An Expojition of the Epijlle ----:-- - - - - ·~~ fo as [ by .M,t11re] comes in between, to !hew that they were thus by Birth. And ~ there is this third Re_3fon too, why when he fait~ [by Nat~re] he fpecially means by Birtb; becau(c it IS fpoken plamly and clearly m oppofinon to that Pride ofthe Jews in the Privi\edges they had by their Birth: for the Jews, you know, fiood much upon it, that they were the Children of Abraham. Now the Apo!\Je, as is evident, fpcaks point-blank in oppofition to that: We, faith he, namely we Jews, tho we pnde our felves that we have .Abraham to our Father, we are Children of Wrath; that is, we are fo by Birth, as well as others; namely, as well as the poor Gentiles, whom the Apo!\!'e inGal. 2. 15. [peaking according to the vulgar opi– nion of the Jews, calls, Sinnm ofthe Gentiles: Tho you fl:and upon it that you are the Children of Abrabam, and that you are Jews by Nature, that is, by Birth, yet (as God told the Jews afterwards) you had a Father befor~Abraham, in whom ye finned, and fo you are Children by :JI( atsm, (that is, by Birth) of Wrath li! weU as others. 3· ['By Naturo J is taken here for the whole fl:atc of Nature, from a Man's Birth until God turn him. He !hews what they were, not only in refpe{t oftheir firfl: Birth, but of that continued fl:ate which they flood in before they were con– verted, which we call the -fl:ate of Nature. And this is an excellent place for the confirmation of that phrafe. He doth not fimply mean only their e(l:ate by Birth, (for the ApofHe's !cope, and the Holy Ghofl:'s is alway_s g~neral, and in a latitude) but he doth comprehend thetr whole fl:ate from thetr Btrth all thetr days, while they fulfilled the Lu!\s of the Flefh, and ofthe Mind, what tver fl:ate they had by Birth, what ever fl:ate they fl:ood in during the time oftheir unregeneracy, it was all a flate of Nature; and they were in that fl:ate ofNature, Children of Wrath. So Nature is taken, and fo it's clearly taken here. For [by Nature J here in this 3d verfe, is fpoken in oppofition to what the Apofl:le afterwards faith (as Erajimn well obferves) in the 5th verfe, by Grace ye are foved. So that now the fl:ate of Nature, and the !\ate ofGrace, is that which the Apofl:le here intends. And that he (peaks ofan unregenerate condition, the words [were by Nature J import dear– ly, that is, while they were in the fl:ate ofNature. His fcope is therefore to fbe\v what naturally, without Gracc,theircondition was; and therefore ver.u. in the winding up of all, he (peaks of the whole efl:ate, Remember, faith he, thatye were once Gentiles. And thus the Scripture always fpeaks; Pfol. 58. 7· They are gone"" Jlr•'J from the Womb; they were not only corrupt in the Womb, but gone a!\ray from the Womb. So in Gen. 8. (peaking oforiginal corruption, faith he, The imagim1tion of ,Han's Heart if evilfrom his Yo111b; that is, even from a Babe, as in Exod1u the phrafe is ufed, as I !hall !hew afterwards. So that [ by Nature] eminently importeth thefe three things. x. That their na– tures were defiled with all forts of inclinations unto evil, all thofe Lufl:s of the FlefJJ, and. ofthe Mind,whid\ he had fpoken ofbefore,were natural unto them, for which they were Children ofWrath. 2. That the way of conveying this to them, or how they came to be fo at firfl:, how their natures were thus originally corrup– ted, it was not by imitation or cufl:om, but it was by birth. And, 3· that all the while they walked in thofe Lufis they were in a !\ate ofNature, under which,and in which while they continued, till fuch.time as they came into a fl:ate of Grace, they were Children ofWrath. This, I fay, I take to be the comprehenfive mean– ing ofthe Apoflle in this conclufion of his difcomfe ofLu!\s. So that now I have opened to yon that firfl: phrafe, And were by .MI!ure. The fecond phrafe is, Children of IVratb. Which (as I have formerly (.,id) is an Hebraifm, and fo (according to the He– brew Language) you reade ofa Child of~al'tivity, a Child_ofthe Refurreetion, a Child of Difobedtence, and the !tke. It ts etther taken Athvely, or Paflively. 1• .Aclive!y, thus: what a man is addil}ed to, what he feeks after, he is faid to be a Child o£ As a man is faid to be a Child ofWifdom; Wifdo,;J if )".ftifled of her Chi!drm. So Wicked Men are fliid to beChildrw of Difobedimce, ver. 2. that is, addi/}ed to Difobedience, it's taken aaively. So, in a way ofoppofition,Pettr exhorts them, in 1 Pet. x. 14that they would be Children of Obedience, fo the nhra(c is in the Greek, we tranflatc it, Obedient Children, it comes all to one; but, , . * I
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