The Insufficiency of Nature.

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that have loitered away their time in an alehouse, being sensible how the darkness of the night creeps upon them, spur on, and outstrip those that were many miles on their way, and get to their stage before them. So these publicans and harlots which were at a great distance from heaven, arrived there before those who, like the young man, were not far off from it.

Great sinners are most easily convinced of the notorious wickedness of their lives; and reflecting upon themselves because of their horrid crimes against the light of nature, are more inclinable to endeavour an escape from the devil's slavery, and are frighted and shaken by their consciences into a compliance with the doctrine of redemption; whereas those that do by nature the things contained in the law, are so much a law to themselves, that it is difficult to persuade them of the necessity of conforming to another law, and to part with this self-law in matter of justification. As metals of the noblest substance are hardest to be polished; so men of the most generous, natural, and moral endowments are with more difficulty argued into a state of christianity, than those of more drossy conversations. Cassianus speaks very peremptorily in this case; frequenter vidimus de frigidis & carnalibus ad spiritualem venisse fervorem de lepidis & animalibus nunquam.

2. To shew the insufficiency of nature to such a work as conversion is, that men may not fall down, and idolize their own wit and power. A change from acts of sin to moral duties, may be done by a natural strength, and the prevalency of natural conscience : for the very same motives which led to sin, as education, interest, profit, may upon a change of circumstances, guide men to an outward morality; but a change to the contrary grace is supernatural.

Two things are certain in nature. (1.) Natural inclinations never change, but by some superior virtue. A loadstone will not cease to draw iron, while that

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attractive quality remains in it. The wolf can never love the lamb, nor the lamb the wolf; nothing but must act suitably to its nature. Water cannot

but moisten, fire cannot but burn. So likewise the corrupt nature of man being possessed with an invincible contrariety and enmity to God, will never suffer him to comply with God. And the inclinations of a sinner to sin being more strengthened by the frequency of sinful acts, have as great a power over him, and as natural to him, as any qualities are to natural agents: and being stronger than any sympathies in the world, cannot by a man's own power, or the power of any other nature equal to it, be turned into a contrary channel.

(2.) Nothing can act beyond its own principle and nature. Nothing in the world can raise itself to a higher rank of being, than that which nature hath placed it in; a spark cannot make itself a star, though it mount a little up to heaven; nor a plant endue itself with sense, nor a beast adorn itself with reason; nor a man make himself an angel. Thorns cannot bring forth grapes, nor thistles produce figs; because such fruits are above the nature of those plants. So neither can our corrupt nature bring forth grace, which is a fruit above it. Effectus non excedit virtutem suæ causa: grace is more excellent than nature, therefore cannot be the fruit of nature. It is Christ's conclusion, How can you being evil, speak good things? Matt. 12. 33, 34. Not so much as the buds and blossoms of words, much less the fruit of actions, They can no more change their natures, than a viper can cashier his poison. Now though this I have said be true, yet there is nothing man does more affect in the world than a self-sufficiency, and an independency upon any other power but his own. temper is as much riveted in his nature, as any other false principle whatsoever: for man does derive it from his first parents, as the prime legacy bequeathed to his nature for it was the first thing discovered in

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Man's Affection to Sin.

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man at his fall; he would be as God, independent upon him. Now God, to cross this principle, suffers his elect, like Lazarus, to lie in the grave, till they stink, that there may be no excuse to ascribe their resurrection to their own power. If a putrified rotten carcase should be brought to life, it could never be thought that it inspired itself with that active principle. God lets men run on so far in sin, that they do unman themselves, that he may proclaim to all the world, that we are unable to do any thing of ourselves at first towards our recovery, without a superior principle. The evidence of which will appear if we consider,

1. Man's subjection under sin. He is sold under sin, Rom. 7. 14, and brought into captivity to the law of sin, ver. 23, law of sin, that sin seems to have a legal authority over him; and man is not only a slave to one sin, but divers, Tit. 1. 3, serving divers lusts. Now when a man is sold under the power of a thousand lusts, every one of which hath an absolute tyranny over him, and rules him as a sovereign by a law; when a man is thus bound by a thousand laws, a thousand cords and fetters, and carried whither his lords please, against the dictates of his own conscience, and force of natural light; can any man imagine, that his own power can rescue him from the strength of these masters that claim such a right to him, and keep such a force upon him, and have so often baffled his own strength, when he offered to turn head against them?

2. Man's affection to them. He doth not only serve them, but he serves them, and every one of them, with delight and pleasure, Tit. 3. 3. They were all pleasures, as well as lusts; friends as well as lords. Will any man leave his voluptuousness, and such sins that please and flatter his flesh? Will a man ever endeavour to run away from those lords which he serves with affection? having as much delight in being bound a slave to these lusts, as the devil

hath in binding him. Therefore when you see a man cast away his pleasures, deprive himself of those contentiments to which his soul was once knit, and walk in paths contrary to corrupt nature, you may search for the cause any where, rather than in nature itself. No piece of dirty muddy clay can form itself into a neat and handsome vessel; no plain piece of timber can fit itself for the building, much less a crooked one. Nor a man that is born blind, give himself eyes.

God deals with men in this case, as he did with Abraham. He would not give Isaac, while Sarah's womb, in a natural probability, might have borne him; but when her womb was dead, and age had taken away all natural strength of conception, then God gives him; that it might appear, that he was not a child of nature, but a child of promise. I have been the larger on these two heads (which I design rather as things premised, than reasons) because these two principles of common honesty, and self-sufficiency, are the great impediments to conversion, and natural to

most men.

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PART II.

GOD'S REGARD FOR HIS OWN GLORY.

For the glory of his patience-Of his grace-Of its fulness--Its freeness-Its extent-Its compassion-The pleasure of it-The glory of his power-Conversion a greater work than creation-Called a resurrection -His power draws sinners to Christ-Glory of his wisdom-In the objects of his choice-In the time of conversion-Instanced in the conversion of Saul -Wisdom in maintaining the credit of the death of Christ-The value of his sacrifice-The virtue of it -Abounding of grace-God saves the chief of sinners for his own glory.

1.

THE glory of his patience. glory of his patience. We wonder when we see a notorious sinner, how God can let his thunders lie still by him, and his sword rust in his sheath. And indeed when such are converted, they wonder themselves, that God did not draw his sword out, and pierce their bowels, or shoot one of his arrows into their hearts all this while. But God by such a forbearance shews himself to be God indeed, and something in this act infinitely above such a weak creature as man is; I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, Iwill not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man, Hosea, 11. 9. When God had reckoned up their sins before, and they might have expected the sen