' 34 That Man't Natur~ State rr. · ' Lajl!y, I fhall add but one ,pbferve more, and that · is,. , Th.a tin every man naturally the image of fallen -.ddart; does appear. Some children, by their features and lineam~nts of theit face, do, as,it vtere, father themfelves: and thus we do ~efemble our 1idt parents. Every one of tl·s bea1s the i.– mage and impr efs of_- their fall upon him: and. to evince the truth o£ this, I do appeal to th€ confcie-nce of all, in r theie Jollowing particulars. . Ifl~ Is not a finful curiofity natural to us ? and is not thi& a print of Adam's image? Ge-n. iii. 6. Is not man natural– ly·much more defirous to know oew things, than to prac– tife old known truths? How like to old Adam do we iaok in this, itching ~fter ~ovelties, and difrelifhing old folid doe- - trines t \N~ feek after knowledg~ rather then holfnefs; and fiudy mofi tp' know thefe things, whid1 are leaH edifying. Our wild and. roving fancies need a briddle to curb ti1em,. whlJe good folid affections mull be quickened and fpurred up·•. 2dly, If the Lord, by his holy law and wife providen_ce,., do put a refiraint upon. us, to keep us back from any th ing,. doth nol' that refhaint whet the edge of our natural inclina– tions, and makes usfo.much the keener in omdefires? Ancf' in.thisdo we notbetrayh plainly, that we are Adam'schild'– ren? Gen.iii. ~2'. 3· 6 . I think this canno·t be denied; .for daily obfervation e~inceth, that i!·a natural principle, that' fiolen waten are jweet, and bread ~aten in fecret iJ p!eaj~nt, Prov. ix, 11. The_very Heathens were ·convinc.ecf,.. that mail wa~ pofidfed with this fpirit of contradiCtion . tho' · th.ey knew not the fpriRg of it. How often do men give· themfei ves' the loofe with thefe things, in which, if God had! left them at 1ibe~ty, they would have bou'?d up themfelves! but con llpt nature takes a pleafure in the· very jumping over·· the hedge. And is it not a repeating of mar father's folly,. that men wifl rather climb for forbiddenfrui.t ; than gather.– what is fhaken off the tree of good providence to them., when they have God's exprefs allow~nce for it! . . 3dly , ' iVhi ch of all the children of Adam is not natural'– Jv difpofed to hear the inflr_uBio,n tha·t ca;feth to err? A11d,. was not thi.s the rock our fir/1: parents fplit upon i, G'trn. iii • .. . 6. H.ow apt. is weak_man, ever fince that time, to -parley with temptat ions! Gr;dhi}ea.feth once, yea twice,- _yet .tJJaNpuui·veth it mt> Job ixxiii. l4· bu~ readily cloth he lifi:t:n,
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