Head ·J. Sin of our Naturifpecfally to fle noticed. 99 ()Uf OWn ri~hteoufnefs is aweed that r,aturaJly g10\\'S in ever y m~n's heart; but few fweat at the plucking of it un : i t lu rks. undi fcove re'd . The bias of the heart to the way uf th e covenan t ·of wo1ks, is a hidden plague of the htf!rt to 'maby. All the difficu-lt y they find 1s . in getting up t heir h eal t to dmielll : they find no difficulty in ge tt ing their heans ·df them, and ove~ them 'to Jefus Cbrift . How hiu·d is it to ftave ti)en dffrom t heir'own_righteou!nefs ? yea,it is very- . h "r d to convir,ce them of thei r leaning to it at all. LaAI.Y ; Pride and fclf ~conceit. A view of the c~ rn•ption of n--ltt; r ~ wou d be very humbl1ng; alld obl ige him th at has it lO ,. r .::ckon himfelf the chiefif)inners . U<Hler greatefl attain~ ipents and, eoJargemen1 ts., it woNld be. balla~ to hiJl heal t, ~nd hide pride from hiJ eyeJ. · I he waot of thorou gh hu- , mi li'ation , pier cing to the fin of one's natti~re,_: is the ru il! of ma. oy profelfots: ·for, digging' ~deep' makes gre(lt dlffer– tnce betwixt wife and fooli!h builde'rs~ L ufo vi. 48. 49· I l. I will lay before you a few things, in wh~ch ye would have a fpedal eye to the fin of your.natul\e. ( 1.) Have a fpecial eye to it ' in ' your appftcation ;: to J 'efm Chrift. Do you findany need of Cnrift, which fends you to him as t.he , ' Phyficiarl of f~uls ? 0 forget not this difeafe when ye ~re w,ilh the phyG.cia'n. · They never yet knew weli their t r– Jrand to Chrifr', that went not to him for the fin of their na.: ).•· tu re ; for his ,blood to takeaway the guilt of it, and his, ::pir~t · to break the power of it .· Tho' ~~ the bitterner~ of your fouls, ye fhould lay before him a cat_alogue of your fins of omiffion and comrniili(in, which migh t reach from ea.rLh t9 heaven; yet if the fin of your natur~ \vere ~anting -in it, ~lfure yomfelve"s·~ you have forgot the beH part of the errand a poor ·finner has tb .the Phy[lci:fn of fouls. Wh.tt would it have availed the. people of Juicho, to ha,vy fet be– fore ElifJ/a all the veifels in their city full of t.he water, 1 tha_t rwas naught, if they had notled him fonh to the fpring, to cafi in the fait there? 2 K:ng1 ii~ I,(), :20, 21. The ap~ plication is eafy. (2.) Have a fpecial eye to it in your , Jepentam:e, whether initial or progreffive.; in your firft re– pentance, and in the tenewing of your repentance after– wards. Tho, a rri,in be !ick, ther'e is QO fear of death, if tile ficknefs flrike not his heart; and there is as little fear of the death cf fio, as lo:Jg as the !in of our nat"re~ :js not 1 z to~'bed~
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