Reynolds - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.R485 T47 1642

182, The Sïnfulne f e of Sinne. Rom, 8 11,z1 Ter 4.1%. r lohn S. to 1 CJi. 3,5'.. ;,, 7ä7a va7,170v, aTd d 7Zis róuors x.o Ad,:7x, 7U,U' 'wsr5irx ßt7es, Greg. Naz, Orat. 3. FiKnt mj fi7ù detefía religiofa Lyn. F_p. s, ftrong foundation of the eartb.Nothing in the eartl"i fo im= moveable as the mountaines, nothing in the mountaines (fo impenetrable as the foundations of the mountaines, and yet thefe are made more fen6ble of Gods pleadings and controverlies than the people whom it concerned. The Creatures grone (as the Apottle fpeakts) under the burden -and vanity of the fumes of men ; and men them felves, upon whom tin lies with a farre heavier burden, boaft, and glory,and rejoyce in it. Of our felves we have no underflanding, but are foolifh and fottiA, as the Pro- phet ipeakes, wee fee nothing but by the light and the underftanding which is given unto us, we cannot have fo much as a right thought of goodneffe. The Apouledoth. notably expreffe this univerf.ali blindnes which is in our nature, Epb.4.1 7,18. Walke not as otter Gentiles is the Vanity of their mind, having the underianding darkned, hing alienated from the life of God, or from 4 godly life, through the ignorance that join them,6ecaafe gibe blind- 'wife of their heart. rind, their minds are vaine; the mind is the Seate of principles, of fupreme,primicive,and =de- rived truths, but, faith he, their mindes are dettitute of all divine and fpirituall principles. Secondly, their undfr- flanding [Advad] is darkened : The undertlanding,or di- anoeticall faculty is the feate of conclnfions, and that is unable tod educe from fpirituall principles (if there were any in their minds) filch found and divine conclufions as they are aptto b;get : fo though they know God. (which is -a principle) yet this Principlewas vaine in them, for they conceived of his glory bafely, by the fimilitude of foure - footed beaus, and creeping things, they conceived; him an idle God as the Epicures, or a God fubjet to fate and neceffity as the Stoicks,or a finfull impure God, that by His example made uncleanneife Religious, as Saint Cyprian fpeakes -; one way or other they became vaine in their imaginations of him ; but fecondly,though they knew him, yet -the conclufrons which they deduced from that

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