I 10 dn E,pq(ition of the Epifile ~ are. Now what is the commou Law to all the Creatures? Saith God, in'Gen. 1 • 12 • ~.Let every thing bring forth in its kjnd: So you !hall ~nd it all along. He (qith it . of the very Herbs, of the Beafls, they were all to brmg forth m their kind. Now jf that Man mufl have, and fi1all have by God's ordination, the very fubllance of his Nature, the kind of it, as all other Creatures have, then h~ mu~befubjelled • herein to the common L~w of Nature, and hke mull: ~eget hke; It nece[liuily follows. Now (mark1t) the Law of Nature bath Its courfe, whether things prove good or evil. It holds in the common, it doth fo in our allions : The Lord's common Providence was with Man, when he wrought holily ; the fall¥' common Providence is with Man, now he works finfully s he alters not the Courfe of Nature. So here, this being the Law of Nature, look what affillance there went for the propagation of Man according to the Image of God at firfi, (,in a commoq way, according to the Law of Nature,) concurreth in propaga– ting Man's own Image. I do not fay, that God is alike the Author ofone, as of the other, but the comn;10n Law of Nature holdeth as well in the oqe, as in the other. I !hall clear thefe things more, I hope, hereafter. Nay, my Bre1hren the Law, chat Man !hould beget his like, it was fo firong a Law ofNature, whe: ther Man's Nature !hould prove good, or prove evil, that God hitnfell, unlefs by Grace, could not help it. I fpeak, according as God binds himfelf to the Courfe of Providence, for God works not by Prerogative. Let every thing bring forth in his kjnd, was the common Law given, and the Courfe of Nature mull: hold, as well when Man is finful, as when he is good. Help it God may by Grace ;- · but if you will go according to the Law of Nature, by the fame Law a Beall pro– pagateth his kind, by the fame Law cloth Man propag;tte his like. Therefore by Nature, and by the Law of Nature and Generation, ( which this ·is founded upon,) a Man muft be inherently finful, if he come from Parents inherently fm· ful ; a finful Man mull beget a finful Man. SERM~
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