An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

To open this Doctrine, consider,

First, That all the while a man is merely natural and dead in his sins, he is not affected with, nor can he desire any spiritual mercy. Even as dead men are not affected with pleasant sights, or melodious sounds. No wonder then, though we do out of the Gospel show such all the glory of Heaven, yet they will not fall down and worship Christ, because they are no ways sensible or apprehensive of a better good. Can a Worm that crawleth upon the ground live the life of an Angel, or a man? Alas, that knoweth nothing, but to crawl on the ground, and feed on the dust of the earth. Thus it is with every carnal man, speak to him of the savour of God, of the light of his countenance, he knoweth no more what you mean, than the brute beast doth what reason is. Besides, sin hath so infected and polluted the heart and appetite of every natural man, that he calleth good, evil; and evil, good; he takes sweet for bitter, and bitter for sweet. That as the Swine loveth to wallow in its mire, and delighteth in that, more than in the sweetest garden that is: Or, as they say of those blind Beetles that live in muck and dung, but sweet things do presently kill them; thus it is ⟨p. 97⟩with every natural man, he is not only not affected, but he is contrarily disposed to heavenly things, Rom. 8. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God. The wisdom, the best understanding, parts and knowledge that he hath, is as full of malice against holy things, as a Toad of poison. The Greek word doth not only signify his intellectual, but his practical wisdom and affection; he doth not say, He hath savoury knowledge of heavenly things (Sapientia est sapida scientia;) And as Bernard, Sapiens est cui res sapiunt, prout sunt. Heavenly things savour as heavenly; earthly things as earthly.) But in every natural man his appetite and taste is wholly disordered, he finds no excellency, loveliness in heavenly things, which yet to a gracious heart are matter of exceeding delight and ravishment.

First, That all the while a man is meerly natural and dead in his sins, he is not affected with, nor can he desire any spiritual mercy. Even as dead men are not affected with pleasant sights, or melodious sounds. No wonder then, though we do out of the Gospel shew such all the glory of Heaven, yet they will not fall down and worship Christ, because they are no wayes sensible or apprehensive of a better good. Can a Worm that crawleth upon the ground live the life of an Angel, or a man? Alas, that knoweth nothing, but to crawl on the ground, and feed on the dust of the earth. Thus it is with every carnal man, speak to him of the savour of God, of the light of his countenance, he knoweth no more what you mean, than the bruit beast doth what reason is. Besides, sinne hath so infected and polluted the heart and appetite of every natural man, that he calleth good, evil; and evil, good; he takes sweet for bitter, and bitter for sweet. That as the Swine loveth to wallow in its mire, and delighteth in that, more than in the sweetest garden that is: Or, as they say of those blind Beetles that live in muck and dung, but sweet things do presently kill them; thus it is