516 Ephefians, Chap.+. V E x.18. Dog/. Allfie courfes whichthena- turall min can dcvile, are vaine. r Cor.1.26. Rom.ß.y. Pl VERS. 18. Dag!. Weare byna- ture full of darkncffe. tyethefe things to faith, the ftudieof good life, repentance , but doe altogether rcft in fuch courfes which our own carnali reafon teacheth. Ifwe feethis,we muft bewayle it, for this isaHeathenifh,not a Chri- ftian converfation. Andon the contrary, we muft looke to theword of God, proving what his good and acceptablewill is , that our lives may be a doingofGods will, not a fervice to thelufts ofthe flefh. 2. Obf. hence , That what fever courfe oflift the navurall man can devife , it it buta vaine thing : For all the courfes of life which their minds lead them to,, are called vanity. So SolomonEcclefa. 3. Vani- ty ofvanities, all is vanity. Ifwe were molt devout in takingupwor- fhips, in vaine doe they worJhip me : If they could follow all kinde of pleal`ure,knowledge,profits, Solomon bath paffed fentcnce of theft things, for all theft things perifh, they are but fhadowes, they profit us nothing _ nay often prove hurtfull, hindering us from true happi- neffe : for worldly wifdome and wealth are impediments to men , keeping them back from the way of falvation : Net many wife : The wìfdorne ofthefiefhú enmity againfl god. Letus therefore learnt how to reckon ofour coules, which we take up ofour owne minds, thinking our felves wife in them , but it is no- thing fo;for we follow the winde, we labour for the fire, purfueva- nity that will notavaile us. VERSE r S. Having their cogitationdarkened, andbeingfirarigers fromthe lifofgad,. through the ignorancethat is in them, becaufeofthe hareineffeoftheirheart. Now he commeth to the reafon, youmuff not walkeas they, for your condition is muchunlike theirs : Hee fetteth not downe theft words, but the matter ofthem touching the Gentiles; therefore hee layethdosent foute things. i. Their blindneff'e. a. Their eftrangement from the life of God; amplified from thecaufe, ignorance; the fountain of that opened, hardne ffe ofheart. 3. Their dedoleocy. q.. Their flagitious life; which are things following one ano- ther. Firft then we fee what we area& by nature , thoughwehadall naturali knowledgethat couldbegotten , we arefuch whole minds are full ofdark- ne/fe. For this muft be marked in general!, that wee by nature are no better then others , Children of wrath as well as others, Ephefz.;. Rom.3. There is noexcellency ofthe lew above the Gentile: bynature we are under the power of the Devill the Prince ofdarkne!Te , and areit all kindeof darkneffe, Yee wereonce darkneffe, Eph.5. Noneunderflan- drib, none feeketh after god, darkncffe of Cults and ungodlinefie, datk- neffeofcondition. O difmall cloud ! Temporal! Princes, itmen tres. fonably rebel! againft them , fhut them up in dark dungeons where theyare deniedoutward comforts, and live waiting their fearful! exe- cution. God is a Spirit, weall have rebelledagainft him in the loynes of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=