An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Man can sin without a teacher. You need not instruct him, or teach him to do evil, He doth that by a natural instinct, since his nature was corrupted. He sins as the sparks fly upwards, or as a bird flies in the air, whom no man directs, how to use her wings, ⟨p. 225⟩Nature. is her rute. There needs much teaching against sin, and it is the business of all the Ordinances to bridle us from acting our corruptions: But man walks in the ways of wickedness, without guide or precept.

Man can sin without a teacher. You need not instruct him, or teach him to doe evill, He doth that by a naturall instinct, since his nature was corrupted. He sins as the sparks fly upwards, or as a bird flyes in the ayre, whom no man directs, how to use her wings, ⟨p. 225⟩Nature. is her rute. There needs much teaching against sin, and it is the businesse of all the Ordinances to bridle us from acting our corruptions: But man walkes in the ways of wickedness, without guide or precept.

It was the ancient error of the Pelagians, that the sin of man came only by imitation: they denied that man had a stock of corruption in his nature, or that his nature was corrupted; but, seeing others sin, he sinned; an opinion which carries its condemnation in its own face, as well as in our hearts. And though similitudes are no proofs, yet, the reason of a similitude is: mans sinning is therefore compared to a sparks flying, to show how naturally he sins. A spark flies upward without any to lead it the way; and a bird would fly, though she should never see another bird fly: And if a man could live so, as never to see any one example of sin all his days, yet that man, out of his own heart, might bring forth every sin, every day. Example quickens and encourages the principles of sin within us, but we can sin without any extrinsic motion or provocation, without pattern or president from without. Lastly observe,

It was the ancient error of the Pelagians, that the sin of man came only by imitation: they denied that man had a stock of corruption in his nature, or that his nature was corrupted; but, seeing others sin, he sinned; an opinion which carries its condemnation in its own face, as wel as in our hearts. And though similitudes are no proofs, yet, the reason of a similitude is: mans sinning is therefore compared to a sparks flying, to shew how naturally he sins. A spark flyes upward without any to lead it the way; and a bird would flye, though she should never see another bird flye: And if a man could live so, as never to see any one example of sin all his dayes, yet that man, out of his own heart, might bring forth every sin, every day. Example quickens and encourages the principles of sin within us, but we can sin without any extrinsick motion or provocation, without pattern or president from without. Lastly observe,