Know then, that every natural man is a branch of a killing stock. Our natural root not only gives us not life, but it has a killing power reaching all the branches thereof. There are four things, which the first Adam conveys to all his branches; and they are abiding in, and lying on, such of them as are not ingrafted to Christ. Fi•st. A corrupt nature. He sinned, and his nature was thereby corrupted or depraved; and this corruption is conveyed to all his posterity. He was infected and the contagion spread itself over all his seed. Secondly, Guilt, that is an obligation to punishment, Rom v. 21. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all m•n, for that all have sinned. The threatenings of the law, as cords of death, are twisted about the branches of the old stock; to draw them over the hedge into the fire. And till they be cut off from this stock by the pruning knife; the sword of vengeance hangs over their heads, to cut them down. Thirdly, This killing stock transmits the curse into the branches. The stock, as the stock, (for I speak not of Adam in his personal and private capacity) being cursed; so are the branches. Gal iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse This curse affects the whole man, and all that belongs to him, every thing he possesses; and worketh three ways. (1.) As poison, infecting▪ thus their blessings are cursed, Mal ii. 2. Whatever the man enjoys, it can do him no good, but evil; being th• imp•soned ⟨p. 173⟩by the curse. His prosperity in the world destroys him, Prov. i. 32. The ministry of the gospel is a savour of death unto death, to him, 2 Cor. ii. 16. His seeming attainments in religion are cursed to him: his knowledge serves but to puff him up, and his duties to keep him back from Christ. (2.) It worketh as a moth, consuming and wasting by little and little, Hos. •. 12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth. There is a worm at the root, consuming them by degrees. Thus the curse pursued S•ul, till it wormed him out of all his enjoyments, and out of the very show he had of religion. Sometimes they decay like the f•t of lambs, and melt away as the snow in a sun-shine (2.) It acteth as a lion rampant, Hos. v. 14. I will be unto Ephraim as a lion.
Know then, that every natural man is a branch of a killing stock. Our natural root not only gives us not life, but it has a killing power reaching all the branches thereof. There are four things, which the first Adam conveys to all his branches; and they are abiding in, and lying on, such of them as are not ingrafted to Christ. Fi•st. A corrupt nature. He sinned, and his nature was thereby corrupted or depraved; and this corruption is conveyed to all his posterity. He was infected and the contagion spread itself over all his seed. Secondly, Guilt, that is an obligation to punishment, Rom v. 21. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all m•n, for that all have sinned. The threatnings of the law, as cords of death, are twisted about the branches of the old stock; to draw them over the hedge into the fire. And till they be cut off from this stock by the pruning knife; the sword of vengeance hangs over their heads, to cut them down. Thirdly, This killing stock transmits the curse into the branches. The stock, as the stock, (for I speak not of Adam in his personal and private capacity) being cursed; so are the branches. Gal iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse This curse affects the whole man, and all that belongs to him, every thing he possesses; and worketh three ways. (1.) As poison, infecting▪ thus their blessings are cursed, Mal ii. 2. Whatever the man enjoys, it can do him no good, but evil; being th• imp•soned ⟨p. 173⟩by the curse. His prosperity in the world destroys him, Prov. i. 32. The ministry of the gospel is a savour of death unto death, to him, 2 Cor. ii. 16. His seeming attainments in religion are cursed to him: his knowledge serves but to puff him up, and his duties to keep him back from Christ. (2.) It worke•h as a moth, consuming and wasting by little and little, Hos. •. 12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth. There is a worm at the root, consuming them by degrees. Thus the curse pursued S•ul, till it wormed him out of all his enjoyments, and out of the very shew he had of religion. Sometimes they decay like the f•t of lambs, and melt away as the snow in a sun-shine (2.) It acteth as a lion rampant,
