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but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had; and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan; P whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.

Matt. xiii. 12. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. See Matt. XXV. 29.

• 2 Kings viii. 12, 13. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

P Psa. lxxxi. 11, 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust; and they walked in their own counsels. 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth; that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

9 Ex. viii. 15, 32. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said;-and Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death

VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures; so, after a most special manner, it taketh care of his church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.

I

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE FALL OF MAN, OF SIN, AND OF THE PUNISHMENT THEREOF.

OUR first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit." This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy coun

unto death; and to the other, the savour of life unto life. Isa. viii. 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. See also Ex. vii. 3; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Isa. vi. 9, 10, with Acts xxviii. 26, 27.

Amos ix. 8, 9. Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. For lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Gen. iii. 13.-And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 2 Cor. xi. 3. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

sel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.*

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II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God," and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body."

III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same

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t Rom. xi. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Gen. iii. 7, 8. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Rom. iii. 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

▾ Eph. ii. 1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

w Gen. vi. 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually. Jer. xvii. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? See also Rom. iii. 10, to the 19th ver.

Acts xvii. 26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; and Gen. ii. 16, 17, with Rom. v. 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, 45, 49. For since by man came death, by man came

death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation.

Z

IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.

b

also the resurrection of the dead: for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive :-and so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made quickening Spirit.-And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

y Psa. li. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Gen. v. 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image: and called his name Seth. Job xiv. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job xv. 14. What is man that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

z Rom. v. 6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom. viii. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. John iii. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Rom. vii. 18. For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. a Gen. viii. 21. And the Lord said, of man's heart is evil from his youth. 12. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one,

The imagination
Rom. iii. 10, 11,

James i. 14, 15. But every man is tempted when he

V. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated: and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.d

VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of

is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Matt. xv. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

e Rom. vii. 14, 17, 18, 23. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.-Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not.-But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. James iii. 2. For in many things we offend all. Prov. xx. 9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Eccl. vii. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth

not.

d Rom. vii. 5, 7, 8, 25. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.-What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

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