1. It has stained and tainted him with an universal, intimate and permanent Pollution. Man in his first Creation was holy and righteous: a Beam of Beauty derived from Heaven was shed upon his Soul, in comparison of which, sensitive Beauty is but as the Clearness of Glass, to the Lustre of a Diamond. His Understanding was Light in the Lord, his Will and Affections were regular and pure, the Divine Image was imprest upon all his Faculties, that attracted the Love and Complacency of God himself. Sin has blotted out all his amiable Excellencies, and superinduced ⟨p. 45⟩the most foul Deformity, the Original of which was fetched from Hell. Sinners are the natural Children of Satan, of a near Resemblance to him. The Scripture borrows Comparisons to represent the defiling Quality of Sin, from Pollutions that are most loathsome to our Senses: from pestilential Ulcers, putrefying Sores, filthy Vomit, and defiling Mire. This Pollution is universal through the whole Man, Spirit, Soul and Body. It darkens the Mind, our supreme Faculty, with a Cloud of Corruption; it depraves the Will, and vitiates the Affections. 'Tis a Pollution so deep and permanent, that the Deluge that swept away a World of Sinners, did not wash away their Sins: and the Fire at the last Day, that shall devour the Dross of the visible World, and renew the Heavens and the Earth, shall not purge away the Sins of the guilty Inhabitants. ⟨p. 46⟩This Pollution hath so defiled and disfigured Man, who was a fair and lovely Type, wherein the Skill and Perfections of the Creator was conspicuous, that it repented God that he made Man. As an Artificer having formed a surprising Piece, either a Statue or Picture, wherein Art almost equalled the Life and Lustre of Nature; if it be torn or broken, throws it from his sight with sorrow, impatient to see it so rudely defaced: Thus God is said to hide his Face from Sinners, to express his Displeasure, as unwilling to behold the Disparagement of his Master-piece, the excellent Product of his Wisdom and Power.
1. It has stain'd and tainted him with an universal, intimate and permanent Pollution. Man in his first Creation was holy and righteous: a Beam of Beauty derived from Heaven was shed upon his Soul, in comparison of which, sensitive Beauty is but as the Clearness of Glass, to the Lustre of a Diamond. His Understanding was Light in the Lord, his Will and Affections were regular and pure, the Divine Image was imprest upon all his Faculties, that attracted the Love and Complacency of God himself. Sin has blotted out all his amiable Excellencies, and superinduc'd ⟨p. 45⟩the most foul Deformity, the Original of which was fetch'd from Hell. Sinners are the natural Children of Satan, of a near Resemblance to him. The Scripture borrows Comparisons to represent the defiling Quality of Sin, from Pollutions that are most loathsom to our Senses: from pestilential Ulcers, putrifying Sores, filthy Vomit, and defiling Mire. This Pollution is universal through the whole Man, Spirit, Soul and Body. It darkens the Mind, our supream Faculty, with a Cloud of Corruption; it depraves the Will, and vitiates the Affections. 'Tis a Pollution so deep and permanent, that the Deluge that swept away a World of Sinners, did not wash away their Sins: and the Fire at the last Day, that shall devour the Dross of the visible World, and renew the Heavens and the Earth, shall not purge away the Sins of the guilty Inhabitants. ⟨p. 46⟩This Pollution hath so defil'd and disfigur'd Man, who was a fair and lovely Type, wherein the Skill and Perfections of the Creator was conspicuous, that it repented God that he made Man. As an Artificer having form'd a surprizing Piece, either a Statue or Picture, wherein Art almost equall'd the Life and Lustre of Nature; if it be torn or broken, throws it from his sight with sorrow, impatient to see it so rudely defaced: Thus God is said to hide his Face from Sinners, to express his Displeasure, as unwilling to behold the Disparagement of his Master-piece, the excellent Product of his Wisdom and Power.
