Head H. ' or tl>~ natural Stock. 2-21 ~ f in cutting him offfrom the old' f!:oc.k, fi'nds .thefe covenants to be a-s ronen cord-s, broke at every touch ; and th~ terror of God being, there1:1p0n, redoubled an his .fpjrit, aod th'e waters~ · at ev.e·ry -t-urn, ·ge:ttiW<g iuw his very foul; he is obli– ged tG ceafe frGm catching hold of fuc~ cGv.enai,lt~, and to ·£eek help fo.me ot·her way. ~ 7ent.hly, Ther.efore ·the .man comes at length to heg at _Chrijl'.r door for mercy: but, yet he is a p10ud -b_.eggar, Handing on his perianal worth. ; For, as the Pa;ijh have mediators to plead for them, with the one only Mediator ; fo the bran~hes of the old fi:ock, have always fomethiog t() · produce; which, they think, may commend them ·to ·Chrift, Bod engage him to take their caufe in hand. · They cannot 'th~nk of coming to the fpiritual mar~et, without money in their-hand. They are like perfons, \'w·ho have once ·had au eftate of their own, but are reduced to extr.eme _poverty, 11nd forced to ht>g. When they come to beg, .they .fiill remem· ber their former character; aod though they have loft .t>h~ir fubfl:ance, yet they retain much ohheir fo.rmer fpirit ; there-– fore they can-not think they ought to he treated as ordinary beggars, but defr~rve a particular regard ; and, if ·that be ·not given them, their fpirits 1 ife againll him to whom the:Y– addn;:fs t·hemfelves for fupply. Thu,s God gives, the un– humbled finner many common mercies, .and, fhuts him no·t up i.n the pit, ac~ording to hjs defer~ing : but all this is nothing in his ey·es. He mul£ be fet down at the childreos table-, otherwife he reckons himfelf hardly ·deah with, and \vronged: for he is not yet brought 'fo l:ow, as to think CoJmy be j ujltjied rwhtn he /pe'aketh, (a·g.ainfl him) and, ciear from ali iniquity, when he judgeth him according tO his real demerit, P(al. li. 4• He thinks, perhaps, that even befort:! he was enlightened, he was better than many others; h~ confiders his reformation of life . his repet~tance, the grief and tears his fin has co!l him, his e:rne!l deiires .afu::r Chri!l:, his prayers and wrel1li·ngs f.or mercy; and ufeth aH thefe now, as bribe; for mercy, laying no fmall we~ght up– ~on them in his addrelfes to the thror.e of grace. But her~ ·the fpirit of the Cord f.t:wots a ilieaf of arrows in to the man's ·heart, whereby his confidence ·in thefe things is funk a<nrl de{hoyed ,; and ioftead of thinking himfelf bet.ter than ma,. ..fly, he.is mad~ to. ~e himfelf.worfe thim any, The naugh,. T · 3:· tinefs
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