Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

The Explication, See.
to that of the Apoftle, Eph. ii. 3. slrid were by
Nature the Children of Wrath, even as others.
And herein two Things are to be confidcred ; Ftrft,
The Sinfulnefs ; idly. The Mifery of this Eftate,
in which all the unregenerate do live. I begin with
the Sinfulnefs of Man's natural State, whereof the
Text gives us a full, tho’ fhort Account; And
God faw that the IVickednefs of Man was great, &c.
The Scope and Delign of thefe Words is, to
clear God’s Juftice, in bringing the Flood on the
old World. There are two particular Caufes of it
taken Notice of in the preceeding Verfes. (1.) Mixt
Marriages, rverf 2. T'he Sons of God, the Poflerity
Seth and Enos, Profeflbrs of the true Religion, mar¬
ried with the Daughters of Men, the profane curfed
Race of Cain. They did not cafry the Matter be¬
fore the Lord, that he might chufe for them, Pfal.
xlviii. 4. But without any Refped to the Will of
God, they chofe; not according to the Rules of
their Faith, but of their Fancy ; they faw that they
were fair: And their Marriage with them, occafi-
oned their Divorce from God. This was one of the
Caufes of the Deluge, which fwept away the old
World. Would to God all ProfelTors in our Day,
could plead not Guilty: But tho’ that Sin brought
on the Deluge, yet the Deluge hath not fwept away
that Sin; which, as of old, fo in our Day, may
juftly be looked upon, as one of the Caufes of the
Decay of Religion. It was an ordinary Thing a-
mong the Pagans, to change their Gods, as they
changed their Condition into a married Lot:
And many fad Inftances the Chriftian World af¬
fords of the fame, as if People were of Pharaoh's
Opinion, That Religion is only for thole that have
no other Care upon their Hesids, Exod. v, 17. (2.)
Great