. By God we are creatures, by Adam we are sinners; so that Text; By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. And so most remarkably, 1 Cor. 15.49. And as we have borne the image of the earthly, &c. Nor is that gloss of Cyprian upon the place to be over-passed; Imaginem terreni portavimus, peccandi propens •• nem, & mortem; imaginem caelestis portemus, constantiam in sanctitate, instaurationem ex morte & corruptione, ad vitam & immortalitatem; (i. e.) We have borne the image of the earthly Adam, a propensity to sin and death; let us bear the image of the heavenly, a constancy in holiness, and instauration from death and corruption to life and immortality. I shall only add one Scripture more, Ephes. 2.3. We were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others.

Now there are three things which are considerable for the dispatch of the doctrinal part of the Text.

1. To demonstrate more particularly the transmission of Adams sin to us.

Now Adams sin is transmitted to posterity two ways. 1. By imputation. 2. By inhaesion; the guilt, and the stain of his sin is propagated to all his posterity.

[Particle. 1] 1. The sin of Adam is derived to us by way of imputation; and that upon a double demonstration may be evidenced.

[Demon. 1] 1. Ration faederis, by the reason of the Covenant of Works which God made with Adam, we were in him all of us legally; when God first made a Covenant with man, it was not with Adam, ration individui, as an individual person; sed ration • aturae, as he bore our nature with him, as the representative of man-kind; God makes his Covenant with Christ as Head and Mediator of his Church, with Abraham as the father of the faithful, with Adam as the stock of man-kind; we were in him parties in the Covenant, and had interest in the mercy which should accompany the keeping of it, and were liable to the curse which should follow the breach of it; Now Adam violating the Covenant, the guilt of that violation descends upon all his posterity, Rom. 5.19. Constituti sunt peccatores, they were constituted sinners; It is to be noted, that God never makes a Covenant with a single person, personally and individually, that all others are unconcerned in it; but with whomsoever God enters into Covenant, that person is a representative of others, and is to be looked upon as a public person; otherwise God should make as many Covenants, as there are persons, which is the greatest absurdity to assert; and so in Covenanting with Adam, he looked on him as the stock and root of mankind.

[Arg. 2] 2. Ration Collationis. The Apostle in two places makes a remarkable comparison between Adam and Christ, the first and second Adam, comparing the good of the last, with the evil of the first, the grace of the one, with the sin of the other; the life conveyed by the one, with the death transmitted by the other, Rom. 5.12, &c. 1 Cor. 15.45, &c. Now the righteousness of Christ redounds to believers to justification; so the sin of Adam redounds to his posterity to condemnation; by Adam we are cast, by Christ we are cleared; by Adam guilty, by Christ innocent; the comparison would else be wholly insignificant; as by Christ we are made really righteous, so by Adam we are made really sinners; we are Princes in Christ, Prisoners in Adam; Crowned in Christ, cursed in Adam; this is is one great drift of the comparison.

[Particle. 2] 2. The sin of Adam is derived to us, not only by way of imputation, but by way of inhaesion; we receive from offending Adam, vitiositatem, libidinem, morbidum affectum, a vitiosity, lusting, and a contagious distemper; we receive not only a defect of holiness, but deordination, pravity, evil disposition, propension to mischief, aversion to all good; this sometimes the Scripture calls the Old man, the flesh, devilish wisdom, the hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire, earthly members. And that Adams sin is propagated to us by way of inhaesion, is likewise demonstrable by a double evidence.

[Arg. 1] 1. From the confession of some of the best of God's Saints, Psal. 51.5. The soul of David was no sooner united to his body, than sin was united to both; he had not only a Crown of gold, but grace; he was not only a King after man's desire, but a Saint after God's heart; yet this sinful leprosy he drew from Adam, this Original stain clave to him; he was a sinner in the womb, though a Prince in the Throne, and a Saint in the Sanctuary. And so Paul, that excellent Apostle, how doth he moan this inward spot which he drew from Adam? how doth he complain of indwelling sin? Rom. 7.17. of an evil within him, verse 19. of a law of his members, verse 23. These groans of such eminent Saints are too pregnant an argument, that the sin of Adam transmitted to us, doth not only cast guilt on our persons, but filth on our natures; lay a charge to us, but throw a stain upon us.

[Arg. 2] 2. As Christ doth not only vouchsafe believers imputed, but infused righteousness; the merit of his obedience, but the graces of his Spirit; to justify, but to renew and sanctify us; so the first Adam not only conveys guilt to condemn, but filth to defile us; else the work of sanctification would be wholly unnecessary, and the comparison between the first and second Adam, would be maimed and imperfect; Christ makes us heavenly, as well as pronounceth us heavenly; and Adam makes us earthly, as well as leaves us to the punishment of those that are so. The full comparison between the first and second Adam, speaks this clearly; Adam had sin to defile, and therefore Christ had blood to wash; Here may that observable passage of Austin come in, Vidi ego zelantem puerum, &c. I have seen, saith Augustine, a child with his eye full of envy, venting his malice, &c. Whence comes this incurvation and waywardness of nature, but from Adam? happily the parents of this child, were true and eminent believers; so that there must be a tabes, a disaffectednesse transmitted from Adam to his posterity, against the opinion of Peter Lombard and the Schoolmen.

2. The second thing to be opened for the dispatching of the doctrinal part of the Text, it is this, To vindicate the righteousness of God in this transmission and conveyance; And the justice of God is most glorious in this propagation of Adams sin; and this may be cleared in a double Demonstration.

[Demon. 1] Adams sin is ours as well as his; as a Learned man most elegantly, Si quis peste laborans alios inficiat, hi moriuntur; dicitur illorum quis{que}, non alienâ, sed sua peste mortuus esse. Now there is a double Argument to prove Ad • ms sin ours.

1. Else God did punish us for another's sin, that fault which is not our own, which is against divine justice. God doth not usually strike the son for the fathers crime, and make the son feel the bruise of the fathers fall, that the father should merit the stroke, and the posterity feel it; this is against his own protestation, Ezek. 18.2.

2. The Antithesis between Christ and Adam, would not hold, if Adams was not to be reputed ours; for as the righteousness of Christ, ita communicator membris, ut quis{que} fidelis dicere possit, illam esse suam, &c. as Bucan well observes, is so communicated to us, that every believer may say, This righteousness is mine; so the iniquity of Adam is so communicated to all his posterity, that every child of Adam may sadly say, This iniquity is mine, and I am righteously punished for it. And now therefore I say, if Adams sin be ours in the guilt and stain of it, let us acknowledge God's justice in the transmission of it.

[Demon. 2] 2. Had Adam stood, we expected the entaile of perfection and happiness; that the Crown should have descended to us as his issue and offspring; we expected that the beauty of his mind, the harmony of his will, the holiness of his desires, the absoluteness of his Soveragnty should have fallen to us as a Princely inheritance; and therefore Adam falling, it is but just that the entaile of sin and death should be fixed upon us.

3. Now the third thing to be opened, in the finishing of which, the doctrinal part will be dispatched, is to show, that Adams sin is not propagated to us by imitation, but by generation, against the heretical Pelagian. And this shall be briefly couched under the evidence of a five-fold Argument.

[Arg. 1] Arg. 1. As our Divines seasonably observe, Christ's righteousness is not only proposed to us to be imitated; we should then all fall sho t in writing after the copy; but those that lay hold on his righteousness by faith, they are changed and renewed in their minds; there is a physical communication of this righteousness; they feel the power of his death in the crucifying of their lusts; and the virtue of his resurrection in their newness of mind and life, as the Apostle most pathetically; So Adams sin is not only our Copy, but our corruption; it doth not only seduce, but defile our natures; not only entice, but condemn our persons; Adam was not only a sinful pattern, but a sinful Parent; the plague of his sin hath infected the human nature; not only me, but man-kind.

[Arg. 2] Arg. 2. Baptism that is administered to little ones, to our infants, it cannot be thought to blot out sins of imitation; for they are guilty of none; then Baptism would in vain be administered to our infants; and this raises the feud of Anabaptists against this great truth of Original sin. They deny the sin of Infants, that they may deny the Baptism. Now we cannot conceive that tha blessed Ordinance of Infant Baptism should be administered for no designs and purposes; and why doth the Apostle call Baptism the Laver of Regeneration? Tit. 3.5. were there no stain in Infants, what need of a Laver, or of washing?

Arg. 3. And as Ambrose observes; David ait, ante usuram lucis, se accipere originis injuriam: David complains that he lay under the stain of original sin, before he was blest with the first light of the Sun; he was dog'd with native corruption; when the womb bore him, it bore a living, but a leprous child; he was wrapit in sin, before he was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

[Arg. 3] Arg. 4. And how many offend in the world, who think nothing of Adam; they transgress, and look not on his Copy: And what is murder, so often acted in the world, to the earing of an Apple? What proportion is there between those two Sins, Adams eating of an Apple, and Cain's shedding of his brothers blood? How many transgressors are there in the world, that ne-ever heard of his offense, or that ever there was such a man in the world? whom did Philosophers imitate in their sin, that opinionated the world to be eternal, as Aristotle and his followers?

[Arg. 4] Arg. 5. And that Argument of a learned man is most considerable; Si peccatum originis sit tantùm ab imitatione, Paulus non dixisset ex Adamo fluxisse peccatum, sed à Diabolo; quia ipse peccandi exemplum dedit: (i. e.) If original sin were only propagated in a way of imitation, Paul would never have said, that sin entered the world by Adam, but by Satan; for he set the first pattern of sinning. And now the doctrinal part is dispatchit, I shall only annex some few things for the clearer evidence of this truth.

[Arg. 5] 1. If the guilt of Adams sin be not imputed to us, why do our Infants of en labor under the wracking torments of some distempers? and why often is the Cradle turned into a Coffin? why come they crying and moaning into the world? why doth paleness of face, plenteousness of tears, and a multiplic • ty of diseases seize upon them, as the prisoners of sin? Surely God cannot forget the bowels of a Father; this could not befall our Infants, were not the hand of justice armed with sin and guilt; let us not conceive God trying practice upon poor moaning innocents.

2. If Adams sin be not inherent in us, why have we not free will to good? why do we not naturally burn in love to Jesus Christ? and flourish with all vivacity in duty; why fly we not to the Sanctuary as to our Paradise? but on the contrary, why do we draw the Chain of a body of death after us? Duty is our burden, sin our Element; the world our beloved, the creature our Idol; How are we dragged to service? we fly to sin, but are drawn to duty: And in a word, how come our understandings to be prisons of darkness? our wills stages of rebellion, our affections heaps of dung or dross; for naturally we love sin or the creature; what was then the inoffensivenesse of infancy, thus to envenome our natures? how came in the evil heart of unbelief? Hebrews 3.12.

3. This Truth of original sin was generally held in the Church till Pelagius, who lived in the fifth Century▪ confirmed by divers Councils in the Primitive times; Concilio Melevitano, Concilio Toletano, &c. and the sixth Council of Carthage. This truth hath been acknowledged by Heathens; Plato complained, Homines naturâ suâ esse pravos, & induci non posse ut justitiam colant; (i. e.) That men were naturally very evil, and could not be induced to the embracement of what was righteous: And Cicero lamentatus est homines à naturâ novercâ in lucem edi; Cicero complains that men were brought into the world by nature their step-mother; the Heathens themselves universally enjoined a strict Discipline to curb the ranknesse and untowardness of nature. Nay, this truth hath been confirmed by the most learned of the Papists; A lapide in his Comment on the Romans acknowledgeth that that one act of Adams in eating the forbidden fruit, wherein he offended, is to be imputed to all men, and is to be reputed the sin of all men; and from hence it comes to pass that every child of Adam hath contracted a necessity of sinning even with his first breath; Nay, the very Rabbies have attested this truth; and we find it clearly, though sadly witnessed by our constant and much to be bemoaned experiences, and here we might suppena and summon two witnesses for the further verification of it; our own averseness to good, and our natural propensity to evil.

4. Nor was this truth ever opposed, but upon some design: The Pelagians opposed it to maintain the perfection and power of nature, which is man's proper Idol: The Papists have opposed it to establish merit: The Socinian to overthrow the satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ: And the Anabaptist, to subvert the precious Ordinance of Infant Baptism; (as was before hinted.)

But that this truth may leave off its mourning as to us, let us be careful in the application and improvement of it; which may be diversely.

[Use 1] Use 1. Let this check those who pride themselves in their noble descent; that they are of a worthy family, of an elder house, of a noble lineage, their Scutchion is blazond with more than ordinary honor; these should do well to look back a little further, and observe what their great Progenitour Adam left them, nothing but poverty, shame and guilt; and this would make them wrap the silver Star in Cypres, and cover their honor with mourning; this would put a half Moon into their Scutchion, and clip the Plumes of their boast: Indeed a noble descent, it may be our privilege, it must not be our pride; such vain-glorious persons should sometimes think of their first Parents: Adam left them nothing but a stock, not of glory, but of sin to trade with.

[Use 2] 2. Let our loss by the first Adam be an incentive to us, to pursue advantage in the second Adam: Musculus observes, this is one of the general uses we should make of this doctrine; ut gratiam Christi eo subnixiùs ambiamus; (i. e.) That we should be the more importunate in our pursuits after the grace of Christ; rags and wants bring beggars to the door; we are bankrupts in the first, let us look after an estate in the second Adam; the first Adam hath betrayed us, let us study that the second may betroth us; that our forfeiture in the first may be abundantly repaired in our felicity by the second; Adams fall should make us more sensible to rise by Christ.

[Use 3] 3. Let us see what a miserable piece of Pageantry a gaudy sinner is; you see happily what he hath received by his immediate parents; but you do not see what he hath received from his first parent; you see his rich apparel, his fair complexion, his full estate, his great attendance, his splendid pomp; but ye do not see those Mountains of guilt that lie upon him, those waves of corruption, which roll up and down in the dead Sea of his corrupted nature; ye observe not the unhappy portion that Adam left him; his immediate parents may leave him the heir of an Estate, but his first Parent left him the heir of Condemnation.

[Use 4] 4. Let this truth be the plumb-line to measure out the length, the depth, the breadth and heighth of the love of Christ in the work of our Redemption, and of that work that Christ is pleased to work in the heart of every believer; how much sin must he remove? sin imputed upon the account of Adam, besides the manifold accessions of his own; and what blood must quench that hell of sin within: as Peter Martyr well observes, Commendat malitia hujus peccati, dignitatem satisfactionis acceptae per Christum. The knowledge of original sin puts a gloss upon the satisfaction of Christ. The work of Christ upon the soul, receives its admirable rarity from the full knowledge of our sin by Adam.

[Use 5] 5. Let us not triumph over our inferior, afflicted, and distressed brother, that Providence hath bruised with its frowns and strokes, and happily cast down in the dust; Adam left him and thee an equal portion of sin and misery; so that all the distinction arises not from thy dignity, but from God's pity; and if God hath had more compassion for thee, wilt thou have more scorn for thy brother? God's pity should not be food for thy pride: Adam left thee as large an indictment as him, as corrupt a nature as him, as great a loss of original beauty and perfection as him; and shall the opening of God's hand to thee, procure the lifting up of thy heel against him? you and your despised brother, were both co-heirs of original sin; Adam divided that portion exactly between you.

[Use 6] 6. Let us see the nature of sin; one sin of Adam can subject the whole world to pollution and destruction. As we see the scorching Sun doth not only dry up a Field, but bring a drough upon the whole Land; sin is of a poisonous and propagating nature; if ye would view sin in its native and real deformity, look on it in the glass of Adams fall; Adam falls, and his whole posterity feel the bruise; one man (saith the Text) is sufficient to bring sin into the world; sin like chain-shot, it can cut off many as well as one; how should this raise our holy zeal against sin? and how should we arm ourselves with holy resolutions against this ruinous evil? sin is a ball of poison that can destroy a world.

[Use 7] 7. Let all Parents be cautionated by the example of our first Parent Adam; he propagated dea h to his posterity: Oh that Parents would study, as instruments, to propagate life to their posterity! he propagated sin, let us study to propagate holiness to our children; I mean instrumentally, as moral, not as natural instruments; Adams fall should be every Parents Alarum: Our first Parent unravel'd the happiness of his seed; let us that are Parents endeavor to build up the felicity of our issue; sinful Parents that are miscarrying copies to their children, and serve to poison the creature of their own generation, they are indeed the true children of Adam, they are in some sense like Sampson, that will destroy others with themselves. But let Adams example be our caution, his folly our warning piece; sometimes shipwrecks make them that follow more cautelous; and let us study to imitate the second; not the first Adam; this ruins his offspring, but the other saves his seed and issue: The forgetfulness of Adam might put bowels into every Parent towards the souls of their children. Now there are three ways for Parents to preserve their Families, which Adam left to ruin.

1. By their holy pattern: Fathers are the children's Looking-glsses for to dress themselves by; we know the old Aphorism, Ducimur Exemplis, we are guided and led by Examples; we more follow Copy, than Command; children will more mind the mothers Conversation, than the Ministers instruction; let us study to build up our Families by a holy life. Adams sin ruined his issue; let our holy Conversation preserve our issue; and though Adam were our common Parent, let him not be our authentic pattern.

2. By their watchful care: When Adam sinned, he more minded his sense than his seed; to please the one, than to preserve the other: Let Adams neglect of his posterity move us to a greater watchfulness over ours; we are often very solicitous to make our children rich in gold; let us be more solicitous to make them rich in grace: Not so much that they may be rich in Fields, as in faith; let us watch over them till the morning of conversion appear in them.

3. By their importunate prayers: Adam destroyed his posterity by a wanton eye; let us study to save ours by a weeping eye, by prayer mingled with tears; Hannah by prayer obtained a Samuel, let us by prayer endeavor to make our children Samuel's; the God of grace can give grace to our issue upon the account of prayer: Prayer may obtain that from the second Adam for thy children, which they lost in the first.

8. Let us consider this with ourselves; that though from Adam we receive sin and death, yet that we charge not our sin and death upon him, as if we died by his fall, and not by our folly; it is true, our original guilt comes from him, but from whom comes our actual? he left us a stock of sin, but who hath improved this stock? Perditio nostra ex nobis; our destruction is from ourselves; his sin is ours, as we were in him; but O those innumerable iniquities we ourselves have adventured upon! we had the Egg from Adam, but the Serpent is from us that stings to death; we cocker lust, and warm corruption with our desire and delight, that it engenders into killing transgressions. Adam hath left us death by original, but we apply this death by our actual sin. And therefore as our perdition was hatched by Adam, so it is fledged by us; it is seminally from Adam, but ripen'd by us, we our own selves perfect our own misery; we put the seal to our own destruction, by our fostering of our own lusts, and by our actual rebellions.

OF Original sin INHERING.

THe Apostles drift throughout the whole Chapter, is clearly to beat down sin, and to promote holiness. It was not known in his happy days, how to ascend the Throne of glory, but by the steps of grace. Those Primitive, and truly inspired Saints, never thought of commencing any degree in happiness per saltum; knowing that without holiness they should n • t see God.

Now to urge his already believing Romans to further sanctity, the Apostle uses the consideration of their Baptism as a special motive in the 3.4, 5. verses, and indeed those Ordinances in which we receive most from God, are greatest obligations of the soul unto God. There are these mercies with him that he may be feared. When the direct beam of love from God to them is strongest, the reflection of love and duty from them towards their God is hottest; then they are constrained, and cannot as it were, any longer choose but live to him that died for them.

This is that which the Apostle in this verse takes for granted. Knowing this; or we all know and grant this (the participle by an Hebraism being put for the verb ) which hath reference unto the foregoing part of the Chapter. Of which the words following in my Text, are the sum and conclusion, viz. That our old man is crucified with him, &c.

Which words contain, 1. A duty or privilege; for in Religion the same thing is both; it being our happiness to serve so good a Master, and to be employed in so good a service.

2. The end of that duty or privilege; That the body of sin might be destroyed, &c.

But my task being only to speak to some of the terms we here meet withal, I would not be curious in the division of the words. I am only to unfold a word or two in each part, viz. Our old man, the body of sin, and sin, all which signify one and the same thing; that is, they all are put here to express our Original pravity, and inbred corruption.

Concerning which — I suppose you have in the former Sermon seen this fountain of death opened. I am only to show you the streams that are from it overflowing in everyone of us.

And in the handling of this subject, give me leave to propound some things first more generally, (remembering that this discourse is intended partly in the nature of a common place, ) and then I shall speak to it more particularly from the words now before us.

That which more generally I am to speak unto, is,

First, That there is a pravity, naughtiness, and corruption in everyone.

Secondly, What this corruption, and spiritual pravity is

1. That there is such a pravity, will partly appear from the forced consent and common experience of all men. To prove which I need not quote those passages which Austin hath formerly observed out of Plato and Cicero, or add any other; for certainly the wickedness man naturally tends unto is so gross, that the dim sight of nature may easily discover it; were this to be read of Pagans, I would confirm my assertion as Paul did his, Acts 17.28. Certain of your own Poets have said it: But I remember I have to do with Christians, and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony. Alas, these poor men, like those that admired Nile 's streams, but were ignorant of its spring-head, they could not see so far as to the true cause of all this sinful misery; they could complain that none were content with their condition; but qui fit, how, or whence it came so to pass, they could not tell.

Nay more, the wisest Heathen with the plummet of reason could never fathom the depth of this corruption: St. Paul, till a Convert, and savingly instructed in the Law, did not know this lust. And this I the rather premise, because I shall take myself tied up to Scripture-evidence and proofs in the business in hand. Scripture makes only a full discovery of this disease, and of its cure too. Here only invenitur venenum, here only nascitur antidotus. Hence then I shall chiefly fetch these Arguments instead of many.

The first Argument of our sinful condition by nature may be taken from Gen. 5.3. where 'tis said that Adam who had been created in the likeness of God, ver. 1. after his fall by sin, begat a son in his own likeness, who had now made himself like unto the beast that perish, or far worse, for an Ox knows his Owner, &c. Now what is it for God to create man in his likeness? 'tis sanctus sanctum. A holy God creared man holy; and by consequence for Adam to beget Seth in his likeness, is corruptus corruptum; defiled Adam begat defiled, polluted Seth; and indeed who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean? if the root be corrupt, the fruit is not sound; if the fountain be poison'd, the waters are not wholesome; if the Parents be leprous, or infected with some other disease not to be named, they entail their malady as well as their nature upon their unhappy offspring. Nothing can exceed the virtue of its cause, which is the ground of our Savior's assertion, John 3.6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

It is very remarkable that the like phrase is not used when Scripture speaks of Adams begetting Cain, or Abel, (though both these were begotten in Adams likeness too) because Abel being to die without issue, and all Cain's progeny to be drowned by the flood, it is noted the rather of Seth by whom all mankind hath hitherto been continued in the world; that he, (from whom as well as from Adam we all came) was begat in Adams own image, that into which by sin he had transformed himself; and not in that likeness which was God's, in which God at first made him.

Nay, though the Parents be regenerated, yet their children by nature are altogether defiled; because they beget children as they are men, not as they are holy men; though the Parent be circumcised, the child brings into the world an uncircumcised foreskin with it, as the purest wheat that is cast into the Field comes up with husks and stalks. I might add that the holiest men upon earth, are but holy in part, they have a dark side as well as a light side, and proles (as conclusio) sequitur deteriorem partem; their children are like to what they were by nature, and cannot without the same Almighty mercy be like what they are through grace, witness Josiah 's and Hezekiah 's children; but there are too many sad Evidences of this amongst us daily.

Our second Argument for to prove our corruption by nature, the Apostle furnishes us with 2 Cor. 5.14. If Christ died for all, then were all dead. And the stress we lay upon it, it will very well bear; for what need all that are saved, to be saved by Christ, if in themselves they are not ruined? Destruction is first asserted to be from ourselves, and then it follows, but from me is your health; is not Christ made to all those that shall come to heaven and happiness, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption? Does not his death satisfy for their debts? his Spirit sanctify their hearts? Thus none go unto the Father but by him, and whose • ever would but see the Kingdom of God, must be borne again, John 3.3.

This very reason St. Austin urges concerning children. I shall give this, and some larger passages in English that I might not overmuch entangle the thread of my discourse. Whosoever says, that infancy hath nothing from which Jesus should save us, he denies Christ to be a Jesus to infants baptized in his Name; for what is a Jesus? Jesus is by int • rpretation a Savior, a Savior is a Jesus; those which he does not save, be ause they have nothing that he should save them from, or cure in them, he is not to them a Jesus. Now if your hearts can endure that Christ should not be a Jesus to such, I know not whither your faith can be sound, &c.

Thirdly, Scripture Ordinances prove this corruption to be in us; for else what need their institution to take it from us? If there be no pollution in the foreskin, why was Circumcision appointed to do it away? if we have no filth, what needs baptismal washing? and if we may borrow light from any shadows of the Ceremonial Law, why should women be so long unclean, and need solemn purification after their child-birth, if the fruit of their womb had been so immaculate and pure as some would make us believe? 'It is true, the Virgin Mary offered, though she brought forth a holy Child, but he was by imputation sin; for we know he bare in God's account our iniquities.

Saint Austin upon the bringing of Children unto Christ, observes this also, Children (says he) are brought to be touched; to whom are they brought to be touched but to the Physician? if they come to a Savior, they come to be cured; and presently after he adds video reatum, I see there is guilt in them. Another passage of his I shall the willinglier quote, because many that oppose this truth, pretend much to reverence antiquity. Wherefore dost thou say this child, or this person is sound, and hath no disease? why then dost thou run to the Physician with him? art not afraid lest he should say unto thee, Take him away that is sound? — The Son of man came not but to seek, and to save that which was lost; why didst thou bring him unto me, if he were not lost? And in his tract against Julian the Pelagian, the same father quotes several that were his predecessors in the maintaining of this very truth, as Irenaeus, Cyprian, Hilary, Ambrose, &c. but I proceed because we have heard a greater than all these, God himself so abundantly attesting of it.

This corruption shows itself by its effects; if we be so spiritually foolish, as not to believe there is such impurity in us from any other Arguments produced for the proof of it, experience may be our Mistress to teach it.

1. Experiences of multitude of miseries that flow from it. This is that Pandora 's box, which the Heathens so much talk of, out of which all manner of mischiefs flow abroad in the world. Why do we come into the world crying, rather than laughing? but as a sad Omen of the world of evils we are ever after here to meet with. But if there were no sin, there would be no suffering in those tender years. And what have these sheep done? When I see a child lying bound hand and foot in its swaddling clouts, skreaming and crying out, I cannot believe but God and nature would never have dealt so hardly with it (so noble a creature especially) if guilt had not procured these bonds and miseries; nay, methinks they speak its desert to be bound hand and foot forever, to be speechless forever, and to be cast too (unless infinite mercy prevent) where there is weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth forever.

And all these things Scripture makes only the products of sin; that only is the fruitful Parent of all evils. Wherefore does a living man so much as complain? 'tis for the punishment of his sin, Lam. 3.39. Death which reigned over all, Rom. 5.14. is the wages of sin, Rom. 6.23. Nay, of that sin too which is communicated to man-kind by Adams fall; 1▪ Cor. 15.21, 22. By man came death; death is not of God's making, but of man's, of our sins; and so are all sicknesses and miseries (the tendencies to death) of sin's making; for God doth not afflict willingly; no, not to a bare grieving of the children of men, Lam. 3.33. but as it follows in Adam all die.

2. As the experiences of misery, so of the abounding of iniquity attest this; there must be a root of bitterness, where there is so much bitter fruit. Our Savior's question, Does a man gather figs of thorns? it may in this case with the same strength of reason be inverted; Does any man gather thorns of a fig-tree, or thistles of a vine? if our nature be yet so sweet and good, whence do the unsavory fruits of vanity and rebellion (in the youngest ones) that I do not say of blasphemy and impurity, whence do these grow? why must young ones be so long under the menaces and rods of their Parents and Masters, and as the event testifies all too little too, to restrain them from undoing themselves, and damning their immortal souls? is not virtue as amiable as vice, if we did but look upon them indifferently? can there be more said for the ways of sin, than for the ways of God, which are pleasantness. its self, &c? and why then hath God so few, and the world, nay, sin and Satan so many servants?

They that converse with children, or are any way concerned in their education, can set to their seal that this is true; how often do they see puerum zelàntem, if not worse, willful and obstinate children; folly so deeply bound in their hearts, that the rod of correction can hardly drive it out?

I shall omit many other Arguments which might be brought for the further evidencing of this pollution in us; but I know it is not their number, but their weight that is considerable: And I hope by these God will reveal so much of his light, that we may see and be convinced of our own darkness.

The second thing more generally concerning this subject to be considered, is, what this corruption and inbred pravity is?

There are many names which Scripture and Antiquity have given unto it; those which the Ancients call it by, you may read more largely in Aug. contra Julianum, lib. 1. cap. 2. By him, or about his time it began to be called original sin, which word we shall henceforth more frequently use; for though it be not found in Scripture, yet that which we intend by it, being so clearly grounded on Scripture, the name cannot distaste any, who have not a quarrel against the thing; no more than the name of Trinity or Sacraments, and the like.

And in these too, convenient rebus nomina; there is good reason why 'tis so called.

For 1. 'It is called original sin, because 'tis in everyone from his original; it may say to everyone, as soon as thou wert, I am; Or,

2. Because 'tis derived from Adam the original of all Man-kind, out of whose blood God hath made us all: Or,

3. Because 'tis the original of all other sin; it is the seed and spawn out of which they all grow; this is that lust which when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin, James 1.15.

As for Scripture names, Chemnitz in his Common place upon this subject reckons up above twenty whereby it is called in the Word of God: I shall not insist on any besides those which I shall have by and by out of this Text to speak unto.

Which I should be too much prevented in, if I should set down any certain definition of it to be here explained, besides what everyone may gather from what hath been already said; only I cannot but mention those three things, which make up as it were, this original sin, and into which Anselm divides his definition of it.

1. There is in original sin the absence of original righteousness, which is the image of God in which he made man at first; for he makes him upright, and all his workmanship (when looked over) is exceeding good.

2. There is present in man its contrary image, that is unrighteousness, concupiscence, &c. A heart evil, and only evil; vicious habits, even before there were vicious acts; as afterwards a man hath the habits of grace infused before he acts graciously.

This souls disease is like unto those of the body, where there is not only a privation or absence of the former good constitution, but a present indisposition, &c. And though original sin be not actual, yet 'tis active; actuosum, though not actual. The flesh l • steth against the Spirit, and sin worketh all manner of concupiscence, Rom. 7.8. To understand these things the better, we must know:

1. That the soul of man cannot be indifferent to, or altogether without either of these images or likenesses; it hath either the image of a holy God, or of a sinful man upon it; to think that it is rasa tabul • , like white paper without anything good or bad written in it, is but a Philosophical fiction, which Scripture nowhere owns, and Christianity everywhere explodes; there are but two Cities made out of mankind, Jerusalem and Babylon; there will be but two sorts at the last day, Sheep and Goats, and unto which should these neuters or indifferent ones belong?

2. As none can be without one of these images, so none have both of them. A man's soul cannot be as some artificial picture representing on the one side a beauty, on the other side a Monster; light and darkness; God and Mammon; Christ and Belial are too much opposite to enter into any fellowship or agreement in his soul. No, but 'twill be asked, whose image and superscription (in the singular number thus too) hath it?

3. And as by this sin there is both the absence of God's image, and the presence of his enemies; that is, man by it, is not what God is, holy, &c. and is what God is not, unholy, &c. so thirdly in this sin, is considerable that debt which man owes unto Divine Justice, to satisfy for this h • s irregularity. God might require, that man should make him satisfaction for this injury; and 'twill be exacted of all men out of Christ. It is no small crime to break the seal, to throw away the image and picture of any Prince or Sovereign. Now as the former ingredients into this sin, made us altogether sinful, so this consideration makes us by nature altogether miserable.

And thus I have spoken to this subject in the general, and more by way of common place. I shall now confine myself in that which is behind, to speak of it only under those notions which this Text affords. As,

• 1. 'It is called here our Old man.
• 2. The body of sin.
• 3. This is that also which in the last words is called sin.

As to the first of these. Original sin is represented to us under our old man; and that not without special reason, whither we lay the emphasis upon Old or Man.

We will first inquire why it is called Man; not our old understanding, or affections, &c. only, but our old Man.

And I will only give you these two reasons for it, to omit others which are given by that learned Author who hath writ so fully on this subject.

1. Because this sin runs parallel with our being men, or partaking of man's nature in this world. This sin and our nature in us are twins in life and death; they live and die together; we shall not cease to be sinful, before we cease to be men. Our whole Fabric is so overspread with this leprosy, that it can never be sufficiently cleansed, till it be wholly taken down. Its strength indeed is abated; it does not rule in a child of God as formerly; nay, it's deaths wound is received, it is crucified, or fastened upon the Cross, as my text hath it; yet it will not totally expire but with our latest breath: it can be no more wholly parted with, then our very soul itself; Quod natura nobis inest deponi non potest; Whatsoever is in us by nature, will stick by us till the dissolution of nature.

2. This sin is called man, because it hath overspread the whole man; that as the subjectum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is every man in a natural way propagated from Adam: it may be said of every such one, he is guilty of this sin, he is infected with this Original sin; So the subjectum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or the subject unto which this sin adheres, and in which it is, is every part of every man. It is not in this spiritual malady as in corporal, where the head aches many times when the heart is hail; the Foot is wounded, when the hand is whole; but by this soul distemper, every man is a very hospital of spiritual diseases; neque manus, neque p • s, neither hand nor foot, neither head nor heart is as it should be, or does as it should do.

And because this is so material to our present purpose, I will show,

1. That this sin cleaves to the soul; and 2. It infects the very body also.

First, It hath overspread the soul, and that in its most noble faculties; I mean those two which do so much advance man above the common sort of creatures; Reason and Will, understanding and affections; the highest and inmost powers poor man hath, are suprized by it.

This sin appears in the mind, the eye of the soul; 'tis dim-sighted in natural things; 'tis quite out as to spiritual truths. 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. What those things of the Spirit are, the Context tells us, no other than the plainest truths of the Gospel; nay, he counts these foolishness. Those things which are the wisdom of God, the product of infinite wisdom, he slights and disesteems; and no wonder, for he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritual truths as such, are no more within the cognizance of the natural eye of the soul, than spiritual substances are within the view of the eye of the body. There is none that understandeth, Rom. 3.11. If Peter and some few other here and there in the world may be recepted, no thanks to them, but to the Father, who hath revealed these things unto them. Certainly did we know the things of God more, we should love them better; Good, when discovered, is attractive; if a child prefers an apple before a piece of gold, it is because he does not know the difference; and when the children of men prefer themselves, or any creature else before God, the reason is, they do not know, they do not consider.

And hence it is that in our spiritual recovery the eyes are anointed with eye-salve. Christ came to open the eyes of the blind; and his Spirit is a Spirit of illumination and revelation: Believers were darkness, but now they are light in the Lord, Ephes. 5.8. What needs St. Paul to have prayed so earnestly that the eyes of the Ephesians understanding might be enlightened, if they of themselves had not been blind? Ephes. 1.18.

The will is distempered with t • is sin also; it hath not seized only upon the head, but upon the heart. The imagination of the thought of man's heart is evil, and only evil, Gen. 6.5. & Gen. 21.17. Jer. 9. I forbear glossing upon those places; hence it is that there is so little love unto, or desire after heavenly things; can any man give a reason (which he will not be ashamed of at that great day) why he loves God no more? What iniquity have ye found in me? says the Lord.

As the Elements have their proper principles of motion, gravity and levity, whereby they tend to that place in the Universe that best suits them; and sensitive creatures have their wings or feet to carry them towards those objects which are most convenient for them; so God hath endued rational creatures with a will and affections to carry them forth towards the enjoying of himself who only is the Center of their happiness, and without whom they can never be at rest.

But does the will of man by nature do him this good office to carry him unto God as his only bliss? why then do we see and hear of so many that are in the search of other things, not once to be named with God? how many are there of whom it may be said, God was never thus to be sure in all their thoughts! like the Israelites they are scattered up and down gathering straw; nay, dross and dung in the Apostles sense, is frequently prefer'd before Jesus Christ. How many may sadly say as that good man, Quantum Mercator pro lucro, &c. I have not done so much for my God, as the Merchant doth daily for his gain, or the Hunts-man for his game: and yet what gain or pleasure is comparable to our enjoying of, and communion with God? but further,

The body bears a part with the soul in this sore evil; 'tis comparatively I confess but a small part, for it can according to its nature bear no greater.

Our Apostle speaks of sin reigning in our body, Rom. 6.12. Every member of our body is ready to act in a sin; to be an instrument of unrighteousness, ver. 13. a servant to uncleanness, ver. 19. The temper or rather distemper of the body inclining often, sometimes to one, sometimes to another sin, which the Devil (who is best seen in our constitutions) makes much use of in suiting his temptations; hence he frequently tempts those that are melancholy to despair, and the sanguine he tempts to presume, with no small disadvantage to their souls from the several inclinations of their bodies.

To be sure, whilst a man is or should be providing for his soul, the body too often interrupts him with What shall I eat? what shall I drink? wherewith shall I be clothed? And if there be any fear of suffering, though for Christ and his Gospel, the body cries Spare thyself, this may not come unto thee, &c. So that with Adam by reason of sin we need a clothing for, and may be ashamed of our very bodies. Even they also should be the Temples of the Holy Ghost, but are now become Cages for these unclean Birds.

Put but these things together, and 'tis too sadly apparent that this original sin is as extensive as anything in mere man can be.

So that in everyone methinks I see another Adam; if you consider the parallel, you shall find Adams image and likeness in each of his unhappy offspring. Take it with some enlargement out of Austin.

1. Adam after his fall had his understanding darkened, he thought to hide himself from that God from whom nothing can be hid, Gen. 3.8. And are we not thus blind? does not man promise himself more security for a secret, than for an open impiety? The Adulterer, the Oppressor, the Proud and the Envious person saith, None seeth me, Isa. 47.10. Durst men undertake that wickedness under the sense of God's seeing of them, which they would be ashamed of if men looked upon them, were they not thus blind?

2. We find Adam flying from God's presence; his will and affections were defiled, or he could not have been averse from communion with God. Being now stained with sin, he trembles to hear him, whom before it was his chiefest delight to be with all. And this also sin hath brought upon the posterity of Adam; they do not delight in communion with God; in their hearts and lives too they forsake God.

We do not read that Adam after the commission of his sin, did so much as once think of God, till he heard the voice of the Lord, walking in the garden in the cool of the day, in order to the calling of him to an account for his sin, and then he is afraid, and flies, &c. So his wretched children ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) seldom think of God, at least seriously, and as they ought, till towards the end of their lives, when God by the voice of some extraordinary sickness, is a calling of them to judgment; and then no wonder if they be afraid.

3. I might observe a similitude we have in our bodies unto Adams sinful body, but that our very clothes as I hinted but now, sufficiently evince it. We have the same use and necessity of them which he by sin fell into; The best apparel being but as plasters which this soar calls for; howsoever too too often man makes himself proud of them.

Now whither these faculties of soul and body being so nearly conjoined, do corrupt and infect one another; as Ivy while cleaving to the Oak, draws away the sap from it, and destroys it, I shall not here contend; I confess there are many difficulties concerning this subject, of which we may say, as of other depths in Religion, with the Woman of Samaria, John 4.25. When the Messias comes, he will teach us all things.

I have been too long upon this first consideration in explaining, why Original sin is called Man. I must be the shorter in what follows; why it is called Old man.

1. Because it is derived from the eldest or first Adam; for though Christ as God, was from eternity; yet as an Adam, or common head, he was the latest — Man must be fallen in the one, before he can be raised in the other.

2. Original sin is the Old man, because corruption is first in everyone. Esau comes out first; first that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

3. 'It is called Old, because it is to be done away., This old man, all old things are to be done away. Compare it to the new man, or the work of grace, and then you will say indeed, There is no loveliness in it, for which you should retain it; were there not an eternity of happiness or misery to put into the balance, virtue would out-weigh vice.

4. It may be called Old, because of its cunning and craft; as old men by reason of their abundant experience, are more wise and subtle than others. This old man, this corruption is cunning to deceive. Oh what excuses does it bring for sin, what pretences? you have heard it hath much of Adam, but know it hath somewhat of the wise and old Serpent too, for it was begot betwixt them both.

I shall pass this first particular only with this note, instead of further Application, viz.

Observe (with Pareus ) that when the Apostle calls Original sin our old man, he distinguishes it from ourselves. It is ours, too nearly cleaving to us, but it is not ourselves. Whence we must learn to put a difference betwixt the corruption of nature, and nature itself. Mans nature is from God, but the corruption of man's nature is from himself. And this original sin is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , any substantial part of man, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Apostle says of it, Heb. 12.1. The sin that so easily besets us.

Thus at length we are come to the second particular which the Apostle uses to express original sin by; 'tis the body of sin.

And herein I have only to show how this Original sin is a body; for the other, how it may be called sin, or a body of sin, will be considered in the third Appellation which is here bestowed upon it.

Now Original corruption is a body of sin,

1. In that a body, though it seems never so beautiful and fair, yet 'tis in itself but a stinking carcass, made of base, loathsome matter, &c. So sin and wickedness, though it may seem specious and alluring, yet 'tis but an abomination, as Scripture in a hundred places calls it; adultery, covetousness, excess, and all the parts of this body are not as they seem to be when varnished or painted over. They say there is no stench comparable to that of a human body, when not salted or animated with the soul. I am sure nothing so noisome as this body of death; Paul that could with rejoicing endure scourgings and stonings, imprisonments and shipwrecks, yet cries out mightily of this, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me! Rom. 7.24.

2. As a body being material, is visible; so original sin discovers its self to everyone that without prejudice will look to find it. It is discernible in its effects daily. Though we cannot see the soul, yet from the motions and actions it causeth, we know a man hath a soul; so we may know everyone hath original sin, from that vanity and sin that is put forth by it.

3. As the body hath divers members, so this sin; it is not so much one sin, as seminally and virtually all sin; there is a concatenation of virtues and vices; Scripture speaks of both under that notion; hence a single eye, a pure heart, &c. And on the other side that sin is a body, and is thus universally in us, the Apostle shows, Rom. 3.13, 14. and the Prophet saith it hath over-spread us; from the soles of the feet even unto the head there is no soundness, Isa. 1.6. As the waters in Noah covered the highest Mountains, so these raging waves of iniquity over-flow the highest and choicest faculties of human nature.

4. I wish I could not add as a body is beloved and provided for, so is this sin: We make provisio • for the flesh to fulfill its lusts; Who would willingly part with the least member of his body? men do not willingly forgo any sin; but if something of this body must be parted with, 'tis but hair and nails, &c. such as are rather excrements than members, and will soon grow again, which we are content to cut and pare off. And thus till that day in which God puts forth his Almighty power to make us willing, we are loath to leave any sin, unless such as for the present are troublesome to us, or may ere long grow again, and be with more ease or credit enjoyed by us.

5. This sin as a body hath strength in it, and Tyranny is exercised by it. The body leads poor Captives whether it lists, and says to this man G • , and he goeth, &c. so does this sin, we are held Captive by it, till the Son of God sets us free. Man is not ingenuus, but libertus; he is not by nature born free, but by grace made free; until he be established by the free Spirit, he goes and comes as the wind and Tide of corruption drives him.

And this is far more sad than to be possessed, or to have our members acted by the Devil himself; for the incestuous person was given over to Satan (which some interpret thus) for the good of his soul, that his soul might be saved; but none are left under the power and command of their corruptions, but to their certain and inevitable destruction.

6. It is called here especially a body by the Apostle, to answer to the other Metaphor of crucifying in the words before; only bodies can be crucified, and this sin is crucified with Christ.

Which by the way shows the state of original sin in the people of God, and how it should be in all others, especially such as are baptized; it should by faith be nail'd to the Cross of Christ, we should by believing fetch virtue from Christ's death to crucify it; it must hang on Christ's Cross, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Metaphor taken from those that are crucified, who hanging on the Cross upon nails, grow weaker and weaker, till they expire and die; so must original sin be in us, (dead already as to its reigning power, and) dying daily as to its in-being moving power, having every day less strength than other.

We have now but the last expression the Apostle uses for this original corruption; he calls it here sin, to show that it is so; it is sin.

• 1. Properly and truly.
• 2. Eminently and especially.

It is truly and properly sin, it is not only a defect, but a sin; it is against the holy will of God, and is chargeable upon us by the justice of God; every soul disease is not only a punishment, but a sin, and therefore far worse than the worst disease that is incident to the body; and our sinful state should be more terrible to us than our dying condition. To convince us of this, know that this original corruption becomes our sin.

1. In that God imputes the guilt of Adams sin to us, which I suppose you have had vindicated in the foregoing Sermon: I shall only say this to it, that God may as well by imputation make Adams sin become our sin for condemnation, as he may by imputation make Christ's righteousness become our righteousness unto salvation; and yet Christ is made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, &c. and we have no other righteousness to appear in for justification before him at that great day. Hence Rivet well observes, that the Church hath ever found and still does, that those very men who are enemies to the doctrine of Original sin, are enemies also to the doctrine of the grace of God in Christ. Thus the Socinians, who deny that we have contracted any debt by Adams sin, deny also that Christ satisfied, and paid our debts to divine Justice; and if they take away this, let them take all.

2. Though Original corruption be truly sin by imputation, yet 'tis not sin by imputation only. It is our sin by inhaesion, inhering in us, and making of us otherwise than God made us. To blot a letter in a fairly writ Copy, to draw a black line over a beautiful picture, cannot but prove a fault; what is it then to mar God's curious workmanship, which this sin does in man? Consider that God is many months in the framing of the body, (for we are wonderfully made by him) and when this body is fitted, he unites it to a soul more worth than a world of bodies. This great-little creature man, hath many prerogatives too that advance him, especially in that God's delight is said to be with him. Now when all this care and pains are taken, this cost and charges expended by God to make man for himself, this corruption comes and mars all, and will God hold it guiltless?

No, this sin is exceeding sinful; for,

1. 'It is more extensive than other sins; every actual sin hath some particular faculty in soul or body, which it does defile and charge with guilt, wherein it was conceived, or whereby it was acted; but original sin stains all alike, so far as by their several natures they are receptive of its defilement; it ruins the whole little world of man. It does not only overspread the whole earth; man's baser part, the body; but his celestial part, his heaven-born soul is contaminated by it; the sun, moon, and stars in it are turned into blood.

2. This Original sin is diffused, derived, and communicated, whereas actual sins are not. Personal faults of Parents are not imputed to Children, and defile not their Children, unless imitated or unbewail'd. Children's teeth are not set on edge by the sour grapes their Parents thus eat, but Original sin being the sin of the nature of the Parent, becomes the sin of the Child, and will be entailed further to the last man upon earth; for Children have the nature, but not the person of their Parents.

And let it not seem strange, that God should suffer this original sin to be so vastly diffusive, that he should not exempt his own people wholly from it. There is the same reason that corruption should remain amongst them, which there was for the abode of the Canaanites amongst the Israel of God of old; It tries them and brings them often to Bochim, and makes their life a vall y of tears; and whilst they go on their w • y weeping and crying unto God by reason of it, they bear precious fruit; for God does make good come unto believers out of this great evil, making it an Antidote against carnal confidence, and self-love, a means to exercise their faith, and a sure evidence of his own power and presence in the keeping of them.

Besides, it is far better for us by this occasion to be under the second Adam, then ever it could have been being under the first. The first Adam was a head of clay, of the earth earthly. The second Adam is a head of gold, The Lord from heaven. Though we were made holy in the first Adam, yet having a mutable will, we might under him perish everlastingly; but they that are in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life; a glory beyond what we could have had, if we had continued in innocence; for under that first Covenant, we could have expected only a reward answerable to our own works; but under the second we hope for glory, in some measure proportionable to Christ's merits. Though we know not what that glory is, yet this we know, that when he appears, we shall be like him, 1 Joh. 3.2.

And in the mean while as the Israelites who were before but Brick-burners, and potters, by reason of the Canaanites amongst them, learned the art of war, and became Renowned soldiers; so the true Israel of God by this means put on their whole spiritual Armor, and daily fight the good fight of faith, and become more than Conquerors (to conquer a lust, being more glorious than to conquer a Kingdom) through Christ that strengthens them; when these Philistines are upon them, (as upon Sampson ) then the Spirit of the Lord comes upon them 〈◊〉 , and what lust is able to stand before his Spirit? As Joshua took the five Kings and shut them up in the Cave at Makkedah till the Battle was over, and then slew them: So the Lord is pleased to shut up and restrain the corruption of his people in the Cave of their body, until their warfare be finished, but then he brings them out and slays them; they shall then never see these enemies more. And therefore holy Paul who cries out, Who shall deliver me? adds presently, I thank God, &c. as if he had breathed the same breath out in praise, which he had taken in, in prayer for deliverance; so soon does God answer prayer made against this sin according to his will.

And thus we have seen something towards the explaining of this difficult matter. The nature of this undertaking being more to inform your judgments, than to deal with your affections; I shall the rather hope to be excused if I be not proportionably so large in the Application, which I am now come unto, and shall lay down what I intend to speak to, under these two heads. 1. Of Instruction. 2. Of Exhortation; to inform your judgment, and to quicken your practice.

1. If we all have corruption thus by nature inherent in us, it may silence all complaints against God for exposing of us to such wants and miseries at our very entrance into the world, and so all along during our continuance in it; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , whence come evils? was a question which did much puzzle the Philosophers of old; here we are resolved of it: The evil of sin, and sorrow come • s from this root. No wonder now that our children are more miserable than the young ones of Beasts or Birds, because they are more si • full.

2. Hence it follows that in the very best there is a mixture, borh in their principles and actions. There was two in Rebecca 's womb, there are two in their hearts; the Old m • n, and the New man; nature a • d grace; flesh and Spirit: Hence that striving, that •