clearer proof of it we shall get at the day of judgment, the day in which "God will judge the secrets of men." Rom. ii. 16. Many a foul mouth will then be seen, which is now wiped," and saith, I have done no wickedness," Prov. xxx. 20.

Lastly, Is it not natural for us to extenuate our sin, and transfer the guilt upon others? And when God examined our guilty first parents, did not Adam lay the blame on the woman? and did not the woman lay the blame on the serpent? Gen. iii. 12, 13. Now Adam's children need not to be taught this hellish policy; for before they can well speak (if they cannot get the fact denied) they will cunningly lisp out some. thing to lessen their fault, and lay the blame upon another. Nay, so natural is this to men, that, in the greatest sins, they will lay the fault upon God himself; they will blaspheme his holy providence, under the mistaken name of misfortune, or ill-luck, and thereby lay the blame of their sin at heaven's door. And was not this one of Adam's tricks, after his fall? Gen. iii. 12. "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Observe the order of the speech. He makes his apology in the first place; and then comes his confession: his apology is long; but his confession very short; it is all comprehended in a word, "And I did eat. How pointed and distinct is his apology, as if he was afraid his meaning should have been mistaken! The woman, says he, or that woman, as if he would have pointed the Judge to his own work, of which we read, Gen. ii. 22. There was but one woman then in the world; so that one would think he needed not have been so nice and exact in pointing at her: yet she is as carefully marked out, in his defence, as if there had been ten thousand. "The woman whom thou gavest me." Here he speaks as if he had been ruined with God's gift: and, to make the gift look the blacker, it is added to all this, "Thou gavest to be with me, as my constant companion, to stand by me as a helper. This looks as if Adam would have fathered an ill design upon the Lord in giving him this gift. And

after all, there is a new demonstrative here, before the sentence is complete: he says not, The woman gave. me, but "The woman she gave me," emphatically, as if he had said, She, even she, gave me of the tree. Thus much for his apology. But his confession is quickly over, in one word, (as he spoke it)" and I did eat.". And there is nothing here to point to himself, and as little to shew what he had eaten. How natural is this black art to Adam's posterity! He that runs may read it. So universally doth Solomon's observation hold true, Prov. xvi. 3. "The foolishness of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Let us then call fallen. Adam, father let us not deny the relation, seeing we bear his image.

And now to shut up this point, sufficiently confirmed by concurring evidence from the Lord's word, our own experience, and observation. Let us be persuaded to believe the doctrine of the corruption of our naturc; and to look to the second Adam, the blessed Jesus, for the application of his precious blood, to remove the guilt of his sin; and for the efficacy of his Holy Spirit, to make us new creatures, knowing that except we be born again, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

66

OF THE CORRUPTION OF THE UNDERSTANDING.

SECONDLY, I proceed to inquire into the corruption of nature, in the several parts thereof. But who can comprehend it? Who can take the exact dimensions of it, in its breadth, length, height, and depth?"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?" Jer. xvii. 9. However, we may quickly perceive as much of it as may be matter of deepest humiliation, and may discover to us the absolute necessity of regeneration. Man in his natural state is altogether corrupt: both soul_and body are polluted, as the apostle proves at large, Rom. iii. 10-18. As for the soul, this natural corruption has spread itself through all the faculties thereof; and

is to be found in the understanding, the will, the affections, the conscience, and the memory.

I. The understanding, that leading faculty, is despoiled of its primitive glory, and covered over with confusion. We have fallen into the hands of our grand adversary, as Samson in the hands of the Philistines, and are deprived of our two eyes. "There is none that understandeth," Rom. iii. 11. Mind and conscience are defiled, Tit. i. 15. The natural man's apprehension of divine things is corrupt, Psal. 1. 21. "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." His judgment is corrupt, and cannot be otherwise, seeing his "eye is evil :" and therefore the scriptures, to shew that men did all wrong, says, "every one did that which was right in his own eyes, Judg. xvii. 6. and xi. 25. And his imaginations or reasonings must be cast down, by the power of the word, being of a piece with his judgment, 2 Cor. x. 5. But to point out this corruption of the mind or understanding inore particularly, let these following things be considered.

First, There is a natural weakness in the minds of men, with respect to spiritual things. The apostle determines concerning every one that is not endued with the graces of the Spirit, "That he is blind, and cannot see afar off," 2 Pet. i. 9. Hence the Spirit of God, in the scriptures, clothes, as it were, divine truths with earthly figures, even as parents teach their children," using similitudes," Hos. xii. 10. which, though it doth not cure, yet doth evidence this natural weakness in the minds of men. But we want not plain proofs of it from experience. As, (1.) How hard a task is it to teach many people the common principles of our holy religion, and to make truths so plain as they may understand them! Here there must be 66 precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line," Isa. xxviii. 9. Try the same persons in other things, they shall be found "wiser in their generation than the children of light." They understand their work and business in the world, as well as their neighbours; though they be very

stupid and unteachable in the matters of God. Tell them how they may advance their worldly wealth, or how they may gratify their lusts, and they will quickly understand these things; though it is very hard to make them know how their souls may be saved, or how their hearts may find rest in Jesus Christ. (2.) Consider those who have many advantages, beyond the common rank of mankind: who have had the benefit of good education and instruction; yea, and are blest with the light of grace, in that measure wherein it is described to the saints on earth: yet how small a portion have they of the knowledge of divine things! What ignorance and confusion do still remain in their minds how often are they mired, even in the matter of practical truths, and speak as a child in these things! It is a pitiful weakness, that we cannot perceive the things which God has revealed to us; and it must needs be a sinful weakness, since the law of God requires us to know and believe them. (3.) What dangerous mistakes are to be found amongst men, in their concerns of greatest weight! What woeful delusions prevail over them! Do we not often see those who, otherwise, are the wisest of men, the most notorious fools, with respect to their soul's interest? Matt. xi. 25. "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent." Many that are eagle-eyed in the trifles of time, are like owls and bats in the light of life. Nay, truly, the life of every natural man is but one continued dream and delusion, out of which he never awakes, till either, by a new light darted from heaven into his soul, he come to himself, Luke xv. 17. or, "in hell he lifts up his eyes," chap. xvi. 23. and therefore, in scripture account, be he never so wise, he is a fool.

Secondly, Man's understanding is naturally overwhelmed with gross darkness in spiritual things. Man, at the instigation of the devil, attempting to break out a new light in his mind, Gen. iii. 5. instead of that, broke up the doors of the bottomless pit; so as, by the smoke thereof, he was buried in darkness. When God at first had made man, his mind was a

lamp of light; but now when he comes to make him over again, in regeneration, he finds it darkness, Eph. v. 8. "Ye were sometimes darkness." Sin has closed the windows of the soul, darkness is over all that region. It is the land of darkness and shadow of death, where the light is as darkness. The prince of darkness reigns there, and nothing but the works of darkness are framed there. We are born spiritually blind, and cannot be restored without a miracle of grace. This is thy case, whosoever thou art, that art not born again. And that you may be convinced in this matter, take these following evidences of it.

Evidence 1. The darkness that was upon the face of the world, before, and at the time when, Christ came, arising, as the Sun of Righteousness, upon the earth. When Adam, by his sin, had lost that primitive light wherewith he was endued in his creation, it pleased God to make a glorious revelation of his mind and will to him, touching the way of salvation, Gen. iii. 15. This was handed down by him and other godly fathers before the flood: yet the natural darkness of the mind of man prevailed so far against that revelation, as to carry off all sense of true religion from the old world, except what remained in Noah's family, which was preserved in the ark. After the flood, as men multiplied on the earth, the natural darkness of mind prevails again, and the light decays, till it died out among the generality of mankind, and was preserved only among the posterity of Shem. And even with them it was well near its setting, when God called Abraham from serving other gods, Josh. xxiv. 15. God gives Abraham a more clear and full revelation, and he com municates the same to his family, Gen. xviii. 19. yet the natural darkness wears it out at length, save that it was preserved among the posterity of Jacob. They being carried down into Egypt, that darkness prevailed so, as to leave them very little sense of true religion; and a new revelation behoved to be made them in the wilderness. And many a cloud of darkness got above that, now and then, during the time from Moses to Christ. When Christ came, the world was divided into