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

3 8 That Man's Nature Sate II.
namely, corrupt Nature. He was a Man accord¬
ing to God Vown Hfart; but from the Beginning
it was'not fo, with him. He was begotten in law¬
ful Marriage; but when the Lump was lhapen in
the Womb, it was a iinful Lump. Hence the Cor¬
ruption of Nature is called the Old Man; being as
old as our feives, older than Grace, even in thofe
that are fandtified from the Womb.
Fourthly. Hear our Lord’s Determination of the
Point, Job. iii. 6. <Fkat ’which is horn of the Flejh is
Fhjh. dehold the univerfal Corruption of Mankind,
all are Flejh [ Not that all are frail, tho’ that is a
fad Truth too; yea, and our natural Frailty is an E-
vidence of our natural Corruption; buo that’s not
the Senfe of this Text: But here is the Meaning of
it, All are corrupt and Jinful, and that naturally;
Hence, our Lord argues here, thatbecaufe they are
Flejh therefore they muft be born again, or elfe they
cannot enter into the Kingdom of Ged, ver. 3, 5.
And as the Corruption of our Nature evidenceth the
absolute Neceflity of Regeneration; fo the abfolute
Nec.flity of Regeneration plainly proves the Cor¬
ruption of out Nature: For why fhould a Man need
a fecond Birth, if his Nature were not quite marr’d
in me fir ft Birth ? Infants muft be horn again, for
that is an Except (Johnm. 3 ) which admits of
no Exception. And therefore they were circumcifed
under the Old Fft ament; as having the Body of the
Sin1: of the Flejh, (which is conveyed to them by
natural Generation) to put off. Col. ii. 11. And
now by the Appointment of Jefus Chrift, they are
to be Baptifed ■, which fays they are unclean, and
that there is no Salvation ior them, but by tbelVaflo-
ing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft,
Tic. iii. 5.