:

re.

State II. the minds, is pleasant and taking but what recommends holinefs to their unholy hearts, makes their fpirits dull and Bat. What pleafure will they find in reading of a pro. fane ballad, or flory book, to whom the Bible is tasteless, as the white of an egg! Many lay by their Bibles with their Sabbath day's clothes; and whatever ufe they have for their clothes, they have none for their Bibles, till the turn of the Sabbath. Alas! the duft or finery about your Bibles is a witnefs now, and will, at the laft day, be a wit. nefs of the enmity of your hearts against Christ, as a Prophet. Befides all this, among thefe who ordinarily read the fcriptures, how few are there that read it as the word of the Lord to their fouls, and keep communion with him in it. They do not make his flatutes their counsellors, nor doth their particular cafe fend them to their Bibles. They are ftrangers to the folid comfort of the fcriptures And if at any time they be dejected, it is fomething elfe than the word that revives them; as Ahab was cured of his fullen fit, by the fecuring of Naboth's vineyard for him.

(2.) Chrift's word preached is defpifed. The entertainment most of the world, to whom it has come, have always given it, is that which is mentioned, Matth. xxii. 5. They made light of it. And for its fake they are despised whom he has employed to preach it; whatever other face men put upon their contempt of the miniftry, John xv. 20, The fervant is not greater than the Lord: if they have perfecuted me they will also perfecute you; if they have kept my fayings, they will keep yours alfo. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's fake. That Levi was the fun of the hated, feems not to have been without a my ftery, which the world in all ages, hath unriddled. But tho' the earthen vessel, wherein God has put the treature, be turned, with many, into veffels wherein there is no pleafure, yet why is the treasure itself flighted? But flighted it is, and that with a witnefs this day. Lord, who hath believed our report? To whom shall we speak? Men can, without remorfe, make to themselves filent Sabbaths, one after another. And alas! when they come to ordinances, for the most part, it is but to appear (as the word is, to be feen) before the Lord, and to tread his courts, namely, as a company of beafts would do, if they were driven into them.

Ifa. i. 1.2.

So little reverence and awe of God appears on their fpirits. Many ftand like brazen walls before the word, in whofe corrupt converfation the preaching of the word makes no breach. Nay, not a few are growing worfe and worse, under precept upon precept; and the refult of all is, They go and fall backward, and be broken, an: fnared, and taken, Ila. xxviii. 13. What tears of blood are fufficient to lament that (the gofpel) the grace of God, is thus received in vain! We are but the voice of one crying; the fpeaker is in heaven; and fpeaks to you from heaven by men: why do ye refufe him that speaketh? Heb. xii. 25. God has made our after heir of all things, and we are fent to court a fpou: for him. There is none fo worthy as he; hone more unworthy than they to whom this match is promited; but the prince of darknefs is preferred before the prince of peace. A difmal darkness overclouded the world by Adam's fall, more terrible than if the fun, moon and stars had been forever wrapt up in blackness of darkness; and there we should have eternally lain, had not this grace. of the gospel as a fhining fun appeared to difpel it, Tit. ii. 11. But yet we fly like night owls from it; and like the wild beafts, lay ourselves down in our dens; when the fun arifeth, we are ftruck blind with the light thereof; and, as creatures of darkness, love darkness rather than light. Such is the enmity of the hearts of men against Christ, in his prophetical office.

2. The natural man is an enemy to Chrift in his priestly office. He is appointed of the Father a Prieft for ever: that, by his alone facrifice and interceffion, finners may have peace with, and accefs to God; but Chrift crucified is a ftumbling-block, and foolishness to the unrenewed part of mankind, to whom he is preached, 1 Cor i. 23. They are not for him, as the new and living way. he by the voice of the world, an High Prieft over the house of God, Corrupt nature goes quite another way to work,

Nor is

Evidence 1. None of Adam's children naturally incline to receive the bleffing in borrowed robes; but would always according to the fpider's motto, owe all to themselves; and fo climb up to heaven on a thread fpun out of their own bowels. For they defire to be under the law, Gal. iv. 24. And go about to eflablish their own righteousness, Rom. x. 3. Man.

E 4

3. Man, naturally, looks on God as a great Mafter; himself as his fervant, that must work and win heave his wages. Hence, when confcience is awakened, he th that, to the end he may be faved, he mufl anfwer the mands of the law; ferve God as well as he can, pray for mercy wherein he comes fhort. And thus n come to duties, that never come out of them to Jefus C

Evid. 2. As men naturally think highly of their du that feem, to them, to be well done; fo they look fo ceptance with God according as their work is done, no ording to the fare they have in the blood of Chrift. W fore have we fafted, fay they, and thou feeft not? Th alue themselves on their performances, and attainm yea, their very opinions in religion, (Philip. iii 4. 5, 6 taking to themfelves, what they rob from Chrift the High priest.

Evid. 3. The natural man going to God, in duties always be found, either to go without a mediator, or more than the only Mediator Jefus Chrifl. Natu bind, and therefore venturous: it fets a man a going in diately to God without Chrift; to rufh into his pref and put their petitions in his hand, without being intr ced by the fecretary of beaven, or putting their requ.E to his hand. So fixed is this difpofition in the unren heart, that when many bearers of the gospel are conv with upon the point of their hopes of falvation, the of Chrift will fcarcely be heard from their mouths. them how they think to obtain the pardon of fin? the tell you, they beg and look for mercy, becaufe God merciful God; and that is all they have to confide in. thers look for mercy for Chrift's fake; but how do know that Chrift will take their plea in hand. Why, Papifts have their mediators with the Mediator, fo they. They know he cannot but do it; for they pray tefs, mourn, and have great defires, and the like; a have fomething of their own to commend them unto they were never made poor in fpirit, and brought ea handed to Chrift, to lay the refs of all on his at blood.

3. The natural man is an enemy to Chrift in his l ofile. The Father has appointed the Mediator K

Zion, Ffal. ii. 6. And all to whom the gospel comes are commanded on their highest peril to kifs the Son, and fubmit themselves unto him, ver. 12. But the natural voice of mankind is, Away with him, as you may fee, ver. 2. 3. They will not have him to reign over them, Luke xix. 14. Evidence 1. The workings of corrupt nature to wreft the government out of his hands. No fooner was he born, but being born, a King, Herod perfecuted him, Matth. ii. And when he was crucified, they fet up over his head his accufa tion written, This is Jefus the King of the Jews, Matth. xxvii. 37. Tho' his kingdom be a spiritual kingdom, and not of this world; yet they cannot allow him a kingdom, within a kingdom, which acknowledgeth no other head or fupreme, but the royal Mediator. The, make bold with his royal prerogatives, changing his law, inftitutions and ordinances; modelling bis worth according to the devices. of their own hearts; introducing new offices and officers: into his kingdom, not to be found in the back of the manner of his kingdom; difpofing of the external government thereof; as may best fuit their carnal defigns. Such is the enmity of the hearts of men against Zion's King.

Evid. 2. How unwilling are men, naturally to fubmit unto, and be hedged in by the laws and difcipline of his kingdom! As a King, he is a law-giver, (Ifa. xxxiii. 22.) and ha appointed an external government, difcipline and cenfors, to controul the unruly, and to keep his profeffed fubjects in order, to be exercised by officers of his own appointment. Matth. xviii, 17, 18. 1 Cor. xii 28.1 Tim. v. 17. Heb. xiii. 17. But these are the great eyes fores of the carnal world, who love finful pleasure, and therefore cry out, Let us break their bands afunder, and caft away their cords from us, Pfal. ii. 3. Hence this work is found to be, in a special manner, a ftriving against the fream of corrupt nature, which, for the most part, puts fuch a face on the church, as if there were no King in Ifrael, every one doing that which is right in his own eyes.

Evid 3. However natural men may be brought to feiga fubmiffion to the King of faints, yet fufts always retain the throne and dominion in their hearts, and they are ferving divers lufts and pleafures, Tit. iii. 3. None but thefe in whom Chrift is formed, do really put the crown on his head,

and

State II. and receive the kingdom of Chrift within them. His crown is the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his efpoufals.' Who are they, whom the power of grace has not fubdued, that will allow him to fet up, and to put down, in their fouls, as he will? Nay, as for others, any lord fhall fooner get the rule over them, than the Lard of glory: they kindly entertain his enemies, and will never ab. folutely refign themselves to his government, till conquered in a day of power. Thus ye may fee that the natural man is an enemy to Jefus Chrift in all his offices.

But O! how hard is it to convince men in this point! They are very loth to take with it. And in a special manner, the enmity of the heart against Chrift in his priestly office, seems to be hid from the view of most of the hearers of the gofpel. Yet there appears to be a peculiar malignity in corrupt nature against that office of his. It may be observed, that the Socinians, these enemies of our blefled Lord, allow him to be properly a Prophet and a King, but deny him to be properly a Prieft. And this is agreeable enough to the corruption of our nature; for under the covenant of works, the Lord was known as a Prophet or Teacher, and alfo as a King or Ruler; but not at all as a Prieft: fo man knows nothing of the mystery of Chrift, as the way to the Father, till it be revealed to him. And when it is revealed, the will rifeth up against it; for corrupt nature lies cross to the mystery of Christ, and the great contrivance of falvation, through a crucified Saviour, revealed in the gospel. For clearing of which weighty truth, let these four things be confidered.

Firft, The foul's falling in with the grand device of falvation by Jefus Chrift, and fetting the matters of falvation on that footing before the Lord, is declared by the fcriptures of truth, to be an undoubted mark of a real faint, who is happy here, and fhall be happy hereafter. Matth. xi. 6. And bleffed is he whofoever fhall not be offended in me.' 1 Cor. 23, 24. But we preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness: but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift, the power of God, and the wifdom of God.' Phillip. . 3. For we are the circumcifion which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefas, and have no confi

dence