ΑΓΝΟΙΑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, OR, THE INABILITY of the Highest Improved NATURAL MAN to attain a Sufficient and Right Knowledge of INDWELLING SIN. Discovered in three SERMONS, Preached at St MARIE's in OXFORD.  
By HENRY HURST M.A. and Fellow of Merton Coll. in OXON.  1 Cor. 2.14. 
But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  
OXFORD, Printed by Henry Hall Printer to the University, for Richard Davis. 1659.   

TO THE REVEREND AND Learned my Honoured Father Mr HENRY HURST, Minister of the Gospel at Mickleton in Glouc: shire.  
Much honoured Father,  
BOoks claim a just title to a Dedicatory commendation, whether this title be just jure naturali, or by Prescription, I intent not to dispute with this small piece which calls itself mine, and claims the same portion which others have been sent into the world with; I will not deny its request, though I might have so done, since it appears in the world without my plenary consent) it shall have its Due: Nor will I be unjust, or unthankful to you who have the clearest, and fairest title to this Homage; for if either Greatness or Goodness be a just claim, yours is the justest; if Greatness of obligations be a good title, None may contend with you; a Father's obligations on a Son are confessedly greatest. If Goodness, and Beneficence be the best claim, I must tell the world, your right to this is such, There cannot be a better Patron than a Good Father. If I add no more to set out your worth, (besides I prevent the losing myself in the Dedication, and the disproportioning the Frontispiece to the building,) I shall cut off the jealous surmises of an uncharitable world (which will suspect there is none so good, because they are so few.) And (which I most intent) reserve more room for the Practice part of that honour and obedience which I own you. I cannot more doubt your reception of this, than I can your reception of myself, and to entreat for this, (I think) were to detract from the repute of a tender Father which you deserve. What it wants of worth, in itself, will be more fully, and easily made up, whilst it hath the rising advantage of a son's affections, (whose willingness makes his lest essay of thankfulness worth accepting,) and whilst it hath the grains of allowance which a Father's kindness will cast in to make up the weight.  
Sr, these first fruits being judged ripe sooner than I thought, and so gathered (much against my will.) and having been offered first in the Temple for the honour of God, and the service of his spiritual Temple, are now in this handful left to you, as that portion which I might not withhold from you, and as the first fruits duly offered did procure a blessing on the offerer, so I hope it will far with your Son, who nothing doubts your blessing will be on his head, and doubts it will, as Jacob's, prevail above the blessings of your progenitors, for the abundant increase of Grace, Mercy, and Peace on  
Your Obedient Son HENRY HURST. From Merton Coll. July 6. 1659.   

AN EPISTLE TO THE READER.  
MY request is to thee (lest I deceive thy expectation) not to expect from me, (who affect plainness of speech and actions) any tedious Apologetical Preface, much less any superfluous flattering Panegyrics. Only let me acquaint thee with the engagement that lies upon me, to premise a few things concerning the publication of this Learned and elaborate Worke. The Author sufficiently known to myself and many others, to be a Godly, Learned, and Orthodox Divine through his modesty and low opinion of himself, denied for a long time his consent to the making of these Sermons of public use, and had suppressed them altogether but that through importunity I prevailed with him. That ancient relation I have, as of a Tutor to a Scholar (which in him and such who prove so well is my glory and rejoiceing) and those dear affecti●ns I bear towards him at length made him to yield to my frequent solicitations, that this work might be Printed for the public good. And I never had yet (neither do I think ever shall) entertain the least repenting thought for causing such choice Sermons to be made of common use and benefit.  
Concerning the Sermons having heard two of them from the Pulpit, and since deliberately read them all over: two or three particulars I observe in an especial manner, as appears by the account that followeth.  
1. The seasonableness of the preaching on this subject against the blindness of a natural man, and concerning the sinfulness of Sin, both Original and Actual both which are words spoken in season, considering that now adays Pelagius, Arminius, Socinus, and other Heretics of the same litter are revived and their followers (as if they had get a faculty in the Court of augmentation) ●…strip and give beyond their masters in errors and heresies. But as in Zacharies Vision there were four Carpenters to fray the sour horns which scattered Judah: so God raiseth up many valiant Champions of his truth who 
a Zech. 1.21.  cry aloud and spare not lifting up their voices like Trumpets against the abomination of the times. What was judicious Carthwrights Motto for Zion's sake I will not hold my peace abides upon the hearts of the faithful Ministers of the Gospel: Th●y dare not be silent in God's cause: but they make it their business (as the Apostle exhorts) 
b Tit. 1.9.  to convince Gainsayers: 
c Tit. 1.11.  To stop their mouths, 
d Ti. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  to rebuke them sharply or cuttingly: Which Scriptures do not in the least countenance a Toleration, nor any other Scripture that I know of: now the Lord hath raised up the spirit of this Learned Brother, to lop off the Hydra of Heresies to stand for the truth at such a time as this is, I cannot let pass without special Observation. When Original sin is denied by some with great confidence, natural men's abilities too highly advanced, the Pagan's debt and dowry pleaded for, and charity lavished upon such beyond all Scripture rule surely a confutation now must needs be beautiful in its season, and a word so fitly spoken may be esteemed like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver.  
2. Add hereunto the singular usefulness of the Doctrine delivered That men of greatest acuteness and ability for natural parts, and of best improvement by education cannot make a right and full discovery of indwelling Lust without the Spirit of God revealing it by the Law. This Doctrine is of great use, and serves to pluck down the cr●st of the proudest Scholar who is a stranger from the life of God. Men may attain unto as great parts as Aristotle and Plato, and yet be mere ignoramussesses in Original sin; How Adam's sin is ours, how we were in his loins, and that sin committed in his person was likewise committed in our nature, and propagated and derived upon all his posterity: This no man can learn in Aristotle or Platoe's School. We must have recourse unto the Law of God The Apostle's determination is infallible For I had not known Lust except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 
e Rom. 7.7.   
3. Upon perusal of the whole there's dexterity of judgement: This Author gives a rational acof the truth by evidence of reasons solid and sinewous as 1. Because a Natural man makes use of a crooked rule: His own reason is his rule, and that perverted and blinded: And if the blind lead the blind both must fall into the ditch, 2. Because this sinfulness of indwelling lust consists much of spiritual wickedness, and the natural man in his highest improvement remains carnal and sensual. A natural man wants his eyesight: He is 
f Eph. 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  darkness itself in the abstract: and 
g 1 Cor. 2.14.  receiveth not the things of the spirit of God.  
Other more weighty Arguments are urged: But by these mentioned you have a taste of the rest: And I will not praeoccupate my Reader.  
4. In the fourth and last place, I take notice of the Candour, Modesty, and Moderation of the Author Though he is zealous in God's cause, yet meek in his own as Moses was. I see not in any particular where he gives ground, or relinquisheth his colours: But as fare as I can apprehend, he hath beaten his adversaries out of the field: yet he hath learned from the Apostle to 
h Eph. 4.14.  speak the truth in love, & to 
i Gal. 6.1.  restore, such as are overtaken, in the spirit of meekness. He useth soft words, and hard Arguments, as knowing that a flint is sooner broken upon a pillow then on an anvil. Upon a serious review of the whole I find no bitterness, no reviling language nor personal reflections: He discardeth all such ways of arguing, fearing lest such dead flies might mar the whole box of ointment.  
Wherefore upon this consideration of the Premises (I commend to thee Reader) a serious Perusal of these excellent Sermons following. And if I mistake not (unless it be thy own fault) thou wilt reap much spiritual advantage, and wilt be more established in the truth. I must profess what I think (be it to the disparagement of none) that by reading these Sermons and another in Latin Homogeneous to this subject, of a Reverend Doctor eminent for Godliness and Learning, 
Dr Edward Reynolds Sermon entitled Animalu Homo  I have found more satisfaction, and confirmation, then by other Sermons or Treatises I have yet met with upon that Argument. I add no more but commend thee (Reader) to the gracious providence of God, hearty desiring that thy soul may thrive the better for what is here published, so prayeth,  
Thy servant for Christ's sake HENRY WILKINSON. OXFORD From Magdalen Hall July 6, 1659.   

SERMON I.  Rom. 7. v. 7. latter part. 
For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet.  

THe Great Doctrine of our Gospel's freedom from the Law (which the mistaken Jew did dangerously stumble at) being laid down by the apostle, in that apt similitude of a woman freed from the Law of her husband, to which she was obliged during his life, in the five first verses of this Chapter● and being summarily concluded in that positive assertion of the Apostles, in the 6. verse, former part of it, Now we are delivered from the Law: The Apostle might here have ended his Sermon, and the Chapter, but that it was necessary he should vindicate this Doctrine of our freedom from the Law, from two great objections, which the Jew thought he might reasonably, and which he did continually cast in the Apostle's way against this Doctrine. The first of these objections, is intimated Proleptically, and answered solidly, in this 7. verse of the Chapter: so that the Text read is the Jews objection against the Apostle's doctrine, and the Apostle's solution of it; The Objection is thus proposed, If we are (as you Paul aver) delivered from the Law, than the Law is evil; for deliverance is only from that which is evil, were we removed from a good, it would not be a deliverance, but a loss and damage; if then the Law be evil, what evil is it? Is it sin? Here is the Objection, intimated in the former part of this 7. verse. The Apostles answer is full of holy indignation at the impiety, and wickedness of the Objection; God forbidden; and full of clearness and solidity against the seeming strength of it, 
The Law cannot be sin, and why.  discovering the right use of this Law which cannot be sin, though Sin took occasion from the Law to be exceeding sinful. And this the Apostle confirms, because, 

1. The Law discovers and manifests this work of darkness, I had not known sin, but by the Law, saith Paul.  
2. The Law prohibits all sin, even Lust itself, it saith, Th●u shalt not Covet:   In this latter part of the Apostle his answer, assigning the right, proper, & genuine use of the Law, lieth my work; and ere I can set to it, I must premise three or four things by way of Explication, or at least point them out, (for they are very obvious of themselves.)  

explication 1 Explic. 1. The Speaker Paul.  1. Who speaketh, I Paul, a man of ripe natural parts, and of as well improved, acquired parts, as any, yet still a Pharisee, and Zealous of the Law, according to their principles, and interpretation of the Law.  

explication 2 2. How be expresseth himself.  2. How he expresseth himself, I had not known; in a tense that looks somewhat more than to what is past, having an eye to the future, and what would have been; it carries in it 

1. His Past ignorance, I did not then know.  
2. His future ignorance, he should not yet have known, if the Law, etc.    

explication 3 3. The Spiritual sense expressed.  3. Had not said, i. e. if it had not at last, spoken in other language than the Scribes, and Pharisees made it speak in, they made it speak in the literal sound; but now God hath made it speak, and hath made Paul hear, in the Spiritual sense and meaning of it; in that voice which God causeth a convinced, and converted soul to hear; in other kind of speech than any of the Pharisees (who made void the Law) would hear, Paul had often (not doubt) read the Law, and this very prohibition too, yet now he understands what then he did not, that the Law said,  

explication 4 4. What it meant by the Low, saying, Thou shalt not Covet.  Thou shalt not Covet: The Apostle useth first a word of more General signification, I had not known sin. and then Exegetically, and proleptically addeth, what might illustrate his meaning, and prevent an objection: for sin is discoverable by the light of nature, that Star light which they had who yet were darkness.  

question Q.  How then is it appropriated to the Law?  

answer 1 A. 1.  1. Sin in the full extent, and compass of it, as actual, is only discovered by the Law; for many sins they accounted virtues, and many they excused with harmless indifferency, which yet the Law condemned.  

answer 2 2.  2. But indeed the Apostle principally intendeth the sinning sin in first motions, and workings, and in its indwelling: That corrupt principle of lust, and sin, which is rooted in the soul and work's in our life, and is ordinarily known by the name of Original sin, or corruption of nature, thus 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peccatum vocabit vitium originis peccatorum aliorum sontem & mortis causam Pareus in Loc. Doctrine.  Pareus on the place: this praemised I gather up the Doctrine from the words, That men of greatest acuteness, and ability for natural parts, and of best improvement by education, cannot make a right, and full discovery of Original sin, of indwelling lust, without the spirit of God revealing it by the law.  
Lust or sinning sin is a mystery of iniquity, which the most piercing natural eye, with best humane advantages never did, never could yet, or ever will be able to discover.  
Concupiscence is sufficiently discoverable by no other eye, nor by other light than that the holy spirit of God giveth us to see with: The knowledge of sin as here Paul knew it, as a Regenerate soul doth know it, is not within the compass of the highest improved natural man; he cannot take the height, nor meet out the length, and breadth, nor fathom the depth of that corruption which is in our natures; he cannot tell how this old man was conceived form and produced in us he cannot derive the Pedigree of this ancient infamous house. It is only and peculiarly the work of the spirit, and word of God to discover this to a man. 
Method of Proceeding.  In handling this truth I will 

method 1 1. Show it to be the Doctrine of this text and of others in the Scripture.  
method 2 2. Farther confirm it by the exemplary mistakes of the several sorts of men who have pretended (and might if any could pretend) most to all knowledge, and to this also  
method 3 3. Inquire what particularly they never did, or could ever discover etc.  
method 4 4. Rationally demonstrate why they could not or ever will be able without the especial sanctifying, and enlightening virtue of the spirit of God to discern it.  
method 5 5. Point out some considerable differences between the knowledge which a natural improved man as Paul before conversion, and a regenerate sanctified soul, as Paul after conversion, hath of this sin. And then  
method 6 6. Close the whole matter in a practical and useful application.     

1. This is the Doctrine of the Text and other Scriptures.  
1. I say then that this is the Doctrine of the text, That the best natural parts, highest improved without the spirit of God enlightening him by the law cannot now, could not ever, nor ever will be able to discover the corruption of our natures. I must then evidence this whole matter from Paul's example, and clear confession, I said  
[The greatest acuteness, and ability of nature,] such was Paul's natural ability, he was a man of most pregnant, and ripe parts, for he assures us that he profited above many his equals: 
Gal. 1.14.  his outstripping them (if any doubt it) assureth us, he was befriended with a large portion of natural abilities, he had not so outrun those who started with him in the race; if a greater strength and speed had not fitted him for the race.  
If I farther said that such parts [with best improvement,] I said no more than I might well warrant from Paul's example, for he wanted not the advantage of education; he had a Master whose learning had set him high in the esteem of the people, Acts 5.34. and at his feet Paul was brought up, nor was he a dunce in this school, he made such progress that he was eminent for his learning, whence Festus charitably interprets the Apostle pleading his own cause, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and the truth (which Festus understood not) as the discourse of one to be pitied for overstudying himself; and who had more learning than he could manage, Acts 26.24.  
Did I say such parts so improved [never did?] I say but what Paul saith of himself, for time passed he did not, if I add [nor ever can] I ground it on the Apostle his expression, which includes more than the past time, I had not known, and looks to time to come for 'tis in the Plusquam perfectum. If I add [Without the spirit enlightening the soul] none I hope will doubt it: but if I say [without more than common illumination] I have proof from Paul, who had no doubt the common illumination of the spirit while a Pharisee, yet, did not then understand, as now he doth, the corruption of nature: He did while unregenerate hear the law, but now regenerate he here's the voice of the law, and spirit, jointly informing, and instructing him; & without this the best parts, with the best improvement, though both equal to Paul's will never fully discover sinning sin.  

Doctrine proved from other Scriptures.  Nor do we want other testimony from Scripture: The Law and Prophets bear witness to this truth, view what was Ezekiel's message and errand to the Jews.  
Ezek. 16.2,3,4. He must declare to them, that their Birth and Nativity was of the land of Canaan that their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite etc. In which allegory, the sinfulness, & cursedness of their natural state is set forth as is the opinion of Interpreters, and others: So Junius on the place on those words thy navel was not cut, verse. 4. Thou wast by nature dead, defiled with the pollution of sin, full of weakness and vanity. 
A natura in morte, in Sordibus peccatorum, infitmitate & vanitate eras. Jun. in loc.  And much to this purpose Peter Martyr in his common places: Never did man marry such a wife, so much below, so much unworthy of him as did Christ when he married the Church: for her state, and what she was before she came into Christ's hand, is described by Ezekiel in the 16. chap. 1] 
Nec ullus uxorem unquam ram disparem, & suo conjugio indignamduxit arque Christus Ecclesian: cutusmodi enim ea fuerit, antequam Christo in manum conveniret, ab Ezech. describitur 16. cap. Pet. Martyr loc come. cl. 2. cap. 17.  I add to this Essenius contra Crellium de satisfact. l. 1. Sect. 2. cap. 3. Causa procatarctica una est miseria nostra quae Dei misericor diam movit— Huc pertinet graphica illa descriptio Ezech. 16.3,6. Their sinful and wretched state until grace timely prevent, freely act, and powerfully change it, is that which is represented by this Allegorical description of a wretched, helpless, infant borne in its blood, and cast out to the loathing of its person. And all this the prophet must declare to Jerusalem, and he must declare it, as a man declares what before was not known, or not sufficiently known; therefore the Lord sends him with this command make them know (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) as if he had said they are ignorant, it must be told, and declared to them, they'll not know it else; nay farther they are incredulous, they will not believe it, unless thou prove it to them; so much the Caldee Paraphrast intimates in his gloss on the text (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disceptavit probavit, radarguit.  Now it is Jerusalem, saith the Hebrew text, they are the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saith the Paraphrast, persons which lived where God was known, where the testimony of the Lord was, whither the Tribes did go up; they were the persons who professed to know God, and which boasted in the law, which were Jew's instituted in the knowledge of the Law (as Paul was before conversion) yet these persons are ignorant, and know not; are incredulous, and believe not, until the Prophet declare that they may know, and prove it that they may believe their birth to be of the land of Canaan: So the Prophet Jeremiah c. 17. roundly asserts that the Sin which is graven on the table of their heart, verse. 1. which makes the heart desperately wicked. v. 9 makes it also deceitful above all things, It is a riddle which none can read; who can know it? the Prophet challengeth the whole world of men to say whether any among them can understand it? Again St Paul who understood this Doctrine as well as any, lays down the sinfulness of our natures, Rom. 3.10. there is none righteous no not one, none that understandeth or that seeketh after God, etc. A very high charge such as proud Philosophy will not bear, and weak eyed Philosophy cannot see: How then is this known? how is it proved? why it is written, v. 10. former part, And by the Law is the knowledge of sin, v. 20. surely what David saith of that providence which suffers ut sit benè malis & malè bonis, Ps. 73.16,17. is very eminently true of this sin; when men think to know this without going into the Sanctuary of God, it is too painful for them: Nay if they go into the Sanctuary, and inquire as the Pharisees, as the carnal Jew, did inquire, they will come out as very fools, and as ignorant as they went in: 
Erant enim Pharisaei in illâ opinion, tantùm illos in peccato conceptos & natos esse, quo● natura insigniter notasset Chem. Harm.  and it is a measuring cast, they'll proudly boast that others were borne altogether in sin, but not they, John 9.34. For the Pharisees were of opinion that none were conceived or borne in sin but such as nature had Branded. The same doth Aegidius Hunnius in loc. observe too: 
Ab agnatâ pravitate se pulch è Immunes esse sentiebant Phari saei, Hunnius in loc.  & Joh: Hoornbeck Sum: controvers. l. 2. which is against the Jews, and their Judaisme hath ranked this Question, An Peccatum Adami primum fuit commune totius naturae humanae, unde omnes homines nascuntur cum peccato originali? among one of the controversies between us and them in which they defend the Negative, and we maintain the Affirmative.  
Thus will every man mistake who hath not the spirit of God whose office it is to convince of sin, 
John 16.8.  especially of those sins which are not easily discerned. It is more than evident, that before conviction we do not see, or consider of many notorious and habitual sins; such as formal and lose profession, profane and secure Libertinism, Gross Idolatry in the Heathen: How much more evident is it then that we shall never be able to discover secret, heart sins, the underground and deep fountain and spring of them.  
In a word, David a man well acquainted with his own heart, who was much in the search of it, who was wont to commune with it, Psal. 4.4. diligent to hid the word in it, Psal. 119.11. taken up with meditating on that word which discovers sin, Ps. 119. v. 97. Wiser than his teachers, Psal. 119. v. 99 used to learn of his reins in the night seasons, when others were either securely sleeping, or (if awakened) Politicly contriving the speediest & surest way of accomplishing their secular, and worldly designs, than was David lighting his candle, i. e. his understanding at the Lamp of God: then was he searching the dark recesses, and deep vaults of that heart which he knew was profound to devise and do wickedly. And now, one would think that such diligent search should leave nothing undiscovered, and that a man after this might say, that there was no guile in his heart, but his eye saw it & watched over it; But however a bold: and ignorant foul might possibly so think, and say; yet David dareth not think, nor say so, but after all this distrusting his own heart (which he knew too well to trust it much) he brings it to God the searcher of hearts, and tryer of Reins with earnest suits that he would deliver him from his guileful heart, Psalm. 139. v. 23,24. Search me O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Note David's earnestness, five times together he prayeth that God would discover himself, his heart to himself, and deliver himself from himself: for after all this diligence he is jealous there is, he knoweth possibly there may be, some what of this guile, and hypocrisy. And now having heard such witnesses, what farther need have we? Christian, doth not thy soul hear itself confessing this truth? Say, if it be so difficult for David, a man enlightened, by the Spirit of God internally, by the word of God externally, and awakened by both jointly, to find out his sinful heart, and nature, can it be less than impossible for men who are 

Blind spiritually, having no eyes,  
In the dark, having no light,  
Securely sleeping in sin, not awakened,   to discover, and find out sufficiently that indwelling sin, this universal pravity inhering in his nature? Let it then stand a truth according to Scripture, that indwelling concupiscence, this sinning sin, is a mystery of iniquity which the best natural parts, highest improved cannot now, hath not yet, never will be able to discover; which is the first thing proposed: next let us come to the second which will be another confirmation of this truth, when we see all sorts of best improved natural men have mistaken in it.   

2 General proposed, Best improved Natural men are mistaken in this knowledge.  

1. Heathens mistake the knowledge.  
1. Then, as for the Gentile and Heathen world, when it was at its height of learning, and most noted for inquisitive after, and acuteness (with success) in new discoveries, yet never came to the discovery of this sin; Indeed they did discern a very great Ataxy, and disorder; they knew there was much a miss in their life, and that this also had infected the mind, and soul; but that deep silence which every where may be observed among the crowd of their moral Writers, who speak very little of the spring and fountain of vice, when they have spent many sheets on the streams and branches of it, is an undoubted witness of their ignorance, and if it were not a work too great to be dispatched within the compass of a Sermon, I might bestow some more labour, than now I will, to evince this by undeniable instances, yet take one or two. How little doth Homer speak? or is he not wholly silent in this? and yet he is preferred to some of the best moral Philosophers, Stoics, or Academics, for in Horace's judgement he better tells us 
Quid sit Pulchrum, quid Turpe, quid Vtile, Quid non,  
Plenius & melius Chrysippo aut Crantore dicit.  He that should read Homer, and hope to find any fatisfactory account of this, will surely cast him off at last; & say, he hath lost his labour, and knows now as little as Horace himself did of this by his reading, and revolving Trojani Belli Scriptorem. Well Chrysippus the second Stoic Philosopher for eminency, Qui fulcire putatur Porticum (as Cicer. Acad. l. 4. quoted by Mr Gataker in Praelog. ad Annot. in M. Antonin.) and of whom Laërtius says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Laert. l. 7.  He hath fall'n short of Homer in the Discovery, Quid Pulchrum, Quid Turpe etc. Crantor also, who was no small babe in morality, if either our Poet may be judge, who citeth him as one very eminently before others in his discouse of virtue and vice, or if Cicero and Panaetius (Master or friend to Tubero) may be judge, who tell us of a book of this Crantor, which was, Non magnus at Aureolus— & qui ad verbum est ediscendus, and yet Homer speaks, Plenius & melius, Quid Pulchrum, Quid Turpe, etc. So that now we may hope either Homer, or Horace from Homer is able to give us the best account of this matter: either of which I assure you, are fare from a competent measure of knowledge, and from any considerable progress in the enquiry and discourse of this matter. 
* What these menk●ew is briefly mentioned by Mr Auth: Burgess of Origin: Sin. part. 2. cha. 20. which I met with since this was finished.  And where these, or such as these do speak of this (besides that it is little) they do generally resolve it into a proneness springing from worse constitution of that matter, of which we are form, or a proneness soon to imitate what is worst: A Doctrine which may pass with the favourable name of an excusable error in these men, (who were without the Law,) but is no less than Abominable heresy in Pelagians, who (as right sons of erring Fathers) have walked in the same way of folly, and approved these men's say.  
From this first sort of well improved men, let us next consider.   

2 Pelagians mistake this knowledge.  
2. The well improved natural man in a Pelagian dress, and on Pelagian principles, proceeding in the enquiry, and pretending to have made the discovery of this indwelling concupiscence, and boasting themselves as who rightly know it; But how much they were mistaken, a very brief recounting of the opinions, and Positions concerning this matter will evince. Chemnitius (than whom scarce a more learned divine can be found among the Lutherans) tell's us that the Pelagians deny the whole doctrine touching Original sin, and blot out the very name of it also: Nor is he single in this report of them. Pet: Martyr tells us as much: 
Pelagiani universam doctrinam de Peccato originali negant, ncmincetiam sublato. loc. come. de Peccat. orig. Pet. Martyr loc. come. cl. 2  nay who is there that send's us intelligence from the Armies of the living God, that doth not assure us, that this is one, a principal strong hold, which these men have fortified against Grace, and the truth of Christ; but let us give you a transient view of what they teach their disciples, and would obtrude on us.  
Pelagius at Rome (whither he came, after he was discovered in the East) began to maintain the opinion of Sinless perfection, 
Histor. Pelagian. l. 1. c. 3.  Defendere Coepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Vessius: A Doctrine which floweth from a proud heart, which knows not its own sinfulness, a corrupt stream which ran through the stoic Philosophers, tainred Origen, and overflowed Pelagius and his followers, as Hiereme hath observed (as he is cited by Joh: Ger: Vossius) and the evident connexion of the conclusions to the principles of those men, and the undeniable conformity of their dictates, which any one may see, who will be at the pains to compare them, in their Paradoxes gathered together by Justus Lipsius, 
Just. Lipsius' in suâ manuduct. ad stoicam Philosopham.  with the Doctrine of the Pilagians, mentioned and refuted by St Augustine, collected into one by the learned pains, both of Vossius and Cornel: Jansenius in his large and learned Book called Augustinus, seu Doctrina St Augustini etc. In a word it is well known how highly these men advanced nature, cried up the sufficiency and power of it which cannot be but where first there is a great degree of ignorance or error and mistakes in the doctrine of Original sin: and what these mistakes (if heresy may be so called) were, beside, the Authors mentioned. Dr Featly will give us an account in his Pelagius Redivivus etc. to which Authors I refer Scholars who can examine and compare these together, and hope others will take it on the word of one, who is willing to be tried by such as are able to judge in this cause, and therefore cannot be suspected of a purpose to impose upon them, briefly when we read that these men taught their Disciples. 


Pelagian Heresies.  heresy 1 1. That there was no Original sin or corruption of humane nature.  
heresy 2 2. That Adam's sin endamaged himself only properly; us only if we imitate him.  
heresy 3 3. That we are borne as perfect (age only excepted) as Adam was created, etc.    
When we read these, and such like Doctrines, we evidently see and need no farther proof to demonstrate, that these men have not discovered this sinning sin, and yet they were men of natural, and improved parts: so was Pelagius, a man excellent for learning, as August: cited by Vossius. 
Augustin-Epist. ad Paulinum subinitio.  So was Caelestius a man of acute Judgement and well improved; for he wrote whilst young, three Epistles, of which Gennadius affirmeth they were omni Deum desideranti necessariae so was Julian Ingenii, doctrinae, facundiae praecellentis, saith Vossius, a man acer ingenio saith Gennadius, yet how brutish were these Pastors in their understanding of this point!   

3 Semi-Pelagians mistake in this knowledge.  
3. Neither are they more happy in their discovery, who in succeeding ages were somewhat more refined in their heresy, such as the elder and later Semipelagians, whose ignorance of this enough appears in that which they oppose against efficacious Grace, for an account of which I refer you to Cornelius Jansenius his Parallel of the errors of the Massi●ians and some late teachers, in the second chapter of that Parallel, and the third chapter which is annexed to his Augustinus, etc.  
With these are to be ranked Arminians, who consent with these erring Doctors, Socinians, and some of our Anabaptists too, as is evident from that which Mr Stephens cite's as one of the Doctrines owned by the 30 separate Congregations in their confession (these I add not for their eminency in parts, or learning, few of them that I have met with being such, but as witness of the universal mistake and error into which the natural man with his highest pretences doth inevitably run) nor is Pigghius better acquainted with this doctrine, as is evident from his Controu. de Peccat. originali; And our English confident Dr Taylor, both in his unum necessarium, and in his Answer to the Reverend Bishop of Rochester's letter, with the whole heard of Jesuits that follow Lewis Molina in his opposition to the Dominicans, and whoso will consider what is taught by these men will see how little they are acquainted with the true nature of this inhering concupiscence, and whoso will consider who they are, what kind of Persons, will see they are men of notable natural, and improved parts and so see notable evidence to this truth, ignornace in the Doctrine of Original sin, or indwelling lust, like a thick cloud lying on the minds of men of such natural and improved abilities, that we may rationally suppose, if any could, these had been the men who would have discovered it: and seeing they have not, we may by a warrant from a logical argumentation conclude à f●rtiori others cannot, nor will ever be able; for some of these have been men (I will not say) of the highest natural and improved parts possible; but I may, and will say of the highest probable; and yet they have not attained a right discovery of this Sin, of this mystery of iniquity: These men speak of it in such a manner as evidenceth they never, either 

1. Felt the strength and power of Sin as a King reigning in their mortal bodies, Rom. 6. Nor  
2. Had observed the wisdom and Policy of this old man, which must be crucified, Nor  
3. Had known the obligatory virtue of this Law of our members, Nor  
4. Had seen the forge, where the evil, and sinful imaginations of thoughts were framed and wrought of.    
Now if there be after so long tampering with it, so little harmony and consent in the Doctrine of these men with the Doctrine of the Scriptures, and the experience of regenerate sanctified souls concerning this sin: we may very justly conclude they know not withal their skill to set their doctrines in tune with the Scriptures, nor make a spiritual, scriptural discovery of this sin: but pass we on to another sort of natural improved men, who if reason could have reached this, would have bidden fair for it, These are   

4. Schoolmen mistake in this knowledge.  
4. The Schoolmen whose notions, though sometime very sublime, and daring, as if they would presently discover the very height of all that is knowable, yet in this very point, as in many others, are very jejune, and empty; very uncertain, and in many things unsound, especially those among them who have proceeded upon that unsound foundation of pure naturals, and thence stated our fall and sinful state to be the reduction of us to our pure naturals, the letting lose of the reins to a high me●led courser, which was before kerbed and not the laming, and spoiling of a sound one, or as the stripping off a man's clothes, leaving him naked who before was clothed. This way Bellarmine, and the Papists (who have gone a step farther than the bounds prescribed by the Council of Trent) have generally gone. 
Chemn. loc. come. de Peccat. Orig. p. 202. b. edit Francof. 1653.  And sure on this it was that Recentes, ut Occam, & multi alii nomen retinent Peccati Originalis, rem extenuant: This extenuating of this sin, was in that they denied it to be an evil repugnant to the Law of God, Nec culpam esse, nec poenam as Lombard 2. dist. 30. c. 5. Scotus in 4. dist. 14. q. 1. art. 1, boldly averre's that which will infer necessarily (if what he affirms were a truth) that this original sin is but the guilt of Adam's first transgression; so Biel, Durandus, and others; farther when you shall find many of them as Hugo Victorinus, Thomas 2.4. dist. 28. art. 4. Biel. 2. dist. 28. and Bonaventure 2. dist. 28. etc. Assert nature preparing it s●fe for grace and professedly teaching that a man may ex naturae viribus love God above all, and do his commandments, Quoad substantiam actûs: is not this an evidence that they did not understand how corrupt our natures were? How weak and unable to Good? How full of enmity to God? I fear not to aver it, That man knoweth not the sinfulness of his nature, that dares say a man may by the strength of nature love, quoad substantiam actus, God above all; He understands not that his natural mind is enmity to the law of God, who sayeth he can love God above all by the power of nature, nor knoweth he that his carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, who dares say he can viribus naturae obey the Law of God. He hath not a right knowledge of Original sin, who dares affirm either of these: And Dr Whitaker in that piece de Peccato origin. l. 2. c. 4. 
Cajetan, Scotus, Richard Durandus Bellarmine cited by Dr Whitaker in that l. 2. c. 4.  against Thom. Stapleton who affirms Scholasticos tribuere humanae naturae vires integras ad diligendum deum super omnia & ad facienda praecepta Dei secundum substantiam actuum. And adding farther that some other of the Schoolmen taught praeparationem esse in homine ante gratiam, & homini facienti quod in se est non deesse Gratiam passeth this censure on both jointly Quod nunquam dicerent, si originalem naturae depravavationem intelligerent. But I leave these men and next come to an other sort of men, who though greatly improved, yet have not rightly understood this sin: They are such, Who   

5. Some plead an exemption of the Virgin Mary from Original Sin.  
5. Have pleaded an exemption for some from the common calamity of mankind to be borne into the world full of sin, and stained with Original corruption; though the greatest part by fare, nay though all except one be tainted with this sin, 
Bellarm. de amiss. gri. l. 4. c. 15.16. & 17.  yet one at least (and this is the Virgin Mary) must needs be exempted from this common lot, of whose conception and birth with this freedom from Original sin, a zealous Dominican will by no means hear, and a Franciscan is (to him) little less than an Heretic for affirming it; 
Ch●…ier loc. come. de Vivgi●… l. 4. c. 14.  in this difference of judgement, it is evident that the Franciscans (and they are not few, nor yet contemptible for their parts, or learning) grossly err in this Doctrine, and yet a whole council viz. that at Basile 1431 give their approbation to this error, Session the 36. And since that the juggling council of Trent hath thought it fit to leave it indetermined, as in their Appendix, to the fifth session of that Council. So that now either these must be accounted men not learned, nor of natural parts, or else that they did not understand this Doctrine, which is that we affirm of the best natural man, or else if learned, and such as knew but did not own it, but chose rather to dissemble it, their practice condemne's them, and every one who shall so dissemble, proveth that he hath not a right knowledge of that or other divine truth, if it be of such import and concernment as this is: he doth not know the truth of Christ, and the Doctrine of the Gospel aright, who is ashamed of either Christ or the Gospel.   

6. The best parts and Learning of Papists are ignorant in this particular.  
6. I might add and enlarge on this, that the best parts, and greatest learning of the Papal world, did bewray their ignorance of this important truth, when they did purposely contrive the decree concerning Original sin, so, that, it might be free for any man to think what he would concerning it, as Andradius, a man well acquainted with the Council, doth very ingeniously confess concerning the Fathers, and Divines of the Council of Trent, as Chemnitius doth report in his Examen Concilii Trident: ad sess: 5. de Pecc: Origin: Nor will I pursue the discovery of this council's mistake of the remainders of concupiscence after Baptism, which would be a full proof that they did not rightly apprehend and understand this lust the Apostle here speaketh of.   

7. Where the word is plainly preached amongst us many are ignorant of this truth.  
Neither is this to be (though we could wish it might be) confined within the bounds, either of the heathen world, or the Papal apostate Church, and that it were not true, (which, yet it is, and we lament the certainty of it,) that among us where the word of God is permitted to every one, so that every one may inquire into the truth, by direction from the word, among us, where the word and Law of God is so plainly preached, and so frequently, yet many thousands among us do evidently declare by their unaffectednesse with this sinful state that they have no right knowledge of it. Are not the greatest part of men stupid and senseless under a Sermon of Original sin? where are their affections? how few groan? where is he that cries out with Paul? O wreathed man that I am etc. And can you think these know aright the very great sinfulness of our nature? if a Soldier should tell you he had lost the day to a mortal enemy, and yet rejoice in it, or not be troubled for it, would you not conclude he knew not the worth of a victory, the danger of a captivity, the misery of a captive? you have as little reason to believe our hearers rightly understand this sin, while they say they do, and are yet merry and jocund in the loss of their liberty, and under the captivity of this sin.  
Then you may suppose a man rightly knows his disease, when apprehension of the danger makes him look after a remedy; and fears under the danger, and groans under the pain make him earnestly desirous to be cured, and recovered, but that man knows it not, who looketh not out for hea●ing, who is not affected with it. No more are our hearers acquainted with this dangerous disease of the soul, who if they will bear us down in it that they know it, yet confess to us at least by their security and deadness, if not in words, that they are not grieved or troubled at it. These are another sort, the best of our hearers, as to natural parts, and highest Improved by Education remaining Carnal and unregenerate are not affected, because not truly acquainted with this sin: and yet I suppose our hearers ordinarily of as good ripe parts as any, and as well helped with outward advantages.   

8. The experience of Saints is witness to this.  
Lastly, in a word or two, the experience of Saints, Real Christians, sincere, and well improved Christians, is witness to this. Their experience of the difficulty of first getting a due sense of this sin: How many convictions, how many serious meditations, How many prayers upon their knees, that God would discover it, and show them how vile they are, ere they have gotten any measure of abiding Knowledge, any degree of soul-affecting knowledge of this sin? How often are the promises pleaded to God, wherein he hath promised to give his Spirit, and to enlighten? and before this hath been done, no due and right knowledge of this sin hath been gotten: and when they have gotten it, how much have they to do to keep up due apprehensions of this sin? how prone are they to relapse into sleight thoughts of it? how soon and easily do they many times lose that tenderness of heart, that melting frame of spirit, that mourned over this sinful nature? All that a regenerate soul can do, is little enough to keep open, all that the best improved natural man can do, is not enough to lay open and disclose this indwelling sin, this mystery of Iniquity.  
These do then make Good the charge of the natural man's actual and invincible Ignorance and unacquaintedness with this indwelling lust: and I hope by these it appeareth to be a truth. But yet for farther satisfaction, I proposed to inquire what in particular they never did, or ever could discover of this sin: and now to that.    

3 General proposed.  

1 The improved natural man cannot discover the exceeding great sinfulness of the habitual frame of his naturel heart.  
1. The best Improved natural man cannot discover the exceeding great sinfulness of the habitual frame of his natural heart: the sinfulness of the heart disposed and bend towards unrighteousness and sin, the uncleanness of this Leprosy, the loathsomeness of this putrifying wound, this he cannot see, who seethe with the best natural eye. As for men without the law, no wonder if they understand not this spreading scab to be a leprosy, they have not the Law, and rule by which they might discern it: no wonder if they paint over the Sepulchre, and neither see the rottenness, nor smell the stench of that which is within: for they have neither eye to see, nor sense to discern it. I know none can be ignorant who have ability and can, who have opportunity and do, read, or have read, the Partial and unequal judgement they make of, the favourable & smoothing words they give, to hid this sin. The better and softer name of their Genius must be the name of this sin; Their making provision for the flesh to fulfil it in the lusts thereof was with them nothing but curare Genium. Their living in the height of sin, was with them nothing but Piare Genium vino & floribus. And a severer course of life was accounted a fraud put upon their Genius. Thus the whole sinful frame of the heart passed under the name of Genius: now if their Mythologists understand them, 
Occulta vis, quâ ad singulas res gerendas impel. limur. Nat. Com.  This Genius was A secret or occult power, by which we are moved to each thing we do. And if you inquire what this Power or virtue is, some of them will tell you it is the Symmetry of the Elements.  
So that in brief, the sinfulness of the frame or disposition of the heart of man with these persons, is no more than an unhappy temperature of the Elements, compounding the body, and swaying the mind according to their prevalency. Now who ever did, or justly could apprehend much sinfulness in this, that our bodies are compounded of the Elements, or that such or such a temperature doth most prevail? whoever thought it an exceeding great sin that he was of a Sanguine Complexion? or how much blame worthiness is there in a Phlegmatic Constitution? barely as such. I know the different tempers do differently promote and further sin, do much facilitate the workings of this sin: but this is an effect ex accidenti, no direct natural effect of this or that constitution, but it is an effect of that sin which dwells in us, and which observing that the temper of the body doth sway us more one way, than other, taketh hold of that advantage, and worketh powerfully by this constitution, to the hurrying of the sinner on to sin. In the mean time, while they thus put all upon their Genius, and resolved this into the Symmetry of the Elements, they must be thought to have had no right knowledge of the exceeding sinfulness of their heart propending, and inclining to sin: but I dwell too long with these persons, who might be men of choicest natural parts, but wanted the best Improvement; being without the Church, and so without the external advantages and helps, which might heighten their reason to a clear and full discovery of this: but did not Best improved natural men within the Church ordinarily, or at least might they not (by the improvement of Reason and parts, though they remained unregenerate, and natural men) have come to a sight of this sinful frame of heart in its great sinfulness? well, view we, and observe the Pharisees (and consider what may be judged, and aught to be answered to this) choicest men for learning and education before Christ his coming in the flesh; yet they took a view of this sinful frame with a false glass, which represented scarce the one half of this body of sin, and what was so represented was varnished over with colours of their own mixing, that it appeared, not what it was, but what they would have it be: as is evident from their corrupt exposition of the Law, which our Lord notes and condemns in the 5 th'. ch. of Matthew. They saw not the sinfulness of a malicious heart, or of a heart ready to boil with causleste anger: witness their gross corrupting that precept, thou shalt not kill, either saying it was a prohibition of murdering an Israelite, or that only murder which was done prepriâ manu. Hear what they say in their Talmud, (as I find it in Dr. Lightfoot's Epistle to the Reader of his Harmony of the New Testament.) A murderer is he that kills his neighbour with a stone, or with Iron, or thrusts him into water or fine, out of which it is impossible to get our again, he is guilty: but if he thrust him into fire, or water, out of which it is possible to get out again, though he die, yet is he quit. If he sets a dog or a serpent on him, he is quit etc. of like nature with this. And now can you suppose these generations of men to know the sinfulness of a murderous frame of heart, who so foully mistated the external act, and acquitted that as no murder, which is one of the highest degrees of it? will you say that the man knows, or believes any sinfulness in a bloody revengeful disposition? who can say That he who hireth another to kill his neighbour, or sends his servants, and they kill him etc. is Guilty as a blood-shedder, to be punished by the hand of heaven only, not by man? yet this was ordinarily a received doctrine among them, as appears by what is farther added by Dr. Lightfoot in the forecited place. Their Expositions of the rest of the Law are much of the same nature. Actual external uncleanness, and defiling their neighbour's wife they thought to be a sin, but never accounted the habitual bent, and propension of the heart to this, to be a sin, or forbidden in that Law. They were not troubled at the thoughts of any secret reluctancy to the holy commands of God: It was nothing with them to have natures full of 

1. unholiness, and opposition to God's holiness.  
2. Rebellion, and contradiction to the Law of God.  
3. Dislike, and backwardness to every good.  
4. Proneness to, & delight in every evil.  
5. Folly, and inability to do that Good they ought.  
6. Craft, and subtlety to consummate that evil, which the Law of God forbids,    
These and such like abominations, riveted in our natures, they took no notice of, therefore of the Pharisees and Scribes, those Improved natural men (though within the Church) we doubt not to say they knew not the sinfulness of the habitual frame of the heart. The same must be granted of men in succeeding latter ages, let the endless disputes maintained by the Orthodox against Corrupt teachers, be witness to this; and of latest years these, and such like Positions.  
That men are not disabled to Good, by the fall of Adam, which the six Disputants men of parts and learning asserted, and owned at the Hague. And others (much of the same stature for their parts, and learning) have owned the same position, as Secinus Praelect. Theol. c. 4. f. 13. 14. (cited by John Peltius) where among other passages, he quoteth this) Nec vis naturalis Liberi Arbitrii ab eo tempore imminuta fuit. And in his second Epistle to Dudithius, pag. 18,19. where I read this passage. As concerning the wickedness of men; this is all that may be said, that God willeth that man by his own free will should be no less able to be good then bad. 
de malitiâ hominum nibil aliud dicendum venit— vult deus, ut homo pro suo ipsius arbitrio non minùs improbus quàm probus esse possit. Cum possent dagitiosè vivere virtuti studere maluerunt. Soc. 2 Ep. ad Dudith.  And here he speaks of the fallen state of men, affirming it in their power to be Good, and as easily if they will themselves, as to be bad, and devolving all the goodness of those who are good in a bad world to this, That when they could have lived Flagitiously rather chose to follow virtue. And as the Master, so the Scholar Valent Smalcius, both in his Racovian Catech: c. 10. at once denies all the viciousness which we affirm to be in us, proudly averring, 
Peccatum originis nullum pror. sus est. resp. ad 2 Quaest.  there is not any such thing as Original sin, and that this hath not depraved our Free will. And in his Disputations against Frantzius. 2. disput. which is de peccato Originis: calling it Commentum humanum & peccatum confictum, so pag. 60. where by the way he seems to intimate what he thought to be in us (instead of that Original sin which we affirm) viz. Proclivitas (quaedam) ad peccatum. I add quaedam, for this Author supposeth it to be such, as yet possibly a man may not actually sin, though he be prone to sin. 
Potest fieri, ut is qui ad peccandum proclivis est, ramen non peccet.   
Whosoever hath such apprehensions of our inhaerent proclivity to sin, hath not a full acquaintance with, nor discovery of the sinfulness of the frame of the natural man's heart. Nor any who dare, as these men do, assert. 

1. That the will of man is not vitiated by the fall: or else who dare to contend  
2. That what is now a more vehement was before the fall a more moderate inclination to evil; as these, and others who are Roman Catholics. 
Becanus opusc. 6. de institiâ operum.   
3. That Concupiscence is not properly a sin, or not after Baptism, or a very little sin, as some in the Schools, and many among the Romanists.    
Now these and such like disputes and assertions do plainly bespeak these men unacquainted with the great sinfulness of a natural heart, and the universal opposition which is in the flesh to the spirit: 
Catholici docent concupiscentiam in actu primo non esse peccarum originis: sed natura ē quandam pronicatem, quae pet se enlpabilis non sit. Becanus opusc. 6. de justit. operum.  and yet they are men of great parts, and great learning, & within the Church, but discern not, because they are natural, this sin, which the spirit of God convinceth of, and which is not discerned, till the soul be enlightened with more than common illumination. But next   

2. The best Improved natural man cannot discover the sinfulness of the first, secret, unpublished, and unformed ●…tions of this corrupt nature.  
The best Improved natural man cannot discover the sinfulness of the first, secret, unpolished, and unformed motions of the corrupt nature. The sinfulness of those motions (which by the Schoolmen are called primo primi) was never discovered by all the light that nature, and education, have at any time afforded to the most quick sighted of Adam's offspring. They never did detect the sinfulness of the first ebullitions, and anomalous workings of that Lust, which dwells in us. Indeed, when this corrupt sountaine hath so stirred, that some of the grosser vapours have risen up with a stench offensive to the natural conscience they have discovered, and acknowledged an uncleanuesse in the fountain, and in these grosser eruptions of lust: If the irregular passions did obtain from the will an assent, or approbation, to somewhat that was dissonant to the more sober, and resined precepts of reason; and if these motions were so fare form, that either a convenient opportunity or an assurance of impunity, would immediately, and with ease, midwise them into the world by an actual patration of that, which Passion had suggested, the will had fomented, and Reason had disliked; then they would perhaps (as many have) acknowledge the irregularity of them, and be troubled at it though mostly the trouble was this  
That convenience of executing did less favour their desires, and you may write on the doors of this nursery 
— Lateat malim, dum tempera dentur  
latitiae mistos non habitura metus. 
Ovid Epist. Paridead Helen.    
But alas all this is fare from a right sight of these first motions in their sinfulness, fare from a sight of hatred against them, repentance for them, opposition to them, destruction and mortifying of them, and cleansing the heart from them, fare from such a sight as convinced them, that death was due for these first motions, that they defiled, and rendered best actions sinful, and such as need pardon, this they have not seen; I doubt this is too true of these men, & the knowledge of sin in the motions, and passions of the mind.  
That if at any time a word hath dropped from them, which seemed to condemn the extravagancy of their thoughts, it is to be referred 

Either to Thoughts perfected, and consented to, Or  
To a Rhetorical eloquence, which shown us, how well they could speak, not how well they did think.    
Neither were they the only men, thus persuaded of the innocency of these first motions of a depraved heart, but also that generation of men, the scribes, and Pharisees, were so persuaded whose traditions made the Law of God void, whose dictates, and expositions of the law, never did endanger or affright a secret lust with a probability of discovering it; the speculative Murderer, the lascivious wanton fancy, never did fall under the lash of their Sermons, on those command's, which forbidden murder, and Adultery.  
None of their doctrines were shuts to the eye, that it should not behold; nor checks to the fancy, that it should not hover about, or sit hatching this Cockatrice. It was one of the Rabbins who did bewray the prevalency of his secret speculative uncleanness In that speech, he delighted to contemplate handsome women that he might praise God; a fair excuse for his foul fault, and I cannot persuade my charity to mistake the man so much, as to think he spoke the whole truth: Besides this sort of men.  
The generality of the Schoolmen making to themselves an inadequate, & uncertain rule, or standard for the measuring of sin, have also inevitably entangled themselves in a great mistake, and gross ignorance of the sinfulness of the first motions of concupiscence: For laying aside the Law of God, or at least interpreting it according to their own apprehensions, and applying it only to what may voluntarily be done by us, have at last shifted aside the Law, and substituted voluntarium into its place, by which they will measure, and judge of sin, both determining what is sin, by what is voluntary; and how great sin is, by how much of voluntariness there is in it: Hence such conclusions as these concerning concupiscence. Motus appetitiss circa rem illicitam, non accedente consensis voluntatis, non est peccatum. 
Gregor: de valent. in prim. sec.  Ratio non tenetur reprimere primos motus. 
Thom. dis. 6. q. 2. pu. 2   
Saith Alexander Alensis Q. 125. memb. 7. whose short sight could not see how little there is in his distinction of direct and indirect prohibition, and that concupiscence (I suppose by what he saith memb: 6. & 7. that he takes in these first motions, as well as concupiscence whence they rise) is not directly, but indirectly forbidden.  
If the heart (both frame, and first motions of it) were not open to the eye of God, and if he were not searcher of reins, if he either could not judge the heart, or else would not: I than would begin to think there were some likelihood it might so be, but he that hath a purpose directly to judge, hath surely given a law directly to him, whom he will judge; and will not God thus judge the secrets of the heart? To these men  
We may add (and though we do them no credit yet we do them no injury in adding them) 
Lindanus. Panopl. l. 4. c. 34. Alphonside castro her. 4. Tapper in Expl. art 2. Gregor: de valent, etc. Becanus opusculo sexto de Justitiâ operum.  Bellarmine, with others among the Papists, who have not seen the vileness of the first motions of a natural heart; hence it is that these are accounted by them. The grief of a wounded nature, but not the guilt of a sinning nature; let Becanus be heard Catholici docent, motus concupiscentiae rationem praevenientes non esse peccata, nec prohiberi hoc praecepto, Non concupisces, sed solum consensum. He speaks it as the Doctrine of the Papists, and not as his own private opinion Docent Catholici etc. saith he and well he might when he seethe the Trent Council own this, both it's their fifth session de Pecc: origin: and in their sixth session de justific: & de bonis operibus. And the rest of this society are (no doubt) of the same mind, they have very charitable thoughts of the innocency of these first motions, but we cannot so judge, and yet will hope, we have the mind of the Lord.  
These are pregnant instances of the ignorance of great Scholars in this point of greatest concernment, but they are Foreign, I wish we had no domestic, examples: but indeed how many among us either plead with argument, or affirm by practice, that they judge the first Motions of concupiscence to be innocent? and who are they? what kind of men? I mistake much, if they ●re not usually, the men of great parts, and of considerable improvement by learning ●oo, who persuade themselves, and others also that nothing is a sin, or a great sin, but what is explicitly voluntary. They are mostly the wise men of the world (whom God passeth by while he chooseth the foolish, 1 Cor. 1.27.) who will lodge, retain, and delight in these thoughts of vanity notwithstanding convincing demonstrations of the sinfulness of such thoughts, In a word the 

1. Seldom and superficial confession of this in most,  
2. Little degree of contrition, and sorrow of heart,  
3. Difficulty of keeping the heart contrite for this  
4. Frequent, and renewed relapses into almost habitual insensibleness of this, which the    
Regenerate observe in themselves (though they have all external advantages to help them, with saving Grace and internal helps also) do undeniably confirm, that it is impossible for best improved natural parts to attain this sight of the sinfulness of first motions.   

3 Best improved natural parts cannot discover the guile of this sin.  
3. As their knowledge reacheth not to a sufficient discovery of these two, so neither can best improved natural parts discover the policy, and wisdom: the deceitfulness, and cursed guile, of this sin, the superlative craft of this lust runneth in veins that lie too deep for any natural eye to discover. It's policy and wisdom cannot be discovered by any that is not wise, and exercised in counter-working to its wisdom; as in laying, and carrying on a plot at chess or a stratagem in war, none can discover the handsome contrivance of it, but one who is well skilled in them, so it is here, none but he which is well skilled (by exercise of that wisdom which is from above,) and this skill is only gotten by a constant, and wise exercise of it against this sin, and its wisdom, (none but such a one) can discover this part of its nature.  
We observe that he, who shall be able to discern the policy in which a wise man acteth, and carrieth on his designs, must be either equal, or at least not very much inferior to him, in wisdom: a fool, or any one over matched in politics, can never find out the right key, nor read the characters in which he writes who very much outgoeth him.  
This is the case before us, the natural man is wise to do evil, very subtle, and politic to frame mischief, but he hath no underestanding to do good; he is of weak intellectuals, indeed a very fool as to any good to be done; he is ever contriving, promoting, and perfecting evil, and doth it craftily; but he cannot discern this craft, for he cannot either prudently design, or propose, or promote, or perfect that which is good.  
Sin rules, and reigns by ways of profoundest policy, over the hearts of natural men, and they perceive not the mystery of its government; In this sin you shall observe the wisdom of one who plodds and contrives the framing of a lie, or falsehood into a seeming truth, that a Judge may not find it out, who lays a lie closely & cunningly together as a false witness doth; whence it hath one name in the Hebr: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cogitavit machinatus est whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinary name of a forger of a lie, to the prejudice of truth, and justice; as the learned John Buxtorfe observeth in his Lexic. Rabbin. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It is a plotting evil as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered in Psal. 37.12, It is wise, as one who undermines, and circumvents by fraudulent ways, (it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps. 10.7.) as under pretence of friendship Lam. 1.19. as Israel was deceived by his lovers, or as a man is deceived by his neighbour; Prov. 26.19. Albeit the regenerate soul make these crafty Gibeonites Hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the spiritual temple, and its service, yet they still retain the Policy, and wily disposition of Gibeonites, as ready, and subtle to deceive after, as before they were subjugated to the Law of the Spirit of life.  
This sin is wise, as one who seduceth with the craft of an harlot, or the subtlety of a crafty disputer there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.7. there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 10.4. Mark 7.21.  
It deceiveth, with baits there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 1.14. and there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Eph. 4.22. which I doubt not is an Hebraisme much the same with that of Jer. 7.9. setting forth the superlative fraud of this sin, by reason of which the heart is unsearchable to any but the Lord: briefly whilst that little good which survives our fall is as a negligent, remiss, and careless, raw soldier, this indwelling lust is as an old experienced commander, resolute, and vigilant also in carrying on what he hath politicly contrived. Now look over the life of a man wise in his generation, & consider what he thinks of that the Apostle calls wisdom of the flesh, & whether he apprehends there can be any great sinfulness in it, whilst he judgeth it a desirable & high part of perfection; so that part of this wisdom of the flesh, which is subservient to his covetousness, and provides satisfaction for that lust, is accounted by him a very good qualification, an excellent ability to improve his estate: though Ephraim be a merchant, in whose hands are the balances of deceit, yet he sees no iniquity in it, nor will he believe it is any. 
Hos. 12.7.  That fleshly wisdom which is subservient to Revenge, and sinful, returning evil for evil, and doing this secundum artem too, may not (with the natural man's good leave) be judged by us, and he will never judge it, a sin, and culpable; but it, must be accounted, and called a good, and excellent fitness to live in an injurious world, a necessary requisite to secure, and protect ourselves: that devilish wisdom which subserveth to Ambition, (proud in its aims, and insatiable in its acquisitions,) is reckoned by such men an excellency, fitting them for noble employments, to manage the affairs of great States, and to raise their families: but it never was truly stated by any other than the holy Law of God, and a renewed heart: None other but such a rule, and such a hand applying it, ever discovered the sinful crookedness, and perverseness of this wisdom. Other instances I forbear, since you may make a judgement of the rest by these, and I will not insist on the particulars in which much of this wisdom is seen to a spiritual eye; as it is crafty 

1. To put false Glosses on that Good which it opposeth, to hinder it lest it should be done; and on evil, to promote, and facilitate it, that it may be done, though the Law forbidden it.  
2. If it cannot quite hinder, than it will oppose one good with another, to the overturning and marring of both: it will justle out one duty with another: or,  
3. Vigorously carry on the design of one lust by a saint offer to resist, and prevent it by a contrary: enraging lust by seeming to intent the chaining of it up, and cunningly awakening its strength, by an attempt to curb it: or.  
4. Improving lusts interest by a crafty receding at one time, or in one case, that it may with more certainty, & vigour obtain at another time, or in other cases: yielding to the loss of a penny, that it may get advantage of gaining a pound, Or  
5. Enlarging its kingdom over men by a seeming rational uniformity, and evenness in all its designs, and actings; thereby obtaining a more uncontrolled authority over them, and fortifying this against what attempts may be made to shake its government.    
These are the methods (though but few of those many) which continue, and improve the kingdom of sin but are not discerned, nor can be discerned, by the sinner how well soever improved in his natural parts; Again fourthly   

4. Natural parts can never discover the strength and power of this sin.  
Best natural improved parts never did or can discover the strength, and power, of this sin the unregenerate, (though as excellent for naturals as Paul was, & as well improved as he, yet) cannot make a discovery of the strength of this body of sin, of the power of it, swaying to sin, and carrying him captive, and detaining him captive to his sinful passions, and lusts. It must be granted indeed, that such a one may find out, and easily demonstrate a very high degree of strength; and power in all natural inclinations: So great a strength, that none can conquer, or change it but by destroying the subject of it, or changing it in its being. You may moulder a clod to dust, or grind a stone to smallest sands, you may scatter it into the air, and force it upward, but in the mean time you have not, nor can you turn the stream of its affection, nor alter the natural inclination, of the least of those sands, or dusts that they should not propend, & hasten to their rest, you may destroy the greatest quantity of fire you ever saw but you cannot alter the least spark of it, that it should not fly upward.  
So invincibly strong are natural affections; and such like strength natural light may now (for it formerly hath) discover, in the passions of men, in whom they are so strong that they cannot be dispossessed of their hold, though they may be reduced to some moderate exercise of their power: upon which discovery many very excellent discourses have been raised by some of these men, many Moral Treatises of the Rise, Nature, Manner of working, strength, etc. which are, in the various passions, of men, yet all these are fare short of a full enarration of the sinful strength which is in these Passions (to use their common language) in these lusts to use the Scripture words, nor is this spoken without book: for this is evident from  
1. Their Boasts of a conquest, and Victory over their lusts while they are servants to most, or all of them, the best of our Moral Philosophers being such who lived in a servitude to those Passions, which, they boasted were subjugated to their Reason; this is the case of our carnal professors, generally they boast of a conquest over those sins, which are not yet broken in their strength, but only abated a little in their violence; as in all our lose, and profane livers upon their civillizing, and growing less notorious in sin. But that man hath not knowledge of his enemy's power that triumphs upon repelling some few of his straggling, extravagant parties: Thy lust it may be broke out, and disturbed the more sober Moral part of the neighbourhood, and now thou hast repelled them, and taught them to keep closer in, but yet their strength remains entire: And canst thou upon this reasonably suppose thou hast tried the utmost power of them?  
2. It is evident our carnal improved men have not full, and sufficient knowledge of this mighty power of indwelling lust, from those sleight, contemptuous thoughts they have of the strength of this sin; they are bold, and confident that they can soon subdue it, that they may be in this expedition a Caesar and at once, view and conquer them; Did that commander ever truly know thestrength of his enemy who contemned, and slighted his match? who made nothing in his thoughts of such an enemy who will make nothing of him in the encounter? And can the natural improved man, who is every way inferior to, and overmatched by, his lusts, who is worsted (with ease) in the encounter, with a single lust, yet sleights the combined force of all his lusts, can he be thought to know the power, and strength of them? Yet  
3. The directions to helps, and means for subduing these passions which best improved natural men have given, the Auxiliaries they advise us to, the armour they prepare for us, in this war, being so exceedingly disproportioned, and unsuitable to the nature of the enemy, and his strength, do evidently declare their unacquaintedness with his strength.  
Can strong holds be battered down with an empty sound, or with Potguns? can you hope he knows his enemy's strength who is persuaded to venture his thousands against the enemies ten thousands? yet such is this mistake of the natural man concerning the strong holds of sin, which he attempts to reduce by weak, moral directions, which at best do but better discipline his natural lusts, no way destroy their power.  
4. The managing & ordering that power which they have gotten together against this enemy is farther witness to this, they employ their strength chiefly (I might say only) against the impetuous violence of their Passions, and against the extravagant eruptions of them (to the view of men,) leaving the main strength of lust unattaqued, they set not on the reforming of the heart first, and the destroying the methodical, and disciplined part of this sin. Together with  
5. Their presumptions that they have strength enough in themselves to conquer it at last, though it should be long ere they effect it. He loseth ground & strength every day, yet hopes to conquer at last, and he might so, if he had help from another to undertake for him, but that he hath not, neither seeke's it; Now the case standing so, Who sees not that the natural man how ever improved knows not the strength of indwelling sin?  
View farther and consider in the work of mortification, how sadly our teachers who are carnal (though excellently improved) have mistaken in their doctrines, our hearers in their apprehensions, and both hearers and teachers in their practice, and exercise of mortification. It is very hard to persuade them there is more strength in this sin then in a habit, or custom; they'll believe that an unhappyer imitation of what was worst hath twisted a cord which strongly fetters them; but they see not, nor consider, they were borne captives, and the chains are strong as natural affections, and inclinations. The most of our carnal Hearers, will venture, so desperately, upon giving their natural lust's advantage against themselves that we cannot but conclude: That their 

Running on many, dangerous, & strong temptations  
Provoking and awaking (even sleeping) lusts  
Casting away their arms, as faith, love, fear, the Word etc.  
Refusing that aid which is offered to them in the Gospel  
Praying seldom, faintly, cursorily against this sin  
Neglecting to watch over each other etc.    
Are I say, (and you cannot but say they are) evidences clearer than can be excepted against, that they see not the strength of this 

Powerful adversary, which wars against our soul, 1 Pet. 2.11.  
Triumphing conqueror, which leads us captive, Rom. 7.23.  
Ruling Lord, to whom we yield ourselves servants, Rom. 6.17.  
Law of our members which we obey, Rom. 7.23.  
King which rules in our mortal body, Rom. 6.12.    
In a word, He only knows what his enemy can do, and the utmost strength of him, who enters the lists, who declares an irreconcilable war against his enemy, who resolveth to be victorious in the utter ruin of his enemy: Now this the natural man never doth, he never so encountreth with sin.  
Others may hear of Carthag's strength it was Rome that best, and fullyest known it: or as a man who swims with the stream may guess at its strength, but he knows it who swims against it: so here the best natural man with all his improvements resist's, and opposeth this sin but very little, and therefore cannot know much of its strength for this is a fruit of an experienced soul that is exercised in warring against his fleshly lust, whilst Samson slept bound in the twists of his own hair he knew not that strength, which he found in them when he was awakened: secure natural men are thus ignorant of sin's strength.   

5. The best improved naturallman can never discover the first rise Original and spring of Lust.  
5. The best improved natural man with all the helps you can suppose (except the law, or divine revelation) never did, or ever will be able to discover the first Rise, original, and spring of that lust, which doth dwell in the natural man, and reigneth over him. I will not inquire how long the men before the flood (who lived without the Church, and were not among those that were accounted the sons of God, and who called on his name) might retain some broken traditions concerning the fall of Adam: nor will I now consider, how long the degenerating sons of Cham might retain some confused, traditional knowledge of this: sure it was not long, but in succeeding ages, it was quite forgotten, and the best improvements of the heathen, who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, could never recover it. 
Dr Kellet Misces. l. 1. c. 6. p. 104.  Search their Archives, analize their profoundest disquisitions, revolve their natural Theologists, observe whether they ever came near the discovery of this sin, in its first spring and fountain. The Question unde malum? puzzled all the Philosophers, and though some of them enquired only the original of the evil of suffering, and affliction, (which is more easily found out then the evil of sin, and whence it springs) yet were at a losse● Maximus Tyrius the Platonic Philosopher in his 25 serm: thus inquires, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; which he principally states (as appears by what he there saith) in reference to the evils we suffer, which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In discoursing of which he much mistaketh, though of an easier discovery than the original of moral evil. Affectus (and you must note these speak of affections which need to be rectified and moderated by virtue) sunt à naturâ, was the opinion of Plato, Aristotle, and their followers: and they generally concluded Perturbationes seu affictus à naturâ dari, & ad virtutem esse utiles. 
Lips. manuduct, ad stoic. Phil. l. 3. disser. 7.   
The best and soberest wits among them, after a long and successelesse enquiry, have prudently defisted from farther enquiry, resolving to content themselves, that the cause of all evil in man was to be sought only in man; though how to find out which was the first cause of the inordinate passions of the mind they knew not particularly, and distinctly, but a confused, and general notion they had, that it was from man himself. How little did the Manichees understand of this? whose irrational absurd conceptions of this tell us they infinitely mistook the truth. It was a foul mistake of the Pelagians too, which they formerly, and others of late have fancied touching the irruption of sin into the world. That which cruciated Augustin: so much Quoniam Deus fecit omnia haec, bonus bona, majus quidem, & summum bonum minora fecit bona; sed tamen & creans, & creata bona sunt omnia: unde malum? confess. l. 7. c. 5. § 2. which place he bestows on the disputes, which were ordinary in this matter, concluding nothing there; but else where he concludes, Non erat exitus, quaerebam aestuans, unde malum? quae illa tormenta parturientis cerdis mei? qui gemitus? Deus meus! l. 7. conf. c. 7. §. 1. This I say which so troubled him, was undiscovered to them without the Church, they could not, and it is much undiscerned by natural men within the Church, because they will not see the truth: so when Pelagians might have known the original of sin from Rom. 5.12. they chose rather to corrupt the text (as Chemnit. observes 
Chemnitius Loc. de peccat, orig: p. 213. b. et p. 214 a fol. edit. 1653. ) and so hath Pighius declined from the truth in this point, as who will may observe in his controversy de Peccat: origin: passim.  
And the Papists know not, or else they would profess it, sure: (for right knowledge of such a truth, in a council, and gathered for such an end as a council should be, would have engaged them to own the truth, and openly declare it.  
What ever they think of it, I know that God, and our Lord Jesus, (who will be ours, and their Judge) will account such knowledge to be no knowledge. In a word, the Endless disputes of men who inquire into this beyond what is necessary, and in the enquiry lose what knowledge they seemed to have had, and grow either skeptics, or heretics, are full proof that they cannot with best improved natural parts discover the spring and fountain of that sinfulness which is in our nature. But   

6. The best improved natural men could never discover the finfull frame of bear't in its deserts.  
6. Lastly (though I might add more) the best improved natural man never did, or ever could he discover the desert, of this sinful frame of his heart; it was a thing they never could persuade themselves to believe that such a punishment might be justly inflicted on them so soon as ever they were borne into the world: Indeed on their principles it was impossible they should discover this for they acknowledged not the sinfulness of nature, or else that this was not great, and therefore no obligation to punishment, or but to a small punishment. It is an unquaestioned part of Justice to proportion the penalty to the crime, and true state of it, ut in parvis leviora in magnis graviora supplicia irrogentur: 
Justitiae distributivae est suum cuique tribuere.  So that they who accounted this a small fault could not think it worthy of so sore a punishment as we know it deserveth: if you should hear a Philosopher reading a lecture of the innocency of man, of the blameless, (though weak) state of an infant, and it should be told him, that yet, there were who held this opinion that such might be justly condemned for ever, and cast into that place of misery where offenders suffer for their offences, he would dispute the case and deny the justice of the proceed. Thus do very many within the Church, view the Schoolmens determination, that infants shut out of Heaven lie under the Punishment of loss, not sense, that they only miss of the enjoyment of God, but fall not under a punishment of Pain, and Grief, a determination which savours much of a nescience and ignorance of the desert of indwelling lust: on the same general mistake do  
Both Socinians, Remonstrants, and Anabaptists deny that any are, or justly may be punished for that sin we call original sin, or ingenite lust which dwell's in us: hence they load the orthodox with many reproachful exclamations of curelty, and injustice, and brand the truth with unheard of harshness, with incredible severity and Adamantine mercilessness against poor innocents', such like charges we know are laid upon the teachers of the Doctrine, touching the demerit of our sinful nature: & it is no wonder for they judge by the mistaken nature of the cause, and erring in their apprehensions of the merit of the cause, do as widely err in their assigning the punishment due to it. But we who are taught by the Law, and enlightened by the spirit of God, so that we can see, and do know that we are all transgressors of that Covenant, which promised life to perfect obedience, threatened death to the first sin (which is ours, and brought death into the world) that we are children of wrath, Eph. 2.3. Under the curse having not continued in all things written in the Law to do them, Gal. 3.10. that in Adam we all died, 1 Cor. 15.22. that we are borne so, that 
* Joh. 3.3.  unless we be new born we cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven; we who are instructed by the spirit in such truths, as these which are confessedly above the reach of the best natural eye, do see that desert of hell, and eternal separation from the presence of God, which is due to this sinful nature of ours: though others do not discover it nor will believe it: we see that by reason of this Lust our life is full of sin and our persons (from the womb) obnoxious to the wrath of God.     

SERMON II.  Rom. 7. v. 7. latter part. 
For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not Covet.  

4 Generals propounded, viz. a Rational account of this truth.  
I Now come to the Fourth General proposed, viz: a rational account of this truth; However proud self-admiring men do think that Wisdom is with them; And such perfect wisdom too, that a matter of such import and weight, as this, cannot be hid from them; yet certainly if they will consider, and duly weigh, what reason suggesteth, in such like cases,) they will see, that as truth affirms they cannot, so reason shows us why they cannot discover this Sin. For,  
Look what reason suggesteth, a cause of difficulty, or impossibility hindering us in the enquiry, and search, after the full discovery very of what we do but imperfectly, and obscurely know in things of another nature: The same, (proportionably applied to this business in hand,) will evidently manifest the Difficulty of Getting any considerable measure, and the impossibility of attaining any full, and perfect knowledge of this sin, by the best improved Natural man in the world: And this I hope to make Good to you:  

Reas. 1. Because a Natural man makes use of a crooked Rule.  
1. Because in that enquiry which the natural man maketh into sin in the General, and in that enquiry he maketh into this in particular, he proceedeth to make the discovery by a Distorted, and Crooked Index, or Rule, indeed there is both a distorted and crooked faculty which judgeth, and a crooked rule by which it judgeth: The Reason or judgement of a natural man is perverted by sin; So the Scripture which is the truth of God, and speaketh only truth, assures us one while that natural men are a crooked and perverse generation, Phil. 3.15. of reprobate mind, Rom. 2.28. And froward in their paths, Prev. 2.15. that They have no understanding, Psal. 14.2. no rectified understanding to seek, apprehend and judge of the things of God, and to walk with him: but a perverted understanding (which turneth them aside) they all have as is intimated in the third verse.  
Otherwhile the Scripture saith they are of a froward heart, Prov. 11. v. 20. wise and crafty in their Counsels, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  but yet these Counsels are still froward, Job 5. v. 13. and they are (to a man) of a perverse heart, Prov. 12.8. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  whose conceptions and disputes are perverse also, they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.5. There is a crookedness and obliquity in the understanding of this natural man, which (not the Scriptures only, but) reason itself also confirmeth to us, and complaineth of; both which are with admirable, yet Enigmatical ingenuity expressed 
* Tabula Cebetis.  by a beautiful woman, sitting within, or by the Gate, at which we enter into this life, who deceiveth with a fair show, and her name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in her hand a Cup, in which the drink, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as my Author recites it) and of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, whence it is (saith the Author) that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But why do I put you to the trouble of guessing at the truth from Riddles, when 
* Max. Tyrius Serm. 34.  others speak plain, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It is no easy thing to find out truth, the soul of man is in danger to miss it by it's over readiness to judge or doubt of that it apprehends; like a warped or shaken beam in a balance, never gives an exact difference of weights, so reason 
* Peccatum perturbatio rationis atque ordinis Vid. Fr. Picum Mirand. de vanit. doct.  disturbed or distorted by sin. Humanum est errare, nescire labi, is a testimony we need not be ashamed of in a Pulpit, though we first learned it in a Grammar School. Indeed the many errors of the best Philosophers in many plain cases; the many Assertions of the 
* Peccatum perturbatio rationis atque ordinis Vid. Fr. Picum Mirand. de vanit. doct.  uncertainty of all things (whence it came to pass that some undoubted truths were censured for the Bold determinations of rash men.) These I say are proof, that the most indulgent Fathers, and strenuous Patrons of Nature's ability, did see and confess an uncertainty at least, or a perverseness and crookedness in the mind of man. Now if there be such an obliquity in the mind, it cannot be, that it should rightly and fully discover this sin, for a crooked and obliqne thing can never be fully discovered by that which is crooked, and this stands on this bottom, Rectum est Index sui & obliqui. The mind then of a natural man best improved, most refined, and rectified, remaining still in greatest part vitiated and corrupted with such a pravity can be at best but a partial, weak, and inadequate discerner of the viciousness and evil of this sin.  
Every sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unrighteousness, and every natural man's mind is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & unrighteousness, doth not unveil unrighteousness: every sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an irregularity, and every natural man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a perfect rule, and he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect to that part in him which is capable of, and subject to a Law; which is either solely the Rational part, or principally at least; the sensual and brutish being under a Law by concomitance or affinity to the rational. The rational directly, immediately, and per se: The sensitive indirectly, remotely, & per accidens. The best improved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot possibly be a sufficient judge of that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because both are irregular; you ever lost your labour, and miss finding the obliquity of that line which you measured by a crooked line, indeed if your measuring line be somewhat straighter than your measured line you may find out somewhat of its crookedness but not all, you may find a degree of obliquity more in the one then in the other  
But not justly how much more: as you cannot find out justly the capacity of an unknown vessel by measuring it with a less vessel, once to be filled, whence you'll soon see that the unknown contains more, but you remain uncertain how much more, so some  
Natural improved men walking by a straighter line than the lose and viler sort of them, bringing these men to be tried by their better & straighter life have found a crookedness and deflection from rectitude, but have not found how great this deflection is. A Scipio,  
A Cato or a Drusus Germanicus parallelling themselves with a lascivious Poet, with an incontinent Clodius can see there is much of this sin, indeed much more of the fruit of this sin (but they cannot see absolutely or certainly how much more) in these persons, then in themselves.  

C. Fabritii continentia M. Curiitenuites victûs Cicer. Parad, 1.  The examples of some eminent among them for gratitude & temperance may convince and shame others ungrateful and intemperate men, but such examples 〈…〉 disclose all the ingratitude & intemperance which lieth in such breasts;  
The Piety, and religious observance of the Deities in such as Lucius Albanus who preferred his Country Gods and their Priests to his own wife and Children. 
Val. Maxim l. 1. c. 1.   
Or in a Metellus who forbade the consul to go out of the City towards Africa before he had sacrificed and so began his journey with the good leave of the Gods, etc. The Piety of such men being made the standard to measure some others who contemned all religion did find out some what, (but not how much) of Atheism and irreligion was in these men.  
In a word the Scribes, and Pharisees (who sat in Moses chair and thought it easier so to do then to walk in Moses his Law) judging the life of a Publican or barlot by the strictness of a Pharisaical holiness, soon saw much wanting in these persons, and so judged them sinners with a witness; but they could neither declare how great sinners they were, nor could they detect their own inhaerent wickedness, because their judgement perverted already could not give a right sentence; as an uncertain balance into which you cast different weights may show there is a difference, the one lighter than the other but cannot show how much difference, how much one is lighter than the other: So here  
The best improved understanding while natural only is an uneven balance, into which cast you the natural heart and life at one end and the law at the other. It will discover a want of weight in the heart and life bui because it knows not exactly how much the law outweigheth them there cannot be a certain discovery what and how great want of weight there is in such a heart and life let this then stand, the first demonstration, Rectum est index sui et obliqui, whatever is not perfectly straight cannot be a perfect measure to find out the obliquity of that which is crooked, but now the best improved natural man is not straight, nay he is very crooked, (his unsanctified improvements make him more perverse, and crooked) and the natural heart is (by its sinfulness) distorted, which should be measured therefore I doubt not to conclude, this perverted understanding cannot discern fully the sinfulness of a perverted heart.   

2. Reason, because there is much spiritual wicednesse in this sin.  
2. The best improved natural man cannot attain a right and full discovery of the sinfulness of his nature, or carnal heart; because this sinfulness consists much of a spiritual wickedness and the natural man in his highest improvement remains carnal and sensual.  
There is indeed a spiritual deformity or wickedness in every sin, though not equally in every sin, some sins are more sensual, and brutish as riot, in use of meats, and drinks; uncleanness in the abuse of our bodies, and such like sins which are committed by us principally with the parts, and appetite which in us is common with the bruit beasts called by Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unreasonableness of those who are wholly immersed in matter.  
Other sins proceed from more sublimated affections, and those which are refined from the dross, and lees of matter and sense; as being immediately from the rational soul without the intervention of bodily organs as Atheism, Idolatry, etc.  
The first irregular passions of the minds which are not only spiritual wickedness because originally springing from the mind which is a spirit, but also because contrary to a holy spiritual law, for so the Apostle speaks of the Law, that it is spiritual and if sin be a transgression of this law there must needs be somewhat of spiritual wickedness in every particular sin, were it needful to confirm this it might be fully confirmed from.  
Sin's contrariety to a Lawgiver who is a spirit and commands spiritual obedience to every command, and also in every act of obedience, as also from  
Sin's affecting, or inhaering in a spiritual substance as in the prime, immediate and proper subject of it which is the rational soul.  
This then is certain that there is a high degree of spiritual wickedness in the frame of our carnal hearts, now a natural man highest improved in his parts can never be more or better then Natural or Carnal in his Apprehension, and judgement of things; his understanding proceeds in a carnal manner, is indeed, as now weakened by sin proportioned only to a low, sensual, and carnal object, or if it lift up itself towards what is spiritual it is not in a spiritual manner, view and consider well the Notions which Reason (left to itself) hath framed of a Deity its Being, Attributes, Providence, and Happiness, Religious worship of the Deity both as to things itself and manner of it, Future world and just judgement with the Consequences of it, etc. how have,  
These spiritual objects been debased in the apprehensions of these men, and presented to us in either absurd, or (at best) in a manner suited to our senses? a sufficient discovery of the carnal and sensual faculties of a sinful mind.  
Had we no other evidence to prove this, it were enough, and more then enough, which we have from their Poets concerning the just punishments of souls for sin, which being spiritual substances, and convicted and condemned for spiritual offences (as sins are) should be supposed punished with spiritual punishments by that judge who is a spirit, but will you hear what the Punishments are? How described?  
Primis in faucibus Orci  
Luctus & ultrices posuere cubilia curae.  
Pallentesque habitant morbi, tristisque senectus, etc. 
Virg. 6. Aen●…d.   
And another Poet who is beholding to the charity of some one or two that would report him a Christian converted from Heathenish ignorance (though there be more charity in their good wishes then there is of truth in their story,) This Poet as others became vain in his imagination of future judgement, and is right only in this General that the judge Exaequat damnum meritis in the particulars how vain and carnal!  
Muta ferarum  
Cogit vincla pati, truculentos ing●rit ursis.  
Praedonesque lupis; fallaces vulpibus addit, etc.  
The best improved natural man then, is very carnal in his judgement and apprehension; therefore not able to judge of, or find out, that spiritual wickedness which is in itself; and this I bottom on these two undoubted truths.  
Mensura & mensuratum sunt ejusd●m Gen●ris Extensions must be measured by Extension else you will never find them out. Likewise  
Sense must be tried by sense, and reason cannot be judged but by reason.  
Spirituall's whether in gener● Boni as faith, hope, love, repentance; all the graces of the spirit, or whether in Genere mali as unbelief, despair etc. which are contrary to grace can be discerned by none but a spiritual faculty for  
Inter objectum & organnm proportio sit oportet which is the other undoubted maxim on which this second demonstration is grounded: Now the evil to be discerned is a spiritual object, the best organ, a Natural improved man can possibly use to dis●erne it, is Carnal, and Sensual and as there is no proportion between this object, and this organ, so there will be as little proportion between the real true nature of the object and this Judgwent which is made of it.  
In one word as we know certainly that the natural man doth easily find out, strongly convince himself, (to an ingenuou acknowledgement and deep resentment) of that part in this sin which is proportioned to his apprehensions so we know he cannot find out the other (which is the greater) part of it being so much above his apprehensions.   

3 Demonstration. The best improved natural man can make no further discovery than the light of his received maxims reach.  
Thirdly, the best improved natural man without a divine revelation, can make a discovery no farther than the light of his received maxims diffuse themselves, as a man of quickest sight cannot see at any time beyond that space which is enlightened; and though many times he doth not see to the utmost bound of it, yet he never sees beyond it; though many times, he fall short and his sight is overrun by the longer race which the Sun beam runs, yet it never outruns the shortest ray of light; but keeps even with it, taking up where the Ray first withdraws its light.  
So the natural man walking in his search after this sinful frame of nature by a light that runs not fare enough to discover this whole mystery of iniquity, must needs give over his search, and fall so fare short of the discovery, as his light fal's short of penetrating the dark corners, and recesses' o● this sin: Now the greatest and clearest light with which these natural men entered this profound deep heart, was this, Omne peccatum est contra naturam 
* So some of the Schoolmen Peccare nihil aliud est quamrecedere ab eo, quod est secundunnaturam. Aq. 1.2. q. 109. art. 8. c. . And having lighted up this lamp, they made some shift to discover some little, and indeed it was comparatively but little to what lay hidden, they could tell us that Bonum was secundùm naturam, Senec. Epist. 118. and elsewhere others could tell us, Bonum est quod naturâ est absolutum, Cicer. de finib. citing Diegen. Babylon. And Laertius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hence indeed it follows, that since contrariorum contraria est ratio; Malum, must be, quid prater vel contra naturam. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Now let us take up this dark Lantern, and see how fare this could likely guide them in this enquiry● I say it could guide them but very little in judging of any, but less in judging of this sin; for this Maxim of theirs occasioned their mistakes, as is evident.  

The early springing of corruption occasion of the natural man's ignorance of this sin.  
1. The very early springing of this bitter root was an occasion of their error in judging of this sin, though they proceed by this undoubted maxim, for be it, Peccatum est ●ontra naturam; yet what is contra naturam is also later than nature, and of some after seed time, and springs up afterward. The Gardner sows good seed, the weeds spring up afterwards; the Statuary beautifieth the Statue, worms and blemishes are the unwelcome birth of injurious time, and rougher usage: Diseases are the rust of the body, and a rust is contracted by some after malign influence.  
In this manner then, the natural ma● best improved, seduced, and drew himself into an error touching this sin: He looks to the early budding of nature observes what the first fruits are: And finding them so early, concludes they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And so rather acquits them as innocent or commends them as laudable, then suspects them as culpable, o● condemneth them as guilty. He knoweth and there is much truth in it, that primum i● quovis genere est maximè conformè producenti● if Nature then lying open to his view, and observation first produceth such effects (as we by the Law know to be sin.) If the workings of this sinful frame be judged the first fruits of nature, as indeed they are apprehended, and judged by some men, no wonder if they conclude them as fare from being contra naturam, and blame worthy in their moral consideration, as they observe they are before others in their natural spring and birth.  
This indeed is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Natural best Improved man, that these motions are s●…undum naturam (which is true only of corrupted nature to which these motions are consonant) therefore not vicious in themselves, nor from a Vicious fountain.  
In one word this light Omne vitium est contra naturam could not discover what that nature is which thus is made the law condemning vice; but it needed another light to discover that, viz: the word, and spirit of God, by which we know what that nature is to which sin is a contrariety, and so we can discover by this rule more of its sinfulness, because we know more of the holiness of primitive created nature in a contrariety to which it is true that sin secondarily doth consist, (I say secondarily) for sin is primarily a contrariety to the holy nature of God, and so fare as this is copied out in us, and remains in our nature so fare it is true to say Qu●d c●ntra naturam, est pe●…atum, but the truth is  
A natural man can no more discover the deformity of this sinful frame by comparing it with his notion of nature, than a man can discover the great unlikeness of a picture from the first pattern of it, by comparing it with a draught of the same picture taken by the copy that is already greatly defaced.  
Can the natural man come to a sight of that excellent frame in which our nature was first modelled, he might probably discern how much we are unlike ourselves, how much contrariety there now is, to that holiness which once we had, and so how much sinfulness there now is in us, but He cannot do so, the glass in which he beholds this natural frame is full of spots, and dark pieces which hid, and dissemble the greatest part of those spots and blemishes which are in us. But beside this mistaken notion of Nature, and its first visible actings.   

2. Gradual increase of this sins strength is occasion of natural man's ignorance of this sin.  
2. There is another thing that occasions the natural man's error and renders it impossible he should discover this sin fully; That is, the Gradual increase, and constant growth in the soul which keeps even pace with his improvement in his natural, and acquired abilities.  
It is a sin that loseth not its strength by its long continuance; its vigour abates not in old age; and this occasions this conclusion that it is not contra but secundùm naturam and the natural man thinks his conclusion rational, I see saith he  
All preternaturalls are still in the wain and lose as much of their strength as they get of age.  
A winter flood is not (after a month or six weeks fair weather) like what it was before, But I see a fair river increaseth its stock by running and the same bears up a gallant ship, before it loseth itself in the ocean, which would hardly bear the smallest fishers boat a mile, or two from its spring head  
A Glaring Comet shines brighter then, Venus, or any of the brightest stars; but it grows dim and fades quickly; Because these are not from natural causes working orderly and per se but are the effects of a cause that acts per accidens to the production of them.  
And by this piece of Sophistry deceives himself arguing from the gradual increase of this sins strength to a denial or a diminution of its sinfulness, and he will not entertain at any hand a thought that it can be sinful which he apprehends to be natural.  
But it is so much the more sinful for this, as those are greater diseases which increase by their continuance on us, or those deadlyest poisons whose violence awakeneth & strengtheneth itself by its own working. This being a truth and unquestionably certain that this sin is still on the increasing hand and though the natural man sees it not as a sin, yet he doth see it and its growth as a Natural affection or Passion; and the best of natural men that ever lived or boasted himself of perfection never did, or could diminish the strength of this sin, or do any more in order to this, than a rider doth break, and diminish the strength of the horse which he intends to man for his service.  
I know that this stream did not run, nor now doth it run, with equal violence, and impetuousness in every channel: but I know withal, the calmer stream was ever the deepest, and strongest to bear a burden, and hath gradually increased: so it is here, some natural men's lusts have been violent, and run like an Eager to the overwhelming all that was like to impede them from satisfying their lusts: others have made less noise, but their lusts have run with more sober strength and borne up the vessel that was laden with a weightier fraught and carried them strongly to seek themselves, and their own glory.  
Briefly then the Natural man best improved takes this for his principle quae indies auges●unt sunt â naturâ next observes that these Passions do grow daily, & if not in violent rage: yet in even strength: and therefore passes them for the genuine offspring of nature, both lovely and commendable fare from that sinfulness which the law assureth us is in them. And how should such a one ever discover the sinfulness of that he so strongly imagines to be of no worse origine then nature.   

3. Universal extent occasion of the natural man●s ignorance and error.  
3. Beside there is a third consideration evinceth the impossibility of the Natural man's discovering the sinfulness of this sin, viz: It's universal extent over all men persuades him to an opinion that it is secundum naturam, if this were in some few, not in the most of men, or if in the most yet not in all men; perhaps improved reason might suspect, and discover it's unwarranted In being, and that this were preternatural and culpable: diseases (I see) are not the same in all men, but reason and risibility are, (I observe also that) learning is not equally dispensed to all, but it is not questionable what all (to a man) have is to be accounted natural, of such nature are those motions and their principles which the Scripture calls lusts of the flesh; but Philosophy and a Natural man would call Passions of the mind.  
If there were no other veil upon the eyes of the natural man, but this, it would be too thick for him to see through it the foulness of this sin. He knows too, beside this universality of subject that there is an universality of time also, according to which it is evident that it comes near to a likeness with natural causes and effects which are perpetually the same in all times, and ages.  
The Sun ever shined and warmed in the same manner it now doth, the nearer access to us ever wrought the same change in the season, etc.  
Now if in all ages the same passions have appeared in man's nature, how can it be (saith the natural man) they should be preternatural or sinful here he stumbles, falls, and is not able to rise and recover himself.   

4. Uniformity of its acting in all occasion of this ignorance and error.  
4. To these three a fourth thing being added makes yet the third demonstration more clear and discovereth farther the impossibility of a discovery of this sin by improved nature, now this is, the uniformity of the actings of this sinful frame of nature, which is such, that there is no variation at all in its actings, unless from some accidental circumstances: as to the main of its actings they are now, as they have been formerly, and they will be (while men are borne the sons of Adam) uniform to themselves in those men who are in other cases equal, and alike.  
Indeed the temper, strength, and health of body (in some greater, in others less,) may somewhat alter the visible part of this sin, or perhaps  
Birth, Education, and Company, may somewhat heighten the unlawful projects, and designs of the natural man, and be occasion to this sin to attempt greater things; & Satan may possibly adventure to tempt one to a greater wickedness than he will another, and so in these extrinsecall considerations, there many times is a great unlikeness, and difformity in men's sins: but in those very men which now were so unlike, you shall observe as great a likeness, if you'll give them the same opportunity, the same means etc. and make them equal in their advantages to execute, as they are in their natures to contrive.  
And if we could see the inside of men's plots we should see it may be the same contexture in the Ambition 

Of him that aims at a Crown, And  
Of him that aims at a petty Constable's place only the design is greater, and the materials different, but the mind of each equally bend upon them, and alike contriving how to get them.     

5. Unwearied and perpetual delight in this sin, and its actings occasion of this ignorance.  
5. To these take in that delight wherewith unweariedly the natural best improved man provideth for his lusts and satisfyeth them and you shall observe how greatly this occasioneth his error and mistake in this enquiry: Thus he argueth, were the natural man's heart so sinful as the Scripture bespeaks it to be, it seemeth not likely that so much delight could be taken in serving it, in all its projects, and designs: for what is praeternatur all, as all sin is, must be burdensome and irksome too, and could not be with pleasure and delight constantly followed, though sometime a more violent exercise for a quarter of an hour be a delight, and pleasure to us: yet a longer time would make us weary of it, because all violence is against nature: if the natural inclinations of the heart were sinful, and preternatural the man would be weary of the pursuit, but unweariedness argues naturalness of the motion to the movent: And delight bespeaks suitable faculty and object; so that In this manner the best improved Reason deceives itself, and by a misapplication of a truth, which he understandeth not, entangles himself in an impossibility of finding out what he enquireth after as is evident in the particulars mentioned.  
He that supposeth his own Notion of nature to be the genuine and adequate notion of it, but leaves out a main part of it, and then measureth and judgeth all to be good which suits with that Notion; and that only evil which is contrary to it must needs greatly mistake in his judgement both of good and evil. Thus the natural man frames a notion of his own, and represents nature, but considers not its corruption, and thereby calls evil good, and judgeth that small or none, which is an exceeding great sin.    

4. Reason. Because 〈◊〉 is unwilling to appear otherwise then as he may beast, and glory in himself.  
A natural unwillingness that he should, and a strong resolution that he will not appear in other colours, than those he can delight in, and which he judgeth beautiful: The natural man is unwilling to walk abroad in his own , which are filthy, and to be set forth in his own colours: He hateth the light, Joh. 3.20. because his nature, and his works are indeed, and will appear in the light to be evil. He is a crafty, and deceitful tradesman, who will not show his indifferent, and bad wares, but with the advantage of a dark shop: if there be a parcel better than other, he persuades you to take them to the light; he is willing to own them, they will prove enough to his intended advantage: so let what seems good, and such as he thinks may approve itself upon a trial, be done by a natural man, And the neighbourhood shall ring of it, he will walk abroad in that dress, in it he admires 
* Sinners dote on their sins Ezek. 23.5,7.  himself, and hopes others will do so too, for he would feign be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Therefore he'll stand it out with Preachers, and dispute the conviction, and maintain while he can, with Saul, 1 Sam. 15.20. I have obeyed the commandment of the Lord, my ways are equal, as the proud self justifying Jew said, Ezek. 18.25. Natural men trust they are righteous, and seek this righteousness in themselves, Luke 18.9. they establish their own righteousness, Rom. 10.3. they will either find or make room for boasting: the multitude of Pharisees in our Saviour's time, and all men before and since (of this stamp) servants to their ' lusts, and estranged from the life of God, all our proud merit mongers: all our self-charitable, lazy, professors who do not indeed so much as others, but they think as well, for they themselves are persuaded, that God loves them, accepts of them, and in this clothing they will appear to us (I say) the multitude of such persons, are very evident, and undeniable arguments of the Natural man's unwillingness he should, and resolution that he will not appear (if he can help it) in his right colours: and this indeed is both a fruit of sin, and a punishment of it: that though the sinner loves, and embraceth it, yet he would not see the thing he loves; He would not court that with eye which he adores with his heart, He will not part with his sin, for price better than all the world, he will not leave it for heaven; and yet he would not for all the world have a full sight of it, though the enjoyment of his sin be dearer to him then Heaven, the sight of it is unwelcome to him as hell. A clear testimony of the baseness both of sin, and of the sinner. Now certainly he will rather turn his eye from prying after sin, then by a farther search discover what he is unwilling to find. So that could you suppose him able to find out; yet his unwillingness would hinder him, that he never should put forth that ability to the utmost, nor make any discovery of sin, farther than his unwillingness would give him leave; for never did any sinner see more of his sin than he was willing to see of it, unless when God brought him to suffer in some kind or other for his sin, than he seethe more of it indeed: but let him be quiet, and secure from the hand of the Almighty, and he seethe no more than he is willing to see of it. Hell hereafter, and punishment now, will convince a sinner, and make him look on sin, and see somewhat more than he could desire to see in it: but in the case before us, in an ordinary enquiry after sin, in order to detect it, and in order to a right knowledge of it; His sight of sin is never greater than his willingness: Nor will be ever see more than he desires to see of it: if the spirit of renovation powerfully change the sinner, and make him a Saint, it will change this frame of heart, and make him earnestly desirous, and truly willing to see his sin, and to have a full, and clear sight of it: The sinner who is enamoured with, and espoused to his sin, will deal well with his Beloved in the search, as Michal did with David, when her father sent to apprehend him, 1 Sam. 19.16,17. when a messenger from God in his Word, or providence is sent to search for the beloved lust of a sinner, then 'tis either sick, (as one that needs not now be feared it is dying) or if this serve not, but the lust must be brought out, and so endangered: then 'tis conveyed away, and secured from the stroke of the word and rod, Natural men will deny the abode of their sin, as Rahab the Spies: And they have a deep and dark well to hid their lust in when it is enquired after, as the woman had to hid Jonath: and Ahimaaz, 2 Sam. 17.21. and Bread-corne to spread over it, a fair pretence, that, what (we suppose) is a sinful lust and working to sin, is but a necessary provision for the life, and welfare of the man.  
Nor doth the Scripture only tell us that men are thus self admirers, and unwilling to appear to themselves in any cloud which might darken this lustre: but also Reason, or Nature. Hence the proud boasts of our vain Philosophy, Neque est ullum bonum de quo non is qui id habeat honestè possit gloriari: 
Cicer. Pado●. 1.  and yet higher than this, they boast of a soul that trusts to his own good and abilities Animus suis b●nis viribúsque fidens, 
Seneca cited by Lipsius Stoic. Phil. l. 1. dis. 5.  and else where Benumb mansurum-nullum est nisiquod animus ex se sibi invenit Senec. 27. Epist.  
Best improved nature seeks after what good may be gotten hold on arising from its own soil, and manuring, for the quieting and satisfying of its mind, and willingly hears no other language then that the Stoics were wont to speak in, that the wise man (and he is that wise man for every natural man though vain would be accounted this wise man) is to be reputed 

1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without passion, the soft name which they give to a sinful and inordinate principle of the soul and so the man must be thought not diminutively bad, but perfectly good as Senec, 85. Epist: And Zeno. referente Cicerone 1. Academic.  
2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too so much elevated in his own opinion that he thinks himself infallible in judging.  
3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undesectible in acting, so steady in his aim, and drawing the bow that he never misseth the mark and yet this were little unless he were,  
4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the possession and enjoyment of himself, and so equal to a deity, as who so will may see if he will but observe the proud dictates of these vain men and their swelling Paradoxes, gathered together by Lipsius. 
Lipsius' Stoica Philos. l. 3. tot.    Now can it be supposed rationally probable or possible? that men so strangely possessed with an opinion of such high perfections, should ever be willing to own, or able to discover, such a redundancy and fullness of evil in their nature. But fifthly and lastly,   

5 Reason. The best improved natural man cannot reflect upon his soul according to the Law of God.  
5. Therefore the best improved Natural man cannot discover the sinfulness of his nature because this discovery must be made by a due reflection of the soul on itself according to the Law of God, now the natural man cannot reflect thus duly on his nature or on the frame of his heart, for sin under which the Natural man is (however highly improved) seizeth on that part of the soul which should reflect thus, and slupifies it, and so impedes it; Not from all kind of reflection, and reciprocal observation, on itself, but from such a reflection as might produce this knowledge of concupiscence in the Apostle's sense.  
It is true a Natural man may look back upon his outward actions, in particular, or general, and discover much of the irregularity of them, he may also reflect upon himself in a froward fit of violent passion, or when his heart hath been disordered by somewhat that opposed, chwarted, & rebelled against his reason, though his opposition were more calm and sedate: thus he may reflect, but he cannot turn his eye inward so as to see that close enmity, universal opposition, and innate dislike, which his heart bears to every spiritual good, in which consists much the truth, and reality of this knowledge.  
Sin is a disease that strongly affects both the head, and the heart at once, and so, (a● such diseases usually do) it depriveth the sinner of all sense of his Danger & Sickness It is not seldom compared in Scripture to these diseases: It is a spirit of slumber, Rom. 1.8. It is a Delirium, or aotage, Ezek. 23.5.7. whereby they are continually entangled in the thoughts, and desires of the sinn● they love: sinners are lovesick, and perpetually meditating on the pleasant part esinne, are not able (in this like lovesick persons, to note and observe the faults, an● blemishes of that they are enamoured with thus the understanding, and mind are disabled to judge aright. It is a Frenzy, o● madness in them, Eccles. 9.3. which causeth them to do not like men but fools, Ps. 94.8. and Jer. 10.8. like creatures that are acted by sense, and by principles which cannot reflect on themselves. They have no heart, Hos. 4.11. for sin, which is spiritual whoredom, takes away the heart, robs the sinner of his understanding, which is a reflexive power; They have no knowledge Ps. 53. to say is there not a lie in my right hand, Isa: 44. Nor doth the Scripture only say this, but you shall find this verified by humane testimonies touching the malign influence of sin: so the Poet, 
Sophoc.  
— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  speaking of the issue of sinful pride in Ajax, it bereft him of his wits. Likewise Tully tells us Peccatum est perturbatio rationis, 
Cic. Parad. 3.  and what he saith of pleasure is true of every sin, mentem è suâ sede & statu demovet. 
1 Parad.  And however you may doubt the truth of the story, yet the moral of it is very full and to purpose, that Bacchus struck Lyeurgus with blindness, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  because Lycurgus had contemned him, I say the moral is good. 
* Such a story tells Leon Hebraeus, of Homer & S●…chorus for contemning God Love or, Cupid.  Sin which is a contempt of God, blinds the sinner, and he having lost his eyes can neither see the stains of his garment, or the blemishes in his face. In a word you may as soon expect, and receive a sober account from a madman of his distractedness, as from the sinner a good account of his sinful state.  
Reason will tell us, that every sin is the turning of the mind from the light, either of Reason within us, or from the light of that supreme reason which is without us, which is the fountain of all that Reason which is in us; and be it from either, still we are turned from it, and so in the dark, and how should darkness discover darkness?  
It being then certain and an acknowledged truth according to Scripture and reason also, That sin hath a very malign, and strong influence on the mind, to the stupifying and blinding it, to the destroying the ability (it otherwise might have) to bring itself to a trial and examination of itself. It cannot be reasonably denied, that an unregenerate man who is altogether under the power of sin, is also under this inability, and unfitness to be a judge of himself in a matter, which will require such exactness and strictness as this will; for it lieth deep and (as hath been intimated) seemeth like that which is not culpable; seemeth to come near to that nature, which is not blameworthy, and it must be a good eye which distinguisheth Colours of near likeness; a good taste that discerneth meats that seem to be the same for favour. Well be it so, Reason improved to the highest, cannot discover this sinful sin without the Law of God: but may not that reason which (besides the improvement of Education, and learning) hath the Word, and Law of God, to heighten it, though not renewed by the spirit of Sanctification and regeneration, attain to some knowledge of this sin? Have not many learned men within the visible Church, come to great measures of knowledge of this sin? Do you think that all who have been able to dispute about it, to defend the truth, and to overthrow the contrary errors, have been Regenerate, and borne again, and seen with the eye of Saint Paul, the sinfulness of their natures? Do not we hear Sermons and discourses stating this point from men that are sensual, and carnal, who live to that Lust, which in the Pulpit, in their discourses they condemn?    

5 th' General propoposed. The difference between a learned regenerate▪ and a learned unregenerate man's knowledge etc.  
Therefore to prevent this objection, or at least to satisfy it by answering to it, I proposed a fifth thing, viz: What is the difference between a learned, unregenerate improved Scholar his knowledge of this sin; and the knowledge of a regenerate, spiritual sanctified soul: For this doubt must be answered, not by Denying these men to have any or but little knowledge of this sin; I think I should manifestly injure the truth, and be unjust to their memory, and unthankful to their labours, who have written for the truth in this particular, and I might easily be convinced of a falsehood, if I should deny them to be knowing men, and well studied in these Questions. An sit? Quid sit? Quale & unde sit, etc. which they are able to determine according to truth, and defend when they have determined it. And for aught I know in this they may go farther than some enlightened sanctified fowls, who have not the helps of so much learning, or such acute judgements and Insight into controversies. But yet for all this there is a vast difference between these two knowledges, the one may be termed, and will one day appear to be an Ignorant knowledge, (pardon the expression) a knowledge, and yet as good as no knowledge, when the other knowledge will appear the only right, and true knowledge: and at present we may observe a great deal of difference in these, as  

1. The knowledge of a Regenerate soul is a spiritual knowledge.  
1. The Knowledge of a regenerate soul is a spiritual knowledge, that of the highest improved unregenerate man is but Rational at best, and so they differ toto genere; there is not, nor can be a more wide difference between things and things, persons and persons, then that which is thus founded in what is spiritual and its opposite, and such is the difference in these two sorts of men, one doth see the spiritual wickedness of this sin, the contrariety that is in it to a spiritual Law, to spiritual obedience, to the spiritual manner of performing it. The other seethe the unreasonable wickedness of this sinful nature, the contrariety and incongruity of such a frame of heart to refined Reason; Reason tells the man that there is but one God, that he is only to be worshipped: hence he discovers how unsuitable to reason it is to have more, or worship more Gods: the spiritual regenerate soul sees the spiritual as well as the unreasonable wickedness of such Idolatry etc. the like may be said of all the commands of the law, which have both a conformity to reason (all God's precepts are highly rational) and to that which is higher than now reas●nis, and which the Scripture calleth spiritual. All the precepts are of a spiritual nature. Now the learned unregenerate man compareth this frame of the heart with that part of the Law which is thus proportioned to reason, and seethe how far this frame is dissonant to it, and concludes it so far out of order; it is reasonable he seethe, that the law which is just, and should rule the whole man, should also bind the whole man to be readily disposed, and duly framed to the observance of that Law, and if a part, or the whole frame be not so disposed, he concludes it Peccant and culpable. It is but a reasonable thing that the Law which is so just and good, should be uniformly observed, as well in the first forming of our thoughts, as in the ultimate, and last perfecting of them, and so● concludes some unreasonableness in the swerving of the first motions. In a word these Learned, Improved natural men in this whole matter see nothing, but what is the object of their reason, either to be approved, or disallowed, The regenerate foul seethe and considereth, that this law is very spiritual, and measureth the sinfulness of his heart, and the sinfulness of its first workings by this law as spiritual, and so concludes that there is a wickedness in it, which is of a higher nature than a bare contrariety to Reason. As an Artist seethe the excellency or the rarity of a discourse which he heareth, or of an experiment which he fee, and accordingly judgeth the one consonant to, the other dissonant from the natural, regular, and certain consequences of the Principles and Hypotheses of his art; which discourse a man who is no artist heareth, and understandeth the Grammatical construction of the whole, seethe the materials of the experiment, and the effect wrought, yet falls exceedingly short of that knowledge which the artist hath, and he gets but a Grammatical knowledge, or such as his sense (with which he perceived the experiment) can help him to, while the Artist hath gotten a clear, certain, artificial knowledge: 'tis not much unlike in this case, and as the objects of their knowledge thus differ, so likewise the faculties, disposition, or qualification differeth, the one knowing by common illumination, the other by a special and more than common illumination of the spirit: but I will not insist on this, it being for aught I know a matter which we cannot so evidently and clearly state, as to make of this any plain discriminating note, by which we may cause others to see and understand what the difference is. I know that there is such a difference, and that it is great; I know that one seethe with an eye enlightened by especial light from the spirit, the other doth not, but I know it is not easy to describe these; and what might be gathered from the effects of each, by which alone they can be discerned, will fall in my way, before I have done with these particulars, therefore I say no more of this now. The first difference is in the General laid down by the Apostle in that of 1 Cor. 2.12. for the pardon of, and deliverance from this sin, is one of those things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and understood by him only who hath the spirit of God, and being spiritual compareth spirituals with spirituals. Who hath the spirit of the world doth not so understand them, because he cannot spiritually discern them. v. 14. And it is plainly enough intimated to us by the Apostle in this very chapter, Rom. 7.14. I know (saith he) that the Law is spiritual, though whilst I was carnal and judged carnally of the Law I thought of myself as righteous, as blameless, Phil. 3.6. because I had not failed of the strictest outward observance of the command, Phil. 3.5. yet now I see the law is spiritual and so there is a spiritual obedience due which I carnal could not give and in defect of this obedience there is a spiritual wickedness which while I was a Pharisee (though learned and as much improved as any) I did not see; Thus St Paul and the experience of every Saint will confirm to us, how great a difference there is, between the sight and knowledge he now hath, and that he once had of sin as it is contrary to the Spiritual Law of God.   

2. An unregeveraie man's knowledgeiss a logical conclusion from soeculative principles: The regenerates is from practical premises.  
2. A second difference between the knowledge which an improved reason with the help of the letter of the Law may have of this sin, and the knowledge which a regenerate sanctified soul hath of this sin, is this, The knowledge of the one is the result, or conclusion which ariseth from speculative principles and truths compared with their natural, and necessary consequences or deductions: The knowledge of the other, is a conclusion from the same truths compared with their consequences, and with his own heart and conscience; The regenerate soul knows this sin by a Practical and experimental observance of himself compared with those truths in the word which do contain this doctrine; The unregenerate man knows it by a bare Logical and Rational deduction of a conclusion from such premises which he apprehendeth to be truths in his judgement, though he never found them confirmed by any observed correspondence to his conscience, or Practical judgement. The whole Syllogism of the one is made up of premises which do only float in the head and do not affect the heart: The other maketh up the Syllogism with one proposition at least from his own heart, from that which he hath noted in himself, and which he can experimentally aver, this may be seen in these different Sillogismes. The unregenerate man thus proceeds to evince first motions, or frame of heart propending to Atheism, or unbelief &c: To be a sin, because it is of the same species or kind, and differeth only gradually from Atheism, or unbelief in it's perfected fruit, and product: and therefore concludes it a rational inference that Motions first irritated are breaches of the same 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Sanae mentis ruio dictat, ●u habere in me convenit ca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Volkel. l. 4. c. 20.  precept of which the motion perfected is, and so a sin. The regenerate soul goeth more practically to work: what hinders or abates my love to, or faith on God, and disposeth me to either staggering in my saith or flagging in my affections is sinful, but now I find saith the regenerate soul) that such motions such a frame of heart do thus shake my dependence on God, they abate and quench my affections to him, and therefore I know they are sin. As the knowledge of a redeemed captive who 〈◊〉 the weight of his chains, the misery of his state, the drudgery he was put to, the continual danger he was in; differeth much from the knowledge which another man who never was in slavery, and captivity hath, (or may have) upon report or reading the story. It is one thing to sit and hear (as Di●lo the Carthaginian Queen) the story of fallen and wasted Troy, another thing to see and behold it with Aeneas, querum pars ma●na fu●t, yet both she knows it as well as he, but how different is their knowledge! The children and grandchilds of Captive Jews in Babylon knew, but yet not equally and alike with their Fathers or Grandfathers the misery of a straight and tedious siege, of a sore and long famine; My Physician knows my disease which yet he never felt, but I know it in an other manner, he can talk more of it in general, but I can tell more feelingly what I suffered and what is the pain: So is it in this case. The learned scholar destitute of Grace, and the spirit of God, can discourse of a blind understanding, of an erroneous judgement, of an inadequate apprehension: So likewise a regenerate soul can speak of these, and when he doth mention them his own heart bears him witness, and informeth him what these sinful imperfections are, he is acquainted with the dimness of his best sight, the mistakes, or proneness to mistake, in his clearest, distinctest, and certainest apprehension and (though these apprehensions are not false, yet) he knows how inadequate, how fare they are from commensurate apprehensions of those things he should be better acquainted with, and all this from a heart affected really, and exercised constantly with the working of this erroneous, blind, rash and heady mind. The selfe-observing experienced soul seethe this when he hears a Sermon of Heaven and the things of it: when they are laid as open to the view as those things can which were never seen by that eye which could return to tell us what they are, when they are thus set before us: How little is it we see of them? how prone are we to judge carnally of them? to measure them by two short a rule? In a word such a one thinks certainly either his knowledge of these is the least of any one's or else that few know less than he doth and is mostly troubled he cannot know more, it is not so with one who discourseth of these things as of things at distance not within him. In a word the unregenerate man's knowledge is a Logical discovery of what he can prove by an Artificial improvement of argumentative discourse, not what he is acquainted with by experience: The Regenerate (if a scholar) can do that, plead for and confirm the truth by a syllogistical arguing and so convince a gain sayer; beside this, He can also by his experience of the indwelling of this sin, by his experience of its wisdom and power in working (to the impeding him from good and the provoking him to evil) affect himself with it. Again   

Differ. 3. A regenerate man seethe this sin intermixed in his duties: An unregenerate man doth not.  
3. You shall observe there is this difference farther between the knowledge o● these two forts of persons in this thing, That the sanctified regenerate soul knows this sin in such manner that he seethe, b●…rveth, and consider's its perpet●a●… and uncessant intermixture in all his duties. The ●nr general natural man knows this sin but in s●ch Nationall, general way, that he never observ●… or seethe how it intermixeth itself with his duties: he noteth not how it overspreads all h● actions, and if the more studied knowledge he hath of this sin do inform, that it do● not lie sleeping while he is doing duty, b●… acteth to the impedeing and perverting 〈◊〉 duty yet he is not able to see really, and particularly how it hath stirred, and acted i● this and that duty, s●ill he keeps in the general persuasion comes not to the particular application. The unregenerate man prayeth, heareth, giveth aims, dealeth justly payeth even to the tithe of Mint, Anise 〈◊〉 Cummin, and though he is confessedly a ●…ner in his own speculative apprehension, a●… judgement, yet when he cometh in particular to the Temple to pray or hear, He thanks G● he is not as other men, and his duties are no● as theirs, whereas the regenerate soul see● and observeth how each particular part of his services are certainly unworthy acceptance according to the holiness of the law, and he fears they are not as other men's, not so spiritual, not so pure as theirs; he tasteth the bitterness which renders his sacrifices unsavoury to himself, and how much more to God; he smelleth the leven which soureth the whole mass, he seethe 

1. The distracting, wandering, worldly thoughts that crowd in upon him, and press on him for admission, and will disturb him, (if they cannot get entertainment) while he prays and hears,  
2. The coldness, deadness, and formality of the heart in prayer, in reading, in hearing, in all he doth.  
3. The misplaced order giving earthly, dying, empty things the precedence to heavenly, eternal, satisfying objects, and either seeing first in time, what might well, be either not sought, or last sought; or first in affectionate desire of them in highest prising of them, and in ardentest love to them, though all these be mixed with the prayer, or indeed though the Prayer of a natural man be nothing else but an abominable heap of such ●isordered and sinful suits, yet he doth not see or observe it.   Shall we view him in hearing? and observe how he differeth from a holy sanctified knowing person in this also? though the unregenerate man knows much, as hath been said, of this sin yet he seethe not how it either makes him deaf, and stoppeth his ear, or dull and slow to hear or erroneous and mistaken in hearing he seethe not how it fills him with prejudices against the word, with dislike of it, and opposition to it, nor will he be made sensible of it, but the regenerate though perhaps he hath less of that speculative direct, he hath more of an observing, reflex and particular knowledge, and he observeth all these in his duties: he observeth how this sin dasheth his 

Most Perfect knowledge of God with ignorance.  
Most Steadfast faith in the promises with unbelief.  
Most Sincere love to the Lord with self love  
Most Pervent zeal for the Lord with in difference.  
Most Strong desires after Christ with carelessness.  
Most Sweet enjoyments of the hope set before him with some bitterness o● other.   In one word he seethe that it is by this sinning sin that neither habitual grace in the school, nor actual grace in the life can be perfect, but, as Paul, 
Rom. 7.21.23.  so he seethe another law in his members which leadeth him captive, and that when he would do good evil is present with him that what good he would he cannot do, and in that good which he doth, he doth also that evil which he neither would, nor should do: but this the most knowing scribes, meriting justiciaries and formal professors do not observe.   

4. Differ. The regenerates knowledge is a soul abaseing knowledge so is not that of the unregenerate.  
4. The regenerate soul's knowledge, and the knowledge an unregenerate man may have of this sin differ in this, that the knowledge of the one is a soul abaseing, humbling knowledge he cannot look on this sin, but it layeth him low in his own eyes, the other looks on this sin and yet keeps up as high thoughts of himself as ever, he is proud and beasteth both of his duties and of his person: He is not as other men, neither yet are his works as other men's works are, the one as an ingenuous and relenting child looketh on this sin, the root of all that rebellion he hath acted against his Father, and blusheth at the sight; what such a heart in me still! is there yet remaining any thing of that treasenable disposition? Doth my heart still entertain any part of that enemy which would pull the crown from my father's head? Oh wretch! undutiful and disloyal soul! canst thou think of this and not loathe thyself? canst thou see this and see any thing to boast of? Hast tho● but one thing in which God delighteth, which he chiefly desireth, and is that so defiled so polluted with sin? that his glorious and holy eyes cannot delight in it? wherewith wilt thou the● come before God? what canst thou offer to him? Think on it thou who castest thine eyes on these lines, and seriously consider it. The regenerate soul (and so thine if thou art borne again) which longs to have the match consummate between Christ and i● self, which longs to be married to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant is, and cannot but be, ashamed to see that her dearly beloved spouse, her Highly honoured her only desired Lord should find her ever, at all time in such defiled garments, with such rags, polluted rags hanging upon her; it is a● humbling consideration, that its best dressy is a menstruous cloth, that its cleanest hand is leprous; this affecteth the heart with grief and sorrow, whereas the knowledge which the Pharisees had of this sin, and the knowledge which the unregenerate man now hath of it, doth not either affect the heart with sorrow, or abase it with holy shame, for it. If that hellish fire which burneth inwardly, do violently break out and send up such thick and black clouds as do darken the lustre of their Credit, and benight their fame, and glory among men; if it do beesmoot and discolour a natural conscience; that the man cannot confidently converse with men, lest they upbraid him; nor peaceably converse with himself, because conscience dares not look on itself, than he is grieved and troubled, he is a fool then in his own judgement because he hath so lost his credit, or his peace: and so he is ashamed of the sad effect, not grieved for the sinful cause; sorry for his loss, not ashamed of this sinning sin, which I might set forth by this familiar Similitude: As an adulterous wife which hath not cast off all sense of honour among her neighbours, nor all desire of peace with her husband, hath some kind of trouble and shame too, upon her spirit in the discovery of her lose, and wanton practices; but her trouble and shame is for her dishonour in the eyes of those she would have think well of her, and for her loss of peace with him she would seem to love; but not for a treacherous heart whence all that wantonness and unfaithfulness did arise: so it is in this case there is a sense of honour, and desire of peace in the natural heart, and the breach of either affecteth it, but not the cause of this breach. In one word the regenerate man is constant in his grief for, and in his abasementon thought of this: That a mixture of water with his best wine, that an alloy of dross with his purest gold, that a misty darkness with his clearest light, should debase them upon an examination and trial; the unregenerate man upon trial casteth all off with such like recrimination, there are none without their faults, no grape but hath or had his sharpness, no wheat ever grew without its chaff, men are but men and can be no more than men, and this is all he cares for in dwelling sin, he hides himself in the crowd of men like himself and is not ashamed to be as they, if he appear not worse he dareth to boast in himself.   

5. Differ. A regenerate man opposeth sin vigorously so doth not an unregenerate man.  
5. Again in the next place the difference lieth in this, That the knowledge of a regenerate soul awakeneth, and excites the soul to a vigorous opposition of it; the unregenerate learned man knows, but this knowledge doth not engage him to oppose it vigerously with all his power; The sanctified soul's knowledge, and opposition of this sin, do equally thrive and grow; it is not so with the unregenerate his knowledge is greater than his opposition of it; if he be acquainted with the power, or wisdom of this sin, and if he do apprehend it an enemy to be opposed, yet he thinketh it enough to repress, and abate it, he intends not an exterminating and destroying of it. Whereas the regenerate soul presently proclaims an open war, and maketh it a mortal war a bellum internecinum which shall end upon no other terms then the utter ruin of one party: sin, this sinning sin shall have no capitulation no terms of peace whereas a truce is soon granted by the natural man how learned or how well improved soever, and if a divided kingdom will satisfy this sinning sin, there is presently a reconciliation and peace between them, if this sin will content itself with those limits and bounds which either a natural conscience (of what is honest and to be done or of what is evil and to be avoided) prescribeth: or with those bounds, which a more civil education and happier improvement of reason hath prescribed, if this sin will neither break out & waste the peaceable possessions which natural conscience would willingly maintain: nor make an inroade and spoil the beauty, and glory of his credit: nor demolish the stately structure of his external, visible, seeming Piety: he is content that the Kingdom be sin's. The unregenerate improved man is ever on the defensive war, and careth only to keep this sin within the limits, and bounds which he willingly allotteth it, Now it is no● so with the regenerate soul, he is ever engaged in an offensive war against this sin: and though he cannot cast it out of his soul, yet he will be sure to cast it out, and keep it out of the throne: though he knows, it will have a footing in him, yet it shall not keep this footing, but with danger of loseing it by the continual attempts which grace maketh upon it; it will dwell here with us while we dwell in houses of clay, but it dwelleth in the unregenerate as the master in a family, with respect, and rule: but it dwells in the regenerate as an unwelcome guest, who shall receive no favour, nor bear any sway in him: when this sin prevaileth or is likely to foil him, he cryeth out as Paul, who shall deliver me? Not as a carnal man what terms of peace? how should I satisfy this or that Lust? A man who knoweth this sin as Paul knew it, taketh thought how he may destroy it: a man that knows it as an unregenerate man, doth ●ast about with himself how he may patch it up. The one laboureth to cast out that rottenness, and loathsomeness which lieth hid in the Sepulchre: the other contriveth and studyeth rather how to bedeck the sepulchre and paint the outside that it appear not, not offend the eye of more refined morality.  
In a word all the opposition the unregenerate make, is against the violent excursions of this sin, not against the Being of it. And their aim is to manage these passions of this indwelling sin, as a Horseman would manage an unruly colt, which he curbeth and aweth with bit and voice, that he may readily, safely, and with delight use him. The regenerate man's opposition is like that of a man against a devouring Lion which he knoweth cannot be brought to good service, and is harmless but only when he is dead, therefore he knows the sinfulness, and determines the death of this sin at once.   

6th. Difference. A Regenerate man hateth the sinful frame of heart, so doth not an unregenerate man.  
Another difference between the Knowledge of these men is this, The one knoweth and hateth this sinful frame of heart, the other knows, but neither doth exert any true perfect hatred of it, nor doth he see, or believe there is any such cause to hate it. The unregegenerate man thinketh, that it's connate, close, and inseparable manner of Being in him, may be good excuse for his not hating it. Hatred where ever it's terminated to that which it cannot utterly destroy, is no better than a self disturbing vanity and weakness, is the thought of a natural man: and in many cases it proveth true, that he doth disquiet and torment himself, who hateth what he can by no means rid himself of. And on these principles he judgeth it unreasonable to profess or entertain hatred against this sin: he is persuaded it will adhere to him, so long as he liveth, and therefore will contentedly permit it to live. The regenerate man doth perfectly hate it, and makes that very reason one incitement to more perfect hatred of it, which the unregenerate would have accounted a good reason to repress, or abate his hatred. Indeed here is seen the most absolute and irreconcilable hatred, which a created Being can exert on just grounds, because it doth so soon defile our persons, and so soon render us unfit, and unworthy of communion with God, who is our life; so soon rob us of our only treasure, make us beggars so soon as men, therefore we in reason ought to hate it, and the sanctified soul doth abhor it. Because it so closely adheres to us, that whither so ever we go, it is our troublesome attendant, which we cannot shift ourselves of, its company is most unwelcome to us, yet most unavoidable: and this moves our Indignation against it, because it is so inseparable from all we undertake and engage in for performance of our Duty, and service due to our God; because what we most hearty wish we could, that we most certainly find we shall not be rid of; because in our best performances, when we are best prepared for them, and hope to be employed without much disturbance from this enemy to all good, because than we find it cannot be cast off, it will not be so dispossessed of its hold, or suppressed in its actings, we do the more irreconcilably hate it: for, these and such like considerations heighten the regenerate man's hatred of this sin, whereas the Natural improved man rather hence resolves not to trouble himself for that he could not prevent, nor spend his thoughts on that he cannot remove. He accounts it scarce prudence to be troubled at that he cannot be handsomely eased of; what cannot be cured must be endured. Just like a man that will rather express a seeming welcome to a troublesome guest, then let him know he is a debtor for that only which could not be with holden from him But now the frame and disposition of a regenerate soul and his behaviour is quite contrary, he hates the more for this inseparable close adhesion of this sin. This may be evidently seen in St Paul, Rom. 7.15. who hated that which he did, and surely if he hated what he had done, he could not do less than hate that which had already, and continually would, put him upon doing the same. When a man reflects on what is done, and justly hateth it, he cannot but hate that person, those abettors and counsels, which did designedly engage him to it, and will farther prompt, and solicit him to do the like. If undutiful Absalon had lived to see the hatefulness of his unnatural rebellion, and been in any measure recovered to a childlike dutifulness and obedience, he would doubtless have hated both his former rebellion, his counsellor Achitophel, and the abettors of it. So when a man is renewed, & through Grace acquainted with, and sensible of, his forepast rebellions against the Lord, when he is reduced to the right disposition of a Son and Dutiful child, he doth entirely hate his former courses, and especially that which entangled him, and engaged him in them. The soul renewed to holiness, and received into the favour of a son, gins to consider the hatefulness of that corrupt nature which engaged him against the Lord, and will not be reconciled to it. But an unregenerate man will not hate nor dislike it.   

7 th'. Difference. A regenerate man loves the law, which discovers, forbids, and condemns lust, so doth not the unregenerate.  
7 Another considerable difference between the knowledge of this sin in a regenerate soul, and the unregenerate how highly so ever you can suppose him improved, lieth in this, That the sanctified, Regenerate soul hath a strong, entire, and constant love to the command, by which this sin is discovered and forbidden, attending on, & flowing from the knowledge of this sin: whereas the unregenerate man in his best improvements cannot well relish that Law which forbids the sin, and discovers the sinfulness of it. The one loves that Law from which this sin takes occasion to be more sinful, and to ork more violently, and his love to the Law grows, as doth his knowledge of the abominable contrariety in this sin to the Law, whereas the other loveth his lust, and dislikes the law which condemns it, and could hearty wish there were no Law to restrain the power of his sin, or to condemn the sinfulness of it. The one rejoiceth that Sin cannot rule without control, the other wisheth that there might be an uninterrupted exercise of its power in him. The unregenerate, though best improved with natural and moral helps, do boldly (though secretly) wish there were no Law to forbid the sin, or no justice to punish the sinner; if any of the Learned worldlings would speak out their observations of themselves, which either they do, or might gather from the workings of this sin, we should have them confessing this a truth.  
The learned Atheist, reading the first Commandment, seethe that as he should have but only the true God for his God, and that he should only love, delight, and serve him, not his own lusts, will sooner be induced to wish there were not, or to flatter himself, that there is not a God, and that he is not so obliged to duty towards him. The same might be observed in the rest of the Commands, still the unregenerate man's love is towards his natural sinful inclinations, in dislike of the spiritual, holy and just Law of God. But the Regenerate and renewed soul is well pleased, and in love with the holy Commandment in opposition to his natural lusts and corruptions: Just like as it is with a chaste wife and faithful, so is it with a gracious renewed heart: as it is with a treacherous & lewd wife, so is it with an unsanctified and natural heart. The chaste and loyal spouse highly valueth, dearly loves, and entirely closeth with that law which binds her to fidelity and constancy in her affections to her husband. The Adulterous and unfaithful disliketh, quarrels with, and secretly wisheth the law were not yet in being which confines her affections and embraces to that single person whom she calls husband, whilst the regenerate soul loves that law which maketh his choice duty and disliketh only the boundless, and unreasonable freedom which lust aimeth at: the best improved natural man in the mean time hath an adulterous soul and complains of the strictness of that Law which requires that all his strength, and all his soul, and all his might should entirely and solely be terminated to God, and his will: It is too severe a precept to the natural man to cast off every rival lust, and cleave to the Lord alone and his best improvements by education or learning without renewing grace do not alte● this frame of his heart, but it is an easy, a●… equitable a very excellent Law to the saint which binds the saint to choose that which he would not for ten thousand worlds refuse. Me thinks I see this in Paul (so evidently that I need no other instance,) who did hearty and sweetly close with that perfect holy Law which he seigne would have perfectly obeyed though he could not, He accounteth it good in the, Rom. 7.12.13. assenteth to the beauty and comeliness o● it vers. 16. what the Law commendeth he● approveth, what the Law commandeth he● would perform, not as a task and unpleasant work, but as that in which he delighteth: For that which the Law commandeth, is that which he would do and what it forbids is that he would not do, and so he● delighteth vers. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (saith Paul) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc desiderio manifestè se ab incontinentibus Philosophorum discernit (saith Pareus in loc) is there in a carnal, in an unregenerate man such a complacency in the Law of God? Oh! nothing less, there is an unsuitableness in the heart of every carnal man, and he judgeth the ways, and the laws of God unaequall, too strict and he cannot, nor will he close with them. A traitor may know what is treason and by what law, enacted such a session of Parliament in such a King's reign, and wish there never had been any such made, A loyal and obedient subject may know this too and love the law approve the Justice and wisdom of his Sovereign. Who now see's not the palpable difference between these two men in their knowledge of the same thing? just so it is in this case: But in the last place.   

8. Differ. There is a difference in the certainty evidence & assurance of their knowledge.  
8. These two sorts of men have a knowledge of this same sin very much differing in the certainty, assurance, evidence, and firmness of their assent to the conclusion of that demonstration in which it is proved a sin. The unregenerate man looks on it as a problematical Question which may be disputed and brought into the Schools in an affirmative or negative state of the question, so did that conventicle gathered together at Trent in the year 1545 in the 5th Session on the 17 of June 1546. Leave it to every man's liberty to think or teach what liked him touching this Provided he thought and maintained, that it was, and that it was propogated, and what were the effects of it. But an experienced Christian is more firmly and immovably settled in his knowledge, and apprehension of it, he will never be beaten out of this That it is an evil always present, impeding what is good and impelling and putting us upon what is evil, that it is a law of our members warring against the law of the mind; and though all the world withal its learning and skill, should conspire, and club wits, and reason to overthrow this truth; yet they should never persuade him to a belief, that possibly there may be no such thing as evil Concupiscence, or Original sin. His experience is instar mille testium, and he would repe● all their arguments with this answer, that he sees the plots and contrivances, that he feeleth the power, and strength of this sinning sin withholding him, and drawing him back from that good, which he desires he may, which he knows he ought to do. The world may as soon persuade him that fire is not hot, which hath burnt his fingers, as persuade him that lust within is not a fire of Hell which inflames him, and sets him on fire with raging passions, or wanton desires. Let this old man appear under what vizard he will, for the deceiving purblind nature, let him plead his original, ex conditione materiae and appeal to Pelagian, or Semipelagian or Socinian Heralds to assert his pedigree; yet he cannot so escape a regenerate savingly enlightened soul; who seethe and knoweth that it is of the Devil, and our own abuse of free will. Though this old man walk up, and down among us, and expatiate itself in the larger walks of a Sceptic, and seem only to inquire rationally touching the Being, and Providence of a Deity, and in this garb pass for a more penetrating inquisitive head, and judgement with an unsanctifyed Scholar; yet the regenerate soul knows (and is so persuaded that he will never be brought to think the contrary) that this is a branch of Atheism, sprouting out of this bitter root. I think I need not hesitate in pronouncing it. An unregenerate man improved to the highest pitch that external, moral advantages can raise him to, never did or ever will be able to come to such a degree of certainty in his Knowledge of this, as the experienced soul which observeth the stir, and motions of this sin in himself doth come to; I am sure there is a great difference between the certainty to which the one attains by speculative principles and discourses, and the certainty t● which the other atteines by experience you may possibly persuade a man to ta●… Poison who only knows the nature of i● from his book and speculation and perhaps you may prevail with him to hope, and believe it is not deadly, because his knowledge is not confirmed by experience; but do you think it possible? to persuade that man into an opinion that it may not, or into hope● that it is not, or into an adventurous tryal● whether that be deadly poison which had undoubtedly destroyed him long before if the admirable skill of some eminent Physician had not cured him and prevented the working of the Poison? so it is, in one word▪ The regenerate soul knows he had died of this deadly poison, if the compassion o● an infinitely merciful, and the skill of an infinitely wise Physician, had not healed him, he knows he was sick unto death, and he is as certain of it, as experience can make him and will not doubt it though all the world deny it, here he fixeth immovedly, I 

Know that in me dwells nothing good, Rom. 7.18.  
Find evil present when I would do good 21  
See an other law leading me captive, 23.    
The unregenerate finds it not experimentally in himself for he is blind and seethe not, he is dead and feeleth not, the workings of this sin; and therefore is not so  in his knowledge as the regenerate soul: not so constant in his belief of its indwelling and overspreading the whole man.     

SERMON III.  Rom. 7. v. 7. latter part. 
For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not Covet.  

THE Inability of Nature, best improved by learning and education, or what other means you will suppose; (short of Grace and the renovation of the heart by the spirit of God,) to make a right discovery of the sinfulness of our nature, that indwelling sin, (which here the Apostle calls, Lust;) being observed as one of the Doctrines the Apostle lays down in this verse, and being confirmed, and prosecuted so fare, that nothing farther remains of what was proposed, but an application and close of the whole: I now proceed to that, and so first  

Use. 1. Insormation.  
If the best improved natural man be not able to discover the sinfulness of his nature, we may hence learn, and inform ourselves.  

Sin of very dangerous consequence to all but specially to Scholars on account that it blinds their under standing.  
1. That there is in sin that which is of a very dangerous tendency, to all, but especially to Scholars. It is not to be sported with: we never dally with this serpent, but it stings and empoysons us: we never come into the hands of these Philistines, but they put out our eyes; If we had our eyes before, we lose them after, our closeing with a temptation to sin: This is the cause why we are not able (so long as we are carnal) to see our sinfulness, because we are sinful as there need no other reason be given, why we are not acquainted with the pollutions of our garments; but this, because we are blind: so neither needs there any other reason be demanded why a sinner is not acquainted with his sinfulness, after you have once said and proved that he is a sinner: For sin is a violence offered to the soul, Prov. 8. ult. vers. It is a violence by which the soul is wounded, and maimed, as it were with the stroke of a sword, or other instrument of cruelty as I observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies, now the soul is a tender thing like the eye: it bears not a wound, without loss of its sight and being once wounded by sin it cannot any more rightly discover sin: or if you read that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his life still it speaks that danger danger which is in sin on the account of its disableing the sinner from seeing it, that wound that reacheth the life that reacheth the heart kills dead, and bereives the man of the sense of his condition: he knows not, nor can he, that he is dead, so it was with the first sinners among the creatures, Angels sinned and lost that perfect knowledge in which they were created, and had not known their sinful state if an immediate, and winged vengeance had not overtaken them if the weight of those fetters the dismal noise of those chains in which they are reserved to the Judgement of the great day had not awakened them, they had surely continued unacquainted with that sinfulness, which, their just punishment convinced them of: though it may perhaps admit a doubt, whether the fallen Angels may not have an adequate, speculative knowledge of their sinful natures: yet it is beyond a doubt, they have not a Practical, and right knowledge of it, whilst they add to the number of their sins and treasure up wrath to the day of wrath. 
* Non contemnenda Quaestio de Daemonum cognition post peccatum proponi solet, nempe, an penitus post peccatum excaetati sunt & omni cum Dei & Christi, aequi & iniqui●tum aliarum rerum cognitione destituti an vero adhue aliquam harum omnium teneant Cognitionem Hieron; Zanch: de oper: Dei l. 4. c. 7. part. 1.  It is no contemptible question which is usually propounded concerning the knowledge of Devils since they sinned viz: whether they are not quite blinded as to have no knowledge of God and Christ, of equity and iniquity, or whether they yet retain some knowledge of all these, though they know much, so much as convictions of the being, and justice of a Deity extort from them a belief of both, and strike them with terror of the latter: yet it's undoubtly true, 
Daemons ita post & propter pec catum excaecati sunt ut neque eam omnem ●amve ●erū omnium re●ineane sa●ient●am qu●m & quaruman ●e pecek tum babuerunt.  They are since they sinned and for their sin so judicially blinded that they have not all that knowledge which they had before their sin. The just judge of all the world through his infinite wisdom hath made darkness, and the blackness of darkness, chains to fetter them, who would not walk at liberty in the knowledge and obedience of the Father of lights: whoso will please himself in the farther discussion of this, may consult the learned Author cited; The commentators on 
* Thom pri. m●p●imae Q 64. Lombard Sent l. 2. Q. 7. §. 14  Thom● & Lomb: this the ill consequence of Sin in these. It was no less on Adam and his sinful offspring, if we will perpend, and view the sad change which was introduced immediately upon his sinning: how soon did this spiritual Apoplexy seize on his understanding? how soon did he fall into a deep sleep, out of which none but the voice of the son of God can awaken him! Scholars (for you should most consider this, you are most concerned in it) I press you especially with this consideration to take heed of sin; other considerations of equal concernment to others, as well as to you, and of highest concernment to both, as 

Certain ruin of their immortal souls.  
Enkindling the fury and displeasure of the Almighty.  
Heaping up wrath against the day of wrath.  
Dear rate you, and all who hear of Christ sin at etc.   I pass over, my discourse leads me directly to consider this peculiar malignity which is in sin. For having proved that the best Improved natural parts cannot make a discovery of Lust, and having given some answer to the Enquiry why, or whence it is that he is so ignorant of it? and seeing it is because it hath so overspread him, Nothing could be more genuine and proper to the precedent discourse, then to mind you, that sin is extremely dangerous to such whose excellency is to know more than others. Nothing should be a more rousing and awakening consideration to such an Audience than this, would you be content to spend your time, to waste your strength, to lay out your monies, to disappoint the hopes of the Church, to sadden the hearts of your friends, to break the hearts and shorten the life of Parents, to gratify the Devil, dishonour God, and lose your own soul for ever? Scholars would you be thus contented? I am persuaded better of you, and therefore hope to prevail on some of you, to cast off sin, and to make hast so to do, because it is an evil which directly leads to a disappointment of you in your professed aims, in your principal end, and in your peculiar excellency; you are Scholars, and you professedly aim at knowledge, therefore you came hither; you profess to aim at the best knowledge too, therefore you spend your time in comparing the several pretences which are made, that you may find out which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (as the Apostle 
1 Tim. 6.20.  calls all knowledge, which is not an effect of Gospel's light, and useful to Gospel ends) and that on this discovery you may make the wisest choice, that you may avoid those which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and employ your thoughts on the more excellent way, 
Phil. 3.8.  viz. on the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Now it is sin alone which will disappoint, it is sin alone that will befool you, for this only at first did, this only now doth, obscure the mind, infatuate the judgement, and delude poor mistaken mortals to the embraces of an empty shadow of knowledge. Believe it Sirs, for at last it will appear, that the largest extended knowledge of a sinner under the power of sin (however he may boast of it, as the fruit of a long and diligent search) is but the longer shadow of one, who lives in a vicinity to the Sphere, in which the Sun of righteousness shines gloriously, and enlightens others, whilst no more light shines on him, then serves to cast the shadow, and this, because his espoused sins keep him at a distance from the true light. The farther we are from the Sun, the greater shadow we cast, but the lesser we see, so the more we are distant from God shining on us in the face of Christ, The greater shadow of knowledge we may seem to cast, but really we see so much the less; our knowledge is still but a shadow, dark, and vain, only fitted to seduce, and make us lose our ways, like a dark and misty day to a traveller; only fitted to increase our sorrow and vexation, like an empty cistern to a thirsty traveller in a tedious drought and heat. If you'll be Scholars indeed, and know much, and if you'll know with best knowledge too, you must not be sinners, i.e. not live to this sin. If you'll be thriving merchants in these intellectual treasures, you must take heed you 

1. Craze not your vessel, and make it unfit for so long a voyage, as you are to make.  
2. Clog it not, and make it sail slow; your greatest speed will be too little.  
3. Straighten it not, and make it capable of holding little, when you come to lad it, so you must take heed of sin.   It crazeth, and weakens, it clogs and retards, it straiteneth and contracts the understanding. This dangerous malignity of sin should, and I hope it will provoke you to abhor it; you shall see farthest in a clear and fair day. Let your days be clear from the black clouds of sin, and you shall see what others cannot   

2. Inform. The natural man's inevitable ruin and misery, because he cannot know his danger and disease.  
2. If the best improved natural parts cannot discover the sinfulness of that nature in which Lust dwelleth: Then see the certain and inevitable misery of the natural man, how well soever he may be accomplished with external and common endowments. If you would suppose him to know as much as all the Philosophers did, and if you add to this all the knowledge of these carnal men, who have now, or ever had a form of knowledge in the Law; and suppose all this centring in the breast of one man; yet this man (without a spiritual saving illumination from the holy Ghost) would remain inevitably miserable (because unacquainted with his sinful state) a dying man, as much without hope of recovery, as he is without sense of his disease. And this misery appears in that such a one  

1. A natural man obnoxious to wrath, but knows it not.  
1. Is now obnoxious to wrath, and liable to the just sentence of God, but knows not, or considers it not. He is guilty before God, but believes it not: he is in danger of Hell, ready to drop into the lake of sire, and sees not his danger: he considers not that a weak, single thread of life already scorched, and that hath felt the fire, is the surest hold he yet hath to keep him out of unspeakable misery. Nay he never will believe this, for he cannot discover his sin, which hath brought him into this condition: and if mercy (preventing mercy) do not give him 〈◊〉 sight of it here, (timely) for his escape, Natural and Improved parts cannot before it be t●late to hope for an escape. If you know a traitor guilty of a piece of treason against a King, who can convict him, who will arrest, arraign, and condemn him, an● then execute the sentence; and yet th● man all this while secure and careless, neither able to discover his danger by himself nor willing to see, and believe it discovered by another: would you not conclude him a lost man, without recovery? There's both the vileness, and uncleanness of treason and the guilt and obnoxiousness of it unto punishment, radicated in our natures, and we are to answer it to a King, who knowe● the heart, and can convince us; who rules th● world, and will judge us; who proceeds with justice, and must condemn us; who governed the world in truth, and doth execute his sentence: for his Government is no scare-crow● but a real one; no scenical Pageantry, but a solid constituted regiment, in which all his judgements are truly and really executed. And how then can such escape the condemnation of this judge, or the execution o● this sentence? Farther yet   

2. Natural man ignorant of this sin, adds sin to sin, runs farther into debt, and ruins himself.  
2. This Natural man in his best Improved abilities is inevitably miserable if left to himself, because this undiscerned sinful nature is still proceeding to farther wickedness, is ever adding sin to sin, and the man is not sensible of it: like a man that blows the fire, which burns the house over his head in stead of quenching it, enrageth it: Nor is it a small degree of unhappiness at this present, But the time will come, when it will be found in truth the saddest unhappiness of the grossest self murderer; if you should see a poor distracted man stabbing himself, or cutting himself with swords, and laying at such as offer their skill and pains to cure him: what would you suppose were like to be the end of this man? would you not give him over for a lost man? what hope could you have that he might be preserved? And this is directly the case of the best Improved natural man, who not seeing his sinful state, nor knowing his sinful inclinations, doth securely rest in the one, and uncessantly follow the other. Needs must he die, who flies in the face of his Physician: and best improved natural men never yet acted more soberly and orderly to their own safety, they know not the misery of their state yet are adding to it, and this in a word   

3. Improved parts miserable, because they sin more pertinaciously and soberly.  
3. With more pertinaciousness than other men, with more resolved, fixed, and sober madness, such do cum ratione insanire. Poo● men! they take themselves (and seem to others) to be the men, whose state should deserve admiration, not need pity, wh● should rather be our Patterns for our imitation, than objects of our compassion; and thence it is they are fortified against those convincing Demonstrations, which conque● others, but scarce shake them. He is inevitably lost, whose Improvements do render him more obstinate in his opposition to his own safety, this is the case of a Naturals man in his highest Improved naturals without grace. The more these unsanctified accomplishments are increased in him, the more firmly he bottoms himself upon them, and stands out against renewing grace. It is a work for omnipotence to conve●any, but it is a work both of omnipotence an● infinite wisdom to convert an Improved man, or a Scholar. Grace seems to conquer an Ignorant sinner only by Power, a Powerful light shines on the understanding, and he receives the light, a powerful heat fal● on the hard heart, and melts it, a Powerful hand than frames the heart to a right mould, without any long, rational, or subtle dispute against the work: but a learned sinner, an improved natural man, seems to put grace to an exerting; as well its wisdom, as it's power for subduing him. He is ready to oppose, and dispute every beam of light, to harden himself against every softening consideration, in all which through this Ignorance he is wise and crafty to undo himself, his carnal wisdom so disposing his opposition, that his pertinacy seems to him a well ordered and rational constancy to his principles.    

Inform. 3. Highest improved parts cannot dispose themselves to seek and prize Christ.  
3. If the best improved natural man cannot discover his sinful state, as hath been already proved, Then it cannot be, that he should dispose himself to desire, seek, or prize Christ and that grace which is dispensed in the Gospel. He can never strongly desire, who doth not apprehend he needs the good he desireth. Desire seemeth the firstborn of the needy and apprehensive soul. When a mortally sick man is fast asleep, though he need a Physician, yet he desireth him not, because he is not apprehensive of his need. The poor man who knows his debts, and what he needs to pay them hath strongest desires of a surety sufficient to prevent hi● Imprisonment, and these desires are proportioned to his apprehended need. Now so it is, that our sinfulness is the real ground of our need of Christ, and grace, our knowledge of this sinfulness is the immediate ground 〈◊〉 our desire: we therefore need him, because we are sinful, we therefore desire him, because we know we are sinful. Now where we cannot come to a due and right knowledge of our sinfulness, it is not possible we should come to a right or due desire o● Christ, who is precious only to the soul that needs, and is sensible he needeth grace Whence it is that the spirit of God in drawing the sinner to close with Christ, doth still manifest and exert his power in illuminating and convincing the soul. All tru● desires of Grace are wrought in the soul by the spirit of God, showing, and clearing it up to 〈◊〉 that we need grace. If the best Improved natural man cannot see how sinful he is, he cannot see how much he needeth a Jesus and he never desired him entirely and enough, who knew not this. Naaman had never desired to make a trial what the Prophet could do for his recovery, if he had not been apprehensive of his urgent necessity to be healed of his leprosy. That man who knows not that his nature is disposed and stands bend to departed from God, and to leave the way of holiness, cannot prepare himself to seek after that Grace which may powerfully change this sinful nature. There is both a meral and natural impossibility in it: a moral impossibility on this account, that he believes there is no need of such a change. Now it is Morally impossible that a man should apprehend his condition, such, as needs no change, and yet dispose himself to the change of it. Indeed a man may have wavering, unconstant, and imperfect apprehensions that his state is indifferently good, and there is no absolute necessity of a change; yet that it might be better if it were changed. And such a man may at once seem content and persuaded that he needs not change, and yet attempt it: but where a full, constant, and fixed apprehension in the mind, that there is no need at all to change, and that (it is doubted by him) the change will not better him, it is morally impossible he should dispose himself to change it: which is the case of a well improved carnal man, whose apprehensions of his self sufficiency and present perfect condition are fixed and constant: and though he desires an addition of more degrees of natural excellencies, yet he is unwilling to that change, which now would alter the very nature of them, and make his carnal wisdom, spiritual; his common rational perfections, especial, saving conversion, his earthly, worldly mind, Heavenly, and suited to the Gospel. There is also a Natural cannot, or Impossibility in this thing. A highly improved natural man remains natural still, and standeth entirely bend toward this his natural estate, much delighted in it, and satisfied with it: and it is naturally impossible that nature should desire that change which will destroy it: and since sin hath so incorporated itself into our natures, that it is in a sense become natural to us, and we cannot savingly receive grace but with the destruction of naturalised sin, it will be a truth that it is naturally impossible, that a natural man, however well improved, should dispose himself to a desire of heart-changing and renewing grace. Though the carnal mind know not its need of Grace to desire it, yet it knows there is a contrariety in grace to sin, to destroy it, and therefore he opposeth it; as a man in a Frenzy, through the violence of a fever doth not know his need of suitable applications to desire them, yet may know the smart, trouble, and bitterness of the applications to rage against them, and thrust them from him; or as we observe it in children more frequently, the knowledge of that sensible unpleasantness which is in Physic maketh them strongly dislike it, so the natural man knows by report so much of the nature and working of grace, so much of apparent unpleasantness to the flesh, as to reject it, but he knows not so much of his own need, as to desire it. Nor can the Natural man raise himself to an esteem of Christ and Grace through him; which appears most evidently from the consideration of his utter inability to discover his need of Christ and grace. Need enhanceth the price of every good and apprehended need, raiseth our value of it. These two, sense of want, and apprehension of worth go hand in hand, equally increasing in us; and when the former abateth, the latter cannot but sink also. How doth the hungry Esau prise a mean dinner, when his sense is so prevalent, that it suggests a necessity of a present, speedy supply, or an inevitable certainty of death, sense of his want raiseth a contemptible dish of Pottage to a value equal to his Birthright. Profane Esa●! How meanly wouldst thou have thought of such a charity (in the midst of thy venison feast) at another time, if thou mightest have had it of gift then● thou wouldst not have accounted it worth thine acceptance: now in want upon sale, thou thinkest it worth thy choicest excellencies: surely as each sup abated somewhat of his hunger, and the sense of his need, s● it abated his esteem and value of the purchase, and the last of his dish was least 〈◊〉 value to him. It is much so in all present outward good we stand in need of, our use of them abates our need, and this sinks the price of them. Now though the more we have of Christ and grace, the more we prise them, and reasonably may, justly aught to improve our value of them. In which respect there is a difference between our value o● external, common good, which decreaseth ordinarily as our use of them is free, continued, and full, and these spiritual and heavenly goods, whose value Improves upon their use, and is raised as we are acquainted with them. The more free, continued, and full our enjoyment of Christ is, and the Improvement of grace is, the more we shall prise them: but though here be a difference in the issue, or event of Enjoyment, yet there is a very great likeness and agreement between them in the motive and enducement to value and esteem them. Though the event of a full meal, and the event of a full communication of grace be so different, that the hungry one filled loathes the sweetness of a honey comb, refuseth and sleights it, whilst the gracious soul so filled desires more, and Prays to be continued in this, or taken into fuller banqueting rooms, and highly prizeth such farther spiritual feast: yet both were induced by the same general and common argument at first to value, and prise these different Goods. An apprehension of our need, and a sense of the suitableness in these to our need, raiseth our esteem of them. So that if best improved parts cannot see sin, nor can they see their need of grace, nor the high value and price of Grace.   

Inform. 4. 〈…〉 highest imparts cannot purify, and make themselves really holy.  
4. If the natural man with best Improvements and advantages, short of saving renewing grace, cannot discover that mystery of iniquity which dwells in his nature, Then certainly it is not a thing possible for him by all his natural improved parts to purify and cleanse himself, to make himself holy in the esteem, and judgement of the heart-searching God; when he hath done what he can (and it may be done very much in our account) yet still his work is short of effecting any true real holiness; sanctification and renovation of sinful nature is the work only of one who is acquainted aright with his own heart which is to be cleansed and the word of God by which it is to be cleansed; and it is his work not originally, and principally, as an efficient, first producing cause of it, for this is the spirit of God, powerfully changing the heart & continually promoting & carrying on the change to perfection; yet it's the work also of the quickened, renewed soul, which having received principles of life and a power to act spiritually doth co-worke with the spirit to the perfecting of that holiness which is begun: in the first mighty change of the heart, God gives a power, and actuates it to the finishing of this glorious work. Through grace we are what we are; what we are of Saints, all that being which we have as new creatures is the product of a cause infinitely greater than the highest, and best improved nature. Improved parts may indeed, lop off some luxuriant boughs, and cut off the outermost branches which would prove hurtful to himself, improved parts may bind up the more straggling branches, that they should not impede, and offend others and yet the tree will be still corrupt and bring forth no better fruit than what is the fruit of Sedome and clusters of Gomorrah, it is not the neat triming of the thorn that will make it a figtree, the root and stock must be changed, or it abide; the same, and brings forth fruit like itself: useless and corrupt vessels must have an other kind of cleansing then an outside washing, or wipeing them. If you did see a man painting a Sepulchre, and so doing should tell you he hoped to make it clean, and fit for another tenant than rottenness, and dead men's bones, would you not soon tell him that if he drew all the goodly colours that art could furnish him with, yet he would never be able to do this since he either knows not, or else doth not consider that there is unseen rottenness within, which must he cast out: He that knows not how sinful the frame of his heart is, will not make it his business to purify his heart, And an unclean heart neve● yet was accounted by a righteous judge consistent with holiness much less can it b● a principle of holiness: Now then so it is that after all the pains a natural well improve● man hath taken in pursuance of his seeming holiness, there remains in him an unclean heart which is the spring of all his actions and how can they be clean or holy than the method which Christ prescribes Mat. 11▪ 33. is this to begin with that which is hidde● from the natural man, to make a bad hea● good, and then a bad life will be good. Until this be done there will be no true real● holiness, All the glorious appearances, an● outsides without arenewed heart are in account of God nothing, better than glittering sins, so fare then, as the natural improved man i● from holiness of heart so fare is he from truth of holiness, and so fare as he is from knowing his sinful heart, so fare is he from purifying it, for cleansing of the heart is that work which requireth a knowing of the heart in order to the cleansing it. There i● never more sanctity of heart, than there is knowledge of the heart, though there is many time● more knowledge, than there is sanctity: Now i● it be, (as hath been proved,) a work greater than a natural improved man can do to know, it is certainly a greater work to purify the heart than his best parts can either beginor ever finish, this wound must be throughly searched ere it will be sound cured, Natural men do but skin it over, when they have applied all the healing plasters they can. I beseech you, Scholars (you are most in danger to be deceived with this seeming holiness) consider this, your ripe parts, your advantages of learning, and education are not of themselves sufficient to make you holy: but they may be dangerously managed by a deceitful heart, and a malicious Devil to cheat you and make you rely on a broken ●reed which will assuredly pierce you through instead of supporting you: I am persuaded friends, who ever you are that either hear, or read the proof and confirmation of the Doctrine, you believe it is a truth, and I doubt not, you do see how closely these two are knit together, ignorance of our sinfulness and inability to cleanse ourselves, as ignorance of the disease and inability to cure it: I therefore desire you but to consider it, with this seasonable admonition, that if thou who viewest these lines art a man of parts, and education by which a blameless morality hath been thy more constant course (if thou are such a one consider) thou art in very great danger of concluding this to be real holiness, and sufficient to the end thou intendest, and thy danger is the greater seeing thy parts and education make thy life come nearer and seem liker to real holiness: and it is he cheats most unavordably who doth counterfeit most exactly: the greater thy parts are, the better thy education is, if still thou remain carnal, the more artificially thou mayest play the hypocrite, and the more certainly deceive thyself, and assuredly thou dost so, if thou wilt be thine own Physician, and heal a spiritual disease with a course of Physic so disproportioned to it, this disease hath seized the heart, it affecteth the most inward, and vital parts primarily, and it doth thence affect the outward parts the tongue indeed is affected, as appears by the oaths, curses, rail of some, by the lascivious, wanton, and unsavoury discourse of others, the impertinent, vain and unprofitable words which we daily hear, so are all m●bers of the body affected with this disease, which the Apostle calls by the name of yielding them weapons of unrighteousness and servants unto sin, yet the root, and spring of it, is in the most secret and inward of the man which must be cured, or else we lose our labour as he certainly doth whose sickness is seated in the vital and inward parts, but he useth only external and outward application of medicines for his cure.    

Use. 2. For Caution.  
A second use, of the Doctrine of natural men's ignorance of their sinful nature and their utter inability of discovering it by the best improvement of parts, without renewing grace, shall be a caution and warning to all but especially to Scholars that they takeheed.  

1. Caut. 1. Attempting to discover or concluding you havediscovered it by mere natural light.  
1. Lest they attempt, and set upon the discovery of this sin by mere Natural improvements, and lest they conclude they have made a discovery of it by such: beware of the attempt as you would beware of that which is certainly unfeiseable in the course that is taken, as you would beware of venturing on an impossibility; loss of labour (which I foretell you will be the end of your attempt) me thinks should warn you of this, take heed of concluding you have discovered it as you would take heed of being mistaken in a matter of weight and moment: If you rest upon it, and determine that you have discovered this when indeed you have not what an error will you run your souls into? How dangerously will you deceive yourselves? How inevitably do you undo yourselves? If thou who readest these lines shouldst as clearly see it proved to thee that thou couldst not discover a false title from a true one, as it hath been prove● thou canst not discover a desperately deceitful heart, a very sinful nature, wouldst thou venture on a great purchase? and lay out all thy wealth on it? and run the hazard of being deceived? wouldst thou examine the title by no better helps then thy own natural wit and sagacity? wouldst thou do so? I know thou wouldst not And yet wilt thou run this hazard? and venture all the happiness thou expectest? and ar● capable of thus? dost thou dare to lay the stress of thy eternal welfare on such a foundation a● is sure in nothing but to deceive thee! O● that all would, and I beseech you Scholars (whose parts I highly prise and value whose danger in this I partly know) that you will consider a while. Can you go to Heaven with unclean hearts? with sinful natures? can any thing that is unclean? or that defileth enter there? shall any who worketh iniquity dwell in the holy hill? And how can such unclean things as the natural heart enter? How shall that which defileth the whole life? that Polluteth every action? whose werke is nothing else but to increase abomination? how shall this dwell in his presence who hateth sin with an infinite hatred who knows, and will judge, in another kind of manner th●n now men judge themselves? I confess if God never would rip up the breasts of men, if he would never anatomize them, nor turn their inside outward, if he would never search the heart, and try the reins, than might I have spared this Admonition, for it were then no great matter whether men did inquire into themselves, or upon enquiry whether they discovered any thing, or not: But since God hath purposed to try, and discover the very secrets of the heart, since his judgement will be according to truth, (be our judgement of ourselves what it will) it is of highest concernment to us, that we proceed in judging ourselves (so near as we can) by the same rule, and make the same discovery, which God will make when he judgeth. And this he never will, or can do who makes no farther enquiry than his best improved parts can discover. In a word thou who makest this enquiry, and restest satisfied in it, wilt find thyself as fare mistaken, as that malefactor, who in the prison makes a sleight business of his selony, and examines it with a voluntary hideing of that which his judge knows and which is undoubtedly enough to hang him, and upon this pronounceth himself guiltless. Tremble at the thoughts of that soul's amazement which here deceives itself with such insufficient search; which relieth on this deceit, and finds the greatness of it at last, when God discovers it to him, that he is not fit for an undefiled inheritance who hath so defiled a heart, and unclean nature: be not deceived thou must be cleansed or eternally perish, if thou wilt be cleansed thou must know thy uncleanness, and vileness, in other manner then yet any natural, (though improved) man ever knew upon enquiry into it by his best natural abilities, and therefore as thou tenderest the issue of thy soul, which will be of eternal and infinite moment to thee, beware of this light which cannot discover, beware of resting in this partial and false knowledge which thou mayest possibly get by more refined naturals. Take heed thy knowledge be no more then of the unreasonableness of thy sinful frame, and motions: endeavour to get a knowledge of the spiritual wickedness of them, and of that contrariety that a natural heart hath in it to a spiritual law: Hell is full of the knowledge of sin's unreasonableness, and the way to bell may be full of this knowledge too, and I would not thou shouldst r●st in that knowledge which is not the direct and certain way to escape hell, take heed of resting in that knowledge of this sin to which the improvement of natural parts may carry thee, in the general, whilst thou dost not in particular see how it intermixeth with every duty, so that thou needest grace to pardon and accept it, and a mediator to procure both: it is a dangerous mistake which the natural man runs himself into when he seethe not the iniquity which is in his duties when he seethe not how sinful he is in all his religious services: it is a mistake, that exposeth him to proud thoughts of himself, and of his duties, that excites him to rest in himself, that causeth him to keep at greater distance from Christ, to undervalue pardoning mercy, and free grace, to increase his sins (for resting on duty redound's much to the increase of sin,) to render him hateful in the account of God, who is a professed enemy to every proud person: Now such are the fruits of this knowledge we warn you of, take heed of it.   

2. Caution. Against relying on the opinion of men in their assertions contrary to the experience of Saint, and witness of Scripture.  
2. Then we have very good reason to beware how much we give to the judgement & opinions of learned & improved men in this point which never any of them whilst natural couldfully discover, and in which they have ever been prone to advance nature, and debase grace, in which they have generally set the crown on Nature's head which they admired, in the mean while robbing grace which they knew not. Me thinks I need not say much to advise you in this, would any of you rely much on the judgement of a boasting ignoramus? when thou art sick thou advisest (not with one that never did, or ever will be able to find out that disease but) with one who is known, either to have already discovered it, or that is known to have skill so as to do it, if any can. When thou travelest, and needest a guide, thou wilt not take him, thou art sure will misled thee, but cannot direct thee; it is no whit less folly to rest on the opinion of those learned men who speak of this without an experienced observation of this sin in their hearts, it is of much moment in this point that we have somewhat of assurance, that the man is a Saint and renewed in the Spirit of his mind whose judgement we take concerning this, it is I hope so fully proved that great measures of unsanctifyed learning and gross ignorance of this sin may be both in the same person, that I do not need insist on farther proof; I only desire you not to trust to the opinions of them in matters they do not understand; I do not dissuade you from valuing them, and expressing your value of them by giving what is due to their opinions, in the things they are learned in. But I warn you to take heed, that you do not rely on their judgement, and opinions though seemingly backed with strong probabilities, and reasons in this and other points which are known aright only by a sanctified and regenerate soul. Many of those who have erred in this doctrine have been men of great parts and abilities, so are many of those who at this day do mistake this whole doctrine and it is (beside what we have said already) to be accounted among the hidden things which are not revealed to the wise and prudent. 
Math. 11.25.  For whether you refer the relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole chapter, or to the 20th verse, and those which follow only: yet still you'll find that the doctrine of Repentance, and Remission of sins: the doctrine of Salvation, and redemption from wrath which we deserve, from sin under the power of which we are by nature: compriseth the things here intended. And if re●…tance and the doctrine thereof in its full extent, and latitude be the comprehensive sum which is here aimed at, and which is hidden from the wise, and prudent than we have ground to beware how fare we rely on the opinions and assertions of these men, who cannot discover the truth which lieth hidden under a veil which 

1. Their impotence and inability hath drawn over it, (they are not able to discover it)  
2. Their unwillingness to know, hath brought on them (they are loath to be acquainted with it)  
3. Judicial blindness hath drawn over it (that they shall not, because they will not)    
It is safer much to hear the opinion of a saint experienced in his own heart, and well versed in the Scripture, touching this then any of the learned natural men, who are unacquainted with the continual opposition their natural hearts do make against the Law of God: I had rather hear a soldier who was not only an eye witness but a chief combatant give the relation of the fight, than one who (though never so well skilled in the speculative part of military discipline) speaks only according to the rules of his art, I shall rather trust a conflicting soul, and believe his relation, both that, there is such an enemy, and that, he is within us continually levying war against us: then trust the seeming reasons of learned men against it, or the determinations of those who speak only their speculations. The seeing eye is to be trusted in the judgement of Colours, before the learned head which only discourseth over his blind studies: the enlightened soul sees what it reports and is to be credited. The learned natural man wanteth eyes to see and speaks by hearsay what this sin is, the right knowledge of which is one of the things of the spirit of God, which he receiveth not, nor can he until changed from natural, to spiritual.  
In a word the whole doctrine of the cross of Christ (i.e.) our deliverance from sin, and the consequents of sin, by the death of Christ: The doctrine of our fall, and misery: of our sinfulness, and inability to good: of our restauration, and renovation, etc. are in the whole contexture of them accounted foclishnesse by the wise among the Greeks and Jews (i.e.) by the choicest men for natural Parts, and the improvement of them, both within and without the Church, And can it be expected? that a man who thinks himself a wise man should strictly inquire into that, which he accounteth folly, or care to have an insight in any part of that, which he esteems as much below him and his thoughts, as a fool is below a wise man? and solly itself, below excellent wisdom and understanding? if you would then choose you a master to teach you more fully this doctrine leave the Schools of Pharisees, Seribes, disputers of this world (whose wisdom God hath infatuated) and go to the convinced, humbled, and sanctified soul, and ask him concerning it. Scholars whose business lies among the volumes of writers, whose various positions, and doctrines divide from the truth, as well as from each other, be you especially advised to try, before you trust, every thing you meet with in men's writings, which are accounted profound and learned; and be persuaded to inquire what experience, (arising from the conflict between grace and corruption, between holy principles and remaining lusts,) will inform you in this weighty truth: Prize and keep close to the sound Doctrine which holiness and learning jointly improved have delivered to us from the Scriptures, and which you may meet with up and down in the writings of our English Practical Divines, whom you may trust whilst you must descent from others that are accounted more learned.   

3. Caution. Learned men's slighting grace be a stumbling block to us.  
3. Then let it not be a stumbling block to us, that so many men, of choicest parts, of highest improvements, do so little regard, so little desire, and labour after: So little value, and esteem sanctifying, and renewing grace: take not an offence at the thinness of learned men, that they crowd not towards the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness to the house of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
Zec. 13 1.  were no other reason at hand which might be given, this which ariseth from their ignorance, and unbelief of the sinfulness, and uncleanness of their nature were abundantly sufficient to satisfy us why they do not throng after that Grace, which might cleanse, and purify them. Why shouldest thou wonder that blind men walk up and down in garments all over foul, and dirty and never go to the river where they might be washed? And why shouldest thou wonder then, that blind souls, possessed with opinion of their own purity, and holiness; being ignorant of that mass of corruption, which lieth hidden in their heart should stand at distance, fare off from Christ, and grace, which might cleanse them. Thou wouldst not be offended to see a company of desperate sick persons insensible of their danger go by, and neither call at, or go into the Physician's house to be healed. This should not (I am very confident) beat thee off from going thyself to be healed since thou knowest thy disease. Now then why should it be a scandal? or a discouragement to thee? because few learned men go to Christ, especially now that thou art warned of it, and hast heard this reason given thee; thou hearest, that they cannot see their need of Christ with the best helps of nature, and education, and therefore they keep off from him. But observe it, Who do more readily? more speedily close with grace then these men when once they are enlightened and savingly convinced? I think no men make more haste to the city of refuge than these men, when once the spirit of God doth convince them, that justice pursues them, and when the conviction is set home, so that they have real apprehensions of their dangsr; and there is a good reason for this haste they make before others viz: Usually they have clearer, distincter, and deeper apprehensions of their state, and condition than other men, and the clearer and deeper our apprehensions are the speedier our attempt will be to escape those dangers which we apprehend are likely to fall on us. Now there are two things which do render these men's apprehensions more clear and distinct viz:  
1. Greater measure of light shining into the understanding, and overpowering all its false lights which the man (proud once of his parts) did before set up, for as a man who walks by a weak, and glimmering light would refuse that light for his guide which another that was wholly in darkness and knew himself so to be in the dark, would readily embrace; so is it here, many that have great parts and abilities shining in them like stars, or comets in the night will put off that weaker convincing light of the truth, which one who findeth himself all benighted rejoiceth to see though but a star, the least degree of light, and is convinced sound; whereas more and stronger light is needful to convince a learned sinner throughly and savingly. Hence it is that they so much differ in so little time in their apprehensions of impending danger, the natural learned man had apprehensions of the excellency of his soul, of the power of a God to punish, of the great misery and unhappiness, which the soul must needs lie under, if this God proceed to punish: he can discourse of the insupportable pain which Immaterial souls endure, this he can do upon maxims of Reason, so that the man doth see somewhat before the saving illumination of the spirit of God doth enlighten him with a better light, but so soon as this shines in upon him, he doth with the advantage which the other affords him, see much more of these things, and his own danger: and accordingly hasteneth his escape from it. Thus acquired Improvements under a through work of conviction hasten men from the danger they were in. Again  
2. Improved parts lie usually in a soul that is of larger and vaster capacity, so that it sooner receives much of spiritual light, and hath larger and more extensive apprehensions of the excellency of Grace and mercy in a Jesus. And so upon through Convictions flieth more speedily to Christ, and riseth higher in its value of Christ. So that if you needs will eye, and take example by learned men, then look on those who are under a saving work of the spirit of God, and judge by their apprehensions and value of Grace Now, what will be the apprehensions and value which the rest so enlightened will have of the same grace: if you will resolve to weigh Grace in the scales of learned and improved men, then borrow St: Paul's scales and weights, which be used after conversion, or under the work of conviction, and judge as he did of Grace, when he 
1 Tim. 1.14,15.  had obtained mercy through exceeding abundant grace in our Lord. When he came to judge of things aright, and esteemed what was once his gain now 
Phil. 3.  to be l●sse and dung for the excellency of Jesus his Lord. There are none can better esteem grace, then learned Saints, and yet none more vilify it then learned ungodly men, stumble not at these, but be persuaded to follow the other.    

Use 3. of Trial. Try then what your knowledge of this sin is.  
3. If the best improved parts cannot discover the sinfulness of our polluted natures, and if there be so different a knowledge of this in the regenerate and unregenerate, as we have already endeavoured to evince, Then, I entreat you, try what is your knowledge of the sinful nature you carry about you. Put the Question to yourselves, Do I know this indwelling lust as Paul knew it? if I might at any time press this use, I may now, for no men are so much in danger of taking a false and insufficient knowledge of this for true and sufficient, as are Scholars who know much, as of other things so of this also, in the speculative part of it. And I know a deceitful heart is apt to suggest to us scholars, that what we know of this is enough. But we must not trust our own hearts much in this, or in any thing else of weight and moment: and therefore I take the boldness to renew my request, to reinforce the advice to you scholars, try your knowledge. And I do this, (beside the weighty considerations equally obliging us with others) on some more special considerations obliging us Scholars more than others, and I in treat you to weigh them.  

1. Greater proneness to mistake.  
1. You are in a more apparent danger of being deceived with a common superficial knowledge of this than others are, whose employments do not engage them to a search after all knowledge. We are prone to aim at knowledge for its own sake, and think it enough that we know, though this knowledge have no influence upon our heart and life; when we have attained some knowledge of this, we haste many times to the attainment of some farther knowledge; and so by an eager pursuit of what is not yet attained, we are in danger of contenting ourselves with a general speculative knowledge of this, that we may speed on to the discovery of other things, whereas other men once getting a discovery of this sin are usually, or may be more intent, and dwell longer on the consideration of it. Many things make it more easy for us to be mistaken in the knowledge of this: as 

1. proneness to measure the knowledge of this by that we have of other things, which are not of such weight and moment, and that have not so much influence on our souls in the matters of grace and holiness.  
2. Frequent temptations with which Satan follow's us, to render this knowledge unprofitable, and useless to us. If this doctrine be well understood and sound preached, it shakes the very foundations of his Kingdom, therefore he will corrupt it.  
3. Precellence and greater measures of speculative knowledge, than others have of it. A scholar is able to discourse more largely in the whole doctrine of it, perhaps than another, and tell you what apprehensions heathen Philosophers had of it, what doctrines the Pelagians delivered in this matter, what the Schoolmen, Remonstrants, Socinians, Anabaptists, or others teach concerning it; yet who knows none of these, but only the naked truth of this doctrine, and improves it to holiness, knoweth more truly than such a learned scholar.  
4. A Scholars knowledge is usually a more common and general work of the spirit of God in carrying him on in his ordinary and professed intendment of getting knowledge; whereas in others, there is more of the special work of the spirit of God, now it is more easy to mistake under a common, then special work of the spirit of God.  
5. Farther yet scholars may more easily mistake in their Knowledge of this then other men, in regard they apprehend many times more strength in the opposition men make to the truth, then indeed there is, and so do with less certainty and with more wavering hold this truth. Let us then bring our knowledge to the trial, lest we certainly be deceived, where we so easily may be deceived.     

2. Greater danger to themselves in mistaking.  
2. Let us do it next the rather, because if we be deceived in this; it is of dangerous consequence to us, and to our eternal concernment, of much more dangerous consequence then unto others, for it exposeth us scholars to a greater danger of continuing in a formal, superficial, external, and insufficient course of obedience, and seeming purity. And who is engaged in this with any competent measure of knowledge to hid, or defend, or excuse himself, is in one of the greatest dangers of undoing himself; is armed most unhappily against convictions of the word and spirit of God, and is like to stand out against all means of a real, heart, spiritual, and saving change and sanctification. We may in all likelihood sooner convince a profane, lose, and wicked sinner, that is as yet ignorant of his sinfulness by nature, than we can a Moral, temperate, and sober scholar, who knows much of this with a speculative knowledge, and suppresseth much the working of this sin by his moral principles and advantages. Scholars who are outwardly blameless, but not inwardly sanctified, and who have somewhat of the knowledge of this sin in their heads, but nothing of the experienced heart knowledge of it in their souls, are the men most in danger to live and die in a formal seeming holiness, in an outside glorious show, with insides full of corruption and rottenness: they are most in danger to pas●e among men, and with themselves for Saints, while there is nothing at all of the saint in their heart, nor any thing, but the hypocrite, and painted Sepulchre in their life. Your danger is greater, let your search be stricter than other men's.   

3. Greater endangering of others.  
3. Try your knowledge of this, because it is a truth of General influence on the heart and life of men: and either doth much promote their real holiness, when it is rightly unfolded and set home upon them, or else much impede & retard it, when it is not rightly apprehended by us, and unfolded to them. A learned man erring in this, endangers his hearers, and though I intent not particularly to insist on these dangers, yet this I say in the general, That the preacher who hath no other knowledge of this sin, than the Pharisees had, shall have no better disciples than they had. If you would not then expose them to the dangerous mistakes of seeming holiness, of counterfeit regeneration etc. look to it, and see that your knowledge be right in this particular, Consider the safety and welfare of precious souls is concerned in this, they may perish through a mistake of their natural condition, into which mistake yours may lead them, and it is dreadful to have blood of souls lying on your head. Scholars seldom are single in their errors, and the more eminent they are, the more dangerously do they err: and I know not a point, wherein there is much more danger attends our mistake, then doth attend our error in this, and the doctrines depending on it. What more dangerous and destructive, than that error which leads us from powerful and irresistible Grace? then that which hath direct tendency to undervalue Grace? what more pernicious than that mistake which leaves a heart secretly corrupt and unholy? and rents to the binding up the soul under this until the heart-searching God discovers and judges it? It is a soule-damning error, which doth ensnare the soul in a partial, outside, and insufficient renovation. Now of such tendency is this to our persons, and of such sad consequence will it be to others who may possibly be hearers, blind leaders of the blind until both fall into the ditch, will be the final and last issue of us, and our followers, if we mistake such weighty necessary truths as these are.   

4. Expected eminence before others in holiness.  
4. Consider next, if you have not cause to inquire and examine your knowledge of this, whether you had not need be more diligent by much than others, on account of more eminent and exemplary holiness expected from you Men do (and reason good they should) expect more perfect and exact holiness from you then from others. You know more of your master's will than they, you know more of the excellency of holiness, you know more of the reward to holiness, you know more of the vileness of sin, of the unsuitableness of sin to your admired and noble soul, and reason etc. on these and many other accounts it is expected that you should be more holy than others. Now if you mistake in this doctrine, which rightly understood hath notable influence on the soul in order to exemplary holiness, you will certainly fall fare short of your Duty, and your friend's expectation. Now an ingenious spirit is very solicitous not to fall short of his friends rational and just hopes, I speak to many such now I hope, and therefore I promise myself of you a serious trial of this.   

5. Mistaken knowledge cannot lie still and do no harm: it will mischief us by  
5. Lastly that I may persuade you to try consider your knowledge mistaken through want of due trial and examination, will be an consider your knowledge mistaken through want of due trial and examination, will be an advantage which Satan and your own corrupt hearts will take, and improve to further hardening you in sin, and estranging you from conversion. Mistaken knowledge will not remain a thing of indifferent nature, but it will eventually prove a great 


1. Emboldening us to sin.  1. Ewholdning you to cherish and foster those thoughts, that frame of heart, which should be mortified and subdued, and the Devil will be ever animating you to venture so far, as your doubts or mistaken knowledge can suggest you, possibly may venture,  

2. Enabling us to colour over our fins, and so improve this.  2. Beside the Devil will improve your mistaken knowledge in this point to a craftiness and subtlety of improving this sin, under a staken knowledge in this point to a craftiness and subtlety of improving this sin, under a pretence and colour of innocency and sinless pleasing or humouring our natural desires, we must not neglect the search after one, who lurks in our family, and cannot but cut our thtoats, if we suffer him under any disguise whatever; this old man mistaken will murder sonles, therefore etc.   Try whether you have discovered him, be diligent in the trial of your knowledge concerning your sinful natures. But you will inquire, how may we discern the nature of the knowledge we have of this sin? How may we find whether our knowledge be true, right, and such as the enlightened soul, such as St Paul, had? well then, hoping thou who so enquirest art in good earnest, I will refer thee to the differences which are assigned already, by which thou mayest know what kind of knowledge the unregenerate hath of this sin, and what the regenerate man hath, and then comparing thy knowledge with those differences, thou mayest most certainly judge what thy knowledge is. Consider, is it a spiritual knowledge? canst thou discern the spiritual iniquity, as well as the unreasonable iniquity of thy sinful nature? Canst thou make out the sinfulness of thy nature, and prove it by Practical and experienced premises? Canst thou discern how it intermixeth itself with all thy duties? dost thou really see this? canst thou hearty grieve for thy sinful nature? dost thou see real cause of humbling thy soul for this? Canst thou set thyself with all thy soul to oppose this sin? canst thou spend thy time, and lay out thy pains to throw him out of doors, which will (in spite of thee) keep possession, until the house be pulled down? Doth thy knowledge of this indwelling lust provoke thee to hate and detest it? canst thou truly say, thou dost loath it, that it is that which thou canst not on any account be reconciled to? And tell me what are thy affections to that holy law which forbids this sin? dost thou hearty embrace that commandment which prohibits thy soul, lest it should fulfil the inordinate desires of this lust? or couldst thou wish there were no law to forbid thee? consider what certainty thou hast in thy knowledge? dost thou waver, or art thou fixed in thy judgement? and seest what all the proud world will not see or believe? dost thou as St. Paul, see another law in thy members? and is this seeing thy believing? Answer these Queries in singleness of heart, and do not either deceive us, or flatter thyself, and thou mayest come to know what thy knowledge is of this sinful frame of heart. For farther examination, I refer you to the perusal of those differencing and distinguishing notes laid down already, to which I will add two or three more now, and so   

1. Note of Tryill. Right knowledge of this advanceth grace.  
First, Observe what tendency thy knowledge hath to the advancement of Grace, to the exalting free and powerful Grace; or what tendency it hath toward the debasing of Grace; by this thou mayest give a good Guess at thy knowledge; so much as in it is working to the exalting of Grace, so much there is of the true and right kind of knowledge, the more thou givest of glory to the grace of Christ, the more thou demonstratest thy thorough acquaintance with thy sinful nature. Dost thou with Paul see cause to praise God through Jesus Christ, for setting thee free from this spiritual bondage? dost thou see thy unclean nature with an eye which prizeth and valueth that Grace, which hath in part already, and will in full and perfect manner ere long cleanse thee. The leper under the Law never knew his leprosy aright, until this knowledge made him seek the remedy for cleansing, and thankful that he was cleansed from it. So likewise it is never right Knowledge of our spiritual leprosy, until it tend to an applying ourselves to Grace for healing it, and end in admiration and praise of Grace, that we are healed.   

2 Note. Right knowledge relies on powerful grace to oppose lust.  
2. Next look well whither doth thy knowledge send thee for power and strength to oppose and subdue thy strong lusts? If thy Knowledge of thy sinful nature be such, that it doth convince thee of thine inability to conquer thy lusts, of thine insufficiency to perfect any good change wrought in thee, it is a very good sign thy Knowledge is a right, and sufficient Knowledge of this Lust. And if this conviction tend to a serious application of thy soul to Christ, for a present supply of strength to oppose it; thou mayest surely conclude, that thou knowest more, than any unregenerate man in the world doth, of this sin: for if he can truly say, that he sees a disclosure of so much sinfulness in man's nature, that he concludes man cannot conquer its power, yet he never seeketh, or goeth to Christ for strength, by which he may conquer it; but all his attempts are made in his own strength Now then deal truly and faithfully with thy own soul, and consider whose strength thou usest, and in what power thou hopest to subdue thy lusts: for by this it may appear what thy Knowledge is.   

3. Note. True right knowledge directs to the right method of subduing it.  
Thirdly, thou mayest know, whither thy Knowledge be right, by observing what course and method it puts thee ●…on in order to a holy and blameless conversation. How doth it direct thee in order to mortification, and crucifying thy lusts and sins. True and right Knowledge of this lust doth incline and guide the soul, to set to a work of reforming the soul first. Who knows the uncleanness of the streams aright, and would cleanse them, set's to the cleansing of the fountain first; and who hath right knowledge of a disease, endeavours a cure by taking away the cause of it. Well then, tell me, dost thou know that this sinful nature is the cause of all thy sinfulness in thy life? dost thou then see those polluted streams do run from this polluted fountain? Perhaps thou wilt say yes, (and with truth enough too,) but man (tell me) in thy attempts to cut off these streams, to reform and purify this life, where hast thou begun? hast thou cleansed the spring? He that gins not sanctification in the heart, knows not aright the sinfulness of his nature.   

4. Note Right knowledge aggravates particular fins by this.  
4. Right knowledge of our sinfulness will always account it, an aggravavation of every sin. If thou knowest this sin aright, thou wilt see really a great deal of heinousness, inexcusableness, and vileness in every sin which thou examinest, on account of thy extreme sinful nature. Consider then with David's words in thy mouth I was conceived in sin, and ask thy soul canst thou (as he did) see how much, this aggravates thy particular transgressions? how it adds weight to them? this makes them voluntary, delightful, per petual? this makes them stronger, & enraged, when the holy law of God doth restrain and forbidden them: Try then by these notes, who can truly, and experimentally answer to these queries, may certainly conclude his knowledge of indwelling lust is a knowledge better and fare above, the highest degree of knowledge in men merely carnal, though of highest improved parts. And here I might have advised them to give glory to free grace which hath revealed this unto them for flesh and blood could not, and so have closed the Sermon, but then I sear, I should leave some unsatisfyed, who would gladly get a right knowledge of this sinful frame of their nature, and would be willing to see more of it. For their sakes I add    

Use 4. A fourth Use of Direction.  
If thou wouldst get, and keep up a more full and clear knowledge of this sinful frame of thy nature, then let it be thy care  

Direction 1. Directi: Study thoroughly, and and affect thy heart with, the nature and extent of Gods Law.  
First, To study well the nature of the Law of God, endeavour to know much of this perfect Law, and then thou wilt know much of thy imperfect heart; Study throughly, and determine clearly the main Questions touching the obligatory power of the Law of God, by which it bindeth the very mind, and soul in its habitual disposition, and first motions; he that doth not steadfastly, believe that the Law of God doth lay an engagement on the inward frame, and bend of the heart will never steadfastly believe there is so much wickedness in the frame of the mind; as he seethe there is, who hath well and clearly stated this point: It is the Law by which we have the knowledge of sin, Rom. 3.20. (so the Apostle assures us) when we know the just extent of the Law of God, we do discover the extent of that Lust which is contrary to it, and so when we see the Law extends to the frame of the heart, and first motions we shall see what sinfulness there is in both. When we know the holiness of the Law of God; we then shall discover the sinfulness, and vileness of sin, of this sin: the known purity of God's Law, will disclose the unknown impurity of sin, and lust. Study well the spiritual nature of all the commands of God, when the soul seethe (as Paul) that the Law is spiritual, it will also be able to see the spiritual wickedness, which is in lust that is contrary to it. And remember, in thy studying of these points, that thou do not only store thy head with demonstrative arguments, that the Law is thus perfect in the extent, and holiness and spirituality of its precepts; but with demonstrative arguments join also affecting motives, that may work on thy heart, as well as inform thy head. Want of these two, (I persuade myself,) are the great cause (at least they are one great cause among others) of the sad learned, ignorance and mistake of great improved parts; For whilst learned men mistake in the extent of the Law of God, and determine that it bindeth no more than outward acts, or perfected, consented to, and deliberate Motions and purposes of the mind, it is impossible but that they should presently acquit both the frame and first motions of sinful hearts, and pronounce them under no law, therefore contrary to none, and therefore not sinful.  
This is the grand fundamental error on which the rest are built, and which necessarily induceth us into many, and great both Practical, and speculative errors; This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the several learned erring men, and parties which I have reckoned up in the confirmation of the Doctrine; if therefore thou wouldst avoid a dangerous error and get a true right knowledge touching thy sinful nature, be diligent to understand the truth, of the affirmative state, of that Quaestion whether the inward, habitual, and secret frame of the heart, and the first, unformed, indeliberate, and unconsented motions be, and aught to be under the Law of God? to this add the second part of this direction viz: the affecting moving considerations that work upon the heart, the defect whereof, hath been the cause of the useless, and unprofitable knowledge of this Lust in those unregenerate learned men among us, who have been sound in their opinions, and determinations of this doctrine, and who have maintained in their disputes the contrariety of the Natural heart, and it's first motions to the holy Law of God, and consequently the great sinfulness of them, so that they have been in part right in their knowledge, Even so far as a speculative judgement was to act, they have acted their parts aright; but then they have failed in that other, which is the practical part of this knowledge, which should work upon the affections, and heart; and endline the heart to close with the Law of God in opposition to the stir, and actings of this sin; which should engage the heart to love the Law, and to hate that sinful frame, those sinful projects, and tendencies which are contrary to the Law. In a word then, right knowledge of this sinful nature consists in such a thorough, full, and adequate, discovery of it, and its workings, together with a hearty, affectionate, and well grounded dislike of it and opposition to it; the first part of it thou wilt attain by a through studying of the speculative part of the question, touching the Law of God its nature and extent; The other part thou wilt get, by engaging the affectionate part of the soul, with those moving considerations which will persuade thee to close practically with the Law, as understood in its full extent.   

2. Be dilgent in comparing thy heart, its frame and inclinations with the Law so known.  
2. If thou wouldst get, and keep a right and due knowledge of the sinfulness of thy nature: Then be often, diligent, and humble too, in comparing thy heart and its tendencies with the Law of God. Let not thy selfe-examination be only taken up with the outward, visible part of thy life: she may appear neat and cleanly abroad who may possible be found a very slut at home, within doors: follow thyself into thine heart and search well the secrets of thy soul, neither be thou seldom in this work, do it often, for there is danger in little intermissions of our watch, the waters which silently glide from this fountain will rise to an undiscerned depth in a little time. He that seldom searcheth, hardly ever comes to a just discovery of his heart: It is an often repeated search that is likeliest to discover a notorious cheat: and when thou tryest be not negligent, and careless in it, do it diligently, make it thy business, and then thou wilt find what now lies hidden out of sight, a dangerous Fistulating tumour, must be searched with much diligence, or the chirurgeon will never know either its depth, or danger: This spiritual corruption of our natures hath many, and very deep pipes: and all our skill is little enough to find out its secret conveyance, and therefore in thy search be not slothful, and sleight. And remember to take humility along with thee in the trial, for pride will never be content to let the heart appear as it is, a proud man is never an upright judge of himself, he ever accounteth himself better in the scales, than he is: whereas the humble man either judgeth exactly, or wisely suspects himself to be defective, and wanting of weight. Whoso hath gotten such knowledge of the nature of God's Law, and doth thus search, may hope, that, he shall in due time discover this sinfulness, which appears in its fruits, not all at once, but some time more, sometime less, as provocations, and opportunities set it on work. Now thy frequent search will discover it in this part of it: The enemy that makes his excursions often must be as often observed & watched: and if thou wouldst know him throughly thou must not sleep securely and let him make inroads upon thee at his pleasure. This sinfulness is wise and politic it doth not always appear in the same garb in the same method, it varies its manner of working, and thou must enter the search after it with wifedome and diligence both, or it will be too crafty, and subtle for thee: The more various it is, the more diligent thou ought'st to be, and deave with this as men do with cunning cheaters, that shift their lodgings, change their habits, altar their carriage and Proteus like appear to you in a thousand shapes, keep your eyes on them, follow them to their very lodgings, & retiring rooms, so do you keep your eye diligent in the watch of your sinful nature, that you may see it in its retiring room where it prepares to change its shape.  
Men, that stand without, see not what base fellow act's the part of a King on the stage, or how unclean a villain act's Joseph's part, but he that goes off ' the stage and see's them behind the courtaine in their retiring place discover's all this, so may we by a diligent observance of this.   

3. Direction Keep thy heart tender and easily affected with sin as it is contrary to God and his Law  
3. Thirdly, if thou wouldst get and keep more clear apprehensions, and knowledge of the sinfulness of thy nature; Then be careful to get, and keep a tender heart, that soon feeles, and is easily grieved for sin as it beareth a contrariety to the Law of God, and the holiness of his nature: what ever thou dost, be sure to take heed thy heart do not grow hard, and insensible; lest it contract a brawny and callous hardness under sin, it must be a considerable cut that bring's blood, or paineth a man in that part of his body which is much hardened, whereas the least scratch will draw blood, and bring grief with it to one who hath a tender cuticle. A hardened heart will not be sensible of sin, unless it be some great one, which wound's deep, and then perhaps it may be somewhat sensible of it, but yet not duly affected with it.  
naturalists tell us that those creatures which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not so perfect and acute in their sight, they cannot see so well and clearly. It is most undoubtedly true of the soul, that soul which through sin hath its eye either darkened, or thus affected with dura lippitudine 
It's disease marring the sight through a horny film growing on the eye.  can never clearly, and fully discover sin. Look abroad into the crowd of men, who call themselves Christians, see how they differ in their account of sin, proportionably to their different degrees of tenderness of heart: Real Saints under a defect of this have (and I wonder not at it) fallen into a defect of judgement concerning the greatness of sin, they have accounted that a little sin, when their hearts have been somewhat hardened which in a tender frame of spirit they more rightly esteemed a great sin. And observe it, as you have lost of your tenderness, so your sin hath lost of its heinousness in your account: recovered backsliders among Saints will bear me witness to this truth.  
Tell me didst thou rightly see the great sinfulness of an earthly mind of a formal and hypocritical heart, of a careless and lose heart, of a vain and foolishly wanton heart? Didst thou not think there was less evil in them when thy heart was somewhat hard, and had lost of its wont tenderness? How hath thy boldness to sin, and thoughts that it was but a little sin which thou art now about to commit, gotten ground on thee upon such a decay? time was, when thou who art a tradesman sawest a great deal of sin in a lie, or equivocation to cheat, in a little too much gain; Time was when thou who art a Scholar sawest a great deal of sin in mispending a day, or a few hours of thy time; what is now the cause thou dost not so judge? Is the sin changed? Or is the Law changed? No, but thou art changed, thou wast then of a tender frame of spirit, but now hast lost it, and thence it is thou so misjudgest: once thou couldst not step a step in those rough and thorny ways but thou didst bleed, and smart for it: why dost thou without sense of smart now run long in them? is not this the cause? thou hast hardened thyself in them, and canst not see the evil of them. In a word our sight, and knowledge of the sinfulness of our nature, is a knowledge of Spiritual sense, and very much resemble's our knowledge which have by our bodily sense in this, that due, and just tenderness is a very necessary, and convenient disposition of the organ to discern the object; so let our spiritual senses be exercised in judging of sin with this convenient disposition in the faculty, and we shall certainly judge more rightly of it.   

Direct. 4. Oppose sin, especially begin the opposition against first stir of it.  
4. In order to which farther, take this as a fourth direction, Give a vigorous opposition to sin universally, and begin your opposition at the very first spring, and root of it; let no sin dwell peaceably in your sonles, and let not any sin have a season to grow, but cut it off ' so soon as it sprouts forth; No man ever came to a right knowledge of sin by indulging it, for it still appeareth other then what it is to him, who is unwilling to suppress it. As to the power, and strength with which it worketh, and as to the wisdom, policy wherein it contrive's its works, it is more than evident, that the best way to discover them is by opposeing ourselves to them; the encounter of an enemy is a means to draw forth his power, and craft which had otherwise lay hidden. And it will appear also a very suitable, and congruous way to discover both the sinfulness and the guilt; the uncleanness, and the danger of sin, both in the branches and in the roots of it by a timely and vigorous opposition of it. For whilst we oppose it in the power of the spirit of God, and by the word which is holy and directeth us in an opposition, there is an increase both of an internal light in the mind, & of an external light in the word, the one as the light of the eye which seethe the other as the light of the sun by which it seethe, the foulness and blackness of sin. The word and law enlighten the soul which before was in the dark, and blind; and then the more the enlightened soul adheres to this word in opposition to sin, the more it seethe of the purity of the word, and the vileness of sin. There is in the word a native fitness to produce this effect, and a kind of natural connexion between these terms. Contraries illustrate, and disclose each other, and whilst we lay the word of God before us commanding one thing and our sinful hearts suggesting an other, sin becomes in our sight exceedingly sinful, so it did to Paul, Rom. 7.13. Beside this, God doth delight to discover how sinful a natural heart is to those, who would really have a deliverance from it, and blessed them in this opposition to this end; and farther, thy opposition to it will be a means to take off the temptation to like and plead for that which thou shouldst, but hast not disliked and opposed; and it is a dangerous temptation to overlook somewhat of evil in that we have done when it is done, since we opposed it not when it was in doing; men would feign be found not so guilty, where they are sure to be found somewhat guilty. Thou wilt be the more willing to see the sinfulness of a natural heart, when thou so opposest it, because thy opposition to it makes it cease to be thine in a great measure, no more I, but sin that dwelleth in me, no more I, but Satan that takes advantage of a sinful heart, etc. Thou who canst oppose sin vigorously, and hearty, needest not be so much ashamed of it, and thou wilt the more certainly discover that fully which thou mayst without shame, when another will not (if he could) because he cannot but with shame. But why stay I on these? Christian who ever thou art that hearest or readest these lines, tell me didst thou ever see the sinfulness of thy heart propending to sin so clearly, as thou hast upon a victory over it? presently after a strong opposition to it? In a word either thy resistance hath foiled sin, then on serious view of it, with all its circumstances, thou hast seen what vileness was in it; or if thy resistance hath failed of the success thou desiredst, and thou hast fallen, yet upon recovery thou hast seen, and abhorred that sinning sin which hath so defiled thee, who falls unwillingly into the mire, usually sees the more, and is the more affected with that uncleanness which he hath contracted.   

4. Direct. View it with a weeping eye, & mourning heart.  
5. Wouldst thou know aright the sinfulness of thy nature? then be not a stranger to, nor seldom in a serious and deep humiliation, and sorrow for this sinful frame; though he cannot see bodily objects well, whose eyes are full of tears, yet he seethe these spiritual objects best, who seethe them with eyes filled with tears. He that was never duly grieved at an unkindness done by him to his friend, never knew how great that unkindness was: and he that never grieved, that he carrieth about him a sinful heart, never knew yet how sinful his heart is which he carrieth in his breast. For these well regulated affections and passions are very sagacious, and quicksighted in the discovery of that which is their proper object. Thus well guided sorrow (such as I now speak of) can find out the nature and aggravations of that, for which the soul grieveth: and if once thou canst bring thy soul to weep in secret over this sinning sin, thou mayest be assured thou already hast some degree of true right knowledge of this sin, and ere long (holding on thus) will't get greater degrees and measures of it. Every tear thou shedst will be a glass to represent somewhat more of it, and every sigh will be a blow at the door of this charnel house, or house of corruption, until it be broken open, that thou mayest see and cleanse it. Christian, view all the remarkable seasons in which thou hast had any sight and knowledge of this sin more than ordinary, thou that hast seen much of it in thy reading the law, in thy hearing the law preached, in thy meditating on it, or whilst thou hast been conferring about it. Didst thou ever see more of it at such times, or ever so much, as when thy soul hath been ready to melt into tears for it, whilst thou hast fixed thine eye upon it and wept? Call to mind what Improvements thou hast gotten to thy Knowledge at any times, I know little, if thou sayest not that Mourning times have been the seasons, and weeping eyes have been the organs which have made the fullest discovery of this sin, and added the most considerable improvement to this Knowledge. Job was a mourner when he saw, and left it for our instruction, that 
Job. 14.4.  none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean: And David was , wholly immersed in tears, when he breathed out that confession, that full and clear description of our sinful natures, which are shapen in iniquity etc. In a word, get thee a vessel of Crystal tears, if thou wilt see how great the unhappy Eclipse of thy glory is. Men who would see the Eclipse of the Sun, choose to see it in a vessel of clear water, and enlightened souls see the greatness of their Eclipse best in the vessel filled with tears of Godly sorrow.   

6. Direction. Join learning and experience together, study it jointly in thy heart, & other men's books.  
6. Wouldst thou get, and keep up a right Knowledge and apprehension of this sinning sin, of this indwelling lust? then join the Practical Divine, the experienced Christian, and thy own observation to thy study of those authors who are accounted highly for their great learning. Do not seek a right Knowledge of this only from the learned, nor yet promise thyself a full Knowledge of it without them. I know others may have a Knowledge full and sufficient for them (because they are not Scholars, nor must be preachers) without enquiry into it, by the directions of learned men, but you are Scholars, who may possibly be teachers of others, you must in order to a full discovery examine what learned men have said in this: but yet consider that somewhat else beside learning is requisite to make them meet guides to you: join therefore Learning and Experience together in those Authors you study touching this, their Learning enables them to discover the truth in the more speculative, & notional parts of it; their Experience enables them to discover the truth in the more Paracticall part, which hath most influence on the life. And if thou canst, (as I am sure thou mayest) find both Learning and Grace happily meeting in the same persons, and sweetly flowing from their pen, in what they have wrote touching this matter, Prize and study them: but forget not to study thine own heart at the same time, who so wisely joins these together for the information of a teachable soul, is not (I think) in much danger of mistaking a false, and unprofitable for a true and advantageous Knowledge of this doctrine. In which there are some things difficult and not obvious to every one, which must be sought in the Schools: and other things Experimental, and spiritual, which must be sought at the mouth of a gracious and sanctified person. Their learning will be a glass to represent the one, their Experience will be a glass to represent the other part to you. Their learning will inform your judgements, and their experience will discover your hearts to you, while you shall observe that your hearts answer to theirs in those Motions and proneness to sin, which are now the matter of your daily exercise and complaints, as they once were the matter of their daily exercise and complaints. In one word, in such a combination, thou hast the skill of a Physician, and the experience of a sick recovered patiented to inform thee, and direct thee in the very same case and disease. His skill can tell thee the cause, with the danger, and cure: His experience can tell thee the manner of this disease in its workings, and the sure method of applying the means, that will not fail to heal thee. And thou wilt say, who so knows his disease thus, knows it aright: Be you then diligent in using their learning as Scholars, and their Experience as Saints, and you may well hope to get a sufficient insight into this, both as it is a knowledge 

Profound and deep, fit to be searched after by Scholars, and as it is  
Spiritual, Experimental, and practical in its nature and right tendency, only obtained by Saints.       
FINIS.   

A Catalogue of Books printed for, and to be sold by Richard Davis at his shop near Oriell College in Oxford.  

A Paraphrase, and Annotations on the whole Book of Psalms, by Hen: Hammond, D.D. in folio.  
— A Paraphrase, and Annotations upon all the Books of the New Testament, in folio: the second Editition.  
— The Practical Catechism, with all other his English Treatises, in two volumes in 4o.  
— Differtationes quatuor quibus Episcopatus Jura ex S. Scriptures & Primaeva Antiquitate adstruuntur, contra sententiam Blondelli & aliorum, 4o.  
— A Review of the Paraphrase and Annotations on the New Testament. 8o.  
— Some profitable directions both for Priest and People, in two Sermons. 8o.  
— A Collection of several Replies and vindications. Published of late most of them in defence of the Church of Engl: in 4 volumes 4o.  
— The Dispatcher dispatched, in Answer to a Roman Catholick's book, entitled, Schism dispatched. 4o. new.  
— A Letter of Resolution to six Queries, 12º,  
— Of Schism. A defence of the Church of England against the exceptions of the Romanists. 12o.  
— Of Fundamentals in a Notion referring to Practice. 12o.  
— Paraenesis, or a seasonable exhortation to all true sons of the Church of England, 12ᵒ.  
A view of the Threats and Punishments recorded in Scripture, Alphabetically composed, with some brief Observations upon several Texts, by Zach: Bogan of C.C.C. in Oxon. 8o.  
— The Mirt● of a Christian Life, and the sorrows of a Wicked Life, 8ᵒ.  
Fides Apostolica, or, A Discourse asserting the received Authors and Authority of the Apostles Creed: together with the Grounds and Ends of the Composing thereof by the Apostles, the sufficiency thereof for the Rule of Faith etc. With a double Appendix, 1. Touching the Athanasian, The Nicene Creed: by George Ashwell, B.D. 8ᵒ.  
Ailmeri Musae Sacrae, seu Ionas, Jeremiae Threni, & Daniel Graecè redditi carmine, 8ᵒ.  
Ad Grammaticen ordinariam supplementa quaedam. Editio 2. multis auctior. 8ᵒ.  
A Guide to to the Holy City, or Directions and Helps to an Holy life, by John Reading B.D. 4ᵒ  
Theses quadragesimales Philosophiae Novae, in Scholis Oxonii Publicis, à Carolo Potter. 12ᵒ.  
Contemplationes Metaphysicae, Authore Georg. Ritscheli Bohemo, 8ᵒ.  
Aditus ad Logicam, Authore Samuele Smith, 8ᵒ.  
Elementa Logicae, Authore Edwardo Brerewood, 12ᵒ.  
Johan. Buridani Questiones in octo Libros Politicorum Aristotelis, 4ᵒ.  
Robert Baronii Philosophia Theologiae Ancillans, Edit. nova. 12ᵒ.  
Rob: Baronii Metaphysica. Edit: nova, 12o.  
The hurt of Sedition, by S. John Cheek, 4ᵒ.  
The Christian Race, a Sermen on Heb. 12.1. by Tho. Barton, 4ᵒ.  
A Sermon on 2 of Timothy, chap. 3. v. 1,2,3,4,5. by Will: Chillingworth, 4ᵒ.  
A funeral Sermon on Phil. 1.23. by John Millet, 4ᵒ.  
A Funeral Scrmon on 1 Cor. 7.29,30,31. by Tho: Hauskins. 8ᵒ.  
A Nomenclator of such Tracts and Sermons as have been printed or translated into English upon any place or book of the Holy Scripture, now to be had in the Public Library in Oxf. by Jo. Vernevill. 12ᵒ.  
The Vaulting-Master, or the Art of Vaulting, illustrated with Sixteen brass figures, by William Stoaks. 4ᵒ.  
Ramus Olivae, Concio habita ad clerum in Templo Beatae Mariae Oxon, 8ᵒ. Junii pro inchoando Termino. A Joh. Wall, T. D. & Col. Aedis Chirsti Praebendario. 8ᵒ.  
A brief Treatise touching the preservation of the Eyesight by Walter Baley, sometimes Fellow of N. College, Regius professor in Physic, and Physician to Queen Elizabeth. 8ᵒ.  
Essays and Observations, wherein many of the humours and diseases of the age are discovered and characterized, by a student in Theology. 8ᵒ.  
Porta Mosis, sive Dissertationes aliquot à R. Mose Maimonide. Nunc primum Arabicè prout ab ipso Autore conscriptae sunt, & Latinè editae. Unà cum Appendice Notarum Miscellanea, operâ & study Edvardi Pocockii, Linguae Hebr: & Arab: in Acad. Oxon. Professoris. 4ᵒ.  
Idea Trigonometriae Demonstratae. Item Praelectio de Cometis. Et Inquisitio in Bullialdi Astronomiae Philolaicae Fundamenta, Authore Setho Wardo, in Acad. Oxon. Astronomiae Professore Saviliano. 4o.  
— In Thomae Hobbii Philosophiam exercitatio Epistolica, 8ᵒ.  
Delphi Phoenicizantes, etc. Authore Edm. Dickinsono, Med. Doc. & Mertonensis Colleg. Socio, in 8ᵒ.  
Logicae Artis Compendium, Authore Rob Sanderson, Coll. Lincoln. in almâ Oxoniensi quondam Socio, & in Eadem Academia Sacrae Theologiae postea Professore Regio, Edit. 5a. 12ᵒ.  
A Paraphrase on Habbakuk, by Dr. Stoakes. 4ᵒ.  
A Christian Legacy; viz. 

1. A Preparation for Death etc.  
2. A Consolation against Death etc.   by Edw. Hyde, D.D. 12ᵒ.  
Christ and his Church: or Christianity explained under 7. Evangelicall and Ecclesiastical Heads: with a Justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian Religion and Christian Communion. 4ᵒ. 1658.  
— A Christian Vindication of Truth against Error, concerning 7 Controversies; most between the Church of England, and the Romanists, in 12ᵒ. new.  
Ric: Gardiner Herefordensis, Specimen Oratorum. 12ᵒ.  


The City Match. 4ᵒ.  
The Amorous War. 4ᵒ.   both long since written by I. M. St: of Ch: Changed Oxon.  
Ovid's Invective against Ibis, translated into English Verse, and the Histories therein briefly explained, with Natural, Moral, Poetical, Political, Mathematical, and Theological Applications: by Jo: Jones, Teacher of a Private School in Hereford. 8ᵒ.  
Two Assize Sermons, preached at Reading and Abingdon in Berks: with two others preached at St. Mary's in Oxford: by Jo: Hinckley, Minister of the Gospel at Colsehill in Berks. 12ᵒ.  
The Devil of Mascon, or a true Relation of what an Unclean Spirit did and said at Mascon in Burgundy, attested by several persons of Eminency, both for Learning and Piety: the 3d. Edition. 8ᵒ.  
Burgesditii Metaphysica. 12ᵒ.  
Directions for a Godly Life: especially for Communicating at the Lords Table, by H. Tozer: the 6th. Edition. 12ᵒ.  
Hen: Savilii Oratio coram Reginâ Elizabethâ Oxoniae habita, etc. 4ᵒ.  
Juelli Apologia Ecclesiae Anglican: Graecolat. 8ᵒ.  
Enchiridion Botanicum: or a Complete Herbal, containing the sum of what hath been hitherto published either by Ancient or Modern Authors, both galenical and Chymichall, touching Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Fruits, Flowers, etc. in an Alphabetical order, in which are distinguished all that are in the Physic Garden in Oxford, showing their Place, Time, Names, Kinds, Temperature, Virtues, Use, Dose, Danger, and Antidotes, etc. by Ro: Lovel, St: of Ch: Changed Oxon. in 12ᵒ.  
The Circles of Proportion, and the horizontal Instrument etc. both invented, and the uses of both written in Latin by W. Oughtred, Aetonensis. Transtated into English, and set forth for the public benefit by W. F. And now by the Authors consent revised, corrected, and freed from all mistakes in the former edition: and also much amplified and explained by A. H. Gent. with brass figures. 8o. New.  
A Treatise proving the necessity of a Learned Ministry, by H. Th. St: Changed Oxon. 8o. New.  
Exercitationes duae. Prima de Hystericâ Passione: secunda de Affectione Hypochondriacâ. Authore Nathaniele Highmoro, Artium & Medicinae Doctore. 8o. New.