Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	adam_n	law_n	positive_a	2,764	5	11.6503	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10010	The saints qualification: or A treatise I. Of humiliation, in tenne sermons. II. Of sanctification, in nine sermons whereunto is added a treatise of communion with Christ in the sacrament, in three sermons. Preached, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1633 (1633)	STC 20262; ESTC S115180	353,805	720

true they might doe more if they would they might keepe the Law of Nature better than they doe and for that they are condemned Againe as we are condemned for Adams sin though we did not commit it so we are saved by the righteousnesse of Christ though we did not performe it and therefore there is an equity in that regard Wee can see an equity for our Salvation and is there not as much equity in the other that we should stand guilty of it though we never acted it For as we are condemned by Adams sin though not done by us so are we saved by Christs righteousnesse though only imputed to us So that in equity the severe righteousnesse of the Law should be required of us though we have not power to fulfill it Now that we may not stay in Generals only telling you that the Law of God is holy and pure and you carnall and contrary to it we will come to particulars And that we may helpe your memories observe the breaches of this Law in the severall faculties of the minde And we will begin first with the Generall the generall sore over-spreading all our nature and that is it which the Divines call Originall sinne first consider that and see how your nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse First I say consider your originall sin and the generall corruption of your nature thereby Iohn 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of Flesh is flesh And Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Marke that he sayes no good thing Wee thinke wee have something that is good for all our generall corruption but there is nothing good at all As Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne Not onely all men but for the word is in the neuter Gender all things Therefore in Gen. 6.5 he doth not only say The frame of a mans heart is evill but it is only evill and alway evill In all actions at all Times This is a common Truth but men consider not of it they thinke there is some goodnesse in them they will not be perswaded of this Truth in good earnest And therefore when a man comes into the state of Grace it is not mending two or three things that are amisse it is not repairing of an old house but all must be taken downe and be built anew you must be New Creatures And therefore God promises I will give you a new heart and a new spirit For all is out of order and nothing good And there is an equity in this for as in Psal. 49.12 Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish That is as God raised man above himselfe giving him supernaturall glory in which he was created for he was created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse so man not keeping this condition he was cast beneath himselfe And in this there is equity that being raised above himselfe having an holinesse given him transcending common nature he should now be made worse than himselfe even as the beast that perisheth Consider this corruption and know it is a thing that makes you loathsome in Gods sight For this Tit. 1. ult Men are called Abominable that is men that God abhors as you abhorre the snuffe of a candle or name any filthy thing your nature abhors such is the nature of men to God You know how we hate Toads and Serpents for their loathsome poisonfull nature though they doe us no hurt Now God lookes on the corruption of our nature as we looke on Toads that are contrary to us against which we have an Antipathie It is disputed by the Schoole-men whether this be unum peccatum one sin or moe we may easily answer it It is one in act one in essence but many in vertue and power and efficacie As a seed is one individuall but it is many as many branches may arise from it As Drunkennesse which will better expresse it is but one fault but it disorders the whole man neither the head nor the feet nor the reason is excluded So originall sin though it be but one sin yet it distempers the whole man it sets the whol● soule out of order And when the Instrument the heart is out of tune every sound every action is unsavoury and sinfull and thus should you looke upon your selves It is further disputed whether this be privative or positive likewise I answer It is only privative it is nothing but a meere want of righteousnesse But seeing it fals upon an active subject as the soule of man is which is never idle but ever stirring thence it comes that the habites and fruits thereof are active and positive It is true the want of sight to guide is enough to cause errour but the vigour of nature is enough to make it positive Therefore Divines say well It is not only compared to Darknesse which is a meere privation of light but to sicknesse where is not only want of health but corrupt humours which are contrary to health That is the first thing to be considered even the corruption of Nature which is in you which will exceedingly aggravate sin as I have shewed heretofore and shall more largely hereafter have occasion to speake of it Therefore I will say no more of it now but so much shall serve for the generall Originall corruption that is in us And now we will come to the particular faculties and will shew how they are corrupted that we may know our selves and the truth of this point which I am to prove that the nature of man is full of all impiety and wickednesse And first we will begin with the Vnderstanding or minde of a man In this marke first the Vanity of it How ready it is to attend to trifles which was the disposition that the Apostle found fault with in his Epistle to Timothy and others That they gave themselves to Fables and Genealogies and this is in every man by nature How full of questions were the Schoole-men and so every man is ready to turne Religion into questions of curiosities which shewes a sicknesse in the understanding it sets a man on worke to finde out what is propounded to it that hee may not lose his labour And thence come so many errors this is the vanity of the mind The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men sayth the Psalmist that they are vanitie And this should humble us that our minds are no more ready to attend the meanes of salvation As the Schoole-men spent themselves in idle speculations so are we ready to attend to idle questions but that which is wholesome and sound we neglect Secondly consider the blindnesse of the minde we are unwilling to learne and so long must needs be in an Errour and not come to the knowledge of the Lord. To other things we are forward enough but to doe well we have no understanding Therefore it is that men continue ignorant notwithstanding

but you see what it cost him God for that cast him away for ever So in the things you reckon small take heed you be not deceived be the thing never so small yet for that you may be contemned as well as for the greatest sin for he that is unfaithfull in the least will not be faithfull in much And take the least sin there is the same reason of sinfulnesse in that that is in the greatest as a drop is water aswell as the Ocean If thou abstaine from sin because there is an Antipathy between sin and thee as it is with every man after regeneration thou wilt abstaine from all sins You know a Pigeon wil not meddle with any feather of an Hauke because there is an Antipathy between them and the sheepe hates every Wolfe and men hate every Toad his stomacke rises at a little Toad so a right gracious heart abhors every thing that is evill and cleaves to every thing that is good indeed he failes much in performance but his heart is sound Againe there is no small sinne but it makes way for a greater as playing at small games makes us afterward to play at greater Therefore the littlenesse of the sinne excuses not for one sin admitted is of great consequence because it drawes on many that are great Now for the second some they say are small some are great and for them that be great they commit them by Accident out of infirmity and are sorry for what they have done You must know this if they were committed by infirmity the Excuse were good for even the faithfull themselves fall into divers sins out of infirmity but take heed of deceiving thy selfe If thou findest this thy Case that thy heart is renewed that thou wagest a continuall warre against thy sins resolvest never to make peace or truce with them usest all meanes thou canst againts them admittest of no occasion to lead thee to sin and yet fallest into it against purpose and sincere desire of heart it is a sin of infirmity and God will so Iudge of it but put case thou holdst not a continuall war with thy selfe but sayest I see it is a sin which I am strongly inclined to I shall be weary with resisting therefore I must give out I cannot choose now if thou leave striving and lay downe thy wasters this is not a sin of infirmity Againe if thou keepest company that leads to that sin of dost venture on that occasion beholding such objects walking on the brinke and comming neere the sin It is a false pretence that thou fallest into it by infirmity or by accident for thou allowest thy selfe in it thou lyest and continuest in it So againe hast thou used thy uttermost power hast thou prayed hard against it nay hast thou fasted and prayed against it for some devils cannot be cast out without both Indeed if a man use all his strength to resist it he shall fall into it seldome and it is to be excused thus but if otherwise it is no sin of infirmity But they say I am sorry for what I have done Take heed thou be not deceived in that Is it not a false sorrow art not thou more sorry for the effect of sin than for the evill of sin for the burning of the coale than for the blacknesse of the coale There is much present evill in sin that may make thee repent it afterward Againe if it be not so is it not a slight sorrow not proportionable to thy sin Is it a sorrow that continues on thy heart Is it a sorrow effectuall to worke any change in thee to prevent sin for the time to come Otherwise if thou say thou art sorry for it and yet fallest into it againe and again it is no true sorrow Goe to thy Neighbour and say I have done thee an Injury and am sorry for it and yet fall into the same againe and againe it will seeme that it was but a false sorrow So if thou dost pretend sorrow for thy sins and yet relapsest into them againe it is a slight sorrow that God regards not So much shall serve to take away the Excuses learne to lay this to heart and consider it and see how you be inexcusable Now to make use of it The first Vse is to justifie God learne to lay the blame where it is that is on our selves thinke not that God condemnes any without cause for every man is inexcusable And here this point is specially to be marked I doe not say men are inexcusable only in regard of Adams sin that being a Truth we all assent unto that in regard of Adams sin the ability we had we lost in him but I will goe further men are inexcusable in regard of their present condition and their actuall sins marke it well The reason whereupon he inferres that they are inexcusable is God hath made himselfe knowne to them namely by his workes and creation he goes not to Adams sin but they had knowledge enough this knowledge they practised not and in regard of the present actuall evils which they committed they are inexcusable Therefore that God may be glorified and justified that he may be true and every man a lyer know that God condemneth not for any more than he hath revealed as some have onely the Law of Nature so they are condemned onely for breaking that Law they are not condemned for not worshipping God according to the Law of Moses or the Gospell but simply and onely for breaking the Law of Nature They that have sinned without the Law shall be condemned without the Law Rom. 2.12 That is at the last day there shall no more be laid to their charge this you knew and this you broke So againe they that onely knew the Law of Moses yea at this day if there be any Iew in the world which never heard of Christ which never had meanes to know him he shall not be condemned for not beleeving in Christ but for the breach of the Law of Nature and the Law of Moses and the reason is good for by the same reason that the Gentiles shall not be condemned for breaking the Law of Moses by the same equity and ground they that have not the knowledge of the Gospell shall not be condemned for breaking the Law of the Gospell So that if wee consider this There is no man goe thorow all but God shall lay this to his charge at the day of Iudgement Doe not say I bound thee to impossible things that I laid on thee a Law thou couldst not keep thou shalt not have this excuse left thee I gave thee ability to doe much but thou didst not doe that thou wert able to doe for that is the condition of every man he is able to doe more than he doth and if any man perish it is for not doing the things he was able to doe But you will say God might have revealed more I answer

of his sins and that he in recompence of this kindnesse should serve his lusts Therefore he reasons as Ioseph did with his Mistresse Shall I doe this and so sinne against God and my Master he hath committed all to me hee hath done thus much for me and shall I thus requite him And as Nathan taught David to reason Hath the Lord made thee King over Israel and done thus and thus for thee and wilt thou serve him thus So that I say there is an holy Ingenuity bred in us whereby out of thankfulnesse wee will shun whatsoever may offend him Besides this we are taught that we sustaine another person and every man desires to maintaine the dignity of the person hee sustaines When a man is once in Christ he thinkes not the courses he lived in before to be sutable to the condition he is now in Therefore the Apostle reasons 1 Pet. 1.14 Fashion your selves no longer after the lusts of your former Ignorance but be holy as he is holy that is if you take your selves to be in Christ and that you be come unto God admit not any more those lusts which though they suted with your former yet not with this condition he reasons as Nehemiah did Shall such a man as I doe this Lastly which is the chiefest reason of all As soone as a man hath taken Christ and is justified there is a strong impression made upon his Soule by which he is caused to cleave unto him and to long after him as the Iron doth after the Load-stone that cannot bee at rest untill it hath attained it A man shall set himselfe in the wayes of God though it were but to give satisfaction to the desires of his Soule And indeed were it not for this wee should not serve the Lord this makes us New Creatures I say there is a strong inclination in every man that is justified that he can doe no lesse than serve the LORD even to satisfie that For example when Eliah had called Elishah hee could not choose but follow him all the reasons in the world could not keep him back At the time when he cast his mantle on him there was an impression made on him as when Christ said to Levi and Peter and Andrew and the rest follow me their profits and nets and fathers were nothing they needed no more perswasion for there was a secret impression made upon their hearts together with Christs Word and to satisfie that they must needs follow him Such an impression as this was made on the heart of Ruth to follow Naomi you know how she put her to it but Ruth would not goe backe for she loved her and therefore nothing but death should separate them And the same was in Iacob to Rachel seven yeeres and seven yeeres service the length of time and hardnesse of labour could not keep him from his Vncles house nor drive him off such a strong desire was planted in his heart towards her and such a desire is planted in the heart of every Christian that is justified a strong Instinct as I may call it a strong affection after Iesus Christ and he must needs goe on in the wayes of Sanctification seeing there is no other way to satisfie himselfe So that putting all this together when a man shall see such reason for holinesse when he shall have affections of delight therein of love thereto when he shall see it best for him and that it is impossible hee should have the Lord Iesus Christ whom he so much desires if he serve him not in the duties of Sanctification he must needs come to a fixed resolution I will be another man and runne another course I will change my life altogether I will serve him in holinesse and in the duties of new obedience And after this manner doth Sanctification arise from Iustification first from a worke of the Spirit and then by all these passages that goe thorow the minde of a man which though they be not marked distinctly yet are truely in the heart And so much for the first point Now we will come to the second which is That Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable they cannot bee disjoyned But you will say this is a point that needs no proving I would my Brethren it did not I would that men were perswaded of the truth of it but we may see by the lives of men that they are not perswaded of it for their lives be loose and they thinke that if they can call on Christ in the day of death and cry for pardon it will be enough and that without such strictnesse a man may be saved Therefore to make it cleare to you you must remember this as a ground No man can be saved by the second Adam except hee bee borne of the second Adam As no man could be condemned by the first Adam that was not borne of the first Adam for the reason why all mens natures are corrupted is because all are borne of him If a man were created and did not descend by generation from him he should be free from Sinne and so could not be condemned but comming out of his loynes puts us into a condition of condemnation And so on the other side except you be borne of the second Adam you shall not be saved What is that You must be made New Creatures Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him he made the sonnes of God What is that a meere title No verse the thirteenth They are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God that is they are borne of the second Adam and Ioh. 3.5 Whosoever is not borne of the Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Now as our nature was corrupted in the first Adam there being a compact and covenant betweene God and him that if Adam stood all his seed should stand with him but if he fell then that all that were borne of him should by vertue of that covenant compact or agreement have his sinne imputed to them and so should be corrupted as hee was and die the death So there was a second covenant betweene us and the second Adam which is the new Testament spoken of in Ier 31 and in Heb. 8. I will make a new Covenant saith God And what is that I will put may Law in your minde and write it in your inward parts that is by vertue of the compact and agreement which is the new Testament following upon the former all that shall be saved by Christ shall be borne of him they must be new men whosoever shall be justified by him must be a new Creature Secondly because it is the will of God It is true God might have saved us without it if it had beene his pleasure it had beene no more but calling men at the houre of death but is otherwise 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even

thou art so still thou wast wont to have secret by-wayes that thy heart knowes were not good and thou holdest them still wilt thou say thou art a New Creature It is impossible If we be New Creatures there will bee an alteration certainly in our lives And therefore to you that say I purpose to doe better and I intend it my meaning is good I say to you the Kingdome of God stands not in word and in purpose and in meaning but in power Thou art made a New Creature that is the inward frame of thy heart is altered and if that be altered there is an ability followes it that inables thee to do the duties of new obedience and to abstaine from the contrary therefore examine thy selfe by thy actions and say not now though I doe not live strictly and precisely for shew as others doe yet I doe as much in substance for if thou be a New Creature thou wilt be as much in shew too the operation and action will follow if the in-side be cleane Mat. 23. the out-side will be so though it be true we oft finde the out-side cleane when the in-side is not Therefore it is no strange marke that I give that examining your selves by the out-side should bee a meanes to know if you bee New Creatures for though we cannot say that because the out-side is good the inside is so too yet wee may conclude if the out-side be not good certainly thou art not a New Creature yet Therefore let none say they have a good intention although their workes be bad For although this bee not a good Affirmative Argument if the out-side be good the inside will be so also yet it is a good Negative Argument if the out-side be not cleane the in-side cannot be cleane As in Ier. 3.4 5. Will you not from this time crie unto me Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth c. All this is well spoken But behold thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldest So that good professions will not serve the turne when wee doe evill God judgeth not by our intentions but according to our workes The end of the Second Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature OVR businesse now shall be to shew what a New Creature is and to apply it as we go along that you may know upon good grounds whether you be New Creatures or no that so you may have comfort if you be or else that you may seeke it if you be not To be a New Creature is nothing else but to have a heart new moulded by the infusion of a new quality of grace and by the destruction of the old There are three things to be marked First the heart must be new moulded Secondly it must be done by the infusion of a new quality And thirdly there must be a mortification of the old man Let us goe thorow these three distinctly and apply them as we goe First the heart must be new moulded or cast into a new frame You may see this by comparing it with the old man wee shall know the one by the other You shall finde that when Adams nature was corrupted there was a disorder in all the faculties As for example in the Ruine of a Palace there are the materials left still onely the order is taken away so in the corruption of nature there are the same naturall operations but all is disordered and turned up-side downe thus was the confusion of man after the fall But the New Creature doth worke the contrary it sets up the house againe and restores us unto our first state in Adam When a man is made a New Creature his Soule is put in joynt againe so that the face of every faculty looks towards God whereas before it looked towards the World Sinne and Hell the Soule is quite altered as a man that turnes his face from East to West whereas a man before had his backe now he hath his face turned to heaven therefore it is called Turning to the Lord. Observe here two things First when we say you must be cast into a new frame it is not enough to have the actions of the Soule changed but the whole bent of the Soule In a regenerate man the turning of the actions is nothing for even when hee doth that which is evill the bent or positure of his Soule stands to God although it be transported to doe evill and it is true on the other-side although an evill man doth good actions yet the bent of his Soule looks another way for therein stands the alteration of the New Creature even in the bent of the faculties which is to turne us from Satan unto God Aristotle hath an observation It is one thing saith he to doe an Act of Art and another thing to do it like an Artist It is one thing to doe an Act of musike and another thing to doe it Artist-like If one doth a thing and have no Art in the doing of it he deserves no commendation so there is a great difference between doing any Act of goodnesse and having the actions of the Soule well habited for when you only doe the act without the bent of your Soules that way God regards it not at your hands but when the inward frame of the heart is set right whereas it was contrary before it is a signe of a New Creature Apply this to your selves But how shall we know whether the frame of our Soules be thus altered or no You shall know it by this If there be such an alteration of the inward faculties you shall finde your selves ready to every good worke When a man hath no naturall inclination unto goodnesse without forcing himselfe it doth undoe the action but when a mans heart is sanctified and made new he presently falls upon good workes He is ready to every good worke for every good worke and stands ready for it hee doth what he doth readily without much adoe for when the heart is changed in a man that is a New Creature hee is like a Conduit doe but turne the cock and there needs no forcing of the water out so when a man is become a New Creature he is ready to every good worke like a good wife that is ready to bring forth fruits unto her husband whereas before he brought forth fruit unto sinne and death Againe you shall finde that you doe good things with facility and delight and that is a signe that thy heart is turned another way It is the property of a good man to delight in the Lord his God and what he delights in he makes his owne what he doth he doth with facility The Commandements of God are not burthensome to him the yoke of Christ is easie therefore if thou art new thou art easie in thy obedience whereas another man that hath no

be Wine Christ saith he will not drinke of the fruit of the Vine by which he meanes the very wine which was before in the Sacrament and therefore certainly they finde nothing that affirmes it Besides if it were the meaning of Christ This is my body what is the reason the Disciples never asked any question about it What is the reason the Fathers that followed in the first times spake not of such a thing I need not trouble you with that Now you shall finde all along from the first that the Fathers make no such mention of that but not to stand to presse this further because I see the time passeth and this thing I intend not to stand on You see therefore the falsenesse of this opinion that this Communion of the bloud of Christ and of the body of Christ should be through any reall corporall Transubstantiation But what is it then We are to distinguish betweene the inward and the outward action there need no more but that with the outward action with the mouth of the body we take the bread and wine and with the inward action that is by faith wee take the very body and bloud of Christ these we distinguish these they confound But I say we agree in the thing we say Christ is communicated to us in the Sacrament as truly and really as they only there is difference in the manner we say it is spiritually they say it is corporally For what is the Sacrament to open it to you and so I will come to make some use to you This Sacrament is nothing else but the Seale of the Gospell of the new Covenant and it is indeed nothing else but a visible Gospell for what is the Gospell the Gospell is but an offer of Christ to all that will take him for remission of sinnes now the same thing which the Gospell preacheth to the eare the same the Sacrament preacheth to the eye that is in the Sacrament there is an offer of Christ to us Take and eat that is take Christ whose body was broken and whose bloud was shed for you take him for remission of sinnes I say the same is done only the Gospell presents it to us under audible words and the Sacrament presents it to us under visible signes this is all the difference If we would know what the Sacrament is consider what the Gospell is and the Covenant and you shall know what this is for it is but a Scale but a memoriall of the Gospell now what is this Gospell It is nothing but this when God looked on mankinde as fallen in Adam he tooke a resolution in himselfe to recover them againe by giving his Sonne to them Now this must be manifested to men therefore he sends his messengers to declare to the sonnes of men to let them know their estate by nature and to tell them that he hath given them his Sonne to save them from their ●innes and to reconcile them to himselfe to give them title to the kingdome from the hope of which they were fallen this is one part of the Gospell this promise which he hath made which I say is nothing else but a meere office of Christ. But there is another part which is the condition required on our part when Christ is thus given you must serve him and love him and obey him and turne from all your evill wayes you must be his as he is yours now when this covenant and agreement is made betweene us he puts his Seale to it this Sacrament of the Lords Supper As Iacob and Laban when they had made an agreement one with another that they should not hurt one another they pitched stones upon an heape This shall be a witnesse betweene us that is if either of us breake the bargaine let this heape witnesse that there was such a covenant made And as God himselfe did when he made a covenant with Noah that the waters should no more overflow the earth he set his bow in the clouds and that was a witnesse that when I see the Bow in the cloud if I goe about to drowne the earth againe with water let this witnesse against me So in the Passeover when he made a promise that the destroying Angell should spare them he commands them that they should sprinkle the doore-cheekes with bloud that when he sees the bloud that witnesse might secure them that the Lord would remember what he had promised when hee had seene that And as among men when a man conveyes either lands or money to another man they use to confirme the bargaine with seales or with some signe or memoriall that when they forget the bargaine or deny it or goe about to breake it it may be said to them This is your hand and seale the thing is done you have past it it cannot be recalled if you doe this will witnesse against you So the Lord here when he hath made his Covenant with us I will give you my Sonne And you againe shall give your selves up to him he puts his hand and seale to it as it were he addes this Sacrament that will be a witnesse against him if he should go about to breake his covenant as it is a witnesse against us if we breake the Covenant of faith and repentance that is required on our part You see therefore what the Sacrament is it is nothing but the Seale of the Gospell presenting that to the eye which the Gospell presents to the eare for it presents God as it were he comes with Christ in his hand saying this to us This is my Son his body is broken for you and his bloud shed for you take Him let Him be yours only remember that you serve him that you love him that you obey him againe and let this Sacrament be a signe and a witnesse betweene us so that as the Gospell hath two parts one is a relation of all that Christ hath done and another is the giving and offering Christ to us so in this Sacrament there is a representing of Christ he was crucified his body was broken his bloud was shed and a deed of gift is delivered of Christ to us Take and eat And therefore know that it is not a bare signe but it is a signe of the Covenant and there is a difference betweene those two to say the Sacrament is a signe of Christ and a signe of the Covenant even as there is a great difference betweene the wax that only bears the impression of an image stamped upon it and betweene that which is a seale to a Deed that is a signe of the covenant or bargaine and agreement for that gives interest into the thing that gives Title to the thing that conveyes the thing to us that binds the owner perpetually to the performance of the thing so the Sacrament is not a naked signe representing this act of Christ but it gives us interest not only into some benefits no he saith not you shall have

grosse sins Peccata vastantia Conscientiam crying sinnes and smaller sinnes too sinnes of lesse moment the Law discovers all Now by the Law you must not only understand the ten Commandements but that rectitude which runnes thorow the whole Booke of God expressed in the whole Scriptures As in the Scripture the Law and the Prophets are put together as if the Prophets were but a Commentary on the Law looke on the Scriptures looke upon the straitnesse the rectitude in the whole Booke of God Then when that is done look on your owne Natures your owne Errours the secret windings and turnings of the heart your owne thoughts and affections and see what a disproportion a dislikenesse there is see how far you are from that holinesse that purity and rectitude described in this Booke of God for that I say you are to understand by the Law And when you have done that you shall finde your sins to be exceeding great for their quantity and exceeding many for their number and that will amaze you This amazed Paul when hee once understood the Law when he looked on all the parts of it not only on grosser sins forbidden but on the rectitude the holinesse which is required that amazed him Rom. 7.9 That made sin alive he was alive before and sin was dead but when the Law discovered Lust to be sin then Sin was alive and he died So if wee could see the Law the strictnesse of it it would doe thus with us And marke what is said of the Law for we may presse the Law long enough but many are remisse in attending to it Therefore to stirre you up as I know it is but a small matter I will name but one place and let that stay in your memories Matth. 5.11 Heaven and earth shall passe away but one tittle one jot of this Law shall not passe away Marke that not one jot of the Law shall perish That is looke thorow the whole Law of God take all the Commandements there you shall give account of every idle word you must keepe the Sabbath exactly you must not speake your owne words Take any Commandement that you thinke the Nature of man is most ready to breake and consider that saying of Christ Not one jot of the Law shall perish heaven and earth shall passe away but the Law of God in the least part of it shall not perish That is there shall not be one of these small things that the Law commands but if you neglect it by disobeying it God will surely require it there is not the least thing wherein you have gone aside this rectitude and disobeyed this Law but it shall be required of you And that is the meaning of that phrase Thou shalt pay the uttermost farthing Though we reckon them trifles the uttermost farthing shall be paid For this is our fault though we presse the Law and tell you of your sins yet you thinke this is a small thing and God may beare with me in this for we be apt to judge of God as of our selves A small fault I can beare with in my servant therefore God may in this dispense with me We thinke of the Law of God as of mans law but we must not judge of God so we must judge of him according to his owne rule his Thoughts are not as our thoughts he hath given a rule and hath said The least jot of it shall not passe but be fulfilled not the least breach of it but it shall be requried Consider this and it will amaze us and make us to tremble when you know that the sins you have forgotten and the least breach of this Law shall be surely required to the uttermost But you will say you talke of Impossibilities which no man is able to performe It is true it is a thing we are not able to performe But therein is seene the Terrour of the Law and that should humble you the more for I cannot compare the Law to any thing better than to the Taske-masters in Aegypt the people had enough to doe indeed more than they could performe complaining of their sore bondage what releefe had they they are told they shall give in the same number of Brickes that they did before and yet shall have no straw Now how should they do this So it is with the Law it commands Doe this you complaine Alas I know not how to doe it I have no ability you bid me make Bricke but allow mee no straw that is all one the same Tale of Bricke shall be required of you that is the same measure of obedience that was required of Adam as if you had the same abilities remaining in you And yet God is not unjust he doth not reape where he did not sow before he sowed it once in Adam and consequently in his Posterity And that no man may thinke this hard looke to the first sin that Adam committed and if wee be guilty of that sin there is equity that the Law be required of us though we have not ability to performe it Now why should it seeme unreasonable that I should be liable to Adams account Even to the same exactnesse though I want ability to performe it It is true Adam ran in debt but doe not we pay many debts of our Grand-fathers and Fathers which wee never drunke for though we run not into them yet we stand liable to the payment In the Law if a man had committed an offence and was adjudged to be a bond-slave it was his particular offence but were not al his children bond-slaves after him and yet it was not their offence So Adam forfeited his liberty became a Bond-slave to sin and Satan and the same is the condition of all his Posterity And besides the common reason which is a true one and a good one that if in equity we should haue stood with him therefore in equity we should fall with him I will adde two considerations and then you shall finde it very reasonable that we should fall with him and that the same should be required of us which was of him though we have not the same ability One is that the Angels though we did not sin as they did for they sinned every one in his owne person are justly condemned because every Angell sinned himselfe he committed the sinne he was the Author of it and therefore it is reason they should be punished But come to Adams Posterity consider that they had a meanes given them and that they that are condemned except children of Adams Posterity they are condemned for their owne sinnes they might doe much more than they doe they sin against the Law they have and so they are not only condemned for Adams sin but for the sins committed in their owne persons For God intended to give them a second Board after the great shipwrack in Adam on which they might save themselves if they would if the fault were not in themselves for it is