32· Th4t' .Bifan'! Natttr1·· ~tate }}'~ cafe of Joalt~ who had murdered Abner, Tbtft men, the:– ftns if :'~eruiah, be loo hardfornu, 2 Sam. iii. 39· Luffs , fometimes grow too firongfor laws, fo th;tthe lawisJlacked~-· as the pulfe of a dying man, -Hah:i. 3• 4~ ( 5··) C:onfider1 what neceility oftep ·appears .of amending old laws, andi waking new anes; which have -their rife from new c-rimes ; · that man's nature is very fruitful o[ There would he no;) need ·of mending the hedge,· if men were not like unruly t, beafl:s, ft i1l breaking it down. It is afl:oniffiing to fee, what~ £gdre the lfraelites, who t.yere feparated unto God, from l among aV the nations ofthe earth, do make in their hiftory; ; what hoqihle confufions wereamong them, when there was ; no K'iog in lfrael; 'as you, may fee, in the xviii; xix. xx. aod xxi. chapters of-Judges~ how hard it .was to reform·~ them~when they had the belTofmagifitates~ and h'owquick- - ly they turned ~tfide again, wheh they got ~ wicked ru}ers. [ l cannot but think, th(j.t one grand defign of that facred hi- - . fiory, was to difcover the corrtlp,tion of man's nature, the-' abfolute need· oft he Me.f!iah, and his gra~e: . and that we : Otlght in the reading of it, to i,mprovdt to that end. -How · cutting-is that word, the- Lord has ·to Sa·mttel; concerning ·\ Soul, I Sam.ix. 17: 'Thefamejhall reig"f over, (or, as ; the word is, jhall rejlrain) my people. 0 ,the Corruptiort'' of man's nature! the awe and dread of th'e God ofheaven .~ rdhains them not: but they miufl: have: gods on th·e .earth: l to do it, to put them to jh'ame, Judges xviii. T; . Sixthly, Confider the remains of tfult nat~ral corrup.ti0n iR:: the faints. Tho' grace has entered, yet corruption is not ' quiteexpelled: tho' they. have got ·the new creatu-r,e, yet~ 'mnch of the olp corrupt ·nature remains: and thefe {huggle · together;within them, as the twins in Rt:bekah's womb ~ Ga!• . v. r7. They find it prefent with them at all times, ~n1d in · all places, even in the mo.ft retired corners. I'f a man h;Pre' 1 an ill neighbour, he may remove : if;he h'ave an iH fervant, .. he may p.ut him away anhe term: · if a bad yoke-fellow, he · 1 ; may fometimes Jeav·e the houfe, and be feee of moleHation · that :'ay. ~ut lli.ould the faint go int{> a wilder!Yefs', or fet \lp h1s tent m fame remote rock of'tbe fea, 1 where-never · foot of man, beafr; or fowl h;,_~, touched,. there will' it be , •with bim. Should he be with Paul caugh't ttp to the third · ,heavens; i'f_!h.all come backwith h;im 1 2 C9t', xii.< ·T· It fol-' ·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=