Chap. 3o. An Ezpofttion upon the Booke of Jo B. Verf. 13. iat them, fo they needed no fpurre of oratory to quicken them. They have no helper. Hence note ; The nature ofman it forward enough to evil, he needs no hel- per, noperfwader. Whenwe are called todoe good, we need much helpe both fromGodand man ; we need many Encouragements, both by promifes and perfwafions, our hearts hang back, and our fpirirs recoyle from every fpirituall duty. Even the Elea are in forne degree unto every good worke reprobate; that is, they find not fuck a readines as becomes them. Natural! Corruption is their dayly clogge and pul backe ; fo that , as the Apoftle fpake and felt in his own cafe (Rom. 7. t 8.) when they would doe good, evi/1uprefent with them ; andwhen to will it prefent, bow to per- forme that which is good they find not. A goodman wants heipe, he wants ftrength to doe good, but when a wicked man would doe mifchiefe, he wants no helper ; the way to hell is downe- bill all the way , much adoe we have to Ray the wheeles , and keepe our felves from running head-long. Man is foprone to fin, that he needs no teacher. TheApoftle indeed faith (a They 4.9.) eft touching brotherly love, ye need not that Iwrite uato Jots, for ye your ¡civet are taught of God to love one another. 'Tis true, believersfhould not need tobe written or fpoken to in this poynt ; They whohave faith in Chsit how can they be with- out love one to another ? yet believers have much need to be taught that ieffon ; yea and all other holy leffons, though they know them in the Scriptures ofGod, and are as to notion efta- blifhed in the prefenttruth. We are wife and free to evil, but to good we have no wifdome, no freedome, but bygrace, and that is mixed with fo much bondage,that without frefh affiRanceswe find not our felves free to it. A godly man never doth good without the helpe ofGod And 'tis feldome that a wicked man dothevil! without the helpe of the Devil!, (he would alwayes make one there) though he candoe it fufficiently without him or anyother helper. There is yet another rendring of this elaufè given by Mr. Broughton, which may yeeld as fornefurther inftruction from them ; They holdmy heavines aprofit (fo he tranflates the former R words)
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