concerning these Virtues, when yet they contain every Thing that deferves the Name of Reality.

90. It is Truth which is meant by Seed in the Field, concerning which the Lord speaks in these Words, "A Sower went out to fow, and as he fowed, fome fell by the Way-Side, which was trodden under Foot, and the Fowls of Heaven devoured it ; and some fell upon ftony Ground, but as foon as it was fprung up it withered away, becaufe it lacked Moisture; and fome fell into the Midst of Thorns, and the Thorns Sprang up with it and choaked it; and other fell upon good Ground, and sprang up, and bare Fruit an bundred Fold," Luke viii. 5 to 8. Matt. xiii. 3 to 8. Mark iv. 3 to 8. The Sower here is the Lord, and the Seed is his Word, confequently it is Truth; the Seed by the Way-Side is with those who have no Concern about Truths; the Seed on ftony Ground is with thofe who have a Concern about Truth, but not for it's

Own

own Sake, confequently who have no inward Concern about it; the Seed in the Midft of Thorns is with those who are in the Concupifcencies of Evil; but the Seed in the good Ground is with thofe, who by Virtue of the Lord's Influence love the Truths contained in the Word, and practife them in Dependance on the Lord, and thus bring forth Fruit: That this is the Meaning of the Parable, appears from the Lord's Explication of it, Matt. xiii. 19 to 23. Mark iv. 14 to 20. Luke viii. 11 to 15. Hence it is evident that the Truth of the Word cannot take Root with those, who have no Concern about Truth; nor with thofe, who love Truth outwardly and not inwardly; nor with thofe, who are in the Concupifcencies of Evil; but with thofe, in whom the Concupifcencies of Evil are difperfed by the Lord: Seed, that is, Truth, is rooted in the laft in their fpiritual Mind, concerning which Mind see above, n. 86.

91. It is a prevailing Notion at this Day, that Salvation confifts in believing this or that Doctrine of the Church, and has no Connection with doing the Commandments of the Decalogue, (which are not to kill, not to commit Adultery, not to steal, not to bear falfe Witness, both in a confined and extended Senfe) for it is urged, that Works are not regarded, but Faith from God; when nevertheless the Truth is, that fo far as any one is in those Evils, fo far he is void of Faith, as was fhewn above, n. 42 to 52. For confult your Reason, and confider well, whether any Murderer, Adulterer, Thief, and falfe Witnefs, fo long as he is in the Concupifcence of fuch Evils, can have Faith; and further, whether the Concupifcence of such Evils can poffibly be otherwise difperfed than by not willing to do them because they are Sins, that is, because they are infernal and diabolical; wherefore, whofoever supposeth that Salvation confifts in believing this or

that Church Doctrine, and is still in the Concupifcence of Murder, of Adultery, of Theft, and of falfe Witness, must needs come under the Defcription of that foolish one mentioned by the Lord in Matthew, Chap. vii. 26. Such a Church is thus described in Jeremiah," Stand in the Gate of the House of Jehovah, and proclaim there his Word: Thus faith Jehovah of Hofts the God of Ifrael, amend your Ways and your Works; truft ye not in the Words of a Lie, faying, the Temple of Jehovah, the Temple of Jehovah, the Temple of Jehovah, are thefe: Will ye fteal, murder, and commit Adultery, and fwear by a Lie, and come and ftand before Me in this Houfe, on which my Name is named, and fay, we are delivered, whilft ye do thofe Abominations? Is this Houfe become a Den of Robbers? Behold, even I bave feen, faith Jehovah," vii. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, II.

That it is not poffible for any one to fhun Evils as Sins, fo that he may hold them inwardly in Averfion, except by Combats against them.

92.

must appear plain to every one, both from the Word and from Doctrine thence deduced, that the Propriety, or Self of Man is by Birth evil, and that in Confequence thereof, by innate Concupifcence, he loves Evils, and is hurried on to the Commiffion thereof, as to Revenge, to Fraud, to Defamation, and Adultery; and in Cafe he does not think that they are Sins, and on that Account refifts them, he commits them as often as Opportunity offers, if fo be he can do it fafely, without Lofs of Gain and Reputation. Add to this, that he hath a Delight in doing Evil, unless he be under religious Influence.