Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v3

13o Chap. 8. An Expofition upon the Bookóf j OB. Verf. 20. --- finfulnefs of men,to7rtnit andClay them,to retrain and keep them.." of in tompafs while they fin. Every fingo s withoutBte ebcomp fthe that law which God hathgiven, compa'fs of that leave which God gives. rourthly, We may fay, God ajrjts the motions of fin, but not the motions to fn, or thewnffllnefr of the motion. The flrength of a wicked mans;hand,while he fins, is from the Lord, but the Lord doth not ffrengthen his hand to fin. A finner bath naturali help from God, but he hath no morali help fromGod; he hathall that from himfelf, 'from his own wickedheart, or from Satan. To eat was a naturalla& inour firft parents, this was fromGod but to cat againtl the command was a moral' aft and that was fromman and the ferpent. As fuppofe that a Mufitian fhould touch or play upon aLute that is-out of tune,his touching the Lute is an artiffci. al a t,but the founding of it comes from the nature of the inftrum nient :. the founding of the inftrument is from the hand of him that plaiesupon it,but,that it foundsun une 1y ß ante puts ihe. frumens is out of tune. So theLord by hearts and hands of wicked men into motion, but that they move irregularly, that they make Each harfh mufick, that there is fo much difcord in their ations,that's from the diforder and untune- ableitefsof theirown fpirits, not from the hand ofGod. They have not any morall alfffance from God in fin y but a_naturail. only. Or, take it negatively, God loth not.help the evil doers. Firft; He doth not help the evil'doers,by inftilling the leaft mo- tion ofevil into them. He calls in, or infufes holy thoughts and motions into the hearts of his own people, to prepare them for holy performances,but he never dropt the leaft motion of evil into the heart ofman, to fit him for wickednefs. Secondly, The Lord loth not exciteor flit up that natural] in- herent corruption that is in wicked men ; he doth not provoke or blow up their.lutts.He excites thegraces ofhis own people, when they are to doe anygood : theyhave a principle of grace in them, and this God breaths upon,moving and acting it by frefh affitlan< ces. Neither: ofthere wages doth the Lord affft evil doers., Further, Taking thewords (as theymutt) in a figure, when it is faid,God.doth not,help the-evil doers the meaning is, he dothor pofe and refft -them. Hence obferve, tricked men are refiredand oppofed byGod in their evil doing

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