76 The Corr-upti~Jn ofth !fill.· State Jr. I !inners to believe, Epb. 1 19 lfa. Ji ii. I We fee pr0mifes . of welcome to Gnr,er,s , in th~ gofpel covenant, ate ample, large, and free, clopg' d with r.o conditi0ns , , lfa. lv .. 1. Re;. xxii. I 7. If they cannot be lie ve his bare word, he has given them his o;;tb upon it. Ezek. xxxiii, 11. And for their greater aifurance, he has appended feals tp his (worn .. coYenant, hamely the holy facraments. So that' no mor,e tould Be demanded of the moa faithlefs perfo n in the worIll; to make us believe him, than the Lord }1atb condefcended to give us, to make us believe himfelf ·rh!SFlainly fpec~b nam.re to be aga,-infi bel ieving, ~nd thefe who flee to Chrift for re.fi~;g,e, ,to have need of jlrong con;olation. ( Heb . vi. J 8 ) ·(0 ~lf?S~ tbeir firon·gdoubts, and properfi~y to unbe· ...~ ~ ,' Jief/ F'anhh.; 'alfo it may be obferved, how, in the word '•:;;. ;' ·fem t~ a. feqne, gracelefs generation th_eir obj eCtions are anf\\;erl.';d a£orehand; and ~ords of grace are heaped OJh~, ,up~m-~nod~er, as ye m ~y i·ead lfa . lv. 7, 8. 9· Jcel ii. 1 3· \Vhy? Becaufe the Lord :knows, that when'thefe fecurefin– r.ers are throughlywakened, doubts , fears, :uw carnal rea· fon ings againH believing, will be goi!lg within t he:ir breaHs, :ts thic~ as dun in a houie, taifed by fweeping a dry floor. , 1ajfiy, CQrrapt nature is bent tov/ ard the way ,of the law, or covenant of works; and ev~ry n;nura l·man, fofar as he fe ts himfelf to feek after ftllvatioA, is engage: cl in th:a·t way; and wilt not quit it, till be3t from it b•/ divinepower. Now the way of falvation by works , and that of free gr2ce · ' in J efus Chrit1, a're inconfiil.ent, Rom. :xi. 6. . And_ if !Jj : race, then it if no more o(wodJ; other<Wife grace if nq more grace. But if it be of worlu, thm it iJ no111oregrace; 1therwije rJJork iJ no more"JJork. Gal. iii. 1 2. And the la;w is not of FAITH; but the man tbat DOTJ! thart Jhal! , live in them. Wherefore, if the will of man natural'ly incline to the way of falvation by the law, it lies crofs to the go- ; foei · contrivan ce. And ihat fuch is the na tural bent of our h'earts, will appear, iftbefe f<il !owing tllin gs be confidered. 1. -The l::lw was Adam'J-covenant; ;md he knew no o– ther, as he was the head and reprefentative ofalJ mankind, . that we:e prought into it with him, and left under it by h:m, tho' without Hrength toperfo rm the con dition thereof. Hence, this , cov e n<~.nt i,s ingrained in our. nature: and tho ' we have loil ;our father's Hren~th, yet we ihH incline to th~ , WlllY
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