Secondly, Even by the moral Law, or the Decalogue, this original corruption is forbidden. The Apostle Rom. 7. showeth, That he had not known lust to be a sin, had not the Law said, Thou shalt not lust: So that as the Law forbiddeth actual lusting, thus it doth also the principle and root of it; for the Law is spiritual and in its obligation reacheth to the fountain, and root of all sin, it doth not only prohibit the sinful motions of thy soul, but the cause of all these: Even as when it commands any holy duty, to love God; for instance, it requireth that inward sanctification of the whole man, whereby he is enabled to love God upon right and enduring grounds, otherwise if this were not so, the habits of sin would not be against Gods Law, nor the habits of Grace required by it, as therefore it was with Adam his actual transgression, was directly and immediately forbidden by the Law of God; but that habitual depravation of the whole man, which came thereupon, was forbidden remotely and by consequence: Thus it is with that native contagion we are born in, and this should teach us in every sin we commit, to think the Law doth not forbid and condemn this actual sin only, but the very inward principle of it; say to thy self, Alas I should not only be without such vain thoughts, such vain affections, but without an inclination thereunto; Therefore mark the Apostle reasoning, Ephes. 4. 22, 24, 25. When he had exhorted them to put off the old man, that is original sin, and to put on the new man, which is the Image of God, immediately opposing that; See what he inferreth thereupon, Wherefore put away lying, they must leave that actual sin, because they have in measure subdued original sin. Thus it holds in all other sins, put away pride, earthliness, profaneness, because the old man is first put away in some degrees, But oh how little do men attend to this? They think of their actual sins, they say, This, I have done, is against Gods Law, but go no deeper, they do not further consider, but God forbids and layeth his axe to the root, as well as the branches & the fruit.
Secondly, Even by the moral Law, or the Decalogue, this original corruption is forbidden. The Apostle Rom. 7. sheweth, That he had not known lust to be a sinne, had not the Law said, Theu shalt not lust: So that as the Law forbiddeth actual lusting, thus it doth also the principle and root of it; for the Law is spiritual and in its obligation reacheth to the fountain, and root of all sin, it doth not only prohibit the sinfull motions of thy soul, but the cause of all these: Even as when it commands any holy duty, to love God; for instance, it requireth that inward sanctification of the whole man, whereby he is inabled to love God upon right and induring grounds, otherwise if this were not so, the habits of sinne would not be against Gods Law, nor the habits of Grace required by it, as therefore it was with Adam his actual transgression, was directly and immediately forbidden by the Law of God; but that habital depravation of the whole man, which came thereupon, was forbidden remotely and by consequence: Thus it is with that native contagion we are born in, and this should teach us in every sin we commit, to think the Law doth not forbid and condemn this actual sin only, but the very inward principle of it; say to thy self, Alas I should not only be without such vain thoughts, such vain affections, but without an inclination thereunto; Therefore mark the Apostle reasoning, Ephes. 4. 22, 24, 25. When he had exhorted them to put off the old man, that is original sinne, and to put on the new man, which is the Image of God, immediately opposing that; See what he inferreth thereupon, Wherefore put away lying, they must leave that actual sinne, because they have in measure subdued original sinne. Thus it holds in all other sins, put away pride, earthliness, prophaneness, because the old man is first put away in some degrees, But oh how little do men attend to this? They think of their actual sins, they say, This, I have done, is against Gods Law, but go no deeper, they do not further consider, but God forbids and layeth his axe to the root, as well as the branches & the fruit.
