ON HOSEA XIV. -VERSE S. 243 endeavour, and purpose, and covenant conversion and amendment of life ; yet the whole progress of con- version, our promises, our covenants, our abilities, our suf iiciencies to make good any thing do all receive their stability from the grace of God. From whence we learn, not to put confidence in our own studies, vows, purposes, promises of new obedience. Every man is a liar ; no sooner left unto himself, but he becomes a miserable spectacle of weakness and mutability. Even Adam in innocency when he was to be supported and to persevere by his own strength, though he had no sin or inward cor- ruption to betray him, how suddenly was he thrown down from his excellency by Satan with a poor and slender temptation ! How strangely did a creature of so high and noble a constitution exchange God himself for the fruit of a tree ! believe a serpent before a Maker! and was so miserably cheated as to suppose that by casting away God's image, he should become the more like him ! Who could have thought that David, a man after God's own heart, with one mis- carrying glance of his eye should have been plunged into such a gulf of sin and misery as he fell into ? that so spiritual and heavenly a soul should be so suddenly overcome with so sensual a temptation ? that so merciful and righteous a man should so greatly wrong a faithful servant as he did Uriah, and then make the innocent blood of him whom he wronged, a mantle to palliate and to cover the wrong, and made use of his fidelity to convey the letters and instructions for his own ruin ? Who could have thought that Lot, so soon after he had been delivered from fire and brimstone, and vexed with the filthy conver- sation of the men of Sodom, should be himself in- flamed with unnatural, incestuous lust? Who could x 2
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