The Renewal of the Evangelical Spirit

[...so that man] might be justified and God condemned.) This concludes a rhetorical point from the previous page: if the Law were truly impossible to follow, man would be "justified" in his sin and God would be "guilty" of setting an impossible standard. Although truly man alone is worthy of condemnation and guilty of all the evils that befall him, as well as the evil of his own damnation, since God always very liberally bestows ᵐ Psalm 119:64 & Psalm 19:8. original: "m Pf. 119. v. 64. & Pf. 19. v. 8." m His graces in abundance upon him; and even all these laws are very special graces from God, and expressions of His Love toward man, so that by these same graces He might draw him to His Love for his eternal happiness. But wicked and ungrateful man wants to charge God with blame and contempt, with defects and imperfections, instead of gratitude in thanksgiving for so many benefits received from Him. And he wants to go and consult his corrupted Nature In 17th-century theology, "corrupted Nature" refers to the human condition after the Fall (Original Sin), which was believed to be naturally inclined toward selfishness and sin. to ask it if it is possible for it to observe the Evangelical Law? To which it will always answer, no, since this ⁿ Romans 8:7-8. original: "n Rom. 8. v. 7. 8." n impossibility is surely within that corruption, from which no good can emerge, however small it may be. How much less would there emerge from this corruption that great good of observing the Evangelical Law, which surpasses every other good? You might consult and examine as much as you like, Children of God, whether man’s corruption can do good or observe the Evangelical Law, for you will always find that it cannot; and that it is just as ᵒ Jeremiah 13:23. original: "o Jer. 13. v. 23." o impossible for this corruption to do good as it is impossible for the Lion to change its natural fury, or for the Leopard to change its colors: since one of these things is