2.8 C.pncf. r. Cone!. oz. T'he 'Parable of the SECT. I. THttt all ~n living _nak!d?J confldered in themfelveJ, have loft 11fl power to do any thmg that u go~d, Rom. 3. I 2. None that doth good, I • His lio hr is quire extinC1: ·, artd his eyes quire out:. henc~ fai~ ro {it in darkf;c.Jfc, ({nd tl:e foadtm of de.tth, Mat. 4· 16. now a lbadow 1S a pnvanm1 of fome hghr, this of all light , hence called darknelfe it felf ; rake the blindefllndian, he is awirnerfe of this uruth, and a right picture of a foul fallen from God : hence becau{e he c,mnor fee, he cannot do, x ~or. 2, 14:. z. All that life he had to act well is Jolt roo, Eph. z. I. he IS dead 111 rrefpa!les and fins : he cannot breath, nor fpe,1k,nor think nor do one thing rim is gJOd: I fay nakedly confidered in him!elf. And bene~ loolk:upon a man quireforfaken ?f_Go~ in Hdl, there you may fee as in a lively looking-glafs what every man hvmg 1s when the Lord leaves him : he can blafpheme him, he cannot love him, he can contemn God, he cannot efleem him: he can \vtih there were no God to punilb him : he cannot fubmit unro God, rhouoh he leaves the mofl: heavy load upon him , and you-fee not your felves umill you f~e • your ~Ives here,ancflee your felves thus. · SECT. II. THat unto fame men ejpeciai'J, 11117 uxto all men almo(l, though vile, 7et i more or lefe the Lord gi7.1ei J pqfl'.er ·to MD, and live, and move, ·and to ;do man! fpiritual durin, orgood dt~tiesfr~m themfelves Fo: as there is a bredrh in thewayes of Grate , . that every Chrill1an bath not the hke meafure ofGrace , fo /there is :1 bredrh·or l:itirurle in 1;,lie wayes of fin : every finner breaks n0t forth ~mo ,the like me;~~11,re ofdln, hut fo!UI! -are far better than others ; as the three !grounds that were bad, yer one b'eher than another. Now how comes this about? 1why, rh11 Lord gives that power to aC1: (as all the knowled gof a God) by the light ofNarure (fallly fo called) this is rhe work ofGod,Rom. I. 19. Hence all terrors, and comforrs, and duties ofConfcitnce are all from God: fo the Hifl:orical Faith iof rhe Gofpel which m~ny have, and fo to confelfe and profelfe no falvation but •r· -:,' tby.{'JHriH, toget~nvich' a readirieil'e to dye in defertce of this truth and Religion, . , an~d joy, from this, and reformation .of life upon'r.his , none of thcfe are natural CO this foyl of a rh~ns' foul, but all. are planted there by God, I Cor. I 2. 2>3- -and fo 'dnt}Irl!n can aCt. aw:>r~ing ro the Law, beflriCl:in Sabbaths, frequent in Fallings aliltl>rayers-,&•.: "tis ftom God, R®J. Io. z. And why dorh the Lord work this? 'tis ~re no living in theworld among-rtien, and becaufe Chrifl is the politimm cc.r pitti~nd' harh bOuohr all men in rhe 1vorld to b'e his fervanrs , hence gives them ~i(ci w. hlch he tu&s,for the gooch::>f ·his people : but yet this is rhe nature of all t~'a{llliries; t)tata man aas fro'ti 'rhe l:trengrh and power of them, not from Cnffi¥;Mic. 4· r? Other Nttlons willrr,t!k._ ;·n the name, &c. and the reafon ' i~ ~~ i''·B~i:'aufe ~veliman is 'u~de21:he guidance either of the firl:t or fecond Covenant; md power df~tnet' no~"/ a; r~e power ofthe fecond Covenant is to draw a l,llan .au~of himfelfto anor~r,arldfo to make hitn.aC1: fromanoth~r: fo rhepoWerlqf'the Pirl:t is to 'drive a m~Jnto himfelf by terrors, and fears, and hopes, and re~<tari!S:, !Uid f1>' tti e.rtabl<;! hirrt rd a~ from himfelf; hence 'tis impoilible but they mlill a:t ever ftoM' t'hcihfehles. 1 • . · ' . . Aud z. B~:caMI! 'tflough mah'y goodG'ifrs,and'moral verrues may be faid to be fupernarural, ;. e. above the power ofNac11re to work, yet nev~r a~ove rhe improxemem of nature: for let God work never fo many good thmgs m men, nacJre;'Le an illflomack when difeafed,is ftrongeH, there Narure turns all into the . -. humor, I
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