SERMON VIII.*

SEVERAL inferences have been recommended to

already, and others remain to be added. A fifth inference, is that the depravation of man's nature in the state of apostacy is total.-Being born denotes a total production, and the thing produced is only somewhat substituted in the room of the nature depraved: and what was corrupted and what is substituted instead of it, must necessarily be commensurate and proportionable to one another. If a man should have a leg or arm perish; he would not say, the production of that arm was a being born; for being born, is the production of all the parts together, not of this or that single part alone. And hence it is that that which is corrupted, and that which is anew produced, are in Scripture spoken of under the name of a man; an old man, and a new man. The frame of graces,

that impress of holiness, wherein the new creature doth consist, must be understood to be a whole entire body of graces; as the sins which meet together originally in the nature of man, are called by the name of the body of the sins of the flesh,

* Preached February 6th, 1677. at Cordwainer's Hall,

which is to be destroyed; and elsewhere, the body of sin. It is therefore a forlorn miserable state that men are antecedently in, to their being born spirit of spirit. And it is of no small consequence, that it be distinctly understood, and sink into our hearts, that this depravation is total, and that we need to be made new throughout. As we have it in 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things are become new. Where this is not understood, it is of most unhappy consequence in these two respects-men take not up right thoughts of the distressedness of their own case; and-by consequence they never apply themselves to the proper business of the redress of it.

I. They never take up right thoughts of the wretchedness of their own case. They understand neither the extent of it, nor wherein it doth especially consist. They understand not how extensive it is in a twofold respect, that is, to the subject disaffected, and the object whereunto they are disaffected. There is a twofold totality to be considered in this matter, both subjective, and objective. The subject is disaffected universally in every faculty; the mind, and judgment, and will, and conscience and affections, and executive powers; and by a kind of participation, the whole outward man. The apostle applying passages out of the Old Testament, runs over the several parts; Their throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under their lips, their feet make haste to shed blood, &c. Rom. 3. This is little apprehended by them who consider not the work to be wrought under the notion of a birth, which supposes the antecedent corruption, which always leads the way to generation, to have been universal and total.

And it is as little considered, that this disaffection, as it hath spread itself through the whole subject; so it refers to the whole object, which they ought to be otherwise affected to.: that is, the whole law of God, or the entire sum of their duty. They make nothing of it, considered as a duty and enjoined by God, and whereby they pay a respect and homage to him; and indeed every act of duty should be in that regard an act of religion; and that religion is of no value, if this do not run through it, and is only the body and carcass of it, but not the soul and spirit. This is not understood, that in reference to every part of duty which is enjoined, there is a disaffection in the spirits of men, and they are to every good work reprobate: that is, they do not know how to make proof of themselves, or approve themselves in any work they undertake which is truly good; and cannot accordingly be approved of God in what they do or go about.

But besides that the extent of this wretched case is not un

derstood by such as do not consider, that a total depravation is now befallen the nature of man; so that is waved and overlooked which is the special thing in respect both of the object and subject, wherein the misery of their case doth more principally lie: that is, in respect of the subject, the principal depravation is in the heart; in respect of the object, the principal is towards God himself. True it is indeed that by the corruption which hath spread itself through the world, men are become hateful to God, and haters of one another; very illtempered towards one another; but we may observe that men are a great deal more easily brought to civility, than religion; and are with much less ado, whatever their tempers and dispositions are, brought to be kind one to another, than to take up loyal and dutiful affections towards God, and deport themselves suitably towards him. Nothing is more plain than that this depravedness which is in the spirits of men, and which this begetting them of the Spirit is to cure, hath for its principal subjeet and seat, the heart; and for the principal object the blessed God. That is, the heart, as that doth contain within the compass of it, the judgment, will and affections of the soul; will by no means endure to be exercised about God. Notional thoughts men can tell how to employ about him, without any great trouble to themselves; they regret it not; but deeply to consider, and with a design to choose him as their God; to desire after him, to love him, and delight in him, and fear before him as such, therein the great disaffection of the spirit of a man towards God, doth especially discover itself. This men will not understand, while they apprehend not that the thing to be effected by regeneration, is to make them new at the heart; and to renew the heart principally towards God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me." When once that work is done, then this becomes the sense and posture of the soul; "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." A renewed soul presently turns itself to God, and hath a biass put upon it, which inclines it towards him: "Whom have I in heaven, but thee? and there is none on earth I desire in comparison of thee." He is singled out as the one Good, in which the soul doth centre and rest; "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever:" that is, dwell in the divine presence, and be always nigh to God.

But this great disaffection of the heart towards God, is still overlooked by the generality of men, as if they did not need to be cured in this respect. And herein they are very much confirmed, because it is become so customary a thing never to make such kind of reflections upon themselves which may na

turally and probably lead to the discovery of their case, in this regard. Men do not compare themselves with the rule, and what it requires the dispositions of men's spirits to God, should be. It summarily saith, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and all thy strength, and all thy mind." And they do not compare themselves with the examples of holy men; for such they cannot but read of, if they consult their Bibles; and such they may possibly sometimes converse with, who can say somewhat of the disposition of their spirits towards God; how pleasant it is to be conversant with him; how they can entertain themselves in solitude, and what a solace it is to a vacant and leisure hour, wherein they can be entirely taken up in conversing with God. They do not compare themselves with the rule, or with other holy men; but they compare themselves, as the apostle speaks, with themselves, (2 Cor. 10. 12.) and so they are not wise, or never come to understand themselves. They only compare themselves with themselves; and they find they agree with themselves well enough; that is, they are such to day, as they were yesterday; and this week as last; and this year, as the year before, and for many years, past. They agree with themselves very well, and so only comparing themselves with themselves they never come to understand the case. And this is very natural for men to do, and not to compare themselves with any thing which will be a reproof to them, or look ill upon them. And indeed if they took measure of their own spirits by the rule or by another good and holy man; they would say, "Things are not so with me as they should be, and as with such and such it is." When I put myself upon a trial, I find I have no disposition of heart to love God; good thoughts of him are not at all delightful to me. But when they compare themselves with themselves, they can say, "I do not vary from myself; just such a temper of spirit as I had, I have." And so they think all is well, and never grow wise, or come to be instructed concerning the truth of their case. But if this great principle of truth could once obtain to be fixed in the minds of men, that there hath been a total depravation, and their whole souls are disaffected to the whole of their duty; and especially towards God, and all that duty which more immediately terminates on him; they would have quite other thoughts concerning the distressedness of their case, than is common with them. And it is of ill consequence that so plain and great a truth as this is overlooked.

II. Hence also they apprehend not wherein their redress must lie. They are apt either to think that some partial reformation is sufficient, and if they are reformed a little in this or that particular thing, then matters will be right and good,

and will be well with them. If the drunkard take up and become sober, he thinks concerning himself, that he is a new man. If an unjust person admit a conviction, or it may be, is taught a little prudence by observing how inuch any thing of that kind reflects upon his reputation, and so he orders his affairs with more exactness; he is ready to look upon himself as regenerate. But if it were considered that there must be a being born, and that I am in a total corruption; surely another cure would be thought of than that, and it would appear no more proportionable to the case, than a man whose body was all over leprous, and full of sores, would acquiesce in the cure of a slight scratch in his little fin

ger.

And as they apprehend such a partial reformation sufficient, so they apprehend too from hence, that a vital principle is unnecessary. It is very true indeed, that with only some partial maim, a principle of life may consist, but a universal corruption imports death. If the case were therefore understood aright, men would see it necessary in order to their cure, that they should be made alive, and a principle of life put into them; which a total depravation speaks to be absent. They would never think themselves well till then, and would find that as they are alienated from the life of God; so their business was to be made alive to God, and to Jesus Christ, as those who have been dead. But again,

The sixth inference is, since in order to any one's partaking of God's kingdom, he must be born spirit of spirit, we infer further, that whosoever becomes truly and sincerely religious, a new creature is transmitted and communicated to him. This being not understood, it is all a man's business, to contrive and form for himself an artificial religion; and there are several sad consequences ensue thereupon. As

I. Men attempt to perform what is proper to the divine life, without it. The actions of the divine life which are visible to men, carry a kind of amiableness in them, in the common consciences of men and they attempt those actions which are done from a principle of life, without considering, that to be sincerely religious, is to have a new nature. They think to do these actions without that life; just as he who is observed in story, to have attempted the setting up of a carcass of one newly dead; he would fain have it stand in the posture of a living body, but how to make it stand so he knew not. head falls one way, and the hands another, and the legs tremble under it, at last he cries out, "Deest aliquid intus, there wants something within." Just so do men busy themselves to make an artificial frame, which is indeed a dead carcass of

The