Man's sinfulness and misery by nature asserted and opened in several sermons on Ephes. 2, verses 1, 2, 3 : designed chiefly for the unconverted : whereunto is added a disputation concerning the headship of Adam and Christ, by John England ...

APPLICATION.

Is it so, that we are, privatively spiritually dead ••n sin, as being deprived of Original Righteousness, ••nd having no ability to what is spiritually good?

1. This will shew us the great need of Regene∣••ation. What is Regeneration, but the restora∣••ion of God's Image in us; the restoring us in ••ome measure to our primitive rectitude and ori∣ginal righteousness, which we lost by the fall? ••o the Apostle sets it forth, Eph. 4.23, 24. where ••peaking of Regeneration, he calls it, a being re∣••ewed in the spirit of our mind, and a puting on ••f the new man, which after God is created in righ∣••eousness and true holiness. The expression al∣••udes to man's innocent state, wherein he was made in the Image of God, antecedent to any act of obedience. Which Image of God, being ••ost by the fall; hence we stand in need of Re∣generation to repair that loss.

2. Hence learn the great Impotency of man by nature. He is spiritually dead to all that is good. The natural man, whatever his parts, or acquire∣ments

be, yet in the things of God he is an Im¦potent creature. He is dead in sin, he canno•• put forth a spiritual good act. The Scriptur•• speaks plainly touching man's Impotency; no•• only telling us in the general, that we are dea•• in sin, as in my Text: but also more particula••¦ly, that the natural man cannot know, 1 Cor. 2.1•• cannot believe, Joh. 6.44. cannot obey, Rom. 8.•• cannot think a good thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. cann•••• speak a good word, Matth. 12.34. yea, cannot •• any thing that is spiritually good, Joh. 15.•• what a poor Impotent thing then is the natur•••• man, that can of himself, neither know, nor b••¦lieve, obey, nor think, speak, nor do any thin•• that is good? And this being so; what will b••¦come of that great noise, that is made in th•• world about Free-will. But this leads to th•• next use.

3. Hence learn a plain confutation of the A¦minian Doctrine, touching man's power and fre••-will. The Arminians tell us, that man since t•• fall, hath a power to convert himself, to belie•••• in Christ, and put forth acts of evangelic•••• obedience. And that in order hereto, he do not stand in need of any special grace, but on•• of that which is common to all, that sit und•••• the ministry of the word, namely, moral gra•••• or moral suasion; which moral suasion does n•• confer any new strength, only excites him to u•• the power he hath already. And this they thi•• is sufficient to Faith, and other spiritual go•••• works.

A Doctrine, quite contrary to the scope of t•••• Gospel, which ascribes our conversion, fait••

and repentance, to the power of God, and free-grace, Psal. 110.3. Eph. 2.8. not to man's pow∣••r and free-will. Which Doctrine also is plain∣••y confuted from my Text and Doctrine. For if ••y nature, we are spiritually dead to all that is good, then we have not a natural active power, ••nd free-will to spiritual good actions. For if we ••ad, then we should not be dead in sin; some ••ife toward God, and that which is good would ••e left in us. Whereas the Apostle tells us ••oundly, we are dead in sin. He doth not say, we are wounded and weakened by the fall of A∣dam, and are indisposed to a spiritual life, which we shall not mind, unless excited by moral Ar∣guments: but he tells us plainly, we are dead in sin, as having no more ability for the duties of the spiritual life, than a dead man hath to the duties of the natural; for in this is the allusion.

But to prevent mistakes, we do not deny all kind of free-will. Let me therefore state the point briefly in a few Particulars, that so we may distinguish truth from error. And,

1. When we dispute concerning this Doctrine of free-will, the Question is not, whether man since the fall hath free-will in a natural sence. This is granted and generally own'd. Austin as well as Pelagius; Calvin as well as Arminius una∣nimously maintain, that man has free-will in this sence. All that the Orthodox say in this point is, that the will is corrupted and disposed to evil, as the other powers of the soul are. They freely grant, we have not lost the power of willing, in genere entis, in a natural sence: only it is corrupted, in genere moris, in a moral

sence. If therefore we take free-will in a natural sence, and understand by it no more than a free∣dom from coaction and external violence, so that a man doth will and chuse, and do what he doth upon counsel, reason, and advice leading him thereto; there is no controversie in the pre∣sent business. For freedom of will in this sence is essential unto man. It is as essential to him, a•• reason it self. And therefore to strip, or spoi•• him of this, were to turn man into a brute.

The Question therefore is not, whether man has free-will in a natural sence, in respect of th•• subject: but in a moral sence, in regard of th•• object, whether man has free-will to that whic•• is good.

2. Neither is the Question, whether man ha•• free-will in a moral sence to external good action•• This is granted. For tho' he cannot do an evan¦gelical good work, that is pleasing to God; fo•• they that are in the flesh, (in their unregeneracy cannot please God, Rom. 8.8. yet the natural ma•• can do many moral good actions, I mean such a are materially good. And hither we refer the vir¦tues of the Heathen, and the good works of un¦regenerate men before faith. For, (as a judici¦ous Divine speaks) tho' man be much criple•• since the fall in morals, yet he is not wholly dea•• to them, as he is to spirituals. A man may brea•• off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities b•• shewing mercy to the poor, as Daniel told Neb••¦chadnezzar, Dan. 4.27. The young man in th•• Gospel, yet out of Christ, morally kept the Law And so may men under the Gospel keep the out¦ward and material part of the precept. Yea, th••

very Heathen and Pagans themselves did not on∣•••• by nature in part know the things written in ••he Law, but they did by nature do them, as the ••postle sheweth, Rom. 2.14. For the Gentiles ••hat have not the law, do by nature the things con∣••ained in the law. They did them by the power ••f nature and free-will. Upon this stock, toge∣••her with the help of common providence and ••oncourse, they bore many excellent and wor∣••hy fruits. What contempt of the world? what ••dmirable patience under afflictions? what sobri∣ety and temperance? what bowels of compassion to men in misery? and what devotion in the ex∣ternal worship of their Gods, did eminently ap∣pear in many of them? And these works, tho' they were not according to the exactness of the Law, and they failed also in the manner of them, and could not please God for want of faith in them, Heb. 11.6. yet so far as they were agreeable to the law of nature, and in regard of the mate∣riality of them, so far they were pleasing to God, and not offensive to him, as their sins were. Now, for such moral acts of righteousness as these, man since the fall hath free-will. But tho' he hath free-will in some sence to moral good actions, yet he hath no freedom to what is spiritually good; he hath not free-will in a spiri∣tual sence. The carnal mind is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither in∣deed can be, Rom. 8.7. with respect to evange∣lical and spiritual good acts, Christ tells us plainly, without him we can do nothing, Joh. 15.5. i. e. nothing spiritually, nothing acceptable, be∣cause no such fruit can arise, where faith the

root of such fruit is wanting; Vid. Charn. Vol. 2. p. 177.

3. Lastly, Neither is it controverted, whether the work of faith, regeneration and conversion is carried on by moral suasion in the ministry of the word. For this also is granted, that the Holy Ghost makes use of this, as the ordinary means of faith and conversion. We do not assert, that faith and other graces are infused into persons living idle, and taking no care about their salva∣tion: but ordinarily in the diligent use of those means, which God hath appointed and sanctifi∣ed to this purpose, such as prayer, reading, at∣tending on ordinances; which means in those that are elect, are made effectual by the blessing of God, in a way of moral suasion, to the pro∣duction of faith and conversion in the soul.

The Question therefore is not, whether faith and conversion are usually promoted and carried on by moral suasion: but whether this of it self is sufficient to produce these graces in us? They say it is: but we deny it; because of that moral impotence we are under, by reason of our spiri∣tual death in sin. For seeing by nature we are spiritually dead, we are no more able to quick∣en our selves to a spiritual life, or perform the duties of the spiritual life, whilst unregenerate, than a dead man can raise himself out of the grave, or put forth the acts of the natural life.

4. This Doctrine may serve for advice in these following particulars.

1. Let us all reflect a little on our natural state with respect to this death, and be humbled for it. There are three things in this death, that call on us to humiliation.

1. Because we are hereby void of all that is ••ood. We have not by nature the least dram of ••race, the least spark of habitual holiness left in ••s. In us, in our flesh, (and we are all by nature ••othing but flesh) there dwells nothing that is ••ood, Rom. 7.18. This therefore should be mat∣••er of deep self-abasement, to think there is no∣••hing of good in us; no gracious habit, no holy ••isposition; but that our natures are rather like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lump of terra damnata, as the Chymists call it, namely, that which is the dross of their distilla∣••ions, out of which they have distilled all that ••s good. Thus our natures are like this dross, or rather to make use of the Scripture compari∣son, they are like cursed earth, that hath not the least good seed in it; and therefore is fit to be rejected and burned, Heb. 6.8. And is not this matter of humiliation, to reflect on it? If there was but something of good in us, some gra∣cious and holy dispositions toward God; why, 'twould be a means of our preservation. As in Isai. 65.8. The Vine that hath but one cluster of Grapes in it, one saith destroy it not, for there is a blessing in it; some good in it, which it is pity to have destroyed. Ay, but by nature we have no good in us, we are all of us an empty Vine, as God speaks of Israel, Hos. 10.1. And therefore we have cause to judge our selves not worthy to live, and to be deeply humbled at the thoughts of it. As also,

2. Because by this death we are not only empty of good, of habitual goodness; but are render'd uncapable to answer our End. The end of man is to glorify God. Now we cannot glo∣rify

God more than by our obedience. Herein saith Christ, is my father glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit, Joh. 15.8. Now, we by this death are render'd uncapable of yielding to God accep∣table obedience, and so of answering the end o•• our being; and therefore it is matter of Soul-humbling reflection. Especially if we do bu•• compare our selves with the other creatures. The other creatures retain most of their native good∣ness, which God put in them, and are good fo•• those ends they were at first appointed; as the Sun, Moon, Plants, Trees, and other inanimate and sensitive creatures. But we, (to make us•• of our Saviour's comparison) are as salt that hate lost its savour; and so is fit for nothing but the dunghill: because, tho' it hath a being still, yet it hath lost its goodness, for that end it was ap∣pointed. And so we, (my Brethren) have los•• our goodness with reference to our end; we are as Salt without savour. Or to make use of the Prophet's allusion, Ezech. 15.4, 5. we are as the Wood of the Vine, of no use, unmeet for service▪ And therefore it should humble us to think of it As also,

3. Because this death is not only our misery, but also our sin. All sin whatever is just cause of hu∣miliation. Now this spiritual death is our sin▪ It is not a meer negation of grace, but 'tis a priva∣tion of what ought to be in us. It is carentia en∣titatis debitae inesse; 'tis the want of that good∣ness we ought to have, and that according to the law of God, which requires our natures to be spiritual and holy, yea to be holy as God is holy, Lev. 19.2. according to the pattern of our first

creation, for we were created in the image of his holiness.

2. Let those that are quickened by Christ, bless God for it. You, my Brethren, did not deserve it more than others: no, 'twas merely of free grace, Eph. 1.5. However others ascribe their Conversion and Regeneration to free-will: let true Christians set the crown on the head of free-grace. 'Tis grace, free grace, that makes us to differ, not only from others, but our former sel∣ves, if there be a difference, 1 Cor. 4.7.

3. Lastly, let those that are under this spiri∣tual death, endeavour to become sensible of it, and pray to God to be delivered from it. The whole, saith Christ, need not the Physician, Mat. 9.12. Persons seldom go to Christ for a cure, till they find themselves sick or wounded. Endeavour therefore from my doctrine to be sensible of your spiritual death in sin; and then pray to be delivered from it. My doctrine tends not to drive you to despair, but to drive you to your knees; and to make you know, that God will have us beholden to him for every good thing; it is he that works in us both to will and to do, Phil. 2.••3. Tho' we are spiritually dead in sin, as be∣ing empty of all good by nature, having no free-will to what is spiritually good: yet we can pray to God for his grace; this is the means of God's own prescribing, Eze. 36.26, 37. com∣pared. And there is good encouragement, as our Saviour sheweth, Luke 11.13. If ye then that are evil know how to give good gifts unto our children: how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him.

Pray therefore for habitual grace, this is the remedy of this spiritual death. And if you would have your Prayers effectual, pray in sin∣cerity; my meaning is, join endeavours toge∣ther with your prayers. Pray and read, pray and practise what is in your power, pray and attend the ministry of the word, and other gospel institutions: and this is the way to obtain this blessing.