Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

but this was not to be despised, for this Jesus loved him. So 1 Kings 13.13. He only of Jeroboam's shall come to the grave, because in him are found some good things. If there are but some good things in a man, they remain of Gods work, and God loveth his own work; Here's the point then, Morality is good, and natural reason is good: it remains in us since the state of our first creation; This was a pure and a full glass, made by God himself, but since the fall, is much darkened: If we consult with natural reason and Moral Philosophy, it will discover many things: yet this comes short. There are abundance of things that it cannot discover, manifold defects. The Apostle saith in the Romans, I had not known sin but by the Law. I had not known lust to have been a sin, had not the Law said, I shalt not lust. We have many sins we cannot know but by the Law, yea such secret sins as must be repented of. Our Saviour overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and would not suffer them to carry burdens through the Temple, though for the use of those that sacrificed, a thing which had some show of Religion in it. He whipped both out, not only those ⟨p. 52⟩that had residence there, but those that passed through: he would suffer none but those that could justify what they did by the Law. Now, as God would not have sin lodge & make its abode in the soul, so he would not have it made a thorough fare for sin: he would not have vain thoughts come up and down in the hearts. Now, By the Law comes the knowledge of these secret sins. Reason is a glass much to be esteemed for what it can show, but it is not a perfect glass; sometimes it shows a sin, but m•ny times diminishes it, that we cannot see it in full proportion. The Apostle makes this use of the Law, that by it sin became exceeding sinful. Thou mayst see sin to be sin by natural reason, but to see it exceeding sinful, this morality comes short of, thou must have this from the Law of God.

but this was not to be despised, for this Jesus loved him. So 1 Kings 13.13. He onely of Jeroboams shall come to the grave, because in him are found some good things. If there are but some good things in a man, they remain of Gods work, and God loveth his own work; Here's the point then, Morality is good, and natural reason is good: it remaines in us since the state of our first creation; This was a pure and a full glass, made by God himself, but since the fall, is much darkned: If we consult with natural reason and Moral Philosophy, it will discover many things: yet this comes short. There are abundance of things that it cannot discover, manifold defects. The Apostle saith in the Romans, I had not known sin but by the Law. I had not known lust to have been a sin, had not the Law said, I shalt not lust. We have many sins we cannot know but by the Law, yea such secret sins as must be repented of. Our Saviour overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and would not suffer them to carry burthens through the Temple, though for the use of those that sacrificed, a thing which had some shew of Religion in it. He whipt both out, not only those