~. '9·· The Degree of fmfulnefr in the ;piU lyeth•in a{lijfne[i, and obftinat:y,_a·tellaciou[nefr, of decei,. AI!' . 1 b~s frtl temporal Good,. and·an E!Jgtrntjj ·after H.; and jlkbborn az:crfen,[s to JP:ntttal good as it is a,gain!Y r.cc1~~t~trnithat tunporal flefhly good. This is the wiU1 di{tafi• ' tJ.tc::evar.efcir, . r.cc m:mibcs ullii elui fCteft --Non inrcUum vel :~fperlione ;~.qur ~, vel dicrum numero tollitur. Cictr!' 2. dt lrt,iU. Direa. z, 9· ro. 3· Thefinfitlmji of the memor,y is in its.R~tentivene[s of Evil, orthings hu>·tful and prub'. ttd: and its Loofwejj and NtgleU of bette~, fpiritual, m:cdfaey thin~s. If this were only as ·thin~· pl'cfcnt have the naWrJ! a~V.l1ttagc to make a deeper imprefs upon. the tantafit, and things .uJtfCtn au~ • abfcnt h~ve the ?ifadvantage, it were then but a natural innocent i~~rrnity; or if .in Gcknefs, aSe,or wcaknefs, all kmd of ·~cmory equally decay• .But it is plain that ,( the Bible .be open before ou 1 eyes, and preachmg be m our ears, and things un[ce1z have the advant<!-ge ofthetr infinite,greatneji, and .txceUency? and concermntnt to us, yet our Memsrie1 arc )ike wallsof_jhme to~any thiiJg ~that is fpiritu. al, and like walls of wax, on which you may write ·any thing, of that which is CCcular or evil. Note here al~o th~t t_he faultinef.r of ~he memory is only fo fanJiJifitl as it is.Voluntary: lt .is the will where th~ fin IS as m HS !~one o.r chtefdi: fubject.: Becaufe.men Love carnal things, and LOU£ not fpiritual thm~s,. therefore 1t IS that they mi11d, and undoftand, and. remember the one, and ..not the other. .So that ~~ ts but as .Jmfer~te, and Participaliuely"'that the memory is capable of fin. 9· r•· 4· Tne hnfulo<fs of the ImaginatioH confilleth in itSJeadincfs to Think, of Evil, and ofcom. mon eaHhly things, .and its unaptnefs to :think, of any thing that is .Holy and Good; .And when we do .force ourftlves toholy 1'h,ughn, they are diforderly, confufed, unskJlfully managed, with great avede. nefs : Hue alfo vol1fntarincfi is theLife of rh.e fin. • . y· ll· 5· The finof the Ajfe{JW..t, orl'aJ!ion.t confilleth in this: That they are too eafily, and vz~lemly moved by rhe fenfitzve intereft and appetite; a11d are Habitually pront to fuch carnal inordinate moti?ns, running_ b.o.fore·rh~ "UJid~rftanding and will (fame of them ) and_ follicicing and urging rhcm to ev1l ; and rcfiibng and d1fobeymg the com:nands of Reafon and .the WzN: but duN and back,.rvPTJ. to things JPirimaNy good, and to execute the right dicrates·of the Mind and WiU. _§. J3• ~· The fin~f rhc ~nfitive .tppetiteconfifi:eth in the inordinate rage or immocler.ztenefi .to irs obJect, winch caufeth Lt to dJfobey the Commands of Reafon, and to become the Great inciter ofl\e~ bellion in the foul; violently urging the Mind and Will to confenc to its ddires. Mareri•liy this de. pcndeth much 00 tbe,tempcr of the hod¥ ,; but formally this alfo is fo farr finful as ( potitively or privatively, mediately or immediately) it is voluntury. To have an Appetite fimply to the o~jedof Appetite is no fin: But to have a difeafid, ino):dinate, unrury appetite, is ajin: nor primarily in it felf contldered ; but as it is vobmtary ; as it is the .Appetite of a Ratiunal .:free. agent, thac hath .t~us tlifordered the frame of its own Nature. . ' .§. 14• 7· The fin of the. cxurioztr part!, to11$Y-t, band, tyJ, feet, ~': _is only in All and not i~ Habi.J, o.r at leall; the Habtrs arc weak and fubjtCt to the--will. _An.d It 1s m rhe execution of the finfUl dtfires of the jlcjh, and commands of the wiU that the f•me oonhlleth. Thefe parts al.fo are not the primary fubjeCl: of the guilt, but the wNthar either Pojitively puts them upon evil, or doth net .re. flrain them when it ought : And fo they are guilty but participative~ and .feco11daril; ::.s the orh~r imperate faculties are; It. is no.t Good or Evil meerly as it is lhe atl ot ~ongue, or hatl.d; hut as iris the ad: of the toltg~tc, or hand of a Rational free agent (agreeable, or dtfagrceable to the L1w) . If a nz•d-man (hould .fpeak .blafphemy, or fhouldJ<il~ or fieal, it were oo further fin, than as he had VoluNtarily co111raded the ill difpofition which caufed it, while he had the ofe of Reafon. If a mans hand were held and forced by anotlll'r to do mifchief utterly againfr his wiU, it is the fin of the chief agent , and not of the iJ1Voluntary inftrument- .But no force ~otally exc~feth us from Guilt, which leaveth the a6l: to <>Ur Ra,ional c/JoiCf.. He that faith, 'takJ this Oath or I wiU kiN tbtt or torment the.e, doth ufe force as a Temptation which m~ybe,rcfified., .but doth not conftrain a man to fwear ; For he leaveth it to l?il Choice whether he willfme:ar, ~r die, or be tormented: And he may and ought to .choofe <leatb rather than the finalleil fin. The niU may be tempted but not con· ~~mL . . . ~· I 5· Dir•Cl•. 2· Lab~~;~~r clearly Jo .underjland .t!Jt evil of fin, both illtrinfecal in it {tlf, and in itJ aggravationJ and effrlii. When y-ou have found out where it is, and wherein it dQ[h confiJl, find out the malignity, and ~diostfoe[l of jr. I haye heard fome Chrifiians complain, that they read much to fbew th'ern the evil of fin in its EffeCts, but meet with few that lhew. them its evil in it [elf fufficiently : But if you fee not the evil of fin in it ftif as well as in the effects, it will but tempt )'OU to think God ttnjuft in overpunifhing it; and it will keep you from the principal parr of u~c Repentance and Mortihcation; which lietR in bating fin, Mji11. I ihall therefore lhew you wherem · the iotriniical malignity of fin conf:lleth. 9· r6. ,, Sin is (formally) the violation of the perfect holy, righteous Law of God. .2· It is a denyal or contempt ofthe Authorit)', or Governing-power of God: As if we f1id Thou fhalt not be·our Governour in this. 3• It is an ufurping the S(wrraig1t Power to our fclves of governing our felvcs, in that act: For when we refufe Gods GoVct:nmcnr, we (et up o,ur felves in his fiead ; and fo make God1 of our felvc:s as to our li:lves ; as if w~ werejilf-fofficient, indeptHdrm, and had Right hereto. : ·. +· lt is a denyi11g or contempt of the Wifdom of God, as if he had unwifelymade us a Law, whtch is unmect to Rule us. · 5· It is a fetting up of our folly in the place of Gods Wif~m, and preferring it before him; as if we
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=