Read I. The truths of natural rel igipn, which do, as it were, for-::e , their entry into the mind~ of natur~l men;_ t,hey hold prifon– en in ur.rightecufnefs, Rr;1Jz. i. r8 . And as for the trut hs .. of revea~ ed" religion, there is an' c"oil heart of tinbelitfin them, which' oppofeth' their entry ; and there is an armed f orce____..._ r.e~dfary to captivate the mind to the beli ef of t-hem-, 2 Cor.·x :4, 5. God ha,s made a reve!ati-:;n' of hi s mi nd and wi.ll to {inners'; touchingthe w::~y · offalvation' : he hai r.iven us the doc1rine of his holy word: ?ut do natural men . bdieve it inceed ? No·;· they do not; for he that beiie'l./eth not on t he Sun cf God, belitveth not God, ·-as. is plain from 1 John v. 1c. :J hey believe not the-promifes"ofthe word they look'on them, in efE:tt, ontyas- fair ~ords; for 'th"fe that rece'i•cthem, .are the~eby made parra.kets of tf;,· dwhu ';atur.Y, ' Pet. i. 4• '' The -promi{es are as filver cords let down fronrheaven to draw' finners unto God·~- an-d to ' waft– tf) e :~l over into the promifed land; but they caft-thc'm from 1 them. "They believe not the rtveammgs of the word. · As men trave11in·g in def~r'ts tarry fire about with them. to fright away wild be•:fts :, fo God has made his law a fiery l~w, De'ut, ·xxxiii. 2. -hedgiog ·ir-about with threat~ Of Wrath ·: Hut men naturally are ill~o·t~ brutilh t·han beafls themtel'ves; and wilt needs fou'Ch the fiery ~-mokio~g mountain, tho' they fh0uld' 'be''thiufl 'througb with ' a dart.> !doubt not but mofl:, if not a>H of you,/who are yef hi (he bl~tk ffate "bf nature will hete plead, Notguilry : -· But reme111ber the c:or~ JJd Je<tvJ in ·ehrift's time were as confident as you are . 2nd they believed !V!cfe.r, John ix•.~8. · 19'· · But he con– fute<~ their confidence, roundly telling_ them. · Juhnv. 46. Had ye believe~· J11o(eJ, ye rwo'uld have believed me. Dld >e ~ elieve th e tn1ths of God, ye durfl not ·reject, as ye do, ' !1i:n who is Tr uth itfelf. The yery difficulty you find in · ~ ~ffentiPg to, th is truth, bewrays· tba.t uobelief 1~m charcr ing you with. Has· it not proceeded fo far ,with fome ·~t this d~iy, that it has Heeled their fore-beads. with the im – pudenc~ and impiety openly to rrje.:t all re~ealed religion ? Surely it is CiUi o.f th~ abu ndance of the heart their· 172outh Jpea~etk: l>nt tho' ye fet not your n)ouths agai~fi the heRvens, as they do, the fame bitter root of unbelief i~ in all men by nature, and reigns in ypu, and will teign, .l'iil overcoming grace captivate your minds to the be!itf E 2 lilf
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=