Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Section 17
SECT. 17.
NOw the reaſons of this our inability to doe good, Reaſons hereof. 1 His ignorance.may partly bee gathered and conſidered …ut of the foregoing diſ…ourſe; where we may take …otice: Firſt of that Igno…ance (that ill diſpoſed Ig…orance) which is in us all …aturally; whereby Repentance, Faith, with the power and life of Godlineſſe, is accounted fooliſhneſſe to the naturall man▪ At which, being called to them he ſcoffeth and mo… keth. Hence it was tha… when Hezechiah King of Judah ſent out meſſenge… with letters, to call thoſe of Iſrael to turne againe unt… the Lord; 2 Chron. 30.6, 7, 8, 9, 10.inviting by man… faire & gracious promiſes; in the name and according to the Word of the Lord▪ they laughed the meſſengers to ſcorne and mocked them.
And doe not too many now adayes in like manner ſcoffe and laugh at ſuch teachers as are moſt earneſ… with them to call them from their ſinnes to a new courſe of Life and wel-doing? Though yet diverſe of …ſher, Manaſſeth, Verſ. 11.& Zebulon …umbled themſelves, and …ame to Ieruſalem;. But what? By their owne po…wer? No; no otherwiſe …hen thoſe of Judah hum…bled themſelves; of whom with thoſe others it is ſaid, and added, that the hand (this notes the worke, yea and power) of God was to give them (that is, all of them both of Judah and Aſher, &c.) one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the Princes, And 12:by the word of the Lord; But whence was this backwardneſſe in others (whoſe hearts the Lord had not touched otherwiſe then by thoſe common motives and exhortations uſed alike to them all becauſe their corruption (unto which they were left) told them as the like corruption (where ſpeciall grace overcomes not) tells men now that God calls them to forſake their owne wayes which they have choſen, and ſo to deny their own wil & choyce, to forgoe their ſweet ſins, and ſo to undergoe ſuch afflictions and reproach as commonly attends upon Godlineſſe; and a ſtricter courſe of Sanctification▪ Yea the nature of Gods perſwaſions is ſuch, as that for the moſt part they rather diſſwade a naturall man, (left to himſelfe) a…, whoſoever will come after me, let him deny himſelfe, and take up his croſſe and follow me.
And, whoſoever ſhall loſe his life for my ſake and the Goſpels, the ſame ſhall ſave it. Marke 8.34, 35.This to fleſhly, yea to naturall underſtanding, is as much as if Chriſt ſhould have ſaid: Fly from mee.
2 Secondly, 2 His unbeleefe.to Ignorance wee may adde naturall unbeleefe, which makes us with Adam rather flye from God as from a conſuming Fire, Heb. 12.29.then come to him by Faith, Repentance, and by a totall reſignation of our ſelves unto his will.
3 But chiefly, 3 His naturall impotency.when God doth informe our ignorāce by his word, and alſo by it gives hope, and proclaimes a pardon freely to the penitent, and to ſuch as ſhall beleeve & become new men. Yet there is that naturall impotency in man, whereby hee wants power (now ſince the Fall) to returne or to doe any thing wch is truly & ſpiritually good. Therefore ſaith God: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, …er. 13.23.o… the Leopard his ſpots? then may yee alſo doe good that are accuſtomed (or as it is in the Hebrew, taught) to doe evill. The eſtate of each man before his Converſion.In a word, we are dead in ſinne, and by it; So that if wee would know what our naturall eſtate is before we by Gods ſpecial… grace be effectually called, the Scripture will plainly and fully tell us, which calls us Servants of ſinne. Rom. 6.20. And tells us: Wee are ſold under ſinne, Rom. 7.14. That wee are by nature the Children of Wrath, Eph. 2.3. Conceived in ſin, Pſal. 51.7. That wee drinke iniquitie as water. Iob. 15.16. That our thoughts are onelyonly and alwayes evill. Gen. 6.5.
That our heart is ſtony. Ez…k. 36.26. that it is perverſe & deceitfull above all things, and deſperately wicked. Ier. 17.9. that our carnall minde is enmity againſt God, & not …ubject to the Law of God, neither can bee. Rom. 8.7. Yea that out of Chriſt we can doe no…hing. Ioh. 15.5. And as …s ſaid, (which may include all) we are dead in …reſpaſſes and ſinnes. Eph. ….1. Dead in ſinnes, and …n the uncircumciſion of …he fleſh, Col. 2.13.
…ow ſurely all theſe ſhew …tous, that mans ability …d power of his own free…ll, eſpecially in the buſi…ſſe of his owne Salvation. is none at all. For if we be… Servants of ſinne, how c… Libertie ſtand with this ſe… vitude? If ſold under th… power of ſinne, muſt n… the Son onelyonly make us free… If we be conceived in ſin… naturally, then ſurely th… remedy of ſinne muſt be ſought and found, not … nature, but without it. … our thoughts and imagin… tions bee wholly and one… evill, Shewing how unable he is to doe good.can they at all rea… and lead us to that which truly good? If our hearts … naturally ſtony hearts; … they, ſo remaining admit … the Seed of Gods Wo… and prove fruitfull? M… they not be made both … & good hearts before th… keepe the word, they hea… and bring forth Fruit w… Patience? Luke 8.15. If o… hearts bee deceitfull above all things, and deſperately wicked, what ſoundneſſe, ſinceritie, or rectitude can …e imagined in us natural…y? If nature cannot ſubmit …t ſelfe to the Law of God, …an it (thinke wee) as of it …elfe either thinke or doe what is truly good? If out of Chriſt wee can doe no…hing, can any thinke that …ee can doe that which is …hiefe of all, even returne …gaine to God? And if wee …e dead in ſin, what ſenſe …r motion can we have, to …oe any thing that is truly …ood?