334 The counterfeit of inherent Grace, 5acr.VII. dAdittteittilaIMWMAMtdi VVVPIVPWWWWWWMTV S;rRMON LIV. Ofthe counterfeit ofinherent grace, viz. Nato. ral honefty;andnhy godbathcontinued innick edmen the ufi ofConfcience.. R la. 2. 15. Which thew the work of the Law written in theirhearts, their eonlcienceal fobearing witnefs, &c. j Aving difpatched the nature, properties, acid effets of inherent grace, I H come ( according to my Method ) to deter twocounterfeitsof this, and l 1 they are Natur.si l onefty, and Moral virtue; for thefe two make a glo- rious fltew, and feem to be like the two great lightsin the world,if humane reafon may be judge ,andI begin withnatural honelly out ofthis Text. The Apoftle in this Chapter brings inan heavy indielmentand charge, both a- gainit Jew andGentile, wrappingup all mankind in their winding lheet,as being dead in finand iniquity ; and whereas it might be objeted verfe r 4.7hat thegen. tiles cannot be found fnners, becaufe where no law is, there isxotranfgrefon: He anfwereth this objraion, informingus, That though theGentileswere without a Law in fome fenfe, yet not without it in another: They were Withouta Law writ- ten and promulged, as the Jews had, but not without a Law ingraffed in their con- feluxe, whereby they hadcommón di&ates about good and evil : Which Natural homily wasa Law to them in many things; e. 4nd therefore the, not having aLam, are a Law to tbemfelves. This being the fumm of the Anfwer, he illu[trates this work ofGod in menshearts naturally, a. By the Title, 7/e worl o j the LaW, i. e. The (ubftanceof the tenCommand- ments, which do fummarily comprehend all duties to be done, and satins to be a- voided. a. By the manner, It it written in their hearts. Though it be implanted, and in- graffed, yet the Apoltleufeth this exprrflionof Writing, becaufe theMoral Law was writtenonTwoTables ; onely you moltnot take this expreflion like that of 7erern,,Jer.3 t.as Pelagitte,and others have done, where God makes a Covenant, Towritebit Law in their hearts; for that is a gracious writing de nova , whereby God infufeth grace into his Children, enabling them to walk in his Commande- meats with all propenfityand delight, from fartI:fed principleswithin. But here he fpeaks of that natural ingraffing which God bath madeupon theconfcierces of men, whereby they judge good to be imbrued, and evil to be abhorred. It is true , there are learned men, and moftof the Ancients go that ways alto, who expound this of Gentiles, but believersandconverted ; for it may Teem to attribute too much
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