------·~~---------------- Of Elcaion. 6 ~Men have ~·R.everence and Addiction to a Deity accompanied with imprdli– !iooK V. onsof moral honefly (which we call vertue) and let thtfe be imprrgn'lcd \..~with the light of the Law and Gofpel, delivered with al l the figns Wtth which God once did enforce the Law , and Chri!t the Gofpel; Yet tile corrupt Will will inwardly and habituall)' be a corrupt Will fiill. And though all thefe helps with the alli!tance from God they lpeak of,may flir and affect tt,y<:t they will never be able to wnte the holy and fpmtual Lawm the Heart 1t1 new and livingCharacters and difpofitions conformable and fuitable unto thP. inward ho– linefs of it, unlefs God put forth an Ommpotent Power and t!Ecacy to change it, All the helps they fpeak of, they are all fhort and defimnr ; Helpers of no value, as in Job, 30. '3· A Refiner or Chymi!t may as foon by his com– mon Earthly fire with the mixtures and Arts he ufeth fublimate a Clod of Earth or a Globe of Brafs into a Star, fuch as are in Heaven, as thefe helps and the ufe of them all can take away the innate corruption of theWIII,and make it fpirirual, or endow it with afpirituallife; for nothing works above the Sphere of its Acttvay. Thofe helps elevated wah the atorefatd ltgbt of the Law and Gofpel, and enforced with outward figns and wonders to the utmofl, and accompanied with a !triving Power of the Holy Gho!t, may wonderfully fiir and affect and demulce this Will of Man,but if God do not over and above en– dow it with a new Principle of inherent holinefs and workmanfh p created to good works,it will be fiill utterly unable to bring forth one Act that is pleaflng to the holy God. This truth was experimented both under the Law ana Gofpel. The Jews at Sinah had Gods Yoice uttering the Law to them. You have the manner of it both io ExodUI, and in brief recapitulated by Mofes, Dmt. 5'· from v . 22, to v. 29. Tbtje words the LordJpake u111o at!-your afJtm61y in 1heMount out of the midfl of the (ire, of the Cloud,and ofthe thick darknefs,with agrtat votce, a11d addedno more ; Aud ht wrote them in two Ta6lts of Stone aud delivered them ttnto me. Andit came topafs whmye heard tht voice o11t ofthe midf/ of tht darktttfs (for the Mormtain did 6urn withfirt) that)•fCame t~earrmto me tvtn allthe btads of theTribts and Elders. Andye [aid, Behold, the Lord our God bath Jhewedtu his Glory and hi<grtllluef's, mtd wt have heard hi< voice out of tht midf/ of the firt: Wt havt fom thi& drry that God doth talk wtth Ma11,and he livetb.Now thertfort whyjhotsldWt die ?for this greatfirt wit! co>tfumt w; if we htar the voice of o11r God any mort, thtn we jha!J die. For who i&tbtrt of all j/t/bthat bath heflrd tht voiet of tht living God Jpeak– i11g out of 1he mid(/ of the fire (M we have) and lived? Go thot< 1/tar mul bear all that the Lord our God jbaU Jar; and jpeak thou unto Uf all that the LordourGodjha/JfPtaktmto thtt,andwewt/Jhearilmtd doit. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when 7e Jpake umo me; and the Lord {aid tmto me I have heard the voice of the ~ords of thu people, which they have {poktn unto thee: They have wdJ faid a/J thattbty have Jpokm. And yet all this did not change the Will, nor give ike generality of that people an Heart Spiritually to obey, for in the next words, v. 18, 29. God bimfdf doth thereupon make tbi1 Remark upon it ; 0 that there were j11ch an heart in thtm, that thty would fear me,a11d kttp a/Jmy. comma11dments a/waits, th,zt tl mtght /;e weflwtth them, izndwzth thetr Chtldrtn forever. And again, atla!t, 'Dmt. 29. 2, :;, 4· AndMofes c.o!Jtd u~tto a/J lfrael, a11d faid tmto them, Te have Jeen a/J that tbe Lord did 6efort your eyes i11 the La11d of Egypt tmto Phoraoh, and u#to a/J hi& Servams, and tmto a!J his Lmtd ; Tht great temptatio11s which thine eys h~ve foen, the Stgns a11d thofo great Mtraclts. Ttt the Lord bath not given you a heart to percei'llf, a11d eyes to fre, atzd ears to hear untothi< day. Not their Wills only remain· ed as they were, but they bad not Under!landings enlightned with Spiritual light, fpiritually todifcern and perceive the Holinefs in Truth that was there· in. The Cafe and Condition of the whole World I gave in!tance in afore. They had all thofe helps, with the advantages of time and improvement of them , living fo many years. They bad alfo the Spirit of God firi~ing with them, Gen. 6' :;. And the Righttoufntjs of the Gclptt preached wtth Power, from the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=