the voice of his charmer; insensible to every other CHAP. pleasure.

37. Surely then, that must be the fountain head, that shuts the eyes, stops the ears, and stupifies the sense to all other objects of time or eternity, and swallows up the whole man in its own peculiar enjoyment.

38. And such is that feeling and affection, which is formed by the near relation and tie between the male and female; and which being corrupted by the subversion of the original law of God, converted that which in the beginning was pure and lovely, into the poison of the serpent; and the noblest affcction of man, into the seat of human corruption. To which the following words of Boston will justly apply.

V:

39. "A disease affecting any particular member Four-fold "of the body, is ill; but that which affects the State. "whole, is worse. The corruption of nature is the p.106.107. "poison of the old serpent, cast into the fountain of 108. "action; and so affects every action, every breath"ing of the soul.

40."It is the cause of all particular lusts and "actual sins in our hearts and lives. It is the spawn "which the great Leviathan has left in the souls of men; from whence comes all the fry of actual "sins and abominations.

41. It is the bitter fountain: particular lusts are "but rivulets running from it; which bring forth "into the life a part only, and not the whole of what "is within.

46

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42. Now the fountain is still above the streams: "so where the water is good, it is best in the fountain; where it is ill, it is worst there. The corruption of nature being that which defiles all, itself must needs be the most abominable thing. 43. 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. It is the cursed ground fit to bring forth all manner of noxious "weeds.

44. As the whole nest of venomous creatures "must 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.

45. "Look

CHAP.

V.

45. "Look thou into thy corrupt nature, and "there thou mayest see all and every sin in the seed "and root thereof. There is a fullness of all un"righteousness. There is atheism, idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery and whatsoever is vile. 46. The sin of our nature is, of all sins, the most "fixed and abiding-It remains with men in its full power by night and by day, at all times, fixed as "with bands of iron and brass.

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Pride, envy, covetousness, and the like, are "not always stiring 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 it."

48. "It is the great reigning sin (like Saul among "the people) higher by far than the rest-com"monly called one's predominate sin-which never "loseth its superiority over particular lusts, that live "and die with it and by it.

49. "Surely then the word should be given against "this sin, as against the king of Israel, Fight nei"ther with small nor great save only with this.-For, (as the writer justly concludes) "While it stands entire there is no victory."

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CHAP. VA

CHAP. VI.

The cause of the destruction of the Old World.

TIE destruction of the old world is very parts. CHAP.

ularly stated in the sacred writings; from whence the cause may also be very clearly under

stood.

VI.

2. "And it came to pass when men began to mul- Gen. vi. 1. tiply;" that is, according to the agreeable sence of modern Divines, so called; when men began to keep the command or ordinance of God, Be fruitful;" and daughters were born unto them."

3. "That the sons of God (who were not corrupted by a mixed generation) saw the daughters of 2. men that they were fair and they took them wives of all which they chose." For the daughters of men were under no control, either to the law of nature or of God, for their first mother had violated both. 4. And as the first deceived woman, Saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes; "" so these sons of God, "saw the daugh- Gen. iii. 6. ters of men that they were fair," and according to their own corrupt will they took them wives, not of some particular tribe or family, but " of all which vi. 2. they chose, and went in unto them, and they bare them children; the same became mighty men, which were of old men of renown."

وو

5. "And the earth was corrupt before God, and "filled with violence, through them-for all flesh "had corrupted his way upon the earth."

6. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination 5. of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And he said I will destroy man whom I have created."

7. “ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is 8. come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold, I will destroy them 13. with the earth."

8. Then as there must be an evident dist'rction Letween the works of these mighty men of renown who corrupted the earth and filled it with violence,

and

VI.

CHAP. and the works of Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord; it may be proper to observe, wherein that distinction lay.

9. The old natural creation was from the beginning set in order to subserve the purpose of God in relation to a new and spiritual creation; and the old was to continue no longer than should subserve that purpose, in relation to the new.

10. The state of man on this earth was by no means to be his final state: Man was created from the beginning, for a more glorious and eternal purpose.

11. And therefore a line was drawn from the beginning of the old Creation to the beginning of the new; which for the time then present, pointed out two manner of people, and in things of a temporal nature, distinguished between the disobedient and o bedient, the wicked and the righteous; shewing the nature of that creation which must finally pass away, and of that which would be eternal.

12. This line may not improperly be called a line of promise, pertaining to such as were counted righteous or perfect in their generations, and through whom as pertaining to the flesh, Jesus the Christ

came.

13. And in this line were exhibited, promises, types, and figures, which pointed to the spirit and substance, of a new creation; at least, to the adjusting or setting in order a new age or spiritual seed, of which Christ Jesus was in the fullness of time, the true and real beginning.

14. But until Christ appeared, there could be no Acts xvii. real difference in the nature and disposition of any. 26. For of one blood, were made all nations of men, to

dwell on all the face of the carth, and God determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of 27. their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.

15. Then as all nations of men on the face of the whole earth, were made of one blood, that they might seek the Lord and find him; It is evident that in their natural state, there is no difference; they are all equally out of the way, and equally distant from God.

16. To speak plainly; in their natural state, there was no difference between Cain and Abel; both were conceived in the same corrupt nature of oppo

VI.

sition against God, and both descended from the CHAP. same parents who had corrupted their blood, by their obedience to the serpent, and basely violated the law of nature.

17. In their natural state, and in their conception and birth, there was no difference between Noah, and those who were destroyed by the flood-between Abraham, and his fathers house-between Lot, and the men of Sodom-between Moses, and Pharoahbetween the Israelites, and Canaanites.

18. All nations of men were of one blood, and that was corrupted by the fall; nor could it be cleansed Joel iii.21. until the times determined were accomplished. Rom. ix. As it is written, "I will cleanse their blood that I

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have not cleansed," And again, “I will call them Hosea ii. my people, which were not my people."

19. But here was the difference in all ages: While the generality of the world gave themselves up to luxury and sensuality, corrupting the earth through lasciviousness and the lust of uncleanness, and filled it with violence through ambition and the love of dominion, according to the deceitful law in the members; there were those who were chosen to maintain the belief of one true God, in order to subserve his wise purpose; and keep up the distinction between good and evil, until the true foundation of final and eternal redemption should be laid.

23.

20. Therefore God at sundry times and in divers manners, delivered special commands and ordinan- Heb. i. 1, ces to certain individuals, which related to their temporal economy, and were productive of temporal good to such as were obedient thereunto.

21. And such as were obedient to what was in any way or manner, or at any time revealed to them in this respect, were in every age a repository for the faith and worship of one living and true God.

5.6.7.8.9.

22. And by their obedience they found justification 2 Pet. ii. according to the nature of what they were taught, Heb. xi. 7. and by which they condemned the world, who lived in corruption and injustice, and became heirs of that righteousness which is by faith and obedience.

Jude 11.

14.

xxxii.

23. While the wicked and rebellious were ever Jer.xxiii. counted as the seed of Cain, and as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, whether Jews or Gentiles. Deut. 24. Now according to the scriptures, the difference between the works of Noah, and of those who corrupted the earth, was just this: Noah was five hundred years old, before he begat his three sons`;—

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