Bates - BT775 B274 1675

ín COníribtng 911 an'l CHAP. IV. Dflnpgt4n, 47 Chap. IV. LieV-NJ The impofbilityofMans Recovery by his Natural Power. He cannot regain his Primitive Holinefs. The Un- derftanding and Will thefuperiour Faculties are de- prav'd. The Mind is ignorant and infenrible ofour Corruption. The Will is more deprav'd than the Mind. It embraces only Senfual Good. Carnal Obje&s are wounding to the Confcience, and unfa- tisfying to the Affe6tions, yet theWill eagerlypurfues them. The moral Impotence, that arifethfrom aper- verfe Difpofition of the Will, is culpable. Neither the Beauty nor the Reward of Holinefs can prevail upon the unrenewed Will. Guilty Man cannot reco- ver the Favour ofGod. He is unable to make Sa- tisfa6tion to juftice. He is incapable of real Repen- tance, which might qualif e him for Pardon. VVHen Adamwas expell'd from Paradifi, the en- trance was guarded by a flaming Sword, to fgnifie, That all hopes ofReturn by theway of Nature arecut offfor ever. I-le loft his Right, and couldnot recover it by Power. The chiefeft ornaments of Pa- radife are the Image and Favour of God, of which he is juftly depriv'd : and there is no pofhibility for him to regain them. What canhe expe& from his own Reafon that betrayed him to ruin ? If it did not flip- port himwhen he flood, how can it raife him when he is fallen ? If there were a power in lap/ed Man to re- flore himfelf, it would exceed the original Power he had to will and obey : It being infinitely more difficult for a dead man to rife, than for a living man to put forth vital A&ions. For the clearer opening of this Point, concerning Mans

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