Tb"e C~rrupti'on of~he !f!ill~ this ye that are yet in the fl:at.e of nature, and groaQ ye out your ·cafe before the Lord, that tbe·fuq of ~ighteouf1H::fs may · arife upon you, before you pe !hut up in evedafhng dark- ·· nefs. vVhat avail~ your worldly wifdom? VVhat do yom." . ) attain~ents in religion avail, while your under£l:an,d/ing lie::~ · yet w1apt up in its uatund dat knefs and confnfien. utterly void.of the light of life? Whatever be the natUJal man's ? ifts or attainments, we mufl: (as in J.he ea{~ of the lep.e r~ Lev·. ~i1i. 24.) pronounce him utterly unclear., hiJ plague iJ ' inhif head. But that is not all; it is in his heart too , h1s wfll is c.orr~pted as 1 fhall !hew anon! • Ofthe ,C~rr~ptitm of the t/t'ill. n. The will, tha..t commanding .faculty, (whi·ch fame– times was faithful; aud ruled with•·God) is now turned trai· tor, and rules with, and for the devil, God planted it in man wholly a right feed; but now it is tu'riled into the de~ generate plant of ajlrang~ vine: It wa~ 01iginally placed in a due fubordination to the wilf of God, as was (howo be– fore; but· now i1 is gone wholly afide . However, fom~ do · magnify the power nf free-will~ a view of the fpl.rituali ty of the law, to which acts offuoral ciifcipline do in no ways ang · •.. "f wer; and a deep infight into the corruption ofnatme~ giveo hy the inwa·~d operation of the Spirit, convincingof fin, righ· teoufnefs an·a judgment, would make men frnd an abfoluta · - Deed of the power oftree grace; to remove the-bands of wiLk~ edoefs from off the' free-will. To oven up this plague cf ~· .the heart, T offer thefe follo.wing things to be conildered • . Fi'rfi, ·There_is, inrh'~unrenewed. wi!l, an utterinabi;1t:1 · fdr what is truly good and acceptable in the fight-of God. The natural man's will is in Satan's fetters; hemmed in, - within the circle of evi), and cannot move beyond it, :roo t€. ,· ~han a dead man can raife himlelf out of hi sg"rave , Eph. ii 1. ' · 'V'e deny him not a power to chufe, purfue and at!:, wha~. ·· on·the matter, is good: but thoug11 he C4 11 will what •s good and right, ·be can 'will nothing aright and well. John xv·. 5 .. ,11/ithout me, ·i . e fepctrat~ .from me, ·].Sa branch from. the fl:ock, (as b?th the wo rd and contcxtdocT,trry it);·e can donothing,; to wit, nothing truly and fpiritually good: His ve1ychoice and de!ire of fpiritual things is carnal a.nd felfifh, " J~bnv.i. 26 . . r~:ftr:A me, becaufo;e didcatofthr: loaver, and "' wcr~ , ..
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