their Veffels in Sanctification and Honour, to watch and be fober, to abstain from fleshly Lufts, which war against the Soul. But still this will not juftify us in applying what the Apoftle faith here of the Jew in the Flesh to true Chriftians, to good and holy Men: Because though fuch have, and while in this World, will have, fenfual Lufts and Affections to struggle with, yet they are not such Lufts as prevail and bring them into Captivity to Sin; for then they would loose their Character, and cease to be good and holy Men. They are not fuch Lufts as conquer them ; but fuch as they oppofe, conquer and mortify. And therefore it is falfe and injurious to true Religion, to fet them upon a Level with the Jew here in the Flefh, who is fuppofed to be conquered and brought into Captivity to the Law of Sin and Death.

BUT you may fay, we find in Scripture that fometimes good Men have fallen foully into Sin.And what then? Doth it follow from thence all good Men are in the Flesh, carnal and fold under Sin; that they are brought into Captivity to the Law of Sin and Death? Surely no. Good Men have fallen into Sin; but their falling into Sin doth not denominate them good Men, but their recovering themselves again to Repentance. For had they remained under the Power of Sin, carnal and fold under Sin, they would for ever

have loft the Character of good Men, and really have been in the wretched Condition the Apostle defcribeth in this Chapter. All that we can learn from the Faults of good Men in Scripture is, that they are obnoxious to Temptation, and may be overcome if they. are negligent and fecure: And further, that, through the Mercy of God, it is poffible he who hath finned may fee the Error of his Way, and return to the Obedience of the Juft. But we cannot from the Faults of good Men infer, that there is no Difference between them and wicked Men who live habitually in Sin; or that David, when in Abhorrence of his Crimes, he humbled himself before God, renounced and forfook them, was not a whit better as to the Principle in his Heart, but the fame Man as when he committed Adultery and Murder.

BUT the Prophet faith, The Heart is deceitful above all Things, and defperately wicked, who can know it? Jer. xvii. 9. Anfw. Chriftians too generally neglecting the Study of Scripture, content themfelves with a few Scraps, which, though wrong understood, they make the Teft of Truth, and the Ground of their Principles, in Contradiction to the whole Tenor of Revelation. Thus this Text hath been mifapplied to prove that every Man's Heart is fo defperately wicked, that no Man can know how wicked his Heart is.

But

But the Spirit is fhewing the wretched Error of trusting in Man. Ver. 5. Thus faith the Lord, curfed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Ver. 6. For he fhall be like the heath in the defart, and shall not Jee when good cometh, &c. Ver. 7. Bleed is the man that trufteth in the Lord, and whofe hope the Lord is. Ver. 8. For he fhall be as a tree planted by the waters, &c. And then (Ver. 9.) he fubjoins a Reafon which demonftrateth the Error of trufting in Man; The heart is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked, who can know it? We cannot look into the Hearts of thofe we truft; under great Pretences of Kindness they may cover the blackeft Defigns. But God, the univerfal Judge, he knows what is in every Man, and can preferve those who trust in him from the latent mifchievous Counfels of the wicked and treacherous. Ver. 10. I the Lord fearch the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. This Text therefore doth not relate to the Difficulty which any Man hath to know his own Heart, but the Heart of thofe in whom he may confide.

IT

It may be further urged, Do we not experience, that we have corrupt and wicked Hearts? and that the Apostle's Defcription

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(Rom.

(Rom. vii.) but too well fuits what we find in our felves?-I anfwer, every Man can best judge what he finds in himfelf: But if any Man really finds his Heart is corrupt and wicked, it is the Duty of a Minister of the Gospel to exhort him earnestly to use thofe Means which the Grace of God hath provided for purifying ourfelves from all Filthinefs of Flesh and Spirit, and for perfecting Holiness, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Let fuch a corrupt Perfon, as he valueth the Salvation of his Soul, hear and learn the Truth as it is in Jefus (Ephef. iv. 22.) whereby he will be taught to put off the old man,which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts, and to be renewed in the spirit of bis mind; and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufnefs and true holiness. To hear fome Chriftians talk, one would imagine they thought it their Duty, and a Mark of Sincerity and Goodness, to be always complaining of corrupt and defperately wicked Hearts, and confequently that they ought to have, or in fact fhould always have, fuch Hearts to complain of. But let no Man deceive himfelf. A wicked and corrupt Heart is too dangerous a Thing to be trifled with. I would not here be thought to difcourage the humble Sentiments every Man fhould have of himfelf, under our prefent Infirmities: But we may greatly wrong ourselves by a falfe Humility; and whoever carefully peruseth the New Testament will find, that, however we

are

are obliged to repent of Sin, a Spirit of complaining and bewailing is not the Spirit of the Gofpel; neither is it any Rule of true Religion, nor any Mark of Sincerity, to have a corrupt Heart, or to be always complaining of fuch a Heart. No: The Gofpel is intended to deliver us from all Iniquity, and to purify us into a peculiar People zealous of goodWorks, Tit. ii. 14. to fanctify us throughout in Body, Soul and Spirit, that we may now be Saints, may now have Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, and at length be presented without Spot or Blemish before the Prefence of God, Ephef. v. 25, 26, 27. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, not that it might continue groaning in a State of Corruption and Wickedness, but that he might, even in this World, fanctify and cleanfe it with the washing of Water, by the Word, that he might prefent it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. And this is the invariable Sense of Revelation. Nevertheless it is manifeftly true, that while we are in the Body we shall be exercised with the Infirmities and Paffions thereof. But this is not our Corruption or Wickedness, but the Trial of our Virtue and Holiness in refifting and fubduing every irregular Appetite. And it is the real Character of every true Christian, not that he feels he hath a corrupt and wicked Heart, but that he crucifieth the flesh

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