burden is he therefore free from it? No, no; only ; he is dead, and feels not the sinking weight. Many a groan is heard from a sick-bed; but never one from a grave. In the saint, as in the sick man, there is a mighty struggle; life and death striving for the mastery. But in the natural man, as in the dead corpse, there is no noise; because death bears full sway. (3.) The godly man resists the old corrupt nature; he strives to mortify it, yet it remains; he endeavours to starve it, and by that means to weaken it, yet it is active how must it spread then, and strengthen itself in that soul, where it is not starved, but fed? And this is the case of all the unregenerate, who make "provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." If the garden of the diligent afford him new work daily, in cutting off and rooting up; surely that of the sluggard must needs be all grown over with thorns.

Lastly, I shall add but one observation more, and that is, That in every man naturally the image of fallen Adam appears. Some children, by their features and lineaments of their face, do, as it were, father themselves: and thus do we resemble our first parents. Every one of us bears the image and impress of their fall upon him and to evince the truth of this, I appeal to the consciences of all, in these following particulars.

First, Is not sinful curiosity natural to us? And is not this a print of Adam's image? Gen. iii. 6. Is not man naturally much more desirous to know new things, than to practise old known truths? How like to old Adam do we look in this, itching after novelties, and disrelishing old solid doctrines! We seek after knowledge rather than holiness; and study most to know these things which are least edifying. Our wild and roving fancies need a bridle to curb them, while good solid affections must be quickened and spur

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Secondly, If the Lord, by his holy law and wise providence, do put a restraint upon us, to keep us back from any thing; doth not that restraint whet the edge

of our natural inclinations, and make us so much the keener in our desires? And in this do we not betray it plainly that we are Adam's children? Gen. iii. 2, 3, 6. I think this cannot be denied; for daily observation evinceth that it is a natural principle," that stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Prov. ix. 17. The very heathens were convinced, that man was possessed with this spirit of contradiction, though they knew not the spring of it. How often do men give themselves the loose in these things, in which if God had left them at liberty, they would have bound up themselves! But corrupt nature takes a pleasure in the very jumping over the hedge. And is it not a repeating of our father's folly that men will rather climb for forbidden fruit, than gather what is shaken off the tree of good providence to them, when they have God's express allowance for it?

Thirdly, Which of all the children of Adam is not naturally disposed to hear the instruction that causeth to err? And was it not this rock our first parents split upon? Gen. iii. 4, 6. How apt is weak man, ever since that time, to parley with temptations! "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not," Job xxxiii. 14. But readily doth he listen to Satan. Men might often come fair off, if they would dismiss temptations with abhorrence, when first they appear; if they would nip them in the bud, they would soon die away: but, alas! when we see the train laid for us, and the fire put to it, yet we may stand till it run along, and we be blown up with its force.

Fourthly, Do not the eyes in your head often blind the eyes of the mind? And was not this the very case of our first parents? Gen. iii. 6. Man is never more blind than when he is looking on the objects that are most pleasing to sense. Since the eyes of our first parents were opened to the forbidden fruit, men's eyes have been the gates of destruction to their souls at which impure imaginations and sinful desires have entered the heart, to the wounding of the soul, wasting of the conscience, and bringing dismal effects some

times on whole societies, as in Achan's case, Josh. vii. 21. Holy Job was aware of this danger, from these two little rolling bodies, which a very small splinter of wood will make useless; so as (with that king who durst not, with his ten thousand, meet him that came with twenty thou sand against him, Luke xiv. 31, 32.) he sendeth and desireth conditions of peace. Job xxxi. 1. " I have made a covenant with mine eyes," &c.

Filthly, Is it not natural to us, to care for the body even at the expense of the soul? This was one ingre dient in the sin of our first parents, Gen. iii. 6. O how happy might we be, if we were but at half the pains about our souls that we bestow upon our bodies! If that question, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts xvi. 30.) did run but nearly as oft through our minds as these other questions do, "What shall we eat? what shall we drink? wherewithal shall we be clothed ?” (Matt. vi. 31.) many a (now) hopeless case would turn very hopeful. But the truth is, most men live as if they were nothing but a lump of flesh or as if their souls served for no other use but, like salt, to keep the body from corrupting. "They are flesh," John iii. 6. They mind the things of the flesh," Rom. viii. 5. and they "live after the flesh," ver. 13. the consent of the flesh be got to an action, the consent of the conscience is rarely waited for: yea, the body is often served, when the conscience has entered a dissent against it.

If

Sixthly, Is not every one by nature discontent with his present lot in the world, or with some one thing or other in it? This was also Adam's case, Gen. iii. 5, 6 Some one thing is always missing; so that man is a creature given to changes. And if any doubt of this, let them look over all their enjoyment; and, after a review of them, listen to their own hearts, and they will hear a secret murmuring for want of something; though perhaps, if they considered the matter aright, they would see that it is better for them to want, than to have that something. Since the hearts of our first parents flew out at their eyes, on the forbidden fruit, and a night of darkness was thereby brought on the

world; their posterity have a natural disease, which Solomon calls, "The wandering of the desire," (or, as the word is, the walking of the soul,) Eccl. vi. 9. This is a sort of diabolical trance, wherein the sout traverseth the world; feeds itself, with a thousand airy nothings; snatcheth at this and the other created excellency, in imagination and desire; goes here and there, and every where, except where it should go. And the soul is never cured of this disease, till overcoming grace bring it back, to take up its everlasting rest in God, through Christ. But, till this be, if man were set again in paradise, the garden of the Lord; all the pleasures there would not keep him from looking, yea, and leaping over the hedge, a second time.

Seventh, Are we not far more easily impressed and influenced by evil counsels and examples, than by those that are good? You will see this was the ruin of Adam, Gen. iii. 6. Evil example, to this day, is one of Satan's master-devices to ruin men. And though we have, by nature, more of the fox than of the lamb; yet that ill property some observe in this creature, viz. that if one lamb skip into a water, the rest that are near will suddenly follow, may be observed also in the disposition of the children of men; to whom it is very natural to embrace an evil way, because they see others on it before them. Il example has frequently the force of a violent stream to carry us over plain duty; but, especially, if the example be given by those we bear a great affection to, our affection, in that case, blinds our judgment; and what we would abhor in others, is complied with to humour them. And nothing is more plain, than that generally men chuse rather to do what the most do, than what the best do.

Eighthly, Who of all Adam's sons need to be taught the art of sewing fig-leaves together," to cover their nakedness? Gen. iii. 7. When we have ruined ourselves, and made ourselves naked, to our shame, we naturally seek to help ourselves by ourselves; and many poor shifts are fallen upon, as silly and insigpificant as Adam's fig-leaves. What pains are men at to

cover their sin from their own consciences, and to draw all the fair colours upon it that they can! And when once convictions are fastened upon them, so that they cannot but see themselves naked, it is as natural for them to attempt to spin a cover to it, out of their own bowels, as for fishes to swim in the waters, or birds to fly in the air. Therefore the first question of the convinced is, "What shall we do?" Acts ii. 27. How shall we qualify ourselves? What shall we perform? Not minding that the new creature is God's own workmanship, (or deed, Eph. ii. 10.) more than Adam thought of being clothed with the skins of sacrifices, Gen. iii. 21.

Ninthly, Do not Adam's children naturally follow his foot-steps," in hiding themselves from the presence of the Lord," Gen. iii. 8. We are every whit as blind in this matter as he was, who thought to hide himself from the presence of God among the shady trees of the garden. We are very apt to promise ourselves more security in a secret sin, than in one that is openly committed. "The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me," Job xxiv. 15. And men will freely do that in secret, which they would be ashamed to do in the presence of a child; as if darkness could hide from an all-seeing God. Are we not naturally careless of communion with God; ay, and averse to it? Never was there any communion betwixt God and Adam's children, where the Lord himself had not the first word. If he would let them alone, they would never inquire after him. Isa. lvii.. 17. I hid me."--Did he seek after a hiding God? Very far from it," He went on in the way of his heart."

Tenthly, How loath are men to confess sin, to take guilt and shame to themselves? And was it not thus in the case before us? Gen. iii. 10. Adam confesseth his nakedness, which he could not get denied; but not one word he says of his sin here was the reason of it, he would fain have hid it if he could. It is as natural for us to hide sin, as to commit it. Many sad instances thereof we have in this world; but a far

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