Preston - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.P74 S2 1637

t t 6 SER. V Three things contderable. Dour. Men before re- generation with -hold the Truth in un righteoufnefle objea. The belt men before Regeneration as with-hold the Truth in unrighteoafneff 3 againfi whom the wrath of G o D is revealed. In there words, marke there three things : Pirft, that there is a truth which G o o bath written in the hearts of naturall men. Secondly, that this truth is with - holden by them. The word in the Original, u1xsdn, fignifies, keeping it in Prifon, it is kept downe, nor fùffei ed to rife up, and fhew it felfe in pratife and action. Thirdly, the caufe of it is, odt of love to unri htcoufnc or delight therein, that is, of.untighteous lofts. ßu. we will put all there in- to this one Propofì:ion. It is the Condition of the befl men before regene- ration,to with-hold the Truth in unrighteatifnff,That is the point. Paul fpeakes not of the condition of torne few, but of the condition of men in generali. And there bee the men againfl: whom the wrath of G o n is chiefly revealed, three be the men that ofall other think themfelves the free civill men, that carry them felves foberly, deale juftly with men, that doe wel in many things,that indeed knowmuch,but pra. an not according to knowledge : there, I fay, be the men againft whém the wrath, &c. It may be you will obj °é here, That is firange, that the more truth is revealed to men, the more knowledge they have, the more morals verrues they pradife, the warier it ¡hall be with them :' For anfwer to this, you mutt know, that the ha. ving of this.Truth, the beflowing of any of there common graces,puts no man into abetter condition. It is God's worke,and put uponHis reckoning onely. Indeed the ufing or abuf ng of them is his owne worke

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