308 On the Excellency of the Soul. And yet one thing about this further, is, ...That .you ,mull come to a convi tion,'not of elÿ of your loft elate, but of your inability to fave your (elves, and the inability that there is'in all creatures in Heaven and Earth to fave them; that thy fall. from Godis fo dreadfxl, that all the created power in Heaven and Earth cannot, help thee, yea and that thou thy felf now art;unáble to help thy felf to fave, thy foul; bee:cónvinc'd thorowly of this : This was the way that Chria took with the young man, bee tells him of the Law firft, and then afterwards becaufe hee Was conceited that hee had fulfilled the Law, and done it, Clirif' puts him up- on a duty (that might: convince him, to the contrary) which was required intrhe, fpirituial meaning- the Law; that .for- bids coeroufnefs, and requires that wee should bee willing to part with all for God, when bee calls for it; Go and fell all that _thou hag, 4n4 follow moo ,;and take up thy croft aid follow wei faith Chas,(}; I but the young man hee had great _pojfe ens; but becaufehee was no fwearer,.nor, i}ealer,. nor murderer, nor lyar, hee, thought bee had fulfilled the Law, but Chrift by putting that to him, did as much as if hee should fay, poor young man, thou art deceived, thou think- eh that thou arc able to do what God requires in his Law, but didft thou but underhand the fpiritual part.of the Law, thou wouldff fee that thou an fo cal} by it, that all that thou art able to-do in thy obedience to the -Law, cannot bee fuilïcient (through thefinfulnefs of thy heart and nature) but thou rnufl;pert(hif.thou takeitfuch:a courfe as that is, to think to bee faved by the. Law.; certainly this it is upon which thoufands of fouls doperifh,they think indeed they are linners,: but they hope they (hall do better, and they are able, they. think (though not without God, . God muff help them) to do that that the Word of God requires of them, whereby they may come to bee faved ; now certainly thou knowef} not thy fallen condition, and how far off art from God, and what thy finful of }ate is naturally, that haft fuch thoughts as there. But fecondly, If thou wouldea have foul faved, break off
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=