drop the main Design of it, and fubftitute others in its Room, no Wonder if they misunderstand and lose the Benefit of the Whole. The Order of Nature is ftrictly obferv'd in it. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Adulteries, Fornications, &C. Mat. xv. 19. And again, Ch. xiii. 3 5. A good Man out of the good TreaJure of the Heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil Man out of the evil Treasure bringeth forth evil things. Here the Reformation must begin; This is the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael after those Days, faith the Lord, I will put my Laws into their Mind, and write them in their Hearts, in the fleshly Tables of their Hearts, foften'd and prepar'd for the Impreffion, and not in Tables of Stone: In short, that Seed only which is fown in good Ground, that is, a Heart drefs'd and cultivated beforehand, can grow up unto Perfection. D 3 The As the gr Nature lies i Affections; in of the Flesh; in the Natu medy fhould to that Part; the Disease Agreeably to that our Lord, in Man, has di chiefly to this on The Jewish ftrong Address to It is very wife and s with Patacasing to any higher Design, principal Scope of it; ai Wisdom and Efficacy: but if. Der The Means provided in the Gofpel to answer this end, will be found in the wifeft and ftrictest manner adapted to it. There is not only a regular Process from first to laft delineated in the Scriptures by way of Instruction, but there are alfo proper Helps and Affistances provided, which must be allow'd to be equally neceffary, both internal and external. In fo long a Degeneracy in the Christian World, it is no wonder that these things have been overlooked, and that Chriftians in general have chofen rather to amuse themselves with trifling Speculations, or in vindicating fuch Pofitions as perhaps only fupport the Wealth and Grandeur of their respective Factions, rather than in those Instructions which lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree, and would eradicate the firft Seeds of their favourite Vices and Corruptions. 'Tis no wonder that the continued Follies and and irregular Behaviour of Chriftians fhould be a Caufe of Infidelity, tho' it is not a just one; for many can see what is wrong who have not Honesty or Sagacity enough to discover the Truth. 'Tis no wonder that Christianity, corruptly explain'd, and worfe practis'd, fhould be disbeliev'd. Were the Gospel taught and exemplify'd in our Lives, as it was by the primitive Christians, there would not be at this time of day so many serious Unbelievers. I must not at present enter into fo large a Field of Discourse as the particular Means provided by our Lord for the regulating our Affections, for the difpofing us to receive with Meekness the ingrafted Word, and to know the Truth as it was in Jefus; I fhall only observe in general, that our Lord had his Fore-runner to prepare the way, and difpofe the People for his Reception; that he chofe his D 4 Fol |