334 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS his own will, and not to, God ; he sought the creature for the pleasing of his flesh, and instead of seeking to please : the Lord. With this nature or corrupt incli- nation, we are all now born into the world ; for, who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? ( ) As a lion has a fierce and cruel nature, before he does devour; and as an adder has a venomous nature, before she stings ; so in our very infancy we have those sinful na- tures, or inclination, before we think, or speak, or do amiss. And hence springs all the sin of our lives. And not only so, but when God has, of his mercy, pro- vided us a remedy, even the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of our souls, and bring us back to God, we naturally love our present state, and are loth to be brought out of it, and therefore are set against the means of our recovery ; and though custom has taught us to thank Christ for his good-will, yet we refuse his reme- dies, and desire to be excused, when we are com- manded to take the medicines which he offers, and are called to forsake all, and follow him to God and glory. In thèse few words you have a true description of Our natural state; and consequently of a wicked man. For every man that is in this state of forrrupted nature, is a wicked man, and in a state of death. By this you may understand what it is to be converted: to which end you must further know, that the mercy of God, not willing that man should perish in his sin, pro- vided a remedy, by causing his Son to take our nature upon him ; and, being in one person God and man, to become a mediator between God and man ; and by dying for our sins on the cross, to ransom us from the curse of God, and the power of the devil. And having thus redeemed us, the Father bath delivered us into his - hand, as his own. Hereupon the Father and the Me- diator make a new law and covenant for man : not like the first, which gave life to none but the perfectly obe- dient, and condemned man for every sin; but Christ has made a law of grace, or a promise of pardon and ever- . (i) Job xiv. 4.
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