ari zng from vicious Habits. 227 The fcriptures, in many other declarations, S E R as well as in my text, reprefent the condition VIII. of men, by cullomary finning, as very de- "--.%j plorable and extremely difficult to be cured. Sin groweth daily lironger in them; acquiring the force of a law, or a dominion by which they are held in bondage ; their vicious defires become more impetuous; their judgment of moral differences is fo corrupted, that they put good for evil, and evil for good ; their confciences are feared, being pail feeling, they give themfelves up to lafcivioufnefs, to work wickednefs with greedinefs: the apoftle Paul faith of the unconverted Gentiles, that they were dead in trefpaffes and fins ; Ephef ii, t. and St. Peter, concerning fome decei- vers in his time, who had the advantage of better inftru &ion, but wickedly neglehted it, that they were the fervants of corruption, and exprefsly, that they could not ceafe from fin, 2 Pet. ii, 14. Nay, to fet the indifpofition of fuch finners to goodnefs, in a flronger light, it is fometimes fo reprefented in fciipture, as if the obflinate depravity of their hearts were the intention and effehts of the divine pro- ceedings towards them. To this purpofe, is that remarkable prophecy of Ifaiah, chap. vi. 9, so. frequently applied in the new tefl:a- ment to the Jews, who were hardened in Q2 their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=