Chap .r AnErpofition lepen the RnokcfJo a. VePf4. 57 as to thofe who are thinly. When //agar was thinly, God (hew- ed her a fountain of water : When See' fon Was very thinly, Godopened a fountain in the jaw, and he drank and was revi-' ved. We are filthy, and God opens a fotintain, he fends' out leprous fouls to the 7ordanof his fops blond, and bids uswaf i and be clean. When our hands are unclean, is not bafon of water welcome ? Our fouls are unclean, O howwelcome fhould the bloud'of Chrift be unto us ? Biefle._God, who, as hebatháìf- covered our uncleannetfe, fo a fountain, that we may wall, away our uncleanneffe. How wonderful are the workings of divine love, that we who were all fpots andunclean, lull at laf. be prefented unto God perfectly clean, aet having fpot or wrinkle, or anyfuchthing, Eph, 5.27° Having opened the fenfe ofxhefe words, as they contain this doftrinal protSofition of mans naturoll unalean.nefs:, there is yet fornewhat ëónfiderable in their fcope ; why loth lob freak of thisuncleanneffe? Some give this for his fcope, as if ?ob from his original im- Quaff innuat cleanneffe would extenuate his actual uncleanneffe, or that he yob nondebe- ought to be pardoned by grace; becaufe he was polluted byna- re Deum ho- ture c As if he had Paid,' Lord iwas born uncleàn, and therefore minespunire cannot but be gnclean, no wonder illfruit's grow on me who have d ob peccatum root of evil in me. But this was (in proportion ) as far from ad quad eff themindeof 'ob, -as it is from'the truthof God. Befides,' that proses ex fe- vre are born filfuland- cannot chufe'but fin, is i no extenuation fe, fedfui but an aggravation-of our fin. That, finisnotonly our ad, lux oblitcss hoc our nature, leaves us without defert ofpity, ör matter ofapolo- dicit.Merc. gy. We pity a man who by accident bath taken poifon and is tick of it, but who pities a ferpent, whofe nature is poifnous, or fuch creatures to whom poifon is as food. When David con- feffeth -( Pfd. 51 .) in iniquity was-I conceived,.&c..Was le fow- ing a fig leaf over hisuncleannefs ? or covering it with carnal rea- fonings ? no marvelthough I bring forth fin, who was conceived in fin. No marvel if I conceive iniquity, who was brought forth in iniquity. No, David doth not excufe, but humble hihifelf; he lothnot challenge mercy, but fee his need of mercy becaufe he was conceived in fin, andbrought forth, i iquity..._ Such, all() (I conceive) was the frameof fobs fpirit in making this confef lion, and powringout this complaint upon his birth-fin. His defign was, Era to abafe himfelf, to make his heart mor E e e e pliablec 1
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