A view of these lufts in the glafs of this holy law must needs be very humbling, and stain the pride of all glory. Though the outfide be never fo clean, they make a foul infide. For confider,

1. They are the members of the old man, Col. iii. 5. The corruption of nature is the old man, they are his members, which together make up the body of fin. Now, this old man being entire in all the unregenerate, thefe lufts are all in them; nay, even in the regenerate, so far as the corrup tion of nature still dwells in them, though the power of them be broken, yet they still remain, and afford work to them for daily mortification. So that there is none who may not proportionally take that character to themselves, "Being filled with all unrighteoufnefs," Rom. i. 29.; that is to fay, all manner of lufts whatsoever are in the heart of every man, though they do not all break forth in their lives. Confider,

(1.) The fame corruption of nature is in all men whatfoever; all are originally and universally corrupt, John iii. 6. There must then be a difpofition in all to every evil thing habitually, though not actually. Doft thou fee the most abo minable lufts breaking forth in the lives of the worst? fmite on thy breast, and fay, "God be merciful to me a finner," and read thy own heart in their profligate lives, Prov. xxvii. 19. As in water face anfwereth to face, fo the heart of man to man.' When thou readeft the law of God against thefe abominations which are not fo much as to be named, conclude that these lufts are in thy heart, for God gives no laws in vain.

(2.) What is it man will not do when grace reftrains not, and temptation draws forward? Who would have thought the luft of adultery had been in David's heart, of idolatry in Solomon's after the Lord had appeared to him twice, blafphemy in the faints mentioned by Paul, Acts xxvi. 11.; or inceft in Lot's daughters? But in fuch a cafe they broke forth, which they had not done if they had not been within before.

(3.) They are the tinder anfwering the sparks of Satan's temptations in the world. It was the peculiar privilege of the man Chrift fince Adam fell, that the prince of this world had nothing in him, John xiv. 30. There is never a temptation goes abroad in the world, but there is a luft in the heart a

kin to it, fo that no wonder they embrace one another as friends when they meet. Satan by this means, be his temptation what it will, has always fomething to work upon, a fire to blow up. So that in every case whatsoever, that holds true, "He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool," Prov. xxviii. 26.

(4.) They are the filthy matter ready to gather together in a boil in the heart, which being ripened, may break forth in the life, Jam. i. 14. They make way for grofs fins, as the feed grows up into a tree that brings forth its natural fruit at length.

(5.) They are the fit oppofers of every good motion, Gal. v. 17. So that there is never a good impreffion made upon, nor motion in the heart, but among thefe lufts it finds a peculiar opposite to it, one fit to engage against it, by a peculiar malignity in it. And fo it is found in the godly, that as they have grace for grace in Chrift, fo they have corruption for grace in the unrenewed part; ftill fome one lineament of Satan's image to fet against another of God's image. And now thefe lufts have their luftings and stirrings, a view of which must be very humbling. For confider,

1st, The innumerable occafions of them; at every blink of the eye, opening of the ear, or imagination of the heart, we are in hazard of them. The sparks of temptation are continually flying about us; how can we be safe, while we have these as gunpowder about us?

2dly, How fuddenly they will flee through the heart, like a stitch in the fide, or an arrow out of a bow? A thought, a wish, is foon brought forth.

3dly, How frequent are they? when are we free of them? when is it that the crooked leg can move, and not halt?

Laftly, How little are these things noticed? That hellish fteam arifing from a corrupt nature, being fo much within doors, is little regarded, but extremely blackens the foul.

Thus much of the bitter ftreams; we come now to the fountain and fpring-head, from whence they have their rise; and that is, the corruption of nature. For as there is a poifonous nature in the ferpent, befides its throwing out of its venom; fo, befides the finful luftings of the heart, there is an habitual corruption of the nature, which is the root of these luftings, loathings, and inordinate motions. The reafon why the clock or dial points the hour wrong is, because

it is wrong fet; and till that fet be altered, it will never point right. So man's nature has a wrong fet, which we call the corruption of nature, whereby it comes to pafs that he can never act right till that fet be cured by regeneration. It is a corrupt difpofition of the foul, whereby it is unapt for any thing truly good, and prone to evil.

The understanding is deprived of its primitive light and ability, unable to think a good thought, 2 Cor. iii. 5. ; yea, darkness is over all that region, Eph. v. 8. As for the will,

it is free to evil, but not to good, utterly unable so much as rightly to will any thing truly good, Phil. ii. 13. Nay, it is averfe to it, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. It is prone and bent to evil, Hof. xi. 7.; but lies crofs and contrary to God and goodness, Rom. viii. 7. The affections are quite difordered, mifplaced as to their objects, loving what they fhould hate, and hating what they should love; or if right as to the objects, they can keep no bounds. But of this I have fpoke largely elsewhere *.

This corruption of nature is here forbidden, for it is truly and properly fin, Rom. vi. 12. and vii. 17. It is the flefh that lufteth against the Spirit, Gal. v. 18.; and if fin, it must be contrary to and forbidden by the law. And as finful anger is forbidden in the fixth commandment, as the immediate fountain of murder, Matth. v. 21, 22.; fo, by a parity of reason, the corruption of nature is forbidden here, as the immediate fountain of that coveting or lufting, expreffed therein.

And though it is impoffible for us to prevent this fin, be ing born with it, it would be confidered, that this law was originally given to Adam in innocency, requiring him to keep his nature pure and uncorrupted, and fo discharging all corruption of it; which law, after his fin, remains in as full force as ever. And that the second Adam might answer the demands of the law in this point, he was born without this corruption, and continued ever free from it. And those that are his, being regenerated, are freed from the reigning power of it, and partake of a new nature.

If we look to this fin, we have a humbling view of ourselves, and must cry, Unclean, unclean.

1. It is the fountain of all actual tranfgreffions, Mark vii.

*See Fourfold State.

21. Look to all the diforders of thy heart and life; they flow natively from hence, as the poisonous ftreams from the impoisoned fountain. Look to the diforders appearing in the lives of others, the fountain from whence they proceed is in thee. And if the cause be there, and the effect follow not, thank God, and not thyself.

2. All particular lufts are in it, as in the feed. It is the feed-plot of all particular fins. It is the curfed ground, where, let the gardener weed as he will, new ones will still fpring up. It is the cage of unclean birds, the mystery of iniquity, which we will never get to the ground of till the foundations be overturned at death.

3. We never were without it, Pfal. li. 5. It is a natural and hereditary disease, that cannot be cured without a miracle. We dread the ferpent that is naturally poisonous, more than any thing that is accidentally fo. So may we dread this beyond all things elfe. When we were not capable of actually finning, this made us guilty creatures.

4. We never are free of it, while awake or afleep. It is a permanent and abiding fin. Actual fins are tranfient, tho' not as to the guilt of them, yet as to the being of them; but whether the guilt of this be removed or not, it abides as fixed with bands of iron and brass.

Lastly, We never will be free of it while we live. If we die out of Christ, it will never be cured. But even though we be in him, yet it abides till death, and will never be totally removed till then.

Thus I have now gone through the ten commands, labouring to lay before you the commandment in its exceeding breadth. And though I have been far from reaching all the particular duties commanded, and fins forbidden; yet, from the whole of what has been faid, ye may fee,

1. What a holy God we have to do with. We fee his holiness in this law as in a glass. He can endure no evil thing; and there are many things which the world reckons not upon, which he abhors, and will punish.

2. What a holy law this law is, requiring all purity of nature, heart, lip, and life; a perfection both of parts and degrees; difcharging all manner of impurity and moral imperfection, not only in the fubftance, but in the manner of ac

tion.

3. That by the works of the law no flesh can be justified.

Who can come up to the perfection this law requires? what one line is there of this law that does not condemn us? where, is that one point to the perfection of which we attain.

4. The precioufnefs and excellency of Chrift, who has fulfilled this law in all its parts, has brought in everlasting righteoufnefs, and furnishes all that believe in him with an anfwer to all its demands.

5. The rule of righteousness, by which ye are to examine yourselves, to see your fins and fhortcomings, the mark ye are to aim at if ye would be holy in all manner of converfa tion, which is nothing the easier to be hit that it is fo broad, and the evidence of your fincerity, in a perfection of those parts, though ye cannot attain to the degrees.

Lastly, Your abfolute need of Chrift, of his blood to fprinkle you from guilt, and of his Spirit to fanctify you, that ye may be complete in him. And therefore let this holy law be your schoolmaster to bring you to Christ for all.

OF MAN'S INABILITY TO KEEP THE LAW PERFECTLY.

ECCLES. vii. 20.-For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good, and finneth not.

HA

AVING at confiderable length endeavoured to open up and explain the law of God, as abridged in the ten commandments, in fome measure in its fpirituality and extent, by defcribing the feveral duties required, and fins forbidden therein; and fhewn the abfolute impoffibility of yielding a perfect obedience thereto, in order to give a title to eternal life; and directed you to come to Chrift by faith, as the end of the law for righteousness, that your guilt may be removed by the application of his blood to your consciences, and that ye may be fanctified by his Spirit: I now proceed to the expofition of the remaining questions in the Catechifm, which I fhall mostly difcufs in a very fhort dif