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

Head I. of the Test, gi
on to aft their Wickedncfs, in Defiance of Heaven.
God fawthis Corruption of Life,he not only knew it,
and took Notice of it; but he made tpem to know,
that he did take notice of it, and that he had not
forfaken the Earth, tho’ they had forfaken Heaven.
Secondly, Corruption of Nature, Every Imagina¬
tion of the thoughts of his Heart was only Evil con¬
tinually. All thdr wicked Brattices are here traced
to the Fountain and Spring-head: A. corrupt Heart
was the Source of all. The Soul, which was made
upright in all its Faculties, is now wholly difordered.
The Heart that was made according to God’s own
Heart, is now the Reverfe of it, a Forge of evil
Imaginations, a Sink of inordinate AfFeftions, and
a Store-houfe of all Impiety, Mark vii. 21, 22.
Behold the Heart of the natural Man, as ’tis open¬
ed in our Text. The Mind is defiled; the thoughts
of the Heart are Evil: The IVill and Affettions
are defiled; the Imagination of the Thoughts of the
Heart, (1. e. whatfoever the Heart frameth within
its felf by thinking, fuch as Judgment, Choice,
Purpofcs, Devices, Defires,every inward Motion;)or
rather, the Frame of Thoughts of the Heart (name¬
ly, the Frame, Make, or Mold of thefc, 1 Chron.
xxix. 18.) is Evil. Yea, and every Imagination,
every Frame of his Thoughts, is fo. The Heart is
ever framing fomething; but never one right Tiling:
The Frame of Thoughts, in the Heart of Man, is
exceeding various; yet are they never caft into a
right Frame. But is there not, at leafi, a Mixture
of Good in them? No, they are only Evil; there
is nothing in them truly good and acceptable to
God: Nor can any Thing be fo, that comes out
of that Forge; where not the Spirit of God, but
the Prince of the Power of the Air worketh, Eph.
ii. 2.