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3. It is virtually all sin; for it is the seed of all sins, which want but the occasion to set up their heads, being, in the corruption of nature, as the effect in the virtue of its cause. Hence it is called a body of death, (Rom. vii. 24.) as consisting of the several members belonging to such a body of sins, (Col. ii. 11.) whose life lies in spiritual death. It is the cursed ground, fit to bring forth all manner of noxious weeds. As the whole nest of venomous creatures must needs be more dreadful, than any few of them that come creeping forth; so the sin of thy nature, that mother of abominations, must be worse than any particular lusts, that appear stirring in thy heart and life. Never did every sin appear, in the conversation of the vilest wretch that ever lived; but look thou into thy corrupt nature, and there thou mayest see all and every sin in the seed and root thereof. There is a fulness of all unrighteousness there, Rom. i. 29. There is atheism, idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, and whatsoever is vile. Possibly none of these appear to thee in thy heart: but there is more in that unfathomable depth of wickedness than thou knowest. Thy corrupt heart is like an ant's nest, on which, while the stone lieth, none of them appear, but take off the stone, and stir them up but with the point of a straw, you will see what a swarm is there, and how lively they be. Just such a sight would thy heart afford thee; did the Lord but withdraw the restraint he has upon it, and suffer Satan to stir it up by temptation.

4. The sin of our nature is, of all sins, the most fixing and abiding. Sinful actions, though the guilt and stain of them may remain, yet, in themselves, they are passing. The drunkard is not always at his cups, nor the unclean person always acting lewdness. But the corruption of nature is an abiding sin: it remains with men in its full power, by night and by day; at all times fixed, as with bands of iron and brass, till their nature be changed by converting grace; and the remains of it continue with the godly, until the death of the body. Pride, envy, covetousness, and the like, are not always stirring in thee, But the proud, envious,

carnal nature, is still with thee: even as the clock that is wrong, is not always, striking wrong; but the wrong set continues with her without intermission.

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5. It is the great reigning sin, Rom. vi. 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." There are three things you may observe in the corrupt heart. (1.) There is in the corrupt nature, the corrupt bias of the heart, whereby men are unapt for all good, and fitted for all evil. This the apostle here calls sin, which reigns. (2.) There are particular lusts, or dispositions of that corrupt nature, which the apostle calls the lusts thereof; such as pride, covetousness, &c. (3.) There is one among these, which is (like Saul among the people) higher by far than the rest, namely, "the sin which doth so easily beset us," Heb. xii. 1. This we usually call the predominant sin, because it doth, as it were, reign over other particular lusts; so that other lusts must yield to it. These three are like a river, which divides itself into many streams, whereof one is greater than the rest. The corruption of nature is the river head, which has many particu lar lusts in which it runs; but it chiefly disburdens itself into what is commonly called one's predominant sin. Now all of these being fed by the sin of our nature, it is evident, that sin is the reigning sin, which never loseth its superiority over particular lusts, that live and die with it, and by it. But, as in some rivers, the main stream runs not always in one and the same channel; so particular predominants may be changed, as lust in youth may be succeeded by covetousness in old age. Now what doth it avail to reform in other things, while the great reigning sin remains in its full power? What though some particular lust be broken? If that sin, the sin of our nature, keep the throne, it will set up another in its stead; as when a water-course is stopt in one place, while the fountain is not dammed up, it will stream forth an other way. And thus some cast off their prodigality, but covetousness comes up in its stead: some cast away their profanity, and the corruption of nature

sends not its main stream that way as before; but it runs in another channel, namely, in that of a legal disposition, self-righteousness, or the like. So that people are ruined, by their not eying the sin of their

nature.

Lastly, It is an hereditary evil, Psal. li. 5. "In sin did my mother conceive me." Particular lusts are not so, but in the virtue of their cause. A prodigal father may have a frugal son. But this disease is necessarily propagated in nature, and therefore hardest to cure. Surely then the word should be given out against this sin, as against the king of Israel, 1 Kings xxii. 31. "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with this" for this sin being broken, all other sins are broken with it; and while it stands entire, there is no victory.

IV. That ye may get a view of the corruption of your nature, I would recommend to you three things. (1.) Study to know the spirituality and extent of the law of God, for that is the glass wherein you may see yourselves. (2.) Observe your hearts at all times, but especially under temptation. Temptation is a fire that brings up the scum of the vile heart; carefully mark the first risings of corruption. Lastly, Go to God, through Jesus Christ, for illumination by his Spirit. Lay out your soul before the Lord, as willing to know the vileness of your nature. Say to him, "That which I know not, teach thou me." And be willing to take light in from the word. Believe, and you shall see. It is by the word the Spirit teacheth, but, without the Spirit's teaching, all other teaching will be to little purpose. Though the gospel should shine about you, like the sun at noon day; and this great truth be never so plainly preached, you will never see yourselves aright, until the Spirit of the Lord light his candle within our breast the fulness and glory of Christ, the corruption and vileness of our nature, are never rightly learned, but where the Spirit of Christ is the teacher.

And now to shut up this weighty point, let the consideration of what is said, commend Christ to you all.

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Ye that are brought out of your natural state of corruption unto Christ, be humble; still coming to Christ, and improving your union with him to the further weakening of the remains of this natural corruption. Is your nature changed? It is but in part so. The day was ye would not stir: now ye are cured; but remember the cure is not yet perfected, ye still go halting. And, though it were better with you than it is, the remembrance of what you were by nature should keep you low. Ye that are yet in your natural state, take with it; believe the corruption of your nature; and let Christ, and his grace, be precious in your eyes. O that ye would at length be serious about the state of your souls! What mind ye to do? Ye must die, ye must appear before the judgment-seat of God. Will ye lie down, and sleep another night at ease, in this case? Do it not; for, before another day, ye may forced before God's dreadful tribunal, in the graveclothes of your corrupt state; and your vile souls cast into the pit of destruction, as a corrupt lump, to be for ever buried out of God's sight. For I testify unto you all, there is no peace with God, no pardon, no heaven, for you, in this state: there is but a step betwixt you, and eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord: if the brittle thread of your life, which may be broken with a touch, ere you are aware, be indeed broken while you are in this state; you are ruined for ever, and without remedy. But come speedily to Jesus Christ He has cleansed as vile souls as yours; and yet he will cleanse the blood that he hath not cleansed, Joel iii. 21. Thus far of the sinfulness of man's natural state.

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HEAD II.

THE MISERY OF MAN'S NATURAL STATE.

EPHESIANS ii. 3.

We---were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

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AVING shewed you the sinfulness of man's natural state, state, I come now to lay before you the misery of it; a sinful state cannot be but a miserable state. If sin go before, wrath follows of course. Corruption and destruction are so knit together, that the Holy Ghost calls destruction, even eternal destruction, corruption, Gal. vi. 8. "He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption," that is, everlasting destruction; as is clear from its being opposed to life everlasting, in the following clause. And so the apostle having shewn the Ephesians their real state by nature, to wit, that they were dead in sins and trespasses, altogether corrupt, he tells them in the words of the text, their relative state, namely, that the pit was digged for them, while in that state of corruption : being dead in sins, they were by nature children of wrath, even as others."

In the words we have four things.

1. The misery of a natural state; it is a state of wrath, as well as a state of sin. "We were," says the apostle, "children of wrath," bound over and liable to the wrath of God; under wrath in some measure; and, in wrath, bound over to more, even the full measure of it, in hell, where the floods of it go over the prisoners for ever. Thus Saul, in his wrath, adjudging David to die, (1 Sam. xx. 31.) and David, in his wrath, passing sentence of death, against the man in the parable, (2 Sam. xii. 5.) say, each of them of his supposed criminal, "He shall surely die," or, as the words in the.first language are, he is a son of death. So the natural man is a child of wrath, a son of death. He is a malefactor, dead in law, lying in chains of

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