,: j' 2 ,, Y'h~. c~rr:upti~11J ifJ.h' tVil!. I' State>U• .Man,:. f1~tural~y, look.s on God as a gre3t maCler; and himfelhts ·bis fervant, that mull work and win heaven as l1is w~ges. Hence, whan confcieoce is ·awakened, he thinks that, to .the end he may,he faved, he mull anfwer the de- ' mands of the law; · fer.ve God:as as we'll a1 he .can, aAd pray £or mercy wherein he comes fuort. Apd thus •t'llany come to duties that never come our of them to Jefut G)lfi(l-. :'FJ.vid. z.· As men, naturally, think pighJy of their·d.Uti·es, · that feem• ·to them, to be well done ~ fo they look for ac– ceptance with God according tU thtir work if rjoni, not '-- 6Ccording to the )hare they have in the blood of Chri/1. Wherefore have we vfa.fled fay they, and thou fitfl · not ? They'll value them(elves on their perform~:nces, and at– tainments: . yea, their '. very opinions in religion (Philip. iii. 4, 5,./6, 7.') takipg to the mfehes, what they 'rob from Chri!l: the great highf"p.ridlo . Evit/. 3•... The natural man going~· to God in duties, ·will always be found, either t:\) go without,,a mediator, or with more than the· one only mediator Jefus Chrill. Natu11e-is blind, and therefore venturous; it _fets·a man a going.im- ·mediatdy to God_:without Chrifi; to tmlh into his pre– feoce, and put their- petitions in his 'hand, without being introduced by the Secretary of heaven, or · putting ·-their requefl:s into ,his hand. 1 So fixed is this difpoiition in the unrenewed heart, that whe.a many hearers of the gofpel . are convcrfed with upon the point of their. ~pes .of f;!·Jva.. t ion, the name of Chrift wiH f1=arcely be heard from t·heir · mouths / Aik thein how they ~hink to obtain the pardon of . fip? th,ey will 'tell you, t'hey beg aod,Jook for mercy, be· caufe God is a merciful ·God; and that is all they have ' to ' confide in. Otb~rs look for mercy for Chrifi's fake; b-ut bow do they kn-ow that Chrifi will take their plea in hand? Why, as 1he Pap'i!l:s havet~eir mediators with the Mediator-, fo have they. They know he cannot but do it; for they' pray, confefs, moprn, and Aave great de'fires, and tbe like; and fo h,ave tomethiog of their own_to com– mend them unto him : they were never made' poor in fpi– rit, and brought empty -handed to Chrifi, to lay the firefs of all on his atoning blood. In. The natural man is an enemy to Chrifi in his king~ otqce. The Father has appoin.ted the Mediator,, king in ' .·Zion,
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