Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v12

3, 6o Chap. 39. Fxpofition upon the Book. of ] 0,8. Verf.9. Hence note ; Isis hard to change nature Arafuram ea Beafis hold far{ their natural qualities. The Horfe, the Bullock, pelreufurce: who are tame by nature, will come to hand ; but the wild Ali recursiJuo and the Unicorn, whore nature is quiteoppofite to fervice, will Lupúr ohm never be broken nor brought to it: 7hrufl out nature with afork non' animum it will return again. Till nature is quite altered andchanged, aas zeut.u. will not change. fis thus with man, confdered'in nature, wha ashe is compared to a wild Affes Colt (Chap. z o. z z.) fo he may be compared toan<Unicorn. Will man be willing to ferve God ? no, not by any moral perfwafions ; no, not heartily , he mayhypocritically, by any outward benefits, norby any hard ufa- ges. Though (as Solomon faith, Prow. 27. 22.) thou fhouldff bray afool in a snorter amongwheat, with a peftle, yet will not hisfoolifh= nefs departfrom him. A carnal man will never fubmit quietly to duty? till God bath changed hisnature, and made him a new man, or, till his mind is renewed after the image of God. Con- verfion is firt./ a change of our nature, and then of our way. This makes converfion fo difficult a work. Good education_ and hu- mane in(iruftions , may change a mans way, but nothing leis than the power of God can change his nature. Man is naturally as un- willing to ferve God, as the wild bealls are to ferve man : He is as Bout and as (liffas the Unicorn, as cruel and fierce as the Lion, ascrafty as aFox, as crooked and crofs as anycreature ; unlefs his heart be changed, he will never to purpofe change his courfe. Mancannot change the courfe of the Unicorn, because he cannot change his nature ; and could not God change mans nature, he couldnever really change his courfe. Fourthly, Observe That any of the creatures, efpecially flrong ones, are brought to hand, or to thefervice of min, muff be afcribed to the power andgoodnefs of God. TheHorfe would no more ferve man than the Unicorn, nor would the Ox ferve man more than the wild Afs, unlefs the Lord had put another fpirit or difpofition into them, than he bath done into the Unicorn. Fifthly, Obferve; That any of the creatures are rsnfervicea6le to man, is to be afcribed to thefin o fman. At

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