thing to himself, all appetites and defires to fuch government. This we have experience of, that we are but weak to discern; and many times unrefolved what to do, and uncertain to perform. If we come to judge, we judge fallibly; if we come to refolve, we are off and on; if we come to execute and perform, we are many times beaten off from ourfelves. There is a whole chapter, Luke xv. to represent this loft ftate of man in three parables, that of a loft groat, a lost sheep, and a lost son. That of the loft groat represents the stupidity, dulnefs and incapacity of finners; they being void of all understanding for a groat is a thing without any life or motion by which parable is represented the ftupidity and fenflefsnefs of finners; that are funk, and loft. Then there is the wandring fheep: A fheep is indeed an innocent creature, but very filly and expofed to all forts of dangers; from dogs, wolves, briers, and thorns; and if once 'tis gone from the food, there is no hope of returning by its own care. This doth alfo reprefent the ftate of finners, who are very fools, when they do part from the way of righteousness; and very feldom return by their own care and confideration, but even like loft sheep wandring from the fold, fo they wander up and down in the wilderness of this world. The third parable is that of the prodigal fon, which represents the state of diffolute and profane finners that make havock of their confcience, that are defperate and prefumptuous, and very hardly drawn to any true confideration. These three parables reprefent the ftate and condition of loft finners. From all which you may understand, that if we were not called from heaven, and God did not give us ears to hear, and draw finners with power from above, there were little hopes of reclaiming finners from their desperate condition. And that is the first thing in this particular, man in this state is not as he fhould be, because he hath contracted guilt, because he hath marred his spirit and spoiled his principle: he hath done that which is unnatural. And you must know, that as the edge of a razor is fooner turned, because of its keennefs; fo in this cafe, the mind of man, being made to carry accuracy of apprehenfion; if he do a bafe, vile and unnatural act, he doth more marr and spoil his mind that is made to ingenuity whereas blunter edges would endure more violence. Man therefore is a more confiderable creature than his present ftate doth represent him to be. 2. Neither is he, as he would be, if he do well confider; for this we have experience of, that if any man hath worfted himfelf, and his circumftances be grown worse than they have been, and he apprehends himself a lofer; he will never fit down fatisfied, but his whole thought and contrivance will be about his recovery, and to become as he was. This we obferve in nature, that there is nothing at reft and quiet, being in an unnatural ftate, but every thing endeavours to recover itself. Water, if it be fullied never so much, if it hath time, will work the dregs to the bottom. And every thing in nature if it may, it will not only preferve itself in its natural condition : but being diverted from its na tural tural course, will recover itself, as foon as it may. And do you think that the rational nature will not defire to be as well, as by nature, it could be? Now we having contracted guilt, and spoiled our principles by confenting to iniquity: if we do but confider, it will come into our minds, to recover ourfelves by repentance; by which there is a revoking, and as it were, an undoing of what hath been unduly done. For whofoever commits a fin and doth not repent of it, he lives in it: but he that having committed a fin, repents of it, he doth revoke and undo it as far as it is in his power. Therefore man in a state of fin, is not as he should be, for fin is unnatural neither is he as he would be, because he is in a state of deformity, and impurity; and it is natural for every thing not only to conferve, but to recover its own perfection. That is the fecond particular which fhews man to be a more valuable creature than his state in this world doth represent him to be because in this ftate, he neither is as he fhould be, (nor if he confiders) as he would be. 3. There are many appearances in this world, that seem to reprefent man a very mean and ordinary creature whereas, upon a true account, he is very noble and generous, fit for attendance upon God, and converse with angels. Now if I can make this out, you will eafily grant, that man is a much more valuable creature, than this world doth represent him; and this I fhall do in fix particulars. 1. The ftate of man in this world doth reprefent him subject to the fame vanity, that all other creatures lie under, as in Job. xvii. 14. I have faid to corruption, corruption, thou art my father: to the worm, thou art my mother and my fifter. And what worse thing befalls any creature, than to be exposed to corruption and rottenness ? So Ecclef. iii. 19. faith the wise man, that which befalleth the fons of men, befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, fodieth the other, yea they have all one breath; fo that a man hath no preheminence above a beast, for all is vanity. Thus Solomon (the great fearcher into things) represents man. But this is all as to his outward state and appearance; for in reality, man is made for immortality, and his foul is divine. For fo Solomon faith, Eccl. xii. 7. The Spirit doth return to God that gave it; and Job. xix. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I fhall fee him at the laft. And though I do believe that the first meaning of these wrods, is to express Job's faith and confidence in God, that he should have his worldly estate restored again to him, as it did afterwards prove, and that with his very eyes, that were then even wafted and destroyed by his bodily infirmities, he should fee his Redeemer : yet according to a fuller fenfe, I underftand these words of the state of the refurrection and glory, which should be after this life was ended; upon which account our Saviour puts that question, what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lofe his own foul? Matt. xvi. 26. A very bad bargain, because that which is given as a price, is of much more worth and value, than that which is purchased. If we believe these fcriptures, we must acknowledge, that mens fouls fhall continue after their bodies; and if fo, he is much more confider able able, than his mean state and condition in this world do represent him. This is the firft? But 2. This ftate represents a man as very low and mean, because he is fubjected to low and mean employments, fit only to converfe with other creatures. And accordingly many men condemn themselves to the drudgery of this world; and do make their rational faculties very Gibeonites, and employ them to hew wood and draw water; and much of this hath an antecedent foundation in the curse, Gen. iii. 19. In the fweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, 2 Theff. iii. 10. He that will not work, neither let him eat. And man is born to labour, faith Job. And he that will not employ himself to the utmost, to maintain himfelf, comes not within the compafs of other mens charity. And therefore Solomon fends the fluggard to fchool to learn of the irrational creatures, Go to the ant thou fluggard, confider her ways and be wife, Prov. vi. 6. Now this ftate of man represents him as made to common drudgery and service. Whereas if we confider, man is made for attendance upon God, and to be happy in the enjoyment of him : and that 'tis the business of man to govern himself according to the dictates of reason, truth and virtue, and to maintain converse and fellowship with God. To this, man was made; this was the very end and defign of his creation, to have a fenfe of God as the firft caufe; and to have reft in him, as the center and to have intention of God as the laft end. O Lord thou haft made us for thyfelf, and for thy pleasure we are and were created. And the wife man faith, the fpirit in man is the candle of the : Lord. |