On GEN. XXXIX. 9: and fetter'd. His Underfl:anding and Will, that wer~ .capable of taking d flig~1t ~o;- the Difcovery and r•uition of Cele!tial and Eternal . Tht~&s, are debafed, and }<mt.red to fenfual peri fhi ng 1hiog", and denve vdtfymg Qua11tu?s from them. He IS Ea~t~!J'" minded; his A;m...-, Contrivances, Deftres 3re f.1~ened to th.c Earth: . the D1vm~ Spark within ~1im is c-o_ver'd uncle~_ Afh~s. He. IJ. ctu:nally m_nuled, always_ !hniy... ing and mak1t1g Provifous for tbe Flejh. . Ilus ts a vtkr Debafemcnt, than. if the Counfeilors of State were emp)oyed m the fordtd Oflices of , the .Kttchin or Stable. Nay, 'tis a Diminution below the Rank of Bcafis,· for by Nature t1_1~y arc uncapable of direCting their Eyes and Delires _towards .Heaveo ; bnt r:tan is Drutlfh by his voluntary Sin. To fee the Head of a rapactaus Wolf, or fierce Tyger, ,or.luitlul Horfe joyned to the Body of a Man, how monllrous would tt . appear! But · tts more unnatural and ignominious,. for Men~ ·m whom Reafon and Reltg10~ fl10ufd govern, to refemblc them in the Bruu01 Appetttes of Luft and Rage; for there IS a nearer AfF.- nity between the Body of a Man and of a Bealls, that agree in the common fenfible Nature, than between the Immortal Spirit of a Man, and the Bea(\s th" periOJ. In lhort, Sin has inflaved Men to Satan an Infernal Fiend: T/Jey are taken Captives by him 11! bis Plea{ure: And,which is the lowefl: Degradation,tbq are the Servants of Corruptjo.>t. 3· Sin has broke thefiveet Peace and blerfed Concord in the Soul,the Ftllcity of our innocent State. Peace IS the Tranqmhty that refu1ts from Order and Untty. In Man there ~vas a reg~lar Harmony of all his Faculties~ the Affedion_s were confonant with his Wtll, hi s Wtll with his Underllanding, and Ius Underftandtng with the Law of God. This was the inward State of his Soul in his Cre:1tion; fOr having a derived Being, it was natural and necel1:uy, that he fhouJd be appointed to his End, and receive his Rule for the obtaining it, from the .Underitanding and Will of his Maker. Now whilil there was a Correfpondcncc in his Faculties, and their Operations with his Rule and End, the Will of God, and the Glory of God, the Refult of it, as well as the Reward of it was Spiritual Pe\lce with God, In_ternal Peace wrrh himfelf, External Peace with othe;s.Now fin has dilfolv'd this Unity,vwlated this facred Order:And from hence, ( 1.) Peace with God, that confilled in his Favour and Friend!hip to us, and our Filial Dependance upon him, which is the Spring of full and fatisfying Joy, is· broke. God appears a fearful Enemy •gainft the Sinners; the penal EffeCls of his Wroth, I lhall [peak of dtfttnClly under the fecond General: And ,that Dmne Calm in the Con- ' fcience, that Peace joyn'd wtth the pureft Pleafure, that was the ReAex of God's favour on the Soul, is changed mto anxwus Apprehenfi~ns of Ius juO: Power to punifir us. Guilt generates Fear, and Fear Hatred, 'and both caufe a woful Gight from God. (2.) Internal Peace is broke by Sin. \Vhil![ the Paflions were fubordinatc to the Em" pire ~f Reaf~n~ :i~d in Ac~ord am,ong themfelvcs, there was a perfect Peace; but Sin l1as btfed an tntcftme War m Mans Breaft. T!Je Latv of tbe Members rebels againj/ thi Law of t!Je Mmd: for there tS no Man fo prodtgtoufly wteked, and fpotl'd of Ius Primitive Endowments, but ftill there remains fome Principles of Morality in the Mind, [0 that his Confcience difcovers and condemns the Vices he allows and practifes, which makes the Sinner uncafy to himfe1f, and mixes Vinegar with his Wine. Befides, fince ~~:~~~~~~;.sth~~,d~~~n;f;~~ :~;~~~~~: t~'::':~~~~t~J~r~aao:~l~lt;n ~'~·cv~,~~0n~~ t~t~)~ Habt~ aQd Scenes m a day? Sometimes we ~re vamly merry, and then as vainly fad: fomenmes defirous, and then averfe ; and wah refpeet t'o our felves, .fometimes pleafed, fometimes vcx'd, fometimes amiable, and fomctimes odious; we arc more mutable than the Planet that isrhc Emblem of Inconllancy, How olren do Clouds of Me:· lancholy darken the bright Serenity of the Spirit, a.nd caft a dreadful Gloom over it?' How oft do Storms of Paflion dillurb its Tranquility 1 The Breaft ,of Man, that was the Temple of Peace, is become a Den of Dragons; every exorbitant Affection tears ~nd torments him. 'Tis true,this is alfo a penal EffeCt from DivineJufricc: There is no Peace faitbmy God to tbe Wicked: With which that Snying of St. At~jlin is confonant, Juffit Domme, & fie eft, omms mordmatus affeEl~s eft jibi pama. (3.) Sin has broke our Agreement with one another. \Vhen there was a regular Confent between the fuperiour and lower _Faculties in all Men, they were in Unity among themfelves, for they were perfeCtly ahke. But the tumultuotJS anrl tyrannical Paffions have engaged th~m in mortal Enmity. 'Tis the account St . James gives, From 1vhe»ce come Wars and Ft~}Jthi[,S am.ong,you? Come tbe.J not be11ce, e1.1e~ of you~ ~ujls, t~Jat war iil your llfembers .~ Sm kn1dles and blows the fll"C of Difcord, m Famrla~s, Cities Kingdoms: Sin is the Fury that brings a fmoaking Firebrand from Hell, and fetsth~ \Vorld into Combufl:ion. Ambition, A~arice, the greedy Ocfires of Ru le and Reyenge, Ilavc made the World a Stage of nQt fctgn.ed, but the ruoft bloody Tragedies, In tbis Merl Vv v v '
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=