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

ai6 The Nature of State 111.
■xyi. a. compare Gal. iv. 22. and downward.
TThey take up with a meer Law-work, and flay not
till the Time of the Promife of the Go/pel. They
fnatch at Confolation, not waiting till it be given
them; and foolifhly draw their Comfort from the
Law that wounded them. They apply the healing
Plaifter to theinfelyes, before their Wound be fuffi-
ciently fearched, 'Tie Law, that rigorous Huf-
band, feverely beats them, and throws in Curfes
and Vengeance upon their Souls: T hen they fall
a reforming, praying, mourning, prumillng* and
vowing, till this Ghod be laid ; which done, they
fallafleep again in the Arms of the Law: But they
are never lhaken out of themfclvcs and their own
Righteoufnefs, nor brought forward to Jejits Chrifi.
Lafily, There may be a wonderful Moving of the
Jlffetticw, in Souls that are not at all touched with
regenerating Grace. Where there’s no Grace, there
may notwithftanding be a Flood ot (fears, as in
Efau, who found no Place of Repentance, though he
fought it carefully with ’fears, Hcb. Mi. j 7. 1 here
may be great Fhifhcs of Joy; as in the Hearers of'
the Word, repfefented in the Parable by the Stony
Ground, who anon with Joy receive it, Matth. xiii.
20. There may alfo be great Dejlres after good
Things,' and great Delight in them too ; as in thefe
Hypocrites deferibed, Jfa. Iviii. 2. Tet they feek rn:
daily, and delight to know my lVays. fhey take
Delight in approaching to God. See how high they
may fometimes {land, who yet fall away, Heb. xi
a, 5, 6. They may be enlightned, tafte of the hea¬
venly Gift,, be Partakers-ofthe Holy-Ghoft, taflethe
good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to
%me. ' Common Operations of the Divine Spirit,
like a Land-flood, make a ftrange turning pf Things