:Head i. Conrlu.Jion of the firjl Head. 103 ·mother C(Jnceive me. Particular lu(ls are not fo, but ia the virtue of their caufe. A prodigal father may have a. · frugal fon ; but this difeafe is neceifarily propagated in nature, and .therefore hardefl: to cure. Surely then the: word fhould be given out again(t this fin,. as againft the king of Vfrael, 1' Kings xxii. 31. Fight neither with jwall nor great, Jave only with thiJ: fol this fin_being broke, all oth~r fins are broken· with it; and while it Hands entire, there is no vicrory. · · · ' tV. Th~t ye may get a view of tqe corruption of your nature, I would recom·mend to you three things. ( 1.) Study to know the fpirituality and extent of the law of God~ for .that is the glafs wherein you ~ay 'fe~ yourfelves, ( 2. )· 0bferve your hearts a,t all times, but e~pecially under temp– tation. Temptation is a fire that: brings up the fcum of the vile heart : do ye carefullfmark the firfirifiogs of-cor-. • r.upti~n. Laflly, Go to God through Jefus Chrift, for ·il· . · lamination, by his Spirit. Lay out your foul before the Lord, as w!lling to know the vilenefs of your natute: fay 1Mnto him, That which I know not, tead thou me. 1\nd be willing to take in light from tht word.· Believe, ,and you {hall fee. It is by the word the Spirit teacheth, 'b!Jt without the Spiries. teaching, all other teaching will be of little purpofe. Tbo, the gofpel fhine about you, like the fun at noon day; and this great truth be never fo plainly prea-ched : you wiU never fee yourfelves aJ.ight, unt.il' t!.e Spirit of the Lord ~ight his candle within yoUI breafi. The fulnefs and glory of Chrift, the corruption a.nd ~ilenefs of cf our nature, are never rightly learned, but where the· S:Piri t of Chr.ifl: is the teacher . ' · And now to fhut up this weighty poiAt, let the confide– :ration of what is faid, commend Chrifi to yuu all. Ye that are brqug.ht out .of you.r natural· Hate of corruption unto. Cbrif~,' be humble ; ft.ill coming. to Chrifi,. and improving you F union with him, to the furth~r weakening of the re• m-ains of this natural corruption. Is your n~ture changed?. It is but in part fo. The day was ~ could oot fiir, now. ' ye are cured; but remember the cure is not ye't perfected,. ye fiill go halting. And tho' it were better with you than it is; the remembrance of what you were by nature· thould ke:-p ~-OU: low. Ye: th~t ar-e yet in yonr /natural ·· .. · · {bttei>.
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