194 2'he Gofpel-Illyfery Dire i . XI. fea in this Ell aE. There is fome falfe imagina- tion or other in them, contrary to the belief of the truth of the gofpel; which is a ftrong hold of fin and Satan that muft be pulled down, before they can re- ceive Chrift into their hearts by believing on him. If they knew the name of Chrift, as he is difcovered in the gofpel, and judged aright of the truth and ex- cellency of it, they would not fail to put their trait in him. And we are in great danger of entertain- ing filch falfe imaginations, and to account many truths of the gofpel ftrange paradoxes, -yea, foolifh and pernicious, becaufe of our ignorance, felf-con- ceitednefs, guilty confciences, corrupt affeftions, and manifold errors, wherewith our judgements are pre- poffefl'ed in matters of falvation ; and becaufe Satan laboureth to beguile us, as he did Eve, through his fubtility, to corrupt our minds from the fimplicity of the gofpel that is in Chriff% 2 Cor. xi. 3. I (hall therefore give you fame particular inftruaions, that are of greateft moment, to prevent fuch defer'ts as we are rnoít liable to in the Brit at of our faith. a.You muft believe with a full perfuafion, that yon are a child of wrath by nature, as well as others: fal- len from God by the fin of the lift Adam : dead in trefpaffes and fins; fubjea to the curie of the law of God, and to the power of Satan, and to infupport- abie mifei y to all eternity ; and that you cannot pof- íibly procure your reconciliation with God, or any spiritual life and ftrength to do any good work, by any endeavouring to get falvation according to the terms of the legal covenant ; and that you cannot find any way to efcape out of this finful and mifera- hie condition by your own realen and underftanding, without fupernatural revelation, nor be freed from it, except by that infinite power that raifeth the dead. Wemuft nrot be afraid, as fome are, to know our own vilenefs and finfulnefs, neither muff we be willing to think ourfelves better than we are; but mutt be heartily defirous and glad to know the waril of our
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