Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the manifold mif ries of mats( lift, S r g fo wholly defiled with that corruption ofnature which hath been deriued vnto vs from our firft parents,thar we are onely aliue to finne, but dead to grace and all goodnçffe; vnable fo much as to moue in the way of righteoufneffe which lea- deth vnto life,although we runne with headlong haft in the way ofwickednefl'e, which bringeth thole who goe in it, to perdition and eternall death. And from this fountains of o- riginall finne, iffue the poy fonous ftreames of a &ualltranf- greflions, whereby wee breake continually, through the whole courfe ofour life,all the commandements of Almigh- tie God, omitting the duties which hee bath commanded, and committing the finnes which bee bath forbidden. In whichmiferyoffinwe are w holly pl gedbeforeweare cal- led and conuertcd vnto God, committing all maner ofwic- kednes with ful fwinge & cófent ofwil,delighting our (dues and reioycing in our rebellion; by reafon whereof wee are naturally llrangers and enemies vnto God, fubic& to his wrath,to the curfe of the law,and to al thofe fcareful plagues and punifhments,which therin are denounced againff tranf- greflburs, the flaues of finne and Satan,aud heires of eternal( death. Yea and after wee are conuerted vnto God, thef3efh continually lufteth againft the fpirir, and the corruptions of Rom nature remaine fo ftrong in vs, that we cannot doe the good we would, but the euiil which we would not doe, that doe we. And as we are by this law of our members rebelling a- gainfl the law of our mind, daily ledcaptiuc veto finne ; fo are we thereby in fuch fort difablcd, that wee cannot, to the dayofour death, offer vnto God any one pure and perfc& dutie,without the filthy fpots and ftainesof our corruption. Now what a miferie is this, that wewho were created Gods glorious creatures, according to his owne image, to the end that we fhould ferue him in holines oflife,fhould,as though wee had forgotten the end wherefore wee came into the world, negleft all dutic to our Creator, and becomevolun- tarie flaues to finne and Satan,ready to doe his will; though we haue nothing for our wages but eternal( death ?yea euen after wee are calledand reconciled vnto Cod, how great is our núfàie whileft wee continue in this life, fecingwee are L I 4 daily