I Head I. The Corruption of t/;e Will. · 'l' into her mifirefs's ·bed; not without a my fiery in the pur– pofe of God, for (hefe are the f"'.JJ O cQvenants, Gal-. iv. 24. 'J~hns is the dotl:rine of the gofpel corrupted by Papijh, and other enemies to the doctrine of free grace. ·. And indeed, however natural mens heads may be fet 'right in i:h is point; ' as furely as they are out of Chrift, their faith, repentance · and obedience, ( fuch as they are) are placed by them in the room of Chrifi: and his iighteoufnefs; and fo tru.!led to, as if by thefe they fulfilled a new law• . , . . 4· Great is the difficulty in Adam's fons their par.ting whh the law, as a covenant of works. None part with it in that refpeCl:, b'ut thefe whom the power of the fptrit of grace feparates from it. Tl-1e law is our firft huiliand, and · gets every oners virgin love. When Chrifl comes to the foul, he finds it married to the law·; fo as it ne;ther car. not will be married' to another~ till it be obli~d \O part with the fir!l: hufuand, as the apoll !e teacheth, Rom. vii. 1, ?' 3, 4· Now tqat ye· may fee what fort of a parting this is, confider, , .{t.) ltis a death, Rom. vii. 4• Gal. ii. 19. 1ntreaties will not prevail with the foul here; it faith to the fidt huf– band as Ruth to Naomi, The Lord do fo to me, and mere ·a!{o, if ought but death part th-ee and me. And here fin– ners are true to their word ; they die to the law, ere the 'j be married to, Chrih. Death is hard to every body : 1 but , what difficulty do ye imagine muH a loving wi fe, on h(!r death-bed, find in parting with her huiliand, the hufband of he~youth, and with'th~ dear children fhe!bas brought forth to him; the law is that hulband ; all the duties performed by the ·.naturahnan, are thefe children. 'What a fhugg!e, as for life, will be-in the heart before they be got parted? .I may I11Ci.ve occa!ion to touch upon t-his afterwards~ In the mean time, take the apollle'$ fh.:>rt, but''pithy dekription of it, Rom. x. 3· For they being ignorant of' God's righteoufn'efi, andgoing about u ejlabli;h th:t r o<tun right eou_[neft, 'have not jubmi !ted themfelves t o t he rigbt eovj1ufi of God,. They g() abou to eft abldh their·own rigbteuufn-::fs, like an eager dif– putant in fch oo!s, feeking to dtablifh t he poili t in qudtion; or, like e~ ' to rme>1tor, extN::ing ;, confeffion ft vm one upon · the rac1z. They go a~out · ') ~H,.bh !h it, ;:o make it Hand : , their rilihtcou[aeis i:; ~ike a houfe bu11t lmon· the fand ·, it 't"''' # 1 • l · cannot
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