By nature through the fall of Adam, are we the children of wrath, heirs
of the vengeance of God by birth, yee and from our conception, we have
our fellowship with the damned devils under the power of darkness and
rule of satan, while we are yet in our mother's wombs, though we shew
not forth the fruits of sin, yet are we full of the natural poison
where of all sinful deeds spring, and cannot but sin outwards (be we
never so young) if occasion be given, for our nature is to do sin, as
is the nature of a serpent to sting. And as a serpent yet young, or yet
un-brought forth is full of poison, and cannot afterward (when the time
is come and occasion given) but bring forth the fruits there of. And as
an edder, a toad, or a snake is hated of man, (not for the evil that it
hath done, but for the poison that is in it and hurt which it cannot
but do) So are we hated of God for that natural poison which is
conceived and born with us, before we do any outward evil. And as the
evil, which a venomous worm doeth, maketh it not a serpent: but be
cause it is a venomous worm. Therefore doeth it evil and poisoneth. And
as the fruit maketh not the tree evil: but because it is an evil tree,
therefore bringeth it forth evil furit, when the season of fruit is.
Even so do not our evil deeds make us evil: but because that of nature
we are evil, therefore we both think and do evil, and are under
vengeance, under the law, convicted to eternal damnation by the law,
and are contrary to the will of God in all our will, and in all things
consent to the will of the land.
By grace (that is to say by favour) we are plucked out of Adam the
ground of all evil, and grafted in Christ the root of all goodness. In
Christ God loved us his elect and chosen, before the world began, and
referred us unto the knowledge of his son and of his holy gospell, and
when the gospell is preached to us he openeth our hearts, and giveth us
grace to believe and putteth the spirit of Christ in us, and we know
him as our father most merciful, and consent to the law, and love it
inwardly in our heart, and desire to fulfill it, and sorrow because we
cannot, which will (sin we of frailty never so much) is sufficient till
more strength be given us, the blood of Christ hath made satisfaction
for the rest: the blood of Christ hath obtained all things for us of
God. Christ is our satisfaction, redeemer, deliverer, saviour from
vengeance and wrath. Observe and mark in the pistels of Paul, and
Peter, and the gospell and pistels of Ihon what Christ is unto us.
((faith, love, works))
By faith are we never with out love and good works, yet is our saving
imputed neither to love nor unto good works, but unto faith only. For
love and works are under the law which requireth perfection, and the
ground and fountain of the heart, and damneth all imperfections. Now is
faith under the promises, which damn not: but give all grace, mercy and
favour, and whatsoever is contained in the promises.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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