' :~;.1 t·- /·~~: .... . \ Head 1. The Corruption of.the Will. · .-·J~>~.;f's n'O confidence in the· jlejh. Now, how coui<t.jtb~'~·,' if nature could comply with that grand qevice_ . . ·· ... ;/;~( Secondly, Corrupt nature is the very revetfe._o,:£:~11~ gofpel contrivance. 'In the gofpel, God promiff.(i'fi';J~{crs Chri(t as the great meaos of reuniti.1'lg man to himfelf: he has named him as the -greJ<t Mediatdr, one itt wl,om he'is well pleafed, ar.d will have none but him, ldatth. xvii . .5.. But nature wiH~a·r:e none of him, Pfal.lxxxi . 11, 1· God <~ppointed the 'phce. of meeting for the reconciliation;n~mely, thejlefo of Chrifl; accordingly, Cod was in Chrifl ( 2 Cor. v. J 9·) as the tabernacle of meeting, tomake up ·cbe peace with -finners; but' natural mei)) though they fhould die for ever' will not corn~ thither, Johnv. 4~· And;•ewil/notcomeztntome, that ye 'might have life. In the way·.of the gofpel, the finner mu{t ftand before the Lord in an impl'lted righteoufnefs·: but cor.; 1upt pature is for an inherent righteoufnef's; and therefore; fo far as natural men follo;-v after r'ighteoufnefs; they follow after the hw of ·righte'oufnefs, .RO'w.. ix. 3r; 32; and not af– ter the Lordour righteoufnefi. Nature is always 'for building up itfelf. and to have fome grounds for ~oafling: but the. great defign of thegofpel is to exalt grace, todeprefs nature; and exclude boalling, Rom• . iii. 2j. The fmn .of our na:u– ral. religion 'is, tO do good fr'oin and for ourfel ves; Jehn V. 44· The fum of the go!pel religion is, to deny ourfelves, · and to do good from and -for, Chri!l:, P.~ilip i. 2 r. , 'Thirdly, Every thing in · natute is again!l: beii~ving in Jefus Chri!l:. What beauty c1n. the blind mind difcern in a crucified Saviour, for which he is ·to be defi ted '? How ~an· the will, natura!Iy,impotent, yea, anti averfe to good, make choice of him ? Well may the foul theo fay ·to him in the day of the fpiritua.l fieg~;. as the Jehujites laid to Dar;id in ,aootber caft;, Extept 1 hou take a'tvay the.. blindand the lam~: thoujhalt not come in hither 7 2Sam. v. 6. The wayof na– ture is to go into one's felf for al! ~ according to the funda– mental m.:~xim of unCiotrified morality, That n manjbou/d t r ufl in hirnfel_l; which :tccorcing w the dochi oe of faith, is mere foolifhnefs; for fo it is determined, P ·rov . xviii. 26. He, that trufleth in his O'tu:rJ heart is a fool , Now faith is the foul'G goi.ng out ofnfelffor all: and th!'s natu re, on the other hand~. deter.mines to be.fool~lhnefi, 1 Cor. i , 18, 23. \Vhere– fore tHere is need of the working ofmighty p~wfr, to caufe .t; 2 iini}eJ'$
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