Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Book IV. s I N A w 0 u N D. Sg1 s I N A w 0 u N D. .lv.fy Wounds fliuk and are corrupt, &c. Pfal. xxxviii. 5· But a wounded Spirit who can bear? Prov. xviii. 14And bound up his Wounds, &c. Luke, x. 34· SIN wounds the Soul of a Sinner, a Church or Nation. When Epbraim faw his Sicknefs, and Judah faw his Wounds, &c. Hof v. 13. The Word tranaated Wound in this Place, is from a Word that fignifieth colligavit, he hath bound up, either be– caufe of the Corruption of the Body that is gathered together, or becaufe of the Bind– ing of it up with Cloathes. P A R A L L E L ~ !.WOUNDS are either new, which we commonly call green Wounds, or elfe old Wounds: Now Sinners have an old Wound upon them, which is like a ftinking Ulcer, which they received above five thoufand Years ago: In the Garden of Eden, when //dam was wounded by his Sin, in eating of the forbidding Fruit, all his Pof– terity were wounded in him, Rom. v. 12. Alfo every Sinner hath many frefh Wounds upon him. !I. Some Wounds are venomous, as the Biting or cruel Sting of fome poifonous Serpent, &c. Sin is a venomous Wound, it is the Sting of a Serpent, the old Serpent. See Sting. Ill. Some Perfons have be~n full of Wounds, wounded from the Crown of the Head to the Soles of the Feet, they are, as it were, nothing but Wounds : So Sinners are full of Wounds, every Sin is like a Wound, or makes a Wound in the Soul: So many Sins a Man is guilty of, fo many Wounds he hath in his inward Man. Every Facu!t)' of their Soul is wounded: ( 1.) Their Judgment is corrupt. (2.) Their Un– derflanding darkened, full of Vanity, Blindnefs, Incredulity, Enmity, and Unteach– ablenefs. (3.) The Will, that noble Faculty, is wounded, and fearfully depraved; the Mind of a Man being corrupt, the Will mu!t needs be corrupt: As to a Man that hath his Pallate, poffetl with a vicious Humor, every thing feems bitter according to the Humor; fa the Undnlbnding, reckoning the Ways of God both Enmity and Folly, the Will aCts accordingly. The Will of wicked Men acts crofs and contrary to God ar,tl his holy Will in all Things, they reG!t and fight again!t him, and are not fub– jefl to his Law, neither indeed can be, Rom. viii. 7· There is mucl1Pride, lncon!tancy, StUbbornnefs, and Difobedience in the Will, Our Tongues are our own, and who is Lord over I!J? Pfal. xii. 4· (4.) Their AffeCtions are wounded, and very filthy, Men na– turally love the Creature, more than God, nay they love their Lu!ts, horrid Sins and Uncleannefs, above the Majefly of Heaven. The Apoflle, giving a CharaCter of fome Men, faith, they are Lovers of Pleafures more than Lovers of God, I 'l'im. iii. 4· (5.) The Memory is wounded, being forgetful of that which is Good, and like a leaking Veifd: Men are ready to remember, what God bids them forget, but forget that which he commands them to remember; they arc too apt to think upon Injuries; nay, may be one Injury will be thought on more than many Kindndfes and Years of good Service: They are fubjeEt enough to remember Trifles and vain Stories, whereas a profitable Sermon, or wholelome Coun!tl, is forgot, &c. (6.) The Confcience of a Sinner is wounded with Sin, though !lOt for it, or in a deep and real Senfe of the Evil of it. Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure, but their Minds and Confciences are corrupt, '!'it. i. 15. The Confcience, which !hould like Job's la!t Mef– fenger, bring'" Word that all the relt of the Faculties are dead, i.e. wounded, and corrupted ; alas! is maimed, dumb, or mifguided, or grievouOy diftempered, that when it !hould accufe, it excufeth ; it fhould aCl: the Part of a faithful Regi!ter, to fet all our Sins down exaCtly, but it falfifies in this, and, as faith Dr. Preflon, when it fhould fer down I-Jundreds, it fets down Fifties, when it fhould reflrain from Evil, it is almoft aOeep, and lets the Sinner alone: vVhom it !hould condemn, for want of Light it acquits: And as a Man is wounded in every Faculty of his Soul or rational Part, fo likewife he is in his !eniltive Part; his Eyes are full of Adultery, his Lips are unclean, his Throat is like an open Sepulchre, the Poifon of A fps is under his Tongue, his Ears are deaf, and dull of hearing that which is Good, Rom. iii. I 3· 2 IV. As

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