Ignorancekeeps out of Covenant. forget the Covenant of their God, become altogether un- mindfìall of that new obedience, which they have vowed and promifed, lofing all claime and title unto, and outing themfelvesofall thebenefit which the Covenant of God im-1 porteth, becaufeas the Pfalmifl faith, they e keep not the Co- 'î e Pfal,78;1o. venant ofCod, and refute towalke inhis Law; and to this Saint 'John fpeaks fully, If1tefay that we have fellomfliip withChrist, intereft inChrift, communion withChrift, promife of fal- vation by Chrift, and fwalks in darkneffe, live finfully, and f i lohn 1.6. converfe prophanely ; we lyeanddoe not the truth, wedeceive our fives, we prefume of interef in Chrift, and claime to Gods promife, which belongeth notunto us. The prophane mans eflrangement from the Covenant of God is mani- fell. r. In regard of Ignorance, which makes them uncapable Grounds s of entring into Covenant with God. All carnali menare ig- eilrangement norant men, the g naturali man receivethnot the thins of Cod, from the Co- they arefooliílneffeunto him, neithercanhe know them, be- ! venant, caufe they are fpiritually difcerned. He that wants a bodily i.lgnorance. eye,difcernes not bodily things ; he that wants a fpirituall g Cor : i4. eye, perceives not fpirituall things ; where there is no fu- tableneffebetween the fence and the thing tobe perceived, there is no perception, according to the Logicians rule, quic- quid recipitur,recipitur admodem recipientie. The naturali man havingno fpirituall eye, no principle ofheavenly and facred light withinhim, he cannot truly and favingly perceive the things of God : Of fuch therefore the PfalmiSt faith, they . are all gone afide, they h are altogether become filthy, all the wor-' bPf l. key., ofiniquity haveno knoltledge ; they know not theirfinnes, as a ficke man his difeafe, grieving for them, complaining of them, and defiring eafeand freedoms from them ; they know not their nakedneffe, and emptineffe of all fpirituall good, dcfiring tobe filled with the good things of' God, as Hagarknew the emptineffe of' her bottle, and wept for wa- iter ; they know not their neceffity of Chrift, hungring and thirfling after him) as the Elders of Gileadknew their ne- ceffity of' Ieptha, and defired him tobe their Captaine, and madehim headover them ; they know not God, as a Father re- f 379 'l i
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