An Expojitionof the epijUe · ~ in their hearts, which they worfhip·; for every Lull: fetteth up another thing beerm. · fide God ; and it is as truly Gemilifm, as truly Idolatry, •is Popifh or Heathenifh Idolatry is: only this Devil ofldolatry takes a fbape, and appears·vifibly to them and in them, but it is invifibly in the heartS ofothers. Ar::d fo much now for that fir!l: Obfervation from thofc words, Among whom we alfo mdk§d. Obfe&. 20 l will give you a fecond, and that is this : That there is no light or means will do corrupt Nature good. Arc the Jews born under the light of the law ? Had they the light ofthe Gofpel come upon them alfo by ]oh". Baptiff, and by C\Jrilt, and by t~e Apo!lles? and do they remam lt•ll, and walk m their Lults? I C1y, no means will do corrupt Nature good. And m Rom. 8. you have a place for it, Tl1e Law, faith he, was weak,_through the Jlef'• ver. 3· Go and inform Men never fo much with the Law, and rho.it feem to be a !l:rong thing to work upon a Man, to tell h1m ofHell,&c. yet,fanh he, it ii weak,_ through the flefb; tha.t natural Corruption that is in a Man w1ll never be wrought upon by it, it will hinder the working of the Phyfick, be it never fo !l:rong, Flefh will, Corruption will. IJ•.26. ro. Let them live in a Land of Vprightnefl, they will deal 1mjuflly, and wiU not behold the Majefly ofthe Lord. The Jews here had all thefe means, yet they remained !l:iiJ in rhe fame unregenerate condition. Men may refirain indeed, the Gofpel may do fo and the Law may do fo, refirain Corruption in Men, yet they will pleafe the lufi; ofthe flefh fiill,they wiiJ walk iil them; and ifnot in the grofTer lufis ofthe flc!b yet they will walk in the Jults ofthe mlnd. There are other fpirituallufis in th~ Under!l:andlng, that let corrupt Notute b'e cooped up never fo much, let the Go– fpel, let the Law, all grapple with it, it will be corrupt Nature fiill : A111ong 2vhoni alfo we, we Jews that had all thofe means, had our Conver.fttion in the Lujls ofthe Flejh. I will add a third Ohfervation, and that 1 sthis: That no Priviledges whatfoever Men can have, will Cave them from an unregenerate condition. The Law, and having the Priviledges thereof, will not do it; neither will the Gofpcl, and all the Priviledges thereof, do it. The Priviledges of the Law would not do it, you fee by this Text,and you may have it more clear in Rom.2.25· and fo to the end, Cir– c•tmcijon (faith he) verily pro.fiieth, iftholl R.§epthe Law : but ifthOJt beabreal;_er oftle Law, th) CircJJmcijion il fJJ([de Vnciratmcijion. For l·e is not a Jew which if o11e OHt– wardf;, neither 'is that Circumcijon which is outward in the flefo ; but he is a ]ew which is one inwardly, and Circumcijion is that ofthe heart, in the Spirit, and not of the letter, whoft praift is ofGod, avd not ofmen. The Law, you fee, will not do it. And the Gofpel will not doit, rho the Gofpel uncafeth men much more. There was akind ofceremonial typical Holincfs under the Law, whereby all the Seed of Abrahamwere holy unto God; but when the Gofpel came, it nncas'd them. What faith John Baptijl, when he began fir!l: to preach the Gofpel? Thin I;_not (f.1ith he) to foy within JOHr ftlves, we have Abraham to our Ft~the>·. And it was prophefied of Chri!l: when his day fhould come to preach the Gofpel, that he f11ould do it much more; Mal. 3· 1. I wiU fond my Mejfenger, and he Jba/1 prepare tbe way before Me; (that is, Jolm Baptijl, for fo if is applied Mat. r r. ro.) a11d the Mejfenger ofmyCo– ve11ant, who1Jtye delight in, Behold, he foal/ come ; but who may abide the day of hi.r coming? for he is liP.§ a Refiner's Fire, and liP.§ Fullers Soap; a11d heJbaU fr't in his Shop, faith he, in his Church, as a Refiner, and PHrifer ofSilver, and f.e Jball purific the Sons ofLevi. He came and purified the Church more and more, tells them, EXcept their 'Rjghte01tj'ne{s exceed the Righte01t{ne[s of the Scribes and Phm·iftes, they ftJall not enter into the .Kingdom of God. And, my Brethren, this you (ball find, that frill the higher and purer the Gofpel rifeth in the light of it, the more unre– generate men will bedifcovered, and their Priviledges which they pofTefs in the Church of God be taken from them: Not only Ignorance and Pro·phanenefs,but Civility; yea, in the end it will rife fo high, that all temporary Believers {hall be difcovered, in that glorious new ]erlljidem ; there fball not be a Man there that rnaketh a Lye; not only not aMan th~t telleth a Lye, but not a Man thnt maketh a Lye ; that is, not a Mnn whofe heart IS not changed, n?t ~ Man that 1s m the leafi degree aGentile ; and all unbelievers they_ !hall be wnhout. Still as the Go– fpel goes )ligher,it 1.\UcafesMen the more, and d1fcovers the vamtyoffuch outward PriVI·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=