146 norxra quia arnamus c!f fendimus,& malurnus excu- fare ilia quam excutere. S en, EP.I I 6. I Corruption oînature. The deceit filneffe of mans heart. give judgement,wee cannot wholly free our (elves, but mutt needs give in the verdi& againft our (elves, yet we will doe it as favourably,and with as great refpeft as may be. Like David, that when he could not but fend his full _as againft ! Abfalorla., yet willed them to have fpeciall care of not hurting him. But when our deceitful' hearts would urge us to chew this favour to our Abfalom , to our darling fins, we should no more regard them, than bah did Da- vidscharge concerning 4bfalom, but with ftomack and courage run them thorough with the two-ed. ged fword of the spirit : and not, as usually we do, onely give them a little pinch with our finger, or prick with a pinne. But let us fee the particularities of hefe deceicfull excuses. The firft is,to plead the corruption of nature. O fay forne,when they are justly challenged,we are but flesh and blood, born in fin, our corrupt nature a s a mighty itreame carries us away violently. Wee are but weak fraile men; no Saints,no Angell. Thefe.fee not that this is fo firre from lessening, that it rather aggravateth their finne. For as the Philofopher rapes of thole that excuCe their finne by drunkennefie, that they deferve double punishment; firft, for the drunkenneffe, then for the firme committed in and by their drunkennefte : fo likewiCe is it here. Wee deferve double damnation, firft for this corrupti- on ofour nature, and then for the fruits of it, in our aftua.11 tranfgreflions; becaufe as the drunkard is the cause of his own drunkenneffe , fo wee like wife of our own corruption of nature :, for God made us holy and righteous, after his own Image, but
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